Tag Archives: newswire

Watch Elizabeth Olsen in the Real-Time, One-Take Creeper Silent House

Last year, Sundance It Girl Elizabeth Olsen had two notable films debut in Park City. One was Sean Durkin ‘s Martha Marcy May Marlene , which earned Olsen raves and new fans for her central turn as a paranoid cult survivor. Now comes Olsen’s second Sundance ’11 pic, Silent House , in which poor Olsen finds herself spooked by bumps in the night and possibly more insidious forces while stuck in a darkened abandoned house. Was it really shot in a single continuous take, as co-directors Chris Kentis and Laura Lau claim? Is there any young actress quite as watchable in moments of terror as the younger Olsen? Watch the trailer and let us ponder these questions together. Silent House is a remake of the 2010 Uruguayan horror film La Casa Muda , which played the Cannes Film Festival and also used the one-take gimmick. As far as trailers go, this is how you do it. The “inspired by real events” angle has been done to death in modern horror (see: The Devil Inside ), but using Texas Chainsaw -style snapshot editing and voice-over makes it feel both fresh and retro at once. And then there’s the captivating power of Elizabeth Olsen’s face, fascinating even in terror, lit gorgeously within the constraints of a set that seems to rely on practical lighting. And hey! Her real-time ordeal lasts only 88 minutes. When’s the last time a movie promised not to take up too much of your day upfront? Verdict: Can’t wait to shiver and squirm along with Lizzie Olsen on March 9. In real time!

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Watch Elizabeth Olsen in the Real-Time, One-Take Creeper Silent House

Report: Gene Hackman Injured in Car Accident

BREAKING: TMZ is reporting that Oscar-winner Gene Hackman was injured earlier today when a car hit him as he was bicycling in Key West, Florida. Details are very sketchy at this point, with the extent of Hackman’s injuries unknown; the report claims said injuries are “serious” but also that the 81-year-old Hackman is currently in stable condition at a local hospital. Developing… [ TMZ ]

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Report: Gene Hackman Injured in Car Accident

Margaret Comeback Adds L.A. Engagement; Awards Crusade Next?

The enduring saga of Margaret — three years in the making, six years in the editing, one week in the theatrical showing, and finally rescued from oblivion by a cabal of devotees best known by their #TeamMargaret brand — presses on this week with news that Kenneth Lonergan’s embattled epic is finally returning to theaters in Los Angeles. Great! But perhaps just as interesting as how this complements the film’s ongoing revival in New York City is how it shores up a better-late-than-never awards campaign by distributor Fox Searchlight. Karina Longworth, who chose Margaret as her favorite film of 2011 (a distinction not too far from critic Alison Willmore’s own here at Movieline ), reports via LA Weekly that Cinefamily will launch a new engagement of the film starting Friday. The run starts at one week but could be extended based on demand — an option exercised three times now by the proprietors of New York’s Cinema Village , where tomorrow Margaret enters its fourth week on the comeback trail. The grassroots effort to get Margaret not only seen but outwardly acclaimed represents one of the season’s more inspired awards crusades, and one with which Searchlight is now playing along. Well, sort of, anyway: Speaking with Longworth, a studio publicist confirmed previous reports that Margaret screeners have been distributed Academy-wide — for what that’s worth, particularly with Oscar nomination ballots due Friday by 5 p.m. and the publicist denying that Searchlight’s “strategy” for the film had changed. But really, does the awards noise even matter in light of fans willfully prying a troubled mainstream film out from under a stubborn distributor’s heavy haunches? This is something to celebrate! Do them and their efforts proud and go see this thing, already. [ LA Weekly ]

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Margaret Comeback Adds L.A. Engagement; Awards Crusade Next?

Ron Paul’s Campaign Song Is… The Star Wars Imperial March

Candidates campaigning for the Presidential ticket usually opt for safe campaign songs carefully chosen to align themselves consciously and subconsciously with certain sets of values, but last night, Ron Paul went a different route: He and his supporters celebrated their second-place victory in the New Hampshire Republican primary to the sounds of “The Imperial March” from Star Wars . Yes, Darth Vader ‘s theme song. Most folks know the Imperial March is not your traditional signifier of wholesome, upstanding goodness. I mean, it’s Darth Vader’s personal theme , the ditty that warns of impending throat crushings and legions of Stormtroopers at the ready to exact all manner of evil for the dark side. But Paul, as the Telegraph noted , knows his demographic. And he gave a rally cry of a speech following his New Hampshire success that explained the song choice, kinda. “I sort of have to chuckle when they describe you and me as being ‘dangerous,’ Paul said to a crowd that reportedly cheered the loudest when the ominous Vader tune played over the loudspeakers. “That’s one thing they are telling the truth, because we are dangerous — to the status quo!” Sure? Over at NPR’s Morning Edition geek props are in order to Robert Smith for his amusing report on the random confluence of Star Wars and Ron Paul, which suggests that Paul is channeling more Skywalker than Vader: “Getting the nomination for Ron Paul is like hitting a 2-meter target from an X-wing fighter.” Which makes New Hampshire voters, perhaps, the womp rats? In any case, just another curious instance of pop culture co-opting after all that superhero chatter and Paul’s Bond villain-esque nickname, “Dr. No.” (He does kind of resemble an impish Joseph Wiseman…) [ NPR , Telegraph ]

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Ron Paul’s Campaign Song Is… The Star Wars Imperial March

Read Between The Lines as Robert Downey Jr. Forgets Iron Man 2, Talks Iron Man 3

“I think that we have an opportunity with the third Iron Man to make the best of the three, and maybe one of the better superhero movies that’s ever been made. But I think we have to remember what made the first one good. It was very character-driven. It was very odd. It was kind of outrageous. And so I think we have to have the courage to trust that the audience is really kind of cool, and smart.” Ah yes, Robert Downey Jr. , “cool audiences” — the elusive fifth quadrant. Here’s to hoping Iron Man 3 doesn’t repeat the series sophomore slump . [ Omelete via Collider ]

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Read Between The Lines as Robert Downey Jr. Forgets Iron Man 2, Talks Iron Man 3

Transgender GropeGate: David O. Russell Did What Now?

Oscar nominated director David O. Russell ( The Fighter ) has had his share of controversial moments in the public eye, but this takes the cake, and then some: According to a police report filed with the Broward County Police Department in Florida, Russell inappropriately groped his 19-year-old adoptive pre-op transgender niece while they were working out last week. Hit the jump for details if you dare, because this reaches a level of bizarre that can be a wee bit difficult to wrap your head around. An investigation is underway into the bizarre family incident, which Russell insists was innocent and consensual. But he’s at least admitted that the incident did happen. And the event seems to have gone down as follows, as TMZ reports, while Russell and his niece were doing abdominal exercises: The niece — who does NOT have a blood relation to Russell — told cops they began to talk about her breasts … and how certain hormones she’s taking have made them larger. According to the report, the niece claims Russell then “put his hands under [her] top and felt both breasts.” Cops say the woman said she felt “uncomfortable” … but admitted she “did not ask him to stop at any time.” Investigators later contacted Russell … and according to the report, the director confirmed he DID touch his niece’s breasts … but only after she gave him permission. Cops say Russell explained that during the conversation about her chest, the niece informed him that one of her breasts was bigger than the other. The official report says … Russell told cops his niece then “allowed [him] to feel both of [her] breasts.” So… yeah. According to Russell’s rep, “”David O. Russell emphatically denies any wrongdoing and has cooperated fully with the authorities.” We’ll have to wait and see how this one shakes out. In the least, it makes yelling at Lily Tomlin look like a totally normal tea party. And despite headlines like ” David O. Russell Fingered in Quasi-Incestuous, Transsexual Groping Claim ,” it’s not quite as incestuous as the setup of Russell’s feature debut Spanking the Monkey , so there’s that. Developing… [ TMZ , The Wrap ]

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Transgender GropeGate: David O. Russell Did What Now?

300: The Battle of Artemisium Has a Nice Ring to It, Kind of, Not Really

Big news from the swords-and-sandals prequel front! And by “big,” I mean, “Warner Bros. spent roughly .00000005 of its budget on the follow-up to 300 registering a domain for a title that may or may not be final but Jesus Christ it is slow out there so let’s talk about it anyway because it’s got kind of a ring to it and in any case five is a lot of syllables for a 10-letter word, don’t you think?” From the Web-registry eagle eyes at Fusible: According to newly registered domain names, the film studio will go with the rumored title 300: The Battle of Artemisium . On January 3, several names were privately registered through the internet brand protection company MarkMonitor like thebattleofartemisium.com, 300thebattleofartemisium.com and 300-thebattleofartemisium.com. Although the owner of each domain is hidden behind MarkMonitor’s privacy service DNStination, Warner Bros. is a client of MarkMonitor, so there’s little doubt that Warner Bros. is the registrant. This! Is! Artemisium! Enh.

What a Dragon Tattoo Really Costs

Anyone who tells you that receiving a tattoo like the dragon design occupying a quarter of Rooney Mara’s back in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo will not hurt is a liar. Nevertheless, he’s a competitively priced liar, according to a new survey of tattoo artists asked the simple question: “How much would it cost to buy a dragon tattoo?” Mike Ryan shopped around this week on the streets of New York, finding estimates ranging from $500 to $1,200 and three different replies to the other critical question in the process: “Will it hurt?” Ha! Of course it will hurt : I spoke to artist Daniel Cotte, whose estimate came in quite a bit higher than those of his competitors. “You see,” Cotte said as he pointed at the picture of Rooney Mara’s back, “there’s a tail on the dragon that snakes around and out of view.” That detail, he explained, makes the dragon tattoo much more expensive — and much more painful. He put the price of the dragon tattoo somewhere between $800 and $1,200, and he definitely recommended coming in for two separate sessions — adding up to four hours in all. Now you know. Find slightly more optimistic estimates at the link below. NOTE: “I AM A RAPIST PIG” tattoos remain free of charge.

Crackhead Chipwrecked Flasher Gives New Meaning to Theatrical Exhibition

Let’s play a little game of Would You Rather, felony crime edition: Would you rather sit through all of Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked , or have a naked man flash your children from the first row of a movie theater? That’s the conundrum some parents were faced with last weekend in a Chicago area multiplex when one Edward L. Brown interrupted an afternoon showing of the latest Fox chipmunk sequel. Details inside! (And it only gets weirder!) According to the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark (via Jim Vejvoda at @StaxIGN ), 34-year-old Brown gave fellow patrons at the North Riverside Park Mall’s Classic Cinemas theater a shock on December 29: About a half hour into the 4 p.m. showing of the kiddie feature Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked , police say an entirely naked Edward L. Brown stood up from his seat in the front row, faced the crowd of 86 theater-goers, stretched out his hands and displayed his genitalia for all to see before sitting back down to enjoy the movie. (Note reporter Bob Uphues’s detail that the butt-naked Brown displayed himself “before sitting back down to enjoy the movie.” Nice touch.) Even better than Brown’s bizarre naked nonchalance? The explanation he gave police when they promptly arrested him onsite: According to the police report, Brown told officers that he had been let inside the movie theater for free by an unknown female who allegedly told him to have a seat in the front row of the theater, take off his clothes and wait for her, so they could have sex, smoke crack and do heroin. Classy! And really strange! Sounds like someone may have gotten punk’d. Just sayin’. Brown was charged with “three felony counts of sexual exploitation of children, aged 4, 6 and 6; one misdemeanor count of sexual exploitation of a minor aged 14; and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct;” the theater patrons, meanwhile, were given refunds and ticket vouchers to see the rest of Chipwrecked another time. And so I ask, which is worse: Being flashed by some weirdo sex-crazed drug user at the movies, or having to sit through Chipwrecked twice? And consider Brown himself. He may have landed in jail with multiple gross felony counts to his name, but at least he didn’t add insult to injury by paying to see Chipwrecked . And in fairness, those Chipmunks don’t wear pants, either. • Naked man interrupts ‘Chipmunks’ at North Riverside Mall theater [Riverside-Brookfield Landmark]

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Crackhead Chipwrecked Flasher Gives New Meaning to Theatrical Exhibition

Mourn Universal Studios’ Jaws Ride With This Helpful Video

Happy New Year! Especially if you’re among the maintenance crew members at Universal Studios Hollywood Orlando, where you will never again have to take to the murky waters of the Jaws ride to fix the perennially broken mechanical shark: The attraction honoring Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster closed for good on Monday. Revisit the experience in better — i.e. functioning — days with an epic new video. I don’t remember the ride ever being this theatrical. Guns? Explosions? Boat drivers who look like they honed their acts in Friday the 13th: The Musical ? I also haven’t set foot in that theme park in about 25 years, so you tell me. In any case, R.I.P., Bruce the Shark. You were a worthy adversary, at least when you worked. [via Inside the Magic ]

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Mourn Universal Studios’ Jaws Ride With This Helpful Video