Those of you read the above headline might wonder why the word "fantastic" is not used as usual. The answer...sometimes it is nice to use the pun, but sometimes it's just as nice to stare the pun right in its punny face, say no thanks, and move on. It is also allows the opportunity to completely over-analyze the non-use of a pun to begin a news post, which is a win? Right?

Now that the world has its explanation on this post's headline, let's move on the awesomeness that is the new FANTASTIC MR. FOX poster. The poster has a cool kind of OCEAN'S 11 (or 12 or 13) feel to it which, in a odd way, so does THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX as whole. At least that is the impression the film's trailer gives.

You can check out the U.K. poster for THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX below, and you check out the movie in American theaters starting November 25th. (more...)

Rating: 9.5/10

Writers: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
Studio: Columbia Pictures

ZOMBIELAND...it is a land of zombies. But you probably could have guessed that from the title.

What this land really is, is one of no names. Instead, people (the few of them that are still alive and not undead) go by the names of the places they come from or the places they are going. But where do people go in this barren wasteland of the undead? And where do they come from if this place no longer exists? And, with that question, is where the story begins. (more...)

It's hard out there for an 85 year old studio. MGM, one of the most iconic Hollywood studios is nearing bankruptcy and is asking for help. The struggling studio has asked its bondholders for about $20 million in short term cash for overhead costs and another $150 million to see them through the year and to begin production on THE HOBBIT. (more...)

Rating: 8/10

Writer/Director: Oren Peli
Cast: Micah Sloat, Katherine Featherston
Studio: Paramount

The buzz for PARANORMAL ACTIVITY has been extremely positive, making it out to be one of the scariest movies in years. And, as my heart tragically knows so well - horror is the first film genre I ever fell hard for, and despite the pain caused by so many cinematic disappointments - I can never let go. Going into the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY screening, I was pee-my-pants-and-blame-it-on-a-faulty-sink excited (that is the common expression, right?). My excitement for PARANORMAL ACTIVITY was not all for nothing, as the film delivered on what so many have promised. (more...)

Rating: 5/10

Writers: Stefan Aust, Uli Edel and Bernd Eichinger
Director: Uli Edel
Cast: Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtrey, Johanna Wokalek, Jan Josef Liefers, Stipe Erceg

My review of THE BAADER-MEINHOF COMPLEX is going to make me sound like a prototypical ugly American and that’s really frustrating. See, I’m really on top of it in some areas of study, but history is not one of those areas. And from the opening scene all the way through the two and a half hour finish of this film, I basically had no clue what the hell was going on. That being said, I will sally forth and try to be fair to a film that not only lost me out of the gate but also failed to rein me back in. By the end, I felt completely unsure what the moral of the story or worse, what the point of the story was.

In the late 1960s all the way through the 1970s, young German students became much more socially aware of the horrors being committed in the world. Imperialism, unfair treatment of the poor, and eventually the Vietnam War were all targets for these young students who formed a group called the “Red Army Faction.” They vociferously protested and, when that didn’t work, they took up arms. In THE BAADER-MEINHOF COMPLEX, we meet one of the most daring and charismatic leaders of the RAF, Andreas Baader (Bleibtreu) who comes across as a more intelligent yes less intriguing Clyde Barrow or Butch Cassidy. (more...)

Mickey Rourke is the poster child of proving that an old dog CAN learn new tricks. He used to be a good actor, then he went downhill...far downhill. Now he has reemerged as a highly in demand bad-ass, complete with some serious acting chops. He used to be good, and now he is great.

His portrayal of has-been Randy "The Ram" Robinson in THE WRESTLER was spot on, and now he is set to hit theaters in both IRON MAN 2 and THE EXPENDABLES. In an attempt to further expand his acting boundaries, Mickey Rourke has thrown his name into a movie project he has described as "his RAGING BULL." That is an exciting statement to make, but I am thinking that the boxer Robert De Niro played in RAGING BULL, Jake La Motta, is definitely not in the same ballpark as Rourke's character.

Rourke has apparently replaced Channing Tatum in THE ICE MAN, which is based on an unbelievable and horrific true story. Rourke will be portraying the evil and merciless mafia assassin Richard “The Ice Man” Kuklinksi (this is an infinitely better casting decision).

More on this project after the jump. (more...)

Just last night, as we celebrated the premiere of GENTLEMEN BRONCOS at the very swanky Highball in Austin, we were discussing how much fun was had at the 11th installment of the CineVegas International Film Festival, which was held in June at the Brenden Theatres at the Palms in Las Vegas. Many on hand mentioned their eagerness to get back to that festival in the future, so you can imagine the heartbreak that was felt when it was announced today that the CineVegas International Film Festival has been put on hiatus for 2010.

CineVegas President Robin Greenspun and Artistic Director Trevor Groth made the announcement, blaming current economic conditions as the reason for calling off 2010's event.

In a statement, Greenspun said, "given the current economic climate and the pressures it has created, we made the difficult decision to put CineVegas on hiatus for the coming year. CineVegas has become such a well-respected film festival, and rather than allow the economy to affect its level of quality we have opted to put the event on hold.” Gorth added, “We are so proud that CineVegas has grown to become a premiere showcase for uninhibited filmmakers and a scintillating festival experience for our attendees. CineVegas has developed a growing legion of supporters over the years who truly appreciate film and life on the edge, and we thank them for all of their support. We are very sad to be announcing this hiatus, but it is our hope to keep the CineVegas brand alive and re-launch the Festival once the economy recovers."

CineVegas will continue to host special screenings and events throughout the year as well as keeping the festival's website active. You can check out all our coverage of 2009's Cinevegas HERE.

Source Las Vegas Sun

Warner Bros. has hired writer Will Fetters to draft a script for their remake of A STAR IS BORN. This project has been in the works for quite some time, with previous drafts written by Stephen Rivele & Christopher Wilkinson (ALI) and Reggie Rock Bythewood (NOTORIOUS). Fetters is the writer of the upcoming movie REMEMBER ME, starring Robert Pattinson.

Three previous versions of the project have been made, most recently with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson in 1976 (if you don't count the blatant ripoff that is GLITTER starring Mariah Carey), which changed the original Hollywood setting to the recording industry.

STAR will center on a rising performer who falls for an established male star with a declining career.

Beyonce Knowles' name has been bounced around as the potential lead actress for the picture, though the pop star turned actress is not officially involved at this point. Beyonce has starred in DREAMGIRLS, CADILLAC RECORDS, and OBSESSED.

Source The Hollywood Reporter

As you are probably all aware, many a film buff, movie geek, and industry insider have descended upon the city affectionately known as "Slackerwood" this week for Fantastic Fest. Austin, which has gained notoriety for its film culture, has once again proven its importance within the biz with the release of an impressive lineup for this year's Austin Film Festival. A few weeks ago, we gave you a taste of the lineup, and now we have for you the full feature-length film listing (not including the Opening and Closing night films).

According to Indiewire, "the lineup is made up largely of independent films, and includes 24 world and U.S. premieres and 40 regional premieres." This includes: PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE, THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS, and THE MESSENGER.

Other highlights include special and retrospective screenings by festival honorees Ron Howard, who will present APOLLO 13, Steven Zaillian, who will present THE FALCON AND THE SNOWMAN, and Matthew Wiener, who will show episodes of his hit television drama “Mad Men.”

The festival, which takes place October 22-29,will host more than 170 film screenings and events, and include more than 80 panels and roundtable discussions. Hit the jump to see a list of the festival’s feature films.

(more...)

About a month ago, Walt Disney Pictures announced that they had acquired the rights to THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK and had asked David Mamet to pen the script and direct the project. The story was to be Mamet's own original retelling on the material. Well, now it seems that Mr. Mamet will have to take his version of Anne Frank's story elsewhere, as The Wrap is reporting that Disney has rejected his script for the film.

The script that Mamet wrote isn't a retelling of the struggles endured by Frank, but rather the tale of " a contemporary Jewish girl who goes to Israel and learns about the traumas of suicide bombing. In fact, the whole premise is an exploration of antisemitism set in modern times." I, for one, can't imagine why Disney wouldn't go for that!

I do have to admire a man who follows his vision in the face of what I can only imagine was quite a bit of cashflow thrown at him by Disney. If and/or when this film gets made, I predict a ton of controversy. This isn't Mamet's first time to confront such controversial issues in his work, he dealt with ethnic politics in the play “Race,” and sexual politics in works like OLEANNA.

We've known since July that Courtney Cox-Arquette and husband David Arquette are on board for an all-new SCREAM film. Writer Kevin Williamson is penning the script, and it seems to be everyone's hope that Wes Craven will return to direct. The reunion can continue, because Neve Campbell is set to return as Sidney Prescott in SCREAM 4.

As SCREAM 4 will serve as the first film in a brand new SCREAM trilogy, it's not known if Campbell will just have a bit part or cameo in the new film, and not return to finish up the new trilogy. Campbell has kept a relatively low acting profile after the success of the SCREAM films, focusing on smaller projects like THE COMPANY and I REALLY HATE MY JOB. She is currently executive producing A PRIVATE WAR.

If Campbell is back on board, who else would you like to see show up in the new SCREAM trilogy? And, no, I don't care if they were killed in the original three (bring back Jamie Kennedy!). Any plot ideas?

SCREAM 4 is set to go into production in spring of this year.

Source Variety via Empire

Empire has debuted a new UK poster for THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS, Terry Gilliam's latest opus. My immediate reaction was, "did someone just figure out how to Photoshop a floating head?" Is anyone gonna forget that everyone that is awesome/swoon-worthy (i.e. Heath Ledger, Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp) is in this movie? I think their names at the bottom of the poster would have sufficed quite nicely, but that is just one (wo)man's opinion.

The poster does a good job of illustrating that we are in for one hell of a whimsical ride with its hot air balloons, trolley cars, and floating umbrella dudes. After the death of Heath Ledger, the all-star cast, and its Christmas release, I would imagine this film has quite a great deal of appeal to moviegoers, so to prominently display the film's stars in one poster seems a bit unnecessary. Perhaps a series of character posters might be a better (not to mention more collectible) way to promote the film.

Hit the jump to see the full poster! (more...)

There is simply no upcoming film I am more excited for than IRON MAN 2. Last night, Entertaiment Tonight aired a five minute exclusive behind-the-scenes set visit for 2010's IRON MAN 2, and it's enough to send me running to my calendar, begging it to be May already.

Robert Downey, Jr. is clearly amped to be Tony Stark again. He can't contain his glee when asked how it feels to be back as Stark, he smiles out a huge, "come on, it doesn't get any better than this!" No, RDJ, it does not. Director Jon Favreau is also a bit like a kid in a candy store, especially when he's talking about blowing things up.

So what's new? You can see Mickey Rourke as Whiplash causing some of the racetrack ruckus in Monaco we've been hearing about. Laser whips! Rolls-Royces sliced and diced! The Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, promises she "kicks some serious, serious ass."

Obviously, five minutes is not nearly enough to get our fill - so no Nick Fury for Samuel L. Jackson fans, and no Justin Hammer for Sam Rockwell fans. But there's plenty about the Stark/Pepper Potts/Black Widow love triangle, and enough action shots to assure all fans that this IRON MAN will certainly live up to expectations.

Check out the video after the jump! (more...)

I was eight times excited and six times pumped to see the midnight screening of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (if you do the math you will clearly see that I was very much anticipating the film). Everything I had heard about PARANORMAL ACTIVITY would make any horror film dare to dream of greatness.

Moments after the screening, Peter from SlashFilm asked me and another friend from We Are Movie Greeks to do a video blog sharing our thoughts on the film. I feel confident you can probably guess from the title of this post that my answer was not no.

You can watch the video review after the jump to see how the three us of felt about PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and see if the film lived to the hype for us. (more...)

To quote R. Kelly if I may, "My mind's telling me no, but my body's telling me yeah." Any other ladies (or gentlemen) find themselves strangely conflicted when it comes to whether Paul Dano is attractive?  Regardless, if you think he should replace the Jonas Brothers on the cover of "Tigerbeat" and "BOP," one thing is for certain, the dude can act.

Known for roles in THERE WILL BE BLOOD, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, GIGANTIC, and my personal fave, the Lifetime channel's TOO YOUNG TO BE A DAD, Mr. Dano has made quite a name for himself in recent years.  He will voice a character in the upcoming WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (got goosebumps, just thinking about it!) and has been confirmed to be joining the cast of the project formerly known as WICHITA, an action comedy starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.

Cruise will play a federal agent who is paired up with Diaz, a Midwestern woman. According to Variety, Dano will play "a charming but mysterious scientist whose invention is at the center of Cruise and Diaz's chase." Charming and mysterious shouldn't be too much of a stretch for the "indie darling."

The movie, directed by James Mangold, starts shooting next month in Boston.