Cemetery Junction trailer

After we had that cheeky teaser trailer with Ricky Gervais calling co-star Ralph Fiennes, "Chuckles", you would have been lead to believe that Cemetery Junction was another of his wry comedies. This new trailer shows that it's a more dramatic coming of age story, and that both Ricky Gervais and Ralph Fiennes are just supporting characters in this movie about young people growing up in a small English town in the 70's. I'm surprised, but I think going in a new direction is great for Gervais, and I can't wait to see his film. Matthew Goode is also in Cemetery Junction, but he doesn't appear in this trailer.

Clash of the Titans Trailer

Clash of the Titans stars Sam Worthington (Avatar, Terminator Salvation), Gemma Arterton, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes.

Gerard Butler announces he will be in Ralph Fiennes' Coriolanus

In an interview with the Baltimore CBS station, Gerard Butler discussed his very first acting job, which was in the play Coriolanus. He then announced that he was "coming full circle" as he was going to be in Ralph Fiennes movie of Shakespeare's Coriolanus. Coriolanus, a contemporary version of Shakespeare's dangerous political thriller, will be Ralph Fiennes directorial debut, and he will also play the Roman general Coriolanus. Vanessa Redgrave and William Hurt are also rumored to be attached to the project, due to start filming in Siberia in early 2010.

Fiennes will direct from the script by John Logan (”Gladiator,” “The Aviator,” “The Last Samurai,” “Sweeney Todd“).
“People who have read it think it’s a page-turner,” said Fiennes. “I want it to be an edge-of-the-seat film.”
Fiennes, who was Oscar-nominated for his roles in “The English Patient” and “Schindler’s List,” said he wanted to make Shakespeare accessible, citing Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet as an influence.
“I don’t want it to be in that Shakespeare voice that puts you off,” he told trade paper Screen International at the Cannes Films Festival

. “Audiences want to hear Shakespeare and they understand more than they think they are going to. The second film I ever saw was Olivier’s Henry V when I was nine years old and I loved it.”

Well, people have been saying Gerard needed to get better roles, or go on movie star probation. Will Shakespeare satisfy those harsh critics?

Cemetery Junction teaser trailer

"Chuckles" Ralph Fiennes! LOL!

They've just started filming this about a month ago, and we won't get it till 2010. Ricky Gervais - king of the awkward moment. LOVE him!

The Buzz About THE HURT LOCKER

This film, set in 2004 Iraq about an elite bomb squad, is getting major Oscar buzz, especially for director Kathryn Bigelow. From the Chicago Tribune yesterday:

"The Hurt Locker" made its world premiere at last year's Venice Film Festival; since then, the accolades have been relentless and the early, limited-release box office figures are promising. Bigelow seems assured of an Oscar nomination. Her work here isn't as overtly stylized as her earlier, pulpier screen efforts. Or rather, it's stylized differently, as a documentary-style fiction film, shot in Jordan, using four hand-held 16 mm cameras in blasting heat and adverse conditions.

The film has great actors like Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Guy Pearce in supporting roles, but the main characters of the elite bomb squad are played by relative unknowns. It's out in limited release, and will open in Chicago this weekend.

Watch the opening of the film to see what all the hype is about:

In Bruges and Hunger lead British Independent Film Awards

Reuters UK reports:

IRA prison drama "Hunger" and crime comedy "In Bruges" will go head to head at the British Independent Film Awards with seven nominations apiece, more than any other 2008 picture.

"Hunger," starring Michael Fassbender as IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands and directed by British artist Steve McQueen in his film-making debut, has been shortlisted in the best British independent film category along with "In Bruges."

Both "Hunger" and "In Bruges" have also been nominated for best debut director, best screenplay, best actor, best supporting actor and best technical achievement.

McQueen is also on the shortlist for best director, while "In Bruges" actors Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are up against each other in the best actor category.

Ralph Fiennes was nominated twice in the best supporting actor category -- once for "The Duchess" and one for "In Bruges."

I hope this will get more attention to In Bruges, which was my favorite film from Sundance last January. It didn't get much attention in the States, but hopefully, this will jog people to get it from Netflix and see it! Also, great to see Hunger and Michael Fassbender continue to get kudos from what appears to be an amazing film. Read my review of In Bruges and view the trailer here.

New Harry Potter 6 Trailer!!!

Creepy and awesome! Fun fact: Young Tom Riddle is played in suitably Damien-creepy fashion by 11-year-old Hero Fiennes-Tiffin (nephew of Ralph Fiennes, who is briefly seen here as the adult Voldemort).

DVD Tuesday - In Bruges

It's Tuesday, which means it's DVD new release day. There haven't been many notable new releases lately, but today is a banner day.

Number one on my list of DVD's you need to add to your Netflix queue is In Bruges. I was lucky enough to see its world premiere at Sundance in January. It opened this spring in theaters but didn't seem to make much of a splash. I thought in Bruges was fantastic and it was my favorite film of the festival. Very funny, very violent and sometimes shockingly gory. Great dialog and interesting script by Oscar winning (short film) director Martin McDonagh, who is known for his award winning plays in Ireland. Colin Farrell was brilliant in the film. He was very funny, cries several times and then is shockingly violent and explosive showing an extensive range in the film. I thought the role fit him very well, one of his best in years, and really showcased him. Ralph Fiennes cracked me up because he usually plays so highbrow, and this role was with a low class accent and kind of a thug character. Brendan Gleeson was his usual wonderful character actor self. My husband and I still quote dialog from this film to each other. Our favorite exchange between Brendan and Colin:

Ken: Ray, you are about the worst tourist in the whole world.
Ray: Ken, I grew up in Dublin. I love Dublin. If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me but I didn't, so it doesn't.

It's in the trailer here:


Persepolis, the amazing Oscar nominated animated film is also out today, and Definitely, Maybe with adorable Abigail Breslin and Ryan Reynolds is worth a rental.