Due Date Trailer

I am SO there!

Iron Man 2 Trailer!!

Oh. Yeah.

My Favorite Thanksgiving Movies

To celebrate Thanksgiving, here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving films.

Home for the Holidays, Jodie Foster's directorial debut, is underrated. It has Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, and Robert Downey Jr. as the hilarious gay brother. It's one of my favorite roles for Robert.  Just watch "The Turkey Scene" and try not to die laughing.




Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. The classic!  "Those aren't pillows!"  LOL


Pieces of April - a Katie Holmes film I actually like. This movie is very funny, and extremely touching.  Katie Holmes plays a girl trying to host her family for Thanksgiving for the first time.  Her apartment oven stops working, so she has to involve all her neighbors to help make the meal.  I think this is the first film where I saw Patricia Clarkson who plays the mother. She is amazing in this film. Oliver Platt is also excellent as the father.

Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters and The Ice Storm also revolve around Thanksgiving, but the above three are my favorites.

New Sherlock Holmes Trailer

These just get better and better. Oh, man, this one is going to be FUN!

ET Behind the scenes of Iron Man 2

Coolio!

Robert Downey Jr. as Lestat?

There's a rumor bouncing around that Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles may be revived on the silver screen with Robert Downey, Jr. as Lestat. Lestat was played by Tom Cruise in Interview with a Vampire, and then by Stuart Townsend in Queen of the Damned. I think Robert Downey, Jr. would make an amazing Lestat.

And what does author Anne Rice think of the RDJ rumor?

"I can say without hesitation that I love Robert Downey Jr. and I think he would make a fabulous Vampire Lestat. He is a major actor, a powerhouse of talent and personality, and he evinces an irrepressible and seductive charm. He would bring great energy and skill to the role. I would love to see this happen. I've loved Robert Downey Jr. ever since I saw him in Restoration years ago, and I thought he was magical and powerful in Iron Man ... Some are saying he is too old to play the part. This is absolutely not true. He is quite youthful. Besides, Lestat is a man when he is made into a vampire. A twenty year old man in the 18th century is the equivalent of an older man today. Age just shouldn't be an issue here, not with an actor of this scope and charisma. - I'm thrilled at the prospect that this rumor might be true."

EW has pics from Iron Man 2 this week

It's Comic Con time, gang, and first up is a release of a pic of Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow in Iron Man 2. Mickey Rourke plays the villain Whiplash. The EW article has a few interesting quotes:

Rourke, for his part, wanted to instill some lightness into the role of the heavy. "I told Favreau, 'I don't want to just play him as a one-dimensional p----,'" he says. "He let me have a cockatoo, who I talk to and get drunk with while I’m making my suit."

Wait, a cockatoo?? Okayyy.

Adding more flesh and blood to the new movie, Scarlett Johansson joined the cast as Stark’s mysterious new assistant, Natasha, who has an alter ego of her own, Black Widow. That introduction inevitably sparks romantic tension between Stark and former assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who’s been promoted to CEO of Stark Industries. "The men want it to be, like, 'Ooh, the girls are fighting over Tony,' but it's not as standard as that," says Paltrow. "There's a weird male catfight fantasy. Downey agrees. He believes what differentiates the franchise from other superhero series can be summarized as follows: "We're horny. Not, like, can't-bring-your-kids horny, but just…horny."

Horny Robert Downey, Jr. does it for me!

Robert Downey Jr. - Real Life Hero

Robert Downey Jr. doesn't just play a superhero in Iron Man 2, but he actually saved an injured extra on the set last week! During a scene where a group of people were running away from a group of robotic villains, a stuntman in a robot costume accidentally knocked an extra to the ground. No one realized except Robert Downey Jr. that the man was actually injured.

"Robert charged into a live scene yelling, Cut! Cut! The extra was writhing on the ground in agony after a rampaging evil robot smashed him flat".

"Cameras kept cranking until Robert, who wasn’t in the scene, suddenly noticed one extra twisting in pain and moaning 'Help, I’ve broken something'".

Robert Downey Jr. called paramedics and stayed with the injured extra until they arrived. The man was taken to a nearby hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken hip.

I'd like to know more about those stampeding robots! Sounds cool!

Sherlock Holmes Trailer!!!!

Not your Basil Rathbone Holmes, is it? LOL!

OMG, that ending with the pillow!! I didn't realize Mark Strong was in this. He was great in RocknRolla.

Oh, man, I can't wait for this one! Christmas Day, 2009, baby.

Shirtless Sherlock!

Looks like some sort of boxing scene in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes played by the yummy Robert Downey, Jr. Just look at those abs!

Happy Turkey Day!

To celebrate Thanksgiving, here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving films.

Home for the Holidays, Jodie Foster's directorial debut, is underrated. It has Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, and Robert Downey Jr. as the hilarious gay brother. Just watch "The Turkey Scene" and try not to die laughing.


Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. The classic!


Pieces of April - a Katie Holmes film I actually like. This movie is very funny, and extremely touching. I think this is the first film where I saw Patricia Clarkson who plays the mother. She is amazing in this film. Oliver Platt is also excellent.

Pieces of April (2003)
by m0vietrailerpark

Robert Downey Jr. Oscar nod for Tropic Thunder?

Heath Ledger is probably a lock for the supporting actor Oscar, but here's an interesting tidbit about Paramount campaigning for an Oscar nomination for Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder.

“There’s currently a battle brewing in Hollywood over Paramount’s surprise decision to push The Soloist from its release date in November to March next year. The largest talent agency in town, CAA, is quite unhappy with Paramount, saying “we were blindsided.” Variety shed some additional light on the situation tonight in a new article, adding that Paramount was pressured by Viacom to cut costs for the fourth quarter and Soloist was easiest to move (and apparently isn’t that great anyway). But hidden at the end of this article was an interesting tidbit that just made me smile. “The studio will now back an Academy campaign for [Robert Downey Jr.’s] supporting role in Tropic Thunder.”"

Comedies are notorious as losers at the big show, but Kevin Kline did win for Fish Called Wanda so stranger things have happened. Robert Downey Jr. was absolutely brilliant in Tropic Thunder, but he's spoofing actors, so they might be a wee bit touchy about it.

First Look at Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes

With that hat, he reminds me of his Charlie Chaplin days. Guy Ritchie began filming Sherlock Holmes near St. Paul Cathedral in London this week. Jude Law will play Watson.

When asked what he could bring to a character portrayed countless times on film and television, RDJ has joked: “Clearly I’m going to do it better than it’s ever been done. The more I read about it the more overwhelmed I was by the weight of it and the amount of people who will be watching to see if it’s gotten right.”

Review Roundup

I have been remiss in reviewing movies lately. I've been catching up with the new fall TV shows on my DVR, but I have seen a few in the last few weeks that I would recommend.

Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder, directed by Ben Stiller, had me laughing like I haven't in a long, long time. My husband did not know the whole setup, and went WTF? when the trailers for the actors started at the beginning. Everyone was hilarious in this, but Robert Downey, Jr. as such a method Australian actor that he surgically alters his skin to play the black soldier had me on the floor. There were so many inside Hollywood jokes and references to just about every war movie made and all the cliches. Tom Cruise was funny, but he didn't have me on the floor like the very un-PC conversation between Stiller and Downey: "Everyone knows you don't go full retard! Ask Sean Penn!" Three and a half stars and a laugh RIOT. If you missed it in theaters, make sure you rent this one.

The Bank Job

The Bank Job is based on a true story from the 1970's of a ham radio operator overhearing a robbery in progress. It's a solid performance by Jason Statham in a more understated role for him. I loved all the 1970's period costumes and sets. Very fun and definitely worth a rental. Three stars.

Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading -- Variety claimed this Coen Brothers film was "too silly." Well, I have to say, that I wasn't on the floor gasping for breath like I laughed in Tropic Thunder, but I chuckled quite a bit. The plot makes no sense, and even the CIA boss says "Get back to me...when it makes sense!" Who cares! The fun of this film is seeing all these actors spoofing themselves and their image. Brad Pitt as a blonde male bimbo is a riot. He steals the film for me like when he rides his BIKE to a meeting with the CIA agent! I loved the little quirks, like George Clooney's character who is a serial adulterer. Each house he enters, he can't help commenting on the floor, even in the midst of seduction. "Is that white maple?" There is a moment of violence that is quite shocking. I know this is a spy spoof and all, but it almost didn't belong in this film, except this is the Coen brothers who brought us the wood chipper in Fargo. Three stars. Great performances by the whole high wattage cast.

Guy Ritchie starting on Sherlock Holmes

USA Today interviewed Guy Ritchie about his upcoming film Sherlock Holmes:

Guy Ritchie's latest gangster yarn, RocknRolla, won't even be in theaters for another six weeks, but he already has turned his attentions to his next project, a version of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes for contemporary tastes.

"It will be a very big production, visceral and intellectual," Ritchie says. "His brilliance will percolate into the action."

The expected 2010 Warner release will be set in the olden days, he says, but the emphasis will be as much on Holmes' physical prowess as it is on his keen powers of deduction.

"His intellect was as much of a curse as it was a blessing," Ritchie says. "He was a deeply layered character."

No word on the villain yet, but there will be a love interest based on Conan Doyle's Irene Adler. Casting is expected to be finished in six or so weeks.

Ritchie already has been lucky to snag Robert Downey Jr., hot off of this summer's Iron Man and Tropic Thunder, as his lead.

"His wife, Susan, was a producer on RocknRolla, and he was one of the first people who saw it and was a big fan," the filmmaker explains. "He wanted to do something together, and this was a natural." As for Downey's English accent, "it's flawless."

Ritchie has no worries about producer Judd Apatow's competing Sherlock Holmes with Sacha Baron Cohen. As he says: "They don't even have a script yet. We are way ahead." — Susan Wloszczyna

I didn't know that Robert's wife had worked on RocknRolla, and that was the connection. If Guy, a Brit, isn't worried about Robert Downey's English accent, I guess I should stop worrying about it.

Robert Downey Jr. signs on to Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes

Hmmm. Hard for me to see Robert Downey Jr. in this part, but I'll withhold judgement. He did do an English accent in Chaplin.

Variety:

In what will be his first job since the blockbuster "Iron Man," Robert Downey Jr. is set to star in "Sherlock Holmes," the drama that Guy Ritchie will direct for Warner Bros.

Downey committed to the pic, which begins shooting in October, after Ritchie turned in a polish of the latest version of the script, written by Anthony Peckham.

Downey emerged as an action star with "Iron Man" and "Sherlock Holmes" also will take advantage of his physical skills as the character displays brawn as well as brains.

With Downey aboard, the film will go into production before a comedy that just coalesced at Columbia Pictures, with Sacha Baron Cohen playing Holmes, and Will Ferrell playing his crime-fighting partner Dr. Watson.

Tropic Thunder Viral Video

Irony Goes Viral
WENN: A comedy sketch that aired during the MTV Movie Awards in which Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. talk about making a viral video for their upcoming Tropic Thunder movie was pulled off YouTube after it became a viral video itself. According to several tech websites, YouTube removed the video after receiving a "takedown notice" from Viacom, MTV's parent. The takedown was originally reported by the website BeyondMadisonAvenue.com, which commented that it appeared to be "the epitome of irony. A viral video about virals not being allowed to go viral." Viacom, which has sued YouTube for $1 billion alleging copyright infringement, apparently has not demanded that the video be withdrawn from other video websites, including FunnyOrDie.com (which is where I found it!)

Iron Man Blasts Off!

Although today in Chicago was in the 40's and rainy, it was the first day of summer to me. It's the start of the summer movie blockbuster season. It used to be that the summer movie season started with the Memorial Day weekend, but now it's this weekend, the first weekend in May. I was bouncing up and down in my seat with my family, the biggest kid of all. The theater was packed for an afternoon show, and from accounts, that's the way it was everywhere. Iron Man had such advance demand that it played not just at midnight shows on Thursday, but starting at 8:00 p.m.

"Iron Man," the latest Marvel comics title brought to the big screen, grossed an estimated $32.5 million from its first full day in North American theaters, independent box office analysts reported on Saturday.

That tally, generated from Friday showings in some 4,100 U.S. and Canadian cinemas, put "Iron Man" on track to meet or exceed the $85 million-plus opening weekends posted by sequels to two other Marvel franchises -- "Spider-Man" and "X-Men."

The movie, which cost about $150 million to make and another $75 million to market, co-stars Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow and has drawn mostly favorable reviews.

Distributed through Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures, the film is the first self-financed production from Marvel Studios and is being closely watched as the first major release of the summer movie season.

So, is the movie worth your $9 or $10? Most definitely. It's a spectacle picture that needs to be seen on the big screen -- and loud! I would agree with the 3 and a half star reviews. Robert Downey, Jr. is just perfection as Tony Stark. I love that this is not another "coming of age" superhero movie like Spiderman or Superman. This is the story of a man who'd already lived, and something happens to rock his world and change his view of his life. Casting Robert Downey, Jr. is a shorthand to so much. We see him and we already think hard living, partier -- and smartass. Favorite line to his assistant played by Gwyneth Paltrow when she finds him taking off the Iron Man suit: "Let's be honest, this isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing. "

Gwyneth is surprisingly good as Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's long suffering assistant and Jeff Bridges is a serviceable villain, but not one for the ages. Terrence Howard doesn't have much to do, but I was amused that the director, Jon Favreau appears in a cameo as Tony Stark's bodyguard and driver.

Since the film is due to do well, sequel plans are already in the works:

Paramount honcho Brad Grey has apparently stated that as long as the flick does "as well as expected" (and there's no reason to think it won't), the studio wants to get a sequel in theaters for the same May weekend in 2010.

Of course, IRON MAN isn't actually a Paramount movie -- it's Marvel's first self-financed project to hit screens, with Paramount distributing. But with the buzz so far, it's no great surprise they'd all want to get Downey back in the super-suit ASAP. Director Jon Favreau has already said he planned a loose structure for three movies, with Mandarin presumably making a villain appearance along the line.

Early Iron Man Review from Variety

W00T!! Variety likes Iron Man!

Finally, someone's found a sure-fire way to make money with a modern Middle East war movie: Just send a Marvel superhero into the fray to kick some insurgent butt. The powerhouse comicbook-inspired actioner "Iron Man" isn't principally about this fantasy, but it won't hurt at least American audiences' enjoyment of this expansively entertaining special effects extravaganza. Having an actor as supercharged as Robert Downey Jr. at the center of such a tech-oriented enterprise reps a huge plus, and Paramount should reap big B.O. rewards by getting out ahead of the summer tentpole pack with such a classy refitting of an overworked format.

Snapping off lines as crisply as Bugs Bunny might bite into a carrot, the sculpture-bearded Downey invigorates the entire proceedings in a way no other actor ever has in this field. Initially conveying Tony's Matt Helm lifestyle as if it's second nature, Downey possesses a one-of-a-kind intensity that perfectly serves the character's second-act drive and obstinacy. His Achilles' heel is his heart, at first threatened by shrapnel and later central to his superpower and his submerged romantic relationship with ever-loyal assistant Pepper Potts, who Gwyneth Paltrow, in an unexpected casting move, endows with smarts and appeal.