AMC News

Short and Tweet - Brief Reviews for Movies Released Nov. 20

2009-11-20T15:29:09Z

• Red Cliff
John Woo's mega-budget war history impresses with spectacular battle sequences, mindless fun.
For the full review, click here.

• Mammoth
A deeply touching and personal family drama... but a little plot would've been nice.
For the full review, click here.

• Broken Embraces
A wonderful vehicle for Penelope Cruz, but a clunky, soap opera-like story surrounds her.
For the full review, click here.

• The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Vastly better than the original Twilight, but still dragged down by a vapid story.
For the full review, click here.

• Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Port of Call New Orleans - Herzog and Cage make for a baffling combo in this lost remake.
For the full review, click here.

• The Missing Person
A wannabe postmodern noir, but its rigid structure keeps it from capturing the right mood.
For the full review, click here.

For up-to-the-moment movie reviews short and tweet, subscribe to the AMC Filmcritic Twitter feed.

The Newsdesk 11.20.09 - Thurman and Pattison Team for Ami; New Moon Breaking Midnight Records

2009-11-20T05:00:01Z

• Uma Thurman will costar with Twilight's Robert Pattinson in Bel Ami, about a young journalist's rise from poverty in Paris. Since Pattinson and Thurman are now working together, we're going to start the rumor mill and just say they're dating.

• Brad Pitt's production company Plan B purchased the rights to the video game Dark Void as a possible vehicle for the star.

• New Moon is on pace to break midnight screening records and possibly top the record set last year by The Dark Knight. If this movie outgrosses The Dark Knight, there will be a serious geek fight come Monday.

• Idris Elba (The Wire) is joining the cast of Thor as Heimdall, the guardian of Asgard. About time this film got some edge to balance out all the stuffy British actors.

• Word has it that Jackass 3-D will hit theaters in 2010. You have been sufficiently warned.

• Judd Apatow confirmed that Pineapple Express 2 might happen, while Superbad 2 will definitely not. I think most folks would like to see the latter happen, actually.

Opening Night - Kristen Stewart Says New Moon Completely Undermines Twilight

2009-11-19T05:01:28Z

The premiere for the latest chapter in the Twilight saga, New Moon, was completely insane -- as you well know if you follow me and AMC News on Twitter.

What happens in New Moon? What is it like being at the center of the Twilight storm? And perhaps most importantly, what does it mean for fans and future movies that author Stephenie Meyer says she's "burnt out" on vampires? Watch my Opening Night report for answers from the cast.

The Newsdesk 11.19.09 - Ferrell Tops Overpaid Actor List; Hathaway Is Latest Spider-Man Rumor

2009-11-19T05:00:01Z

• Rumor has it Anne Hathaway is also being considered for the Black Cat role in Spider-Man 4. Can someone please cast this already? You're causing some serious geek panic attacks.

• Will Ferrell and Ewan McGregor topped Forbes magazine's list of Hollywood's most overpaid actors. Ferrell makes sense, what with Land of the Lost. But McGregor? Who knew?

• New Moon director Chris Weitz plans to abandon Hollywood after his experience on The Golden Compass. Funny, we wanted to give up moviegoing after Golden Compass.

• Amy Adams will star in The Ten Best Days of My Life, based on the novel about a woman who must prove her place in heaven by recounting her best days. Or, as it was known when Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep starred in a movie with the exact same story in 1991, Defending Your Life.

• Harvey Weinstein is angling to get the Miramax name back. And what Harvey angles for, Harvey usually gets.

• Hollywood sources think New Moon could debut with Iron Man numbers of $100 million over its opening weekend. I...am...sparkly vampire?

Photos - AMC News at Twilight: New Moon Premiere

2009-11-18T22:07:40Z

Once again, the world's all abuzz for Twilight so AMC News host Jacob Soboroff headed out to the frontlines for this week's star-studded premiere of New Moon. There he caught up with Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner. Check out this photo gallery for some serious red carpet action.

Q&A - Olivia Wilde Is Happy There's No Happy Ending in Fix

2009-11-18T10:00:10Z

Olivia Wilde might be most known for her portrayal of Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley on House -- but don't expect her to play doctor forever. The actress is filling out her resume with comedies (Year One), scifi (Tron Legacy), and indie dramas like Fix, which was written and directed by her co-star -- and real-life husband --Tao Ruspoli. Wilde talks about what she finds appealing in dark storylines, how her recent experiences have made her want to get behind the camera, and compares making no-budget films with big-budget ones.

Q: Does it change the dynamic when your husband is the director?

A: It definitely changes the dynamic, but I wouldn't say it's harder. In some ways, it's more fun. And it changed the way Tao and I communicated. We have this streamlined communication built in already, but we were able to discuss different choices we were making for this character and for this story in a way that I wouldn't be able to with any other director. The downside is that this meant we didn't ever stop working. When we weren't shooting, my house became the production office. The bottom floor of our loft was the editing suite. And now, because I've seen the whole thing from conception to premiere, I think I would love to produce my own films.

Q: It's usually the cliché that as an actor, you'd want to direct --

The Newsdesk 11.18.09 - Hudson to Play Winnie Mandela; Stiles Rumored For Spider-Man 4

2009-11-18T10:00:01Z

• Jennifer Hudson will play Winnie Mandela in Winnie, a drama about the wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela.

• Keanu Reeves is attached to star in the samurai epic 47 Ronin. It's safe to say the fight scenes will be described as "Matrix-y."

• Precious director Lee Daniels is in talks to direct Selma, a period piece about the 1965 civil rights march in Alabama.

• Universal is taking heat for the U.K.poster for Couples Retreat, which removes the movie's African-American couple from the original promotional image. To make peace, Universal should add them to every Vince Vaughn movie poster from here on out.

• Actor/Iron Man 2 writer Justin Theroux will script Space Invader. Surprisingly, it's a romantic comedy about astronauts, and not an adaptation of the Space Invaders video game. For once, Hollywood tossed a curveball.

• The Spider-Man 4 rumor web has been cast on Julia Stiles, as word has it she's in talks to appear in the comic book sequel. Internet geeks are so desperate for Black Cat to be cast, they'll believe anything.

The Newsdesk 11.17.09 - Faris and Reynolds Offer TMI; McAdams Won't Be Black Cat

2009-11-17T10:00:01Z

• Anna Faris and Ryan Reynolds are teaming up for TMI, a romantic comedy from Universal Pictures. Faris is also in talks for the comedy Wedding Banned with Robin Williams. If it has a cutesy title, Faris will star in it apparently.

• Rachel McAdams confirmed that she will not be playing Black Cat in Spider-Man 4 despite recent rumors. Turns out this was yet another Internet rumor started by hopeful geeks.

• Chicago and Nine director Rob Marshall will helm Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth installment in the Disney franchise. Finally, the dancing pirate saga we've all been waiting for.

• Word is McG's remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is pretty much a washout. Get it? Because it's under a sea? Anyway, the project's canceled.

• Stuart Townsend, Ray Stevenson and Tadanobu Asano have been cast as Thor's Warriors Three. Will Stevenson make amends to fanboys for Punisher: War Zone?

AMC News Tweeting Live From New Moon Premiere Tonight

2009-11-16T18:45:18Z

Tonight yours truly and the AMC News team will be on hand at the Twilight: New Moon premiere in Westwood. There are already reports of people camping out in the streets to catch a glimpse of what I would imagine is going to be the biggest premiere of the year.

Follow along with AMC News on Twitter for real-time tweets, pictures and even video from the red carpet. Tonight promises to be wild and you can experience it with me by following AMC News on Twitter.

Photo of New Moon premiere setup via ohemgeeceleb on Twitter.

Trailer of the Week - Kick-Ass

2009-11-16T16:57:00Z

The first trailer for Kick-Ass, based on the hit comic by Wanted writer Mark Millar, tweaks comic book movie conventions right out of the gate. A winged superhero perches atop a building as a narrator (who sounds suspiciously like Spider-Man's Peter Parker) earnestly wonders why no one before him ever put on a costume and fought crime. But then the twist: The costumed man, who is not our hero, lands face first into a parked car. Looks like we're in for a superhero satire along the lines of Mystery Men and Hancock. The trailer then shifts into "Superbad with superpowers," introducing us to the titular teen hero and his band of geeky buds. Splashy graphics reminiscent of Sin City introduce Hit-Girl and Big Daddy, a duo who are like Batman and Robin by way of Kill Bill. (And was that "McLovin" as the Red Mist? Suddenly the Superbad comparison is even more apt.) While light on plot details, this trailer showcases the source material's brutal action and immediately announces that this is definitely not your dad's comic book movie.

The Newsdesk 11.16.09 - 2012 Destroys Worldwide Box Office; Bacall Scores Governor's Award

2009-11-16T10:00:01Z

• Twilight: New Moon now has the highest amount of advance ticket sales in Fandango history. Every time you purchase a ticket, a computerized voice exclaims "OMG!"

• 2012 took $65 million at the box office this weekend and a $225 million worldwide haul. That's a lot of people who wanted to see the world end.

• The first trailer for Leaves of Grass, a pot comedy-thriller starring Edward Norton, has been released. Norton plays twin roles in a comedy that also stars Susan Sarandon and Richard Dreyfuss cursing in a ridiculous Southern accent. It's hard to tell if the movie looks great, or like the Coen brothers directing an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard.

Short and Tweet - Brief Reviews for Movies Released Nov. 13

2009-11-13T16:00:11Z

• Fantastic Mr. Fox
Wes Anderson's stop-motion creation is a true delight, against all odds.
For the full review, click here.

• 2012
When the world ends, only the dumb will survive. Crazy effects + moronic characters = well, this.
For the full review, click here.

• Pirate Radio
It's Animal House on a boat as '60s music nerds fend off The Man. Cliche-riddled, but it works.
For the full review, click here.

• The Messenger
Woody Harrelson offers a career-making role in this thoughtful and often raw war-torn film.
For the full review, click here.

• Four Seasons Lodge
Documentary of Holocaust survivors in the Catskills has heart, but no narrative flow.
For the full review, click here.

• Women in Trouble
Cute idea (literally many hot women in precarious situations), but the movie can't carry it.
For the full review, click here.

For up-to-the-moment movie reviews short and tweet, subscribe to the AMC Filmcritic Twitter feed.

Q&A - Carla Gugino on Portraying a Pregnant Porn Star for Women in Trouble

2009-11-13T05:02:03Z

A pregnant porn star is trapped in an elevator. No, that's not the beginning of a dirty joke -- but it is a moment in a new sex comedy starring Carla Gugino as the aforementioned porn star. Written and directed by Sebastian Gutierrez, Women in Trouble features a range of seemingly random characters that ultimately connect on one really bad day in Los Angeles. Gugino tells AMCtv.com it's just the beginning of a trilogy, so expect more to come.

Q: You've already shot the sequel to Women in Trouble and there's a third on the way. Are you guys doing this trilogy back-to-back, Lord of the Rings-style?

A: It's a total independent film homage to Lord of the Rings! [Laughs] What's cool is the second one is finished before the first one is even out. And the third is written, but not shot; we're doing them about a year apart. Storywise, the second one, Elektra Luxx takes place six months after Women in Trouble, and the third one, Women in Ecstasy, I probably shouldn't say too much, but my character won't be pregnant anymore.

Q: Did Sebastian Gutierrez write the part of Elektra specifically for you?

The Newsdesk 11.13.09 - Scorsese to Receive DeMille Award; Greenpeace Coming to the Big Screen

2009-11-13T05:00:01Z

• The director of National Treasure will helm a movie about the early days of the Greenpeace movement. Turns out the founders were looking to save the environment and find buried presidential treasure.

• Martin Scorsese will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at this year's Golden Globes ceremony. It's safe to say his acceptance speech will be high-energy and riddled with old movie references.

• Lionsgate is considering buying MGM for the right price. Good to see the lion will stay in the family. Gotta love that MGM lion.

Opening Night - John Cusack Agrees That 2012 Is the Biggest Movie Ever

2009-11-12T05:00:03Z

At last week's premiere of 2012 (pronounced "two thousand twelve" for anyone wondering), I heard the movie's executive producer Mark Gordon say -- and I'm paraphrasing -- that this movie could be one of the biggest films in scope ever made. Granted, 2012 is built around the Mayan myth of the apocalyptic destruction of the earth, but still, that's a quite a statement coming from a guy who previously teamed up with director Roland Emmerich for The Day After Tomorrow, The Patriot and 10,000 BC.

According to John Cusack, the script called for the demolition of Rome and Paris, just to name a few places. I wondered if fellow cast member Danny Glover and director Emmerich agreed that this movie would be bigger than any we've seen before. I especially wanted Emmerich's opinion, since he told AMC's SciFi Scanner this film will be his last disaster movie and perhaps he wanted to go out with a bang.

Watch our AMC News Opening Night report to find out what Emmerich and Glover think. And to interact with me live at future movie premieres, film festivals and awards shows, follow AMC News on Twitter.