Good news-- Hayden Christensen won't take to the skies as Superman!

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 31 March 2008 by Don

The rumour was wrong. A day after reporting that Hayden Christensen may play Superman in George Miller's epic Justice League Mortal, Cinema Blend has set the record straight. The website contacted Christensen's representatives, who affirmed "this is not true." What a relief! As we reported earlier today, Cinema Blend's speculation was based on an email from a reader, who claimed she met Justice League star Adam Brody in a bar in Canada, and that Brody told her Hayden would play Super... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Horton Hears a Who! is king of the jungle

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 31 March 2008 by Don

Horton Hears a Who! was first choice for moviegoers last weekend, giving Fox's animated film in its second weekend something it couldn't achieve in its first: the coveted No. 1 spot. The family comedy sold $1.5 million worth of tickets, slipping by a mere 20%, boosting its total to a lucrative $5.8 million. Last weekend's champ, Step Up 2 the Streets, hot-footed its way to $1.4 million, down 46%, for a progressive tally of $5.4 million. Never Back Down, the movie which mixes high... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Keanu Reeves, Steve Carell heading our way

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 31 March 2008 by Don

Attention Keanu Reeves fans: the star will be in Sydney in a couple of weeks to plug his new film, Street Kings. He plays Tom Ludlow, a veteran LAPD cop who's accused of a crime he didn't commit. He teams up with a young detective, played by Chris Evans, to find out who killed his former partner, a quest which pits them against a corrupt cop culture. Forest Whitaker is Ludlow's supervisor, who tries to protect him from Internal Affairs Captain Biggs (Hugh Laurie). It's directed and co-writt... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Miley Cyrus Kids Choice queen, while Harrison and Orlando got slimed

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 31 March 2008 by Don

For those who missed it: Miley Cyrus was voted favourite female singer and TV actress at Nickelodeon's Kids Choice awards yesterday. The irony of the Hannah Montana Disney star stealing the show at the Nick-sponsored awards was probably lost on the young fans. The Jonas Brothers, who also guest-starred on the Miley/Hannah 3D concert movie, were named favourite music group. Alvin and the Chipmunks was declared favourite movie and Jessica Alba and Johnny Depp were the most popular movie stars... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Robert Luketic's 21 aces the competition

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 31 March 2008 by Don

Aussie director Robert Luketic scored the biggest opening of his career as 21, his Las Vegas-set drama, took the No. 1 spot in the US at the weekend, grossing $24.1 million. That was above expectations for the crime caper based on a true story of six uni students who swindled casinos out of millions with the help of their professor. It stars Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth. Luketic’s third Hollywood movie after the comedies Legally Blonde and Monster-in-Law, 21 will open here ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Hayden Christensen as Superman? Say it isn't so, George!

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 31 March 2008 by Don

The Internet was buzzing over the weekend over a report that Hayden Christensen will play Superman in director George Miller's superhero epic Justice League Mortal. Surely not- Hayden acted like an android as Anakin Skywalker so why would the astute Miller cast him as the Man of Steel in his pic inspired by the DC Comics series Justice League of America? The rumour emanated from Cinema Blend, which reported one of its readers in Canada met Adam Brody (who is expected to play The Flash)... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Heath Ledger 'like a whirlwind' in The Dark Knight

0 Comments | Posted on Sunday, 30 March 2008 by Don

I've just been reading some quotes about Heath Ledger's performance in The Dark Knight, and they sent shivers down my spine. From all accounts, Heath gives the performance of his life as the Joker-- a life cut tragically short at 28. "It was punk, it was A Clockwork Orange, it was druggie," Batman's Christian Bale told the agency AP. "It was this kind of fantastic, anarchic look to him. That's not like any Joker I've ever seen before, what I saw Heath do." Ledger's performance stunned the v... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Iron Man vs Iron Monger!

0 Comments | Posted on Sunday, 30 March 2008 by Don

Here's a great new still from Iron Man, the blockbuster which kicks off the US summer season, and debuts here on May 1. It shows our superhero (Robert Downey Jr) facing off against his major nemesis Iron Monger, also known as Obadiah Stane (played by Jeff Bridges). Note the fact that the SUV held aloft by Iron Monger is full of people. For the uninitiated, Iron Man is the saga of Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped by terrorists in Afghanistan... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Could Ryan Phillippe have rewritten Star Wars' history?

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 29 March 2008 by Don

What if Ryan Phillippe, instead of that android Hayden Christensen, had played Anakin Skywalker: would the Star Wars movies have been considerably more entertaining and credible, and even more successful? My guess is yes-- and it's now been revealed that George Lucas did consider Phillippe, an intense actor with a commanding presence as he's shown in movies such as the Oscar-winning Crash and Clint Eastwood's war drama Flags of Our Fathers. Promoting his latest film, Stop-Loss, Ryan t... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Simon Pegg says: Trust me as Scotty

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 29 March 2008 by Don

Simon Pegg wants to reassure Star Trek fans who questioned whether he's the right guy to play the character who's ordered to "Beam me up Scotty" in the new Star Trek movie. JJ Abrams upset some Trekkies when he offered the part of the knockabout Scottish engineer, played in the TV series and earlier movies by James Doohan, to the Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead star. "I think people are worried that I'm going to undermine the franchise by being outwardly comic, which is absolutely f... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Sean Connery as a Bond villain?

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 29 March 2008 by

He turned down the chance to play Indy's father in the latest Indiana Jones adventure, but Sean Connery has indicated he'd like to return to the James Bond world-- as a villain. The 77-year-old actor, who announced his retirement several years ago, is a big fan of the current 007, Daniel Craig. "I wouldn't mind coming back as a Bond villain," he told the UK's Daily Mail, which reported that Connery has had preliminary discussions with the Bond producers. However Connery, who last play... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Actors who take the money-- and run!

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 28 March 2008 by Don

How often have you sat in a cinema, groaned at the antics of a particular actor, and thought: He (or she) can only be doing it for the dough? Some actors are serial offenders in the "take the money and run" approach, while others lapse rarely into accepting roles that can only enhance their bank balance, not their reputations. I mean, what other motivation could have prompted Samuel L. Jackson to shout and over-act his way through Jumper as the ill-defined villain? Moreover, apparentl... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Superhero: Dragonfly to the rescue?

2 Comments | Posted on Friday, 28 March 2008 by Don

Meet the Dragonfly, the latest superhero. He used to be Rick Riker, a high school loser until he got bitten by a genetically altered, um, dragonfly and assumed superhuman powers. His quest: to save the world from a new supervillain, The Hourglass. Sounds silly, doesn't it? It's supposed to: Superhero, which opens in the US this weekend and in Australia on April 10, is from writer-director Craig Mazin, who wrote Scary Movie 3 and 4. The teenage-aimed spoof stars Drake Bell, 21, best kno... Find out more...   |   2 Comments

Smart People: a smart comedy about how to communicate- or not

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 28 March 2008 by Don

If you enjoyed Sideways, you may want to check out Smart People, a darkly comic tale of a college professor, a widower, who falls for one of his former students, a doctor, just as as his no-hoper adopted brother shows up. The movie boasts a strong cast, with Dennis Quaid as the prof, Sarah Jessica Parker as his love interest, and Sideways' Thomas Haden Church as the free-loading brother. Also, Juno's Ellen Page is on board as the prof's troubled, over-achieving daughter. Sarah Jessica ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Will Smith: the world's first shickered, suicidal superhero

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 27 March 2008 by Don

Whether he's a homeless guy in The Pursuit of Happyness, a post-Apocalyptic survivor in I Am Legend or 'date doctor' in Hitch, Will Smith brings an enviable honesty to his roles. So it probably won't be a stretch to accept him as the world's first alcoholic, scuzzy, playboy superhero in Hancock, which opens here on July 3. Will's character is out of favour with the public until he saves the life of PR guy Ray (Jason Bateman), who offers to try to rebuild his image. But then Hancock thr... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

The Rolling Stones in Shine a Light: It's a gas, gas gas!

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 27 March 2008 by Don

Wow, what a musical trip down memory lane! Last night I caught a preview of Shine a Light, Martin Scorsese's documentary on the Rolling Stones, stunningly filmed at two concerts at New York's Beacon Theatre. As a concert movie, it's stupendous, crammed with more than 20 songs and guest appearances by Christina Aguilera (who does a sexy duet with Mick Jagger) and bluesman Buddy Guy. But it's more than that, laced with behind-the-scenes footage such as the band meeting Bill and Hillary C... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Ian McKellen to work his magic again as Gandalf in The Hobbit movies

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 27 March 2008 by Don

Can you imagine anyone other than Ian McKellen donning the big hat, flowing white hair and staff as Gandalf in the upcoming Hobbit movies? Nope, and nor can the great English thespian, who has confirmed that Peter Jackson has asked him to reprise the role in The Hobbit and its sequel. "Peter and (co-writer) Fran Walsh have told me they couldn't imagine The Hobbit without their original Gandalf," Sir Ian says in his website. He adds that he hasn't been contacted yet by Guillermo del Tor... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Colin Firth a jolly good sport in St Trinian's

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 27 March 2008 by Don

It's just as well that Colin Firth has a sense of humour. The usually debonair actor cheerfully agreed to undergo a series of humiliations in the new British film St Trinian's, a re-imagining of the classic comedies of the 1950s and 60s. Playing the hardline education minister Education Minister Geoffrey Thwaites, who wants to crack down on the unruly students, Firth was covered in ants, had his trousers fall down, was thrown into a pond and tossed out a window. "It was just a series o... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Sharkwater: beware humans, not sharks!

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 26 March 2008 by Don

In the four years it took to make the documentary Sharkwater, Rob Stewart faced quite a few hazards-- none of them sharks. His ship was rammed by a pirate fishing boat, he was charged with attempted murder, he exposed corrupt governments, fled for his life from machine-gun toting coast guards, and started filming himself to avoid being sent to prison. "This journey changed the film from a beautiful shark movie to a human drama spanning four years, 15 countries, that nearly ended my li... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Speed Racer: cruising for a bruising

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 26 March 2008 by Don

Here's a surprising fact about the Wachowski brothers' upcoming action movie Speed Racer: none of the cast does any actual driving; all that is conjured up by visual effects, some 2,200 in all. Here's another: they did get tossed around quite violently, suffering bruising and, in one instance, throwing up. The Wachowski's first family adventure, based on a popular cartoon, it stars Emile Hirsch as Speed Racer, Christina Ricci as his girlfriend Trixie, and Matthew Fox as the mysteriou... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Step Up 2 vs Horton: Did the elephant win?

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 26 March 2008 by Don

Which film would you have expected to be No. 1 at cinemas over Easter: Horton Hears a Who! or Step Up 2 The Streets? Well done if you said Step Up 2. The urban dance drama clearly appealed to teenagers and those who enjoyed the original film, resulting in a top-placed payday of $3.3 million from 188 screens in the five days through Monday. Horton, the animated tale featuring the voices of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, resonated strongly with kids and families, earning $3.2 million... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Indy 4 ''just a movie''? Come off it, George!

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 26 March 2008 by Don

When you've produced a film which some pundits predict will be the biggest blockbuster of the US summer, would you deliberately play down its prospects? Yes if you're George Lucas and you're preparing to launch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull worldwide on May 22. "When you do a movie like this, a sequel that's very, very anticipated, people anticipate ultimately that it's going to be the Second Coming," Lucas told USA Today. "And it's not. It's just a movie. Just ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Hugh Jackman is going Nowhere, Man

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 25 March 2008 by Don

Hugh Jackman is working with Virgin Comics and writer Marc Guggenheim to create Nowhere Man, a new comicbook hero. The aim is to parlay the project into a videogame and a theatrical film, according to John Palermo, Jackman's partner in Seed Productions. Set in a futuristic world where mankind has traded privacy for safety, Nowhere Man's protagonist will resemble Will Smith's survivor in I Am Legend, according to Variety. Jackman, who's shooting X-Men Origins: Wolverine, told Var... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Are you ready for another adventure to the land of Narnia?

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 25 March 2008 by Don

It's been more than two years since we were transported to the magical land of Narnia. Are audiences super-keen to go on another journey or is there a risk that they've lost interest? We won't know for sure until The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, opens in the US on May 22 and here on June 5. But the advance buzz is getting stronger by the day, and at least two pundits predict the sequel will gross $300 million in the US alone, which could rival Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the C... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Never Back Down: The Fist and the Furious

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 25 March 2008 by Don

If the fight scenes in Never Back Down look real, it's no accident. Sean Faris can attest to that. In the movie set in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA), Sean plays Jake Tyler, a rebellious teenager with a bad temper, who gets beaten up in a fight with local bully Ryan (Cam Gigandet), a trained MMA exponent. Jake vows revenge and is taken under the wing of an MMA trainer played by two-time Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou. During filming, Sean dislocated his thumb (he popped it back i... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Stephen Fry takes on the role he was born to play in St Trinian's

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 25 March 2008 by Don

When Stephen Fry watched the St Trinian's comedies as a boy, he never imagined he'd get to star in a modern-day movie set in the infamous school for 'young ladies.' Let alone play himself. Still, who else would you cast as a rather overweight television figure and actor named Stephen Fry, who presents a popular quiz program called School Challenge? "It's quite a challenge to play yourself," he said. "You really have to make sure that you’re not acting playing yourself but being yourself. O... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Tony Soprano goes legit in The Taking of Pelham 123

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 24 March 2008 by Don

After all those years playing Tony Soprano, boss of the New Jersey Mafia, James Gandolfini is going straight. He'll play the mayor of New York in The Taking of Pelham 123, Tony Scott's remake of the 1974 thriller. The mayor is confonted with a crisis when a packed subway car is held to ransom by a crim (John Travolta) and his gang, who threaten to kill the occupants. Denzel Washington plays the chief detective of security for the subway. In the original, Walter Matthau was the cop, Rob... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Still fine, fun and foxy at 50-plus

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 24 March 2008 by

As someone who foolishly likes to kid himself that you're only as old as you feel and thus tries to avoid mirrors, I was shocked to discover Madonna will turn 50 in August. And that Michelle Pfeiffer, another of my screen godesses, will reach that milestone in April. Still, it's a reminder that many stars age gracefully, with or without the assistance of Botox, collagen and face lifts. And it's great to see that a lot of actors of a certain age continue to make films, enriching the ch... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Harrison Ford: still cracking the whip at 65

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 24 March 2008 by

What keeps Harrison Ford fit and able to convince us he can play an action hero again at the age of 65? Is it visiting the gym three times a week, playing tennis, a high-protein diet, or having a partner, Calista Flockhart, who's 23 years his junior? Probably all of the above. Suiting up for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, he wears the same iconic leather jacket and fedora that were made when he last played that role 19 years ago. "The jacket still fits; that feels ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Let's hear it for Horton: No 1 again

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 24 March 2008 by Don

Horton Hears a Who! was the No. 1 choice for US cinemagoers again last weekend, as the animated comedy grossed $US24.6 million in its second weekend, despite falling by 45%. That brings the cumulative earnings of Fox's family film to $86 million, so $130 million-plus is as good as in the bank. In second spot was Meet the Browns, which stars Angela Bassett as a struggling Chicago single mother who journeys to Georgia after the death of her father to meet the family she never knew. Writt... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Is it all over for the Fantastic Four?

0 Comments | Posted on Sunday, 23 March 2008 by Don

Could Mr Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing have been grounded- like, forever? After Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, made nearly $US280 million worldwide, cast members Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and Chris Evans said they hoped there'd be a third film. Those hopes may be in vain. Evans, a.k.a. Johnny Storm (The Human Torch) says he hasn't heard from the studio, 20th Century Fox, and he doubts there will be another film. "I'm pretty sure we won... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Sex and the City Movie: loss amid the laughs!

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 22 March 2008 by Don

You'd expect Sex and the City: The Movie, to be fun, risque and even a little shocking, with perhaps a touch of pathos, right? Better make that a lot of pathos, judging by Sarah Jessica Parker's latest revelations. The movie sees her character Carrie suffer a devestating loss, which apparently leads to some very dramatic moments for her and her soulmates. "There's incredible disappointment and sadness in this movie — even despair," the actress and the film's executive producer... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Who is your favourite 007 villain?

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 22 March 2008 by Don

From Blofeld, Rosa Klebb, Goldfinger and Dr No through to Boris Grishenko, Mr Kil and Le Chiffre, those who've tried to put James Bond out of business have been among the screen's most memorable villains. French actor Mathieu Amalric (pictured) joins that illustrious gallery of rogues as Dominic Greene, a ruthless businessman and head of the sinister Green Planet organisation, in Quantum of Solace, the 22nd 007 adventure. That's a big leap from his last role as Jean-Dominique Bauby, t... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Spielberg and Jackson find their Tintin

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 22 March 2008 by Don

After playing a lovesick 10-year-old in Love Actually and a prankster in Nanny McPhee, London schoolboy Thomas Sangster seems headed for Harry Potter-like stardom. Sangster, 17, will play the comicbook hero Tintin in a three-film franchise, the first two editions to be directed by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson respectively, according to the UK's Daily Mail. The films will follow the adventures of a junior reporter named Tintin, who pursues stories to the ends of the earth, often ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Drillbit Taylor: Owen Wilson gets to laugh again

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 20 March 2008 by Don

How sick is this? Paramount didn't hold a media conference in LA for the launch of the Owen Wilson comedy Drillbit Taylor. So, for their own amusement if no one else's, Film Stew posted a fictional interview with Wilson, in a cruel and ugly attempt to mock the actor's personal problems. First question: Did you do much research for your suicide attempt last August? Wilson: "No, not really. It’s the kind of role where you just sort of play by your instincts, and leave room for wherever... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

The Spiderwick Chronicles' Sarah Bolger blogs for us!

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 20 March 2008 by Don

Sarah Bolger is our first celebrity blogger. The 17-year-old star of the family fantasy The Spiderwick Chronicles spent four days in Sydney to promote the film. She was accompanied by her mum and her sister Emma, also an actress (her dad's a butcher; they live in Dublin). Here's her blog: I had a fantastic time in Sydney. I gave 30 interviews, and we did the Harbour Bridge climb and visited the Zoo. I did eight TV interviews, including Ten news, Showtime, Nickelodeon, Arena and M... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Jim Carrey's in a different world in Horton Hears a Who!

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 20 March 2008 by Don

Ever thought Jim Carrey is a little, well, crazy? If there was any doubt, interviews the star gave to promote the animated film Horton Hears a Who! (he voices Horton, the elephant), rather prove the point. The film's concept of a microscopic world of tiny people living in a speck of dust seems to make perfect sense to Jim. "I've always thought there were worlds within worlds within worlds," he says. "That somewhere on my right arm, there's – inside a cell, there's some kind of wor... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Who wants to see Jack Ryan back in action?

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 20 March 2008 by Don

Could a new, younger CIA agent Jack Ryan hit cinema screens again? Yes, if Paramount succeeds in coaxing Spider-Man director Sam Raimi to develop and direct a new franchise for the character created by author Tom Clancy. The studio wants Raimi to spearhead a series of films featuring Ryan at a younger, more formative point in his career, according to Variety, possibly set in the present, with the world facing various threats. It would be Raimi's next project after he finishes Univers... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Robert Downey Jr talks up Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 19 March 2008 by Don

This is shaping as the biggest and possibly most successful year yet in the chequered career of Robert Downey Jr. The 42-year-old actor, who used to spark more headlines for his drug taking than for his on-screen work, plays Tony Stark, billionaire industrialist turned superhero, in Iron Man (which opens May 1) and The Incredible Hulk (June 12). For light relief, he'll follow that by playing an Aussie actor in the cast of a big-budget war movie, who are forced to become the soldiers th... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Sarah Bolger: hob-nobbing with hobgoblins in The Spiderwick Chronicles

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 19 March 2008 by Don

The Spiderwick Chronicles takes us into a world of goblins, hobgoblins, fairies and ogres, and three children who discover they have magic powers. For Sarah Bolger, who plays Mallory, it meant five months of acting out many of her scenes with a tennis ball on a stick-- the device used when visual effects are used later to conjure up the creatures. "Looking back it seems crazy; you talk to a tennis ball like it's your best friend," Dublin-born Sarah told the Movie Blog in Sydney. On occasion... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Step Up 2 the Streets: Street battle in Baltimore

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 19 March 2008 by Don

If you thought Step Up rocked, you will probably get off on the sequel, Step Up 2 the Streets. The movie introduces Briana Evigan as Andie, a rebel and outcast who tries to fit in at the elite Maryland School of the Arts while holding on to her dream of dancing with an underground Baltimore street crew. As luck would have it, the school’s hottest talent Chase (Robert Hoffman) is forming a troupe to compete in Baltimore's biggest, baddest street dancing battle, The Streets. As Chase joi... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

R.I.P. Anthony Minghella

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 19 March 2008 by Don

Fans of Anthony Minghella, the Oscar-winning director and writer of The English Patient, will be distressed to learn he died yesterday, aged 54. The filmmaker suffered a fatal hemorrhage at London's Charing Cross Hospital, where he had been operated on to remove a growth in his neck. "I am deeply shocked and saddened to hear of Anthony’s untimely death," said Jude Law, who worked with him on The Talented Mr Ripley, Cold Mountain and Breaking and Entering. "He was a brilliantly t... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Hannah Montana leads a big parade of 3D extravaganzas

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 18 March 2008 by Don

The Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana 3D concert movie wasn't just a phenomenal success in the US-- it's encouraged nearly every US studio to ramp up the production of 3D movies. We can expect as many as 30 films shot in that visually stunning format in the next few years. Australian audiences can see the landmark film, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert 3D, when it opens at 19 3D cinemas on Thursday. Already, ticket sales have exceeded 20,000--a record for Disney. It w... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

The Dark Knight is set to blow audiences away

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 18 March 2008 by Ben

Our head honchos were lucky enough to attend ShoWest, an annual international film exhibitors convention in Las Vegas last week. And weren't they in for a treat - Warner Bros screened the first six minutes of The Dark Knight to the movers and shakers of the international film industry. The footage introduced Heath Ledger's Joker character and from what I've heard, it was one of the most exciting openings of any major film in recent time. It begins with an elaborate bank ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Owen Wilson lives to fight another day in Drillbit Taylor

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 18 March 2008 by Don

Bullying at school or in the workplace obviously is a serious issue- until it becomes the backdrop for Owen Wilson's latest comedy Drillbit Taylor. Wilson plays a supposed Soldier of Fortune who's hired as personal bodyguard to protect three kids from the school's resident psycho. It soon emerges that, as an adult, Drillbit is saddled with problems that are far scarier than anything facing the kids, and he's the one who needs rescuing. He bluffs and blusters, and ultimately bonds w... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Jack Black in Be Kind Rewind: oops-a-Daisy!

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 18 March 2008 by Don

Jack Black playing Miss Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy. Jack as RoboCop. Jack and rapper-turned actor Mos Def as Ghostbusters, the intrepid duo of Rush Hour, and home boys in Boyz in the Hood. It takes a pretty weird, inventive mind to conjur up those scenes and turn it into a movie, and that's what you get from Michel Gondry in Be Kind Rewind. The set-up sees Black's character accidentally erasing all the video tapes in a store where his friend Def works. To save the store, which is thr... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Vantage Point: view from the top of the Oz box-office

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 18 March 2008 by Don

Australian audiences seem to like Vantage Point-- but only to a point. The thriller about an attempted assassination of the US President won the box-office derby last weekend-- but its $1.13 million haul from 196 screens was in the mid-range category for No 1 films. It was just $55,000 ahead of 10,000 B.C., which dropped by 52% in its second weekend, making $1.07 million, to push its total to $4.1 million. Brit comedy Run, Fat Boy Run eased by a moderate 32% in its second lap, ea... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Exclusive: We talk to the stars of Death Defying Acts

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 17 March 2008 by Don

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Guy Pearce and Saoirse Ronan added plenty of glamour to the Sydney premiere of Death Defying Acts. The Cinebuzz Show's Daniel McMullen interviewed the stars and director Gillian Armstrong on the red carpet, and Sami Lukis had a one-on-one with Catherine. Guy plays the escapologist Houdini who, while on tour in Edinburgh, offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who could contact his mother from beyond the grave. Catherine plays a deceptive psychic who takes up the ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Watch our exclusive Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger interview

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 17 March 2008 by Don

The new Australian film Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger is a coming-of-age tale about a Jewish teenager who feels different and finds it hard to relate to her family (which isn't surprising- they're dysfunctional) and to her stuffy private school. Esther sees a way out when she meets the ultra-cool Sunni, who 'smuggles' her into her public school as a Swedish exchange student, and Esther is taken under the wing of Sunni's super hip single mum Mary. Newcomer Danielle Cantanzariti (pictu... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Should they turn Underbelly into a movie?

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 17 March 2008 by Jess

Channel 9’s ‘Underbelly’ is the roughest crime drama to hit our TV screens, since ABC’s 'Wildside', and I am one of the millions of viewers who tune in every week. I’ve always been interested in crime dramas. There’s just something about the people behind the crimes, why they commit them and the people who are left to clean up the mess left behind that intrigues me. Underbelly has further fuelled my interest in it. So much so that I have gone out and purchased the book tha... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Harrison Ford comes clean on Star Wars

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 17 March 2008 by Don

Finally, Harrison Ford has confirmed two things I've long thought about George Lucas and the Star Wars movies. One: the dialogue is so wooden you could carve chips off it. Two: Lucas has no idea how to get the best performances out of his actors (admittedly no easy task given the dreadful lines they're lumbered with). In an interview with the AFP agency, ostensibly to promote the upcoming Indiana Jones adventure, Ford recalled that on the first Star Wars movie, "I was running arou... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Horton hears a whole lot of action at US and Oz box-offices

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 17 March 2008 by Don

Sorry Dumbo, Horton is now the biggest elephant in the room. The computer-animated family film Horton Hears a Who! rang up $45 million at nearly 4,000 screens in the US over the weekend. That was the biggest opening weekend of 2008 and the fourth best ever for March, trailing 300, Ice Age and the sequel Ice Age: The Meltdown. And it was the fourth biggest debut for a Fox animated film, behind The Simpsons Movie and the two Ice Age films. Here, the Blue Sky Studios comedy featurin... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Sex and the City Movie: Sarah Jessica Parker speaks out!

0 Comments | Posted on Sunday, 16 March 2008 by Don

What can we expect when Sex and the City: The Movie hits our screens on June 5? Plenty of ribald, salty, dirty stuff...and a really smart story. That's a promise from Sarah Jessica Parker, who is the movie's executive producer as well as its most emblematic star. Unwilling to reveal plot details, the actress instead sought to give fans a general sense of what the film sets out to do. What we tried to do is it's a grown-up movie and I think those people that have seen it have been... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

The Incredible Hulk: minutes away from exploding!

0 Comments | Posted on Sunday, 16 March 2008 by Don

In the new version of The Incredible Hulk, it won't take long for Bruce Banner to lose his cool and turn big, green and ugly: Just three minutes. So says French director, Louis Leterrier, who makes it clear his film will differ in many respects from the Ang Lee/Eric Bana 2003 version, which disappointed many Hulkamaniacs. "You’ll see Bruce Banner transform in minute three," he tells Empire mag. "He’s the Hulk already, with the Hulk within him, and you get to understand how he came to b... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Which US summer blockbusters do you most want to see?

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 15 March 2008 by Don

The US summer box-office season officially kicks off on May 2 with the launch of Iron Man. We'll get the jump on the Yanks, as the movie based on the Marvel superhero opens here on May 1. Most of the major US releases will debut in Australia at the same time or within a couple of weeks, so get set for a stream of blockbusters from May until July. Tell us which ones you're itching to see. Here's the pick of the bunch, in my view: May 1 Iron Man--Robert Downey Jr may be the funniest sup... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

George Lucas speaks! Touts Star Wars: The Clone Wars

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 15 March 2008 by Don

George Lucas enjoys public appearances and speaking to the media about as much as most of us like going to the dentist. So it was a rare event for the Star Wars guru to climb on stage at a convention of cinema owners in Las Vegas last Thursday. Lucas was there to spruik Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the animated movie, which leads into a series of the same name that he's producing for the Cartoon Network. Lucas showed a five-minute clip of a battle sequence from the film, which was said t... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

The X-Files sequel: the mystery continues

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 15 March 2008 by Don

Only someone as secretive as X-Files creator Chris Carter could give a media conference at the end of filming of the X-Files sequel without revealing a few key details. Like the title. Or the plot. The media black-out which had surrounded the production during the three months shoot in Canada was lifted, but only briefly. Carter, the writer-director, did say the movie picks up six years after the TV series and the events happen in real time. Reporters were shown a trailer which has Gi... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

When nudity on screen isn't a turn-on

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 14 March 2008 by Don

Nude scenes in movies can be very erotic or dramatically powerful, as Halle Berry showed in Monster's Ball, and Heather Graham revealed in Boogie Nights. The baring of flesh can also be a turn-off, most recently when Philip Seymour Hoffman displayed his saggy butt in a bedroom scene with Marisa Tomei in When the Devil Knows You're Dead; they're pictured here with co-star Ethan Hawke. And it can be a shocker, as when Julie Andrews cast off her goody two-shoes image by exposing her breas... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Zack & Miri Make a Porno: it's not what you think

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 14 March 2008 by Don

Zack & Miri Make a Porno: It sounds X-rated, but the producers say it's a sweet and sexy comedy. Knocked Up's Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks (last seen here in Definitely Maybe) play platonic friends who are so broke, they decide to make a porn movie to pay off their debts. In the process, romance blooms. Now shooting in Philadelphia, it's from writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks). While there are no X-rated scenes, Seth and Elizabeth do get up close and personal. Both actors, who tea... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Horton Hears a Who! set for jumbo-sized opening

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 14 March 2008 by Don

A popular Dr Seuss story, clever CGI animation and the voice talent of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and Seth Rogen: all that should ensure Horton Hears a Who! dominates US cinemas over the weekend. The animated tale of an imaginative elephant who rescues the microscopic residents of Who-ville also begins previews in Australia today. Scoring a high 74% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the comedy seems cute enough to appeal to kids; hip enough for teenagers; and offering enough wit and c... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Is Edward Norton seeing green in The Incredible Hulk?

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 13 March 2008 by

We all know what happens when you make Bruce Banner angry: he turns into the Incredible Hulk. So reports on various websites of a feud between Edward Norton, who plays the big green guy in the latest version of The Incredible Hulk, and Marvel Studios may indicate not all is peace and harmony on the set. Those ubiquitous "insiders" are quoted as saying Norton, who was invited to contribute to rewriting the script, is at odds with the studio and inexperienced director Louis Leterrier ove... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Harry Potter to go out with a double whammy!

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 13 March 2008 by Don

The Harry Potter franchise will go out with a double bang. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling's seventh and final Potter opus, will be split into two films, one to be released in November 2010, the second in May 2011. They'll be entitled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I and Part II. David Yates, who called the shots on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which opens in December, will direct both films, which will be shot simultaneously. Screenwriter Ste... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Forgetting Sarah Marshall: rude, crude and very funny

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 13 March 2008 by Don

Here's a neat premise for a comedy: Musician slob gets dumped by his hot actress girlfriend. Devestated, he jets off to Hawaii to try to forget her...and finds he's at the same resort where his ex, and her rock star lover, are staying. That's the set-up in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the latest clever concoction from producer Judd Apatow, who gave us The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Superbad. Jason Segel, one of the Apatow comedy troop regulars, plays Peter, the jilted guy, with K... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Superman to fly again- like it or not

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 12 March 2008 by Don

If you enjoyed Superman Returns, here's some good news: director Bryan Singer has started developing a sequel, Superman: Man of Steel. If you were underwhelmed by Brandon Routh as the superhero, well, you may need convincing to buy him in another go-round. Singer bristles at those who dared to criticize Superman Returns and at any suggestion that it didn't perform as heroically as Warner Bros. had hoped. "That movie made $400 million!" he told Empire mag. But he admits, "Perha... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

How many more Mummy movies do we want?

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 12 March 2008 by Don

Universal is betting big that audiences around the world will dig The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the third installment of the action-adventure franchise. So much so that the studio has committed to produce a further three Mummy movies, according to Maria Bello, who plays Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell in Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the role made famous in the first two Mummy movies by Rachel Weisz. The new film, directed by Rob Cohen, centres on father and son duo Rick and Alex (Bre... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Dennis Quaid: In the line of fire in Vantage Point

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 12 March 2008 by Don

Playing a Secret Service agent in the movie In the Line of Fire, Clint Eastwood asks himself as he pursues a bad guy, "I'm getting too old for this?" The same question could be asked of Dennis Quaid, who plays a Secret Service agent in Vantage Point. After taking a bullet for the President a year earlier, his character is thrust back into the line of fire when the Prez (William Hurt) travels to Spain to attend a summit on tourism. Quaid spends much of the movie on the run and in a fr... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Jessica Alba blind-sided in The Eye

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 12 March 2008 by Don

Playing a blind violinist in the psychological thriller The Eye gave Jessica Alba an insight into how tough life can be for the visually impaired. The actress was fitted with 'blurry' contact lenses so she really couldn't tell what was happening in front of her – and that was scary. "I couldn’t see at all,” says Jessica, who was happy to tackle a different type of role after playing a superhero in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and the femme foil to Dane Cook in Good Luck C... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Iron Man: a genuinely funny superhero?

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 11 March 2008 by Don

Judging by the footage released so far, Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man might be the funniest superhero we've seen since Austin Powers. Only a lot classier. The character who's transformed from billionaire industrialist Tony Stark into an intrepid crime fighter sports a terrific wit, thanks to an eight-person writing team which includes Marvel Comics' maestro Stan Lee. And the lines are delivered with great panache by Downey, almost the last actor you'd expect to see behind a mask. T... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Eric Bana fit to be King in The Other Boleyn Girl

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 11 March 2008 by Don

For those of us who think of Henry VIII as fat, ugly and crazy, take a look at Eric Bana as the monarch in The Other Boleyn Girl. In researching the role, the Aussie actor avoided watching any films about the much-maligned monarch, and went with the script and his instincts. "I was really drawn to the drama and shenanigans surrounding this fellow," Eric says. "The fact that he was Henry VIII was almost secondary to me. One of the luxuries of being an actor, it’s the one time in your... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

What were the best movie monarchs of all time?

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 11 March 2008 by Don

Through the ages, the Kings and Queens of England, and their courtiers and hangers-on, have been rich fodder for the cinema, with all their intrigue, mystery and occasional treachery. My favourite is The Queen, mostly because Helen Mirren succeeded in portraying the monarch as a flesh-and-blood person with as many faults and foibles as her loyal subjects. Mirren deserved an Oscar, and the Queen deserves our respect and sympathy for the way she's handled one of the toughest jobs in the wor... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Potential Spoiler Alert - Sex and The City!!!

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 10 March 2008 by Jess

So there's a lot more to happen in the Sex and The City movie than we think! I'm sure you've seen the pictures and heard the rumours surrounding Carrie and Mr Big, but did you know that Miranda is still in the same job, even though the movie picks up a few years on from the end of the show? Also, baby Brady is doing nicely, however, it has been hinted that her marriage is slightly ho-hum... What could this mean? The forever gorgeous Charlotte is apparently struggling being ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Speed Racer trailer: a glimpse into the manic minds of the Wachowskis

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 10 March 2008 by Don

The Speed Racer trailer tells us this looms as another high-speed adventure from the idiosyncratic Wachowski brothers. Plus, there's a fair helping of humour which was missing from their Matrix trilogy. The movie inspired by the anime series created by Tatsuo Yoshida, which opens on June 12, stars Emile Hirsch as Speed, a fearless competitor who's dogged by the memory of his brother Rex Racer, who died at the wheel. When Speed discovers Royalton Industries is manipulating races to boost ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Is 10,000 B.C. mammoth nonsense or lots of fun?

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 10 March 2008 by Don

The brave warriors of 10,000 B.C. defeated woolly mammoths, sabre-toothed tigers and sharp-clawed critics as the prehistoric epic opened at No. 1 in the US, Australia and 18 other countries over the weekend. Was Roland Emmerich's action adventure as bad as most reviewers described it? The $US100 million film with no-name cast of Steven Strait, Camilla Belle (pictured) and Cliff Curtis, scored a low 8% in Rotten Tomatoes' tomato-meter, logging 72 hostile reviews and just 6 pro. "A true ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Star Wars: The Clone Wars heading to a galaxy near you in August

0 Comments | Posted on Sunday, 9 March 2008 by Don

Attention Star Wars fans: You can get your next 'fix' from the new franchise when Star Wars: The Clone Wars opens here on August 14. That's the day before the animated adventure produced by Lucasfilm Animation blasts off in the US. The new film, released by Warner Bros., will focus on Anakin Skywalker before the young Jedi knight turned to the dark side to become Darth Vader. It will serve as the lead-in to the TV series of the same name; the launch date for the series and the Australi... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Two-Face unmasked in The Dark Knight

0 Comments | Posted on Sunday, 9 March 2008 by Don

How did that caring lawyer Harvey Dent turn into the ruthless killer Harvey Two-Face? All will be revealed in the upcoming Batman movie, The Dark Knight, which opens on July 17. "We're showing who Harvey was before he was scarred," says Aaron Eckhart, who plays the dual characters. "We’re looking at Gotham City trying to get out of its darkness. That’s why Harvey is important." Eckhart won't divulge anything about Two-Face's appearance, but notes the latest technology was used to... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Should there be a sequel to The Golden Compass?

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 8 March 2008 by Don

After The Golden Compass opened lamely in the US, there seemed little or no chance of any further films based on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Now that New Line's fantasy has been a huge hit in the rest of the word, with ticket sales approaching $US300 million, the prospect of at least one more adaptation is back on the agenda. The decision rests with the hierarchy at Warner Bros., not production and distribution executives at New Line, as that subsidiary is being abs... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

For Heath's sake, let him rest in peace!

0 Comments | Posted on Saturday, 8 March 2008 by Don

Heath Ledger fans have reacted angrily, as well they might, to a magazine article which imagines the actor speaking from the grave in a fictional account of his last three days. The writer, Lisa Taddeo, paints a lurid picture of Heath having a late-night booze session with Jack Nicholson in London; back in New York, picking up a girl in his favourite bar; getting a call from his soulmate Mary-Kate Olsen; and rambling on about fame and what it's done to him. Esquire magazine lamely seek... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

U2 sets the standard yet again with U2 3D

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 7 March 2008 by Ben

I was lucky enough to see the brand new film, U2 3D, last week and was completely blown away. Admittedly I'm a huge U2 fan but after watching this, one can not help but feel they've witnessed something pretty special. Filmed during their monumentally successful Vertigo world tour at locations throughout South America, this big screen extravaganza is possibly the only true testament to how the lads from Dublin have taken the world by storm and never looked back. Apart from ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Jim Carrey brings a jumbo-sized heart to Horton Hears a Who!

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 7 March 2008 by Don

When Jim Carrey signed on to voice Horton, a big-hearted, big-humoured although sensitive elephant in Horton Hears a Who!, the filmmakers got more than they bargained for. Carrey recorded his scenes as if it were a live action film, bringing a surprising subtlety to the character. Jim Carrey- subtle? Yes, really, according to the film's co-director Jimmy Hayward. "He gave us some great eye acting references, so we got an extraordinary amount of subtle Horton stuff out of Jim from his... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Transformers 2?

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 7 March 2008 by Jess

Although the first movie wasn't a 'true' representation of the original cartoon and comic, I reckon it was one of the coolest movies of 2007. And with news of Michael Bay gearing up to create Transformers 2, I cannot wait for 2009! I will be keeping my eye out for trailers, pictures and anything else I can get my hands on. Here's a question for all you Transformers fans, what was missing in the first movie, that could make the second one better? ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Who are Hollywood's hottest young actors?

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 7 March 2008 by Don

Which rising young stars have the potential to become the next Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe or Tom Hanks? There's no shortage of contenders, from Atonement's James McAvoy, Into the Wild's Emile Hirsch to the new Indiana Jones, Shia La Beouf. Entertainment Weekly has compiled a list of 30 hot male stars under the age of 30. There's one glaring omission in my view: Aussie Luke Ford (pictured). Currently on screen playing an autistic teenager in the Australian film The Black Balloon, Luke was a re... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Will 10,000 B.C. be mammoth, or just big?

0 Comments | Posted on Friday, 7 March 2008 by Don

There's zero doubt that 10,000 B.C. will conquer box-offices in Australia and the US over the weekend; the only question is whether the prehistoric epic will prove to be a mammoth hit, or just big. Pivotal to its success is whether females will be sufficiently interested in the romantic angle-- young warrior treks to another world to rescue his kidnapped cave girl-- to turn out in large numbers. In the US, prognosticators are all over the place with their estimates, ranging from $32 ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Who are Hollywood's hottest young actresses?

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 6 March 2008 by Don

From 11-year--old Abigail Breslin and teenagers Saoirse Ronan, Dakota Fanning and Miley Cyrus, to Juno's Ellen Page and Ugly Betty's America Ferrera, there's no shortage of young actresses who are making their mark in movies and television. Entertainment Weekly underlines this abundance of talent with its list of 30 female stars under the age of 30 (EW also compiled a list of fast-rising guys under 30, which we'll look at tomorrow). Only one Aussie rates a mention: Abbie Cornish, 25... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

The Black Balloon: an emotional rollercoaster

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 6 March 2008 by Don

What must it be like to grow up if you have a condition that makes you different from other kids? The new Australian movie The Black Balloon takes a sympathetic look at a family with an autistic son. And tells a story which is at once confronting, heartwarming and funny. Set in the early 90s, the film follows sixteen-year-old Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) as he and his family move to a new home and he switches schools. While his pregnant mum (Toni Collette) has to rest, his father (Erik Th... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

We cinemagoers are a web-savvy lot

0 Comments | Posted on Thursday, 6 March 2008 by Don

As you're reading this blog, you're part of a rising number of cinemagoers who use the Internet to get info on movies. A forthcoming study in the US finds that 73% of moviegoers go online to research a film before going to the cinema. Only TV/radio, at 75%, is a more widely used resource. There's no comparable survey in Australia that I know of, but increases in online ticket sales and in visits to our website are pointers to a similar phenomenon here. Stats just released by t... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

10,000 B.C.: Eat your hearts out, Michael Bay and Mel Gibson!

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 5 March 2008 by Don

10,000 B.C. director Roland Emmerich has a high opinion of himself: and not a lot of admiration for his fellow directors Mel Gibson or Michael Bay. That's clear from an interview he gave to Premiere magazine while promoting his latest epic, the saga of an ordinary guy who emerges from an isolated tribe to challenge an empire and free the woman he loves. The director of Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow isn't modest, either, boasting, "The film has incredible visual effects bu... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Running away from Thandie? No way!

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 5 March 2008 by Don

What guy in his right mind would run away from someone as gorgeous as Thandie Newton on their wedding day--especially when the girl is pregnant? Even Simon Pegg, who plays the runaway fiance in Run, Fat Boy Run, admits, "It’s the moment in the movie that requires the most suspension of disbelief. That I would jilt Thandie at the altar. Lord of the Rings is more convincing than that." The charm of the film, co-written by Pegg and directed by David Schwimmer, is to show that Simon's char... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Indiana Jones 4 trailer sparks on online frenzy

0 Comments | Posted on Wednesday, 5 March 2008 by Don

How keen are you to see the fourth Indiana Jones adventure? Fit to burst, maybe, if you're among the millions of people who've watched the trailer online. In just one week, the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer was viewed more than 200 million times worldwide. In addition, there were a record 4.1 million views of the trailer on the Yahoo movie site in the first week and 2.6 million on the official IndianaJones.com site, the most ever for the studio, according to Par... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

Guy Pearce bulks up for a great escape in Death Defying Acts

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 4 March 2008 by Don

There were no magic tricks to help Guy Pearce prepare for the role of legendary illusionist Harry Houdini in the movie Death Defying Acts. The Aussie actor had to bulk up in the gym to add 12 kgs to his frame after dieting down to 63 kgs for his previous role as the self-destructive icon Andy Warhol in Factory Girl. As well as taking lessons from a magician, he learnt how to escape from a strait jacket hanging upside down, and to hold his breath under water for longer than he imagine... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Robert Downey Jr: An ideal fit for Iron Man?

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 4 March 2008 by Don

When Robert Downey Jr. was cast as the title character in Iron Man, some fans of the comic books were outraged. This guy had never played a superhero. He's not rugged. He's been in and out of rehab, and he spent time in jail on drug and alcohol-related charges. Well, it seems most of if not all those misgivings have been swept away by the first footage from the movie, which opens on May 1. Find out more...   |   0 Comments

The films some women love to hate

0 Comments | Posted on Tuesday, 4 March 2008 by Don

Superbad was a clever, raunchy comedy that both sexes could enjoy, right? Wrong, according to a columnist for Radar magazine, who included the film among her list of the most misogynistic movies of the 21st century. To be fair, her way of assessing what she termed the most "woman-bashing" films was hardly scientific; ie, she surveyed her girlfriends. Still, it's an interesting perspective on a bunch of movies, some of which I'd have thought would have appealed more to women than ... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Aussies captured by Meet the Spartans

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 3 March 2008 by Don

It looks like plenty of folks who enjoyed 300 have turned out for Meet the Spartans, the good-natured spoof which takes the mickey out of the men from Sparta and numerous other films, TV shows and celebrities. The comedy from the makers of the Date and Epic Movies was easily No. 1 last weekend, making $1.4 million at 211 screens. In second spot is The Bucket List, which fetched $1.2 million in its second weekend (off by a mild 28%), boosting its total to $3.5 million. Crime drama We O... Find out more...   |   0 Comments   |   buy tickets

U2 3D sets a new standard for concert pics

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 3 March 2008 by Don

The first Imax movie that deserves to be called a work of art.... A shot of Viagra for 3D technology... a brand new kind of movie experience. Those are some of the raves from US critics which greeted the premiere of U2 3D, the first ever digital 3D, multi-camera production of a live-action event (predating the Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana concert movie). Filmed over a month at huge outdoor stadium shows in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Argentina during the band's Vertigo tour, its first... Find out more...   |   0 Comments

Semi-Pro no slam dunk for Will Ferrell

0 Comments | Posted on Monday, 3 March 2008 by Don

The pundits predicted Will Ferrell's basketball spoof Semi-Pro would be a slam dunk. How wrong they were. The R-rated comedy sold just $US15.1 million worth of tickets on 3,121 screens last weekend in the US, way below expectations. That was the worst opening for a Will Ferrell movie since the black comedy Stranger Than Fiction took $13.4 million, playing on about 1,000 fewer screens, in 2006. And it's not a patch on the debuts of Blades of Glory ($33.9 million), Talladega Nights ($47 mil... Find out more...   |   0 Comments