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MovieClips.com Launches
Filed under: Classics, Comedy, Site Announcements
Tired of searching YouTube for your favorite movie scenes, only to come up empty handed? Yesterday saw the launch of a new site called MovieClips.com, which boasts a collection of over 12,000 film clips, most of them around two minutes in length, in order for fans to call up their favorite movie moments and quotes easily and quickly. Six of the major studios are on board with licensed clips -- Disney is notably absent at the moment -- that can be viewed on MovieClips' site or shared through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. The new site is still in the beta stage, so it's not totally perfect at the moment. And you may at first be frustrated with the number of big titles currently missing from the collection. For example, I used AFI's list of 100 greatest movie quotes to see just how thorough MovieClips is, and I was disappointed that many in the top ten, including bits from Gone With the Wind, Sudden Impact and Cool Hand Luke, are as yet unavailable.
Those three movies would be perfect for one of the site's main purposes, expressing your mood via a movie quote on Facebook. Admittedly, I'd like to share Network's "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" on a regular basis. Unfortunately, MovieClips doesn't have it. My guess, though, is that the collection of clips will continue to grow and eventually we'll all be able to communicate through movie dialogue, much in the way the aliens do in Explorers (another film not currently represented on MovieClips).
'The Hobbit' May Be Pushed to 2012
Filed under: Classics, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, MGM, Warner Brothers, RumorMonger, Fandom, Family Films, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Peter Jackson, Remakes and Sequels
The journey back to Middle Earth is taking longer than anyone anticipated, even its filmmakers. Peter Jackson revealed in an interview with Movie Reporter * that they're hoping to complete the second draft of The Hobbit script by the beginning of next year. Once that's done, they can calculate budget and set a start date, but even the most enthusiastic estimates mean that filming would begin in middle to late 2010. That's not even factoring in the MGM money woes, and how that could affect budgeting, though signs point to Warner Bros picking up the entire tab. Jackson was silent as to whether the original release dates would hold, but I think we're all familiar enough with the magic of movie making to know that we're unlikely to see The Hobbit in December 2011. Remember, that was the date given for the first half of the film. It's more likely you'll see Part 1 in December 2012, and Part 2 in December 2013.
If you contemplate those numbers with a sinking heart, you're not alone. For me, it's not that 2012 or 2013 are particularly far away (you know how the years speed by the older you get!), but that so much can happen to a film, its writers and directors, and its potential cast members. I'm certain The Hobbit will happen, but it can't hurt to send some geeky good vibes its way, and hope it gains some speed and cast announcements very soon.
[*I've linked to TheOneRing.net, which translated the German interview for the rest of the Internet, and allowed the story to be subsequently picked up in Variety.]
Warner Bros Will Make Clint Eastwood Fans' Day
Filed under: Action, Classics, Warner Brothers, Distribution, Newsstand, Home Entertainment
If you're lucky enough to be graced with cash or gift cards this Christmas, and you have a big hole on your DVD shelf where Clint Eastwood ought to be, Warner Bros will be happy to help you out. On February 16 they're releasing a massive, 19-disc collection Clint Eastwood: 35 Films, 35 Years at Warner Bros that celebrates the actor / director / producer. Included will be a booklet and a feature length documentary by Richard Schickel. The retail price will be a hefty $179.98.Warners didn't release a complete list of those 35 films, but it spans the tender years of Where Eagles Dare all the way to 2008's Gran Torino. I imagine there will be some crossover with what you already own, like the entire Dirty Harry collection and The Outlaw Josey Wales. But most of his output from the late 1970s onward was done at Warner Bros, so all those films you've forgotten he ever made -- The Gauntlet, Bronco Billy, Honkytonk Man, Tightrope, Firefox, Heartbreak Ridge, A Perfect World, Pink Cadillac -- and can't find on DVD will make this a must have for the fan who needs everything.
Or almost everything. If you're looking for his directorial debut Play Misty For Me, or forgotten gems like Thunderbolt and Lightfoot or The Beguiled, you'll have to wait until Universal or MGM decides to put out a boxed set of their own. On that day, you better reinforce your bookshelf with steel frames to support the other 30 odd films he's done, even without Francis in the Navy.
Scenes We Love: L.A. Confidential (Again!)
Filed under: Action, Classics, Noir, Mystery & Suspense, Scenes We Love
It's the most wonderful time of the year! The time of year when I watch L.A. Confidential a dozen times because "It's Christmassy!", complain that it didn't win Best Picture, and fall in love with Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce all over again. It's not as if I don't watch this at any other time of the year, but this film is like my holiday heroin. It's the perfect antidote to the holly and the ivy. Yeah, I posted a scene from it earlier this year, but as its been taken down by YouTube, I figured I'd post another in honor of the upcoming holidays. There's not a lot of scenes available (my favorite Rollo Tomasi moment still eludes me), but luckily one of the reader favorites was up for grabs. So, today's Scene We Love is indeed a scene we all love: "She is Lana Turner."
It's also good timing, as this week we finally get to see a glimpse of Pearce in The Road. It's another one of those maddening cameos he likes to tease us with (no spoiler intended, it's just a fact), and I constantly wish he'd take bigger and more high profile roles. A Bedtime Stories is all well and good, and I have great hopes for Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, but I long for him to land another role like Lt. Ed Exley.
Go below the jump for the scene
This is the Ape that Climbed the Empire State Building?
Back in 1933 there was this little movie called King Kong. While not an epic award-winner, the film instantly became a legend for stunning special effects and arguably the most iconic Hollywood monster of them all. Whether you've seen the film or not, you've no doubt witnessed the scene, where the large ape grabbed Fay Wray's Anne Darrow and carried her to the top of the Empire State Building, where he fought off planes and machine gun fire to be with the unwilling object of his affection.
MSNBC reports that the specific metal skeleton used in that iconic scene has sold for approximately $200,000 at a Christie's auction in London. Talk about a killer find! The 22-inch figurine was originally "covered in cotton, rubber, liquid latex, and rabbit's fur," but being over 70 years old, that covering has rotted away to reveal what you see above -- a collection of metal, rivets, and screws fashioned into an ape skeleton.
While there's a whole lot of great computer-generated effects out there, I can't help but feel a pang for the good old days of tangible creations and miniature models. They gave an added sense of realism to special effects-laden filmmaking. You can check out the scene (colorized) after the jump.
Stars in Rewind: Jason Reitman's First Kiss
Filed under: Classics, Family Films, Stars in Rewind
Blogger Kristopher Tapley, of the movie awards site In Contention, shares a humorous video spotlighting one of this year's Oscar hopefuls, Jason Reitman. The young filmmaker, who already received an Academy Award nomination for directing Juno, is a front-runner this year for helming Up in the Air, which opens in limited release next week and opens nationwide on Christmas.
Before he was a success behind the camera, though, he was simply the son of Hollywood director Ivan Reitman. And like many filmmakers' kids, he was employed in minor roles in his father's films, including Ghostbusters II, Twins and Dave. The funniest of his cameos is in this make-out scene from Kindergarten Cop, mainly because it's his most embarrassing.
Michael Fassbender Goes From One Bronte To the Next
Filed under: Classics, Drama, Independent, Romance, Casting, Mystery & Suspense, Focus Features, Newsstand
The Brontes are all the rage for adaptation right now. It's undoubtedly due to Edward and Bella bestowing their favor on Wuthering Heights, and had they chosen Great Expectations, perhaps we'd see Dickens adaptations flinging themselves to the big screen. I love corsets and cravats, so I'm not going to complain, and I'm certainly not going to whine if Cary Fukunaga gets this cast for Jane Eyre. Variety is reporting that Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska are in talks to play Jane and Rochester for Fukunaga, and oh, how torrid it would be!This is actually the second time Fassbender has circled a Bronte adaptation. Last May, he was said to be in talks for Wuthering Heights, but Ed Westwick stepped into that particular waistcoat. It's a shame. I think Fassbender would have made an excellent Heathcliff, and may have been the first one to actually snarl, bang his head against a tree, and slap people convincingly. But he will make a very simmering Rochester, and is the only actor who could top Toby Stephens' wonderful turn in 2006.
Wasikowska is still a bit of a dark horse. She's becoming one of those much-discussed names, but most of us have yet to really meet her until Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland hits theaters. She's very pretty, but is just "ordinary" (if that doesn't sound too terrible) enough to fit the part of plain Jane, and as an Aussie, she'll be able to turn on an English accent better than Ellen Page. If this is the Jane Eyre that makes it to the screen, I'll be happy. Let the eerie screams, mysterious fires, and lingering looks commence.
'Captain Nemo' Is Dead in the Water at Disney
Filed under: Action, Classics, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Executive shifts, Disney, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels
The klaxons are sounding for the Nautilus and Captain Nemo's origin story. Variety reports that Disney has quietly shelved the project, and McG has been released from duty in order to seek better fortune ashore. The project was scheduled to begin production this February, and was on a fast track under Dick Cook. But as you probably remember, Cook was shown the door a few months ago. Many of Disney's big projects seem to be left dangling as stars like Johnny Depp decide whether they're sailing or staying ashore. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo is just the latest, though Disney insists big popcorn flicks will still be a focus for them.
Leagues had already been a revolving door of rumors, with Will Smith said to be in the running to play Nemo. Justin Marks was originally penning the script, but was replaced by Randall Wallace this past July. Variety reports that the project was being penned by Bill Marsilli, so presumably Wallace was off as well. While it's not unusual to have three screenwriters on a project, it doesn't sound like this submarine had a reliable captain. Perhaps the Nautilus will sail again as a proper steampunk picture that explores his romantic Indian past, and not a slapdash summerfest.
Cinematical Seven: Classic Hollywood Battles of The Sexes
Filed under: Classics, Fandom, Cinematical Seven, Trailers and Clips
The battle of the sexes is alive and well in Hollywood, and whether it is the subject of a rom-com or an indie flick, audiences love to watch a good ol' fashioned throw down. But what makes a 'battle of the sexes' comedy a tricky proposition is that someone has to lose. So how do you make your audience (who is for the most part, female) accept the idea that a strong and feisty gal has learned the error of her ways and has 'surrendered to love''? Granted, it was a heck of a lot easier when they were making these movies in the '30s and '40s and marriage was the inevitable 'happy ending' for most gals.
Today, The Ugly Truth has been released on DVD and just like a million films to go before it, the story centers on a man and a woman who 'meet cute', fight a lot, and then fall in love -- and just like every other film, the whole thing hinges on the happy couple. When you're covering well trod ground like a battle of the sexes comedy, the charm and likability of your leads are your bread and butter -- and on a personal note, I just don't think Truth pulled it off, and I never got that charge from watching Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler engage in a little 'verbal foreplay'.
So at risk of sounding like somebody's grandmother, I decided that when it comes to the battle of the sexes comedy, nobody did it better than classic Hollywood, and it didn't matter whether it was during the hay day of screwball comedies or gritty films noir. That's why this Cinematical Seven is dedicated to those classic Hollywood couples that could battle with the best of them, but unlike Heigl and Butler, their chemistry became the stuff of movie legend.
After the jump; seven classic couples that are all-time champs when it comes to the battle of the sexes....
Free Flick of the Day: Spartacus
Filed under: Classics, Home Entertainment
"You can't put words back in your mouth. What you can do, is spread false gossip so people think that everything that's been said is untrue ... It's like the end of Spartacus. I have seen that movie half a dozen times and I still don't know who the real Spartacus is. And that is what makes that movie a classic whodunnit." -- The OfficeI know very well there isn't a single Cinematical reader who doesn't know who the real Spartacus is. There's probably little children who haven't even seen Stanley Kubrick's Roman epic who know who the real Spartacus is because the movie has become such a cultural touchstone. But just because it's ubiquitous doesn't mean you shouldn't sit down and watch the movie again, especially since it's playing for free on SlashControl. Its lengthy runtime might make it a little uncomfortable to view on your laptop, but just make sure you have plenty of snacks and drinks, and you should be just fine.
Spartacus is quite dated (this is the era of filmmaking when no one thought flattops and beehives would be out of place in any time period), and Howard Fast's version of the myth was skewed toward his own political beliefs. But it's still a pretty brutal movie, and runs counter to Hollywood's vision today in that it makes the ending worse than the history. Eyewitnesses claim Spartacus died in battle. No one really knows, as his body was never recovered, but history is reasonably certain he wasn't one of the 6,600 crucified along the Via Appia. But Hollywood brutally chose to put him among them, and didn't even spare his wife and infant son the sight. That final farewell between Spartacus and Varinia traumatized me as a kid (it has to be one of the first movies I saw where the good guy didn't win), and still gets me every time.
Watch Spartacus now on SlashControl!
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