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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Girls Next Door & Notable Films of 2010

Kirsten Dunst in "California Style" magazine, December 2009.

Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire in "Spider-Man 2"
- Behind The Scenes


"The story of my life is not for the faint of heart. If somebody said it was a happy little tale, if somebody told you I was just your average guy, not a care in the world, somebody lied. But let me assure you, this, like any story worth telling, is all about a girl. That girl. The girl next door. Mary Jane Watson. The woman I've loved since before I even liked girls..." Spider-Man (2002)

"The Girl Next Door, Elisha Cuthbert, could have been Mary Jane Watson in the Spider-Man. It almost was Elisha Cuthbert, but the role went to Kirsten Dunst instead. Elisha auditioned for the role back in 2001 but apparently wasn’t cut out for that character". Source: www.elishacuthbertdaily.com

Kirsten Dunst and Brittany Murphy in "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999).
Elisha Cuthbert in "The Girl Next Door" (2004).
Kirsten Dunst with Jake Gyllenhaal at Vanity Fair Oscars Party on 29th February 29, 2004, in West Hollywood, CA.

Kirsten Dunst and Elisha Cuthbert have in common several things, both are sort of muses for power pop band Weezer, slipping in one of their new songs from "Raditude" The Girl Got Hot, released on November 2009, an explicit reference to Kiki:
"Went to a party last Saturday night The band was doing their thing The moshpit started, and then the crowd parted And then was Kiki Dee". Kiki Dee is Kiki D (Kirsten Dunst).
Elisha Cuthbert appeared previously in a music video for Weezer titled "Perfect Situation" in 2006, where she played the lead singer, who in a narcissist fit left the group and Rivers Cuomo became the frontman of the band after her fictional departure (see & listen below):



Kirsten Dunst and Elisha Cuthbert are both nordic beauties with blonde hair, pale features, blue eyes and German surnames. Let's see some similar pictures of Kiki and Elisha:
Bright smiles:Wearing caps:Short hair look:Plaited hairdos: Wet hair look:Kirsten Dunst and Elisha Cuthbert are considerated mainly "girl next door" prototypes in Hollywood, they often play cute sassy chicks who transform the clueless male lead characters, lucky of stumbling across these girls just when they're going through an emotional resources shortage.

"The star is Emile Hirsch, who plays Matthew, a high school senior who is student body president despite being only mildly popular. He associates primarily with two oversexed dorks named Eli (Chris Marquette) and Klitz (Paul Dano), not because he's as bottom-rung as they are, but because he thinks he is.Matthew is destined for Georgetown in the fall, but his plans there are not specific. He feels the angst of uncertainty, the sadness of not knowing how he fits into the world. And then he meets Danielle.There's almost a feminist vibe to the film, in places, as the effect of pornography on women is discussed, and especially as it's made clear that Danielle lacks the self-esteem to try any other profession". Source: www.ericdsnider.com

Luke Greenfield and his Panavision camera.
He's going to direct next "Something Borrowed" (2011).

"Luke Greenfield has done a great job of directing, with great comic timing and the proper sensitivity. Most films go the very quickly tired American Pie direction of gross-out moments with no point. It quickly disposes of any virgin/whore complex and the best thing it does is take many segments of a world where everyone knows it all, but are more clueless than ever.
Its sincerity and authenticness reminded me at times of Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous (2000) in that a young man is thrust into a young innocent kid is thrust into a raw adult world, while some of the triangular sexual politics reminds me of Jonathan Demme’s Something Wild (1986)". Source: www.fulvuedrve-in.com

Stephen Dorff and Elisha Cuthbert at "Old School" premiere, on 13th February 2003, Los Angeles.

The Notable Films of 2010: Part One
Born to Be a Star Opens: September 3rd 2010
Cast: Nick Swardson, Christina Ricci, Stephen Dorff, Don Johnson, Edward Herrmann
Director: Tom Brady

Summary: A small-town nerd learns his quiet and demure parents were famous porn stars in the 1970s. This motivates him to leave for Hollywood, hoping to follow in their footsteps and fulfill his destiny as the biggest adult-film star in the world.

Analysis: Co-written by Adam Sandler and helmed by the director of Rob Schneider vehicles "The Hot Chick" and "The Animal", the film may not star Sandler but his fingerprints are definitely all over it.
One could be sure that this was already set for some 'worst of' lists if it weren't for some of the clever supporting casting such as Don Johnson as a washed up porn director, and Stephen Dorff as a porn star named Dick Shadow.Black Swan Opens: Fall 2010
Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder
Director: Darren Aronofsky

Summary: A veteran ballerina finds herself locked in a competitive situation with a rival dancer, with the stakes increasing as the dancers approach a big performance. However it's unclear if the rival is a ghost or the ballerina herself is delusional.

Analysis: Darren Aronofsky's much anticipated first effort after the success of "The Wrestler" is a slow burn psychological thriller that should be compelling. A script review cites that much of the film is about following Portman's character through her day-to-day mundane life, lulling you into a false sense of security so that when the big moments happen they have a real impact.
The storyline itself about a rival that may be all in her head sounds fairly mundane admittedly, but the director has shown a real knack for taking that kind of material and giving us a whole new and fresh perspective on it that ventures into some very dark territory.Elisha Cuthbert and Mila Kunis in "Maxim" magazine.

Early drafts had a rather hardcore lesbian sex scene between Portman and Kunis that, while I couldn't frankly care less about, much of the male population that reads film scoops has already spanked one out to the idea of.Hudgens herself played coy about the scene in an interview which means it may not show up at all, but if it does there's a guaranteed box-office boost right there.

Chloe Opens: 2010
Cast: Julianne Moore, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson, Max Thierot
Director: Atom Egoyan

Summary: A successful doctor suspects her husband is cheating on her and hires an irresistible young woman, Chloe, to test his fidelity. Chloe's torrid tales of her encounters take Catherine on a journey of sexual and sensual re-discovery which soon puts her family in great danger.

Analysis: Art house darling Egoyan ("Adoration," "Where the Truth Lies", "Ararat") returns with this erotic thriller that is apparently quite explicit, no surprise considering the helmer didn't write this film for a change but rather used a script by Erin Cressida Wilson ("Secretary").
The promise of nudity, eroticism and lesbianism on the part of Seyfried and Moore should definitely pull in the punters, but hopefully they'll walk out thinking about more.
Greenberg Opens: March 12th 2010
Cast: Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig, Rhys Ifans, Mark Duplass, Brie Larson
Director: Noah Baumbach

Summary: At a crossroads in his life, Roger Greenberg ends up housesitting at his brother's home in Los Angeles. There, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with his brother's assistant which leads to an uncertain and wonderfully vulnerable courtship.

Analysis: With work that includes penning the scripts for "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and "The Life Acquatic", along with writing and directing the acclaimed "The Squid and the Whale" and "Margot at the Wedding", Noah Baumbach is seen by high-brow cinemagoers as amongst the strongest filmmaking talents working today.
The likes of Maggie Gyllenhaal, Amy Adams and Mark Ruffalo were considered for key roles in the drama/comedy which is getting its premiere at Sundance in January. Should it go well, distributor Focus Features will likely push this one out with some strong promotion despite Baumbach's films never proving box-office draws beyond a very small fanbase.
The Crazies Opens: February 26th 2010
Cast: Timothy Olyphant, Danielle Panabaker, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson
Director: Breck Eisner

Summary: A remake of George A. Romero's 1973 film of the same name. The story revolves around the inhabitants of a small Kansas town who are beset by death and insanity after a plane crash lets loose a secret biological weapon into the water supply.

Analysis: The recent rash of horror remakes have generally been rather poor, though one notable exception was Zack Snyder's impressive retooling of Romero's "Dawn of the Dead".
Source: www.darkhorizons.com

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Blue Valentine and Valentine's Day

"Michelle Williams and Matilda escaped the big snowstorm in NYC this weekend and instead were spotted in Hawaii enjoying a much more tropical climate. The girls' perfectly timed getaway meant bathing suits and sunshine instead of snow boots and warm coats. Michelle tried out stand up paddle surfing in her cute bikini. This upcoming award season will be a quiet one for Michelle since Shutter Island was pushed to next year, but she is supposedly mulling a possible turn playing Marilyn Monroe, which could mean another busy red carpet schedule. For now, however, it's all about relaxation with her number one girl, Matilda".
Source: www.popsugar.com

Blue Valentine Opens: 2010
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, Mike Vogel, John Doman
Director: Derek Cianfrance

Summary: "A couple who have been together for several years have hit an impasse in their relationship. She has blossomed into a woman with opportunities and options, he is the same person he was when they met and is unable to accept the situation.

Analysis: One of the higher profile films to be screened at Sundance in a few weeks, Derek Cianfrance ("Brother Tied", "Meet the Lucky Ones") wrote and directed the project which has the same producers of "Half Nelson" who won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2006.
It also marks the welcome return of Gosling, one of the young Hollywood stars of real striking talent who last appeared onscreen in 2007's "Lars and the Real Girl". After a famous fall out with Peter Jackson over "The Lovely Bones", Gosling shot this and the mystery drama "All Good Things" in which he co-stars with Kirsten Dunst, but that film is now apparently going direct-to-DVD which leaves this as quite literally the sole theatrical film on his schedule (he hasn't signed on for anything after this)".
Source: www.darkhorizons.com

"Garry Marshall's romantic comedy Valentine's Day is fast becoming one of the most star-studded movies of all time, with Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah joining the cast.Bradley Cooper, Julia Roberts and Patrick Dempsey will star in the film, which focuses on five Los Angeles-based stories that intersect on Valentine’s Day.

Foxx will play a sports reporter and Latifah will portray an agent for Dempsey's Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Jennifer Garner and Jessica Biel in "Valentine's Day" (2010).

Roberts' niece Emma also has a role in the film, as do Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Garner and Ashton Kutcher".
Source: www.imdb.com

Jake Gyllenhaal is impressive in "Brothers"

Jake Gyllenhaal at 'Brothers' Press Conference, on 3rd December, 2009, in Los Angeles. Pictures courtesy of Iheartjakemedia.com

Big Movie Premiere hangs with BROTHERS star Jake Gyllenhaal, who talks about the movie's themes of redemption and loss. See what Jake had to say about working with co-stars Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman.

Tobey Maguire went to a children's holiday party with daughter Ruby, 3, in Santa Monica on Thursday.

"The performances are, for the most part, quite good. Portman’s delicate, fragile work is the standout—she captures a woman doing her best to be strong, but perpetually fighting off tears, choosing not to let them go. It’s a beautifully constructed, deeply felt performance, and watching it causes one to seriously question the sanity of Slate’s Dana Stevens, whose stunningly wrong-headed review is basically a drive-by shooting of the actress (let us never forget, when considering Stevens’ thoughts on the current cinema, that she wrote City of Angels and For Love of the Game). Gyllenhaal is similarly impressive; his is a tricky performance that keeps a lot of things hidden, from his raffish sense of humor to his quiet, bitter anger, and then gradually reveals them". Source: www.jason-bailey.com
Prince of Persia : The Sands of Time - Making of.

New promotional still of Jake Gyllenhaal as Dastan in "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time".

"According to director Jerry Bruckheimer, Jake worked out so hard for his role in the upcoming flick, his admirers will be stunned by the Brokeback Mountain star’s sexy physique.

“Jake really worked hard for this role,” says Jerry. “He worked for months before the movie. He trained every single day, he rode bikes, he lifted weights, he had a very specific diet. He couldn’t eat any fats.

It was really a lot of protein, and all during filming he was working out. In one hundred and twenty degree heat. People saw him after a long day, at seven at night, taking a jog. He kept it up through the whole thing, both here and in Morocco.

Women should be very pleased!”
Source: www.showbizspy.com

Ones To Watch: Carey Mulligan video


Which actor does she consider "a brother?" And what did
Oliver Stone tell Shia LaBeouf on the set of "Wall Street 2?"
"An Education's" Carey Mulligan tells all.

Monday, December 21, 2009

EW's Best Movies of the Decade

10. ALMOST FAMOUS (2000)
Every Cameron Crowe film is, in one way or another, about romance, rock & roll, and his romance with rock & roll. This power ballad of a movie also happens to be Crowe's greatest (and most personal) film thanks to the golden gods of Stillwater and their biggest fan, Kate Hudson's incomparable Penny Lane.
9. LOST IN TRANSLATION (2003)
Six years later, we still have no clue what Bill Murray whispered into Scarlett Johansson's ear. And we don't want to. Why spoil a perfect film?
4. THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)
Every great hero needs a great villain. And Christian Bale's Batman found his in Heath Ledger's demented dervish, the Joker.
2. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005)
Everyone called it ''The Gay Cowboy Movie.'' Until they saw it. In the end, Ang Lee's love story wasn't gay or straight, just human.
Source: www.ew.com

"Brothers": emphasis on Jake Gyllenhaal


Gemma Arterton with Jake Gyllenhaal in Dastan: Yahoo! Behind the Scenes "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" (2010).
Gemma Arterton in "Pirate Radio - The boat that rocked" (2009)

10. Pirate Radio (The Boat that Rocked in the UK)
– I love Richard Curtis. There's the opening sequence set to The Kinks’ All Day and All of the Night. The wedding sequence set to The Turtles’ Elenore. Young Carl’s sad sequence set to Leonard Cohen’s So Long Marianne. Those 3 scenes alone might be enough to put the movie on this list. Britain in the 60s has never been more warm, loving and inviting.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Sam Shephard in "Brothers" (2009).

3. Brothers – A great drama in a year of very few dramas. The best acted film of the year, with particular emphasis on Jake Gyllenhaal who is becoming one of the finest actors we have. Three fascinating characters, great dialogue, tasteful restraint, and enormous power. Overlooked and underrated.
1. Inglourious Basterds – I’ve written a lot about this one. It’s special in a time where a lot of movies aren’t. A World War II Nazi thriller comedy is the best movie of the year. I have never nor will probably ever see another movie like it. I have to mention Christoph Waltz again as the Jew Hunter Col. Hans Landa. It’s a legendary character and performance written with such joy by Quentin Tarantino. He wrote the best screenplay of the year.
Source: rolandchang.blogspot.com

"Jake Gyllenhaal in my opinion is a very underrated actor who usually gives really good performances even if the movie isn’t that great. He continues the trend of delivering on the screen with this role. The whole cast seemed to gel really good on the screen and Jake and Tobey showed a lot of emotion and rivalry that you feel in real brotherhood". Source: www.moviefilmreview.com


Scene from "Brothers" in the kitchen, with Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman and Sam Shepard.