Director Kathryn Bigelow has a short but consistent resume of sly action films featuring strongly developed male characters. K-9: The Widowmaker, Strange Days and the oft spoofed Point Break handled topics like loss, aggression and bravery while also touching on the role male bonds play in these issues. Her newest follows in this tradition but in place of locales like Los Angeles or Venice Beach, our leads are located in a war-zone. The Hurt Locker stars Jeremy Renner as James, the impetuous but expert team leader of an elite, voluntary squad who disarm homemade bombs in domestic Iraq.
Read moreMuch has changed in the world of poker since Steve McQueen famously sat down at a card table to play Edward G. Robinson in The Cincinnati Kid. Long ago poker was an activity relegated to smoke-filled rooms in locales with questionable morality, but the game has since crossed over into the mainstream in a big way. The story of how poker became even more popular is practically the stuff of legend. In 2003, an accountant named Chris Moneymaker forked over $39 to play in an online poker tournament, which he won. The prize was free admission to The World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Moneymaker then won that event and the $2.5 million prize that came with it.
Read moreThe characters in the hit R-rated comedy The Hangover can’t recall what they did the night before, but Hollywood will surely remember the raunchy comedy as the season’s sleeper smash. It would appear to defy demographic logic to release an R-rated movie during the summer, a time when movie-loving teens and families are swarming theaters. But R-rated comedies are the newest summer staple, from Wedding Crashers in 2005 to 2007’s Superbad. Universal is set to test the wisdom behind releasing R-rated movies in the sweltering summer months.
Read moreHollywood could be rocked this summer by the merger of two major film studios. Forbes.com reported this week that Paramount is considering a plan to merge with Sony Pictures, Universal or perhaps another studio. The impact on the industry would be significant, but it also could open some intriguing options for a business obsessed with franchises. If other studios were to follow suit, even the stodgiest sequels could get a boost by cross pollinating with other, equally successful movie properties. Just think of the possibilities …
Read moreAs if the big screen adventures of G.I. Joe and his elite team of soldiers wasn’t drama enough, a behind-the-lens power struggle between the studio and the film’s director that could scuttle its box office potential may be happening. Then again, it may not. This is Hollywood and rumors are as common as sunny days and in the end, nothing matters except bodies in theater seats on opening weekend, which isn’t until August 7. Rumors began to hit the Internet last week that the film’s director, Stephen Sommers, had been fired after a test screening of G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra resulted in the lowest test scores in the history of Paramount Pictures.
Read moreOscar winner Walter Matthau might have a tough time getting lead roles if he were working in today's Hollywood. It has nothing to do with his singular talent. Matthau’s hangdog visage might not pass muster in an age where movie stars look like Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Zac Efron. The new remake of Matthau’s classic urban thriller The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 casts former Sexiest Man Alive, Denzel Washington, in the role Matthau made famous. It isn’t an accident. Few of today’s biggest stars look like the guy or gal one might find sitting next to them on a subway.
Read moreWill Ferrell got transported to an unfamiliar Land last weekend, a place where his movies can only climb to number three on the box office charts. Is Ferrell Lost, or is his latest comedy clunker merely a blip on an otherwise stellar movie career? An informal poll on PopEater.com after the release of Land of the Lost asked “Is Will Ferrell in a slump?” The answer? A hefty 68 percent of the 1,274 responders said, “yes.” Ferrell’s recent box office track record reveals some mixed messages. Last year, moviegoers flocked to see Ferrell re-team with his Talladega Nights chum John C.
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