Check out the latest images from Silver Linings Playbook, the upcoming drama from director David O. Russell starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Chris Tucker, and Julia Stiles.
Silver Linings Playbook opens November 21.
It looks like Kingdom Hearts II is set to join the first game in getting an HD remake, if comments from the game's director are to be believed.
In an interview with Famitsu (via Gematsu), Tetsuya Nomura strongly suggested that an HD remake would be announced following the decision to re-release the first game with supped-up graphics as Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix.
When asked, "Is there gonna be a high-definition version of Kingdom Hearts II later?" he responded with a wry smile and the words, "It’d be unusual if there wasn’t."
The original Kingdom Hearts released back in 2002, with the sequel following four years later in 2006. There's been no confirmation as yet regarding the HD remake of the original game coming West, but rumours surfaced last week that suggested an announcement on that front could be imminent.
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Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe may play the monster in Sherlock director Paul McGuigan's revisionist Frankenstein movie.
TheWrap claims Radcliffe is interested in playing the role of "Hunchback" in the Fox-based project scripted by Chronicle's Max Landis. Hunchback? No, this film apparently isn't some kind of a Mary Shelley/Victor Hugo mashup.
The site says this version of Frankenstein "puts a sci-fi take on this classic story about a creature produced through a scientific experiment. Hunchback is described as pathologically dirty and dressed in old clowns clothing."
"Serious talks" with potential actors will begin once the script is finalized.
Action star Dwayne Johnson will team with Men in Black series director Barry Sonnenfeld for Lore, based on the IDW comic book series.
Deadline describes the Warner Bros./Mad Chance movie as similar in tone to the MiB films, so it makes sense for the studio to tap the director behind that franchise.
Cory Goodman and Jeremy Lott penned the screenplay for Lore, which has been in development since 2010.
In the comics, Lore is set in a world where creatures from myth are real, but have been banished and kept at bay by a secret society called Shepherds. The story centers on Jennifer Bradley, who is trying to uncover the truth behind her father's mysterious death even as she and the rest of humanity are threatened by the return of these beasts.
The Dark Knight Rises' Tom Hardy is in early talks to star in director Doug Liman's period adventure film Everest for Sony Pictures.
Deadline reports that the actor would play George Mallory, the 1920s climber who tried three times to scale the world's highest mountain. After disappearing on his third attempt, it is still unknown whether or not Mallory ever reached the top.
The film was adapted by Up in the Air scribe Sheldon Turner from Jeffrey Archer's book Paths of Glory.
Liman will direct Everest once he's completed shooting Tom Cruise's All You Need is Kill for Warner Bros.
Zombieland and Gangster Squad director Ruben Fleischer will direct and exec produce Warner Bros.' film version of the classic Midway video game Spy Hunter.
The news comes as WB Interactive recently announced that Spy Hunter will hit PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS on October 9th.
Vulture reminds us that the project has been set-up at Warners since 2010 where Chad St. John had been hired to script an adaptation of Spy Hunter for producers Dan Lin and Roy Lee.
Spy Hunter languished in development hell for years when it was at Universal, where directors such as Paul W.S. Anderson and John Woo were involved at different points and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was attached to star.
The classic arcade driving game follows super-spy Alex Decker who, in his tricked-out G-6155 CIA Prototype Interceptor, must hunt down rogue agents and destroy as many enemy vehicles as possible while avoiding civilian casualties.
Coming off her recent success with The Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence has returned to the big screen for director Mark Tonderai's House at the End of the Street. From the very first few minutes of the film, it's clear that the young actress still has the charisma and acting chops to pull off the heart-melting whimsy of a troubled teenager. But is it enough to ignite this seemingly pedestrian slasher flick?
The story centers on Elissa (Lawrence) and her mother Sarah (Elisabeth Shue), who move to a small, upscale town in search of a fresh start. But before they've even finished unpacking, Elissa and Sarah learn the horrifying secret behind the house next door. Years earlier, a daughter killed both of her parents in the night and disappeared, leaving only her brother Ryan (Max Thieriot) as the sole survivor. Against Sarah's wishes, Elissa begins developing a friendship with Ryan, who seems to be keeping a few secrets of his own.
Obviously, the biggest selling point here is Jennifer Lawrence, and her performance is sweet and genuine; she does a great job of evoking the naivete of a rebellious daughter. Unfortunately, not even the talented Lawrence -- bless her -- can elevate this uninspired material (despite her perpetually glistening skin and flimsy white tank top). Whatever merit there is in the acting is more or less undone by the contrived and predictable storytelling.
To its credit, the film does have one decent twist that some viewers may find surprising, although a seasoned moviegoer will likely see it coming. Even the first 45 minutes or so are actually pretty decent. Elissa and Sarah share some nice scenes together early on, and the budding romance between Elissa and Ryan has its occasional sincere moments. The narrative isn't hopeless by any stretch, but its characters eventually become so stupid that you'll soon be whispering things like, "God, turn around!" or, "Seriously, don't open that door," and finally, "Ugh, you deserve to die!" As the film nears its end, you'll wonder how Elissa managed to survive the move-in, let alone how she might escape the ploys of a violent psychopath.
House at the End of the Street isn't a poorly structured film, but its bush-league scares are few and far between. Moreover, the actual dramatic aspects of the story never really culminate in anything meaningful. In fact, the more we see of the characters, the less invested we become. The initial complexity and intrigue behind Elissa and Sarah's relationship is slowly worn away until you forget why you even cared in the first place. It's unfortunate, too, because Lawrence and Shue have a pretty good chemistry together. On the plus side, in terms of story the ending isn't a total "screw you" to the audience, and there is at least some sense of closure for the characters.
At the end of the day, Tonderai's entry-level thriller isn't the worst horror film to come out in recent memory, but it's certainly nothing you haven't seen before. The movie plays on every cheap cliché and common-sense failure you can think of, and the presentation clues you into most of the surprises before they happen. Having said that, if you're a huge Jennifer Lawrence fan, I wouldn't blame you for checking it out -- she's still as endearing and sexy as ever -- but I'd suggest waiting until another one of her many other projects hits theaters before dropping coin here. (I hear Silver Linings Playbook is supposed to be pretty good.)
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Although Jennifer Lawrence delivers a solid performance, House at the End of the Street's amateur screenplay and transparent direction fail to keep up.
Lionsgate is collecting 8 films from writer/director Quentin Tarantino in one awesome 10-disc Blu-ray set, out November 20, 2012. According to the press release, this collection was put together "to illustrate the first 20 years of his career, featuring the films that helped define his early success."
Here's a look at the disc's slick artwork, created by MONDO:
Below is a breakdown of the included films and their respective bonus features.
BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES – 2 Discs:
RESERVOIR DOGS
Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut, nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival (1992) and awarded the International Critics Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (1992), is raw, violent and unforgettable. Four perfect strangers are assembled to pull off the perfect crime, but when a botched robbery reveals a police informant among them, their simple robbery explodes into a bloody ambush.
Blu-ray Special Features:
TRUE ROMANCE - DIRECTOR’S CUT
Runaway lovers Clarence and Alabama (Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette) play a dangerous game with a stolen suitcase containing $5 million worth of cocaine. They head for Los Angeles, where they'll sell the goods and begin a new life, but both sides of the law have other ideas. This dark comic web of crime, murder and mayhem from writer Quentin Tarantino and director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Spy Game), features an ensemble cast including Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini and Christopher Walken.
Blu-ray Special Features:
PULP FICTION
Pulp Fiction has been hailed by critics and audiences worldwide as a film that redefined cinema. A burger-loving hit man (John Travolta), his philosophical partner (Samuel L. Jackson), a drug-addled gangster's moll (Uma Thurman) and a washed-up boxer (Bruce Willis) converge in four tales of violence and redemption. The film was honored with an Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay (1994) and earned seven total nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It has also been listed as one of the best films of all-time by Time and Entertainment Weekly.
Blu-ray Special Features:
JACKIE BROWN
Quentin Tarantino’s acclaimed adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch follows a cash-smuggling flight attendant (Pam Grier) who is busted by an ATF agent (Michael Keaton) and a cop (Michael Bowen). When pressured to help with their investigation, she agrees to do one last run for a ruthless arms dealer (Samuel L. Jackson). Mistrust and suspicions arise when Jackie plays the opposing forces against each other in an effort to walk away with the dough. Robert Forster earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar® nomination for his role as Max Cherry, a bail bondsman who falls for Jackie and becomes embroiled in the scheme.
Blu-ray Special Features:
KILL BILL VOL. 1
In the first volume of this gritty revenge saga, an assassin (Uma Thurman) is shot at the altar by her ruthless employer, Bill (David Carradine), and other members of his Deadly Vipers Assassination Squad. In this epic tale of survival The Bride sets out to bring justice to all those who wronged her, including a reformed suburban mother (Vivica A. Fox) and the Japanese Yakuza crime-lord (Lucy Liu).
Blu-ray Special Features:
KILL BILL VOL. 2
The murderous Bride (Uma Thurman) mercilessly continues her vengeance quest against her ex-boss, Bill (David Carradine), and his two remaining associates: Bill’s degenerate younger brother (Michael Madsen) and a vicious one-eyed swordswoman (Daryl Hannah).
Blu-ray Special Features:
DEATH PROOF
Kurt Russell stars as a tough-talking, psychotic serial murderer who transforms his stunt car into an indestructible killing machine, then climbs behind the wheel to stalk and terrorize a group of women on the road. What he doesn’t realize is that he’s picked the wrong babes to mess with.
Blu-ray Special Features:
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
A Jewish cinema owner in Nazi-occupied Paris is forced to host a movie premiere for the Third Reich, where a radical group of American soldiers, The Basterds, led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), plan to roll out a score-settling scheme. The film was honored with an Academy Award®for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (2009, Christoph Waltz) and earned seven total nominations, including Best Motion Picture of the Year for Lawrence Bender and Best Writing, Original Screenplay for Quentin Tarantino.
Blu-ray Special Features:
Sadly, the set does not include Four Rooms, or the unrated version of Kill Bill Vol. 1. Still, this is a pretty awesome collection of titles. Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection will be available for the suggested retail price of $119.99. We'll update with Amazon pre-order info as soon as it's available. Stay tuned!
"Don't be tellin' me about foot massages. I'm the foot f***in' master." Become a friend of R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook or MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will bring director Akiva Schaffer's latest comedy, The Watch, to Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download November 13, 2012. The sci-fi comedy, formerly titled Neighborhood Watch, stars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Richard Ayoade.
Despite the star power and 'Burbs-like vibe, the film didn't quite catch much love from critics (read our review here), nor did it find much of an audience during its theatrical run. The Watch grossed a mere $34 million in the U.S., with a worldwide total of just $47 million.
The Watch Blu-ray will feature a 1080p transfer with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The DVD will boast an anamorphic widescreen transfer with 5.1 Dolby Digital audio. Extras include the following:
Suggested retail for The Watch is set at $39.99 for the Blu-ray, and $29.98 for the DVD. The title is available to pre-order on Amazon. The Blu-ray is currently listed for $35.99. The DVD is listed at $26.98.
Be on the lookout for more news regarding The Watch, and be sure to check back for a review of the disc this November. In the meantime, be sure to check out this interview with the cast:
"Enough! You are, all of you, beneath me! I am a god, you dull creature, and I shall not be bullied..." Become a friend of R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook or MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!
Check out this preview of the new trailer for director Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. The trailer will debut during a Google+ Hangout on Thursday, September 13, 2012, at 4 p.m. PT, followed by a live chat with Spielberg and Lincoln cast member Joseph Gordon-Levitt:
Lincoln stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook and Tommy Lee Jones. The movie opens in limited release November 9 and then expands into theaters November 16.
