If you’re wondering what’s been happening to uber director Steven Spielberg (who hasn’t been seen since Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull), wonder no more. He has finally finished filming his new film, which is the big screen adaptation of the well loved French comic strip Tintin.
The new movie, officially entitled The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of The Unicorn was shot using techniques and technology that was used in James Cameron’s Avatar.
Spielberg reportedly used performance capture techniques so that he could get as close to Herge’s vision for Tintin. Spielberg thought that a live action movie will be too stylized for the audience, what with the unique costumes. By going digital, he said it fits better with the whole look of the movie.
The motion capture stage that they used for making the movie allowed Spielberg to watch his actors in real time, but using a screen that showed them already within the digital world created.
The movie will star Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig, Andy Serkis, and Simon Pegg, among others. It will be released on December 23, 2011.
American Pie to get a reboot?
When I read about this bit of entertainment news I suddenly realized how fast time flies.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Universal Pictures has plans to reboot the American Pie franchise. It’s surprising to realize that the first American Pie movie was released way back in 1999. The third movie, American Wedding, hit theaters in 2003. After this third movie, a number of direct to video movies carrying the “American Pie Presents…” banner came out to varying degrees of success in terms of delivering the laughs.
Some of the original American Pie cast are reportedly interesting in coming back for the reboot but everything’s still up in the air. I’m pretty sure though that Alyson Hannigan is not going to come back. With her tremendous success with How I Met Your Mother, there’s really no need for her to go back and try to milk a little more media mileage.
Madonna to direct biopic
Madonna may still be churning out the hits but she has ceased to become a relevant music artist. I think Madonna knows it too that’s why she’s slowly branching out to other fields. She’s designing clothes, writing children’s books and in a few months, will start dabbling in film. No, it’s not going to be a return to her consistently disastrous meddling with acting. This time, Madge is going for the director’s chair.
Her marriage to Guy Ritchie probably made Madonna think that she can direct a movie too. According to Variety, Madonna is going to direct W.E., a biopic that will revolve around the affair between King Edward VIII and the American widow Wallis Simpson.
Up in The Air’s Vera Farmiga is in talks to play Simpson’s role. The actor who will play the part of King Edward is yet to be determined.
King Edward and Wallis Simpson’s affair caused quite a stir in the 1930s, and many consider it a great love story for a king to step down from his throne in order to marry the woman he loves.
Aside from directing, Madonna will also write the script Alex Keshishian.
Meet the Morgans
He was cute the first time.
Hugh Grant’s stammer had a clumsy kind of charm that worked in “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and, to some degree, “Notting Hill.” (We also concede that “About a Boy” was surprisingly entertaining, but it just fell flat at “Music and Lyrics” and “Two Weeks Notice”).
But the lameness factor just hit rock bottom with his latest movie, “Did you Hear about the Morgans?” He teams up with Sarah Jessica Parker, to deliver a totally forgettable romantic comedy that makes you want to say, “No I haven’t heard about the Morgans– and they’re not worth hearing about.”
Hugh once again dons that pained expression, as he plays Paul Morgan, whose marriage to Meryl (Parker) is on the rocks after his recent infidelity. He tries to win her back. She isn’t interested. And actually the whole audience why they’re together at all, because the two have no chemistry on-screen.
Their marriage is saved by, of all things, a murder. They both witness it, and they are sent by the FBI to a rural town that’s worlds away from their Manhattan lifestyle.
Hugh’s saving grace is his ability to give great one-liners, which periodically break the monotony of the movie. Unfortunately the good ones are too few and far between… just like Hugh’s movie career.
Don’t overcomplicate it
Nobody should go into the movie “It’s Complicated” (starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin) with high expectations. It’s a love story, really – the kind you watch when you want something light and easily digested and a little entertaining. It’s the film equivalent of a hotdog on a bun: a nice snack, but can get sloppy in parts.
The movie tackles the love story of a divorced couple who are friendly but get, uhm, a little too close during their child’s college graduation party. After way too many drinks they end up sleeping together (talk about a different kind of family reunion!).
It throws Jane (Meryl Streep) off balance. She’s finally over her ex, who cheated on her and impregnated his mistress (and later married her). Finally, her life’s going great — new business, more confidence, and a “kinda-sorta” dating thing going with her architect, played by Steve Martin.So, now… “it’s complicated.”
Common sense is to stay away from her ex, but no — they keep having sex (and a little marijuana). And so follows a comedy of errors, which will entertain you. What do you expect from a movie with Steve Martin and The Office’s John Krasinski? Just don’t over analyze it, which sadly, Meryl Streep sometimes does. Laugh, and pass the popcorn.