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Josh Brolin as George W Bush

May 9th, 2008 · No Comments

Shooting is about to begin on W., Oliver Stone’s upcoming biopic of George W. Bush, with Josh Brolin playing the 43rd president of the United States.

EW has a cover story on the film, with the first photos of Brolin as Bush and an interview with Stone.

Stone promises it will be a ‘fair’ portrait of the president:

I think history is going to be very tough on him. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t a great story.

It’s almost Capra-esque, the story of a guy who had very limited talents in life, except for the ability to sell himself.

The fact that he had to overcome the shadow of his father and the weight of his family name — you have to admire his tenacity. There’s almost an Andy Griffith quality to him, from A Face in the Crowd.

If Fitzgerald were alive today, he might be writing about him. He’s sort of a reverse Gatsby.

He also recalls meeting Bush at a Republican breakfast in 1998 when he was Governor of Texas:

I don’t usually go to breakfast with anybody, but I wanted to prove that even though people thought I was a leftist I wanted to hear what they had to say.

It was funny, though — the minute I walked in the room the sound of the silverware kind of died. People were like, ‘What’s he doing here? Satan has walked in.

But I met George Bush and I remember thinking that this man was going to be president. There was just a confidence and enthusiasm I’d never seen in a candidate before, especially in a Republican.

Here is a comparison of the real Bush and the Brolin version:

What do you think?

> Read the full story at EW
> Entries for W. and Oliver Stone at the IMDb
> Find out more about George W. Bush at Wikipedia

→ No CommentsTags: Images · In Production · News

The Cinema Review: Speed Racer / Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? / Doomsday

May 9th, 2008 · No Comments

This week we review Speed Racer, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden and Doomsday.

Listen to the review podcast here:

Download and subscribe to the review podcast via iTunes by clicking here.

> Download this review podcast as an MP3 file
> Get local show times for your area via Google Movies
> Check out other reviews for these films at Metacritic

→ No CommentsTags: Cinema · Podcast · Reviews

Interview: Neil Marshall on Doomsday

May 9th, 2008 · No Comments

Director Neil Marshall was the man behind such horror films as Dog Soldiers (2002) and The Descent (2005) and he now returns with post-apocalyptic thriller Doomsday.

I spoke to him recently about his new film, his favourite font, the state of the horror movie, filming in South Africa and a few other things besides.

Listen to the interview here:

Download it as a podcast via iTunes by clicking here

> Download this interview as an MP3
> Official site for Doomsday
> Neil Marshall at the IMDb

Doomsday is out at UK cinemas from today

[Image courtesy of Universal / Rogue Pictures © 2007]

→ No CommentsTags: Cinema · Interviews · Podcast

Warner Bros to close Warner Independent and Picturehouse

May 8th, 2008 · No Comments

Variety are reporting that Warner Bros are closing down their two specialty divisions, Warner Independent Pictures and Picturehouse.

Dade Hayes and Dave McNary report:

Warner Bros. has discovered a way to deal with the specialty film business — it’s staying away from it.

In a move that reflects the massive pressures to cut costs., Warner Bros. has decided to shutter both Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures. The closings - which caught Hollywood off guard — will eliminate more than 70 slots.

Announcement came late Thursday morning from Alan Horn, Warner’s president and chief operating officer, who pointed to the recent move to fold in New Line to Warner Bros. More than 500 New Line jobs have been cut as a result.

“With New Line now a key part of Warner Bros., we’re able to handle films across the entire spectrum of genres and budgets without overlapping production, marketing and distribution infrastructures,” he said.

“After much painstaking analysis, this was a difficult decision to make, but it reflects the reality of a changing marketplace and our need to prudently run our businesses with increased efficiencies.”

Horn told Daily Variety that the decision - made in conjunction with Warner topper Barry Meyer - was “wrenching” from the standpoint of its impact on pink-slipped employees.

But he emphasized that it made no sense for Warner Bros. to continue funding marketing and distribution infrastructures at Picturehouse and WIP - particularly since Warner has expanded its capacity to handle films by absorbing New Line’s marketing-distribution operations.

So the big question is will Warner Bros bother with the kinds of movies WiP and Picturehouse produced and/or distributed? Key quote here:

Horn cited the fact that 600 pics get released annually as having made the specialty biz less attractive financially in recent year.

He also said that such pics have becomce more likely to screen at multiplexes rather than art-hosue venues and expresssed confidence in Warner’s distribution side to ensure that smaller films receive the proper handling.

Well, the answer would appear to be ‘no, not really’.

Warner Bros were the last major to get into the specialty business and they never appeared as comfortable with supporting a dependant in the way Disney were with Miramax, Paramount were with Paramount Vantage, or Universal were with Focus Features.

Depsite that both WiP and Piturehouse have put out some very distinctive and interesting films such as Before Sunset, A Very Long Engagement, Good Night, and Good Luck, Paradise Now, The Painted Veil, In the Valley of Elah, Funny Games US, Pan’s Labyrinth and La Vie En Rose - the last two of which were Oscar winning arthouse hits.

So the legacy of both companies is short and sad, but by no means unimportant.

I’m sure the accountants at Burbank have run the numbers and - with difficult economic times ahead - concluded that the best way to save money was to close both divisions and maybe use a reduced New Line to pick up some of the slack.

This is a sad day for all those left jobless, but also a bad day for anyone who thinks that quality, award-friendly filmmaking can exist in the same corporate structure as tentpole blockbusters.

> The full story in Variety
> S.T. Van Airsdale at Defamer with a prescient post last week about the closures
> Check out the notable films produced and distributed by WiP and Picturehouse over at Wikipedia

→ No CommentsTags: News

Orson Welles roasts Dean Martin

May 7th, 2008 · No Comments

Here is Orson Welles roasting Dean Martin back in 1977, after he himself has been introduced by Don Rickles:

> The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast at the IMDb
> More on Orson Welles at Wikipedia
> The infamous Orson Welles peas commercial

→ No CommentsTags: Amusing