Posts Tagged ‘George Clooney’

  • 03 Nov

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    So Called “Oscar Season” at The End of a Decade

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    Well, it’s here: not just the final two months of 2009, but the end of another decade. Not that these films are necessarily Oscar contenders, but November and December are notorious for launching all the high profile, “good” movies of the year. While we’ve seen some great stuff over the past 10 months, here is a smattering of pictures being released wide in the final two months of the decade that we’re really looking forward to and anticipate much critical love for; including making several top ten lists. Sure there are more than just these titles that are anticipated, and we’d love you to mention them in the comment section, but there are enough here to keep you busy and these are probably the “must sees” for these final 60 days of the year…


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    NOVEMBER:

    antichrist_poster02Anti-Christ
    Lars Von Trier
    RowThree review
    Trailer
    The more I think about this film and the more times I see the trailer the more and more I absolutely love it and little by little it keeps climbing notches on my ten best of the year list. If Charlotte Gainsbourg isn’t nominated for a best actress statue then there is positively no justice in the world. Obviously not for everyone as the film is fantastically brutal and psychologically traumatic. But it is also gorgeous in every way a film can be gorgeous before punching you in the face with tennis racket made of lead.

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 30 Oct

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    Bookmarks for October 30th

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    What we’ve been reading – October 30th:

    • Doc Films and Social Impact: Outreach, Outreach, Outreach
      In a 2007 study titled Documentaries on a Mission, scholar Matt Nisbet suggests that the bulk of the documentary audiences are “the choir,” a group of people watching films that cater to their “pre-existing social views.” He offers that one way a film can get beyond the choir and on the public agenda is by providing a news hook: “Documentary films…have a strong influence as media agenda-setters. Films provide dramatic ‘news pegs’ for journalists seeking to either sustain or generate new coverage of an issue.”
    • How Mr Fox saved Wes Anderson
      Though we don’t like to admit it, Anderson has been on a bit of a slide lately. Something artful and still auteur from the director yet aimed more at the masses is exactly what he needed.
    • George Miller Has Found His Max
      Tom Hardy is currently in negotiations to play “Mad” Max Rockatansky in Fury Road, the fourth film in the post-apocalyptic franchise.
    • Evil Dead coming back to theaters!
      Sam Raimi’s classic horror film “The Evil Dead” will be making its way back to theaters. It’s being re-released for a special run by Grindhouse Releasing, though no official dates have been given.
    • Give Me The Best Fictional Baseball Teams In Movie History!
      Confronted with the choice to root for the Yankees or the Phillies in this year’s World Series – or even the option to watch the action – I plan to opt for nearly anything else. I’m going to pop in a DVD and take in some of the great fictional baseball teams in movie history to forget about this season. Here are my picks…
    • Jackman ditches Oscars
      According to Variety, sources close to Jackman confirmed he turned the gig down in order to keep his mind on his current Broadway run then get his head back into movies for a while. He might host it again, but isn’t keen on doing it 2 years in a row.
    • Adorable But Horrible: 26 Cute Critters You’ll Want to Avoid
      Horror isn’t always slimy and grotesque; some of the most frightening monsters come in the cutest packages. We list the fluffy, wide-eyed, and downright adorable critters that want to scare you, eat you, or enslave you for all time.
  • 05 Oct

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    Cinecast Episode 139b – Til the Break of DAWN!

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    Episode 139b:
    The second part of episode 139 concentrates all of our remaining energy on recapping the ’09 TIFF experience. A top 5 list of sorts as well as a complete wrap-up and overview of the Midnight Madness programming from Colin Geddes. And yeah, we’re up til 4am… for YOU!

    Thanks for listening!

    Click the Audio Icon below to listen in:

    Standard Podcast [ 1:55:29 | 79.29 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup


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    To download the show directly, paste the following URL into your favorite downloader:
    http://www.rowthree.com/audio/cinecast_09/episode_139b.mp3

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  • 03 Oct

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    Cinecast Episode 139a – Really Weird Ties

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    Episode 139a:
    The most epic show in the history of the RowThree Cinecast. So epic in fact, that we decided to split it up into two parts. For this first installment, Matt Gamble is back in the fray and we review all manner of recent film including Soderbergh’s The Informant! and Vincenzo Natali’s Splice, Pandorum and The Baader Meinhoff COmplex – along with quite a few other bits of cinema we’ve seen in recent days. Slightly spirited discussion on the latest in the Roman Polanski drama/circus and of course weekly DVD picks. Enjoy and part B (an all TIFF re-cap) should be posted in the coming hours. Stay tuned and as always…

    Thanks for listening!

    Click the Audio Icon below to listen in:

    Standard Podcast [ 2:13:40 | 91.79 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup


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    To download the show directly, paste the following URL into your favorite downloader:
    http://www.rowthree.com/audio/cinecast_09/episode_139a.mp3

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  • 18 Sep

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    Cinecast Episode 138 – Not too TIFFicult

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    Episode 138:
    Kurt and Andrew finally face to face at the same table. We cover a lot of highlights from the Toronto International Film Festival but specifically the much anticipated John Hillcoat film, The Road and Werner Herzog’s whacky remake of Bad Lieutenant starring Nicolas Cage. Sleep deprived but hopped up on espresso and instant noodles, we forge on through the 4am hour.

    Enjoy and thanks for listening!

    Click the Audio Icon below to listen in:

    Cinecast Episode 138 [ 1:20:08 | 45.85 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup


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    To download the show directly, paste the following URL into your favorite downloader:
    http://www.rowthree.com/audio/cinecast_09/episode_138.mp3

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 15 Sep

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    TIFF 09 Review: Men Who Stare at Goats

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    Director: Grant Heslov
    Novel: Jon Ronson
    Screenplay: Peter Straughan
    Producers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Paul Lister
    Starring: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, J.K. Simmons, Robert Patrick, Stephen Root, Stephen Lang
    MPAA Rating: no info
    Running time: 90 min.

    With such an all-star cast as is on display in Men Who Stare at Goats, I had to admit a little trepidation here as this film came absolutely out of nowhere and the trailer wasn’t even released until about a week before Toronto Film Festival. “Where did this come from,” I thought. This just seems like the sort of project I should have heard about months ago. So I have to admit I wasn’t expecting much. Wow did we get just the opposite!

    The basic story is that Ewan McGregor plays journalist, Bob Wilton. Bob has a heartbreak. To ease his pain he’s itching to dive right into the suck and cover the war in Iraq. But with little experience or chutzpah, just getting in country proves more difficult than he first imagined. But through a series of local interviews he learns of a secret sect of the military focusing on psychological warfare. Running with this story, he soon fortuitously joins up with Lyn Cassady (Clooney), an ex-army man that is part of this secret branch of the military. Cassady claims to have secret powers and that the military is training all manner of more super agents (with invisibility, telekinesis, levitation, etc.). With Cassady at his side, the two embark on a hilarious mission of ultra importance. Though neither we, nor Bob, ever really find out what that mission is.
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  • 09 Sep

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    Up In the Air Promises to Be Great

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    UpInTheAirMovieStillI was impressed by the first clip from Jason Reitman’s Up In the Air. It suggested a fun film about a guy (Clooney) who lives out of his bag. A travelling salesman of a sort that, rather than selling, makes a living by firing people.

    The first teaser for the film has surfaced and it doesn’t simply suggest that this is something to watch out for, it squarely cements Reitman’s newest effort as a must watch. Perhaps the trailer is misleading (Thank You For Smoking had a fantastic trailer and though the film was good, it wasn’t great) but Clooney’s feel good speech accompanied by images from his life doesn’t necessarily say much about the story but it clearly outlines what we can expect: a smart, well written drama about a man putting his life in order.

    Up In the Air opens on December 4th.

    Teaser trailer is tucked under the seat!

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  • 08 Sep

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    First Look at Reitman’s Up in the Air

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    Up in the Air Movie StillOne of the films everyone seems to be talking about, namely because it appears as though no one managed to get a ticket to the screening, is Jason Retiman’s Juno follow up Up in the Air.

    The film stars George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing expert “whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.” The film also stars Jason Bateman, Vera Farmiga, Danny McBride and Anna Kendrick.

    We haven’t seen much of the film outside of the poster but TIFFInsider has uncovered the first clip from the film. It features Clooney and Farmiga in what appears to be airport lounge comparing hotel loyalty cards. It’s an amusing short clip which I hope is a good preview of the film.

    Up in the Air opens on December 4th.

    Clip tucked under the seat!

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 02 Sep

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    Bookmarks for September 1st through September 2nd

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    What we’ve been reading – September 1st through September 2nd:

    • IFC meet Criterion
      Several titles from the IFC Films library will be getting the full bells-and-whistles treatment on Blu-ray and DVD, thanks to a deal between IFC and top-shelf homevid distrib the Criterion Collection. Arnaud Desplechin's A Christmas Tale, Matteo Garrone's Gomorrah, Steven Soderbergh's Che, Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments, Olivier Assayas' Summer Hours, Abdellatif Kechiche's The Secret of the Grain, Steve McQueen's Hunger and Hirokazu Kore-Eda's Still Walking.
    • A Yiddish Glossary for A Serious Man
      In their latest film, A Serious Man, the Coens once again are steeping themselves in language. In this case, that language is Yiddish, as our hapless protagonist Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) looks to Judaism and the world of the synagogue in order to try and make sense of his rapidly unraveling life. To help viewers navigate this universe more easily, below we present a brief glossary of terms and phrases used in the movie, with contextual examples from the script to further help your understanding.
    • USA TODAY on Jason Reitman
      On THE AIR UP THERE, Jason Reitman saw parallels with his own past as a young commercial director, building up his own massive bank of frequent-flier miles as he journeyed to various locales. It can be a lonely life, but also invigorating.

  • 28 Aug

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    George Clooney: Jedi Warrior in The Men Who Stare at Goats Trailer

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    Men Who State At Goats Movie StillYou know the feeling of surprise when something comes so far out of left field to smack you in the middle of the forehead? I’ve just had that feeling.

    I’m not sure where this film announcement came from, how long this has been in production or how it managed to make the TIFF lists without my noticing but here we are about to take in the awesomeness.

    Based on Jon Ronson’s book, The Men Who Stare at Goats (greatest title of the year) stars Ewan McGregor as Bob, an investigative reporter. He’s trying to dig up some proof that the American Military is using soldiers with psychic abilities to fight without weapons. George Clooney is Lyn Cassady, one of these soldiers and apparently the best there is; a Jedi Warrior. During an interview, Cassady divulges that he has been “reactivated” and Bob decides to tag along into what turns into a series of unfortunate, yet hilarious, events. Along with McGregor and Clooney, the film also stars Kevin Spacey, J.K. Simmons and Jeff Bridges.

    This trailer is chalk full of WTF moments and hysterical laughter as Clooney looks attentively at a goat until it falls over dead. Yeah…

    The Men Who Stare at Goats will play TIFF before opening on November 6th.

    Trailer is tucked under the seat!

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 20 Jul

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    Cinecast Episode 131 – Visually Elegant

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    Episode 131:
    Back to our roots with a classic shoot the proverbial shit episode. Just Kurt and Andrew with a short review of a mediocre film and then our general rambling of this and that complete with a debate on Boyles and Fresnadillos. Have a ball. We did.

    Click the Audio Icon below to listen in:

    Cinecast Episode 131 [ 1:56:07 | 66.45 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup


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    To download the show directly, paste the following URL into your favorite downloader:
    http://rowthree.com/audio/cinecast_09/episode_131.mp3

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 19 May

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    Clooney Hides in Italy

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    Anton CorbijnIt’s safe to say that Anton Corbijn’s feature film debut was a smashing success and for good reason too: it was a great film. Corbijn moved from music videos and photography to the big screen with a gorgeous film that would easily have faltered but thanks to a keen eye and a great group of actors (none better than Sam Riley and Samantha Morton) Control managed to break the mold of piss poor biopics (few films in ‘type’ are worth their weight in gold) to attain something close to cinematic bliss. Corbijn’s been quiet since the film’s release two years ago but it looks like the wait for a follow up is nearly over.

    Out of Cannes comes news that Corbijn has signed on to direct the film adaptation of Martin Booth’s novel “A Very Private Gentleman.” It’s the story of an assassin who spends some time in an “idyllic Italian town” before his final assignment but rather than staying under wraps, he makes friends and falls in love and all hell breaks loose because of it. Sounds vaguely familiar… and starring as the assassin: none other than Mr. George Clooney.

    Movies about assassins hiding out in small towns aren’t really my cup of tea (with a few exceptions) but Clooney certainly helps sweeten this deal though I’ll happily admit that I was on board at Corbijn’s name (though this isn’t exactly what I’d expected from the director but I guess few have the will to say no to Clooney’s prowess).

    And for goodness sakes people, if you haven’t seen Control yet, what the hell are you waiting for?

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