Mulitple award winner Javier Bardem has signed to star as Roland Deschain in Hollywood hit machines, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, TotalFilm confirmed on Thursday.
Mr Bardem is the only confirmed actor for a huge project, even by Hollywood standards.
There will be a trilogy of films and three TV miniseries that are planned to follow each film.
The New York Post said: "Bardem has signed on to the first movie and the miniseries, but the intention is that he will star in all three movies and each of the TV series.
"It's an enormous deal for any actor, but Bardem was always the first choice."
The Dark Tower is one of Stephen King's most popular series, especially for people who moved away from his horror writing.
The story, which has been made into a graphic novel already, features "Gunslinger" Deschain on a journey to find the mythical Dark Tower as he tries to save civilisation. It is a very interesting tale and King even wrote himself into it.
Howard is set to direct and production should start later this year.
Alistair Anderson
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Musicians who act too
Pop stars have entered the film world with mixed results. Only some stuck to roles that are similar to their music careers. This has not necessarily led to good acting performances. Prince, pictured above, was decent in Purple Rain as a kid who wants to make it big in music, but he was terrible in Under the Cherry Moon.
Many pop stars enjoy performing, which may prompt them to try acting too as they can then express themselves through a different medium. They can also take on a second career and earn more money, if they wish. However, not every singer makes a good actor.
Rapper 50 Cent was awful in the movie, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. He plays a drug dealer with hip hop dreams. He's a walking stereotype and we don't care about him. He wastes our time; that's all.
Eminem did a much better job with 8 Mile. Yes, he plays himself but the film is well-directed and entertaining. It has humour and cool rap battles. Eminem is a man possessed when he's rapping in the film, kudos to him. The soundtrack was good too.
Music folks can also do comedy, sometimes. Snoop Dogg captured the character of Huggy Bear brilliantly in the Starsky and Hutch remake. Yet, Steve Tyler and Christina Milian were part of the big pile of swamp turd that was Be Cool. This film is a shoddy sequel to the clever Get Shorty.
Singers and rock stars do not have to megalomaniacs and take on leading roles in serious films, which they may mess up. Jack White played a quiet but likeable character in Cold Mountain.
Alanis Morissette played God in Dogma. She didn't have to speak which made her more believable as an supernatural being.
Finally, the best performance by a musician in a film has to be Bjork in Dancer in the Dark. Her character works to look after a son even though she is suffering from a disease which will make her go blind eventually. She finds strength in musicals.
One notable rock star I cannot end this post without referring to, is David Bowie. He was O.K. in The Hunger, awful in The Prestige and exceptional in Labyrinth. His performance in Labyrinth was referenced in the television masterpiece Flight of the Conchords. Interestingly, it is chosen as an era of Bowie as Ziggy Stardust was, but it was a film role and not a career persona.
Alistair Anderson
Also featured at
Many pop stars enjoy performing, which may prompt them to try acting too as they can then express themselves through a different medium. They can also take on a second career and earn more money, if they wish. However, not every singer makes a good actor.
Rapper 50 Cent was awful in the movie, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. He plays a drug dealer with hip hop dreams. He's a walking stereotype and we don't care about him. He wastes our time; that's all.
Eminem did a much better job with 8 Mile. Yes, he plays himself but the film is well-directed and entertaining. It has humour and cool rap battles. Eminem is a man possessed when he's rapping in the film, kudos to him. The soundtrack was good too.
Music folks can also do comedy, sometimes. Snoop Dogg captured the character of Huggy Bear brilliantly in the Starsky and Hutch remake. Yet, Steve Tyler and Christina Milian were part of the big pile of swamp turd that was Be Cool. This film is a shoddy sequel to the clever Get Shorty.
Singers and rock stars do not have to megalomaniacs and take on leading roles in serious films, which they may mess up. Jack White played a quiet but likeable character in Cold Mountain.
Alanis Morissette played God in Dogma. She didn't have to speak which made her more believable as an supernatural being.
Finally, the best performance by a musician in a film has to be Bjork in Dancer in the Dark. Her character works to look after a son even though she is suffering from a disease which will make her go blind eventually. She finds strength in musicals.
One notable rock star I cannot end this post without referring to, is David Bowie. He was O.K. in The Hunger, awful in The Prestige and exceptional in Labyrinth. His performance in Labyrinth was referenced in the television masterpiece Flight of the Conchords. Interestingly, it is chosen as an era of Bowie as Ziggy Stardust was, but it was a film role and not a career persona.
Alistair Anderson
Also featured at
Soccer Movies
Few films have been made about the beautiful game of soccer. Instead, Hollywood has focussed on its major sports, Baseball, American Football and even Basketball Ice Hockey.
SA has not made any blockbuster or independent fictional soccer films that I can remember. Yet, besides the English and Spanish, even the Tibetans have made a film about kicking a round ball around.
The Cup, made by Tibetans, pictured above, was released in 1999 and had monks checking out soccer legend, Ronaldo's haircut, and, based on this, thinking he was a monk too.
While SA waits to see its national sport, soccer on celluloid, here is a look at bunch of films that were made about that sport.
Escape to Victory was released in 1981. It is one of the few soccer films to feature real players but the play is far-fetched and the acting is hammy. It has Pele, Bobby Moore and Osvaldo Ardiles in it. Then Sly Stallone and Michael Caine deliver two rotten performances in it.
The Cup, as mentioned above, was more entertaining, even if it did not deal with soccer and its rules as directly.
The plot of The Cup involves two young Tibetan monks who are soccer fans, living in a Himalayan monastery in India. Their major goal in the film is to get a television so that they can watch the 1998 Soccer World Cup Final.
It is a cute film that looks at the concept of delayed gratification.
A film that does well with looking at a part of British football history is 2009’s The Damned United. It tells the story of Brian Clough, a famous British soccer manager. The film, based on a novel, follows Clough’s work at Derby County and Leeds United. This was where he upset officials, fans and players. He then won European titles at Nottingham Forest.
Clough is played by Michael Sheen, who is famous for impersonating Tony Blair in movies. He also does a rather good David Frost.
Timothy Spall plays Peter Taylor, Clough’s assistant manager. Their chemistry between the two actors is excellent and the film is very entertaining.
Shaolin Soccer was released in 2001. It also does not show accurate football. It is very creative though. Actor-Director Stephen Chow meshes soccer and kung-fu into a crazy film.
A Shaolin monk soccer team takes on a corporate-type soccer team. It is fun but it just is not true to the laws of soccer but maybe the spirit of it.
Lastly, I want to mention, Bend It Like Beckham (2002). This film launched the career of the English actress who loves to pout and show audiences her teeth, Keira Knightley. It also has Bollywood elements and, for people who remember, a cameo from MTV UK presenter, Trey.
It is easy to get behind the characters and dance along to the soundtrack. The football actually looks real too.
Now, anyone interested in making a local soccer film with myself?
Alistair Anderson
Also featured on http://screenforum.blogspot.com/2011/04/football-movies.html
SA has not made any blockbuster or independent fictional soccer films that I can remember. Yet, besides the English and Spanish, even the Tibetans have made a film about kicking a round ball around.
The Cup, made by Tibetans, pictured above, was released in 1999 and had monks checking out soccer legend, Ronaldo's haircut, and, based on this, thinking he was a monk too.
While SA waits to see its national sport, soccer on celluloid, here is a look at bunch of films that were made about that sport.
Escape to Victory was released in 1981. It is one of the few soccer films to feature real players but the play is far-fetched and the acting is hammy. It has Pele, Bobby Moore and Osvaldo Ardiles in it. Then Sly Stallone and Michael Caine deliver two rotten performances in it.
The Cup, as mentioned above, was more entertaining, even if it did not deal with soccer and its rules as directly.
The plot of The Cup involves two young Tibetan monks who are soccer fans, living in a Himalayan monastery in India. Their major goal in the film is to get a television so that they can watch the 1998 Soccer World Cup Final.
It is a cute film that looks at the concept of delayed gratification.
A film that does well with looking at a part of British football history is 2009’s The Damned United. It tells the story of Brian Clough, a famous British soccer manager. The film, based on a novel, follows Clough’s work at Derby County and Leeds United. This was where he upset officials, fans and players. He then won European titles at Nottingham Forest.
Clough is played by Michael Sheen, who is famous for impersonating Tony Blair in movies. He also does a rather good David Frost.
Timothy Spall plays Peter Taylor, Clough’s assistant manager. Their chemistry between the two actors is excellent and the film is very entertaining.
Shaolin Soccer was released in 2001. It also does not show accurate football. It is very creative though. Actor-Director Stephen Chow meshes soccer and kung-fu into a crazy film.
A Shaolin monk soccer team takes on a corporate-type soccer team. It is fun but it just is not true to the laws of soccer but maybe the spirit of it.
Lastly, I want to mention, Bend It Like Beckham (2002). This film launched the career of the English actress who loves to pout and show audiences her teeth, Keira Knightley. It also has Bollywood elements and, for people who remember, a cameo from MTV UK presenter, Trey.
It is easy to get behind the characters and dance along to the soundtrack. The football actually looks real too.
Now, anyone interested in making a local soccer film with myself?
Alistair Anderson
Also featured on http://screenforum.blogspot.com/2011/04/football-movies.html
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Liam is in his happy place - CD Review: Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding
Rating: 8/10
Oasis without Noel Gallagher have created a solid album. This is not of the same quality as and is unlikely to have the same impact as Definitely Maybe, but it is still a good album made by an experienced band. Sometimes the boys try to channel The Beatles and Rolling Stones which may bore some listeners. The song Beatles and Stones is a bit dull. I do love The Roller, however.
Brother, Liam Gallagher's voice is still powerful, regardless of critics saying he had lost it through smoking. The DVD attached to the album shows that he was feeling confident again. Yes, it could sound arrogant of him to say he wants to be in the world's best band, again. Was Oasis ever the world's best band? No, they were not, but who cares? A band that wants to produce quality music and carry themselves with arrogance is what worked with Oasis, and is already working with Beady Eye.
The tracks are more chilled and sunny than expected. Liam is happy on this album and his fame persona may be that of an arrogant arse but in this album, he's more happy bloke than ever.
"Millionaire" makes you feel like you are on a drive. "Bring the Light" is a power number with a cool Jerry Lee Lewis - ness about it that you could hear in a bar with your mates. "The Beat Goes On" just makes you feel good.
It is now up to Noel to respond with an album or some television show, one thinks. Either way, in his 40s, he's not too old to throw any towel in yet.
Alistair Anderson
I need a hero
Hollywood is trying to find new action stars to begin a wave of films.
There was Newman and McQueen in the 1960s. Then, in the 1970s, Clint Eastwood was Mr Action. Then, they hit a golden age in the 1980s and 1990s with Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean Claude van Damme, Dolph Lundgren and Bruce Willis, who ruled the 1980s and 1990s. One could argue that whimpy Keannu Reeves took over with The Matrix in 1999 but what is clear is that macho action men were weak in the 2000s or the films they were in were just pure rubbish.
Jason Statham and wrestlers Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock were badly used in many films in that decade. Statham was only any good in Snatch - not a gungho action film and true story, The Bank Job. The Transporter's sequels and Crank I and II were poor but maybe I expected too much of them. Steve Austin was solid in The Condemned but the material he had to work with was ridiculous. Good action movies like the Die Hard series had strong performances from Bruce Willis playing John McClaine.
They also had good plots and exciting stunts. Good action films like all good films require actors who can act.
So, what has the current decade offered us so far?
Channing Tatum? GI Joe was junk. The Rock recently told the interviewer Piers Morgan that he would focus on acting for now. Does Bradley Cooper count as an action star? The A-Team was rather awful. Sly Stallone may have felt the same way as me and made the Expendables (see picture at top) with a host of action maniacs. Released last year, it was quite entertaining. Even the ending was very action 1980s.
Perhaps Hugh Jackman is the only real action hunk left? Ryan "I love to act in comic book films" Reynolds may be trying. Well, there are about 9,5 years to go for this decade so I am giving Hollywood a chance.
Alistair Anderson
This post also appeared on ScreenforumSA:
Paul Thomas Anderson begin his career well
Rating: 8/10 - Excellent
Released in 1996, Hard Eight is a strong start to director Paul Thomas Anderson's career. It allows John C. Reilly and Phillip Baker Hall to deliver good performances.
It also features Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson.
The film is not a strict action or crime film but rather a human interest story. Anderson has shown courage by risking his debut feature, starring highly rated, if still up-and-coming actors, with an unconventional approach.
It tells the story of John played by John C Reilly, a young loser who has lost all of his money. He is feeling sorry for himself when gambling-maestro Sydney finds him, buys him coffee, and takes him to Reno. Sydney shows John how to get a free room without losing much money and to become a better gambler. Sydney's character is interesting because he has gambling skills but he also has a forced calmness which he tries to put on when acting as a father figure character to John. Sydney is actually a lonely man, looking for a family.
Years later, John meets Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a cocktail waitress and sometimes hooker. The story continues to be interesting from there one.
Even if some people may not enjoy the subdued overtone of the film, John C Reilly, is my favourite element in this film, shows that he can act well in serious roles. He was strong again in Anderson's films, Boogie Nights and Magnolia, a few years later.
Perhaps, Anderson will get a leading role out of him soon but Hard Eight is a powerful ensemble.
Baker Hall also deserves to be commended.
Hard Eight launched what has proven to be an impressive career for director, Paul Thomas Anderson. He may not make films that often - his last was released film was 2007's There Will Be Blood, but he's an exceptional talent.
Alistair Anderson
This blogpost also featured on my blog: Screenforum SA: screenforum@blogspot.com
Monday, April 11, 2011
DVD Review - Vampires Suck fixed
Rating: 3.3/10 This is one of the worst spoofs ever made. Director: Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Screenplay: Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Producer: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer and Peter Safran. Executive Producer: Arnon Milchan. Cinematographer: Shawn Maurer. Score: Christopher Lennertz. Editor: Peck Prior. Studio: Regency Enterprises. Starring: Jenn Proske, Matt Lanter, Christopher N. Riggi, Ken Jeong and Anneliese Van Der Pol. Running Time: 86 Minutes. Age Restriction: 13 Spoof movies tend to be hit and miss. Vampires Suck just plain sucks. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, The Naked Gun and Police Academy series spoofed police action films with nice results. The Scary Movie movies did a decent job in the early part of last decade. Admittedly, they got worse with each installment. And films like Disaster Movie and Epic Movie were awful. Still, there were some genuinely funny films along the way - Not Another Teen Movie, was actually smart, and Galaxy Quest was cute. If Vietnam-type movie, Tropic Thunder counts as a spoof, it trumps most competition. It would be unfair to compare Vampires Suck to a Ben Stiller-directed film. But, as far as poking fun at a crazy phenomenon like the Twilight saga goes, Vampires Suck does not come close. It basically retells Twilight's main story but laces itself with extremely hackneyed jokes, and they just aren't funny. It is no play on vampire films in general either. Basically, if you want to tear Twilight to shreds, look for parodies of it on the Internet. Various comics have poked fun at it. The Simpsons television show spoofed it well in a Halloween episode. Still, the film is not complete excrement and you may laugh at one or two scenes. Verdict: A poor parody which fails at a great opportunity to poke fun at a massively popular book and film series. Alistair Anderson This piece also featured on my film blog: http://screenforum.blogspot.com/
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