It almost seems like a step backward for Emma Watson to be playing a teenager in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, after her first “grown up” turn in My Week with Marilyn, but Perks has been in production so long she probably filmed it first. Perks is written and directed by Stephen Chbosky who adapted the screenplay from his own novel of the same name. It stars Watson and Logan Lerman (Gamer, The Three Musketeers)
Synopsis: Both humorous and heartbreaking, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming of age story about 15-year-old Charlie (Lerman), an endearing and naive outsider, coping with first love (Watson), the suicide of his best friend and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people with whom he belongs.
From the above I get the heartbreaking, I’m hoping its target audience will find the humor.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower counts John Malkovich among its producers and has an amazing cast including Paul Rudd, Dylan McDermott, Melanie Lynskey, Kate Walsh, Nina Dobrev, Mae Whitman (Bernice Pruitt in Hope Floats, Ann Veal in "Arrested Development"-this girl needs to work more) and Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Another Happy Day). No release dates other than a vague 2012.
Here’s the first official look at Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann’s TheGreat Gatsby, currently shooting in Sydney Australia. The pics below also give us new looks at Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carroway as they shoot scenes in Sydney’s Centennial Park. She looks like the quintessential flapper. Perfect Daisy!
Director Baz Luhrmann, with whom DiCaprio made Romeo + Juliet back in 1996 (although my favorite will always be Strictly Ballroom), is shooting the film in 3D which made absolutely no sense to me (yes yes I know you know how I feel about 3D), until DiCaprio gave this explanation to Access Hollywood, “ {the 3D is} being used for drama,” Leo told Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush, while promoting his latest movie, J. Edgar, in Los Angeles over the weekend.
“Most of the time, you associate 3-D with the spectacle of it, but he really wants to use 3-D to create emotional impact with the characters and almost use it like what it would be like to immerse yourself in a theater production,” Leo explained. “So I’m having a good time with that. Plus, it’s the great American novel.”
Well, I can understand what he means by an immersive theater experience. If Luhrmann’s able to pull this off, I may rethink my stance on this issue. I certainly hope it will enhance the material and not detract from it.
The Great Gatsby costars Joel Edgerton as Daisy’s husband Tom Buchanan, Isla Fisher as his lover Myrtle Wilson and Jason Clarke as her husband George. The film opens in the US on December 25, 2012 but will probably have its premiere in Australia before that. Enjoy the pics!
Here’s the first official look behind the scenes of Rupert Sanders’ Snow White and the Huntsman with Kristen Stewart as Snow and Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman. I never thought I’d say this, but KStew’s Snow story featuring Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen, so far has the upper hand in the battle of the dueling fairytale films. After seeing the first trailer for Tarsem Singh’s Mirror, Mirror, I can’t tell what the hell that thing’s supposed to be. I may end up eating my words but right now, I’m appreciating Sanders’ darker vision.
Entertainment Tonight gives us a peek at their exclusive set visit where correspondent Mark Stein gets to take a turn on her horse as well as flies around the set in an aerial rig. Not sure what that’s about. In any case, enjoy the vid. (If it won’t play, try it in fullscreen or go here). I apologize in advance for the fact that you have to endure Mark Cuban’s introduction.
Don't Go in the Woods is the directorial debut of actor Vincent D’Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket, Men in Black, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent among others) and I couldn’t be more surprised by his choice of subject matter. For his first feature behind the camera he’s made a movie about a band on a camping trip in search of peace and quiet to write music. Unfortunately, there seems to be a killer on the loose. So while someone’s being hacked to pieces, someone else is strumming a guitar and singing. D’Onofrio is not someone that I would necessarily think had a sense of whimsy, so I can only assume he’s playing this straight. Apparently I’m not the only one doesn’t get the whole “Glee” thing.
The synopsis: Don’t Go In the Woods is sound advice, especially when there's a killer on the loose. First-time director Vincent D'Onofrio explores love, greed and ruthlessness in this twisted musical/horror hybrid, telling the story of a young band who heads to the woods to get away from their everyday lives in order to focus on writing new songs. Hoping to walk away from the trip with new tunes that will score them their big break, they instead find themselves in the middle of a nightmare beyond comprehension.
I can imagine this was made on the thinnest of shoe-strings. One of the writers not only exec. –produced, but wrote the music as well. Vincent D’Onofrio is a fantastic actor so I’m willing to give his movie a shot. (If he’s not as intense as all of the characters he plays, then he’s an even better actor than I thought.) Don’t Go in the Woods stars a cast of unknowns with the exception of his L&O:Criminal Intent costar, Erik Bogosian. It lands on VOD on December 26 before getting a limited theatrical release on January 12.
It's your (seemingly) daily bit of Michael Fassbender in the second US trailer for Steve McQueen's Shame. I literally breathed, "Wow" when it was over. This trailer, coupled with the UK quad sheet we saw a few days ago, is taking us deeper into the tortured soul of the film’s protagonist, Brandon, played by Fassbender. This one features the much talked about version of “New York, New York” as sung by the film's costar, Carey Mulligan. She sings it not as an anthem to one’s own self-reliance and the courage to follow one’s dreams, but as the breathy plea of someone reaching for help. Take a look. What do you think?
I can’t imagine anyone reading this doesn’t know the particulars by now but, humor me. Shame is the story of 30-something New Yorker, to all the world he appears successful but in reality he’s hanging on by his fingernails. His drug of choice: sex. His carefully orchestrated life is disrupted when his sister Cissy (Mulligan) arrives unannounced for an indefinite stay. Having received the infamous NC-17, Fox Searchlight is still giving Shame an awards season push. It opens December 2 in NY & LA (I can’t wait!) before rolling out everywhere else in January.
November 29 marks 30 years that Natalie Wood has been dead (she died at the age of 43) and thanks to a book her case is being reopened as a homicide. How it was never considered that in the first place is absolutely mind-boggling but better late than never. The book, Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour was written by Marti Rulli and the captain of the boat (named the Splendour) Natalie was on at the time of her suspicious death Dennis Davern.
TMZ is reporting that the author, Marti has been in regular contact with the Los Angeles Police Department in the last few months. The book suggests foul play by the captain of the boat. The documents Marti has supplied the police have so impressed them that 2 full time homicide investigators have been assigned to the case.
On the night of her death, Natalie was on the boat with husband Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken where she was allegedly drinking and taking Quaaludes. She was also in her nightgown at the time of her disappearance. It's worth noting Natalie was TERRIFIED of the water at night. The captain had hear a huge fight between Natalie and her husband because he was suspicious she was having an affair with Christopher Walken.
Shortly after that argument Robert told the captain that Natalie was missing. He claimed she stormed off from their argument in a dinghy. In her nightgown. In the dark that she was terrified of. Apparently he refused to let the captain call the coast guard. Gee, that's not suspicious behavior is it? I never believed it then and thank God that the author of the book Marti Rulli has not given up since 2008 to have this case reopened (for those of you asking I am NOT suggesting Robert Wagner murdered Natalie Wood but at the very least he did not do right by her).
I predict two things from the reopening of this case: sales from her book are going to go through the roof and Robert Wagner may be very screwed. His rep issued a statement:
"Although no one in the Wagner family has heard from the LA County Sheriff’s department about this matter, they fully support the efforts of the LA County Sheriff’s Dept."
The statement continues, "[The Wagners] trust they will evaluate whether any new information relating to the death of Natalie Wood Wagner is valid, and that it comes from a credible source or sources other than those simply trying to profit from the 30 year anniversary of her tragic death."
Natalie's sister, Lana Wood, has never believed Robert and believes he withheld information. Further she says Natalie was so afraid of water that she didn't even go in her own pool!
In addition to that the captain of the book Dennis Davern has now admitted to lying on a report several years ago. When asked if he thought Robert Wagner was responsible for Natalie's death, he confirmed that yes he did.
