In today’s Prometheus news (doesn’t it seem like it’s been a few days?) we have a new featurette that focuses on Weyland Industries representative Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron). Vickers is not exactly the Paul Reiser of the group, she’s much more insidious, in my opinion and just going by what I’ve been able to glean so far. Listening to Theron talk about the character, I suspect she’s being kind.

Vickers strikes me as being a lot less warm and cuddly and much more cold-blooded than Michael Fassbender’s android, David, and he’s bloodless! Actually, there is speculation that Vickers is also an android. Damon Lindelof, one of the screenwriters, has hinted as much during a recent Twitter Q & A.

My favorite question and Lindelof’s answer:

@AnothaJmoore Hey Damon, are the Aliens mean in #Prometheus or are they like into just hanging out, having a beer with Fassbender?

Prometheus ‏@PrometheusMovie

.@AnothaJmoore BE WARNED: Having a beer with Fassbender can be every bit as dangerous as getting acid blood sprayed in your face.

Speaking of Michael Fassbender and David, we also have a new image. That’s David at the top of the post inside the star map that appears to play a huge part in the plot.

And finally, we have a clip of the Paris Metro passing through the Prometheus Ghost Station. Fox has turned an old station on the Metro into an ad for the film. It’s recorded here with the soundtrack of the trailer underneath it.

Prometheus opens 1^st June in the UK and June 8 in the US, in 2D and 3D. (It was shot in 3D and that’s “how Ridley wants you to see it” according to Lindelof. I have no doubt that’s true.)

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Vickers video source via Moviefanatic

There are few actresses of the modern era of whom you can say, “she looks like a movie star”.  One of those women is most certainly Nicole Kidman, as I think this still from HBO’s Hemingway & Gelhorn proves.  She looks like a movie star in the tradition of Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Hedy Lamar, and Greta Garbo.  (She walks the walk and talks the talk, too. You never see pics of Nicole Kidman out and about looking like a schlub, even on her way to the gym.)

The other new image is of Clive Owen, who plays the titular Ernest Hemingway. I do love me some Clive Owen. He’s not the the person who immediately comes to mind when you need an actor to play the gruff bear of a literary icon known as “Papa” Hemingway, but from the trailers and clips we’ve seen, he was an inspired choice and he will make us believe.

Hemingway & Gelhorn, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival a few days ago to favorable reviews (most citing the film’s smoking hot chemistry between the leads), also stars Robert Duvall, Rodrigo Santoro, Parker Posey, Molly Parker, Tony Shalhoub, David Strahairn and Peter Coyote. It finally gets its HBO premiere on Monday May 28.  Perfect way to cap a holiday weekend.

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I have to commend the marketing geniuses behind the campaign for Disney/Pixar’s Brave. They have really come up with some clever ways to keep this film in the public consciousness and build excitement over the last nine months or so.  In addition to the usual clips from the film, trailers and tv spots, they’ve managed to come up with a couple of ingenious “ads” for Scottish-related, if non-existent products.

First there was the inspired ad for a line of kilts by Ruff MacLauren, and now for a fictitious record compilation called “Freedom Broch” (you know there are people out there who will want to buy it anyway). It’s a collection of bagpipe hits. That’s right, bagpipe hits.  (Reminds me of a bit by comedian once, Bill Kirchenbauer, "We need to create some sort of obnoxious musical instrument. Something that will reeeally make people angry. Let's see what happens when we blow into the vacuum" of course intoned with a thick brogue.)

We also have a “new” clip. The clip in its entirety is new even though we’ve seen bits of it before, in the above spot and In the last trailer, but this time you’ll hear a reference to Mordu, a monstrous bear who claimed King Fergus’ leg. As Merida howls in imitation of the mythical beast, King Fergus shouts, "Let him return! I'll finish what I guttled in the first place!"

Brave, featuring the voices of Kelly Macdonald, Kevin McKidd, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Craig Ferguson and Robbie Coltrane, opens June 22 in the US and August 10 in the UK.

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P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Puffy…whatever Sean Combs is calling himself these days, has been a presence all week long on the Croisette.  I don’t know if he has an actual business reason for being at the Cannes Film Festival, but he’s donned a tux for all of the major red carpet premieres and made the rounds of all of the swell parties.  Last night, he threw one of his own. Aboard a yacht…of course. I’m sure the champagne and the Ciroc flowed freely.

Now, you’d think that Diddy would be able to attract the crème de la crème of Cannes attendees, but I think most of them left town after the big weekend. Almost everyone who showed up was strictly C-List. American reality tv stalwarts like Kim Kardashian (with Kanye in tow) and Paris Hilton (as well as sister Nicky) were there. What exactly does Tara Reid do? Oh yeah, she’s in American Pie Reunion. I guess that’s why photographers snapped so many pics of her hunting for her shoes. (All shoes are removed when boarding the yachts). Kelly Brook had a movie screening earlier in the week but she’s clearly there to party. She did two costume changes at last night's bash alone. British heiress Lady Victoria Hervey, famous for being British and dressing like a skank showed up to do both, Michelle Rodriguez and Benicio del Toro were in town for a movie. 

Why am I bothering with this post you may well add? Because since his bro left town,  Adrien Brody apparently needed something to do. He showed up in jeans and biker jacket to lend the joint an air of class. So I get to post some pics of Adrien Brody. Nuff said.  Enjoy the pics!

(btw, for those of you, like myself already suffering from Butler Cannes Party Watch Withdrawal, I’ll be back later with treats.)

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I have been looking forward to the trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s version of The Great Gatsby since the day it was announced that he would direct and Leonardo DiCaprio would star as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s America Between the Wars anti-hero, Jay Gatsby. Now that it’s here, I’m not quite sure what to think. I’m going to have to watch it a few times before I fall in love. I expected to love it right away, but it didn’t grab me. (Part of it stems from Luhrmann’s propensity to use modern music. The song under the trailer isn’t bad, but I wanted hot jazz.) Just like with the trailer for Gangster Squad, I think my expectations were too high and too assuming, I guess is the right word. I should not have assumed a straight-ahead retelling or something quietly charming and pretty like the Robert Redford/Mia Farrow version of 1974. I should, rather, have expected something a bit bolder in the vein of Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (the director’s first pairing with star DiCaprio) or even Moulin Rouge, rather than Australia. The dramatics as well as the sexual tension are obviously heightened here and Luhrmann’s certainly got a handle on the look of the period. His wife, Catherine Martin, has designed a hell of an ode to the “roaring twenties” with her gorgeous sets and costumes.  I definitely want to see more, in fact as I write this, and I watch the trailer again, the more I like it.  

It’s got a cast that won’t be denied. DiCaprio as Gatsby is about as good as one is likely to get. (Me thinks my crush has been rekindled already.) Carey Mulligan’s Daisy I’m still unsure about, but I can well imagineTobey Maguire as thoughtful, perceptive Nick Carraway (DiCaprio’s r/l best pal) with his veneer of honesty. I can only compare Joel Edgerton’s Tom Buchanan to Bruce Dern in my head and Edgerton has it all over him. He can convey quiet menace with a raised eyebrow instead of barely controlled batshit crazy (which is what I always got from Dern.) We didn’t really get a good look at Isla Fisher’s Myrtle Wilson or Jason Clarke as her husband, but there’s plenty of time before Christmas for that. I think this trailer has probably done its job in that it will get all those who see it and are interested in either the subject or a Baz Luhrmann film, talking. I’d see it for the cast and the costumes no matter what. I’m not sold on the 3D idea. I can well imagine it will serve to enhance the already spectacular visuals, but at what cost to the narrative? I think 3D cost Martin Scorsese an Oscar. We’ll see.

As of right now, Warner Brothers still has The Great Gatsby opening on Christmas Day (in the US, Boxing Day in the UK), head to head with Tarantino’s Django Unchained, also starring Leonardo DiCaprio. I’m still betting one of them moves. WB is playing chicken with Harvey Weinstein. I know who my money’s on. 

We also have some new images from the film below. Enjoy!

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Andrew Dominik's first feature since The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford five years ago, Killing Them Softly, just had a big in-competition premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. To celebrate, The Weinstein Company has released a  brand new poster has for the film.

The story is adapted from George V. Higgins's New Orleans set novel, "Cogan's Trade", that follows professional mob enforcer, Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt), who investigates a heist that occurs during a high stakes, mob-protected, poker game. James Gandolfini plays an alcoholic hitman, Richard Jenkins is a mob-lawyer and Ray Liotta (what would a mob movie be without Ray Liotta?) plays the mob boss running the poker game, a man who has a history of robbing his own games. The film focuses on the attempt by Cogan to clean up the mess and find the assailants – local hoods-for-hire Russell (Ben Mendelsohn), Frankie (Scoot McNairy- I love that name!) and the brains of the operation Squirrel (Vincent Curatola). Richard Jenkins plays a mysterious driver who acts as a mouth-piece for Cogan’s unseen employer.

The reviews coming out of Cannes are so far, very positive. Killing Them Softly will open in the US and the UK on September 21.  More as we get it.  Here are some pics of Brad Pitt and Ray Liotta from today’s press conference and premiere. Angie must be home with the kids, as it appeared Brad was flying solo.

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This is a clip from the Lawless red carpet at the Cannes premiere- Watch this instead just looking at the pics and you see how utterly artificial those photo ops are. (No wonder actors all profess to hate them.) Most of the time, the actors involved haven’t seen each other since the film in question wrapped, which is why there is always hugging going on. It’s a good opportunity to see who truly gets along with whom and if there is any animosity.

I say all of that in order to say that I don’t see any between Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy. Watching the clip after looking at a particular photograph the other day, It just proves that a photograph is an instant in frozen time and very often what you may spend hours endlessly poring over and assigning deep meaning to, in reality means absolutely nothing. All of the speculation about “oh he’s mad", "she’s sad", etc etc is just that, speculation. I don’t mean to sound like a scold, that’s not my intention and trust me, when I see a pic of someone or something I like I am capable of projecting onto it what I want it to contain. When I saw the picture of Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy the other day, it LOOKED like they were mortal enemies and I wanted to know what was going on. Taken in context however, there is no evidence to support it. The camera caught them with somber expressions. For all we know they were deciding what to have for dinner.

This clip would seem to confirm my conclusion – Shia on Tom:

Okay now back to the good stuff. Here are two brand new clips from Lawless. Both feature Hardy quite prominently. The first also features Guy Pearce as Special Agent Raikes, who apparently has a death wish. Now THESE two are mortal enemies from the jump: Lawless clip #1:

This clip features Hardy and LaBeouf (as well as the strong silent Howard played by Jason Clarke). Hardy’s Forest (who is the middle brother but the de facto head of the family) is having a "fatherly" but oh-so-serious discussion with youngest brother Jack. Lawless clip #2

“We control the fear, you understand? Without the fear, we are all good as dead.” *shiver*

Lawless (which director Hillcoat has described as "Goodfellas in the woods") starring Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain, Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Mia Wasikowska and Dane DeHaan opens in the US on August 31.

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Lots of good stuff this week! I’m gonna start with my personal pick for reasons that I’m sure you can guess.

This Means War, of course, is the one with Tom Hardy and Chris Pine as CIA operatives and best friends who go to ‘war’ over the woman (Reese Witherspoon) who comes between them. We talked extensively about this one before it was released theatrically. You don’t need me to rehash it now.  Just remember it’s the one with Tom Hardy using his natural accent and being adorable.  Fox has provided this nice little dvd teaser in any case:

The film also stars Chelsea Handler, Til Schweiger and Abigail Spencer.

Special Features:

Blu-ray Combo Pack

- Alternate Endings w/ Optional Commentary by Director McG
- Warehouse Alternate Ending
- Alternate Ending #1
- Alternate Ending #2

-Bachelorette Party

-Uncensored Gag Reel  (I’ll be buying for this alone)

-Deleted Scenes w/ Optional Commentary by Director McG
- Trish & Lauren Chat / Shooting Range
- Jonas’ Funeral
- Post Pizza
- Ex-Girlfriends
- Visiting Joe
- Lauren Freaking Out

-Alternative Opening Concept (Previz w/ Optional Commentary by Director McG)

-Audio Commentary by Director McG (standard and extended versions)

-Theatrical Trailer

Newlyweds is the latest from writer/director Edward “Ed” Burns. A lot of people only know him as an actor, but I first came upon him with his debut as writer/director, 1995’s The Brothers McMullen.  I followed him to She’s the One (with Cameron Diaz (when she was still acting and doing little indies) and Jennifer Aniston (who only had 2 seasons of “Friends” under her belt at that point) the next year. I could go on. All of his films are lovely little slices of life; gems made with a limited budget usually starring his friends and very, very personal. Newlyweds is no exception. I follow Ed Burns on Twitter so I followed along with the production as Burns shot the thing on the thinnest of shoestrings (seriously-$9000) and even enlisted his twitter followers for help with such things as choosing the poster and the naming of characters.

The official synopsis:

Buzzy (Edward Burns) and Katie (Caitlin Fitzgerald) are a newly married couple living a seemingly conflict-free life. But when Buzzy’s damaged and impulsive half-sister Linda (Kerry Bishe who starred in Burns’ last film, Nice Guy Johnny) arrives at their doorstep expecting to stay for an indefinite period in their Tribeca loft, her antics threaten to disrupt the couple’s commitment to an “easy” marriage. Meanwhile, with Katie’s sister Marsha projecting suspicions of her own husband’s infidelity onto Buzzy, will the couple’s formerly trusting and insulated life be able to withstand the dysfunctions of their respective siblings?

Special Features:

-deleted scenes

-two interviews with Burns covering the inspiration behind the movie as well as his ties to indie filmmaking.

BBC’s “Sherlock” with Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson is back in three new stories.  They just aired here in the US, but have already been on dvd in the UK for some months. Now, we get a chance to own it here as well. In “A Scandal in Belgravia”, Sherlock gets embroiled in the complex plans of the dangerous and desirable Irene Adler, and finds himself employing every one of his remarkable skills to survive as the unlikely duo square off in a battle of wits…and perhaps emotions? “The Hounds of Baskerville” whisks the detective and Watson to the wilds of Dartmoor, and face to face with the supernatural lurking in the eerie landscape. Meanwhile, Moriarty is still out there in the shadows, and is determined to bring Sherlock down-at whatever the cost-in “The Reichenbach Fall”.

Special Features:

Audio Commentaries: "A Scandal in Belgravia" and "The Hounds of Baskerville" are both accompanied by commentary tracks.

-The commentary for "A Scandal in Belgravia" features producer Sue Vertue, writers/producers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, and actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Lara Pulver. The commentary begins by addressing the eighteen month gap between seasons as well as how the characters and their dynamics

evolved in that time. From there, the conversation covers everything from a femme fatale coif to hydraulic-powered mirror sorcery to the crew of Sherlock themselves fleeing from the police. If you're curious how much of the violin Cumberbatch can actually play or if you're desperate to hear everything humanly conceivable about Holmes' coat, you'll no doubt find this commentary to be a rewarding listen.

-Gatiss, Moffat, and Pulver return for the second commentary, joined on "The Hounds of Baskerville" by guest star Russell Tovey. This is by far the meatier of the two audio commentaries, delving into Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's body of work, taking a certain cue from Jaws about how to deal with one production hiccup, and noting how the BBC originally was eyeing a set of six hour-long episodes rather than three feature-length installments. If you were keeping your fingers crossed for Moffat to namedrop Doctor Who, you'll have something to look forward to here, along with tales of Richard Nixon in the aftermath of seeing an alien corpse and the revelation that fluorescent rabbits truly are a thing.

-Sherlock Uncovered (19 min.; HD): making-of featurette

The Secret World Of Arrietty (US version) features the voices of Disney Channel's Bridgit Mendler and David Henrie with Will Arnett, Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett. It’s based on the award-winning novel “The Borrowers”.

In a secret world hidden beneath the floorboards, little people called Borrowers live quietly among us. But when tenacious and tiny Arrietty is discovered by Shawn, a human boy, their secret and forbidden friendship blossoms into an extraordinary adventure.

Special Features:

-Original Japanese Storyboards

-Original Japanese Trailers & TV Spots

-Cecile Corbel "Arrietty's Song" Music Video

-Bridgit Mendler "Summertime" Music Video

-The Making of "Summertime"

Red Tails is another take on the story of the 'Tuskeegee Airmen', 322nd Fighter Group, who were the first African Americans to complete training to become fighter pilots (training took place in Tuskeegee, Alabama, hence the nickname) during WWII. Racism denied them the chance to put their skills to the test until the need proved to be so desperate that they could no longer be overlooked.

It stars Terrence Howard, Bryan Cranston, Anthony Mackie, Cuba Gooding, Jr, David Oyelowo, Ne-Yo, Gerald McRainey and Josh Dallas.

The Red Tails blu-ray is loaded with special features including the documentary Double Victory along with profiles of the filmmakers and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

The Woman in Black stars Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer who is ordered to travel to a remote village and sort out a recently deceased client’s papers. As he works alone in the client’s isolated house, he begins to uncover tragic secrets, his unease growing when he glimpses a mysterious woman dressed only in black. Receiving only silence from the locals, Kipps is forced to uncover the true identity of the Woman in Black on his own, leading to a desperate race against time when he discovers her true intent.

Written by Jane Goldman (Stardust, Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class), The Woman in Black also stars Ciaran Hinds, Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) and Roger Allam.

Special Features:

-Audio commentary: Director James Watkins and Screenwriter Jane Goldman speak on the process of translating script to screen, the picture's score, the picture's physical appearance and dramatic and thematic structures, the combination of horror and emotion, working with Daniel Radcliffe, the work of the remainder of the cast, plot specifics and the process of telling the story through hints and subtleties rather than bluntness, and much more. This is a quality, informative, sometimes even entertaining supplement. Fans will want to give it a listen. With optional English subtitles.

-Inside the Perfect Thriller: Making The Woman in Black (1080p, 9:31): "Perfect" may be more than a little self-aggrandizing, but this overview piece features cast and crew discussing the plot, the process of transitioning the story to the screen, the quality of the cast, shooting locales, the film's scares, and more. Intermixed are clips from the film and behind-the-scenes footage.

-No Fear: Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps (1080p, 4:04): A closer look at Radcliffe's character's arc, the qualities he brought to the film, his dedication to his craft, the film's themes, the work of his godson in the film, and more.

-Previews: Additional Sony titles.

-UV Digital Copy.

Perfect Sense is a love story set at the beginning of a world-wide epidemic. (My first thought was "Love in the Time of Cholera", but that title was taken and the disease is not cholera.) I don't know if the whole film will be like this, but the trailer was indeed lovely. Ewan McGregor (who starred in the director  David McKenzie’s Young Adam back in 2003) plays Michael, a chef and Eva Green, plays Susan, a scientist, who fall in love while the madness and chaos of the pandemic takes place around them. After all, in any time of crisis, people do live, laugh, love, just bloody get on with it. "Life goes on." Perfect Sense seems to aspire to do what Contagion could not and that's make the outbreak of a deadly disease personal and emotional.

Perfect Sense costars Ewan Bremner (who appeared with McGregor in Trainspotting), Stephen Dillane, Connie Nielsen and Alistair Mackenzie.

Special Features:

-interview snippet with McGregor at the film’s Edinburgh premiere

- ‘making of’ featurette with Ewan Bremner and the Director’s brother Alister Mackenzie who appears in the movie.

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