I have been waiting for the trailer for Ruben Fleischer’s Gangster Squad since we brought you the first set pic last year. Well, today we finally have it and I don’t know what to make of it. I like it, but I think it’ll take a few more viewings before I love it. It appears the film is part action film, part period drama, as compared to a straight noir like LA Confidential (which I must admit I was hoping for.) It might have been wrong for me to assume that and there’s nothing inherently wrong with taking the genre in a new direction.  One thing seems clear to me, this is going to be an actor’s showcase packed with powerhouse performances from Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin and Emma Stone (smoldering!), with Sean Penn as Mickey Cohen leading the way.

The biggest question mark for me is why did whoever cut this thing use Jay-Z underneath it? Love Jay-Z, but he doesn’t scream LA at all, let alone LA in the lat 40's-early 50's. (IMHO that’s trying way too hard to court the almighty 18-25 yr old male demographic.)  Oh well. I’m not giving up on this by any stretch of the imagination. Bring it on!

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and—if he has his way—every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.

Under the direction of Ruben Fleischer (“Zombieland”), “The Gangster Squad” is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time. The film stars Oscar® nominees Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “True Grit”) and Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Blue Valentine”) as the LAPD’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters; Academy Award® winner Sean Penn (“Milk,” “Mystic River”) as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen; and Emma Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s moll and the object of Wooters’ attention.

The amazing cast also includes Nick Nolte, Giovanni Ribisi, Mireille Enos, Michael Pena, Anthony Mackie, Frank Grillo, Robert Patrick, Troy Garity and Holt McCallany.  The Gangster Squad will be released in the US on October 19 and in the UK on 9^th November.

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…and what hair it is.

We’ve been talking about Paolo Sorrentino’s This Must Be The Place, led by the brilliant Sean Penn, for a loooong time. The film made its debut in Cannes last year and has been to nearly every major festival since then. I can’t be the only one looking forward to seeing this tale of  an aging rocker out to avenge his estranged father’s death by seeking out a Nazi war criminal and in the process taking a journey into the heart of the America he left behind decades before. Especially when that rocker is played by Sean Penn doing a full on Robert Smith and the supporting cast includes Frances McDormand, Judd Hirsch, Eve Hewson (daughter of Paul, better known as Bono), Kerry Condon, Harry Dean Stanton and Shea Whigham.

The synopsis:

“Cheyenne is a former rock star. At 50, he still dresses ‘Goth’ and lives in Dublin off his royalties. The death of his father, with whom he wasn’t on speaking terms, brings him back to New York. He discovers his father had an obsession: to seek revenge for a humiliation he had suffered. Cheyenne decides to pick up where his father left off, and starts a journey, at his own pace, across America.”

We have a great new clip (courtesy of Empire) David Byrne is doing the music for this film and I’ve no doubt it will match the tone and feel, especially since the title is taken from a Talking Heads song, as it does here in this clip (although the song that immediately came to mind while watching it was Simon & Garfunkel’s “America”) This Must Be The Place has a confirmed release date in the UK of 6^th April,  while imdb lists a vague “March 2012” in the US. C’mon Harvey, the Oscars are over, you won, now let’s release some new movies. 

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Sean Penn, looking like Robert Smith's older,  sadder brother stars in This Must Be the Place, directed by Paolo Sorrentino and costarring Frances McDormand, Judd Hirsch, Kerry Condon and Eve Hewson (daughter of Bono).

We showed you the first trailer way back in October as it got ready to play the BFI London Film Festival. It’s been kicking around since Cannes in May, but to be honest, I kind of forgot about it. I’m glad we have a second trailer, a slight variation on the first, to remind people. Penn’s performance, not just his look, strikes me as bizarre. Is he playing Cheyenne on Quaaludes or is he just burned out from having taken too many recreational drugs in the past? Penn is, in my opinion, always interesting to watch and given the eclectic cast and David Byrne’s music, I think it’s worth a look.

Synopsis: Cheyenne (Sean Penn) is a wealthy, bored and jaded retired rock star.  Learning his father is close to death, he travels to New York in the hope of being reconciled with him during his final hours, only to arrive too late. Having been estranged for over 30 years, it isn't until after his death that he learns of his father's humiliation in Auschwitz at the hands of SS Officer Aloise Muller. He embarks on a quest to find his father's persecutor, now hiding out in the U.S. So begins a life-altering journey across the heartland of America to track down and confront his father's nemesis. Cheyenne's journey becomes one of reconciliation and self discovery. As he tracks down Muller, Cheyenne must finally decide if it is redemption he seeks …or revenge.

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This Must Be the Place was supposed to open in December (perhaps with a look to awards season?),  but will now open in March in both the US and the UK.

Vavavavoom! Emma Stone, looking like Jessica Rabbit come to life, chats with co-star Sean Penn on the set of  Ruben Fleischer's Gangster Squad with costar Sean Penn. We’ve seen Emma as Grace Faraday before, but this is our first look at Penn as gangster Mickey Cohen. Grace is Mickey’s ‘moll’ as well as the object of Sgt. Jerry Wooters’ affection. Wooters is played by Ryan Gosling.

Gangster Squad is filming in LA using a lot of the actual locations mentioned in LA Times staff writer Paul Lieberman's series of articles "Tales of the Gangster Squad". Here's the Warner Brothers synopsis: "Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and – if he has his way – every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with not only his own paid goons, but also the protection of the police and the politicians who are under his control. It's enough to intimidate even the bravest street-hardened cop… except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgts. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters who come together to try to tear Cohen's world apart."

The movie also stars Robert Patrick (Off. Max Kennard), Michael Pena (Navidad Ramirez, Kennard's partner), Giovanni Ribisi (whose death in Saving Private Ryan still reduces me to tears. He plays electronics expert Conway Keeler) and Anthony Mackie (Off. Coleman Harris). The release dates for Gangster Squad have been moved up from 2013 to October 19, 2012 in the US and 9 November in the UK. Woot! 

Yes, that really is Sean Penn, looking like Robert Smith's older sadder brother in This Must Be the Place, directed by Paolo Sorrentino and costarring Frances McDormand, Judd Hirsch, Kerry Condon and Eve Hewson (daughter of Bono).

Cheyenne (Sean Penn) is a wealthy, bored and jaded retired rock star.  Learning his father is close to death, he travels to New York in the hope of being reconciled with him during his final hours, only to arrive too late. Having been estranged for over 30 years, it isn't until after his death that he learns of his father's humiliation in Auschwitz at the hands of SS Officer Aloise Muller. He embarks on a quest to find his father's persecutor, now hiding out in the U.S. So begins a life-altering journey across the heartland of America to track down and confront his father's nemesis. Cheyenne's journey becomes one of reconciliation and self discovery. As he tracks down Muller, Cheyenne must finally decide if it is redemption he seeks …or revenge. 

This Must Be the Place premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May and plays this week at the BFI London Film Festival, with many other festivals in between. It opens in the US in December.

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In case you thought that Scarlett Johansson and Sean Penn split was because his viagra quit working, we now know the real reason.  And yeah, it wasn’t the man stick issue.

Sean Penn in Bedroom Trouble? (Photos)

An insider told Us Weekly that he dumped her after just five months because he has not wanted anything “serious” since his 2010 divorce from Robin Wright, adding, “Scarlett pursued him.”

Sadly, at the Spike Awards, she totally made an ass out of herself.

“She pushed herself into his conversations,” a witness tells Us. “She sat down between him and Robert De Niro. Robert was like ‘What?’ and made a face.”  Then, “A photographer asked for a shot,” the source says. “Before Sean could say no, she said yes.”

Um, I feel totally embarrassed for her.  Talk about being a total moron.  Hello…. Ryan Reynolds anyone?!

Photo: WENN

Sean Penn 2011 Cannes International Film Festival

This one has been a long time coming.  About 30 years after (a then 20 year old) Sean Penn played Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, it’s all set to enter the Guy Movie Hall of Fame at the Spike TV Awards on June 10.  Is that kick ass or what?  If you haven’t seen this movie, you must live in a hole… or are perhaps too young to appreciate a classic when you see one.

Sean Penn in Bedroom Trouble? (Photos)

With the exception of Jennifer Jason Leigh and Phoebe Cates, the rest of the cast: Sean Penn, Judge Reinhold, Robert Romanus, Brian Backer, Forest Whitaker and director Amy Heckerling will be accepting the award from the one and only,  Robert Di Niro.

Make sure to tune in for some great laughs and of course, blasts from the past.

Photo: Lia Toby/WENN

Sean Penn is seen leaving Malibu Ranch Market store at Zuma Beach Plaza

Yesterday, Sean Penn was seen leaving Malibu Ranch Market store at Zuma Beach Plaza and he looked like crap.  Yep.  Complete crap.  Why is he looking so down and out when he is boning one of Hollywood’s hottest tickets (Scarlett Johansson)?  Well, rumor has it, things are already going south for their relationship and not mind-in-the-gutter, man stick kind of way either.

Scarlett Johansson Sizzles For New Mango Ads

It seems that Sean was a bit naughty in Cannes and perhaps Scarlett is punishing him but closing her legs and sending him to the market for her?  Who knows… but one thing is for certain, Sean doesn’t look like a happy man… like one who should be on cloud nine like any other man would be in his sheets… er… shoes…

Photos: WENN