State of Play

Blu-Ray Review: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck in Thriller ‘State of Play’

BrianTT — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:23:05 -0600

CHICAGO – I had some issues with “State of Play” in theaters, but it’s an intelligent thriller that is bound to find an audience on DVD and Blu-Ray and the Universal-produced Blu-Ray of the Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck film is an excellent one, the kind of release that can polish a good film and make it nearly great.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

The American “State of Play” is a truncated version of the far-superior BBC mini-series that starred Bill Nighy, David Morrissey, John Simm, Kelly Macdonald, and James MacAvoy. Directed by Kevin Macdonald and starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, and Robin Wright Penn, this version of “State of Play” stands pretty well on its own merits, especially on Blu-Ray, but it’s merely a shadow of its amazing source material.

State of Play was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on September 1st, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal Home Video

Cramming so much material into one film has made for a movie that certainly wastes no time. “State of Play” is a jam-packed 128 minutes. It opens with scenes of a junkie and an innocent bystander getting shot in the nation’s capital and the separate death of a Congressman’s aide (Maria Thayer) by commuter train. The aide was not only working with U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins (Affleck) on his quest to take down a Halliburton-esque company but the two were sleeping together.

State of Play was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on September 1st, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal Home Video

Washington Globe reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), who also happens to be old friends with Collins and in love with his wife (Robin Wright Penn), realizes that the drug/bystander shooting he’s investigating and the death of the politician’s girlfriend are related and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Rachel McAdams plays a young reporter who first butts heads with the more old-fashioned Cal but soon becomes partners as the case gets deeper and deeper. Helen Mirren plays their editor.

The best thing about “State of Play” is the cast. Director Macdonald proved he knows how to direct actors when he guided Forest Whitaker to an Oscar for “The Last King of Scotland” and everyone is good here. Crowe is in nearly every scene and it’s his best performance in some time. Mirren doesn’t quite make the impact that Nighy did in the original but that’s merely because of screen time. With perhaps the small exception of the slightly miscast McAdams, everyone in “State of Play” is good to great.

It took three talented writers - Matthew Michael Carnahan (“The Kingdom”), Tony Gilroy (“Duplicity”), & Billy Ray (“Shattered Glass”) - to take a six-hour mini-series and whittle it down to a two-hour film. Some of the choices, especially in the final act, simply don’t work for me. They take a mini-series that was about gray areas and makes it a bit too black and white for my tastes. The final act piles revelation on top of twist and it doesn’t feel organic. It feels rushed.

“State of Play” is about how the world of journalism and politics have become intertwined. The lines between good guys and bad guys and between the people who work in DC and the people who cover it are blurry at best. Crowe’s character becomes a bit too much of a white knight of journalism in the remake but it’s still a well-made, well-paced thriller. There’s a lot to like here, even if everyone who’s seen the original might say there could have been more.

The Blu-Ray release of “State of Play” is a beauty, another notch in the belt for arguably the best Blu-Ray studio in Hollywood, Universal. The standard Universal video and audio transfer is one of the absolute best and “State of Play” looks perfect with a 1080p High-Definition Widescreen transfer of a 2.35:1 picture and an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Special features on “State of Play” include deleted scenes and “The Making of State of Play”. U-Control features include the company’s great “Picture in Picture” technology that allows scene-specific information to play without breaking the film and “Washington, D.C. Locations” offers history insight into the nation’s capital. “State of Play” should have included a commentary track, but with so much action crammed into one movie maybe no one could keep up with talking about it.

‘State of Play’ is released by Universal Home Video and stars Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, and Helen Mirren. It was written by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Tony Gilroy and Billy Ray and directed by Kevin Macdonald. The Blu-Ray and DVD will be released on September 1st, 2009. It is rated PG-13.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck Bring Spark to Mediocre ‘State of Play’

BrianTT — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:01:00 -0600

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – I’ll be the first critic to tell you that they don’t make adult thrillers often enough. I was very disappointed by the lackluster box office take of Tony Gilroy’s ” Duplicity”. But does that mean that we should give all intellectual mysteries a pass? Of course not. And while I want to love Kevin Macdonald’s “State of Play,” a few poor decisions during production keep it back from being the excellent film it could have been.

It’s even easier to see where “State of Play” went wrong than with most so-so movies because we have the original, amazing BBC mini-series for comparison. Of course, Macdonald couldn’t be expected to duplicate what was accomplished in six hours with only two, but the decisions made in the truncation were not always the smartest ones. And, perhaps, someone should have considered that the lengthy original could never have been adequately condensed into two hours.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “State of Play” in our reviews section.

Before you say that this version should be judged on its own, I can’t rewrite history and change the fact that I’ve seen (and adored) the original. I know what “State of Play” could have been. And many of the flaws of this version are amplified by their absence in the source material. Essentially, work that was “all grays” has, often by the necessity of length, had its shading removed and become purely black and white.

One thing can be said about “State of Play” for certain - it’s not slow. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s not boring but the actual plot moves at 100 miles per hour. Don’t show up late for this one.

‘State of Play’ stars Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Jeff Daniels, Jason Bateman, and Robin Wright Penn. It was written by Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy, and Billy Ray and directed by Kevin Macdonald. It opens on April 17th, 2009. It is rated PG-13.

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “State of Play” review.

Russell Crowe as reporter Cal McAffrey.
Photo credit: Glen Wilson and Universal Pictures

Slideshow: 32-Image Gallery For ‘State of Play’ With Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck

BrianTT — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:18:22 -0600

CHICAGO – This 32-image slideshow contains the press images for Universal’s “State of Play,” starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels and Helen Mirren. Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Tony Gilroy and Billy Ray and directed by Kevin Macdonald, the film opens on Friday, April 17th, 2009.

Synopsis: “Oscar® winner Russell Crowe leads an all-star cast in a blistering thriller about a rising congressman and an investigative journalist embroiled in a case of seemingly unrelated, brutal murders. Crowe plays D.C. reporter Cal McCaffrey, whose street smarts lead him to untangle a mystery of murder and collusion among some of the nation’s most promising political and corporate figures in State of Play, from acclaimed director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland).

Handsome, unflappable U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is the future of his political party: an honorable appointee who serves as the chairman of a committee overseeing defense spending. All eyes are upon the rising star to be his party’s contender for the upcoming presidential race. Until his research assistant/mistress is brutally murdered and buried secrets come tumbling out.

McCaffrey has the dubious fortune of both an old friendship with Collins and a ruthless editor, Cameron (Oscar® winner Helen Mirren), who has assigned him to investigate. As he and partner Della (Rachel McAdams) try to uncover the killer’s identity, McCaffrey steps into a cover-up that threatens to shake the nation’s power structures. And in a town of spin-doctors and wealthy politicos, he will discover one truth: when billions are at stake, no one’s integrity, love or life is ever safe.”

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos credited to Glen Wilson and Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

state_of_play_01: Helen Mirren as newspaper editor Cameron Lynne.
state_of_play_02: Helen Mirren as newspaper editor Cameron Lynne and director Kevin Macdonald on the set.
state_of_play_03: Russell Crowe as reporter Cal McAffrey.
state_of_play_04: Newspaper editor Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren) questions reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe).
state_of_play_05: (L to R) Reporter Della Frye (Rachel Mcadams) defends her progress to newspaper editor Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren).
state_of_play_06: Rachel McAdams as reporter Della Frye.
state_of_play_07: Newspaper editor Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren) questions reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe).
state_of_play_08: (L to R) Russell Crowe as reporter Cal McAffrey and director Kevin MacDonald on the set.
state_of_play_09: Russell Crowe as reporter Cal McAffrey.
state_of_play_10: Rachel McAdams as reporter Della Frye.
state_of_play_11: Helen Mirren as newspaper editor Cameron Lynne.
state_of_play_12: Director Kevin MacDonald on the set.
state_of_play_13: Reporters Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) and Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe).
state_of_play_14: Reporters Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) and Della Frye (Rachel McAdams).
state_of_play_15: Anne Collins (Robin Wright Penn) and her husband, U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck).
state_of_play_16: (L to R) Ben Affleck as U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins and director Kevin MacDonald on the set.
state_of_play_17: Russell Crowe as reporter Cal McAffrey.
state_of_play_18: (L to R) U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) and his wife, Anne (Robin Wright Penn), come to reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) for help.
state_of_play_19: (L to R) PR expert Dominic Foy (Jason Bateman) is grilled by reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe).
state_of_play_20: Jason Bateman as PR expert Dominic Foy.
state_of_play_21: Russell Crowe as reporter Cal McAffrey.
state_of_play_22: Anne Collins (Robin Wright Penn) comes to reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) for help.
state_of_play_23: Rachel McAdams as reporter Della Frye.
state_of_play_24: Director Kevin MacDonald and Rachel McAdams as reporter Della Frye on the set.
state_of_play_25: Ben Affleck as U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins.
state_of_play_26: Ben Affleck as U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins.
state_of_play_27: U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) gets advice from aide.
state_of_play_28: Robin Wright Penn as Anne Collins.
state_of_play_29: (L to R) D.C. reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) questions U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck).
state_of_play_30: (L to R) Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) and D.C. reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe).
state_of_play_31: (L to R) Senator George Fergus (Jeff Daniels) is interrogated by reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe).
state_of_play_32: (L to R) Newspaper editor Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren) demands answers from reporters Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) and Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe).

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

2009 Universal Pictures Preview: ‘Public Enemies,’ ‘State of Play,’ ‘Fast & Furious,’ ‘Land of the Lost,’ More

BrianTT — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 07:29:54 -0700

CHICAGO – Universal has released a slate of new images from their 2009 schedule of films. We brought you information and the first available images last year, but we’re back with 23 more exciting images.

This 23-image slideshow contains official press images and schedule information for the announced slate of films to be released by Universal Pictures in 2009 including new movies starring Ben Affleck, Russell Crowe, Matt Damon, Benicio Del Toro, Vince Vaughn, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Johnny Depp, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

These 2009 Universal Pictures include, in release order, “Fast & Furious,” “State of Play,” “Fighting,” “Wild Child,” “Drag Me to Hell,” “Land of the Lost,” “Public Enemies,” “Funny People,” “The Wolfman,” “The Green Zone,” “The Boat That Rocked,” “The Last House on the Left,” “Couples Retreat,” and “25/8”. All films have images in the slideshow below.

The release dates, cast lists, and filmmaker information for these Universal Pictures films can be found below in release date order, followed by a slideshow of available images.

“Fast & Furious”
Release Date: April 3, 2009
Genre: Action-Thriller
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz, Laz Alonso
Directed by: Justin Lin
Written by: Chris Morgan

“Fighting”
Release date: April 24, 2009
Genre: Action
Cast: Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Brian White,Luis Guzmán, Zulay Henao
Directed by: Dito Montiel
Writers: Dito Montiel, Robert Munich

“Wild Child”
Release date: May 8, 2009
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Emma Roberts, Natasha Richardson, Shirley Henderson, Alex Pettyfer and Aidan Quinn
Directed by: Nick Moore
Writers: Lucy Dahl

“Drag Me to Hell”
Release date: Friday, May 29, 2009
Genre: Horror
Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, David Paymer, Dileep Rao
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Written by: Sam Raimi & Ivan Raimi

“Land of the Lost”
Release date: June 5, 2009
Genre: Comedy Adventure
Cast: Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel, Jorma Taccone
Directed by: Brad Silberling
Screenplay by: Chris Henchy & Dennis McNicholas

“Public Enemies”
Release date: July 1, 2009
Genre: Action
Cast: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Channing Tatum, Billy Crudup, Leelee Sobieski, Emilie de Ravin, Giovanni Ribisi
Directed by: Michael Mann
Screenplay by: Credits TBA

“The Wolfman”
Release date: November 6, 2009
Genre: Action-Horror
Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Art Malik
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Screenplay by: Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self

“The Green Zone”
Release date: TBD
Genre: Thriller
Cast: Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Amy Ryan, Brendan Gleeson, Jason Isaacs, Khalid Abdalla
Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Written by: Brian Helgeland

“The Boat That Rocked”
Release date: TBD
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Bill Nighy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Gemma Arterton, January Jones, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Rhys Darby
Directed by: Richard Curtis
Written by: Richard Curtis

“The Last House on the Left”
Release date: TBD
Genre: Suspense thriller
Cast: Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, Sara Paxton, Garret Dillahunt, Martha MacIssac, Riki Lindhome
Directed by: Dennis Iliadis
Screenplay by: Carl Ellsworth

“Couples Retreat”
Release Date: TBD
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Ackerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Faizon Love, Kali Hawk and Jean Reno
Writers: Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Dana Fox
Story by: Vince Vaughn
Directed by: Peter Billingsley

“25/8”
Release date: TBD
Genre: Suspense thriller
Cast: Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Emily Meade, Nick Lashaway, Denzel Whitaker, Shareeka Epps, Paulina Olszyinski, Raúl Esparza
Written and Directed by: Wes Craven

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos credited to ©Universal Pictures. All rights reserved. Specific photographer credits where noted.

FastAndFurious_1: Paul Walker and Vin Diesel reteam as agent Brian O Conner and fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto for the ultimate chapter of the franchise built on speed. Photo Credit: Jaimie Trueblood
FastAndFurious_2: Vin Diesel as fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto in the ultimate chapter of the franchise built on speed. Photo Credut: Jaimie Trueblood
StateOfPlay_1: Newspaper editor Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren) demands answers from reporters Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) and Cal McCaffrey (Russell Crowe) in a blistering political thriller about a rising congressman and an investigative journalist embroiled in a case of seemingly unrelated, brutal murders. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson
StateOfPlay_2: D.C. reporter Cal McCaffrey (Russell Crowe) questions U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) in a blistering political thriller about a rising congressman and an investigative journalist embroiled in a case of seemingly unrelated, brutal murders. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson
Fighting_1: Manager Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard) gives hard advice to star brawler Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) in the action film Fighting. Photo Credit: Philip V. Caruso
Fighting_2: Star brawler Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) faces off with nemesis Evan Hailey (Brian J. White) in Shawns latest bout in the action film Fighting. Photo Credit: Philip V. Caruso
WildChild_1: Pampered American princess Poppy (Emma Roberts) arrives at boarding school in a comedy about a 16-year-old who meets her match in a school of British girls who will not tolerate her spoiled ways. Photo Credit: Bill Kaye
WildChild_2: Josie (Linzey Cocker), pampered American princess Poppy (Emma Roberts) and Kate (Kimberly Nixon) in a comedy about a 16-year-old who meets her match in a school of British girls who will not tolerate her spoiled ways. Photo Credit: Giles Keyte
DragMeToHell: Loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) unearths a fresh grave in director Sam Raimi?s return to the horror genre, an original tale of a young woman?s desperate quest to break an evil curse. Photo Credit: Melissa Moseley
LandOfTheLost: Redneck survivalist Will (Danny Mcbride), has-been scientist Dr. Rick Marshall (Will Ferrell) and research assistant Holly (Anna Friel) are surrounded by painfully slow Sleestaks in a place of spectacular sights and super-scaled comedy known as the Land of the Lost. Photo Credit: Ralph Nelson
PublicEnemies: Johnny Depp stars as legendary Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger, the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of the fledgling FBI, in the new action-thriller from filmmaker Michael Mann, Public Enemies. Photo Credit: Peter Mountain
Funny_People: Leslie Mann, Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Eric Bana star in writer/director Judd Apatow?s third film behind the camera, Funny People, the story of a famous comedian who has a near-death experience. Photo Credit: Tracy Bennett
Wolfman_1: Mr. Conliffe (Robert East), Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro), Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt) and Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins) in the action-horror inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, The Wolfman. Photo Credit: Frank Connor
Wolfman_2: Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, The Wolfman brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins. Photo Credit: Frank Ockenfels
GreenZone: Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass re-team for their latest electrifying thriller in Green Zone, a thriller set in the chaotic early days of the Iraqi War when no one could be trusted and every decision could detonate unforeseen consequences. Photo Credit: Jason Boland
BoatThatRocked: Philip Seymour Hoffman stars as big, brash American DJ The Count in The Boat That Rocked, the new comedy from writer/director Richard Curtis that is inspired by the British pirate radio revolution of the ’60s. Photo Credit: Alex Bailey
BoatThatRocked_2: Philip Seymour Hoffman stars as big, brash American DJ The Count in The Boat That Rocked, the new comedy from writer/director Richard Curtis that is inspired by the British pirate radio revolution of the 60s. Photo Credit: Alex Bailey
LastHouseOnTheLeft_1: Krugs (Garret Dillahunt) vicious family in the suspense thriller that explores how far two ordinary people will go to exact revenge on the sociopaths who harmed their child. Photo Credit: Lacey Terrell
LastHouseOnTheLeft_2: Krug (Garret Dillahunt) taunts his captive, Mari (Sara Paxton), in the suspense thriller that explores how far two ordinary people will go to exact revenge on the sociopaths who harmed their child. Photo Credit: Lacey Terrell
LastHouseOnTheLeft_3: Dr. John (Tony Goldwyn) and Emma Collingwood (Monica Potter) hunt killers in the suspense thriller that explores how far two ordinary people will go to exact revenge on the sociopaths who harmed their child. Photo Credit: Lacey Terrell
CouplesRetreat: Kristen Bell, Jon Favreau, Kristin Davis, Faizon Love, Kali Hawk, Malin Ackerman, Vince Vaughn, and Jason Bateman in the upcoming comedy Couples Retreat, directed by Peter Billingsley and written by Jon Favreau. Photo Credit: John Johnson
25_8_1: Friends Alex (John Magaro), Bug (Max Thieriot) and Jerome (Denzel Whitaker) sense a killer is near in the latest suspense thriller from writer/director Wes Craven. Photo Credit: Nicole Rivelli
25_8_2: Bug (Max Thieriot) can feel an evil presence in the latest suspense thriller from writer/director Wes Craven. Photo Credit: Nicole Rivelli

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

The 10 Most Anticipated Movies of Early 2009

BrianTT — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:58:10 -0700

CHICAGO – Believe it or not, there are movies worth marking your calendar for between Oscar season and the big summer blockbusters of 2009.

Over the next few months, the buzz for films like “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” “Star Trek,” “Angels & Demons,” “Terminator: Salvation,” “Night at the Museum 2,” “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” “Public Enemies,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” “New Moon,” and Pixar’s “Up” is going to become absolutely deafening, but there are well over a hundred flicks hitting the multiplex before those box office juggernauts take center stage and, believe it or not, a handful are actually worth your time.

The first third of 2008 produced quality films in “Cloverfield,” “In Bruges,” “The Visitor,” “George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead,” “Snow Angels,” “Redbelt,” and “Paranoid Park”. Which, granted, was not an overwhelming display of memorable filmmaking, but the point is that even in a weak season like the one we were about to start at this point last year, there were still a few gems. So, the question is - what will the early season gems be in 2009?

Looking into our movie-loving crystal ball, we’ve tried to target the ten films from January to April 2009 that we might conceivably still be talking about twelve months from now. While we recognize that there are audiences out there with countdown clocks for the release of “Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience” and “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” we are not members of that audience. And movies like “Crank 2: High Voltage”, “The Pink Panther 2,” and “The Fast and Furious” clearly have loyal fan followings but, if those sequels are even halfway decent, we’ll be surprised and satisfied. No, the idea was to try and find the 5-star films based on pedigree, plot, previews, potential, and assuming that a certain legal battle surrounding “Watchmen” goes the way that we think it will. So, without further ado…

The Soloist, from Paramount Pictures, opens on April 24th, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

10. “The Soloist”
Release Date: April 24th
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Stephen Root, and Tom Hollander
Writer: Susannah Grant
Director: Joe Wright

Plot: The comeback kid of 2008, Robert Downey Jr., plays Steve Lopez, an LA Times journalist who discovers a former classical music prodigy living on the streets. Based on the true story, “The Soloist” details Lopez’s attempts at bringing the talented musician, played by Jamie Foxx, back to his feet.

Reason To Get Excited: Hanging onto the top ten by its dirty fingernails, “The Soloist” would have ranked a lot higher on this list if it hadn’t been bumped from the 2008 Oscar season for undisclosed reasons. That’s usually a bad sign. In fact, nearly everyone involved with making this drama seems to be distancing themselves from it, with Downey getting more press for his work on “Sherlock Holmes” and barely anyone talking about “The Soloist”. But there’s too much potential in that cast, the Oscar-nominated writer of “Erin Brokovich,” and the talented director of “Pride and Prejudice” and “Atonement” to completely dismiss this project sight unseen. Even the gorgeous score on the official site hints at a project that definitely should work. Yes, this could be the misstep in the Downey comeback and Foxx hasn’t really been stellar since he won his Oscar, but we’re not ready to give up on “The Soloist” yet.

The International, from Sony Pictures, opens on February 13th, 2009.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures

9. “The International”
Release Date: February 13th
Cast: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Ulrich Thomasen, Jack McGee, and Brian F. O’Byrne
Writer: Eric Singer
Director: Tom Tykwer

Plot: Clive Owen plays an Interpol agent working with a Manhattan Assistant District Attorney (Naomi Watts) in an effort to bring down one of the world’s most powerful banks. International espionage, worldwide cover-ups, and war-profiteering serve as the backdrop for what could be the action thriller of the winter.

Reason To Get Excited: Three words - Tykwer, Watts, Owen. The director of “Run Lola Run” and the stars of “Children of Men” and “Eastern Promises”. These names should give everyone reason to get excited. Why not higher on the list? Well, the preview looks a little goofy and early February is not often known for stellar action. Case in point - this weekend last year saw the release of the horrible “Jumper”. It seems unlikely that Owen, Watts, and Tykwer would make something that disposable with “The International,” but we’ll keep our fingers crossed that this will be the perfect Valentine’s Day alternative to “He’s Just Not That Into You” that we think it will be.

Adventureland, from Miramax Films, opens on March 27th, 2009.
Photo credit: Miramax Films

8. “Adventureland”
Release Date: March 27th
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Margarita Levieva, and Ryan Reynolds
Writer/Director: Greg Mottola

Plot: In the summer of 1987, a recent college grad (Jesse Eisenberg) takes a useless job at a local amusement park as he prepares for the real world.

Reason To Get Excited: Most people still think that Judd Apatow directed “Superbad,” but it was actually the talented Greg Mottola who helmed that hilarious flick and his comic follow-up looks like it has a similar charm. Eisenberg was great in “The Squid and the Whale,” Kristen Stewart has always hinted at potential better than the movies she chooses, and Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are currently the most talented male and female comedian on “Saturday Night Live”. There are several promising comedies in early 2009, but “Adventureland” is one of the most appealing.

Anna Faris as Brandi and Seth Rogen as Ronnie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ comedy “Observe and Report,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Photo credit: Peter Sorel

7. “Observe and Report”
Release Date: April 10th
Cast: Anna Faris, Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, Patton Oswalt, and Michael Pena
Writer/Director: Jody Hill

Plot: Rogen plays the bi-polar mall security guard Ronnie Barnhardt, who’s called in to stop a flasher from destroying his mall, but he needs the help of a surly detective, played by the often-funny and usually surly Ray Liotta. Also, the great Patton Oswalt plays a character named “Cinnabon Man”. ‘Nuff said.

Reason To Get Excited: Seth Rogen and Anna Faris are two of the most reliably effective comedians working today. Don’t get me wrong. Faris has made some BAD career choices. But the same can’t be said for Rogen, who gave two of the best performances of his career last year in “Pineapple Express” and “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”. And the great concept sounds like “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” but, you know, funny. We’re choosing to ignore that writer/director Jody Hill made the buzzed-about, though ultimately disappointing “The Foot Fist Way”. Everyone needs to start somewhere.

2009 Universal Pictures Preview: ‘Duplicity,’ ‘The Wolfman,’ ‘State of Play,’ ‘Drag Me to Hell,’ ‘Land of the Lost,’ More

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:48:02 -0700

CHICAGO – This new HollywoodChicago.com slideshow features production stills for films in the recently released 2009 Universal Pictures film slate.

These 2009 Universal Pictures films include “Duplicity,” “The Wolfman,” “State of Play,” “Wild Child,” “Drag Me to Hell,” “Land of the Lost,” “Fast and Furious,” “Funny People” and “Cirque du Freak”. The release dates, cast lists and filmmaker information for these Universal films can be found below.

“Duplicity”
Release date: March 20, 2009
Genre: Caper
Cast: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti
Written and directed by: Tony Gilroy
Produced by: Jennifer Fox, Kerry Orent and Laura Bickford
Executive producer: Ryan Kavanaugh

“The Wolfman”
Release date: April 3, 2009
Genre: Action/Horror
Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and Art Malik
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Screenplay by: Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self
Based on the motion picture screenplay by: Curt Siodmak
Produced by: Scott Stuber, Benicio Del Toro, Rick Yorn and Sean Daniel
Executive producers: Bill Carraro, Andrew Z. Davis

“State of Play”
Release date: April 17, 2009
Genre: Political thriller
Cast: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels and Helen Mirren
Directed by: Kevin Macdonald
Screenplay by: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy and Billy Ray
Based on the BBC TV series created by: Paul Abbott
Producers: Andrew Hauptman, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner
Executive producers: Paul Abbott, E. Bennett Walsh, Liza Chasin and Debra Hayward
Note: No images are currently available for this film

“Wild Child”
Release date: May 8, 2009
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Emma Roberts, Natasha Richardson, Shirley Henderson, Alex Pettyfer and Aidan Quinn
Directed by: Nick Moore
Written by: Lucy Dahl
Produced by: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Diana Phillips
Executive producers: Liza Chasin, Debra Hayward

“Drag Me to Hell”
Release date: May 29, 2009
Genre: Horror
Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Jessica Lucas, David Paymer and Dileep Rao
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Written by: Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi
Produced by: Rob Tapert and Grant Curtis
Executive producers: Nathan Kahane and Joseph Drake

“Land of the Lost”
Release date: June 5, 2009
Genre: Comedy/Adventure
Cast: Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel and Jorma Taccone
Directed by: Brad Silberling
Screenplay by: Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas
Based on the series “Land of the Lost” by: Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft
Producers: Jimmy Miller, Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft
Executive producers: Julie Wixson-Darmody, Daniel Lupi, Adam McKay and Brad Silberling

“Fast and Furious”
Release date: June 12, 2009
Genre: Action/Thriller
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz and Laz Alonso
Directed by: Justin Lin
Written by: Chris Morgan
Based on characters created by: Gary Scott Thompson
Producers: Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel and Michael Fottrell
Executive producer: Amanda Lewis

“Funny People”
Release date: July 31, 2009
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, RZA, Aubrey Plaza, Maude Apatow and Iris Apatow
Written and directed by: Judd Apatow
Produced by: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel and Clayton Townsend
Executive producers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Adam Sandler and Jack Giarraputo

“Cirque du Freak”
Release date: TBD
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Cast: John C. Reilly, Ken Watanabe, Chris Massoglia, Josh Hutcherson, Patrick Fugit, Ray Stevenson, Michael Cerveris, Frankie Faison, Jane Krakowski, Orlando Jones, Kristen Schaal and Salma Hayek
Directed by: Paul Weitz
Writers: Brian Helgeland and Paul Weitz
Based on the book series by: Darren Shan
Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Paul Weitz and Ewan Leslie
Executive producers: Dan Kolsrud, Andrew Miano, Kerry Kohansky, Sarah Radyclyffe and Courtney Pledger

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. Unless otherwise noted, all image credits for this 2009 Universal Pictures preview go to Universal Pictures.

duplicity: “Duplicity” with Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti.
thewolfman: “The Wolfman” with Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and Art Malik.
wildchild: “Wild Child” with Emma Roberts, Natasha Richardson, Shirley Henderson, Alex Pettyfer and Aidan Quinn.
dragmetohell: “Drag Me to Hell” with Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Jessica Lucas, David Paymer and Dileep Rao.
landofthelost: “Land of the Lost” with Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel and Jorma Taccone.
fastandfurious: “Fast and Furious” with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz and Laz Alonso.
funnypeople: “Funny People” with Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, RZA, Aubrey Plaza, Maude Apatow and Iris Apatow.
cirquedufreak: “Cirque du Freak” with John C. Reilly, Ken Watanabe, Chris Massoglia, Josh Hutcherson, Patrick Fugit, Ray Stevenson, Michael Cerveris, Frankie Faison, Jane Krakowski, Orlando Jones, Kristen Schaal and Salma Hayek. Image credit: Empire

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

News You Need: State of ‘Play,’ Carnahan’s Updates, Embry Gets ‘Eagle Eye,’ Ambrose With ‘Wild Things,’ ‘Hulk’ Photos

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:48:46 -0700

State of Pay or Play: According to Variety, Russell Crowe is in talks to take over for Brad Pitt in “State of Play,” which is an adaptation of the 2003 BBC mini-series.

Brad Pitt.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
The film was written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (“The Kingdom”) and directed by Kevin Macdonald (“The Last King of Scotland”). It was undergoing a rewrite by Tony Gilroy (“Michael Clayton”) and Peter Morgan (“The Queen”) before the WGA strike.

While Pitt has been notorious for dropping out of pictures at the last moment, his publicists claim he wanted to postpone shooting until after the strike.

Crowe – who is currently shooting Ridley Scott’s al-Qaeda/CIA-themed “Body of Lies” with Leonardo DiCaprio – is also prepping “Notingham” with Scott.

If Crowe turns down the role, Universal will likely go after Tom Hanks and Johnny Depp. Their strike movies (Ron Howard’s “The Da Vinci Code” prequel “Angels & Demons” and Mira Nair’s “Shantaram,” respectively) were also postponed.

“State of Play” already had the cast of Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman (reportedly playing a Mohawked “bisexual fetish club promoter”), Rachel McAdams and Robin Wright Penn lined up.

Nikki Finke off-handedly reported that Variety held off the story of Pitt’s exit for 10 days “at the request of Universal Pictures”.

‘White Jazz,’ ‘Killing Pablo’: Carnahan’s brother – director Joe Carnahan (“Narc,” “Smokin’ Aces”) – recently made two posts on his blog about the in-flux productions “White Jazz” and “Killing Pablo”.

“White Jazz” was adapted by both brothers from the James Ellroy “L.A. Quartet” novel.

The first post was simply a picture of Marvel’s Juggernaut, which was played in “X-Men: The Last Stand” by Vinnie Jones. He made a vague and playful inference that Jones was up for a role in either “White Jazz” or “Killing Pablo”.

Vinnie Jones.
Photo credit: IMDb
Jones – who was central in Guy Ritchie’s first two films – actually wasn’t in “Smokin’ Aces” (though it’s easy to mistake that film of Carnahan’s for one of Ritchie’s).

The second post pointed out that Christian Bale – who AICN has rumored to be playing John Conner in McG’s fourth “Terminator” – is still in “Killing Pablo”.

Christian Bale.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
Carnahan’s blog has been consistently entertaining and honest since George Clooney exited out of “White Jazz,” which then was set for a Jan. 2008 shoot date.

Carnahan even leaked the shooting scripts to “White Jazz” and “Killing Pablo” before being told hours later to take them down.

New ‘Eagle Eye’ FBI Agent: “Eagle Eye,” which has been shooting in Chicago, just added Ethan Embry (“Freakylinks,” “Brotherhood”) to its cast to play Rosario Dawson’s FBI partner.

Ethan Embry.
Photo credit: IMDb
In Other ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’ Alumni News: Lauren Ambrose will replace the voice of Michelle Williams in Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are”.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the filmmakers got along with Williams but felt her voice “didn’t match their original vision”.

Lauren Ambrose.
Photo credit: Theo Wargo, WireImage.com
The film co-stars Catherine Keener along with the voices of James Gandolfini, Forrest Whitaker, Tom Noonan, Paul Dano and Catherine O’Hara.

Written by Jonze, Michael Goldenberg and Dave Eggers (who is writing an adult novel adaptation), the film is to combine live action, computer animation and puppetry.

“Where the Wild Things Are” finished shooting in Dec. 2006 and is set for a fall 2008 release.

“Where the Wild Things Are”.
Photo credit: MTV
Ambrose is also set up to co-star with Parker Posey in Fox’s mid-season sitcom “The Return of Jezebel James” from “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino.

The network did, however, reduce its show order (thus giving it this Fox seal of quality: probable fait accompli cancellation).

Hulk Smash: ComingSoon.net has posted new photos and video of “The Incredible Hulk” along with a first look at the smartly cast William Hurt as General Ross.

Zey Don’t Belong Here, Mozambique: MovieWeb has a spoiler-full and potentially obnoxious rumor about potential cameos in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” by “old friends”.

Hint: They know sign language, and no, it isn’t the digitally generated ghost of Francois Truffaut.

By Shane Hazen
Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com