Emma Stone

Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg Deliver Action, Laughs With Great ‘Zombieland’

BrianTT — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:12:24 -0600

Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The horror/comedy “Zombieland” is one of the few 2009 films to honestly deserve the overused phrase “thrill ride.” From the opening shots to the best post-credits tag in years, “Zombieland” attempts nothing but pure fun and completely delivers.

The most flat-out enjoyable horror/comedy since “Shaun of the Dead,” and a film that deserves to stand just under if not next to that sub-genre masterpiece, “Zombieland” is destined to have a loyal cult following for years to come. But this is not just the product of midnight movie madness planners. “Zombieland” is the kind of film that could easily move beyond its genre fans and become a true crossover hit. You can keep your vampires, “Twilight” fans. At least until “New Moon” comes out, the zombies rule.

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

With refreshingly little explanation as to why the world turned into something out of a George A. Romero movie, “Zombieland” stars Jesse Eisenberg as Columbus, so named because all major characters are simply referred to by their hometown, as if they are the only surviving member left from that city. Columbus is a neurotic, OCD-riddled, socially awkward young man who only gets the hot girl across the hall over on the night she happens to turn into a zombie.

Columbus has a series of rules, presented in narration and with spectacularly rendered title cards, for staying alive in a world over-run by brain-eaters. Most are variations on his OCD personality, something that it turns out can be very helpful after the zombies take over.

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Zombieland” review.

‘Zombieland’ stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin. It was written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and directed by Ruben Fleischer. It opens on October 2nd, 2009. It is rated R.

Woody Harrelson stars in Columbia Pictures comedy ZOMBIELAND.
Photo credit: Glen Wilson/Sony

Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse With Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg of ‘Zombieland’

BrianTT — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:46:45 -0600

CHICAGO – Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg make an amazing comedy/horror duo in “Zombieland,” which is one of the most out-of-left-field surprises of 2009. It’s a great film that has been perfectly captured in the production notes in four words: “‘Midnight Run’ with zombies.” The stars of this buddy/road/horror movie recently sat down with HollywoodChicago.com to discuss the state of the genre, the end of the world, and how to make chaos look spontaneous.

Harrelson and Eisenberg star as Tallahasse and Columbus, respectively. Harrelson’s the alpha male and Eisenberg the neurotic follower and both are just trying to stay alive in a future where there are more undead than alive. The film is filled with increasingly over-the-top zombie deaths, but it’s the characters that will truly turn it into a cult classic, something that surprised the film’s stars.

Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson at the AMC River East Red Carpet Screening of Columbia Pictures’ horror comedy ZOMBIELAND.
Photo credit: Linda Matlow/Sony

“I thought it was just a great and really funny script that was completely original,” says Harrelson. Eisenberg adds, “I didn’t think that there would actually be any good roles written into a zombie movie. When I got the script, and I think Woody had the same experience, we read it from the bottom of the pile because you don’t expect that a zombie film is going to have such well-written characters…I was just surprised to see that this film had such rich characters and that it was as funny as it was.”

Jesse Eisenberg at the Chicago premiere of Zombieland, Sept. 28th, 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce/HollywoodChicago.com

Harrelson had already been cast when Eisenberg auditioned and it sounds like the chemistry was instant. Jesse mentions how he got the part because they worked so well together and Harrelson expounds, “He came in for that audition and I was really gratified because we were sitting in front of Amy Pascal and all the brass at Sony—I had the part but if I had been in his shoes, I would have just been…He comes in and oh my God, he was so funny. He was improvising and I was kind of taken aback because I wasn’t expecting him to do that. We were kind of playing with it right there in that very first audition, which I would love to see. It really kind of set the stage and when he left the room, I was like “I don’t think we need to go any further.””

Life on the set of “Zombieland” contained a lot of improvisation and controlled chaos. As for the former, Eisenberg says, “I would get together with Reuben and make a list of all the lines that I didn’t like and try to come up with alternatives. We would argue for like three hours about one line and when we would get on the set, he would go “Just say whatever you want.””

Eisenberg continues, “My favorite line that I came up with is one that nobody laughs at—the thing about getting a 4:30 shadow instead of a five-o-clock shadow.”

Harrelson adds, “I love the one that he came up with on the last day in what is our first scene together. He came up with the thing about tossing the drink and saying “One and done, that’s what I always say—well, I said it once.” I thought he came up with some great sh*t.”

Woody Harrelson still scanning the red carpet perimeters for potential zombies at the Chicago premiere of “Zombieland” Sept. 28th 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce/HollywoodChicago.com

When the destruction level of the film comes up, Harrelson wryly says, “I think that is always neat to watch. A healthy level of destruction and mayhem is a good thing to take in during the course of one’s day. I also think that we really felt at the end of the day that if we had slaughtered thirty zombies, we had actually done something.”

Harrelson may have had a blast but Eisenberg admits to being a little more stressed out on-set - “I thought it was stressful to do a film over such a long period of time but you just have to get used to that. The other thing was that in the other films that I have done, there are usually two camera angles per scenes and very small set-ups. I was doing 20 takes a day on this movie that I thought were awful and if you do that on a smaller movie, they wind up in the movie. With this, there were so many angles that they could cut around and I didn’t have to stress out over being perfect. ”

Why are zombies so forefront in the film world again with films like “Zombieland”? Harrelson thinks the real world has a thing or two to do with it, saying, “I think that a lot of it does have to do with having eight years of an administration that made us believe that zombies are taking over. Then again, I do think that maybe the vampires are a little bit ahead right now.”

The Bush administration was far from the only real-world subject of the day, something that shouldn’t be surprising for people who know how active Harrelson and Eisenberg are off-set. Even the Roman Polanski issue came up. Harrelson seems undecided by Eisenberg feels strongly, saying, “You don’t touch children. That is the worst thing in the world. You don’t know how badly that screws up kids—it screws them up for life. Kids are sexualized in the media more than ever. That is why the girl in our movie is such a great role model for kids. She and her family are aware of the way that kids are objectified and sexualized in movies even at her age and so they don’t put her in anything revealing or in any films that would put her in a compromising position. They put in her roles that present women in good ways.”

Woody Harrelson stars in Columbia Pictures’ comedy ZOMBIELAND.
Photo credit: Glenn Wilson/Sony

Even the trend for apocalypse films - “Zombieland,” “2012,” “The Road” - came up. Harrelson says, “I think that there is a real sense in our culture that we are heading towards some kind of apocalypse—maybe it is part of the Christian concept of the apocalypse but I am not saying that is an exclusively Christian concept. Maybe that is one of the things that make people resonate with these apocalyptic movies. I did this junket for 2012 and people kept asking me if I really thought that it was going to go in 2012 in the way that it seems to be going and I said that ecologically, we seemed to be right on target. I am really concerned with that because we are moving towards a very difficult time. Under Bush, we had eight years that were rough in every way, not the least was the assault on Mother Nature. However, I am not loving Obama—he made this statement when they were talking about trying to accomplish with the new legislation about global warming and he said “Let’s not let great be the enemy of good.” That just stayed with me and haunted me. “Great be the enemy of good”—let’s not make great, firm international legislation and try to settle for what we can get. LBJ probably would have said that.”

Will Harrelson and Eisenberg return to the world of “Zombieland” if given the chance? Eisenberg mentions a potential sequel more than once, saying, “I was thinking that they have to make another one.” To which the more veteran Harrelson hilariously adds, “You probably shouldn’t say that, just for negotiation purposes. Say “I have a lot of stuff lined up.””

Years of experience have taught Woody Harrelson that even in a film like “Zombieland,” the characters are going to rule the day. “That is what drives you through a movie. I haven’t watched the new Transformers movie but I assume that if you don’t care about those characters, then the movie fails regardless. I guess it was really up to Ruben to make sure that you had enough investment in the characters so that the big effects don’t interfere and the story moves along.”

Invest in Tallahassee and Columbus when “Zombieland” opens tomorrow, October 2nd, 2009.

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

Matthew McConaughey’s ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past’ Overdone, But Relatable

Ebeth — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:01:00 -0600

CHICAGO – “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” is the cinematic blending of two familiar formulas: the “love, lose and then love again” framework of most romantic comedies with the idea of transforming ghosts from the classic “A Christmas Carol”. The result: an overdone yet relatable story of a man coming to terms with his true desires.

Celebrity photographer Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) makes a high-profile living shooting the scantily clad. Connor’s true fame, however, seems to come from the serial seduction of his subjects: double-booked dates and time-saving breakups via conference call are a way of life for this master manipulator.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

His reputation preceding him, Connor is only a half-expected guest at his kid brother’s wedding. Upon arrival, he makes no effort to hide his disdain for long-term commitment while attempting to convince his brother, Paul (Breckin Meyer), to cancel the nuptials. The presence of Connor’s childhood sweetheart and scorned love, Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner), does little to mute his provocative behavior.

Connor’s antics predictably begin to unravel the wedding and those around him. And so begins Connor’s spiritual awakening – literally – as he’s confronted by the ghost of his mentor: the late Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas). Connor’s cad uncle reflects regretfully (yet comically) on his own life and the way in which he raised his nephew.

Read Elizabeth Oppriecht’s full review of “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” in our reviews section.

Uncle Wayne announces the pending arrival of the three ghosts and we’re soon whisked away on a journey through time.

This critic feels about the sequence exploring past girlfriends the way she feels about McConaughey’s experiment with his long hair: “eh”. The supposedly 16-year-old ghost, Allison Vandermeersh (Emma Stone), is distractingly over the top.

“Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” which stars Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Robert Forster, Anne Archer, Emma Stone, Daniel Sunjata and Noureen DeWulf, opened everywhere on May 1, 2009. The film is rated PG-13.

Read Elizabeth Oppriecht’s full review of “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”.

Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) tries to save the wedding cake in “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”.
Photo credit: New Line Cinema

Read Elizabeth Oppriecht’s full review of “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”.

Slideshow: 29-Image Gallery From ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past’ With Matthew McConaughey

BrianTT — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:30:09 -0600

CHICAGO – This 29-image slideshow contains the official images from Warner Brothers’ “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas, Emma Stone, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Robert Forster, and Anne Archer. The film, directed by Mark Waters, opens on May 1st, 2009.

Synopsis:

“Celebrity photographer Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) loves freedom, fun and women…in that order. A committed bachelor with a no-strings policy, he thinks nothing of breaking up with multiple women on a conference call while prepping his next date.

Connor’s brother Paul is more the romantic type. In fact, he’s about to be married. Unfortunately, on the eve of the big event, Connor’s mockery of romance proves a real buzz-kill for Paul, the wedding party and a houseful of well wishers—including Connor’s childhood friend Jenny (Jennifer Garner), the one woman in his life who has always seemed immune to his considerable charm.

Just when it looks like Connor may single-handedly ruin the wedding, he gets a wake-up call from the ghost of his late Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas), the hard-partying, legendary ladies man upon whose exploits Connor has modeled his lifestyle. Uncle Wayne has an urgent message for his protege, which he delivers through the ghosts of Connor’s jilted girlfriends—past, present and future—who take him on a revealing and hilarious odyssey through a lifetime of failed relationships.

Together, they will discover what turned Connor into such a shameless player and whether he has a second chance to find - and this time, keep - the love of his life.

New Line Cinema presents a Jon Shestack/Panther Production of a Mark Waters Film: Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner in the romantic comedy “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.” The film also stars Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Robert Forster, Anne Archer, Emma Stone and Michael Douglas.

“Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” is directed by Mark Waters from a script by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore, and produced by Jon Shestack and Brad Epstein. Executive producers are Marcus Viscidi, Mark Waters, Jessica Tuchinsky, Toby Emmerich, Cale Boyter and Samuel J. Brown, with Ginny Brewer as co-producer. The creative team includes director of photography Daryn Okada, production designer Cary White, editor Bruce Green and costume designer Denise Wingate. Music is by Rolfe Kent. Executive music producer is Ralph Sall.

“Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. ”

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 Ron Batzdorff and courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Ghosts_01: Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner) and Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) play foosball.
Ghosts_02: Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead and Jennifer Garner as Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner).
Ghosts_03: (L-R) Jennifer Garner as Jenny Perotti and Lacey Chabert as Sandra.
Ghosts_04: Jennifer Garner stars as Jenny Perotti.
Ghosts_05: Matthew McConaughey stars as Connor Mead.
Ghosts_06: Jennifer Garner stars as Jenny Perotti.
Ghosts_07: (L-R) Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner) and Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) catch up.
Ghosts_08: (L-R) Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead, Daniel Sunjata as Brad and Jennifer Garner as Jenny Perotti.
Ghosts_09: Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) realizes he may have just made a big mistake.
Ghosts_10: Director Mark Waters explaining an upcoming shot.
Ghosts_11: (L-R) Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead and Noureen DeWulf as Melanie.
Ghosts_12: (L-R) Sandra (Lacey Chabert) is devastated by what Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) has done to her wedding cake.
Ghosts_13: (L-R) Jennifer Garner as Jenny Perotti, Tom Kemp as the Minister, Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead and Daniel Sunjata as Brad.
Ghosts_14: (L-R) Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) is visited by the ghost of his Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas).
Ghosts_15: Michael Douglas as Uncle Wayne.
Ghosts_16: (L-R) Jennifer Garner and Matthew McConaughey on set with director Mark Waters.
Ghosts_17: (L-R) Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead and Jennifer Garner as Jenny Perotti.
Ghosts_18: Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) breaks up with three women simultaneously via conference call.
Ghosts_19: (L-R) Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead and Breckin Meyer as Paul.
Ghosts_20: (L-R) Camille Guaty as Donna the Bridesmaid, Rachel Boston as Deena the Bridesmaid, Jennifer Garner as Jenny Perotti, Lacey Chabert as Sandra, Breckin Meyer as Paul and Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead.
Ghosts_21: (L-R) Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead and Emma Stone as Allison Vandermeersh.
Ghosts_22: (L-R) Devin Brochu as Young Connor Mead, Emma Stone as Allison Vandermeersh, Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead and Michael Douglas as Uncle Wayne.
Ghosts_23: (L-R) Emma Stone as Allison Vandermeersh and Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead.
Ghosts_24: Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) desperately tries to save the wedding cake from disaster.
Ghosts_25: (L-R) Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) and Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner) share a moment after Connor Mead has destroyed the wedding cake.
Ghosts_26: (L-R) Michael Douglas as Uncle Wayne and Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead.
Ghosts_27: (L-R) Jennifer Garner as Jenny Perotti, Lacey Chabert as Sandra, Breckin Meyer as Paul and Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead.
Ghosts_28: (L-R) Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) and Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner) reminisce.
Ghosts_29: Matthew McConaughey stars as Connor Mead.

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

Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Rocker’ Hits a Few False Notes

BrianTT — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:21:35 -0700

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Rainn Wilson made the jump from supporting player on NBC’s “The Office” to leading comedy star in the so-so “The Rocker,” a film with a few inspired moments, some great cameos, and talented young actors, but the timing is a bit off with this routine. The Blu-Ray release goes a long way in redeeming the set list, but the entire show is still a little mediocre.

“The Rocker” is a frustrating comedy. Everything that works - Wilson’s fearless performance, great appearances from comedians like Jane Lynch, Will Arnett, Jeff Garlin, and Jason Sudeikis, likable young stars - is usually followed by something that just doesn’t click. There are some jokes in “The Rocker” that hit the floor with the thud of a bass drum. It may make a satisfying rental for some, but with the pedigree of the people involved, this super-band should have been better.

“A.D.D.” band members Amelia (Emma Stone, left), Curtis (Teddy Geiger) and Matt (Josh Gad) behold the splendor that is Fish.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk

Wilson plays Robert “Fish” Fishman, a drummer for the eighties hair band Vesuvius (which also features Will Arnett, Fred Armisen, and Bradley Cooper). The movie opens with a blistering set by the band, after which an exec offers them a breakthrough deal, but they have to axe Fish.

Photo credit: Fox

Twenty years later, in a world where grunge never killed hair metal, Vesuvius is the biggest band on the planet and Fish is working a desk job that he hates. He loses his job and is forced to move in with his sister (Jane Lynch), brother-in-law (Jeff Garlin), and musically-inclined nephew Matt (Josh Gad).

The young fellow happens to be in a band called A.D.D. with his friends (Emma Stone & Teddy Geiger), who reluctantly recruit Fish after their drummer gets grounded just before a prom gig.

Being back in the spotlight makes Fish think that he can turn A.D.D. into a mega-success and he tries to take the band on the road and reclaim the rock-god throne that he’s envied for twenty years. Of course, one of his band mate’s mother happens to be the super-cute Christina Applegate to give the movie a third act love story.

A little bit of “School of Rock,” a little bit of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” a few references to other man-child movies, and too much physical humor derail the awkward and often derivative script. But the cast is great. Wilson doesn’t hold back and you can’t do much better than Lynch, Garlin, Arnett, Armisen, Cooper, and Sudeikis in your back-up band. Even the young cast is excellent in roles much deeper than teen stars usually play.

The script may not work, but, unlike a lot of awful comedies, the cast make it out completely unscathed. If anything, “The Rocker” is more proof that even the most likable cast does not make a complete comedy. Just as in music, the lyrics matter as much as the person who’s singing them.

Newly-restored rock god Fish (Rainn Wilson) and band chaperon Kim (Christina Applegate) enjoy a rare moment of quiet.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk

The Fox Blu-Ray presentation for “The Rocker” is a great one with a nearly perfect 1080p transfer in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The colors are not too vibrant but the picture is always clear and the sound matches it with a great 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.

The last few Fox Blu-Ray releases have featured excellent technical presentations. They struggled a bit at the beginning with Blu-Ray, but appear to have turned it around. In general, Fox Blu-Ray still doesn’t stand up to the best of Warner Brothers, DreamWorks, or Sony when it comes to video and audio, but they’re getting closer.

And they have put together a completely comprehensive collection of special features for “The Rocker,” including two commentary tracks - one by director Peter Cattaneo and Wilson and one by Gad, Geiger, Stone, and Sudeikis - “MTV Panel,” internet podcasts, deleted scenes, a gag reel, Vesuvius gags, Matt gags, Pete Best interview, Vesuvius public service announcements, “Rainn Wilson Office Rocker,” “Behind the Band,” “Rock Tales,” “The Music,” “Rock Band with Fish Fishman,” and a music video for “I’m Not Bitter”. The film also comes with a digital copy so you can rock out on your portable device. Good luck with that.

Clearly, the Blu-Ray release for “The Rocker” is excellent. I wish I could say the same for the movie itself.

‘The Rocker’ is released by Fox Home Video and stars Rainn Wilson, Josh Gad, Emma Stone, Christina Applegate, Jeff Garlin, Jane Lynch, Teddy Geiger, Jason Sudeikis, Will Arnett, Fred Armisen, and Bradley Cooper. It was written by Maya Forbes & Wally Wolodarsky and directed by Peter Cattaneo. It was released on January 27th, 2009.

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

Blu-Ray Review: Anna Faris Shines in ‘The House Bunny’ But Average Blu-Ray

BrianTT — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:53:54 -0700

CHICAGO – “The House Bunny” never quite comes together as a consistent comedy but its charismatic and talented star, Anna Faris, and an ensemble willing to follow her bubbly lead should help viewers get over the rough spots in the screenplay.

Sony mistreats fans of the film with a purely average Blu-Ray, but renters are likely to be surprisingly satisfied with the film itself, even if there’s not much to the home release besides it.

Anna Faris doesn’t get nearly the credit she deserves for being a completely fearless comedienne with nearly perfect comic timing. She may not always choose the best projects for her talents (“Just Friends,” Waiting…,” “My Super Ex-Girlfriend”), but she’s almost always the best thing about those career missteps. Her comic thumbprint is all over “The House Bunny,” a movie not only conceived and spearheaded by her but one that instantly feels like it couldn’t exist with anyone else in the lead.

Faris stars as the airheaded-but-sweet Shelley, a Playboy bunny who never got the centerfold that she always dreamed of getting. At the age of 27, which is 59 in bunny years, she’s given the boot from the Playboy mansion and struggles to find a home. What better place to recreate the cameraderie she found with her fellow bunnies at Hef’s mansion than at a sorority house? Shelley finds herself mentoring the dorkiest house on campus and trying to save it from being closed due to lack of interest. Of course, she teaches the girls there (including Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Katherine McPhee, and Rumer Willis) a little bit of bunny confidence while they show her that she’s more than a pretty face.

Rising stars Emma Stone (“Superbad”) and Kat Dennings (“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”) add weight to a supporting cast that could have just been a series of unmemorable cliches, but the star of “The House Bunny” is Ms. Faris, giving yet another unique and charming performance.

Sadly, the script by Karen McCullah Lutz & Kirsten Smith isn’t nearly as witty as it could have been and the story feels overcrowded. In particular, a romance with Colin Hanks seems rushed and unsatisfying and we didn’t need a plotline for each of the sorority girls. But every time “The House Bunny” threatens to come apart at the seams, the centerfold saves the day.

The Blu-Ray release for “The House Bunny” is presented in 1080p with a 2.40:1 widescreeen aspect ratio. The film looks remarkably vivid with an appropriate mix of color and light. It’s crisp, clean, but never too bright or plastic-looking. It’s a great video transfer. The audio isn’t notable either way - good or bad - in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 in English, French, and Portuguese. There are also 5.1 tracks (just not TrueHD) in Spanish and Thai.

The let-down related to “The House Bunny” is in the special features. Sony has released their possible cult comedy hit with just a handful of very short features - “The Girls Upstairs,” “Look Who Dropped By,” and “Anna Faris: House Mom” - deleted scenes, and a music video for “American Idol” contestant turned actress Katherine McPhee’s “I Know What Boys Like”. It’s a very lackluster collection of special features. Of course, intense behind-the-scenes featurettes for a movie like “The House Bunny” would be surprising but Anna Faris fans would have loved a commentary or something more unique than basic EPK material.

‘The House Bunny’ is released by Sony Pictures Home Video and stars Anna Faris, Colin Hanks, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Rumer Willis, and Katherine McPhee, and was written by Karen McCullah Lutz & Kirsten Smith and directed by Fred Wolf. It was released on December 19th, 2008.

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

Interview: Rainn Wilson Lays Down Tracks Beyond ‘The Office’ in New Film ‘The Rocker’

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:10:08 -0600

CHICAGO – Rainn Wilson is more than just the popular NBC character Dwight Schrute. The bespectacled antagonist of “The Office” is nowhere in evidence this time around as Wilson sat down with HollywoodChicago.com to talk about his new film “The Rocker”.

The theater and TV veteran expressed a thoughtfulness and gratitude about his journey to this first feature-film lead role and spoke more about the craft of acting than the virtue of his celebrity.

Rainn Wilson in Chicago (left) for “The Rocker” with HollywoodChicago.com film critic Patrick McDonald (right).
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

Rainn Wilson is “The Rocker” (also known as Robert “Fish” Fishman) who joins his nephew’s band “A.D.D.” and finally reclaims the rock-god throne he has always thought he deserved in the film “The Rocker”.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk

“The Rocker” is a comedy about Richard “Fish” Fishman (Wilson): a drummer from the 1980s whose hair metal band “Vesuvius” is about to hit the big time.

Unfortunately, he isn’t going with them. The band decides to dump Fish right before the breakthrough. Distraught, Fish goes on a downward spiral for a few decades and ends up living in his sister’s attic in Cleveland, Ohio.

Rainn Wilson was able to play a drummer because he had a music background.

“I had a little bit of experience when I went to New Trier Township High School (in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, Ill.). There was a short-lived band I was in called Collective Moss,” he said. “We only played two gigs. We were the world’s worst cover band. We were just awful.”

Rainn Wilson in Chicago for “The Rocker” on June 10, 2008.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

Rating: 2.0/5.0

Wilson added: “But I could read music and that’s how I learned the tracks for ‘The Rocker’. I would tape the ‘score’ on the drum set and learn to play that way. This made it easier for me to pick up the rhythm.”

When Fishman’s nephew (Josh Gad) finds that his fledgling band “A.D.D.” is in need of a drummer, he turns to his now-older uncle to sit in. In a calculated turn of events, this new band (with old-man Fish on drums) becomes an up-and-coming sensation.

They go on the road with their parents (including Christina Applegate) and a new manager (Jason Sudeikis) in tow.

“A lot of dialogue was improvised,” Wilson said. “Jason Sudeikus would say some of the most wildly inappropriate stuff that would come out in a stream of consciousness. Josh Gad had the strangest wiring of his brain. You never knew what he was going to do.”

Christina Applegate is Kim: the mother of and chaperone to a young rock musician in “The Rocker”.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk

Rainn Wilson in “The Rocker”.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk

He added: “It was nice to see everyone doing their thing and being allowed to do their thing. Everyone was allowed to be funny.”

Strangely enough, it is Fish who’s the wild and inappropriate child on the tour. His antics almost derail the entire band. There is one last concert chance, though, at the Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame against his old 1980s band mates.

How did the normally lower-key characters that Rainn Wilson plays get morphed into a wild-man rock star?

“It was studying the drums. There is something about a drummer,” he said. “They’re not cerebral. I have a tendency in my life to be more cerebral and a bit reserved. But he’s a big puppy dog, a physical person and a ‘talk first, think later’ type with his heart on his sleeve. It was lot of fun to plunge into that.”

“There was no specific drummer who I based my character on,” he added. “It was a compilation of watching the heavy-metal drummers on YouTube. I recommend that to anyone. Start researching hair-metal drummers.”

Wilson also talked about the inevitability of comparisons between his essential Dwight Schrute character on “The Office” and drummer Fish in “The Rocker”.

“There are similarities between Dwight Schrute and Fish and there are differences,” he reflected. “But there has to be enough similarities so ‘The Office’ fans will line up when ‘The Rocker’ opens to see the guy who plays Dwight play a heavy-metal rocker dude. It was just a blast to enter into that whole genre of music.”

RELATED IMAGE GALLERY
View our full, high-resolution “The Rocker” image gallery.

RELATED READING
More film reviews from critic Patrick McDonald.

Finally, Wilson discusses his experience in working at “The Office”.

“I’ve been very fortunate because Dwight Schrute comes from the writers and creator Greg Daniels. They aren’t interested in doing things the normal way things have been done,” Wilson said. “They want to find different facets and different sides to all the characters.”

“It works well,” he added. “When you see Dwight’s vulnerabilities, people respond to it and are more likely to tune in. Then we get to make more episodes.”

Note: In a unique viral marketing promotion, Rainn Wilson has “kidnapped” “The Office” mate Jenna Fischer and will not free her until “everyone” sees “The Rocker”. Visit FreeJennaNow.com to play along.

“The Rocker,” which features Rainn Wilson, Josh Gad, Christina Applegate, Emma Stone, Jason Sudeikis, Teddy Geiger, Jeff Garlin, Jane Lynch, Fred Armisen, Will Arnett and Jane Krakowski, opens on Aug. 20, 2008 everywhere.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com