Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Video: ‘Inception’ Teaser Trailer From ‘The Dark Knight’ Director Christopher Nolan With Leonardo DiCaprio

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:10:45 -0600

CHICAGO – Riding off the ravenous wave of the explosively successful “The Dark Knight,” Warner Bros. has released a new teaser trailer you’ve got to see. It’s for the 2010 psychological sci-fi action-thriller titled “Inception” from “The Dark Knight” director Christopher Nolan.

“Inception” features a star-studded cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page (“Juno”), Cillian Murphy (“Sunshine”), Joseph Gordon-Levitt of “(500) Days of Summer,” Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”), Ken Watanabe, Tom Berenger and Michael Caine (“The Dark Knight”). Emma Thomas is a producer of “Inception,” which is written, directed and produced by Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight,” “The Prestige,” “Batman Begins,” “Insomnia,” “Memento”).

“Inception” is slated to hit theaters on July 16, 2010. Watch the new “Inception” teaser trailer below, see a screenshot we created from the trailer and read the film’s synopsis as we know it now!

Here’s what we know about the “Inception” plot so far:

“Inception” is a contemporary sci-fi psychological actioner set within the architecture of the mind for the serious-minded action auteur.

“Inception” from “The Dark Knight” director Christopher Nolan stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page and Cillian Murphy.
Image credit: screenshot created by HollywoodChicago.com from Warner Bros. trailer

Also, where do things stand with “The Dark Knight” sequel? We’re hearing it being named “The Dark Knight Returns” for now and IMDb is currently listing the Christopher Nolan follow-up film as “Untitled Batman Project,” but we do have its first poster here!

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

DVD Review: Catch Up With Animated ‘G.I. Joe’ Before ‘Rise of the Cobra’

BrianTT — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:26:26 -0600

CHICAGO – “Yo Joe!” Before Paramount unleashes “G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra” in theaters on August 4th, 2009, viewers should catch up with the height of the phenomenon with Shout Factory’s “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero: Season 1.1,” now available on DVD.

DVD Rating: 3.0/5.0

G.I. Joe is the code name for America’s daring, highly-trained special missions force, a group of soldiers defending humanity against Cobra, the ruthless terrorist organization trying to destroy the world. Relive the generation-defining adventures of Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Flint, Lady Jaye, and the rest of the Joe team before you see Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the cinematic reboot of the franchise.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero: Season 1.1 was released on DVD on July 14th, 2009.
Photo credit: Shout Factory

In the film version, Tatum plays Duke, Marlon Wayans plays Ripcord, Dennis Quaid plays General Hawk, Ray Park plays Snake Eyes, Arnold Vosloo plays Zartan, Said Taghmaoui plays Breaker, Rachel Nichols plays Scarlett, Byung-hun Lee plays Storm Shadow, Gordon-Levitt plays Cobra Commander, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje plays Heavy Duty, and Christopher Eccleston plays Destro.

The four-disc set of “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” includes 22 episodes of the landmark animated series, running just over eight hours in length. The episodes included in the set aired from September of 1983 to October of 1985 and are largely broken up into multiple-episode arcs that aired originally as mini-series. For example, the first disc includes the five episodes that comprise “A Real American Hero: The M.A.S.S. Device”. The second disc is “The Revenge of Cobra,” and the third “The Pyramid of Darkness”. The fourth disc is untitled but includes seven more episodes.

The first three discs of “G.I. Joe” include the three-part feature “Looking Back With Writer Ron Friedman”. The final disc includes “Knowing is Half the Battle” PSAs, G.I. Joe’s Original 1963 Toy Fair Presentation, Printable “Jungle Trap” Script, and Archival Hasbro Toy Commercials.

Critically, there’s really not much to say about “G.I. Joe”. How can you look back at a formative TV show of your youth with a critical eye? Like a lot of people of my generation, I grew up with G.I. Joe and Shout Factory’s set is like a product pulled from a time capsule of my youth. The technical presentation is a bit so-so and the special features could have been more extensive, but I look forward to the day I introduce one of the shows of my youth to my own son and now I know I can do that with the Season 1.1 set. And knowing is half the battle.

‘G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero: Season 1.1’ was released by Shout Factory. The show was released on July 14th, 2009. It is not rated.

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

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel Connect in ‘(500) Days of Summer’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:50:42 -0600

CHICAGO – Romantic comedies have been so sanitized, obviously for the protection of the movie consumer, that it is refreshing to meet a reality-based couple as they interact, co-mingle, love and clash in “(500) Days of Summer.”

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Summer is actually the name of the woman in the relationship, played by Zooey Deschanel. She is a co-worker of Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) at a greeting card company, where they meet cute after Summer admires Tom’s taste in music.

An office karaoke party is the next step in their coming together, with hints and flirtations becoming into a more subsistent intermingling. And so begins their excursion as a couple for 500 days.

The film uses a technique that skips from day-to-day, never in order (Day 6 might be followed by Day 438), as the dynamics of the romance play out through the various stages of the couple’s emotional interaction. Tom remains the hopeful optimist about the pairing throughout, while it is obvious that Summer has a distinctly different viewpoint.

‘(500) Days of Summer’ opens Friday, July 17, and features Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel and Geoffrey Arend, directed by Marc Webb. Check local theaters for showtimes.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full “(500) Days of Summer” review.

One of 500: Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Summer and Tom in ‘(500) Days of Summer’
Photo credit: TM & © 2008 Chuck Zlotnick for Fox Searchlight Pictures

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full “(500) Days of Summer” review.

Gen Art Film Festival: Chicago Red Carpet With Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marc Webb, Scott Caan

PatrickMcD — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:01:18 -0600

CHICAGO – The Gen Art Film Festival here had red carpet events last week for two movie premieres, “(500) Days of Summer” with star Joseph Gordon-Levitt and director Marc Webb, plus “Mercy” with star and writer Scott Caan.

HollywoodChicago.com was there for both events and scored some Q&A with the principle architects of both films.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lead Actor, “(500) Days of Summer”

The child actor favorite of “Third Rock from the Sun” is all grown up and is making a splash in the independent and now mainstream film world. Following stellar performances in “Brick” (2005) and “The Lookout” (2007), Gordon-Levitt is excellent in his latest, a relationship comedy directed by Marc Webb. Look also for G-L in this summer’s “G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra”.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt at the Gen Art Film Fest, Chicago, June 23, 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: How did your actor’s work on a sitcom and in television in general train you for the next phase of movie acting?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: I was really lucky that on ‘Third Rock from the Sun’ I was working with phenomenal actors. I learned a great deal from John [Lithgow], Jane [Curtin], Kristen [Johnston] and French [Stewart]. I use what I learned from them all the time.

HC: Rian Johnson and you created a substantial mind blast with 2005’s ‘Brick’. Do you anticipate working with him again, are there any projects floating about?

JG-L: I would hope so. Rian and I are really close and I think he’s going to be making movies for the rest of his life and hopefully I’m doing the same so there is bound to be an intersection at some point.

HC: Your first mainstream summer action movie is about to be released. What is the atmosphere on that type of movie set as opposed to your usual more sedate independent drama?

JG-L: The G.I. Joe set was nothing but fun. It was like getting together with your buddies when you were a kid and playing with toys. Even with all the special effects work, all it is was a fun bunch of toys.

HC: Growing up on screen has claimed its share of child actor victims. What has kept you not only balanced, but constantly evolving in the type and manner of screen roles?

JG-L: I guess I’ve been lucky enough to be around other cool people.

Marc Webb, Director, “(500) Days of Summer”

Webb is making his feature film debut with this beautifully crafted modern day love story.

Marc Webb at the Gen Art Film Fest, Chicago, June 23, 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HC: This is your first feature film. What was it about this particular script and theme that drew you into consideration to direct it?

Marc Webb: It was gut reaction, really. After I read it and put it down, something about it touched me. It felt very relatable, even though it was described as a romantic comedy. I hate romantic comedies.

From the first page I thought it was actually quite funny and by end of it I really related to it. It was a moment of total clarity. It made sense to me and I thought I could do it.

HC: Orson Welles once called filmmaking the “biggest electric train set a boy ever had”, what element of the ‘train set’ in directing do you enjoy most and how do you try to use it to its fullest potential?

MW: What Welles said is completely friggin’ true (laughs). I did a split screen sequence that was just a blast. It was a challenge technically but it really paid off.

Then we did a dance sequence that on-set was just sheer joy for everyone involved. It was just fun. And I feel if you’re not having fun shooting, you shouldn’t be shooting.

There are so many people on a film production working together to execute the vision, it’s magical. It’s actually oddly moving, I say that without irony.

Scott Caan, Writer and Lead Actor, “Mercy”

Caan, a veteran actor probably best known for his role as Turk Malloy in the “Ocean’s 11” franchise, is also a superlative screenwriter and director with three scripts to his credit. He breaks out with the poignant “Mercy”, a bittersweet love story that also features a prominent role for his actor father, James Caan.

Scott Caan (left), Director Patrick Hoelck and Lead Actress Wendy Glenn of ‘Mercy’ in Chicago, June 25, 2009.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

HC: As a veteran screenwriter, how was it writing a film about a writer? Did you get inspiration just sitting there plying the craft of writing?

Scott Caan: I think all writers at some point write a movie about a writer. I wouldn’t know how to write a story about an architect (laughs). Usually when I write something, there is always the character of “the writer”.

HC: Do you think you’ve had as much opportunity as your Dad to play different types of roles at a similar age? Or did the era he worked in give him the advantage?

SC: That’s a loaded question, and a longer discussion. He was a pretty big movie star and had the choice to do whatever he wanted. I’m not in that same position. I have to act when they will pay me to act, I don’t get to pick and choose as much. There just aren’t as many roles offered.

HC: Are you a student of any particular school of acting?

SC: I studied the [Stanford] Meisner technique for a long time. I like the moment-to-moment reality taught in the method. I like a type of training where nothing is planned, with more of a spontaneous approach to acting, it feels more artistic.

’(500) Days of Summer’ has a limited release July 17, 2009, and features Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, directed by Marc Webb. ‘Mercy’ features Scott Caan, Wendy Glenn, directed by Patrick Hoelck.

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

DVD Review: ‘Killshot’ With Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane Finally Gets Released

BrianTT — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:30:18 -0600

CHICAGO – How does a movie with Oscar-nominated leads, a prominent director, beloved source material, and an excellent supporting cast get delayed for so long that it inevitably gets quietly shuffled off to DVD? Well, if history tells us anything, having a complicated and troubled project in the Weinstein Company archives doesn’t help a movie like “Killshot,” an action thriller that has its flaws but none so big that it deserved such an unusual and lackluster fate.

DVD Rating: 1.0/5.0

Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, Thomas Jane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Rosario Dawson started shooting “Killshot” with director John Madden (“Shakespeare in Love”) in 2005. Then the dreaded Weinstein test audience process began. Entire characters (including one played by Johnny Knoxville) were excised from the film and “Killshot” had more release date delays than nearly any movie in history.

Of course, everyone moved on and Mickey Rourke became a star again with “The Wrestler”. So, after a minor theatrical release, “Killshot” is being quietly released in what is essentially a straight-to-DVD release to bank off Rourke’s return to fame.

Killshot was released on DVD on May 26th, 2009.
Photo credit: HBO Home Video

It has to be horrible, right? Only a train wreck of a film would suffer a fate as awful as the editing out of complete characters, three years of release date delays, and a straight-to-DVD release with no accompanying Blu-Ray, right? Of course not.

Killshot was released on DVD on May 26th, 2009.
Photo credit: HBO Home Video

To be fair, “Killshot” has some problems. It’s not too hard to see what turned off test audiences and spooked the executives. Hossein Amini’s screenplay based on the book by Elmore Leonard doesn’t quite work and even Madden doesn’t seem to have the right grasp on the character-driven crimes of one of the best genre authors of the last century. It’s hard to tell how many of the problems with “Killshot” are directly related to the nightmare post-production and how many were there in the first place, but it’s not like this is a perfect hidden gem that was completely railroaded by the Hollywood machine. But while it may not be perfect, “Killshot” deserved a better fate.

I think audiences will take to “Killshot” on DVD. Action films always do well on the home market and Rourke is absolutely beloved by nearly everyone who saw “The Wrestler”.

Rourke plays a hitman named Blackbird, a deadly killer who leaves no loose ends. Blackbird gets pressured into a job with the psychotic Richie Nix (a movie-stealing Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and stumbles across a pair of witnesses (Thomas Jane & Diane Lane) who see his face. The struggling couple gets put in the witness protection program and the rest of the film is basically a ticking clock until the two pairs inevitably meet up again.

Killshot was released on DVD on May 26th, 2009.
Photo credit: HBO Home Video

The set-up for “Killshot” is interesting but the follow-through is dull and plodding. It’s hard to tell, but it’s unlikely that years of delays and editing did anything to help the final product. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Thomas Jane, and Rosario Dawson all do good work but Rourke and Lane are surprisingly dull. Both of these actors are capable of so much more when given better material.

The film itself might be a solid 2.5/5 but this is a “DVD review” and the home release for “Killshot” is absolutely pathetic. With all the editing, you would think there would at least be a FEW deleted scenes. And how amazing would it have been to hear a commentary by Madden or anyone else involved after all this time? Have they all forgotten they made the film?

The fact is that in today’s market of great technical transfers and hours of special features, a bare-bones DVD without a single bonus and standard video & audio just doesn’t cut it. “Killshot” deserved better.

‘Killshot’ is released by The Weinstein Company and stars Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Thomas Jane. It was written by Hossein Amini and directed by John Madden. The DVD was released on May 26th, 2009. It is rated R.

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

Video: Preview For ‘G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra’ Video Game

BrianTT — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:15:13 -0600

CHICAGO – The trailer for the video game based on one of this summer’s more-likely blockbusters, “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” was released by Electronic Arts this week and we wanted to share. The movie that inspired the game will star Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Saïd Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans and Dennis Quaid.

The film is directed by Stephen Sommers. The story is by Michael B. Gordon and Stuart Beattie & Stephen Sommers. The screenplay is by Stuart Beattie and David Elliot & Paul Lovett. Based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe® Characters.

Synopsis:

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that development is underway to bring Hasbro’s legendary G.I. JOE® brand to all major console and handheld gaming platforms in summer 2009 to coincide with the theatrical release of the G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA live-action movie from Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment, in association with Hasbro, which opens in theaters August 7, 2009. EA will unveil a “first look” of the G.I. JOE® video game at Hasbro’s Showroom at Toy Fair on February 15-17, 2009 in New York City.

“As Hasbro and Paramount Pictures reignite the G.I. JOE® property this year with an all-new toy line and film, EA is excited to play a major role in bringing this icon of pop culture history to a new generation of enthusiasts through interactive gaming,” said Chip Lange, General Manager and Vice President of EA Hasbro. “G.I. JOE® offers exceptionally rich storylines and a cast of characters that lends itself incredibly well to creating an over-the-top action adventure video game that will thrill gamers as well as G.I. JOE® fans.”

For fans of all ages, 2009 is gearing up to become another watershed milestone in the timeless franchise by introducing even more new ways to engage, immerse and play within the G.I. JOE® universe. The G.I. JOE® video game will feature an exclusive storyline that picks up where the live-action movie leaves off, allowing players to re-create and re-live the greatest moments from the film, cartoon series and action figure toy line. The game will feature 12 G.I. JOE® characters, each with unique abilities and weapons. Adding to the adrenaline rush will be an intense single-screen co-op mode allowing two players to easily unite as a team in a classic struggle between good and evil as they work together to defeat the powers of the COBRA organization. The G.I. JOE® video game is under development for Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Wii™, PlayStation®2, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), Nintendo DS™, and mobile devices.

“G.I. JOE® has been an icon of action for 45 years,” said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Digital Gaming and Media at Hasbro. “EA has tapped the legacy of the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA saga to create an amazing interactive experience inspired by the movie, comic books, animated series and iconography that we hope will resonate with millions of fans.”

For more than four decades, G.I. JOE® has been one of the premiere brands in the history of boys’ toys. Originating the term “action figure” in 1964, Hasbro’s G.I. JOE® brand ushered in a new play pattern that forever changed the scope of the toy industry. The G.I. JOE® brand made another revolutionary introduction in 1984 with the release of the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA toy line, which introduced a generation of boys to the heroic G.I. JOE® forces, led by Duke, and their epic struggle to defeat the evil COBRA organization. The G.I. JOE vs. COBRA saga featured a diverse cast of characters – both good and evil – that became a part of pop culture through Hasbro’s toy line, an animated television series and best-selling comic book franchise.

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

‘Killshot’ Poster, Cast, Synopsis Information For Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane Thriller

BrianTT — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:55:14 -0700

CHICAGO – The Weinstein Company sent over the official poster for Killshot and information about the long-delayed release.

“Killshot”

Release Date: January 23rd, 2009

Cast: Diane Lane, Mickey Rourke, Thomas Jane, Rosario Dawson, Johnny Knoxville

Synopsis: From Academy Award nominated director John Madden (“Shakespeare in Love”) comes Hossein Amini’s wry adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s best-selling crime novel. The beautiful Carmen Colson (Diane Lane) and her husband Wayne (Thomas Jane) become entangled in a scam with a bumbling, small time con artist (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and his over-the-hill hitman partner the Blackbird (Mickey Rourke). Ultimately, it all comes down to one wife, one husband, two killers…and one lethal killshot.

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