Jason Bateman

Slideshow: Chicago Premiere of ‘Couples Retreat’ With Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman

BrianTT — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:45:13 -0600

CHICAGO – This 3-image slideshow contains our ace photographer Joe Arce’s shots from the red carpet for the Chicago premiere of “Couples Retreat” on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009. Stars Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman and director Peter Billingsley walked the red carpet for the film that also stars Jason Bateman, Kristin Bell, Kristin Davis, Kali Hawk, Faizon Love, Jon Favreau, and Jean Reno. It opens on Friday, October 9th, 2009.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos are credited to Joe Arce and HollywoodChicago.com. All Rights Reserved.

couplesretreat: Director Peter Billingsley, Actress Malin Akerman, and Vince Vaughn pose together on the red carpet at the Chicago Premiere of their film Couples Retreat on Tuesday, Oct. 6th, 2009.
malinakerman: Actress Malin Akerman strikes an up close and glamorous red carpet pose for the HollywoodChicago.com camera at the Chicago premiere of Couples Retreat on Tuesday, Oct. 6th, 2009.
vincevaughn: Hometown Actor Vince Vaughn is all smiles for the HollywoodChicago.com lens as he begins his walk down the red carpet at the Chicago premiere of Couples Retreat on Tuesday, Oct. 6th, 2009.

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

Interview: From ‘Office Space’ to ‘Extract’ With Writer, Director Mike Judge

BrianTT — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:48:07 -0600

CHICAGO – Last week, the writer/director of “Extract,” Mike Judge, took some time with HollywoodChicago.com to discuss his many comedic creations from the characters of “Office Space” to “King of the Hill,” “Beavis and Butthead,” and, now, “Extract”.

In my role as a film critic, I’m regularly asked why there aren’t more good comedies out there. It feels like people want more quality laughs. And yet, the box office of the very good “Extract” this weekend, starring Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, and J.K. Simmons is a massive disappointment. Go out and see it before it’s gone.

“Extract” is clearly the blue-collar response to the white-collar comedy of the cult hit “Office Space,” even if Judge seems more sympathetic to (and admits he’d rather work on) the factory floor than the cubicle world. In fact, Judge considered making it right after his breakthrough non-animated venture but studios thought it was too close to “Office Space”.

Mike Judge on the set of Extract.
Photo credit: Miramax/Sam Urdank

He says, “I thought about doing something that was sympathetic to the boss. I enjoy the making of something, steering the ship and seeing it through, but I don’t get off on the management part of it. So, to me, the managers in Office Space were the kind of people who just enjoy telling people what to do. And, you know, when you try to be a nice boss, you can get taken advantage of. I also wanted to do something with a blue-collar setting because I think that world has its own unique set of characters in the same way that cubicles do.”

Jason Bateman as Joel and Mila Kunis as Cindy in Extract.
Photo credit: Miramax/Sam Urdank

“I’d actually talked about the idea right after Office Space and Fox had another option for a screenplay. My agents and managers thought it would be too like Office Space. At that point it hadn’t come out. Then by the time Idiocracy came out…that was one where the studio was going “That’s commercial,” and the focus groups said “We liked it but we wanted something more like Office Space.” (Laughs.)”

The drastic mishandling of “Idiocracy” could have scared off a director, but Judge has a very zen-like approach to it all, understanding that he doesn’t have any control over what happens with a movie once he’s done with it. He also recognizes that “Office Space” took time to find its audience.

Judge says, “I think nowadays that if people really like something, they’ll find it and they’ll tell people about it. I didn’t worry about that part too much. What did scare me is that I knew that I didn’t want to do something again where I didn’t have complete control. It just makes people nervous when you get above a certain budget level. I wouldn’t put myself in that situation again. I ended up pretty much having control over Idiocracy but I had to fight hard battles for everything even if I won all the battles.”

You may have watched it a dozen times but Judge hadn’t even seen most of “Office Space” in years, recently seeing the first half-hour at a tenth anniversary screening in Austin. He laughs when he says, “I was actually like, “Hey, this is pretty good.””

Jason Bateman as Joel and Kristen Wiig as Suzie in Extract.
Photo credit: Miramax/Sam Urdank

As for what he would change in his films, nothing in “Office Space” and nothing in “Beavis and Butthead Do America” He says, “There are episodes of the show…we just cranked that thing out and no one knew what they were doing and sometimes it was just a train wreck. Some are just great and then there are some episodes where I just think, I wish I hadn’t done that. Little things like that. Not so much in the movie.”

As for whether or not Judge will make another Beavis & Butthead movie? Don’t get too excited. “I don’t know if it will happen again. There’s nothing in the works right now. Somebody always seems to announce it and there’s not really anything happening. Originally, it was…I think we made that movie faster than anyone has ever made an animated movie. We made it inside of a year. (Pauses.) I’ve got different ideas. I guess it takes…to really do it right, it’s going to take a few years.

“I like to leave the door open, but it seems like every time I do that someone announces it as happening. Right after the movie, I said, “No way I’m ever doing that again. Screw these people.” But then I end up missing the characters. When I was writing Idiocracy, the guy I was writing it with, Etan Cohen, and I kept coming up with ideas. I wanted them to just randomly end up working tech support. You have a computer problem and you end up getting Butthead. (Laughs.)

“Or something like that. Etan was buying a car at the time and we would talk about the tactics that car salesmen used and how Beavis and Butthead would be funny in that world. We could see how all those tactics would play on them. I also had an idea that was probably too quickly after September 11th where they would get involved with some group the government was looking for. The promise of 70 virgins would motivate them…the CIA would be after them… (Laughs.)”

Jason Bateman as Joel in Extract.
Photo credit: Miramax/Sam Urdank

After the series finale of “King of the Hill,” it will be the first time since 1992 that Judge hasn’t had something on the air. he’s ready to “See what it’s like. Might be kind of nice for awhile.”

Jason Bateman simply rocks in “Extract,” giving arguably the best comedy performance of the year. He’s the perfect straight man for Judge’s brand of lunacy.

Mike goes into more detail - “I guess it’s what I love about Bob Newhart in particular - Jason has that thing where it’s fun to watch him react to things. Jason can also be a great character actor but, seeing him in Arrested Development, it’s fun to watch him react. He’s good at letting other people be funny without getting so over-the-top. That’s part of the problem. I found that when I was looking for actors in Office Space…Jason Bateman has that thing where ridiculous things are happening around him, he reacts in a way that’s appropriate and doesn’t make the whole thing seem ridiculous. He’s also been doing this since he was five or something. I’m 46. I’m older than him but he’s been doing it WAY longer than me. He’s completely comfortable being an actor and being on-set. So you can get these inspired moments out of him just being in the scene.”

Judge admits that he’s always been fascinated by the human capacity for stupidity and bad decision-making. As for Bateman’s character in “Extract,” “He can run a factory and be smart but when it comes to his personal life….And Ben’s character, he’s one of those guys who can make a really bad idea sound good. You know the kind who lead you down a path and then later go, “Oh, no, that was a really bad idea.” Full authority about something and then go, “Oh, did I say that?””

Do your part for the institution of comedy and see what Jason and Ben say in “Extract,” now in theaters.

‘Extract’ stars Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, Clifton Collins Jr., and J.K. Simmons. It was written and directed by Mike Judge. It opened on September 4th, 2009. It is rated R.

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

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

TV Review: Jason Bateman, Will Arnett Reunite For ‘Sit Down, Shut Up’

BrianTT — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:07:10 -0600

Television Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Will another animated show on Sunday nights be a perfect fit for “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” fans or will those beloved shows have set too high a bar to jump over for another cartoon to compete? People love their Homer and Stewie. Will they fall for the teachers of Knob Haven on “Sit Down, Shut Up”? Despite the incredible talent involved, I highly doubt it.

What incredible talent? Try the creator of the best sitcom of the ’00s, Mitch Hurwitz of “Arrested Development,” and voice talent that includes amazing comedians like Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Henry Winkler, Will Forte, Cheri Oteri, and Kristin Chenoweth. Lots of talent. Most of it completely wasted.

Sit Down, Shut Up
Photo credit: FOX

Bateman voices the lead, Larry Littlejunk, a gym teacher at Knob Haven High School, an educational facility where the teachers have way more to learn that the students. Larry has a crush on the science teacher Miracle (Kristin Chenoweth), an overly religious girl who probably shouldn’t be teaching about evolution.

In Plain Sight
Photo credit: Gregory Peters/USA

Larry and Miracle may be the center of the show, but “Sit Down, Shut Up” is over-crowded with crazy personalities. There’s acting Principal Sue Sezno (Kenan Thompson), “Ass Principal” Stuart Proszakian (Will Forte), English teacher Ennis Hofftard (Will Arnett), German teacher Willard Deutschebog (Henry Winkler), librarian Helen Klench (Cheri Oteri), drama teacher Andrew Legustambos (Nick Kroll), and custodian “Happy” (Tom Kenny).

The series does look different. It’s blend of 2-d animation against live-action backdrops that makes for an intriguing visual presentation. And I like the design of the characters.

The faculty of Knob Haven may look interesting and have great people voicing them, but they don’t say anything particularly clever or funny. I’ve seen the first two episodes of “Sit Down, Shut Up” and they’re just not as laugh-out-loud as you’d expect. They’re too often frantic, over-the-top, and ridiculous.

Too much of the show plays like something that Bateman, Arnett, Winkler, and Hurwitz came up with while sitting around after filming on a day off from the “Arrested Development” movie. It feels like everyone can do better. Perhaps if “Sit Down, Shut Up” featured unrecognizable voices and I didn’t know Hurwitz was behind it, but I expected so much more from these multi-talented people and I think viewers will tune out in droves.

The biggest problem is the ADD sensibility of the show. I know “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” aren’t exactly what you would call leisurely-paced, but there’s a difference between a show that’s well-timed like those series and one that just feels frantically eager-to-please like “Sit Down, Shut Up”.

If the show is to be saved, they need to put the focus on just a few characters, like The Simpsons family, and then let the supporting ensemble come and go. But, now, it feels like Bateman, Arnett, Forte, Thompson, Oteri, and the rest of the gang are all fighting for microphone time. As is, it’s likely that audiences will tell “Sit Down, Shut Up” to live up to its title and make room for another attempt at animation domination.

‘Sit Down, Shut Up,’ which airs on FOX, stars voice work by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Kristin Chenoweth, Will Forte, Henry Winkler, Kenan Thompson, and Cheri Oteri. It was created by Mitch Hurwitz. The series premieres on Sunday, April 19th, 2009 at 7:30PM CST.

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

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

Set Photo: ‘Couples Retreat’ Star Vince Vaughn at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 10:46:41 -0700

CHICAGO – After being tipped off on Jan. 28, 2009 from a reliable HollywoodChicago.com source that “Couples Retreat” with Vince Vaughn, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis and Jon Favreau (who also wrote the film, directed “Iron Man” and will direct “Iron Man 2” in 2010) would be filming in Chicago, we have now confirmed this information and have a Vince Vaughn set photo so you can visualize the scene.

“Couples Retreat” stars Vince Vaughn, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman, Jason Bateman, Tasha Smith, Jon Favreau, Faizon Love and Kristin Davis. Our Vince Vaughn set photo while filming “Couples Retreat” at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport can be found below.

HollywoodChicago.com reader “Kevin” captures Vince Vaughn filming “Couples Retreat” on Jan. 31, 2009
at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.
Photo credit: Reader “Kevin” for HollywoodChicago.com

Here’s the plot summary for the 2009 film “Couples Retreat”:

“Couples Retreat” is a comedy centered around four couples who settle into a tropical-island resort for a vacation.

While one of the couples is there to work on the marriage, the others fail to realize that participation in the resort’s therapy sessions is not optional.

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

Superhero Film ‘Hancock’ With No Superhero Ancestry Proves Bold But Deadly Decision

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:35:37 -0600

CHICAGO – With superhero films as hot in 2008 as psychedelics were in the 1960s, the new blockbuster superhero film “Hancock” fits in with the label but without any of the ancestry.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

While 2008 superhero films such as “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “The Dark Knight,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” and “Punisher: War Zone” (along with “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” coming in 2009) are all based on previous stories with a previously ravenous fan base, “Hancock” with an alcoholic and listless Will Smith and Charlize Theron – who hides a surprise bombshell – literally comes from nowhereland.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Hancock” in our reviews section.

View our full, high-resolution “Hancock” image gallery.

In fact, “Hancock” is the only 2008 superhero film not derived from a previously established comic book.

The original script for “Hancock,” which was inked by Vincent Ngo in 1996 and called “Tonight, He Comes,” was shuffled through the Hollywood director’s circuit until director Peter Berg (“The Kingdom,” “Friday Night Lights,” “The Rundown”) finally ate it up in Oct. 2006. Filming began in July 2007.

Its truly original origin could have either been its golden savior or its deadly assassin. The decision ultimately proved treacherous as everything it tried to do to be different just made it the same.

Its originality actually might not seem so novel, too, once you consider the 1983 film “The Return of Captain Invincible”. In that film, Alan Arkin plays Captain Invincible and Christopher Lee plays his nemesis (Mr. Midnight). Captain Invincible is asked to return from retirement to the superhero battlefields, but this time around, he’s a raging alcoholic. Sound familiar? Uh huh.

“Hancock,” which features Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman and director Michael Mann in a small acting role, opened everywhere on July 2, 2008.

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “Hancock” review.

Charlize Theron (left) and Will Smith in “Hancock”.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Will Smith (center) “Hancock”.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “Hancock” review.

Color-Pencil Animated Opening Credit Sequence For ‘Juno’ Surfaces Online

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:08:03 -0700

The color-pencil animated opening credit sequence for “Juno” has surfaced online thanks to its creator: Shadowplay Studio. I learned about this from a Dec. 27 post on /Film.

Watch the “Juno” opening sequence here!

Ellen Page and Michael Cera for “Juno” on Sept. 8, 2007.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
Since “Juno” director Jason Reitman also directed “Thank You For Smoking,” you wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Shadowplay is also responsible for creating that film’s opening titles, too.

Diablo Cody (left) and Ellen Page for “Juno” on Nov. 5, 2007.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
There’s universal agreement (as much as there can be universal agreement) that “Juno” is one of the best films of the year and perhaps the best of the independents.

Jennifer Garner for “Juno” on Sept. 8, 2007.
Photo credit: WireImage.com

Ellen Page (left) in “Juno”.
Photo credit: IMDb
Reitman says the following about the sequence in a blog post from Aug. 2007:

They were created by Shadowplay Studio, which is the same team who did the badass opening titles for “Thank You For Smoking”.

I met them back in 2000 when we both had short films playing the festival circuit. Their short (“This Guy is Falling”) was a really impressive half live-action/half animation piece they did in college.

When they did “Thank You For Smoking,” the titles were rendered on a series of computers in one of their mother’s living rooms. Now they got a fancy place in an art-deco building on Wilshire.

The “Juno” opening titles are out of control. I don’t want to give away too much, but the whole process was really labor intensive.

The Shadowplayers would have parties in which friends and family would help construct the whole thing. I can’t wait for you all to see it and then I can explain how it was done.

My interview with “Juno” star Ellen Page and “Juno” screenwriter Diablo Cody can be found here. The HollywoodChicago.com film review of “Juno” by Shane Hazen can be found here.

“Juno” screenwriter Diablo Cody.
Photo credit: WireImage.com

Ellen Page and Michael Cera in “Juno”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Jennifer Garner (left), Jason Bateman and Ellen Page in “Juno”.
Photo credit: IMDb

From left to right: J.K. Simmons, Ellen Page, Allison Janney and Jason Bateman for “Juno” on Nov. 5, 2007.
Photo credit: WireImage.com

Interview: Why Hollywood’s Enraptured With ‘Juno’ Scribe Diablo Cody, Star Ellen Page

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:55:39 -0700

Editor’s note: This interview contains explicit language. Due to length, it is being published as a two-part series to be concluded shortly.
Dec. 7, 2007 update: Part two can now be found here.
CHICAGO – Diablo Cody fittingly ushered in her Chicago “Juno” junket in classic Diablo Cody style: The night prior, she blogged with brevity where she’d be kicking back and when.

“Juno” screenwriter Diablo Cody.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
Though a frequenter of the German bar scene, the Red Lion in Lincoln Park was Thursday evening’s sanctuary with friends off the beaten press path. While legal in Canada at 20, “Juno” star Ellen Page wasn’t at Cody’s side until Friday.

More than most, our interview especially paid no attention to the live recorder.

Instead, the laissez-faire time morphed into a blunt and beguiling conversation replete with cunning perspective, quick-witted commentary, unexpected bloody fingers and all things “adamant” (Cody’s word of the day) and “slutty” (Page’s).

Page came forthright out of the gates about her kissing scenes with “Superbad” comic phenom Michael Cera. She said: “Yeah, there were quite a few angles and takes, so we made out a lot.” Had there been need for more kissing takes, she said: “Hey, if he wants to dish it out, I’ll take it.”

She likened Cera’s charmingly geeky and blameless character in “Juno” to someone she’d date in reality. A lightbulb came on and Page volunteered: “It’s weird. He’s similar to a very good friend of mine.” Cody knew who and had met him.

Now Cody – who loathes the label of a “stripper turned blogger turned screenwriter” (more the latter than the first) – first spoke in our interview with modesty and irony. She gave props to her Juno persona with relative awe.

“The character is semi-autobiographical even though the story’s not. I feel a definite kinship with Juno. It’s an easy character for me to write. It felt very organic. I really based her on myself as a teenager, but Juno is way cooler than me. I didn’t always have the ready response,” Cody said absolutely with ready response.

Ellen Page.
Photo credit: IMDb
She added: “I was a lot more emotional and immature. She’s a very brave, articulate young lady.”

Without needing to be prompted, Page was eager to illuminate her love for her character: “She definitely hides behind that – behind her sarcastic wit. The whole point of being an actor is learning to just be the person you’re supposed to portray. I really admired Juno and it was really easy for me to connect my heart with her heart.

“Whenever you play someone who’s honest, whole and well written, you’re going to be able to connect with them. Juno has a special place in my heart. I was obsessed with her. I read the script a couple years ago and wasn’t just interested in pursuing it. It was as if this needs to happen.”

At the time, Page had just viewed “Juno” director Jason Reitman’s “Thank You For Smoking” and was about to convene for a general meeting. One week after the meeting had been arranged, the news surfaced that Reitman would be directing “Juno”. Page says on the twist of fate: “I was in cloud nine.”

Wanting the leading gig in “Juno” was just as clear for Page as it was for Reitman. As for Cody: “The instant her name came up from the beginning of the process, I knew she’d be amazing. She’s one of the best of her generation. When Jason came on board, he was adamant about her and I was 100 percent behind him.

“In terms of casting, I put my trust in Jason as I did with many aspects of the film,” Cody said. “He was adamant about the cast he wanted.”

Cody’s one not only to think quickly before she speaks but also to listen to her own words after she does. She then discerned about herself: “I’ve used the word ‘adamant’ twice. That’s the first and second time I’ve used that word in a really long time. It feels kinda good.”

Ellen Page (left) in “Juno”.
Photo credit: IMDb
Page appreciates the fine art of fine vernacular, too, and offered: “My word that I’m using a lot lately is ‘slutty’. It’s good. It can have nothing to do with the word. If someone orders a tuna sandwich, slutty!”

With the film’s screenwriter at her side, Page was posed the question of whether she had to deliver any lines she despised.

“Honestly, no,” Page said. “There were some that felt more awkward and some I totally put my faith into Jason for it not to be ridiculous. Everything she wrote felt extremely organic to me. I didn’t speak the exact same way as Juno did when I was 16, but I did have my own specific language with friends.”

Back to Cody’s past and present, her essence today is drawn from all the good and the shameful of yesterday. While sometimes slapped with the negativities associated with a brief stint as a stripper, it’s perhaps surprising to learn she’s in fact more at odds with what has principally crafted her career.

“I tend to be somewhat ashamed of my blogging past,” Cody offered. “Blogging is vanity. It’s self-publishing. There’s no prestige in it. That’s not to say something has to be prestigious to have merit, but there’s something cheesy about being the first blogger turned screenwriter. I mind the stripper comparisons less.

“But [blogging is] where I come from. I owe my entire career to blogging. I was discovered because of the blog.”

She then interrupted herself due to a minor medical surprise: “I’m sorry. There’s blood all over my hand. I just cut myself really badly. It’s one of those small cuts that produces a ton of blood.” It’s that randomness – that quirkiness – that propels people’s growing interest in her. You never know what to expect with her.

Ellen Page and Michael Cera in “Juno”.
Photo credit: IMDb
In our Oct. 16 review on “Juno,” we wrote: “Cody is used to clever wordplay to pad earnest moments of connection and soul bearing. Formerly a brief stripper, Cody’s long-running blog gained national exposure with her memoir ‘Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper’.”

So how did Chicago-native producer Mason Novick discover Cody’s blog? Was he searching for porn?

Page silently nodded her head. Before treated with the answer from Cody, Page’s own avant-garde personality launched her into tangential narrative in response to bloody digits.

“I have scars all over my fingers because I’m a fucking klutz,” Page acknowledged. “I [recently] moved into a [new] place [and] bought nice hiking shoes. I like to hike. I was wearing them in my place. I have a really old apartment and everything’s wood.

“I totally ripped my fingers to shreds with a brand-new knife I bought. It’s the only thing I spend money on. I have used furniture and whatever, but I like cooking and good knives are important. There was blood everywhere and it had gotten all over my shoes.”

Though she seemed apologetic for divulging the glimpse into her personal life, without interruption her mind fired back to: “Oh. Porn. Mason. Searching.” Cody now dished out our answer.

“Mason has never really told me the whole story because we have an extremely professional relationship,” Cody said on reflection while staring into her past. “I believe he said he was Googling ‘pussy’ and found The Pussy Ranch,” which is the title of her current blog.

Jennifer Garner (left), Jason Bateman and Ellen Page in “Juno”.
Photo credit: IMDb
“That means vagina,” Page jested for clarification.

Cody pressed on into the story of her manufacture: “Who hasn’t Googled ‘pussy’ or ‘cock’ during a dark, lonely moment? He was probably at work, though. That’s the funny part.

“He found my blog and started reading it – shockingly. There probably wasn’t a lot of visual material for him to work with, but there was a lot of cynical blabber about the sex industry. He for some reason thought I would make a good screenwriter. I absolutely love that man.”

Cody offers her love for Novick with purely professional undertones, of course, as she has been married to Jonny Hunt for the past three years. They relocated from Chicago to Minnesota and currently reside in Los Angeles. The couple appropriately met where Cody spends much of her personal and professional time: online.

While Cody continues developing a cult following as one of today’s most promising screenwriters, being tagged “the new Tarantino” is her most prized praise yet.

“Ah hah!,” she declared with elevated volume and unadulterated pride. The meek chic geek then returned: “I wish I were that talented. I wish I had one pixel of [Quentin] Tarantino’s talent. He’s an absolute hero of mine. That [praise is] Jason Reitman’s largesse. That’s very nice of him to say. [Tarantino is] a fucking icon.”

Page interjected with sarcasm: “Who’s Quentin Tarantino? Does he go out with Oprah?”

Stay tuned for part two of this interview, which will be published shortly. “Juno” will open in limited theaters on Dec. 5.

Dec. 7, 2007 update: Part two can now be found here.
By Adam Fendelman
Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com