Jessica Biel

Blu-Ray Round Up, July 22, 2009: ‘12 Monkeys,’ ‘The Unborn’

BrianTT — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:54:09 -0600

CHICAGO – It has been a very busy July at HollywoodChicago.com and a few high profile titles have slipped through the cracks of our Blu-Ray coverage. We can’t leave any HD stone unturned, so we wanted to play catch-up and make sure you know about these releases via the legendary Blu-Ray Round-Up column. Horror movies, comedies, and a modern sci-fi classic from Terry Gilliam - there’s something for everyone in July’s Blu-Ray selection.

“Grumpy Old Men” and “The Unborn” were released on July 7th, 2009.

“The Haunting in Connecticutt” was released on July 14th, 2009.

“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” was released on July 21st, 2009.

“12 Monkeys” will be released on July 28th, 2009.

“12 Monkeys”

Photo credit: Universal

Synopsis: “Cole (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to save the human race from a deadly virus that has forced mankind into dank underground communities in the future. Along his travels, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) and a mental patient, brilliantly portrayed by Brad Pitt, who may hold the key to the mysterious rogue group, the Army of the 12 Monkeys, thought to be responsible for unleashing the killer disease. Believing he can obtain a pure virus sample in order to find a cure in the future, he is met with one riddle after another that puts him in a race with time. This sci-fi masterpiece from the genius mind of Terry Gilliam is a modern-day classic.”

“12 Monkeys” stars Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, and Christopher Plummer. It was written by David Peoples & Janet Peoples and directed by Terry Gilliam. It is rated R. The film is presented with a 1080P High-Defintion Widescreen 1.85:1 transfer with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Special features include a feature commentary with director Terry Gilliam and producer Charles Roven, “The Hamster Factor & Other Tales of 12 Monkeys,” and “12 Monkeys Archives”.

“Grumpy Old Men”

Photo credit: WB

Synopsis: “Two elderly, eccentric, next-door neighbors sustain a rancorous relationship that only a wise observer could recognize as a very special friendship. When a lonely, flamboyant, middle-aged widow moves in across the street from them, the male rivalry begins.”

“Grumpy Old Men” stars Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Kevin Pollak, Ossie Davis, and Daryl Hannah. It was written by Mark Steven Johnson and directed by Donald Petrie. The film is presented with a 1080P High-Defintion Widescreen 1.85:1 transfer with an English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 track.

The only special feature included is the theatrical trailer.

“The Haunting in Connecticutt”

Photo credit: Lionsgate

Synopsis: “When the Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history: not only was the house formerly a funeral parlor where inconceivable acts occurred, but the owner’s clairvoyant son Jonah served as a demonic messenger, providing a gateway for spiritual entities to crossover. Now, unspeakable terror awaits when Jonah, the boy who communicated with the dead, returns to unleash a new kind of horror on the innocent and unsuspecting family.”

“The Haunting in Connecticutt” stars Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Martin Donovan, Amanda Crew, and Elias Koteas. It was written by Adam Simon & Tim Metcalfe and directed by Peter Cornwell. It is rated PG-13 and unrated. The film is presented with a 1080P High-Defintion Widescreen 2.35:1 transfer with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track.

Special features include the audio commentaries with director, producer, cast and crew on the unrated version, “Two Dead Boys: The Making of The Haunting in Connecticutt,” “The Fear is Real: Reinvestigating the Haunting,” “Anatomy of a Haunting,” “Memento Mori: The History of Postmortem Photography,” deleted scenes with optional commentary by director Peter Cornwell, and the theatrical trailer.

“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”

Photo credit: Universal

Synopsis:”Adam Sandler and Kevin James star as best friends and fellow firefighters Chuck and Larry, the pride of their Brooklyn fire station. Chuck owes Larry for saving his life. Larry calls in that favor big-time by asking Chuck to pose as his “domestic partner” so his kids will get his pension. But when a fact-checking bureaucrat becomes suspicious, the two straight guys are forced to improvise as love-struck newlyweds. Jessica Biel, Ving Rhames and Dan Aykroyd co-star in this hilarious comedy.”

“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” stars Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, and Dan Akyroyd. It was written by Barry Fanard and Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor and directed by Dennis Dugan. It is rated PG-13. The film is presented with a 1080P High-Defintion Widescreen 1.85:1 transfer with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Special features include U-Control functionality, a feature commentary with director Dennis Dugan, Adam Sandler and Kevin James, and a feature commentary with director Dennis Dugan.

“The Unborn”

Photo credit: Universal

Synopsis: “Enter a world of unrelenting evil as terror finds a new form in The Unborn. From the producers of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the co-writer of The Dark Knight comes this shocking supernatural thriller about a young woman (Odette Yustman) plagued by chilling dreams and tortured by a demonic ghost that haunts her waking hours. Her only hope to break the debilitating paranormal curse is in an exorcism with spiritual advisor Sendak (Gary Oldman). See what lies beyond the doorway of our world in this non-stop nightmare of the undead…”

“The Unborn” stars Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Meagan Good, Cam Gigandet, James Remar, Jane Alexander, and Idris Elba. It was written and directed by David S. Goyer. It is rated PG-13 and unrated. The film is presented with a 1080P High-Defintion Widescreen 2.40:1 transfer with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Special features include deleted scenes in hi-def and BD-Live access.

Check out our full-length theatrical review of “The Unborn”.

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

‘House’ Star Olivia Wilde Named Maxim’s Hottest Woman Over Megan Fox of ‘Transformers’

BrianTT — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:28:05 -0600

CHICAGO – Maxim released their annual Hot 100 this week and made a surprising choice for their #1 slot, choosing “House” star Olivia Wilde over the popular favorite, Megan Fox of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”.

Maxim’s Editor in Chief, Joe Levy, said, as quoted by NBC, “Olivia Wilde has been the sexiest woman on television since she heated up ‘The O.C.’ five years ago. She’s smart, she’s beautiful, and she has dual citizenship in the US and Ireland - what more can a man ask for?”

Olivia Wilde currently stars as ‘Thirteen’ on FOX’s “House” and is also filming the highly-anticipated “Tron 2.0”. She will next be seen in this summer’s comedy “Year One” with Jack Black and Michael Cera. Previous credits include “The Black Donnellys,” “Turistas,” “Alpha Dog,” “The O.C.,” and “The Girl Next Door”.

HOUSE: Olivia Wilde as Dr. Remy Hadley.
Photo credit: Joseph Viles/FOX

Megan Fox, one of the hottest women online when it comes to internet searches and movie fans for her role in “Transformers” and the upcoming Michael Bay sequel and “Jennifer’s Body” came in second. The magazine writes, “Seriously, do women get more painfully hot than this? Megan Fox has the face of an angel, a body so perfect that God may have carved it out of soap…and sex appeal that could melt a unicorn’s horn.”

The gal pal of Mr. Leonardo DiCaprio and the latest Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model, Bar Refaeli, came in third. Malin Akerman of “Watchmen” and Mila Kunis of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” round out the top five.

The rest of the top ten, in order - Eliza Dushku of “Dollhouse,” model Adriana Lima, singer Rihanna, “Fast & Furious“‘s Jordana Brewster, and “The Ghost Whisperer“‘s Jennifer Love Hewitt.

#11-20 include some predictable choices like Jessica Alba (#13), Jessica Biel (#11), and Marisa Miller (#18), along with a few surprises like Katy Perry (#15) and Chan Marshall aka Cat Power (#19).

And, for the first time, a First Lady has made the list with Michelle Obama landing at number 93 between model Joanna Krupa and “Chuck” star Yvonne Strahovski.

Check out the full list here. Who did Maxim forget? Who did they rank too high? Let us know in the comments section below.

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

Slideshow: 27-Image Oscar Gallery From on Stage at 81st Annual Academy Awards

BrianTT — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:15:25 -0700

CHICAGO – This 27-image slideshow contains a selection of the award-winners and presenters at “The 81st Annual Academy Awards,” which aired on ABC on Sunday, February 22nd, 2009.

Winners and presenters include Hugh Jackman, Penelope Cruz, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, Anne Hathaway, Ben Stiller, Natalie Portman, Jessica Biel, Beyonce Knowles, Jerry Lewis, A.R. Rahman, Reese Witherspoon, Zac Efron, Alicia Keys, Robert Pattinson “Twilight” and “The Twilight Saga’s New Moon,” Amanda Seyfried of “Mamma Mia,” Danny Boyle, and Steven Spielberg

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 Michael Yada and courtesy of ABC. All Rights Reserved.

oscars2009_stage_01: Host Hugh Jackman
oscars2009_stage_02: Host Hugh Jackman and Performer/Nominee Anne Hathaway
oscars2009_stage_03: Host Hugh Jackman
oscars2009_stage_04: Penelope Cruz Wins Best Supporting Actress
oscars2009_stage_05: Kate Winslet Wins Best Actress
oscars2009_stage_06: Sean Penn Wins Best Actor
oscars2009_stage_07: Host Hugh Jackman
oscars2009_stage_08: Host Hugh Jackman and Performer/Nominee Anne Hathaway
oscars2009_stage_09: Presenters Robert Pattinson and Amanda Seyfried
oscars2009_stage_10: Presenters Ben Stiller and Natalie Portman
oscars2009_stage_11: Presenter Jessica Biel
oscars2009_stage_12: Performer Beyonce Knowles
oscars2009_stage_13: Performer Beyonce Knowles
oscars2009_stage_14: The Family of Heath Ledger Accepts Best Supporting Actor
oscars2009_stage_15: The Family of Heath Ledger Accepts Best Supporting Actor
oscars2009_stage_16: Phillippe Petit Accepts Best Documentary
oscars2009_stage_17: Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Jerry Lewis
oscars2009_stage_18: Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Jerry Lewis
oscars2009_stage_19: Zac Efron and Alicia Keys Present Best Score to A.R. Rahman
oscars2009_stage_20: Performer/Winner A.R. Rahman
oscars2009_stage_21: Presenter Reese Witherspoon
oscars2009_stage_22: Danny Boyle Wins Best Director
oscars2009_stage_23: Kate Winslet Wins Best Actress
oscars2009_stage_24: Kate Winslet Wins Best Actress
oscars2009_stage_25: Sean Penn Wins Best Actor
oscars2009_stage_26: Presenter Steven Spielberg
oscars2009_stage_27: Producer Christian Colson and the Cast and Crew of Slumdog Millionaire Win Best Picture

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

Interview: Writer, Director Neil Burger Follows Iraq Soldiers on Leave in ‘The Lucky Ones’

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:33:09 -0600

CHICAGO – In his short career as a writer and director, Neil Burger has taken on the John F. Kennedy assassination in “Interview with the Assassin” and the mysteries of magic in “The Illusionist,” which starred Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel.

With his new film “The Lucky Ones,” Burger tackles the dichotomy between the fighting soldiers in Iraq and a country that can’t equal that sacrifice on the home front during wartime.

Tim Robbins as Cheever in “The Lucky Ones,” which is directed by Neil Burger.
Photo credit: James Bridges

In a recent interview with HollywoodChicago.com, Burger spoke about the research he did in understanding the modern soldier, his surprising casting choice of anti-war activist Tim Robbins as one of the veterans and why he chose to relate this story while the Iraq conflict continues.

“What ‘The Lucky Ones’ shows about the situation now is the disconnect between soldiers who have given of themselves selflessly versus the self-centered attitude of the country when they get home,” Burger said.

The story involves three Iraq veterans on leave from the war. Stuck at an airport during a blackout, U.S. National Guardsman Cheever (Tim Robbins) manages to score a rental car to drive to his home in St. Louis.

He agrees to allow fellow soldiers Colee (Rachel McAdams) and TK (Michael Peña) to accompany him and then take the car to their destination in Las Vegas. Burger added: “Tim Robbins has been outspoken. That did give me pause in the sense that I didn’t want anybody to resist the movie.”

Michael Peña as TK and Rachel McAdams as Colee in “The Lucky Ones,” which is directed by Neil Burger.
Photo credit: James Bridges

Rating: 2.5/5.0

But he quickly interjected: “Tim is anti-war, but he’s also a great patriot. He loves this country and has done quite a bit of outreach with soldiers and their families. Tim liked the character and wanted to be part of the movie.”

The road trip of the soldiers also becomes a journey of conscience. All three people discover the country’s reaction to them and (in the case of Cheever) the dissolution of a marriage. Confrontations in a bar, a strange religious service and a wealthy man’s birthday party are just some of the America they encounter.

There is one particular moment in the film that Burger feels is emblematic of this country’s separated curtain between the war and modern life.

“There was one scene that happened at the wealthy guy’s birthday party,” Burger related. “Tim’s character says they were ‘just trying to stay alive over there’. The reaction from the party guest is: ‘Stay alive? No wonder we’re losing the war.’”

Director Neil Burger on the set of “The Lucky Ones”.
Photo credit: James Bridges

“I actually heard something like that,” he continued. “If the reasons aren’t presented exactly the way they want to hear it, it’s shocking how quickly people who say they support the troops or support the war are willing to condemn or alienate even the good soldiers.”

But Burger was quick to point out that the film isn’t about the physical aspect of fighting the war but the inner conflict of adjusting to the homeland away from the battlefield.

“When these soldiers come home, I learned that their feelings toward everyone saying ‘thank you! thank you!’ – as I depict in the movie – completely rubs them the wrong way,” he explained. “They would rather be told ‘welcome home’ than ‘thank you’. To them, ‘thank you’ implies ‘thank you for doing it so I didn’t have to’. They feel as if there is an emptiness behind it.”

Burger added: “Ultimately, however, the movie and the characters are less about soldiering and more about what they want as ordinary Americans who come home.”

He continued: “[They want] to have a good time and find their families and loved ones. That is when they find they’re strangers in their own land.”

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

RELATED READING
More film reviews from critic Patrick McDonald.

Even though the subject of the film deals with the Iraq war in the background, it’s more of a mirror to the United States culture that reacts to their soldiers coming back (similar to the World War II-era film “Best Years of Our Lives” and the Vietnam-themed “Coming Home”).

“The movie looks at America now. [It’s] a snapshot of the country now,” Burger said.

He concluded: “We used to have a collective psychology and a sense of national purpose. That has been lost in recent years. The war is a depressing situation and people tend to turn away from depressing things. But this has long-term consequences for the overall moral health of the country.”

“The Lucky Ones,” which opened everywhere on Sept. 26, 2008, is written and directed by Neil Burger and features Tim Robbins, Rachel McAdams, Michael Peña, John Heard and Molly Hagan.

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