Movie News: Thursday, November 16

Unrest - Trailer
   Alison Blanchard begins her journey to become a physician in her Gross Anatomy class, where she must confront rows of cadavers and her own fear of mortality. When the sheets are drawn back revealing her cadaver, Alison senses a presence in the lab. Her jaded professor chalks it up to first year “jitters” but her worries increase when a friend is found dead.

Penny Dreadful - Trailer
   Penny, a young woman traumatized by a childhood auto accident that killed her parents, accompanies her therapist on a road trip back to the scene of the accident as part of her therapy to overcome her fear of cars. But, when the two women accidentally cross paths with a dark and mysterious Hitch Hiker, an attempt at healing takes a terrifying detour.

Grave Dancer - Trailer
   ”Old-school terror the way it should be.” Winner of rave reviews at the Tribeca Film Festival. A group of friends’ lives are invaded by a trio of hostile ghosts after they engage in a drunken bout of grave dancing during a wake for an old chum.

The Hamiltons - Trailer
   The Hamiltons seem to be the picture-perfect American family. They are hardworking community members; giving to their local charities, attending town hall meetings and always respectful of their neighbors... except for the fact that they usually end up killing them.

Reincarnation - Trailer
   From the director of “The Grudge” comes Reincarnation. A grisly murder, an ill-fated film, and a young actress are joined in this suspenseful, psychological horror in the tradition of The Shining.

Dark Ride - Trailer
   Ten years after he brutally murdered two girls, a killer escapes from a mental institution and returns to his turf, the theme park attraction called “Dark Ride”. About to crash his path are a group of college kids on a road trip who stumble across the park, unaware that this thrill ride is the last one they’re ever going to take.

Routh to Suit Up for Superman Sequel (E! Online)
   

E! Online - Brandon Routh did a pretty bang-up job saving the world last time, so…he's getting at least one more chance to do it again.

Bond film smashes box office record in Britain (Reuters)
   

Reuters - The new James Bond movie shook up the U.K. box office during its first day of release on Thursday, earning more than any other film in the spy franchise, distributor Columbia Pictures said.

Woman in 'Borat' seeks investigation (AP)
   

AP - The owner of an etiquette business who was handed a plastic bag supposedly containing feces in the hit movie "Borat" says she was told the filming would be used for a documentary in Belarus.

A minor movie about Yasser Arafat (Reuters)
   Reuters - Amid the current flood of documentaries revolving around the Middle East, Sherine Salama's "The Last Days of Yasser Arafat" -- which screened at the recent AFI Fest -- is a minor film.

Three Needles - Trailer
   In Thom Fitzgerald’s global triptych, the struggle against the common enemy of AIDS continues around the world, manifesting itself differently by country, by religion, by class, and by gender.

Italian mayor chats up TomKat wedding (AP)
   

AP - Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes will likely wed Saturday in a Scientology ceremony held at a 15th-century Italian castle in a lakeside town near Rome, the town's mayor said Thursday.

The Aura - Trailer
   On his first ever hunting trip, in the calm of the Patagonian forest, a shy taxidermist who secretly dreams of executing the perfect robbery stumbles upon an opportunity to make his dreams come true. Caught up in a world of complex new rules and frightening violence, his lack of experience puts him in real danger.

Two Weeks
    ( Release: Dec. 1, 2006   Rated: N/A    Details  ) — Four adult siblings gather at their mother's house to say their final goodbyes as dear old Mom shuffles off the mortal coil. However, Mom refuses to give up so easily and her kids are forced to live together for two weeks while trying not to kill each other the whole time.

Rookie screenwriter Arndt basks in "Sunshine" (Reuters)
   Reuters - Look up Michael Arndt on the Internet Movie Database and you'll find just one credit: "Little Miss Sunshine." So how did a rookie screenwriter hit a classic comedy home run his first time up? Simple, it took only one year to write and 100 drafts -- and another five years before it went into production.

Al Gore, Oscar Contender? (E! Online)
   

E! Online - He might have missed out on the White House, but Al Gore is in contention for an even bigger prize: an Oscar.

Review: `Tenacious D' an unripe pick (AP)
   AP - So Jack Black has cashed in on his success by getting someone to pony up the bucks for an ego project, "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny," a comic fabrication about how he and Kyle Gass formed their musical duo.

Sundance to open with documentary "Chicago 10" (Reuters)
   

Reuters - The Sundance Film Festival on Thursday unveiled its 2007 opening night film, "Chicago 10," a documentary that blends different movie styles and highlights the event's goal of supporting work made outside mainstream Hollywood.

007: From China with Love (E! Online)
   

E! Online - He has battled everything from SPECTRE to Soviet operatives to Hervé Villechaize, but never in his 40-plus years has 007 been able to crack such an implacable foe as China—until now.

Film renews controversy about photographer Arbus (Reuters)
   Reuters - U.S. photographer Diane Arbus has been both lionized and lambasted since her suicide in 1971 for her photographs of dwarfs, nudists, prostitutes and others on society's fringes.

Review: `History Boys' a so-so lesson (AP)
   AP - Some rare movies capture the intimate sense of a live-theater performance, the emotions so raw that the cinematic event horizon between actors and audience vanishes so viewers almost feel the performers are right there in the room.

`Chicago 10' to open Sundance fest (AP)
   AP - "Chicago 10," a documentary about the anti-war protests at the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and the activists prosecuted in the aftermath, will open January's Sundance Film Festival.

A very big big year in animation
   Lions and penguins and ants oh my! This year at the cinema there's one type of movie that has been very busy; animation. I happen to like slasher flicks a bit more that the child's play of animation but there is no denying that there has been quite a good market for movies about cute, fuzzy animals who learn life lessons and fight bullies. Problem is, the giant wave of cartoon characters this...

"Due to constant content theft, this is only a sumary of the Movie Blog article. Please visit us at www.themovieblog.com for the full post"

Blond Bond: Superspy becomes golden boy (AP)
   AP - As Daniel Craig makes his debut as the British spy in "Casino Royale," he becomes the first fair-haired 007 on the screen. He's also more rugged than suave, not exactly what fans of the movie series have come to expect over the years.

Eastwood's `Letters' joins `Flags' (AP)
   AP - "Letters From Iwo Jima," Clint Eastwood's companion film to his World War II saga "Flags of Our Father," has been bumped up to a December release, making it eligible for Academy Awards consideration.

'Royale' film is 3rd incarnation of tale (AP)
   

AP - This is not the first time James Bond strolled into Casino Royale. Hollywood has shot Ian Fleming's first 007 novel twice before — sort of.

Agents: MI6 not like James Bond movies (AP)
   

AP - Working for Britain's real MI6 spy agency is not quite like being James Bond, but the service does have a gadget guru like the "Q" character in the movies, two agents said in a rare radio interview.

'Truth' makes short list for Oscar nod (AP)
   AP - Al Gore has entered the Academy Awards campaign. "An Inconvenient Truth," which presents the former vice president's case about the dangers of global warming, is among 15 feature-length documentaries that made the short list for Oscar consideration, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Thursday.

Happy Feet Reviews
   The early Happy Feet review are out (you can see Sharon's here) and they're looking pretty good. I've been VERY excited about this film for a long time, and I can't remember the last time I was looking forward to a non-Pixar 3d animated movie. Here is what some of the critics are saying in their Happy Feet reviews:Tuneful and soulful in equal measure, this animated all-penguin musical is...

"Due to constant content theft, this is only a sumary of the Movie Blog article. Please visit us at www.themovieblog.com for the full post"

Golden Globes tap Beatty for lifetime honor (Reuters)
   

Reuters - More than 40 years since naming Warren Beatty Hollywood's "most promising newcomer," the journalist group that gives the Golden Globes will honor the actor with a lifetime achievement award.

Casino Royale Reviews
   The early Casino Royale reviews are now up... and whoever the morons were who started that whole "Craig Not Bond" website earlier this year are probably sticking their heads in the sand and hiding someplace. The Casino Royale review look, to put it mildly, amazing. I'm dying to see this tomorrow (missed my screening Monday). Here are what some of the critics are saying in their Casino Royale...

"Due to constant content theft, this is only a sumary of the Movie Blog article. Please visit us at www.themovieblog.com for the full post"

Bond VS Penguin - Who Will Win The Box Office This Weekend?
   This one is tough to call. Casino Royale may be the most anticipated action film of the year. But on the other hand we've learned that it's almost never wise to bet against a family film. So... who will draw the biggest audience this weekend? vizu_poll_id = 17558; vizu_category_id = 0; vizu_border_color = "#990000"; vizu_bg_color = "#ffffff"; vizu_bgTwo_color = "#ffcc66"; vizu_question_color...

"Due to constant content theft, this is only a sumary of the Movie Blog article. Please visit us at www.themovieblog.com for the full post"

Angelina's Bodyguards Strike Again (E! Online)
   

E! Online - The ongoing quest to keep Angelina Jolie safe seems to keep putting others in danger.

Weinsteins Sign exclusive rental deal with Blockbuster
   In a move that is fantastic for Blockbuster, pretty decent for the Weinteins, and absolutely HORRIBLE for consumers, the Weinsteins and Blockbuster have announced an exclusive DVD rental deal. The long and the short of it is this: From now on, films that are made by the Weinsteins are going to be exclusively available fro rental through Blockbuster. No other rental store, not Netflix, not...

"Due to constant content theft, this is only a sumary of the Movie Blog article. Please visit us at www.themovieblog.com for the full post"

New Rocky 6 Trailer
   The newest (and apparently final) trailer for Rocky 6 (AKA "Rocky Balboa") has hit the web. It's very similar to the other one we saw a little while back with a few additions that really change the feel of it. Look, I'm hardly ever wrong about anything. Everything I do and say is right (bonus points to whoever can name the source for that). But every once in a while, when the cosmos is...

"Due to constant content theft, this is only a sumary of the Movie Blog article. Please visit us at www.themovieblog.com for the full post"

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Poster
   Jarred sent me this first Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix poster this morning. I'm not a huge Harry Potter fan at all... but I really like this concept for the post. Looks great to me.

"Due to constant content theft, this is only a sumary of the Movie Blog article. Please visit us at www.themovieblog.com for the full post"

Visual Effects Oscar Should Be Pirates Booty
   Pirates of the Caribbean 2 was an over rated film by many people who went into the theater pre-determined to love it. Now don't get me wrong... I actually enjoyed the movie, enough to see it twice as a matter of fact... but in all reality it wasn't all THAT good. Fun? Yes. Entertaining? Yes. But so are many films, and to me, the first Pirates film by FAR out classed the second. Having...

"Due to constant content theft, this is only a sumary of the Movie Blog article. Please visit us at www.themovieblog.com for the full post"

New gay 'outings' sign of gossip culture (AP)
   

AP - When the comedian Bill Maher went on "Larry King Live" and alleged that some top Republican operatives were gay, it was too much detail for CNN, which edited the remarks out of later broadcasts and off the transcript on its Web site.

Jolie says new film role is challenging (AP)
   

AP - Angelina Jolie says playing the wife of slain American journalist Daniel Pearl in "A Mighty Heart" is challenging, as she attempts to portray her strength amid the loss of her husband.

New Babylon 5 Project
   Let all Babylon 5 fans rejoice in this bold step to feed their addiction. I personally only know ONE person who will be excited about this, and that is the Audio Edition Brain Extraordinare Darren Conley. I know this is more of a TV News thing, but since they were considering making a feature film, it relates to the Movie News in that this reveals there will not be a feature film. At least...

"Due to constant content theft, this is only a sumary of the Movie Blog article. Please visit us at www.themovieblog.com for the full post"

Cruise-Holmes wedding spot eluding fans (AP)
   

AP - Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, in Italy for their Saturday wedding, were still keeping their fans guessing Thursday about exactly where they will exchange their vows.

Baron Cohen discusses alter ego Borat (AP)
   

AP - Sacha Baron Cohen, whose fictional Kazakh reporter Borat has sparked controversy, says he could never put himself and others in embarrassing situations if he weren't in character.

After box office dud, Shyamalan hires new agents (Reuters)
   Reuters - Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, whose latest movie bombed at the box office, has left the United Talent Agency after more than 10 years, following such big names as Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell out the door. He has signed with Creative Artists Agency, the industry leader.

Lynch launches own movie "Empire" (Reuters)
   Reuters - David Lynch has sworn off movie studios forever.

Oz director Weir in search of Nazi sub (Reuters)
   Reuters - Australian director Peter Weir, who most recently filmed "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" in 2003, is returning to the sea with "Shadow Divers."

Jolie says role of slain reporter's wife challenging (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Angelina Jolie, who portrays the wife of a murdered American journalist in the film "A Mighty Heart," is keen to do justice to a role she says is more about breaking down cultural barriers than terrorism.