New DVD Releases for the Week of April 14 2009
Here is a list of the new DVD Releases for the week of April 14 2009 (for TV on DVD releases head over to Daemon's TV):
The Reader
Synopsis: THE READER is a mesmerizing story of love and secrets, horror and compassion, set against the landscape of post-war Germany. When he falls ill on his way home from school, 15 year-old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna (Kate Winslet), a woman twice his age. The two begin an unexpected and passionate affair only for Hanna to suddenly and inexplicably disappear. Eight years later, Michael, now a young law student observing Nazi war trials, meets his former lover again, under very different circumstances. Hanna is on trial for a hideous crime, and as she refuses to defend herself, Michael gradually realizes his boyhood love may be guarding a secret she considers to be more shameful than murder.
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz, Kate Winslet, David Kross, Lena Olin
Director: Stephen Daldry
Recommendations: Since I haven't seen The Reader yet, I can't put it in the must buy category, but Kate Winslet did win an Oscar for her performance in it, so it's definitely a must rent.
Buy it: THE READER on Amazon
Movies That Are Coming out December 25 2008
We have received a lot of questions on what movies are coming on Christmas Day. So here you go, this is the list of all the movies coming out on December 25 2008 and I intend to see two of them on that day.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, Julia Ormond, Elle Fanning, Elias Koteas, Jason Flemyng, and Josh Stewart
Release Date: December 25, 2008
Watch the The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Trailer
Read all our coverage of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Low Down: How cool is this concept? Aging in reverse. I have to see this movie.
THE SPIRIT
Director: Frank Miller
Cast: Gabriel Macht, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, Jaime King, Sarah Paulson, Paz Vega, Eric Balfour, and Stana Katic
Release Date: December 25, 2008
Watch The Spririt Trailer
Read all our coverage of The Spririt
Low Down: Two Words: Frank Miller aka God Among Story Tellers. Of course, I will see this movie.
VALKYRIE
Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: Tom Cruise, Manfred-Anton Algrang, David Bamber, Matthias Freihof, Stephen Fry, Christopher Karl Hemeyer, Carice van Houten, Eddie Izzard, Thomas Kretschmann, and Bill Nighy
Release Date: December 25, 2008
Watch the Valkyrie Trailer
Read all our coverage of Valkyrie
Low Down: Not for everyone. I don't need to see such a heavy movie on Christmas Day.
10. MARLEY & ME
Director: David Frankel
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, Haley Bennett, Eric Dane, Alan Arkin, Jennifer Wiener, Marc Macaulay, Haley Hudson, and Sandy Martin
Release Date: December 25, 2008
Watch the Marley & Me Trailer and Teaser Trailer
Read all our coverage of Marley & Me
Low Down: Again not for me. I can't imagine seeing this movie after watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Spirit
Actress of the Day: SARAH PAULSON
SARAH PAULSON
What she's in: THE SPIRIT coming out December 25, 2008.
Her Character: Ellen Dolan
Why we like her: I have been a fan of Sarah Paulson ever since her first seeing her on the short lived TV show, Jack & Jill. Since then Sarah Paulson has continued to show off her talent on TV and in movies. With The Spirit, I think she will shine once more and show everybody what a great actress she is.
Biography:
Paulson was a series regular on the cult television show American Gothic and the WB series Jack & Jill (1999), playing the character "Elisa Cronkite". In addition, she had a minor role in the HBO series Deadwood, and was a focal character in an episode of the critically acclaimed FX series Nip/Tuck.
Paulson briefly appeared on the NBC series Leap of Faith (2002) as the main character, but the show was short-lived. In 2004, she had a supporting role in the ABC series The D.A., but that show also ended after a few episodes.
Paulson starred in a revival of The Glass Menagerie on Broadway, and has appeared Off-Broadway in Killer Joe, Talking Pictures, and Colder Than Here. Paulson's movie credits include Down with Love, What Women Want, The Other Sister, Levitation, and Serenity.
In the 2006-2007 television season, Paulson co-starred in NBC's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip playing Harriet Hayes, one of the stars of the show-within-a-show. To date, this is her most notable role, earning her a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actress in a TV series.
In December 2008, Paulson will be in the screen adaptation of Will Eisner's comic book The Spirit, playing an updated version of the character Ellen Dolan.
On August 25, ABC ordered her pilot Cupid to series. It is a remake of the 1998 program starring Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall, and it will co-star Bobby Cannavale. Original series creator Rob Thomas is currently overseeing script development. ABC will most likely air it late 2008 or early 2009.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Read all our coverage of The Spirit.
Actress of the Day: PAZ VEGA
PAZ VEGA
What she's in: THE SPIRIT coming out December 25, 2008.
Her Character: Plaster of Paris
Why we like her: There is just something about Paz Vega. I first noticed her in Spanglish, but Paz Vega had been around before that. And with a part in The Spirit, I am looking forward to seeing her take on this new role.
Biography:
Vega made her television debut in the Spanish TV series, Menudo es mi padre, which starred pint-sized rumba singer El Fary. After appearing in two other series in 1997 - Mas que amigos and teen drama Compañeros - she went on to grace the silver screen in 1999 in Zapping. The same year she also had a minor role in the David Menkes movie I Will Survive (Sobreviviré) alongside Emma Suárez, Juan Diego Botto and a cameo from Boy George.
She made her big break in 7 Vidas, also in 1999. The series was billed as a Spanish Friends and went on to become one of the country's best-loved domestic sitcoms. Vega played Laura, a perky Andalusian girl who had come to stay with David, who had recently come out of a coma. The series was broadcast on Telecinco and finished April 12, 2006, albeit without Vega.
The 2001 film Sex and Lucia brought the actress to the attention of a larger audience. She then became much better known in the United States after a star-making role in the 2004 James L. Brooks film Spanglish opposite Adam Sandler.
She recently co-starred with Morgan Freeman in the independent film 10 Items or Less.
Vega is also a model. She is signed to 1/One Management in New York City.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Read all our coverage of The Spirit.
Actress of the Day: JAIME KING
JAIME KING
What she's in: THE SPIRIT coming out December 25, 2008.
Her Character: Lorelei Rox
Why we like her: Jaime King can morph from a seductress to a clumsy girl, while keeping her grace and beauty. Her role in The Spirit will once again show what a versatile actress she is.
Biography:
In 1999, King began her acting career and made her debut in the Daniel Waters' comedy Happy Campers, as Pixel. Happy Campers was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2001, and in 2003, King was nominated for "Best Actress" at the DVD Exclusive Awards for her portrayal of Pixel. Filmed in 1999, she also appeared in Filter's music video for "Take a Picture". Following her debut acting roles, King appeared briefly in the film Blow, portraying the adult Kristina Jung, daughter of George Jung (portrayed by Johnny Depp). Blow was based on the real-life stories of cocaine smuggler Jung.
King made her first appearance in a large Hollywood production with her role as the seventeen year old nurse, Betty, in the World War II epic romance Pearl Harbor (2001). Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine had commented that King "has a lively minute or two" in the film, however, her part was small and the "young cast is mostly pinup packaging".[17] King went on to be featured in the Incubus music video "Wish You Were Here".[18] The roles King took part in during 2001 garnered her the "New Stylemaker" title at the Young Hollywood Awards.[19]
In 2002, she appeared in the teen comedy Slackers as Angela Patton, Four Faces of God as Sam, and the crime comedy Lone Star State of Mind as Baby. Slackers received negative responses from critics, including one who found that the characters "are not so strikingly original as to elevate the slack material", while Four Faces of God and Lone Star State of Mind did not have wide theatrical releases. 2003 saw King in the film Bulletproof Monk, alongside Chow Yun-Fat and Seann William Scott, an adaptation of a comic book by Michael Avon Oeming. She auditioned five times, did a screen test and a physical test in order to obtain the role of Jade, a character skilled in martial arts. This was King's first leading action film role, however, Bulletproof Monk had received mostly negative reviews from critics, who cited that the fight scenes were not as well choreographed or directed as those other genre films, and that the alternating comedic and action scenes were jarring. Despite those negative reviews, Bulletproof Monk was nominated for "Choice Movie in a Drama/Action Adventure" award at the Teen Choice Awards. Late 2003 saw King in the music video for the Robbie Williams song, "Sexed Up", and on the cover artwork for the single's release. In 2004, King appeared in the comedy White Chicks, playing Heather Vandergeld, with actress Brittany Daniel as her sister Megan Vandergeld, a parody on socialites Paris and Nicky Hilton. White Chicks was also negatively reviewed by critics, receiving five nominations at the Razzie Awards in the categories for "Worst Actress", "Worst Director", "Worst Picture", "Worst Screen Couple" and "Worst Screenplay". Despite the multiple Razzie Awards nominations, White Chicks received "Outstanding Directing for a Box Office Movie" and "Outstanding Writing for a Box Office Movie" at the BET Comedy Awards.
2005 saw King in a variety of film and television roles. She first appeared in the independent black comedy and satire Pretty Persuasion, playing a small role as Kathy Joyce, the step mother of Evan Rachel Wood's character. Afterwards, she gained lead roles in the film adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel Sin City. She had met with director Robert Rodriguez, who was a fan of her work, and at the time King was unaware that Rodriguez wanted her involved in the film. Eventually, "we started reading [the Sin City graphic novel], and it was really fun". King portrayed Goldie and Wendy, the twin prostitutes in charge of the girls of Old Town, in the segment The Hard Goodbye opposite Mickey Rourke. Sin City featured a large ensemble cast of well known actors which included Rosario Dawson and Jessica Alba, with whom King had "kinda grew up together" in New York. Sin City had opened to wide critical and commercial success, gathering particular recognition for the film's unique coloring process, which rendered most of the film in black and white but retained coloring for select objects; King was one of the few in the black and white film to have color, that being, red lips and blonde hair when acting as Goldie. The film was screened at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival in-competition and won the Technical Grand Prize for the film's "visual shaping." The family comedy Cheaper by the Dozen 2 featured King as Anne Murtaugh in yet another large ensemble cast, and the Al Pacino drama Two for the Money as Alexandria; both films had negative critical and box office reception. In television, she had a one episode guest appearance on the teen drama The O.C. and a recurring role on the short-lived situation comedy Kitchen Confidential. King was featured in the Zach Braff directed music video for Gavin Degraw's "Chariot".
In 2006, King appeared with a small role as Heather in the comedy The Alibi, and a starring role in the thriller True True Lie. Her largest role that year was in the David Arquette horror film The Tripper as Samantha; Arquette had, in addition to directing the film, had produced, written, and acted in it. King had a recurring role on the short lived comedy The Class, which ended its run on television after an announcement in May 2007. The Class had been nominated for an Emmy in 2007, and won the People's Choice Award for "Favorite New TV Comedy".
In 2007, King filmed They Wait, a horror-thriller film inspired by true events, with Terry Chen as her husband and Regan Oey as their son. She stars as a mother attempting to find the truth and save her son when threatened by spirits during the Chinese tradition of Ghost Month. It was featured in the 2007 Toronto Film Festival, but has not yet had a wide theatrical release.
Currently, King has five films in production that have release dates estimated for 2008 and 2009. The first of three to be released in 2008 may be the Star Wars-themed comedy Fanboys. Its release date was pushed first to January 2008 when director Kyle Newman received additional funding to shoot new scenes, but the busy schedule of the actors postponed filming. Still delayed, the filmmakers and its distributor, the Weinstein Company, are involved in a dispute over which version to release. In May 2008, King featured in another Newman-directed film, Act I of The Cube, the beginning of an online movie-making contest.
The Pardon, a film based on the true life story of Toni Jo Henry, the only woman to be electrocuted by the State of Louisiana, stars King in the lead role. The Jim Kouf comedy, A Fork in the Road, has King portraying the character of April Rogers, alongside Daniel Roebuck. Upcoming films include The Spirit and Sin City 2. The Spirit is a live-action film adaptation based on the 1940s newspaper strip The Spirit, created by Will Eisner, in which King portrays Lorelei Rox. The role reunites King with Sin City writer, Frank Miller, who is attached to write and direct The Spirit. The film has a slated release date in January 2009. King will reprise her role as twins Goldie and Wendy in the part sequel and part prequel of the Miller written and co-directed film Sin City 2.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Read all our coverage of The Spirit.
Actress of the Day: EVA MENDES
EVA MENDES
What she's in: THE SPIRIT coming out December 25, 2008.
Her Character: Sand Saref
Why we like her: It's hard not to notice the gorgeous Eva Mendes, especially since she has shown over and over again that she is not only a pretty face, she can act too. I expect great things from her in The Spirit and I don't think she will disappoint.
Biography:
Eva Mendes (born March 5, 1974) is an American actress. She began acting in the late 1990s, and became known after a series of roles in several major Hollywood films, including 2 Fast 2 Furious, Hitch, Training Day, Ghost Rider and We Own the Night.
One day she caught the eye of an agent who convinced her to pursue acting more steadily. Mendes worked her way up through commercials to music videos (including an appearance in Will Smith's video "Miami" and the Pet Shop Boys music video for "Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)" in 1996 and Aerosmith's video "Hole in My Soul" in 1997) to guest roles in soap operas and supporting film roles. Her first film appearance was in the direct-to-video Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror.
She received her first big-screen break when she appeared in the award-winning and critically-acclaimed Training Day. That performance led to roles in Stuck on You, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and as the female lead in the comedy Hitch opposite Will Smith. Her role in Once Upon a Time in Mexico also gave her a nomination at the Teen Choice Awards. Mendes has also been in commercials for Gushers, Revlon, and Levi's. Mendes costarred in Ghost Rider with Nicolas Cage, and most recently starred alongside Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, and Robert Duvall in the film We Own the Night.
Along with acting, Mendes is employed by Revlon Cosmetics as an international spokeswoman. She joins such elite actresses and models as Julianne Moore, Halle Berry and Cindy Crawford, who appear in Revlon's television and print ads. She is also a passionate supporter and active participant in Revlon's fight against breast cancer.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Some Filmography:
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) (post-production)
The Spirit (2008) .... Sand Saref
The Women (2008/I) .... Crystal Allen
Cleaner (2007) .... Ann Norcut
We Own the Night (2007) .... Amada Juarez
Live! (2007) .... Katy
Ghost Rider (2007) .... Roxanne Simpson
Guilty Hearts (2005) .... Gabriella
Trust the Man (2005) .... Faith
The Wendell Baker Story (2005) .... Doreen
Hitch (2005/I) .... Sara Melas
Stuck on You (2003) .... April Mercedes
Out of Time (2003/I) .... Alex Diaz Whitlock
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) .... Ajedrez
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) .... Monica Fuentes
All About the Benjamins (2002) .... Gina
Training Day (2001) (as Eva Mendez) .... Sara
Exit Wounds (2001) .... Trish
Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) .... Vanessa Valdeon
(Source: imdb.com)
Read all our coverage of The Spirit.
THE SPIRIT New Pictures
Check out some new pictures from Frank Miller's THE SPIRIT movie that have popped up on MovieWeb.
We get a closer look at Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, and Sarah Paulson.
I don't know about you but I have been excited about this movie ever since I first saw the trailer, and that's also why The Spirit is the #7 movie of our Top 20 Christmas Movies.
I am also really excited to see Gabriel Macht as The Spirit.
Check out more pictures from The Spirit, which comes out to theaters on December 25, below.
What do you think? Are you excited for The Spirit?
Actor Of The Day: GABRIEL MACHT
GABRIEL MACHT
What he's in: THE SPIRIT coming out Christmas Day December 25 2008.
His Character: Denny Colt / The Spirit: A rookie cop who returns from the dead to fight crime in Central City from the shadows.
Why we like him: Gabriel Macht is taking on an iconic character and based on the trailer and the clips we saw at Comic Con, he is a star in the making.
Biography:
Macht was born in The Bronx, New York, the son of Suzanne Victoria Pulier, a museum curator and archivist, and Stephen Macht, an actor and director. After graduating from high school, he attended Carnegie Mellon College of Fine Arts.
Macht was nominated for the Best Young Motion Picture Actor Award after playing his first role at age eight in the film Why Would I Lie? under the stage name Gabriel Swann. He has appeared in many film and television roles including A Love Song for Bobby Long, Because I Said So, The Recruit, and Archangel. Macht will play the title role in Frank Miller's adaptation of Will Eisner's The Spirit, scheduled for release on Christmas Day, 2008.
(Source:Wikipedia)
Read all our THE SPIRIT coverage here.
Top 20 Christmas Movies of 2008
Update: Check out which are the new top Christmas movies for 2009
We promised ourselves that we would put some order out there and give everyone a list of all the great movies coming out this Christmas season 2008. We also decided to include movies starting in November because for us, Christmas always start a little early. So while you are out buying gifts or gift cards for your loved ones this Christmas, make sure you keep an eye out for these these movies. So without further ado, here are the Top 20 Christmas Movies we are most excited about in 2008.
1. TWILIGHT
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Kellan Lutz, Christian Serratos, Elizabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene, Rachelle Lefevre, Anna Kendrick, Jackson Rathbone, Cam Gigandet, Michael Welch, and Justin Chon
Release Date: November 21, 2008
|
Twilight is the #1 Christmas Movie of 2008 because...do I even need to say it? Didn't you hear all those screaming fans over at Comic Con during the Twilight panel? And even if I wasn't screaming, I am as excited about the movie. Plus I am a big fan of Catherine Hardwicke's films. I just love her style of filmmaking. Her previous films include Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown. And don't even get me into how good the book is. Twilight is definitely #1 this Christmas. |
Watch the Twilight Trailer #1, Trailer #2 and Twilight Teaser
Read all our coverage of Twilight
THE SPIRIT Panel News Comic Con 2008
THE SPIRIT was actually a very exciting panel, they showed us two clips from the movie in addition to the already released trailer (which you can watch here).
- When explaining the wardrobe and character of Samuel L. Jackson, they called it the "black nazi."
- The Eva Mendes as Sand Saref scene shown is supposed to be underwater, but since it's a nightmare to actually film underwater, they used a new Phantom camera instead which shoots 1000 fps (frames per second).
- Even though the scene mentioned above is in slow motion, Eva Mendes had to act really fast while shooting.
- Eva Mendes actually broke all the nails on her hand while shooting this scene.
- The second scene shown was a fight scene between Gabriel Macht as The Spirit and Samuel L. Jackson as Octopus. They both use props in the scene which were created by Frank Miller.
- In that scene, The Octopus smashes The Spirit on the head with a toilet and then says "Come on, toilets are always funny."
- The Octopus also uses a giant wrench in the scene which led Samuel L. Jackson to say "I always wanted to hit someone with a giant wrench."
- The fight scene was in the mud which made each actor gain 6lbs because the mud was sticking to their clothes.
- That scene took about one week to film.
You can see pictures from The Spirit panel here.
