Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant Oct 23, 2009
However, Weitz, who is best known for his low-key comedies In Good Company and About a Boy (along with the less-than-low-key American Pie), does his best to keep this unwieldy story under control, while potentially intriguing characters like Willem Dafoe s vampire general drop in and out of the film. And while the visuals here certainly look nice, overall the spectacle doesn t offer many new thrills. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Bartlett: Coverage of trivial stories is ballooning Oct 22, 2009
To put things in perspective, just think of the numerous issues that could've been covered in the time the media have spent obsessing about a boy who never even was in a balloon. Here are a few possibilities. (Athens Banner-Herald)
'Cirque du Freak' Oct 22, 2009
Weitz should have known that, too, having helmed the solid 2004 comedy "In Good Company," 2002's "About a Boy" and 1999's "American Pie.". Instead, "Cirque du Freak" might be the single most overstuffed movie of the year. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Paul and Chris Weitz find a blood bond Oct 20, 2009
That upper-class pedigree might not have been immediately recognizable in their first film, 1999's raunchy teen sex comedy "American Pie," or its follow-up, 2001's "Heaven Can Wait" update "Down to Earth." But it began to emerge in 2002's "About a Boy," which earned Paul and Chris (and writer Peter Hedges) an Oscar nomination for their screenplay. Based on the Nick Hornby novel, the film, which the Weitzes also directed, offered a serio-comic take on the relationship between an unrepentant... (FOX59, IN)
Boyhood, beasts cast a giant spell Oct 19, 2009
In Maurice Sendak's beloved Where the Wild Things Are, about a boy named Max who journeys to a place inhabited by creatures that declare him king, you found your inner "rumpus," to borrow a word ... In Maurice Sendak's beloved Where the Wild Things Are, about a boy named Max who journeys to a place inhabited by creatures that declare him king, you found your inner "rumpus," to borrow a word. (India Times)
Ranbir was Raj Kapoor's favorite Oct 18, 2009
I would definitely like to cast myself because I know my film would be about a boy my age. And Id like to believe no one else would fit the bill better. (India Times, India)
Jonze bravely sails into 'Where The Wild Things Are' Oct 16, 2009
WildThings 's 1963 story about a boy named Max who is sent to bed without dinner and dreams up a world of clawed giants to command is as typical a children's movie as the book was a children's story. Jonze leaned on newcomers, oversized puppets and the sometimes-critical advice of a legendary author to bring the story to life. (USA Today)
Parents guide to new movie releases Oct 15, 2009
The studio was queasy over the dark, menacing tinges Jonze brought to the story about a boy who sails off to an island where resident monsters proclaim him their king ... The studio was queasy over the dark, menacing tinges Jonze brought to the story about a boy who sails off to an island where resident monsters proclaim him their king. (Fresno Bee -- Lifestyle)
Nick Hornby riffs on fame, Internet in 'Juliet, Naked' Oct 15, 2009
The story that ensues explores some of the same themes obsession and identity in Hornby's previous best sellers, , and About a Boy, all of which became popular movies. Hornby, who's British and is a former pop-music critic for The New Yorker, sets Juliet, Naked in the digital age, which has changed the nature of obscurity. (USA Today -- Life)
Wild Things author isnt wild about Hollywood Oct 14, 2009
The other is illustrated and about a boy who "unfortunately for him happened to look like and be a pig.". Max, of "Wild Things," would at this point be around 50. (MSNBC -- Lifestyle)
Mulligan is rounding out her 'Education' Oct 12, 2009
Novelist Nick Hornby ("High Fidelity," "About a Boy"), who wrote the script based on a memoir by Lynn Barber set in the early 1960s, at first worried that it would ruin the story to hire someone Mulligan's age to play Jenny rather than a teenager. "And then when you see her in the schoolgirl scenes, you think, 'Hey. You can't have someone sleeping with her. That's indecent,' " Hornby has commented. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
‘An Education’ star Carey Mulligan learns on the job Oct 11, 2009
Lone Scherfig, who directed An Education from a script by novelist Nick Hornby ( High Fidelity, About a Boy ), says she doesn t understand why there could be controversy over a 30-something having a relationship with a willing 16-year-old who he plies with nice things. And she has a 15-year-old daughter. (Boston Globe)
Loved the books? see the flicks! Oct 10, 2009
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA (2007): A faithful version of Katherine Paterson s novel about a boy, a girl and the secret land where they rule as king and queen, this new classic is a moving tale of friendship and imagination ... BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA (2007): A faithful version of Katherine Paterson s novel about a boy, a girl and the secret land where they rule as king and queen, this new classic is a moving tale of friendship and imagination. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Parents ask: where did all the good kids' movies go? Oct 10, 2009
With a week of school holidays to go in NSW, the other main options for young cinema-goers are Shorts, about a boy who finds a rock that grants wishes; Aliens in the Attic, in which children take on pint-sized invaders; and, more for teens, Fame, a remake of the 1980 film on performers at a New York school. The animated Astro Boy opens on Thursday. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Film Review: Mulligan radiates in ‘An Education’ Oct 9, 2009
(It s a rare example of Hornby, author of High Fidelity and About a Boy, adapting someone else s work. The challenge is: How to make David, and this ill-advised relationship, seem thrilling rather than creepy. (Carroll County Times, MD)
'An Education' teaches a vivid lesson in life, love Oct 9, 2009
Novelist (, About a Boy) expanded it brilliantly for the screen, with a sharp screenplay full of witty dialogue that will ring familiar to fans of his books. Jenny is on the academic track established by her overbearing father (an excellent ) and understanding mother (Cara Seymour) until she meets David (a pitch-perfect ), a charming and worldly thirtyish man. (USA Today -- Life)
An Education earns high, if not perfect, scores Oct 8, 2009
Adapting Lynn Barbers memoir, screenwriter Nick Hornby (the novelist behind High Fidelity and About a Boy, among others) and director Lone Scherfig (Italian for Beginners) imbue the movie with a sprightly and delightful energy; working in tandem with Mulligan, the filmmakers make Jenny burst off the screen with intelligence, restlessness and potential. By the final third of An Education, however, Jenny has to learn the hard life lessons, and Hornby and Scherfig cant... (MSNBC -- Movies)
Modern and dysfunctional Oct 5, 2009
Nick Hornby, author of "High Fidelity" and "About a Boy" releases new book Tuesday ... Best known for his novels "High Fidelity" and "About a Boy," both of which were turned into movies (as was his memoir, "Fever Pitch"), Hornby's latest novel, "Juliet, Naked," released in the United Kingdom on September 1, has just been released in the United States ... How much, if at all, has that informed your writing when it comes to getting into the heads of kids and adolescents in, for example, "About a... (CNN)
Oscar Watch: George Clooney, The Coen Brothers And More Oct 3, 2009
Directed by Denmark's Lone Scherfig and written by Nick Hornby ("About a Boy"), could it be this year's "Juno". "Pirate Radio" Oscar-nominated writer Richard Curtis ("Four Weddings and a Funeral") returns with this comedy about an offshore pirate station in the swinging '60s. (VHI.com -- Music News)
'Three Rivers' is a pleasing medical drama Oct 2, 2009
Sunday's premiere tells those stories as well as a nontransplant subplot about a boy whose condition causes him to vomit blood. Alex O'Loughlin ("Moonlight") stars in "Three Rivers" as Dr. Andy Yablonski, who viewers are told is a top transplant surgeon. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Ang Lee says he's baffled by 'Woodstock' results Oct 1, 2009
Lee said his next project will be an adaptation of Canadian writer Yann Martel's best-selling novel "Life of Pi." The fable about a boy and a tiger who survive a shipwreck won Britain's most prestigious literary award, the Booker Prize, in 2002. Lee said he is still working on the script. (Albany Times Union)
Bollywood looks to Diwali to light up box office Sep 22, 2009
Bachchan returns in November with "Paa" (Father), about a boy with a premature ageing condition, going up against "Kurbaan" (Sacrifice), with Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, "Jail" and "Tum Mile" (You Met Me). "Jail" has been the source of much gossip here over actor Neil Nitin Mukesh, who stripped for the role. (Yahoo! Asia News)
10 films for Oscar 5 too many? Sep 15, 2009
" Yet the best-picture lineup most often fills up with brooding films such as last year's "The Reader," "Frost/Nixon" and "Milk" -- critical but not commercial triumphs. "It used to be that very big box-office movies tended to be the ones that won," said Chris Weitz, director of this fall's vampire sequel "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and a 2002 Oscar nominee for the "About a Boy" screenplay. "Studios are now spending money on things they see as giant blockbusters rather than necessarily... (Erie Times-News, PA)
It Happened One Decade Sep 14, 2009
In Jews Without Money (1930), Michael Gold wrote about a boy on the Lower East Side who taunts prostitutes for charging no more than fifty cents, and swims in the East River amid dog corpses, vegetables, and sewage. Veering between pastoral and yellow journalism, the novel has a crude energy, and Dickstein praises it for showing that poverty was a psychological trap as well as an economic one. (New Yorker)
A look at this fall’s movies Sep 13, 2009
The title of this movie, directed by Paul Weitz ( About a Boy ), is self-explanatory. Chris Massoglia is the assistant. (Boston Globe)
Critic's Picks: Family Sep 13, 2009
THE ADVENTURES OF HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON The Enchantment Theatre Company takes on Crockett Johnson s books about a boy with an active imagination, using life-size puppets, masked actors, magic, music, and large-scale video animation. Oct. 24. (Boston Globe)
Curtains rise as local theaters debut their seasons Sep 5, 2009
The Mod Musical" March 19-April 4The music, the fashion and the freedom of the 1960s with tongue planted firmly in cheek is recreated on stage. "Guys and Dolls" May 14-30Set in Damon Runyon's mythical New York City, this classic musical comedy soars with the spirit of Broadway as it introduces the audience to a cast of vivid characters. "The Sound of Music" July 9-25The "hills are alive" in this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical about a postulant named Maria who proves too high-spirited for... (Honolulu Advertiser)
Waxing lyrical with Mr. Lad Lit Aug 29, 2009
Folds has teamed up with the music-mad British novelist Nick Hornby - author of High Fidelity and About a Boy - to write and record an album of 12 songs. He will perform music from the ''Foldsby project'' - as Hornby refers to it on his blog - on Monday at the first of three Sydney Opera House concerts. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
MORE MOVIES: Fall's non-spooky offerings spark interest Aug 28, 2009
Based on a memoir by Lynn Barber, the screenplay is by author (, About a Boy. . (USA Today)
Want to be a Big Bro or Big Sis? Aug 27, 2009
The story is about a boy named Spike, and he and his family were chosen to be able to give life to the Transformers. Therefore, the bad robots are after him because they want to use the power for evil, and the good robots also want to use it to save lives, according to Immanuel. (West Roxbury Transcript, MA)
Michael Ryan, 58; writer noted for his flair Aug 26, 2009
Mr. Ryan married Debora Gilbert in May 1977, and years later they combined their talents on a documentary film about a Boy Scout, infected with HIV through a blood transfusion, who made AIDS education his Eagle project. He never let this stuff go to his head, she said. (Boston Globe)
Tim Burton's Top 9 Aug 25, 2009
The movie itself is about the late actor, moreover about a boy named Vincent Malloy who pretends to be the actor. To accomplish this, Malloy takes to the dark and brooding corners of his imagination, obsessing with the tales of Edgar Allen Poe and succumbing to a fate linked to certain parts of Poe's "The Raven.". (IGN FilmForce)
What's Playing Aug 20, 2009
Shorts - Robert Rodriguez ("Spy Kids," "Grindhouse") returns to family-friendly territory with this fantasy about a boy (Jimmy Bennett) who discovers a magical rock capable of making any wish come true. Leslie Mann, William H. Macy and James Spader are among the grown-ups trying to steal the stone. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Birmingham's Hunter brothers first to receive Alabama film incentives Aug 20, 2009
Local filmmakers Alan Hunter and Hugh Hunter, along with Deborah Del Prete of Coronet Films and Lexi Alexander, began filming Lifted on Monday, a short film about a boy who competes in an American Idol-type television show, while facing difficult circumstances. The rebates through the Alabama Film Office were made possible by legislation that Riley signed in March of this year, which provides financial incentives to filmmakers shooting productions under $10 million in Alabama. (Birmingham Business Journal, AL)
Kennedy is among 16 honored by Obama Aug 13, 2009
It s about a boy who sees an old man tossing starfish stranded by a receding tide back into the sea. There are so many, asks the boy. (Boston Globe)
‘E.T.’ available on MAX on Comcast Aug 12, 2009
Steven Spielberg established himself as the Hans Christian Andersen of the movies with this fantasy tale about a boy befriending an extraterrestrial. (PG; runs through Aug. 13). (Boston Globe)
Cinema's tasty treats Aug 7, 2009
"Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" (1971) -- Roald Dahl's 1964 book inspired this movie about a boy who lives with his parents and four grandparents in a small house tantalizingly close to Wonka's chocolate factory. When Charlie finds one of five golden tickets, he is given rare access to the factory and a lifetime supply of candy. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Prolific film director John Hughes dead at 59 Aug 7, 2009
The family film - about a boy who is accidentally left behind when his parents head off on a Christmas vacation and who has to fight off a gang of bungling burglars - was Hughes's greatest commercial success. He also penned a less successful 1992 sequel Home Alone 2. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Hollywood Destroys the World; New wave of disaster movies, TV shows... Aug 1, 2009
Strong buzz has been building since last year for The Road, this October s film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy s best-selling novel, about a boy and his father trudging through the scorched remnants of an unspecified cataclysm. View Full Image. (The Drudge Report)
Into the light Jul 27, 2009
While the Nicoles and the Cates of the world have been on the red carpet doing all those bloody glamorous things that movie stars do, Collette has been busy as an overweight loser in Porpoise Spit (Muriel's Wedding), a terrified, trashy mum (The Sixth Sense), a suicidal mum in a knitted hippie hat (About a Boy), an overweight (again) and depressed sister (In Her Shoes), an exhausted mum with a neurotic family (), blind and crackers (The Night Listener) and on it goes. Though she can frock up to... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
On the set: 'New Moon' on the rise Jul 21, 2009
Due in theaters Nov. 20, "New Moon" will mark his third consecutive literary adaptation after having directed "About a Boy," from the Nick Hornby novel, and "The Golden Compass," the big-budget fantasy based on the first chapter in author Philip Pullman's award-winning "His Dark Materials" series. It was his experience making that film -- which should have been a dream project really, given Weitz's reverence for the source material -- that made the idea of taking the reins on the second... (FOX59, IN)
Dr Abdul Kalam to act in Bollywood flick Jul 20, 2009
The story, set in Rajasthan, is about a boy who is inspired by the former President and dares to dream big. . (India Times, India)
Australians in action Jul 19, 2009
Working both in Australia and America, Collette has built an impressive movie portfolio that lists Emma, The Sixth Sense, Changing Lanes, About a Boy, In Her Shoes, Connie and Carla, and Little Miss Sunshine among others. The versatile star has also participated in theatre, and is the lead singer of the band Toni Collette inish. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
A furry tale and 3 others at free UH movie event Jul 19, 2009
Starting at 3 p.m., catch three shorts: "Ish," about the importance of creativity; "Wild About Books," a rhymed story about a librarian who introduces animals to reading; and finally "The Happy Duckling," about a boy and a duck. The final film is a 58-minute retelling of "Heidi," with real dogs playing roles voiced by top actors. (Honolulu Advertiser)
'Cirque du Freak' now 'Vampire's Assistant' Jul 19, 2009
It stars Salma Hayek, John C. Reilly, Willem Dafoe, Ken Watanabe and Josh Hutcherson in a story about a boy who visits a freak show and becomes a vampire. . (Nola.com -- Sports)
Family-friendly fun Jul 18, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009. Posted on: Friday, July 17, 2009. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Events at the library Jul 17, 2009
Star Jumper is the first in a series of books by Frank Asch about a boy genius, who builds a rocket ship to put some space between him and his younger brother. Because Alex is a genius he can make something from scrap, cardboard and duct tape that would astonish the pros at NASA.. (Burlington Union, MA)
Friendly advice for the Harry Potter stars Jul 14, 2009
When one thinks of the highlights of Hugh Grants career, which of the following movies come to mind: Four Weddings and a Funeral, About a Boy and Bridget Jones Diary or Mickey Blue Eyes, Two Weeks Notice and Music and Lyrics. Exactly. (MSNBC -- Movies)
* FILM REVIEW : About a boy Jul 10, 2009
FILM REVIEW : About a boy. Boy A is a heartrending melodrama that sympathizes with its protagonist, a former convict handed a second chance. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
Disney museum set for Presidio Jun 27, 2009
"It's a classic American story - the story about a boy from a farm who moved to the city and made it big," Benefield said at a luncheon Thursday offering a sneak peek at the Presidio's newest addition. The museum will include 10 galleries with interactive features, bits of family movies, early drawings and countless snippets of TV and film. (San Francisco Chronicle)
* Triumphs, trials and tribulations Jun 27, 2009
His recording of Ben, the title song from a movie about a boy and his homicidal pet rat, was a No. 1 hit in 1972. The brothers left Motown in 1975 and, rechristened the Jacksons, signed to Epic, a unit of CBS Records. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* Taipei Film Festival shines the spotlight on Berlin Jun 26, 2009
Also vying for the NT$600,000 grand prize is Cannes-winner Pablo Aguero with Salamandra, about a boy raised in a hippie commune in Patagonia. Another strong competitor, Disgrace, examines the lingering impacts of apartheid policies in South Africa. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Book Buzz: What's new on the list and in publishing Jun 18, 2009
Juliet' as muse:Nick Hornby, the best-selling English writer (About a Boy, High Fidelity), was in New York Wednesday to promote his latest novel, Juliet, Naked, to be published by Riverhead on Sept. 29. It features a reclusive, Dylan-like, English singer/songwriter who gets involved, via e-mail, with a woman in rural Pennsylvania. (USA Today -- Life)
Coach-turned-screenplay writer? Jun 16, 2009
The movie, currently titled "The Xbox Kid," is about a boy from a poor family in New Orleans who starts controlling the outcome of NFL games through a refurbished Xbox given to him by his grandfather after a devastating hurricane. Payton said the idea came to him when his son, Connor, would play upcoming Saints games on his Xbox during the 2006 season. (Nola.com -- Sports)
Face value: Ka-pow! Jun 6, 2009
Time Jumper , an animated comic about a boy who can travel in time using his mobile phone, will be released in stages on the internet and mobile phones, free of charge. This is a relatively cheap way of testing an audience s response to a new character. (The Economist)
Another 'first' Jun 1, 2009
This story is about a boy s first fish. Caleb, our 4-year-old, has helped dad or mom reel in fish that we ve landed before, but he has never caught a fish all by himself. (Paragould Daily Press, AR)
Universal Pictures and Working Title Films Announce All-Star Cast for Upcoming Comedy Adventure Paul May 28, 2009
Among their commercial and critical hits are Atonement; Pride & Prejudice; United 93; Nanny McPhee; The Interpreter; About a Boy; Notting Hill; Elizabeth; Fargo; Dead Man Walking; Bean; High Fidelity; Johnny English; Billy Elliot; Four Weddings and a Funeral; Bridget Jones's Diary; Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason; O Brother Where Art Thou. Love Actually; Mr. Bean's Holiday; Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Burn After Reading; Frost/Nixon; State of Play and The Soloist. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Filmmaker seeks actors (39) May 23, 2009
It s a fantasy action movie about a boy who is bullied a lot in school, said Mozer. His only escape is the fantasy world of Anime. (Helena Independent Record)
Things to do, May 22-28 May 22, 2009
Film series offers cultural works 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday / UC Merced's Lakireddy Auditorium, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced / Free / (559) 222-7678, The Heritage Merced Film series includes two films: "Santa Mesa," about a boy born in the U.S. who moves to the Philippines to live with his grandmother after his mom's death; and "Slingshot Hip Hop," the story of young Palestinians discovering hip-hop. Directors of both films will be on hand. (Fresno Bee)
Poem by 16-year-old Bob Dylan about a boy and his dog to be sold at NY auction in June May 20, 2009
CANNES, France (AP) Jim Carrey has multiple personalities in his next movie. CANNES, France (AP) Don't ask Lars von Trier why he made "Antichrist," the grim and gory tale of a trip to the woods that goes badly wrong, and a film that has left audiences at Cannes shaken, stirred and sharply divided. (FOX61, CT)
Panasonic Honors Children as Winners of 19th Annual 'Kid Witness News' Video Contest May 13, 2009
West Sylvan Middle School of Portland, OR was awarded the 2009 U.S. Best Video of the Year for "12 Twelve," a fiction drama about a boy dealing with the separation of his parents and his fears about being stereotyped by society. The West Sylvan Middle School team scored four awards overall, including technical awards for Videography and Writing. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Summer movie guide May 12, 2009
Pixar animation about a boy and man who float away on adventures buoyed by giant balloons. (May 29). (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Everyone's a winner at the Bogies May 3, 2009
Most repeated: Love Actually, 5; About A Boy, 6; Gordon Ramsay, 6; M*A*S*H, 12; Guthy-Renker, 13; The Simpsons, 23. Winner, with 39: Two And A Half Men. (The Age, Australia -- Opinion)
'How to Talk to Girls' author, 10, juggles life, school, more Apr 20, 2009
How to Talk to Girls' author, 10, juggles life, school, more - USATODAY.com. How to Talk to Girls' author, 10, juggles life, school, more. (USA Today -- Life)
Playwright Profile - Brendan Gall Apr 10, 2009
I wrote a short-play in high school called Nothing Will Keep Us Together, about a boy and a girl who meet at the back of a public bus. It had problems. (Suite101.com)
