Fall movies: New Moon, other anticipated flicks coming to theaters soon Sep 4, 2009
Beloved literature and storybook adventures come to the screen with Maurice Sendak's children's classic "Where the Wild Things Are," Disney's animated fairy tale "The Princess and the Frog" and "Lord of the Rings" filmmaker Peter Jackson's adaptation of modern favorite "The Lovely Bones." ... "FAMILY FARE:Singing rodents return in "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," with Alvin, Simon and Theodore in a battle-of-the-bands showdown with three female chipmunks.Food falls from the sky in an... (Sierra Vista Herald, AZ)
The PG's Fall Movie Preview Sep 3, 2009
" "Extract": Mike Judge comedy starring Jason Bateman as the owner of a flavor-extract factory who is about to retire when a freak workplace accident sets a series of disasters into motion. "Gamer": Futuristic action thriller set at a time when gaming and entertainment have evolved into a horrifying hybrid. Humans control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online games as people play people for keeps. Gerard Butler stars. "Carriers": Chris Pine, Lou Taylor Pucci, Piper Perabo and Emily... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Readers vs. Critics Aug 15, 2009
Susan Orlean ("Adaptation" 2002) 11 percent. Roberta Guaspan ("Music of the Heart" 1999) 4 percent. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Streep marries her art with newfound fun Aug 11, 2009
The turning point may have come with 2002 s Adaptation, in which Streep turned in a high-wire comedy performance as author Susan Orlean, strung out on orchid dust and going homicidal with lust for Chris Cooper s maverick botanist. The Hours (2002) and The Manchurian Candidate (2004) let her play mother hens, one nurturing, the other schemingly villainous. (Boston Globe)
Daily TV listings Aug 11, 2009
Adaptation of the novel about mismatched 19th-century lovers. Ralph Fiennes. (Boston Globe)
Getting hungry with Julie and Julia Aug 8, 2009
Published: Friday, August 7, 2009 10:19 PM MDT With top notch performances by the legendary Meryl Streep and Amy Adams (Enchanted, Night at the Museum 2), Julie and Julia is a masterful adaptation of two true stories about self-discovery and about how a passion for something can be changing. And while I certainly recommend seeing Julie and Julia I wouldn't do it on an empty stomach. (Rexburg Standard Journal, ID)
Review: 'Julie & Julia' celebrates good life Aug 8, 2009
Susan Orlean ('Adaptation,' 2002). Ethel Rosenberg ('Angels in America,' 2003). (San Francisco Chronicle)
Streep no Child, but plays one on screen Aug 7, 2009
For those who want to check out her more recent gems, try "The Devil Wears Prada," "Adaptation," or "The Hours," the latter offering a similar connecting-lives-in-different-time-periods plot device that writer-director Nora Ephron uses in "Julie .". But here's my bonus pick: The astonishing HBO miniseries "Angels in America," where Streep plays multiple roles -- from the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg to a male rabbi -- with equal, and brilliant, effectiveness. (Erie Times-News, PA)
What's Playing Aug 6, 2009
West Side Story - The award winning adaptation of the classic romantic tragedy, "Romeo and Juliet," this classic tells the tale of two warring New York City gangs - the white Jets led by Riff and the Puerto Rican Sharks, led by Bernardo. Their hatred escalates to a point where neither can coexist with any form of understanding. (Athens Banner-Herald)
How did Meryl Streep become Will Smith? Aug 5, 2009
Its not like Streep has walked away from complicated fare entirely the last decade has seen her in a variety of challenging films, including A Prairie Home Companion, Adaptation, The Manchurian Candidate and the flawed-but-ambitious Rendition and Evening but shes kept her career alive by very cannily choosing audience-pleasers. (Would that Nicole Kidman had as good an eye for her multiplex movies as she does for arthouse fare. (MSNBC -- News)
23 films vie for Venices Golden Lion Jul 31, 2009
Lido regular Charlize Theron is back in John Hillcoats adaptation of Cormac McCarthys grim post-apocalyptic novel The Road, about a father and sons journey for survival ... Out of competition, Wes Anderson is back with The Fantastic Mr. Fox, an animated Roald Dahl adaptation, whose cast also includes George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep. (MSNBC -- News)
Will Summer Box Office Be "Transformed"? Jun 23, 2009
"Harry Potter" fever is growing, with "Half-Blood Prince" the lead-in to the two-part big-screen adaptation of the final book in J.K. Rowling's fantasy series. "I think summer is just starting in a big way this coming week," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution at Sony, which released "Angels s" and has Katherine Heigl's romance "The Ugly Truth" and the Julia Childs tale "Julie and Julia" with Meryl Streep still to come. (CBS News)
'Unmistaken Child' quest at Dalai Lamas' behest Jun 21, 2009
For example, "Revolutionary Road," originally published in 1961, sold more than a million copies in the wake of Sam Mendes' recent movie adaptation. "Studios are looking for good stories," Perreault says. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Cannes: Winners/Losers May 28, 2009
Theres good advance word on John Hillcoat's adaptation of Cormac McCarthys starring Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron, but it looks like a narrow niche up-market film ... (Warning: graphic language); George Clooney; Joel and Ethan Cohen; trailer; Brad Pitt; Burn After Reading; John Malkovich; video; variety; Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe star in Ridley Scott's adaptation of the CIA thriller ... movie; 'Rachel Getting Married' trailer; Jonathan Demme; trailers; Anne Hathaway; 'City... (Variety)
Nicholas Maw; brought 'Sophie's Choice' to stage May 23, 2009
He hadn't written an opera in more than 20 years when, in the early 1990s, he happened to rent Alan Pakula's film adaptation of Styron's book starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline. Mr. Maw was riveted by the story of Sophie, a Polish-Catholic woman tortured by the memory of Auschwitz. (Boston Globe)
It's Blockbuster Time May 12, 2009
Fans of the 2003 best-selling novel on which it is based are sure to pay close attention to this adaptation. Already there are rumors that key characters have been excised. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Movie Matters: Who deserves a lifetime 'free pass'? May 9, 2009
You can t just say, Meryl Streep has done so much amazing work, she can star in a film adaptation of the phone book and still be incredible. Art doesn t work like that. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Summer Films Schedule May 8, 2009
99": Stop-motion animated collection of shorts based on the diverse lives of people living in a Sydney, Australia, apartment complex.July 24"G-Force": A crew of highly trained guinea pigs are espionage experts who aim to save the world in this 3D romp that stars Bill Nighy, Will Arnett and the voices of Sam Rockwell, Tracy Morgan, Penelope Cruz and Nicolas Cage."Orphan": A couple's adopted daughter has sinister baggage."The Ugly Truth": Katherine Heigl plays a romantically challenged morning... (North County Times)
Meryl Streep as Julia Child in Julie and Julia: Movie Clip Preview Apr 30, 2009
The movie is an adaptation of two books: Julie Powell's Julie & Julia and by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homm. For more info about the movie, check out Yeah, that's Meryl in the screenshot. (Epicurious.com)
New On DVD: 'Bedtime Stories,' 'Doubt' Apr 11, 2009
Doubt' (PG-13): There's no doubt that "Doubt" -- John Patrick Shanley's movie adaptation of his acclaimed play about a Catholic priest scandal -- features the best group of actors in the past year -- and one that's far better than its Screen Actors Guild competitor and Best Ensemble Cast winner "Slumdog Millionaire.". Meryl Streep is a force of nature as Sister Aloysius Beauvier, an overbearing, 1960s New York Catholic School principal who has suspicions about the parish's likable priest, Father... (KFOXTV.com, TX)
New on DVD: 'Doubt,' 'Pre-Code Hollywood,' 'Il Generale' Apr 10, 2009
That H.G. Wells adaptation contained the famed tagline "Are We Not Men?" later popularized by Devo. Posted. (USA Today -- Life)
The Citizen's Cinema Apr 3, 2009
TheCitizensCinema wrote on Mar 30, 2009 5:48 PM:" Anyone who has seen "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" or "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" knows that the mind behind those movies, writer Charlie Kaufman, breeds some weird ideas.But Kaufman, for all the freshness and ingenuity of his screenplays, has always seen his ideas filtered through another creative mind in the director's chair, be it Spike Jonze ("Adaptation") or George Clooney ("Confessions")."Synecdoche, New York" marks Kaufman's... (Auburn Citizen, NY)
Interview with Robert Patterson Mar 24, 2009
Twilight: What's Next for Rob Pattinson. - Thompson On Hollywood on Variety. (Variety)
Monsters vs. Watchmen Mar 7, 2009
(Warning: graphic language); George Clooney; Joel and Ethan Cohen; trailer; Brad Pitt; Burn After Reading; John Malkovich; video; variety; Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe star in Ridley Scott's adaptation of the CIA thriller ... movie; 'Rachel Getting Married' trailer; Jonathan Demme; trailers; Anne Hathaway; 'City of God' director Fernando Meirelles directs Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo in the adaptation of Jos Saramago's epidemic novel ... Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep star in the... (Variety)
Henry Selick on 2-D 'Coraline' Mar 2, 2009
Coraline's Selick on the Fantastic Garden - Thompson On Hollywood on Variety. Remarkably, on its fourth weekend, the is still hanging in there--it grossed more than $5 million and placed eighth on its way to some $70-million in total domestic gross--even though. (Variety)
NY's tax credit program revamped Feb 28, 2009
The Watchmen' trailer; variety; video; Watchmen movie trailer teaser; The new trailer for director/creator Frank Miller's graphic novel adaptation starring Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, and Eva Mendes ... Madagascar 2' trailer; Ben Stiller; Chris Rock; trailers; variety; video; Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon star in the New Line holiday comedy, "Four Christmases."; four christmases trailer; Reese Witherspoon; trailers; variety; Vince Vaughn; Isla Fisher in the adaptation of the... (Multichannel News)
OSCAR ROUNDUP Feb 24, 2009
The adaptation only strengthens it. My recommendation. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
'Slumdog Millionaire' wins Best Picture Feb 23, 2009
The adaptation of the Bernhard Schlink best-seller uses the characters to explore how a generation of Germans lived in the shadow of the Holocaust. Although the eyes of audience members glistened with tears and reflected sadness, Ledger's family tried to remain upbeat as he entered the Oscar history books as 2008's Best Supporting Actor for "The Dark Knight.". (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Kate Winslet Feb 23, 2009
She garnered her first Oscar nomination for supporting actress when Ang Lee chose her to play opposite Emma Thompson in his 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility.". Her performance as the feisty rebellious socialite in James Cameron's 1997 "Titanic," the highest-grossing film of all time, catapulted her into international stardom. (CBS News)
Through VIP looking glass Feb 23, 2009
The young actor and next big thing Mia Wasikowska was back in Sydney after appearing in Tim Burton's adaptation of Alice In Wonderland. She plays the title role opposite Johnny Depp and describes the experience as wonderful. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
DVD Report: This week's new releases Feb 22, 2009
Robert De Niro is a producer struggling to wrangle his movies and his life in Barry Levinson's adaptation of the inside-Hollywood memoir by Art Linson ("The Untouchables"). With Bruce Willis (above). (Boston Globe)
And the Oscar goes to? Feb 21, 2009
Albany Democrat Herald: On The Cover. Last modified: Friday, February 20, 2009 2:39 PM PST. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
* OTHER RELEASES Feb 20, 2009
There has been no newspaper advertising for this adaptation of John Patrick Shanleys award-winning play, despite the films five Oscar nominations and that the leads (Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman) are Oscar winners backed by an excellent support cast. Hoffman is a progressive Catholic priest who bumps heads with the conservative principal of a Catholic school (Streep), especially after she becomes suspicious of the relationship between Hoffman and a young black student. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Angels In America Feb 13, 2009
The Sydney Morning Herald: national, world, business, entertainment, sport and technology news from Australia's leading newspaper. Paris PomporFebruary 12, 2009. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Eye on the Oscars: Tech Roundup Feb 11, 2009
Revolutionary Road" isn't the only film, nor the '50s the only era, in which the family -- and what it means -- was deconstructed, disassembled or debunked by the year's higher-profile movies, particularly those in contention for best picture. EYE ON THE OSCARS: Animation Oscar lore is full of tales about the winding roads that many movies travel to reach their nominations. In the animated feature category, all the nominees have lengthy backstories because the process typically takes three years... (Variety)
Eye on the Oscars: The Writer/WGA Feb 10, 2009
Shanley's adaptation of his own Tony-winning play trims the dialogue and opens up the story without ... The tome long resisted adaptation, but the stars came together (literally) to get Haythe's version made ... Production designers for 2008's two biggest comicbook adaptations ranged far afield from the comics to gain inspiration for their differing visions of the battle against evil. (Variety)
Top films: Pitt, DiCaprio, Streep court Oscar Feb 7, 2009
Gus Van Sant directs this adaptation of the real-life tale of Harvey Milk, the slain gay activist and politician. Starring: Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, Diego LunaDirector: Gus Van SantStory: Penn stars as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in America. (MSNBC -- Movies)
