Reel Movie News

Archive for May, 2008

Reel Movie Reviews: The Foot Fist Way

You may know about Iron Man, Indiana Jones and Hancock, but a small comedy is earning its own wave of rave reviews this summer.

For those that haven’t heard of The Foot Fist Way, check out the following remarks by film critics. And leave a couple hours free on your schedule next month for it…

- Stays doggedly true to its idiosyncratic off-kilter vibe…Slant Magazine

- The film’s funniest moment caught me at a loss of breath, and at its best has other moments providing extended laughs, if not of the breathtaking variety…eFilmCritic

The Foot Fist Way Movie Poster

- This is a really small film, shot in 19 days, and it’s a little rough around the edges, but it’s got a huge comic heart that’s undeniable… Film Threat

- For a low budget, independent comedy made in 19 days, “The Foot Fist Way” is a clever and surprisingly satisfying effort from first-time director and co-writer Jody Hill… Cole Smithey

Indiana Jones Whips Competition at Box Office

Not exactly a major surprise here: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was number-one at the box office over the weekend.

From Friday through today, the movie is estimated to earn $126 million, leaving it a tad short of the $139.8 million that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End amassed over its Memorial Day run last year.

Rounding out the weekend’s top five were

  • The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ($23 million)
  • Iron Man ($20.1 million)
  • What Happens in Vegas ($9 million)
  • Speed Racer ($4 million)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Movie Trailer

Here’s the movie trailer for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This Brad Pitt vehicle opens on December 19, 2008.

Glenn Morshower to Return in Transformers 2

Glenn Morshower - who we loved in 24 and Friday Night Lights - is set to return for Transformers 2.

Morshower appeared in the first Transformers film as a Sargent at the US SOCCENT. It’s safe to assume he will be playing the same character in Transformers 2.

Directed by Michael Bay and starring Shia LaBeouf again, Transformers 2 is scheduled for a June 26, 2009 release date.

Opening This Week: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystall Skull, War Inc.

Considering the blockbuster status of the first movie listed below, only one other big film dared to open this week. And, as its title suggests, it welcomes a war at the box office.

Here’s a closer look at each new movie…

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystall Skull

Stars: Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchet
Quick synopsis: It’s the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise. What else do you need to know?
Prediction: Number-one at the box office. And not by a small margin.

Under Attack Jonesing for a Fight Jackpot!

War, Inc.
Stars: John Cusack
Quick synopsis: A political satire set in Turaqistan, a country occupied by an American private corporation. Your basic, humorous look at war.
Prediction: May be taking a more satirical slant, but have you seen the results of past war-based films?

War, Inc. Movie Poster

Kristin Kreuk in Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li

Smallville star Kristin Kreuk has landed the title role in Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li. Need proof?

Here’s a shot of the actress in the role of the famous video game character:

Kristin Kreuk is Chun Li

Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li is a live-action feature film based on Capcom’s video game. The film is focused on female fighter Chun Li and her journey for justice. It also stars Michael Clarke Duncan and Neal McDonough..

The Foot Fist Way Cast Speaks Out

The Foot Fist Way first got noticed at The Sundance Film Festival. Since then, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay have stepped up to produce the movie and send it out to theaters around the country.

The Foot Fist Way Photo

The path of the movie is a story unto itself: Jody Hill emptied his savings and took out numerous credit cards to finance the indie film, recruiting college friends Danny R. McBride and Ben Best to star in his low budget comedy about a small town Tae Kwon Do instructor whose life falls apart after his wife has an affair.

Below, the cast and crew speak to ComingSoon.net about the project:

CS: How did you all come to work together to make this film?
Ferrell: It started with these guys.
Best: We all went to film school together at the North Carolina School of the Arts. After that we all kind of scattered.
Ferrell: Recently shut down for embezzlement.
Best: For seven years we were just kind of making ends meet barely and then Jody luckily had been saving up money because Danny and I sure weren’t. He came to town and said, “Hey you want to make a movie?” and I was like, “I need to do something because it’s falling apart.”
McBride: Rehab wasn’t working. Let’s make a motion picture.
Best: Yeah, let’s make a motion picture.
McKay: You saved money?
Hill: Yeah, I saved about $30,000. Then I applied for as many credit cards as I could get. It’s funny because they start you out with $17,000 if you have good credit. Then on your fourth or fifth credit card it’s like $500. I got a bunch of those and just I paid for the movie and it got into Sundance. Then shortly thereafter, Will and Adam saw it.
Ferrell: Somehow it was one of those films that kinda didn’t get picked up for whatever reason and we were like, “How did this not get distributed?” We’d just started Gary Sanchez. It was kind of the perfect thing for us to be our first film to be involved with.

CS: And now Danny how been in five or six other films so did you see a star was being born?
McBride: They definitely tagged me for commission so I paid these guys 10% of everything.
Ferrell: Which is standard.
McBride: That’s what they told us was standard, yeah. It usually happens that way.
Ferrell: It does. We had a private detective on Danny for about a month and a half.
McBride: Nice guy. Very nice guy.
Ferrell: Yeah you got to know him.
McBride: I did.
Ferrell: And he gave us a lot of very valuable information about him that we’re not allowed to talk about.

Filming Begins on Hannah Montana Movie

Time to get excited, teenage readers:

Producer is underway for Hannah Montana: The Movie. The film, of course, will star Miley Cyrus in her first full-length feature feature, as it’s being filmed around Nashville and Los Angeles.

Hannah Montana: The Movie is slated for a Spring 2009 release.

The film also features Hannah Montana series regulars Emily Osment (Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams), Jason Earles (National Treasure), Mitchel Musso (Secondhand Lions) and Moises Arias (Nacho Libre).

Also appearing in the movie? Melora Hardin (”The Office,” 17 Again), Margo Martindale (”The Riches,” Million Dollar Baby), Barry Bostwick (”Spin City”), Peter Gunn (Ever After) and Lucas Till (Walk the Line).

The film follows Miley Stewart as Hannah Montana’s soaring popularity threatens to take over her life. With a little urging from her father, the teenager travels back to her hometown of Crowley Corners, Tennessee to rediscover what’s really important.

Introducing: Bond Girl Perfume!

Maybe you can’t sleep with James Bond.

But you can smell like the woman who will!

Avon has introduced a signature fragrance called “Bond Girl 007.” The face of the fragrance? Quantum of Solace star Gemma Arterton.

Here’s a portion of the company’s press release on the product:

Avon Products, Inc. today announced a collaboration with the James Bond entertainment franchise… to create a new signature Bond Girl 007 women’s fragrance, bringing the confident allure of cinema’s sexiest icons to Avon consumers worldwide. British actress Gemma Arterton, who plays the role of Agent Fields in the upcoming Bond film, will be the face of the new fragrance.

“I’m thrilled to be working with two such iconic and established brands,” said Arterton. “The Bond Girl 007 fragrance embodies everything a Bond Girl represents - intelligence, sexiness and confidence.”

Can You Smell What Agent 23 is Cooking?!?

Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway may be receiving the bulk of the attention for Get Smart - for humorous and beautiful reasons, respectively - but Dwayne Johnson also stars in the comedy.

Wrestling fans, of course, know Johnson better as The Rock, but his film career is taking off. Here’s a shot of him as Agent 23:

Agent 23

Click on the thumbnail pics below, meanwhile, for other images of Johnson in Get Smart:

Get Smart Characters Agent 23, Smart Agent 23 Photo

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