Movies

WENN/Adriana M. Barraza

During a chat on the ‘Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard’ podcast, the ‘Lord of the Rings’ actor opens up about having just enough money to cover two weeks of filming for his directorial debut.

Feb 24, 2021
AceShowbiz – Viggo Mortensen kept the cast and crew of his directorial debut “Falling” in the dark about funding issues after starting production with just enough money to cover two weeks of filming.
“The Lord of the Rings” actor stars in and directs the new drama, about a man learning to live with his ageing father as he battles dementia, and he reveals no one, apart from his fellow producers, knew that funding was so tight when they started the shoot.
“Falling took me two, three times [of pitching] really to finally get enough money,” he shared on the “Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard” podcast.
“When it came right down to it, I’d hoped for a seven week shoot, I ended up with five, and we started shooting knowing – or I knew, I didn’t tell the actors – that we had enough [money] for two weeks and we were gonna keep looking. You know, typical thing in movies.”
Luckily, the rest of the funding came through just as the existing finances were running out.

  See also…

“Two weeks in, my co-producer came over to me and said…, ‘You can finish the movie… You can finish shooting’,” he recalled.
“I said, ‘Of course I’m gonna finish shooting…, it’s going really well’. He goes, ‘No, no, you have the money’, and I go, ‘Oh, oh!’ I’d completely forgot. But sometimes you have to just go for it.”
Mortensen, who also wrote the screenplay for “Falling”, admits he had been yearning to make his own movies for years, but they were never picked up.
“It wasn’t for lack of trying,” he admitted of waiting to make his directorial debut. “First time I think I tried to get a movie made that I wanted to direct from a screenplay I’d written once; it was about 25 years ago. I’ve tried many times with different screenplays I’ve written over the years.”

“Falling” also co-stars Laura Linney, Lance Henriksen, and Sverrir Gudnason.

You can share this post!

Next article
New Dad Garrett Hedlund Gets Baby Sleep Training Advice From Tim McGraw

Related Posts More

Instagram

The former Take That member has found a director to step behind the lens for the upcoming movie ‘Better Man’ which is going to chronicle his life and career.

Feb 24, 2021
AceShowbiz – “The Greatest Showman” director Michael Gracey has signed on to direct a biopic about former Take That star Robbie Williams.
The filmmaker co-wrote “Better Man” with first-time screenwriters Oliver Cole and Simon Gleeson, according to Deadline, and now the film, which will detail the pop superstar’s life and career highs and lows, including his substance abuse issues, has been given the go-ahead.
Production is scheduled to begin this summer (21).
Gracey tells Deadline he and Williams started talking about the film project shortly after the release of “The Greatest Showman”.

  See also…

“As for how we represent Robbie in the film, that bit is top secret,” the director says. “I want to do this in a really original way. I remember going to the cinema as a kid and there were films that blew me away and made me say as I sat there in the cinema, ‘I’ve never seen this before’. I just want the audience to have that feeling.”
“It’s so important when they watch this story, and look at the screen, that they literally think, ‘I’ve never seen this before’. All I can say is the approach is top secret, but the goal is to generate that feeling I just described. It’s this fantastical story, and I want to represent it in its harsh reality all the way to these moments of pure fantasy.”
Gracey, who refuses to confirm or deny if “Angels” singer Williams will appear in the film as himself, insists the movie will be nothing like recent hit biopics “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Rocketman”.
“Unlike some people, who were born prodigies or musical geniuses and you follow the narrative of the world catching up to their brilliance, this isn’t that story,” Gracey adds. “Robbie is that everyman, who just dreamed big and followed those dreams and they took him to an incredible place.”
“Because of that, his is an incredibly relatable story. He’s not the best singer, or dancer, and yet, he managed to sell 80 million records worldwide. You can relate to the guy who doesn’t see himself as having any extraordinary talent, even though of course, he does. What he did have is the will, vision and confidence to say, ‘I’m going to pursue my dream’. For us as an audience, it’s a window into the world, of, ‘What if we just went for it and chased that impossible dream that so many of us put to one side.’ ”

You can share this post!

Next article
Tiger Woods’ Ex Lindsey Vonn Sends Prayers as He Undergoes Surgery After Car Crash More

AdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyCritic’s Pick‘This Is the Life’ Review: A Valuable Part of Hip-Hop HistoryAva DuVernay’s 2008 documentary, now streaming on Netflix, is a personal love letter to a slice of Los Angeles’s 1990s hip-hop scene.Medusa is one of the hip-hop artists featured in Ava DuVernay’s 2008 documentary “This Is the Life.”Credit…ArrayFeb. 23, 2021This Is the LifeNYT Critic’s PickDirected by Ava DuVernayDocumentary1h 37mFind TicketsWhen you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.Ava DuVernay’s 2008 debut feature, the documentary “This Is the Life,” is a refreshing portrait of a 1990s California hip-hop subculture that thrived separately from gangsta rap. DuVernay’s documentary, now available to stream on Netflix, is a personal project. She performed as part of the rap duo Figures of Speech at the Good Life Cafe — a South Central Los Angeles health food cafe that became a mecca for the underground rap community.Throughout the ’90s, the modest space’s open-mic nights fostered a bevy of young, raw, untainted lyrical voices telling stories of everyday life in L.A. DuVernay combines performer interviews with VHS footage and audio clips of their shows to retell a magical period in the hip-hop scene.In its intertitle graphics and visual typography, “This Is the Life” often mirrors VH1’s “Behind the Music” documentaries. When staging her interviews, however, DuVernay imprints unique compositions onto the familiar music-doc style by using the respondents’ spacious surroundings to frame them. To paint the cafe’s milieu, she identifies the institute’s stalwarts, such as supportive fans lovingly referred to as “Jean in the front row” and “Big Al.” Not only does DuVernay feature the cafe’s Black male M.C.’s like Abstract Rude and Chillin Villain Empire, she underscores the white, Latino and female artists who also appeared on the Good Life stage.[embedded content]The venue’s traditions are also outlined: No leaving gum on the floor; no leaning on the paintings; avoid the phrase “wiggidy wiggidy” in freestyles; and no profanity — meant to ensure a clean space and substantive rhymes. Audiences at the Good Life wanted to hear idiosyncratic freestylers using distinct techniques to tell unique stories. Rappers who failed to meet crowd expectations, in scenes akin to an amateur nightat the Apollo, were booed off the stage. In recalling the night the rapper Fat Joe bombed at the cafe, DuVernay creatively soundtracks the audio from the event over a time lapse of a chalk artist sketching the scene.Word of mouth inspired record deals for some Good Life performers. Jurassic 5, for instance, became gold record-certified in Britain. By 1994, the cafe had built such a reputation that artists like Ice Cube and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony came to listen. And it is claimed (by the rapper Abstract Rude) that those artists incorporated the underground style into their work. When DuVernay plays the Good Life M.C. Myka Nyne’s verse on Freestyle Fellowship’s “Mary” (1993) next to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s “Tha Crossroads” (1996), it’s a difficult assertion to dispute.Outside of the film’s director, however, few from the Good Life became household names. But in the illuminating “This Is the Life,” DuVernay not only fills in an important formative gap in California’s hip-hop history, she displays the inventive eye that would later lead to her future cinematic successes.This Is the LifeNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 37 minutes. Watch on Netflix.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

WENN

The ‘Dawn of the Dead’ director says he wasn’t paid for the upcoming ‘Justice League’ super cut as the filmmaker wanted creative control of his version.

Feb 24, 2021
AceShowbiz – Zack Snyder wasn’t paid for his director’s cut of “Justice League”.
The filmmaker – whose own version of the 2017 comic book blockbuster is set to launch on HBO Max on 18 March (21) – was paid for his initial work on the project before stepping down as Joss Whedon took over, but he wanted creative control for the new release.
“I’m not getting paid… I didn’t want to be beholden to anyone, and it allowed me to keep my negotiating powers with these people pretty strong,” he told Vanity Fair.
Snyder has also revealed how Warner Bros. initially wanted the director’s cut version to be a case of releasing the raw footage on his laptop.
However, he disagreed and pushed to be able to do his own vision justice rather than just putting out unedited material.

  See also…

“I was like, ‘That’s a no, that’s a hard no.’ And they’re like, ‘But why? You can just put up the rough cut,’ ” he added.
“I go, ‘Here’s why. Three reasons: One, you get the internet off your back, which is probably your main reason for wanting to do this. Two, you get to feel vindicated for making things right, I guess, on some level.’ ”
” ‘And then three, you get a s**tty version of the movie that you can point at and go, ‘See? It’s not that good anyway. So maybe I was right.’ I was like, ‘No chance.’ I would rather just have the Snyder cut be a mythical unicorn for all time.”
Snyder has also admitted he couldn’t have done the movie in the way Whedon did and revealed he didn’t see his cut.
“How am I supposed to introduce six characters and an alien with potential for world domination in two hours?” he argued. “I mean, I can do it, it can be done. Clearly it was done. But I didn’t see it.”

You can share this post!

Next article
Gordon Ramsay Diagnosed With Arthritis After Injuring His Leg

Related Posts More

AdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main story‘Pelé’ Review: A National TreasureThis Netflix documentary surveys the Brazilian soccer player’s pioneering career.Pelé, the famed Brazilian soccer player, is the subject of a documentary.Credit…NetflixFeb. 23, 2021, 7:00 a.m. ETPeléDirected by Ben Nicholas, David TryhornDocumentary, Biography, Sport1h 48mFind TicketsWhen you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.There are two documentaries contained within “Pelé,” David Tryhorn and Ben Nicholas’s film about the Brazilian soccer phenom. The main one is the starry survey of Pelé’s record-setting achievements and national adulation. But a second, more sobering story steadily drops the temperature in the room, once Brazil’s military violently takes power in 1964 and shows a strategic interest in “the beautiful sport.”The filmmakers run through a storied history, from Brazil’s 1950 loss to Uruguay in the World Cup (when Pelé, as a boy, told his sobbing father that he’ll win it back) to its triumph at the 1970 final. In a recurring sit-down interview, the now 80-year-old legend is both genuine and diplomatic after decades of worship as “the King.” Teammates remain fond, journalists kibitz, and the singer-songwriter Gilberto Gil and Brazil’s former president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, proffer pop analysis.[embedded content]But as we hear soccer repeatedly invoked as the life-force to Brazil’s sense of self, one interviewee sticks out: a matter-of-fact former cabinet minister, Antônio Delfim Netto, who signed the dictatorship’s infamous “AI-5” act institutionalizing torture and censorship. The filmmakers go on to suggest that the national team’s success became part of military propaganda, and Pelé shares his own guarded thoughts on the era.The dictatorship’s involvement takes the pressures of championship play to another level; Pelé later calls the 1970 World Cup victory simply a “relief.” I did yearn to see more of his talents in action; his header goal in that year’s Italy final feels cosmically liberating. But however conventional as a whole, the movie feels troubled by the traumas of Pelé’s heyday.PeléNot Rated. In Portuguese, with subtitles Running time: Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes. Watch on Netflix.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

Warner Bros. Pictures

The Canadian star makes it clear that he has no interest in reprising his role as Hal Jordan while responding to a speculation that his appearance is the big surprise in store for the Snyder Cut.

Feb 23, 2021
AceShowbiz – Ryan Reynolds has shut down any hope of seeing him back as Green Lantern. The actor, who has several times poked fun at the commercial and critical failure of his 2011 DC movie, has flat-out denied rumors of his possible cameo as the green-costumed superhero in “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”.
“It’s not me. But what a cool pirate flag to cameo as Hal. Maybe it’s another GL?” the Canadian hunk tweeted on Monday, February 22. Making it clear that he has no interest in reprising his role as Hal Jordan, he added, “But for me, the suit stays in the closet. I mean, computer.”

Ryan Reynolds responds to rumor of his Green Lantern cameo in ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’.
The speculation arose after Vanity Fair reported earlier on Monday that the ending of Zack Snyder’s cut of “Justice League” would include a major cameo. Fans then started suggesting that the big surprise in store could be Reynolds’ appearance as Hal Jordan.

  See also…

Reynolds portrayed Hal Jordan a.k.a. Green Lantern in the 2011 film directed by Martin Campbell. The movie received mostly negative reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office, grossing $219 million against a production budget of $200 million.
Not a fan of the film either, the 44-year-old actor has mocked the movie over the years, even including jokes about it in his “Deadpool” films. Back in 2013, he expressed that he had “very little interest” in reprising the role in a “Justice League” movie.
“Working on ‘Green Lantern’, I saw how difficult it is make that concept palatable, and how confused it all can be when you don’t really know exactly where you’re going with it or you don’t really know how to access that world properly – that world comic book fans have been accessing for decades and falling in love with,” he explained at the time. “So at this point I have very little interest in joining that kind of world. But, you know, a great script and a good director can always turn that around.”
In his version of “Justice League”, Snyder filmed several minutes of new footage with Ben Affleck (Batman), Ray Fisher (Cyborg) and Amber Heard (Mera). His cut will also include Joker (Jared Leto) and Deathstroke (Joe Manganiello) scenes. It will be released as a four-hour movie on HBO Max on March 18.

You can share this post!

Next article
Dee Snider Brands Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Committee ‘Arrogant Elitist A**holes’

Related Posts More

WENN/Adriana M. Barraza

The ‘Charlie’s Angels’ star talks about the chance of her returning to work onscreen again when making an appearance on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ for the host’s birthday special.

Feb 23, 2021
AceShowbiz – Cameron Diaz would “never say never” to a “Charlie’s Angels” return – as long as she gets to work with her best friend Drew Barrymore.
The actress has virtually retired from Hollywood since her last feature film role as Miss Hannigan in 2014’s “Annie”, and she recently insisted she “couldn’t imagine” returning to work onscreen while her one-year-old daughter, Raddix, is still so young.
However, Cameron isn’t ruling out the opportunity to co-star with Drew again, admitting they would always at least “consider” any new project together.
“I always say never say never and… there’s never a time where we’re not going to be connected or consider something together,” she shared in a special appearance on America’s “The Drew Barrymore Show” for the host’s birthday special, which aired on Monday, February 22.
Drew chimed in, “I’m glad that people feel that way [about wanting a ‘Charlie’s Angels’ return]… I’ll be grannies in inner tubes with Poo Poo [her nickname for Cameron], so we can do anything and everything, as long as we’re together.”
The old friends grew more emotional as Cameron told Drew, “I can’t wait to just grow old with you and to experience the rest of our life together, because truly one of the great joys of my life is our friendship, and when I think about you I literally will cry, because I just think you’re so special, and to celebrate you… every year it’s one of my favourite times of the year.”

  See also…

Drew responded, “I have a whole life to live with you… You’ve made me a better person my whole life, and you’ve seen me through everything: ugly, beautiful, loss, life.”
“Every break up was OK because we were always there, and I can’t wait to grow old with you too, because we’re gonna be old together!”
She also took a moment to explain the origins of her odd nickname for Cameron, revealing, “It started out as classic boy humour, and then it just evolved into a true term of endearment, and it stuck!”
[embedded content]
Drew and Cameron joined forces with Lucy Liu for their first “Charlie’s Angels” outing in 2000, reuniting for 2003 sequel, “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle”.
The franchise has since been revamped with actresses Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska in the lead roles for the 2019 revival.

You can share this post!

Next article
Soundgarden Claim They Reject Buyout Offers in Response to Vicky Cornell Lawsuit

Related Posts More

Vero

The DC filmmaker opens up about his departure from the superhero movie back in 2017, admitting he ‘lost the will to fight’ for the film following daughter’s tragic death.

Feb 23, 2021
AceShowbiz – Filmmaker Zack Snyder “lost the will to fight” for his version of the “Justice League” movie after struggling to come to terms with the tragic death of his daughter.
Snyder stepped down as director of the 2017 superhero blockbuster after his adopted child Autumn committed suicide and, although he was already deep into the post-production stage of the project, he didn’t have the strength to challenge the changes his replacement, Joss Whedon, made to his original vision.
Discussing why he and his production partner and wife Deborah walked away from the film, he said, “We just lost the will to fight that fight in a lot of ways. All of us, the whole family, we’re just so broken by (losing Autumn) that having those conversations in the middle of it really became… I was like, ‘Really?’ ”
“Frankly I think we did the right thing because I think it would’ve been either incredibly belligerent or we (would have) just rolled over.”
Whedon’s final release was poorly received by fans and critics alike, and now, Snyder is preparing to unveil his own super cut of “Justice League”.

  See also…

He admits he has no plans to check out Whedon’s version because he was warned against doing so by both his wife and his director pal Christopher Nolan, who had viewed the film at a private screening before its original release.
“They came and they just said, ‘You can never see that movie,’ ” Snyder told Vanity Fair.
Now he’s been given the opportunity to premiere his take as a four-hour movie on U.S. streaming service HBO Max next month (Mar21), but Snyder didn’t want to release his cut without additional finishing touches.
The reworked “Justice League” also concludes with a tribute to his late daughter, the only one of Snyder’s eight kids to share his love of sci-fi and mythical creatures – and he credits her for inspiring his latest work.
“At the end of the movie, it says ‘For Autumn,’ ” Snyder said. “Without her, this absolutely would not have happened.”

You can share this post!

Related Posts More