Director Naomi Foner's next one sounds almost conventional for her. And for her stars. So it probably won't be."Very Good Girls" is to be about two BFFs (Elizabeth Olsen and Dakota Fanning) hellbent on losing their virginity. Boyd Holbrook of "Higher Ground" will be the artist-beau in this riff on "Little Darlings." Continue reading →

The voice is sort of a hint of Roosevelt, the manner playful and flirtatious as all get out (apparently accurate), the wit, sentimental and on the money. "Hyde Park on Hudson," the fictionalized account of the visit of the King and Queen of England, shortly after "The King's Speech," visiting the Roosevelts on their country estate, stars Bill Murray as FDR, with Laura Linney and Olivia Williams and assorted other worthies (alas, a different King George and Elizabeth than "King's Speech") and looks delightful. Oscar worthy? Roger Michell directed "Hyde Park on Hudson." Continue reading →

James Bond is back. This November. With Ralph Fiennes on board. Continue reading →

A romance with literary and fantasy underpinnings, "The Words" is about a failing writer who gets a leg-up on his career by publishing a book from the past. Did he write himself, in another life? Did he just steal the masterpiece of a failed writer of an earlier era? "The Words" stars Bradley Cooper, who shares his romantic scenes with Zoe Saldana and Olivia Wilde, and his persona with Jeremy Irons. Look for this one Sept. 21. Continue reading →

He starred in "John Carter," a misguided sci-fi epic whose failure led to the firing of a studio chief. And he's the lead in "Battleship," which looks to be a $25 million flop. He's a nice fellow, handsome, plenty of dash about him. Here's a chat I had with him back when "John Carter" was coming out. But he's sort of an American Sam Worthington, at this point, cast in things to be bigger and manlier than the digital stuff blowing up around him. (my chat with Worthington is here) A new Chuck Heston, as it were. Neither actor is showing us much, or getting to show us much, at this point. They've fallen into the blockbuster trap, the same one that threatened to ensnare ... Continue reading →

Funny story, narrated by the people involved and charmingly animated, about the glitch (operator error) that almost ate "Toy Story 2." Anybody who's ever lost a big file on their PC will appreciate this. Thanks to Deadline.com for pointing this out. Continue reading →

A weak weekend lineup means this will be another box office race that goes, easily, to "Marvels' The Avengers." It will earn another $50 million plus to win the weekend. If "Men in Black III" doesn't open in the mid-$40s, next week, "Avengers" will win its way into June. Epic wins all the way. "Battleship" is only headed to a $26 million or so opening. Those aren't even "Dark Shadows" numbers. "The Dictator" will only manage $16-17 million or so for the weekend, low $20s since Tuesday night. "What to Expect When You're Expecting" is only managing $12 million. Hard to make a date movie out of what happens when you forget the birth control. "Dark Shadows" is headed toward$12 million or so in its ... Continue reading →

Haven't heard much from Phil Alden Robinson in the decades since "Field of Dreams." But he's slated to be behind the camera for a dark comedy starring Robin Williams, about a doctor who mistakenly tells a patient he has 90 minutes to live, and then chases the patient all over New York to tell him he made a mistake. Everybody from James Earl Jones to Mila Kunis is in this, with Oscar winner Melissa Leo and Peter Dinklage (maybe the "Angriest Man" of the title?) also starring in "The Angriest Man in Brooklyn." Continue reading →

Novelist Patricia Highsmith (there's a pretty good Wiki bio here) has been a favorite of filmmakers since the Golden Age of Hitchcock. From "Strangers on a Train" to "The Talented Mr. Ripley," Highsmith's tricky plots and fascinatingly flawed characters have proven irresistible to Hollywood and filmgoers alike. One of her lesser know pieces, "Carol," has attracted Oscar winner Cate Blanchett and rising star Mia Wasikowska. They'd play two very different women -- one still hopeful, the other resigned to life in a loveless marriage -- in the 1950s in this John Crowley ("Boy A") film. The novel t is based on, "The Price of Salt," had the notoriety of being "a lesbian novel" when it came out. Continue reading →

Not the strongest summer weekend for movies, as reviews for the silly silly "Battleship" are poor to middling, the wan and dated "Dictator" are a bit better and "What to Expect When You're Expecting" the weakest of all. That's actually a pretty good snapshot of America's movie critic ranks -- youngish, single-ish, prone to like SFX junk over a movie about pregnancy, a limp but raunchy-rude comedy from Sacha Baron Cohen over a somewhat less limp (and less raunchy-rude) girly comedy with Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, Cameron Diaz and J. Lo. Box office? Box Office Mojo sees "Battleship" losing to "The Avengers" by a $53-38 million margin, and thinks the femme-friendly "Expecting" to do nearly $22, besting "The Dictator" ($17) for the weekend, low $20 ... Continue reading →