Review - Rock of Ages

Originally posted on www.moviemuser.co.uk

The film adaptation of the 2009 Broadway musical is two hours of high energy 80s rock music coupled with laugh out loud comedy, as we see a young girl search for fame and fortune in the bright lights of Hollywood, set against the underside of the rock music industry.

Filled with great songs of the classic rock era – which has no doubt led it be being one of the last decade's most popular musicals – the film makes you want to dance around and sing for the whole duration of the film. Although the music in the film is great, credit has to be given for the themes, of which several run through the film, with a sweet young love story evolving whilst the upside and downside of fame counterbalance each other in the background. Another theme that the film touches on is the clear mockery of the right wing with their wholesome image hiding a few dirty secrets.

The way the film has been shot also has to be given some credit, as director Adam Shankman has given it the look and feel of a 80s movie so that it looks as though it was shot in that era too. But what really brings this film to life are the actors, who are all brilliantly cast and really make you believe they are their characters.

Russell Brand (Lonny Barnett), who probably didn't need to work hard to play his part, has some brilliant one-liners and some of the funniest moments in the film. A particular highlight is his rendition of ‘I Want to Know What Love Is' with Alec Baldwin (Dennis Dupree), who also had his share of brilliant one liners. The pairing of these two works an awful lot better than I previously thought it would.

Mary J Blige as Justice Charlier steals the show in terms of vocal performance, nailing every song she sings. Her acting isn't bad either. Sadly Catherine Zeta Jones isn't on screen long enough, but for the moments she is, her hilariously deranged and psychotic portrayal of Patricia Whitmore had me in stiches and it's great to see her doing a movie musical again, almost 10 years after Chicago.

Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta give good performances as Sherrie and Drew, but sadly get upstaged by the supporting characters. At first I didn't think their voices were rock enough for the film, but as it progressed I warmed to them and they shone during their final performance.

I had a similar feeling towards Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx, who I don't think has a particularly good voice and isn't particularly convincing as a man who is supposed to ooze such sex appeal. However, as the film progresses and we get to see further into his character, you begin to warm to him and overall he is pretty good, considering he's never properly sung on film before (Magnolia doesn't really count).

A special mention has to be given to the endless pop culture references to 80s films and notable rock moments, the most memorable being Ozzy Osbourne's bat biting.

Despite not doing particularly well at the box office, Rock Of Ages is great fun and will have you dancing around singing 80s rock ballads for hours afterwards. If you liked the stage show, musicals or the 80s, then buy this and watch it, you won't be disappointed.

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Originally posted on www.thefancarpet.com

Cooper For Motor City?

Actor Dominic Cooper is currently in talks to join new action thriller Motor City.

The new Albert Hughes film originally had Chris Evans in the frame to star, but by the looks of things all that has since changed.

Cooper who is currently making his way in Hollywood after staring in The Devil’s Double and this summers hit film Captain America, alongside Chris Evans, would be seen playing a recently released prisoner who is on a mission to get revenge on the person that framed him and landed him in prison. So far it sounds like a pretty standard thriller to me.

According to film studio Warner Bros. the film will be produced by Joel Silver under his Silver Pictures Company.

However at this precise moment in time, the screenplay that was written by Chad St John currently has no dialogue, so unless the film is done entirely in mime it could be some time before this sees the light of day.

Red Dawn Remake To See The Light Of Day

News has surfaced that the Red Dawn remake is finally going to get released.

The film that had been scheduled for release quite a while ago now had its cinematic release due to the bankruptcy issues faced by the MGM film studio.

But with their bankruptcy issues behind them now, it looks like the film will now finally get a release for all those out there who were waiting for it.

The independent film studio FilmDistrict has struck up a deal with the studio, which will now see the film get released some time during 2012, so there won’t be much longer to wait now.

To be fair if a remake didn’t get to see the light of day it probably wouldn’t be the worse thing, as Hollywood seems to be churning out remakes and reboots and re-vamps every five minutes these days.

The film also boasts quite a star-studded cast; well it does now after the delay anyway. The film will see Chris Hemsworth, Adrienne Palicki, Alyssa Diaz, Josh Hutcherson and Isabel Lucas all pull together to ensure this remake finally makes an impact on the box office.

So now we just have to sit back and wait for an official release date.

Film Release Dates Moved Up

News has surfaced that three films set for Christmas releases have had their release dates moved forward.

The Adventures of Tin Tin, War Horseand Mission: Impossible 4 have all had their Christmas release dates pushed forward by at least a few days.

The Adventures of Tin Tin has seen its release date move up two days to December 21^st and War Horse has had its release date changed by three days, which will now see it released on Christmas day.

Dreamworks Spokesman Chip Sullivan said,“After seeing the film, it became clear to us that War Horse is something audiences should be able to see when they’re together with their families on Christmas Day.”

He later added, “They have the time to see multiple movies during the holidays, and we want to be one of their choices when they are most available.” 

Tom Cruise’s new Mission Impossible adventure will see it be released five days before its December 21^st release in IMAX cinemas.

Brad Bird, the director of the new film told the Los Angeles Times’ hero complex blog, “I wanted the first people that see the film to see it big with a sharp image and great sound systems, so when they went out and talked about the movie they saw, we would know that they had seen it at its best.”

It looks like the studios are competing against each other in the Christmas rush, and with Dreamworks getting the heads up with two films it should be fun to see which movies receive the best box office performance.

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Originally posted on www.thefancarpet.com

Alexia Fast Joins One Shot

News has surfaced that actress Alexia Fast is the latest to join the film adaptation of One Shot.

The feature film, which is being directed by Christopher McQuarrie, stars Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher, a former military spy who is investigating a sniper who is accused on murdering five people, however after Cruise’s character goes off on his own, he discovers thing aren’t quite what they seem.

Since the announcement that Fast would be starring in the new film project, The Hollywood Reporter has announced a few details about her character, they said she would play “Sandy, a seductive young siren involved in a setup of Cruise’s character.”

Now that does sound exciting doesn’t it.

A lot has been heard about this film over the past few weeks and it should be interesting to see how it’s pulled off, after all the story is there and they have a great cast, so it looks like it’ll be for the public to decide one it hits cinema screen in the future.

The film will also star Rosamund Pike, David Oyelowo and Richard Jenkins, and is expected to start filming next month in Pittsburgh.

Six Jump Into Mud

Following the recent announcement that both Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey would be heading the cast of new film Mud, six more people have been added to the cast list.

Michael Shannon, Sam Shepard, Ray McKinnon, Joe Don Baker, Sarah Paulson and Paul Sparks have all signed on for Jeff Nichols new coming of age drama.

The film’s main storyline will be revolving around a recluse, who is hiding out in Mississippi and is later discovered by two teenage boys. After discovering the recluse the two boys decide to help the man avoid the law, so that he can reunite with his one true love, Juniper, but with cops and bounty hunters getting in the way thing don’t exactly go to plan.

McConaughey will be playing the recluse Mud and Witherspoon will be playing his one true love, Juniper. Tye Sheridan is on board to play one of the boys; Shannon will be playing Galen, an uncle of one of the boys. Paulson and McKinnon will play one of the boys parents.

Baker and Sparks will play the hunters, and Shepard will be playing Tom Blankenship, another recluse.

The film has started production this week and looks set to be released in 2013.

Eric Bana Is Brilliant

Hulk star Eric Bana has signed on to star in new heist thriller movie Brilliant.

The film, which is in development at Lakeshore Entertainment, will see a small time crook get mixed up in the world of real crime when he becomes involved in a diamond robbery with some big time gangsters. It would appear that Bana would be playing the role of the small time crook who gets a bit out of his league, but this hasn’t been announced from anyone as of yet, so he could in fact be playing a big diamond stealing gangster, interesting.

There are also unconfirmed reports circulating at the moment that, Cameron Diaz has been cast in an unconfirmed role, but nothing has been made official.

It looks like this film is still a little bit of a mystery to everyone.

Gillian Gorfuk, who produced Blood Diamond, has written the film’s screenplay. Robert Luketic has signed on to direct the project.

No other details regarding the release date or shooting dates yet, but watch this space because they should be around soon.

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Originally posted on www.thefancarpet.com

Patty Jenkins To Take On Thor 2

News has surfaced that Monster director Patty Jenkins is in talks to take on the directing of Thor 2.

The choice of director for the new film seems a little bit odd, considering that Jenkins has directed no movies what so ever since the Academy Award winning Monster back in 2003. Since then she has based all of her work on television, directing the American remake of The Killing and worked on episodes of Arrested Development and Entourage.

However at the same time it isn’t entirely odd, considering the film Monster was a huge success, and it’s about time she made her film directing comeback.

The superhero sequel will see Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Antony Hopkins all return. Disney has already scheduled the release for the next film, and the date? July 26^th 2013.

So it looks as though you still have time to wait but at least the ball’s rolling.

Richard Jenkins On For One Shot

Richard Jenkins has signed on to star in the film adaptation of One Shot.

The film will see Jenkins star alongside Tom Cruise in the adaptation of Lee Child’s novel, where a vigilante Jack Reacher (Cruise) begins to dig into a case of a sniper accused of murdering five people. Where Reacher is sure that the man in question is guilty to begin with, he soon learns that not everything is as it seems. Which the sniper sits in custody, Reacher goes out on his own to try and work out the mystery.

Writer and director Christopher McQuarrie has hired the Jenkins to star as the district attorney, who is convinced that he has the right man locked up for the crime and is intent on prosecuting him to the full extent of the law.

Also starring with Cruise and Jenkins will be Rosamund Pike and David Oyelowo.

The film is expected to begin shooting next month.

Camilla Belle To Join Paradise Lost

It looks as though Camilla Belle is the director and studio’s new choice to play Eve in new film Paradise Lost.

The part would be a huge break for the actress, who has been acting since she was five years old, however she has failed to make it big on the Hollywood A-List. Her previous roles include The Lost World: Jurassic Park and The Patriot, which she starred in as a child actress. However her big screen roles as an adult such as, When a Stranger Calls and Push, have failed to help her gain huge mainstream success.

However this film may have that effect, if it all works out she will be starring alongside Bradley Cooper, Benjamin Walker and Casey Affleck.

The film which is based on the John Milton poem, which itself is based on the bible, will see Camilla play Eve who is tempted by Cooper’s Lucifer to eat the fruit form the tree of knowledge, therefore condemning all man kind to original sin. I think we all know the story from there don’t we?

The film has promised three epic fight sequences, in Heaven, Hell and Eden. Shooting is expected to start in January and the release is expected around early 2013.

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Originally posted on www.thefancarpet.com

Nathan Lane Joins The English Teacher

Nathan Lane has been added to the line up staring in the new indie comedy The English Teacher.

Lane will be joining a cast that already boast Julianne Moore and Greg Kinnear.

The film will see Moore playing a high school teacher who has her life turned upside down when one of the schools former star pupils returns home to the small town after trying and failing to make it as a playwright in New York.

Lane will be playing the role of the schools drama teacher, and it looks as though he is enlisted by Moore’s character to help the struggling playwright. There is still no word on what role Kinnear will be playing.

The movie will begin shooting in New York next month with television director Craig Zisk taking the role of director on his first film.

This film really is shaping up to have quite the cast. Hopefully some more details about Kinnear character will come soon.

Inbetweeners Writers Working on New Film

News has surfaced that the writers behind the smash hit Inbetweeners Movie are currently working on a new film project.

Iain Morris and Damon Beesley who were behind the comedy gold that was Jay, Simon, Will and Neil’s escapades in Malia, which went on to be a massive hit at the UK box office, grossing £39.4 million to date, are working on a new comedy film called Mortal.

Yes it is a shame it isn’t another Inbetweeners movie but, it’s from the same comedy creators, so it’ll be worth a watch.

So far the writers have written the first draft of the script, which finds two brothers travelling to the coast of northern Scotland with their two friends so they can spread the ashes of their recently deceased father.

Now this does sound a little bit sombre compared to the constant hilarity of The Inbetweeners, but with these two behind it I’m sure there will be a few classic comedy moments, if not many.

Christopher Young is also on board to produce, so it’s just the cast and director they need to nab. Maybe the cast of The Inbetweeners? We can only hope.

Oyelowo Joins Jack Reacher Film

Actor David Oyelowo is in talks to join the cast of new film One Shot.

If he nabs this role it will be the his highest profile part yet, after staring in two minor roles in two of the biggest hits of the summer, The Help and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

He would also be staring alongside Hollywood acting royalty; Tome Cruise.

The film, which is an adaptation of the Lee Child’s book, is being both written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The film will feature the iconic character Jack Reacher from Child’s book series.

Cruise will be playing the role of Reacher, which is quite amusing considering he is described as a hulking bruiser. Better hit the gym Tom.

The film will find Reacher investigating the case of a sniper who is suspect of killing five people at random in a small city in Indiana. But as you may have guessed once he starts looking into the case and digs deeper and deeper, he discovers that not everything is what it seems, and soon the guilt of the man in custody soon comes into question.

Oyelowo is gunning for the role of a homicide police officer that is also investigating the shooting.

The film also features Rosamund Pike as Helen Rodin, a defence lawyer.

With filming kicking off next month it should hit cinemas in 2013.

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Originally posted on www.thefancarpet.com

Brit Marling is Hot Property

New girl on the block Brit Marling is becoming one to watch in Hollywood.

After making a huge impact at the Sundance Film Festival with indie flicks Another Earth and Sound of My Voice, the woman of multiple talents (she’s also a writer and a producer) has caught the eye of Robert Redford, who wants her to star in The Company You Keep.

The actress is currently in talks to take the film’s female lead.

The film finds Redford, a former militant who has been hiding from the FBI for years. But after years of hiding a young journalist (Shia LaBeouf) uncovers his identity forcing Redford’s character to go on the run again.

Marling however hasn’t made any decisions yet and the word on the street is that she is also considering a film offer from Steven Soderbergh, where she would star in stripper film Magic Mike. Christopher McQuarrie also wants the actress to star opposite Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher adaptation One Shot.

With this many offer who knows what she will do next.

Even if she doesn’t sign on, filming for the Redford flick will begin next month.

McAvoy, Cumming and Bell To Unite

Actors James McAvoy, Alan Cumming and Jamie Bell are set to join forces on the cast of the film Filth, an adaptation of the Irvine Welsh novel of the same name.

This fourth Irvine Welsh novel to get a film adaptation, following Trainspotting, The Acid House and the forth coming feature Ecstasy.

Filth is about the immoral police officer Bruce Robertson, who is investigating a racial murder, trying to gain promotion and lots of overtime, makes sexually harassing phone calls to his friend’s wife in another person’s voice, ploughs through a drug fuelled bender in Amsterdam and to top it all off is afflicted by a tapeworm who also acts as his conscience. Yes it does sound complicated but enthralling all the same.

McAvoy will be playing Robertson, with Bell portraying his younger partner Lennox (who subsequently got his own follow up story in the 2008 novel Crime). Finally Cumming will be playing the role of Robertson’s boss, Bob Toal.

Welsh, who wrote the novel will be acting as the film’s producer and John S Baird will be directing.

The film will begin filming in January of next year.