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2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1997
1-20 of 40 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
The Worst Movie Biopics and Five That Are Pretty Darn Good
6 November 2009 6:15 PM, PST | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »
Watch enough movies and you learn pretty fast that they aren't about reality, they're about entertaining us. Which sometimes makes the world of the biopic a little tricky, because not only do you have to work in the truth, but you still have to keep those butts in the seats -- and the results are not always good. Over at Moviefone they've compiled some of the worst movie biopics, and no one was safe -- with films earning a spot for mixing up their facts, ridiculous casting, or just downright lazy filmmaking.
So who made the list? Well, you've got your usual suspects like Oliver Stone's Alexander, a film that has so much wrong with it I don't know where to put the blame (oh, that's right, on everyone). Other films that made the cut for the less than flattering title of 'Real Life Catastrophes' were Kevin Spacey's Bobby Darin flick, »
- Jessica Barnes
Matthew Modine: The Hollywood Interview
2 November 2009 10:20 AM, PST | The Hollywood Interview | See recent The Hollywood Interview news »
Matthew Modine: Better Angels
By
Matthew Modine has been something of an iconoclast most of his working life. After being groomed for ‘80s teen idol status in early films such as Private School and Vision Quest, Modine was also one of the first actors of his generation, along with Sean Penn, to take on riskier projects, such as Robert Altman's Streamers, Alan Parker’s Birdy, Gillian Armstrong’s Mrs. Soffel, and Alan J. Pakula’s Orphans. It was his lead role as the cynical Marine Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam epic Full Metal Jacket that put Modine into the pantheon of young actors who were more than just pretty faces and knowing winks at the camera. This, after all, was the young man who turned down the lead in Top Gun, arguably the prototypical ‘80s blockbuster, due to its cold war politics. From the beginning, »
- The Hollywood Interview.com
Tobin Bell and Costas Mandylor Interview Saw VI
17 October 2009 10:33 AM, PDT | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »
Since the first Saw film debuted in 2004, the franchise has gone on to make over $665 million in worldwide box office, making Lionsgate the leading studio for horror today. Originally following terminally ill cancer patient John Kramer, aka Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), on his quest to teach those he believes have ceased to value and appreciate life the game of survival, the series has continued thanks to his apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith) and his disciple Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor).
After spending almost 30 years appearing in movies and television shows, Tobin Bell was cast in the chilling role of Jigsaw in the Saw franchise. Mastermind sat down with student, as Bell joined Costas Mandylor, at the film’s press day, to talk about making this long-lasting film franchise, soon to be turned into 3-D in its next installment.
Question: How does it feel to be a part of a franchise that is coming out with its sixth movie? »
- Sara Wayland
Parker Hates Fame Remake
7 October 2009 5:11 AM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »
Fame director Sir Alan Parker is appalled by a modern remake of his classic film, insisting he never gave permission for the new version to be made.
Studio bosses maintain they consulted Parker before shooting this year's Fame movie, which is currently at the top of the U.K. box office, but the veteran filmmaker insists he was never contacted.
And Parker, whose 1980 version won two Academy Awards, is annoyed he can't do anything because officials at MGM own the rights to the original.
He says, "It's a bit like being mugged. Such are the realities of Hollywood manners and American copyright law.
"I have never had a single phone call from anyone - the studio, the producers - about this remake. No one spoke to me about it. To say so is absolute nonsense. I feel very much that Fame is mine. I spent months with the kids at the school then spent a year making the movie. You do the work and make it as good as it can be, and you try to protect it.
"Then, because the copyright is owned by the studio, as with almost all American feature films, they can do a remake like this. It's extremely galling. There is no other area of the arts where you can do that."
Parker told Britain's Daily Telegraph he is considering legal action over the new moviemakers' use of the Fame logo, which MGM does not own the rights to. »
'Fame' retains UK box office crown
7 October 2009 1:44 AM, PDT | Digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news »
Fame has topped the UK box office for the second week running. The remake of Alan Parker's 1980 musical drama narrowly beats Ricky Gervais's Invention Of Lying to the top spot, while Toy Story is in third place following its 3D re-release. Elsewhere, Pandorum is a new entry at number seven and Aliens In The Attic vaults back into the top ten from 14. The UK box office top ten in full: 1. (1) Fame - £1,786,358
2. (more) »
- By Simon Reynolds
Fame Director Sir Alan Parker Feels “Mugged”
6 October 2009 10:43 AM, PDT | FilmShaft.com | See recent FilmShaft.com news »
I have a confession to make. Here in FilmShaft towers we’re feeling a little robbed, after months of free PR, posting trailers, posters, the works – we were not approached to review the remake of the 1980 classic, Fame.
However, if recent reports are to be believed then we weren’t the only ones feeling robbed, original Fame director, Sir Alan Parker does too!
Speaking this week to The Telegraph, 65 year old Parker made no bones about disputing Hollywood claims that he approved of the 2009 remake, telling reporters that he had not been consulted and was appalled by the “dreadful” project:
“It’s a bit like being mugged. Such are the realities of Hollywood manners and American copyright law.”
“I have never had a single phone call from anyone – the studio, the producers – about this remake. No-one spoke to me about it. To say so is absolute nonsense.
“I feel very much that Fame is mine. »
- Craig Sharp
Alan Parker Feels 'Mugged' by Fame Remake, Says It Dishonors Memory of Its AIDS-Victim Creators
5 October 2009 3:30 PM, PDT | Movieline | See recent Movieline news »
Fans of the original Fame -- and Christina Hendricks counts herself as one -- probably would have hated MGM's critically eviscerated remake, had they bothered to see it. But any disappointment or discomfort audiences might have felt watching the fondly drawn characters of the original de-legwarmered and glossified beyond recognition pales in comparison to what Sir Alan Parker, director of the 1980 version, experiences every time a spot for the remake flashes across his telly screen. The London Telegraph quotes Parker as comparing the film -- which is #1 in Britain this week -- to the time he was followed home by muggers and robbed in his own home: »
Review: Fame
26 September 2009 10:55 AM, PDT | FilmSchoolRejects.com | See recent FilmSchoolRejects news »
Before it became a veritable cottage industry – having spawned a six season TV series, an Off-Broadway production, multiple imitators and the current big screen remake – Fame meant one thing only: the 1980 Alan Parker film. And that’s as it should be, as Parker imbued his depiction of the struggles of students trying to make it at Manhattan’s grueling School of Performing Arts with an inimitable combination of poignant nostalgia and hard edged realism. In the current reworking, first time filmmaker Kevin Tancharoen goes, as the famous ballad sung by Irene Cara in the original says, “Out here on my own.” Let it never be said that he attempted to duplicate Parker’s work. Instead, he and screenwriter Allison Burnett reduce Christopher Gore’s original screenplay to shambles, turning it into a heavily stylized over-produced mess. This is not, in any sense, an accurate depiction of life at an arts school. It »
- Robert Levin
'Fame' falls on its face
25 September 2009 7:36 AM, PDT | Denver Movies Examiner | See recent Denver Movies Examiner news »
The latest take on Fame, an edgy ’80s construction built on perseverance through real-life hardships, has become filled with pleasant platitudes such as reaching for celestial bodies, overcoming mountains, never giving up hope and other slogans usually seen on office posters. It’s a frigid and empty drama built on teen clichés and faux-grit while set against a thumping urban beat.
Much like the 1980 original from Alan Parker, Kevin Tancharoen’s updated version strips away emotion and substance only to cram the film with sappy melodrama and see-thru grit. Besides the movie’s PG-rated slant (the original was rated-r) which is skewed towards the Disney/High School Musical crowd, the dismal writing from Allison Burnett and shoddy performances, sans Megan Mullally, Charles S. Dutton and Kelsey Grammer, bring the film down to a level of boredom not felt since the creation of the Venetian Waltz.
The teen cast represents each »
Review: ‘Fame’ is a busted move
25 September 2009 6:42 AM, PDT | ReelLoop.com | See recent Reel Loop news »
The latest take on Fame, an edgy ’80s construction built on perseverance through real-life hardships, has become filled with pleasant platitudes such as reaching for celestial bodies, overcoming mountains, never giving up hope and other slogans usually seen on office posters. It’s a frigid and empty drama built on teen clichés and faux-grit while set against a thumping urban beat.
It’s like spotting a wiener dog wearing a pit-bull mask…but not nearly as cute.
Much like the 1980 original from Alan Parker, Kevin Tancharoen’s updated version strips away emotion and substance only to cram the film with sappy melodrama and see-thru grit. Besides the movie’s PG-rated slant (the original was rated-r) which is skewed towards the Disney/High School Musical crowd, the dismal writing from Allison Burnett and shoddy performances, sans Megan Mullally, Charles S. Dutton and Kelsey Grammer, bring the film down to a level »
- Erik Buckman
Movie Review: Fame (2009)
24 September 2009 11:32 PM, PDT | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »
Naturi Naughton and Collins Pennie in Fame
Photo: MGM Studios 24 hours before walking into the 2009 remake Fame I sat down to watch Alan Parker's 1980 original, which was surprisingly well received by critics and not-so-surprisingly went on to win two Oscars for original score and original song on top of being nominated for four other Oscars including screenplay. While the Kevin Tancharoen-directed remake won't come close to following in those footsteps, it didn't grate on me as much as the original, if only because it was 30 minutes shorter. Toned down from the 1980 edition's R-rating to a PG-for-everyone-rating in an effort to make sure the "So You Think You Can Dance" audience will have reason to leave their couches, Fame 2009 centers on a freshman class of performing arts students ranging from dancers, singers, actors and the like as they begin a four-year program at an anonymous New York City High School of Performing Arts. »
- Brad Brevet
Film: Review:Fame
24 September 2009 1:04 PM, PDT | avclub.com | See recent The AV Club news »
Hogwarts has nothing on New York’s High School Of Performing Arts. The idea of a school where hundreds of supremely talented, intense kids are packed together to pursue any and every artistic discipline, regardless of class, race, gender, beliefs or background, is practically magical. It’s a guaranteed breeding ground for vast personal drama, heavily imbued with the sense of boundless potential being recognized, then either rewarded or rejected. The setting proved so richly successful in Alan Parker’s 1980 movie musical Fame that it spawned a six-season spin-off TV series, a series of records and performance tours, a ... »
'Sytycd's' Kherington Payne and Naturi Naughton show off in 'Fame'
23 September 2009 1:00 AM, PDT | Hitfix | See recent Hitfix news »
This weekend's box office is setting up to be a showdown between Bruce Willis' "Surrogates" and the reboot of the performing arts drama "Fame." The young bucks are going against a longtime action star, but MGM and Lakeshore, who produced the remake, are hoping a strong teen turnout makes "Fame" a surprise hit.The new "Fame" doesn't have the pedigree Alan Parker's original 1982, but it does feature some familiar faces. Veteran actors Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth and Charles S. Dutton are on board as teachers at New York City's High School of Performing Arts. And just for good... »
- HitFix Staff
Fame, Rage and Capitalism
21 September 2009 6:55 AM, PDT | ifc.com | See recent IFC news »
This week, contrasting approaches to filmmaking bring about balance and equilibrium. Experimentalism (Sally Potter's "Rage" and Michael Almereyda's "Paradise") collides head on with tried and tested formulas (the Clive Owen starrer "The Boys Are Back" and a remake of "Fame").
Download this in audio form (MP3: 18:27 minutes, 16.9 Mb) Subscribe to the In Theaters podcast: [Xml] [iTunes]
Stanley Tucci adapts and stars in the second remake from the canon of slain Dutch director Theo Van Gogh, the first being Steve Buscemi's 2007 "Interview." A whimsical psychological tussle between a husband and wife who play games to patch up their marriage, the story hones in on the attempted romantic rediscovery between long-married Don (Tucci) and Jenna (Patricia Clarkson).
Opens in New York.
Writer/director Russell Brown's comedy stays true to the adage "write what you know," as a miserably bad screenplay threatens to »
- Neil Pedley
Chicago International Film Festival gets extra day and ticket discounts
19 September 2009 11:43 AM, PDT | The Scorecard Review | See recent Scorecard Review news »
The Chicago International Film Festival is celebrating its 45th Anniversary, and it’s decided to add an extra day to the festival. Now it will run from October 8 to October 22. And check out the code below to get a discount to tickets for the fest.
Here’s the news release …
In celebration of the 45th year of The Chicago International Film Festival, Cinema/Chicago is announcing that it will add an extra day to this year’s schedule, bringing the Festival up to 15 days of cinematic exhibition. Festival founder Michael Kutza remarks “45 years is a milestone for our festival and as the oldest competitive film festival in North America, we wanted to ensure that we took the time to commemorate our achievements and celebrate our past.” Closing Night of the Chicago International Film Festival will now take place on the evening of October 22nd at the AMC River East 21 (322 E. »
- Jeff Bayer
Fame movie clip
17 September 2009 8:42 PM, PDT | JoBlo.com | See recent JoBlo news »
At this point in the current musicals gold rush I'd rather see a well made revamp of Alan Parker's perfect-as-it-is Fame than yet another High School Musical or any of its knock offs. Those movies are like bad neighbors; you let one move on your block, next thing you know the whole town goes to hell. The folks from Collider posted a bunch of clips extracted from the movie, all edited into one sitting, and although I usually loathe musicals this one looks like they've kept to Parker's... »
- Tony Lang
Naturi Naughton and Collins Pennie's 'Fame' Music Video
14 September 2009 2:18 AM, PDT | Aceshowbiz | See recent Aceshowbiz news »
Naturi Naughton and Collins Pennie team up, singing "Fame" which is used as an anthem for a movie of the same name. In a bid to support the track, a music video has just been unveiled for public viewing pleasure.
The video sees Naturi singing the song inside a cab on her way to the New York City High School of Performing Arts, and Collins partying at a club. Moreover, scenes from upcoming film "Fame" are also included.
A 1980 song, "Fame" was originally sung by Irene Cara and used as a soundtrack for Alan Parker's Oscar winning flick of the same name. Beside being re-recorded by Naturi and Collins, it was also covered by Kristen Bell at 2005 Emmy Awards and Willa Ford at an episode of "Dancing with the Stars".
Supported also by Debbie Allen, Kelsey Grammer and Megan Mullally among others, "Fame" is scheduled to come out in U. »
- AceShowbiz.com
Lionsgate Blu-ray Thrillers in Nov: Frailty, Angel Heart and The Way of the Gun
3 September 2009 9:02 AM, PDT | TheHDRoom | See recent TheHDRoom news »
Lionsgate had teased Angel Heart with Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro and Lisa Bonet was "coming soon" to Blu-ray Disc almost a year and a half ago. On November 24, the delayed cult classic will finally make its high-def debut. Joining Angel Heart the same day on Blu-ray will be Bill Paxton's directorial debut Frailty starring himself and Matthew McConaughey, as well as The Way of the Gun with a young Ryan Phillippe, Benicio Del Toro and Juliette Lewis. All three films will be given a remastered 1080p video transfer and DTS-hd Master Audio mix. Angel Heart will include 5.1 channels of audio while the other two earn an extra pair for 7.1. Though The Way of the Gun is coming as a bare bones release, bonus features for Frailty and Angel Heart are as follows: Angel Heart
Introduction and interview with director Alan Parker Interview and select scene commentary with Mickey Rourke »
MovieWeb's 2009 Fall Movie Guide!
1 September 2009 7:54 AM, PDT | MovieWeb | See recent MovieWeb news »
Labor Day weekend is coming up, and it's a holiday that marks the end of the summer movie season along with summer itself. All the kids are heading back to the classroom for another dreaded year of school and (for those in L.A. like myself) the weather starts to cool... hopefully. While fall usually isn't seen as a cinematic hotbed, with the blockbuster summer season over, there are still plenty of quality films to check out at the box office. This year we have Megan Fox's possessed body, a sensational animated film and a new zombie adventure. There's a lot more that I'm looking forward to this fall, so here is a comphrehensive look at what you can expect from this fall movie season.
Starring: Gerard Butler, Kyra Sedgwick, Michael C. Hall, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, John Leguizamo, Amber Valletta, Terry Crews, Logan Lerman, »
They, Too, Are Gonna Live Forever: Three First-Look Images from Fame
31 August 2009 12:00 PM, PDT | Movieline | See recent Movieline news »
Movieline is proud to present a trio of never-before-seen images from MGM's Kelsey Grammerific reimagining of Alan Parker's 1980 musical, Fame. Set in the highly competitive training grounds of the New York City High School of Performing Arts, Fame follows a class of multi-talented showbiz hopefuls as they fling their sweat-drenched legwarmers through torturous jazz-ballet rehearsals, strain to recall their lines through angsty readings from 16 Stage Monologues for Men, and weather the spittle-flecked invective of Mr. Shorofsky as he wails, "No! No! No! Hold the bow like this! Not like this! This isn't your dick you're holding! It's a violin bow! Hold it with respect!"* The exclusive photos are after the jump.
*Scene may not actually appear in 2009 remake. »
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1997
1-20 of 40 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
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