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[Exclusive Interview] Jarred Hess on Gentlemen Broncos

9 November 2009 5:02 AM, PST | Atomic Popcorn | See recent Atomic Popcorn news »

Jarred Hess is the man behind the much-loved Napoleon Dynamite and the Jack Black wrestling comedy Nacho Libre. It’s been over 3 years since Libre and he’s finally back to bring another offbeat comedy to the big screen. His latest Gentlemen Broncos deals with a young writer’s ambitions, crappy science fiction and an at-the-end of his career sci-fi writer. To help promote his latest film I was given the more than fantastic opportunity of interviewing Mr. Hess to discuss Broncos and here’s the result. Gentlemen Broncos is currently in theaters.

I always like how your films carry an underdog theme. What is it exactly that appeals to you about that?

Jarred Hess: You know, I guess… I moved around a lot growing up and I guess I just identify with the outsider guy — trying to fit in and pursuing his dream. I don’t know, it’s »

- JackGiroux

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Hornby Can't Understand High Fidelity Stage Flop

8 November 2009 3:06 PM, PST | WENN | See recent WENN news »

British author Nick Hornby is still struggling to come to terms with the fact his book High Fidelity wasn't a Broadway smash - because he thought it was a great musical.

The stage version of his book, which was also turned into a film starring John Cusack and Jack Black, failed to find an audience in New York and was cancelled and Hornby can't understand why the critics panned it.

He tells WENN, "I was very sad that it didn't succeed. They were very talented people and they did a really good job.

"It was one of those awful stories where I thought everyone was great and I went to the first night, which was wonderful, had a great party and then the New York Times review came in and it was over and that was it." »

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A High Fidelity Reunion Will Happen In Vegas

5 November 2009 8:53 PM, PST | cinemablend.com | See recent Cinema Blend news »

High Fidelity is one of the few movies that perfectly articulates the relationship between popular media and our lives. Throw in a career starting performance by Jack Black (for better or for worse) and a cameo by The Boss, and it is a film that stands proudly in many DVD collections. It's been nine years since the film came out, and while one has seen their career rise while the other's somewhat fizzled, it now appears that film's writer and director may be working together again. Director Stephen Frears and writer D.V. DeVincentis, according to THR, are now both attached to Lay the Favorite, a dramedy based on the memoirs of Beth Raymer (the book has a release date of next June). The film will focus on a woman in her thirties (presumably Raymer) who, after making a series of bad life choices, gets involved with a group of ... »

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'Lobo' Writer (And Anthrax Guitarist) Scott Ian Offers Up His Movie Casting & Soundtrack Picks

4 November 2009 10:01 AM, PST | MTV Splash Page | See recent MTV Splash Page news »

James Preston Rogers might have won the MTV Splash Page readers' poll for favorite actors to play Lobo in Guy Ritchie's new film, but Anthrax lead guitarist Scott Ian, who's currently writing DC's "Lobo: Highway to Hell" miniseries, has a pick many readers probably haven't considered. But Ian didn't even blink before suggesting a name out of left field.

"Yeah, this guy named Matt Willig," Ian told MTV News. "He's an ex-football player who's gotten into acting and if you watch 'Dexter' he played a guy named [Little Chino]."

Willig spent nearly 14 seasons in the NFL, according to NFL.com, before leaving for roles in TV shows like "Dexter," "CSI" and eventually a part in the Jack Black and Michael Cera comedy "Year One."

"He's like seven feet tall, and I think he would be perfect," Ian said. Willig definitely has the size. IMDb lists him at just over »

- Brian Warmoth

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DVD Weekly Roundup – Monday 2nd November

1 November 2009 11:10 PM, PST | FilmShaft.com | See recent FilmShaft.com news »

Public Enemies

Got to admit I was a little under whelmed when watching this at the cinema. The main problem I found was the complete lack of pace and strangely for a Michael Mann film the editing was sub-par. I felt the narrative suffered a lot on the big screen. I was very disappointed because this was coming from one of the greatest filmmakers in America over the past decade.

Fortunately Public Enemies works much better on the small screen. The story of John Dillinger and the obsessive manhunt that took place is actually a very intimate one. The film has epic qualities but overall it really is just a story about one man that blurred the lines between criminal and hero.

Johnny Depp as always gives it his all; he captures the human being behind one of the most interesting figures in crime history. Christian Bale is well cast »

- Alex Wagner

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Win Hipster Baby Tees From Mini Fine and Mighty Fine! (A $250 Value)

1 November 2009 8:00 PM, PST | People - CelebrityBabies | See recent People - CelebrityBabies news »

Mini Fine is created for the little hipsters of the contemporary world by offering a collection of tees featuring fresh designs and iconic characters. Whether your “mini-me” is 0-12 months or 2t to 4t. Mini Fine’s infusion of a little grown-up attitude with an inherently sweet style is sure to make a statement. Its no surprise that Mini Fine’s quirky style is a favorite amongst  hip moms across the Us! Celebrity fans include Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Garner, Jack Black, Heidi Klum and Britney Spears.

Mini Fine’s parent company, Mighty Fine, will also be throwing in a few »

- Danielle

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Tropic Thunder Writer Scripting Men in Black 3

30 October 2009 6:49 AM, PDT | Atomic Popcorn | See recent Atomic Popcorn news »

I didn’t fall head over heels in love with Tropic Thunder as many other people did; I found it overlong and Jack Black’s performance sucked all the air out after Robert Downey Jr. would fill it up again. That’s not to say it’s bad. It’s really very good, just not mind-blowing.

One film that was very very bad was Men in Black 2, which rehashed every element of the first Will Smith/Tommy Lee Jones vehicle and halved the amount of laughs.

So, the news that Tropic Thunder scribe Etan Cohen (also responsible for the criminally underrated Idiocracy) will be taking over screenwriting duties for Men in Black 3 is definitely good news for the franchise. What isn’t good news is that so far, Smith and Jones haven’t signed deals to return. Maybe it’s time for new actors to fill the MiB shoes, »

- John Cooper

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Jared Hess says he's never been asked about making 'Nacho Libre 2'

30 October 2009 2:53 AM, PDT | Hitfix | See recent Hitfix news »

Speaking to filmmaker Jarod Hess last week about his new comedy "Gentlemen Broncos," HitFix inquired about the status about a "Nacho Libre" sequel.  The first Jack Black comedy was an unexpected summer smash in 2006 grossing $80 million in theaters and doing brisk business on DVD.  The picture was Hess' first film after his unexpected debut with the pop culture touchstone "Napoleon Dynamite" and proved he wasn't a one-hit wonder. Surprisingly, Hess says while he'd love to work with Black again, Paramount has never approached him about doing a sequel.  And to be honest, considering how interested he is about returning... »

- Gregory Ellwood

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Exclusive Video: Gentlemen Broncos Cast Interviews

29 October 2009 9:25 PM, PDT | MovieWeb | See recent MovieWeb news »

By all accounts Napoleon Dynamite is still one of the funniest and most successful independent movies of all time. The movie, which is still highly prevalent in pop-culture, has had a lasting affect on audiences in a way that few films do. Filmmakers Jared and Jerusha Hess followed up their success by teaming with School of Rock writer Mike White and star Jack Black to make the Mexican wrestling comedy Nacho Libre. White has teamed with the Hess's again, producing their new comedy the science-fiction paperback spoof Gentlemen Broncos, which is being released in theaters on October 30th. We had a chance to talk with the film's creators, writer and director Jared Hess, his co-writer Jerusha Hess, producer and actor Mike White and stars Jermaine Clement and Jennifer Coolidge. To watch our exclusive interview click on the video clips below.

Benjamin (Michael Angarano), home-schooled by his eccentric mother (Jennifer Coolidge »

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Fun For Everyone Halloween Films – Part III!

28 October 2009 8:01 AM, PDT | ScreenRant.com | See recent Screen Rant news »

The belfry has struck twice in the land of Fun For Everyone Halloween Films here at Screen Rant, and the third, final chime is preparing to strike!

Join the Screen Rant team as we detail this last entry for our 2009 Fun For Everyone Halloween Films listing and “chime in” with your own!

5. Edward Scissorhands (1990): I would love to see how something like Edward Scissorhands would go over in today’s society. Clearly, if the school he’d be attending observed any of today’s weapon policies, he’d be expelled instantly and have at least 4 interviews on news programs and talk shows before the week was over about how the institution is “denying his fundamental right to express himself.” Edward Scissorhands reminds me a lot of many of the movies that came out in the late 80s, up until 1990. Lots of teen angst with a dash of fantasy – lots »

- Mike Wilkerson

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Air Guitar Nation Gets Fictional Remake from the Writer of Tropic Thunder

28 October 2009 6:00 AM, PDT | FilmJunk | See recent FilmJunk news »

As I mentioned in a post a couple of days ago [1], there have been a ton of documentaries related to heavy metal lately, and one that sort of fits into that category as well is Alexandra Lipsitz's Air Guitar Nation. Documenting the Us and World Air Guitar Championships from a few years back, the movie is more about performance art than music specifically, but either way it's a lot of fun. Now it looks like the documentary is about to be brought to a wider audience as part of a fictional comedy as well. According to THR's Risky Business Blog [2], Tropic Thunder writer Justin Theroux has signed on to produce a movie for Paramount called simply Air Guitar, set in the world of competitive air guitar. He will not actually be the one writing the script however; those duties will fall to Mike Lisbe and Nate Reger (Just Shoot Me! »

- Sean

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‘New Moon’, new physique: Taylor Lautner worries fans won’t look past abs

27 October 2009 11:37 AM, PDT | ReelLoop.com | See recent Reel Loop news »

Oh, it’s so tough being a young good looking actor with a fat wad of cash and rock hard physique. Just ask The Twilight Saga: New Moon actor Taylor Lautner who is dealing with the ramifications of being the object of almost every teen girl’s (maybe a few blokes, too) eye.

“I worked hard to get in shape for this role,” Lautner said. “My motivation was the movie and the fans, but I don’t want to become known as just a body. If I had to choose, I would never take my shirt off again in a movie, but I guess that’s not very realistic. I certainly won’t be asking to do it, though.”

Lautner recently hit the gym pretty hard to reprise the role of Jacob Black in New Moon; a character who has a meatier role since he was last seen in Twilight. »

- Reel Loop News Staff

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HuffPost Review: Gentleman Broncos

27 October 2009 4:39 AM, PDT | Huffington Post | See recent Huffington Post news »

With Napoleon Dynamite, writer-director Jared Hess seemed to announce himself as a film-making find with an entertainingly quirky sensibility. With Nacho Libre, however, Hess stumbled badly, creating a film that attempted to work the same faux naïf vein as Napoleon Dynamite, with a fraction of the laughs. And he wasted the volcanic Jack Black in the process. So I approached Gentleman Broncos as a tie-breaker of sorts, the movie that would demonstrate which of his first two films was the fluke and which the more accurate indicator of his ability. Apparently Napoleon Dynamite was the happy accident. A flat, self-consciously mannered film, Gentleman Broncos wants to have it both ways. It wants the audience to laugh at the cheesy aesthetic of amateur aspiring artists, even as it offers its own amateurish version of a film comedy. It's not just the chuckle-free writing or leaden... »

- Marshall Fine

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Poster Art for Cameron and Fincher’s Heavy Metal

22 October 2009 10:05 AM, PDT | SciFiCool.com | See recent SciFiCool.com news »

The guys from The Metal Den says they have the first poster art for the upcoming “Heavy Metal” movie, drawn by artist Raymond Swanland. It looks very heavy. And metal. Heavy metal-ish, if you will. Fincher and James Cameron are going to be Co-Executive Producers on the film. The movie will be split into segments. Fincher will direct one. Cameron will direct one. Zack Snyder is going to direct one and Gore Verbinski is going to. Mark Osborne and Jack Black from Tenacious D are going to do a comedy segment for the film. The Metal Den says the movie is due out in 2010, but IMDb.com has the more practical 2012 as a possible release date. »

- Nix

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Mike White on His HBO Pilot Enlightened, Them and School Of Rock 2

21 October 2009 7:14 PM, PDT | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »

Writer, director, producer and actor Mike White is known for his rather eclectic dramedies, such as Chuck & Buck, The Good Girl, School of Rock, Nacho Libre and Year of the Dog, which is totally fine with him. Not looking to be a producer or director for hire, he enjoys working with his friends, like Jared and Jerusha Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) on their latest film, Gentlemen Broncos, about a lovable underdog (played by Michael Angarano) whose passion for writing science-fiction novels is turned upside down when his idol, the celebrated fantasy author Dr. Ronald Chevalier (Jemaine Clement), steals his story at a writers camp.

At the press day for the film, Mike White gave some updates on what he’s currently working on, including the HBO pilot Enlightened, headed into production in January 2010, as well as the status of Them (with Edgar Wright) and School of Rock 2. Look for what he »

- Sara Wayland

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Year One Blu-ray Review

21 October 2009 1:16 PM, PDT | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »

It has often been said that a film is not simply the sum of its parts. Well in “Year One”, starring Jack Black and Michael Cera, featuring a slew of star cameos, and directed by Harold Ramis, this is proven true. This not very funny comedy is not simply the sum of its parts. It’s much less. We know Jack Black can be funny. We know Michael Cera can be funny. We know Harold Ramis can write, direct And be funny. However, these talents just fail to add up and as a consequence, “Year One” is not only a bit of an incomprehensible mess, it’s also not funny. Hit the jump for the rest of my review.

Film begins in a small prehistoric village where Black and Cera are a frustrated hunter and a passable gatherer (respectively) and both fancy female tribe members that have their eyes on more potent men. »

- Jackson Bishop

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Olivia Wilde 'Totally Flattered' By Hottest Woman Alive Title

20 October 2009 9:16 AM, PDT | MTV Music News | See recent MTV Music News news »

'It's very sweet,' actress says of Maxim magazine's #1 ranking.

By Larry Carroll, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Olivia Wilde

Photo: MTV News

New York — When you're hot, you're hot. And when you're not, but your name is Olivia Wilde ... well, you're still kinda hot.

Earlier this year, the 25-year-old "House" beauty was crowned "Hottest Woman Alive" by Maxim magazine, reigning supreme over such eye-popping actresses as Malin Akerman, Scarlett Johansson and Audrina Patridge.

"And they are the authority," laughed Wilde, stopping by the MTV offices recently to radiate the newsroom with her hotness. But looking back over past Maxim lists, Wilde finished #61 in 2005, #97 in 2008 — and didn't even chart in 2006 and 2007. So, what happened?

"Y'know, I couldn't say. What did happen?" she laughed, acknowledging her wildly fluctuating sexiness. "I was very blonde [in 2006], then I went brunette."

"I also look very sad — what was happening there?" she laughed, looking at a »

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Games: Review:Brütal Legend

18 October 2009 10:00 PM, PDT | avclub.com | See recent The AV Club news »

A certain game starring John, Paul, George, and Ringo was supposed to be this year’s greatest triumph of music in gaming, but Brütal Legend does more for heavy metal than The Beatles: Rock Band does for the boys from Liverpool. While TB:rb was a coronation, Brütal Legend is a rebirth, an origin story for a new era of metal. Director Tim Schafer rejuvenates his beloved hard-rock traditions, using hero Eddie Riggs (voiced by Jack Black) as an accessible, even loveable ambassador for a genre that’s lost some of its cultural currency. Metal’s low ebb ... »

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HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: One ‘Brütal Legend’ PlayStation 3 Video Game With Jack Black

18 October 2009 8:06 PM, PDT | HollywoodChicago.com | See recent HollywoodChicago.com news »

Chicago – In our latest extra-special edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Video Games, we have one PlayStation 3 video game up for grabs to the new video game “Brutal Legend” with Jack Black! This video game retails for $60!

“Brutal Legend,” which is written and directed by Tim Schafer, features Jack Black, Tim Curry, Jennifer Hale, Zach Hanks, Richard Steven Horvitz, Courtenay Taylor, Alex Fernandez, Rebecca Corry, Josh Robert Thompson, Rob Halford, Taylor M. Dooley, David Boat and David Sobolov.

“Brutal Legend” was released by Electronic Arts and developed by Double Fine. It is rated “M” for mature. While the version being given away in this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is for PlayStation 3, the title is also available for Xbox 360. “Brutal Legend” was released on Oct. 13, 2009.

To win your free “Brutal Legend” video game for PlayStation 3 courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is tell us what you like or dislike about »

- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)

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Brutal Legend (Horrorcade Review)

16 October 2009 10:40 AM, PDT | Fangoria | See recent Fangoria news »

Behind the mixture of shredding guitars, hanging clouds of cigarette smoke, and drunken ne'er do wells, heavy metal music often evokes imagery of the long passed Medieval Times – not the restaurant, but the actual era in civilization's history with castles and knights and kings and such.  Band members clad in leather, chains and spikes wail and scream about dragon's fire, blood, sacrifices, demons and magic. They sport long hair, beards, and boots fit for battle.  They refer to their guitars as “axes,” and sometimes even have literal axes for guitars.  Only the creative genius of Tim Schafer (from acclaimed games such as Grim Fandango and Psychonauts) and his merry band of followers at Double Fine could give heavy metal its proper action-adventure videogame translation in the form of Brutal Legend.

As a game itself, Brutal Legend boasts an array of qualities to make it one of the leading titles of »

- no-reply@fangoria.com (Doug Norris)

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