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Kim Peek, the Man Who Inspired Rain Man, Dies at 58
20 minutes ago
Though you may not know his name, Kim Peek directly inspired Dustin Hoffman's role in the Oscar-winning film Rain Man. He died from a heart attack on Saturday morning. Peek was 58, and perhaps one of the world's most famous savants. He couldn't perform basic tasks like using a light switch, but he had a seemingly bottomless memory. After meeting Peek at a convention in the early 80s, writer Barry Morrow was so taken by his abilities that he ended up writing Rain Man. The film went on to win four Oscars: Best Picture, Actor, Director, and Original Screenplay. According to Yahoo: In his later years, Peek was classified as a mega-savant who was a genius in about 15 different subjects, from history and literature and geography to numbers, sports, music and dates. But his motor skills were limited; he couldn't perform some simple tasks like dressing himself. Peek suffered from …
- Devindra Hardawar
Geek Deals: Deadwood, Star Trek, Gone With The Wind, King of Queens, Band of Brothers, Rome and $6 Flux Capacitor T-Shirt
1 hour ago
Tanga is selling a Back to the Future Flux Capacitor T-Shirt for only $5.99 (plus $1.99 shipping and handling). Amazon has a few last minute holiday deals: Gold Box Deal of the Day (24 hours Only): The King of Queens: The Complete Series on DVD for $89.99, 61% off the $233 msrp/ The Wire: The Complete Series for $89.99, 64% off the $250msrp Gone With The Wind (70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition) Blu-Ray Set for $39.99, 53% off the $85 list price Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection Blu-ray set for $59.99, 57% off the $140 msrp. Set includes: The Motion Picture / The Wrath of Khan / The Search for Spock / The Voyage Home / The Final Frontier / The Captains Summit Bonus Disc. Deadwood: The Complete Series for $74.99, 58% off the $180 msrp. Band of Brothers Blu-Ray for $37.49, 63% off the $100 msrp. Rome: The Complete Series on Blu-Ray for $64.99, 54% off …
- Peter Sciretta
Flickchart’s Top 20 Films of the Decade As Decided By Users
1 hour ago
I'm not nearly as in love with the social movie ranking site Flickchart as other movie fans, but I can admit that they've sort of struck gold with their concept. Not only is that movie comparison data fun to share with your friends, but it also gives the site a lot of data to explore site-wide trends as well, such as this chart showing the most-liked films of the 2000s from the site's 40,000 users. Today on their blog, Flickchart narrowed down that list, and provided some stats on what exactly makes those films the top twenty of the decade to their users. Here's Flickchart's top ten from that list (check out the rest here): 10) Wall-e 9) Memento 8) No Country for Old Men 7) The Departed 6) Kill Bill, Vol. 1 5) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 4) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 3) Batman Begins 2) The Lord of …
- Devindra Hardawar
Lost TV Spot #10: “Once Upon a Time…”
2 hours ago
ABC has released yet another 1 minute trailer for the sixth and final season of Lost. We've seen a lot of promos for this upcoming season, none of which contain any new footage (something mandated by the series producers, in order to avoid spoilers). This time around ABC edited the television advertisement in the form of a bedtime story. Watch the new spot now, embedded after the jump. via: sllost …
- Peter Sciretta
Inception International Trailer
3 hours ago
Well, this is a nice little surprise. If you can stand not knowing the content of the dialogue and voice-over, here's the French version of the first full trailer for Christopher Nolan's upcoming film Inception. Check it out after the break. Actually, I almost prefer seeing the trailer this way, because I can concentrate on the visuals and the cutting more than anything else. It's a bit low-res, but there are a few things in here that look fantastic -- that first shot of the city crumbling and curling up? Whoa. Nice stuff. There are quite a few echoes from the teaser trailer, and we see the filmed versions of some scenes between Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page that spy and other on-set reports described. There's a bit of an expansion of that shot of the damn spinning top. There are glimpses of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a handful of …
- Russ Fischer
New Trailers: Sex and the City 2; The Back-Up Plan; Furry Vengeance
7 hours ago
The holiday trailer flood continues today with three new clips for one film that has a large, eager audience and two that, to be fair, probably don't. Sex and the City 2 was inevitable, given the success of the first film, and this is the first footage from the second theatrical reunion of Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristen Davis and Cynthia Nixon. Michael Patrick King once again writes and directs; he produced the show and wrote, produced and directed the first film. The trailer is a lot of glitz and promise and some shots of Morocco, which was the production's second location choice after Dubai refused to allow filming. I didn't see the first film, though I often got a kick out of the show. Unless I'm told that there's some of the harder-edged comedy of sexual politics that made the show interesting, I expect I'll skip this one, …
- Russ Fischer
Alexander Skarsgård Talks Straw Dogs and Thor
8 hours ago
This post is probably going to be a bit like kicking a beehive. Every time we run an article about the upcoming Thor movie, starring Chris Hemsworth as the Norse god of Marevel comics and legend, there is a flurry of comments reiterating the fan opinion that Alexander Skarsgård should have been the one cast. And, in a small interview, he says he very nearly was, and that he auditioned quite a few times. Before saying that he auditioned for Thor "many, many times," the actor told Black Book (via The Playlist): I know that they considered me for the part and I got, from what I understand, very close to getting it and that’s amazing because I know how many guys they look at for a part like that. I was very humbled by that. It was a great experience and you know you win some you lose some, …
- Russ Fischer
World War 2 Horror Comic Night and Fog Optioned For a Movie
9 hours ago
I’m not sure I’m totally comfortable with a comic book about fantastical monsters from the midst of WW2 being called Night and Fog, the same name as Alain Resnais’ shocking, often very hard to swallow documentary about the real atrocities of that war. All the same, that’s the name the comic book had and now it’s coming to our cinemas, I’m sure it will be the name of the new movie too. A press release from Studio 407, the comics publishers, has today announced that the producers Gil Adler and Shane McCarthy will be shepherding the Night and Fog adaptation from page to screen. After the break, some quotage from Adler, and a few pages from the first issue of the strip. So, why did Adler want to take on the project? Here’s what he says: When I read this I knew I had to take it off the market. …
- Brendon Connelly
Sundance Photo/Trailer Preview: Boy, From the Director of Eagle vs. Shark
14 hours ago
Taiki Waititi's indie comedy Eagle vs. Shark (which featured a pre-Conchords Jemaine Clement) was one of my favorite films from the 2007 Sundance Film Festival (I was even quoted on the international DVD cover). Waititi returns to Sundance in 2010 with Boy, which will screen in competition as one of this year’s 14 films were selected from 1,022 international narrative feature submissions. The Te-Whanau-a-Apanu filmmaker's new film tells the story of an 11-year-old Boy and his little brother Rocky who must reconcile reality with the fantasy dad they created in their imagination after their father returns home after many years away. Originally titled Volcano, the film stars Taika Waititi, James Rolleston, and Te Aho Eketone. Check out photos from the film, and the trailer, embedded after the jump. Here is the official plot synopsis: It's 1984, and Michael Jackson is king-even in Waihau Bay, New Zealand. Here we meet Boy, an 11-year-old …
- Peter Sciretta
The Karate Kid Remake Movie Trailer; Looks Surprisingly Watchable
14 hours ago
Consider me shocked that The Karate Kid remake starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan actually looks like it may be a fun film. We've covered the film over the past year with increasing trepidation --- especially when the studio decided to stick with the Karate Kid title instead of The Kung Fu Kid. But now we have the first trailer for the film, and somehow my first response isn't to burn it at the stake. The trailer begins with Smith's character, Dre, reluctantly moving to China with his mother, played by Taraji P. Henson. Dre meets a girl, there's a schoolyard tussle, and then Jackie Chan comes in to save the day. You pretty much know the rest of the plot already --- Chan trains Dre in martial arts, who must eventually face his bully in a tournament. There's a lot going against this film. Jaden Smith is not that …
- Devindra Hardawar
Taylor Lautner Can’t Be Stopped: May Topline a Vision Quest Remake
14 hours ago
I hope Twilight fans are happy with the fast-growing monster that is Taylor Lautner. He's got two big movies in the works already (Max Steel and Cancun) and now he may star in a remake of the Matthew Modine coming of age film Vision Quest. This one would be comically appropriate, at least, as it would have Lautner as a kid who gets entangled with a slightly older woman while trying to prep for a wrestling match. But do we really need another version of Vision Quest? E! News reports that Temple Hill Entertainment, one of the companies behind Twilight and the guys pushing Lautner's Cancun movie (which balances the fact that they're also doing movies like Gears of War and Dead Space) are getting the new Vision Quest off the ground. The film, based on the novel by Terry Davis, is about a kid who decides to beat the …
- Russ Fischer
Matrix, Crouching Dragon and Kill Bill Choreographer Yuen Woo Ping Now Working in 3D
15 hours ago
With Us audiences at least, Yuen Woo Ping is probably the best known and most popular of Chinese martial arts movie choreographers. His work on American pictures like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix helped cement his cult status, though it's probably fair to say much of his best work is found in his Chinese and Hong Kong productions like Fist of Legend and Iron Monkey. After a break of fourteen years since his last big screen outing as a director, as opposed to just action director, stunt co-ordinator or choreographer, Yuen is now completing True Legend. As you'd see from the trailer - embedded after the break - it's another telling of the story of Beggar Su, the legendary character described in the official synopsis thus: A wealthy man living during the Qing Dynasty loses his fortune and reputation as a result of a conspiracy against him. After …
- Brendon Connelly
New Posters: The Crazies, Shutter Island, Daybreakers and Stay Cool
15 hours ago
We don't have as many big new posters dropping at the end of the year as we do trailers, but a few new images have cropped up for films that premiere early in 2010. It's mostly horror and thriller stuff, but then there's a new image for the Mark and Michael Polish movie Stay Cool, the existence of which I'd completely forgotten. (And, no, that's not another film in line with Get Shorty and Be Cool.) See all the images after the break. Edit: You may see a so-called teaser poster for Predators lurking around today, but it's just a temp image cobbled together for an international website showing Fox's upcoming slate. It's not a legit teaser. We'll run the real thing when it arrives. I love the new one-sheet for The Crazies, which blows up a shot seen in the trailers and turns it into an almost iconic-looking horror image. …
- Russ Fischer
This Week in DVD & Blu-ray: District 9, (500) Days of Summer, Extract, and More
15 hours ago
This Week in DVD & Blu-ray is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD and Blu-ray releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s. District 9 (DVD available as single-disc and 2-Disc Edition) Socially conscious though it may be, District 9 is not the piercing, thought-provoking apartheid allegory and complex examination of race relations that so many people seem to want it to be. But that's okay; it isn't trying to be. District 9 is a straight-up action film, and it makes that fact very clear after about the twentieth soldier that is gruesomely exploded by the aliens' seemingly lightning-infused weaponry. Its creative implementation of the mockumentary format is used foremost as a means of instilling a sense of reality to the proceedings, using socially relevant issues to set the stage for a much simpler, more cinematically spectacular transformation/aliens-vs-humans tale …
- Adam Quigley
Transformers Writer John Rogers Scripting Comic Book Adaptation the forgotten
15 hours ago
Evan Young and Jareth Grealish are the co-writers of the comic book series the forgotten, officially all in lower case like that. It's a murder mystery series featuring a lead character with one very unusal power , "the ability to reach out with his own mind to anyone he sees, anyone he meets, anyone on the street and make them forget about him completely." This mysterious man sets about trying to solve the murder of a stripper and comes in contact with a lot of nasty folk that I'd want to forget about me too. It was a complete, standalone story, originally published as a monthly series then collected into a single volume which was then optioned by John Wells and Don Murphy's Angry Films earlier this year, and just recently, their option has been renewed. Asked for progress on the project, Grealish said: A well established screenwriter is now …
- Brendon Connelly
Cool Stuff: Under The Influence Art Show: Masters of the Universe
16 hours ago
Each year Gallery 1988 holds a "Under The Influence" art show. In years past, they've done tribute shows to the Beastie Boys and Stan Lee. This year's honoree is a tribute to He-Man and The Masters of the Universe. Over 100 artists are contributing to the exhibition, each contributing their "unique vision of the wonderfully rich fantasy world of eternia." Tis includes some of our favorite artists, which we've featured on the site in past editions of Cool Stuff. Check out 24 pieces of art from the show, after the jump. The awesome faux movie poster above was created by Tom Whalen, who we've featured many times in past editions of Cool Stuff (posters, Dark Knight magazine cover, Watchmen art, The Shining and The Warriors, Predator, 80's super villains, Army of Darkness poster). Here is a note from Whalen about the poster: i had a blast casting my dream "masters" movie. …
- Peter Sciretta
Stills From Peter Weir’s The Way Back
20 hours ago
I've got no doubt that Peter Weir is one of the greatest of great filmmakers working today and every one of his too-rare films is a real event for me. While I'm waiting for his next picture The Way Back every little scrap of information is valuable, so I'm doing cartwheels at the first set of stills. You can see them all after the break. Here's the movie's official synopsis, which really should have been worded in a less blurby-cheesy fashion: Six-time Academy Award Nominee Peter Weir Directing. Based on the novel The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz. Award Winning A-List cast; Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan. When they escape a Siberian labor camp in 1940 seven courageous multi-national prisoners discover the true meaning of friendship as their epic journey takes them across thousands of miles of hostile terrain en-route to India and their freedom. The true meaning of friendship? …
- Brendon Connelly
Sherlock Holmes Producer Dan Lin on His Tom and Jerry, Bone Movie Adaptations
22 December 2009 1:43 AM, PST
We last reported nearly a year ago that Warner Brothers was aiming to develop a live-action film version of Tom and Jerry, with the titular cat and mouse being CG. Needless to say, it seemed like a bad idea. Just recently our pal Frosty got a chance to speak with the film's producer, Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes, Terminator Salvation), and they also chatted about Lin's upcoming CG adaptation of the fantasy epic comic Bone. We learn what drove him to work on those projects, and also find out quite a bit on Bone --- which has the potential to be all sorts of awesome if done right. Lin mentioned that both he and his kids are big fans of Tom and Jerry, and discussed his interpretation of the beloved cartoon series: And the way I view it is it’s almost like sibling rivalry. It’s the way my brothers …
- Devindra Hardawar
James Cameron Tells Peter Jackson He Would Rather Use CG Instead of Building Titanic’s Set Today
22 December 2009 12:50 AM, PST
As part of their upcoming interview issue, Newsweek invited James Cameron and Peter Jackson to have a chat about filmmaking in the technology age. There's the typical banter praising each others projects, as well as some fairly good insight into how they both use technology, and what it means for the future of film. Perhaps most interestingly, Cameron says in passing that he'd rather make Titanic with more CG, if he were to do it today. His full quote, after the break. If I did Titanic today, I'd do it very differently. There wouldn't be a 750-foot-long set. There would be small set pieces integrated into a large CGI set. I wouldn't have to wait seven days to get the perfect sunset for the kiss scene. We'd shoot it in front of a green screen, and we'd choose our sunset. The quote comes amid a bigger discussion of using makeup …
- Devindra Hardawar
Knight & Day Movie Trailer
22 December 2009 12:29 AM, PST
20th Century Fox has released the first teaser trailer for the new Tom Cruise action/comedy Knight & Day. Directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line / 3:10 to Yuma / Girl, Interrupted), the film centers on a fugitive couple (played by Cruise and Cameron Diaz) on a "glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one – even themselves – are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust." The film also feratures Maggie Grace, Peter Sarsgaard, Marc Blucas, Paul Dano, and Viola Davis. While the comedy at moments falls flat (which is a shame, as I loved Cruise's appearance in Tropic Thunder) the Bourne-style action sequences might be enough to earn my $10. Watch the trailer now embedded after the jump. Please leave your thoughts in the comments below. Knight & …
- Peter Sciretta
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