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1-20 of 32 articles from 2008   « Prev | Next »

4 July 2008 10:35 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

In addition to the slew of blockbusters that have taken over the multiplexes for the Independence Day holiday, the critically praised The Wackness, starring Ben Kingsley and Josh Peck, Mary-Kate Olsen and Olivia Thirlby is opening in limited release today (Friday) to largely enthusiastic reviews. Rafer Guzmán in the Newsday indicates the movie "is less a story than a series of moments -- some funny, some poignant, all memorable." Comments Claudia Puig in USA Today: "The writing and filmmaking style are often poetic, and the dialogue, steeped in '90s phrases, sounds believable. ... The Wackness is both darkly funny and life-affirming, in an offbeat and offhanded way." Some critics suggest, however, that the movie was contrived primarily for the film-festival crowd and like many festival competitors is overloaded with preadult angst. Although set in New York in 1994, Jan Stuart notes in the Los Angeles Times, the movie "is ultimately less evocative of pre-Sept. 11 Manhattan than it is of post-Sept. 11 Park City, Utah, where the film had its Sundance debut." And Joe Neumaier in the New York Daily News concludes that the film is ultimately a disappointment. The film, he writes, "occasionally stumbles into charm but more often is just wayward and hazy."

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3 July 2008 9:07 AM, PDT | From ifc.com | See recent IFC news

By Matt Singer

Many movies wax nostalgic for the good old days; "The Wackness" is the only movie I can think of that's nostalgic for a time occupied by people who are themselves nostalgic about their own good old days. Though writer/director Jonathan Levine's wistful coming-of-age film wants us to miss New York City as we knew it in 1994, the characters are all pissed off: their marriages are falling apart or their high school careers (and, thus, their lives) are coming to an end, and the new mayor is cracking down on drug use.

I guess the grass . the grass, man . is always greener. Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) is an enterprising high school senior who makes up for his parents' employment fuckups by dealing pot around his Upper East Side neighborhood. His aesthetic, much like the movie itself, is pointedly old school: cassettes instead of CDs, Nintendo instead of Sega Genesis.

Matt Singer

2 July 2008 11:56 PM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Sir Ben Kingsley jumped at the chance to star in summer blockbuster film The Love Guru - because seasonal movies remind him of ancient Roman times.

The 64-year-old actor has already signed on to star in next year's summer film Prince of Persia after working with comedian Mike Myers on The Love Guru.

And he admits he has no intention to stop starring in summer movie releases, insisting their massive draw is unparalleled in today's times.

He says, "I love them (summer blockbusters). They're the grand arena in the Roman Empire, they're the chariot race, they're the mass entertainment. They're the Coliseum, not the little Greek tragedy in the corner. Very important and wonderful."

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2 July 2008 6:36 PM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Sir Ben Kingsley's new movie The Wackness has claimed the top audience award at the Los Angeles Film Festival.

The coming-of-age drama previously picked up the Best Drama honour at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah at the beginning of 2008.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil, a movie about a Canadian metal band's bid for stardom, won the Los Angeles Film Festival's audience documentary prize.

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1 July 2008 8:33 AM, PDT | From ifc.com | See recent IFC news

By Stephen Saito

Jonathan Levine calls "The Wackness" a "second first film." In a way, he's speaking for his whole cast. While Levine is making his debut as a writer after helming the much buzzed-about (but still unreleased) teen horror comedy hybrid, "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane," he hired an eclectic cast for his latest film that includes Nickelodeon staple Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby ("Juno"), Method Man, Famke Janssen, Sir Ben Kingsley, and in case you hadn't heard, Mary-Kate Olsen. It's an unusual ensemble for an unusual coming-of-age story of a teen (Peck) who forms an unlikely friendship with a psychologist (Kingsley) by trading marijuana for therapy in 1994 New York. It's clearly a personal story for Levine, but it's not an autobiographical one, though both he and Peck both sweated out sticky summers in Manhattan, listening to Notorious B.I.G.'s "Big Poppa" a generation apart. Now, the two have

Stephen Saito

1 July 2008 7:37 AM, PDT | From ifc.com | See recent IFC news

By Matt Singer and Alison Willmore

In this week's "The Wackness," one-time Nickelodeon star Josh Peck plays a teenager who spends the summer of 1994 dealing pot out of an ice cream cart and consuming plenty of his own product. In honor of the film, and in particular of Ben Kingsley's admirably fried performance as a shrink who accepts weed in lieu of cash for sessions, we're spending this IFC News podcast in the world of drug movies, from stoner comedies like "Smiley Face" to meth dramas like "Spun."

Download now (MP3: 35:06 minutes, 32.1 Mb) Podcast feeds: [Xml] [iTunes]

[Photo: "The Wackness," Sony Pictures Classics, 2008]

Alison Willmore

30 June 2008 12:05 PM, PDT | From screeninglog.com | See recent screeninglog news

Jonathan Levine’s indie comedy “The Wackness” picked up the audience award for best narrative feature Sunday at the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival. The film stars Josh Peck, Ben Kingsley, Famke Janssen and Olivia Thirlby, and focuses on a young drug dealer who falls for his psychiatrist’s daughter.

The audience award for best international feature went to James Marsh’s “Man on Wire,” a British documentary about tightrope walker Philippe Petit’s daring but often illegal stunts.

But “Man on Wire” failed to collect the audience award for best documentary feature, which went to Sacha Gervasi’s “Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” a film about a Canadian rock band that never made the big time.

The festival also presented two awards sponsored by Target. Darius Marder’s “Loot” took home the best documentary award, while Sean Baker’s “Prince of Broadway” won best narrative feature.

Other winners included Jennifer Lawrence

Franck Tabouring

30 June 2008 8:05 AM, PDT | From Digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news

Sir Ben Kingsley has called on movie bosses to stop hiring attractive young stars who lack acting talent. The 64-year-old actor, who won an Oscar for his role in 1982 film Gandhi, said that too many people are being hired for their looks alone. Kingsley accused film producers of being cruel by making talentless youngsters believe they have what it takes to succeed in the industry. He said that doing so can often result in tragic consequences after the stars turn to alcohol and drugs when their hopes are dashed. (more)

By Daniel Kilkelly

30 June 2008 7:46 AM, PDT | From ifc.com | See recent IFC news

By Neil Pedley

This 4th of July week finds Will Smith's belligerent man of steel sending the rest of the summer tentpole movies running scared, leaving only the indies to offer any alternative.

"Brutal Massacre"

Does the horror genre need its own "This Is Spinal Tap"? Ready or not, here comes "Brutal Massacre," a mockumentary comedy about a once-successful horror director (played by "An American Werewolf in London"'s David Naughton) attempting to make his big comeback film against increasingly insurmountable odds. Be on the lookout for appearances by Gunnar Hansen ("The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"'s Leatherface), Ellen Sandweiss ("The Evil Dead") and other horror movie stalwarts.

Opens in limited release.

"Diminished Capacity"

Terry Kinney made a name for himself as Tim McManus, the idealistic but world-weary warden of Emerald City in the hard-hitting prison drama "Oz." "Diminished Capacity," his debut as a director, also finds Matthew Broderick

Neil Pedley

30 June 2008 4:51 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Veteran actor Sir Ben Kingsley had to be shown how to smoke pot for his role in forthcoming film The Wackness.

The Oscar-winner stars as a marijuana-addicted therapist in the movie - and had to be given instruction on how to make his smoking look realistic.

The film's director Jonathan Levine tells the New York Daily News, "I had to teach him how to properly hit a bong.

"It's kind of like herbal tobacco. It doesn't taste great or smell great, either. I felt bad for everyone's lungs."

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29 June 2008 11:30 PM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Veteran actor Sir Ben Kingsley has hit out at movie bosses for hiring young actresses for their looks - insisting pretty but untalented stars often dabble in drink and drugs.

The Oscar-winner insists that producers often build up young stars, only for them to be knocked down by the critics and the public for their poor performances.

And Kingsley is convinced that these failed thespians often turn to the Hollywood party scene and lose their grip on reality.

He says, "It's unfair to exploit a young person and say they can be in movies, then they make it happen for them when they can't do it.

"You're lifting their expectations so high and then pulling the rug when the audience gives them a collective thumbs down.

"We throw people away too easily, but we should never invite them in the first place. There's no need to resort to drugs."

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29 June 2008 7:06 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Mary-kate Olsen has spoken for the first time about her on-screen kiss with Sir Ben Kingsley in upcoming movie The Wackness.

The 22-year-old - who had to kiss the 64-year-old for her role in the new picture - insisted the veteran actor put her at ease.

She tells Usmagazine.com, "We shot it at three o'clock in the morning and so everyone was a bit delirious anyhow.

"He was so professional about it and made me feel so comfortable. He said, 'Anything you don't feel comfortable about, let me know. You lead me.'"

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28 June 2008 9:00 AM, PDT | From PEOPLE.com | See recent PEOPLE.com news

Having already heard from Ben Kingsley on how it feels to kiss Mary-Kate Olsen – for their new movie The Wackness, that is – now it's her turn to describe their mutual make-out session. "We shot it at three o'clock in the morning and so everyone was a bit delirious anyhow," Olsen, 22, tells the Wall Street Journal about working with the 64-year-old Gandhi Oscar winner. The heavy smooch takes place in a phone booth – but the two did anything but phone in their performances. "He was so professional about it and made me feel so comfortable," she says. "He said, 'Anything you don't feel comfortable about,

Stephen M. Silverman

26 June 2008 3:30 AM, PDT | From PEOPLE.com | See recent PEOPLE.com news

He's a screen legend – heck, he's even been knighted! But Sir Ben Kingsley isn't above a little kiss-and-tell when it comes to his on-screen smooch with 22-year-old Mary-Kate Olsen in The Wackness. "She was completely in charge," the actor, 64, tells People of their enthusiastic make-out scene in a telephone booth. The former star of Gandhi and Schindler's List – who's currently shooting with Martin Scorsese in Boston – drove down to New York for the movie's Cinema Society and Sony Cierge-sponsored party at the Gramercy Roof Club. "I love watching the movie," his wife, Daniela, said of the coming-of-age stoner film. As for her real-life leading man,

Jeffrey Slonim

24 June 2008 10:31 PM, PDT | From bloody-disgusting.com | See recent Bloody-Disgusting.com news

This evening First Look Studios provided Bloody-Disgusting with several new stills from Brad Anderson's Transsiberian, which arrives in limited theaters on July 18. The story focuses on an American couple that travels on the famous Trans-Siberian train from China to Moscow and encounters another couple. What seems to be a simple train journey soon turns into a thrilling chase full of deception and murder as it becomes clear that not everybody is what they seem. The film made its premiere at this past January's Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Woody Harrelson, Kate Mara, Eduardo Noriega, Emily Mortimer and Ben Kingsley all star.

24 June 2008 4:40 AM, PDT | From PEOPLE.com | See recent PEOPLE.com news

Mary-Kate Olsen spent her second day on the set Tuesday of ABC's comedy Samantha Who? for a one-episode appearance this fall, the network confirms. Olsen, 22, plays a self-destructive bad girl who reminds Samantha (Christina Applegate) of her younger self, but on the set she was all business, Executive Producer Don Todd tells People. "She showed up alone, ready to work, is great on set and is serious about the job," says Todd. "This is a girl who's been in front of the camera almost literally her entire life. She's smart, and she knows what she's doing." Olsen has been stepping

21 June 2008 10:21 PM, PDT | From screeninglog.com | See recent screeninglog news

It’s been a good year so far for Robert Downey Jr., and now the “Iron Man” actor has been selected as one of 25 artists to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009.

Not only is Downey Jr. starring in the first ’08 summer blockbuster to top the $300 million mark, but he also has two other projects coming up this year. On Aug. 15, 2008, he will be seen in Ben Stiller’s action comedy “Tropic Thunder,” and later this year, he will star opposite Jamie Foxx in Joe Wright’s drama “The Soloist.”

According to Digital Spy, Ralph Fiennes, Sir Ben Kingsley, Hugh Jackman, Cameron Diaz, Tim Burton, Shakira and Felicity Huffman are also on the list of recipients.

The stars will be unveiled some time in 2009. Downey Jr. delivered some awesome performances over the past years, and he certainly deserves his star on Hollywood’s most famous sidewalk.

Franck Tabouring

20 June 2008 9:24 AM, PDT | From fantasymoguls.com | See recent Fantasy Moguls news

To those of you who thought I had collected all of my savings and left town to move alone to a deserted Pacific island, let's cut the rumors. I'm still here, and so is your weekly appointment with the arthouse digging. The truth is, I could never go live on a small faraway place with water all around it and no film theater. My heart could not survive such a void in my life. It's a curse you know — some are addicted to cards, others to cigarettes, I am addicted to watching films in theaters. And if you're reading this, you must have some kind of interest in such things, too.

Indie Jones

19 June 2008 6:00 PM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Cameron Diaz, Robert Downey Jr., Hugh Jackman, Shakira, Sir Ben Kingsley and husband-and-wife team William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman are among a glittering list of names who will be awarded stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009.

The hot list also includes Kyra Sedgwick, Kenny 'Baby Face' Edmonds, Tim Burton, Ralph Fiennes, The Village People, John Stamos, bands Rush and The Miracles as well as Disney character Tinkerbell.

Twenty-five celebrities have been approved by a committee and will be presented with their stars provided they agree to attend a presentation ceremony within five years and hand over $25,000 (GBP12,500) to cover the cost of protecting the star.

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19 June 2008 11:30 AM, PDT | From toxicshock.tv | See recent toxicshock news

Variety reports today that The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s committee has chosen 25 new recipients to be added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. According to the report, Hugh Jackman, Ben Kingsley, Cameron Diaz, Robert Downey Jr., Director Tim Burton and Kfi radio personality Bill Handel will be added. Others include William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Leslie Caron, Charles Durning, William Petersen, Ralph Fiennes, Kyra Sedgwick, John Stamos, Mark Burnett, Chuck Lorre and more. For a complete list and other [...]

Brian Corder

1-20 of 32 articles from 2008   « Prev | Next »