May 23rd, 2008
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets hit store shelves on Tuesday. It’s the second installment of the franchise starring everyone’s favorite droopy-eyed historian, Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage). Read my review of the DVD here.
I caught up with director Jon Turteltaub (pictured, right, with Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger), who dished about working with Cage, what’s on “page 47,” and why he hates DVD extras.
Gecko: What’s the key to making a successful sequel?
Turteltaub: You have to accurately judge what it was about the first movie that the audience liked. In our case, we believed the most important element of the first National Treasure was the relationships between the characters. Obviously, the use of real history and real landmarks in the search for fictional treasure is the main concept, but what made the movie stand out was the humor and warmth shared by the characters. So we made sure to get the entire cast back together and build on those relationships.
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By Jane Boursaw -- 1 comment
May 21st, 2008
I’ve posted a lot about this fab movie hitting theaters the Day.After.Tomorrow (can you tell I’m excited?). Sure, those poor fools at Cannes got to see it already, but out here in the real world is where the rubber hits the road. Or the Fedora hits the head. Or something.
Anyway, if you’ve been away on another planet for the past few months, the movie stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, and John Hurt. Our favorite archaeologist Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as…the Crystal Skulls.
Here’s the official site, and a few things I’ve posted: Cannes Pics, TV Spot, Poster.
Trailer:
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By Jane Boursaw -- 2 comments
May 21st, 2008
Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton have signed on to star in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time from Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
Mike Newell is directing the fantasy adventure, based on Ubisoft’s popular video game. Production is set to start in July.
Gyllenhaal will play Dastan, a young prince in sixth century Persia who joins forces with Tamina (Arterton), a feisty and exotic princess, to prevent a villainous nobleman from possessing the Sands of Time, a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.
You can see Gyllenhaal next in Jim Sheridan’s Brothers, co-starring with Tobey Maguire.
Image: Jake Gyllenhaal, Zodiac, Paramount Home Video, 2007
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By Jane Boursaw -- 0 comments
May 21st, 2008
The idea of Ray Liotta in a revolt doesn’t sound all that new. The actor’s had a slew of bad-boy roles over the years, including his knock-out performance as Henry Hill in 1990’s Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese.
Now Liotta’s signed on for the Dimension Films comedy, Youth in Revolt. Adapted from the novels by C.D. Payne and directed by Miguel Arteta, the movie follows Nick Twisp (Michael Cera), a smart, sexually obsessed teen living in a world of moronic adults.
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May 21st, 2008
Today’s featured blog is written by my pal, Judy Gruen, author of several books, including The Women’s Daily Irony Supplement, Carpool Tunnel Syndrome and Till We Eat Again.
Judy blogged this week about a groovy documentary called Young@heart. Directed by Stephen Walker, the 2007 film documents the true story of the final weeks of rehearsal for the Young at Heart Chorus in Northampton, MA. Average age of the participants is 81. Many of them are not in the best of health.
I haven’t seen this movie, but thanks to Judy’s recommendation, I’m definitely going to check it out. Just the idea of seeing oldsters rock out with James Brown, Coldplay, The Ramones, and Sonic Youth sounds awesome! It’s rated PG for some mild language and thematic elements.
Check out Judy’s review here and the film’s official site here. And here’s a sneak preview:
Image: Young@heart, Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2007
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May 21st, 2008
I have to admit that Highlander always confused the heck out of me. The original 1986 movie starred Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Clancy Brown as immortal beings battling among humans, hunting down one another and collecting more power.
Lambert played Scottish swordsman Connor MacLeod, Connery an Egyptian, and Clancy a barbarian known as the Kurgan. “There can be only one” was a line repeated throughout the film, which spawned four sequels and three television series.
Well, I sure hope they make it less confusing for pea-brains like mine, because Summit Entertainment is bringing Highlander back to the big screen, this time with Iron Man co-writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway on board to pen the script.
Image: Highlander, Anchor Bay Entertainment, 1986
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May 21st, 2008
Phoenix Pictures has picked up the movie rights to John Grisham’s best-selling novel “Playing for Pizza”.
Grisham has long been a favorite author of mine, and I know that once I start reading one of his books, I’d better be prepared to read straight through. I can’t put them down!
“Playing for Pizza” centers on a washed-up NFL quarterback who finds new life when his agent lands him a deal to play with a semi-professional team in Parma, Italy. The novel is one of Grisham’s’ few books that doesn’t feature a legal theme. Ironically, it came together when the lawyer-turned-author was in Italy researching “The Broker”.
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May 20th, 2008
1-The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, $55.03M
2-Iron Man, $31.83M
3-What Happens in Vegas, $13.88M
4-Speed Racer, $8.11M
5-Made of Honor, $4.70M
6-Baby Mama, $4.68M
7-Forgetting Sarah Marshall, $2.78M
8-Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, $1.99M
9-The Forbidden Kingdom, $1.07M
10-The Visitor, $672,448
Image: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2008
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May 20th, 2008
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (2007). Nicolas Cage returns as historian Ben Gates, stumbling upon a worldwide conspiracy involving the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and his family. Gecko Review.
Diary of the Dead (2008). Film students document the rise of the living dead in George A. Romero’s latest zombie epic.
Finishing the Game (2007). Kung-fu hopefuls try to fill Bruce Lee’s shoes when they audition to finish the master’s uncompleted movie, Game of Death.
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May 20th, 2008
Today’s featured blog in the May Blogathon is Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell’s Write For You. Last week, Kerri posted a great interview with John Grogan, author of the best-selling book, Marley & Me, just released in paperback.
Of course, here at Film Gecko, we’re hyped about the upcoming movie starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston (pictured), opening in theaters Dec. 25, 2008. But that never would have happened without Grogan’s amazing story.
In his interview with Kerri, he talks about his inspiration for the story (his own Labrador retriever), his surprise at the book’s success (”I spent the first 18 months pinching myself on an hourly basis”), and consulting on the movie.
“It’s exciting for me to see not only my writing but my life adapted for the big screen — and to have Owen Wilson portraying me and Jennifer Aniston portraying my wife. They’re really great.”
Read Kerri’s interview with John Grogan here and a follow-up post here (Kerri hosted a “Marley & Me” giveaway).
Image: Marley & Me, Fox 2000 Pictures, 2008
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