by Grace Suh, Jul 8 2011 // 11:00 AM
If The New York Times were to break the story that the NEA has been generously funding an ongoing study of manhood and brotherhood among everyday schmoes in contemporary culture, that sure would explain a lot. Surely few phenomena have been as comprehensively documented of late as the dilemma of nondescript modern men (usually lifelong buddies) forced by extreme circumstances beyond their control (roofies, bad bosses) into the type of reckless behavior (murder, breaking-and-entering, walking into a bar in the bad part of town) they would never normally contemplate.
Almost always the upshot involves:
- • illegal drug usage (usually unintentional)
- • first-ever encounters with law enforcement (cue bickering recrimination scene in the back seat of a squad car)
- • uneasy encounters with The Other (usually hip, powerful, sometimes grotesque black men against whom the protagonists’ manhoods are implicitly contrasted and found vastly wanting. In the case of Hangover The Other is represented by both Mike Tyson and Ken Jeong as an Asian Mafioso. Here, it’s a very funny Jamie Foxx.)
- • flashes of homosexual anxiety
- • all countered by elaborate vulgarity, gross-out humor and scatological references, as well as
- • forced interaction with that other Other: frighteningly gorgeous and overtly sexual women who positively demand to be serviced.
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Posted in: Action · Comedy · Drama · Movies · Reviews
Tagged: Charlie Day, Colin Farrell, horrible bosses, Jamie Foxx, Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey
by Matt Raub, May 12 2011 // 7:00 AM
Todd Phillips may have control of the box office this June with Hangover Part 2, but this July definitely has Seth Gordon’s Horrible Bosses written all over it.
With a ginormous cast including Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey, and Jamie Foxx, you can expect lots of great things from this upcoming raunchy comedy. Here’s the synopsis:
For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers…permanently. There’s only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them.
Like Office Space meets The Perfect Crime, you can expect some great moments with this outrageous cast. Check out the full trailer after the jump, and catch Horrible Bosses in theaters on July 8th.
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Posted in: Comedy · Movies · News · Trailers · Video
Tagged: Charlie Day, Colin Farrell, Donald Sutherland, Jamie Foxx, Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Julie Bowen, Kevin Spacey
by Shannon Hood, Nov 7 2009 // 9:00 AM

“More of this is true than you’d believe” –opening credits for The Men Who Stare At Goats. Irreverent, sarcastic, and funny as hell, The Men Who Stare At Goats is based on a non-fiction book by Jon Ronson. Ronson is a journalist who stumbled upon a secret military group that was formed in 1979 specifically to harness paranormal and psychic powers to use in warfare. The men in this group were training to become “psychic warriors” who could walk through walls, read thoughts, and kill someone just by staring at them.
Ewan McGregor plays Ronson in the movie. His wife has just left him (for his one-armed boss), and he has no sense of purpose. He goes to interview a man who claims that he used to be in a psychic military unit. His story is so crazy that Ronson writes him off as being a kook. He decides to go to the Middle East to cover the Gulf War, partly to impress his ex-wife, and partly because he has nothing to lose.
Upon arrival, he runs into Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) who just happens to be one of the people mentioned by name by the crazy man he just interviewed in the states. Astonished by the coincidence, he starts tagging along with Lyn pleading with him to tell the truth about whether he was in the secret unit. Bit by bit, Lyn tells the story (through flashbacks) of the formation and eventual disintegration of the military unit known as the “New Earth Army” in military circles. The story finally leads up to what Lyn is doing in the Middle East.
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Posted in: Adaptation · Comedy · Drama · Movies · Reviews
Tagged: ewan mcgregor, George Clooney, gulf war, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, military, New Earth Army, The Men Who Stared At Goats
by Bob Starr, Sep 24 2009 // 10:15 AM

When the first talk of a Facebook movie hit the Internet it was met by some with skepticism. As the massive social network continued to gain momentum it seemed Hollywood was simply tapping into the “next big thing” for the sake of the name. However, don’t let the naysayers fool you, there is a compelling story to be told about Facebook.
To that end, Columbia Pictures has announced the trio of characters at the core of Facebook’s origins, “Jesse Eisenberg will play Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg; Justin Timberlake will play Sean Parker, the Napster co-founder who became Facebook’s founding president; and Andrew Garfield will play Eduardo Saverin, the Facebook co-founder who fell out with Zuckerberg over money.”
Those choices are very encouraging, specifically Eisenberg and Timberlake. Eisenberg brings his somewhat diminutive appeal to the role while nearly capturing Zuckerberg’s likeness. Timberlake may seem like an unconventional choice but he’s certainly proven his acting talent in films like Alpha Dog and appearances on Saturday Night Live.
Adding even more credit to the film is writer Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) and director David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fight Club). Sorkin is a master at crafting character driven stories and Fincher always draws the best performances out of his actors. Now, add Kevin Spacey as a producer and the Facebook film suddenly becomes a very entertaining prospect.
The Social Network is set for a 2010 release date and begins shooting in Boston next month moving to Los Angeles thereafter.
Posted in: Casting · Columbia Pictures · Drama · Movies · News
Tagged: Aaron Sorkin, Andrew Garfield, Columbia Pictures, David Fincher, Facebook, jesse eisenberg, Justin TImberlake, Kevin Spacey, The Social Network
by Sebastian Suchecki, Aug 31 2009 // 12:45 PM
For those unaware about this film, but intrigued by the title; you’re in luck. The premise is a bit bizarre, and supposedly based on a true story in which reporter Bob Wilton, played by Ewan McGregor, is in search of his next big story when he encounters Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a shadowy figure who claims to be part of an experimental government program that trains psychics.
Originally based on the book by Jon Ronson, the film was adapted for the screen by writer Peter Straughan (How to Lose Friends and Alienate People) and directed by actor-turned-writer-turned-director Grant Heslov, who penned Good Night and Good Luck. The film has the same feel as Clooney’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind or even Burn After Reading in it’s ability to stay quirky and funny. The cast also includes Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, J.K. Simmons, and Robert Patrick.
Check out the trailer after the jump. The Men Who Stare at Goats hits theaters on November 6th.
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Posted in: Action · Comedy · Filmmaking · Indie · Movies · News · Trailers
Tagged: ewan mcgregor, George Clooney, glenn morshower, Grant Heslov, J.K. Simmons, Jeff Bridges, Jon Ronson, Kevin Spacey, Overture Films, Peter Straughan
by Joe Gillis, Aug 25 2009 // 5:11 PM
Here’s a list of some of the new movie and TV shows coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week that we’re looking forward to seeing. Also, there’s some classic and not-so-classic movies hitting Blu-ray for the first time this week as well.
Of all the new releases, we’re particularly interested in the Criterion version of The Last Days of Disco, Batman: Brave and the Bold and the debut of thirtysomething, Booker and Wiseguy on DVD for the first time.
Check them out.
Movies
Adventureland ~ Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds,(DVD and Blu-ray)
Children of the Corn ~ Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, R.G. Armstrong (Blu-ray)
Duplicity ~ Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Julia Roberts (DVD and Blu-ray)
Fighting ~ Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard (DVD and Blu-ray)
How Bruce Lee Changed the World ~ Bruce Lee (DVD)
The Informers ~ Kim Basinger, Billy Bob Thorton (DVD and Blu-ray)
The Last Days of Disco (Criterion Collection) ~ Chloë Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale, Chris Eigeman (DVD)
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Posted in: DVD · Movies · News · TV · Video
Tagged: Batman: Brave and the Bold, Booker, Duplicity, Kate Beckensale, Ken Wahl, Kevin Spacey, Richard Grieco, Sunshine Cleaning, The Last Days of Disco, Wiseguy
by Jennifer Tomooka, Jul 23 2009 // 5:15 PM
After a US District Court judge brokered a settlement between the heirs of the Superman creators and DC Comics and Warner Bros., mandating that a new Superman must go into production by 2011, or a new legal battle would ensue, fans everywhere began wondering which Superman Returns cast members would be back for the long awaited sequel. An interview with Kevin Spacey posted on MTV Splashpage helps to shed some light on the future of Lex Luthor.
“They have me,” Spacey explained while promoting Shrink, an indie film about a pot-smoking Hollywood therapist. “We made a several picture deal.”
Sadly the recent court developments haven’t been able to jump-start a dialogue between Spacey and the studio. There isn’t a script and Bryan Singer has not been confirmed as the flick’s director.
Singer’s involvement is key to his reprisal. “If they make the movie and Bryan Singer’s directing the movie, then I will do it,” Spacey says. “If they make the movie and they go in a completely different direction and they decide they want other actors, then obviously that’s their purview.”
Relax, Superman fans, this doesn’t mean that Spacey isn’t looking forward to reprising his roll. “I’d be up for it,” he explains. “I had a great time doing it and it’s one of the great iconic parts.”
Posted in: Action · Casting · DC · Movies · News · Prequels and Sequels · Warner Bros
Tagged: Kevin Spacey, Lex Luthor, Superman Returns