Movie Review: 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close'

At the Hollywood Reporter, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Film Review":

Emotional fluency and literary pretense go hand in hand in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, an affecting, well acted tale of 9/11 trauma and a boy's effort to piece things together after his father's death. A self-conscious prestige project with weighty thematic elements, a tony literary pedigree and top-tier actors, director Stephen Daldry's fourth film is dominated by the performance of a 13-year-old with no previous acting experience, Thomas Horn, who enables his character's pinball intellect and inchoate emotions to pulse through every scene. While the subject matter will keep some prospective viewers away, many who do come will be emotionally wrenched by the treatment of loss and the interplay between parents and child, indicating good commercial prospects in most markets.

I can only think of one other big screen epic of this sort, "World Trade Center," and I'm surprised we haven't had more. And "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is another film that's on my list of movies not to miss.

Lindsay Lohan Nude!

Well, not yet actually.

It was the big celebrity buzz yesterday, in any case.

At LAT, "Lindsay Lohan may be in Playboy — now use your imagination."

'The Ides of March'

Saw it Friday night.

I enjoyed it, although a number of things about the film tell me more about director and star George Clooney than about politics. Clooney's character is Mike Morris, a governor of Pennsylvania running for the Democratic presidential nomination. Morris is portrayed as a matter-of-fact progressive, proclaiming his unabashed secularism. He says his only religion is "the Constitution" and within ten days of taking office he'll pass legislation putting internal combustion engines on a bee line to extinction. It's really eye-rolling stuff. Morris repeats the mantra that he wants to make America great again. The closest model is Bill Clinton in 1992, and not just with echoes of economic nationalism. Morris is not the model of propriety we find out, in a plot twist that's key to the entire show. For me it was the movie's Machiavellian power games that ring true, and I'd recommend it in that sense, and for the crisp cinematography, solid acting, and for bringing things toward the climax relatively quickly. In any case, I'm avoiding plot spoilers here, so let me hand it over to A.O. Scott for some more background: "Estranged Bedfellows." And also, Kenneth Turan, "Movie review: 'The Ides of March'." If you're out to the movies this next week you might give this film a go.

'Blackthorn'

I saw "Blackthorn" on Saturday night, at the Regency Theater across from South Coast Plaza, which is now a little art house venue. I just felt like seeing a flick and picked "Blackthorn" while skimming through the listings. I love westerns, and this one's unusual:

It’s been said (but unsubstantiated) that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in a standoff with the Bolivian military in 1908. In BLACKTHORN, Cassidy (Sam Shepard) survived, and is quietly living out his years under the name James Blackthorn in a secluded Bolivian village. Tired of his long exile from the US and hoping to see his family again before he dies, Cassidy sets out on the long journey home. But when an unexpected encounter with an ambitious young criminal (Eduardo Noriega) derails his plans, he is thrust into one last adventure, the likes of which he hasn’t experienced since his glory days with the Sundance Kid.

There's a review at Los Angeles Times, and while the film drags on in parts, this pretty much nails it:

... there is that allure of the Old West that is hard to resist, and there's plenty of grist in the story worth milling and mulling. If nothing else, the film reminds just how arresting an actor Shepard can be. Like Blackthorn, he's only gotten better with age.

Sam Shepard is the perfect actor for the aging outlaw role, and he brings a lot of warmth and humanity to it. An enjoyable film. See also: "Indie Focus: Sam Shepard plays with the Butch Cassidy myth."

Farewell to DVDs?

Well, I wasn't that big of a collector anyway.

At LAT, "Hollywood downloads a post-DVD future."

Across Hollywood, a quiet revolution is brewing that's about to transform living rooms around the world.

After desperate attempts to prop up the industry's once-thriving DVD business, studio executives now believe the only hope of turning around a 40% decline in home entertainment revenue lies in rapidly accelerating the delivery of movies over the Internet.

In the next few years, the growing number of consumers with Internet-connected televisions, tablets and smartphones will face a dizzying array of options designed to make digital movie consumption a lot more convenient and to entice users to spend more money.

With films that can be accessed on any digital device, downloaded as iPhone apps or shared on Facebook as easily as a photo, it may be the biggest shift in Hollywood's business model since the explosion of the DVD in the late 1990s.

"The days of baby steps on the Internet are over," said David Bishop, president of Sony Pictures' home entertainment unit. "It's now critical that we experiment as much as possible and determine how to build a vibrant market for collecting digital movies."

More at the link.

The Times previewed the Sunday paper yesterday, and I mentioned the end of the DVD to my oldest son. He's been watching movies and TV shows online for years. But when I asked him about it he said, "Oh, that's lame. DVDs are cool." I agree. They're fun to have around, as a physical object. That said, I can't seem to find any of my old 8-track tapes anywhere. So what can you do?

Naomi Watts Opens Up About Her Romance with Tragic Heath Ledger

Watts was awesome in "The Ring," although I haven't seen her in too many flicks since then, my bad. She's starring in "Dream House," out in theaters next weekend, so maybe I'll check that out.

Anyway, at Daily Mail, "'We had a beautiful relationship'":

Naomi Watts has opened up about her ex Heath Ledger saying the late actor was a 'very special soul' who 'made a great impact on my life.'

The 43-year-old actress - who is currently promoting her movies Dream House and J Edgar - dated the Australian star for nearly two years.

Their relationship ended in 2004 and he died four years later at the age of 28.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Tom Sizemore Wrongly Arrested After Clerical Error Shows Outstanding Warrant for Battery

The guy's unmatched as the contemporary big screen's iconic infantryman. He's had personal problems, including drug addictions, but appears to be getting it back together.

At Radar Online, "Tom Sizemore's Arrest Was ‘A Misunderstanding,’ Community Service Has Been Completed" (via Tom Sizemore on Twitter).

The dude had in fact completed community service, and was arrested on a clerical error. His letter indicating completion of community service is here.

Explaining the Enduring Pop Culture Fascination with Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie

Well, since I've been writing about celebrity marriages, I'll admit this is something I've given some thought.

At Married Man Sex Life, "Why Brad Pitt is With Angelina Jolie and Not Jennifer Aniston":

Jennifer Aniston comes off as a "good girl" and possibly in need of fresh sheets on the bed to be able to come to orgasm. Well okay, maybe that's a bit much, I was saving that line for a Martha Stewart joke and got tired of waiting. Anyway... Angelina Jolie comes off as a fair bit slutty and into having sex. When she was married to Billy Bob Thornton she used to have a vial of his blood in a necklace - I think once bodily fluids become jewelry for a chick, anal is actively ruled in. Plus the tattoos are a fairly good sign of brazen sexuality too. Jennifer Aniston did get that whole cult following of women getting their hair cut in "The Rachel", but guys didn't give a toss about it. Angelina Jolie was Lara Croft for crying out loud, so guys care about that seeing polygon count was involved.

There's a lot more at the link, and that's an explicit analysis, but Angelina's no doubt got the rougher edges.

Image: "Angelina Jolie Quashes Rumors of a Secret Wedding and Admits to Fears About Writing and Directing Her First Feature Film."

HAT TIP: Kathy Shaidle.

Mila Kunis: 'People Can Lose Weight If They Want To'

Well, for me it's not whether I can lose, but if I want to. I think that's what she's getting at. See London's Daily Mail, "'People who say they can't lose weight are lying': Mila Kunis on how losing 20lb for Black Swan changed her views on body image."

More at WeSmirch.



PHOTO CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons.

Raunchy Women Highlight Summer Movies

I'm going to have catch some of these on cable, as we're behind on our summer movie-going, but this story made the front-page at yesteday's Los Angeles Times, so here you go: "In summer comedies, women belch just as well as men."

Jamie Lee Curtis in True Lies

I caught True Lies on AMC early yesterday morning. Jamie Lee Curtis is hilarious.

Smurfette

Katy Perry on Twitter, tweeting to Neil Patrick Harris.

My son's all hip to this flick. I'm not making any promises, because we're behind on our movies, but it looks fun:

And at MTV, "Katy Perry 'May Take Over The World,' 'The Smurfs' Co-Stars Say."

Kenneth Turan Movie Review: 'Captain America: The First Avenger'

At Los Angeles Times.

I'll probably take my youngest boy to see it today:

What's Camilla Belle Wearing?

Photos at InStyle, "Who's Wearing Who."

I saw Camilla Belle in Push (2009), with Chris Evans (and he's starring in Captain America: The First Avenger, in theaters this Friday).

Filming the Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake Sex Scenes in 'Friends With Benefits'

Seriously.

'Friends with Benefits' director Will Gluck discusses how he did it, at Entertainment Weekly.

Give your actors time to get to know each other. Justin and Mila had never met before, but instead of making them do trust falls or a ropes course I decided to shoot the first half of the movie in New York City. I figured spending 16 hours a day working together out in public, surrounded by 8 million people, would give them time to foster “chemistry.”

Well they sure look good.

Previously: "Mila Kunis a Conservative Hottie!"

Marilyn Monroe Rule 5

At London's Daily Mail, "Work of art or a pervert's paradise? Risqué 26ft statue of Marilyn Monroe is unveiled in the Windy City" .

Via Robert Stacy McCain: "Biggest Celebrity Upskirt Photo Ever!"

And some Rule 5: Randy's Roundtable, "Thursday Nite Tart" (c/o Proof Positive, "Saturday Linkaround").

Also at Pat Austin's FMJRA "Swamp Edition."

'Twilight Saga' on Showtime

I'm watching movies. My oldest son was watching "Twilight" when I came downstairs earlier. We have it on DVD, but Showtime's playing the full saga and I kept watching. A nice break from reading and watching cable news all afternoon. (My youngest son's working on his Legos. More about that later. He's got some new ones.)

Mila Kunis a Conservative Hottie!

Argues David Swindle, at Pajamas Media, "Mila Kunis on Casual Sex: ‘It’s like communism — good in theory, in execution it fails’."

PREVIOUSLY: "Mila Kunis GQ Photoshoot August 2011."

Emma Watson and Co-Stars Say Farewell to 'Harry Potter' Films

At London's Daily Mail, "Tearful Emma Watson and her Harry Potter co-stars give an emotional farewell at final film premiere."

Also at Telegraph UK, "Emma Watson steals the limelight at the Harry Potter premiere."

'I think everyone was kind of suspicious how I was going to be a sexual being, missing key pieces of equipment'

Says British actress Imogen Poots, at Interview:

[CARY] FUKUNAGA: Can we talk about boobs and why they’re necessary for Fright Night?

[IMOGEN] POOTS: Oh, the boob situation. I had to have a bra that made me look like I had bigger boobs because, you may know from being my friend and hanging out with me, that’s not a big situation, regarding my bust [laughs]. So we had to try all these props. I think everyone was kind of suspicious how I was going to be a sexual being, missing key pieces of equipment.

FUKUNAGA: Did you feel like somebody else?

POOTS: I did. The first bra we tried on was so big I got kind of emotional, and Craig Gillespie, the director, was standing there, and the tears were brewing in my eyes—and I’m sure I was blushing so much. I said, “I just feel like a cartoon.” And Craig turned to me and was like, “Okay. We’ll take them a size down.”

There's a Fright Night trailer at the interview, but she's seen here across Michael Douglas in "Solitary Man":