Screen Rant » public enemies

Summer 2009: The Season Of Bad Movies [Updated]

Heath McKnight — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:38:14 +0000

Well, the summer movie season is officially over, and while box office earnings are way up, it seems like the quality of the films have actually gone way down. But for every few badly-written movies (like X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Transformers 2, and G.I. Joe–though some will say it’s not that bad), there was a diamond in the rough like District 9. So why were so many movies so bad in the summer of ‘09, even if they did make a lot of money? Hint: The Writers Strike!

Before the summer began, I wrote an article about how the 2007 Writers Strike might affect the summer 2009 movies. I speculated that back in 2007, studios were nervous about how long the writers strike could last, leaving them with a possible lack of films for the fall/winter 2008 and all-important summer 2009 season (early May to late August 2009). To make sure they had big films lined up for Summer ‘09, the studios pushed to have their big-budget scripts quick-finished before the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) contracts were up in November 2007 and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in summer of 2008.

So what happened? Movies like Wolverine, Transformers 2, GI Joe, Angels and Demons, Terminator Salvation, and others got thrashed by critics (and our own, brave reviewers here at Screen Rant), for their lackluster scripts that showed every sign of being half-cooked. Now, some of you might thing bad scripts and summer blockbusters go hand-in-hand – but let’s be honest, when was the last time there were so many stinkers that came out in one summer? Sure, many of these films made a lot of money, but how much of that profit hinges on moviegoers looking for affordable entertainment and “stay-cations” in this bad economy?

It’s very well known that most of the summer ‘09 films were rushed into production. Angels and Demons was delayed a year due to the Strike, but that didn’t seem to help make the final product that much better; Michael Bay has said in interviews that he worked out the overall story of Transformers 2, all the way down to the action AND comedic bits. However, when the WGA strike ended, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman were joined by fellow writer Ehren Krueger to try and get the script for TF2 hammered out in a matter of three or four months to meet the production start deadline. At that rushed pace, the script was bound to suffer.

Several Big-budget franchise installments failed to live up to the hype.

Here’s a quick recap of some of the more disappointing movies this summer:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Terminator: Salvation
Angels and Demons
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Year One
Public Enemies (this one is open to debate–it seems kind of split on how people and critics liked it–Vic liked it)

(Continue to pg. 2 to see which movies of Summer ‘09 were actually good!)

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: July 5th, 2009

Niall Browne — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:21:13 +0000

This week:

Revenge of The Fallen meets Dawn of the Dinosaurs; it’ll take 6 years to see the last Airbender; Adams looks on as Batman fights Marky Mark; George Clooney leaves Warner Bros; The Green Hornet is delayed and Tony Scott, Denzel Washington and Chris Pine are stoppable.

Box Office

Transformers 2: Revenge of The Fallen and Ice Age 3-D: Dawn of the Dinosaurs fought it out over the weekend to see who would get the top spot. The fight was so close that it’ll take final numbers on Monday to see who the box office champion is. Both films should bank about $43 million over the July 4^th weekend. Tranformers 2’s total currently stands at just under $300 million. Public Enemies should bank about $25 million from Friday to Monday giving the Johnny Depp starrer a pretty decent $40 million over five days. The Michael Mann film appears to have been pretty good counter programming for those not wanting to see animated creatures, computer generated robots or Megan Fox.

Sandra Bullock’s The Proposal banked a little less than $14 million bringing the total of the comedy to $86 million. The magic century mark is within spitting distance.

The Hangover is hanging in there with a gross of $4.5 million. The R-rated comedy now has a spectacular total of $198 million.

The Cameron Diaz starring My Sisters Keeper took about $6 million giving the film a total of $23 million. The Taking Of Pelham 123 has so far taken $56.9 million – look for it to stop at the $60 million mar.. Year One banked just over $2 million for a flaccid $37 million total while Night at the Museum 2: Battle Of The Smithsonian took home just under $2 million to bring its grand total to $166 million.

Movie News

1. Now that the marketing machine has started up for M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender all eyes have turned to the potential sequels to the film.

The producer of the film, Frank Marshall has discussed the possible time frame of the sequel and Shaymalan’s involvement. Marshall said:

“One of the things we’ll be doing is using the sets, ships and elements for each different nation in this film and incorporating them into movies two and three. We’re not waiting. There just isn’t enough time. Night will finish this movie, then the script and then we’ll prepare for the next one. I think it’ll probably happen over six years.”

I’ve been a fan of Shayamalan’s work for the last decade or so, and while I will admit that his films have been declining since he made his mark with The Sixth Sense I’ve always been willing to defend his choices. However, I can’t say that I’m looking forward to The Last Airbender. I’m not a fan of animation and the film looks terrible.

I know that there’s a lot of people out there looking forward to this – but I’m not one of them.

Source: SlashFilm

2. Amy Adams will join Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg in David O. Russell’s The Fighter.

“(The long in-development film) revolves around the life of boxer “Irish” Mickey Ward (Wahlberg) and trainer-brother Dick Eklund (Bale), chronicling their early days on the rough streets of Lowell, Mass., through Eklund’s battle with drugs and Ward’s eventual world championship in London.”

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Bale will be intense, Wahlberg will be wooden and Adams will be a love interest.

Over the years Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and Darren Aronofsky have been attached to the troubled film that is set to start shooting soon.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

3. George Clooney is ending his longstanding relationship with Warner Bros. The star along with his producing partner Grant Heslov will move their Smokehouse production company off the Warner lot to Sony Pictures.

Warner Bros has been behind most of Clooney’s big hits over the years from his star-making stint in ER through to The Perfect Storm and The Ocean’s trilogy.

Read the press release below to see what Sony head Amy Pascal and Clooney have to say, as well as a list of the films that Smokehouse is currently developing:

“George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures are in final negotiations to sign an exclusive two-year theatrical development and production deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment, it was announced today by Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman of Sony Picture Entertainment and Chairman of the studio’s Motion Picture Group.”

“Commenting on the announcement, Clooney said, ‘Warner Bros. has been a great place to work and I’ve felt like part of a family for almost 20 years. So in moving on, I’m leaving a terrific company and a lot of dear friends. They’re a class act. In looking ahead, I’m tremendously excited to be working at Sony Pictures, and we all feel like it’s a perfect match for Smokehouse. Grant Heslov and I hope to deliver the kind of films that will make them proud.’”

“We admire and respect George and Grant as filmmakers and producers and we couldn’t be more excited to be in business with them and their talented team at Smokehouse Pictures,” said Pascal. “The broad range of quality projects they have championed and the compelling and sometimes provocative material they support says everything about their company and their creative aspirations. While we have been trimming production deals overall for the last few years, we see real value in opening our doors to producers with their critical and commercial track record and their artistic point of view, and we know they will be a fantastic addition to the Sony Pictures family.”

“My nine year relationship with Warner Bros. was extremely gratifying and now, George and I look forward to Smokehouse being a part of the Sony family,” Heslov said.

The Smokehouse Pictures team includes Senior Vice President of Development Nina Wolarsky, and creative executive Alex Meenehan. The company is currently in development on the following projects with Warner Bros:

THE CHALLENGE
Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. An adaptation of Jonathan Mahler’s nonfiction book chronicling the historic Supreme Court case in which two lawyers sued the Bush administration on behalf of accused terrorist Salim Hamdan.

OUR BRAND IS CRISIS
A satirical comedy about American spin doctors competing in the same Presidential election in Bolivia. Based on the documentary by Rachel Boynton, with a script by Peter Straughan (MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS).
FARRAGUT NORTH
An adaptation of Beau Willimon’s critically acclaimed play, set during the Iowa primary of a presidential race.

ESCAPE FROM TEHRAN
The true story of how the CIA used a fake movie project to smuggle hostages out of 1979 Tehran. Chris Terrio is writing the screenplay.

THE TOURIST
A contemporary spy thriller about a spy who risks everything to reveal a conspiracy after he’s accused of a murder he didn’t commit. Based on the bestselling book by Olen Steinhauer. Tony Peckham is writing the screenplay.

THE INNOCENT MAN
Based on the bestselling nonfiction book by John Grisham, the true story of murder and injustice in a small town in Oklahoma. Adapted by David Gordon Green..”

The irony of this story being that just days before this deal was sealed Pascal ditched Clooney’s Ocean movie pals Steven Soderbergh and Brad Pitt’s Moneyball due to script issues.

Source: Deadline Hollywood

4. Those of you who have been waiting to see Seth Rogan as The Green Hornet better prepare to wait a little bit longer.

The comic book adaptation’s release date has now been changed from June 25, 2010 to July 9, 2010 release. It’s only two weeks so don’t worry too much.

The Michel Gondry directed Green Hornet will now be sandwiched between Toy Story 3 and Twilight: New Moon.

Source: Film School Rejects

5. It looks like Tony Scott’s runaway train film Unstoppable might be…er stoppable after all.

The film was set to star Scott’s go-to-guy Denzel Washington and Star Trek’s Chris Pine, however 20^th Century Fox have hot the brakes of the film because of budget concerns.

Unstoppable was set to go before cameras this fall but that start date now looks uncertain. One of the reasons for the studios cold feet is the so-so performance of the latest Scott and Washington action film The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 which has so far grossed $56 million from an estimated $100 million budget.

Washington currently gets $20 million a film while Pine is probably asking for a couple of million following the success of Star Trek.

More when we get it.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

That’s it for now. See you at the movies.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Public Enemies Review

Vic Holtreman — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:39:44 +0000

Short version: While Michael Mann’s Public Enemies is very good, it’s missing the spark that could have pushed it to “great.”

Screen Rant reviews Public Enemies

If you’re looking for a low key alternative to the summer blockbuster movie season, then you’ll welcome the Michael Mann-directed Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard. Having said that, don’t expect to be blown away by this surprisingly low-key film.

In Public Enemies we are presented with a (seemingly) romanticized story of the fall of John Dillinger, famous bank robber of the 1930s. Johnny Depp brings his considerable screen charisma to the role of Dillinger, while Christian Bale has the unenviable position of playing the fairly dour Melvin Purvis – the FBI agent that brought Dillinger down.

Right from the start of the film we get a sense of Dillinger’s loyalty to his gang, his skill at planning and the outrageous level of confidence of the man. He’s been separated from his cohorts, but is soon reunited and is back in the groove, knocking off banks in less than two minutes “flat.” We are also shown a “popular” side when he robs banks but does not take any money from customers that are present. He seems to care for the plight of the average person during this era of the Great Depression – but there is some self-serving at work as well: He is quite aware of his popularity with the general public and goes out of his way to cultivate a “star” persona.

His uber-confident personality is also demonstrated in his approach to Billie Frachette (played by Marion Cotillard) – a no-nonsene, not a doubt in his mind that she will be his attitude that of course turns out to be correct. She is a bit hesitant when she learns who he is, but his reaction to her checkered history (it doesn’t bother him at all) and his supreme confidence wins her over. However she is far from a pushover or someone who is easily misled or manipulated by him.

J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) is gaining power in Washington D.C. and is in the process of forming the FBI. In order to prove his (and his organization’s) worth to political doubters he makes the capture of John Dillinger his number one priority and puts agent Purvis (Christian Bale) in charge. Hoover is all about modern scientific methods instead of brute force, but it turns out that it will take a combination of that and some “old school” to capture the Dillinger gang.

We get to see a bit of Dillinger in his glory, but eventually we see the downfall of him and his gang. He is portrayed as a bad guy who is so charming that you actually feel bad for him when he finally goes down – what you have to keep in mind of course is that even if he’s not doing (much) killing himself, his “boys” certainly aren’t shy about it. There’s plenty of gunfire and blood in the film, but director Michael Mann manages to make you feel empathy towards Depp’s character, even though Dillinger shows no remorse about his life of crime.

Outside of Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard, who were both VERY good in the film (really when ISN’T Depp great?) the film seemed to keep the audience at arm’s length. It just felt kind of distant and quiet despite the violence and some really great shoot-outs. Christian Bale was good, and he left the gravel out of his voice for this role, but for me he never really disappeared into the role the way that Depp did.

The other thing that was very different about Public Enemies is that it was shot digitally – there was no “film” feel to it… it looked more like how a Blu-ray disc looks on an HDTV. Overly crisp, detailed and bright. I like that look on my TV, but on the big screen of a movie theater it just seemed odd and out of place.

Overall if you’re a fan of Johnny Depp and crime dramas (this isn’t an action film, folks) then I think you’ll enjoy Public Enemies.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Johnny Depp Talks Wonderland, Pirates 4 & Dark Shadows

Ross Miller — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:04:52 +0000

Johnny Depp recently spoke with Collider promoting his upcoming gangster flick, Public Enemies, where he also gave some new details on his upcoming projects Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean 4, and the upcoming Dark Shadows adaptation. He also talked about his collaborations with director Tim Burton, and why they work well together. I know, wanted to hear about The Lone Ranger and his role as Tonto, too…

Tim Burton’s upcoming take on Alice in Wonderland is definitely one fans of both Burton and Lewis Carroll’s original story are looking forward to. Burton and Wonderland go together perfectly – it’s been a long-time easy guess that the Edward Scissorhands director would take on the classic Wonderland tale at some point in his career.

Depp was just as much of a no-brainer to play a part in Alice in Wonderland; him being cast as The Mad Hatter being utter perfection in my books. Depp spoke to Collider about the kind of research he (and Burton) did for the film, where he revealed that, “the book is the basis for everything [they're doing with the movie].” To be prepare for playing the character, Depp said there are, “little mysteries, little clues in the book that I found fascinating that were keys to at least my understanding of the Mad Hatter.”

For Alice in Wonderland, Depp also revealed he is very much on Burton’s creative boat as far as coming up with concept drawings for characters – “I made my little weird drawings and water colors and brought them to Tim [Burton] and he brought me his weird little drawings and water colors and they were not dissimilar [laughs]. You could’ve put them right together and they were pretty darn close.”

On Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Depp didn’t give much, other than saying what they’re “trying to do is just get a script in order and make sure it’s the right thing to do. If we can get a great script it’d be a ball.” As Collider points out, you can basically read that statement as the project is happening but we’re probably a long ways off from seeing it move into production.

For his next collaboration with Mr. Burton, after Alice in Wonderland, Depp spoke about the Dark Shadows adaptation, which he is excited about doing. Depp confirms that it, “is happening,” and reveals that the script is, “very, very close,” with he and Burton probably going to, “attack it next year.” He seems more enthusiastic and excited about this project than even Wonderland or even Pirates, adding that, “it’s very, very exciting… I loved the show when I was a kid… It’s like a lifelong dream for me.”

Continued on Page 2…

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Red Carpet Premiere for ‘Public Enemies’

Carl Lee — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:50:24 +0000

"It's nice to be able to come back here and say 'Thank you,' and this shindig is a way of doing it," said Johnny Depp..

Thursday, June 18, Johnny Depp and Co. walked the red carpet for Chicago’s premiere of Public Enemies. The notorious bank robber, John Dillinger, was shot less than 5 miles away at the Lincoln Park theater–nearly 75 years ago.

The action-er was filmed last year at locations Dillinger once frequented (including the Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue), providing the upcoming blockbuster a taste of the authentic. Although Wrigley Field won’t be appearing on screen, Depp also attended a Cubs game and signed autographs for fans after speaking with the media.

Christian Bale with wife, Sibi, posing for photographers

Christian Bale, who shot Batman Begins and The Dark Knight in Chicago, had this to say of the local legend:

Dillinger was a charismatic man. He was being cheered for back then and I’m sure it will happen again now with all the fat cat factors everyone is dealing with nowadays.

Screaming fans greet Johnny Depp

Depp, who was the last to arrive, joined fellow stars Bale, Marion Cotillard, director Michael Mann (a Chicago-native), and a crowd of about 600 fans. [Gallery of the premiere available at The Chicago Tribune.]

Public Enemies opens July 1, 2009.

Source: Chicago Tribune

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Join In On ‘Public Enemies’ Bank Raids

Carl Lee — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:32:36 +0000

To promote Public Enemies, Universal is launching one of the first film marketing campaigns to incorporate Facebook Connect and Twitter. Though the gaming is a little light, the social aspect has the potential to be pretty effective.

Bank Raids brings out the 1930’s John Dillinger in everyone by feeding criminal ambition, recruiting gang members and robbing banks. Gameplay generally lasts 2 to 3 minutes – since luck doesn’t last forever – but aspiring thieves can save their progress and come back to finish the job. Buy guns and cars to make bank jobs easier and increase your notoriety, but beware: the more notorious you get, the lower the chances of successfully pulling off the job.

When you’re done playing, automatically posting updates to Facebook or Twitter takes care of the bragging for you. Although you can’t edit the text, it covers all the vital information (how many banks were raided and how much money was stolen) and includes a Twitter hashtag: #bankraids.

At the time of the post, I was at #15 on the "Top Gangsters" list but it won't last long.

Universal Pictures International’s Senior Director of Advertising/Media, Neil Wirasinha, had this to say:

Casual gaming is becoming a key form of social entertainment. Facebook Connect enables us to enhance a game like Bank Raids for Facebook users without the need to create a separate Facebook application.

It’s a cool idea: As this game makes its rounds, it has the potential to be effective in engaging users and ultimately promoting Public Enemies.

Public Enemies is out July 1, 2009. In the meantime, avoid the long arm of the law at Bank Raids.

Source: Bank Raids Official Site

You Might Also Be Interested In:

New Public Enemies Featurette

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:28:41 +0000

A new featurette for Michael Mann’s upcoming Depression-era crime-drama, Public Enemies, debuted this week (inappropriately enough) during the 2009 MTV Movie Awards.

The featurette…um, features Public Enemies stars Christian Bale and Johnny Depp, as well as Mann himself, all discussing the era of The Great Depression and John Dillinger’s status as less of a criminal than a bonafide American celebrity. Most of the footage is lifted right from the Public Enemies trailer, but there are some new clips and the interviews with cast and director are pretty interesting.

Check out the behind-the-scenes featurette for Public Enemies:

[See post to watch Flash video]

I have nothing less than supreme confidence that this film is going to ROCK. I’m already a pretty big Michael Mann fan (it rhymes so you know it’s real) and I even like his less-appreciated films, such as Miami Vice (that’s right, I said I like Miami Vice. Deal with it). Do I need to even argue that Johnny Depp and Christian Bale under one marquee is an awesome thing? I would think that by now it would be universally acknowledged that Public Enemies has the best pairing of quality actors since Bale and Heath Ledger faced off in The Dark Knight last summer.

For anyone who has a hard time distinguishing good films from bad ones: just listen to what Bale, Depp and Mann talk about in that video – their shared understanding of what John Dillinger meant for America at the time of The Great Depression, as well as the kind of icon he’s become today. These are serious filmmakers who grab hold of their films with both hands – much to the benefit of us, the audience. Can’t wait for the mindless summer season to get an injection of Oscar-level quality.

Public Enemies steals into theaters on July 1, 2009. Let us know what you thought of the featurette.

Source: First Showing

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Two New Public Enemies Clips

Rob Keyes — Sat, 16 May 2009 05:56:40 +0000

Earlier this week, we finally got a chance to see some new promotional material for this summer’s hit gangster film, Public Enemies. Those items came in the form of three new character-centric posters that emphasized the stars of the film: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard.

Now, we have a pair of new clips that Trailer Addict exclusively debuted today for the Michael-Mann directed film. Check them out and see what you think:

Unfortunately, they don’t really reveal too much new or different than what we’ve seen from the full Public Enemies trailer and they seem to have chosen the cheesier dialogue to show off in these clips.

I don’t know what to expect of this film. I find myself not overly excited to see it from the videos I’ve seen so far. The leads and supporting cast are incredible and the story is a given to be great, but I can’t seem to get over the visual quality of the movie.

Michael Mann’s trademark style is using digital video instead of film and it’s very evident from the trailers for this movie or if you’ve seen Collateral (a pretty good movie) and Miami Vice (a pretty bad movie).

This is a big concern for me. The movie doesn’t seem have a good style for this sort of period drama and to me, it visually looks cheap and amateurish when combined with the many handheld unsteady shots; I’m not digging that at all for this type of movie – It just feels too generic and bland and almost takes me out of the movie. For a period piece epic like this, digital video does not fit and I was hoping for something more.

I’m not going to let that ruin the movie for me though and I’ll definitely be seeing this opening weekend.

What do you think of the clips and of the use of digital video?

Public Enemies hits theaters this July 1st.

Source: Trailer Addict

You Might Also Be Interested In:

New Posters: Inglourious Basterds, Public Enemies, Transformers 2 & More!

Rob Keyes — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:04:41 +0000

We’ve been slacking off here a little bit recently when it comes to presenting and talking about newest posters that have been revealed online so it’s time to play catch-up.

Today we have a batch of posters that cover Public Enemies, Transformers 2, A Christmas Carol, Inglourious Basterds and Pandorum.

The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen poster continues the Egyptian theme we saw with the previous three posters – this is the final poster for the movie. The new Inglourious Basterds poster continues the trend of profiling the main characters in the Quentin Tarantino WWII epic, this time with focus on Til Schweiger.

The final TF2 poster!

Til Schweiger is such a Basterd

Next up are the first new posters for Public Enemies since the Johnny Depp one-sheet debuted back in March that was similar to the Joker poster for The Dark Knight. The three posters show off the main characters of Michael Mann’s Public Enemies:

Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis

Marion Cotillard as Billie Frechette

Johnny Depp as John Dillinger

Last but not least, we have the first poster of Jim Carrey in Disney’s A Christmas Carol as well as a very cool poster for Pandorum that came out not too long ago. The new Pandorum poster continues in the same creepy style that we in the first one-sheet from March which had some guy with wires and pipes coming through his eyes and mouth.

Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge

Is that Ben Foster’s or Dennis Quaid’s arm? Or neither?

Which poster do you like best and which of these movies are you most excited for?

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opens June 24th, Public Enemies on July 1st, Inglourious Basterds August 21st, Pandorum on September 4th and A Christmas Carol on November 6th.

Sources: Yahoo (A Christmas Carol), Yahoo (Transformers), /Film, IMP Awards

You Might Also Be Interested In:

New Public Enemies Trailer Even Better Than The First

Sabrina Cognata — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:11:39 +0000

Public Enemies tells the story of “Robin Hood” bank robber, John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) who simultaneously became a hero to the recession laden American public while making himself public enemy number one. Eventually becoming the purveyor for the institution of the FBI by J. Edgar Hoover and it’s top agent, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale).

And we have the second trailer for the up and coming Johnny Depp film for you right here.

The initial trailer for Public Enemies was sort of hit or miss, as it genuinely showed that the film had promise, but the video look of the trailer was problematic for some. The video look in the first trailer is no longer an issue in the second and I think it also does more to tell the main gist of the story: To have the FBI capture John Dillinger and make him pay in a way that will frighten anyone with the hopes of emulating him.

I guess the marketability of the film actually comes down to the fact the story itself is really incredible and the cast is beyond all star (Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Billy Crudup, & Channing Tatum).

[See post to watch Flash video]

In all honesty, I geniunely liked the first trailer and the more peeks I get of Public Enemies the more excited I am to see it. The film looks like an awesome portrayal of the golden age of crime in America, which is never boring. I just hope Michael Mann upholds the integrity of the truth of John Dillinger’s life while still selling a potential blockbuster like this to the public.

Public Enemies opens July 1, 2009.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

New ‘Public Enemies’ Poster: Why So Serious?

Rob Keyes — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:15:00 +0000

The first official poster for this summer’s Public Enemies has been released and it’s almost exactly like a certain other famous poster from a certain other super successful movie.

Public Enemies (#7 on Screen Rant’s Most Anticipated Movies of 2009) is directed by Michael Mann and its massive cast includes Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Billy Crudup, Channing Tatum, Emilie de Ravin, Stephen Dorff, Marion Cotillard, Giovanni Ribisi and David Wenham.

This poster is simple yet effective… but it’s been done before (pretty recently). It features the movie’s protagonist, John Dillenger (played by Johnny Depp) standing in the middle of the street with the big city behind him holding a submachine gun.

Take a look and see:

Does that remind you of anything?

Maybe this, perhaps?:

Wow, what a coincidence! It’s especially notable since many fans spoke of the potential for Johnny Depp being one of the few actors who could play the character of the joker in the sequel to The Dark Knight (if the character was to return).

Now, let’s put the two together (which Screen Rant master Vic so kindly did for us)… and ta-da!!

The Joker is a Public Enemy.

What do you think?

Public Enemies opens July 1, 2009.

Source: MSN

You Might Also Be Interested In:

New ‘Public Enemies’ Promo Images

Ross Miller — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:17:02 +0000

Today we have a bunch of new promotional images for the film that came in at number seven on our most anticipated films of 2009 list: Public Enemies.

We had our first proper glimpse back at the start of the December but adding to that we have a set of six spanking news ones for your viewing pleasure below.

For high res versions head over to NewFilmDimension.com.

We’ve seen and heard nothing but good things about what looks like 2009’s classiest film. The trio of Christian Bale and Johnny Depp in front of the camera with Michael Mann directing from behind is simply irresistible to pretty much any movie fan. And these newest images only fuel the fire of anticipation.

Is there anyone out there who isn’t hotly anticipating this one?

Public Enemies is set to be released on July 1st 2009.

Source: New Film Dimension

You Might Also Be Interested In:

New Images From A Bunch Of New Movies

Ross Miller — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:52:18 +0000

To celebrate the New Year Entertainment Weekly has a brand new gallery of fresh images for some of the most anticipated movies of this year. They include the highly anticipated Terminator Salvation (which made number 4 on Screen Rant’s most anticipated movies of 2009), Public Enemies (which made number 7 on our list), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (which made it to number 5 on our list) and Watchmen (which was lucky enough to top our list).

Here are just a few from the films mentioned, the rest you can check out over at Entertainment Weekly’s gallery:

Christian Bale sneaks up on a robot in Terminator Salvation

Johnny Depp in Public Enemies

The Comedian smiles for the camera in Watchmen

Wolverine gets angry in X-Men Origins: Wolverine

All four of the above are awesome images for what look like awesome movies (well, maybe the Wolverine image is a little silly looking). All of them are high on my “must-see” list (although Wolverine just missed the cut for my personal top 10 most anticipated list). Personally of the four images above I prefer the Terminator Salvation one, just because it’s so damn cool to see both one of my favorite actors and the iconic terminator design together in one shot.

Head over to EW.com for more pics including shots from Up, Angels and Demons, and Where the Wild Things Are.

What’s your take on these images; which is your favorite and why?

Source: EW

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Screen Rant’s Most Anticipated Movies Of 2009

Rob Keyes — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:18:09 +0000

As 2008 approaches its end and we think back on all the big films of the year, we must take time to look forward at what is to come. That is exactly what we will do now – And I don’t use the term “we” lightly as I enlisted the help of the entire Screen Rant team to help me share with you our individual and collective thoughts of what movies to look forward to in 2009.

We began the tradition last year with the most anticipated movies of 2008, and here’s your bright, shiny 2009 version!

This was not an easy task to say the least. While there are several obvious big-name titles coming out next year, there are also 765 movies planned to debut next year in total (according to Movieweb). Narrowing that down to just ten is not the easiest of tasks especially when certain films have shared little information with us so far (wink wink nudge nudge to James Cameron’s Avatar).

Using all of our individual choices and an elaborate scoring system that took hundreds of hours to deliver its results (OK, I made up that last bit), I summed up and calculated our overall most anticipated movie of 2009 list for the Screen Rant team.

I present to you, Screen Rant’s Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2009:

10. Monsters vs. Aliens – March 27, 2009

Dreamworks’ big 3D-animated film of 2009

Featuring an abundance of well-known voice talent and a hilarious plot, this film looks like fun for all. Along with Disney’s Up we expect a pair of solid animated films next year. I’ll also be seeing this one in 3D!

9. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – June 26, 2009

The sequel to the loved and hated Summer blockbuster of 2007.

Can Michael Bay turn some of those frowns upside down with this sequel that he co-wrote? Will there be more robots, less people, better story, less corniness and better characters? We hope so and some of us are looking forward to finding out from this action-adventure.

8. Up – May 29, 2009

Disney Pixar’s next 3D-animated experience.

The beautiful-looking 3D-animated film about a 78 year-old man and a young boy stuck together on a wondrous journey into a lost world. I’m definitely seeing this one in 3D.

7. Public Enemies – July 1, 2009

The notorious life of gangster John Dillinger brought to the big screen.

Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and several other stars featured in other big films next year, this 1930s-style crime and dime movie should be awesome. Little has been shown so far, but we have high expectations from the cast and story alone.

6. Inglourious Basterds – June 2009 (exact release date still to be determined)

Quentin Tarantino’s World War 2 Epic is finally arriving.

Tarantino’s been subject to some mixed reviews on his most recent projects – can this be the one to turn it around? We’re certainly hoping and looking forward to it and its interesting cast includes Brad Pitt, Mike Myers and Eli Roth.

5. X-Men Origins: Wolverine – May 1, 2009

Wolverine’s origins are detailed in this prequel to the X-Men trilogy.

Hugh Jackman – Sexiest Man of the Year – is back in his career-making and fan-favorite invulnerable adamantium-laced claw-sharpening mutant. I’m sold on the support characters alone – this movie should be tons of fun – but will the story be any good?

4. Terminator Salvation – May 22, 2009

The fourth Terminator feature film starts a new trilogy.

The franchise hits the big screen again in this sequel/prequel to the Terminator Franchise. Starring Christian Bale as John Connor and a plethora of new Terminator designs, we look forward to McG’s new direction for the franchise.

3. Star Trek – May 8, 2009

The rebirth of the franchise is upon us thanks to J.J. Abrams.

Can this prequel/reboot of a film bring Star Trek back to the mainstream and make it “cool” once again? While Star Wars dwindles in the aftermath of the prequels and animated Clone Wars, Star Trek has the opportunity to nab the Sci-Fi throne.

2. Avatar – December 18, 2009

James Cameron’s epic bleeding-edge film that we know nothing about.

Even though we have seen literally (almost) nothing from the film, hopes and hype are high for this potential industry-changing film. We put our faith in James Cameron and his notion of quality of quantity film-making.

1. Watchmen – March 6, 2009 (pending trial?)

Warner Brothers’ next blockbuster DC Comics film.

Can it compare to this year’s The Dark Knight? Will Fox Studios’ litigation proceedings delay or harm the film? We hope that Fox stops interfering and playing this money-grabbing game.

And now for our regular readers, I thought you’d be interested in the breakdown on what each of the writers here at Screen Rant picked as their most looked forward to movies…

To start, I’ll share my Top 10 most anticipated for next year and give a little explanation of my choices:

1. Watchmen
2. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
3. Star Trek
4. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
5. Inglourious Basterds
6. Terminator Salvation
7. Avatar
8. Public Enemies
9. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
10. G.I. Joe

The Wolverine origins flick recently made the jump into my top three simply because of the trailer that was released two weeks ago. I’m a huge Gambit fan and seeing some amazing scenes with him made me super excited for the film. The caveat to this is that if I find out Gambit does not have his Cajun accent in the film – then this movie will no longer by featured in my list.

We know very little about James Cameron’s Avatar and we’ve seen even less so it’s very difficult to gauge where it should rank but I threw it in there anyways because of the hype of the film, the crazy technology being employed to produce it, and the fact that it’s Cameron’s baby. I also threw in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus for the simple fact that it is Heath Ledger’s last film ever and the casting additions that were made to complete Ledger’s role in the film were pretty astonishing.

For fun, I also threw in G.I. Joe as my last pick even though we’ve not seen any real footage and there is some negative press surrounding some pre-screenings of the trailer for the film.

Next, we have Screen Rant Master Vic Holtreman’s Top 10 list:

1. Star Trek
2. Watchmen
3. Avatar
4. Terminator Salvation
5. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
6. Up
7. Monsters vs. Aliens
8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
9. The Surrogates
10. The Road

Vic is a massive Trek fan so his number one choice is a given. His top three can easily shift around depending on what kind of marketing the three films get and it’s the top six in the list he really looks forward to – with the last four added to round off the top 10.

Vic is looking forward to the fourth installment to the Terminator franchise and has confidence that McG will do a good job. He’s also hoping that Up will make up for his disappointment with Wall-E. On the other hand, Vic is also anticipating the Wolverine-centric movie but is not sure if it will be that good.

Next up, we have the master of television, Bruce Simmons:

1. 2012
2. Sherlock Holmes
3. Star Trek
4. Knowing
5. Public Enemies
6. Terminator Salvation
7. Watchmen
8. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
9. The Surrogates
10. Fast & Furious

Bruce’s list is quite unique with him being the only one to include 2012, Knowing and Fast & Furious. Those two choices have him on shaky ground here as a continuing writer (JUST kidding!).

The following is Heath McKnight’s most anticipated films of 2009.

1. Watchmen
2. Avatar
3. Up
4. Monsters vs. Aliens
5. Terminator Salvation
6. The Road
7. X-Men Origins Wolverine
8. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
9. Sherlock Holmes
10. The Wolf Man

Heath shows some favor to the two big animated films of next year and does not include Star Trek in his list.

Next up is Niall Browne and his Top 10:

1. Edge of Darkness
2. The Surrogates
3. The Wolf Man
4. Public Enemies
5. The Taking of Pelham 123
6. Avatar
7. Watchmen
8. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
9. Terminator Salvation
10. Inglourious Basterds

Niall has Edge of Darkness starring Mel Gibson in comeback-mode as his unique #1 choice for next year.

The most anticipated films of 2009 for Jamie Williams:

1. Inglourious Basterds
2. Avatar
3. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
4. Ashecliffe (also known as: Shutter Island)
5. Up
6. Star Trek
7. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
8. Observe and Report
9. Terminator Salvation
10. The Lovely Bones

Jamie’s list includes several unique picks such as Ashcliffe and The Lovely Bones and is the only one that does not include Watchmen. Despite that, for some reason we continue to let him write for the site…

The following is Carl Lee’s Top 10 list for next year otherwise know as his “Top-5 Comic Films” as he points out:

1. Watchmen
2. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
3. Push
4. Kick Ass
5. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
6. Public Enemies
7. Inglourious Basterds
8. Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
9. Monsters vs. Aliens
10. Assassination of a High School President

Carl makes the unique picks of having Push and Assassination of a High School President in his Top 10.

Next up is the Top 10 list for Kofi Outlaw:

1. Avatar
2. Watchmen
3. Terminator Salvation
4. Star Trek
5. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
7. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
8. Up
9. Monsters vs. Aliens
10. Friday the 13th

Kofi admits that Friday the 13th is his guilty pleasure. I forgive him as I put G.I. Joe as my number ten.

Last but not least we have Screen Rant’s newest writer, Ross Miller, and his most anticipated films of 2009:

1. Watchmen
2. Inglourious Basterds
3. Public Enemies
4. The Soloist
5. Terminator Salvation
6. Up
7. Star Trek
8. Sherlock Holmes
9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
10. Notorious

Ross includes the unique Top 10 movie picks of The Soloist and Notorious.

That’s it for our individual lists.

So there you have it, sliced every which way! Special mentions also go out to The Surrogates, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Sherlock Holmes, The Wolf Man and the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus for all being included in several of our individual top-10 lists. Some of those just barely missed out on being included in the finalized top-10 and we are certainly looking forward to them as well, among others.

What movies are you looking forward to in 2009? Are you as excited for next year’s slate of films as I am?

And here’s a final question for you: Which of our writers’ movie tastes best match yours?

You Might Also Be Interested In:

First Images Of Depp & Bale In ‘Public Enemies’

Rob Keyes — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:48:41 +0000

Empire Magazine has been the big provider of much of our news during our slow last week. In addition to a new picture of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine from the cover of an upcoming issue and the very first picture of Taylor Kitsch as Gambit, the first images of Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in costume were released for their upcoming film, Public Enemies.

Public Enemies is a film about the infamous bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and his exploits during the depression. The film will center around the FBI, led by J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) attempting to put a stop to the notorious gansters: John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd.

While Dillinger was pulling off heists against the looked-down-upon banks (for leading the country into the depression), the FBI tried to take advantage of the situation and use the case to increase its power and jurisdiction – leading to the Bureau becoming the national agency it is today. Christian Bale plays Melvin Purvis, the FBI’s top agent who’s assigned to capture Dillinger and the story follows the many run-ins, shootouts and other twists and turns between Murvis’ men and Dillinger’s gang.

The images, although simple, look good. However, that’s easily accomplished when they feature two A-Listers currently superhot in Hollywood.

Take a look and see what you think.

The film’s cast also includes many recognizable actors, some of which who are starring in certain other big summer films of 2009. These include Channing Tatum (playing Duke in G.I. Joe), Billy Crudup (playing Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen), Devid Wenham, Emilie de Ravin, Giovanni Ribisi and Stephen Dorff.

I’m excited about this film as I love these old gangster style movies much like I enjoy many Westerns. The film’s cast speaks for itself and the story is perfect for a feature film.

What do you think of the images? Are you excited for the film?

Public Enemies is directed my Michael Mann is due out in theatres July 1st, 2009.

Source: Empire Magazine

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Johnny Depp Is John Dillinger

Niall Browne — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:29:08 +0000

A diligent photographer has snapped Depp as Dillinger driving a car on the set of Public Enemies. The crime thriller is being directed by cinematic god Michael Mann, the cast also includes recent Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff and Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis the man trying to bring Dillinger down.

Apart from Depp, there’s a of picture of hoods hanging on to the side of a car carrying Tommy guns, in true gangster style.

Now does that not get your pulse racing, even a tiny bit?

For more pictures keep reading.

I’ll admit that Depp just looks like Depp, but at least he doesn’t look like Jack Sparrow. Now that the Pirates of The Caribbean franchise has sailed its course, we can once again see Depp as a first rate actor, and not a Disney character.

Mann is pure cinematic gold. We’re talking Heat, Manhunter, Last of The Mohicans, Collateral and Miami Vice (the film and the series). However, if you want to know why I’m so excited about Public Enemies, check out his 1980’s show Crime Story. This 1960’s set Las Vegas based series is oustanding. Starring Dennis Farina as a cop trying to take down organized crime in Sin City. I know that I’m telling you to watch a lot of old television these days, but trust me!

As Public Enemies progresses I’ll keep you posted on it’s development.

Source: Hollywood Newsroom

You Might Also Be Interested In:

In The Future With Christian Bale

Niall Browne — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:53:03 +0000

Christian Bale is one of the few actors at the minute who can do no wrong. The critics adore him, the internet fanboys love him and audiences are willing to show up to watch his films (well his mainstream ones, at least).

Since hitting the big time with Batman Begins, Bale has been much in demand as an actor; Entertainment Weekly conducted a great interview with the actor where he discusses his upcoming films: Michael Mann’s Public Enemies, the new Terminator 4 film (whatever it may end up being called), and his third stint as Batman (which I hope will be called Shadow Of The Bat).

Continue on to find out what he has to say about his future slate.

When Bale was asked if he’d return to make a third Batman (technically the seventh since 1989) he said:

“No, no, no, no, no. [Smiling] Part 3 is what I’d consider it, yeah, I don’t say part 7. ‘Batman Begins’ – that was the beginning there, with all due respect to the others. We are re-creating this. You know, obviously the decision is out of my hands. I would, knowing the ‘Dark Knight’ story, I would like very much to complete a trilogy. And I think that knowing the story of ‘The Dark Knight’, it leaves you anticipating something that really can get very, very interesting for a third. Now, the question would be: Is Chris going to be doing it? Because to me I find it tricky to imagine working on it without it being a collaboration with Chris.”

When probed about Heath Ledger’s tragic death Bale went on to say:

“I’m absolutely fine talking about him. You know, I don’t like kind of trivializing the tragedy in conjunction with an interview to do with the movie, which is clearly far less important. But Heath was a joy. He really was like that, because he was a very unique man. I enjoyed watching him work, working with him.”

As cool as Batman is, at the minute everyone wants to know about Bale’s involvement with the new Terminator film. When questioned about the Sci-Fi franchise Bale said:

“There are some wonderful people who have been brought in, and we are working to re-create that world.We’re in the process of (writing the script), we’re working on that, et cetera.”

When pressed on a start date for the film, the future John Connor went on to say:

“It’s important to make sure that you start a movie when you’re ready, instead of just starting it on a date, regardless. And so we’ll start when we’re ready.”

So it looks like the start date for filming isn’t for a while, and reading between the lines it would appear that Bale is holding out for either script rewrites or a final draft. Let’s just hope that it’s good and that it doesn’t ruin the mythology created by the first two films.

Next up for Bale is Michael Mann’s Public Enemies which co-stars Johnny Depp. Bale stated that he starts filming next week and that he loves doing the research and working with Michael Mann.

Towards the end of the interview he also says that he’s looking to work again with The Machinist director Brad Anderson and 3.10 To Yuma director James Mangold (could it be Cyclops? I doubt it, but it’s good to speculate).

Those are Bale’s future plans for a while, and it seems like he’s sticking with Batman for the next few years… maybe just long enough to make Batman vs Superman.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Who Da Mann? Depp and Bale Find Out In Public Enemies

Niall Browne — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:33:37 +0000

Christian Bale is in negotiations to join Johnny Depp in Michael Mann’s crime thriller Public Enemies. The film will tell the story of the FBI’s manhunt for John Dillinger, the charismatic criminal who was loved by many and loathed by the government. Dillinger was finally gunned down outside Chicago’s Biograph theater.

Johnny Depp will play the legendary gangster while Bale will play Melvin Purvis, the FBI agent tracking him down.

So far, this is a hell of a cast. Also, it is directed by Michael Mann, and let’s face it: Nobody makes a crime drama like Mann. The man (or Mann) is a legend in the crime genre, be it the original (and best) Hannibal Lecter film Manhunter (in which the iconic villain is spelled Lecktor), television’s Miami Vice or the 1995 masterpiece Heat – Mann knows how to show both sides of the law.

Depp is Hollywood’s golden boy at the minute and Bale seems to be attaching himself to a wide variety of films, possibly to avoid type-casting as Batman. With these actors attached to the film, it should be a powerful piece of intelligent cinema with strong performances. It really is a film to look forward to.

The film goes in front of the camera in March and there is no release date set.

Source: Variety

You Might Also Be Interested In: