Screen Rant » the road

Poster Friday: Youth in Revolt, Invictus, Heavy Metal & More!

Rob Keyes — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:37:19 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! For the last Friday of October before Halloween weekend, we’ve again gathered the latest posters to come out for this week’s poster round-up.

Screen Rant’s wall this week now includes new one-sheets for Nowhere Man, Séraphine, Cabin Fever 2, Invictus, Collapse, House of the Devil, Late Fee, Jennifer’s Body, Zombieland, Everybody’s Fine, The Fouth Kind, The Road, Kniga Masterov (Book of Masters), The Bleeding, Gentlemen Broncos and Youth in Revolt.

In addition to that, we have a little somethin’ somethin’ for Disney’s A Christmas Carol and Heavy Metal.

Let’s get to it.

To start, here’s a poster for the John Lennon biopic, titled Nowhere Boy which stars Aaron Johnson as legendary Beatle.

Nowhere Man opens in the UK on December 25 and is directed by Sam Taylor Wood.

Source: The Playlist

You Might Also Be Interested In:

The Road Review

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:32:46 +0000

Short Version: The Road taps the power, beauty and horror of Cormac McCarthy’s novel and gives us a movie that is both gorgeous and gut-wrenching.

Screen Rant Reviews The Road

For those biting their nails in anticipation (I know you’re out there), I’ll skip the usual opening fanfare and get right to it: In my opinion, director John Hillcoat has successfully taken the power, beauty and horror of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Road and translated it, intact, to the big screen. I think that those moviegoers who don’t already read McCarthy now have another good example of why they should (The Coen Brothers’ No Country For Old Men being the other); I think that those who DO read McCarthy will at least be happy that the movie version “didn’t screw it up,” and at most will truly appreciate the movie based on its own merits.

Now that I’ve got that out, let’s back it up and start at the beginning.

The Road tells the story of a bleak future where America (and maybe the world) has become a slowly rotting dystopia, scorched by some unnamed disaster. The days are gray, ash rains from the sky and the air is only getting colder as the world grows dark. In this hell are The Man (Viggo Mortensen) and The Boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee), walking the road from up north down the southern coastline, where hopefully they won’t freeze to death come winter. Man and Boy used to be completed by Wife (Charlize Theron), until the burden of protecting a child from hell on Earth became to much for her to bear.

For Man and Boy, the objective is simple: Head south along the road and keep surviving. That means finding food – somehow, someway – amidst the bone-picked ash lands, and more importantly, keeping out of the sights and snares of roving bands of cannibal gangs, who will surely rape, kill and then devour Man and Boy both – not necessarily in that order.

Welcome to the world of Mr. McCarthy.

Though the plot sounds like something out of a horror film, the real power of The Road is found in the poignant and gut-wrenching meditation on the power of a parent’s love. That Cormac McCarthy spun such a brilliant book out of those threads was a feat in itself; the task facing John Hillcoat and his cast when embarking on this film was monumental: bottle lightning twice, on a much bigger scale. I’m happy to report that both visually and performance-wise, all parties rise to the occasion.

Let’s start with the visuals. I was literally blown away by how well each and every single scene in the film brought to life the scorched world as told in McCarthy’s prose. If you read the author, you know of his unequaled (almost poetic) talent for describing scenes of land and nature – they’re the heart of his books and to overlook them would be a fatal flaw on the part of any film trying to recreate “the McCarthy experience.” Thankfully, Hillcoat takes a page out of The Coen Brothers’ playbook and invests wisely in an array of gorgeous scorched-Earth landscaping shots.

Not only does The Road nail pretty much every major set piece of the book, I dare say that the filmmakers are often successful in enhancing what the book created – as any cinematic adaptation worth a damn should do. There are these perfect little touches to every set piece: Ash piles and blackened metal husks on some burnt-out city block; loose bills of money blood-stuck to the ground that flail in the wind; ashen horizons, naked, gnarled forests and sludge-filled creeks; body parts, spilled guts and burnt skeletons littering the wayside – it’s all there, and the carnage is gorgeous. Even McCarthy’s constant mention of dying trees uprooting and falling over has been noted and included. It’s a film you could literally watch on mute and enjoy all the same.

But what about the acting?

Without some knockout performances, the entire emotional narrative of The Road would have sank beneath the horror-movie premise. But again, John Hillcoat is wise in his decision making, tapping just the right actors (read: talented) to play the handful of supporting roles the film offers.

At the center are The Man and The Boy. I know a few ladies are excited to see Viggo Mortensen back on the screen doing what he does best, and Mr. Mortensen once again steps up to the plate and earns that praise, giving us a Man who is half-crazed from love for his son, the loss of his Wife and the burden of waking up everyday to hell just to make sure that breath stays flowing through his son’s body. The film quickly forces you to understand that this is a world where the most important lesson a father has to teach his son is how to properly blow his brains out if cornered by cannibals. Mortensen attacks these chilling moments with all the genuine concern of a parent who truly wants the best for their child, making such moments all the more terrible. I couldn’t stop cringing in my seat.

Regarding Kodi Smit-McPhee as The Boy… I rank The Road 4.5 out of 5 only because I know that some people will make the fair argument that The Boy is “annoying” at times. For my part, I think Smit-McPhee does good work – only in a film where the rest of the cast and director are doing great work. The young actor is clearly too, well, young to totally comprehend (let alone convey) what this story is all about. As it stands, The Boy ends up as more of a physical metaphor than a realized character, and I think you can (and will) debate amongst yourselves about how closely (or not) that portrayal honors what McCarthy intended in the novel.

As for the supporting cast, I applaud the filmmakers for turning to a skilled set of actors to play what might be considered by more foolish minds to be “bit parts.” Garret Dillahunt (Deadwood) made my skin crawl in two minutes of screen time as a cannibal gang member; Michael K. Williams (The Wire) continues to prove why he’s so respected, bringing total humanity to The Thief (above) in just three minutes; Guy Pearce keeps you guessing for a minute whether The Veteran is going to save or savor The Boy; and Robert Duvall is a seasoned pro, transforming yet another supporting role into an indelible one. No weak links in this chain.

Continue reading our review of The Road…

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Weinstein Employees Not Immune To Job Loss

Paul Young — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:27:55 +0000

I’m sure the Weinstein Brothers have told their employees which ones are being let go, because finding out via a movie blog that you need to register for unemployment is really uncool.

It would seem that even Hollywood can fall succumb to the ills of a recession-filled economy. Even as Hollywood boasts of record profits (due mostly to a handful of films and the extra boost from 3D sales), major studios like Universal and The Weinstein Company are either cutting back expenses or letting people go.

Such is the sad case today as TWC announced the trimming of their roster from around 125 to about 90 for the next round of cuts coming next month.

On top of that, TWC will also limit the number of films released to 10 per year. That breaks down to four for each brother, Harvey and Bob, and two extras to pick up during the year at festivals. As was the case this year at the Toronto International Film Festival, when TWC acquired the US and German distribution rights to A Single Man.

Anyone that has ever watch Office Space and worked in a “big” company has at one time faced “the Bobs”. “The Bob” in this case is Miller Buckfire (how ironic) – he is a “restructuring specialist” (read: the guy that fires people for a living) hired by TWC over three months ago and I’m sure he had a heavy hand in this decision process. A TWC rep had this to say about Buckfire (seriously, is this guy a pilot on Battlestar Galatica?):

“We hired a firm to help us restructure and put a plan into place to get us to a size that will fortify our company moving forward. In this economic climate, it makes sense to focus on a smaller slate, and with that, we need fewer people. By the end of the year, the look of the company will be complete, and we can continue releasing successful films.”

Even with Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds bringing in a coffer bolstering $227 million worldwide on a $70 million budget, they still have to split those profits equally with Universal, so that amount is not quite as large as the number first look. They did receive a respectable profit on the partially respectable Halloween 2 which has brought in $31 million so far on a $15 million budget. Unfortunately, all those millions are just not enough right now.

Beside previous layoffs, TWC has been forced to dish off some of their assets including the selling of Genius Products and having Vivendi taking over the distribution operations for World Wrestling Entertainment and the beloved Sesame Street on DVD. The financial crunch can also account for the pushing back of the Michael Cera comedy, Youth in Revolt, from October 30, 2009 to January 15^th, 2010.

TWC isn’t done for the year though; they still have The Road, the Cormac McCarthy novel adaptation on a father and son’s journey across a post-apocalyptic America. So far, reviews for The Road have been favorable and it should do well in theater. There’s always the chance that it could also get a boost if Viggo Mortensen receives an Oscar after the beginning of the year.

Heaven knows; the Weinstein brothers, their employees and their families could use some good news on the financial home front right about now.

Source: Variety

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Viggo Mortensen To NOT Quit Acting

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:55:27 +0000

Collider recently caught up with acclaimed actor Viggo Mortensen (A History of Violence) during the premiere of his upcoming film The Road at the Toronto International Film Festival, and took the exclusive opportunity to ask the Mortensen what was up with his declaration to step away from acting, which shocked Viggo-lovers across the Net earlier this past Spring.

To our shared semi-surprise (sarcasm alert), Mortensen pulled a Brett Favre-style about-face and shot down the rumore, stating that he’ll be sticking around to mess with this whole being-an-actor thing for the time being.

Ok, so maybe he didn’t say it quite like that – maybe it was more along the lines of “Eh, I’m good for now,” but… Oh heck, just watch this exclusive video scoop from Collider:

Ah Viggo… as elusive and enigmatic as ever.

I could get snarky about actors / athletes / rappers (isn’t Joaquin Phoenix all three in one?) who always pull the “I’m Through,” card, only to never really step out of the limelight. But truth be told, I’m just glad we’ve still got Viggo Mortensen in the game, if only to retain a leading man who always seems to elevate the films he stars in.

I bet David Cronenberg (The Fly) is breathing a sigh of relief. On with Eastern Promises 2!

Are you happy that Viggo Mortensen will continue acting?

To catch him next, be on The Road come November 25, 2009.

Source: Collider

You Might Also Be Interested In:

TIFF 2009 Must See Films: ‘Get Low’, ‘Precious’ & ‘The Road’

John Foote — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:32:29 +0000

The madness continues at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.

The talk of the festival right now is the performance of Oscar-winner Robert Duvall in his new film, Get Low, in which he portrays a hermit with a dark secret who comes out of hiding to confront the rumors about him in a small southern town in the 30s. Directed by Aaron Schneider, the film is very much like a Horton Foote story, with those flawed yet all-too-human characters standing front and center.

Duvall, who adored Foote, loved the role and gives one of the best performances of his career. In fact if you recall, it was in 1997 that the veteran actor was poised for similar acclaim with The Apostle, which knocked critics and the film world on their collective butts. Duvall went on to earn an Oscar nomination for that performance, and may do the same here provided Get Low is purchased and lands a distribution deal.

For me the best film of the festival has to be Precious, an astounding work that is likely the best American film of the year and in fact one of the finest achievements in cinema I have ever seen…period. From director Lee Daniels (Shadowboxer) the film is a searing look at the horrific life of an illiterate, obese black girl, who has twice been impregnated by her father, expelled from school and placed in an alternate school, all while facing a barrage of physical and verbal abuse from her mother. That the girl does not let this break her spirit is one thing, that she chooses to do so much with the life she has been given is a testament to her incredible strength of character. The film is based on the 1996 debut novel from poet/author, Sapphire.

Over the course of the film, the downtrodden girl gives birth to a son, befriends the girls and teacher in her new school and eventually breaks from her mother, even after being told she is HIV positive. The performances in the film are electrifying, as though the camera had been placed in the midst of life unfolding – rather than a narrative film, we are watching a documentary. This is more than mere filmmaking, this is a piece of someone’s soul up on the screen for all to see. A primal, raw, rage-filled scream for help that will streak through your body, burning into your mind, scarring you so you never forget this film.

Gabourey Sidibe is a revelation as the titular Precious, giving an edgy performance that on one hand will alarm viewers with its intensity, but then break your heart when her fears come pouring out. In an astounding performance of nearoverhwhelming power, comedian Mo’Nique inhabits the role of the abusive mother with a presence that is frightening. Her performance is all in her eyes, which are watchful with hate, looking for a reason, like a cobra to strike, and when she does, she becomes a force of nature. Both actresses seem destined for Oscar attention.

And yes Mariah Carey is in the film, and yes she is terrific. And nearly unrecognizable.

Check out the official trailer for Precious.

The film I have been anticipating the most, however, has been The Road – director John Hillcoat’s film adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel about a father and son’s journey across post-apocalyptic America. Some critics at both Venice and Telluride admitted to some disappointment with the film, and though I understand their issues with the work, I do not share their opinions. The film is a powerful, deeply emotional work filled with despair and pain, and anchored every step of the way by Viggo Mortensen in a strong performance that is largely physical.

As they journey through a dying landscape, watching trees crash down dead, searching for food and water, gas or shelter, and avoiding the tribes that have become cannibals in their efforts to survive, Father and Son forge a unique bond that makes them curiously dependent on one another. Yet we also understand the father is ill, and what he is ultimately doing is preparing the boy to be alone. Mortensen captures the wounded man’s pain in his wonderfully expressive eyes, and despite being faced with death all around him, he is a life force for whom survival is paramount.

Robert Duvall (him again) has a wonderful cameo in the film as an elderly man The Man and The Boy encounter on the road, doing the same as they are, trying to stay alive and trying not to remember too much. Seeing the boy opens memories for him that are painful, and that he is not yet ready to speak of. Duvall gives a master’s class of acting in the scene around the campfire.

Is The Road perfect? No. It is unrelenting in its bleakness, and there truly is no hope as we see the world dying all around The Man and Boy. The performance of Kodi Smit-McPhee as The Boy is sometimes grating, though for the most part he and Mortensen have a nice chemistry.

That’s it for now from the Toronto International Film Festival. More to come.

Source: John H. Foote, Film Critic/ Historian, Screen Rant Guest Reporter

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Screen Rant’s 2009 Fall Movie Preview

Mike Wilkerson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:01:23 +0000

As the days become shorter, and the nights become cooler, there is one thing on the horizon that all of us are quickly becoming aware of – the arrival of a slew of exciting 2009 Fall Movies. What’s always been great about this time of year is that it’s not just about “horror films” or movies that are made to touch the holiday hearts that burgeon each year as turkey, Santa and New Year’s Eve stretch into the new year and beyond.

The menu is varied, wide open and we hope – satisfying. While we couldn’t list them all, please join us as we quickly chronicle what lies ahead in Screen Rant’s 2009 Fall Movie Preview!

SEPTEMBER – 2009

Whiteout
September 11th, 2009
The Scoop: Pretty little starlet Kate Beckinsale takes on this graphic novel turned killer-thriller. Beckinsale plays a U.S. Marshall investigating Antarctica’s first homicide as the sun sets for six entire months. Will she find the killer in the cold dark before he finds her?

SR Says: The trailer paints this movie as more X-Files than detective story, which could confuse some on the premise. However, cold weather and hot Beckinsale = worth the ticket price?

See it? Maybe.

The Informant!
September 18, 2009
The Scoop: Director Steven Soderbergh helms an all-star cast providing you “a mix of A Beautiful Mind and The Insider.” Damon plays the exec of a agri-business giant who goes overboard working as a snitch for the Feds. It’s bi-polar, whistle-blowing storytelling at it’s best!

SR Says: It’s going to be amazing to see what this cast can pull off under Soderbergh’s direction with such an involved script.

See it? Yes.

Jennifer’s Body
September 18, 2009
The Scoop: Megan Fox plays a possessed cheerleader, with a fetish for feasting on boys (and girls). Hot sexy teens, girl on girl kissing/rubbing and more social satire from Juno writer Diablo Cody.

SR Says: Depends on how you feel about Megan Fox looking both sexy and grotesque in one film.

See it? If you like teen horror flicks, or are a devotee of Cody.

Pandorum
September 25, 2009
The Scoop: Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid star as two astronauts who wake up on an abandoned future spacecraft and have no idea what’s happened. As with all things in movies, time unveils the “truth” of what they face – a ship full of crazy space monsters.

SR Says: Dennis Quaid has had some woofers lately, but Ben Foster always offers something unique. MMA fans may recognize cast member Cung Le as the current Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, which guarantees at least two raucous fights in this thriller.

See it? Yes.

Surrogates
September 25th, 2009
The Scoop: In a future where people live life through robotic surrogates, Bruce Willis plays a cop who must venture back into the real world to investigate a string of crimes involving people dying while connected to their Surrogates.

SR Says: Jonathan Mostow is an underrated director, and seeing Bruce “alive” again, with great f/x and a bit of gravitas sounds like a great combination.

See it? Absolutely.

(Continue to page 2 for October’s Movie Preview)

You Might Also Be Interested In:

‘The Road’ Delayed…Yet Again

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:03:55 +0000

I swear, if this film isn't in theaters soon...

(Sigh) Slash Film has learned from sources at Dimension Films that the big-screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road will be delayed, yet again – knocked back from its current mid-October release date to a late November debut in theaters. If you didn’t already know, The Road has already been delayed a year: it was supposed to be in theaters in late November of 2008.

There’s no explanation as to why the move is being made – I’m pretty sure mid-October is still fair ground for Oscar hopefuls and the term “late November” (the start of the Holiday Season) is a practically synonymous with “crowded movie market” in this country.

So what’s the deal?

At this point I’m willing to believe anything. The Weinstein company has been so crazy about this flick that the story of making it is beginning to shadow the film itself. A year ago the novel was still a scorching hot topic – but that conversation has gone quiet around the water cooler now. And after missing that window of opportunity, how does the studio compensate? By tampering with the trailer to try to lure in as many people as possible on the false promises of Charlize Theron and an action/epic film.

Not to mention, as Slash Film points out, there are SO many other films coming out at that time – Fantastic Mr. Fox, Ninja Assassin, The Princess and the Frog - that The Road could get lost in the mix.

On the other hand, it’s only now that I’ve started to warm up to this movie version of The Road. It’s been long enough since I’ve read the book. I’ve seen clips from the film that are not only thrilling, they somehow get more thrilling each time I watch them. Lately the idea of The Road: The Movie has been sounding more and more like a welcome thing. So who knows, maybe Bob and Harvey Weinstein have a voodoo priestess on payroll who foretells when it’s best for their movies to drop. Maybe they’ll somehow strike gold (as in statues) with this ‘genius last-minute audible.’

I just want to see The Road, already… Dimension Films, if you’re out there, get me into a screening I swear it’ll shut me up.

The Road will be in theaters November 25, 2009…for now.

Source: Slash Film

You Might Also Be Interested In:

New Posters: The Road, 2012, Where The Wild Things Are & More!

Rob Keyes — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:42:30 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! Today we have gathered the latest biggest and best posters for this week’s poster round-up.

Screen Rant’s wall this week now includes new one-sheets for Where the Wild Things Are, Fantastic Mr.Fox, 2012, The Road, Gamer, Bad Lieutenant and a pair of comedies: The Invention of Lying and Couples Retreat.

For the horror fans out there, we also have some fan-made posters for the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, and as a little bonus, the first official photo for Saw VI.

Let’s get to it…

To start this week’s set, here’s the brand new poster for the heart-filled fantasy, Where the Wild things Are.

Where the Wild Things Are is brought to us by Spike Jonze who’s done an incredible job of bring the short childrens book to life. It opens October 16th and I’ll be there.

Source: MSN Movies

Continue through the pages for the rest of the collection…

You Might Also Be Interested In:

The Road: New Clips & An Early Review

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:25:37 +0000

A whole bunch of new clips from the big-screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s (No Country For Old Men) Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Road have appeared online, and I thought you fans of McCarthy’s work might like to have a look at a few them so you can get a sense of how the film stacks up to the book.

We’ve also dug up an early review of The Road from Variety’s Todd McCarthy. Wanna know the early verdict on The Road? Then you better keep reading.

First, the clips. I’m only going to post three of them, but there are more if you want to check them out. For now, have a look at these:

[WARNING THEY DO CONTAIN SPOILERS]:

For the full gallery of clips you can go here.

The “action” scenes are ok enough (the impact isn’t nearly as horrifying or visceral as McCarthy wrote them to be), but it’s the scene around the fire where The Man (Viggio Mortensen) and The Boy Kodi Smit-McPhee) converse with The Old Man (Robert Duvall) that really drew me in. That scene is the only one in the bunch that absolutely felt like it captured the mood and sentiment of McCarthy’s novel. The other clips… they looked ok enough, as I said, but for this film I think people are expecting “great” and “ok” probably won’t cut it.

Todd McCarthy over at Variety seems to agree. In his review, T. McCarthy claims that John Hillcoat’s film manages to capture a lot of the look of C. McCarthy’s story, but not much of the soul and/or sentiment. An even worse sign: T. McCarthy claims that Mortensen and Smit-McPhee lack the necessary chemistry to bring the central story of The Road (the bond between father and son) to life onscreen. GROAN….

One last thing from the review that really pissed me off: T. McCarthy claims that The Road shows every indication of having been tampered with to death, an issue that we first raised exclusively here at Screen Rant, after an inside source whispered in our ear that The Weinstein Company has been tampering with the film, going so far as to alter the trailer, adding stock disaster footage and rearranging scenes in order to promote The Road as a post-apocalyptic action/disaster flick, which it most certainly is not. A lot of readers responded to that post by saying “Duh, they want people to go see it,” however, if Variety’s review is even close to the mark, then what could have been a great film may end up as yet another casualty of Hollywood idiocy hustling.

Glad the Weinsteins held the movie back a full year for this…

For Todd McCarthy’s full review you can go here.

What did YOU think about the clips from The Road? How about the early review of the film – does it sound spot-on to you?

The Road will be in theaters on October 16, 2009. It also stars Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Michael K. Williams, Garrett Dillahunt and Molly Parker.

Sources: The Movie Room & Variety

You Might Also Be Interested In:

The Weinstein Company Tampered With ‘The Road’ Trailer

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:15:59 +0000

EXCLUSIVE! A little over a week ago Screen Rant posted the first trailer for The Road, the cinematic adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. As a serious McCarthy fan, I was a very disappointed in how the trailer (I felt) misrepresented what The Road is all about; it tried to sell the film as a post-apocalyptic action thriller, instead of the poignant look at the bond between father and son it truly is.

Well my complaints struck pay dirt: A reliable source confirms that the studio producing the film (The Weinstein Company) pulled out some dirty PR tricks to sell The Road to a wide audience – even going so far as to tamper with the first trailer, splicing in stock disaster footage that doesn’t even appear in the finished movie!

If you haven’t yet watched the first trailer for The Road you need to do so now.

The “spliced footage” I’m referring to appears at the very start of the trailer – it’s the news footage of floods, fires, tornadoes, riots, etc., which appear in conjunction with the tagline, “Ten Years From Now One Event Will Change The Face Of The Planet.” Yeah, apparently none of that footage is in the film and the characters aren’t even watching it on TV. It’s all just clever editing.

If you’ve never read a page of The Road, you probably see the beginning of that trailer and think “End of the world action thriller. Cool.” If you indeed had that reaction, consider yourself officially misled.

Here’s a dose of the truth: The film version of The Road adheres pretty closely to the novel (with a few choice liberties taken here and there). In the novel, there is never any explanation of what event(s) turned America into a desolate wasteland. When the story begins, The Man (Viggo Mortensen) and The Boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) are simply walking on the road across the annihilated landscape and that’s as much background as we get. There is no preachy message about the environment or nuclear war or human relations – no subversive political or religious metaphor. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic hell mainly because that setting is the most extreme contrast to the guarded and filtered reality in which most parents try and raise their kids.

Of course I understand that for a lot moviegoers (especially those who love the post-apocalyptic genre), the notion of a desolate world that’s never explained could be kind of a turn-off. But splicing random stock footage into the trailer, trying to sell a story that the film doesn’t tell? What’s the point in that? Why not just show what the film is truly about and let it reach people on its own merit? Especially since the finished film (according to our reliable source) “is brilliant!!”

I would have loved for the trailer to highlight the things that made the book such a stunning achievement: The gorgeous imagery, the beautiful and intimate father-son moments shared between The Man and The Boy – even some of the more gruesome and frightening scenes of the book (see our gallery of cannibalized extras from The Road for an example).

From what I hear, this spin-job first trailer and the stock footage spliced in are the Weinsteins’ doing. Well, I’d like to pass on a message to the Weinsteins, if I may be so bold: Cut another trailer, a REAL trailer, and get it out ASAP. Hell, if you do that and actually do it right, I’ll be the first one to post it up and praise it. Remember Harv: if you want that Oscar (you delayed this film a year just to have a better shot at one) then you’ve got to show us up front that The Road is a contender. A cheesy disaster flick trailer doesn’t do that.

Luring audiences into a movie theater thinking they’re going to see one thing and showing them something entirely different just results in an annoyed audience. Even if a movie is excellent, you shouldn’t “trick” people into watching it.

What do you think about this news that the Weinsteins messed with the first trailer of The Road? Are you a pissed-off Cormac McCarthy fan? Or were you cool with the post-apocalyptic thriller you were sold?

Speaking of Cormac McCarthy: If you’re out there, Mr. McCarthy, we’d love for you to weigh in on all this. It is your work, after all.

The Road is slated to hit theaters on October 16, 2009.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

First Trailer for ‘The Road’ Misses The Mark

Kofi Outlaw — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:06:24 +0000

One of my favorite books of the last few years has to be Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, the story of a father and son’s harrowing journey across the ruins of post-apocalyptic America. The novel was a big hit last year, dubbed by many to be an “instant-classic” after it won the Pulitzer Prize. So of course, a feature film adaptation was inevitable.

Well, the first trailer for The Road recently dropped and I have to say, I’m a little bit miffed about how this trailer is (mis)representing what the novel and the movie are really about.

Take a look at the first trailer for The Road:

[See post to watch Flash video]

The Road was originally supposed to hit theaters last November, but studio The Weinstein Company decided to hold off on releasing it until Fall of 2009 – no doubt another one of old Harv Weinstein’s master Oscar strategies. And though I’m pissed that the film was delayed, the hold-off at least suggests that the finished film is worthy of Oscar consideration. But does the trailer you just saw make you believe that in the least?

Here’s my beef: This trailer makes The Road out to be some kind of post-apocalyptic action film with a heart. It’s not that at all. Anyone who is a fan of Cormac McCarthy (you probably know a little book he wrote called No Country For Old Men) knows that his version of “action” is pretty straightforward and often very brutal. No extravagant chase scenes or “things-go-boom” moments in that man’s books. Violence is quick, messy, and the consequences are decisive – none of which we like to see in our action flicks.

At its core, The Road is about the bond between father and son, a fragile bond brought into intense focus by the hellish circumstances they are living in. How does a father protect his son and raise him to be a good man in a world gone mad? For sure there are some thrilling moments in the book, but like I said, they are straightforward, simple and brutal; the kind of violence that is meant to disturb, rather than entertain. This trailer makes The Road look like freaking Running Man set in the woods.

Weinstein Company, why you cut the first trailer this way, I’ll never know. You delay The Road nearly a year, likely hoping to up your Oscar chances, and then you go and sell us an action film? Maybe you think that an action film is the only way to sell John Q. Public on seeing The Road, like: “Middle America loves a down-home family man action hero!”

I think its insulting that they’re not pushing this film based on the merits of its story. Cormac McCarthy had a son late in life (in his 60’s, I believe) and The Road is a brilliant meditation on his paternal emotions as only an older man could render them. Any father (or mother for that matter) will understand what that’s all about.

On the positive side, I do like the way the film looks, and how actors Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee look as The Man and The Boy. Just how I’d imagined them. However, I think this trailer totally misrepresents the role The Wife (Charlize Theron) plays in the story. I get that they’re trying to play off Theron’s star power, but I think that little bend-of-truth is going to piss people off when they see the movie.

The Road is paved to open sometime in October of 2009. Click here for an HD version of the trailer. If you want to see more of the film, we’ve got some still photos from The Road.

What did you think of the first trailer?

Source: Yahoo Movies

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Viggo Mortensen To Quit Acting?

Ross Miller — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:06:29 +0000

Now this may seem like another April Fool’s joke, but as the date of this article will tell you, it’s not. It appears that Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen may have been watching what Joaquin Phoenix has been up to, and perhaps following in his footsteps – only taking things a bit more seriously: He might actually give up acting.

According to Africa’s News24, Mortensen has been left exhausted by his acting workload and has decided to take a break described as “indefinite.” Here’s what he had to say:

“In the past week I’ve been from Los Angeles to Japan to Korea to Poland to the UK. It’s ridiculous and it’s not a healthy way to be. But, as it happens, I’m taking measures to change that. No more movies…”

“I haven’t said yes to one in over a year. I’ve been in all these well-received movies and it seems like I should be doing some more, but there are other things I want to do. It’s not the right time.”

Adding to that, he also revealed he has turned down many-a-major blockbuster film because he doesn’t believe in doing movies just for the money:

“They were often complete crap, all about product placement and marketing. I don’t need the money.”

And News24 reminds us that this isn’t the first time he has spoken about it, as he did so just last year:

“I’ve made a lot of interesting movies and I’ve worked with some really good people. Not in a disrespectful way, but now I could kind of take it or leave it to be honest. I’ve felt that way for a while.”

This doesn’t sound like just an off-hand remark by an actor tired after a long period of hard work – evidenced by his thoughts in the above quote from 2008, he clearly has had this one his mind for a while now. It sounds like he works very hard at what he does, particularly because of the types of physically and mentally challenging roles he takes; Eastern Promises, Lord of the Rings and A History of Violence, to name but a few.

I’m all for actors taking breaks every now and then when the job may be affecting their personal life (as should be the case with any profession), but I always hope that they would return after a few months (maybe even a couple of years, if it’s warranted). Although I’m not a huge fan of Mortensen as an actor (except for his exceptional, Oscar-nominated performance in Eastern Promises (which begs the question of how this break of his will effect the sequel which is in the works…), I do hope this isn’t him calling it quits for good.

The guy, believe or not, will be 51 years old this year, which may be one of the primary reasons why his job has been getting the better of him as of late. However, here’s hoping this “indefinite break” changes to “temporary” once he has some time to lift the pressure off his shoulders.

What do you make of Mortensen’s decision to take an indefinite break? Do you think he’ll really stay away from acting?

Source: News24

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Charlize Theron Is A Tourist

Niall Browne — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:00:04 +0000

All has been quiet on the Tom Cruise future project front lately, however have no fear! We finally have an update!

Charlize Theron is “in negotiations” to join Tom in The Tourist, an espionage thriller that we told you about way back in August. According to Variety:

“Theron will play a female Interpol agent who uses an American tourist in an attempt to flush out an elusive criminal with whom she once had an affair.”

There’s no word on who little Tom will play yet, but I’d place my money on the American Tourist. However, that’s just me playing it safe – he could be the “elusive criminal”, but because this is a Tom Cruise vehicle I’d say my money is safe. Maybe.

The script was originally penned by Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), but Christopher McQuarrie who helped script Cruise’s latest Valkyrie is doing a polish.

The Bharat Nalluri directed remake of the 2005 French film Anthony Zimmer is due to start shooting in March.

Meanwhile Cruise can next be seen the the WWII thriller Valkyrie which opens on December 26, while Theron will be seen in the adaptation of Cormac Mc Carthy’s The Road which has been delayed until some date in 2009.

Source: Variety

You Might Also Be Interested In:

New Photos From ‘The Road’

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:47:21 +0000

Some brand new photos from the upcoming movie adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Road have hit the web and Screen Rant has them here for you.

Check them out:

The Man (Mortensen) embraces The Boy (McPhee)

The Man finds shelter in an abandoned car

The Mom (Charlize Theron) contemplates her fate

Check these cool behind the scenes pics as well:

Mortensen and a cannibal (actor Jeremy Ambler) on set

McPhee and Ambler on set

The cannibal legion smiles for the camera

The more I see from this movie, the more I’m confident that director John Hillcoat (The Proposition) has done right by McCarthy’s bleak vision of post-apocalyptic America. Viggio Mortensen and young Kodi-Smit McPhee look like they have really nailed the lead roles of The Man and The Boy. No matter how gritty they look, you can see their father/son bond holding strong. Great acting, from great actors. I can’t wait to see this movie.

Still no word on when the Weinstein Co. plans on releasing The Road. In the meantime you can check out Screen Rant’s collection of production stills here. After you’ve had a look, let us know what you think.

Source: Film O Filia

Based on the photos what do you think?

You Might Also Be Interested In:

New (Dirty) Pic From The Road

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:17:44 +0000

There’s a new photo of Viggio Mortensen and young Australian actor Kodi-Smit McPhee from the upcoming film adaptation of author Cormac McCarthy’s already-classic (and stunning) novel, The Road. And believe me when I say: this pic is dirty.

Get your mind out of the gutter!

The pic shows The Man (Mortensen) and his son, The Boy (McPhee), looking as dirty, disheveled, down-trodden and near-death as McCarthy so vividly depicted them in his novel.

For those who are not lovers of top-notch literature, The Road is set in an America that has been plunged back into the Dark Ages by an unmentioned Apocalyptic disaster. In this desolate time, survivors scour the ash-covered countryside looking for shelter, supplies, weapons, and food of any kind… even it means feeding on one another.

As Winter approaches, The Man and The Boy realize they cannot survive another cold season on the East Coast, as virtually every usable supply and suitable food source has already been picked clean. Rumors of a haven in the West send The Man and The Boy off on a cross country trek, with one broken shopping cart to hold their small cache of supplies and a single gun, with a single bullet, to protect them from roving gangs and cannibals. A harrowing and poignant meditation on the meaning of fatherhood,The Road is easily one of the best books I’ve read in the last decade.

Here’s what Mortensen had to say in recent interview about bringing The Road to life onscreen:

“We knew that the journey of making a movie out of McCarthy’s book ‘The Road’ would be both physically and emotionality challenging. There is a certain degree of sadness, fear and regret that ‘The Man’ carries inside as he strives to protect his son and ensure their survival in an impossible world.”

However, if you think that this movie is going to be some heart-felt piece of fluff, my friend… you do not know Cormac McCarthy. I invite you to head over to IMDB and read the cast of characters. If names like “Cannibal #1″ and “Cannibal #2″ don’t grab you, I’m sure “Baby Eater” will. If you like horror movies that have actual weight and soul, then this film is definitely for you.

…Of course there’s no telling WHEN you’ll get to see The Road, since Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Co. have pulled the film from its original release date of November 14, 2008, in favor of a release date that will generate the most cash for the struggling studio-whenever THAT is. (Thanks, Harvey.)

For now, take a look at the pic of Mortensen and McPhee in character, some older photos here, and then tell us what you think about how The Road is paving out.

Source: Rope of Silicon

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Mid-Week Movie News Wrap Up – Oct. 16, 2008

Niall Browne — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:56:13 +0000

I swear that one day I’ll get this out on a Wednesday.

This week:

Dick Donner talks The Goonies 2; the film version of The Road may be delayed until 2009; Ron Shelton and Tim Robbins talk Bull Durham 2; Sam Raimi’s Sleeper gets a writer and Kight Rider and The Sarah Connor Chronicles get more scripts.

1. I seem to be spending a lot of time writing about Richard Donner lately. That’s not a complaint, he’s a great director and the man should get more praise. He should also be allowed to make more movies, be them Lethal Weapons or not.

Donner has announced that a sequel to his 80’s classic The Goonies has been scrapped. Donner told Variety:

“We tried really hard, and Steven (Spielberg) said, ‘Let’s do it.’ We had a lot of young writers submit work, but it just didn’t seem to call for it”

However, if you love The Goonies there might be a musical. Donner says:

“I’m in the process of trying to get it done as a musical on Broadway. Wouldn’t that be great?”

Dick, I really don’t know. Music by Cyndi Lauper?

Source: Variety

2. Fans of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road may have a longer wait for the film adaptation of the novel. The Hollywood Reporter reports that the film won’t be making its scheduled release date of November 16.

The Viggo Mortensen starrer may be pushed to 2009, as director John Hillcoat is still in the editing phase. That’s gotta hurt as the film is seen as prime Oscar material. I know some people who have read the book, and it has brought a grown man to tears. He wasn’t a particularly tough man, but he cried all the same.

There could be a long road ahead.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

3. There’s more news on the sequel to Bull Durham, Kevin Costner’s iconic baseball flick. Director Ron Shelton and co-star Tim Robbins have been talking up the film at the original movie’s 20th anniversary commemoration at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Shelton said:

“For 20 years I have said no to a sequel. For the last year we’ve been talking about it. I used to say ‘You can’t do a sequel 20 years later.’ Then the fact that it’s 20 years later started to intrigue me.”

Robbins says:

“I actually told Ron this idea a couple of months ago. (Nuke) hurt his arm. I want the sequel to open with him at one of those trade shows signing autographs.”

The pair went on to give a detailed plot for the film:

You pan from Pete Rose and all these guys getting $350 and $500 an autograph, and there’s Nuke and he’s getting 15 bucks. And he’s really steamed about it because (he was supposed) to get 25.

My view of his major-league career is he went up there and in his second year in the majors he was 18-4. In his third year he was 4-18,It was a sort of an unrealized career in which we saw glimpses of his greatness. (Crash Davis – Costner)is now managing Durham in Triple A, back with a (major-league) dream alive again. I think he’s kept this wonderful hot relationship with Annie (Susan Sarandon), who probably has the Faulkner Chair in Oxford, Miss. Crash and Annie find him in the middle of a drunken stupor in the middle of his hotel room or something and bring him back to the majors by teaching him how to throw a knuckleball …”

It sounds like it could work – but will Costner play ball?

Source: Times Union

4. Brad Ingelsby will write the adaptation of Sleeper for Warner Bros. The Comic book film will be produced by Sam Raimi and Josh Donen. Wrap Up favorite Tom Cruise is interested in starring.

Source: Dark Horizons

5. Although ratings are dropping on both series, Fox and NBC has ordered more scripts for The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Knight Rider.

Might The Sarah Connor Chronicles be terminated? Could it be the end of the road for Knight Rider?

Maybe, but if things improve then you’ll have a few more episodes to watch, and lets face it – at least they aren’t canceled!

Source: SyFy Portal

That’s it for another week. See you at the movies.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

First Photos From The Road

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:17:11 +0000

The first stills from the upcoming adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s instant classic The Road have hit The Web, and the photos seem to indicate that the film is doing its best to stay faithful to the novel.

And that’s just the way it should be.

For those who read blogs and not books, The Road is the gripping story of an unnamed man and his son, who are making their final trek across the wasteland of post-apocalyptic America towards the California coast, where salvation and warmer weather hopefully await. They have just one gun, two bullets, and a wobbly shopping cart of supplies to keep them alive and protected from roving bands of cannibals, thieves and degenerates. (National Lampoon’s Vacation this is not.)

The Road is slated for a November 26, 2008 release. It stars Viggo Mortensen as “The Father”, Charlize Theron as “The Wife” and twelve-year old Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee as “The Son”. Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall and Michael K. Williams (aka “Omar” from The Wire) all costar. The Road is directed by John Hillcoat.

The photos are captioned below. Take a look.

Roving Cannibals Stalk The Road

The Father (Viggo Mortensen) and The Son (Kodi Smit-McPhee)
hide from Cannibals

Father and Son discover a truck that’s been abandoned. Or has it?

Father and Son walk The Road

Omar jacks unwary fools along The Road

Source: Film O Filia

You Might Also Be Interested In: