Results tagged “aaroneckhart”

The <em>Love Happens</em> Junket

I just got on a plane to fly to Virginia for a wedding. I’ve got my laptop, inflatable neck pillow and eye mask, but I forgot my pink travel socks so I’m feeling a bit disconcerted. We all have our little habits when we fly. Jennifer Aniston is no different.

              

I imagine that most people expect Love Happens to be one of those relatively innocuous romantic comedies that is populated by very particular characters whose lives and actions hit certain beats at specific times. I mean, there's a formula for this stuff that works for many people despite that fact that it's almost oppressively familiar. What's interesting about Love Happens -- and the reason that the movie ultimately fails -- is that it discards that traditional formula and tries to do something different. Unfortunately, the result is an ill-conceived mess, but I do accord the movie some respect for at least trying to stray from that well-worn path.

              

I have often criticized Steven Soderbergh for wasting his time, talent and energy on crap like the Oceans series. If only he would dedicate his life to things like The Informant!, which looks incisive and hilarious. Matt Damon, on the other hand, will likely never hear an unkind word from me. All he does is make superb and brave choices. Seriously, when was the last bad or dull movie in which Damon starred? Jennifer's Body looks like cynical, wordy, pseudo-clever tripe to me. Diablo Cody -- go away. Megan Fox -- go away.

Weekend Movie Guide: I'm Back!

In anticipation of the Oscar Best Picture nod that never came, The Dark Knight is back in theaters today. If you are one of the 113 people who somehow didn't see this movie over the summer, now might be the time. You know how you can tell when a franchise is completely and utterly out of steam? When the star of the franchise stops appearing in the movies. Such is the case with Underworld: Rise of the Lycans which lacks the lovely Kate Beckinsale (but does at least add the equally lovely Rhona Mitra).

While Heath Ledger seems assured of winning Best Supporting Actor at next year's Oscars (and should have won for and Colbert are both minor miracles in utterly different ways.

Is there anyone in America who didn't see ($10M/$56.4M).

They really don't make movies like is another remake of a better Asian original. Do the world a favor and skip it. Help end this awful trend! Any movie with "College" in the title should be rated R.

When was the last time an actor executed a more profound career turnaround than Casey Affleck? Gone Baby Gone is his second superb performance of the year. If you don't see it for him, see it for Amy Ryan's breakout, Oscar-nominated turn. The mere presence of the divine Anne Hathaway makes was released? Greatest poster ever?

Grindhouse - I've already reviewed this movie, so I won't bother rehashing it, but trust me, Grindhouse totally freakin' rocks! Three full hours of beautiful cinematic mayhem. Are We Done Yet? - Ice Cube stars as a beleaguered urban dad who moves with his new wife (Nia Long) and her two kids to their dream house in the 'burbs and is terrorized by a contractor (John C. McGinley from Scrubs). Black Book - Dutch-born...

By gum they did it — they actually made a funny movie about politics. Thank You For Smoking stars Aaron Eckhart as a tobacco lobbyist, who's so ballsy and charming you have to love him, even while you know he's entirely evil. He's what Ari Gold and Rush Limbaugh think they are — but neither holds a lighter to Eckhart's Nick Naylor.

While The Other Venice Film Festival finishes up this weekend, three local film fests hit Los Angeles. Tonight through Sunday, Perspectives International Film Festival, at Laemmle's Music Hall 3, features films that challenge stereotypes of the lives of people with developmental disabilities. The Silver Lake Film Festival, in its 6th year, begins next Thursday. Joining them at the ArcLight, will be the Fringe Fest '06 & mp-4 Fest.

Counting down today's few birthdays: Esteemed playwright Edward Albee ("Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?") is 78; he was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 1996.

We can't wait until Sarah Silverman gets to host the Oscars. Would she make jokes about the freshness of her vagina, like she does in the opening monologue of the Independent Spirit Awards today? She kicks things off saying George Clooney "has proved himself both artsy and fartsy," and "Felicity Huffman, I am such a huge fan of his."

So, yesterday we caught director Jason Reitman's (son of Ivan) hilarious film, Thank You For Smoking, which is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Buckley (son of William F.). Before the film rolled, Jason got up to let us know that a scene was missing from the film. Not just any scene, but a Katie Holmes sex scene. According to Jason, there was a "projection error in Los Angeles" that resulted in that scene being trimmed from the second reel.

1