Musical theater people are well known for their emotional investment in their beloved shows. So what will they think of Russell Crowe as a potential Inspector Javert in the film remake of Les Miserables? According to the Hollywood Reporter, the tempermental actor is in talks with Universal and Working Title to join Hugh Jackman and possibly Helena Bonham Carter in the movie, which is scheduled for a December 2012 release. more ›

While by no means a flop, Robin Hood does bear the scent of an under-performer this morning. The latest Ridley Scott | Russell Crowe collaboration only managed to steal $37.1M in its debut, placing a distant second to the mighty Iron Man 2 ($53M | $212M). Female counter-programming didn't exactly work for Letters to Juliet which only garnered $13.8M in its opening frame. Romantic "comedy" Just Wright was even worse at $8.5M, while powerhouse How to Train Your Dragon continued to print money ($5.1M | $208M). more ›

Some may find Russell Crowe surly and rude, but I think he's a rock-solid actor who always delivers (Bud White deserves induction into the pantheon alongside Michael, Antonio, Carmine, Jack, Giles and Tom ). That said, I'm a bit skittish about Robin Hood. How do I put it? Maybe like this: is anyone really excited to see it? Amanda Seyfried is probably the most weirdly hot actress on the planet, but even that won't be enough to drag me to Letters to Juliet. God, I hope this isn't Vanessa Redgrave's theatrical swan song. Bring your hankies. more ›

You know it's a slow day at the DVD counter when the highlight of the week is a Blu-Ray release of a fifteen year-old film. Sure Apollo 13 is a solid flick -- maybe even Ron Howard's best -- but the prospect of seeing it again doesn't particularly get my juices going. As a fan of Richard Curtis, I wish I could recommend Pirate Radio, but the comedy in it just seems a little forced and dated. Woody Harrelson is, of course, a demigod in my eyes so Defendor was required viewing when it originally hit theaters. Check it out. more ›

State of Play was a mostly riveting throwback to All the President's Men that starred Russell Crowe as a grizzled D.C. journalist caught in the middle of a hell of a lot of sex, intrigue and murder. Naturally, it was a financial disappointment. Help remedy that injustice by picking it up on DVD today. The big-budget, adult-oriented drama must be preserved! Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer can do no wrong in my book (well, maybe McKean can). Add Unwigged & Unplugged (LAist review here) to the top of your shopping list. Both Braveheart and Gladiator look great on Blu-Ray. If only I had an interest in ever seeing them again. My friend Mangoo Jonnycakes Nail loved Sin Nombre when he saw it at Sundance. I can't disagree. more ›

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Okay, Ben. This is how you act. | Photo courtesy of Universal more ›

How is it that I 100% get the appeal of the Twilight books, but am completely mystified by the massive success of High School Musical 3? As far as I can see, HSM3 has only one thing going for it. Strange that an essentially clunky film like Gran Torino worked so well, while a seemingly fascinating film like Changeling fell flat. Speaking of movies not working, Body of Lies was about as disappointing as they get, huh? How on earth do you so badly waste the brilliant Russell Crowe? Choke was good, dirty fun. It's worth a rental. more ›

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I was excited about Body of Lies until I started to see some very middling reviews. Still, Russell Crowe is always worth the price of admission. As for Leo...eh. Word is that Guy Ritchie returns to form with RocknRolla. As with Crowe, Gerard Butler is always rock-solid (literally!). Ernie Davis had a great story, but I'm guessing that The Express will be a stark and hammy version of it. I'd watch Jennifer Carpenter read the phonebook to herself in the dark so obviously I'll go see Quarantine (show boobs please). more ›

The Copenhagen Ring: The Complete DVD Set more ›

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Convincing people to go to a movie theater and see a documentary is a labor of love for me. Folks always protest that they'd rather see something else--something bigger and shinier!--but if they suck it up and buy the ticket for the doc they are invariably happy that they did. This weekend, a truly great documentary unspools in Los Angeles. It's called Young @ Heart and it's about a group of elderly New Englanders who love to sing, well, Coldplay, Sonic Youth, The Ramones, etc. That's right--it's about senior citizens who live to rock. See it. more ›

Wow! Most weeks I'm happy if there are a couple of new DVDs worth picking up. Today, I count at least eight that would be solid editions to any library. even though it inexplicably got better critical attention. Has Ang Lee ever made the same movie twice? Is he the most under-appreciated major director working today? Can you say the same thing about Paul Haggis--only in reverse? Having seen the Don Rickles special several times on HBO, let me tell you something--go buy it, you schmuck.
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If any film cried out for a comprehensive DVD this year it was . more ›

There was a welcome flight to quality this weekend as movie-goers finally gave some love to a good flick. pulled in $39.1M and looks to be a hit for DreamWorks Animation. more ›

This weekend is one of those weekends where--if you love movies--you'll be hard-pressed to choose which one (or two) to see. Most will probably settle on American Gangster, and I don't see anything wrong with that. Couple two powerhouse actors (Denzel & Crowe) with a reliable director (Ridley), add a compelling story that has slipped through the cracks for years and you have what looks to be a great, studio picture. If, like the... more ›

In the slowest weekend since the early spring, suffered a precipitous decline in its second weekend, tumbling 62% and bringing in an additional 10 million bucks (44.2M). more ›

Green freeways last week. Green rooftops this week. “I do charity work, but I don’t do charity work for major studios,” says Russell Crowe. The New York Times takes a look at the Museum of the American West. 7 banks have been robbed in downtown Glendale since July while city officials look at downtown area's future. Under Secretary for the Preparedness Directorate, part of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), George W. Forseman... more ›

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning, and the gay cowboy lovestory leads the pack: Brokeback Mountain got 8 nominations. The 5 movies up for Best Picture are Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Munich, Good Night and Good Luck, and Crash, which just took the big prize at the SAG Awards Sunday night. more ›

9:40 Jake and Heath stumble and laugh over the sappy script written for their Brokeback Mountain intro. They look darling, don't they? more ›