Martin McDonagh made his feature debut back in 2008 with In Bruges, a film that earned him an Oscar nomination for his screenplay and a substantial cult following since its release. His follow-up this year with Seven Psychopaths has the making to be another big success for him, assembling a fantastic cast that includes Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, and Christopher Walken in the leads.

We got the first images from the set at the end of last year, and we’ve now got the great first official images to share with you, courtesy of EW via Collider, in which we can see a few moments of serious tension between the above cast.

The film revolves around,

“a savage gangster (Woody Harrelson) goes on a rampage after his beloved shih tzu Bonny goes missing, snatched by an out-of-work actor (Sam Rockwell) who pays the bills by helping a professional dognapper (Christopher Walken) pick up pooches and return them for the reward money.

Farrell stars as a struggling screenwriter, working on a script titled Seven Psychopaths, who gets caught up in his pal Rockwell’s troubles… but also finds a lot of great material in the life-and-death conflict playing out over the kidnapped dog.”

EW visited the set of the film and talked to McDonagh, Farrell, and Rockwell (you can read their interviews here), and had a few more updates on the characters played by the rest of the cast:

“As for the rest of the cast, Precious star Gabourey Sidibe turns up as an unlucky dog-walker who faces Harrelson’s wrath, and Bond girl Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) turns up as the mobster’s girlfriend.

Abbie Cornish (Bright Star) co-stars as Kaya, the screenwriters patient and supportive girlfriend, nursing him through his writer’s block, and Tom Waits turns up as Zachariah, a rabbit-petting weirdo who offers up strange stories from his past for the Seven Psychopaths screenplay.”

Farrell is of course returning to work with McDonagh having led In Bruges alongside Brendan Gleeson, and Rockwell and Walken both worked with the writer-director on his Broadway play, A Behanding in Spokane, which saw Walken earn a Tony nomination for his performance.

No word yet on a release date, but Seven Psychopaths is expected to be released later on this year, so hopefully we’ll have a date set in stone before long. It’s definitely shaping up to be a very promising project; here are the great first photos to whet your appetite. As usual, you can click to enlarge.

When they announced the Len Wiseman-helmed reboot of Total Recall a while back, I wasn’t too excited.

This may have something to do with Wiseman, who, aside from some good solid work on Die Hard 4.0, has spent most of his career directing his wife Kate Beckinsale in latex fetish fest Underworld and its disastrous sequel Underworld: Evolution.

It may have something to do with the cast which seems to be mainly comprised by a rag-tag bunch of Hollywood pretty faces (Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel and the obligatory Beckinsale) and the superlative Bryan Cranston who may add a dash of much-needed gravitas to an otherwise underwhelming line-up.

However I think that the main problem here is the distinct smell of unoriginality that hangs around the entire affair. This lack of inspiration is furthered by this week’s release of an extended plot synopsis:

“Total Recall” is an action thriller about reality and memory, inspired anew by the famous short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick. Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he’s got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life – real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police – controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world – Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.

Whilst the setting may be different, pretty much everything else seems to be the same. Despite reading claims that the film is ‘inspired anew’, I couldn’t quite process the platitude due to the unbearable sound of the execs at Original Film loudly plundering the grave of Paul Verhoeven’s 1992 cult classic.

It’s still astonishing however that Total Recall hasn’t really featured on any of the ‘most anticipated’ lists of 2012. I suppose that the best we can all hope for is that it surprises everyone and the best that the studios can hope for is that it manages to recoup its staggering $200 million budget. Things aren’t looking promising but there is a niggling feeling in the back of my mind that I shouldn’t write it off just yet.

Source: GeekTyrant

Some may not be much in the mood for more Horrible Bosses, personally I quite enjoyed the film and wouldn’t mind more of the same. Well, not exactly the same, but you catch my drift.

Where does it go next? More Horrible Bosses? Horribler Bosses? Horrible Bosses: Die More Horribly? Let us know what you think.

For the uninitiated, Horrible Bosses gave us three sorry protagonists in the shape of Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman and Charlie Day, each with their own horrible boss who they were keen to be rid of. You can catch our reviews of the film here to see what we thought of it. It was not the sort of film that obviously needed a sequel, given that, as tends to be the case with most Hollywood fare that is not drawn up with a franchise in mind, everything is wrapped up pretty neatly at the end, yet here we are.

John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who scripted the original, are set to have signed up to write the sequel and director Seth Gordon is said to be being courted to return as well. Given their respective impressive comedic touches, each of the principals will hopefully return too, though one would expect all concerned to hold fire until they get sight of the script. With a reported worldwide return of $200m+ on an initial outlay of $35m, perhaps the sums speak for themselves in showing the driving force behind this sequel.

One can only hope that we will be given something altogether more imaginative, more intelligent and more worthwhile than last year’s lazy sequel to The Hangover. Watch this space.

Source: THR.

To celebrate the release of Horrible Bosses on Blu-ray Triple-Play, DVD and digital download now (buy your copy here), Warner Bros. Home Video have given us three three fantastic featurettes from the Blu-ray that really showcase what you can expect from the movie. Horrible Bosses is directed by Seth Gordon and has an amazing cast which includes Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland, Julie Bowen and Jamie Foxx. If you missed Dave’s review of the BD, you can check it out here.

For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers…permanently. There’s only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them. Produced by Jay Stern.

All three featurettes are embedded below and you can select which you’d like to see using the navigation below.

You can rent Horrible Bosses here.

Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) are struggling. Their bosses (Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell) are horrible. Properly horrible. They can’t leave their jobs for various reasons relating to blackmail, undeserved criminal records and concerns about the employment market but cannot stand their bosses. They decide to kill their bosses, enlisting the help of seeming criminal consultant Muthaf***a Jones (Jamie Foxx). It all then starts to go horribly wrong.

*****

Horrible Bosses is a lot of fun. It didn’t get much love on its theatrical release and although it is hardly a classic for the ages, it does what it does well. Key to its relative success is the likeability of and our sympathy for the put-upon leads. Although Sudeikis tests our empathy towards Kurt by making him a bafflingly successful man with all manner of attractive women, for the most part the three of them are funny, endearing and believably out of their depth. Bateman in particular (and utterly unsurprisingly) demonstrates the deftest touch in terms of comic timing, showing once again his seemingly limitless capacity to improve any film in which he appears.

As is fleshed out in the features, Aniston, Spacey and Farrell have a load of fun on antagonist duties. Spacey is of course very much channeling his earlier work in Swimming with Sharks and is far more within his comfort zone than the others, but to his credit he doesn’t phone his work in, giving a creditably convincing performance. The script and direction manage to keep things moving along nicely, with the risk of repetition being deftly avoided, though as with so many films these days, it is a little too long in the extended cut offered here.

Most of the shenanigans generate the requisite laughs, although a brief scene where the guys bump into an old friend who lost his job at Lehman Brothers and is now offering sexual favours for money is a little more gross than is really necessary. As mentioned above, not a game-changer, but not a bad way to spend an evening in. You can catch it on DVD and Bluray to rent from 21st November and to buy from mid-December. Or, you might like to try your hand at winning a copy here.

***~~ (3/5)

Extras: Not bad. The main cast share their experiences of horrible bosses, talk about how to survive a horrible boss and give us a bit of insight into how they each approached their characters. We see some on set messing about, some deleted scenes and there’s a featurette on the making of the soundtrack, of all things. Neither too long, nor too brief. Well done.

***~~ (3/5)

Spielberg’s been out of the director’s chair for a little while (since Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls) but is making up for lost time by putting out action-adventure spectacle (Tintin) and serious drama (War Horse) in short succession. It’s like 1993 all over again.

In honour of Spielberg returning to action, here are six of his best.

They are in no particular order and other opinions are available (please share yours in the comments section):-

1. Jaws

As with each film on this list, there is an insurmountable challenge in trying to find something new to say and so it eventually comes down to simply restating what anyone with half a mind already knows to be true, namely that Jaws is one of the finest films of this or any decade, genre or director.

A masterclass in atmosphere-building, working with limited resources and almost debilitating technical problems, Spielberg crafted a film of almost peerless tension, thrills and technical virtuosity. It is difficult to distil its high-points to a manageable few, but the appearance of the shark (nick-named Bruce after Spielberg’s lawyer, a name echoed in Nemo years later) as Roy Scheider chums the waters (“you’re gonna need a bigger boat”), the body popping out of the boat as Richard Dreyfus dives down to a wreck, John Williams’ matchless score as we witness the first strike on a skinny-dipper, the focus pull / dolly zoom on Scheider as he sits on the beach and sees the kid disappear in a plume of crimson and Quint’s fingernails on the blackboard all resonate to this day.

It’s been years since I last watched it, but it never ceases to feel fresh on each repeat viewing. Despite unimaginable leaps and bounds in special effects, Bruce remains an effective and affecting antagonist, even with the afore-mentioned technical difficulties. Although in many ways it is as impersonal and relentless as the truck driver in Duel (the film in Spielberg’s cannon to which this bears closest resemblance), it doesn’t feel as mechanical as a villain without a human face might be expected to be. My 11 year-old son, raised on a steady diet of far superior special-effects and model work has seen Jaws a few times now and he loves it too.

Consider it whole-heartedly recommended by both of us.

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark

Everyone knows the back-story, indeed the Indy series has already been the subject of a Video Vault special on this very site. Spielberg and Lucas, blah-blah, TV serials and cliff-hangers, blah-blah, James Bond, blah-blah. Enough. This is, quite simply, the finest action adventure film ever made.

Others tried to follow in its footsteps with such varied results as Romancing the Stone, King Solomon’s Mines and The Goonies, but nothing comes close. It is impossible to fault the film at any turn. The script is laced with witty one-liners, deft and light exposition and expert myth-building. The set pieces (snakes in the Well of Souls, the truck chase, the South American booby-trap prologue, the face-melting finale) are energetic and thrilling but threaded effortlessly into the narrative, avoiding so much of the stop-start and narrative/geographic incoherence that besets and bests so many modern action films. Harrison Ford has arguably never been better, even as Han Solo and certainly the rest of the cast have never come close to matching these exalted heights.

More fun than any film about Nazis and dusty archeological relics has any right to be, depending on which of Spielberg’s films you have seen most recently, this is likely to be one of your favourites. Simply brilliant.

3. Jurassic Park

Quite how Spielberg managed to avoid getting bogged down, making this and Schindler’s List in parallel, is astounding. In all the ways that Schindler’s List is, quite rightly (and commendably), heavy, serious and deliberate, Jurassic Park is light, lively and entertaining. As ILM had developed the CGI work from Terminator 2 to the point where dinosaurs could be believably rendered and as Stan Winston knew he could deliver believable and dexterous large and small animatronic models, so Spielberg welded his usual technical ability to a story that was both thrilling and intellectually engaging. Although Jeff Goldblum’s considered warnings about the dangers of playing God are quite fleeting in their time on-screen, they nonetheless provide an invaluable over-arching ethical context for the ensuing adventure ride.

The successive sequels (evidence of the law of diminishing returns, if ever it was needed) laid on more dinosaurs and more special effects, but it is this original that remains the most exciting, the most deftly directed, the most narratively propulsive. Holding off with the T-Rex until well into the welcomely brisk running time and giving the raptors their moment too, Spielberg brings all of the elements together perfectly and just compare the CGI-rendering of the dinosaurs to (say) Weta’s work on King Kong. The extent to which the seamless work of ILM has stood the test of time bears testimony to just how far ahead of the curve it was in 1993.

Everything has weight, texture, even personality and it is this that makes the set-pieces work as well as they do – the T-Rex chasing the protagonists through the trees, the raptors in the kitchen, the attack on the hapless Wayne Knight, the lawyer on the toilet. It is thrilling and compelling in every way from beginning to end and after the relatively below-par Spielberg efforts of Always and Hook, an utterly welcome return to form.

4. Schindler’s List

Schindler’s List was famously the project that Spielberg had known about for years but did not feel ready to make until the early 90′s. He had tried to get Roman Polanski to make it, but it felt to close to the nerve for him (though he would eventually channel his own experiences through The Pianist) and so it waited until Spielberg was ready.

Clearly it was worth the wait. Although it is easy to simply batch together a number of Spielberg’s efforts into his “serious” films as opposed to his popcorn entertainment (Amistad, Saving Private Ryan, Empire of the Sun and Munich would accompany Schindler on such a List), Schindler’s List stands head and shoulders above even such exalted company.

On its release on video, one bus stop advert simply quoted a review from the time, “quite simply one of the greatest films ever made”. It is as true now as it was then. Yes, Spielberg could be accused of lapsing into sentimentality for Schindler’s final collapse against his car as the Allies approach, but that is churlish in the extreme. There are sequences of Schindler’s List that are so unflinchingly, unforgivingly and harrowingly shot that it is all you can do to not sob uncontrollably for much of the running time. Liam Neeson was perfectly cast as the conflicted and undoubtedly opportunistic Schindler, but all the plaudits were rightly taken by Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth, a monster of a man, capricious, cruel and likely psychopathic, shooting Jews with a sniper rifle from his balcony as if he were merely on a morning stroll.

The first sight of a little girl, hiding from the Warsaw extermination, her red coat deliberately sticking out against the monochrome stock of the rest of the film at first seems like an almost unpardonable gesture of optimism and sentimentality, until we catch sight of that same coat on a conveyor belt, body after body being carried to an incinerator after having been exhumed. What looks for all the world like a beautiful winter snow-storm turns out to be a blanket of ash, blown from the fires of extermination camps. We breathe a sigh of relief as Schindler’s Jews are rescued from Auschwitz and herded back onto their train, only for the camera to pan over to another queue of Jews, headed down into a basement below a chimney that it blowing endless clouds of smoke and ash into the cold night sky. We see industrious children finding hiding places, only to have the wind knocked out of us as those hiding places are revealed to be faeces-filled pit latrines. We tense up as we watch Ben Kingsley’s Itzhak Stern walk across a compound while Goeth takes pot-shots and the camera follows Stern as in the background we see the prostrate forms of those not so fortunate. Blood pumps from skulls, lives and bodies shattered by bullets shot at point-blank range.

What is perhaps most incredible is that amidst such harrowing incidents and details, Spielberg is able to avoid getting bogged down in the bleakness of it all. Yes, of course, a film about the Holocaust was never going to be a laugh riot, but the subject matter is so disturbing, so traumatic, that the occasional moments of levity are an essential respite and it is to Spielberg’s eternal credit that the finished film does not feel tonally inconsistent or abrupt. A quip from Schindler (“if this factory ever produces a shell that can actually be fired, I’ll be very unhappy”), the cathartic release of a seeming gas chamber turning out to be a shower, these interludes, however brief, mercifully leaven an otherwise unmanageable meal. But we must take it and this is why Spielberg had to make the film real but accessible. It is an unenviable task and a seemingly insurmountable one, but he succeeds and we are all the richer for it. An incredible story, imperiously and impeccably told and unchallenged by anything else Spielberg has made before or since.

5. Minority Report

Spielberg came to Minority Report off the back of a relatively “serious” patch, comprising Amistad, Saving Private Ryan and the austere and cold AI:Artificial Intelligence. Tom Cruise was in the middle of an incomparably successful period, having notched up Jerry Maguire, two Missions Impossible, Vanilla Sky and Magnolia in the previous years, before moving on to The Last Samurai, Collateral, War of the Worlds and more Impossible Missioning. It was really one of those seemingly obvious and inevitable joint ventures of stratospheric star and peerless director that made you wonder, “how come this hasn’t happened already?” The end product is a fascinating melding of chase movie, crime drama, sci-fi thriller and philosophical treatise that is arguably as close as Spielberg had come to perfection since his 1993 double whammy almost a decade earlier.

Although Spielberg resolutely refuses to hem in or pin down interpretations of his films through DVD commentaries, the making-of content on Minority Report is thoroughly considered and thought-provoking stuff, with the metaphysical elements (prosecuting someone for something they are destined to do, but have not yet done) having remained at the front of Spielberg’s mind throughout and finding their way front and centre in the final screenplay. Set-pieces such as the scrap with federal agents at the Lexus factory (has Colin Farrell come close to being this good since?), the alleyway run-in with jet-pack wearing Pre-Crime agents, the opening finding and arresting of a murder “suspect” and the escape from the shopping mall with the help of Agatha’s foresight are breathless, with special effects used in the advancing of the story rather than showing off and the silvery-blue cinematography proving evocative rather than distracting.

Were it not for the now inevitable (but nonetheless infuriating) Spielbergian sentimental coda, this could have given Raiders, Jurassic Park and Jaws a literal run for their money in the “which is Spielberg’s best action film” stakes. As it is, his insistence on wrapping it all up with a bow rather takes the shine off what might have otherwise been a sensational film rather than a merely excellent one.

6. Munich

At last, Spielberg seemed to have found a way of telling a serious and compelling story without spiralling into sentimentality at the last. Whether War Horse or Lincoln will be able to show that Spielberg can pull it off more than once remains to be seen. Munich is unlike anything else in Spielberg’s oeuvre.

All of the polish is gone and what we are left with is something gritty, bleak and savage. Consider two stand-out moments. Firstly, Eric Bana’s Avner reuniting with his wife and their desperate, frantic love-making. Avner is clearly somewhere else entirely and the scene plays out as one of a man in utter turmoil, having become someone, something else entirely. Secondly, there is the almost unwatchably personal and frank assassination (murder?) of a female target, shot repeatedly with makeshift weapons in necessarily close-up detail. Spielberg’s point is clear – these are not meaningless Arnie killings, dozens of faceless “baddies” mowed down by machine gun fire. These are people, on both sides, and the killings carry grave and enduring consequences for everyone, as personal vengeance becomes mingled in with the overall mission.

Once again, the cinematography is perfect, a multitude of muddy shades and grainy stocks effortlessly evoking time and space. The tension of the build-up to the assorted hits is superbly crafted, ratcheting the pressure to almost unbearable levels, though Spielberg has the presence of mind (as he did with Schindler’s List) to sweeten the pill with a few welcome lighter moments, that we might be able to digest his more important, over-arching themes. Eric Bana has the most heavy lifting to do, acting-wise as he conveys the sense of a man honouring his sense of duty and national identity, but losing himself and his soul in the process. He presents us with a compelling portrayal of a man who has lost everything in his efforts to do that which he is assured is “right”. But right and wrong have become utterly and helplessly blurred, not by way of a cop-out from Spielberg, but simply because a hopelessly fraught and complicated historical situation has created a world where there is no black and white, only greys.

It is in the finale that perhaps the greatest and most important gut-punch is found. Avner speaks with Geoffrey Rush’s case officer in New York and in the background stand the twin towers of the World Trade Centre. Of course nothing is said regarding them and the inclusion of them is subtle, but the point is clear. Though the events portrayed are rooted in slightly more distant history, the themes and issues could not be more relevant, more resonant for us today. A formidable piece of work from a director who seems able to continue to stretch himself.

Better late than never I suppose… Recently I had the chance to sit down with two of the stars of Fright Night, Gary Gillespie’s remake of the 1985 Tom Holland horror comedy in which a retired ghost hunter is recruited by two local teens to rid their town of the local vamp.

Anton Yelchin is rocketing to the top of his game with roles in sci-fi staples Terminator: Salvation and the latest Star Trek films as well as less standard fare such as Like Crazy and The Beaver, while his co-star Christopher Mintz-Plasse is known to many for his turn in Superbad and later suiting up for Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass and the two were in London recently to throw spotlights on their latest film.

The pair were good enough to sit down with me after what must have been an exhausitng press tour for the film, which is out now, to talk about making horror films in a post-Scream world and how much fun it was to be part of a good old-fashioned gory horror.

Opinion seems to be fairly sharply divided over Colin Farrell, with some rating him highly and others dismissing him roundly. I think his excellent work in Tigerland, Minority Report and In Bruges has at times been overshadowed by some of his more incautious choices, so it will be interesting to see his take on the none-more-Arniefied Total Recall.

Shooting is carrying on for this subtly reworked version of Philip K. Dick’s “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale”, with Mars shelved in favour of nation-state/corporate conglomerate hybrids, but undercover agent and lost/replaced memory issues intact. Courtesy of Comic Book Movie, we now have a series of on-set videos, which are very much a mixed bag.

There are shots of what will no doubt become hovering cars, close-ups of Farrell and his co-star Jessica Biel and some well-executed car flips, apparently filmed around Toronto University campus. It will be a while until we see the finished article and until then, see what you think of the clips below.

Here is another surprise from this week.  I love coming to con with no expectations from certain films and being turned into a believer.  Last year Megamind was one of the films changed my mind during its hour long comic-con panel. ”Fright Night” had a little bit of that wonder at today’s panel.  I don’t think I’ll spend money on it in the theaters but it sure as heck looked like a fun ride.  Most of the cast was on hand to discuss and screen footage from the film.

The first thing to note is that the film was filmed in 3D.  For me, that’s enough to get my seal of approval.  For the most part, I’ve stayed away from seeing movies in 3D that weren’t natively shot in 3D.  This film looks really great, albeit very dark, which bodes well for non-action directors who want to foray into the medium without having to blow shit up.  Sure there is some action in the film but the film is much more a tense thriller then balls to the wall action, which is what we’ve come to expect from 3D movies.

For me, the highlight of the panel was one of the pieces of footage we were able to see.  The sequence involves a mild car chase were Colin Farrell is chasing a car with Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots and Toni Collette.  Farrell has just been outed as a vampire and is determined to kill our main character.  The entire scene is a single take that lass what felt like 5 minutes.  It felt a lot like that car scene from Spielbergs “War of the Worlds” in which the camera knows no bounds.  The camera smoothly works its way outside, inside and through the car with a very slick ease.  The director said it took them about 3 months to get that shot right based purely on choreography and the fact that the camera weights 90lbs. I really feel like the 3D is on full beautiful display here.  I would really like to see more directors work with 3D this way.  Quick cuts and fast camera motion really mess up 3D.  The only downside I could see from seeing it in 3D is my common problem with all 3D films, it’s too damn dark.  Other then that, this flick seems like a fun time at the movies

There is a really nice blend of action, horror and comedy that I think a lot of people will really enjoy.

Comic Con has drawn to a close for the evening (at least it has for us as it’s now 2.45am!) and to end the night, here’s the extended clip from Fright Night whcih was shown during the panel introduced by former Dr. Who himself, David Tennant.

Fright Night stars Christopher Mintz-Plasse , Colin Farrell , Anton Yelchin , David Tennant , Toni Collette , Imogen Poots and is directed by Craig Gillespie . It gets it’s UK premiere August 14th and we cant wait to see it all finished.

Senior Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all going on: he’s running with the popular crowd and dating the most coveted girl in his high school. In fact, he’s so cool he’s even dissing his best friend. But trouble arrives when Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. He seems like a great guy at first, but there’s something not quite right—but everyone, including Charlie’s mom (Toni Collette), doesn’t notice. After observing some very strange activity, Charlie comes to an unmistakable conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on the neighborhood. Unable to convince anyone, Charlie has to find a way to get rid of the monster himself in this Craig Gillespie-helmed revamp of the comedy-horror classic.

 Source: Yahoo

He’s something nice for the evening, it’s a nice new UK trailer for the remake of the 1985 classic, Fright Night although it comes courtesy of American website, Bloody Disgusting. It gives us another little look into the movie although if you want to go in knowing nothing about it, you might want to avoid this one as it gives rather a lot away. To me, it looks like a modern day Lost Boys so I’m game!

Fright Night stars Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, David Tennant, Toni Collette, Imogen Poots and is directed by Craig Gillespie. It gets it’s UK premiere August 14th and we cant wait to see it all finished.

Senior Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all going on: he’s running with the popular crowd and dating the most coveted girl in his high school. In fact, he’s so cool he’s even dissing his best friend. But trouble arrives when Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. He seems like a great guy at first, but there’s something not quite right—but everyone, including Charlie’s mom (Toni Collette), doesn’t notice. After observing some very strange activity, Charlie comes to an unmistakable conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on the neighborhood. Unable to convince anyone, Charlie has to find a way to get rid of the monster himself in this Craig Gillespie-helmed revamp of the comedy-horror classic.

Jon’s seen the movie and you’ll be able to read his review nearer the movie’s release date.

Last night, London saw the European premiere of Warner Bros. new movie, Horrible Bosses. The cast is rather impressive and includes Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Jamie Foxx, Julie Bowen, Donal Sutherland and John Francis Daley. It’s directed by Seth Gordon.

Synopsis: For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers…permanently. There’s only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them. Produced by Jay Stern.

Our friends from Upbeat were on the ‘blue’ carpet with Edith Bowman at the event to chat with Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day and director Seth Gordon who were all there to promote the film which is released tomorrow 22nd July.

You can read our review here and see all our coverage here.

Horrible Bosses centres on Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day): three best friends who want nothing more than to be free of their intolerable bosses. When every permissible route has been attempted, the trio devise a dastardly and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers… permanently. But, as they soon find out, plans are easier devised than followed through.

While the premise starts off as a simplistic and mundane everyday comedy, it quickly (and welcomely) develops into something far more devilish and sinister. Screenwriters Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein may not bring a whole lot of plausibility or realism to the table, and you may find yourself scratching your head at the film’s outlandish ideas, but their zealous efforts go towards creating something bold, eccentric and ahead of the game.

The central trio of Bateman, Day and Sudeikis is what really bolsters this comedy. Their characters are vastly different but gel so well together, bouncing off one another with an incredible charm and quick wit. Bateman has sharpened his skill to deliver a raw comedic performance, and Sudeikis is solidly on-from. Out of the three though, it’s Day who truly stands out, doing so at every available opportunity. His rapport with Aniston in particular is expertly acted.

In terms of the bosses, and in that respect the main supporting cast, Kevin Spacey owns his role. Obviously in performance euphoria, he rabidly shoots off abuse like he’s been waiting his whole career to play this slave-driving psycho. Though shamefully kept in the background, Colin Farrell entirely embraces his less than flattering physical transformation, along with a daft vocabulary and racist sensibilities. As for Jennifer Aniston, she has finally been cast against type as the nymphomaniac Dr. Harris, dropping one hysterical vulgarity after another. Rachel Green is no more, and Aniston has a whole lot more to offer as an actress than most cinemagoers have been led to believe. She has, for better or worse, well and truly shed her good girl image.

As a director, Gordon fares very well. On the back of his outstanding documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Four Christmases was a clear career misstep. To Horrible Bosses, however, he has brought unabashed zany humour, immersive interspersed drama and an offbeat directing style: techniques clearly built up during his time spent making documentaries and working on veteran television comedies, such as 30 Rock. In short: a perfect mix for welcomely off-kilter comedy film.

The two most noticeable flaws of Horrible Bosses, however, are that it never fully measures up to its outrageously dark premise, and that it ends up feeling borderline offensive at times. The film does provide elements of dark comedy, finding humour in scenes of death, mutilation and drug use, but it’s played all too cosily and light-hearted, never evoking the desired reaction. Also, however fun it is to watch Dr. Harris sexually harass Dale and hear how much Kurt wants to sleep with every living female, it often comes across as crass and degrading, and can be uncomfortable to watch.

That said, Horrible Bosses is still frequently hilarious, with laughs arriving both hard and often once the film finds its feet, thanks in no part to the sharply written script and enthusiasm evident in the well selected cast. There are even times when it sets itself up as a new favourite for the workplace comedy genre in the vein of Office Space or Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, but it ultimately falls short and feels miles away from its courageously crazy premise. Nevertheless, it’s a well-intended and laugh-out-loud comedy worth a chance.

***½~ (3.5/5)

Unfortunately for Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust.  Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers…permanently.

There’s only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them.

Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis star as the three hapless workers, with Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell and two-time Oscar® winner Kevin Spacey, as their unbearable bosses.  Oscar® winner Jamie Foxx stars as the plotters’ unlikely mentor, whose street cred is priced on a sliding scale.

To celebrate the release of HORRIBLE BOSSES in cinemas on Friday 22 July, HeyUGuys have some HORRIBLE BOSSES ‘office packs’ up for grabs, including a desktop drink dispenser, stationary set, coaster and Post-it pen. To be in with a chance of winning, just answer the below question;

HORRIBLE BOSSES stars this actress, who can be seen most recently on the silver screen in JUST GO WITH IT opposite Adam Sandler and is best known for her work in television as Rachel Green on the hit ensemble comedy FRIENDS. Name the actress in the form below,

A Jennifer Garner
B Jennifer Aniston
C Jennifer Beals

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close on the 25th of July at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

To find out more about HORRIBLE BOSSES visit www.horriblebossesmovie.co.uk, become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/HorribleBossesUK or Tweet @horribleboss

© 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

While some fims are produced under a Promethian cover of secrecy others bask in the sunlight and are in plain sight of passing film fans. Toronto is currently home to the Len Wiseman remake of the 90s Paul Verhoeven’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s We Can Remember it for you Wholesale, renamed then and now Total Recall.

Colin Farrell leads Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston and Ethan Hawke in this retelling, and it’s not clear how near or far this new film is sticking to either of its forebears but a few happy snappers have given us the chance to see what Wiseman’s world will look like.

First and foremost is the flying police car, looking a touch like the wall skimming Minority Report vehicles, which are all over the set along with the stormtrooper-esque policeman. As you would expect there’s a lot of greenery so the final shots will only have the minimum of what you see here.

So here you are, via AICN and a twitterer called Ian, some sci-fi imaginings in the style of Minority Report and Star Wars – very much looking forward to seeing how this one pans out.

Here are your pics,

Horrible Bosses hits UK cinemas 22nd July (look out for our review later this coming week). From the trailers, it’s looks completely crazy and we do like a little bit of crazy! The cast is rather impressive and includes Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Jamie Foxx, Julie Bowen, Donal Sutherland and John Francis Daley. It’s directed by Seth Gordon.

Synopsis: For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers…permanently. There’s only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them. Produced by Jay Stern.

The title of this post is pretty accurate! Wish that you had a dentist that looked like Jennifer Aniston coupled with the fact that she’s not wearing many clothes? Then you’re going to like this! Click play on the below!

Jennifer Aniston ‘Nympho’ clip

Kevin Spacey ‘Anti-Christ’ clip

Colin Farrell ‘Tool’ clip

Dreamworks have remade the 1985 horror comedy Fright Night and this Wednesday, the 6th of July, there is a special screening being held in London’s West End and you could be coming along to see the film almost two months before it is released in UK cinemas.

If you’ve not caught up with the trailers and posters for this film then feel free to click here and immerse yourself in Craig Gillespie’s film, which stars David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Anton Yelchin and Colin Farrell alongside Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Toni Collette.

It should be a very fun night and we’d love for you to join us there. 4 pairs of tickets are on offer and all you need to do is answer the following question in the form below.

Which UK TV role is David Tennant most famous for?

Competition now Closed

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 5th July at 12.00 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available
• Entrants must be available to make the screening in a West End on Wednesday the 6th of July at 6pm
• Expenses to get to and from the the screening are not covered in the prize

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

Dreamworks have kindly sent through these lovely new character posters for Craig Gillespie’s updating of the horror comedy Fright Night and we get our best look yet at David Tennant as as a tooled up Peter Vincent.

Imogen Poots, Anton Yelchin and Colin Farrell complete the set and they are part of an excellent cast which include Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Toni Collette. The film is due out in the UK on the 2nd of September and the clips and trailers so far point to a decent horror movie, with Farrell doing his best to creep us all out. Buffy’s Marti Noxon is on scripting duties, having been on the board of Mad Man recently.

Looks good (except that Imogen Poots’ head doesn’t sit quite well on her shoulders in this pic), we’re hoping Gillespie’s film will live up to its promise.

Here are your posters,

The recent trailer for Seth Gordon’s Horrible Bosses kicked up my anticipation for this film.

The cast seem to be having a very fun time, some playing to type, others clearly enjoying trying something a little different (Evil Aniston) and Teen Wolf Too aside I’d gladly watch anything with Jason Bateman in it.

The director of The King of Kong, who was recently connected with a War Games remake, has a fantastic cast working with him for this tale of blood on the carpet and six new clips from the film have surfaced online.

Collider have kindy collated the clips into one long video. Give it a click, why don’t you? Then you can sit back at work and turn the volume up as loud as it can go and watch the red band trailer which follows.

Red Band Trailer

Warner Bros. have released a brand new trailer and a new clip for their new comedy, Horrible Bosses. The more I see of it, the more I want to see it in its finished form!

Horrible Bosses is directed by Seth Gordon and stars Kevin Spacey , Colin Farrell , Jason Bateman , Charlie Day , Jennifer Aniston , Jason Sudeikis, Jamie Foxx , Julie Bowen , Donal Sutherland and John Francis Daley.

Synopsis: For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers…permanently. There’s only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them. Produced by Jay Stern.

Horrible Bosses will be released in the UK on July 22nd.

Source: The MovieBox / MTV