FEATURETTE: "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"

In what's sure to be a much better film with the word "dawn" in the title, here's a mini-featurette showing all the motion capture that goes into creating the apes for the new Planet of the Apes movies. There's still debate being raged over whether the more and more frequently used motion capture technology should be considered acting or not. Many actors certainly don't think so, but they're probably biased and worried over what this could signal about the necessity of their jobs in the future. All I know is that Andy Serkis personally deserves some kind of recognition for all the characters he's created in the last ten years- Gollum, King Kong and Caesar didn't come from nothing.

Batman/Superman Title Revealed...

So here it is guys. Took 'em long enough, but the official title for the heavily hyped Batman/Superman movie (now complete with logo) is...Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Boy that's a mouthful isn't it? And what's with the "v" instead of "vs."? Is Batman taking Superman to court? Hopefully that profoundly stupid title will be perfectly fitting to what's bound to be one hot mess of a movie- that is if it's anything like Zack Snyder's other horrible movies, and given that he's, you know, directing, I'm assuming it will be.

TRAILER: "Magic in the Moonlight"

Woody Allen's latest is coming out July 25th and it looks to be another period fantasy comedy in the vein of Midnight in Paris (even the title looks to be trying to ride the coattails of that sleeper hit). With his last film, Blue Jasmine, being well received and leading to Cate Blanchett's Oscar win, I can't help but be skeptical of this one, simply because it's been forever since the hit and miss Allen had two decent movies in a row- but this doesn't look too bad actually. Emma Stone has recently signed on to star in the director's next movie as well, which means he liked her enough to want her to stick around. Maybe she has the comedy chops that remind him of a young Diane Keaton or Mia Farrow.

Cannes Roundup #1: Foxcatcher, Mr. Turner, Maps to the Stars

It was a busy first week at the Cannes Film Festival, although some would say that most of the films that have premiered this year have been met with mixed-negative reviews so far, leading some critics and bloggers to pronounce the fest a bit underwhelming. Still, there are a few standouts to take a look at. I'll be back in a few days with more of the smaller movies, but for now here are three of the most talked about films on the circuit:

MR. TURNER- Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville. Dir. Mike Leigh

Mike Leigh's epic biopic about the life of J.M.W. Turner was the first raved about film to premiere at Cannes, garnering nearly unanimous acclaim for both the film and its star, often overlooked character actor Timothy Spall. This would seem to be a surefire Oscar contender much later in the year when it's released in the U.S. (not until December 19th), but it will have to hang on a good long while, waiting for other movies are to come out and perhaps ceding its chance to become the critics' darling (although support from British critics seems guaranteed). Apparently it's also a bit reserved, which is Mike Leigh's unique style, and as such will always have some naysayers- but since I'm someone who hasn't disliked a single film of Leigh's, to me it sounds amazing:

"Mike Leigh's biopic of JMW Turner is a rambling, richly detailed character study with a magnificent central performance from Timothy Spall." (The Independent)

"'Mr. Turner' feels like a perfect summation of Leigh's career. Bold, beautiful and a little cranky." (VF)

"It's funny and visually immaculate; it combines domestic intimacy with an epic sweep and has a lyrical, mysterious quality that perfumes every scene, whether tragic or comic." (Guardian)

"Leigh has made another highly personal study of art, commerce and the glacial progress of establishment tastes, built around a lead performance from longtime Leigh collaborator Timothy Spall that's as majestic as one of Turner's own swirling sunsets." (Variety)

MAPS TO THE STARS- Julianne Moore (above), Mia Wasikowska. Dir. David Cronenberg

Like Mike Leigh, David Cronenberg is another auteur with a signature style that lends almost all his movies an air of divisiveness, and Maps to the Stars is no exception. This film proved bitterly divisive at Cannes, with some largely in favor of it while others proclaim it doesn't work at all. A twisted Hollywood satire starring Julianne Moore, who's said to give a bold and raw performance as a desperate, aging movie star, this will probably come nowhere near awards, as dissecting Hollywood in a negative way has never been the Academy's cup of tea. But it may turn out to be a favorite among some critics. As of now, the reaction is a little too mixed to predict where this one might land, but a Cronenberg film is always interesting nonetheless.

"This Canadian-German co-production looks sharp but, in the end, comes off like a prank more than a coherent take on 21st century Hollywood, even if there are crumbs of truth and wit scattered throughout it." (Hollywood Reporter)

"Cronenberg locates a deeply sick spirit in his take and explores it through far-fetched fiction told with deadly seriousness, also adding a dose of baroque to proceedings and a streak of wicked humour." (Time Out)

"There's so much in this seething cauldron of a film, so many film-industry neuroses exposed and horrors nested within horrors, that one viewing is too much, and not nearly enough. Cronenberg has made a film that you want to unsee- and then see and unsee again." (Daily Telegraph)

"Casting isn't nearly as big a problem as the feeling that most of (screenwriter) Wagner's criticisms were hatched in the early '90s, in a pre-smartphone era, before the Internet got nasty and back when the line 'Harvey's Harvey' would have packed a lot more punch." (Variety)

FOXCATCHER- Steve Carell (above), Channing Tatum. Dir. Bennett Miller

The other heavyweight contender to emerge from the first week of Cannes was Foxcatcher, which entered the festival as a predicted heavy hitter and seemed to deliver, making it the third highly acclaimed feature in a row for director Bennett Miller. Performances were praised as well as direction and scope of the movie's themes, and most seem to think Steve Carell is a lock for an Oscar nomination for his mesmerizing turn as the murderous psychopath John Du Pont, although it hasn't been decided whether he'll be placed in the lead or supporting category. Believe it or not, based on the early word, even Channing Tatum has a chance to get Oscar attention for this (although that's probably an uphill battle) along with Mark Ruffalo, who's been there before, and it's going to be a likely candidate for Picture, Director, Screenplay and other tech nods as well. It does sound extremely dark and disturbing though, more along the lines of Capote in terms of an unsettling character study, so I wouldn't think this would be major hit with audiences. And comparisons to The Master are a little troubling as well in terms of awards prospects- although critically raved about, that movie was extremely divisive and inaccessible, managing to land nods only for its actors in the end. But I guess we'll see:

"A film to be considered along with David Fincher's 'The Social Network,' and Paul Thomas Anderson's 'The Master' as a swirling, smoke-black parable of modern America." (Daily Telegraph)

"We're left with an acrid, anguished commentary on the temptations of wealth, the abuse of power and the downside of the human drive for success, as a picture that, in setting a cold-blooded account of a true crime in the world of competitive sports, retains a faint, narrative kinship with both 'Capote' and 'Moneyball.'" (Variety)

Channing Tatum at the 'Foxcatcher' photo call

"Centered on an astonishing and utterly unexpected serious turn by Steve Carell, this beautifully modulated work has a great deal on its mind about America's privileged class, usurious relationships, men's ways of proving themselves, brotherly bonds and how deeply sublimated urges can assert themselves in the most unsavory ways." (Hollywood Reporter)

"Channing Tatum's Mark is vulnerable and sad; Mark Ruffalo's Dave is smart and professional; and Steve Carell's Du Pont is a compelling monster- but a monster who inspires not fear but pity." (Guardian)

Blu-Ray Pick of the Week: "Ace in the Hole" (1951)

Billy Wilder was known for his cynical eye, but this movie's got to be the darkest and most cynical he ever made. Recently released on blu-ray, Ace in the Hole boasts a powerhouse performance from Kirk Douglas (did he ever give any other kind?) as the reporter sent to cover an accident where coal miners are trapped underground. You may be shocked at how far this movie is willing to go in terms of its darkness and lack of human empathy, especially over such a realistic incident (that still occurs) and the time in which it was made. But Wilder was always ahead of his time and could foresee the media circus that journalism would become even before such foreshadowing classics as Network. This was not a hit at the time (not hard to see why), but it holds up eerily today as more relevant than ever. Check it out.

Original Trailer from 1951:

TEASER: "Foxcatcher"

Fresh off its premiere in Cannes yesterday, here's the teaser for Foxcatcher, the new true crime drama from Bennett Miller, with Steve Carell and Channing Tatum. Aside from Mr. Turner, Foxcatcher is the other movie of the festival to receive rave reviews, especially for its performances by Carell and Tatum. It's being hailed as a major Oscar player, which I'm sure it will be when it comes out in November. Looks like Miller is now three for three, after Capote and Moneyball, which certainly makes him a director to be reckoned with.

TRAILER: "Guardians of the Galaxy"

Even though the last teaser for this movie seemed to me to function as a trailer, apparently it wasn't the real deal. This is though, as we get a look at the speaking voice of Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper), which Marvel seems to think is their main selling point for this movie. I get the feeling they think these guys are kind of like the "mystery men" of the Marvel universe and may be willing to be a little more experimental with the material than usual. We'll see though- it doesn't actually look that radical to me, aside from the characters being unknown. I still see the comedy and action that's the staple of the other movies here, but who knows? Guardians is coming out August 1st:

BOX OFFICE 5/16-5/18: 'Godzilla' Destroys at the Box Office

As expected, Godzilla delivered this weekend, but far above expectations, pulling in $93 million from Thursday midnight screenings to Sunday, which gives it the second best opening of the year, right behind Captain America ($95 million) and just ahead of Amazing Spider-Man 2 ($91 million). Given that it's not a comic-book franchise and the monster's last time out was the much loathed Roland Emmerich 1998 version, this is pretty impressive. Even more so that worldwide it's already amassed $196 million, making the expensive blockbuster a major profit already. I'm sure we'll see a sequel to this in a few years, given that it's guaranteed to make at least $225 million, and next week's X-Men is its only competition with the long Memorial Day weekend coming up.

The other new release was Disney's Million Dollar Arm, starring Jon Hamm, which didn't do much at all, earning just $10 million over the weekend, despite an "A-" Cinemascore (feel-good sports movies usually rank high with audiences). I guess Jon Hamm's movie career won't take off after Mad Men ends, but I always thought he seemed like a leading man from another generation anyway, which is why he was so perfect as Don Draper. Neighbors came in second with $26 million (Godzilla seemed to steal some of its audience), but now has a total of $91 million and will obviously earn well over $100 million, so that's a huge success for Seth Rogen, who's been on a roll lately (and for Universal, as this film cost just $18 million to make and has now earned $146 million worldwide). ASM 2 fell to third and will just barely cross $200 million overall, while The Other Woman came in fifth for a solid total of $71 million.

Top 5:

Godzilla- $93.2 million
Neighbors- $26 million
The Amazing Spider-Man 2- $16.8 million
Million Dollar Arm- $10.5 million
The Other Woman- $6.3 million

In limited release, Jon Favreau's Chef has made just over $1 million total, while in older holdovers, Noah finally crossed $100 million domestically. Next week it's another big blockbuster weekend, as is traditionally the case over Memorial Day, with X-Men: Days of Future Past making its debut, along with the Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore comedy Blended. See you then!

Movie of the Day: "Footloose" (1984)

Now this is the perfect prom movie, right? A young Kevin Bacon stars as Ren, the new kid from the city who moves to a town so uptight that they've actually outlawed dancing of all things. So of course he starts a revolution amongst the teen rebels, who are all game because they currently have nothing better to do than play chicken with tractors. Ok, so it's kinda cheesy and that Kevin Bacon barn dance solo was ripe for parody the second it came out, but Footloose is still a lot of fun. Hey, it's packed full of 80's montages and has the mother of all prom scenes in it, how can it not be? Also watch out for John Lithgow as the preacher in this- he gives one of the classic examples of the "wandering accent," performance, switching from southern to irish to midwestern depending on his mood change in any particular scene. It's hilarious.

Original trailer:

TRAILER: "Interstellar"

So here we are with the full length trailer for Christopher Nolan's hotly anticipated sci-fi epic. Looks pretty cool, and I do get a slight Close Encounters-esque vibe to it. Apparently there's a major food shortage in the future and people are going to have to leave Earth to colonize on other planets? There's still a bit of a mystery as to what exactly the humans are leaving the planet to do, but it's definitely intriguing. Maybe last year's Gravity has re-awakened our interest in movies set in space. Interstellar's coming out November 7th, and you can expect it to be one of the big awards movies this fall.

Movie of the Day: "Grease" (1978)

Ok, so it's not about the prom exactly, but the whole climactic scene of the movie takes place at the "big dance," so it counts. One of the longest running Broadway musicals of all time instantly became one of the most popular movie musicals ever, and it's still an insanely entertaining treat to watch. Despite being notorious for having one of the oldest looking casts of high-schoolers in existence, it's hard to think of anyone replacing John Travolta (back when he was so cute!) and Olivia Newton-John as the inimitable Danny and Sandy (not to mention Stockard Channing- who cares if she was 34 playing 17, for my money she's the best Rizzo ever). It's campy, fun and makes you want to jump up and sing along, even though you've seen it a million times. Grease is the still the word, baby!

Original 1978 trailer (I love how the announcer feels the need to repeat the actors' names about a hundred times, just in case you forget):

TEASER: "Cinderella"

I hesitate to even post this, because it's literally one of the worst teasers I've ever seen in my life. Seriously, who in the marketing department thought this lame shoe scan was worth putting out? But it's for Disney's latest live action adaptation of Cinderella, and yes, this is going to be based on the 1950 animated classic. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Cate Blanchett as the Stepmother and Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother, it's scheduled to be released in 2015, but I really don't understand why Disney thinks it's necessary to start remaking/re-imagining all their animated movies now. Very few of these recent live action fairy tales have turned out to be any good. In fact, I don't think a single one of them has- the most successful was Alice in Wonderland, at least at the box office, so I guess that's what kickstarted this trend, but boy was that a terrible movie. The bar for these films seems set at mediocre at best.