MovieMiguel.com Reviews Saw V

SAW V (2008)

In accordance with all my other Saw reviews, as soon as I return from the midnight show the review goes up. (also keep in mind there are a few things I would like to "rip" in to about this movie but I am trying not to give away to much)... Click Here for More

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Saw V Marathon

See all 5 Saw movies back-to-back for $18 on Thursday, October 23rd! End the Saw Marathon with the new Saw V opening at 12:01 am Thursday night.

SAW I - 4:25pm (Local) SAW II - 6:20pm (Local) SAW III - 8:05pm (Local) SAW IV - 10:10pm (Local) SAW V - 12:01am (Local) Saw Movie Marathon Ticket Price: $18.00 (Advance and day of event) No Passes, Supersavers or Discount Tickets Click here to purchase advance tickets

Rated R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, language and brief nudity. Valid IDs will be required to attend Rated "R" movies. You must be at least 17 years of age or have your parent or legal guardian accompany you to view the movie. IDs will be checked at the theatre.

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Paramount Pictures Reduces Yearly Releases to 20

Paramount Pictures Reduces Yearly Releases to 20

Source: Paramount Pictures

October 15, 2008

Paramount Pictures made the official announcement today that it is reducing its yearly output of movies:

Paramount Pictures said today it has reduced its release target to twenty films annually to more effectively compete in the changing marketplace and to realize the maximum financial benefit of the series of new operating efficiencies achieved by the studio. Under the new targets, Paramount plans to release twelve films, including MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies, and up to four additional releases from its Paramount Vantage unit. Paramount will also continue to distribute 2-4 films a year produced by DreamWorks Animation and Marvel Studios.

The new release strategy complements proactive efficiency efforts announced earlier in the year. In June, Paramount restructured the Vantage operation to combine its marketing, distribution and physical production departments with Paramount’s, which eliminated redundancies and resulted in overhead savings. Moving forward, Vantage’s new creative strategy will be to release up to four lower priced, cutting edge films a year.

The recently announced departure of the DreamWorks principals and many of its staff enables Paramount to further integrate creative operations to maximize its top talent. Adam Goodman will be moving from DreamWorks to Paramount Pictures as President of Production, overseeing a creative staff who will manage the current DreamWorks projects and creative relationships, as well as new development now for Paramount. Brad Weston will continue as President of Production for Paramount Pictures, and will continue to supervise existing creative staff overseeing their ongoing development, talent relationships and new development. Both will be supported by shared functions and both will work in tandem with their respective creative staffs on developing projects for Paramount, as well as its labels, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. Goodman will report dually to John Lesher, President of Paramount Film Group, on creative areas and to Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures on business issues.

"Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman has laid out a very smart strategy that will put Viacom in great position to prosper in the current economic climate," said Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures Corporation. "In line with that strategy, we at Paramount are taking steps to ensure our business and creative plans are sound and viable for the long term. Today’s changes leverage the improvements we have already made and update our output in alignment with our global ambitions. We have a strong team and structure in place; we have right-sized our overhead; and we have established a slate volume that balances our financial goals with our creative objectives. I am confident we can continue to meet our long-term financial targets and offer a strong and diverse slate of films."

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Celebrating James Bond Creator Ian Fleming's Centenary

Celebrating James Bond Creator Ian Fleming's Centenary

Source: Heather Newgen

October 15, 2008

This year marks the centennial birth of James Bond creator Ian Fleming and to celebrate, the Imperial War Museum in London devoted an entire exhibit to the man who made the world's most famous secret agent come alive.

While we were in England a few weeks ago on our Quantum of Solace adventure, Columbia Pictures took us to the "For Your Eyes Only" exhibit to get a more detailed look at the author's life.

In addition to showing where the creator of 007 got his creative inspirations from, the museum gives people a better understanding about all different aspects of his life. So while there is a lot of James Bond memorabilia--like a blood-splattered shirt Daniel Craig wore in Casino Royale and prototypes of Rosa Klebb's knife shoes in From Russia in Love--there are also a lot of personal items that offer a more intimate look at who Fleming really was.

As we walked into the exhibit, an old Fleming radio interview played and the first thing we saw in the dimly lit room was a black tuxedo on a Mannequin holding a cigarette, a blue jacket hanging on the back of the wall in the glass case and an old typewriter. A quote from Fleming was posted underneath the display. "He always wore dark blues and black and white colours that betray an underlying melancholy."

In the same room, a portrait of Fleming's grandfather Robert Fleming hung on the wall with a family photo album underneath. The light brown desk and chair, where the author wrote all of the Bond novels from his Jamaican home, was also there and on the desk was a picture of his wife and a check list of "Birds of the West Indies," a book by James Bond.

Other rare materials on display included: a map of the Mercury News Network established by Fleming in the 1950s (showing where the Sunday Times foreign correspondents were based), annotated Bond scripts, and a jacket worn by the writer on the Dieppe Raid of 1942.

In the next room, quotes from Fleming were painted on the walls.

"I was in the process of getting married… so to take my mind off the whole business, I sat down and wrote a novel."

"I'm going to write the spy story to end all spy stories."

"My job got me right to the heart of things."

There was also a roulette-shaped table and inside the enclosed glass cover was a black and white photo of James Bond commissioned by Fleming in 1957. There were letters from his secretary to Playboy magazine describing Bond's appearance and a copy of "Russia with Love" inscribed to William 'Bill' Stephenson, the British intelligence chief in North America during WWII.

At the end of the table we found a computerized roulette wheel, which spun upon touching it. It called out a number and then gave you a Bond trivia question to answer such as, "Was he the inspiration for James Bond?" referring to a picture of Peter Fleming, Ian's brother, who popped up on the screen.

"For Your Eyes Only" shows how Fleming drew from his wartime experiences, which not only created many of the Bond plots, but inspired several of the infamous heroes and villains such as M and Goldfinger.

A few other cool things that we saw included the bikini Halle Berry rocked in Die Another Day, Goldfinger's golf shoes, Fleming's 1st edition novels such as "Casino Royale," "Dr. No," "Thunderball" and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," and From Russia with Love movie posters.

The "For Your Eyes Only" Ian Fleming and James Bond exhibit will run at the Imperial War Museum through March 1, 2009.

In addition to visiting the exhibit, we also got a chance to talk to Lucy Fleming, the author's niece who has helped plan various events that are taking place throughout the year to celebrate his contributions and life, including his great accomplishments as a writer and his vital role as a Lieutenant Commander in Naval Intelligence. We met Lucy at Brown's Hotel in London for tea and she talked to us about her famous uncle:

Q: You've said before the media has capitalized more on the sensational parts of your uncle's life. What would you like the public to know about him that you feel journalists don't report on?
Lucy Fleming: I would like them to know that he was a really funny man. He was great fun as an uncle. He was kind. He was quite a bit generous to his friends. He always helped them, but not in an obvious way. If they were in trouble he got them jobs after the war when they didn't know what to do and things like that. He was a great leader of men. It's so nice to be able to tell a bit more about him. Through his writings I think one can because he had a great sense of humor which comes out particularly in the letters and things I did a program about.

Q: What's your favorite memory of him?
Fleming: I remember him arriving in his Thunderbird--black Thunderbird car. This was in the '50s--way ahead of other people. He loved cars. He loved mechanical things - the way things worked. He really enjoyed cars. He used to drive up at home in these cars that made the most fantastic sort of noise and he was very proud of those. That's my favorite memory.

Q: So that's why cool cars and gadgets are always in the Bond movies.
Fleming: He loved gadgets. A lot of the gadgets in the books were some things that had actually been used in the war that he'd known about or heard about people using. He was in the middle of the spy network.

Q: What was one of his favorite gadgets from the war that made it into the books?
Fleming: You know in the film where Rosa Klebb wears the shoes with spikes coming out? That was real. That was used in the war. If you go to the Imperial War Museum you'll see the actual shoes that we used. They were used to poison people. It all starts somewhere you see. He did have a fantastic imagination and he kind of fantasized. He always said Bond wasn't a hero; he was an instrument of the government. He took an amalgam of people who were spies or who had done daring things and put them together to make Bond.

Q: Are you surprised that after all these years, Bond is still such a huge icon?
Fleming: I think the Broccolis hit upon a certain formula that just gets to people. It's sort of "George and the Dragon" - slaying the dragon, getting the girl and saving England. You have to remember when he was writing books it was a very bleak time, the '50s. He wrote books that put them in exotic places for the people could get taken out of themselves which is where the exotic places in the movies come from really. It all starts there.

Q: Did he really go to some of these locations?
Fleming: Yes, he wrote a series of articles which turned into a book called "Thrilling Cities" which was published when he worked for the Sunday Times when he finished with the war. He loved traveling. He had a house in Jamaica in the '50s. Nowadays they all fly back and forth from Jamaica, but they didn't in those days. I think he has very good descriptive writing and that shows in the books as well. He did enjoy traveling and reporting what he had seen… He loved Asian people. He loved Japan. I think he just liked getting to see places and meeting the people. People always say he was a snob, but he actually wasn't at all.

Q: Why would people think that?
Fleming: Because he went to England and when you go to England you're automatically called a snob. He wasn't. He loved people. He got along with everybody. I mean he was no angel.

Q: Did he tell you about his traveling adventures?
Fleming: No, it was more mundane things when we met up with him - day to day things. Of course now I'd love to ask him so many questions. When he came to the house it was always great fun. My father was his older brother. They had a great time together.

Q: How much of his own personality did he put into the character?
Fleming: His physical description of Bond is not dissimilar to him. They're both tall, dark and blue eyes. They have the same likes - cigarettes, drinking, gambling, danger, skiing.

Q: What do you think about Daniel Craig as Bond?
Fleming: He's great and he's gone back to Ian's idea of Bond which is somebody who hurts - somebody who feels pain. He gets affected by what he's doing. He wasn't a hero. He was a human being. He always said that Bond can't do the impossible. He can't do the kind of CGI stuff they had Pierce [Brosnan] do. They had him surfing in one of the films and that's just not possible. I think he's wonderful.

For more info on the upcoming Ian Fleming events you can check out IanFlemingCentenary.com. We've also added a third TV spot and two new clips from Quantum of Solace which you can watch via this link!

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Full Wanted DVD & Blu-ray Disc Details

Full Wanted DVD & Blu-ray Disc Details

Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

October 15, 2008

Universal Studios Home Entertainment have provided us with the full details on the various versions of Wanted, coming to home video on December 2. Below, you'll find the press release followed by the artwork!

James McAvoy (Atonement) and Academy Award® winners Angelina Jolie (Mr. and Mrs. Smith) and Morgan Freeman (Dark Knight) star in the sexy, visually stunning, action thrill-ride Wanted, coming to DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def on December 2, 2008 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Visionary filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov, creator of Day Watch and Night Watch, two of the most successful films in the history of Russian cinema, brings his incomparable imagination and innovative cinematic style to bear on the explosive story of an ordinary man transformed by destiny into a powerful assassin. Based on Mark Millar's explosive graphic novel series, Wanted blazes new cinematic trails with double-barreled surprises around every corner. Director Bekmambetov leads his extraordinary cast, which also includes Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong), Terence Stamp (Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace) and Common (American Gangster), through a twisted maze of intrigue packed with twofisted action.

With its visually inventive effects, experience Wanted at its best on Blu-ray Hi-Def. With picture perfect visuals and flawless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound, the high definition version of Wanted can be viewed on any Blu-ray player or PlayStation®3. Only on Blu-ray Hi-Def, fans can get an exclusive look at the film's never-before-seen alternate opening, go deeper into the making of the film's mind-blowing effects in crystal clear high definition, and via the power of BD-Live, host a text chat with friends while watching the movie in synchronization.

Wanted is available in several home entertainment versions, including single-disc widescreen and full frame DVD editions, 2-disc Special Edition DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def versions, and deluxe collector's sets. The limited edition 2-disc versions and collector's sets include a digital copy of the film. Perfect for holiday gift-giving, the deluxe collector's set features collectible packaging pierced with a bullet, creating a shattering effect to the outer case. Fans will also enjoy the gift set's photo book of assassins, collectible postcards and acrylic frame motion 3-D film cell. Wanted is priced at $29.98 SRP for the single-disc DVD, $34.98 SRP for the 2-disc Special Edition DVD, $39.98 SRP for the Blu-ray Hi-Def, $64.98 SRP for the DVD collector's set, and $69.98 for the Blu-ray collector's edition set. Preorder close is October 14, 2008.

ALL THE MOST WANTED BONUS FEATURES
The 2-disc Special Edition DVD, Blu-ray Hi-Def and collector's sets are packed with over an hour of exciting bonus features, including:

• Extended Scene – Be the first to view this killer extended scene from Wanted.
• Cast and Characters – Go behind the scenes with Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Thomas Kretschmann and Common as they discuss their roles in the film and their experiences on set.
• Stunts on the L Train – Stunt coordinators Nick Gillard and Mic Rodgers explain how cast members Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy performed the astounding elevated train stunt sequence.
• Special Effects: The Art of the Impossible – Special effects supervisor Dominic Tuohy explains how his team pulled off the stunning special effects throughout the film and how Angelina Jolie contributed to the action.
• Groundbreaking Visual Effects: From Imagination to Execution – A look at how the spectacular visual effects in the film were pre-visualized and executed.
• The Origins of Wanted: Bringing the Graphic Novel to Life – Creator Mark Millar, producer Marc Platt, director Timur Bekmambetov and screenwriters Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Chris Morgan discuss the original graphic novel and the process of adapting it for the big screen.
• Through the Eyes of Visionary Director Timur Bekmambetov – A video portrait of director Timur Bekmambetov, featuring interviews with Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Common, producer Marc Platt and the director himself.
• Wanted: Motion Comics – Watch as the graphic novel comes to life on screen with narration and sound effects.
• The Making of Wanted: The Game
• “The Little Things” Music Video Mash-Up (Please note this feature only appears on the 2-Disc Special Edition and the standard definition collector's set.)

EXCLUSIVE TO BLU-RAY HI-DEF
In addition to the aforementioned bonus features, all shown in high definition, the Wanted Blu-ray will also include the following bonus content:

• Alternate Opening – View this exclusive alternate opening, only on Blu-ray Hi-Def.
• Exclusive U-Control: Universal's exclusive signature feature U-Control allows viewers to delve into the making of the film with the click of the remote without ever leaving the movie.
- Wanted: Motion Comics: See how the graphic novel compares to the movie in this real-time, side-by-side BD exclusive
- Scene Explorer: Explore the onscreen action from up to three different perspectives in this multi-angle feature.
- Assassins Profile: Get the high-tech low-down on each assassin's strengths, weapons, and position with your own in-movie surveillance system.
- Picture in Picture: Access cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes moments while you watch the film.
• BD-Live – The new technology that allows viewers to connect to the Internet and access new exciting exclusive online and interactive features.
- My Chat: Using your internet-connected player, host a text chat with your friends who also own Wanted on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def while you watch the movie in synchronization!
- My Wanted Commentary: Connect and Create. Ever wish you could create your own play-by-play movie commentary to share with friends? Here's your chance.
- UniversalHiDef.com and the BD-Live Center combine to offer you the opportunity to create your own video, audio, or text commentary that you can share with all of your Buddies in the BD-Live community.
- My Scenes Sharing: Show your friends your favorite scenes from Wanted via BD-Live.

SYNOPSIS

Wesley's (James McAvoy) life is over – his pathetic, old one, anyway… Fortunately, it is all because of a girl. Enter sizzling-hot Fox (Angelina Jolie), who crashes into his life and introduces him to the Fraternity, a secret society of assassins, lead by the mysterious Sloan (Morgan Freeman). Seems Wes's long-lost father was killed while working for the Fraternity and Wes has been selected to target the rogue member who murdered him. But before he can complete his assignment, Wes must first uncover the dark secrets behind the Fraternity in order to determine his own destiny.

WANTED: WEAPONS OF FATE INTERACTIVE GAME BLASTS INTO STORES IN 2009

Fans of the movie 'Wanted' can continue the thrilling action and visual style of the film in 2009 with 'Wanted: Weapons of Fate' the videogame on the Xbox 360® video game entertainment system from Microsoft, Games for Windows®, and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. The game, produced by Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developed by GRIN, picks up after the film with an original story and intense gameplay featuring iconic moves such as “Curving Bullets” and “Assassin Time” drawn directly from the film, as well as an innovative, multi-layered cover mechanic.

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The Mummy 3 Comes Home December 16

The Mummy Comes Home December 16

Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

October 15, 2008

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor will hit home video on December 16. Here are the full details:

The awe-inspiring adventure of the year with breathtaking visual effects is available to own on December 16, 2008 when The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor hits store shelves in a Deluxe two-disc Edition on DVD and Blu-ray(TM) Hi-Def from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The latest chapter in one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor includes riveting action, non-stop suspense, epic battle scenes, cinematic pyrotechnics and an international all-star cast: Brendan Fraser (Journey to the Center of the Earth), Jet Li (The Forbidden Kingdom), Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Maria Bello (Thank You For Smoking) and John Hannah (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns). Directed by Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious) and the largest production to ever shoot in China, the film's breathtakingly epic panorama includes such diverse locales as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the mysterious Himalayas. Considered "the best in the series" by Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun Times, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon is the perfect holiday entertainment gift.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is available as a two-disc Deluxe Edition DVD and a two-disc Blu-ray(TM) Hi-Def version that offers perfect picture and purest digital sound, featuring hours of bonus material including exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, outtakes and deleted scenes, as well as a digital copy of the film; and in a single disc DVD version. Also available for fans is a six-disc The Mummy Trilogy Collection on DVD or four-disc Blu-ray(TM) Hi-Def, containing The Mummy Deluxe Edition, The Mummy Returns Deluxe Edition and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Deluxe Edition.

BONUS FEATURES

The Deluxe Edition DVD and Blu-ray(TM) Hi-Def come with an army of bonus features that take audiences behind the scenes of the most exciting adventure of the season, including:

-- DELETED SCENES AND EXTENDED SCENES
-- PREPARING FOR BATTLE WITH BRENDAN FRASER AND JET LI: Watch as Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, Maria Bello and Luke Ford prepare for and shoot their respective fight scenes in the film, including the epic clashes at the Emperor's tomb, the museum, Shangri-La and the climactic battle sequence.
-- THE MAKING OF THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR: Director Rob Cohen and producers Bob Ducsay, Sean Daniel and James Jacks lead us through the making of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, from scouting in China through the film's completion.
-- JET LI: CRAFTING THE EMPEROR MUMMY: The legendary special effects artists at Rhythm & Hues Studios and Digital Domain discuss making Jet Li a digital warrior.
-- FROM CITY TO DESERT: Follow director Rob Cohen and producers Bob Ducsay, Sean Daniel and James Jacks as they lead the cast and crew through the film's amazing locations in both Montreal and China.
-- LEGACY OF THE TERRA COTTA: Rob Cohen discusses what is historically accurate in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
-- CREATING NEW AND SUPERNATURAL WORLDS: From Montreal to Shanghai, we speak with the team of art directors and set decorators responsible for creating the lavish sets.
-- A CALL TO ACTION: THE CASTING PROCESS: An inside look at the preparation for the film, including table reads with the cast and production meetings with director Rob Cohen and producers Bob Ducsay, Sean Daniel and James Jacks.
-- FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR ROB COHEN
-- DIGITAL COPY OF THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR

EXCLUSIVE TO BLU-RAY HI-DEF
-- U CONTROL: Universal's exclusive signature feature, U Control puts viewers one click away from delving deeper into the making of the film without ever interrupting the movie.
-- KNOW YOUR MUMMY: While watching the movie, dig deeper into The Mummy franchise and discover facts, graphics, and more mysterious connections to the first two movies.
-- SCENE EXPLORER: View scenes from the film in its various progressions from storyboards and early renderings of the visual effects to the final version.
-- PICTURE IN PICTURE: Access interactive cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, all without interrupting the movie experience.
-- THE DRAGON EMPEROR'S CHALLENGE: In this interactive game, players are asked to determine whether or not an event, character, object or location are fact or fiction.
-- VISUAL COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR ROB COHEN

-- BD-LIVE FEATURES: Blu-ray and Playstation 3 players with an Internet connection can access exclusive interactive applications that allow viewers to communicate with friends and family while watching the film:
-- MY SCENES SHARING - Share favorite clips with your friends through the BD Live Internet connection.
-- EXCLUSIVE CONTENT - Download exclusive clips, trailers, and more via the Universal BD-Live Download Center.

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Cleveland State University to change name?

CLEVELAND -- The head of Cleveland State University has suggested changing the school's name, possibly to the University of Cleveland.

President Michael Schwartz says the change would differentiate the four-year university from community colleges with similar names, such as Cincinnati State and Columbus State.

Schwartz, who will retire next year, has asked the university's
marketing team to study how a new name would go over.

He also asked the campus community on Tuesday to comment on the idea of fielding a football team, a move that would raise the university's profile.

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About Those Pirates of the Caribbean 4 Rumors?

About Those Pirates of the Caribbean 4 Rumors?

Source: Terry Rossio

October 15, 2008

Terry Rossio, co-screenwriter of the first three "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, has debunked the various rumors that are going around about Pirates of the Caribbean 4. They ranged from Johnny Depp getting $56 million for the fourth movie to Tim Burton directing to Sacha Baron Cohen and Russell Brand co-starring. Rossio writes:

For the record, none of the recent Pirates 4 rumors have any truth, including the so-called record 50 million dollar payday for Depp.

Some pretty funny stuff, though. Sacha Cohen? Tim Burton? Studios are way too protective of their franchises for that sort of thing.

The only thing that has been officially announced so far is that Johnny Depp will return as Captain Jack Sparrow in the fourth film.

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Karen Allen on Indiana Jones

Karen Allen on Indiana Jones

Source: Scott Huver

October 14, 2008

We always knew she'd come walking back through our door.

ComingSoon.net didn't have a whip, a fedora or even a line of shots when we sat down for a leisurely lunch with actress Karen Allen, but we did get her to join us on an archeological adventure of sorts, digging through the memories of her life as Indiana Jones' true love, Marion Ravenwood.

And we quickly understood exactly why Dr. Jones - and filmmakers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, not to mention a couple generations of moviegoers - fell for her. An engaging storyteller with a winsome personality, Allen clearly relishes her experiences making 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark and its 27-years-later-sequel Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (out on DVD today, Oct. 14), and she unearthed some fascinating insight into her journey - and a definite willingness to return for another adventure at Indy's side now that she's truly his "goddamn partner."

Q: What differences have you seen in the new film and the first one? When the first one came out no one knew what to expect.
Karen Allen: It seems to me like the reception for this film has been incredible. I get a specific point of view on it, mostly people coming up and telling me how much they love the film. In Japan they were so excited about the opening of the film. The Cannes film festival was amazing for us. When the film was over, and I think that Cannes is an interesting place to open a film because it can be disastrous because if they don't like a film they don't have any problem letting you know. I mean, films have been booed there and all kinds of things. A film like "Crystal Skull" is not necessarily a Cannes-type of film in a way, and so you don't really know what's going to happen. They just loved it though. It was like a four minute standing ovation. Steven [Spielberg] had tears in his eyes. It was a lovely experience and to see it there with an audience for the first time - that being the first audience because I hadn't seen it with an audience. The first time I saw the film I was alone - or no, I wasn't alone. I was with Shia [LeBeouf]. It was Shia and myself at Paramount just going in to see a screening before we went over to Cannes so that we weren't seeing it for the first time in front of the 3,500 people, which can be a little traumatic.

Q: I think everyone who wrote about the film wrote about how good it was to see both you and Marion back on screen again. How did that feel?
Allen: It felt fantastic. I've had so many people who came up to me and said, "When you came on the screen everyone in the theater applauded." It's so sweet really and it makes me feel very touched and very moved that somehow that character has stayed in people's consciousness and that they were so happy to have me and her come back into the story. What could be better, getting that kind of enthusiastic response? It's fantastic.

Q: Were you willing to do this film with these people no matter what or were you particular about the story and how they brought you back?
Allen: I don't even know how to answer that question because I think it's like all of the above. To have an opportunity to work with Steven and Harrison and George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall again was just too wonderful. As these rumors kind of persisted over the years and there were these hints that kept getting dropped that they were trying to do another film and yes, maybe they wanted my character to come back into the story - I'd hear that and then I wouldn't hear anything for a long time. I never heard it from anyone…At one point when they released the four DVD packages of the film which I think was four or five years ago, the way that they decided to do it was to get Kate Capshaw, myself and Alison Doody together out here in L.A. and do it as the women of the "Indiana Jones" series. We were going to promote the DVDs. Frank was there and Harrison stopped by and we were kidding around with them: "Is there going to be another one and if so who's going to be in it?" Frank was like "I'm not saying anything - wink, wink, wink." So I never really knew what their plans were or how it would turn out, and I think that when Steven called me to tell me that they had written me into the character and that it was not just a cameo, but that they'd really written me a major in the story I think that my first feeling was like, "I'm there!" Then I think it was a couple of weeks before I was going to get a chance to read the script and then a little bit, although with Steven and George and Harrison - it's not that you worry whether or not it's going to be good. You know it's going to be good. They spent however many years trying to get a script that they were all happy with and Steven sounded very, very happy about the outcome of the script when I talked to him. So I knew it would be a wonderful script. But I think there's that sort of thing where you feel a little self-protective about your character so there's a bit of trepidation, like, "Ugh, what if I read it and I don't like what they've done with my character?" I think there was a little of a concern that I would be disappointed or that I might not the decisions they had made for where she goes from there. When I sat down to read the script all of that just fell away from the moment that she came into the story and when I saw where it was going and what they had done. I was just so knocked out by it. Then when we got to the end of the story and I saw that they had Indy and Marion get married I was crying. I was really just so touched. I thought "Oh, my God, this is really very special. They've really decided to bring these characters together in a major way. They really allowed them to fall in love with each other."

Q: Was Shia involved in at that point? When did you find out he was involved?
Allen: Steven told me that he wanted Shia to do it. I didn't know who Shia was. I had never heard of him and so I went kind of Netflixing around and got some films so I could see his performances and I was just knocked out by him. What a fantastic young actor. Steven told me that he was trying to get Cate Blanchett to play the role of the villainess and he wasn't sure that she could do it, but that's who he really wanted at the time. She had another commitment that was going to conflict and so he was unsure if she could do it. He had definitely decided on John Hurt at that point, but Ray Winstone wasn't involved yet. He was really not sure who he wanted to play that role.

Q: Working with George and Steven and Harrison, in what ways were they the same guys that you worked with on the first and in what ways had they evolved over the years?
Allen: To me it just seemed like everyone was just much more relaxed, having a good time… I think that when we were doing the first one and maybe this was just more my perspective, but it seemed like everyone was under a lot more pressure. We were all away from home. So this time Steven really made a decision that he didn't want to go overseas to do it, that he wanted to stay and be with his family and so the bulk of the film was going to be shot in Los Angeles… I think it had been such a long time coming and they had been working so hard to get a script that they liked. So it just seemed like one of those projects where when it was finally clear that we were all going to come back together and do it… From the first day, when I flew out here to do some camera tests and they were going to be looking at wardrobe and trying to figure out how Marion was going to look, what kinds of costumes I was going to wear - that was the first time that I met Shia. Harrison was there. George was there. Kathy Kennedy, Frank and Steven too. It was just this sort of feeling of everyone being so excited that we were going to do the film. On "Raiders of the Lost Ark," because it was an unknown nobody had a sense of what it was yet. At least I didn't. My joke is always that I thought we were making a kind of "Casablanca"-type film [Laughs]. I had a whole different film in my head. When I saw the film I was like "Oh!"

Q: At what point did you come into this process? Was it with this script that we see onscreen or have there been previous versions of the story that were slightly different?
Allen: I read a version of it in Steven's apartment when he first had me come to New York to sit and read it. As I'm sure you all know they're very, very secretive about these scripts. They were secretive about the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" script. I mean, a courier brought that script to me up in Northern California where I was shooting something and sat in the hotel room while I was reading the script and then took the script back when they offered me the film. [This time] I went to Steven's apartment, sat in the apartment reading the script, and then he arrived and we talked for a while and then David Koepp arrived and I got to meet him and we talked a little bit. Then I had to leave without a script. There were some things that changed between my reading of that script in his apartment to two or three months later when I got the script, but what those changes were I couldn't tell you. I had just read it once, and then three months went by and I never had anything else to compare it with when I got the final script. I'm thinking that once Cate Blanchett said yes to the role that that role, between the two versions that I read I believe that role grew quite a bit. That role got fleshed out a lot because I think that Steven was so happy that she was going to do the role that they really wanted to make something great out of the role for her. I just don't remember it being as prominent although it might have been. So that script remains sort of vague and abstract in my mind.

Q: What's happened with your career heat in the wake of this movie? Is Hollywood all of a sudden saying "Get me Karen Allen!"
Allen: Well, I'm reading a lot of scripts right now. We're in this funny little holding pattern with this looming SAG strike that isn't happening, but is kind of keeping films from really moving forward to the extent that they might be otherwise. So there are a couple of things that I have been interested in that are kind of waiting to be greenlit. So those are some things that I don't know about and I'm actually reading something that I was given yesterday. So I think there are going to be other roles out there for me to do. I got to a point where there was so little that I was being offered or being given to read that I liked, probably seven or eight years ago and I was also raising my son, and so a lot of times I couldn't just go to Thailand for three and a half months at the drop of a hat. I would get a call and they would say, "You're being offered this role. You have to be in Thailand for four days." My son would be in the middle of eighth grade or something and I was a single parent and I couldn't pull him out of school for three and a half months to take him to Thailand to sit in a hotel room. So I had a lot of those kinds of decisions that I had to struggle with and make. I have to say that also there were very, very few things that I would've been so excited to do that I would've tried to solve those problems. Most of the time it was pretty easy to say no thank you to the projects that I was getting. Television projects haven't interested me so much because often you have to relocate. You have to live in Los Angeles or you have to live in Vancouver or you have to live in Toronto. You have to live somewhere a good chunk of the year, seven or eight months out of the year and I just haven't been really willing to do that. So I just kind of shifted my focus to a life that I thought was really going to be in support of my son getting through high school and finishing his sort of primary education and me finishing my primary parenting duties and that turned out to be starting a design company and creating an interesting and creative life for me that didn't really involve the film industry. I think that I was always open to something if it came my way and was something that I really wanted to do and I could figure out how to do on a practical level. Luckily enough for me this film sort of timed out perfectly, just as he was getting ready to start college. Although he skipped two years of high school and started college early. The "Crystal Skull" kind of came into my life right at that moment, the summer that he was finishing high school.

Q: You've worked with a lot of big directors, but from an actor's point of view what makes Steven Spielberg a one-in-a-million director? What are the qualities that make him who he is?
Allen: He's so clear about what he's doing, about the storytelling part of it. You often feel as though he'll let you try anything and yet he kind of has a good sense of what it is that he's looking for in a given scene. I think that my favorite thing about him as a director, some directors love to work in a very improvisational way and some directors are very structured and Steven is both. He's structured and improvisational at the same time. So he'll kind of go in having an idea of what he wants to do and yet he's quite open to doing it differently if things happen in such a way that suddenly… sometimes I feel like directors get stuck trying to decide how they want to do something. Then if it's not working they sort of just still stick with what they're doing. He's very open. If it's not working he'll immediately shift and start working with people and trying this and trying that and bringing in elements or deciding to shoot it in a completely different way. So all of his preparation is there, but there's this fluidity about him where you can come at something in so many different directions. I think that makes him a really interesting director to work with. He loves to draw out ideas from people as well and use things in the moment, spontaneous moments. In fact I think that a lot of those moments he's allowed to happen that weren't necessarily in the script become kind of classic moments in the films like Harrison shooting the guy with the sword. These are just little things that sort of happened out of the moment on the set. I think for him to recognize a moment like that and go ahead and shoot it even though it's a far cry from what was planned in the script, I mean that was supposed to be the big fight sequence in the middle of the film with whip and the guy with the sword. It ended in like five seconds.

Q: What do you think makes Marion the classic "Indy Girl," the one out of all of the movies that would come back for the fourth one?
Allen: I just think that she was beautifully written in the first film… I just think that she was such a boldly conceived character and then especially for that time. I just feel like they developed a kind of way… it's in that line of "I'm your goddamn partner!" From the very beginning she was saying "We're working together. We're a team." I don't know. I think also something just happened with Harrison and I where it just kind of clicked in that film. It clicked on screen in that their relationship worked and I think you wanted to see them together. It ended so ambiguously when they're on the steps and I say "Come on, let's go get a drink." That's where we leave them. Then people were so disappointed when I didn't come back in the second one, but of course somehow or another no one really knew that that one went backwards in time. I've always had to explain that to people. "Why weren't you in the second film?" I said, "Well, if you look at it, the story was before. It happened like a year before the one I was in." We know from what she says to him that they haven't seen each other for about ten years and have never gone back as far as ten years because it would've been played by a different actress. She would've been sixteen or something [Laughs].

Q: Did you ever watch "Raiders" leading up to this film?
Allen: Well, I watched "Raiders of the Lost Ark" a few times. Although I have to say that it's been a film for one reason or another has stayed very… unlike a lot of films that I've done which I saw maybe a few times as they were coming out and maybe I would run into it occasionally flipping around channels or something and watch about 15 minutes of it, but most films I've done I saw a few times and have never seen them since. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in my life was very unique in the sense that it kept coming back into my life. People would be doing a showing of it or something… The Paris Theater in New York decided that they really, really wanted to show "Raiders of the Lost Ark" on a big screen and invited me to come and do a little Q&A after these screenings and it was an amazing experience. It was packed with people and people were bringing their kids to see it on a big screen for the first time. There kept being experiences like that where someone would call me and say "Oh, please won't you come? We want you to come because we're showing the film." So it was a film that just kept reentering my life over and over. So I never felt a distance from it. It wasn't like "Who was that character and what was our relationship like?" It felt very current in my life because often I would stay and watch the film when I was doing these things and I would sort of get the chance to see it all over again on a big screen, which you can't usually do. Usually once a film has hit the big screen we're kind of stuck with seeing it on television after that.

Q: What's it like working with Spielberg and Lucas at the same time?
Allen: When we're shooting the films, George only comes every now and then. He's off doing whatever he's doing in his world and he'll show up and spend two or three days with us. He usually sits around the set and you'll get the chance to talk to him about whatever, politics or education we talked a lot about this time. They'll have lunch or something and they'll go off together and look at some dailies and talk and talk and talk, but I can't say that I've ever really gotten to have a sense of how they work together. It's very private and not necessarily something that's on display when you're in the midst of that. I know that George often feels kind of useless once we get to the point where we're shooting the film. He feels as though his job is over by then and he comes down to the set more to show support. He'll laughingly say, "Oh, he never listens to me anyway if I have an idea. He never listens to me." So I think he feels that he's there to show his support, but is not necessarily going to suddenly say to Steven, "Oh, I have an idea for how you should shoot that." Or if he does he feels like Steven is not necessarily going to pay any attention to him.

Q: You were working some of these people at the beginnings of their careers like Spielberg and Harrison. Now these people aren't struggling for a career and did this by choice. Did you notice a difference in passion on the set towards the film?
Allen: Shia was there in a sense of awe. Shia couldn't kind of believe his luck. He was like, "Oh, my God, I'm going to be in an Indiana Jones film." When I met him, he was like "Oh, my God..." and I mean very literally. He was like "Oh, my God, I'm meeting Indiana Jones!" He'd already met Steven and George and the day that he met me he met Harrison simultaneously. I mean, Shia was just so excited about doing this film. He was just over the moon about it - and Harrison was, too. Harrison came bouncing up the steps to my trailer and was so delighted to be working with Steven again. I think they have such a great working relationship and he respects Steven so much as a director. I think he feels that he's in such great hands with Steven and I don't know anything about other directors that Harrison has worked with, but he really wanted to do this film. He really wanted to put on that fedora and that leather jacket again. Cate Blanchett was so excited to do it. She had been an Indiana Jones fan as a kid and so I think there was this sort of sense of passion and excitement and even though it was something that they'd done again and again and again it also had a very fresh feeling because it had been such a long time and there were also all these new added elements like Cate and Shia and me coming back. They don't need to do it, you're right. Steven certainly doesn't need to do it. George either. Kathy and Frank too. It's not a matter of them needing to do another Indiana Jones film. Steven says that he did it really because everyone kept asking him to. Everywhere he went people were always coming up to him and saying to him, "When are you going to do another Indy film?" He said that he felt like he was making the film for the fans of the films and that that felt really good to him, to be able to do a film that he really felt good about, like, "Okay, this one is for you. This is for the people who supported the first three."

Q: What was your take on the new kid in Shia?
Allen: I just adore him. He is a great kid, young man. He's unique too. He's very, very bright and very funny and witty and to have the pleasure of sitting next to him in the makeup trailer everyday which we did, I would start the day laughing. He's like a raconteur. I've never met a 21-year-old person who can tell stories the way that he can tell stories. He's had quite an unusual and interesting life, both as an actor starting out as young as he did and then things that got him into wanting to act. He wanted to be an actor because he met an actor who had a really nice pair of tennis shoes that his family couldn't afford. He said, "How did you get those tennis shoes?" He said, "I'm on this television show and I make a lot of money." Shia was like, "Okay." He's just lovely. As an actor I think that he can do anything that he wants to do. He's got a lot of depth to him and I've been very impressed. There are a few films of his I haven't seen that I really want to see. One of them is the golf film that I heard he's just fantastic in. I saw "Transformers" and that's hard to do. You talk about green screen, it's really hard what he's doing, making us really believe that these giant robots are there and that he has a relationship with them. He commits himself so completely to each moment when he's working. I've seen some of the really interesting independent films he's done like "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints." He's excellent in that. I think he's fantastic. I had a great time with him. He was an easy person to work with.

Q: Can you talk about seeing Harrison on set for the first time after so long?
Allen: It was fantastic. He showed up for the camera tests we were doing. I was just sort of there with my different costumes. They wanted me to try on stuff and Harrison just bounded up to the trailer and gave me a big hug and were talking and catching up. I hadn't seen him for a couple of years. We used to live in the same neighborhood in New York just five or six years ago and so I used to run into him on the sidewalk from time to time which was quite funny because he SO doesn't want to be recognized when he's out on the street and he really tries to not be recognized. I would see him and I would go "Harrison!" He'd kind of go over underneath an awning or something. "Harrison! It's Karen." Then he'd turn around and kind of relax, but he so doesn't want anyone to see him when he doesn't want to be seen. But I hadn't seen him for maybe four years or something like that and even then it was just brief little hellos.

Q: There's the onscreen Harrison and then there's the Harrison we know from our interviews who is reserved and quiet. Do you think people really have a sense of who he is?
Allen: He is very reserved and quiet. You have to draw him out and he's not that easy to draw out. He's very witty and you know that he's always thinking, always has these amazing insights into things. Sometimes he'll choose to share them, sometimes these little asides for everybody to hear even though you might not be engaged in conversation with him. He can be extremely funny. I think he's a very private person and it seems to me that he really chooses to try and separate his private life and himself as an actor, the fame and the private life. I think it's difficult. It's a difficult thing to try and do, separating them. But I think he's really grown more and more comfortable with it all. I think he's more comfortable with it all now than he was 20 years ago. He's at a good place in his life right now. He seems more relaxed and seems to be having fun with his life or having fun with all he's kind of got. But I think he's also someone who likes to be alone. He likes to be up in his plane flying around and he's a bit of a loner personality.

Q: He seems very proud of the role of Indiana Jones. More so even than for playing Han Solo. Do you get that from him?
Allen: I think so. I think that Indiana Jones is kind of a wonderful creation of a character. I think that he definitely put his own stamp on that character more than most actors are able to with any character that they play. He's now done this character four times in four different films and gotten to see him go through so many different incarnations with the character. I think there's something about the character where he can really bring a lot of himself to the character, the meticulousness of the character as an archeologist is very much like Harrison, I think, in terms of the fact that he's an amazing carpenter. I've never seen anything he's built, but people talk about what an incredible craftsperson he is. He really loves doing things with his hands. I'd love to see some of the things he's done, but I never have.

Q: How open are you to getting the band back together one more time or perhaps doing something with Shia if there was a spin-off done?
Allen: I would say very open to it. This was a delightful experience and I would welcome it.

Q: Has anyone raised that possibility?
Allen: Not really, except for fans. I've had a lot of people ask if there's going to be another one, but not anyone officially. Do you know something that I don't? [Laughs]

Q: If there were to be a fifth movie would you do it because you want to SEE it?
Allen: I would just love to see where they would take it. I'm a fan in the sense that I'm interested in whatever George and Steven would come up with and whoever else they would bring aboard - David Koepp or whomever. I would just be interested in seeing where it does go from here. So now Shia is onboard and he's become this new and interesting part of Indy's life. I'd like to see them do another one because I'd like to know what happens next… And I'd also like to see how Marion and Indy, what that marriage would look like. So here we'd probably be coming up with the next one that was '56 and '57 and so by the time they'd do another one we'd be in the '60s, and that was a kind of interesting and transitional time for marriages anyway. Women were becoming more like Marion and less like that kind of Doris Day of female of the '50s.

Q: What's it like living with "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and knowing that film will always be considered among the best films ever made?
Allen: It just kind of bowls me over. I had an amazing experience this summer. I live near the Tanglewood Music Festival which is near Lennox, Massachusetts. John Williams comes there every summer and he does an evening of movie music and I had never gone. For some reason or another whenever he had done it and I think he's only done it like four times or something, but whenever he had been there I'd wanted to go and had never been able to go. Steven called me and invited me and said that they really, really wanted me to be there. I said, "Okay, great." John Williams did this amazing first half of the evening playing all of these themes to different films and putting together this incredible collage of film music. It was so beautiful. The second half of the evening was all about the "Indiana Jones" films and the music that he had written for all his films. Steven unbeknownst to me had put together this incredible piece of film. John Williams had written a piece of music called "Sirens of the Silver Screen." I'm assuming that Steven put together this film, and I think he did, that was shown while John Williams was playing this thing. It kept flashing between a moment of Marion next to a moment with Bette Davis next to a moment with Joan Crawford next to Marlene Dietrich and then me [Laughs]. Kate Capshaw was also in it, and Cate Blanchett was in it. I sat there and I was just sort of like "Wow." I was blown away. Seeing this character sort of put into that sort of thing, a moment of me socking me and then suddenly Bette Davis would be socking someone and then and then I'd be knocking back a drink and then some other character would as well, like Faye Dunaway.

Q: Several films that you've done have quite a life afterwards - "Animal House," "Starman"...
Allen: "Starman" is just one of those that hangs in there. "Scrooged" is in there. Even this funny film where I have this little part, this film "Sandlot" has become such a kind of kids' classic film. I still have little kids who come up to me constantly and go, "Oh, my God! You're the mom in 'Sandlot'!"

Q: What's the most unusual or remote place that you've been recognized as Marion?
Allen: I can tell you the funniest time that I was recognized, but it was here in Los Angeles and it was just the situation. I had a boyfriend who lived here in Los Angeles and I came here to surprise him on his birthday and some friends of his were going to do a dinner and sort of get him out of the house while I came into the house to surprise him while he came him. I had a key to the house and I came in through the front door, and then I called to tell his friends that I was here. They sort of ended the dinner and I was sitting in the house. He came home, started to open the door and I'm getting ready to say surprise and then all of a sudden I don't hear his voice. I wait and I wait and I don't hear any footsteps in the house. I keep waiting and waiting and I'm thinking "What happened to him?" I finally got up and went to the door and the door was slightly ajar. I went outside and was looking around outside and didn't see him and then all of a sudden I hear police helicopters above the house. I see lights are flashing all over the top of the house and I'm thinking "What's going on?!" I thought "Oh, my God, somehow he thinks someone is in his house." Suddenly I start hearing all this noise outside the house and I look out and somehow through his glass doors in the yard I see two cops with their guns drawn coming towards the thing. They were like "Freeze!" I go "I'm his girlfriend! I'm his girlfriend!" I very consciously go over and pull open the door and the policeman says to me "Weren't you in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'?" "Yes." [Laughs]

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is now available as a Single-Disc DVD, a 2-Disc Special Edition, a Blu-ray Disc and bundled with the first three films in The Complete Adventures Collection.

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Mark Wahlberg on Max Payne

Exclusive: Mark Wahlberg on Max Payne

Source: Heather Newgen

October 14, 2008

In 20th Century Fox's new video game adaptation Max Payne, Mark Wahlberg plays the maverick detective whose sole mission is to seek revenge upon the people responsible for brutally killing his family. ComingSoon.net talked exclusively with the Oscar nominee about the John Moore-directed action-thriller, co-starring Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Olga Kurylenko and Chris O'Donnell.

ComingSoon.net: Were you a big fan of the game?

Mark Wahlberg: No, I didn't even know about the game until after I read the script. I checked it out and I was surprised at how much video games have changed. I grew up playing Pac-Man, so I was interested to see how cinematic it was.

CS: What is it about the movie that you think hardcore fans of the game like?

Wahlberg: We first and foremost wanted to satisfy the hardcore gamers and of course try to take it to another lever. I definitely think we accomplished that. We showed some diehard gamers that were very skeptical in the beginning and they were thrilled. Hopefully we'll also be able to introduce a new set of fans to the movie and they'll gravitate toward the game.

CS: What were the gamers skeptical about?

Wahlberg: Just making their baby into a movie, period. They were okay with me playing the part because they felt like I was edgy enough. It's like anytime somebody messes with something special and dear to you, you don't want to potentially mess that up.

CS: What did you like about the game?

Wahlberg: I didn't play it that much. I let my assistant, who is a diehard gamer freak, to play it all the time until the end of the movie and then I took it away from him. I just liked how much story there was and you were able to become this character and go out and seek vengeance.

CS: How close are the characters in the movie to the game?

Wahlberg: Fairly close except for Chris Bridges - his character was originally a 60-year-old white guy. So we changed that up a little and made him younger and a little more hip. It's a much more interesting dynamic - me and him going head to head.

CS: There are some really intense moments in this film for you. How challenging were the actions scenes or are you used to them by now?

Wahlberg: They think I am. It was pretty difficult at times. I'm not getting any younger. I'm not as reckless as I used to be. I have three small children now. I have to be more responsible. The emotional stuff was probably more difficult because I have to imagine something happening to my family which is not a fun place to go. That's what happens to the character so...

CS: How do you not take that home with you?

Wahlberg: Look forward to the end of the film and to hopefully walk away with your sanity. Just hug and squeeze my kids as much as I possibly can.

CS: Can you talk about some of the visual aspects of the movie?

Wahlberg: Yeah, I wasn't really aware of how visual the movie was going to be. I was definitely living in the head space of the character and John [Moore] is a genius. He was off doing his thing and I'm just kind of doing mine. Then I saw the movie and was like, "Wow!" Everything is bigger than what I expected, but that his motto. He says "My name is John Moore - not John less."

CS: Did you see the demons and the other things your character hallucinates beforehand?

Wahlberg: No, so it was really bizarre. Thank God it was towards the end of the shoot where I was really trusting John because it was just kind of me laying on the floor and him saying, "They're after you. They're on top of you!" I felt kind of silly with 60-70 people watching and someone flashing a light by you. I trusted him and by that time felt like I was in good hands.

CS: For those who aren't familiar with the game, break down who Max Payne is.

Wahlberg: Max Payne is a homicide cop whose wife and kid are brutally murdered. He goes out and seeks revenge every single day. He doesn't sleep. He goes and looks for the people who are responsible and the trail leads him on a very interesting path. He goes from one lead to another and he ends up working a cold case. He's not supposed to be investigating the case of the murder of his wife and child, but obviously he's not following the rules anymore. Basically he becomes a renegade cop.

CS: What did you like about the script when you first read it?

Wahlberg: I thought it was very different from what I'd done the last time and I thought it was very well written. I thought I could be great in the part.

CS: What did you do to prepare physically?

Wahlberg: I didn't have to do much physical preparation. I've been training to do this boxing movie ["The Fighter"]. I was already kind of in shape. I've already done plenty of weapons training on other movies.

We also talked to Mark about his upcoming projects, which you can read about here!

Max Payne hits theaters on Friday, October 17. To watch the trailers, TV spots, and clips and view photos, click here!

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Cheadle is Replacing Howard in Iron Man 2

Cheadle is Replacing Howard in Iron Man 2

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

October 14, 2008

Don Cheadle is stepping in to replace Terrence Howard in Marvel Studios' Iron Man 2, says The Hollywood Reporter.

In the first film, Howard played Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, Tony Stark/Iron Man's best friend and future armor-clad hero War Machine.

The trade says Marvel had no comment, but sources close to the deal said negotiations with Howard fell through over financial differences, among other reasons.

Marvel, which had wanted to work with Cheadle, then decided to take the role in another direction and approached the actor, who is shooting Antoine Fuqua's Brooklyn's Finest.

Justin Theroux is writing the screenplay for Iron Man 2, coming to theaters on May 7, 2010. Jon Favreau is returning as director, and Robert Downey Jr. is expected back as Stark/Iron Man. Gwyneth Paltrow also is expected to be back as Pepper Potts.

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DreamWorks and Universal Sign 7-Year Distribution Deal

DreamWorks and Universal Sign 7-Year Distribution Deal

Source: DreamWorks Studios, Universal Pictures

October 13, 2008

Stacey Snider and Steven Spielberg today announced a seven-year worldwide distribution deal between their new motion picture company and Universal Studios, which is expected to begin in 2009 and include approximately six films per year.

Snider and Spielberg recently departed Paramount Pictures to partner with Reliance Big Entertainment on a new motion picture company. Reliance Big will distribute the new company's projects in India.

"We are delighted to be back in business with Steven and Stacey and the rest of their superb team," said Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of NBC Universal. "They are longtime friends of ours and terrific moviemakers. We are honored to be part of the next chapter of their success."

"We couldn't be more pleased to welcome the DreamWorks team back to Universal and our long history of success together will continue. As always, it is an honor to do business with Steven Spielberg, one of the most prolific directors of our generation and our long-time friend and colleague Stacey Snider, who is one of the finest film executives in our business," said Ron Meyer, President & COO, Universal Studios.

"Steven and I have both enjoyed successful, long-time relationships with Ron Meyer and everyone at Universal," said Stacey Snider. "Having spent a decade in the Universal family, I'm very familiar with their talented distribution and marketing teams, under the dynamic leadership of Marc Shmuger and David Linde. Steven and I are looking forward to this new association with our old friends."

"Universal has always been my home base so this agreement starts a new chapter in what has been a long and successful association," said Steven Spielberg. "While it feels great to come home again, it feels like I never left, and Stacey and I look forward to working once again with our friends and colleagues, old and new. It's an exciting time for us and we want it to be equally as productive and rewarding for Universal."

"We are looking forward to a long, productive relationship bringing DreamWorks films to audiences around the globe," said Chairman of Universal Pictures Marc Shmuger of the DreamWorks Universal partnership. Co-Chairman, Universal Pictures David Linde added: "We are glad to be adding DreamWorks films to Universal's slate. Steven and Stacey are some of the best in the business and we look forward to being in business with them again."

David Geffen negotiated the deal on behalf of the new motion picture company. As previously announced, Geffen will not be joining Snider and Spielberg in the new company.

"David Geffen has been my partner for 14 years, my advisor for 30 and will be my friend for life," said Spielberg. "DreamWorks will have a second chapter because of David's vision and indomitable spirit."

Snider added, "Steven and I could not be embarking upon this new adventure were it not for the brilliance, dedication and loyalty of David Geffen. I am forever grateful."

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