"POW!"

The Fighter, David O. Russell’s film about a couple a hahd workin, gritty fackin blue cawllah hahd ons from Southie starring Mahky Mahk and Christian Bale, opens in about 10 days, and Spike Jonze wants to make sure you see it.  Jonze and O. Russell are apparently buddies, and Jonze recently emailed SlashFilm hoping they’d post a Fighter trailer that Jonze thinks is better than the one that’s been going around.

I’M A BAWXAH, TAWMMY, GET THAT IN YO-AH HEAD!

Hey Peter -
Spike here. I’m writing on behalf of my friend David Russell [O., are you? -Wes Anderson], regarding his new movie The Fighter. Did you get a chance to see it yet? How insanely great is Christian Bale?

Can you do me a favor and post this 2 minute trailer called “Pressure” on your site? [attached after the jump]

The trailer that they put out originally makes the film feel a little generic and I just want to help David get the word out. I got to see it a few weeks ago, and I loved it, and if all you saw is the trailer that’s out, you might not know that it’s as interesting and strong as it is.

Thanks for your help!
Spike

Bottom line, I’m pretty bitter that another movie blogger gets personal emails from probably the most positive force in the movie business and I don’t. (I mean Eli Roth texts me d*ck pics from time to time, but I’m pretty sure he has the wrong number.)  What am I, chopped liver?  What, did you think, that I’d use that picture from the Marky Mark workout video for the article?  …Touché, Jonze, touché.

Read the rest of this entry »

"POW!"

A while back I brought you the news that arthouse (and FilmDrunk) favorite David O. Russell (who famously called Lily Tomlin a kunt) would be writing and directing a movie based on the video game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.  David O. Russell doing a video game movie?  Jeez, what’s next, one of the Wachowski Brothers gets a sex change?

Today, weird gets EVEN WEIRDER, as Mark Wahlberg has confirmed that he’ll star, and that they’re trying to bring on Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci, though getting DeNiro might be a long shot, what with his recent re-dedication to quality cinema like Little Fockers. (*gets stabbed in the boner*)

“David is one of the best writer/directors I’ve ever worked with,” Wahlberg told MTV. “The idea that he has is just insane. So hopefully we’ll be making that movie this summer.”
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Walhberg also confirmed rumors that Russell is writing roles for acting heavies (and “Goodfellas” costars) Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. “I’m obviously in whatever David wants to do, but the idea of it is so off the charts: De Niro being my father, Pesci being my uncle. It’s not going to be the watered-down version, that’s for sure.” [MTV]

Now that I think about it, Mark Wahlberg being in this, if anything, makes it less weird.  I was wrong.  It’s just that I’d forgotten he was in 2008′s Max Payne.  Can you guys ever forgive me?  For forgetting about 2008′s Max Payne?

Read the rest of this entry »

Just when I thawght I’d put this whole fackin’The Town in my reahview, comes ‘The Fightah’, stahrin Mahky Mahk and Christian Bale. Wid all the fackin’ Bawston movies comin’ out, it’s almost like da Sawx won anothah series. I gawt fackin’ Bawston movies comin’ out my eahs ovah heah. Mahky Mahk stahs as Mickey Wahd, who was like the fackin’ Wes Welkah of bawxin’.  Maybe nawt da best, but good enough to compete wit da dahkies, which is pretty fackin’ good fahr a blue collah hahd on from Soutie.  I sweah ta gawd, Mickey Wahd would throw a punch, and it’d be all like POW!, just like that fackin’ Mahky Mahk workout video.  True stawry: I once sawr im stawmp some Toony at Gloansy McGloans at the pahty aftah Squeezebawx’s who-ah sistah married Boogah Lips O’Shea.  WHAT, YOU DON’T BELIEVE MY FACKIN’ STAWRIES NOW, YOU QUEAH?  YOU CALLIN’ FACKIN BOOGAH LIPS A LIAH?!

Anyway, Mickey’s fackin’ knucklehead brothah was his trainah, but he kept gettin’ him inta trouble, so he left fa someone eltse.  An’ his brothah was all, “WHAT, AH YOU TOO GOOD FAH YOAH OWN FLESH AN’ FACKIN BLOOD NOW?  YOU GREW UP HEAH! YOU KNOW DA RULES!”  Then I think the brothah gawt addicted ta crack a somthin’. I don’t remembah what happened aftah that, but dat hawt fiyah crawtch from Chahlie Wilson came out in ‘er brawr an’ panties and punched some othah brawd in the face.  That was my favorite paht. Ruined a fresh paiyah a shawts.

[via ThePlaylist]

David O. Russell cruelly mocks Shia LaBeouf

David O. Russell is a director most known for indie-ish, arthouse movies like Flirting With Disaster, Three Kings, and I Heart Huckabees, and also for calling Lily Tomlin a c*nt. Last we heard, he’d dropped out of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is good, because I like David O. Russell, and the only thing I want to do less than see a Pride and Prejudice and Zombies movie is read the book.  But now, according to Variety, he’s writing and directing an adaptation of the Playstation 3 game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. That’s right, a video game adaptation.  If you’ve never seen a David O. Russell movie, think Wes Anderson directing Transformers 4, or Noah Baumbach’s Prince of Persia.

Drake, who makes his living chasing down rare artifacts, is a classic action movie hero, quick with his wits and a gun, with a sly sense of humor. Basically, imagine if Indiana Jones shopped at the Gap, and you’re most of the way home. He also happens to be a descendant of the legendary Sir Francis Drake, and while searching for his coffin, Drake uncovers evidence that Sir Francis not only lived much longer than historians thought, but also may have discovered El Dorado, the famous lost city of gold. By his side for (most) of the adventure are Elena, his love interest and spunky TV documentarian, and Sully, his shady treasure-hunting mentor of questionable morals.  [GameInformer review, 2008]

This sounds like it should star Nic Cage and a talking dog.  Yet now that David O. Russell is onboard, I’m guessing it’ll be more like if Indiana Jones had been heavily influenced by Sartre.  This is gonna be weird.

(Sidenote: Josh Brolin was in Flirting with Disaster before he was famous. Remember that? Here he is licking Patricia Arquette’s armpit)

Here’s the trailer for The Tempest, from director Julie Taymor (the U2 Spider-Man musical chick). It stars Helen Mirren, Russell Brand, and Djimon Hounsou.  The visuals look neat-ish, but I feel the same way about this as I do virtually all modern Shakespeare adaptations: Oh boy, I can’t wait to watch a bunch of half-bright actors show us how cultured they are by angrily spewing dialog they don’t understand.  I did enjoy the “SORCERY” title card though.  And hey, did it just turn into an episode of Renegade at the end there?

David O. Russell drops out of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. A scheduling conflict with Pride producer Natalie Portman meant Russell had to drop out and do Old St. Louis instead, a dramedy starring Vince Vaughn that Scarlett Johansson was supposed to be in at one point (not now).   And now, I find myself in the awkward position of being enough of a hipster to like David O. Russell, but not nearly twee enough to not hate Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  So, uh, good news, as it turns out. (*tightens ascot, rides off on fixed gear*)|NYMag|

Screenwriter Tony Gilroy taking over directing duties on the fourth Bourne movie, the Bourne Legacy.  Matt Damon’s involvement is still up in the air.  BLUR! SMASH CUT! (*fart noise*) GAS PEDAL! ENGINE NOISE! TIRE SQUEAL! (*dismissive wank*) SMASH CUT! ZOOM! (*zzzzzzzz*) |Deadline|

Mark Millar says his ultra-violent, evil-batman comic book, Nemesis, has been greenlit with director Tony Scott and a $150 million budget.  In related news, Mark Millar is talking out his ass again. |io9|

Peter Jackson is “close to a deal” to direct The Hobbit movies, and Deadline and TheWrap are going all dueling ‘TOLJDAs’ about it. Of course, MGM is still $4 billion in debt and the film hasn’t been greenlit yet.  Expect at least three more rounds of denials and confirmations over the coming weeks.  You know what?  I don’t care anymore.