George Clooney’s first movie as a director was Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which was pretty solid, even if screenwriter Charlie Kaufman didn’t like the way he went with it. He followed that up with the critically-acclaimed Good Night and Good Luck (booooring…) and Leatherheads, an old-timey sh*tpile starring John Krasinski. Now he’s back sexing up the director’s chair in Ides of March, a political thriller based on the award-winning Beau Willimon play, Farragut North, which Clooney adapted with co-writer Grant Heslov. Baby Goose plays an idealistic campaign staffer for a first-time presidential candidate, played by George Clooney, who gets a “crash course on dirty politics.” Hey, girl, I know this negative campaigning’s really got you down, but cheer up, I wrote you a poem. It’s about spring.

Ides of March co-stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, and Paul Giamatti, which is a lot of talent to have in one room. Still, it could go either way. Clooney is one of those guys who might secretly be an idiot, but you’d never know because when you’re that handsome and charming, everything you say comes out sounding like genius insight. “My personal theory is that with the bigger bagels, you can fit more cream cheese.” Oh my God, isn’t he witty?!? Anyway, who am I kidding. I’d be happy if this film was just two hours of Baby Goose looking forlorn.

Aw, poor little butterscotch sundae, he looks so lonely! Quick, someone find Patches.

The trailer for Doubt, based on the Pulitzer-prize winning play, has hit the web.  It may have just edged out The Soloist as the most Oscar-y looking movie of the year.  The rundown:

Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays the headmaster at a Catholic school, who gets accused of kiddie-diddling by a bitchy old nun played by Meryl Streep.  Did he do it, or is the old nun just being her bitchy self and settling personal grievances? NILF Amy Adams isn’t sure who to believe.

I haven’t seen the play so I don’t know what the answer is.  I’ll tell you this though, a guy who doesn’t rape little boys doesn’t call his house a “rectory”.

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MTV has a good scam going.  Basically, they take something popular, like say, Arrested Development, and spend six months generating traffic by starting rumors of an Arrested Development movie, and then generate even more traffic by subsequently dismissing their own rumors.  They pulled this crap all last year, where almost every day they’d ask a different cast member if he’d be interested in an Arrested Development movie, their responses trumpeted in articles with shouted headlines, all variations on “Arrested Development Movie???!?”

This year it’s The Dark Knight sequel rumors.  Yesterday MTV ran a story in which Michael Caine supposedly told them Warner wanted Phillip Seymour Hoffman for the Penguin and Johnny Depp for the Riddler in “Batman 3″.  Today, PhilHoff is calling bullshit on those rumors, according to reports by…. you guessed it, MTV!

“No one has talked to me about it ever — never,” replied Hoffman. “It happened, like, five years ago, too. It was a rumor back then and it’s still a rumor. [laughs] It’s just in the press. It’s funny.”

When further pressed for his level of interest if Warner Bros. approached him about the role, Hoffman said, “I don’t know. I think I’m more interested in seeing someone else do it. I don’t know if I’d be a good Penguin to be quite honest. [laughs]”

Why do I allow MTV to play this stupid game, you’re probably wondering.  Well, when it comes down to it, let’s face it, I’m kind of lazy.  That I have a job that doesn’t require pants is not coincidence.

Todd Solondz recently found a financial backer for his next film, a semi-sequel to his 1998 film Happiness. I know what you’re probably thinking, “Who? What? Where am I? You’re not my real father.” But bear with me. I’ve included a couple clips from Happiness so you know what we’re dealing with. It’s one of the creepiest, weirdest, funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the sweaty pervert who makes obscene phone calls is one of the finest performances in all of cinema.

Solondz wrote the screenplay, which revolves around a group of struggling individuals. struggling to find a place for themselves in an unpredictable and volatile world. The narrative is told through a series of intersecting love stories.; the past haunts the present and imperils the future: ghosts circle and loom, trouble and console.

The project has been incubating for years, with Emma Thompson, Demi Moore and Paul Reubens rumored to be attached. “Happiness,” which featured themes of child molestation and rape, initially received an NC-17 from the MPAA board but was eventually released unrated. [Variety]

An NC-17 rape and molestation movie with Peewee Herman in it. I just came.
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Synecdoche New York is the directing debut of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, which is about all I need to know in order to have a raging nerd boner over it. No release date is set yet, but it premiered at Cannes last week.

As you can see, the poster’s just been released and it features Phillip Seymour Hoffman presiding over a pretty hefty to-do list.  I mean, I’m assuming it’s Phillip Seymour Hoffman – any second it could slowly turn around and… Surprise, it’s the Cryptkeeper! You’d forgotten about me since the early 90s, hadn’t you my pretties!  *maniacal cackling*

[Picture Source = IonCinema]