'Black Swan'director Darren Aronofsky hits back at Natalie Portman's body double, Sarah Lane

"Black Swan"directorDarren Aronofskyhas broken his silence to defendNatalie Portmanagainst herbody double's claimthat theOscar-winningactress only danced"5%"of the scenes in his ballet thriller.

According to the filmmaker, the movie features"80% Natalie Portman."

NATALIE PORTMAN PHOTOS: THROUGH THE YEARS

"There are 139 dance shots in the film,"Aronofsky said in a statement released toEntertainment Weekly."111 are Natalie Portman untouched. 28 are her dance doubleSarah Lane."

He added that Lane, a dancer with theAmerican Ballet Theater, was featured in wide shots that"rarely play for longer than one second."

Though Aronofsky acceded that Portman's face was digitally applied to Lane's body, he claimed the technique was only applied in two complex dance sequences.

"Even so, if we were judging by time over 90% would be Natalie Portman,"he said.

The filmmaker also hit back at Lane for claiming that the 29-year-old actress did not walk on Pointe in her Pointe shoes.

"If you look at the final shot of the opening prologue, which lasts 85 seconds, and was danced completely by Natalie, she exits the scene on Pointe,"he said."That is completely her without any digital magic."

Aronofsky said he spoke out because he wanted to put the rumors to rest.

"Natalie sweated long and hard to deliver a great physical and emotional performance,"he said."And I don't want anyone to think that’s not her they are watching. It is."

Source

Sarah Lane, Natalie Portman'Black Swan'body double, did 95 percent of dancing in film, she claims

Ballerina Sarah Lane has caused"Black Swan"filmmakers to rush toNatalie Portman's defense after the dancer claimed the Oscar-winningactress only did"5 percent"of the full body shots inDarren Aronofsky's hit thriller.

TheAmerican Ballet Theatresoloist who performed Portman's more difficult dance sequences in Darren Aronofsky's film, toldEntertainment Weeklyshe was told to keep mum about the 29-year-old star's face being digitally grafted onto her body for the majority of the film's dance sequences.

"The shots that are just her face with arms, those shots are definitely Natalie,"the 27-year-old ballerina told the website."All the other shots are me."

NATALIE PORTMAN IN PHOTOS: STAR THROUGH THE YEARS

But the film's production company,Fox Searchlight, countered Lane's claims in a statement released this weekend.

"We were fortunate to have Sarah there to cover the more complicated dance sequences and we have nothing but praise for the hard work she did,"the statement said."However, Natalie herself did most of the dancing featured in the final film."

Lane, who worked on the film for six weeks, toldEW.comthat producerAri Handeltold her not to talk about her work on the film to the press.

"They wanted to create this idea in people’s minds that Natalie was some kind of prodigy or so gifted in dance and really worked so hard to make herself a ballerina in a year and a half for the movie, basically because of the Oscar,"she said."It is demeaning to the profession and not just to me. I've been doing this for 22 years...Can you become a concert pianist in a year and a half, even if you're a movie star?"

To further prove her point, Lane added that Portman's non-professional technique was clear to a pro dancer since"she can't dance in pointe shoes. And she can't move her body; she's very stiff.”

The veteran dancer spoke out after the film's choreographer and Portman's fiancé,Benjamin Millepied, claimed Portman did"85 percent"of the dancing.

"There are articles now talking about her dance double {American Ballet Theatre dancerSarah Lane} that are making it sound like {Lane} did a lot of the work, but really, she just did the footwork, and the fouettés, and one diagonal {phrase} in the studio,"he told theLos Angeles Times.

Portman's rep could not be reached for comment, but Hollywood is known for trying to keep body doubles on the down low.
 
For the release of the 1983 dance movie hit"Flashdance,"Jennifer Beals' body double, Marine Jahan, was kept away from the press to maintain the illusion that their young star was a gifted dancer.

It turned out that Beals actually had two other body doubles as well asJahan, gymnastSharon Shapiroand break dancer Crazy Legs.

Source

In'Sucker Punch,'Zack Snyder bring his own fantasy to big screen

By his own admission,Zack Snyderisn't the most commercial of directors, but he was at one point a very successful director of commercials.

Before reanimating the zombie genre with 2004's remake of"Dawn of the Dead"and turning a Spartan budget on"300"into a $456 million hit two years later, Snyder was Madison Avenue's go-to visionary, picking up a Clio Award for a memorable Jeep"Frisbee"commercial.

But when he closed his eyes, he fantasized he was making movies— one movie in particular.

"I had written a script just because I hadn't made a movie and I was getting bored of making TV commercials,"the 45-year-old director says."I had written the script and in it there was a sequence in which these guys forced this girl to dance. She closes her eyes and when the music starts she has this fantasy that she goes somewhere else.

"I {later} went back and read it and that was a part of it I really liked, this little sequence."

The result of that little sequence,"Sucker Punch,"opened Friday.

The movie starsEmily Browningas Baby Doll, an emotionally fragile young woman who slides into a fantasy world as she faces an involuntary lobotomy in a bleak 1960s mental institution. She's aided in her quest to escape by four leggy inmates— played by the likes ofAbbie CornishandDisneyrefugeeVanessa Hudgens— who cleave through all manner of enemies (steam-powered German zombies!) while squeezing into intensely tight bustiers.

In short, it's an"Inception"-like trip that mashes up every influence Snyder had growing up inGreenwich, Conn., from Japanese anime to"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."Blink and you'll miss the loving details like the symbols on Baby Doll's swords that spell out the movie's entire story line.

But will mainstream audiences get the winks and nods?

"I feel like on one level the movie is just a straight awesome romp with a slightly 'Twilight Zone' ending,"he says."If you don't care to dig in, you don't have to by any means."

Snyder himself is pleased with the results. It takes a long to time to go from 30-second spots to 110-minute films; to get to Hollywood fromConnecticut.

"I always told everybody that {making films like this is} what I'd be doing,"says Snyder."I may not have believed it, but that's what I said."

Source

'Mia and the Migoo'review: Jacques-Remy Girerd can't match the narrative drive of Hayao Miyazaki

With the voices ofWhoopi Goldberg,Matthew Modine. Animated adventure of a young girl searching for her father, aided by forest spirits (1:34). PG: Some peril. At theIFC Center.

This French production, dubbed into English by an able if uninspired cast, shares a spiritual link to the Japanese works ofHayao Miyazakibut lacks his films' narrative drive and magical overlay.

Here, director Jacques-Remy Girerd's heroine, Mia, needs to save her father from a construction-site accident and enlists large forest spirits called the Migoo to help her.

It turns out there's a reason the Migoo— who appear playful, in the style of Miyazaki's Totoro, but may seem more malevolent to kids under 5 — have gotten involved. But we have to get past a lot of less-than-charming scenes for the journey to start, and though the animation can be transporting, its lack of lyricism is disappointing.

Source

Elizabeth Taylor was not just Hollywood icon, but prolific actress in'Cleopatra,''Virginia Woolf'

There were always headlines swirling aroundElizabeth Taylor, obsessions that focused on her beauty, her love life, her scandals, her health.

Perhaps she didn't mind; to some extent, especially in the 50s and 60s, she actively courted it. But she left a professional legacy as well, as a bold, conflicted actress who dared to acknowledge the dark side of beauty and adulation.

She carried both with varying degrees of ease from the start: Though only 12 when she played a young equestrian in 1944's"National Velvet,"she was so stunning that her violet eyes and dark hair became almost instantly iconic.

That film was formative in more ways than one: while shooting, she experienced a fall that led to lifelong back pain. And from then on, personal and professional struggles intertwined so completely, she was never able to untangle them.

At first, it appeared she would follow the paths of other studio starlets, with safe choices like"Little Women"and"Father of the Bride."But as her fame grew she wanted more, risking audience resistance by playing a spoiled socialite in 1951's"A Place in the Sun."

In the latter, she exploited her character's advantages with such assurance that instead of alienating viewers, she earned the deepest critical respect of her career thus far. 

MGM was resistant to push things further, and used her as eye candy in films like"Rhapsody"and"Beau Brummell."Even here, though, you can see her straining against convention. Shading her famous eyes, she keeps a bit of herself from us, creating the illusion of depth even when there's little in the script itself.

By 1956, she had enough clout to demand the sort of parts she wanted to play. In"Giant,""Raintree County,"and"Suddenly, Last Summer"she portrayed women who were complex, unhappy, openly sexual. Most of all, she acknowledged not only the promises but the punishments of privilege.

She pushed this dare even further with her still-searing work in 1958's"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."As the tortured Maggie and Brick, she andPaul Newmanexpose the fear and insecurity that lurks beneath those admired solely for their beauty and sexuality. At the time, there was no one else who could have delivered such a bitter lesson with so much conviction. 

It's telling, however, that"Cleopatra"— which she started filming in 1960 - is the movie for which she'll always be best known. It wasn't her strongest work, by any means. But it best represented the split she always fostered between work and life.

This was the movie that made her the highest-paid actress of the time, and the most notorious, given that she and costarRichard Burtonfell in love while married to others. (Imagine the fever pitch aroundAngieandBradtimes 10, and then double that.)

Source

'White Irish Drinkers'captures the familiarity of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn in working-class Irish film

An early scene in"White Irish Drinkers"perfectly captures theBay Ridgeof directorJohn Gray's youth.

The regulars are knocking back a few pints in the local pub when a couple of strangers dressed in fancy disco suits step inside.

"Go back toBensonhurst!"sneers the bartender as his customers— many of them civil servants and dockworkers — roar in approval. The outsiders slink away.

Gray's intimate indie film shines a spotlight on the insular working-class Irish community that shaped him in the 1970s.

"I grew up in Bay Ridge, and I wanted the chance to portray the characters in that world the way that I experienced them: as funny, sharp, sarcastic, cynical— and not stupid,"says Gray, sitting at the Playwright Celtic Pub in midtown with"Drinkers"starPeter Riegert.

"It was tight-knit,"he explains."There were more people back then who didn't stray out of the neighborhood because you understood your neighborhood— you even had a certain comfort level with your enemies — which was what made it so frightening to think about leaving."

The film, which opened the Craic Film Festival and plays the Landmark Sunshine Cinema starting Friday, followsBrian Leary(Nick Thurston), an aspiring artist who dreams of escaping his abusive, alcoholic father but feels pressured to conform to his blue-collar community.

"You learn what you grow up in ... and it's hard to break away from the expectations of your family or your neighbors,"says Riegert, who was raised in theBronxbefore starring in"Animal House"and"Local Hero."

"My folks were great about me wanting to become an actor, but they got a lot of crap from other people."
 
Gray also lived out his protagonist's quiet rebellion."I knew from a very, very young age that I wanted to write and direct a movie,"he says,"and that was something that was unheard of in the neighborhood.

"If you wanted to grow up to be a boxer, they could understand that and get behind that. But a filmmaker? How do you make a living on that?"

Director John Gray (l.) and actor Peter Riegert of the film 'White Irish Drinkers.' (Smith for News)

Granted, Gray had an easier time coming of age than his characters."I didn't suffer the way Brian does in the movie, but I certainly had friends who did,"he says."If something in the movie didn't happen to me, it happened to people I knew."

It took 10 years to get his labor of love off the ground. After no one picked up his script, Gray banked $600,000 of his own cash (made from creating theCBShit"TheGhost Whisperer") and attracted actors from Riegert toKaren Allen(familiar from theIndiana Jonesfranchise) andStephen Lang(fresh off of"Avatar") to his personal project.

Source

'Don't Look Now'love scene was real sex between Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie: Peter Bart

The graphic sex scene betweenDonald SutherlandandJulie Christiein"Don't Look Now"is about to become even more infamous.

A new book by former Variety editorPeter Bartclaims he saw the stars having real sex while they shot a bedroom scene inNicolas Roeg's 1973 thriller about a married couple dealing with the death of their child.

"Infamous Players: A Tale of Movies, the Mob, (and Sex)"describes the author's visit to theVeniceset of“Don’t Look Now” when he was aParamount Picturesexecutive.

"{It's} a good day to come by,"Roeg told Bart at the time, according to theHollywood Reporter, which obtained an advance copy of the book.

Bart recounted his mind drifting off as he started watching the sex scene between the film’s stars, which included a controversial oral sex scene. When Bart turned back, the actors were naked.

"It was clear to me they were no longer simply acting: they were {having sex} on camera,"Bart wrote (though in considerably more graphic detail).

Roeg reportedly told Bart he didn't want to say"cut"too soon because he wanted to"have the coverage,"but Bart claimed he saw something"beyond coverage."

In the final version of the film, the lovemaking is intercut with scenes of Sutherland and Christie getting dressed to go out to dinner, which was reportedly Roeg’s attempt to accommodate censors at the time.

Nevertheless,Christie'sboyfriend at the time,Warren Beatty, reportedly demanded that the scene be reedited because of its graphic nature.

Sutherland's and Christie's reps could not be reached for comment.

With News Wire Services

Source

Justin Bieber's'Never Say Never'beats Michael Jackson's'This Is It'for top U.S. concert movie

TheKing of Pophas been dethroned at theU.S.box office by teen pop starJustin Bieber.

"Never Say Never"beat out Michael Jackson's"This Is It"to become the most successful concert-themed movie ever, grossing $72.2 million domestically, $100,000 more than MJ's flick.

"PROUD of #NEVERSAYNEVER3D and grateful 2 the fans 4 making it the #1 grossing concert doc of ALL TIME!! MJ is still the greatest! #HONORED,"Bieber tweeted on Monday.

But the"Baby"singer -- who called the news"CRAZY!!"-- made sure his fans knew he wasn't disrespecting the late"Thriller"singer.

"MJ is still and always will be the KING OF POP! and worldwide we got a long way to go. #MJtheGreatestEVER #SHOWRESPECTTOTHEKINGOFPOP."

But MJ's final concert movie, which was released after his death in 2009, still holds the worldwide box-office record, having earned $189.1 million overseas.

"Never Say Never"has grossed a mere $10.8 million internationally, but Bieber is not greedy.

"…but regardless thank you thank you thank you to all those that did and are continuing to support #NSN3D around the world,"he tweeted.

With News Wire Services

Source

Billy Crystal would consider hosting the Oscars for a ninth time:'I think the show needs a change'

LOS ANGELES--Billy Crystalsays he'd consider a return as Oscar host - if some changes are made to the show.

The eight-timeAcademy Awardshost said he was moved by his warm reception at last month's ceremony and that"it might be fun"to host the show again.

"I think the show needs to change,"he said."There's too many awards and it has to sort of freshen itself up, and if I can be a part of that, that would be great."

The 63-year-old entertainer made the comments Thursday in an interview withThe Associated Pressas he prepared to join longtime friendMuhammad Aliat Saturday's Celebrity Fight Night inPhoenix. Crystal is set to introduce the Champ, who hosts the annual fundraising event to support theMuhammad Ali Parkinson Centerand research toward a cure.

Reba McEntirewill serve as emcee for the 17th annual Celebrity Fight Night, which will feature appearances by Ali andHalle Berryand performances byMatchbox Twenty,Kelly ClarksonandBret Michaels, among others.

Crystal and Ali have been close personal friends since 1974, when they met at one of the comedian's first televised gigs.

Crystal said he"was a substitute schoolteacher during the day and being a comedian at night"when he was invited to appear at an event where Ali was the guest of honor.

The comedian opened with his impression of sports reporterHoward Cosell, then began imitating Ali.

"He went berserk. He couldn't stop laughing,"Crystal recalled."And he starts playing with me. He's putting the napkin over his head, he's jabbing me with jabs... He grabbed me afterward and said, 'You're my little brother,' and it's been that way for all these years now."

Crystal has appeared at Fight Night several times, said event founderJimmy Walker.

"Muhammad Ali considers Billy as one of his best and most loyal friends,"Walker said."They have quite a history together doing many things for each other."

Though Parkinson's disease has diminished Ali's ability to speak,"he has an amazing, booming voice even in his silence,"Crystal said.

When Crystal returns from his weekend appearances in Phoenix, he'll resume work on his movie projects: A big-screen adaptation of his"700 Sundays"show to be directed byBarry Levinson, and a Fox feature about what happens when grandparents are left in charge of the grandkids for the first time.

And he'll wait to see if the Academy calls.

Source

'Lincoln Lawyer'review: Matthew McConaughey and Marisa Tomei drown in outlandish plot

WithMatthew McConaughey,Marisa Tomei,Ryan Phillippe. An L.A. attorney works from his car and takes on a high-profile case. Director:Brad Furman(1:59). R: Violence, sexual content, language. At area theaters.

There's a reason potboiler paperbacks don't make good movies— there's too much outlandish plot, even for Hollywood.

Yes,John Grishamtranslates, but judging from"The Lincoln Lawyer,"adapted from a best-selling series byMichael Connelly, similar writers likeJonathan KellermanandDavid Baldaccibetter keep their focus on the page and not the screen.

Matthew McConaughey is Michael (Mick) Haller, an almost-sleazyLos Angelesattorney who cruises the streets in his mobile office— aLincoln Town Car— and uses his honey-dripped Southern twang to (supposedly) charm all factions of the legal system.

Haller has a sexy ex-wife (Marisa Tomei) in the DA's office, but he's most adept at working the lower levels of the courts. His tit-for-tat friendship with a bail bondsman (John Leguizamo) brings him his latest case: A richBeverly Hillsslimeball (Ryan Phillippe) on trial for assault and battery.

But after signing on to defend the accused, Mick and his shaggy investigator, Frank (William H. Macy, doing his best to be interesting), find out some things. The victim is a prostitute, the slimeball has a link to an earlier case, and someone's broken into Mick's house and stolen his antique gun.

Eventually, it all shakes down, thanks to Mick's connections— he's likeJim Rockford, only with abs. 

In the last decade, the best outlets for McConaughey's know-it-all suavity have been high-camp larks like"Fool's Gold"and"Sahara."

Here, he's a bad-boy litigator, but that's all Mick is about. When he and Tomei flirt or have a conversation about their relationship, they share a line or two that sounds like English before they have to lapse back into the wanna-be-sassy legalese so familiar from the forensics and criminology lingo of TV shows.

Director Brad Furman presides over this failure. He opts for flashbacks showing the way the big crime could have happened, as in a 1970sAgatha Christie-based mystery, and the movie deflates into one ridiculous scene after another.

And why, exactly, does Mick only work out of a car, and not an office? Hey,"The Lincoln Lawyer"might be accused of many things, but not that it's missing a gimmick.

Source

Michael Gough dead:'Batman'star played Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, in four movies

Michael Gough, a veteran character actor best known for playingBruce Wayne's butlerAlfred Pennyworthin the first fourBatmanmovies, died Thursday. He was 94.

A stalwart of British television, film and stage with a deeply resonant voice, Gough appeared in more than 100 films and won aTony Awardfor best actor in 1979 for"Bedroom Farce."

He was also nominated for a best actor Tony in 1988 for"Breaking the Code."

He was most recognizable as Wayne's long-suffering butler - one of few people in on his boss' secret identity.

Gough was one of only two actors to appear in all four of theTim Burton-directed andJoel Schumacher-produced films in the series -"Batman,""Batman Returns,""Batman Forever"and"Batman and Robin."

Fans of the long-running British sci-fi series"Doctor Who"also knew Gough for his reappearing character, the Celestial Toymaker.

Gough was born Nov. 23, 1916 to British diplomats inKuala Lumpurin the then-imperial colony of Malaya.

He made his first acting appearances in the 1940s, most notably in"Anna Karenina,"starringVivien Leigh.

He became a fixture in British horror films, where he enjoyed cult status for his roles in"Dracula,"and the"The Phantom of the Opera."

He later appeared in"Out of Africa"andMartin Scorsese's period film,"The Age of Innocence."

After his final Batman film in 1997, Gough primarily did voiceover work.

Source

Darren Aronofsky bails on Hugh Jackman's'Wolverine'sequel

The"Black Swan"director has flown the coop on"Wolverine 2."

Oscar-nominatedfilmmakerDarren Aronofskybowed out on the sequel to 2009's"X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

"As I talked more about the film with my collaborators at Fox, it became clear that the production of 'The Wolverine' would keep me out of the country for almost a year,"theBrooklyn-born director said in a statement.

"I was not comfortable being away from my family for that length of time,"he said."I am sad that I won't be able to see the project through."

Aronofsky called the script"terrific"and added he was"very much looking forward to working with my friend,Hugh Jackman, again."

He and the mutton-chopped actor previously worked together on 2006's"The Fountain."

"While we are of course disappointed that Darren can't do 'The Wolverine,' we also understand and respect his reasons,"20th Century Foxsaid in response to the news."Having done both 'TheWrestler' and 'Black Swan' with Darren, we know he is an extraordinary talent and we look forward to working with him on other projects in the future."

The film company insists Jackman is still dedicated to the project, which reportedly would take place inJapan.

Aronofsky was a surprising choice for the very commercial"Wolverine"sequel. The filmmaker is known for small, independent films since exploding onto the film scene in 1998 with"Pi."

"Wolverine 2"was expected to be released in 2012, but it is unclear how Aronofsky's departure would impact that schedule.

msheridan@nydailynews.com; or follow him atTwitter.com/NYDNSheridan

Source

Michael Flatley interview:'Lord of the Dance in 3-D'star on his movie and performing in New York

After more than a decade tapping his feet to a lightning-fast cadence— 28 taps per second —Michael Flatleyis jumping onto the silver screen with"Lord of the Dance in 3-D."

And, of course, it opens onSt. Patrick's Day.

"It's a dream come true,"Flatley says while visitingNew York."For years now, I've been approached many times to do something on film, but I was always apprehensive. I was never actually tempted, because I was afraid that the live show atmosphere and energy wouldn't translate to film properly.

"But with the new advances in 3-D technology, I finally found a vehicle that I think works. It's the closest thing to life."

With the new 3-D flick, expect Flatley to not only come to you but at you with his twirls, steps and kicks leaping off the screen. The performance movie was shot over a four-day period with live audiences inDublin,LondonandBerlin.

"They wanted to shoot it at a sound stage,"he says."But I said no, I want the honest reaction of the dancers on stage, of the crowd. If we make mistakes, we make mistakes, but those are honest mistakes."

The Celtic tale surrounds the Lord of the Dance battling the evil and menacing Lord of Darkness as both stomp and go to war onstage with their electric-charged feet as weapons of choice.

"Everyone loves a story about good guys against the so-called bad guys,"Flatley says."I wanted the bad guy to look­really cool. I wanted everyone to say, 'Wow, I want to be one of the bad guys too.' "

While Flatley had his hand in every aspect of the show from writing to producing, he had absolute control of the choreography, which took months to prepare. After creating the beats in his head, he recorded his tapping on a tape recorder, listening to it over and over again before matching other patterns to it.

"Just rehearsing a 30-second segment takes eight hours,"he says of the time-intensive practice regimen."We do it over and over, stopping people, moving people around, listening for the rhythm patterns. Then doing it all over again."

This attention to detail is what makes the show so physically exhausting. In an industry where the average dancer retires at the age of 25, Flatley, 52, says he goes on because of his immense passion and love for dance.

"I'm the only one when we're doing a six-week tour in the show who can't take a night or afternoon off,"he says."It takes a toll on the body."

He also wanted to leave a legacy for his 3-year-old son,Michael St. James, with wife Niamh, also an Irish dancer.

"The big thing was coming back,"he says."For the past few years, building myself all the way back up was a huge challenge, but a great one, and finally being able to leave it after me on film, to leave this now for my son, is incredible."

Source

Amy Ryan interview:'Win Win'actress used to help sister with Daily News paper route

Amy Ryanhas come a long way from playing kickball on the streets ofFlushing.

For the past two decades, her career has successfully crossed back and forth between TV, film and Broadway. But it was her role in 2007's"Gone Baby Gone"that brought Ryan to national attention and earned her anAcademy Awardnomination for Best Supporting Actress.

In the film, Ryan played a drug-addicted neglectful mom whose daughter is abducted. The 41-year-old actress again stars as a mother in"Win Win,"opening Friday, this time in a much more nurturing part.

Ryan playsJackie Flaherty, the wife ofPaul Giamatti's character— a lawyer who ends up becoming the guardian of an elderly client. When the client's neglected teen grandson unexpectedly shows up, the couple, who already have two young daughters of their own, take him in.

Ryan's real-life daughter, 17-month-old Georgia Gracie, came to the"Win Win"set when she was 6 months old. Having a child of her own now, Ryan can relate more to playing a mom.

"There are certain things you learn to do as a parent— using every single part of your body because you're multitasking all the time,"she explains."You're holding the baby and you're closing the door with your left foot.

"So all that stuff just really came naturally now,"Ryan adds."Just even helping out, knowing if the child was upset, I felt like I could understand now, 'Oh, she's hungry.' Before— 'What do you do?!' I was like, 'Oh, I get it now.' "

The film is set inNew Jersey, but actually was filmed mainly inRockville Centre, L.I.

"I live inManhattanand we filmed onLong Island, and that's the most hellacious traffic,"Ryan says."So I was close to home, but it was one of the longest trips ever every day. But that said, I love when I can work where I live, and go home to the family and my own house. It's a great feeling."

High school sports are a big part of"Win Win,"since Giamatti's character coaches a wrestling squad and the teen the family takes in becomes its star.

But Ryan's own alma mater, theHigh School of Performing Arts(now part of LaGuardia), didn't even have sports teams.

"We had dance, yoga, movement, voice, acting,"she says.

One classmate there wasSeth Gilliam, whom she later appeared with in theHBOdrama series"TheWire."

After high school, Ryan worked in Off-Broadway productions. She soon began scoring TV roles in shows like"As the World Turns,""I'll Fly Away,""Law& Order,""The Naked Truth,""100 Centre Street"and"TheOffice."

She has appeared in several Broadway productions and was nominated twice for a Tony for Best Performance by a Featured Actress: in 2000 for her role in"Uncle Vanya,"and in 2005 asStella Kowalskiin"A Streetcar Named Desire."

On the big screen, she has been cast in films like"Capote,""Changeling"and"Jack Goes Boating."

It's been about five years since Ryan last visited Flushing, and even longer since she lived there, but she still remembers every part of growing up there.

"There were lots of families and lots of kids,"she says."You played kickball in the street. And every second person up, you had to pause because of cars coming down the street. We had a lot of freedom. We'd just get on our bikes and be home by dinner.

"We were close enough to the city to have everything at our exposure, but also the freedom of growing up in a really safe neighborhood,"she adds.

Ryan even helped her sister with her Daily News paper route as a kid.

"When she was sick, I would take over,"says Ryan."But it was all about the fold. The papers used to fold in three, and she'd chuck them on the porches. I was the folder and she was the chucker. It was really fun!"

Source

'Jane Eyre'review: Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender lack chemistry of gothic tale

WithMia Wasikowska,Michael Fassbender. Adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's gothic romance. Director:Cary Fukunaga(2:01). PG-13: Brief nudity and violence. At Sunshine Cinema,Lincoln Square.

When faced with a remake or adaptation, my first question is always,"Why?"What original insights, what fresh perspective will this director offer that requires a new look at an old work?

That challenge doubles for classics, especially ones that have been translated to the screen as often as"Jane Eyre."

In his second feature, Cary Fukunaga ("Sin Nombre"), deftly emphasizes the modern elements of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel, though he's less skilled at creating a gothic tone. Those unfamiliar with this story will find a respectable introduction; fans may be somewhat less impressed.

Appropriately, the film's strongest asset is lead Mia Wasikowska, who is properly unglamorous (thank heavens no one thought of castingKeira Knightley). Her Jane has the haunted eyes and stubborn soul of an adult who was denied a childhood and an intensity that immediately attracts the similarly unsettledRochester(Michael Fassbender).

Jane is governess to his young ward, and as the housekeeper (Judi Dench) hastens to remind her, wealthy men like Rochester don't marry their employees. Not that it really matters. If you read Brontë's novel in high school, you probably still remember the dark secret meant to keep them apart.

The real problem, though, is Fukunaga's inability to draw them together.

Jane is beautifully rendered, and so are the windy moors that represent her gloomy, limited options as a woman without independent means. The supporting cast is also strong, with Dench,Simon McBurneyandJamie Belloffering particularly robust turns in small roles.

But much is left undeveloped, from Jane's ghostly anxieties to Rochester's evolving complexity. Wasikowska and Fassbender lack chemistry, and the latter never finds his character's depth, leaving us without a truly strong connection between our star-crossed heroes. Though there's enough to admire intellectually here, every"Jane Eyre"should also deliver some emotional swoons.

Source

New on DVD:'127 Hours,''Love& Other Drugs,''Burlesque,''Faster'

At first, we wondered why"127 Hours"(R, $29.98) wasn't released last week, beforethe Oscars. But now, the strategy makes sense: distract everyone fromJames Franco's turn as host, and remind us that he really is a great actor who deserved to be there—if only as a nominee. He's terrific in what's essentially a one-man show, holding our attention throughout as ill-fated hikerAron Ralston. And no, you won't be cheating if you hit the fast-forward button when his infamous amputation scene appears.

Coincidentally enough,Anne Hathaway's"Love& Other Drugs"(R, $29.98) is also out this week, though it's costarJake Gyllenhaal, as aViagrasalesman, who fares best in this uneven romantic dramedy.

Really, if you're looking for laughs"Burlesque"(PG-13, $28.95) is the way to go. Granted, this rags-to-riches tale of an ingénue (Christina Aguilera) at a retro nightclub is not actually meant to be funny. But even if everyone else—especially Aguilera—plays things completely straight,Cheris as cool as ever and smart enough to get in on the joke.

Speaking of cool, you could also dedicate your weekend toJohnny Depp. Just in time for the release of"Rango,"the 7-disc"‘Pirates of the Caribbean' Trilogy"(PG-13, $72.99) comes out on Blu-ray, with hours of extras including commentary from Depp, several documentaries, and nearly 20 deleted scenes.

The Rockmay not be quite as reliable, but it must be said that Dwayne Johnson can make even the worst movies at least mildly entertaining. And that's exactly what he—and Billy Bob Thornton—do in"Faster"(R, $24.96), which finds Johnson newly released from prison and settling some old scores, whileThornton's crooked cop trails him. It's not exactly art, but with heavy action, fast cars, and random explosions, it's got everything you need in a popcorn flick--well, everything but Cher in sequins.

Source

Julianne Moore is Sarah Palin, but who will play John McCain in HBO Film'Game Change?'

Julianne Mooremay be playingSarah PalininHBO's film about the 2008 presidential election, but who will playJohn McCain?

On Tuesday it was announced that the redheaded"Boogie Nights"star would take on the role ofMama Grizzlyin HBO Films'"Game Change,"about John McCain's presidential campaign in 2008.

While directorJay Roachis keeping mum on the remainder of the cast, a number of silver-haired actors have the experience, not to mention the physical assets, to pull off playing the 75-year-old Republican.

McCain's Hollywood doppelganger,BrooklynnativeRichard Dreyfuss, is no stranger to theWhite House-- the 64-year-old actor playedSenator Bob Rumsonin 1005's"TheAmerican President."

Slightly younger but similarly distinguished, actorEd Harrisalso has a part in big screen politics, having playedE. Howard Huntin"Nixon"and a presidential candidate in"Running Mates"in 1992.

A wild card choice would beAnthony Hopkins, who may have ruined his chances by playingRichard Nixonopposite Dreyfuss in 1995.

Another possibility includes comedianSteve Martin, who has been focusing on his writing career of late, but this year returns to the big screen in"TheBig Year,"oppositeOwen Wilson.

For a slightly hipper crowd,"Mad Men"starJohn Slatterycould inject a little sterling chic into the proceedings.

(l. to r.) Steve MArtin, Anthony Hopkins and John Slattery could also play McCain. (Le Segretain/Getty; Merritt/Getty; Livingston/Getty)

Source

Michelle Rodriguez interview:'Battle: Los Angeles'actress is not'fancy Hollywood type'

In the event of an alien invasion bearing down on Earth,Michelle Rodriguezisn't going to show up as the damsel in distress or as eye candy for the hero— no matter how stunning she can look on the red carpet.

No, she's coming packing heat.

"When us chicks don't remove our clothes and we don't play the girlfriend, there are not a lot of roles out there,"Rodriguez tells the Daily News,"so I got to play it safe and take the roles I can."

"Safe"for the 32-year-oldJersey Cityproduct is relative. She has become locked and loaded as Hollywood's go-to action queen, on a roll of butt-kicking roles in films like"Machete,""Avatar"and"The Fast and the Furious."

Now, in"Battle: Los Angeles,"opening Friday, Rodriguez stars asMarine Sgt. Elena Santos, part of a platoon ofMarinesbased near the City of Angels enduring a close encounter of the aggressive kind from an alien armada.

Sure, the space invaders may be CGI, but there's nothing fake about getting up at 5 a.m. every day to train in a camp with a bunch of Leathernecks.

"For two weeks it was like full throttle,"says Rodriguez."That's where I got the abs for‘Machete' actually— those hundred situps, the 50 pushups and the 2-mile run every morning.

"But the shooting. That stuff I love, I could do that with my hands tied behind my back."

"Battle"director Jonathan­Liebesman says Rodriguez"is believable as a strong female action hero— you know she is physically capable of what her character is going through, and she has the emotional intelligence that you want to go on the journey with her."

The journey began more than a decade ago, when as a then-unknown from the wrong side of the tracks, Rodriguez beat out hundreds of other actresses inNew York Cityto snag the main role in the 2000 indie drama"Girlfight."

The idea of a Hollywood career seemed pretty alien to a teenager born inTexas, raised inPuerto RicoandNew Jersey, who preferred video games over wearing lipstick and hanging with the girls.

But Rodriguez was willing to go to the mat to succeed as an actress. So she hit the weights, gained 25 pounds of muscle for the role and knocked the wind out of the critics.

A few years later she gained even more exposure in the drag-racing thriller"The Fast and the Furious."

There have been speed bumps along the way since then— most notably a 2005 DUI arrest inHawaiiduring the filming of season 2 of"Lost."Her character,Ana Lucia, not exactly a fan favorite anyway, was immediately written off the show.

"I feel that my personal life experience got in the way of the evolution of the character,"she says."So I didn't get an opportunity, or {the writers} didn't get an opportunity, to fully flesh her out."

She has grown up since. When she's not in front of the cameras, she can be found training aboard one of the ships of theSea Shepherd Conservation Societyfleet, a group that engages whaling ships and tries to enforce international conservation laws on the seas.

Get her started and she'll reel a listener in with a sermon on the dangers of overfishing.

That doesn't mean Rodriguez doesn't have fun with this whole actress thing. Between takes on"Machete,"she raced out to the front door at directorRobert Rodriguez's Troublemaker­Studios inAustin, Tex., and straight to her rentedCamaro. It was impossible to pass by all that free space in the studio parking lot and not wear some tires out doing some serious doughnuts.

Laughing at the memory, she explains,"I'm not exactly the fancy Hollywood type."

Source

Dan Fogler, star of'Take Me Home Tonight'revisits old high school stomping grounds, theater

Dan Fogler, star of the new movie"Take Me Home Tonight,"sits in the top row of his high school theater, staring at the stage that spawned his successful acting career.

"Thank God for this beautiful theater,"says the 34-year-old comedian while perched atop the 380-seatRichard PerryTheatre at Poly Prep Country Day School inDyker Heights,Brooklyn.

"I wasn't the best student, and if it wasn't for this stage and the times when I was able to shine and show people that I was worthy of being here in some way, high school would have been much more lonely."

But shine Fogler did. After winning a Tony at the age of 27 for"The 25th AnnualPutnam CountySpelling Bee,"the Brooklyn-born funnyman jumped to the big screen in"Good Luck Chuck"and"Balls of Fury."His next film,"Mars Needs Moms,"opens Friday.

His newfound fame, however, hasn't distorted Fogler's fond high school memories.

"I graduated in 1994, and those were the grunge years,"he says."I was intoPearl JamandNirvana. I wouldn't say I was ahead of my time, but I was shaving pretty early and had all different kinds of facial hair. That was pretty cool, but it upset the guys who hadn't gone through puberty yet."

The bullies didn't like the new mature look, either.

"Once I went through puberty, I became the bullies' bully,"says Fogler, who now lives inBrooklyn Heights."I would see the guys who used to pick on me pick on the smaller guys and I would break up the fight. I tried to put the bullies in their place, but that has its own drawbacks because then they go and get their bully friends."

Fogler's teenage experiences influenced his portrayal ofBarry Nathan,Topher Grace's best friend in"Take Me Home Tonight."

"The dynamics in the movie were very similar to what I dealt with in high school,"he says."The whole thing felt like I was in 10th grade again with all the insecurities."

Of course, Fogler never swapped spit withAngie Everhartin high school as he does in the movie.

According to Fogler,"When I was younger, she was this hot supermodel who dated Stallone and all these action stars. She was an icon, and I'm suddenly making out with her in a bathroom. That was pretty awesome."

Unlike in the movie where Fogler's character attends a raging house party, there were very few keggers for the self-proclaimed theater nerd in high school.

"You heard about stuff like that, but I was never invited,"he says."I think jocks were having all those parties. Theater people would have our own house parties but nothing as intense as the movies. Less kegs and more wine coolers."

Not that he minds. He turned out just fine, thank you very much.

"This is where I honed my cajones,"says Fogler."In this theater, I found out that the only way I was going to survive was to keep on acting. Otherwise, I was going to be making little sculptures on the side of the road for people. So I went full throttle into acting, which saved me from a life of roadside sculpting."

Source

'Beastly'review: Teenage redo of'Beauty and the Beast'turns out to be anything but a beauty

There's less to"Beastly"than meets the eye - and what meets the eye is no great shakes, either. It's a new spin on a classic that doesn't seem to have read the source material before deciding to update it, leading to some awkward interpretations at exam time.

Still, a teenage redo of"Beauty and the Beast"isn't, in and of itself, an awful idea. Most modern teen movies involve mean girls, superbad dorks or clueless consumers, or some variation on those themes, with only slight emotional take-away. And if anyone could benefit from a hipped-up take on this tale, it's high-schoolers.

"Beastly,"from a young adult novel byAlex Finn, at least tries to get a handle on that world. For anyone over 18, though, this brisk but slight movie may feel like time in detention.

Kyle (Alex Pettyfer,"I Am Number Four") is a hunky, rich, vacuous teen running for a student committee position. The super-successful, vain son of an equally empty-souled TV anchor (Peter Krause), Kyle has disdain for anyone not as cool, or hot, as he is. He saves a special cruelty for Kendra (vampyMary-Kate Olsen), a Goth student who calls herself a witch and stalks around looking likeGary Oldmanin"Dracula."

At a school dance, Kendra puts a curse on Kyle, damning him to life as a scarred freak until he becomes a better person and finds someone to accept him.

Holed up in aBrooklynbrownstone, Kyle decides that person is Lindy ("High School Musical's"Vanessa Hudgens), an altruistic classmate attending Kyle's elite school on scholarship. When Lindy's drug-addict father puts her in danger, Kyle takes her in - though she doesn't know he's her former crush, and that only her full-fledged love can transform him, as long as it arrives before the tattooed flowers on his arm bloom.

Getting all the pieces of the story, familiar to this film's audience fromDisney's 1991 animated gem, into place requires a lot of contortion."Beastly"becomes embarrassingly awkward as it twists and turns to get Kyle alone, to get Lindy into his sphere and to manipulate their changes of heart.

What it gets most wrong is how easily Lindy accepts the gruesome fellow calling himself"Hunter"and wearing a hood (he must be familiar withRon Perlman's 1980s TV beast). It turns out she thought the jackass Kyle was"kinda bitchin.'"
 
Hmm. That ends up stunting a lot of the characters' growth, since Kyle - played by Pettyfor as either a strutting or sulking entitlement prince - now has to just get Lindy to see past the crazy-looking scars. (They really aren't so bad; he could be inLady Gaga's entourage, or maybe a villain in aVin Dieselflick.) But, wait: When Kyle shows Lindy his mauled face, she shrugs and says,"Not so bad."So much for overcoming first impressions.

That kind of grading-on-a-curve makes writer-directorDaniel Barnz's movie less a life lesson than a Very Special Episode of"Charmed."And its romance is thuddingly manufactured, as is the appearance ofNeil Patrick Harrisas a blind tutor hired by Kyle's father.
 
The"How I Met Your Mother"star strolls drolly through scenes, dispensing witticisms and wisdom, and making the movie slightly more palatable. Harris can't save things, but at least he's mature enough to know that beasts can smell fear, so he never breaks a sweat.

Source

'The Adjustment Bureau'review: Matt Damon and Emily Blunt's hot date deserves a better fate

WithMatt Damon,Emily Blunt. A man discovers a secret group has plans for him. Director:George Nolfi(1:39). PG-13: Violence. At area theaters.

Connection is everything, in movies as in life. And in the first half of"The Adjustment Bureau,"the surprisingly perfect matchup of Matt Damon and Emily Blunt sneaks up on you.

From their characters' first meeting through their subsequent run-ins and romance, these two banter and flirt and give a master class in screen chemistry.

Unfortunately, the fantasy-thriller they're in eventually falls apart, becoming a much sillier, less substantial movie than its lead actors deserve. If only writer-director George Nolfi had followed
their lead, everything would have wound up where it was supposed to.

Winding up in the right place is the dilemma facingDavid Norris(Damon), a charismatic youngBrooklyncongressman vying for a Senate seat. After suffering a political setback due to a minor scandal, David meets Elise (Blunt) by accident, and the electric pull between them makes him think there's more to life than following his previous path.

That, unfortunately, goes against the plans of the mysterious men in hats lurking on the edges of David's life. When he catches these"case officers"in the midst of a job (his co-workers have been frozen in place and his workplace is being"adjusted"),
David discovers their secret.

No spoilers here, but the top caseworker (slitheryJohn Slattery) and his sympathetic
underling (Anthony Mackie) reveal that David and Elise were fated to meet— in the '70s, '80s and '90s — but were kept apart. They can't stop running into each other now, though everyone's future may go off track if they fall in love. And powerful forces don't want that to happen.

Early sections of"The Adjustment Bureau"unfold with the energy and verve of such paranoid classics as"The Parallax View,"and it creates a meta political landscape, as everyone fromMayor BloombergtoJon Stewarthas a cameo with"Red Hook's senator-to-be."

Meanwhile, Slattery ("Mad Men") amuses as a quirky man in a gray flannel suit, andTerence Stampis sneeringly dismissive as Slattery's chief.

But then the movie, based on a 1954 short story byPhilip K. Dick— whose work inspired"Blade Runner"and"Minority Report"— loses its footing. The final section devolves into an"Inception"-lite pursuit (though this was filmed in 2009), involving doors that lead to anyplace inManhattan. Wearing a caseworker's"magical"snap brim to navigate their world, Damon looks like Sinatra during hisCapitol Recordsyears, instantly going fromYankee StadiumtoSoHotoLiberty Island.

The mystery's resolution, while taken from the original story, is too simplistic, as is the need to keep David and Elise from"a real kiss."

Damon and Blunt have it in them to support the fairy-tale feel; the fault for the film's collapse lies not with the stars, but in the script's easy way out. Even chemistry needs a great last act.

Source

Vanessa Hudgens takes on dual roles in'Beastly'and'Sucker Punch,'is inspired by New York City

With back-to-back movie releases,Vanessa Hudgensis hotter than ever.

She stars in"Beastly"(in theaters Friday), an updated version of"Beauty and the Beast"that's set inNew York City. And the 22-year-old kicks butt and carries an automatic weapon in the action-fantasy film"Sucker Punch,"opening March 25.

In"Beastly,"Hudgens playsLindy Owens, the"Beauty"role, falling for a classmate who has been turned into an ugly duckling by a witch who doesn't like his attitude.

Much of the movie takes place in aBrooklynbrownstone and on the city's streets. But it was actually shot inMontreal.

Thanks to shrewd set designers, Hudgens didn't have too much trouble faking it. But she was happy to spend some time in the realNew Yorkrecently, where she hit Fashion Week and even got a neck tattoo.

Did you watch theDisneyversion of"Beauty and the Beast"as a kid?

Oh yes, of course! I grew up wanting to be a Disney princess."Beauty and the Beast"was one of my favorite films. It was just a beautiful tale and one that was really close to my heart.

The film is set inManhattanand Brooklyn, but was shot inCanada. How did the cameras capture a New York City look?

We shot in Montreal, and old Montreal has a very rustic, New Yorkish feel with very old buildings and old streets. So we kind of capture it through that. We used some of those exteriors. We really tried to use places that felt like they had history.

Hudgens stars oppositeAlex Pettyferin the fantasy romance 'Beastly.' (Beastly)

There are some scenes on a Brooklyn rooftop, and in the background is this gorgeous view of the Manhattan skyline. What were you guys really looking at?

Our set designer actually painted a beautiful backdrop that was stunning. They put lights behind it and it really looked like the New York skyline.

Kyle (the Beast) tries to impress your character by buying her expensive purses and shoes, but she's happy with just Jujyfruits. What are the best and worst gifts you ever received?

Best gift would be, one time I was given a television, which was awesome considering I make movies. And the worst gift— I honestly don't think there's such a thing as a bad gift. If somebody gives me something and it's not something I'd use, I'm thankful for the thought.

Your"Beastly"character sees beyond physical beauty. What do you look for in a guy?

Somebody who is just true to themselves. Someone who's loyal and honest.

You were spotted at a fewNew York Fashion Weekshows. How did you like the events?

It was very exciting becauseMarc Jacobswas my very first sit-down runway fashion show I've ever been to. AndAnna Wintourwas sitting across from me, which was the most surreal moment I had. I got to go backstage and meet Marc, and it was just a fantastic night.

What are some of the cool things you get to do in"Sucker Punch"?

I play a character named Blondie— I know, I'm not blond, but it's kind of an ironic thing. My character does a few things out of fear. And when you do things out of fear, it's usually not the smartest decision. That's why it's Blondie. And she is a total badass. I got to do some amazing things. I have a tomahawk fighting sequence. I run around with a SAW (squad automatic weapon), which is actually aRambogun, and shoot at zombie Nazis. And I trained for a few months on the movie withNavy SEALs, working out super-hard. My very first day I was there, I was dead-lifting 130 pounds, and by the end I was doing 180.

gsalamone@nydailynews.com

Source

'Rango'review: Johnny Depp's take on animated western conquers reptile dysfunction

With the voices ofJohnny Depp,Isla Fisher. Animated adventure about a charismatic chameleon. Director:Gore Verbinski(1:47). PG: crude humor, language, violence, mature themes. At area theaters.

"A strange and bewildering tale"is what we're told to expect when"Rango"begins, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a more apt description for Gore Verbinski's wonderfully inventive animated western.

The latest collaboration between Verbinski ("Pirates of the Caribbean") and Johnny Depp is sharp-edged, surreal, and often astonishing in its giddy creativity. What it is not, however, is a family film.

Or, at least, not the safe, cuddly type the movie's ad blitz may have led you to expect.John Logan's near-existential script is obsessed with death and violence and animals who are named"Roadkill"for a reason.

Then again, I can't remember the last animated hero as inviting as Depp's Rango, a lonely chameleon with untapped flair. He gets his chance to impress when he happens upon a parched community in theMojave Desert, where the central well has run suddenly, suspiciously dry.

After regaling the desperate citizens with outlandish tall tales, Rango is elected sheriff— a job, it turns out, he was born to do. Aided by a feisty lizard (Isla Fisher) and obstructed by a shifty turtle (Ned Beatty), Rango sets out to uncover the truth and save a town.

A movie made by outlaw insiders,"Rango"is the rarest of studio releases: one that stubbornly resists limits. Which is not to say you need cult tastes to enjoy its irreverence. In a vocal performance of extraordinary range, Depp offers something for everyone, while those old enough to enjoy"Pirates of the Caribbean's"bawdy humor will welcome the similar sensibility here. Visual consultantRoger Deakins— who last made"True Grit"— ensures that each shot is a visual marvel.

Really, the animation is so gorgeously rendered, it puts every 3D effort in recent memory to shame.

Mostly, though, the picture feels as if it were made for movie-lovers— and not just those ready to spot each cinematic reference, but anyone who appreciates the risks film allows. Granted, not every joke works, and sometimes the pacing feels a little slow. But when uninspired comedies like"Gnomeo& Juliet"are the norm, it's nice to know there's also room for"Rango."

Source

'Blade Runner'returns! Alcon Entertainment locking up rights for prequels, sequels to 1982 movie

Androids may dream of electric sheep, but fanboys have been dreaming of this moment for years.

Alcon Entertainment, the production company behind 2009's"The Blind Side,"announced Wednesday that it is closing in on the rights to the 1982 cult sci-fi movie,"Blade Runner,"Variety reported.

The studio has its eye on making prequels and sequels to the cult classic, which starred Harrison Ford as a cop hunting down illegal"replicants"(or clones, for non-geeks) in a dystopian future in the far-flung year of 2019. Based on Philip K. Dick's book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and directed by Ridley Scott, the movie was a box office flop when it came out but continues to be held in reverence by many sci-fi fans.

"This is a major acquisition for our company, and a personal favorite film for both of us,"Alcon co-heads Kosove and Broderick Johnson said in a statement."We recognize the responsibility we have to do justice to the memory of the original with any prequel or sequel we produce. We have long-term goals for the franchise, and are exploring multiplatform concepts, not just limiting ourselves to one medium.”

Hollywood is in the midst of a trend of strip-mining old sci-fi movies for potential remakes, reboots and retreads. Last year's"Tron: Legacy"revisited the Grid 28 years after the original, a prequel to John Carpenter's"The Thing"hits theaters in October, and Scott is hard at work on"Prometheus,"which may or may not be a sequel to the"Alien"movies.

Purists can rest assured, though, as Alcon says its deal, with producer-director Bud Yorkin -- who currently holds the rights to"Blade Runner"-- would exclude permission to remake the original.

Harry Knowles, founder of Ain't It Cool News, says it’s too early for fans to get excited or angry about future"Blade Runner"projects.

"There is a universe there that captured a lot of people's imaginations,"says Knowles."It could be horrifying or it could be awesome.

"It all depends on what talent groups they get together to exploit it."

esacks@nydailynews.com

Source

'Robocop'remake 2011: Jose Padilha, Brazilian filmmaker, in talks to direct MGM reboot

Jose Padilha, the director of the violent Brazilian"Elite Squad"cop movies, is in talks to direct a remake of"Robocop."

The 1987 original, directed byPaul Verhoeven, featured a cop who is brought back from the brink of death in the form of a cyborg with no memories of his prior life. It spawned two sequels.

The remake is a big priority at the newly reconstituted MGM, which met with directors last week. Others on the list includedRobert RodriguezandDavid Slade("The Twilight Saga: Eclipse") -- with Padilha emerging a top cop. No screenwriter is attached yet.

"Robocop"could act as the Hollywood debut for Padilha, whom the town has been high on since he directed 2007's"Elite Squad,"aBerlin Film Festivalwinner set on the mean streets ofRio de Janeiro. The film was distributed domestically by theWeinstein Co.His 2010 follow-up is the highest-grossing film inBrazil's box office history, surpassing even Hollywood fare. It played atSundancein January but has yet to secure a domestic deal.

Padilha was attached at one stage to direct"The Sigma Protocol,"an adaptation of aRobert Ludlumnovel, but has since moved on.

Source

Oscars 2011:'The King's Speech'wins best picture, Colin Firth and Natalie Portman snag top awards

"The King's Speech"reigned supreme at Sunday night's 83rd annualOscartelecast, winning theAcademy Awardfor Best Picture— moments before the Kids Chorus fromStaten Island's P.S. 22 serenaded Hollywood's royalty with"Over the Rainbow."

Colin Firthwon Best Actor for his portrayal ofKing George VIin the film, andTom Hooperwon Best Director.

"I'm feeling stirrings that could manifest themselves as dance moves,"Firth joked dryly from the stage.

Hooper told of how his mother heard a staged reading of"King's Speech"in 2007 and recommended it as his next film."The moral is, listen to your mother,"he said.

Long Island-raisedNatalie Portmanwon Best Actress for her portrayal of a twisted ballerina in"Black Swan."

Portman, pregnant with her first child, thanked her fiance and"beautiful love,"Benjamin Millepied,"who choreographed 'Black Swan' and who's now given me the most important role of my life."

"The Fighter"landed a one-two punch as a pair of performances from the film connected.

Melissa Leotook home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 'The Fighter.' (Terrill/AP)

Melissa Leo won Best Supporting Actress for her turn as a boxer's feisty mom, andChristian Balegot Best Supporting Actor for playing her son, a crack-addict former contender.

Censors bleeped an expletive fromNew Yorknative Leo's speech as she accepted her Oscar.

"Those words, I apologize to anyone that they offend,"Leo said. She said she was"shakin' in my boots here!"

Bale— best known for starring in the Batman blockbusters — let out a more sedate"Bloody Hell!"as he hit the stage.

CHECK OUT THE COMPLETE LIST OF OSCAR WINNERS

David Seidler's Best original Screenplay win rounded out the quartet of awards for"King's Speech,"which went into the evening with 12 nominations. The 73-year-old playwright cracked that,"My father always said I'd be a late bloomer."

The sci-fi drama hit"Inception"also nabbed Four Oscars: Best Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing and Visual Effects.

Aaron Sorkinwon Best Adapted Screenplay for"The Social Network."The movie about the creation ofFacebookalso won Best Film Editing and Best Original Score.

Aaron Sorkin raked in the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for 'The Social Network.' (Blake/AP)

"Toy Story 3,"2010's biggest moneymaker, won Best Animated Feature.Randy Newmanwon Best Original Song for"We Belong Together"from the movie.

"The Wolfman"won Best Makeup."Alice in Wonderland"took Best Art Direction and Costume Design.

TheWall Streetindictment"Inside Job"won best Documentary Feature."In a Better World,"fromDenmark, took Best Foreign Language Film.

Brooklyn-basedNYUstudentLuke Mathenywon Best Live Action Short Film for"God of Love."

HostsJames FrancoandAnne Hathawaybrought a youthful glow to the Oscars Sunday night. (Terrill/AP)

CHECK OUT THE COMPLETE LIST OF OSCAR WINNERS

jneumaier@nydailynews.com

Source

Oscars 2011 winners: Snubs and surprises include Natalie Portman, Annette Bening and Tom Hooper

Much of Sunday's 83rd annualAcademy Awardswent according to the script that seemed to congeal from the end of last year through the awards shows in January and February: Once"The King's Speech"swept the guild awards, earning accolades from the Actors' Guild, the Directors' Guild and the Producers' Guild, its Oscar future was set.

However, one or two other wins Sunday threw a wrench into either conventional wisdom or Oscar-watcher prognostications.

The biggest surprise wasDavid Fincher's loss toTom Hooperin the Best Director category. The virtuoso behind"The Social Network"was expected to be the big win for theFacebookmovie, part of the team– with screenwriterAaron Sorkin– who adaptedBen Mezrich's nonfiction book"The Accidental Billionaires"into a compelling, of-the-moment drama.

Yet Fincher's loss to Hooper at the Directors' Guild awards was a harbinger of things to come. Hooper, whose style with"The King's Speech"was more unassuming and thus, in Oscar terms, more stealth, was a filmmaker making his first big-screen splash and possessing anything but a household name. But the idea of a"Speech"triumvirate of Hooper, eventual Best Actor winnerColin Firthand costar (and Best Supporting Actor nominee)Geoffrey Rushobviously connected with Oscar voters, and the film– far from, say,"1989's"Driving Miss Daisy"or 2000's"Gladiator"– was not going to be a Best Picture that"directed itself."

That surprise was relatively unexpected, butAnnette Bening's snub in the Best Actress category was slightly more of a nail-biter. Yes,Natalie Portmanhad been a favorite for"Black Swan,"and as she arrived at the Oscars, pregnant and glowing, the former child star who'd become a movie princess seemed ready to be crowned.

Bening, however, was the heart of"The Kids Are All Right,"a movie that also lost in the Best Original Screenplay category (another major snub, this time in favor ofDavid Seidler's script for"The King's Speech"). Bening -- a pillar of the Hollywood community,Mrs. Warren Beatty, a famous loser for 1999's"American Beauty"on her third nomination -- seemed ready to get what some saw as her due. Except Portman's performance in"Swan"embodied that movie's aesthetic, its nutso-taut psychodrama. Her win wasn't so much a surprise as a snub of Bening, as well as"Kids,"a movie that may have opened too early in an Oscar year that favored late-season entries.

Seidler's"Speech"win for original screenplay was also a snub of"Kids"– as well as"Inception,"a terrifically original work that won four technical awards– was part of the King's brigade, and the 73-year-old Seidler's story (a former stutterer who had to wait until the Queen Mother died at 102 before he could get his script about her husband,King George VI, produced) was as much part of the film's lore as the historical events it was based on.

Finally, one of those wins for"Inception,"Best Cinematography, was something of a surprise. A film that had much of its look done via CGI, gorgeous as it was, seemed otherworldly next to the beautiful work done for"True Grit,"the edgy look of"Black Swan,"or even"The King's Speech,"a movie whose burnished browns and wine-colored color scheme was as cozy as it was regally muted. But even in years where things seem preordained, there were still a few plot twists.

Source