LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Movie audiences have flocked to filmmaker Eli Roth's low-budget horror productions like 'Cabin Fever' and 'Hostel.'
On Friday, 'The Last Exorcism Part II,' which Roth produced, will be released. It is the sequel to his 2010 movie about an evangelical minister who let a documentary crew film his last exorcism on a girl named Nell.
The 2010 film cost $1.8 million to make and grossed more than $67 million worldwide. The sequel follows Nell as she discovers that the evil force has returned.
Roth, 40, who is also a director, actor and writer, spoke to Reuters about the enduring appeal of films about possession.
Q: When you shot the first film, were there plans to make a sequel?
A: If we had thought about a sequel, we wouldn't have called the first movie the 'last' one. It made $20 million on opening weekend, which was a surprise. The financiers said, 'whenever you want to do another one, the financing is there for it.'
Q: The first film was filmed documentary-style, but the second was not. What was the thought process behind that?
A: We decided to make the sequel as a straight narrative. In the sequel, the first film exists as a viral video, floating out there on YouTube. So the characters in the sequel recognize Nell as being that girl who breaks her fingers, does her back bend and acts possessed.
Q: 'The Last Exorcism Part II' is set in New Orleans. Does the setting influence the film?
A: It's very much part of the story. It's Mardi Gras and Nell is going out and experiencing the world. But there is this thing still following her, this presence out there. So when you're seeing a creepy face, you don't know if it's a Mardi Gras character or if it's actually something quite sinister.
Q: 1973's 'The Exorcist' is the seminal film on exorcism and possession. Any film since then on the same topic inevitably draws comparisons. Did that weigh on your mind while making the film?
A: 'The Exorcist' came out almost 40 years ago. That was before (U.S. President) Jimmy Carter was in office! I love 'The Exorcist.' I think it's a masterpiece. But we're making a movie for today's 15-year-old kids. They want their own 'Exorcist,' not the ones their parents were into.
Q: There have been many recent films on this same topic, from 2005's 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' to last year's 'The Devil Inside.' What is it that make audiences turn out for them?
A: Possession and exorcism is something that's in every religion and every culture. It's a real primal fear: Is the body a vessel for our spirits? What happens if something else takes over it? Where does the spirit go?
Also, there is a lot of unexplained evil in the world. People need to point the finger somewhere. You can point it at the devil, at evil. With the pope stepping down February 28, a lot of people feel that a gateway to evil will open up. They feel unprotected from evil without the pope there.
Q: Did the first film get any religious support or push back because of the subject matter?
A: Actually, we got a lot of church support because it was very much about faith, the battle between faith and science, and faith wins.
Q: Are there themes of faith in the sequel?
A: There is, but we loved the idea of what if this evil was following you and you actually started to embrace it? What would happen then?
Q: Have you ever met anyone that was possessed?
A: Yeah, I dated her for three months! For a long time I had a crazy girl dating habit. Thankfully, I've recently broken it.
(Reporting By Zorianna Kit; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Stacey Joyce)
Thursday, February 28, 2013
"Jack the Giant Slayer" Review: Fee-fie, ho-hum
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Fee-fie, ho-hum.
'Jack the Giant Slayer' is only incrementally more fun than a spate of other recent action-fantasy movies based on classic fairy tales. It has too much of a whiff of the familiar to stand very tall.
This 3D 'Jack' follows in the once-upon-a-time footsteps of 'Red Riding Hood' (2011), 'Snow White and the Huntsman' (2012) and last month's 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters,' as well as 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' (2012).
It, too, offers a variation on an oft-told tale and peoples it with a mix of live actors and computer-generated digital monsters. ('Jack' was originally slated for a June 2012 release but was pushed back to 2013 early last year.)
'Jack' takes as its starting point the familiar story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk.' That's the one about the poor youth who accepts seemingly worthless beans for the family cow only to have the beans sprout into a towering beanstalk, with a nasty giant dwelling at its tippy-top.
In the movie, Jack (Nicholas Hoult) is an impecunious orphan living on a farm with his ill-tempered uncle when he acquires his magic beans. New to this 'Jack' is an adventure-seeking princess, Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), who provides Jack with both a love interest and a reason to climb the beanstalk to fight the giants after they take her prisoner.
Yes, that's giants plural, as in hulking, slobbering, carnivorous masses of 'em, all turned on by the smell of nearby humans. 'Jack's' CG giants look and act like close relatives of the trolls seen in 'The Hobbit,' complete with similar bad dental work and questionable personal hygiene.
The movie cooks up a complicated back-story, told in a prologue, about the giants having come to earth way back when and a brave king repelling them and banishing them forever to their own kingdom high in the sky. That heroic king, it turns out, was an ancestor of Isabelle's.
The giants have been biding their time until they can exact their revenge and once more munch on humans. When Jack inadvertently drops a magic bean and a massive beanstalk takes root, giants and humans once again must match wits and weapons.
The movie is fitfully amusing, thanks to director Bryan Singer's ('X-Men' and 'Superman') obvious relish for his human performers. Stanley Tucci contributes a sneering turn as a power-hungry villain (is there any other kind?) and Ewan McGregor imbues his noble knight with Errol Flynn-like dash.
As the movie's hero and heroine, Hoult and Tomlinson are appealing but strike no special sparks. Brits Ian McShane, Eddie Marsan and Ewen Bremner also turn up in 'Jack,' as does Bill Nighy, who provides the voice for the dominant head of General Fallon, the two-headed leader of the giants.
The problem is that 'Jack' is never antic enough to be a true comedy or original enough in its action sequences to seem like more than a warmed over version of too many movies we've seen before.
The variations it works on the familiar fairy tale just aren't clever or revisionist enough to bewitch or cast much of a spell. This is popcorn entertainment originating from kernels that are more than a little stale.
Warning to parents: The PG-13 film is way too violent and scary - the giants enthusiastically bite the heads off of humans - to take small kids to see.
'Jack the Giant Slayer' is only incrementally more fun than a spate of other recent action-fantasy movies based on classic fairy tales. It has too much of a whiff of the familiar to stand very tall.
This 3D 'Jack' follows in the once-upon-a-time footsteps of 'Red Riding Hood' (2011), 'Snow White and the Huntsman' (2012) and last month's 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters,' as well as 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' (2012).
It, too, offers a variation on an oft-told tale and peoples it with a mix of live actors and computer-generated digital monsters. ('Jack' was originally slated for a June 2012 release but was pushed back to 2013 early last year.)
'Jack' takes as its starting point the familiar story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk.' That's the one about the poor youth who accepts seemingly worthless beans for the family cow only to have the beans sprout into a towering beanstalk, with a nasty giant dwelling at its tippy-top.
In the movie, Jack (Nicholas Hoult) is an impecunious orphan living on a farm with his ill-tempered uncle when he acquires his magic beans. New to this 'Jack' is an adventure-seeking princess, Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), who provides Jack with both a love interest and a reason to climb the beanstalk to fight the giants after they take her prisoner.
Yes, that's giants plural, as in hulking, slobbering, carnivorous masses of 'em, all turned on by the smell of nearby humans. 'Jack's' CG giants look and act like close relatives of the trolls seen in 'The Hobbit,' complete with similar bad dental work and questionable personal hygiene.
The movie cooks up a complicated back-story, told in a prologue, about the giants having come to earth way back when and a brave king repelling them and banishing them forever to their own kingdom high in the sky. That heroic king, it turns out, was an ancestor of Isabelle's.
The giants have been biding their time until they can exact their revenge and once more munch on humans. When Jack inadvertently drops a magic bean and a massive beanstalk takes root, giants and humans once again must match wits and weapons.
The movie is fitfully amusing, thanks to director Bryan Singer's ('X-Men' and 'Superman') obvious relish for his human performers. Stanley Tucci contributes a sneering turn as a power-hungry villain (is there any other kind?) and Ewan McGregor imbues his noble knight with Errol Flynn-like dash.
As the movie's hero and heroine, Hoult and Tomlinson are appealing but strike no special sparks. Brits Ian McShane, Eddie Marsan and Ewen Bremner also turn up in 'Jack,' as does Bill Nighy, who provides the voice for the dominant head of General Fallon, the two-headed leader of the giants.
The problem is that 'Jack' is never antic enough to be a true comedy or original enough in its action sequences to seem like more than a warmed over version of too many movies we've seen before.
The variations it works on the familiar fairy tale just aren't clever or revisionist enough to bewitch or cast much of a spell. This is popcorn entertainment originating from kernels that are more than a little stale.
Warning to parents: The PG-13 film is way too violent and scary - the giants enthusiastically bite the heads off of humans - to take small kids to see.
Rolling Stones hope to play Glastonbury festival, Ronnie Wood says
LONDON (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones picked up two prizes at the NME Music Awards in London on Wednesday, and guitarist Ronnie Wood said the band hoped to play at Britain's Glastonbury music festival in June.
The Stones won for best live act and best film, and Wood was on hand to accept a pair of irreverent 'middle finger' statuettes.
The Stones returned to the stage in late 2012 to celebrate 50 years in business, and their sellout mini-tour of London and the United States was a hit with critics and fans.
Wood told Reuters Television he wanted to do more live shows, including playing Glastonbury.
'Keep your eye out because you know I want to do some more (live shows) and I know that the boys do too,' he said.
Asked about rumors the Stones could play at Glastonbury, one of the biggest European music festivals, for the first time in their long career, Wood replied:
'I want to do it badly, but I've no idea yet ... but I am just looking forward to. ... I know we're the best live, so I just hope we get it,' he said.
The lineup for the June 26-30 Glastonbury festival has not yet been announced.
The veteran British rock group - comprising Wood, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts - is one of four acts to be nominated four times for the annual NME awards, organized by NME music magazine.
As part of its golden jubilee celebrations, the band collaborated on the documentary film 'Crossfire Hurricane' recalling its meteoric rise to fame.
'Thanks #NMEAwards from me and the boys @RollingStones,' Wood tweeted from the event, where he also took to the stage and performed 'How Soon is Now' with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who was handed the 'Godlike Genius Award'.
'You can't imitate Johnny Marr,' said ex-Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher in a video message played at the awards ceremony. 'He's in a class of his own. He makes the very difficult look easy.'
The other multiple winner on the night was Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine.
She won best solo artist, despite collaborating with other musicians on her music, and best dance-floor anthem for 'Sweet Nothing'.
'I really didn't expect to get this again, especially because it's debatable whether I'm a solo artist,' Welch said after her first honor. 'Thanks to my band - it really is a collaborative thing.'
Other major awards included best British album, which went to The Maccabees for 'Given to the Wild', best track to the Foals for 'Inhaler', best new band to Palma Violets and best British band to Biffy Clyro.
The opening ceremony of the London Olympics in July 2012, directed by filmmaker Danny Boyle, was awarded music moment of the year and U.S. President Barack Obama was named NME's 'Hero of the Year'.
According to NME, more than 10 million votes were cast to decide the winners, the highest number to date.
Following is a list of the main winners of the NME Awards 2013:
BEST BRITISH BAND:
- Biffy Clyro
BEST ALBUM:
- 'Given To The Wild,' The Maccabees
BEST INTERNATIONAL BAND
- The Killers
BEST TRACK
- 'Inhaler,' Foals
BEST MUSIC FILM:
- The Rolling Stones: 'Crossfire Hurricane'
BEST SOLO ARTIST:
- Florence Welch
BEST NEW BAND:
- Palma Violets
BEST MUSIC VIDEO:
- 'R U Mine?,' Arctic Monkeys
BEST LIVE BAND:
- The Rolling Stones
BEST DANCEFLOOR ANTHEM:
- 'Sweet Nothing,' Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch
MUSIC MOMENT OF THE YEAR:
- Olympics opening ceremony
HERO OF THE YEAR:
- Barack Obama
(Editing by Jill Serjeant and Peter Cooney)
The Stones won for best live act and best film, and Wood was on hand to accept a pair of irreverent 'middle finger' statuettes.
The Stones returned to the stage in late 2012 to celebrate 50 years in business, and their sellout mini-tour of London and the United States was a hit with critics and fans.
Wood told Reuters Television he wanted to do more live shows, including playing Glastonbury.
'Keep your eye out because you know I want to do some more (live shows) and I know that the boys do too,' he said.
Asked about rumors the Stones could play at Glastonbury, one of the biggest European music festivals, for the first time in their long career, Wood replied:
'I want to do it badly, but I've no idea yet ... but I am just looking forward to. ... I know we're the best live, so I just hope we get it,' he said.
The lineup for the June 26-30 Glastonbury festival has not yet been announced.
The veteran British rock group - comprising Wood, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts - is one of four acts to be nominated four times for the annual NME awards, organized by NME music magazine.
As part of its golden jubilee celebrations, the band collaborated on the documentary film 'Crossfire Hurricane' recalling its meteoric rise to fame.
'Thanks #NMEAwards from me and the boys @RollingStones,' Wood tweeted from the event, where he also took to the stage and performed 'How Soon is Now' with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who was handed the 'Godlike Genius Award'.
'You can't imitate Johnny Marr,' said ex-Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher in a video message played at the awards ceremony. 'He's in a class of his own. He makes the very difficult look easy.'
The other multiple winner on the night was Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine.
She won best solo artist, despite collaborating with other musicians on her music, and best dance-floor anthem for 'Sweet Nothing'.
'I really didn't expect to get this again, especially because it's debatable whether I'm a solo artist,' Welch said after her first honor. 'Thanks to my band - it really is a collaborative thing.'
Other major awards included best British album, which went to The Maccabees for 'Given to the Wild', best track to the Foals for 'Inhaler', best new band to Palma Violets and best British band to Biffy Clyro.
The opening ceremony of the London Olympics in July 2012, directed by filmmaker Danny Boyle, was awarded music moment of the year and U.S. President Barack Obama was named NME's 'Hero of the Year'.
According to NME, more than 10 million votes were cast to decide the winners, the highest number to date.
Following is a list of the main winners of the NME Awards 2013:
BEST BRITISH BAND:
- Biffy Clyro
BEST ALBUM:
- 'Given To The Wild,' The Maccabees
BEST INTERNATIONAL BAND
- The Killers
BEST TRACK
- 'Inhaler,' Foals
BEST MUSIC FILM:
- The Rolling Stones: 'Crossfire Hurricane'
BEST SOLO ARTIST:
- Florence Welch
BEST NEW BAND:
- Palma Violets
BEST MUSIC VIDEO:
- 'R U Mine?,' Arctic Monkeys
BEST LIVE BAND:
- The Rolling Stones
BEST DANCEFLOOR ANTHEM:
- 'Sweet Nothing,' Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch
MUSIC MOMENT OF THE YEAR:
- Olympics opening ceremony
HERO OF THE YEAR:
- Barack Obama
(Editing by Jill Serjeant and Peter Cooney)
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tom Hardy, Solar Pictures developing project about post-traumatic stress disorder
NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Tom Hardy wants to play a British soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder in 'Samarkand,' a project the actor is developing with Solar Pictures and Greg and Olly Williams, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
The Williams brothers have written a draft of the screenplay, which revolves around a young Special Air Service soldier returning from duty in the Middle East. He struggles to acclimate to regular society after this service, a condition afflicting innumerable soldiers and an issue that has faced heightened scrutiny over the past few decades.
Photographer Greg Williams, who directed Hardy in his short 'Sergeant Slaughter - My Big Brother,' will direct 'Samarkand.' He began his career as a war photographer and has since worked for magazines including GQ and Esquire, shot campaigns for films like 'Casino Royale' and 'The Bourne Ultimatum' and done portraits of a litany of celebrities.
Solar Pictures is the film financing and production arm of Bobby Paunescu and Jared Underwood's Solar Entertainment Group.
There is no exact timetable on the project, but Hardy recently finished 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' and will next film 'Animal Rescue' for Fox Searchlight. He is also attached to star in Doug Liman's 'Everest,' Daniel Epinosa's 'Child 44' and Steven Knight's 'Locke.'
The Williams brothers have written a draft of the screenplay, which revolves around a young Special Air Service soldier returning from duty in the Middle East. He struggles to acclimate to regular society after this service, a condition afflicting innumerable soldiers and an issue that has faced heightened scrutiny over the past few decades.
Photographer Greg Williams, who directed Hardy in his short 'Sergeant Slaughter - My Big Brother,' will direct 'Samarkand.' He began his career as a war photographer and has since worked for magazines including GQ and Esquire, shot campaigns for films like 'Casino Royale' and 'The Bourne Ultimatum' and done portraits of a litany of celebrities.
Solar Pictures is the film financing and production arm of Bobby Paunescu and Jared Underwood's Solar Entertainment Group.
There is no exact timetable on the project, but Hardy recently finished 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' and will next film 'Animal Rescue' for Fox Searchlight. He is also attached to star in Doug Liman's 'Everest,' Daniel Epinosa's 'Child 44' and Steven Knight's 'Locke.'
Comedian Tina Fey says "no way" she would host Oscars
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comic actress Tina Fey says there is 'no way' she would host the Oscars ceremony next year, despite getting a thumbs up from 'Star Trek' actor William Shatner in a sketch at Sunday's Academy Awards show.
The creator and star of TV comedy '30 Rock' told the Huffington Post website that she did not see herself as fronting the Oscars telecast.
'I just feel that gig is so hard. Especially for, like, a woman - the amount of months that would be spent trying on dresses alone...no way,' she joked, during an interview with the Huffington Post posted on the website on Tuesday.
Asked if there was at least a one in a million chance, Fey replied, 'I wish I could tell you there was.'
Fey and 'Baby Mama' actress Amy Poehler both received rave reviews for hosting the Golden Globes awards for the first time in January.
In a sketch on Sunday with Seth MacFarlane, Shatner appeared from the future as 'Star Trek' Captain James T. Kirk in a running joke about the edgy 'Family Guy' creator's suitability as host of the most coveted honors in the movie business.
'Why couldn't they get Tina and Amy to host?' Shatner asked, to laughs from the audience packed with Hollywood stars.
TV critics panned the song-and-dance-heavy show and MacFarlane said on Tuesday that he would not consider hosting the Oscars a second time.
The Oscar host - considered both the highest honor and riskiest job in Hollywood - is usually chosen by the producers of the Academy Awards show and is generally announced about five or six months before the February ceremony.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
The creator and star of TV comedy '30 Rock' told the Huffington Post website that she did not see herself as fronting the Oscars telecast.
'I just feel that gig is so hard. Especially for, like, a woman - the amount of months that would be spent trying on dresses alone...no way,' she joked, during an interview with the Huffington Post posted on the website on Tuesday.
Asked if there was at least a one in a million chance, Fey replied, 'I wish I could tell you there was.'
Fey and 'Baby Mama' actress Amy Poehler both received rave reviews for hosting the Golden Globes awards for the first time in January.
In a sketch on Sunday with Seth MacFarlane, Shatner appeared from the future as 'Star Trek' Captain James T. Kirk in a running joke about the edgy 'Family Guy' creator's suitability as host of the most coveted honors in the movie business.
'Why couldn't they get Tina and Amy to host?' Shatner asked, to laughs from the audience packed with Hollywood stars.
TV critics panned the song-and-dance-heavy show and MacFarlane said on Tuesday that he would not consider hosting the Oscars a second time.
The Oscar host - considered both the highest honor and riskiest job in Hollywood - is usually chosen by the producers of the Academy Awards show and is generally announced about five or six months before the February ceremony.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Comedian Will Ferrell to be honored with MTV award
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Will Ferrell will be honored by MTV at its 2013 movie awards show in April for his work in television and film comedy, the cable television network said on Wednesday.
The actor and comedian, who spent years on the TV show 'Saturday Night Live' and appeared in the films 'Anchorman' and 'Elf,' will receive MTV's first Comedic Genius Award.
'Over the course of his extraordinary, 17-plus-year career, he has entertained audiences across the globe with an impressive array of laugh-out-loud performances on air, online and in films,' Stephen Friedman, MTV's president, said in a statement.
Ferrell will receive the award at the April 14 show from the Sony Pictures Studios Lot in Culver City, California.
(Reporting by Noreen O'Donnell; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Eric Beech)
The actor and comedian, who spent years on the TV show 'Saturday Night Live' and appeared in the films 'Anchorman' and 'Elf,' will receive MTV's first Comedic Genius Award.
'Over the course of his extraordinary, 17-plus-year career, he has entertained audiences across the globe with an impressive array of laugh-out-loud performances on air, online and in films,' Stephen Friedman, MTV's president, said in a statement.
Ferrell will receive the award at the April 14 show from the Sony Pictures Studios Lot in Culver City, California.
(Reporting by Noreen O'Donnell; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Eric Beech)
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Jennifer Lawrence's clothes from "Silver Linings" up for auction
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Clothing worn by Jennifer Lawrence in her Oscar-winning role as an outspoken young widow in comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook' went up for auction on Tuesday, just two days after the Academy Awards ceremony.
Memorabilia dealer Nate D. Sanders put the skin-tight white dance pants, winter coat and sports bra Lawrence wore in the film up for sale in the online auction that will end on Thursday.
The items are expected to fetch between $500 and $1,500 following the 22-year-old's Best Actress win on Sunday.
'She's now on the record for having an Academy Award, which definitely gives it (the items) status now,' said Laura Yntema, spokeswoman for auction house Nate D. Sanders.
'The Hunger Games' star also won awards from the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild in January for her 'Silver Linings Playbook' performance.
Five items, either worn by Lawrence or from her wardrobe on the film, are up for auction with starting bids at $100.
They include the custom-tailored skin-tight white pants Lawrence wore during the film's climactic ballroom dance scene with co-star Bradley Cooper.
The black, full-length double-breasted Moda International wool coat is a size six. The teal sports bra by Gap Body will be sold together with an extra-small blue Threads 4 Thought long-sleeved shirt.
The auction also has nine clothing items either worn or from the wardrobe of Cooper, and two items from the wardrobe of supporting actor Chris Tucker.
Movie studios often hand off costumes to auction houses, where even small outfits can fetch high prices from fans and collectors.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Eric Walsh)
Memorabilia dealer Nate D. Sanders put the skin-tight white dance pants, winter coat and sports bra Lawrence wore in the film up for sale in the online auction that will end on Thursday.
The items are expected to fetch between $500 and $1,500 following the 22-year-old's Best Actress win on Sunday.
'She's now on the record for having an Academy Award, which definitely gives it (the items) status now,' said Laura Yntema, spokeswoman for auction house Nate D. Sanders.
'The Hunger Games' star also won awards from the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild in January for her 'Silver Linings Playbook' performance.
Five items, either worn by Lawrence or from her wardrobe on the film, are up for auction with starting bids at $100.
They include the custom-tailored skin-tight white pants Lawrence wore during the film's climactic ballroom dance scene with co-star Bradley Cooper.
The black, full-length double-breasted Moda International wool coat is a size six. The teal sports bra by Gap Body will be sold together with an extra-small blue Threads 4 Thought long-sleeved shirt.
The auction also has nine clothing items either worn or from the wardrobe of Cooper, and two items from the wardrobe of supporting actor Chris Tucker.
Movie studios often hand off costumes to auction houses, where even small outfits can fetch high prices from fans and collectors.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Eric Walsh)
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