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2009 | 2008

14 articles from 2009

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The Naughts: The Actress of the '00s

4 December 2009 10:17 AM, PST | ifc.com | See recent IFC news »

If time is an avenger, then the Naughts have had it both ways with Nicole Kidman. In the span of a decade, Kidman was transformed from arm candy into an artist -- the rare movie star who made genuinely interesting choices -- eclipsing her ex-husband, Tom Cruise, who filed for divorce in 2000, with an Oscar win and the embrace, finally, of her peers on her own terms.

However, as the '00s limp to a close, Kidman seems to be succumbing to a personal vendetta against time: by manipulating her face into a mask -- a waxworks ideal of "Nicole Kidman" -- rather than continuing to deploy it as a functional instrument, an artist's tool, Kidman is taking perhaps the most surprising risk of her career: she has chosen to age into glacial iconicity. In this, she exemplifies a decade that treated actresses with ambivalence, waving all the flags of »

- Michelle Orange

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Their Best Role: Nicole Kidman in 'To Die For'

29 November 2009 2:33 PM, PST | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

Welcome to a new series here on Cinematical where we select an actor or actress and the role we think is their all time best.

There is no doubt about it, Nicole Kidman is a big old movie star. But, what's always struck me as a little odd is that when you ask most people what they think of the actress, more often than not the reactions aren't all that positive. As for box-office, it's not like her numbers are going to blow you away either. But neither of those things have stopped Kidman from joining the ranks of A list actresses. So yeah, her career has spanned two continents and she has become an icon of glamor, but when it comes to her work as an actress, I happen to think that she peaked in 1995 in Gus Van Sant's dark comedy, To Die For. In Van Sant's film, »

- Jessica Barnes

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Official Trailer for Angelina Jolie's Actioner 'Salt' is Here

4 November 2009 11:58 AM, PST | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

Angelina Jolie in Salt

Photo: Columbia Pictures Yesterday the Russian version of the Angelina Jolie action-thriller Salt arrived online and was promptly removed, but as expected the domestic version debuted on Yahoo today for all of you to see.

In the film directed by Phillip Noyce (Clear and Present Danger, Dead Calm) Jolie plays CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor, and country. She will prove loyal to these when a defector accuses her of being a Russian sleeper spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture, protect her husband, and stay one step ahead of her colleagues at the CIA.

You can 13 images from the film right here and watch the trailer directly below. Salt is due in theaters on July 23, 2010.

You can also watch it in high definition at Yahoo. »

- Brad Brevet

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Christie Brinkley Battles Ex in Court

8 October 2009 6:28 PM, PDT | Extra | See recent Extra news »

The bad blood between Christie Brinkley and her ex, Peter Cook, hasn't gone away -- today the exes battled in court -- with both demanding the other spend time behind bars!

Cook, who infamously cheated on the former supermodel with a teenager, claims today that Brinkley is attempting to ruin his relationship with the ex-couple's children, Sailor and Jack.

James Winkler, Cook's attorney, released a statement regarding an incident where Peter demanded Christie hand over »

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Hollywood's Most Infamous Breakups

8 October 2009 6:38 AM, PDT | Extra | See recent Extra news »

In Tinseltown, romances rarely end with a "happily ever after" -- "Extra" is taking a peek at some of Hollywood's most notorious splits.

Celebrity BreakupsKevin Federline and Britney Spears

Spears filed for divorce from her 2-year marriage to K-Fed, citing "irreconcilable differences." The pair have two kids, Sean Preston and Jayden James. Britney said, “I think I married for the wrong reasons. Instead of following my heart and doing something that made me really happy, »

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[DVD News] - "Surviving Evil", in cinema October 2nd DVD October 5th

20 September 2009 5:31 AM, PDT | www.ohmygore.com/ | See recent OhMyGore news »

"Surviving Evil" In Cinemas October 2nd 2009 On DVD October 5th 2009 Written Directed by Terence Daw Six Crew......Six Days......No Escape "Surviving Evil" stars Billy Zane ("Titanic", "Dead Calm"), Christina Cole ("Casino Royale", "Doctor Who") and Natalie Jackson Mendoza ("The Descent"). Shot on location in South Africa the film is written and directed by Terence Daw, best known for his directing duties on some of British TVs most popular shows ("The Bill", "Heartbeat"). Synopsis: A British TV crew arrive at the remote Mayaman Island to shoot a jungle survival special. The team are led by presenter and survival-skills expert Seb (Billy Zane) along with two local guides Joey (Joel Torre) and the sexy Chill (Natalie Mendoza). It's not long until the crew hear »

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New on DVD This Week

9 September 2009 7:00 AM, PDT | The Flickcast | See recent The Flickcast news »

Here’s a list of some of the new movie and TV shows coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week that we’re looking forward to seeing. Also, there’s some classic, and not-so-classic, movies hitting Blu-ray for the first time this week as well.

Of all the new releases, we’re particularly interested in the Blu-ray versions of movies like Silverado, Dead Calm and The Quick and the Dead as well as Fringe Season One also on the Blu-ray.

Check them out.

Movies

Bedknobs and Broomsticks ~ Angela Lansbury, Roddy McDowall (DVD)

Catwoman ~ Halle Berry (Blu-ray)

Crank 2: High Voltage ~ Jason Statham, Amy Smart, David Carradine (DVD and Blu-ray)

Creepshow ~ Hal Holbrook, Leslie Nielsen (Blu-ray)

Dead Calm ~ Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill, Billy Zane (Blu-ray)

Requiem for a Dream ~ Billy Crudup, Jennifer Connelly (Blu-ray)

Freddy vs. Jason ~ Robert Englund, Monica Keena (Blu-ray)

Friday ~ Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long (Blu-ray)

Halloween »

- Joe Gillis

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This Week On DVD and Blu-ray: September 8, 2009

8 September 2009 1:03 AM, PDT | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed This week is a little light in terms of quality new releases, but there are a ton of new Blu-ray catalog titles hitting the shelves, which I have listed in the "Even More" section at the end, so don't overlook those. Crank 2: High Voltage I just reviewed the Blu-ray edition, which you can read right here, but to tell it to you simply, Crank 2 isn't very good and this is coming from someone that really liked the first one. However, it does have a solid group of supplements, but is it worth buying a DVD or Blu-ray just for the supplements if you don't like the movie? Requiem for a Dream [Blu-ray] I also just reviewed this one, which you can read right here. There really is no short version way to discuss this movie, or at least »

- Brad Brevet

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The 'Fatal Attraction' Ending: Fatally Flawed or Ambigiously Brilliant?

17 August 2009 4:42 PM, PDT | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

So, after my Sunday posting of What I Watched a conversation got started on Twitter with Drew McWeeny from HitFix.com. The discussion was in regards to the ending of Fatal Attraction based on another back-and-forth I was having with Garth Franklin who runs DarkHorizons.com about my comments on Dead Calm in which I detested the tacked on ending. Garth agreed - although thought I over-reacted - saying, "Surprising take on Dead Calm, I adore that film and see your point but think you Way over-reacted to it. It's a silly addition (a la Fatal Attraction)." I agreed (not that I over-reacted), it does resemble the change at the end of Fatal Attraction (both of which came as a result of test audience screenings), but said I enjoyed the latter's ending much more and don't think it ruined Fatal Attraction at all, which was my primary beef with Dead Calm »

- Brad Brevet

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What I Watched, What You Watched: Installment #4

16 August 2009 2:46 AM, PDT | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

Back again with my weekly wrap-up of what I watched that wasn't an upcoming theatrical release, although I will admit this isn't the complete list. There is one old school film I am prepping a review of and there are six others that have something in common with the final title on this list that will be part of a feature article on Monday so I decided not to mention them here. However, I do have four titles for you to chew on. The first two are definite must-sees and the third one I am assuming many of you have already seen, but may have something to say about my comments. As always, after checking out what I watched, add your thoughts in the comments as well as share some of the films you watched recently and suggest future titles for myself and others to add to our Netflix queues, »

- Brad Brevet

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Creepshow, Chainsaw, Freddy Vs Jason & More Coming To Blu-Ray!

14 May 2009 6:50 AM, PDT | iconsoffright.com | See recent Icons of Fright news »

High Def Digest have revealed that Warner Brothers (which now owns New Line) will be releasing a slew of horror related titles on Blu-Ray! They include George Romero & Stephen King's classic anthology film Creepshow, Freddy Vs Jason, Snakes On A Plane, Dead Calm and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake.

The article states "'Creepshow,' 'Dead Calm' and 'Over the Top' will contain no announced extras, while all other titles will feature the same package of supplements as found on the previous DVD editions. (Why not cart over the awesome features on the UK special edition of Creepshow?!?!) All tiles will also be remastered in 1080p/Vc-1 video, with exact audio specs unavailable at press time, though most (if not all) are expected to include Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround tracks. We'll keep you posted. Suggested retail price for each Blu-ray has been set at $28.95."

They're due in stores September 8th of this year. »

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Watch This: Nicole Kidman and Rubina Ali for Schweppes

8 May 2009 3:32 PM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

Maybe it's a strange question, but: Whatever happened to Nicole Kidman? Now I'm only partly kidding when I say that, because if you look at the woman who appears in this fancy new commercial for Schweppes, she bears no resemblance to the plucky redhead who wowed us in flicks like Flirting and Dead Calm. The 'Gossips' like to blame the current state of the Aussie actress on Botox or sometimes it's the 'curse of Tom Cruise', but really, I'd love to know when did Ms. Kidman turn into the porcelain faced robot we now see before us? Now before you get all offended, keep in my mind that I actually quite like Kidman as an actress, and despite Australia's failings as a film, at least Kidman was showing some signs of life; signs that have long disappeared in this glamorous soda ad.

The commercial was directed by Elizabeth's Shekar »

- Jessica Barnes

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Film: Review: Donkey Punch

22 January 2009 1:00 PM, PST | avclub.com | See recent The AV Club news »

Like the "Dirty Sanchez," the "donkey punch" is one of those don't-try-this-at-home sexual acts that has currency as an Internet meme or a naughty dorm-room topic, but resides with the snuff film in the realm of cultural myth. The British thriller Donkey Punch brings it out into the open, first through the sort of dirty talk that can percolate between flirtatious young people, and later into an incident with horrific consequences. Set mostly on a yacht in the open sea, the film is what Dead Calm or Knife In The Water would look like if they featured late-period cast »

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Donkey Punch (Film Review)

12 January 2009 8:49 AM, PST | Fangoria | See recent Fangoria news »

Since you’re reading this review at Fangoria.com, you’ve probably already ascertained that this movie’s title does not refer to an animated romp about a lovable burro. Yet neither is this an animal-gone-rabidly-amok horror film, which would have represented a more credible guess.

Instead, as this suspense thriller reveals to the hitherto uninformed, a “donkey punch” is a nasty physical act instigated during an intimate moment between (up until that point) consenting adults. To this viewer, the film’s comparably described “tarmac” sounds even worse, but it carries a far lower risk of fatality, and Tarmac would not a movie (or a movie title) make. In any case, Donkey Punch seeks to wade (more on that later) into violent thriller mode rather than wallow in sexually explicit situations. As such, it only fitfully lands its…er, punches.

Recalling the deceptively lulling setup of last year’s underrated and underattended The Ruins, »

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2009 | 2008

14 articles from 2009

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