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1-20 of 30 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
John Woo to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award
23 December 2009 8:20 AM, PST
| Cinematical
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He couldn't have done it without his specially-trained slow-motion doves. The BBC is reporting that John Woo -- whose last Us film was the appropriately titled Paycheck -- will be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at 2010's Venice Film Festival.
All kidding aside, it's hard to argue with the festival organizers: "The acknowledgment recognizes a filmmaker who in recent decades, with his revolutionary conception of staging and editing, has renewed action movies to the core, introducing an extreme stylisation close to visual art, both in Asia and in Hollywood."
Woo first gained international attention with the action films The Killer and Hard-Boiled, and translated that success to English audiences by directing a number of high-profile American studio films like Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2. I like to believe that all of those movies starred the same doves. His impact on the action genre -- not just films, but video
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- John Gholson
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'Knight & Day' Trailer Is Up
21 December 2009 9:45 PM, PST
| CinemaSpy
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Is the world ready to embrace Tom Cruise again?
That may be an even more important question than "Will he save the world/get the girl?" in the new action/comedy Knight & Day, heretofore known as the top secret Wichita. Reunited with his Vanilla Sky co-star Cameron Diaz, Cruise appears to play a nigh-invulnerable badass who drags Diaz’ character on a globe-trotting adventure.
The action sequences look cool (there’s a motorcycle-related one that I assume is a spoof of Mission: Impossible 2), but personally, whenever I see Cruise, I half-expect him to start babbling about the joys of Scientology/myth of post-partum depression, or to jump up-and-down on a couch. I guess what I’m saying is, love him or not, I don’t know if I trust him to be my movie star anymore. But in a movie like Knight & Day, that might end up working in his favor: after all,
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First look at The Day of the Triffids remake, X-Men stars now tackle mutant plants
14 December 2009 11:46 AM, PST
| The Geek Files
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A New remake of The Day of the Triffids is coming this Christmas, with a stellar cast taking on the deadly plants.
It's now been revealed that the two-part sci-fi drama begins on BBC1 on December 28 at 9pm, with the concluding part on December 29.
The cast is headed by British actor Dougray Scott as Bill Masen. Sci-fi and superhero fanatics may recall that Scott, 44, was cast as Wolverine in the first X-Men film back in 1999 but had to be replaced by Hugh Jackman when shooting on Mission: Impossible II overran by two months.
Fellow X-Men actor Brian Cox - the villainous William Stryker in X2 - joins him as Dennis Masen, with other cast members including Joely Richardson as Jo Playton, Vanessa Redgrave as Durrant, Eddie Izzard as Torrence and Jason Priestley as Coker.
The image at the top shows Dougray Scott with Joely Richardson, while the picture below shows
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- David Bentley
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Dougray Scott Joins Indie/Romantic/Fantasy, Plots Death of John Woo
10 December 2009 3:03 PM, PST
| WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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This article isn’t so much about The Veil Of Maya, the new independent romantic fantasy Variety is reporting actor Dougray Scott has signed on to star in. This is more about a man who could have been an A-lister and slipped through the cracks. The premise of The Veil Of Maya involves a woman traveling through time to undo a love that ends in tragedy.
Now, let’s travel back in time to early 2000 when Scott was hand-picked by Tom Cruise to play the role of the lead villain, Sean Ambrose, in Mission: Impossible II. Sounds like a pretty cush gig, right? Yeah, you might think that, unless the role you have lined up right after this gig is to play Wolverine in the first X-men film. Dougray Scott was cast as Logan. It was a done deal. He was months away from growing the mutton chops and sliding on the adamantium claws.
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- Kirk
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Interview: John Woo
6 December 2009 6:02 PM, PST
| Cinematical
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When I was in college in the 90s in Austin, Texas, I used to frequent a video store called "I Luv VIdeo." The locals all called it "I Heart Video," though, because of their distinctive sign. They had an amazing array of video tapes from all over the world, including a huge section of Asian cult hits. This is where I was introduced to John Woo and his movies like Hard Boiled, The Killer, and Bullet in the Head. The man is an amazing director, but since moving to Hollywood his work has been erratic. For every Mission: Impossible 2, there's a Windtalkers. For every Face/Off, there's a Paycheck.
Red Cliff is his first film since Paycheck, and it's a triumphant change for Woo as he moves into epic storytelling with a film so large it had to be split into two parts. Unfortunately, American audiences only received a cut-down version of both films,
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- Kevin Kelly
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'Red Cliff' is John Woo's Best Action Epic in Over a Decade
24 November 2009 9:05 PM, PST
| CinemaSpy
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Film geeks still slaver over the early output of John Woo such as Hard Boiled and The Killer for their devotion to style and fantastic action sequences. However, the mid-90s and early aughts brought disappointment in the director for his less-than-stellar fare including Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle Hard Target, the shockingly bad Mission: Impossible II, and the forgettable Philip K. Dick adaptation Paycheck. But with exhilarating, epic action reminiscent of both Braveheart and Hero, the ancient Chinese war film Red Cliff restores Woo to the hall of the hallowed. It has the director's trademark style in spades, but it never skimps on story or character development.
Red Cliff is the most expensive movie in Asian cinema history, and it's easy to see where the money went. Countless actors in period costumes, numerous special effects shots, and impeccable sound all contribute to a masterfully created film that matches Hollywood's high standards with its impressive visuals.
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The view: John Woo's departure from Hollywood is a loss to us all
20 November 2009 9:30 AM, PST
| The Guardian - Film News
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Once hailed as the man to shake up Hollywood, the maestro of dizzying, exquisitely choreographed action movies has returned to the far east
Let's say from the start that the life of a major league film-maker, with a thriving career in several corners of the globe, is not one to be sniffed at. That said, it's hard not to feel some small twinge of fellow feeling for John Woo, Hong Kong's onetime bullet-spraying master of the action genre. You may not have heard his name for some time but he was, in the early years of this soon to be ex-decade, still being spoken of as the dominant force of the film industry's future. "The most influential director making movies today," The New York Times called him back in 2002, adding, "Woo embodies the globalising forces that have shaped motion pictures in the last two decades."
Which makes it all the
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- Danny Leigh
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Film: Review:Red Cliff
19 November 2009 12:02 PM, PST
| avclub.com
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Financed for $80 million, the most money ever allotted to a Chinese production, the immense period action epic Red Cliff is John Woo’s first film in the six years since Paycheck ended—for the time being, anyway—his rocky sojourn in Hollywood. From the looks of it, the cultural exchange cut both ways: Woo’s flair for slo-mo theatrics has become a common visual stamp for Hollywood actioners, while his longtime interest in Western themes found a natural home in America, even though the blockbuster conventions of movies like Mission: Impossible II often eclipsed those themes. Bringing all his
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Exclusive Video: John Woo Visits Red Cliff
17 November 2009 6:54 AM, PST
| MovieWeb
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From the acclaimed director of Mission: Impossible 2, Face/Off, Hard Boiled and The Killer, comes a dazzling, visionary epic based on the legendary Battle of Red Cliff, in which a force of fifty thousand defeated an army of nearly one million. Red Cliff, opening on November 18th, marks the director's return to Chinese language films and also re-teams him with his Hard Boiled star, Tony Leung. We recently had a chance to speak with the legendary Chinese director about his new film, the passion that brought it to the screen, the true-story of the battle of Red Cliff and his distinguished career. To watch our exclusive interview click on the video clip below.
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minister Cao Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms
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Woo-Hoo! Woo Woos Cruise
28 October 2009 2:25 AM, PDT
| GetTheBigPicture.net
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Two years ago, this news would have you running for the hills. John Woo and Tom Cruise, who made that hulking
mass of mediocrity known as Mission: Impossible 2, are getting back together for a World War II epic called Flying
Tigers.
Why would you have a recent change of heart? Well, Cruise has made smarter choices, like his Tropic Thunder cameo and the
mostly solid Valkyrie and Woo, who went from one of the most promising import directors to one of the more embarrassing in a
handful of years, has reportedly bounced back with his Chinese period drama Red Cliff. Another reason to be encouraged is
that this film apparently has a script co-written by Christopher McQuarrie.
Coming Soon talked to Woo about the project last week, and here's his official synopsis:
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- Colin Boyd
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Tom Cruise May Fly In World War II For John Woo
27 October 2009 2:29 PM, PDT
| cinemablend.com
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We heard that Valkyrie co-writer and producer Christopher McQuarrie was putting something together with the help of Mason Alley as a starring vehicle for Tom Cruise back in December of 2008. Now, Coming Soon reports that not only is Cruise.s involvement likely, but that Mission: Impossible II director John Woo will be the man behind the lens.
In an interview with Cs Woo gave a brief description of Flying Tigers:
.It's based on a true story in WWII, about a group of American volunteer fighter pilots who worked with the Chinese Air Force fighting with the Japanese and they won the war. Also, it's the story of Clair Chennault, and they did a great contribution for the Chinese, and the Chinese people love and respect them. The whole story is about a friendship between a Chinese and an American and they worked together."
Lieutenant General Claire Lee Chennault was
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It Appears John Wooed Tom Cruise for a 'Flying' Reunion
27 October 2009 1:21 PM, PDT
| Rope of Silicon
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John Woo and Tom Cruise on the set of Mission: Impossible II
Photo: Paramount Pictures
Variety has posted an article discussing New Regency's upcoming development slate in which it includes a one-line item mentioning Flying Tigers, a film scripted by Valkyrie scribe Christopher McQuarrie with Tom Cruise attached to star. On top of that it mentions the project is on "the immediate horizon." What Peter Bart's article fails to mention is Flying Tigers will be directed by John Woo, which means this is a reunion for the Mission: Impossible II star and director.
As a matter of fact, it is actually John Woo's attachment that became the big news back in July of 2009 when Slash Film reported on a Chinese press conference in which Woo announced the film would be his next:
This is an extremely important production. Currently, basic preparations for shooting work have already been made
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- Brad Brevet
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Tom Cruise Attached to John Woo’s Upcoming Film Flying Tigers
27 October 2009 12:24 PM, PDT
| Collider.com
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Buried in a recent article from Variety was the news that Tom Cruise would be re-teaming with his “Mission: Impossible 2″ director John Woo for Woo’s next film, “Flying Tigers”. Steve spoke with Woo a couple weeks ago for Woo’s new film, “Red Cliff” which is the most successful film in Chinese history and it’s received positive reviews in this hemisphere as well. Woo mentioned his next film would be “Flying Tigers” and that it would have the same budget as “Red Cliff” ($80 million) and focus on the friendship between Americans and Chinese soldiers in World War II as they fought the Japanese. I wonder if this could be an unofficial sequel to “The Last Samurai” but this time Cruise ends up saving the Chinese instead.
Hit the jump to see Steve’s full interview with Woo. They begin speaking about “Flying Tigers” at the 3-minute mark.
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- Matt Goldberg
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Woo Talks Next War Epic
15 October 2009 9:45 PM, PDT
| CinemaSpy
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John Woo’s not finished with war yet.
The helmer of Hard Boiled, Face/Off, and Mission: Impossible 2 — and one of the most successful foreign-born directors ever to cross the pond — has a big month coming up: His new film Red Cliff will be having its long-awaited American release on November 20.
But Woo is already looking ahead to his next project, which will be decidedly more contemporary. In an interview with Collider, he said Flying Tigers, his Red Cliff follow-up, will be about an American volunteer group that worked with the Chinese Air Force to fight the Japanese during World War II. Audiences can expect Woo’s trademark extraordinary action sequences, but the movie will also focus on the friendship between the soldiers of these two nations.
Woo said the script about the unit, which was a private military contractor with 'mercenaries' consisting of former Us Army, Navy, and Marine Corps pilots/ground crew,
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John Woo: 'After Paycheck, I Couldn't Get Better Scripts'
13 October 2009 7:15 AM, PDT
| Movieline
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After building a trailblazing career as an action director in Asia, John Woo left for Hollywood over fifteen years ago to make megabudget films like Face/Off and Mission: Impossible II. Still, the director always intended to return to his home country and bring his blockbuster knowledge to bear on a Chinese production, and he's done just that with Red Cliff, a massive war epic taken from Chinese history. The film was such a success in China that it outgrossed Titanic there; it'll have its Stateside debut next Friday through video-on-demand services before opening in theaters November 20th.
I sat down with Woo last week to talk about Red Cliff, his career, and his departure from Hollywood after directing the Ben Affleck thriller Paycheck. Part of our conversation (about what two English-language films might lure Woo back to the States) was published on Movieline last Wednesday; here's the rest.
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Red Cliff Official Us Movie Trailer
6 October 2009 4:06 PM, PDT
| Filmofilia
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The trailer for the upcoming John Woo’s “Red Cliff” has appeared online.
Red Cliff Synopsis: “Legendary action cinema master John Woo (Broken Arrow, Face/Off, Mission: Impossible II, Paycheck) and international superstar Tony Leung reunite for the first time since the 1992 classic “Hard Boiled” with this epic historical drama set based on a legendary 208 A.D. battle that heralded the end of the Han Dynasty. “Red Cliff” opens with power hungry Prime Minister-turned-General Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi) seeking permission from the Han dynasty Emperor to organize a southward-bound mission designed to crush two troublesome warlords that stand in his way, Liu Bei (You Yong) and Sun Quan (Chang Chen).
As the expedition gets under way, Cao Cao’s troops rain destruction on Liu Bei’s army, forcing the latter to retreat. Liu Bei’s military strategist Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) knows that their only hope for survival is to
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- Allan Ford
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Red Cliff Trailer
2 October 2009 2:35 PM, PDT
| www.canmag.com
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We've seen a lot of media from Red Cliff over the past couple years and now, finally, we've been alerted to the first official trailer.
Red Cliff Trailer
From the acclaimed director of Mission: Impossible II, Face/Off and The Killers, comes a dazzling, visionary epic based on the legendary Battle of Red Cliff, in which a force of fifty thousand defeated an army of nearly one million.
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minister Cao Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale, led by the Prime Minister, himself. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance. Numerous battles of strength and wit ensued,
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New Poster for Red Cliff
13 September 2009 1:09 PM, PDT
| HeyUGuys.co.uk
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Here's the new Us poster for the latest John Woo (”Face/Off,’ ‘Mission: Impossible 2′) movie, 'Red Cliff'. The movie is based on historical events of the dramatic battle and ending of the Han Dynasty, was originally shown in 2 parts in Asia. The western release of ‘Red Cliff’ went from an original running time of 280 minutes to 150 minutes in June.
Red Cliff was released in the UK in June but is out in the Us November 20th. Click the image to enlarge.
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‘Red Cliff’ Poster
11 September 2009 3:38 PM, PDT
| WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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Here’s the new badass U.S. poster for ‘Red Cliff.’ A Must-See for every Movie Geek, this 5 hour, epic Chinese film from director John Woo (”Face/Off,’ ‘Mission: Impossible 2′), based on the historical events of the dramatic battle and ending of the Han Dynasty, was originally shown in 2 parts in Asia. The western release of ‘Red Cliff’ went from a running time of 280 minutes to 150 minutes in June 2009.
From Variety:
One of the most ballyhooed Asian productions in recent history, and the most expensive Chinese-language picture ever, John Woo’s costume actioner “Red Cliff” scales the heights. First seg of the two-part, $80 million historical epic balances character, grit, spectacle and visceral action in a meaty, dramatically satisfying pie that delivers on the hype.
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- Michelle
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The Losers Starts Principal Photography
6 August 2009 10:57 AM, PDT
| MovieWeb
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Principal photography is under way on Dark Castle Entertainment's action adventure The Losers. The film is based on the comic book series published under DC Comics' Vertigo imprint, and is being directed by Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard).
The Losers features an ensemble cast that includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek), Chris Evans (Fantastic Four films), Idris Elba (Obsessed, RocknRolla), Columbus Short (Stomp the Yard, upcoming Whiteout), Holt McCallany (Vantage Point), Óscar Jaenada (Che (Part 2)) and Jason Patric (In the Valley of Elah).
An explosive tale of double cross and revenge, The Losers centers upon the members of an elite U.S. Special Forces unit sent into the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission. The team-Clay (Morgan), Jensen (Evans), Roque (Elba), Pooch (Short) and Cougar (Jaenada)-find themselves the target of a lethal betrayal instigated from inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max (Patric). Presumed dead,
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