‘Sopranos’ movie rumor revealed
Hold the poles! Is a Sopranos movie in the works? The real-life manager of the strip club that fronted for the Bada Bing on HBO’s “The Sopranos” thinks there might be. Satin Dolls manager Nick D’Urso says he’s holding off on renovations to the strip club in Lodi, N.J., after getting a tip that a movie would be made. He wouldn’t name the tipster. An HBO spokeswoman... [Read more]
Notorious B.I.G. movie finds its big star
Biggie is coming to the big screen. Fox Searchlight has hired Jamal Woolard, a Brooklyn-based rapper, to play late rap icon Biggie Smalls, a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G., in its upcoming biopic “Notorious.” Derek Luke, Angela Bassett and Anthony Mackie also have been cast in the movie, the art-house studio said. Directed by George Tillman Jr. (”Soul Food”), it goes into production... [Read more]
Global movie ticket sales hit record
Moviegoers around the world pushed global box office revenues to a record $26.7 billion in 2007, but rising ticket prices and a weakening dollar accounted for much of the increase, the Motion Picture Association of America said. The group’s annual report said box office revenue outside North America climbed 4.9 percent to $17.1 billion, representing nearly two-thirds of all ticket sales. Revenues... [Read more]
Lohman finds a place in “Hell”
Alison Lohman will replace Ellen Page in Sam Raimi’s horror film “Drag Me to Hell.” The “Juno” Oscar nominee dropped out last week, facing a scheduling conflict after “Hell” was delayed because of a protracted preproduction period. It bumped against two other projects on Page’s dance card: the roller-derby comedy “Whip It!” and the thriller... [Read more]
`The Bank Job’ is solid as a vault
As the title alone suggests, “The Bank Job” is a solid, no-nonsense heist thriller, yet one that ultimately fails to distinguish itself from the many others of the genre. It has none of the cinematic pyrotechnics of a Guy Ritchie picture, but it also lacks the stylish cool of a “Sexy Beast,” for example. Australian director Roger Donaldson (”The Recruit,” “Thirteen... [Read more]
‘Indiana Jones’ trailer is a smash
Times sure have changed in the 19 years since Harrison Ford last donned the signature fedora of thrill-seeking archaeologist Indiana Jones. The viral spread of the trailer for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is proof of that. The trailer for the May 22 release has drawn highly enthusiastic responses in theaters. But it may have had its biggest impact online, on a younger... [Read more]
McDormand, Adams shine in “Miss Pettigrew Lives”
So fluffy that it threatens to blow off the screen at any moment, “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” sustains itself through glorious star turns by gifted actresses Frances McDormand and Amy Adams. This is a self-described “fairy tale for adults,” set in a Noel Coward London of 1939 with ornate and spacious flats, actresses of easy virtue, lavish cocktail parties and sophisticated... [Read more]
Ferrell comedy “Semi-Pro” stumbles at box office
Will Ferrell stumbled at the North American box office on Sunday with his latest sports comedy, the basketball spoof “Semi-Pro.” The movie narrowly took the No. 1 spot with disappointing ticket sales of $15.3 million, its struggling distributor New Line Cinema said. The $57 million film marks an inauspicious swan song for the studio, which is being absorbed by its Time Warner Inc corporate... [Read more]
Schwarzenegger kicks off fitness expo
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Ohio to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of his sports and fitness festival at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Schwarzenegger received a loud round of applause Friday night when he presented a series of awards at a women’s figure and fitness competition. He waved to the crowd, interviewed a few winners but did not make a speech. The three-day Arnold... [Read more]
Nicholson films make case for Clinton
He was The Joker in Batman, but Jack Nicholson says he wasn’t fooling around when he said in “A Few Good Men” that there was nothing sexier than saluting a woman. Nicholson, who is backing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, took his endorsement to the Internet on Saturday with a humorous collection of clips that put his support into the mouths of his most film famous characters. “And... [Read more]
