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‘Hyde Park On Hudson’ Trailer Features Mistresses, Culture Clashes, And Bill Murray As FDR

Travis Woods — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:58:43 +0000

Featuring as it does a charming performance by Bill Murray as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a series of humorous culture clashes between British royalty and American customs, a Rushmore reunion (Olivia Williams co-stars with Murray as Eleanor Roosevelt), and a sharp look back at FDR’s philandering as well as his hosting of the King and Queen of England in New York for a week just prior to World War II, the trailer for Hyde Park on Hudson is a winner. Check it out below.

The film, written by Richard Nelson and based upon his play of the same name, takes place during the weekend in which a sitting English monarch visited the United States for the very first time, in a bid to win the States’ aid in the fight against Germany. The King and Queen of England are surprised, however, to find the very charming U.S. president romantically involved with his distant cousin, Daisy (Laura Linney). FDR must then juggle his presidency, private life, wife, mistress, the royal family, and his country’s possible involvement in a devastating war over the course of one weekend.

Hyde Park on Hudson was directed by Roger Michell (Morning Glory, Notting Hill), and is set for a December 7, 2012 release via Focus Features.

What do you think of the trailer? Will you be seeing Hyde Park on Hudson?

Source: /Film

Bill Murray Teases That ‘Ghostbusters 3′ Is Still a Possibility

Travis Woods — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:04:19 +0000

Ghostbusters 3—in the annals of Hollywood’s ‘development hell,’ this proposed sequel continues to simultaneously serve as one of the most frustrating, and yet, entertaining entries. It’s frustrating because it’s likely impossible to top the stellar original (Ghostbusters 2, anyone?), and yet the infamous stories of infighting between Bill Murray (who has publically declared the idea of a Ghostbusters 3 as a horrible one) have been fairly entertaining thus far—Murray reportedly Fex Ex’d a shredded copy of the script to Dan Aykroyd when asked if he would return as Doc Venkman.

But now, Murray is teasing hints that a Ghostbusters 3 may still be happening. In an interview with WGN-TV sports anchor Pat Tomasulo, Murray asserted that “you can’t believe everything you read” (though I still hope the shredded script story is true) when pressed about the rumors of his cantankerous reaction to the still-developing sequel. Even further, when asked if the Ghostbusters sequel was thus still possibly happening, Murray responded: “Well, it’s a possibility.”

As far as confirmations go, that’s about as vague as it gets. As recently as February, Aykroyd had confirmed that Murray has passed on the project, stating that “Bill Murray will not do the movie. He doesn’t want to be involved. He’s got six kids, houses all over America. He golfs in these tournaments where they pay him to turn up and have a laugh. He’s into this life and living it.”

However, Murray’s statement may lend credence to rumors that he’s warming to the project; however, it could simply mean the famously mischievous actor was referring to the film being made without him. Here’s hoping, though, that Murray decides to avoid this one. As he is rumored to have told Aykroyd: “No one wants to pay money to see fat, old men chasing ghosts.”

What do you think of the Ghostbusters 3 news?

Source: The Huffington Post

Dan Aykroyd Says He Can Bust Ghosts With or Without Bill Murray

Damon Houx — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:24:06 +0000

That slow sense of creeping dread is coming from Dan Aykroyd, who recently talked with Empire Magazine about the state of Ghostbusters 3. Aykroyd told the magazine they really want Rick Moranis to be a part of the movie – which would be a coup as the actor hasn’t appeared on screen since 1997 – and that he plans to go forward with or without Bill Murray. But only once the script is right, though.

Murray has eschewed doing mainstream comedies for over a decade, though he’s been known to put a cameo in here or there, and it’s fair to call his choices mercurial. That though is partly why he’s a beloved figure as he only briefly descended into some slightly hacky films – many of which have merits. These days he’s more likely to make a movie with friends than take seven figure paychecks.

The drum beat for Ghostbusters 3 has been audible for a while now (we’ve been reporting on it since 2009), partly because of fan interest, partly because Aykroyd will always talk about it. There was serious movement on the project for a while when The Office writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky were attached, but that got scuttled when their also-scripted Year One bombed. And then there’s been word that Harold Ramis and Murray had a falling out, which would make a reunion awkward.

In an era of franchise film-making, it’s no surprise that this keeps coming up, and a third film has long rumored to be something of a reboot with a younger cast in the wings to move the franchise forward. And in an era where “but who wants it?” isn’t as important a question as “does it have name recognition?” it is likely we will get a third film. My question is: How come no one asks Ernie Hudson what he thinks?

Does bustin’ making you feel good?

Bruce Willis and Edward Norton in the Moonrise Kingdom Trailer

Damon Houx — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:49:50 +0000

At this point, it’s easy to know what to expect from Wes Anderson. Great Performers, a distinct visual style, and maybe just maybe some twee. In Moonrise Kingdom there’s Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman in a story about two star-crossed child lovers who escape from a summer camp, which leads to a full scale rescue mission. The film opens May 25, and now there’s a trailer.

With that release date, it suggests the film is going to Cannes, which is no surprise. And with Wes Anderson you’re dealing with a very distinct visual approach, so much so that watching the trailer you get a real sense of what it is. But now there’s at least some new players to the team, and it will be interesting to see how Willis and Norton work in the Anderson universe.

I like Wes Anderson, but at this point he doesn’t seem to have many screwballs left in his pitching arm. He makes the sort of movies he makes, and they’ve come to have a very narrow set of themes and ideas. From the trailer you can see that he’s doing things that are very similar to everything he’s done before for better or worse. Granted, I don’t think he’d do well within the studio system, nor would the world be better with him helming tentpoles, but it’s a curious career full charm and repetition. We’ll know how this one turns out in May.

What’s your favorite Wes Anderson film?

The Best Oddball Christmas Films To Watch During The Holidays

Travis Woods — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:00:45 +0000

Christmas. It’s a time in which families huddle together around the warm, bustling glow of the fireplace, with the mantle framed with rows of stockings the TV set as we nod off from half a gallon of eggnog and some turkey. And, in keeping with that tradition, we here at ScreenCrave have cobbled together a list of our favorite unusual Christmas films—not A Christmas Story or It’s a Wonderful Life or any other of the more obvious picks; rather, it’s our favorite oddball X-mas movies, the films that somehow catch our attention every single year, even if they aren’t exactly the most appropriate holiday fare.

So, with that in mind, dig our list after the jump, and get your Tivo ready to line these up for some Christmas Eve viewing (also, and perhaps it’s a generational thing, or maybe it was the impressive amounts of blow Hollywood execs were inhaling back then, but all of the best weirdo Christmas movies came from the 1980s. Go figure).

5. Trading Places (1983)

Taking us back to those halcyon days when Eddie Murphy was actually brilliantly funny, and when Dan Aykroyd was letting us all know he was still alive, John Landis dropped the comedy masterpiece Trading Places on an unsuspecting world. Taking place over the holiday season in 1980s Philadelphia, the film is a witty, decadent, hilarious and charmingly vulgar update of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper, in which hotshot brokerage director Danny Aykroyd is forced to switch places with homeless street hustler Eddie Murphy, and both must survive as a fish out of water in the other man’s life. As Aykroyd becomes suicidal and driven into the arms of a hooker with a heart of gold, and Murphy goes from being a ribald street thug to a slick power player, it may not sound like a family classic, but Trading Places is one of the funniest flicks you’ll catch on TV all Christmas long.

4. Scrooged (1988)

A modern, semi-meta take on A Christmas Carol, Scrooged finds Bill Murray as a black-hearted TV exec at the height of his cynical, soulless career, during the rehearsals for his live TV adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. And, just like in that Dickens classic, Murray is visited by three ghosts who show him where his life went off track, and how he sacrificed true love for material wealth. But just in case that sounds a little too typical of Christmas schmaltz for you, don’t worry—Murray is in his full-on 80s smartass mode, all while being chased around by rotting corpses, insanely violent pixies, and Death itself, as he simultaneously struggles to staple some fake antlers onto a mouse’s head for his TV special and avoid network TV censors. Dark, wacky Christmas fun.

3. Christmas Vacation (1989)

Probably as much of a Christmas tradition in suburbia as opening presents on December 25th, viewing Christmas Vacation during the holidays has become a kind of unavoidable yuletide habit. The story of a brutally inept and occasionally foulmouthed father (Chevy Chase in a slightly smarter Homer Simpson mode) trying to survive the ultimate staycation as his parents, his in-laws, his children, his bitchy yuppie neighbors, his idiot cousin, a monstrous dog, a berserk squirrel and a full-on SWAT team converge upon his house over Christmas, Vacation is nothing short of a holiday classic. Sure the language is risqué, and it’s probably the only holiday classic to feature electrocuted cats and exploding sewage lines, but hey—that’s what surviving Christmas with a giant family feels like.

2. Gremlins (1984)

It doesn’t get much better than this—Joe Dante directing a Steven Spielberg-produced, Chris Columbus-penned gem about Gizmo, the most adorable little pet ever… and the truly horrifying, reptilian and murderous gremlins that Gizmo accidentally gives birth to. Playing like a live action episode of Looney Tunes (except all the cartoon characters are determined to murder you with household items before taking in a showing of Snow White), Gremlins truly is an utterly insane film. It’s also a classic that, inexplicably, the whole family can somehow enjoy—and when a film’s comic highlight is a played-totally-straight monologue about a child who discovers her dead father dressed as Santa and wedged in the chimney, that’s really saying something.

1. Die Hard (1988)

The recipe: It’s Christmas in Los Angeles. Hard-headed NYPD cop John McClane is visiting his estranged wife at the Nakatomi Plaza corporate high rise. German terrorists take over the building to raid its vaults, and manage to take everyone but McClane hostage. McClane runs around over broken glass with no shoes and a machine gun, and one seriously bad attitude.

As good as full-on ‘80s action films get, Die Hard is both an instant action and holiday classic. Coasting on the sheer charm of Bruce Willis as McClane and Alan Rickman as his smooth-talking nemesis, Die Hard has everything you could want from a Christmas film: Bruce Willis tossing bad guys from a high rise roof, blowing up public property, pissing just about everyone off, and letting loose with some stellar one liners (“Yippee kai yay, mother f*****,” anyone?). You’ll spend all of Christmas morning repeating “Now I have a machine gun. HO-HO-HO,” to as many relatives as you can after watching this holiday winner.

What’s your favorite odd holiday film?

Megan Fox is an Angel in Passion Play

Damon Houx — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:10:21 +0000

Though surely men have described Megan Fox as heavenly before, it seems that the film Passion Play is making that literal. In the trailer for her new film, Fox has wings and everything. She’s joined by Mickey Rourke, Bill Murray and Rhys Ifans, and was directed by Mitch Glazer. The film opens May 6, and hits DVD on May 31. The cast is A list talent, but the film looks sort of weird and direct-to-video-ish. Take a look…

Again, this looks like the sort of thing that either works, or is torturous to sit through. The film screened at Toronto’s film festival last year and was panned hard, so likely this doesn’t work, but Bill Murray usually puts something on the ball. This wouldn’t be Murray’s first time working with Glazer as Glazer was one of the writers on Scrooged, and used to work with Michael O’Donoghue. Since then he’s been doing studio work, including writing the scripts for such films as The Recruit, and the 1998 version of Great Expectations.

This is Glazer’s first film as a director. Which means it’s likely heavy on ideas, though may lack a good visual sense. Going from the trailer, the idea of Rourke and Murray squaring off is so weird that it looks fascinating. The film opens May 6 in New York and Los Angeles. Likely this is contractual obligation.

Do you find it weird that a film with this many A-listers is essentially going straight to video?

Bill Murray To Play F.D.R. In ‘Hyde Park On Hudson’

Travis Woods — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:50:14 +0000

Today in ‘huh, really?’ casting news: Bill Murray is going to portray president Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a film adaptation of the radio play, Hyde Park on Hudson, in which the president has an affair with his distant cousin during a visit by England’s royal family. Yes, really.

Directed by Roger Mitchell (Morning Glory, Notting Hill, Changing Lanes) and written by Roger Melson (adapting his own play), Hyde Park on Hudson is set in 1939, “features FDR and his distant cousin Margaret Stuckley (called Daisy in the play) as they have an illicit affair while King George VI and Queen Elizabeth are making their first visit to America,” according to /Film.

Wow—however, if you strip away the presidential title, this sounds like the type of character that Murray has been specializing in over the past decade: a just-past-middle-aged man locked in an affair or near-affair (Lost in Translation, Rushmore, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou). It could work.

/Film has the plot overview:

“No reigning British monarch had ever been to the United States before George VI’s visit in 1939, just on the cusp of a new world war. History was in the making when the King and Queen arrived at President Roosevelt’s upstate New York home, with a promise of politics, a picnic and hot dogs. But the private life of the President provided a whole new dimension to an epochal moment, at least in the memory of his lover.”

So—Bill Murray plays former president Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a film in which he has an affair with his cousin during a visit by the Royal Family? I can’t tell you how ready I am for this.

What do you think of the casting news?

Jason Schwartzman Has Been Added To Wes Anderson’s ‘Moonrise Kingdom’

Travis Woods — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:45:22 +0000

As we reported last year, Wes Anderson’s new pastel-colored phantasmagoria of Caucasoid ennui, Moonrise Kingdom, has already nabbed Anderson regular Bill Murray, along with the likes of such hotshots as Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, and Bruce Willis. Well, you can add one more Anderson regular to that list.

According to the Huffington Post, Jason Schwartzman, who previously (and perfectly) starred in Anderson’s Rushmore, as well as the short film Hotel Chevalier and its full-length companion, The Darjeeling Limited, along with a voice role in the animated The Fantastic Mr. Fox, has now been added to the cast.

Little is known about the film’s plot, beyond what Deadline reported last year:

“Two young adults fall in love and run away. Leaders in their New England town are sticking the idea that they’ve disappeared and go in search of them. Norton will play a scout leader who brings his charges on a search. Willis is in talks to play the town sheriff who’s also looking, and who is having an affair with the missing girl’s mother, the role McDormand is in talks to play. Murray, a regular in Anderson films, will play the girl’s father, who has his own issues.”

Well, that may not be much to go on, and The Darjeeling Limited was fairly disappointing, but still—if Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman on together on a screen that Wes Anderson is composing, I’ll be there to watch. Will you?

What do you think of the casting news?

Comic-Con 2010: Who You Gonna Call? Ghostbusters!

Sasha Perl-Raver — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:41:10 +0000

Turning a corner on the floor during Comic-Con‘s preview night, we all drew a collective gasp followed by a slow exhale of “Coooooool!!!” Behold, the Ecto-1 in all it’s glory. The only thing that could have made the moment even cooler is if a giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man had been handing out fresh s’mores or Slimer was doing a booth appearance.

Coming on the heels of GQ Magazine’s interview with Bill Murray where he announced he’s actually, seriously, really and truly considering strapping on his proton pack for another Ghostbusters movie, we couldn’t help ourselves, we had to cheer, “Who you gonna call?” And a chorus answered back with verve: “Ghostbusters!”

Be sure to check out photos from the rest of our Comic-Con experience:

What do you think of the Ghostbusters display?

Bill Murray Confirms Ghostbusters 3 Rumor

Krystal Clark — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:27:20 +0000

It sounds like every member of the old Ghostbusters team will be accounted for when the second sequel is finally released. Bill Murray has been the most vague about his involvement with Ghostbusters 3, and has become the focal point of many rumors. Over on the UK site Mail Online, they have a recent interview with the actor and he spills the beans on what he’ll bring to the table this third time around.

A while back, Ghostbusters co-star Sigourney Weaver revealed the plot to the upcoming film, and she let it slip that Murray’s character would no longer be of this world. The thought of Murray being a ghost in the movie would be ironic on multiple levels, and it turns out she was telling the truth. Murray didn’t give descriptive details on his role but he gave just enough to confirm Weaver’s story and his casting.

‘I’ll do it if you kill me off in the first reel.’ So now they are going to have me as a ghost in the film.

There you have it! Murray will be a dead man walking in Ghostbusters 3. This also means the new crew of ‘Busters coming in might also include little Oscar (Weaver’s character’s son), who would be a grown man at this point. The film will be a mix of old school and new, and with Ivan Reitman back on board hopefully it will be worthwhile.

What do you think of Murray appearing as a ghost in Ghostbusters 3? Is it ironic or a bad move?

Wes Anderson’s Not Crazy Says Bill Murray

Krystal Clark — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:06:55 +0000

Wes Anderson is a very unique individual and a talented director. Unfortunately, the man behind Fantastic Mr. Fox was trashed a few weeks ago by the film’s cinematographer Tristan Oliver, for his unconventional directing methods. According to the NYDailyNews, Fox co-star Bill Murray had a few things to say in defense of Mr. Anderson.

Oliver was originally quoted as saying, “Contact with people disturbs him. [He'd rather] spend an entire day locked inside an empty room with a computer.” Recently, Bill Murray (who plays Badger in the movie) was cornered at a premiere party for the film and chalked up Oliver’s response to Anderson’s methods as “crazy talk.” He also went on to say,

“There’s no way you can make that movie unless you isolate yourself. Tristan should be happy he got this job.”

Touche, Mr. Murray, touche! Fantastic Mr. Fox is an amazing film that may find itself as one of the front runners for a Best Animated Feature Oscar if all goes well during awards season. Anderson may not play by the traditional rules of filmmaking, but whatever he’s doing works!

Interestingly enough, shortly after the statements of Oliver were released, he retracted saying that he was “misquoted.” We’ve all heard that excuse before. Someone wanted their career to have some type of longevity, so they tried to minimize the damage. Fantastic Mr. Fox opened as a limited release this past weekend, and will expand everywhere on November 25th.

What do you think about Murray’s defense of Anderson? Was Oliver wrong to dish to the media?

Fantastic Mr. Fox: Movie Review

Krystal Clark — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:30:43 +0000

It’s been almost 40 year’s since the classic children’s book, Fantastic Mr. Fox hit shelves in America and the U.K. to the delight of kids everywhere. Author Roald Dahl told a simple story about a fox and his attempts to outwit and for lack of a better word “outfox” three of the richest men around. The story is brought to life on the silver screen by director Wes Anderson, using stop motion animation that literally makes you feel like you’re a kid again. His feature version is charming and stays true to the source material, while keeping it fresh for younger viewers.

Check out our review below…

The Players:

Director: Wes Anderson
Writers: Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach
Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Michael Gambon, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson

The Plot:

Mr. Fox (Clooney) is an animal that’s wild by nature but forced into a life of domestication when his wife Felicity (Streep) announces that she’s pregnant with their first child. Fox reluctantly agrees to give up his shady ways to become a family man that she and their son can be proud of. Unfortunately after years of living on the straight and narrow he begins to get that itch for mischief and makes a plan to rob the meanest, nastiest and ugliest farmers in the valley, Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. With his careless antics in full swing, everyone he loves ends up in danger, causing him to finally grow up and change his foxy ways.

The Good:

Stop Motion Technique: One of the best things about this film is the use of stop motion animation. It’s a refreshing step away from the heavy CGI based movies that have flooded theaters in recent years. You can see the hard work that went into the character’s movements, because they are so fluid.
Jason Schwartzman: Usually name actors in voice over roles can be very distracting in a film, but that’s not the case here. Schwartzman was perfectly cast as Ash, the awkwardly small son of Mr. Fox. He’s able to convey the insecurity and humor of the character without being over the top.
Eric Anderson: Anderson is the younger brother of Wes, and has made bit appearances in several of his other films, but this is the first time he’s taken on such a meaty role. As Kristofferson, Ash’s athletically inclined cousin he has amazing comedic timing and is still able to play up the vulnerable side of his character.
Production Design: The overall production design on this film including the costumes and the sets were extremely detailed. In every close up you could see the tiny life-like fibers on Mr. Fox’s face and even the threads in his peacoat. Everything was very well crafted.
Screenplay: One of the main concerns you may have going into this movie is whether or not it will be able to play out the original story and still appeal to all ages. Without a doubt, this film delivers in both areas. There were comedic moments, as well as a few emotional scenes, and they all progressed the story. Everything served a purpose and was put to good use.

The Bad:

Nothing: This may be a bold statement, but Fantastic Mr. Fox is a well adapted, polished piece that Wes Anderson transformed into a legitimate feature film.

Overall:

If you’re a long time fan of Anderson’s body of work it’s a given that you will enjoy Fantastic Mr. Fox, and even if you’re not you will walk away with a smile on your face. This film is funny, sweet, and most importantly it’s entertaining. You won’t leave the theater feeling as if you wasted your time and money. Fantastic Mr. Fox sets out to make you feel like a kid again and it delivers tenfold.

Rating: 10/10

Fantastic Mr. Fox hits theaters on November 13, 2009

ScreenCrave.com » bill murray

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Fantastic Mr. Fox: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 10/10

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

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