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Bored To Death: Season 3 Episode 8: Nothing I Can’t Handle By Running Away – TV Review

angelbaker — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:59:00 +0000

The season finale of Bored To Death kept Jonathan, George, and Ray busy with the absurd antics that make this show so unique. As a finale should, the story lines of the main characters were tidied up but left some loose ends to look forward to in season four. The episode crescendos after the revelation that Bergeron is Jonathan’s biological father and he selfishly causes great danger to Jonathan. Playing with the super hero theme, the episode reaches a high point in a grandiose rescue replete with spandex, capes, and guns.

The Players:

Director: Adam Bernstein
Writer: Jonathan Ames
Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis, Ted Danson

Episode Title: “Nothing I Can’t Handle By Running Away”

George’s serenade as Don Quixote wins back his daughter’s approval and he offers to host her wedding to Bernard. Jonathan debates whether to carry on his relationship with Rose, also known as his sister. Ray finds solace in baby, Spencer. Jonathan’s new dad gets him into a pickle.

The Good:

Harris Bergeron: At the close of the last episode, the sour con-man played by Stacy Keach tells Jonathan that he sired Jonathan. Bergeron exudes paternal pride while Jonathon could not be more disappointed after having spent so much time searching for his father. At the same time, it’s clear that Bergeron won’t be joining the Rotary Club any time soon. After he reveals that he’s Jonathan’s father, he quickly packs up his hat shop in Coney Island heading for Jacksonville, Florida, to escape from typical New York baddies after a deal went south. Jonathan witnesses his new dad getting kidnapped and because of his loyalty to his donor or his addiction to danger, Jonathan attempts to rescue Bergeron, getting them both locked up in a baseball stadium. This set ups a dramatic rescue by George, Ray, and his fans (dressed in Super Ray costumes), with Jonathon literally sliding into home plate to nab a gun and save the day.

Ray’s Family Unit: Ray is broken-hearted over Leah’s rejection. He heads over to see his son. Renee (Samantha Bee) answers the door and asks, “Is Spencer home?” Renee responds, “He’s 14 months old. Of course he’s home.” Her deadpan delivery is a perfect counter for Galifianakis’ oblivious nature. Seeking solace, Ray plants himself on the couch with little Spencer splayed across his belly for an adorable father-son moment that gives hope Ray will soon grow up.

George and Josephine: Who couldn’t change his wily ways for the lovely Mary Steenburgen’s Josephine? Ted Danson’s George sure can’t, though he tries. In a sweet, but silly, moment, George tells Josephine that he wants to be monogamous. Josephine replies: “I thought we were.” While George knows the gem he’s got in his grasp, he’s still an unaware, overgrown lothario. It’s fun to watch the real-life couple on screen fall in love, navigating a brand new relationship in their sixties.

The Anniversary of Super Ray: Ray’s got a book signing on the anniversary of Super Ray. His guests are loyal, steadfast, fans that provide Ray an undying support. Dressed in their own fashion of Super Ray costumes, they offer to help Ray when the Jonathan crisis comes to light. The trip to the baseball stadium is hilarious in its frenzy of yellow spandex. They argue what their name should be, debating “The Ray Team,” “The Super Rays,” and “The League of Rays.” Without coming to a resolution of the crew’s title, it’s clear that this group is lucky to have found each other and they come together for a common goal, just like real super heroes should.

The Wedding: George has promised his daughter a wedding without alcohol but when she shows up at the wedding the champagne is flowing. She calls him out about the alcohol and he tells her that he meant that she wouldn’t have alcohol and points her to the Martinelli’s. Over a full glass of bub, George offers a toast that is a classic portrayal of his self-absorption. He turns the speech into a dance into the macabre until he catches a glimpse of Jonathan who reminds him that this speech should be about the nuptials. The moment is funny but also serves as a reminder of the friends’ dependence on each other.

The Bad:

Brother Loves Sister: Jonathan has now found out that Rose (Isla Fisher) is his sister (as Bergeron was the sole sperm donor at the clinic from where she and Jonathan come), yet he dismisses the bizarre information because she’s hot. Watching these two make-out is unsettling. The extent of their conjugal relations has to be a set up for a revelation next season that this whole sister-brother thing was a giant mix-up, right?

Overall:

The finale of Bored To Death wrapped up the season nicely. While Ray has lost Leah, he was able to use his “super hero” powers to make a fearless attempt at rescuing Jonathan. George appears to have settled down to be with Josephine and has accepted his daughter’s relationship with the older, creepy Bernard. Jonathan has completed his quest to find his father, finding a beautiful girl in the process (but it’s his sister, ewwww). The potential for next season is inspiring especially if Bergeron comes back and starts a relationship with Jonathan. The two could not be more opposite which will bring future comedy gold.

Rating: 9.5/10

This was the season finale of Bored To Death.

Bored To Death: Season 3 Episode 7: Forget The Herring – TV Review

angelbaker — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:54:44 +0000

This week’s Bored to Death was solid, though not groundbreaking. For a show that spends little time in reality, “Forget The Herring” focused mostly on earthly endeavors like break-ups, make-ups, and righting past wrongs. Guest stars included the wonderfully sour Stacy Keach, a potential lead to Jonathan’s sperm donor, and Isla Fisher, a sprightly investigator that teaches Jonathan a thing or two about reading obvious cues, sexual and literal.

The Players:

Director: Adam Bernstein

Writer: Rachel Axler, Jonathan Ames

Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis, Ted Danson

Episode Title: “Forget The Herring”

While Jonathan and Rose (Isla Fisher) track all leads to find their biological father, George and Ray examine themselves and take great pains to right the past.

The Good:

Ray and George: The entire season of Bored To Death dealt with themes of fatherhood. Ray and George’s relationship has become more and more like father and son. Both on the outs of their lady friends, Ray crashes on George’s couch and whether it’s natural instinct or Ray’s nudging, George infantilizes Ray. He makes his bed for him, folds his pants, makes him juice, and gives him little tickles in the belly. Ray is fun to watch as a loveable, somewhat broken man. He gives George someone to baby until he reconciles with his daughter.
We Found The Father!: Stacy Keach’s guest appearance as a surly con-man, Harris Bergeron, is great. His rough voice and sidelong stares at the clean cut and proper Jonathan are prize-winning. As a man on the wrong side of the law, Jonathan looked like he would rather have sex with his own sister (hint: he does) than rely on Bergeron’s word to find his father. But, alas! In a foul speech about tissues and Vitamin E, Bergeron drops the bomb that he sired Jonathan. Jonathan’s skeptical response to this shocking news, “Are you even Jewish or in Mensa?” is the show’s highlight.
Don Quixote: George’s desire to sing takes him to a hilarious performance amongst fellow Yale alumni dressed as Don Quixote (though he’s not oblivious to his likeness to Samuel Beckett). In typical silly fashion, George snacks on a few pot cookies because he sees his friends Ray and George enjoying them. He whines, “I want melty chocolate” and moments later rushes off stage mid-performance to serenade his daughter, galloping on his make shift pony through the streets of New York. George’s affinity for the absurd is truly endearing.

The Bad:

Rose’s Accent: Isla Fisher’s accent didn’t get quite receive the tweaking it needed. While Rose is a beautifully sweet counterpart to Jonathan’s hard-boiler mannerisms, the struggling accent was distracting. Not as distracting as Cameron Diaz’ attempts at an Irish brogue in Gangs of New York, but distracting nonetheless.

The So So:

Predictability: As part of an inevitable plot structure, Jonathan is bound to find his father and George is bound to restore his relationship with his daughter. However, this episode didn’t explore the possibilities of how these inevitabilities would be met, at least with Jonathan and George’s plot lines. There was little suspense. On the other hand, Ray’s storyline did throw a twist in the predictability when he professes undying love to Leah, proposes, and she rejects his proposal. The result is more life-like than any other facet of the show and makes Leah’s response surprising.

Overall:

Though “Forget The Herring” began to wrap up the season, setting up the show for the finale, it brought some good laughs to keep the audience in the present. At times, however, the gentle hints as to how Season 3 will come to a close could have been a bit less predictable. When not wrapping up story lines, this episode brought comedic gems like George and Ray’s ridiculous father-son relationship, and Jonathan’s reaction when learns his father’s identity in a pot cookie haze.

Rating: 7.5/10

“Bored To Death” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO

Rango: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:51 +0000

This week Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski team up again for another wild ride — only this time they’re tackling an animated world with their latest creation Rango. This is one of those films that takes a number of wild risks along the way but succeeds in almost all of them. It’s safe to say that their was no lack of imagination or attention to detail that went into this film, despite its few problems…

The Players:

Director: Gore Verbinski
Screenplay: John Logan
Story: John Logan, Gore Verbinski, James Ward Byrkit
Actors: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy
Animation Director: Hal T. Hickel
Original Music by: Hans Zimmer

The Plot:

A very Johnny Depp like chameleon finds himself trapped in the desert and before he knows it he is playing the role of the unexpected hero of a nearby town giving him a new sense of purpose in live — the only problem is can he keep up the act long enough to save his fellow critters from bandits, corrupt politicians and more? Is playing the part enough? Or will he have to become it?

The Good:

The Beginning: The film starts off with a band as ww are immediately thrown into Rango’s unique world. We’ve got ourselves some action, plenty of comedy, even some self-deprecation from the filmmakers, and then a metaphorical conundrum to get us pondering — success! After the first 20 minutes of this film I was sold, I’d seen enough to leave me satisfied, or so I thought… More on that later. Let’s concentrate on the good.
The Look: It so nice to see an animation that’s like no other. Much in the way that Tim Burton broke boundaries with Nightmare Before Christmas, this film takes an equally large step but in a very different way. This film is dry, dirty, sometimes almost color-less, our lead character has tiny eyes instead of big round ones — honestly I’ve never seen an animation quite like this and it was so much fun to sit there and take it all in. It gives new life to this genre and shows us that not being perfect is sometimes the best thing you can do! Which conveniently goes quite well with the moral of the story.
The References: Much in the way Quentin Tarantino references a number of movies he loves within his own, Gore squeezes in as many references as he can from Chinatown to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (turns out it wasn’t bats Depp was swatting it was his future lizard self!). The thing about Tarantino is that he’s one of the only directors that can reference a movie and yet still have it be his own thing — this film was very much pointing out other films, not quite incorporating them the way that Tarantino does BUT I have to say I love that those kind of references are being made in an animation that kids will see.
The Little Moments: From the amazing Mariachi band to the way Rango’s eyes dart around and his broken neck, there are a number of small details in this film that make it worth seeing. There was so much time and effort put into all of these characters it’s hard not to love them.

The Bad:

The Length: The biggest problem of this film is its length. I’m not sure if Gore just LIKES lengthy films, but the runtime much like in his last Pirates film — the length just begins to weigh down everything you see in front of you and it begins to feel like you’re just moving from one set piece to another for now real reason…
Too Much: At the end of the second act you realize that the mission that they’re on doesn’t actually push the story forward and it begins to feel like they’re just throwing everything into the fire. I guess it’s nice to have a big action sequence at that stage of the film, but when it doesn’t really the story forward and in fact, gives us a whole new obstacle to over-come, the story ends up taking away from the charm that made the film so great in the beginning.

Overall:

Less is more in a film like this. The small moments, the intricate style choices, the texture of the clothing, the colors of the scenes, the well thought out one-liners, the characters development and the abstract metaphorical ideas are what make this an amazing film despite the fact that they story runs away with itself and doesn’t do justice to all the work put into this film.

This film begins by taking a huge risk and widely succeeds, but then regresses and becomes another action, adventure tale. If they just could have tightened up the story and been able to stick with the original concept, this film would have been one of the greatest films I’ve ever seen. Instead, it was good. Maybe this is because they felt it needed to “appeal to broader audiences” or maybe it’s what they meant to make.

But! I’ll take a film that touches on greatness over one that never tries to do so any day. So my recommendation — go for it.

Rating: 7/10

Rango hits theaters on March 4, 2011.

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Rango Interview with Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin and Gore Verbinski

Mali Elfman — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:17:02 +0000

This week in theaters, Gore Verbinski‘s latest extravaganza, Rango hits theaters. This film takes of number of interesting, artistic risks and is able to do so because of the powerhouses behind it. Gore has just come off the successful Pirates franchise and if you’ve seen any of the posters for this film you should know that “Johnny Depp is Rango.” Normally I don’t like such blatant advertising but because I support this film and always applaud a metaphorical head trip with many fine cinematic references, I’ll back that up — Johnny Depp is Rango along with the lovely and hysterical Isla Fisher as the rough, tough and sometimes frozen Beans and the adorable and witty Abigail Breslin as the sweetly sinister Priscilla — and you should see it.

We sat down with the crew to talk about the film, find out what they had to say below…

Gore and Johnny, together again…

You guys have obviously worked together a few times now, and I was just wondering if you could each comment on what you like so much about working with the other.

GORE VERBINSKI: I like the way he smells. [LAUGHTER]

JOHNNY DEPP: I’ve been told I smell good; I mean, I don’t look like I smell good. [LAUGHTER]

GORE VERBINSKI: I don’t know – because we have shorthand, talking and sound effects and unfinished sentences and -

JOHNNY DEPP: Yeah.

GORE VERBINSKI: He seems to understand exactly what that means, and I get it back. And you know, a very – very complex direction, like more fuzz -

JOHNNY DEPP: More fuzz, yeah.

GORE VERBINSKI: More stink on this line, you know. Really, that’s about as intellectual as it gets.

JOHNNY DEPP: And it really is that, exactly, you know. “Ah, let’s make – you know – maybe some more fuzz. Let’s put some more fuzz on it.” “Okay. Gotcha.” No, he’s a very – I mean, working with Gore, you know, in three “Pirates” films and Rango certainly, there are no limits to what you could – to the possibilities, I mean, you know, he allows you to try all kinds of things, you know, that sometimes fail miserably.

GORE VERBINSKI: Yes, please.

JOHNNY DEPP: And other times, you know, goes into this kind of weird – you’ve just arrived at some place that you know no one’s ever been to before, you know. And he welcomes it and he creates an atmosphere that allows you to just, you know, go essentially ape. And yeah, and it’s a blast, you know – that’s really a fun part of the process.

GORE VERBINSKI: That’s really – what’s great about Johnny is, you know, the trust that – you know, neither of us are going to make the other one look like an ass, you know. I have to – he has to trust that at the end of the day, we’re not going to use that stuff -

JOHNNY DEPP: Um-hmm.

GORE VERBINSKI: Where we’ve tried something that didn’t work, but we’re going to try it because anomaly and you know, we’ve got this sort of pursuit of finding the truly awkward moment, you know, which is – you’re only going to get there by not knowing, and sort of venturing into the unknown. And so, you know, I just think he’s incredibly brave, you know, on top of being incredibly talented. It’s like you’ve got to kind of cross that threshold.

Acting in an Animated-Gore World:

For Johnny, you’re a very physical actor, and I just wondered with this process, it’s different than the other animated films you’ve done, where you were in a booth. You actually acted this out. And I wondered if that helped you. And maybe the actresses, as well, could talk a little about doing that. It’s different than most animated pictures.

JOHNNY DEPP: Well, yeah. I mean, ultimately, it was everything; though, you know, there were times when you didn’t feel that, when you were doing it – you’d rather have been – because you know, well, we’re lazy. [LAUGHTER]

JOHNNY DEPP: At least I am. And I’d sort of rather just sit in front of a microphone and do the thing. However -

GORE VERBINSKI: That’s exactly the point.

JOHNNY DEPP: The process that we did, that Gore created this sort of atmosphere that was really, truly ludicrous; I mean, just ridiculous. It was like just regional theater at its worst.

[LAUGHTER]

JOHNNY DEPP: And somehow, because of – not the idea of motion capture, but emotion capture, you know; certain gestures, body language, movement, something you might have done, you know, with your eyes – all those guys, you know, these animators took it and put it in there. So, I mean, it was very strange. I mean, for Harry Dean Stanton to walk up to me one afternoon – because I’ve known him for a million years – and he walks up to me and says, “This is a weird gig, man.” [LAUGHTER] And I went, “Oh, yeah. You’ve just started. You just wait.” You know. But ultimately, it was the right thing to do. And that was his vision, and we saw it through.

What did you think, Isla and Abigail?

ISLA FISHER: I think the characters had humanity because we were interacting with each other, and more chemistry; and so it felt more organic and real. What do you think, Abigail?

ABIGAIL BRESLIN: You know, it was – you know, when you’re in just like a booth, by yourself, it’s like very isolating, and like you don’t really, like, have anything to sort of play off of except like one take of like one line, and then like a beep, and then – so this was, this was – I think that it was, well, for me, at least, a lot more fun. Although I did wear a wig, like a black wig and I got a really bad rash on my neck from it, and so that was a little unfortunate, but -

ISLA FISHER: And you were carrying a gun.

ABIGAIL BRESLIN: I was.

ISLA FISHER: Which was weird, to see Abigail with a massive gun.

ABIGAIL BRESLIN: It was so bizarre, because like there was actually guns going, and like you don’t think that there are like firearms in an animated movie.

[LAUGHTER]

ABIGAIL BRESLIN: And it’s like live. That’s all I thought about it.

JOHNNY DEPP: Gore always travels with guns.

GORE VERBINSKI: Absolutely. Keep people from going to sleep.

JOHNNY DEPP: Yeah.

To do 3D or to NOT do 3D — that is the struggle:

I’ve heard in previous reports that you kind of fought tooth and nail in order to make sure that Rango isn’t going to be in 3D. Are you for or against 3D in general? Is Rango not being in 3D like the only time when you’re going to be like, no to 3D? And how do you all feel about just kind of like 3D being like the big trend in general?

JOHNNY DEPP: I’m waiting for 5D. [LAUGHTER] That’s what I want.

GORE VERBINKSI: I don’t know – I just don’t feel – I watched the movie; I don’t think there’s a dimension missing. I don’t feel like, I don’t watch it and go, you know, “It’s flat,” or it’s, you know, missing anything. So you know, we talked about it early on and it just didn’t seem like we needed to go there.

ISLA FISHER: I think the glasses are really uncomfortable. [LAUGHTER]

ABIGAIL BRESLIN: Like, it actually looks like, it looks so like lifelike anyway, like I think that it looks like 3D; it looked like the animals were there anyway. It looked really cool, I thought. And 3D makes me dizzy.

Is There a Chance of a Rango Sequel??

This is for Johnny and Gore. I noticed, looking through the Rango movie storybook, that he has a continuing adventure and goes to another town. Can we hope that there might be a Rango 2?

GORE VERBINSKI: [INDISCERNIBLE]

JOHNNY DEPP: I think that means yes.

GORE VERBINSKI: I don’t know. Let’s see if, you know, people like Rango – Rango. I’m not even going to call it Rango I.

JOHNNY DEPP: [LAUGHTER] Rango 1.

PRESS: So there’s a possibility?

GORE VERBINSKI: Currently, not talking about it. I mean, it felt like, you know – I mean, if you just had a kid, would people say, you want – “How about twins?” [LAUGHTER] “We’re just – we’re still recovering.”

Finding A Voice:

This question is for Isla. Can you tell us a little bit about creating the voice of Beans, and if you feel like having to cover your accent so frequently in films made it easier to do the characterization? And then I have a follow-up for Johnny.

ISLA FISHER: I kind of imagine Beans, if Clint Eastwood and Holly Hunter would have a love child, that would be Beans. And Gore, obviously-

JOHNNY DEPP: I’d like to watch that.

GORE VERBINSKI: Yes. [LAUGHTER]

ISLA FISHER: If you were around. No, and then I just – the physicality of the character had already been created; I’d already seen – Gore presented me with 20 minutes of the movie, just linear drawings. So I knew, you know, how she moved. And then I was able to – you know, Gore was with me every step of the way vocally, and he was very specific about what he wanted. And no one ever wants to hire an Australian, so I’m just used to never doing my own voice, ever. [LAUGHTER]

ISLA FISHER: I mean, they do want to hire – oh, that came out wrong. They do want to hire Australians, obviously, but not with the accent. [LAUGHTER]

PRESS: But I was just wondering, for all the actors – how much of your characters did you get to see in terms of the artwork, before you started playing with them?

ABIGAIL BRESLIN: I saw a picture of Priscilla. And I would have done it based on like how – I mean, let’s face it, she’s a glamour girl. So she’s kind of gorgeous. You know, but I thought she was adorable. So I would have done it based on that. But yeah, I thought all the characters were pretty cute – but in a strange way, odd, but you know, cute. They’re not like cuddly, you know – it’s not like, you don’t want to like hold them, but – yeah.

The Stunt….

[Justin Bieber walks into the room right before they end. A surprise? Perhaps! Or perhaps it's just cross-promotion since they are both being released by the same studio...]

JOHNNY DEPP: Hey, Man. [APPLAUSE]

JOHNNY DEPP: We just established that I’m a Belieber.

JUSTIN BIEBER: You know, and I’m a big fan of you so I had to come support you.

JOHNNY DEPP: Bless you, man.

JUSTIN BIEBER: I had to come say hi – I heard you were in the building. You’re a Belieber and I’m a big fan of him. [LAUGHTER]

JOHNNY DEPP: By the way, Justin Bieber. [APPLAUSE as Bieber waves to everyone]

JOHNNY DEPP: Well done, Man, thank you. Okay, now, who’s not a Belieber now? [LAUGHTER] You know what I mean? Aren’t we all Beliebers? Bless him. Yeah. I know – how am I going to explain this to my daughter?

GORE VERBINSKI: Who was that?

JOHNNY DEPP: That was the Beatles.

Check back soon for our “Johnny Depp Fucks with Journalists” piece and a 1-1 with Gore!

Rango is scheduled to hit theaters on March 4, 2011.

UK Burke and Hare Trailer With Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis

Krystal Clark — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:08:29 +0000

A UK trailer has been released for John Landis’ big screen comeback Burke & Hare. The director hasn’t helmed a theatrical film in years, and he’s finally decided to make a come back with this horror comedy starring Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis. Check it out…

In the film, Pegg stars as William Burke and Serkis as William Hare, two criminals known for dipping into the world of murder to make a quick buck. The story centers on a pair of Irish immigrant murderers in early 19th century Edinburgh who sell the corpses of their victims to the local medical college. It’s based on actual events, and the duo are said to have killed at least 17 people from 1827 to 1828.

The movie also stars Isla Fisher, as a young actress and Pegg’s girlfriend who’s looking for a patron, while Tom Wilkinson plays Dr. Robert Knox, an anatomy lecturer in need of fresh corpses.

It’s been a long time since An American Werewolf in London, and it’s time to see if 1980s John Landis can hang with the directors of the new millennium.

What do you think of the first trailer for Burke & Hare? Are you interested in seeing the film?

First Look at Rango – Best When Intoxicated

Mali Elfman — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:09:27 +0000

This is a rather interesting first look at Rango. We don’t know too much about the film other than it’s a “story of a chameleon with an identity crisis.” Vague, but lets run with it! The ad is definitely intriguing and probably even more so if you’re in anyway intoxicated. It’s extremely simple and quite effective and makes you NEED to know more.

What we also know about the film is that it’s directed by The Ring and Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3 director Gore Verbinski. The teaser below is reminiscent be of that crazy crab scene in the second Pirates movie, only this time, that insanity seems to be the main premise for the film or at least this clip….

Verbinski has teamed up once again with Johnny Depp as well as the impressive cast of Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root, Ray Winstone, Beth Grant, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton and Alfred Molina – none of which you’ll hear in the clip..

AICN took a photo of the interesting artwork on the first poster earlier this month at a licensing show in Vegas, which is also rather intriguing. It appears as if they’re really come up with some interesting material for the film.

We can expect Rango in theaters in March of 2011. Until then, let the mystery continue! Go fishy!

What do you think of the first teaser? Are you intrigued or confused?

Early Poster for John Landis’ Burke and Hare

Krystal Clark — Thu, 13 May 2010 20:01:36 +0000

We’re really looking forward to John Landis’ adaptation of Burke and Hare. Not just because of Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis but because it marks Landis’ return to feature films. He’s been away for too long and it’s time for him to get back to his roots, horror and comedy! Over at /Film, they’ve gotten a hold of an early poster for the film that features the title characters as well as Isla Fisher and a few random body parts…

The movie also stars Fisher, as a young actress and Pegg’s girlfriend who’s looking for a patron, while Tom Wilkinson plays Dr. Robert Knox, an anatomy lecturer in need of fresh corpses.

What do you think of the early poster for Burke & Hare? Are you interested in seeing the film?

Tom Wilkinson and Isla Fisher Join Burke and Hare

Krystal Clark — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:41:02 +0000

If you’re still spinning over the casting news that David Tennant will no longer star in the upcoming dark comedy Burke & Hare, there’s more where that came from. No one will be replaced, but several other well known actors have signed on to the film. According to THR, Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis will be joined by Tom Wilkinson and Isla Fisher in the John Landis production.

Burke & Hare centers on a pair of Irish immigrant murderers in early 19th century Edinburgh who sell the corpses of their victims to the local medical college. The film is based on a true story about the U.K.’s earliest serial killers, whose names were William Burke and William Hare. With names like that, it sounds like they were destined to be partners in crime.

Fisher joins the cast as a young actress and Pegg’s girlfriend who’s looking for a patron, she also may or may not be an accomplice to the duo’s heinous murders. Wilkinson will star as “Dr. Robert Knox, an anatomy lecturer looking for fresh corpses.” He sounds like a regular customer or perhaps someone who could be used to catch the killers in the act.

Burke & Hare also features Dan Aykroyd and Bill Nighy, and will begin production on January 31 in Edinburgh and London. This will be the first feature that Landis has directed in years, so it will be interesting to see if he still has what it takes to pull off a horror comedy.

What do you think of Wilkinson and Fisher joining the cast of Burke & Hare?

Isla Fisher to Star In Desperados

Kara — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:22:59 +0000

According to Yahoo, Isla Fisher is gunning for the lead role in the new movie, Desperados. The film is about a woman that might be slightly unhinged when it comes to her boyfriend not responding to messages. If you’ve seen the actresses breakout performance in Wedding Crashers you know what type of crazy we’re talking about here. No holds barred.

The film is about a woman who sleeps with a man, but when he doesn’t follow up with her after, she sends him an angry e-mail, except there is one little problem. It turns out the man didn’t respond because he was in a coma in Mexico! The movie follows her and her friends, as they desperately try to get to the hospital to intercept the message before the man comes to.

The movie will be backed by 2012 producer, Mark Gordon, Paranormal Activity producer, Jason Blum, and written by Ellen Rapoport.

The movie has been described as a female version of The Hangover, which is kind of an overused description. It seems like any movie with a group of friends getting into some trouble is now described at such. There is one thing that is certain, and that’s that Fisher definitely loves to play the crazies!

The movie sounds like it could be a little dumb, kind of cute, totally predictable, but watchable. It would be interesting to know who else was being considered for the role, and who will play the friends? All of this is key because, when it comes down to it, the movie would actually be watchable with Isla Fisher in it, as opposed to Cameron Diaz.

What do you think?

New DVD Releases: The Pink Panther 2, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Waltz with Bashir

Andrew Payne — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:10:43 +0000

A surprising almost-hit and pair of not too surprising flops hit DVD this week as Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Pink Panther 2 and Inhkeart roll onto disc. Luckily there is one film of quality being released, Waltz With Bashir.

Unfortunately, that’s about it for home theater lovers this week except for a pair of art films and couple TV series. At least we still have the three worst DVDs of the week for some unintentional comedy potential.

FEATURE FILMS

The Pink Panther 2

Starring: Steve Martin

Ah, Steve Martin. Steve Steve Steve Martin. We want to love you, we know you’re a genius, but then you spend an entire film looking off-camera to make sure your massive check’s cleared.

But we go anyway. We know it’s probably awful. We know you’re mailing it in to finance your banjo album, but we can’t stay away from a new Steve Martin film, even if we know it’s a sequel nobody asked for, and the results will mirror our opinion.

So go ahead, buy the DVD, you know you will anyway.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Starring: Isla Fisher

It’s rare that the two types of sexist Hollywood cliche are combined into one character, but with Confessions of a Shopaholic we get the chance to see just that.

As the title would suggest, the main character loves to shop. Absolutely loves it. Just like Hollywood thinks every woman does. What’s more is that all her shopping is keeping her from getting a man – the ultimate quest of any female character in Hollywood.

So buy the DVD, and see this impossible collision of sexist stereotypes.

Also:

Inkheart – Learn More – Buy Now
Waltz with Bashir – Learn More – Buy Now

TV ON DVD

“Tom and Jerry” – The Chuck Jones Collection

Chuck Jones is the legendary animator responsible for the early days of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Shorts. In the early 60s he worked on a series of Tom & Jerry shorts following his departure from Warner Bros.

Now you get all those shorts on one collection complete with two documentaries featuring the legendary animator on this two-disc DVD.

Also:

“Bizarre Foods”: Collection 3 – Buy Now
“Girls Next Door”: Season 5 – Buy Now
“Reba”: Season 6 – Buy Now

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WEEK

High Hopes

This film established Mike Leigh’s (Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky) stark realism and focus on the working class. While many of his later films went into a bleak dramatic direction, this is a black comedy that satirzes Margaret Thatcher’s England.

Until now, you could only get this DVD in England or part of a set. Now, you can own this DVD on its own.

Horrible Straight-To-DVD Release of the Week

Three terrible movies, three new DVDs. Which is the worst? Cast your vote and tell the world!

The nominees are:

The Code

The Case to Vote for It: Morgan Freeman! Antonio Banderas! Together in a movie that completely skipped theaters and was once called ‘Thick as Thieves’. A generic bank heist flick that has ‘formulaic’ written all over it. Sounds like a real winner!

Backwoods

The Case to Vote for It: In a world where a torture porn movie opens in theaters every single week, something really has to terrible to go straight to DVD.

That’s exactly what’s happened with ‘Backwoods’ as Hilary Duff’s sister leads a cast that encounters some ferocious locals living near their campsite on a high school reunion. Creepy.

Legend of the Bog

The Case to Vote for It: Vinnie Jones, aka That Big English Guy in Movies, stars as a the leader of a group of people dealing with the attacks of a revenge-seeking mummified body. Worst of all, they all may have a terrible secret responsible for these mythic attacks.

Confessions Of A Shopaholic DVD Giveaway

Laura Aguirre — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:30:05 +0000

What better way to start off the weekend than with a giveaway. Happy Monday ScreenCravers, it’s that time again, and this time we are giving away 3 DVD copies of Confessions Of A Shopaholic.

This chick-flick stars Isla Fisher, a fashion junkie with a ridiculous debt and tumbling career; this is Fisher’s first leading role in a feature film. This colorful film is based on Sophie Kinsella Shopaholic, a series of novels.

All you have to do to win is . . .

Leave us a comment below confessing what you splurge on (oh, the things you dare not live without). I’m sure you have a couple, but only give us one. Be honest (if you’d like)!

The winners will be announced on June 22nd at noon, a day before Confessions Of A Shopaholic is released.

Check out the trailer below . . .

AND REMEMBER that in order to play:

You must have a shipping address in the United States
You must leave an e-mail address that we can reach you at (we promise not to spam you)
If you win, you will have one week to respond to an e-mail that we will send to you. If you do not respond within one week your prize will be given to another contestant.

Best of luck!

Review of Confessions of a Shopaholic

Mali Elfman — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:00:18 +0000

Confessions of a Shopaholic is a surprisingly poignant film mixed in with a lot of estrogen. That being said, yes it is a “chick flick” but, men, if you find yourselves being dragged into this movie, know that it’s really a funny film with more depth than you would expect. This film has two sides in it. It’s really great female, shopping movie and yet it also deals with addiction and digging yourself into a finical whole (something many of us can relate to). Although the latter is fluffed up so that a teenage audience can relate to it, the first part is not as cliche as it could have been due to the unique performance by Isla Fisher. No matter what the subject matter, she’s really great in this film and makes it worth watching.

What I like about Isla Fisher is that she’s not as “safe” as a Sandra Bullock type actress. This is her first starring role and she’s really rather wonderfully odd. Not in the “I’m in a romantic movie trying to play the odd character” she is just really zany. You can see moments where they really let her lose and the results are magical and one of a kind. The “fan dance” scene is a perfect example of how she is able to bring something completely new to the screen. She dances around like a peacock in season and seduces a man with a completely revolting dance. The scene felt so free as opposed to many other comedies. You could tell she wasn’t trying to be funny, she was just strutting her stuff and the results are hilarious.

When I think of other movies in this genre, this one is definitely at the top. I know a lot of people are calling it the next Sex in the City, but it’s really not because it has a sense of humor about itself and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Sex in the City tried to make it seem like there was more to shopping than their really is. This movie realizes how ridiculous it is to speed your like drooling over Prada. If anything I would compare this movie to Legally Blonde, because there are some solid life lessons in it. I for one was shocked when I heard them talking about the current budget deficit. That’s a big thing for a “shopping” movie. Could that have been Jerry Bruckheimer‘s influence? Or just a freak accident seeing this was based off the novels and written years ago?

Although this film was not without it’s faults. My biggest issue is at the end of the second act when everything has to fall apart in order to come back together again. I didn’t buy their dramatic device of “she’s in debt and now everyone hates her,” because I don’t see why a financing magazine would care if she was in debt. If she was selling as many stories as they said, they wouldn’t care about her personal life, they would care about the numbers. Hell, they are a financing magazine! They need to make money. So why the big secret? And why the big “I can’t believe you lied to me speech” when Hugh Dancy’s character finds out about it? You’ve been only somewhat dating this girl for a few weeks. I don’t reveal my credit card receipts on the first date, so I don’t know why she would. To me it seemed like a bit of a shoe-horned effect. Although, I do like a sweet somewhat cheesy happy ending, so I let them force feed me a little bit.

That being said, Isla Fisher is truly amazing and she is supported by a strong cast of John Goodman, Joan Cusack, Hugh Dancy, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Lithgow and more, which is quite an impressive list.

Confessions of a Shpaholic is in theaters starting today February 13, 2009. Let us know what you think of it!

ScreenCrave.com » isla fisher

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New DVD Releases: The Pink Panther 2, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Waltz with Bashir

FEATURE FILMS

TV ON DVD

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WEEK

Horrible Straight-To-DVD Release of the Week

Related Posts

Confessions Of A Shopaholic DVD Giveaway

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Review of Confessions of a Shopaholic

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