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VOTD: Morgan Freeman As A Singing Bathtub Vampire On The Golden Globes

traviswoods — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:08:40 +0000

Last night’s Golden Globes Awards (check out the list of winners) were just about as boring as, well, the Golden Globes from last year and the year before that and the year before that. Surprisingly, somehow, watching a bunch of celebrities celebrating their celebrity just doesn’t have the luster you’d think it would, and the show was a total snooze—with one or two exceptions (watching Meryl Streep exclaim “Sh**!” when she realized she forgot her reading glasses during her acceptance speech was one of them).

The other? Watching a clip of a 37 year old Morgan Freeman as a singing vampire taking a bubble bath in a coffin. Yes, you read that correctly.

You see, Freeman was on hand to accept the Cecil B. DeMille Award, a lifetime achievement honor given to him for his stellar career in Hollywood. Included with the award was a broadcast of Morgan’s finest acting moments… and, as a goof, a clip from his stint on the PBS children’s show The Electric Company from the 1970s. In it, we see Freeman as a vampire taking a bubble bath and singing (“Some vampires like it in a bathtub, others have tried a sink/ But when I’m flushing, I’m wishing to be washing in something that’s soft and lined with pink”). Really. You just have to see it to believe it.

What do you think of the clip?

Source: New York Daily News

Dolphin Tale: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:30:48 +0000

Dolphin Tale hits theaters this weekend with a bit of a splash, though possibly a little too much splash and not enough rippling. The stories tells the remarkable tale about the true-to-life dolphin “Winter” who lost her tail in a a fisherman’s net and was saved by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida, which was not only represented in the film, but where they actually show the film. In the triumphet story, not only does “Winter” re-learn how to swim, but she also helped pioneer new technologies for amputees and give hope to all of mankind. Her story is an inspiration for us all and her tale (pun intended) is one that easily tugs at ones heartstrings. The film seems like an easy sell, but despite its extremely positive message it’s not without its problems, the first of which is that they forgot the heart of the story.

The Players:

Director: Charles Martin Smith
Writers: Karen Janszen, Noam Dromi
Actors: Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Kris Kristofferson, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Morgan Freeman, Austin Stowell

The Plot:

“Winter” a wild dolphin gets trapped in a fisherman’s net that causes he to have to have her tail amputated. With the help of her new-human friends and one wacky scientist, they’re able to help her find a way to swim again.

The Good:

The Messages: From paying attention the lessons that life teaches us if you let it, to following your heart, to helping others, to kids communicating with your parents, there are a number of solid messages that parents should be proud to show to their kids. Yes, people can argue them, but at the heart of the film, is the belief “do good to others” and “fight for what’s good” and honestly, there’s nothing more important to teach our youth.
The Documentary Footage: For me, the documentary footage that they showed after the film was one of the most compelling and emotional parts. There’s something about the true grittiness without the Hollywood shine that really gives the story it’s impact. If only we could have had more or they would have embodided it into the whole movie we could have had something truly amazing.
The Little Girl: Will be an amazing actress once she stops pushing and trying so hard. There’s a lot of raw talent there and it will be exciting to see her hipefully discover it as her career continues. This film definitely shows that he’s packed with potential
The Heart: The filmmakers set out to make a film with heart, and though I have my complaints, I think they succeeded in creating a very sweet, touching film, with a beautifully positive message

The Bad:

Unnecessary CGI/3D: As previously stated, the documentary footage and the real shots of “Winter” bonding with the children is what sells this film. The CGI, which is rarely used, should have been never-used. It’s unnatural and jumps out at you in a distracting and ineffectual way.
Drama/Length: They fabricated a lot of unnecessary dramatic devices, which distract from the true interest of the story and leaves the film with a runtime that few young ones will be able to sit still through — despite the fact that they should because of the beautiful messages this film teaches. There’s no was a 6-year-old will be able to sit still through this film, it’s long, very long.
Focus: They focused too much on trying to hype up the story and missed out on the truly entertaining part, a boy and his dolphin. They didn’t need all the excess drama (Ex: Free Will), such as the hurricane and toy airplane, and CGI dolphin jumps and pelican eyes. None of that really enhanced the story and that’s because there was such a strong center to it. It felt like they didn’t have full faith in the concept itself and someone let someone convince them that by adding more they would get something greater, but instead the just got a longer runtime with less heart.

Overall:

This film is a success because it’s one of the first kids films in a long time that I feel deals with some truly positive messages and morality tales for kids and even adults. “Winter” is beautiful to watch on screen, there are a number of charming moments, interesting characters (human and non-human), and at the heart of it there is a truly inspiring story that teaches one to love and accept those around them and never give up on one another. I can’t bash a film that delivers a message like this — I just wish they could have told it a bit faster and with a bit LESS of a splash.

Rating: 6/10

Dolphin Tale hits theaters September 23rd!

A Dolphin’s Tale Trailer

Damon Houx — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:39:49 +0000

It’s been nearly a decade since Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd made a movie together, but the two are back at it, this time in A Dolphin’s Tale, which opens September 23. The film also stars Harry Connick Jr. and Kris Kristofferson, and is directed by Charles Martin Smith. The trailer has just come out for this 3-D movie, check it out…

The words family and friendly come to mind. The film is based on the true story of a dolphin named Winter, who had a prosthetic tail made for her so she could survive after being mutilated by crab nets. The film seems to tie that in with other people who’ve lost limbs, likely to give the film more of a human story to tell.

Children’s films are interesting when it comes to subjects like this, as more so than most the narratives seem predetermined. “The Simpsons” had a great joke about the alternative ending to Free Willy, where it ended in tragedy. That’s obviously not going to be the case here either as Winter is alive and (ugh) flipping in her home in Clearwater, Florida.

Warner Brothers is targeting September, which means they’re looking for an off-season hit, but Ashley Judd has had some of her most successful films come out in the early fall period.

Would see a film about a Dolphin?

Born to be Wild 3D: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:45:08 +0000

Prepare to have your have your heart melt in one of the cutest, most honest, beautifully shot, and endearing films in theaters that the whole family will love. Born to Be Wild 3D is one of those films that you walk out of and want everyone to see because not only is it fun to watch but it fills you with so much hope and joy — maybe the world really is a good place! Find out more below…

The Players:

Director: David Lickley
Writer: Drew Fellman
Narrator (voice): Morgan Freeman
Based on: Birute Galdikas and Daphne Sheldrick

The Plot:

The story of two people who live their lives saving orphaned baby elephants and chimps.

The Good:

Great Message to Send: If ever there was a positive message to tell your children or remind yourselves, it’s said in this film. Take care of others is good and wild animals are best in the wild. Some animals, though we love them, were not meant to be tamed by us. Though they might need our help, there are others ways to help them then by making them pets, putting them in zoos or leaving them alone.
Great for all Ages: Unlike some other animal films, this one is very easy to take children of all ages to watch. There is almost no violence of any kind and the concepts and visuals are very easy to grasp. Plus it’s only 40 minutes long so it’s easy to sit through! Though it is in 3D, that might be tough for some kids — the content is all perfect for them though.
Wonderful Visuals: The shots that they get of the animals bottle feeding, running in the wild, playing with one another, rolling in the mud are absolutely amazing!
Showing All Sides: The film doesn’t show that everything they do is fun and easy, it’s hard on both the people and the animals at times — but the end results are worth it and it’s nice to see a balanced argument in a film like this.

The Bad:

Want More!: I wished it was a full length movie, but I’ll take what I can get!

Overall:

This is a great film — you’ll shed a few tears, learn something about the animals and leave with a warmed heart. Wonderful experience, absolutely a pleasure to watch.

Rating: 8.5/10

Check out in select IMAX 3D movies April 8th!

Tyler Perry to Replace Morgan Freeman in I, Alex Cross

Krystal Clark — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:33:46 +0000

Do you remember the thrillers Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider? Both films starred Morgan Freeman and both were based off novels written by James Patterson. Morgan played a character named Alex Cross, and he appears in more than his fair share of books. Since there’s so much material to expand on, Hollywood is looking to reboot the character and revive his feature franchise. The first order of business is to cast a younger, hipper Cross. According to Deadline, Freeman is out and Tyler Perry is in!

Perry’s casting comes as a shock considering British star Idris Elba was named as the front runner for the part back in August. He was originally set to play the title character in the film, which would be based off the book simply titled Cross, with David Twohy directing. This revised version will feature Perry under the direction of Rob Cohen, yes Rob “XXX” Cohen!

The biggest concern is whether or not Perry can convince his fans to cross over (pun intended) into his new career venture. He will have no control over the script and he won’t be directing. And in his projects, he typically controls both.

We’re happy to see Perry branching out into other areas, but we have to be honest: Elba would have been perfect for this part! What happened? We’re assuming there’s no bad blood between him and Perry. The duo previously worked together on Perry’s film Daddy’s Little Girls.

What do you think of Perry playing Alex Cross? Should they have kept Elba?

Morgan Freeman Lobbying for 2022 World Cup

Krystal Clark — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:00:58 +0000

Morgan Freeman received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in 2009 for his performance as President Nelson Mandela in Clint Eastwood’s Invictus. There he played a sports enthusiast who felt that South Africa could be reunited through rugby and the World Cup. The actor must have taken the role to heart because he and former President Bill Clinton are currently trying to bring the 2022 World Cup to the U.S.

Freeman and Clinton represented the United States as they tried to appeal to World Cup officials by stating it would be a “revenue-rich tournament in an ethnically diverse nation.” Diversity was the key word they used in their presentation. They had some serious competition coming from all over the world including Australia, Qatar, and of course England.

Ironically both Australia and the U.S. fell back on star power to promote their agenda. The U.S. had Freeman and Australia brought in model Elle McPherson. The land down under also stressed, you guessed it, “diversity.” Everybody wants a piece of the most watched sports tournament in the world. Who do you think will get it?

Do you think the U.S should get the World Cup? Who should host the event next?

Source: CSMonitor

Morgan Freeman to Play The Colonel in Akira?

Krystal Clark — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 22:57:31 +0000

Last week, a lot and we mean a LOT of fans of the popular Japanese anime Akira were up in arms about the possibility of Zac Efron appearing in the live action adaptation of the property. According to a report from Bloody Disgusting, he’s not the only one circling a role in the Warner Bros movie. Oscar winner Morgan Freeman might slip into the shoes of the infamous Colonel for the film.

Here’s a character description courtesy of the manga’s Wikipedia page:

Sometimes known as Colonel Shikishima (敷島大佐, Shikishima Taisa?), he is the head of the secret government project conducting research on psychic test subjects, including the Esper children, Tetsuo, and formerly Akira. Although he originally appears to be an antagonist, the Colonel is actually an honorable and dedicated soldier committed to protecting Neo-Tokyo from any second onslaught of Akira. Later in the story he appears helping an ill Chiyoko, and working with Kei. He is usually referred to by Kaneda as “The Skinhead”, due to his distinctive crew cut.

Haven’t we seen Freeman play this character already in Wanted? In the back of our minds we always saw Chuck Liddell as the Colonel. They look just alike!

Akira will be directed by The Hughes Brothers, and will center on “a teen biker gang member is subjected to a government experiment which unleashes his latent powers. The gang’s leader must find a way to stop the ensuing swathe of destruction.” All of this action is set against a neon-lit futuristic post-nuclear war “New Tokyo” in 2019.

What do you think of Morgan Freeman possibly playing the Colonel?

RED: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:00:30 +0000

RED MOVIE REVIEW: This weekend in theaters the old gang gets back together in RED to perform the ultimate heist — meaning a bunch of well known actors got paid to shoot a bunch of giant runs in nice clothing. Overall this is very much the film you think it’s going to be; it’s has plenty of funny jokes, moves right along, there’s a lot great actors saying cheesy lines that through anyone else’s mouth would make you cringe and a very thin but easy to watch story.

Check out the review below and decide for yourself if this is the film for you…

The Players:

Directed by: Robert Schwentke
Writing by: Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber (screenplay), Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner (graphic novel)
Actors: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Mary Louise Parker, Richard Dreyfuss, Karl Urban, and Julian McMahon
Original Music by: Christophe Beck
Cinematography by: Florian Ballhaus

The Plot:

When a retired former black-ops agent Frank Moses starts to get bored and lonely, he steals a women and gets himself in one last bad situation in which be have to put together his old in order to survive.

The Good:

The Gimmick: You get a lot of well known actors, give them a reason to come together, and get to watch some of your favorite action, comedic and dramatic actors shooting up a bunch of people. It’s been done, it’s not that interesting, but it’s fun enough.
Bruce Willis/The Whole Cast: Lets face it, there’s not much of a script here, so all their personalities have to carry the story — luckily they have the cast to pull it off. Bruce Willis has to carry most of the film on his shoulders (which quite often is the case) and as always he’s charismatic does an admirable job of keeping the story interesting when there is not much going on. Once again the supporting cast helps quite a bit.

The Bad:

Not Enough Mirren: They promote the film like it’s all about Helen Mirren and then she doesn’t even show up until the second act and then only assists through the end.
Convenient: Everything in the film is convenient, there are never any real hurdles, just bumps in the road.
Quality: It’s not a great film, there’s nothing overtly interesting about the characters or their journey. This was very much made with a nudge and wink to the audience, and it’s fun but not nothing amazing.
Leads Dying: This film is all about having fun, don’t kill off our favorite actors!

Overall:

It’s a fun ride, but nothing ground-breaking. It’s just enough to keep your entertained and the cast is amazing, but that’s about it.

Rating: 6.5/10

RED hits theaters October 15th!

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd Up for 3D Dolphin Film

Mali Elfman — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:54:12 +0000

Time to save the dolphins! No? I mean, time to watch a fictional story about dolphins… in 3D! Why not? 3D is not just for action or horror films anymore, now it’s so that you can feel like you’re swimming alongside Flipper! The idea has managed to snare a number of top tier talent into the project, Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr. and Ashley Judd are all in negotiations to star in Alcon Entertainment’s 3D family film Dolphin Tale.

Charles Martin Smith, the director you may know from Air Bud (hmmm…) will be directing the film. Seems like he’s your man who does animal films that will make you cry! The film was penned by Karen Janszen who you may know from A Walk to Remember. Sounds like a crier if you ask me! The script seems to have a lot of hands in it. Revisions were made on Janszen’s work by Smith and Jordan Roberts based on an original treatment by Noam Dromi.

The film “centers on a young dolphin that loses her tail in a crab trap and an introverted 11-year-old boy who rallies friends and family to save it by persuading a doctor to create a prosthetic attachment to restore the dolphin’s ability to swim. Winter will play herself in the movie.”

Freeman will portray the doctor and Connick a marine biologist who rescues the mammal and takes it to the facility he runs. Judd will play the boy’s mother.

They seem to be getting a move on the project. They’re beginning principal photography as early as Sept. 27 in Clearwater, Florise and hopefully shooting will begin not long after that. The film will be released by Warner Bros. through Alcon’s output deal.

Who’s excited to for another dolphin film!?

Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich RED Posters

Krystal Clark — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:41:01 +0000

Conveniently right before San Diego Comic-Con, Summit Entertainment has decided to roll out more character posters for their comic adaptation, RED. We’ve already revealed the one sheets for Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren, now it’s time to give the other guys their time in the spotlight. Check out Morgan Freeman and John Malkovich as two old bogies you don’t want to mess with…

The story for RED centers on Frank Moses (Willis), a former black-ops CIA agent, who is now living a quiet life. That is, until the day a hi-tech assassin shows up intent on killing him. With his identity compromised and the life of the woman he cares for, Sarah (Mary Louise-Parker), endangered, Frank reassembles his old team (Freeman, Malkovich and Mirren) in a last ditch effort to survive.

The film is adapted from the DC Comics graphic novel by Warren Ellis and Cully Hammer. The film is directed by Robert Schwentke and is scheduled for release on October 15th. Summit will be holding an official panel for the film at Comic-Con on Thursday, July 22nd in Hall H. Be there or be square!

What do you think of the latest posters for RED? Are you interested in seeing the film?

Source: Collider

Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman in Red Trailer

Krystal Clark — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:56:43 +0000

The first trailer has been released for Summit Entertainment’s comic adaptation, Red. It stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Mary Louise Parker, Richard Dreyfuss, Karl Urban, and Julian McMahon. Red stands for Retired-Extremely-Dangerous and if anything, the trailer proves we should watch our backs around senior citizens. Check it out…

The story for Red centers on Frank Moses (Willis), a former black-ops CIA agent, who is now living a quiet life. That is, until the day a hi-tech assassin shows up intent on killing him. With his identity compromised and the life of the woman he cares for, Sarah (Parker), endangered, Frank reassembles his old team (Freeman, Malkovich and Mirren) in a last ditch effort to survive.

The film is based on the WindStorm Comics property of the same name that was created by Warren Ellis. The movie looks 10 times better than I thought it would so kudos to Robert Schwentke on his direction.

Who doesn’t want to see Helen Mirren shooting off massive rounds from an automatic weapon? What about John Malkovich doing what he does best: playing crazy? How about Freeman as a tracksuit wearing womanizer with a deadly aim? This is a project I can get behind!

Red hits theaters this fall on October 15, 2010.

What do you think of the first trailer for Red?

Morgan Freeman Heading to Space for Science Channel

Krystal Clark — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:36:44 +0000

Is there anything Morgan Freeman can’t do? He’s a great actor, producer, and can narrate the hell out of a documentary, so what’s next for the Oscar winner? According to the AP he’s headed to space! Freeman’s been out promoting a new television series that will air on the Science Channel about space exploration. He will host and narrate the show (no surprise there) and produce it through his production company.

The series is called “Through the Wormhole” and it’s a passion project for Freeman who’s always had a fascination with astronomy and what lies beyond the stars. His partnership with the Science Channel allows him to delve into one of his favorite subjects while giving the network a much needed PR boost. They’ve been campaigning to get celebrities to come on board to take part in original programing and documentaries to heighten its exposure.

“Through the Wormhole” will ask the tough questions like, “Was there a Creator?” That’s the first topic they’ll tackle when the show airs on Wednesday that’s sure to spark plenty of discussions. Debbie Myers, the network’s general manager stated that the show will deal with some “heady stuff,” and as for Freeman spearheading the project,

“Morgan is kind of the everyman,” she said. “He has a love for science, but he’s not a scientist, and he’s a great storyteller.”

I’d have to agree. Freeman has James Earl Jones syndrome. When he speaks you have no choice but to sit down and listen. It’s great that he’s taking a personal hobby of his and turning it into something that he can share with general audiences. I’m not the biggest science geek but even I’m interested in seeing what the show has to offer.

Are you interested in going through the wormhole with Freeman and the Science Channel? Have you heard about this show?

ScreenCrave.com » morgan freeman

VOTD: Morgan Freeman As A Singing Bathtub Vampire On The Golden Globes

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Dolphin Tale: Movie Review

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The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 6/10

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The Plot:

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The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 6.5/10

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

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