“Blindness” Is Outrageous And Offensive / Fernando Meirelles About His Movie

“Usually when I make a film, I can get started by going to Google, doing research,” Fernando Meirelles said about his new movie “Blindness,” opening October 3, 2008.

“But this is a film based on nothing. It’s all invented, a generic city with characters who have no names and no past, who get a disease that doesn’t exist. After I got involved in the film, I realized, wow, this is like a trap.”

“In most films everything is based on the eyes. You cut to show where the character is looking, that’s how you tell stories. It’s all about point of view, and I wasn’t going to do this film showing only Julianne’s character’s point of view. So how do you get people involved with the characters when you can’t put them in the same position visually?”

So, his solution, he said, was: “I put the audience in this blind world, to try to deconstruct the image, if I can say that. Sometimes the image is washed out, sometimes it’s out of focus, sometimes the framing is totally wrong, deliberately and toward the end of the film I even tried separating the sound from the image, showing a character with his mouth shut, but you’re hearing his voice.”

“It was all very experimental. Very scary. But “Blindness” is not scary in a horror-movie way, this isn’t science fiction, really. It’s a metaphor.”

His movie is “not a story like that, about a disease and somebody looking for a cure. The plague here is just an excuse to explore human behavior, how this blindness affected people, how they’d react if nobody could see them and they could do anything, knowing that they won’t be judged.”

Continue Reading…

Jon Favreau Talks Iron Man 2

On Wednesday, Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man) joined a live chat on the LA Times‘ website, where he answered questions about the upcoming “Iron Man 2.”

Jon Favreau (JF): We’re playing with who the villain should be and what we should incorporate from the comic book. And how it will lead into The Avengers.

Question: What stage are you in right now?

JF: I’m working with Justin Theroux, a writer. He’s writing the first draft of the script. I’m working with a storyboard artist as well as designing the costumes for good guys and bad guys.

JF: Now that Marvel is making its own movies, every movie has to fit into the Marvel universe. The Avengers incorporates not just Iron Man, but Thor, possibly the Hulk and traditionally Captain America as well. As it is, it’s scheduled Thor will come out the same summer as Iron Man 2 and The First Avenger: Captain America will come out a few months before Avengers. All the films have to come together to create a consistent universe. That’s very important to everyone involved.

Question: This summer, two of the best films of the season are superhero movies. Both Iron Man and The Dark Knight work because the directors [you and Christopher Nolan] honored the source material. Why do you think it’s been so hard for so many previous directors of superhero films to understand that’s the only approach that will work? Continue Reading…

Keira Knightley: No More Pirates!

Walt Disney Pictures has recently announced that they will be making a fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
Johnny Depp will be again Captain Jack Sparrow but the question is would the rest of the cast return.

Keira Knightley said in an interview with MTV News that she has no idea what’s going on with the new installment and she thinks “it’s time to do different things.”

Check out the video interview with Keira Knightley HERE

Oliver Stone on “W”: The Guy Is Goofy – TV Spot No2

Lionsgate has been released the second TV spot for the upcoming Oliver Stone’s “W.”

Oliver Stone is not even trying to hide the fact that in his new movie “W,” Bush seems like the worlds biggest “goofy.” He stated that his movie is real satire. We’ll see!

Stone recently gave an interview for GQ

“My form always fits the function of every movie. Alexander is as different as World Trade Center as this is from those two. This is a different man; he’s not as dark or deep as someone like Nixon. The style is a time trip through three different eras, to give you a sense of young, middle, and old. It’s light.”

GQ: Wait, are you saying this movie is a comedy?

Well, it has to be done with an ebullience and a certain fun, because the guy is goofy. He’s a goofball! And I think he endeared himself to people because he couldn’t get anything right. Kubrick was an idol of mine. I grew up on Strangelove and movies like Network, and they made a big impact on me. So yeah, W. is a satire.

Here’s the plot: Whether you love him or hate him, there is no question that George W. Bush is one of the most controversial public figures in recent memory. In an unprecedented undertaking, acclaimed director Oliver Stone is bringing the life of our 43rd President to the big screen as only he can. “W” takes viewers through Bush’s eventful life, his struggles and triumphs, how he found both his wife and his faith, and of course the critical days leading up to Bush’s decision to invade Iraq.

Sounds pretty serious (satire).

Stone told GQ that they went through a lot of actors before settling on Brolin. One of them was Christian Bale! I mean, I just can’t imagine Bale as Bush, though I was surprised with Josh Brolin, also. Watching the trailers, photos etc. he did a good job as actor in the freakiest movie of the year (or more…) playing the most hated president in modern history.

OK, “W” is not the first Oliver Stone’s biopic. He directed many biopics and movies about historical events – “Nixon,” “Evita,” “Alexander“, “JFK“… but “W” – don’t tell me that you wan’t watch “W” movie.

Nice job Mr. Stone!

Interview: Jeremy Irons for “Appaloosa”

Jeremy Irons in Appaloosa

Oscar winning Brit Jeremy Irons is very picky when it comes to leaving one of his many British homes [and Irish castle] to take on a Hollywood role, but the idea of playing the antagonistic cattle baron in the Ed Harris-directed western, “Appaloosa“, was clearly roo good to pass up.

In a Toronto hotel room, in between puffs of a cigarette, Irons chatted exclusively to PAUL FISCHER.

Question: Was it irresistible to do something that kind of reminded you of why you might have become an actor in the first place?

Irons: Yeah. I’ve always ridden horses and like most people, I was sort of brought up on Westerns, and Westerns were movies., but I never thought I’d ever be in one. They don’t make many now and although Clint Eastwood had asked me to do Unforgiven–

Question: Which, the Richard Harris part?

Irons: Yeah. And I said, “No.” I think – I’d read the script, and I thought, “I think I’m too young for this. I don’t think I’m right for this. You should ask Richard Harris,” which he did. Of course, Richard made a great success of it and I think was a lot better than I would have been. So, I had another opportunity to do one. But, you know, when Ed asked me to do this, I’d just finished doing a play in London, and was feeling like doing a movie. I thought it would be a lot of fun. I could see that he had this dream to make this picture and Viggo was on board, and Renee was on board. And I thought, “Oh, we’ll have fun. It’s a nice bunch of actors, nice script.” And it was a real pleasure to be able to say yes to it.

Read more: DarkHorizons

Robert Downey Jr. On Tropic Thunder – Video

Tropic’s Kirk Lazarus – Robert Downey Jr. spoke with Empire Online about Ben Stiller’s action comedy “Tropic Thunder” and how he prepared for the role. Check out this video

Colin Farrell? Russell Crowe? As Watson – We Need Sherlock Holmes!

Not too long ago, it was rumored that Russell Crowe was in talks to star as Watson alongside Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes in new Guy Ritchie’s movie “Sherlock Holmes,” but that was quickly turned around by studio sources.

In fact Crowe was in talks to star as Professor Moriarty not Watson. That leaves the role of Watson still to be set. I mean, if Russell Crowe really is in the project!

New rumor is that Colin Farrell is in talks to star alongside Downey’s Holmes as Watson!?

While no official word has been said, JoBlo’s sources are saying Farrell is the guy.

This would be an interesting development.