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“The Alto Knights,” a crime thriller starring dueling Robert De Niros, made moviegoers an offer they easily refused.

The Warner Bros. film was D.O.A. over the weekend with $3.2 million at the domestic box office, one of the worst-ever starts for a major studio release. “The Alto Knights” also cratered overseas, earning $1.8 million for a bleak worldwide tally of $5.1 million. With a price tag above $45 million before marketing is taken into account, “The Alto Knights” is already one of the year’s biggest misfires.

Box office watchers, however, aren’t exactly scratching their heads to figure out what went wrong. They believe “The Alto Knights” hails from a genre — mobster movies — that’s been sleeping with the fishes for decades. Then critics rebuked the film, which landed a poor 37% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, at least the few people who checked the film out, were kinder, giving it a “B” grade on CinemaScore exit polls.

Warner Brothers is seemingly on a never-ending quest of cancelations and removals. After being completed, WB shelved Batgirl. The same goes for Coyote vs. Acme, an animated live-action combining Looney Tuneswith the real world (even though Ketchup Entertainment is now in talks to release it). The entirety of the available Looney Tunes cartoons was recently removed from Max as well. It's clear that the world-renowned film studio is changing gears, now prioritizing movies that can potentially surge at the box office.

There are some big hitters coming up to bat. First, there's F1 starring Brad Pitt and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Then, One Battle After Another with Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn. Finally, the Oceans' prequel, which brings in Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as parents to Danny Ocean. Then there's also The Alto Knights, a mob movie where the timeless Robert De Niro plays two characters. Directed by Barry Levinson...

There are some good reasons for actors to play multiple roles in a film. If they’re playing twins, for example. Or clones. Or if the film is so outlandish that it feels appropriate, like Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove.

But having Robert De Niro play real-life gangsters Frank Costello and Vito Genovese at once simply feels like a casting stunt. The end result is that Barry Levinson’s otherwise sober-minded The Alto Knights too often feels like The Patty Duke Show if Patty and Cathy had become mafiosos.

If this film feels familiar, that’s because it is. From its pedigree to its casting to its themes, Levinson’s new effort comes across like a retread. Even its original title, Wise Guys, well, you know. That doesn’t make The Alto Knights (a terrible title, by the way, taken from the name of the social club where the gangsters...

It’s rare to see a film in which not a single interesting thing happens over the course of its entire running time. Not only is that true of Barry Levinson’s “The Alto Knights,” but this tired-as-hell mafia story — which wouldn’t merit so much as a footnote in the history of mob cinema if not for the gimmick of casting Robert De Niro as real-life crime boss Vito Genovese and his best frenemy Frank Costello — seems totally at peace with it.

From the moment it starts, Levinson’s first theatrical feature since 2015’s “Rock the Kasbah” is comfortably entombed in the same deep sense of resignation that inspires its main character to get out of the game. Frank Costello knows that his era in the underworld has come to a close, and he narrates the limp saga of his own life as if it were already irrelevant. As...

Bruce Willis is arguably one of the best action stars ever to be featured on the big screen. Before he retired from acting in 2022, Willis demonstrated himself to be a diverse talent by taking roles in comedies, dramas, and even movies that bordered on musicals (Hudson Hawk), proving his talents over and over again.

Toward the end of his career, Willis made movies that critics chided and audiences scoffed at. Despite poor reviews and low scores on sites like Rotten Tomatoes, several of these movies are not as bad as they appear to be. Additionally, they should be viewed within the context they were made and with all the information.

Assassin is one of these movies. Here's what Assassin is about, how it was received, and, ultimately, why its harsh treatment was unwarranted.

'Assassin' Was Based on a Short Film Called 'Let Them Die Like Others'

Director Jesse Atlas and...

Saturday Night Live eras will converge in an upcoming movie. Two of the show's most iconic and beloved cast members are set to star opposite each other.

Bill Murray and Kristen Wiig will star in the comedy Epiphany directed by Max Barbakow and written by Mitch Glazer. Per Variety, the plot follows "Favorite Ives (Wiig), an heiress and fashionista who has blown through her entire fortune and is forced to take up a challenge: marry a rich husband in two weeks or lose everything and end up on the street. Her desperate search for a big-money mark slams her into eccentric math savant and billionaire Oz Bell (Bill Murray). Favorite needs Oz’s money and Oz craves Favorite’s spirit and spontaneity."

Barbakow already has a history working with Saturday Night Live alum. He collaborated with Andy Samberg on the science-fiction romantic-comedy Palm Springs.

For Glazer and Murray, this is...

Kate Hudson and former costar Zooey Deschanel share a hug after running into each other during a walk in Los Angeles on Monday (September 16).

If you were unaware, the actresses shared the screen in 2000′s Almost Famous and reunited for Rock the Kasbah in 2015.

During their most recent run-in, Kate was out with her husband Danny Fujikawa and some friends. She was dressed simply in a pair of yellow sweatpants with a patterned sweatshirt and sneakers.

Keep reading to find out more…

Zooey looked stylish in a striped sweater and navy pants.

Kate had a huge smile on her face as she spotted Zooey on the sidewalk, and they rushed in for a hug.

The outing comes a few days after Kate attended the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival to promote her new movie Shell. We’ve got so many pics of her at the premiere.

Did you see that Kate...

Exclusive: Deadline has the first exclusive tracks from Marcelo Zarvos’ A Journal for Jordan score, which is set for release tomorrow via Sony Music Masterworks—ahead of the Sony Pictures title’s release in theaters on December 25.

The latest film directed by two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington is based on the true story of First Sergeant Charles Monroe King (Michael B. Jordan), a soldier deployed to Iraq who begins to keep a journal of love and advice for his infant son. Back at home, senior New York Times editor Dana Canedy (Chanté Adams) revisits the story of her unlikely, life-altering relationship with King and his enduring devotion to her and their child.

The romantic drama scripted by Virgil Williams marked Zarvos’ second collaboration with Washington, on the heels of his Oscar-winning August Wilson adaptation, Fences. The composer says that for this “story about love, sacrifice and family that spans 20 years,...

What a strange career Barry Levinson has had. The Baltimore-born filmmaker burst onto the scene in 1982 with “Diner” and embarked on a winning streak that’s still somewhat astonishing — his hits from the period included “Tin Men,” “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “Rain Man,” and “Bugsy.” And then came 1992’s “Toys,” and after it, a steady cascade of real clunkers: “Jimmy Hollywood,” “Disclosure,” “Sphere,” “Envy,” “Man of the Year,” “Rock the Kasbah,” and so on.

Continue reading ‘The Survivor’: Barry Levinson’s Boxing Biopic With Ben Foster Both Embraces & Subverts Its Formulas [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.

The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off Thursday with a slimmed-down lineup of just 100 films, the buzziest of which already have distribution. “Dune,” “Spencer,” and “Dear Evan Hansen” are all screening at TIFF, but with one odd twist: They’re only available to watch in person, while the majority of industry attendees will be logging on to the festival remotely.

It’s an unusual quirk in a two-year period of nothing but unusual quirks: TIFF is the only fall festival offering a robust online component. And while the festival is known as a launchpad for awards campaigns, that element will be largely absent from the way the majority of people participate in the proceedings. That, coupled with the fact that buyers have returned in force and are feeling more optimistic despite the Delta variant, could mean greater attention to a slate of titles that range from discoveries to awards bait with bankable elements.

Exclusive: Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan’s Aggregate Films is beefing up its television ranks, upping Roxie Rodriguez to VP Television and bringing in Emma Ho as Director of Development for Unscripted as the company is looking to expand its business beyond scripted programming.

“It will come as no surprise to anyone who has worked with Roxie that she deserves this promotion and has become such a valuable member of our growing team,” said Bateman and Costigan. “With her excellent taste and ability to both identify and build shows around unique voices, Roxie has been instrumental in developing our television slate with several new series that we are excited to launch in 2021 and 2022.”

Rodriguez began her career in Austin, Texas where she worked in independent film, serving as Associate Producer on the films The Skeleton Twins and Rock The Kasbah. She also had a run as a programmer for the Marfa Film Festival.

Succession star Arian Moayed has reportedly joined the cast of Spider-Man 3. It is believed that Moayed is playing a detective in the highly anticipated sequel, and that he may have already filmed some scenes. Details are scarce at the moment, but the movie has been filming for the past few months in Atlanta, after pre-production took place in and around the New York City area in October 2020. As of this writing, neither Marvel Studios, nor Sony have confirmed Moayed's involvement in Spider-Man 3.

Arian Moayed plays Stewy Hosseini, an investor, in the hit HBO series Succession. He received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo and also starred in the Tony Award-winning The Humans. Moayed has also had TV roles in Madam Secretary, Mr. Mercedes, and Inventing Anna, along with big screen roles in Rosewater,...

Once upon a time, Bruce Willis was one of the biggest stars out there, able to pick and choose whichever projects he liked thanks to a solid track record at the box office ever since Die Hard first put him on the Hollywood A-list. Nowadays, though, the 65 year-old’s star is not shining anywhere near as bright.

In recent years, he more often than not finds himself sleepwalking through dull roles and can usually be found slumming it in C-level action movies that typically skip theaters. In fact, Willis has made about twenty films in the last five years alone, and only a small handful of them have seen the inside of a cinema. Let that sink in for a moment.

Out of those, two were his small cameos in Split and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, and three were Rock the Kasbah, Death Wish and Motherless Brooklyn,...

Once upon a time, Bruce Willis was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, able to pick and choose his projects however he saw fit having established a solid track record at the box office ever since Die Hard first catapulted him towards the top of the A-list.

However, the 65 year-old’s star has faded dramatically over the last decade, and having sleepwalked his way through virtually every one of his major roles recently, he now finds himself occupying the same territory as Nicolas Cage. Both veterans have a string of critical and commercial hits under their belts, but are a lot more likely to be found slumming it in a bunch of bargain-basement action movies that don’t even come under consideration for a theatrical release.

To put things into perspective, Willis has starred in eighteen films in the last five years alone, and only six of them have...

Update: Steve Bing's cause of death has officially been ruled a suicide.  The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office confirmed Tuesday, June 22 that the Hollywood insider died from blunt trauma by suicide at his residence.  Following his passing, Bing's ex, Elizabeth Hurley, paid tribute on Instagram, writing, "I am saddened beyond belief that my ex Steve is no longer with us. It is a terrible end. Our time together was very happy and I'm posting these pictures because although we went through some tough times, it's the good, wonderful memories of a sweet, kind man that matter. ______ Steve Bing, the producer behind Rock the Kasbah and Rules...

Bing produced The Polar Express and Rock The Kasbah.

Steve Bing, the property magnate and producer of The Polar Express and Rock The Kasbah, has died following a fall from a tower block in Los Angeles. He was 55.

The incident occurred on early Monday afternoon (June 22) in Century City. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed a death and shortly after, friends including Bill Clinton took to Twitter to express condolences.

Bing founded Shangri-La Entertainment, and produced an eclectic roster of features ranging from Robert Zemeckis’ CGI dramas The Polar Express and Beowulf to the Get Carter remake starring Sylvester Stallone.

Steve Bing, a Hollywood producer, writer and financier who famously invested in the Tom Hanks movie “The Polar Express,” has died by suicide. He was 55.

A spokesperson for the L.A. County Coroner’s Office told TheWrap that the office responded to a death in the 10000 block of Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, and the man was pronounced dead at 1:10 p.m. According to TMZ, which was the first to report the news of Bing’s death, he jumped from the 27th floor of the building.

An individual at 10000 Santa Monica Boulevard confirmed to TheWrap that Bing had jumped from the tower.

The LAPD and L.A. County Coroner’s Office would not confirm the identification of the deceased or the cause of death. An individual who knew Bing said he had been depressed and acting bizarrely of late.

Also Read: Joel Schumacher, Director of 'St Elmo's Fire' and 'The Lost Boys,...

Steve Bing, a producer, philanthropist and screenwriter, has died by suicide in Los Angeles. He was 55.

Police and the coroner’s office said a man fitting his age jumped from a Century City apartment building on Monday. Sources told TMZ he had been suffering from depression.

Bing, who inherited a fortune of some $600 million from his grandfather, L.A. real estate developer Leo S. Bing, also contributed millions of dollars to Democratic political causes.

After receiving his inheritance at the age of 18, Bing dropped out of Stanford to try out the movie business. While he was still a high school student at Harvard-Westlake, he wrote the story for “Missing in Action” and later wrote an episode of “Married With Children.”

In 2003, he co-wrote the action comedy “Kangaroo Jack,” starring Anthony Anderson and Jerry O’Connell.

Bing invested some $80 million in “The Polar Express,” the Tom Hanks-voiced 2004 film directed by Robert Zemeckis.

Updated, with comment from former President Bill Clinton: Steve Bing, the film financier and philanthropist who backed hit movies from Robert Zemeckis’ The Polar Express and Beowulf to the Rolling Stones concert movie Shine a Light, has died.

According to law enforcement sources, Bing jumped from a Century City building at around 1 p.m. Monday. Following standard protocol, the Los Angeles Police Department would not confirm that the individual in question was Bing. However, the description of the man in his 50s who was found dead on the scene fits that of the producer.

Bing, also an influential political donor, was a real estate tycoon from a family with a rich history. In 2012, he pledged a $30 million legacy gift to the Motion Picture & Television Fund.

“For years Steve Bing has been one of the most philanthropic and generous people in our industry,” Jeffrey Katzenberg said at the time. “He has...

HBO is out with its list of everything new coming to HBO in January, and everything leaving.

Highlights include “The New Pope,” out Jan. 13. Starring Jude Law, it’s a continuation of the 2016 series “The Young Pope.”

There’s also “The Outsider,” out Jan. 12. Based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel, it stars Jason Bateman, Cynthia Erivo and Ben Mendelsohn.

“Avenue 5,” about a luxury space-traveling company, is out Jan. 19, along with season 10 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Here’s the full list for January:

Jan. 1

American Animals

Casi famoso (Almost Famous) (2019)

Vaca (2018)

Another Stakeout (1993)

Arthur (1981)

Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988)

Cat People (1982)

College (2008)

Fast Five (Extended Version) (2011)

Filly Brown (2013)

Galaxy of Terror (1981)

Head Office (1986)

The Hitcher (1986)

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (2011)

Les Misérables (2012)

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)

Mr. Holland’s Opus (1996)

Odd Jobs (1986)

The Odd Couple II (1998)

Rock the Kasbah (1991)

The Russia House (1990)

Scary Movie 3 (2003)

Seventh Son (3015)

The Shooting...

Exclusive: Leem Lubany, who is up next starring with Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow on the new FX series The Old Man, has signed with Paradigm. She will be represented in all areas.

Spy drama The Old Man is one of four series originally developed and ordered by FX that will debut exclusively on Hulu. Written by Jon Steinberg & Robert Levine, it also stars John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman, Alia Shawkat, Austin Stowell and Ej Bonilla and is expected to premiere in fall 2020.

Lubany most recently played Gabrielle Joubert on the the Audience Network spy series Condor, and recently wrapped BBC miniseries Baghdad Central for Channel 4 in the UK starring Cory Stoll.

On the film side, Lubany’s credits include Hany Abu-Assad’s Omar, nominated for the Foreign Language Oscar in 2014. She has also appeared in Rock the Kasbah with Bill Murray and Saint Judy alongside Michelle Monaghan and Alfred Molina.

The FX drama pilot “The Old Man” starring Jeff Bridges has added two new cast members.

Variety has learned exclusively that both Leem Lubany and E.J. Bonilla have joined the project. In addition to Bridges, they join previously announced cast members John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman, and Alia Shawkat.

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Thomas Perry, the series centers on Dan Chase (Bridges), who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.

Lubany will star as a younger version of Abbey Chase, the deceased spouse of Dan Chase. Thirty years prior to the events of the story, she shares in his double life, before tragedy strikes in the form of a debilitating disease. Bonilla will play Raymond Waters,...

The Smell of Petrol is the second film by award winning writer/director and actor Branko Tomovic. Cosima Shaw (Mars, V for Vendetta) stars as the main character Jackie. The exciting cast also includes Laurence Spellman, Jumaan Short (Mother), Jonas Khan (Rock the Kasbah), Alexander Devrient (The Danish Girl), Liane-Rose Bunce (Homeward) and Christopher Sciueref (300: Rise of an Empire).  The film highlights the dark and brutal world of human trafficking and shines a light on the people involved in such operations. It's a character study of a woman who is working as a trafficker for illegal immigrants but is faced with an unbearable task which forces her to take a look at her actions.  The...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Not all heroes wear capes, and in Sean Hanish’s “Saint Judy,” not all heroes can afford those capes.

Judy Wood (Michelle Monaghan) is a determined and devoted immigration lawyer for her clients. Unfortunately, she’s better at arguing cases than she is at paying bills or spending time with her son, Alex. While she’s a soft-hearted advocate, Judy’s tough when it comes to the courtroom. Monaghan embodies Judy’s attributes into her performance, whether it’s her character’s zealous sense of duty, her persistence in keeping her relationship with her son, or her frazzled exhaustion at the end of the day when there are still so many people still left to help.

In some ways, Judy’s personality sounds so familiar because she shares many qualities with other well-meaning and determined lawyers in movies. Think Atticus Finch from “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a man who believed...

Bill Murray is re-teaming with director Sofia Coppola for On the Rocks. The movie will be the first as part of a deal between Apple and indie producer A24, which was struck last year in November. Apple is hoping to make a splash in the streaming game in the near future, in the hopes of keeping up with Netflix, and they partnered with A24 to help get some premium content in order to make that happen. Reuniting Murray with the director behind Lost in Translation is certainly one way to get attention.

According to a new report, Bill Murray has signed on to star in On the Rocks alongside former Parks and Recreation star Rashida Jones. The movie is said to center on a young mother who reconnects with her larger-than-life playboy father as they have themselves an adventure in New York. Production is expected to begin in the spring,...

The Smell of Petrol is the second film by award winning writer/director and actor Branko Tomovic. Cosima Shaw stars as the main character Jackie. The exciting cast also includes Laurence Spellman, Jumaan Short (Mother), Jonas Khan (Rock the Kasbah), Alexander Devrient (The Danish Girl), Liane-Rose Bunce (Homeward) and Christopher Sciueref (300: Rise of an Empire). The film highlights the dark and brutal world of human trafficking and shines a light on the people involved in such operations. It's a character study of a woman who is working as a trafficker for illegal immigrants but is faced with an unbearable task which forces her to take a look at her actions. ...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Representatives confirm deal on Monday.

Tang Media Partners (Tmp) has acquired Open Road Films as part of a $500m expansion plan.

Tmp representatives said the Open Road transaction followed a fund raise earlier in the year through the Los Angeles-based company’s strategic shareholders and partners, including return investor Tencent Holdings.

Open Road CEO Tom Ortenberg will continue as CEO while AMC and Regal, the backers with whom he launched the company in 2011, will stay on through a long-term marketing partnership.

Screendaily understands Chinese-American businessman Donald Tang (pictured) had been circling Open Road on and off for about nine months. The acquisition complements Tmp’s content creation and data analytics business, and Im Global, Stuart Ford’s sales, production and finance company in which Tang bought a 60% stake last year.

The deal gives Open Road access to Tmp’s Chinese and international distribution channels. However it was unclear whether that meant the end of Open Road’s...

Academy Award-winning musician and actor Lonnie Rashid Lynn, better known as the rapper Common, and Fences‘ co-star Mykelti Williamson has signed onto the indie feature film Saint Judy for director/producer Sean Hanish. Others that have not been announced are Leem Lubany (Rock the Kasbah), Ben Schnetzer (Goat), Waleed Zuaiter (London Has Fallen) and Aimee Garcia (Fox's Lucifer). Others already reported to be in the film are Alfred Molina, Michelle Monaghan, Alfre Woodard…...

Oscar winner William Hurt (Goliath) and Oscar-nominated Bob Balaban (Gosford Park) are set to star opposite Max Irons and Mira Sorvino in Condor, At&T Audience Network's 10-episode straight-to-series drama produced by MGM Television and Skydance TV. Also joining the cast are series regulars Leem Lubany (Omar, Rock the Kasbah), Kristen Hager (The Kennedys After Camelot, Gotham), and Angel Bonanni (Shots Fired, Absentia); and recurring Christina Moses (The Originals, Contain…...

Congratulations to Zooey Deschanel!

The New Girl star is expecting another new girl (or boy) with her husband, Jacob Pechenik, Us Weekly reports.

Related: Zooey Deschanel Gushes About ‘Really Special’ Daughter Elsie: Find Out Her Adorable Obsession!

Deschanel and Pechenik, a movie producer, met on the set of their film, Rock the Kasbah, in 2014, and tied the knot just one year later. The two welcomed their first child, daughter Elsie Otter, in August 2015.

Getty Images

"We thought Elsie is kind of a classic name. A lot of people have grandmas and aunts name Elsie," Deschanel said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, explaining her daughter's unique moniker.

"I love animals so much," she continued of Elsie's middle name, confessing Otter was "a little bit wild." "We love otters because they're so cute, and playful and fun. And they're really smart."

Related: Zooey Deschanel Talks Post-Baby Body Pressures: 'You Just Grew a Human'

Et visited the New Girl set just...

Wme has signed veteran director/writer/producer Barry Levinson. Levinson produces his films through his Baltimore Pictures banner and teams with Tom Fontana for TV series through their Levinson/Fontana Company. Levinson, Oscar winner for directing Rain Man, also has iconic titles Bugsy, Diner and Good Morning Vietnam on his feature resume. He most recently directed the 2015 film Rock the Kasbah. In TV, Levinson executive produces the NBC drama series Shades of Blue…...

Wme has signed veteran director/writer/producer Barry Levinson. Levinson produces his films through his Baltimore Pictures banner and teams with Tom Fontana for TV series through their Levinson/Fontana Company. Levinson, Oscar winner for directing Rain Man, also has iconic titles Bugsy, Diner and Good Morning Vietnam on his feature resume. He most recently directed the 2015 film Rock the Kasbah. In TV, Levinson executive produces the NBC drama series Shades of Blue…...

Kate Hudson's star-studded Halloween bash was an Absolut success!

A slew of Hollywood A-Listers attended the 37-year-old actress' annual festive fete, pulling out all the stops with their creative, quirky and fun costumes.

Watch: Inside George Clooney's A-List Halloween Party -- Including Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire's Wolfpack!

"It's time to party!" Hudson shared on Instagram. "Before we put the phones away we want to thank @absolutelyx for sponsoring us this year #elyx #skål #LetsDoThis."

It's time to party! Before we put the phones away we want to thank @absolutelyx for sponsoring us this year...

Bill Murray fans are used to seeing him on the big screen, the red carpet or at the Oscars — but now they can catch the actor behind a local bar pulling pints. No, the “Ghostbusters” star hasn’t hit hard times — despite “Rock the Kasbah” being a box office bomb — he’s actually helping out his son, Homer Murray, at his new Brooklyn bar, 21 Greenpoint. Murray Sr. will be pouring shots and mixing cocktails this Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from 7 p.m. Et, according to Time Out New York. But before you book your flights to NYC to go booze with Bill,...

What the heck is this? Some sort of meninist political statement attempting to vindicate male anger? In a kids’ movie? Maybe men shouldn’t make movies… I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): movies based on games fill me with dread

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Movies are so dominated by women that you’d be forgiven for presuming that a new one entitled Angry Birds is likely yet another broad grossout slapstick comedy about a gang of cranky, foulmouthed gals getting into trouble and embarrassing themselves with malicious glee. (I know that I, for one, am tired of this subgenre, in which there seems to be a new entry every other week.) Sure, this movie is based on a popular mobile-app game, but the game is pure nonsense: it doesn’t have anything approaching an actual story or genuine characters. It’s a template,...

The play on words that is the title to screenwriter Mitch Glazer and director Barry Levinson’s Rock the Kasbah is one feels akin to the sort of pitch you would hear from Alan Partridge, as you get the impression the title was thought up first, and then the narrative was implemented afterwards, in the most

The post Rock the Kasbah Review appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Chicago – She’s the daughter of Hollywood royalty, but managed to carve out her own career as a film actress and entrepreneur. Kate Hudson can now add author to her list of accomplishments as she came to Chicagoland to promote “Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways to Love Your Body.”

Actress Kate Hudson for ‘Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways to Love Your Body’

Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Hudson is the daughter of Goldie Hawn and musician Bill Hudson (Hawn’s second husband), and was raised by Hawn and her longtime partner Kurt Russell. After high school she pursued an acting career, and made her debut in 1998 in “Desert Blue.” Her breakthrough came two years later, as she memorably portrayed the character of Penny Lane in “Almost Famous” (2000), which garnered her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards. This led to a series of roles...

Finding oneself, revamping your life, and discovering a new direction after a major change is something that happens often both in life and in movies. It.s a kind of universal existential trial that has happened to most people, and it.s also something Tom Hanks. character experiences in the new trailer for his upcoming comedy-tinged drama A Hologram for the King. Check it out below. Despite drastically different approaches and worlds, there.s something about the trailer for A Hologram for the King that calls to mind Bill Murray.s recent Rock the Kasbah. Obviously they.re both very, very different, but each narrative takes the idea of a man who has failed at his chosen vocation, and who, with no other options, turns to the Middle East in hopes of salvaging his career. I.m sure there are countless variances, many apparent in this two-and-a-half-minute video, but at...

A mess of a romantic dramedy full of colonialistic offensiveness, forced quirkiness, implausible emotion, and oblivious masculine self-centeredness. I’m “biast” (pro): really generally like Cameron Crowe and the cast

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

So it turns out that casting Emma Stone as a woman who is one-quarter Chinese and one-quarter Hawaiian (“my mother is Swedish” she hastens to inform everyone) was far from the worst bad choice writer-director Cameron Crowe (We Bought a Zoo, Almost Famous) made with Aloha. This mess of an excuse for a romantic dramedy is all about ensuring that walking personal disaster Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper: Joy, Burnt) finds redemption and happiness, and that he is okay with his life and his choices… though why any of us watching should care whether he achieves this is never adequately broached.

A former soldier and military contractor,...

After languishing in development for several years, Paramount and MGM's long-awaited Death Wish remake is finally moving forward. Deadline reports that Bruce Willis has signed on to star, with Israeli filmmakers Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado (Big Bad Wolves) coming aboard to direct. Paramount and MGM will distribute the remake, which hopes to get production started this summer.

The original 1974 Death Wish starred Charles Bronson as an ordinary man who becomes a dangerous vigilante after his wife is killed by street thugs, who also raped his daughter. Joe Carnahan was initially attached to direct, and he also wrote a draft of the screenplay, before he dropped out of the project back in 2013. The filmmaker left the project over a casting dispute, since both Paramount and MGM wanted to cast Bruce Willis, but the director wanted to go in a different direction.

We reported in 2012 that Joe Carnahan wanted to cast...

Where They From: Ficarra & Requa and the Privileged Perspective

Cinematic depictions of the ongoing conflict(s) in the Middle East continue to be a touchy subject, particularly for those English language illustrations daring to convey a certain satirical element involving the U.S. presence there. While pleasing everyone is never a possibility, there are several elements about Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot which could have been easily remedied to avoid inarguable ire, namely with its severely miscast supporting actors. Based on the 2011 memoirs of journalist Kim Barker, The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, this is provocative subject matter made all the more alluring by the self-aware talents of Tina Fey doing her best to subvert our expectations of a white, privileged perspective. Overall, the end product has too many glaring demerits to warrant praise, but as a showcase for a well-rounded serious...

From The Prince to Rock the Kasbah and (almost) everything in between, the past few years haven’t been kind to Bruce Willis’ track record, and today’s debut trailer for by-the-numbers heist drama Precious Cargo isn’t the reverse of fortune we secretly hoped it would be.

Headlining Max Adams’ actioner as Eddie, a merciless crime boss with a chip on his shoulder, Willis switches gears to play the big bad in Precious Cargo, luring Mark-Paul Gosselaar of Saved By the Bell fame into a daring escapade in order to secure a bounty of priceless gems.

Part hostage drama, part heist thriller, and all very familiar, Precious Cargo simply screams straight-to-dvd, and without Bruce Willis’ name on the masthead we find it difficult to imagine Adams’ generic feature would secure a theatrical release.

Nevertheless, it’s on course for mid-April, and the official synopsis is as follows:

After a botched heist,...

Behold Bill Murray as the white savior barreling into a foreign land and teaching the ignorant natives how to be better people. Obnoxious and tone deaf. I’m “biast” (pro): love Bill Murray

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Bill Murray is Richie Lanz, a sleazy Los Angeles music manager. He’s the kind of guy who takes money from a wannabe singer with no talent and no chance of even the most measly sort of success but who is also naive enough to believe that it’s normal to pay him upfront. And he’s clearly been stringing along his assistant, Ronnie (Zooey Deschanel: Your Highness, Yes Man), who has been working for him in the expectation that she will get a boost to her own singing career. So when he takes her to Kabul — yes, in Afghanistan — to perform for U.

Chicago – Gather ye children of bad movies. The film critic contributors to HollywoodChicago.com – Spike Walters and Patrick McDonald – are tag teaming to bring you the worst of their reviewin’ woes. From witch hunts to Kevin Hart, and old rock stars to Kevin Hart, these are the worst films of 2015.

There are no rankings, because they are all rank. The ten are listed in descending levels of dread, with Warner Bros., Robert De Niro and yes, Kevin Hart, representing once again – when will they team Bobby D and Kevin in a Warner Bros. buddy cop movie? The persons responsible for the descriptions will be marked accordingly, Sw for Spike and Pm for Patrick. Cover your eyes and cinema taste, by experiencing the 10 Worst Films of 2015.

“Tomorrowland”

Tomorrowland

Photo credit: Walt Disney Pictures

A misbegotten would-be blockbuster that exemplifies the worst impulses of blockbuster filmmaking. “Tomorrowland” has a needlessly convoluted story...

Manuel here continuing our year end review.

Remember in 2011 when Jessica Chastain went from unknown actress to Oscar nominee in the blink of an eye thanks to the whirlwind of release dates that had her starring in over six films in that calendar year? It was as great a calling card as you could ask for and while Chastain had a relatively subdued year (Crimson Peak, The Martian), other actors gave her a run for her money in the “how many projects can I appear on in one year” race. Not that it’s a contest, but we’re fan of lists here at Tfe even as we understand they’re more jumping off discussion points rather than monolithic assertions of quality or taste. And so find below a list of 15 actors who were extra hardworking and who you couldn’t have missed seeing as they were everywhere from superhero...

In its 15th year of existence, the Marrakech International Film Festival has become a cross section of global cinema, celebrity spectacle, and royal opulence. Situated centrally in the Northern African country of Morocco, Marrakech is an oasis hidden in the middle of the desert. This city has a rich cultural history, with architecture dating back to the 12th century and a bustling medina that will give you an experience you won’t soon forget. Upon receiving the invitation for the festival, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but a few rave endorsements from a handful of journalists who had made the voyage years prior piqued my curiosity. In short, I’m extremely happy with the decision to go, for the amazing journey to the country offered a vast societal experience equally as important as the unique films in the festival.

The whole experience reminded me a bit of the Cannes Film Festival,...

Apparently not heeding the abysmal failure of Bill Murray’s Rock the Kasbah, Tina Fey is going to Afghanistan. In Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Fey plays an "unmarried, childless" person who goes to Afghanistan to report from the frontlines. Once there, she experiences some cultural friction (“Cover yourself, you shameless whore!” one Afghan woman says to Fey) and general war-zone danger. As the trailer shows, she also meets Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina, and Billy Bob Thornton, each with their own accent. The film, which Fey's frequent collaborator Robert Carlock adapted from Kim Barker's 2011 memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, opens on March 4, 2016.

Comic actors going abroad for laughs seems to be having a moment. Bill Murray starred in the fall flop "Rock The Kasbah," and next year, two Golden Globes hosts will be testing similar waters. Ricky Gervais will stage a fake international incident in "Special Correspondents," while Tina Fey will tackle a true story with "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" (formerly known as "Taliban Shuffle") and the first trailer for the latter has landed. Read More: Watch: 'The Force Awakens' For 'Sisters' Stars Tina Fey & Amy Poelher Based on the memoir by Kim Barker, the story follows as reporter stationed in Kabul, and the experiences both serious and light she witnessed. But more specifically, the movie will tackle what it's like to be a Western woman in that part of the world. “ [It's] the idea when a regular normal-looking woman goes into a place where there aren’t very many women. She becomes a...

Alonso Duralde’s picks of the worst movies of 2015: I was not required to watch Netflix’s “The Ridiculous 6” — since it didn’t open theatrically, the way “Beasts of No Nation” did, it’s technically TV — so I spared myself the grief. Fear not: Adam Sandler still managed to make this list twice. 10. “Rock the Kasbah” Because when you adapt a doc about a young woman in Afghanistan defying convention to become a singer, the fictionalized version should really be about an over-the-hill white guy. Bill Murray makes a much more credible Bill Murray in his new Christmas special.

Cited by visiting media outlets as the “Cannes Film Fest of Africa”, I’m now in better position to assess the exactitudes as to why this isn’t a falsehood….but nor is this entirely accurate. The organizers of Marrakech Int. Film Festival know how to put on a show and throw a party. Star-wattage prestige and three minute BMW rides aside, the red carpet trimmings extend past the edifice known as the Palais and it spills out into the housed hotel shingding. The number of buffet styled dessert offerings for night one at the Sofitel (where my clan of journalists with The Film Stage’s Raffi Asdourian ThePlaylist’s Katie Walsh were among the guests) was ToysRUs excessive. Comparisons to the Croisette pretty much end there.

While everything is tailored to be a snazzy affair with high-end ceremony productions, and the energy outside this Palais (the premiere location for...