Stan Lee’s Oscar Campaign – Best Cameo

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Nice one Stan, but what about Zombieland? Anyone think of any other cool cameos by various actors?

Amber Heard talks The Rum Diary and John Carpenter’s The Ward

Amber Heard is the lovely young lady who is on the up and up. She was in Zombieland and has a few films coming up. One of which is The Rum Diary, an adaption of Hunter S Thompson’s book starring Johnny Depp.

“Those considerable physical charms get the period-piece treatment in The Rum Diary, an adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s novel. Heard literally had to be sewn into her costumes to play a woman torn between Depp and Aaron Eckhart in late 1950s Puerto Rico. “Johnny actually found the manuscript at Hunter’s house and encouraged him to publish it,” says Heard, a lifelong bookworm who was such a fan of Thompson’s writing, she wrote a letter to the film’s producers explaining why she would be perfect for the project. “Johnny cared so much, and he’s just a really down-to-earth, nice person.” Heard recalls the day Depp rescued a stray dog from the neighbourhood where they were shooting. “Well, the dog ended up being pregnant—I think it had six puppies—and then another dog we assumed to be the father showed up,” she recalls, laughing. “So now, instead of adopting one dog, he had eight, but he took care of them. He asked other people to carry one back on the plane because he had so many.”

Heard would have happily obliged but she had to jet off to the Washington set of The Ward, a mental-institution thriller directed by the man behind the original Halloween movie, John Carpenter. Though many young actors do horror films as a stepping stone to more serious films, Heard adores the genre. “With a drama, actors get very serious, like they’re always in character, and there’s something funny and pretentious about that,” says Heard, whose forays into slasher-ville include Zombieland and the upcoming And Soon the Darkness, which she also co-produced. “You can’t take yourself seriously when you’re sitting at lunch next to the person that just tried to stab you. I also like horror films because girls actually get to kick ass, instead of just being the hot girl that supports the male character.”

Thams to Pam for pointing out the article on Fashion Magazine

Zombieland in 6 comic panels

Source: Bleeding Cool

Live for Films – 2009 A Year in Film

What a year it has been for film.

Neill Blomkamp and Duncan Jones had great debuts with District 9 and Moon. Sam Rockwell acted his socks off in the latter. There was animated loveliness with Up, Ponyo, Fantastic Mr Fox and Coraline, but ugliness with Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Planet 51 and Monsters vs Aliens.

J J Abrams beamed new life into the excellent Star Trek.

There was old school horror in the shape of Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell and brilliant horror comedy in the wonderful Zombieland (it had the best cameo of the year). Dario Argento’s Giallo wasn’t sure if it was a horror or a comedy.

Comic book movies didn’t quite so well this year. X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Zack Snyder’s Watchmen – I enjoyed them both though despite their flaws.

War movies hit the big time again. Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker gave us an intense take on the war in Iraq and Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds changed history for the better. That’s a bingo!

There were toy and book adaption disappointments in the shape of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra and Twilight: New Moon raked in the cash despite not being very good. Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones had mixed reviews.

Joaquin Phoenix lost the plot or is playing the long con when he quit acting to become a rap star and James Franco started an artistic endeavour by appearing on General Hospital.

Both Dragonball Evolution and Streetfighter adaptions had poor finishing moves at the box office. Terminator Salvation brought us our first proper glimpse at Sam Worthington, but left many cold and Ben Foster chased through the darkness in Pandorum. The Stath did it again in Crank: High Voltage and blaxsploitation returned with Black Dynamite fighting The Man.

The Perfect Getaway had a few twists and turns from the norm and The Cove opened my eyes to the slaughter of dolphins.

Chaos reigned in Lars Von Triers’ Antichrist. Bruce Willis went plastic in Surrogates. Gerard Butler was a Gamer and a Law Abiding Citizen. George Clooney was Up in the Air after The Men Who Stare At Goats. The Coen Brothers’ A Serious Man and Colin Firth as A Single Man confused a few while Carey Mulligan had An Education that many adored, but left me disappointed. Johnny Depp and Christian Bale were Public Enemies and Viggo Mortenson began a long walk down The Road. Audrey Tautou showed us Coco avant Chanel.

Spike Jonze sailed to Where the Wild Things Are, Richard Kelly opened The Box and The Hangover gave a headache to no-one. Clint Eastwood made Invictus. Jeff Bridges had a Crazy Heart while Terry Gilliam and Heath Ledger took us to The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Nicolas Cage began a slow climb to redemption with the aid of his lucky crack pipe in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince brought us ever closer to the end.

An Orphan scared us, In the Loop made us laugh at the political shenanigans, Paranormal Activity scared us, (500) Days of Summer and Adventureland made us happy in a sad way, World’s Greatest Dad reminded us how good Robin Williams could be while Old Dogs reminded us how bad Robin Williams could be. sin Nombre and Thirst were two of the many excellent foreign language films released and Jim Jarmusch showed us The Limits of Control.

Behind all of these other films has been the rumbling spectre of James Cameron’s Avatar. All year it has been waiting and watching and only now are we about to see whether it was all worth it (current reviews seem to say this is a great big hell yes!)

So many films watched but so many more missed. The way it has always been and always will.

That does mean that there are still many wonderful moments to be watched or to take us by surprise when we turn the channel late one night and an unexpected film has just begun – often films you would never normally watch but you end up thoroughly enjoying….and I don’t mean a bit of blue for the Dads!

I suppose that is one of the great things about movies. You will never be able to watch them all and you wouldn’t want to. We don’t all watch the same ones yet that means we all have fresh takes on each others favourite films. They can bring us together or lead to intense arguments. Did Han did shoot first?

Most of all, for the 90 minutes or more they are on, a movie takes us away to another place. Not always a nice place, but it is a break from the real world no matter what. Bad, good or wonderful they are all groovy and bring us all together.

As for me I have had some wonderful moments related to film – I got to speak to Marion Cotillard, Johnny Depp, Duncan Jones and David Sullivan. The site moved over to WordPress and has been going from strength to strength since then – thanks to everyone for taking the time to stop by and have a look.

The Live for Films Movie Club began and is still going to help share cool movies you may have missed (thanks to those on the Forum for sorting all that out).

Live for Films researcher and reporter Pamela Fruendt went along to Tim Burton’s art exhibition at New Yorks Museum of Modern Art. Many people contributed reviews for favourite horror films during Halloween including author Michael Marshall Smith (he reviewed Halloween) and director Andrew Barker (he reviewed Blood Feast).

My Wife enjoyed getting parcels full of DVDs and Posters addressed to Live for Films and I just had a ball doing what I do and have been constantly surprised that so many people seem to dig what I dig, you dig?

For what it is worth my top 10 films of 2009 in no particular order and considering the fact I have yet to see such films as Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Up, The Road and many more are:

• Moon
• Zombieland
• Star Trek
• Watchmen
• District 9
• The Cove
• Coraline
• Drag Me to Hell
• Public Enemies
• Inglourious Basterds

What have been your highs and lows in films for 2009? What great films have I forgotten and what should I have watched? What films do you wish you have not watched and what film did you see many time? What surprised you? What made you laugh, cry or hurl?

Now we have 2010 to look forward to. Apparantly, according to Dave Bowman, it will be full of stars.

Is Deadpool going to Zombieland?

The Deadpool movie is something I am really looking forward to. One of my fave characters and Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern) is down to play him – in previous interviews he’s said that Deadpool will be breaking the fourth wall which is very much in keeping with the character.

While nothing is official just yet, it looks like Fox could be hiring Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the writers of Zombieland, to script the adventures of the Merc With A Mouth. CHUD had the rumour and we are all still waiting for confirmation of this.

I think this is excellent news as Zombieland was a great film that had me laughing throughout it. It had the anarchic kind of craziness that would fit Deadpool very well. Of course there probably won’t be any zombies in the Deadpool film if they write it, although there has been a Zombie Deadpool head from another dimension in the comic book series.

As Deadpool or rather Wade Wilson was wasted in X-Men Origins: Wolverine I really hope they get his solo outing spot on. Reese and Wernick could be the ones to do it.

How would you feel about the Zombieland writers scripting the Merc with the Mouth?

Venom – Gary Ross to write and maybe direct

Gary Ross is writing Venom, this Spider-Man villain who was seriously miscast and wasted in Spider-Man 3. I mean Topher Grace? Sure he can act but as the psychotic Eddie Brock he was just all kinds of wrong. Ross is already writing Spider-Man 4 for the studio.

In the comics, Venom was an alien parasite that bonds with Peter Parker and later his newsroom rival, Eddie Brock and then the Scorpion, Mac Gargan who has become a cannibalistic kind of creature.

According to Heat Vision the studio had no comment on Topher Grace’s involvement nor on Ross writing the project.

Avi Arad and Marvel are producing the movie. Ross would also produce.

Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who wrote Zombieland, previously worked on the script, as did Jacob Estes.

Ross, repped by CAA, hasn’t directed a movie since 2003’s Seabiscuit. He also made Pleasantville

Read those last few bits again. They had a script written by the Zombieland people, but have not gone with that. Gary Ross directed Seabiscuit. There you go. He made a lovely film about a racehorse so he is bound to get the right feel for a film about a human alien composite psycho revenge driven creature out for blood just right! Anyone else feel the sarcasm burning from the screen?

Okay, joking aside. He has a good rep, but will he make a good Venom film? Which version of Venom do you want to see and who should play him? More importantly do you want to see Spidey cameo in the film?

Zombieland, 2009 – Movie Review – 31 Days of Horror

Director: Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Amber Heard
Score: 9 / 10

Here we go with this first review in the 31 Days of Horror run up to Halloween. Send me your horror film reviews.

This excellent review is by Jay Pugh.

Zombieland has to have one of the flashiest openings in memory. There is no subtle build up. You are dropped right into Zombieland as Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) begins listing the rules to survival. Of course each rule gives you a hysterical example of why the rule is in place. Anything that has been taboo for horror films at one time is met head on. I won’t list each as not to spoil the movie but Zombieland has a unique ability to make almost anything seem comical. This includes the fact that for some reason it seems that every zombie in Zombieland has a blood belching problem. Literally every zombie has blood spewing from their mouth. This is captured best in the intro as you almost feel like you are supposed to have the 3D glasses in place.

Columbus is funny enough with his phobias and geek lifestyle that proves to be what keeps him alive but it isn’t until he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), that things really kick into gear. Harrelson seems to have been born for this role. He has more one liners than any character in recent memory. Each line is typically vulgar but even if offensive it is near impossible not to laugh. Let’s face it, if you are completely offended by language or blood then you aren’t likely to be sitting with a crowd watching Zombieland in the first place.

A little romance is thrown into the mix when Columbus and Tallahassee come up on Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). For a zombie comedy I thought Eisenberg and Stone actually had decent chemistry. Not that much time is dedicated to romance but what is there comes across as sincere and lets us watch as Columbus transitions from geek to hero. Even without the romance the girls are an important part of the chemistry of Zombieland. They help to even out the brawn and the brains between the four characters.

Zombieland has a simple story. The guys are loners. Columbus with the simple mission to stay alive and Tallahassee with a never ending search for any and all of the remaining golden Twinkies left on the planet. The girls are sisters who are trying to get to an amusement park in CA where they believe, or at least want to believe it is zombie free. A small part of the film feels like the movie Vacation with zombies. The comical trip with a destination which you can just feel isn’t going to be what the characters hope for. Like Vacation it shows that the journey is far more important than the destination.

The biggest moment of the film has to be the mystery cameo. I’m glad I didn’t know who it was and I won’t spoil it for anyone else. I will say that it was brilliantly written into the script. PERFECT! It really goes to show how much they focused on getting Zombieland to be a top notch flick that should go down as a horror-comedy classic to remember. It will certainly fit alongside Shaun of the Dead in my movie collection.

Zombieland – TV Spot – End of the World

Due out on 2nd October 2009

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Venom edging closer to the big screen

It has been a mighty long time since there was any movement on the symbiote movie front but, according to Sci-Fi Wire, Sony is going forward with a Venom spinoff movie.

Venom wise I am a fan of his appearance’s in the comic. He was great as Eddie Brock yet has been so much cooler linked to Mac Gargan (originally the Scorpion) as a cannibal killer kind of character. Not that being a cannibal killer is cool, it was just the way he was written.

However, like many of you good folk, I thought his appearance in Spider-Man 3 was lazy plotting and poor characterization – the symbiote just lands from space? The face keeps pealing back to show Brock? Nah, that was a waste of Venom in my opinion.

Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the writers behind Zombieland, are the ones who are working on a script that may give us the official Venom movie.

Wernick confirmed that the project is still moving forward and the writing team has turned the script in to Sony. “We’ve written two drafts of Venom, and the studio has it, and they’re pushing forward in whatever ways they push forward,”

Spider-Man 4 may be shooting in early 2010, but it is not clear when Venom will start filming or whether there will be any crossover between the two.

Wernick had this to say about the two films, “We can’t really talk about that, unfortunately,” the writer said before adding, “Basically, the studio and Marvel and the Arads are taking our drafts and going beyond and figuring out what’s the next step.”

Do you want a Venom film? Which version of Venom do you want to see and who should play him? Should Spidey show up in the spin-off or how about a bit of Deadpool?

Patrick Swayze could have been in Zombieland

Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are the guys who wrote Zombieland. When they started it they wanted someone famous to appear in it as a Zombie. There first choice was Patrick Swayze who sadly passed away recently. Speaking to STYD this is what they had to say about it.

“That was many years ago, before he got sick,” explains Reese. The script got its start as a television pilot before it was groomed for the big screen and found its stars Jesse Eisenberg (as Columbus) and Woody Harrelson (as Tallahassee). “It was [going to be] a Patrick Swayze zombie. They got attacked by him zombified and we had these wonderful moments where they found a potter’s wheel and there’s Columbus on the wheel and these other hands come up behind him and it’s Patrick Swayze the zombie. Ultimately, they fight and Patrick bull rushes Tallahassee who grabs him and lifts him into the air, a la Jennifer Grey, and smashes him into a pillar.”

When Swayze unfortunately had to bow out, Reese and Wernick set their sights on a number of other actors including Sylvester Stallone, Joe Pesci, Mark Hammill, The Rock, Kevin Bacon, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Matthew McConaughey. But none of them worked out.

However, they did manage to get someone famous to cameo as a zombie but we have to wait until 2nd October to find out.

Will it be Bill Murray as a Zombie Ghostbuster?