NEWS: Benjamin Button To Get A Criterion Release...

Excuse me while I clean up the mess made from the geekgasm I just had. It looks like David Fincher has true clout in Hollywood, as his most recent film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, will be getting a Criterion Collection DVD Release...

BRAD PITT STARS IN DIRECTOR DAVID FINCHER’S SWEEPING EPIC NAMED BY OVER 150 CRITICS AS ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

One of the Year’s Most Critically-Acclaimed Films Arrives May 5, 2009 On Two-Disc Special Edition DVD and Two-Disc Blu-ray Brimming with Over Three Hours of Fascinating Special Features
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – A thrilling adventure and captivating story of one man’s unusual and enchanted life, director David Fincher’s Academy Award®-winning film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON debuts as a two-disc DVD and two-disc Blu-ray on May 5, 2009 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Called “a monumental achievement” that “must be experienced” (Rex Reed, New York Observer), the film stars Academy Award nominee Brad Pitt who “does his best work ever” (Lou Lumenick, New York Post) and Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett who “is simply dazzling” (Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal) in an exhilarating adventure that takes viewers on a breathtaking journey filled with romance and redemption. Nominated for 13 Academy Awards and winner for Best Visual Effects, Art Direction and Makeup, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON also stars Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson (Hustle & Flow), Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) and Julia Ormond (Legends of the Fall)) in a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys and romance of life and what lasts beyond time.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON two-disc DVD and two-disc Blu-ray boast over three hours of enthralling special features including interviews with stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with behind-the-scenes footage of their astonishing on-screen transformations, an in-depth documentary revealing the unusual journey of the film itself including the secrets of its award-winning visual effects and an exploration of the groundbreaking computer wizardry that brought the magical world of Benjamin Button to life.



THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON DVD & Blu-ray

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON two-disc and single-disc DVD are presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The two-disc Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio™, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. The two-disc Criterion Edition DVD and two-disc Criterion Blu-ray include the following special features:

o The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button—four-part documentary:
o Academy Award-nominated director David Fincher introduces the surprising beginnings of what would become an epic masterpiece including the casting of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, the decision to change the location of the story to New Orleans and more.
o Follow the production from day one including the challenges of aging Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, designing over five thousand costumes and creating the animatronic baby.
o Explore the incredible visual effects techniques created specifically for the film that allowed Brad Pitt to play the title character at virtually every age. Also includes a visit to the scoring stage with composer Alexandre Desplat.
o Walk the red carpet at the film’s premiere in New Orleans, with final thoughts from cast and crew.
o Audio Commentary by director David Fincher

There is also a single-disc DVD presentation that includes the feature film.

About Paramount Home Entertainment
Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. PHE is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products on behalf of various parties including: Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Paramount Famous Productions, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS and PBS and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment.

That, my friends, is what I call amazing...

Go see something good!

VIDEO: Brad Pitt And David Fincher on Charlie Rose...

/Film posted a video today of a recent episode of The Charlie Rose Show in which his guests were the director and star of one of my favorite films of '08, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Brad Pitt and David Fincher. Having just picked up the 2-Disc Director's Cut of Zodiac (5 Dollars at Wal-Mart, please, EVERYONE pick this one up), and seeing Fight Club three times over break (Thank you G4), I've been on a big Fincher kick, so I thought I would post this video too. It's interesting, not to in depth, but very fascinating, so if you have an hour to give, check it out!

Come back later for more news, notes, and hopefully a review of Doubt!

Go see something good!

REVIEW: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button...

If you all haven't noticed, I like to start off my posts with a random one liner on something related to the film. However, for this review, I'm going to start off with a little rant, so just hold on for a second. I hate the modern movie goer. I sit down in my seat about 25 minutes before the film starts, as I love to get their early and discover new things such as "Colin Farell was a line dancer in Ireland". It really makes my day. Today was a little different though. While I wait, a group of people begin to come in, in massive quantities be you. As the film begins to role, or at least the commercials before the trailers before the intro before the film, the popcorn comes out. Now, as a polite person, I decide that it may be best if I chew once the popcorn is in my mouth. However, not many people feel the same, and the chorus of bastard popcorn angels begins to sing. Not only that, but people begin to get angry as "there wasn't a single trailer for a film that looked good" (Revolutionary Road was one of them mind you), and the fact the film is about 3 hours long got to many of the angst ridden Hawthorne Heights fans, a.k.a. high school students, behind me. That all said, I must say, this goes right up there as best film experiences of '08.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a tale about Benjamin Button, a man who lived a pretty interesting life. Born with the ailing of a man going into his mid 80's, Benjamin was left on the steps of a house by his father, Thomas Button, owned by Queenie, a young African American woman, using the house as an "old folks home". As he grows up, he begins to age backwards. As the years go by, he gets younger and younger, in looks and health. While at a party, he runs into a girl named Daisy, who he sparks up a relationship with. However, things in life happen, and he goes off to sea. While away, Daisy begins to become a world famous dancer, until one day, their paths cross again. The tag line for this film sums up the story in a nutshell, or at least it's theme. Life isn't measured in minutes, but in moments. This is the life of Benjamin Button, as told through his diary.

We begin the story with an older story, being told to us by Daisy, from her hospital bed. There once was a clock in a train station, built by a blind man, whose son just was shipped off to war. Once his clock was finished and unveiled, it was shown to tick backwards, so that "hopefully our boys will come home safe again". With this coda in mind, we are then thrust into the life of Benjamin Button, as Daisy's daughter is reading it to her, as her last wish. From this moment, the viewer is sent through unique moment after unique moment in a very unique life, filled with love, loss, and life. And I loved all 2 hours and 47 minutes of it.

The true star of this film is no one we see on screen, or nothing the actors are repeating, it's the man behind the camera, David Fincher. This film is one that will be looked back as a complete "game changer" as Steven Soderbergh so perfectly put it. His use of motion capture and cg, along with the brilliant use of the Viper cameras first seen in last year's under seen Zodiac, make for one of the most beautiful and gorgeous films I've seen all year. It's his skill to take this unique life, filled with some of the most mundane moments, and bring out the extraordinary parts of them. Also, it's interesting to see him beginning to find his style, or just honing it. There's one shot at the very end, that's a simple shot, drawing away from the focal point, yet with his patented movement in the frame, your eyes are drawn squarely into the frame as a whole. This along with the gorgeous cinematography from Claudio Miranda make this a shoe in for Oscar consideration in not only cinematography, but at this late moment, Fincher is my pick for best director.

Now, I know that there is a large group of people that like to hate on Brad Pitt but with his recent string of films, and including this one, he's growing into one of the better actors working today. He's absolutely stellar here, and so is everyone in the rest of the cast, particularly Taraji P. Henson as Queenie. Best known for her turn in the great Hustle and Flow, she gives such life and love into this film, that she is just a joy to watch on screen. Pitt is great, completely deserving of his Golden Globe nomination, and Cate Blanchett is also great, which is now the norm for the brilliant actress. In a film like this, more so than acting, chemistry is the most important thing, and I think that they really sold me on Daisy and Ben's relationship, and with a story as moving as this one is, it really worked.

The film is not simply about this man's life. There is a coda near the middle to the end of act II I believe, that basically states that the simplest of things can change the most complex of lives, and this perfectly sums up this film. This is a premise that is done quite a bit, yet the screenwriter, Eric Roth, not only dishes out one of the best screenplays of '08, but I believe vastly improves upon the source material. It's so well done without being heavy handed, and so emotionally moving without being melodramatic, and it's just a really well done piece of work. Not to mention, the score is also very well done.

There is one problem however. The film IS 2 hours and 47 minutes long, not including trailers and commercials. If you want a fast paced action film that you can simply throw away from your mind as soon as you toss your popcorn bag/bucket, look elsewhere. This is a well paced, if long winded film, that doesn't rely on action to hold your attention. It does lag near the middle, and there is one sequence that involves Tilda Swinton that maybe goes on for to long, but overall, I really did like this film. It forced me to sort of take stock of my life, and where I'm at and going, so for a film to do that and be as well crafted as this, I say it's one of the must sees of '08. Not the best, but certainly up there.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - 8.5/10

Easily in my top 10, Benjamin Button is a gorgeous film, that may lag just a little bit, but is so well crafted, acted, written, and paced, that if there is one film to see with a loved one this season, make it this.

I could talk about more, but I know many of you were interested in checking this one out, so please, leave your comments below! I would love to hear what you guys have to think!

Come back later for more news and notes!

Go see something good!

HAPPY HOLIDAY'S

NEWS: Early Benjamin Button Reviews, Watchmen (again), and Some Trailers...

Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of a post yesterday, but I am back today with more news than one can physically handle. So here are your headlines...

- The first reviews for the hotly anticipated film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (my most anticipated of this year), have been released...thanks to /film for all the info...

OBSESSIONS OF A POP CULTURE NERD Pitt “gives a nice, subtle performance full of wonder and longing.” … “I wasn’t as moved by this film as I wanted to be. This was number one on my list of must-see holiday movies and I so wanted to be blown away but it just didn’t happen. This movie is a very ambitious effort—it looks gorgeous, there are some groundbreaking special effects and the rest of the cast also do excellent work but it’s the kind of movie you respect more than love. It’s like a piece of art that you look at and say, ‘It’s pretty,’ but don’t necessarily want to bring home. I think the problem for me was the stakes weren’t high enough for Benjamin and there was no sense of urgency throughout most of his life.” … “I’m surprised there aren’t more riveting moments in this movie, considering it’s directed by Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en). I was attracted to it after hearing that Fincher would take the unsentimental route. Well, it’s unsentimental almost to the point of passivity. This isn’t to say it’s boring—it isn’t. Many times, it’s even laugh-out-loud funny. There are visually interesting aspects—the film looks like old stock at times, where you can see the pops and scratches like on an old newsreel. The color is sometimes muted, sometimes overly saturated, like the unnatural tones of a black and white movie that’s been colorized.”

VARIETY “It’s magic realism propelled by extraordinary filmmaking technology but it’s not remotely what I’d call cold. It creates a world of oddities and wonderful, off-kilter characters but the whole piece is anchored by a decades long relationship that gets strained, frayed, breaks and rebuilds into something profound and moving. The achievement is big and bold and ambitious and life-affirming, but the sentimentality is always toughened by the continual sense of loss and deep sadness at the transitory nature of the human condition. If it sounds like an art movie, it absolutely is, but it’s a four quadrant art film!” … “Can’t wait to see what the Fincher freaks make of it. For the record, I am not one of them.”

Well, this is all good news, especially the Variety review. For those of you who may not know a whole lot about it, here's the main plot.

Brad Pitt plays Benjamin Button, a man who was born and was already physically 80 years old. So as he ages, he discovers that he is aging backwards. The film is directed by David Fincher, the brilliant director of such classics like Fight Club and Se7en, and other great films like Panic Room, The Game, and last years Zodiac (I just neglect that he did Alien 3...that never happened). It is set to be released on Christmas Eve this year...I'll have more about this film as it gets closer to release day. I'm thinking of doing a 5 Days of Fincher, so come back later to see if that pans out...

- The new Watchmen trailer will premiere online at 5 p.m. later tonight on Yahoo!...

- It looks like the animated film, Heavy Metal, will be heading back to Paramount. After David Fincher's long talked about beef with the studio over the final cut of the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, it seems that he has gotten over that, and will direct parts of the film, as will Watchmen director Zack Snyder, and Pirates of The Caribbean helmer, Gore Verbinski...

- The Twilight soundtrack is at #1 on the Billboard charts with over 100,000 copies sold...

- SPOILER ALERT! The comedy duo, The Fine Brothers have attempted to give you 100 film spoilers, all in 1 take, and in 4 Minutes...Watch at your own risk...


- The brilliant score to The Dark Knight has been disqualified from any Academy Award nominations...the wording as to why is very vague, at least the way I saw it on the web, but I think it may have something to do with music being previously used, or too many composers on the record. Batman Begins was disqualified for similar reasons.

-Finally, here is the recently released trailer for Roland Emmerich, director of this years 10,000 B.C. (drek), and Independence Day (awesome), called 2012. I don't know much about this film, but I expect it to be about the Mayan Doomsday Prophecy of 2012, and if anyone can do anything about it. Sounds awesome! Check it out below!



Thoughts?

Well, that's all I've got for now, so come back later for more news, notes, and a review of Quantum of Solace!

Go see something good!!

News of the world...film world anyways...

Hey guys! Today is a big time news day, so here are your headlines...

- Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany are set to star in a film based on the life of Charles Darwin, called Creation. It is going to be written by John Collee and directed by Jon Amiel.
- In an interview with MTV, Aaron Eckhart confirmed that his character from The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent, will NOT be returning for Batman 3. Thanks to Cinematical for the heads up...

And lest you doubt that he knows the mind of Christopher Nolan, well, Eckhart asked him whether Two-Face would ever be coming back. "I asked Chris [Nolan] that question and he goes, "You're dead" before I could even get the question out of my mouth. 'Hey Chris, am I?' 'You're dead!' 'Alright, cool.'" There's no chance it will be rewritten or retconned, as he was never even contracted for a third film. "No, I'm not coming back. I think unfortunately, Heath [Ledger] was supposed to go on and that didn't work out. I'm nobody. I'm a cog. I have no say over this sort of stuff. I'm sure that there's so many other characters that they could whip together. I heard Angelina Jolie was going to be Catwoman or something like that. I thought that was a great idea. I'd like to be in that one."


Does this affect what your thoughts of a potential and inevitable Dark Knight sequel are? Did you want to see him back, and who do you want to see now???
- David Fincher is currently batteling Paramount Pictures as to how long his final cut of Curious Case of Benjamin Button will be. Fincher want's to have final cut on this, however, Paramount wants a shorter cut.

Here's the trailer for Benjamin Button...


What are your thoughts on directors not being allowed to have final cuts? Should the studio have a say in how long or short a film is? Take Zack Snyder's potential 3 hour long cut of Watchmen for example. Should he be able to release it, or does the studio have a right to say something?

- Nicholas Cage has recently said that they are indeed working on a Ghost Rider 2 film...

That's all I've got for news today. So, come back tomorrow for some news and notes, a long with a possible review of Bangkok Dangerous...

Go see something good!