November 2007

I just received official word from the Weinstein Company and Dimension Films that Seth Rogen (“Knocked Up,” “Superbad”) will play the lead in “Zack & Miri Make a Porno” from writer/director Kevin Smith and producer Scott Mosier.

CHICAGO – It’s all the rave today to exhume an epic from long, long ago and bring it back on the monster screen bigger, better and with more grandeur than ever fathomable before.

The man means business. On July 12, 2007, I published an interview with IMAX Filmed President Greg Foster in Time Out Chicago where he promised “the vast majority will be in 3D” down the road.

In what could be the best Stephen King quote ever, I heard word Tuesday morning that he said the following at a press conference on Monday about “The Mist,” which is based on his novella:

Harley Davidson in a Wrestling Picture: Mickey Rourke is set to play Randy “The Ram” Robinson in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler,” Variety reports.

CHICAGO – Before you’re served this meal, you’re treated to a backstory of four integral ingredients that are three parts encouragement and one part concern.

Here is a helpful list of every film scheduled to open between now and the end of 2007 with Web site links. The dates are confirmed from our Chicago Film Critics Association publicists and current as of this moment.

As we know, “The Dark Knight” has moved its filming crew from Chicago to the hectic Hong Kong. On Friday afternoon, Ain’t It Cool News released a montage of grainy yet sufficient photos to capture the scene chaos.

I just learned moments ago that Robert Redford will be in Chicago tonight at AMC River East 21 to walk an environmental “green carpet” to promote “Lions For Lambs”. The event is a private benefit.

Following the launch of the Writers Guild of America strike on Monday, “Juno” writer Diablo Cody went to work on Wednesday to fight for her work. She published the following photo on her blog.

The trailer for the Denzel Washington-directed film “The Great Debaters” just went online at Yahoo! Movies.

In an interview with MTV News, Josh Horowitz talks to Jack Nicholson about the new DVD releases of his directed films and the heretofore unheard-of plot details for a prospective third “Chinatown”.

The new, international “Iron Man” teaser is now online at YouTube. The 59-second spot showcases a little more Gwenyth Paltrow. She at least gets one line.

CHICAGO – The vision of life after death varies between the religious and the non-religious, the optimists and the pessimists and the believers and non-believers. There are few after-life stories, though, as unique and humorous as the one in “Wristcutters: A Love Story”.