Melissa Leo

Robin Williams, Mila Kunis and Peter Dinklage to Star in THE ANGRIEST MAN IN BROOKLYN

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 18th, 2012 at 5:31 pm

You have 90 minutes left to live, what do you do?  That’s the premise of The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, a new screenplay from Daniel Tapitz (Red Dog) to be directed by Phil Alden Robinson (The Sum of All Fears).  The picture centers on the fallout after a stand-in doctor mistakenly tells an obnoxious patient that he has an hour-and-a-half left to live.  While the patient goes on a tirade in New York City, attempting to right all the wrongs in his life, the doctor tries in vain to track him down.  The high concept comedy stars Robin Williams, Mila Kunis and Peter Dinklage, and has also snared Melissa Leo and James Earl Jones.  The Angriest Man in Brooklyn is set to start filming this September in Brooklyn.  Hit the jump for more.

Paramount Sets Robert Zemeckis’ FLIGHT for November 2 Release; THE GUILT TRIP Moves to Christmas Day

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 10th, 2012 at 12:29 pm

Paramount has made a welcome release date announcement today.  Director Robert Zemeckis’ (Back to the Future) long-awaited return to live-action, the drama Flight, has been slated for release on November 2nd (per Box Office Mojo).  Zemeckis has been making creepy motion-capture films like The Polar Express and Beowulf for the last decade, but Flight marks his first live-action feature since 2000’s Cast Away.  Denzel Washington stars as an alcoholic and drug-addicted pilot who safely lands a damaged plane and is quickly heralded as a hero, despite having been under the influence during the accident. The fantastic cast includes John Goodman, Melissa Leo, and Don Cheadle.  The film will square off against the R-rated comedy 21 and Over and Disney’s animated feature Wreck-It Ralph on that November date.

In order to put Flight on the 2012 release schedule, Paramount has pushed the family comedy The Guilt Trip (formerly My Mother’s Curse) from October 2nd to a prime Christmas Day slot.  The film centers on a mother/son road-trip and stars Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand.  The coveted December 25th date also includes Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained and Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby.

Melissa Leo and Til Schweiger Join Shia LaBeouf in THE NECESSARY DEATH OF CHARLIE COUNTRYMAN

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: April 23rd, 2012 at 4:30 pm

With Shia LaBeouf having been attached for some time now, the gritty pulp romance film, The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman continues to fill out its cast.  Oscar-winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and German import Til Schweiger (Inglourious Basterds ) are reportedly joining the Fredrik Bond-directed picture.  The romantic actioner from screenwriter Matt Drake (Project X) stars LaBeouf as the title character who falls in love with a woman (Evan Rachael Wood) who happens to be claimed by a violent and mentally unstable mob boss (Mads Mikkelsen).  The picture is reportedly set to shoot in Eastern Europe this coming May.  Hit the jump for more on Leo and Schweiger’s character, as well as to see who else might be joining.

Melissa Leo Joins Tom Cruise in Sci-Fi Film OBLIVION

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 23rd, 2012 at 12:47 pm

Oscar winner Melissa Leo is going sci-fi. Deadline reports that The Fighter actress has signed on to join the cast of Joseph Kosinski’s (Tron: Legacy) sci-fi pic Oblivion. Tom Cruise stars as a veteran soldier who’s banished to the surface of a post-apocalyptic Earth and tasked with repairing ships that hunt down the aliens who destroyed our planet. When a mysterious woman (Andrea Riseborough) crash-lands nearby, their encounter sets off an eye-opening chain of events. Deadline’s report doesn’t mention what role Leo will play, but she joins an impressive cast that also includes Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, and Game of Thrones star Nickolaj Coster-Waldau.

Leo recently wrapped a role in Robert Zemeckis’ return to live-action, Flight. The drama stars Denzel Washington as an alcoholic and drug-addicted pilot who rises to fame after flying a damaged plane to safety. The actress is currently shooting the third and penultimate season of HBO’s Treme in New Orleans, which is also where filming on Oblivion just got underway. The sci-fi pic is slated to open on April 26th, 2013.

Full List of 2012 Oscar Presenters Includes Christian Bale, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis and the Cast of BRIDESMAIDS

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 23rd, 2012 at 2:22 pm

We’re only a few short days away from the 84th Academy Awards, which means all that prognosticating and “fake controversy” business will finally come to an end on Monday morning. Until next year, that is. Nevertheless, a number of presenters have been announced over the past few weeks and we figured we’d bring you a full list of all the pretty celebrities scheduled to appear during Sunday night’s telecast. Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Emma Stone, The Muppets and the leading ladies from Bridesmaids will (hopefully) be bringing the funny, and today the Academy announced that last year’s winners in the acting categories will return to present. I really, really liked the way the awards were given out a few years back with past winners speaking directly to each of the nominees, so I’m hoping Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Natalie Portman, and Colin Firth will be doing something similar.

Hit the jump to read the full list of presenters and performers, and be sure to check back this weekend to see how yours truly and Matt Goldberg think the awards will stack up in our predictions feature. Billy Crystal hosts the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, February 26th.

Sundance Film Festival Adds PREDISPOSED, JOHN DIES AT THE END, THIS MUST BE THE PLACE, and OSLO AUGUST 31ST; First Images from the Films

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 19th, 2011 at 2:25 pm

While earlier this month the line-up for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival was announced, the fest has added four more films to the fest. Predisposed, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Melissa Leo, and Tracy Morgan will screen as part of the Premieres line-up and John Dies at the End starring Paul Giamatti, Chase Williamson, and Rob Mayes has been added to the Park City at Midnight line-up. Additionally, This Must Be the Place starring Sean Penn, Frances McDormand, and Judd Hirsch and Oslo, August 31st starring Anders Danielsen Lie, Hans Olav Brenner, and Ingrid Olava will screen as part of the Spotlight line-up.

Hit the jump to check out the first images from the films as well as a brief synopsis for each. The 2012 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 19 – 29th. Click here for all our coverage.

Casting Call: Hayden Panettiere and Melissa Leo Race OVER THE WALL; Alona Tal and Natalie Martinez Join BROKEN CITY

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: November 3rd, 2011 at 6:38 pm

Over the Wall, a racing thriller written by debut director Steven Christopher Young has landed two new cast members. Hayden Panettiere (Heroes) and Melissa Leo (The Fighter) will join Nick Stahl (Sin City) and Freddy Rodriguez (Planet Terror) in the love story set in the world of stock car racing. The plot follows the characters as they get past the turmoil of a tragic event.

Alona Tal (Supernatural) and Natalie Martinez (Death Race) will star opposite Mark Wahlberg in Broken City. The Allen Hughes picture follows an ex-cop private eye (Wahlberg) who is investigating a murder while a mayoral candidate (Russell Crowe) is embroiled in an election scandal. The film also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones. Hit the jump for more on both projects.

Melissa Leo and James Badge Dale in Talks for Robert Zemeckis’ FLIGHT

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 30th, 2011 at 3:10 pm

Robert Zemeckis continues to fill out the cast for his next live-action feature Flight, and he’s looking to add two more names. Melissa Leo and James Badge Dale are in negotiations to join the drama, which stars Denzel Washington as an alcoholic and drug-addicted pilot who rises to fame after flying a damaged plane to safety. THR reports that Leo will play an investigator who is determined to expose the fact that Washington was under the influence while flying the plane, while Dale will be playing a dying cancer patient. Based on her past performances, Leo will most likely be shrill and incessantly mean. The impressive cast now includes Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, Kelly Reilly, John Goodman, and Brian Geraghty. Production on the alchy pilot movie is set to begin next month in Atlanta.

TREME Season 1 DVD Review

by Jake Lasker    Posted: April 21st, 2011 at 7:00 am

New Orleans as a setting is a tough place for outsiders. Between the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, generations of racial tension and the hyper-exclusive music scene, the world of New Orleans could be very intimidating to viewers. But if there was one man who could help usher audiences into this unfamiliar landscape, it was David Simon. After taking viewers through the gritty Baltimore crime scene for 5 years on The Wire, Simon returned to TV with HBO’s Treme. Following the lives of dozens of people in the Treme district of post-Katrina New Orleans, the show introduces viewers to all different walks of life and the things that connect them. Less explosive and more of a slow burn,Treme is still another Simon triumph. Continue reading for my full review.

THE FIGHTER Blu-Ray Review

by Kevin Panasiewicz    Posted: April 6th, 2011 at 12:01 pm

It’s easy to write off sports movies nowadays, as they’ve become predictable affairs that do their utmost to cram messages about overcoming social inequalities and unearned feel-goodness down our throats. The days of Rocky and, although I hesitate to label it a sports film, Raging Bull, have seemingly long since passed. I’d chalk that up to the respective games themselves and the popular theme of sportsmanship taking precedent when the focus should be on the player and his journey, and as you might guess from its title, The Fighter totally gets that…otherwise it would have been called Boxing. I mean, why root for a guy when you know nothing about him? Here, the family fights hold just as much dramatic weight as the ones in the ring, and through this The Fighter has made itself a top contender in its genre alongside the aforementioned boxing-drama heavyweights Rocky and Raging Bull. If you don’t believe me, its Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor and its wins in the latter two categories should instill confidence. My full review of the Blu-ray after the jump.

THE DEAD CIRCUS to Start Filming This Summer with James Marsden, Melissa Leo, and Michael C. Hall Set to Star [UPDATED]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 29th, 2011 at 6:30 pm

The film adaptation of John Kaye’s novel The Dead Circus is about to get rolling, with producers eyeing a summer start date. The film stars James Marsden, Melissa Leo, Michael Shannon and Michael C. Hall and tells a fictious story based on the non-ficticious death of singer Bobby Fuller. Written by Adam Davenport and John Kaye, the film is set to mark the directorial debut of Davenport. Deadline reports that Palermo pictures wants to shoot the flick this summer.

Marsden is set to play Charles Manson, with Leo playing a Manson Family matriarch who comes out of hiding to give a few hints to a screenwriter trying to solve Fuller’s mysterious death (ruled a suicide, even though the singer was battered and had gasoline poured down his throat). Shannon and Hall will play Fuller’s managers. Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel. [Update: Deadline has updated their story to report that Shannon will not be in the movie.]

CONVICTION Blu-ray Review

by Ben Begley    Posted: March 1st, 2011 at 6:28 am

When a movie is based on a true story, it goes one of two ways, dipping into the realm of over-sentimentality or actually portraying the events in a real and human way.  Luckily Conviction is the latter.  The film is based on the true story of Betty Anne Waters and her 18-year struggle to free her brother, Kenny Waters, after he is wrongfully imprisoned for murdering an elderly neighbor.  This film is confident that the story itself is powerful enough and doesn’t try to sprinkle too much extra on top.  After watching this movie, it reminds me again how Sam Rockwell is one of the most overlooked actors by Awards season every year.  Hit the jump for my review of the Blu-ray of Conviction.

Jesse Eisenberg, Melissa Leo, and Tracy Morgan Are PREDISPOSED

by Jason Barr    Posted: February 28th, 2011 at 6:27 pm

Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Oscar winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter), and 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan have reportedly signed on to star in the indie comedy Predisposed. According to Vulture, the trio will play a Julliard-hopeful, his drug-addicted mother, and said mother’s drug dealer, Sprinkles, respectively. Predisposed will be directed by Oscar nominated scribe/co-writer Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia) with Philip Dorling sharing co-writing credit as well. Briefly, the comedy will center on the dysfunctional relationship between Eisenberg and Leo’s mother and son pair. The story is set on a day in which the son is interviewing for Julliard while his mother is busy feuding with her drug-dealer/checking herself into rehab while intoxicated so as to overcome her lack of health insurance.

Leo should be well prepared for her role as Eisenberg’s junkie mom as she made the same turn when Predisposed screened at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival as a short directed by the aforementioned Philip Dorling. Shooting on this promising feature length version of Predisposed is set to begin this summer.

THE KING’S SPEECH Wins Best Picture; Full List of Oscar Winners

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 27th, 2011 at 8:57 pm

In what easily had to be one of the most painful, unfunny Oscar ceremonies in recent memory, The King’s Speech finally reached the end of its inevitable march to Best Picture.  It was the first Best Picture winner to win less than five Oscars (it won four, including Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay). [Correction: Crash, which won Best Picture in 2006, only won 3 Oscars]  Does that make it more or less unworthy of the Best Picture crown?  I don’t know.  I don’t care.  I’m drained after live-blogging the awful show and 50 minutes of terrible pre-show.

Hit the jump for the full list of winners.

Matt Live-Blogs the 83rd Academy Awards

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 27th, 2011 at 4:41 pm

Like any good Oscar ceremony, the 83rd Academy Awards will most likely drag on unto infinity.  Categories will blend together and you’ll find yourself waiting to see who wins “Best Costume Design for a Live-Action Short Starring Winter’s Bone“.  I’m trying to stop myself from being on auto-snark and hoping that the show is genuinely entertaining.  I find hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco to be charming so hopefully they’ll have some good material.  Last year, I didn’t expect much from Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin and I thought they did a terrific job.  While the Oscars are a show for rich people to congratulate themselves on a job well done, the host doesn’t have to tear the room down to make us poor slobs at home feel better.  There’s a balancing act and hopefully Hathaway and Franco can pull it off.

So get your Oscar ballots ready and hit the jump as I live-blog the 83rd Academy Awards.  Also, you can click here for my predictions.

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