Neil Burger

LIMITLESS Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: July 30th, 2011 at 5:53 am

Neil Burger’s Limitless is the sort of film that just gets by. Bradley Cooper stars as Eddie Mora, who’s given a wonder pill that makes him super smart, but comes with a catch. As he makes piles of money, can he do the drug and not lose his mind? There’s a lot of good ideas in Limitless, and a lot of it cleverly executed, but the pieces are often more interesting than the whole. Abbie Cornish and Robert De Niro co-star in this modest hit. Our review of the Blu-ray of Limitless follows after the jump.

Neil Burger to Direct Bonnie and Clyde Film Scripted by Sheldon Turner

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 25th, 2011 at 4:24 pm

Over 40 years after Arthur Penn’s classic Bonnie and Clyde, director Neil Burger (Limitless) is set to take on the story of the outlaw duo once more. Variety reports that Burger will direct an adaptation of Jeff Guinn’s non-fiction book Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde. Up in the Air co-writer Sheldon Turner is taking on scripting duties, with Sean and Bryan Furst set to produce. Guinn’s book tells a deromanticized account of the two’s streak of bank robberies which left seven dead bodies in its wake. No word on how soon the film will go into production, but Burger recently signed on to write and direct the high-profile adaptation of the video game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune after David O. Russel left the project. Hit the jump for a synopsis of Guinn’s book.

Exclusive: Director Neil Burger Talks UNCHARTED: DRAKE’S FORTUNE and LIMITLESS DVD/Blu-ray

by Christina Radish    Posted: July 18th, 2011 at 2:14 pm

The sci-fi thriller Limitless, available on DVD and Blu-ray on July 19^th, is an intense and gripping adrenaline rush, starring Bradley Cooper as Eddie Morra, a burnt-out writer who discovers a top-secret pill that unlocks 100% of his brain’s capacity. He instantly acquires mind-bending talents and mesmerizing visions that bring him everything he could have ever dreamed or desired, but his life soon becomes a waking nightmare, as the drug’s brutal side effects take their toll. Now with an unrated extended cut, an alternate ending, making of features, deleted scenes and audio commentary, the box office success can be enjoyed even further on DVD and Blu-ray.

During this exclusive phone interview with Collider, Limitless director Neil Burger talked about how excited he is for people to see the extended cut that is wilder and more extreme than the PG-13 theatrical release, why it took time to perfect the ending of the film, how he believes you shouldn’t reveal everything with the audio commentary, and that he was relieved with how successful the film was. He also talked about recently signing on to helm the big screen adaptation of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, rewriting the script and starting over from scratch, how the already cinematic video game has a great character and some intense moments that he’s looking forward to translating for film, and that he hopes to take fans of the game and moviegoers on an exhilarating ride. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Neil Burger to Write and Direct UNCHARTED: DRAKE’S FORTUNE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 7th, 2011 at 11:46 am

Neil Burger (Limitless) has signed on to write and direct the adaptation of the video game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.  Burger replaces David O. Russell who left the project in May after Sony disagreed with O. Russell’s decision not to give fans exactly what they think they wanted (which, if it’s a straight adaptation of Drake’s Fortune, is just a video game they can’t play).  Variety reports that “producers Avi Arad, Ari Arad, Charles Roven and Alex Gartner sparked to [Burger's] new take on the pic.”

Hit the jump for more on Uncharted.

Director Neil Burger Exclusive Interview LIMITLESS

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: March 25th, 2011 at 9:14 am

The number one movie in America right now is director Neil Burger’s (The Illusionist) Limitless.  Starring Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel and Robert De Niro, Limitless has a very cool premise: what if a drug allowed you to use 100% of your brain.  You could “recall everything you’ve ever read, seen or heard, learn any language in a day, comprehend complex equations and charm anyone you meet.”  Sounds cool doesn’t it?  The fact is, with advances in pharmaceuticals happening every day, the premise for Limitless might not be too far off.  Maybe we’ll never get to 100%, but I’ll bet you that in the next few decades, scientists will invent some sort of pill that makes you smarter.

A few days ago I was able to do an exclusive phone interview with Burger.  We talked about what it’s like to have the number one movie, why they reshot the ending, the cool way he shot the sequences when Cooper was on the drug, did he do any research or talk to pharmaceutical companies before shooting, deleted scenes and what will be on the DVD/Blu-ray, how Shia LaBeouf was originally going to star and how the script changed to fit him and then Cooper, how did they get Robert De Niro, and what does he have coming up.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to what he had to say.

LIMITLESS Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 18th, 2011 at 7:02 am

A film about a super-intelligent protagonist doesn’t necessarily need a smart script (although it never hurts), but it does need to act like a smart movie.  The direction needs a confident style, tone, and pacing that conveys the sense that the movie, like the protagonist, knows what’s going on and is ten steps ahead of the audience even though the actions on screen may be totally mundane and unremarkable.  Neil Burger’s Limitless never manages this task.  There’s plenty of visual flare, but it feels more like distraction than thoughtful support for its story.  Lead actor Bradley Cooper tries to make the most of his performance, but he lacks the everyman charm that would provide his character with some much-needed sympathy.  Undercut by poor writing, miscasting, and simplistic directing, Limitless may center on a brilliant mind but it lacks a convincing tone.

9 Clips from LIMITLESS Starring Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel and Robert De Niro

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: March 7th, 2011 at 4:33 pm

With director Neil Burger’s Limitless opening March 18, Relativity Media has sent over nine clips which you can watch after the jump.  Starring Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel and Robert De Niro, Limitless has a very cool premise: what if a drug allowed you to use 100% of your brain.  You could “recall everything you’ve ever read, seen or heard, learn any language in a day, comprehend complex equations and charm anyone you meet.”  Sounds cool doesn’t it.  The fact is, with advances in pharmaceuticals happening every day, the premise for Limitless might not be too far off.  Maybe we’ll never get to 100%, but I’ll bet you that in the next few decades, scientists will invent some sort of pill that makes you smarter.

Hit the jump for the clips and the full synopsis:

Exclusive TV Spot for LIMITLESS Starring Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, and Robert De Niro

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 24th, 2011 at 8:11 am

Relativity Media has provided us with an exclusive  TV spot for Limitless.  Directed by Neil Burger (The Illusionist), the plot centers on a struggling writer (Bradley Cooper) whose mental and physical abilities are greatly enhanced when he starts taking a new drug.

Hit the jump to check out the TV spot.  Limitless also stars Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel, and Robert De Niro.  The film opens March 18th.

UK Poster for LIMITLESS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 21st, 2011 at 9:12 am

As most folks take the day off to celebrate our nation’s Presidents (because I’m sure that’s how people are spending their free time: celebrating US Presidents), it’s a bit of a slow news day.  With that in mind, we bring you the UK poster for Limitless.  Even on a slow news day, I would usually skip over this, but the poster makes Bradley Cooper look so creepy that I had to share it with you.  It’s like the folks who designed this poster said, “We can’t find an image of Bradley Cooper and photoshop is broken.  I know!  There’s a new Bradley Cooper wax statue at the local wax figure museum!  Let’s go borrow it!  Chip-chip!  Cheeri-o!” (It’s a British poster and I’m 99% certain that’s how all British people end their conversations and this poster could have only been made by Brits because — 0h, no — I’ve run out of crappy-logic juice).

Hit the jump to check out the poster.  Limitless also stars Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel, and Robert De Niro.  It opens in the US on March 18th and the in UK on March 23rd.

Trailer and Poster for LIMITLESS Starring Bradley Cooper

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 16th, 2010 at 12:41 pm

Relativity Media has released the trailer and poster for Limitless (previously titled “The Dark Fields“).  The film centers on a struggling writer (Bradley Cooper) who takes a special drug that allows him to utilize his entire mental capacity.  Setting aside the fact that your brain doesn’t work on capacity but instead handles various functions, the film looks like it could be an interesting thriller…or a complete garbage.  While I liked Cooper back when he was on Alias, I don’t know if he can carry film.  Also, I’m not crazy about rooting for a protagonist whose “perfect” life is simply being disgustingly rich.  Hopefully director Neil Burger (The Illusionist) can pull it all together, although this is his first feature where he didn’t also write the screenplay. The script was penned by Leslie Dixon (Pay It Forward) based on the book by Alan Glynn.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and poster.  Limitless also stars Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel, and Robert De Niro.  It opens March 18, 2011.  Click here to check out the viral promo ad for the film.

Bradley Cooper Pushes Drugs in LIMITLESS Viral Ad Campaign

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: December 9th, 2010 at 6:17 pm

Forget red and blue pills; the clear pill is the last drug you’ll ever need! At least that’s what Bradley Cooper promises in his new promo for Limitless. The ad looks remarkably like the all-too-common pharmaceutical commercials on TV, but it’s actually part of a recently launched viral marketing campaign for the upcoming film.

The picture — directed by Neil Burger (The Illusionist) — is an adaptation of Alan Glynn’s novel, The Dark Fields, which focuses on Eddie Morra (Cooper), a writer who stumbles upon a performance-enhancing drug. The drug, known as NZT, allows Morra to “access 100% of his brain, learn new languages and conquer Wall Street.” All’s well until the downside of the drug starts to affect him, with side effects such as “paralysis, psychosis, brain damage and sudden death.”

Limitless also stars Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish (Bright Star) and Anna Friel (Land of the Lost), with a screenplay written by Leslie Dixon (The Thomas Crown Affair). Hit the jump to view the viral promo and unlock your full potential.

Anna Friel Picnics With Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro in DARK FIELDS

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: April 4th, 2010 at 9:32 pm

If you hail from the U.S., you may best know British actress Anna Friel best as the female lead in Land of the Lost, though ideally you identify her as Chuck from the precious (but short-lived) Pushing Daisies.  Either way, as she has just landed a high profile role in Dark Fields that may supplant both of the aforementioned roles in our collective Yankee consciousness.

According to THR, Friel will join Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, and Abbie Cornish for the Neil Burger-directed thriller about a “down-and-out writer (Cooper) who gets his hands on a top-secret pharmaceutical drug that makes one smarter.”  Mystery and intrigue with a sci-fi twist ensue.  Friel will play the plucky ex-wife of Cooper’s character.

Perhaps you won’t need to wait for Fields to come out to overwrite the memory of Friel: Land of the Lost-Edition.  She will next be seen in Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger this September and earned a role in London Boulevard, the directorial debut of screenwriter William Monahan (The Departed).

Robert De Niro Joins Bradley Cooper in Director Neil Burger’s THE DARK FIELDS

by Andrew Robinson    Posted: March 3rd, 2010 at 10:43 pm

Robert De Niro has signed on to join the cast of the upcoming suspense-thriller The Dark Fields.  Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) has already been cast as the lead, as was previously reported here.  The film will be directed by Neil Burger (The Illusionist) and produced by Scott Kroopf, Leslie Dixon and Ryan Kavanaugh.  Dixon (The Heartbreak Kid) also wrote the screenplay.

The film is about ‘a down-and-out Gotham writer (Cooper) who comes into possession of a designer drug that gives him newfound intelligence and success‘.  According to Variety, De Niro will be playing the role of the brilliant financial mogul that’s chasing after Bradley Cooper’s character.   The film will begin shooting in May in Philadelphia.

Bradley Cooper Runs Through DARK FIELDS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 5th, 2009 at 10:10 pm

I would exactly call Bradley Cooper and Shia LaBeouf interchangeable but that’s what has happened.  Back in April of 2008, LaBeouf came on board to star in Neil Burger’s (“The Illusionist”) mystery-thriller, “Dark Fields”.  Then LaBeouf realized he could go out and play with anyone he wanted so he decided to exchange “Dark Fields” for Oliver Stone’s unnecessary sequel, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”.  Over a year later, Bradley Cooper steps in to fill the void because he’s LaBeouf’s long-lost twin.  Hit the jump for details.

Paramount and Director Neil Burger Set to Reanimate THE RATS OF NIMH

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: July 27th, 2009 at 8:24 pm

Paramount is developing the classic children’s book “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH” into a possible live-action/CGI feature film.  According to The Hollywood Reporter, director Neil Burger (“The Illusionist”) is in talks to adapt Richard C. O’Brien’s tale of Mrs. Frisby – a mouse that falls in league with a group of lab rats in order to save her dying son.  Readers of a certain age may recall that the world of “NIMH” made its way to theatres once before – as Don Bluth’s underappreciated “The Secret of NIMH” back in 1982.  That “NIMH” got caught in the box office wake of Spielberg’s “E.T.” but is worth a second look… especially if you have fond memories of Bluth’s “Dragon’s Lair”.

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