Steve Buscemi

Director Oren Moverman Talks RAMPART, His David O. Selznick Biopic at HBO, QUEER with Steve Buscemi, and More

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 7th, 2012 at 10:37 am

With his new film Rampart (which ranked #4 on my Top 10 of 2011 list), writer-director Oren Moverman took the corrupt-cop genre and twisted it just like he did with The Messenger‘s soldier-PTSD story.  He’s one of the more exciting filmmakers working today because of his ability to play against expectations and come out with a more powerful, realistic story as a result.

I got the chance to interview Moverman about the film and we talked about where the real Rampart scandal came into the story, re-teaming with Woody Harrelson, shooting the movie as if it were two different films, and more.  Moverman also spoke about his collaboration with Ben Stiller for a David O. Selznic biopic for HBO, and we discussed his script for Steve Buscemi‘s upcoming film, Queer.  Hit the jump to check out the interview.  Rampart opens in select cities this Friday.  Click here to read my full review.

TV Casting: Selma Blair Joins Charlie Sheen in ANGER MANAGEMENT; Bobby Cannavale Stars on BOARDWALK EMPIRE

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: February 3rd, 2012 at 4:36 pm

After cycling through hosts of women on his previous show Two and a Half Men, Charlie Sheen is on to new ventures and a new network with FX’s comedy series, Anger Management. Starring opposite Sheen will be, Selma Blair (Hellboy), in the form of a therapist/love interest for Sheen’s character, Charlie. Blair is one of two female roles on the show (the other being Shawnee Smith (Saw) who will play Charlie’s ex-wife) which has an initial 10-episode order from FX. Hit the jump for more from Anger Management, as well as details on Bobby Cannavale’s character in season three of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.

SAG Award Winners Announced; THE HELP Wins Best Ensemble, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 29th, 2012 at 7:13 pm

The 2012 Screen Actors Guild Award winners were announced tonight, and The Help took home the top film prize, “Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture”.  The drama also took home awards for Best Actress (Viola Davis) and Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer).  If you think that’s no big deal in terms of affecting the Oscar race, I have one word for you: Crash.  Granted, The Help didn’t even pick up an Oscar nomination for Best Director, but actors make up the largest block of Academy voters (25 percent).  And as we’ve seen, actors really like movies that make us think we’ve defeated racism, which we totally have.  That’s why all African-American actors pull in huge salaries.  Actors like Will Smith and…Will Smith.  I wouldn’t put The Help ahead of The Artist just yet, but Davis and Spencer should now be considered serious contenders in their respective catagories (Spencer is almost at a lock at this point).

First Look at Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, and Olivia Wilde in BURT WONDERSTONE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 11th, 2012 at 8:56 am

Filming is currently underway on the comedy Burt Wonderstone starring Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, Steve Buscemi, Jay Mohr, James Gandolfini, and Olivia Wilde.  The story centers on a Las Vegas magician (Carell) who loses his partner and is then upstaged by a hipper magician (Carrey) doing dangerous and crowd-drawing tricks.  The first set photos from the movie show Carell’s eponymous character apparently trying to upstage his rival by aping David Blaine‘s boring non-magic.  The costumes and make-up look very “Vegas” and perhaps Wonderstone will actually try to escape from his predicament rather than sit there with people gazing up at what Chris Rock called “a trickless magician.”

Hit the jump to check out the set photos.  Burt Wonderstone is due out in 2013.

BOARDWALK EMPIRE Season One Blu-ray Review

by Rob Vaux    Posted: January 2nd, 2012 at 7:00 am

HBO’s Boardwalk Empire follows in a long line of prestige series produced by the cable network, which actually works against it a little bit. It’s hard to get excited about yet another must-see series from them, especially after the infamous letdown of The Sopranos finale and the way the network botched other great shows like Deadwood and Carnivale.  One hopes, however, that those harsh lessons have been well-learned, and with Boardwalk Empire now a bona fide hit, HBO has a chance to capitalize on the very high standard that the first season sets. The new Blu-ray collection does the show justice, and makes an exquisite New Year’s present for faithful fans. Hit the jump for my full review of the first season of Boardwalk Empire on Blu-ray.

Last Night’s SNL Digital Short Spoofs Batman’s Stealth Abilities

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: December 4th, 2011 at 7:07 am

Steve Buscemi proved to be a very capable host on last night’s very funny episode of Saturday Night Live.  As it turns out, the week when a major pedophilia case is in the news is a great week to have Buscemi in the troupe.  But given his range, Buscemi is also suited to play the ethical Commissioner Gordon when Andy Samberg and Co. needed the character for their SNL digital short.  Samberg plays Batman, paying particular attention to his ability to sneak up on on Gordon, and vanish into thin air with the same ease.  The stealth jokes escalate from the basic setup to the point where… well, hit the jump to see for yourself.

Guy Pearce, Ben Foster, and Kelly MacDonald to Star in Steve Buscemi’s Adaptation of QUEER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 2nd, 2011 at 1:16 pm

Steve Buscemi has lined up quite the cast for his next directorial effort. The Boardwalk Empire actor is poised to direct an adaptation of William Burroughs’ novel Queer, and Vulture reports that Guy Pearce, Ben Foster, and Buscemi’s Boardwalk Empire co-star Kelly MacDonald are set to star. The book was written in 1952, after Burroughs accidentally shot and killed his wife. The story, which mirrors Burroughs’ emotional and psychological state at the time, centers on an American named William Lee living in Mexico City, weighed down by drugs, guilt, and lust. The project is still in the early stages, and financing isn’t yet firmed up, but Rampart director Oren Moverman wrote the script and told Vulture that the plan is to shoot the film during Buscemi’s next hiatus from HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. Hit the jump to read the synopsis for the novel.

Olivia Wilde and Steve Buscemi Join Magician Comedy BURT WONDERSTONE [UPDATED]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 31st, 2011 at 12:43 pm

The magician comedy Burt Wonderstone has found its female lead, and is getting a boost from a fantastic character actor. After mulling over a number of actresses that reportedly included Sarah Silverman, Judy Greer, Jessica Biel, and Michelle Monaghan, THR reports that Olivia Wilde has won the lead female role opposite Steve Carell and Jim Carrey. The film centers on a Las Vegas magician (Carell) who breaks up with his partner and is then upstaged by a hipper magician (Carrey) doing dangerous and crowd-drawing tricks.

THR reports that Steve Buscemi is also in talks to join the cast as Carell’s former partner. Don Scardino (30 Rock) is directing, with a script by Horrible Bosses scribes John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (and a polish by Jason Reitman). James Gandolfini is also set to star as a Vegas casino owner. While I had been pulling for Greer to land the female lead, Wilde is by no means a bad choice and Buscemi is a much-welcomed addition. Production on Burt Wonderstone is set to begin in January. [Update: Deadline reports that while Wilde may end up with the role, Greer and Silverman are still in the mix and the studio is waiting to see if Biel reads for the role, so it sounds like the female lead isn't locked as of yet.]

TIFF 2011: RAMPART Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 15th, 2011 at 7:06 pm

In his debut feature The Messenger, director Oren Moverman eschewed the simplistic and pandering Soldiers-with-PTSD story seen in films like Stop-Loss and In the Valley of Elah.  Moverman took a deeper look to see how two soldiers struggled to heal their personal wounds by examining how the men struggled to help others deal with the loss of loved ones.  It was a smart and unusual way to tell a story and he has continued that approach with Rampart.  Coupled with another astounding performance from Woody Harrleson, Moverman  turns the genre on its head by showing that one dirty cop’s warped sense of justice may be necessary to not only to the world, but to his own existence.

Watch 25 Actors Before They Were Famous in Three Minutes, Including Seth Rogen, Jack Black and Natalie Portman

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: August 15th, 2011 at 4:16 pm

Thank the Maker for YouTube. With the advent of the video-on-demand digital age, no longer is that TV movie role that Actor X did when he was 11-years-old lost forever, and now someone’s put together a compilation of 25 “before they were famous” first roles for our viewing pleasure. Did you know that Daniel Craig was in A Kid in King Arthur’s Court? How about Joseph Gordon-Levitt on Roseanne or Jake Gyllenhaal in City Slickers? No need to hit up Netflix, some choice scenes are now all in one place.

Hit the jump to watch the montage, which includes 25 sometimes painful scenes featuring Jim Carrey, Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Ryan Gosling, Keanu Reeves, Nicole Kidman, Seth Rogen, Jake Gyllenhaal, Harrison Ford and more.

New Trailer for Season Two of BOARDWALK EMPIRE

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: August 9th, 2011 at 3:52 pm

We’ve already gotten a taste of the forthcoming second season of Boardwalk Empire, and while this new trailer released by HBO doesn’t show us any new footage, it certainly gives us a taste of what’s to come. All eyes seems to be on Nucky Thompson and everyone seems to be after a piece of the puzzle in some form or another as they beckon to him and call out his name. But who is that whispering his name there at the end? You’ll see what I mean after you check out this cool new trailer after the jump. Season two of Boardwalk Empire premieres on September 25th.

THE BIG LEBOWSKI Limited Edition Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: August 6th, 2011 at 3:20 am

It’s strange to have watched the cult of The Big Lebowski grow since release. The film was Joel and Ethan Coen’s follow-up to Fargo, which was an academy award-winning crime drama with a funny center. After the disastrous The Hudsucker Proxy (which has also gained a cult following) Fargo put the boys back in good graces, but the story of Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), and the kidnapping that turns him into amateur sleuth with sidekick Walter Sobchek (John Goodman) was greeted as a sophomore slump. Now it’s revered as a masterpiece. Our review of the limited edition Blu-ray of The Big Lebowski follows after the jump.

Adam Sandler to Lead Voice Cast for Animated Family Film HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 5th, 2011 at 12:56 pm

Sony Pictures Animation has lined up the voice cast for their 3D family comedy Hotel Transylvania.  Adam Sandler, King of the Family-Films-I-Never-Want-to-See, will play the lead voice of Dracula, the head of the lavish “five-stake” resort for monsters, Hotel Transylvania.  Dracula tries to prevent his teenage daughter Mavis from adventuring into the outside world, but runs into a complication when an ordinary guy (voiced by Andy Samberg) stumbles into the hotel and falls for Mavis.  The voice cast also includes Kevin James as Frankstein, Fran Descher as his bride Eunice, David Spade as Quasimodo, Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon as a pair of married werewolves, and Cee Lo Green as a Murray the Mummy.  Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack) will direct.

Hit the jump for the press release which includes a longer synopsis and the box office clout of Sandler as if that were some indication his movies were actually good.  Hotel Transylvania is due out September 21, 2012.

Intense First Trailer for Season Two of BOARDWALK EMPIRE

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: June 27th, 2011 at 9:40 am

We’re still months away from seeing the premiere, but HBO has unveiled the first trailer for the anticipated second season of Boardwalk Empire, and damn does it look intense. Sounds like there’s going to be plenty of sneaky liquor trafficking, Jimmy stepping up his business in organized crime and even some action with the Ku Klux Klan. Hopefully this season keeps up a steady pace throughout its entirety as I found the first season to slow down quite a bit, sometimes frustratingly, towards the end of the first season. Of course, the drama is still leaps and bounds better than plenty of other series on television, so you can bet I’ll be giving my attention to the second season this fall. See the trailer after the jump.

New Images from RAMPART Starring Woody Harrelson; First Official Synopsis Revealed

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 17th, 2011 at 10:16 am

New images have gone online for Rampart, the new drama from The Messenger director Oren Moverman.  The film stars Woody Harrelson as a corrupt cop and the story is set against the backdrop of the scandal involving the LAPD’s Rampart Division.  Moverman wrote the script with acclaimed crime novelist James Ellroy (L.A. Confidential) The impressive cast also includes Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright, Steve Buscemi, Cynthia Nixon, Ben Foster, Anne Heche, Ice Cube, and Ned Beatty.

Hit the jump to check out the images along with the first official synopsis for the film.

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