Made In Dangenham Trailer/Synopsis

Made In Dangenham November 19

Directed by Nigel Cole ( A Lot Like Love, Calendar Girls ) Starring Sally Hawkins, Miranda Richardson, Rosamund Pike, Bob Hoskins, Richard Schiff, Jaimie Winstone. Written by first timer Billy Ivory, Cinematography by John de Borman ( An Eduction, The Full Monty )

It is a dramatisation of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham assembly plant, where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination. Note the women did not work at the Dagenham assembly plant but a mile or so away the other side of the rail tracks at the River Plant ( a collection of sheds!) on Sammy Williams land near Dagenham Dock Station. The Halewood based women also joined the strike.

What looks like a victory for the women (and well deserved) became a loss as Ford firstly changed the design of the seat to delete the sewn covers the women made to a moulded in version - this made the jobs redundant. When sewn covers were reintroduced the work was outsourced by Ford to low cost labour locations.

The film will get a few screenings in September for the Toronto Film Festival and then open wide on November 19th.

Oscar chances ? Possible for screenplay and supporting actress. More like the Independent Spirits Awards is where I think this film will attain notice.

Sean Penn goes glam

Just what exactly was Sean Penn up to when he closed off parts of Dublin recently? From the look of the pictures below he was scaring the bejeezus out of the locals. Dressed in drag Penn was filming his part in Il Divo director Paolo Sorrentino’s new film This Must Be The Place.

Penn plays an ageing rock-star who is obsessed with finding a Nazi criminal who tortured his father in a concentration camp. Cheery stuff. Frances McDormand is also on-board playing Penn’s wife, with Bono’s daughter, Eve Hewson, playing a ‘gothic-punk music fan’ who befriends Penn’s character.

A strange sounding film indeed, and kind of disturbing from these pictures. It will be interesting to see what comes of it. The movie is due out sometime next year.

Never Let Me Go Preview/Synopsis

Never Let me Go September 15

Directed by Mark Romanek ( One Hour Photo ) Starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightly, Andrew Garfield, Sally Hawkins, Charlotte Rampling. Written by Alex Garland ( 28 Days Later ) Cinematography by Indie Spirit nominee Adam Kimmel ( Capote ) Editing by Barney Pilling ( An Education ) and Original Score by Oscar winner Rachel Portman ( Emma, The Cider House Rules )

In his highly acclaimed novel Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day) created a remarkable story of love, loss and hidden truths. In it he posed the fundamental question: What makes us human? Now director Mark Romanek and writer Alex Garland bring Ishiguro’s hauntingly poignant and emotional story to the screen. Kathy (Mulligan), Tommy (Garfield) and Ruth (Knightley) live in a world and a time that feel familiar to us, but are not quite like anything we know. They spend their childhood at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. When they leave the shelter of the school and the terrible truth of their fate is revealed to them, they must also confront the deep feelings of love, jealousy and betrayal that threaten to pull them apart.

Rated R for sexuality and nudity.

Oscar chances ? Very good. Strong possibilities for picture, screenplay and supporting actor and actress.

Malkovich and McDormand in Transformers 3 !?

You heard it right. One Oscar nominated actor and one Oscar winning actress are part of the cast of Transformers 3. I was talking to a friend about this today and we came to different analogies. He on one hand, thinks it's an outrage these highly thought of stage veterans selling out for the schlocky Transformers franchise.

I only the other hand, while I don't care for the Transformers deal, I do not begrudge them for signing on to do this type of genre and film. They are probably going to make more money on this film than they have on any other. And maybe it will be something different and fun for them for a change instead of all the seriousness.

Doesn't really matter to me, because I won't be seeing the film, but it's news worthy regardless.

Colin Farrell to star in Fright Night remake

Craig Gillespie ( Lars and The Real Girl ) is behind the directors chair on the reboot/remake of the 1985 horror film Fright Night, with Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, Toni Collette, David Tennant, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Sofia Vergara starring.
Shooting is underway in Albuquerque, New Mexico with the ever impressive Javier Aguirresarobe ( The Road, Goya's Ghosts ) handling the cinematography while the film will be seeing a October 7, 2011 release date.

In May 2009 it was revealed that DreamWorks would be overseeing a remake of Fright Night. Michael Gaeta and Alison Rosenzweig are set to produce. Marti Noxon wrote currently on the script of the remake. The film is produced by Mike De Luca and will screen in 2011. In March 2010 was announced that Craig Gillespie will direct the remake, which be financed by Steven Spielberg with his company DreamWorks. It will be released and distributed by Disney under the Touchstone banner, as part of the 30-picture deal between DreamWorks Studios and the Walt Disney Company.

Tamara Drew Trailer/Synopsis

Tamara Drewe Oct 8th

Directed by Stephen Frears ( The Queen, The Grifters ) Staring Gemma Aterton, Roger Allam, Bill Camp, Dominic Cooper, Luke Evans, Tamsin Greig, Jessica Barden.

Based of the graphic novel written by Posy Simmonds, a young newspaper writer returns to her home town in the English countryside. Her childhood home is being prepared for sale. She is instinctively a bit shy and emotional girl but she reinvents herself as a smouldering femme fatale, kicking up a storm wherever she goes.

Ben Davis ( Kick-Ass, Stardust ) provides the cinematogaphy and Oscar nominee Alexander Desplat ( Benjamin Button ) composes the score.

Rated R for language and sexual content.

Oscar chances ? Possible in the adapted screenplay category.

Casino Jack Trailer/Synopsis

Casino Jack

Based on the true crime story of Jack Abramoff, Casino Jack is an expose of the lobbying culture of Washington, D.C., laying bare all the excess of the new gilded age. The story begins in Washington, where Abramoff helps control access to the most powerful men on the planet.

Winning and dining key Republicans, he envisions a country where he can found a dynasty that will rival that of the Kennedys and the Bushes. Lobbying on behalf of American Indian casinos, aided by spin-doctor, Michael Scanlon, Abramoff believes he can achieve this goal by establishing his own gambling empire. To this end, he uses his own campaign fund-raising powers to coerce the U.S. Congress to force Gus Boulis, a South Florida operator of floating casinos, to sell his gambling boats.

Enlisting a mob-connected buddy, Adam Kidan, to help take over Boulis' casinos, Abramoff finds himself well in a world of real Mafia assassins and murder. The worlds of political infighting and the mob come together in a scandal that makes headlines around the world, with the White House itself at stake. Finally, the blowback from these events puts Abramoff and his family at risk and winds up in shattered dreams and a lengthy term in federal prison


Starring Kevin Spacey, Kelly Preston, Barry Pepper, Rachel Lefevre, Jon Lovitz, Maury Chaykin, Eric Schweig and Yanick Bisson. Directed by George Hickenlooper (Factory Girl ) and written by Norman Snider ( Dead Ringers )

Another Year Trailer/Synopsis

Another Year December 29

Written and directed by Mike Leigh ( Happy Go Lucky, Vera Drake, Secrets and Lies ) Starring Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Imelda Staunton, Stuart McQuarrie, Peter Wright, Oliver Maltman. Cinematography by Oscar nominee Dick Pope ( The Illusionist )

British filmmaker Mike Leigh delivers another emotionally honest portrait of ordinary people trying to make sense of their lives in this comedy drama. Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) are a couple who are drifting past middle age into their sixties; he's a geologist and she's a psychotherapist. Tom and Gerri have a stable and happy marriage and a grown son, Joe (Oliver Maltman), an activist lawyer who hasn't settled down yet, much to his mother's chagrin. One of Gerri's co-workers and close friends is Mary (Lesley Manville), who puts up a facade of desperate good cheer despite the fact she's been very lonely since her husband left her and has been drowning her anxieties in wine. Gerri has unsuccessfully tried to fix Mary up with Tom's sloppy but good natured pal Ken (Peter Wight), and she's startled when Mary begins openly flirting with Joe, more than 20 years her junior. Mary's troubles only grow worse when she stops by Tom and Gerri's place only to be introduced to Katie (Karina Fernandez), Joe's new girlfriend. Another Year received its world premiere at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival

Barry Munday trailer/synopsis

Synopsis:


Barry Munday October 1st

Staring Patrick Wilson, Judy Greer, Malcolm McDowell, Chloe Sevigny, Cybil Shepherd, Colin Hanks, Christopher McDonald, Jean Smart and Billy Dee Williams.

Barry Munday ( Wilson ), a suburban wanna-be ladies man, wakes up in the hospital after being attacked in a movie theater, only to realize that he is missing one of his most prized possessions… his testicles. To make matters worse, Barry learns he’s facing a paternity lawsuit filed by a woman he can’t remember having sex with. With this being Barry last chance to ever be a father, Barry reaches out and embraces the journey of parenthood and the onslaught of bumps that face him along the way.

Rated R for sexual content and language.

I'm Still Here trailer/Synopsis

Magnolia Pictures will release Casey Affleck's long-rumored documentary, titled "I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix," in September, Deadline.com reports.

The film was shot by Affleck, who is also Phoenix's brother-in-law, during the actor's highly publicized meltdown two years ago.

In October 2008, the two-time Oscar nominee and "Walk the Line" star announced he was retiring from acting. Weeks later he emerged bearded and spacey to announce he planned to pursue a career as a hip-hop artist.

Though the 35-year-old's public break down was rumored to be an elaborate hoax, the film is being released as a documentary, not a mockumentary. Affleck was on hand with a camera to capture Phoenix's down fall, the most famous incident being when he appeared a shambling, bearded mess on "The Late Show With David Letterman" to promote his film "Two Lovers."

"No matter what I thought coming in, I came out feeling this was a pretty amazing piece of work, jaw dropping but dimensional," Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles told Deadline. "It is a unique piece of work that is going to surprise people in different ways."

The film, due out September 10, depicts Phoenix in various states of depravity. In one reported scene, Phoenix snorts cocaine off the breast of a stripper.

Despite the shocking subject matter, it was Affleck's filmmaking style that sold Bowles on the film.

"It is extreme behavior," Bowles conceded, "But really good filmmaking as well."

But do you care ?

Authentic Fair Game trailer

Fair Game

Directed by Doug Liman ( Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Swingers ) Starring Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Sam Shepard, Noah Emmerich, Bruce McGill, David Denman, Ty Burrell, Brooke Smith ( forever to be remembered as Catherine Martin in Silence Of The Lambs ) Interesting factoid: Liman provided his own cinematography for the film. That's extemely rare.

Valerie Plame ( Watts ) is revealed to be a CIA agent by White House officials allegedly out to discredit her husband, Joesph Wilson ( Penn ) after he wrote a 2003 New York Times op-ed piece saying that the Bush administration had manipulated intelligence about weapons of mass destruction to justify the invasion of Iraq.

November 5

Little Fockers trailer

Little Fockers

December 22

Everyone is back from the previous two movies with Harvey Keitel, Laura Dern and Jessica Alba joining the cast, with Paul Weitz( About A Boy, American Dreamz ) stepping in for Jay Roach, who directed the first two films.

It's just titled The Eagle now

The period action yarn that was once called The Eagle and The Ninth, has now been shortened to just The Eagle.
If you don't know about the premise, it's directed by Kevin Macdonald ( State Of Play, The Last King Of Scotland ) and starring Channing Tatum, Mark Strong, Jamie Bell and Donald Sutherland.
The film is set in the days where Rome ruled Britain, where one Roman soldier endeavours to honor his father's death by finding his lost legions golden emblem . Look for it February 18th.

The Lincoln Lawyer begins filming

The Lincoln Lawyer March 18

Directed by Brad Furman ( The Take ) Starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy, Ryan Phillipe, John Leguizamo and Michael Pena. Lukas Ettlin ( Fanboys, Shrink ) is providing the cinematography.

Not to be confused with the same premise of the Robert Redford court room drama about the Lincoln assassination film out later this year, this film is based off the best selling novel by Michael Connelly about a moderately successful criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller ( McConaughey ) operates all around the large area of Los Angeles county out of a Lincoln Town Car driven by a former client working off his legal fees (hence the title); most of his clients are drug dealers and gangsters, but the book deals with an unusually important case: the wealthy Los Angeles realtor Louis Roulet is accused of assault and attempted murder by a woman, and at first he appears to be innocent and set up by the "victim".

But Roulet's lies and many surprising revelations tear Mickey's theory of the case to shreds, making Mickey reconsider the situation of Jesus Menendez, a former client who's now languishing in San Quentin State Prison after pleading guilty to a similar and mysteriously related crime.

In the end, Haller is able to outmaneuver Roulet (revealed as a villain), without violating his ethical obligations, free the innocent Menendez, and continue in legal practice.

Black Swan Trailer/Synopsis

Black Swan December 1

Directed by Darren Aronofsky ( The Wrestler, Requiem For A Dream )Starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassell, Winona Ryder, Barabra Hershey. Cinematography provided by Matthew Libatique ( Iron Man, The Fountain )

A New York City ballet company is producing Swan Lake, and director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Ryder) with ballerina Nina (Portman). Nina lives with Erica (Hershey), her overbearing mother and a former ballerina. Nina finds competition in new dancer Lily (Kunis). Swan Lake requires a ballerina who can play the innocent White Swan, which fits Nina, and the sensual Black Swan, which fits Lily. The dancers' rivalry changes into a bizarre friendship, and Nina begins exploring a dark side of herself.

Drive Angry Trailer/Synopsis

February 11




Drive Angry stars Nicolas Cage as Milton, a hardened felon who has broken out of hell for one last chance at redemption. Intent on stopping a vicious cult who murdered his daughter, he has three days to stop them before they sacrifice her baby beneath a full moon.

He's joined by Piper (Amber Heard) – a young, sexy waitress who liberates her ex-boyfriend's cherry-red muscle car in order to help Milton. Now, the two of them are hot on the trail of the deadly leader of the cult, Jonah King (Billy Burke), who believes it is his destiny to use the baby to unleash hell on earth.

But the bloodthirsty cult is the least of Milton's problems. The police are after him too. And worse, an enigmatic killer known only as "The Accountant" – who has been sent by the Devil to retrieve Milton and deliver him back to hell. With wicked cunning and hypnotic savagery, the Accountant will relentlessly pursue Milton at high speed across the country until his mission is accomplished.

Fueled by high octane and pure rage, Milton must use his anger to go beyond all human limits to avenge his daughter’s murder, before his last chance at redemption is revoked.

The film is directed by Patrick Lussier ( Dracula 2000 ) and also starring William Finchter, Billy Burke, David Morse, Katy Mixon, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Christa Campbell.

The American Preview/Synopsis

The American Sept. 1

Directed by Anton Corbijn ( Control )Starring George Clooney, Thekla Reuten, Bruce Altman, Isira Bjorkland, Paola Bonacelli and Violante Placido. Written by Rowan Joffe ( 28 Weeks Later ) Cinematography by Martin Ruhe ( Harry Brown, The Countess ) Editing by Andrew Hulme ( Wicker Park, The Lucky Number Slevin ) Original Score by German composer/musician Herbert Cronemeyer.

Jack ( Clooney ) is a master assassin. When a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected, he vows to his contact, Larry, that his next assignment will be his last. Jack reports to the Italian countryside, where he holes up in a small town and relishes being away from death for a spell. The assignment, as specified by a Belgian woman, Mathilde, is in the offing as a weapon is constructed. Surprising himself, Jack seeks out the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto and pursues romance with local woman Clara. But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate.

Rated R for violence, sexual content and nudity.

Oscar chances ? Possible for Clooney in lead actor but he'll really have to be lights out good, because he was nominated last year and it's an extremely rare occurrence where an actor get recieves Oscar nominations two years in a row. Also screenplay could have a chance as well.

The Next Three Days Trailer

I wrote about this Russell Crowe/Paul Haggis collaboration in a July 2nd entry.

Love and Other Drugs trailer

Love and Other Drugs November 24

Directed by Edward Zwick ( Glory, The Last Samurai, Courage Under Fire ) Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Oliver Platt, Josh Gad, Judy Greer, Hank Azaria, Gabriel Macht, George Segal and Jill Clayburgh.

My favorite independent films of 2010 so far

When I mean " independent " I mean for a film to be made for no more than 15 million on the film's budget.

Budget

1) Animal Kingdom 5 million
2) The Tillman Story 3 Million
3) Solitary Man 15 million
4) Greenberg 12 million
5) Get Low 7.5 million
6) Centurion 15 million
7) The Kid's Are Alright 10 million
8) Winter's Bone 2 million
9) Please Give 7 million
10) I Am Love 7 million

How Do You Know trailer

'How Do You Know' Theatrical Trailer @ Yahoo! Video

The trailer did nothing for me. James L. Brooks can be hit ( Terms Of Endearment ) or miss ( Spanglish ) and I don't see anything that popped out at me to think this is anythinbg special but just another romantic comedy. I do hope they gave something for Jack to do instead of standing around sleepwalking his character.
The film is out December 17th.

Jim Sheridan's next film: Dream House

From the man who gave you My Left Foot, In The Name Of The Father and most recently Brothers, Irish director Jim Sheridan's next film will be a supernatural thriller titled Dream House, starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Morton Csokas, Elias Koteas, Jane Alexander and Mark Wilson.
This is new genre territory for Sheridan, much like it is for Clint Eastwood's supernatural thriller is for him with his next movie coming out this year called Hereafter. Both directors haven't delved into the supernatural until now.
The premise of Dream House, is about a very happily married couple, Will Attenton ( Craig ) and his wife Libby ( Weisz ) find their ultimate dream home in the nice community of Morgan Creek. But everything is not what it appears to be, when the couple find they are haunted by the former inhabitants who were murdered in that same home.
Filming commenced between February and April of this year in Ontario, Canada. Five time Oscar nominee Caleb Deschanel ( The Passion Of The Christ, The Natural ) provided the cinematography. Dream House will be released on Febraury 18th of next year.

Tobey Maguire and Gary Ross to re-team for The Crusaders

Based from the book by Jack Greenberg that has now been adapted by Danny Strong ( Recount ) about a young lawyer, Jack Greenberg, who becomes the only white member of the NAACP legal defense fund, and work side by side with future Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall to help outlaw segregation. Thurgood has not been cast yet. Expect a 2011 release date.

Best Supporting Actor race:one the best in years

This years best supporting actor race is looking to be the best, and possibly the most competitive in years. On paper it's looking like one of the strongest categories of the upcoming the Academy Awards. I will list the names of who have good chances at nominations and the reason why behind those analogies.

Christian Bale- The Fighter- Gets to play against type ( an ex junkie ) he's pretty due and add that he lost a ton of weight for the role. He has very good chance at an Oscar nomination.

Sam Rockwell- Conviction- Great character actor that can play and do any genre. He's also due. Never has been nominated and he'll get to tug on some heart strings with this role as the unfairly convicted brother of Betty Anne Waters.

Mark Ruffalo- Not a favorite of mine but he's possibly the best thing in The Kids Are Alright. He also has never been nominated for an Oscar and he's been in the game awhile now.

Dustin Hoffman- Barney's Version- He'll play Paul Gimatti's father, who, if it's anything like the book, gets to steal it every time his character shows up.

Geoffrey Rush- The King's Speech- Already an Oscar winner, and multiple nominee, He'll play the secondary character to Colin Firth's King George VI as Lionel Logue, the King's speech therapist hired on to help King George's stutter.

Ed Harris- The Way Back- Multiple Oscar nominee, gets to play key secondary character of true life Gulag survivors. Well known, solid actor the Academy voters are very aware of.

Vincent Cassell- Black Swan- Very versatile French actor that isn't a house hold name quite or well known yet, but very solid actor with a wide range.

Bill Murray- Get Low- Said to be one of the best parts of the film, and also an Oscar nominee. His odds are pretty good at this point.

Guy Pearce- Animal Kingdom- Another fine actor who is just solid in every film he has been in. He has never been nominated either. He is most likely an outsider looking in at this point but he is good in his support role in the film.

John Malkovich- Secretariat- Plays the famous horse trainer Lucien Laurin. He is also a previous Oscar nominee, highly regarded by his peers. If the film does well he has a chance to sneak in there.

So what's this Red Riding Hood movie all about ?

Well first off, it's directed by Catherine Hardwicke ( Thirteen, Lords Of Dogtown ) from a screenplay written by David Johnson ( The Orphan ) and starring Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Virginia Madsen, Shiloh Fernandez and Lukas Haas.

Hardwicke is taking the fabled story into a more dark and gothic interpretation, about a girl named Valerie ( Seyfried ) in a medieval village being terrorized by a werewolf, as well as a side story of her taking a fancy with the village woodcutter ( Fernandez ), much to her family's displeasure. Oldman with play Witchfinder General, Father Soloman, the man responsible to take down the werewolf.
Shooting has already began in Vancouver, B.C. with a March 11, 2011 release date

Unstoppable trailer

I wish the Tony Scott/Denzel Washington collaboration was Unstoppable ( I kid, I kid ) But hasn't this premise been done already, like Speed, Runaway Train and The Train ? Denzel Washington leads the cast that also stars Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson and Ethan Suplee. In theaters on November 12.

Richard Gere: still very much in the acting game

At age 61, Richard Gere shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, he has 2 films already in the can in post, and two in pre-production. He almost seems busier than when he was forty. Here are some of the projects he's done and will also be working on.

Henry and Me- An animated film about a boy battling an illness and taken on a magical journey by a stranger named Henry ( Gere ) and on this journey he will meet many New York Yankees, past and present, that give him advise and life lessons. The Yankees will be voiced by real Yankees and not actors except the late players obviously, including Derek Jeter, Yogie Bera, Reggie Jackson, Goose Gossage, Bernie Willams to name just several.

Untiteld Comedy- There are rumors that the title may be changed to Movie 43, but at any rate, it's a comedy with an all star cast, seperated by different sections of sketches. The film is being directed by several directors including Steve Brill, Griffin Dunne, Peter Farrelly, James Gum, Bob Odenkirk, Brett Ratner and Elizabeth Banks. This shall be interesting with so many directors and cast members involved. It's almost overwhelming how many names were on the cast list.

The Double- A crime drama about a CIA operative who gets called out of retirement to assist a young agent to unravel the mystery of a Senetor's death. Co-starring Topher Grace and Martin Sheen.


The Emperor's Children- That will be directed by Noah Baumbach ( The Squid and The Whale, Greenberg ) and hasn't started filming as of yet. Gere will be starring along side Keira Knightley, Eric Bana and Michelle Williams.

Burlesque trailer

Directed by Steve Antin ( the kid from The Last American Virgin-writer for the script Gloria ) Starring Cher, Christina ( or is it still X-Tina ? ) Aguilara and Stanley Tucci ( who seems totally miscast ).

If just by going on this trailer, I have some doubts. But obviously you'll have to see the film for yourself. It's just getting a certain other type a movie goer in the seats. Not just one group or " type " of people. Some people have mentioned that they like that it might be campy and goofy. Some are hoping for it, but also in it's worst it can be ripped to shreds and headed for Razzie.

Emilio Estevez next directorial project: The Way

Speaking of Martin Sheen he next can be seen in the film The Way, which is directed by his son Emilio Estevez. Co-starring along Sheen will be Deborah Kara Unger, James Nesbitt and York van Wagenigen. The movie will get a screening at this years Toronto Film Festival. Here is a brief synopsis about the film.

A father ( Sheen ) travels to France to recover the body of his estranged son, who has died while traveling the Route Napolean. The son dies on the 1st or 2nd day of his pilgrimage. The father goes to the country to pick the body and personal effects up. He refuses to have his son's body cremated at first, but one night he makes the decision to have the body cremated and in order to honor his son's life he decides to make the pilgrimage for him (or better yet with him because he carries his son throughout the entire journey). He begins his journey alone, but as he travels he meets people and creates bonds with them that will last a lifetime. They drive each other crazy at some points, but they realize that they need each other.

Happy Birthday to Martin Sheen

Martin Sheen, who recently had a impressive run playing the President Of The United States on The West Wing, turns 70 today.
Sheen has had some impressive performances in some good films during his career spanning the last 4 decades, most recently in The Departed, the Oscar winner for Best Picture where he played a strong role as Captain Queenan.
He also had nice performaces in Wall Street as Bud's father, The Believer's, The Dead Zone, his iconic turn as Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now, a performance that's still talked about to this day by movie buffs and the many stories behind the making of that film. And then who can forget him as the deranged Kit in Badlands ? That is the role that put his face on the map in Hollywood.
Most recently he will be starring in The Way, a family based drama that sees him being directed for the third time by his son Emilio Estevez. That film will have the opportunity to showcase itself at the Toronto Film Festival next month.
Good to see his usual solid self still in the acting game these days.

Jane Fonda's next role possible Oscar bait ?

Filming is underway with the Bruce Beresford ( Driving Miss Daisy, Tender Mercies ) film, Peace Love and Misunderstanding in Woodstock, New York that is starring Jane Fonda, Catherine Keener, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyle MacLachlan, Chase Crawford, Nat Moore and Elizabeth Olsen.

The premise is a comedy/drama about a conservative laywer ( Keener ), who takes her two teenaged children to meet their estranged hippy grandmother ( Fonda ) in Woodstock.

More from the set on Rise Of The Apes

Rise Of The Apes, a adventure/sci-fi film, is directed by Rupert Wyatt ( The Escapist ) and is starring James Franco, Freida Pinto, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, Andy Serkis and John Lithgow.

Premise of the film ( and no it's not connected to The Planet Of The Apes franchise ) takes place in modern day San Francisco, where Franco will play a scientist who's working on a cure for Alzheimer's, by testing it on a ape. When the test subject Caesar suddenly begins to to rapidly evolve, the scientist takes Caesar home to be safe from the other cruel lab doctors. This genetic engineering leads to the intelligence in the apes and to bring on a onset of an ape revolt against humans.
Filming is being done in Vancouver B.C. with Oscar winning cinematographer Andrew Lesnie ( LOTR trilogy ) handling the lensing. The film is expected to see a June 24 2011 release date.