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5 Children's Books That Hollywood Should Tackle Next

By Anna Dimond (Subscribe to Anna Dimond's posts), Posted Jul 23rd 2010 8:00AM
Filed under: Hot Topic, Summer Movies
This Friday, a quirky, accident-prone eight-year-old named Ramona Quimby is making her big-screen debut in 'Ramona and Beezus.' Based on the character in Beverly Cleary's best-selling book series, 'Ramona' features an adorable girl who's often misunderstood, but who charms the pants off the adults around her even when it seems all is lost (such as when the kitchen is burning, or a car gets paint all over it, or the family home is in jeopardy). Seriously, though: who could resist that cute smile, or irrepressible spirit?

For a good chunk of the moviegoing population, 'Ramona' will bring back childhood memories of reading about her misadventures in a series that included 'Ramona Quimby, Age 8,' 'Ramona and Her Mother,' "Beezus and Ramona' and 'Ramona Forever.' And the film's arrival in theaters reminds us of a handful of other beloved children's books that should have their day in Hollywood -- or be treated to a thoroughly modern reboot of their original adaptations to film. Following in 'Ramona''s footsteps, these are a few of the books that savvy screenwriters might want to look to for their next bout of youthful inspiration.
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Do A-Listers Still Matter at the Summer Box Office?

By Anna Dimond (Subscribe to Anna Dimond's posts), Posted Jul 21st 2010 4:00PM
Filed under: Hot Topic, UK Box Office, Box Office, Summer Movies, UK Box Office
You've probably seen them by now: Stark and imposing, white and bare, the bulk of the ads for 'Salt' have only the movie's title in large black lettering and a sliver of a woman's picture. There's no action scene, no cramming in of actors' names (see: 'The Expendables'), and certainly no quotes from critics eager to feed the hype. Yet while the campaign leaves much to the imagination, one thing is unmistakable: 'Salt' stars Angelina Jolie.

The mysterious marketing for the actress's new spy thriller, which opens July 23, fits neatly with the film's plot. Jolie plays Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent who goes on the run after a defector to the U.S. accuses her of being a Russian spy. Much like the 'Bourne' trilogy, 'Salt' plays on identity and perception, leaving us to wonder -- as the film's tagline suggests -- who is this lady, anyway?

'Salt' banks, of course, on the fact that not only do we know who she is (in real life, anyway), but that we'll flock to the movies to see her -- especially if she's going to kick butt and find redemption in a story laced with major sex appeal. But that's a big bet in a summer that's been a box-office letdown, thanks mostly to poor sequels and remakes, among other theories (which also include the combination of a tight economy and pricey 3-D tickets).
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'Hangover 2' Heads Overseas: What Happens in Thailand, Stays in Thailand?

By Anna Dimond (Subscribe to Anna Dimond's posts), Posted Jul 21st 2010 2:30PM
Filed under: Movie News
Get ready to pop open a cold Singha and make a toast, because the rumors were right: 'The Hangover 2' is headed for Thailand, and will begin shooting there this fall.

While director Todd Phillips initially denied claims of a Southeast Asian foray, Coming Soon has confirmed that last summer's surprise hit will in fact send its rag-tag guy posse overseas for their next film, which is due for release in summer 2011. 'The Hangover,' which followed the booze-fueled misadventures of three guys at a Las Vegas bachelor party, topped the box office when it opened on June 5, 2009, earning nearly $45 mil during its opening weekend. It went on to become the year's top-earning R-rated film
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Famous Movie Locations: Cemetery from 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' (Savannah, Ga.)

By Anna Dimond (Subscribe to Anna Dimond's posts), Posted Jul 16th 2010 12:00PM
Filed under: On the Scene

In 1997, Clint Eastwood brought the beauty -- and eccentricities -- of Savannah, Georgia, to the masses with 'Midnight in the Garden of Good Evil.' The movie was adapted from John Berendt's best-selling novel, which chronicled his experiences covering an ongoing murder trial in the Southern city. The film adaptation stars John Cusack as journalist John Kelso (whom Berendt based on himself) and Kevin Spacey as Jim Williams, a wealthy art dealer on trial for the murder of local hustler Billy Hanson (Jude Law).

Berendt's book was an instant success when it arrived in 1994, spending 216 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and garnering praise from critics worldwide. Sadly, Eastwood's cinematic edition didn't fare nearly as well, garnering mixed reviews that amounted to a 50 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert, for example, lauded the director's intentions, but aptly explained where it fell short. "[In his book,] Berendt paints a portrait of a city so eccentric, so dripping with Southern Gothic weirdness, that it can't survive for long when it's removed from the life-support system of our imagination," he wrote, adding, "[The] film is a determined attempt to be faithful to the book's spirit, but something ineffable is lost just by turning on the camera."
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Mel Gibson and Longtime Agency WME Part Ways

By Anna Dimond (Subscribe to Anna Dimond's posts), Posted Jul 9th 2010 10:10PM
Filed under: Movie News
Mel Gibson and his longtime agency, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, have parted ways, according to TheWrap.com.

While reasons for the professional breakup were not revealed, Gibson's recent and past behavior have arguably made him a public relations liability. In the past month, the actor has been accused of directing racist and misogynistic comments toward his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, in a phone call that was leaked. In June, Grigorieva obtained a restraining order against Gibson, claiming that he was physically violent.
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'Mean Girls' Director May Tackle 'Mr. Popper's Penguins'

By Anna Dimond (Subscribe to Anna Dimond's posts), Posted Jun 23rd 2010 8:30PM
Filed under: Movie News
Forget 'March of the Penguins.' If Mark Waters gets his way, comedy will be the new groove for waddling birds on the big screen. The director is in early talks to helm an adaptation of 'Mr. Popper's Penguins' for 20th Century Fox, according to Variety.

Waters is best known for movies like 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' (2009), 'Mean Girls' (2004) and 'Freaky Friday' (2003), so 'Penguins' would fit in with his light-hearted style. The 1938 children's book by Richard and Florence Atwater follows the misadventures of Mr. Popper, a house-painter who has always wanted to visit the Arctic. When an admiral responds to Mr. Popper's fan letter with a female penguin as a gift, life changes forever for the painter and his wife.
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Famous Movie Locations: Pipeline in 'Blue Crush' (Oahu, Hawaii)

By Anna Dimond (Subscribe to Anna Dimond's posts), Posted Jun 23rd 2010 3:00PM
Filed under: On the Scene

Once upon a time, surfing was considered a man's world, filled with blond hunks who had perfect tans, no fear and a sport-specific lexicon dripping with "dudes," "gnarlies" and "hang tens."

That was before 'Blue Crush.' The 2002 movie stars Kate Bosworth as Anne Marie Chadwick, an aspiring pro surfer living on Oahu's North Shore. She and her bad-ass girl posse live a hard-scrabble life working as maids at a fancy local hotel and taking care of Anne Marie's little sister after mom leaves town. While their lives are tough, their remote Oahu home is a surfing Mecca thanks to Pipeline, their local surf break. The waves there are some of the world's heaviest and most famously dangerous, known to get as tall as buildings before crashing over a deadly reef.

Outside the daily grind for survival, surfing is their life: Eden (Michelle Rodriguez) is training Anne Marie for the annual surfing contest in the hope that she'll score a pro sponsorship -- and a ticket out of poverty in paradise. Of course, 'Rocky'-style training is no fun without a little lovin', and luckily, a football team obliges by checking in to the hotel. Things get complicated fast when Anne Marie's budding crush on the quarterback keeps her out of the water, and suddenly our pretty surfer must choose between easy comfort and chasing her dreams.

Based on Susan Orlean's article 'Surf Girls of Maui' in Outside Magazine, 'Blue Crush' was neither a critical nor box office success. But as an ode to girl power and a staple of surf cinema, the film remains a cult fave -- not to mention the launching pad for Bosworth's career.
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