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Simon Pegg Takes Another 'Mission: Impossible'

By Elisabeth Rappe (Subscribe to Elisabeth Rappe's posts), Posted Jul 19th 2010 11:32AM
Filed under: Action, Thrillers, Casting, Paramount, Newsstand, Tom Cruise, Remakes and Sequels, Movie News, Cinematical
How the tables have turned, and the dashingly handsome (may) have fallen. While Tom Cruise is reportedly still unsure of his and Ethan Hunt's job in Mission: Impossible 4, there's one Paramount actor who can still sleep at night. According to THR's Heat Vision, Simon Pegg is in talks to return for Mission: Impossible 4. I bet Pegg and director Brad Bird are going to get along smashingly. This could be the start of a really beautiful partnership.

Seriously, stop and think about that delightful possibility for a moment. Remember, rumors swirl that Cruise just can't bring in the audience butts anymore. (A story that was quickly denied even as the doubt seeped in by anonymous sources.) But Pegg? No worries! He was in Star Trek and is in tight with J.J. Abrams. Sure, he's not the headlining star but in a world where M: I 4 could be rebooted with a new lead, Pegg's role of Benji Dunn is rock solid.

You know what they should do? They should make Dunn the lead, or at least more of a c-ostar. Dunn could get a field promotion, and Hunt is his superior officer who has to train him up to face more action. Between Scotty and Benji Dunn, Pegg gets stuck in engine / lab rooms a lot. It's time to let him fire off a few rounds, stick some exploding gum to a wall, and tear off ridiculously realistic masks. I have no doubt Nicholas Angel could give Hunt a what for.




Russell Brand IS Batman in 'Arthur'

By Elisabeth Rappe (Subscribe to Elisabeth Rappe's posts), Posted Jul 19th 2010 9:45AM
Filed under: Comedy, Warner Brothers, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels, Images, Movie News, Cinematical

Earlier this month, Erik Davis reported that the Batmobile had been seen in downtown Manhattan. Those who saw it on the street probably thought Christian Bale was inside, but it turned out to be an extravagant purchase on the set of Russell Brand's Arthur remake. If anyone had any doubts the Batmobile would actually appear in the film, toss them out now, because photos have emerged of Brand in the Batsuit. Even better, Brand's Batvision is secure enough in its rubber codpiece to include Batman's trusty sidekick, Robin. Don't mess with Luis Guzman. Even in Robin underoos, he looks fierce enough to kick ass.

No one is sure just what Arthur is doing dressing up as Batman -- or why Guzman is still an uncredited member of the production as per IMDB -- but I imagine this is what 21st century playboys do. Dudley Moore drank champagne in a bathtub while wearing a top hat; Brand wears a Batsuit. Makes sense. I would hope a playboy would have the discretion not to choose the Batsuit with the nipples, but Brand probably insisted purely so he could make plenty of jokes on the press junkets.

The photos came from Zimbio by way of Latino Review, and from Starcasm. There are a ton more, including one of Brand's rubberclad butt that would probably make Joel Schumacher blush with shame.

'Thor' Shows Off The Throne Room

By Elisabeth Rappe (Subscribe to Elisabeth Rappe's posts), Posted Jul 19th 2010 9:03AM
Filed under: Action, Paramount, Fandom, Newsstand, Movie Marketing, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Images, Movie News, Cinematical


Barring the very first glimpse of Chris Hemsworth as the Thunder God, people don't seem to be digging the costumes, set design, or general aesthetic of Thor. Cries of doom are sounding as if it's Ragnarok. I'm not willing to join in just yet. Movie stills are an incredibly hard thing to judge -- nothing is in motion, the lighting might be off, it's one frame of time in one big film -- and I remember how snarky most people were about Christopher Nolan's Bat and Joker designs and the initial unfinished Iron Man effects. Those turned out fine.

This new photo of Asgard's throne room comes from The LA Times' print edition and Latino Review superscanned the photo to get a big version of Loki, so we could all admire the care that went into recreating his horned helmet. Pretty wicked. (I mean that in the "it looks evil!" sense, not the surfer Bill and Ted sense, though you could take it that way if you like.)

One of my biggest misgivings about Thor was always his general look. It's why I never dug the comics or the character that much. I was concerned it wouldn't translate. However, I'm not hating the design. It's clear they went in a decidedly alien fashion (the Asgardians are supposed to be "alien", this erasing any uncomfortable Nordic association) over Norse/Viking and I'm curious to see more before I give it a thumbs down. Plus, I do like red capes.

This upcoming weekend's Marvel will be the moment that makes or breaks the buzz, I suppose. Are you ready to judge by Odin's beard?

Greg Mottola Talks Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and 'Paul'

By Elisabeth Rappe (Subscribe to Elisabeth Rappe's posts), Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:03PM
Filed under: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Universal, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Movie Marketing, Interviews, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Celebrity Interviews, Movie News, Cinematical

When you visit a set, it's difficult knowing you're a bit of an interruption. No one actually treats you as such, of course, but you have to wonder what it would be like if someone came to your place of work and started chatting about your life and work. On sets, this is especially evident in directors. They're up against all kinds of crunches and pressure, they're trying to concentrate, and they have to come and explain it all to you.

Greg Mottola was a super busy man on Paul. He took his time with everything. The scenes we saw were small -- Clive (Nick Frost) and Graham (Simon Pegg) stand open-mouthed at the exhibit hall as the camera whirls around them. They examine the schedule, and run in opposite directions. They take part in a virtual reality battle with two young boys. (Watching these kids clumsily bow and punch was hysterical.) It was all energetic and loose, yet painstakingly plotted out. I'm anxious to see it come together. This is, as Pegg and Frost took care to point out, not an Edgar Wright film. But I'm not sure it's what you might expect out of Mottola, either.

But let's just let him talk, shall we?

It's funny, out of Comic-Con in 2007 when they had the Superbad premiere there, and Edgar [Wright] and Nick [Frost] were there, it seemed like there was this moment where basically these two groups kind of came together and just formed all of these projects. Did you feel that also, that that was the central point of [the relationship/project]?

Greg Mottola: Yeah, I mean that's where I met those guys. It was a collision of kingdoms.
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Simon Pegg and Nick Frost Talk 'Paul'

By Elisabeth Rappe (Subscribe to Elisabeth Rappe's posts), Posted Jul 16th 2010 5:30PM
Filed under: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Universal, Fandom, Movie Marketing, Interviews, Celebrity Interviews, Movie News, Cinematical

It should come as no surprise to you that Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are two of the nicest and funniest guys you will ever meet. But they are also two of the quietest, at least on set. Like most comedic actors, they throw a lot of energy into their performances, and they could literally turn that Pegg / Frost kineticism on and off. That's not to say that it's fake -- it really isn't -- but that they are careful about timing it and using it. It's always fascinating to watch actors at work, but this was the first time I'd seen a comedic performance in action, and it honestly seems to take a lot more out of a performer than running, dodging, and shooting.

I've been to a few of these set visits now with Cinematical and I have to say, never did the sight of Famous People elicit so much enthusiasm and excitement among extras than Pegg and Frost. The ComicCon "attendees" could barely keep to their assigned circuits because they kept stopping to gaze at them. Even Pegg's dog Minnie was the focus of points, whispers and pleas to pet her because everyone was convinced she was Colin from Spaced. There's something incredibly refreshing about the supersized fame Pegg and Frost now enjoy. Just when you think it's all about pretty boys and girls, you see a group of young whippersnappers fall over themselves at the sight of Shaun and Ed.

But hey, enough rhapsodizing. These guys speak for themselves. Read on to see what they have to say about Paul.
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Cinematical Visits The Set Of 'Paul'!

By Elisabeth Rappe (Subscribe to Elisabeth Rappe's posts), Posted Jul 15th 2010 12:02PM
Filed under: Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Universal, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Movie Marketing, Comic/Superhero/Geek, ComicCon, Movie News, Comic-Con, Cinematical


Set visits are always an overwhelming experience – good looking people, stunning costumes, elaborate props, odd and often exotic locations, and controlled explosions. You name it, I've seen it. But never has a set visit actually left me suffering from twitchy post traumatic stress. You see, I had just come back from ComicCon when Cinematical sent me to the set of Paul. I had just finished unpacking and fumigating my clothes of con smell. I was still sorting through swag. All I knew was that filming was taking place in Albuquerque, and we'd be talking to Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and director Greg Mottola. We were also required to ask ourselves just who, or what, is Paul ....

But once in Albuquerque, we were briefed. The setting would be San Diego ComicCon, and we were going to play the part of ComicCon Attendees. When seeking to cast these parts, they had gone to the usual suspects – DeNiro, Pacino, Day-Lewis – but their Method acting proved to be too shallow. They needed real geeks who had spent years immersing themselves in con, lining up for panels, cheering footage, and who had their own nerdy t-shirts to wear on set. (Guess who had packed "normal" shirts because she wears nerdy shirts the other 364 days of the year? Yours truly. They kept me anyway.) After a sleepless night and a trip to Starbucks, we trooped across the street to the Albuquerque Convention Center. We felt like dry mouthed zombies, so we were already in the con spirit. Day-Lewis, eat your heart out.
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Motion History: The Untouchables

By Elisabeth Rappe (Subscribe to Elisabeth Rappe's posts), Posted Jul 14th 2010 9:48PM
Filed under: Cinematical

You wanna know how you write a Motion History? Here's how -- someone suggests a movie, you agree. You watch the movie, you hit the library. When the library fails, you yell at your keyboard and go to Google. And then you're glad the Motion History deadline moved. That's the Chicago Cinematical way.

All corny quoting aside, that's exactly what happened. I fully expected to be able to find The Untouchables (the original book actually penned by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley) at the library. I thought it would have Kevin Costner on the front. I thought this topic would be as slick to pin down as getting Al Capone on tax evasion. I was wrong, and I'm surprised and saddened to be wrong. Eliot Ness is an American legend. So much of his life and career has become embedded in pop culture that I thought his autobiography (as fluffy as it may or may not be) would be readily available at my local library. It's on Amazon of course, but it couldn't get here fast enough, and that's not really the point. I like libraries. It saddens me so many are becoming glorified Blockbusters -- especially in this digital and streaming age -- instead of places you can learn about Prohibition.

So, I apologize. This might be a rather thin column, and a topic that Cinematical readers can school me on. Nevertheless, I'm happy to say I went into this a blank slate and came out with a vaguely less one. Perhaps a few will read this and say the same. Perhaps it will even restore our libraries.
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