Opening in theaters on March 1st is the new college comedy 21 and Over from writers and directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (The Hangover). The film stars Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect), Miles Teller (Footloose), Justin Chon (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1), Sarah Wright (Touchback), and Francois Chau (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze).
IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had a chance to sit down with Miles Teller and Justin Chon at the Saddle Ranch Chop House on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles to talk about their work on 21 and Over. The two young actors discussed their new film, acting like they were drunk, carrying Chon Weekend at Bernie's style, working with directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, their favorite college themed comedies, and the worst moment of Teller's career - having to stand naked while making out with male co-star Skylar Astin.
Actor Brendan Fraser began his career in his early twenties with standout roles in the comedy Encino Man, and the high school drama School Ties, which also launched the careers of Chris O’Donnell and future Oscar-winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Fraser would eventually go on to appear in such successful films as Airheads, George of the Jungle, Gods and Monsters, The Quite American, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Extraordinary Measures, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and the Academy Award-winning Crash. But it was his role as Richard “Rick” O’Connell in The Mummy series, which includes The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon, that made him a household name worldwide.
Now the actor returns with a new film entitled Stand Off, which opens in theaters on February 22nd and was directed by Oscar-winner Terry George (Hotel Rwanda). The film centers on a botched fish market robbery in Ireland that leads to the local police (Colm Meaney) and a gangster (David O’Hara) out for revenge. Fraser plays Joe Maguire, an American caught in the middle of the chaos. In addition to Fraser, Meaney, and O’Hara, the film’s ensemble also includes performances by Martin McCann (Killing Bono), and Yaya Alafia (In Time).
I recently had a chance to speak with Brendan Fraser about his work on Stand Off, as well as the future of The Mummy series. The veteran actor discussed the new movie, why he wanted to work with director Terry George, the influence Dog Day Afternoon had on the film, acting opposite Colm Meaney, and if he’d like to return as Rick O’Connell in future installments of The Mummy franchise.
Opening in theaters on February 22nd is the new drama Bless Me, Ultima from writer and director Carl Franklin (Devil in a Blue Dress), which is based on the novel by author Rudolfo Anaya. The film stars Benito Martinez (TV's The Shield), Miriam Colon (Scarface), Dolores Heredia (Get the Gringo), Castulo Guerra (The Usual Suspects), Joaquin Coslo (Savages), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (Maquillaje), David Rees Snell (TV's The Shield), and newcomer Luke Ganalon.
IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had a chance to sit down with Benito Martinez and Luke Ganalon, as well as Manuel Garcia-Rulfo to talk about their work on Bless Me, Ultima. The three actors discussed the new film, collaborating with actor-turned-director Carl Franklin, their characters' relationship to Ultima (Miriam Colon), the movie's themes of heritage and family, narrator Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), working with a child actor, what it was like for Ganalon to make his first film, and Martinez's delight at reuniting with his Shield co-star David Rees Snell.
Abraham Lincoln has never been more popular! In just under a year there have been five different films released about our 16th President including the multi Oscar-nominated Lincoln; directed by Steven Spielberg, the horror/comedy Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, as well as its low-budget knockoff Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies, the National Geographic Channel movie Killing Lincoln; narrated by Tom Hanks and based on the best selling book by Bill O’Reilly, and now Saving Lincoln, which opened in theaters on February 15th.
Saving Lincoln tells the true story of the former President (Tom Amandes) and his bodyguard, U.S. Marshall Ward Hill Lamon (Lea Coco). The film was directed and co-writen by Salvador Litvak (When Do We Eat?), and is unique in that it was shot on a green screen stage using a new technique called CineCollage, which superimposes actual Civil War era photographs as the movie’s backdrop. In addition to Amandes and Lamon, the film also stars Bruce Davidson (X-Men), and actress Penelope Ann Miller as Mary Todd Lincoln.
Miller’s career spans over twenty-five years and not only did she appear in last year’s Academy Award-winning film The Artist, the actress has also been featured in such popular movies as Adventures in Babysitting, Biloxi Blues, Big Top Pee-wee, Dead Bang, Kindergarten Cop, Chaplin, The Shadow, The Relic, and Along Came a Spider. But her real claim to fame is that she truly holds a special place in cinematic history as the only actress to ever star opposite the three greatest American actors ever to grace the big screen: Marlon Brando (The Freshman), Robert De Niro (Awakenings), and Al Pacino (Carlito’s Way).
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Penelope Ann Miller about her work on Saving Lincoln, as well as her experiences acting opposite the trifecta of cinematic greats. The veteran actress discussed her new film, why Hollywood is fascinated with Lincoln, what we can learn from his presidency, researching Mary Todd Lincoln’s life, the CineCollage technique, performing on a green screen stage, and what she learned from working with Brando, De Niro, and Pacino.
Opening in theaters on February 22nd is the new crime drama Stand Off from acclaimed director Terry George (Hotel Rwanda). The film stars Brendan Fraser (Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Mummy series), Colm Meaney (Layer Cake), David O'Hara (The Departed), Martin McCann (Killing Bono), and Yaya DaCosta (In Time).
IAR is proud to present an exclusive clip from Stand Off.
Opening in theaters on March 1st is the new college comedy 21 and Over from writers and directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (The Hangover). The film stars Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect), Miles Teller (Footloose), Justin Chon (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1), Sarah Wright (Touchback), and Francois Chau (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze).
IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had a chance to sit down with Skylar Astin and Sarah Wright at the Saddle Ranch Chop House on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles to talk about their work on 21 and Over. The two actors discussed the new film, acting like they were drunk, why they couldn't actually drink on set, drunk extras, Wright's character's instant attraction to Astin's character, if the actress would ever travel Europe with someone she just met, and shooting the most difficult scene of Astin's life - standing naked while making out with male co-star Miles Teller.
Actor Tom Skerritt has had a long and distinguished career in film and television that has spanned more than fifty years, which is truly an amazing accomplishment. Throughout his career the actor has had an opportunity to work with such legendary filmmakers as Robert Altman, Hal Ashby, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Garry Marshall, Cameron Crowe, and Robert Zemeckis.
Beginning in the early ‘60s, Skerritt has appeared in such classic films as MASH, Harold and Maude, Up in Smoke, Alien, Steel Magnolias, A River Runs Through It, and Contact, not too mention ground breaking television programs like Cheers and Picket Fences. But it was his role in the late Tony Scott’s Top Gun, which will be available in 3D on Blu-ray beginning February 19th; that the actor may be remembered for best.
Top Gun, of course, was the 1986 phenomenon of a film that made Tom Cruise an international superstar and gave everyone “a need for speed.” The movie follows the students of an elite Navy fighter weapons school called “Top Gun,” who all compete for best in class. But things get complicated when a young daring flyer codenamed “Maverick” (Cruise), begins a relationship with his civilian instructor (Kelly McGillis). In the film Skerritt plays Viper, the head of the school that becomes Maverick’s mentor and father figure. In addition to introducing the world to Tom Cruise, the movie also featured early appearances by such future stars as Val Kilmer (Batman Forever), Anthony Edwards (TV’s ER), Adrian Pasdar (TV’s Heroes), Meg Ryan (When Harry Met Sally), and Oscar-winner Tim Robbins (Mystic River).
I recently had the absolute pleasure of speaking with legendary actor Tom Skerritt about his work on Top Gun, as well as his impressive career. The distinguished actor discussed the iconic movie, why it works in 3D, how he knew Tom Cruise would be a star, the relationship between Maverick and Viper, his research for the film, collaborating with the late Tony Scott, the list of legendary directors that he has worked with, what he learned from Robert Altman, and which of his illustrious projects he is most proud to have been involved in.
Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2013 Academy Awards is the critically acclaimed film Beasts of the Southern Wild, which is currently available on Blu-ray and DVD. The movie was co-written by director Benh Zeitlin and playwright Lucy Alibar, who also wrote the stage play that the film is based on, and stars Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry.
Late last year, IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick had a chance to sit down with playwright-turned-screenwriter Lucy Alibar to talk about her work on Beasts of the Southern Wild. The Oscar-nominee discussed the film, having the idea for the stage play, adapting it into a screenplay, working with director Benh Zeitlin, the movie's magical elements, casting five year-old Quvenzhane Wallis and newcomer Dwight Henry, and the overwhelming success of the project.
A week from now, it is most likely that director Ben Affleck’s Argo, which will be available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning February 19th, will have won Best Picture at the 2013 Academy Awards.
While the filmmaker was shockingly snubbed of a Best Director Oscar nomination, he and the film have gone on to win almost every award imaginable including Best Picture and Best Director at the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards, as well as Outstanding Cast Performance at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Outstanding Directorial Achievement at the DGA Awards. Affleck previously won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay along with Matt Damon for co-writing Good Will Hunting, and Argo marks his third directorial effort following the critically acclaimed Gone Baby Gone, and The Town.
A Good Day to Die Hard opened number one at the box office over President’s Day weekend proving that John McClane (Bruce Willis) and the long-running franchise is still beloved by movie audiences everywhere.
The film, which is the fifth installment in the action franchise following the original Die Hard, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, Die Hard with a Vengeance, and Live Free or Die Hard, is the first film in the series to take place on foreign soil. When McClane’s estranged son, Jack (Jai Courtney), is arrested for murder, John must travel to Moscow to help save his boy. But all is not as it seems, as Jack is actually a CIA operative undercover tracking a dangerous group of terrorists trying to steal weapons of mass destruction. Now it is up to the father and son team to put their differences aside and do what McClanes do best … fight terrorists. Director John Moore, best known for helming action films like Behind Enemy Lines, Flight of the Phoenix, and Max Payne, takes over the series from former franchise directors John McTiernan (Die Hard, Die Hard with a Vengeance), Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2: Die Harder), and Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard), respectively.
I recently had a chance to sit down with John Moore to talk about his work on A Good Day to Die Hard, and the challenges of taking over the iconic franchise. The outspoken director discussed the new film, becoming a Die Hard director, collaborating with series star Bruce Willis, the daunting task of casting John McClane’s son, the big name actors who were considered for the role, the organic way he fit in McClane’s famous catch phrase, and if he would like to return to direct the inevitable Die Hard 6.
