Posts Tagged ‘Greg Mottola’

SXSW REVIEW: Paul

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

PaulTwo of our favorite British comedians set off on a new adventure involving a smart ass alien, religious nuts, more cameos than jokes, and an alien with 3 tits. awesome. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are back at it again with a project they’ve had on the shelf for years. Now that big brother Edgar Wright has gone on to do his own movies, these two decide to have a go with the help of director Greg Mottola and Universal Pictures. If you’re fans of these guys, you’re going to have a good time and laugh but don’t expect too much because it wasn’t written or directed for you, they’re typical target market, it’s water-downed and mass produced for the general audience…making it just another run of the mill sci fi comedy with wasted talent.


Graeme Willy (Simon Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Nick Frost) are two childhood friends from the UK who have finally made it to the geek mecca of the world, Comic Con, to meet one of their inspirations Adam Shadowchild (Jeffrey Tambor – the first of a countless amount of cameos). Since they’ve come such a far way, they decide to rent a RV and go on an alien pilgrimage through the heart of Middle America. Not long after, they find themselves smuggling an alien (voiced by Seth Rogen) to his mother ship on an intergalactic chase. This should sound pretty straightforward, because it is. Paul, in heart, is a spoof on all alien films and concepts to date.

Paul

You would think another finger would be up...


Paul wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t fantastic either. It is hilarious and you will laugh your ass off. There are so many geek and popular culture references that anybody can find something to relate to. They spoof so many different films that you’re bound to have seen at least 3 of them so you can laugh along. They make fun of the movies and themselves at the same time. The cast list is ridiculous, with a few surprises: Jane Lycnh, David Koechner, Jason Bateman, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio and even the great Steven Spielberg himself. Seth Rogen is the voice of Paul and it fits…his smart alec jokes and antics show on the screen very well. Kristen Wiig plays the other creature escaping…the daughter of a religious redneck. This side story with Kristen making up curse words and trying to be promiscuous at every turn is better than the main story.
Paul

Nick Frost, Kristen Wiig, and Simon Pegg in Paul


I typically love these guys (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) and they typically love each other (bromance) but their chemistry was remarkably missing in Paul. While they usually make an effort to really sell the relationship of two best friends, they kind of just went along with the motions in this movie expecting you to already know who they are. They also through in a bunch of silly homosexual jokes which got annoying from the first use. One of many running gags that add to the references and cliches that Paul is loaded with. These guys are excellent comedians, writers, and actors but for Paul, it seems like they phoned it in. Same goes for Greg Motolla who shot a bland movie without taking any chances. As said earlier, this was a made to be a blockbuster/try to please everybody opening weekend kind of movie.
Paul

Pretty iconic visual, eh?


Paul is a caper. It’s a chase film. One crazy event leads to another and another as your core characters try to escape everybody they run into along the way. There are a lot of surprises but none as big as how boring the movie got. The characters are very one-dimensional and easy to like but they don’t leave any lasting impressions. The story is pretty lazy and just filled with things that will get a quick chuckle or smile from the audience…after the first few scenes, there isn’t much of the same laughter left…I expected more, but at least there’s an alien with 3 tits. awesome.

South By SouthwestThis post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage
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Universal’s Comic-Con Panel: Paul and Cowboys & Aliens

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Paul


From the creators of Shawn of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, comes a hilarious-looking comedy 7 years in the making. Basically, there was bad weather during the scene in Shawn of the Dead where they were outside throwing records at a zombie. They thought to themselves how cool would it be to do a road trip from California down to Wyoming in an RV so they started spit-firing some ideas of an alien movie in the desert. They teamed up with the director of Superbad, Greg Mottola.

Paul

The Paul Panel at Comic-Con


They showed an extended first-cut trailer for us and it looked great! Paul, who is voiced by Seth Rogen, is a bad-mouth bad-ass alien. Some of the lines he said were like, “Hey Fucknuts, it’s probing time!” and in response to, “How can I hear you? Are you using neural translation?” Paul says, “Actually, I’m speaking English you fucking retard.” So you can get a taste of the flavor of this creature from a galaxy far far away…farther than Comic-Con. It was great for the Comic-Con audience because the beginning of Paul is actually set AT Comic-Con. They tried to film at the official San Diego Comic-Con but in the words of the San Diego Fire Marshall: “No Fucking Way.”
Paul

The Paul Panel at Comic-Con (side view)


The cast is a collection of some of the greatest comedy actors today including Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Kristen Wiig (Date Night), Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jeffrey Tambor (The Hangover), Joe Lo Truglio (Role Models), Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet), and Sigourney Weaver (Baby Mama).




Cowboys & Aliens


Comic-Con should be renamed Favreau-Con because in the last few years, he has presented some of the best panels and knows how to hype up the crowd. No one knew what he was going to show or who he was going to bring because the film is shooting right now in New Mexico and has only been doing so for about a month. But Jon Favreau knew he had to bring something to Comic-Con to show the crowds so he went straight to the editing room and cut some exclusive scenes for us. The film won’t come out for another year and is to be launched right after the next Comic-Con!
Cowboys & Aliens

Jon Favreau presenting his next film: Cowboys & Aliens


Well I was amazed with how much they showed. We saw the stars of the movie, Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, and Harrison Ford in this old time western. It’s being shot in glorious 2D since Favreau didn’t want to shoot in stereo. Cowboys & Aliens is going to be a by the book western, they’re going to just play it straight but mix it with old sci-fi from before there was CG and then put in the CGI. The footage Favreau backed it up and we got to see the feel of the movie which is truly a western. But what’s that in the sky!? And what’s that on Craig’s wrist?? I can’t wait a year.

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Comic Con 2010 Preview!

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

advancescreenings.com is heading to San Diego for the 2010 Comic-Con! The movie schedule this year looks intense so we should have tons of stories and previews for you in the next couple of weeks. You can find the full Comic-Con schedule here. Let us know if there’s something you want us to cover in particular on Facebook or comment below! Here’s a list of panels we plan on attending:




Thursday
11:15-12:45 Walt Disney Pictures: TRON: Legacy— Returning for an unprecedented third year to the fans and convention that started it all, Walt Disney Pictures is pleased to present a special insider look at the upcoming TRON: Legacy. Panelists include filmmakers and talent from the film: director Joe Kosinski, producers Sean Bailey and Steven Lisberger, and cast members Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen, and Bruce Boxleitner. The discussion, moderated by Patton Oswalt, is set to include exclusive glimpses of the film, as well as a Q&A involving all panel participants, along with special surprise guests.


1:00-2:00 Sony Pictures Entertainment: Battle: Los Angeles and Salt— Two great new films from Sony Pictures Entertainment are showcased in this Hall H presentation!

Battle: Los Angeles — When unknown forces suddenly and mercilessly attack the City of Angels out of nowhere, it’s up to a local Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and a new platoon of unseasoned soldiers to meet the threat. As the invasion hits the streets of LA, these Marines become our first and last line of defense in an intense battle against an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before. Appearing in person are Michelle Rodriguez, Aaron Eckhart, Neal Moritz, and director Jonathan Liebesman.


SaltSalt — Opening in theaters everywhere tomorrow, Columbia Pictures brings an exclusive and surprising look at Salt to Comic-Con today, featuring some very special guests. As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture, but her efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: “Who is Salt?”



2:15-3:15 Summit Entertainment: RED— Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of exclusive footage from RED. They used to be the CIA’s top agents — but the secrets they know just made them the Agency’s top targets. Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren star in RED, an explosive action-comedy based on the cult DC Comics graphic novel by Warren Ellis. Join him, director Robert Schwentke, and the film’s stars as they share footage from the film and debut the final trailer before it’s ever in theaters.


The Expendables4:45-5:45 Lionsgate: The Expendables— Prepare to have your ass kicked by The Expendables, the biggest action movie this summer! Lionsgate presents exclusive scenes and the inside scoop on every punch, kick, and bloodied lip from the most iconic cast of heroes and villains ever assembled, including the director, writer, and star Sylvester Stallone (Rambo), along with Dolph Lundgren (Universal Soldier), Steve Austin (The Condemned), Randy Couture (Scorpion King: Rise of the Warrior), and Terry Crews (Gamer).


Scott Pilgrim vs. the World6:00-7:00 Universal: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World— Genre-bending filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz), graphic novel author Bryan Lee O’Malley, and the cast of Universal Pictures’ Scott Pilgrim vs. the World provide a sneak peek of summer 2010′s epic of epic epicness. Joining Wright will be our hero, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera of Superbad); Scott’s two current girlfriends, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead of The Thing) and Knives Chau (Ellen Wong of Unnatural History); his band, SEX BOB-OMB: Kim Pine (Alison Pill of Milk) and Stephen Stills (Mark Webber of Broken Flowers); SEX BOB-OMB super-fan Young Neil (Johnny Simmons of Jennifer’s Body); Scott’s awesome roommate, Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin of Igby Goes Down); and four of Ramona’s seven evil exes: Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha of Fair Game), Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh of Superman Returns), Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman of Funny People) and Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman of Parenthood); plus Scott’s younger sister, Stacey Pilgrim (Anna Kendrick of Up in the Air), and the obnoxious Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreation). Q&A to follow.




Friday
11:15-11:45 Summit Entertainment: Drive Angry 3D— A vengeful father hunts down the people who brutally killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby in the newest film shot in 3D from the writer and director of My Bloody Valentine 3D, starring Nicolas Cage, William Fichtner, Billy Burke, and Amber Heard. Join the cast and filmmakers as they showcase never-before-seen footage of this high-octane, blood-spattered road trip through hell!


12:00-1:00 Skyline— Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, and Rogue Pictures present an exclusive look at the sci-fi thriller Skyline, directed and produced by the Brothers Strause (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem), whose company Hydraulx has provided visual effects for Avatar, Iron Man 2, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and 300. In Skyline, strange lights descend on the city of Los Angeles, drawing people outside like moths to a flame, where an extraterrestrial force proceeds to swallow the entire human population off the face of the earth. Colin and Greg Strause unveil an exclusive Comic-Con trailer and scenes from Skyline, along with stars Donald Faison (Scrubs), Eric Balfour (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 24), David Zayas (The Expendables, Dexter), Scottie Thompson (Star Trek), and Brittany Daniel (Club Dread). HitFix’s Drew McWeeny moderates.


1:00-2:00 Super— Writer/director James Gunn (Slither), stars Rainn Wilson (The Office), Liv Tyler (Lord of the Rings), Nathan Fillion (Firefly), and Michael Rooker (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer), and producers Ted Hope (Adventureland) and Miranda Bailey (The Squid and the Whale) reveal footage from their latest feature production Super, including the first peek at Rainn and Ellen Page’s costume design. Super is a hyper-real and shockingly funny look at the extremely violent antics of a down-on-his-luck man as he attempts to win his wife back from a glamorous drug dealer by teaming up with a psychopathic teen to become costumed crimefighters.


2:15-3:45 Miramax Films: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark— Producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro and director Troy Nixey present a first look at their new film Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, a hair-raising, spine-chilling tale of horror about a little girl (Bailee Madison) who is sent to live with her father (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes) in the old mansion they are renovating, only to unwittingly unleash malevolent creatures bent on destroying all of them.


4:00-6:00 Sony Pictures Entertainment: The Other Guys, The Green Hornet, and Priest— Two more sneak peeks at upcoming films from Sony Pictures Entertainment!

The Other GuysThe Other Guys–NYPD Detectives Christopher Danson and P.K. Highsmith (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson) are the baddest and most beloved cops in New York City. Two desks over and one back, sit Detectives Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg). You’ve seen them in the background of photos of Danson and Highsmith, out of focus and eyes closed. They’re not heroes — they’re “the Other Guys.” But every cop has his day and soon Gamble and Hoitz stumble into a seemingly innocuous case no other detective wants to touch that could turn into New York City’s biggest crime. It’s the opportunity of their lives, but do these guys have the right stuff? Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, and co-writer/director Adam McKay will be appearing in person.


The Green Hornet–Director Michel Gondry, who makes movies with a special, personal signature, is taking on The Green Hornet — and he’s doing it in 3D. Comic-Con audiences, prepare yourselves. In The Green Hornet, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is the son of L.A.’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene — until his father (Tom Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato (Jay Chou), they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. To get close to the criminals, they come up with the perfect cover: they’ll pose as criminals themselves. Protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets. Confirmed to appear in person to unveil this early look at The Green Hornet in 3D are the Hornet himself, Seth Rogen, director Michel Gondry, writer Evan Goldberg, producer Neal Moritz, and actor Christoph Waltz.


Priest (3D) — A western-infused post-apocalyptic thriller, set in an alternate world — one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest (Paul Bettany) from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities. When his niece (Lily Collins) is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on an obsessive quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend (Cam Gigandet), a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q) who possesses otherworldly fighting skills. Stars Paul Bettany, Karl Urban, Maggie Q, Cam Gigandet, Stephen Moyer, and director Scott Stewart will be onstage to unveil the first 3D look at Priest.





Saturday
11:45-1:15 Warner Bros.: Green Lantern, Sucker Punch, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows— Warner Bros. showcases three eagerly awaited upcoming new films in this Hall H presentation!

Green Lantern– Get a first look at the upcoming sci-fi action adventure Green Lantern, directed by Martin Campbell. Green Lantern is an epic adventure that crosses galaxies to bring to life the legendary Silver Age superhero Hal Jordan, who is chosen by the ring itself to become the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps and take on the vast and powerful Parallax as it threatens to destroy the world. The film stars Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, Blake Lively as Carol Ferris, Peter Sarsgaard as Dr. Hector Hammond, and Mark Strong as Sinestro.


Sucker Punch — Fasten your seatbelt for a sneak peek at the dark action fantasy Sucker Punch, from director Zack Snyder, who previewed his films 300 and Watchmen at past Comic-Cons. A group of young girls escape the dark reality of their lives through their vivid imagination, which takes them to various fantasy locations in different realms. The ensemble cast features Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Carla Gugino, Jena Malone, Jamie Chung, and Jon Hamm.


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Every saga has a final chapter. Kick off the year of Harry Potter with a first look at the coming screen adaptation of J. K. Rowling’s final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, with a program created just for Comic-Con fans. One way. One hero. One destiny. Don’t miss it!



1:30-2:30 Overture: Let Me In— The cast and filmmakers of Let Me In, a haunting and provocative thriller written and directed by filmmaker Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), give the Hall H audience a sneak peek at this highly anticipated film. Let Me In is an astonishing coming-of-age story involving a young girl (Kick Ass’s Chloe Moretz) and an alienated boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee from The Road) unlike any you have seen. Based on the bestselling Swedish novel Lat den Ratte Komma (Let The Right One In) by John Ajvide Lindqvist and the highly acclaimed film of the same name, Let Me In takes audiences straight to the troubled heart of adolescent longing and loneliness. Academy Award-nominee Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) also stars in this exhilarating reboot of the beloved original.


4:00-4:45 Screen Gems: Resident Evil: Afterlife— In a world ravaged by a virus infection that turns its victims into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap. The fourth installment of the hugely successful Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil: Afterlife is again based on the wildly popular video game series and this time will be shot in 3D using the same state-of-the-art cameras created for Avatar. Writer/director Paul W. S. Anderson, along with the film’s stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, and Wentworth Miller, will be on hand to show you some stunning 3D sequences and answer your questions.


4:45-5:45 Universal: Paul and Cowboys & Aliens— Universal presents two upcoming films in this exclusive Hall H presentation.

Paul — Scheduled to appear for Universal Pictures’ sci-fi comedy-adventure Paul are a who’s who of film comedy. Director Greg Mottola (Superbad) will be joined by cast members Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Kristen Wiig (Date Night), Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jeffrey Tambor (The Hangover), Joe Lo Truglio (Role Models), Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet), and Sigourney Weaver (Baby Mama) as they discuss the movie about two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage to Comic-Con ultimately takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who takes them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. Q&A session to follow.


Cowboys & Aliens — Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man series) discusses what’s happening behind the scenes of Universal Pictures and DreamWorks’ action-thriller Cowboys & Aliens, based on Platinum Studios’ graphic novel. Currently shooting in New Mexico, Cowboys & Aliens stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford and takes audiences into the Old West, where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. Q&A session to follow.



6:00-7:00 Marvel Studios: Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger— Producer Kevin Feige and special guests give you an inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.




As you can see, that’s a lot of panels! I’m sure there will be tons of exclusive news and announcements so make sure to visit advancescreenings.com throughout next weekend and you can also follow me on twitter for real-time updates!