News for
Michael Vartan More at IMDbPro »

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

1-20 of 46 articles from 2009   « Prev | Next »

---

The Notable Films of 2010: Part Four

19 December 2009 11:50 PM, PST | Dark Horizons | See recent Dark Horizons news »

Georgia

Opens: 2010

Cast: Val Kilmer, Andy Garcia, Rupert Friend, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Johnathon Schaech

Director: Renny Harlin

Summary: An American journalist, his cameraman, and a Georgian native get caught in the crossfire of the five-day Russia-Georgia conflict in August 2008, and then have to deal with their obligation to be impartial.

Analysis: A timely parable on war, or Hollywood propaganda filmmaking at its worst? Wherever it goes, especially in Europe and the former Soviet states, "Georgia" will cause a lot of talk and controversy as the incidents depicted are still so fresh in many's minds. Like all topics of the sort, it'll also have its strong supporters and detractors having opinions on the film long before a frame of footage is screened anywhere.

Shot on-location in Tbilisi, the project also marks a potential return to form for Finnish director Renny Harlin. Given the right material the skilled action director delivered three »

- Garth Franklin

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Sundance 2010 Park City at Midnight: Cortes' Buried, Natali's Splice and 6 Gems?

12 December 2009 6:25 PM, PST | ioncinema | See recent ioncinema news »

You can always count on Park City at Midnight section to deliver one groundbreaking film. It's hard to predict which one, but I'd go with "concept" over such things as cast, aesthetics or production budget. This theory isn't off the charts when you consider Black Dynamite, The Blair Witch Project and Saw got their starts in this section. Of the 8 selected below, I'm familiar with Rodrigo Cortes's Buried (which reminds me of the torment that the Dutch film The Vanishing caused me) and Vincent Natali's Splice which I believe received its world preem at Sitges. - You can always count on Park City at Midnight section to deliver one groundbreaking film. It's hard to predict which one, but I'd go with "concept" over such things as cast, aesthetics or production budget. This theory isn't off the charts when you consider Black Dynamite, The Blair Witch Project and Saw got their starts in this section. »

Permalink | Report a problem

---

The Ugly Truth Director Luketic Eyes Romancing The Stone Remake

8 December 2009 2:03 PM, PST | cinemablend.com | See recent Cinema Blend news »

Fans of Romancing the Stone-- which includes pretty much everyone raised in the 80s-- are assuming the worst today, having heard the news over at Pajiba that Robert Luketic is likely to direct the remake of the 1980s film. The jump-to-conclusions fear is that Luketic would cast the stars of his last film The Ugly Truth in the lead roles, meaning that the duo of Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner would be replaced by Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl. Blech, I know. But really, there's no reason to assume he'll cast them and not the pair from his earlier movie Monster-in-Law-- that would be Michael Vartan and Jennifer Lopez-- or even the two leads in his next film Killers, Heigl and Ashton Kutcher. There are limitless ways that this could be awful! What's clear, though, is that by hiring Luketic the producers are going for straight middle-of-the-road »

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Sundance Reveals 2010 Non-Competition Slate

4 December 2009 5:24 PM, PST | newsinfilm.com | See recent newsinfilm news »

On Wednesday the Sundance Film Festival unveiled the films competing in late January 2010.  Yesterday they announced the rest of the line-up of independent films vying for attention for industry types and the curious public.

The entire list of 53 films is below, but here are a few that stood out to me from the premieres alone:

Mumblecore directors the Duplass Brothers, have a new, untitled movie starring an unusually high-profile cast compared to their usual improvisational crew.  John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, Jonah Hill, and Catherine Keener.  Reilly and Keener are actually in two films at the 2010 festival.

The Company Men, starring Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Rosemarie DeWitt about corporate downsizing.

Rodrigo Cortes’ Buried, starring Ryan Reynolds as a man buried alive in a coffin.  I’ve read the script and its great.  More on that as soon as I can.

The Runaways, the »

- Jeff Leins

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Sundance 2010: Park City at Midnight Lineup Revealed!

4 December 2009 12:44 AM, PST | Fangoria | See recent Fangoria news »

The 2010 Sundance Film Festival is just over a month away (January 21-31) and as always, the Midnight screenings are the must-attend events for genre fans. The full lineup for the non-competition Park City at Midnight program was revealed yesterday, and we've got all the gory details below the jump.

Park City At Midnight

Home to horror films and crazy comedies, Black Dynamite, The Blair Witch Project and Saw are among the films that have screened here.

7 Days / Canada (Director: Daniel Grou; Screenwriter: Patrick Senecal)–A doctor seeks revenge by kidnapping, torturing and killing the man who murdered his young daughter. Cast: Rémy Girard, Claude Legault, Fanny Mallette, Martin Dubreuil, Rose-Marie Coallier. World Premiere

Buried / Spain, USA (Director: Rodrigo Cortes; Screenwriter: Chris Sparling)–A U.S. contractor working in Iraq awakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race »

- no-reply@fangoria.com (Staff)

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Sundance 2010 Announced Out-of-Competition Lineup

3 December 2009 9:31 PM, PST | WeAreMovieGeeks.com | See recent WeAreMovieGeeks.com news »

We are 49 days out and counting down to Sundance 2010.  Yesterday, we unveiled the list of competition films for the upcoming festival.  Today, we have your list of out-of-competition films which include Premieres, Spotlight, New Frontier, and, my personal favorite, Park City at Midnight, which has featured past entries like Black Dynamite, The Descent, and Saw.

Check out next year’s lineup for the out-of-competition films:

Premieres

To showcase the diversity to contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors as well as world premieres of highly anticipated films. Presented by Entertainment Weekly.

Abel / Mexico, USA (Director: Diego Luna; Screenwriters: Diego Luna and Agusto Mendoza)–A peculiar young boy, blurring reality and fantasy, assumes the responsibilities of a family man in his father’s absence. Cast: Jose Maria Yazpik, Karina Gidi, Carlos Aragon, Christopher Ruiz-Esparza, Gerardo Ruiz-Esparza. World Premiere

Cane Toads: »

- Kirk

Permalink | Report a problem

---

2010 Sundance Film Festival Out-of-Competition Films: Spotlight

3 December 2009 6:27 PM, PST | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »

Yesterday we gave you a list of all the films playing in-competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.  We now have the list of the films playing out-of-competition and they’re divided up into four categories: Premieres, Next, Spotlight, and Park City at Midnight. Since combining these lists would be a lot to read for just one article, we’ve broken it up to make it easier on your eyes.  You’re welcome.

Films in the Spotlight category include Louis C.K.: Hilarious; Rodrigo Garcia’s Mother & Child starring Naomi Watts, Annette Benning, and Kerry Washington; the great-sounding documentary Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks; and Enter the Void, the new film from Gaspar Noé (Irreversible).  Films in the Park City at Midnight category include High School starring Adrien Brody; and Buried starring Ryan Reynolds.

Hit the jump to check out synopses for all of the films playing in these categories. »

- Matt Goldberg

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Sundance 2010 Non-Competition Line-Up Looks Strong

3 December 2009 3:30 PM, PST | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

Yesterday we got the list for the films playing in competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and today we get the rest of the films that will be featured and there are quite a few that make 2010 look much stronger based on pedigree alone than I have seen in quite some time. Variety has a big write-up detailing the categories and more on the festival right here, but I am just going to offer up the titles and let you sort it all out.

The titles already in the RopeofSilicon database are linked.

Premieres

All films are from the United States unless otherwise noted Abel (Mexico-u.S.), the directorial debut of actor Diego Luna, written by Luna and Agusto Mendoza, about a peculiar young boy who, as he blurs reality and fantasy, takes over the responsibilities of a family man in his father's absence. With Jose Maria Yazpik, Karina Gidi, »

- Brad Brevet

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Sundance Midnight Line-up Announced

3 December 2009 2:37 PM, PST | DreadCentral.com | See recent Dread Central news »

One of the best and most prestigious film festivals of our time has just announced its midnight movie line-up, and it's looking like one of the best to come along in quite some time.

The official selections for Sundance's Park City at Midnight program are as follows:

Frozen

USA (Director and Screenwriter: Adam Green) – Three skiers are mistakenly stranded on a chairlift, forced to make life-or-death choices that prove more perilous than staying put and freezing to death. Cast: Emma Bell, Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers. World Premiere

Splice

France, Canada (Director: Vincenzo Natali; Screenwriters: Vincenzo Natali, Antoinette Terry Bryant, and Doug Taylor) – Clive and Elsa are young, brilliant, and ambitious. The new animal species they engineered has made them rebel superstars of the scientific world. In secret, they introduce human DNA into the experiment. Cast: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chaneac, David Hewlett. North American Premiere

7 Days

Canada (Director: Daniel Grou »

- Uncle Creepy

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Full Sundance line-up announced...and it's a doozy!

3 December 2009 2:08 PM, PST | QuietEarth.us | See recent QuietEarth news »

In addition to the competition titles which were announced yesterday, Sundance has announced the remainder of their line-up and it includes some titles we’re already familiar with along with a huge number of premieres.

Also on the docket are two new series: Next which showcases low/no budget films and Spotlight which highlights films which festival programmers deem worthy of extra love including Enter the Void (review) and Lourdes (the trailer for which I really liked).

I’m particularly excited to see some of the titles in the New Frontier program but overall, the line-up is an impressive one but the Kristen Stewart fan in me is excited to see her turn as Joan Jett in The Runaways and I think it’s fair to say we’re all dying to see Vincenzo Natali’s hotly anticipated Splice (trailer).

In the Midnight section, Adam Green's Frozen is sounding mighty find, »

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Sundance 2010 Film Lineup *Updated*

3 December 2009 1:00 PM, PST | LatinoReview | See recent LatinoReview news »

Sundance released their slate for 2010. It includes:43 documentaries on the Middle East12 films about friends who 'discover' something33 movies about people you've never heard about1 comedyHopefully the lineup this year is strong but it doesn't look that way compared to last year. Last year we had Push (Precious), that Lil Wayne documentary that never went anywhere, Mystery Team which might make my top ten, Moon, Mike Tyson documentary, Cold Souls. Just so much last January that was excellent. I hope I don't go out therer and freeze my tail off just to see...I don't know, a documentary about a former Pakistani prime minister or something silly like that.Here's the lineup so far: Premieres To showcase the diversity to contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors as well as world premieres of highly anticipated films. Presented by Entertainment Weekly. »

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Golden Globes 2010: Miss Golden Globe To Be

30 November 2009 6:10 PM, PST | Alt Film Guide | See recent Alt Film Guide news »

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced that the 2010 Miss Golden Globe will be introduced at the second annual Golden Globes Party Saluting Young Hollywood, which will take place at Nobu on Tuesday evening, December 8. Among those who attended last year’s party were 2009 Miss Golden Globe Rumer Willis and Twilight cast members Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed and Christian Serratos. Also present were Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler), Kevin Connolly (Entourage), Brittany Snow (Hairspray), Cote de Pablo (NCIS), Hill Harper (CSI: New York), Jordana Brewster (Fast & Furious), Kelly Osbourne (The Town That Boars Me), Kerry Washington (Lakeview Terrace), Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Michael Vartan (Monster-in-Law), Rex Lee (Entourage), and Taraji P. Henson (The [...] »

- Anna Robinson

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Birthday Suits, Asia Major

27 November 2009 7:30 AM, PST | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »

Do you ever celebrate the birthdays of your favorite movie folk? You should. Here are your options for 11/27

Michael Vartan, Bruce Lee

1940 Bruce Lee Chinese American trailblazer, 70s icon, legend. Without him, whose to say how long it would have taken martial arts films to gain as much international popularity? Without him, no Uma Thurman in a yellow track suit.

1951 Kathryn Bigelow director, action fan. An Oscar nominee in about 2 months and a week.

1956 William Fichtner actor

1957 Callie Khouri, screenwriter. She'll always have Thelma & Louise

1957 Kevin O'Connell, the most nominated never-winning Oscar anything. He's been nominated 20 times (!) for his sound work. He has only his Emmy and lucrative blockbuster heavy career to comfort him. His next project is the Gyllenhaal action flick Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. [editor's note: You may recall that the second podcast ever here at Tfe was an interview with his then working partner Greg P Russell whose own Oscar tally totals 12 nominations without a win.]

1963 Fisher Stevens, Michelle Pfeiffer's boyfriend during her Catwoman years

1968 Michael Vartan, French-American actor (Alias)

1978 Unax Ugalde, Spanish hottie... seduced Julianne Moore »

- NATHANIEL R

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Spotlight: Greg Grunberg's Charity Work

11 November 2009 5:45 AM, PST | Look to the Stars | See recent Look to the Stars news »

Grunberg is a member of the Band From TV. He performs for the Epilepsy Foundation. He was inspired to start the band by his son, who has epilepsy.

He often organizes charity efforts to raise funds for the Pediatric Epilepsy Project in Los Angeles. These efforts have included events such as an auction of guitars handpainted by celebrities such as Donald Trump, Pink and Grunberg’s “Alias” costars Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan, as well as an online auction of cartoons drawn of “Heroes” costars.

Read more about Greg Grunberg's charity work and events. »

Permalink | Report a problem

---

New Promotional Posters for Upcoming Films Including Neuromancer, Chloe, The Irishman, and I Come With The Rain

12 October 2009 11:10 PM, PDT | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »

Here’s some inside baseball about Hollywood that your average moviegoer may not know: movies do not get made solely from investors or studios nor do they make money solely from domestic box office.  A large majority of films, especially true indie films (i.e. no name stars), require the sale of their foreign distribution rights to finish the film they’re selling or to secure a profit that will provide investors with a good return on their investment.  However, films with name actors like Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Val Kilmer, and Christopher Walken also have to play this game.  Some movies do it by creating unofficial posters and after the jump, we’ve featured six of these posters plus synopses for films with name actors but are still trying to secure funding.  However, this is no guarantee that these films will ever get made and just because someone made up a poster, »

- Matt Goldberg

Permalink | Report a problem

---

J.J. Abrams: Pop-culture polymath

4 September 2009 12:32 PM, PDT | EW.com - PopWatch | See recent EW.com - PopWatch news »

Welcome back to our EW University course on TV Auteurs -- a look at some of the people who have had a major role in shaping the medium over the last 50 years. Today, Prof. Dan Snierson offers his overview of the work of J.J. Abrams. If you had to sum up J.J. Abrams neatly in just one word, it would be ...  kinda hard to do. He’s a cross-genre, multi-medium hyphenate who flies a geek flag of many colors. (The boy who grew up on The Twilight Zone, Mission Impossible, Get Smart, James Bond, and Star Wars has crafted a TV resume that boasts credits as diverse as Felicity and Fringe; his movie credits range from Regarding Henry to Cloverfield.) His projects tend to be smart, layered, splashy, angsty, laced with mystery and/or mythology -- plus they just might contain an It Girl in the making (see: Keri Russell, »

- Dan Snierson

Permalink | Report a problem

---

TNT Picks Up HawthoRNe for Second Season

11 August 2009 12:20 PM, PDT | TVGuide - Breaking News | See recent TVGuide - Breaking News news »

TNT has ordered a second season of nursing drama HawthoRNe.

The cable network has asked for 10 more episodes of the series, which stars Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Vartan. The new episodes are set to air in 2010.

Check out photos of HawthoRNe's cast

The show's first season has strengthened TNT's  prime-time lineup, averaging 3.8 million viewers each week ...

Read More > »

- Adam Bryant

Permalink | Report a problem

---

TNT prescribes another 'HawthoRNe' season

10 August 2009 2:06 PM, PDT | Hitfix | See recent Hitfix news »

  TNT has renewed the medical drama "HawthoRNe" for a second season. The cable network announced the renewal on Monday (Aug. 10) afternoon, picking up a 10-episode season for the nursing series, which stars Jada Pinkett Smith, Michael Vartan and Suleka Matthew. "'HawthoRNe' has been a great addition to TNT’s lineup of original series, and Jada Pinkett Smith’s performance has been a tremendous draw with viewers,” states Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM).  “There are powerful episodes remaining, and we’re looking forward to what is certain to be an extraordinary second »

- Daniel Fienberg

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Stars React to Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo Split

14 July 2009 10:15 AM, PDT | TheInsider.com | See recent The Insider news »

Hollywood is abuzz about the Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo break-up. "The Insider" was on hand as stars kicked off Espy week at the Sports Dream Celebrity Poker and Pool Party at the Playboy Mansion on Monday where everyone from Hugh Hefner and Michael Vartan had something to say about the famous duo calling it quits. "I do think the nature of celebrity complicates relationships," Hefner said, "but it depends on the individual." "Hawthorne" star and "Alias" alum Vartan says, "I'm sorry it's over but I hope they're still friends."

[Read full story on The Insider]

»

- TheInsider

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Talk Back: TNT's "Hawthorne" and "Wedding Day"

17 June 2009 7:09 AM, PDT | Televisionary | See recent Televisionary news »

Just curious, how many of you tuned in last night to watch the launches for TNT's newest series, medical drama Hawthorne and wedding-themed reality series Wedding Day? You read my advance review of Hawthorne, which stars Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Vartan, but now I am curious to see what you thought of the series premiere. Did you find it as tired and predictable as I did? Did you find yourselves comparing it unfavorably to Showtime's Nurse Jackie? Did you like the chemistry between Pinkett Smith and Vartan? Conversely, did you find Wedding Day inspirational and touching... or as absolutely cloying as I did? And most importantly, will you be tuning in again next week to watch either of these series? Talk back here.

Read the full article at Televisionary (http://www.televisionarytv.com).

»

- Jace

Permalink | Report a problem

---

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

1-20 of 46 articles from 2009   « Prev | Next »

---