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Anna Kendrick in Talks to Play Cinderella in Disney's 'Into the Woods'

Peter Oberth — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 23:05:46 +0000

Anna Kendrick is in talks to play Cinderella in Into the Woods, Disney’s adaptation of the Broadway musical being directed by Rob Marshall.

The project has attracted Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Corden, Emily Blunt, Tracy Ullman and Christine Baranski, all of whom are in various stages of negotiations to be part of the production.

The play is a darkly comic mashup of classic fairy tales that revolves around a childless baker (Corden) and his wife (Blunt), who attempt to lift a family curse by journeying into the woods to confront the witch that put the spell on them. Along the way, they encounter a group of characters including Rapunzel, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.

In Woods, Cinderella is married to a vain prince (Pine) and described as a woman trying to find her place in the world.

If a deal is made with Kendrick, it will bring the actress back into the screen singing spotlight; she belted a few tunes in last year’s surprise hit Pitch Perfect. Kendrick has, however, been acting in Broadway musicals from a young age and won several awards.

Kendrick is currently shooting The Last 5 Years, Richard LaGravenese’s adaptation of the musical.

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The Hollywood Reporter

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Into the Woods

Anna Kendrick

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Anna Kendrick

Anna Kendrick: Cups (When I'm Gone)

Pandora — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:46:52 +0000

Anna Kendrick: Cups (When I'm Gone)

(Music Videos Video)

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Anna Kendrick

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Anna Kendrick

Video File(s):

Cups (Pitch Perfect_s _When I_m Gone_) (Director_s Cut).mp4

Duration:

04:21

Rapture-Palooza (Trailer #2)

Pandora — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:17:09 +0000

Rapture-Palooza (Trailer #2)

(Trailers Video)

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Rapture-Palooza Official Trailer #2 (2013) - Anna Kendrick M.mp4

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01:50

The Company You Keep TRAILER

Pandora — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:48:36 +0000

The Company You Keep Trailer

(Trailers Video)

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End of Watch (BLU-RAY)

Lee Roberts — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 06:32:20 +0000

Bonus Features

Behind the Scenes, Deleted Scenes, Commentary

END OF WATCH:
Life on the streets is tough but when a law is broken officers Brian Taylor (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) and Miguel Zavala (played Michael Pena) will be there to take you down. Each day these two friends must deal with some of the most horrific scenes that life can throw at them as they work their beat but a unexpected drug busts puts their lives in danger.

COPS BEING COPS:
When I saw the trailer for End of Watch I remember thinking and telling my friends that I wanted to see it. From the trailer it looked like it was going to be this intense movie where 2 cops get caught up in a drug bust that has the drug dealers and gangsters coming after them. That trailer made it seem like End of Watch was going to involve a lot of gunfights and a big war between 2 cops and gangsters. Instead what this movie turned out to be is almost a lost documentary about life on the job for 2 LA police officers. Which would have been fine if there weren’t so many different cameras's being used. One minute we are seeing the movie through the lens of a handheld camcorder of Brian Taylor then it switches to a lapel camera, then back to the camcorder, dash cam, and some video from the gangsters, and even some night video is used. All this different footage being shown was too much for the flow of the movie. If it had been done in only 3 formats, the camcorder for when Brian Taylor and Miguel Zavala where alone with light banter going on between friends, switch to the lapel cameras when the action would start so we get a point of view perspective, and just to have some extra reality use the dash cam. They could even have spliced together other officers dash cams and lapel cameras to give a different view at time to show Taylor and Zavala from someone else view.

Still, End of Watch was a compelling movie that had my attention right at the opening sequence. Jake Gyllenhaal's speech about how he will fight, shoot, chase, and put anyone in jail for breaking the law regardless of how they beg or plead was fantastic. The best parts of the speech is the start of it with him saying "I am the police" and then with the end of it when he says, "We are the police", it's gripping and with it being said while a chase scene happens made it even more potent. Everything that will happen in this movie is told in that opening speech as well as setting the mood for the whole movie. Where I was expecting a movie that was going to be filled with lots of gun fights and action, End of Watch is actually a character movie about the relationship that Brian Taylor and Miguel Zavala have with each other. It's in these characters that I got invested in rather than the action that I first expected to see. Basically End of Watch is a friendship movie that is made for guys with the intensity of some of the things these cops go through while on the job. The reason why I was more interested in the characters and what they where to each other and how they did their job is attributed to the performance of Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. Talk about being able to work well together, these two make it feel like they are the best of friends as well as being real cops on the job.

I really enjoyed how the movie showed what the cops where doing rather than depend on straight out action as a plot. Sure there's moments in the movie that could be cut out and was kind of useless for the plot development but the story moves along at a steady pace where it don't become boring. From the start to the end I was a little tense because I was waiting for that shoe to drop when something bad is going to happen to these characters. It was a good experience and I liked how I was made to not expect the next scene. What I didn't like though was the scenes that was put in but never developed. Why a scene showing the drug cartel talking about having Taylor and Zavala killed was put in but then nothing was done when this information came to light is not something I understand. Why have a scene like that and not go further with it? I would think that if 2 cops lives where in mortal danger then they or their bosses would have been warned. There's also the supporting characters, who some are typical for a cop movie, especially the rookie that is being picked on but ends up in a bad situation, they're not used to their full extent. I kept waiting for something to happen between Taylor and Zavala and Van Hauser (played by David Harbour) but nothing does. Sure they get into little quips with each other but nothing more happens when there felt like there was going to be this huge blow out. Overall though, I liked how this movie turned out and though I think it should have ended like shown in the deleted scenes it was a ending that works.

THE COPS ON BLU RAY:
One thing I noticed about this Blu Ray is how the picture quality kept changing. This is due to the use of the different cameras, or the illusion of different cameras. Some cameras had a brighter lighting to them while some were dark and grainy. It's not bad, there's not much noise in the picture, but the switching of styles is shown. Which I'm guessing it's made to look that way so we know when the different camera is being used. It's not a bad looking movie, the colors are bright, at times a little too bright, and the fine detail shows up nicely. Even the audio levels where at a sold setting where I didn't have to mess with them when the shootouts did happen. Most impressive were the deleted scenes, which were a lot more than I was expecting.

End Of Watch

Review:

Blu-Ray

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Grade:

3.79

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End of Watch

Lee Roberts — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 06:32:20 +0000

End Of Watch

Release Date:

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

On Blu-Ray:

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

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Studio(s):

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Running Time:

109 minutes

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Pitch Perfect (BLU-RAY)

Paul Arca — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:51:43 +0000

Interesting Tidbits

R&B Singer/Writer/Producer Ester Dean plays Cynthia Rose in the movie and she gets to sing "S&M" during the riff-off, a song she co-wrote for Rihanna.

“Pitch Perfect” is the story of The Barden Bellas and the cruel world of collegiate acapella singing group competitions. The Barden Bellas are an all-girl group that only sing female pop songs and are led by Chloe (Brittany Snow). They made it all the way to the finals last year until Chloe blew it…..literally. This year with a bad reputation and a low turnout to join the group, the remaining Bellas are desperate and recruit an eclectic and unorthodox group of ladies to join their ranks. The stand-out recruits include Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) and introverted DJ Beca (Anna Kendrick). Can The Barden Bellas get back to the finals this year with this rag-tag group of ladies? You are going to have to watch this movie to find out.

After watching the previews, I thought this was going to be a “Glee” or “Bridesmaids” clone, but I was surprisingly wrong. This movie takes the best elements of those two franchises and makes it even better. The movie itself was a lot more hilarious than I had originally thought and the jokes were both clever and properly placed. Whether you like musicals, chick-flicks, singing, or just an all-around good comedy, this movie is for you. The new Bellas are fun to watch, but Fat Amy stole the show. I remember seeing Rebel Wilson in “Bridesmaids” and knew she was a funny actress I wanted to see in other movies. This movie was a surprise hit comedic movie in my book.

The other things that made this a special movie were the extras and the music. Besides the deleted and extended scenes, they included a music video, cast commentary, and a bunch of featurettes. Since I loved the movie so much, I wanted to see all the extras and behind-the-scenes footage. Also, the music selection was awesome because of the mash-ups and the variety to please any music fan. The songs were well done and an element of the movie I looked forward to the most and was impressed.

This was a very well done movie that made me laugh out of my seat. It might not appeal to everyone, but will surely get giggle out of anyone that watches it. “Pitch Perfect” was a better movie than I had expected and I highly recommend checking it out. For those reasons, I am giving this movie an “A.”

Pitch Perfect

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Blu-Ray

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Grade:

4.25

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Pitch Perfect

Peter Oberth — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 21:00:55 +0000

Pitch Perfect

Release Date:

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

In Theatres:

Sep 28, 2012

On DVD:

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

On Blu-Ray:

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Starring:

Studio(s):

Director(s):

Genre:

Comedy,

Musical

Running Time:

1 Hour, 52 Minutes

Official Website

Arriving at her new college, Beca (Anna Kendrick) finds herself not right for any clique but somehow is muscled into one that she never would have picked on her own: alongside mean girls, sweet girls and weird girls whose only thing in common is how good they sound when they sing together. When Beca leads this a cappella singing group out of their traditional arrangements and perfect harmonies into all-new mash-ups, they fight to climb their way to the top of college music competitions.

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ParaNorman

Peter Oberth — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 05:00:00 +0000

ParaNorman

In Theatres:

Aug 17, 2012

On Blu-Ray:

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Starring:

Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Studio(s):

Director(s):

Genre:

Comedy,

Running Time:

1 Hour, 36 Minutes

Official Website

Writer/director Chris Butler puts his experience working on Coraline and Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride to good use in this charmingly morbid tale of an eccentric young hero facing supernatural forces that would make most grown-ups cower in fear. Eleven-year-old Norman Babcock (voice of Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a young misfit with a remarkable gift: He sees dead people. Although Norman's clairvoyance allows him the unique opportunity to enjoy the company of his beloved grandmother (Elaine Stritch) long after she has ceased to be, it also drives his frustrated father Perry (Jeff Garlin) and popularity-obsessed sister Courtney (Anna Kendrick) up the wall at home and makes him the target of dim-witted bully Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) at school. His only friend is portly Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), who isn't exactly a beacon of coolness. When Norman's deceased uncle Prenderghast (John Goodman), a local pariah, warns the young boy that he must save their small town of Blithe Hollow from a witch's curse that has plagued the area for centuries, the young creature-feature addict isn't entirely sure how to respond -- that is, until the sky turns red, the clouds start to swirl, and the dead rise up from their graves. Now, as a terrified mob takes to the streets with torches in hand, it's up to Norman, Courtney, Alvin, Neil, and Neil's older brother Mitch (Casey Affleck) to put things right, even if it means confronting the 300-year-old curse that has haunted Blithe Hollow ever since the notorious witch hunts of the 18th century.

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Christopher Mintz-Plasse,

Tucker Albrizzi,

Sam Fell

What To Expect When You're Expecting

Ryan Sterritt — Sat, 19 May 2012 02:31:22 +0000

BOTTOM LINE:

What To Expect When You're Expecting hits some good notes, but doesn't exactly deliver where it counts.

Babies. Adorable enough, right? Their puffy cheeks, mesmerizing smile and sheer embodiment of innocence and joy. Babies are simply the greatest gift anyone could ask for. So why is Wendy (Elizabeth Banks) losing her mind and channeling insanity while carrying child? What has caused her to become exactly the opposite of what she imagined? For that, we might have to back up a bit.

Wendy is the owner of a small shop called The Breast Choice, an expectant mother's safe haven filled with children's books, bibs and other items to prepare every mother for the miracle of child birth. Having spent the past few years trying to get pregnant, Wendy and Gary (Ben Falcone) are getting close to the edge, tired of seeing failed tests and empty carriages. Until one day, negative quite literally turns to positive and Wendy finally finds herself with child. But they're not alone in their expectant excitement. Host of the popular weight loss show Lose It And Weep, Jules (Cameron Diaz) begins to realize her possibility fertility when she fills up her winning dance trophy with that morning's breakfast. Breaking the news to her dance partnet/affair just brings good news as Evan (Matthew Morrison) reveals that he is in it for the long run. But it's not all pregnancies that create new parents. Holly (Jennifer Lopez), a popular photographer, begins the search for a possible new addition to her small family of herself and her husband Alen (Rodrigo Santoro). But is adoption what Holly and Alex need or just what they want? Regardless of their situations, everyone involved learns one thing: Pregnancy is a mother!

What To Expect When You're Expecting should play out as a humorous look into the world of preganancies, hormones and all. And in a way, it does. Yet, it doesn't feel organic. Yes, Jules is a raging psychopath while being pregnant, but we're given the hunch that this wasn't much of a transition from the behavior of Jules prior to conception. Thus, the storyline of her going crazy on a rather unfortunate Matthew Morrison is rather stale. And when it comes time for apologies and reconciliation, Cameron Diaz plays her character as one with no regrets and a lack of compassion for her partner. Just the incompetence of this relationship makes the film feel unworth the time if an arch isn't met betwen two of the central characters. It's not so much the acting as it is the written nature of these characters and their actions. Color me unknowledgable as a male, but something just doesn't sit right about those scenes.

Outside of Jules and Evan, each relationship carries a fairly enjoyable story on its' own. The frustration of becoming ready for adoption between Holly and Alex is a simple, but fascinating look into the preparation of parenthood. Wendy and Gary have fun as the couple who couldn't wait for pregnancy, yet found out there is no way to fully be prepared for those 9 months. One of the better stories, however, comes from one where the news of expectancy wasn't welcomed with joy. The journey of Rosie (Anna Kendrick) and Marco (Chace Crawford) is cliche at times, but executes it well with great performances, heartwrenching moments and an extremely believable chemistry. The actual stories of What To Expect When You're Expecting, for the most part, come off entertaining, but that's not all that audiences are expecting from a star-studded cast.

At its' heart, What To Expect When You're Expecting has one collection of gentlemen to thank for nearly the entirety of humor (outside of Dennis Quaid playing a retired, egotistical Nascar driver): The Dudes Group. Frontlined by Chris Rock, comedians such as Thomas Lennon and Rob Huebel play fathers who created their own club to walk and get out all their frustrations about fatherhood and marriage. As the Dudes welcome Alex to their group, they describe how terrifying being a parent is at first, then grows into acceptance. Watching Rob Huebel's reaction his baby eating a cigarette is enough to get me interested. Yet, it feels as if these hilarious comedians were restricted and held back from their true potential. That was mostly in part to the PG-13 rating and a pretty tight script to follow. However, working with what they're given, Rock, Lennon and Huebel make the best of their characters and easily become the highlight of the film.

What To Expect When You're Expecting is about four product placements away from a truly enjoyable comedy, being held back by a few too many cliche scenarios. Humor runs rampant throughout, even if a large portion of said humor is gender specific. Then again, this is a film designed for the women. But as a comedy lover, it's hard not to expect more.