This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: June 2, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: MGM, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Action, Adaptation, Classics, Drama, Period, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Home Entertainment, Lists, New Releases

Here are some of the DVD and Blu-ray options available this Tuesday:

• Air Force One: Blu-ray
• Anaconda: Blu-ray
• Bruce Almighty: Blu-ray
• Defiance: DVD, Blu-ray
• Eddie Murphy: Delirious (25th Anniversary Edition): DVD
• Fletch: Blu-ray
• Glory: Blu-ray
• The Graduate: Blu-ray
• He’s Just Not That Into You: DVD, Blu-ray
• Inside Man: Blu-ray
• Navy Seals: Blu-ray

Click to continue reading This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: June 2, 2009

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Casting Corner: Harrison Ford, Reese Witherspoon, Gerard Butler and More

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Columbia Pictures, Paramount, Universal, Drama, Period, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Casting, Upcoming Releases

Here’s a quick look at some of the casting announcements made recently:

Harrison Ford: Indiana Jones will be soon be revisiting comedy in a film co-produced by J.J. Abrams. The 66-year-old will star as a news anchor recruited to work on a low-rated morning talk show. Rachel McAdams (Sherlock Holmes) is in talks to play the producer who must handle Ford and his rival/cohost. No start date has been announced for Morning Glory.

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Casting Corner: Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Jennifer Lopez

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Paramount, Yari Film Group Releasing, Adaptation, Drama, Romance, Comedy, Casting, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases

Here’s a quick look at some of the casting announcements made recently:

Former Rolling Stone journalist Evan Wright is currently working with Paramount to bring his next project to the big screen. Wright’s 2004 book, Generation Kill, is currently airing on HBO as a mini-series. Now Evan has signed a deal to adapt something he is still writing.

Cocaine Cowboys - not to be confused with the 2006 documentary by the same name - will tell the story of Jon Roberts, a real-life drug trafficker who wound up working with the Medellin drug cartel. Interestingly enough, Mark Wahlberg has signed on to star and co-produce the adaptation. Those familiar with Entourage - a show Mark created - may remember that Vincent Chase fought hard to get the lead role in the movie Medellin.

Director Peter Berg (Hancock) has been tapped to helm the project.

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Read More | Variety

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Box Office Breakdown: The Rock Upsets The Heartbreak Kid

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Disney, Lionsgate, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Action, Drama, Family, Period, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases

Despite what you may have learned in school, Ben Stiller + The Farrelly Brothers does not necessarily equal box office gold.

The team behind There’s Something About Mary took a backseat to last weekend’s winner:  The Game Plan.  The Heartbreak Kid, a remake of the 1972 Neil Simon comedy, raked in only $14 million.  While Mary did open with a smaller gross back in 1998 ($13.7M), it’s doubtful this critically-panned movie will become another sleeper hit for the trio.  Thankfully co-star Michelle Monaghan will have the upcoming Gone Baby Gone to wash this disappointment away.

The only other new entries into the Top 10 included the fantasy flick, The Seeker ($3.7M), and the J.Lo-produced dance film, Feel the Noise ($3.1M).  Meanwhile, the well-reviewed Michael Clayton pulled impressive numbers in limited release ($46,000 per screen).  Expect the George Clooney vehicle to open wide this weekend.

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Couples With The Worst On-Screen Chemistry

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Lucasfilm Ltd., Casting, Lists

Chemistry, schmemistry.  If you know people are going to be watching your movie anyway—does it really matter?  Whaddya say, George Lucas?

Film advertising company Pearl & Dean polled 3,000 British moviegoers to see which couples they felt had the worst on-screen chemistry.  Based on the results, it’s hard to say whether or not those opinions had any affect on the eventual box office receipts.  While I completely agree that Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen fizzled as secret-lovers, I don’t know that the movie’s storyline (or final numbers) could have improved with a different twosome.

Take a look at the poll results and see what you think.  Which couples would you add to this list?  Three pairings that come to my mind:  Julia Roberts/ Nick Nolte (I Love Trouble), Julia Roberts/ Brad Pitt (The Mexican) and Julia Roberts/ John Cusack (America’s Sweethearts).

1. Natalie Portman & Hayden Christensen - Stars Wars: Episode II
2. Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck - Gigli
3. Keira Knightley & Orlando Bloom - Pirates of the Caribbean
4. Madonna & Adriano Giannini - Swept Away
5. Catherine Zeta-Jones & Sean Connery - Entrapment
6. Andie MacDowell & Hugh Grant - Four Weddings and a Funeral
7. Kate Beckinsale & Ben Affleck - Pearl Harbor
8. Nicole Kidman & Tom Cruise - Eyes Wide Shut
9. Jake Gyllenhaal & Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain
10. Kate Winslet & Leonardo DiCaprio - Titanic

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