"August: Osage County" Starts Filming Today

Just thought you'd like to know...

Playwright Tracy Letts, told the Daily News he was "minimally involved" beyond adapting his own play for the screen, was at the first table read last week (they're only rehearsing for a week? Yikes) and said...

Upham. McGregor. Breslin. Roberts. Streep. Lewis. Martindale. Cooper. Cumberbatch

It is the only day in the entire process I'm able to be there. They asked lots of smart questions."

Was one of the smart questions: "Why did they hand something this complex / acclaimed to a filmmaker with only one so-so film (Company Man) under his belt?" because that's what I would have asked. We can only wait and pray and hope John Wells is one of those 0 to 60 filmmakers (they exist) who was just learning on the job the first time 'round and is now ready to really show surgical precision when it comes to dramatic sparks and dark comic beats, and (most especially given the source material's staginess) heretofore completely invisible skill with visual style so this isn't one of those flat movies that everybody thinks should've stayed on the stage where it crackled and slurred and shouted and whispered and lashed out with bony arms reaching for and sometimes grabbing hold handfuls of greatness.

Was one of the other smart questions "Why is anyone (no disrespect to Sam Shepard) playing Beverly? because wouldn't his part have been the easiest to adapt right out if you didn't want a 3 hour movie?"

I'm sorry to start Monday off on such an ornery note but a week without moviegoing is really NOT doing my spirits any good (today I am seeing a movie. I'm on the mend!) On the bright side, even if this is only a hopelessly mediocre film version of a great stage show (think Doubt & Proof) chances are strong that audiences / critics / Oscar voters will like the performances. If it's much better than mediocre I shall apologize retroactively for all my doubts. 'I have such doubts!'

Emmy Live Blog 2012: Golden, Winged, Deadly

Refresh your screen for updates

6:25 I thought about calling this Emmy Live Blog: Now With Less Pneumonia! (I think I'm on the mend) or Pneumatic Emmy Live Blog! but they both sound too contagious. 

6:30 I love the Emmy statue but I don't think any golden statues should have deadly points. There's already enough drama without weaponizing the things. 

6: 32 "It involves sex, sharp objects"... actual quote from Lena Dunham just as I was typing that thing about Emmy Statues. I'm not making this up.

6:39 Charlize "J'Adore Dior" commercial. I secretly wish she would introduce all her red carpets outfits that way. A golden aggressive strut to each camera with a breathy whisper ... "Gucci".... "Dior Haute Couture" ... "Valentino"

6:42 Max Greenfield's date would like everyone to know SHE'S WITH MAX GREENFIELD. Clingy! 

I want an Emmys night full of redheads! @_juliannemoore and Christina Hendricks #FTW
-awesome TFE reader @Luiserghio

YES. Ginger looks good holding gold. Speaking of...

The stars of the new "Nashville" Connie Britton & Hayden Panetierre

poll by twiigs.com

I watched the pilot of "Nashville" (Not Related to the Altman Classic!) and I dunno. MORE EMMY TALK...

Click to read more ...

Trouble With The House at the End of Watched Curved Street

It was a photo finish this weekend with Clint Eastwood, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jake Gyllenhaal all struggling to land in first place. We won't really know who did until tomorrow. If you ask me that's a poor showing for Jennifer (given that horror is an easy cash grab on opening weekends) and Clint and a redemptive showing for Jakey who pundits always like to claim is over as a bankable leading man if he ever was. But maybe that's my bias spinning it since I have yet to seek treatment for the Gyllenhaalism. (Next up Maggie G in Won't Back Down!)

Box Office Fifteen
[TIE] 01 END OF WATCH  $13 *NEW*
[TIE] 01 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET $13 *NEW*  
03 TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE $12.7 *NEW* 
04 FINDING NEMO 3-D $9.4 (cum $29.9 this time 'round)
05 RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION $6.7 (cum $33.4)
06 DREDD $6.3 *NEW* 
07 THE MASTER $5 (cum. $6.0)
08 POSSESSION $2.6 (cum. $45.6)
09 LAWLESS $2.3 (cum. $34.5) REVIEW
10 PARANORMAN $2.2 (cum. $52.5) 
11 THE BOURNE LEGACY $1.6 (cum. $110.4) 
12 THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN $1.5 (cum. $48.6) REVIEW
13 THE EXPENDABLES 2 $1.4 (cum. $82.9) Let's cast a female version
14 ARBITRAGE $1.2 (cum. $3.9) 
15 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES $1.2 (cum. $443.1) REVIEW

The Master had the healthiest per screen average among the wide openings (though it's only just barely "wide" now) but P.T. Anderson movies have never made as much by the end of their run as The Odd Life of Timothy Green already has (approaching $50 million) which is totally why we can't have nice things. Adults with taste continue to destroy Hollywood by staying at home and watching their premium channels instead of supporting films made for them at the theaters.  In limited release Perks of Being a Wallflower led the arthouse with a very healthy per screen average and a quarter million gross in its first weekend.

What did you see this weekend? And who is still going to Batman? He hung up his cowl, people!

In more timely news, are you watching the Emmys with us tonight? If so "see" you in the comments section.

Thoughts I had while watching that "STOKER" tease

As you may now Park Chang-wook of Thirst fame has trained his keen cruel eye on something a little less supernatural and subtitled for his next film Stoker. We got the first taste of it on Entertainment Tonight days ago but... you know... (how long do you think I can milk this "but I have pneumonia!!!" excuse?). So herewith some unedited thoughts I had while watching it...

Personally speaking I can't wait to see life tear you apart."

• Love La Kidman lashing out. These opening eye daggers reminded me more than a little of The Golden Compass and I mean that as a compliment. That book trilogy was beyond and Nicole Kidman really got that character (Mrs Coulter) so it's such a pity that the movie didn't really get the book and the ending didn't even get the ending and no other movies will be gotten to get it all retroactively like! I have pneumonia.

• I'm tickled that this isn't a biopic on Bram Stoker! 

video and more thoughts after the jump...

Click to read more ...

I Vant To Link Your Blog

Empire Parker Posey (who has been teaching an awesome course in Emmy acceptance speeches ---teehee) joins the cast of Grace of Monaco as Nicole Kidman's frenemy lady-in-waiting
Monkey See shares notes on Quartet's gala premiere at TIFF
Stale Popcorn discovers The Perfect American Psycho Billboard
CHUD I didn't know this: Director Rian Johnson's (Brick, Looper) brother Nathan paints posters for each of his movies 

TMZ crew member on The Lone Ranger dies 
Wax Word the new Keanu Reeves action epic 47 Ronin is having a nightmarishly expensive post-production phase
Hollywood.com Helen Mirren to reprise her Oscar winning role as The Queen on the stage in a new play
Advocate Scarlett Johansson will scratch at limp Benjamin Walker in Broadway's millionth revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Ciarin Hinds, so ubiquitous right now, will play Big Daddy. Oh the mendacity of it all!
Movie|Line those hoping for a quick stage-to-film transfer of Nina Arianda's star-making Broadway outing in Venus in Fur might be disappointed to learn that the film adaptation is indeed underway... but in French directed by Roman Polanski and starring his wife Emmanuelle Segnier.  

Finally... the trailer for Amy Heckerling's Vamps starring her Clueless muse Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Ritter has arrived.

Distribution is getting so confusing as of late. Get this: Vamps hits various on demand digital thingies on October 19th, theaters on November 12th and DVD/Bluray the next day on November 13th. What-the-whanow? That's more confusing than seeing Dan Stevens all shirtless and not in the arms of Lady Mary... which is plenty confusing enough!