Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin to star in “True Grit” remake
John Wayne won an Oscar for playing Rooster Cogburn in 1969′s “True Grit.”
From left, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin (Associated Press photos)
Matt Damon and Josh Brolin are in talks to star in the Coen brothers’ remake of the John Wayne classic “True Grit,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Paramount Pictures and the Oscar-winning writer-director team are moving swiftly on their re-adaptation of the Charles Portis novel, the trade publication reports.
They’ve also cast Jeff Bridges to play the starring role in the remake, and the studio hopes get production going in spring.
The story follows a 14-year-old girl who accompanies two lawmen in the dangerous search for the man who killed her father.
Brolin would play the part of the murderer, Tom Chaney. Damon would take on the role of La Boeuf, a Texas Ranger who helps gruff U.S. marshal Rooster Cogburn track the outlaw across Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Glen Campbell played the part in the original film.
And Bridges will play Rooster Cogburn, the part for which Wayne won an Oscar. That’s hard for me to envision, particularly since Bridges’ last job with the Coens was playing iconic slacker Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski in 1998′s “The Big Lebowski.”
Brolin also has worked with the Coens before, playing Llewelyn Moss in their Oscar-winning film ”No Country for Old Men,” based on the Cormac McCarthy novel.
This would be Damon’s first outing with Joel and Ethan Coen.
Despite my initial knee-jerk reaction to what seems another unnecessary Hollywood remake, I’m trying to keep an open mind because the project has the Coen brothers at the helm.
In an exclusive interview, Ethan Coen told RottenTomatoes.com that their take on “True Grit” would stay more faithful to the “very odd book” than the 1969 Western.
“It’s partly a question of point-of-view” he said. “The book is entirely in the voice of the 14-year-old girl. That sort of tips the feeling of it over a certain way.
“I think it’s much funnier than the movie was so I think unfortunately they lost a lot of humour in both the situations and in her voice. It also ends differently than the movie did. You see the main character – the little girl – 25 years later when she’s an adult.”
With that said, it will be interesting to learn who the Coens will tap to play 14-year-old Mattie Ross. Kim Darby, who also played the wacky mom in 1985′s “Better Off Dead,” took on the role in the original film.
-BAM
“Twilight” film to get one-day theatrical rerelease Nov. 19
Summit Entertainment announced today that it plans to rerelease the vampire-romance movie “Twilight” in more than 2,000 theaters for one day only on Nov. 19, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
That’s the day before the sequel “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” opens in even wider release.
“Despite the first film already being on DVD, fans across the nation have been calling out to see the film once again on the big screen, and the studio is honoring their request,” Summit said.
According to the trade publication, “Twilight,” the first film based on Stephenie Meyer’s super-popular four-book series, has made $191.5 million to date domestically and $383.7 million worldwide. When it opened Nov. 21, 2008, it topped the domestic weekend box office with $69.6 million.
The buzz is even bigger for “New Moon,” so don’t be surprised to see the sequel take an even bigger bite of the box office on Nov. 20.
Summit said “Twilight” tickets would be sold at a discount at select sites.
-BAM
Just in time for Halloween: BAM’s reprised list of horror movie recommendations
Jamie Lee Curtis in “Halloween”
Back in spring, I compiled a list of 10 of my favorite horror movies available on DVD in honor of Friday the 13th. Since Halloween is nigh, I’m posting it again, with a few slight modifications, for your potential viewing enjoyment. Happy Halloween!
1. “Halloween” (1978): This John Carpenter film starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence isn’t just for Oct. 31. But it’ll certain satisfy your spooky-season yen for serial killers slashing sex-crazed teenagers.
2. “Jaws” (1975): Between the great performances and John Williams’ urgent, Oscar-winning score, Steven Spielberg’s creature feature continues to foster a fear of the ocean in millions of movie lovers.
3. “Psycho” (1960): Again, music helps strike a fear of water in the hearts of filmgoers. Bernard Hermann’s distinctive scoring of Janet Leigh’s famed shower demise remains a highlight of this Alfred Hitchcock classic.
From left, Brendan Gleeson, Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris in “28 Days Later”
4. “28 Days Later” (2002): This was my favorite Danny Boyle film until the British director helmed Oscar winner “Slumdog Millionaire.” The film revived the zombie subgenre as it follows a group of survivors trying to avoid infection by a powerful virus that turns its victims into lightning-quick, mindless murders.
5. “Night of the Living Dead” (1968): And what’s a scary movie list without radiation-transformed hordes relentlessly preying on human flesh? George Romero has created several sequels, but the original low-budget black-and-white film should be required viewing for horror fans.
6. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956): Sci-fi scares don’t get any better than this McCarthyism metaphor about a California town whose residents are slowly replaced with emotionless “pod people” planted by sinister aliens. I prefer the original, but the 1978 version starring Donald Sutherland, Leonard Nimoy and Jeff Goldblum is the rare worthwhile remake.
7. “Let the Right One In” (2008): This acclaimed and affecting Swedish film is intensely spooky and strangely romantic. It centers on a bullied boy (Kåre Hedebrant) who befriends his strange new neighbor Eli (Lina Leandersson) only to learn she is a vampire.
From left, Laurie Holden, Thomas Jane and Nathan Gamble in “The Mist”
8. “The Mist” (2007): Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption”) again successfully adapts a Stephen King novella, only this time the results are harrowing instead of uplifting. When a freaky mist covers a small town, a group of residents takes shelter in a grocery store. Blood-thirsty creatures are lurking in the haze, but it’s hard to tell whether the mysterious beasts are as scary as the panicky mob trapped inside the store.
9. “The Frighteners” (1996): Before he won Oscar glory for “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Peter Jackson wrote and directed this underrated horror-comedy about a widower (Michael J. Fox) who uses his ability to see ghosts to track a serial killer still wreaking havoc from beyond the grave. Among the teen-oriented schlock of the “Scream”s and “I Know What You Did Last Summer”s, Jackson’s film offered a refreshingly original change of pace in the ‘90s.
10. “The Evil Dead” (1981): Sam Raimi’s extra-violent, super-gory, low-budget horror flick about a group of college students who accidentally unleash vengeful demons launched the career of B-movie icon Bruce Campbell and still offers a scary good time. It is the best exception to the rule that horror sequels stink; “Evil Dead II” and “Army of Darkness” are worthy successors. Raimi also has a new horror film, “Drag Me to Hell,” out on DVD, and I’m looking forward to checking it out.
-BAM
“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” soundtrack ascends to No. 1 on Billboard charts
N0t surprisingly, “New Moon” has risen quickly.
The soundtrack to the hotly anticipated movie “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” has ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week, according to Billboard.com.
The soundtrack sold 153,000 copies in its first full week of release. The album, released by Summit/Chop Shop/Atlantic, arrived on the chart last week with 115,000 after an early release Oct. 16 release landed it on the chart after just three days of sales.
The album features music by Death Cab for Cutie, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, the Killers, Muse and a collaboration between Tulsa-born singer-songwriter St. Vincent and indie band Bon Iver.
According to Billboard, “New Moon” is the second soundtrack this year to top the Billboard 200. The “Hannah Montana: the Movie” album hit the top of the chart dated May 2.
“New Moon”‘s predecessor, last year’s blockbuster film “Twilight,” also notched a No. 1 soundtrack. The “Twilight” album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 less than a year ago, on the list dated Nov. 22, 2008, with 165,000 units sold.
Here is the song listing for the “New Moon” soundtrack:
1. “Meet Me On The Equinox” Death Cab For Cutie
2. “Friends” Band Of Skulls
3. “Hearing Damage” Thom Yorke
4. “Possibility” Lykke Li
5. “A White Demon Love Song” The Killers
6. “Satellite Heart” Anya Marina
7. “I Belong To You (New Moon Remix)” Muse
8. “Rosyln Bon” Iver and St. Vincent
9. “Done All Wrong” Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
10. “Monsters” Hurricane Bells
11. “The Violet Hour” Sea Wolf
12. “Shooting The Moon” Ok Go
13. “Slow Life” Grizzly Bear with Victoria Legrand
14. “No Sound But The Wind” Editors
15. “New Moon (The Meadow) Alexandre Desplat
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Oct. 29, 2009
Harn Homestead (The Oklahoman Archives photo)
Today’s featured event
Celebrate Halloween a little early at Haunt the Harn from 5:30 to 8:30 tonight at the Harn Homestead and 1889ers Museum, 1721 N Lincoln Blvd.
The family-friend event will include trick-or-treating, hayrides, bobbing for apples, marshmallow roasting, face painting, crafts, games and more.
For more information, go to www.harnhomestead.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: More film trailers
Since the holiday movie season is approaching, and the studios soon will be rolling out films worthy of awards consideration, I’m again posting trailers and TV spots for upcoming movies in this week’s Video Spotlight:
-BAM
Taylor Swift coming to Oklahoma City’s Ford Center in March; tickets go on sale Nov. 6
Taylor Swift (Associated Press photo)
It’s official: Country music starlet Taylor Swift will bring her extended “Fearless” tour to Oklahoma City’s Ford Center next spring.
Swift, who at 19 is the youngest artist to ever be nominated for the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award, will play March 31 at the arena, the venue confirmed today.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Nov. 6. Tickets will be available at the Ford Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets, including participating Suncoast, FYE and Homeland stores, by phone at (800) 745-3000 or online at www.okfordcenter.com.
Oklahoma City was listed as a stop for the “Fearless” 2010 tour when the dates were announced earlier this month, but the Ford Center was not confirmed as the venue until today.
The teen star will kick off the second leg of her first headlining tour Feb. 4 in Brisbane, Australia. After playing five shows Down Under, Swift will start her North American run on March 4 in Tampa, Fla. The singer-songwriter will headline 37 shows in 29 cities in 22 states and provinces in the U.S. and Canada next year.
“I’m so excited to take the ‘Fearless’ tour back out on the road again in 2010!” Swift said in a news release. “This year’s tour has been so much fun and even more unforgettable than I ever imagined. The fans have been so amazing, and I’m thrilled to play in new cities and see even more of my fans on the 2010 ‘Fearless’ Tour!”
Swift’s pal and fellow singer Kellie Pickler and up-and-coming country band Gloriana will return as opening acts on the 2010 leg of the tour.
All shows on this year’s “Fearless” outing, including one at Tulsa’s BOK Center, sold out in a matter of minutes. One concert at Madison Square Garden sold out in one minute, while one at Los Angeles’ Staples center was tapped in just two minutes. The blockbuster tour was chronicled in the one-hour primetime NBC special “Dateline: On Tour With Taylor Swift.”
That sell-out trend seems destined to continue: All available tickets to 15 dates on her 2010 tour sold out within moments of going on sale last Friday, according to CMT.com.
Swift will appear Thursday on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and will serve as host and musical guest of “Saturday Night Live” on Nov. 7.
On Nov. 11, she will compete for four awards, including the top prize, entertainer of the year, at 43rd Annual CMA Awards. The awards show, co-hosted by Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, will air live on ABC.
Swift’s two albums, “Fearless” and her self-titled debut, have topped 10 million copies in combined total sales, plus an additional 20 million paid song downloads. Her label, Big Machine Records, released a platinum edition of “Fearless” earlier this week.
For more information, go to www.taylorswift.com.
-BAM
UPDATED: Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley to play free show Nov. 10 in Nashville
Country superstars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will play in downtown Nashville, Tenn., for ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Nov. 10, one day before they host the 43rd Annual Country Music Association Awards.
Paisley and Underwood will perform on the Sommet Center’s outdoor plaza, according to CMT.com. The event is open to the public.
UPDATE: The Country Music Association has clarified that Underwood and Paisley will each perform one song for “Good Morning America” on Nov. 10. The public is invited to come and cheer on the stars and enjoy the performance, but the organization doesn’t want fans to be expecting more than two songs to be played.
Underwood, who hails from Checotah, and Paisley are co-hosting the CMA Awards for the second time. The awards show will air live from the Sommet Center on Nov. 11.
The co-hosts also will appear on “The Late Show with David Letterman” on back-to-back nights next month.
Underwood will perform on the late show Monday, Nov. 2, the day before her hotly anticipated third album, “Play On,” is released.
Paisley will play Letterman next Tuesday, Nov. 3.
-BAM
Oklahoma City Thunder open 2009-10 season tonight
Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (35) shoots over Desmond Mason (24) of Sacramento during the preseason NBA basketball game between the Sacramento Kings and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009. Sacramento won, 104-89. Teh teams face off again tonight in the Thunder’s season opener. (Photo by Nate Billings/The Oklahoman)
The Oklahoma City Thunder opens its 2009-10 season at 7 tonight at the Ford Center.
Oklahoma City’s NBA team will take on the Sacramento Kings, including former Thunder player and Oklahoma State University standout Desmond Mason.
For Thunder tickets and information, go to www.thunder.nba.com.
-BAM
3D’s Wednesday Video Spotlight: Episode 19
Well, loyal readers, this is it. This is the last episode of “Red vs. Blue: Recreation.” I’m sure there will be a mini-series or something to get us through the long winter months until the next Rooster Teeth series. If so, I will try to keep you posted here.
The DVD of this series is now available to order from Rooster Teeth and the “RT Shorts” that I have been posting here are also getting their own DVD. Rooster Teeth releases are always packed with special features, so I’m sure they will be a good deal for those of you who are interested.
Please enjoy, but watch out for flying obscenities.
—3D
