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"All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter." The Weinstein Co has debuted the official Us trailer for Justin Kurzel's Macbeth, the precursor to Fassbender's Assassin's Creed (also directed by Kurzel), and one of the most talked about films coming out of Cannes this year. Michael Fassbender stars as Macbeth, a duke of Scotland, in this Shakespeare adaptation also starring Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth. The cast also includes Elizabeth Debicki, Marion Cotillard, Sean Harris, David Thewlis, Jack Reynor and Paddy Considine. There are some really spectacular shots shown in this trailer, from cinematographer Adam Arkapaw, and overall it looks like my kind of Shakespeare movie. Dark, gritty, enthralling, and visceral. Here's the official Us trailer (+ poster) for Justin Kurzel's Macbeth, direct from TWC's YouTube: Macbeth is directed by Justin Kurzel (The Turning, The Snowtown Murders) and written by Todd Louiso (Hello I Must Be Going, Love Liza,...

"It reminded me a lot of a Western." Empire has debuted three photos from Justin Kurzel's Macbeth, which will be premiering In-Competition at the Cannes Film Festival later in May. This adaptation of the Shakespeare classic stars Michael Fassbender as Macbeth, the duke of Scotland, and Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth. The two of them can be seen in photos below, which have been released to remind us the film's festival unveiling is coming up. Aside from a Western, Kurzel says this reminded him "of a landscape and atmosphere that felt much more dangerous than I'd ever seen before from adaptations of Macbeth." Here's the three new photos for Macbeth, debuted via Empire where they have more details from Kurzel. Macbeth is directed by Justin Kurzel (The Turning, The Snowtown Murders) and written by Todd Louiso (Hello I Must Be Going, Love Liza, The Marc Pease Experience), based on...

Following a couple first look photos at the Shakespeare adaptation Macbeth from director Justin Kurzel, the period drama is showing off footage at the Cannes Film Market and looking for distributors. Now we have some bits of the hype machine overseas as two character teaser posters have surfaced online featuring stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. The film has already turned heads enough to have Kurzel team up with Fassbender again for the video game adaptation Assassin's Creed, but it will probably be awhile before we see any footage. In the meantime, these posters, especially Fassbender's is great. Look! Here's the Cannes posters for Justin Kurzel's Macbeth from See Soundit (via The Playlist): Macbeth is directed by Justin Kurzel (The Turning, The Snowtown Murders) and written by Todd Louiso (Hello I Must Be Going, Love Liza, The Marc Pease Experience), based on William Shakespeare's classic play of the same name.

While Natalie Portman was once slated to star alongside Michael Fassbender in the latest big screen adaptation of the classic William Shakespeare play Macbeth (or "that Scottish play" for all you theater folk), it's Marion Cotillard who ended up in the lead role as the lady of a Scottish lord who aspires to be king. Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel, who directed a segment in the Aussie omnibus The Turning, is at the helm of this feature adaptation, and we have two first look photos that look gorgeous. One features Fassbender embracing Cotillard, while the other has General Macbeth clearly ready for battle. Look below! Here's the first look photos from Justin Kurzel's Macbeth from The Daily Mail: Macbeth is directed by Justin Kurzel (The Turning, The Snowtown Murders) and written by Todd Louiso (Hello I Must Be Going, Love Liza, The Marc Pease Experience), based on William Shakespeare's...

The rise of Michael Fassbender has been one of the best things to see in recent years, with his acclaimed performance in 12 Years a Slave earning him the Oscar nomination he was robbed of on Steve McQueen’s Shame. Now the actor is turning his sights to Shakespeare, in Justin Kurzel’s adaptation of the classic tragedy, Macbeth.

StudioCanal have announced that production on Macbeth is officially underway, with ScreenDaily revealing that the film is set to shoot for seven weeks in England and Scotland.

Fassbender takes the lead as the titular general-turned-King of Scotland, with Marion Cotillard, Sean Harris, Paddy Considine, David Thewlis, Jack Reynor, and Elizabeth Debicki starring alongside him.

Cotillard of course takes the female lead as Lady Macbeth, with Harris taking on the role of Macduff and Considine playing Banquo.

Macbeth is the story of a fearless warrior and inspiring leader brought low by ambition and desire.

The Weinstein Co. has acquired U.S. and Canadian rights from StudioCanal for director Justin Kurzel’s big-screen adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave, Shame) and Marion Cotillard (The Immigrant, Rust and Bone) will star in the drama written by Jacob Koskoff and Todd Louiso (The Marc Pease Experience). Natalie Portman was originally onboard to star opposite Fassbender. Story: Oscar Whisper Campaigns: The Slurs Against '12 Years,' 'Captain Phillips,' 'Gravity' and 'The Butler' The project is being produced by See-Saw Films’ Iain Canning and Emile Sherman, who previously teamed with The Weinstein Co.

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[Press Release] New York, NY (October 23, 2013) – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that they are acquiring U.S. and Canadian rights from Studiocanal for director Justin Kurzel’s (Snowtown) big screen adaptation of Shakespeare’s MacBeth. Jacob Koskoff and Todd Louiso (The Marc Pease Experience) have penned the screenplay for the film, which will star Michael Fassbender (12 Years A Slave, Shame) and Marion Cotillard (The Immigrant, Rust And Bone). The project is being produced by See-Saw Films’ Iain Canning and Emile Sherman (The King’S Speech). Studiocanal is financing and is handling international sales. Film4 developed and is partnering on the project. Olivier Courson, Studiocanal Chairman and CEO, said “I’m delighted to team up with The Weinstein Company again who are the...

After plans for Michael Fassbender to star opposite actress Natalie Portman in the once troubled, but now-shooting production of Jane Got a Gun fell through, the actress was lined up to star with the X-Men: First Class villain in Justin Kurzel's adaptation of Macbeth, the classic Shakespeare play. However, Deadline reports Portman is no longer in the mix to play Lady Macbeth, and instead, The Dark Knight Rises and Inception star Marion Cotillard will step into the role opposite Fassbender as the classical antihero, who is reteaming with his Shame producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman for the "visceral" adaptation. For those not familiar, the story (scripted by actor turned writer Tood Louiso and Jacob Koskoff of The Marc Pease Experience) follows a ruthlessly ambitious Scottish lord siezes the throne with the help of his scheming wife and a trio of witches. Cotillard is better known for her work...

The day before yesterday we reported that Michael Fassbender was set to lead a new screen adaptation of William Shakespeare‘s Macbeth. Now comes word that Natalie Portman has agreed to play the role of Lady Macbeth to Fassbender’s Lord. It seems that Portman has finally found another project to appear in opposite Fassbender after he has dropped out shortly before filming on Jane Got a Gun began (which Portman is also producing). Penned by Todd Louiso (Love Liza) and Jacob Koskoff (The Marc Pease Experience), the script follows the original 11th Century setting of Shakespeare’s classic play. Snowtown director Justin Kurzel is set to helm...

Click to continue reading Natalie Portman Joins Michael Fassbender In MacBeth on www.filmofilia.com...

It seems that after Michael Fassbender bailed on the troubled western "Jane Got A Gun," there were no hard feelings between himself and Natalie Portman, who is also producing that movie. They also paired up on Terrence Malick's forthcoming music scene movie (provided they don't get cut) and indeed, they're set to try working together again on a different project, one that will hopefully keep the drama in front of the camera, instead of behind it. Just one day after it was reported that Fassy was taking the title role in "Macbeth," Screen Daily reports that Portman will be his Lady Macbeth. Yeah, nice. This new adaptation of Shakespeare's legendary play was penned by Todd Louiso (the director behind "Love Liza" and "Hello I Must Be Going") and Jacob Koskoff (who co-penned "The Marc Pease Experience" with Louiso), and will keep the 11th century setting and original dialogue. However,...

After tackling Magneto, a killer robot, and a sex-addicted New Yorker, Michael Fassbender has set his sights on his next challenge: "Macbeth." Fassbender will play the scheming nobleman for "Snowtown" director Justin Kurzel. The screenplay, by Todd Louiso and Jacob Koskoff, while supposedly a "visceral" new adaptation, will retain the original Shakespearean setting and dialogue. Louiso and Koskoff collaborated on the Paramount Vantage comedy "The Marc Pease Experience," which, despite starring Ben Stiller and Jason Schwartzman, was unceremoniously dumped into a handful of theaters while Vantage was being erased from the Paramount landscape. "Macbeth" will reunite "Shame" producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman (who also produced Fassbender's upcoming comedic drama "Frank"). It's unclear when the adaptation will film, however, since Kurzel was recently attached to an adaptation of the John le Carre thriller "Our Kind of Traitor," which was supposed to go later this year. If you've never read "Macbeth,...

After playing comic book villain Magneto, who is a bit Shakespearean in his own way, Michael Fassbender will be starring in an adaptation of one of the famous playwrights most well-known works. ScreenDaily reports Fassbender will reunite with Shame producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman for an adaptation of Macbeth from Australian director Justin Kurzel (Snowtown). The script comes from actor turned writer Tood Louiso and Jacob Koskoff (both of The Marc Pease Experience) and will be shopped around the Cannes Film Festival with an eye towards shooting the film sometime later this year. Read on! The film won't be heading into contemporary territory as with some recent Shakespearean projects, but will rather be set in the 11th century and in the original language. For those not familiar, the story follows a ruthlessly ambitious Scottish lord siezes the throne with the help of his scheming wife and a trio of witches.

Everyone from Sam Worthington (really) to Orson Welles has taken on "Macbeth," and the Shakespeare play that dare not say its name has been adapted countless time for the stage, television and multiplex. Well, when it comes to the cinema, (quality) movie versions have been a bit fewer and farther between, so the news that Michael Fassbender might take the lead in "the Scottish play" certainly has our attention. The actor is attached to a new version of Shakespeare's work that will be directed by the fast rising "Snowtown" director, Justin Kurzel. Penned by Todd Louiso (the director behind "Love Liza" and "Hello I Must Be Going") and Jacob Koskoff (who co-penned "The Marc Pease Experience" with Louiso), the story will be the same, set in the 11th century, and will be presented in the original dialogue. However, this version will be more "visceral" and contain "significant battle scenes." And...

Do You Know Where You’re Going To?: Louiso’s Latest Outing an Engrossing Gem

After his 2009 sophomore feature, The Marc Pease Experience was bamboozled out of a proper release due to star Ben Stiller, director Todd Louiso returns with his latest, Hello I Must Be Going, a quietly absorbing tale about an unmoored woman trying to pick up the pieces. Returning to the comically tragic tone that made his much hailed 2002 debut, Love Liza so noteworthy, Louiso manages to create a memorable showcase for undervalued character actress Melanie Lynskey.

Three months into divorce proceedings, Amy Minsky (Lynskey) is frivolously wasting time at the Connecticut home of her parents (Blythe Danner and John Rubinstein). Veritably heartbroken and feeling as if life has pulled the rug from under her, Amy is still struggling to find a plan to move forward, having left all her possessions at her ex-husband’s (Dan Futterman...

We saw the charming first poster last week for the upcoming Hello I Must Be Going, and now the film’s first trailer has hit and it’s just as promising as we were expecting.

Todd Lousio’s film debuted at Sundance last January to excellent early reviews, with Melanie Lynskey’s leading performance particularly highlighted for its excellence.

“Divorced and demoralized Amy Minsky’s prospects look bleak when she is condemned to move back in with her parents at the age of 35. Everyone wants to help, but, as her patience level with advice is plummeting, a bold teenage boy enters her life, igniting her last bit of self-esteem. What ensues is an unconventional love story infused with all the good things Amy needs to get on in life, and that just may include great sex.”

Louiso (The Marc Pease Experience, Love Liza) returns behind the camera for his third film,...

Debuting at Sundance this year to very positive reviews, particularly for its leading lady Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World), Hello I Must Be Going looks like one of the year’s very promising dramatic comedies.

A new set of images have made their way online, along with EW’s debut of the charming first poster, seeing Lynskey swimming naked alongside Christopher Abbott (Girls, Martha Marcy May Marlene). There’s no actual nudity though, so not to worry – entirely suitable should you be at work.

“Divorced and demoralized Amy Minsky’s prospects look bleak when she is condemned to move back in with her parents at the age of 35. Everyone wants to help, but, as her patience level with advice is plummeting, a bold teenage boy enters her life, igniting her last bit of self-esteem. What ensues is an unconventional...

You would think that a comedy starring Ben Stiller, Jason Schwartzman and Anna Kendrick would be a no brainer for some kind of a release, even if a modest one, but back in 2009, "The Marc Pease Experience" was unceremoniously dumped on ten screens for one week only (and not even in standard release cities like New York City or Los Angeles) before quickly disappearing and living on in an eventual DVD release. It was an unfortunate end to a film that had tremendous promise, but it was a rocky production from the shot.

"We shot and were editing, then realized we needed to go back and add some stuff, which isn't uncommon, and then the writer's strike hit. So we had to wait for 6 months, then we got the footage in and it looked good. And it was while we were finding a release date that Paramount Vantage went under,...

"Parts of Todd Louiso's Hello I Must Be Going made me happier than I have a right to be," blogs the Boston Globe's Ty Burr, "especially the early scenes in which Melanie Lynskey burrows into the misery of her character, Amy Minsky, a 30-something divorcee who has crawled back home to her parents' suburban home in defeat…. The actress finds a cosmic nobility in Amy's degradation, even as her parents — John Rubenstein and a superb Blythe Danner — look on in growing horror. There's a touch of Harold and Maude whimsy to the character's romance with a disaffected 19-year-old (Christopher Abbott), but their relationship is hotter and funnier and more emotional than you expect…. I liked this movie so much, in fact, that I tried to ignore screenwriter Sarah Koskoff's increasing tendency to have her characters state their innermost feelings in psychologically accurate terms…. Points for the Marx brothers clips,...

One of the better underdog stories from this year's Sundance Film Festival is "Hello I Must Be Going," from filmmaker (and sometime actor) Todd Louiso. After making 2009's "The Marc Pease Experience" for Paramount Vantage, the director found his movie marooned after the dismantling of the studio, appearing on a handful of screens before going (virtually) straight-to-dvd. This was a rather inglorious follow-up for the filmmaker, who had previously made the critically lauded Philip Seymour Hoffman vehicle "Love Liza." "Hello I Must Be Going" is not only a comeback for the director, but also a coup for its star, Melanie Lynskey, who is finally awarded her first starring role after her splashy debut in Peter Jackson's "Heavenly Creatures" with a role in a challenging, layered film. The story centers on Amy, a divorced and down-on-her-luck 35 year-old woman who is forced to move back in with her parents, and winds up in an.

Review of Hello I Must be Going at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Melanie Lynsky makes a believable downer but Sundance drama Hello I Must Be Going fails to connect. Actor and filmmaker Todd Louiso has an eclectic body of directing work with the little-seen dramas Love, Liza and The Marc Pease Experience but he still keeps specislty movie audiences waiting for his standout movie. Louiso’s Hello I Must Be Going, made with support from the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, offers a unique female heroine, a middle-aged woman suffering from depression, but fails to deliver on the character’s potential. A painful divorce has Amy Minsky (Melanie Lynskey) moving back with her parents at age 35. Amy is at her lowest point until she meets 19- year-old Jeremy (Christopher Abbot) and suddenly, thanks to an unorthodox relationship, things are looking up for her.

Review of Hello I Must be Going at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Melanie Lynsky makes a believable downer but Sundance drama Hello I Must Be Going fails to connect. Actor and filmmaker Todd Louiso has an eclectic body of directing work with the little-seen dramas Love, Liza and The Marc Pease Experience but he still keeps specislty movie audiences waiting for his standout movie. Louiso’s Hello I Must Be Going, made with support from the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, offers a unique female heroine, a middle-aged woman suffering from depression, but fails to deliver on the character’s potential. A painful divorce has Amy Minsky (Melanie Lynskey) moving back with her parents at age 35. Amy is at her lowest point until she meets 19- year-old Jeremy (Christopher Abbot) and suddenly, thanks to an unorthodox relationship, things are looking up for her.

Review of Hello I Must be Going at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Melanie Lynsky makes a believable downer but Sundance drama Hello I Must Be Going fails to connect. Actor and filmmaker Todd Louiso has an eclectic body of directing work with the little-seen dramas Love, Liza and The Marc Pease Experience but he still keeps specislty movie audiences waiting for his standout movie. Louiso’s Hello I Must Be Going, made with support from the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, offers a unique female heroine, a middle-aged woman suffering from depression, but fails to deliver on the character’s potential. A painful divorce has Amy Minsky (Melanie Lynskey) moving back with her parents at age 35. Amy is at her lowest point until she meets 19- year-old Jeremy (Christopher Abbot) and suddenly, thanks to an unorthodox relationship, things are looking up for her.

A pair of films from our favorite auteurs So Yong Kim's For Ellen (see Paul Dano still) and Antonio Campos' Simon Killer are finally making their long awaited world film fest debuts and items from an emerging talent base in the likes of Benh Zeitlin, Ry Russo-Young and James Ponsoldt are part of a handful of lucky filmmakers selected in Sundance's U.S. Dramatic Competiton section. Among the 10 out of 16 we guessed right, we find: Michael Mohan's Save the Date, Ben Lewin's The Surrogate, Colin Trevorrow's Safety Not Guaranteed, Ira Sachs' Keep the Lights On and the newly titled The End of Love - a sophomore effort from filmmaker and actor Mark Webber. Completing the section we find: The Comedy from Rick Alverson (produced by Mike S. Ryan), Filly Brown from Youssef Delara (former Visual Effects Associate on Star Trek), The First Time by...

Well 2010 is almost over and it’s time for my obligatory Top Ten of the year. As with last year I’ll be compiling two movie Top 10’s – one cinematic releases and one direct to DVD list. Why? Well the majority of movie sites and blogs give credence to all the big releases of the year but, as I try to do all year, I want to highlight some films which you might have missed that you really should hunt down and watch.

This list is completely subjective, and you may not agree with any or all of my choices or the order in which they appear. Either way I’d love to read your thoughts on my choices good or bad, so don’t forget to leave a comment. Anyway, onto the list:

10) Hunt to Kill

Jim Rhodes (“Stone Cold” Steve Austin) is one bad ass Border Patrol Agent.

This is one of those common sense posts where it's often nevertheless enlightening to see actual numbers to back up obvious theories. Of the five actors currently best known for making broad comedies right now, there are still movies that each of them have made that most of us adore: Sandler in Punch-Drunk Love, Ferrell in Stranger than Fiction, Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Carell in Little Miss Sunshine and Stiller in The Royal Tenenbaums. We know they're capable of making good films and, indeed, the list of smaller, more dramatic roles on each of these gentlemen's resumes is (mostly) impressive.

So why do they continue to make broad stupid comedies that make many of us hate them all the more? For the same reason many of us would. The money, of course. But what's the real-dollar difference between making a 90-minute fart joke and baring your soul?...

The Marc Pease Experience

Stars: Jason Schwartzman, Anna Kendrick, Ben Stiller, Gabrielle Dennis, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Jay Paulson | Written by Jacob Koskoff & Todd Louiso | Directed by Todd Louiso

The Marc Pease Experience is one of the last few productions from Paramount Vantage, the arthouse/indie arm of Paramount Pictures whose output varied from the very successful: No Country For Old Men, to the not so succesful: Carriers. It comes from director Todd Louiso, who is probably more well known for his acting roles in High Fidelity and School For Scoundrels.

Now it seems to this reviewer like a lot of Paramount Vantage’s releases seemed to get slipped out under the radar (or even not released at all) in many territories outside of the Us, and such is the case with The Marc Pease Experience – a film which had a limited run in a handful of cities in the Us before...

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Ak 100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa (Criterion Collection) Sure, there are some of 2009's bigger film releases hitting DVD and Blu-ray this week, but this set from Criterion is undoubtedly the release of the week. This set offers 25 of Akira Kurosawa's films, four of which had never been released on DVD, and an illustrated book featuring an introduction and notes on each of the films by Stephen Prince (The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa) and a remembrance by Donald Richie (The Films of Akira Kurosawa).

I was not sent a copy for review, but DVD Beaver has an extensive three page look at the set right here. If you are interested, it is selling for $284.99 at Amazon as of the posting of this round-up. A list of the films included is directly below followed by a...

Can the media alter the public's perception of an actor? I believe so - that's why we have the likes of Megan Fox hugging the headlines and getting the covers of men's magazines, while a lot of more talented young actresses could not even manage to get featured and have interviews. If you think about it, what has she done in the movies to deserve so much publicity and attention? - - -

- - - Some may argue, 'hey, don't blame her, she's just good at playing the Hollywood game, and she got a shrewd agent managing her career!'. That maybe so and yes, I agree when others say 'she'll not last another year - others will soon take over'. There are those who may say 'Agents and talent managers always take care of their wards - that's why stars have a public image and a private one'.

Can the media alter the public's perception of an actor? I believe so - that's why we have the likes of Megan Fox hugging the headlines and getting the covers of men's magazines, while a lot of more talented young actresses could not even manage to get featured and have interviews. If you think about it, what has she done in the movies to deserve so much publicity and attention? - - -

- - - Some may argue, 'hey, don't blame her, she's just good at playing the Hollywood game, and she got a shrewd agent managing her career!'. That maybe so and yes, I agree when others say 'she'll not last another year - others will soon take over'. There are those who may say 'Agents and talent managers always take care of their wards - that's why stars have a public image and a private one'.

Can the media alter the public's perception of an actor? I believe so - that's why we have the likes of Megan Fox hugging the headlines and getting the covers of men's magazines, while a lot of more talented young actresses could not even manage to get featured and have interviews. If you think about it, what has she done in the movies to deserve so much publicity and attention? - - -

- - - Some may argue, 'hey, don't blame her, she's just good at playing the Hollywood game, and she got a shrewd agent managing her career!'. That maybe so and yes, I agree when others say 'she'll not last another year - others will soon take over'. There are those who may say 'Agents and talent managers always take care of their wards - that's why stars have a public image and a private one'.

Can the media alter the public's perception of an actor? I believe so - that's why we have the likes of Megan Fox hugging the headlines and getting the covers of men's magazines, while a lot of more talented young actresses could not even manage to get featured and have interviews. If you think about it, what has she done in the movies to deserve so much publicity and attention? - - -

- - - Some may argue, 'hey, don't blame her, she's just good at playing the Hollywood game, and she got a shrewd agent managing her career!'. That maybe so and yes, I agree when others say 'she'll not last another year - others will soon take over'. There are those who may say 'Agents and talent managers always take care of their wards - that's why stars have a public image and a private one'.

Can the media alter the public's perception of an actor? I believe so - that's why we have the likes of Megan Fox hugging the headlines and getting the covers of men's magazines, while a lot of more talented young actresses could not even manage to get featured and have interviews. If you think about it, what has she done in the movies to deserve so much publicity and attention? - - -

- - - Some may argue, 'hey, don't blame her, she's just good at playing the Hollywood game, and she got a shrewd agent managing her career!'. That maybe so and yes, I agree when others say 'she'll not last another year - others will soon take over'. There are those who may say 'Agents and talent managers always take care of their wards - that's why stars have a public image and a private one'.

The shadow of Rushmore looms over Jason Schwartzman’s performance in The Marc Pease Experience, but Todd Louiso’s highly unanticipated follow-up to the 2002 miserablist snoozer Love Liza bears an unfortunate resemblance to more recent comedies as well. The film’s broad take on the self-delusion endemic to the high-school musical-theater world suggests Hamlet 2 minus the laughs, its a cappella subplot invites unflattering comparisons to Ed Helms’ instrument-free crooning in The Office, and Schwartzman’s high-school girlfriend recalls Seth Rogen’s barely legal lady-love in Pineapple Express. Louiso’s misfiring comedy feels less like a comic feast than ...

I guess the folks in Eden Prairie, Minn., may not have been the ideal audience for that gradual rollout Paramount Vantage had in mind for The Marc Pease Experience. Or maybe they were, considering the dead mini-major's eagerness over the weekend to dump the Ben Stiller-Jason Schwartzman comedy's corpse where no one would find it. Mission accomplished, if its four-figure gross is any indication.

Once upon a time, Marc Pease (Jason Schwartzman) flipped out during his high school's production of The Wiz, despite every assurance from his drama teacher, Mr. Gribble (Ben Stiller), that he was at the very least capable ("You set the bar... so that others can go beyond it!").

Eight years later, Gribble's giving The Wiz another shot, while Pease tries to keep the remaining half of his once mighty a cappella group together and heading towards some modest goal of stardom. The two of them share a common love with present-day senior Meg (Anna Kendrick), and all three of them have a love for performing -- and an aversion to anything resembling comedy over the course of The Marc Pease Experience.Filed under: Comedy, Independent, Theatrical Reviews, Paramount Vantage

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Here's a quick look at what's opening in limited release this weekend. If they're not playing where you live, keep an eye out as they make the rounds. And if all else fails, there's always DVD....

The Marc Pease Experience (pictured) is a comedy, allegedly, about a former high school musical star trying to recapture his glory, several years later, by teaming up with his old director, who still teaches at the school and is sleeping with one of his female students. Jason Schwartzman, Ben Stiller, and Anna Kendrick star -- and so far every review is negative. (Cinematical's Will Goss has a review on the way, and he tells me it will be no exception.) Playing on about a dozen screens, not in New York or L.A. but Chicago, Seattle, Denver, Tampa, Phoenix, Philadelphia, etc.

Casi Divas comes to us from Mexico and is a quasi-satire about four...

Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds is poised to claim the box office crown this weekend, but memories of the Grindhouse failure are still lingering. Is it a coincidence that Robert Rodriguez also has a new movie opening today, albeit one for kids? In addition to Shorts, there is also a new comedy from Shark Tale/Shrek co-director Vicky Jenson called Post Grad, and a documentary on the X Games... in 3-D! In limited release we have the Bobcat Goldthwaite dark comedy World's Greatest Dad starring Robin Williams (which is also available on VOD), Oliver Hirschbiegel's Five Minutes of Heaven, and a comedy no one has heard of starring Ben Stiller and Jason Schwartzman called The Marc Pease Experience, that seems to be getting screwed by Paramount. What will you be checking out this weekend? Inglourious Basterds [1] Shorts [2] Post Grad [3] X Games 3-D: The Movie [4] World's Greatest Dad [5] (limited) Casi Divas...

Photo: Paramount Vantage Note: There is a small spoiler in this review. Sure, they had cameras, lights and even Ben Stiller and Jason Schwartzman, but the one thing they forgot was a story worth telling. Is The Marc Pease Experience supposed to be funny, endearing, tragic or just plain boring? I walked out of the theater with one fellow critic telling me they thought it was "terrible" and another saying they would have rather watched the film's production of "The Wiz," and even that wasn't anything to brag about. Neither are flattering statements and while I won't go as far as to say the film is terrible, because they did manage to point the camera in the right direction, this dud has nowhere to go but its opening day limited theaters where it will promptly die. The film revolves around Marc Pease (Jason Schwartzman), whom we are first introduced to...

A good deal of news related to Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse has ... Once again, Peter Facinelli is using his fame for a good cause ... The dress that Kristen Stewart wore to the Teen Choice Awards (which we discussed here) has been identified as belonging to the Fall 2009 ... Jackson Rathbone and Kellan Lutz stopped to speak with MTV about Eclipse. They talked about having met with David Slade, doing training (including both fight training, ... Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Outlander star Jack Huston has joined the cast of Eclipse as Royce King, II - that horrible ex-fiance of Rosalie Hale (Nikki Reed)'s ... THR is a very reliable source - much like Variety with its report of Jodelle Ferland's ... Anna Kendrick's newest film entitled The Marc Pease Experience ... Kellan Lutz's co-star in A Nightmare On Elm Street ... and Cam Gigandet...

You'd think that the next movie featuring the star of a very recent blockbuster would be a surefire candidate to get a splashy theatrical release. Yet despite the presence of Ben Stiller in its cast, chances are that you won't see The Marc Pease Experience this summer.

Stiller, who starred in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian -- which has earned nearly $400 million worldwide since its release in late May -- plays a supporting role as a mentor to Jason Schwartzman, who must come to terms with his dream of becoming a musical star on Broadway. Rising starlet Anna Kendrick is also featured. As reported by The Playlist, Paramount will be releasing The Marc Pease Experience on August 21 in just 10 markets: Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle ... and "maybe" Boston, according to director Todd Louiso. Those are definitely major markets, but New York and Los Angeles will be avoided,...

Not too long ago, Paramount Vantage seemed like one of the best faux-indie arms out there. As recently as 2007, the studio indie had two major heavyweight pictures: No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood. But the label was folded into the heaving, tentpole-happy bosom of Paramount Pictures, a process which has left pictures essentially orphaned, waiting to be dumped. One of them is Todd Louiso's The Marc Pease Experience, and the filmmaker is understandably frustrated by the decision. Louiso previously directed Philip Seymour Hoffman in Love, Liza, and he's now got Jason Schwartzman, Ben Stiller and Anna Kendrick in The Marc Pease Experience, which will see release in only ten markets on August 21 -- none of them being New York or Los Angeles. (Which ensures that not even critics -- 'irrelevant', per Paramount's recent G.I. Joe actions -- will have much of a chance to...

Paramount will open The Marc Pease Experience on a contractually minimal ten-market release outside of New York and L.A. on August 21, sources close to the movie confirm. Todd Louiso’s orphaned indie film starring Ben Stiller and Jason Schartzman is a casualty of the demise of Vantage—and the departure of ex-Vantage chief John Lesher. “Their business model changed completely,” said one source. “They have no specialty marketing division. The company doesn’t …...

Never heard of The Marc Pease Experience? Exactly. The Playlist caught up with director Todd Louiso recently and got an altogether discouraging update about the expected release of his latest film. The Marc Pease Experience is an indie comedy that stars Jason Schwartzman, Ben Stiller, and Anna Kendrick. It was produced by Paramount Vantage and was ready to be released in 2008. Unfortunately that studio was shut down and merged into Paramount proper last year, leaving the film gasping for air. And now after a year of waiting, it's being dumped into 10 cities in late August, not including New York or Los Angeles. Schwartzman plays Marc Pease, a man 10 years out of high school and still living in the past when he was the star in his high school's musicals. During the course of one day, as Pease's former teacher/mentor Mr. Gribble (Stiller) oversees the opening night of another ...

An inexpensive Ben Stiller/Jason Schwartzman comedy sounds like a perfectly fine candidate for release, but when Paramount inherited The Marc Pease Experience from its shuttered Vantage division, the studio decided to bury it in favor of its Vantage sibling The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard. Director Todd Louiso talked to The Playlist about his film's fate; no word yet on whether Ben Stiller will figure out how to address the issue on Twitter. [The Playlist]...

• A very busy Monday for the ed-in-chief of Ioncinema.com. Caught press screenings for The Time Traveler and Ponyo, sandwiched by tons of news to report on. Here is the best of the rest of the news for August 10th. 1. Not Thirst-y South Korea goes with Bong Joon-ho's Mother for Foreign Oscar nom consideration. 2. Milking the "Cash" Chow Sony moves quickly on Michael Jackson concert experience. This Is It becomes a Halloween experience. on October 30th. (Via THR) 3. Ifp’s Project ForumJodie Foster's “Cockeyed,” The Guatemalan Handshake's Todd Rohal’s “Scoutmasters”, (see pic) produced by Lisa Muskat, Fred Schepisi’s “The Secret River”, “Earth Camp One” by Jennie Livingston, “Fame High” by Scott Hamilton Kennedy, and “Hungry in America” by Kristi Jacobson & Lori Silverbush are among 116 selected projects for Project Forum of Ifp’s Independent Film Week. (Via IndieWIRE.com) 4. Out of the Womb Benedek Fliegauf is now in post production with Womb.

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• Summer is a time for picnics, days at the beach, and Sundance's Director's and Screenwriter's Labs. Out of the eight announced projects attending the Director's lab, seven of them were part of the Screenwriter's lab back in January. The new name added to the lab process is a project from artist/filmmaker Tala Hadid and The Narrow Frame of Midnight. Among the four projects invited to the Screenwriter's Lab we find a familiar name in director (see pic) Todd Louiso (Love Liza, The Marc Pease Experience) and his latest project Hello, I Must Be Going. Following in a natural progression on the Sundance Institute's part to develop young filmmakers and help develop their projects, here are the lucky dozen participants who will have a chance to workshop their films before they go into production - and here is a list of the people who will be there to coach them.

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Julia Roberts has yet to be surpassed. Back in September of last year I asked Who's the Next Big Male Movie Star? At the time Robert Pattinson Fever had spread all over the Internet and the conversation resulted in a wasted experiment as commenters weren't able to have a real debate. However, a few people did ask for a similar feature for the females and I have finally gotten around to putting it together. With the males the name I was looking at in comparison was Will "Guaranteed Box-Office Gold" Smith. With the females I was unable to come up with a name that lives up to the career Julia Roberts put together and she remained my muse. When Pretty Woman came out in 1990 Julia was 22-years-old and had just starred in and won a Golden Globe for Steel Magnolias. Over the following nine years she worked her way into...

Anna Kendrick is set to star opposite George Clooney in Jason Reitman's upcoming adaptation of Walter Kirn’s novel “Up in the Air.”

In the film, Clooney plays a counselor who helps large companies fire their executives. He spends most of his time flying and tries his best to collect one million frequent-flyer miles.

The Hollywood Reporter says Kendrick will play the female lead, who gets somehow involved with Clooney's character.

Kendrick is currently onscreen as Jessica Stanley in "Twilight." Her credits include "Rocket Science," as well as the upcoming projects "The Marc Pease Experience" and "Elsewhere."

As for Reitman, he directed "Thank You For Smoking" and "Juno."...

Talk about upping your profile.

Anna Kendrick, who has a small part in "Twilight" as one of Kristen Stewart's human friends, has nabbed the coveted female lead in Paramount's "Up in the Air," opposite George Clooney.

"Juno" director Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner have adapted the comedy from Walter Kirn's 2001 novel. Reitman also will direct for Montecito Picture Co., the Paramount production shingle of Reitman's father Ivan.

Nearly every young actress agreed to read for the part, including Ellen Page and Emily Blunt. But Kendrick apparently nailed the audition for a young woman who finds herself pulled into the orbit of a "career transition counselor" (i.e. professional firer) careening through the airless world of business travel.

The "Up" project originally was developed by DreamWorks before it separated from Paramount in September. The Melrose Avenue studio held on to Montecito, which also has "I Love You, Man" and...

• Anna Kendrick has all the reasons to pop open a bottle of aged grapes and it has very little to do with her bite-size role in today’s mega teen vampire film release of Twilight. After picking up indie roles in 2003’s Camp, grabbing a piece of the spotlight with Sundance's Rocket Science and having toplined the yet to be released Paramount Vantage's The Marc Pease Experience, THR reports the actress beat out Emily Blunt and Jason Reitman’s own Juno girl Ellen Page for the lead female in Reitman's next project. Oh and she gets to play against George Clooney. Based on author Walter Kirn's novel, Up in the Air is described as a story of the self-realization and self-redemption of a man (Clooney) who fires people professionally. Spending most of his time flying around from city to city for his job, he is six days short

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