In Contention

Tag: Larry David

  • 6/19 Web Round-up

    Larry David in Whatever Works• What is “entertainment news?” [CNN]

    • The top 10 Woody Allen proxies, in honor of Larry David’s performance in “Whatever Works.” [Spout Blog]

    • Hollywood sets its sights on “happening” Washington, D.C. [USA Today]

    • A few days after we discussed the exciting social networking cinephile destination The Auteurs, Andrew O’Hehir writes at considerable length about the influx of Video On Demand websites. [Beyond the Multiplex]

    • Stage productions, coming to a theater near you? [Wall Street Journal]

    • The seven most contrived rom-com scenarios. [Cinematical]

    • Peter Sciretta calls DreamWorks out “Boo U.,” which seems awfully similar to Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.” [/Film]

    • Spotlighting a dozen of EW’s Movie Must list. [Entertainment Weekly]

    • Peter Bart joins Michael Fleming on a new industry blog at variety. [BF Deal Memo]

  • 6/18 Web Round-up

    Antichrist video game• Reed Johnson talks “Whatever Works” with Larry David. [Los Angeles Times]

    • Donna Freydkin, meanwhile, chats up Woody Allen. [USA Today]

    • Lou Lumenick breaks the “Public Enemies” embargo with an unthoughtful, painfully ignorant review. (Updated now, redacted at Universal’s request.) [New York Post]

    • Speaking of which, check out a new clip from the film. [Yahoo! Movies]

    • Shanghai film fest jury president Danny Boyle speaks out against Chinese restrictions on freedom of speech. [The Guardian]

    • Is technology ruining movies? [Rope of Silicon]

    • Uhhhh…an “Antichrist” video game? [/Film]

    • Kevin Maher gets some quality time with “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” director Michael Bay. [The Times]

    • People actually think Christopher Nolan is in a position where he has to fish for more money from Warner Bros.? [CHUD]

  • Larry David on Conan

    I haven’t written about Woody Allen’s “Whatever Works” yet because it’s such a problematic, forgettable piece of work.  Back to the usual after a heck of a success last year, I guess.  But regardless, this “Tonight Show” interview with Larry David last night (his first appearance on the show) is an absolute hoot.   It’s amazing that a partnership with Allen, which you would think would sing, somehow muted his comedic talents. The performance has its moments, but most of them are a bit cheap, I thought. Anyway, here’s the interview, in two parts:

  • 6/16 Web Round-up

    Bengt Ekerot in The Seventh Seal• Tom O’Neil ponders the awards prospects of comedy box office hit “The Hangover.” [Gold Derby]

    • Eugene Hernandez talks to Dennis Hopper at CineVegas. [indieWIRE]

    • Joe Flint, meanwhile, chastises Heather Graham for again playing the girl with the heart of gold from the wrong side of the tracks. [Company Town]

    • Miki Turner talks “Whatever Works” (which doesn’t really work) with Larry David. [MSNBC]

    • Nathaniel Rogers runs an early screening review of “Brüno.” [The Film Experience]

    • A.O. Scott takes a look back at “Dog Day Afternoon.” [New York Times]

    • Detroit’s woes didn’t keep bad-ass muscle cars from the screen in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” [USA Today]

    • As the film makes its way to Blu-ray, Glenn Kenny dives back into “The Seventh Seal.” [Some Came Running]

  • 5/27 Web Round-up

    Anvil! The Story of Anvil• Todd Leopold talks to the guys behind “Anvil!: The Story of Anvil.” [CNN]

    • The complete list of tired movie cliches. [Empire]

    • Mark Harris profiles Woody Allen and Larry David. [New York Magazine]

    • Ethan Coen takes to the stage with “Offices,” a cycle of three short plays in the Big Apple. [The Guardian]

    • Anne Thompson sums up the Cannes winners and losers, including her own list of the fest’s best films. [Thompson on Hollywood]

    • Kyle Smith slams Sam Mendes’s “Away We Go” as likely appealing to the “German-army-surplus-jacket-wearing slacker demographic.” Ouch. [Lumenick on Film]

    • The 60 greatest American war films. [Premiere]

    • Is “man vs. machine” no longer a terrifying concept? [/Film]

    • Nikki Finke points out the breaking of the 43rd seal: Shawn Levy has now directed six-straight #1 or #2 opening weekend box office champs. [Deadline Hollywood Daily]

    • Top seven pre-“Jaws” summer movies. [Cinematical]

    • McG discusses the alternate “Termiantor Salvation” ending that would have apparently made for amuch better film. [Entertainment Weekly]

  • ‘Whatever Works’ trailer

    Well, it certainly works for me — it’s been a while since a trailer made me laugh out loud. Larry David’s and Woody Allen’s respective brands of neurosis seem to mesh together nicely, while Evan Rachel Wood looks unexpectedly comfortable doing the guileless simpleton thing. Patricia Clarkson is obviously having a good time too. I’m in.

  • ‘Whatever Works’ poster

    The sexy, teasingly framed artwork for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” was one of my favorite posters of 2008. Suffice to say I cannot offer similar approval of this dreary new one-sheet for “Whatever Works.” Just how much time did they spend on it? And at no point did anyone on the design team meekly suggest, “Hey, Evan Rachel Wood is a hot young actress, and you know, the film’s biggest talking-point is the May-December thing she has going on with Larry David. Maybe, just maybe, it might be worth sticking her on the poster too?”

    Sigh.

    Whatever Works

    [Source: Vulture]

  • ‘Whatever Works’ clip

    Guy told you yesterday about those mixed-to-positive notices that have been rolling out of Tribeca for Woody Allen’s “Whatever Works.” I’m hopeful the film works since I’m certainly on the Larry David bandwagon and I snapped to attention last year with “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” one of the year’s best films and Allen’s best work since “Sweet and Lowdown.”

    Well today I stumble onto this clip from the film, which is pretty short and doesn’t give you much.  But it’s something.  Have a look: