Posts Tagged ‘Robert De Niro’

The impetus for this list came from simply re-watching Martin Scorsese’s 1995 film Casino, during which time I could not help but think of the number of movies which prominently feature the goings on of casinos – or at least the alleged goings on. And being that I didn’t quite agree with the listing of the Best Casino Movies at CasinoTop10, I decided to tackle the challenge of ranking them myself. Interestingly enough, though, casino movies aren’t even considered a subgenre, as few if any thematic or aesthetic similarities can be found amongst the movies which significantly feature a casino setting. Not to be discouraged, however, I took advantage of this leeway and simply considered any film which takes place in a casino or casino-like locale either for a substantial portion of the running time or during a particularly important or memorable scene. And now that we’re armed with these criteria let us get on with the rankings, which may contain a few surprises.

5. Casino Royale (2006) 

It seems almost too fitting that a James Bond movie be on this list considering how many times we’ve seen 007 sitting sharply dressed in a tuxedo at a green-felted table over the decades, and the question that immediately comes to mind is what separates Casino Royale from the lot. The answer is that, more than any other Bond flick, it made card games both a significant part of the plot and exceedingly exciting. Not only did James win his Aston Martin in a poker game, but he bested the film’s main villain by the same means. The scenes where the dapper double-o goes toe to toe with Le Chiffre demonstrate the full extent of the secret agent’s wit and savvy, successfully substantiating the notion that he is not just a physical force to be reckoned with but a cerebral one as well. No doubt, it’s as civilized a showdown as you’re likely to find in an action movie from any era, and that it’s as exciting as the film’s car chases speaks volumes about the writing quality.

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Short Take: Has everything an exploitation movie requires, including controversiality

Directors: Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror, Sin City), Ethan Maniquis

Screenwriters: Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror), Ãlvaro Rodri­guez (From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter)

Cast: Danny Trejo (Spy Kids, Heat), Jessica Alba (Good Luck Chuck), Robert De Niro (The Good Shepherd), Jeff Fahey (Grindhouse, The Lawnmower Man), Michelle Rodriguez (TV’s Lost, Avatar), Steven Seagal, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson, Lindsay Lohan

Length: 1h 45m

Synopsis: A widowed ex-Federale who relegates himself to being a day laborer on the border between Texas and Mexico gets offered an opportunity to earn $150,000 if he assassinates a senator hell bent on closing the border between the two nations. Double-crossed after taking the job, the man, known only as Machete (Trejo), must do what he can to stay alive and avoid capture. He receives help from an understanding Customs officer named Sartana (Alba) and an underground pro-immigration network headed by Luz (Rodriguez), a food truck worker. Together they will try to clear Machete’s name and uncover a conspiracy that aims to make voters sympathetic to the bigoted senator’s platform. It would appear that the bad guys just f****** with the wrong Mexican. Read the rest of this entry »

The Predator is coming back, and he wont be alone

IGN.com recently attended the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX where writer/director/producer Robert Rodriguez gathered a small audience to show teaser material for the upcoming July release Predators.

Directed by Nimrod Antal, who accompanied Rodriguez at the event, the teaser material included a first edition trailer and a couple clips from the film. Aside from the presentations, though, the two also discussed some fun facts about the project, which include:

• The first Predator will be referenced as sort of ghost story
• There will be no CGI Predators – all FX regarding them are practical
• 20^th Century Fox supports the violence being to the hilt, based on sales of unrated DVDs
• Rodriguez and Antal have plans to make more Predator movies if this one is successful

Also, the story behind how this new Predators project came to fruition is explained (it has apparently been about 15 years in the making). For those anticipating the film, we recommend taking a look at all of what IGN found out (don’t worry, there is nothing really spoilerish).

View the whole article here.

Also…

Danny Trejo in the original "Machete" trailer

Check out IGN’s quick preview of Machete, set to release late this year. Based on the fake trailer made for Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse, the film brings back all main actors from the trailer, which includes Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, and Jeff Fahey. Some other actors brought on board for the project include Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, and Don Johnson. It is directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis.

Star of the film Danny Trejo had this to say – “It is going to be awesome,” Trejo promises. “We duplicate scenes from the trailer in the movie. What that movie has is the three B’s, what I like to call the three B’s. And what that is is babes, bullets, and blood. And then it’s got machetes, too. The film takes off from the trailer and then it just gets so over the top. I think the movie really lives up to the trailer. I’m really, really proud of it.” – IGN.com

Read more here.

Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins

Thor, set to begin production in January, will now star Anthony Hopkins as Oden, father on Thor and Loki. The rest of the cast includes Chris Hemsworth (as Thor), Tom Hiddleston (as Loki), and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Thor’s romantic interest.

Thor is set to release May 20th, 2010.

Source: Variety

In Other News…

Disney continues to trim down Miramax studios. Miramax president Daniel Battsek has been asked to step down as head of Disney’s specialty film division. Disney plans to cut 50 more jobs at Miramax by January, leaving only around 20.

The figurative trimming of the fat is a continuation of Disney’s plans to cut costs, which it said it planned to do months ago. Miramax, which usually releases 6 to 8 films per year, will now only release 3 annually.

Under Battsek’s guidance over the last 18 years, Miramax has released such acclaimed films as The Queen, Gone Baby Gone, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, No Country for Old Men, and Doubt. Miramax’s last film this year will be Everything’s Fine starring Robert De Niro, set to release December 4th.

Source: Hollywood Reporter