Ron Howard's 'Cheaters' Now 'What You Don't Know'

All things being equal, I prefer the title Cheaters to What You Don't Know. They're the same movie, in different phases. Cheaters is directed by Ron Howard and has a big cast - Vince Vaughn, Winona Ryder, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Queen Latifah, and Channing Tatum - but Universal said the name must go. So now, we're left with the less specific title What You Don't Know. It's still about the same thing, infidelity, but I guess Cheaters doesn't test well. But it's easier, it means more, and it's more memorable, so this may not be the best move.

Movie Review - 'Creation'

Creation Starring Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly Directed by Jon Amiel Rated PG-13

Charles Darwin did not write The Origin of Species in a flash of inspiration. He first hit on his idea of evolutionary theory over 20 years before he published the book that changed science forever. The delay had as much to do with reconciling his ideas with faith – his wife remained devout while Darwin could no longer justify anything said to be “God’s plan” – as it did fleshing out his ideas more fully. And on the way to reaching his great conclusion, the ramifications nearly killed Darwin's marriage and the man himself. Creation (funny name for a movie about the father of evolution) fills in some gaps in the scientist’s fossil record, charting Darwin (Paul Bettany) through the best and worst years of his life, which just so happened to coincide. The story really begins in the late 1830s, when Darwin began to piece together what is known as natural selection, based on fossils he collected and the wildlife he observed during his historic voyage on HMS Beagle. Although it took two decades to crystallize, that idea didn't change much: Species, over time, undergo changes. It can be as small as a flu virus mutating into a new strain or, Darwin speculated, there could be massive overhauls over longer periods, all of which are required for that species to survive. Darwin didn't claim that man came from apes, and in fact, in Origin of the Species he devotes only a dozen words to the concept, but what he did believe is that man shared distant ancestry with other primates. For some of us, that is an inflammatory belief. For others, it is not a controversial stance at all, as accepted as the Earth revolving around the sun. But in the 19th century, like that exact same concept 250 years earlier - for which Galileo was imprisoned by the Catholic Church and was not absolved of his "crime" until 1992 - natural selection was impossible to square with the teachings of the Bible.

Click to read more ...

Second Trailer for Darwin Bio-Pic 'Creation'

The Charles Darwin bio-pic, Creation, picked up a distributor after its Toronto run, but Newmarket - ironically, the same company that distributed The Passion of the Christ - isn't getting it theaters in time for awards consideration. I don't hear it would have much of a shot, but Paul Bettany generally improves any movie he's in, so it'd be nice to see him get that shot.

Bettany plays Darwin, of course, and if Newmarket could have done it, the ideal time to have released this film would have been late November, around the time of the 150th anniversary of his On the Origin of the Species. Nothing like missing a natural tie-in. Anyway, Bettany's wife, Jennifer Connelly, plays Darwin's wife - a monkey! No, not really. Actually, Darwin's wife was not exactly behind him in his revolutionary scientific theory, and that's pretty much the heartbeat of the story here. A new, overly narrated and ponderously scored trailer has arrived, and here it is, by way of Trailer Addict.

Click to read more ...

Darwin Bio-pic 'Creation' Finally Finds a Distributor

Last week, we told you that American distributors were keeping their distance from the new film about Charles Darwin, the father of Evolution. Strangely enough, the film is called Creation and perhaps even more strangely (to some), the film has finally been picked up by the same distributor that released The Passion of the Christ.

Newmarket Films announced today that it will release director Jon Amiel's film, which stars Paul Bettany as Darwin and Jennifer Connelly as his wife. The immediate plan is to release the film in December, although if they were really thinking, they'd release it on November 25th, the day after the 150th anniversary of On The Origin of Species. There are a couple of great quotes about this acquisition, and I'll share both of them with you. First is Newmarket's Chris Ball:

"We at Newmarket pride ourselves in getting behind important films that help open the door for discussion and conversation, as is the case with Creation. While Darwin's name has come to symbolize one side of a debate between the scientific and the theological, Creation personifies the debate, with both sides contending, sometimes violently, within the man. In that sense, we believe that the film will appeal both to people of faith and people of science."

Click to read more ...

'Labyrinth' Blu-ray Set for September 29th Release

DVD Active is a great resource for not just what's coming out when but also the art and DVD/Blu-ray covers for just about everything you might be interested in. We have shamelessly used their stuff for a while now.

That brings us to Labyrinth, the Jim Henson film starring David Bowie and a young Jennifer Connelly. I almost hate to say it, but this kind of thing would be done with CGI now, and when you look at how big the cast of puppeteers was for Labyrinth, you can understand why. I don't want to give anyone an idea for a remake, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me. There are new commentaries included on the Blu-ray, which will be released on September 29th on its own, and then at a point in the future as part of a three-pack of Henson fantasy films that also includes The Dark Crystal and MirrorMask. Here's the new cover art:

Click to read more ...