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Today's Challenge: Memorial Day is a popular day for going to the movies and the two biggest earners ever for the holiday are Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Can you find a link to connect these two holiday blockbusters?
Our first Facebook movie game, ClusterFlick, plays off that old "six degrees of separation" theory — you know, the one that has a certain Kevin at the center of the Hollywood universe. It's easy to play, but not so easy to win. The goal is to use the major cast of movies to get from Point A to Point B in the smallest number of moves.
Play ClusterFlick >>
Posted 05.30.11 by reelz -
Johnny Depp always said that Keith Richards inspired all the tics and quirky mannerisms of Jack Sparrow. Richards even appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End as Sparrow's father.
Now, Depp wants to pay tribute by crafting a documentary about the Rolling Stones guitarist, according to The Playlist. Depp spoke to the European press about the project.
Now that I'm wiser, and that enough time has passed, I can experience directing again. Already next week I'll start working on a Keith Richards documentary. While I'm in Drvengrad, my editor is already working on kilometers of archive footage and footage of his concerts. I'm very touched that Keith agreed to show up in front of my cameras.
Depp's only other directorial effort was The Brave (1997), which told the story of an alcoholic Native American whose family's dire circumstances drive him to star in a snuff movie. The movie is also one of the last to feature Marlon Brando. Unfortunately, it received mostly poor to mediocre reviews, and it never received official distribution in the U.S. Hopefully, Depp will be right about his experience since The Brave and his sophomore effort will prove much better.
Interestingly, this would be the second time in the past few years that Richards would be in a documentary, as the Rolling Stones were the focus of Martin Scorsese's 2008 documentary Shine a Light.
Posted 02.05.10 by reelz -
The ReelzChannel 100 began when we asked Leonard Maltin for his favorite Hidden Gems of the decade. His list led the web team into a general discussion about the best movies of the decade and — after no small amount of debate, arguing, and (we're not proud to say) some petty name-calling — we decided we'd better bring it to an end with a company-wide vote. Then it was just a matter of tallying up the votes and hoping for the best. Lucky for us, ReelzChannel is filled with a staff ranging from movie lovers to movie fanatics. What turned out isn't what you'll find on a critic's best of list — instead it's what movie fans really enjoyed.
In day seven of the ReelzChannel 100, we highlight the 10 Biggest Movie Disappointments of the Decade.
Posted 12.29.09 by reelz -
As long ago as March 2008, there was news that Jerry Bruckheimer was producing a live-action Lone Ranger movie and that Pirates of the Caribbean writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio were working on the screenplay. Not much else was heard of the project until rumors started circulating in May of this year that Jack Sparrow, himself, Johnny Depp, would be starring in the film as Tonto, the Ranger's Native American partner.
In September, during a huge Walt Disney Pictures media blitz, Depp was officially announced to play Tonto. Recently, in a group interview in Santa Monica, Bruckheimer said that the project is still moving forward.
Elliot and Rossio worked on that also with some other writers and with Johnny. So they're creating something that has a kind of true-to-the-western [feel], but adding other additional elements like we did with Pirates so it won't be just a straight-ahead western.
According to some reports, the "additional elements" that Bruckheimer refers to may be the inclusion of some supernatural elements to the story, much in the same way Pirates incorporated historical and fantastical elements.
As for who will play the title role of the Lone Ranger, Bruckheimer said that it's still up in the air.
We're still creating a pretty wide net and figuring it out. It comes down to who is available when we want to make it. We have a wish list.
Posted 11.04.09 by BrentJS -
Only one week after Johnny Depp appeared in full Captain Jack Sparrow costume at Walt Disney's D23 Expo, Dick Cook, the man who brought Depp aboard and supported his imaginative portrayal of Sparrow, suddenly left Disney. Depp was deeply affected by Cook's departure and said that there was a "crack" in his enthusiasm to reprise the role.
Depp's statements quickly made the rounds, igniting a flurry of debate and speculation over whether he would actually be returning as Captain Jack in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. However, according to Cinema Blend, a Disney representative has confirmed Depp's participation in the fourth installment of the popular franchise.
Posted 09.29.09 by BrentJS -
Just last week at Disney's D23 Expo, actor Johnny Depp appeared on stage in full Captain Jack Sparrow costume and persona to help announce the next sequel in the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. However, with the sudden departure of Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook this past week, Depp has admitted to feeling less enthusiastic about reprising the Pirates role because of his strong working relationship with Cook.
Depp said that he was "in" on the first movie "before there was a script or anything" after he had a conversation with Cook about the project. Depp also credited Cook with being "supportive" of his portrayal of Jack Sparrow when he was first formulating the character.
When things went a little sideways on the first Pirates movie and others at the studio were less than enthusiastic about my interpretation of the character, Dick was there from the first moment. He trusted me.
Now that Cook is gone from Disney, Depp admitted to losing more than just a friend at the studio; he's lost some of his motivation to return to the role.
There's a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment. It was all born in [Dick Cook's] office.
Depp went on to say that Cook was "a rare beast" and that he is confident they will work together again in the future.
He will be somewhere and I will always look forward to working with him. I consider Dick a friend inside an insane system. He's someone I understand and I think he understands me.
Posted 09.19.09 by BrentJS -
Actor Johnny Depp hovered near the top of the list of Hollywood leading men for years, but it wasn't until his blockbuster portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean that he became a worldwide superstar. Now, his character is so linked with the franchise, it would be hard to imagine a Pirates movie without him. Thankfully, Depp's return to the role is no longer a concern, at least for one more movie.
In a rare public appearance in costume, Depp sailed into Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, to help announce that the fourth installment in the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, was beginning production and that he would be returning as Captain Jack Sparrow. The film is slated for a summer 2011 release.
Posted 09.11.09 by BrentJS -
Wait, doesn't Keira Knightley love wearing corsets? Not enough to do another Pirates of the Caribbean says the actress:
[Pirates] was a completely fantastic experience, and it was an amazingly large portion of my life, but I don't think I need to go there again. I think that it's done. But I'm very excited to see the next one. And [Johnny Depp] is sowonderful in that character. I think it'll be wonderful.
Depp is indeed confirmed for Pirates 4. Surprisingly, Knightley's next project, The Edge of Love, which opens in the U.S. on March 20, is a real change of pace for the actress, as it is set during World War II and not the 18th century. No word on whether she will wear a corset.
Posted 03.18.09 by Ryan -
The summer blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End debuts on DVD today, just in time for the holidays. Also arriving on DVD are Scarlett Johansson's comedy The Nanny Diaries, Ethan Hawke's directorial effort The Hottest State and the wildlife documentary Arctic Tale.
Our pick for this week is a no-brainer: Superbad, Greg Mottola's uproarious teen sex comedy. We recommend the 2-Disc Unrated Extended Edition, featuring another stellar package of special features from the Judd Apatow gang.
Posted 12.04.07 by reelz -
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End topped the weekend box office for the second week in a row, raking in $43 million and easily fending off newcomers Knocked Up and Mr. Brooks, boxofficemojo.com reports.
The news wasn't all good for At World's End, however, as the flick's overall gross, $216 million, fell well short of the blistering pace set by its predecessor, last year's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which took in $258 million over the same time span.
Though it failed to sink Pirates, Knocked Up still enjoyed an impressive opening weekend. Its $29 million take surpassed that of Judd Apatow's previous R-rated comedy, The 40 Year-Old-Virgin, by over $8 million. Buoyed by strong word of mouth, Virgin went on to top the $100 million mark. Expect Knocked Up to do the same. (Don't believe me? Check out Heather's review.)
Look for things to get really interesting at the box office this Friday, when Surf's Up, Ocean's Thirteen and Hostel II arrive in theaters.
Posted 06.04.07 by reelz