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There's no escaping James Franco. In little more than a decade, the 30-something actor has risen up from relative obscurity to become a worldwide sex symbol and Hollywood leading man with tremendous star power, despite making some career choices — after receiving critical acclaim for his performance in Milk (2008), Franco returned to TV in 2009 with recurring roles on 30 Rock and the soap opera General Hospital — that would have derailed the careers of other actors.
Passed over for several major roles earlier in his career, Franco was chosen to bring Fox's Planet of the Apes franchise back to life and to headline Disney's Oz the Great and Powerful, which is currently the highest grossing movie of the year by a wide margin. How did Franco go from being a TV "geek" to the king wizard of the box office? Just watch the movies on the list we've put together for you and, in under eight hours, you'll be able to dazzle your friends and co-workers with your understanding of the ascension of Franco.
Be conversant in James Franco >> Posted 04.09.13 by BrentJS -
"We should make more sequels to our movies."
For those that loved the 2008 comedy Pineapple Express, you're in luck: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson, along with Jonah Hill, have teamed up for a sequel, sort of.
In what is clearly a April Fool's joke, Sony Pictures has released a trailer for Pineapple Express 2, reuniting Dale (Rogen), Saul (Franco), Red (McBride) and henchman Matheson (Robinson), that quickly revealed to be the trailer for This is the End instead. The upcoming comedy sees those same actors (plus Jay Baruschel) play fictional(?) versions of themselves as they live together in a single apartment while a global apocalypse destroys the Earth.
watch the trailer >> Posted 04.01.13 by Ryan -
Today's Challenge: It's April 20th, aka 4/20. Have a snack and see if you can you find the link that connects Dazed and Confused to Pineapple Express.
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 04.20.11 by reelz -
2008 stoner comedy Pineapple Express scored a modest hit ($101 million worldwide) for director David Gordon Green, who usually works in indie fare like All the Real Girls. MTV caught up with the direactor at the New York Comic-Con, where he revealed that a Pineapple Express sequel is a real possibility.
Nothing like the Miami coke scene for a few laughs >> Posted 10.11.10 by Ryan -
Paul Vasquez (Hungrybear9562) saw a double rainbow from his yard in Yosemite National Park and decided to grab his video camera to record the meteorological phenomenon. Interesting enough, but not the sort of thing set to become a YouTube hit, let alone one that inspires a song. The video's true value — and reason for its viral success — is this dude's reaction to seeing the double rainbow.
Here at Reelz, we're split. The cynics say it's a shrewd attempt at grabbing an audience, perhaps even an audition tape of sorts; while the romantics simply see a burly-man broken down to his rawest emotions by nature's beauty. One thing we can agree on is that odds are good Hungrybear9562's screen de plume might hint at a certain recreational habit. Which got us thinking it might be fun to do a little re-casting, especially given Hollywood's relentless release of sequels and remakes. Here, then, are 10 stoner movies we could totally see remade with a role tailored for Mr. Double Rainbow.
10 Movie Roles "All the Way" Perfect for Mr. Double Rainbow
Posted 07.27.10 by reelz -
Unlike the pitches of his ex-professional baseball player character in the HBO series Eastbound & Down, actor Danny McBride's acting career is picking up steam. After memorable supporting roles in such movies as Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder, McBride snagged a role in director Jason Reitman's Academy Award-nominated movie Up In the Air, and is the headliner of his latest movie, Your Highness, a period comedy from Pineapple director David Gordon Green due out in October.
Now, Variety reports that McBride will star in L.A.P.I., the first feature being developed by Rough House Pictures, a Mandate Pictures production house headed by McBride, Green, and Jody Hill. Variety provided no details about the plot of the movie other than that, as the title suggests, McBride will play a private investigator in what is presumably an action-comedy movie along the lines of Pineapple Express. The story is based on a pitch from the previously unproduced writing duo of Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan.
McBride will also be returning for a second season of Eastbound & Down on HBO. McBride co-created the series with Rough House partner Hill, who also directed two episodes and co-wrote six episodes the first season. McBride's other Rough House partner, Green, also collaborated on Eastbound as director of three episodes.
Posted 02.15.10 by BrentJS -
Actor James Franco has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments since his notable performance as Daniel Desario in Freaks and Geeks, most recently winning an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his role as Scott Smith in Milk. With disarming charm and the acting chops for anything from drama to comedy to action pics, Franco pretty much has his pick of roles.
Before heading off to Ireland to star opposite his Pineapple Express co-star Danny McBride in Your Highness, Franco will star in the indie film In Praise of Shadows, written and directed by Jay Anania, head of the directing program at NYU, where Franco just completed his first year of graduate school. Franco is also producing the film through his Rabbit Bandini Prods. banner. Said Anania about Franco:
In Praise of Shadows tells the tale of William Vincent (Franco), a man who returns to New York City after years in exile to rescue the woman he loves from mobsters. The budget for the film is less than $10 million.
Posted 06.10.09 by BrentJS -
The co-star of Seth Rogen's latest vehicle, Observe and Report, Anna Faris turned heads at last night's premiere in Los Angeles. An actress since the age of 9, Faris has appeared in more than a dozen feature films, including the four Scary Movie movies, and with two comedic performances alongside Ryan Reynolds in Waiting and Just Friends. Faris appeared in several episodes during the final season of Friends and she received wider recognition as an actress following her appearnce in Brokeback Mountain.
Written and directed by Jody Hill, Observe and Report also stars Ray Liotta (Revolver) and features an appearance by up-and-coming comedic actor Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down). While superficially similar to Kevin James' latest project, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Observe and Report has been described as a darker, more mature film, with Rogen commenting:
They're totally different movies.
Observe and Report synopsis courtesy of Warner Bros.:
At the Forest Ridge Mall, Head of security Ronnie Barnhardt (SETH ROGEN) patrols his jurisdiction with an iron fist. The master of his domain, he combats skateboarders, shoplifters and the occasional unruly customer while dreaming of the day when he can swap his flashlight for a badge and a gun.
Ronnie's delusions of grandeur are put to the test when the mall is struck by a flasher. Driven by his personal duty to protect and serve the mall and its patrons, Ronnie seizes the opportunity to showcase his underappreciated law enforcement talents on a grand scale, hoping his solution to the crime will earn him a coveted spot at the police academy and the heart of his elusive girl Brandi (ANNA FARIS), the hot makeup counter clerk who won't give him the time of day.
But his single-minded pursuit of glory launches a turf war with the equally competitive Detective Harrison (RAY LIOTTA) of the Conway Police, and Ronnie is confronted with the challenge of not only catching the flasher, but getting him before the real cops do.
Posted 04.08.09 by BrentJS -
In a recent interview with Marvel Studios chairman David Maisel, it was revealed that Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express, Observe and Report) would be playing the role of Steve Rogers, the Army reject who is turned into the "Star-Spangled Avenger" through the ingestion of a "Super Soldier Serum," in the upcoming live-action First Avenger: Captain America film.
This is not the first time that Rogen's name has popped up in association with a superhero genre film. His name has been attached to the live-action Green Hornet project for years now, with production set to begin in June of this year.
Said Maisel:
Seth Rogen is today's 'everyman,' someone that we can all relate to. He has a strength of character only hinted at in his previous roles.
Maisel explained that Rogen had been chosen to play the character of Steve Rogers before he becomes Captain America and that it had not yet been decided whether an altogether different actor would be playing the post-powered Steve Rogers or whether CGI techniques, such as those used on Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, would be used to "beef up" the portly actor.
Sony and Marvel Studios are coming on strong in 2011, with three superhero genre films slated for release. Last month, it was announced that Spider-Man 4 would be released on May 6th, with Thor following shortly thereafter on June 17th, and First Avenger: Captain America debuting July 22nd. These release dates resulted in the pushing back of The Avengers July 15, 2011, opening to May 4, 2012.
Happy April Fool's Day!
Posted 04.01.09 by BrentJS -
Sony Pictures Classics has released The Wackness on DVD. The Indie comedy, winner of the Audience Award for a drama at Sundance, features Josh Peck as a teenage pot dealer, who not only sells weed to his therapist (Ben Kingsley) but also falls in love with his stepdaughter.
Today's other releases include Pineapple Express, which stars Seth Rogen as a stoner who is the only witness to a murder committed by a drug lord and crooked cop; the crime drama Righteous Kill, which teams Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as veteran detectives hunting a vigilante serial killer; Nicholas Cage's turn as a hitman in Bangkok Dangerous; the latest Hollywood parody, Disaster Movie; and Vin Diesel's Babylon A.D., which was even criticized by its director, Mathieu Kassovitz.
Posted 01.06.09 by reelz