First Image of John Travolta as a Crazed Stalker in Thriller ‘Moose’ - Directed by Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit

John Travolta's career still looks like it desperately needs a second comeback. We thought it might happen with his excellent turn as OJ Simpson's lawyer, Robert Shapiro, in 2016’s “The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” Ever since then? Nada. Zilch. Zero.

His next project does sound fascinating. TMZ asked Travolta about “Moose,” a film directed by Fred Durst, yes of Limp Bizkit fame, and the actor full-on said:  “Maybe my favorite experience I’ve had. He’s so generous and he’s such an artist. And he allowed me to create a character that no one else would allow.”

The best experience that Travolta ever had? In a film directed by Limp Bizkit's frontman? 

“Moose” is based on a real-life that Durst experienced between himself and a fan. The film is about an obsessed fan, played by Travolta, who begins stalking his favorite action-film star, played by Devon Sawa (Remember him? From “Idle Hands” and “SLC Punk?”).

No word yet on a release date, but “Moose” has just skyrocketed onto my must-see list.

“It Chapter 2" Officially Casts Jessica Chastain as Beverly, Also in Talks are Bill Hader as Richie and James McAvoy as Bill

Director Andy Muschietti's horror remake of Stephen King's clown opus “It” was a box-office smash last fall. It even surpassed "The Exorcist" at the top spot and became the highest-grossing horror movie in box-office history, nabbing more than $327M at the domestic box-office. Incredible numbers, so much so that a sequel was inevitable, and, as we quickly learned, was in the works only a few weeks after the film's September release. 

The focus of this aforementioned second chapter would be on the main kids, but all grown up some thirty years later, but Pennywise the clown still looming and torturing them in the creaky darkness. Muschietti wasn't shy in his insistence to have Jessica Chastain play grown-up Beverly, the redhead, and we had heard of serious talks between the actress and Warner Brothers pictures occurring as early as this past winter. 

Well, THR is now reporting that those talks have translated into Chastain being officially cast for the sequel. However, that's not the only bombshell we received yesterday evening, we also learned that none other than James McAvoy and Bill Hader were now themselves in serious negotiations to join the sequel. McAvoy is supposedly sought to play the role of adult Bill Denbrough, and Hader would be playing Richie Tozier, the dirty-mouthed comedic relief of the "losers club."

"It Chapter 2" will be adapted from King‘s horror novel, which was about a group of childhood friends, that once battled a supernatural clown, returning to their hometown as adults only learn that same evil still exists. If fans were praying for casting to be well thought-out for this much-anticipated sequel, then their wishes have surely been granted. Chastain was strongly pushed as a fan favorite to play Bev and both Hader and McAvoy are strong, resiliently talented actors that will no doubt bring a ton of charisma to their respective roles.  Also, Muschietti and Chastain previously worked together on the horror film “Mama,” an underseen gem released earlier this decade. Bill Skarsgård will, of course, be back as the shape-shifting clown from hell, Pennywise.

“It: Chapter 2” opens on September 6, 2019. 

Spielberg's "The Post," a few reactions.



Spoke to a few people that said it was similar to the way he shot and told "Lincoln," and "Bridge of Spies," meaning the story does the talking, there's a lot of patient, held-back filmmaking, a very slow and dry affair. "Slightly square, old-school Hollywood craftsmanship," somebody told me, adding "It's no Spotlight." In other words, a movie that underplays its strengths. I thought "Lincoln" and "Bridges" were both ok, but that seems to be the direction Spielberg has decided to take on the last 5 or so years with his dramas.

"Gravity"


Gravity is eye popping stuff. Alfonso Cuaron has made a movie that is unlike any we’ve ever seen before. It’s almost as groundbreaking as Avatar minus the flaws Cameron’s film had. Cuaron's magic here is perfect. This is a straightforward blockbuster from an auteur who knows how to please. Cuaron's films have legitimately made him one of the best directors around (Children Of Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien) hell he even made high art out of a Harry Potter film. Prisoner Of Azkaban was by far the best one of the series, with its exceptional visuals. So who's to expect anything else but a great movie from Cuaron. He's made one here with Gravity. There are no eye popping, gut squirming villains in this space world. The villain here is just gravity itself in all of its nightmarish, scientific and subtle madness.

It would be unfair to reveal the secrets behind the plot but suffice to say a master is at work here and Cuaron has surely directed Sandra Bullock to her second Oscar Nomination – if not, her second win. Bullock is dead-on as an astronaut with not much to live for but her job, especially as she is still mourning the death of her daughter back at home. Corny stuff right? but you believe it and are affected by it. George Clooney plays her co-pilot in the space mission and he acts, well, like George Clooney in an astronaut suit. I'm fine with that. Some of the visuals here are tremendous, in a how-the-hell-did-they-do-it kind of way. It was supposedly a torturous experience for Sandra Bullock as she told us at the film's premiere in Toronto. Bullock was in a cubicle the entire shoot of the film and had to rely on her imagination to act out the scenes. It seems to have worked.

 Gravity is a film that relies on its visuals to tell a story. The hypnotic madness of space itself is continuously a theme that was delved upon before, most notably in Stanley Kubrick's 2001:A Space Odyssey. This is not as trippy an experience as Kubrick's journey into the human psyche but it relies on that film as a draft for its more entertaining aspirations. Some of Gravity's images have been firmly planted into my head since I last saw it in Toronto 3 weeks ago. It's a film that is meant to be seen on the biggest screen possible with the biggest speakers. The dialogue is minimal but the music -brilliantly composed by Stephen Price- drives the story along with its loud, penetrating beat.

The last 10 minutes of Gravity are as intense any film I've seen this year, in fact it'll make you appreciate the grounded feel of our beloved planet. There's something to be said about a film that takes place mostly in space with not much plot to speak for but the survival of its protagonists. What Cuaron and his brother Carlos -they wrote the screenplay together- have achieved is an immersive experience unlike any other we've ever seen before. Comparisons to Avatar will be made, but Gravity is a better, more artful experience. A 90 minute trip to space with the unrelenting feeling of wanting to get out alive.