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That "Dark" Feeling...

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:14:37 -0400

Advertisement for "The Dark Knight" in Times Square, 6/27/08, 9:42pm.

Pushing my way through Times Square to get home and saw a crowd taking pictures of something. Well what's above was what it was. I get a whirlwind of different emotions whenever I see the WB promote "The Dark Knight" with Ledger's image front and center.

It's kinda a tribute and it's kinda exploitive. Either way the thing will open huge and his performance is getting raves/Oscar mentions. I'm seeing it soon on IMAX, which should be incredible. I just can't shake that 'wrong/right' emotion about looking at this ad. You better believe WB knows it too. Why else would he be the front and center of all the marketing?

Interview: EXCLUSIVE 1 on 1 with Gilles Marini (Sex and the City: The Movie)

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:23:41 -0400

Actor Gilles Marini, restaurant in Studio City, LA. On Father's Day (see the T-Shirt), 3:49pm.

So readers, aren't you glad you waited? How could we cover "Sex and the City" and not have an interview with the reason the movie is sexy in the first place? Gilles Marini aka: 'The Naked Shower Guy' in "Sex and the City: The Movie" is much more than just a gorgeous face and body. A dedicated father and actor on the rise, he's dealing with his new found fame while still looking for the next role that will continue to expand his flourishing career.

Meeting up with Gilles in LA during our stay, he had to move from the Starbucks we were at originally because the female attention grew a little too intense. Settling in a restaurant near by, we finally got to talk about everything from the movie the whole world has seemed to have seen to what he is all about. Read on for MPF's EXCLUSIVE 1 on 1 with Gilles Marini...

MPF: What do you think of this new found fame?

Gilles Marini: I think I�m enjoying it. To tell you the truth, it�s very surprising to me. At first I was like �whoa, what�s going on here?� The fans and the people that enjoy the part- I found them to be very sweet and understanding instead of �oh look, there�s this beautiful guy!� The messages I�m getting from people are very flattering and a lot are saying they want to see me on other things. That makes me feel good everyday. Every time I open emails I get so much love and I love it.

MPF: Take me from where you were career wise before hand, to where you are right now.

GM: Right before I started acting I was doing some modeling and stuff. I don�t think I got big roles right away because believe it or not I don�t have the �big� agent yet. I have managers but it�s really difficult for them to find the right lead role for me, knowing where I�m from and my background- all I needed was a shot and I got one.

MPF: Did you always want to be an actor?

GM: Yes. It was whenever �American Gigolo� came out. My mother was a big fan of actors and she said to me �acting is what you�re going to do.� Something, a scene, stuck in my mind in the film where he�s driving around in his car and the wind is blowing in his hair and life is good. That�s what I remember anyway, I was seven. And I said �that�s a good job, to make believe.� Since that day I really wanted to be an actor, then modeling came up and well, the rest is history.

MPF: How were you cast in �Sex and the City�? Did Michael Patrick King just say �drop em!�?

GM: (laughs) Michael is much smarter than that. I did my first audition in LA in a hotel- it was pretty much shirt off, some lines and such and they sent it back to the producers and Michael in NY. A couple of days later, I got the �big call back� and my manager said �this is important, this is it.� I was like �wow!� I wasn�t really watching the show at the time. I was counting my pennies so to speak, so HBO wasn�t a priority. I had never seen the �real show� only the one on TBS, which is so different. I believe a fan of the HBO version could not be a fan of the TBS version. So when I got to the next audition, I was brushed up more on the show and knowing I was doing scenes with Samantha, made me feel different. I�ve been really lucky.

MPF: Do you mind that millions of people have seen you naked across these huge screens?

GM: Thank god for the huge screens. (laughs) If they were smaller, than who knows, right? I don�t mind though, because what a nice payback for all the male and female audiences who like to see that. It�s always the woman as the object of the movie, boobs bouncing around- I thought it was a very good idea for them to do what we did and now it�s different. Dante, my character is the mirror of what Samantha was before, so we tried to really portray that as close as possible. It never really crossed my mind to ask what was going to be shown, I didn�t care though. And what everyone saw in the movie was nothing compared to what we shot. It�s so funny everyone says full frontal, it was a side shot. We did a lot of full frontal. Not that he really asked me too, but I was. When I hear �rolling!� it�s like I�m hearing �action!� and I just block everything out of my eyes. Kim Cattrall was there when she was giving her lines and I was just completely naked in front of her but I didn�t care, you know?

MPF: Everyone is saying you�re the �Sex� in �Sex and the City�-

GM: Yeah, this is what Sarah Jessica Parker said and that sentence made my day. And the movie is still kicking- I�m getting messages from all around the globe. It�s quite funny too, I go to school and models come up to me and they�re looking at my face but sometimes they look down, two weeks ago they weren�t.

MPF: Is there a certain type of role you would like to tackle now that you�ve done this?

GM: Sure, I would love to play someone who is mentally challenged or even a bad guy. These two things I would really love to play.

*spoilers* MPF: One thing a lot of people are asking is why there isn�t a scene with you and Kim Cattrall together when the movie ends-

GM: I think it was great not having the scene because it was more than her being attracted to me. Dante reminded her of her old self. That is the trigger that makes her leave, that�s the trigger to a lot of things. Sure I would love to have the scene you speak of �getting on with it�. Why don�t you go to Michael Patrick King in the sequel and that will be one of the first thing she does. I would be so down to it. I talked to him on the phone before the opening and he said �Take credit for yourself, you made Dante come to life. Enjoy it.� I was really thankful to him. I think there should be a trilogy, right? But they should really get to it.

"Sex and the City: The Movie" is in theaters now.

MPF LA Fever!

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:17:14 -0400

The surprises keep on coming don't they? There are many more to come, but yes- in the weeks we were gone we went to LA! Keep on looking for LA news and reports from our little vacay because as much as we wanted it to be, it wasn't all relaxation. There was some work involved- work that will make you very happy we went. So stay tuned and keep in locked in here...

"Sex and the City" Coverage Delayed For A Surprise

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:03:00 -0400

A few weeks ago when the "Sex and the City" movie coverage was supposed to run we wanted to make it extra special. But how? Well in the weeks when we were working on GC, I thought of the very thing that would make the coverage extra sexy. It's a secret right now as to what the sexy surprise will be, but trust us, you'll be glad you waited.

Ladies And Gentlemen, MPF Presents: GO CONCERT

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:08:00 -0400

You've waited all throughout this hot day to see what we're going to report to you (at least I know some of you have) and I'm so pleased and proud to announce what we've been working on throughout these past couple of weeks. Ladies and Gentleman, the music side of MPF is born and it's called GO CONCERT.

Over at GoConcert.net you will find everything MPF is but with a concert and music edge. We're going to a bunch of concerts (duh), interviewing your favorite artists, attending the hottest parties and letting you know about the latest and best music to listen to. We've been working so hard on this and we want you to check it out, so without further ado- Go!!!!

MoviePictureFilm Returns Monday!

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:37:20 -0400

After a little break, yes- we will definitely return on Monday morning. We have so much to share with you. Thank you so much for all the emails. See you Monday!!!!!

Julianne Moore in "Savage Grace"

Thu, 29 May 2008 13:53:00 -0400

Julianne Moore will blow you away in "Savage Grace" (IFC Films, Friday, limited release)

It's Friday night. "Sex and the City" is of course, sold out all over town. Your girlfriends or guy friends are raging bitches. They all want to see "Sex" but the only available shows are at 2:30am and on. You can decide one of two things at this point. 1- Get some new friends, or 2- see Julianne Moore give the first real Oscar worthy performance of the year so far in the shocking and brutally witty "Savage Grace".

I know what you're saying. It's not "Sex"! And I hear you. But "Savage Grace" has many qualities to offer. Naked dudes for instance. Controversial themes, beautiful costumes, cinematography that will make your mouth water. Oh and it will definitely get you chattering after it ends. I was glued to my chair when it ended and had to be almost literally peeled off by a friend. That never ever happens to me. Most of the time I can't wait to run out of the theater (that says something about the quality of films that are out now).

Of course "Savage Grace" is heavier than "Sex and the City" (although, people are going to be surprised that the big secret of "Sex" is that it's a drama, not a comedy). So when you're thinking of how to make the best out of a bad situation, owe it to yourself and your friends and check out this movie. Email me and tell me your thoughts as well!!!!!!

R.I.P. Sydney Pollack 1934-2008

Tue, 27 May 2008 13:51:58 -0400

Quite saddened to hear today that Sydney Pollack has passed. I met him very briefly when I used to work in test screenings. He showed up to a few screenings and was always pleasant and nice. I also remember sitting in a theater watching his under appreciated "The Interpreter"' in 2005 and this woman in front of me screamed in the scene where the bus explodes in a terrorist attack. Another person next to me said "oh my god"' and stared at the screen in shock.

It takes superior talent to evoke such emotion out of the audience but Pollack did just that. I also enjoyed his many performances- especially in Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut". My absolute favorite thing he ever did was of course "Tootsie" with Dustin Hoffman in 1982. That's a real classic right there. Pollack was 73. R.I.P.

Interview: Ben Barnes (The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian)

Sun, 18 May 2008 07:33:00 -0400

Actor Ben Barnes, The Mandarin Oriental, 5/3/08, 12:42pm.

From Indie flicks and stage productions to a starring role in a multi-million dollar kids franchise, what is going through the mind of twenty six year old UK native Ben Barnes? After being whisked away from obscurity to sitting on the couch with Jay Leno it all must seem a little bit surreal. The actor had just been on stage in the UK production of "The History Boys" when he was called up to audition for "The Chronicles Of Narnia" sequel and soon enough he was chosen to headline the film in the role of Prince Caspian.

How did every young actor's dream happen to Ben Barnes? We found out when we sat down with him and the rest of the NY press for "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" junket earlier this month, where he seemed like an old pro at charming everyone. Read on for more with actor Ben Barnes. You might just be seeing a lot of him in the near future.

MPF: Is it surreal to see yourself on billboards all over the world? Disney is using your face as a major selling point, which makes sense considering you're so good looking...

Ben Barnes: Well thanks man, I appreciate that. LA is a really dangerous place to be if you're me, just don't drive down Sunset Boulevard because it's dangerous. The advertisements just leave me completely breathless. You get this slight tingle of nerves and you're not quite sure why, it's this eight-story man on a building looking down at you. You know it's you and you know it's character you've played, and yet there's a part of you which refuses to acknowledge that, and you think, 'Who's that guy?' It's a very, very difficult emotion to explain. It's almost quite confusing to see yourself on those things and then you rationalize and think it's a marketing campaign, it makes sense. They put on hair extensions and they look good. It's a tan; it's not really me. So yeah, it's surreal. A few weeks ago I met a journalist and he said, 'hi' and slammed an action figure in front of me, and said, 'what do you think?' Someone says there's going to be an action figure and you think, aw, amazing, I played with the Transformers, and you realize what you did with them, which is smash them against each other and chew their arms off. You think it's cool to have an action figure if it's a collectible in a box, but what they're there for is for people to smash them up, which is kind of weird again.

MPF: What did you think of your first big screen performance?

BB: For an actor it's difficult to watch yourself, to suspend your disbelief that far to not see yourself in the character you're playing. My heartbeat rate was heightened every time I was on screen, which is about the ego, isn't it? It is what it is. I was nervous I hadn't done myself justice because it seems like such a long time ago and such a different world.

MPF: Did the kids from the first film welcome you when you started the job?

BB: Completely. When I got the part, I got the DVD of the first and watched all the extras. I listened to Georgie sit there and go 'William (Moseley) is like my brother. And Andrew (Adamson) is like the dad when the dad's not there, and it's all nice,' and I'm like, 'Get me a bucket. I don't believe you.' Then I walked in the production office on the first day and they were playing table tennis with each other and they were sitting on each other's laps and sharing ice cream. It was something out of a Disney film. It really was a family atmosphere on set. They were all very welcoming and Anna and Will were a little emotional last night watching it, knowing this film was their last one. What people don't realize is that Anna is now nineteen and Will is twenty one, and they were thirteen and fifteen when they first auditioned for these movies. It's a big part of your childhood to give up to a project of this size. I think it's a hundred percent worth it though. They've got something really to show for it. It's emotional for them. It's hard for him to give me the sword at the end of the movie. You can see.

MPF: You have a Spanish accent in this film that was quite good...

BB: Thank you. It was interesting because they started off saying they wanted a Spanish-sounding Mediterranean accent and they said they would cast all Spanish actors. After one week of filming, they cast an Italian, a Spaniard, a Mexican, a Flemish actor and some Czech actors. I just thought, this is not going to work out. We're not going to sound the same. So we worked on adapting the Spanish accent to make it more Mexican and a little bit Italian sounding even, to smooth it out a bit so it wasn't too intrusive, I believe it worked out though...

MPF: Are you now a master swordsman and horseman?

BB: Hell yeah.

MPF: What was the training? And how will you use it?

BB: Winning the hearts of damsels in distress on the streets. (laughs) I did some solid horse training when I got there because I hadn't gotten any experience on a horse even though I might have suggested I did. I was literally on a horse five or six hours a day. I bought some padded cycling shorts to ease the comfort. And I had these great Spanish teachers who went through everything with me and eventually after a couple of weeks it clicked into place and as you can see I'm going through rivers and riding with flaming torches up and down ramps and through trees and it was amazing. It's totally exhilarating. It's like a ride at Disneyland. It's fantastic. The Sword training I actually had to do more throughout filming. The battle sequences were at the end so we knew we had time. The sword fighting is as fun as it looks and I can't lose because, well you know, I'm in the next film.

MPF: How many Narnia films are you signed on for?

BB: We're definitely making Dawn Treader, but beyond that I don't know. The character of Caspian is in the Dawn Treader book and then he's much older, much older in The Silver Chair. He's like seventy. So who knows what they'll do with that.

MPF: Did you know that Caspian means Dandruff in Spanish?

BB: Oh no! That's a Head and Shoulders campaign coming my way.

MPF: You're shooting the next movie in October.
Do you have time to shoot anything else before then?

BB: I shot a film with Colin Firth and Jessica Biel called "Easy Virtue"; it's a Noel Coward play adaptation. It's a very different British farce, kind of a posh "Meet the Parents". It's very different again. And I hope to be doing something in the summer. I don't know exactly what yet.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" is in theaters now.

Thanks to Brad Balfour for his contribution to this post.

This Gave Me Chills...(In Search Of A Midnight Kiss)

Sat, 17 May 2008 05:28:00 -0400

Time Flies. We're less than a month away from the UK release of Alex Holdridge's masterpiece "In Search of a Midnight Kiss" and about two months or so away from its official US release. Today the official IFC trailer has premiered and it literally gave me chills. I haven't seen the film for a while now, but it brought back all those emotions and visuals that moved me almost a year ago. This trailer is definitely much better than the original one.

The new transfer looks incredibly crisp and frankly gorgeous. McNairy's narration feels even more perfect than I remember. Enough praise, watch it and judge for yourself. I know you will love it. Look for the review I've been sitting on for the last couple of months, deciding when the perfect time was to release it to the net masses. Now is the time readers. Check back the 30th or the 31st. The movie opens in the UK June 13th and right here in NY on August 1st at the IFC Center. Yay!!!!!!