Sebastian Koch
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Kyle 'Coach Taylor' Chandler Returns to TV for Showtime's 'Vatican'
February 15, 2013 4:22pm ESTAfter nearly two years without Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler on our television screens (to be fair, he was starring in big-screen hits like Super 8, Argo, and Zero Dark Thirty), the beloved actor has signed on for the starring role in Showtime's pilot The Vatican, which focuses on a rural Synagogue in Minnesota. Just kidding, it's about the Roman Catholic Church. RELATED: 'Zero Dark Thirty' Kyle Chandler Interview Showtime confirmed via release that Chandler will be playing Cardinal Thomas Duffy — "the charismatic yet enigmatic Archbishop of New York" — in the pilot, which was penned by Paul Attanasio and will be directed by Ridley Scott. The show in general will focus on "spirituality, power and politics — set against the modern-day political machinations within the Catholic church," and Duffy's progressive leanings will "excite some and alarm others within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church." In other casting news, actors Matthew Goode (A Single Man) and Sebastian Koch (A Good Day to Die Hard) have also signed on, with filming set to begin in 2013. Now go home, before something bad happens. This day is just too sweet. Follow Shaunna on Twitter @HWShaunna [Photo Credit: WENN] From Our Partners: Kate Upton Bares All in Nothing But Body Paint: Video (Celebuzz) Bradley Cooper Dancing Is Surprisingly Awkward, Sweaty (Vh1)
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In Russia, 'A Good Day to Die Hard' Watches You (And Is Still Bad)!
February 14, 2013 5:54pm ESTA Good Day to Die Hard, the fifth entry in Bruce Willis' John McClane franchise, is 90 minutes of wall-to-wall action. To fans of the genre, that might sound like bliss. Yet even with Willis back in the saddle, director John Moore and writer Skip Woods have found a way to suck every ounce of soul out of McClane's everyman escapades. Willis is 57 years old, but Moore's car chases, shootouts, and explosion-dodging sequences are slow and stagnant enough to be fit for a McClane in his 90s. Adding to the misery is a incomprehensible narrative where nothing happens. Even when menacing Russians are prepping nuclear bombs, nothing is happening. It may have been a Good Day to Die Hard, but the latest sequel is the definition of a soft ball. RELATED: 'Good Day to Die Hard' Star Jai Courtney's Celebrity Doppelganger Is... This time around, John McClane is on the hunt for his son Jack (Jai Courtney), who is in deep doo doo after connecting himself to the murder of a crony working for corrupt government official Chagarin. Turns out, Jack is actually a CIA agent, with a mission to protect the incarcerated whistleblower Komarov, who currently sits at the top of Chagarin's hit list. Hoping to lift his son out of trouble, McClane shows up at the exact wrong time, witnessing a gang of henchmen blowing up a courthouse to kidnap Komarov and Jack. Everyone escapes and from there on; it's set piece after set piece until McClane shoots his way to the grand finale. The one thing A Good Day to Die Hard gets right is the casting of Courtney as the son of McClane. He's just gruff enough, just charming enough, and just adept enough at rolling around with a shotgun blowing away enemies. He can spar with Willis, who has really become the quipping, overworked cop he plays in the movies. The two could make a watchable pair, if they were actually given action to perform. Many complained 2007's Live Free or Die Hard lost the spirit of Die Hard when it opened up the world and turned McClane into a superhero capable of battling a fighter jet. A Good Day to Die Hard has you begging for anything geographically coherent. The film attempts to contain the action once again, but not by finding a single location or pushing its leading man to his limits. Instead, Moore takes his camera straight up the noses of actors, shaky cam and aggressive editing making up for the complete lack of energy or ingenuity in the set pieces. REALTED: What Makes a 'Die Hard' Movie a 'Die Hard' Movie? A highway truck chase — which comprises nearly a third of the movie's run time — is lifeless and lost in its barrage of crashing cars. Willis feels distant from it all, even when he's in the driver's seat. When McClane's unleashing hell to the faceless baddie — and really, if there's anything a Die Hard movie needs, it's a solid, maniacally laughing villain — he barely moves an inch. Thanks to the magic of cutting, Willis never exerts energy while decimating large crowds of people. Attempts to inject Die Hard with thrills flop — no exploding helicopter barreling down the side of a building, composed with flashy slow-motion and noticeable green screen, can top the sight of Willis going mano a mano with a killer twice his size. A Good Day to Die Hard even teases a good ol' fashioned fight, but never pays it off. By the eighth time John McClane reminds us that he's on vacation (this movie's version of "I'm too old for this s**t!"), the brain will have bid A Good Day to Die Hard a good day. The film is insipid in the worst way, throwing stunts at the screen when Willis and Courtney seem ripe with action hero potential. Willis has hinted that a sixth Die Hard movie is already in the works — the good news is, the series can only go up from here. Right? 1.5/5 What do you think? Tell Matt Patches directly on Twitter @misterpatches and read more of his reviews on Rotten Tomatoes! [Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox] From Our Partners: Kate Upton Bares All in Nothing But Body Paint: Video (Celebuzz) Bradley Cooper Dancing Is Surprisingly Awkward, Sweaty (Vh1)
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Unknown Review
February 17, 2011 9:49am ESTIn Unknown a generic conspiracy thriller from director Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan House of Wax) the protagonist played by Liam Neeson emerges from a four-day coma to find himself in the midst of a kind of reverse-identity crisis: He’s fairly certain who he is but everyone else around him seems to have forgotten as if they’ve contracted a kind of collective amnesia. The filmmakers hope dearly that this amnesia will extend to the audience that you won’t remember the Bourne trilogy The Fugitive or any number of other thrillers from which Unknown borrows heavily. Its main strategy for achieving this is to churn out action-thriller clichés at such a breathless pace that you won’t pause to ponder the film’s unoriginality. Moments after arriving in Berlin for a biotech conference world-class botanist Martin Harris (Neeson) nearly dies in a traffic accident. Stranded in a foreign country without any form of identification he angrily asserts to everyone he encounters he is “Martin Harris Doctor Martin Harris ” to which he mainly receives puzzled looks from confused Teutons. Events take a more sinister turn when even his wife Elizabeth (Mad Men’s January Jones)* claims not to recognize him and another man purporting to be Martin Harris takes his place by her side. Is this all some elaborate ruse or just the after-effects of the car accident? As Martin (Neeson’s version) probes the mystery of his lost identity he becomes enveloped in a grand conspiracy involving agribusiness conglomerates Arab sheiks a beautiful Bosnian immigrant (Diane Kruger) a sickly ex-Stasi member (Bruno Ganz) and a pair of stereotypically menacing German hitmen. The film’s setup is intriguing and its plot features a few clever twists but for the most part it's a predictable affair and one which gradually loses its grip on reality. As a piece of mindless entertainment Unknown has its moments – there are a handful of well-choreographed action sequences including the obligatory urban car chase – just don’t try to engage it on a logical level or you might end up in a coma yourself. *I thought for sure Jones' character would at some point be revealed as an android but alas I was wrong.
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British talents dominate nominations for International Emmys
October 04, 2010 10:00am ESTThe Alice In Wonderland star has been hailed in the best actress category for her TV portrayal of iconic children's writer Enid Blyton in Enid, while Hoskins is up for best actor for his role in BBC drama The Street. The programme, about the lives of different residents on a road in northwest England, will also compete for the title of best drama series, alongside the likes of U.K. comedy Peep Show, Japan's Clouds Over the Hill, The Killing II (Denmark), Traffic Light (Israel) and Argentinian crime series Epitafios. Epitafios' lead star Leonardo Sbaraglia will battle Hoskins for the best actor honour, with other nominees including Sea Wolf's Sebastian Koch (Germany) and Sid Lucero for Dahil May Isang Ikaw (Philippines). Meanwhile, Iris Berben's performance in Thr Krupps - A Family Between War and Peace (Germany) and Lerato Moloisane for Home Affairs (South Africa) are also among the best actress contenders. Brazil garnered a total of five mentions, while Japan and Argentina follow with four apiece. Music mogul Simon Cowell will receive the International Emmy Founders Award in recognition of his dominance in the reality TV world with his shows American Idol, The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent. The winners of the 38th International Emmy Awards will be unveiled in New York on 22 November (10). Former Beverly Hills, 90210 star Jason Priestley will present the ceremony.
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Black Book Review
May 11, 2007 5:33am ESTStructured as one big flashback Black Book tells the story of Rachel Stein (Carice van Houten) a Dutch Jew in hiding during World War II. When her cover is blown she reunites with her family to try to sneak out of the country--only to be ambushed by the Germans. The sole survivor of the attack one-time cabaret singer Rachel joins the resistance movement dyes her dark hair blonde and becomes Ellis de Vries. A chance meeting with nice-guy German officer Capt. Ludwig Müntze (Sebastian Koch) leads to both a secretarial job at Nazi headquarters (a handy place for a spy) and romance. But after Ellis discovers the truth behind the assault that killed her family things start spinning out of control with multiple betrayals and double-crosses threatening to destroy what little she has left. The majority of Black Book rests squarely on van Houten's slender shoulders--so it's a good thing she's up to the task. As lovely as any real 1940s screen siren she's also believably tough and resilient which is a good thing given everything Rachel/Ellis has to go through. Classier than the heroines of previous Verhoeven movies like Showgirls and Basic Instinct Ellis still shares a scrappy determination and sensuous femininity with her cinematic sisters and van Houten throws herself into the part without reservation (and in some scenes without clothes). Koch is both idealistic and pragmatic as Capt. Müntze--which makes him a noble counterpart to the odious Lieut. Günther Franken (Waldemar Kobus) whom Ellis is determined to take down. She finds an ally in fellow secretary Ronnie (a scene-stealing Christine Baranski-esque Halina Reijn) whose depths prove unexpected. Verhoeven is hardly known as a master of subtlety and Black Book is no exception. Why have one double-cross when you can squeeze in three or four? Why stop at a topless scene when you can show your heroine dying the carpet to match the curtains? Why use subtle scoring to enhance a scene's mood when heavy-handed musical cues can pound a moment home? But even with this tendency toward excess aside the movie has problems. The 145-minute running time throws off the pacing; in the final third there's a disconcerting sense of multiple endings. And ultimately there's a certain lack of suspense--since the film is set up as a flashback audiences know that Rachel/Ellis is going to survive no matter what's thrown at her. Black Book may be better than many of the other movies on the director's resume but it's still a Verhoeven flick through and through.
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The Lives of Others Review
February 09, 2007 6:23am ESTCapt. Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Muhe) is the German Democratic Republic's ultimate company man. So good at conducting interrogations and spotting liars he teaches new State Security ("Stasi") recruits how to do both and dedicates his life to watching and exposing "comrades" who aren't quite as loyal as they should be. But when he starts conducting surveillance on dashing playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his actress girlfriend Christa-Marie Sieland (Martina Gedeck) Wiesler finds himself getting caught up in their real-life drama--particularly after he discovers the true reason Dreyman has come under suspicion. As the stakes rise Wiesler's dedication to the Socialist Unity Party battles his growing sense of what honor truly is. The Lives of Others is full of strong performances with Muhe's at the top of the list. Resembling a German Kevin Spacey he conveys most of Wiesler's changing outlook through his large expressive eyes. As Wiesler's exposure to the color and passion of Georg and Christa-Marie's life underlines the stark emptiness of his own Muhe signals through slight changes in his character's rigid discipline much more is going on beneath the surface. Koch and Gedeck are also excellent. Georg and Christa-Marie's need for self-expression is constantly stifled by the pressure to be good party members and both actors--particularly Gedeck--make it clear what the personal cost of that conflict can be. In the supporting cast Ulrich Tukur does a nice job as Wiesler's secret police colleague/supervisor Lt. Col. Anton Grubitz turning what could have been a one-note performance into a role with unexpected nuances. Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck--who grew up in West Germany but visited the East as a child with his parents--has said that he spent four years researching The Lives of Others and it shows. The stark impersonal nature of much of the socialists' daily lives has the stamp of authenticity as does the film's mood of constant fear and suspicion. By contrasting scenes set in Georg and Christa-Marie's eclectic lived-in apartment--a haven from the world of informants and efficiency--with shots of a solitary Wiesler eavesdropping via headphone von Donnersmarck shows how even a tenuous connection to the world of passion and art can transform a life. In the end it is the characters' most human instincts--be they good or bad--that determine their fate not the party's rules and regulations.
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Julia's on Top
March 19, 2001 11:50am ESTJulia Roberts was worth her weight in box office gold this weekend as Universal's opening of "Erin Brockovich" topped the chart with more than $28 million. The R-rated dramatic comedy, co-financed by Universal and Columbia (which is releasing it internationally), kicked off to a perky estimated $28.21 million at 2,847 theaters ($9,910 per theater). Its per-theater average was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend. "Steven Soderbergh and our filmmaking partners Jersey Films made a terrifically entertaining film that both critics and audiences have embraced," Universal Distribution President Nikki Rocco said Sunday morning. "The combination of Julia Roberts, the No. 1 female star working in movies today, with this amazing story about a plain-speaking, working-class woman who takes on the big guys is absolutely irresistible. "It's Julia's second-biggest film (opening) of all time after 'Runaway Bride,' which was a summer opening ($35.1 million via Paramount). It is March's second-biggest opening ever, behind 'Liar Liar' with Jim Carrey ($31.4 million via Universal). It's the second-biggest opening for the year, behind 'Scream 3' ($34.7 million via Dimension Films)." Asked about the effect of last weekend's well-attended and well-liked sneak previews of "Erin," Rocco said, "I think the sneaks reinforced the fact that this is a very, very entertaining film. It helped the word of mouth. People buy into the fact that it's so entertaining. There's nothing better to sell a film than the film itself." Directed by Steven Soderbergh, "Erin" stars Julia Roberts, Albert Finney and Aaron Eckart. Buena Vista/Touchstone's "Mission to Mars" was drifting in a lower orbit in its second week, tumbling one light-year to second place with an arid estimated $10.74 million (-53%) at 3,060 theaters (+6 theaters, $3,510 per theater). Its total is approximately $40 million. New Line's R-rated suspense thriller "Final Destination" opened with a third-place destination and an OK estimated $10.20 million at 2,587 theaters ($3,943 per theater). Directed by James Wong, it stars Devon Sawa, Ali Larter and Kerr Smith. "We're thrilled with this number," New Line distribution head David Tuckerman said Sunday morning. "Research (based on tracking scores) had us at $4 million. The original 'Scream' only opened to $6 million. This is a really solid picture. I don't think it's going to be 'Scream,' but it's solid." Warner Bros. PG-rated family drama "My Dog Skip" from Alcon Entertainment slipped one post to fourth place in its 10th week, still holding impressively with a frisky estimated $5.53 million (-8%) at 2,331 theaters (theater count unchanged, $2,372 per theater). Its total is approximately $21.8 million. Directed by Jay Russell, "Skip" stars Frankie Muniz, Diane Lane, Luke Wilson and Kevin Bacon. "This movie's going to definitely break $40 million now (in domestic theaters)," Warner Bros. Distribution President Dan Fellman said Sunday morning. Artisan Entertainment's R-rated thriller "The Ninth Gate" plunged three slots to fifth place in its second week with a soft estimated $3.50 million (-47%) at 1,657 theaters (+71 theaters, $2,112 per theater). Its total is approximately $12.5 million. Sixth place went to Warner Bros.' "The Whole Nine Yards," the R-rated hit man comedy from Morgan Creek and Franchise Pictures, down two rungs in its fifth weekend with an OK estimated $3.20 million (-42%) at 2,503 theaters (-169 theatres, $1,278 per theater). Its gross to date is approximately $51 million. Directed by Jonathan Lynn, "Yards" stars Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry. "We'll do a little over $60 million (in domestic theaters)," Warners' Fellman said Sunday morning. DreamWorks' R-rated drama "American Beauty," the front-running Best Picture Oscar contender, fell two slots to seventh place in its 27th week with a still solid estimated $2.90 million (-21%) at 1,661 theaters (+139 theaters, $1,746 per theater). Its total gross is approximately $102.7 million. Directed by Sam Mendes, it stars Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. Miramax's PG-13-rated Best Picture Oscar contender "The Cider House Rules" fell two notches to eighth in its 15th week with an OK estimated $2.40 million (-31%) at 1,738 theaters (+34 theaters, $1,380 per theater). Its total gross is approximately $45.7 million. Directed by Lasse Hallström, it stars Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, Delroy Lindo, Paul Rudd and Oscar nominee Michael Caine. "By today, we've more than doubled our gross since the nominations, so that in and of itself is a victory," David Kaminow, Miramax senior vice president of marketing, said Sunday morning. Paramount and Nickelodeon Movies' PG-rated comedy "Snow Day" held on to ninth place in its sixth week with a still solid estimated $2.20 million (-31%) at 2,387 theaters (-285 theaters, $922 per theater). Its total gross is approximately $56.4 million. Directed by Chris Koch, it stars Chevy Chase. Rounding out the Top 10 was Buena Vista/Disney's G-rated "The Tigger Movie, up three slots in its sixth weekend with a still bouncy estimated $1.90 million (-24%) at 1,701 theaters (-392 theaters, $1,117 per theater). Its total gross is approximately $41.7 million. OTHER OPENINGS Last weekend also saw the arrival of Lions Gate Films' R-rated wrestling documentary "Beyond the Mat," placing 19th with an OK estimated $0.95 million at 298 theaters ($3,188 per theater). Its total gross, including some prior runs, is approximately $0.987 million. Written and directed by Barry Blaustein, it goes behind the scenes of the lives of three members of the World Wrestling Federation. "I think it's phenomenal. People have to remember that it's a documentary," Lions Gate Co-President Tom Ortenberg said Sunday morning. "It's playing very broadly. We're having some great numbers out of Middle America. We're going to be grossing $9,000 to $10,000 in Providence, Rhode Island, and Nashville, Tennessee, and San Antonio, Texas. Will it add theaters next week? "It's going to stay about the same," he said. "There were a number of runs among (the opening theaters) that didn't really work very well. So rather than making more prints, we'll just let those play for a couple of weeks, take them off and start bicycling them around. We'll try to do it in as timely a fashion as possible, but we're not in a huge rush." Fox Searchlight Pictures' R-rated dark comedy "Soft Fruit" opened at one theater in New York, placing 31st with a soft estimated $0.006 million ($5,815 per theater). Directed by Christina Adreef, it won the International Critics Prize at the 1999 San Sebastian Film Festival. SNEAK PREVIEWS Last weekend saw no national sneak previews. EXPANSIONS On the expansion front, last weekend saw Fox Searchlight's "Boys Don't Cry" widen in its 24th week, placing 23rd with an estimated $0.497 million at 254 theaters (+68 theaters, $1,917 per theater). Its total gross is approximately $6.8 million. Directed by Kimberly Peirce, it stars Hilary Swank, a leading contender in the Best Actress Oscar race, and Chloë Sevigny, a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee. USA Films' PG-rated suspense drama reissue "Rear Window" widened in its ninth week, placing 28th with a calm estimated $0.089 million (-16%) at 37 theaters (+10 theaters, $2,395 per theater). Its total gross is approximately $1.3 million. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, it stars James Stewart and Grace Kelly. The 1954 film classic was restored by Robert Harris and James Katz. Paramount Classics' R-rated drama "Deterrence" expanded in its second week, placing 29th with a dull estimated $0.021 million (-9 ) at 17 theaters (+10 theaters, $1,248 per theater). Its total gross is approximately $0.056 million. Written and directed by Rod Lurie, it stars Kevin Pollak and Timothy Hutton. WEEKEND COMPARISONS Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 for the weekend -- took in approximately $85.27 million, up about 19.69% from the comparable weekend last year when key films grossed $71.24 million. This weekend's key film gross was up about 4.74% from last weekend, when key films grossed $81.41 million. Last year, DreamWorks' opening week of "Forces of Nature" was first with $13.51 million at 2,058 theaters and Warner Bros.' third week of "Analyze This" was second with $11.71 million at 2,537 theaters. The top two films one year ago grossed $25.2 million. This year, the top two films grossed an estimated $39.1 million. STUDIO MARKET SHARES Based on business by key films, last weekend's top six distributors were the following: Universal was first with one film ("Erin Brockovich") grossing an estimated $28.21 million or 33.1% of the market. Buena Vista (Disney, Touchstone) was second with four films ("Mission to Mars," "The Tigger Movie," "The Sixth Sense" and "Fantasia 2000") grossing an estimated $15.60 million or 18.3% of the market. New Line was third with one film ("Final Destination")grossing an estimated $10.20 million or 12% of the market. Warner Bros. was fourth with three films ("My Dog Skip," "The Green Mile" and "The Whole Nine Yards")grossing an estimated $9.28 million or 10.9% of the market. Paramount was fifth with three films ("The Next Best Thing," "Snow Day" and "Wonder Boys") grossing an estimated $5.05 million or 5.9% of the market. Miramax (Miramax, Dimension) was sixth with three films ("Reindeer Games," "Scream 3" and "The Cider House Rules") grossing an estimated $4.60 million or 5.4% of the market. ADDITIONAL ESTIMATES (11) "Drowning Mona"/Destination Theaters: 1,704 (-277) Gross: $1.78 million (-48%) Average per theater: $1,046 To date: $13.6 million (12) "The Next Best Thing"/Paramount Theaters: 2,035 (+1) Gross: $1.70 million (-48%) Average per theater: $835 To date: $13.4 million (13) "Fantasia 2000"/BV/Disney Theaters: 54 (0) (all IMAX) Gross: $1.60 million (domestic) (+7%) Average per theater: $29,201 To date: $33.7 million (domestic) (14) "Pitch Black"/USA Films Theaters: 1,384 (-346) Gross: $1.55 million (-47%) Average per theater: $1,105 To date: $36.6 million (15) "Reindeer Games"/Dimension Theaters: 1,701 (-412) Gross: $1.30 million (-54%) Average per theater: $764 To date: $21.8 million (16) "The Sixth Sense"/BV/Touchstone Theaters: 878 (+206) Gross: $1.20 million (-19%) Average per theater: $1,318 To date: $288.3 million (17) "Wonder Boys"/Paramount Theaters: 1,458 (-51) Gross: $1.15 million (-56%) Average per theater: $789 To date: $16.9 million (18) "3 Strikes"/MGM Theaters: 678 (0) Gross: $1 million (-47%) Average per theater: $1,465 To date: $8.8 million (19) "Beyond the Mat"/Lions Gate Films (see OTHER OPENINGS above) (20) "Scream 3"/Dimension Theaters: 1,316 (-131) Gross: $0.90 million (-42%) Average per theater: $683 To date: $85.9 million (21) "Hanging Up"/Columbia Theaters: 1,048 (-929) Gross: $0.64 million (-62%) Average per theater: $610 To date: $35.4 million (22) "The Green Mile"/Castle Rock/Warner Bros. Theaters: 773 (-75) Gross: $0.55 million (-16%) Average per theater: $715 To date: $134.4 million (23) "Boys Don't Cry"/Fox Searchlight (see EXPANSIONS above) (24) "Boiler Room"/New Line Theaters: 380 (-227) Gross: $0.44 million (-55%) Average per theater: $1,165 To date: $16.1 million (25) "The Beach"/20th Century Fox Theaters: 485 (-228) Gross: $0.31 million (-54%) Average per theater: $640 To date: $38.8 million (26) "The Hurricane"/Universal Theaters: 336 (-70) Gross: $0.20 million (-39%) Average per theater: $595 To date: $49.8 million (27) "Topsy-Turvy"/USA Films Theatres Theaters: 109 (-2) Gross: $0.14 million (-28%) Average per theater: $1,285 To date: $5.4 million (28) "Rear Window"/USA Films (see EXPANSIONS above) (29) "Deterrence"/Paramount Classics (see EXPANSIONS above) (30) "Agnes Browne"/USA Films Theaters: 15 (+1) Gross: $0.018 million (-30%) Average per theater: $1,185 To date: $0.1 million (31) "Soft Fruit"/Fox Searchlight (see OTHER OPENINGS above)
