Brad Bird
A filmmaker who possess the rare ability to truly instill his animated creations with lifelike sentiments, identifiable emotions, and most of all heart, director Brad Bird has found notable success in...
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'Mission: Impossible' Blu: Pull Back the Mask on the Masks — EXCLUSIVE VIDEO
April 11, 2012 10:13am ESTMission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol comes to Blu-ray/DVD on April 17. For those fans out there who are interested in becoming secret agents on their own accord, there's a special feature that might catch your interest: mask-making. The below clip from the Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Blu-ray feature "Life Masks" shows the technology behind the creation of the masks seen in the most recent of Ethan Hunt's (Tom Cruise) big screen adventures. As you'll learn in the below video, the mask-making team kicked it up a notch since Mission: Impossible 3. Back then, you could only make one mask at a time. But in this new era of impossible missions, no mission is impossible. Even the mission of making two masks at once. Amazingly, the technology isn't that far off from from what the real spies are using. At an event in Washington D.C.'s International Spy Museum, former CIA agent Jonna Hiestand Mendez explained to reporter Matt Patches that "bioimaging" is used by agents in the field to create highly detailed disguises. Like artists utilize 3D printing, spies can utilize the technology to pull off Ethan Hunt-style switcheroos. Pretty impressive. Check out the exclusive featurette for more: More: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Will Drop In on Blu-ray/DVD Exclusive Interview: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Director Brad Bird IMAX President Greg Foster Talks Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
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'Catching Fire': Hire a Woman! Five Who Should Take Over 'Hunger Games'
April 11, 2012 6:13am ESTAfter a lengthy, rumor-filled back-and-forth between The Hunger Games director Gary Ross and Lions Gate, the studio behind the No. 1 movie in America three weeks holding, news broke late last night that Ross would be stepping down from the director's chair for the sequel, Catching Fire. The shake-up is a mixed bag; Ross was a quintessential part of turning the Hunger Games into a success, from his part in penning the screenplay to the directing decisions that made the final product serve fans and newbies alike. But much like the Potter and Twilight franchises, Hunger Games can find fresh blood — an opportunity to imbue the next installment with unique perspectives and style. And if the producers of Hunger Games are really ready to step up the game of the series, here's my suggestion: hire a woman. Out of the top 20 highest grossing live-action movies of 2011, exactly zero of them were directed by women. And it's not that the female-driven films of last year bombed at the box office — there was never an opportunity for them to take off in the first place. The truth is, women are underserved in the world of blockbusters — but with Hunger Games being a nearly demographicless franchise, and with a strong, female character at the center of the action, the open director position for Catching Fire seems like the perfect slot to fill with a visionary, female director. The sequel is already a sure thing — without knowing a single thing about the movie, I can already tell you it will pass the $100 million mark within days of opening — so there's little risk in hiring someone to take it outside the box. If you don't think there are any women working in the biz capable of stepping up to the blockbuster plate, think again. Here are five that could easily knock Catching Fire out of the park: Mira Nair (Vanity Fair, The Namesake) The India-born director's career has been balanced with intimate indies (Monsoon Wedding) and large-scale dramas (Amelia), all painted with a vivid visual style rarely found in Hollywood or elsewhere. Taking on Catching Fire wouldn't be her first foray into young adult fiction adaptations — she was originally offered Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but turned it down to tackle material that felt more personal. But the Hunger Games sequel is a mature story, even with teenage leads, and tackles some grand, revolutionary ideas. Nair's done sweeping period pieces, and Catching Fire isn't too far off — except for the whole "being in the future" thing. Jennifer Yuh (Kung Fu Panda 2) With the jump from animation to live-action being all the rage — recent cases like Andrew Adamson (Shrek to Narnia), Brad Bird (Ratatouille to Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol), and Andrew Stanton (Wall-E to John Carter) — allowing one of the best animated action directors to take a stab at Catching Fire is only logical. Yuh's action choreography in the recent Kung Fu Panda 2 was above and beyond expectations. Exhilarating, funny, and surprisingly poignant, the director took a pudgy Jack Black panda character and made him kick butt with an edge of vulnerability. Imagine what she could in the over-the-top arena of Catching Fire.
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'Happy Endings': The Best and Worst From Season Two
April 04, 2012 2:22pm ESTBad news, fellow whisker basket collectors: Tonight ABC will air the second season finale for the fan favorite comedy Happy Endings. (If your reaction to that information looks exactly like this, I feel your pain.) The good news is that the show had a vastly improved sophomore season and earned higher ratings as word-of-mouth got out that it's one of television's best kept comedy secrets. But before we bid adieu (sorry Jane, I know how much you hate the French) to the Happy Endings gang for the summer (don't worry, we'll all visit at the lake house!) let's take a look back and the highs —and very few — lows from season two, aka The Year of Penny. Best Episodes: - "The Code War": Brad has a work wife and Jane tries (and fails miserably) to get a work husband, but it's Max and Dave's battle royal after breaking "the code" that made for one of the most laugh-out-loud eps. - "Cocktails and Dreams": Dave befriends Colin Hanks and inceptions the gang's sex dreams after making a potent cocktail at his food truck. Plus, we all learned what a "whore's bath" is! - "Secrets and Limos": Penny creates a vision board, Max illegally starts a limo business, and Alex finally made a joke that landed. ("You and your board need to get a room. A board room. Yes!") Worst Episodes: - "Full Court Dress": Max and Penny make for terrible babysitters, while Alex tries to pawn off a J. Crew dress to Jane as her own. In a season low light, Dave and Brad befriend a creepy mailman (Rob Riggle) who eventually dies. - "The Kerkovich Way": Penny and Max compete in a silly pointless scavenger hunt, and Jane manipulates her way into everyone's hearts. Sadly, despite their hook-up in "Cocktails and Dreams," Alex and Dave let fans down and decide to stay just friends. - "You Snooze, You Bruise": Dave faces down a bully at the gym, while Jane learns to "relax." A bit of a snooze, really. Season 2 Highlights (Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the DVR): - Dave's ballad "Love to the Power of Love" - Max accidentally stabbing Brad in the leg with a oyster shucker. ("I stabbed you, dude!") - The gang's Halloween costumes, particularly Max as a baby and Jane as bacon - Inspired cameos from Fred Savage, Busy Philipps, Megan Mullally, Colin Hanks, and James Wolk. - The Steaktanic. - The "Trove." - Dave's perm. ("Temple Grandin!") - Dave's permanent desire to feel cool. (Ahem, v-necks.) - Penny eating floor pie. - Alex's "Ellen dance." (DJ Alex Haley would be proud.) - Max holding his horses. Literally. - Max the Bear. - Max the "Fat Joey." - Brad the Bird Whisper. - "Indecent Proposal-ing." - "Women. Be. Stoppin'." Season 2 MVP: This is a tough one. Almost too tough. While Eliza Coupe's type-A lunatic Jane and Adam Pally's slacker king Max were consistently hilarious throughout the season, Elisha Cuthbert's under-the-radar Alex all but dominated the second half of the season. While the entire ensemble (including a top-notch Casey Wilson and an improved Zachary Knighton) fired on all cylinders, in the end, nobody could trump Damon Wayans Jr. and his lovable Brad. Between his flawless execution of physical comedy (parkouring, kicking his leg over people's heads, falling on mousetraps, fighting a bird in his car, a memorable visit to the dentist) and his delivery of gut-busting one-liners ("Them thiiiiiings," "Hold up, that's a husk," "B**ch, it is 5:30!") the devoted husband, friend, and Dinosaurs enthusiast emerged the reigning champ. Best Lines From Season 2: - “You’re an acquired taste, like goat cheese or Mr. Bean.” - "Remember that time you guys went to pick apples without me and you found Ricki Lake's wallet?" - "Arbor Day is the Wimbledon of having sex." - "Good news. Whatever I have is not from the bird I kissed!" - "TV is nature's babysitter." - "Guess you could say I'm a knitter with attitude!" - "I hate kids. And I'm not talking the type I hate that goes away after a series of zany misadventures where we grow to love each other. I'm talking about a blistering hate for them and their creepy tiny little features." - “[Your hair looks] like John C. Reilly after a kickball game.” - “That place is harder to get into than Obvious Joke Here, that new alt-comedy club downtown." - “How could you let me out of the house being this fat?!" - “It could be just like The Butterfly Effect. That one little movie led to Ashton Kutcher doing a lot of bad movies” - "You guys have fun, because I just got the Criterion Collection of Clueless, so I’ll see you guys later. I hope not sporadically.” - “I signed us up for a mini-triathlon. So if anyone asks, we’re dwarves.” - “This morning I didn’t want frittatas and now if you told me I could never have one again, I would kill you in cold blood, assassin-style” What was your favorite moment from this season of Happy Endings? How about your favorite character? Sound off in the comments and be sure to check in tomorrow morning for a full recap of the finale! [Photo credit: ABC] Follow Aly on Twitter @AlySemigran More: Happy Endings Recap James Wolk Talks Max Romance On Happy Endings Happy Endings Gives Megan Mullally a Partner
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Celebrity Moms' Craziest Behavior: 7 In The Spotlight
March 28, 2012 3:59am ESTCelebrity moms are often asked to give parenting advice, but some of their tips can be a little out there. Or, in the case of Alicia Silverstone, really far out there. The Clueless actress shared a rather unique method of feeding her son Bear Blu this weekend, and she's just the latest celebrity mom who seems to be getting her childrearing advice from the pointy-eared Spock, not Dr. Spock. In a video posted on her blog, Alicia Silverstone reveals that she feeds her son Bear Blu (more on that name later) by chewing up food and depositing it in his mouth, baby bird-style. "He literally crawls across the room to attack my mouth if I’m eating," she says. Thanks, but we'll stick to the old airplane/spoon trick. But Silverstone isn't the only mom with odd habits. New mom January Jones is a fan of eating human organs. No, she hasn't left Mad Men for a role on The Walking Dead, she's just jumping on the placenta-eating trend. Supposedly consuming the organ can reduce postpartum depression and help replenish vitamins lost during pregnancy. While some women just cook up the placenta in a frying pan, Jones went the far less icky route by having hers condensed into pills. Everyone knows that alcohol and pregnancy don't mix, but Bethenny Frankel and her baby Bryn both took to the bottle shortly after she gave birth in 2010. Frankel subscribes to the old wives tale that says drinking a small amount of alcohol while breastfeeding will increase milk production. But, the general consensus among doctors these days is that beer won't help moms make more milk, and alcohol should still be strictly limited while nursing. Even Frankel admits it turned out to be ineffective. “I don’t think that it produced more milk," she says. Katie Holmes has come up with a clever way to ensure that Suri Cruise won't be begging to wear makeup when she's in middle school: She's letting her wear it at five. Suri's penchant for high heels is well known, and last year she added a new grown-up accessory to her repertoire: Bright red lipstick. It's become cliche for celebrities to bestow bizarre names on their offspring, yet it seems they're unable to resist. Silverstone's son Bear Blu can hit the playground with Shannyn Sossamon's son Audio Science and Jason Lee's boy Pilot Inspektor. At this point, if stars really want to give their kid an unusual baby name, they should go with Ann or Mike. If your parents wouldn't spring for one of those pricy kid-sized Jeeps when you were little, be prepared to feel intensely jealous. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reportedly spend $10 million per year on their brood. Raising six kids is never cheap and some things are necessary expenses for celebrity tots, such as the million spent on nannies, tutoring, and private jets. Other expenses like the $7,000 Brangelina spent to charter a private boat for Pax's 7th birthday are a bit more extravagant. Remind us to come back as a Jolie-Pitt kid in our next life. [TMZ, iVillage, HollywoodLife, E!, Forbes, In Touch]
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'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' Will Drop In on Blu-ray/DVD
February 21, 2012 10:45am ESTImpossible missions have been braved before. Brian De Palma pioneered the trend. John Woo veered off with one. J.J. Abrams bought some class back into the act. And last year, Brad Bird gave us his spin on the whole ordeal: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol revived Tom Cruise's high-flying film series with a new international mission for the nearly superhuman Ethan Hunt. And now, the film is coming to Blu-ray/DVD. Below are a list of the special features included in the various new Blu-ray/DVD packages. You might think that a deal this good would be...impossible. But fear not! Including goods like these is simply...protocol. So make it your mission to check out the features below. And afterwards, watch Ghost. That's also a good movie. The film comes to Blu-ray/DVD April 17. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—GHOST PROTOCOL Limited Edition 3-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Blu-ray (Disc 1) • Feature film in high definition Blu-ray (Disc 2) • Mission Accepted -Suiting Up In Prague -Heating Up In Dubai -Vancouver Fisticuffs • Impossible Missions -The Russian Prison -Shooting in IMAX® -Art Department -A Roll of Film -Life Masks -Stepping into the Storm -The Sandstorm -Dubai Car Crash -Lens on the Burj -Props -Composer • Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by director Brad Bird -Including an Alternate Opening • Trailers DVD (Disc 3) • Feature film in standard definition MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—GHOST PROTOCOL Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Blu-ray (Disc 1) • Feature film in high definition • Mission Accepted -Heating Up In Dubai -Vancouver Fisticuffs • Impossible Missions -The Sandstorm -Props • Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by director Brad Bird -Including an Alternate Opening DVD (Disc 2) • Feature film in standard definition MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—GHOST PROTOCOL Single-Disc DVD • Impossible Missions -The Sandstorm -Props • Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by director Brad Bird
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Director Bird snubbed 3D for new Mission: Impossible
December 23, 2011 4:00am ESTMission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol features the franchise's lead Tom Cruise in his most daring stunts yet, including scaling the world's tallest building in Dubai. But rather than showcase the impressive action shots in 3D, Bird kept his filming to more traditional methods. He tells BBC's Newsbeat, "I think that any time you have a new toy, people feel excited about it and then they overuse it. I remain interested in 3D but I'm not exactly convinced yet. What I'm more interested in is really high resolution, and really big screens. "For me I don't like the glasses so much, and it's a little dark. I think people are forgetting about the power of a really sharp bright image on a really big screen."
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Exclusive Interview: 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' Director Brad Bird
December 20, 2011 9:21am ESTPlucked from the world of animation, where he fashioned such all-time genre classics as The Incredibles and Ratatouille, Brad Bird was an unexpected choice to helm Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, if only because he’d never actually made a live-action feature film before. One would assume $200 million studio tentpoles to be less-than-ideal debut projects, even for rookies as brilliant and capable as Bird. Experience, it turns out, is highly overrated. Advance reviews for Ghost Protocol have praised Bird for bringing a sense of playfulness and showmanship to Tom Cruise’s supersy saga, which, frankly, sorely needed it after 2006’s downright maudlin Mission: Impossible III. We caught up with the director recently to talk about his animation-to-live-action transition, his Raider of the Lost Ark inspirations, his love of IMAX, and the anxiety of watching his irreplaceable star/producer risk life and limb for the sake of a cool stunt: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is now playing in IMAX theaters. It opens everywhere else tomorrow, December 21, 2011.
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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Review
December 16, 2011 9:45am ESTParamount Pictures’ Mission: Impossible franchise is a rare phenomenon. Few film series based on properties as old as it is have retained such relevance in the modern movie market and few take as long a break in between installments making each new entry a highly anticipated event. Such is the case with Ghost Protocol the fourth in fifteen years starring Tom Cruise as super-agent Ethan Hunt. Adding to the hoopla surrounding the holiday release is the fact that it marks the live-action directorial debut of Brad Bird the Pixar wunderkind responsible for Oscar-winning hits The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Unfortunately I feel that the animation auteur had too much to prove in his first physical outing and tried a bit too hard to thrill resulting in a film that plays more like John Woo’s over-the-top M:I:II than Brian de Palma’s suspenseful original. The plot essentially kicks off when a bomb blasts a hole the size of a football field in the Kremlin (Russia’s most important government facility) while Hunt and his team of IMF agents (Paula Patton and Simon Pegg) attempt to extract a nuclear detonation device from the fortress before a mysterious figure known only as Cobalt can get to it first. The problem: Cobalt has gotten to it first and frames Hunt and company for the bombing causing the U.S. President to enact "Ghost Protocol " which disbands the IMF and disavows its soldiers. Knowing that the theft of the device and a batch of codes that enable it to be used prior to this event means that Cobalt surely intends to start World War III the agents go rogue to retrieve the components and bring the terrorist to justice. Like the fore mentioned bomb blast Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec’s script is devastating leaving scattered pieces of information all over the place and making it hard for the story to truly find its footing. Expository plot points are dropped in way after they’re needed or wanted messing with the pace of the movie on more than one occasion. Perhaps their biggest crime is crafting a lame villain with little presence in the picture. After the intensity that Phillip Seymour Hoffman brought to his antagonist in M:I:III Michael Nyqvist’s quiet and composed Hendricks just isn’t convincing enough as a true threat. On the other hand Bird’s direction is anything but composed. While his use of IMAX cameras is quite breathtaking when filming the much-publicized Burj Khalifa climb and other notable set pieces as stated before his approach to the material seemed to be “let’s make every action sequence as ludicrous as we can.” I realize that MIGP is a holiday blockbuster designed to get audiences blood pumping but I’ve always found that action films work best when they operate (mostly) within the confines of reality. That’s clearly not the case here where Hunt drives perfectly through a blinding sandstorm without causing much collateral damage and nosedives a Volkswagen off of a 30-foot drop and lives to save the day. Still it’s all in the name of fun and he does manage to create an entertaining dynamic between his IMF agents. Patton is totally passable as Jane Carter an agent seeking revenge for the murder of her cohort and apparent beau Hanaway (Josh Holloway) while Pegg returning as Benji the tech-geek from the preceding film has been promoted to field agent and is without question the movie’s saving grace. Though his comic relief is relied heavily upon it’s absolutely welcomed. The biggest surprise is Jeremy Renner who was supposedly brought in to take the reigns of the franchise but is pretty stale as Brandt. He never elevates his character to the level of coolness that Cruise has maintained throughout the years and doesn’t provide anything significant other than assistance. Given the talent that we all know he possesses his negligible contribution was a bigger let down than the film itself.
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Under the Radar: 5 Need-to-Know Names from This Weekend's Sequel-Fest
December 12, 2011 6:55am ESTWhen you go to your local multiplex this weekend, you will have a host of brand spanking new releases to choose from; all of them either sequels, threequels, or even the prestigious…fourquel? If you pull an iron man and marathon through all three sequels in one day, you will notice, in addition to their gargantuan movie star headliners, a parade of faces and names that may be less familiar to you, but with whom you should definitely acquaint yourself post haste. Here are a few whose talent is on full display: Noomi Repace Noomi Repace will be appearing in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows alongside Robert Downey, Jr., and Jude Law, playing a fortuneteller teaming up with Holmes and Watson to stop a criminal mastermind. This Swedish actress is well on her way to becoming a household name stateside—Repace played the tragic and, if I may unintentionally rhyme, enigmatic Lisbeth Salander in the original film adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She would go on to star in the adaptations of the rest of Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy: The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. Last year, the first film made a huge splash on the festival circuit here in the U.S. and is about to see its American remake released in theaters under the direction of David Fincher. I cannot recommend the original Millennium trilogy more highly. Next year, Noomi will be appearing in Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel Prometheus. Brad Bird The Mission: Impossible franchise has had a fascinating variety of directors at its helm. Brian De Palma kicked things off in 1996 and was followed in succession by John Woo, J.J. Abrams, and now Brad Bird. You may recall hearing some surprised reactions when Bird was selected to take over for the fourth installment. The reason for this surprise is simple: Bird was known for his animated films, almost exclusively. Bird directed Ratatouille and The Incredibles for Pixar as well as serving on the creative team for Toy Story 3. While these films from the unquestionably masterful Pixar Studios are phenomenal, I highly recommend checking out Bird’s earlier film The Iron Giant as well; so much power and heart on display in that animated gem. Bird will also be directing the historical epic 1906 in 2012. Alan Tudyk If you find yourself attending a screening of Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked this weekend, hopefully due to your having small children in tow as you arrive at the theater, there will be a name in the credits that will likely be as hard to place to a face as it is to spell. Alan Tudyk, who provides the voice of Simone in the film, is an actor you’ll definitely want to research. Tudyk garnered a major genre fanbase with his turn on the woefully short-lived TV series Firefly from creator Joss Whedon (the man directing next year’s highly, highly anticipated The Avengers). Tudyk is also off-the-wall amazing in last year's terrific horror comedy Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. We’ll be seeing Tudyk again in next year’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Jared Harris If you’re a fan of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories, or have ever read a single one, you were probably surprised that the villain in the first Holmes film from Guy Ritchie did not feature the villainous Professor Moriarty. He was mentioned, sort of looming in the background, but was not the principal antagonist. Rumors about who should play the legendary foil for Sherlock began to flood the web when it was announced he would be the focus of the sequel. When it was decided that Jared Harris would play the role, I was positively delighted. Harris is probably best known on this side of the pond for his work on AMC’s Mad Men. On the show, he plays Lane Pryce, the sort of ambassador for the British company that purchases the advertising firm for which Don Draper works. Harris portrayed Pryce as a cool, collected strategist who was fearless and conniving when the proverbial crap hit the fan. These traits will definitely serve him well as the sinister Moriarty. Simon Pegg Perhaps the most recognizable on the list, Simon Pegg is another name to which you should continue to grow accustomed. Pegg, who will reprise his role as the tech-savvy Benji in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, has been steadily building his reputation from geek icon to legit box office draw ever since his breakout role in 2004’s Shaun of the Dead. In addition to the Mission: Impossible franchise, Pegg managed to land the role of Scotty in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. After he provides his signature (read: hysterically funny) brand of comic relief in the new M:I, he’ll reboard the Starship Enterprise in 2013’s Star Trek sequel. His career is similarly boldly heading into the stratosphere so keep an eye on this rising star.
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Cruise delays Dubai Mission: Impossible screening
December 08, 2011 4:00am ESTMission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol opened the eighth annual Dubai International Film Festival but organisers were forced to push back the showing after Cruise opted to mingle with those waiting outside the event, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor later joined the director Brad Bird and co-stars Simon Pegg and Indian actor Anil Kapoor onstage to discuss the making of the film, which was partly shot in the Middle East. Kapoor told reporters, "For me this whole journey isn't about how big a star I become, it's about relationships. It's about Bollywood and Hollywood coming together. India is a country that is completely untapped."
