plus 3, Actor in Oscar-nominated movie detained - Everett Herald

Actor in Oscar-nominated movie detained - Everett Herald
24 The Movie moves ahead - Den Of Geek
MOVIE REVIEW: 'Dear John' bumps off 'Avatar' - Enterprise
'Dear John' dumps 'Avatar' - Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Actor in Oscar-nominated movie detained - Everett Herald

Posted: 08 Feb 2010 12:55 PM PST

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JERUSALEM — Police say an actor in "Ajami," the Israeli movie just nominated for an Oscar, was detained briefly for attacking police in the neighborhood where the story was filmed.

Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Sunday that police arrested Tony Copti, whose brother co-produced the movie. He said the actor was involved in a brawl with police but had no further details.

He was released after questioning, Rosenfeld said.

"Ajami" depicts the brutal life of drugs, violence and poverty in Jaffa, a mixed Jewish-Arab neighborhood near Tel Aviv. It was co-produced by Scandar Copti, an Israeli Arab, and Yaron Shani, an Israeli Jew. Characters are played by amateur actors from the Ajami neighborhood.

It was nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film last week.

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24 The Movie moves ahead - Den Of Geek

Posted: 09 Feb 2010 12:43 AM PST

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We're still none the wiser as to whether the currently-screening eighth season of 24 will be the last for the show, with a decision likely to be made in the next month or so as to the future of the television adventures of Jack Bauer. However, don't go expecting him to shuffle off his perch just yet, if the latest news out of 20th Century Fox is anything to go by.

For the studio is moving ahead with the movie version of 24 (can we do the gag about whether they're going to call it 2 again? No? Ah, fair enough). It's drafted in Billy Ray to write the script for the film, with Ray already having Flightplan and State Of Play to his name. Ray also wrote and directed the terrific feature Shattered Glass, if you're looking for a DVD recommendation for the coming weekend (his second film, Breach, has plenty to recommend it too).

But back to business. Kiefer Sutherland, reports Variety, is keen to see the series make the jump to the movies. It reports that the project is still very much in its infancy, and its fate lies in the aforementioned decision over the TV show. Apparently, were Fox to pass on 24 season 9, the producers would still have the option of trying to get it set up elsewhere, and until that process is complete, the film version of 24 isn't going anywhere.

Yet it is, at last, being written, and that's a solid step forward. We still think the only way to add tension back into the franchise would be to reduce the dependency on or kill off Jack Bauer. But that ain't going to happen...

Here's the Variety story...

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MOVIE REVIEW: 'Dear John' bumps off 'Avatar' - Enterprise

Posted: 08 Feb 2010 08:23 AM PST

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It is easy to get swept up in the pure romance of "Dear John." Or, at least it is until the wheels begin falling off in the final act. The shift doesn't come naturally, either. It sneaks up and bangs you over the head, leaving you wondering why you let yourself get sucked into this smarmy nonsense.

Then you remember how easy it was to be seduced by the gorgeous South Carolina shore and the fairytale romance played out by the equally gorgeous Channing Tatum ("G.I. Joe") and Amanda Seyfried ("Mamma Mia").

Their scenes together are as cheesy as they are sweet. Ah ... young love. From stem to stern, the whole thing feels like "The Notebook" or "Nights in Rodanthe" – which is probably unavoidable since all three films are based on novels by Nicholas Sparks. They are slow-paced and deal with love, longing and loss.

However, Oscar-nominated director Lasse Hallstrom ("The Cider House Rules") does something extraordinary by drawing a charming and restrained performance out of the usually plastic Tatum, who supplies unexpected satisfaction as a taciturn Army Special Forces soldier.

When we catch up with his Sgt. John Tyree, he's on leave for two weeks in the spring of 2001. Innocently enough, he meets a fetching co-ed in Seyfried's Savannah. The attraction is instant and the relationship flourishes to full-blown love before he ships out.

He's a reformed bad boy. She's a do-gooder, even taking a special interest in John's father – a terrific Richard Jenkins playing a man with Asperger's syndrome – and her neighbor's autistic little boy. She's so devoted to helping them that she decides to major in special education.

It's strained, but the awkward father-son relationship is far more interesting and realistic than the one John and Savannah develop. It does take center stage later in the film, but not for long enough. John always seems to have Savannah on the brain.

The movie develops the long-distance relationship between them through daily letters read in voiceover. Then 9/11 happens and John does his patriotic duty and re-ups for another tour. Savannah isn't too keen on the situation and from the film's title you can guess what happens.

From here the film morphs into John's journey to reconciliation with his father as Savannah all but disappears from the screen. It doesn't matter because "Dear John" is really Tatum's bag. Originally from Alabama, he doesn't struggle with a reserved Southern accent.

The script by Jamie Linden ("We Are Marshall"), is pretty standard fare, I'm not being a spoiler by revealing that Savannah does come back, but I won't dish on the obstacles they face or what happens.

Keep your eye on Tim the neighbor (Henry Thomas – yup, the little boy from "E.T." all grown up). Let's just say it's rather unfulfilling, especially an ending that leaves you thinking "that's it?" But isn't that the case with many relationships?

Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@ledger.com.

DEAR JOHN (PG-13 for some sensuality and violence.) Cast includes Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Richard Jenkins, Henry Thomas. 2 stars out of 4.

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'Dear John' dumps 'Avatar' - Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Posted: 07 Feb 2010 01:32 PM PST

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LOS ANGELES — A sci-fi love story has given way to an earthbound romance at the weekend box office.

"Dear John" debuted as the No. 1 movie with $32.4 million, knocking off the blockbuster "Avatar" after seven weekends in first place.

Adapted from Nicholas Sparks' novel, "Dear John" stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried in a long-distance love story between a soldier and his sweetheart back home.

"Avatar" slipped to No. 2 with $23.6 million, raising its domestic total to $630.1 million. Directed by James Cameron, "Avatar" surpassed his own "Titanic," which had held the domestic revenue record at $600.8 million.

With a record $2.2 billion worldwide, "Avatar" also soared past the $1.8 billion "Titanic" took in globally.

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