It’s not easy being a 15-year-old virgin. At least not for Oliver Tate. The love of his life is a pyro that doesn’t seem to know he exists, his parents’ dimmed bedroom lights let him know exactly when they get busy, and the new neighbor used to be Oliver’s mom’s boyfriend. Ah, to be young and melancholy!

Indie films love teenagers. Napoleon Dynamite, Juno, Camp, Election…the list goes on and on. Teens are walking emotional holocausts, so it’s easy for filmmakers to look at a small bit of a teenager’s life and craft it into whatever social or personal commentary they’d like. With Submarine, there are issues of love, disillusionment, acceptance and forgiveness in Oliver’s story. Oliver is a kid that wastes too much of his life trying to get things the way he wants them to be, all the while missing out on what is right in front of him. In his quest to keep his parents together — a crusade that has no real point because his parents are so rooted in their lives that nothing could shift them into a new direction — his single-mindedness nearly destroys all other connections he has in his world. Oliver definitely isn’t one to multi-task; his desire for Jordana is all-encompassing, then is replaced by his need to keep his family together. It’s as if Oliver would rather keep moving through his life rather than actually live it.

Submarine has a definite The Royal Tenenbaums vibe to it, and no wonder since Ben Stiller is one of the executive producers. (Check out Stiller’s brief cameo as an over-the-top soap star on Oliver’s television.) Oliver is presented as a modern day Holden Caulfield; he even gives Jordana a copy of “Catcher In The Rye”. But unlike Holden, he’s not as nihilistic; call him an anti-hero for teens that aren’t quite as disaffected, but instead are just plodding through life’s seemingly endless disappointments. Writer/director Richard Ayoade does a superb job in keeping what could have been a dull affair captivating, and his comic style from The IT Crowd makes even the lowest of Oliver’s low periods engaging. The scenes where Oliver plays out what it would be like if he died, complete with miraculous resurrection surrounded by adoring friends and family, is not only hilarious but it’s as honest a look into the teen mind as it gets.

Ayoade also does a great job with Oliver’s girlfriend Jordana, taking a bundle of quirks and scene by scene turning her into a girl that uses her peculiarities to keep people at a distance so she won’t get hurt. Actress Yasmin Page (The Sara Jane Adventures) lets you in bit by bit, and gives a layered performance that is remarkable for her age. Paddy Considine (Hot Fuzz, 24 Hour Party People), as Oliver’s wacky new-age neighbor Graham, is blissfully warped and absolutely hilarious. But the performance that shocked me was Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) as Oliver’s emotionally cut off mom. After seeing her so full of life in Happy-Go-Lucky, it took me until the end credits to realize who she was. It’s a performance that is kept on low simmer, and it shows that an actor doesn’t need to chew scenery to deliver an amazing performance.

Is Tom Cruise’s burly, foul-mouthed producer alter-ego, Les Grossman headed to the big screen on his own?

Looks that way. Grossman, who made his screen debut in 2008’s raunch comedy Tropic Thunder also took the stage Sunday at the MTV Movie Awards, where he busted out in a rap dance that looked similar to the mating rituals of a silverback gorilla. Here’s the press release for the film, written as if Grossman is the real deal.

Film fans who already have one too many overbearing, insane producers to deal with, will be relieved to note that for the time being, Grossman is just a parody, albeit one fired pretty close to the heart of the industry.

Check it out:  

‘Paramount Pictures and MTV Films announced today that they are set to develop a movie around mega-producer Les Grossman. The announcement comes on the heels of Grossman’s groundbreaking and visionary production of the soon-to-be Emmy® award-winning 2010 MTV Movie Awards Sunday night. Tom Cruise, along with Ben Stiller and Stuart Cornfeld of Red Hour Films will produce and have secured the life rights to Grossman.            

Grossman, best known as a mega producer, has most recently mentored talents such as Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. In 2008, Grossman was introduced to the masses by Stiller in the comedy “Tropic Thunder” where the famed producer had a cameo playing himself.

Said Ben Stiller: “Les Grossman’s life story is an inspiring tale of the classic human struggle to achieve greatness against all odds. He has assured me he plans to quote, ‘F**king  kill the sh*t out of this movie and make Citizen f**king Kane look like a piece of crap home movie by the time we are done.’ I am honored to be working with him.”    

When asked what the screenplay was about Grossman responded: “To quote my great friend Kirk Lazarus, ‘I don’t read the script, the script reads me.’”

Adam Goodman, Paramount Film Group President said, “Everything I learned in this business, I’ve learned from Les. I started out as his assistant, and from the first day he threw his desk at me when I got his lunch order wrong, I have loved him like a father.  I am forever grateful to Ben and Stuart Cornfeld and their ability to secure his highly-coveted life rights,”

Tom Cruise is said to be in talks to portray Grossman in the film.

Michael Bacall (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”) will write the script. He is repped by WME.

WME also reps Ben Stiller and Red Hour Films.’

Jessica Alba is in talks to be part of the third installment to the Meet the Parents films, Little Fockers. Alba would become an attractive pharmaceutical rep that torments the male characters in the film. This third film will continue on where the other two left off, with Greg (Ben Stiller) and Pamela (Teri Polo)having one or two children. A majority of the original cast has already been confirmed to return to their proper roles with Paul Weitz directing.

Little Fockers is still knee deep in pre-production but is expected to stay on track with a set July 30th, 2010 release. The last film that Alba participated in was the Mike Meyers 2008 dud The Love Guru. Currently she is signed on to also act in Robert Rodriguez’ Mexican exploitation film Machete and Garry Marshall’s Valentine’s Day. Paul Weitz continues to bring us different films, his newest directed piece being Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. A sequel to a mildly amusing family adventure flick isn’t supposed to be funny, entertaining and easily the most delightful film seen this year, yet, despite nearly the same plot from its predecessor and most of the same jokes, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is a blast. But please, the sequel to 2006′s mammoth hit Night at the Museum (it made over half a billion worldwide, not counting DVD sales), is world class summer fare, not to be confused with anything artsy or deep. Instead, its mayhem keeps its target in mind and presents not only silliness and an upsurd amount of witticisms, but a good dose of historical education to boot.

Getting their adventure on.

Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is back, yet this time he’s successful. When his needless gadget company is booming, Larry is knee-deep in Blackberry calls and business suits. But the perils of success makes lovable Larry a sad sack. Lucky for him, his former posse made up of Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), mini Jed (Owen Wilson), mini Octavius (Steve Coogan) and the Huns and Neanderthals, are there to point it out. However, Larry’s absence in the museum has left the exhibits without an advocate, forcing them to be replaced with technologically advanced features like a buggy holographic President Teddy. The exhibits next stop? Buried in the Federal Archives -a basement- at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.

Shortly before yet another late night business meeting, Larry receives a mysterious call from Jed screaming about Egyptian pharaoh Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria) coming back to life. Quickly, Larry embarks to D.C. and discovers what the ruckus is. As he soon learns, the Tablet of Akmenrah has brought back to life some of history’s greatest villains including Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest), Al Capone (Jon Bernthal) and Napoleon (Alain Chabat). With his friends in grave danger, Larry, alongside Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), works towards ridding the world of Kahmunrah before he unleashes his army of the dead. Sounds treacherous, but with a giant stone Abe Lincoln on your side, who can be against you?

While Stiller is in vintage form, easily the break-out performances are courtesy of Amy Adams and Hank Azaria. Adams, through her exuberant charm, makes any scene that is lucky enough to include her, instantly better. Azaria not only plays Kahmunrah hilariously, but pulls voice duty on The Thinker (who turns out to be a meathead) and Honest Abe, who turns Battle of the Smithsonian into his own playground. SNL funnyman Bill Hader as General Custer is humorous though, tragically for the notorious scene-stealer, winds up being more annoying that pleasant.

As fun as Shawn Levy’s film is, viewers can not escape the fact that in order to get the Smithsonian’s approval to film in the museum, certain measures had to be taken. Namely, it was turning the film into a giant advertisement. This pales in comparison to other features that blatantly showcase Coke cans in every scene or that every citizen has been assigned a Ford to drive. That aside, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is one fun drive through popcornville.

Movies like the film in question are pretty critic proof. What my review is for anyone over the age of ten is more of a survival guide even though I’m approaching it like I do every film. Kids are going to want to see it and most parents aren’t going to bring them to the latest action spectacle. It’s bigger than the first film, certainly throws in as many historical references as it can, and has two monkeys join in on slapping Ben Stiller around as opposed to just one. Night at the Museum: Part Deux is a family film through and through, and doesn’t care if the parents in the audience will know it.

For those parents, brothers, sisters, and whoever that will be dragged into this, you have someone you can enjoy who gets a fair amount of screen time. This woman (along with Cyclops) made a Disney film from two years ago much more enjoyable than it needed to be. Amy Adams lights up the screen with enough sass and spunk to create one of the best performances of the summer with her take on Amelia Earhart. The girl is really picking her battles well and it’s now time she gets more starring roles in bigger films as she could make Twilight almost bearable. She may very well be one of the best actresses working today as she seems to have an understanding on how to create characters and make them flow with the film. Assisting her is Bill Hader’s very fun take on General George Armstrong Custer. He’s shallow and dim-witted which is a nice change from what we’re used to seeing from him. Steve Coogan returns as Octavius and delights the screen with comedic nobleness that is really harmless. Coogan is becoming one of the forgotten comedic talents of the screen and he’s no different here.

Too bad most of the cast isn’t as interesting as the ones mentioned above. Ben Stiller can be golden, but he’s as lifeless as the statues that surround him in this movie. He shifts through scene to scene without any personality or charm. It’s rugged to see him against Adams in their romance scenes as she carries the both of them. A colleague of mine suggested he’s created a new persona in bland do-gooder and I have to agree with him. The worst offender is a man who normally isn’t this bad, and that’s Hank Azaria. He plays three roles in this as The Thinker, the Abe Lincoln statue, and the part I’m targeting, Kah Mun Rah. Every time he speaks one hopes a Spartan comes to life so he’s murdered in glorious Zack Snyder fashion (which the film actually parodies.) Partially it’s due to the film extending every joke to the point of annoyance, but Azaria thinks he’s a statue of Liberace than a would-be Pharaoh. He gets two of the three characters he plays so well, and mucks up the main one so terribly he should carry rocks for renovations to the pyramids. The rest of the players are serviceable, with Robin Williams return to Teddy Roosevelt being fine. Owen Wilson is in Shanghai mode here, which isn’t bad while Ricky Gervais does a decent if stereotypical of the museum owner.

The movie is billed as a family comedy and it’s disheartening to say that for the adults much is left to be desired. There’s a silly gag involving Ben Stiller’s Larry Daley touching, talking and stealing one of his friends to the annoyance of Kahmunrah. It garners some chuckles at first but it overstays it’s welcome much like an unnecessary bit involving everyone BUT Ben Stiller catching onto Amy Adams being infatuated with him. The other jokes are just a lot of been there, done that seem to be in every single family comedy released. Really though, it’s not worth analyzing as is the supremely numb story that’s present. Yes, the film is what it is and it shouldn’t matter but this makes no bones about it’s predictability and sending everyone home happy. Although I do admit, the end of the movie is pretty interesting to the least. Being fair, director Shawn Levy and writers Thomas Lennon & Robert Ben Garant don’t do terrible work with this picture. They just don’t do anything memorable or exciting to engage the older patrons.

The film is marketed towards kids and on that account it gets the job done. For the adults, only the beautiful Amy Adams the reason they’ll be able to make it out of this one unscathed. The overall film isn’t anything atrocious and it does it’s job well to please the families. This isn’t a movie one can hate and call it the worst piece of poop to ever happen to the galaxy and the kids will be entertained at the very least. On that note it’s a harmless film and a success, albeit it fails to have any life of it’s own just like the statues that embody the halls of the Smithsonian.

Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

Night at the Museum 2 or Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian is a movie for all of you out there. Ben Stiller stars again as Larry Daley, the night watchmen we have all come to adore and laugh at. The hilarity ensues with the likes of Amy Adams, Hank Azaria and Jonah Hill. For all of you Jonas Brothers fans, keep your eyes and ears open!

Mild Spoilers below:

The film opens with a tacky infomercial plugging a new invention. One of the now very well off Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), and the ever crazy George Foreman. Larry has made it big and is about to make it bigger due to Walmart being interested in his inventions.

We come to realize that even though Larry looks like he has moved on with his new spot as CEO, he hasn’t. His monthly trips back to the museum prove to be a side of him he can’t let go of. This is where the story takes form and really starts to grow on you.

End Spoilers

Who Goes There?

While this movie is not a movie that will win any awards, it is a great movie for all ages. The laughter garnered by the film will attract a lot of viewers, along with the great cast. Stiller and crew will win the hearts of the origin

Stiller, Adams, Williams and the encore cast put in a performance much better than in the first film. The acting is better, the jokes are better, the plot, the stage, the sites, the sounds…all better. As my interview with writer Robert Ben Garant pointed out, it needed to be better, Rob had said “Ben Stiller is the boss, and he said make it funnier, so we did our best”. Well they did just that. The action, the sequences between Azaria and Stiller, the exchanges between Adams and Stiller were all great.

Night at the Museum 2 or Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian, is nothing but true fun. If you enjoyed the first film, you will enjoy this one even more!

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

All in the family

If my parents took me to a casting call for Return of the Jedi, maybe my life would have turned out differently. Instead of writing about movies, I could have been in movies. But no. Ben Sadlinger had to get that Ewok role (Ewok # 4 Gray, to be exact).

Parents, if you don’t want your younglings to suffer the same fate, here is your opportunity to parade around your babies in hopes of your own fiscal recovery. The producers of Little Fockers (good luck with that title) are holding casting calls in L.A. and New York and are looking for kids to play Henry and Ashley Focker, the offspring of Greg (Ben Stiller) and Pam (Teri Polo) Focker. Bring your kids who are aged 6-8 but make sure your boy is “oversensitive and kind” and your little girl is a “tomboy.”

So as they’re casting the little ones, what about Barbara Streisand and Dustin Hoffman? Read our red carpet exclusive with Ben Stiller for the answers.

Little Fockers is currently looking at a release in 2011.

OPEN CASTING CALL FOR YOUNG BOYS & GIRLS FOR UPCOMING UNIVERSAL PICTURES FEATURE FILM

WHAT: Seeking 6-8 year-old boys and girls with a Caucasian look for feature film roles.

WHO: If chosen, they will play the roles of Henry and Ashley, the son and daughter of Greg and Pam Focker. Henry is a little oversensitive and kind. Ashley is a tomboy.
They must be available for work in California from July ’09 through Oct ’09.
No experience is necessary. Twins & multiples welcome!

WHERE:
New York City:
Shetler Studios
244 West 54th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY 10019
**Between Broadway and 8th Ave.
DATE: Saturday May 30, 2009

TIME: 11 am – 4 pm

LOS ANGELES CASTINGS:
WHERE: CHOICE OF 2 LOCATIONS:

Orange County:
Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa
900 Newport Center Dr.
Newport Beach, CA 92660
**Free parking at Fashion Island or $4/hr parking at hotel

North Hollywood:
Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio
6514 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91606
**Free parking at studio or free street parking

DATE: Saturday May 30, 2009

TIME: Orange County location: 11 am – 4 pm
North Hollywood location: 12 pm – 5 pm

If you and your child are unable to attend this open call, please send a recent picture of your child (and resume, if you have) to the following mailing address:

“Fockers” Casting
606 N. Larchmont Blvd., Suite 202
Los Angeles, CA 90004

or submit your child’s photo and resume (if any) to castingfockers@gmail.com.

Last night I was able to attend and interview a bunch of folks for the upcoming Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian. What a ride that was, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, the ever beautiful Amy Adams and of coarse the star himself Ben Stiller.

I only got one question in to Ben due to a ever timely bought with Laryngitis last night. I knew, with where I was in line, that most of the cliche questions had been asked so I decided to go for a future project.

That future project being Little Fockers, everyone wants to know about Dustin Hoffman, Raven Symone, and the ever popular Barbara Streisand…would they be back. Well this what he had to say about it last night.

Atomic Popcorn: Quick question about casting rumors from Little Fockers, You have Barbara Streisand supposedly rumored to come back, Dustin Hoffman, rumored. What is going on are they coming back?

Ben Stiller: I don’t know, I don’t know, I would think if we did the movie, I would hope that they came back for sure, because they are an important part of the story, they are my parents.

While that could just be a little dismissing of the rumors, but to me it sounds as if Little Fockers isn’t even a thought in his head at this time. While there could be truth about pre-production, I would side with Ben on this and suggest that indeed not much talking has occured for this film.

A buddy of mine at the Red Carpet also got some more exclusives about Zoolander 2 and Trial of The Chicago 7, check out his exclusive over at The Filmstage.

Make sure you check back for my interviews of Amy Adams, Robin Williams, Hank Azaria and more stars from Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian