The latest news of Jeffrey Dean Morgan http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:07:30 -0700 1 http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=911 http://www.cinematical.com/2010/09/05/scen...ove-the-losers/

Scenes We Love: The Losers
by Todd Gilchrist
Article Launched: Sep 5th 2010 // 1:03PM

One of the more fun (read: annoying) discussions I've had with colleagues and friends over the past few months is which film is better – A-Team or The Losers. Since they're basically the same movie, just with diametrically-opposed character development, storytelling, and general appeal, it's an understandable debate. But as a huge fan of Sylvain White (and pretty much everybody else in the movie), my vote always went for The Losers. Just a few weeks ago, White's comic book adaptation arrived on Blu-ray, and perhaps needless to say it was a priority purchase for yours truly, especially since it has surpassed the vast majority of its big-screen competition released in the last several weeks simply by being stylish, straightforwardly exciting and all-around fun.

Revisiting the film for a second time in high definition thanks to Warner Brothers' terrific new Blu-ray, I was immediately charmed by White's directorial flourishes, which manage to be emphatic without bludgeoning the viewer, and which highlight rather than overshadow the actual characters. And an early scene in the film gets my vote for one of the year's best as it simultaneously introduces the personalities of two characters, provides a pretty terrific action set piece, and proves to be an exhilarating exercise in style.


In the scene, Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is quietly devouring a "meaty" steak in a Mexican watering hole when he spots Aisha (Zoe Saldana), an attractive young woman who seems to be hungry for something than just his meal. The two of them trek back to Clay's apartment for dessert, only to find themselves squaring off in a more than vaguely sexual tete-a-tete that leaves both bruised and the hotel room virtually obliterated.

What's terrific about the scene is how both of them anticipate the physical confrontation that ensues, each stretching and preparing for the fight that trashes the room better than a rock star on a bender. But the fight itself is a surprisingly balanced demonstration of action-movie gender equality, as both receive and deliver punches that carry real weight without a sense of either female overcompensation or male deference. And while the idea of a girl getting a beatdown may hardly sound like an embodiment of feminist ideals, the fact that she gives as good as she gets – and ultimately gains the upper hand through coordination, dexterity, and believable strength – offers an effective rejoinder to the wisdom that women can't kick as much ass as men.

The Losers is now available everywhere on DVD and Blu-ray from Warner Home Video. And while the film's modest box office haul may not earn it the premier status enjoyed (albeit unearned) by The A-Team, rest assured that the remainder of the movie demonstrates ably that the film is far better than b-grade entertainment.]]> Sun, 05 Sep 2010 11:24:03 -0700 http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=911 http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=910 Jane Fonda's blog, filming has nearly wrapped for the cast of 'Peace, Love and Misunderstanding'. She has some pics from the set attached to her newest update, but none of Jeffrey. Also, it looks as though Jeffrey may be done filming since Jane mentioned that only Catherine Keener, Nat Wolff and Lizzie Olsen have another week of filming (as of 8/23) before it's all said and done.

You should definitely take a look at her pics and blog - she's got some great info there!]]> Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:56:32 -0700 http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=910 http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=908 http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/life...article/1192929

Harry Potter, Secretariat and Gordon Gekko among fan faves soon to be back in theatres
By Charles Perry
Article Launched: Friday August 27th, 2010

Excerpt:

The so-called fall movies offer a wide variety of genres, including action flicks, dramas, animated features, horror movies, family films and sequels.

Most often, the blockbusters are released in the summer, said Mark Powers, a manager at the Empire Theatres on Trinity Drive in Moncton. But not always. Mark reminds us that Avatar was a fall release, coming out last December. And it went on to become the most popular and biggest grossing film of all time.

Among other things, summer movies concentrate on a younger audience, with children being home from school in July and August, Mark says. The fall movies, he adds, deal with a more diversified audience.

Mark says sequels do well year-round and as a result, several will be on the fall agenda. He said moviegoers like sequels because they have a familiarity with the characters and know what to expect from them before going to the show.

"And you must remember that a movie has to have a big box office in order for a sequel to be made of it," he says, offering producers a certain comfort level that the film can attract an audience.

In the series of Harry Potter movies, for example, Mark said moviegoers have literally grown up with Harry. And the tone of each subsequent film changes to reflect the character - and the audience growing up.

Here are some of the films that will light up movie theatre screens this fall:

Red Dawn

Believe it or not, the brat pack flick from the '80s gets the remake treatment. This time, the teenage 'Wolverines' try to save their town from an invasion by Chinese and Russian soldiers. Chris Hemsworth and Adrianne Palicki lead the teenage soldiers, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan taking over the Powers Boothe role.



Nov. 24
* Burlesque
* Tangled
* Red Dawn]]> Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:06:43 -0700 http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=908 http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=904 http://chud.com/articles/articles/24491/1/...SERS/Page1.html

BLU-RAY REVIEW: THE LOSERS
By Nick Nunziata
Article Launched: 8/16/10

BUY IT AT AMAZON: CLICK HERE
STUDIO: Warner Bros.
MSRP: $35.98
RATED: PG-13
RUNNING TIME: 97 Minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES:

•Deleted Scene
•Band of Buddies: Ops Training
•The Losers: Action-Style Storytelling
•Zoe and the Losers
•Digital Copy


The Pitch

Five covert operatives get burned on a mission and are treated as traitors and presumed dead. But they aren't, and a mysterious woman gives them a chance to restore their names and grant them revenge on the man who betrayed them.

The Humans

Director: Sylvain White.
Writers: Peter Berg & James Vanderbilt. Andy Diggle (comic).
Cinematographer: Scott Kevan
Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Zoe Saldana. Chris Evans. Jason Patric. Columbus Short. Idris Elba. Oscar Jaenada.

While Hawkeye slept, the Captain played with all his toys. Including the Black Widow.

The Nutshell

The Losers is a stylish, lean and loose action flick built around a colorful cast and absolutely zero cares about taking itself too seriously.

The Lowdown

If Sylvain [Stomp the Yard] White's The Losers accomplishes nothing else, it reminds the world how great Jason Patric is. As the villain Max, the somewhat maligned actor gets a chance to chew scenery in a way almost too good to be true and deliver a character whose eccentricities and foibles help prevent a movie about a somewhat serious and scary subject (our top watchdogs betraying us to our enemies and really dangerous weapons being sold to the highest bidder) from taking itself too seriously. Patric has always been a good actor [watch his 'Timmy' monologue from Your Friends and Neighbors for proof], but it's a role like this that showcases his comic timing and sheer presence.

I wonder if this is the only review of The Losers that mentions Your Friends and Neighbors...

The good thing is that Patric's one of many people in this movie just having a good time. Though the film is as light as light gets in the content department [one of the most lean and threadbare mid-level films in some time], everyone involved does their part towards keeping the proceedings moving well and there's a very specific energy to the movie that upon first glance came off a little weird but upon repeat viewings makes it kind of a special little flick. The Losers actually improves over time and is a little like a cinematic apéritif to enjoy between bigger and more dense action flicks.

The concept of a team of tough guys getting burned by their handlers and getting revenge is as original as a feel-good movie featuring a puppy, and The Losers breaks absolutely zero ground in furthering the subgenre. And it's fine because of the terrific cast and a few little moments that prevent the film from being just another action flick on the shelves at the video store.

When a mission goes bad and a lot of innocent children die, the 'Losers' are set up as traitors and presumed dead. A group of highly trained soldiers, they lie low and wait for an opportunity to make it back to the states. That opportunity comes in the delectable form of Aisha, a mysterious woman who knows an awful lot about the team and their mission. She's not to be trusted, something which is proved when her first 'date' with Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Clay involves punches, kicks, and a hotel in cinders. But she's a ticket home, and the tension in the group is already strained to know that complacency's not going to work.

So they partner up with Aisha, much to the chagrin of Roque (the always pitch perfect Idris Elba). The villainous Max has not only betrayed The Losers but has gotten his hands on a weapon that destroys things very fast without any long lasting damage [translation: A WEAPON OF FICTION] and and is lining up bidders of all races and creeds. The scattered Max moments do just enough work to make the antagonist not a totally disposable subplot but in reality it's a chance to see Jason Patric insult, freak out, and demean everyone he's sharing the screen with. Even the always fun Holt McCallany as his right hand man gets the piss taken out of him in a priceless moment atop a radio telescope.

Once the crew is stateside they take the fight to Max and his well-appointed cronies. From there the film becomes about action beats, double-crosses, and a few moments that explain why the comic book (from the talented Andy Diggle and Jock) was deemed worthy of a feature.

It works. Just barely, but it does, thanks in part to the capable cast and some fun moments that sell you on these folks being worth rooting for. They're barely two-dimensional characters but when Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Idris Elba, and Chris Evans are playing them the leap of faith is rather easy.

The action premise, coolness factor of the pulp origins and thematic conceit will get you in the door and the little moments and great characterizations will win you over. Also, Miss Saldana is as hot as they get. All in all it's a flick that knows exactly what it is and doesn't move a muscle in trying to exceed that. And it has great timing. What we didn't need was another cynical action flick but something footloose and without a serious bone in its body. It's not a spoof or satire, but it's awfully playful.

It would have been a great if it ended up being a Peter Berg movie as originally planned. As it stands it's a pretty good Sylvain White movie but it's just a few ticks shy of being really special.

But it's really re-watchable, a fact that surprised me...

The Package

The special features are decent and though it's not massively appointed it's no pushover either. What is great about this Blu Ray honestly, is that there's a digital copy. I liked this movie in theaters. I liked watching it on Blu Ray, but this is a movie that's fun to watch in spurts or skip to specific moments or have playing in the background and I'd never had known that had I not put it on my iPad.

Some of the criticisms I had about the movie not trying to stake new territory and being sort of slight in the genre pantheon serve it well here. There's no plot to follow, just fun character moments and a general lack of angst.

This is a keeper.

8.0 out of 10
]]> Tue, 17 Aug 2010 07:20:54 -0700 http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=904 http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=903 http://screencrave.com/2010-08-12/jeffrey-...kage-at-a-time/

Jeffrey Dean Morgan is The Courier – Kicking Ass One Package At a Time
By Krystal Clark
Article Launched: Aug 12, 2010

Brace yourselves for another action film starring the tall, dark, and scruffy Jeffrey Dean Morgan. The last time we saw him on the big screen it was in Warner Bros’ The Losers and according to Deadline he’s just signed on to star in another ass-kicking flick. It’s called The Courier, and it centers on the dangerous lifestyle of the average messenger — not!


According to the site, Morgan will star as the title character and executive produce the film which will be directed by Paradise Now helmer Hany Abu-Assad. The script was written by 3:10 to Yuma scribes Derek Haas and Michael Brandt and the story centers on “a courier who has taken on improbable missions and never missed a drop. He’s hired to deliver a briefcase to a notorious underworld figure that can’t be found. The courier finds himself pursued by corrupt cops, double-crossing feds and rival crime bosses.”

Do you guys smell that (*sniff, sniff)? It smells like The Transporter and there’s no Jason Statham in sight. If this film had any other actor in it besides Morgan, the premise would be a serious turn off because it’s been done to death.

Morgan’s just wrapped production on The Fields with Sam Worthington, and will shoot the Bruce Beresford film Peace, Love and Misunderstanding before he takes on The Courier.

What do you think of Morgan starring as The Courier? Are you interested in seeing the film?


]]> Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:57:19 -0700 http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=903 http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=902 http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Jeffrey-Dea...rier-20125.html

Jeffrey Dean Morgan To Star In Action Film The Courier
By Eric Eisenberg
Article Launched: 2010-08-12 16:18:07

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been a busy man. In addition to appearing in three films this year (The Losers, Shanghai, and Jonah Hex), the actor recently completed filming The Fields with Sam Worthington, the Red Dawn remake and The Resident with Hilary Swank, and is about to wrap Peace, Love and Misunderstanding. We already stand to see a lot of the actor in the next year, but, apparently, he's not done hustling.

Deadline is reporting that Morgan will star in and executive produce The Courier, a new action film from director Hany Abu-Assad. Based on a script written by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt (3:10 To Yuma), Morgan will play a courier who is tasked to deliver a briefcase to a "notorious underworld figure" that has gone into hiding and is persued by cops, federal agents and criminals.

Perhaps it's just me, but does this sound like an unused Transporter sequel to anyone else? I'm going to take a wild stab and say that the courier doesn't know what's in the briefcase, but his professional nature doesn't allow him to open it - that is, until the climax of the film where he comes face to face with said underworld figure and/or is tracked down by the people following him and the contents serve as some sort of deus ex machina. I really hope that I'm wrong, but I really doubt that I am.
]]> Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:54:18 -0700 http://www.jdmfansite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=902