Hollywood Product: Fresh Loaf, Creative Loafing Atlanta

Hollywood Product: 'A Good Day to Die Hard'

Curt Holman — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:39:00 -0500

GENRE: Fouth-generation copy of once-kickass action franchise

THE PITCH: Cocky but aging New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) travels to Moscow to investigate a criminal case involving his estranged son Jack (Jai Courtney of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand"), a CIA operative caught up in an incomprehensible scheme involving a Russian defense official (Sergei Kolesnikov), an imprisoned billionaire (Sebastian Koch) and some weapons-grade uranium.

MONEY SHOTS: An early car chase features some impressive automotive carnage, including a six-wheeled armored truck smashing smaller cars and flipping an auto into the roof of a tunnel.…

Hollywood Product: 'Jack Reacher'

Curt Holman — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:46:00 -0500

GENRE: Opening shot of prospective thriller franchise

THE PITCH: Super-sleuth military policeman turned dispossessed drifter Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) aids crusading lawyer Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike) investigate conspiracy involving a sniper accused to shooting five random citizens in Pittsburgh.

MONEY SHOTS: A "CSI"-type montage reveals a fingerprint on a quarter in a parking meter.…

Something rotten in the state of Georgia?

Gabe Wardell — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 09:23:29 -0500

In its 2012 "Year in Review," the Georgia Department of Economic Development reports that "FY12 saw record investment in the state by the entertainment industry, with more than $879.8 million in direct spending. The total economic impact of the 333 feature films, TV movies, TV series, commercials, and music videos that filmed in Georgia was $3.1 Billion, a 29 percent increase from FY11."

The report lists an index of all the registered tax-incentive qualifying projects.…

Hollywood Product: 'Rise of the Guardians'

Curt Holman — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:20:00 -0500

GENRE: Holiday movie/superhero mash-up

THE PITCH: The four "guardians of childhood" - Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Eater Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and the voiceless Sandman - recruit mischievous Jack Frost (Chris Pine) to combat the boogeyman Pitch Black (Jude Law) and his scheme to supplant children's faith in the guardians with fear.

BEST LINE: "We're very busy bringing joy to children.…

Whitney Houston shines in Sparkle

Carlton Hargro — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 12:28:00 -0400

GENRE: 1960s-era musical drama

THE PITCH: In this remake of the 1976 cult film, a Detroit-based Barry Gordy wannabe known as Stix (Derek Luke) pushes bright-eyed teen singer/songwriter Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) and her two sisters — level-headed Dolores (Tika Sumpter) and troubled-yet-charismatic Sister (Carmen Ejogo) — to form a vocal group ... much to the chagrin of their overprotective/ultra-religious mother Emma (the late Whitney Houston).…

Hollywood Product: 'ParaNorman'

Curt Holman — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 10:44:50 -0400

GENRE: Undead animated flick

THE PITCH: In this stop-motion animated horror-comedy, Lonely, outcast Norman (voiced by The Road’s Kodi Smit-McPhee) discovers that his ability to see dead people might rescue his hometown from a witch’s curse that causes the dead to rise.

BEST LINE: “Welcome to Blithe Hallow: A great place to HANG!” announces a billboard, accompanied by an illustration of a grinning witch wearing a noose.…

Hollywood Product: 'The Campaign'

Curt Holman — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 08:58:00 -0400

GENRE: Political spoof

THE PITCH: Washington insiders The Motch Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow) throws their clout and cash behind small-town ninny Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis) to oust scandal-plagued incumbent congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) and take control of a small North Carolina district.

BEST LINE: “You looked like Richard Simmons crapped out a goddamn hobbit!” Marty’s macho, politically savvy father (Brian Cox) rails at his effete son.…

Hollywood Product: 'Ice Age: Continental Drift'

Curt Holman — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:52:00 -0400

GENRE: Prehistoric mammal pirate adventure? Can that be right?

THE PITCH: When an earthquake sends Manny the mammoth, Sid the sloth and Diego the sabre-tooth (Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary) afloat on the ocean, they must contend with vicious ape pirate Gutt (Peter Dinklage) and his crew to get home.…

Hollywood Product: 'Savages'

Curt Holman — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 17:03:00 -0400

GENRE: Ultraviolent, ultra-stylish crime drama

THE PITCH: Elena, the head of a Mexican drug cartel (Salma Hayek) kidnaps Ophelia (Blake Lively), the shared girlfriend of botany genius Ben (Aaron Johnson) and hard-boiled war vet Chon (Taylor Kitsch) in a bid to seize control of Ben and Chon’s boutique California marijuana business.

MONEY SHOTS: Bong hits signal the beginning of a languorous ménage a trois between Ben, Chon and Ophelia (who prefers to go by "O").…