Monday's Mentions

• The King's Speech won the Audience Award at the Toronto Film Festival.  Why is this big news? Previous awards winners include American Beauty, Brokeback Mountain, Slumdog Millionaire and Precious.  This is very good company indeed and an early front-runner for a Best Picture nomination.  More on this film when the trailer releases.  
• Empire Online is reporting that Kyle Chandler and Elle Fanning are cast into Super 8.  Considering there is very little information released on this film except for a teaser that begs for more intel, this is progress.  How about a plot summary next

• Top three at the Box-office this past weekend

1. The Town - $23.8 million
2. Easy A - $17.7 million
3. Devil - $12.5 million

That's great news for Ben Affleck whose career continues his upward swing and Easy A's Emma Stone who is now officially a star.  Welcome to the big leagues!   

• Meanwhile, brother Casey Affleck's I'm Still Here, the faux-mentary starring Joaquin Phoenix isn't having much luck, grossing only $145,957.  Many are calling this Phoenix's performance a career best.  Maybe, but nobody is buying it, literally. 

Link of the day: A nice list of ten great actor-turned-directors. Unsurprisingly, Clint Eastwood makes the list.

Trailer Watch - Comedy Edition

As the year ends, it seems that the films get more serious.  Most of the Oscar competition heats up after Thanksgiving.  Drama after drama, you need a break.  Here are a few of the upcoming comedies that should find favor with audiences.

Releasing this week is Easy A, directed by Will Gluck, a high-school comedy starring Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Dan Byrd, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet and Lisa Kudrow.  Whew, that's a lot of names!

Description from Apple Trailers: After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl (Emma Stone) sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's in "The Scarlet Letter," which she is currently studying in school - until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.



This movie is a good vehicle for Emma Stone who banking a lot on this film.  She let go of the lead in next year's Sucker Punch to star in this.  Hope she doesn't regret it.  As usual, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson have the best lines in the trailer as Stone's parents.

Brain Grazer and Ron Howard present The Dilemma, a comedy about a man (Vince Vaughn) who isn't sure what to do when he finds out that his best friend's wife may be having an affair. Hijinks ensue. Kevin James plays Vaughn's best friend.  Also in the cast are Jennifer Connelly (in a comedy, seriously!), Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum and Queen Latifah.



I know that Howard has directed comedies before but somehow, I've begun to associate him with dramas recently. Second film release for Winona Ryder after The Black Swan. Is she back for good?

This one made me cry....with laughter. Oh, man, I am still trying to recover. From the director of Hangover, Todd Philipps, Due Date stars Robert Downey Jr, Zach Galifianakis and Jamie Foxx. Downey plays a man who is forced, emphasis on forced, to travel cross-country with an eccentric man, Zach G., as he tries to make in time before his wife (Michelle Monaghan) delivers their first child.



Nobody does indignant like Downey, Jr. His reactions to Zach G.'s characters are priceless. And the dog!!

Mark your calendars, November 5 (worldwide release).