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Top 10 Liam Neeson Movies: Darkman to Schindler's List

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Liam Neeson dazzles in The Grey, out this week. It is a powerful film that shows off all the reasons we adore the Irish actor. Neeson is commanding on screen, while still possessing a vulnerability and venerability that is untouchable in Hollywood currently. Since he first burst onto the acting world at large in the early 1980s, Neeson has compiled an impressive list of movies. But, what are his top 10?

10. Darkman
Darkman essentially introduced Neeson to larger American audiences in the tale of a flawed hero who does what is necessary to achieve justice, and simply… to survive. The film arrived in 1990 and is largely a superhero origins story. Directed by Spider-Man’s Sam Raimi, Neeson caused chills with his portrayal of Peyton Westlake, a scientist who is attacked and left for dead only to survive and return for revenge.

9. The Bounty
Neeson had a tiny role in 1984’s The Bounty, and the film rivets. Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins headline the remake of the classic The Bounty which gives audiences a taste of what this Irish actor can achieve in the upcoming decades.

Liam Neeson in Taken

8. Taken
Taken announced Neeson as a full-blown action hero in this smash from 2008. The actor is a retired CIA agent who travels across Europe in search of his kidnapped daughter. Neeson rocked in the action sequences and launched a new angle on his career that continued with The A-Team, Unknown and now The Grey.

7. Batman Begins
The first of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight series, Batman Begins featured Neeson as Henri Ducard, also known in the Caped Crusader world as Ra’s al Ghul. His Ducard character would become one of Batman’s strongest enemies, and was once his mentor. Ra’s al Ghul has one mission: Purifying the human race and returning the planet to a more pristine state. Simply seeing Neeson as a bad guy was one of many joys that is Batman Begins.

6. The Grey
Neeson is in full survival mode in the story of a group of Alaskan oil workers returning to Anchorage from their Arctic workplace. Their plane crashes, a few survive -- including Neeson -- and then they must face off against a pack of grey wolves who seek to kill each one of them. The film is a jam-packed thriller and features one of Neeson’s best performances to date. Don’t miss our exclusive video interview with Neeson about the film.

5. Gangs of New York
Neeson scored with his first opportunity to work with legendary director Martin Scorsese in his tale of Irish immigrants in New York City in the 1800s. Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Daniel Day-Lewis were the headliners and Neeson’s participation shows what a selfless actor he is in playing a smaller role that, because of his presence, elevates the entire film.

4. Kinsey
In Kinsey, Neeson does something he has done quite a bit: Portray a real-life person. With this 2004 biopic, the actor is Professor Alfred Kinsey, the author of 1948’s Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. Kinsey was way ahead of his time and in the hands of Neeson, the film is one fascinating look at an individual who is largely credited with changing some of our sexual and social mores.

3. Rob Roy
1995 saw Neeson tackle the historical figure Robert Roy McGregor. He was a 1700s Scottish hero whose battles with feudal landowners in the Highlands are the stuff of legend. The film is powerful, with some scenes even too hard to watch. In the hands of the actor, Roy is an in-charge individual, who is one part inspiration, one part historical catalyst and all Neeson at his best.

2. Michael Collins
The role of the real-life Michael Collins is especially close to Neeson’s heart as he is a fellow Irishman who fought for his people’s freedoms. Collins was integral into the effort to have the monarchy of the British Empire allow the people of Ireland their first, albeit small, forms of freedom. Collins is largely credited with bringing the idea of an Irish state into the consciousness of the larger world for the first time.

Liam Neeson in Schlinder's List
1. Schindler’s List
It is a quintessential role and Neeson’s best film… period. Steven Spielberg directed the actor in the true story of a German business owner who took on the Nazis by hiding Jews from their grasp and saving thousands of lives. When he noticed the persecution of his Jewish workers by the Nazis, Neeson’s Schindler could no longer sit idly by and in the process became one of World War II’s shining lights. The film won best picture, best director and could not have achieved such glory without the casting of Neeson as the titular saving soul.


Matthew Broderick's Back as Ferris Bueller!

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The sequel to Matthew Broderick’s career-defining movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, has been rumored for decades. What form would it take? Clearly, he would be taking a day off of work. But given the cultural significance of that first movie, how can you top it? News arrives today that Broderick is back as Bueller, but unfortunately it looks like it’s not for a sequel. In the video below, obtained by Movie Fanatic, the actor is his famous character once more in the smallest of teases… for a Super Bowl commercial. Boom boom... Chicka-chicka!

One For the Money Exclusive: Gavin-Keith Umeh on Bringing Evanovich's Baddie to Life

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How does one play a man who is capable of the most horrible of crimes? In One for the Money, Gavin-Keith Umeh is Benito Ramirez -- the dastardly man at the center of the Katherine Heigl mystery. “One of the joys of being an actor is portraying a character that is so different from you. With this guy, I could just let it rip and be as scary as I can be and over the top,” Umeh told us exclusively.

Gavin-Keith Umeh Picture
There are so many minefields when it comes to portraying Ramirez. The fact he is less than joyous towards women is one. His downright scary intimidation of Stephanie Plum (Heigl), the central character beloved by millions of fans of Janet Evanovich’s books, is another. Then there’s how Umeh’s character treats the adored Sherri Sheppard’s Lulu in the One for the Money movie. “You don’t have to find ambiguity with him, there is none. It was nice to play an arch villain.”

Umeh is beyond thrilled that the film is premiering January 27. It’s been almost a year since he shot the flick and the swell of excitement by the millions of Evanovich fans has the actor’s excitement palpable. “It’s kind of a surreal experience because we wrapped quite some time ago. There’s this long build-up and so when it finally comes around, it’s like, ‘OK, this is actually happening.’ It’s starting to become very real for me. I can’t wait to see it,” Umeh said. “There’s the added dimension that the core audience of the book is awaiting it.”

When it comes to the Evanovich nation and their adoration of her main character Plum, Umeh found a fanatic close to home. “In the process of shooting the film, I found out that my aunt is a rabid follower of the Stephanie Plum novels. It was actually nice for me to get her feedback as I was filming because you want to keep those fans happy.”

The actor portrays Ramirez who is not only the film’s bad guy, but is someone who makes his living as a fighter. As a former amateur boxer, Umeh was ready for the part, but still had to refresh some of his skills to fully capture the fierce Ramirez. “I studied martial arts since my late teens. To that extent, I didn’t have to prepare,” he said. “But, because in the film he is specifically an MMA fighter, there were some components of that style of fighting that I wanted to brush up on.”

Katherine Heigl in One for the Money
One of those whom Umeh’s character intimidates is Heigl’s Plum in a downright scary scene in an MMA cage. “She is such a lovely person,” he said of his co-star, who also is the film’s producer. “But, it is a really scary scene, both in the book and in the movie. I was initially very cautious. I didn’t want to be too scary.”

Heigl was clear to the actor that it was integral to the story for him to unleash his fury. “She told me to push it to make it work. Because she was also the producer, she could tell me what works and doesn’t, much more than if she was just playing Stephanie Plum. She told me to just let it go,” Umeh said. “She was a great sport about it.”

When tackling any page-to-screen effort, the actors must balance a tightrope of being true to the source material, while still bringing the film’s screenplay to life. “First and foremost, you have to rely on the books, not only because of the dedication the fans have to the book series and how much they care about it, but also because of the quality of the work -- the type of characters and plotlines that Evanovich has put together. You want to stay true to that. However, as an actor, I went to the screenplay first,” Umeh said. “Then, after the screenplay, I went back to the book to flush out any additional things I could glean from the book. The book is a strong reservoir that you have, you have to use it.”

The elephant in the room is how the millions of Plum fans will react to One for the Money, not the least of which is Umeh’s aunt. “Anytime you work on a project where people know the characters before you do, you have to have a commitment to them. You have to feel the pressure,” he said. Umeh said that the cast and crew keenly knew this and took it seriously to heart. “You want to get it right and you want to bring their vision to life.”

Mirror Mirror International Trailer: More Julia Roberts' Evil Queen

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Fresh off the news that Relativity Media has moved the release date of Mirror Mirror, the studio has released the film’s latest international trailer. The film, director Tarsem Singh’s vision of the Snow White tale, now will land in theaters March 30 and features Lily Collins in the iconic role. As we’ve seen from Snow White and the Huntsman, the Evil Queen steals the show, as Julia Roberts does here.

Snow White is enthralled with a charming prince (Armie Hammer), that is until her life is thrown upside down by the whims of the Evil Queen. Director Singh, who most recently gave us Immortals, has put his trademark mind-blowing visual stamp on Mirror Mirror.

The Grey Exclusive: Dermot Mulroney and Dallas Roberts Talk Wolves and Bonding

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Dermot Mulroney and Dallas Roberts had their hands full on The Grey. The two sit down for an exclusive video interview with Movie Fanatic to talk about how they got ready for the rough conditions of the film, their new appreciation for the wolf world as well as whether the remote shoot produced a bonding experience for the cast.

Mulroney and Roberts play two of the oilmen led by Liam Neeson’s character (check out our exclusive video interview with Neeson), who survive a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness. As soon as they get their wits about them, the survivors learn they have landed in the middle of a very hungry pack of wolves.

One For the Money Movie Review: Stephanie Plum Primed for Success?

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Right off the bat in reviewing One for the Money, let's just say that it is a thankless task bringing a beloved book to the screen. More often than not, a cinematic experience cannot replicate a reader's imagination of what would visually be in their minds. When the story that is being adapted on film is from Janet Evanovich and involves a certain character named Stephanie Plum, anticipation could not be higher. There is inherently a collective raised eyebrow from the book's audience to deliver.

Katherine Heigl is Stephanie Plum in One for the Money
Katherine Heigl is Plum in One for the Money. The actress also serves as a producer and as such, the film is as much her vision as anyone else's. There is much she achieves, but there are also a few potholes along the way.

Plum has just lost her job at the beginning of the film. She has few options except to take a position as a bounty hunter for her cousin's bail bonds business. Her first mission is to bring in the man who wronged her in high school, Joe Morelli (Jason O'Mara). He is a former cop who is on the lam, escaping a murder conviction. The two meet and explosives need to be detonated to replicate those found on the pages of Evanovich. Unfortunately, none exist between the two. The best chemistry in the film is that between Heigl and Sherri Shepherd as Lulu.

Shepherd, a self-professed Evanovich fan, knows every note of her prostitute, who yes... has a heart of gold. If One for the Money scores with fans at the box office, we look forward to future installments of the Plum series as Lulu's role is ever expanding and the chemistry of Plum and Lulu is one of the best parts of the entire franchise. The moments between Shepherd and Heigl possess such levity and laser sharp dialogue; we wish the entire film held up to that standard.

Director Julie Anne Robinson gets the most out of her cast, especially Debbie Reynolds as Heigl's grandmother. The hulky Ranger from the book series is played by Daniel Sunjata and the groundwork for a fiery relationship between Plum and Ranger is expertly established in One for the Money. Fans of the series may expect more of a Dwayne Johnson physique from their Ranger, yet Sunjata is that character on so many levels.

One for the Money is an entertaining introduction to the world of Stephanie Plum. It is probably a good sign that after witnessing the film, we actually want more from Heigl's Plum and the world that author Evanovich created.

The Grey Movie Review: Liam Neeson Astounds

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Liam Neeson owns The Grey. He commands every frame in the story of a group of Alaskan oil drillers whose plane crashes on their way home after a stint drilling in the Arctic.

The Grey Stars Liam Neeson
The film begins with Neeson doing his job at the refinery. Immediately, the Irish actor commands our attention. He is clearly a lost soul on the verge of self destruction. Yet, as soon as he awakes in the frozen tundra after the crash, Neeson’s Ottway emerges as a post facto leader. When a pack of wolves encircle the survivors, it is Ottway that grabs a torch and issues instructions that save everyone’s lives… for now.

Man versus nature cinema is littered with failed attempts at pitting the two in a battle to the death. The Grey reverses that trend by giving life to those the wolves want to kill. The film’s cast matches Neeson’s intensity and the end result is a crisp thriller that also possesses a ton of heart and surprisingly, a fair amount of humor.

Nonso Anozie, Frank Grillo, James Badge Dale, Dermot Mulroney and Dallas Roberts deliver in their characterizations that could have been caricatures in an action film. There are layers to each actor’s performance that brings the audience into their plight and pulls for them to make it out alive. Traipsing through the snow swelled landscape, the plane crash survivors have their integral individual moments in the movie’s trajectory. As such, we identify with each and every one of them.

At the end of the day, The Grey is the Liam Neeson show. When the film’s penultimate moment arrives, Neeson is able to bring the entire movie himself to a rallying conclusion, hardly saying a word.

Joe Carnahan, after working with Neeson on The A-Team, has shorthand with the actor and has presented his colleague a screenplay that lives and dies with his participation. Carnahan, for his part, packages the star in a film that plays to his strengths. The director allows his cast to flourish, but still keeps the main voice and visual focus on his lead.

The Grey possesses all sorts of elements that make it a must see. There is the spine tingling suspense. It has immense heart. The landscape is a marvel that simultaneously awes and could showcase death at every corner. Its cast brings their best and what emerges is an audience experience that not only relishes a two hour trip through top-notch thriller land, but also leaves one with a burgeoning fascination with the creatures who share history with those beasts who sit at our feet.

The Avengers Photos: Nick Fury Close-Up

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The Avengers has been expertly peaking our interest as the weeks go by as we get ever closer to the film’s May 4 premiere. Marvel.com has released two new photos for us giving audiences a new look at Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and one of Mark Ruffalo (aka The Hulk) and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) conferring on something that appears quite serious.

Samuel L. Jackson Stars in The Avengers
In The Avengers (check out the trailer), Fury is crossing the globe to assemble a superhero collective to fend off a global threat by none other than Thor’s bad guy Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. in The Avengers


Man on a Ledge Movie Review: Tons of Twists and Turns

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Man on a Ledge asks a lot of its audience. The payoff is one smart thriller. Sam Worthington stars as a cop who is wrongly sent to jail when he is accused of stealing a massive diamond from Ed Harris. As the film begins, his brother (an excellent Jamie Bell) visits him in jail to tell him his father is dying. Worthington crawls back into his cell devastated. He is allowed to leave the prison to attend the funeral under the watchful eye of Sheriff’s deputies and prison guards. Those officers, his brother and his girlfriend (Genesis Rodriguez) are the memorial’s only attendees. When Worthington starts a fight with his brother, it causes a diversion that allows him to steal a truck and escape.

Elizabeth Banks and Sam Worthington in Man on a Ledge
The audience then follows Worthington into a posh Manhattan hotel where he checks in, has a little lunch and then heads out on the ledge, dozens of stories above the city’s streets. Quickly, someone notices and suddenly you have an old fashioned New York City freak show where hundreds gather to watch a man perhaps plummet to his death.

Only that is not all that is going on… as the Man on a Ledge trailer shows, Worthington is out there to right the wrong against him and seek revenge on the man who was responsible for putting him in jail. How it plays out over the next 90 minutes is a film that possesses a slew of twists and turns that will always leave you guessing how it will conclude.

Elizabeth Banks is a police negotiator charged with talking Worthington off the ledge. Also on the scene is Ed Burns, a fellow cop who has serious doubts whether this scene will end peacefully. Both have their own moments with Worthington throughout the film, particularly Banks. She is a tough as nails cop who has a dark secret herself that will play into the circus and whether it results in Worthington saved or flattened by the sidewalk below. It’s refreshing to see Banks in a role that seems to be the opposite of hers in What to Expect When You’re Expecting, or even her killer turn on 30 Rock.

Man on a Ledge is wildly original. It moves like an action movie, but also has all the elements of a solid thriller. At the center of it all is Worthington. His performance is pitch perfect and allows the audience’s questions to build throughout the film, never playing his cards until he has to. As such, although this is largely an ensemble film with its great cast, it is Worthington who carries it on his hulky shoulders. Although the world of the film has deemed him a crook and his brother firmly believes in his innocence, the truth finds its way to the forefront with brilliant pacing as delivered by the Australian actor.

Red Tails Quotes: We Fight!

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Red Tails may have shocked pundits when it landed in second place at the box office last week, but not Movie Fanatic. The film from George Lucas is a harrowing tale of the true life sacrifice that the Tuskegee airmen endured to help ensure our freedom with their help in bringing down the Third Reich.

Elijah Kelley in Red Tails
As it is such an inspiring piece of work, the film has a slew of quotes that might even get you up, ready to saddle up and fly into battle. Cuba Gooding, Jr. is Major Emanuelle Stance, the man on the airbase in Italy charged with keeping his airmen inspired and primed for war. Colonel A.J. Bullard is played by Terrence Howard and it is him that finally gets America’s first African American fighting force a mission that actually helps the war effort.

Then, there are the pilots themselves played by some of the best up and coming actors we have. All told, they produce a solid film that not only lifts the spirits, but also reminds us how far we have come. Get ready for battle; here are the best of the Red Tails quotes.

Colonel A.J. Bullard: It's damn hard to shoot down the enemy 100 miles behind the front lines. | permalink

Colonel A.J. Bullard: The only respect I have is for the uniform. | permalink

Major Emanuelle Stance: Get your head up son. | permalink

Colonel A.J. Bullard: You get us the mission, we'll light up the board. | permalink

Joe 'Lightning' Little: From the last plane, to the last bullet, to the last minute, to the last man, we fight! | permalink

General Luntz: I can't afford the kind of losses my bombers have been suffering. Can you help save lives?
Colonel A.J. Bullard: If you get us new planes, we can help your boys. | permalink

Colonel A.J. Bullard: At all costs, you protect the heavies. | permalink

Joe Lightning Little: I think I did get myself killed. | permalink

Colonel A.J. Bullard: We have a right to fight for our country, the same as every other American. We will not go away. | permalink

Colonel A.J. Bullard: We count our victories by the bombers we get to their targets, by the husbands we return to their wives, by the fathers we give back to their children. To the last minute, to the last man we fight. We fight! | permalink

Monty Python Gang Will Reunite for Absolutely Anything

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The news Monty Python fans have waited decades for has arrived: The group is getting back together. John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin have announced plans to come back together for a sci-fi comedy called Absolutely Anything. Eric Idle has yet to confirm his participation in what Jones has stressed is not a Monty Python movie. “It’s a different thing. It’s not really that we’re all getting back together,” he said.

Monty Python Picture
Well, it’s hard to witness all the members, save Idle, gathering to appear in the same movie and not call it a reunion. Semantics, really, isn’t it?

Jones would direct, with Palin, Gilliam and Cleese portraying aliens and a few more roles. “In true Python tradition,” Jones added.

OK, so it’s not a Python reunion, but it is in the Python “tradition?” Whatever it is, fans of the group of UK comedians should be thrilled.

Who Should Win the Academy Award for Best Actor?

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The Oscar nominees for Best Actor are certainly a wickedly talented bunch that also contains a few of the biggest movie stars on the planet. But… which one deserves to take home the Oscar?

Brad Pitt is Billy Beane in Moneyball
Each could lay claim to the trophy, yet George Clooney is the clear front-runner for his role in The Descendants. And by a hair, we think he turned in the best performance and will win. But, my Movie Fanatic nation, deserving to win and who you want to win are two separate thoughts. We want your opinion in the poll below to let us know what your favorite performance of the year was by a lead actor from the list of nominees.

Brad Pitt hit it out of the park in Moneyball. One could argue it is the best performance of his career. He was Billy Beane on every level. An element that is sure to figure into every Academy voter's decision: Can you imagine this film without the Best Actor nominee? With Moneyball, there is no way the film soars as it does without Pitt.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy featured one of the most reserved performances of Gary Oldman’s illustrious career. It is also his first nomination for Best Actor. He rivets in every inch of film and carries that smartly crafted film to greatness.

Jean Dujardin did the impossible with The Artist. He made a silent movie work in 2011. Using his facial expressions for subtle emotive efforts solely -- sometimes simply through his eyes -- his fading silent movie star is perhaps the most quietly compelling of the nominated lot.

Then there is Demian Bichir.

Much of the world probably did not see A Better Life. It is an astounding piece of work and Bichir turns in the most powerful of performances as an illegal immigrant in Los Angeles trying to make his son’s life better than his ever could be. Through Bichir, audiences see the struggle that is making it in America as an illegal immigrant. Even a traffic stop could result in being separated from your family. We are beyond thrilled that Bichir was nominated, but… do you think he deserves to win?

Who do you want to win the Academy Award for Best Actor?

Weekend Movie Preview: January 27, 2012

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Liam Neeson battles wolves, Sam Worthington is fighting for his innocence and Katherine Heigl is waging war on those who skip out on bail this week at the movies. Three new films arrive on screens and each has their own merit. The Grey, One for the Money and Man on a Ledge arrive to combat for your movie-going dollar. Who will win?

The Grey: Neeson is an oil rig worker on the outskirts of Alaska’s borders with the Arctic Circle. He’s suffered a loss in his life and feels he has not too much to live for. When he and a dozen of his co-workers board a plane to head home to Anchorage, the jet’s crash will turn him into a driven leader, determined to survive. Surviving a plane crash is enough, yes? Not when there’s a pack of hungry wolves whose entire purpose seems to be to kill every man… one by one. Check out our The Grey review for more.


Man on a Ledge: Worthington is joined in a superstar cast that includes Ed Harris, Ed Burns, Elizabeth Banks and Jamie Bell in a thriller about how far a falsely accused man will go to secure his innocence. Worthington rocks in the role and the film will keep you guessing around every turn. This is not simply a story about a Man on a Ledge with a death wish. There is much beyond the scenes that filmmakers slowly dole out in an elongated burn. Movie Fanatic’s Man on a Ledge review delves deeper into the mystery.


One for the Money: Heigl is Stephanie Plum, the literary figure beloved by millions of Janet Evanovich fans. Plum gets her first spotlight on the screen with One for the Money. Heigl plays a woman who needs a job desperately and takes one offered by her cousin as a bounty hunter for his bail bond business. Her first charge is to bring back a man who skipped out on bail after being charged with murder. The fact that this guy is the same man who wronged her in high school, makes her mission all the sweeter. In our One for the Money review, Movie Fanatic explores how difficult it is to please fans of a book series. Does One for the Money do it well?

The Hunter Trailer: Willem Dafoe's On the Prowl

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The first trailer for The Hunter has premiered and we’ll give it this much: It is a refreshingly original idea for a film. Willem Dafoe plays a mercenary who is the best at what he does. His latest contract has him flying to the jungles of Tasmania in search of a beast that is supposedly extinct. Dafoe’s charge is to bring the animal back alive so the mysterious corporation that hired him can harness its DNA.


The Hunter also stars Alcatraz’s Sam Neill and arrives on VOD March 2 and in theaters April 6.

Man on a Ledge Exclusive: Ed Burns Takes Us Inside Filmmaking

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As a screenwriter himself (The Brothers McMullen, She's the One), Man on a Ledge star Ed Burns was immediately impressed when he first opened the script for the film. “It’s rare that you read a script that is that much of a page-turner. It’s really got great twists and turns, you don’t know where it’s going. And then when we get to the end the other thing that’s very satisfying is those last act reveals worked,” Burns said to us exclusively. “I think the screenwriter was very respectful of his audience.”

Ed Burns in Man on a Ledge
Once the actor arrived on the Man on a Ledge set and began collaborating with his other stars -- Elizabeth Banks, Sam Worthington, Ed Harris and Jamie Bell -- he noticed something else about the script that was coming to light thanks to the talented group of performers. “They were able to put together such a great ensemble, you have all of these very distinct voices. Within that, the different characters were getting to play within different genres in the various subplots,” Burns said. “Jamie’s whole deal, their subplot deals with a jewel heist and this couple’s comedy. Sam is in the sort of traditional psychological thriller role with action elements. There’s even Kyra Sedgwick’s man on the street stuff.”

Burns’ biggest effort was not to make his Jack Dougherty a caricature, which given his description, could have been easy to slip into. “Alright, so this is that cop. He’s the pain in the ass. He’s going to be pissed off. He’s a wise-ass and he’s going to give this woman (Banks) a very hard time,” he said. “But as the story progresses you see that there’s actually a flip. There’s a little bit of an arc and he gets to turn into a real person that not only protects her but comes to sort of aid her in her case.”

Of all the cast members, Burns had the most scenes with Banks. “First of all, the girl’s such a talented actor. When you think about the really gritty, dramatic work that she can do, but then she’s just like a master comedienne,” Burns said. “We became immediate fast friends and then we do that first scene together and we had chemistry. There’s no explanation for that, we’re just lucky to have it.”

Movie Fanatic wondered if being a screenwriter gave Burns any extra edge in choosing scripts in which he hopes to act. "That’s a hard one because I haven’t been the best at picking the right things to act in, quite honestly,” he said and laughed. “I obviously don’t have a better ability to judge what makes a successful screenplay or film.”

Yet the director side of his brain is continually getting a master class in the craft with each acting role. “Every film you work on, you should use as an opportunity to learn from the filmmakers. I did it for the first time with Steven Spielberg on Saving Private Ryan. I got to do it this summer with Rob Cohen, making I, Alex Cross,” Burns said.

Knowing there are legion of aspiring writers and directors out there, Burns had some exclusive advice for our readers in their efforts to achieve his level of success. “If this is something that you need to do, then you just have to figure out a way to go and do it. You’re always going to meet the naysayers. And the naysayers are going to tell you that you cannot make a movie for $9,000. They’re going to tell you in three years, you can’t make a movie on an iPhone. And I guarantee you I’m going to make a movie on an iPhone in about three years,” Burns said. “They’re going to say, ‘Well, even if you do make a movie, how are you going to get it out there? You’re going to lose your money. You’re gonna do this, you’re gonna do that.’ You can’t listen to any of them. Because what is the alternative? Not doing it.”

Of all the great filmmakers and performers he has had the pleasure of working alongside, Burns tells us his best guidance came from someone a little closer to his heart. “My dad gave me great advice early on in my career. I’d made The Brothers McMullen and the movie was a year old. I had sent it out to every film festival, distribution company, agent, and producer -- and all I got back was a stack of rejection letters. Not a single nibble,” Burns remembered.

Man on a Ledge Star Ed Burns
“He took me out for a drink and I was complaining about the business. I said, ‘What the hell? I don’t understand. What’s going on? I thought this was a pretty good movie and I can’t even get an agent.’ He said, ‘Let me ask you a question. When you finished making the movie, you told me that those 12 shooting days were the 12 best days of your life, right?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘Now, did you make the movie to go out to Hollywood and become rich and famous and be an (expletive)?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘You did it because you told me you needed to do it. The story was inside of you and you needed to get it out. So, this is what we’ll do. Write another script. We’ll figure out a way to get you another $23,000 and you’ll go get another 12 days.’ That’s what I tell people all the time. Just go get those 12 days.”


Act of Valor Featurette: Real SEALs in Action

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Relativity Media has released a new behind-the-scenes featurette taking us into the making of Act of Valor. The action film features real life Navy SEALs and through this insightful video vignette, audiences can get quite a feeling into how real American heroes brought this movie to new heights.

Act of Valor opens in theaters everywhere February 24. It follows the SEALs in their effort to rid the world of terrorism and is inspired by true events. The movie brings together authentic battle sequences, coupled with what happens when these super soldiers come home.

The Grey Wins Box Office Battle

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Liam Neeson is still a box office champion. After The A-Team, Unknown and Taken all opened at number one, his The Grey has done so as well, landing in first place at the weekend box office. The film banked $20 million in its first week of release (check out our The Grey review and exclusive Neeson video interview).

The Grey: Liam Neeson
Last week’s number one flick, Underworld Awakening, slipped to second. The return of Kate Beckinsale as Selene added another $12.5 million to its total of $45.1 million. The second of three new entries at the movies this past weekend, One for the Money, had to settle for a third place finish. Katherine Heigl’s latest earned $11.8 million. Does that guarantee another chapter in the Stephanie Plum literary saga that has 18 books? Time will tell.

Fourth place belongs to Red Tails, George Lucas’ tale of the Tuskegee airmen and their heroic efforts during World War II. The film sold $10.4 million in its second week of release.

Rounding out the top five box office winners was the third new film of the weekend, Man on a Ledge. The Sam Worthington-starring flick disappointed in its first week of release, earning only $8.3 million.

What was interesting to note in this first box office weekend after the Oscar nominations were announced is the charge up the charts that Best Picture nominees Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close ($7.1 million) and The Descendants ($6.6 million) did by finishing at sixth and seventh, respectively.

Box office top 10:

1. The Grey, $20 million
2. Underworld: Awakening, $12.5 million
3. One for the Money, $11.8 million
4. Red Tails, $10.4 million
5. Man on a Ledge, $8.3 million
6. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, $7.1 million
7. The Descendants, $6.6 million
8. Contraband, $6.5 million
9. Beauty and the Beast, $5.3 million
10. Haywire, $4 million

Screen Actors Guild Award Winners: The Help Sweeps!

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The Screen Actors Guild Awards give actors a chance to honor their peers in a ceremony that quite often (historically) sheds light on who will go home with the coveted Academy Awards next month.

If that's the case, Oscar night could be big for The Help cast.

Recognized for their work as an ensemble, the top honor of the night at Sunday's 2012 SAG Awards. Viola Davis took home the award for Best Actress and Octavia Spencer won Best Supporting Actress.

Basically, it was a clean sweep for The Help, going 3/3 in categories where it was nominated. The Artist's Jean Dujardin was Best Actor and Christopher Plummer won Best Supporting Actor for Beginners.

Mary Tyler Moore also collected a Lifetime Achievement Award.

We'll offer more analysis of the event - and what it portends for the Oscars - a bit later. For now, here's a list of the major 2012 SAG Award nominees, and winners (starred and bolded) from last night:

Octavia Spencer in The Help

Best Actor

    George Clooney, The Descendants
    Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
    Demian Bichir, A Better Life
    JEAN DUJARDIN, The Artist *
    Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Actress

    Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
    VIOLA DAVIS, The Help *
    Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
    Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
    Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin

Best Supporting Actor

    Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
    Nick Nolte, Warrior
    Jonah Hill, Moneyball
    Armie Hammer, J. Edgar
    CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER, Beginners *

Best Supporting Actress

    Berenice Bejo, The Artist
    Jessica Chastain, The Help
    Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
    OCTAVIA SPENCER, The Help *
    Jessica Chastain, The Help

Outstanding Performance by a Cast

    Bridesmaids
    The Artist
    The Descendants
    THE HELP *
    Midnight in Paris

The Hobbit: Bilbo and The Dwarves Photo

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A new photo from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has arrived and it gives us a look at Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and his dwarf band of battle brothers about to indulge in some serious meal enjoyment. 

Martin Freeman Stars as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit
The Peter Jackson-directed epic lands in theaters December 14 and follows the exploits of Bilbo as he is pulled into an epic journey to save the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. The dragon Smaug has held it captive for years and with help from the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), they wage a battle to reclaim the land for the dwarf people.

Wanderlust Trailer: Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd's Journey

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Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd star in Wanderlust as a couple who are finding life at the moment a bit boring. They leave their suburban conclave and head out on the road in an effort to find the spice of life. When they arrive on a commune and have to spend the night, they discover all the excitement they bargained for and more. The film has released a new TV spot taking us further into the zaniness that is Wanderlust.

The new clip also gives us our first look at Justin Theroux’s character who gives Rudd a bit of advice that is as alarming as it is funny.

Wanderlust lands in theaters February 24 and also stars Malin Akerman, Lauren Ambrose and Alan Alda.

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