The Hobbit Director Roll Call Nov 29, 2006
Ridley Scott Notable Credits: Alien, Blade Runner, Legend, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven. A filmmaker who has managed to dip into the realm of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror time and again, and yet maintain his artistic credibility throughout, Ridley Scott would make geeks shriek in delight if he took on the task of adapting The Hobbit. (IGN FilmForce)
Easy drinking| Nov 24, 2006
The Oscar-winning actor is best at playing intense, troubled characters; the Kingdom of Heaven director is most comfortable making grand epics featuring casts of thousands and at least three elaborate battle scenes. So why choose a light and frothy story about a London-based investment broker who inherits his uncle s farm in Provence and, finally, decides he quite likes lazing about quaffing wine and chatting up French beauties in picture postcard Provence. (iAfrica.com)
IGN Movies Mailbag: 11/21/06 Nov 23, 2006
Half of Bloom's roles in the action genre have been based on how he is skinny and fair (LOTR, Pirates, Troy, even Kingdom of Heaven, where they tried to have him gain weight and look rougher on the edges, he was still fair and skinny). My Choice. (IGN FilmForce)
Movie review: ‘Casino Royale’ deals a winning hand Nov 22, 2006
Green is among the better Bond-girls in the franchise, and if you ve seen her work in Ridley Scott s Kingdom of Heaven and Bernardo Bertolucci s The Dreamers, you realize her absolute fearlessness as an actress with dramatic material. That being said, she s poignantly good here. (Lompoc Record, CA)
Bond can be tough, girls . . . on your career Nov 21, 2006
And though she won the romantic lead opposite Orlando Bloom in A-list director Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven (2005), the movie was severely edited for theatrical release. A big chunk of Green's performance disappeared. (Waterloo Record)
Eva ready to gamble on 007 Nov 19, 2006
On the romantic front, she's been linked most recently with New Zealand-born actor Marton Csokas, who played her husband, the brutal Guy de Lusignan, in Kingdom Of Heaven, but in interviews she seems to prefer discussing the foibles of a different kind of companion - her Border terrier, Griffin (whom she has jokingly referred to as "my husband") ... She was cast as the enigmatic, kohl-eyed Sibylla in the director's 2005 clash-of-civilisations epic Kingdom Of Heaven, and although much of her... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
WRITE-WING CONSPIRACY Nov 11, 2006
The screenwriter of the incredibly dreary Ridley Scott film "Kingdom of Heaven" but also the crunchy, brutal and marvelous script for Scorsese's "The Departed." He began his career as an editor at Spy Magazine - and as a Pushcart Prize winner for his short fiction. Quentin Tarantino, 43, a friend of Wes Anderson and a kind of wildly successful big brother whose screenplays abound in eloquent blasts of obscenity, dislocated time sequences and dialogue so vivid it's almost funny even when it... (Buffalo News)
A Good Year (3 stars out of 5) Nov 10, 2006
Mayle is pals with Scott, and Scott talked him into writing the 2004 book this is based on, so it would have been bad form indeed to not let Mr. Kingdom of Heaven, Alien and Matchstick Men try his hand at it. But everybody involved should have taken the cue from Crowe's inability to make one of Henry's favorite lesson-jokes work. (Orlando Sentinel -- Entertainment)
Crowe, Scott savor a whole new vintage Nov 9, 2006
Ask whether A Good Year was a nice respite, considering that their previous, more grueling efforts, Crowe's boxing biopic Cinderella Man and Scott's Crusades epic Kingdom of Heaven, failed to knock out audiences, and the director gets defensive. "It's always work. People who aren't involved in filming don't know what it entails.". (USA Today)
Ridley Scott: Russell Crowe and I Are 'Pains in the Neck' Nov 7, 2006
When asked if he can tell when an audience will embrace one of his movies or not, such as "Kingdom of Heaven," Scott said: "You can never tell.". "It was a real passion project, and it's the film I'm most proud of," he said. (Fox News -- Life)
Ridley Scott The director of Alien and Gladiator talks about his first romantic comedy Nov 6, 2006
Scott, 68, talked with Belinda Luscombe about the French, Francis Ford Coppola's wine and how we'd all really like Kingdom of Heaven if we just saw more of it ... You've had huge hits such as Gladiator and Alien and other movies that have disappeared, such as G.I. Jane and Kingdom of Heaven ... A word on Kingdom of Heaven: if you get the four-disc set, which is 3 hr. 8 min., you'll see why it's such a good movie. (Time.com)
When actors and anxieties collide Oct 16, 2006
Does anyone remember him in "Elizabethtown" and "Kingdom of Heaven" or even in the "Pirates" sequels. (For the record, Law not long ago moved to Endeavor, and Bloom seems to be unrepresented in the States. (Variety)
Will Turner, R.I.P.? Oct 14, 2006
An exclusive interview with the star of Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven. Details for Pirates of the Caribbean 4. (IGN FilmForce)
Bait and Switch Oct 4, 2006
Screenwriter William Monahan (responsible for last year's Ridley Scott crusades spectacle Kingdom of Heaven) provides some choice insults: "Hey, go save a kitten in a tree, you fuckin' homos," Damon taunts his rivals in a police-fireman football game. No opportunity is missed to call a priest a pederast. (City Pages)
William J. Monahan writes dialogue that's music to Bostonian ears Oct 3, 2006
This led to ``Kingdom of Heaven," the critical and domestic commercial bomb whose three-hour version, Monahan steadfastly maintains, is far better than the theatrical release. (Three hours is one tough sell.) His trajectory has been up since then. He wrote a script for ``Jurassic Park IV" that was taken over by John Sayles because Monahan was tied up writing ``Heaven. " (``It was my first year as a screenwriter and I didn't know if I wanted to do it," he recalls. (Boston Globe)
In defense of Orlando Bloom Sep 12, 2006
You dont believe Bloom as a legendary warrior in Kingdom of Heaven, though, because his costume looks like its about to swallow him and, in their scenes together, so does Liam Neeson ... Edward Norton acts rings around Bloom in Kingdom of Heavenfrom behind an immobile painted mask. (MSNBC -- Movies)
A Good Year for Crowe? Sep 11, 2006
But he has also gotten a lukewarm reception for films such as the Demi Moore dramatic vehicle G.I. Jane, the Silence of the Lambs sequel Hannibal, and the period piece Kingdom of Heaven. He has also at times battled the reputation of not being an actor's director, but he clearly has good chemistry with Crowe, with whom he is currently filming American Gangster, about a drug lord who smuggles heroin into Harlem in the 1970s by hiding the drugs in the coffins of American soldiers returning from... (The Age)
From bombs to blockbusters Sep 4, 2006
" Final thoughts on summer Movie best watched at a drive-in: Cars. Movie best watched after a beer or two (when someone else is driving, of course): Beerfest. Movie best watched while dieting: The Devil Wears Prada, in which first assistant Emily Blunt says she's one stomach flu away from her goal weight. Yes, we know that sends a horrible signal to girls, but it's still funny. Underachiever, blockbuster category: Mission: Impossible III. It opened the season at No. 1 but made "only"... (Globe and Mail)
SUMMERHAUL-MOVIES Sep 3, 2006
" _ Movie best watched while dieting: "The Devil Wears Prada," in which first assistant Emily Blunt says she's one stomach flu away from her goal weight. Yes, we know that sends a horrible signal to girls, but it's still funny. _ Funny but freaky special effect: "Little Man" takes the head of 6-foot-2 Marlon Wayans and digitally attaches it to the body of a 9-year-old actor. That allows Wayans to play a 2-foot-6-inch man pretending to be a toddler so he can retrieve a stolen diamond. _... (Scripps Howard News Wire)
'Pirates' was summer blockbuster Sep 1, 2006
" Movie best watched while dieting: "The Devil Wears Prada," in which first assistant Emily Blunt says she's one stomach flu away from her goal weight. Yes, we know that sends a horrible signal to girls, but it's still funny. Funny but freaky special effect: "Little Man" takes the head of 6-foot-2 Marlon Wayans and digitally attaches it to the body of a 9-year-old actor. That allows Wayans to play a 2-foot-6-inch man pretending to be a toddler so he can retrieve a stolen diamond. Underachiever,... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Map to "Pirates" gold keeps Hollywood guessing Jul 14, 2006
When he has taken centerstage -- in the period "Kingdom of Heaven" ($47 million) and the contemporary "Elizabethtown" ($27 million) -- he has stumbled. Same with Knightley. (Reuters)
Back in full Bloom Jul 8, 2006
Bloom has also felt the sting of critical lashes and box-office doldrums for two other projects, the historical epic Kingdom of Heaven and romantic comedy Elizabethtown, which made 2005 something of an annus horribilis for him ... He found the action slightly less taxing than the knight role he played in Kingdom of Heaven, for which he gained 20 pounds of muscle. (Toronto Star -- Arts)
'Discovering my inner pirate' Jul 7, 2006
Films include three Lord of the Rings, Elizabethtown, Kingdom of Heaven, Troy and Black Hawk Down. Dating Superman Returns actress Kate Bosworth. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Exclusive: The New Bond Girls! Jul 7, 2006
Green first made waves in Bernardo Bertolucci's racy drama The Dreamers and then appeared opposite Orlando Bloom in Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven. On the opposite side of the spectrum is Italian actress Caterina Murino, who plays Solange, the bad guy's wife. (Comingsoon.net)
Hollywood clings to box-office lead Jul 4, 2006
Critics and fans alike were turned off by such summer offerings as the action bombs "Stealth" and "The Island," the comedies "The Honeymooners," "Rebound" and "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo," the historical epic "Kingdom of Heaven" and the remakes "House of Wax" and "The Bad News Bears.". Weekend after weekend, the box office was down compared to the previous year, a wake-up call that studios needed to make better movies to compete with consumers' big-screen televisions, video games and other... (Fresno Bee)
Boringus Maximus: Jul 2, 2006
Boringus Maximus - How the historical epic died with Kingdom of Heaven ... But Kingdom of Heaven tops them all by making one of the most famous wars in history seem inconsequential and deadly dull. (Slate)
Waiting for Johnny Jun 30, 2006
Somebody in the press pack dares to suggest that his last two films - Ridley Scott's overblown Kingdom of Heaven and Cameron Crowe's truly frightful Elizabethtown - might have been something of a disappointment. The questioner is not a teenage girl. (Irish Times)
READY TO SET SAIL Jun 30, 2006
" The film will also help Orlando's blockbuster rating after his performances in Troy and Kingdom of Heaven were widely criticised. Although in Troy, the London-based actor was in a supporting role alongside the film's lead Brad Pitt, in Kingdom of Heaven, Orlando played his first official lead role as Balian. However, it was generally felt he was a bit wimpy for the part. Fortunately for Orlando with Pirates, the lead is on Depp's shoulders and the younger actor can enjoy the blossoming love... (Glasgow Daily Record)
Bloomin' Pirates! Jun 28, 2006
CS: Is it tougher to wear soaking wet pirate gear or "Kingdom of Heaven" knight armor ... CS: Ridley came close to telling us to get the long version of "Kingdom of Heaven." Bloom: Yeah. (Comingsoon.net)
Media Armchair cinephile Jun 14, 2006
Taking the war movie genre back before bullets and bombers is Kingdom of Heaven (Fox), the recent Ridley Scott film about the Crusades. I was indifferent to this charisma-deficient epic when it was released, but a new four-disc package offers a 194-minute cut that, according to those who saw it in a limited theatrical release late last year, transforms a mediocre effort into an impressive feat. (San Antonio Current, TX)
Special DVDs on the march May 30, 2006
Likewise, Ridley Scott is particularly proud of the Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut (Fox, out now, $35) because the film, nearly an hour longer, is a more complete version of his 2005 epic, plus it has two discs of bonus material. "Thank God for the world of DVD, because it enables me to, in some respect, re-release the film the way I intended," he says. (USA Today -- Life)
Cheaper by the Dozen bounds on to DVD May 23, 2006
Also new: Transamerica, Kingdom of Heaven and The Closer season one. Hilary Duff, Tom Welling, Bonnie Hunt and Steve Martingo for thecheap laughs in"Cheaper by the Dozen 2.". (MSNBC -- Movies)
Latest 'Mission' gathers only $48 million May 9, 2006
On May 6, 2005, Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven" starring Orlando Bloom debuted with an anemic $20 million, so Cruise and company trumped that. Still, theories abound about why "M:i:III" wasn't a bigger draw. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Mission Possible: Bigger Summer B.O. May 7, 2006
Debuting on the same May weekend last year, the Bloom-led Kingdom of Heaven grossed less than $20 million, which given the bad state of things, was enough to give it bragging rights, briefly, as the nation's No. 1 movie. Hollywood's tepid summer of 2005 was an outgrowth of its stone cold spring. (E! Online)
DEATH BY DVD? Apr 30, 2006
When I spoke with director Ridley Scott last year about his soon-to-sink Crusades epic Kingdom of Heaven, he was sanguine about the studio's decision to release a much shorter movie than what Scott had intended. He knew he'd be able to restore his lost scenes for the DVD version; many directors these days are thinking in precisely those terms. (Toronto Star -- Arts)
Hollywood off to an early start with summer movies Apr 27, 2006
"It's just chock-full of blockbusters, so we're kind of front-loaded in that sense, but that's OK; at least we'll get some momentum going early on, whereas last year 'Kingdom of Heaven,' 'Monster-in-Law,' 'Kicking & Screaming' and some other films did OK, but you need big films to kick off the summer." ... By comparison, "Kingdom of Heaven" and "House of Wax" opened on May 6, 2005, and "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" was in its second week. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Reopens debate on war for 'noble aim'of regaining Holy Land for Christianity Mar 25, 2006
" Jonathan Riley-Smith, Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Cambridge University, took issue with the portrayal of the Crusaders in the recent film, "Kingdom of Heaven," calling it "utter nonsense" and accusing director Sir Ridley Scott of fueling Islamic fundamentalism by propagating "Osama bin Laden's version of history. " The script, he said, was "historically inaccurate. (WorldNetDaily)
Scott 'to direct terror war film' Mar 15, 2006
His recent film about the Crusades, Kingdom of Heaven, was praised in some quarters of the Arab world for dispensing with Muslim stereotypes. And in 2004, the film-maker's 1982 science fiction epic Blade Runner was named the best of its genre by an international group of scientists. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
New 'Bond Girl' Feb 21, 2006
Green's screen credits also include roles in Jean-Paul Salome's French-language film, "Arsene Lupin," and Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven," with Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson. . (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Eva Green is Bond's femme fatale Feb 19, 2006
Green, who is the daughter of French actress Marlne Jobert and Swedish dentist Walter Green, has to her credit erotic movies like "The Dreamers." It is reported that her steamy scene with Orlando Bloom in "Kingdom of Heaven" was so hot that it had to be cut down. Casino Royale producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said that they had zeroed in on the perfect actress after a long search, "After an extensive search we found the perfect actress. She brings to the complex role of Vesper an... (Earthtimes.com)
Actress Eva Green is new Bond girl Feb 18, 2006
Associated Press French actress Eva Green poses as she arrives at the European premiere of " Kingdom of Heaven" in London last May 2 ... Green's screen credits also include roles in Jean-Paul Salome's French-language film, Arsene Lupin, and Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven, with Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Eva Green To Be 'Royale' Bond Girl Feb 18, 2006
Her other films were last year's "Kingdom of Heaven" with Orlando Bloom and "Arsne Lupin." She is presently working on the European film "Zhivaya Riba.". In other casting news, Jeffrey Wright, who's currently in "Syriana," will play a character named Felix Leiter in the new Bond film. (CBS News)
Eva's Bond Ambition Feb 18, 2006
Gothic beauty Eva Green, who starred with - and, ahem, underneath - Orlando in Kingdom Of Heaven, has apparently signed on the dotted line for Casino Royale ... If you didn't catch Eva's steamy turn in the epic film Kingdom Of Heaven, you may have seen her getting, well, steamy in arty flick The Dreamers. (Ananova -- Entertainment)
A New Bond Girl Has Been Chosen: Eva Green Feb 18, 2006
In 2005, Eva starred as the female lead in Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven with Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson. She was nominated for Les Molieres, Paris, 2002, for the play "Jalousie en Trois Fax" in the category Revelation Theatrale Feminine and now the European beauty is the face of the Emporio Aramani campaign. (Softpedia)
Green a go as next Bond girl Feb 17, 2006
Eva Green previously appeared in Kingdom of Heaven and The Dreamers ... In 2005, she starred as the female lead in Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven with Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson. (USA Today -- Movies)
The unknown factor Jan 25, 2006
Last year Bloom was paid US$2mil for Kingdom of Heaven and US$3mil for Elizabethtown. However, his name didnt seem to help the films make an impact at the box office. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Tristan & Isolde Jan 14, 2006
This understated period drama may lack sufficient star power and emotional wallop to score breakthrough success with mainstream auds during its domestic theatrical run, but pic could find a warmer response in the same international markets where "Kingdom of Heaven" redeemed itself last year. "Heaven" helmer Ridley Scott reportedly developed "Tristan e" for nearly two decades as a dream project. (Variety)
In medieval ‘Tristan,’ love is a battlefield Jan 13, 2006
Originally intended as a project for Ridley Scott ( Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven ), one of our greatest filmmakers, Tristan e is now a Scott production directed by Kevin Reynolds, and if that gives you pause, you are not alone. Reynolds is responsible for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and the soggy, sci-fi epic Waterworld, and, more recently, an inept Count of Monte Cristo with Jim Caviezel. (Boston Herald--Movies)
The year in movies: It was a zoo Jan 1, 2006
Orlando Bloom may want to give Peter Jackson a jingle to see if he has any more Lord of the Rings films up his sleeve after Bloom's Kingdom of Heaven and Elizabethtown bombed. And Rob Schneider and Will Ferrell could check for openings at Saturday Night Live after Schneider's Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo and Ferrell's Kicking & Screaming and Bewitched left audiences yearning for the actors' small-screen days. (USA Today -- Movies)
