ShockTillYouDrop.com managing editor Ryan Rotten attended Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood and snapped pics of the latest banners and posters for "The Wolfman". Click the link to see the rest of the shots.
Universal Studios Hollywood - for tickets
"The Wolfman" completed production.
Danny Elfman to score the film.
"The Wolfman" - IMDB
Leaked trailer - very cool
Sony Pictures will release "Slipstream" on DVD this February 26th.
Synopsis:
Aging screenwriter Felix Bonhoeffer has lived his life in two states of existence--the world of reality and the world inside his head. Hired to rewrite a murder mystery set in a desert diner and unaware that his brain is on the verge of implosion, Felix is politely baffled when the characters from his movie start showing up in his life and vice versa. Felix tries to maintain his equanimity as reality and fantasy collide in an increasingly whirling slipstream, while his memory banks fire off seemingly random references to songs and sci-fi movies from the Fifties.
Extras will include: an "Audio Commentary with Director Anthony Hopkins," a "Dreaming Slipstream Making Of Featurette," and "Deleted Scenes."
Ahhh....audio commentary by Director Anthony Hopkins. I saw this film twice already and even though I got alot of what was going on the second viewing, I'm looking forward to hearing what Sir Tony has to say scene by scene...and well, to be honest, I love his voice.
Most reviewers called "Slipstream" a vanity film but as far as I'm concerned, it sure was a nice trip down the rabbit hole of Anthony Hopkins' mind. Heck, the dude will be 70 on New Year's Eve and still is an "A" list Hollywood actor, musician, writer, painter and all around a nice guy. Vanity, nah, he's recently vowed never to go under the plastic surgeon's knife.
"Slipstream" is Anthony Hopkins just having fun. Seems to me, Hopkins is the kind of guy who gets into trouble when he is bored. His wife, Stella Arroyave, is the one who suggested he write a screenplay and then when it was done, told him to make the movie. She is a smart lady, he must be a handful at home!
Earlier this week on Fandango, I purchase my IMAX-3D tickets to “Beowulf” at the Lincoln Center Loews in NYC. From the early reviews, I’m ready to be amazed, thrilled, sexed, gored and violenced all in glorious 3D.
From all the Hopkins interviews about “Beowulf”, I’ve weeded out these three as the best I’ve read thus far. Enjoy.
Sleaford Standard, The Press Association Newsdesk, November 9, 2007
Sir Anthony Hopkins has admitted he could never quite muster the energy to read through the original Beowulf - the epic old English poem which his latest film is based on. The veteran actor explained: "I tried to wade through it when I was a kid but, oh God no, I couldn't, I just didn't have that attention span."
However, when it came to making the movie, Sir Anthony did try to make more of an effort: "The script is good but I have to admit I only read part of it - I only read my part."
The movie uses a digital technique to manipulate the lead actors' features and bodies, transforming Ray Winstone into the 6ft 6in warrior and Sir Anthony into a taller, tubbier king - a technique which was new to the veteran actor.
"They gather all this information into this gigantic brain and all these youngsters are running around, they're all geniuses and they look about 12 years old, and then you appear on set in this silly jumpsuit covered in beads and you feel like an idiot but after you get over that you just act normally, if you can call it normal," he said.
icWales, by Madeleine Brindley, Western Main, November 13, 2007
SIR Anthony Hopkins has revealed how he convinced a director to allow him to portray his character in the new Beowulf movie as a Welsh drunk. The Oscar winner co-stars in the $150m digitally-enhanced film alongside Ray Winstone and Angelina Jolie. The film is based on the mythic 9th-century Anglo-Saxon fable Beowulf, with Hopkins playing King Hrothgar.
In an interview with the Western Mail, the 69-year-old said when he was first approached by director Robert Zemeckis, he decided the best way to play Hrothgar was “as a Welsh drunkard”. Hopkins said, “When I first met Bob Zemeckis he asked, ‘How would you speak it?’ and I said I’d like to use Welsh. Bob said, ‘What’s that?’ and I replied, ‘We’re the Irish who couldn’t swim!’ “I felt like he should have an old language, and Welsh is an ancient language, several thousand years old, so he agreed. “He asked me to give a sample of it first, so I did and that’s how we went with it. Once I got that it was very easy to play being drunk, being Welsh myself.”
The actor, who has spoken publicly about his battles with alcoholism in the past, added, “I’ve been known to have a sherry or two before lunch.” Hrothgar’s initial appearance in the film is at an opulent royal feast, and the king is clearly the worse for wear with drink. Hopkins, who was the first actor to be cast for the film, added, “Once you get over the feeling of looking like an idiot, you just get on with it. It takes about three minutes.
“I remember the first scene I had was me coming in on the throne. You don’t have any props as such, but I had a metal throne. It was written in the script that I was drunk when I come on, so I asked Robert [Zemeckis], ‘How drunk shall I be?’, and he said, ‘As drunk as you like.’”
IndieLondon, Interview by Rob Carnevale
Beowulf - Anthony Hopkins interview
SIR Anthony Hopkins talks about working with performance capture in the Robert Zemeckis blockbuster Beowulf and how he finds time to juggle acting with composing and painting…
How was working in performance capture format?
Sir Anthony Hopkins: I’ve been asked by various interviewers whether it was difficult or more of a challenge and I don’t think it was. You don’t have a costume, or a beard or scenery but it’s just like being in rehearsals for the theatre or going into a normal film you’re rehearsing for. Robert Zemeckis did maybe a couple of rehearsals and then they’d shoot it all. The only thing is that you’re not really aware of the camera. It’s such a long time ago that we did it – two years ago – and it was 240 cameras or something and you’re not really aware of what’s going on but you’re confident that some guys know what’s happening.
Three or four years ago you were quoted as saying that you were finished with movies and would like to retire. So what made you change that opinion?
Sir Anthony Hopkins: [Laughs] I didn’t actually say that but they put that in the paper – but then papers will say what they want. I just took a rest, that’s all. But the reason I did this was that my agent phoned and said that Robert Zemeckis would like me to read the script. I thought that was very good because he’s a great director. The word genius is thrown around rather a lot but I think it really applies to him because he has a vision that really is quite unique. So I said “OK” and when they sent me the script I saw that Ray [Winstone] was in it, and Angelina Jolie and then I went and met him and there was a real excitement to work with him. He’s a really gentle, nice guy and he explained something about it and the way he was going to use computers, but I didn’t really understand what he was talking about, but I thought it was going to be something new. This is really a director’s movie and the geniuses that work behind the scenes on the computers. The actors were guests at this big party. I hadn’t seen anything of it at the time we filmed, which was two years ago, and the first time I saw it was on Monday night at the premiere in Los Angeles and I was astonished by it. I don’t even begin to know how they put it together.
How do you connect to these characters when you’re not in uniform or anything?
Sir Anthony Hopkins: Well, once you get over the feeling of looking like an idiot you just get on with it. It takes about three minutes. I remember the first scene I had was coming in on the throne. You don’t have any props but I had a metal throne. It was written in the script that I was drunk when I come on, so I asked Robert: “How drunk shall I be?” And he said: “As drunk as you like!” So I came in and rolled around, said sorry to the guys that had to carry me, and then he said: “How about we shoot another take?” So I asked: “Do you want me any more drunker?” And he said “yes”. But because you don’t have any fear of what you look like, because you look like an idiot anyway, you’re free to play around a bit. Bob isn’t one of those [directors] who wants you to do 15 takes. Two or three will do. So, it’s pretty easy stuff. Not that it’s not hard work but people like Ray [Winstone] and Crispin [Glover] had to do much more than me. It’s pretty straight-forward, like any rehearsal – you just jump in at the deep end but you have a feeling that it’s going to work out OK.
How do you juggle making movies with the increasing demands on your other disciplines as a composer and painter?
Sir Anthony Hopkins: I don’t know. I wanted to be a musician originally and I kind of side tracked into this profession by default really. So, principally I wanted to become a musician before I became an actor. So, in the past four or five years I’ve started writing music again. It keeps me out of trouble, it keeps me occupied and I like that. I enjoy working as an actor but I’ve become much more laidback about it now, so that when something comes along like this, with Robert Zemeckis, it’s a pleasant trip. Painting is something that came to me very easily.
Yup, you heard that right. Ubisoft has announced that “Beowulf” actors Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, Brendan Gleeson and Sebastien Roche have signed on to provide their voices and likenesses to the videogame based on the Paramount Pictures film. The game is set to be released next month and will feature exclusive content that is not in the film or story.
Somehow I just don’t see an Xbox 360 in Sir Tony’s den.
It’s official:
Hopkins will play Alfred Hitchcock. Ryan Murphy directs. The film is set at the time Hitchcock is filming “Psycho”. Helen Mirren is rumored to play Alma Reville, Hitchocks wife. Project starts in December. Check out his Hitchcock impression...
And... Hopkins will play Sir John Talbot, dad of Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro), who’s afflicted with the werewolf curse in the "Wolf Man".
Sir Tony is as busy as ever. Not bad for a dude who turns 70 this year.
Hopkins has recently been quoted that he was done with the Hannibal Lector role. I remember when Sean Connery said he would never do another James Bond film…remember “Never Say Never”? So, time will tell.
Quotes I have come across in print and on the net:
“Don’t get bound up by rules”, “Don’t take it all so seriously and just go for it. Let it all go to hell.”
“I wanted to create chaos because I think life is chaos”, “I’m so bored with form – you watch a movie with beginning, middle and end and it’s the same old stuff. I wanted to upset the apple cart.”
“People expect something more conventional about work made by a mainstream actor”, “But I think there’s an audience for it, people looking for something fresh and original.”
“I made the movie for myself”. “I didn’t do it to please anyone. Some people really like it and some can’t get along with it at all, but I don’t care.”
“I’m happy with it because I did it and it’s mine.”
“I’m not a writer by profession. But I can write a letter, I can write a note, and I can write a laundry list. So I thought, ‘Therefore I can write.’”
“I sent a copy to Steven Spielberg and he said, ‘You’re going to have a tough time marketing this ... but you ought to do it.’ And I said, “Okay, I’ll try”.
“I own it and nobody can touch it,” he said. “Studios probably wouldn’t have touched it anyway.”
“Life is meaningless,” he said. “Well, it is. What’s the purpose of it? Nobody seems to know. “I just live for today.”
“I wrote the movie as an experiment. It keeps my mind active, and it’s kind of fun.”
"It means everything and it means nothing at all. Life is so illusion-like, so dreamlike, that I think it's all a dream... a dream within a dream. What is real? What is fantasy? You grasp this moment and then, suddenly, it's gone. I was talking 10 minutes ago, but that's all gone..."
Hopkins mentioned in his interview on “Regis & Kelly” that “Slipstream” was having its NY Premiere at the Museum of Modern Art on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007. Huh? How did I not know about this? OMG, it is probably sold out and I won’t get a ticket. So, after the show, I headed to my office and immediately Googled MOMA and got the phone number to the Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters, called and found out that tickets were still available but I had to show up at 1PM on Thursday to purchase one. Oh, and the zinger, Hopkins will be at the event to present his film.
Hmm, I’m working tomorrow, the screening is at 6:15PM and 8:30PM...what am I going to do? I’m supposed to be in early for a staff meeting at 12PM and my shift starts at 5PM. OK, blow off the staff meeting, next, who can help me out? Luckily, a colleague appreciates my enthusiasm and offers to cover my shift while I attend the 6:15PM screening. Plan in motion, now I need a ticket.
I’m an optimist but I figured there would be a huge line for tickets. Since I had already gotten up early yesterday to be in the audience for “Regis & Kelly, I wasn’t going to get up early again. My strategy is to show up around 12PM and score a ticket. To my surprise, I’m the first person there. Yikes, am I the only Anthony Hopkins fan in NYC? Around 12:15PM some others joined me in line and at 1PM I pranced out of MOMA with 2 tickets in my hot little hand and head to work for a staff meeting I would be very late for.
I returned to the theatre at 5PM and I have an extra ticket because none of my friends or colleagues were able to join me. They were too busy being responsible adults to their previous commitments...unlike me, who even at 46, still lives life out loud and wasn’t going to miss a unique experience by letting work get in the way. I found a charming older gentleman who was first on line for standby tickets. I handed him my extra ticket. He said if he didn’t get another, he would give this one to his wife so she could attend. Ah, chivalry and love aren’t dead. By the way, I saw him later on inside the theatre and he was with his wife. Around 5:30PM ushers started scanning tickets and I begin to scope out a good seat. In the center of the theatre there are 5 rows that are reserved which I figure are for VIP’s, nah, I think to myself, no chance of Sir Tony sitting there. Therefore, instead of sitting on the far right side of the first row of un-reserved seats, I head to the second row in front of the podium. Yes, perfect, close-up, sweet. I sit down, relax, and entertain myself with my iPhone. Twenty minutes later I turn around and there is Sir Tony in the first row of reserved seats, yup, I would have been sitting in the next row right in front of him. Always go with your instincts. Sigh....
Hopkins, the gentleman he is, thanked those who worked with him on the project and explained a bit about the film. It was a treat to see it again and it makes alot more sense on the second viewing. You will understand what I mean if you see the film. Unfortunately, no Q & A after the screening, I’m really glad I saw him present the film back in May at the Seattle International Film Festival where they did have the Q & A. I got back to work at 9PM and felt alive, a bit of irresponsibility does that to me. I measure my life in events and experiences, and to take a quote from Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Oh, and if you ever wondered if Anthony Hopkins eyes are really that blue, they are.
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