Normally, a premise as hackneyed as this one — two brothers go off to war and when one is suspected of being dead his widow falls for the living brother — has about as much chance of being a decent flick as it does a Lifetime Original.

But the talent behind this picture is too huge to ignore. Director Jim Sheridan is back to challenging, emotionally human interest drama (we’ll forgive him his paycheck cashing 50 Cent gangster flick) with the talents of Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobie Maguire in front on the camera.

An awesome replica of the Fight Club soap featured in the Fight Club movie poster is now on sale at Etsy for just $8 and yes you really can use it as soap — though there is no indication it is made from the human lard of fat ladies.  If that particular link sells out, check the Dirty Ass Soaps shop for possible duplicates. [via]

Danny Boyle will follow last year’s Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire with a movie about Aron Ralston, the mountain climber who amputated his own arm with a dull knife in 2003 after it became pinned under a boulder for five days.

The film will reunite Boyle with Slumdog’s creative team (Simon Beaufoy is in talks to write the script, Christian Colson will produce) and may star Ryan Gosling, though nothing’s been made official.

I hope this project happens, not only because Ralston’s story deserves the big screen treatment, but also because Boyle’s at the top of his game and I’m sure has something interesting to offer this story of survival and determination. [via]

What’s better than one Slave Leia?  How about two catching some rays.  Kottke came across this photo of Carrie Fisher and her stunt double napping during the Tatooine shoot in Return of the Jedi. Enjoy!  But just know that I’m going to need a moment or two to catch my breath.  [via]

In Columbia Pictures’ Salt, Angelina Jolie stars as Evelyn Salt, a CIA officer who swore an oath to duty, honor, and country. When she is accused by a defector of being a Russian sleeper spy, Salt goes on the run to clear her name and ultimately prove she is a patriot. Using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative, she must elude capture and protect her husband or the world’s most powerful forces will erase any trace of her existence.

This movie was originally written with Tom Cruise starring as Evan Salt (or something like that) but when he dropped out it was rewritten for Jolie.

Salt hits theaters on July 23, 2010.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will host the Oscars. Sure, why not?  I really don’t have strong feelings about this one way or the other.  Generally, as a rule, I prefer one person to host an event like this.  Actually, with the revolving cast of hosts over the past few years, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I sort of miss Billy Crystal.

Well, shit.  If you thought his selection of movies roles was dubious before, you should probably prepare yourself for things like The Rock 2: Escape Back into Alcatraz, Con Air 3: Even Connier, Leaving Las Vegas: The Rehab Years, ad infinitum. 

Which is to say, the dude is broke.

“In a lawsuit filed Oct. 16 in Los Angeles, the National Treasure star, 45, claims that his longtime business manager, Samuel J. Levin, ‘lined his [own] pockets with several million dollars in business management fees while sending Cage down a path toward financial ruin.’”

Hold onto your seats because I have a feeling we’re going to experience a Nic Cage shit show the likes the world has never seen before.

Remember there was a time when George Lucas didn’t screw up everything he touched?  It was so long ago.  Here is Kurt Russell’s not-so-good audition for Han Solo. Now imagine the original trilogy with Russell as Han instead of Harrison Ford. Wait for it, wait for it.  Okay. It’s strange and almost wrong, watching Russell’s take on a good-guy Han Solo.  It’s absent everything that became endearing about Han — the cockiness, the ego, the brashness. [via here/here]

First official trailer for Mike Newell’s big-screen adaptation of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The film, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, and Ben Kingsley, is due in theaters May 28, 2010.  And you know what?  I had my doubts but this looks to be another solid Jerry Bruckheimer summer blockbuster.  Sure, you’ll forget it 20-minutes after leaving the theater, but man those two-hours sure will be fun.

The latest xkcd comic features several insanely detailed Movie Narrative Charts showing the character interactions in various films. Here’s a larger version.

The charts graph time on a horizontal axis and then how each character interacts with another at any given time.  It’s a very cool way to visualize the plot of a movie — especially the convoluted Primer. 

It’s hard to image with the unmitigated success of Robert Rodriguez’s noirish adaptation of Frank Miller’s comic book Sin City, that either a studio, Rodriguez or Frank Miller did rush a sequel into production.  That’s the Hollywood norm.  Yet, the movie was released waaaay back in 2005.

Speaking to Comics2Film, producer Stephan L’Heureux said “Sin City 2 will go into production in the second half of 2010. Unlike the first movie, which used graphic novels as both screenplay and storyboards, the sequel will be based on an original script by Miller. As with the original, Miller will co-direct with Robert Rodriguez.”

Even with a Predator update and Machete flick in the works, it’s unclear whether or not a Sin City sequel fits into the director’s time line.  What this could indicate is that Rodriguez will be producing or heavily involved from a distance, while Frank Miller directs solo.  That’s a scary proposition for anyone who attempted to sit through the putrid Spirit. [via]

Just a month until the movie comes out, John Hillcoat’s adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road gets a second, much better trailer.  The movie, and story, is a hard sell because, um, not to ruin it for people who haven’t read this book (wait, what?  Seriously run out and read this book now!) yet, but it’s not exactly uplifting.  It’s dark and bleak and to polish the humanity contained within the grime is often difficult.  It’s not for the faint of heart, nor is it for those that like tidy, shiny boxes to unwrap.

John Lennon as a young man.  I’m glad they didn’t just go with bland, look-a-like actors, but it’s a bit strange that Paul McCarthy looks nothing like he did as a young man.  Also?  How come John is the only Beatle that gets any love when it comes to feature films?  C’mon Hollywood give me a George Harrison biopic.  Pretty puh-lease.