I’ve been a fan of Evan Rachel Wood’s going back to when she starred as Jessie Sammler in the TV series “Once and Again.”  So I’ve been following her successful movie and TV career with delight.
Most recently, she starred as the Vampire Queen in HBO’s “True Blood” and in the feature films “Whatever Works” and 2008’s “The Wrestler.”
Now she’s joined the cast of the Robert Redford-directed film "The Conspirator," which begins shooting this month in Georgia. It’s a historical drama about a Confederate sympathizer who was tried as a conspirator in the Lincoln assassination and the man …read more

Looks like Darren Aronofsky’s “Robocop” remake may be stuck in OCP storage for the time being. He’s already working on the supernatural thriller “Black Swan” with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, and according to Variety, he’s eyeing a heist flick.
It’s based on the true story of the Tonbridge Securitas robbery, which took place outside of London in February 2006, resulting in a haul worth $85 million. Former UFC fighter "Lightning" Lee Murray was reportedly behind the job.
Kerry Williamson is working on the script for XYZ Films, which Aronofsky is producing and may also direct. Sources include Jon Wertheim’s …read more

Megan Fox has signed to play an angel opposite Mickey Rourke in ”Passion Plays.”
The indie drama written and directed by Mitch Glazer stars Rourke as a down-on-his-heels trumpet player in 1950s Los Angeles. His character finds redemption after attempting to save Fox’s angel from a gangster.
This could be interesting, not only because of Rourke and Fox, but because they’re paired with Glazer, who wrote the screenplay for Al Pacino’s “The Recruit” and Bill Murray’s “Scrooged.” It’s really kind of a mixed bag of personalities and brands here.
I just wonder if Rourke will be able to play roles other …read more

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I hope Mickey Rourke has one giant mantle someplace to put all the awards he’s winning. And someone should definitely create a coffee table book out of the speeches he’s giving.
The crowd at the Spirit Awards yesterday gave him a standing-o after his uncensored acceptance speech for winning the best actor award. The 56-year-old comeback kid and star of "The Wrestler" dedicated the award to his beloved Chihuahua, Loki, who passed away last week.
"I’ve just gotten thousands of letters from strangers and people that know me about my dog that died six days ago, …read more

The Oscars are coming right up! ABC’s live telecast from Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre will air this Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009 at 5 pm PT/8 pm ET.
I’ve been scouring the Web to see who’s got the best coverage, and The Hollywood Reporter has some excellent videos of filmmakers and actors up for awards on Sunday. Read on to see what Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, Hugh Jackman, Amy Adams and others have to say about their projects.
In this clip, Ron Howard talks about making "Frost/Nixon," while Clint Eastwood gives his take on leading lady, Angelina Jolie:
 

The little movie that could — “Slumdog Millionaire” – continued its reign of dominance on the awards circuit, taking home seven awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
The film earned awards for best film, director (Danny Boyle), cinematography and adapted screenplay for writer Simon Beaufoy.
But my favorite new speech-giver is Mickey Rourke, who once again earned a best actor prize for his role in “The Wrestler.” As with his Golden Globes speech, he pulled no punches and dropped a few f-bombs among other colorful language. I can appreciate that.
After the jump, see the …read more

Well, sort of. Mickey Rourke just signed to star in “St. Vincent,” a movie about a hitman who returns to New York to complete a botched hit.
Here’s the catch: His character masquerades as a priest who ends up hearing the confession of the man he’s supposed to take out.
Am I misremembering, or didn’t Rourke have a priest in NYC who helped him through some rough times? Maybe that was another guy who dropped out of Hollywood for a while…
Directing “St. Vincent” is Walter Hill, who also directed Rourke in the 1989 gangster film “Johnny Handsome.” Shooting is …read more

In my top five Mickey Rourke movies, I mentioned that “The Wrestler” included plenty of bloody scenes, as well as a few outright sex scenes. Emil called me out on it in the comments section, noting that just because a movie has sex and violence doesn’t make it bad. So true, Emil! Thanks for the reminder.
And thanks for my next Film Gecko Five – Bloodiest Movies. But I need your help, Geckos, because I don’t watch a lot of the blood and gore. What are your favorite bloody movies?
I’ll start with a poll, but feel free to add …read more

I loved “The Wrestler,” and it made me think back to my favorite Mickey Rourke movies. Here’s my top five below. See if you agree and if not, tell me your favorites in the comments section.
5. “Diner” (1982). Rourke played Robert “Boogie” Sheftell in this classic that also starred Kevin Bacon, Timothy Daly, Daniel Stern, and Steve Guttenberg. The movie is set in 1959 Baltimore and follows a bunch of college-aged guys on their journey into adulthood. [IMDB Page]
4. “The Rainmaker” (1997). Big fan of John Grisham books and movies here, and this is a fab film directed by …read more

Movie: The Wrestler * Official Site * Trailer
In Theaters: Jan. 23, 2009

Runtime: 115 minutes
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

MPAA Rating: R for violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use
Gecko Rating:

I saw "The Wrestler" with my 14-year-old son (I don’t recommend it, though – too much sex), and without knowing anything about the storyline, he thought it was a documentary. That’s how good Mickey Rourke is in this role. He’s not just playing a broken down shell of a man who’s all alone. He actually IS that man. So I’m guessing when he thanked his dogs in his Golden Globe speech …read more