Ken Wanatabe Archives - The Playlist

‘Inception’ Prequel Comic Available Online

Sean Gillane — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:36:00 +0000

Unlike Christopher Nolan’s new film, this prequel comic to “Inception” doesn’t go very far to explain all the rules established within dreams, so those of you without that frame of reference might be a bit lost. Really this is better to read after seeing the film for those interested in avoiding spoilers or wanting to read a comic that actually resolves the seemingly random allusions it makes.

Written by “Inception” co-producer Jordan Goldberg, “The Cobol Job” is a comic currently available free online that covers the period of time immediately before the opening heist scene in the film.

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Review: ‘Inception’ Is the Visionary Thrill-Ride We’ve Been Waiting For All Summer Long

Drew — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:40:00 +0000

Fair warning: It’s a review so there’s possibly some mild spoilers in here, but don’t worry, it’s been thoroughly vetted, nothing major.

Yes, Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” is unthinkably complex, a whirligig puzzlebox thriller set in a world of dreams (and dreams-within-dreams), but it’s also a exceptionally aspiring project in general: a large studio movie, whose budget tickled the $200 million mark, that isn’t based on a preexisting franchise, video game or breakfast cereal mascot.

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Christopher Nolan Calls ‘Inception’ His ‘Bond Movie’; Admits To Influence of ‘Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ And Says Heist Is Also A ‘Love Story’ Too

Kevin Jagernauth — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:49:00 +0000

Note: this piece contains massive SPOILERS so if you don’t want to know anything about the film, do not read further. Again, SPOILERS BELOW. You’ve been warned.

In Empire‘s latest print edition, they’ve done a massive profile on “Inception” revealing more details about the plot and Christopher Nolan’s inspirations for the film. In case you’re playing catch-up, “Inception” is an “existential heist thriller” that takes place in world where people can enter your dreams to both steal and implant ideas.

Continue reading Christopher Nolan Calls ‘Inception’ His ‘Bond Movie’; Admits To Influence of ‘Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ And Says Heist Is Also A ‘Love Story’ Too at The Playlist.

Ken Watanabe To Make Directorial Debut With WWII Film ‘442nd’?

Kevin Jagernauth — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:11:00 +0000

File this under a rumor for now but Pajiba — who have some well-placed moles — are reporting that Ken Watanabe is eye-ing the WWII drama “442nd” as a vehicle for his directorial debut.

Based on a true story, the film centers on “an American-Japanese military unit assembled during World War II and sent on virtual suicide missions in the European theater. For their efforts against the Nazis, that unit goes on to become the most decorated unit in American military history.” This certainly isn’t Watanabe’s first brush with material from the period having starred in Clint Eastwood’s “Letters From Iwo Jima.” Producer Bill Gerber (“Gran Torino,” “A Very Long Engagement”) is shepherding the project, though there is no word who the screenwriter on the film is at this time.

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The Weinstein Company To Finally Release The John Cusack WWII Drama ‘Shanghai’….In China

Kevin Jagernauth — Sat, 08 May 2010 01:28:00 +0000

Stuck on The Weinstein Company shelf for nearly two years, Mikael Hafstrom’s WWII drama “Shanghai” will finally be released….in China. The irony is a bit rich considering China blocked filming in the country after the production had spent nearly $3 million constructing sets. The production then moved to London and Bangkok where filming was completed.

The film stars John Cusack, Chow Yun-fat, Gong Li and Ken Watanabe and is “about an American intelligence official who investigates a friend’s death in Japanese-occupied Shanghai in the months before the attack on Pearl Harbor.” While there is no official word on why the film, which wrapped in August of 2008, has taken so long to be released, someone close to the production has said editing proved to be difficult as Hafstrom had to work with “visually different footage” (yeah, we don’t know what that means either) from London and Bangkok, and apparently quite a few composers have gone through the turnstiles as well.

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Who is the Creepier Child Predator This Fall – Stanely Tucci or John C. Reilly?

Rodrigo Perez — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:45:00 +0000

A number of noteworthy new trailers debuted this week, including Spike Jonze’s “Where the Wild Things Are” and Peter Jackson’s “The Lovely Bones.” Then… there’s this.

It’s “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant,” which has to be one of the worst film titles since “The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain.” And while the film does boast some intriguing names in its credits (like writer Brian Helgeland, who was responsible for “L.A.

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