Shirley MacLaine plays the despised widow with whom Black’s mortician strikes up the unlikely friendship. The strongest performance in this trailer, however, goes to Dazed and Confused alum Matthew McConaughey. I watched until close to the end before realizing his character wasn’t being played by Gary Cole. And I’m still not totally convinced.

Also, Jack Black should totally play a live-action version of The Simpsons’ Yes Guy.

Here’s a first look at Richard Linklater‘s re-teaming with Black in Bernie, and though Black will not be rocking any schools this time around, he will be rocking a pretty creepy nose-neighbor. In the film, he plays a mortician who befriends an old lady played by Shirley MacLaine. And why shouldn’t she befriend him? He looks so dapper in his buttoned collar and he was thoughtful enough to come over with some lotions in a basket. Only true gentleman put the lotion in the basket.

Bernie premieres June 16th at the Los Angeles Film Festival and co-stars Matthew McConaughey and Rip Torn as two other citizens of the loopy Texas town in which the film is based. It’s shaping up to be a Richard Linklater dream ensemble. Some buddy go dust off Wiley Wiggins. (LA Times)

This year marks the movie’s 20th anniversary, and in order to honor the occasion, the Austin Film Society and Austin movie theater Alamo Drafthouse have commissioned a remake in which “will be recreated, using the original dialogue and locations (whenever possible), and individual scenes will then be compiled to create the remake, presenting the city’s changing face while showcasing some of its most exciting talent.”

It’s too bad Gus Van Sant doesn’t live in Austin – he could give Linklater the treatment he gave Hitchcock. Anyway, this more likely than not will be a curiosity that only massive Slacker fans would be interested in, but who knows? Maybe the DVD will be worth checking out if you’re not able to see it in theaters. (AustinFilm)

The Incredible Mr. Linkletter is no stranger to mainstream films (School of Rock) or animation, though Waking Life‘s deeply philosophical tone and artful, lucid rotoscoping is probably not the style Warner Bros. is imagining for a remake of a Don Knotts movie about a man who turns into a cartoon fish. Or maybe it is, which would be awesome? Linklater and studio execs are currently meeting about his vision for the film.

One reason the director is probably interested in overhauling the 1964 original is interest from Zach Galifianakis, who was attached to the project last year and maybe still is. Linklater doesn’t have the job, but he’s currently a “top contender.” (The Playlist)

Jack Black is reteaming with School of Rock director Richard Linklater for Bernie. Shirley MacLaine will also star and mother everyone on set. THR has the deets:

"Bernie" is set in the small town of Carthage, Texas and follows a Renaissance man-community leader-mortician Bernie (Black) who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a wealthy but very particular widow (MacLaine). When he kills her, he goes to great lengths to maintain the illusion that she is still alive.

Is no one seeing the similarities to Weekend at Bernie’s here? You know, the movie where two business executives go visit their boss at his beach house for a weekend, he ends up dying, and they make it look like he’s still alive? This new movie is even called BERNIE. At least change the title! And don’t think Andrew McCarthy won’t call about a cameo. Ever since the failed "Lipstick Jungle" on NBC, he’s been waiting patiently on his couch for an opportunity like this.

To promote the release of the film Me and Orson Welles, the producers have conjured up a clever publicity move by broadcasting the original Welles’ "panic in the streets" radio program of War of the Worlds. It may not seem like much now, but back in 1938 the convincing faux news broadcast of martians landing on earth had a good portion on the American public sh*tting in their oversized undergarments. I remember my grandfather telling me a story about how he had to shake some good sense back into his aunt after she started running around the house screaming, "The aliens are coming! The aliens are coming!" But she was also a drunk, so there’s a good chance she didn’t even hear the broadcast.

You can listen to the 60-minute radio play in its entirety at waroftheworldstribute.com exactly 71 years later, to the minute, tonight, Friday, October 30th at 8pm EST. Gather the family around the glow of the radio (computer), put some Jiffy Pop on the stove, tie your aunt securely to something bolted into the floor, and enjoy a classic.

Me and Orson Welles, starring Zac Efron and a brilliant performance by Christian McKay as Orson, is about a teenager who is cast in the Mercury Theatre production of "Julius Caesar" directed by a young Orson Welles in 1937. It comes out in limited release on November 25th. It’s directed by Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, School of Rock, Slacker) and you can watch the, dare I say charming, trailer below. 

Me and Orson Welles – Watch more Funny Videos

[via First Showing]

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