Screen Junkies » rod lurie

Things Get Intense, Awesome In The ‘Straw Dogs’ Trailer

Penn Collins — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:41:12 +0000

Straw Dogs was clearly a movie that did not need its story to be retold. Movie buffs lamented this remake as lazy and unoriginal. Perhaps they were right about the motivations behind the decision to remake the film, but, as this trailer demonstrates, the end result looks pretty intense and fun.

This remake of Straw Dogs follows the same basic formula as the original, with James Marsden and Kate Bosworth playing the happy couple and Alexander Skarsgard playing the head baddie. Marsden and Bosworth get tormented by Skarsgard until the mild-mannered Marsden stands his ground, much like Dustin Hoffman did in the original.

While the big star of this film is certainly the story, any questions as to whether direction and performances can live up to the original should be answered here. It’s not the original, but it looks like a damn entertaining film. People should harass James Marsden much more frequently if this is the result.

Rod Lurie To Dial Up The Tension In ‘Borderline’

Penn Collins — Mon, 09 May 2011 19:40:08 +0000

Rod Lurie, director of The Contender and the divisive upcoming Straw Dogs remake, has committed to another project, Borderline, a thriller written by Justin Marks. Borderline tells the story of the chess game between a husband, father and the the fugitives that have taken him and his family hostage.

Little else is known about the project, but, with a producing team that consists of vets of Blue Valentine and The Hurt Locker, expect the tension to be dialed up to 11 for this film.

The film is currently seeking out its two lead actors, but no names have been bandied about yet. Lurie has stated that he would like the actors (and the film) to convey the amoral behavior in its fugitives that has been seen in the likes of The Getaway, Hud, and Sugarland Express, so…don’t expect everyone to walk away from this story in one piece. (THR)

Kevin Spacey May Join Cult for Showtime’s ‘The Crux’

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

UPDATE: HBO, Starz, and FX are also interested in this project. Everyone wants Kool-Aid!!!

Kevin Spacey wants you to drink his Kool-Aid. The actor, who doesn’t do a half-bad job of portraying psychos, is in talks with Showtime to star in a series called ‘The Crux’, in which he would play the leader of a high-profile cult. Rod Lurie, the writer-director of the underrated jailhouse flick The Last Castle, would pen the pilot script and most likely exec-produce the series.

Spacey would have to wedge the show into his already full schedule of movie roles and being the artistic director for London’s Old Vic Theatre. See, this is why you never take a job at some artsy-fartsy live stageshow joint. It restricts you from doing things people care about. Oh sure, educated people adoooooore the theater, but really, who talks that much in one room? (Vulture)