Appaloosa A'Comin'
It hasn't been reported anywhere yet, but I'm told Warner Bros. will be releasing Ed Harris's Appaloosa, a New Line reject starring Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger, Harris, Jeremy Irons and Lance Henriksen, on Wednesday, 9.17.08 in New York, L.A. and Toronto, followed by a 500-screen break on Friday, 9.19.
Appaloosa star Viggo Mortenson.
5:39 pm Update: Another guy has written in and said "It's still a New Line movie, New Line execs are still doing the development/cutting, and New Line came up with the release plan. It's a Warner Brothers movie like Sex and the City is a Warner Brothers movie -- in that WB passed on it and New Line made it."
The western is about two gunmen, a marshall named Virgil Cole (Harris) and his deputy and friend Everett Hitch (Mortensen) trying to free a town from its thrall to a thuggish rancher (Irons...I think). Zellweger plays a young widow who presumably falls for Harris or Mortenson or whatever. Appaloosa is Harris' second film as a director, the first having been Pollock.
Check out the Appaloosa IMDB boards and you'll see it's gotten some good reviews from test screenings. Looks to me like an almost sure bet for the '08 Toronto Film Festival. Mortensen has been a steady attender of that gathering in recent years. Now we have an outdoorsy adventure-ish Viggo Mortensen movie (a period western) set for release just over two months before the 11.26 opening of The Road, an adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel in which he also stars.
Appaloosa director, cowriter and costar Ed Harris.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on June 24, 2008 at 3:59 PM
comment #1
115thDreamer
says ...
As much as I like Irons, I'm just not seeing him as a rancher or any character in a Western. He's just so...British. He looks like he'd sunburn inside of 10 minutes if working outside.....seriously. And this looks like a ray of sunshine compared to what "The Road" will be - the book is pretty bleak. No, it's VERY bleak come to think of it. There are a couple of episodes that will be hard to take if they film them.
Posted by 115thDreamer
at June 24, 2008 5:04 PM
comment #2
T. S. Idiot
says ...
Parker's novel is excellent, much better than his recent mysteries. It's very cinematic, but the casting, especially RZ, is not what I envisioned. The woman is a siren all males instantly fall for as well as a Hawksian heroine, hardly our Renee. Ideally, it would be a younger Mirren or K. Turner. Can't think of anyone in the 30-40 range who would be perfect. Look forward to it, nevertheless.
Posted by T. S. Idiot
at June 24, 2008 5:06 PM
comment #3
Intense Guy III
says ...
"As much as I like Irons, I'm just not seeing him as a rancher or any character in a Western. He's just so...British. He looks like he'd sunburn inside of 10 minutes if working outside.....seriously.'
I thought the same thing about Michael Gambon in Open Range, but he certainly brought the goods. Hopefully Irons does the same.
Posted by Intense Guy III
at June 24, 2008 5:23 PM
comment #4
Breedlove
says ...
I'll definitely be seeing this...love it when a nice little under-the-radar Western comes along...if it's got whores, saloons with swinging doors, or a bunch of dudes sitting around a fire drinking coffee and eating a can of beans, I'm there with bells on. Best genre ever. Well, tied for best genre ever with stuffy British costume dramas.
Posted by Breedlove
at June 24, 2008 5:27 PM
comment #5
Griff
says ...
I was just thinking about Jeremy Irons return to greatness this weekend. For while, he'd descended into wretched, pay the mortgage dreck like "Dungeons and Dragons," and then, all of a sudden, directors were taking him seriously. He was awesome in "Kingdom of Heaven," and about the only decent thing in "Era-groan."
Add in the other dependable cast (Ed and Viggio), and I'm willing to gamble on it.
Posted by Griff
at June 24, 2008 5:46 PM
comment #6
Fien Print
says ...
Ian McShane's another actor who seemed awfully British until it turned out that he was the baddest man in the history of the Old West. Not what anybody would have expected from Lovejoy at all...
I mean, if Jeremy Irons could escape from "Dungeons & Dragons" with his dignity still *somewhat* intact...
Posted by Fien Print
at June 24, 2008 6:02 PM
comment #7
Breedlove
says ...
Yes, Jeremy Irons' spectacular comeback from the depths of 'Dungeons and Dragons' to the heights of 'Eragon' is the stuff of Hollywood legend...
Posted by Breedlove
at June 24, 2008 6:35 PM
comment #8
BurmaShave
says ...
This sounds like such a reboot I'm surprised they're not calling it THE INCREDIBLE OPEN RANGE. Fingers crossed.
Posted by BurmaShave
at June 24, 2008 6:54 PM
comment #9
EDouglas
says ...
I'm sure it'll be getting a Toronto Film Festival Gala Premiere and accompanying roll-out ala History of Violence and other Warner Bros. films (Michael Clayton)... so it can't be too bad.
Posted by EDouglas
at June 24, 2008 7:08 PM
comment #10
Edward
says ...
A Robert Parker western with Ed Harris and Vigo Mortensen...I am so there, wife too. We love his books. I don't care what genre he writes in, he's fantastic.
Posted by Edward
at June 24, 2008 7:11 PM
comment #11
Breedlove
says ...
I absolutely love 'Open Range.' If it's half as good as that movie I'll be satisfied. To me one of the more underrated movies of the past decade.
Posted by Breedlove
at June 24, 2008 7:11 PM
comment #12
Griff
says ...
Breedlove: agree with you about Open Range. In my own defense, I believe I might have mentioned that other little film Irons was in, Kingdom of Heaven, which showed he still had it going on.
Posted by Griff
at June 24, 2008 7:53 PM
comment #13
Breedlove
says ...
Just messin' with you. Thought the comparison of those two fantasy flops was funny, although I haven't seen either one. He was good in KOH.
Posted by Breedlove
at June 24, 2008 8:06 PM
comment #14
T. S. Idiot
says ...
Irons is a good example of the mythical Oscar jinx. His work since Reversal of Fortune is far inferior to what went before. He deserved two Oscars for Dead Ringers, one of the least heralded great performances ever.
Posted by T. S. Idiot
at June 24, 2008 8:35 PM
comment #15
BurmaShave
says ...
Somehow I didn't pay attention to the cast list before. Allow me to steal a page from LexG's book and say MORTENSEN HARRIS AND HENRIKSEN together will OWN YOUR ASSES. BE A MAN
Posted by BurmaShave
at June 24, 2008 8:50 PM
comment #16
nemo
says ...
I'm sure Viggo will be great. But I saw some stills for this movie in some magazine about a month ago, and I have to tell you, that is some truly eccentric facial hair Viggo is sporting, even for a Western.
Posted by nemo
at June 24, 2008 9:00 PM
comment #17
nemo
says ...
Wait a second, did you say Lance Henriksen? My favorite B-movie actor? In a Western with Viggo Mortenson? I am so, so there!
Lance Henriksen was by far the best thing going in John Woo's first American movie, that silly Jean-Claude Van Damme thing. And Henriksen was positively brilliant in that even sillier biker thing he made with Brian Bosworth and William Forsythe.
Posted by nemo
at June 24, 2008 9:18 PM
comment #18
erniesouchak
says ...
Didn't Mark Gill recently make a point of saying Westerns don't make money?
Posted by erniesouchak
at June 24, 2008 9:19 PM
comment #19
lipranzer
says ...
"I'm sure Viggo will be great. But I saw some stills for this movie in some magazine about a month ago, and I have to tell you, that is some truly eccentric facial hair Viggo is sporting, even for a Western."
I saw Mortenson when he was on Letterman with that beard, and yeah, that was freaky.
When I first saw the title, I thought at first Harris was remaking the Brando film.
I've never read a Parker novel, though since I usually read books being made into interesting-sounding movies, it's on my list now. Did he write it before or after his mystery novels?
Posted by lipranzer
at June 24, 2008 9:46 PM
comment #20
LFF
says ...
Can I just point out again that its probably not a good Idea to type MORTENSEN HARRIS AND HENRIKSEN together will OWN YOUR ASSES. BE A MAN beneath photos of them wearing cowboy clothes? Stop trying to OWN MY ASS with photos of macho men.
thank you.
Posted by LFF
at June 24, 2008 10:11 PM
comment #21
Dan Revill
says ...
Sounds promising.
Posted by Dan Revill
at June 24, 2008 10:38 PM
comment #22
BurmaShave
says ...
LFF is there something I'm missing, or did you just jump into the meta with me?
Posted by BurmaShave
at June 24, 2008 10:51 PM
comment #23
LFF
says ...
is LexG your alternate nick? Maybe i'm missing something.
Posted by LFF
at June 24, 2008 11:02 PM
comment #24
teeem
says ...
seen it. it's ok. Harris needs a director other than himself. Irons is fine, even with an underwritten character. Henriksen doesn't show up all that much. Mortensen is a little self-conscious, but okay. Zellweger does her job. but because the director doesn't seem interested in the whole picture, he doesn't solve all of the problems with creating the world of his story... he doesn't , for instance fill out his background acting stuff... the extras are just there to look busy; there are holes that subtract from the veracity of the story.
it's ok. it's not the Brando thing.
Posted by teeem
at June 25, 2008 12:11 AM
comment #25
Arizona Joe
says ...
After reading the previous trenchant comment, I have little desire to see this film.
There is a difference between being an artist, and an intense mediocrity.
Posted by Arizona Joe
at June 25, 2008 1:07 PM
comment #26
shahriar khan
says ...
Excellent. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed the article a lot while reading. Keep posting such wonderful posts. Thanks once again.
Appaloosa
Posted by shahriar khan
at March 5, 2010 3:25 AM
comment #27
dd
says ...
The woman is a siren all males instantly fall for as well as a Hawksian heroine, hardly our Renee. Ideally, it would be a younger Mirren or K. Turner.
Designer Handbags
Posted by dd
at May 10, 2010 11:28 PM
comment #28
jbrn
says ...
But I saw some stills for this movie in some magazine about a month ago, and I have to tell you, that is some truly eccentric facial hair Viggo is sporting, even for a Western. buy xbox live code online
Posted by jbrn
at December 5, 2010 6:14 AM
comment #29
Jenny4
says ...
It's been ages since a proper western was made, so hope this works out Digital Kitchen Scales
Posted by Jenny4
at December 7, 2010 5:27 PM
comment #30
affiliatesreview
says ...
really good post :) Thank you
Best regards!
----------------
Free pc games
Affiliate review
Posted by affiliatesreview
at May 16, 2011 6:22 AM
comment #31
janee
says ...
Si vous etes interesses par le dossier, ou desirez en savoir plus, contactez-moi par mail, et je vous mettrai en contact.
Best regards,Jane, CEO of high availability solution
Posted by janee
at May 17, 2011 3:57 AM