Katherine Heigl is a Killer Housewife in Red Band Trailer for 'Home Sweet Hell'

There was a short spell there when Katherine Heigl was viewed as one of America's sweethearts. Her role as "Izzie" on Grey's Anatomy seemed to reenforce that public perception, along with a series of cutesy intolerable romantic comedies. The public doesn't really regard her that way, anymore, and she's been less of a presence on the big and small screen lately, which may explain why she's in a movie like Home Sweet Hell.

The plus side is that Heigl has a chance to show a darker, more devious side and that's what she seems to be embracing in the film's new red band trailer. She plays Mona, the maddeningly stifling and dominating wife to her husband Don (Patrick Wilson). When he admits to committing adultery with a co-worker (Jordana Brewster), Mona convinces him to kill her, leading to all a situation that spirals rapidly out of control.  Heigl appears to be having way too much fun ("No, silly, get the hammer.") and Wilson is always great when playing the hapless husband. It's kind of a spin on the character he played in Little Children, only with more murder and crystal meth.

Directed by Anthony Burns (Skateland) with Jim Belushi and Kevin McKidd co-starring, Home Sweet Hell has yet to gain a release date. 


Home Sweet Hell - Red Band Trailer - Katherine Heigl, Patrick Wilson by thecinemasource

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Animal Party: Trailers for Animated 'Free Birds' and 'The Nut Job'

Other than Disney's Frozen, it's going to be slim pickings on the animated comedy front for awhile. Especially for parents who may be looking for a film they can endure with the kids, the offerings are few and look pretty juvenile, albeit with big name voice casts who would be pretty awesome in a genuine movie. But for those who know they're going to get dragged to see these anyway, here are the trailers for Free Birds and The Nut Job.

First up is Free Birds, which features the voices of Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson as turkeys and members of the Turkey Freedom Front (!!!) who travel back in time to try and get the delicious bird off the Thanksgiving menu. Ummmm, so what happens if they succeed? Thanksgiving can not exist on ham alone. So what are we looking at here? Some sort of alternate history like Inglourious Basterds or something? Eh. Free Birds opens on November 27th, 24 hours before most of us will be indulging in turkey then heading off to do some holiday shopping.

And then there's The Nut Job, which features the voices of Liam Neeson, Maya Rudolph, Katherine Heigl, Will Arnett, and Jeff Dunham. Directed by Peter Lepeniotis and based on his short film, the 1950s-set comedy follows a squirrel and rat who team up for a nut store heist that goes "comically" wrong. This looks dreadful all around with lame shoehorned pop culture references, fart jokes, and why are they doing the 'Harlem Shake'? The Nut Job opens on January 17th, and thank goodness I'll be at Sundance and far away from it. +Julian Lytle this one's for you!


Free Birds Official Trailer 2013 HD Woody Harrelson Amy Poehler Jimmy Hayward by Teaser-Trailer.com


The Nut Job Trailer 2014 Movie - Official 2013 Trailer [HD] by UltraCinema

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Clive Owen and Katherine Heigl set for James McTeigue's 'Survivor'

Where exactly did things go off course for Clive Owen? Once one of Hollywood's hottest leading men, with films such as Children of Men, Closer, and Inside Man to his credit, the last few years have seen him languishing in one tired project after another. Whether it was the awful Killer Elite or the disappointing (at least financially) Duplicity, he can't seem to buy a break on the big screen. After solid work on HBO's Hemingway & Gellhorn, Owen returns to smoldering form later this month in Shadow Dancer (review of that here), which nobody will ever see. Unfortunately, his next project will star Katherine Heigl, which means it'll be in a multiplex near you.

Owen and Heigl will star in Survivor, a new action film from James McTeigue, the overrated director behind the overrated V for Vendetta. He's also the guy who somehow made ninjas boring with Ninja Assassin. Heigl plays a State Dept. employee in London who is framed for the death of her entire team. She's forced on the run when a team of unknown killers targets her as she's trying to clear her name and stop a catastrophic attack set for New Year's Eve.  Owen's role isn't made clear, but I'm guessing it won't be one for the highlight reel.

So, Katherine Heigl: action star? How does that strike you? Filming on Survivor begins in July. [Screen Daily]

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Trailer Time: One for the Money, starring Katherine Heigl

It was like a double whammy of awfulness yesterday at my local theater to see Taylor Lautner look for new ways to take his shirt off in Abduction, because immediately before it I was treated to a trailer of One for the Money, a terrible looking rom-com which should have the writers of The Bounty Hunter fuming.

Heigl stars as a Jersey-ite, laid off from her retail job and desperate for work. With exactly zero credentials, she's hired as a bounty hunter apprehending bail jumpers, and of course one of them happens to be an old flame. Sparks and presumably laughs ensue. So yeah it's basically the same plot as The Bounty Hunter, only lacking that film's star power. This one's a vehicle solely for Heigl, which also means all of the blame will fall squarely on her shoulders as well. She's a genuinely hot(as the trailer will continually emphasize for you), likable actress and I think she could do some good things when given solid material. She showed a bit more of her talent in last year's surprise hit, Life As We Know It. Unfortunately more people might have been open to seeing that if she didn't so much similar looking crap on her resume.

If there is an upside, it's that Greg Berlanti is directing, and he's the guy who brought out Heigl's good side in Life As We Know It. Regardless, this trailer is pretty shitty. Check it out below, then if you're so inclined mark your calanders for January 27th 2012...

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The New Wave: 10/8/10

I love horse racing and sports dramas as much as the next guy, but I'm not convinced that Randall Wallace, the guy who wrote Braveheart and We Were Soldiers, is the dude for this task. Actually now that I've seen the movie I know that he's not. Disney's banking on a Seabiscuit amount of awards and nominations for this inspirational tale. You can find out if I think they have a shot at any by checking out my review here.

Greg Berlanti(Brothers and Sisters) brings his gift for familial drama to the big screen in this schmaltzy rom-com about two unnaturally attractive single folks thrust into parenthood when their goddaughter's parents suddenly pass away. Josh Duhamel is starting to round into shape as a less flashy McConaughey type, while Katherine Heigl has settled in for the umpteenth time as a stick in the mud. You can check out my full review here.

Funny to think that Zach Galifianakis took a role as a looney to give his most down to earth performance yet. The breakout star from The Hangover stars in the third film from Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, directors of Half Nelson, finaly putting aside their penchant for raw dramas and going a little more mainstream comedy. It's a step I'm happy to see them take. You can check out my review here.

It's been 32 years since the original I Spit on Your Grave caused such a friggin' panic across the country. The rape/revenge thriller was banned throughout a large part of the country for its excessive violence and sexual brutality. And it was awful. The remake by Steven Monroe is equally vile and disgusting, but there's much more of an attempt to portray the woman as a pillar of strength and not just a victim. Frankly, we see worse movies than this multiple times a year, so the effect is dulled.  You can check out my review here.

Woody Allen has gathered an all-star cast for his latest neurotic romantic comedy. Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, and Gemma Jones star as a pair of couples who let their own personal anxieties drive them into the arms of others. Without going into too much detail I'll just say that I expect better from everyone involved. I was a bit punchy when I wrote it but you can find my review here.

The luster has long since faded off the name "Wes Craven", making me skeptical of his upcoming Scream flick. My Soul To Take looks like standard teen horror fare, with 3D tacked on for no apparent reason. The fact that they didn't screen it for press only makes me more wary. However I really liked the energetic, old school trailer, so maybe it'll be a pleasant surprise.

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Life As We Know It

You might be surprised to discover that Josh Duhamel and Katherine Heigl make for quite the cute couple. It's undeniable. Heck, they even make sure people in the movie tell us just how attractive they are. Good looks and a cute baby aren't enough to save a strictly formulaic expanded sitcom that can't seem to decide if it wants to be funny or poignant. It accomplishes neither very well.

Just once it'd be nice to see Heigl play someone other than an uptight stick in the mud. Here she's Holly, a woman who seems to be on the verge of having it all. Good looks, a successful cafe and catering business, and two best friends(Christina Hendricks and Hayes MacArthur) who love her dearly. When they introduce her slick womanizer, Eric(Duhamel), the two mix like milk and liquid Drano-O. Despite hating eachother for years, Eric and Holly remain in eachother's lives through their friends, becoming godparents to their daughter Sophie. When tragedy strikes, leaving Sophie an orphan, it's decreed in the will that Eric and Holly are to be Sophie's guardians.

It plays out terrible at first. Neither is willing to give up what they perceive to be perfect lives just because parenthood was thrust upon them. Living together is a disaster. Holly's overbearing, and Eric just wants to nail chicks and nurse his career as a stat junkie for the Atlanta Hawks. It's all too much too fast. As the responsibilities of parenthood begin to wear them down, they begin to grow fonder of eachother. I know you're shocked.

Director Greg Berlanti(Brothers and Sisters) brings his touch for familial drama to bear early on, and for awhile there are hints of a powerful film about family and responsibility as Holly and Eric deal with their newfound roles in life. Simultaneously they're  trying to work through their grief at the loss of their two best friends, and figuring out how to pick up where they left off in raising their daughter. Heigl and Duhamel are both particularly strong at this point, and it was nice to see Heigl actually stretching herself a bit for the few minutes that she does. Duhamel is starting to grow on me. He's almost like a poor man's Matthew McConaughey, only without the need to show his abs every 5 minutes to keep folks interested.

Then the floor drops out, and what had been working so well devolves into what can best be described as an hour of poor TBS sitcom hijinks, as Eric and Holly go through the usual parenting comedy tropes: baby vomit in the face; stinky diapers; lack of sleep.  As if we aren't suffering enough already, we also get lame romantic comedy junk piled on, especially when Holly begins dating an all too perfect pediatrician(Josh Lucas) who's the polar opposite of Eric. Does she go off and be happy with the man of her dreams? Or does she figure out that true happiness lies with the guy who's been banging women right under her nose for months? Do bears crap in the woods? Does the Pope live in a big ol' house?

A wasted supporting cast led by Melissa McCarthy(she's the hefty neighbor lady in EVERYTHING), Will Sasso(MadTV) and Jean Smart(why is she in this??? I have more lines than her!!) only add to the disappointment.

In a terribly contrived and unfunny moment, Eric and Holly find some weed and rather than smoking it decide to bake it into brownies. You already know that somebody unexpected wants to eat one, but that's besides the point. The point is they should hand out some of those funny brownies before every screening of this flick. It might be the only way anybody leaves happy.

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