Bill Murray Admits A Painting Saved His Life

Bill Murray shared a deeply personal account of how a painting literally saved his life while speaking to Red Carpet News TV at the London Press conference ahead of the UK premiere of new film The Monuments Men.

The Ghostbusters and Lost In Translation star spoke with remarkable openness about feeling suicidal in the aftermath of his disastrous first acting audition. Recounting the incredible story the famously melancholy actor describes wandering the streets of Chicago aimlessly with the apparent intention of actually killing himself before accidentally walking into the Chicago Institute of Art.

There he discovered a painting called The Song of the Lark, by Jules Breton, which inspired him to rediscover hope and regain his will to live.

Check out the surprising and emotional moment in the full video interview below:

Copy of the actual painting below for reference:

James Franco Making Film About The Room

James Franco is reportedly eyeing up a project which will see him directing and co-producing a film centered around the making of Tommy Wiseau’s infamous cult classic, The Room. Franco’s production company has acquired the rights to The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room a book written by one of the film’s ‘stars’ Greg Sistero.

The original 2003 film has acquired an unlikely devotion from fans including Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill, after being critically blasted as one of the worst films ever made. Dubbed the ‘CitizenKane of bad movies’ fans have found endless humor in the film’s bizarre storytelling and numerous technical flaws.

Actor Greg Sistero’s account of the making of The Room is to be Franco’s main source of inspiration for his new project which will also be co produced by Seth Rogan. No casting has been announced yet but it is believed that Both James and brother Dave Franco are lined up to star.

Robocop Review

The Plot:

In the near future, OmiCorp, the world’s leading weapons manufacturer, sets out to create the first ever man/robot hybrid to protect the streets of America. But things soon go wrong when their test subject, family man Alex Murphy begins to go against the machine inside him. Joel Kinnaman dons the iconic suit in this remake of Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 action classic.

The Good:

The film begins the way it intends to carry on, with action exploding from every corner of the screen that will surely make every action fan giggle with glee for the next two hours.

When Alex Murphy is nearly killed in a car bombing he becomes the unwilling guinea pig in OmniCorps lab as he’s wired up and sent out to protect the citizens of Detroit in his new gear. The uniform is rather impressive and perhaps the main event of the film.

Having last graced our cinema screens 11 years ago with Robocop 3, it was only a matter of time before the studios revived the series. Starting with a clean slate, this new entry scraps the classic silver look for Robocop and shows off a new sleek black appearance. It’s perhaps the most superficial and obvious way in which the franchise has been made a little more glossy and contemporary. Borrowing liberally from the visual styles of recent reboots like Tron Legacy and Christopher Nolan’s Dark Night trilogy.

The headlining hero is not the only thing to enjoy in Robocop. A supporting cast of Samuel L Jackson, Michael Keaton and Gary Oldman help explore some interesting questions amongst all the gunfire ad hi-tech mayhem. The film makes a real effort to engage with both political and ethical issues. Samuel L Jackson’s TV flamboyant TV host highlights the insidious dangers of mass media propaganda. Likewise, Gary Oldman’s character actively questions the murky moral implications of OmniCorps latest project.

The Bad:

Although the action comes in bucket loads, the accompanying story could have benefited from a little more depth and attention. Whilst Joshua Zetumer’s script does have a good idea behind it, it does feel predictable and bland at times. The usual corrupt government theme eventually rears its head and sets up the film’s inevitable climax.

Though the film touches on interesting themes, it rarely abandons its preoccupation with a steady barrage of crowd pleasing action, deployed to keep audiences heavily distracted. The film misses out on the chance to create a truly complex and original story by sticking closely to generic action genre expectations.

The Ugly Truth:

When it touches on the ethical and political ramifications of OmniCorps plan, Robocop almost becomes more than just an action blockbuster. However these ideas aren’t expanded as much as they could have been. That said, if you go in wanting two hours of good action you certainly won’t be disappointed.

Robocop is out in cinemas nationwide today. Check out interviews with the cast and director below from the IMAX World Premiere:

Evangeline Lilly Set For Ant-Man

Evangeline Lilly looks set to land the female lead in Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man, starring opposite Paul Rudd as the famously tiny hero. The actress is said to be in advanced stages of talks with Marvel over joining the project.

The Lost and Hobbit stars’ character hasn’t been revealed yet but it seems likely she’ll be a love interest for Rudd’s character Scott Lang. Initial suggestions is that she may be playing the daughter of Michael Douglas’s character Hank Pym. In the comics Pym was the original Ant-Man before he passed the mantel onto the younger Scott Lang. 

Seth Rogen Makes AMC Preacher TV Series

AMC have confirmed that Seth Rogen and writing partner Evan Goldberg are officially producing a long delayed adaptation of cult comicbook Preacher for the network. Breaking Bad writer Sam Catlin will also serve as executive producer on the new project.

The original comic from Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon has a cult following but previous efforts to adapt it for the big or small screen have stumbled. HBO notably had scripts commissioned several years ago but never seriously pursued plans. Director Sam Mendes failed to get a movie version made, whilst Director D.J. Caruso claims to still be working on a big screen adaptation with Sony.

For those unfamiliar with the source material, Preacher tells the story of a small town Texas reverend called Jesse Custer who finds himself possessed by a supernatural creature which is part Angel and part Demon. Imbued with immense newfound powers he sets out on a quest to literally find God whilst battling a weird array of deadly foes and fighting injustice.

Reacting to the news creator Ennis explained his enthusiasm:

“I’m particularly impressed that Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Sam Catlin understand Preacher fully; meaning they get it for what it is, not some vague approximation. All in all, it looks like Preacher can now be brought to TV in a way that I’d previously not have thought possible, and I very much appreciate that Steve and I have been included in the conversation in the way that we have.”

Meanwhile Goldberg and Rogen released a joint statement to celebrate the announcement:

“This is amazing! We’ve tried for seven years to work on Preacher and we’re so psyched AMC is finally letting us. It is our favorite comic of all time, and we’re going to do everything we can to do it right. Humperdoo!”

It remains unclear how news of this new officially sanctioned TV adaptation will affect D.J. Caruso’s supposed plans for a film version.