(We first caught Joe Swanberg's "Nights and Weekends" at Austin's SXSW Film Festival, but since it's opening in limited release this weekend, we're reprinting our review from last March.)

By: Erik Davis

Nights and Weekends marks writer-director Joe Swanberg's fourth consecutive film at the South by Southwest Film Festival, and it's quite possibly his strongest work yet. Here, Swanberg co-directs and stars alongside girl-next-door-with-an-edge Greta Gerwig – and the two play a couple struggling through the highs and lows of a long distance relationship. What we see is what we don't see, if that makes any sense, as Swanberg and Gerwig consciously chose not to hand this one to the audience on a silver platter. Case in point: There's really no narrative at all. One would think a film with no narrative would be the equivalent of recording you and your significant other watching TV on a Friday night – cuddled up, chitter chatter with a pause for a snack here and there.

On the surface, Nights and Weekends is just that – a regular night (or nights) with regular people who talk just like us or them or your friend with the huge crush on that guy we all kinda know. But look a little deeper and Nights and Weekends is so much more than "just another 'Mumblecore' flick about confusing relationships and missed opportunities." Swanberg and Gerwig do a tremendous job tapping into everything we love about our relationships, as well as everything we hate – and they do this with moments, glances, kisses and tears. No score. No set pieces. No set up and payoff. In an interview the morning after the film's world premiere, Swanberg told me that's exactly how he remembers his own life: as random scenes, conversations or smiles – a mixed fruit basket of love, lust, fear and disappointment.

A long time passed since 10 Things I Hate About You hit the big screen. Julia Stiles got Bourne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has become a powerhouse on the indie scene, and Heath Ledger ... we know what became of him. I'm guessing that his death and reminiscing moments about his work is what inspired this next piece of news: Ace Showbiz reports that ABC Family is going to make the Shakespeare-inspired film into a television series, with the film's director, Gil Junger, signed on to helm the pilot. In it, Kate and Bianca Stratford will face "their new high school environment." I don't know if that means freshman hitting the big leagues, or the girls moving to a new zip code, but I can only hope that they come up with a new love interest for Kate. There's only one Patrick Verona.

Hater has been on a long road to production, but it looks like the time is finally here. Almost a year ago, Guillermo del Toro had signed on to direct the adaptation of David Moody's novel. But then the Hobbit swept him away and left Hater director-less. Have no fear, Moody fans, the pic is back on track. Variety reports that the director of The Orphanage, Juan Antonio Bayona, will helm the feature when it kicks into gear next year. So, if you liked the one-two producer-director punch of del Toro and Bayona, this should be a treat!

Hit the jump for a few exhibition news bits for the next few months.

I tried to get the YouTube version embedded up in here, but it looks like it's been yanked down -- which means you're better off going through the official Twilight website, which will direct you to the appropriate social networking site. Because what's more social than sitting in a quiet movie theater for two hours?

I tried to check out the trailer for myself, but between the always-twitchy MySpace and the various "blockers" I have installed on my browser ... it just didn't happen. So I'll leave it to those hardcore fans who already love the film (despite the fact that it doesn't open until the end of next month) to tell me how this new promo clip rates on the omg-O-meter. Also available at the official site is your chance to win an autographed Twilight baseball, which seems kinda silly because they should be giving away bats.

(Actually, skip the MySpaz site altogether. Watch the trailer in wonderfully diminutive "widget" style right here.)

Sorry for tricking you, but I just used that headline to grab your attention. I haven't even seen Twilight yet. But if you're someone who's in the market for a film based on an award-winning book about a dark-yet-poignant romance between two young people -- one of whom happens to be a vampire -- then I have a movie that's NOT called Twilight that I want you to check out. You'll have to (gasp) brave some subtitles to earn your rewards, but Tomas Alfredson's Let the Right One In is one fantastic film. Either you know that already, you've heard it already, or you'll find out in a few months time: It's awesome.

Anyway, Magnet / Magnolia has just announced an official release pattern for the brilliant Swedish film, and I'll give you the full calendar after the jump, but I will say this: There's good news afoot if you happen to live in or around New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia (hooray!), Seattle, Denver, Nashville, Santa Fe, Hartford ... Oh hell, just click on in and check the big list. (And thanks to Fangoria for the heads-up.)

As much as I hate to contribute to "overhype," some films just deserve the praise. Like this one. As far as Twilight goes, well, if it's half as good as LTROI, then it will be a VERY good film. (Again, I'm not comparing -- merely piggy-backing on a popular title in the hopes of shedding some light on a much smaller one. Movie geeks are clever that way.)

**Update: Added NY and LA info

I think I may have heard just a little buzz regarding this Twilight movie. Apparently it's based on the first book in a somewhat popular series that deals with young lovers and vampirism -- OK, I'm kidding. You can't work in the movie-news biz without knowing that Catherine Hardwicke's Twilight is one of the most hotly-anticipated films of late 2008. The project may be supported by only a few demographic groups (mainly young women and their moms, I believe), but those fans have been powerfully vocal in their excitement for this movie. Which is how it should be, if you ask me.

Twilight hits the screens on November 21, and each new bit of news has the loyal fans squeeing with delight. And so we're all very happy to give those fans their first peek at the final one-sheet. I've cropped a small section up there in the top right, but for the whole dang poster you'll have to enter ... beneath the jump! (In other words, just click on "continue reading," and maybe be prepared to change your desktop wallpaper.)

Here's something trivial about me that you might not know: Yes, horror movies are my first passion. Gory, scary, shriek-filled horror movies. But (not very far behind) in second place is ... animation. My parents made sure I got to see the classic Looney Tunes, the hilarious Rocky & Bullwinkle stuff, and all the annual treats involving the Peanuts gang and/or The Grinch. But when a new Disney flick hit the theaters, hoo boy was that a big-time family treat in my household. I had no idea that Snow White was so old or that 101 Dalmatians had been released long before I was born; these were NEW movies to my sister and me -- and we devoured 'em like starving little monkeys.

Despite the fact that it had kind of a "girly" title, Sleeping Beauty was always a favorite with my family. My mother loved the songs, my sister adored the silly little fairy godmothers, my dad appreciated the art design (whatever that meant), and I went loony for the big dragon battle at the end. Plus we all agreed that Maleficent was the coolest Disney villainess since at least Cruella De Vil.

Like I said, I love the Disney Classics, which is why I'm pretty geeked up for the new Sleeping Beauty 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition, which hits stores next week. "But Scott," you're probably thinking, "didn't Disney release a two-disc Special Edition of this film on September 9, 2003??" And if you're not thinking that, then don't worry -- because I was. But of course this new set has enough to make it worthy of a fresh investment -- especially if you'd like to see this brilliant piece of animated entertainment in full-bore BLU-RAY AMAZINGNESS.

Anyway, enough blather. After the jump we have a breakdown on the new features AND a bunch of video treats...

I'm finally writing a post here that my sister will read. You see, she adores Russell Brand almost as much as Brand adores Cinematical and Scott Weinberg (see image above as proof of this fact). Maybe even more, because unlike most Americans, she was avidly following his British career via his podcast and BBC America. There have been many humbling moments in my Cinematical salad days, but none quite so humiliating as when I told her Brand was in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. "I know. I followed the filming on his podcast." At least Weinberg promptly humiliated her by getting all cozy with her favorite Englishman.

As my sister wasn't one of the casting directors for Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Brand had to make an audition tape to convince them of his weirdly-coiffed worthiness. In honor of its DVD release, MTV has the exclusive, and I've embedded it below for your viewing pleasure. And if you're like my sibling and can't get enough, I've also included the karaoke version of his in-film music video, Infant Sorrow.

5-1 my sister writes "I've already seen both of those videos" in the comments. Hopefully, you'll be more appreciative.

The wires (yes, I still think of them like that) were buzzing all weekend with MTV's big scoop -- that while Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott were out promoting Body of Lies, the network cornered them about the long-delayed Nottingham, Scott's revisionist Robin Hood story. There have been a lot of names attached to the role of Robin Hood, ranging from Christian Bale to newcomer Sam Riley.

Forget all of that because now, from Scott himself, comes the announcement that Crowe will be playing both roles. Mum on the details, the director would only say it was "a good old clever adjustment of characters. One becomes the other. It changes." I would take that to mean that the Sheriff of Nottingham becomes Robin Hood after having to steal from the poor one too many times ... or they're twins, which would be pretty lame, especially for Scott and Crowe.

But wait -- there's more! CHUD points out that in reading the original screenplay, they noticed the Sheriff was caught between a tyrant king and a less-than-heroic Robin Hood. Nothing in this script indicated the Sheriff and Robin Hood could be played by the same actor. Now, Brian Helgeland came in and did a rewrite, and much depends on that.

The medievalist in me suspects this is less shockingly revisionist than a return to the old medieval legends, where Robin Hood was merely an outlaw who beheaded people from time to time, not the Robin of Locksley we all know and love. It's a pretty flexible legend, and I'm very anxious to see what Scott does with it ... when it finally heads into production, that is.

For the first time in its four-year history, Austin's Fantastic Fest decided to premiere a handful of its titles on the internet, thereby giving the hardcore genre fans of the world a chance to sample what this festival is all about. One of those titles was South of Heaven, which I decided to watch online, so as to give myself the option of seeing something else once the festival began. Plus I figured, hey, if the movie's are already posted (albeit temporarily) on the net, then how "top-grade" could they be? Surely the FF crew would save the BEST stuff for the actual festival, right?

Wrong.

I finished the film at about 3:30am and I immediately dropped the following email to the Fantastic Fest programmers, and this is a censored-yet-direct quote from yours truly:

"Just finished watching South of Heaven, and I can't remember the last non-horror flick I was this jazzed about. It's the Coens meets Sam Fuller while watching Looney Tunes and making an '80s mix tape full of The Smiths and Depeche Mode. I (freak)ing loved it."

Movies like Nights in Rodanthe are beyond reviewing, because intellectually analyzing them cancels out their intended effect. This is a weepie, pure and simple. If you're the type that likes crying at the movies, you'll love it. If you loved Richard Gere and Diane Lane together in a thriller like Unfaithful (2002) but you don't like to cry, you probably won't like it. Me, I found a few things to like and much to loathe.

Diane Lane stars in Nights in Rodanthe as Adrienne Willis, a frazzled single mother with a young son and a teenage daughter; the latter has just begun talking back and expressing her universal disdain for everything her mother does. Adrienne's no-good husband (Christopher Meloni), who, we learn, has had an affair, arrives to pick up the kids so that Adrienne can go help her happy-go-lucky pal Jean (Viola Davis, playing a typical movie "best friend") look after a sexy, beach-side North Carolina hotel during its off-season. Unfortunately, the husband now wants to get back together.

Confused Adrienne arrives at the hotel, which is decorated head-to-foot in all kinds of colored, tinkly bric-a-brac and prepares for its one and only guest. Dr. Paul Flanner (Richard Gere) is a doctor struggling with a dark secret, and who has arrived for an equally mysterious errand. The attractive duo eventually warm up to one another and talk, but their dark secrets get in the way. Meanwhile, a huge storm threatens to blow away everything that isn't nailed down. I guess it's not too hard to guess what happens next. (Trivia hounds: this is Gere and Lane's third movie together. Besides Unfaithful, they were in Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club together way back in 1984.)

"Well, you tried it just for once, found it all right for kicks.
But now you found out that it's a habit that sticks,
and you're an orgasm addict." – The Buzzcocks

The new movie Choke, adapted from the Chuck Palahniuk novel, is about a sex addict (Sam Rockwell) who, in one element of the plot, hooks up with other sex addicts who attend the same Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings as him. Ah, the irony. The same thing happened to Sam Malone on Cheers, if I'm not mistaken, which makes the joke around 20 years old. Yet, despite that fact, sexual addiction as a term and a (non-DSM-recognized) medical problem seem fairly new to cinema.

Sure, there have been sex addicts in films for many decades, but they were more likely to be described as nymphomaniacs, lechers or typical men. Think of Dorothy Malone in Written on the Wind, a number of the female characters created by Tennessee Williams and certainly the locked up nymphos in Shock Corridor. In the past few years, however, there have been a slew of actual "sexaholics," both male and female, though some aren't exactly referred to in such a manner.

Last year, John Sayles wonderfully took on the world of blues, guitars, and rock 'n' roll with Honeydripper. Now it looks like that was a warm-up for something even better. In a discussion with Collider, Charles S. Dutton revealed that he's working on an HBO miniseries about Louis Armstrong with Quincy Jones, and Sayles is writing the script. Dutton might play the older Louis, and might direct the first few hours of the 6-hour-long miniseries. "Quincy and I were trying to do it 15 years ago. The mistake we were making was that we were trying to do it as a 2 hour film. And Louie's life is just so huge you just can't..." Move over John Adams. I'm betting this wonder team can kick the founding father's butt.

Meanwhile, the cast continues to grow for James Keach's Waiting for Forever. The Hollywood Reporter posts that the film will star Tom Sturridge, with Jaime King, Nikki Blonsky, Scott Mechlowicz, Riley Smith, Blythe Danner, and Richard Jenkins also grabbing parts. While it initially seemed to be a stranger/stalker story, it's now being described as a film about "a wanderer who tries to reconnect with his childhood love, an actress in Hollywood." Sturridge will play the guy, and King will play his sister-in-law who helps him after he's spurned by his brother. The rest of the roles haven't been shared.

The Hollywood Reporter also posts that a Slate magazine article by David Plotz and Hanna Rosin is getting turned into a film. The pair "attempted to emulate a real-life pair of Buddhist teachers who vowed to never be more than 15 feet from each other" by tying themselves together with string for 24 hours. Ron Burch and David Kidd are penning the script. I wonder if they'll get into the groove by tying themselves together as well ... which begs the question: Which actor and actress would you like to see tied together for 24 hours?

We seem to be moving into the season of the Nicolas Cage. The actor has a slew of projects cooking up, and has just added another to the mix. The Hollywood Reporter posts that he's going to work with helmer Dominic Sena (Gone in Sixty Seconds) again on a new film called Season of the Witch. But this isn't a tale of pointy hats and black cats. Cage will be a "14th century knight transporting a girl suspected of being the witch behind the Black Plague" to some monks that can exorcise her demons. So basically, he's going to be all armor-clad in an on-the-ground version of Con Air. The new bad lieutenant in the 14th century! Can you dig it?

Meanwhile, Variety reports that ex O.C. star Rachel Bilson has signed on for a stalkeriffic-sounding indie romance called Waiting for Forever. The film will focus on "a young man who's happy without a job and decides to spend the rest of his life with his love -- a 25-year-old TV actress living in Hollywood." Will he be creepy like the dudes in I Think We're Alone Now, or be cute, get the girl, and give stalkers everywhere the false hope and courage that it's okay to fulfill their stalker tendencies?

Finally, after jumping from the world of Harry Potter to Appaloosa, Timothy Spall is taking on some horror. The Hollywood Reporter posts that he, along with Aidan Gillen and Eva Birthistle, will star in a new horror flick called The Wake Wood. Instead of crazy killers, this flick will be about some "grieving parents who are given the opportunity to spend three more days with their only daughter after she is killed by a savage dog." I guess the horror comes in with the attack and trying to spend time with a girl who is ripped apart and, perhaps, rotting?