Movies: Engaging True Story Of Firefighters In “Only The Brave”

A chronicle of amazing courage on display is about to be seen in “Only the Brave” from director Joseph Kosinski (“Tron: Legacy”) starring American Award-winning actor Josh Brolin (“Milk”), Miles Teller (“Fantastic Four”) Jeff Bridges (“Iron Man”) and Academy Award winning actress Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”), based on true events from sixth deadliest forest fire in the united states, the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013.

“Only the Brave” tells the heroic story of the Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters, a unit of local firefighters who are dubbed as the “SEAL team six of firefighters”, through hope, determination, sacrifice, and the drive to protect families, communities, and our country they become one of the most elite firefighting teams in the United States.

As most of us run from danger, they run toward it – they watch over our lives, our homes, everything we hold dear, as they forge a unique brotherhood that comes into focus with one fateful fire.

Movies: “Only the Brave” Based on True Story of the Most Courageous Team of Firefighters in US

Josh Brolin and Jeff Bridges in ONLY THE BRAVE

Firefighters are one of the bravest people on earth, they go through intensive training and take extreme risks just to save the people in danger around us. But when a wildfire that goes downhill very fast, a team of highly trained firemen gets tested in the fire of their lives.

Starring American Award-winning actor Josh Brolin (“Milk”), Miles Teller (“Fantastic Four”) Jeff Bridges (“Iron Man”) and Academy Award winning actress Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”) comes a film that tells the story of the bravest people from the sixth deadliest fire in American history.

“Only the Brave” tells the heroic story of the Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters, a unit of local firefighters who are dubbed as the “SEAL team six of firefighters”, through hope, determination, sacrifice, and the drive to protect families, communities, and our country they become one of the most elite firefighting teams in the United States.

Movies: MILES TELLER STEPS INTO A DANGEROUS WORLD IN “WAR DOGS

Miles Teller (“Whiplash,” the “Divergent” trilogy) stars as a twentysomething who became a multi-millionaire as an international arms dealer in Warner Bros. Pictures' new comedic drama based on true events “War Dogs” (in Philippine cinemas Aug. 24).

Directed by “The Hangover” trilogy's Todd Phillips, “War Dogs” follows two friends in their early 20s (Jonah Hill and Teller) living in Miami Beach during the Iraq War who exploit a little-known government initiative that allows smaller businesses to bid on U.S. Military contracts. Starting small, they begin raking in big money and are living the high life. But the pair gets in over their heads when they land a 300 million dollar deal to arm the Afghan military—a deal that puts them in business with some very shady people, not the least of which turns out to be the U.S. Government.

“It’s a cool story,” says Teller who plays the real-life character, David Packouz. “You have to respect what they were able to do; at one point, they had a $300 million deal going. That’s an insane amount of money for a couple of guys in their early 20s who were just fakin’ it till they made it. It’s fascinating how things can kind of snowball and you can get in way over your head.”

The allure of financial freedom isn’t lost on David, but for somewhat less hedonistic reasons than his partner-in-crime Efraim, played by Jonah Hill. Miles Teller explains, “He is struggling to make ends meet when Efraim shows up. Efraim was his buddy when they were kids and they would get into trouble together. When he comes back into his life, David gets reenergized and excited by the opportunity to make some real money because he has a pregnant girlfriend and is wondering how he is going to provide for his family.”

The real David Packouz admits, “I won’t lie, it was pretty awesome for a while. We would go to parties and people would introduce themselves: ‘I’m a stockbroker or I’m in real estate… So what do you do?’ ‘We’re international arms dealers.’ The initial reaction went from ‘You’re kidding, right?’ to ‘You’re full of s**t,’ but once they realized we were not joking, they were blown away. One reason the story is so crazy is that very few people make it big in the arms business, especially at our age. The fact that we won a contract to supply the entire Afghan army was totally bizarre.”

Phillips reveals that they decided early on to tell the story from Packouz’s perspective, noting, “We realized the best way into this story was through David’s eyes. David represents the everyman stepping into this world he knew nothing about, much like the audience.”

The director, who had first met Teller when he produced the comedy “Project X,” says, “I think Miles is a world-class actor. It’s almost as if he doesn’t have to try. I don’t mean that in a negative way; he’s just naturally gifted. It’s amazing to watch. We were lucky to have both him and Jonah in the movie.”

“War Dogs” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Movies: JONAH HILL RISKS IT ALL FOR MONEY IN “WAR DOGS”

He's a two-time Academy Award nominee whose acting prowess has put him at the forefront of Hollywood, in both the comedic and dramatic realms. Now, Jonah Hill stars in the central role of young arms dealer Efraim Diveroli in Warner Bros. Pictures' new comedic drama “War Dogs” (in Philippine cinemas Aug. 24).

Hill says he was intrigued by his character who jumped at the opportunity to reap huge rewards without giving much thought to what he was sowing. Hill remarks, “There’s definitely something enticing about watching people make it rich without following the rules. It’s why I’ve always loved gangster movies…movies where the guys with swagger win. Until they don’t,” he smiles.

Based on a true story, “War Dogs” follows two friends in their early 20s living in Miami Beach during the Iraq War who exploit a little-known government initiative that allows small businesses to bid on U.S. Military contracts. Starting small, Efraim (Hill) and David (Miles Teller) begin raking in big money and are living the high life. But the pair gets in over their heads when they land a 300 million dollar deal to arm the Afghan Military—a deal that puts them in business with some very shady people, not the least of which turns out to be the U.S. Government.

When we meet Efraim and David in “War Dogs,” they don’t appear to be the international arms dealer types. Two middle-class, early-twenty-something guys in Miami Beach, they had been best friends in junior high, but lost touch, as people do. Reunited at the funeral of a mutual friend, they reconnect and start to catch up. David has been eking out a living as a masseuse, but he thinks he has hit on a big idea—selling high-end bed sheets to Miami’s myriad of old folks homes. Efraim is also in sales, but that’s where the similarity ends.

While David has an apartment filled with boxes of unsold sheets and unpaid bills, Efraim has a bank account in the seven figures thanks to FedBizOpps, the government’s marketplace for an infinite variety of military supplies. When Efraim invites David to go into business with him, the answer is obvious.

“Efraim is a great character,” notes Hill. “He gets to be the guy who says, ‘Let’s go down the rabbit hole,’ and he’s so extreme and explosive, I just knew the role was right for me. He wants to be rich and loves the flashy, more surface things in life. That’s what he thinks will bring him happiness. He’s a wheeler-dealer who’s incredibly charming when he needs to be. But there is nothing lazy about him. He has to have enormous drive and intelligence and cunning to maneuver through this world. It made him really interesting to play.”

Director Todd Phillips (“The Hangover” trilogy) says that the role showcased Hill’s great versatility because “Efraim becomes whoever he needs to be in a given situation. He is a chameleon who is able to kind of blend into the person he thinks you want to him to be. It was a really fun aspect of the character for Jonah to play.”

“War Dogs” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Movies: AVERAGE DUDES TAKE ON THE U.S. ARMY IN “WAR DOGS”

It might have been one of the biggest hustles ever…and it could only happen in America.

Warner Bros. Pictures' new comedic drama “War Dogs” grew out of the story of two stoner kids, barely into their 20s, who became multi-millionaires as the most improbable of international arms dealers. But just as they reached what should have been the pinnacle of success, it all came crashing down in spectacular fashion.

One of the unifying themes of filmmaker Todd Phillips’ movies is people making bad decisions. Whether it’s a few post-college guys starting their own frat house or four friends planning an ill-fated bachelor party in Vegas, there are always repercussions that are outrageous and completely unexpected. Bad decisions are again at the center of “War Dogs,” but there is an edge to the humor, born of the fact that the film is based on a true story of a couple of guys who managed to turn a little-known government initiative on its ear…to the tune of $300 million dollars.

Phillips offers, “I always think movies have a little more gravity to them when you can take real events and build on them. It’s a movie about the rise and fall of two young guys, chasing their image of the ‘American dream,’ who got a little too greedy. And, you know, a little bit of greed gets in the way of good decision making.”

It all started during the George W. Bush administration when huge no-bid contracts to supply the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were being awarded to conglomerates like Halliburton, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. As criticism of the perceived cronyism and war-profiteering grew, the government decided to level the playing field with FedBizOpps (short for Federal Business Operations), which opened the bidding on military contracts to…well…virtually anyone. Unfortunately, there were just enough loopholes to make it possible to take advantage of the system.

The tale was chronicled in a 2011 Rolling Stone article called “Arms and the Dudes,” by Guy Lawson. “The Bush administration was trying to favor small businesses,” Lawson expands, “and no business was smaller than these dudes, sitting in a studio apartment in Miami Beach with nothing but a bong on the table, a laptop and a cell phone.”

Producer Mark Gordon recounts, “I was on a plane when I first read the story in Rolling Stone, and I couldn’t believe it was true. Everything about it cried out to be made into a movie. I’ve always found that audiences love films about characters who beat the system, even if they ultimately get their comeuppance, one way or another. Add in the fact that these two seemed the most unlikely people to pull off this kind of hustle, and you have something really special.”

Gordon adds that Phillips was the perfect director to bring the tale to the big screen. He states, “There is no one better than Todd to tell a story about outrageous characters getting into all kinds of trouble. He’s the master.”

“War Dogs” also marks the first film on which Phillips and Bradley Cooper (who also stars in the film) teamed as producers under the banner of their new production entity, Joint Effort. Cooper relates, “I was very interested to see how Todd was going to take the article and realize it cinematically. I loved the idea of a film about what these guys did, knowing it would be spawned from Todd’s brain.”

The tale's driving force was always money. Phillips confirms, “It’s very clear in the movie: they are not necessarily pro-war. It’s not about who’s fighting or why they’re fighting, it’s about how much product can they move. So war is really just an opportunity for them. And that’s a true thing. War is an economy. There is an underbelly to it where a lot of people make a lot of money and these two guys are just trying to get in on that.”

Opening across the Philippines on August 24, “War Dogs” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Why the 2015 Fantastic Four Matters

While channel surfing one time, I remember running across 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, I watched it for a few minutes and I could feel the vomit coming up my mouth. It was just so bad. Despite being box office hits, the 2005 Fantastic Four and it's successor were met with mixed to negative reviews from fans and critics. 

Jessica Alba who played Sue Storm / Invisible Woman was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Actresses for both movies, Alba along with co-star Ioan Grufford (Reed Richards/ Mr. Fantastic) were also nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst On-Screen Partner for Rise Of The Silver Surfer, the only saving grace? They didn't win. So despite having only a few years in between the films, it seems that a re-boot of a Fantastic Four movie is a must, if not as a redemption then as a way for possible future movie crossovers. 

Director Bryan Singer (X-Men: Days Of Future Past) teased on a possible X-Men/Fantastic Four crossover, according to the director this would depend on the success of the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse and Fantastic Four reboot. Singer said: "You have to see how the films evolve before you make the decision to commit to that." 

So what can we expect from the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot? 

Here is what we know so far: 

Miles Teller who is 28 will be bringing a younger vibe to Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic which probably means we won't be seeing his distinct white hair. Teller has received numerous nominations for his work on Whiplash and The Spectacular Now, winning the Sundance Film Festival Award for Special Jury Prize for Dramatic Acting for the latter.

In what could be considered as a controversial casting choice, Michael B. Jordan will be playing Johnny Storm / The Human Torch, who has always been drawn as Caucasian in the comics. Captain America (Chris Evans) played the role in the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four movies. While fans have no doubt on Jordan's acting prowess (he is an award winning actor and has even been dubbed as a 'young Denzel Washington' ) the only issue they have is Why cast a Black Human Torch? 

In an article I read, the writer explores why casting a black Human Torch can make the movie a better one. The Fantastic Four has always been seen as a family unit and  in the 1960s, the 'traditional' family was always seen as white. 

Times have changed and it's been 50 years since the Fantastic Four have been created, modern families consist of a mixed unit now. We have interracial marriages, families of mixed ethnicities as well as interracial adoptions and speculation is that this is the direction to which the movie will take, since Sue Storm / Invisible Girl who is Johhny's sister will be played by Caucasian actress, Kate Mara. 

With this change to the modern American family why not change Marvel's first family? In this way it makes them more relatable and relevant to contemporary audiences. 

Jordan's casting also means completely severing Chris Evans (a Caucasian actor) to the role and allowing Jordan to make the role completely his. Plus, in my opinion, it would be nice to see more heroes of different ethnicities. 

The new Human Torch talks about the backlash on his casting: 

"I know I can't ask the audience to forget 50 years of comic books Jordan says in an interview. But the world is a little diverse in 2015 than when the Fantastic Four comic first came out in 1961".

"This is a family movie about four friends - two of which are myself and Kate Mara as my adopted sister - who are brought together by a series of unfortunate events to create unity and a team. That's the message of the movie,if people can just allow themselves to see it." 

Fun fact. Miles Teller and. Michael B. Jordan co-starred together in the romantic comedy That Awkward Moment, along with Zac Efron. 

Kate Mara plays Sue Storm / The Invisble Girl. Jamie Bell plays Ben Grimm / The Thing to complete a younger and edgier Fantastic Four. 

Probably considered as the most controversial super hero reboot yet, Fantastic Four has a lot working against it but sometimes it is these movies that pass through trial by fire (pun intended) which come out as successful and memorable. 

The new Fantastic Four opens on August 5 nationwide, from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.