I didn’t catch the MTV Movie Awards, as they tend to just be one long commercial for upcoming movies and a popularity party for the ones that came out last year. No real merit, just a lot of back patting.

But one event that I caught a poor third party cam-at-the-tv youtube clip was a publicity stunt for the upcoming Bruno.

Apparently it was completely planned to have Bruno accidentally find himself in an awkward position with the very vocal homophobic Marshall Mathers, known to his peeps as Eminem. The Slim Shady was clearly not party to the prank and Cohen got exactly what he wanted out of him.

It seems that mere minutes after this video went Viral online at YouTube, it was yanked by Viacom. For those who didn’t see it, Cohen is in full character dressed as Bruno and playing the part. He is being flown in on wires across the roof of the venue wearing white wings and leather gladiator kilt when he “accidentally” hits an air duct and finds himself inverted and tangled in his harness. He is then lowered into the “unsuspecting” crowd and conveniently lands on Eminem, who looks none too happy to have Cohen head first in his crotch and straddling his shoulders. Em’s posse doesn’t react right away and he seems to be angry but playing along until they get up and “rough up” Cohen who doesn’t break character for one moment.

It was clearly staged by Cohen to promote the Bruno character and film, what isn’t clear is if Eminem and his entourage were in on the prank as well. If they were in on it, they do a fine job looking sufficiently offended.

While it lasts there is a new link

A pretty funny staged prank, and it did exactly what Cohen wanted. It showed just the type of outwardly flamboyant homosexual behaviour we can expect from the upcoming film Bruno, and a prime example of the target subject the film hopes to exploit for laughs.

Eminem’s posse managed to keep themselves from making themselves look bad, but a very deliberate exodus from their assigned seats followed immediately afterward. I wonder if there will be some legal reprocussions, however Cohen is far from shy in the face of legal action.

I don’t blame them. It still made me laugh.

Tonight during the fashion show, commercial and popularity contest known as the MTV Movie Awards, a first look at New Moon has come around and they sure know how to hit it with the fans.

If you read anything about the fans wanting to see something in the trailer it was probably answered right here:

So we get a taste of Edward being all broody and soft on Bella, we see Bella pining for Edward and then we see poor little Bella get threatened by a Vampire (bitter he didnt get a bite last movie) and then boom. We see Lautner showing off what drinking milk, puberty and a little gym time can do for your body. Oh, and did I mention he wolfs out into a giant badass canine looking for a scooby snack?

Great teaser.

Via

Oh the nostalgia train is starting to roll, and with the upcoming release of Ghostbusters on BluRay, and their first promotional site invites you to try out to be a Ghostbuster.

The Official Website offers:

After 25 long years of chasing ghosts Ray, Egon, Winston and Peter need a little help. So if you think you can handle big marshmallow men, a positron collider and thousands of adoring fans, submit your video application at Ghostbusters Is Hiring. If the Ghostbusters decide to hire you, your first assignment will be a trip to Comic Con 2009!

Also, we got the first Streetdate Trailer for the Blu-ray coming out on June 16th, 2009.

And as mentioned above, two special features with the refurbished Ecto-1!

Keep an eye on the Ghostbusters is Hiring promo site for more info!

Movies based on real world events take on an extra level of interest since most people are familiar (if the real events are big news issues) with the “source material” as it were. Getting an insight into those events (not that films stay 100% accurate to the real events) and seeing them from an entirely new perspective than that of the evening news can be compelling to watch.

So it is with the recent events with those pesky Somali pirates. The Hollywood Reporter says that Kevin Spacey and a group of others have acquired the rights to produce a film about the incident:

Columbia Pictures has picked up the life story rights of Richard Phillips, the captain of the ship captured by Somalis and later rescued by the U.S. Navy, with the aim to develop a feature film to be produced by Scott Rudin, Michael DeLuca, Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti.

No writer is on board, but the film will retell the story of the captain of the trading vessel Maersk Alabama who, in order to save his crew, surrendered himself to Somali pirates after his ship was hijacked. The standoff, which commanded worldwide attention, tested the strength of Phillips and his crew as well as the resolve of the Navy commanders and President Barack Obama to bring Captain Phillips home alive. Columbia president Doug Belgrad and Elizabeth Cantillon will oversee the project for the studio.

Sign me up… I’d be interested in seeing this.

In my opinion, the Die Hard movies are some of the most fun flicks any group of guys and sit around and watch. Great action, great one liners, great humor, great bad guys, great hero… you really can’t ask for much more.

But if you love Die Hard, it looks like “more” is what you’re about to get. No, not another movie, but rather a prequel comic book called “Die Hard: Year One”. The guys over at Comic Continuum offer up this:

America’s greatest action hero is translated into the sequential art form for the first time! Every great action hero got started somewhere. Batman Began. Bond had his Casino Royale. And for John McClane, more than a decade before the first Die Hard movie, he’s just another rookie cop, an East Coast guy working on earning his badge in New York City during 1976’s Bicentennial celebration… and the Summer of Sam. Too bad for John McClane, nothing’s ever that easy.

I’ll pick this one up when it comes out.

As silly as it may seem to say, if Toy Story 3 turns out even half as well as Toy Story 1 or 2 did (an with Pixar behind it, why should we expect it to be anything less than brilliant) an argument could be made that Toy Story will have to be considered amongst the greatest trilogies of all time. Think about it.

It goes without saying that I can’t wait for next summer and the next installment of the franchise… but for now we can whet our appitites with this little preview video from Entertainment Tonight (thanks to Larry for the heads up)

Hey there guys. As some of you may know I’ve been working on my first, VERY small budget, feature comedy I’ve called “The Anniversary“. It’s been a work of passion and has been the most fun and rewarding experience of my life. I trust Quentin Tarantino will come groveling to my door to beg me to teach him how to direct after he sees this. Oh wait… that was bizzaro dimension that happens in, not here.

Through all the successes and mistakes, the movie is almost ready (for what exactly I’m not 100% sure of yet) and our first trailer should be hitting the web in the next 2-3 weeks. For now, here’s the first concept poster for The Anniversary.

Thanks again to all of you for your continued support and encouragement during this process in which I have no fucking idea of what I’m doing.

One of the great little tips of the hat in Iron Man to those who know the comic book was the character “Rhodes” (at the time played by Terrance Howard and now about to be played by Don Cheadle) looking back at one of the Iron Man suites in Tony’s lab… starring at it for a moment and then saying “next time baby”. Those “in the know” recognize that he’s talking about War Machine (Rhodes gets a suite of his own and calls himself War Machine in the comics).

With the character coming back for Iron Man 2, and the fact that director Jon Favreau has stated that he’ll have a bigger role to play this time, there has been a lot of speculation that we’d actually see Rhodes become War Machine in this movie… and in an interview with Empire Online… it at least LOOKS like he’s just confirmed that. Read what he said:

And what of Stark’s friend and confidant Jim Rhodes? Favreau hinted that Rhodes, now played by Don Cheadle, will be tooling up big-time when he dons his own armoured suit as War Machine. “Rhodesy is definitely stepping up in this film. Let me put it this way: Tony’s not the only person with technology in the film.”

So is that it? Did Jon Favreau just confirm for us that Don Cheadle will be suiting up as War Machine in Iron Man 2? That would be sweet.

This is a film I’m very curious about and put on my “Maybe See” list in my Summer 2009 Movie Preview post. Now, they’ve put up the “A Perfect Getaway” trailer for us to check out, and honestly I like the looks of it.

the basic idea of the movie is: “Two pairs of lovers (Zahn & Jovovich, Olyphant & Sanchez) on a Hawaiian vacation discover that psychopaths are stalking and murdering tourists on the islands.”

Here’s the trailer:

I’ve got a soft spot for movies like these that have a small small small cast. Looks like for the majority of the time we never see more than the 6 main characters. Bit of a horror/mystery movie at the same time. What do you think of the A Perfect Getaway trailer?

Got $2.3 million? Then you can own the home of Cameron Frye from Ferris Beuller’s Day Off!

Locally known as the Ben Rose Home, Cameron’s family pad can be yours.

The Realtor listing says:

THE BEN ROSE HOME-site of the famous movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, cantilevered over the ravine, these two steel and glass buildings, which can never be duplicated, have incredible vistas of the surrounding woods. This is a unique property designed by A. James Speyer and David Haid, both notable architects of the 20th Century

Coincidentally enough the agent’s last name is Hughes, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was directed by John Hughes.

The home is gorgeous. It is along the lines of the dream home I one day hope to own. It is great to see more than the garage and Cameron’s bedroom.

The 1961 Ferrari 250GT California not included.

I liked John’s recent reposting about the Subjectivity of film. In it he talked about how the best part of films was that they were completely subjective. In a nutshell, John shared one tiny truth “You don’t have to like what I like”

I bring this up, as in a recent review I gave a poor rating to Terminator Salvation. In the comment section I was not met with discussion as much as I was challenged telling me I was “wrong” or incorrect in my evaluation. Unfortunately, my views on the film cannot be wrong unless you are suggesting that I am going out of my way to bad mouth a film I secretly found entertaining.

This is where a thin line is drawn between giving a review and giving an opinion. A review simply is at its core, an opinion. More importantly it is MY opinion. The difference in a review is that instead of just saying “I liked it” or “I didn’t like it”, I give a brief explanation about what bothered me.

I can’t go into a deep deconstruction of the film without offering up lots of spoilers, so my points (good and bad) will be spelled out as generally as I can. For those checking the review, I want to share my feelings without exposing too much of the film. But in that review I might say “It was all mindless potty humour” and that might be a negative to me, but then sharing that detail may be a positive to you. Maybe you LOVE a mindless potty humour spoof film. Great. You have gained something by my review despite my personal feelings on it.

But regardless of whehter my personal review of the film differs or lines up with other reviews online, the discussion then turned to you to disagree or agree with my assesment applying your own personal tastes and appreciation to the same subject. Discussion on the topic won’t change my review, you are simply sharing your own feelings on it.

Then there are those who feel that in some cases reviews have some ulterior motive. That’s the beauty of being a blogger and not a media journalist. I am a regular guy who gets the wonderful privilege of writing for you guys to talk about movies. I get a lot of perks that regular guys don’t get, but I am still just a regular movie patron with my own love of movies.

There is no ulterior motive. There can’t be. There is nothing to be benefited by us personally giving a positive or negative review. If I was asked or offered money by a studio to spin my review, you can be sure I would write a story exposing THAT instead.

Today I read an article of a person who’s review integrity I do question. New York Critic Armond White either has the most discriminating and random pallet for film, or he is making a name for himself by simply standing out of the crowd. Today he puts his accreditation on the line and gives a poor review of Up! previously holding a 100% at Rotten Tomatoes

Worst Previews shares:

The man that’s about to ruin the perfect score is New York critic Armond White, who just finished writing his negative review for “Up.” And this guy is no stranger to negative reviews, he previously trashed “The Wrestler,” “Star Trek,” “Milk,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man,” “There Will be Blood” and “Zodiac.” But “Bedtime Stories” got a thumbs up from him.

Now I am not saying that he HAS to agree with my assessment of those films, but it does seem suspect that he offers up negative reviews on the specific films that are getting attention for getting positive reviews.

I am not saying he couldn’t find those films unappealing. No film is ever perfect. Perfect for YOU maybe, but still not perfect. And I didn’t hate Bedtime Stories. Just convenient that every critically acclaimed film, he hates.

It sounds like he just wants to stand out as “the one guy” in these scenarios. I admit it is possible that he didn’t like those movies, but unlikely that NONE of them live up to the reviews they were getting in his eyes. This is why I presume that he has an ulterior motive. I am sure the publications that print his reviews get attention because of the controversy he offers up.

The one guy in the crowd that says “No” while hundreds say “Yes” will get attention.

One thing you can count on with our reviews here is that we are going to offer up our honest opinion. If John rates Wanted higher than Dark Knight, there is a reason. We will even tell you why. I won’t tell you that you are wrong for liking one film over another.

Kevin Smith’s first film he will direct that he didn’t write has a title that makes you think he did. A Couple of Dicks will feature a pair of cops (Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan) investigating a stolen rare baseball card.

Now we learn that Sean William Scott and Adam Brody will be joining the film.

THR says:

Scott plays a thief known as the Shit Bandit for the souvenirs he leaves at his robberies. Brody is an abrasive detective not happy to be working with Willis and Morgan.

Ok, I have a love/hate thing for Sean Stiffler Scott, as he is always the same guy. But this role sounds like it would work with him being that guy, so I don’t mind so much. We get a dose of his character every now and then so his repeat offending doesn’t drive me crazy (yet).

And Brody as the reluctant tag-along could work too, but I have to see it. Sounds like “A couple of dicks” should be a trio of dicks from the description, so there must be a reason for having him around. I hope.

Bruce can do no wrong in my eyes, but Tracy Morgan is the only thing stopping me from getting on board here. He was always nails on the SNL blackboard for me.

When I heard about the premise for Surrogates, I was intrigued. Now seeing the trailer I really want to see this.

The Surrogates based on a graphic novel by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldelle is set in the future where human beings stay at home and live life through “surrogates” better looking (robotic) versions of themselves. However, Willis’ character decides to leave his home for the first time in years in order to solve a crime that puts “surrogate life” in the balance.

Looks like a thought provoking “what if” moral sci-fi flick and Bruce Willis’ “down to earth” presence is the perfect fit for the only real man in a world of unreal people.

That scene where everyone falls down in the streets is staggering.

Jeff Daniels has never let me down. The guy is a wonderful actor that will rarely show up on anyone’s greatest actors list, but should. He plays such a diverse set of characters and does it well. So who better to pair him up with in a dramatic romance film than Lauren Graham, while stunning is a slight variation the same person in everything I have seen her in.

Jeff and Lauren will star together in The Answer Man:

Jeff Daniels plays a reclusive author of a landmark book that redefined spirituality for a generation. Lauren Graham is a struggling single mom and Lou Taylor Pucci a young man fresh out of rehab. Like many others, they seek out the author because they’re convinced he has all the answers — but he just wants to be left alone.

This is going to play on the stereotype of a super famous recluse falling in love with the only person who doesn’t know who he is, but I am sucked in.

As much as I liked to poke at Lauren Graham’s range of character acting, she does play the sweet lovable single mom role very well and it works for this. And Daniels always appeals to me.

I’d give this a shot.

Zombies are bad… Zombie Strippers are worse… but when you’ve got a mountain of Nazi Zombie on your ass, well then my friends you’re in a world of hurt

“A ski vacation turns horrific for a group of medical students, as they find themselves confronted by an unimaginable menace: Nazi zombies.”

At long last (it’s actually been out there for a long time, but I’ve never gotten around to seeing it), here’s the Dead Snow trailer

The original “Alien” movie is just classic. A lot of these older horror films just make you laugh now (the original Halloween for instance), but I just watched Alien again last year and holy crap that movie still freaks the hell out of me!

A little while ago there were some rumblings about another possible Alien film… then came word about a possible Alien remake. Now the word on the street seems to be that Fox Studios is looking at doing an Alien prequel… an origin story if you will.

The folks over at MovieWeb give us this:

Michael Costigan, Tony Scott and his brother Ridley Scott, who directed the 1979 film, are all attached to produce, with Carl Rinsch set to direct. It was said that Rinsch is a commercial and music video director who also does producing work for Tony and Ridley Scott’s production company, Scott Free Productions, who are producing the remake.

I personally don’t like the idea of an Alien remake… but an Alien origin story with Ridley Scott attached in some capacity has promise and I’ll admit has my attention. Could be very cool if done right. What do you think?

There is a new Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans trailer out on the web and man I don’t know what to think about it. I’ve sat here and watched it about 4 times now… and each time I either love it or hate it… only to watch it again and feel the opposite.

The movie reunites Ghost Rider duo Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes (saying the words “reuniting the Ghost Rider team” is not a good thing) and also adds Val Kilmer to the mix. The film is directed by legendary German director Werner Herzog. Check it out:

So now that you’ve seen it… what do you think of it? Will it be any good? Are you going to check it out?

I was one of the few people that was ok initially when they announced that they would be doing a remake of A Nightmare On Elm Street WITHOUT the legendary Robert Englund returning to play the role of Freddy. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Englund as Freddy… but if you’re going to do a remake… then do a remake and get a new cast.

Then we were all thrilled when we heard that Jackie Earle Haley (Oscar Nominated actor most recently seen in Watchmen) would be taking up the glove to play Freddy Krueger.

Now our friends over at JoBlo have snagged our first glimpse at Haley as Krueger… apparently before he gets sweet burning mob justice from angry parents that disfigures him. Check out the full pics here.

Remember 21 Jump Street? For those who don’t, it was a TV show that starred Johnny Depp that featured a special team of young looking cops that would attend highschool and bust drug dealers.

Do you remember Jonah Hill. Yeah, he is in charge of making the big screen adaptation of this show titled only “Jump Street” and he is aiming to make it an “Insane R-Rated” version.

Get the Big Picture quotes Hill:

“Yeah, if you look at the opening episode of ‘21 Jump Street,’ you see a man looking at a picture of a cop holding a little boy’s hand, and you hear a crazy saxophone solo, and you pan up and it’s Johnny Depp looking at the picture playing the crazy saxophone solo. We’re not even spoofing the movie. It’s not strictly comedic, either. We’re doing a full-on action movie, blowing shit up.”

Now the show wasn’t so popular that this deviation of the light tv action to step up into a “full on action movie” but something feels off to me.

Oh yeah. Its being produced by Jonah Hill. Not that I think its a bad thing that he is getting into more behind the scenes work, but that a guy who mostly made his career playing roles of potheads and is now making an action film about cops that bust drug dealers.

Just feels weird to me.

I hope that his behind the scenes stuff is worth his presence. Its not that I don’t like Hill, but I am growing tired of him. He was awesome in Superbad, he was terrible in Sarah Marshall.

We love being fans. It doesn’t matter if it’s fans of a movie (Star Wars shall rule forever), fans of a sports team (Maple Leafs shall rule forever), fans of software (all hail Linux), fans of a music group (U2 shall also rule forever), fans of comics (Age of Apocalypse baby!), fans of a video game (StarCraft and Unreal Tournament are still my favorites of all time) or fans of a website (Three cheers for The Movie Blog!!! Anyone? Anyone?).

The interesting thing is that in all of the examples above, there is an element of debatability (yeah I know I made that word up). There is no real objective measuring stick to say yes, this one is BETTER than that one. It’s not like a who is tallest competition in which all you have to do is pull out a measuring stick and there is a clear winner where the results can’t be debated. 1 Million is more than 1 dollar. 10 feet is more than 3. 100 degrees is hotter than 30 degrees. These things can be objectively measured and settled. Not so with film.

My motto on The Movie Blog has always been “The most beautiful thing about film is the pure subjectivity of it“. And that’s true. The value or quality of a film can’t be measured or weighed or counted to any sort of objective conclusion. It’s a subjective medium that touches us all in different ways. And therein lies it’s real magic.

Movies transcend the limits of height or weight or measurement. They can’t be chopped up and quantified. The TRUTH and VALUE of a film totally lies within the impact and impression it leaves on me… as an individual. This impact and impression willbe different for everyone the film comes across. And for me personally, no movies in history have had the impact or left the impression on me that can equal the original Star Wars trilogy. That statement can not be argued or debated or disagreed with. It is… the truth.

However, if you tell me that Star Wars did not make that impression or have that sort of impact on YOU… then I can’t debate it. Only you know the true truth of that statement. And there it is… the beauty of film. It’s pure subjectivity!

What fun would film be if it’s quality could be measured and quantified? There could be no discussion. There could be no debate. There could be no insight. 50ft. is taller than 40ft. There is no room for dialog or discussion on that. No opportunity to gain some insight from another person with a different point of view or way of looking at things. There is… no beauty.

It’s this subjectivity that makes things like a Top 10 Best… Anything list fun. If it was a Top 10 most expensive movies list… then there can’t be any discussion. It’s measured. It’s calculated. It’s objective. However, a Top 10 Best Animated Films of All Time list is subjective! That can be discussed and talked about and debated. People can offer different points of view and share different ideas and options. We can disagree and exchange ideas and thoughts and experiences. You just can’t do that with a measuring stick.

It’s this subjectivity that makes me laugh when I see some people on this site and others write things like If you think that’s the best you’re stupid. If you like that you’re an idiot. People who say things like that they don’t understand that film is subjective. People won’t feel the same way they do… and having a positive or negative feeling or impression about a film is neither right or wrong… it’s subjective.

Say you disagree… say why you disagree… talk about your points of view and why a film struck you (good or bad) the way it did. Debate, discuss and disagree. That’s part of the beauty of subjectivity.

If I think a film is Great, then I am neither right nor wrong. Maybe many will agree with me… maybe none will… but that won’t change how a film impacted, entertained or made an impression on me. Or you. And therein my dear friends lies the true beauty of the movies.

Cheers!

~John

(This post was originally written back in 2005. I came across it today and just felt like reposting it)

Is anyone surprised? The last two years in a row the #1 critically rated films of the year have been Pixar movies (Ratatouille and Wall-E)… so why would we have expected their new film to be any different?

Following the huge buzz UP got from its screening at Cannes, the ratings for the film have held solid. Over at RottenTomates the movie is firmly holding a 100% rating.

Aside from Transformers 2 there is no other movie I’ve been looking forward too more this year and it looks like I won’t be disappointed. I sadly can’t make the press screening in Toronto tonight, so I’ll just catch the midnight screening tomorrow. I can’t wait!

I used to watch old Doctor Who reruns when I was a kid. You know… back when the Dalek’s were a group of armless, feetless rolling garbage cans who just yelled “Exterminate”! I never did understand how they built anything.

I must admit that I haven’t really watched the new series at all… not because I don’t think it looks bad or anything like that… I’ve just never got around to it despite the fact that lot of people I know seem to love it.

Anyway, there is some rumblings that BBC is possibly looking at developing a Doctor Who movie. The folks over at Sci-Fi Wire give us this:

A spokeswoman for BBC Films confirmed that “a script is in development,” the BBC reported in a story about David Tennant’s upcoming guest appearance as the Time Lord in the Doctor Who spinoff series The Sarah Jane Adventures. BBC entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba said there were no guarantees a film would be made; if the project went into full production, a release would be a long time coming. It’s also unclear whether Tennant or another actor would fill the title role.

I really don’t think this will ever actually come to pass. Doctor Who has a very loyal following, but a loyal following isn’t enough… it needs a large enough audience, and Doctor Who just doesn’t have it. I can’t see them ever investing the budget or the resources into a full length major feature film.

Even though I didn’t mind the G.I Joe trailer that’s out there, I have never hid that fact that I think this movie is going to be flat out terrible. I’m hoping I’m very very wrong because I’d love nothing more than to love a G.I. Joe movie, but I just can’t convince myself that there’s much hope. Who knows right?

Anyway, the good folks over at Empire Magazine have put out a new International G.I. Joe movie poster and I dig it… except why does the Baroness look like her face was hit with the Ugly truck?

I was actually a fan of 2004’s Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. With the growing popularity of childrens book franchises being turned into movie franchises it seemed like Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events wouldn’t have much trouble turning into a successful franchise itself. However, a disappointing showing at the box office pretty much killed any news about a sequel to the film (I actually really liked Jim Carrey as Count Olaf in this flick).

But hold on… word from the director of the film says talks of a Lemoney Snicket sequel are alive again. The folks over at Dark Horizons give us this:

“There was a period of time, about a year ago, where I would have said “Oh, good luck” because it was mired in so many things. It was a co-production between Paramount and Dreamworks and there were studio politics and I actually think it’s going to see the light of day. and I, he’s the writer of… is very friendly with Mr. Snicket I should say, we stay in constant touch about it, because I would love nothing more than to do that and we’ve been hoping to, so I think there will be a chance it may take a wildly different form but I think it will probably happen.”

Interesting choice of words. Not sure what he means by “it may take a wildly different form”. Is he talking about a totally different story direction? Totally different cast? Animated perhaps? I think my enthusiasm for the possible movie would take a bit of a hit if Carrey wasn’t back as Olaf.

What did you think of the original? Would you be excited or indifferent to a sequel?

In the vast world of horrible video game movies, Tomb Raider was one of the few that didn’t turn out too horrible. No it wasn’t great. No it wasn’t memorable. Yes it made some terrible mistakes… but it didn’t completely suck, and for a video game movie that has to be considered a small victory.

Now, they are returning to the world of Laura Croft, this time without Angelina Jolie. They’re starting over with Tomb Raider, this time with a younger Laura Croft in something of an origin story. The good folks at SlashFilm give us this:

Lin (the film’s producer) reveals that the film will be a “very character orientated” origin story, which hopes to take a “more realistic” tone than past Tomb raider movies.I guess this means we won’t be seeing Lara punching any sharks this time around. He also says it will be a younger Lara Croft, which has some sites assuming that he means teenage. Megan Fox had been the subject of Internet rumors surrounding the project earlier this year.

I honestly don’t know what I think about this. Personally, even though I thought the new Punisher was pretty decent, and even though the new Hulk was good… I still don’t like the idea of “reboots” being made so early. I have no good reason for feeling that way… but I do.

So what do you think? Are you up for a Tomb Raider reboot?

William Shatner is a puzzle to me. For years all I heard about was his off screen ass hattery and the drama between him and his cast mates. Well in the last few years, Bill has come around and surprised me. He is by far the best part of Boston Legal, and his attitude changed from pompous he-diva to a humble charming man who can poke fun at himself.

So when the new Star Trek came about and news was that they were going to include a very old Spock, I instantly wondered if old Kirk would be there too. But then I was reminded that Shatner’s Kirk died in Generations bringing an end to the character that not only elevated him to fame, but was also the biggest thorn in his side. His death was anticlimactic, and it had faded from my memory of the original series.

Worst Previews offers:

Even though he holds a bit of a grudge, he now tells the Australian Associated Press that he would love to be in the sequel. “I would be delighted to be in it,” said Shatner.

A sequel has already been announced and since the first film changed the fate of the Trek character, there is now a chance for Shatner to return as Captain Kirk.

That “grudge” he holds against Abrams was later clarified as poking fun at himself some more. Mocking his own self importance (How could he NOT consider me for a cameo…I am William Shatner!) which is also a gag in Fanboys where Shat makes a cameo.

Shatner also admits that he hasn’t got around to seeing the film and says he wants to see it soon. I think once he does he will realize that there is no room for his character at all.

The plot device that brought us Old Spock is fitting. His character traits of humility and duty work perfectly as he is not going to be the focus of the films. He now has a new mission with the Vulcan people. Kirk is too strong of a personality that he just would have no place in this new timeline.

Sure, the future has changed leaving room for Kirk to NOT die in Generations (as that timeline is separate from the current one) but there is no reason for an old Kirk to show up. If they cast him as young Kirk’s grandfather or something that might be a nice tribute cameo. If Back to the Future has taught us anything it is that when you travel in time, all your descendants will look exactly like you.

But I think this is more a case of “too little too late”. Shatner was satisfied that his character should die. It was a passing of the torch for the feature films to focus on the Next Generation never to return to tell the story of the original crew of the Enterprise. At the time, Shat was also embittered towards the fans even writing a book about his convention circuit experience lashing out at the wildly devoted fanbase telling them to “Get a Life”. Well they did, and left Trek behind and the franchise died.

Now he sees Trek flourish into a new exciting chapter and he wants in.

Sorry Shat. I love ya, but Trek moved on without you.

I cannot deny the man love I have for the comedy teamings of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The films they star in together are just packed with charm and always a sure win for me.

So despite the pairing, this is not the elusive third chapter of the Edgar Wright Ice Cream Trilogy, (announced “The World’s End”) but it is shaping up to be a well rounded cast that makes me anticipate the film even more.

Rope of Silicon shares:

The upcoming sci-fi comedy Paul starring the comedic talents of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) have added a load of talent to the cast including Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader and Jane Lynch.

The story revolves around two science-fiction fanatics (Pegg and Frost) on a road trip whose conspiracy dreams come true when they trek to Area 51 and encounter the title character, an escaped alien (voiced by Rogen).

So as if the winning PB&J team of Pegg and Frost wasn’t enough, we get a cast that are sure to please on every level. This is great news, and a smart move.

I am very much looking forward to this.

Seems in the midst of promoting Land of the Lost, Farrell was asked for an update on the rumoured Anchorman sequel.

/Film says:

Will Ferrell is making the rounds doing publicity for Land of the Lost and was asked for an update while appearing on an Australian radio show Jono & Dano. According to Moviehole, Ferrell told the hosts that “everyone is meeting next week” to discuss a possible sequel. Ferrell went on to joke that the meeting is really to see whether or not Paul Rudd and Steve Carell are willing to take pay cuts, as he wouldn’t be.

So in a nutshell, even joking what I am hearing here is that Farrell wants to do this film, but he isn’t willing to take a pay cut to make it happen.

Steve Carell and Paul Rudd have become bigger names since Anchorman came out, and rightfully they would have been paid less as they were not the stars of the film. They served as comedic backboards that worked incredibly well in the film. I think in a sequel, they shouldnt be played up as anything more than they were in the first, and if so they shouldnt get paid as much as in the first.

Just seems like a douchey thing to say, but I worry that the movie wont happen now that their price tags have gone up individually. Why would they do this for less when another film offer could pay them more? For the love of the art? We can only hope.

I would love to see more of this, as the first had me in stitches. Maybe they could recruit some new talent instead of squabbling over paycheques. Let Farrell play the aging reporter who’s job is threatened by younger talent instead of threatened by a girl. And I hope they push this story into the 80s and not on the moon as one suggested plot was rumoured.

Also, with Samantha Who cancelled on Tv, Applegate will be looking for work.

In wild speculation Golden Apple Comics in LA had a surprise visit from Katee Sackhoff attempting to buy them out of every Typhoid Mary comic in their stock.

She said it was “for a role” so we don’t know if she is courting to play Typhoid Mary, or a character like her Tie this in with rumours that Marvel wants to Reboot Daredevil, and the rumour mill hits the ground running.

The actress rumored to be playing this character is BSG’s Katee Sackhoff. Los Angeles-based Golden Apple Comics is reporting that Sackhoff recently came in and grabbed every comic should could find featuring Typhoid Mary.

“So we got a little visit in our comic shop last week by Katee Sackhoff, also known as Starbuck for her role on BSG. She proceeded to grab all the Typhoid Mary comics we had and has hopes to get a part for a marvel movie…”

Now I haven’t heard anything about a Typhoid Mary movie adaptation coming out, but this may well be the best hint we get that Marvel is moving forward with its latest swipes at Rebooting its less popular films.

We just got a new Hulk film a short time after the last one was less than well recieved by the fans, and now they may be turning their eye to rejuvinate Daredevil. I actually liked the Daredevil film.

I think it would be a smart move to avoid the Elektra character for now, as the bad taste of the spinoff is still in our mouths. But if they are going to reboot Daredevil, this would be the way to go. Typhoid Mary has served as both an adversary and lover to Daredevil.

Mary is damaged goods, which we know Sackhoff is good at playing, but she is also a trained assassin and we know Sackhoff can kick some ass. I’d like to see Sackhoff playing some more feminine roles that also play to her believable physical strengths.

I don’t need another 80lb Barbie Doll playing a warrior woman.

This Memorial Day weekend known in Canada as “the weekend” (we had our holiday the previous weekend – Victoria Day) was a battle of the sequels with Terminator Salvation hoping to hold the weekend. Seems that the sequel Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian hedged out the Terminator sequel despite Terminator’s extra day.

Get the Big Picture says:

From Thursday to Monday, Terminator has only managed $67 million. So now, even with a one day head start, it couldn’t do the kind of business Night at the Museum generated. Yep: $70 million in four days for Museum versus $67 million in five days for T4.

Now while some might see this as a defeat for Terminator, I don’t. With such poor reviews for the film buzzing around the net (not just here) I was surprised to see this hit at $67million. Remember that the much more hotly pursued Star Trek brought in an impressive $75m on its first week out, and finding a bad review for that movie was difficult.

In my books, this was as much of a win as we could hope for. Even in interviews McG has been saying that his three film plan will be completely dependent on the fans seeing this movie. No truer words were spoken. If they can’t make this a financial success, we likely wont see more Terminator stories. At least not with McG at the head.

But also folks, remember the squash.

NEVER underestimate the power of a family friendly film. I knew that no matter HOW big Terminator looked, it just wasn’t likely to out number the masses lining up for Battle at the Smithsonian. Seriously, they had Vader, a slap happy monkey and Amy Adams.

For those who think that Terminator would have done better if those families were not dragging their kids out on the holiday weekend, next weekend isn’t looking good either. Disney’s Up! is coming out.

Looks like the Anderson helmed Castlevania just couldn’t find a way to make it work, and the project is being turfed.

Bloody Disgusting says:

Sources close to Bloody-Disgusting have confirmed that Paul W.S. Anderson’s Castlevania adaptation has officially turned to dust. The project, originally announced with Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard, I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer) attached to direct, had recently went out to new directors only to take a trip into the abyss of “development hell.”

I was always a fan of the video game, but as with any video game adaptation I wasn’t at all looking forward to seeing this adapted.

Sure any film can surprise, and Paul WS Anderson has the best track record with games adapted to films with Resident Evil (best is a loose term here), but I am not shedding any tears hearing this is being sent to the attic.

Maybe someday.

The Imax Poster for Transformers Revenge of the Fallen is online

The poster looks to have a much roughed up Bumblebee against the sunny backdrop of the Egyptian desert. Very gritty.

One of the ongoing things in the Transformers comic book was how many times Bumblebee gets blown to bits (once by Cobra in a GIJoe crossover). He is always rebuilt, as he is a fan favourite and in later books he was known as Goldbug instead. With Jazz getting torn in half and then returning in this film (devaluing Prime’s touching epilogue in the first movie as he touchingly remembers Jazz as a loyal soldier) I am surprised they don’t kill off Bumblebee a few times too.

Still, the poster looks cool. I don’t think its possible for me to be MORE excited about this.

Via

A teaser trailer is out for Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel.

It almost causes my physical pain to type that title, but the Teaser is cute:

I have to admit that as much as I didn’t really care for the first movie, I don’t know that you could have done better with a live action Chipmunks movie. This one will play to the same audience that loved the first (my kids) and offer up the same takes on popular pop tunes set to high pitched tight harmonies.

When I was a kid the Chipmunks were huge, but we also had a wider attention span and WOULD sit around the record player to hear their covers of songs and stuff sugar infused cereal in our gobs while we watched their animated adventures. This younger generation is getting the same treatment and I have to admit seeing the teaser with the “live” Chipmunks singing out the 20th Century Fox fanfare did give me a smile.

I am wagering they will be saving the Chipettes for the full trailer.

Via

Careful what you wish for Buffy fans, you just might get it.

Looks like there is a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer film coming, but its not what you would think. The original director is teaming up with Vertigo Entertainment to take the much loved franchise and reboot/remake it. Without Joss Whedon.

Rope of Silicon repofts:

Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment are working with original movie director Fran Rubel Kuzui and her husband, Kaz Kuzui, on what is being labeled a remake or relaunch of Buffy, but not a sequel or prequel. Kuzui and her Kuzui Enterprises have held onto the rights since the beginning, when she discovered the Buffy script from then-unknown Whedon.

This is the dumbest idea ever. Well this, and casting Pro Wrestlers or rappers to star in films

This reeks of a Twilight vampire bandwagon effort (even CW has a new Twilight ripoff show coming out in the fall) with a side order of “Whedon had his chance”. At least the director/producer of the original film that inspired the phenomenon is behind this, so at very least I hope they would have some passion for the project.

However it could be a career move hinging on the vampire craze lately since Fran Rubel Kuzui hasn’t directed anything SINCE the Buffy film.

Normally I would play the TMB Rules of a Remake game. But looking at the criteria I had a hard time separating the film from the TV series. The TV series was a direct sequel to the Movie. The pilot episode even has Buffy Summers moving to Sunnydale after she was expelled from her previous highschool for burning down the Gym.

The comparison I want to play here would be to line it up with the recent incarnation of Star Trek. I want to play devil’s advocate here, because I think this is a bad idea but I could be open to the idea if it is handled correctly.

Let me just deviate for a moment and say that I am a MASSIVE Whedonite, and loved the Buffy series and the Angel spinoff. Best TV of its decade, for a number of reasons.

Anyways, if these people want to remake Buffy, the only way I see it having a chance is to consider Star Trek.

If someone had told me they were remaking Star Trek, I would say they were out of their mind. But they did. Kinda. This Star Trek was a reboot, and paid due tribute to its predacessors, and “continued” the story without remaking the story. This gave them a clean slate and I applauded them for it.

The franchise was dead. The die hards were still craving more, but it just wasn’t going to happen. For whatever multitude of fingerpointing reasons the Trekkers gave, it was just dead Jim.

Now let’s look at Buffy. After 7 amazing seasons, Buffy finally called it quits, and for another year after that we saw the untimely end of the Angel spinoff.

That was just 5 years ago. Since then, the fanbase as been itching for a reunion movie, a rumoured spinoff involving Spike, Faith or Rupert “Ripper” Giles. The comic book series, dubbed Season 8 has been popular. But herein lies the problem.

If they reboot the series, Whedon will not be involved at all, and they will be remaking it with a whole new story and new characters. The parts of Buffy that people LOVE and are enthusastic about are the characters. And aside from Buffy, all the characters came in the TV series.

This reboot can’t work like Star Trek did. They are hoping to latch onto the Vampire craze, boosted by the enthusiasm of the Buffy fans, and hope to rekindle a dead franchise.

So my only other hope is that they cling to their rights to the Buffyverse, pay some royalties to Whedon for his expanded mythos, and offer a “next generation” kind of thing. Introduce a new Slayer from the mass of “activated slayers in waiting” and deal with a story there. I also feel this is the only hope for a future Star Wars franchise. The current Clone Wars stuff will die off, and a decade from now we will get a “next generation” Star Wars franchise like the Legacy Comics.

All that being said, Buffy is one of those franchises that saw a wave of success that will overshadow any attempt to reboot it. I am not saying it can’t be done, but it won’t be easy.

I know the raving Whedonites will deny this film like I see the Highlander sequels, but there is a tiny sliver of hope that they could make this into something it never was and still be loved.

With Star Wars celebrating its 32nd Birthday this week (May 25th, 1977 was the release date of A New Hope) it is only fitting that a tribute to that film that changed everything would take place. No, I am not talking about Fanboys. I am talking about a trailer for a buried and forgotten film called 77. (Originally called 5-25-77)

77 is a movie about a geek in the late 70s who is obsessed with films and makes them in his back yard. He is a social outcast and gets picked on for his fandom. It only gets more rabid in the summer of ‘77 when the geek is introduced to Star Wars.

Check out the trailer.

I really am looking forward to FINALLY getting my copy of Fanboys, but this is no copycat roadtrip comedy. Although just like Fanboys, this film was made a long while ago, and is likely surfacing again because of the popularity of Fanboys. It still doesn’t have a distributor, but I hope it does soon.

This has a coming-of-age feeling that reminds me of Almost Famous. In part because of the era its set in, but more that it is a heartfelt drama, that although appealing to the sci-fi geek in me, really hits home with the love affair with Star Wars that we had.

And its star, John Francis Daley of Freaks and Geeks and more recently Bones is just awesome. The guy is a solid actor, and will serve this role well.

With all the Star Wars bashing that has become more popular than the films themselves, I think it is wise to be able to look back and be able to see what the big deal was.

Via

Let me first say that this is a FAN MADE trailer that has been making the rounds today.

They have yet to cast Green Lantern, and one of my personal top favs for the job would be Nathan Fillion (or David Boreanaz) so to see a mashup of other film clips edited to be Green Lantern is pretty awesome.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this! So well put together, and even shows some of the hokey Corp members. I hope that in the feature film we do get to see the other GL Corp characters if only for a cameo, but done up less cartoony. A realistic verson of these characters would be easier to swallow.

If the feature film gets me HALF as excited as this fan trailer did, I will be duely impressed.

Via