Ending Superman 2 without turning back time, or having to invent a random power Superman doesn’t have to erase memory with a kiss.

And it also would have solved the whole Lois thing people gripe about in Superman Returns too.

Online today there is now an IGN Download of the new TV Spots for Transformers. RIGHT NOW!

Why are you still reading this. Go Here NOW

There will be plenty of time to come read this site AFTER you go watch the 2 TV Spots and watch the Trailer again until your eyes bleed.

This movie is going to kick all kinds of ass!

Tea Leoni (hot) and David Duchovny are teaming up on American Dreams. A book by Readers Digest’s former Managing Editor, Peter Canning.

Movie Web says:

The couple likely won’t appear in the film; according to a statement from Leoni from Variety, “This is what happened to their American dream, when it got filtered through the right wing.” Canning, a 25-year vet of the mag who rose to managing editor, writes that the magazine’s idealistic goals got compromised as it grew into a juggernaut after WWII. It became a pulpit for a conservative agenda, and the founders allowed it to be used as a tool by the CIA and the FBI. The founders also lost themselves when they became rich and passive as people pawed for money and control of their empire. “They were manipulated by a system that was so much bigger than they were. The wealthier they got, the more vulnerable they became,” Leoni said.

I am still trying to digest this.

So Readers Digest is a political tool? I still religiously read this magazine every time I visit the bathroom at my grandmother’s house. Yeah its light reading with candy coated morals. Its filled with short stories, joke pages, vocabulary puzzles, and tales of people overcoming the odds. Its a feel good book with stories long enough to pass the time while you pass your … time.

Maybe I will wait until the book about this gets condensed and is released alongside the Reader’s Digest Condensed version of DaVinci Code and BioDome.

I can hear a million geek boners springing forth under track pants as I type this.
Rumor today is that Sarah Michelle Gellar may be in the next Batman film: The Dark Knight. We get the story from the dudes at joblo.

The rumor currently making the rounds is that Gellar may be in the Batman sequel THE DARK KNIGHT. Speculation then immediately arose that she’d play the Joker’s lover and accomplice Harley Quinn, an acrobatic Arkham Asylum therapist who goes ga-ga for the grinning psycho and dons a jester costume to assist in his crimes.

I was never a fan of the Buffy tv series, but I never had a problem with Gellar as an actress. I enjoyed her on SNL and have always thought kind things about her. If she is the Joker’s gal pal I think that would be a great casting, and I consider this to be good news (if it be true).

Now lets just hope she doesn’t shit the bed like the Scientologist incubator (Katie Holmes).

I have always been a big fan of everything Keira Knightley, and a strong admirier of Lohan’s looks. Back when we talked about Knightley and Lohan teaming up for something serious I had my doubts about this movie. Now it looks like they have found their boyfriends.

Yahoo reports:

Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys have signed on to join Keira Knightley and Lindsay Lohan in “The Best Time of Our Lives.”

The independently financed film chronicles the relationships among Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (Rhys), his wife Caitlin (Lohan), his childhood friend Vera Phillips (Knightley) and her eventual husband William Killick (Murphy).

Cillian Murphy is just plain creepy looking. That made him a perfect pick for the Scarecrow in Batman begins, and likely that edgey uncomfortable look he has will work well as a drunken poet too. Personally I don’t have much exposure to Matthew Rhys aside from his part on the campy Lost World on TV, so I can’t say much about him.

But this is looking to shape up into a decent little drama, and my opinion is slowly improving about little Miss Lohan. Georgia rule is looking to be a typical Lohan flick, and she is still seeking out more serious roles. Perhaps we still have much to see from her aside from cleavage.

And I never have complaints about Keira.

It seems the Shamhammer will have Marky Mark in his next film project. The lowdown is delivered via messenger pigeons from Moviehole:

Seemingly knowing that they’re going to have to have another name – besides the now slightly acerbic and unsavoury Shyamalan tag – on the poster and marquee, to sell the movie, FOX have roped in their old “Planet of the Apes” comrade Wahlberg to play the male lead in “The Happening”.

I am not a fan of Shamhammer. Mainly because I find twist endings annoying 90% of the time, and he overdoes them to the point of nausea. With Marky Mark on board hopefully he will come up with something that deviates from his now maligned style.

Sadly it is a movie about a family that is on the run from an apocalyptic threat. I disliked the family element in War of the Worlds and I am not excited to see another “family running from bad stuff” movie. Nothing kills action like a family unit on the run. More apocalypse - less family might be a good idea shamhammer.

Tonight John and I will be doing our show on the NOWLIVE nextwork. (3pm PST, 6pm EST, 9pm GMT)

We had a chance to see Blades of Glory and we will be discussing it today on the show.

We also will be discussing our favorite comedies of all time and are anxious to hear what you guys have to say! Please call in, post and contribute as this is an interactive show.

Soulvideo (pictured here) will also be joining us after killing a goose with his bare hands and drinking the sweet ,sweet, goose blood. That is a ton of entertainment for free!

Be there or be square!

3-D film is a fantastic experience. It is a riot to see everyone in the uniform of funny glasses coming together to enjoy a film. It appears Dreamworks is pushing 3-D with upcoming films by a crew of heavyweights. We are educated on the issue thanks to our friends at Filmick:

Michael Campbell, the CEO of Regal cinemas in the US, and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Dreamworks’ head conveyor belt oiler, yesterday spoke to analysts at a Bank of America convention. The basic thrust of their argument was that punters are really going for 3D, so let’s do more of it - and then charge them a premium.

Katzenberg commented that a lot of cinema chains had proven ’slow’ in adopting the digital technology requisite to screening 3D films, but suggested the slate of upcoming titles would hurry things along. Without naming any, he revealed that these upcoming films were to come from directors James Cameron, Robert Zemeckis, Stephen Spielberg and Peter Jackson.

I will look for any chance to see more movies in 3-D. Filmick speculates that Indy 4 may even be one of the movies Dreamworks has on deck to be 3-D! (This can not yet be confirmed or denied, but we will keep you posted.) I hunger to wear the glasses again, but am a little miffed that they are considering this only to jack the cost of films.

Getting people out to the theaters is the correct way to make more money and I think 3-D is enough to do that. To charge a premium for 3-D is like charging extra for movies with sex and violence. You know - the good ones. Selling the 3-D glasses is fair but if you have to pay extra for a 3-D movie itself; it will take wind out of the sails of the majestic longboat that is 3-D

I love 7-11. I love the slurpees, I love their mystery meat microvave delights, I love hanging out like a vagrant outside on the stoop with friends. When I went to Hong Kong as a youngster I spent most of my nights outside a 7-11 in Ma On Shan. I am not ashamed to say that some of my fondest memories have been on concrete outside of a 7 - 11.

It appears that my beloved 7 - 11 is considering the greatest marketing idea ever, by transforming select stores into Kwik-E-Marts for the upcoming Simpsons movie! Thank you to Gweep Wurp the EyeBiter for the link to TimesDispatch.com where we find the news:

It appears as though the world’s largest convenience store will get Simpsonized, though 7-Eleven Inc. said the deal isn’t done yet. If all goes as planned, the convenience store chain plans to refit 11 stores across the U.S. — Richmond is an unlikely choice — to resemble the front of the Kwik-E-Mart, the convenience store that Homer and other characters frequent in the classic cartoon TV series.

Customers also will be able to buy products inspired by the nearly two-decades-old show, including KrustyO’s cereal, Buzz Cola and iced Squishees (the cup says Squishee, but the contents will be Slurpee).

I do not think an ad campaign has ever been this much fun and/or awesome. I just hope they have the same strategy for outside of the U.S. as well; because I want to stoop at a Kwik-E Mart.

Exciting news movie enthusiasts! It appears that the Grindhouse may become a series of films! A little birdy from Slashfilm gives us the news:

Rodriguez and Tarantino want to keep the “Grindhouse” series going. For his part, Tarantino wants to shoot an old-school Kung Fu movie in Mandarin with subtitles in some countries, and release a shorter, dubbed cut in others. If the movie plays to theaters packed with screaming patrons, the Weinsteins may be willing to indulge him.

This is fitting, this is exciting, this is the best thing to happen to the theater going experience since THX sound! I loved the Pai Mei character in Kill Bill and think that Tarantino would be great to do a 70’s style kung-fu extravaganza. In fact, I hope he does the film with the Pai Mei character - I left Kill Bill 2 hungering more Pai Mei and It would tickle my vilolence loving bones if we saw him again.

I an a fan of both Tarantino and Rodriguez, and think that having them work together may cause a friendly competition of who can get even more over the top that the other. Nothing does over the top better than kung ku - I am now more excited to see the second installment of Grindhouse than the first.

International friends; I hope this series goes to 11.

News this morning from the almighty WEBMASTER at FILMJUNK that Sly Stallone is hiring a body double for the 4th installment of the Rambo franchise.

After some set photos of Sylvester Stallone from the upcoming Rambo 4 (now titled John Rambo) appeared online, it sparked a lot of debate about whether or not he was physically ready to play the part. He successfully bulked up for Rocky Balboa, and although the movie did little to hide his age, it was important for Rocky to look old and past his prime in that film. However, now there are reports that the 60 year old Stallone has decided to hire a 30 year old body double to tackle some of the more physically demanding scenes in John Rambo.

I am glad they are using a body double. Very seldom can you pick them out in the movie, and it is always a pleasure when they interview body doubles on daytime tv and in gossip magazines. I would love to get a list of the most famous go-to body doubles and see if we can get interviews for the site.

Body Doubles are the T & A of the movie industry. Body Double is a T & A movie from 1984.

We’ve been talking for a while now about the summer of 2007. It’s shaping up to be one of the best summers in history as far as the popcorn blockbuster film fan go. The list is huge and seemingly endless. But what’s really interesting is the 3 of the MAJOR heavyweights of the summer are all going to be slugging it out at the same time in May alone.

Shrek 3, Spider-Man 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean 3 are all coming out in May, which means there are going to be weeks where all 3 will be in theater at the exact same time battling for the lion’s share of the audience (and let’s face it, fighting for the audience is what summer blockbusters are really all about as far as the studios are concerned.

All 3 of these films are going to do impressive business… no doubt… but… all being in the theaters at the same time is going to hurt all of them. There really isn’t any disputing that. I think almost everyone will see all of these films once… but the issue of REPEAT business comes into question with 3 major blockbusters in theaters at once.



So here are 2 questions for you:

1) Which of these 3 films will come out on top?

2) Which of these 3 do you THINK you’ll see more in theaters?

(As a side note, all 3 of these films being in May bodes VERY WELL for Transformers all the way out in July)

A lesson that we’ve learned here on The Movie Blog over and over and over again has been this: “Never underestimate the poser of a family friendly film at the box office… ESPECIALLY animation”. That has held true more often than not. But even though this rule has generally held up repeatedly… I still can’t help but wonder about the fate of “Meet The Robinsons” this weekend.

Look, I’m not saying the movie is bad or good (I haven’t seen it), but the reality is that the marketing for the film has been lackluster at best (and almost non-existant at worst), and it’s opening up against a pretty anticipated film in “Blades of Glory”. Add on top of that the fact that 300 is still doing strong, and ANOTHER family friendly film is in theaters at the moment in TMNT that came in at #1 last weekend.

When you stack all of those things together, I really can’t see how Meet The Robinsons has any chance whatsoever of any boxoffice success this weekend. I’m predicting maybe $12 million tops… but even that might be pushing it. What do you think?

You know, I’ve had this sense of guarded optimism about Evan Almighty. I LOVE Steve Carell, I just think the man is gold. However, even though the concept for Evan Almighty sounds cute, I’ve had my doubt they could fill out a whole movie and keep it interesting and funny with it. But now here comes the new Evan Almighty trailer… and screw it… I’m 100% sold! I can’t wait to see this damn thing! Check it out:

Oh look… another damn movie about Penguins. But this time it’s surfing Penguins… oh… well then that makes it totally new and fresh then (please note sarcasm). Yup, the new Surfs Up trailer is here. And personally… it doesn’t do anything for me. Judge for yourselves though:

I’m actually quite enjoyed Ocean’s 11, and even though it was a major step backwards I didn’t HATE Ocean’s 12. But at the end of the day there is so much talent and potential in this ensemble cast that it’s next to impossible for me not to be excited about Ocean’s 13… and so far the stuff I’ve seen in the trailer is pretty damn good. Here’s the new Ocean’s 13 trailer for ya:

I actually had the chance to see Hot Fuzz a little over a month ago on my last trip down to Los Angeles (one of the perks of hanging out with the entertainment writer for Time Magazine). I’ve been waiting to put up my review until we get closer to it’s release here in North America… but I will say this…

Don’t get your hopes up too high. I liked it quite a bit, but it’s not “Shaun of the Dead” good and it’s not “Shaun of the Dead” funny either. The film is a bit too long, over uses Shaun techniques (you’ll see what I mean) and just fails to pack the same punch that Shaun did. BUT… if you just go in to watch it as a new comedy movie and forget about the comparisons to Shaun, then I believe you’ll really enjoy it. I did.

I’ll go into it more when it comes time to put up my review. I think I’m screwed either way though. Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg have become the new Kevin Smith in a way. They have a core group of rabid fans (I actually think I’m one of them) who will want to burn your village and rape your women if you say anything critical about them at all (or was that Doug who does the burning and raping thing?)

Anyway, our good friends over at JoBlo have posted up a couple of new Hot Fuzz clips that wet your appetite for the film that you can see over here.

I am very much looking forward to seeing Venom in this summer’s Spiderman 3. The trailers improved drastically from one to the next like they intended them to get better, and we even get to see more bits of Venom as we go along. But will he be as badass as he was in the comics? Topher Grace’s slim figure is all the topic of a potential weak Venom.

So Topher himself has something to say about it. Filmwad quotes:

“He kicks Spider-Man’s ass,” Grace grinned, reflecting on his black-suited supervillain. “It was interesting, and it was hard. I had to do a lot of working out, which is very new to me. … I play a bad guy, so that was a very different experience for me, acting-wise.”

We’re sure he had to work out a lot, but we’re still skeptical as to how it’s possible to go from tiny Eric Foreman to massively over-ripped Venom. I guess we’ll have to wait for the DVD extras like everyone else.

Now if it were not for Topher playing Venom, I would have suggested him to replace Tobey when he hangs up the webby tights. In the right light the two look very similar.

But here we have some assurance that Venom will open up a can and take a piece outta Spidey.

This is very good news indeed.

The new I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry trailer has hit the web. All I can say is this… with no disrespect intended… if I was gay… Jessica Biel would turn me straight in a heartbeat. Holy shit I need some alone time… excuse me…

The other day I was sitting in the theater getting ready to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the trailers came on first. What happened next has scared me in an emotional way that no simple trailer ever has before. I can now say with certainty that I have bore witness to the more horrible wretched trailer ever made.

The trailer is for the new Ice Cube film “Are We Done Yet“. Look, I’m not saying Ice Cube is bad, or even that the movie itself is bad… but this trailer and whoever put it together needs to be burned in purifying fire. It has every single stereotypical trailer hook imaginable, and represents everything wrong with trailers. No… really… it’s that bad. Take a look… if you dare.

Oh my goodness, Raul just reminded me of this. Watch the “Are We Done Yet” trailer first… then watch this:

You’ve got to hand it to Andy Serkis. The man had an opportunity and he ran with it. He’s been making the most of it ever since. For those of you who may not remember, Serkis is the man behind Gollum in the Lord of the Ring trilogy.

Serkis has a number of UK produced film coming out fairly soon, but this new one he apparently is set to star in has caught my attention. The good folks over at Movieweb have this:

Andy Serkis will star in the black comedy-horror, The Cottage for Steel Mill Pictures and Magic Light Pictures. Paul Andrew Williams wrote and is directing the film, which concerns two brothers who bungle the kidnapping of a crime boss’ daughter, says Variety.

i like Serkis. From all the interviews I’ve seen him in, and from what all his co-stars have always said about him he seems very likable and his work as a character performer has been stellar. On top of that I’ve enjoyed his small role work as well. But can he carry a lead role? I have my doubts. He doesn’t strike me as having the tallent to carry a film. But may that’s just because he hasn’t really been given a chance yet. Guess we’ll wait and see.

National Treasure wasn’t exactly a great movie… but even the most die hard of the film’s critics have to admit it at least have some fun in it. Personally, I thought the movie was ok. Not exactly classic filmmaking… but also not 2 hours I regretted spending in the theater.

I never imagined they would have a sequel to it, but it is on it’s way, and it seems to be working over times to add some credibility to itself in the casting department. Not only have they already landed Ed Harris, but it appears they’ve now snagged Oscar winner Helen Mirren. The good folks over at MovieWeb give us the following:

Also joining the cast is Ed Harris as the antagonist; the film brings back Nicolas Cage as treasure hunter Ben Gates and Jon Voight as his father, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha and Harvey Keitel. Jon Turtletaub also returns as director. The Hollywood Reporter notes National Treasure: Book of Secrets is set in motion when one of Cage’s ancestors is implicated in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, thrusting him into a globe-spanning adventure to clear his family name and find a missing treasure along the way.

The plot sounds a little screwy to me, but meh… it’s an adventure film so who really cares. I will say this, getting Mirren on board does raise my anticipation for the movie a little bit… and that’s saying something.

The Bourne franchise has been an interesting one for me. I haven’t really loved either of the two films so far… but at the same time they’ve been pretty good, and I’ve always felt like there was a LOT of untapped potential in them that always had me looking forward to the next one. The Bourne Ultimatum is no different.

The first Bourne Ultimatum trailer is now here… and I gotta say it’s not bad for a first teaser. Take a look:

The phrase “I’m starting to feel all funny in my pants” is one you’ll often hear around me whenever Elizabeth Banks comes on the screen. This woman has enough sex appeal that could power the state of Nevada (if you could harness that energy into electricity that is). But more importantly, she’s pretty talented.

Banks is featured in 2 of my absolute favorite movies over the past year or 2 (Slither and The 40 Year Old Virgin), and I won’t deny that I’ve been keeping an eye on anything she gets involved with pretty closely (watch for her next in Spider-Man 3). Now news of a new romantic comedy comes at us. The good folks at comingsoon give us the following:

Elizabeth Banks will star in and produce Universal romantic comedy What About Barb, about a socialite who must allow her uncouth cousin to be maid of honor so her nouveau riche uncle will pay for the wedding. Accepted screenwrter Mark Perez is writing the movie, based on the story of the same name by Jill Bernheimer and Keetgi Kogan. Mary Parent and Scott Stuber are producing for their Universal-based Stuber/Parent. Max Handelman, Bernheimer and Kogan will also executive produce.

Sounds pretty good to me as a basic premise. We’ll see what it turns into. As a side note to this story, Banks has a pretty interesting project coming out soon called “Bill” with Aaron Eckhart.

One of the comedies I’ve really been looking forward to this year is the new Steve Carell flick “Evan Almighty” which is obviously a follow up to the Jim Carrey film “Bruce Almighty” in which Carell played a minor supporting character which the mighty power of 40 Year Old Virgin has transformed into the lead role for the new film. Ta Da!

Brian sent me this new poster which I dig.

So what are your expectations of this film? Amazing? Good? Ok? Let down? Suck?

Geeks of the world unite! In a bold move to end the rivalry between Stamp Collectors and Star Wars geeks, the USPostal Service has announced a Star Wars stamp set will be released.

MSN News says:

The 15 stamps will be issued on a single sheet that resembles a movie poster. Once the stamps are available, people who want to vote for their favorite will be able to do it online at http://www.uspsjedimaster.com.

Individual stamps feature:

— Darth Vader.
— Yoda.
— Obi-Wan Kenobi.
— Han Solo and Chewbacca.
— Anakin Skywalker fighting Obi-Wan Kenobi.
— Queen Padme Amidala.
— Luke Skywalker.
— Princess Leia Organa with R2-D2.
— Emperor Palpatine.
— Darth Maul.
— Imperial Stormtroopers.
— Boba Fett.
— The Millennium Falcon.
— An X-wing fighter.
— C-3PO.

No longer will either group be able to claim geek superiority. The lines have been blurred and if only briefly, two shall become one.

No greater news has been heard since Uwe Boll said he would film a Star Wars spinnoff that has Luke travel to Middle Earth to find the source of the Medichlorians. It appears the rings themselves are the gods and birthright to the micro organisms that generate the Force.

The Star Wars stamps are just one step in the Postal Service paying tribute to Star Wars 30th Anniversary Celebrations, which officially make me feel old as I saw each one in the theatre. R2-D2 Mailboxes are staged and ready to be put into circulation as well.

After winning an Oscar it appears Whittaker is treating himself to a good cop / bad cop movie with Keanu Reeves. Whittaker will be the good cop and Keanu will be a bad drunkard cop.

We get the story from Yahoo!

Based on an original idea by crime writer James Ellroy, the Fox Searchlight project centers on a veteran LAPD cop (Reeves) who turns to alcohol after the death of his wife. The cop is forced to go up against his longtime mentor (Whitaker) when he is implicated in the execution of a fellow officer.

I think this may be poised to be a more over the top cop movie than point break or speed! Why the hell is Keanu cast so much as a cop? When I look at Keanu Reeves, I can see how people would cast him to be in Wyld Stallions, but how he gets tapped for so many gigs as a cop, is beyond my uinderstanding.

I think after winning an Oscar, a fair challenge would be to make an awesome cop movie with Keanu Reeves as your drunk nemesis. I cannot wait to see Keanu as a drunk cop widower; I feel this movie may warrant a drinking game. Every time Keanu takes a drink or someone talks about his dead wife you have to take a shot.

(Once we find out the name of the movie we should have a contest to name the drinking game.)

I enjoyed 28 Days Later, but was not excited to hear of the sequel.

Our friends at moviehole tell us today that a third movie is in the works.

Find the story here (spoiler)

I guess when a movie has a sequel now - you assume it will be a trilogy. I must admit, the ads for 28 Weeks Later have been rising curiosity in me for the new installment; and if I see the 2nd - I will see the third.

The Simpsons movie has long been something I have wanted to see. It was rumoured years ago that they were planning one, and then it seemed to bob in and out of the news for a long time until real work on it was done and the finally announced some solid plans.

Now unlike the trendy “Simpsons just isnt as funny as it used to be” sentiments going around, I love the Simpsons just as much as I did 5 years ago. To me its still as good. Its been a long ride, and I hope it never ends. I just hope the movie is good too.

Cinematical says:

And now we have our first test screening review. Apparently, The Simpsons Movie recently screened in Portland, Oregon (because series creator Matt Groening either went to college there or is a huge, overly-obsessive Blazers fan … or both) and — whaddya know — one of the people in attendance decided to write in and tell AICN all about it. According to said scooper, the film is far from done — with only about 30% of the animation in tip top shape. Though all the voice acting was complete, the score (provided by Danny, er, Hanz Zimmer???) was not. But is it good? Here’s a juicy quote for ya: “It’s funny, charming, exciting, familiar and is peppered with delightfully loving references to all our favorite events in the Simpsons family history (one in particular will have you whooping with joy in your seat if you’re a Simpsons fan).”

The largest problem this scooper had was that the film was too short, and that a lot of our favorite secondary characters were given very little screen time. He said he felt like he was watching back-to-back-to-back episodes, with the first giving us comedy, the second giving us plot and the third giving us an ending … which he calls “exciting, clever and extremely satisfying.” All in all it seems like a pretty positive review, coming from someone who says they’re a “pretty big” Simpsons fan. Keep in mind, the powers that be still have some time to whip this puppy into shape; The Simpsons Movie doesn’t arrive in theaters until July 27.

Now granted this scooper did see a first draft of the movie, and I am sure some of the reactions and criticisms are going to be considered before polishing this baby up for its midsummer release.

I think the secondary characters do have real value in this show, but I don’t mind that they gloss over some of them. Its likely that they just included a lot of them so they can say they were all in the movie, and I hope they don’t include them just for that purpose. I would sooner see them NOT in the movie than useless cameos.

The review was mostly positive, so I hope we start getting some more buzz around this film.

In early 2006, we posted that Gillian Anderson wanted XFiles 2 to happen. Now over a year later, we hear that Duchovny is offering an echo to those words, though very late.

Cinematical reports:

It’s okay if you don’t remember, the film came out — I dunno — nine freaking years ago! Since then there’s been talk of a sequel … and more talk of a sequel … and even more talk of a sequel. Heck, two years ago David Duchovny actually said that an X-Files 2 was taking shape and would go into production sometime in 2006. Yeah, that never happened. However, while out promoting his latest film, The TV Set, Duchovny noted that negotiations were just about wrapped up, and he feels production will now start sometime in 2008, or sooner. Then again, he’s said this before … so, X-Files fans, don’t go holding your breath.

Now this is not the first of Duchovny saying this movie was getting made, and quite frankly for the sakes of Duchovny and Anderson, they need this so I have no doubts that they would be pushing for it.

But Duchovny rumours that this will not be a direct sequel of the first movie, and that the plot will have nothing to do with an alien consipiracy. So is this more of a relaunch within the same continuity? Back to some of the more supernatural goings on of the original series?

If this ever happens (there has been more delays than Superman on this one) and it turns into a success, will there be a revitalization in the form of a movie franchise? Could this mean a return to the TV Series.

Making old TV shows into movies is all the rage, so why not take an old TV show that spawned a movie, and make a sequel to that movie and make it the launching point for another TV series!

Im a little dizzy just writing that.

If they keep giving out contracts for Indiana Jones 4, we might even have to start believing they are going to make this movie.

Coming Soon reports:

Ray Winstone (The Departed, upcoming Beowulf) has signed on for a major role in Paramount Pictures’ Indiana Jones 4, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Although the film’s plot is being closely guarded, the trade says Winstone will play star Harrison Ford’s sidekick.

Sidekick? Could he be Indy’s physiotherapist? Nurse? Ok I am figuring now they are going to make this movie, so I had to make a “Indy is old” gag. It’s all we have left. Sue me.

The role of Indy’s closest aides are something that become a staple of the franchise and quite neccessary. One of the amazing things about Indiana is that despite the grand hero that he is, he always comes through with the help of his friends. Bringing Winstone along brings a solid member to his team of adventurers.

What type of character do you see Winstone playing?

Soccer legend Pele was known even to me as a kid. And I am from Canada where Hockey is the only sport that dominates our culture. But news comes our way that Pele’s story is to be made into a biopic.

JoBlo.com says:

That said, WMA have signed ’soccer’ legend, Pele for representation and are now preparing a biopic about his life.

In general, the game of ’soccer’ has progressed a lot since his day and even though he was considered probably the most skilfull player of his generation, a lot of those skills have become obsolete or at the very least overshadowed by new techniques. However, it’s likely that nothing will ever overshadow or even come close to the inspiration the man gave to countless ’soccer’ fans. A mind-blowing example of this was when notoriously, a 48 hour cease-fire took place in the middle of a bloody civil war in Nigeria so that people could watch him play.

I like how the writer at JoBlo keeps calling it “soccer” in quotes like we don’t get it. Yeah, its called Football in a lot of the world. We just call it soccer because we already have football (what do they call football?)

I have never been much of a Soccer fan, (I know John is a hardcore Italian, and I know very few who do not lust of the manly sport of Soccer) but I would still be interested in any story that made a man’s name recognizable even beyond his fandom.

Maybe they can have a story that puts a computer generated Pele against modern footballers like David Beckam to see who would win?

In just my last post I was bitching about Mortal Kombat and how much It sucked. (I should note however that it has one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard for an action movie.) Not only did the movie suck; but the game sucked too. Never has a video game received more undo praise than mortal combat - the only saving grace the game had were the fucking fatalities (Virtua Fighter for life). So you can imagine how pumped I was to learn that a REINVISONING of Mortal Kombat is in the works. We get the scoop from moviehole:

“The movie is not going to be a prequel, sequel, or in any form be related to the previous 2 movie. Pretty much like Batman Begins, is going to restart the series with new concepts, stories,etc.

I have to admit that the best thing you can do with this franchise, is pretend the franchise never happened. Although I do not like the previous movies/games I will admit that the characters are cool as fuck and the opportunities to make a wicked tournament - style film are there. Less story and more octagon fighting is what is needed. More Goro less talk.

As a rule I hate remakes..hate them. I will admit that some have been good but I find most unnecessary, difficult to watch and when they are bad I feel disgusted that they insulted the original. That being said, against my better judgment I have always been pumped for them to do a remake of Death Race 2000. The story today is that the film will be directed by W.S Anderson. We get the skinny from our friends over at joblo:

Anderson (a noted videogame enthusiast and slightly more gifted filmmaker than Uwe Boll) was attached to adapt a live-action version of the vampire-battling action games, but according to Dread Central he is no longer involved with the project. Instead he’ll apparently be focusing on the remake of DEATH RACE 2000, which has been slowly inching toward the starting line for years.

This news leaves me full of sorrow. With the exception of Soldier (which was enjoyable but not amazing) I have disliked all of Anderson’s films. Mortal Combat is probably one of biggest pieces of shit I have ever had the displeasure of seeing in a theater. I do not think this is good news at all; but I hope with all the hope that is left in my tender chest (which isn’t much) that he proves me wrong.

The voice casting news for the greatest movie event of the year - - THE TRANSFORMERS - - is coming fast and furious these days. Just recently we talked about the AMAZING news that Hugo Weaving was cast as the voice of Megatron (which I’ve been saying for months would be amazing). And now, it looks like Barricade is cast too, and it’s Keith David. IGN gives us this:

Hot on the heels of the news that Hugo Weaving will voice Megatron comes word that Keith David (The Thing) will voice the Decepticon police cruiser Barricade in the Michael Bay-directed film. IGN has confirmed David’s casting, which was first rumored over at Ain’t It Cool News. Barricade’s automobile form will be a Saleen S281 Ford Mustang police cruiser.

I like this move. Dvid has a naturally deep rich voice that I’m sure will be used well here. I also expect it’ll be heavily digitized, but there you go. So more good news for The Transformers. Of coarse none of this means the story will be any good… but it’s still good news.

Disney is planning to release the 1946 film “Song of the South” which has some questionable racist shit in it.

Our good friends at Cinematical have a great story about this and give the following film synopsis:

A mix of animated content and live-action, Song tells the story of a young white boy, Johnny, who goes to live on a Georgia plantation. A black servant entertains Johnny with the stories of Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear and Brer Fox, which are actual black folk tales. Remus’ stories include the saga of the “Tar Baby,” a phrase which today is considered a derogatory term for African-Americans.

I say go for it! Everyone knows that racism finished in 1986 (that is why we have easter to this day). We celebrate racial diversity by giving children candy! Just the other day a Korean gentleman asked if I wanted a “honkey cracker” I said no thank you (i am watching my carbs) but I appreciated the kind gesture of giving treats in the tradition of Easter.

It was good timing on the part of Disney to wait until racism was finished before they released this film. Otherwise I am sure they may upset Rev. Al Sharpton greatly. Michael Richards has even went on file to say that the movie’s hit song ZIP A DEE DO DAH was responsible for teaching him tolerance as a youngster.

Hey there boys and girls. Well, with all the Kurt Russell talk going on around here over the last couple of days, it’s got me to thinking about some of my favorite Russell movies, so I thought “why not do a post about it”.

So here for your consideration is my personal list of the 10 best Kurt Russell performances (please note… I’m not saying the best Russell movies… but rather his personal best performances). So here they are:

1) Backdraft - God I love this movie… I know a bunch of people don’t, but I think it’s gold… and the main reason for that is the heart Russell brought to it.

2) Tombstone - There has NEVER been a better Wyatt Earp

3) Escape From New York - Probably the first movie that comes to mind when we think of Russell

4) Solider - Not the best movie by any stretchof the imagination… but a role he was BORN to play. Just looking all gruff and pretty much killing people with his pure stare. Gold.

5) Big Trouble in Little China - The guy almost became Bruce Campbell

6) Overboard - who knew he could do comedy so well?

7) The Thing - Oh hell ya

8) Dark Blue - I’m stunned over how many people haven’t seen this movie

9) Stargate - Before MacGiver took over the role

10) 3000 Miles To Graceland - You know, as bad as the movie itself ended up being, I always thought Russell was exceptional in it.

So there you have it folks. My list of the best performances Kurt Russell has blessed us with so far. What do you think? What things don’t belong on that list? What things are missing? Discuss.