Adapting successful Asian movies into Hollywood blockbusters is pretty common these days. So in a strange twist we hear that China plans on taking the popular TV series Prison Break and make it into a movie.

Digital Spy reports:

According to The Beijing Morning Post, the Zhongbo Media Group has acquired adaptation rights from Fox to make a 200-minute film based on the popular series, which has just been recommissioned for a third season Stateside.

I am not a fan of prison break but I know a lot of people who are. The show looks to be getting some tweaks to appeal to the Chinese market.

I didn’t see that coming.

I have heard this before, and today I read the news. We get the following Spiderman 3 report from scifi.com:

As he had discussed previously, Raimi added that it was Arad’s idea to add the villain Venom to the mix. “Avi Arad, my partner and the former president of Marvel at the time, said to me, ‘Sam, … you’re not paying attention to the fans enough,’” Raimi said. “‘You need to think about them. You’ve made two movies now with your favorite villains, and now you’re about to make another one with your favorite villains. The fans love Venom. He is the fan favorite. All Spider-Man readers love Venom, and even though you came from ’70s Spider-Man, this is what the kids are thinking about. Please incorporate Venom. Listen to the fans now.’ And so that’s really where I realized, ‘OK, maybe I don’t have the whole Spider-Man universe in my head. I need to learn a little bit more about Spider-Man and maybe incorporate this villain to make some of the real die-hard fans of Spider-Man finally happy.’”

This is concerning and horrible news. I think the fans were fine with how Raimi was handling Spider-Man – I am guessing that is why it made so much damn money. What the fans did not want Mr. Arad was a glut of characters and villains in the third movie – do you remember what happened to the Batman franchise? Venom is a cool character – but he needs a movie unto himself. I would also argue that not all Spiderman Fans put Venom as their number 1 villain. I would choose many over Venom on my list.

This does not bode well for my stomach – It looks like Raimi is doing pre-emptive damage control to save face. With some lacklustre reviews coming onto the net, I think it is wise of Raimi to do so, in this case especially. Avi Arad needs to douche out his filthy cunt brain and read the old adage “If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It.” Raimi has been doing a fantastic job, why step in and force the dude to push shit into the movie? Is it really for the fans? I doubt that, Venom is popular and they want to sell more toys, lunchboxes and other merch.

You know what fans like – good movies.

More Iron Man news today, looks like Stark will have 2 suits in the movie; the Original Grey and the Red and Gold suit. We get the following quote from Favreau and the scoop from comicbookmovie.com

Favreau said; “Let me confirm a few things: The movie will contain both the gray suit and the gold and red. The light you see in the photo on Robert’s chest in the USA Today article is the chest piece glowing through his shirt. He is in captivity and forging the mask of the Mark 1.”

This is no surprise to me; I figured the movie would have at least 2 suits. I am thrilled the Mark 1 suit looks so kick ass, and am anxious to see the gold and red suit. I love robot exo-suits and it is my dream to have one when I am a senior citizen. Some want to retire on the Greek isles – I want to be a cyborg.

Getting to wear the suit on screen would be kick-ass …for a day; then you would start to get hot. The stories from the Robocop shoot were nuts - Weller would lose pounds of liquid every day from wearing the Robocop outfit. I hope they have come up with a means to air condition the suit for Downey Jr. In any case this is fun news and I get more excited about this project by the day.

News out today that the unique quarter-robbing video game Dragon’s Lair is going to be made into a film. This project is 24 years in the making and we get the story today from cinematical:

Mr. Bluth is still hoping to turn the original Dragon’s Lair into a feature-length movie. In an interview on the recently-released Blu-Ray Dragon’s Lair DVD, the producers mention that not only do they have a completed script, but also that they’ve taken a few meetings in recent months. (Seems like a fine idea to me. Those who know and remember the video game will undoubtedly want to see the flick, while those who don’t might want to simply enjoy an animated adventure movie.) To make the news even more compelling, producer Gary Goldman insists that the Dragon’s Lair movie would be done via traditional animation and not CGI. Also, it’d be a prequel that details Dirk’s adventures prior to delving into the legendary “lair.”

Video game movies are usually garbage. In this video game however - you controlled a cartoon. If any game could be adapted with ease; this may be the one. I remember playing this game and thinking how kick ass it was at the time. It was a groundbreaking idea for an arcade game; and man did you die fast.

I am glad that they are keeping with the spirit of the game and doing it as a 2D cartoon. I am excited to watch Dirk the Daring lurk though dungeons; I think this throwback to a classic character is a great idea. People who were not alive to play the game in arcades will still enjoy the film due to the likeability of the character and the age-old crowd-pleasing dragons.

Seeing the film is also going to be a lot less expensive than playing the game for 90 min. No one stole quarters out of my pocket faster than Dirk the Daring.

From the fountain of youth to Noah’s Ark! Arnofsky is currently working on a motion picture about the biblical character Noah. We get the crazy news from our compares at cinemablend:

But don’t expect a Biblical epic like The Ten Commandments. Come on, this is the guy who turned an oak tree into a spaceship and convinced Jennifer Connelly that to properly portray her character she’d have to take on a double dildo. Aronofsky’s take on Noah is one that involves lots of alcohol. He says, “Noah was the first person to plant vineyards and drink wine and get drunk… It’s there in the Bible - it was one of the first things he did when he reached land. There was some real survivor’s guilt going on there. He’s a dark, complicated character.”

This movie is going to rule on a lot of levels. I agree with Arnofsky that Noah is an interesting character. Noah not only had a drinking problem after saving humanity – he was a rape victim at the hands of his own daughters (they got him hammered!) and he became daddy/grandpa. That makes for good clean bible fun!

I imagine some will have a problem with the direction Arnofsky takes the film, and that is fine. Not only does it make for good publicity, it also makes for great episodes of The 700 Club. Pat Robertson will pass gallstones if Arnofsky gets crazy with this. The rest of us get to enjoy the drama.

I am looking forward to Arnofsky’s interpretation of this character. The cinemablend article goes on to say that Arnofsky has had a lifelong interest in the character; which is good new to me. When something is important to you – you do your best work.

I first mentioned Russell Crowe getting involved in a Robin Hood movie and I really like this take. The story will revolve more around the Sherrif and depict Robin as nothing more than a common theif.

MovieHole says:

Russell Crowe has twisted Ridley Scott’s arm into working with the actor a fourth time.

Scott will direct Crowe in “Nottingham”, says Variety, a contemporary take on the old guy-in-green legend.

Universal earlier bought the spec script by Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris, creators of the Showtime series “Sleeper Cell,” in an auction for seven figures. Crowe was attached at that time

Crowe stars as the Sheriff of Nottingham in a revisionist take on the Robin Hood tale, with Nottingham as a noble and brave lawman who labors for a corrupt king and engages in a love triangle with Maid Marion and Robin Hood.

Production will start next year.

I think Crowe is a great pick for the conflicted Sheriff of Nottingham. He will get to play cold and merciless while attempting to sway the heart of Lady Marion. Real question is with this plot twist, will Nottingham win? Or will we see the story of his failure against Robin Hood as the story anchor?

I can’t help but hope to see someone like Ryan Gosling as Robin Hood because of the BBC Series (the lead Jonas Armstrong could be Gosling’s clone) and Gosling can play clean and proper just as easily as he plays rough and questionable.

Adding Ridley Scott to the mix just makes me want to see this more. I am sure Crowe had something to do with it, but I am not complaining.

Personally I haven’t seen the BBC Miniseries Second Sight, but despite that I have heard a fair bit of buzz around it. Perhaps I should get around to actually watching it. Oh, nevermind. I will just wait for Universal to make it into a movie and then listen to how the miniseries was so much better.

Coming Soon says:

Variety says Universal is homing in on a big screen version of “Second Sight,” a 1999 BBC miniseries that starred Clive Owen as a detective struggling to solve a murder before he goes blind. His character joins forces with a femme detective to try to crack the case.

“Second Sight” aired Stateside on PBS and spawned a sequel, “Second Sight: Kingdom of the Blind.”

The deal, which is still being finalized, calls for Angry Films’ Susan Montford and Don Murphy to produce and series creator Paula Milne to executive produce.

The idea of taking a miniseries and converting it into a hollywood film just raises some red flags to me. In a miniseries the creators can do so much more with the characters and the story. Take 4-6 hours of miniseries screen time and squash that down into a 90 minute movie and it is sure to lose some quality.

In reality, if Universal does do this I will find a copy of the original series and watch it first.

Filmwad says:

AICN has scored themselves some pretty sweet Pirates of the Caribbean 3 images. This set consists of the additional Flying Dutchman crew.

I love the attention to detail for these Dutchman crew members. But hopefully this upcoming 3 hour epic conclusion to the trilogy will be worth it. I was rather disappointed with part 2.

Click here to see the full set.

Sometimes something gets done to death so much that if you want to keep going the only option is a reboot. No, I am not talking about Star Trek, though most deserving of that descriptive. I am talking about Halloween.

Rocker turned Director Rob Zombie has the reigns of the Halloween “reimagining” that is shaping up to be an interesting take. Being filmed in the same hospital set as Grey’s Anatomy might present quite a contrast, but Zombie seems to thrive on being a little different.

Time Magazine reports:

“Rob doesn’t like perfect,” says Malcolm McDowell, the English character actor best known for A Clockwork Orange, who plays the role of Myers’ opportunistic physician, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance in the original). “He likes it when I trip, or answer my phone in the middle of a scene.” McDowell is right about his director’s yen for hyper-realism. Look at the cast of any Zombie film and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone as telegenic as Grey’s actors. Zombie’s first movie, House of 1000 Corpses, revived the career of balding, acne-scarred bad guy Sid Haig, and the cast of The Devil’s Rejects had an average age in the 50s, including blasts from the past like Three’s Company’s Priscilla Barnes, now 51.

Always trying to break the traditions, this gritty edge can really make this remake stand out as a work of its own. Even his approach to the character of Meyers is far more original than any of the previous 10 films (was it 10?).

[Zombie] wants his Halloween to explore whether Myers was born evil or became evil. In one scene, the 6′10″ Mane plays the role as a downcast, sweet, Frankensteiny kind of a villain, exploited by the medical professionals treating him.

So this movie will focus more on Meyers rather than have his victims be the stars of the show.

I honestly like how they are getting right into the character of the villain of the movie - or is it the victim?

Maybe Zombie was inspired the same way the writers of The Rise of Leslie Vernon, and realized there was another story to tell in mindless slasher flicks.

Read the article at Time Magazine Online

I have to geek out here for just a few minutes. I am a BIG Harry Potter fan. Wasn’t always, but after reading the books I am completely into it. Hearing the news that the teenage trio have all signed to the end of Deathly Hallows is encouraging, especially Emma Watson.

Watson stirred up worries that she wanted out, and that she didnt plan on a career in acting after HP anyways. But now that she has signed on, we catch wind that she IS seeking other acting jobs on the side.

Leaky Cauldron quotes

Only things I don’t want to do. Most of them are roles for the typical American high school student, which is, to be honest, my worse nightmare. I know I’ve been lucky so far, but I just need another bit of luck in order not to make mistakes in this particular moment of my life. Auditions are really hard, and being rejected is always a bad experience. But I’ll keep trying.

So this adds one more piece of evidence that Watson’s stalling tactics to sign for the remainder of the series had nothing to do with her lack of desire to act. She also quoted that she might get typecast, but after 5 movies its already too late. Three more isnt going to change anything.

Interesting though that a 17 year old actress is SURPRISED that she is only being considered for TEENAGE highschool roles. Granted the typical child actor’s life seems more surrounded in cameras and manservants than highschool cafeterias and homeroom, but honestly how out of touch do you have to be to think you WOUDLNT get teenage roles when you are only 17?

Lindsay Lohan is almost 21, and she still mostly does teenage roles. I think Watson should count herself blessed that she is being offered anything at all! Not that I think she is a bad actress. She is decent enough and has a lot of potential, and quite frankly she isnt hard on the eyes either.

I personally would think that a highschool movie would be a great stepping stone to getting her career off the ground outside of Potter. Provided she isnt cast as the brainy one.

If she can manage to do something so beneath her.

The first (or at least to my knowledge) Superman Doomsday trailer has hit the web… and it’s nothing special really. The Superman vs Doomsday issues that lead up to “The Death of Superman” were some of the best comic battle story telling I’ve read. Very dramatic, and very well done.

The thing is, I really wanted this particular story line to be done in the live action environment. Deep deep down I was really hoping that Doomsday would be the next big bad guy to fight Superman… you know… a guy who’s ultimate goal was real estate claims and property values (not that I don’t love Lex Luthor as a bad guy).

So I guess we’ll have to settle with the first movie vision of Doomsday being a straight to DVD animated film. My blood isn’t exactly pumping with excitement here folks. Youtube has the Superman Doomsday trailer up… and here it is for you now:

I have said it before, I love lists. And I agree with Doug that unnecessary love interests can ruin a movie, and unnecessary gratuitous nudity/sex scenes can too (300? Matrix Reloaded? What the hell?).

But Glamour Magazine offers up their top list of steamy sex scenes in movies - 16 apparently. Let’s take a look.

The Way We Were (1973) Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford play a couple who fall for each other because of their differences

The Blue Lagoon (1980) Ever tell a guy, “I wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last man on earth?” Luckily for Emmeline (Brooke Shields)—stranded on a deserted island with Richard (Christopher Atkins)—the last man around was hot.

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) A handsome young Navy pilot-in-training (Richard Gere) picks up a local girl (Debra Winger) in a bar. Takes her to a motel. Rips off her clothes. Devours her. Rewind!

Risky Business (1983) Tom Cruise plays a college-bound teen seduced by a call girl (Rebecca De Mornay). Their steamiest liaison: on a train. And, no, he didn’t jump up and down on the seat afterward to proclaim his love for her.

Dirty Dancing (1987) After a summer of flirtation, the oh-so-innocent Baby Houseman (Jennifer Grey) finally gets up the nerve to say “Dance with me” to beefy Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). Dancing, et cetera ensues—emphasis on the et cetera.

Say Anything… (1989) After John Cusack pulls out all the stops to woo the object of his obsession (who could forget the scene in which he held a boom box over his head and serenaded her with In Your Eyes?), he finally gets to kiss the girl. It’s enough to make anyone want to go find her own devoted nerd.

Ghost (1990) Shortly before he’s killed in a tragic mugging, a man (Patrick Swayze) seduces his wife (Demi Moore) while she’s sculpting pottery and shows just how skilled his hands are.

Love Jones (1997) When a photographer (Nia Long) gets turned on by shooting a couple making out on a bridge, she heads home and ambushes her boyfriend (Larenz Tate) while he’s on the phone.

Titanic (1997) As star-crossed lovers on the ill-fated ship, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio fall for each other on an epic scale.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998) On vacation in Jamaica, a Type-A stockbroker (Angela Bassett) has a torrid affair with an islander (Taye Diggs). When they get into a fight, she follows him into the bathroom to apologize and steps into the shower with him, fully clothed.

Shakespeare in Love (1998) In order to act in a play during an era in which women weren’t allowed on stage, an enterprising young woman (Gwyneth Paltrow) poses as a man. When the writer (Joseph Fiennes) discovers her true identity, he seduces her,

A Walk on the Moon (1999) Summering in the mountains without her husband, a sixties-era housewife (Diane Lane) explores free love with a traveling blouse salesman (Viggo Mortensen). This great-outdoors scene was especially tender-hot.

Cruel Intentions (1999) Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon prove what you can’t have, you can’t resist. All the endless desperate-for-you gazes back and forth between the two (who were dating when this was filmed) give way to one heated love scene that makes you wonder why the real-life Ryan and Reese didn’t work out.

The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) When Andy Stitzer (Steve Carrell) finally gets to have sex with the love of his life (Catherine Keener), it’s without any tooth-knocks, fumbling hands or awkward facial expressions. Just a sweet, happy moment of shared intimacy

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) By the time this movie premiered, the world knew Brad had fallen in love with Angelina for real. So how could you not watch this scene and feel like you’d just been given front-row-seats to a very private moment?

The Departed (2006) This Best Picture Oscar winner also had the year’s hottest love scene, in which an undercover cop (Leonardo DiCaprio, looking H-O-T again) hooks up with his shrink (Vera Farmiga)—who’s moving in with her boyfriend (Matt Damon). Yes, complicated.

Ok, now I need a cold shower.

Any you would include?

Hey guys. Just thought I’d share this with you. The folks over at the NowLive network (Where you can hear The Movie Blog: Uncut” every Wednesday and Friday LIVE at 6pm EST / 3pm PST) cut together this promo spot that’s running on the network now. Doug is pretty funny in it. I sound like a tool. But whatever. Check it out:

If the player doesn’t work for you, you can just download the Promo here.

Some of the first looks at Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark have already come out, but now we get a closer look at the Stark becoming Ironman. Still not Ironman pictures just yet, but I like this picture.

USA Today quotes:

“But it is exactly [Downey's] past, says director Jon Favreau (Elf), that makes Downey the only choice to play playboy millionaire and recovering alcoholic Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, the comic-book superhero who hits multiplexes next year.

We didn’t want to just go with a safe choice,” Favreau says from the set of the film, due in theaters May 2, 2008. “The best and worst moments of Robert’s life have been in the public eye. He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That’s Tony Stark. Robert brings a depth that goes beyond a comic-book character who is having trouble in high school, or can’t get the girl. Plus, he’s simply one of the best actors around.”

I also like just how suscinct Favreau is about his choice of Downey as his Ironman. It sums up most of what I was thinking, as well as a couple other points that just gel his point of view.

The picture speaks volumes as we get to see Ironman in his origins, (especially with the device mounted RIGHT to his chest) but in the interview we hear it mentioned that Stark is a recovering alcoholic, yet time and time again we hear that alcoholism is NOT going to be a part of this movie?

So which is it?

Anyone who can hold ONE job for 38 years gets my respect. But to be the top dog at an organization as controversial as the MPAA - Motion Picture Association of America - for that long has GOT to be a tough job.

CNN says:

Jack Valenti, the longtime head of the Motion Picture Association of America, died Thursday of complications from a stroke he suffered in March, his family announced. He was 85.

He died in Washington, less than a month after being hospitalized for a stroke, the MPAA announced Thursday evening.

Valenti spent 38 years as president of the U.S. movie industry’s trade association, serving as its top lobbyist and spokesman until his retirement in 2004.

The guy was central to the 1968 creation of the modern MPAA move-ratings system — now G, PG, PG-13, R and NC-17. (In the US)

As a parent I have more respect than ever for the ratings system instituted on movies, and though not a perfect system, it is far better than censorship. Movies get to be whatever they want to be, and they just stick a warning label on them so you know what you are getting yourself into.

Despite the traditional distaste people get when the MPAA is mentioned, there is a lot of good coming out of it too. This guy was a part of a LOT of it. Good and bad.

At least now he gets to rest.

Nowhereland is another family comedy starring Murphy, and has found itself a director - Over the Hedge writer Karey Kirkpatrick. Eddie Murphy has been considered less popular around here than posts about Britney Spears haircut. But honestly I still like the guy. This is yet another reason why.

Yahoo News says:

The Paramount Pictures project centers on a struggling businessman who solves his troubles at work by consulting his 6-year-old daughter and the imaginary world she has created.

Well Murphy is doing what he loves best, and frankly the studios like it best too. They make pantloads of money when Murphy does a family film.

I like the idea that they are focusing on the rabid imagination of youth. Recently my boy started drawing little comic books on a world and creation of his own and frankly its better stuff than I see NickJr farting out for saturday morning cartoons.

The raw untouched talent of an untainted youth is a well to be tapped. Lets suck it dry before he comes up with ideas that just fit into the cookie cutter world of Hollywood scriptwriters!

For those of you who listened to the live Uncut episode earlier today, or listened to the show below, this will be old news. But for the rest of you, this will be pretty cool:

Earlier today I had Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine (Writers and Directors of Crank and Writers and Producers of the upcoming “Pathology” which starts filming next week) and one of the listeners asked if there was going to be another Crank movie. Brian answered straight up:

“There will be a sequel to Crank yes. Prepare to Crank again. And you know the “is it a sequel or prequel” question… IT’S A SEQUEL. We’re not selling out and going prequel. We are picking up where the last movie left off.”

Now if you’re like me… 1) You’re thrilled to hear this news. But also 2) you’re stretching your head a little bit trying to figure out how the hell they can do a direct sequel right where the first one left off (if you saw Crank, you know what I’m talking about). I decided not to push them on it… because it was already very cool of them to dish that much (and they probably wouldn’t have told me even if I asked).

So there you have it folks. Right from the horses mouth. There is going to be a Crank 2… and it is going to be a sequel right where the first film left off. I’d love to hear your theories on how they’re going to pull that off.

Sgt. Rock was never on my reading list in all my days as an avid comic collector. I just didnt get the translation of military war stories onto the newsprint pages of comic books. But then I didn’t see the appeal of Archies either. Now Joel Silver has spearheaded this title onto the silver screen.

JoBlo.com says:

Uberproducer Joel Silver has been working on getting Rock a field promotion for the better part of 20 years. IGN chatted with Dark Castle VP David Gambino, who explains that the difficulty in bringing it to theaters is finding the right guy for the stripes (“There’s not a lot of guys out there who can really step into the shoes, put a helmet on, and be a real tough guy”), and the challenge of shooting a big-screen war flick without creating a budgetary black hole.

I honestly dont see the big deal of making Sgt Rock into a movie. How will this be any different than any other War era military movie?

The comics was canceled after 422 issues so I can’t imagine it will be short of stories to choose from, and maybe if the Governator doesn’t keep getting elected he can be considered for the role like he was the last time they tried to get this movie off the ground in the late 80s.

Things on occasion will bother my sensibilities. Here is a short list of 5 issues that drive me crazy in films.

1) Unnecessary Romance: It does not matter if it is a comedy, action film, horror movie or a commercial for cereal; If you do not need romance in the story - do not throw it in. Nothing bogs down a movie like unneeded romance. I am guessing they do this to make all movies date movies - and it is retarded, 300 focused on macho action and the gals loved it! Quit thinking tagged on, sappy table scraps are going to cause females to drag all their friends to your film.

2) Twist Endings: When they are good and fitting they can be great, too often they are overdone and are horrible. Shamhammer I am looking at you.

3) Casting Kids: Young children better be important to the story to have them in it. Often they will wreck a movie with shitty acting and most of the time they come off as annoying rather than endearing. Remember The Phantom Menace? Now picture Phantom Menace starting with Vader at 16 instead of 8.

4) The Film Is Too Long: Most movies would be better if they stuck to 90 min or less. It should be all killer, no filler; boil it down, boil it down, boil it down.

5) Sequels: When a movie is great and has an amazing standalone story - leave it alone. Highlander is the ultimate example of this. I will often skip sequels just so they do not taint my experience of the first film. I have only seen the original Highlander to this day, and will never stray.

International Friends the door is now open to you – What things drive you crazy when you see them in films?

We get news about the upcoming Magneto project from our friends at moviesonline (and it sucks.)

Variety is reporting that David Goyer is directing the upcoming Xmen spin off Magneto. That said when Sheila sat down and interviewed David Goyer a few weeks ago about his latest project invisible there was no mention of it. As far as I am concerned the more mutant movies we get the better!

The studio hired Sheldon Turner (“The Amityville Horror”) to write the screenplay. The movie will likely show the early years of Magneto, so it is not clear if Ian McKellen will be back to reprise his role. Also Professor X will be involved. While Magneto was send to a concentration camp, Professor X was a soldier of the allied Forces.
Sheldon Turner said: “”I pitched a film that is almost ‘The Pianist’ meets ‘X-Men,’ about a guy who, after watching his e (save for maybfamily slaughtered, has an awakening of his powers and seeks revenge.”

Well this news is pretty fucking horribe. Goyer directed the third Blade film and that pretty much took away all faith I will ever have in him as s a Director. We now learn that he is the director for Magneto? - fuck that shit.

Now Goyer was responsilble for writing Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Blade 1,2,3 and Dark City. The man can write (save for Blade 3) I just do not want to see him in the directors chair. The Magneto character is pretty badass, and you should really have a seasoned Director helm the project. I am aware that it is a “comic book movie” but the reason comic book stories are so important to us is because they are our modern day myths.

Spiderman, Superman, Magneto, Wolverene - these are members of a pantheon. We relate to these characters like the ancients used to relate to the tales of Thor, Loki, Zeus and Mercury. Goyer may do a great job directing and I very well may eat my words, I am just concerned for the project and think the director’s chair may not be the best place for him to sit.

International friends: Do I have cause for alarm? Or am I just over-reacting due to Blade 3?

More remake news today; this time starring Nicole Kidman. It appears they are going to modernize the Marilyn Munro film “How to Marry a Millionaire.” We get the scoop from the hallowed halls of The Hollywood Reporter:

Sacha Gervasi, who wrote Steven Spielberg’s “The Terminal,” has been tapped to pen the screenplay, which will be a contemporary-set reinterpretation of the Marilyn Monroe classic. The original, a Technicolor comedy that was released by Fox in 1953, vaulted Monroe to stardom.

Plot details for the updated “Millionaire” are being kept under wraps, but it is described as a complete overhaul of the original story.

I have no idea why they bother to do remakes when they “overhaul” the entire story. It bothers me when the title is the only thing the two films have in common. That being said, if anyone would be the one to fill Marilyn’s shoes - Kidman could be it. Kidman has an elegance and grace about her that simpy beams forth when she is in full evening gown regalia. She has a classic “Hollywood starlet” look and if anyone could marry rich it would be her.

It will be interesting to see what “modern” adaptions they will make to the story. Perhaps Kidman will be 8 months pregnant when she is on the manhunt. That would be awesome; rich guys love to hump chicks near the end of the third tri-mester.

I am a fan of Bram Stocker’s Dracula and today am pleased to learn of a promising sequel;aptly named The Un-Dead. We get the monstrous news from movieweb:

According to Blackfilm.com, Spike Lee’s former Director of Photography Ernest K. Dickerson will direct a sequel to Bram Stroker’s Dracula. Entitled The Un-Dead, this follow-up comes some fifteen years after Francis Ford Coppola’s original film.

Javier Bardem is rumored to be playing Dracula, replacing Gary Oldman in the title role. Other cast members believed to be starring in the film are Monica Bellucci as Lucy and John Hurt as Professor Van Helsing. There is no mention as to whether Keanu Reeves will be reprising his role as Jonathan Harker, but we seriously doubt it since many believe he was the reason the first film failed to resonate with critics.

Three things make me excited about this project. The first is the endorsement by the Stoker family. From what I am reading - they do not endorse alot of Dracula films, and the fact that they gave this screenplay a tip of the hat is encouraging to me. The film this sequel is following did not even receive that honor.

The second reason I am excited about this project is Monica Bellucci. She was in the first Dracula film as a vampire slut, and it will be great to see her back in the second. Few people are able to convey sexy on the screen as good as Bellucci. She has a black belt in seduction and uses her skills like a woman possessed by devils of desire. Dracula and Bellucci in the same film = a full tank of sexy.

The final reason I am exited about this film is that it is being filmed in England and Romania. I love vampire movies, and I have a preference for those that take place in Romania. The Romanian lands are part of the mystique and lore of the Dracula story, and I think the location is as important to the story as the drinking of blood. Th cobblestone streets, the eerie castles and fog about the land - this is the backdrop to terror.

Everyday there is remake news. We are all getting sick of them, but some are worse than others. Today we learn of a remake that is in the ” oh my god this is horrible” pile. It appears they are remaking the movie “All Of Me” and it will be starring Queen Latifa. We get the news from Variety:>

New Line has signed Queen Latifah to topline a remake of “All of Me,” the 1984 comedy that starred Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin. Adam Shankman and Offspring Entertainment partner Jennifer Gibgot will produce with Ira Posansky. Latifah will exec produce with Shakim Compere, her manager and partner in Flavor Unit.

The original “All of Me,” directed by Carl Reiner, starred Tomlin as a dying heiress whose soul inhabits the body of a successful attorney, played by Martin. New Line’s been developing the “All of Me” remake for the past two years. It hired scribes Brent Goldberg and David Wagner to write a modern take on the story and was aiming to cast Wanda Sykes in the Tomlin role.

I love old Steve Martin films. I remember watching them as a kid for the first time om my 40 pound VCR, All Of Me was never my favorite; but it was an entertaining comedy. It was a memorable movie that was enjoyed by many, and is fondly remembered. I feel saddeded for those that will see this remake, for some it will be sour filthy milk comared to the origional, and for those that see the remake first - I doubt they will give the origonal a shot.

To have Latifah as the lead and Sykes as the ghost is just downright peculiar. I had to check the calendar when I read this because this sounds like a bad April Fools joke. Remekes like this don’t seem to have much in common with the origional other that a title and a smattering of the story elements. I wish they made this under another name, now it just throws piss in the face of the origional, and causes furious internet losers like myself to start bitching about it now.

I am done with these bullshit remakes. I will never watch this movie, and I am going to try my best to avoid all remakes. I am sick of them, I am tired of being dissapointed and If I wanted to support shit art - I would buy soap carvings off of homeless people.

It appears Rob Reiner has put together a short film for the Tribeca Film Fest and the campaign SOS/Live Earth We get the righteous news from cinematical:

The band who made monumental music achievements with their amps that go to the rockin’ number 11, is now reuniting to help save the world and fight climate change. Now they’re re-teaming for a concert in London and a new short film that helped open up the Tribeca Film Fest, in a gala hosted by Al Gore.

Rob Reiner’s new short is called, simply, Spinal Tap, and is part of a campaign called SOS/Live Earth.
Luckily, for all of us who aren’t in Tribeca, we can see the film along with 8 others here starting today. And for you lucky buggers in London, Spinal Tap will perform in Wembley Stadium as part of the Live Earth concerts this July.

When fictional bands start joining in the fight against global warming - you know we are fucked. In 50 years we are all going to be fighting for gas in our custom AMC Javelin’s. Until then,we can enjoy all the concerts that will bring attention to the cause. I love Spinal Tap and will welcome any opportunity to see them together in any way shape or form.

For the film and upcoming concert they have penned a song called “Warmer Than Hell” and it may be the “Give Peace A Chance” for this generation. They work on the song in the video and we will be able to see it live on the 07/07/07. webcast.

Hey there guys! Just a quick reminder to you all that the two amazingly cool dudes who wrote and directed last year’s hit film “Crank” (and have writen and are producing a new film staring “Heroes” star Milo Ventimiglia called “Pathology” that begins filming next week) are going to be in studio today with me talking your questions and your calls! (That’s them in the picture with me)

So join us at 3pm PST / 6pm EST for the show. Make sure to call in with your questions and comments. We’ve got autographed DVDs of Crank to give away too!

Join us here: www.nowlive.com/themovieblog and click on “Listen Now”. Go over a bit early to create a profile so you can chat on the message boards live with us too!

I love lists, so when I tripped over the Top 100 Greatest Movie lines, I couldn’t resist reading them all.

The way Premier Online presents this list is a little tiresome, clicking from image to image reading their lines in their chosen order, but it was enlightening.

Premier Magazine writes:

The lines that people love most come not necessarily from the most revered films in the canon (though Casablanca and Citizen Kane are represented), but from down-to-earth comedies or action films (Ahem, “I’ll be baaack!”) that grabbed the audience on a visceral level. Whatever the genre of the film, these small bits of dialogue are important: they’re cultural shorthand, part of the language everyone shares.

I quote movie lines so often that people quite expect it from me. Many of the lines I choose are more obscure than these ones,

On that list, some of my favourites are:

88. “We find the defendants incredibly guilty.” — Jury foreman (Bill Macy) in The Producers (1967)
86. “Can I borrow your underpants for ten minutes?” — The Geek (Anthony Michael Hall) in Sixteen Candles (1984)
83. “I’m not bad. I’m just drawn that way.” — Jessica Rabbit (Kathleen Turner) in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
68. “Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!” — Bill Murray as Dr. Venkman in Ghostbusters (1984)
41. “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” — Brody (Roy Scheider) in Jaws (1975)
27. “The first rule of Fight Club is you don’t talk about Fight Club.” — Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) in Fight Club (1999)
22. “May the Force be with you.” — Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in Star Wars (1977)
15. “You sly dog! You got me monologuing!” — Syndrome (Jason Lee) in The Incredibles (2004)
8. “You talkin’ to me?” — Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) in Taxi Driver (1976)

Easily #22 is the one I like the most. Sure, lots of people said that in the movies, but there is something impacting when Han “I trust a blaster at my side over some hokey religion any day” Solo says it. It has no greater meaning in the entire saga than just there.

You can click here to read the whole list proper.

Jenny McCarthy is joining the cast of Witless Protection with Larry the Cable Guy.

ComingSoon says:

The story centers on a small-town sheriff who witnesses what he believes is a kidnapping and rushes to rescue a woman. The kidnappers turn out to be FBI agents assigned to protect her and deliver her to a big Enron-type corruption trial in Chicago but are later found to be on the take and are villains who are bent on killing her.

McCarthy is the eptiome of the blonde bombshell often playing the ditzy blonde with ambition. But she does it SO well.

Perhaps we just like her like that, and Jenny might just like to be known as the ditzy girl in movies. It certainly has got her enough roles. I like it when actors break out of their typecast, and sometimes I like the typecast actor playing that role.

I don’t know which I would prefer here.

Already we get a lot of good news about Hulk2, or rather the Hulk remake, sorta. Well whatever it is. So far, we know that Edward Norton is going to play Banner, that he is going to be GREEN, and he will smash. HULK SMASH!

Recently MoviesOnline says:

We had a chance to catchup with Avi Arad to talk to him about the upcoming Hulk 2 movie. We sat down with him to talk SpiderMan 3 but before we got into that he spilled the beans on Hulk 2

He doesn’t say much as the interview returns to its original purpose of Spiderman 3, but one thing I like that Avi does is defend the original Hulk.

I agree that the original Hulk was a different type of superhero movie than what people were expecting, but I have to say I liked it. The interviewer starts right off talking about the “bomb” that was the first Hulk, and Arad shoots down that notion.

Click here to read the start of the interview.

Movie Blog reader Ty was kind enough to send me these pics of Doctor Doom from the upcoming Fantastic Four 2 movie. Now, you all know how skeptical I am about this film.. but I’ll call it like I see it… I think these Doom pics are pretty sweet. But a Storm Cloud?

SORRY GUYS, I’VE HAD TO TAKE THE PICTURES DOWN. PICTURES THAT I ACTUALLY THOUGHT LOOKED GOOD… BECAUSE FOX STUDIOS IS RUN BY A BUNCH OF (john has edited this because the thinks he might have been taking his bad mood out on Fox a little bit). NO NO NO… THEY DON’T WANT PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT GOOD PICTURES AND SOMETHING THEY LIKE ABOUT THE NEW FF2 MOVIE… THEY’D RATHER US ALL JUST TALK ABOUT STORM CLOUDS.

BUT IT’S MY SITE, AND I HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL THEM IDIOTS FOR DOING IT. OH WELL… BACK TO TALKING ABOUT HOW BAD THIS MOVIE WILL BE I GUESS. I’M AFFRID NOW IF I SAY ANYTHING ELSE POSITIVE THEY’LL SEND ME A NASTY LEGAL LETTER AND TELL ME TO TAKE IT DOWN.

GhostHouse pictures has launched the official website for their newest horror flick Rise:Blood Hunter which will be shown at this years Tribeca Film Festival.

Bloody Disgusting describes it as:

Rise is a supernatural thriller in which a reporter (Liu) wakes up in a morgue to discover she is no longer among the living. She vows revenge against the cult responsible for putting her there and hunts them down one by one.

Sounds like a pretty standard “raise from the dead and get revenge on your killers” kind of movie. I hope that there is something original about this take. Lucy Lui looks to add a good layer of heart to an otherwise typical slasher supernatural revenge flick littered with sex, violence, and appropriate use of lingerie.

Click here to see the official website and trailer.

This is too funny. As we all know Piracy in China is a problem… no doubt. So it came as no surprise when we all heard the other day that copies of Spider-Man 3 were already in circulation in the DVD pirate shops over there. And get this… they’re going for about $1. That’s quite a deal.

However, those thinking that they were getting themselves a sweet deal on the street would later arrive home… pop in the newly bought disk… only to get a little surprise. The good folks over at Yahoo News give us this:

A copy bought for 10 yuan — a little over $1 — came with the vendor’s caveat that it was “not good quality.” When played in a DVD machine, the screen showed a 2001 television movie “Earth vs. The Spider” starring Dan Aykroyd as a detective investigating the case of a spider-like killer.

HAHA!!!! Holy crap that’s hilarious! And what are you going to do about it? Call the cops? “Officer!! Officer!!! I tried to buy a pirated DVD off that dude over there… and he ripped me off!”. Good luck with that… let me know how life is like inside a Chinese prison. HA! Earth vs. The Spider!

Ok now… everyone who doesn’t like Sarah Silverman raise your hands. A little higher now so we can all see them. Ok good. Now, the rest of you…. exterminate those with their hands held up.

Sarah Silverman is probably my favorite female comedian working today. She’s very quick, and completely catches you off guard most of time. I think it’s that sweet, cute… kinda sexy exterior of hers that throws you off. Silverman just recently hosted the Independent Spirit Awards… and I guess she impressed someone because she’s just been tagged to host this years MTV Movie awards… and her reaction from yahoo News was classic:

“Ever since I was a little girl, before it even started in 1980 — MTV — I said, `Someday, I want there to be an all-music channel that gives out awards for movies. And I want to host that show,’”

How is Silverman preparing for her new gig? “I’m getting ready,” she said. “I’m exercising every day and I do 10 push-ups, I do eight sit-ups and then I rinse off. … I want to go just a little bit too far. I’m training for this the way what’s-her-face trained for `T2,’”

Nice! Now let’s face it here… the MTV Movie awards mean absolutely ZERO. Nothing. Actually their worse than nothing. However… if you come to grips with the fact that an MTV Movie awards is totally worthless… then you might be able to appreciate the fact that they normally put on a really entertaining show, and over the last couple of years, I’ve found myself actually looking forward to watching… even though the awards themselves mean nothing.

In my opinion, Silverman is a terrific choice to host. Can’t wait to see it.

Everyone is excited about Spider-Man 3, and would still be even it Venom wasn’t in it. But Venom is in it… and that’s the biggest thing that everyone is talking about really. No one gives a rip about “How are Peter and MJ doing in their relationship”. No one gives a rats ass about “who wactually killed Peter’s Uncle Ben?”.

Yes, there is some interest in Sandman, and in Harry becoming the Goblin… but the big ticket… the main event is hands down Venom. People have been itching to see how well he plays on screen and if he’ll look as amazing as we all hope.

Well… earlier this morning Jason was kind enough to send me a link to a Spider-Man 3 clip showing Eddie Brock truing into Venom for the first time… and I must tell you it looks pretty darn good for my money. No, it’s not the most revolutionary thing you’ve ever seen… but it’s still pretty damn cool.

You can see the Eddie Brock turning into Venom video clip here.

Pixar is not only the best animation studio in the movie business today… they are the best movie studio period (yes yes yes… I know they’re owned by Disney now). Seriously, think about it for a moment. What other movie studio can you say is 7 for 7? A Bug’s Life, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, The Inscredibles, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc, Cars… all solid solid films.

At first, I was nervous about the new Brad Bird (the man who won an Oscar for The Incredibles) project “Ratatouille“. Nothing about it jumped out at me… and when you compare the hype and buzz that other Pixar projects generated well in advance, you start to get the feeling Pixar wasn’t as confident in this project as they were in others.

But as I’ve started to see more and more, I’m getting won over. And this trailer pushed me over the edge. Visually the trailer is spectacular… but much more important than that is the characters seems charming and I’m legitimately interested in the story. I’m now officially excited to see this thing.

So if you want to see the Ratatouille trailer in Quicktime or High Def, just go here.

If you’re like me and have no patience, just watch it here:

Thanks to Joel for the heads up.