As if I needed more reasons to visit Universal Studios Islands of Adventure! On my last trip down there, the islands hadn’t opened yet and I was disappointed that all I got was a sneak peek. But I haven’t been down in about a decade, so it might be time to start planning my 2010 trip.

MuggleNet.com says:

Universal Studios and Warner Brothers made a joint announcement this evening from Leavesden Studios on the set of Dumbledore’s Office to reveal that a Harry Potter theme park is currently in development.

In a rather cute way to end the announcement, the Universal representative asks Stuart Craig, “Now where’s Dumbledore?” Stuart paused for a moment, looked around the office, and replied, “He was just here.”

I think this is an incredible idea. Nothing could be more exciting than walking through the locations you have seen in your head, which eventually get re-evaluated when the movie comes out, only to have them confirmed by your empty pockets.

You can visit the resort website here and see the announcement video here.

I am actually excited about this, and frankly its not like Rowling needs more money, but this is seriously cool. I think the books and subsequently the movies have moved Harry Potter into legendary icon status. Like it or not.

To make a resort dedicated to this theme is going to draw fans in droves, myself included. And with two more movies planned to be out around the same time, the Potter Franchise may be “over” (George Lucas said 3 movies was enough - who knows?) the mythos of these characters and places will be forever rooted in the pop culture of this day.

My mom had Elvis, hula hoops and a pet rock. I had Star Wars and Pac-Mania. My kids get Harry Potter.

Now if they made a Star Wars resort….. geekgasm.

This Fourth of July just isn’t big enough for the both of us!

Mugglenet.com says:

Warner Brothers has confirmed to MuggleNet that the release date for Order of the Phoenix has been moved to July 11th. No information has been revealed as to why, but no fans should be complaining!

Now I can’t imagine who in their giant fucking transforming robot minds would want to move this movie to another release date?

Oh, I think I just answered my own question.

It looks like Shamhammer has scored Zooey Deschanel to act in his upcoming disaster film The Happening. We get the glorious news from the caves of yahoo:

Shyamalan’s story revolves around a family on the run from a natural crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity. With plot details being kept under wraps, distributor 20th Century Fox would only confirm that Deschanel will play the female lead.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in August in Shyamalan’s Philadelphia hometown.

Deschanel, whose credits include “Bridge to Terabithia,” “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and “Elf,” lends her voice to the Sony cartoon “Surf’s Up,” which opens June 8.

I do not know much about this actress other than the fact that she has an awesome name. I would like to know exactly how much paint and/or glue her parents huffed before the name Zooey was chosen. It is a cool name, but I believe its origins are steeped in the nefarious use of a plastic bag and some sort of fume.

I am not really excited to see the films of Shamhammer these days. I had a strong dislike for the twist ending of Signs; It almost ruined the film for me, and after The Villiage I had not bothered to see Lady In The Water. The Shamhammer seems to be in a funk as far as I can tell, and I hope this is a film that will get him out of it. I hated the “family on the run” in war of the worlds, and if this is simply more of that..then I do not think I will be there opening day.

Can’t a guy get a disaster movie that ends in disaster? That would be a twist I can appreciate Shamhammer, KILL EM ALL!

We have been devoid of teenage superheroes too long, Warner Brothers has hear our cries and it looks like they will be bringing us The Teen Titans. We get the scoop from the caves of Yahoo.

The Teen Titans are getting the big-screen treatment courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

The live-action adaptation of DC Comics’ superteam series first appeared in 1964 as a sort of junior Justice League, comprising Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Wonder Girl and Speedy, the respective sidekicks of A-list heroes Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Green Arrow.

The film’s producer, Akiva Goldsman, said the tone will be consistent with such recent Warners’ comic book fare as “Batman Begins,” “Superman Returns” and the upcoming “Watchmen.”

I never thought an enseble-cast superhero film would work, but X-Men surprised me quite a bit and I was happy to be proven wrong. Having an ensemble cast of superhero teens is something I am curious to see, to say the least. I do not mind a little bit of teen drama but I certainly hope the film does not become all about life lessons.

I do think a movie consisting of the sidekicks of super heroes is pretty fantastic. I wonder if Robin will start talking talking shit about Batman as the Teen Titans hang out in a Taco Bell parking lot. Robin will then try to make out with Aqualad when he is passed out in his parents Monte Carlo.

We receieved an email giving us another scoop on the Dark Knight official webpages. That enigmatic Joker is at it again!

Thanks to Nick:

I don’t know if you guys have noticed yet, I haven’t seen it posted on your site but the “http://ibelieveinharveydenttoo.com/” website has been changed, it simply says “page not found” unless you select all text then you see lots of random text sizes of HAHAHahahAHah… if you look closely there are random letters hidden inside, they spell out “see you in december”

So what do you think we have to look forward to in December?

WB really seems to be spilling the beans on a lot of stuff we didnt think we would see this soon, so will there be anything left to build buzz?

On the other hand if this is their warm up, what is going to get us frothing in December?

Another version of the Fantastic Four 2 trailer is up on the web. It’s a lot like the last one (which I have to admit was pretty good) with a few new shots in it. Check it out:

What do you think?

I’m not a big fan of gore just for the sake of gore. Gore is a tool in the hands of the right director who understands how to use it in order to solicit the desired response from an audience. Saw 3 is a great example of gore being used WRONG. The director of Saw 3 mistakenly thought (as many do) that gore was the goal… it’s not… it’s just a device that should help you reach your goal. This is one of the reasons I thought the first Hostel worked.

Hostel wasn’t just a gory film (although obviously there was TONS of gore). It was a scary film. Eli Roth used the gore as just a tool to get the responses he wanted out of the audience after combining it with other tools at his disposal such as tension, atmosphere and conflict. All things Saw 3 never did.

This morning our friend Peter from Slash Film sent me his review of the film (he got to see a screening the other night with Eli Roth in attendance) Hostel 2. Here’s what he had to say:

And yes, the film begins only seconds after the ending of Hostel: Part I, with Jay Hernandez on the train. This is a nice touch. Roth uses the cinematic reunion to explain to any newcomers what happened in the first film. It’s done through quick flashbacks, and dosen’’t feel at all like exposition.

I also think this film shows Roth’s growth as a cinematic horror director. There were some shots and sequences that impressed me immensely. Or it could be that he had the money and time this time around (Hostel: Part I cost under $4 million).

As Roth requested, I don’t want to give too much away in terms of plot. So I’m sorry if I left out some of the details. Truth be told, the audience loved the flick, and so did I. It’s the rare sequel that is better than the first. But squeamish beware, Hostel: Part II pushes the R-Rating to it’s limit. And that might be too much for a lot of people. I dare you to see it!

The whole review is a good one and you should check it out if you get the chance.

Personally, I’m a bit surprised to read Peter’s review. I really haven’t been at all impressed with anything I’ve seen from Hostel 2 so far. The marketing for the film has been a disgrace (not that there hasn’t been enough of it… just that it’s been piss poor in my opinion). But after reading at least this first review… my expectations are raised at least a little bit.

We have news about the upcoming Coen Brother’s film No Country For Old Men. We get the following story and synopsis from the WEBMASTER over at FILMJUNK:

One of the most talked about movies from this year’s Cannes Festival was The Coen Brothers’ No Country For Old Men. It narrowly missed winning the Palme D’Or this year (that distinction instead went to an abortion drama called 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days) however it is something I will definitely be keeping my eye out for at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

It’s been three years since we’ve seen anything new from The Coens (not counting their contribution to the collaborative film Paris je t’aime), their last film being The Ladykillers which I thought was decent but still a far cry from the best work. No Country for Old Men finds them moving away from comedy again in favour of another dark crime thriller in the vein of Fargo or Blood Simple. Based on the book by Cormac McCarthy, it is about a hunter who stumbles across the remnants of a drug deal gone bad… a few dead bodies, some cash and a lot of heroin. He takes the money, only to find himself on the run from a violent hitman sent to retrieve it.

This movie sounds like it is going to kick ass. I am a fan of the Coen Brothers and will always look forward to their projects. Lebowski is my favorite film of theirs, it is one of the greatest comedy films ever made. It may also be one of the most re-watchable movies ever made. If these guys had a campfire and told stories for friends to listen, I would be sitting in the circle with them.

With Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, and Woody Harrelson in the cast you can rest assured that magic is going to happen in the interactions. According to the WEBMASTER this film will hit the streets on November the 9th. among the fallen leaves and naked branches of the elder oaks.

We learn of a new comedy in the works about a professional date-tanker starring Dane Cook. We get the news from the caves of yahoo:

Stand-up comedian Dane Cook, in theaters last year with “Employee of the Month,” is in negotiations to star in “Bachelor No. 2,”

The Lionsgate project focuses on a man named Tank, known for being hired to take girls out on absolutely terrible dates so they will crawl back to the boyfriends they dumped. When his best friend needs his help with the girl who dumped him, Tank struggles with his raging libido and the meaning of friendship.

Howard Deutch (“The Whole Ten Yards”) will direct. An August shoot is being eyed.

Dane Cook seems to be a polarizing force. People either love or hate his comedy and usually have the same feelings for him as a person. Personally I am not into Cook’s comedy styling. That is taking nothing away from him, he is a talented performer but his style of comedy is not my particular cup of tea. I however have no problem with him as a person and am actually curious to see how he does as an actor.

I saw the film Employee Of The Month and thought it would be the worst shit ever. To my surprise both Cook and Jessica Simpson were fine in the film and had an endearing chemistry between the two of them. The movie was not something I would recommend per se, but it was an enjoyable enough romantic comedy with enough laughs to make it a worthwhile watch if you see it on the tube.

I think the idea for a film about a guy who wrecks dates on purpose is damn funny. Cook needs a breakout film, something that everyone will see so they can determine if they like him as an actor, and so he can show is if he has range. He is venturing into serious territory this weekend with Mr. Brooks, let us see what he can do. International friends what are your thoughts?

News about Indy 4 comes to us from a formula one racing website? The scoop is delivered to us from Formula1 via the movieweb:

Formula1.com caught up with George Lucas at the Monaco Grand Prix last week, where he mentioned that the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones saga is scheduled to start filming this week:

A Monaco regular is movie mogul George Lucas, a long-term Formula One fan. “I caught the racing bug when I was 14 years old - and I have been following Formula One ever since. Probably unusual for an American, but there you go. What fascinates me most is the speed and the accuracy, especially here in Monaco where sometimes centimeters make the difference between do or die. I plan to go to Indianapolis as well - if my schedule permits it, as I start shooting Indiana Jones IV next week. If the production is running as planned you will find me there.”

Well we learned last week that shooting for Indy 4 was going to start in New Haven, Connecticut. It now looks like Lucas will begin as soon as he is done watching all his races. There have been so many news announcements/rumors/lies about the fourth installment of Indiana Jones that I no longer know what to believe. I will be glad when this film is on the silver screen so we can stop hearing about production news.

I keep going back and forth on my feelings for this project. I would say that i am reservedly looking forward this project, anticipating disappointment, but all the while hoping to be proven wrong.

It is on a magical island in a land far far away that giant robots will first assault our senses from the silver screen. We get the news of the Transformers premier from the movieweb:

The Steven Spielberg produced film will have its worldwide premiere at the Taormina Film Festival on June 21st. The film is being helicoptered into the event. There is no word on whether that helicopter will turn into a giant robot or not.

This will be the first major U.S. film to premier at the 53-year-old event. Michael Bay and several cast members will be flown in along with the film print in an elaborate ceremony.

This is sweet news for the Taormina Film Fest. I wonder if they will have giant robots raise out of the ocean for the event. I hope they do something over the top for this premier, I think it is going to be both expected and appropriate. I think 50 foot replicas are in order.

We have been talking about his film since the first uncut podcast. I am hoping above all hope that this movie does not disappoint. Nothing bothers me more than when someone pisses on, or represents poorly, fictional heroes I have had for 20 years. I also would hate to have so much anticipation go to waste. I remember the letdown of Phantom Menace and if Transformers sucks it will be that level of sorrow for this fan of robot justice.

I did not see this one coming from a mile away. It appears that Sin City 2 may not happen. We get the scoop from the moviehole:

Michael Madsen, who’d be reprising his role as ‘Bill’ in the sequel, says the fact that Robert Rodriguez’s last film “Grindhouse” bombed at the box office doesn’t fare well for the director’s computer-created “Sin City” follow-up.

“They haven’t shot it yet. I don’t know if they ever will. I am not sure [about] the franchise. I think the Grindhouse thing didn’t kind of work out”, Madsen tells Premiere.com. “The only reason I did it was because Robert Rodriguez said that if I took that little part I would get a bigger role in the sequel, that Bob would have more to do in the sequel. So I said: “Okay, fine.”

Madsen did confirm however that he’d indeed be starring in the long-gestating “Inglorious Bastards” – the next film from Quentin Tarantino.

Sin City has a number of stories that may be converted in like manner to the first. Since the first film did so well I thought it a shoe in for a sequel, but according to Madsen this is not necessarily the case. It would seem odd that Rodriguez gets breaks put on a Sin City sequel but Machete has been green lit? We will wait and see.

I am happy to learn that Inglorious Bastards is moving ahead. It is no secret that I disliked Death Proof, but I am still a Tarantino fan, I believe in him as an action Director and I am excited to see him take the reigns of a war epic.

It looks like we have more back and forth news when it comes to Pirates. Today we learn that according to Bruckheimer, there are no current guarantees. We get the story from IMDB:

Although most analysts were quick to predict that the success of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End virtually guarantees a fourth installment — and star Johnny Depp has indicated that he would be willing to sign on so that he can explore the character of Jack Sparrow further — producer Jerry Bruckheimer sounded noncommittal when asked about expanding the franchise. “We’ve been working on this trilogy for 5 1/2 years, and the latest one was just a monster,” he told today’s (Tuesday) Los Angeles Times. “It’s always about making sure you have a great story with interesting plots, themes and characters. There is a possibility- we’ll see what happens.”

I hope they stop this franchise in its tracks. I also hope they put the breaks to a number of other franchises and give us some fresh goods. In a summer where we are being bombarded with a glut of sequels, they are all losing their appeal, and apparently their quality as well.

Sequels can be great and even necessary if the ongoing story demands to be told. But when the green light for a sequel is based on a business decision and not the love of the story, we cannot be surprised when we are given shit. I hope Bruckheimer does the right thing and focuses on new and exciting projects instead of a bloated waterlogged rotting and yet lucrative series that may never end.

We get a blazing fresh Terminator 4 scoop today from an informant ally of comingsoon.net:

Scooper ‘Pauluz’ alerted us that model/actor Marcus Schenkenberg revealed new details about Terminator 4 on Dutch talk show “Jensen!”:

Just wanted to inform you about something interesting. The male model Marcus Schenkenberg was on a Dutch tv show and mentioned he went to Cannes last week and booked four new movie roles. One thing that stood out was Terminator 4 and he also mentioned that Schwarzenegger would have a 30-sec cameo. A clip of the interview that will be online next week.

This is awesome! Not only will we see a short cameo of Arnold, in the future we learn that humans defeat the robot onslaught using the power of handsome!

We have heard that Arnold will be in, then we hear he will not be in. This news does not guarantee that Arnold will be in the film, but it certainly will begin speculation anew. I love that I live in an age where a male model can say something on Dutch TV, and the next day it is international news. I hope Schenkenberg was allowed to talk about Arnold’s cameo, otherwise he will be in some uncomfortable pants for the next few days.

Today is the day of synopsis! It appears we have a fresh juicy synopsis of The Incredible Hulk. It looks straightforward and violent, which is what the Hulk needs. I can watch the Hulk smash warmongers all day long! We get the following synopsis scoop from our friends at JoBlo:

We find scientist Bruce Banner living in shadows, scouring the planet for an antidote. But the warmongers who dream of abusing his powers won’t leave him alone, nor will his need to be with the only woman he has ever loved, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler).

Upon returning to civilization, our brilliant doctor is ruthlessly pursued by The Abomination (Tim Roth) — a nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression whose powers match The Hulk’s own. A fight of comic-book proportions ensues as Banner must call upon the hero within to rescue New York City from total destruction. And on June 13, 2008, one scientist must make an agonizing final choice — accept a peaceful life as Bruce Banner or the creature he could permanently become: The Incredible Hulk.

I hated the first Hulk film. It is no secret, and few movies made me so upset. I was confused how such a simple comic book became such a mess of a film. I am glad they are giving this character a restart because he is great and he deserves one.

The best thing about the last attempt at the Hulk is that they learned what not to do. It is my hope that with this knowledge and with the insane ability of Edward Norton; they make movie magic. I want to see the Hulk smash lots and often!

We get news of the new Cannibal Holocaust sequel from Bloody-Disgusting via moviesonline:

Our friends at Bloody-Disgusting just got word on the synopsis for the Cannibal Holocaust Sequel. The film is about Professor Harold Moore, a New York anthropologist traveling to the wild, inhospitable jungles of South America to find out what happened to a documentary film crew shooting a film about cannibal tribes.

So there you have it folks, it is not a lot of news, but it is a synopsis. As a matter of fact if you saw Cannibal Holocaust you may have been able to get this plot synopsis yourself. I am here to announce the news and confirm your suspicions.

I will say this as a matter of commentary. Cannibals are creepy as hell. Zombie cannibalism is creepy enough but people making the conscious decision to eat other humans is stranger still. My tattoo artist has a delightful tabletop book on cannibalism and I was reading it before a sitting recently. It was interesting, shocking, and delightfully gruesome. The surface has not yet been scratched when it comes to cannibal films.

New trailer out today for the new Morgan Freeman and John Cusack film “The Contract”, enjoy.

The

Look above at the above picture of Robert Forester. Consider his face. Look into his eyes. What is he thinking about?

This is a new game, if people enjoy this; we will have more games like this.

Fresh news today about the release dates of the upcoming X-Men spin-off films. We get the following scoop from XMF via JoBlo:

XMF contacted Tom Rothman yesterday, and the chairman for 20th Century Fox filmed entertainment took the time out of his Memorial Day holiday to e-mail us back! We were curious if Wolverine was still planned for the tentative 2008 release, or if Magneto (currently with director) might be released earlier than expected.

“It’s really soon to tell.” said Rothman. The most important thing is to get the movies right! If I had to guess, I’d say Wolvie in ‘08 and Mag in ‘09, but it could change.”

No big surprises here. I think we all knew that the films would be made available to us as soon as possible (to keep the money train moving right along). We do learn that Wolverine is coming out first, and that film will arguably be the bigger of the two. I was sceptical of Jackman as Wolverine at first but have come to enjoy him as the character quite a bit, and look forward to him in a solo film.

After having 3 ensemble films it will be interesting to see how they focus in on each character. I personally am more interested in Magneto than Wolverine, but the Magneto project will be a harder movie to make exciting. With so many comic book projects on the go, I get concerned that quality may suffer, and I hope they do not bastardize either of these characters with horrible solo projects.

Franco and Gere will be teaming up for the first time in the upcoming film Nights in Rodanthe. We get the news from the caves of Yahoo:

Law & Order: SVU” star Christopher Meloni and “Spider-Man 3″ villain James Franco will join Diane Lane and Richard Gere in “Nights in Rodanthe,” a romantic drama based on the Nicholas Sparks novel. Theater veteran George Wolfe is directing the Warner Bros. project.

Gere plays a doctor who stops at an inn in North Carolina while traveling to reconcile with his estranged son. At the beach town, the doctor has a life-changing romance with an unhappily married woman (Lane). Meloni is playing the role of Lane’s husband, while Franco plays Gere’s estranged son.

For being such a mello guy I find it hilarious that Richard Gere is in a few films regarding infidelity. I do not think Gere is the type of dude that would try to mow your grass. Then again, who knows what floats his boat. He could get raging boners over wedding rings on the ladies that he is intimate with.

Romantic dramas may be my least favorite genre. The movie has to be pretty spectaclar, and I have to have a dozen reccomends before I watch one on my own volition. But for those of you that love romance and/or Richard Gere and/or James Franco then this news is the sweetest of announcements.

We have news today about a movie adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s DC/Vertigo comic Death: The High Cost Of Living. We get the news from our friends at joblo:

The comic story follows Death herself, a sprightly young goth girl who socializes with humans to learn more about them, in this case through a suicidal New Yorker. While film ick won’t say/doesn’t know who’ll put on the black mascara to play the lovely non-grim reaper, they state that Shia LaBeouf might join her on the jaunt through self-discovery.

Noted comic geek and generally awesome filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is apparently also involved with Gaiman’s DEATH in some capacity, possibly as a producer or executive producer, since having his name attached might lubricate a few gears in the process.

This is the comic book that spawned millions of Goth teens. With a movie in the works, the Goths will come out of hiding and celebrate in the moonlight once again! Bring out the bat blood and the silver chalice; it is time to party like the undead!

I think Guillermo would be a fantastic choice for a director, and I hope he sits in the chair rather than simply produce this film. The more I see of this man’s work the more I am impressed. For comic book movies especially, I think Guillermo is a fantastic choice. Not only is he a fan himself but also he is able to create jaw-dropping images on the screen.

I do not know what role Shia will play, but I am curious why his name was leaked and not Death herself. Perhaps they are still casting Death, it may be wise to take their time, this casting is very important, if they get someone that is not a good fit - I do not see the film doing well at all. Superhero films with female leads have not had a history of success thus far. If any film is going to break that streak, I think this could be the one. The comics themselves were very popular and if you get a “suicide girl” looking Death for the emo kids to beat off too (and internet writers) it could be a hit.

Who plays Death will be key to the success of this film, international friends what are your thoughts/suggestions on who should play the pale lady?

Some have doubted the ability of Len Wiseman to take the reigns of the Die Hard series, today Bruce Willis responds to them. We get the scoop from IMDB:

Movie star Bruce Willis has defended his directorial choice in Die Hard sequel, Live Free Or Die Hard, insisting Len Wiseman provided a “great collaboration”. The actor reprises his role as police officer John McClane in the upcoming movie, but critics aren’t convinced the 34-year-old Underworld director has the experience to do justice to the franchise. However, Willis tells British film magazine Empire, “You know, Len Wiseman did a great job. He was a little kid running around the backyard when we did the first film but he was a fan. He actually made a film when he was 15 that was his version of Die Hard. On set I’d give him the gun and say, ‘Show me how to do a 1986 Die Hard.’ “I told Len early on that I was the keeper of the keys to this film, and he wanted that. There wasn’t anyone else on the set that worked on all four films, so he came to me a lot of times and said, ‘What do you think?’ It was a great collaboration.”

It is kind of Bruce to have Wiseman’s back when people start talking shit. Bruce rightly points out that he is the common thread and only person “on set” to be in all the films. I do not think it is a bad idea at all to use Willis as a check and balance for the new film. He knows John McLean better than anybody and Willis more than anybody is interested in the character staying awesome.

The test for Wiseman will be upon the film’s release. The movie going audience is the final judge and jury, and we will see what kind of Die Hard offering he will have for us. I must say that I have enjoyed the trailers and it looks like it will be another frenzied celebration of non-stop action. Bruce Willis has stood up for Wiseman, now Wiseman has to stand behind his work and hope it makes the detractors eat their words.

Vladimir Putin is not going to be at this film opening night. It appears a movie based on the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko is in the works. We get the scoop from The Observer:

Johnny Depp is lined up to play murdered Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko in the film of a book that still has no ending, his widow told reporters at the Cannes film festival yesterday.
Marina Litvinenko was at the festival for the showing of a controversial documentary about the death of her husband, who was poisoned with a radioactive substance in London last year. Rebellion: the Litvinenko Affair was directed by a close friend of the former spy and in effect accuses the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, of organizing the murder, as well as of embezzling humanitarian funds and laundering profits from the mafia.

The film has already been bought by distributors across Europe. Warner Bros has acquired the film rights for Marina Litvinenko’s book and American director Michael Mann, known for The Last of The Mohicans and Heat, is being tipped as a likely director.

This was a frightening news story and to be honest I am surprised it is being made so soon after the incident occurred. I remember reading about this in the news and thinking to myself “holy fuck this is some James Bond shit.” Using radiation as a means to assassinate seems a little over the top and messy as far as I am concerned. I think straight up poison would have been more appropriate and less harmful to others that were not the intended target. That being said, it is a pretty blatant and insulting way to kill a former spy. You kill someone like this when you want him to die slowly and dwell on his impending doom.

This project already has heavyweight players on board, Litvinenko’s wife, Johnny Depp, and Michael Mann means this thing is not only going to be a popular movie, but it should also be a very good one. If they wanted to get the word out for vengeance against Putin, this looks like it will be a good way to do it. Whenever you kill someone you always have to consider the Obi-Wan factor; will their message be stronger in death than in life? Darth Putin will soon find out.

Well, it looks like people around the globe still enjoy piracy. It looks like Pirates 3 has plundered the earth and imposed itself on the world with great success. We get the news of the record breaking box-office from moviesonline:

Walt Disney Pictures’ epic adventure “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” from Jerry Bruckheimer Films, landed in the global box office record books and laid claim to the biggest opening in industry history, with an unprecedented gross of $401,000,000 in its first six days of release, it was announced today by Mark Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Marketing and Distribution. This figure surpasses the previous record of $382 million set by the six day opening of “Spiderman 3” earlier this year. “Pirates” continues to please audiences around the world with exceptionally strong exit polls.

Domestically, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” raised its weekend estimate to $156 million (including Thursday night showings). The film set a new record for the four-day Memorial Day Weekend with its gross of $142 million (including Monday estimates), the film surpassed the previous high of $122.8 million set by “X-Men: The Last Stand” in 2006.

Well we all new this film would make a lot of money, in the international market this project kicked ass. I have not yet met anyone that has loved this film, but I know reactions are mixed. I have no desire to see it again and wish I missed it the first time around. I am shocked to be honest that this film made quite so much for being such a long film.

I guess I should not be so surprised about the success of the film. Even though I was not a fan of any of the Pirates Of The Caribbean films I will admit that it has one very strong selling point – Pirates. Not enough movies about piracy exist so it is no wonder this movie has come along and cleaned up. We all have an inner pirate that is aching for fellowship with other swashbucklers; this movie fills a basic human need.

I have been let down by the blockbusters of the summer so far. I am looking forward to this weekend where I can watch knocked up and hopefully laugh my ass off. It has been a while since I have seen something I enjoyed in the theatre.

I am a fan of the melodramatic, high octane, Hong Kong-cinema style of John Woo. We learn today that he may be doing a video game adaption that focuses on ninjas! We get the scoop from The Hollywood Reporter:

John Woo is attached to direct and produce “Ninja Gold,” a new intellectual property from video game creator Warren Spector. Spector is best know for creating such games as “Deus Ex,” “Thief: Deadly Shadows” and “System Shock.” Fox Atomic will release the eventual film, with Woo’s Lion Rock Prods. and frequent Woo collaborator Terrence Chang producing. Spector will executive produce.

“Ninja” centers on a ninja warrior, part of a centuries-old legacy and bloodline, forced to confront the reality of covert warfare in the modern world.

Spector said Woo was intimately involved in the creation of the “Ninja” cast of characters, especially the hero. He said Woo’s input on the basic situations and thematic underpinnings of the story puts him in a great position to develop the film property without a lot of assistance from the game creators.

Video game adaptations are usually not very good news. In this scenario it appears that Woo had some input into the game itself and now will be basing a movie off the game. I do not know if this will guarantee a better video game film, but it is certainly worth a try.

I think Woo is a fantastic action director. He has his own style and that style is blatant in every film, so you either love him or you don’t. I love John Woos films because I know there will be over the top rediculous action. People jump all over the place, people have too many guns on them and even more bullets. At the end of the film you have an over the top emothional score, that puts sand on the fire of your testosterone as you leave the theatre as to protect the innocent from your bloodlust.

John Woo and ninjas is going to be a good time. I am willing to overlook the fact that this is a video game adaptation, because I want to see high octane ninja assasinations. The 80’s had a glut of ninja movies and we have had a bit of a dry spell since. The time is right for ninja movies, and Woo is the right man for the job.

New images released officially online give us a better glimpse of the Joker.

ONTD spills on the Joker from Heath himself:

I wouldn’t have thought of me, either. But it’s obviously not going to be what Jack Nicholson did. It’s going to be more nuanced and dark and more along the lines of a Clockwork Orange kind of feel. Which is, I think, what the comic book was after: less about his laugh and more about his eyes. It’s definitely going to stump people. I think it’ll be more along the lines of how the Joker was meant to be in the comics, darker and more sinister.

I am still surprised we even see this much of the Joker this soon, but aside from the closeup of the face and some “Joker in the background” shots we still haven’t seen a full on detailed Joker.

A lot of people complained that the first Joker image was a ripoff of Insane Clown Posse, or the Crow, but I dont see that at all. The only similiarities is that they all wear makeup. Next thing they will say is “he is too much like KISS or Tammy Fae Bakker” But another complaint said that they didnt get to see his hair or the suit.

Well the above blurry picture definitely gives us an idea on just how vibrant they intend to do the hair.

Its something.

Coming Soon.net has posted a bigger version of the International Transformers poster.

I haven’t decided if I like it or not. Its hard for me to dislike ANYTHING related to Transformers (except maybe why Bonecrusher has to rollerblade down the highway checking busses - Dude, you can transform into a VEHICHLE… drive?)

The word on the street is always the same. It doesn’t matter if you liked the movie. If it made a pantload of money, they will make another one. Pirates of the Caribbean is no different.

LA Times

Sure, producer Jerry Bruckheimer is coy, saying he and his mates need a break. But he already has rights to a book that could end up as another installment.

Star Johnny Depp? He hasn’t promised another voyage, but he clearly loves the flamboyant, irreverent Jack Sparrow character, telling one interviewer: “As long as you’re doing it for the right reasons, why not?”

In today’s Hollywood, blockbuster franchises function almost as independent corporations that, once up and running, can’t easily be mothballed. Which is why another “Pirates” is pretty much a given.

“When these franchises become part of the world’s culture, they take on a life of their own,” said Dick Cook, Disney’s studio chairman, who says he’s on board for another “Pirates” if the script is right and the filmmakers are willing.

I am not the least bit surprised that they are continuing on. Its a good franchise over all, and a LOT of great storytelling to take place there.

One thing I do hope for however is that they move on with a new story arc or spinoff. Sure Jack Sparrow is likely to be the centerfuge, but please for the love of god leave the Swan/Turner story alone. Its done.

I don’t say that because I dislike the characters. I actually liked them a lot. Especially Elizabeth. Where the characters ended up in the end isn’t where I expected to see them, but it was a good story and it all ended well. Full circle. Now leave it alone.

And please, once and for all: fangirls, Swan and Sparrow were never meant to be, and never will be. Stop writing fan fics with the two of them together. It ruins everything the story ever was.

I personally would love to see something new with Jack and Barbosa. I didn’t like the Barbosa character to begin with simply because he was the badguy in the first movie, and didnt show up until the end of the second. But I really liked him in Part 3 and now I want more.

In my youth when I enjoyed a film I watched it repeatedly. We did not own a VCR but would often rent one for a few weeks at a time. Because of this, during the summer when we had a VCR on rental we would watch a film over and over all day long and burn it into our memories. Star Wars, Pee Wees Big Adventure and Strange Brew were all movies that received this treatment. My mother got so sick of us watching Strange Brew one day that she actually left the house while we were hard at work committing it to memory.

For those of you that have not seen this film, Strange Brew is a movie that follows SCTV characters Bob and Doug McKenzie as they try to solve a murder caper at the local Elsinore brewery.

Bob and Doug are hilarious stereotypical Canadian boys that only really seem to care about getting drunk as much as humanly possible. They wear toques, heavy winter coats, and boots as if to be prepared for a blizzard all year round. The slogans of EH, Take Off, and Hoser are used liberally and constantly and usually in some sort of combination.

So much about the movie is hilarious. Drunk Lion, Rat in a bottle, Locked in the Looney Bin, Steamroller, Hypnotized Hockey Crazies, Max Von Sydow as the brew-master, Hose-head the dog, Jelly Donut Bribery and the list goes on.

For those of you that have not yet seen this movie please treat yourself. This film is a comedy classic in my books and it is my pleasure to recommend it.

It looks like The Family Guy will be spoofing Star Wars and the blessing has been given by high lord Lucas himself. We get the following news from comingsoon.net.

Fox’s animated hit “Family Guy” will kick off its fifth season this September with an hourlong episode that retells the “Star Wars” saga using “Family Guy” characters.

Variety says Lucasfilm has blessed the event, which will have the Griffin family acting out all the key scenes and narrative from Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane is a major “Star Wars” fan and was personally involved in getting Lucasfilm on board.

The plot of the episode has the Griffin family stuck at home during a blackout. With no TV to entertain them, Peter decides to tell a story — leading to the “Star Wars” flashback.

I imagine that those of you that are fans of The Family Guy and/or Star Wars will have erections at this news. I will watch The Family Guy on occasion and do not mind it, but it is not a show I could watch every week. I do not like spoof shows/films very much at all, but I will say that it is awesome that they approached Lucas and got his blessing. If you plan to spoof something I consider it appropriate and well mannered to approach the creator and obtain their permission.

It will be interesting to see what scenes they choose to parody and which scenes they choose to drop. I am most interested in seeing the Mos Eisley scene and the trash compactor scene. I think the Mos Eisley spaceport is probably one of the greatest saloons in the history of film, it is like a surly bar in Welland on a saturday night. The trash compactor scene is just a great scene that heaps tension on top of tension and then a one eyed monster shows up! I hope both make it into the parody. All of a sudden sound pretty excited for a guy that doesn’t like parodies. Damn you Star Wars.

It appears the film Stigmata is getting a direct to DVD sequel. We get the skinny from the moviehole:

The rather middling 1999 supernatural thriller “Stigmata” – you may recall there was a couple of religiously-themed spookfests out around that time; Schwarzenegger’s “End of Days” was another one of them – is set to spawn a sequel.

Assumingly one of the many MGM direct-to-DVD sequels that’s in development over there (though there’s no confirmation on that), the film, says ShockTilYouDrop.com, will be produced by Frank Mancuso Jr. He’s no on the hunt for a director.

This movie is one of many that will begin the coming onslaught of direct to DVD films. It will be a lot of work to go through all of these direct to DVD titles and see if any of them are worth watching. If any of the movie blog readers come across any that are worth while, please let us know, and we will be kind enough to do the same.

I do not mind religiously inspired thrillers. The myths and imagery are very familiar and using the catholic church as a villainous secret society is always good cinema. With the church being so ancient and powerful it certainly lends itself to conspiracy theory, and the miracle of stigmata is just downright creepy!

Looks like Paul Newman has no desire to look for new acting work, we get the scoop from MSNBC:

“I’m not able to work anymore as an actor at the level I would want to,” Newman, 82, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Thursday. “You start to lose your memory, your confidence, your invention. So that’s pretty much a closed book for me.” Newman, star of films such as “Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” added: “I’ve been doing it for 50 years. That’s enough.”

He has other plates spinning. Newman plans to focus on the Dressing Room, his new organic restaurant in Westport, Conn., and his Hole in the Wall Gang camps for critically ill children. His Newman’s Own brand of dressings, pasta sauces, popcorn and salsa has raised more than $200 million for charities.

I am not surprised by this, who wants to work forever? Newman has kicked ass and taken names and now he wants to chill out, own a restaurant, and continue to reign as the sultan of salad dressings. I fully support people that want to cash in their chips and spend the rest of their days in the pursuit of leisure.

What often surprises me about actors is the fact that they do not retire sooner. When a guy like Tom Cruise keeps on acting after making boatloads of money, I personally scratch my head. I can appreciate people working if they love it, but I have always always been surprised that we do not see more 30 - 40 year old retirees in the entertainment industry. I am wondering if they continue for the money, the status, the fame, or a combination of all of the above?

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The guys at movieweb were kind enough to post this video for us. It comes via VinXperience, and it is a collection of teaser shots from the production of the film. Please enjoy!

Charles Nelson Reilly has passed on today. We get the news, and following excerpt from MSNBC:

Charles Nelson Reilly, the Tony Award winner who later became known for his ribald appearances on the “Tonight Show” and various game shows, has died. He was 76.

He gained fame by becoming what he described as a “game show fixture” in the 1970s and 80s. He was a regular on programs like “Match Game” and “Hollywood Squares,” often wearing giant glasses and colorful suits with ascots.

His larger-than-life persona and affinity for double-entendres also landed him on the “Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson more than 95 times. Reilly’s openly gay television persona was ahead of its time, and sometimes stood in his way. He recalled a network executive telling him “they don’t let queers on television.”

Any man that can wear an ascot with pride has my respect forever. To be on Carson 95 times, is nothing short of stunning, and although being on a number of game shows may not be what Reilly wants to be remembered for, there are far worse ways to earn a buck. Mr Reilly we at the movie blog salute you, and wish you safe passage across the river styx.

Peter Jackson is quickly turning in my director’s eqivolent of Russell Crowe. I think Crowe is one of the best damn actors… not only working today… but of all time. However, I also think the man is a total jack ass and I have very little respect for him off camera. Peter Jackson is an uber talented director whoes movies I will continue to rush out to see (even the let down King Kong)… but I have pretty much lost all respect for the dude I had. To me, he’s pretty much proved himself to be a lying weasel who uses and manipulates his fan base as mindless pawns to carry out his private battles in public. But I won’t go into all that now…

Recently, Jackson decided to talk about his totally botched Halo project with Stuff.Co.Uk

Jackson said he expected renewed interest from Hollywood studios 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures to have Halo made as the Halo 3 video game will be released later this year. He and partner Fran Walsh would be involved again in Halo only if Blomkamp is the director. “We wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else. It’ll be Neill’s call.”

Now, first let me say that I do agree with Jackson that Halo will get made eventually. Maybe even sooner rather than later. I’ve always believed that and I still do.

However… I don’t beleive this movie will ever get made with Neill “I’ve never even served coffee on set of a real movie let alone direct one” Blomkamp as the director. I don’t see any studio investing $200 million in a movie with a guy directing it who has NEVER WORKED ON ANY FEATURE FILM IN ANY CAPACITY IN HIS LIFE.

And if Jackson wants to walk off the project (who the fuck cares if he does??? He’s just a tolken producer) unless he gets his formerly fat ass way… then fuck him… let him walk. Heaven forbid Jackson back off on the Blomkamp demands and show his leigions of fans he’s not a god.

As a side note… did any of you see taht Blomkamp short film with Lynda Carter in it? The one with the Temp robot worker? Oh god that was a horrible piece of shit. Look it up if you get a chance. The whole stupid movie is a 20 minute build up to one mild chuckle of a punch line at the end.

I thought I would post this here for the people who went to see pirates this weekend (raises hand) who didn’t stay to the end of the credits despite our advice. So I found a clip online, unfortunately it is in Spanish.

THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS!!! If you have not seen the movie, please go watch it and sit your butt through the 10 mins of credits to see the scene yourself. Its significance is tied into the plot of the movie.

Disney has been shutting down the links but this one is in Spanish so it seems to have avoided their clever search engines. However, I just linked to it, so it might not last!

They are attempting to make a movie about the life of Princess Diana and I find their choice of hopeful stars to play Di to be a little off.

The Sun reports

A CONTROVERSIAL book about Princess Diana has sparked a multi-million pound bidding war between Hollywood movie moguls.

And stunning Pirates Of The Caribbean star Keira Knightley is already being wooed to play Di.

They hope the film will rake in millions at the box office following the huge success of The Queen, which netted Helen Mirren an Oscar this year.

It will be based on the book Diana And The Paparazzi, which tells the extraordinary story of the Princess of Wales, who died aged 36 in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

frankly I say its about time. Not because I am dying to see a Princess Di movie, but its been 10 years since her passing. Usually they dont wait for the body to get cold before jumping on things like this.

I mean Princess Di was a far more interesting person than the Queen and they made a movie about her. Its the very success of this that is launching this movie forward. THe hopes are that if The Queen can be so successful, how can a Princess Di movie fail. Di is a far more loved and storied personality.

But Keira? I dont know who would be better, but I don’t think its Keira. Don’t get me wrong, I like Ms Knightley just plenty. I just don’t see her in this role.

Just to curb the inevitable “Knightley sucks” rants in the comments, who do you see doing this better?

No one on the planet can EVER claim that making over $100 million at the boxoffice on your opening weekend is any sort of “failure” by any stretch of the imagination. Having said that… you KNOW the folks at Disney were eyeing that new Spider-Man 3 record over over $150 million. A lot of people expected Pirates 3 to surpass that number… well… we were wrong. By a LOT.

Pirates 3 came in with $112 million for the official opening weekend. That’s amazing business. However… it’s about a full $40 million short of where Spider-Man 3 came in. So the question is why did Pirates 3 fall sooooo far short of Spider-Man 3? Well… I’d like to suggest 3 contributing factors:

1) It’s the long weekend in the US - A lot of people are doing things other than sitting in the movie theaters

3) MOST IMPORTANTLY… Spider-Man 2 was a GREAT movie that built up the excitement for Spider-Man 3 even more. Pirates 2 on the other hands was a let down for many people, and lessened any anticipation for a part 3. This, I submit to you, is the primary reason for the drop off in its opening weekend.

As a matter of fact, not only did Pirates 3 fail to set the new opening weekend box office record… but it could only manage 5th place… $20 million behind Pirates 2. I was one of the people who was let down by Pirates 2… but I also still thought not enough people realized that it was only an “ok” movie at best… and that Pirates 3 would still take over the opening weekend crown. I guess more people realized than I thought.

Having said all that… still keep in mind that Pirates 3 made over $100 fricking million on its opening weekend. That my friends is a success by any definition. Just not anywhere near as big a success as many were expecting… and Disney was hoping for.