I would like to wish all of my International Friends a very happy New Year. To celebrate, I took a picture of a dead possum that was on my lawn!

His name is Olaf and he died in battle; weep not for a warrior’s death

We have obtained the new Hancock poster thanks to our friends at moviesonline:

Look above at the above Poster of Hancock. Consider his face. Look into his eyes. What is he thinking about?

Star Trek has landed a Starfleet leader, and he will be played by Tyler Perry. We get the scoop today from our friends at UGO:

Writer/director Tyler Perry has a role in the new Star Trek movie.

It looks like Perry is playing the head of Starfleet Academy. Before you go asking if the character is going to be a human being or one of those funky aliens with a dozen more nostrils, it looks like Perry’s character is a plain old fashioned human.

Tyler Perry is a man best known for his motivational, after school special style films. In his films he plays an older woman named Mabel Simmons who divulges wisdom (in a humorous manner) to those that are wayward. The films seem to be geared to young adults and are bursting with life lessons, which is fine for an episode of Sesame Street, but strange for a feature film. The films have strong Christian undertones but stay about as preachy as an episode of Davey And Goliath.

When I watched Diary Of A Mad Black Woman I actually started to laugh at the volume of motivation packed into the film. Although the sheer amount of positive affirmation got to be hilarious in its repetition, Perry is funny, his Maybel character is a good one and people seem to be eating it up to the tune of 50 million +. Tyler Perry is a self made man that used his motivational-style films to build a fortune. Throngs of people love his movies, and whatever your thoughts on them may be - he is meeting a motivational need.

When I heard that the dude that plays Mabel Simmons was going to head Starfleet - I was certainly surprised. It seems to be a strange casting and I am now quite curious to see Tyler play the role. When not in drag Tyler actually looks like a strong, natural leader and maybe this isn’t such a crazy casting after all. I just hope I can get Mabel out of my mind when he is talking to Kirk. I am afraid I am going to start dreaming about Mabel scolding Kirk about sleeping with loose alien women.

According to Variety, the WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike has now cost writers over $160 million in lost fees and benefits (based on 2006 WGA statistics)… when according to the WGA they were hoping to get a plan worth $151 million over 3 years. In other words, they’ve now lost more than they were hoping to gain. So in theory, even if the AMPTP suddenly caved in tomorrow and gave the WGA what they wanted in terms of residuals and Digital Media… they’d still end up worse off than they were before striking. Go team!

Meanwhile, the Producers association has put up a running meter on their website showing how much money the writers have lost (up to the second) and how much money the strike has caused non-writing crew staff in the Los Angeles area… as of this writing the number is at about $275 million.

These numbers are staggering. However, let me address the two numbers being given above. First of all, it is a TRAGEDY that non-writers are ending up as the big losers in this pissing match between the WGA and AMPTP. It’s good that the AMPTP is putting that number up on their website… except for one thing… the AMPTP is portraying this as if the money the non-writers are losing is because of the WGA strike. Thus, those poor non-writers are losing all that money because of the WGA!!! However, the reality is that those people are losing their jobs and their money because the WGA AND the AMPTP have failed to act like intelligent human beings and reach an agreement. Those non-writers being out all that money is every bit the fault of the AMPTP as it is the WGA.

With regards to how much money the Writers themselves have lost… it’s a shame, and just goes to show that the current leadership in the WGA doesn’t know what the hell they’re doing. HOWEVER… what exactly does the AMPTP hope to accomplish by flashing that number around? Win public approval??? I said it before when the WGA was trying to win public approval, so I’ll say it again here: PUBLIC APPROVAL DOESN’T MEAN SQUAT! Maybe if both of these sides put as much energy and time into trying to reach a deal as they do making cute little videos and press releases, this strike would be over by now.

All I know is that if I was a member of the WGA, seeing how much money I’ve lost because of the strike isn’t going to make me cave in at this point… it’s just going to make me mad at everyone. Mad at the AMPTP… and mad at my own incompetent Union leadership.

So what does this mean for the WGA members now? As their Union leaders continue to apparently not care how much money their members are losing and just seem focused on expanding their own industry political power and influence (by trying to get control of reality tv, news, animation… and the ability to “sympathy strike”) it becomes more and more murky. What is the answer?

The Union leaders are more concerned with Power than their members. The producers seem more interested now in trying to punish the WGA instead of reaching a fair deal. No one is budging and everyone just seems to be getting more and more pissed off. Happy New year everyone.

Hey there Folks. As promised many months ago, we have now made my documentary, “Prince of Peace - God of War” available for purchase by digital download. The DVD is still available for ordering at $17 (we’ve sold just a little over 1000 copies since the end of of November), but you now have the option of downloading the digital file of the movie for just $4.99

For those of you who may be new around here, here’s a little synopsis at what the movie is about:

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING ABOUT PRINCE OF PEACE - GOD OF WAR

“Central to John Campea’s engaging documentary is the question of how it is that 87 percent of self-defined Christians are able to rally fists in support of war when one would assume that conflict is not what Jesus would do.”
The Orlando Weekly

“Loved It! An Extensive look at how Christians went from preaching about love and peace to fighting for war.”
Peter Sciretta - Slahfilm.Com

“I was gripped the entire run time”
Kurt Halfyard - Twitchfilm.Net

“People should definitely see this… they’re going to love it”
Andrew James - MoviePatron.Com

“I urge you to give it a look and in all honesty, if your Religious Philosophy professor puts Just War on the curriculum, you may want to suggest he add this film as an introduction.”
Marina Antunes - MadAboutMovies.Net

“the documenary does a great job at presenting the facts, with the leading experts on Theology and Christianity and making you stop and think long and hard on a tough topic. ”
MoviesOnline.Ca

SYNOPSIS

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.”

~Jesus Christ
LUKE 6:27-29

No narrator. No rock themes video montages. Just an honest conversation about the issue. For the first three centuries that the church existed, those belonging to the faith of Christianity understood the words and example of Jesus to be a clear directive to never be involved with violence. To be a Christian was to be a Pacifist, and during those formative years the church endured several persecutions at the hands of the Roman Empire itself without ever considering taking up the sword against their aggressors.

How did this faith, known and identified for its non-violent beliefs, go on to conduct the crusades, the inquisitions, witch hunts, and today have 87% of white evangelical Christians support President George W. Bush’s decision to go to war with Iraq? How did this religion, founded by a Pacifist and known (even criticized) for non-violence, become a religion known for its aggression, war, political power and embracing of violence?

Prince of Peace – God of War is a non-sensationalized visual record of Director John Campea’s (a former evangelical Christian and minister) journey across North America, speaking with historians, professors and religious leaders about these issues. The basic question is a simple one: “Should Christians kill people?”

FEATURING

Dr. Tony Campolo
Best selling author, Former Spiritual Advisor to President Bill Clinton
Professor at Eastern University - St. Davids PA

Dr. Brian McLaren
Listed on TIME Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Evangelicals In America

Bruxy Cavey
Author of “The End Of Religion”
Minister of “The Meeting House” - Canada’s largest Church

You can check out the first 5 minutes of the movie (low-res) here
You can download a copy of the movie here.

Thank you again to everyone who pre-ordered and ordered copies of the DVD. Your support has been amazing and greatly appreciated!

Here is the Restricted Semi Pro Trailer amigos!

Not too much in here … but this film certainly seems to have turned up the crass volume on Ferrell; and I support this decision!

What do you guys think? I laughed at loud at the part with the referee and am pumped to see Tim Meadows!

We have some news about the new Underworld prequel, it is titled Rise Of The Lycans and we get the scoop today from the axe lords at Bloody Disgusting:

We’ve been scooped this afternoon that Bill Nighy will return as Viktor and Shane Brolly as Kraven in Lakeshore Entertainment’s Underworld 3: The Rise of the Lycans, which will be released theatrically by Sony Screen Gems.

The prequel is set in the Dark Ages and traces the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires and their one-time werewolf slaves, the Lycans. Production begins mid-January in Auckland, New Zealand.

Werewolves and Vampires are always welcome in my house. I enjoy the mythology behind these mystical creatures and always lok forward to fables that involve them. A prequel that takes place in the middle ages is fantastic, I prefer sword warfare to guns any day of the week when it comes to movie violence. Vampires and Werewolves warring on cobble stone streets is righteous shit and I would not be surprised if this film becomes my favorite of the three.

Rhona Mitra will be in this film, she is set to star in Doomsday and it looks like her resume is starting to fill up nicely. She is a delicious brunette with a strong look and is a great choice for an action starlet. She looks vampire-esque but I will have to find out if she will be vamp or wolf in this film. The film is anchored of course with the return of Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen and Shane Brolly. The three amigos will thread the trilogy together and add continuity to the project; I am glad to see them back.

It looks like the Japanese will be the first to get the whole Grindhouse experience in a 6 DVD box set available March 21, 2008. We get this anticipated scoop and breakdown of the special features thanks to Pete at Slashfilm:

I found the six disc box set on Amazon.jp for 9.975 yen, which roughly translates into $65 American before shipping. No/All Region DVD player required. Box art isn’t available yet, the poster to the right was a Japanese one-sheet.

Here is the information on what is included in the set:

Disc 1: Death Proof (Extended Film)
-English DTS, English DD, Japanese dub
-Japanese subtitles
-Japanese Theatrical/TV trailers
-Staff/Cast Profiles (Text)
-What is Grindhouse? (Text)

Disc 2: Planet Terror (Extended Film)
-English DTS, English DD, Japanese dub
-Japanese Subtitles
-Rodriguez commentary
-International/Japanese trailers
-Staff/Cast Profiles (Text)
-What is Grindhouse? (Text)

Disc 3: Death Proof bonus materials
-Special Message to Japan from Tarantino
-Staff and Cast interviews on Death Proof
-Stunts on Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof (20:39)
-Introducing Zoë Bell (8:59)
-Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike (9:34)
-Finding Quentin’s Gals (21:14)
-The Uncut Version of “Baby, It’s You” Performed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead (1:48)
-The Guys of Death Proof (8:16)
-Quentin’s Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke (4:38)
-Double Dare Trailer (2:36)

Disc 4: Planet Terror bonus materials
-10-Minute Film School (11:52)
-The Badass Babes of Planet Terror (11:50)
-The Guys of Planet Terror (16:32)
-Casting Rebel (05:34)
-Sickos, Bullets and Explosions: The Stuns of Planet Terror (13:18)
-The Friend, The Doctor and The Real Estate Agent (6:42)

Disc 5: Grindhouse (191 minute theatrical cut)
-English DD, Japanese dub
-Japanese subtitles

Disc 6: Japanese Exclusive Grindhouse bonus disc (106 minutes)
-Grindhouse - US Trailer
-2006 San Diego Comicon
-Tarantino Interview (About the homages in Death Proof, About Planet Terror, Use of Music, Possible Sequel to Death Proof)
-Staff/Cast comments
-The Directors of the Fake Trailers
-Coments on past Grindhouse Films
-Making Of Planet Terror

The Japanese get all the cool stuff first; and as always, the rest of us should be soon to follow. According to the article, Pete goes on to let us know that although the film itself will be in English, Japanese sub titles will be present. This should be a removable feature, but the menus themselves will be in Japanese and the discs will not be compatible with region 1 players.

Die Hard fans may want to snap this version up ASAP, but I would rather wait for a North American release so I don’t have to find a translator every time I choose to watch the film. It is cool that they are making a box set like this available. This is what most people were hoping for, and 6 discs should be more than enough to satisfy even the most dedicated and obsessive fans. We will keep you posted on North American releases as soon as we get word!

Wow. You want to feel old? Read this list! In 2008 the following films will be celebrating rather key anniversaries, and some of them I just can’t believe!!! OUCH! Thanks to the guys at RopeOfSilicon.

TURNING 18 (or as the ROS guys say, “Movies You Can Legally Have Sex With”)
The Hunt for Red October
Pretty Woman
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Back to the Future Part III
Total Recall
Die Hard 2: Die Harder
Ghost
Goodfellas
Home Alone
Dances With Wolves
Misery
Edward Scissorhands
The Godfather Part III

10TH ANNIVERSARY FILMS
The Big Lebowski
The X Files
Armageddon
Blade
American History X
Shakespeare in Love

15TH ANNIVERSARY FILMS
Groundhog Day
Army of Darkness
Jurassic Park
The Fugitive
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
Mrs. Doubtfire
Schindler’s List
Philadelphia
Tombstone

20TH ANNIVERSARY FILMS
Beetlejuice
Big
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Coming to America
Die Hard
Rain Man
Beaches

Good sweet gracious… do I ever suddenly feel OLD!

We have our first look at Death Race today thanks to our friends at firstshowing:

This is a film that I did not want to see remade. The original is an outlandish classic that should have been re-released rather than remade. I must admit however, that I enjoy this picture. The interior of the car is filthy and I like the use of duct tape on the steering wheel and red tape on the foam that covers the roll bars. The prop guys that worked on this car should be commended, the car looks surly.

Amidst the filthy car Statham’s squeaky clean head stands out like a sore thumb. It looks like his melon is floating in a galaxy of dirty metal.

We have some set pics today from the virus-apocalypse film Doomsday. Thanks to moviesonline for the hookup!



I like the third picture best. In this picture we have a chesty trouble maker about to get shanked in the firelight. This is the kind of post apocalyptic movie that I am used to seeing and hope that all the scenes are very similar to this. I know this will probably not be the case, but let me dream.

For those of you that are not familiar with what this movie - here is the official synopsis from IMDB:

A deadly plague, known as the “Reaper Virus,” has broken out, killing hundreds of thousands in its wake. In desperation, the British Government evacuates as many survivors as it can out of the infected area, and then builds a wall, preventing the remainder from escaping. Thirty years later, with the wall still up and the victims all but forgotten, the virus breaks out again. The Government decides to send a crack team of operatives, led by Major Eden Sinclair, into the hot zone to investigate the possibility of a cure.

Doomsday has a release date of August 21 2008 in the Netherlands, for the rest of the world - no word as of yet.

We are able to have a look at Dr. Bruce Banner as played by Ed Norton thanks to our friends at IESB:

Campea just informed me that the first picture is a throwback to a scene in the intro of the television show. I enjoy all the medical props, and if they can use shots like this from the TV show - why the hell not. As long as they don’t make the throwbacks an obvious festival of cheese, I am all for them.

I like Norton and am glad he is playing Dr. Banner. These pictures are not as exciting as a picture of the Hulk ripping a tank in half; but It is nice to see the detail that is being put into the human side of the green machine. I have high hopes for this one, and I look to watching it on a big screen.

We have obtained words and image for Bolt, a Disney animated picture slotted for a Nov 26 2008 release. We get the following picture and synopsis thanks to our friends at firstshowing:

For super-dog Bolt (voice of John Travolta), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue—at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet—a cross-country journey through the real world. Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and with the help of two unlikely traveling companions: a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voice of Susie Essman) and a TV-obsessed hamster in a plastic ball named Rhino, Bolt discovers he doesn’t need superpowers to be a hero.

I have not heard much about this film, until now. Talking animals make for wonderful animated heroes and when magic happens they become immortal. Mickey Mouse still spends most of his residual paychecks on Jack Daniels and Russian Wives; when he tires of a wife he feeds them to Jim J Bullock (who is chained in his basement).

I am quite startled that the cat in this film will be named Mittens. I have a cat named Ms. Mittens that is black, with white paws just like the feline we see in the picture. Ms. Mittens is a very luxurious kitten with a long flowing midnight mane, and bright golden eyes. With lightning speed she hunts at night and has killed 3 rabbits by herself! She has also killed countless birds, mice and is quite upset that squirrels keep eluding her. I will be certain to watch this movie with my cats and will be sure to tease Mitten that she has become a whore starlet.

It will be interesting to see what kind of animated films Disney puts out now that Pixar lives in the same house. We will keep our ears to the ground for further news and will be sure to keep you posted.

We have obtained a sketch of the Hulk that has been released from the crew that is currently making the movie. The picture was made available to us thanks to our friends at comingsoon:

If this is the look we can expect to see in the movie, then I am wholeheartedly on board with their vision. This picture looks like a classic Hulk but avoids getting too overblown and overly cartoonish. We will have to wait and see what the CGI Hulk will look like, but if he looks close to this; I will certainly be pleased.

What do you guys think of this pic?

We have a trailer for the upcoming Knight Rider remake/made for TV movie. Thanks to ropesofsilicon for the hookup.

I refuse to support and/or endorse any K.I.T.T. that is not a Pontiac Trans Am. I do not care if I am being petty or childish, it just doesn’t sit right. If you want other sentient cars to be different models - that is fine, but remaking a classic series and then changing the iconic car makes zero sense to me. If it ain’t broke ….

We have another picture from a soon to be film. This time it’s an image from the rom com What Happens In Vegas. We get the image from our friends at comingsoon:

The Kucher and Diaz should make for a successful box office draw, but I am often horrible at guessing the success of a film. I generally judge rom-coms harshly because I hate most of them. This may no different, but we shall see. All we have to go on right now is this picture; and it is a good one.

Kucher looks like he is having a riotous time with a straw in his beer bottle. I am not sure if that is root beer or beer beer, but I will assume it is alcoholic until I learn otherwise. Diaz looks like a trashy, drunk, slut-bride, and that could be good times. This picture is bursting with emotion and it was a great decision to lead with this one.

We have the first picture from the set of Meet The Spartans. We were made aware of this image thanks to our friends at moviesonline:

I am not looking forward to this movie. I loved 300 and have no desire to see it bastardized by spoof movies that lampoon current events. I suppose one reason to see this film would be Carmen Electra. Her visage has been known to help many a sailor on long lonely nights. Does anyone else think that the dudes have had their guts airbrushed? It looks like Sorbo has a filthy stomach.

It’s that time of year again! Yesterday, thousands of nominations were mailed to the Academy members, which let’s us know that in just a few weeks, people will be gathered around the water cooler at their work, discussing this year’s…(oops, I should still say ‘next year’s) Oscar Nominees.

Yahoo!News gives us this:

Accountants from PricewaterhouseCoopers counted, sorted and numbered the ballots before the massive mail-out. Voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have until Jan. 12, 2008, to return the forms.

Nominees for the 80th annual Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 22. The awards will be presented Feb. 24 at the Kodak Theatre.

Despite the writer’s strike, it seems that the biggest award ceremony will still go on. This will definitely be a show I will be watching, because it will either be fantastic or it will be a total and utter mess. (I don’t want to miss that!)

So, let’s pretend you readers are members of the Academy. Who would YOU nominate and what are your predictions?

For those of you that got to watch ‘Hatchet’ this year, (if you haven’t, go out and rent or buy the DVD) you are probably not surprised about this news considering the abrupt ending of the first film, but it looks like the possibility of Adam Green returning to direct ‘Hatchet 2’ is likely. Adam Green recently talked to the folks of ‘Fangoria’ about the possible sequel.

Arrow in The Head via Fangoria gives us this excerpt for the interview:

It all comes down to when it happens and if I’m available, as well as what the terms are, because often when they make these movies and realize they have a cult following, they try to cheap out in a lot of areas. You know, the budget becomes smaller because they’re afraid that no one really cares or they don’t pay what they need to in order to bring certain actors back.

I met Adam Green this summer in Toronto when he came to premiere his movie at the Bloor Theatre, and I really took a liking to him. At the Q&A, he told the audience that Hatchet is a planned trilogy. There are certain things in the movie that gives that away. He said there’s a reason why the camera lingers on the kid with the pig mask who burns the Crowley house down in the flashback and why Victor Crowley was staring at Mary Beth for a long period of time.

In the possible sequel, he said that Tony Todd’s character plays a much bigger part in the film and to the story, and that we will find out how Victor Crowley and Mary Beth are connected.

I don’t think this is just a rumour. I have no doubt in my mind that audiences will see ‘Hatchet 2’ in the future. (You just can’t waste a villain like Victor Crowley!)

If you would like to read the rest of Adam Green’s entertaining interview, click HERE.

So are you ready for another round with Victor Crowley?

It looks like some of the most beloved characters in recent history will be riding into the sunset together. Borat and Ali G will speak no more, and have been cast into oblivion. We get the scoop today from the professionals at Variety:

Sacha Baron Cohen tells The Daily Telegraph that he’s retiring the clueless Kazakh journalist, as well as his alter ego, aspiring rapper Ali G.

“When I was being Ali G and Borat I was in character sometimes 14 hours a day and I came to love them, so admitting I am never going to play them again is quite a sad thing,” the 36-year-old actor-comedian says in the British newspaper’s Friday edition. “It is like saying goodbye to a loved one. It is hard, and the problem with success, although it’s fantastic, is that every new person who sees the Borat movie is one less person I `get’ with Borat again, so it’s a kind of self-defeating form, really.”

As much as I hate to say it; this is great news. Borat and Ali G are household names and there is no way the pair of characters will be able to surprise anyone ever again; unless you go to the far north or the deep jungle - and there people still kill strange men without regret. If Cohen continued with either of these characters it would eventually get lame and people would get sick of the over-saturation. Both of these characters had the luxury of exiting the stage at a time when they were regarded highly, and it is always wise to leave them wanting for more.

These characters were fantastic and have caused us all to laugh hard and lots. They have introduced us to the man behind the curtain, and Cohen will remain a beloved entertainer for years to come. To quote the great Dr. Seuss “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

I now throw it open to all of you in the message board. What was your favorite Borat and/or Ali G sketch/moment?

For Ali G - I loved it when he interviewed Boutros Boutros-Ghali at the U.N.
For Borat - I think my favorite moment was when he got permission to grab a man’s crotch at a gun convention.

It looks like Ms. Rossum has decided to treat us all with a blog entry about her training sessions with Chow Yun Fat for the upcoming Dragonball movie. We get the following quote from her blog via slashfilm:

“Sorry I’ve been rather quiet for a bit, I’ve been working on a very exciting new film that I’m shooting outside the US. I’m working with the great Chow Yun Fat and I’m very excited about the role, which is so different than any role I’ve ever played. I love the character and I’m excited to get to share something so fun with you. In prep for the film I’ve been training very hard, learning how to fight, fire a gun, weapons training and even some martial arts. It’s fun to play such a different character when I am such a pacifist in real life. Speaking of pacifisim and peace, I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy holiday and New Year.”

This blog entry does not tell us a ton about the movie, but it is cool to have a snapshot into what is going on right now in preparation for the film. It is also nice to see that she has respect for Chow Yun Fat; if she didn’t we would put slugs in her ears like Khan did To Pavel Chekov in Star Trek 2. Above all, it is cool to see excitement for the project, a lot of Dragonball fans are looking forward to this and excitement usually always leads to better work.

We may have to wait some time before we get a chance to see sneak peaks and teaser trailers, but blog entries like this one are the best window we have when it comes to peeping on the current progress. I did not grow up with this cartoon, but I know what it is like to love a cartoon, and the desire to see it recreated with reverence and skill. From where I stand - it looks like things are shaping quite well. For those of you that are fans of the series; how do you feel about the project thus far?

We have a new Semi Pro poster to show you guys. Thanks to our friends at IGN for the hookup.

I am looking forward to Semi Pro. I enjoy most everything Will Ferrell births and I am interested to him work with Woody Harrelson. Woody was damn hilarious in Kingpin and it is cool to see him bring his comedic talents to this picture.

This poster is not too shabby. I enjoy the car on the basketball court, it is a festive event when a car goes on hardwood and/or carpet and I don’t know why. The best thing about the poster - is the jerseys. The tropics jerseys are sweet as hell and are chock full of funk. I want the full outfit; perhaps it will re-ignite my desire to return to the hoop.

Every few months, we hear about a blockbuster breaking box office records on opening weekend, I can honestly say that I have never heard of a movie making news because it made hardly any money. Jessica Simpson’s ‘Blonde Ambition’ was which was ordered to go straight to DVD next month, had a limited engagement in Texas last weekend and only took in (GULP) 1,190 dollars over the weekend.

IMDB gives us these embarrassing details:

Blonde Ambition, co-starring Luke Wilson, took in just $1,190 over the weekend. True, it was shown in only eight Texas theaters, but that’s still an average of less than $50 per theater per day, meaning about six people showed up to see it in each location each day. On his TV Guide Online blog, film critic Ken Fox asked, “Doesn’t someone like Jessica Simpson have more than 48 friends?

Okay, I know I poked fun at the woman earlier last week about her trying to get the leading role in a possible ‘Pretty Woman’ remake, and this is going to sound very “Chris Crocker” of me, but LEAVE JESSICA SIMPSON ALONE!

Out of all the brainless, horny, overly rich “princesses” out there, you have to admit Jessica Simpson is the most harmless of the bunch. She hasn’t been arrested for a DUI. She doesn’t do drugs, and she hasn’t been knocked up by a random guy. She has earned her money unlike a lot of the debutantes in the tabloids.

True, this woman should NOT be an actress. I just recently watched ‘Employee of the Month’ and realized if they had a replaced her with a female blow up doll, I probably wouldn’t even notice the difference. Although, Jessica is not the ONLY actress out there that has had a movie come out STRAIGHT to DVD. Every month I’m at the video store, I see tons of straight to DVD movies that suck which star A-list and Oscar winning stars. For me, I just don’t understand why this made the news.

The opening weekend in Texas is quite embarrassing I can’t deny, although it only OPENED in Texas for a limited engagement before it goes straight to DVD. To me, it really shouldn’t count as the lowest box office record if the movie didn’t open nationwide.

So those are my thoughts about Miss Simpson. Sure, the woman opens herself up to public mockery, but I think picking on her for a poor box office record, is just (GULP) mean.

P.S. This poster looks eerily similar to the one sheet poster for Mariah Carey’s bomb, ‘Glitter.’ THAT should have been a huge sign right there!

What are your thoughts?

Well International Friends, it is upon this most festive of holidays that we are flooded with Christmas Movies. In the regular fashion of the Movie Blog, I thought I would compile a list of my personal Best 10 Christmas Movies off the top of my head.

10. Christmas Vacation The Griswalds just never catch a break, and yet they seem to come out on top in the end anyways. This being the third of the National Lampoon’s Vacation series, and finally we get to see some Christmas action. I just love watching this guy fail. Chevy Chase can embody that moment of utter defeat in just one blank stare set specifically at 3.5 seconds in length that just makes you wonder if your life is in danger for witnessing it.

9. White Christmas This movie just makes me wish I lived in the mid 50s so I could be as cool and smooth as Bing Crosby. That guy just gets all the ladies hearts a thumping and looks cool as ice doing it. Guys were Guys, and the Girls were Dolls. This has more musical numbers than most modern musicals and it is the first classic black and white on my list, but it wont be the last.

8. Nightmare Before Christmas There are not enough true Halloween movies. Horrors are popular at that time of year, but very few of them are actually about Halloween itself. Jack knows it and decides to take over Christmas as they have the better time slot. Clever music, creative stop motion animation and a twist we didn’t see coming makes this Burton film the top listed animated feature about Christmas on my list.

7. Miracle On 34th Street As far as the classics go, this one is likely the most heart tugging and amusing at the same time. Santa himself has to go on trial to prove he is who he says he is. Its a real Christmas miracle when some whackjob who claims to be the real Santa turns out to actually BE Santa. A diligent lawyer who decides to take on his case to defend him in court isn’t the only person to learn a handy lesson here. Watch this with your kids so you can explain why they couldn’t just look up his MySpace page for proof.

6. A Christmas Story This irreverent little take on Christmas showed us for once that it was OK that your life wasn’t like the perfect candy coated Christmas families of the Leave it to Beaver generation. Randy didn’t have a BBGun to take anyone’s eye out but he had a pink bunny pajamas. Your tongue WILL stick to the flagpole if its freezing. And Dad showed us that a fishnet clad lady’s leg does make a fine art deco lamp base. I am sure we learned other stuff in there too, but mostly just not to swear in front of your father.

5. Its a Wonderful Life Just when you think your life can’t be any shittier, remember that Clarence the angel taught us that your existence makes it less shitty for everyone else. He also teaches us how looking slightly tipsy actually makes you more adorable and cherub like. A brilliant tale of perspective illustrated with the charm and innocence of the classic black and white movies of the late 40s. You can watch this with your parents.

4. Die Hard Although this movie doesn’t revolve around the Christmas theme, it takes place at Christmas and puts a cop with marital problems at the wrong place at the right time. We cringe in unison as the barefooted hero dashes across a sea of broken glass but hell, when a tough guy is in love there is nothing that will stand in his way. Forevermore will we associate the true bliss of relationship sacrifice with the bold smarmy YippeeKiYay Muthafukker!

3. GremlinsAh the spirit of giving that keeps on giving with just the addition of water. Gremlins starts with a truly original gift idea that soon spirals out of control. Sure the muppets are a little dated and the comedy was really only considered funny in the 80s but this is one Spielberg film not to miss. These little troublesome goblins not only gave me nightmares, but Gizmo’s cute little song made even the toughest man exert a gentle “awwwww…”

2. The Santa Clause Tim Allen movies are always full of good moral lessons for the whole family. And the very premise of this movie is ripped from a pun on old St Nick’s name itself. How can you go wrong with that? I truly enjoy this franchise and I had no problem when they brought out a sequel adding another Clause to the deal, and a third giving him an Escape Clause. Pure feelgood genius. Best watched with warm chocolate chip cookies and milk.

And the Number One movie on my list of All Time Christmas Movies is…

1. Scrooged This list would not be complete if it were not for at least one variation of the classic Christmas Carol. Of course the most entertaining and downright enjoyable versions would be Bill Murray’s Scrooged. This film is Christmas Perfection. You get to see yourself in at least ONE of the characters and every other character is just someone else you know. Every scene makes me laugh. Every moment makes me feel the true joy of Christmas.

I am sure there are some I missed. What would you put on your top 10 Christmas movies?

Without question Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I’m one of those lucky guys who has a great family with some simple traditions. Each Christmas eve, my siblings and I all gather at my parents place, have dinner, stay the night, get up as early as possible and unload our stockings (yes, we still do stockings), wait for everyone else to wake up then open presents, dad makes breakfast, clean up, then a big family day. I love Christmas time.

This year has certainly been an eventful one around The Movie Blog, and 2008 looks like it’ll be the best one yet. We hear at The Movie Blog want to wish you all a very merry and safe Christmas. Posting will be quiet the next couple of days as we all relax and spend time with family and loved ones… we hope you do too.

The picture below is one Elias from Clerks 2 would approve of. It was provided to me by Timothy Lim. Transformers are certainly a gift from God. :) Merry Christmas everyone!

The Kingdom is part whodunit part shoot em up in the land of camels, sand and black gold.

The Special features on this DVD include: deleted scenes, character by character the apartment shootout, constructing the freeway sequence, creating the kingdom, history of the kingdom: an interactive timeline, commentary with director Peter Berg. Much of the extras focus on the camerawork and the technical wherewithal that was necessary to deliver the action in this film. This film was almost entirely shot on 3 hand held cameras to create a fluid and almost documentary feel to the film (director’s words). I must admit my favorite part of the Kingdom was the “closeness” of the camera shots; you feel like you are on the street watching the action unfold in front of you.

In the character by character the apartment shootout we see the action take place from 4 different perspectives. It was great to see an action scene broken down like this and see the editing work that is involved to make these different scenes reflect different aspects of the same event. This is probably my favorite part of the film and it was cool to see it from different angles.

In constructing of the freeway sequence we see very serious men playing with dinky cars on the road. These men are working out an intense highway scene that involves multiple explosions, smash ups and all out carnage. To see the different stages of planning, and the amount of work that is required for less than 5 minutes of screen time is quite an eye opener. We are a species that likes to be entertained; and doing so is no easy task.

The Kingdom DVD is full of behind the scenes shots and explanations of scene set ups. The extras themselves seem to be geared to students of film and those that enjoy the craft of filmmaking. I appreciated this film much more after I saw the work that was required to put it together. We see so many action movies that we take them for granted, and often sluff them aside as kitsch. Behind every action film is an army of artists and in the special features of this disc, they are given a tip of the hat.

Hatchet was a fun movie to watch. It was one of two 80’s throwback slashers that I enjoyed immensely this year. As someone that does not go out of their way to see horror films, I am always surprised and delighted when I become a fan. Killer death scenes, an unstoppable foe, wicked tits and the best cameos possible; hatchet rams a lot of the right ingredients into the recipe and we are all rewarded with a delicious dinner.

The extras on the dvd include: The Making Of Hatchet, Meeting Victor Crowley, Guts And Gore, Anatomy Of A Kill, A Twisted Tale and Gag Reel. I got a Tattoo on the weekend and my Tattoo guy (Justin) was heaping praise upon this movie and the DVD special features. This was timely, because I had the assignment of reviewing the DVD. The segments are all self explanatory but 2 stories from the extras stand out.

The Director Adam Green dedicates an entire segment in the extras to his appreciation of Dee Snider. As a youngster Adam was moved and encouraged by the clean living, positive thinking, motivational music of Twisted Sister. Not only did the young Mr. Green write his only A+ childhood assignment on Dee Snider’ s life, but he also went on to write Dee a letter in adulthood that was read by Dee himself. We then skip to an interview with Dee Snider about receiving this letter from Adam and he discuses the ongoing dialogue between the two. Dee Snider continued to encourage him as an adult film maker and this positive affirmation was a wind at the director’s back throughout the stages of his career.

It was touching to see a man give back to the Metal God that has given so much to him. Dee Snider may not be a hero to you, and Metal may be noise as far as you are concerned, but to Green and many others - Dee Snider is a prophet and metal is the thundering sound of human triumph and potential. The encouragement of Dee through words and music was a driving force in this director’s life and it’s cool to see a grown man champion one of his heroes.

Another segment that was very much beloved by myself, (and was drawn to my attention by Justin) was Anatomy Of A Kill. This segment is all about what goes into an on screen kill scene. One kill in particular stands out. In their effort to make all the scenes “believable” a death by belt sander shot was almost axed. (no extension cords in the woods) One of the guys on production saved the the shot when he made the first fully functional gas powered belt sander for the film! This is the kind of ingenuity, love and dedication that best describes the Hatchet crew.

What stands out more than anything when you watch the extras of this DVD, is how much fun these guys had when they were making this movie. Thanks to online press from BloddyDisgusting and print press from Fangoria early on, the group was able to get the funding they needed to make their dream come true. This film is a perfect example of why you should be ready to go - when you get your break. With skill, dedication and a palpable love for what they were doing Hatchet is a film that delivers tons for what they had to work with.

The people behind this film are the reason it excelled, and it was nice to meet them. This is a cool movie with fun and enjoyable extras. Support dudes that make kick ass horror films and buy a copy today. This holiday season - give the gift of axe!

I often get that internal flinch when I hear about another TV show turning into a movie. So when I heard Fame was getting a remake I had to stop and think for a moment. Fame WAS a movie, then it was a TV Show (which I recell more clearly) and now it is once again to be a movie.

Hollywood Reporter

The $25 million “Fame” remake is slated to hit theaters in summer 2008 and will be based on the Alan Parker film set at the New York Academy of Performing Arts, which starred Irene Cara and Debbie Allen and launched a generation of wannabe performers.

It is said to still be a musical with mostly the same songs but it is going to be updated.

I think this movie was already “remade” in light of how many of those “trying to get into a performing arts school” movies that have come out. And this new version will likely have less 70s musical style songs and updated chart topping hopefuls remaking the songs.

But it is coming out in summer of 2008? That is a lot closer than you would think. Granted this is not a visual epic with tons of special effects so it won’t be the most difficult thing to get out in 7 months, but it does sound like its springing up fast on us.

I do like musicals and I recall Fame from my childhood, so hopefully this will not be a stereotypical “updated” remake and make it about hardcore rapper thugs tryin’ to get respect in Da Art Skool.

Dune is the elitist of literary scifi geek fandom. Its not heralded in the mainstream like Star Wars or Star Trek which are far easier and lighter to ingest, but those of us geeks who rally around the Frank Herbert Dune flag hold it as a dear bastion of our culture. It is brilliant and epic. I have recently accepted myself into this fold and have updated my geek status.

Now a big screen version of Dune is coming and MTVMovies confirms that Peter Berg (The Kingdom) will direct.

“Dune” is coming and that he’s the one that will helm it. Calling the plans for him to direct “a done deal,” Berg told me that “if it weren’t for the writer’s strike, we’d be in it right now.”

After the poorly received David Lynch feature version, I was surprised to hear they intend to make this into a feature film. The most widely accepted version is the TV MiniSeries in 2000. I talked months ago about Berg coming on board but that was just speculation as it is now confirmed.

This story is just too vast to carry out in one movie. This has been the strongest criticism of nearly every book turned to film, but Dune is such an epic and involved tale that 120 minutes just isnt enough to tell it. Berg has put out some quality work, and with the right writers maybe they will create some magic.

I am wary of seeing a feature film adaptation again. Perhaps they will prove me wrong, but I just can’t see it justice fitting in one sitting.

But rest assured if this does turn into a big hit, even in spite of the fans, there will likely be a Dune Mesiah and Children of Dune and etc.

I slowly warmed up to Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. I actually looked forward to seeing it after originally just writing it off as a spoof movie.

Eonline says:

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, the new Judd Apatow-John C. Reilly comedy about the life and times of a machete-wielding Johnny Cash type, seemed sure to die a quick death after selling only $4.1 million worth of opening-weekend tickets, per studio estimates compiled Sunday by Exhibitor Relations.

This is yet another Apatow movie, and despite his nonstop track record of hillarity, I didn’t really qualify this as Apatow fare. Was it the quality of the movie (Doug gave it an 8) or were there other factors?

This is a spoof movie, and doesn’t really fit into the Apatowverse of 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked up, or Superbad. And as a rule I generally don’t care for spoof movies (They dont make them like Top Secret or Airplane anymore). But after a few of the trailers I thought it looked pretty funny and expected it to do decently. Hell, Balls of Fury openned bigger than this.

Maybe it was simply that it was set against the opening for National Treasure, Book of Secrets which bathed itself in $45.5 million greenbacks this last weekend.

Or do you think that John C. Reilly just better cast as the eternal sidekick and isn’t a leading man?

We have some gossip, some unconfirmed here-say that Hugh Jackman is committed to throwing on lean mass for his upcoming Wolverine project. We get the dish from our friends at moviehole:

Anyway, over beers tonight, I heard from a colleague – one of the chaps from the abovesaid shingle – a bit of news about “X-Men Origins : Wolverine”, which, I have to admit, was a little more interesting than the usual ‘Van Damme’s sponsoring a new sports drink in Asia’ gossip you usually hear.

This chap knows Hugh Jackman’s trainer and told me just how far Hugh Jackman is dedicating himself to the role of the clawed mutant.
Jackman’s getting about three hours sleep a night at the moment and spending most of his hours in the gym. He wants to be the beefiest and muscliest he’s ever been to play Wolverine in the film. He was about 80kg in the original, maybe 90 in the second or third one, but he wants to pack on a little extra padding this time – hoping to get the scales to reflect a figure over 100.

I do like Jackman as Wolverine. I was one of his detractors when I first heard of the news, but Jackman played the role very well and won me over handily. I can see Jackman wanting to do his best to look the part, and I think the fans will appreciate his dedication very much. Wolverine is a muscular hairy dude, the bigger and harrier Jackman can get for this role - the better.

This news is not confirmed, but we will be able to judge for ourselves when the film comes out. This news does not seem too far fetched to me, Jackman would naturally and wisely use this film as an opportunity to shine; he might as well exceed all expectations. We need action stars, people love action movies and muscle dudes. 300 and Beowulf have thrown wide the doors of macho - now Jackman worships at the temple.

There is a very fine line between Censorship and social responsibility. As a matter of fact, I would suggest there is no line, the two are one in the same. You can dress it up however you want and make up fake distinctions… but the fact of the matter is that any act of socially responsible rules of restraint are indeed censorship. That doesn’t mean it’s all bad… sometime censorship can be a good thing. Sorry, but it’s true. Radio hosts should NOT be allowed to get on air and call all black people “niggers”. Italians should not be constantly referred to as “all dirty mob scum”. Mexicans should not be referred to a “all thieves”. Whenever we socially enforce these common sense “rules” we are engaging in censorship, and that’s a GOOD thing.

Censorship in and of itself is not BAD. It is a case by case situation where many shades of grey exist and has to be navigated with caution. Some things are clear, some things are not so clear. But behind all censorship, good or bad, is the notion, right or wrong, of the greater good of society. Thus, since we all engage in censorship that we believe is for the greater good, we have to be very careful when judging other people’s interpretation of that. Take Thailand for example.

Variety gives us this:

The rating system is made up of “P” (films that are of educational value and should be promoted for Thai auds), “G” (fit for all age groups), “under 13 not admitted,” “under 15 not admitted,” “under 18 not admitted” and “under 20 not admitted.” However, it does not include an “under 24″ category which had been discussed in some media circles.

Notably, the Film Act authorizes the state to forbid the release of movies that “undermine or disrupt social order and moral decency, or that might impact national security or the pride of the nation”. Another point set to enrage film bizzers is the article that sees the country’s chief of police join the National Film and Video Committee.

I honestly don’t know how I feel about that. I hate the idea of a government deciding what I can and can not watch… but on the other hand we have that in our own culture too, just in different ways. Personally, I still take the position that this Thai law sucks… HOWEVER… I can understand a society deciding it’s own values and ideas of what is right or wrong for itself and it’s culture. It’s a tricky topic that deserves a lot more discussion around here I think

Another poster kids! We have obtained the poster for Over Her Dead Body thanks to our friends at comingsoon:

From what I can tell, this movie looks like a comedic version of the legendary Patrick Swayze film Ghost. I can see a ton of opportunities for hilarity with a story like this. For example, right after Eva Longoria dies, she can come back to spy on Paul Rudd and catch him beating off to crazy porno the day after she has expired. She will then use her ghost powers to keep bringing up the Disney website and interrupt his bitchin’ whack off session.

This poster is not conjuring strong emotions within me. Eva Longoria lying on anything is a good picture, but she doesn’t have enough oomph in this poster. She should be mostly nude wrestling a centaur in heaven - that is an image that would put asses in seats. As always, Boris Vallejo needs a call.