More first person handicam films are on the way. It looks like DreamWorks has acquired the super thrifty, haunted house film Paranormal Activity. We get the skinny from our friends at comingsoon:

DreamWorks Pictures has acquired all domestic and remake rights to Slamdance Fest entry Paranormal Activity, Oren Peli’s micro-budget hand-held haunted house pic. The film likely will be released in the U.S. direct to DVD, but IM Global picked up all international rights; the movie will be included on its upcoming Berlin slate.

Peli shot the film over one week with a high-def camera in his own house with two unknown actors, Katie Featherstone and Micah Sloat, who manned the camera much of the time. Jason Blum will produce, and Steven Schneider will executive produce the new film. DreamWorks’ Ashley Brooks will oversee the film and its remake for president of production Adam Goodman.

I have mixed feeling about this news. I think it is fantastic that movies are able to be made on the cheap, and people of vision are able to spin their tales. A good story is still a good story and if you can tell it using one camera and an IMac - I am all for it. I just hope we don’t see a ton of first person “camcorder” films because of the success of Cloverfield. It was a cool idea, and you can use it when it suits the project - but I find them to be horribly off-putting (I get sea sick) and much prefer traditional cinematography.

I am not saying that you need to use professional equipment to make the film. In fact, if you use a camcorder to frame the shots and tell your story - that is bitchin. I just will not welcome a glut of films that are shot in the first person. If you switch back and forth - that is fine, but I prefer to get all my first person perspective form playing video games, and living life.

All that being said, a ghost story may suit this type of filmmaking very well. Most everyone will have “camcorder days” in their home, and if you caught a ghost on cam - you may continue to document the happenings of the house. I would throw the camera against the wall and move; but to each their own. Skeptical as I am, the idea sounds cool and it will be interesting to see how this fares in the direct to DVD market.

International friends - what are your thoughts?

Good sweet gracious! It looks like we have another poster to share today, this time the Leatherheads are up thanks to our friends at comingsoon via slashfilm:

I think this could be a delightful film, I enjoy Clooney and John Krasinski; and from what I have seen, they seem to have great chemistry. Clooney looks surly with the black eye and should consider wearing one out to his next red carpet appearance. That would be bad-ass, he could bring a feral wolf as a date and hold his pants up with an cut off piece of an extension cord (with the plug end still on). Then he could use a stone hatchet to scalp Joan Rivers whilst screaming “I have the Scalp Of The Demon Queen (+3 Charisma), my mission is accomplished!”

Leatherheads is set for release April 4, 2008.

New rumors are suggesting that CGI will finish Ledger’s work in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and not Mr. Johnny Depp! We get the scoop from the WEBMASTER at Filmjunk:

Initial reports stated that Johnny Depp may be brought on board to replace Ledger. Since the movie involved a character falling through a mirror into an alternate world, it was thought that maybe they could keep Ledger’s performance in the real world, but substitute a different actor for his character in the alternate world. However, according to Christopher Plummer, who plays Doctor Parnassus, Terry Gilliam is currently seeking out a way to use CGI to keep all of Ledger’s scenes in the picture.

Well early on we guessed that this could be a possibility. To pull it off will take a work of animation ingenuity the likes of which - we have yet to see. We will also need a voice actor that is gifted in the art of mimicry akin to the Terminator. IF they can pull this off - the film will be championed as a crowning achievement, if not - it will come off as incredibly awkward. This is certainly a brave road they are taking, (if they are taking it) and I must admit - I am very curious to see how it turns out. Will they use traditional CGI or motion capture? I am curious about and I am certain these details will filter down soon if this news be true.

This raises another question for me. If they are able to make animation so lifelike that it appears to be the “real deal”, will we see virtual actors in the future? If you can build up a character the way you want them to; then get the best voice talent available, I think you could have a fantastic marriage that could lend itself to some interesting projects. If you were to do this, you would have to go all out. When you have a mix of humans and CGI characters, the flesh and blood characters usually give wooden performances.

This film sounds cool, and it is a shame on many levels that it is not going to be made the way it was intended. I cannot even imagine the stress that Gilliam and crew are going through. We will continue to report news of this project, and I follow the news personally with great interest.

I’ve said it a hundred times here on The Movie Blog, but it’s worth repeating again. Ratatouille is one of the best films of 2007, and without question deserved at least a nomination for Best Film at the upcoming Oscars this year. But the more and more I think about it, the more disturbed I am that it didn’t get one of those honored spots.

Consider the following:

1) The #1 rated wide release film of 2007 on RottenTomates

2) The #1 rated film of 2007 on Metacritic

3) World Wide box office results (Box office is NOT a measurement of the quality of a film, however, it’s worth mentioning here just as an illustration that it wasn’t just critics who loved this movie) Ratatouille made almost DOUBLE the box office results for ALL THE 5 NOMINATED FILMS COMBINED. Ratatouille made $630 million while all the other films put together made about $357 million (Juno - $107, No Country - $64, Michael Clayton - $76, There will be blood - $16, Atonement - $94)

This all leads me to ask again…. WHY? Why wasn’t this #1 rated movie of 2007 considered worthy of at least a nomination in the “Best Film” category? As a matter of fact, it was never even really considered. So I thought I’d throw this out to you guys and ask:

“Why do you think Ratatouille wasn’t nominated for Best Picture”?

Is it one of these reasons, or any other you think of:

- Animated films aren’t considered real movies
- Family films aren’t considered art
- If it doesn’t show how evil the world can be, it’s not good enough
- They have a category of their own
- It just simply wasn’t good enough to be nominated

So what do you think?

We have a slew of posters today! We get the new Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian poster thanks to our friends at moviesonline:

Of all the posters that I have thrown up today, this is my least favorite. I am not a fan of photoshop posters where you have a lot of floating heads. It is like I stumbled into a cannibal camp and they have a pole with heads hanging from strings (only less cool… and the faces in this poster have sunnier dispositions).

I though the first Chroncles Of Narnia film was alright, and will certainly check out the second installment.

This looks like it could be a lot of fun to me. Yahoo News gives us this description of the new project “Me and Orson Welles”

movie, which centers on a high school student (Efron) who, while strolling the streets of New York, happens upon the yet-to-open Mercury Theatre and is noticed by its mercurial founder, Orson Welles. He lands a bit part in “Julius Caesar,” the production that catapulted Welles to the top, and in the process learns about life and love.

The cast for the film looks pretty promising. Claire Danes (Stardust), Eddie Marsan (“The Illusionist”), Leo Bill (“Becoming Jane”) Imogen Poots (“28 Weeks Later”) Zac Efron (Hairspray) and Ben Chaplin (“The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep”). But I’ll be honest… the name that really makes this for me is Danes. I am so in love with this girl it defies imagination. I’ve always appreciated Danes as an actress, but she totally blew me away with how much pure innocent charm she generated in “Stardust” and she made a fan for life out of me. Anything she’s in, I’ll give a shot.

The film is being directed by Richard Linklater, who I have mixed feelings about. Bad News Bears (the remake) was some of the worst screen trash I’ve seen in my life. A Scanner Darkly was over-praised blandness. However, the man also did School of Rock and Before Sunrise… so he’s sort of hit and miss… but his “hits” have been good enough to warrant curiosity.

Mmmmm… Claire Danes.

Thanks to moviesonline for the heads up on this Shutter poster - check it out!

Here is the plot synopsis from IMDB: A newly married couple discovers disturbing, ghostly images in photographs they develop after a tragic accident. Fearing the manifestations may be connected, they investigate and learn that some mysteries are better left unsolved.

Shutter is a remake of a Thai horror film, the track record for asian horror remakes has not been sterling; let’s hope they buck the trend with this one. Considering the plot of this film - I do appreciate this poster. I find myself disappointed often with movie posters, but this one actually looks decent. We could have done without the self promoting script at the top, but that is my only quibble. While the collage in the background does not actually create a picture, it is a nice touch to fill in the washed out ghastly face.

What do you guys think? Are you interested in this film and what are your thoughts on the poster.

The word on the street has been very positive when it comes to Son Of Rambow. Set for a limited release date of May 2, 2008, Son Of Rambo may be difficult for you to track down , but it looks like a lot of fun. Thanks to ropeofsilicon for the poster hookup, and please check out the trailer at the bottom the page!

You knew that with the recent passing of Chess legend Bobby Fischer, another bopic movie on his life would be soon coming. Yes there was already a movie made with his name on it (Searching For Bobby Fischer) but that’s not really about him… biopics are all the rage (to be honest, I generally really like them as long as they’re not about musicians for the most part). And there is no denying that Bobby Fischer is one hell of an interesting character.

Yes, the man was a Chess god. But he was also extremely controversial… hated the United States… seems to have hated jews… for from most accounts was something of a whack job. A REAL movie on his life would be fascinating… but this is Hollywood so it appears we’re going to get a polished up shiny happy version instead called Bobby Fischer Goes To War, which will apparently just focus on his famous victory over Boris Spassky in the World Chess Championship in 1972. But there is much more to the man than that as our friends over at RopeofSilicon point out:

Fischer recently passed away and one thing that was overlooked by most media outlets and only mentioned in passing was Fischer’s comments, anti-Semitic rants and an eccentric and reclusive nature. Well, I can only wonder if the following audio (At the bottom of this post) will be featured in Macdonald’s movie or if it will be completely ignored and will champion Fischer as a chess hero or the man he really was.

Included below is a short video of Bobby Fischer. I have to warn you, about half way through the video an interview with Fischer plays that was recorded just after 9-11. It’s terribly offensive and quite frankly shocking. I think a movie on the life of this man would be riviting… but not a Hollywood glamorized version that doesn’t look at all the dimensions of the man.

This is going to be a big year for Robert Downey Jr and it looks like ShoWest has decided to honor him early. We get the scoop from the professionals at Variety:

Robert Downey Jr. will be presented with ShoWest’s Male Star of the Year award at the confab’s closing night ceremony March 13. Downey Jr. next will be seen in “Charlie Bartlett,” bowing Feb. 22. He’ll also be starring as the titular character in Marvel Entertainment’s “Iron Man,” due May 2.

ShoWest 2008 will run March 10-13 at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas casinos.

Robert Downey Jr. looks like he is going to rule the role of Tony Stark. I am very much looking forward to Iron Man and am itching to see it. My love for robot armor is the primary reason for drooling over this film; but from what I have seen - it looks like Downey will be bringing us one of the best performances in a comic book movie to date. Him getting this award only confirms my suspicions and further fans the flames of excitement.

May 2nd will be upon us soon enough and I will be there with bells on.

One Robert Downey Jr. film that I loved, and need to watch again is Chaplin. He was outstanding in that role, and watching the story of one of Hollywood’s earliest comedic geniuses was quite a treat for me. Robert honored Chaplin with his performance and if you have not yet had a chance to see the film - you should certainly check it out.

Since I was a little girl, I have had a MASSIVE crush on this actor. He was the only reason why I would endure watching ‘Law and Order’ at such a young age. After his run on ‘Law and Order,’ I thought he would hit super stardom when he started appearing in big Hollywood films such as ‘Demolition Man,’ and ‘The River Wild.’ However, Benjamin Bratt’s biggest claim to fame (to this day) is that he was Julia Robert’s boyfriend for many years.

This unfortunately was all he was known for, and it became detrimental to his film career. It was 2001’s Pinero, that made me truly see how good of an actor Benjamin Bratt really is. His portrayal of the late poet/playwright was surprisingly well done, yet was hardly noticed by the general public.

Unfortunately, Ben almost committed career suicide when he took on the role as Halle Berry’s love interest in ‘Catwoman.’ He has appeared on mini series, failed television shows, but this year he has two high profile films coming out called ‘Trucker’ and Steven Soderbergh’s two part films,‘The Argentine’ and ‘Guerilla.’ (A director he worked with in ‘Traffic.’) Will this talented and sexy actor finally get his comeback?

I’m a big fan of the first Hellboy movie and I’m also a big fan of Empire Magaize… so I was pretty giddy to see this latest cover:

Guillermo del Toro is rapidly becoming one of my absolute favorite directors. He’s got that Steven Spielberg quality to him that allows him to excell in just about any genre he puts his hands to. From Blade 2, to Hellboy, to Pan’s Labyrinth… and now he’s confirmed to do The Hobbit films… the dude is making one hell of a resume for himslef!

Woody and The Weinsteins have teamed up to deliver “Vicky Cristina Barcelona“. We get the scoop, and following plot details from the mystical caves of yahoo:

The Weinstein Co. has picked up North American distribution rights to Woody Allen’s romantic comedy/drama “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” starring Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson.

Patricia Clarkson, Kevin Dunn, Rebecca Hall and Chris Messina also star in the tale of Vicky and Christina (Hall and Johansson), two Americans vacationing in the title’s Spanish city, who become part of a chain of romances involving an artist (Bardem) and his nutty ex-wife (Cruz). A steamy menage a trois sequence between Bardem, Cruz and Johansson was the talk of the American Film Market when it previewed in Santa Monica in November.

Well, I could pretend that I am going to see this movie for other reasons; but I think it is safe to say that most will have interest in this film because Woody set up a bitchin’ 3-way with Bardem, Cruz and Johansson. A scene like this can create a lot of buzz, and with the Weinsteins backing the film, I am wondering if we will see Woody on more screens than we are accustomed to. A story about 2 American sluts celebrating perversity in Barcelona has both international and universal appeal.

The cast looks solid and Javier is red hot right now coming off of his legendary performance in No Country For Old Men. Before that performance, I was unfamiliar with the man - but now I will certainly be interested in following his blood trail from film to film. His real life relationship with Cruz could make for some very good on screen chemistry and it should be a delight to see them play off of one another as a divorced couple. It gives the two a chance to act out what their post relationship will look like. Scarlet Johansson is a welcome addition to anything, and having Rebecca Hall play alongside her makes for quite the dynamic duo.

So far it looks like the film is slotted for a limited release date Jan 2009. I hope that with Weinstein backing we can expect to see the number of screens grow between now and then. I am certainly interested in this project and am looking forward to checking it out as soon as possible. We will be sure to keep you up to speed on this one; it sounds delightful!

Sometimes you just look at a character and you know exactly what is up; with a single glance - you are able to read volumes about them. General Chang is such a man. Robust armor, fumanchu mustache, bald head and an eye-patch that is directly riveted into the skull (!!!) suggests a man that is both without fear or regret; this man celebrates his life, scars and all.

With a mighty bone walking stick you re left wondering; what great beast or foe was it taken from, and how ferocious must the creature have been to have its skeletal remains become a prized possession of the Klingon that took its life.

Christopher Plummer actually suggested a more human (original series) looking Klingon for Chang. If I would have heard this news before the film, I would have ripped a strip off of Plummer, but hindsight has revealed the genius of his decision. Although Chang resembles a human more than most Klingons - he comes off as a king amongst them. He is a Klingon’s Klingon and you never doubt it for a second. Plummer did not need to hide behind extra makeup - he became Klingon.

General Chang’s appreciation for the literature and customs of his foe, (humans) also reveals much about him. As much as he would like to kill humans all day long, he respects them as warriors, and admires their ability. Chang venerates his enemy, because he knows that without them - there is no battle.

A true champion puts his title on the line and tests himself against the strongest of opponents. Chang does this with Kirk and also with his personal study of Shakespeare. He comes off as a scholar on one on earths most prized literary figures, committing an impressive amount of his work to memory. In the film, amongst the company of humans , Chang even has the gall to suggest that he prefers the original Klingon language version. His appreciation for all things human is great, but his belief in Klingon superiority is absolute.

The StarTrek franchise had an insanely powerful villain in Khan, and Chang sits beside him as a foe of legendary reputation and cunning. Kirk is remembered as a warrior, not only for who he was; but who he has defeated. I bet Chang himself would have deemed it an honor to have Kirk showcase his eye-patched skull in the Enterprise library.

International friends - please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions of General Chang. Together, let us celebrate this beloved character.

KAPLAH!

Yesterday, I revealed some pretty nasty news that Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes has acquired the rights to remake ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street.’ It turns out that horror fans may not be AS disappointed to learn that Robert Englund might still reprise the infamous killer, Freddy Krueger.

Moviehole.net gives us this news:

The bad news? They’re still planning to reboot the “Elm Street” series.
The good news? We mightn’t be getting a new Freddy after all.
We’ve heard today that Robert Englund will be approached about reprising his role as Fred Krueger in the “Nightmare on Elm Street” remake. And so they bloody well should.

Well if this is true, then Robert Englund would be crazy to turn this down. However, what the f*ck is the point of remaking this film now? Would it even be a remake if you have the same actor reprising the same role of the notorious killer? Wouldn’t it just be another sequel?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. After all, there is only ONE Freddy Krueger. Just if they cast Robert Englund, what’s the use re-vamping the franchise?

Your thoughts?

Yes, I know we have seen plenty of one sheets for Neil Marshall’s upcoming and highly anticipated (at least in my crowd) film ‘Doomsday.’ However, these posters are so cool, I just have to post the latest one sheet.

Arrowinthehead.com got their hands on the exclusive first look at this poster:

So does this poster make you more excited to see ‘Doomsday?’

The film hits screen March 14, 2008. See you there!

Since Mark Romanek has bowed down to direct ‘The Wolfman’ remake, it seems that Universal is looking for at Brett Ratner to ruin…sorry I meant direct the film.

Cinematical gives us this news:

The latest flurry of Ratner rage was brought on by a story over at AICN which claims the director is Universal’s choice to replace Mark Romanek on The Wolfman. While the news is not official yet, there’s definitely enough here to hurt your ears. Here’s hoping Universal listens to the cries and goes in a different direction.

Yeah…this news definitely hurts my ears. You see, I never disliked Brett Ratner. I don’t know how to describe how I feel about this man. Hmm… he’s kind of like that insecure, sexual girl you feel bad for because she always gets made fun of by everyone for being a slut. However, the second she eyes your brother, you jump on the bandwagon. (Yep, that analogy unfortunately has happened to me. lol)

I know fanboys were upset at what he did to ‘X-Men 3,’ but it never affected me. Now, that he’s in talks to remake a Universal classic and that he could potentially turn it into a Van Helsing meets Cursed werewolf film, I finally understand the fury of the fanboys. (I’m sorry for not being more empathetic.)

So what is your reaction to this news?

Comingsoon.net has got their hands on the new poster for Tyler Perry’s new dramedy, ‘Meet The Browns.’

I must admit, it took me almost a year to watch ‘Diary of a Mad Black Woman.’ It just looked like a horrible ‘Nutty Professor’ rip off from the trailers. I hadn’t known the film was based off Tyler Perry’s successful plays, but I eventually gave it a chance because I found out cutie Shemar Moore was in the film. :P

I was pleasantly surprised when I had watched the first film of his series, because it was not at all what I expected it to be. It was moving and it was touching and it made me realize that Tyler Perry can write very empowering films, especially for women. (That “grit-ball” scene in ‘Madea’s Family Reunion’ made me cheer!)

I watched the second ‘Madea’ film as soon as it came out. (It wasn’t just because my number one celebrity crush, Boris Kodjoe was in it either! :P)

Tyler Perry has released other films like ‘Daddy’s Little Girls’ and ‘Why Did I Get Married?, but I’ve always been jonsing for a new ‘Madea’ film. The next chapter in the Madea family series is due to come out March 21st. I will definitely be seeing it. (and it’s NOT just because of cutie Rick Fox either.)

Gee…I never realized how boy crazy I was until I wrote this article. :P

Matt Reeves,who has finally got his big break for his first successful directorial effort with ‘Cloverfield’; is in early talks to with Paramount to direct the sequel to the smash ‘monster’ hit.

Comingsoon.net gives us these details:

Variety says the timing of the projects will depend on how quickly Paramount can complete discussions with Reeves, producer J.J. Abrams and writer Drew Goddard to come up with another monster story for the Cloverfield sequel. There’s a good chance the sequel will be Reeves’ next film, in which case he will direct The Invisible Woman afterward.

Really, is anybody surprised about this news? After it’s successful opening and critical praise, there was no doubt in mind there was going to be a sequel to this film. Even the end of the movie hints at it with an unknown object falling into the ocean. (Finally saw that the second time around.) Do I think a sequel is absolutely necessary? Nope. I think the novelty of what made the first film so different and interesting will definitely wear off before the sequel is even in production. If they avoid another hand held version, then I might be intrigued. Actually, I’m more interested in ‘The Invisible Woman’ more than seeing a sequel to a movie to could potentially ruin the feel of the first film. What are your thoughts?

Yes, it’s another sad day for horror fans. It has been recently announced that Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes production company (a.k.a. the company that tarnishes horror classics) will in fact be behind the ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ remake. F*CK!

Comingsoon.net gives us this rage worthy news:

Platinum Dunes partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form have been set by New Line to re-launch Freddy Krueger, the iconic psycho who haunts the subconscious dreams of teenagers and kills them in their sleep, reports Variety.

Both franchises will be given a complete overhaul, something that Platinum Dunes provided in the Nispel-directed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. New Line won’t hire a writer on “Nightmare” until the writers strike ends.

It’s pretty sad that Platinum Dunes has now acquired the rights to remake all the iconic horror movies. (Except for ‘Halloween.’) Leatherface, Jason, and now Freddy Krueger are now property of Michael Bay.

The good news is that the “nightmare” (in more ways than one) won’t begin until this dreaded writers’ strike is over. Also, the other good news is that aspiring horror screenwriters like myself should now feel more confident about their original scripts and their creativity for they are rarities in this field now.

Honestly, I don’t know what else to say about this news. All I can think of is a long incoherent string of swear words.

What are your thoughts?

Well it looks like Harvey Weinstein has not yet had his fill of John Rambo. We get word today that he is interested in putting out another shoot em up with the legendary bowman. This story comes to us from the mouth of Weinstein, thanks to our friends at firstshowing:

Harvey Weinstein, of The Weinstein Company, mentioned to Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood that he wants to see yet another sequel, and “even has a plot in mind ‘bringing the character back to the United States’.” Although the franchise presumably just finished up with the fourth Rambo film, apparently Harvey still has more in mind. Harvey, who turns 56 in March, told Nikki Finke that “I like the idea of an older guy kicking ass. Maybe it’s because I’m older, too.” Who doesn’t like the idea of a 61-year-old Sylvester Stallone kicking more ass?

The last Rambo really wrapped up the character and ended as a last hurrah. I however would certainly be game for another Rambo film. People could set the family farm ablaze and Rambo sets off to kill them. Maybe Rambo goes to a remote village in South Dakota, gets a piss-poor omelet at a breakfast joint and becomes so enraged that he sets the whole town aflame. Any set up would be better than the one in the last film, just get balls deep into the crazy bow hunting, knife wielding and gun toting ASAP and I am all for it.

The last Rambo was an all out assault. I was blown away by the amount and quality of the violence. A few moments actually made me queasy and I thought the phrase “war sucks” more than a few times. Rambo made me appreciate Switzerland a whole lot more.

Although I would be game to see another Rambo massacre-festival I am not certain it would be the right thing to do based on how they “wrapped” the series with the previous film. International friends - would you like to see another Rambo film with Harvey and me, or should they just leave well enough alone?

It is difficult to bring up the topic of the new Batman movie without still having the death of Heath Ledger fresh on our minds, but as cliche as it sounds “the show must go on”, and I’m sure Heath wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. This is “The Movie Blog” and The Dark Knight is still coming, and with that in mind…

Our friends over at ComingSoon have gotten their hands on a couple of new Batman images that give a solid view on 2 points of contention:

1) The Bat-Outfit. At first I actually really liked the new design of the Batman costume while a lot of other people hated it. I have to admit the more I see of the new outfit, the more I’m starting to dislike it. Keep in mind, the design of the outfit will have NOTHING to do with how good the movie itself is… so even if it is a bad design (which is still up for debate) that doesn’t mean the movie won’t be great.

2) A smaller Christian Bale. Folks, I watched Batman Begins again last night… and it only reinforced my disappointment with how much smaller Christian Bale is this time around. In the picture below, Bale has to be at least 20-25 pounds down from the amazing condition he was in for the first Batman flick. Once again, that says nothing about how good the movie itself will be… it’s just a minor point of sadness for me. I want to see a Batman that looks like he’s about to rip your head off…. instead of one that looks like he’s about to do my taxes for me.

It shouldn’t surprise anybody that another ‘Saw’ film was in the making.

Shocktillyoudrop also acquired some also not so surprising news about the fifth installment to the popular and money making franchise.

Shocktillyoudrop gives us these details:

As the producers of the franchise have told us, you can’t have a “Saw” film without Tobin Bell. So, with that said, word has trickled in via IGN and B-D that Bell is confirmed to return in Saw V. He’ll be joined by Costas Mandylor and Scott Patterson as Detective Hoffman and FBI Agent Strahm, respectively

Tobin Bell is easiest the best part of the ‘Saw’ series, and although he had actually some surprisingly strong scenes in ‘Saw 4,’ I felt that killing his character off and only showing him through flashbacks was not a smart idea, and I think the series will pay for that in later installments. (You know there will be more!) I actually was part of the small group that didn’t think ‘Saw 4′ was as atrocious as everybody made it out to be. Yes, I know the director and a few actors from the series, so my opinion is a little bias. However, from a horror fan’s point of view, there have been plenty WORSE horror sequels to watch.

I admired the movie for actually thinking of clever ways to fill the major plot holes from the films before. Although, I have to admit, ‘Saw 4’s finale was AWFUL. It was rushed, it didn’t make sense, it didn’t fit, and it made me realize that some of the returning actors were given very thankless roles.

It also let me know that all the plot holes and issues that didn’t make sense will not be solved until the next film. This is a pattern that will frustrate me to no end if I keep seeing these films. So, although I’ve enjoyed the series this far, I’m not really looking forward to the next installment.

What are your thoughts?

Well it looks like they have cast Duke for the upcoming G.I. Joe film, we get the scoop today thanks to our friends at ropeofsilicon:

Ain’t It Cool News is reporting that Channing Tatum is set to take the lead of the Joe’s in Paramount’s G.I. Joe for director Stephen Sommers. The site reports they have been told a press release will be going out to the trades Monday afternoon reporting the news confirming the Step Up star will be taking one of fanboy’s most coveted roles.

Well, I was certainly hoping for a bigger name, and someone older when it came to Duke…but god damn, it sure looks like Tatum can rock an outstanding flat top haircut. He also looks solid in the trailer for Stop Loss. I must admit, I do not know enough about this guy to have a solid opinion either way, but he fits the bill physically - and that is a step in the right direction.

I am still very skeptical about this film. I want it to be awesome more than I want world peace, and I hope it delivers the goods. Tons of horrible rumors have been swirling around since news of this film began, and most people are not expecting much.

Just the other day I was reminiscing about the Dreadnaughts’ rock band Cold Slither, and started to hum the song to myself. G.I. Joe had gobs of great episodes and I have fond memories of the series. Since I was a child I have wanted to see a live action movie of the show (even more than Transformers) and I pray to all the gods of olympus that it is an enjoyable experience. I reluctantly hope for the best, and until then …..

We have obtained a first look at the upcoming Pixar/Disney 2-D animated film Up. We get the following pic and plot synopsis thanks to our friends at the movieweb:

This coming-of-old-age story revolves around a seventy-something guy who lives in a house that “looks like your grandparents’ house smelled.” He befriends a clueless young Wilderness Ranger and gets into lots of altercations. Says Pixar: “Our hero travels the globe, fights beasts and villains and eats dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon.”

This picture, is a picture, of a picture that currently hanging in Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. Thanks to the awesome power of the internet, we are able to have a look for ourselves. It isn’t much of a sneak peek, we see the backside of the film’s main character and some airplanes - but it is a start at least.

I am pumped that the Pixar/Disney team are dedicated to putting out 2-D films. I love 2-D animation and think it is hilarious that Pixar, (the 3-D lords) are the ones to champion Disney’s renewed cartoon focus. It will be interesting to see a septuagenarian hero in action, and with luck we will have more interesting pictures to show you shortly.

The SAG and DGA awards took place last night, and it should be no surprise that the Coen Brothers are definitely going to win multiple statues at the Oscars this year, for they were (as well as their cast) the major winners at both ceremonies. Firsthowing.net gives us this complete list of the winners:

Directors Guild of America Awards

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film:Joel Coen & Ethan Coen- No Country For Old Men
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary:Asger Leth - Ghosts of Cite Soleil

Screen Actors Guild Awards

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture-No Country for Old Men
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role-

Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role-Julie Christie - Away From Her
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role-Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role-Ruby Dee - American Gangster
Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture-The Bourne Ultimatum

I can’t say I can complain about this list. Well, maybe Ruby Dee’s win I would reconsider. Although I thought all the performances in ‘American Gangster’ were solid, I don’t think any were “award-winning.” The one I’m definitely cheering for is Javier Bardem’s win, who was the best part of ‘No Country for Old Men’ in my opinion. (Anyone who makes an air compressor scarier than a hatchet or a machete definitely has my vote!) I have yet to see ‘There Will be Blood,’ but I’ve heard amazing things about Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance. There’s still no doubt in my mind that ‘There Will be Blood’ and ‘No Country for Old Men’ will be the major winners at this year’s Academy Awards. So what are your thoughts?

We have obtained a trailer for the upcoming film Smart People that stars Denis Quiad, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church and Ellem Page. Check it out!

Thomas is rocking one bad- ass mustache in this movie! I will not lie - it is reason enough for me to see it.

Last night was the Screen Actors Guild awards show, the first of which had celebrities and a telecast.

A montage of the recently passed Heath Ledger paid tribute to this actor on the verge of greatness. However this was not the only mention of Ledger during the awards, as Daniel Day Lewis gave tribute with his own personal message.

TVGuide says:

Accepting the award for best actor in a film (There Will Be Blood) and reflecting on his ongoing discovery as a performer, Day-Lewis said, “There are many actors in this room tonight… who have given me that sense of regeneration, and Heath Ledger gave it to me. In Monster’s Ball, that character he created seemed to be almost like an unformed being retreating from himself, his father, his life… and yet we wanted to follow him. It was unique.”

Now a lot of people were calling Ledger a b-list actor, and I think this had to do with his previous choice of movies. They typically were teen fluff movies or adventure films, and only once he did Brokeback Mountain did anyone actually even consider him a real actor.

I think it is fitting that Ledger’s potential is recognized by Daniel Day Lewis.

We will never know just how far Heath will have gone, but his impact on those around him is clearly felt.

Hold on to your hats kids, it looks like Guillermo del Toro is directing The Hobbit. Not just one, but BOTH of the upcoming Lord of the Rings prequels!

We’ve known for some time that it was either going to come down to Guillermo del Toro or Sam Raimi, and it looks like for one reason or another, Guillermo del Toro is going to be the one heading back to the Shire! The folks at Yahoo News give us this:

Guillermo del Toro is in talks to direct back-to-back installments of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” which is being co-financed by New Line and MGM.

Few filmmakers have the cachet that del Toro has, as well as a deep love for the source material, an assured grasp of fantasy filmmaking and an understanding and command of geek culture as well as its respect. Del Toro has built that goodwill through such films as the Oscar-nominated “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Hellboy,” “Blade 2″ (which was made by New Line) and “The Devil’s Backbone.”

All I can say is.. WOW! This is probably the ideal situation. I’ve personally been very big on the idea of either a Raimi or perhaps a Frank Darabont vision of middle earth, but in reality there probably isn’t anyone better for this particular job on the face of the earth than Guillermo del Toro (with the understanding that Jackson wasn’t going to do it himself). del Toro has a visionscape for an imagination and knows how to completely NAIL the idea of darker fantasy without it seeming childish at the same time (Pan’s Labyrinth is one of the best fantasy/fairy tale movies I’ve ever seen).

This is terrific news! So what do you think? Excited to see del Toro take the reigns, or was there another director you were really hoping for?

20 years from now, when China wipes North American culture off the face of the earth and no one misses it in the least, historians will discuss the question of notable events in the downfall of western culture and what event truly marked the beginning of the end. What moment stood out above any other and really shouted “Our society is hopelessly lost”? Without question, those future historians will look back on January of 2008 and in one united voice proclaim that the unmistakable sign of how pathetic North America and its people had really become… was the day those people flocked out like sheep to the buzz clippers to see “Meet The Spartans” and made it the #1 movie at the box office. Yes… even beating out Rambo.

“That…” they’ll say, “… is when we really knew we were fucked”.

I’m one of those people who tries his best to be an optimist when it comes to the basic ideas of human goodness and intelligence. My philosophy has changed overnight.

What makes matters even worse, as my colleague Brad over at RopeofSilicon points out, is that in just one weekend, at over $18 million dollars, Meet The Spartans made more money than the entire theatrical run of these far superior films:

* Into the Wild ($17,760,235)
* Eastern Promises ($17,266,000)
* There Will be Blood ($14,764,000)
* The Diving Bell and the Butterfly ($3,135,000)
* The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford ($3,897,691)
* The Kite Runner ($13,873,000)
* Once ($9,439,923)

So long. And thanks for all the fish.

We love our lists here, so I figured it was my sworn duty to cover this one. The list of the Top 20 Geek Movies of all time! I hold true to my geek status around here trumping even Doug and his Magic the Gathering playing and John’s occasional RPG playing.

Hop over to ListVerse to see their full explanation for this list:

20. Pirates of Silicon Valley 1999, Martyn Burke
19. Short Circuit 1986, John Badham
18. Hackers 1995, Iain Softley
17. Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan 1982, Nicholas Meyer
16. WarGames 1983, John Badham
15. Repo Man 1984, Alex Cox
14. Planet of the Apes 1968, Franklin J. Schaffner
13. Alien Quadrilogy 1979, Ridley Scott
12. Akira 1988, Katsuhiro Ôtomo
11. Pi 1998, Darren Aronofsky
10. Office Space 1999, Mike Judge
9. The Original Star Wars 1977, George Lucas
8. The Matrix 1999, Larry and Andy Wachowski
7. Metropolis 1927, Fritz Lang
6. Brazil 1985, Terry Gilliam
5. Serenity 2005, Joss Whedon
4. Lord of the Rings 2001, Peter Jackson
3. Spaceballs 1987, Mel Brooks
2. Bladerunner 1982, Ridley ScottAnd lastly..1. 2001 1968, Stanley Kubric

Now the gauge of a geeky movie has to be by its quotability among geeks. So to express my favourites on the list, I will simply pay tribute to those I felt deserve this title.

No Disassemble! Khan!!!!! Would you like to play a game? Damn dirty apes. You Bitch! Akira! Its my stapler. That’s no moon. There is no spoon. In their proper place, the depths. I aim to misbehave. One Ring to rule them all. I see your Schwartz is just as big as mine. Routine retirement of a replicant. Hello Dave.

And in my bonifide geek status I revel in this list. An honourable mention was given to Tron which I felt could have squeaked in there instead of Repoman. But it ranks up there as well.

What movies do you think mark a geek? … or is it the geek that marks the movie?

Well it looks like the people behind The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus have come up with a plan to complete their project - and his name is Johny Depp. We get the scoop today from our friends at monsters and critics:

Johnny Depp is set to replace Heath Ledger in the tragic star’s latest film role. Heath, who was found dead in his hotel room earlier this week, was just six weeks away from wrapping ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’.

Director Terry Gilliam is keen for Johnny to shoot the remaining scenes as he thinks the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star would be the perfect replacement. A source said: “There is a point in the film when Heath falls through a magic mirror. He could change into another character after that and that is where Johnny would come in. “It’s a weird, fantasy, time-travel movie so Heath’s character could easily change appearance. It would be a poignant moment. Johnny’s not working at the moment so everyone is praying he will do it.”

Well I think this could be the best choice out of a myriad of unfortunate options. I really did not enjoy the when the oracle was switched in the third Matrix film, the line of dialogue that they added to address her change of “shell” was awkward and I wish they just went ahead as if nothing had changed. To switch actors in the same film should be even more awkward, but if anyone can pull it off - it would be Mr. Depp.

If the film is very, very wacky and a magical mirror is involved, then perhaps they can make this work. Travolta and Cage were able to switch characters with great effect in Face Off and If Depp can nail the mannerisms of Ledger’s character - who knows, this could save the film and surprise us all.

Depp has not yet confirmed the role so we will see if he is up to the task. It is certainly a heavy request at an awkward time, but I for one hope Johnny will give this one a go.

International friends, do you think that this film can be saved? Do you think that this is the best idea possible or do you have other ideas/suggestions that you deem superior?

Movie Blog reader Scott sent me this little video today that really captures the spirt of Indie movie sound tracks. Check it out:

Emmy Rossum has been blogging from Mexico about her life and times on the set of Dragonball. We get the scoop about this “blog action” from our friends at movieweb:

Emmy Rossum (The Phantom of the Opera) is currently in Mexico, where she is involved with the shooting of Dragon Ball. In the film, Rossum plays Bulma, a scientific genius who aids Goku (Justin Chatwin) after her father’s Dragonball is stolen by Piccolo (James Marsters). On the actress’s MySpace, she reported a bit from the set.

Apparently the movie is now filming just outside Dunas de Bilbao, which is about an hour away from Torreon. Rossum doesn’t provide many details about the state of filming, although she does spend a good two paragraphs discussing rabbits in the Mexican desert, and a pet rabbit she had as a child. She does however explain that she’s been getting to know Joon Park, who plays Yamcha in the film, fairly well. “I’m not allowed to spill any secrets, but our characters interact a lot in the film,” Rossum says. This suggests that the movie is retaining the relationship between Bulma and Yamcha from the anime and manga series of Dragon Ball.

So there you have it folks - not much news about the film other than the fact that Bulma and Yamcha are going to be continuing their relationship onto the silver screen. It is cool that Rossum is blogging about her experience and hopefully we will be able to glean more about the film as her entries continue on through production.

I read Rossum’s blog and her observations of Mexican rabbits delighted me. She came upon rabbits that stand 3 feet tall when upright! That is a big beefy rabbit! I am not used to rabbits this size and would certainly want to embrace one if I came upon one. Rabbits are delightful creatures and to see such a huge fuzzy mammal in the desert would be cause for celebration.

Upon seeing these rabbits Emmy was concerned about their eating situation (the desert is a barren land) this prompted her to Google what they ate and then she scammed some vegetables from catering and left a plate out for the bunnies. Emmy Rossum, you are a good egg and a friend to the rabbit kingdom. We salute your kindness to struggling desert mammals and look forward to more blog entries. For those of you that want to read her blog entry on the situation please follow this link:

We have more rumors regarding the next chapter in the life and times of Jack Ryan today from our friends at moviehole via ropeofsilicon:

A short while ago we learned via Moviehole.net that Ryan Gosling’s name was rumored to be at the top of the list to play a young Jack Ryan based on the character created by Tom Clancy. Well, more news has surfaced from the same source as Moviehole is now reporting that The Constant Gardener director Fernando Meirelles is rumored to be the front-runner to direct a new film called By Any Means Necessary.

So we cannot say that either Gosling or Meirelles are on board for sure, but we do appear to have a title in “By Any Means Necessary”. I enjoy the Jack Ryan films, my favorite is The Hunt For Red October. I saw that film twice in the theatre as a youngster and will still watch it on TV, should appear as I am flipping through the channels. That movie uses the old Soviet national anthem to great effect; this was the greatest national anthem ever written and it is a damn shame that Russia no longer uses it.

I am still wary on Gosling playing Jack Ryan, not because he doesn’t have ability - I just don’t think he looks the part. I have certainly been wrong before, If he does get the tap, I will not be saddened, but will certainly be curious to see how this plays out. Now word yet on when this is scheduled for release - but we will be sure to keep you posted.

For those of you that have not yet seen this video - here is Love Me Sexy.

Let’s fill a bathtub full of sweat!

This little film “Armored” is starting to stack up quite nicely in the cast department. A little movie that (as I understand it) follows a young armored car guard who is trying to keep a group of older guards from stealing his shipment. The premise is great, but what makes this project stand out to me is the cast they’ve lined up.

The film already had Matt Dillon, Fred Ward and Skeet Ulrich… and now they’ve just added Lawrence Fishburne, Jean Reno and Milo Ventimigila. That, is a very cool mix if you ask me (and no one did). Fishburne is wonderful is grity crime dramas, Jean Reno is just gold every time he’s on the screen, and trust me, Milo is going to be a huge star. Add them to Skeet, Dilion and Remo Williams himself (Fred Ward) and in theory is seems like a terrific mix.

I’ve always been a sucker for heist movies, and this one fits the bill, so why not?

Strange events in Astro Boy land today! It appears the current director has been fired and replaced! We get the scoop from our friends at first showing:

We’ve been covering Imagi Animation’s AstroBoy CGI flick for quite a while, posting the first official concept art photo and an interview with the director at the time, Colin Brady. The budding filmmaker has been a long-time visual effects artist and character developer for Imagi. However, in a very odd move, Imagi announced today that Flushed Away director David Bowers would be replacing Brady.

AstroBoy is the $50 million CGI project from Imagi Animation studios. The film is a revamp of the beloved Japanese manga series and has been described as an “epic sci-fi fantasy” movie with a “deep dark human struggle” that they’re going to explore.

I wonder what the hell happened to get Colin Brady canned. This was to be his directorial debut, I wonder if people started to panic at his lack of experience; or if the project was more than he could chew. At any rate, unless we hear further news from people involved in the situation - the best we can do is guess.

I never got into Astro Boy, but I know the character is beloved by many. I am all for stories about robots and will certainly be there to check the film out when it is done. Astro Boy always looks so friendly so it amuses me when they have him in stories that involve a “deep, dark human struggle”; it’s like seeing a clown at a funeral.

Astro Boy is scheduled for a 2009 release, so the change in directors should not have a drastic effect on the project. Any changes that need to be made are able to happen; time is on their side with this one. I am hard pressed to think of another director that has been removed from a project during production, if any of you can remember another time this has happened - please share.