The Movie Blog pointed me to this fantastic fan film on YouTube. Sacha Feiner, a movie and animated movie director, special effects creator and sculptor in Brussels, made his own version of the famous Gremlins 2 scene where the gremlins take over the projetor's booth. In the VHS version, the gremlins insert themselves into a John Wayne movie. Sacha has taken it further, and his film is just amazing. He made new gremlins puppets himself, and over two months filmed them with blue screen, and then did computer animation to put them in the other classic films. Watch the making of film here!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Gremlins Fan Film
Friday, August 29, 2008
First Che Trailer
Che is a 2008 film about Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Benicio del Toro as Che. The film is actually a merged version of two films by Soderbergh: The Argentine and Guerrilla. The first part focuses on the Cuban revolution, from the moment Fidel Castro, Guevara and other revolutionaries landed on the Caribbean island, until they toppled the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista two years later. The second part focuses on the years following the Cuban revolution. It begins with Che's trip to the United Nations headquarters in New York City in 1964, until his death in the Bolivian mountains in 1967.
Che was screened on May 21 at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival reportedly running over four hours. Del Toro won the Best Actor Award at the festival for his portrayal of Guevara in the film.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Forgot a button!
Just Jared posted this pic today of Gerard Butler out and about in New York. Gerry forgot a button ... or three. Not that we mind much...
Australia will now have Thanksgiving release date
Variety reports that Australia's US release date will now be at Thanksgiving, on November 26:
"Australia" was slated to release Stateside Nov. 14, about 48-hours after its November 13 world preem Down Under, but now the Oz date will also shift to tally with the U.S. Recently, Warner Bros. moved its next "Harry Potter" movie from Nov. 21 to next summer.
Saga of an English woman (Nicole Kidman) who comes to remote Australia and falls for a rugged cattle drover (Hugh Jackman) is set against the backdrop of World War II.
Pic lensed in locations around Oz during 2007, and director Baz Luhrmann is currently shooting pick-ups in Australia with lead thesps. Fox's date shift will buy Luhrmann a little more more time to finish the film.
Other Thanksgiving pics include Disney toon "Bolt," Cormac McCarthy adaptation "The Road" and another literary adaptation "Time Traveler's Wife."
Aaron Sorkin to write Facebook film
Hollywood Reporter writes:
Aaron Sorkin is about to get a whole lot of friends on Facebook.
Sorkin, one of the town's biggest writers and show creators, is in negotiations to write an untitled film project about the founders of the popular social networking site that Scott Rudin will produce for Columbia.
Sorkin broke the news on Facebook when he opened up his own account.
"I understand there are a few other people using Facebook pages under my name -- which I find more flattering than creepy -- but this is me. I don't know how I can prove that but feel free to test me," he wrote before going on to talk about the movie project.
"I figured a good first step in my preparation would be finding out what Facebook is, so I've started this page. (Actually it was started by my researcher, Ian Reichbach, because my grandmother has more Internet savvy than I do and she's been dead for 33 years.)"
Sorkin also asked the Facebook public for any stories relating to the site.
Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg while studying at Harvard along with pals Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. At first, membership was restricted to Harvard students, then expanded to all Ivy League schools before going on to open up for all universities and high schools in Canada and the U.S. The site now has more than 100 million users worldwide.
Despite offers in the billions of dollars, Zuckerberg has steadfastly remained independent.
"I feel about this introduction the way I felt about 'Sophie's Choice': It could have been funnier," Sorkin finished.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Brad Pitt & George Clooney at Burn premiere
Your gratuitous George Clooney pic of the day, with a bonus dollop of Brad, thanks to Just Jared. Burn After Reading had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, and Variety was unfortunately not overly thrilled in its review. I'll be seeing it anyway, to judge whether it's "too silly" myself.
New Still from I Love You Phillip Morris
"I Love You Phillip Morris" tells the story of Steven Russell (Jim Carrey), a married conman who found himself in a Texan prison where he fell in love with Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). Steven Russell tried to escape from prison four times, coming up with more and more elaborate plans, including once faking his own death. Morris was eventually released but Russell landed over a hundred years behind bars because of his escape attempts.
The script was written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa from a book by Houston Chronicle crime reporter Steve McVicker. Expected to open Spring 2009.
Runway Tumble
Evidently this one has been around, but I'd never seen it. I started wheezing laughing just like the anchor!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Babylon A.D. Director doesn't Mince Words
The director of Babylon A.D. hates his film, due out next week:
Matieu Kassovitz (LA HAINE, GOTHIKA) clearly didn’t have a very good time making the film. As he candidly tells AMC: “I never had a chance to do one scene the way it was written or the way I wanted it to be. The script wasn’t respected. Bad producers, bad partners, it was a terrible experience.”Yowza! So, you're doing a movie with FOX and Vin Diesel, and you're surprised that it's a stupid action flick? Hmmm.
Not a lot of gray area there, but what Kassovitz dislikes about the cut could be what appeals to the American masses: “It’s pure violence and stupidity,” and “parts of the movie are like a bad episode of 24″.
New Che Poster
“Che is a 2008 film about Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Benicio del Toro as Che. The film is actually a merged version of two films by Soderbergh: The Argentine and Guerrilla. The first part focuses on the Cuban revolution, from the moment Fidel Castro, Guevara and other revolutionaries landed on the Caribbean island, until they toppled the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista two years later. The second part focuses on the years following the Cuban revolution. It begins with Che’s trip to the United Nations headquarters in New York City in 1964, until his death in the Bolivian mountains in 1967.
Che was screened on May 21 at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival reportedly running over four hours.[1] Del Toro won the Best Actor Award at the festival for his portrayal of Guevara in the film.”
Kevin Smith loves Star Trek -- shhhhh!
Kevin Smith talked about J. J. Abram's Star Trek in a recent radio interview:
Host: So thumbs up on The Watchmen, what else you got?Hat tip: Movie Geeks, We Are
Smith: I saw a movie last night that I cannot talk about.
Host: Was it good?
Smith: It was phenomenal.
Host: Any stars, any break out stars, and do they trek?
Smith: The stars absolutely trek in this film. It is fantastic. Anybody who was worried doesn’t need to be worried–about this film I cannot talk about…It was in very capable hands. The director did a phenomenal job–the director and his crew. Top notch cast and the guy that plays the lead is an instant star. That dude is going to be so famous. He is so wonderful. He picked up a role that I would say is pretty challenging for someone to step into the shoes of, because it is a role that has been played before many times by the same guy.
Viggo Mortenson's Good
I had not heard about this movie before. ‘Good’ stars Viggo Mortenson in a dramatic story about a professor that’s conflicted over the rise of the Nazi party’s power and with their ulterior motives. Looks like Oscar bait, and Viggo already has The Road coming out this fall. No release date, but this looks very intriguing.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Shia bloodied up for Transformers 2
Michael Bay is incorporating Shia LeBeouf's hand injury from his car accident into the plot of Transformers 2. Shia has resumed filming, and this shot from Just Jared shows him blasted and bloodied on the set. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is due out next year on June 26th.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Muse Rocks!
DarlingDiva has just discovered the great band Muse, and posted this fantastic mashup of Muse with Twilight footage. I agree with DD, can't WAIT for this movie!!
While this video is great, still love the fantastic video my friend Sooth did to this same song with Phantom of the Opera footage. Sooth's video introduced me to this great song of romantic obsession, and I became a wee bit obsessed with it myself!
RocknRolla Opening Credits
Watch the coolness that is the opening credits of RocknRolla in glorious Quicktime. Hat tip: Ain't It Cool
Fun interview with Thandie Newton
The Scotsman has a very fun interview with Thandie Newton who co-stars with Gerard Butler in the upcoming RocknRolla. She worked with Guy Ritchie on making her character tough in the movie:
USUALLY cast in sympathetic roles, Thandie Newton gets to show her wicked side in the upcoming RocknRolla. Guy Ritchie's return to the scene of the crime genre has plenty of stylised violence and machine-gun dialogue, and at its centre is Newton playing an egg so hardboiled that even 300's Gerard Butler cracks up in her presence.My favorite part of the interview, though, was when she described playing a prank on Simon Pegg who she co-starred in Run, Fatboy Run:
"The character was written strong in the first half and then just dwindled away when it had gotten more serious so I basically said, 'Look, think of me as a guy.' From the middle of the movie to the end, I would change things and he was totally open to it, and that was so liberating, because it's his material. He just said, 'All right, this is your character. I may have written it one way, but I want you to do what you want."
"The annoying thing is that Simon would never react. Even when I'd sewn up the top of his T-shirt and knew he'd been struggling with it in his trailer like a tortoise trying to get its head out, he just wouldn't let on because he knew I was watching."ROFLMAO!!
She finally got the response she was looking for by arriving at the film junket hours beforehand, emptying every one of the 12 bottles of water he had in his TV interview room, then refilling them with neat vodka: "On camera, he took a swig and – phwoooooh."
I love Jesus, but I drink a little!
My friend DarlingDiva blogged about this fantastic Ellen clip on YouTube, and I had to pass it along. 88 year old Gladys from Austin, TX has Ellen on the floor laughing:
Hunger Trailer
Michael Fassbender's movie Hunger, in which he plays Bobby Sands during his hunger strike in prison, has received good reviews and raves for Michael's searing performance. It appeared at Cannes, and will also be shown at the Toronto Film Festival next month. Looks like it will be a hard one to watch, but a career performance. The scene in this trailer where he touches his emaciated rib really made me gasp. Michael lost tons of weight for this film.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
The author of The Last Station interviewed
The Scotsman has an interview with Jay Parini, author of the novel The Last Station which is being made into a movie starring James McAvoy, Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren.
It's the first time McAvoy, who plays Tolstoy's shy, virginal amenuensis, Valentin Bulgakov, has starred opposite his wife, the actress Anne-Marie Duff, since they met on the TV series Shameless.
The movie is due out later this year. "They have to gear these things to the timing of the Oscar nominations, apparently," says Parini, who is tipping The Last Station for at least seven nominations. "If we don't get them, I'll eat my hat," he says.
It's McAvoy's movie. "As Tolstoy's young secretary, he's in every scene and he's brilliant as the ingenue. He was born to play this part. He's one of Scotland's treasures."
Filming began this spring at a small railway station near Wittenberg, south of Berlin. The "station" was dressed to resemble Astapovo junction in Russia, where Tolstoy died in 1910, in the stationmaster's house, after fleeing his family and disciples.
Barack Roll
The creator says "Because someone had to do it..."
Senator Obama just BarackRoll'd you (like a rickroll... only Presidential).
Michael Phelps 100m Butterfly Victory - EXCLUSIVE new footage!!
LOL!! The nipple twisting had me on the floor!
Guy Ritchie starting on Sherlock Holmes
USA Today interviewed Guy Ritchie about his upcoming film Sherlock Holmes:
Guy Ritchie's latest gangster yarn, RocknRolla, won't even be in theaters for another six weeks, but he already has turned his attentions to his next project, a version of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes for contemporary tastes.
"It will be a very big production, visceral and intellectual," Ritchie says. "His brilliance will percolate into the action."
The expected 2010 Warner release will be set in the olden days, he says, but the emphasis will be as much on Holmes' physical prowess as it is on his keen powers of deduction.
"His intellect was as much of a curse as it was a blessing," Ritchie says. "He was a deeply layered character."
No word on the villain yet, but there will be a love interest based on Conan Doyle's Irene Adler. Casting is expected to be finished in six or so weeks.
Ritchie already has been lucky to snag Robert Downey Jr., hot off of this summer's Iron Man and Tropic Thunder, as his lead.
"His wife, Susan, was a producer on RocknRolla, and he was one of the first people who saw it and was a big fan," the filmmaker explains. "He wanted to do something together, and this was a natural." As for Downey's English accent, "it's flawless."
Ritchie has no worries about producer Judd Apatow's competing Sherlock Holmes with Sacha Baron Cohen. As he says: "They don't even have a script yet. We are way ahead." — Susan Wloszczyna
I didn't know that Robert's wife had worked on RocknRolla, and that was the connection. If Guy, a Brit, isn't worried about Robert Downey's English accent, I guess I should stop worrying about it.
I'm Not Michael Phelps --- I'm Steve!!
English Olympic swimming Bronze medalist from Athens Steve Parry takes to the streets of Beijing (Tienanmen Square to be exact!) to tell them that he's not Olympic swimming Superstar Michael Phelps...
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Historic Blockbuster Store Offers Glimpse of How Movies Were Rented in the Past
I love the Onion News Network! I haven't been in a Blockbuster store in years!
Historic Blockbuster Store Offers Glimpse Of How Movies Were Rented In The Past
Frost/Nixon Trailer
I smell Oscar. This film looks fascinating, and I recognize some stellar supporting players in this trailer, too.
George Clooney replaces fan's car
George Clooney bought a female fan a new car after damaging her vehicle in an accident.
The Ocean Elevens star was driving in Pennabilli, Italy when he shunted an unnamed woman's car from behind.
Clooney accepted the blame for the incident - and made the generous gesture of giving her a brand new car.
When the woman went to collect her vehicle from the repairers, she discovered the movie star had splashed out $28,000 (GBP14,000) on a new replica of her Lancia Ypsilon model.
And he had even left her a note of apology on the windscreen, saying: "I'm so sorry. Hope you'll forgive me. George Clooney."
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
James McAvoy in Garden Gnome Love Story
We'll take James any way we can get him, even as the voice of a romantic garden gnome!
From Perez:
When Shakespeare met Elton John, sounds good to us!!!
There's a new CGI-animated film in the works, and this will one deal with a Shakespearean theme.
James McAvoy and Emily Blunt are said to be the voices of the main characters in the Romeo & Juliet inspired flick.
And those main characters just happen to be some garden gnomes in love, but from rival gardens, of course.
Gnomeo & Juliet will represent an edgier adaptation of Shakespeare's play.
The original role of Juliet was said to go to Kate Winslet two years ago, though she had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.
The flick is being made by Mirimax and Elton John's Rocket Pictures.
And luckily it will feature several of Elton's classic songs.
Your Song sung by gnomes = cute!
If I can't have Simon Pegg, I'm ecstatic for Michael Fassbender
Simon Pegg pulled out of Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards, citing scheduling difficulties since Quentin wants to start filming this fall. I was very sad to hear that news, as Simon is one of my favorites. Hot Fuzz? Shaun of the Dead? He rules!
But this morning, I get this news which has me doing cartwheels. Variety Reports:
Teutonic thesp Michael Fassbender is in final negotiations to join the cast of Quentin Tarantino’s "Inglorious Bastards."
Simon Pegg had been in talks for the role (Lt. Archie Hicox), but was forced to ankle after what he described on his website as "insurmountable scheduling difficulties."
Brad Pitt has signed on for the lead role as a Tennessee hillbilly who assembles a team of eight Jewish-American soldiers to take on the Nazis. Also on board are Mike Myers and Eli Roth. Tarantino is courting Nastassja Kinski, David Krumholtz and B.J. Novak.
Role would arguably be the highest-profile yet for Fassbender, who has begun to draw comparisons to Daniel Day-Lewis for his intense dedication to his work. Thesp emaciated himself to play Sands in the latter stages of his hunger strike.
Fassbender is also attached to play the iconic role of Heathcliff in "Wuthering Heights."
Whoo Hoo!! This is fantastic news for Michael (and me)!
Mike Myers is also cast in Inglorious Bastards. Here's hoping he won't ruin it!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Daniel Radcliffe in Vogue
Holy Crap, I'm going to hell again. Annie Leibowitz photograph in the September Vogue.
All for Matlida
When I read this on Perez, this just made me go Awwwww!
According to the UK's The Sun, the three Hollywood stars who completed Heath Ledger's final film role have donated their pay to his two-year-old daughter, Matilda.
Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell were worried for Matilda’s future as Heath left an old will which did not include the little one.
Heath's dad, Kim Ledger, is in control of Heath's estate. Family members have said they're concerned that daddy will mismanage the actor's money.
The three played versions of Heath's character, Tim, in fantasy epic The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.
Film director Terry Gilliam said, “They didn’t take money — it goes to Heath’s daughter. That’s extraordinary! And wonderful . . . and when you’re part of that, you think, ‘Ah, this is maybe why I went into the movies in the beginning. I thought it would be full of wonderful people. And we’ve got a movie full of wonderful people who did extraordinary things to help.”
Johnny Depp is a father of two, Jude Law has four and Colin Farrel has a son.
British TV Ad for RocknRolla
Empire Online has video of the commercial playing on British TV for RocknRolla. Has some new scenes we haven't seen before. Watch it here!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Clone Wars - mini-review
What a disappointment this film was. My seven year old begged me to take him to this movie, so we went last night. Ugh. I had not read full reviews, but knew that the guys at Ain't It Cool hated it. I didn't hate it in quite the same way, but just was saddened by it. There are reasons, folks, that this film has only a 5% rating for Top Critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
I didn't hate the look of the film, but considering how every other recent good animated film has made me gasp in amazement -- this film had nothing special about it at all. It was basically three episodes of the Cartoon Network show due out shortly strung together. For my son, that was fine, and he was a happy camper. Me, not so much.
There is nothing to care about in this movie. The plot is insipid. It is just non-stop battle scenes that go on and on and on. The new girl character that becomes Anakin's apprentice is so annoying. Let's just say I wasn't surprised to learn she's been on the That's So Raven show. I get that they're trying to appeal to girls, but the dialogue was so trite and stilted. I kept thinking about the classic lines, witty banter and relationships in the first two Star Wars films. We are a long slippery slope down from those days, let me tell you. There is a character in this film that is a relative of Jabba. Imagine a Hut in drag with makeup with a Truman Capote accent. Yes, really.
Don't waste your money. Not even worth a rental, unless you're renting it for your kids to watch in the back of the car where you can't see it. One and a half stars. The writers of this film don't even deserve to be writing for Cartoon Network. I've seen much better there.
Snatch - mini-review
After sitting through a truly sucky film (more on that shortly), I came home and watched the terrific Snatch. I'm catching up on Guy Ritchie's films in preparation for RocknRolla's October release.
I thoroughly enjoyed Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch is in a very similar vein. Lots of interesting characters, gangsters and mayhem. Following the success of Lock Stock, Guy Ritchie was able to get some very cool actors for Snatch. Benicio del Toro and Dennis Farina are hilarious, but Brad Pitt steals the movie as an Irish gypsy with an accent that is incomprehensible and a riot. RocknRolla is supposed to be very much like Lock Stock and Snatch, and to me that's great news because I loved both films.
Three and a half stars.
Mamma Mia - mini-review
The bottom line of this film is that I laughed my ASS off. And I cried. Meryl Streep singing Winner Takes It All made me tear up. She was so amazing in this film. She just threw herself into this part, and sang and danced her heart out. Yes, what you've heard is true -- Pierce Brosnan cannot sing, but no matter. He gives it his all, too.
I saw this film with a group of girl friends and we just had the best time. Stellan Skarsgard showing off his tattooed ass had me on the floor. Stay for the full credits too see the cast in full 70's Abba regalia, spandex, high heeled boots, fringe and all.
Three and a half stars of sheer fun and good times.
Great T-shirt
You do not need to look at this chest.
These are not the breasts you are looking for.
Now move along.
My husband saw a woman wearing this great shirt this weekend!
Kevin Smith Joygasmic about Watchmen
Kevin Smith saw Watchmen and posted about it on his blog:
I saw “Watchmen.” It’s fucking astounding. The Non-Disclosure Agreement I signed prevents me from saying much, but I can spout the following with complete joygasmic enthusiasm: Snyder and Co. have pulled it off.
Remember that feeling of watching “Sin City” on the big screen and being blown away by what a faithful translation of the source material it was, in terms of both content and visuals? Triple that, and you’ll come close to watching “Watchmen.” Even Alan Moore might be surprised at how close the movie is to the book. March can’t come soon enough.
Face Your Manga!
This one is fun. Make your own manga avatar here at Face Your Manga. Behold your own Movie Maven above.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Bad Taste Belief?
The Times Online has a really fun article with their top 20 list of religious kitsch. Here are a few of my favorites from the article:
For workplace kitsch, try this USB Virgin Mary memory disc. The heart flashes while it is saving files - in a kitsch scriptural aside (see the Gospel of Luke)
Start your morning with Holy Toast!
Or your Last Supper lunch box!
For more including Hindu God finger puppets, read the rest!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Twilight moves to Harry Potter November spot
It's Movie Release Date Leapfrog!
Variety:
Summit Entertainment has pushed up the release date of its hotly anticipated vampire romance "Twilight" to Nov. 21, taking advantage of the B.O. opening left by Warner Bros.' surprise decision to move "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" to July.
The vampire romance, based on the first of four bestselling vampire novels by Stephenie Meyer, had been skedded to open Dec. 12 opposite Twentieth Century Fox's sci-fi remake "The Day the Earth Stood Still," starring Keanu Reeves. After WB confirmed its "Harry Potter" shift on Thursday, Summit rushed to move "Twilight" into holiday prime time.
"With a giant franchise like 'Harry Potter' in the market, we had to stay clear of it," said Summit Entertainment co-chairman and CEO Rob Friedman. "Their move created an opportunity to bring the movie to fans three weeks earlier, who have continued to show their enthusiasm, from Comic-Con to the giant 'Breaking Dawn' book sales. We felt we had to take that opportunity."
At Comic-Con in July, young British actor Robert Pattinson was taken aback when women screamed at him in the San Diego Convention Center. He co-stars with Kristen Stewart in the romantic thriller directed by Catherine Hardwicke ("thirteen").
Naked Daniel Radcliffe may be the real reason for changing date for Harry Potter
Posters like this one have been appearing all over New York, heralding Daniel Radcliffe's run on Broadway in the play Equus. A reprise of the play he did in London, and oh, by the way, he appears NAKED on stage and has sex with horses and blinds them. Not exactly what Warners wants playing at exactly the same time as their family film, Harry Potter comes out.
From Huffington Post:
Warner Bros. has announced moving its sixth Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," from Nov. 21, 2008, to July 17, 2009. The reason? Officially, there is no reason, except that "a spot opened on the summer schedule."
That's not much of a reason. The real story? Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe will be right in the middle of his sensational, highly publicized run on Broadway in the play, "Equus." Radcliffe appears naked in the play, on stage, and has sex in it was well. That's not the image Warner Bros. wants associated with bespectacled Harry, who remains chaste and virginal.
Indeed, posters for Equus are up all over New York, of Radcliffe's naked torso superimposed on a horse's head. This is not the sort of thing that's taught at Hogwarts. For the movie to open on Nov. 21, Radcliffe would have to do publicity entailing answering questions about blinding horses and having sex with them vs. flying around and making potions.
Simon Le Bon - Ewwww
I feel so old. Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon is not making me feel very Hungry Like a Wolf right now as he Rio-ranges his jewels. Hat tip: Mamarazzi
Gerard Butler's Game pushed to 2009
Gerard Butler's upcoming scifi actioner Game has been delayed until 2009 due to complications with some of the films complex visual FX work. The announcement was made by producer Gary Lucchesi at a recent press junket for the film Henry Poole is Dead. Apparently, no official date has been set for the film, but I imagine going toe to toe with flicks like Transformers 2, Terminator: Salvation, Avatar, and the J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboot will only make setting the release date harder to figure out. I only hope that Game doesn't get some wet behind the ears limited release followed by a quick dump out on DVD. That would suck. Lucchesi went on to say that he expects some teaser footage to appear around Christmas.
Well, at least we'll have some teaser clips for our Xmas present! And I agree with Quiet Earth -- please God no limited release nonsense!
Harry Potter moved to July 2009! Noooooooo!
Say it isn't so! Seems the writers' strike has made gaps in the summer tentpole schedule for 2009, while the end of 2008 is crowded with goodies. Thus, the powers that be have moved Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to be a major tentpole of next summer. WB honcho Alan Horn's official statement:
"Our reasons for shifting 'Half-Blood Prince' to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last Harry Potter film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment. Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers' strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films--changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move 'Half-Blood Prince' to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer."And does this affect the final two films' release dates? WB production president Jeff Robinov:
"The release date change does not alter the production schedule for this or future Harry Potter films. Post-production on 'Half-Blood Prince' was completed on time, and the studio's release plans for the two-part 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' will not be affected by this change. We know Harry Potter fans are eagerly anticipating seeing the final chapters unfold onscreen. In fact, the good news for them is that the gap will now be shortened between 'Half-Blood Prince' and the first part of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.'"Waaaaahhhhhh!!!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Franz Ferdinand's Lucid Dreams
Call me excited! EW Popwatch just alerted me that Franz Ferdinand posted on their website this cool teaser player for their song Lucid Dreams. You can't even download it from iTunes yet. Very cool marketing. I, for one, am hooked!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Fun movie quiz
Can you guess the movie just by the poster font? Try it here at Empire online.
Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan
The Olympic Opening Ceremonies in a minute
I missed it, so it's nice to see what everyone's been talking about!
Russell Brand and Britney Spears!
Russell Brand and Britney Spears have filmed two hilarious short spots for the VMA awards.
It's not Russell BROWN, Britney! LOL!
Brad Pitt to star in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards
Brad Pitt officially has gone inglorious.The actor has joined the cast of Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Bastards," signing on to play Lt. Aldo Raine, the head of the Jewish resistance in the writer/director's World War II film.
Additionally, British actor Simon Pegg ("Hot Fuzz") is in discussions to join the cast. Pitt's character is a Southern rebel who leads a band of eight Jewish American soldiers as they exact vengeance on Nazis in German-occupied France.
Quentin has been working on this script for YEARS. It will be fun to see Brad in a Quentin movie! Simon Pegg is one of my favorites, and he will be a riot in a Quentin film. Hot Fuzz is one of my favorite movies ever!
Tom Jones Dances Like HELL!
For those who ever wondered what the deal was with Tom Jones, and why women threw their underwear at him, this should explain. Watch the whole thing as he goes NUTS at about 1:16. Hat tip: EW Popwatch.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Anglina Jolie replaces Tom Cruise
Edwin A. Salt just had a gender change. The thriller had been rumored to be a starring vehicle for Tom Cruise, reports Variety:
Jolie is close to a deal to play the title character, a CIA officer who's accused by a defector of being a Russian sleeper spy and must elude capture long enough to establish her innocence.
"Edwin A. Salt" will undergo a title change, and if everything falls into place, the film shapes up as a return vehicle for Jolie, who recently gave birth to twins. Another candidate for her return is the Lionsgate drama "Atlas Shrugged," which has been adapted by Randall Wallace from the Ayn Rand novel.
Angelina's boffo box office in Wanted is making her THE female action star. Tom Cruise meanwhile is close to signing on to a comedy where he plays a famous chef forced to work in a school cafeteria. How the mighty have fallen. He's supposed to be a laugh riot in Tropic Thunder. If you can't stop 'em laughing at you, then laugh with them, I suppose.
Michael Fassbender News
The folks at MFO, a fan site for Michael Fassbender of 300 and Band of Brothers fame, have been busy bees. Tons of new Fassy news. The trailer for Eden Lake has been released.
A romantic break turns into a nightmare when a nursery teacher and her boyfriend are targeted by a group of violent teenagers. Steve (Michael Fassbender) finds an idyllic spot for a break with girlfriend Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and plans to propose. But when he challenges a rowdy group of youngsters they turn on the couple, stealing their belongings, vandalising their car and launching a violent attack on Steve.
The thriller has a UK release date of Sept. 12 but doesn't seem to have a US distributor yet.
Also, news that Michael will have a prominent role in "The Devil's Whore", a joint HBO BBC British civil war mini-series production with Dominic West starring as Oliver Cromwell. It releases later this year in the UK. And later this year, he’s set to star in Joel Schumacher’s thriller Creek, as a Nazi who seeks asylum in America in order to perfect a Satanic experiment. Michael is currently filming British movie Fish Tank where he plays a mysterious stranger who promises to bring love and happiness to a single mum and her troubled daughter. Hmmm. Sounds a bit Dear Frankie-like. And that's a good thing! Michael got raves at Cannes for playing Bobby Sands in Hunger. No US release date for that movie either, darn it! This year could really be Michael's break out, crossed fingers!
Russell Brand and what NOT to say
I've been warned when I'm presenting there are two things I am never allowed to say. One - cunt. And two - Scientology. There is one sentence that could join both of those words but I'm going to try and not say it. I have a problem when people tell me not to do something. When I was going to meet the Queen the protocol people told me how to bow, not to curtsy, not to speak until I was spoken to. But all I could think of was, 'Grab her tit'!"- Russell Brand, on hosting the MTV VMAs next month
When Stars Blog
Perez pointed me to Dane Cook's hilarious rant on how much he despises the poster for his upcoming movie My Best Friend's Girl. Read the whole thing here, but I've picked a few of my favorite highlights.
Here are a few things that truly blow about my upcoming movie poster to promote the release of the film opening on September 19th:
1. Graphics:
Whoever photoshopped our poster must have done so at taser point with
3 minutes to fulfill their hostage takers deranged obligations. They should have called Donnie Hoyle and had him give a tutorial using "You Suck at Photoshop" templates. This is so glossy it makes Entertainment Weekly look wooden.
2. My head:
The left side of my face seems to be melting off of my skull. I guess I am looking directly into the Ark of the Covenant? Are they going for the bells palsy thing here? My left side looks like Brittany Spears' vagina.
6. Flesh:
It's no secret that I'm more rugged facially due to a drunken visit by the teen acne fairy, but according to this poster I've got perfect porcelain flesh. I look like the fuckin' bathroom floor at Caesars Palace. One of Marie Osmond's dolls would look at me and say "shit … that guys got flawless skin!"
7. Hair:
It's actually a close up shot of Tom Sellecks Magnum P.I. mustache they photo-slapped on my noggin'.
8. The set:
Pick one. This entire film takes place:
A. on Gattaca
B. at the Fortress of Solitude
C. inside a crystal wind chime
And it just goes on from there. I was laughing so hard I was crying.
RocknRolla Sequel
GUY RITCHIE is praying his next movie ROCKNROLLA turns around his Hollywood fortunes, because he has already written a sequel. After a string of box office flops, Ritchie is banking on the underworld thriller capturing the imagination of cinema-goers.
It stars Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton and Jeremy Piven, and follows London gangsters fighting for a share of a real estate scam. Ritchie already has a sequel written and ready to shoot: "I've written one. So people better go see it. It'll allow me to make the next one."
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The Princess and the Frog
Popwatch clues us in to the first African American Disney princess:
The first official (and short) (and not very telling) trailer for The Princess and the Frog is online. This'll be the first Disney movie to feature a black princess, "Tiana." She was originally supposed to be called "Maddy," but Disney changed her name and occupation (chambermaid) after apparently feelin' the heat from parties concerned that the character was playing to African-American stereotypes. Huh? The story's set in 1920s New Orleans, but "Tiana" sounds awfully 2008, no? I'd also kind of like to squash that jive-talkin' firefly, but this movie has old-school Disney potential: It's being directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (who did The Little Mermaid and Aladdin), and it's the first 2-D Disney movie since 2004's Home on the Range (which I know did not exist). Get psyched -- only 17 more months to go!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Rush plays Rush on Rockband
This was backstage at Colbert Report.
They got 31% on Expert level for their first try!
Neil Patrick Harris Sings!
Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog is an internet hit. All three episodes are now here via Hulu. It's 42 minutes long, for all three, but just wonderful.
An Internet musical about a lovelorn would-be supervillain and the video blog he records in his home doesn't exactly scream surefire hit, but that's just what Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog became in the wee hours of July 15. Viewers clicked so fast and so furiously at drhorrible.com to see the online production — created by Buffy the Vampire Slayer auteur Joss Whedon — that demand for the debut installment crashed the site (Acts 2 and 3 followed on July 17 and 19). This sweet and sinister tale about the eponymous mad scientist (Neil Patrick Harris) who battles his archnemesis, Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion, of Whedon's dearly departed Firefly), for the affections of the crusading civilian Penny (Felicia Day) also shot immediately to the top of the iTunes video chart, and was viewed over 2.2 million times in its first week. Not bad for a project conceived in the heat of the writers' strike and shot on a breakneck schedule this spring.Read more about the genesis of Joss Whedon's evil genius here at EW.com
Neil Patrick Harris is also the singing Shoe Fairy on this advance video from Sesame Street. Must Watch!
Goonies 2!
Courtesy of Moviehole, we have this intriguing rumor:
A very, very, very good source – if I revealed his name, you’d know straight away this was a solid bit of news – informed me a few days ago that “the sequel Corey Feldman has been telling media will never happen”, one “Goonies 2”, is indeed… happening. (And I don't blame the Felddog for assuming it's never going to happen either - this one's been rumoured longer than the talking fridge).
So what have I been told? well, Warner Bros are finally going to give it the respect it deserves – this will be a large-scale theatrical release.. a tentpole. It will not be a direct-to-video release.
And let's not forget -- Goonies is James McAvoy's favorite movie:
It sounds weird, but there’s a film called “The Goonies.” [Laughter] And I mean it with all my heart. As a young boy that film made me cry because it’s about how you still have your problems at 10 years old or 12 years old. When I was little, you didn’t get chased by pirates and you didn’t get chased by gangsters and nobody was trying to kill you with guns, but your adventures were no less exciting. It helped inspire my imagination.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
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