Sunday, November 30, 2008

Russell Brand comments on Pirates 4 rumor


MTV got this reaction from Russell Brand to the rumor that he might play Captain Jack Sparrow's brother in Pirates 4:

“I’ve seen some talk about that matter but I think they’re still writing the script,” he said. And of course, then Brand launched into a riff that makes you wonder how far he will go for his art should the role pan out. “I am having a skull and crossbones tattooed on each of my nipples in anticipation of the plotline. I just hope it doesn’t affect my other work in Jane Austen adaptations.”

Here's hoping the rumor pans out!

New Wolverine Pic


“There’s a scene in the first X-Men movie,” said Jackman, “where Wolverine’s introduced in a bar, fighting in a cage, and you felt that he did this every night of his life. If this movie is successful, you should feel that this guy can walk straight off the end of this film and into that bar. “

from Empire magazine. Hat tip: The Movie Blog.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Little Ashes Clips with Robert Pattinson


Here's two short film clips showing Robert Pattinson playing Salvador Dali in the film Little Ashes due out next year.

Thanksgiving - Rick-rolled!


Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan

My kids watch Foster's Home of Imaginary Friends, and they thought this was hilarious! Andrew says "Very 2008"! LOL!

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau ad


Nikolaj Coster-Waldau appears in a new ad for SAS airline: How Does It Feel? It autoplays, so thus the link to watch.

I'm missing New Amsterdam, and wondering when the heck we get to see Virtuality!

The Ugly Truth Trailer is out!



Lady Garden! *snort* The film comes out April 3.

Adventureland Trailer

What's up next for Kristen Stewart of Twilight? She stars with Ryan Reynolds in this comedy from the director of Superbad, about working a summer at an amusement park:

Friday, November 28, 2008

10 Things Twilight Teaches Teenage Boys about Girls


I love Spoutblog's lists! Really, if boys want to learn something about teenage girls, they should read the books and watch this movie. Kevin Kelly lists 10 reasons:

Girls Like Boys Who Ignore Them

When Edward first sees Bella in class, he stiffens up like he’s smelled a dead skunk and avoids her like the plague. Days go by and he doesn’t return to class, but she searches for him every day. Finally, when he does come back, he alternates between being nice to her, and telling her she shouldn’t be friends with him. It ends up driving Bella nuts, which is maybe what he wanted all along. Next time you see a girl you’re interested in, make sure she catches your eye, then act like she repulses you and you should be well on your way.

Girls Like Boys Who Are Mysterious


It’s important to maintain an air of mystery about yourself, and not come in all blundering like cheerful dork Mike Newton in the movie. The guy is an open book, and as a result Bella is bored by him. The only thing that catches her fancy at the new school is the bunch of aloof, slightly goth students who mosey in with tons of hair product looking like they wandered off the campus of a private school. Don’t let people know about your past, sulk around, and randomly break off during conversations and walk away. You’ll be a man of mystery.
Girls Want Sex Just As Much As Boys Do

This one shatters an age-old myth that guys just want to get in girls’ pants. Let me tell you, girls want to get in your pants just as badly. Bella definitely tries to put the moves on Edward, and she pursues him a lot harder than he pursues her. There’s no discussion about waiting for an appropriate time or making sure the moment is extra special. No, she just wants to get him out of those clothes and get busy. Not to say that Bella’s a slut, because she’s actually a pretty chaste girl. But she definitely wouldn’t mind getting Edward in the sack for some extra-curricular activities.

Girls Like Boys Who Can Resist The Urge

Whether that urge is to suck your blood or go all the way in bed, girls love a guy with self-restraint, and it also goes back to the whole “ignore her and it’ll drive her crazy” tip near the top of this list. Edward and Bella have one fairly intense makeout scene in this movie. They’re up in Bella’s bed, and she’s in her panties. Things get hot and heavy and suddenly Edward flies backwards and slams into the wall. He knows he has to be careful with her or he’ll probably tear her to shreds. Instead of getting naked and going for it, he just lays next to her and watches her sleep.

I definitely agree that the key to that scene is that Bella wanted to go further, and it's Edward who stops the action -- by slamming himself back into the wall. Mormon values about premarital sex, Stephenie?

Read the rest here on Spoutblog!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Turkey Day!

To celebrate Thanksgiving, here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving films.

Home for the Holidays, Jodie Foster's directorial debut, is underrated. It has Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, and Robert Downey Jr. as the hilarious gay brother. Just watch "The Turkey Scene" and try not to die laughing.


Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. The classic!


Pieces of April - a Katie Holmes film I actually like. This movie is very funny, and extremely touching. I think this is the first film where I saw Patricia Clarkson who plays the mother. She is amazing in this film. Oliver Platt is also excellent.

Saved By Zero Kills



LOL!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Russell, Nooooooo!



OMG. This is Russell Crowe out recently at a playground with his son. THIS is how he's prepping for Nottingham? Did they have Spanx in Ye Olde England?

Hugh Jackman in Italian Vanity Fair





Hubba Hubba! See the rest at Just Jared. Remember, Australia opens today!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Monday, November 24, 2008

Shatner's comments on the new Star Trek Trailer



Hilarious!

Fangirl Power


Twilighters at the Mall of America appearance of the cast of Twilight
The numbers are in for the opening weekend box office for Twilight. The film blew away the competition and made nearly $70 million. What does this mean? It means that Catherine Hardwicke has the record for the highest opening weekend gross for a female director ever, as the previous record was only $41 million for Mimi Leder's Deep Impact a decade ago.

The world truly tilted on its axis on Friday, and the studios are taking note. A $70 million dollar weekend outside of summer is usually reserved for fanboy fare or family films like Harry Potter. The audience for Twilight was 75% female, and 55% were 25 or under. But that also means that 45% were over 25 (like me!)

"This is a game-changer. This is an industry-changing performance," Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock said today. "With the success of Sex and the City, and Mamma Mia!, we've awoken a sleeping giant at the box office."
We have the power. The buying power, that is. Twilight has now dethroned Hugh Jackman's Van Helsing as the highest opener for a vampire pic. Twilight is in fact, one of the top opening movies of all time. If Harry Potter had kept its November release date, we would not likely have seen these numbers, but move it did freeing up theater space.
Going into the weekend, Twilight was expected to make, at best, a big $60 million. Where did the extra $10 million come from? Word of mouth, said Summit Entertainment distribution president Richie Fay, who talked of teen girls catching the Friday midnight screenings, and then deciding they had to see the movie again—and again. "It turned out they really liked the movie," Fay said.
The Chicago Sun-Times Bill Zwecker reports on the surety of sequels after this weekend's success:
So, not only have deals been cut for a not-unexpected second ''Twilight'' film (based on Meyer's New Moon book), but I've learned a third film is also virtually a done deal, based on Meyer's Eclipse novel -- though that won't be confirmed for some time. Also, sources say stars Robert Pattinson, 22, and Kristin Stewart, 18, will get huge salary boosts from the $2 million each earned for "Twilight" -- reportedly $10 million more, per film, plus a nice percentage of the future movies' box-office take.
It's not a done deal that Catherine Hardwicke will direct the sequels, but she is in discussion with the producers.
Hardwicke, whose previous films include "Thirteen" and "Lords of Dogtown," also said she was thrilled about the prospect that the success of "Twilight" will inspire other women and young girls to pursue a career in filmmaking. "We've been having a lot of events, talking to a lot of fans, and so many kids of course are madly in love with Robert but tons of kids of every kind (and) girls are coming up to me and saying `I want to direct now, I'm writing a screenplay now, you're my inspiration.' I think it's great that people are getting excited."

I don't know why this is a surprise, but the buying power of girls and women has finally been acknowledged:
"Teen girls rule the earth," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "If you look back at the `Hannah Montana' movie, how well that did, and now this movie, the teen girl audience will never be ignored again or underestimated. It was always teen boys who were the coveted ones, but someone finally caught on to the idea that girls love movies, too, and if you create something that they're into, that they're passionate about, they will come out in big numbers and drive the box office."
We are women. Hear us roar! (or squeal, as the case may be...)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Twilight - My Review


Did I love it? Did it measure up to the hype? Did it honor the book? Was he Edward? Yes, yes, yes, YES!!!

Yesterday afternoon, I went with four other moms to see Twilight. The mom next to me had serious doubts that Robert Pattinson could live up to the Edward Cullen of the book, especially after she saw some of the clips of Robert doing goofy interviews. She was totally won over by his performance. "He IS Edward!" The first thing she said after the movie ended was, "I want to see it again!" I totally agree, and may even be seeing it again tonight with my hubby.

It was great seeing it in a theater chock full of teen age girls. The other moms and I gave each other looks as the girls squealed at the first look at Edward in the movie. We were squealing inside right along with them! Jasper and Jacob had their squeals, and even Carlisle got some hearty sighs and squeals.

The male reviewer from the LA Times said in his thumbs up review:

I am not now nor have I ever been a 13-year-old girl, but "Twilight" made me wish I could be, at least for a couple of hours, the better to appreciate a movie that has been targeted to that demographic with the delicious specificity of a laser weapon... "Twilight" is unabashedly a romance. All the story's inherent silliness aside, it is intent on conveying the magic of meeting that one special person you've been waiting for. Maybe it is possible to be 13 and female for a few hours after all.
Yes, I felt like one of those teenage girls again (well, as faithful readers know, inside, I never grew up.) I swooned over Robert Pattinson's James Dean cool. He's the bad boy, and you can't help but fall in love. I wasn't the only one that thought he channeled a bit of James Dean. From the Boston Globe's review:
And Pattinson is good - close to a revelation, in fact. It’s the silliest of roles, really, since Edward has to be noble, messed-up, dangerous, and a sweetie-pie all at once, but the young British-trained actor makes it work by letting us see the absurdity of this vampire boy’s life. He knows when to step on the gas and when to hit the brakes - both he and Stewart underplay their lines to keep them from tipping into comedy - and he conveys above all the pain of being, literally, forever young. At times, Edward shivers like James Dean without his jacket. He’s a rebel without a pulse.
This movie is a romance! It's Romeo and Juliet. It's Heathcliff and Cathy. It's the modern take on star-crossed love. In modern times, how else do you keep those young lovers apart? All the complaints from male reviewers about special effects that weren't top notch, not enough action, not enough blood, not enough scariness. You don't get it. This movie is not for your demographic. This is not an action film with a few minutes of romance thrown in to get the women to come. This is a romance, a full on old fashioned, say those lines with sincerity and not mocking, ROMANCE with a few minutes of action and peril thrown in. Bella is only in danger so Edward can save her like a white knight!

Richard Corliss, of Time magazine gets exactly what this is about:
It rekindles the warmth of great Hollywood romances, where foreplay was the climax and a kiss was never just a kiss.
Exactly. God, it feels like forever since we had a movie where lines like this weren't said with a mocking tone. It's deadly serious, and the two main actors are so very good at pulling it off. I can't say enough about the performances of Robert Pattinson as Edward, and Kristen Stewart as Bella. They WERE Edward and Bella, and got the tone exactly right. Robert, I thought, played Edward a little more depressed than in the book, maybe foreshadowing New Moon, but it felt right to me. He just oozed anguish with every line, "What if I'm the bad guy?" Swoon!

Melissa Rosenberg, the screenwriter, gets my ultimate respect and kudos. It is not an easy thing to adapt a novel that has such a fervid following, and she did a great job. She captured the essence. You can't have everything included, and some things need to be different to play on screen. The best example is how she combined the meadow scene where Edward reveals his diamond skin, with the first time that Bella says to Edward that he is a vampire, which I believe in the book is in the car. Combining the two together made it much more dramatic and worked extremely well. The diamond skin in sunlight special effect wasn't as radiant and glowing as I'd pictured in my mind, but given their budget looked good. With more money for New Moon, it will be interesting how the special effects improve. There will be a lot of them with all the werewolf changing!

I loved how Cathy Hardwicke captured the relationship between Bella and her father, Charlie. It was pitch perfect. Cathy Hardwicke, the director who made Thirteen, made her best choices in the casting. I can't think of one single person who was "off". And her finds in Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson! Kristen Stewart she saw in Into The Wild, a film I have not seen. Hardwicke has said, "I felt her yearning -- it was just palpable," and it is that quality that sets the tone for the entire film. That was just what was needed for Bella. It's all those looks she gives when she's not even saying anything! Even Stephenie Meyer, the author of Twilight, had doubts about Robert Pattinson as Edward, because in real life he is a goof and kind of shy. She said that once a scene would start, he was instantly transformed to Edward and he exceeded her expectations. My God, that intensity smolders right off the screen, and even his "crooked grin" felt just right.

I don't think I have been as happy about the adaptation of a book to screen since Lord of the Rings. They did it. They made something the fans of the book can love. One of the moms with us had not read the books, so we were especially wondering what she thought. Was this a movie that would only be good to those who are already fans of the books, the converted? She loved the movie, and went home with our host's copies of Twilight and New Moon in hand. My son went on his first (alone just the two of them) date with his girlfriend last night. He had read all four books, and she had not. They both loved it. He thought it was true to the book, and Robert was a very good Edward. What a great first date movie to remember!

All those thirteen year old girls will be seeing this film multiple times, and I will be, too. Three and a half stars and better than I even hoped it would be. Twilight is likely on track to make $150 million. It did so astonishingly well in its opening day, making $7 million in midnight shows alone, that Summit announced Friday that plans for the sequel New Moon are officially under way. Can't wait!

All the stories I read about the box office predictions talked about how unique this film's demographic is and how difficult it was to predict how huge it would be. Is it really? It's not a "family film" like Nancy Drew or Harry Potter. It's not a video game adaptation for teen boys. It's not a Rom Com. It's not Sex and the City which is for women, but an older demographic. It really was funny to me that this seemed to be the first movie for girls, but for older women, too. Let's hope it starts a trend. We girls and women have money to spend, too, and a hunger for romance. Are you listening studio heads?

Trivia note -- look for Stephenie Meyer's cameo in the middle of the movie. She's sitting at the counter of the diner where Charlie and Bella go to eat dinner.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Holy Crap! Robert gives Tyra a hickey!




'Twilight''s Robert Pattinson: Handing Out Hickeys! ET has the video clip!
(It autoplays, so I'm not going to embed it. Just trust me. It's a must watch short clip.)

The episode where Robert Pattinson appears on Tyra Banks airs November 28th, and from this clip, plus what I've read, it's a can't miss. OMG! Well, Meredith Viera didn't ask him to bite her! It doesn't hurt to ask, as my BFF always says.


The zaniness continues, when a fan who couldn't see Robert at his SF appearance wins his car from the movie in a pie eating contest. I kid you not. Taylor Lautner (Jacob) is also on the show. I've never seen Tyra, but man, I think I'll be setting my DVR for this one. What channel is that again? This certainly tops the "Bite Me" underwear Ellen gave Robert!

Elizabeth Snead of the LA Times is worried:

Oh, no. Does this mean that Tyra is now... immortal. And that her talk show will go on ... forever?

Twilight review roundup


Since the film has debuted at midnight last night, the reviews have started to pour in. It's a mixed bag, with the Rotten Tomatoes rating standing at 45%. Most of the reviewers are men, and they are pretty condescending to all those swooning teenage girls. Why is it supposed to be obvious why guys swoon over airheaded blonde cheerleader types, and male reviewers have to reveal their own insecurities wondering how it is that women see anything in a bad boy type like a gorgeous vampire when their nerdy self was ignored in high school? He's swoon worthy. Get over it. Note that Ebert gave Twilight 2 1/2 stars, and Quantum only 2.

These are some of my favorite lines from some of the reviews.

" Part of the appeal of the story is an almost-Victorian sense of repression, sacrifice, and longing, so sincerely depicted it just might single-handedly bring back the swoon." - Nell Minow
When he finally explains that he is a vampire, he goes up from 8 to 10 on her Erotometer. Why do girls always prefer the distant, aloof, handsome, dangerous dudes instead of cheerful chaps like me? - Roger Ebert (because they're hot, Roger!)
A self-described monster, he has all kinds of cool, superhuman powers (running, leaping, mind-reading), but nothing compares to how he masters his universe: he keeps his fangs in his mouth. That may make him catnip to anyone with OJD (obsessive Jonas Brothers disorder), but it also means he’s a bore, despite the efforts of the capable and exotically beautiful Mr. Pattinson. - A. O. Scott, NY Times (OJD! *snort*)
It rekindles the warmth of great Hollywood romances, where foreplay was the climax and a kiss was never just a kiss. - Richard Corliss, Time (This one's my favorite. Yes! He gets it!)

Invest any spare cash you have in companies that deal in hair gel. I have a feeling this film is going to be huge. - Peter Hartlaub, SF Chronicle (Yep, it's going to be huge.)

Bruce Lee Playing Ping Pong



Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan

Ice Age 3 Trailer


I love that squirrel! I wish the whole movie was him.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Who were the Goree Girls?


My friend Nadine has just sent me a link to an amazing article in Texas Magazine about the Goree Girls called O Sister, Where Art Thou?

The story of the Goree All Girl String Band is being made into a movie with Jennifer Aniston, and rumor has it, Gerard Butler.

In the early forties, eight inmates of the Goree prison unit formed one of the first all-female country and western acts in the country, capturing the hearts of millions of radio listeners.

They called themselves the Goree All Girl String Band, and every Wednesday evening in the early forties, an estimated seven million Americans tuned their radios to WBAP in Fort Worth—then a 50,000-watt clear-channel station that was able to broadcast its signal across the country—just so they could listen to a musical variety show that featured the group.
This sounds like it could be a sort of A League of Their Own, but in prison and with music. The story is one of those that if you wrote it as a screenplay, you'd say it was unbelievable, but it's all true! From what the article says about the woman inmate who started the band, Reable Childs, I could see Jennifer Aniston playing her. And there is an amazing love story with an inmate from the male prison, on death row for murder, that she married in real life after they both got out of prison! Cue smoldering Gerard...

Mozart's 40th Symphony



Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan

Gerard Butler in Jennifer Aniston's Goree Girls



So that's what all those dinners were about... But women's prison???

Romance rumors began to swirl this summer when Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler started meeting.

Turns out Jen was interested in… Gerard’s acting!

Life & Style has learned that Jen, 39, has nabbed the 300 star, 39, for a role in The Goree Girls, a woman’s prison saga she’s set to produce and star in next year.

“The thing that really blew her away was P.S. I Love You,” says a Jen insider. “Gerard’s performance made her laugh and cry.”

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Twilight Premiere!

Squeeee! It's nice to have friends in high places!


My friend Darling Diva attended the Twilight premiere in LA on Monday. She got an amazing spot near the red carpet, and sent me her fantastic pics from the night. View the whole set on flickr here. She's written about the night on her blog, too. Yeah, I'm not too jealous.

Update:
Found of pic of Darling Diva herself! She's the one with the big black camera under the green sign (to the left of Robert.) THAT'S how close she was. Holy crap!


Here are a few more of my favorites from her pics:
Robin Pattinson who Darling Diva described as

A bit frazzled...poor baby


Kellan Lutz aka Emmett Cullen
...a total hottie and I am now his forever fan. He was so very sweet and when I asked him for a "little" hug...he said...what about a "BIG" one and went for it. OMG!!! I am still swooning.


Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight books signing autographs:



Jeffrey Dean Morgan was there! Swoon!


She has some great shots of the crazy atmosphere:


View them all here on flickr and be sure to check out her blog!

Twilight Twitter


You won't find a professional review of Twilight anywhere till Friday, because the studio has a strict embargo asking everyone who has seen the film to hold off until opening day, Friday. Cinematical has compiled some Twitter messages from some film critics and bloggers:

Twilight screened for critics a couple weeks ago, and again last night -- and my Twitter has been lighting up with all sorts of feedback. I won't say who these comments are coming from since some belong to other prominent film critics and movie bloggers, but the majority of buzz seems pretty all over the board. Here's a taste:

"Not that it was great, but I actually enjoyed Twilight more than Quantum of Solace (bracing for impact...)"

"TWILIGHT: cheap looking and often hilarious. DARK SHADOWS at DEGRASSI JR HIGH. With half the budget."

"Wow. Twilight not bad. "

"Twilight, seen. It wasn't terrible... Wasn't great, either. I hate movies that are painfully mediocre. They are worse than bad movies."

" It's a sad, sad day when "Twilight" has better action than the latest James Bond movie."

"If you want to hang out with a lot of teenage girls and sexually frustrated middle-aged women, get yourself to a "Twilight" screening!"

Note that ALL these are from MEN. Yeah, they don't get it. I think this will have amazing repeat business like Titanic did for teenage girls. Kathy Hardwicke has said that to make the sequel, New Moon, which requires much more expensive special effects for the werewolves, Twilight will have to make $150 million. As H.A.L. of Variety (who tipped me to the Twitter posts) said, the world will tilt on its axis Friday.

Sexiest Man Alive



After that shower scene in Australia, we'd have to agree!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Quentin teaches the spit take


Quentin Tarantino teaches his actors, including Michael Fassbender, the proper way to spit out your drink on the set of Inglorious Basterds! Is the first one Brad Pitt?

Can't embed, so watch it here on Youtube
Hat tip: We Are Movie Geeks

First Look at Johnny Depp as Mad Hatter


Coming Soon says this may be our first look at Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Freaky!

Buckle Up...The Wait Is Over - Star Trek Trailer Is Here!!


I have been counting down the hours till I could watch this awesome new trailer for Star Trek in high quality again rather than the camcorder bootleg found on YouTube this weekend. Oh, happy day, it is Monday and it's here, the wait is over. It blew my socks off before Quantum this weekend.



Find it here in high quality, on Apple's Trailer site in Quicktime. Watch it in HD, it's worth it!

How do I love this new trailer? Let me count the ways. J. J. Abrams, you sly devil. The trailer starts out with a speeding 20th century convertible, in chase by with sirens blaring. The kid jumps out of the car at the last minute while the car careens over the cliff. Only then, when we switch to the view of the cop, who appears to be a robot with an air motorcycle, do we realize this is sci-fi. The kid says, "My name is James Tiberius Kirk!" and I whooped inside because now we know it's the Star Trek trailer. Only then do they play the Paramount and Bad Robot logos. One of the coolest openers to a trailer anywhere, and just brilliant.

So many cool flashes go by in quick succession. Simon Pegg as Scotty, "I like this ship. It's exciting!" LOL! Kirk arguing with Spock, "Why don't you make me!" The trailer ends with the very cool and evil looking Eric Bana saying "The wait is over." No, the wait ends in May when this movie finally comes out!

Yes, the movie could still suck, but I am hopeful. I am so hopeful, and whoever edited this trailer together is a genius. I've watched it half a dozen times already!

Update: Finally found the embed code on Awards Daily, and this hilarious comment.

350 years from now, no real progress beyond the Wonderbra. Or the male need to sneak a peek at one. Fascinating.

Robot Chicken Star Wars, Take Your Daughter To Work Day


Gary the Stormtrooper needs to spend more time with his daughter...so he takes her to work on TYDTWD!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Quantum of Solace - Mini-Review



First, the absolute BEST thing about seeing Quantum of Solace was the Star Trek trailer. It totally got me from that little kid declaring, "James Tiberius Kirk!" I'll post it online tomorrow when they make it available.

I thoroughly enjoyed Quantum of Solace. Daniel Craig is a great Bond, and as my son said, "We got to see tons of explosions!" There was one particular knife fight scene that definitely was influenced by the Bourne films. I just wish Bond's morose demeanor wasn't also so much Jason Bourne, and Dark Knight for that matter. A. O. Scott noticed the same thing in his NY Times review. Does every hero now have to be a tragic hero?

This is a good film, but it's not as good as Casino Royale, because there's no Bond joie de vivre. He's mourning Vespa, and he's out for revenge. Got it. But couldn't he seduce Strawberry Fields in a more amusing way than telling her he can't find the stationary in his hotel bedroom? In Casino Royale we had some witty banter and tension with Vespa. I'm not expecting to go back to the old Bond bimbo days, but a little spark would be nice.

The plot? I couldn't explain it to you if I tried. My husband and I joked all the way home about how weird the villain's goal was -- not to rule the world, but more in the meeeeellion dollar category -- to corner the market on Bolivian WATER. Water, for cripes sake! It's still not clear if Bond was dealing with a middle man, and more will be revealed about the super secret Quantum organization in the next film.

I won't be as harsh as the Chicago Tribune (2 1/2 stars) or Roger Ebert (2 stars). It's a Bond film, so expectations are high. It was action value for the money, and worth seeing on the big screen so three stars. The action sequences are stellar. I just hope that Bond dropping that necklace at the end means he's over it, and he'll at least give us a little smirk once in a while next film.

Zach & Miri Make a Porno - Mini-review



I really liked Zach & Miri Make a Porno. It was really sweet. Yes, it was raunchy, had tons of crude potty humor and showed a full frontal Jason Mewes. It was a Kevin Smith film, after all! But all Kevin Smith films have a soft gooey marshmallow center and the budding romance that develops between Zach & Miri while they make a porno movie IS sweet and quite touching.

I'm not over Seth Rogen. I just find him hilarious and Elizabeth Banks is such a comic gem! Zach & Miri have known each other since high school and share an apartment, but they have never been romantic or had sex. They find themselves in dire financial straights so they come up with they idea of making a porno flick to make some money. If you don't want to see people having sex, don't watch this movie, in other words.

One of my favorite scenes is at Zach & Miri's high school reunion. Brandon Routh of Superman Returns is Miri's high school crush, and she finds out he brought his gay porno star boyfriend, played by Jason Long (Mac ads). Kevin Smith wrote one of the versions of the Superman script so it's quite ironic that he put "Superman" in a gay kissing scene! It was priceless all around.

I give Zach & Miri three and a half stars. It's not a film for everyone, but I found it both hilarious and romantic.

Friday, November 14, 2008

10 Things I Hate About The Dark Knight


I love these trailer mashups!

Dracula 2000 Video

I've got vampires (and Gerry Butler) on the brain today. Love this fan video made by my pal Low Flying Kiwi for Halloween. Yes, that is Gerry as Dracula!


I'm never going to get this song out of my head!

The Matrix Runs on Windows


Hilarious. "I hope you have cookies enabled!" "Looks like you're trying to bend a spoon with your mind. Do you need help with that?" ROFLMAO!

"It's Like Being In a Boy Band"



Favorite Robert Pattinson quote of the day:

"I didn't realize what it would be like. It's like being in a boy band."
Robert was in Chicago this week for the ill-fated appearance at a Hot Topic at a mall in suburban Orland Park. He sat down for an interview with the local entertainment reporter for WGN. They put the full 8 minute interview on the web. A deep discussion of hot pockets ensued!

Awesome new Watchmen Trailer



This is the first one that really lays out the setup for Watchmen. Love the music in this -- little bit of Phillip Glass, and rounding it out with Muse.
Hat tip: Awards Daily

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Happy Birthday Gerard Butler




New Watchmen Posters

These look awesome!




100 Movie Spoilers in Five Minutes

Seriously, if you don't want to see spoilers, don't watch! Hilarious!

Gael Garcia Bernal in Flaunt magazine



Yum!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Robert Pattinson quote of the day


When asked how afraid he is of Twilight fans, Robert Pattinson described a fan event where he got out of a car, and the crowd of fans started running toward him.

"Wow, this is what it must have felt like to be in a medieval battle. This is one of few times you could experience that! It's like having an ambush."

Watch all the EW interview clips here.

Get Your Hot Priest of the month Calendar!


This is just bizarre. Just read this in Variety H.A.L. blog:

Welcome to the 21st century Catholic Church, where recruiting measures have come down to Hunk-of-the-Month calendars. Italian photographer Piero Pazzi's Calendario Romano -- known in Rome as "the Vatican beefcake calendar" -- "has become such an international cult item that Rizzoli recently snapped up rights to publish an American edition," Nick Vivarelli writes. While the calendar has no official Vatican ties, calendars were handed out this summer at World Youth Day in Sydney, a massive event for Roman Catholic teens. Pazzi, who notes that he gets many orders from Protestant female ministers in Nordic countries, says, "It's just intended as a souvenir." Pazzi, who has a multi-language casting call on his website, says, "I pick them young to signal that their calling is still very much alive." Of course.

RocknRolla - mini-review


I saw this film over the weekend with a group of girlfriends. Not all of us knew what we were in for. A girly pic this ain't, and it oozes with testosterone like Guy Ritchie's other gangster pics, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. It has the some of the same elements: British underworld, fast editing, impossibly large cast, but thankfully this time a woman in a prominent part. I love Thandie Newton's accountant character. She's cool and professional, but likes a bit of danger, which she seeks in Gerry Butler's One Two. Her eye rolls at his "dancing" had me howling.

Tom Wilkinson plays the lead gangster, and he looks like he had a ball. He's so often the retiring gentle man character, that it was just fun to see him be so bombastic. The standout new face for me was Toby Kebbell as Johnny Quid, the RocknRolla junkie. He has quite the presence, and since Guy is planning a trilogy if RocknRolla does well, the last scene of the movie hints that he'll have a big part in the sequel.

Of course, Gerard Butler was the best part of the movie for me. Finally, finally, he gets to show some of that humor of his in an action flick. Besides his hilarious dancing, I loved the scenes with his gay best pal. One Two (Gerry) thinks his friend is going to prison, and gives him a favor that last night. "So, what did you want to do to me?"

The serpentine plot is hard but not impossible to follow. It's typical complicated Ritchie. I liked Lock Stock and Snatch, and this is like them, so I like it, too. It didn't seem to have quite the same laugh out loud bits like Brad Pitt's accent in Snatch. Maybe some of the English humour went over my head. There were tons of little throw off moments that have me chuckling thinking of them even now, like the huge black gangster Tank who likes to watch English dramas like The Remains of the Day on DVD in his car!

Seeing what Guy Ritchie will do with Sherlock Holmes will be very interesting. Can he find success outside the modern London gangster world? I give RocknRolla three and a half stars. I certainly enjoyed it much more than a few of my girlfriends who I think thought we were seeing more of a chick flick!

Madagascar 2 mini-review


Took the kids to see this over the weekend. I give it a "meh" 2 stars. It's not as horrific as sitting through a Pokemon movie, but it's nothing special for adults to seek out like Wall-E.

Basically it's Lion King lite as the Madagascar crew crash lands in the African reserve where Alex the lion (Ben Stiller) was captured as a cub. All through the movie it was bugging me that I almost recognized the voice of his father. It was Bernie Mac in one of his last performances before his death. The Scar character is played by Alec Baldwin which amused me no end. Kids aren't going to get the gay "let the kid be himself and dance" subtext in full, but I appreciated the message. It just didn't have that great of a vehicle -- this is no Billy Elliot, either. Not worth your $9 if you're an adult without kids.

Hugh Jackman Shower Scene in Australia


Thank you Baz Luhrmann.

I first watched this scene open mouthed during Grey's Anatomy last week. They replayed it during Oprah (with one woman fanning herself making Hugh Jackman turn beet red) and on GMA. I can't find a version I can embed, but just trust me. You MUST watch this clip. Still wondering why I can't wait for this movie? Hubba hubba. All hail to the new Clark Gable.

Here's the GMA interview, but they talk over the clip. Very amusing how they show Hugh Nicole talking about how "impressive" Hugh's chest was when he took off his shirt!




Also, I was very amused that Hugh brought Tim Tam cookies for all of Oprah's audience. My favorites since our Australia visit. (You can get them at World Market.)

New Star Trek Posters



Zachary Quinto looks so eerily a clone of Leonard Nimoy as Spock. If you didn't know, the Star Trek trailer will debut this weekend before Quantum of Solace. My husband wants to see the Bond flick this weekend just because of that. Well, as some of you know, he does have a Klingon desk.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Rahmbo



“He’s a little bit larger than life,” Mr Obama once said of his pal. “We like them with a little bit of personality.”
My political obsession hasn't ended with the election, and this website it just too fun. You may have heard about the Chuck Norris Fun Fact website, and now, Rahmbo has one of his very own:

Rahm Emanuel Facts are as awesome as
Chuck Norris Facts — except 100% true!

Each fun fact
has a link to the source article! My favorites:

Even his mother calls him Rahmbo.

Rahm Emanuel brawled with his brothers over whether "Deer Hunter" is a good movie.

Josh Lyman would not exist without Rahm Emanuel.

Rahm Emanuel told Tony Blair: "Don't Fuck this up."

Rahm Emanuel's little brother Ari is the real life inspiration for Ari Gold on Entourage.