You're probably wondering why I'm writing about X-Men 3 some three years or so after it first came out. Well, despite making some $234 million a the box office, most comic book fans hated the movie, claiming it was a huge let down and that they butchered the Dark Phoenix storyline. Well, you may have also heard the name Mike Dougherty recently, and that's because he directed the cult horror hit Trick 'r Treat (buy the DVD). But before he directed that, he worked closely with Bryan Singer and is credited as one of the writers on X2. He even helped brainstorm an entire story for X-Men 3 with Singer that never got used. But what if?

This was never supposed to be heard by anyone besides Bryan Singer, but Dougherty recently appeared on the /Filmcast After Dark and started talking about it after he was asked what he thought of X3. I suggest you just download the entire thing, but I've pulled the key parts for the sake of discussion. Here's his version:

"The idea - you open up with Alkali Lake but it's completely barren and dried up and there are these odd reports of strange phenomena going on around the world accompanied by bright lights in the sky."

"The idea would be that both the X-Men and the Brotherhood realize that essentially a very god-like force had entered their reality and that it was causing disruptions around the world - mutant prisons being decimated. I had pitched an idea about a fleet of cargo ships getting torn apart in the Atlantic and you found out that they were shuttling mutants as slave labor."

"So basically you found out was that Phoenix was going round the world taking things into her own hands and that she had basically returned as a god, which they did touch upon in X3. She had viewed herself as above the conflict, that she was here to end things on her terms, she was basically sick of the fighting and she was going to take things into her own hands and she didn't give a shit what the X-Men or the Brotherhood had to say about it."

"And ultimately the way it was going to end, at least the version I was pushing for, would be that Phoenix was kind of like the Starchild at the end of 2001, she didn't just get stabbed and die again, but she kind of chose to leave."

"The one idea that I loved, that I really wanted to do, was that Cyclops would build the Danger Room. Cyclops felt guilty, he felt that because the X-Men were too weak, they weren't strong enough, they weren't fast enough, that was the reason Jean died. If they were a little bit better at fighting, then she might still be alive. It was all about this guilt he had about her death and so he built the Danger Room to train them to be better. But in the end it really was about him not being able to let go of her, so that causes all the chaos and disruption in the movie. But in the end it's about him letting her go."

"Ultimately she kind of becomes that cosmic force that Phoenix is known to be, she choose to leave Earth and become a god, or at least a higher level of intelligence, and she goes into the cosmos possibly to kick-start life somewhere else… The final scene for me would have been her telling Cyclops or her telling the X-Men 'I'll be watching.' Essentially she becomes a god."

If only this could've been the version of X-Men 3 we saw, if only. I think it might've made even more money than it did, and it certainly would've been embraced by fans. But unfortunately Bryan Singer had to choose between doing X-Men 3 or Superman Returns, and he made his choice, and we got Brett Ratner instead. It certainly sounds like they borrowed ideas from Dougherty's version anyway, but ultimately trimmed it down into something completely different. And from what little details I know about the actual Dark Phoenix story in the comics, this is a much more accurate presentation of that character, which is what fans wanted to see.

I'm sure there are hundreds of stories like this out there for every big movie and the way it "could've gone." You can listen to different screenwriters on Watchmen tell you about every little change everyone wanted to make to the story before they decided to stick with what was in the graphic novel. However, it's incredibly sad that X-Men 3 in particular got turned into something much worse. Do you like his version better?

Discover More: Cool Stuff, Discussion, Editorials

Back in September, we reported that MGM (aka Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) was "on the verge of bankruptcy" and was asking for emergency funds to say alive. The studio has finally made announcements that indicate that they are actually going up for sale. Variety and Nikki Finke confirmed the news. "MGM also said today it is beginning a process to explore various strategic alternatives including operating as a standalone entity, forming strategic partnerships and evaluating a potential sale of the Company." It looks like it's the end of an era for MGM once and for all. So will The Hobbit be caught in crossfire, too? We're not entirely sure.

The announcement came following a meeting of MGM debtholders, who agreed to extend forbearance on debt payments until January 31st, the second extension that they've been given. Apparently MGM owes some $3.7 billion in debt and brought in Stephen Cooper to replace Harry Sloan as CEO and attempt to recover the company. It sounds like, despite owning some 4000 titles in their library, Cooper wasn't able to get them on the right track, and has decided to consider a sale instead. From my standpoint, I think that's the best decision they could make, similar to how New Line became a part of Warner Brothers years ago.

The biggest franchises that MGM owns are James Bond and The Hobbit, but we don't know what will happen to either of those if they do sell or partner with another studio. Normally we don't cover this kind of news given all the technicalities surrounding running a business, but we'll do our best to keep you updated!

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Seen below is Fox Searchlight's official poster for Crazy Heart from the LA Times. The trailer arrives on Monday, but I thought I'd feature this anyway. If you haven't heard yet, Crazy Heart is the latest big Oscar contender, and it already has a lot of support. Jeff Bridges plays a broken-down, hard-living country music singer in a kind of Wrestler-like story. Apparently it's a "performance of a lifetime" from Bridges with critics like Kris Tapley of In Contention and Jeffrey Wells supporting him. "Jeff Bridges is definitely in the Best Actor derby… [His] best since The Big Lebowski but tonally opposite and much harder hitting, of course."

Bad Blake is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who's had way too many marriages, far too many years on the road and one too many drinks way too many times. And yet, Bad can't help but reach for salvation with the help of Jean, a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician.

Crazy Heart is both written and directed by actor/filmmaker Scott Cooper, who wrote the script for For Sale by Owner and is making his directorial debut with this film. This was shot last year but hasn't shown at any film festivals. Fox Searchlight will be bringing Crazy Heart to limited theaters starting on December 11th.

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Let me be one of the first to admit that I thought we'd never see Super Troopers 2. Sure, the original is a great movie, but its been 8 years and the Broken Lizard guys seem to be struggling to get anything made these days. However, Movie Cultists has an update from the Broken Lizard guys, and it looks like it might actually happen soon. "We have the financing," Jay Chandrasekhar said. "So we're going to try to make a deal with Fox." Steve Lemme adds that they're "three drafts into it" and that they're much better off going to a studio with financing already setup. "It's a great thing to go to a studio and say, 'We have the money.'"

We already know that Super Troopers 2 will be a direct sequel to the first movie, picking up right where that one left off. Additionally, the guys confirm that Brian Cox, who played Captain O'Hagan, will be back for the sequel. "Oh, yea. Yep. He'll be in it," Chandrasekhar said. "I mean, he loved [the first one]. He loved it." So it's good to know pretty much everyone will be back and that they've actually got a few drafts of a script done. Which means they just need to take that script to Fox, show them the money (which they already have), and this will be shooting in no time! Or at least, that's what should happen, if all goes as planned.

In case you're interested, back in January the Broken Lizard guys gave us a rundown on the supposed story for Super Troopers 2. Although with three drafts, who knows if it's the same story anymore. I just think the Broken Lizard guys need to get back in the spotlight again with a good comedy that isn't another box office bomb. And I think Super Troopers 2 would be a good return to form for the guys. What do you think?

Discover More: Movie News, Opinions, Rumors

Paramount hasn't put out an official "start of production" press release yet, but Production Weekly just ran an update confirming that Marvel's Thor movie, being directed by Kenneth Branagh (pictured above), will start shooting in Los Angeles in January. The shoot will then move to Santa Fe, New Mexico from March until late April. Thor stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Jaimie Alexander, Colm Feore, Samuel L. Jackson and Stellan Skarsgard. It's based on the comic book superhero created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby in 1962, and was inspired by the Norse god of thunder.

This epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe - from present day Earth to the mythical realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth. Paramount has set a May 20th, 2011 summer release for Thor. You can expect to hear plenty more about this as they prepare to start shooting. Excited?

Discover More: Hype, Movie News

A few of our friends are currently up in Toronto visiting the set of Resident Evil: Afterlife, which is being directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, and they got some updates on various projects that he's either directing or producing. First up, STYD talked with special makeup effects designer Paul Jones about Silent Hill 2, which has been in development for a while. "It's going to be pretty crazy. There's a lot of cool stuff in there. Roger (Avary) has some awesome ideas and hopefully we're going to bring that to fruition sometime next year," Jones revealed. There's also another new update on Anderson's The Three Musteketeers 3D as well.

In regards to Silent Hill 2, our last update was in September, which is when we reported that writer Roger Avary and producer Samuel Hadida would both be back in their original roles. But besides that, we haven't heard about a start date or director or anything like that, but this update might be a good sign that it'll actually start shooting next year. Let's not forget that Roger Avary is still tweeting from prison, so I assume this will pick up once he gets released. In the meantime, we'll jump to another Paul W.S. Anderson project.

Producer Jeremy Bolt also talked to a few sites (ComingSoon, Collider, UGO) and confirmed that Paul W.S. Anderson himself would be directing The Three Musteketeers 3D. This project was also first announced in September and is supposed to be a modernized version of the classic Three Musketeers story, but still set in the 18th century. Bolt revealed that they're aiming to start shooting in September of 2010 with an $80+ million budget. It will be "an action film with romance and have a contemporary feel" and be shot in 3D. Also, the Musketeers will be "packing" weapons but they'll be "indicative of the time it's set in" (phew!).

I'm not really that excited for either of these projects, but maybe it's too early to even be excited anyway. And speaking of even more Paul W.S. Anderson projects, SpoilerTV has a casting breakdown for the Death Race prequel we first heard about in August. It's now supposedly titled Death Race: Frankenstein Lives and is looking to start shooting soon (I'm assuming after they finish Resident Evil: Afterlife). Though I'm wondering - is Paul W.S. Anderson getting better or worse at directing? Or should he just stop entirely?

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Now that you've seen it, what did you think? The master of disaster is back! German director Roland Emmerich brings us the third and final film in his "disaster trilogy," 2012, this time addressing the belief that the world will come to an end and humanity will become extinct in the year 2012. But does it deliver? Is there a good story found within all the glorious big screen mayhem and destruction? Or is it just a mess of a movie packed with nothing more than cliches and bad CGI? Was it better than The Day After Tomorrow or not? Sound off below, leave a comment, and let us know what you thought of Roland Emmerich's 2012!

I just love Roland Emmerich. No one else can make movies like he does. And I'll admit that I had a blast watching 2012. I really had a great time watching this, watching the world get destroyed. There are a few good "money shots" of epic destruction, but what fascinated me the most was that it actually presents some interesting theories about control and what needs to be done to ensure that the human race lives on. As in, if we really knew the world was coming to an end, how would you react? What would you do? I loved that 2012 touched upon those issues. And as for the usual Emmerich mayhem, well, he delivers plenty of that as well!

What did you think of 2012? Best disaster movie this decade or an unenjoyable CGI mess?

Discover More: Discussion, Hype, Sound Off

A few weeks back I traveled to London, England and the small town of Buckinghamshire to be immersed in the world of Roald Dahl for Fantastic Mr. Fox. After touring the museum and his estate (more to come on that next week), I sat down for a very brief interview with Wes Anderson, the visionary director behind Fantastic Mr. Fox. My focus in this interview was on his creative process and development of the film, since Anderson was involved in writing the script (with Noah Baumbach) and directing the stop-motion animated film. I've been a fan of Anderson for a long time and it was a delight to chat with him. Enjoy the interview!

Watch my interview with Fantastic Mr. Fox writer and director Wes Anderson:

This was recorded inside the house where Roald Dahl lived in England which is also where Anderson and Baumbach wrote the script together. I've seen Fantastic Mr. Fox twice and it's a wonderfully entertaining film. It's got all the quirks of a Wes Anderson film with all of Roald Dahl's wildly imaginative characters. I actually enjoyed it even more a second time and highly suggest it to anyone looking for a great stop-motion animated film. As for Anderson, I wish I could've talked with him longer, as I had plenty more to ask, but got cut short. Fantastic Mr. Fox hits theaters this weekend and expands wide on Thanksgiving. Go see it!

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If you can remember back to April, we featured a poster and promo trailer for an indie film called Altitude, about a small plane full of teenagers that encounters a Lovecraftian creature up in some storm clouds. As we quickly found out, that promo trailer didn't actually have any real footage in it, so all the bad acting and CGI was actually bad because it was only temp footage. Now that it's actually shot and in post-production, we now have a finished trailer to show you (via ShockTillYouDrop) that includes real footage this time, and it's a huge improvement. Plus the final shot at the end with the monster is a true "holy sh*t" shot. Check it out!

Watch the first real trailer for Kaare Andrews' Altitude:

After a malfunction sends their small plane climbing out of control, a rookie pilot (Jessica Lowndes) and her four teenage friends find themselves in a showdown with malevolent, supernatural forces in the sky.

Altitude is directed by Canadian filmmaker Kaare Andrews, who is making his feature debut after directing a handful of shorts previously. The script was written by Paul A. Birkett, of Escape Velocity, Mindstorm, and Crash Landing previously. The film is being developed by the Escape Factory and distributed in Canada by Alliance Films, but they don't have a US distributor yet. Stay tuned for updates on Altitude as they arrive.

Discover More: Indies, Trailers, Worth Watching

It's always fun to take an established story and manipulate the so-called "happily ever after" ending. Steven Spielberg making Peter Pan grow up with Hook, or Hansel and Gretel becoming professional witch hunters are just a couple of fine examples. Now it looks like The Dark Knight producer Charles Roven is set to play in the world of Wonderland as this morning on Good Morning America (via ComingSoon) author Frank Beddor announced that he has been working with Roven to adapt his series of novels collectively known as The Looking Glass Wars, which have a much different take on the classic Alice in Wonderland story.

In this rather interesting take on that story, it claims that Leiws Caroll's two preceding books (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass) were nothing but lies and that this is the true story. Beddor's version features twists on the original story, such as the white rabbit actually being Alyss' (Alice's) tutor, Bibwit Harte, and that the Mad Hatter is actually a very agile, sober bodyguard named Hatter Madigan. Here's Amazon's more detailed plot summary (which explains the Alyss/Alice name difference):

Alyss Heart, heir to the Wonderland throne, is forced to flee when her vicious aunt Redd murders her parents, the King and Queen of Hearts. She escapes through the Pool of Tears to Victorian London, but she finds she has no way home. Adopted by the Liddells, who christen her Alice Liddell and disapprove of her wild stories about Wonderland, Alyss begs Charles Dodgson to tell her real story. Even though he writes "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," she knows no one believes her. Years go by, with Alice repressing her memories. Then royal bodyguard Hatter Madigan, determined to start a war for Wonderland's throne, crashes her wedding.

And, of course, all hell breaks loose. When asked about the potential to bring his series to the big screen, Beddor replied: "I am working with the producer of The Dark Knight, Charles Roven, so we're putting it together, and it's pretty exciting to think about it as a movie. It's a really visual world so we'll see. I'm just trying to get my neighbor Angelina Jolie to play her." ComingSoon points out that the host had to cut the interview there so it's unclear if Beddor wanted Jolie for Alyss or a more villainous role as Aunt Redd. This sounds quite exciting, and I can't wait to see what kind of creative people Roven gets behind this project. Though this isn't exactly official, we'll be looking forward to hearing a lot more about this in the future.

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It looks like former Vice President Al Gore isn't the only one pushing green films as Variety reports National Treasure director Jon Turteltaub is next set to direct a film chronicling the birth of Greenpeace, the organization fighting for the protection and conservation of the environment. The yet-to-be titled film will be told through the eyes of the controversial organization's charismatic founding members: Bob Hunter and Rex Weyler as recounted in their respective books Warriors of the Rainbow: A Chronicle of the Greenpeace Movement and Greenpeace: How a Group of Ecologists, Journalists, and Visionaries Changed the World.

The books (and the feature film to follow) chronicle a group of pacifists, ecologists, musicians, teachers, sailors, and scientists, primarily in the late 1970's and early 1980's, as they set out to disrupt American and French nuclear bomb tests, Japanese and Russian whaling ships and Norwegian infant harp seal hunters. In their frequent successes and dedication they inadvertently started a movement that is still going strong today. Producers Jerry and Janet Zucker have writer Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, Charlie Wilson's War) in their mind for the screenplay and have already had early discussions with him about the project.

Janet Zucker notes: "We want to look at these unlikely heroes who became activists in spite of themselves. Jon [Turteltaub] likes to make big adventure movies. And we've found that the best way to reach people's hearts and minds is through entertainment." If there's one writer that can make historical chronicle not only fit into a two hour time-slot, but also make it entertaining, it's Aaron Sorkin. The man is a frickin' wizard with exposition and dialogue and has plenty of wit up his sleeve. If this all comes together with Sorkin, it'll be interesting to see how Turteltaub translates his script to screen. With plenty of big car chases, I'm sure?

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Casting Tidbits assemble! First up, THR reports that Gus Van Sant's now untitled drama (formerly known as Restless) will be gaining the next generation of young actors as Henry Hopper (son of Dennis Hopper) and Schuyler Fisk (daughter of Sissy Spacek) join actress Mia Wasikowska in this story about a teenage boy (Hopper) and girl (Wasikowska) who share a preoccupation with mortality. Fisk will play Wasikowska's sister while other new cast members include Chin Han playing a doctor treating the girl, Ryo Kase as the spirit of a World War II kamikaze pilot who regularly visits the boy and Jane Adams as the boy's aunt.

Next, Heat Vision announced even more casting for the already talent packed comic book adaptation Red, as Julian McMahon (Fantastic Four), Ernest Borgnine (Marty), Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws) and Brian Cox (Fantastic Mr. Fox) will be joining Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, and Helen Mirren in the tale of a former black ops agent, now in retirement, who has to contend with younger, more high-tech assassins who show up to kill him. McMahon will play a Vice President with a dark side who is at the center of a conspiracy, with Borgnine playing the keeper of the CIA's darkest records, Dreyfuss playing a wealthy man who builds a fortune out of government contracts and Cox as a former Cold War spy and nemesis of Willis.

That's it for this edition of Casting Tidbits! Stay tuned for even more casting news coming down the line!

Discover More: Casting Tidbits, Movie News

"It's the end of the world as we know it… [again]." -R.E.M. (Except that last part, of course.)

I'm very tempted to make this review comprised of a single sentence. That review would read: 2012 is delicious candy for the eyes, brain-boggling insanity for your mind, and tooth-rotting idealism for your superego; and it's a film not to be missed in theatres.

Since you all are so used to my verbosity, though, (and because 2012 does actually deserve more than a single sentence) I won't leave it to just that line. So let's get to it, shall we? This is Roland Emmerich's third, and reportedly last, film in his "disaster trilogy" that began in 1996 with Independence Day. Sure, you could include Godzilla in there, but Emmerich's Big Three are ID4, The Day After Tomorrow, and, now, 2012. And what each of those previous films had, the destruction, the familiar character archetypes, the often ludicrous, but manipulatively thrilling set pieces, rest assured, 2012 has 'em. It's got all of it and more. 2012 is bigger in scope than The Day After Tomorrow, though while their conceits may differ, when both films are boiled down they're both about us (Humans) versus Earth. And while shades of ID4 glisten to life amid 2012's chaos, it's still no Independence Day. The characters aren't as actualized or fun or honest (or, for that matter, played as strongly). The turmoil is never as believable or earnest. (And when something isn't as believable as a world-wide alien invasion, that's really saying something.) Now that those comparisons are out of the way, let's dissect just what 2012 is.

It's too much, really. Of everything. The first fifteen minutes of the film cover no less than three years of screen time, from 2009 to 2012. In those three years geologist Adrian Helmsley, played wonderfully by Chiwetel Ejiofor, is introduced to the problem (solar eruptions are causing the neutrinos in Earth's core to mutate or evolve or something which is allowing them to act on physical matter instead of pass right through it. Earth's core is now a microwave. And it's starting to melt Earth's crust. Eep!), he's promoted within the ranks of the White House to the position of chief scientific advisor to President Thomas Wilson, played forgettably (and quietly) by Danny Glover, and is then unknowingly complicit in the murders of a bunch of people who attempt to spread the word about Earth's ultimate demise. Oh, and a secret project is started in the middle of China, a last-ditch effort to save (some of) humanity. That's the first fifteen minutes or so. And that right there is a great representation of the movie as a whole; a lot of shit happens. A lot of it is interesting. But more often than not, the most interesting bits are only briefly mentioned or alluded to in favor of spewing spectacle onto the screen.

But that's what's putting asses in the seats, no? To be completely forthright, it's what put my ass in that seat. I was as giddy as an eight-year-old on the last night of Hanukkah waiting for 2012 to start because I knew that above all else I was about to be taken on a wondrous ride of CGI and quippy cliches and surface emotion that may burn out quick, but it's sure brilliant while it lasts. And 2012 did not disappoint in that respect. I'm still unsure as to why this wasn't released this past summer. 'Cause it's the very definition of a summer blockbuster. Generally the CGI is top-notch. Whether it's a tsunami breaching the summit of the Himalayas, a super-volcano's eruption in Yellowstone, or the balls-out, merciless destruction of Southern California, it's a thing of beauty to behold. Though, for some reason, Emmerich decided to have every vehicle in the film attempt a sweet jump at one point or another. Those shots, especially of Jackson Curtis's limousine outrunning and leaping over the fissures made by a 9.4-on-the-Richter-scale earthquake are laughable. But like all great summer blockbusters, 2012 doesn't let implausibility impede its will.

How Adrian Helmsley and Jackson Curtis, played decently by John Cusack, first meet is at once thoroughly ridiculous and perfect. Curtis, a divorced father of two (and a struggling novelist), just so happens to take his kids to Yellowstone National Park on the same day that Helmsley just so happens to be at Yellowstone National Park checking up on his team who are monitoring the seismic activity of the super-volcano that resides beneath the land. Curtis and his children hop over a clearly marked government fence in order to enter the restricted area. Instead of being shot-on-sight, Curtis and his children are spared after Helmsley recognizes Curtis's name; he just so happens to be reading Curtis's book, an idealist manifesto about the goodness of humanity as framed by the sci-fi trope of a downed, doomed spacecraft (no wonder it only sold 400 copies). The two of them then converse openly about just how fucked we all are as a race, ’cause shit's about to get real, real quick. Then they part.

There are a couple problems with the above: 1) It's completely unbelievable that that situation would actually go down like it does in the film; 2) It's okay for Helmsley to just discuss this double-secret probation level information about the fate of Earth with a random civilian and then release him after we've already seen that the governments of the world are killing people left and right in order to keep that information hidden? But that's what the film is. It's a series of coincidences and improbabilities stacked atop one another like Jenga blocks on fire. But because we, the audience, are so often flying by, around, and through those enflamed blocks like we're in the seat of a theme park thrill ride instead of a theatre, the coincidences are fairly easy to dismiss during the fact.

That is, until the ride stops. And too often, it does. It stops to ogle at Thandie Newton who plays first daughter Dr. Laura Wilson, who is absolutely, stunningly beautiful, and whose character is just so, so annoying in that she's given a PhD, but is completely defined by her father and then her partnership with Helmsley. The ride becomes bogged down in the melodrama molasses of Curtis and his ex-wife Kate and her new husband Gordon, played by Amanda Peet and Thomas McCarthy respectively. And the ride is never able to find its initial speed after it becomes simply a scripted, more effects-heavy episode of "The Amazing Race." It's this that causes everything to screech to a halt. Emmerich's characters aren't realized enough to be on the screen for more than a few minutes without something exploding in front, behind, or to the side of them. They just become annoying.

And what's most annoying is Emmerich's refusal to explore the darkness of what, in reality, would be the darkest, most uncompromising situation we humans have ever had to face. 2012 may as well be a sermon about idealism and the horrors, the evils of pragmatic, realistic thinking. The beginning only vaguely touches on the lengths taken to keep such a global secret from leaking. Those lengths - murder.

SPOILERS BELOW

Well of course the governments of the world would have to murder people to keep something as huge as building giant, sea-faring arks in the middle of China that are to be populated (just before Earth goes completely to shit) by the most important and the richest members of society at one billion dollars per ticket. If that got out, there'd be anarchy. 2012, however, casts this idea as the villain. Are we truly saving humanity if to do so we must first lose our humanity?, Helmsley posits during his emotionally climactic speech on board Ark 4. My answer: Yes. A future born of cruelty, of necessity, is still a future. But since Emmerich is an interminable idealist, the gates of Ark 4 are let down so that it can be filled with those who would have otherwise perished. Oh, but lest we forget, it's not average citizens that rush on board Ark 4; it's the same billionaires who are only there and stranded because their Ark, Ark 3, suffered structural damage.

The idealism doesn't make any sense, which is why I found myself siding with the film's main antagonist (other than Earth itself) Carl Anheuser, played quite well by Oliver Platt. When the president decides to stay behind like some sea captain of old thereby shirking the very duties he was elected to uphold, it's Anheuser who steps up. He's always ready and willing to make the tough decisions, the decisions that would have to be made in a situation where the Earth itself is set to destroy us all, and he's always villainized for it. Because he's willing to do what it takes to make sure that humanity will survive in some capacity rather than not at all, he's the villain? Please. It's Curtis and Helmsley's idealism that nearly destroys Ark 4 and kills everyone on board in the first place.

And the irony of it all is that after Earth settles down, when the eruptions cease and the earthquakes settle into dormancy again, Emmerich focuses on the family that's been brought together over the course of the chaos. There's Jackson Curtis and his ex-wife Kate, their faces bathed in a golden, forgiving sun. In front of them are their children, arm in arm. A family unit back to together. And it only took the fucking apocalypse, the death of Kate's new husband, the loss of billions of human lives (not to mention the veritable extinction of the majority of Earth's other wildlife) across the globe, being forced to spend day in and day out together on an Ark sailing toward the prospect of an unforgiving future on the continent of Africa, and being thrust back into the stone age to make it so. There's some idealism for you.

END SPOILERS

Overall, 2012 is, at its core, a visual treat. Emmerich knows how to lead and manipulate his audience, to give them just what they want, to shock them at just the right moment, and when to coddle them, to make them feel safe so he can thrill them all over again. But the film's lack of any tangible villain and its inability to produce much over-arching tension lead to a film that will have you on the edge of your seat during every chase, but knowing that no harm will ever come to the main characters even though we're watching them fight against impossible odds and the hopeless fact that Earth is literally cracking beneath their feet. It's like watching a video game cinematic, there's some interesting stuff happening, but you know nothing too fatal is ever going to come about because that's just not how the medium works.

And that's just not how Emmerich works. He'll play with cliches to a point, he'll subvert your expectations for a powerful, moving presidential speech or introduce a seedy character with a Russian accent and the best voice in any film this year only to redeem him in the end or create a hilarious role for Woody Harrelson in order to spew as much exposition onto the screen at once, but when it's all said and done, you know exactly what's going to happen to every one of 2012's characters. It's a Roland Emmerich blockbuster. And aside from the gross idealism, that's kind of the appeal. It's not going to expand your mind, though some of its early ideas or its Battlestar Galactica-esque finale certainly could have, but it will put a smile on your face for one hundred and fifty-eight minutes.

This might be Emmerich's last foray into the disaster movie sub-genre, even though 2012's beginning teases at just what the master of disaster could do with the entire solar system as his canvas, so make it a point to catch this one in theatres. The spectacle is worth it. And the debate regarding just what you're going to do when December 21st, 2012 actually rolls around is a lot of fun to have afterward, too. Who cares what NASA says, Roland Emmerich is a prophet of disastrous proportions, and 2012 is his scripture.

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For my money, Martin Scorsese is one of the most influential filmmakers working in Hollywood today, and his films are nothing short of inspirational, provocative labors of love and life. It seems the Hollywood Foreign Press Association also agrees as Variety reports that he will be this year's recipient of  the Cecil B. DeMille Award recognizing a person's outstanding contribution to the entertainment field, which just last year was given to Scorsese's longtime friend, fellow filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Scorsese will be honored by several of his peers and collaborators when the show (hosted by Ricky Gervais) airs live January 17th.

Scorsese has received two Golden Globe Awards for his work as director on The Departed and Gangs of New York as well as nominations in directing for Casino, Age of Innocence, Goodfellas and Raging Bull. As overly-long and boring as the awards shows usually are, I love these lifetime achievement awards for the retrospective montages and speeches from fellow filmmakers and actors praising the honoree. It'll be hard to top the moment when Scorsese received the Academy Award for Best Director in 2007 for The Departed from Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas (all close friends of Scorsese), but I'm sure there will still be plenty of people lining up to honor the bespectacled fast-talking master of cinema.

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A while back, Stallone announced that Rambo V was in the pipeline. It's plot was to take a decidedly sci-fi turn that previous Rambo films had not yet ventured towards. The film was to center around a US Military installation experimenting on its soldiers to "tap into [the] savagery that we have deeply embedded [inside] us." Basically, these elite soldiers are to become purely instinctual killing machines without a shred of regret, with nary a single qualm about taking a human life. Rambo was going to be the guy who'd have to bring one of these monstrosities down. The one hunting, instead of being hunted. And I was oh so excited!

Those were the days! And those days are no more, at least for the Rambo series, that is. Here's what Sly himself had to say to his loyal fans over at StalloneZone regarding the change of plot for Rambo V:

To all the loyal SZoners out there,

I'm letting you know that Rambo has changed course and the story about hunting the man/beast will be done using another character in the lead. RAMBO himself will be heading over the border to a violent city where many young women have vanished.

There will be blood.

Welp, at least Sly hasn't thrown out that awesome creature-feature idea completely. It'll probably come to fruition as a more direct adaptation of Hunter, the novel by James Byron Huggins that the story was based on. And that means after The Expendables, we'll be seeing at least two more balls-out action movies from the legend. As for what Rambo V will be now, well, that's still up for speculation. From his quote, we know he'll be "heading over the border." But what border? Rambo goes to Canada?! Nah, probably not. Probably Mexico. And that's where he'll do what he does best: leave a massive body count in his wake. Awesome.

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And the 3D trend continues. Thanks to the success of Michael Jackson's This Is It (which has pulled in almost $200 million worldwide) as well as U2 3D, AEG Live and Action 3D have partnered to produce a series of filmed concerts shot on HD 3D and slated to be released theatrically for one-week engagements. Variety reports that the first film to hit theaters will be called (take a deep breath): Larger Than Life…in 3D Featuring the Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper and Relentless7 and Gogol Bordello. The concert film will feature footage that was shot at the Austin City Limits festival held just this past October.

That Dave Matthews concert film will be shown in some 300 to 400 digital theaters on December 11th next month. "Our goal was to mimic a concert," said John Rubey, president of Network Live, comparing that film to U2 3D. According to Rubey, the December release date was chosen to take advantage of the window between the release of Disney's A Christmas Carol and James Cameron's Avatar, which opens the following week. Other concert films in the works include Kenny Chesney (from Sony) as well as Phish live at Festival 8 and "best of" editions of both Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits as follow-ups to Dave Matthews in 2010.

I actually had a blast watching U2 3D in IMAX, so I'll admit I've kind of got a soft spot for 3D concert films, but it all depends on the band or performer. I won't go see anyone, which is why I hope they choose great bands. So far it sounds like they're doing a good job. Anyone planning on seeing the Dave Matthews flick?

DMB concert photo courtesy of Manuel Nauta on Flickr.

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I know what you're thinking, that this is pretty damn weird, and it's starting to sound like another Joaquin Phoenix-like stunt. By now you've probably heard that actor James Franco is appearing on more than 10 episodes of General Hospital, a day-time soap opera. It may not mean much to you, but there are some hints around the web that this odd "career move" may be more than just a simple appearance. "I've got other ideas for my participation in this soap opera beyond just being in this soap opera," Franco told Vulture earlier this week. And thanks to Movieline (via SlashFilm), it looks like we may know more about why he's doing this.

Movieline spoke to Carter, Franco's friend and artistic collaborator, and found out that it's kind of for a film:

"Yeah, it's for several different things. It was an idea that I posed to him, and it's tied to another film that he and I are working on now. It's not specifically for another project, because I know that he's really enjoying the challenge of working on a soap — it's a very taxing job, and an interesting thing for him to be doing — but it does have to do with another film that he and I are working on."

But what is this other film about? "It's a feature film… That's what's interesting about the collaboration that James and I have, the line between what’s fine art and what's a commercial piece is a constant puzzle. But in my mind, if you ask me, it's a feature film that's gonna be pretty abstract, for a larger audience." As in an indie to show at film festivals, but that's it. It's not a Borat-like stunt, though, it's still in the "very beginning stages." Carter adds: "It's basically written, and now we're working on getting the other actors involved, which we are super, super excited about." I wonder what this could be? Anyone have any ideas?

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Now this is a comedy I can be excited about! It's that time of year again, when all the studios start releasing early teasers for their big summer movies. Sony has debuted the teaser trailer for Grown Ups tonight on Yahoo. You might remember hearing about this when it was announced - it's the ensemble comedy starring Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Maria Bello, and Maya Rudolph - just about every comedic actor out there. There's really not much to this, just a few quick scenes, but it's a great intro that's definitely made me more excited for this. Check it out below!

Watch the teaser trailer for Dennis Dugan's Grown Ups:

You can also watch the Grown Ups teaser trailer in High Definition on Yahoo

Thirty years after their high school graduation, five friends reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Grown Ups is directed by long-time comedy director Dennis Dugan, of You Don't Mess with the Zohan, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, The Benchwarmers, National Security, Saving Silverman, Big Daddy, Beverly Hills Ninja, and Happy Gilmore previously. The screenplay was co-written by Adam Sandler, Tim Herlihy (Bedtime Stories, Mr. Deeds), and Fred Wolf (Dickie Roberts, Without a Paddle). Sony is bringing Grown Ups to theaters everywhere starting on June 25th, 2010 next summer. Will be a good summer!

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Inspired by this amusing post on Awards Daily titled "How to Build a Sturdy Foxhole", I thought I'd point out that Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox, which hits limited theaters (in New York and Los Angeles) this weekend before expanding on Thanksgiving, is getting positive reviews. Over on Metacritic, Fantastic Mr. Fox currently has a score of 87, which earns it the "universal acclaim" tag. Ryan points out that 7 of the 9 reviews tracked have a score of 80 or above, which is pretty damn impressive. In comparison, Where the Wild Things Are only has a score of 71 on Metacritic, but it also has quite a few perfect 100 reviews, too.

Yesterday it was officially confirmed that Fantastic Mr. Fox was one of 20 movies in the running for Best Animated Feature Film at the Oscars, which bumps up the nominees in that category to five instead of just three. Hence the joke on Awards Daily is that a foxhole is a "a strong defensive fighting position," which is exactly what this film is building up (for Oscar season) with these great reviews. I've seen it (twice) and completely agree with most of the reviews. It's a very fun, very entertaining family film with Wes Anderson's sensibilities, a wonderful story and great character design. We've got some great Fantastic Mr. Fox content on the way, but if you're in New York or Los Angeles, be sure to catch it this weekend before everyone else.

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Roland Emmerich's latest world-destruction movie, 2012, hits theaters this weekend (I've seen it, it's totally awesome, by the way), which means most people are going to be talking about Emmerich's illustrious career once again. Say what you will, but my favorite Emmerich film is still Independence Day from 1996, and most people I know agree with me. So how about a sequel? Well, we reported in October that Emmerich has been developing one, but that it probably wasn't going to happen. However, MTV has a new interview with Emmerich and he seems much more enthusiastic, even revealing that the story would span two movies.

"What we want to do in the next – it's actually two movies – we want to do a bigger arc," he explained to MTV. "Independence Day was always like the king who leads his troops into battle against an evil force, and that stays like that." That makes little sense, but whatever. How about a title? "ID4-Ever, Part I and II maybe?" he suggests. Totally cheesy, but that's Emmerich for you. He might as well just use another year, considering his last two movies have been years as well (2012 and 10,000 BC). If you ever want a good topic of discussion with your friends, bring up the idea of what could happen in an Independence Day sequel. Let's hear what Emmerich has to say:

"There's an idea [but not a script yet]," he said. "The idea is just to continue the story and actually I don't know how many years ago this was—twelve, thirteen, fourteen years ago—and just continue where it ended."

Where it ended? I thought it ended with all the aliens killed. Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum went up into space and destroyed the mothership. And everyone on earth, including poor ole Randy Quaid, had killed off all the invading ships. Where is the story beyond that? Well, they could come back, even more pissed off, and it sounds like that's the case. These are probably some intelligent aliens and they've got an entire solar system worth of backup troops ready to kick some ass if needs be. Emmerich confirms: "One day we will do it and that the story will stay firmly on the planet. It's always about earth and that earth gets invaded."

And don't worry, they won't make this without Will Smith. But at least it's good to hear that it will happen, at least according to Emmerich. I've already been talking with my friends earlier this week about seeing this happen, so I know I'm not alone in my excitement. Here's to hoping it's as good as the original. Can't wait?

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