Punch Drunk Critics

Ghost Rider 2 to Ignore 1st Awful Film

2009-11-05T11:19:00.004-05:00

"You have chosen....wisely." David Goyer, writer of the upcoming sequel to 2007's Ghost Rider, has done the right thing and somewhat distanced himself from the critically panned hit. Yes, it was a hit. Doesn't mean it was any good. In an interview with MTV, he reveals some details on the upcoming Marvel superhero flick...

"It's a bit more stripped down and darker. It's definitely changing tone. What 'Casino Royale' was to the Bond movies, hopefully this will be to 'Ghost Rider'," says Goyer. "It doesn't contradict anything that happened in the first film, but we're pretending that our audience hasn't seen the first film."

He also says that the story will take place some eight years after the last one. This is a wise move for them to take. While not the worst film ever, Ghost Rider didn't leave a good taste in a lot of people's mouths, and certainly didn't give the impression that it deserved to become a full fledged franchise. It's too soon to start from scratch, but perhaps a more streamlined narrative will accomplish what the first movie clearly didn't.

Reilly, Mirren, and Bruce Willis all seeing Red

2009-11-05T10:23:00.003-05:00

Warren Ellis's superspy adaptation, Red, is finally ready to go green after adding three heavyweights to it's cast the last few days. Attatched since the beginning have been Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman. Willis likely to tackle the lead role as Paul Moses, a retired CIA agent who is being hunted by his former employers. In the last few days John C. Reilly, Helen Mirren, and Mary Louise Parker have all joined the fold. Reilly is rumored to be taking on the role of another agent who is paranoid about being killed as well, Parker as a love interest to Bruce Willis's character.

The critically acclaimed graphic novel debuted in 2003 and is considered one of Warren Ellis's finest works. Consider it a little bit The Bourne Identity crossed with last year's Taken. It's basically an older agent forced to deal with the younger, more technologically advanced upstarts trying to take him down.

Robet Schwenke, who directed The Time Traveler's Wife most recently, is on board to helm the project. Biggest drawback? The writing duo attatched, who's last film was the super turd, Whiteout. Surely it won't be as bad as Whiteout was. That would take a concerted effort on their part to produce the slowest, most boring to see and hear film of all-time.

'Slumdog Millionaire Team Takes to the Mountains

2009-11-05T08:58:00.003-05:00

Remember that guy about 6 years ago, who got his arm crushed while mountain climbing and ended having to amputate it himself with a dull pocket knife? His name was Aron Ralston, and he's become something of a celebrity ever since that incident. So much so that he's getting a feature film made about himself, and by the same people who brought you Slumdog Millionaire last year. Danny Boyle, who directed last year's Best Picture winner, has already written the treatment for the film. The movie will be titled "127" hours, signifying the amount of time Ralston spent trapped alone on that mountain with no food and only a tiny amount of water to sustain himself.

At this point I'm convinced Boyle can do no wrong. Other than my boy P.T. Anderson nobody has a better string of great films than Boyle. In recent years he has been at the helm of 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Millions, and Slumdog Millionaire. Because of that it's easier for me to ignore crapfests like The Beach.

No word on who will star in the film, but production is nearly set to get underway with plans for late 2010 release.

Variety has more on the story here.

Roger Rabbit...Real or Memorex?

2009-11-04T13:50:00.002-05:00

Robert Zemeckis can't shut up about his Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel now. Before it was nada. Now it's mucho. Just a few days ago we had the story about the original writers taking over the scripting chores. The other half of that story involved what technology Zemeckis would be using. He's been a forerunner in the realm of performance capture technology(seen in his upcoming A Christmas Carol), but would that be appropriate for something like Roger Rabbit? In an interview with MTV this is what he had to say...

That’s true, yeah, although I wouldn’t use if for the cartoon characters, because I think they should stay two-dimensional. That’s their charm. I wouldn’t dimensionalize Roger. And I couldn’t dimensionalize Jessica, even if I wanted to, because she doesn’t have a nose. We don’t want to give her a nose!…All the other characters that they would sort of have fun with would be magnificent in performance capture technology.

Sounds to me like we aren't going to be seeing any real people in the movie, rather a mix of performance capture and 2-D characters. To me, you don't mess with the toon characters' look. They are meant to be old school cartoon figures that are flat. How else can they flatten themselves against the floor, or throw that black hole against the wall and run through it?(my favorite looney toons gag). It's been twenty years since the last movie, and Christopher Lloyd and Bob Hoskins obviously haven't gotten any younger. So it makes perfect sense to use performance capture on their characters in order to maintain their original "youth". I just hope basically throwing these two very different animated styles together doesn't translate into a muddy look on the screen.

New theatrical poster for Woody Harrelson's 'Defendor'!

2009-11-04T11:16:00.002-05:00

I don't think we've said anything on the site here about Defendor, the new superhero film by actor turned director, Peter Stebbings. It stars Woody Harrelson as an ordinary guy who thinks he's a crime fighting supehero known as Defendor. He goes off in search of his arch nemesis, known as Captain Industry. He is befriended by a protsitute(with a heart of gold, I'm sure) played by Kat Dennings(Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist). The reason why we haven't said much about it is because the chances of the film getting a domestic release seem slim.

The independently financed film was turned down by nearly every major studio, mainly because it doesn't fit the traditional mold of a superhero movie. Pretty lame, right? This is why I hate Hollywood sometimes. But fortunately for Stebbings, the actors had faith, and eventually they scrounged up the funding but only after some significant delays. After premiering at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this year, the US distribution rights were picked up by Sony and it is due to be released sometime this year. Although I expect it'll be sometime in the softer 1st quarter of 2010.

Anyway, the film now has an official theatrical poster(which I hope you didn't miss up top there). It's not much, but I'm sure there'll be bigger and better down the line.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

2009-11-04T10:24:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite Voltaire quotes goes like this: "The best way to become boring is to say everything". Cirque du Freak suffers from this problem. It's a total "meh" movie, full of wonderful actors and an intriguing premise that goes nowhere. The film is adapted from The Saga of Darren Shan books, and combines bits from the first two or three installments. It tries so hard to cram everything in that nothing is resolved or approached with any skill. But that is just one of the film's many problems that ultimately derail what could've been enjoyable.

The lead character is the movie's biggest hurdle. He's more than a hurdle. He's a stumbling block. Chris Massoglia plays Darren, a typical kid with a boring life of studying and hanging out with his best friend Steve(Josh Hutcherson). Steve comes from a troubled home, apparently. He's frankly a bit of a douche. One day out of nowhere they are invited to a freak show, hosted by a guy with a big ass head(Ken Watanabe!!?). Darren is identified by a bearded Salma Hayek as some sort of chosen one. He unwittingly breaks a pact between a faction of vampires, one side led by Larten Crepsley(John C. Reilly), who has learned to live without having to kill people. Their rivals? Eh, not so much. They are led by some fat ifeminate guy. Why is he so feminine? Not sure, exactly. Larten becomes Darren's mentor, turn him into a vampire without a lot of haggling to be honest. You'd think becoming part of the undead would be a major life decision, but I guess not. Steve gets jealous and vows vengeance on both. It's all quite random.

Darren and Larten travel with the Cirque du Freak. A hodge podge of carnival odditites that include the aforementioned bearded Hayek, Patrick Fugit as a lizard boy, some chick with a monkey tail who is the worst love interest evah, and a host of other familiar faces with severe deformities. They ultimately don't matter much to the story. But then again nothing really does.

There's something to be said about just how dull Chris Massoglia is as the main character of this story. I couldn't pick him out of a police lineup. He looks like he should be manning the lights at a high school play or handing out flyers for discount pizza. He has no charisma. I'd say he has negative heat. His counterpart, Josh Hutcherson goes to waste here as well but that has more to do with the lousy script. Hutcherson was quite good in Bridge to Terabithia, a far better film than this. John C. Reilly is clearly having a good time with his role, hamming it up every chance he gets, but towards the end I got the impression even he was looking sideways at the director during some of these scenes. Can't say I blame him.

Potential for a fun film can be found buried way...way..down deep. The idea of a vampire war is intriguing stuff that could be fun to watch if a capable writer/director can be found. After the dismal showing this one made, however, I doubt we'll ever see it come to pass. Probably better that way.

4/10

An Education

2009-11-04T08:51:00.002-05:00

Writer Nick Hornby is generally known as a novelist who writes books about men. His three most famous books have all been turned into amazing movies: High Fidelity, About a Boy, and Fever Pitch. All of them deal with our many obsessions and infatuations especially with ex-lovers. An Education deals with a young girl in 1961 Britain, just on the cusp of becoming a woman but not yet wisened to the ways of the world. Not exactly what one would expect to be Hornby's strong suit.

The girl in question is Jenny, played with infinite grace by newcomer Carey Mulligan. Jenny is a smart, attractive girl with a bright future ahead of her. She's slavishly studying and working to get into Oxford. Her life is basically mapped out for her. That is until she meets David(Peter Saarsgard), a 35 year old man with a slick tongue suave air of confidence about him. He's been places Jenny has only heard about. He listens to the same music as her, watches the finest films, and dines at the finest restaurants. She is at first cautious, but soon finds herself taken with the first interesting person she's ever met.

This being 1961, women didn't have nearly the options they would have now. Jenny's parents, played by Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour, are caring but naive. Her father is strict when it comes to her studies, but little else. Her mother plays the background but clearly knows more than she's perhaps been allowed to let on. When David first introduces the idea to them of taking their daughter out on a date, they are taken by his charm and maturity. Her parents are smart people, but that didn't get them anywhere in particular. They want their daughter's life to be simpler, like any parent would. To them, David presents an opportunity for that to happen.

David, of course, isn't all that he seems. He's into some shady dealings along with his best friend Danny(Dominic Cooper). Danny's girlfriend, Helen(Rosamund Pike), is a sophisticated airhead who doesn't quite understand the far more cerebral Jenny. David is the key to another world for Jenny. A world she has only had the opportunity to read about. She enters it willingly, risking everything she's worked her entire life for.

It's a story we've seen in movies time and again, but rarely carried out with such precision by all involved. Hornby's script, based on a memoir by journalist Lynn Barber, is tight and shows flashes of his earlier works. Jenny, much like Hornby's other protagonists, is addicted to pop culture and high society. Not obsessively so, but in the way of someone who's only been allowed to study them from afar, or has been deprived of them completely. Carey Mulligan's performance is stunning, and the transformation that takes place in Jenny is jaw dropping as she goes from naive child to world weary woman in the span of 90 minutes. That's a product of the script, but also in Mulligan's portrayal. It is one for the ages, and if she's not nominated come Oscar season it'll be a travesty.

It must say something that I wanted desperately to snatch up Jenny and get her away from that slimy David character. To make sure she followed through on her goals. Hey, I'm a dude. I knew what kinda guy he was the instant he pulled up in his fancy car and picked her up. "You're too good for him!", I wanted to scream at the screen. But it was a lesson she had to learn on her own, and while I won't spoil the outcomes of this wonderful film, I will say that I felt the ending was a bit rushed. Fortunately, everything else is spot on perfect.

There's a lesson here to be learned. An education, I guess you could say, about discovering what truly matters to each of us and whether it's worth giving out life to. It's about finding one's own place, carving out out own little corner of the world. No matter what the goal, it's always going to take hard work to do it. There are no short cuts. No easy ways out, even if they come in the form of a handsome stranger.

8.5/10

Punch Drunk DVDs! 11/3/09

2009-11-03T14:12:00.006-05:00

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Is it perfect? No. It's not exactly how I would've made a G.I. Joe movie, but it's close enough. Far superior to Michael Bay's bloated Transformers film, and a helluva lot more fun.

Food, Inc.

Look, nobody wants to see you slaughter a cow. We just wanna enjoy our meal. If you disagree with idea, this movie's for you.

The Taking of Pelham 123

John Travolta and Denzel Washington square off in a deadly game of cat and traffic controller! Perfect if you're a fan of either star, although in my humble opinion neither shines like they should.

Aliens in the Attic

If your house was invaded by little green aliens you'd probably want Doris Roberts on your side, too. I hear she's deadly with a blade.

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Dirty old men like John and I would probably consider buying this for the half a shot of nippple action we think we're going to get from the smokin' hot Hayden Panettierre. Otherwise this is a surprisingly effective teen sex comedy worthy of checkin' out.

Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series

I'll admit, I don't know squat about this. Apparently it's an animated side story featuring Blair Williams(Moon Bloodgood), one of the key characters from last summer's film. Sounds interesting, and worth a look if you're a die hard Terminator fan. Like me.

Rocky: The Undisputed Collection (Blu-Ray)

Every single Rocky movie all wrapped up nice and neat just in time for Christmas. Yes, even the awful Tommy Morrison one. The greatest underdog story evah never looked better. Cool, so now I can watch that Apollo Creed death scene in crystal clear HD and in slo-mo just like I always wanted.

Buying from Amazon? We encourage you to do so through our Amazon links located here on the site, or through any of the links presented each week in the Punch Drunk DVDs segment. It doesn't cost you a thing, and helps us out tremendously! We're tryin' to get to Cannes next year!

Joss Whedon Makes a Bid for Terminator Rights?

2009-11-03T13:27:00.003-05:00

Well, sorta. This is obviously a little tongue in cheek, but on his Whedonesque site Joss laid out his plan for what the world of Terminator would be like if under his influence...

An Open Letter to the Terminator Owners. From a Very Important Hollywood Mogul

Dear Sirs/Ma'ams,

I am Joss Whedon, the mastermind behind Titan A.E., Parenthood (not the movie) (or the new series) (or the one where 'hood' was capitalized 'cause it was a pun), and myriad other legendary tales. I have heard through the 'grapevine' that the Terminator franchise is for sale, and I am prepared to make a pre-emptive bid RIGHT NOW to wrap this dealio up. This is not a joke, this is not a scam, this is not available on TV. I will write a check TODAY for $10,000, and viola! Terminator off your hands.

No, you didn't miscount. That's four -- FOUR! -- zeroes after that one. That's to show you I mean business. And I mean show business. Nikki Finke says the Terminator concept is played. Well, here's what I have to say to Nikki Finke: you are a fine journalist and please don't ever notice me. The Terminator story is as formative and important in our culture -- and my pretend play -- as any I can think of. It's far from over. And before you Terminator-Owners (I have trouble remembering names) rush to cash that sweet cheque, let me give you a taste of what I could do with that franchise:

1) Terminator... of the Rings! Yeah, what if he time-travelled TOO far... back to when there was dragons and wizards? (I think it was the Dark Ages.) Hasta La Vista, Boramir! Cool, huh? "Now you gonna be Gandalf the Red!" RRRRIP! But then he totally helps, because he's a cyborg and he doesn't give a s#&% about the ring -- it has no power over him! And he can carry it AND Frodo AND Sam AND f@%& up some orcs while he's doing it. This stuff just comes to me. I mean it. (I will also offer $10,000 for the Lord of the Rings franchise).

2) More Glau. Hey. There's a reason they're called "Summer" movies.

3) Can you say... musical? Well don't. Even I know that's an awful idea.

4) Christian Bale's John Connor will get a throat lozenge. This will also help his Batwork (ten grand for that franchise too, btw.)

5) More porn. John Connor never told Kyle Reese this, but his main objective in going to the past was to get some. What if there's a lot of future-babies that have to be made? Cue wah-wah pedal guitar -- and dollar signs!

6) The movies will stop getting less cool.

Okay. There's more -- this brain don't quit! (though it has occasionally been fired) -- but I think you get my drift. I really believe the Terminator franchise has only begun to plumb the depths of questioning the human condition during awesome stunts, and I'd like to shepherd it through the next phase. The money is there, but more importantly, the heart is there. But more importantly, money. Think about it. End this bloody bidding war before it begins, and put the Terminator in the hands of someone who watched the first one more than any other movie in college, including "Song of Norway" (no current franchise offer).

Sincerely, Joss Whedon.

Ok, so we had reported awhile back that the Terminator rights were about to go on sale. Well, a few days ago it became official. No word as of yet on any potential buyers, but just imagine how great Terminator would be if it could be written by master wordsmith, Joss Whedon. Back in 1984 James Cameron sold the rights to his future wife for the princely sum of $1. While I don't expect Joss's $10,000 offer to be accepted, I can certainly dream. Would Skynet send a Terminator back through time to kill a young Buffy Summers? Holy crap! Buffy vs. the Summer Glau Terminator? Can someone make this happen? Like now?!?

The Unintended Fallout from Paranormal Activity....Blair Witch 3. sigh

2009-11-03T10:39:00.002-05:00

So remember all these weeks when John and I were pushing you to go see Paranormal Activity? And for the most part you all did it, right? I mean, the film was #1 last week and is still going strong. Of course that was all our doing. Anyway, if I had known this could be the possible outcome I would've tempered my enthusiasm a little.

In an interview with The Star, Eduardo Sanchez, co-director of The Blair Witch Project revealed that work is already underway on a third chapter, thanks largely in part to the success of Paranormal Activity. The Blair Withc Project is the father of the "found footage" genre that Paranormal Activity emulates. Back in 1999 it went on to gross upwards of $240M worldwise based mostly on internet buzz and viral marketing campaigns.

Sanchez indicates that they've already done exploratory research in the Seneca Creek State Park in Maryland where the original Blair Witch was filmed. The story would do the smart thing and totally ignore the awful, studio garbage that was Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows. The hope is to have the original three stars(yay, Heather Donahue!) return for brief cameos most likely in flashback. Sanchez had this to say also...

"We're at the step where we're about to pitch to Lionsgate, which owns the movie rights now. It's pretty much up to them. They can completely squash it or greenlight it."

Well, that didn't take long. Hollywood has an annoying habit of copying whatever's successful. If a disaster movie hits big, we see an endless flood of them. End of the world films? A dime a dozen nowadays. Now it looks like the "found footage" genre is back in full swing. It's been awhile since I watched Blair Witch, but I remember liking it mainly due to the atmosphere it created. It was extremely good at what it set out to do, much like Paranormal Activity was. Whether or not they can recapture that feeling has yet to be seen.

Owen Wilson Plays the Big Dawg, Marmaduke

2009-11-03T09:26:00.003-05:00

For someone who has had a perpetual anxiety around dogs, I used to love both Clifford and Marmaduke. Maybe it was because these large dogs actualy were sweet and friendly, in stark contrast to the drooling, foaming, razor eyed mongrels that infested our neighborhood. The Marmaduke comic strip first hit papers in 1954, and now more than 50 years later it's finally getting a shot at the big screen.

THR is reporting that Owen Wilson has signed on to voice the great dane. Judy Greer and William H. Macy are on board as two of his human companions. The voice talents of Christopher Mintz-Plasse(Superbad), Fergie(The White Eyed Pea), Emma Stone(Zombieland) and others will be featured as well. Tom Dey is directing. I'll try not to hold his filmography against him, which includes Shanghai Noon(a decent film), Showtime(a miserable film), and Failure to Launch(an unwatchable film).

The storyline is set to involve a "turf war" between purebreed dogs and the mutts....

Marmaduke is set to be released in June 2010. Kinda quick, ain't it? What's the rush? Surely they want more time to...I dunno...change the plot to something else?

Prince of Persia theatrical trailer!

2009-11-02T20:25:00.003-05:00

After much hype and frankly a lot of criticism for it's casting choices, Disney finally released the trailer to the highly anticipated, Prince of Persia. Jerry Bruckheimer is on board to produce, and you can tell almost immediately that it's following the Pirates of the Caribbean model. The action is quick, the special effects are gorgeous, and the hero has a quirky sense of humor and is easily disarmed by a pretty face. My immediate reaction is that Jake Gyllenhall is woefully miscast. He looks the part well enough during the quick cut action scenes, but when it stops long enough to let him speak it really hits home how much he doesn't fit in this role. Whatever, we'll see how it goes. Check out the trailer and let us know what you think!

Michael Jackson's This Is It

2009-11-02T13:49:00.003-05:00

Michael Jackson's final bow begins with a very simple but important declarative...

FOR THE FANS....

It's been over four months since the legendary King of Pop passed, and in that time we've been witness to a litany of scandals, misstatements, accusations, all of which do nothing to honor Michael Jackson's memory. I know, because I've been a party to a lot of it. It's no secret that I'm not much of a Michael Jackson fan. My appreciation for him ended sometime after Bad released, probably after about 15 minutes of the 30 minute long extended video for the single. Since then I've looked at him as a pariah. A talented but deeply troubled individual who's failed exploits and attempts at normalcy were tragic at best.

This Is It encompasses none of that other side of Michael Jackson's life. There are no babies dangling from balconies, or chimpanzees, or child stars sitting on his lap. This is Michael Jackson doing what he loves most. Performing. Rather, this is his preparing to perform. The film is a collection of rehearsals, cobbled together by longtime friend and director, Kenny Ortega. Ortega was also responsible for helping Michael put together this monumental concert. In fact, it's so big it probably couldn't even be labeled a concert. It's an event. In it's entirety, it would've combined movies...and stage acting...computer animation...3-D technology..the show would've had it all. We get snippets of that here, and even that is enough to blow you away.

Michael Jackson's eye for detail and constant drive for perfection is already well know. He could identify the most subtle shifts in tone or a single off key in the middle of a blistering performance. He simply had an ear for music, the likes of which we might not have ever seen.We see him, surrounded by a loyal group of technicians just as scrutinizing as he, fine tuning every iota of this mammoth event. At no point is there any trace of the problems he reportedly was having on the outside. He seems completely focused and determined, almost unnaturally so, but that's due to the fact that he wanted his final show to be everything the fans expect. At one point, when questioned by his music director about a barely noticeable tempo shift Jackson fires back "I want it how I wrote it. How the fans hear it."

At the age of 50, you'd expect Michael Jackson to no longer be the energizing dance machine he was in his youth. Surrounded by a core group of youthful, exuberant dancers who idolize his every step, Michael shows that he's still very much the same performer he always was. He commands the stage. His presence is unparalleled, even as he contorts his lithe frame in lockstep with his troupe.

One of the things I felt was always overlooked was Michael's ability to take command of any crowd, regardless of the type of material he was presenting. People see Jackson as a dancer more than they do a singer, and that's understandable. But my favorite song of his has always been "Human Nature", a soft ballad that shows his range as a vocalist. We're treated to a glorious rendition of it here, and it's as captivating as any of his more gaudy uptempo tracks. There are some instances where Michael is forced to hold back for fear of straining his voice, but there are plenty of times where he lets the moment sweep him up and he belts out with everything he's got. He usually regrets it later, but the point is made. This is a man who loves what he does, feels it in every fiber of his being.

My biggest beefs with the film are minor. Since these were never meant to see the light of day, there are few cameras on hand to capture all of the action. Sometimes we're treated to some pretty crappy looking camera shots to fill in the gaps. This also caused each performance to have to be spliced together from various rehearsals, so there's some mismatching that goes on. Nothing major, and in some cases it works extremely well. Probably the biggest disappointment for me was the same as for some others I've heard from, and that's the rendition of Thriller that takes place. I know they were going for sortof a happy monster mash vibe, but it just came off as cheesy. Just give me a few zombies and I'm happy. The dance number, however, is still awesome. There are photos of me doing the Thriller dance floating around the internet somewhere, and if anyone has them I would pay handsomely to retrieve them. So I can burn them.

If there's anything I learned from this film, it's that Michael Jackson wasn't on the tail end of his career. He wasn't faltering. He wasn't failing. If anything, he was still thriving. I know this was billed as his final tour, but I believe he could've gone on for years and still continued to dazzle. It doesn't change my mind about some of his actions beyond the stage, but it certainly reminds me of why so many love him and why I too loved him at one time.

9/10

Mark Millar to Direct Unknown Film Next Year

2009-11-02T13:29:00.003-05:00

If you've never heard the name Mark Millar, that's probably about to change. The outspoken comic book writer made a big splash recently when his mini-series, Wanted, was adapted into a big screen blockbuster starring Angelina Jolie. Not my favorite film by any stretch, but his follow-up is considerably more intriguing. Mark Millar's ultra-violent series, Kick-Ass, is on the tip of everybody's tongue thanks in no small part to director Matthew Vaughn. Vaughn took Millar's bloody comic and according to most has faithfully reimagined it for the big screen. The independently financed film is set to be released next year.

Now that Millar is a part of the Hollywood machine, he wants out of it. Millar stated on his website that he has secured financing for his first directorial effort. The thing is, he can't/won't reveal what exactly the project is. He says we will learn more in February. The significance of that date is completely lost on me at this time. What we do know is that Millar is going to do exactly what Vaughn did in producing Kick-Ass, which is stay outside the big studio system and finance his film independently. The added creative freedom seems to be the main draw to this approach. I don't blame him. He says...

What is it? Who is it about? Well, that’s all a secret for now, but I learned a lot from Kick-Ass and love having the same creative freedom I have with comics when I work in cinema. I never want to be a studio bitch and go in there pitching for them to love me. The closest I came to this was a couple of calls regarding Superman, but pretty much none of my plans ever revealed as I didn’t like the idea of anyone nicking them.

I'm with ya, man. Mark Millar the comic book writer has never been one of my favorites. I find his writing to be a little too self aware "Hey ain't this cool!? Look at me!" for my liking. I felt the same way about the Wanted movie. But there's no denying the guy is talented, and I'm curious to see what project he will be working on. Unfortunately it doesn't sound like it'll be one of his Marvel Comics works. I'd have loved to see him make an Old Man Logan movie.

Roger Rabbit Sequel Names It's Writers...who Sound Vaguely Familiar

2009-11-02T12:47:00.003-05:00

Director Robert Zemeckis has been quite forthcoming with his plans for a sequel to his hit 1988 film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Well, sorta. He's hinted at it...then basically told us he's been chatting about it with others...but he never directly said "Hey yo, it's coming out and here's when." I guess he got tired of playing coy, because now he's let it be known that not only is the film in the works, but that the script is already being written. And who are the lucky ones chosen to script this highly anticipated sequel? Why none other than Peter Seaman and Jeffrey Price, the same duo that wrote the first one.

What has me intrigued is the format the film is going to come in. Look at Zemeckis's recent track record: The Polar Express, Beowulf, A Christmas Carol...all utilize a technique known as performance capture that creates lush, vivid animation that closely mirrors live action. The technique has gotten steadily more polished over the years(compare Polar Express and A Christmas Carol, it's like night & day). Would he consider using this technique for Roger Rabbit? Or would he return to a traditional 2-D format? Or a combination of the two? I can't wait to see how this shakes out. Roger Rabbit remains one of my favorite movies, and of course it's the only time we got to see Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny team up, if only for a minute.

Top Shelf at the Box Office

2009-11-01T21:47:00.003-05:00

Only one new film enters the top 10 this week, and it's not exactly your typical Hollywood blockbuster. Instead it's a concert film that has been benefitted from it's stars untimely death, but also by a phenomenal word of mouth. With so few new releases, the old standbys had to bear the burden. Some recent releases held up remarkably well, and one particular old franchise really began to show it's age.

1. Michael Jackson's This Is It- $21.3M/$32.5M

Michael Jackson's much anticipated swan song dominated the first week at the box office, getting a bit of a head start thank to it's early Tuesday opening. In that time, the concert film has been a mixed bag. Domestically, while clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the returning competition, studio analysis predicted a much better opening. Considering this is only a 2-week long run, I guess they figured everyone would race for the theater in the first week. Maybe they forgot about a little thing called Halloween, which no doubt cut into everyone's profits(except for the two horror flicks). Globally, This Is It tap danced away with approximately $70M. Not bad, again, and it's expected that the global take for this film will be much greater as MJ was such an international figure. What remains to be seen is whether or not this first week was merely a blip, and people will in fact turn up in droves.

2. Paranormal Activity- $16.5M/$84.8M

Continuing to add more sites to it's tally but dropping in terms of overall dollar amounts, Paranormal Activity has driven a sharp stake into the heart of former horror champion, Saw. While it's still a ways off from surpassing The Blair Witch Project, it's proven to be a constant reliable success each and every week.

3. Law Abiding Citizen- $7.3M/$51.4M

Dropping only an estimated 40%, the Gerard Butler/Jamie Foxx pairing has held remarkably well over the last few weeks.

4. Couples Retreat- $6.1M/$86.7M

Despite middling reviews, Vince Vaughn's vacation comedy is poised to break the $100M mark. Maybe it's the lack of new movies but I'm surprised it's hung on this long.

5. Saw VI- $5.56M/$22.8M

Poised to be the lowest grossing Saw film yet. I think Saw would benefit from a bit of a breather, maybe take a year off and come back in 2011 fresh and ready to dominate again. Coming out every year at the same time gives people the impression that it's no longer a special occasion when a new Saw film releases.

6. Where the Wild Things Are- $5.08M/$61.8M

Am I the only one disturbed that this is only doing about $3M better than Bridge to Terabithia did last year? I calls it like I sees 'em, and WTWTA is looking like a bit of a flop. Parents think it's too dark for their kids(they're wrong), while simultaneously thinking it's too kiddie for themselves to enjoy(wrong again).

7. The Stepfather- $3.4M/$24.7M

Amber Heard and her bathing suit are still loungin' by the pool for another week! Yay!

8. Astro Boy- $3.04M/$10.9M

This just goes to show that San Diego Comic-Con hype does NOT equal instant success. Astro Boy had a ton of heat after this year's Con, but that didn't translate when it comes to the box office. I say this as a reminder to all those people who think Kick-Ass is going to be the biggest film evah when it finally drops. Or Ninja Assassin, or any of the other film's that tend to only appeal to a certain segment. Look at Astro Boy...and weep.

9. Amelia- $3M/$8.31M

Hey, it had the smallest drop among returning movies. Of course that ain't sayin' much when your debut week equaled what Paranormal Activity made in about two hours.

10. Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant- $2.81M/$10.5M

Boondock Saints 2 debuted this weekend and brought in an estimated $462,000 at only 68 sites. That's roughly $6,800 per site, good enough for the film to expand to more theaters on November 13th. Here's hoping it makes it to DC/VA.

4th & Short: 11/01/09

2009-11-01T10:56:00.002-05:00

Another Sunday. Another break from staring at my fantasy roster to countdown the 3 best films in theaters right now. It's also a chance for me to make a humbling admission...

3. Where the Wild Things Are

If you haven't taken the time to see Spike Jonze's gorgeous, inventive masterpiece then what are you waiting for? By now you should've seen it, loved it, and pre-ordered your DVD copy on Amazon...which I hope you did directly from our site. :-)

2. Saw VI

Jigsaw's unholy quest continues from beyond the grave in this critical sixth installment of the king of torture porn(sorry, Hostel!). This time around, the health insurance agency gets skewered(literally and figuratively) in a cathartic release that I'm sure had Michael Moore and Howard Dean weeping tears of joy.

1. Michael Jackson's This Is It

I spent weeks hammering the very idea of this film. Why would I want to see a bunch of rehearsals by a guy who just died under..."mysterious" circumstances? Sounded morbid. Sounded like a money grab. And I'm sure for the most part it is a money grab. But morbid it ain't. It's awe inspiring. This Is It is an eye opener for those of us who never knew the man's dedication to his craft, and his ultimate devotion to the fans who coined the term King of Pop just for him. This film is a marvel, and worthy of the limitless talents of it's star. So yeah, I was wrong about this movie. As wrong as I've ever been about any movie.

DVD Pick: Orphan (2009)

Let's face it, movies about evil children are awesome: The Good Son; Joshua; The Omen. There's something about watching these kids hack their way through the normally clueless adults who always attribute any emotional issues to the usual pains of growing up. Right. Now take this axe to the head, Dad! Orphan is a guilty pleasure at it's guiltiest, about a struggling(Sam Rockwell & Vera Farmiga) who adopt a little Russian girl and get considerably more than they bargained for. At this point Vera Farmiga can play the distressed mom in her sleep(Running Scared, Joshua,are two other prime examples) and newcomer Isabelle Fuhrman bounces gleefully from princess to psychopath. Not altogether scary, but bloody good fun, and a nice twist at the end that's definitely worth the wait.

Men in Black 3 Finds a Writer...But Who Will Star?

2009-10-30T12:12:00.004-04:00

I think today is one of those days where news is dropping on everything I could care less about, yet feel compelled to discuss. For instance, Sony has decided that now is a good time to get their much rumored Men in Black threequel off the shelf and into production. They've already nailed down the writer, buzzworthy scribe Etan Cohen(Tropic Thunder, Idiocracy) has signed on to pen the sci-fi comedy. Director Barry Sonnenfeld, who helmed the first two pictures, is attatched in some way but nothing is confirmed. He could be the caterer for all we know this time around.

But there remains a lingering doubt, as there's been no word on whether Will Smith or Tommy Lee Jones will reprise their roles. Without them, they might as well send this thing straight to DVD, which to me is a distinct possibility anyway. Let's face it, the two stars are what carried both of those movies. I was not the biggest MIB fan, but I didn't hate it. The sequel was awful, though. Any attempt to push out a third film without either of the two leads is doomed for failure. What're they gonna do? Get Nick Cannon and Sean William Scott to take over? That's a one-way ticket to the discount bin at Blockbuster.

THR has more on the story right....here.

Jake Gyllenhall as The Prince of Persia!

2009-10-30T11:40:00.002-04:00

So yeah, it's a little hard buying into Jake Gyllenballs as The Prince of Persia who is decidedly UNcaucasian, but I'm willing to look past that. Why? Because the video game was awesome, and everything I've seen on the film so far looks equally impressive. CBR got a chance to talk to producer Jerry Brucheimer during a preview of the film's trailer and came away with a couple images and some new info.

Essentially, the trailer introduces the film's premise. The Prince finds a special dagger that allows him to "rewind" time. Accompanied by a mysterious princess, he must deliver the dagger to a place of safety. The trailer is described as being very much in the same vein as Pirates of the Caribbean, which to me is a big red flag. I'm all for action comedy, but those movies never much appealed to me until the last one. There is said to be tons of action, with lots of shots of Gyllenballs leaping from walls and so forth. The Prince of Persia is set to be released on Memorial Day, 2010. Check out the below images and let us know what you think!

The List! 10/30/09

2009-10-30T08:23:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was interviewed by the Washington Post's Jen Chaney on the phenomenon that was Paranormal Activity. I had mentioned how the Demand It option was a game changer, because it put control of a film's release in the hands of the public. As is usually the case, when asked about other movies that I didn't have the opportunity to see because they never came out in the DC Metro area, my mind went emptier than Tara Reid's during a calculus quiz. Too bad I wasn't asked that question this week, because there are three movies that I'm not going to be able to put on The List: Gentleman Broncos by the writers of Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre(two movies I dislike intensely but still...). Next is Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day. Third, is The House of the Devil, a horror film that has been gaining tons of festival buzz the last few weeks.Unacceptable that I should have to roll out to another state to see a damn movie. Wouldn't be the first time, but it's not like I live in Deliverance, WV or something.

Everybody knows I have zero interest in Michael Jackson. Even less interest in his music. And if it's possible to have negative interest in something it'd be a series of rehearsals for a concert featuring his music. However, since the Gloved One seems to have scared off all other movie competition from beyond the grave, my options this week are limited. I guess I could have fun with it and view it as some sort of deranged horror movie with the lead baddie lulling his victims into a tap dancy demise, but I doubt the payoff would be fulfilling. Most of you probably have seen the movie already, considering it's pretty much moon walked over the competition all week. I'm sick of being asked my opinion of it, combined with a lack of suitable options make this the lead dog.

A coming of age story based on a memoir about a young British girl(Carey Mulligan) who gets swept up in a whirlwind relationship with an older, adventurous man(Peter Saarsgard)? Doesn't really sound like something you'd expect out of the guy who brought us High Fidelity, About a Boy, and Fever Pitch, does it? My second favorite writer, Nick Hornby, did indeed tackle the screenplay for this film, so I'm curious to see him tackle the fairer sex for once.

What is this? Three weeks that this has been on the list? There ain't gonna be a better time than now for me to watch a bunch of gorgeous New York yuppies fawning all over eachother while car horns blare in the background. We all know that's what this is going to be, because that's what all New York based movies are. If aliens invaded Earth and were shown nothing but movies based in NYC they'd swear taxi cabs were the dominant life form.

No...no...a thousand times no...

Hm, nothing truly repulsive came out this week. Good job not pushing any of my buttons this week, Hollywood.

Three movies? That's it? Well, there is a silver lining. I'll be catching Richard Kelly's The Box on Thursday night, which I hope is a damn sight better than Donnie Darko and Southland Tales. All it needs to surpass those two pock marks is to make rational sense. That's all. I want to be able to watch it, contemplate it, and understand it in my head. That's not too much to ask for, is it?

Theron, Hardy to go Beyond Thunderdome

2009-10-30T07:44:00.002-04:00

Despite tweeting that I couldn't have less interest in Mad Max 4 and wouldn't waste my time writing about it, here I am anyway. And the only reason I'm doing it is because we have more of a confirmation of the film's stars now, when the last two weeks have been little more than speculation. Now it looks as if we can count on the smokin' hot Charlize Theron to play the love interest to Tom Hardy's Mad Max Rockatansky. Who the hell is Tom Hardy, you ask? The only thing I recall seeing him in was Rocknrolla, in which he played Handsome Bob, a part that he absolutely nailed.

The lastest Mad Max, titled Fury Road, will take place shortly after Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, in order to keep the title character young. Mel Gibson was formerly attatched to the George Miller helmed project, but has since dropped out. A shoot is scheduled sometime next summer.

Like I said, I'm not excited. I never got into Mad Max the way others did, and Beyond Thunderdome is borderline unwatchable for me. But I'll pretty much watch anything with Charlize Theron in it, and I think Tom Hardy has the chops to do the role some serious justice. So we'll see how it shakes out.

THR has more on the story here.

Anthony Hopkins Joins THOR!

2009-10-30T07:19:00.002-04:00

Ok, so the Jude Law/Robert Deniro stuff was a hoax, but this one is all legit, baby. Variety is reporting that Anthony Hopkins has signed on to play the role of Odin in Marvel's upcoming superhero film, Thor. Odin is the father of both Thor and the trickster god, Loki.

The Kenneth Branagh directed pic has taken on quite a Shakespearian tone since it was first introduced, and Hopkins fits that perfectly. Then again, I thought he'd be good in Alexander, too, yet he sleepwalked through that role so bad he could've been endorsed by Ambien™. Still, Thor is shaping up to be the most impressive Marvel comics film yet.

Chris Hemsworth(Star Trek) is tackling the role of the Thunder God; Natalie Portman as his love interest Jane Foster; and Tom Hiddleston as Thor's evil brother, Loki. Thor is set to be released on May 20, 2011.

Review: Saw VI --John's Take

2009-10-29T21:45:00.002-04:00

Another Halloween, another game to play. I don’t think that was the tagline of the movie; however they may as well have used it. To say that Lions gate is just churning these flicks out now on a time and not a creative basis would not be far off the mark, as this franchise has been sacrificed for the sake of a yearly box office payout. Let’s just get to the “story” and I’ll get to the problems with this movie afterwards. This time around we follow Jigsaw’s supposed successor Detective Hoffman as he sets a game into motion pitting William Easton, a scummy medical insurance executive, against four tests of his will to live and judgment in letting others live. While Easton is completing Jigsaw’s (Hoffman’s) tests, the jigsaw killer himself must evade the FBI and work with the original Jigsaws wife in order to complete OG Jigsaw, John Cramer’s, will. Confused yet? Don’t feel bad, it’s worse in the theater.

I’ll start with what I liked. Honestly the games were good, I really thought this one trick pony would wean on me long ago but dammit if those torture devices aren’t pretty darn entertaining. They keep the creativity coming with more and more elaborate devices, remember Saw 1 when the only device was a hacksaw and a chain? Well as we know from the previous films those days are long gone as we have devices here that an engineer would salivate over, intricate devices of death aplenty. The gore is top notch as well, for those who are into that sort of thing, personally I think the gore should serve as the accentuation and not the subject but if what you’re looking for is gore, Saw VI serves up a’ plenty. The opening scene is pretty bad ass and what the entire movie should’ve been like if you ask me. The film opens with two “Financial predators”; each has a headset that will screw into their brains if they lose. How do they win? By hacking off more flesh than the other can in 1 minute. That’s what Saw was supposed to be all about, someone against a clock with their life on the line doing things no one could ever imagine having to do, like hack off their own beer gut.

Now onto the not so happy side of this review, the shit I couldn’t stand. That’s how much I hated everything not mentioned above, it’s not stuff I didn’t like, it’s straight up shit I COUL D NOT STAND. Now those who read my reviews know that I am adamant about not getting into acting/dialogue details with this type of movie. That being said, I can’t help but to point out how God damned horrific (and not in the intended way), the acting was in this flick, I’ve seen more believable stuff on ‘Guiding Light’….err…not that I watch ‘Guiding Light’ or anything…anyway. Hoffman, John Cramer’s successor to the Jigsaw mantel is awful, I mean really bad, his look, his acting, and his general demeanor ruins the movie. This guy seems like the type that should be the villain’s henchman in an early 90’s B-Movie ala ‘3 Ninjas’, not headlining one of the most successful horror franchises in history. Thankfully Tobin Bell still plays a big part in flashbacks or this thing would be unwatchable. Yet, even with Bell knocking the jigsaw role out of the park the entire storyline outside of the game itself is boring, confusing, and generally unentertaining. You literally have to watch the past 4 Saw films to understand all that’s going on, they harken back to things like it’s a weekly series not realizing that most people haven’t seen the last one in a year and the others in even longer than that. So the side storyline sucks, that means the game must’ve been pretty good, right? WRONG! The game itself is fine, as I said earlier neat traps pretty cool situations but the main problem is the contestant William Easton. This is a guy that you want to kill yourself the second you see him, they make no attempt to let you feel for this guy or even want him to win. In the previous movies you’d have people that messed up their lives in some way but other than that were good, well meaning people. This guy is just a gigantic doucher and they make sure you know that from step one, this flick totally takes Jigsaw’s almost (NOTE: ALMOST) understandable line of thinking, that his game is making people appreciate their lives, and turns it into a revenge story. Even the “twist” ending is bad, even though you do have that ‘OHHHH’ moment you’re so lost in the crap of the side story to really have it hit you, that and the characters involved in the twist are probably two of the worst actors I’ve ever had the displeasure of seeing.

So there ya go…Saw 6 is crap. I’m really let down by this, as I thought Saw 5 would be a great setup movie, they just don’t deliver and stand only to set more up. That’s the thing about a setup, at some point you have to have a payoff you can’t just keep getting yourself ready for next Halloween. There really is no reason to see this movie, if you want a scare go see ‘Paranormal Activity’ or rent ‘Trick R Treat’ both great movies to get you in the Halloween spirit. Saw 6 just leaves you feeling dirty and betrayed and has no completely redeeming qualities. Don’t see this in theaters, don’t rent this, and for God’s sake when it comes on HBO turn the freaking channel.

1/10

Sin City 2 in 2010?

2009-10-29T11:05:00.002-04:00

The news on Sin City 2 continues to trickle in but this is probably the most concrete info we've received in some time. Mania.com scored an interview with producer Stephen L'Heureux, who confirmed that the film will begin shooting in the latter half of 2010. He also confirmed there has already been discussion of Sin City 3. That's the good news.

The questionable news is that unlike the previous Sin City, the sequel will not be based on any of the Frank Miller graphic novels, but will instead be an original script by Miller himself. It was expected that Miller's "A Dame to Kill For" would be the core story used for the sequel, but obviously that's no longer the case.

The reason this is questionable is because Miller's track record with screenplays is spotty. His most recent foray gave us the crapfest, The Spirit, late last year. I'll be generous, though, because The Spirit was not an original Miller creation, and he is considerably more familiar with the world of Sin City obviously. Frankly, I'm excited over any news on the film. Sin City was one of my favorite movies of 2005 and continues to hold up every time I check it out.

Monsters vs. Aliens 2? Katzenberg says "No"

2009-10-29T07:36:00.003-04:00

Despite the fact that Monsters vs. Aliens grossed $200M here in the States and has sold like hotcakes since it's release on DVD only a few short weeks ago, Dreamworks apparently has no plans to release a sequel. Ok, now I hate pointless sequels as much as the next guy, but this is one case where it makes perfect sense. Apparently the film didn't perform so well overseas, a fact which has Dreamworks accounting department shaking in their boots. Speaking at a conference, Jeffrey Katzenberg had this to say...

I’d like to tell you there’s a perfectly rational, clear and easy answer as to why not, but there isn’t. There was enough of a consensus from our distribution and marketing folks in certain parts of the world that we would be pushing a boulder up a hill.

I understand that Dreamworks has been taking sort of a beating lately, but that's no reason to curtail future plans with one of your few moneymaking franchises. What bugs me more is this seeming over reliance on the foreign market. Is it no longer possible to pull a profit simply through domestic grosses, or has the exorbitant costs of making these films killed that notion? My guess is that Katzenberg is being overly cautious, and that we will see a Monsters vs. Aliens sequel at some point.

BTW, I watched about half that MvA Halloween special last night on NBC and realized just how much I really dig the characters. There's no way that's the last we're going to see of them.