Mar 3 2006Superman in the Daily Planet
Yet another new Superman Returns picture has surfaced, this one showing the Man of Steel on a Daily Planet newspaper, asking where the hero has gone. What I like about the news story in the picture is that it has this huge headline, but really it's not breaking news. Usually you'd reserve this kind of thing for "WORLD WAR II BEGINS!" or something like that. In this case, the story is just, "Hey, hasn't it been a while since we've seen Superman? You know, the guy with the spit-curl? Haven't seen him in a spell. It's been at least a few months. How about that?" Tomorrow's headline is probably, "Remember when slap bracelets were cool? What's the deal?"
Also, if you look closely, you can see Jimmy Olsen in the glass, taking a photo of the photo. That's way meta, dude.
Mar 3 2006Superman Returns Jimmy Olson Photo
Superhero Hype has managed to get their hands on a new shot of Sam Huntington as Jimmy Olsen in the upcoming Superman Returns. This particular shot is from the scene in the movie where Jimmy realizes Meg Ryan is at the desk behind him, and he needs to decide is she's too old or still "bangable."
Mar 3 2006Casino Royale Photos
Over here, they've posted some new pictures from the set of Casino Royale, showing the look of James Bond, James Bond Girl, and James Bond Car, all together for the first time. After rumors of casting problems and a public outcry against Daniel Craig playing 007, there were some that doubted if this whole thing would work out at all. I'm happy to report that after seeing these images, I'm sure skeptics will finally see that Craig can pull-off standing awkwardly next to a car, looking schlumpy.
Mar 3 2006Negadon English Trailer
If you haven't seen the English trailer for Negadon: The Monster From Mars, you just haven't lived. In the film, some kind of alien pod lands on Earth, releasing Negadon, who may or may not be from Mars. He starts destroying Japan, so the Japanese fight back the only way they know how: with a giant robot. I think even Japanese soap operas now involve giant fighting robots, but this film is fresh in that it doesn't also involve tentacle sex (in the trailer, at least). If this is what a culture based on video games and sexual repression creates, maybe they've got something right after all.
Mar 2 2006John Cusack Starring in Grace Is Gone
John Cusack has signed on to star in and produce a new indie film, Grace Is Gone. The drama, written and directed by James C. Strouse, tells the story of a father who, upon hearing that his wife has been killed in Iraq, takes his two daughters on a road trip. I'm sorry, but isn't this basically the plot to Over the Top without the arm wrestling? That's the best part! You're going to want to keep some of that arm wrestling in there. I can see why they wouldn't want it to be the main focus, but at least allude to it. Maybe the girls can be arguing about who's going to get shotgun on the trip, then it cuts to later, inside the car, and the girl in the back has had her forearm broken in half.
Mar 2 2006Zach Braff Remaking Open Hearts
Zach Braff has announced that his directorial follow-up to the indie success Garden State will be a remake of the Danish film Open Hearts. While Braff may make some changes, the original plot, according to the IMDB, is as follows:
Cecilie is devastated when her fiance Joachim is seriously injured in a car accident and is paralysed from the waist down. She begins an affair with Niels, a doctor at the hospital where Joachim is being treated. Their relationship is further complicated by the fact that the doctor's wife Marie was the driver that caused the accident in the first place.
The story sounds really interesting, but kind of heavy for Braff, whose Garden State mixed drama with light-hearted humor, so I'd like to help him add that quirky touch with a simple idea. Make the film with dogs. You're going to think this is crazy, but think about it. Which is quirkier: a man tragically paralyzed from the waist down, or a dog, wheels on his hindquarters, one of those cones around his head, chasing after a ball? Would you rather see a woman driving a car into a man, terrified that she's destroyed a life, or a dog, driving a special little dog car, with an expression that kind of says, "What am I doing driving a car??" And best of all, when the affair begins, instead of seeing humans passionately betray their spouses, you've got these dogs going at it, with Bob Saget doing that high-pitched voice from America's Funniest Home Videos, saying something about doggy-style. Just think about it, Zach.
Mar 2 2006Joss Whedon on Wonder Woman
Empire had the opportunity to talk to Joss Whedon about the future of Serenity and his progress on a Wonder Woman script. Because of its poor box office showing, he says, Serenity probably won't see a sequel for a while, if ever. Wonder Woman, on the other hand, is a work-in-progress:
I am still writing Wonder Woman. It is very awesome but incredibly unfinished, but I should be finishing that in a little while and then I'll have a better idea of which film is actually going into production. But I can tell you that the film will be about introducing you to Wonder Woman. She'll be wearing the outfit and there will be the bracelets, the golden lasso and Greek gods. She comes from a civilisation where she's rather perfect, so she's the opposite to Buffy in many ways, but she's going through an adolescent rite of passage because she's new to the world.
For me, the best news to come from the interview (besides that the script is "awesome") was that Wonder Woman will be wearing the outfit-- bracelets, lasso and all. To try to update it would not only disrespect the comic creators and piss-off comic fans, but also mess with a lot of my early sexual fantasies, many of which I still "use" today. Which is why I'm also campaigning for Wonder Woman to be played by my seventh grade teacher, Mrs. Dennison.
Mar 1 2006James Cameron Speaks of Things to Come
Ain't It Cool News has posted some information straight from James Cameron about digital technologies, shooting in 3-D, and most importantly, what's coming next from the director. Project 880, Cameron's recently announced film, is actually a retooling of his Avatar treatment from a few years ago, set in a new alien world. Who knew? Battle Angel Alita, which he plans as a trilogy, is still on his plate as well, but he's not yet sure which will be done first.
So in summary, his next projects will be a sci-fi story on an alien planet and an adaptation of a Manga series, making the only logical next film for Cameron a static shot of him giving some nerd a handjob. Instead, he's making some crap about diving. To each their own.
Mar 1 2006Poseidon Teaser Poster
Warner Brothers has released a teaser poster for Wolfgang Petersen's Poseidon, due out May 12. I feel it lacks a certain human element, failing to capture the panic of being trapped in a ship, struggling for your life. At least lacking in comparison to a crazy hobo on the street, pulling out his hair, screaming about how he was stuck in a luxury cruiser that drove him mad. People would probably just think he was a crazy, so if you wanted to really sell the movie this way, you'd have to mock-up some photos to prove his story. I don't know how you could keep him from running-off with those photos, or just yelling about random things unrelated to Poseidon, but that's always been the one inherent flaw in advertising.
Mar 1 2006John Travolta Has Written Romantic Comedy
Upset by the current Hollywood offerings, John Travolta has now said that he's written a romantic comedy that he will star in, possibly alongside Olivia Newton-John. The star added that he plans to sing the theme song and that "fans will love it." It's still unclear if he means fans of washed-up actors or fans of butchered theme songs.
The last time I remember Travolta getting so involved with a production was in Battlefield Earth, which he produced. If this film succeeds in being even half-as-good as that, it will still be the worst movie ever made.
Feb 28 2006Silent Hill Poster Contest Winner
The Silent Hill poster contest has ended, the votes have been tallied, and the we've got the winner. It's not bad compared to the other options, but when you've got the likes of a freak with a pyramid head and a flesh apron, hauling around a bloody child, there's no reason to show anything else on a poster. You've got your poster boy right there. Just showing the sign is like advertising Showgirls with a map of Las Vegas: accurate, yet ignoring the most interesting elements.
Feb 28 2006Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector Trailer
Through the sheer power of the human spirit, I hoped I could will away the Larry the Cable Guy movie. But since it's still coming out, you should check out the trailer. It's full of all of the inane bullshit you'd expect, plus Buster from Arrested Development, Biff from Back to the Future, and a rabbi for whatever reason. Despite all of its obvious shortcomings, what bothers me most is that the title tells us that Larry has two professions. I refuse to think of him as such a jack-of-all-trades. At least when he's just installing cable I know how to avoid him.
Feb 28 2006Green Goblin in Spider-Man 3 Image?
Over at Cineactual, someone's played with the newly released image of Spider-Man, coloring in some parts of the eye-piece to reveal something sort of like the mask of Green Goblin. Of course if this reflection is accurate, it would mean the villain was located in Spider-Man's crotch.
It seems to me that this might be reading too much into the image. You can see a lot of things if you look hard enough at any vague shapes, especially if you color them, but it doesn't mean anyone believes they're real. Unless you're on LSD, in which case you will insist they're real, even after all your friends tell you that it doesn't make sense that the Devil would fly down from a cloud, disguised as a gentleman kitten, trying to whip you with a rainbow.
Feb 28 2006Arnold Schwarzenegger Returning to Conan?
An informant for The Arnold Fans tells the website that if Schwarzenegger does not serve a second term at governor, Warner Brothers wants him for another Conan sequel:
I can't say much but Jeff Robinov is definitely hoping that Arnold looses[sic] the race for a 2nd term as governor so he can make his place back into feature films with KING CONAN. The film might not even be called KING CONAN anymore and instead go back to CONAN THE CONQUEROR. The title KING CONAN sounds like a finale and that's not what Warner Bros. wants.
If Arnold looses the next term, the WB wants the new Conan epic shooting on a grueling gorilla schedule around the clock starting March 2007 for a December 2007 release date.
Besides this film, another good reason for Arnold to not win a second term is that it's completely absurd that Arnold Schwarzenegger is leading a portion of our country. I realize this is a little after-the-fact, but seriously, how did this happen? Didn't anyone see Pumping Iron? Unless an army of cyborgs from the future are attacking, I'm really not sure he's qualified for any of this. But if an army of sentient learning computers ever do attack, thank God he's on our side.
Feb 27 2006New Juggernaut Photo
First I thought the X-Men: The Last Stand makeup and costumes looked a little questionable. Now, I just kind of feel bad. It looks like someone's mom made this, then wanted a quick picture in the living room before he goes out trick-or-treating. I hope you get some king sizes, bud.
Feb 27 2006Vince Vaughn in Fred Claus
Variety reports that Vince Vaughn is in talks to star in David Dobkin's Fred Claus, a holiday comedy about Santa's loser brother returning to the North Pole to redeem himself.
While negotiations are just beginning, deal should see Vaughn cement his status as a comedy-carrying star by reaching the $20 million salary mark for the first time. Dan Fogelman wrote the script and Dobkin is producing with Jessie Nelson.
Vaughn should be funny in the role, but if they wanted a loser brother they should have just gone with Daniel Baldwin. Then they could cast Alec Baldwin as Santa and you'd get the real intensity of the black sheep trying to live up to his brother's work. The only problem would be that the shooting schedule might cost Daniel his assistant manager position at Sam's Club.
Feb 27 2006Catherine Keener in Where the Wild Things Are
Catherine Keener, making an appearance on Thursday's The Charlie Rose Show, mentioned she will be playing the mother in Spike Jonze's adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are, while Jim Henson's Creature Shop will be doing the monster puppets:
I'm getting ready to work with him again. He's doing Where the Wild Things Are. He's doing it in New Zealand. I'm playing the mom looking for Max. Then there will be six actors or so performing the roles of the monsters, the wild things. And then Henson's company is making puppets.
While Keener's involvement is interesting, I think the best news is the confirmation that Henson will do the puppets. If they can do work anywhere near as impressive as they did on The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, we're in for a treat. There's just something about puppets that's so much more tangible than computer generated creatures. It's like you could just wait until they're asleep and slip into their little puppet beds and give them little puppet kisses all ove--Ut oh! The puppet police!
Feb 27 2006Take the Lead Poster
Here's the poster to Take the Lead, and it looks just as unimpressive as the film sounds. The movie follows a famous ballroom dancer teaching some New York City public school kids how to dance, colliding with their crazy hip-hop styles. Different mixes of this plot are made every month, but what makes this one different is the inclusion of Antonio Banderas. He has his own cologne.
Besides looking like an iPod ad, the poster is pretty reminiscent of the Roll Bounce one-sheet. And this just after I promised myself to stop thinking about Roll Bounce. There have been too many sleepless nights thinking about it as it is.
Feb 27 2006Don Knotts, Darren McGavin Lost Over Weekend
This weekend, we tragically lost two great actors. Don Knotts, best known for playing the bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show, Mr. Furley on Three's Company, and The Incredible Mr. Limpet in The Incredible Mr. Limpet, died Friday of pulmonary and respiratory complications. Darren McGavin, the ill-tempered father in A Christmas Story, was lost Saturday of natural causes. In memorial, I broke a lamp shaped like a leg, then made a wide-eyed, dumb-founded look at the camera.
