Sep 30 2009 Ned (Of '& Stacy'), The Philanthropist, and Strong Join 'John Carter' (of 'Mars')

Get out your John Carter of Mars notebook and a #2 pencil, because I've got some new names for you to add to the cast list of the film:

Thomas Haden Church, James Purefoy and Mark Strong have joined the cast of joined “John Carter of Mars,” Disney’s adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs book series that Andrew Stanton is directing.

Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins topline the production, which centers on a Civil War veteran (Kitsch) who finds himself mysteriously transported to Mars, where he becomes embroiled with the planet’s warring people.

Church plays Tal Hajus, an ambitious and vicious Thark warrior who is biding his time to be a ruler.

Purefoy plays Kantos Kan, the captain of the Xavarian, the kingdom of Helium’s grand warship. Strong is Matai Shang, the ruler of the Thems with godlike status.

Right. Tal Hajus the Thark; Kantos Kan, captain of Helium's famous Xavarian warship; and Matai Shang, the godlike ruler of the Thems. You get all that? OK, good. Because I'm delirious with fever and need to lie down for the rest of the day after trying to process those words. (Seriously.)

'John Carter of Mars' nets three more actors [Heat Vision]

Mar 6 2008 'Smart People' Poster, Because Smart People Play Scrabble

I realize that letters cut from a New Yorker might feel too ransom-notey, but is Scrabble really the best way they could find to identify "smart people"? Since when is Scrabble a game of the intelligentsia any more than Monopoly is the game of wealthy real estate moguls and pewter schnauzers? Maybe it's just me, but I think of Scrabble more as the game for those who have lost their electricity, and need some way to entertain their visiting parents without the aid of CBS's primetime lineup.

And why are they pretending that's Dennis Quaid in the jacket? We can all see it's obviously Steve Carell reprising his role from Little Miss Sunshine.

'Smart People' Poster Premiere [Cinematical]

Feb 11 2008 AM Poster Post: 'Smart People' Continues Trend

I really thought I was kidding a few months ago when, following the posters for Knocked Up and Strange Wilderness, I declared white text on sickly green with a diffused spotlight point as the new trend in comedy posters. Besides being nauseating to look at, it seemed far too specific to be a legitimate trend. Well, as you can see above, it turns out it's very real and very, very green. Now what?

Smart People Poster [IMPA]