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Peter Jackson (Sort Of) Updates On The Hobbit

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:20:00 -0800

Lord of the Rings director, Peter Jackson has given some insight into a few nagging issue regarding the upcoming two-part epic, The Hobbit.

Peter Jackson was in London Tuesday night for the Royal gala premiere for The Lovely Bones. The film, (whose official release is on January 15, 2010) is based on the hugely popular Alice Sebold novel about a murdered teenage girl whose spirit remains as she watches her family deal with the aftermath of her death and a possible reckoning with her own killer. However, don't be so quick to bring the Kleenex just yet. It's actually kind of like Bill Cosby's Ghost Dad meets Steven Seagal's Hard to Kill. "Lovely Bones" (which is what we shall call her instead of character name, Susie) is back from the dead and taking the law into her own hands! No more school, no more tests, this time she's only out to blow s**t UP!!

...Okay, maybe that wasn't an accurate description of the film. (Although a movie with "Lovely Bones" decimating and entire army of Columbian drug-lords with a minigun would be one that I'd go see.) Getting back to what's germane, Jackson was able to field some Hobbit-related questions at the London premiere gala. As a result, we've learned a few things.

1. The Hobbit will NOT be filmed in 3-D.

This was very old rumor that seemed to show its face in Hobbit news time and time again. After much speculation, Peter Jackson squelched the idea definitively when he stated:

"The Hobbit will not be filmed in 3D, despite the current vogue for the technology in the movie industry." Adding. "Guillermo wants to shoot in 35mm, old-fashioned film, which suits me, because he wants to keep it in the same space as the original trilogy".

Jackson, in stating his own views on the current resurgence of 3-D adds that it "only adds to the experience." Further adding: "The only thing I get annoyed about is the image being a little dull. It does feel like you're looking at the movie with sunglasses on. But literally, that could just be about getting brighter bulbs in the projectors."

2. The style of the films will be consistent with LOTR.

According to Jackson, "We're writing the screenplays with him (del Toro), so in terms of the script, there is continuity." The word "continuity" seems to be a key word when discussing the way Guillermo del Toro will direct The Hobbit in contrast to Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Films like Pan's Labyrinth and the two Hellboy movies, probably the most prominent standouts on del Toro's resume, carry a very dark, borderline morbid tone. It seems that Jackson and del Toro are in agreement that the tone of these prequel films need to match Jackson's legendary trilogy. (Insert George Lucas joke.)

This is somewhat contrary to past interviews in which del Toro seemed to suggest that the films would carry a distinct, somewhat darker tone. However, I would still expect some compromises to distinguish these films.

3. The script process is coming along.

Updating fans on the current state of the film, Jackson revealed that he spends his time scouting filming locations in New Zealand, while working on the second draft of the Hobbit script with his Lord of the Rings team, wife, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, along with (as mentioned,) del Toro.

"We're writing Ian McKellen's dialogue just the same as we did in Lord Of The Rings. But Guillermo, being the director, will obviously take the script and interpret that and shoot his film. So that'll be interesting to see." Adding. "That's actually the reason I wanted him to do it. I felt like I'd be trying to compete with myself and deliberately do things differently, which is not the way I want to work. I want it to be natural."

It's all coming together, folks! No legal (or creative) drama should stand in the way of making this project happen. The first part of The Hobbit is tentatively set for December of 2011 (just TWO YEARS away!) with the second part set for December of 2012. (Unless, of course, Roland Emmerich and "the Mayans" are right.)

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The Silver Surfer Movie: Dead Or Alive?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:29:00 -0800

There seems to have been some confusion on the web regarding the status of the long-discussed Silver Surfer solo film. After a recent interview with J. Michael Straczynski, the co-writer of the script in question, speculation was rampant that the film starring Galactus' former herald would be set to join the pile of comic projects that never came into being.

"What happened was when Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer didn't do as well as they hoped it would do, it caused them to call into question a Silver Surfer movie. The script that I wrote picked up right where FF2 left off. So if they do a Silver Surfer film down the road, it'll have to be its own separate thing."

Hindsight being 20/20, it seemed pretty clear that Straczynski was referring to the death of the "old" Silver Surfer script which was set to be a direct follow-up to 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. However, what he probably needed to clarify, was that ANOTHER script is currently in development, which, as he states, will be "its own separate thing." Regardless, reports of the death of the Silver Surfer project (perhaps rooted in a bit of schadenfreude) were precipitously making their way around news circles.

Straczynzski took it upon himself to clear the air on the matter with a statement he sent to IGN, in which he says, among other things:

"When FF2 didn't do as well as hoped for, that script was set aside, but that has NOTHING to do with the Silver Surfer script that is NOW under development at Fox with other folks. As far as I know, that is proceeding apace. So the hysteria that's gripped the nets about 'ohmygod the Surfer movie is dead!' is not correct, as I was again referring to only that one specific script tied into FF2, NOT what's being done now."

Essentially, the lack of success of the last Fantastic Four film has not killed, but rather, merely changed the course of the Silver Surfer movie. I nonetheless cannot imagine that Fox will be in a mad rush to get the project off the ground. With the last Fantastic Four film having been released so recently, and the array of (competing Marvel Studios-produced) Avengers films on the horizon, the box-office field is not looking particularly welcoming. Additionally, we've heard that Fox may already be brewing a reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise itself. While it's certainly not unfeasible to release The Silver Surfer before putting him in context in a Fantastic Four storyline, it would still seem wrong. I'm pretty sure the public would see it that way, as well.

There you have it. Silver Surfer: Second-tier Marvel title, hard-*ss NES game, almost had a thing with Jessica Alba...getting his own movie. (Although not for some time.)

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Robert Downey Jr. Wants To Quit Acting? What About The Avengers?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:26:00 -0800

Robert Downey Jr. really, REALLY wants you see Sherlock Holmes. In fact, based on an interview for the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, he may be banking his career on the film's performance.

Once on the precipice, drug-addicted and close to suicide, he has come a long way in recent years with his health and blockbuster resurgence. Commenting that he had "no set plans for the future," the multi-time Oscar-nominated actor has been aiming for a normal life, free from the hectic structurally-lacking lifestyle of a big-time Hollywood star. For Downey, Sherlock Holmes may be a career crossroad; a failure may induce him to reassess his place in the industry and perhaps take some time away from the spotlight to focus on family. He seems to imply that this decision rests on the shoulders of Sherlock Holmes.

“I’m f—ing really good at what I do — and have been for a long time, so I don’t waver on that,” he says. “But here’s the thing: I can only be a guy on a call sheet probably, I don’t know, maybe a couple more times. It’s something I’m so grateful to have in my palm, and yet I already see its inevitable decay.” Or not. Then again, he says with a weary smile, “If Sherlock Holmes performs well, I could be busy for the next 5 or 7 or 10 years.”

Uh-oh. What will this mean for Iron Man's (assumed) role in mega Marvel movie crossover The Avengers or a potential third Iron Man film? The general understanding about Downey's status is that he is under a multi-picture deal. Marvel Studios seemed to make it an initiative to lock their stars into just that type of situation to avoid having their franchises bear the stigma of actor-swaps. We certainly should not take those comments to represent an absolute admission from Downey about abandoning the franchise. Nonetheless, it could be viewed as a glimpse into his state-of-mind. Sometimes these things give you a look into the unofficial state of the franchise. As some may recall, the general nonchalance displayed by the Spider-Man 3 cast during the array of press junket interviews would serve to foreshadow the disappointment that was generally felt with the film itself.

Will Downey end up making the upcoming Guy Ritchie-directed adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic detective into a referendum on his career? Working against that notion is the fact that the film was promising enough to put its potential sequel into development. The film, at first glance, seem to be a rather pedestrian update in which a Holmes with modern sensibilities battles ninjas, clones, aliens, and cloned-ninja-aliens with bad techno music blaring in the background and Matrix-style camera shots. (Okay maybe that's a bit much.) However, Downey implies that it will actually adhere more faithfully to the original stories, which do make reference to Holmes' abilities in martial arts, boxing, and sword fighting. (We'll just take his word on that one.)

Could we conclude that Robert Downey Jr. is holding Marvel fanboys at gunpoint, forcing them to go see Sherlock Holmes..."or else?" We'll just say "yes" to make it sound more interesting. Kidding aside, in my opinion, his potential exit from the franchise (or acting for that matter) seems to be a premature conclusion to reach. Reading into these things is nonetheless part of the fun, plus it serves as a nice excuse for more Iron Man discussion until the Iron Man 2 trailer hits, possibly next month.

Until then, Sherlock Holmes hits theaters on Christmas Day. If you are an Iron Man fan, perhaps this is the extra incentive you'll need to give it a whirl.

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Twilight New Moon Gives The Dark Knight A Run For Its Money

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:25:00 -0800

Hey, did you hear about this little movie called The Twilight Saga: New Moon? I heard a rumor that this vampire/werewolf/teen emo romp was rather popular and that its success at the box office this past weekend was more than a sure thing. Given how much money everyone knew this film would make over the weekend, it still managed to surprise, making WAY more: $140.7 million to be exact.

This is the third largest opening weekend of all time, behind The Dark Knight's much-touted record of $158,411,483 million and Spider-Man 3's $151,116,516. The film (along with Sandra Bullock romcom, The Blind Side) also helped push the weekend's overall business numbers to its second-best ever, just behind the weekend that...you guessed it, The Dark Knight debuted along with Bolt.

Rest easy, Batman fanboys. The Twilight Saga has not overtaken your (okay, "our") precious Dark Knight...yet. However, should you have this fear, there is definite cause for concern. Let's break this down, shall we?:

1. They are practically churning these films out at an extraordinary rate. It's been close to exactly one year since the first Twilight film was released and the third film, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is already in production, ready to hit on June 30, 2010. The people behind these films are smart in that they are striking while the iron is white hot. It's odd since it's not like the Harry Potter films, where you had to worry about the actors growing up too quickly. Even though these stars can pull off "brooding teenager" for at least a good decade at their ages, there seems to be no slowdown at the Twilight factory. As a result, it will ride a huge wave of precisely-timed momentum. (Because it will die down eventually.)

2. New Moon's performance was nearly analogous to the first film's, except that the numbers were nearly doubled. By that, I mean it's opening day yielded $72.7 million (giving it the all-time top spot ) plus $26.3 million added from midnight showings. Afterward, (like the first film) it saw a dramatic 40% mid-weekend drop. However, the first Twilight, managed to recover from its drop, cruising its way towards its $192,769,854 domestic total. Whether or not New Moon will also be able to overcome this remains to be seen. However, its initial success makes a pretty good argument for the franchise's staying power.

3. What may have already been a moral victory for New Moon, was the fact that it actually accomplished its massive weekend gross on 342 theaters less than record holder, The Dark Knight. Considering that the sure-fire hit first Twilight film played on 375 less theaters, the monstrous numbers for this sequel are sure to yield a lot more venues for next summer's Eclipse. Make no mistake, the Twilight franchise is eyeballing that top spot, and its chances of nabbing it are more than good.

My Prediction: We will live in a brooding, melodramatic, dystopian world where all will be controlled not by governments or even dictatorships, but rather, from "Edward's dreamy eyes" and "Jacob's rippled abs." All will bow before the Twilight Gods as they communicate to the masses via microwaves of hunkiness, as the world will become enslaved by their unholy supernatural control over our teenage girls. It will only be through the secret resistance comprised of forces from all over the world, that the Twilight Gods, with their "Dreamy Eyes" and "Rippled Abs" will eventually be toppled. For one brief moment, people around the world of all ethnicities and religions will put their differences aside and come together to throttle the hunky tyrants and free the world from their enslavement. Viva la résistance!

...Or something like that.

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The Sims 3 Takes On The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:42:00 -0800

I'm currently in line to see The Twilight Saga: New Moon for the third time. But maybe you're not so lucky. Too bad for you, loser. Anyway, if you can't tear yourself away from your computer long enough to see the greatest movie event in history (and yes, that includes Citizen Kane), please enjoy the trailer, re-enacted using The Sims 3.

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Will The Mandarin Appear In Iron Man 2?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:05:00 -0800

It seems that a casting rumor (albeit one that no one's talking about) concerning the upcoming Iron Man 2 has been shot down.

What do we know about Iron Man 2?: Robert Downey back in full gear, Scarlett Johansson looking all hot as a redhead in a tight-black suit, and Mickey Rouke in a weird "He-Man" outfit with plumbing snakes attached to his arms. However, one source of early speculation pointed to the question of whether or not Iron Man's primary nemesis in the comics, The Mandarin would make an an appearance. While we may not have gotten a definitive answer on the character's status, we have learned that Faran Tahir will not portray the villain.

Why is that significant? WHO is Faran Tahir? Both valid questions.

Tahir (Captain Robau from Star Trek) portrayed the character Raza in the first Iron Man film. He was the leader of the terrorist group who wounded and kidnapped Tony Stark. Of course, Stark would smoothly deceive them, building the Iron Man Mark I suit, instead of the Jericho missile they tried to force him to make under duress. You know the rest of the story -- Stark breaks out and just mops the floor (as much of a floor a cave can contain, anyway) with the baddies. No Guantanamo for these guys. However, the terrorist group was referred to as the "Ten Rings," which was a clear reference to the 10 rings which serve as the source of the evil Mandarin's powers. It was speculated that Tahir's "Raza" character (whose fate remained up in the air) would return as a reinvented version of The Mandarin himself. (Sounds good, right?) This assertion, however, has now been shot down. In an interview with MovieWeb, Tahir states unequivocally: "No, no I'm not in the film."

There you have it. I feel kind of like a sadist who tells a kid a long, beautiful, and magical story about Santa Claus, only to immediately reveal that HE'S NOT F*****G REAL! (Mwha ha ha haaaaa!!!)

Iron Man 2 will probably be an extremely crowded film. Besides having to pull the duties of carrying its own story, it will have to dish out Avengers cameos, while setting up the general storyline for the other Avengers-related films. That's going to be tough, and the film could fall victim to losing its focus. Will they have room to at least establish Iron Man's biggest enemy? (Not referring to Fin Fang Foom.) At the end of the day, they will likely want to proceed with a third Iron Man solo film at some point. Certainly Mandarin would be a shoo-in.

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Producers Want Anne Hathaway For Spider-Man 4?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:01:00 -0800

Who is the latest actress to be mysteriously linked to the upcoming Spider-Man 4? Get ready to join the club, Anne Hathaway! With the rumor regarding Rachel McAdams just dying down, you would have thought that there would be a brief, unspoken embargo on Spider-Man 4 casting rumors. They may not always be accurate (well, they're rarely accurate) but if anything, they are consistent.

Deadline's Nikke Finke is reporting that according to her sources, producers have approached Anne Hathaway for a yet-unknown role in the franchise's fourth effort. Besides the fact that she will not replace Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane, that is essentially the extent of the report. Finke herself comes clean in prefacing that she knew very little about comic books or comic-related properties. Clearly, this is not the case of a fangirl spreading wild rumors for attention. According to Finke:

"You know I'm insecure about my geek bonafides which I've been trying to improve in recent years. (Heck, I grew up never reading a single comic book.)"

Nevetheless, the fact that she classifies this tidbit as a "bonafide" may be telling in how much weight it carries. (It's certainly not as outrageous as some other SM4 rumors we've been hearing.)

If the rumor turns out legit, what part do you think the producers have in mind for Anne Hathaway? I know with the Rachel McAdams thing, everyone still has The Black Cat on the brain. That rumor was totally fabricated, but still seems to be influencing our perceptions of the film. Personally, I think the inclusion of The Black Cat would be awkward and counter-productive. (However, when has that ever affected things?)

Here's a wild, purely speculative pitch: Maybe they're bringing Spider-Woman on to the scene. We know that Sony currently holds rights to the Spider-Man franchise in perpetuity (At least until the day Disney flexes some of its muscle.) We can also surmise that it would be prudent to wait a good number of years for things to die down before they go the inevitable "reboot" route. What will they do until then? Perhaps, they may test the waters by introducing Anne Hathaway as future Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew, in a sort of "Trojan-Horse spinoff" strategy. They set her up in a side-story in the film, leading up to her own feature.

She may not be the first actress that comes to mind, but would you go see Anne Hathaway in a tight red suit, fighting criminals? (After all, she dated one, right? What better way to get revenge?)

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Links Of TheFeed: Awesome Pranks And Canadians

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:31:00 -0800

There are pranks, and then there's downright cruelty. CollegeHumor's prank war between Amir and Streeter is on its eighth iteration, and I think tricking someone into thinking they're about to die is about as nasty as you can get. So enjoy that, along with some cute kittens and a couple people you'll surely want to date once you see their profile videos.

Ronald loves forklift driving, long walks on the beach, and women who aren't afraid of him. See his video on FilmDrunk.

CollegeHumor's prank war between Streeter and Amir has been pretty awesome, and Amir just upped the stakes. I'm unsure how Streeter managed not to soil his pants.

Supertremendous presents the 25 funniest kitten photos on the 'net.

CraveOnline lists their picks for the 10 best vigilante movies of all time. Do you agree with their choices?

Uncoached has some Canadian motivational posters that are sure to make you want to move up to the Great White North.

If you still have a cache of last-gen games lying around, Crispy Gamer will let you know the ones that are quickly turning into collectables.

NO Rachel McAdams Black Cat For Spider-Man 4

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:11:00 -0800

Ladies and gentleman, I have some sad, sad news to report: A rumor about the upcoming Spider-Man 4 has turned out...NOT to be true!!! (I'll give you a minute to compose yourselves.)

Last week, you may remember a rumor regarding the casting of Rachel McAdams as longtime Spidey nemesis/love interest The Black Cat. Website Mania's "reliable source" said talks were happening for the lovely Ms. McAdams to don the tight, black, white-trimmed cat-suit. (Which I'm sure would have highlighted her various...assets quite well.) However, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, McAdams set the record straight:

“That’s a total rumor, I have to say. I was hanging out in Toronto the other day and someone came up to me and said, ‘I just heard you’re doing Spider-Man 4.‘ And I said, ‘Really? No one told me!’ It’s not true.”

The assertion was also backed-up by a rep for Sony pictures. So either the source was dead wrong, or someone just got thrown under the bus, big time.

Whether or not the character of Felicia Hardy/Black Cat will even be in the flick remains to be seen. However, it seems highly unlikely that the movie will go in this direction, given not only the potential Curt Connors/Lizard storyline, but another late-breaking "way out there" rumor that SM4 will feature Peter Parker and Mary Jane with a child. (Due to a supposed casting call for a red-haired toddler.) The child rumor is far more realistic than any Black Cat involvement, given how much time will have passed since the last film. Unless Sam Raimi's planning to have Peter Parker go all Jon Gosselin in this scenario, I'd say a fling with 'ole Felicia is not happening.

There you have it, then. If you want to get your fix of Rachel McAdams, you can catch her on Christmas Day in the upcoming Sherlock Holmes update, where she will star as Irene Adler opposite Robert Downey Jr.'s Holmes and Jude Law's Dr. Watson. (If words were stock, I'd invest my money in "elementary.")

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Warner To Announce Status Of Batman 3 In January?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:16:00 -0800

Will we know more about Batman 3 sooner rather than later? A rumor is currently circulating that Warner Bros. will make some sort of official announcement in January on the status of the heavily-discussed sequel to The Dark Knight. The discussion originated from a Batman fansite called Batman-on-Film, that claims the breaking news from their "solid and longtime source."

While Batman 3 may already be the top source of Internet blog chatter, the drama surrounding whether director Christopher Nolan will return for this third film has been a fruitful source in its own right for much of the rumor mills. According to BOF's source, Warner is (understandably) a bit anxious to get this franchise sequel off the ground, and if Nolan drags his heels too long, they may just move on without his directorial talents.

However, as others seem to be accurately pointing out, the rumored announcement would coincide quite conveniently with the beginning of the promotional campaign for the July 16 release of Nolan's film Inception. Nolan (at least, according to imdb) doesn't seem to have any other projects on the horizon, other than his still-rumored attachment to an "Untitled Batman Project." Nonetheless, doubts still linger. According to BOF:

"Our source also confirmed the obvious -- there’s going to be a BATMAN 3 with or without Nolan. And although they’re operating under the assumption that he will return, they do have their ducks in a row -- just in case."

To not have Nolan return would definitely take something away from the series. It could potentially affect the output of the film both creatively and in the performances themselves. As Christian Bale was on record as saying last April regarding his own commitment to the film:

"The fact is, I have to! I've signed up! Chris [Nolan] doesn't. So I'm in a bit of a fix if he says he doesn't want to!"

In the end, I think the film being cast like a shotgun wedding will prove untrue. Given the look of the field, Nolan's return to series seems all but imminent. (And that seems to be the general consensus among writers.) If this bit of news does indeed pan out, it will be nice to finally have something substantive to grasp in regards to Batman 3. For a year and a half now, we've seen this ultra-popular series become the source of some of the most ridiculous BS the Internet and Tabloid press ever produced. Come January which, according to Roland Emmerich, will be 2 years from the apocalypse, we will at least be able to put that subculture to rest. (And enjoy the last few years we have. **sniff, sniff**)

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2012 Hits Huge, Will An Independence Day Sequel Follow?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:32:00 -0800

This past weekend, Roland Emmerich's stunning effects-laden bonanza, 2012 reminded moviegoers of one thing: The complete and utter destruction of the world kicks ass! With a domestic/Canadian tally of $65 million and $225 million worldwide, 2012 made an awful lot of money, thanks in part to a premise supplied by an ancient Mayan calendar (however accurately or inaccurately it was represented.) It was no less than porn for the oblivion-seeking nihilist that rests within every one us.

Its weekend performance also achieved the status of being the best worldwide opening for a film not based on any sort of franchises established in other forms of media. However, measured up against other franchise films debuts, it bowed at No. 9, placed among good company, merely behind such franchise favorites as the Star Wars, Spider-Man, and Harry Potter films. (Harry Potter is still the king with this year's The Half Blood Prince's $394 million.)

What else is there to say about the end-of-the-world epic, in which John Cusack holds up a boom-box playing Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" to calm the Earth's seas and tectonic plates, eventually winning its love in a romantic ending where Cusack helps the Earth overcome its fear of flying with a trip to England? (Did I spoil something?!) Regardless, now off the heels of this success, Emmerich has firmly reestablished his title as the "King of Fake Apocalypse." With recent discussion of a sequel to one of his other huge, "all s*** gets destroyed" epics, Independence Day (or ID4) seemingly heating up, one must wonder if 20th Century Fox might be clamoring to get the Emmerich franchise back off the ground.

It was originally perceived in the mix of counter-PR, that Fox was simply waiting on word from Emmerich to begin getting the sequel (which was rumored to be titled ID4 Ever,) in the works, however, Emmerich has claimed that it was, in fact HE that was waiting on word from Fox. Now, it seems that Fox has issued a statement in which they claim unequivocally that "there is no ID4 sequel in development." WHAT? However, with this drama and a supposed issue over Will Smith's exhorbitant salary, it has not stopped Emmerich from discussing his plans for the ID4 franchise. In a recent interview with MTV, Emmerich states:

"What we want to do in the next – it's actually two movies – we want to do a bigger arc," he explained. "'Independence Day' was always like the king who leads his troops into battle against an evil force, and that stays like that."

That, however, was before the numbers had come in for 2012. Will they make the difference in realizing these ambitious plans? Emmerich is already a long-established commodity. Certainly an ID4 sequel would have been an auspicious project. However, given the inescapable hype and the hefty $200 million production budget, it would have been a huge stigma if this project had failed. (You hear that James Cameron?) It was a gamble that may have held Emmerich's marketability unofficially up in the air. Now that it has paid off, it might result in Fox coming back to Emmerich, hat in hand, ready to talk turkey. (With Thanksgiving just around the corner, no less.) I certainly would hope so, as I am nowhere near alone among fans who have been clamoring for a sequel to the inspiring (albeit not that deep) action-packed film that dominated 1996 along with the Spice Girls, Twister, and the Macarena.

Get it done, Fox! We're all just a little anxious to see Will Smith get back up there and whoop E.T.'s ass, that's all!

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J.J. Abrams Dishes on Star Trek DVD

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:54:00 -0800

We couldn't get enough of J. J. Abrams' Star Trek earlier this year, and now you can bring this sexy update to the sci-fi classic home with you. (Sorry, girls, Chris Pine is not included.)

Tonight, Alison Haislip catches up with director Abrams to talk about what fans old and new can hope to see in the November 17th DVD release, including the special 3-disc Blu-ray edition for those hardcore Trekkies.

Tune in to Attack of the Show tonight at 7:00pm to see what he has to say!

Thor To Begin Filming In Mid January

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:45:00 -0800

A tweet from Production Weekly reports that Thor will bring down the hammer real soon. According to them, the film is to begin shooting in LA in mid-January (we assume for studio work.) The production will then move to Santa Fe, NM in March up into late April, where principal photography should be wrapped.

It seems that the Avengers blitz will soon take one more step towards realization. With its May 20, 2011 release date, Thor will be followed by First Avenger: Captain America on July 22, followed by May 4, 2012's release of the granddaddy of them all, the groundbreaking, precedence-shattering movie crossover event The Avengers. The artisitic and financial success of each of these movies could hinge on the success of the ones that precede it.

It all starts with the release of Iron Man 2 on May 7, 2010. Of course, the film is guaranteed to be a mega-hit. In fact, it could end up being a 5-minute documentary on badger poop and it would still rake-in huge opening numbers. However, much like the case of Transformers 2, huge box-office numbers do not necessarily make an artistic success. So I think there's a strong possibility that the Transformers franchise may lose a lot of its momentum going into its (guaranteed) upcoming third effort. Now, try to imagine if it had held the weight of THREE distinct spin-off franchises? You might be a bit worried if you were deeply invested.

So the films may share a symbiotic relationship. If Iron Man 2 (which, make no mistake, will generate like a hundred-billion-gagillion dollars,) ends up creatively impotent, it would damage the franchise, which could affect Thor's chances. It's going to take a lot of on-screen pizazz to get the average moviegoer to be excited for some Norse God in some fantasy land, sporting a wing-tipped hat. Momentum from a seriously kick-ass Iron Man 2 would not only help, but may end up being integral.

It's a good thing that director Kenneth Branagh will have a solid year (thanks to a date push) to piece this baby together in a way that might accommodate the movie-going atmosphere in the aftermath of Iron Man 2's release. Even if Thor fails to pull in the kind of money Iron Man 2 will clearly reap, its status as a potential creative success would linger on in the form of Avengers-related buzz going into that summer's Captain America film. Eventually, it all cycles to the big one in 2012.

Make no mistake, once the word "action" is uttered for the first time on Kenneth Branagh's Thor set, it may be the point of no return for MANY MANY MILLIONS of dollars that Disney/Marvel will have invested in not just this, but three mega films to follow in Iron Man 2's wake. No pressure, right?

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Paul W.S. Anderson Eyes Metal Gear Solid Movie?

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:16:00 -0800

Fans have surely been waiting a long time for the inevitable news of a film adaptation of the Metal Gear Solid games. How, then, would those fans feel, should a name such as Paul W.S. Anderson become attached to the project? Well, it turns out that there's a chance we may find out.

Website ShockTillYouDrop was recently in Toronto on the set of the Anderson-directed Resident Evil: Afterlife and conducted a brief interview with producer (and Anderson colleague) Jeremy Bolt. In addition to updating the status of the long-discussed Castlevania film, he dropped a bit of bombshell when he stated that Anderson would like adapt Konami's Metal Gear Solid game franchise for the big screen. That is the extent of what is known on the MGS issue, but more will surely develop to clarify (or perhaps shoot down) its significance.

Do we really need to go into depth as to the why this is wrong? Some things are just so obvious, it's silly to even waste time explaining them. You don't stick a fork into a power outlet, you don't swim right after you eat, and you don't hire Paul W.S. Anderson to direct a Metal Gear film. Don't get me wrong, Anderson is not the worst director walking the planet, in fact, (as I've said in other writings,) his video game films such as the Resident Evil series and the first Mortal Kombat film are solid efforts, given the genre. His films provide a steady supply of action and excitement buttressed by a relatively stable storyline. While there's nothing intrinsically wrong with that, it is NOT how I would want to feel about a film that would have audacity to adopt the Metal Gear Solid mythos, which I (and legions of millions across the globe) find sacred. Solid Snake deserves so much better than to be placed as some fan-placating symbolic character in a prospectively over-the-top spectacle full of Woo-esque slow-motion shots.

If Anderson ends up doing a Metal Gear film, I can only hope that he's fascinated enough with Raiden to do a film focusing on him, so that someone else can tackle Snake. It can be a comedy where Raiden tries to beat up the bad guys, but always ends up naked in a locker, with a slight difficulty sitting down and walking. (Yeah, I know he came off pretty badass in MGS4, but it's still funny.)

The other recent Anderson-related tidbit revolves around the Castlevania project. When we last heard, in July, Saw co-creator James Wan was on board to direct the film, and it seemed like a lock. Anderson has been on board as a producer for the prospective film over at Rogue pictures, but it seemed like he was ceding the director's chair to Wan's vision. However, in the aforementioned interview with Jeremy Bolt, he revealed that Anderson is once again circling the project.

These are two very brief one-sentence revelations which should be taken with a grain of salt. I'm sure comments straight from the horse's mouth (and from Wan about Castlevania) will emerge soon.

Source

Links Of TheFeed: Slammin' Salmon & Wannabes

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:54:00 -0800

We know how much everyone loves Olivia Munn. That's why I felt the need to issue a PSA and point out her role in the upcoming movie, Slammin Salmon. For Munn, along with some ridiculous gangster wannabes, the new trailer for the Smokin' Aces sequel, and some awful bootleg dvd covers, check out the links below.

The new trailer for Slammin' Salmon, the latest from Broken Lizard (Beerfest, Super Troopers), on FilmDrunk. Look closely, and you might spot a cameo from G4's own Olivia Munn.

Crispy Gamer presents another great moment in voice acting: Castle Shikigami 2.

Seth McFarlane has a dirty secret, and CollegeHumor is ready to expose it.

Items lost in translation are always good for a laugh, so here's 15 of the worst international bootleg dvd covers.

Crave Online has the smokin' new trailer for Smokin' Aces 2: Assassin's Ball.

Ridiculous gangster wannabes are not solely an American phenomenon, Uncoached proves they have them in Russia as well.

Rachel McAdams The Black Cat For Spider-Man 4?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:43:00 -0800

Will The Black Cat be dropping in on 'ole Spidey in the upcoming fourth Spider-Man film?

One can never accuse the production of Spider-Man 4 of failing to feed the rumor mills. It gives Batman 3 a run for its money, and ironically enough, very few people are actually excited for the film. Its rumor mills have become a calorie-loaded artery-clogger of a deep-fried fast food serving that we just can't stop eating. (It would have killed that Super Size Me guy in like a week.) The latest rumor, of course, seems to be no exception.

According to Mania, "reliable sources" (meaning some anonymous party, not the CNN Sunday talk-fest) are telling them that the one and only Felicia Hardy, aka The Black Cat, is set to be in the mix, and that actress Rachel McAdams is in talks to take the role. (Take a second to fight through the grease-related indigestion on that one.) In fact, it is being said that the beautiful Red Eye and Wedding Crashers star has already met with producers and will portray the Black Cat very much as the romantic (or potentially romantic) interest for which the character served in the comics.

According to Mania: "Our sources tell us that the Black Cat's story fits well with Raimi's Spider-Man formula, which always finds the villains troubling not only the costumed hero, but also becoming entangled in Peter Parker's personal life as well."

The Black Cat was originally conceived in the late 70's as a female antagonist for Spider-Woman. However, creator Marv Wolfman was then moved to the main Amazing Spider-Man title, where he decided to implement the character there. While the relationship dynamic between her and Spider-Man often begs the criticism regarding its similarity to that of Batman and Catwoman over at DC Comics, there is a certain nuance that makes it unique. The Black Cat (like Catwoman) is a nocturnal-working cat burglar, who is often depicted as a "tweener" in regards to her good/bad ambiguity. However, she is genuinely more focused on a romantic relationship with Spider-Man and more often finds herself on the side of good. This desire often puts the relationship into a kind of flux where, at times, it is actually reciprocated by Spider-Man (or is one-sided and delves into unrequited "stalker" territory. Ex: Her quest to get real superpowers so that Spider-Man will accept her as an equal. Do I smell a pet rabbit boiling on a stove?)

Exactly how this will factor into a film in which (we can only presume) Spider-Man will deal with his former Professor's transformation into the vicious, iconic villain, The Lizard? (Which is evidenced by Dylan Baker signing on to return to the film series.) Do we need any more anachronistic romantic messes after Spider-Man 3's stunt of bringing Bryce Dallas Howard's Gwen Stacy (Spidey's girlfriend who is famous for being killed in the comics by The Green Goblin) into the mix? I would hope that Sam Raimi will not be pushed into yet another situation where he is forced to take on villains that have no conceivable place whatsoever in the actual script. **cough**Venom**cough**

Obviously, this is but one of a myriad of rumors regarding the film. However, the possibility of a push for multiple villains is a very realistic concern. Given how much will be required for this fourth Spider-Man to redeem the series, let's hope that this (prospectively final) Raimi outing in the franchise will be able to shine and cap-off what will hopefully go in the books as an overall solid series of films.

Source

Steven Spielberg & Will Smith's Old Boy May Be Dead

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:10:00 -0800

Has the much-maligned Will Smith-starring, Steven Spielberg-produced "remake" of Old Boy bitten the dust? According to Latino Review, that just may be the case. Their sources are telling them that in the rights-securing process, the original Korean production company, Mandate could not come to any kind of agreement with Dreamworks, prompting the latter party to simply walk away from the deal altogether.

As some may remember, it was around this time a year ago that rumors began to surface about a collaboration between Will Smith and Steven Spielberg to westernize the Old Boy mythos. Based on Japanese manga from Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi, South Korean director Chan-wook Park would adopt the story into a highly stylish 2003 film, Oldboy (no space), that remains a huge cult favorite to this day.

The story depicted a man seeking revenge after being inexplicably kidnapped and imprisoned in a sleazy hotel room for some 15 years, where he is sadistically kept alive and prevented from committing suicide. After his release, his quest for revenge for not only his imprisonment, but the death of his wife, leads him through a series of events that culminate in what may be one of the ultimate cinematic "twists" of all time. (In fact, M. Night Shyamalan might end up wanting this one.)

The original intent of Smith and Spielberg was not to simply remake the Park film, but rather, to go back to the source material itself. It was speculated that they would create something that may have been more accessible to American audiences. Exactly what a collaboration of Will Smith and Steven Spielberg could do with a dark, violent story filled with bodily maming, and incest, is something we will probably never know. (Although our very own Stephen Johnson has suggested that Tom Hanks may get a hold of the project. Frankly, my money's on TV's Patrick Duffy.)

The fact remains that, despite being a great fan favorite and big-time summer movie fodder, Will Smith would have had some heavy duty issues to tackle if he were to take on this role. He can really only pull off being a "semi-serious" action hero. Even in the Omega Man-inspired I Am Legend, which depicted a post apocalyptic world where Smith is living life alone amongst a city full of zombies, he still comes off somewhat as a clown. Old Boy, while lacking zombies and the end of the world, is some pretty serious stuff. Westernize it too much, or fill it with "zany one-liners," and it would have been doomed. Besides, the average moviegoer may not be thrilled about exactly WHO Will Smith's character would have been "getting jiggy with." Consider the failure of the negotiations as a blessing in disguise.

It therefore seems that über-leet cult Asian Cinema addicts may be sleeping a little easier knowing that this sacred cow is safe -- for now, anwyay. (There's always the possibility of an Uwe Boll version, right?)

Source

Netflix PlayStation 3 Interface Likely Won't Change Until Late Next Year

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0800

One of the benefits of accessing Netflix streaming through Xbox 360 are the updates Microsoft and Netflix have delivered to the interface and feature set. The addition of group streaming, genre lists and adding movies from your Xbox 360 were welcomed, and most of those were carried over into the the recently launched disc-based version of Netflix streaming for PlayStation 3. Unfortunately, it looks like PlayStation 3 users will have to become accustomed to that interface for a little while yet.

When asked if Netflix and Sony had the ability to update and alter the Netflix interface for PlayStation 3 users based on feedback, Netflix was immediately coy.

"Late next year we expect to have an embedded solution available for PS3s via a system software update slated for release through the PlayStation Network," said Netflix VP of corp. communications Steve Swasey in an e-mailed statement to me. "Until then, enjoy watching instantly via your PS3 using the instant streaming disc!"

That didn't answer my question, I told him. Can the interface be changed?

"Using the disc is how you’ll watch movies until then," responded Swasey.

I took the hint.

Until Netflix becomes an embedded part of the PlayStation 3 in the latter half of 2010 -- a date rumored to have been picked because it falls after Netflix's exclusivity agreement with Microsoft -- the interface will likely remain the same. Netflix would have to send new discs to make any changes. Right now, it doesn't cost a dime to receive a Blu-ray disc enabling Netflix support on your PlayStation 3.

Have something to share? Have a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

J.J. Abrams To Produce Micronauts Movie?

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 12:59:00 -0800

Will Lost and new Star Trek mastermind, J.J. Abrams be trying his hand at reviving an old-school toy line with an updated movie? Possibly. It is being reported that Abrams is in talks to produce a film adaptation of late 70's, early 80's toy line, turned Marvel Comics title, Micronauts.

While one does not typically think of The Wall Street Journal as a regular source for breaking news in the entertainment biz, they may have (and I'll stress "may have") done just that. The Journal ran a piece today about the continuing trend of toy franchises being transformed into major blockbuster films. However, in an almost passive way, they briefly drop the bombshell:

"J.J. Abrams, who created the TV show 'Lost' and directed this summer's 'Star Trek' film, is in discussions to produce a movie about Japanese toy line Micronauts, which Hasbro just acquired."

Unless this tidbit is some kind of serious typo that will be retracted at the bottom of tomorrow's edition, this will be a major project. Abrams would actually have quite a bit of raw material to work with. Micronauts was, ironically enough, a rather deep comic title for something that was essentially a monthly commercial for a toy line. (Although the same could be said of Larry Hama's tenure on G.I. Joe.) However, other than Gen-X'ers, I'm sure there are quite a few other generations of people thinking of a rather obvious question: What the hell is Micronauts?

It's time for a Cliff Notes-like history lesson:

It began as a toy line in 1972 from Japanese company, Takara called Henshin Cyborg. It was essentially an 8"-12" humanoid figure like the old stand-alone G.I. Joe, except with an added Japanese touch of a transparent body with visible "circuits" inside the figure. Eventually, Takara decided to continue the line in a miniaturized 3.75" scale, and thus, the birth of the standard scale of action figures, which would eventually be adopted by future legendary lines like Star Wars and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero was born.

Takara's miniaturized Henshin Cyborg line (redubbed Microman) maintained (and in many ways surpassed) the articulation and movement of the original larger counterparts, and began to feature interchangeable parts which allowed you to transform the figures into different vehicles. In 1976, the Mego Corporation (famous for its legendary line of figures of various TV and comic characters from the 70's and 80's,) released Microman in the United States as Micronauts. The line ran for 4 years, and inspired a Marvel Comics title that continued after the toy line's demise.

After the Micronauts toy line ended in 1980, its remaining ideas and development went towards the creation of a new franchise called -- Transformers. In fact, some of the early releases of Transformers were simply developmental leftovers from Micronauts.

That brings us back to now. Since the initial series ended, Micronauts has experienced a few sporadic relaunch comic titles, however, despite a small, but committed cult fanbase, the franchise has remained rather dormant. While the original toy lines themselves did not carry any sort of context-setting story, the Marvel Comics title depicted a microscopic world called the "Microverse" that was in danger of being exploited and conquered by the evil Baron Karza. Only the Micronauts, consisting of Arcturus Rann, Acroyear, Biotron, Microtron, and Marionette could stand up to his power and stop him.

Could we be in store for a giant (yet shrunk-down,) effects-laden opus of awesomeness? While Micronauts sounds like a directorial project that Michael Bay or Stephen Sommers might be offered, Abrams (if he decides to helm the film) may be able to carry-over much of the Marvel title's depth into the adaptation, while providing plenty of mind-blowing action and scenery.

Source

Halo: Legends Animation Collection Detailed And Dated

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 14:56:00 -0800

Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version

Hardcore Halo fans will soon have a chance to experience the game’s expansive universe in an entirely new way thanks to Halo Legends, a collection of animated short films created by some of Japan’s most acclaimed animation studios. Microsoft announced today that the collection will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Feb. 9, 2010 in both a standard edition and 2-disc special edition.

The special edition will include hours of bonus content including:

Audio commentary with directors Frank O’Connor and Joseph Chou
“The Making of Halo Legends”
“Halo: Gaming Evolved” – Explore the Halo phenomenon from its inception as an Xbox title to the massive franchise it is today

The Blu-ray version will include all of the aforementioned content, plus a feature called “Halo: The Story So Far,” which basically just provides an overview of what’s happened over the course of the first three Halo games.

If you don’t feel like waiting until February to see the short films, the entire collection will be streamed live on a weekly basis via the new Halo Waypoint portal on Xbox Live starting Nov. 7. You can find the complete airing schedule over at the Halo Legends official site.

What do you Halo-lovers think about this collection? Are you excited, indifferent, curious?