Sure Shots: Hutcherson in X-men: First Class; Hostel 3

It's bed time for yours truly so let's do this quick...

* Bouncing from an earlier story, CHUD continues to insist that it's unlikely Josh Hutcherson will land the role of Peter Parker in the upcoming Spider-Man film. But what they have heard is that he's a contender to play Scott "Cyclops" Summers in X-Men: First Class. They should make a movie out of all these damn rumors.

* It still ain't safe to take a vacation anywhere. Not even here in the United States, apparently. A third film in Eli Roth's torturous series, Hostel, is in the works with a new director in tow. Roth will continue to produce, but Scott Spiegel will actually be behind the camera this time around. Spiegel co-wrote the script to Evil Dead 2 alongside Sam Raimi. His plan for Hostel? Say goodbye to Europe, and say hello to Las Vegas.Oh, and it'll be straight to DVD.

The Last Airbender

I'd like to say it's not fair to blame M. Night Shymalan for The Last Airbender's many problems. Of all his films, this is likely the least personal, being more of a studio effort than anything else. I'd like to say it's not his fault that the script is lousy, opting for mindless recitation of each character's motivations rather than effective storytelling. I'd like to say that it's not his fault that a whopping $280M was spent on production and marketing. I'd like to say that it's not his fault that the casting is heavily skewed against the cartoon's clear Asian influence. I consider myself a big fan of Shymalan's, despite some of his most recent failures. I'd like to say none of this was his fault. But since he directed the project from start to finish, wrote the script and greenlit the major casting decisions I can't absolve him of anything. In The Last Airbender he's created his most perplexing film yet, and not in a good way. One that shuts out die hard fans but leaves the door barely cracked for any newcomers looking for a new, kid friendly adventure series to invest in.

The Last Airbender's themes revolve around racial harmony and finding balance with nature, but you'll have to dig pretty deep to find it. In this world Earth, Air, Fire and Water are tied into four very distinct nations. Each nation is in tune with the spirt of their respective element, giving them the ability to control or "bend" them to their will.  The Fire Nation is by far the most aggressive and brutal. Getting a little hot headed, the Fire Nation launches a devastating attack against the rest of the world, banning any other nation from using their powers openly.

Only one thing can restore the proper balance to the world, and that's the arrival of the Avatar, a powerful messiah-type being capable of bending all of the earth's elements, but he hasn't been seen in over a century. Discovered trapped in some mystical dome by Katara(Nicola Peltz) and her brother Sokka(Jackson Rathbone, who I didn't even recognize) of the Southern Water Tribe, a young airbender named Aang(Noah Ringer) claims to be him. Over a hundred years before, it was discovered that he was the next incarnation of the Avatar, but in fear of the terrible burden he would have to bear, Aang fled before his training could be completed. His people long dead at the hands of the Fire Nation, Aang must accept his fate and return peace to the world.

Aang's quest draws the attention of a number of folks looking to cut his new life short and send him back into reincarnation mode. The Fire Nation has been searching for Aang for years, knowing his arrival could be their downfall. Prince Zuko(Slumdog Millionaire's Dev Patel), shamed and banished son of the Fire Nation's king(Cliff Curtis), has been hunting Aang as a means of getting back in his father's good graces.

There's some mumbo jumbo about spirit dragons or something, but Shymalan's script never makes it clear what exactly their purpose is. In another shining example of why film trilogies should never be planned out ahead of time, The Last Airbender plays like a setup film, with glaring informational omissions that I can only assume will be cleared up in movies 2 & 3. As a standalone, you'll be hard pressed to find a story more confusing and incomplete, which is even more confounding since all any of the characters seem to do is stand around and explain the plot. They do it so often, they even explain the story to those who are in comas, unconscious, or in deep meditation. Maybe they talk so much to keep themselves awake? That I could understand.

Don't even get me started on the 3-D, which again adds nothing of value and was clearly tacked on at the end to increase box office returns. All it does is render the film dark and lifeless, which is a shame because for the most part the effects are simple and effective. This being an adventure featuring common elements like fire and water, huge spectacles aren't exactly necessary. The benders use a combination of martial arts andTai-Chi like movements to channel their powers. It doesn't look like it should've cost $150M, but it does the job well enough.

I wish I could say the same thing about the casting, which besides scrubbing out much of the cartoon's ethnicity then went out of it's way to cast the most boring assemblage this side of Narnia.  No offense to Noah Ringer, but I've got more lively gymwear. If this is what Shymalan's white-washing offers us, then bring me Jaden Smith. STAT. Not even Dev Patel, so beloved after Slumdog Millionaire, could make heads or tails out of it.

Any glimmer of hope that subsequent flicks will improve are snuffed out by the fact that Shymalan has signed on for two more movies as writer and director. Airbender should have an epic feel to it. This is a massive story being undertaken here, but Shyamalan gives it all the spectacle of an NBC disaster movie. I can't speak as to whether the production was rushed, but the scene editing is downright atrocious at times, mostly during the film's quieter moments. I'm sure he paid plenty of attention to his own "blink and you'll miss him" appearance as an enemy guard.

The more that I write, the more bones I find to pick. Probably best that I stop here. If only Airbender would do the same, but it's all but assured a $300M worldwide take and at least one sequel. I refuse to accept that M. Night Shyamalan is a hack who peaked after his first three movies and has been phoning it in ever since, but movies like this back my argument into a corner. There's still a pretty darn good idea buried under all the ice and snow, but maybe Shyamalan should consider handing the reigns over to somebody else next time. Just an idea.

Judd Apatow Preps new Pee-Wee Herman Film!

I've had a rash of ex-girlfriends, and even my current one, who don't understand my love of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. Directed by Tim Burton back in 1985, it's the perfect example of a guy who never can and never would grow up. It's just one big hallucinatory fever dream caught on film. After Pee-Wee, real name Paul Reubens, got caught jerkin' his gerkin' out in public, he pretty much disappeared and both TV and movies havent' been as fun since.

Now out of nowhere comes the story that Judd Apatow will be producing a new comedy adventure starring Pee-Wee Herman. The two apparently met after Apatow saw the newly revived Pee-Wee Herman Show at the Nokia Theater. The tour has been selling out dates for the last few months, triggering a return to prominence for Reubens. A showing of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure sold out at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles just last week.

It doesnt' appear that Apatow has any interest in directing the project. The script is being written by Reubens alongside Paul Rust, who most will recognize as the lead character from I Love You, Beth Cooper. He also had a small role in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. The film is already being described as a "road pic" with a "gigantic adventure".

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure was a surprise hit back in 1985, coming out of nowhere to take in over $40M. It's since become something of a cult classic. That film's success spawned a less funny, less successful 1988 sequel, Big Top Pee-Wee. It's flat out terrible. Kris Kristofferson must still have nightmares. That led to a highly successful Saturday morning series, which I maintain was far more adult than my kiddie brain could've understood at the time, which ran from 1986-1990.

You can read more of Variety's coverage of the story here.

Trailer Time: Charlie St. Cloud, starring Zac Efron

Yahoo Movies has released the trailer for the upcoming romantic fairy tale, Charlie St. Cloud, starring Zac Efron. The story involves Charlie, who makes a promise to his little brother Sam that he'll teach him to play baseball everyday until he leaves for college.When Sam is killed in a car accident, Charlie keeps his promise to Sam's ghost. However when he meets a girl and begins to have a relationship with her, he finds that he must make a decision between pursuing love and keeping his promise.It's based on the 2004 novel by Ben Sherwood.

I'm no big Zac Efron fan, but I like the fantasy elements at play here. While he might've faded into the background in Me and Orson Welles last year, Efron showed he capable of tackling a bit heavier roles that don't just require him to dance and sing real nice. Charlie St. Cloud is being directed by Burr Steers, who wrote and directed one of my favorite films of 2002, Igby Goes Down. He also directed Efron in 17 Again last year.

Check out the trailer for yourself and let us know what you think. Is it possible Efron might be more of an actor than I gave him credit for?

Review: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

At this point it seems a question as old as time; Team Edward or Team Jacob? Does Eclipse, the latest installment of the Twilight phenomenon answer this question or leave us still thirsting (no pun intended) for more? Well, I can’t very well tell you that in the opening paragraph now can I? What I can tell you is that this movie is so much more than a supernatural love triangle. Amidst all of the love triangle drama that we were introduced to in the first two movies it appears someone is assembling an army of vampire “newborns”, freshly made vamps. These newborns are stronger, faster and more vicious than their more seasoned counterparts and are causing havoc in nearby Seattle. It doesn’t take long for the Cullen’s, our friendly neighborhood vampire coven, to realize that whatever is going on in Seattle is coming to their town, Forks, with its crosshairs pointed squarely at Edward Cullen’s love and the center of our story, Bella. The murders in Seattle cause tension, than an uneasy agreement between the Cullen’s and the Native American Werewolf pack associated with the third part of our love triangle, Jacob. With the tension between the three young lover’s mirroring the tensions between their associated clans this vampire army could not come at a worse time. Both clans and young lovers must find a way to put aside their differences and join forces or put at risk both young Bella and the town of Forks. All the while Bella holds the most of anyone known to man on her young shoulders as she must decide possibly the toughest of choices…Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Generally this is where I would start to rip this movie apart based on cheesey dialogue and unnecessary shirtless scenes. While these things are definitely present the sum or the films parts more than makes up for it. That’s right, I’m on board for this one, I had fun…I enjoyed this movie. There I said it and it’s credit can go to many places but rests mainly on the character of Jasper. An expanded vampire character of the Cullen clan, Jasper brings history and depth to the characters as well as some sick action scenes and honestly just a break from the middle school love story. I know it is the question on the tip of every 12-50 year old woman/girl’s tounge but I could really care less who Bella chooses. That being said I thought they did a much better job this time around of making the love angle watchable. The awkward dynamic of the three is handled very well and brings about quite a few really good laughs. To be honest the movie on a whole was pretty damn funny, something I was certainly not expecting. Something else I wasn’t expecting, to contradict myself almost immediately, was the depth of emotion that was brought to Edward’s character. Jacob, to me, is still shallow…as is Bella, but Edward seems to have real emotion, real thought and a deep caring for Bella’s character that truly comes out in this film. A kind of selfless emotion that can only be found through finding one’s true love the way he clearly has in Bella.

Now, in an effort to retrieve my man card let’s talk fights! While I don’t really dig the way the vamps break like marble when they are killed I can say that this flick brings the real violence that any red blooded man wants to see when he hears werewolf and vampire in the same sentence. There’s a lot wrong with the final battle in my eyes but that’s mostly aesthetics, I think they should be werewolves and not just wolves, there’s the bit about breaking apart I mentioned earlier and then there should have been more casualties on the friendly side to invest us more emotionally. That stuff aside the final battle was pretty cool, seeing the Cullen clan and the wolves working together against a (small) army of vampires was fairly bad ass. I also insert here that every member of the Cullen clan is infinitely cooler than Edward Cullen, Peter Facinelli is great as Carlisle Cullen and I already mentioned Jasper, who just made the movie for me, and that’s not even to mention Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen…aces, just aces.

Wow, didn’t think this was going to be so hard for me to say….wait for it…I’m trying………….Go see Twilight: Eclipse. Seriously though, I’m kidding about that being hard to say, I’m gonna own it, this was a good fun to watch movie. While there were some slow parts and some of the script could’ve been written in a more adult way (read: not written like an 8th grade love letter), I had a good time with it. Honestly I probably would’ve laughed more and gotten more of the movie but I couldn’t hear everything over the “OHHHH JACCOOOBBBB” screams and general swooning. Really kid, we get it you’re buff now put a shirt on…or at least make Ashley Greene spend an equal amount of time shirtless, hey, it’s only fair. Oh, one last thing……TEAM EDWARD!

3.5 out of 5 Guttenberg’s

Josh Hutcherson: Spider-Man afterall?

What the hell is going on over there at Sony? It kinda makes me wonder if poor Josh Hutcherson is twisting in the wind trying to figure out if he's gonna play Spider-Man in Marc Webb's reboot or not. Another day, another rumor. Blu Sky Disney is reporting that Hutcherson has been offered the role formally. That would fly in the face of last week's story that Sony was already reviewing screen tests for a number of actors, a list that did NOT include Josh Hutcherson. It's been assumed that Hutcherson's commitment to the Journey to the Center of the Earth sequel has left him out of the running. That film is due to shoot this fall.

To make the situation even more confusing, soon after Blu Sky put out that story, Hutcherson was spoken to by Super Hero Hype, and didn't seem all that convinced he'd be playing the wallcrawler at all...

Hutcherson: “I think a lot of people are auditioning and talking about it, so it’s an honor to be considered on the same list with some of these actors that I’m up against. It’s really cool. To be talked about in that kind of role is very awesome.” … “I really don’t know what’s going on with everything right now. It would be an honor to play that role, it’s a big thing, it’s a total game changer. I really want to play a comic book hero. I’m not really huge into comics, but I’ve always been big into superheroes from the cartoons and the movies that have been made about them.”

Man, whatever. I hope he gets it, but by the time they finally come to a decision he might be better suited to the role of Uncle Ben.

Love Ranch

Love Ranch is very loosely based on the lives of Joe and Sally Conforte, who in 1971 began running the first legal brothel in the United States. Joe, in Italian immigrant,  began as a cab driver, ferreting soldiers to brothels all around California before moving to Nevada and meeting his wife. Their lives were full of scandal. They spent time in jail for tax evasion, fled the country on more than one occasion, only to return and expand their prostitution businesses right under the nose of the government. Sounds like a pretty good story on it's own, right? Too bad that's not the story we get. Love Ranch jettisons the far more intriguing reality in favor of a tawdry, mediocre love story between an aging madam and a charming brute of a boxer.

Dame Helen Mirren lends her considerable gravitas to the role of Grace Bontempo, a madam of a Reno brothel alongside her husband, Charlie(Joe Pesci). Charlie has the entire town on lockdown. He's a man of big dreams that stretch far beyond selling sex. He's got the entire police force in his pocket, along with a handful of politicians. He's also drawn the ire of more than few religious groups, who want to shut him and is devilish enterprise down. Charlie's biggest dream, however, is to be a boxing promotor. Charlie's got so many ventures goin' that he forgets Grace even exists. It doesn't help that he's surrounded by a dozen sexy, loose women, some of whom are eager to indulge his fantasies. Grace takes it in stride. She loves her husband, faults and all.

That is until finally jumps at the chance to get in on the big fight game, buying the contract of Armanda Bruza(Sergio Peris-Mencheta), broken down lug of a boxer with a Grizzly Adams beard and a wide smile. Asked to manage the Argentinian bruiser, she quickly takes to his awkward flirtations. Despite a 30 year difference in age, the old cougar leaps at the chance to find love away from her uncaring husband, even after Armanda reveals deeper, darker mysteries regarding his past. All this obviously rubs the vengeful Charlie the wrong way, and an ego driven battle to win Grace's heart ensues, with potentially tragic results.

I kept hoping Love Ranch would fully embrace it's seedy, Boogie Nights style premise. You can't have Gina Gershon, Bai Ling, and the sexy Scout Taylor-Compton tarting around and not have a little fun. Director Taylor Hackford(Ray), Mirren's husband, has no interest in that side of it. Whether or not this was a vehicle crafted specifically for Mirren, Mark Jacobson's script leans very heavily on the relationship between Grace and Armando. Honestly, the brothel angle could've been jettisoned altogether.

Only Mirren keeps Love Ranch from going completely off the rails. She shines above the off tempo script, and even manages a few effective scenes with newcomer Peris-Mencheta. He does have a certain likability to him, although his overly gestured style is clearly his way of expressing genuine emotion. He's outclassed most of the time when opposite her, but I daresay he holds up better than Cuba Gooding did in Shadowboxer. Come to think of it, Mirren really digs into these films where she bags the younger dude, doesn't she? I wonder if she's trying to make a point? The real problem is Joe Pesci, an actor I nearly always love but who has been grafting the same Goodfellas persona onto everything he's done since. I'm not sure what he was going for here, but he was like a cross between Tommy Devito and Rhea Perlman. Not a good look.

Love Ranch isn't what I expected it to be. It's neither insightful on the world of legalized prostitution, nor is it a very effective love story. It's a chance for Helen Mirren to prove just how much better she is than everyone else around her, and for that reason alone it might be worth a look. A movie about prostitution with no sex, no eroticism whatsoever. The story of Joe and Sally Conforte is one that deserves to be told, but next time let's hope they stick to the facts.

Sure Shots: Gollum/Rise of the Apes; Final Destination 5; Gore Verbinsky

* That Planet of the Apes prequel that I keep saying looks and sounds absolutely awful? It just got a little bit more interesting, as Andy Serkis has signed on to play uber-chimp Caesar in Rise of the Apes. Serkis is probably best known for portraying Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

* I guess it wasn't cool enough to just shorten Final Destination to FD5 or something like that. No, Warner Brothers has now officially changed the name of the fifth film in the horror franchise to 5nal Destination. Death does not approve of this lazy attempt at marketing coolness.

* Thanks to his Pirates of the Caribbean success, Gore Verbinski is the man right now. He can pretty much tackle any project he wants. So what he's decided is to helm a film about a  guy who can pretty much dream up anything he wants, as he'll be directing a remake of the 1947 classic, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Originally based on James Therber's short story, Mitty is about a guy with a boring life and go-nowhere job who imagines all sorts of fantastical tales about himself. Sasha Baron Cohen was at one time attached to the lead role, but is no longer involved. Johnny Depp, anyone?

Paranormal Activity 2 teaser trailer

Paranormal Activity was a great "one-time" flick. If you saw it at midnight with a crowded group of horror devotees willing to get spooked, you probably enjoyed the hell out of it. Try watching it at home on the comfort of your couch. Not quite the same experience.  With it's phenomenal success, we knew a sequel was coming, and it wasn't long before those rumors were confirmed. Now we're getting the first look at the teaser trailer for the sequel, and frankly it doesn't give us much to work with. It starts right at the conclusion of the first film, but then moves to a recorded shot of a baby's room. I'll wait until I see more to judge, but right now this just looks like more of the same.

The trailer will be attached to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, so some of you may have already seen it. If not, check it out now and let us know what you think!



Thanks to Slashfilm for the sweet image, also!

Mafia Wars: The Movie?

I've got some pretty annoying friends and family who are constantly barraging me with Mafia Wars requests. Sorry I can't help you out with your mission in Cuba, dude. If Radar Pictures has anything to say about it, I'm not going to be able to just logoff from Facebook in order to get away from the game.

Pajiba is reporting that Radar Pictures is looking to hire writers for a big screen adaptation of the hit social network video game. No other information is available yet, but assume somebody will take the project on. Then we'll get Farmville, Sorority Life, and whatever other crappy game you can play while being social from the comfort of your basement.

Mafia Wars was created by Zynga, and was winner of the 2009 Webby Award for best game. It's estimated that over 30 million people are playing Mafia Wars on Facebook alone.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Maybe it just took me a little longer than most. I'm not always the swiftest on the uptake. Maybe it took me until now to realize that I'm not going to get what I want out of the Twilight franchise. Vampires, werewolves, teen melodrama, all ideas that are firmly in my wheelhouse. Yet Twilight so far has endulged too much in the latter, and not enough of the former. I want big monster battles, vampires and were-dudes clawing and biting eachother with impunity. That's just not what it's about, and I've come to accept it. What Eclipse did finally give me for the first time is a reason to care about Bella(Kristen Stewart) and the odd love triangle she finds herself in with the cold vampire Edward(Robert Pattinson), and the oiled up abs of Jacob Black(Taylor Lautner).

Graduation looms on the horizon for Bella, and with it the uncertainty of her relationship with Edward. He wants to marry her. She wants to get laid, then turned into a vamp. This being Twilight, they aren't hopping into the marital bed anytime soon. Besides, she's still got some leftover feelings for furry hunk, Jacob, who never lets an opportunity to go shirtless pass him by. Edward and Jacob spend a good chunk of time staring daggers at eachother.When not eyeballing eachother, they're cracking jokes at the other's expense. Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg seems to have no problem taking a few jabs at some of Twilight's sillier elements. When poor Bella, forced to camp out in freezing temperatureswith Jacob and Edward watching over her, Jacob offers to warm her up because "I'm hotter than you". And Team Jacob swooned.

It's a familiar setup, only the stakes have been raised with time running out for the indecisive Bella. Edward still doesn't want to turn her into a soulless monster like him. Jacob's persistence in wooing her reaches stalker levels, made creepier by his forever near naked state. I'm still wondering where his jean shorts go when he transforms? Into the same imaginary subspace pocket the Hulk's clothes go, I guess?

The Cullen Clan is forced to work alongside their hated enemies, the Werewolves, in order to protect Bella. Victoria(Bryce Dallas Howard) is back, and this time she's leading an army of powerful newborn vampires in order to get revenge for the death of her lover. This leads to a series of flashbacks amongst the Cullens, providing a much needed origin and depth to the sorely underdeveloped family of vamps. One of my biggest gripes is that I had no real reason to like any of them. They just sortof hung out in their house and looked pale for 2 1/2 hours every year. The standout is Jasper Hale, the frenzied, somewhat crazy member of the clan, who is revealed to have been a Confederate officer in the Civil War. I'll ignore the fact that Jasper develops a southern twang and deep booming bass to his voice from seemingly out of thin air.

The secretive Vulturi take on a larger, more sinister purpose here led by that paragon of evil, Dakota Fanning. They show up basically to set up whatever it is that they're hatching for the next film, and to remind us that they exist. I had totally forgotten.

Kristen Stewart still seems too good for the material presented here. Her peformances have always been a little underplayed, which fits Bella perfectly, who never seems to get riled up over anything unless she's between her two boy toys. She manages to raise the level of Rosenberg's easy script. I still can't say the same for Robert Pattinson, who continues to make even the undead seem completely dead by comparison. He's just never quite on the same page as everybody else around him. Taylor Lautner is quite the opposite, as he steals pretty much every scene not by flexing his pecs but by showing more natural charisma than I ever gave him credit for. Darnit, I guess that makes me Team Jacob, doesn't it? I sure as heck can't figure out why Bella would ever choose Edward. Like, oh my god!

From the boring direction of Catherine Hardwicke, to the hap-hazard pacing of Chris Weitz in New Moon, David Slade is the first director to nail the film's tone absolutely right. He cuts out much of the timewasting melodramatic moments of the first two films, allowing the characters to show their emotions with actions rather than with long diatribes. In fact, the one time scene that really dragged was a painfully bad sequence where Edward awkwardly expresses his love. These scenes are few and far between.

Once the crap really hits the fan, the action flies pretty quickly. The special effects are nothing to write home about. Despite all the creatures and the gloomy setting, Twilight isn't meant to be a visual juggernaut. There's one major fight sequence, and of course it's cool to see werewolves battling against vampires. The wolves themselves don't always look quite right when in action, but when they slow down they're pretty impressive. I was disappointed in the length of the fight itself, and that for such a build-up to this being a great war, the outcome never was in doubt  for a second.

I feel pretty safe in saying that none of these Twilight movies are going to be masterpieces. But they don't really have to be, do they? For someone who has never so much as cracked open one of Stephanie Meyers's novels or knows what in the sam hill a Vulturi is, Twilight is probably pretty confusing. These are movies made solely for the fans, and those fans love them with a passion that I've never seen before. Eclipse is the first time I can count myself as one of those fans. A reluctant one, but a fan nonetheless. This is the best of the series by far, and hopefully the beginning of a trend.

Punch Drunk DVDs!

Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Not exactly the Harry Potter killer that some thought it could be, Percy Jackson is still a strong start to a potential franchise. Basically a mythological tale catapulted into the modern age, Percy Jackson stars Logan Lerman(who's name is attached to everything lately) as the son of the Greek god, Poseidon, sent on a quest to defeat Hades, the dark god of the underworld.








Hot Tub Time Machine
It had all the ingredients to be 2010's The Hangover. A fun, recognizable cast of comedy heavyweights; plenty of raunch; and a nostalgia inspiring time-travel premise. Instead it turned out more like 2010's The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard. If you're a big fan of the 1980s, you might find a couple of chuckles at the barrage of MTV and hot pink references. However if the 80s isn't your bag, you might find yourself wondering where the heck the plot went.







The Crazies
Always count on Timothy Olyphant(Go, Deadwood) to make mediocre movies better than they have any right to be. Here he plays the sheriff of a small town, thrust into chaos when a mysterious toxin in the water supply transforms the villagers into murderous lunatics. A remake of George Romero's somewhat undervalued 1973 original, I actually prefer this one, if for no other reason that director Breck Eisner ditches the social context and goes for the straight up doom 'n gloom scenario.







Predator(Ultimate Hunter Edition)
One of the funniest, non-sensical critiques I read about Predator is on Amazon.com, where their main review dude says "The plot doesn't hold up to much scrutiny.". Homie, it's Predator. What kinda scrutiny are you applying to it? It's an alien hunting a bunch of buff soldiers. Watch it and love it.









The Warlords
The Warlords is probably best compared to a movie like Red Cliff, John Woo's massive epic of fierce battles, honor, and loyalty. Jet Li stars alongside Andy Lau(China's Samuel L. Jackson) as two of three brotherly generals fighting a war first against the government, then against an organized rebellion. Their constantly shifting allegiances causing strain on their oath, testing their faith in one another.








The White Ribbon
The seeds of hate are sewn in Michael Haneke's(Funny Games, Cache) disturbing tale, set in the days preceding World War I. A tiny, Protestant village experiences a sudden rash of violent episodes. People are victim to mysterious accidents, homes are burned to the ground, unexplained deaths occur. Nobody knows who to blame, and the fingers begin pointing, causing a rift in the town that tears the tenuous racial harmony to shreds.







Creation
When Darwin began writing his seminal work, On the Origin of Species, he knew that his findings would be controversial. Indeed they were more than that. They were downright world shattering for some, leading a few of his most devoted followers to claim that he "had killed God". Creation stars real life husband and wife, Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly, as Darwin and his wife Emma, as the gap between their own personal beliefs separates them emotionally as well.

More X-Men: First Class casting!

Real quick like: Latino Review sites an inside source who says that Caleb Landry is at the top of Fox's list to play the role of Sean "Banshee" Cassidy in X-men: First Class. Who in the hey is Caleb Landry?  He had a very brief role in the Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men, as one of the two boys who has a fateful encounter with Anton Chigurh.

Banshee is an Irish mutant, posessing of a sonic scream capable of causing physical damage and destructive force. He was the oldest of Professor Xavier's second group of X-men recruits, and was at one time linked to former Xavier love interest, Moira MacTaggert.

If Landry signs, he'll join James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Benjamin Walker, Alice Eve, and the rumored Rosmund Pike and Amber Heard.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows trailer!

So the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows trailer wasn't shown at the Twilight: Eclipse screening tonight. They'll be together when Eclipse hits theaters on Wednesday. But for now, Warner Brothers has already released the trailer for the first part of the final chapter in the Harry Potter saga. Check out the trailer and let us know what you think!

The first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows hits theaters on November 19th, 2010. The second half of the final releases eight months later on July 15th, 2011.

Alice Eve to Join X-men: First Class!

She was the Perfect '10' in She's Out of My League earlier this year. Now she gets to play a woman who just thinks she's perfect. Alice Eve is in final talks to star as the White Queen, Emma Frost in Matthew Vaughn's X-Men: First Class. The role had been said to be Rosamund Pike's, but it's possible she'll be taking on Charles Xavier's love interst, Moira MacTaggert.

She'll be joining the recently confirmed Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Benjamin Walker, and possibly Amber Heard. Heard's signing is still up in the air.

I'm a huge fan of Alice Eve's. Have been since Starter for 10(which also starred James McAvoy) a few years ago. She had been up for the role of Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger also.

Spike Lee to Direct Nagasaki Deadline!

In my opinion, Spike Lee can do no wrong. Sure, some of his films have been misfires. But they were at least interesting misfires. I put Miracle at St. Anna on that list.  One of the reasons I dig him so much is that he can make literally any kind of movie. Whether it be a pointed drama, a comedy, a documentary, or even a mainstream thriller like Inside Man. He can do it all, and manages to lend his own voice to every single project. The fact that he still has difficulty getting financed pisses me off to no end, but that's a subject for another day. Anyway, it looks like Lee is going back into the action thriller realm with his next flick, Nagasaki Deadline!

Lee is on the verge of signing a deal to direct the film for James Lightspeed and Alcon Entertainment. The story involves "a troubled FBI agent and his desperate race to thwart two terrorist attacks planned to unfold on American soil. The fed goes beyond obvious suspects to focus on theories that the crime is tied to historical events, as he races against the clock."

Nagasaki Deadline was originally written years ago by David and Peter Griffiths. After 9/11, Fox Studios dropped the project like so many other films with terrorist related plots were given the ax. It was then picked up by Alcon Entertainment, given a new script and Martin Campbell to direct. He flew the coop to helm Green Lantern, and now the original writers are back with Spike Lee in tow. 

Spider-Man Screen Testing Under Way

Looks like we're getting down to the nitty gritty now as Sony Pictures has already completed most of the screen tests for the actors on their shortlist to play Peter Parker in Marc Webb's Spidey reboot. The list of those who've tested includes the usual names, with one notable addition and one notable omission: Andrew Garfield, Jamie Bell, Anton Yelchin, Alden Ehrenreich, Aaron Johnson, Logan Lerman, and the newbie is Michael Angarano. Angarano is probably best known for his roles in Lords of Dogtown and Sky High, but his best performance by far was in 2008's slept on drama, Snow Angels.

Missing from the list is Josh Hutcherson, who was considered a leading candidate at one point. The likely reason is that he's obligated to Journey to the Center of the Earth 2, which shoots in October. Although the actor is reportedly doing everything in his power to get out of it, it's likely that Sony will move ahead with a more reliable option, and soon.

I like the additon of Angarano. He's really grown on me since Sky High, where he was sorta bland. He faded into the background in Lords of Dogtown as well. His last two films are where he's shown his stuff, in the aforementioned Snow Angels but also in The Forbidden Kingdom. Not a good movie by any stretch, but he held his own with Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

You can read more of Deadline's coverage of the story here.

Tops at the Box Office!

1. Toy Story 3- $59M/$227M
You wanna know how great Toy Story is already doing just two weeks into it's release? It's already the 5th highest grossing film of 2010, and about to jump ahead of Shrek Forever After, which has been out for well over a month.
2. Grown Ups- $41M
Despite getting pummeled by critics, Adam Sandler's ensemble comedy took in an impressive $41M, fourth highest debut of his career. That's about $10M for everytime I laughed.
3. Knight and Day- $20.5M/$27.8M
Even with two extra days(it released on Wednesday), Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz's spy comedy got off to a slow start. It's the lowest opening for a Cruise starrer in nearly 20 years, and almost half the debut of Mission Impossible 3, his last action film.
4. The Karate Kid- $15.4M/$136M
After a huge start, The Karate Kid is tailing off pretty fast, falling another 48% from last week.
5. The A-Team- $6M/$62.8M
Maybe they needed a Plan B afterall?
6. Get Him to the Greek- $3.01M/$54.5M
7. Shrek Forever After- $2.88M/$229M
8. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time- $2.8M/$86.2M
9. Killers- $2M/$44M
10. Jonah Hex- $1.6M/$9.14M
Ouch.

* The highest per site average of any film in the Top 20 goes to Cyrus, starring John C. Reilly and Jonah Hill. The indie comedy turned up another $300,000 at only 17 theaters for a total of $565,000. It's due for a wider release in the coming weeks.

The Sunday Drive: 6/27/10

3. Cyrus

John C. Reilly and Jonah Hill duke it out in this quirky comedy about a sadsack loser who finds love for the first time in years with the perfect woman, only to discover that her creepy protective son doesn't exactly want a father figure around the house. From directors Mark and Jay Duplass(The Puffy Chair), who combine their indie sensibilities with the natural comedic talent of Reilly, Hill, and Marisa Tomei.

2. Winter's Bone
Few are the times when after a movie is over I say to myself, "I've gotta find everything else that actress has been in. Now." That's exactly what happened after Jennifer Lawrence's unforgettable performance as Ree Dolly, a Missouri girl forced to track her drug dealing father after he puts their house up for bond and skips town. In doing so, she must navigate the ins and out of her seedy mountain village, where family ties run deep, but family loyalty is another thing altogether.

1. Toy Story 3
I thought the third film in any trilogy was supposed to be the worst? Should've known never to expect the typical from Pixar, as they buck the trend by making Toy Story 3 the strongest, most emotional adventure in the series yet. One more wild ride with Buzz, Woody, and the rest of the gang as they deal with their owner's impending adulthood and the fear of being cast aside.

DVD Pick of the Week: She's Out of My League
Geeks everywhere can look to She's Out of My League for inspiration, or the stuff of dreams. Take your pick. When Kirk(Jay Baruchel), an average guy by any stretch, finds that he's the apple of Molly's(Alice Eve) eye, he can barely believe it. She's a perfect 10. A straight up knock out. Nobody else can believe it either. Not his family, his friends, or her best friend. The question is whether or not their relationship can survive against constant scrutiny. A fun, raunchy date flick with a charming cast.