Punch Drunk Critics

9/30/2011

Trailer Time: Resistance, starring Michael Sheen and Andrea Riseborough

Marvel Comics used to run this really off beat series I loved called 'What If?', and the purpose of it was to present different spins on some of the integral moments in the Marvel Universe. So it'd be like..."What if...Galactus was really Reed Richards?", or some stuff like that. It was a series that inspired creativity, and it was the launching pad for a number of great comics creators. Well now there's sortof a movie version of that same idea, in the alternate universe WWII film, Resistance.

From first-time director Amit Gupta, and based on the novel by Owen Sheers, the story takes place in a small village in 1944, and supposes that the Germans successfully counter-attacked Great Britain after a failed invasion at Normandy. Andrea Riseborough(Never Let Me Go) plays a woman who falls in love with a member of the occupying German force, played by Tom Wlaschiha(Brideshead Revisited). Michael Sheen co-stars.

No word on if this will ever make it's way here to the States, but it's due to land in the UK in November. Let's hope Riseborough's rising profile and the inclusion of Sheen will at least get us a limited roll out. Check out the trailer for Resistance below...[TheGuardian via ThePlaylist]

* One easy way to make a name for yourself is to get immersed with those who have excelled in your chosen field. Erin Moriarty, a newcomer with only a couple of soap opera appearances to her credit, has joined the star-studded ensemble comedy, Neighborhood Watch. Her role is unclear, but likely to be small. She'll have a chance to work alongside Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade, Will Forte, Rosemarie Dewitt, and Nicholas Braun. The Akiva Schaffer-directed flick centers on a group of guys in the neighborhood program who discover a plot that threatens the world. [Variety]

* How many of you knew the name Olga Kurylenko prior to Quantum of Solace? Ok, maybe some of you but probably not many. The fact is playing a Bond Girl is a quick path to success. So far we've seen a number of names rumored for the tough job of playing Daniel Craig's eye candy in Bond 23(or whatever the film will be titled), including Olivia Wilde, Margarita Levieva(Adventureland), and Frieda Pinto. The latest is French actress Bérénice Marlohe, according to Twitch. She'd be joining a cast that also includes Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, and Javier Bardem. Sam Mendes is directing, with the film scheduled to release on November 9th 2012. Think they'll have a title by then maybe?

* Johann Urb's character in Resident Evil: Retribution has finally been revealed, and it's one that will make die hard fans of the video games very happy. Urb will play Leon Kennedy, arguably the most popular character in the series, an ex-Raccoon City police officer turned member of an anti-Umbrella resistance group. He joins a mixed bag of old faces and newcomers, including Milla Jojovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Sienna Guillory, Boris Kodjoe, Shawn Roberts, Kevin Durand, and Colin Salmon.

More photos from Enteratainment Weekly's feature on The Avengers

Here's a nifty idea, Marvel. How about you shitcan the whole "photoshopping" thing and just stick to actual still shots, because The Avengers looks pretty damn cool on it's own. After that terrible cover debacle from yesterday, a handful of new images from the Entertainment Weekly story on the superhero flick have been revealed. The most revealing of the bunch? The one with Loki being escorted by a bunch of SHIELD agents. I smell a trap...

I'm a huge Mark Wahlberg fan. Seriously. The guy is in my favorite movie of all-time, and nobody has worked harder to sharpen his craft over the years. There's also no denying he seems to be magnetically drawn to really bland cop movies. We Own the Night. The Corrupter. Max Payne. Yuck. Unfortunately his latest film, Contraband, seems to fit in all too easily, despite the phenomenal roster of talent.

Directed by Icelandic actor/filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur, the film has the uninspiring premise of following a former criminal trying to turn a new leaf as a security guard, but when a family member ends up owing some shady folks a large chunk of cash, he gets pulled back into his old illegal ways. Witness Giovanni Ribisi as the most unconvincing gangster ever, Kate Beckinsale looking hot as always, and lots of bangin' hip hop beats. Marky Mark should feel right at home. I only wish we got a better look at what the always great Ben Foster is bringing to the table.

Contraband has been saddled with a January 13th 2012 release date, but you can check out the new trailer below...

To be fair, directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden haven't always hit the mark for me with their first three features. Half Nelson starred Ryan Gosling as a drug addicted inner city teacher squaring off against Anthony Mackie. That film was great because of their performances moreso than the material. Sugar might be the best baseball movie in years not named Moneyball. And then last year the duo gave us the psycho ward dramedy, It's Kind of a Funny Story, a movie I liked but didn't love. Fleck and Boden always make interesting movies supported by phenomenal acting, so even the failures are a success in some way. Enough that it's become imperative to follow any of their future projects with a keen eye.

The duo are back now and this one looks like another character study coming out of left field. They'll direct Hate Mail, featuring connected stories about several Manhattanites dealing with the fall out after they all receive some form of hate mail. Ok...not sure what to make of that, but if anybody can make it work it's Fleck and Boden.

Casting should begin soon, so hopefully we'll see this one some time in 2012. [Variety]

Trailer Time: I Melt With You, starring Jeremy Piven and Thomas Jane

It's been three years since Mark Pellington directed the spiritual dramedy, Henry Poole is Here, about a lonely man who gets more attention than he bargained for when people start seeing of image of Christ on the side of his home. A polarizing film to be sure, but to me it was thoughtful and funny enough to work even if you're not a person of deep faith. Pellington also directed the American terrorist film, Arlington Road, a personal favorite of mine. But now Pellington is back with his next project, I Melt With You.

Featuring Thomas Jane, Rob Lowe, Jeremy Piven, and Christian McKay all looking rode hard and put up wet, the film surrounds four old friends indulging in alcohol and some pretty hard drugs while at their annual reunion. When tragedy strikes, the remaining buds re-examine their lives and decide to revisit the pact they made years prior. Sasha Grey(The Girlfriend Experience) co-stars, along with Carla Gugino.

Reports coming out Sundance haven't been kind, but Pellington hasn't let me down yet. You can check I Melt With You on VOD starting in November, or wait for the theatrical release on December 9th. A new red band trailer has been unveiled, which you can hit up below...

On the things I never thought I'd hear myself say list, I loved this 'Cancer Comedy'! I know, a rather odd catch line for the flick but honestly there's no better way to word it. When the PDC's writing force aka Travis, told me how great this movie was and used that catch line to sum it up, I though it possible he had finally spent too much time around the fake butter fumes of the movie theater. What I didn't take into account, however, was that it was Seth Rogen and company behind this one. Let's be honest that guy doesn't have a malicious bone in his body and you have to respect the blunt yet truthful way they deliver their humor. That in mind you begin to feel a bit more at ease with the subject matter, knowing that it's not going to be just a series of odd, exploitative bad jokes about baldness. Rest assured people, when they make jokes about cancer related baldness they make DAMN sure to mingle in the topic of "Male Grooming", now THAT'S responsible film making!

Click 'Read More' for the whole shebang...go ahead...you know you wanna!

A movie like 50/50 is a difficult high wire act. A comedy/drama/romance centered on a healthy 27 year old man named Adam(Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who sees his normal life thrown into upheaval after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Cheery, eh? How do you make a movie about a possibly fatal illness something to be laughed at? By keeping the tone as upbeat as possible, and only delving into the darker emotional corners when it serves the story. 50/50 will pull at your heart strings, but never manipulates your emotions.

Movies like What's Your Number? seem to exist for one reason: to turn critics into feminists, leaping to the defense of actresses everywhere. Much like with other harpy trash(usually starring Kate Hudson), the film would have you believe that all women are ruled by the three inch blurbs read in some magazine. Formulaic romantic comedies are the usual outlet for movies such as this, and it makes sense to a degree because the targeted audience wants to see a character with a more insane life than their own. That's fine. Nobody walks into What's Your Number? expecting to see a cinematic tour de force. What they also likely aren't expecting is to see two comedic heavyweights like Anna Faris and Chris Evans flush their talents down the toilet.

Salvation comes wielding a shotgun and riding a Harley. The title "Machine Gun Preacher" sounds eerily like "Hobo with a Shotgun", giving the impression of a grindhouse exploitation flick with buckets of fake blood and one-dimensional characters. If only. The plot even sounds like one. A former Hell's Angel, caught in the grip of drugs and violence, turns to God and becomes an avenging angel for Sudanese orphans. Only Marc Forster's film is based on the amazing true story of Sam Childers, one that deserves to be told with far more nuance than this confused morality tale.

See what happens when your little baseball movie opens to great word of mouth and a $20M weekend? All those old projects gathering dust on the shelf are suddenly back in play. Oscar nominated director Bennett Miller(Moneyball) has been trying to get Foxcatcher, his film about the life of convicted murderer John du Pont, off the ground since at least 2007. But things never seemed to round into shape, and now with the ball rolling he's rounded up one hell of a star.

Variety reports that Steve Carell, fresh off his non-victory at the Emmys for his final season of The Office, will play du Pont in one of the weirdest crime stories in recent memory. The likely heir to the prominent du Pont family fortune, John opened up a training facility for wrestlers on his Pennsylvania estate, and became friends with a number of athletes. One in particular, Olympian freestyle wrestler Dave Schultz, was especially close with him. In 1996, du Pont shot and murdered Schultz in his driveway, later claiming Schulz was part of some grand conspiracy to kill him. Ok. Du Pont is known for extensive hobbies, which included studying shells, philanthropy, and bird watching. Du Pont helped discover over two dozen rare species of birds.

The script is by Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye, both of whom co-wrote Capote back in 2005, and I'm sure they're hoping for similar results. For Carell, this could be his first and best shot at some awards recognition for his dramatic range, becoming more than just a comedic actor. He's shown flashes of it before, most recently in Crazy Stupid Love.

I'm just curious to see what the tone of this film is going to be. How deep is it going to explore du Pont's insanity? And who will play Dave Schultz? With production set to kick off in March, we'll probably find out more soon.

9/29/2011

Woody Harrelson will work his magic in Now You See Me

As if I couldn't get more amped up for Louis Leterrier's high concept heist flick, Now You See Me, he goes and does something like add Woody Harrelson to the cast. Has he been reading my email? The film has been on my radar since day one, when it was revealed the story would center on a game of cat and mouse between the FBI and a team of illusionist bank robbers known as the Four Horsemen.

* Diego Klattenhoff, currently appearing on the Showtime series Homeland, has joined the cast of Pacific Rim. Guillermo Del Toro is directing the film, chronicling the war between humans and an invading horde of giant monsters. Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Rob Kazinsky, Clifton Collins Jr., and Max Martini star. Pacific Rim won't hit theaters until July 12th 2013. [Variety]

* Swoon! No actress in Hollywood is harder to pin down than Ellen Page. You can trace it from her beginnings in the controversial Hard Candy, all the way up to her recent filming of Woody Allen's Bop Decameron. Now she's taken another interest turn, signing up to star in Brit Marling'se eco-thriller, The East. Co-written and directed by Zal Batmanglij, the film centers on a corporate agent who infiltrates an anti-business, eco-terrorist group. Marling will play the agent, who falls in love with the group's leader, played by Alexander Skarsgard. Page will play Izzy, the Skarsgard's ex-lover and member of the group. [Variety]

* While fans of the great Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand continue to mourn the loss of star Andy Whitfield, one of his best friends on the show is taking some big steps into his Hollywood career. Jai Courtney, who played Spartacus' friend Varro, is set to bust a few caps at Tom Cruise as part of One Shot, the adaptation of the novel by Lee Child. Courtney will play a sniper set to put a stop to the investigation by Jack Reacher into a deep conspiracy. Rosamund Pike, David Oyelowo, Richard Jenkins, Alexia Fast, and Robert Duvall star. Christopher McQuarrie written/directed flick. [Deadline]

Mortal Kombat reboot headed to the big screen

While I've never been a fan of any of the Mortal Kombat incarnations, be it the video game, the movies, cartoons or anything, when Kevin Tancharoen produced the short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth last year it made me sit up and take notice. The short was a total reimagining of the fighting game, depicted in a gritty, real world style that looked more like an episode of NYPD Blue. Tancharoen took the phenomenal buzz it generated and turned it into a well-received web series, Mortal Kombat: Legacy.

His plan from the start was to pitch his own vision for the MK world, and that plan appears to have paid off. Warner Brothers has hired Tancharoen, whose big screen credits include the abysmal Fame remake, to helm a reboot. The script will be from Oren Uziel, and won't be an extension of the series, but a totally new take. Here's hoping they still bring back some of the most popular regulars, especially Michael Jai White(Black Dynamite) and Jeri Ryan(Boston Public).

But does any of this matter? Sure this is great news for Tancharoen, but how much of an audience does MK have outside of the most hardcore fans? Even though the latest game has been a smash hit by anybody's standards, that doesn't necessarily translate to box office bucks. [Deadline/THR]

You're invited to Paramount's Footloose Friday event on September 30th!

Kick off your Sunday shoes and cut loose at Footloose Friday, featuring an advance screening of Footloose, a remake of the hit 1984 rock 'n roll musical from director Craig Brewer(Hustle & Flow, Blake Snake Moan). Starring Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough, the story centers on a free wheelin' Boston kid who moves to an uptight town where the adults have banned rock music.

The event will take place at a Washington DC area theater this Friday September 30th at 8pm. To enter, you MUST be a fan of Punch Drunk Critics on Facebook. Simply reply to this post with your email and full name, and we'll send you the downloadable E-Pass to claim your tickets.

Terrible Entertainment Weekly cover image for The Avengers

People have been bashing the hell out of the latest Entertainment Weekly cover image for The Avengers. It's pretty bad, but hardly the worst we've seen this year. The problem is that this seems to be a recurring issue for superhero movies this year. X-men: First Class had some of the most amateurish photo images I've ever seen. Green Lantern got hit with some pretty bad ones, too. So what's the deal? Why hasn't somebody's head rolled for putting crap like this out? Where the hell did they snag that woefully out of place pic of Mark Ruffalo?? Is Thor rolling his eyes or preparing to blast off? Where'd they get that Jeremy Renner mugshot? TMZ strikes again.

Being the soulless heathen that I am, news of all these movies based on the Bible don't mean much to me. Most turn out to be boring anyway. Or they put me in awkward positions, like when I saw The Passion of the Christ and the guy next to me kept crying and looking at me to see if I too was moved. I wasn't. So if you're going to toss God and a bunch of angels into a film then do it the way Alex Proyas(Knowing) is, by making it a huge special effects spectacle chronicling a heavenly war between good and evil. Now you've got my attention.

Proyas is deep into the casting of Paradise Lost, his adaptation of John Milton's 17th century poem about the fall of man and God's war against the forces of Satan. Bradley Cooper is set to play Lucifer, Djimon Hounsou as the archangel Abdiel, Benjamin Walker is the angel Michael, Casey Affleck as Gabriel, with Diego Boneta(Rock of Ages) and Camilla Belle circling the roles of Adam and Eve.

Variety reports that Callan McAuliffe has joined the cast as Uriel, one of Michael's supporters in the fight against Lucifer. Uriel is referred to as the "eyes of God", but is also responsible for steering Satan towards the newly created earth. McAuliffe recently starred in the Rob Reiner coming of age film, Flipped, and was seen earlier this year in I Am Number Four. He's currently in Autralia shooting The Great Gatsby alongside Leonardo Dicaprio.

Antoine Fuqua replaces Philip Noyce as director of Hunter Killer

What's the point of being one of Hollywood's most sought after filmmakers if none of your projects ever gets made? That's what's happening to Antoine Fuqua(Brooklyn's Finest) right now, as everything he puts his name to either sits in limbo or falls apart. The director has no less than six(!!??) films he's atached to already, and yet there's still room for one more. At least this one gives the appearance of actually shooting.

After Philip Noyce(Salt) dropped out of directing Hunter Killer last month, Relativity was left with a void to fill. The vaguely Clancy-ish sounding film is based on a book by George Wallace, and deals with a submarine captain teaming up with a NAVY Seal to rescue the Russian president. The film already has a release date set for December 21st 2012, so this one is a definite go. Expect casting to begin almost immediately.

As for everything else Fuqua has on his plate? Well, his boxing film with Eminem got dropped by Fox, so that one may not ever happen. That Tupac biopic he's been nursing for what seems like forever has never gained any traction, and it never will until he finds someone to play the slain rapper. Good luck with that. It's been all quiet on the Afterburn front, the action flick he's attached to with Gerard Butler. Nor has there been any movement on his Chinese historical epic(seriously), The Tomb(possibly with Arnold Schwarzenegger), or heist film Storming Las Vegas. And now with Hunter Killer taking up his time don't expect to see or hear much on any of these for quite awhile. [Variety]

Sure Shots: Oldboy; Dominic Cooper; Steven Spielberg

* I don't buy into this idea that Rooney Mara is on the verge of becoming some huge star solely because of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Part of me believes the character won't play the same with her in the role as it did with Noomi Rapace. If it's going to happen for Mara, it'll be the films she does afterwards that will have to click with American audiences. One possibility could be Spike Lee's remake of Oldboy, which has Josh Brolin in line to star as a man who seeks answers(and bloodshed) after being held captive in a hotel room for 15 years. Mara would be up for the crucial female lead in the film, and if you've seen Park Chan-Wook's version you know the role is a juicy one. But then again, screenwriter Mark Protosevich could alter things a little bit and pull more from the original manga. Only time will tell. [Twitch]

* The Devil's Double? An absolute mess. But Dominic Cooper's dual performance as Uday Hussein and his body double? A thing of mad genius. Cooper is banking on the good buzz he received and turning it into a starring gig in Motor City, the film Albert Hughes jumped to after ditching on Warner Brothers' live-action Akira. Based on a minimal Black List script by Chad St. John, the film follows a small time crook framed for a crime and sent to jail. When he gets free, he wants revenge. Simple enough. So how "minimal" is this thing? The lead only has one line of dialogue. They couldn't get Nicolas Winding Refn to direct this? [Variety]

* Warner Brothers is looking to Steven Spielberg to direct their biblical epic, Gods and Kings, based on the life of Moses. Based on a script by Michael Green(Green Lantern) and Stuart Hazeldine, the story would follow the prophet from birth until his death supposedly at the age of 120. Whether or not Spielberg can actually take the job is another story, considering he's got his Lincoln biopic coming up, not to mention the big budget Robopocalypse afterwards. Spielberg has two high profile flicks for the end of 2011: The Adventures of Tintin and a possible Oscar contender in War Horse. [Deadline]

Melissa McCarty/Paul Feig comedy titled Dumb Jock; writing comedy with director of The Help

Bridesmaids turned out to be a gift not just for audiences, but for pretty much everybody in the cast. None more so than long time character actress Melissa McCarthy, who has been a cog in practically every high profile comedy being developed over the next year. And did I mention we can now add "Emmy winner" to her profile, securing the statue for her role on the CBS comedy Mike & Molly? It's a long overdue honor, and if there was any justice she'd get a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Oscars, but it'll never happen. Regardless, she's got a lot on her plate, and in a great piece in the print edition of THR she talks up her future projects.

Trailer Time: Paranormal Activity 3, directed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost

The true horror of Paranormal Activity has nothing to do with doomed sisters Katie and Kristi being stalked by cabinet rattling spirit. It's that they've apparently lived their entire lives in a family that films every single moment of their lives, beginning when they were toddlers. And then they went on to date and marry fools who kept the tradition alive? That hard up for constant surveillance? Go sign up for Big Brother.

A new trailer has been released, and it looks to be aiming for more overt scares than the previous flicks. I mean really, a ghost hunter enters the house and the poltergeist promptly brains him against the dining room table? The Catfish duo of Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost are behind the camera this time, currently in minute 4 of their 5 minutes of fame. Check out the trailer below, and then prepare to get spooked on October 21st...

The trailer for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has finally been released, and to say I've been ignoring this film for the last few months would be an understatement. In fact I'm not sure there's been anything written about it on this blog, mainly because it seemed to be little more than a thinly veiled grab at an Oscar. Now that's not to say other movies don't have similar aims, but it seemed particularly egregious here. Maybe I'm wrong. The trailer proves me right, though, I think.

Based on Jonathan Safron Foer's 2005 novel, the film stars on a Oskar Schell(newcomer Thomas Horn) who two years ago lost his father(Tom Hanks) during the 9/11 attacks. So yeah, there's the 9/11 hook, complete with images of the Twin Towers. Oskar finds a key belonging to his father, and goes off on a city wide adventure to find what he thinks will be one final message from him. Along the way he meets a unique group of people who help Oskar overcome his grief and begin the process of healing. The surrounding cast is great, with Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright, Max Von Sydow, and James Gandolfini.

So all the tear jerking elements are in place, and if you need further evidence of this film's pedigree, note that it was written by Eric Roth(Forrest Gump) and directed by Stephen Daldry(The Hours, The Reader). To me it just looks like a sappy mess, preparing to play your emotions like a fiddle. Hopefully I'm wrong, because I like the look of former Jeopardy contestant Thomas Horn in the lead. We'll see how this one shakes out when it arrives on Christmas Day....

Dennis Christopher's name probably isn't going to ring a lot of bells to some of our younger readers out there, but if you saw Peter Yates' seminal coming of age film, Breaking Away(way back in 1979!!!) then you'll recognize him immediately. Lately he's been keeping busy on the small screen, recently appearing in the SyFy Channel series, The Lost Room, and on HBO's Deadwood. Now he's making a big comeback as part of Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained.

Variety reports he'll play Leo Moguy, the lawyer of evil slave master Calvin Candie, meaning he'll get to hang out with Leonardo DiCaprio for awhile. Moguy sets up the meeting with Candie and bounty hunter(Christoph Waltz) working alongside freed slave Django(Jamie Foxx). Samuel L. Jackson, Gerald McRaney, and Michael K. Williams are set to co-star in the spaghetti western due out on Christmas Day 2012.

Emma Roberts and AnnaSophia Robb to star in Anything But Ordinary

Ever heard of synesthesia? It's an extremely rare neurological condition in which a stimulation of one particular sense triggers an automatic response in another sensory pathway. So in one version of it, words and numbers can only be processed through sounds and vibrant colors. Awesome, right? A number of famous people are said to have been synesthetes, including inventor Nicola Tesla, musician Duke Ellington, and Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett. Sounds like somebody could make a pretty cool, inventive movie about synesthesia, right? Well somebody is, and it's going to feature the considerable talents of Emma Roberts(It's Kind of a Funny Story) and AnnaSophia Robb(Soul Surfer).

* Jacki Weaver should've won an Oscar for her villainous turn as matriarch "Smurf" Cody in last year's Animal Kingdom, but just being nominated has given her a career boost like nobody else. The Aussie actress has been plugging away for forty years and it's good to see her finally get the credit she deserves. Just a few weeks after joining Park Chan-Wook's english language debut, Stoker, Weaver has now signed on to David O. Russell's The Silver Linings Playbook. She'll play the mother to Bradley Cooper's character, an ex-high school teacher recently released from a mental facility and trying to put his life back together. Jennifer Lawrence is locked for the role of a neighbor and possibly love interest, while Robert De Niro reportedly set to play Cooper's father, and Chris Tucker circling a role as well. [THR]

* The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer(Run Lola Run) are already shooting their adaptation of Cloud Atlas, but apparently there's still room to cast another fast rising actor. James D'Arcy(Master and Commander) has joined the cast of the complex, gender bending sci-fi film, following six nested stories spanning from the 19th century into the far off future. Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Halle Berry, Ben Whishaw, Hugo Weaving, Bae Doona, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, and Jim Sturgess star. [Variety]

* I'm convinced Tom Cruise will make the least believable hardcore soldier ever in Christopher McQuarrie's One Shot, based on the Lee Child novels about ex-miliary man Jack Reacher. But the cast surrounding Cruse should make up for it. The legendary Robert Duvall has joined the cast according to Variety, although his role is unclear. David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, and Alexia Fast co-star in the film about Reacher's investigation into a sniper's alledged killing of five people.

An early look at the trailer for The Lorax

Who knows how long this'll stay up, so best check it out now while it's still around. What appears to be a leaked trailer for the unfinished film version of Dr. Seuss's The Lorax has hit the 'net, and it looks pretty good, which should be expected considering it's from Illumination, the folks behind the beautiful Despicable Me, and terribly unfunny but gorgeous Hop.

Directed by Chris Renaud(Despicable Me) and co-writer Ken Daurio, the film centers on a boy named Ted who becomes friends with The Lorax, a creature dedicated to the protection of the environment. The book has sparked debate, with some claiming the book presents too political of a message for kids to understand. They just don't like having those evil corporations portrayed as...well, evil. Zac Efron, Rob Riggle, Betty White, Ed Helms, Taylor Swift, and Danny DeVito lend their voices to the film. I haven't really enjoyed any of the other Dr. Seuss adaptations we've seen because they seem to lack the author's spirit. Here's hoping The Lorax is different....

The softening of my hardened heart continues as a film that seems to have been inspired by the Glee craze is quickly becoming one I can't wait for. Pitch Perfect stars Anna Kendrick(Up in the Air, 50/50) as a goth chick(no kidding) who joins an all-girls a capella group at her college in order to stick it to her professor father. She'll probably learn a life lesson or two along the way. Call it a hunch. If you still haven't seen Kendrick airing her lungs in the great musical, Camp, then by all means check it out. But know that she won't be the only one in the cast capable of belting out a tune.

And to think there was a time when I thought everybody on Roseanne would disappear after that hit series went off the air. The only one who became irrelevant was Roseanne herself, and now she's at home growing peanuts or something. Instead it's been John Goodman who has become a consistently great performer, and 2011 has seen the actor staying busy. He co-stars in Kevin Smith's religious horror, Red State, and is currently filming Ben Affleck's hostage drama, Argo. Now he's set to appear in Robert Zemeckis' return to live-action filmmaking, Flight.

Goodman will co-star in the film as a friend of Denzel Washington's character, a troubled airline pilot considered a hero after saving his passengers from a disaster. That is until an investigation points to his drug and alcohol problems as a likely cause of the accident. Kelly Reilly, Brian Geraghty, Don Cheadle, and Bruce Greenwood co-star. [Deadline]

New synopsis for Prometheus revealed

Ever since that detailed plot description for Ridley Scott's "Alien prequel" Prometheus got leaked to the internet, it's been fun watching all involved basically pretend it didn't happen. The official plots released by the studio have been bland as non-buttered grits, which I think has had the dual effect of making casual fans less interested in the film, and Alien fanboys more convinced than ever the reveal was accurate. Whatever the case may turn out to be, the film's Facebook page has a new plot synopsis, which gives maybe a tad more information than we've seen previously...

Ridley Scott, director of "Alien" and "Blade Runner," returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
Please don't tell me the Space Jockeys created humans. That's what it sounds like, doesn't it?

Prometheus is directed by Ridley Scott, based on a script by Damon Lindelof. Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Ben Foster, Kate Dickey, Patrick Wilson, Logan Marshall-Green, Sean Harris, Benedict Wong, and Rafe Spall star. The film is expected to land in theaters on June 8th 2012.

Susan Sarandon joins Dwayne Johnson in Snitch

A lot of the excitement I had for Snitch fell off when Carl Franklin(Out of Time, Devil in a Blue Dress) was replaced as director by Ric Roman Waugh(Felon). Nothing against Waugh, it's just Franklin has a grittier style that would've served the material well. It still looks like a hell of a potential project, with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson already locked in to star, and now THR reports Susan Sarandon is jumping aboard.

In case you didn't know, Josh Duhamel is here to inform you that New Year's Eve only comes around once a year. >sigh< Fortunately so do these Garry Marshall celebrity mash-up flicks, where the world's most beautiful people gather together to belly ache over how hard it is to find love over the holidays. We have it tough, don't we?

Highlights from this trailer for New Year's Eve include Abigail Breslin talking to a horse(Sex and the City), Michelle Pfeiffer looking woefully out of place(and terribly old) around Zac Efron, and Ashton Kutcher appearing to lust after Glee's Lea Michele. Then again the guy only has one facial expression so it's hard to say what he's feeling. Whatever. If this is a movie you've been waiting for, please indulge...

Ready for the rundown? Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michele, Zac Efron, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, Seth Meyers, Ludacris, Carla Gugino, Sarah Jessica Parker, Hilary Swank, Sofia Vergara, Sienna Miller, all show up at one point or another. New Year's Eve will hit theaters on December 9th.

Trailer Time: Sleepless Night

When I finally make my way to TIFF, hopefully in the next year or two, it's clear the Midnight Madness corner of the festival is where I need to be. Apparently it's where Hollywood studios go to figure out which foreign films they're going to remake next. Such is the case with high impact martial arts flick, The Raid, which is getting a do-over by Screen Gems. And now also the French thriller, Sleepless Night from director Frederic Jardin, is getting a remake courtesy of Warner Brothers.

The film deals with two cops, moonlighting by stealing drug dealer cargo, and the terrible night they experience after one of their heists goes wrong. One of the cops has their son kidnapped by a powerful drug lord, held ransom until his coke can be returned. To make matters worse, one of the two cops has been stabbed in the botched job.

A new French trailer has been released for Sleepless Night, which hopefully will help amp up support for an American release. It has a gritty, District B13 look and crazy feel to it, which I certainly dig. Check it out below...

PARAMOUNT TO HOST EXCLUSIVE FREE ADVANCE SCREENINGS OF “FOOTLOOSE” ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30th

“FOOTLOOSE FRIDAYS” To Be Held One Night Only in 25 Markets in Advance of the Movie’s Nationwide Release on October 14^th

WHAT: Two-weeks ahead of its October 14^th release, Paramount Pictures will host exclusive advance screenings as part of “FOOTLOOSE FRIDAY” in celebration of the nationwide opening of Co-Writer/Director Craig Brewer’s new film. Following the screenings on Friday, September 30^th, fans of the film; starring Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Andie MacDowell and Dennis Quaid can tweet their reactions using #Footloose to join the conversation.

WHEN: Friday, September 30, 2011 at 6 p.m. PT, 7 p.m. CT and 8 p.m. ET.

WHERE: 26 select theatres across the U.S. and Canada: Atlanta (Regal Town Center); Boston (Regal Fenway); Chicago (Regal Webster Place); Cleveland (Regal Crocker Park); Dallas (Rave Ridgemar); Denver (Regal UA Pavilions); Detroit (MJR Partridge Creek); Houston (Regal Edwards Marq*E); Kansas City (AMC Barrywoods); Los Angeles (AMC Century City and AMC Burbank 16); Miami (AMC Sunset Place); Minneapolis (AMC Southdale); New York (Regal Union Square); Orlando (Regal Winter Park); Philadelphia (Regal King of Prussia); Phoenix (Harkins Tempe Marketplace); Sacramento (Century Roseville); Salt Lake City (Gateway Megaplex); San Diego (Regal Mira Mesa); San Francisco (AMC Metreon); Seattle (Regal Meridien); St. Louis (Wehrenberg Ronnies); Tampa (AMC Veterans); Toronto (Cineplex Odeon Varsity Theatre); Washington DC (Regal Majestic)

HOW: Admission is free. Visit www.FootlooseFriday.com to RSVP for your exclusive screening now.

For more information about FOOTLOOSE, go to:

http://www.Twitter.com/FootlooseMovie

http://www.FootlooseMovie.com

http://www.Facebook.com/FootlooseMovie

Original writers brought back for 'Wanted' sequel

It's been a long time since we heard anything about a sequel to Wanted. Part of the reason is...well, I don't think anybody's actually dying to see one. Sure the original turned out to be a balls out, 4th wall breaking action hit, launching the Hollywood career of Mark Millar(Kick-Ass) and evolving him from a loud mouth comic book writer into a loud mouth wannabe filmmaker. In March of last year, the ever talkative Millar said that filming was set to take place later in the year, with a plan for the sequel to hit theaters at the end of 2011. That ain't happenin'. Production hit a stumbling block when Angelina Jolie quite openly refused attempts to be brought back, making the headshot her character took at the end of the first film more fatal than I think was intended. Rumors have been swirling that Kristen Stewart might take over, with James McAvoy legally bound to return.

Despite all the snags, it looks like Wanted 2 is definitely going to happen. Derek Haas, one of the writers of the original film along with Michael Brandt, tweeted that they'd been hired back to pen the sequel. He then went on to tell The Wrap that it will “pick up Wesley a few years later and go back in for another round.” Um, ok.

That doesn't tell us who else of the original cast may return. Would Common come back as the Gunsmith? And what about director Timur Bekmambetov? The more I think about it, the more I'm digging the idea of Stewart stealing the co-lead from McAvoy, if only to see how she handles her weapons.

Three new clips from Paranormal Activity 3

Just because Paranormal Activity took the horror world by storm a couple of years ago to the tune of nearly $200M, it's dominance as the franchise to beat couldn't rightly be established without a successful follow-up. Oren Peli, who created the low budget found footage flick smartly took steps to broaden the Paranormal Activity world. The sequel, while not quite as scary as the original, shocked audiences with it's surprise ending that promised deeper tales of the tormented sisters, Katie and Kristi.

So here we are with Paranormal Activity 3, and as promised it's a prequel that goes even further back, all the way to 1988 when the two sisters were kids and first unleashed whatever passive aggressive spirit haunts them as adults. Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, webcam pros after directing that other Facebook movie, Catfish, are on board as directors. A handful of new clips have been released for the film ahead of it's October 21st release, which you can check out below. Can you sense my indifference? Honestly, I just think it's a mistake going so far back, because there's chance anything of significance is going to happen to two children. We saw that same dynamic play out in the last film with Kristi's baby. Whatever, I hope I'm wrong...

At this point I'm convinced there's some sort of cloning storyline developing in Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil: Retribution, the fifth(!!?) adaptation of the popular Capcom video game franchise. Too many of the film's zombified and laser beamed victims are coming back for another go'round, and now you can add one more to the list as the cast is fully rounded into shape. Deadline reports that Oded Fehr, who played Umbrella Corp. soldier Carlos Olivera in the 2nd and third films, is back to reprise his role. Kevin Durand(Legion), and Johann Urb(2012) have signed on as well.

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