Bullshit About Movies, Release Dates, and Box Office (PLEASE READ FIRST POST)

[Mitch Henessey]

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/25774

Well, that was quick.

Again, Jovovich needs to return. Alice is the main character, and I couldn't picture anyone else in that role. The Resident Evil films have been Jovovich's bread and butter, she is the face of that franchise, so her return does make a lot of sense here.

Jovovich is a decent enough actress, but she needs to get away from the Resident Evil films some day, because this franchise isn't going to give her career a boost of any kind.

I probably won't go to theaters to watch this film, but I'll take a look at Retribution, when it hits DVD. I've seen all four films in this series, so watching the fifth film shouldn't hurt too much.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

Jovovich is a decent enough actress, but she needs to get away from the Resident Evil films some day, because this franchise isn't going to give her career a boost of any kind.

I probably won't go to theaters to watch this film, but I'll take a look at Retribution, when it hits DVD. I've seen all four films in this series, so watching the fifth film shouldn't hurt too much.

Agreed. Never that big on the Resident Evil films, if they are on tv I might have it on in the background but just never got into them.

I recently saw Stone (with Ed Norton and De Niro) and Jovovich dam near stole the movie from two far more credible actors by playing this adulterous and manipulative character. The final third of the film left me a bit disappointed but I was very impressed with her acting chops. Her agent should be striving to keep her away from the Resident Evil franchise and find her more varied roles before she gets typecasted forever.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Agreed. Never that big on the Resident Evil films, if they are on tv I might have it on in the background but just never got into them.

I recently saw Stone (with Ed Norton and De Niro) and Jovovich dam near stole the movie from two far more credible actors by playing this adulterous and manipulative character. The final third of the film left me a bit disappointed but I was very impressed with her acting chops. Her agent should be striving to keep her away from the Resident Evil franchise and find her more varied roles before she gets typecasted forever.

Overall, the Resident Evil franchise is pretty shitty. I enjoyed the first film, but it wasn't anything great. And as far as quality goes, I think this film is pretty solid. The cast was decent enough, this film had a nice and steady pace, and the story wasn't bad. Also, this film did feature a few entertaining characters.

Apocalypse was just dreadful. There was a good amount of action here, but the entire film just felt so overwhelmingly cheesy. The characters were stupid, the story didn't make sense most of the time, and the acting was kind of bad.

You'll probably enjoy the Resident Evil films, if you're a fan of the video games, but there really isn't one MUST SEE film in the entire franchise.

I thought Stone was okay. The story didn't do anything for me, but Jovovich did do a good job in this film. She was very believable as this trashy and manipulative woman, and she really nailed this character. Also, I enjoyed Jovovich in The Fourth Kind, because she did show a lot of emotion in this film, and I really wanted to feel for her character. I really enjoyed The Fourth Kind (fuck Rotten Tomatoes and their 18% rating), and I can't understand all of the hate for this film.

Jovoich's career could be in a better place, but the Resident Evil films aren't going to do her any favors.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/first-look-at-harold-and-kumars-christmas-adventure

I can't wait for this film. I have been a fan of the Harold & Kumar films, and I've been dying to see another film for a while now. The story does sound very interesting here, and this film should feature a good amount of laughs. Harold and Kumar have new friends, so this should throw a nice twist into the storyline. Usually, I'm not a fan of holiday films, because they can be very cheesy and predictable, but I know Harlod & Kumar won't follow the same redundant formula. I just hope we can get some more info about the Maria/Harold relationship in this film. We never learn too much about the relationship between these two in both films, and this is something that always drives me nuts.

http://thewrap.com/movies/column-post/brad-pitts-world-war-z-be-released-dec-21-2012-29946

Brad Pitt? Zombies? Well this should be interesting.

Brad Pitt usually stars in high quality films, so I do have high expectations for World War Z. World War Z sounds like your typical apocalyptic zombie flick, and Pitt will be playing the hero, who tries to save the world in this film. The story doesn't sound that great, but World War Z could be an entertaining ride.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

http://thewrap.com/movies/column-post/brad-pitts-world-war-z-be-released-dec-21-2012-29946

Brad Pitt? Zombies? Well this should be interesting.

Brad Pitt usually stars in high quality films, so I do have high expectations for World War Z. World War Z sounds like your typical apocalyptic zombie flick, and Pitt will be playing the hero, who tries to save the world in this film. The story doesn't sound that great, but World War Z could be an entertaining ride.

I've been hearing rumours about Pitt/World War Z for years and I was hoping it would actually get a tv series rather than a film, as the source material benefits a longer running show rather than 2 or 3 films. The fact it sounds like a typical apocalyptic zombie flick is somewhat disappointing as the book is absolutely phenomenal.

It centres on a reporter/journalist interviewing different people from all over the world as he chronicles the growth of the zombie problem, the social and environmental changes that occurred and how the world managed to fight back. As a 6-10 episode faux documentary it would be fantastic, especially if they brought in a largely no-name cast to add that extra sense of reality and uncertainty.

Having read that article it looks like they've already botched the idea! First Walking Dead, now World War Z! Such a shame that the tv/movie adaptations of two great graphic novels/books seem to have done a poor job in capturing what made the original materials so great. (Honestly, I've had several 20+ minute rants about the Walking Dead fiasco!)

 

[Mitch Henessey]

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/motion-...livered-and-austin-powers-4-is-coming?_r=true

Yeah, I can't say I'm too excited about this. I've never been a huge fan of the Austin Powers films. I chuckle at some stuff every now and then, but the humor in these films can become tiresome after a while. I think the jokes lose their steam pretty quickly, and as the film progresses, they just aren't funny anymore.

The fourth Austin Powers film should draw some decent crowds, and this film could be worth watching, because some people will be anxious to see the return of Austin Powers. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if this film received a 3D release.

 

[jmt225]

I really dug the first two Austin Powers movies when I was a teenager, but I fucking HATED the 3rd one. Literally hated. It was dreadful.

And what's even more pathetic is that The Love Guru was perhaps ten times worse than the 3rd Austin Powers movie. I have no idea just what the fuck Mike Myers was thinking when he made that piece of shit.

Anyways, as a fan of Mike Myers, I'm glad to see he's getting back out there, but I'd much rather see him try something new and different than what we're used from seeing from him. I mean, if he had to rehash something, Wayne's World would have been my choice. Wayne and Garth are so late eighties/early nineties that it would be interesting to see what they would come up with for how those two are in the World today. Austin Powers though... we've gotten all the laughs we could from the characters in that franchise. I just don't see how a 4th installment will give us anything we haven't seen already. Hopefully it just manages to not be as horrible as the 3rd.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Never seen The Love Guru, but the majority of the reviews I read trash that film to no end. And yeah, I also hated Goldmember. This movie is the main reason why I never wanted to see another Austin Powers film. The Goldmember character wasn't funny at all. He was just VERY annoying, and the over the top humor didn't do it for me. It was an awful film. I've tried to laugh at it over the years, and if I see this film on TV, I will try to watch it, but I just can't get into it.

I thought Beyonce would be enough of a distraction as eye candy, as she portrayed her over the top character from Blaxploitation films, but I was very wrong. Beyonce's good looks weren't enough, she couldn't save this film, and her character was also annoying.

 

[Megatron]

I do enjoy watching Austin Powers every now and then. Maybe I'm just simple but some of those jokes still get me now (although I agree Goldmember isn't as good as the first two).

Now for the two movies I've watched in the past two days. Yesterday I watched 'The Basketball Diaries" with Leonardo DiCaprio, which is an adaption of the book written by Jim Carroll. Being a biographical book I think it did a pretty swell job at showing Carroll's problems with cocaine and how he recovered. Although the ending could've been worked better, I enjoyed this more then what the critics apparently think (about 50% on rotten tomatoes).

Airplane! was the other movie I watched, just a few hours ago. While the movie is over 30 years old, I still got a pretty good laugh out of it. It was a parody of horror plane movies, but I thought a lot of the jokes were funny (and don't call me Shirley; I just wanna tell you two good luck). Was it the funniest movie ever? No. But I enjoyed it for an hour an a half that it was and would watch it again sometime later.

And I wanna see Captain America soon, when it comes near my theater. What were people's thoughts of it (without spoilers of course)?

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Our Montreal stringer Lonmonster just stumbled onto something pretty amazing, especially for those of you in your late 20s/early 30s.

Popping up all over YouTube is "Cry Baby Lane", the Nickelodeon TV movie from 2000 that was long considered to be a lost film.

From IMDB trivia: "Only aired once on Nickelodeon. It was never shown again due to an unprecedented number of complaints from parents who believed it was too frightening for a kid's network. Since then, Nickelodeon has refused to release it to the public in any form and continues to deny its existence."

Helmed by TV comedy director Peter Lauer ("Scrubs," "Strangers With Candy," "Chuck"), "Andrew (Jase Blankfort) and his older brother Carl (Trey Rogers) enjoy listening to ghost stories that the local undertaker (Frank Langella) tells them. One night he tells the tale of a local farmer whose wife gave birth to Siamese twins, one being good natured while the other was clearly evil. The farmer, ashamed of them, kept the twins locked in their room. Eventually the twins got sick and died together, so the farmer sawed them in half and buried the good twin in a cemetery and the bad twin in a shallow grave near the house. Later, Carl and his friends decide to hold a séance in the cemetery where the good twin is buried, but they unintentionally awaken the bad twin instead. Gradually, he possesses nearly everyone in town and it is up to young Andrew to stop him."

A Nickeloden horror film!!!! I almost died of laughter, when I read this article.

I've never seen this film before, but I have watched over twenty minutes of Cry Baby Lane, and it really isn't that bad. You're not going to see any gruesome kills here, and this will feel like a kiddy movie, but it's Nickeloden, so you can't expect anything extreme.

Also, this film kind of reminds me of Goosebumps. I read the books as a kid, but I enjoyed the show and the movies a lot more. I loved Goosebumps when I was younger, so I should enjoy this film.

The entire film is inside this link: http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/25880

 

[Mitch Henessey]

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/25981

I had low expectations for the first film, but I actually enjoyed The Last Exorcism. It was a decent enough low budget horror flick, and there were some freaky moments in this film. The ending was done so well, this film did feature some real spook moments, and there were some nice twist and turns in this film.

I enjoyed The Last Exorcism, but I don't think this film needs a sequel. The ending provided a perfect cliffhanger (this cliffhanger saves this film from mediocre status) and this film does have that "one and done" feeling. As far as the story goes, I guess they could bring in a new exorcism team, and this team could go on a mission to uncover the truth behind the original crew's demise. Last Exorcism II could be worth watching, but I'm not expecting anything good from this film.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/25999

Scary Movie 5??? No....just no.

I thought the first few Scary Movie films were okay, but this series has been shit for a while now. I usually don't have a problem with spoof films, but Scary Movie 3 and 4 were not funny. I really did try to laugh, but I couldn't, and the majority of the acting in 3 and 4 is just plain horrible. I know the Scary Movie franchise continues to rake in a good profit, but I have no desire to watch a fifth film. The Wayans Brothers did a decent enough job with the first two films, but this franchise hasn't felt the same after their departure, and the quality just keeps going down hill.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

So I finally saw the trailer for Underworld: Awakening. Looks about on par with the original. Lots of action, so-so story. It can't be worse than Underworld: Evolution as that movie was just awful. IMDB has Scott Speedman as "rumored." Let's hope it's eventually a no, because I find him just nearly impossible to watch. Kate Beckinsale asks about his character in the trailer, but that could easily be in the beginning and they say he's dead or gone or something. Any thought? I would post the video, but it never seems to work for me.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1669640/al-pacino-scarface-hip-hop.jhtml

Yeah, I would have to agree with Pacino here. Rappers and the hip-hop community have played a big part in Scarface's legacy. Rappers would always showcase a DVD copy of Scarface on the show MTV Cribs. They would always give this film tons of praise, and this did become a common trend over the years. I don't know if this still happens (I really don't watch MTV at all anymore), but these constant plugs did help this film gain a lot of popularity, and MTV Cribs provided a great amount of exposure.

Also, the Tony Montana character is one of those guys bad guys, who you can root for. Most people love the underdog, and Montana's from rags to riches story can feel inspiring.

As far as the Blu-Ray release goes, I can't say I care about it. I love this film, but I don't have a Blu-Ray player, and they have already re-released this one on video enough times. Scarface has seen it's fair share of video releases, and I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to release ANOTHER version in the future. I'm happy with the version I have, and I don't think I'll ever purchase another copy again.

 

[INDYjon22]

I just got home from seeing Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. It was definitely an interesting film. Guillermo Del Toro is definitely a favorite of mine and this film has his inspiration all over it. That said, I don't really know how I feel about it. Don't get me wrong, it was a pretty decent film. It was just something that you have to see for yourself, I guess. It's like a dark fairy tale, but not on par with Pans Labyrinth. The creatures were kind of silly looking, and even though their dialogue was a bit creepy the fact that they were so strange looking kind of made me not take them as seriously. The acting was very solid, though I did believe Guy Pearce phoned it in a little bit. Katie Holmes especially surprised me. She hasn't really wowed me since Thank You for Smoking, but then again she hasn't been in a whole lot that I have seen since then. The supporting cast was also good. Overall it was a fine film, somewhat scary but not nearly as eerie as I thought it would be. My personal opinion would be to wait for DVD but definitely worth a watch if you like dark fairy tale style films or Del Toro.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/leonardo-dicaprio-attached-to-the-gambler-remake/

Gangs Of New York is my favorite Leo/Scorsese collaboration, and The Aviator would be a close second. Leo/Scorsese will probably never reach the level DeNiro/Scorsese, but Martin and Leo have to be considered as one of the best actor/director duos today.

I would love to see another Scorsese/DiCaprio collaboration. These two have produced a nice set of quality films, and I'm sure they could deliver another great film here.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

http://www.moviehole.net/201144674-bruce-boxleitner-tron-3-is-a-done-deal-for-2013

Meh. I can't say I'm too excited about this. Tron Legacy was painfully boring and dull, and I wouldn't want to watch another film. Sure, the special effects in this film looked great, but overall, Tron Legacy was a very disappointing and underwhelming film.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/26071

I've always enjoyed the Sarah Connor character. In the original Terminator film, the Connor character was this scared and confused woman, who needed to survive a deadly situation. And Linda Hamilton took everything to another level in Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Sarah Connor became this angry and vengeful woman, who wanted to destroy Skynet. She was mean and bold. Sarah Connor transformed, as she became the fighting rebel, and I always enjoy Hamilton's performance in this film.

Terminator 5 won't hit theaters anytime soon, but a Sarah Connor comeback needs to happen. The Sarah Connor character has always been a huge part of The Terminator film series, and I'm sure they could find a way to write her into the script.

 

[JWGunslinger]

http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/leonardo-dicaprio-attached-to-the-gambler-remake/

Gangs Of New York is my favorite Leo/Scorsese collaboration, and The Aviator would be a close second. Leo/Scorsese will probably never reach the level DeNiro/Scorsese, but Martin and Leo have to be considered as one of the best actor/director duos today.

I would love to see another Scorsese/DiCaprio collaboration. These two have produced a nice set of quality films, and I'm sure they could deliver another great film here.

I couldn't be more excited for this, I love Leo and Martin working together as well. Gangs is probably my favorite of theirs with The Departed coming in a close second, but I think that they could give me a new favorite with this one. Can't wait to see it!

 

[Mitch Henessey]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/sin-city-2-enlists-oscar-228761

I think this is a good move. I know a lot people of hated The Spirit with a passion, and this film was trashed in many reviews, but I thought it was solid enough. Although, if I had to point out a weakness in The Spirit, I would definitely pick the screenplay. The plot did feel confusing at times, and the dialogue was awful. It was so dry, and most of the characters sounded so boring. The Spirit had the right tools (good visuals, an interesting story, and a unique set of characters), but Frank Miller's screenplay ruined this film.

Still, this move does bring a spark to Sin City 2. It feels like progress is being made, and this can only be a good thing. Although, Rodriguez and Miller need to keep up the pace, because the discussion for a Sin City sequel started back in 2005. Sure, die hard fans will follow every bit of news that is reported, but the mass majority might stop caring after a while.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/marilyn-manson-and-shia-labeouf-created-a-short-film-what-when-

Yeah, If you randomly started naming people who could collaborate for a film, Marilyn Manson and Shia Labeouf would probably be the last names on your list, or you wouldn't think of them at all. This was some jaw dropping news for me, because I could never picture these two working on a short film together. Manson's persona is VERY eccentric, and Labeouf is the loveable and popular Hollywood actor, who headlines big money blockbusters. This has to be one of the oddest pairings ever, but I would watch this trailer/short film, because I am very curious about this.

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/the-rock-versus-taylor-lautner-in-david-and-goliath

I can buy The Rock as a big time action movie star. He has the size, the build, the charisma, and he can have a strong on-screen presence. I really don't know that much about Taylor Lautner. I only watched the first Twilight film, and I really couldn't get into this, so I didn't want to follow the series. Lautner will have a chance to showcase his action star skills in the his upcoming film Abduction, but he is known for being the werewolf in the Twilight film series. Still, this could work, because The Rock does have his fair share of fans on the mainstream front, and Lautner is a pretty popular character in the Twilight series, so these two could draw some nice sized crowds to theaters.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/26100

Really?!?! A remake of The Orphanage???

The Orphanage is an outstanding horror film, and there is absolutely NO need for a remake. I know the American horror film scene is in the shitter, but a remake of The Orphanage won't help anything, because this film will probably suffer the "Yeah, this wasn't bad, but it can never compare to the original" criticism. Also, there could be a lot of people who aren't aware of the original film, so you can't count on a large fan base here.

I like Amy Adams, she isn't a bad actress, and I wouldn't hold anything against her if they chose her for this role, but The Orphanage really doesn't need a remake. Watch the original film, and just pay attention to the subtitles, because they really aren't that annoying, and some people can overreact. Ugh, this is one remake I don't want to see, but it's going to happen anyway.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures is developing a new version of Scarface, the title first released in 1932 and then turned into the iconic 1983 film that starred Al Pacino as Cuban gangster Tony Montana. I’d heard that the studio has been meeting writers to script a take for a film that will be produced by Marc Shmuger and his Global Produce banner along with Martin Bregman. Bregman produced the Pacino version.

Scarface UniversalThe film is not intended to be a remake or a sequel. It will take the common elements of the first two films: An outsider, an immigrant, barges his way into the criminal establishment in pursuit of a twisted version of the American dream, becoming a kingpin through a campaign of ruthlessness and violent ambition. The studio is keeping the specifics of where the new Tony character comes from under wraps at the moment, but ethnicity and geography were important in the first two versions. In the 1932 Scarface, an Italian (Paul Muni) took over Chicago, and in the Brian De Palma-directed remake, a Cuban cornered the cocaine trade in 1980s Miami, only to be consumed by it. Ann Dvorak, George Raft and Boris Karloff starred in the original, and Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer and Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio starred in the remake.

Does the Universal library title Scarface deserve an updated version for a new generation? I’m told that when Universal put together the 1983 film, there were howls of heresy; after all, the film was considered a Howard Hughes-produced classic, with a script by Ben Hecht. Howard Hawks directed it with Richard Rosson. The remake became iconic in its own way, particularly in influencing hip-hop culture. Tony Montana’s image is still widely merchandised; his signature line “Say hello to my little friend” remains the biggest-selling cell phone voice ringtone, and Universal has sold more than 10 million DVD units worldwide.

http://www.deadline.com/2011/09/universal-pictures-readying-a-new-scarface/

......I can't believe this. They're actually going to remake Scarface!!!! Again???

Sometimes I try to keep an open mind about remakes or reboots, but this is ridiculous. I've always been a huge fan of the 1983 version of Scarface, and I loved Pacino's performance in that film, but Scarface really doesn't need another remake. Yeah, Hollywood will capitalize on the nostalgia factor here, and this could become a box office hit, because the 1983 version of Scarface has become a cult classic over the years, and this film does have nice sized fanbase.

Still, both Scarface films have their own legacies. Both films are great in their own way, so why can't they just leave it alone? Universal will probably make tons of cash, when this film hits theaters in the future, but this is just sad. For fuck's sake Hollywood, stop reaching into the remake/reboot bag so much.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announced today that STAR WARS is the bestselling catalog Blu-ray Disc of all time with worldwide sales totaling one million units, including 515,000 units sold in North America in its first week alone. This represents $84 million in worldwide consumer spend including $38 million in North America - unprecedented for a nine-disc Blu-ray collection at a premium price.

The thirteen-month campaign to launch the SAGA Blu-ray and engage consumers around the globe began in August 2010. From Darth Vader at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a first look at San Diego Comic Con, a first-of-its-kind partnership with eBay, to creating the world’s largest lightsaber in the UK, the power of the Force continued to resonate around the world as fans came out in droves to have fun with that galaxy far, far away.

"Once again our fans’ enthusiasm to celebrate Stars Wars continues to amaze us,” said Kayleen Walters, Senior Director, Marketing, Lucasfilm. “Our goal was to deliver a premium product that they could enjoy with their family and friends and we are thrilled that they are enjoying it as much as we hoped they would.”

"Star Wars is a franchise with universal stories that resonates as much today as it did 30 years ago," said Mary Daily, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Vincent Marcais, Senior Vice President of International Marketing for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. "With the Blu-ray, audiences can go deeper into the mythology than ever before and reconnect with everything they love about the Saga in the best possible quality."

The comprehensive collection includes the six movies with unparalleled high-definition picture and sound quality, and features numerous deleted, extended and alternate scenes, new documentaries and a cross-section of the countless Star Wars spoofs that have appeared in pop culture over the past three decades. Marking the first time ever that the full Saga is available in one complete collection, STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY also features a coveted peek into the making of the Saga with vintage documentaries, audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, prop and costume turnarounds, retrospectives and more.

Episodes I-III and IV-VI are also available as distinct Blu-ray Trilogy collections

http://www.latinoreview.com/news/-s...-on-blu-ray-breaks-global-sales-records-14851

Wow. Those are some very impressive numbers, but this shouldn't be that big of a surprise. The Star Wars franchise does have a pretty large fanbase, and the Star Wars' legacy has grown stronger over the years. I still don't own a Blu-Ray player, but I'll have to purchase one someday. Usually, I can't stand the constant re-releases of certain films on video (Scarface would be a prime example), because the studios will always try to take advantage of the fans, but this is Star Wars, and all six films are in one set. Also, the promise of new footage and documentaries just adds to the temptation, so saying no isn't so easy, and die hard fans will buy this.

Bloody Disgusting has confirmed is hearing of some pretty exciting news as we're exclusively being told that Michelle Rodriguez has signed to reprise her role as "Rain Ocampo" in Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil: Retribution 3D! Rodriguez first took on the role in Anderson's 2002 live-action adaptation of the video game franchise. Retribution is the fifth film featuring another battle between Alice and Umbrella.

We've also learned that Shawn Roberts' return as Albert Wesker will be in the form of a cameo.

Rodriguez will join Roberts, Milla Jovovich (Alice), Sienna Guillory (Jill Valentine), Colin Salmon and Boris Kodjoe.

Filming will take place in Toronto, Japan and Russia, with Sony Screen Gems locking in a September 14, 2012 release in 3D.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/26441

Rodriguez has always been one of my favorites. I don't think she's a great actress, but Rodriguez is one of the more believable bad girls in Hollywood. She always always portrays the loner tough girl, who won't take shit from anybody, but Rodriguez can be very entertaining as this character, and I always enjoy her on screen.

I'm glad Rodriguez is making a return here, but the thought of a fifth Resident Evil still doesn't excite me. This series should've died after Extinction, because the quality of Resident Evil films continues to sink as time goes on.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/box-office-lion-kings-nips-strong-moneyball-pennant-31287

The 3D version of The Lion King grabs the top spot at the box office two weeks in a row? I'm not trying to bash The Lion King, because I did love this film as a kid, but this is just sad. Is the quality of modern day films really that bad? A film that was originally released in 1994 is holding on to the top spot at the box office?!?! The studios have to see this a serious problem, and this must be a huge embarrassment for the runners up this weekend. The Lion King does have a popular legacy, but this is just ridiculous.

Although, this could be looked at as a fortunate victory for The Lion King. Killer Elite looks like your typical over the top and flashy Hollywood action flick (the same thing can be said about Abduction), Dolphin Tale won't attract large audiences, and Moneyball won't appeal to everyone. Sports' fans will take a chance on this film, but everyone won't rush to theaters to learn more about the story of Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics. Brad Pitt might be a box office draw, but he isn't a Will Smith level box office draw, Jonah Hill isn't that popular yet, and Moneyball just feels like a "watch at at home" film. Lion King hasn't seen any real strong competition yet, and things probably won't change next week. I like Seth Rogen, but 50/50 doesn't look like one of those films that will have a huge money-making weekend at the box office, and Dream House will probably fly underneath the radar.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

“Wolverine” has been having its share of setbacks, from the leaving of director Darren Aronofsky to the tragic earthquake that ended plans to shoot in Japan. But with James Mangold as the new director and a script rewrite from Mark Bomback, it looks like things are smoothing out.

Star Hugh Jackman does sound confident in where the project is going, saying that the new script is “85 percent the same” as Aronofsky's vision, and he thinks the 15 percent of change is for the better.

“Darren took it in a Darren Aronofsky way and it’s a version I know fans would have liked to have seen – I would have loved to have seen it,” Jackman said in an interview posted at Collider. “James Mangold’s version of the script brought Mark Bomback on. We always had a strong base there. This is the best script we have had, which is precisely why Darren signed on.”

“I tried to get Darren to do ‘X3' and ‘Wolverine’ and he was always like, ‘It’s not really for me,’” Jackman recalled. “I knew he was looking for a comic book movie and he read this one and he goes, ‘Hey, this is the best one I’ve ever read.’ So there is a lot of meat on the bone there. Now, Mark and Jim have taken it and I think that it as strong, if not stronger, than what we would have had with Darren.”

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2011/10/03/hugh-jackman-wolverine-darren-aronofsky/

Meh. I've never been too crazy about James Mangold's work. I don't think he's a bad director at all. Girl, Interrupted and Identity were pretty solid, and 3:10 To Yuma is probably his best film, but I would choose Aronofsky over him any day. Aronofsky could've brought something unique to the table, and I would've loved to see him have a chance at a big time Hollywood blockbuster.

Although, I can't say I'm too excited about the new Wolverine film. I couldn't stand X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and I might skip the new film, when it hits theaters.

Warner Bros. and Team Downey are teaming to relaunch the "Perry Mason" franchise as a feature film, with Robert Downey Jr. eyeing the title defense attorney role as a potential starring vehicle.

Like the original series of books by Erle Stanley Gardner, "Perry Mason" will be set in the rough and tumble world of early 1930s Los Angeles, and feature fan favorites such as Mason's secretary, Della Street, private investigator Paul Drake, and Mason's longtime courtroom nemesis, Hamilton Burger.

Team Downey principals Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey will produce with Robert Cort, while David Gambino, Eric Hetzel and Joe Horacek will exec produce with Susan Feiles and Chris Darling.

The producers are currently looking for a writer, whose script will be based on an original story by Robert Downey Jr. and Gambino.

WB exec Jon Berg will oversee the project for the studio.

Cort and his Robert Cort Prods. exec Hetzel teamed with Darling and Feiles of Action Entertainment to bring the idea for the feature relaunch of "Perry Mason" to Team Downey.

Estate attorney Horacek negotiated the rights deal on behalf of Paisano Prods.

Gardner's 82 "Perry Mason" novels and dozens of short stories have been published in 37 languages worldwide. With book sales exceeding 425 million, Gardner, who mentored both Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett early in the careers, surpassed them both in sales, even combined. At the height of his popularity, Gardner sold an average of 26,000 "Perry Mason" books per day.

A "Perry Mason" radio series began in 1937, running 3,257 episodes, and there were 34 two-hour telepics and six feature films beginning in the 1930s from Warners. But the character is perhaps best known as the protag of the popular TV show starring Raymond Burr, which ran on CBS from 1957 to 1966 and featured memorable theme music composed by Fred Steiner. The series still plays everyday in 87 languages around the world.

Robert Downey Jr., who next stars in "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," is currently reprising his role as Iron Man in Marvel's "The Avengers." He is repped by CAA.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118043957

I've always LOVED Perry Mason. I've watched the reruns of this show for years, because Perry Mason was an outstanding legal drama, and this show will be remembered as a classic television series. The made for TV movies are very forgettable, but Perry Mason's legacy will stand the test of time.

Downey Jr. Should do a fine job with the Mason character, because he is one of the more talented actors in Hollywood, and I can't wait to see this film.

Elizabeth Gabler’s Fox 2000 has picked up the film rights to the classic talking horse Mr. Ed for David Friendly's Friendly Films and Jim Mahoney to produce.

No writer or director is yet attached to the live-action family film, which Fox 2000's Carla Hackan will shepherd.

It won’t be the first horse film for Gabler, an equestrian enthusiast. Fox 2000 also produced the 2006 Flicka

Mr. Ed, a television sitcom from Filmways, aired on CBS from Oct. 1, 1961 to Feb. 6, 1966. As in the original show, Fox 2000 will use a real horse. The studio will use CGI to animate the horse's mouth.

Friendly, who has produced a number of movies for Fox, including Little Miss Sunshine for Fox Searchlight, brought the project to Fox 2000. Friendly and Mahoney, a longtime manager and television producer, have spent several years securing the rights to Mr. Ed from two different estates.

Fox 2000’s upcoming slate includes The Big Year, starring Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson. The film, based on the book The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession, opens in theaters Oct. 14.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mr-ed-fox-2000-243641

Mr. Ed???? Is Hollywood really this desperate for ideas? The kids will probably eat this stuff up, and Mr. Ed could have the potential to make noticeable impact at the box office. The family friendly film about the talking horse will attract some nice sized crowds, but I think I'll pass on Mr. Ed's big screen debut.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

EXCLUSIVE: I’ve just learned that Sony Pictures is making a hefty deal to acquire feature rights to Steve Jobs, the upcoming authorized biography by former CNN chairman and Time Magazine managing editor Walter Isaacson. I’m hearing the deal is $1 million against $3 million and that Mark Gordon will be the biopic’s producer. But this will be an MG360 project, which is the movie production partnership between Gordon and Management 360. ICM reps both Isaacson and Gordon. Sony Pictures would not comment. The studio seems a good fit for the book, having boiled business books into compelling dramas with both the Oscar-nominated The Social Network and Moneyball. The Isaacson book was supposed to be published on November 21st by Simon & Schuster, but now the release date has moved up to October 24th, according to a spokeswoman for the publisher. This was the hottest about-to-be biopic in Hollywood. [Will Hollywood Book Biopic Of Steve Jobs?] The 448-page profile is based on over 40 interviews with the Apple co-founder and over 100 conversations with friends, family members, colleagues and competitors. And it’s a compelling story: the building of the world’s most valuable technology company by creating the devices that changed how people use electronics and revolutionized the computer, music, and mobile phone industries. Jobs gave his full cooperation but had not read it as of mid-August. At first titled iSteve: the Book Of Jobs, Isaacson had second thoughts about what was appropriate for the first biography to get Jobs’ blessing and cooperation. Even when it wasn’t even finished, it made it (briefly) into the top 50 on Amazon’s bestseller list. Isaacson eventually persuaded his publisher Simon & Schuster to go with the simple title of Steve Jobs. First planned for 2012, the book’s release date was moved up.

Jobs reportedly fought off a long list of would-be biographers over the years then chose Isaacson, who’s written about Henry Kissinger, Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein. Jobs himself said he had no skeletons in his closet, though there were things he’d done he wasn’t proud of. But he was touchy about his personal life, understandably. According to Fortune magazine, in the early 1980s Jobs invited Michael Moritz, then Time‘s Silicon Valley reporter, to chronicle the Mac’s creation for the book that became The Little Kingdom (1984). But when Moritz reported, in Time‘s 1983 Machine of the Year, a detail about Jobs’ family, access was abruptly cut off.

At the time of Jobs’ death, only one movie had ever chronicled his rise to tech titan: Pirates Of Silicon Valley, a semi-humorous docudrama about the two visionaries behind Microsoft and Apple based on the book Fire In The Valley: The Making of The Personal Computer by Paul Freiberger & Michael Swaine. Shown on TNT in 1999, the telefilm starred Anthony Michael Hall as Bill Gates and Noah Wyle as Jobs. Reportedly, Jobs thought the ER actor did a fantastic job donning the turtleneck. And, during the Macworld NY in July 1999, Jobs had Wyle come out dressed like him to start the keynote. TNT re-aired Pirates back-to-back on Thursday night in tribute.

http://www.deadline.com/2011/10/son...apple-icon-steven-jobs-book-for-feature-film/

Wow. Jobs JUST died. Yeah, there was a good chance a movie would happen, but they could've waited a little bit longer. This movie will be a big deal, when it hits theaters, but the timing of this deal doesn't feel right. This biopic should make tons of money, and this film could become a box office hit, but waiting a little bit longer would've shown some more consideration.