Source: JoBloJoBlo got the exclusive on the new North American Transporter 3 poster. Go check it out. (more)
Friday, August 29, 2008
North American Transporter 3 poster
Source: JoBloJoBlo got the exclusive on the new North American Transporter 3 poster. Go check it out. (more)
Count Bryce Dallas Howard in for 'Spiderman 4'
Source: CinematicalI feel like I have this long checklist of cast and crew that we're slowly crossing off for this theoretical film. Now, you can put Bryce Dallas Howard on the "would sign tomorrow" list, thanks to MTV. (more)
Planet Terror and Death Proof Come to Blu-ray
Source: Bloody DisgustingThe Digital Bits reports some disheartening news. According to the website, Genius will finally release the Grindhouse films, Planet Terror and Death Proof, on Blu-ray Disc on 12/16 (SRP $28.95). (more)
Jigsaw Returns In MORE 'Saw V' Images!
Source: Bloody DisgustingIn addition to the new poster and the other new stills, B-D reader 'Burst' just e-mailed me a link to a video containing loads of new images from Lionsgate's Saw V, which hits theaters October 24th. (more)
Brett Ratner Wants To Make A ‘Guitar Hero’ Movie
Source: MTVPotential “God of War” movie maker Brett Ratner would really like to make a “Guitar Hero” movie. (more)
Guns and Gloom Dominate New 'Max Payne' Trailer
Source: CinematicalI must admit that, after watching this new trailer on Yahoo! Movies for upcoming actioner Max Payne, I'm still not entirely sure what to make of it, but I'm willing to predict this much: it won't be boring. (more)
Why Won't Alex Proyas Direct 'Silver Surfer'?
Source: CinematicalYou have to feel bad for the Silver Surfer. Everyone else is getting their own spin-off and franchise, and he can't even get the green-light. J. Michael Straczynski already said that his script was dead, but rumors continued to swirl that Alex Proyas was attached to direct. But as reported by Slashfilm, Proyas shot that down at ComicCon. (more)
'Office' Writers Sell 'Bad Teacher' Spec to Sony
Source: CinematicalWhen two guys with a dozen episodes of The Office and an upcoming Judd Apatow project between them (that'd be next summer's biblical comedy Year One), I'd be willing to see what else they've got up their combined sleeve. For Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, that sleeve is home to Bad Teacher, the spec script that Columbia just picked up. (more)
A Look At The Dark Knight's Success
Source: Latino ReviewI don't link to the trades, but since this dude from the Hollywood Reporter decided to write up two pages on the Dark Knight's success I guess I can forgo copy and pasting the entire thing for once. (more)
The Dark Knight Bombs in Japan
Source: Film JunkJust when you thought that public opinion on Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight was all but unanimously positive, here comes the wacky Japanese market to put their own spin on things. After its second week in theatres, the movie is struggling at the box office in Japan, earning just $8.7 million thus far. (more)
Astro Boy Pics And Casting News
Source: Latino ReviewAstroboy Online has some artwork that looks like it could be from the upcoming Astroboy movie. Concept art most likely. (more)
Star Trek Writers Talk Trek
Source: Latino ReviewExecutive producers and writers of the upcoming Star Trek movie talk with two chicks and a film school geek about the upcoming Star Trek movie, and how it isn't necessary a 'prequel'. (more)
New 'Saw V' Image Has Us Drowning In Thought
Source: Bloody DisgustingEarlier today we brought you a first look at the final poster for Lionsgate's Saw V, now a few B-D readers sent us a link to a brand new image from the film, which arrives in theaters October 24th. (more)
TV: Ricky Schroder on the Run From 'Hellhounds'
Source: Bloody DisgustingHere's your random announcement of the week, according to THR Ricky Schroder (yeah, the kid from Silver Spoons) has signed to direct HELLHOUNDS, a telefilm that will air next year on Sci Fi Channel. (more)
Another Look at Paris Hilton in 'Repo! The Genetic Opera'
Source: Bloody DisgustingInside Entertainment Weekly's Fall Preview piece, they dubbed Darren Lynn Bousman's Repo! The Genetic Opera "The Best Sci-Fi Musical Starring Paris Hilton," and released a brand new image of Hilton as Amber Sweet in Lionsgate musical horror film arriving in limited theaters November 7th. (more)
EXCLUSIVE Director in Talks For 'Poltergeist' Remake
Source: Bloody DisgustingThis afternoon we learned that Vadim Perelman is in heavy talks to helm the remake of POLTERGEIST for MGM, which was (finally) officially announced here this month. (more)
Updated: Final Poster Image For 'Saw V'
Source: Bloody DisgustingThis morning B-D reader 'Foxboogiedowne' sent us in a snap shot of the final poster for Saw V, which arrives in theaters October 24th. (more)
Thomas Jane Will NOT Be 'Jonah Hex'
Source: Bloody DisgustingIt has turned out that Thomas Jane had started his own campaign to play Jonah Hex in Warner Bros. Pictures' adaptation of the comic book of the same name. The Movie Blog caught up co-writer and co-director Brian Taylor who explains,“He’s a great guy,” referring to Jane, “But we… don’t see the guy as Jonah Hex, to be quite honest with you. But we like him.” (more)
Halloween Horror Nights Sends Out Unusual Promo Item
Source: Bloody DisgustingThe other day BD reporter Tex Massacre received this box in the mail, promising that a key would soon follow allowing him to unlock the treasure. (more)
It's a Lion! It's Huge! It's Voltron!
Source: Superhero HypeLast week, it was reported that New Regency had put Voltron: Defender of the Universe into turnaround. Now, Latino Review has learned that Max Makowski will take on the directing duties for the project, which was written by Justin Marks. (more)
Death Coming To Sarah Connor
Source: SciFi WireProducers of Fox's SF series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles surprised audiences at last month's Comic-Con International with the announcement that a major character will die in the upcoming second season, which premieres Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox. (more)
An Assessment: Will Opera Fly?
Source: SciFi WireTwenty-plus years ago, when Howard Shore was first hired to score David Cronenberg's dark reimagining of George Langelaan's 1957 short story "The Fly," he immediately saw the operatic potential. (more)
Foreign box office has solid summer
Source: Variety'Mamma,' 'Vegas,' 'Panda' dazzle overseas - The international box office couldn’t quite match last summer’s heights, but it’s been a solid season nevertheless. (more)
U.S. short on tough guy actors
Source: VarietyFilmmakers turn to U.K., Australia for action stars - Where have the manly movie stars gone? (more)
'Hulk' bulks up at Chinese box office
Source: VarietyChinese auds are starting to emerge from their Olympic slumber and getting back into the theaters, and the first beneficiary has been "The Incredible Hulk," which took in 24 million yuan ($3.5 million) in its opening weekend, local media reported. (more)
'Cliff' reaches 10 million mark
Source: VarietyHayao Miyazaki toon "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" has passed the 10 million admission mark in Japan, taking in 12 billion yen ($109.6 million) and putting it on track to become one of the biggest B.O. hits of all time in the country. (more)
John Lennon biopic comes together
Source: THRThe story of John Lennon is headed for the big screen with "Nowhere Boy," a biopic that will be directed by visual artist Sam Taylor-Wood. (more)
Summer exceeds boxoffice expectations
Source: THRIt’s been a boxoffice season of surprising strength thanks to unsurprisingly robust sequels and a shockingly lucrative performance by the latest installment in a 19-year-old superhero franchise. (more)
Disney classics get Blu-ray treatment
Source: THRPlatinum Collection titles include 'Snow White,' 'Pinocchio' - The Blu-ray Disc juggernaut continues as Disney said Thursday that it will release five more Platinum Collection animated classics on Blu-ray. (more)
Five wide openers wrap summer b.o.
Source: THR'Babylon A.D.' appears strongest in a weak group - Labor Day was once a yawn of a boxoffice holiday, with summer's final frame mostly ignored by distributors. But no more. (more)
All You Need to Know About the Next Avengers Kids
Source: Animated Superheroes and my son EverettFor those of you who can't wait for two weeks until the release of Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, Marvel Animation Age has released character descriptions of each of the kids in the upcoming animated feature. (more)
Babylon A.D. Review
I'm not entirely sure what I just saw. It seems like it was some attempt at a high-brow religiously fueled science fiction epic that somehow went totally wrong. What a mess. How a chop-job like this ever made it onto the big screen is beyond me. You really do get the feeling that the director had something intelligent he wanted to do, but was completely sabotaged during production and definitely in the editing room. Of course, we all know this from the interviews that director Kassovitz did the week before the movie was released. When you actually see it unfold before your very eyes, it's almost disturbingly surreal.
The film really does waste the talented actors that were hired to flesh out the characters onscreen. They all do their very best to salvage and carry this disaster as much as they can. Even Vin Diesel seems to take his role seriously in this. You have genuinely talented individuals like Michelle Yeoh (Memoirs of a Geisha, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Tomorrow Never Dies), Gérard Depardieu (Green Card, Hamlet, 1492: Conquest of Paradise), and Lambert Wilson (The Matrix Reloaded, Don Quixote, Frankenstein) all attempting to muddle their way through this incoherent mess and making the most of it.
What can be said about the cinematography and scenery? The cinematography was way too sterile and clean. It was like the dirt wasn't even dirty. It was just way too slick to be gritty, which is what I think would have worked better. As far as the scenery, it's the same old same old. The futuristic New York backdrop is your typical Blade Runner-esque neon light architecture, complete with bubbly automobiles and other different types of transportation flying around. It didn't look bad; it just wasn't anything you hadn't already seen in every other near future film from the past. You know - The Fifth Element, Strange Days, etc.
The one thing that really did look bad was the soundstage that was supposed to be the streets of Harlem. Come on, man. Those streets and sidewalks were so clean, I would have dropped a piece of candy on them and picked it right up and ate it. I don't know what part of New York and Harlem these guys were in. They did do a good job with the Russian and foreign cities and towns they went through. You really did feel a kind of hopelessness and claustrophobic paranoia as they traveled from one war-torn place to the next.
The action sequences were also pretty lackluster and uneventful. It must have been how they were edited or put together. They just didn't seem to have any oomph. It was almost like they had all the excitement and legitimacy sucked out of them. It really gave it a sort of paint-by-numbers vibe.
Would I suggest someone take the time to watch this? Not really. Is it the worst film ever made? Not by a long shot. I guess if you're stuck one afternoon at the mall and you have the choice between seeing one of those self-absorbed indie flicks, whatever new animated kid drivel has just been released, or this - I'll take this. (Review by Eric Shirey)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Pusan to feature Asian superheroes
Source: VarietyAsian superheroes will be put in the spotlight at the upcoming Pusan festival as one of its many thematic sections. (more)
The Decade of the Dude
Source: Rolling StoneHow The Big Lebowski became the most worshipped comedy of its generation - This whole room is kind of dude-like," Jeff Bridges says. It's a summer afternoon at Bridges' Santa Barbara, California, estate, and the 58-year-old actor is digging around his dusty garage, looking for memorabilia from The Big Lebowski. Artifacts from the movie are strewn about his Spanish-tiled house. (more)
Wanna be in Spider-Man 4?
Source: ebaySpider-Man 4 VIP Experience
Get a chance to be a part of one of the most successful film series in history! (more)
No Heroics trailer
Source: JoBloRich Johnston over at "Comic Book Resources" recently pointed out a neat little trailer for an upcoming superhero centered British sitcom titled "No Heroics". (more)
‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ Animated Series To Be Resurrected?
Source: MTV“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” has been many things — so much so that creator Joss Whedon jokes, “I got to make a comic book out of the TV show out of the movie out of the T-shirt out of the opera of the song of the bumper sticker of the shoe line that I love.” One of the things he left out in the absurdly long list is an animated series — which was actually in the pipeline once upon a time, and looks to find new life once again. (more)
Watchmen troubles expanded on
Source: NY TimesHOW could this happen? The question springs to mind as 20th Century Fox claims it has the rights to the graphic novel on which Warner Brothers is basing “Watchmen,” its giant superhero movie. Peer deeper into the murk of Hollywood’s business practices, though, and the question becomes: How could it not? (more)
The Lowdown on 'The Descent 2'
Source: CinematicalUsually when an original creator walks away from a sequel, it is a good sign that maybe a sequel isn't the best idea to begin with. Well, that's exactly what happened with the follow-up to Neil Marshall's 2005 horror-hit, The Descent. (more)
Comic Creators Respond to Warner Bros' 'Dark Superman' Idea
Source: CinematicalIt seems the entire comic book and film world "misread" Warner Bros' announcement that they were angling to make Superman's reboot a gloomier one. (more)
'Tropic Thunder' Mockumentary Now Available on iTunes
Source: CinematicalConsidering the lengths to which the Tropic Thunder gang went to sell all of their Hollywood fakery, it comes as little surprise that the mock making-of Rain of Madness does exist beyond a mere trailer (embedded above, and probably not kid-friendly) and website. (more)
Tooooons of new Dragonball Pics
Source: Latino ReviewHoycinema has a ton of new pictures featuring the stars of Dragonball including Chow Yun-Fat, Justin Chatwin, Eriko Tamura and that Asian chick from the Real World. (more)
More Transformers Set Reports
Source: Superhero HypeTransformers 2 - The Movie Chroncles has posted two new videos from the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen filming in Long Beach. (more)
Update: Transformers Spotted in Long Beach
Source: Superhero HypeBoth mylordsinuhe and fq9 have posted photos of a Long Beach, California set for Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen. You can view the photos... (more)
Will Christopher Nolan Do a Third Batman?
Source: Superhero HypeWhile the internet is going crazy with casting rumors that aren't true for Christopher Nolan's possible third Batman movie, the director himself is on vacation as The Dark Knight approaches $500 million domestically. (more)
Dragonball Trailer Coming in October
Source: Superhero HypeComingSoon.net has learned that 20th Century Fox will debut the first trailer for Dragonball in theaters on October 17 with the studio's video game adaptation Max Payne, starring Mark Wahlberg. (more)
Bertino Returns to Write 'Strangers' Sequel
Source: Bloody DisgustingWe broke the news exclusively here on B-D Back in June that Rogue Pictures was planning a sequel to their summer smash-hit, The Strangers, which racked in over $50 million here in the States. Today the news became official as Rogue has tapped Bryan Bertino to return to write the script. Bertino wrote and directed the first film. (more)
Access Hollywood 'Twilight' Preview Piece
Source: Bloody DisgustingWhile additional shooting is about to get underway, today Access Hollywood posted an exclusive preview of Summit Entertainment's Twilight, which now arrives in theaters November 21st. (more)
Proyas Talks 'Dracula' Mythology, Promises Lots and Lots of Blood!
Source: Bloody DisgustingAfter delivering such fine films at THE CROW and DARK CITY, it's hard not to be excited for Alex Proyas' next venture, Dracula: Year Zero, which he has no begun work as he waits for his latest film, KNOWING, to arrive in theaters next March from Summit Entertainment. (more)
Fey, Downey Jr. Join Master Mind
Source: SciFi WireRobert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey are in negotiations to voice characters in DreamWorks Animation's Master Mind, a computer-animated spoof of the superhero genre, according to EW.com's Hollywood Insider. (more)