Thu, December 8, 2011 I have no idea what show this is from but I was laughing for half the day at a bunch of Punjabi ninja acrobats eating poisonous lightbulbs and running over each other with motorcyles and cars. It looks the below clip is from some sort of talent variety show similar to "America's Got Talent", but obviously an overseas version. I'm not sure if it is just me, but one of the craziest things I've seen.
Wed, December 7, 2011 
Christopher Nolan's previous two films went heavy on the viral marketing and now The Dark Knight Rises will be joining the same campaign. Wired and Empire have released images of documents that don't seem to be directly involved with the plot just yet, but over time could be revealed as substantial information. It also could just be random stuff to keep fans buzzing about the upcoming finale for Nolan's Batman. My guess is it involves Bane in some fashion with the area's being discussed in the documents.
The Dark Knight Rises is in theatres July 20, 2012.
Wed, December 7, 2011 
(UPDATE) We were contacted by Warner Bros who released the following statement in regards to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey release date.
"Contrary to inaccurate reports - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is being released on December 14, 2012" - Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates can make or break a movie. Studios congregate in their respective war rooms and strategize for the ideal release date for their particular films. Chinese food is ordered, profanities are bounced around the room, and grown men cry, until a decision is agreed upon. Not uncommon after such trials and tribulations the studio turns around and changes the release dates for one reason or another. They call it Hollyweird for a reason.
For The Brothers Warner in 2008 it was the WGA strike and the success of the previous Harry Potter film during the summer movie season, their new found love-affair with the mid/late July slot coming off the hugeness that was The Dark Knight (You might have heard about it) and need to fill in a release-date pot hole that allowed for the brain trust to move Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince from November 21st, 2008 to Summer 2009. When a big tentpole such as Potter is moved, other films from the same studio also have to be shuffled around. In addition, rival studios may react to the check with a checkmate of their own.
According to what we're hearing, like Warner Bros might be playing a game of chess once again.
Things in The Shire aren't going according to schedule for Peter Jackson, from what we hear in the rumor mill, while attempting the almost impossible task of filming The Hobbit and getting it out on time. Jackson has opened up discussion with the brass at WB regarding the first of the two-movie Lord of the Rings prequel adaptations, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey not being ready in time the December 14th, 2012 release date. Jackson isn't comfortable with rushing the film out if it's not to his liking. Powers That Be are very receptive to the director's predicament. They want to be in the Peter J. business for a long time, so they are seriously contemplating making some adjustments.
This is where Superman comes in. One scenario we're hearing involves the studio moving The Man of Steel, the Christopher Nolan-"Godfathered" Superman revival with Zack Snyder wearing the director cap (and judging by Twitter sporting a 'stache that would make Ron Burgundy jealous) into that Christmas '12 slot. We've been told that production is flying as fast as the Big Blue himself with shooting to wrap early February, and scenes already being edited and sent out to various post-production houses as I type this. Jeff Robinov, who currently wears the crown as "King of the WB," has long thought the Last Son of Krypton could succeed while the film climate is about running into multiplexes for the heat instead of the AC and, if you'll remember originally slated Henry Cavill's freshman foray into fighting for truth, justice and the American way for December 2012 while the entire Hobbit production was up in the air before Jackson stepped in to save it.
If the above angle comes into play that would push The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to December of 2013 and The Hobbit: There & Back Again to December 2014. In that case, WB gets their Superman epic out before the 2013 deadline where they'd have to pay up extra dough to the Siegel/Shuster estates (and for once, beat Marvel to the punch with putting a big superhero blockbuster out for the Holiday season instead of the standard operating procedure of summer with their November 2013 release of Thor 2) and Jackson gets an extra year to do his magic in Middle Earth again. It'd also be a great WB/DC one-two punch along with The Dark Knight Rises to help fans get the bad taste of Green Lantern out of their mouths quicker.
Granted, there's still the matter of that Hobbit teaser said to be in front of something this Christmas (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows or, as Elijah Wood speculated, The Adventures of Tintin). You’d see a release date slapped on a 90-second peak at Hobbit and some of you might immediately cry foul on this report. Remember what we said about Half-Blood Prince, fellas. Initial trailers for that sported its original November '08 release date even as WB heads already knew it was moving.
Wed, December 7, 2011 
The director and writer/star of Forgetting Sarah Marshall reteam for the irreverent comedy. Beginning where most romantic comedies end, the new film from director Stoller, producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) and Rodney Rothman (Get Him to the Greek), looks at what happens when an engaged couple, Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, keeps getting tripped up on the long walk down the aisle.
Wed, December 7, 2011 
Not been subtle the last few days with my hatred of the inclusion of Khan for the villain in Star Trek 2. But why are some of my movie-news loving colleagues still referring to his lead heavy position as a rumor at this juncture? Latino Review has too good a track record and J.J. Abrams was too quick to respond for it to be a case of the bullshits.
As talks collapsed for Benicio del Toro and production set to commence next month, everyone is scrambling for the new Khan and Variety reports Edgar Ramirez, next seen in Wrath of the Titans and most known for his villainy turn in The Bourne Ultimatum, is the front-runner. What he lacks in audience familiarity as del Toro had (A casting call that feels more like a Paramount call than a J.J. one given his track record), he makes up for in the intimidation field. Check out Carlos for proof.
This is a customer one doesn't want to fuck with, and could easily see him causing serious shit against the Federation. Assuming his Skype screen-test (which sounds so strange me reading and typing that) goes over well, we might have our new adversary for the U.S.S. Enterprise locked and ready to go before Christmas.
Wed, December 7, 2011 The 10 year old in me still finds the Three Stooges funny. There's just something that holds up about those jackasses always screwing up every job they land, every opportunity they had to get rich and every time a clearly-troubled-in-the-head woman showed interest in them. The physical pain they committed to themselves helps too.
So I asked him to watch the trailer for the Three Stooges movie (courtesy of Apple via The Film Stage), directed by the Farrelly brothers, to get his take.
Even he thought this looked stupid. Not stupid in a good way, as was the case with the old two-reelers from yesteryear and still play on television. Stupid as in "This is the movie the Farrellys have been dying to make for years?"
Wed, December 7, 2011 
Goes to show how much money talks, or in this case dangling a pet project over your head.
Vulture reports Michael Bay is in final negotiations to return for Transformers 4, a claim Bay himself has denied. He also swore up and down they weren't going to fire Megan Fox's ass off Dark of the Moon when that first got out.
What's odd is how, according to their spies, Paramount is using Pain & Gain, the crazy-awesome sounding bodybuilder/kidnap/revenge flick Bay's mounting as his next feature (and one he's had ants-in-his-pants to direct for years), as leverage to get him onboard for this. As if there weren't other directors out there who could churn out more retard robot epics? Not to mention, the man has made you billions of Benjamins from three Transformers movies already.
Hasn't he earned the right to be left alone and do his inexpensive (compared to those, at least) li'l side picture?
Tue, December 6, 2011 
With Stephanie Meyer's hugely popular Twilight novels turned into mega successful films, it was only a matter of time before another of her stories found the big screen treatment. Andrew Niccol, known recently for directing In Time, will be taking duties bringing the The Host into live-action territory with William Hurt in talks to join the cast as reported by EW. Hurt would be portraying Jeb, a central character of the story whose brain gets taken over by the soul of an alien.
The content sounds much more interesting than anything found in the Twilight stories. I don't hate those movies, more of a feeling of indifference, but The Host seems to offer up genuine intrigue with a story that is more commanding of the reader/viewers attention. The individuals involved so far have me keeping a closer eye on this one.
Plot synopsis:
Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.
When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.
Tue, December 6, 2011 
Now you all remember last year when word was getting around that Paramount was thinking about giving Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt character the boot after the newest Mission: Impossible, right? You know, how they were looking for a new lead to carry on the franchise (Jeremy Renner ain't exactly a spring chicken) and that by the end of this film whether due to death, retirement, career change, whatever, Tom Cruise was going to be finished with the franchise he practically built.
Well, seems things might have changed.
With Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol opening in IMAX theaters next Friday, actor Simon Pegg (who plays the character Benji Dunn in the film) spoke exclusively with Moviehole recently, and gave out this bit of information regarding the speculation that Renner is to take over the franchise from Cruise:
“I think that might have been the plan earlier on, but as the film progressed and we enjoyed it so much I think the idea of Ethan Hunt retiring fell by the wayside. Tom [Cruise] suddenly remembered why he loved doing these films so much and suddenly thought ‘well maybe I do want to do more?’.”
Hmm...so did Tom Cruise suddenly change his mind? Or did Paramount maybe realize the guy is still a major movie star who is the face of the franchise and that Jeremy Renner possibly isn't the next big thing everyone in Hollywood thought he would be (remember Colin Farrell about ten years ago?).
Whatever the case may be, the film looks (and from what I hear, is) phenomenal and I'll be sure to catch it in theaters when it opens next week.
Tue, December 6, 2011 
Not every experiment of Marvel's was bound to work out.
Alas breaking news coming out of "TOLDJA" says Patty Jenkins has stepped down from her planned directorial duties on Thor 2, one of the House of Idea's first big post-Avengers efforts. It’s going to be weird reminiscing about how the geek world was before Avengers to our geek children years from now.
The reasoning given is the classic "creative differences." Read into that what you wish although they note Marvel and Jenkins will probably get something made together down the line; just not a sequel with a November 15, 2013 release date looming over it as the case with the Thor sequel.