Something to ponder:

So, I was reading a great blog today, and I came across a question I am not able to currently answer. Well, I could give an impulse answer, but after thinking further, I am not sure, so I'm gonna post it here, and ponder for a few days. I would love some feedback, but think about this for a little while.
Ok, here's the question: Out of all the movies you can think of, what is one movie that may never get a sequel, but you think deserves one?
Now, everyone can think of tons of their favorite movies they would love to see more of. I mean, look at my favorite movies list, all of those, I would love to see more of. Here is where it gets interesting. Knowing Hollywood's lack of ability to successfully execute a sequel (with few exceptions, we'll get into that later) would you really risk one of your favorite movies being completely ruined and that great memory and those characters you love being taken out? Now, you are starting to question some of those movies, aren't you?
So, originally, my first response was Serenity. As most of you know, it's one of my favorites. I also have a great story in mind for the movie. However, without a crazy amount of care, the characters I love so much would be irrevocably tarnished.

Fox doesn't wanna be the next Jolie?

With news studios are moving forward with a new Tomb Raider movie, rumors are swirling as to who would be cast as the extremely sexy Lara Croft. Most sources say Megan Fox. This is a good idea, considering the woman is extremely beautiful (FHM's most beautiful woman on the planet. Google her and I dare you to disagree), she has already starred in several action movies, with Transformers 2 nearing completion, and she definitely has a draw that will make money. The bad news is, she is saying she doesn't want it because she doesn't wanna be the girl who is the "next Angelina Jolie;" like that is such a bad thing.
Like her or not, her performances on-screen have always been consistent. She was never bad, and sometimes quite good; she is a pure sex symbol, a peace ambassador, and is working to provide relief for hunger in Africa. Let's face it, of all the people to be compared to, for a woman, it doesn't get much better than Jolie. Maybe that is the problem, maybe it's just too big of shoes to fill, and getting type-cast as a younger Jolie could be a problem. I guess I will just have to stick to getting my dose of Fox from Transformers...could be worse.
What do you think, is being a younger Angelina Jolie a bad thing, or is it a mistake to turn down such a lucrative franchise?

Fantasy casting Round 2: A-Team

With news that the new A-Team movie is moving forward with pre-production, the question comes up, who do you cast in such iconic roles? I say iconic, but most people hardly remember the A-Team, the great opening theme song, and the over the top action; if they remember anything, it's the fact Mr. T. was in the show, with a lot of bling (sidenote: it didn't used to be called 'bling' is used to be a 'Mr. T. starter set').

Col. John Smith, a.k.a. Hannibal - I know this guy's name has suddenly been thrown everywhere for everything, but that's because he deserves it....Robert Downey Jr.
Bosco Baracus, a.k.a. B.A. - There is simply no one who can replace Mr. T., in fact, he could easily reprise his role. Since that doesn't count for this, my choice is Michael Clark Duncan.
Cpt. H.M. Murdoch, a.k.a. "Howling mad" - This is a goofy, over the top character. When I think of that, there is only one name that comes to mind: Carrey, Jim Carrey.
Lt. Templeton Peck, a.k.a. "Faceman" - I think I may be a little biased because I am so excited Burn Notice is back on, but this is still an excellent choice; Jeffrey Donovan.

What do you think, any obvious picks I missed, or is it you just don't remember that show. Do yourself a favor and IMDB it, you can watch some episodes and absorb some classic '80's pop culture.

Some interesting little tidbits to brighten your day

The movie ticker has had some fairly interesting developments as Hollywood moves into high gear in anticipation of the greatest season of the year, Summer time! So, sit down, strap in and get ready to be bombarded by movie news.

• New Moon gets some reputable teen actors. It was announced Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical fame and Dakota Fanning, who has turned into quite the cute young lady have both signed up to appear in the Twilight sequel along with lead Kristen "Ice Queen" Stewart. This will be huge, because even though Twilight had huge numbers, what it didn't have was a single recognizable face. With the addition of actors with a loyal audience pulling people into an already massive following, the next movie could obliterate any old records.
• With news of Wolverine getting some reshoot orders, doubt is coming to the X-men series juggernaut starring Hugh Jackman as the mutant with a hangnail. It turns out, executives have said they want more Deadpool, the character played by Ryan Reynolds. This means one of two things, either there wasn't enough comedy, or Jackman wasn't carrying the movie well enough.
• Arnold Schwarzenager, Tom Arnold and James Cameron are looking to team up for another movie, similar to True Lies, it is supposed to be an action comedy movie. I just don't know how someone can go from Hollywood to Washington, back to Hollywood again. I guess we'll see if the Governator has lost whatever acting talent he had, won't we.
• There are reports Tom and Jerry are coming to the big screen. This is just terrible news. This was a great cartoon, and while nothing new has come out from our favorite cat and mouse duo in quite some time, I believe we are in a society that will no longer accept the humor and simplicity of the cartoon. But, I guess I'll get into that later on.
• In case you didn't see the Dark Knight, and judging by the box office numbers, you have, they are re-releasing it again, just to make sure they top Titanic in the box office for tops of all time.
• Finally, the last bit of news is the huge amount of talk over Heath Ledger, and the fact he is only the second person to be nominated by the Academy posthum- uh, posthomu- uh, after death. It has also been a year since he died of a drug overdose. Maybe I'm just one to accept my loses and try to move on, but I personally don't like the constant nagging about Ledger. I think he deserves to be nominated based on performance and merit alone, not because of death; and if I have to hear one more time that a reporter asked Ledger's family and friends if he would've been happy to get some award, I may kill someone (ok, poor choice of words). I don't think anyone would dispute the fact he wanted to win an award, but I don't think he would want his family pestered and bothered and kept from moving on. Anyway, I digress.

That was the news for the week, there wasn't a lot there, but expect for things to start picking up as Hollywood gets busy.

Oscar nominations are out!

There is no more exciting time than awards season for most movie fans. I find myself a bit jaded on the whole thing. I just don't know how the Academy can be taken seriously with some of the picks they choose. I don't expect them and I to always see eye to eye, but the close-mindedness of the Academy has left me a bit bitter, and of the opinion they have not evolved alone with cinema. Anywho, I digress, the real topic is the nominations, with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button receiving a whopping 13 nominations, including a best actor for Brad Pitt. Heath Ledger did get a best supporting actor nod for Dark Knight, posthumously.
So, here is the list, with who I think will win.
Here are the 2009 Oscar Nominees:
Best Picture
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Milk”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire” <----Winner!
Best Director
David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” <----winner
Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”
Gus Van Sant, “Milk”
Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”
Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Actor
Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”
Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”
Sean Penn, “Milk” <------- Sadly, the winner. Shoulda gone to Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”
Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”
Meryl Streep, “Doubt”
Kate Winslet, “The Reader” <------good for her, just happy Anne Hathaway got a nod.
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, “Milk”
Robert Downey Jr., “Tropic Thunder” <----- seriosly, what kinda luck to have to go against the Joker? Any other time, winner!
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”
Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight” <------- Winner. That's right, I said it, Ledger will win,
Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road”
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, “Doubt”
Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Taraji P. Henson, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler” <------- proof, My Cousin Vinney was not a fluke
Best Adapted Screenplay
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Doubt”
“Frost/Nixon”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire” <-----winner
Best Original Screenplay
“Frozen River”
“Happy-Go-Lucky”
“In Bruges” <----- I didn't like it, but winner!
“Milk”
“WALL-E”
Best Animated Feature Film
“Bolt”
“Kung Fu Panda”
“WALL-E” <------ Great movie, should've had a best pictre nod, too. Winner!
Best Foreign Language Film
“The Baader Meinhof Complex”
“The Class”
“Depatures”
“Revanche”
“Waltz with Bashir” <-----El Winner-O
Best Documentary Feature
“The Betrayal (Nerkhoon)”
“Encounters at the End of the World” <------winner!
“The Garden”
“Man on Wire”
“Trouble the Water”
Best Art Direction
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight” <-------Winner. Poor movie, besides Ledger, the movies only win.
“The Duchess”
“Revolutionary Road”
Best Cinematography
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” <------winner
“The Dark Knight” <----darn
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Costume Design
“Australia”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Duchess” <----winner. Shoulda been Benjamin Button
“Milk”
“Revolutionary Road”
Best Film Editing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Frost/Nixon” <-----this movie, really? Winner.
“Milk”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Makeup
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” <-----Winner. Although, Hellboy was great!
“The Dark Knight”
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
Best Music (Original Score)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Defiance”
“Milk”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E” <-----Winner!
Best Music (Original Song)
“Slumdog Millionaire” <----well, it's a 2 to 1 shot, Winner!
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
Best Sound Editing
“The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man” <----- You have to go this far down the list for this movie? Very Sad....anyway, Winner!
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
“Wanted”
Best Sound Mixing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Slumdog Millionaire” <--------winner
“WALL-E”
“Wanted”
Best Visual Effects
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” <-----winner....Should've been Iron Man!
“The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man”
Best Documentary Short Subject
“The Conscience of Nhem En” <------I'm completely guessing here.
“The Final Inch”
“Smile Pinki”
“The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306″
Best Short Film (Animated)
“La Maison de Petits Cubes”
“Lavatory - Lovestory”
“Oktapodi”
“Presto”
“This Way Up” <-----winner!
Best Short Film (Live Action)
“Auf der Strecke (On the Line)”
“Manon on the Asphault”
“New Boy”
“The Pig”
“Spielzeugland (Toyland)” <-----guessing here too!

Watchmen just got a lot more expensive!

Some of the details of the agreement over the move The Watchmen are now emerging. I'm sure everyone already knows the story, WB screwed up and said they have the rights to the movie, when Fox actually did. After Fox contacted WB, they were blown off; the resulting lawsuit was won by Fox, who originally said they didn't want the movie to see the light of day. Finally, just last week, the two came to an agreement, and with what Fox is getting, no wonder they said ok.

So far, we know that the lawsuit will reward Fox with the following (thanks to Movieblog.com)
* Gross participation between 5% and 8.5%, depending on Watchmen’s overall performance at the box office.
* Future gross participation rights to any future Watchmen-related properties, including prequels, sequels and spinoffs (god forbid).
* An upfront payment in the $5-$10 million range, which will cover Fox’s costs while previously trying to develop a Watchmen movie, as well as the cost of the legal fees in the studio’s suit against Warner Bros.
* Other conciliatory favors from Warner Bros. that haven’t been officially announced as of yet, but are rumored to include moving Terminator Salvation from its original release date of May 22nd, 2009, in order to open up the box office for Fox-owned movies like Night at the Museum 2.
* Attempting to get certain Fox movies that in some way conflict with Warner Bros. contracts greenlit, including the comedy movie Date Night, which Fox wants Steve Carrell and Tina Fey to star in.

Am I the only one who is thinking "holy crap, that's an expensive list?" I mean, moving dates are not easy; a percentage of the movie won't be cheap given this will be huge; and rights to any follows will be big, whether it's next year or 10 years from now; on top of quite a few favors regarding their stars and property, I mean WB is at the mercy of Fox on this one. One thing is for certain, whoever said not to worry about Fox, WB has the rights is so screwed.

Wolverine, take 2!

Rumors today suggest some rivalry and arguing over what is best for the new Wolverine pic, starring Hugh Jackman. The upcoming movie, directed by Gavin Hood is re-shooting a massive amount of shots after the original cut failed to impress....well, anybody. Apparently, Fox, the studio responsible had such little faith in the director, they hired Richard Donner as a "consultant." Donner was responsible for Superman one, and just recently had his version of Superman 2 come out, after being fired for creative differences. I only mention this, because there seems to be what people in the business call 'foreshadowing' between that instance and here. There were rumors going around that Donnor did more of the directing than the director, and the end result was not pretty. It seems Fox has given Hood his movie back for some key scenes, apparently a lot of key scenes. Fox has even invited some journalists to see the scenes being re filmed to show it really is Hood behind it all, and not someone else.
This does not sound like a good sign, when a director is not in charge, things don't go well.

Watchmen is saved!

It was announced today Watcmen will proceed with the March release date after Warner Bros. and Fox have reached an agreement over the rights of the movie. To make a long story short, Warner Bros. messed up, and made a movie they did not have the right to make; as a result, they paid Fox an undisclosed amount of money (a crap-load to be specific) along with a percentage of the gross box-office amount. Both studios went before a judge today and explained they learned to play nice, and someone made a ton of money, so the movie will come out as planned.
This is great news for the movie watching community, as Watchmen expects to be one for the ages (although, wouldn't it be terrible if the movie was horrible and tanked?) It looks to be bad for the studio, and specifically the guy who used to be employed by the studio....it looks like someone will be joining the unemployment line!

Best trailer ever!

Here is a movie I am now really looking forward to this year. The movie is Planet 51, and the story looks like a lot of fun. I absolutely love the dog, does it remind you of an Alien that you know?

Star Wars: By someone who hasn't seen it!

This is hilarious. I just figured I would share it with you. The description is priceless, along with the animation. You don't have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate this. Simply priceless!


Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Ricardo Montelban dies at 88

That's right, Kahn himself died today at home, surrounded by family. Montelban was one of the first Mexican-born people to really make it in Hollywood. He is most known for his role as Mr. Rourke on Fantasy Island, was also in Star Trek as the evil Kahn, and in Naked Gun, along with many, many roles. He was survived by a loving family.
We will miss his smooth, Mexican voice, and suaveness. Rest in peace.

BTW, I do a good obituary, don't I?

Mr. Miyagi is cast!

In the new Karate Kid movie, the rumor for the kid was Jaden Smith, Will's son, and a award winner for his first acting gig, the Pursuit of Happiness. The big question would be who would play Mr. Miyagi, made famous by the late Pat Morita. Finally, we get our answer. Mr. Miyagi will be played by the one, the only Jackie Chan! That's right, the Rush Hour star has signed on for the new movie, which will take place in Japan, not in L.A.
I am a huge Jackie Chan fan, however, Mr. Miyagi I can't see. Miyagi strikes me as an older, wiser man, seeking peace, and showing guidance. Jackie Chan has always been the type who jumps in and clears a room, not one who preaches peace. I dunno, maybe as Chan gets older, he will be able to fit in that role nicely.
What do you think, bad casting, or brilliant choice?

Hellboy II The Golden Army

Hellboy II is a wonderful movie in a fantastic universe with dreadfully beautiful monsters and ugly heroes. The latest special effects masterpiece by Labyrinth director Guillermo Del Toro has Hellboy, played by Ron Pearlman back as the son of the devil, reluctantly saving a world that doesn't know he exists from a prince the world had forgotten about centuries ago. (Again, I really should do the summaries, that was really good, uhh, anyway) Hellboy is joined by some really interesting characters. The first, is Abe, a part fish lookin' guy, who is the brains of the operation, you have the new leader, Johann Kraus (voiced by Family Guy's Seth McFarlan) and the least interesting character, the hot (I mean really hot) Liz, played by Selma Blair.

Now, onto the dissection of the movie. For some reason, this movie had amazing looking special effects, incredibly interesting characters and an interesting story, and somehow managed to leave me wondering what was on TV after the credits ended. I was once again left, saying "mehh" at the end of this movie, when it could have been so much more.

The good part of the movie, besides the aforementioned special effects and characters is Ron Pearlman. He is perfect in the role, and has truly found the character that took him some time to grab in the first movie. The storyline has some really interesting things such as a troll market, Wink, the one-eyed monster bad guy and the villain, who is truly a great badguy, and one worthy to challenge Pearlman's Hellboy.

The bad part of this movie is how they leave all this really interesting material on the table. I never read any of the comics this movie is based off of, and after watching this movie, I feel like I would have to, to understand everything. Every time they come across something interesting, such as the market, or the badguys, or even the culture of the underworld, the bond between Abe, and the Princess, and, especially Hellboy, himself, they just move on, to the next interesting character. Another problem I have is in the character of Hellboy, himself. There may be a small spoiler warning, here! There is a point in this movie, just like the first movie, it is said Hellboy will be the end of mankind, he will bring about hell on earth. Again, just like other interesting information in this movie, it is skipped over. I think that is pretty important. I have a hard time cheering for the hero, when he will be the one who kills all mankind. So, is it true, or isn't it; I don't know, but knowing one way or the other would drastically effect the outcome.

This movie is worth the rent, simply for the incredible looking characters. There is some good comedy, mainly with Hellboy proving why they call him a boy, and not Hellman. There is a couple of great fight scenes, that were immensely done. If it weren't for the parts that felt like they were left on the cutting room floor, this movie would be a must own. There is only one more thing I need to ask. Selma Blairs character, Liz has the power to create fire in varying intensity, which shows she has a lot of power, despite the weak portrayal Blair delivers. So, why, with all that power does she need a big, bad ass gun? I mean, come on!

Anyway, after all that, I give it a 7. Worth a rental, a bonus if it's free!

FUN FACT: Seth MacFarlane based the voice of Johann Krauss on Jeremy Irons’ character from Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995).

Another Batman rumor to start your Monday

Well, the rumor mill has been spinning about the third Batman movie ever since the first trailer came out for the second movie. The third Batman is 2009's hottest topic, with no talk from the studios being official, no contracts to anyone, including director Chirstopher Nolan, talks have been flying about one thing, and one thing only; the villain. This juicy little tidbit came out this weekend, and it talks about the appearance of the Joker in the third film. It doesn't come out and say anything particular, but he said it's an idea that is possible, given the end of the movie, the company, and Nolan, himself are not tied down to an actor, but to a role. Since Ledger is no longer able to continue the role, they could find someone else to take Ledgers place for the third movie.
As movie goers may remember, I was a little shocked by the idea of Ledger as the Joker, and now, since the movie has come out, I don't think anyone can remember why. Also, I don't know that anyone, especially within the next 5 years could picture anybody but Ledger as the caped crusaders arch nemesis. I realize the same could be said about Nicholson's shot at the role, but, given the untimely death of Ledger, I believe that role is even more sacred now to moviegoers, then before, possibly the most sacred in Hollywood, at the moment.
I don't know if it's a good idea to do more than reference the Joker, maybe show hear his laugh in Archam Asylum, but, everyone also said the role was sacred before Ledger. I hope they do the sensible thing and honor Ledger's amazing performance and skip the Joker this time around.

The creapiest short EVER!

This short is possibly the creepiest, and most creative thing I have seen in some time. It is called '9' named after the hero in the story. They are making a full length movie from this 10 minute feature, using the same technique. The new one will star Elijah Wood as 9, and is being produced by Tim Burton, which is perfect, because this is a screwed up story, and it will be produced by a guy that has made his career doing screwed up stories. I don't know how adding voices can make the film better, however. I think one of my favorite parts of the movie is there is no dialogue, and it is abundantly clear what is going on.
Check it out, let me know what you think.