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Is Roger Avary Tweeting from Jail?
1 November 2009 1:48 PM, PST
Oscar winning writer/director Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction, Killing Zoe) may be Tweeting about his experiences in jail.
Avary started his one year of incarceration on October 25 after pleading guilty to felony manslaughter. The charges stemmed from a January 2008 DUI crash that resulted in the death of a passenger. He’s reportedly serving time through the work furlough program, which allows him to leave the jail, go to work, and return to his cell by a night curfew.
Four days later came a post on his Twitter account possibly critiquing the architecture of his Ventura County Jail. “The building is an imposing example of the Brutalist architectural movement. The windows are designed so as to not let too much light in.”
This is followed up the next day by this Tweet, “The channels on the Rec Room television cannot be changed, and it’s inexplicably always tuned to Fox.” Obligatory …
- Jeff Leins
‘This Is It’ Sets Global Concert Film Record
1 November 2009 1:00 PM, PST
Posthumous Michael Jackson documentary This Is It posted $101 million internationally since its debut on Tuesday night to become the largest concert film in history. (Even though it’s not actually a concert.) As expected the “King of Pop” took down the smiling competition of Miley Cyrus and her Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour ($70.6M).
Sony picked up the rights to the rehearsal footage and backstage preparation for Jackson’s “comeback” tour for $60 million after the performer died in June 2009. Then they ironically selected Halloween as the best time to resurrect the ghoulish ghost of Mj against other paranormal activity. I wonder how many “Thriller” costumes there were last night.
The $32.5 million domestic total over the five days is below even the lowest predictions, and the global cumulative is well under the $250 million Sony predicted publicly. Most of the money came from overseas dollars where Jackson wasn’t seen so …
- Jeff Leins
Video: Al Roker Gets Humped by a Drunk Ewok
31 October 2009 2:33 PM, PDT
Happy Halloween everyone. Here’s a video that should make you smile over the holiday weekend. Yesterday the hosts of “The Today Show” dressed up in Star Wars costumes to celebrate and brought along a few midgets dressed as Ewoks for extra flavor. Reportedly, Wicket and his little furry buddy had a few drinks before the show and got a little tipsy before this segment.
Pretty soon the boring bit is hijacked by Ewoks fighting, moonwalking (Ewokking?), and humping everything in sight. Check it out:
Just as hilarious is Al Roker’s failed attempt at wisecracking his way through morning show fluff piece #450,003,449. I’ll admit I don’t TiVo “The Today Show,” so I couldn’t tell you when he made his transition from irrelevant weather man to “guy pretending to be interested in crappy Halloween decorations.” To me, Roker still looks like a black snowman no matter how …
- Jeff Leins
Deleted Scene: Moon Bloodgood Topless in T4
31 October 2009 1:57 PM, PDT
In the year leading up to Terminator Salvation, there was a lot of discussion about what the rating would and should be from the MPAA. Fans, of course, wanted a hard R full of the same violence and language they’d grown accustomed to with the first three movies. Warner Bros had other plans since the beginning, despite what director, McG, desperately (and falsely) claimed in front of audiences at comic book conventions and press engagements.
One scene in particular supposedly in contention at the time involved Moon Bloodgood undressing and going topless in the rain. Bloodgood herself called it a “beautiful shot.” McG, pretending to be battling for fandom, said he wanted to keep it in, while the rest of the rational world knew WB would get their PG-13 and nudity certainly didn’t fit into that broad appeal picture.
Thanks to the DVD (officially out December 1) deleted scenes, …
- Jeff Leins
Etan Cohen Hired to Write ‘Men in Black 3′
29 October 2009 9:57 PM, PDT
Sony’s Columbia Pictures is moving forward with Men in Black 3 and has hired Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder) to write the screenplay. He’s reportedly “deep into” a draft already.
At this point there are no deals in place for either Will Smith or Tommy Lee Jones, though the director of the first two, Barry Sonnenfeld, is loosely attached to MIB3 (Miiib?).
THR’s Risky Business Blog has heard “buzz” that Smith is considering the return since he has no “go” projects lined up at the moment. Jones’ involvement is uncertain, but if you think Sony would pass up an opportunity for a money maker like this because of him then you’re insane. Ideally, of course, they’d both be back.
The two films alone have made over $1 billion worldwide.
At the Sony presentation during the ShoWest conference in April, Rory Bruer (the President of Sony Worldwide Distribution) announced …
- Jeff Leins
Summit to Re-Release ‘Twilight’ to Theaters
29 October 2009 9:19 PM, PDT
Summit Entertainment is re-releasing Twilight back into theaters for one day on November 19, the day before the release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
Some theaters will be offering discounted ticket prices, according to the La Times. It’s unclear how many locations are planning to make the teen vampire hit available again.
The studio claims the move was at the request of the fans, though I can’t imagine it will be new to anyone showing up that Thursday for another helping of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart staring intensely at each other. Besides, if I know the Twi-hards (they haunt my dreams), they’ll already be in line for the midnight screenings of the sequel well in advance.
The initial theatrical run last November earned $383.5 million worldwide and is the top selling DVD of the year (so far) with 8 million copies sold in the U.S. and Canada. …
- Jeff Leins
Anthony Hopkins Joins ‘Thor’ as Odin
29 October 2009 7:49 PM, PDT
Sir Anthony Hopkins is in negotiations to play Odin, the Norse god and ruler of Asgard in Marvel’s upcoming comic book movie Thor. Kenneth Branagh is directing the production that starts in January and is scheduled for theaters on May 20, 2011.
Odin is the biological father of the Thunder God, Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth), and the adopted dad of the God of Evil, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Talk about bragging rights around the office. “Oh, your son made the baseball team? Yeah, well, mine’s the god of thunder, so…”
In the film, Thor’s arrogance and recklessness re-ignite an ancient war, so he’s cast out of Asgard and down to Earth. There, as his human form Donald Blake, he meets a nurse named Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). When Loki comes to Earth Thor is forced to take up the hammer and fight him.
This means Brian Blessed is …
- Jeff Leins
Cameron Diaz in ‘What Women Want’ Sequel
29 October 2009 6:47 PM, PDT
Cameron Diaz is attached to star in What Men Want, a sequel of sorts to 2000’s What Women Want starring Mel Gibson.
Pajiba, who seems to be on fire lately with the exclusives, reports that Diaz is tentatively set for the lead role while the script is completed. Pete Chiarelli (The Proposal) is writing the screenplay.
The Gibson movie, which also starred Helen Hunt, made $374 million worldwide and is still the second largest romantic comedy of all time in the U.S. (behind My Big Fat Greek Wedding).
Though further details are unknown at this point, it will likely be the original’s premise with a little gender-reversal. Lightning strikes and suddenly Diaz can hear men’s thoughts and understand what they want. How she’ll be able to leave the house without being greeted by a cacophony of “you” and other lewd ideas remains to be seen.
In addition to this, …
- Jeff Leins
Theron, Hardy Confirmed for Mad Max 4
29 October 2009 5:48 PM, PDT
Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy have been confirmed as “in negotiations” for Mad Max : Fury Road (Mad Max 4).
Mel Gibson is not returning as Max Rockatansky because frankly he’s too old, and Miller is looking at a timeline not long after the events of 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, according to THR (and backed up by Variety). Though Gibson was considering in 2003 when the project was first attempted.
It’s still unclear whether Tom Hardy will play Max or if he’s supposed to be a new character in the wasteland populated by violent gangs. Story details are being kept secret by Miller, though several casting rumors have leaked in the past few months. Jeremy Renner and Sam Worthington’s names also surfaced along with Hardy and Theron. We’ll let you know if anything changes though.
Pre-production started this week on the movie which will eventually shoot in New South Wales, …
- Jeff Leins
Tony Scott Checking Out Chippendales
29 October 2009 4:33 PM, PDT
Tony Scott is attached to direct a film about Somen “Steve” Banerjee, the founder of the male erotic dance club “Chippendales.”
The story will follow the rise of Banerjee from operating a gas station to owning a chain of night clubs worldwide, according to Variety. Chippendales’ massive success in the 80’s made him incredibly rich, but a series of lawsuits and increasing competition made him paranoid. In the early 90’s Banerjee was convicted of conspiracy and attempting to hire a hitman to knock off former choreographers and dancers. Banerjee ultimately committed suicide in his cell before sentencing.
Scott is attached to a multitude of projects, so this likely won’t be his next. He’s currently directing Unstoppable with Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. Looking at his list of possible movies, Scott may never get around to the rigorous research he’ll need to do for this movie.
Side note: Scott also directed Top Gun, …
- Jeff Leins
Official Theatrical Trailer for ‘Avatar’
29 October 2009 11:23 AM, PDT
Last weekend, 20th Century Fox released a three and a half minute theatrical trailer for James Cameron’s Avatar. Today, the extended feature is available online for your viewing pleasure.
The reactions to the teaser trailer in August were surprisingly mixed, but this longer look should convert most skeptics. Of course there will still be the too-cool-for-the-room kids who parrot each other with comparisons to Fern Gully, Smurfs, and Delgo, which no one even saw. But once you get past the hype and Internet posturing, the trailer looks pretty epic. Admittedly some of the dialogue isn’t the greatest, but Cameron has never been great with talky scenes.
This 2D clip on your computer is awesome, just imagine it in 3-D IMAX…
What do you think? Is it a game changer or not impressive enough?
…
- Jeff Leins
Peter Berg Leaves Dune Remake
28 October 2009 9:37 PM, PDT
Peter Berg has officially left the Dune remake currently in early development at Paramount. The director has been tentatively attached for quite some time, and commented last year “if it weren’t for the writer’s strike, we’d be in it right now.”
The good people at Pajiba came through with the exclusive, confirming Berg is done with the re-imagining and will likely make the board game adaptation Battleship his next film instead.
The site also learned Berg had an informal discussion with brooding heartthrob Robert Pattinson for the lead, but nothing was official. Whew, looks like we dodged that bullet now that Berg is out.
Paramount is now searching for Berg’s replacement, a director that can handle a $175 million special effects movie and shows a passion for the Hugo Award-winning novel. They’ll probably also need to be able to pare down Josh Zetumer’s nearly 200-page script. …
- Jeff Leins
Adam Sandler to Play Both Jack and Jill
28 October 2009 8:53 PM, PDT
I would have thought making fun of his goofy, broad comedy roles in Funny People would mean the end of family-friendly Adam Sandler, but I guess he gave up making audiences laugh this decade.
Columbia Pictures has signed him for Jack and Jill and he’ll be playing both the male and female parts. Jill is, of course, his twin sister and the perfect opportunity for Sandler to dress as a woman at the age of 43. Who’s ready to laugh?
According to Variety, the project was pitched to Happy Madison productions (Sandler’s company and a stinging reminder of when he was funny) by Todd Garner. You might not know who that is, but he’s the guy that brought Paul Blart: Mall Cop to America.
Unfortunately that’s all the details we have on this laugh riot, but maybe we’ll know a bit more when it starts …
- Jeff Leins
Double Dose of Damon: Invictus and Green Zone
28 October 2009 12:13 PM, PDT
This week there are two trailers starring Matt Damon (on top of the news he’s in the new Coen brothers film). The first is Invictus, a true story about Nelson Mandela directed by Clint Eastwood and also starring Morgan Freeman, and the other is Green Zone, an Iraq War action-drama directed by Bourne mastermind Paul Greengrass.
Let’s start with the gun battle trailer, Green Zone, preparing for a March 12, 2010 release:
There’s also an international trailer out today too that’s quite different.
Here’s the Invictus trailer, which should show up around awards time, and is scheduled for a December 11 release. It’s focused on the South African leader’s support of the underdog rugby team to help bring together a culture fractured by apartheid. Or see it at Apple.com.
Plus here’s the new poster for Invictus:
…
- Jeff Leins
Only One Villian in Spider-Man 4: The Lizard?
28 October 2009 11:45 AM, PDT
There’s a rumor floating around that Spider-Man 4 is not only being shot in stereoscopic 3-D, but there will only be one villain: The Lizard. This would bring the franchise back to the style of first and second installments where Spider-Man fought a single foe.
I urge you to take this info with a Texas-sized grain of salt because the site reporting the rumor is none other than MarketSaw, the outlet who spread the hoax about a new and 3-D Star Wars trilogy. Of course that one came up false when logic prevailed.
The Spidey series has been setting up the Lizard character since Spider-Man 2 by introducing Dylan Baker as Dr. Connors, the human scientist who transforms into the reptilian beast in the comics. Baker has confirmed he’ll be back for Spider-Man 4, but didn’t reveal what capacity.
The possibly fabricated news may have spawned from …
- Jeff Leins
Snagfilms: Watch Free Documentaries Online
28 October 2009 10:49 AM, PDT
Last week there was talk of the conglomerates behind Hulu turning the typically free product into a subscriber-based system. While we’re still crossing our fingers that “The Office” — or worse, our beloved “General Hospital”* — doesn’t go behind a pay wall, what about other sources for free movies online?
Check out Snagfilms.com, a website dedicated to providing free streaming full-length and short documentaries.
The site has a library of 950 different films to choose from, but there are a few gems I’ve seen and personally recommend. Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me is a must see movie about one man’s crusade to expose McDonald’s and America’s unhealthy addiction to fast food. There’s also Darkon, a fascinating look at the fantasy world of live-action role playing. Plus Confessions of a Superhero that chronicles the lives and motivations for the comic book characters posing for pictures on Hollywood Blvd. …
- Jeff Leins
Saw VI Review
27 October 2009 7:52 PM, PDT
Saw VI is as disposable as it’s victims, a graphic gore-fest that blurs into the rest of the series and takes a weak stab at social relevance.
Splayed open on an autopsy table in part IV, series serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is still somehow plotting torture chambers from beyond the grave. His legacy remains intact though, a sealed box is willed to his widow, the cruel hardware preserved for the next “lesson,” and the endless acres of industrial real estate left to his minions.
The puppeteer’s newest apprentice is Detective Hoffman (D-list actor Costas Mandylor), who survived V to oversee a familiar macabre maze of over-thought death traps. Shawnee Smith returns as Amanda through flashbacks, but she may as well be absent, and Jigsaw’s wife Jill (Betsy Russell) inexplicably eludes authorities as a prime suspect.
This time Jigsaw and friends have caged an insurance executive, who …
- Jeff Leins
‘This Is It’ Debuts, Elizabeth Taylor Still Crazy
27 October 2009 3:21 PM, PDT
The Michael Jackson documentary This Is It debuts in worldwide theaters tonight (3,500 locations in the U.S.), and it’s already poised for massive success as the only wide release through the Halloween holiday.
Screenings start at 9pm Est just after the Los Angeles premiere is ending on the West Coast. Actually, you can watch the premiere live at ThisIsIt-themovie.com (as well as Crackle and Ustream) if you want to watch and comment on the red carpet event as its happening. I wonder if anyone will mention the molestation charges in the online chat? Nah.
Sony’s Columbia Pictures paid $60 million to acquire the behind-the-scenes footage and 100+ hours of concert rehearsal video from Aeg Live before the film was edited together by the tour’s choreographer Kenny Ortega. In total the movie needs to make an estimated $100 million to turn a profit for the studio, but experts are predicting …
- Jeff Leins
Mall Cop Director to Remake ‘Short Circuit’
27 October 2009 1:21 PM, PDT
Steve Carr, the genius director behind Paul Blart: Mall Cop, has signed to remake the 1986 comedy Short Circuit for Dimension Films. The screenplay was written by Dan Milano, creator of the show “Greg the Bunny” and a writer for the Emmy Award-winning series “Robot Chicken.”
When the remake was announced in April 2008, Dimension was planning a modern version of the wise-cracking Number 5 robot that came to life after being struck by lightning. Oh, and the producer thought Wall-e was a rip off of Short Circuit.
Now Number 5 is a lovable robot made of advanced technology that “befriends a lonely boy and his fractured family,” according to the Variety announcement. Hopefully this mechanied, huggable hero will bring everyone together again!
Well, that killed any chance of this being a worthy redo. Milano may write for an extremely funny show, but his script will be turned to family-friendly mush by the time …
- Jeff Leins
Damon, Brolin Join Coen Brothers’ True Grit
26 October 2009 8:15 PM, PDT
Matt Damon and Josh Brolin are in discussions to join the next Coen brothers film, a “re-imagining” of the 1969 western classic True Grit. Jeff Bridges is already a member of the cast as Marshall “Rooster” Cogburn, a role that won John Wayne his Oscar.
Damon will play the Texas Ranger that works with Cogburn (originally played by Glen Campbell) and Brolin will fill the villain part.
This will be the second time both Bridges and Brolin have worked with the Coen brothers. Brolin previously teamed with them for No Country for Old Men, which should make for an interesting twist when Brolin shows up in this as the baddie outlaw. Damon has never worked with the director duo.
The Coens are planning a more faithful adaptation of the Charles Portis novel about a 14-year-old who tags along with two men of the law to track down her father’s killer. …
- Jeff Leins
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