Screen Rant

Will Megan Fox Feud With Michael Bay Mean No Transformers 3?

Rob Keyes — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:47:44 +0000

As you no doubt already know, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is currently playing in theaters everywhere and making insane amounts of money. In fact, you’ve probably already seen it twice considering how much money this thing has made in its opening week.

As of now, it’s made over a half-billion dollars worldwide in just over a week and expected to net plenty more over the weekend - that means we are absolutely guaranteed a third installment to round off the trilogy.

No matter what anyone says, or what rumors you may hear about Michael Bay, Transformers 3 will be made. It’s a guarantee.

For the next installment, what we do know is that Bay is taking a break from the franchise to work on a little more serious and a much smaller project. He’s spent the last three years working strictly on bringing the Cybertronian robots to the big screen and working insane hours to get the sequel out on an extremely rushed schedule. Now, he needs time off to gather himself and work on something different and come back later with a fresh mind.

As for the franchise’s leading lady and ultimate marketing device, Megan Fox has been continuously playing down her role in the movie and berating the Michael Bay franchise. Here are some examples:

In response to a question about how much of her acting range has been demonstrated, Fox said:

“Seven percent. On the new one ['Transformers 2'], I tried. But unless you’re a seasoned veteran, working with Michael Bay is not about an acting experience.”

And as for claims against Bay for being more interested in effects and explosions than action:

“That’s true. He thinks it’s funny to put his actors through Navy Seal boot camp to make a movie. And it’s not even necessary for the job! It amuses him”

Perhaps she’s emulating what she’s been reading online from news sites, blogs and critics and trying to appease to them?

Continue to the second page for Michael Bay’s Response and more…

Continue reading ‘Will Megan Fox Feud With Michael Bay Mean No Transformers 3?’

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Fran Kranz & The Cabin In The Woods Info

Bruce Simmons — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:30:04 +0000

The Cabin in the Woods is scheduled for a February 2010 opening and all the while, Joss Whedon has been keeping things pretty tight-lipped about the project. I think he loves Keeping us, the fans, in suspense of who and/or what will happen in the movie.

One person who is in the movie is Fran Kranz. He plays the part of Marty, a guy who likes to have fun outdoors with different kinds of herbs.

The film is about a bunch of kids going out to, well, a cabin in the woods and well, things don’t go well as far as achieving the state of party.

The Cabin In The Woods is directed by Drew Goddard, who also co-wrote this project with Joss Whedon.

Kranz says that it is a monster movie, but the question is, what is the monster? That’s how Joss is keeping us all in the dark with this one.

The title of the movie, simple as it seems, is designed to fool us into creating preconceptions about the movie.

Though the character is different than Topher from Dollhouse, Kranz does say that he tried his best to be different for this project, but we may just see Topherisms here and there.

Filming for Cabin has wrapped and it’s currently in post-production. We’re looking for a possible trailer and poster within the next few months.

Aside from Fran Kranz, the cast includes Jesse Williams, Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Brian J. White and Amy Acker.

The Cabin in the Woods is scheduled to open on Feb. 5th, 2010.

Sources: Sci Fi Wire, The Examiner, Cast Ensemble Image via /Film

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Torchwood Premiering On BBC America

Bruce Simmons — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:20:08 +0000

BBC America’s top-rated show, Torchwood, is returning for an epic event that will span five consecutive nights as it premieres in the United States on BBC America with Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Torchwood: Children of Earth, which was created by Russell T. Davies (Doctor Who, Queer as Folk) will be the lead show that launches BBC America HD.

In this new rendition of the mythos, the Torchwood team will be facing their most challenging threat ever, as this new danger puts Torchwood and all of humanity into danger.

The show will premiere on Monday, July 20th.

A new episode premieres each night from Monday, July 20 through Friday, July 24 at 9:00 - 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. The previous night’s episode will encore at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

As Davies put it, “I wanted to tell a story in which civilization snaps, in which we turn on ourselves, in which nothing is safe. Plenty of people live like that, on this planet. In this story, it’s Britain’s turn.”

Quick Synopsis

A regular day becomes a world of terror. Every child in the world stops playing, stops laughing, just stops. Then, as one, they begin to speak with the same voice, announcing to the governments of Earth: “We are coming.”

Meanwhile, a trap closes around Captain Jack (John Barrowman) and sins from the past return as long-forgotten events from 1965 threaten to reveal an awful truth.

A Lead-In on Monday Night

Before the premiere on Monday night, an exclusive BBC America special premieres at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. The program features everything there is to know about Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper and the rest of the Torchwood team.

And don’t forget the Doctor Who / Torchwood Comic-Con panel on Sunday, July 26, from 2:15-3:45 p.m..

Source: BBC America Press

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‘12 Rounds’ DVD Giveaway - Winners!

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:15:53 +0000

Here are the winners of our 12 Rounds giveaway:

Diane Buls - Evansdale, IA
Kitty Feisthamel - New York Mills, NY
Phyllis Brown - Winkelman, AZ
Darryl Nicholso - Davenport, IA

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who entered!

I’m not a wrestling fan, but I’ve learned that in the WWE John Cena is a big deal. So in the tradition of Dwayne Johnson, Hulk Hogan and others it looks like he’s working on making the transition to movie action hero. If you’re a fan of Cena, you’ll be interested in the DVD/Blu-ray release of his upcoming film 12 Rounds, and we have a few copies of the DVD to give away.

Here’s the official description of the film/DVD:

WWE® SUPERSTAR JOHN CENA FACES THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE IN THE HARDCORE ACTION-PACKED THRILLER

The Explosive Unrated “Extreme Cut” of 12 Rounds Too Intense For Theaters Brings The Smackdown On Blu-ray With Digital Copy And DVD June 30 From Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Loaded With Exclusive Making-Of Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, A Gag Reel, Commentaries And More!

A brilliant killer with a score to settle is putting Detective Danny Fisher to the ultimate test when 12 Rounds explodes with an unrated “Extreme Cut” on Blu-ray with Digital Copy and DVD June 30 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. WWE Superstar John Cena (The Marine) stars as Fisher, a New Orleans police officer playing a vicious game of cat and mouse after spoiling the multi-million dollar heist plan of an Irish arms dealer. When the thief’s girlfriend is accidentally killed in the melee he vows revenge, breaking out of prison and putting Fisher through a series of mental and physical challenges in order to save his kidnapped fiancée. With the clock ticking, Danny struggles to keep his focus as he races through The Big Easy completing each dangerous game and hoping he is still standing at the end of 12 Rounds.

Directed by action auteur Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Deep Blue Sea), 12 Rounds features intense supporting performances from Ashley Scott (”Jericho,” Walking Tall) and Aidan Gillen (”The Wire”). The Blu-ray disc and DVD are loaded with special features including both the theatrical and extended “Extreme Cut” of the film, commentary by Harlin, Cena and first-time writer Daniel Kunka, two behind-the-scenes featurettes, two alternate endings, a never-before “Cena” gag reel and more.

Standard DVD Specs:
The 12 Rounds Single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen format, 2.35:1 aspect ratio with English 5.1 Dolby Surround and Spanish and French Dolby Surround, along with English and Spanish subtitles. The disc includes all special features as follows:

Rated and extended “Extreme Cut” of the film
Commentary by Director Renny Harlin, Writer Daniel Kunka and John Cena
Two alternate endings
“Crash Course: John Cena Stunts” featurette
“Never-before-seen Cena gag reel” featurette

For more info on the DVD head over to Amazon.com.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Farscape: DVD News & Comic-Con Appearances

Bruce Simmons — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:07:31 +0000

If you’re a connoisseur of Farscape, you have a few good things to look forward to. Especially if you’re attending San Diego Comic-Con 2009.

Comic-Con

Ben Browder and Claudia Black, creator Rockne O’Bannon and executive producer Brian Henson are going to be appearing at Comic-Con in a panel on July 24th at 10:15 a.m. in Room 6BCEF at San Diego Comic-Con.

But this might not be the only panel with Farscape in it.

Rumors have it that there may very well be another panel involving the comic book (which began publication last year) based on Farscape. No details as of yet as to when or where, but that can be cool.

Webisodes From Syfy?

At the moment, Syfy (soon to be formerly Sci-Fi) is reportedly committed to creating a series of webisodes for Farscape. They aren’t near the stage of creating scripts yet, but plans are in development.

I’m not sure what that means. Are they talking about it? It would be nice to see new stuff come out. that’s for sure.

Farscape 10th Anniversay DVD Release

Celebrating it’s 10th anniversary, you can find yourself the proud owner of a boxed DVD set of all four seasons. I did not mistype. All four seasons of Claudia Black… I mean of Farscape.

A&E Home Entertainment and the Jim Henson Company are partnering to re-launch the DVD franchise in one big package.

The DVD set will have

All four seasons of Farscape
Hours of bonus programming
Multiple commentaries
Interviews with cast and crew
Behind-the-scenes featurettes

And much more.

If you don’t need all four seasons, each season will also be available individually.

The DVD release is slated for November 2009.

Source:Chicago Tribune, A & E Home Entertainment

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Countdown To San Diego’s 2009 Comic-Con!

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:51:53 +0000

Wow, Comic-Con 2009 is already less than three weeks away. Seems like only a couple of months ago since we were there. Last year was a ton of work but also a blast (click here for our wrap up of the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con), and this year we’ll be providing even more extensive coverage for you with additional staff to cover the event.

Unfortunately if you want to attend this year and don’t already have tickets you’re probably out of luck as it’s been sold out for a while. But fear not, we’ll try to give you all the goods here on the site over the course of the event. It starts with preview night on Wednesday, July 22nd and runs through Sunday July 26th.

Included among the movies and TV shows that will be covered this year are:

James Cameron’s Avatar (with 3D (rumored) footage from the film)
The upcoming Sci-Fi alien invasion flick with a twist: District 9 (including an appearance by Peter Jackson).
Mike Judge will be on hand to promote his new comedy Extract.
The premiere of Mystery Team.
Where the Wild Things Are.
Tron
Sherlock Holmes
Jonah Hex
2012
Thirst
Ninja Assassin
Lost
The pilot for the TV series remake V.
Doctor Who (with an appearance by David Tennant)
FlashForward
Caprica & Battlestar Galactica: The Plan

Oh, and of course Iron Man 2, for which I’m sure director Jon Favreau has something very special planned.

Also, this year Screen Rant has been invited to participate in the “Masters of the Web” panel (shocking, I know - I certainly didn’t expect it!). The panel will be moderated by director Kevin Munroe and will include an appearance by Brandon Routh and Sam Huntington, along with a preview of their upcoming film Dead of Night.

Here is the list of panelists:

Robert Sanchez (IESB.net)
Ryan Rotten (ShockTilYouDrop.com)
Mike Sampson (JoBlo.com)
Jeremy Smith (AintItCool.com)
Brad Miska (Bloody-Disgusting.com)
Drew McWeeny (HitFix.com)
Devin Faraci (CHUD.com)
Paul Christensen (MovieWeb.com)
Wilson Morales (BlackFilm.com/AOL Black Voices)
George Roush (LatinoReview.com)
and me, Vic Holtreman (ScreenRant.com)

It will be held Thursday, July 23rd at 3pm - 4pm in Room 32AB.

Robert Sanchez of IESB.net organizes the panel and puts together what is arguably the most awesome party every year at Comic-Con: The Wrath of Con party (one of my highlights of Comic-Con).

Last year at the Masters of the Web panel tickets to the party were given away to some lucky winners. Here’s my favorite pic from last year’s party.

Doug Nagy, Alex Billington and me with the beauties from the movie 'Bitch Slap': Erin Cummings, America Olivo and Julia Voth.

As Comic-Con approaches, keep up to date with our San Diego Comic-Con updates (check the logo on the right) here on Screen Rant and on Twitter.com by searching for #sdcc or #cc09. I’ll be there along with SR writers Kofi Outlaw, Bruce Simmons, Rob Keyes (and maybe) Paul Young. We’ll be doing live-blogging, panel summaries and hopefully we’ll get you an exclusive or two.

We may try to schedule an impromptu dinner, probably on Sunday night, where we’ll get together to decompress after the whole thing. If you’re around downtown San Diego maybe you can join us. We’ll firm this up as we get closer to the actual date.

Anyway, we’re all looking forward to it and we hope you are, too.

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Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool Will Smash The Fourth Wall

Rob Keyes — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:04:48 +0000

The folks over at Empire caught up with Canadian star Ryan Reynolds at the London press event for his recent comedy The Proposal where he stars alongside Sandra Bullock and got a little update on his Deadpool project.

Deadpool, the quickly greenlit spinoff to this summer’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine is Ryan Reynolds’ dream project where he can finally make what he wished for leading up to his on-screen debut in character as Wade Wilson.

Unfortunately, the character he finally got to play was completely misused by the filmmakers to the dismay of comic fans everywhere but Reynolds was incredible in the few scenes he had as Wade Wilson (the man who later becomes Deadpool).

As you no doubt already know, Reynolds was happy at the opportunity to play the character even though he and the fans knew he wasn’t being utilized well in the movie - this was evident in his many interviews leading up to the film’s release. The good news though is that it led to him getting his own spinoff where he could finally bring to the screen what he and Deadpool fans love about the comics.

He’s already stated that we’ll be seeing the true and complete Deadpool costume from the comics and that the movie will be heavily based on how the character is portrayed in the books. Today, we can report that he’s gone another step forward and confirmed that he will in fact be breaking the fourth wall in the movie.

“Break the fourth wall? Oh yeah, he’s got to. I want to see him break the Great Wall.”

In the books, the mostly-insane Deadpool knows full well that he is a character in the comic book and he communicates directly to them throughout the stories in his infamous yellow dialogue boxes. The “fourth wall” terminology originates from old stage shows where it refers to the imaginary wall facing the audience.

Now we know for sure that in the movie, Reynolds will be talking to us who are watching in our theater seats.

Good! I love the guy and I want him to talk to me. Many others seemingly do as well since Deadpool was voted as the most wanted spinoff/sequel to the Wolverine origins film in a recent poll by MTV. Continue to Page 2 for the second half of this article…

Continue reading ‘Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool Will Smash The Fourth Wall’

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Sci-Fi Morphs Into SyFy - Are You Ready?

Bruce Simmons — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:26:02 +0000

As I reported back on March 16th, The Sci-Fi Channel is changing it’s name to Syfy. This name change is part of a brand image change by the 16-year-old network and it’s due to happen on July 7th, 2009.

“Syfy, imagine greater.” Take notice of the proper spelling. There is no upper case F in the name.

This change is part of a plan to create their own marketable brand while still staying connected to the roots that have served them so well for more than 15 years. It’s also a specifically coined term that they can copyright for themselves, unlike the term Sci-Fi which is generic across so many mediums. Syfy will now make web searches and other references attributable to their own content.

Under this new brand umbrella, they’re looking to expand their horizons with things like new television series’. Some of these new shows will be tied into online multiplayer games to attract their newest hope for a demographic, the youth market. Dave Howe pretty much confirmed this when he became president of the Sci-Fi Channel back in January of 2008.

On top of the online presence, there will also be original Syfy content with projects like Riverworld, Phantom, Alice and a remake of the 1988 film, Alien Nation, just to name a few.

The change is going to be heralded by an event at Rockefeller Plaza and Syfy’s first official series under their new moniker will be Warehouse 13 which is premiering on July 7th with its 2-hour pilot. According the Syfy, the show is a pop-culture-crazed amalgam of Bones, X-Files and The Adventures of Brisco County Jr..

Howe says that Warehouse 13 is the epitome of their new brand. I’m not sure how that works out yet, but my educated guess is that this show will have an online presence. Since the premise of this show is locating artifacts, I’ll go out on a limb and guess that they’ll have some sort of online game where you search for things.

Perspectives On The Change

Aside from what some fans are sneering about in regards to the name change, Howe said that their research showed that aside from their already installed core audience, most folk believe that the network telecasts shows about Star Trek, space aliens and the future.

Syfy understands that this modification to their identity will take some time to grow on us. As if we have a choice. July 7th is the magic date when everything changes for Syfy… or at least they hope it does.

If Howe is on track with this mod to the network name / logo, it should work for them and move them up in the rankings of networks. He was the man behind the marketing of Tin Man, Battlestar Galactica and Eureka. Before he came to Syfy he also had a very successful 15 year run at the BBC where he led marketing teams for BBC’s 17 UK, BBC America, BBC World, BBC One and BBC Two. He also led the teams responsible for launching BBC News 24, BBC America, BBC Canada, BBC Choice, BBC Knowledge, BBC Three, BBC Four, UK Horizons, UK Drama, UK Style, UK Play, and UK Food.

He’s got a good track record and you have to admit, if his efforts work then we may actually get more of what we like and possibly, more originality in the process.

I’m not waving the flag for other “projects” like WWE that are at the network now, but if they can stay afloat and keep bringing us shows like Battlestar Galactica and its spin-offs, more awesome original content like Tin Man and get their hands on the rights to more syndicated repeats of Moonlight and the like, then to some degree we win. We just have to weather the other noise aimed at other demographics.

With that in mind, for my own selfish reasons, I hope this works.

Do you feel the same for this name change as I do?

As always, your comments and opinions are welcome here on Screen Rant.

Sources: News Day, NY Daily News

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WB Comic-Con Lineup, Featuring Green Lantern: First Flight

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:50:28 +0000

Warner Bros. recently released the lineup of panels they’ll be presenting at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International. So if you are headed to Comic-Con this year and are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, Where The Wild Things Are, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Book Of Eli, Jonah Hex or even The Final Destination, then you’ll need to know where and when to show up for the panels.

Lucky for you Screent Rant loves our readers and has a nice list of the Warner Bros. panels at Comic-Con all ready for you, including the one that is my most anticipated: a preview screening of DC Universe’s animated feature Green Lantern: First Flight!

If you weren’t at the New York Comic Con screening of DC Universe’s last animated feature, Wonder Woman, you have no idea how enjoyable an event it can be. DC Universe tends to make more adult-oriented animated fare (Superman:Doomsday), which is a perfect blend for a Comic-Con crowd, a.k.a., a room full of adults who love animated superheroes.

Green Lantern: First Flight will premiere on Thursday July 23, 2009, in the San Diego Convention Center’s Ballroom 20 @8pm. If you want a look at the trailer for First Flight, go here.

First Flight is being helmed by DC Universe’s Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman) with Bruce Timm producing. Lending their voices to the film will be Christopher Meloni (Law And Order: SVU) as Hal Jordan; Victor Garber (ALIAS) as Hal Jordan’s nemesis, Sinestro; Michael Madsen as Hal Jordan’s alien mentor, Kilowog; and the lovely Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) as Green Lantern Corps member, Boodikka.

Green Lantern: First Flight will also be available as a special edition 2-disc DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def on July 28, 2009. A sincgle disc DVD will also be available.

Here is a quick itinerary on the other films Warner Bros. will be showing off at Comic Con this year:

Thursday, July 23rd
3:30pm-4:30pm 3D SHOWCASE PRESENTATION IN HALL H
Film: The Final Destination
Talent: Craig Perry (producer)

Friday, July 24th
10:15am-12:30pm WARNER BROS. PRESENTATION IN HALL H
Films: Where The Wild Things Are, The Book Of Eli, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Box, Jonah Hex, Sherlock Holmes
Talent: TBD

1:45pm-2:45pm PRESENTATION AND Q & A W/ ROBERT RODRIGUEZ IN ROOM 6DE
Film: Shorts
Talent: Robert Rodriguez (director)

Which Warner Bros. film are you most looking forward to?

Sources: Slash Film & IESB

Header Image Source: Film School Rejects

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New Inglourious Basterds Character Posters

Ross Miller — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:58:36 +0000

The posters, trailers and images for Quentin Tarantino’s Palme d’Or nominated, WWII film Inglourious Basterds really are shooting out at a rapid pace. In terms of posters, we’ve had nine already and today Empire has premiered four more to add to that list. They are separate character posters that expand on the International (Italian) poster we saw a few weeks ago. We have those four for you - plus the International one now in English!

The four new posters feature some of the main cast of Inglourious Basterds: Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine, Diane Kruger as Bridget Von Hammersmark, Christoph Waltz as Colonel Landa (who won Best Actor at Cannes for the role) and Melanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus.

Strangely, Eli Roth and Til Schweiger, who were featured on the full character posters, don’t get their own character-centric posters here (though Diane Kruger and Mélanie Laurent sure do!). But I’d imagine we’ll see theirs sooner rather than later, though. Check out the English language version of the previously seen Italian poster, and the four new character centric posters below. Enjoy:

The Inglourious Basterds together.

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Sin City 2: Prequel, Midquel AND Sequel???

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:37:31 +0000

Alexis Bledel, that blue-eyed badgirl from Sin City recently talked to MTV News about the long, long, awaited sequel to Robert Rodriguez’s cinematic recreation of Frank Miller’s gritty, noir graphic novel series. Bledel didn’t know much, but had heard a rumor that a script for Sin City 2 was floating around and that her character, Becky, was in it.

But wait, Becky got capped at the very end of Sin City…

And so the plot thickens.

That was my best “noir lead-in,” like it?

Seriously though, Bledel didn’t spill much more than the fact that the script she’d heard about would require her to essentially come back from the dead - unless of course the new batch of yarns being spun in Sin City 2 take place BEFORE the ones in Sin City 1.

But unless you’re a big fan of the Sin City graphic novels (or paid really, really, close attention to the movie), you probably aren’t aware that there is in fact a loose chronology woven between all the different stories - a chronology which the careful observer can piece together from scenes where characters intersect, alter their appearance, etc.

Sin City did a good job of setting the chronology of the stories in order, but there are still enough yarns from the graphic novels (and Frank Miller is reportedly now working even more of them) to keep the film franchise’s continuity expanding for TWO more movies, let alone just a sequel. And, so long as each individual story gets told in a satisfying manner, I doubt people will complain too much of they see dead-ol’ Marv (Mickey Rourke) pop up for a good brawl here or there!

Many are currently speculating that Bledel’s character, Becky, would likely appear in “A Dame To Kill For”, one of the first Sin City yarns Miller wrote, which takes place both before and during “The Hard Goodbye”, and well before “The Big Fat Kill” - two stories featured in the first Sin City film. “A Dame To Kill For” also features Dwight, the role played by Clive Owen in the first film (but didn’t Owen’s character initially mention having had his face recently altered? So does Owen come back for Sin City 2 or what?). This is already getting too confusing.

Hopefully we’ll be able to straghten things out if once this “rumored script” for Sin City 2 surfaces.

Source: MTV NEWS

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Hollywood Toy Trend Continues With ‘View-Master’ Movie

Ross Miller — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:26:38 +0000

Yesterday Screen Rant reported on the bewildering news that Hollywood is going to be making a movie based on the classic arcade game, Asteroids - a game with no story or mythology behind it, which thus it begged the question of how they plan to make a movie out of it, and more importantly, what’s the point?

Well, today we’ve got news that pushes the “WTF?” bar to a whole new level: They’re apparently making a movie based on the View-Master toy.

Yes, that’s right, that device you look into that allows you to view 3D images. I know, you really can’t make this stuff up…

Fringe co-producer/writer Brad Caleb Kane announced on Twitter that after he’s done with an upcoming film called Uprising, he’ll start working on a View-Master movie for Dreamworks. There’s no word on a plot as of yet (an early report stated it would center around aliens, but that has since been debunked), but Transformers screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are reportedly behind the film. It is being described by Kane as, “like the old 80’s Amblin movies: Goonies, Young Sherlock… In that vein.”

For those of you who may not be familiar with the View-Master, it came about in 1939 and originally wasn’t a toy, but rather a device for people to have the chance to view picturesque 3D images of tourist attractions and other locations. However, years later it began to be looked at and marketed as a children’s toy.

View-Master being marketed as a children's toy.

The Hollywood trend of turning toys, board games and video games into movies just seems to continue on full steam ahead. Monopoly, Battleship, Stretch Armstrong and the recently announced Asteroids are just a handful in development at the moment. But I think a View-Finder tops them all in terms of, “How can they even make this into a movie?”

Asteroids at least incorporates SOME kind of action (albeit a small triangle shoots at asteroids), but View-Master is just a device you look through! I’m struggling to think what plot they can even come up with for this one: Perhaps it will center around the invention of the product, rather than the product itself. Maybe it will be in the vein of Horton Hears A Who! where a world inhabited by creatures can be found in the slides you look at through the device. It really is a head-scratcher of the highest order.

View-Master is actually one of those toy adaptations I’m interested in seeing, for no other reason than to see just what they hell they come up with in terms of plot. I think if Kane makes this into a workable movie he deserves some sort of award.

What do you make of a View-Master movie? Any thoughts on what plot they could derive from the toy/device?

No release date has been mentioned yet for the View-Master adaptation.

Source: ComingSoon (via /Film) and Twitter

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What’s New in Watchmen: The Director’s Cut

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:16:41 +0000

Merrick over at Ain’t It Cool News has a reader named “Ulysses” who reportedly has seen Watchmen: The Director’s Cut, which is set for release on Blu-ray this month, and even a limited run in theaters.

So what’s new in Watchmen: The Director’s Cut? Keep on reading if you want to know the answer to that question, but needless to say, anything you read is going to be a SPOILER.

Here are just a few of the new scenes that “Ulysses” noticed in Watchmen: The Director’s Cut [SPOILERS!!!]:

At the end of Rorschach’s search of the comedian’s apartment. Two cops enter, he knocks one of the cops out and jumps out the window as the other cop is firing his gun at him.
Rorschach has more dialogue from the comic with Dr. Malcom. Also in his story of the girl, the murder is shown as in the comic - walking outside, asking his dogs to bark, when they don’t he draws his gun and enters the building.
…Hollis talks on the phone with Sally, only to be interrupted by knocks at the door. He has a great montage death scene. They also explain why the knot heads go there at an earlier point.

That last bit about Hollis Mason’s (the first Nite Owl) death scene is good news; I really thought that moment was crucial to the story of the graphic novel and the fact that the theatrical version totally skirted over it really was disappointing.

Moreover, if you’ve watched the Tales of The Black Freighter DVD/Blu-ray, and seen the Hollis Mason Documentary included with it, actor Stephen McHattie (so underrated) really does a good job with the character of Mason - I would say (Jackie Earle Haley aside) he gave the best performance in the whole ensemble. So, IMO, McHattie deserves as much screen time available to him..until his head gets bashed-in by knot heads.

Now, those scenes mentioned above are only 3 of 10 that “Ulysses” provided. For the full list, head on over to Merrick’s post at AICN.

Sounds like Watchmen: The Director’s Cut might be worth seeing after all. Or is this all just pointless foreplay before Watchmen: The Ulimate Edition gets rolled out?

Watchmen: The Director’s Cut is coming to theaters for a 3-city weekend run. Details here.

The Blu-ray hits stores July 21, 2009.

Source: AICN

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First Trailer for Vince Vaughn Comedy ‘Couples Retreat’

Rob Frappier — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:03:06 +0000

There’s nothing better than a good ensemble comedy, which is why, if Universal’s first trailer for Couples Retreat is any indication, we may have just found the next big comic hit of the year. Featuring a star-studded cast of talent, including Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Malin Ackerman, Faizon Love, and Kali Hawk, the movie revolves around four couples who go on a retreat to a tropical island resort to deal with the various problems in their relationships.

While the premise might sound like standard comic fare to some, the potential of this movie is terrific. Not only do we get to see some of the funniest comedic actors in Hollywood riff off of each other for 100 minutes, we get to see Jean Reno in a speedo. Now that’s comedy! Check out the trailer below.

[See post to watch Flash video]

For HD versions of the trailer head over to Apple.com.

There were at least three different instances where I laughed aloud while watching this trailer. One of my favorite lines: “She’s a kid. Buy her a Hello Kitty book.” Of course, I might be an easy mark for this kind of comedy. I pretty much enjoy everything Vince Vaughn is in and Jason Bateman has been my hero since Arrested Development. What do you think? Does this look funny?

Some fun facts about Couples Retreat:

The film was written by Jon Favreau and represents the directorial debut of Peter Billingsley (better known as Ralphie from the Christmas comedy classic A Christmas Story).

Couples Retreat will hit theaters on October 9th, 2009.

Source: FirstShowing

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First Trailer Of Matt Damon As ‘The Informant!’

Ross Miller — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:25:35 +0000

The latest collaboration between Matt Damon and Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Ocean’s trilogy) is the political comedy/thriller entitled The Informant!, that (according to the poster and the trailer) comes equipped with its very own exclamation point. Based on a true story, the plot is of a company vice president-turned informant, Mark Whitacre (Damon), who helps the FBI to take down the company he works for that’s being accused of pricing-fixing tactics.

Today Screen Rant has both the trailer and poster for The Informant! which should have Bourne fans squinting there eyes and asking, “Is that really Matt Damon under that moustache?”

If you count his role in the Ocean’s movies as separate, The Informant! will see Damon collaborating with Soderbergh for the fifth time (he had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him role in Che: Part Two). Damon is no stranger to diversity with his roles (let’s not forget, the same guy who was the globe-trotting, ass-kicking Jason Bourne was also the janitor/genius in Good Will Hunting), but this role as FBI informant, Mark Whitacre, may be the furthest he’s stretched from how he’s seen by most movie goers. Apparently, Damon gained 30 pounds for the role, and, as you can see, refused to shave his top lip for a while.

I think The Informant! trailer looks hilarious, and the poster is equally as effective. Check them both out below:

[Click to Enlarge]

And here is the first official trailer for the movie - Watch and enjoy:

Not only does Damon look much different than he usually does (at first glance you could almost mistake him as an actor who just kind of looks like Matt Damon), but from the trailer he acts a lot different, too. If his role here were to be compared to any of his previous ones, I would say it’s Linus Caldwell from the Ocean’s series which, coincidentally or not, was also a Damon/Soderbergh collaboration. Maybe Damon keeps Soderbergh’s number close-by for whenever he feels in a comedic, lighter acting mood.

Jason Bourne has let himself go a bit…

The exclamation point at the end of The Informant! just carries on that sort of comedic tone that’s apparent in the trailer. The name of the movie is being reported all over the place both with and without the exclamation point on the end, but since it’s in both the official poster and trailer, I’d say it’s meant to be in there. I personally really dig the use exclamation point that’s seldom used in movie titles - not only does it make a point (get it?) of the comedic tone, but also sets it apart from most other movies, including the similarly titled, exclamation point-less The Informant from 1997.

Although I’m not the biggest fan of Soderbergh as a director (he’s hit or miss with me), I tend to enjoy his lighter, more playful movies (I love all three of his Ocean’s films). And Damon pretty much always delivers the acting goods. I personally can’t wait for this one.

What do you make of the poster and trailer for The Informant!? What do you think about Damon’s different look?

The Informant! is slated for a release on October 9th in the US, and on November 6th in the UK, both in 2009.

Sources: TrailerAddict and Filmofilia

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Resident Evil 4 Confirmed? Here’s What They Should Do Instead…

Rob Keyes — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:46:10 +0000

According to the folks over at Shock Till You Drop, we may have our confirmation that the long-rumored speculation of Resident Evil 4’s production is actually a go and that it would likely come out in 2010.

An insider of theirs has confirmed that Sony is set to get Resident Evil: Afterlife ready for theatrical release by September 17, 2010.

I am not excited by this news. The first Resident Evil film was pretty interesting and was watchable for what it was. The sequel however was terrible and the third wasn’t much better.

The direction they’ve took with the film trilogy turned pretty random and completely abandoned the games of which they are supposedly based on. Judging by the reaction to this news popping up on news sites and blogs everywhere, I’m not the only one who thinks this movie probably shouldn’t be made.

I have a better idea!

Since several of the video games that this franchise is apparently based on are actually good, why not make a movie like one of them and put that brand name to some good use?

For the gamers out there, the much-hyped Resident Evil 5 debuted earlier this year to widespread financial and critical success and is one of the best looking and most fun games on the current generation gaming consoles to date.

If anyone’s played that, then you know it looks beautiful and is shot in a very cinematic style – the movie’s already done! Just transfer it to live-action and fix the B-level dialogue… actually it’s more of a D-level voice script, come to think of it, but that’s not what the fans care about.

It’s more fun to watch a stranger play that game than it is to watch some of the movies. Although, if they did go in a direction like that to make a movie based on this game, they’d have to up the horror factor as there were many complaints from hardcore Resident Evil fans that the game simply wasn’t scary and didn’t make the cut for the horror genre… Continue to the next page for the rest!

Click to continue reading ‘Resident Evil 4 Confirmed? Here’s What They Should Do Instead…’

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Sci-Fi Channel Panels At San Diego Comic-Con ‘09

Bruce Simmons — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:16:05 +0000

We originally reported on the television panels at San Diego Comic-Con ‘09, we knew about the Sci-Fi panels that were going to be present, we did not have specific times.

Now we do.

As would be expected, We’ll be seeing cast and crew from Stargate Universe, Caprica, Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, Eureka, Sanctuary and Warehouse 13.

Friday, July 24th:

Stargate Universe in Ballroom 20 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Those attending the panel will be Robert Carlyle, Brian J. Smith, Elyse Levesque, David Blue, Alaina Huffman, Jamil Walker Smith and Ming-Na. Co-creators Brad Wright and Robert Cooper will also be present.

Caprica / Battlestar Galactica: The Plan in Ballroom 20, from 11:45 a..m. to 12:45 p.m..

Ronald D. Moore, David Eick and Jane Espenson will be there, along with Esai Morales (Joseph Adama) and Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama) as they chat about these two new additions to the Battlestar Galactica mythos.

Eureka in room 6BCF from 3:15 to 4:15 pm.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Erica Cerra, Neil Grayston and Jaime Paglia (executive producer/co-creator) will be there to interact with the panel session.

Special Screenings from 8:30 to 10:30 pm:

In room 6DE, the newest episodes of Warehouse 13 and Eureka will be aired and there will also be some clips from Ghost Hunters.

Saturday, July 25th

Sanctuary can be found in the Bayside Hilton Indigo Room from 12:30 to 1:30 pm.

Amanda Tapping and Robin Dunne along with executive producers Martin Wood and Damian Kindler will be there for this session.

Warehouse 13 in Room 6A from 2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.

Eddie McClintock (Pete Lattimer), Joanne Kelly (Myka Bering), Saul Rubinek (Artie Nielsen) and Allison Scagliotti (Claudia Donovan) will be there, as well as Jack Kenny (executive producer/show runner) and David Simkins (executive producer).

These panels should keep you focused on their products, though I am still super curious about why I’m not seeing any Ghost Hunters panels scheduled for SDCC09? I’ve dropped a line with SyFy in hopes of getting an answer. I’ll let you know what they say.

Bonus Note:

The 5th in a series of DVD series releases for Green Lantern, titled Green Lantern: First Flight will have its world premiere at San Diego Comic-Con in Ballroom 20 at 8 p.m. on July 23rd.

That’s 5 days before it’s released to DVD!

This information will be added to my original article on the myriad of TV panels at Comic-Con.

Now you know!

Sources: Sci Fi Wire, Sci Fi Wire

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Virtuality’s Ratings Flatline in Friday Night Dead Space

Bruce Simmons — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:06:17 +0000

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is looking for ratings numbers in the vacuum of space

After being given the Friday night treatment by Fox, Ronald D. Moore’s Virtuality didn’t fare too well.

The movie that was originally slated to be a pilot for a series that was your standard fare from Moore, employing his style and voice to air his perspective on different human scenarios. In this case, it was about 12 space-faring crew members who were facing isolation on a 10-year space journey, and, dealing with what looked like a faulty virtual reality system.

I enjoyed it and the majority of the Screen Rant readers who commented on my review concurred that it was a good watch.

Friday Night Bites

But Friday night did what it does and bit a chunk out of the ratings for this science fiction drama. Science fiction and fantasy just don’t click with the Friday night viewers. But don’t tell Fox that. They’re not listening.

Virtuality pulled in 1.8 million viewers and that placed the show 4th out of 5 shows in it’s time slot.

For the entire evening of Friday, June 26th, Virtuality ranked 9th out of 13 shows that aired on network TV.

The Michael Jackson Dateline show and 20/20 dominated the evening, and a repeat of the crime drama Numbers ranked as the highest-rated scripted drama.

On the bright side, Moore’s platform did manage to beat The Goode Family, Everybody Hates Chris, The Game, and Privledged.

Expectations Sadly Fulfilled

What I expected from this Friday night airing of Virtuality came to pass. My guess is that Fox will not pursue a series from this premise, and that’s a shame because Moore delivered what I expect from him as he tackled different social issues in a gritty fashion we’re not always used to seeing.

Because of the reviews and other interest being generated by fans, there is a drive to get the show picked up; they suggest writing to Fox or SyFy about it or to watch it on Hulu.

Check it out at the Virtuality Fan Support page.

With Virtuality I think we could have had a great series to entertain us that would have engaged our imaginations. It’s a shame.

Spread the word faithful readers, and let us know what your feelings are on any issue we’ve presented here.

Ratings source: TV By The Numbers

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First Look: Kevin Smith’s ‘A Couple of Dicks’

Jacob Waldman — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:12:52 +0000

Mallrats, Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma, blah, blah, blah. Yet there’s a dark little place in my heart that secretly loves Jersey Girl. There, I said it. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I am intrigued (and a little tickled) by the prospect of the new Kevin Smith film, A Couple of Dicks.

I hesitate to prematurely pass judgment on the film based merely on its pedigree, but given Smith’s track record, and the cast of Dicks, February of 2010 has more to look forward to than Martin Luther King, groundhogs, and chocolate hearts.

ComingSoon has revealed the latest photos from A Couple of Dicks, which currently filming in Brooklyn. These new production pictures feature the film’s stars, Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, as well as one of the newest additions to the cast, Michelle Trachtenberg (Harriet the Spy, Eurotrip). Also featured in the movie are Jason Lee, Kevin Pollack, Sean William Scott, Adam Brody and comedian Jim Norton. Smith has been slated to direct the film, though unlike previous projects he is not the writer; that credit goes to Heist creators (and brothers) Mark and Robb Cullen.

This movie really takes Willis outside his comfort zone as an actor and gives him a real challenge (sarcasm alert!). He’ll be playing a cop forced to battle with gangsters and money launderers, while searching for a Mexican beauty and a stolen baseball card. Testing his acting chops right along side Willis, Morgan plays his partner in crime-fighting, and reprises a role he is familiar with - the comic relief:

Click on either image for a hi res version

Head to Coming Soon for a full gallery of pics.

Kevin Smith is no stranger to actors portraying similar characters across multiple films. Those of us that made it through the 90s unscathed remember a few great things that came out of an otherwise mundane decade: Monica Lewinsky, Dolly the sheep, Dolly the sheep, the death of Princess Diana, and the slow, welcome, demise of the mullet. But the Hyper-Color decade wasn’t all bad. We got introduced to Jay, Silent Bob, Jason Lee, and various characters that all got reprised movie after movie.

Not only that, but Smith gave us Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Alanis Morissette as God! So he should have no problem with Willis being cast as his usual brooding and cynical cop/terrorist/ghost/hero character, or Tracy Morgan as, well, Tracy Morgan. This is also yet another shot at the comedy target for Willis - a bull’s eye he’s been failing trying to hit for some time now. But watching Bruce Willis in comedies has always been a bit like being screwed in a very uncomfortable place (like the back seat of a Volkswagen?): you’re not happy it’s happening, and when it’s over, you’re left with bad taste in your mouth…or so I’ve heard.

Given its cast of characters and its director, it shouldn’t be too difficult for A Couple of Dicks to hit its mark. However, come February 2010, don’t be surprised if you don’t see the actual words “A Couple of Dicks” up on the marquee; if Warner Bros. has its way, the film’s title might be overhauled with prudish sensibilities to something closer to “A Couple of Cops”. When asked about the title change, Filmdrunk reports Smith told friends “It’s like there’s a hole in my heart where some dicks used to be.”

A Couple of (Dicks? Cops?) is set for release on February 26, 2010.

Sources: Slash Film, Coming Soon & Film Drunk

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First Look: Chris Pine in ‘Carriers’

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:31:14 +0000

Carriers is a psychological thriller about post-apocalyptic America after a deadly virus has afflicted the population. The film was produced by the now-defunct Paramount Vantage in 2006 and has been sitting on a back shelf ever since. However, with the recent rise of Chris Pine’s (Captain Kirk in Star Trek) star, Carriers (which also stars Pine) is getting a limited release in theaters.

Today we have a first look at the trailer for Carriers, plus of a few stills from the movie. Check ‘em out:

Before we jump in, here’s the official plot synopsis for the film, courtesy of IMDB: “Four friends fleeing a viral pandemic soon learn they are more dangerous than any virus.”

Sounds like a mixture of 28 Days Later, I Am Legend and Cabin Fever - looks that way too, if this first trailer is any indication:

Carriers trailer

Sooooo…. is this flick going to go the horror route, having “the infected” running around like rabid zombies? Or is it going to stick to the psychological horror side of the fence, instead focusing on these “four friends” and the tension between them that ultimately boils over into murderous rage? The trailer keeps you guessing, but if I were a betting man, I’d say that this film has been sidelined for so long in part because the story starts out with a great premise, but ultimately gets lost in itself.

However, that’s just my initial (and totally uninformed) guestimate.

For a closer look at the film, here are a couple of additional stills from Carriers:

For a larger gallery, head over to Film o Filia

Carriers stars Chris Pine, Lou Taylor Pucci, Piper Perabo, and Emily VanCamp. It was directed by Spanish Brothers Alex and David Pastor. The movie will be in (certain) theaters on September 4, 2009.

Source: First Showing

Video Source: Daily Motion

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