Movies News, Preview and Review

Anyone who glances at the Dark Knight-inspired packaging of the DVD above may be inclined to believe it is the latest of the Batman movies. However, this one doesn't star Christian Bale or Michael Keaton or even George Clooney, but the first pop culture Caped Crusader, Adam West.

Yep, it's Batman: The Movie,the feature-length spin-off of the campy 60's TV show starring West and Burt Ward as the Dynamic Duo, with a rogues gallery of villains made up of Cesar Romero's Joker, Burgess Meredith's Penguin, Frank Gorshin's Riddler and the Catwoman stylings of Miss Lee Meriwether.

Also available on Blu-ray,this "Special Edition" (conveniently timed to coincide with the approaching release of The Dark Knight), includes an audio commentary by West and Ward, brand new bonus featurettes and a "Holy Trivia Track, Batman!" option.

Check out the Latest on DVD widgets located in the sidebar for more of this week's new DVD releases available today from Amazon.com.

Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D | Review

2008-07-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

PG 1 hr 32 mins Action, Drama, Adventure Movie
This Movies Story is about Trevor Anderson on a quest to find out what happened to his missing brother, a scientist, his nephew, and their mountain guide discover a fantastic and dangerous lost world in the center of the earth. Based on the novel by Jules Verne.
Synopsis:
No one believes that Trevor Anderson is on to something. The science professor's unconventional hypotheses have put him on the fringe of the academic community. But during an expedition in Iceland, Trevor and his teenage nephew, Sean, accompanied by their beautiful local guide, Hannah, make a breakthrough discovery that launches them on a thrilling adventure into the unknown. As their journey takes them deep beneath the Earth's surface, they travel through never-before-seen worlds that bring them face-to-face with surreal and unimaginable creatures, stretching the bounds of the visionary scientist's own imagination.

Director: Eric Brevig

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem

Movie Trailer Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D

Mission Improbable | Review

2008-07-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

An all-star cast of Oscar winners and nominees head up Burn After Reading, a goofy caper comedy from the Coen Brothers, who have a few little gold men of their own. Watch the trailer here, and the movie in theaters September 12.

Brideshead Revisited Review

2008-07-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

PG-13 1 hr 40 mins Drama, Period, Adaptation
A provocative and suspenseful drama, "Brideshead Revisited" tells an evocative story of forbidden love and the loss of innocence set in the pre-WWII era.
Synopsis:
Charles Ryder becomes entranced with the noble Marchmain family, first through the charming and provocative Sebastian Flyte, and then his sophisticated sister, Julia. The rise and fall of Charles’ infatuations reflect the decline of a decadent era in England between the wars.

Director: Julian Jarrold
Starring: Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw, Hayley Atwell, Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon

Movie Trailer Brideshead Revisited (2008)

Technorati Tags: Brideshead Revisited (2008), Movie Trailer

Superhero Movie

2008-06-28T00:39:00.000-07:00

The recent spate of spoof / parody movies have been financially profitable for the studios and producers behind them, but, quality wise, they haven’t exactly been, well, good.. Or even all that funny.. The days of Airplane! and The Naked Gun and “Hot Shots! are long gone.. Instead, the movie world is given Date Movie, Epic Movie, Meet the Spartans, The Comebacks, among others.. The Scary Movie franchise, helmed by the great Keenan Ivory Wayans twice, then by the equally great ( not to mention legendary ) David Zucker twice, has been the only one worth watching ( sure, they’re not classics, but they hit more than they miss ).. Superhero Movie, produced by Zucker and written and directed by Craig Mazin, falls into the Scary Movie category in that it’s not great, or all that good, but watchable..

Rated: [ M ] Moderate sexual references, Infrequent moderate coarse language

Cinema release: 10th April 2008

Running time: 85 minutes

Stars: Sara Paxton, Drake Bell, Leslie Nielsen

There really isn’t much of a point in reviewing a spoof flick like Superhero Movie, which is probably why studios don’t offer advance screenings to critics most of the time.. At one time parodies were well crafted and pointed out the flaws and foibles of a genre.. Now screenwriters are content to take the entire story from one movie, add in a bunch of body humor jokes, and call it a day.. If you’ve liked the spoof movies that came before, you’ll probably get your yuks from Superhero Movie, otherwise it’s best to just steer clear..

Ninety percent of Superhero Movie comes from the Spider - Man movie.. Seriously, almost the whole focus is a five - year old superhero flick? The spoof doesn’t even touch on the two sequels, which is a shame; the third chapter seems ripe for the spoofing.. Instead this is pure Spider - Man, with one brief scene giving the main character, Rick Riker, the background of Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, and another brief sequence in an X - Men mansion setting.. Towards the end of the picture, when the climax of Spider - Man didn’t work for Superhero Movie ( I’m betting it was too costly to reproduce ), the story shifts to something almost move for move like producer David Zucker’s The Naked Gun, right down to sending a handicapped figure barreling over a ledge.. I don’t understand why writer / director Craig Mazin approached this with such a limited focus, when there are tons of superhero movies out there, many of which deserve this kind of treatment..

In the spoof, Drake Bell plays Rick Riker.. It didn’t surprise me to see that Bell spent time working with Amanda Bynes, since his similarly overdone reactions provide many of the movie’s punchlines.. Like Peter Parker, Rick is the school geek, a photographer for the paper, and in love with an unattainable beauty, here played by Sara Paxton who does one hell of a Kirsten Dunst impersonation.. Instead of a spider, Rick is bitten by a genetically enhanced dragonfly, turning him into a superhero and forcing him to learn that with great power comes a lot of jokes about bodily functions, but that’s fine because one day he’ll learn to embrace his power and fly.. If you’ve seen Spider - Man, you know how that works out for him..

Based on the ad campaign I could tell going in that there would be a great deal of scatological humor, so I figured I’d give a count of how many jokes the movie crammed into its merciful short running time that dealt with body waste, sex organs, or the other staples of “ dick and fart joke ” movies.. I lost count when, five minutes in, Riker interacts with a compound that makes all the nearby animals ( in a science lab ) horny for him.. Needless to say, that set the tempo for the rest of the movie.. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not completely against dick and fart jokes, when they’re part of something bigger, like the way Kevin Smith or Judd Apatow use them.. When they provide the sole intent of the movie, I have to wonder if there’s something better that can be done with that time..

Special mention should be made to the flick’s opening theme.. I think it’s sad that a superhero spoof movie has a better opening theme than most serious superhero movies.. Listen to that opening music.. It’s inspiring..

So, how could one improve this movie, or really any, of the recent parody movies? I don’t really know.. It seems as though the makers of these movies just try to fit in as many references to other recent movies as possible, without thinking why ahead of time.. Maybe they should make the parody aspects less obvious, less on the nose, and just focus more on the general goofiness of the proposed story.. Again, I really don’t know..

Superhero Movie isn’t as bad it could have been.. It’s worth a look, probably more worth a look on DVD than in the theatre.. But, yeah, it has its moments.. It’s funny sometimes..

So what do we have here? A cool soundtrack, a costumed herp checking himself out with a flashlight, running into a school bus stop sign, rear view mirror, and door, gratuitous black guy with multiple communication gadgets, a nose hair trimmer, gratuitous school cliques, a flaming bird, flash photography, hacking up blood, being pushed into dung, gratuitous horny animals including a snail, gratuitous Marion Ross, gratuitous Leslie Nielson, vomiting into a fish tank, drinking a beer, gratuitous Brent Spiner, gratuitous Dan Castellaneta, dead old people, gratuitous Leslie Nielson farting, gratuitous Google, gratuitous Ted Striker as a KKK member, hot chick wearing two bras, gratutious fat guy man boob fondling, ripping a drinking fountain out of the wall, ripping a fat guy’s clothes off, boob touching, gratuitous Stephen Hawking parody, break dancing on a wall, old woman in a wood chipper, nail catching, gratuitous Batman Begins parody, a dog drinking booze, a mugging, an electrified fence, more flaming birds, a ” 1983 Nissan shitbox,” ” 2 girls, 1 cup,” gratuitous Tracy Morgan, gratuitous Kurt Fuller, a dancing monkey, gratuitous Jeffrey Tambor, Wolverine shaving his legs, decapitation via sneezing, riding a motorized toilet, gratuitous Pam Anderson, costume designing, beating a man with a fire extinguisher, gratuitous Tom Cruise on youtube parody, gratuitous John Getz, gratuitous Keith David, arm breaking, multiple head smashings, the ” upside down ” kiss, erect nipples, ” Death Machine Maker: Home Version,” stuffing a turkey, urinating after drinking a Big Gulp, urinating from the ceiling, giant fork through the top of the hand, banging a dead body, wacky waving inflatable tube man sex, putting vanilla icing in a bong, smelling a dinner roll, ” Douchebag of the Year ” ( one of the greatest songs of all time ), Nelson Mandela attacking Desmond Tutu, gratuitous comic book convention, a dick bomb, and being pushed off the top of a building..

G.I.Joe Movie Review and Pictures

2008-06-28T00:38:00.000-07:00

Paramount Pictures have released the first two photos of Ray Park in full garb as Snake Eyes in the Stephen Sommers - directed film G.I. Joe, based on the Hasbro toy line.. The photo below is not CGI, that is an actual photo of the costume that Ray wears in the movie.. We confirmed directly with Paramount that this is 100% real.. There is also a photo we were sent a while back but never got around to posting it of Dennis Quaid in costume as General Hawk..

Stephen Sommers ( Director ) spoke about the character Snake Eyes..

” Snake Eyes, is the world’s greatest ninja, but he’s also next - generation. He’s not afraid to use a sword one second, and a split - second later he’s pulling out his Glock.. His chief nemesis is arguably the world’s other great ninja, Storm Shadow.. The two grew up together, were blood brothers and now are mortal enemies..”

The movie will be a modern telling of the ” G.I. Joe vs. Cobra ” storyline and its compelling characters that Hasbro created 25 years ago.. The premise of this fantasy is the story of the G.I. Joe team, led by Duke, and their “ fight for freedom wherever there is trouble ” against the evil Cobra Commander and his Cobra force.. The film is an origin story and Sommers says he plans to explain various strange aspects - from Destro’s metal mask to Snake Eyes’ lack of speech..

Here’s the official plot synopsis for the G.I. Joe movie..

From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite co - ed G.I. JOE team, based from it’s headquarters The Pit, deploys the latest in next - gen spy and military equipment to fight crooked arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious COBRA organization from plunging the world into chaos..

Larry Hama, the man behind the myth that is G.I. Joe sent these pictures over, which isn’t a grab from the film but an actual publicity shot of Ray Parks in costume.. And buried somewhere under all that is Ray Park, who is a real Phantom of the Opera when it comes to his onscreen work..

Snake Eyes is a mysterious character with little known about his background or identity, beyond that he holds the rank of U.S. Army Sergeant First Class ( E - 7 ).. Hasbro has released over 30 different versions of the character since its original debut in 1982.. The ” ninja master ” is known for his stealth like movements and extensive knowledge of multiple forms of martial arts, and is usually always masked and wearing complete black.. You can see an example of Snake Eyes from the action figure line to the right for comparison..

Snake Eyes is being played by Ray Park, known for his performances as the acrobatic Darth Maul ( Star Wars: Episode I ) and Toad in the first X - Men.. He is in a way like Andy Serkis ( Gollum, King Kong ) or Doug Jones ( Abe Sapien, Silver Surfer ), who best perform physically and beneath a costume.. The reason why he’s always cast for these kind of roles is because he holds a second degree black belt in Wushu and came in second place at the 1995 world championships..

As a cartoon, action figure and comic book property second perhaps only to Transformers, G.I. Joe has endured for decades now as a mainstay of many a moviegoer’s childhood.. Whether marveling over Duke’s heroism, Scarlett’s hotness or Snake Eyes’ enigmatic silence, audiences have embraced the property long beyond its tenure in toy boxes and TV sets around the world.. Appropriately, Hollywood decided last year to develop a film based on G.I. Joe, and much like Michael Bay’s Transformers before it, speculation as to how the series would be adapted quickly reached a fever pitch..

The cast includes Dennis Quaid ( General Hawk ), Channing Tatum ( Duke Hauser ), Arnold Vosloo ( Zartan ), Chris Eccleston ( Destro ), Karolína Isela Kurková ( Cover Girl ), Sienna Miller ( The Baroness ), Ray Park ( Snake Eyes ), Rachel Nichols ( Scarlett ), Adewale Akinnuoye - Agbaje ( Heavy Duty ), Said Taghmaoui ( Breaker ), Marlon Wayans ( Ripcord ), Joseph Gordon - Levitt ( Rex ) and Byung - hun Lee ( Storm Shadow )..

The live action G.I. Joe film is being directed by Stephen Sommers ( Deep Rising, The Mummy, Van Helsing ) and written by both Stuart Beattie and Skip Woods.. G.I. Joe is set to be released 7th August 2009..

G.I.Joe Review

2008-06-28T00:30:00.000-07:00

Last month Paramount released photos of Snake Eyes, earlier this week they released our first look at Scarlett, and now we have exclusive first look at the cast of Stephen Sommers’ G.I. Joe: Channing Tatum as Duke, Karolina Korkova as Cover Girl, Marlon Wayans as Ripcord, Byung - hun Lee as Storm Shadow, Sienna Miller as The Baroness, and Dennis Quaid as Hawk..

Fans were thrilled a month ago when we got our first look at Ray Parks in his Snake Eyes costume from G.I. Joe, and they should be just as happy to see this first shot of Rachel Nichols as Scarlett.. Paramount Pictures brings us the picture of Ms. Nichols as the G.I. Joe team’s fiery - headed Counter - Intelligence specialist.. Scarlett is one of the primary characters in the G.I. Joe series, and has been romantically linked to Snake Eyes in several versions of the story.. She is capable with all modern weapons, but Scarlett’s weapon of choice is a specialized crossbow capable of firing trick bolts.. Lately, there has been a lot of hate directed towards Paramount’s live - action G.I. Joe film..

As you can see, a huge batch of unfinished unpolished character photos leaked onto the web last week which were deemed disappointing, especially after the official photo releases of Scarlet and Snake Eyes.. So we thought we’d take a look at five cool nanotechnology elements we hear might be in the upcoming movie which are sure to get you a little excited..

Accelerator Suits: The G.I. Joe squad wear suits which enable them to run faster, jump huge distances, smash through walls, and withstand bullets..

A Nano - Bomb: The Cobra Commander has an evil plan to launch a nano - bomb.. The scientifically created bomb consists of a swarm of microscopic machines that eat and destroy everything that isn’t organic.. Basically, all machinery, weapons, and buildings would be left in the dust.. Actually, I’m not even sure there would be dust.. But if the Cobra Commander is such an evil super villain, why have the nanites stop at the human level? Why not just have them eat everything? My guess is that if they eat through organic material, the nanites might continue to eat through the earth like termites until it doesn’t exist anymore.. The fact that Cobra Commander realized this risk shows that he is probably very intelligent..

Destro’s Mask: A swarm of nano - mites coat McCullen’s disfigured face, giving him the iconic metallic mask, which allows the Cobra Commamder to control his mind.. In the original mythology, the Commander, with the help of Cobra scientist Mindbender, used mind control to bend Destro, the Baroness, Zartan and Billy to his will, giving Cobra a new high command.. Neo - Vipers: Destro controls a legion of super - soldiers which have been enhanced by nano - tech to allow them not to feel pain or remorse.. How cool is that? Check out a photo of these guys pictured above from the old action figure line.. A whole troop of these things could be really really bad ass..

Invisibility: Scarlett supposedly has a gadget which allows her to become invisible for stealth missions.. Don’t let the Fantastic Four vibe scare you away, I’m sure this will lead to a kick ass battle sequence.. In 2005, Hasbro released a line of G.I. Joe figures called Sigma 6 which included a Strike Team with Invisible Camo..

Now imagine a war movie like you’ve never seen before. A cross between X - Men, Saving Private Ryan and Robert A. Heinlein’s novel Starship Troopers.. This is what G.I. Joe has the potential to be.. The movie will be a modern telling of the ” G.I. Joe vs. Cobra ” storyline and its compelling characters that Hasbro created 25 years ago.. The premise of this fantasy is the story of the G.I. Joe team, led by Duke, and their ” fight for freedom wherever there is trouble ” against the evil Cobra Commander and his Cobra force..

In recent casting, Brendan Fraser has filmed a cameo appearance for G.I. Joe.. Fraser plays Gung Ho, a Village People - looking soldier from the toyline, during a training sequence in The Pit..

Dwayne ‘ The Rock ‘ Johnson, apparently been offered the role of the Latino Navy SEAL named Hector Delgado aka Shipwreck.. Dwayne Johnson hasn’t said either yes or no, but the offer is out to him..

Rapper Common ( Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr.) has been offered the part of Road Block in the G.I. Joe movie, but nothing has been solidified yet.. Could this mean we will see Road Block in the Live Action G.I. Joe Film after all? Only time will tell..

Kevin J. O’Connor has a really small part - a cameo, in fact - in a flashback scene.. He will be a scientist.. O’Connor has already filmed his bit, and he says that other Sommers regulars may be appearing as well. When I say the cameo is small, I mean it - O’Connor said he wondered why they would have him in for such a quick bit of business, but then he compared it to the Bruce Campbell cameos in the Spider - Man movies..

In nerdy news, Hummer HX will be used in the upcoming film.. The HX is a compact two - door, four - passenger, open - air, extreme off-road capable concept.. HX features a reconfigurable rear compartment that can transform from slant back to SUT to square back, any of which can be open air or fully enclosed.. This will be one of the many GM vehicles to be used in the film and will be known as the Cougar ( Patrol Vehicle ) or the Grizzly ( Armored Truck ).. For more pics of this Ultimate Hummer Click Here..

The G.I. Joe movie is being referred to as ” a cross between X-Men, Saving Private Ryan and Starship Troopers..” The real reason I’m excited for it: I have a good feeling that G.I. Joe is going to be as badass ( or more ) than Transformers.. Paramount is kicking it up a notch with this one and Stephen Sommers and crew are really going all out.. I’ve been excited from the start and now these tidbits have gotten me even more revved up.. I don’t know how you can hear about accelerator suits, nanotechnology, and epic battles and not be excited for this movie?

Written by Stuart Beattie ( 30 Days of Night, the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy ), the ensemble cast is led by Dennis Quaid as grizzled team leader Hawk and Channing Tatum as top soldier Duke Hauser.. Rounding out the team are Marlon Wayans as Ripcord, Rachel Nichols as hand - to - hand combat and counterintelligence expert Scarlett, Akinnuoye - Agbaje as ordinance expert Heavy Duty, Said Taghmaoui as communications specialist Breaker, Ray Park as mute ninja Snake Eyes and Sienna Miller as a spy known as The Baroness.. Stephen Sommers, who directed the Universal monster movies The Mummy, The Mummy Returns and Van Helsing, is directing and producing G.I. Joe with producing partner Bob Duscay. Fresh from his success with DreamWorks/Paramount’s adaptation of Hasbro’s Transformers brand, Lorenzo di Bonaventura is also producing with Hasbro’s Brian Goldner. G.I. Joe is set to be released 7th August 2009..

Discuss: What do you guys think?

Update:

Seven people were injured Saturday during filming of G.I. Joe in the center of Prague..

A collision took place as an all - wheel - drive vehicle seemed to lose control of its braking abilities and smash into the a bus and several cars.,

Thankfully the location was a closed area that was rented out to the filmmakers for the weekend..

The injured were treated in hospitals in the Czech capital, and injuries were only ” slight..”

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

2008-06-28T00:29:00.000-07:00

High School Musical 3: Senior Year finds high school seniors Troy and Gabriella facing the prospect of separation as they head off to different colleges..

Joined by the rest of the Wildcats, they stage an elaborate spring musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future..

With incredible new music and exciting dance numbers designed to take maximum advantage of the big screen, this motion picture extravaganza delivers plenty of high - energy entertainment from East High’s talented ensemble..

Principal photography kicks off the 3rd May 2008 on Walt Disney Pictures’ upcoming theatrical production High School Musical 3: Senior Year.. The all - new feature film will be shot on location in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is set for release in theaters 24th October 2008.. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributes..

In other news, a list of the most stylish teen stars has been compiled and it looks like the young power couple of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens have both made the proverbial cut..

Perhaps some good natured ribbing of High School Musical 3 costar Ashley Tisdale is in order..

” High School Musical star 19 - year - old Vanessa Hudgens’ recipe for red carpet success is pairing simple hair and makeup with uber glam gowns.. Case in point? Her loose waves and gold sequin Marc Bouwer cocktail dress at the 2007 American Music Awards,” raved Stylelist.com.

Her look can be found here..

As for her costar, the website is fully aware that he’s not actually a teen at all..

“ Yes, Zac Efron turned 20 this year, but we just can’t get it through our thick heads!” explained Stylelist..” Wearing a perfectly tailored suit and skinny tie at this year’s SAG Awards, the star looks poised to steal George Clooney’s title as king of the red carpet..”

His aforementioned style can be found here..

The Incredible Hulk

2008-06-28T00:25:00.000-07:00

The Incredible Hulk kicks off an all - new, explosive and action - packed epic of one of the most popular superheroes of all time.. In this new beginning, scientist Bruce Banner ( Edward Norton ) desperately hunts for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes the unbridled force of rage within him: The Hulk..

Living in the shadows - cut off from a life he knew and the woman he loves, Betty Ross ( Liv Tyler ) - Banner struggles to avoid the obsessive pursuit of his nemesis, General Thunderbolt Ross ( William Hurt ), and the military machinery that seeks to capture him and brutally exploit his power..

As all three grapple with the secrets that led to The Hulk’s creation, they are confronted with a monstrous new adversary known as The Abomination ( Tim Roth ), whose destructive strength exceeds even The Hulk’s own.. And on the 13th June 2008, one scientist must make an agonizing final choice: accept a peaceful life as Bruce Banner or find heroism in the creature he holds inside - The Incredible Hulk..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WErMhbOUIDs

The next few days will see Iron Man clang around for box office records.. So, just under the wire, Universal tried to steal a little bit of that fellow Avenger’s thunder by tossing out new pictures and a new trailer for The Incredible Hulk..

The Incredible Hulk will be released in theaters on 13th June 2008..

The Mummy - Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

2008-06-28T00:23:00.000-07:00

The blockbuster global Mummy franchise takes a spellbinding turn as the action shifts to Asia for the next chapter in the adventure series, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.. Brendan Fraser returns as explorer Rick O’Connell to combat the resurrected Han Emperor ( Jet Li ) in an epic that races from the catacombs of ancient China high into the frigid Himalayas.. Rick is joined in this all - new adventure by son Alex ( Newcomer Luke Ford ), wife Evelyn ( Maria Bello ) and her brother, Jonathan ( John Hannah ).. And this time, the O’Connells must stop a mummy awoken from a 2,000 - year - old curse who threatens to plunge the world into his merciless, unending service..

Doomed by a double - crossing sorceress ( Michelle Yeoh ) to spend eternity in suspended animation, China’s ruthless Dragon Emperor and his 10,000 warriors have laid forgotten for eons, entombed in clay as a vast, silent terra cotta army.. But when dashing adventurer Alex O’Connell is tricked into awakening the ruler from eternal slumber, the reckless young archaeologist must seek the help of the only people who know more than he does about taking down the undead: his parents..

As the monarch roars back to life, our heroes find his quest for world domination has only intensified over the millennia.. Striding the Far East with unimaginable supernatural powers, the Emperor Mummy will rouse his legion as an unstoppable, otherworldly force … unless the O’Connells can stop him first.. Now, in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the trademark thrills and visually spectacular action of the Mummy series will be redefined for a new generation..

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor will be taking you on an adventure in a cinema near you from the 1st August 2008..

Discuss: Will The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor be the best one out of the series?

Review: Harry Potter The Exhibition

2008-06-28T00:13:00.000-07:00

Becker Group, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, the other day announced it will bring worldwide audiences Harry Potter: The Exhibition, a state - of - the - art exhibition highlighting artifacts from the Warner Bros. films based on J.K. Rowling’s books..

The 10,000 square foot experience will premiere in spring 2009 in a major market, and will appear in ten or more cities around the world throughout a five - year span.. Harry Potter: The Exhibition will include elaborate displays of authentic costumes, props and artifacts from popular environments featured in the films such as those from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including the Gryffindor common room and Hagrid’s hut..

During its run, the exhibit will also be updated to include artifacts from the final installments of the Harry Potter film series.. The exhibition will be displayed in major cultural and entertainment venues, museums and institutions, and will be supported by a multimedia promotional effort and advance ticket sales worldwide.. Tour information, updates and ticket availability will be posted at HarryPotterExhibition.com as details become available, or for more information, call 866 - 231 - 8328..

With more than $4.5 billion in worldwide box office gross sales to date, Harry Potter is the most successful film franchise in the world.. The next installment of the Warner Bros. blockbuster film series, Harry Potter and the Half - Blood Prince, is scheduled to open in theaters on the 21st November 2008.

” Creating this magical tour around such a legendary property is a true milestone for Becker Group, both as a company, and a source of creative entertainment-based attractions,” said Glenn Tilley, president and chief executive officer of Becker Group..

” We’ve dedicated ourselves to delivering an exciting experience for visitors that will meet the standards set by the films based on the novels by J.K. Rowling,” added Eddie Newquist, president of Becker Group’s Creative Studio and Exhibits..

” We’re thrilled to partner with Becker Group to produce this multi - dimensional exhibition dedicated to the iconic Harry Potter film series,” said Brad Globe, president Warner Bros. Consumer Products.. ” Fans around the world will finally be able to see the incredible craftsmanship and detail that went into creating their favorite props and costumes..”

Harry Potter: The Exhibition is the fourth collaboration between Warner Bros. and Becker Group..

Previous partnerships include the successful Happy Feet Snow Globe Experience and the Fred Claus Snow Globe Experience, each of which appeared in 17 Taubman retail centers nationally in 2006 and 2007, respectively, as well as another project based on the classic holiday film The Polar Express..

Son of Rambow

2008-06-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

The most talked about film of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival finally makes it to theaters this week, ( With a limited release in the US pencilled in for 2nd May 2008 ), and thank god, because this joyous, ridiculously heart - warming comedy deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.. It’s heartwarming without any treacle, it’s hilarious without resorting to cheap gags, and it’s genuine.. Son of Rambow will quickly become a favorite movie of any dork ( Like myself ) who dreamed big as a kid and used movie making as an outlet..

Set in England in the summer of ‘82, it tells the story of Will Proudfoot ( Bill Milner ), an adorable and sad young boy.. His father had a stroke and passed away.. His family belongs to a religion called The Plymouth Brethren, which forbids television, movies, and music of popular culture.. Will has never seen a moving picture in his entire life, but he has a huge imagination and fills the pages of his text books with drawings to the point that you can’t see the text anymore..

Rated: [ PG - 13 ] Some violence and reckless behavior

Cinema release: 2nd May 2008 - USA

4th September 2008 - Australia

Running time: 96 minutes

Stars: Will Poulter, Bill Milner, Jules Sitruk, Charlie Thrift, Jessica Stevenson, Neil Dudgeon, Charlie Elliot

Fate intervenes when Will encounters Lee Carter ( Will Poulter ).. Carter is the troubled kid in school, always in and out of the principal’s office.. Events bring these two unlikely kids together, with Carter taking advantage of Will’s good nature.. Carter lives in a retirement home ( His mother is never around ) and works for his brother bootlegging movies with his VHS camera.. The latest film to come through town? First Blood.. ( It should be noted the film takes place in the early 80’s )..

Will sees First Blood and his mind is blown.. He and Carter decide to join forces and make a film with the camera and resources they have.. The film Will wants to make? Son of Rambow.. ( Will is unaware of the proper spelling of Rambo ). The two form a friendship making the film, despite the growing consequences of Will’s new passion conflicting with the Brethren’s beliefs, creating much tension between Will and his mother.. ( Jessica Stevenson, from Spaced!)

Eventually, other kids from the school come on board to join these outcasts, most notably the French exchange student that all the other kids think is the coolest.. ( He wants to be a movie star, and even has prop guns ).. Does this drive a rift between Will and Carter? You need to see the film and discover that for yourself..

What makes Son of Rambow so damn good is that even though it’s filled with whimsy, it’s British whimsy, which is always less insulting to your intelligence.. Written and directed by Garth Jennings ( He of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fame ), Son of Rambow has some wonderfully fanciful moments and manages to keep it strictly grounded.. The problems of Carter and Will are very real, which only makes the accomplishment of their filmmaking that more important..

Director Garth Jennings ( Who also directed the massively disappointing film Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy a few years ago, does a MASTERFUL job at brining the story to us.. Jennings based the story on his own preadolescent adventures, and his affection for this time in his own life, and a period in pop culture that influenced him, is evident without seeming self - indulgent.. It’s hard enough to tell a compelling story and bring out good performances with adult professional actors … it’s got to be next to impossible to make a film that is meant to be meaningful, touching, funny and beautiful with almost an exclusively child cast.. But somehow, some way, Jennings does it..

It’s interesting to note the similarities between Son of Rambow and Be Kind Rewind.. Both films center their stories on misfits and outsiders coming together to make a movie for a greater purpose.. And both make tremendous use of the filmmakers’ creative solutions in recreating scenes with the materials available to them.. Where Rambow differs is that the joy stems from the minds of children, where the only limit is their own imaginations..

An inherent drawback of working with child actors is that sometimes emotionally charged scenes can come off a little cheesy or forced.. For the most part Son of Rambow manages for avoid this, but there were 2 or 3 occasions that it does pop its head up.. Aside from that, I have no complaints..

Will and Lee are superbly portrayed by newbies Bill Miller and Will Poulter.. I was surprised to see that both of them haven’t been in that many other films ( Poulter in none actually ), but I’m guessing that after this films is released that’s going to change.. I also loved Will’s innocence.. Especially at the start of the movie there are things that he’s doing that at first glance you just don’t understand.. Then when you find out, you just can’t help but find it cute..

I also have to give a special mention to the visual effects and sound effects.. There aren’t that many ( It’s not that type of movie ), but when they are used it works so well.. For instance, at the start of the movie a group of kids run by, but from the sound of it they seem more like a giant stampede.. Then next to that Will’s daydreaming is brought to life in a very unique type of way ( I won’t explain how otherwise I’ll ruin it )..

Watching it, you can’t help but think of all the lazy afternoons you spent as a kid dreaming of being Indiana Jones or Lt. Ripley, Flash Gordon or Nancy Drew, as the shared world of other people’s stories melded with the unique mix of daydreams and ideas that were yours alone.. Son of Rambow is a great reminder - of joy, of possibility, of youth - and at the same time, it makes you feel like dreams are still possible, and that joy is all around if you’re willing to dare to find it..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDFNLHH_D2M

This is a definite must - see cinema movie.. It’s the first great movie I’ve seen all year, and one of my favorite of all that I’ve seen.. In contrary to most other movies, Son of Rambow is worth every penny and you’ll come out of the cinema with a smile on your face.. It’s smart, sweet, funny, and above all made with love and affection for these characters.. You want these boys to succeed, and to eventually make Son of Rambow 2.. And I would be first in line to see it.. By the way, stay seated till after the credits.. There’s a little extra you won’t want to miss..

I give Son of Rambow 5 out of 5..

Get Smart and The Love Guru Reviews

2008-06-22T00:58:00.000-07:00

Get Smart
Though I've always been aware of it, I've never been terribly interested in the source TV show behind this adaptation. After all, I was too busy watching Don Adams voice Inspector Gadget as a kid to be interested in a show that was long gone before I was born.

Still, Carrell is a savvy choice to reprise the role of Agent 86, and the combined appeal of Carrell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson and Alan Arkin is pretty high. Throw all that together with the fact that this week's other release is a giant stink bomb and you get this...
Fletch's Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 65%, or better than the chance that it will get below 100 here before September.

The Love Guru
And you thought The Happening got bad reviews. This one doesn't even have 5 votes at IMDb, which not only seems odd, but makes it ineligible for a rating. Rotten Tomatoes, on the other hand, shows it at a 16% approval rate. In other words, this is most likely the bomb of the year, to be spoken about in tales of folk lore like Ishtar and Waterworld before it.
Fletch's Chance of Viewing: 0%, or equal to the percent that The Love Guru 2 is made.

Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Avengers..

2008-06-22T00:52:00.001-07:00

Marvel is doing some clever cross promotion in their films! It looks like Marvel is thinking ahead; way ahead.. If you are one of those who pay attention to every little detail to be seen in a movie, such as one who is brilliantly autistic, you might have noticed a small bit of hardware in Iron Man..

Marvel has it in mind to bridge the gap between Tony Stark / Iron Man, Captain America, Incredible Hulk and The Avengers.. For one - take a look at the image below.. See anything of interest? Well, I didn’t either ( At first ), but take a look the left side of the picture underneath Stark’s arm and you will see Captain America’s shield … in the making..

The scene in which you can see the shield is after returns from Afghanistan after fighting with the Mark III red / gold armor for the very first time.. Right after he fights the two F - 22 fighter jets, it shows him back in his lab trying to remove his armor but having trouble.. Right as Pepper Potts walks down into his lab and asks him ” what is he doing?”, the shield can be seen sitting on one of his tables behind him in the lower left corner.. Favreau’s camp has not confirmed this yet..

If my comic history is correct, Captain America was actually given his round shield from the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization when he was found in modern times, which could make sense in this universe.. Maybe Tony Stark has been building a shield, for whatever reasons, and eventually S.H.I.E.L.D., who was revealed at the end of the movie, will find out about it at a future point and suggest they give it to Captain America for his use.. And this means maybe it will involve some sort of awesome Tony Stark technology instead of just being a metal object he throws around.. How about that for a concept?

The shield is actually red, white, and blue, although you can’t see the red clearly in the photo.. But if you see the scene in the theater, the shield is actually there and very identifiable.. It looks like it is half - constructed and being built by Tony Stark, but you can definitely see the unique star.. It is a round shield with circular red, white, and blue stripes.. What does this mean?

In other Marvel crossovers, a whole crop of new images from The Incredible Hulk have hit the net, including the one above showing an assistant ( Tim Blake Nelson ) holding the super serum that’s eventually injected into Tim Roth ( Which, of course, gave him super powers and turned him into Abomination ).. Ah, but those of you who attended or watched the New York Comic Con, were told that this serum is, in fact, the same kind used to create Captain America.. I remembered something being brought up about this at the panel for The Incredible Hulk at the New York Comic Con last month.. So, I went through the video and sure enough, producer Kevin Feige confirms to the crowd, which had just been shown footage of the film, that the serum is a Captain America reference.. Feige went on to say..

“Did you guys see the color of the serum? It’s Captain America’s color.. So there you go..”

Holding the blue serum in the photo is Tim Nelson Blake as Samuel Sterns in human form.. In the comics, Sterns is a janitor at the lab where Dr. Banner works, which is where he too is exposed to gamma radiation and becomes the Hulk’s nemesis, The Leader..

Not only can you spot Cap’s shield in the Iron Man movie, but it turns out that the Incredible Hulk movie will set up the super soldier storyline - prepping the origin story for the Captain America movie!

In the Hulk movie, General Ross will talk about a super soldier project begun during WW2, and show the blue ” super soldier serum ” used to create the all - American hero.. Note how this serum is a patriotic blue rather than the gamma green that Blonsky, a.k.a. The Abomination gets injected with..

Pretty damn smart of Marvel, huh? This kind of forward thinking is going to guarantee good comic book movies for several years.. Marvel may just have started another golden age for their characters onscreen..

Now all this could confuse comic fans.. Fans of Marvel would know by now that Iron Man was based around the Vietnam War, Incredible Hulk was based in early 60’s too and Captain America was based around World War II.. So your question probably is, how can there be links between them all? Well as we have see, the movies are based in modern times.. It means changing storylines and origins slightly to fit in together.. Captain America fought in the War and was then put into suspended animation until the modern day.. Re - awakened in a strange new world..

Last month, MTV spoke with Downey, who confirmed to them that his Iron Man character Tony Stark would be making a cameo in the upcoming The Incredible Hulk movie..

In the scene, which appears in the trailer after the credits, Stark enters a bar and approaches William Hurt’s General Thaddeus Ross, an adversary of Dr. Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk.. They exchange a few words, something about “ stale beer ” and how Stark always has the nicest suits ( The audience at the Con was screaming so loudly it was hard to hear what was said ).. Here’s how the rest of the scene plays out:

Stark: “ I hear you have an unusual problem..”

Ross: “ You should talk..”

Stark: “ You should listen..”

Cue more intense screams from the audience..

In the MTV interview, Downey had said that when he approaches Ross, he finds him “ in despair,” and Ross certainly does look that way in the footage.. Downey also said that Stark and Ross “ may be considering going into some sort of limited partnership together..”

Of course all this is related to Marvel announcing last week the release date for First Avenger: Captain America ( Working title ) as 6th May, 2011, as well as a second Avengers movie due in July 2011..

Nick Cassavetes ( Alpha Dog, The Notebook ) is rumored to direct the project with a script by Zak Penn - the writer of practically every other Marvel film in existence..

But, who will play Steve Rogers, the brave volunteer who took on the Nazis as part of the Super Soldier program? Matthew McConaughey is the rumor that won’t go away.. But, many fans wonder if he’s too old - or too bizarre - to pull off the All - American character.. The shield - throwing Cap’ was never caught playing bongos in the nude sky - high on the laughing tree.. Matthew McConaughey may be one of the names at the top of the list - perhaps placed there by the fact that the actor’s name has often been at the top of fan polls for their pick of who to play the character..

Physically, McConaughey fits the bill for the character perfectly.. He’s blonde - haired, blue - eyed, square - jawed and buff.. What makes this a bit more uncertain is McConaughey’s acting history and public persona.. The actor is known for being laid-back and, well, ” dirty ” - hardly the embodiment of the American Dream that Cap is supposed to be..

On the other hand, Captain America has often been criticized for being too clean - cut and patriotic, and being out - of - touch and inaccessible to modern fans.. So perhaps McConaughey would be able to breathe excitement into the role for The First Avenger: Captain America..

It should be noted that this is still rumor at this point - McConaughey’s name is at the top of the list being considered, but nothing has been signed or confirmed at this point..

In the comics, Captain America is actually Steve Rogers, a patriotic young man during the days of World War II who was rejected by the army for being physically unfit.. Officials were so impressed with the young man’s enthusiasm that they enlisted him in a top - secret Super Soldier program to transform him into the pinnacle of human fitness.. Transformed, Captain America fought in the War and was then put into suspended animation until the modern day.. Re - awakened in a strange new world, Cap still fights for truth and justice and the American way as the leader of the Avengers..

The character remains one of the few of Marvel’s most popular characters yet to have been turned into a feature film ( Not including the odious 1990 low - budget direct - to - video feature ).. In many ways it still faces much difficulty due to the nature of the uber - patriotic character in a modern post - Iraq world which has become far more critical of America’s involvement on the global stage than ever before..

The solution seems to be repositioning the character and placing the emphasis on his role as the leader of ‘ The Avengers..’ The character will team up with Iron Man, Hulk and Thor in that film opening a few weeks later in July 2011..

At present Captain America: First Avenger is slated for a 6th May 2011 release, with the project looking for a writer, director and star.. As well as a second Avengers movie due in July 2011.. The Incredible Hulk will be smashing its way into theaters from 13th June 2008, while Iron Man is out now..

Discuss: What do you think of the Marvel crossovers?

Smallville’s Lex Luthor is Leaving..

2008-06-22T00:46:00.000-07:00

It’s officially been reported that Michael Rosenbaum, who portrays Clark Kent’s nemesis Lex Luthor on CW’s Smallville, has left the show.. The character is going to be replaced by two new baddies.. But more on that a little bit later..

He posted the following on his website:

” It is time for me to start the next chapter of my life and career,” Rosenbaum said.. ” I hope that I gave you some enjoyment over the years and that you found my portrayal of Lex Luthor to be satisfying..”

In that same post, he stated that the executive production team from Smallville hinted at the idea that Lex may show up in season eight..

They go into a little detail on the replacement characters that will fill the evil void that Lex Luthor is leaving behind.. One is a dangerously sinister female villain ” whose attraction with Clark may prove to be as deadly as kryptonite for him..” They don’t specify anything else about her, but the second nemesis they announced is … Doomsday..

To the Superman aficionado, Doomsday is the Krypton spawned monster who killed Superman in the DC comic universe.

Every now and then something pushes my buttons, and the new creative forces bringing in Doomsday hit that sucker hard.. Up until now I’ve been pretty neutral about Smallville, season eight, the departure of Gough and Millar at the end of season seven, and other things..

I’ve been pretty patient with the ” no fly ” rule initiated by Gough and Millar, despite more and more flying Kryptonians showing up on the show..

Vic has mentioned previously that Smallville should have bowed out willingly - as he also said, like Seinfeld did, at the height of their game.. I’ve been fairly patient with Vic’s perspective, but I’m getting on his bandwagon and thinking that this eighth season coming up is a mistake..

With Gough and Millar leaving, the CW is replacing the duo from within the show’s ranks with executive producers Darren Swimmer, Todd Slavkin, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson.. They’ve been with the show for the last 6 seasons, and the series is where the majority of their creative experience comes from.. The lack of outside experience causes me to take pause..

When Gough and Millar ( G & M ) said things in their open letter about leaving the show like: ” they never compromised their vision,” they thanked folks like John Litvack for ” when the knives were out, he always had their backs..” and they referenced the ” much missed WB staff..”

With the announcement of Doomsday showing up, I think I can read a few things between the lines here.. That G & M had to defend some of their creative input like the no - fly rule that made their interpretation unique, ( I didn’t say I liked it..), that others at the new CW wanted something different than the WB was producing and the introduction of Doomsday proves this to me..

After season 7, I’m guessing we’re going to get very little character growth and more Black Canary type episodes that are painful to watch..

The introduction of Doomsday to the show sounds like a last ditch effort to generate attention and make some lame promise of violence.. There are so many other bad guys that could have provided an intellectual challenge that they could have introduced to the show for the long haul of the season and they’re bringing in yet another Kryptonian.. There’s no originality in that approach..

Doomsday changed the face of the Superman franchise.. The sales for the comic were mediocre and slipping and they were going to end the title with a bang in 1993.. But when the Kryptonian beast came on the scene and ended up killing Superman after quite the slug fest, the sales numbers went through the roof and DC changed their minds and instead, Doomsday ended up creating several new Superman based story arcs and characters..

What the CW is now trying to pull sounds like a desperate ploy to me.. It is way too early in Kent’s life to have Doomsday show up.. With G & W departing and the CW pawns at the helm, I’m betting Clark flies next season..

Discuss: Do you think Smallville will survive Lex’s departure?

The A - Team Reviews

2008-06-22T00:43:00.000-07:00

The news that Bruce Willis has been approached to star as Hannibal Smith in the feature version of The A - Team isn’t really a surprise.. He is one of the original names that has been attached to the part for almost a decade but … it’s a pretty good choice! Looks like we got one of our dream Team members right again..

John Singleton is attached to direct, and the 2 Fast 2 Furious helmer has already mentioned that he would like Woody Harrelson to play Murdock and Ice Cube to play the iconic B.A Barracus.. We must point out though, that nobody has in fact been signed..

The main question is: Would Willis be willing to star in such an obviously commercial choice, and one that is based on a 1980’s television show?

There’s a pretty good chance that he might want to step into George Peppard’s shoes..

Willis has shown a great interest in pop culture over the years, and he has appeared in comic book adaptations - Sin City and the forthcoming The Surrogates ( A pretty cool graphic novel - you should pick it up ) sequels - Die Hard I’m looking at you!

Heck he’s even willing to star in ensemble films - Pulp Fiction and Ocean’s Twelve, and let’s not forget that he started his career on television during the 1980’s with Moonlighting..

It will be interesting to see if Willis would be up for it, but he’s more likely to do it than the other names on the Hannibal list: Mel Gibson, George Clooney and Harrison Ford..

If Singleton gets the cast he wants it should make for an interesting film - that is if they don’t play it too straight, this should be an 80’s style action flick - with humor!

With cast possibilities like these, the biggest hurdle this film will likely have to overcome is budget concerns.. Over - the - top moments, most often including massive explosions, were a signature characteristic of the original TV series.. For example, a huge bomb’s detonator is timed exactly to the lighting of Hannibal’s cigar in one episode, enabling the crucial bad - ass - walking - towards - the - camera - with - a - smile - while - the - world - explodes - behind - him shot.. Additionally, virtually every episode in the series features vehicles, particularly of the military jeep variety, that are prone to explosion when met with gunfire..

The A - Team’s violence, however, always came highly sanitized.. Nobody actually dies on the show, despite the fact that their vehicle / tank / helicopter has just exploded into a jillion pieces around them.. That’s not to mention the fact that about 50 million rounds of ammunition are fired in each episode, striking absolutely nothing that breathes - ever.. Sure, people may clutch their chests or supposedly afflicted limbs, but did you see any blood? Hell no..

The lack of blood, corpses or even so much as a bruise was a running joke among the writing staff, according to show creator Stephen J. Cannell.. Writers would often deliberately test the limits of realism just to see how ridiculously improbable they could make the situation.. Soldiers trapped in a nuclear ammo dump that’s just been blown to high hell climb out of the smoldering rubble looking little more than winded.. Hannibal fires a bazooka at a military vehicle, reducing it to a mangled mess of burning steel, yet the vehicle’s occupants crawl from the wreckage without a scratch.. See the pattern?

This film could be great, with the right script and especially the right cast.. But Singleton has his work cut out for him, because the odds of this movie bombing are pretty high.. No word on a release date, or a start date for that matter, but you can bet your backside I’ll keep you up - to - date..

I’m just waiting to use the line - ” I love it when a cast comes together!”

Discuss: What is you Dream Team?

Iron Man 2 Review

2008-06-22T00:39:00.000-07:00

Marvel Studios made it official yesterday, announcing that Iron Man 2 is now a sure thing.. That means it’s time to start thinking about what direction they’ll go for the sequel, and don’t think for a minute that Marvel doesn’t already have plans..

Apparently the Samuel L. Jackson cameo after the credits in Iron Man wasn’t just a throwaway.. Our scooper says his Nick Fury character will figure prominently into the next movie.. One of the plot lines being pushed for the sequel has Jackson’s Nick Fury character enlisting the help of Tony Stark in going after a terrorist called The Mandarin..

If you know anything about Iron Man outside the movie, then you know that The Mandarin is one of his most notorious villains.. The movie actually alludes to him.. The terrorist group which captures Tony Stark at the beginning of the film is named The Ten Rings, a reference to the ten rings of power the Mandarin seeks in the comics..

We don’t know if the ten rings will still be a part of the character, but our scooper does say he’ll “ have a monster at his disposal by the name of Fin Fang Foom..” That might be a nice change of pace.. Give Iron Man something to fight besides his mirror image in a bigger suit.. Meanwhile Fin Fang Foom also plays a role in Iron Man comic lore.. In the comics, he’s an extraterrestrial dragon..

In addition to new bad guys, our source says they may be planning to involve other superheroes in the film.. Maybe in the form of the cameo Iron Man is supposed to do later this summer in The Incredible Hulk.. Chief among those is Thor, who may show up in more than just a cameo, possibly helping Iron Man.. Thor has his own movie coming out the same summer Iron Man 2 hits, so that makes a certain kind of sense.. It would be a way for Marvel to get people interested in a superhero franchise which, really isn’t as high - profile.. Other possible superhero cameos include Hawkeye and Black Widow..

While our source for this is tried and true, please keep in mind that none of this is final yet.. It’s still very very early in the Iron Man 2 production phase.. With no script yet, anything could change, and with Iron Man 2 not being released till 30th April 2010, we’re going to have plenty of time to talk about it..

Discuss: Which characters are you looking forward to seeing in Iron Man 2?