In case you thought Jason was dead for good...

He lives...and The Hollywood Reporter has the gory details:

Jason's coming back.
The villain who's defied death more often than Evil Knievel is making another appearance on the big screen. Sources saying that New Line and Platinum Dunes are moving forward on a new “Friday the 13th" and that Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, who wrote the recently released reboot, beginning work on a script for a new picture.
There's a catch, though.
Unlike the sophomore efforts of other franchises, the new “Friday” is expected to be not a sequel so much as a follow-up, those familiar with the project say. Jason Voorhees will be the villain, of course, but the new picture is expected to use elements of the original franchise more as a jumping-off point than as a template.
The reason? The reboot drew from the first four pictures in the “Friday” series, and producers are said not to be keen on the plot elements of the half-dozen movies that followed. And Marcus Nispel, who directed the latest film, is a possible but unlikely candidate to helm the “Friday” follow-up; the director is believed to be fielding offers for movies across other genres.
The wild cards are stars Jared Padalecki and Amanda Righetti; though both survive in the latest film and are considered rising young stars, they also are on hit TV shows (“Supernatural” and “The Mentalist,” respectively) and their schedules could be too packed.
Insiders caution that there is no green light and Platinum Dunes and New Line are actively working together on another franchise reboot, “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” which is set to start shooting in two months.
Still, the “Friday” property is a desirable one, and in a best-case scenario the next film could be ready as early as the second half of 2010.
The first reboot, which brought a group of attractive young victims nack to get slashed at Camp Crystal Lake, was one of the surprise hits of the winter, earning $70 million worldwide. New Line and Paramount split domestic and international rights on the recent release and likely would do so again on a new picture.
In addition to the new “Friday,” the CAA-repped Shannon and Swift are in development on a number of other projects, including “Inland Saints” for Paramount and “Jerry the Giant Killer” for Columbia.

-Well, duh

Narnia gets a new scribe

From Variety:

Michael Petroni has been tapped to write the next installment in "The Chronicles of Narnia" franchise.
Petroni will write "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" for Walden Media and Fox 2000. He will take over for Richard LaGravanese, who penned the most recent draft of the C.S. Lewis novel.
Move signals that Walden is moving full steam ahead on the third chapter in the franchise with its new Narnia studio partner, 20th Century Fox. In late December, the project seemed in doubt after Disney decided to pull the plug on co-financing the pic.
Walden is eyeing a summer start date for a holiday 2010 release through the Fox Walden label.
Petroni landed the "Narnia" gig based on his recent work for Fox 2000, including a rewrite of the Kevin Lima directing vehicle "Afterlife," an adaptation of Markus Zusak's novel "The Book Thief" and a rewrite of the Julia Roberts starrer "Daniel Isn't Talking."
Project also reteams Petroni with "Narnia" producer Mark Johnson. The scribe adapted the Australian novel "The Long Green Shore" for Johnson, Intermedia and Russell Crowe.

-I'm not a fan of the series, but hey, you never know...

A "Gigantic" Poster

Updates

Best Actress Predictions up on the Site. Check them out.

Also, American Idol Results Recap.

And make sure to keep voting in the ACCA's for 2007. Voting ends soon. VOTE HERE

Venice chooses Ang Lee to head its Jury

Variety has the story:

Ang Lee will head the main jury of the 66th Venice Film Festival.
A two-time Golden Lion winner -- in 2005 for "Brokeback Mountain," and in 2007 for "Lust, Caution" -- Lee was praised by fest topper Marco Mueller as "one of the most successful directors at creating a dialogue between the filmmaking cultures of the East and West."
Lee, who was born in Taiwan and trained at NYU Film School, is in post on the comedy "Taking Woodstock," based on the memoir about the leadup to the 1969 Woodstock concert by author Elliot Tiber.
While fest organizers declined to confirm whether "Woodstock" -- slated by Focus Features for an Aug.14 U.S. release date -- will unspool at the Lido, a Venice bow in an out-of-competition slot certainly seems timely.
The fest, which runs Sept. 2-12, will be the first to unspool while a new Palazzo del Cinema venue is under construction. In early February builders began work on the $100 million palazzo, part of a broader infrastructural Lido revamp that will also see the historic Hotel Des Bains converted into luxury apartments managed by the Four Seasons Hotel.

-I'm excited for his Woodstock film...how bout you?

Trailer for The Informers

Wonder if this film will benefit from Mickey Rourke's newfound popularity:


-This was one of my favorite books growing up...hope it translated well to the screen...

Another UP Poster

Going into production...Damn Yankees!

Yes, the musical is being remade with some big names attached. Here's Variety's take on the matter:

New Line Cinema is playing ball with Jim Carrey and Jake Gyllenhaal on "Damn Yankees," attaching both actors to star in a contemporized film transfer of the classic musical.
Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel are set to write the script.
The musical is being produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the duo behind New Line's musical "Hairspray"; a sequel to that film is in the works.
"Damn Yankees," which bowed on Broadway in 1955 and won seven Tony Awards, focuses on Joe Boyd, a happily married middle-aged man whose devotion to a hapless pro baseball team prompts him to make a Faustian bargain with the devil to help the team. He's transformed into slugger Joe Hardy, in exchange for Boyd's soul. Boyd can break the deal, but the deadline occurs during the World Series. For good measure, the devil engages Lola, a gorgeous lost soul, to seduce the slugger and seal his fate.
The plan is for Carrey to play the devil, and Gyllenhaal to play Boyd. It's the first musical for each.
The producers tried but struck out on a version of "Damn Yankees" five years ago at Miramax, where they made "Chicago." The rights lapsed after Harvey Weinstein exited that studio. After two years of rights negotiations, "Damn Yankees" is moving forward with Toby Emmerich's New Line.
The trick is finding a balance that retains the show's classic tunes like "(You Gotta Have) Heart" and "Whatever Lola Wants," while injecting a contemporary feel on a musical that is firmly rooted in the 1950s. The intention is to get a script from Ganz and Mandel before meeting directors, and actresses who'll want to play Lola.
The original was directed by George Abbott and choreographed by Bob Fosse, with music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, and book by Abbott and Douglass Wallop. "Damn Yankees" was turned into a 1958 Warner Bros. film that was directed by Abbott and Stanley Donen, with Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon re-creating their stage performances, and Tab Hunter playing the slugger.
Carrey is coming off "Yes Man" and "I Love You Phillip Morris," the latter of which premiered at Sundance and is in distribution discussions. Carrey also plays Ebenezer Scrooge and several other roles in "A Christmas Carol," which Robert Zemeckis directed for Disney in performance capture digital 3-D animation. Carrey also plans to star for director Jason Reitman in "Pierre Pierre" for Fox Searchlight.
Gyllenhaal recently completed the David O. Russell-directed "Nailed," the Jim Sheridan-directed "Brothers," and he plays the title role in the Mike Newell-directed "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" for Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer.
-How do you think this will turn out....damn good or a damn shame?

Poster for Steve McQueen's Hunger

No, not that Steve McQueen...

Woody Allen's 2010 film adds even more to its already impressive cast

Variety has the story:

Antonio Banderas has been added to the lengthening cast of Woody Allen's next pic, a still-untitled project set to roll this summer in London, according to producer Mediapro.
The Spanish actor joins the already-announced Naomi Watts, who will co-star with "Slumdog Millionaire" discovery Freida Pinto, Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins.
This will be Banderas' first gig with Allen.
Film will be produced by Letty Aronson, Steve Tenenbaum and Jaume Roures, a principal at Barcelona-based Mediapro, which will also finance the movie.
Aronson's Gravier Prods. co-produced "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" with Mediapro.
The London project kicks off a three-pic co-production deal between Allen and Mediapro.

-This is becoming one of the best looking casts of any flick currently in development, at least to me.

A new poster for Up

Pixar seems to be going the WALL-E route and introducing us to the protagonist before anything else...a good strategy?

Clint Eastwood manages to receive the Palme d'Or before Cannes even gets started!

And with no film in competition at this point either! It's an honorary award, and Variety has the story:

Clint Eastwood received an honorary Palme d’Or from Cannes festival toppers Gilles Jacob and Thierry Fremaux to celebrate “the talent of a grand master at the summit of his craft” at a private ceremony in Paris on Wednesday.
Eastwood, in France for the release of “Gran Torino,” has a long relationship with Cannes stretching back to 1985 when “Pale Rider” played in competition. He has returned to present “Bird,” “White Hunter Black Heart,” “Mystic River” and “Changeling.”
“When I made my first film 39 years ago, no one in the U.S. -- except for Roger Ebert who was always very enthusiastic -- believed in me as a filmmaker. But French cineastes have always been very supportive,” Eastwood told guests at a Paris restaurant. “France remains one of the rare countries that approaches cinema as an art form.”
Fremaux said of the honor, “In the U.S., they call this a lifetime achievement award, but in French the word achievement means ‘done’ and Clint Eastwood is far from being done. We’ll call it an ‘opening award.’ “
Fremaux said the fest gave the Palme d’Or to Eastwood on Wednesday because he won’t be able to attend Cannes this year.
-Just in case we thought he might have to go some time with no awards....check the Palme d'Or off his list.

Robin finds his Marian

At least Ridley Scott's Robin Hood has, according to Variety:

Cate Blanchett will play Maid Marian alongside Russell Crowe's Robin Hood in the Ridley Scott-directed adventure pic for Universal Pictures.
The film, which had been called "Nottingham" but is undergoing a title change, begins production in early April.
Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer is producing with Scott and his Scott Free banner.
The drama, originally scripted by Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris and then rewritten by Brian Helgeland, has evolved into a "Gladiator" version of the Robin Hood legend. Crowe starred in that film and Scott directed it.
The film will be shot on a $130 million budget, benefiting from favorable exchange rates and tax credits that come from shooting in London. Scott will be aiming for a PG-13 rating.
Crowe plays Robin of Loxley in an original story that hews close to historical facts of the period. Abandoned as a child, he finds community with the common people of Nottingham. Robin's abandonment and trust issues hamper his ability to fall in love. He meets his match in Marian, a strong, independent woman.
Sienna Miller was at one time attached to play the role, but exited late last year.
Grazer said Blanchett was a strong match for Crowe.
"They are both highly accomplished dramatic actors who are taken seriously playing rich characters in period pieces, but each has the ability to show you fun," Grazer said.
Blanchett was last seen in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and teamed with George Clooney to provide the lead voices in the Wes Anderson-directed animated "Fantastic Mr. Fox."

-Good choice I think...thoughts?

Trailer for the FINALLY being released horror flick "All The Boys Love Mandy Lane"

Yes, a film originally supposed to be out in 2006 is finally getting a theatrical release during the 2009 blockbuster season. Outside of film festivals and leaked online bootlegs, the film has not really been seen by audiences, but I have actually seen it and found it to be a rather brilliant little flick. Here's a trailer:

-Jonathan Levine has since made The Wackness, but this was quite the debut...be on the lookout for it.

Nick fury will return with a familiar face in Iron Man 2!

Yup, Sam is coming back, according to Variety:

Samuel L. Jackson has buried the hatchet with Marvel Entertainment, making a deal to play the role of Nick Fury in "Iron Man 2," and potentially many other films.
Jackson's deal is a long-term commitment to play Fury, the leader of the espionage unit the Shield. His deal contains an option to play the character in nine future Marvel superhero films, efforts that are expected to include "Captain America," "Thor," "The Avengers" and "The Shield" as well as potential sequels.
Jackson introduced Fury in the closing moments of "Iron Man," when the character asked Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark to join his group. Fury is a natural to show up in multiple Marvel franchises, as he crosses paths with many Marvel superheroes in the comicbooks.
Jackson's Marvel future looked murky, after he reportedly expressed his displeasure with the producer-financier's initial offer to reprise his role. Jackson was hardly alone: Even though "Iron Man" grossed more than $600 million worldwide, Marvel brass has been sparing in offers to talent like Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell to play villains in the sequel, sources said.
Jackson and his ICM reps have evidently cleared those dealmaking hurdles, and he will take part in the sequel that director Jon Favreau shoots in the spring, with Paramount Pictures distributing in summer 2010.

-Very good news to me about a sequel that I'm looking forward to a great deal...thoughts?

Trailer for Agora

-FYC?

Seth Rogen collides with Michel Gondry

The result...Green Hornet has a director. Here's Variety's story on the matter:

Columbia has set Michel Gondry to direct "The Green Hornet," and the studio has set a June 25, 2010, release date for the film.
Seth Rogen plays the title character, and Stephen Chow will play his sidekick, Kato.
Rogen wrote the script with Evan Goldberg. Neal Moritz is producing through is Original Film banner.
Gondry, best known for far-out fare like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "The Science of Sleep" and "Human Nature," brings an unusual sensibility to what will be the most overtly commercial film of his career.
He got the job after presenting a vision that wowed production presidents Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach. They had been looking for a director since late last year, when Chow ("Kung Fu Hustle") bowed out over creative differences (Daily Variety, Dec. 19).
Chow decided at that time to remain in the picture playing the Kato role (made famous by Bruce Lee), and that remains the case despite rampant Internet speculation that he ankled completely.
"The Green Hornet," which began on the radio in the 1930s and is best remembered for an incarnation as a '60s TV show, has had a long, tortured track to the bigscreen.
At one time, George Clooney was pay or play at Universal to star as the masked hero, only to have Steven Spielberg pry him loose so that Clooney could star in DreamWorks' first live-action feature, the 1997 drama "The Peacemaker."
Rogen and Goldberg are executive producers.
Gondry most recently helmed "Be Kind Rewind" and his next film, "Tokyo!" will be released March 6

-Very cool news to me.

Attack of the High Concept Projects!

Via Variety:

Studios that are trying to fill 2010 release slates are weighing spec packages that would give them either an Adam McKay-directed action comedy starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, or a drama that will reunite Matt Damon with his "Bourne Ultimatum" scribe George Nolfi.
Damon is at the center of "The Adjustment Bureau," a contemporary science fiction love story that was shopped to studios by Media Rights Capital.
Nolfi wrote a script that is loosely based on a Phillip K. Dick short story, and he will make his directing debut on the film, which will begin production by late summer.
Nolfi scripted the Damon-starrer "Ocean's Twelve," but they developed a closer relationship when he scripted "The Bourne Ultimatum." He is also writing the fourth installment of the Bourne franchise for Universal.
Seperately, several studios were bidding Tuesday on "B Team," a McKay-directed action comedy that casts Ferrell and Wahlberg as cops, with Chris Henchy writing the script.
Henchy co-wrote the upcoming Ferrell-starrer "Land of the Lost," and he is co-executive producer of "Entourage," the HBO show on which Wahlberg is executive producer.
Even though "B Team" and "The Adjustment Bureau" come with pricey packages -- buyers essentially commit to make the movies -- both pictures are expected to have studio homes before the week is over.

-Wonder if any of these will turn out decent...thoughts?

Mutant Chronicles Trailer

-Overdose on scenery chewing...

Melissa Leo parlays an Oscar nod into a new job

Seems she's going supporting this time out, as per Variety:

Melissa Leo has joined the cast of indie drama “Betty Ann Waters” alongside Hilary Swank, Minnie Driver and Sam Rockwell.
Production started this week in Ann Arbor, Mich., on the pic, produced by Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Omega Entertainment.
Tony Goldwyn directs from a script rewritten by Richard LaGravenese from Pamela Gray’s original screenplay. Andy Karsch, Andrew Sugarman and Goldwyn are producing.
“Betty Ann Waters” centers on an unemployed single mother who saw her brother begin serving a life sentence in 1983 for murder and robbery. Convinced that he was innocent, she earned a law degree and challenged the conviction with DNA evidence, resulting in her brother being freed in 2001.
Swank’s playing the title character while Leo portrays the only woman officer at a local police station who’s trying to pin the murder on him.

-Good cast, and I actually enjoy Goldwyn's directorial efforts, especially The Last Kiss, so this is something to follow....

A Rather Dry DVD Week

Unfortunately, very little is out this week, and none really of too high a quality. Luckily, March brings around the releases of many of the Oscar flicks on DVD, so stay tuned for that. This week, however, we have to deal with that which we have at our disposal. With only three theatrical releases on DVD this week, my PICK OF THE WEEK wins by proxy, since it's frankly the only one that's any good. It's:

What Just Happened

Now, this is nowhere near as good as something like The Player, but as a Hollywood satire and one big inside joke, it does the job better than some other films manage to do. It's nothing special, but there's laughs to be had, and as my grandfather says, "it won't give you heartburn". Robert De Niro and Bruce Willis especially seem to be enjoying themselves a great deal here, so give it a shot and see if they hit on something good.

-Next up is Sex Drive, which I actually laughed more at than I did for What Just Happened. Sex Drive is a teen flick with a bit of heart, but it just can't sustain itself long enough for a recommendation from me. If you think you might like it, you probably will though.

-We come now to The Haunting of Molly Hartley, and not to make a pun out of the title, but this film is haunting indeed, just in all the wrong ways.

-Of some note this week is a re-release of The Last House on the Left, which is getting remade in the coming months, and the perhaps last of the Futurama DVD movies, this one called Into the Wild Green Yonder. Last House is brutally gritty and intense early Wes Craven film, but insanely well made considering the budget. All of these Futurama flicks have been of similar quality, so you know what you're getting into. If you're a fan of either old school no budget horror or Futurama, these are up your alley. If not, don't bother.

-My Vintage pick this week is Lars and the Real Girl. If you didn't think a touching story could be made about a delusional manchild and his sex doll, you need to see this. Ryan Gosling is fantastic here, making the film more than a one note mocking of his character. It's treated very well, almost in a Capra-like way, and the end result is oddly touching. Check it out if you missed it last year.

-In the next month , as I said earlier, many Oscar flicks will be hitting shelves (Australia, Milk, and Rachel Getting Married to name a few), so keep that in mind. Aside from that, what will everyone be watching this week?

An interesting cast comes together for John Cusack's reteaming with his Grosse Point Blank and High Fidelity co-writer

Indeed, Cusack seems to be toplining this flick, which I first heard about when it started a small bidding war a few months back. Here's the quick hit from Variety:

John Cusack and Rob Corddry are set and Craig Robinson (“Knocked Up”) and Clark Duke (“Sex Drive”) are negotiating to star in MGM comedy “Hot Tub Time Machine,” which Steve Pink will direct.
Production starts April 20 in Vancouver. Cusack and New Crime partner Grace Loh will produce with Matt Moore.
Scripted by Josh Heald, the comedy follows a group of friends who are frustrated when they return to a ski lodge where they partied as teens. They then get in a hot tub -- which happens to be a time machine -- and get transported to 1987.

-Kind of a light premise, but perhaps they can make it work.

Poster for Spinning into Butter

A non Sex and the City role for Sarah Jessica Parker, this film was actually on my radar since a few years back when they filmed part of it at my old school (Brooklyn College)...wonder if it will be any good...

Woody Allen's best cast in years shaping up?

Seems like it might be the case, as Allen's next film (not Whatever Works, which is out this summer), which is shooting in London again, has an incredible cast coming together. Here's the Variety story:

Naomi Watts is joining Woody Allen's latest film, starring alongside the already-announced Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins.
Mediapro, the Spain-based company behind "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," is financing the as-yet-untitled pic, which will be produced by Letty Aronson, Steve Tenenbaum and Jaume Roures.
Allen's next pic, "Whatever Works," will be released by Sony Pictures Classics in June.
Watts is currently filming "Mother and Child."

-Will Woody's film be an Oscar contender this year or perhaps next?

Next Year's Best Picture...

What do you ladies and gents think it will be? Blind guesses at this time, to say the least, but will Peter Jackson get back to the big show with The Lovely Bones, or Clint Eastwood with The Human Factor, or Martin Scorsese with Shutter Island, or Ang Lee with Taking Woodstock, or Quentin Tarantino with Inglorious Basterds? Will one of the films pushed back to 09 make a splash, like The Road or The Soloist? Will Pixar's Up do what WALL-E couldn't? Will Judd Apatow make his Funny People into Oscar People?

-Who knows at this point, and this is obviously a very small sampling of what's out there, but feel free to take a stab at it!

In case you missed it...The Razzie Winners!

From Variety's story on the awards presentations:

Mike Myers' "The Love Guru" has found some disciples among Razzies voters who pick Hollywood's lowest achievements.
And Paris Hilton is getting her own Razzies moment with three awards all on her own at a ceremony that spoofs the Academy Awards on the eve of the Oscars.
"The Love Guru" won three Razzies on Saturday for worst picture, actor (Myers in the title role) and screenplay, which Myers co-wrote. Hilton's three prizes are worst actress for "The Hottie and the Nottie," supporting actress for "Repo! The Genetic Opera" and screen couple alongside either of her "Hottie" co-stars, Christine Lakin or Joel David Moore.
With three Razzies, Hilton tied the record set last year by Eddie Murphy, who won worst actor, supporting actor and supporting actress for his multiple roles in "Norbit."
Pierce Brosnan was chosen as worst supporting actor for "Mamma Mia!" The worst-director Razzie went to Uwe Boll for three movies: "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale," "1968: Tunnel Rats" and "Postal."
Razzies voters also gave a prize for worst career achievement to Boll, whose critically drubbed movies include "Bloodrayne" and its sequel.
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" was named worst prequel, remake, rip-off or sequel.
John Wilson, founder of the Razzies, said Boll and Hilton's movies are so bad, he could envision a collaboration between the two.
"She is the 21st century Zsa Zsa Gabor. She is famous for who she hangs out with. She's not famous for any talent she has yet exhibited," Wilson said. "She may end up working with Uwe Boll. She could be the head vampire in `Bloodrayne 3.'"
"The Love Guru" features Myers as the world's second-best self-help guru, who must come to love himself before he can fully realize his potential. The movie topped out at $32 million at the domestic box office, chump change compared to the haul of Myers' "Austin Powers" sequels.
Wilson disagreed with other Razzies voters on "The Love Guru," saying that after watching it again to pull clips for the group's awards ceremony Saturday night, he did not think it was the year's worst movie.
"A couple of things he did got me to laugh, and these days, two laughs in a comedy is a high ratio," Wilson said.
In "The Hottie and the Nottie," Hilton plays a babe who won't date until her homely best pal lands a man. Hilton has a small role in "Repo," a horror musical about organ recipients who face a visit from the repo man if they fall behind on the payments.
"Repo" and "Hottie" combined did not even manage to take in $200,000 at the domestic box office.
Unlike many years, when one movie dominates, the Razzies were shared among a variety of flicks.
One voter joked that "we decided to spread the loathe around," Wilson said. "Everybody got kicked in the shin at least a little."

-Aside from Paris Hilton in Repo (not to say she was good by any stretch, but she was passable) I agree pretty much with these "winners"...how bout you?

Your pick for the best moment of the night...

I'm sure they'll be plenty of different ones, but I found the most lasting moment of the night to be Dustin Lance Black's speech that he gave after winning Best Original Screenplay for Milk.

Here's the speech:

-What was your favorite moment of the night? (Personally, I missed out on what I expected to be a standing O for Mickey Rourke and his acceptance speech, but it is what it is)

Reactions to the Show

8:05

Myles - And we're off. The crew is already interviewing Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, and Amy Adams, and I can tell that the only thing they care about is what kind of fashion statement the nominees are making.

8:15

Myles - We have our obligatory appearances from Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Miley Cyrus. The interviewer says that she hopes to see them return as nominees; none of them pick up on the sarcasm.

8:25

Myles - Okay, Marisa Tomei is in her 40s. How on earth does she manage to stay so youthful? On a side note, I fear I am sinking into the mindset on these entertainment reporters the more I watch this.

8:30

Myles - Enter our controversial new host, Hugh Jackman, as the show begins. He has confidence and showmanship, but maybe somebody should have written him a joke or two. He follows up the shortest opening monologue ever with a showy musical tribute to the year's films. It's cute, but a little gimmicky for my tastes. I do admire his openness in admitting that he never bothered to see The Reader. Overall very entertaining.

8:39
Keith - Great opening. Hugh is doing a great job so far.

8:43

Myles - In a change from tradition, we have five previous Best Supporting Actress winners presenting the award. While it lends a bit more gravitas to the proceedings, it also extends the presentation of a single category to about ten minutes in length.

8:47
Keith - Penelope takes the first one. Taraji Henson is beautiful, and the new format is pretty dope. Kind of corny, but better than before.

8:56

Myles - Dustin Lance Black gives a moving, heartfelt speech, cementing Milk's status as an important and moving film.

9:02

Myles - Slumdog wins Adapted Screenplay. Is this a sign of things to come?

9:05

Myles - Jack Black and Jennifer Aniston introduce a clever little segment chronicling the big animated films of the year, leading up to the winner of the category, WALL-E (surprise surprise).

9:17

Joey- Everything has a sort of club like feel...even the jazz music in the background during the art direction presentation

9:24

Myles - I've noticed about the show this year is that it's fantastically paced. They keep the various categories in groups and keep it moving at a brisk pace with vary little downtime. Very classy: I like it.

9:27

Joey- I'm digging that everything feels very natural and less scripted and forced than in years past...even the witty banter has a good feel to it.

9:26

Myles - Robert Pattison and Amanda Seyfried introduce a montage of all the romantic moments from film this year. It's cute without coming off as cheesy. It also brings home how the most poignant romance of the year was between the two robots from WALL-E. Go figure.

9:32

Myles - Ben Stiller comes on playing Joaquin Phoenix. Everyone laughs and gets the joke, implying that Mr. Phoenix's reputation in Hollywood has already gone and dried up.

9:35

Joey - Loved Stiller's lampoon...even Natalie Portman played it off well. On a more serious note...is this win for Slumdog a good indicator that we won't have too much in the way of surprises this evening?

9:36

Myles - Yeah, probably.

9:40

Joey - One can still hope for some originality...we still have some drama left in Best Actor, Original Song, and a tech award or two.

9:43

Myles - The stoners from Pineapple Express lead a hilarious segment on the comedies and the unintentionally funny dramas of the year.

9:45

Joey - Perhaps the Academy likes Judd Apatow more than previously thought. A good sign for Funny People's chances next year?

9:52

Joey - The first ever Barack Obama/musical joke ever?

9:53

Myles - Jackman leads another musical number. At first it was a cool change of pace, now it feels utterly superfluous. The pacing has definitely started dragging since the early segments. Jackman is a fantastic entertainer, but I feel like somebody needs to remind him that this is the Oscars, not the Tonys.

9:55

Joey - Was Zac Efron really necessary?

9:57

Myles - Or the Mamma Mia couple? Or Beyonce? Or the entire segment?

9:59

Joey - Well played sir...well played.

10:00

Myles - On another note, I think it's been about twenty minutes since we've announced a winner. I wasn't aware the Oscars had this much time to burn.

10:03

Joey - Cuba Gooding Jr...hoping for someone to see him here and cast him in something worthwhile for a change?

10:05

Joey - On a serious note...I very much like how they make each nominee feel like a winner in their own right before crowning an "official" winner.

10:08

Myles - Standing ovation as Heath Ledger becomes the second posthumous Oscar winner for acting. It may have been expected, but it was never anything less than deserved.

10:10

Joey - Everyone the camera focused in on was choking back tears...quite moving.

10:12

Myles - Okay, having Bill Maher come on to present Best Documentary after they snubbed Religulous is just cold. As such he takes the opportunity to advertise his own film anyway. Also, the winner for Man on Wire is a magician.

10:18

Joey - The pace is definitely slowing down now...wonder if they're on schedule or not?

10:23

Myles - I would sincerely hope so. We're currently at the Action segment of the highlight reels, showcasing The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Quantum of Solace, and all the summer dreck you'd assumed wasn't classy enough to even be mentioned at the Oscars.

10:29

Joey - So much for a Slumdog sweep.

10:32

Myles - Eh, don't speak too soon. I don't think any of us were expecting Sound Mixing of all things.

10:35

Joey - No sweep, but it's beginning to dominate...I think Best Picture is 95% sewn up, unless Milk or The Reader has a late surge...but I have my doubts.

10:37

Myles - For me, there is no more doubt: Slumdog Millionaire will win Best Picture. On a side note, I'm getting kind of thrown of by some of the transitional music choices. We have some Electric Light Orchestra here, some Aimee Mann there. They can't quite find a theme to settle on.

10:39
Keith - No doubt, Slumdog is a shoe in. It won editing, and generally that's a pretty good indicator of who will win best picture. So far, the show has been fairly predictable. But, I have to say it's slightly more entertaining than last year.

10:42

Myles - Eddie Murphy (who's an Oscar nominee, remember that?), introduces Jerry Lewis as the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Lewis's speech is heartfelt, if not particularly funny (except for the beautiful facial expression following his final "thank you").

10:51
Keith - Fairly decent speech. Succinct. This is a pretty decent musical number.

10:55

Joey - The march for Slumdog continues...

10:58

Myles - I'm not sure who this guy is they had replace Peter Gabriel to sing "Down To Earth", but he's making me forget why I liked the song so much. Where is Bruce Springsteen when you need him?

11:00
Keith - It's John Legend.

11:01

Joey - Indeed on both the John Legend and Springsteen comments.

11:06

Myles - Liam Neeson and Frieda Pinto? They really know how to mix and match these presenters.

11:07
Keith - First shock of the night in Best Foreign Film category. Did anyone predict Departures?

11:10

Joey - Believe it or not, I did.

11:10
Keith - Much props. What prompted you to pick Departures over Class or Waltz?

11:13

Joey - Gut instinct that this category can go in some odd directions, but also that The Class was a late bloomer awards wise, save for the Palm D'or, but they rarely translate to Oscars...and Waltz just felt too "off" for a win, if that makes sense

11:14

Myles - Can I just say I was not a fan of the In Memorial tribute? Not only can you barely read some of the names, but the Academy managed to forget Brad Renfro for the second year running.

11:19
Keith - Certainly. Any doubt Danny Boyle doesn't win?

11:20
Keith - I meant to follow that with nope. Danny Boyle is a showman. Much congrats to him and Slumdog.

11:22

Joey - Indeed sir. Now that we're onto the big awards, strap in. I think both Lead Acting slots are more open than we think, but Best Picture...less so.

11:26
Keith - You're right Joey. Or, at least I hope you are. Best Picture might be wrapped up though.

11:28

Joey - Best Pic is done I think...It's Rourke vs Penn for Actor, but I think Melissa Leo or Anne Hathaway have a slightly better shot at this than we're giving them...I still think Kate Winslet is up for the wrong movie, but she's a fine choice here as well.

11:31:

Myles - Sophia Loren could play Dracula's wife someday. And Marion Cotillard should play my lover, like now.

11:33

Joey - Johnny Depp beat you to it my friend, in terms of Marion (Public Enemies). Good for Kate Winslet though...I was more a fan of her previous nominations for Eternal Sunshine and Little Children, but it's good she finally has an Oscar.

11:35

Myles - Duly noted. I feel like The Reader is to Kate Winslet what The Departed was to Martin Scorsese; not their best work, but more then good enough for them to win with.

11:38
Keith - Marion should be nominated off the strength of her looks. She is beautiful. Winslet was due an Oscar. I look at it as a life time achievement award. Well deserved for her entire body of work.

11:40

Joey - Here we go...does Mickey complete the comeback?

11:43
Keith - Hopefully.

11:44

Myles - Evidently not. That's really a shame. Harvey Milk will live on as Penn's best role, but Rourke's performance was truly legendary.

11:47
Keith- No no. Hopefully Rourke will get back on this stage again. Slumdog is gonna win. I can probably turn off my t.v. now. They showed 12 ANGRY MEN! Awesome!

11:50

Joey - I don't see anyone else winning, but maybe, just maybe, Milk has a shot.

11:52
Keith - Well that was awfully predictable.

11:53

Myles - I will say I enjoyed the Best Picture montage before the obvious Slumdog victory. Nice way to end the evening.

11:54

Joey - Indeed Myles...still smarting over Rourke's loss, but he's not the first deserving one to lose...overall, an interesting night, but not much in the way of surprises...mild shame.

11: 55

Myles - What's this? A preview of some flicks from next year. Sherlock Holmes, Funny People, Up, Terminator Salvation, Fame, Julie and Julia, 500 Days of Summer, Amelia, Whatever Works, Inglourious Basterds, Night at the Museum 2, Monsters vs. Aliens, The Soloist, Harry Potter 6, Angels and Demons, Old Dogs, Ice Age 3, The Boat That Rocked, An Education, State of Play, Imagine That, and G-Force.

12:00
Keith- Unfortunately, the Academy made it seem like Slumdog was the best movie far and beyond. However, the show was pretty good. Thought it was better than last year. Yet, there were very few surprises, which makes for a predictable show.

12:02

Myles - Well, I was very entertained by the show itself, and liked the new direction that they took in presenting it. I'd like to thank my co-bloggers, Joey Magidson and Keith Lucas, our editor-in-chief and fearless leader Clayton Davis, the found of the Oscar Igloo Johnny Alba, and of course all of the readers that allow us to continue reporting on what we love every year. Here's to another good season, and looking forward to an even better one next year. Good night!

12:06
Keith - I second what Myles said. The AwardsCircuit team worked very hard this year, and I think we did a phenomenal job with the site. We will continue to improve and bring you movie news throughout the year. I look forward to working with you guys again for the '09/10 Oscar race. Cheers to a prosperous year, and much thanks to all of our readers!

12:12

Joey - Me three for what everyone said. Good night, and good luck!

81st Annual Academy Award Winners (as they're announced)

Here they are:

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk

Best Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader

Best Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Foreign Language Film: Departures

Best Original Song: Slumdog Millionaire, "Jai Ho"

Best Original Score: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Film Editing: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Sound Mixing: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Sound Editing: The Dark Knight

Best Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Documentary, Short Subject: Smile Pinki

Best Documentary Feature: Man on Wire

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Best Live Action Short Film: Spielzeugland

Best Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Costume Design: The Duchess

Best Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Animated Feature (Short): La Maison en Petits Cubes

Best Animated Feature: WALL-E

Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, Milk

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Jerry Lewis

Mere hours left!

Is everyone excited? Look out for our coverage of the event as only we can do it.....enjoy your Oscar parties and cross your fingers for a great show!

Academy Idol: Top 2 Finale

Comment. Thank you for a great season. Watch out for Live Blogging tonight!

The Awards Lineup

5:38: Hughs opening performance

5:45:AWARD #1
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

5:51: AWARD #2:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

5:55: AWARD #3
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

6:03: AWARD #4
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

6:05: AWARD #5
ANIMATED SHORT FILM

6:14: AWARD #6
ART DIRECTION

6:18: AWARD #7
COSTUME DESIGN

6:20: AWARD #8
MAKEUP

6:30: AWARD #9
CINEMATOGRAPHY

6:36: SCI-TECH AWARDS RECAP

6:41: AWARD #10
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

7:03: AWARD #11
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

7:08: AWARD #12
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

7:10: AWARD #13
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

7:20: AWARD #14
VISUAL EFFECTS

7:22: AWARD #15
SOUND EDITING

7:26: AWARD #16
SOUND MIXING

7:29: AWARD #17
FILM EDITING

7:37: JEAN HERSHOLT AWARD
TO JERRY LEWIS


7:48: AWARD #18
ORIGINAL SCORE

7:55: AWARD #19
ORIGINAL SONG

8:01: AWARD #20
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

8:10 In Memoriam

8:14: AWARD #21
DIRECTING

8:23: AWARD #22
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

8:31: AWARD #23
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

8:38: AWARD #24
BEST MOTION PICTURE"

The big day is here!

It's Oscar night...any final thoughts on the year that was? We'll be getting up our final predictions and preparing to cover the event as best we can, but feel free to use this post as a forum for your Academy hopes, dreams, and fears....have at it!

The last of the previously mentioned posters for Inglorious Basterds!

So, which of the three did you find to be the best...or worst?

Results of the Spirit Awards!

Here are the winners:

Best Feature: Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler

Best Director: Tom McCarthy, The Visitor

Best Actor: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Best Actress: Melissa Leo, Frozen River

Best Supporting Actor: James Franco, Milk

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Screenplay: Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best First Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, Milk

Best First Feature: Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York

John Cassavetes Award: In Search of a Midnight Kiss

Best Cinematography: Maryse Alberti, The Wrestler

Best Foreign Language Film: The Class

Best Documentary: Man on Wire

Someone to Watch Award: Lynn Shelton, My Effortless Brilliance

Piaget Producers Award: Heather Ray, Frozen River

Truer Than Fiction: Margaret Brown, The Order of Myths

Robert Altman Ensemble Award: Synecdoche, New York

-The Wrestler had the best night overall...and all in all it was a nice mix of winners...thoughts?

The Second of the aforementioned posters for Inglorious Basterds

One more still to come...sometime after the Spirit Awards

The Independent Spirit Awards are Today

What's everyone's opinion on these? I personally sometimes prefer them to the Oscars in retrospect, since the films are more personal and it's a more unpredictable show. How bout you?

-Feel free to post any show related comments here!

The first of three Inglorious Basterds posters!

The next two will go up later in the day/early tomorrow, but damn, is this cool or what?

Even More Twilight?

Apparently so, according to Variety:

Fresh from the stunning success of "Twilight," Summit Entertainment has officially greenlit "Eclipse" as the third pic in the series with a release date of June 30, 2010.
Summit's expected to make the official announcement this weekend. "Twilight" has generated $189 million domestically and another $174 million overseas.
Summit's expected to begin production shortly on "New Moon," the second film. Chris Weitz replaced "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke on "New Moon" with the key thesps reprising their roles -- Robert Pattinson as Edward, Kristen Stewart as Bella and Taylor Lautner as Jacob.
Summit hasn't yet selected a director for "Eclipse," in which Bella is forced to choose between Edward and Jacob.
The vampire thriller represents a ready-made franchise for Summit with four books in Stephenie Meyer's series, which have sold more than 17 million copies worldwide.
In "New Moon," the Jacob character becomes a central figure in the plot as Bella is drawn into the world of the werewolves, the ancestral enemies of vampires.

-Make it stop....please

'Dark Knight' breaks $1 billion mark

The Oscar snubs are looking more and more ridiculous.

It's only the fourth film to cross the billion dollar threshold. Of the four, two were nominated for best picture. I don't think anyone thought 'Pirates' would get a best picture nomination. Anyway, congrats to a great film!

Judd Apatow's next film "Funny People gets a "Funny Trailer"

-I read the script and loved it, very different to what you expect from his other films...especially in terms of Rogen's character, which is essentially a dramatic role...I'm incredibly excited for this...how bout you guys and gals? FYC Judd Apatow for Original Screenplay?

The Return of My Grandfather!

Yes indeed ladies and gents, my grandfather has once again seen fit to contribute to the site and blog here by giving his Oscar-Voter-age'd predictions for the big categories of this weekend's Academy Awards. Much like us, he doesn't see too much in the way of surprises heading our direction, but he doesn't follow the grain in every sense, so perhaps he'll be on to something, upset-wise.

-In terms of the screenplay categories, he sees Slumdog Millionaire and Milk winning Adapted and Original, respectively. Both are deserving in his eyes, but he could see Benjamin Button or In Bruges sneaking in, as those would be the ones he'd vote for, though his predicted winners are his second choice. Of note are his distaste for The Reader's script, which perhaps might be an indicator that it won't be a flick that goes and upsets on Oscar night, and his indifference towards WALL-E, which might doom its chances of a win for its (in my eyes) underrated script.

-Best Director he sees being a walk in the park for Danny Boyle, and he doesn't see anyone else as being more deserving, though his second choice would be Gus Van Sant for Milk. He's a big fan of Milk, so if his contemporaries feel the same way, there's likely to be a win for the film somewhere...the question is where?

-On the acting fronts, he sees the actor races as being pretty sewn up. Heath Ledger is a foregone conclusion for supporting, though he suspects if they opt not to honor him, Phillip Seymour Hoffman might slip in for what really is a lead performance in Doubt. He felt The Wrestler was the best film of the year, so he obviously is picking Mickey Rourke as his pick to win lead actor, but he also thinks that the comeback story will be way too much for voters to ignore. The actress races are slightly more interesting to look at. He, like everyone else has no clue who will win supporting actress, but thinks Penelope Cruz will end up with the statue, which he is in fulll favor of, though sees the next most likely winner being Viola Davis. Lead actress he goes in a whole other direction with. He thinks Kate Winslet will win for The Reader, but would have cast his vote for Angelina Jolie. If she upsets on Oscar night, he won't let me hear the end of it.

-Best Picture he actually doesn't think is as sewn up as everyone else. He thinks Slumdog will end up taking home the big prize, but that Milk has a real shot to swoop in and win, and is in fact the film he'd vote for. It'll be interesting to see what happens here, especially if he's right.

-What do you think of his picks? He acknowledges that the predicted winners are fairly similar, but since he has the mindset of a voter, I tend to take big note of the ones he'd actually vote for. (Good to note that he's beat me in our own personal Oscar predictions about 55% of the time, so he's not just randomly guessing)

Poster for Observe and Report

Kind of old school...I can dig it....the red band trailer hooked me, so I'm in for this

Trailer for Bart Got A Room

-I have to admit, the only entertaining thing here was William H. Macy going "don't stop, don't stop"...

Once again Sports meet the Oscars...

There is an excellent debate between David Carr (ny times) and Julie Jacobs over on ESPN. Also, Bill Simmons and Chris Connelly have a great podcast about the Academy Awards over on his site.

Springsteen's The Wrestler song gets a video!

-Just reminds me more of how big a snub his lack of a nomination was, but I'll get over it...

Wolverine gets "Salty"

Sorry for the terrible pun, but I'm working on almost no sleep...here's the story from Variety:

Liev Schreiber is in talks to star opposite Angelina Jolie in the spy thriller "Salt" for Columbia Pictures.
Story centers on Evelyn Salt, a CIA officer who is fingered as a Russian sleeper spy. She eludes capture by superiors who are convinced she is out to assassinate the president. While trying to reunite with her family, she struggles to prove someone else is the traitor.
Schreiber will play Salt's boss and friend on the Russian desk at the CIA.
The Phillip Noyce-helmed pic begins lensing next month in New York.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Sunil Perkash are producing; Ric Kidney and Mark Vahradian exec produce.
Schreiber recently starred in the Holocaust drama "Defiance." He has two high-profile films awaiting release: Ang Lee's period drama "Taking Woodstock" and the comicbook tentpole "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

-This project was originally Edwin A. Salt, starring Tom Cruise, so it's definitely changed a bit...something to keep an eye on though.

Watching 'The Wire'

Not movie news, but important if you are a Wire fan. There's this website dedicated to the study of 'The Wire'. Sounds weird huh? Well, it's pretty dope. It's a professor from Middlebury College teaching some of the major themes and issues from the Wire. It's an interactive course, and there are a bunch of links that allow people to learn more about the show. I truly recommend it if you are a first timer to the show, but it also helps veteran Wire watchers. The comments (from the Prof and students) are insightful and worth following along.

Ashton Kutcher to star in a football themed Freaky Friday flick

Variety has the gory details:

Ashton Kutcher is looking to tackle a football comedy for Paramount Pictures.
Thesp is in final negotiations to star in the sports-themed pic "Traded," which had been developed at DreamWorks but became the property of Par following DreamWorks' exit in the fall.
Storycenters on a superstar NFL quarterback and a 12-year-old middle school geek who magically trade bodies, then quickly learn valuable lessons about humility and courage.
David Stem and David Weiss, who wrote the upcoming 20th Century Fox family pic "They Came From Upstairs," penned the most recent draft.
Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin, the former partners behind such sports films as "Coach Carter" and "Varsity Blues," are producing alongside Jason Hoffs. Robbins' producing partner Sharla Sumpter Bridgett will serve in some producing capacity.
Kutcher, who most recently starred in "What Happens in Vegas," has two films in the can: the indies "Personal Effects" and "Spread."

-Love how they call him a "thesp"...perhaps a stretch of the word?

'Little Fockers' Where Are You?

Meet the Parents...b/o performance: 330.4 M worldwide (bud: 55M)
Meet the Fockers...b/o performance: 516 M worldwide (bud: 80M)

Seems logical they'll make a third one given these b/o numbers. According to this source, Stiller and the rest of the crew are in talks to make Little Fockers. I can't say I'm too excited. I really enjoyed Meet the Parents; it's one of my favorite comedies of all time. Meet the Fockers didn't do it for me though. Perhaps Little Fockers will be a return to form. Anyone excited about the third installment of the Meet to Parents series?

Tom Cruise back on top?

Seems like he's certainly trying to get back to that peak, according to Variety:

When Tom Cruise became attached last week to play a Russian spy in the David Cronenberg-directed adaptation of the Robert Ludlum thriller "The Matarese Circle," the MGM pic became just one of several films vying for his next slot.
With his career now steered by a team headed by CAA's Kevin Huvane, Cruise has been more proactive and aggressive than in past years about meeting studio execs and showing interest in a flurry of projects.
There are at least five suitors trying to get Cruise to say yes.
The concerted courtship of Cruise comes at a time when studios are thinking long and hard about which actors deserve to be paid superstar gross deals.
After a couple of rough years that threatened to knock him from that payday perch, Cruise has changed things. And execs have said their enthusiasm for the actor returned after "Valkyrie" did better than expected around the world, and that no major star except Will Smith tubthumps a movie as hard as Cruise.
The top three candidates for Cruise's next slot appear to be:
"Matarese," which also has Denzel Washington attached, and will soon get a rewrite by Cronenberg.
"The Tourist," the Spyglass remake that would co-star Charlize Theron. A rewrite was turned in this week by Christopher McQuarrie, who co-wrote and produced "Valkyrie" with Cruise, and whose script work was informed by long talks with Cruise as they barnstormed publicity on the UA WWII film.
"Motorcade," the Len Wiseman-directed DreamWorks thriller that pits the U.S. president against terrorists who commandeer his motorcade on the streets of Los Angeles. Billy Ray is racing to complete a rewrite of the script, with Cruise's input.
Universal is also in the Cruise sweepstakes with "Lost for Words," a Working Title romantic comedy in which Cruise would play an actor who gets into a love triangle with his beautiful Chinese director and the filmmaker's jealous translator. The film will be directed by Susanne Bier, with Ziyi Zhang attached to play the fictional filmmaker. Hugh Grant was originally expected to star, but ankled last October.
Cruise is also flirting with two pictures on the Fox lot. He is exploring but isn't attached to the 20th Century Fox comedy "Wichita," which he's eyeing as a possible team-up with Cameron Diaz, playing an undercover agent who gets thrown together with a woman who has man trouble. Fox 2000 is also pressing along with "Hardy Men," recently hiring Ed Solomon to rewrite a possible re-team with "Tropic Thunder" co-star Ben Stiller.
Studios expect that Cruise will do two films this year, and while some questioned his enthusiasm for finding a big project, sources said that he will likely star next year in "The Champions," a feature adaptation of the British TV series about a team of government agents rescued from a plane crash in the Himalayas by an advanced civilization and given superhuman abilities.
McQuarrie is writing that project, and producing it with Guillermo del Toro, who originated it with intentions to direct before he committed five years of his life to two "Hobbit" films for MGM and New Line.
-Some of these films sound very interesting...I'd be very keen to see Cruise play the President...thoughts?

Academy Idol: Top 2 (YOU Pick the Winner)

Mel Gibson back on screens

Yes indeed, coming soon, as Variety states:

Warner Bros. has acquired North American rights to the thriller “Edge of Darkness," directed by Martin Campbell and starring Mel Gibson from production company GK Films.
Story's based on the BBC mini-series of the same name and is centered on a veteran homicide detective for the Boston Police Department whose only child is murdered on the steps of his home.
Graham King ("The Departed") and Michael Wearing (producer of the mini-series) produced. "Darkness," shot on location in Boston and elsewhere in Massachusetts, completed lensing in November and is in post production.
Screenplay's by William Monahan ("The Departed”) and Andrew Bovell (“Lantana”) from an original story by Troy Kennedy Martin. Gail Lyon, E. Bennett Walsh, Tim Headington, Dan Rissner, Suzanne Warren and David Thompson exec produced.
"Darkness" also stars Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Bojana Novakovic and Shawn Roberts.

-Good to have him back, hopefully he stays normal...

Family Guy spoofs Christian Bale

I couldn't resist...


-Now that everyone has had their shot with it, now we can move on for good...

Robert Downey Jr. traveling through time? Sign me up!

Found the story on Slashfilm:

Robert Downey Jr and Reese Witherspoon are in talks to star in Warner Bros’ The Days Before and Timur Bekmambetov is in negotiations to direct, according to Production Weekly.

Produced by 300 producer Gianni Nunnari, the sci-fi action spec script was written by Chad St. John (who previously worked on the unproduced script The Further Adventures of Doc Holiday for Bruce Willis). Days Before tells the story of a race of aliens who invade Earth by traveling backwards through time and wiping out humanity, one day at a time, yesterday by yesterday. One man attempts to stay “a yesterday ahead of them”, and every time he must try to convince the world that “the end is coming”, again.

-Pretty cool grouping of talent...this could be very, very cool...thoughts?

Ang Lee perhaps has a new film!

Again, here's the story from Variety:

Ang Lee is in talks to direct "Life of Pi," the Fox 2000 adaptation of Yann Martel's coming-of-age survival tale.
Novel revolves around a youth who is the lone survivor of a sunken freighter and winds up sharing a lifeboat with a hyena, an injured zebra, an orangutan and a hungry Bengal tiger.
The novel, which won the Man Booker Prize, was a global publishing phenomenon when Fox 2000's Elizabeth Gabler acquired rights to the tome.
Gil Netter is producing.
The project has been through several incarnations, first with scribe Dean Georgaris, then M. Night Shyamalan. Lee will supervise a new script. Studio will hire a writer shortly.
Project was most recently developed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who wrote a script with his "Amelie" collaborator Guillaume Laurent.
Lee, who last directed "Lust, Caution" and "Brokeback Mountain," most recently completed "Taking Woodstock," an adaptation of the Tom Monte book. Focus Features releases the film in August.
-I'm looking forward to Taking Woodstock, but this is on my list as well...

Fear the coming of....

A big cast gathering for the newest James L. Brooks film

Variety has the story:

Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd are in talks to star opposite Reese Witherspoon in James L. Brooks' untitled romantic comedy for Columbia Pictures.
Brooks, who is directing and producing, wrote the screenplay, which involves a love triangle. Rudd would play a white-collar executive vying for Witherspoon's affections, while Wilson would portray a professional baseball pitcher who is also a love interest.
As is customary with Brooks' projects, logline is being kept vague for the film, which has the working title "How Do You Know?"
Paula Weinstein ("Blood Diamond") and Laurence Mark ("Dreamgirls") are also producing.
Studio is eyeing an early summer start date.
The only potential snag for Rudd, who has been in high demand since toplining the surprise fall box office hit "Role Models," is that he is also in talks to star in DreamWorks' comedy "Dinner for Schmucks." That film is tentatively scheduled to lense in September. Rudd, who recently teamed with Witherspoon as the voice stars of the upcoming toon feature "Monsters vs. Aliens," next stars in the DreamWorks comedy "I Love You, Man."
Wilson, who most recently appeared in the Christmas hit "Marley and Me," next appears in a supporting role in the sequel "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian."

-Something to keep an eye on...thoughts?

Robert Rodriguez might have another project to juggle!

From Variety:

Robert Rodriguez is set to reteam with Dimension for his next film, the futuristic thriller "Nerverackers."
The multihyphenate will write and direct the pic, which already has a release date of April 16, 2010.
Set in 2085, the story centers on a character named Joe Tezca who is part of an elite unit dispatched to quell a crime wave in a theoretically perfect future society.
Most of Rodriguez's filmography has borne the Dimension label, including "Sin City," the "Planet Terror" half of "Grindhouse" and the "Spy Kids" franchise, which grossed $310 million domestically. Dimension topper and Weinstein Co. co-chief Bob Weinstein noted his ties with Rodriguez date back to the 1996 release of "From Dusk Till Dawn."

-He's always interesting, so this is cool...

American & Academy Idol

Reactions to the first LIVE show is up on the MainSite.

Academy Idol Top 2 Voting as commenced. Vote as much as you can for your favorite. The winner will be announced on Sunday afternoon before the Oscars. Happy Voting!

Watch out for new stuff coming to the Awards Circuit from your Editor, Clayton Davis next week.

Love you readers!

A Bloated DVD Week

You heard it right, for the first time in a while it's as if we have too many movies hitting stores in a single week. Not all are amazing, but more than a handful are worth picking up, with a few standouts among the bunch. The cream of the crop this week, also my PICK OF THE WEEK, is a movie that flew a bit under the radar after a nice debut at Sundance. It's:

Choke

This was perhaps the toughest Chuck Palahniuk book to adapt, and actor turned filmmaker Clark Gregg was more than up to the task. As I wrote in my original review, he delievered one of the best films of the year. It's a story that goes in some wild directions, but it's anchored by a tremendous lead performance from Sam Rockwell. If you like your humor dark, you'll love this film.

-Essentially my runner up for this week, and in most other weeks would be the top dog, is Bill Maher's religion documentary Religulous. I never reviewed this film when it came out since it was so divisive, and your personal beliefs can't help but filter into the review (for the record, I would have given the film 3 and a half stars, and yes, I'm not religious. Born Jewish, now pretty much an agnostic), so I opted against writing one. Suffice to say, if you like his show, you'll like his film. He rakes organized religion over the coals, but in a witty manner. If you agree with him, it's well worth watching. If not, you'd most likely hate it, so that's that.

-Other films out this week worth a recommendation are, Clint Eastwood's Changeling, which features Angelina Jolie in her Oscar nominated lead role. It's not a perfect film, but it's better than Gran Torino, if that does anything for you. See it for her acting. There's Greg Kinnear's Flash of Genius, which has some of his best acting to date. It's a standard underdog overcoming the odds story, but he makes it very watchable. We also have Quarantine, the surprisingly well above average remake of the Spanish horror film REC, and the gore film The Midnight Meat Train, which is absurd, but somehow entertaining. If the title appeals to you, pick it up.

-Also out but of less quality is the dissapointing Leonardo DiCaprio/Ridley Scott team up Body of Lies, which was way too complicated for its own good. There's How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, which was never quite as dark or as funny as it needed to be, the "Dakota Fanning Rape Movie", which is actually called Hounddog, and is just a poor film, regardless of the overhyped scene, and finally....sigh, High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Enough said.

-My Vintage pick this week is Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused. One of my all time favorites, it chronicles's the way school life is on a single sweaty day. It resonates whether you went to school in 1975 or 2005.

-What will you be watching this week?

The most absurd (and interesting) project currently in development...

Variety has the bizzare details:

Elton John's Rocket Pictures hopes to make the first Jane Austen adaptation to which men will drag their girlfriends.
Will Clark is set to direct "Pride and Predator," which veers from the traditional period costume drama when an alien crash lands and begins to butcher the mannered protags, who suddenly have more than marriage and inheritance to worry about.
Shooting will begin in London later this year. John exec produces, and his Rocket partners Steve Hamilton Shaw and David Furnish are producing.
Clark, who directed award-winning short "The Amazing Trousers," wrote the script with Andrew Kemble and John Pape.
"It felt like a fresh and funny way to blow apart the done-to-death Jane Austen genre by literally dropping this alien into the middle of a costume drama, where he stalks and slashes to horrific effect," Furnish said.
John will supervise the music, as he does in each Rocket-produced film.
The company is in production on the CG-animated "Gnomeo and Juliet" for Miramax/Disney; James McAvoy and Emily Blunt voice the title characters. Rocket is also behind the Sundance series "Spectacle: Elvis Costello With ..."

-I am so in, it's not even funny...

A new poster for the Dragonball movie

A resounding meh...

The writer of The Departed to apapt Shia LaBeouf's Grisham project

From Variety:

"The Departed" scribe William Monahan has been set by Paramount to adapt John Grisham's bestselling legal thriller "The Associate" as a star vehicle for Shia LaBeouf.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing.
The studio acquired rights to the novel late last year (Daily Variety, Dec. 2). Di Bonaventura and LaBeouf sparked to the notion of doing it together after reading the book in galley form while they were on the set of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." The novel was published in January by Random House.
LaBeouf will play a Yale Law School student with a sordid secret that leaves him vulnerable to blackmail. He's manipulated into taking a job at a law firm and working on a multibillion-dollar lawsuit. Monahan, who won an Oscar for adapting the Asian film "Infernal Affairs" into "The Departed" for Martin Scorsese, takes on the job as he is preparing to make his directorial debut on his scripted adaptation of the Ken Bruen novel "London Boulevard," financed by GK Films and starring Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley. Production begins in June in London.
Monahan most recently scripted "Edge of Darkness," the Martin Campbell-directed drama that stars Mel Gibson.

-Interesting combination, we'll see if it works...

Academy Idol: Top 3 Results

A New Trailer for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

-Those of you looking for some hot alien robot on alien robot action have come to the right place...

Superman meets The Matrix?

Perhaps, as there was a report recently (I believe Aint it Cool News broke it) that the Wachowski brothers might be replacing Bryan Singer in directing the next Superman flick, and that it would be the first of a trilogy. If this were to happen, it would certainly be a reversal of direction from the less action oriented Superman Returns, which I happened to like.

-What does everyone think? Should Superman be action packed or more emotion based? Can a happy medium be found? And are Larry and Andy Wachowski the ones to do it? Just some food for thought...

For those looking for the complete Watchmen experience...

-Suppose once everything is available on DVD it will truly be complete...

Poster for Japan's Foreign Film Entry

The least known of the bunch, it could still wind up winning...we shall see

Slumdog also was a hit with the Cinematographers

Variety has this quick hit:

"Slumdog Millionaire" continued its winning ways on Sunday night when the American Society of Cinematographers awarded the film's d.p., Anthony Dod Mantle its feature film prize at the 23rd Annual ASC Awards ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. The award follows top honors bestowed on "Slumdog" by SAG, DGA, PGA, WGA and the Art Directors Guild.
The Brit d.p. -- an Oscar nominee whose largely hand-held work consisted of a combination of digital and 35 mm imagery -- also has won cinematography kudos from BAFTA and Camerimage, the Polish film fest devoted to the art of cinematography.
In television, Nelson Cragg won the episodic TV award for his work on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ("For Gedda"), while David Stockton took home the TV movie/miniseries/pilot award for "Eleventh Hour." Both shows air on CBS.
The evening also included a slew of honorary laurels, including the ASC Board of Governors Award presented to "The Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan; the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award to Jack Green, best known for his d.p. work with Clint Eastwood, who presented the award; the ASC International Achievement Award to Aussie lenser Donald McAlpine ("Romeo + Juliet," "Moulin Rouge!"); the ASC Career Achievement in Television Award to Robert Liu ("Desperate Housewives"); and the ASC Presidents Award to Isidore Mankofsky.
Other presenters included actors Amy Adams and Simon Baker, director Paul Mazursky and d.p. Wally Pfister, who was also a nominee for his work on "The Dark Knight."
-It's all looking more and more inevitable...thoughts?

The Usual Suspects win the ACE Eddie Awards

Yes, indeed, Slumdog was joined by a man on a wire and a certain robot as this years winners...so, in short:

Drama: Slumdog Millionaire

Comedy: WALL-E

Documentary: Man on Wire

-Thoughts?

Trailer for I Love You, Beth Cooper

-This is something I usually don't say based on a trailer, but I feel confident in saying that, once this comes out, I won't be alone in saying...the book was better

Peter Gabriel tells the Academy to sit and spin

Well, in far nicer terms, but the point remains the same, as you can see here in The Hollywood Reporter:

Peter Gabriel will not be performing at the Feb. 22 Academy Award telecast in support of his best song nominee "Down to Earth" from the film "WALL-E."In a video posted on PeterGabriel.com, Gabriel said that Oscar producers told him the three nominated songs will be performed as part of a medley, giving "Down to Earth" about 60-65 seconds of total air time. Gabriel said he doesn't believe it's enough time to showcase the song -- and while he'll still attend the ceremony and he's hoping the Soweto Gospel Choir will perform the snippet of the song in his stead -- he won't play it himself."I think it's a bit unfortunate because while songwriting is a small part of the filmmaking process, we still work bloody hard and deserve a place in the ceremony as well," he said.A representative with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences declined comment on the matter, saying that no announcements have been made, to date, as to who will or will not perform at the ceremony.The other nominated songs are A.R. Rahman and M.I.A.'s "O Saya" and Rahman's "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire."At the Feb. 8 Grammys, Gabriel and composer Thomas Newman won for best song written for motion picture, television or other visual media for "Down to Earth" and best instrumental arrangement for "Define Dancing," another track from the film.

-Wonder what they'll do now...

Academy Idol: Top 3 (BAFTA Awards Week)

Mickey Rourke on Charlie Rose

Since it's Valentine's Day...

I figured today's a good day for everyone to post here on their favorite romantic flavored flicks. It's a day supposedly for love (or greeting cards, I forget which), so have it at on lovers movies you, well...love.

The Hardy Men moves forward...

The Hollywood Reporter has the story:

"Men in Black" writer Ed Solomon has been hired to take a crack at "The Hardy Men," a comic riff on the classic young-adult mystery novels about two brothers who solve crimes.Ben Stiller and Tom Cruise remain lined up to star, with "Night at the Museum" helmer Shawn Levy attached to direct.Stiller and Stuart Cornfield of Red Hour Films are producing with Bob Kosberg. Levy also is producing through his 21 Laps banner.The Hardy Boys adventures revolved around the mystery-solving efforts of teenagers Frank and Joe Hardy, amateur detectives who often helped their father, a private investigator.The film adaptation would explore the reunion of the estranged, grown-up brothers, who work together to solve a new mystery. The Fox 2000 comedy has been on many writers' laptops during its 10-plus years in development, most recently that of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" screenwriter Simon Kinberg.Red Hour also has the comedies "The Return of King Doug" and "Big Wave" in development. Last year, the company released the $185 million-grossing "Tropic Thunder," the starring-writing-directing vehicle for Stiller that included Cruise in a small role.The CAA-repped Solomon has Paramount's Eddie Murphy comedy "Imagine That," written with Chris Matheson, set to hit theaters in June and "Tokyo Suckerpunch" in development with actor-producer Tobey Maguire at Sony.

-Cruise in a comedy interests me a lot, so we'll see what happens with this...

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past gets a Poster

Real original...wonder how this movie will end? Well, it's almost Valentine's Day, so it's worth a post I suppose...

A new directing job for Curtis Hanson?

Perhaps, if Variety is to be believed:

Curtis Hanson is negotiating with Disney to direct "Gemini Man," an action thriller that will be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
David Benioff wrote the most recent draft of the script.
An NSA agent tries to retire and is targeted for death. He discovers that his assassin is a younger cloned version of himself.
Mike Stenson and Chad Oman will be executive producers with Don Murphy.
The director best known for "Wonder Boys" and "L.A. Confidential" will be taking on his first cloning tale. He is also looking to end a development process that dates back nearly a decade. Darren Lemke originated the project, and drafts were subsequently penned by the likes of Jonathan Hensleigh.

-Could be interesting, but too early to tell...

Trailer for American Violet

-Looks pretty gritty...thoughts?

Kevin James continues racking up the projects

Paul Blart himself is certainly not lacking in new jobs, as you can see in this piece from Variety:

Kevin James, fresh from "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," will star in the title role in MGM's "The Zookeeper" for director Frank Coraci.
In a reteam of "Blart" producers, Happy Madison's producing with James and Jeff Sussman through their Hey Eddie shingle and Todd Garner through his Broken Road banner.
"Zookeeper," penned by Jay Scherick and David Ronn, centers on a lonely zookeeper who decides to leave his job because he can't meet a girl, leading to intervention by the zoo's animals.
MGM won a bidding war last April for the spec, paying $2 million against $3 million, while the studio was in the midst of ramping up a slate of homegrown projects.
Garner, who originated the idea, told Daily Variety that James had always been his first choice for the role, particularly due to his ability to perform physical comedy. He also said that production would probably start this summer on the East Coast.
James recently signed on with Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and David Spade for a high-school reunion comedy for Sony to be produced by Happy Madison (Daily Variety, Feb. 11).

-It sounds horrible, but hey, so did Mall Cop, and it broke the bank, so who knows?

In honor of it being Friday the 13th...

Very similar to the first poster, but in honor of Jason being back on screens, I figured Mikey deserved some love too...

One of the stars of Watchmen joins a current Oscar nominee in an upcoming flick!

So many possibilities, but the actually people are found in this article from Variety:

Spyglass has set Matthew Goode to star opposite Amy Adams in "Leap Year," the romantic comedy Anand Tucker will direct from a script by Harry Elfont and Deb Kaplan.
Adams plays a young woman who travels to Dublin to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Day. When weather forces her to veer off course, she enlists a cynical Irish innkeeper (Goode) to join her on a cross-country trip.
Shooting begins in March in Ireland.
Goode will next be seen in the Zack Snyder-directed "Watchmen," and he recently completed the Tom Ford-directed "A Single Man." Goode starred in "Brideshead Revisited" and "The Lookout."

-I dig Shopgirl, so I'm interested to see what Tucker does with this...

The Brothers Weinstein start the push for The Reader

They're certainly in it to win it, you have to say that...

Jonah Hill Gets A New Gig

Here's Variety's story:

In a seven-figure deal, Universal Pictures has acquired "The Adventurer's Handbook," a script for a comedy that will star Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman.
Hill, who built momentum starring in Judd Apatow projects like "Superbad" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," served as the catalyst for the new film. He wrote the script with Matt Spicer and Max Winkler, inspired by the book by Mick Conefrey.
Hill also enlisted Akiva Schaffer, who is negotiating to direct.
Schaffer is best known for teaming with Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone as Lonely Island, the trio behind a series of digital shorts and musicvideos for "Saturday Night Live."
Schaffer, who has directed many "SNL" episodes, made his feature directing debut on the Samberg starrer "Hot Rod."
"The Adventurer's Handbook" is a comedy in which a quartet of pals go on a global adventure, inspired by the hardcore stories of explorers whose tales are chronicled in Conefrey's book.
The plan is to start production later this year; Hill, Spicer and Winkler will be exec producers.
Three studios bid on the comedy. Hill and Schwartzman just worked together in the Apatow-directed Universal/Columbia co-production "Funny People."
Hill next stars in the U comedy "Get Him to the Greek," while Schwartzman next shoots the HBO series "Bored to Death."

-I think he's a good talent, so I'm interesting in anything he's involved in...

"The Taking of Pelham 123" Trailer: If You Look Really Close, You Can See John Turturro In There Somewhere

Hey, do you have any particular urge to see Inside Man re-enacted, but with a subway train instead of a bank and John Travolta filling in for Clive Owen? Well then you're in luck!:

-I've never been a huge fan of Tony Scott's films, but this looks like it could be fun. What do you reckon?

David Cronenberg recruits Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington for his new film!

Very cool news from Variety:

Tom Cruise is in talks to star with Denzel Washington in “The Matarese Circle,” the David Cronenberg-directed adaptation of the Robert Ludlum thriller for MGM.
Cruise will go mano a mano with Washington as two bitter enemy spies who, after spending two decades trying to kill each other, grudgingly team up against the Matarese, a powerful group at the root of a conspiracy.
The script by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (“Wanted”) contemporizes Ludlum’s original Cold War premise.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Nick Wechsler will produce with Jeffrey Weiner and Ben Smith’s newly formed Captivate Entertainment. Henry Morrison is exec producer.
While Cruise is a co-owner of Lion sibling studio United Artists, “The Matarese Circle” will strictly be an MGM picture. The combination of Cruise, Washington and Cronenberg makes “Matarese Circle” the marquee film under the new regime of MGM topper Mary Parent.
In the original $3 million deal made for the Ludlum title, MGM also acquired “The Matarese Countdown,” giving the studio a shot at creating a franchise, as Universal did with Ludlum’s “The Bourne Identity.” Cruise had been mentioned as the potential star of several plum projects around town before the pairing with Washington solidified.
Parent is gunning to get the thriller into production later this year for a 2010 release.
Cruise, who most recently starred in the Bryan Singer-directed UA drama “Valkyrie,” is expected to star next with Charlize Theron in “The Tourist,” the Bharat Nalluri-directed remake of the 2005 French thriller “Anthony Zimmer.” Spyglass is financing that drama.
-Interesting project...I'm very keen to learn more...what about you ladies and gents?

A New Trailer for Angels & Demons

-I'm not a huge fan of the series, but I like Tom Hanks, so it's not all bad...

More Work for Sam Rockwell!

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Sam Rockwell has joined Hilary Swank in "Betty Anne Waters," a legal drama that Tony Goldwyn is directing for Omega Entertainment. Minnie Driver also has a role in the movie, which is being financed by Omega and sold at the European Film Market here.The film is based on the true story of Waters (Swank), an unemployed single mother who saw her brother convicted for a murder-robbery in 1983 and sentenced to life in prison. Convinced of his innocence, she spent the next decade earning a law degree and working on her brother's case. Rockwell plays the brother. Richard LaGravenese wrote the most recent draft. Pamela Gray penned the original script.Andrew Sugerman, Andrew Karsch and Goldwyn are producing, and Swank is exec producing. The movie shoots this month.Rockwell will play villain Justin Hammer in "Iron Man 2," which shoots in the spring. The actor, repped by Gersh and Andy Freedman Management, can is onscreen in "Frost/Nixon."

-Rockwell in a movie is always good news to me...how bout you?

Quirky Trailer for a Quirky movie called Gigantic

-Zooey Deschanel and Paul Dano are a match I'm excited to see in action...thoughts?

Nolan has a project coming not involving Batman?

Seems so, according to Variety:

Warner Bros. is tying up a big deal with its "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan for a big-scale spec script titled "Inception" that Nolan wrote and will direct as his likely next film.
WB is aiming for a summer 2010 release; production begins this summer.
Nolan will produce with Emma Thomas.
Nolan is repped by CAA.

-Not much in the way of details, but this is definitely something worth following...thoughts on what this means for a potential third Batman film?

Teaser for Inglorious Basterds!

Take a gander:


-Thoughts? And for the last time, yes, we all know it's not the proper spelling of 'Bastards', but let it go...

Promo Pic for Hugh "The Host" Jackman

Here's hoping he's a memorable host...

Details on an even newer Woody Allen flick

His next film is still months away from release, and Allen already has a cast coming together for his next film after that, and you can see here in this story from Variety:

Woody Allen has set Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins to star in the film he wrote and will shoot in London this summer.
Brolin and Hopkins are the first in an ensemble cast. As usual, Allen is keeping title and plot under wraps.
The film will be financed by Spain-based Mediapro, which provided coin for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." Letty Aronson and Steve Tenenbaum are producing.
There is no domestic distributor yet on Allen's upcoming film. He made a recent deal with Sony Pictures Classics for U.S. distribution on "Whatever Works," a comedy that will likely be distributed this summer.
Brolin, Oscar-nominated for "Milk," is next booked to star in the title role in "Jonah Hex," a live-action adaptation of the DC Comics series for Warner Bros. He previously worked with Allen on 2004's "Melinda and Melinda."
Hopkins recently completed "The Wolf Man" for Universal.

-Brolin seems well suited to Allen's work, so count me as one of the ones looking forward to this one...

The Last House on the Left has a Poster

I'm strangely looking forward to this one, not exactly sure why, but just am...

Noah Baumbach's New Film Gets Going

The Hollywood Reporter has the story:

Greta Gerwig is getting into "Greenberg."The indie star has landed the lead role opposite Ben Stiller in the latest Noah Baumbach relationship dramedy.Baumbach, best known for the Oscar-nominated intergenerational divorce saga "The Squid and the Whale," is writing and directing the film. The project's logline is being kept under wraps, but it is expected to be set in L.A. and center on relationship intimacies in the manner of past Baumbach pictures.Scott Rudin will produce "Greenberg" and Focus Features will finance and distribute; the specialty division had been in talks to board the project. Shooting is expected to begin in March, with Stiller officially on board.Gerwig, repped by UTA and managers Dallas Sonnier and Jack Heller, is known for a host of indie movies, including the Duplass brothers' genre spoof "Baghead" and the offbeat relationship tale "Hannah Takes the Stairs," which she co-wrote. Gerwig is affiliated with the loose movement of verite filmmaking known as mumblecore.Baumbach is on board to write and direct the 9/11 tale "The Emperor's Children," based on Claire Messud's acclaimed novel, at Universal. He also co-wrote animated parable "Fantastic Mr. Fox," which Wes Anderson is directing for Fox.

-I'm a huge fan of The Squid and the Whale and his first film Kicking and Screaming, so it's exciting news to me...how bout you?

Adam Sandler Rounds Up Paul Blart and Others for a New Flick

Curtosy of Variety:

Kevin James, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and David Spade are in negotiations to star in an untitled comedy for Columbia Pictures.
Frequent Sandler collaborator Dennis Dugan ("You Don't Mess With the Zohan") will helm, with the studio gearing up for a summer start date.
Sandler's Sony-based Happy Madison shingle, which recently teamed with James and the studio on the box office hit "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," is producing.
Sandler penned the screenplay with "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" scribe Fred Wolf. High-concept story is a comedy about five best friends from high school who reunite 30 years later on a Fourth of July weekend.
The five actors have worked together on a number of comedies, though never all on the same project. Sandler and James most recently starred as the title characters in "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry." Schneider co-starred in "Zohan," while Rock and James made cameo appearances in the film.
Rock and Sandler's relationship dates back to their days as cast members on "Saturday Night Live," where Schneider, Spade and Wolf also cut their comedic teeth. Sandler and Rock also toplined the 2005 remake of "The Longest Yard."

-Real early on, but Sandler's films are usually dumb fun, and the Mall Cop is popular now, so we'll see what happens with this one...

Poster for The Taking of Pelham 123

Wow...not impressive at all...hopefully the movie is better than the poster

Academy Idol: Top 4 Results

A Whole Bunch of Underrated DVD's out this week!

Indeed, many of the releases this week were regarded somewhat harsher than you'd think upon their theatrical debuts. Granted, none of these films are perfect, but two in particular were strangely given the shaft, at least in my eyes. One is my PICK OF THE WEEK, and it's a rather divisive film. It's:

W.

Oliver Stone's look at a life "misunderestimated" is definitely not what you'd expect from a George W. Bush biopic. At its heart it's more about a man with daddy issues and modest aspirations that seemed to fail upwards almost by accident in an ever ongoing attempt to please his father, who seemed to only have eyes for his brother. Even if you disagree with Stone's approach (either too soft for you liberals or too harsh for you right wingers), it's worth a view for Elizabeth Bank's very nice role as Laura Bush and Josh Brolin's fantastic work as the President himself. It's more than a mimic job, it's a true acting job.

-The other film that was not given its due among this week's releases is Blindness. Greeted harshly at Cannes, this film about an epidemic of, well...blindness, never recovered from the beating it took in France. It's a pity because it's actually a very interesting film about the breakdown in society. Its execution may not be perfect, but strong performances from Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo more than make up for it.

-Also out we have Spike Lee's World War II film Miracle at St. Anna, which is, like many WW2 films, too long and like many Lee films, somewhat unfocused. That being said, it's not a bad film by any stretch and worth a look if you think it's something you'd enjoy. There's Bruce Campbell's self referential My Name is Bruce, which is mildly amusing but ultimately less than you'd hope for, Soul Men, which isn't very good at all, but in respect for the late Bernie Mac, I'll pass up a chance at a scathing write-up of it, the romantic flick Nights in Rodanthe, which unfortunately feels like it lasts much more than a handful of nights, and last but not least, the small film Frozen River, which garnered two Oscar nominations. I didn't care much for the film or writer/director Courtney Hunt's script (which somehow got nominated), but Melissa Leo's nominated lead role is among the best work by any actor or actress this year. It's worth seeing if you're interested in seeing all the nominated works of 2008.

-My Vintage pick is a film with a typical Adam Sandler character in it. Thing is, it's not a typical Sandler movie. It's Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love. Essentially a stock Sandler character doing stock Sandler things, just with the laugh track muted. What you end up with is a fascinating look at self destructive behavior, a new degree of appreciation for Sandler's acting skills (see Reign Over Me as well for further proof that one day you very well might hear "Academy Award Nominee" Adam Sandler in an ad), and a larger revelry for the talent that is P.T. Anderson. Definitely something to watch if you've never seen it or to revisit if you have.

-What will everyone be watching this week?

Sugar Poster

Eagerly awaiting this one

Zack Snyder's Animated Flick Begins Casting

Yes indeed, it has, as you can see here in this article from Variety:

Jim Sturgess, Geoffrey Rush, Rachael Taylor, and David Wenham have joined the voice cast of animated project "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" for Village Roadshow and Animal Logic.
Zack Snyder is directing the film, currently shooting in Australia. Warner Bros. is distributing.
"Guardians of Ga'hoole" is based on the first three installments of Kathryn Lasky's children's book series, centered on a young barn owl and his friends as they escape a band of rogue owls.
Animal Logic CEO Zareh Nalbandian is producing with Donald De Line, Deborah Snyder, Lionel Wigram, Bruce Berman and Dana Goldberg exec producing. Wesley Coller is an associate producer.

-Snyder doing a kids flick is a bit odd, but hey, let's give him a shot...

Poster for The Ugly Truth

The trailer for this wasn't too amazing, but we shall see what the end result turns out to be...

Meryl Streep has no "doubt" about her next role...

...and it's a new Nancy Meyers project. It seems to be quickly coming together, as per this in Variety:

John Krasinski is set to join Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin in the untitled comedy to be directed by Nancy Meyers in the spring for Universal Pictures.
Meyers wrote the script and will produce with Scott Rudin.
Krasinski committed to make the film during his hiatus from "The Office." He will next be seen starring in the Sam Mendes-directed "Away We Go," which Focus Features releases in June.
Krasinski made his debut as feature writer-director on "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men," an adaptation of the David Foster Wallace book, which premiered at Sundance.

-Streep gives me hope for this, but then again, I said the same thing about Mamma Mia...

Crank 2 gets a new Poster

Still no idea why this film is happening...

Mickey Rourke's BAFTA Acceptance Speech

-Rourke gives the most entertaining speeches, for many reasons...

Double D's: Disney and Dreamworks partner up

From Variety:

Disney has inked an exclusive long-term distribution arrangement with DreamWorks.
Under the terms of the arrangement, Disney, under the Touchstone banner, will handle distribution and marketing for approximately six DreamWorks films each year. The first DreamWorks pic would bow in 2010.
DreamWorks principals Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider partnered with Mumbai-based Reliance in the fall to form a new company and immediately inked a distribution deal with Universal. The U deal fell apart Friday after the studio found out that DreamWorks was in negotiations with Disney.
"We're both thrilled and honored to be marketing and distributing all of DreamWorks' signature upcoming live-action motion pictures and to begin a new relationship with such respected colleagues as Steven, Stacey and their creative team at DreamWorks," Disney chairman Dick Cook said. "Steven has made some of the biggest and most loved films of all-time, and continues to be one of the great icons of our industry. Stacey has an impeccable reputation and a phenomenal track record for making a wide variety of quality films. Their motion pictures will be the perfect compliment to the already robust slate of Disney and Touchstone films being made by Oren Aviv and his team."
-We shall see if anything interesting comes of this...

Poster for The Education of Charlie Banks

Not much learning to be done here...

BAFTA winners

BAFTA Winners

BEST PICTURE: Slumdog Millionaire
BEST DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
BEST ACTRESS: Kate Winslet, The Reader
BEST ACTOR: Micky Rourke, The Wrestler
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
BRITISH FILM: Man on Wire
ANIMATED FILM: WALL•E
CARL FOREMAN AWARD: Steve McQueen, Hunger
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: I’ve Loved You So Long
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire
VISUAL EFFECTS: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
MAKEUP and HAIR: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
SCORE: AR Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
SOUND: Slumdog Millionaire
EDITING: Slumdog Millionaire
COSTUMES: The Duchess
RISING STAR: Noel Clarke
SHORT ANIMATION: Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death
ACADEMY FELLOWSHIP: Terry Gilliam

The Boat That Rocked gets another poster

And Finally, to Sum Up the WGA Awards...

Waltz with Bashir wins for Documentary.

-So to summarize the WGA awards, the winners were Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire, Dustin Lance Black for Milk, and Ari Folman for Waltz with Bashir....thoughts?

A Second Update from the WGA Awards

Dustin Lance Black has won in the Original category for Milk...

An Update from the WGA Awards

Seems that Slumdog Millionaire has won for Adapted...big shock.
-More as we hear it...

RIP James Whitmore

From CNN:

Craggy-faced film, television and stage actor James Whitmore has died at 87, the Los Angeles County, California, Sheriff's Department confirmed Saturday