With Comic-Con upon us, news of upcoming movies and TV shows have been flooding through my RSS reader at the point that I can barely keep up. All I know for sure is that Walking Dead will be here much later than I would like and the new Spider-Man looks like garbage. Regardless, let’s dig in with some of the more recent and newsworthy bits that have been released.
The Amazing Spider-Man trailer
Is this purposely trying to copy a darker tone like Nolan’s Batman series? Maybe that’s the standard for superhero movies nowadays but it still seems jarring in contrast to the light and fluffy Sam Raimi version. Of course, it might be jarring simply because we saw this same damn origin story just a decade ago. Separately, I love Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone and I’m sure that the acting will not be a problem in this. In fact, the trailer looks pretty good but god does this feel like a completely unnecessary movie.
Paranormal Activity 3 trailer
I remarked in my review for the last film that this series needs a new hook. It didn’t find one apparently. Instead, we have the characters from the first and second films present, this time as little girls in the 1980s. Yes, while PA2 was kind of a prequel/sidequel (or whatever you call films like Saw IV), this is a full blown prequel. Based on the trailer, it still looks scary as hell but this series has not had a problem with that. But, this story creates two problems: 1) we know damn well that some little kids are not going to be harmed in a studio horror film and 2) these two little girls grow up and star in the others. Thus ::SPOILER ALERT PROBABLY:: they must make it through this one.
Random News Nothing much new from the Final Destination 5 camp … other than this glorious picture of the lovely Emma Bell, courtesy of Warner Bros. Truth be told, this is included for pbf’s benefit mostly.
There’s another Ghost Rider film? Still starring Cage? Written by those asshats behind Jonah Hex? Fuck. (AICN)
Look, I’m not ashamed to admit that I quasi-liked Twilight and was actually pretty impressed with Eclipse. That doesn’t change the fact that this is a series based around a superficial character in a boring, supernatural world that primarily targets the females amongst us. I’m not the target demographic. This I understand.
After hearing second-hand about the twisted and somewhat graphic fourth and final book, I was almost looking forward to The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. If for no other reason, that would mean there’s only one more movie to suffer through. The just released trailer kills any shred of interest I may have had. Have a gander.
Since Piranha 3DD entered pre-production, almost every new announcement makes me more excited about it. We know from PBF’s review of the first that Piranha is not a watershed moment in cinema history, although I can’t say I’ve seen a 3D penis get eaten in any other movie.
Yesterday, it was announced that the resident batshit crazy man Gary Busey was joining the cast of the next chapter in the Piranha saga. He joins an already rounded cast including Danielle Panabaker (The Crazies), David Koechner (Anchorman), and Clu Gulager (it’s fucking Clu Gulager!). Let’s hope this is more a Feast reunion as opposed to a Feast 2 reunion with director John Gulager and writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton.
The one thing I am disappointed of is the release date: November 23, 2011. The piranha are back only this time at a water park. I am sure there will still be buckets of blood and gore and ample nudity but why release this at Thanksgiving? I understand the need not to rush things but this is a late summer type of movie through and through. Oh well. If they can squeeze in a Elizabeth Shue cameo, all will be forgiven.
If Bloody Disgusting is to be believed (and who would make up crap like this?), then Lionsgate is looking to continue the roller-coaster-of-quality ride that is the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. And this time, they are making it in 3D! Which I assume means that Leatherface and the rest of the Hewitt/Voorhees/whatever family will be awkwardly jutting things into the camera to make you less pissed that you paid $14 for another crap sequel.
In talks for the directorial duties is John Luessenhop, who you might remember from … wait, did anyone actually see Takers? I guess we can presume if Platinum Dunes is involved it will feature sweaty “teen” stars from various WB TV shows who breakdown in the middle of Texas and get slaughtered in another attempt to further destroy the legacy of the original film. There were also rumors of a cult being involved. Does this sound like a good idea to anyone?
Update: Apparently not to PBF who has previously expressed his outrage over this property saying: “What’s alarming is the Leatherface 3D film that is planned for 2013. Besides the decision to continue the story, the fact that it will be in 3D, just infuriates me. This just needs to stop.”
A recent Deadline article indicates that the only likely sane person at Disney Channel is planning on making a movie based on the adventures of Phineas and Ferb!
For the uninitiated (ie. those without kids who watch Disney), it centers around two brothers (technically step-brothers if I paid enough attention) Phineas and Ferb who are insanely inventive and have a lot of time on their hands to built rockets, giant roller coasters, and pretty much anything else one can recall imagining as a child. Unfortunately for the brothers, their sister Candice is constantly trying to expose their shenanigans to their mother. Fortunately she is never successful mostly due to their pet (secret agent) platypus Perry and his constant sparring with the evil dolt Dr. Doofenshmirtz.
I had once considered but never wrote a Make this Movie! article about the show because I can’t pin down exactly what makes it so enjoyable. It has irreverent humor, some satirical elements, pretty decent (and funny) songs throughout and is more reminiscent of the best cartoons from the 90s. Even though each half-episode follows the same formula, I can’t get enough when I can pry myself away from high-brow movies like Black Swan or Zombie Strippers. I would be hesitant about the reported live action/animation combination but the mere contemplation of this movie makes me giddy. I just hope they work in a fair amount of Doofenshmirtz jingles.
Writer, Director, Producer Blake Edwards passed away Wednesday at the age of 88. His death was a result of complications from pneumonia.
Some of his most notable films were Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Pink Panther (and it’s many follow ups) and 10. He was married to Julie Andrews, who appeared in many of his films. She was with him when he passed.
Apparently I’ve been avoiding news about the planned Three Stooges feature written and directed by the Farrelly Brothers. With articles dating back to mid-2009, the previous idea was to have Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, and Jim Carrey star as the misfit trio. Since then, Carrey and Penn have left the project and now the race is on to find replacements before the film’s scheduled March production start.
But I really don’t care. And here’s why:
Considering the amount of films made from old TV shows, this movie has a black flag on it from the start. While that may not be fair, there are far more I Spy or Bewitched adaptations as opposed to decent ones like Get Smart.
The fact that the FarrellyBrothers have been wildly uneven in their filmmaking career does not instill too much confidence in the project either. While I enjoyed Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary, most of their other films (especially in the recent years) do not come close to those films’ inane hilarity as it seems they like making comedies but have forgotten to include anything actually funny.
Lastly, I just don’t like the Three Stooges. Granted, watching Lethal Weapon or Short Circuit is responsible for most of my exposure to the group but I just don’t see the humor in their juvenile shenanigans as they are punched in the stomach or slapped in the face. This is not to say that my taste in humor is highbrow, I do like Not Another Teen Movie for god’s sake, but the Stooges’ act looked superficial and just physical humor for the sake of it.
Of course, the film hasn’t even started production yet so I will withhold all of my vitriole until after seeing what is to come. But have I just not seen enough Stooges to appreciate the gag? Am I prejudging based on the track record of previous TV-to-film adaptations? Or am I thinking about this too much and should just get a beer?
I was just recently looking up information on a movie that is scheduled to come out in 2011 called Never Say Never. Based on the title, I assumed it was going to be some kind of remake or reboot of the pseudo-Bond film Never Say Never Again from 1983. Oh boy, was I ever wrong. Turns out it is a film about the life a career of Justin Bieber. You know, the seventeen year old pop singer with a music career spanning an entire less than two years?
Honestly, the only things I knew about this kid before writing this article what that he was a singer and that he was popular with squealing pre-teen girls. The mind- boggling bit about this film is that it is a documentary/biopic about his life and career. There are only two reasons I can think of for making a biographical film about a boy this early in his life. Either he has some sort of terminal illness that he hasn’t told anyone about yet and is not long for this world, or the producers and promoters in charge of this project realize that he is a flash-in-the-pan pop star and need to make a movie quick before his marketability is lost and Bieber fades into obscurity and alcoholism. Don’t believe me? Well, the movie is also coming out in ‘Real D’ 3D for no other reason than to insure that all the kiddies (excuse me, all the parents of the kiddies) will have to pay $12.00 a pop to watch this pointless fiasco. No, this venture doesn’t have the stink of “Cash Grab” radiating from it at all. Honestly, what has he done his life that so damn amazing that it must be captured for ever and always in movie form? Pop singers like him have been chewed up by the recording industry and spat out like cheap bubble gum for decades. He never had to cut off his own arm with a pocket knife to escape from a canyon like Aron Ralston. He’s no Charlie Wilson, or Julia Childs even. I will concede that, through the tiny amount of research that I have done, Justin looks like a gifted musician with a lot of potential. Hell, at some point in the future he may become the greatest singer/songwriter in the history of mankind, or he could discover the cure for AIDS or male-pattern baldness. (anything is possible) But, at this point in his career, he’s just a mouthpiece for a record label that’s squeezing as much money as possible out of excitable tweens with horribly bad taste in music. The only thing that’s even remotely different from the legions of garish pop musicians that have come before is that he was discovered on You Tube. Seriously, that’s it. If you’re so much of a sheep that you’re excited about seeing this film (in unnecessary 3D, no less) then you diverse to be separated from your money, but anyone that can think for himself or herself is going to stay far, far away from this trite piece of trash, and rightfully so.
Arthur Penn, director of Bonnie and Clyde and the Miracle Worker, passed away Tuesday, a day after he turned 88. He is said to have died of heart failure. He also worked on Broadway and won a Tony Award.
Sally Menke, who was Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar nominated editor, passed away Tuesday as well. She was 56. It is reported that she died as a result of the heatwave that California is experiencing. She had been hiking, and was found in her home. Menke was the editor on all of Tarantino’s films, including his segment in Four Rooms.
His career in film, television and stage spanned many decades, and thus it is likely impossible that you have not seen him in at least one film or show. Here is but a small list of films he was in: Innerspace, Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Howling and Piranha (1978).
Rather than provide a list of television shows he was in, I will just say that it is quite possible that he appeared at least once on every show that ever existed following his birth.
With Comic-Con upon us, news of upcoming movies and TV shows have been flooding through my RSS reader at the point that I can barely keep up. All I know for sure is that Walking Dead will be here much later than I would like and the new Spider-Man looks like garbage. Regardless, let’s dig in with some of the more recent and newsworthy bits that have been released.
Nothing much new from the Final Destination 5 camp … other than this glorious picture of the lovely Emma Bell, courtesy of Warner Bros. Truth be told, this is included for pbf’s benefit mostly.
Look, I’m not ashamed to admit that I quasi-liked 
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Apparently I’ve been avoiding news about the planned 
