I admit that I can be more than a little negative about upcoming movies that look like bad ideas.  So, in order to do something different, I am going to write positive things about a movie which should be avoided at all cost.  I am going to give you 10 reasons I am going to go see Conan.

1.  Jason Momoa: I liked Jason Momoa’s character in Stargate: Atlantis.  If he plays Conan with the same amount of intensity that he played Ronin, then you can be sure he’s going to throw everything he has into the role.  I want to see him do well.  The Sci-Fi Fantasy genre could use a good young minority lead actor.

2.  Mickey Rourke: Mickey Rourke will most likely be cast as Conan’s dad.  This is  a good choice.  No one in Hollywood is as rugged and haggard looking as Rourke.  He’s been riding his success in the movie The Wrestler and has turned it into numerous upcoming roles, especially as Whiplash in the upcoming Iron Man sequel.  He’s a great actor, and is especially good at playing characters who aren’t necessarily evil, but have a skewed moral compass.

3.  Conan:  I am a fan of the character Conan.  Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer starring Arnold Schwarzenegger are a couple of my favorite movies.  It makes me happy to see a possibility that the franchise could be resurrected.  Conan the Cimmerian is one of the few comics I follow every month.  He’s a great character who often times finds a way to come out on top no matter the odds.  He’s relentless, unforgiving, and fears nothing.

4.  Arnold Schwarzenegger:  Just a whisper of a rumor that he could make an appearance in the movie.  That would be worth seeing it.

5.  I saw Pathfinder (Marcus Nispel director of Conan, also directed Pathfinder) and 10,000 B.C. in the theaters….If I can spend good movie theater money on them, I can do the same for Conan.

6.  Epic Fantasies are the reason I go to the movies.  And I believe that Conan is going to be an epic fantasy.  The interest level is so high for a Conan movie, and the studio has to be hoping for a franchise, so this has to be bigger than Pathfinder and 10,000 B.C.

7.  Bob Sapp. MMA star Bob Sapp is apparently cast as a villain according to /Film.  Sapp  was pretty impressive in the last match I saw him in.  So, the fight scenes will be good.  And it’ll keep him off the streets.

8.  It’ll be in 3-D more than likely, and I haven’t seen any 3-D movie in the theater, ever.  Not even Avatar.  Actually, when I was 11 I saw Starchaser: The Legend of Orin in 3-D, but I don’t count that. (at least I think I saw it in 3-D)

9.  Djimon Hounsou:  This movie will open up the possibility that the Thulsa  Doom movie starring and produced by Djimon Hounsou will become a reality. Thulsa Doom was an immortal sorcerer who was originally played by James Earl Jones in Conan the Barbarian.  He’s a prominent character in the comics and in.  According to Lobo, this movie will give us a chance to see an African culture that isn’t Egyptian in a movie.

Okay. I came up with 9.  It was an ambitious list to begin with.  Oh, and Conan the Cimmerian or Conan the Barbarian is a character created by Robert E. Howard.  There’s a really good movie called The Whole Wide World starring Vincent D’Onofrio as Howard.  Check it out.

Source: Vulture

Vulture has learned that Warner Bros. is negotiating to reteam with The Book of Eli’s Hughes brothers to have them direct a live-action remake of the cult favorite Akira, from a script by Iron Man scribes Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. (Akira is being produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s company, Appian Way, along with Andrew Lazar, who’s also currently producing an adaptation of DC Comics’ Jonah Hex for Warners.)

Source: Dailyrecord

“It has been really fun playing a goddess, I have to say. She’s wild. It is full-on flirtatiousness.”

This depiction of Hell is sumptuous, decadent and dark, all candlelight and high ceilings full of Gothic detail. In Greek mythology, Persephone is abducted by Hades and tricked into becoming his wife and Queen of the Underworld .

She is also the goddess of springtime and Rosario first thought of wearing robes and flowers. But the actress wanted to go for a modern look with “chipped nail polish and lace” rather than a T-shirt and mini skirt.

Instead, she wears a bustle and corset. She said: “It’s a little darker and grungier, a gothic image that I think is quite fascinating.

“It is fun to reinterpret the myths surrounding her and try to imagine her and place her in this world.

“She’s very bitter and angry. She is violent and aggressive and it’s fascinating because she also has innocence and sweetness and childlike qualities when she’s not being completely bitter.

“She is also very lustful.”

Source:  stuff.co

Rihanna is set to play a dominatrix alongside Samuel L Jackson.

The singer has long spoken of her desire to branch out into film, and has even taken acting lessons to help her hone her skill. She has now won a part on new movie The Last Dragon, a remake of the 1985 film about a boy on a quest to become one of the best martial artists in the world.

Samuel will star as the evil Sho’nuff in the movie, and Rihanna is thrilled at the prospect of working with him.

“She has landed an incredibly challenging role alongside Samuel L Jackson. But it’s not a part for the faint-hearted,” a source told British newspaper The Daily Mirror. “She will play a super sexy, super kinky dominatrix in the martial arts flick.”

The 21-year-old has apparently been asked to fully research her role before shooting begins, and is contemplating spending time at a fetish club for inspiration. “She has been told to look into the role – and this could well include a trip to an S&M dungeon.”

Source: Variety

Vin Diesel is going back to the future to topline and produce a third chapter in the “Chronicles of Riddick” franchise.

Universal will handle domestic distribution on the sci-fi film, which is titled “Riddick.” Lionsgate is selling international rights at the Berlin Film Festival.

David Twohy — who wrote and directed the first two films in the series, “Pitch Black” and “The Chronicles of Riddick” — will helm from a screenplay he penned.

Plot details are being kept under wraps. But insiders say the third outing will hew closer in tone to the cult hit “Pitch Black” and will focus on the character of Riddick as opposed to the universe he inhabits, which was the case with the critically panned “Chronicles of Riddick.” Still, “Chronicles of Riddick” earned $116 million worldwide and spawned a successful vidgame series.

Dates are being worked out for “Riddick” so as not to overlap with Universal’s fifth installment of “Fast and Furious,” which will shoot sometime this year with Diesel onboard to star and produce.

Diesel and Samantha Vincent are producing “Riddick” through their One Race Films banner. Radar Films’ Ted Fields is also producing.

Twohy most recently wrote and directed “A Perfect Getaway.” 

Comic book Resources has a interview with Denzel Washington on his his new film “Book of Eli” opening January 16th.   Here’s a few excerpts.

When asked how Eli was different from roles he has taken on in the past, Washington replied, “Most of the characters I play, there’s been some kind of evolution – spiritual evolution. Even Malcolm X, who went from hatred to a complete different doctrine.” The personal journey of the character is key to the decisions Washington has made in his choice of characters over his career. “Even something as dark as ‘Training Day,’ the first thing I wrote on my script was, ‘the wages of sin is death.’ So, in the original version of ‘Training Day,’ they had him dying in the smallest way – you heard about it on TV. I said no. In order for me to justify living in the worst way, I had to die in the worst way. So there was still, in my mind, a lesson to be learned or an evolution.” He continued this line of thinking by moving on to discuss “Man on Fire.” “Same thing; a very dark man meets this young angel who awakens him and he gives his life for her.”

From there, Washington made the connection to Eli. “He has this mission, and this mission has turned him into this violent killing machine. There’s coincidence that, at the moment when he’s about to chop whoever with this hatchet, this axe, this young girl says ‘Stop.’ Why was he sent through this town right before he makes it to where he’s supposed to go? He could’ve gone around and it [would have] been a whole different story, but in his spiritual evolution, this was a part of the process. He had to go down through the valley of the shadow of death.

Denzel Washington to star in the “The Book of Eli”, directed by Hughes Brothers

This will be quick.  The Mayans predicted that the Earth has an expiration date. (Unfortunately, some people went and talked to some Mayans and they looked at them like they were crazy, so apparently the Mayans have no idea what we are talking about).  The best thing about this movie were the effects.  The amount of detail that was put into the destruction of some of our treasured landmarks was some of the finest special effects I have seen in a long while.  If you are a fan of catastrophe or disaster movies, then this movie will be right up your alley.  There are many explosions, crashes, and even a dog (a must in good disaster flicks.).

Don’t tell me War Machine doesn’t give you chills.

Source: Superhero Hype

Idris Elba was cast as Heimdall, the Asgardian who stands guard on the BiFrost Bridge.  He joins Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Colm Feore, Samuel L. Jackson, Stellan Skarsgard, and Stuart Townsend.

I think this is great. Elba is one of the premiere black actors and doesn’t get nearly the pub that he should.  He would’ve been my pick for any numerous black superheroes, but this is a perfect role for him. Props to Marvel for making this move.

It’s been a couple of years since I posted this, so I thought that it was time to bring it back.

In true blogger Halloween tradition, I decided to do a horror movie list. They aren’t the greatest horror movies you’ll find, but each of them have a certain charm that can’t be denied.

1. Blacula (1972)

How can you not include this movie on a list like this? It is a classic.

2. Scream Blacula Scream (1973)The only sequel on the list. But a horror movie with the Queen (IMHO) of Blaxploitation movies, Pam Grier, is definitely a movie you should see.

3. J.D.’s Revenge (1976)

I saw this movie one late night and was captivated. I just kept saying to myself, “That’s Col. Taylor?!?” (only Different World fans will understand.)

4. Petey Wheatstraw (1977)

Rudy Ray Moore BKA Dolemite, is a candidate to become the Devil’s son-in-law. To me, this movie was the epitome of black exploitation films. That being said, it’s pure classic comedy, with a little creepiness mixed in.

5. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Here’s two trivia freebies: Name the movie which starred the first African-American in the lead role in a horror movie? What movie was the first time a black actor was cast as the lead in a major motion picture that did not specify the part had to be played by a black actor? This movie is often overlooked as revolutionary for the black actor in Hollywood. On top of that, this is a George Romero masterpiece.

6. Def By Temptation (1990)

This bit of modern blaxploitation has some great memorable comedic moments. The movie is no masterpiece, but all the actors give great performances. It doesn’t have as much camp as the wacky so-called horror movies today, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

7. Candyman (1992)

Tony Todd still scares me till this day. I scared my little brother out of his mind by saying Candyman in the mirror several times. (I stopped before completing the ritual, not because I was scared).

8. Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)

This is actually one of my favorite Eddie Murphy films. Angela Bassett. It’s a pretty good vampire movie which harkens back to Blacula. Angela Bassett. Kadeem Hardison shows up again on this list in another Vampire flick, but he turns in a good performance just like he did in Def By Temptation, only this time he’s a ghoul. Angela Bassett. There’s one other reason I liked the movie, but I can’t think of it right now.

9. Spawn (1997)

Can’t have this list without a Demon. Spawn is a Demon, right? I think this movie is what contributed to the success of the Blade franchise by paving the way for mainstream acceptance, outside of the comic book world, an African-American superhero. I like Blade, but Spawn is just as good.

10. Gothika (2003)

Alright, it’s not a great movie, but it’s Halle Berry locked in an insane asylum for the brutal murder of her husband. She hacked away at him with an axe. The movie is beautifully shot and a technical achievement in cinematography. It also has (Spoiler) possession, ghost, psychopaths, and torture.

Honorable Mention

Blade (1998)

I put this here because it’s one of my favorite movies of all time, but this list already had too many vampire movies on it.