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.”

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

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.

So you will probably begin to get sick of me now since we are less than a month from the release of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”, but I’m hoping it will be worth it.

There’s been lots of HP-related news lately, and it would take way too long to post everything, but what I will post is an extended clip of the “Tom Riddle Orphanage” scene, which previously debuted at the MTV Movie Awards a few weeks ago.

Extended Orphanage scene from \"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince\"

Also, the Official HBP website is now live, and it looks amazing!! Check it out at www.harrypotter.com

C’mon Potter fans, tell me what you think!!

(On a side note, for Potter fans planning to attend DragonCon, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) has been confirmed to attend!!

It’s taken me a few days to get my thoughts together.  Actually, I enjoyed the movie so much that I didn’t think it would be fair to write a review so soon after seeing the movie.  So, I waited until now since I have had time to digest everything and for the initial shock to wear off.  Let me start by saying it was difficult to not get hopes up for this movie. Star Trek wasn’t completely original (time travel, Khan-like revenge), but it did it in such a refreshing way.  Let me get to it.

Casting was perfect.  Chris Pine didn’t try to imitate Shatner’s Kirk, in fact, he made the role his own.  Zachary Quinto shed his Sylar skin, and became Spock.  The best casting, however, was Karl Urban as McCoy, and Simon Pegg as Scotty.  Karl Urban had the mannerisms and the vocal inflection down.  It went beyond an imitation. Simon Pegg brought his quirkiness and comedic timing to a character that always seemed to bring humor the crew.  Any movie with Bruce Greenwood (Capt. Christopher Pike) is automatically 10 times better.  He brought a gravitas and authority to his role as the no nonsense Captain/Academic .Without going on about everyone, everyone performed their roles well.  Oh, Eric Bana’s measured performance as the snarky villainous Nero was scary. 

The effects were great.  ILM who provided the effects didn’t any models in the space scenes.  If I didn’t know that, I wouldn’t have been able to tell.  The only problem that I had was J.J. Abrams overuse of flare.  I know he was going for a style, but after so many, it wasn’t special. 

Star Trek, to me, is the best Sci-Fi movie since the Matrix, and the best action movie since Transformers.  I expect there will be more.  And I can’t wait.

Great start for Trek it opens with 72.5 million for the weekend (76.5 million if you count Thursday) .   It fell short of my prediction of 90 million,  I guess I was a victim to fanboy hype.     It also got a boost from the Imax showings.   The weekend BO was pretty close to industry expectations meaning it was a successful weekend.  

If your still puzzled by what happened take a look below  at other Trek films and the opening weekend BO adjusted for inflation.   In comparison to the other films its a hit.   

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979): $34,668,706 (opening weekend)/ $239,115,674 (cume)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982): $35,038,451 / $192,290,437
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984): $35,629,102 / $163,237,856
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986): $32,671,686 / $212,328,919
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989): $31,267,457 / $93,951,918
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991): $30,976,050 / $127,720,425
Star Trek: Generations (1994): $39,707,107 / $129,980,545
Star Trek: First Contact (1996): $49,896,339 / $149,493,266
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998): $33,761,058 / $107,451,468
Star Trek: Nemesis (2002): $22,918,195 / $53,387,173

Wolverine dropped 68% over the weekend with 50% being the make or break point for the second weekend.   Does this mean it doesn’t have the legs to be a big hit?    I think the answer to the questions is it depends.    A 68% drop is huge and looks bad until you factor in the fact that Star Trek was released the next weekend.     

This was one of the most anticipated movies of the Spring/Summer movie season.  I’ll make this review short.  Fanboys are going to hate it.  Fans of the Wolverine comics aren’t going to like it.  Fans of the X-Men series of movies are going to like it.  As far as the story goes, its fits into the story line of the X-Men trilogy of movies.  It gives the origin of our favorite mutant, Wolverine.  Questions about his past that were raised in the first movie are answered.  As with most origin stories, the action sequences were spread out by exposition.  But, when there was action, it was impressive.  Its easy to tell that they spent much time on getting the effects just right.  Hugh Jackman was his typical brooding Logan.  Liev Schrieber was excellent as Sabretooth.  Most of the other acting was okay.  However, Will.i.Am’s performance left little to be desired.  I was looking forward to him as Wraith, but he just didn’t do it for me.   One performance that stood out to me was Taylor Kitsch as Remy Lebeau/Gambit.  When I first saw him as Riggins on Friday Night Lights, I thought to myself, “He’d make a great Gambit.”  He did.

Problems:  No matter how good CGI gets, you can’t take years off an old man’s face and make him young again without it looking wierd.  No matter how far the stories of the X-Men are off base, at least they try to stay true to characters and their powers; however, Deadpool was so far off base as to make me almost completely dismiss Ryan Reynolds performace in the first part of the movie.  How do you have that much destruction at a Nuclear Power plant and not upset one of the reactors?  If I use an adamantium bullet and put a whole in your head, how do the wholes get filled in with adamantium?  I could go on, but I said I’d be short.

Fans of the series of movies and who have less than a passing knowledge of X-Men and Wolverine will enjoy the movie.  Everyone else, its going to be hit and miss.

Nothing to speak of this week other than Dragonball dropped like a rock to # 11 but that was to be expected, its total so far is $7,934,562.    Good new is that its less than 10 days before Wolverine: Origins.    In case your wondering Watchmen is at $106,848,750 after 17 weeks.    

Hi guys, it’s Hanako, the Potter Geek returning to Black Geekdom after a long absence (caused in large part to Warner Bros. decision to postpone the release of Half-Blood Prince to this summer). But anyhoo! Now that the release is less than 4 months away and Deathly Hallows has begun filming, it’s time to update you all on what’s going on in the Potterverse. (Warning: this post will contain casting information and potential movie spoilers).

Half-Blood Prince
Finally! We are getting closer to the long-awaited release of Half-Blood Prince, which will open in theaters and IMAX on July 17, 2009. Recently, the Japanese International trailer was released, and it can be viewed here.

Other videos:
International Featurette
Regal First Look

You can also find out current HBP information by visiting the official website.

Deathly Hallows
Release dates:
Part 1 – November 19, 2010
Part 2 – July 15, 2011

Casting News: Recently, the casting of several key characters have been confirmed, suggesting that Warner Bros. will try with the final two movies to make up for the mistakes/omissions they made in the first 5 (or 6, depending on how HBP turns out). DH see the return of Dobby the House-Elf, along with Mr. Ollivander and (possibly) Fleur Delacour. Other casting notables include Bill Weasley (finally!), Mundungus Fletcher, Xenophilius Lovegood, Aberforth Dumbledore, and Reg Cattermole, among others.

With the casting news has come confirmations of several key scenes being filmed, including the much-debated Epilogue, Malfoy Manor, Shell Cottage, and possibly the Bill/Fleur wedding.

With the casting of these characters with small yet significant roles, as well as some of the key scenes that made DH the best book in the series (in my humble opinion, of course), it seems as though WB will use the two-movie arc to fully play out the final chapter in Harry’s story, which is as it should be.

New York, New York – March 12, 2009 – Paving the way for the production and release of its multi-character superhero film, THE AVENGERS, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: MVL), announced today an adjusted release pipeline for its self-produced feature film properties that reflects the first time individual Super Hero characters and story arcs will be inter-woven and culminate in a multi-character motion picture. Separately, Marvel Studios confirmed today that Sony Pictures Entertainment will release SPIDER-MAN 4 on May 6, 2011. Additionally, Marvel Studios has revised the release dates for THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA as part of its release strategy for an uninterrupted road to THE AVENGERS, now debuting May 4, 2012.

A Marvel character-based film will now launch the summer box office season for three years in a row, from 2010 through 2012.

“This new schedule strongly sequences Marvel’s movie debut dates, big screen character introductions and momentum. It maximizes the visibility of our single character-focused films, leading to the highly anticipated release of the multi-character THE AVENGERS film in 2012,” said David Maisel, Chairman, Marvel Studios.

Sony Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ SPIDER-MAN 4 is slated for May 6, 2011. To date, all three motion pictures in the phenomenally successful SPIDER-MAN franchise have generated nearly $2.5 billion worldwide theatrically.

Below is Marvel Studios’ 2010-2012 updated release schedule for its slate of self-produced and financed feature films:
Marvel Studios Feature Film Pipeline
Film/Character Prior Release Date Current Release Date
IRON MAN 2
May 7, 2010 May 7, 2010
THOR
July 16, 2010 June 17, 2011
THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA
May 6, 2011 July 22, 2011
THE AVENGERS
July 15, 2011 May 4, 2012

The release date for IRON MAN 2 remains unchanged. IRON MAN 2 is the sequel to the blockbuster film, IRON MAN, which has grossed nearly $600 million worldwide.

Terminator: Salvation director McG on wanting Will Smith for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: “I definitely like the idea of Will Smith. I’ve made that very clear. I like the idea of breaking down any racial barriers and taking the idea of what people perceive to be a period film and turning it on it’s ear. And we have a few interesting way to deal with that as well… Because I think he can handle it. It’s basically a guy at war, with war itself. And I don’t want it to be so dark as to be prophetsorial [sic] and to feel like a history lesson. It has to have a journey component to it so it makes you want to get out of your cubicle and your small life and go live in a world larger than your accustomed to. For that I think you need somebody to take you with them, and like I said that’s a short list.”

The Terminator films (we are going to ignore the disaster known as T3) combined with the television show is slowly becoming one of the better genre franchises. I hope this trailer and the film increase the ratings for the show. If your not watching the show your missing out.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Jackson will play Sho’nuff, the Shogun of Harlem, a role played in the original by the late Julius Carry, whose spiel included asking ego-driven questions like “Am I the baddest mofo lowdown around this town?” Each time his gang of thugs answered, “Sho ’nuff!”

The updated plot will be along the same lines of the original, centering on young martial arts student Leroy Green in his quest through the streets of New York to achieve the highest level of martial arts accomplishment, known as the Last Dragon. Those who achieve the high ranking possess the Glow, making them the greatest fighter alive.

The original, which also starred one-namers Taimak and then-Prince protege Vanity, was released in March 1985 by TriStar Pictures and received lukewarm reviews by critics like Roger Ebert, who gave it 2 1/2 stars and said it was a “great near-miss.”

Despite the reviews, “Last Dragon” did well at the boxoffice, grossing nearly $26 million. It soon became a cult classic for scenes like Bruce Lee follower Green remaining so loyal to the martial arts star that he eats his popcorn in a movie theater with chopsticks.

Source: Variety

Djimon Hounsou has partnered with Dynamite Entertainment to star in and produce a bigscreen feature about immortal sorcerer Thulsa Doom, a central figure in the Conan the Barbarian and Kull comicbooks.

Character will be featured in his own comicbook series, published by Dynamite, an imprint of Dynamic Forces, next year.

He originally appeared in the Robert E. Howard pulp story “Delcardes’ Cat,” published in the 1930s.

Doom was portrayed by James Earl Jones in 1982′s “Conan the Barbarian.”

Planned pic will showcase the origins of the flawed hero and show how his road to hell was paved with good intentions.

Dynamite’s president and publisher Nick Barrucci will develop and produce the pic with Hounsou, Arthur Lieberman and Luke Lieberman.

Project is not yet set up at a studio.

Barrucci and the Liebermans are behind a feature based on the comicbook “Red Sonja” that Robert Rodriguez will produce and Douglas Aarniokoski will direct for Nu Image and Millennium Films. Rose McGowan will star in the pic.

Hounsou most recently appeared in Summit Entertainment‘s “Never Back Down.” He will next co-star in “Push,” also from Summit.

Dynamite Entertainment also publishes “Project Superpowers,” “The Boys” and books based on “Army of Darkness,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “The Lone Ranger” and “Zorro,” among others.

It’s been a while since we’ve done a DVD recommendation.  But yesterday, I watched Batman: Gotham Knight.  This is a compliation of six anime-style movie shorts that bridge the gap between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.   I was really impressed with the animation style of the 6 different vignettes and the stories.  I also liked how the writers were able to have the stories all relate to eachother in some way, quite unlike the Animatrix where each story was independant.   If you are a Batman fan and if you enjoy animation, you will like this.

I saw Hancock the other day, and there’s no doubt in my mind that Will Smith is now the biggest movie star on the planet.  Even a mediocre film such as this drew huge crowds and posted huge numbers.  I went on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 PM and the theater was packed.  Go figure.  The movie was just okay.  It was different for a superhero movie, but that’s just it, it was different, not special.

On the bright side, there were 3 things that were great about the movie:  1) Charlize Theron, 2) Jason Bateman, and 3) the soundtrack.  I forgot how good looking Charlize Theron is, and she was perfect for the role that she played.  Jason Bateman is probably one of the most underated actors in Hollywood.  And finally, soundtracks are supposed to not really be noticed, but I noticed this one, and I didn’t mind it.  The special effects were good.  The plot was just okay, and as much as we like Will Smith as a genre actor, I just didn’t buy him in this role.

Source: Superherohype

With a release date of May 1, 2009, Wolverine is the highly anticipated spinoff of the popular X-Men series.  I don’t have much to say about this other than if they put as much effort into this as they did the 3 X-Men movies, then it should be pretty good.  Here’s a promotional picture.

I initially had my reservations about this movie.  After seeing it, I was really impressed with the action stunts.  First, let me get the comparison to the graphic novel out of the way.  The movie deviated from a good deal of the story without actually changing the main overall plot and theme of the story.  I credit the

screen writer for pulling it off.  For the most part, the first 20 minutes and the last 20 minutes are just like the story in the graphic novel, with a few small minor changes.  They even managed to work in an aspect of superpowers into the movie.  Secondly, I want to commend the casting.   James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, and Angelina Jolie all turn in spectacular and convincing performances.  The thing about the rest of the cast is that they spoke few words, which was quite effective since the movie was more about feeling and emotion than words.

The effects were solid except there was one scene on top of a moving train where the CGI looked rushed and unfinished, but over all everything looked realistic.    If you’re looking for a good summer action flick and a solid story that doesn’t require that much thinking then this is for you.

Third times a charm, hopefully.  Marvel’s going to do the Punisher again, this time starring Ray Stevenson (Titus Pullo for all you Rome fans), who actually fits and looks the part more than Dolph Lundgren or Thomas Jane.  Not that I had anything against those guys, but the movies were bad and not true to the source material. (Thomas Jane was close)  Unfortunately, I don’t think Marvel Studios is doing this movie, so there’s plausible deniability if it’s a failure.  I’m not a Punisher fan, but I will go see it anyway.   Well, here’s the teaser.

Maybe my expectations were too high.  Maybe I let all the hype and buzz around the movie get to me.  Maybe it was remembering how the previous movies made me feel.  Maybe it was nostalgia.  Maybe it was Lucas and Spielberg together again.   I don’t know.  The movie wasn’t what I hoped it would be.  It was just okay.  It didn’t have that sense of adventure from the other movies.  The heroes were in sticky situations, but they weren’t ever in any real harm.  The age jokes were okay.  There was one chase too many.  The story, as fantastic as it was, was predictable and not very compelling.    No wonder Lucas didn’t care about the script leakage.  It’s going to make a lot of money, but not because of how great it is.  If you like Indiana Jones, you’ll probably like the movie.  Don’t get me wrong; I liked the movie, it just made me feel…unsatisfied.

Source:  Filmz.ru

I don’t speak Russian, but here’s the international trailer for Wanted. Be warned, other countries aren’t as prudish as we are here, so the trailer is graphic. View at your own risk.  This actually makes me want to see the movie more now, than the previous theatrical trailer that I’ve seen.  See it after the jump.

Almost a year ago, we talked about Lawrence Fishburne’s production company trying to purchase the movie rights to The Alchemist (CLICK HERE TO READ).  He was going to produce, direct and star in the film adaptation of the popular novel.  Well, it’s being reported that Fisburne has teamed up with Harvey Weinstein to produce the movie and to bring it to the big screen backed by a $60 million budget.  Originally, the movie had been in produciton for years by Warner Bros.  and Fishburne was to star and direct a script that he had written.  Now with movie magnate Weinsein behind the project, it’s almost guaranteed that the movie will be coming soon to a theater near you.I am looking forward to this movie.  Fishburne does well in genre movies and is on par with both Will Smith and Samuel L. Jackson when it comes to selling us extraordinary characters, or characters placed in extraordianary circumstances.

Once again, Samuel L. Jackson has taken another comic book character role.  This time he’s going to play The Octopus in Frank Miller’s The Spirit.  The Octopus is the villain in the comic book The Spirit.  The Spirit was created in the 1940′s by Will Eisner.  It’s sort of like a cross between Batman and The Crow.  The Spirit is a spirit of vengeance of a murdered police detective.  Jackson is becoming a notable genre actor to rival Will Smith.  Other than what I’ve seen online, I know nothing about this comic.  So, if anyone wants to explain what the possible appeal of this movie, other than seeing Sam play a bad guy, let me know.  I saw the trailer and it looked like a bad rip-off of Sin City.  Here’s the picture.

Here’s the trailer for the movie Twilight based on the best selling novel and series of books by Stephanie Meyer.  Its a young adult vampire series surrounding the romance between to teenagers, one human, the other, vampire.  I haven’t read the books, but Hanako assures me that it’s the next biggest thing since Harry Potter.  We’ll just have to see.

Here are some pictures from the upcoming G.I. Joe Movie.

Get more pictures here. Click pictures to view larger images.

Entertainment Weekly has a photo gallery of the 20 Worst Comic Films ever.    I will admit that this isn’t hard to do, because there are  so many bad ones out there.   I do have a problem with them putting a couple of films on the list like Daredevil and the  Fantastic Four.  Could they have been better?  Probably.  I think both films failed in several area but not to the point where they belong on the 20 worst.  I can easily replace both of them with Dick Tracy, Timecop, American Splendor or  The Crow: City of Angels.   I guess if your factoring in the excpectation level attached to the films then you might have a point. However if your going on just film making then they may need to rethink the list

This movie better be good because they have me hooked. This was one of the highlights of the game. Except for the part where the Giants defeated the Empire and destroyed the Death Star also known as the New England Patriots. OK, back to the important stuff. I know its just a trailer, but  I think Favreau gets Iron Man.   I know you hear that phrase every-time  time a comic book movie comes out,  He (insert director) gets or doesn’t get (insert character or characters) For the non-fanboys that means they understand who the character is and why people love them.   I don’t know much about the films actual story because I want to be surprised  when I see the film.  (I have never understood people who read leaked scripts before the film comes out,  doesn’t it interfere with your enjoyment of the movie if you know everything before it happens).  I guess we will see when the film comes out if I’m right or wrong.  Click the image for the commercial.

For those who didn’t dare try to stomach Cloverfield this past weekend, here’s the teaser for the new Star Trek movie.

Here’s a picture of the Enterprise from the new prequel movie, Star Trek.

Previous post about the new Star Trek movie.

Tyler Perry in New Star Trek Movie

Eric Bana cast as Star Trek Villian

Zoe Saldana cast as Uhura

Chris Pine on set of New Star Trek movie

Images of Zachary Quinto as Spock

Source: Variety

Marlon Wayans has signed on to play Military Unit leader Ripcord in the New GI Joe film. I have no qualifications to be a casting director but what the ##$#%#$@. Can anyone see him in a serious action film. Ok calling this a “serious” action film is a stretch since its GI Joe, which means that every-time a plane gets shot everyone will manage to hit eject and float gently to the ground. Then again he may be a victim of the “Black-man Hollywood Curse” which means he will die in the first 5 minutes of the film.  Which means its all a moot point.

I wonder how many people will go to the movie hoping to see Madea.  I can here it now.  

Lil Tony -   “You in line to see Madea in that Star Trek film”

JT -   ” Hell yeah but I thought it was Madea goes to Space.  I didn’t know it was a Star Trek movie”

Lil Tony  -   ” So whats she suppose to do in the movie”

JT -    “Who knows , they told me she was in it and I came running, that old lady keeps it real”

Lil Tony -   “Maybe they will let her drive the Enterprise or something, All I know its that it better be good if im going to pay all this money to see it at the theater, I usually just run by the barber shop”

JT -   ” Doesn’t matter if its good or not, its Madea, it doesnt have to be good, I’ll come see it anyway.  I love me some Madea, I got all of her bootlegs, “Madea Goes to Jail”, Madea’s Family Reunion”, “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”……”

Lil Tony -  ” I hope its not a bunch of aliens and shit.  I can’t stand watching people dressed up in all those crazy ass costumes” 

JT -  “Thats True, Why would a grown-ass man want to play dress up”

Lil Tony -  “I can’t call it”

Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Source: UnderGroundOnline

I heard some reeeeaallly interesting things today about J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie. I’ll share all the details eventually but for the moment let’s break a piece of exclusive info: that writer/director Tyler Perry has a role in the new Star Trek movie. If you want to know who Perry is playing and how his character impacts the lives of young Kirk and Spock, beware of spoilers and click on through to read about it. And I mean that: SPOILERS ARE AHEAD! 

It looks like Perry is playing the head of Starfleet Academy. Before you go asking if the character is going to be a human being or one of those funky aliens with a dozen more nostrils, it looks like Perry’s character is a plain old fashioned human.

Here’s some background on the dude: Tyler Perry is one of the bigger breakthrough success stories that Hollywood has had recently. He began his career and won acclaim as a playwright before moving into film. He’s directed and written the screen stories for Madea’s Family Reunion, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Daddy’s Little Girls and his latest hit which came out earlier in the year, Why Did I Get Married?. If the man’s a Trekkie he’s kept it quiet or maybe J.J. is just a fan of Madea.

My informant tells me about a big scene that was filmed a couple of weeks back that involved Perry, Chris Pine (the young James T. Kirk), Zachary Quinto (young Spock) and dozens of other extras. Now really, if you’re here then you already decided that you wanted to be spoiled, but here comes the bigger spoilers…

…Tyler’s character is overseeing some kind of Starfleet courtroom/assembly event where young Kirk is facing expulsion from Starfleet. It turns out that the Starfleet prez didn’t look too favorably on Cadet Kirk for “cheating” on one of his critical tests. And all you Trekkies out there know exactly what it is Kirk did: he rigged the Kobayashi Maru test so he could win it.

(For those that don’t know their Tribbles from Andorians, the Kobayashi Maru is a piece of Trek lore introduced in Star Trek II. Starfleet cadets are placed inside a starship simulator and given a no-win scenario: either try and rescue the survivors of a stranded space freighter trapped behind the Klingon Neutral Zone and thus in enemy space or listen to them die when they are found by the Klingons. The test is designed that there is no possible outcome where you save the Maru survivors and beat the Klingons; it’s supposed to give cadets a taste of what it’s like to be working under pressure as you face probably death. Kirk won the Kobayashi Maru test by reprogramming the scenario so he could actually win it because, as the dude himself said, “I don’t like to lose.”)

So young Kirk is standing in front of his peers (human and alien Starfleet cadets and officers) and facing immediate expulsion from the Academy. After hearing the charge from Perry’s character, Chris Pine-as-Kirk delivers a speech in the same vein as some of the classic Kirk speeches from the TV series. He wants to know how his cheating was found out, and it’s revealed that there was a witness to Kirk’s act. Kirk immediately demands to know who the witness was so he can face his accuser.

And that’s when Zachary Quinto-as-Spock stands up. Yup, he’s the one that ratted on Kirk reprogramming the Kobayashi Maru test and he’s the reason why Kirk is about to be expelled from Starfleet. And then…

I’m going to cut it short there for now because I want to follow up with my source and ask some more questions about what happens next. Yeah, I’m leaving you hanging here but it can’t be helped. Besides, it’s the holidays and breaking news is practically non-existent so if I can stretch this out and come back with more spoilers from Star Trek, why not? Plus I want to be able to explain how the new costumes fit into Trek continuity and what they look like…

I promise to be back tomorrow with more. But before I close hailing frequencies I’ve got one final story detail to relate to you: at the start of that day’s filming J.J. addressed the assembled cast and told them that he was extremely happy to have Tyler Perry being a part of his Star Trek movie for many reasons, but one of the biggest was that this would mark the first time that Perry has appeared in a movie outside of his own projects.

Seacrest out!

This is what a trailer is suppose to to do for a film, generate interest.  I was real hesitant at first but now I will check it out.

http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2007/09/11/more-john-hancock-photos/
http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2007/07/26/more-photos-from-john-hancock/
http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2007/07/11/first-images-from-john-hancock/

The long-awaited Hobbit movie, first mooted over a decade ago by New Zealand director Peter Jackson, is edging its way towards the screen.

The adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s 1937 novel is set to be split into two films which are scheduled for release in 2010 and 2011 – despite some fairly unequivocal denials from both Jackson and New Line Studios as recently as a month ago.

The production has been repeatedly derailed by rights issues and Jackson’s desire to remake King Kong for Universal Pictures, which soured relations between New Line and the director.

Jackson will be producing the new films, with a director yet to be appointed. No casting details are expected to emerge for quite some time.

Ok, its finally on the Web for everybody who didn’t see “I Am Legend”.   I’m having a hard time putting into words, how I felt about this trailer, because its so damn good.  If the trailer is any indication I think this may surpass the first film, which is pretty hard to do.   

Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Previous posts about The Dark Knight.

http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2007/08/17/new-photos-from-dark-knight/
http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2007/12/12/new-joker-image/
http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2007/08/17/new-photos-from-dark-knight/

Here is the official trailer of the sequel Chronicles of Narnia:  Prince Caspian.

I really wasn’t interested in this movie until I saw this, now I’m at the theater the first weekend,  click the image to watch.

Source: trekmovie.com

Paparazzi have managed to get pictures in Chris Pine in uniform as Kirk. Click on the image for more images.

Steven Spielberg has commissioned Drew Struzen to do the artwork for the new poster for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  Here it is.  Click on the picture for a high-res image.

Previous post and trailer: http://blackgeekdom.com/blog/2007/11/07/jumper/

Here’s a poster for the new paranoid thriller from M. Night Shyamalan called The Happening. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg who plays a man who goes on the run with his family when the world faces a large scale natural crisis (not War of the Worlds, this is a natural crisis, Shyamalan’s already done aliens).

I have liked all of Shyamalan’s movies. I see no reason why I won’t like this one. He’s one of the few minority directors who can do the movies that he wants to do.

Here’s the new Speed Racer Trailer. I think this might be a pretty cool movie, if i were 8 years old but I’m not.  So I think I’ll pass on it.   It does look it could be a pretty interesting racing game.   All that being said you have to love the theme music.

“Tin Man” is the Sci-Fi channel’s re-imagining L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. I watched the first and second night of this three part miniseries. Sci-Fi promoted this series almost as much as Flash Gordon was promoted. That should have been my first warning. The second was Sci-Fi’s scheduling of the second night to run against Chuck and Heroes, which are two of the Sci-Fi channel’s target audience’s favorite shows, especially since these were the mid-season finales. Thankfully, Sci-Fi repeats their “television events” almost immediately after airing.

Briefly, the story follows D.G. (originally Dorothy Gale) who works a dead end job as a waitress dreaming of bigger and better things. We find out that she isn’t from this world but from another world called the O.Z. (Outer Zone) and that she is the key to saving it from an evil sorceress, Azkadellia (the Wicked Witch). She is joined on her journey down the old road by Glitch, a man who lost half his brain as a punishment for being a criminal, Raw, a cowardly beast with psychic abilities, and Cain, a former cop, known as tin men in the O.Z. We get the classic characters of munchkins, the Mystic Man (the Wizard) played by Richard Dreyfuss, and even the flying monkeys who spring from the cleavage of of Azkadellia. Literally.

The effects aren’t bad for a television series. Obviously, the network wanted this to be a success. The visuals are pretty good, despite the filter that the director, editor, or director of photography went with. What I mean is that everything seemed to be in perpetual early evening, an almost dusk. It’s a decent story for the most part, but it could have been done better. Many of the puns and allusions to the original story don’t have to be so blatant. Anyone watching has probably seen the Wizard of Oz dozens of times. I can do without lines like “If he only had a brain,” or “They’re off to see the Wizard.” Side note: It may not be suitable for your under 5 crowd, but that’s a parent’s call. There are hookers, a pimp, torture, some pretty gruesome scenes, and the Mystic Man is a drug addict who uses on screen. But I digress.

If you don’t have anything else to watch, especially with the writer’s strike, give this a shot. If you miss it, you won’t miss much. Rent The Wiz.

Two fists for making Toto a black man.

I have seen the movie and I liked it. Beowulf the movie is based on the old English poem by the same name. I read the poem, or some of it, in high school, and most english literature scholars know the poem very well. They have taken some liberty with the original story but kept the spirit and gist of what was going on. The movie was done completely in CGI and with the aid of motion capture. Done by the same people who brought us Polar Express, they have seen to have learned from the mistakes they made in that movie. Here, the actors were life-like and the facial expressions were real enough. Anthony Hopkins’ Hrothgar was perfect; he looked the most real of all the characters. Ray Winstone as Beowulf was well done. But the gem of the movie was Angelina Jolie as Grendel’s Mother. You could tell that the animators took time and care in getting every physical detail about her just right.

The action was great. Going into the movie I was slightly worried that it would be a repeat of Final Fantasy as far as looking more like a video game cut-scene than an actual movie. But I was more than impressed. The one thing that I look for in animated movies is camera angles. Since there are no physical constraints of what a director and a director of photography can do, I am always looking to see if this is taken advantage of. In Beowulf, we get numerous wicked angles and shots that can’t be done in a regular action film. The animation was life-like, and the voice acting was excellent. At almost 2 hours, you don’t even notice the length of the movie. If you haven’t seen it, you should.

The rumor mill is buzzing about the cast of the Justice League movie. Warner Brothers hasn’t confirmed who’s in and who’s out, even though reports last week said that the announcement of the cast would be this week. But what’s going through the grapevine is a list that can be found here at Filmdrunk.com. Of note is the fact that Common, yes the rapper, has been cast (rumor) as the Green Lantern. Well, having seen both Smokin’ Aces and American Gangster within the last couple of days, I would like to believe that he could be the one. However, I don’t see it.

Why don’t I like it? First of all, as one of my good friends says, I want to see him run 30 yards at full speed. Next, he played a tough guy killer in Smokin’ Aces, but comes off as a soft and sensitive. Even in the background of the Wanted trailer, he looks more like decor than a real character. John Stewart is a bad ass. Given, in the comic book he was an architect, so there isn’t much toughness there, except for how he was characterized. Just look at the cover of his first appearance.

Looks like someone you don’t want to mess with, right? Okay, I know that the movie probably isn’t going

to focus on Green Lantern, but I’m just saying that there is probably better candidates than Common for this role. I also know that they are going with younger lesser known talent for the movie, but Common doesn’t fit with what they are trying to do. Judgment will be reserved for the release. If it ever happens.

The Official Website for the Iron Man movie has been updated. You can read info about the story, get cast information, new images, and the trailer. Check it out here.

I am stoked about this movie. I think that the anticipation is building up gradually. It’s hard to not try and find out about the script, even though the trailer I have seen looks like it gives the whole story away. The one thing that does bother me is that the rumor mill says we won’t get to see the Iron Man suit that we’ve seen in the posters, or the scene where he’s flying with the jets. Either way, I don’t think that’s going to make or break this movie.

Twentieth Century Fox is finally moving forward with a live-action adaptation of the hugely popular manga “Dragonball,” casting the stars of the movie and setting a release date of next summer.

Justin Chatwin is starring as the hero while James Marsters will play the villain in the sci-fi adventure, which will be directed by James Wong. The movie has been penciled in for a worldwide release date of Aug. 15, 2008. Stephen Chow, the filmmaker behind “Kung Fu Hustle” and “Shaolin Soccer,” is producing.

The story follows an adult humanoid alien named Goku, who discovers that he was sent to Earth to blend in and destroy our population but instead elects to protect it from an oncoming alien onslaught bent on dominating the universe and controlling the mystical objects from which the film takes its name.

Chatwin, who will play Goku, has already begun training under the auspices of stunt performance company 87Eleven, which has executed and designed action pieces in pictures such as “The Matrix,” “The Bourne Supremacy,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “300.” Marsters is playing the villainous Piccolo.

JFXOnline has posted the first images of Zachary Quinto as a young Spock.  Click the image below for the full story.

It seems like the WGA is officially on strike and its going to have a impact on a number of things.   In case you didn’t know the WGA is on strike for the following things.

• An increase from 4 cents for every DVD sold to 8 cents 
• Digital distribution revenues (ads and downloads )- Writers want 2.5% and the Studios are offering .3%; one of the sticking points is producers want to call some stuff “promotional material” which would be exempt.  The writers are countering that if you have ad revenue associated with its then its fair game.

Seems like they would just meet in the middle and be done with it, but its not my money to give away.   Now to the important stuff how does it affect me.  

• After the first of the year Current prime-time shows will likely run out of new episodes, so have about 3 months before it hits the fan  .
• More crappy reality shows to avoid
• Movie studios will be OK for the short term,  if it goes on longer than 4 months it may push back some stuff Im looking forward too.
• Maybe all the part-time comic writers will finally have some time to get some  movement on a new “Young Avengers” series (Allan Heinberg) and the completion of “Ultimate Wolverine/Hulk” (Damon Lindelof)
• More time to read all the Graphic Novels I have back logged
• I can finally re-watch all those Batman Beyond DVDs
• Spend time with my spouse   College football
• Catch up on house work   I can start to organize all my comics. 

Hopefully this won’t be and extended strike and we can all get back to bitching about the Sci-fi Channel.  

Sweet Christmas posted the rumor that The Rock was in negotiations to play either Captain Marvel or Black Adam. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson went to the fans and asked who should be play: Captain Marvel or Black Adam? The fans have spoken, and The Rock listened. Overwhelmingly, fans voted 9-1 for Johnson to suit up as Teth-Adam, the wizard Shazam’s first choice as Earth’s protector. Johnson is going to suit up to play Black Adam, and mentions that the role is being reworked especially for him. Click the links below for the full story.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1573336/20071101/index.jhtml

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/11/01/breaking-the-rock-suits-up-as-black-adam-for-shazam/

The Rock is perfect for the role of the maniacal killer.

I just finished reading the Wanted graphic novel (becoming very interested after seeing the trailer for the movie) and imagine my surprise when I noticed that The Fox (Wanted’s version of Catwoman) was a black woman who claimed to have grown up in the projects.

I am not going to go off about how Hollywood doesn’t believe fanboys (white males between the ages of 18-49) are going to want to see a black actress in the role, or how much they (the fan boys) love Angelina Jolie, or how this is payback for Michael Clark Duncan being cast as the Kingpin of Crime in the Daredevil movie, or maybe they (fanboys) don’t want to see an interracial couple on-screen. I found this interesting blog post here
from a website called Racialicious (the blogger references willow_dot_com) that asks the same question I had. Who would play this role, if not Angelina Jolie? Gabrielle Union? She has no action movies to her credit. What about Jada Pinkett-Smith? What about Thandie Newton, Sanaa Lathan, Kerry Washington (she definitely gets my vote), Elise Neal, or Vivica Fox (well maybe not her)? Or did Halle Berry kill any opportunity for black actresses in comic book movie lead roles? (see Catwoman)
There isn’t a lack of talent, just a lack of inspired imagination. I don’t think Angelina Jolie will make a difference in the box office for this movie. Comic book/Action movies don’t really need big stars to draw crowds, see how successful the first two Transporter movies were. Just throw up a kick ass trailer, and make the fanboys happy.

Source: ComingSoon.net

November 1, 2007

 ComingSoon.net has your first look at a teaser poster for Millennium Films’ new Conan movie, based on Robert E. Howard’s mythical conqueror Conan the Barbarian. The company said earlier this year that the new version will be more faithful to Howard’s original creation than were the Arnold Schwarzenegger films.

Its about time.   I wonder if it will actually happen in 2009 with the writers strike coming up. 

 Yahoo Movies has the new trailer for Wanted  the  big-screen adaptation of Mark Millar’s action-packed graphic novel.  Click the image to see the trailer.   Starring Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy

Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is a cube-dwelling hypochondriac whose uneventful life has become a mundane blur of terminal boredom. Repeatedly humiliated by his boss and constantly cuckolded by his cheating girlfriend, weakling Wes seems to be living right down to everyone’s expectations that he would never amount to anything in life. Upon discovering that the father he never knew has been brutally murdered, however, the spineless, clock-punching pushover is recruited into a secret society of assassins known as The Fraternity. During the course of his training, the man who was once an office-bound wimp develops lightning-fast reflexes and superhuman dexterity courtesy of his skilled mentor (Angelina Jolie). Upon completing his training, Wes is assigned the task of dealing out death to the mythological Fates who possess the ability to alter the lifelines of mortal men. It isn’t long before the nebbish nerd-turned-agile assassin is erasing the bad guys with surprising efficiency, yet as Wes begins to carry the mantle passed down to him by his father, he gradually begins to suspect that his wise tutors are not the crime-fighting enforcers they present themselves to be. Now, with everything he ever wanted in life finally within his grasp, Wes is about to find out that the only thing more difficult than ending the lives of others is summoning the courage to take control of his own.  - Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The Transformers DVD far exceeds expectations. Everything about the movie is stunning. The effects, the sound, the story, and the acting are better than average. I am not going to go into the technical aspects of the presentation (you can read the back of the box) but I will say the transfer looks great on my HD TV. It would probably look even better if I had an HD player and the HD DVD version of the movie.

The only problem I have is with the marketing. If you buy the movie from Best Buy you get one of two collectible figures:

If you buy it from Circuit City, they gave you a gift card with access to exclusive online content:

And if you get if from Walmart, you get an added extra feature which is a prequel to the movie narrated by Optimus Prime.

And finally from Target, you get a transforming keepcase.

I got the transforming keepcase, mainly because there isn’t anything like it in my DVD collection.

Source: Lying In The Gutters

Rich Johnston has uncovered the promo trailer for a live action He-man film. You gotta love the 80′s. Now if we could only get a live action Go-Bots movie (just kidding).

We don’t cover video games much here. But screenshots from the Iron Man Xbox game have appeared. I must say that if the game play looks this good, I might have to get an Xbox if the games not going to be available for PS3.

Last night Spike aired its 2007 Scream Awards which honors the best in Horror, Sci-fi, Comics and Fantasy.   I think they should rename it the Fanboy awards because that’s the audience.   The awards were very entertaining, lots of energy and plenty of genre stars, and its nice to actually see some of the comic guys get some screen time.   Some of the major highlights other than announcement of the category awards, was Harrison Ford winning the first ”Hero” award which recognizes the legends of the genre,  a reunion of the original “Star Trek” cast for the 25th anniversary of “Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan”, and Neil Gaiman winning the  ”Comic-Con Icon Award”

I like the fact the the show also premiered never before seen trailers (great marketing gimmick for fanboys)  for upcoming films like Beowulf.   My only real complaint was the musical performers, Ozzy Osbourne, Avenged Sevenfold and Alice Cooper who won an award for “SCREAM Rock Immortal”.   Its amazing that people seem to think this is the only genre of music that Sci-fi, Comics and Horror fans like.   I guess we can only tackle one stereotype at a time.    

Here are the categories and nominees for the awards the winners are in bold.

    THE ULTIMATE SCREAM
    — 28 WEEKS LATER
    — 300
    — BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
    — THE DESCENT
    — HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
    — HEROES
    — PAN’S LABYRINTH
    — PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END
    — SPIDER-MAN 3
    — TRANSFORMERS

    BEST HORROR MOVIE
    – 28 WEEKS LATER
    — 1408
    — THE DESCENT
    — GRINDHOUSE
    — THE HOST
    — HOSTEL: PART II

    BEST FANTASY MOVIE
    — HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
    — PAN’S LABYRINTH
    — PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END
    — SPIDER-MAN 3
    — STARDUST

    BEST SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE
    — CHILDREN OF MEN
    — THE FOUNTAIN
    — THE PRESTIGE
    — SUNSHINE
    – TRANSFORMERS

    BEST TV SHOW
    — BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
    — DOCTOR WHO
    – HEROES
    — LOST
    — MASTERS OF HORROR

    BEST COMIC BOOK
    – 30 DAYS OF NIGHT
    — ALL-STAR SUPERMAN
    — THE BOYS
    — ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR
    — Y: THE LAST MAN

    SCREAM QUEEN
    – KATE BECKINSALE, VACANCY
    — ROSARIO DAWSON, GRINDHOUSE
    — JORDANA BREWSTER, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING
    — BIJOU PHILLIPS, HOSTEL: PART II
    — ROSE MCGOWAN, GRINDHOUSE
    — MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD, BLACK CHRISTMAS

    SCREAM KING
    — JOHN CUSACK, 1408
    — SAMUEL L. JACKSON, SNAKES ON A PLANE
    — SHIA LABEOUF, DISTURBIA
    — ANGUS MACFADYEN, SAW III
    — FREDDY RODRIGUEZ, GRINDHOUSE
    — LUKE WILSON, VACANCY

    BEST SUPERHERO
    — MICHAEL CHIKLIS, FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
    — CHRIS EVANS AS THE HUMAN TORCH, FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER
       SURFER
    — TOBEY MAGUIRE AS SPIDER-MAN, SPIDER-MAN 3
    — MASI OKA AS HIRO NAKAMURO, HEROES
    — MILO VENTIMIGLIA AS PETER PETRELLI, HEROES

    SEXIEST SUPERHERO
    — JESSICA ALBA, FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
    — ALI LARTER, HEROES
    — HAYDEN PANETTIERE AS CLAIRE BENNET, HEROES

    FANTASY FOX
    – JESSICA BIEL, THE ILLUSIONIST
    — KIRSTEN DUNST, SPIDER-MAN 3
    — LENA HEADEY, 300
    — KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END
    — EVANGELINE LILLY, LOST
    — EVA MENDES, GHOST RIDER
    — SIENNA MILLER, STARDUST

    FANTASY HERO
    — GERARD BUTLER, 300
    – JOHNNY DEPP, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END
    — MATTHEW FOX, LOST
    — EDWARD NORTON, THE ILLUSIONIST
    — DANIEL RADCLIFFE, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

    SCI-FI SIREN
    — CLARE-HOPE ASHITEY, CHILDREN OF MEN
    – MEGAN FOX, TRANSFORMERS
    — SCARLETT JOHANSSON, THE PRESTIGE
    — KATEE SACKHOFF, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
    — RACHEL WEISZ, THE FOUNTAIN

    SCI-FI STAR
    — CHRISTIAN BALE, THE PRESTIGE
    — HUGH JACKMAN, THE FOUNTAIN
    — SHIA LABEOUF, TRANSFORMERS
    — CILLIAN MURPHY, SUNSHINE
    — CLIVE OWEN, CHILDREN OF MEN

    BEST CAMEO
    — DAVID BOWIE, THE PRESTIGE
    — JAY HERNANDEZ, HOSTEL: PART II
    — KEITH RICHARDS, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END
    — QUENTIN TARANTINO, GRINDHOUSE
    — BRUCE WILLIS, GRINDHOUSE

    BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE
    — CLARE-HOPE ASHITEY, CHILDREN OF MEN
    — ZOE BELL, GRINDHOUSE
    — MEGAN FOX, TRANSFORMERS
    — LAUREN GERMAN, HOSTEL: PART II
    — SHAUNA MACDONALD, THE DESCENT
    – HAYDEN PANETTIERE, HEROES
    — RODRIGO SANTORO AS XERXES, 300

    MOST VILE VILLAIN
    — SERGI LOPEZ AS CAPTAIN VIDAL, PAN’S LABYRINTH
    — MICHELLE PFEIFFER, STARDUST
    — ZACHARY QUINTO AS SYLAR/GABRIEL GRAY, HEROES
    — KURT RUSSELL AS STUNTMAN MIKE, GRINDHOUSE
    — RODRIGO SANTORO AS XERXES, 300
    — TOBIN BELL & SHAWNEE SMITH, SAW III
    — THOMAS HADEN CHURCH, SPIDER-MAN 3
    — TOPHER GRACE, SPIDER-MAN 3
    – RALPH FIENNES, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

    MOST MEMORABLE MUTILATION
    — BATTLE VS. THE IMMORTALS, 300
    — CRANIAL SURGERY, SAW III
    – DISMEMBERED IN CAR CRASH, GRINDHOUSE
    — EATEN ALIVE BY CANNIBAL, HOSTEL: PART II
    — MOUTH SLICED OPEN AND SEWN BACK TOGETHER, PAN’S LABYRINTH

    BEST COMIC-TO-SCREEN ADAPTATION
    — 300
    — FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
    — GHOST RIDER
    — SPIDERMAN 3
    — TMNT: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

    BEST SEQUEL
    — 28 WEEKS LATER
    – HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
    — PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END
    — SAW III
    — SPIDER-MAN 3

   “JUMP-FROM-YOUR-SEAT” SCENE OF THE YEAR
    — ATTACK OF THE UBER IMMORTAL, 300
    – FINAL BATTLE: MEGATRON VS. OPTIMUS PRIME, TRANSFORMERS
    — MID-AIR BATTLE: SPIDER-MAN VS. THE NEW GOBLIN, SPIDER-MAN 3
    — THE RAIN OF ARROWS, 300
    — ZOMBIE ATTACKS GLASS WINDOW, 28 WEEKS LATER

    BEST DIRECTOR
    — MICHAEL BAY, TRANSFORMERS
    — DANNY BOYLE, SUNSHINE
    — ALFONSO CUARON, CHILDREN OF MEN
    — GUILLERMO DEL TORO, PAN’S LABYRINTH
    — NEIL MARSHALL, THE DESCENT
    — ELI ROTH, HOSTEL: PART II
    — ZACK SNYDER, 300
    — SAM RAIMI, SPIDER-MAN 3
    – QUENTIN TARANTINO & ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, GRINDHOUSE

    BEST SCREAM-PLAY
    — 300, WRITTEN BY ZACK SNYDER & KURT JOHNSTAD
    — CHILDREN OF MEN, WRITTEN BY ALFONSO CUARON, TIMOTHY J. SEXTON, DAVID
       ARATA, MARK FERGUS & HAWK OSTBY
    – GRINDHOUSE, WRITTEN BY ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, QUENTIN TARANTINO, JEFF
       RENDELL, ELI ROTH, EDGAR WRIGHT & ROB ZOMBIE
    — THE DESCENT, WRITTEN BY NEIL MARSHALL
    — PAN’S LABYRINTH, WRITTEN BY GUILLERMO DEL TORO
    — SUNSHINE, WRITTEN BY ALEX GARLAND

    BEST F/X
    — 300
    — HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
    — PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END
    — SPIDER-MAN 3
    – TRANSFORMERS

    BEST FOREIGN MOVIE
    — CELLO (SOUTH KOREA)
    — DEATH NOTE (JAPAN)
    — THE HOST (SOUTH KOREA)
    — INITIAL D (HONG KONG)
    – PAN’S LABYRINTH (SPAIN)

    BEST COMIC BOOK WRITER
    — BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, CIVIL WAR: THE INITIATIVE/DAREDEVIL/NEW AVENGERS
    — GARTH ENNIS, PUNISHER: MAX/THE BOYS/GHOST RIDER/CHRONICLES OF
       WORMWOOD/MIDNIGHTER
    — FRANK MILLER, ALL-STAR BATMAN & ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER/FRANK MILLER’S
       ROBOCOP
    — ALAN MOORE, LOST GIRLS/YUGGOTH CULTURES
    — BRIAN K. VAUGHN, EX MACHINA/RUNAWAYS/Y: THE LAST MAN

    BEST COMIC BOOK ARTIST
    — JOHN CASSADY, ASTONISHING X-MEN
    — DARWYN COOK, THE SPIRIT
    — PIA GUERRA, Y: THE LAST MAN
    — STEVE MCNIVEN, CIVIL WAR
    — BEN TEMPLESMITH, WORMWOOD: GENTLEMAN CORPSE/FELL

    BEST SCREEN-TO-COMIC ADAPTATION
    – 28 DAYS LATER: THE AFTERMATH
    — ARMY OF DARKNESS
    — FRANK MILLER’S ROBOCOP
    — GEORGE A. ROMERO’S NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD:
       BACK FROM THE GRAVE
    — THE HILLS HAVE EYES: THE BEGINNING

    MOST SHOCKING COMIC BOOK TWIST
    –  ALICE IN WONDERLAND AND DOROTHY FROM OZ HAVE LESBIAN SEX!, LOST GIRLS
    – CAPTAIN AMERICA DIES!, CAPTAIN AMERICA
    — PETER PARKER REVEALS THAT HE IS SPIDERMAN!, CIVIL WAR
    — SABRE-TOOTH IS BEHEADED BY WOLVERINE!, WOLVERINE
    — SUPERMAN KAL-EL IS KILLED BY SUPERBOY-PRIME!, INFINITE CRISIS

Universal, which brought us the successful Jurassic Park trilogy, has decided to add another dinosaur flick to the stable. The studio has given the greenlight to cult classic “Land of the Lost,” a somewhat popular television series from 1974, rerun during the eighties, and brought back to T.V. in 1991 as a new series starring Timothy Bottoms (The Paper Chase).
The movie will star Will Ferrell and have a budget of $100 million dollars. Source: Variety

I don’t know what to think of this project. I watched the series when it aired in the eighties and also the 1991 series. There has to be some interest for a box office big gun like Will Ferrell to be attached to this film. I don’t get nostalgic for this like I would for something like, I don’t know, maybe Thundercats or Transformers. Also, I remember the series took itself seriously, and this movie is being touted as a comic. I just don’t know if Ferrell’s going to be enough to get back the $100 milllion.

The classic afternoon cartoon, Thundercats, is getting the big screen treatment. There hasn’t been any word on casting, but there is a director. Jerry O’Flaherty, art director for popular games such as Gears of War, Unreal Tournament 3, and Command and Conquer, has been named to direct the CG-animated Warner Brothers feature. He’s best known for bringing the movie experience to the video game platform.

This transition seems natural for someone with his experience. He will work with screenwriter Paul Sopocy on the script.

I don’t really know anything much about O’Flaherty. I haven’t played any of the games he’s directed but have only heard good things about them from people who have. However, I do know about the Thundercats, and think that this would be a great movie.

More pictures of site favorite Will Smith on the set on John Hancock have been posted at Popsugar. You can view the entire set of pictures by clicking here.