My nephew's first Halloween.

This post is only slightly movie-related, but I figure it gets a pass because 1) it is still movie-related nonetheless, and 2) my nephew Brodie is insanely cute.



Halloween is my favorite holiday. I hold it sacred for many reasons, the biggest being that I wasn't always allowed to celebrate it. My father was a Baptist pastor, so whenever the religious-political winds blew against dressing up and going door-to-door on October 31st, my brother and I had to sit at home without costumes, all while gorging on a bag of treats my mom simply bought from the store. No wonder I got so heavy in life - if I had only gone trick-or-treating, I would have at least had to hustle down the sidewalk for my candy. Nowadays, Halloween's footing on the traditions and memories of a new generation of children is no less endangered. Recently my supervisor with the after-school program I work for told me I am not allowed to mention 'Halloween' by name. What the hell?! Unfortunately, since Halloween as Americans know it is not a religious holiday (contrary to what any evangelist or moronic Bible tract might tell you), there's no one around to kick up the same controversy we got a few years ago when certain groups tried to limit the use of the word 'Christmas.' Even worse, I am constantly having to correct kids who spread the horrible lie that Halloween is 'the Devil's birthday.' Way to go, parents!

Anyway, enough soap-boxing (thanks again, Dad), let's get to my nephew. When he was born last January, one of the first things that came to my mind when I held him in my hands was that his body size would make for a good Yoda come next Halloween. I started to brain-storm. I planned on fashioning two Yoda ears out of foam rubber, getting a baby bathrobe, and coating his baby dome in green face-paint. Fortunately for Brodie, Target was selling a less irritating option for $19.99. Check him out:


Here he is, fishing for swamp vittles near the shores of Dagobah.


And here he is, just being cute.

Brodie, I know you are too young to use the internets, let alone care about movies enough to read your insane uncle's website. But if you ever read this, I love you.

Have a Happy (and Safe) Halloween, everyone. And if you gotta see a scary movie in theaters tonight, remember that 30 Days of Night is more badass than any of the two Saw films I have seen to date.

The Joker strikes Raleigh?!?!

Alert Governor Easley! Flash the Bat-signal!

Looks like our state's capital could be under attack by the clown prince of crime himself. That's right, The Joker.

Over at whysoserious.com, viral-marketing campaign headquarters for Chris Nolan's newest Batman film, The Dark Knight, one can find a scattered pile of clues. These clues contain directions for residents of various major cities. Will those who follow the clues find a new picture from the movie, a DVD copy of the trailer, an invite to a test screening - or a face full of deadly Joker gas? The answer remains to be seen.

I had my fingers crossed, hoping North Carolina would be spared of the Joker's villainy. Certainly a smaller metro area like Greensboro would be spared, but then I remembered (last time I checked) that Raleigh is the 26th largest film market in the country. Things didn't look too good after that.

And sure enough, The Joker left the following clues:


("At Fayetteville and Davie streets, walk south from where Sir Walter sleeps, and have a seat on one of the benches in the mall.

"Above you, you will see what you need, wreathed like Caesar.")


("Starting at the State Capitol and walking due south, it won't be difficult to spy with your pretty little eye a glass door marked with your goal. Stay focused, and all will become clear.")

My wife would kill me if I drove all the way to Raleigh. But if any of you Triangle (or Triad) residents out there find whatever these clues are leading you to, and live to tell the tale, send me a digital picture (or pictures) of whatever it is you are supposed to be looking for. My e-mail is movieshowjoe@gmail.com. The first one to send me a picture shall be rewarded - handsomely.

Recovering from the zombie show....

I want to shout a quick thanks to everyone who came out to the Wild Zero show tonight. I was totally expecting maybe 20 people to show up, and there was more than double that number. Better yet, most folks who attended the show liked it. A lot. While the movie wasn't exactly scary, they laughed when they should have, and seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves.


As for the non-Wild Zero events, everyone seemed to dig the cheesey trailers and the Fright Flicks trading cards we
were giving away to our trivia winners. Jack Bonney, GM for WUAG was the biggest winner of all; his pack came with a sticker featuring Slimer from Ghostbusters. I told Jack if I had to pick 20 things I would want on a sticker, one of them would have to be Slimer. Anyway, he plans on putting Slimer on the door of his brand-new office when the station moves to the new building in November. Hopefully no one will steal it....

The kind, beautiful attendant who works for 2 Art Chicks was also impressed with the number of beer drinkers we had in the crowd. Maybe it had someting to do with the Wild Zero drinking game we were playing, but it looks like the "Beer and a Movie" film series will live on. Much like the band Guitar Wolf, and most importantly - ROCK AND ROLL!

Again, thanks to everyone who helped us have a great time without worrying over scene points. Stay tuned for further events!

Stupid audiences -- you get what you paid for!

I rarely comment about on box-office receipts on the site since that's Mike's job on the show, but Box-Office Mojo reports that Saw IV made $32 million at the box-office this past weekend.

More than anything, I wanted to believe that this installment would flop for several reasons. First of all, it seemed like everyone I saw the last film with though the last Saw film was boring. The movie wasn't scary, and they killed off Jigsaw, the series' Freddy Kruger. After that, there would seem to be no point to making another entry (besides $$$); and definitely no point in going to see it, but I was wrong. Now it looks like Saw V and Saw VI will, in fact be made back-to-back a la The Matrix and Pirates sequels. Even worse, they are going to get theatrical releases, when the whole series should have gone straight-to-DVD by this point.

What makes all of this even more frustrating is the fact that 30 Days of Night came out just last week, and it's a vastly superior (i.e. 'scary') horror film than either of the Saw films I have seen thus far. Even die-hard fans of the waning 'torture-porn' genre had better options this year with Eli Roth's Hostel Part II, a movie that only sliced up $17 million during its entire theatrical run - that's nearly half of what Saw IV made in one weekend.

So Jackson fired Gosling?!

From IMDB:

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King filmmaker Peter Jackson fired actor Ryan Gosling from movie The Lovely Bones because he was "too demanding" according to reports. It was alleged Gosling "stepped down" from the movie and was replaced by Mark Wahlberg - but Oscar-winning director Jackson in fact axed the 26-year-old, reports New York gossip column, PageSix. A source says, "Peter couldn't stand Ryan. Ryan cut his own hair, and was fighting with wardrobe. He was so demanding... Peter booted him two days before filming started." The Lovely Bones, the movie adaptation of Alice Sebold's bestseller, also stars Rachel Weisz - and will be released next year.

--

On last week's show, we had reported that Gosling left due to 'creative differences'. Perhaps those differences Variety was referrring to in the article were as simple as Gosling imagining he should be allowed to work and act like a jerk to hair and wardrobe, while Jackson - with all the creativity it took to make the Lord of the Rings trilogy - imagining that he should not.

I hope this 'firing' or whatever it was doesn't put Gosling on some sort of blacklist a la Val Kilmer. Gosling is still very young, and extremely talented. It would be a shame if all that talent had to languish because of any drama he may carry behind the set. Let us also not forget that Gosling gained 30 pounds to play the father in The Lovely Bones. I don't know if this applies, but when I was about 100 pounds heavier, the added weight caused me to act like a mean son of a bitch. Maybe the normally rail-thin Gosling was upset because the haircut and wardrobe he was given made him look too fat, or else not fat enough? We'll probably never know.



But still, considering that Gosling got fat enough to make his mug this pudgy, it's a damn shame....

[PODCAST] Last Thursday's show.

Hop a ride on “The Movie Show” as Joe and Mike review Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited, and make a holiday of it (‘WES-Fest 07’).

But if that wasn’t reason enough to enjoy the program, the boys interview Greensboro sound designer Douglas Quin about his work on Werner Herzog’s newest film as well as actor Brian Dierker from Into the Wild. The show also features reviews of two wonderful Casey Affleck films and 30 Days of Night, the final installment of the ‘Trilogy of Terror’ segments, a horrible joke about West Virginia courtesy of Mike, and a serious blunder by Joe, who mislabels the song “Everyone” by Van Morrison.

This week’s Hotline subject: Into the Wild

Soundtrack selections include:

“Alone Again Or” by Love from Bottle Rocket;
“Is There Life on Mars?” by David Bowie from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zisou;
-and-
“Les Champs-Élysées” by Joe Dassin from The Darjeeling Limited.

P.S. If you saw “The Darjeeling Limited” and would like to share your opinion on next week’s show, leave a message on “The Movie Show” hotline at (336) 510-4119.
Click here!

P.P.S. If you want to subscribe to our podcasts, simply click the purple icon on the upper-right side of the page.

It's the Prelien!

Changing gears completely from our last post about Pulitzer-winning author Cormac McCarthy, USA Today released this picture of the Alien-Predetor hybrid from Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem.



According to AICN, we should be outraged, but I have to admit that at the end of the day, if an Alien and a Predator were to ever have sex - albeit in the violent, face-hugging fashion of the Aliens - this is a fairly decent portrait of what their child would look like. I guess you could say, 'It's the Alien from Trinidad,' but still, no complaints here.

Joel and Ethan Coen chat with Cormac McCarthy.

As the intro for this article will tell you, at 74, writer Cormac McCarthy (The Road, No Country For Old Men) has only done three interviews in his entire life. Three. I guess in the end he really didn't need to do any more; he mainly let his writing talk for him, selling lots of books and winning lots of awards in the process.

When Time Magazine tried to set up a fourth interview with Cormac McCarthy to promote the film release of No Country for Old Men, the reclusive novelist probably said, 'No.' However, he did consent to having a conversation with No Country's directors Joel and Ethan Cohen in a New York hotel room while journalist Lev Grossman documented their discussion. Let it be said that the Cohen Brothers don't do a whole lot of press interviews either.

So what did the trio talk about? Well, movies mostly, as well as Spanish magical realism and director Terry Malick. Here's my favorite clip:

C.M. Days of Heaven is an awfully good movie.

J.C. Yeah. Well, he is great, Terry Malick. Really interesting.

C.M. It's so strange; I never knew what happened to him. I saw Richard Gere in New Orleans one time, and I said, "What ever happened to Terry Malick?" And he said, "Everybody asks me that." He said, "I have no idea." But later on I met Terry. And he just--he just decided that he didn't want to live that life. Or so he told me. He just didn't want to live the life. It wasn't that he didn't like the films. It's just, if you could do it without living in Hollywood ...

J.C. One of the great American moviemakers.

C.M. But Miller's Crossing is in that category. I don't want to embarrass you, but that's just a very, very fine movie.

J.C. Eh, it's just a damn rip-off.

C.M. No, I didn't say it wasn't a rip-off. I understand it's a rip-off. I'm just saying it's good. [Everybody laughs.]

--

In the unlikely event that Cormac McCarthy ever praised anything that I created, I would probably call it a rip-off, too. You can read the rest of the article here.

I am Legend trailer.

Can I get an 'Oh, Hell nah!'?



The one thing I like about Will Smith blockbusters, it's that they consistently remind me of what a summer event film used to be like when I was a teenager. Maybe it's because Smith starred in every summer event film that came out after 1996, but still. Will I am Legend be as much of a butchery to its source material as I, Robot? Only time will tell. However, based on the trailer, it looks like fans of writer Richard Matheson might have a fighting chance.

New Rambo trailer.

Here's the trailer for Sylvester Stallone's John Rambo, or Rambo: To Hell and Back, just Rambo, or whatever else they might try to call it between now and the film's release next year. Apparently the other two trailers that were posted on the internet were less 'official' than this one which will be attached to Saw IV this weekend.



What do you think? I have to say that while the Rocky Balboa trailers stirred my heart quite a bit when I saw them last fall, this one does nothing for me. Nothing. Rocky is the kind of character who could have made a post-millennial comeback. Rambo on the otherhand, is not. Based on the hard-fighting ways demonstrated in the first three Rambo movies, the fact he's still alive today is a little embarrassing, honestly. John Rambo should have been killed fighting un-winable conflicts long ago.

And is it just me, or does Stallone sound a bit like John Wayne? The news is that if this Rambo does well, Stallone might actually come back for a fifth one. Way to blow the good will generated from his decent Rocky sequel.

Let Millar write it!

According to several sources, Superman Returns writers Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris have abadoned Man of Steel, the upcoming sequel from director Bryan Singer to write and direct their own films. This may come as good news for those who complained the franchise re-ignitor was, 'Too much MAN and not enough SUPER.'

But what's even better news to me is this report from /Film about comics scribe Mark Millar ("Ultimates," and "Civil War") pitching his own idea for the script. Here's a juicy quote from Millar regarding the pitch:

“Revamping this franchise is what I [w]as given fingers for and so, invited or not, I’m putting my plan together now. I’ve been asked to work on half a dozen screenplays lately, but this is the only one I have ever truly wanted. I have literally hundreds of pages of notes and sketches just waiting for this opportunity. This would be my dream gig and, as a fan, I know exactly what this project needs to work. This has to be Superman for the 21st Century, keeping everything we adore, but starting from scratch and making the kids love it as much as the 30-somethings. I would honestly write this thing for free. Anyway, my treatment is being polished as we type. Wish me luck. I want to do that Superman movie we all want to see.”

I liked Superman Returns, and would argue that it is the only comic book movie that was nearly as good as X2 and Spider-Man 2. That said, if a total reboot is the way to go, Millar could be the man for the job. His work on "The Ultimates" is all the proof I need. Basically, "The Ultimates" was an alternate 'realed-up' version of 'Earth's mightiest heroes,' The Avengers. In the book, Millar took everything that was sensational and fun about The Avengers, and re-tooled it with a sense of modern plausability, something Millar says he wants to do with Superman. "The Ultimates" read like a very good Avengers comic, and Irecommend it highly, especially for people who don't normally read comics.

As for Man of Steel, production was slated to begin after Singer completes his fequently retitled Tom Cruise WWII project. I am wiling to wager, however, I doubt it. If this movie is a reboot, meaning Superman Returns will be negated, Singer will probably be dropping out very soon. That also means Superman's son he conceived with Lois somehow - which many people claim painted the current franchise into a corner - will dissapear in a cloud of smoke.

If Singer does leave the Superman camp, who do you guys think should direct Man of Steel? Also, do you think they should keep Brandon Routh?

[WES-Fest '07] The Darjeeling Limited review.

Few directors working today are as much fun as Wes Anderson. I love the his unique blend of both the funny and the sad; his soundtrack selections and the way they are used in his films; but most importantly, I love the way his films look. If you were to take away the sound from Anderson's best movies, something that would hinder one's ability to enjoy both his verbally-driven comedy and cinematic mixed-tapes, the sublime beauty that Anderson's camera manages to conjure, even from the most mundane of locales, would be enough to keep me smiling throughout. The Darjeeling Limited is no exception.

And speaking of locales, most of Darjeeling is set in India. While Anderson has a knack for making gameroom closets or high school plays look like miniature oases, with the many colorful villages, shrines, and train cars of India, his newest movie turns into a sugar rush of visuals.

By now, you should know that Owen Wilson, Adriend Brody and Jason Schwartzman play brothers Francis, Peter and Jack as they take a train ride accross the Asian country one year after the death of their father. Francis (Wilson), the oldest of the trio, is the leader. Not only did he finance this rail-bound trek across India, but in many ways he seems the parent pro tempo re for his siblings after their father died and their mother went AWOL. There's a funny scene in a restaurant when Francis orders food for his brothers and Peter (Brody) protests. However, we soon find Francis orders their food not because he's telling them what they want, but rather, because he knows.

As for Peter and Jack, I have a strong feeling that I have seen both of these characters somewhere before. For starters, Peter both dresses and carries himself in a fashion similar to Wes Anderson. Like Anderson, Peter has two brothers, and he's also the character who kicks off the film. That the film pokes fun at the way an artist reappropriates real life into his or her work only strengthens my case.

I've said this before in my Hotel Chevalier review, but Jack gives us a good idea of who Max Fischer from Rushmore would be if he were allowed to grow up. A writer and manipulator of women, it seems that Max in the form of Jack is still setting up musical cues in order to snare his romantic conquests. Fortunately for Jack, that's much easier to do, given that he's packed a Bose iPod dock instead of the record players and tape decks that Max would use.

There are but two flaws in The Darjeeling Limited. The biggest one being the finale wherein the brothers symbolically cast aside the baggage of their dead father. For starters, the symbolism is much too obvious and, in a way, crude for a director known primarily for his subtlety, but also, the movie never explains what caused said baggage in the first place. As for the minor flaw, part of me wishes that the short film, Hotel Chevalier had been included with the movie. Chevalier features Schwartzman's Jack opposite his mysterious and unfaithful lover played by the never-more-stunning Natalie Portman. There are at least two jokes and one cameo that require viewing the short film first in order to understand. Alas, the decision not to include Hotel Chevalier with the theatrical prints for The Darjeeling Limited was made by the studio, and not Anderson, who at least had the common courtesy to give the short away for free on iTunes.

After 2004's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, I was worried Anderson was stuck as a director - that he had decided how the many traditions of his films were going to play out in all of his work, and that nothing was ever going to change. The Onion even released an article that mocked the director to that extent. Over the years, Anderson's traditions have made him recognizable as a filmmaker - or an 'auteur' - but they've also started to confine his cinematic vocabulary. Yes, I want my Anderson films to seem 'Andersonic' (as opposed to 'Michael Bayesque'), but I want that meaning to grow, and not grow stale.

With The Darjeeling Limited Anderson is clearly branching out and trying new visual approaches to storytelling. In particular, there's a wonderful meditation scene that pans across each character in the film's extended universe, including a ferocious stop-motion tiger that could represent Anderson gearing up to make his animated kids film, The Fantastic Mr. Fox. The movie might feature, "a plot centering around unresolved family issues," as was mentioned in The Onion, but I got the feeling those family issues are not as important for the characters as their journey this time around.

See Into the Wild FOR FREE!

If you tuned in to our show last Thursday, then you would know that there were no less than ten movies released in Greensboro last Friday (!) - eleven if you count the 3-D re-release of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas at the Carmike 18. One of those movies was, Into the Wild, a relatively modest film directed by Sean Penn. The movie tells the real-life story of Christopher McCandless, a confused but ambitious young man, who after graduating from college, decides to burn all of his money and ID cards and trek all the way to Alaska.

Both Mike and I felt Into the Wild was made with a lot of heart, and while the trailer appears to lionize McCandless as 'this great rebellious adventurer,' but I promise that both Penn and actor Emile Hirsch go to great lengths to provide both sides of what is both a beautiful and heartbreaking story. It would be a shame if this movie got lost in the shuffle. That's why The Movie Show wants to giveaway no less than 10 sets of tickets for you and a guest to see Into The Wild on Tuesday, October 23, at 7 p.m.

To win the tix, all you got to do is reply in the comments section of this post. This will reserve one of the ticket sets for you and a friend. Then meet me and Mike at The Carousel Luxury Cinemas on 1305 Battleground Ave., Greensboro NC. We'll be there beginning at 6:30 p.m., and you're welcome to hang out with us before the movie, tell us why we're lame, etc. Then after the movie, I'll as you to briefly share your thoughts on the film for a feature I'm working on, and that will be that.

(Note: Any reserved tickets left unclaimed five minutes prior to the screening will be forfeit, and thus subject to a 'first come first serve' basis)

[WES-Fest '07] Anderson: Criterion Bottle Rocket DVD on the way.

(For every day leading up to the Greensboro release of 'The Darjeeling Limited' this Friday, themovieshow.org will present an article dedicated in some way to the talented auteur, the music of his films, and the influence he has had on filmmaking in general)



AICN ran a piece on a rather interesting Q&A that Anderson and long-time collaborator Jason Schwartzman did for about 50 fans after a screening in Chicago. The filmmaker gave several lenghty responses, sometimes on personal topics such as how The Darjeeling Limited has affected his relationship with his own two brothers in real life. However, my favorite was the following announcement regarding the upcoming Bottle Rocket DVD, courtesy of The Criterion Collection:

Question:I heard that BOTTLE ROCKET was coming out as a Criterion DVD.

Wes Anderson: We just have to do a lot of work to prepare it, but that's in the works. I was supposed to do a bunch of stuff already that I didn't do yet, so I'm going to get on it though. But some of the stuff is at my mother's house in Texas, so I have to go to Texas and dig through all my boxes, because there's materials for the movies that I haven't looked at in a long, long time. And we want to try and include everything that might be good.

After that response, AICN's Capone, who moderated the event, dropped the following note:

Just before the Q&A, Wes and I talked in more detail about his plans for this release, which included a great deal of deleted scenes, some of which he way try to incorporate into the film, with the rest being standard deleted scenes extras. Of course the original BOTTLE ROCKET short would be on the set, but Wes added that he's also got outtakes from that as well that he wants to find.

All's I got to say about this is, 'It's about 'effing time!' For too long has my Wes Anderson DVD collection suffered from the 'Criterion Gap' created by the bare bones disc Sony created for Bottle Rocket. Sure, the movie made no money in theaters, but that doesn't mean it deserved crappy features like these:



Admittedly, the video quality on the transfer is nice, especially for a non-anamorphic presentation, but the disc doesn't even have a trailer, not to mention commentary, deleted scenes, etc. And Bottle Rocket was Martin Scorsese's 7th favorite movie of the last decade, for Pete's sake! I could vent for hours on this subject, because, like Scorsese, I feel Bottle Rocket is one of the greatest American films ever made. Not only did it introduce us to the talents of Wes Anderson and the brothers Wilson, but I think this is the film that best captures the internal "'What Now' stuggle that most Americans grapple with in their mid-20's. When I watch Anthony and Dignan fight to maintain their relationship as they hustle to make things happen, I can't up but to think that this is the way my own life is right now.

At any rate, the Criterion DVD looks to be a winner. I hope that the disc will have a 'branching' feature so that we can watch it both with and without the added scenes. The chance to peep a decent transfer of the short film version of Bottle Rocket that Anderson and Owen Wilson made during college sounds nice, too. The version of the short I found on YouTube is very pixelated with poor sound, making it nigh unwatchable.

But more than anything, I cannot wait to see the hand-painted cover by Eric Chase Anderson (Wes' brother).

Here are the previous covers that Eric Chase Anderson did:


Rushmore Criterion #65, 2000.


The Royal Tenenbaums Criterion #157, 2002


The Life Aquatic Criterion #300, 2005

And before we go, here's a full-screen video cap of the trailer for Bottle Rocket, which features several 'lost scenes' that might make their way onto the upcoming DVD:

New trailer for The Mist

The last time Dimension Films and MGM collaborated on a horror movie based on a Stephen King book resulted in 1408, one of few entertaining respites in a summer particularly loaded with terrible movies. Anyway, The Mist has a good director, Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption), and a good actor, Thomas Jane (Boogie Nights), so I have hope this will mean another frighteningly good time at the cinemas. I will admit, however, that the concept of a dinmensional portal releasing horrible monsters into a small New England town sounds a little schlocky.

Enjoy the trailer. The film is supposed to have this lo-fi 28 Days Later approach to it, which Darabont supposedly learned while directing an episode of The Shield, but I'm not sure if I see that yet....

New Sweeney Todd trailer - and this one looks rather bloody!

While I still find it odd that these adverts have more dialogue than singing parts (especially since the musical the movie was adapted from works the other way around), I have to admit this trailer looks nice. Seems like Burton wants to make another Sleepy Hallow, wherein the brightest thing on-screen is the blood pouring out of people's neck holes. Oh, and Sweeney's life before he was screwed over by the judge (Alan Rickman).

We reported a few weeks ago that WB was forcing Tim Burton to tone down the blood so they can get a PC-13 rating. I hope that's not the case.

Five reasons why the JLA film will probably suck.

Strange how when I reported the possibility of an eminent Justice Leage of America (or JLA) film, I was very excited. I mean, who wouldn't be? First and foremost, it meant we would get an opportunity to see Batman and Superman sharing the screen in all their live-action glory. I was also excited about seeing the other Justice League members as well - some of whom have never even had a shot at a live-action film.

But as more and more news continues to trickle from pre-production, the movie is starting to look like an annoyingly hyper, un-neutered dog, just waiting to hump the leg of anyone hoping for a good movie. So without further adieu, here are the five biggest reasons I believe the JLA film will suck:

1) The Writer's Strike - Mark my words, even if the impending WGA strike is averted before it kicks in next month, I'm afraid that the casualty will be a slew of awful films, all rushed to production to beat the picket deadline. Sure, Necessity is the mother of invention, but Desperation, Necessity's slutty twin sister, likes to smoke and drink hard liquor while she's pregnant, thus resulting in underweight babies with gimpy arms and legs. It would be a real tragedy if JLA was the kind of film that only its neglectful, hard-living mother could love - when she's not preoccupied by yet another abusive boyfriend, that is.

2) The Casting - This is most important. When I first read about JLA moving to production, I immediately thought, Sweet! Christian Bale as Batman and Brandan Routh as Superman -- IN THE SAME MOVIE! Then we find out that Christian Bale won't be playing Batman. And if that wasn't bad enough, we found out Brandon Routh won't be playing Superman. Adding insult to injury, The Hollywood Reporter writes that all of the characters will most likely be replaced or cast with young TV actors.

I haven't met a single person who didn't think Christian Bale was awesome as Batman. Apparently, some people thought Routh's Superman was a tad bit effete, but he could have been much worse. Considering it was his first big movie, I think Routh did a helluva job - way better than Nicolas Cage would have if WB stuck with the casting decision made for the abandoned Superman Lives! project. On top of of this, both Bale and Routh have been established in their roles. This would make JLA a sequel for the most part (i.e.$$$). Since there are so many characters in JLA, that would make for two less characters who would need to be established. With a supposed running time of 90 minutes, the filmmakers are already strapped for time as it is. If keeping Bale and Routh means paying both actors a hefty fee, and then turning their characters into babysitters for an adolescent superhero team, so be it.

3) The Director - Speaking of filmmakers, George Miller is a bad choice to direct this film. What's funny is, I actually like almost all of Miller's films, including Lorenzo's Oil. However, when it comes to super-powered ensemble films, I think he's out of his element. Whether it's the Mad Max trilogy, Happy Feet, or the second Babe film, most of Miller's films have been about individualistic loners. Simply put, he has yet to work his way up to the massive narrative juggling act that JLA will require in terms of character.

Another thing which sparks mistrust in Miller's JLA directing capabilities is the following line from The Hollywood Reporter article: "If the names [of the actors auditioning for parts] feel young, it's because Miller is looking for actors to grow into their roles over the course of several movies."

So let's get this straight, Miller wants these characters to GROW into their roles over the course of several movies? That doesn't sound like JLA at all. What it sounds like is the younger portion of the X-Men, or as co-host Mike more accurately-described, Teen Titans. The Justice League of America doesn't need to grow into their roles. They are the greatest, most powerful superhero team ever created at the top of their game. The point of having the Justice League is to assemble the best of the best - meaning these guys should no longer be considered 'heroes in training.' Both the JLA and The Avengers films should be the superhero/action sci-fi equivalent of The Dirty Dozen or Oceans Eleven. Meaning, an earth-threatening challenge arrives, thus leading to the world's greatest heroes are assembled by the government to take it down; and while they might struggle to coordinate their activities at first, in the end they work together to kick butt and save the planet. Roll credits. Include some witty banter and insults between the good guys, and that should be that.

4) The Mo-Cap CGI - I've got no problem with the CGI films. Pixar has made some of the best movies of the last 20 years. However, I simply cannot stand by this photo-real Motion Capture CGI crap that Miller and company are planning to use in JLA. The technology is still very much in its infancy right now, with it's two films Beowulf and The Polar Express looking like they are theatre troupe performances by a hospital burn unit. The characters' skin looks waxen, and even worse, the eyes appear soulless. I was able to enjoy The Polar Express in 3-D, but would never watch it again on video - something I hope will not be true for a JLA film.

5) The Overall Lack of Established Characters - If there's one thing you can say about Marvel Films, it's that they at least seem interested in doing their groundwork. The Avengers is one of the five projects Marvel plans to self-produce under its current deal with Paramount. But before we see 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' assemble on the big screen, the folks at Marvel had the good sense to realize they need to establish most of their major characters in solo films first. So far we got an Iron Man film that is loaded with cameos by potential Avengers (i.e. Sam Jackson as Nick Fury and Hilary Swank as Black Widow), followed by a The Incredible Hulk reboot, with Thor and Captain America on the way. Sure there's the risk one or two of the solo films could seriously bomb - thus derailing an Avengers movie altogether. But if the solo films do pan out, that will mean the forthcoming Avengers movie won't be loaded with tedious origin stories for most of its characters.

JLA on the other hand has a major problem. The only characters they have established in film are Batman and Superman. That means the movie would be forced to introduce and explain Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, and The Martian Manhunter. While I am sure you probably couldn't get a Martian Manhunter film off the ground, the rest of them would totally be able to rock in their own adventures, Wonder Woman especially.

--

In the end, I want the same thing out of JLA that I do out of any movie - an enjoyable film that represents the collective hearts or minds of the people who created it. I know that's a tall order, but if they do it right, Warner Bros. could have a multi billion-dollar franchise on their hands. A movie about the best superheroes requires the best of actors working with the best of filmmakers under the best of situations. WB needs to pay Christian Bale and Brandon Routh the big checks they will no doubt ask for, and most importantly, they need to wait until the time is right. This isn't a puberty romance, so what's the rush?

A Halloween treat for neglected readers.

Between my work for the newspaper and my day-job, I have been extremely busy these past two weeks. As a result, I have been too exhausted to post on the site as much as I like.

So here’s a small gift to those visit the site even when I’m not updating - it’s my interview with Doug “Pinhead” Bradley from the Hellraiser films. Doug was in good spirits, ready to meet his fans at Greensboro’s “Woods of Terror” off of Church Street. During the interview Doug speaks at length on the abandoned ‘Pinhead vs. Michael Meyers’ film (a.k.a. Helloween), his potential role in the upcoming Halloween remake, and the current state of horror films in general. He also reveals the name of his favorite horror film.

Fortunately for me, Doug was a true gentleman, and nothing at all like the dark overlord he plays on-screen.

Click here!

Rock out with The Movie Show on Tuesday, October 30th!

Since we haven't really put together any screenings since last year's Inland Empire show, Mike and I thought we would do something cool for Halloween.

On Tuesday, October 30th, "The Movie Show" presents the first event in its "BEER AND A MOVIE" film series. And to mark the holiday, we'll be kicking things off with the Japanese punk rock zombie film, Wild Zero. The movie stars Guitar Wolf, the Japanese punk rock band who Matador Records claims recorded the 'loudest CD in history.' Among other things, the movie features zombies, exploding heads, and a motorcycle that shoots fire out of its exhaust pipe (!).

Here's a trailer:



The show starts at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 30th at 2 Art Chicks off of Elm St. in Downtown Greensboro. Mike and I will be on hand to introduce the film, and we also plan to play a few nifty retro B-trailers before the film starts. This will be an awesome time, and I hope to see all of my Movie Show listeners attend.

Click here!

Last Thursday's show.

Fall into the ‘E.T. Pit’ with hosts Joe Scott and Mike Compton on ‘The Movie Show’! This week, the boys dish on a ridiculously sexist decree from the president of production at Warner Bros. and new casting info from JJ Abrams’ Star Trek reboot.

Since three (3) is a magic number, the guys also dish on three (3)stories about horror films, three (3) stories related to video games, and three (3) stories about comic books. Joe and Mike also spend way too much time talking about the horrible Atari 2600 game based on E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. That's three threes, or a trilogy of trios, rather - not bad.

Soundtrack selections include:
“Pictures from You” - The Cure from The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
“Voodoo” - Spiral Breach from Charlie Bartlett
-and-
“Goonies R Good Enough” - Cyndi Lauper from The Goonies.

Click here!

(P.S. To recieve automatic updates, simply click on the purple icon thingy on the right-hand corner near the top.)

Casting break-down for Star Trek reboot.

The internets have been bursting with casting info from JJ Abrams' Star Trek reboot all week. Guess that makes sense - if they're seriously planning on filming next month, that is.

First, let's recap the casting choices that were made prior to this week:



Zoe Saldana (Drumline, The Terminal) as Nyota Uhura



-Is it me, or was Nichelle Nichols way more attractive?

Zachary Quinto (Heroes) as Spock



-Good enough, though part of me wishes they had cast Billy Zane. Could Zane have priced himself out?

Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek as Spock (?)



-Not too sure how this is going to work out, considering the decision made above, but okay....

And now for the casting announcements made this week:

Chris Pine (Smokin' Aces) as James Kirk



-The psychobilly assassin he played in Smokin' Aces migh have been little more that a character sketch, but Pine imbued the thankless role with a lot of charisma and likability. I can't wait to see what he'll do as the beloved Captain. He even looks like a rugged version of the young Bill Shatner, too.

John Cho (Harold and Kumar, Better Luck Tomorrow) as Lt. Hikaru Sulu




-This one felt a little iffy, until I remembered how great Cho was in Better Luck Tomorrow.

Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) as Capt. Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott



-Of all the casting decisions announced, this one was the one that made me smile the most. It almost seems too obvious, since Pegg and Abrams worked together on M:I3. Don't know why I didn't consider it a possibility sooner....

BTW, due to work obligations, the podcast will be out tomorrow.

Warner's Prez: "We are no longer doing movies with women in the lead"

I'm surprised few people are making a big deal about this yet. According to Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood, Jeff Robinov, President of Production at Warner Bros made the following decree: "We are no longer doing movies with women in the lead."

The decree, which was quoted by three different producers, was made in response to the box-office failures of the Jodie Foster film The Brave One and Nicole Kidman's The Invasion. Wow. As if either of those movies were reasons to stop making movies with female leads. For starters, production on The Invasion was a total disaster. The film was taken away from the director, with parts of it being re-shot by the guy behind V for Vendetta. The exact same thing happened with Warner Bros' Exorcist prequel(s), but that didn't stop the studio from making any more horror films did it?

As for The Brave One, I couldn't get a figure on the production or marketing costs, but the vigilante-thriller grossed nearly $50 million world-wide. If the studio spent way more than that on a rather arty-looking flick by Neil "I Made The Crying Game" Jordan, that's their own fault. But if you want to join Mr. Robinov in his muddy little game of 'boys vs. girls' bean-counting, to throw his logic out the window, all you have to do is cite the world-wide gross of Death Sentence. Starring Kevin Bacon as the *audience prefered* male lead, Death Sentence was yet another vigilante thriller which came out two weeks before The Brave One did, and it only made $11 million world-wide. I enjoyed Death Sentence for the brain-damaged piece of trash-art that it was, but if I was a producer who only cared about the bottom line, I would much rather control the studio that released the Jodie Foster movie.

I'm hoping that this was just a one-off statement that doesn't mean anything. Maybe Robinov was having a bad day, or got seriously hassled by some Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts' agent, and was simply blowing some steam about actresses in general. Yes, actresses can be demanding, but if Robinov's decree was genuine, that can only mean movies will get less and less diverse. Warner Bros' 300 may have raked in tons of dough with only on female in its cast, however, it would never have done as well as it did, if every movie getting made was a total 'sausage-fest.'

Kevin Smith to make horror film without Weinsteins.

From Kevin Smith's blog:

When we land in La Guardia, I get phone call from Weinstein Company exec Michael Cole who tells me about a meeting he and Harvey took with our potential Zack’s agent. He also drops the bomb, which doesn’t really explode so much as lay there, as Scott and I were pretty much expecting it…

Harvey and Bob are passing on “Red State.”

It’s the first time Harvey and Bob have passed on anything I’ve wanted to do, but if they were gonna pass on anything, this’d be the one to do it on. The only explanation Michael gives me is “Harvey thought it was more of a Bob flick and then Bob didn’t get it. They’d rather just concentrate on ‘Zack and Miri’ at the moment, which we’re all pumped about.”

Naturally, this makes me wanna make “Red State” even more than I did just prior to that phone call. I get excited thinking about having to raise financing for our hot potato of a flick. This represents a turning point of sorts for Scott and I, inasmuch as everything (with the exception of “Mallrats”) has been made with the Weinsteins. It might be nice to see if we can get something done without them. Whether it’ll be nice or not, however, it’s what’s in the cards, as they don’t feel the flick is very commercial. And, in truth, on the surface, it may not be - unless we get the buzz I think we’ll get off the festival circuit. Regardless, it’s not something we’ll have to think about ’til after we’re done with “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.”

--

How ironic. This is the first horror movie news story I have ran in a while wherein the Weinstein brothers *were not* involved. Seems like they're eager to stick their thumb into anyone's pie these days, so long as said pie was filled with blood and guts. Kinda gross, but true.

Perhaps that bodes well for Smith's Red State. Alot of the movies Bob and Harvey have gotten lately are kinda crappy (DOA anyon?) Also, maybe Red State is not a very bloody film on the script level. It's unfortunate that bloody equals scary in most people's book these days, but if Smith has the balls to get out there in the numb, torture-porn market of today and do is own thing, well, props for him I say. I am also delighted to read that Smith is leaving the Weinstein nest of comfort for the first time since his underrated Mallrats, which he produced with Universal. If there's one thing that can be said of all of Smith's films after Chasing Amy, it's that they were all fairly 'safe' productions. While in some ways his last three movies were different, they were also strangely similar or filled with a lot of the same people in their casts. I wish Smith the best on this project, and since it's supposedly set in the south, maybe he will take advantage of our locations, low cost of living, and tax breaks, and shoot it here in NC.

However, if Red State is just another southern-people-as-inbred-cannibals movie a la Texas Chainsaw, I am going to be very pissed.

Director Judd Aptow tells how he got hero's autograph.

The Huffington Post ran this hilarious story about the time Judd Aptow met Steve Martin when he was a kid:

NEW YORK — Judd Apatow, writer and director of comedy hits "Knocked Up" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," is doubtless already a hero to kids who want to break into film or comedy. But once, he was just a kid dying for the autograph of his own hero, Steve Martin.

Apatow regaled an audience at the New Yorker Festival this weekend with the tale of how, on vacation in California as a boy, he had spotted Martin washing his car in front of his home.

The young Apatow jumped out of the car and asked for an autograph, but Martin said he didn't give autographs at his home. "Please, we won't tell anyone," Apatow begged. Sorry, Martin said, but no.

So Apatow went home and wrote Martin a nasty letter, in which he gave an early glimpse of his now well-documented talent for profanity. Three months later, he received a package from Martin that contained a copy of his book "Cruel Shoes."

"I'm sorry," read Martin's inscription. "I didn't realize I was speaking to THE Judd Apatow.

--

Hmmm, maybe if Steve Martin had been nicer to THE Judd Aptow, he could have possibly been written into one of his movies. Lord knows it would have helped Martin's career - it's been over a decade since he appeared in anything remotely funny.

I've never understood this kind of behavior from celebrities. It reminds me of a time my brother's friend worked at a golf course in Raleigh when Michael Jordan showed up. Jordan refused to shake this kid's hand, and would not give him an autograph even though my brother's friend was wearing Jodan shoes, a t-shirt, and cologne. That's probably more than $300 in merchandise all sold on the basis of Mr. Space Jam himself, and the dude would not endorse a piece of paper with his signature. So long as there was a pen and paper, it really shouldn't be a problem, if you asked me. Celebrities like Martin typically avoid soul-crushing jobs (unless you count Martin's sequel to Cheaper By the Dozen), and if that means their greatest hassle in life is to be asked for autographs, so be it. Beats working at McDonald's.

RE: Yesterday's show!

A lot of random guests chime in on this episode of “The Movie Show,” but Joe and Mike enjoy the company.

This week, the boys report on how a Tim Burton spoiler may have damaged NCSA’s relationship with Disney forever, the robberies that took place during the productions of Spielberg and Coppola’s newest films, and the scoop on two upcoming comedies starring Jim Carrey and Eddie Murphy.

Mike reviews The Kingdom, while Joe totally disses on Feast of Love. We also have the latest on “The Watchmen” film and more.

Some this week’s soundtrack selections include:
-”Power Man” by The Kinks from The Darjeeling Limited
-”Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard from Once (and Feast of Love)
-and-
-”Electric Love Letter” by Langhorne Slim from Waitress
Click Here!

Sweeney Todd Trailer!

Check it!


How bizarre that a movie based on a musical with almost no speaking parts whatsoever, seems to have almost no singing parts in its trailer. I enjoy the over-all look of the trailer, however, I'm pretty sure that's not Johnny Depp singing. Matter of fact, it sounds like Danny Elfman. Guess will have to wait for the Christmas release to find out for sure.

Redacted trailer!

Actor Danny McBride, comic mastermind of the silver screen -- and the IMDB Messageboard?

Too few people saw this year's Hot Rod, but one of the reasons they should have was to witness the brilliant characterization and comedic delivery of character actor Danny McBride. McBride made his debut as Bust-Ass in David Gordon Green's All the Real Girls, co-host Mike Compton's favorite movie of 2003.

Last night, I had a little free time, so I did a some research on McBride. Apparently, McBride has an indie starring vehichle in the can, entitled The Foot Fist Way, which he also wrote. The movie came out at Sundance some time ago, made audiences laugh. The movie features McBride as a southern Tae Kwon-Do instructor, who gets in trouble for beating his wife's lover and embarks on a journey to meet his inspiration - a Chuck Norris clone named "Chuck Wallace." The Foot Fist Way was picked up by Paramount, where it has languished on the shelf ever since. When I checked the IMDB message boards for more information, and saw the following post from a curious fellow nicknamed "nickel_slots_addict":

I recently saw the "ENGLISH" version and it is very odd. I saw the original "KOREAN" version a few months ago at the Missouri Film Expo and it was a beautiful coming of age tale about a young boy with memory loss and hiccups.
The new version has a lot of fighting and jokes galore. I liked it, but I like the other version better. Much better.

I laughed when I read the words 'a lot of fighting and jokes galore,' and then got to thinking that this might be McBride. After all, there were but a few posts on the film's board, so I clicked nickel_slots_addict's profile link, and saw a digital trove of hilarious messages - sometimes for the most random of films.

Here are some of my favorites:

For Rush Hour 3(2007)
why I wasn't allowed to see this film
"The man in the ticket window said that because I didn't see "Rush Hour 1" or "Rush Hour 2" I couldn't buy a ticket! I just learned about Jackie Chan and was really excited to see this. I had to see some dumb movie about yellow cartoon characters walking around and making fun of things.

Could somebody please tell me what happened in the previous two "Rush Hours" so I can go back and tell that guy I watched them.

For Frankenhooker(1990)
screened this one for my 6th grade class
"and they loved it! Watching it again, I realized the film's underlying moral is a good one - be true to yourself.

For The Gay Sisters (1942)
not good for bachelor party
"Bought this sucker from a little naughty shop in an alley somewhere downtown and thought it would be some hot "sister on sister" kind of stuff. I paraded the tape all around a bachelor party I had organized and worked all the guys up in a frenzy.

Needless to say, there is no nudity or squeezing or hot showers or anything. I was kicked out of the party and one guy threw a liquor bottle at me from the window above. It hit me right in the middle of the back and stung. How the hell did he make such a perfect shot and where was the NFL scout when you needed him?

For The Poor Boob (1919)
funny thing about the title
"It's the same thing I call a local homeless woman that had one breast removed due to an illness. Is this wrong of me? I gave her a dollar once."

For Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951)
a show for drunks
"This show was made for and by drunks. The camera work was shoddy at best and the actors would often BURP in the middle of their lines. Very entertaining though."

For Mask (1985)
not good for children
"My 4 year old son loves to watch movies as he drifts off to sleep every night. Last night I told him he would get a kick out of this one. I thought it was the other "Mask" with Jim Carey and Cameron Diaz. Oooops. Needless to say he is very upset with me and had horrible nightmares about "the big head monster man". What do I do? "

For The Doors (1991)
Re: Is this how Jim Morrison was?
"A close friend of mine was a roadie for the Doors on their first major U.S. tour. He has tons of great "Jim stories" including -

1. He loved knock-knock jokes.
2. Nobody ever saw him buy socks.
3. Because of a childhood sledding accident, he really disliked snow.
4. He could blow huge bubbles with bubblegum.
5. The band never let him play his trombone on stage.
6. His laughter was real high pitched and girly."

-And lasty-

For Powder (1995)
the real powder was a drunk
"I met the real Powder several years ago at a county fair in Fairfax, Virginia. He was a stumbling, smelly drunk that didn't resemble the movie version of his character at all. I was disgusted by what he did with an oversized stuffed gorilla."
__

I seriously laughed until there were tears in my eyes. Best part is, there's a ton of them I haven't read yet. As for the identity of "nickel_slots_addict," the reason I suspected he or she might be McBride is because of the southern region of the country where most of the posts take place, as well as his sense of humor. McBride came up with most of his lines for All the Real Girls and I I could easily imagine Bust-Ass saying any of the lines written above. As I continued digging, I found the biggest peice of evidence on the very first post "nickel_slots_addict" ever made. On Friday, Dec. 30, 2005, he left this message on Danny McBride's IMDB profile:

Re: Truely Great Comic Actor !
I was lucky to attend one of Mr. McBride's "solo" shows in Denver, this past Thanksgiving weekend at the West Regency Villa resort in Haspa Springs. I attended the show with my girlfriend and, at Mr. Bride's hiarious urging, I dropped to one knee and proposed. The entire audience (40-50) erupted in applause and laughter.

The show consisted of two acts. The first, entitled "Hollywood Memories", showcased Mr. McBride's skill at impersonation. A skit featuring Clark Gable, W.C. Fields, Humphrey Bogart, and Darth Vader waiting for a bus brought many in the audience to tears. There was also a talented pianist who assisted in the musical numbers. A "Way Down South" medley of tunes written by Stephen Foster Davis was patriotic, yet sarcastic.

After an unusually short intermission, Mr. Bride engaged the audience in a question and answer session. It was at that point in the show that Mr. McBride mentioned his part in "All the Real Girls". He fondly recalled the movie shoot as a good time. The night ended with a monologue about the one man show he was currently performing. When it seemed like the right time to end everything, Mr. McBride bowed and waved.

If you ever get advance notice of Danny McBride being in your town for a show or a function, I encourage you to go. He is truly a funny man."
--
Even if the post above was a complete fabrication, I would have to agree.


P.S. Enjoy the following short films entitled, The Sweaty Salesman - starring none other than Danny McBride!

Another great Danny Trejo story...

courtesey of IMDB:

Kind hearted Robert De Niro has spent time visiting jails offering help to prison convicts. De Niro met actor Danny Trejo on the set of Michael Mann's 1995 crime epic Heat, and he was intrigued to hear the Hollywood tough guy - who is a reformed criminal - regularly gives motivational talks to prison inmates. And Trejo was quick to invite the Hollywood legend along. He says, "I always ask movie stars to come out to jails with me and talk. That guy (De Niro) actually showed up. He went out to jail where everybody was hardcore. And he came and talked. On his own. I was so sure he wouldn't turn up, I didn't put his name on the list. Then all of a sudden we got a call from the front desk, saying, 'We got Robert De Niro down here!'"

--

Having interviewed a lot of Hollywood personalities, Danny Trejo was by far the most interesting and lively. I remember when I asked the ex-con-turned-actor what he did before he was an actor, and he told me rather bluntly, "Armed robbery." He wasn't joking. The dude served time, but then turned his life around when he got the opportunity to teach Eric Roberts how to box in 1985's Runaway Train. Now the dude pops up in at least five movies a year, and while I loved his starring role in the pseudo-film Machete, which is supposed to turn into a straight-to-DVD feature, my favorite Danny Trejo moment this year was the character he played in Rob Zombie's awful remake of Halloween. Trejo plays Ismael, this compassionate orderly at the looney bin that houses Michael Meyers when he was a kid. What was remarkable about the role was that Trejo looked like this vunerable guy as opposed to his usual biker motif, which has served has reliable typecast for sometime.

After the scene where Meyers smashes Ismael's head in with a TV, I was pretty much done watching that film. Maybe someone could go back and make a spin-off film about that character. That's something I would love to see.

Oh, and look what I found on YouTube:

New Wall-E teaser.

Classy.
Kinda glad Pixar decided to market this thing themselves rather than hand it off to Disney. While it was a hard sell, they definitely botched Ratatouille by not pitching it to an older audience who could have appreciated its beauty as much - if not more - than young children.

Every afternoon, I work for an afterschool program, and one of the hurdles I must face on a weekly basis is 'Fun Fridays' wherein we show the kids a video as a reward for good behavior. So many of the 'family' films we show are filled with poop-humor, farting, and groin punches to the point where I just get sick of it all. Pixar films are a breath of fresh air, and my only regret is that a lot of time lapses between each new release. Guess that's just one of the reasons they are so good.

Details of Tim Burton's next film spoiled at NC School of the Arts

Dick Cook, Chairman of Walt Disney pictures, paid a visit this Friday to NCSA where he hosted a super-advanced screening of Enchanted, followed by a Q&A. Producer Jordan Kerner did th same thing last year with the live-action version of Charlotte's Web.

A spy turned in a report to AICN regarding the event, and shared this little tidbit of information:

When questioned about the future of animation for the studio, Cook said that Disney will have a little of everything on its upcoming slate. A new 2D piece called "The Princess and the Frog" is in the works. The most intriguing bit of info that Cook let slip was in regards to a future stop-motion animation project.

When prodded, Cook hesitated to answer. He tried to hint his way out of the question, but in a Film School, or just in general with an audience who has a passion for cinema, what he was hinting at was crystal clear and garnered quite a round of applause. He said that the project would be helmed by the creative mastermind behind the majority of stop-motion pictures in the last decade. Our Dean looked at him slyly and asked, "This guy has never worked with Danny Elfman before has he?"

I mean it would obvously have to be Burton or Henry Selick, right? As I'm pretty sure Ardman would never collaborate with Disney now that they've got a deal with Sony. Well, it looks like the hunch may have been confirmed by AICN's Moriarty. An 'anonymous' sent in word that the project would be a completely stop-motion feture based on Tim Burton's live-action short film, Frankenweenie.



As far as confirmation on this detail goes, Moriarty said, "I got in touch with the one person I know who might be able to confirm that, and he literally hung up the phone on me as I was asking the question." Interesting.

I love Frankenweenie, but I hope Burton is smart enough to realize that he needs Henry Selick on some level. So many people think that Burton directed The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is completely bogus (Selick did). Burton *did* direct The Corpse Bride - one of the most ho-hum films of his career regardless of what the Hot Topic kids have to say.

Hell hath no fury like a Spielberg spoiled.

From IMDB:
Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg is threatening to axe scenes starring actor Tyler Nelson in the upcoming Indiana Jones movie after he leaked the plot line to an Oklahoma newspaper. Upcoming star Nelson, 24, was so excited about landing a role alongside Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett in Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, he revealed the plot and every major scene to local paper, the Edmond Sun. And now Spielberg is considering cutting all scenes featuring Nelson from the film following his betrayal. A spokesman for Spielberg says, "Who knows if he's ever going to work in town again?" The new Indiana Jones movie has been shrouded in secrecy since filming began earlier this year. The title of the sequel was only made public by actor Shia LaBeouf at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas on September 9.
__

Here's a picture of Tyler Nelson:


The ballet dancer-turned-aspiring actor became the overnight golden goose for movie spoiler sites trying to crack the plot details of Indy 4. Nelson, who was offering a candid interview to the local newspaper where his parents lived, revealed several secrets, including the nationality of the bad guys Indy and his son will be fighting, whether Cate Blanchet will be good or bad, and what role Karen Allen will play in the film, among other major spoilers I had a chance to read, but will not post on my site or talk about on the show. That's how 'spoiler-ish' they are.

Alot of people on Tyler's IMDB page are calling for his blood, with threads titled, "The K-Fed of the Hollywood Industry," "he can kiss his 'career' goodbye!' and my personal favorite, "PPoop on your LIFE POOP POOOOOOP!!!![sic]" I just think he was a nube who got in way over his head. As an interviewer, I much prefer speaking to actors and film crew members who are still relatively new to the business. They aren't quite as versed at diverting questions, unlike the more seasoned 'pros,' who make an artform out of saying quotable little nothings.

As for axing all of the kid's scenes, I am sure Spielberg is powerful enough to have everything re-shot, especially if he wants to teach all aspiring actors and film crew workers a lesson about what happens when you break a non-disclossure agreement. I just hope that he doesn't let George Lucas salvage the footage by using the same techniques he did the 'Special -Han Shoots Second- Edition' of A New Hope: