Critical Decision

The Golden Globe nominations were not the only big awards news of the past week...

On Sunday December 10th and Monday December 11th, critics in Los Angeles and New York City announced their picks for the top films of 2006. Daily Variety has all of the winners:

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association is up first...

"Letters From Iwo Jima," Clint Eastwood's account of the fierce World War II battle from the Japanese point of view, was chosen best picture of 2006 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. after spirited voting that saw awards spread among an unusual number and variety of contenders.

Click here' for more...

Meanwhile, the New York Film Critics chose to honor a film that depicts more recent events in history:

The New York Film Critics Circle has named "United 93" its best picture for 2006, marking the second kudos win for the movie in as many days. On Sunday, the L.A. Film Critics Circle named pic's helmer Paul Greengrass its best director

Click here for more...

I finally saw United 93 on DVD and I must say--it was quite an emotional experience. The movie is gut wrenching and may be difficult for some to watch...But I think it's a film that should ultimately be seen by everyone...It's one of the best films of the year that I have seen and deserves as much attention as it can get.

The American Film Institute named their top films of the year as well...

'Borat,' 'Dreamgirls,' 'Little Miss Sunshine' named as best

Little Miss Sunshine hits DVD on Tuesday December 19th

...Despite the fact that Nose tackle Tank Johnson has made news off the field--the Chicago Bears say they are ready to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers later this afternoon...

Trail Mix

New trailers for two of summer '07's most anticipated flicks have hit the net.

First up is Live Free or Die Hard--the fourth installment in the popular Die Hard series...



I realize this is only a teaser for the film--but showing a series of stunts and explosions didn't do anything for me...Save for the shot of the cop car...The film is set open in the U.S. on June 29th 2007--Just in time for the Independence Day holiday...

And then there's Shrek the Third....I loved the first film in the series, but was kinda disappointed with Shrek 2...The trailer for the latest adventure did make laugh out loud though. Maybe, just maybe this time out things will be better.



Shrek The Third is set to flicker on screens in the U.S on May 18th 2007

Along Came A Spider

Among this weekend's new films--the latest incarnation of author E. B. White's children's classic Charlotte's Web (reviews) looks to take the top spot. The story first hit the silver screen in 1973 as a wonderful animated movie...



Also hoping for the all important family crowd is the fantasy flick Eragon (reviews). And from the looks of things--it's a tougher sell than "Web" and certainly doesn't have any of Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe type buzz. But the demographic of males under 25 could prove me wrong. Philadelphia's own Will Smith teams up with his real life son Jaden Smith for the dramedy The Pursuit of Happyness (reviews)....In limited release is award season contender Dreamgirls (reviews), Steven Soderbergh's The Good German (reviews), and director Irwin Winkler's ill-received Iraq war drama Home of the Brave (reviews) And finally, there is the Bollywood film Kabul Express

Daily Variety's Ian Mohr coughs up some stats for the weekend openers:

A family-pic fracas is brewing this weekend at the multiplexes as Fox's reimagined classic "Charlotte's Web" stacks up against Paramount's fantasy pic "Eragon."

Both pics are going up against Sony's Will Smith starrer "The Pursuit of Happyness," which lands at 2,852 playdates.

"Web" will spin in 3,566 engagements and "Eragon" hits 3,020.

Also of interest will be Par's unusual rollout of Bill Condon's "Dreamgirls": Studio is releasing the film as a "roadshow," charging $25 a pop for tickets and offering fans at three theaters -- in Gotham, Los Angeles and San Francisco -- reserved seating and special programs as part of the package.

Scheme has so far resulted in sellouts on Friday night in all three venues. (Saturday is sold out at Gotham's Ziegfeld as well, and the L.A. venue's Saturday engagement at the ArcLight was nearly full late Thursday.) Par rolls out the pic in earnest on Christmas.

Holding over will be Mel Gibson's Disney release "Apocalypto" -- last weekend's surprise No. 1 -- which should convert further fans. Helmer's "The Passion of the Christ" took in $53.2 million in its second frame two years ago.

Sony's "The Holiday," meanwhile, will have to try and hang on amid the competish: Pic looked like a No. 2 finisher Sunday but actually slipped a spot when actual receipts were tallied, dropping behind Warner Bros. penguin pic "Happy Feet."

Warners political adventure "Blood Diamond" got off to a slow start last frame but has been gaining ground during the week and could benefit from Golden Globes nominations. Pic bowed to $8.6 million in its first weekend but surged to $11.2 million by Thursday with slight daily drops in biz.

Smith's last pic, the Sony romantic comedy "Hitch," bowed to $43.1 million last year on its way to $179.5 million.

Thesp hasn't had a pic open below that mark since his 2001 biopic "Ali," which preemed to $14 million.

Then again, Smith's pics since "Ali" have either been big-budget actioners, such as "I, Robot" and "Bad Boys II," or comedies like "Hitch." "Happyness" sees the thesp taking a purely dramatic, fact-inspired turn as Chris Gardner, a father who overcomes tremendous hardship to support his son.

Though "Web" and "Eragon" are ostensibly going for the same family aud, the pics are tracking quite differently.

Women over 25 -- perhaps moms who grew up with the book or Par's animated version from 1973 -- seem to be one of this new version's most eager demos. Neither teens nor auds under 25 seem as interested.

"Eragon," based on the literary fantasy phenom, has teens pumped as well as males under and over 25.

Both pics have to contend with B.O. behemoth "Happy Feet." Warners feels the CG-animated pic has the potential to play quite strongly through to January and pass $200 million on the way.

Specialty film sector, which has been having a tough time wooing auds away from more mainstream studio fare this season, will offer up a number of new awards hopefuls from well-regarded helmers.

Pics opening on five screens or fewer include Steven Soderbergh's "The Good German" (Warners), Irwin Winkler's "The Home of the Brave" (MGM) and Anthony Minghella's "Breaking and Entering" (Weinstein Co.).

Over at Entertainment Weekly Joshua Rich predicts:

Will Smith may get bitten by a spider, and this weekend's fire-breathing dragon isn't looking so hot...

Seeing Double

At an unholy time of around 5:30 AM PST on this very morning, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced nominations for the 64th annual Golden Globe Awards:

Brian Lowry of Variety has the details:

Double vision overtook this year's Golden Globe nominations, with Clint Eastwood drawing dual director nods for his matched World War II epics "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima," while Leonardo DiCaprio pulled off an equally rare pair for his starring roles in "The Departed" and "Blood Diamond."

Major studios also engineered something of a modest comeback in nominations for the 64th annual Globe Awards announced Thursday morning.

In addition to Warner Bros.' "The Departed" in the drama category, 20th Century Fox's "Borat" and "The Devil Wears Prada" snagged bids in the comedy/musical balloting, as did the Paramount/Dreamworks collaboration "Dreamgirls."

Throw in Fox Searchlight's "Little Miss Sunshine " and "Thank You for Smoking," and the News Corp. units amassed four of five nominees in the comedy field. Fleshing out the drama voting were "Babel" – the most-nominated film overall, with seven – the historical piece "Bobby," "Little Children" and "The Queen," whose star, Helen Mirren, equaled Jamie Foxx's record for three nominations in a single year.."

This year is also notable for an anomaly in the foreign-language film category, where two U.S.-produced movies – Eastwood's "Iwo Jima," in Japanese; and Mel Gibson's violent epic "Apocalypto" – received nominations, edging out international projects.

As a result, that category might be the least significant in terms of serving as a bellwether for the Oscars, where only non-U.S. productions are eligible. Although the Globes are historically considered a strong predictor for the Oscars -- having matched the best picture winner all but once from 1993 to 2004 -- the two have diverged the last two years, when "Crash" and "Million Dollar Baby" were anointed best picture by the motion picture academy. The HFPA honored "Brokeback Mountain" and "The Aviator," respectively, as outstanding drama those years. Eastwood's nominations set up a sort of rematch with Scorsese, up for "The Departed," after Eastwood took the prize two years ago. After "Babel," "Departed" tallied six nominations and "Dreamgirls" five.

"Nashville" remains the most-nominated film in Globe history, earning nine bids (but just one award) in 1976...

Warren Beatty will receive the Cecil B. DeMille award.

And the [motion picture] nominees are...

DRAMA
"Babel" "Bobby" "The Departed" "Little Children" "The Queen"

ACTRESS (DRAMA)
Penelope Cruz - "Volver" Judi Dench - "Notes on a Scandal" Maggie Gyllenhall - "Sherrybaby" Helen Mirren - "The Queen" Kate Winslet - "Little Children"

ACTOR (DRAMA)
Leonardo DiCaprio - "Blood Diamond" Leonardo DiCaprio - "The Departed" Peter O'Toole - "Venus" Will Smith - "The Pursuit of Happyness" Forest Whitaker - "The Last King of Scotland"
MUSICAL OR COMEDY
"Borat" "The Devil Wears Prada" "Dreamgirls" "Little Miss SUnshine" "Thank You For Smoking"

ACTRESS (MUSICAL OR COMEDY)
Annette Bening - "Running with Scissors" Toni Collette - "Little Miss Sunshine" Beyonce Knowles - "Dreamgirls" Meryl Streep - "The Devil Wears Prada" Rene Zellweger - "Miss Potter"

ACTOR (MUSICAL OR COMEDY)
Sasha Baron Cohen - "Borat" Johnny Depp - "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" Aaron Eckhart - "Thank You for Smoking" Chiwetel Ejiofor - "Kinky Boots" Will Farrell - "Stranger Than Fiction"

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
"Apocalypto'" "Letters from Iwo Jima" "The Lives of Others" "Pan's Labyrinth" "Volver"

ANIMATED FILM
"Cars" "Happy Feet" "Monster House"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Adriana Barraza - "Babel" Kate Blanchett - "Notes on a Scandal" Emily Blunt - "The Devil Wears Prada" Jennifer Hudson - "Dreamgirls" Rinko Kikuchi - "Babel"

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ben Affleck - "Hollywoodland" Jack Nicholson - "The Departed" Eddie Murphy - "Dreamgirls" Brad Pitt - "Babel" Mark Wahlberg - "The Departed"

DIRECTOR
Clint Eastwood - "Flags of Our Fathers" Clint Eastwood - "Letters from Iwo Jima" Stephen Freers - "The Queen" Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - "Babel" Martin Scorcese - "The Departed"

SCREENPLAY
"Babel" "Little Children" "Notes on a Scandal" "The Departed" "The Queen"

ORIGINAL SCORE
"The Painted Veil" "The Fountain" "Babel" "Nomad" "The Da Vinci Code"

ORIGINAL SONG
- "Pursuit of Happyness" "Listen" - "Dreamgirls" "Never Gonna Break My Faith" - "Bobby" - "Happy Feet"

The Complete List Of Nominees--including those from out there in TV Land--are righr here

I'm sure that Sacha Baron Cohen got a much needed lift from the noms for his Borat film--what with all of his legal woes...Kudos to Clint Eastwood on his pair of nods; That said I'm rooting for Scorsese and The Departed How about Leonardo DiCaprio going for two--while shutting out co-star Matt Damon... At least Damon's best pal Ben Affleck gives him someone to root for.

The 64th annual Golden Globe Awards will take place on Monday January 15, 2007, in a live telecast on NBC

RIP Peter Boyle (1935-2006)

Philadelphia born film and television star Peter Boyle passed away last night in New York City, of undisclosed causes, according to his publicist. He was 71 years old. Boyle's talent knew no limits--comfy in both dramatic and comedic roles



Of course, Mr. Boyle will probably best be remembered for his 201 episode run as Frank "Holy Crap" Barone, in the top rated sit-com "Everybody Loves Raymond" '(96-05)...

But as a film fan, he was, and always will be "The Monster" in the Mel Brooks comedy masterpiece Young Frankenstein (1974). Truly one of the funniest movies ever made...

His other motion picture credits include: Monster's Ball, Malcolm X, Honeymoon in Vegas, the actioner Red Heat, the underated sci-fi flick Outland, and the cinema landmark Taxi Driver as "Wizard" that helped put director Martin Scorsese on a whole different level...

"Raymond" wasn't Boyle's only TV gig--he had memorable guest roles in "The X Files" in a '95 highlight - Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose, "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" multiple episodes of "NYPD Blue" and a single segment of "Cagney & Lacey"

Boyle final film role was playing "Father Time" in The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause...

For more on Boyle and his 40 years in showbiz, here's the ABC News obituary...

He will be missed but never forgotten.

Give With One Hand, Take With The Other

While comedian Sacha Baron Cohen A.K.A. Borat came out the winner in court Monday....

The Associated Press and Nicole La Porte of Variety

The first verdict in the various legal tussles over "Borat" is in, and the winner is ... Borat.

On Monday a judge denied the request of two college fraternity brothers to have a scene in "Borat," in which they are shown drunk and making racist remarks, cut from the film. The men claim the footage has damaged their reputations.

Last month they sued 20th Century Fox and the film's producers, maintaining that they were intoxicated when they agreed to participate in the film and were falsely told that it would never be shown in the U.S.

A judge earlier denied their request to have the scene cut from the theatrical version of "Borat," but last week the plaintiffs were given another opportunity to request that the scene be cut from the "Borat" DVD.

In ruling against the duo Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joseph Biderman said that they failed to show a reasonable probability of success on the merits of their case or that money damages alone would be insufficient to resolve their claims.

Lawyers for the men said the unbecoming scene in "Borat" had already cost one of the men a job at a corporation and the other a prestigious internship...

There's more to the story...

Cohen's victory celebration would prove to be short-lived though, as...

"Borat" continues to be bullied.

Another lawsuit has been filed in relation to the Sacha Baron Cohen mockumentary, this time by a man in South Carolina who is suing a restaurant for allowing Cohen to film him in the restaurant's bathroom.

Scene was cut from "Borat" but aired on Comedy Central in a show promoting the movie. Clip also was posted on You Tube and Google. In the scene, Borat poses as a bathroom attendant and comments on the man's genitals.

The lawsuit, filed in a state court, asks for compensation and seeks an injunction against inclusion of the scene on any DVD release of the movie. It also asks that the footage be removed from the Internet.

The owner of the Columbia, S.C., restaurant, Fulvio Valsecchi, said he was told by the filmmakers that they were making a documentary about South Carolina tourism. He said managers did not know Cohen went into the bathroom with a camera...

...Romanian villagers have filed a $30 million lawsuit, saying they were told they were participating in a doc about poverty in Romania. And the owner of etiquette training services in Alabama has sought an investigation, saying she was similarly misled into participating in the film.

Part of me says Cohen shouldn't be shocked by all of these lawsuits--given the nature of what he does in character...But another part of me says some of these folks who were bamboozled by Cohen are using all of the exposure (and $$) as the driving factor for these lawsuits. The Frat Boys from that first story...What dinks.

A Long Shadow Cast

Director Sam Raimi has long proven he has a singular talent for bringing offbeat material to the big screen. I would even argue that the Spider-Man movies are indeed Raimi's most "mainstream" movies of his filmography...

Stax of IGN-Filmforce makes my point for me with the following item:

IGN scoop confirmed and clarified.

IGN Movies exclusively reported last week that Sam Raimi and screenwriter Siavash Farahani were involved with a project that would bring Street & Smith heroes such as The Shadow to the big-screen.

Now The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Raimi will indeed be bringing The Shadow back to theaters. Raimi and Josh Donen's Buckaroo Entertainment will produce The Shadow along with Michael Uslan's Comic Book Movies, Llc/Branded Entertainment banner. Farahani is indeed penning the screenplay.

"I've been a passionate Shadow fan ever since I was a kid and have long dreamed of bringing this character to the screen," Raimi advised THR.

The trade paper claims Raimi is not attached to direct at this time but IGN has been informed otherwise by sources.

THR also did not have any further comment on IGN's report that the film might also include appearances by other Street & Smith heroes so that remains only a rumor at this time.



What a great fit! The character has already been adapted for the big screen once before with a very mixed result. If anyone can do justice to this 75 year old mythology--Raimi can. I can't wait to see what he does with the material...

That Was Then--This Is Now

Remember my suggestion turned rumor that actor Matt Damon would be the perfect choice to play the younger Captain Kirk in Star Trek XI directed and produced by J.J. Abrams?

While no official casting for the next Star Trek flick has been announced as of yet...

According to a story that appeared on the IESB website back on September 15th 2006, Kara Warner wrote:

...Well, today during The Departed press junket in New York, the IESB had the chance to ask Matt exactly that, “Is there any truth to the rumor that J.J. Abrams has approached you to play James T. Kirk in the upcoming Star Trek movie?

”Damon was quick to say he hadn't heard anything about it. His publicist added that Abrams was joking when he said he would choose Matt to play Kirk and it's nothing serious.

As we followed his publicist into the elevator we got a little more, "I think that it [the rumor] came out of a junket he [Abrams] was doing in Asia for Mission Impossible [III] and from my understanding it was one of those hypothetical questions actors always get about who they'd like to work with and JJ threw Matt's name out there. But we've never heard anything on our end. I even called Endeavor, Matt's agency, to see if they had heard anything - they hadn't.

There has been nothing from Paramount and I haven't heard anything from JJ's camp. I'm sorry there's nothing more interesting to report."



Now some 3 months later Ian Spelling of Sci-fi Wire posted this story today:

Damon: I'd Play Kirk In Trek XI

Matt Damon told SCI FI Wire that he's open to assuming the role of Capt. James T. Kirk in the proposed 11th Star Trek movie, but denied previous rumors that he is already in line for the iconic role, which was originated by William Shatner.

"If the script was good, I'd do it," Damon said in an interview while promoting his latest film, The Good Shepherd.

"But, yeah, I heard that [rumor]. I think J.J. Abrams or somebody said that at press junket or something, and it got picked up [by the media and Star Trek fans]."

If Damon were to win the role of Kirk, he would become the first actor to play the character since Shatner played him in the original 1960s Trek and its subsequent spinoff movies.

Abrams, who co-created ABC's hit SF series Lost, is set to co-write and produce Trek XI and may direct [Directing confirmed] it as well...

Pretty much everything surrounding Star Trek XI remains a rumor at this point. Abrams is overseeing the project, and he's confirmed that he had courtesy conversations with Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock, but other than that, nothing official has been released yet about the film's plot, casting or other key details...

I really think Damon would work out very well if he were to do the film...And now that he is open to reading a script what have they got to lose...Then Again, This Is Star Trek--And There's Quite A Lot To Lose--If The New Film Does Not Work...Still Damom's got my vote...

Going My(an) Way

Mel Gibson's Apocalypto took first place at the U.S. box office (14.1 million) over the weekend--But not by much...The Holiday in 2nd place only had $.7 million less in tix sold with 13.5 million. While Blood Diamond landed way back in the fifth spot--taking in a disappointing $8.5...

The Myans Can Claim A Box Office Victory...For Now

In his usual Weekend Report for Box Office Mojo, Brandon Gray writes:

'Apocalypto' eked out a victory over 'The Holiday' during a modest weekend...

Get more Mojo here

Over at Variety, Ian Mohr tells readers:

"Apocalypto" turned out to be one hell of a date movie.

Helped by couples who made up 82% of the pic's Saturday audience -- a number that surprised even tracking experts -- Mel Gibson's subtitled Mayan movie rose above the director's recent off-set controversy to top the weekend's domestic box office among plenty of competition.

Pic took in $14.1 million in 2,465 engagements for a per-screen average of $5,747.

That was enough to edge out Sony's traditional romantic comedy "The Holiday," from director Nancy Meyers, which opened at No. 2 with $13.5 million from 2,610 playdates. Starring Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black, pic scored a per-screen average of $5,172.

In other new openers, Warner Bros. -- which has been on a roll with its CG-animated "Happy Feet" -- opened political adventure "Blood Diamond" in 1,910 engagements for a take of $8.5 million. Per-engagement average for the pic, about the mining of conflict diamonds in Sierra Leone, stood at $4,458.

Studio also sent out family pic "Unaccompanied Minors" in 2,775 playdates to bring in $6.2 million.

"Apocalypto" dug into "Diamond's" shimmer as both pics aimed to draw primarily male auds.

But Disney won the weekend by also bringing in more females than the studio had been anticipating. Before the weekend, a Mouse House rep had described "Apocalypto's" demographic as "all male," in part because of pic's violent content.

"We see this as the blog conversation or water-cooler conversation of the week," said Disney distribution head Chuck Viane of the pic's crossover appeal. "This film is so creative, so fresh and different. There's so much competition that in this marketplace you have to delineate yourself."

Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" bowed to $83 million-plus in 2004, after major studios snubbed the pic and Gibson went with an indie release. Project wound up grossing more than $370 million domestically.

"Apocalypto's" appeal left "Diamond" flawed, and Warners' domestic distribution head Dan Fellman said the tally for the pic -- starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connolly and Djimon Hounsou -- was slightly less than the studio had been hoping.

But he added that Warners had purposely released the pic in a more limited run to start, and that biz would build through the holidays as awards nominations and critics' best-of lists are unveiled.

"Holiday," meantime, played to a primarily female aud, with 65% of its ticket sales from the fairer sex. Women over 25 made up most of that group, comprising 57% of "Holiday's" biz. Meyers' last pic, "Something's Gotta Give," opened to $16 million and a No. 1 ranking in December 2003; it went on to cume $124 million by April.

Traditionally that can be a tough demo to grab over the frame, as women over 25 tend to be prepping for the holidays. Sony feels the pic will have legs as its core aud continues to show up.

Gibson pic also possibly spelled bad news for New Line's Christian-themed "The Nativity Story," which fell to the No. 8 slot , taking in $5.5 million to raise its cume to $15.7 million in two weekends of release...

Article Continues...

For his weekend wrap-up Joshua Rich of EW writes:

No apocalyptic end for Mel as his movie tops the box office, although on a low-profit weekend...

Gibson better enjoy being #1 while he can. Roger Friedman of Fox News writes in his latest 411 column:

Mel Gibson’s brutally violent "Apocalypto" finished first for the weekend, with $14.1 million.

However: it was only in first place on Friday, taking the No. 2 on Saturday and No. 3 on Sunday.

Watch for "Apocalypto" to do a slow sink over the week as the novelty of seeing Mayans getting harpooned in the neck peters out.

Meanwhile--Tonight in prime-time:

The Chicago Bears take on the St. Louis Rams in a Monday Night Football match-up...

It should be a fun game to watch since both teams have quarterback issues...

Follow Directions

The ingredients for this, the latest edition of Cinema Stew include: A second direct to home video sequel for a sci-fi flick; Star Trek XI "officially" gets its director and may get pushed back to 2009; Director Spike Lee is about to cause a "riot"; Mist gets its man and an action star turns himself in...

Stax of IGN Filmforce starts things off

Another sequel is reportedly in the works to the 1997 cult fave Starship Troopers, based on the novel by Robert A. Heinlein. Phil Tippett directed 2004's direct-to-video Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, which was scripted by Edward Neumeier.

Now Neumeier, who also scripted the first Troopers as well as Robocop, will script and helm the second sequel. Neumeier will be making his feature directing debut on the pic.

The filmmakers are negotiating with Casper Van Dien to reprise his role as Johnny Rico. ProductionWeekly.com claims that Rico is "now a General in the Terran Mobile Infantry embroiled in a vast interplanetary war with the 'Bugs.'"

Starship Troopers 3 begins filming this March in South Africa and will be shot in hi-def

I liked the original Starship Troopers quite a lot. But I have avoided Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation ...It would be nice to see Casper Van Dien return I guess. Even though I think they are just beating a dead franchise with a third trip to the well

Jill Goldsmith of Variety updates us on how things are going over at Paramount Pictures/Viacom:

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said Paramount is in a "very good place creatively" but needs to diversify its revenue stream to defuse the intrinsic volatility of the film business.

The exec, three months into his new gig, wasn't specific. But he recently said the studio wants to beef up its TV operations, which mostly moved to CBS after the company split.

The studio has "a good mix of products," he said, with tentpoles plus targeted pics, some built around Viacom's MTV, Nickelodeon and, soon, BET brands.

And "DreamWorks brings a tremendous creative talent," he told investors at the CSFB media conference Monday. "I think we are well on our way to remaking the studio ... I'd like to see it go back up to the level it was -- it was once a business that was making $400 million-$500 million a year."

He touted "Dreamgirls," which had its Gotham premiere Monday night, and upcoming Eddie Murphy starrer "Norbit." "Transformers," out this summer, could potentially become a franchise for [the studio], he said.

And he noted the studio is bringing back "Star Trek" in 2008 or 2009. "We're revitalizing it in a new and interesting way," he said.

J.J. Abrams, who recently inked a film deal with Par, is set to direct...

...Still, Dauman said, "We can do a much better job of monetizing our digital presence."

I am not surprised that J.J. Abrams will be calling the shots on the next Trek film...I'm surprised it took so long for someone in the know to make it official. Was there anyone out there who actually thought Abrams wouldn't direct it?

Michael Fleming also of Variety is next up:

Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment are teaming with helmer Spike Lee on "L.A. Riots," a drama framed around the racially charged April 1992 riots.

John Ridley will write the script. Brian Grazer will produce.

Lee, who's also developing an "Inside Man" sequel for the studio and Grazer, said the goal is to have a script in front of [studio president] Donna Langley before business closes for the holidays.

Project could well be his next feature and shoot next year.

The riots, which followed the acquittal by a white jury of four police officers who were videotaped beating black motorist Rodney King, caused the death of 55 people, thousands of injuries and close to $1 billion in damage.

Lee, who's coming off the HBO docu "When the Levees Broke," about Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, said he and Grazer fixed on the idea together and felt the subject matter was ripe for a revisit.

"This isn't about some cavalcade of stars, but rather a truthful and realistic examination of what happened, what the ramifications were and where we are now, in hopes that something like this doesn't happen again," Lee said.

Grazer said the subject matter was "the best way to use Spike's power as a filmmaker, to tell an even-handed story that gets beyond the iconic pictures that we all remember. I was most interested in looking at the idea of universal group dynamics that manifest themselves under the highest amount of stress and to get all these points of view as they converge into each other and ignite in flames."...

There's no one better suited to tell the story of April 29th 1992 better than Lee

Click here for more of the story...

Sci-Fi Wire has the next item in the line-up via UGO.com:

Punisher star Thomas Jane told UGO.com that he has signed on to star in Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's novella "The Mist." Jane revealed the casting while a UGO.com correspondent was talking with him this week:

"Well, I have an e-mail from Frank right here," Jane told the site. "Why don't we open it and see what's going on with The Mist? [reads] He says that he just heard my deal closed today, and he's happy and looking forward to working with me."

Darabont (who directed the film adaptation of King's The Shawshank Redemption) will helm The Mist for Dimension Films, based on his own script. A spring production start is envisioned. Published in 1985 as part of King's short-story collection Skeleton Crew, "The Mist" takes place in a small town where a thick mist engulfs the area, killing those caught in its darkness.

The Mist marks Jane's second involvement in a King-spawned project: He also starred in Dreamcatcher. "I think it's destined to be some kind of cult classic in a weird B-movie way, only in that no one has ever spent $80 million on a movie where weasels come out of your ass," Jane said.

Another casting rumor made official...

And finally Wesley Snipes is officially indicted in person for tax fraud, according to the International Herald Tribune...TMZ has more...

That's all the Stew for now...

My Thoughts On The Donner Cut Of Superman II

After a long wait of almost 30 years, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is finally here...

Before I get into the specifics about the DC--Some Background:

In the decade of the 1970's Superman The Movie and 80% of its sequel Superman II were shot simultaneously.

Originally conceived by director Richard Donner and writer Tom Mankiewicz as a two-part story...The 2 friends, along with a talented cast and crew of hundreds, set out to make us "believe a man can fly"....They succeeded beyond all measure.

As the release date for the first film loomed, it was decided to halt production on II, in favor of finishing the first part. Once that movie was in the can and in theaters , everyone would return to complete the rest of II..

However, by this point tensions between Donner and producers--Alexander Salkind, his son Ilya, and Pierre Spengler--were so bad that Donner was fired before he could finish part II. Director Richard Lester was brought in, to not only finish the film, but rework many scenes as well. This reboot was necessary in order for Lester to receive a director credit on the film...

I must admit, the first time I popped the Donner Cut of Superman II into the DVD player, I got a few goosebumps as things got under way....

The basic story of the film is the same as it is in theatrical version. It's the way Donner gets from points A to B and so on that's different...

Some examples:

Gone: The entire post credit Paris sequence in which a bomb, detonated in space by Superman (Christopher Reeve) releases the three villains from Krypton...Replaced with a scene from the first film of the Man Of Steel disposing of one of the missiles hijacked by Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman)--causing the trio's escape.

Gone: Scenes between Superman and his biological mother Lara (Susannah York) are replaced by scenes between Supes and his biological father Jor-El (Marlon Brando)

Courtesy: IGN/WB

Gone: The scene in The Honeymoon Haven in which Lois (Margot Kidder) discovers Clark Kent is Superman with him tripping over a (pink) bareskin rug. Replaced with Lois pulling a gun on our hero--forcing him to reveal his secret...

The ultimate question of which version is better is a toughie though--Watching the Donner Cut made feel like kid again and that I had traveled back in time to some alternate reality--there's some really great stuff here...But I actually think the theatrical version paces better. I'm sure that Donner would have addressed this issue had he been allowed to finish the film...I know this may sound like a cop out--the 2 versions each have things that work in them and some things that don't.

For example, the Jor-El scenes are much more meaningful to me than the Lara theatrical stuff. It's the whole Father/Son dynamic. The whole Clark is Supes reveal put into motion by Lois is much stronger as well. The Phantom Zone villains seem a bit more menacing. The battle over Metropolis is more streamlined--Gone is Lester's campy schtick and sight gags in that sequence...

The biggest issues I had with the Donner Cut has to do with some of the editorial choices made: (Beware Spoilers!!)

DC producer Michael Thau and Donner chose to score this version by laying in music from the first film. While I love John Williams' work. I have to admit it was a bit of a distraction hearing music that fits the first movie so well, used for this cut. At times the score sounded out of place and disjointed I wish they could have found a way to use more of Ken Thorne's arrangements. I think that would have worked better.

The Donner Cut has Supes sleeping with Lois before he gives up his powers...While this solves a major plot issue I had with Bryan Singer's Superman Returns-- only till the end of the DC. Still, it begs the question, why does he need to give up his powers at all? If he can have his abilities and be with Lois anyway--Why bother asking for Dad's permission.

Folks have complained that the DC lifts the time travel ending of the first film--Supes turning back the world, to undo the damage done by the villains and to make Lois forget that Clark Kent is Supes. At face value, that criticism is a valid one. And indeed, Lester's Super smooch ending was considered as the ending for the DC, but remember, Donner never had the chance to finish II the way he had wanted or could have. Therefore, I can see them reusing the concept again, since Superman The Movie would have originally ended with the Zoners escape cliffhanger...I think using it to save Lois in One packs more of an emotional wallop though. I'm fine with our hero turning back the world again in lieu of using the kiss from Lester's cut

Given that, Superman does reverse time in this version though...Why does Clark go back to Ron's Diner to give Rocky (Pepper Martin) the bully a taste of his own medicine--if their fight never happened? Yes it's still funny but it makes no narrative sense.

All of that said, I am thankful for the chance to finally see this stuff, and that Donner is finally getting to close the book on a very painful chapter of his career. The DC, while far from perfect, is still a must see. After you see the DC you may never look Ar Superman II the same way again...

The bonus material on the DVD includes a touching intro from Donner, 8 minutes worth of deleted scenes, most of which, I've seen before in various TV cuts of the film. There's an alternate prison escape for Luthor though that's "new" and a lot of fun. Restoring The Vision is a 13 minute featurette that discusses the restoration process of Thau and his team. The most worthwhile extra on the disc is the audio commentary from Donner and Mankiewicz.

It's obvious that Donner is still very hurt by what happened between him and the producers, The duo get pretty quiet whenever Lester's footage appears on screen to help fill in some of the gaps. Otherwise it's filled with some great production tid-bits Some of which are repeated from their 2001 track for the first film. Still, the track is solid

Donner says he was fired without reason. Ilya Salkind maintains in the audio commentary for the theatrical cut that Donner was invited to finish 2 but refused as long as "Spengler was still on the film"--via an interview in Variety. Assuming Salkind is telling the truth--why have Lester on the set to mediate during the first film (as stated on the other DVDs) if they weren't thinking of replacing Donner at some point --that was before the Variety story? What a shame...

At least some of that "wrong" has now been put "right"

Apocalypto, Now

I think it's safe to say that. of all the new films opening today, all eyes are clearly more focused on Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (reviews)--wondering how the English subtitled epic will fare with movie-goers...Meanwhile: There's also: Blood Diamond (reviews). starring Leonardo DiCaprio (using possibly the worst fake accent for a movie ever) Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly--directed by Edward Zwick.

On The Run In Blood Diamond

The Holiday (reviews), a star-packed, yule-themed romantic comedy from writer/director Nancy Meyers...And finally, we have the very Home Alone-esque kids comedy Unaccompanied Minors (reviews)...

Ian Mohr of Variety writes:

...The biggest wild card at this weekend's box office is Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto."

Subtitled pic, set in an ancient Mayan kingdom and sporting extreme violence, skews to an all-male demo.

Pic will roll out on 2,465 screens.

But the big question is whether the helmer's offset antics will turn off his fan base.

Notices so far have been solid, with talk of an awards season run, and Disney has mounted a concerted PR push to turn attention to the pic and not Gibson's persona.

Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" took in more than $370 million domestically in 2004.

Meanwhile, women will want in on Columbia romantic comedy "The Holiday," bowing at 2,610 playdates. Nancy Meyers pic stars Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black and Jude Law.

And Warner Bros. is hoping to gain ground with political action film "Blood Diamond," from director Ed Zwick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Pic bows at 1,900 theaters.

Warners also is bowing "Unaccompanied Minors,"...

The rookies are duking it out over a frame that's still crowded with long-legged holdovers "Happy Feet" and "Casino Royale."

Article Continues...

Over at Entertainment Weekly, Joshua Rich thinks that Mel Gibson's latest passion will be No. 1 by Monday morning:

"Apocalypto" will finally serve the penguins of "Happy Feet" their marching papers

Personally, I don't really think Gibson's personal issues will affect the numbers for Apocalypto, more than the whole subtitle thing might. At least The Passion of the Christ (2004) had a built in Christian audience going for it. A film about the Myan culture is a tough sell even without subtitles...Will be interesting to see what happens come Monday.

Board Games

Actor/director Clint Eastwood got an early gift from The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures--for his film Letters From Iwo Jima...

Clint Eastwood arrives for the Japan premiere of his new movie "Letters from Iwo Jima" in Tokyo in this November 15, 2006 file photo.. Photo Credit: REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao


Steven Zeitchik of Variety has all of the NBR winners of the event:

The kudos season kicked off Wednesday with a nod to Clint Eastwood and Warners as the helmer's Japanese-language "Letters From Iwo Jima" took the National Board of Review's prize for best picture.

NBR is a group made up of film educators and other professionals with no official ties to the biz. While its workings are not well known in Hollywood, an NBR nod can help set the tone for the awards season and top 10 lists that follow.

Martin Scorsese nabbed the director prize for his mob Warner Bros. drama "The Departed."

Searchlight's "Last King of Scotland" brought home the actor prize for Forest Whitaker, who portrays dictator Idi Amin. Helen Mirren scored the actress nod for her role as a conflicted Queen Elizabeth II in Miramax's "The Queen."

Pedro Almodovar's female-centric "Volver" won the prize for foreign film. Al Gore's environmental warning "An Inconvenient Truth" won for docu while Pixar's "Cars" nabbed the prize for animated feature.

It was a red-letter day for Warners, which in addition to Scorsese's nod made the top 10 list with "The Departed" and "Blood Diamond." And Warner Independent grabbed a spot on the list with "The Painted Veil." "Flags of Our Fathers" is a co-production between Par and Warners.

Fox Searchlight also turned in a stellar performance, landing three films in the top 10: "The History Boys," "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Notes on a Scandal," while Fox 2000's "Devil Wears Prada" also rated a spot.

All told, Fox and Warner Bros. units scored eight out of the 10 spots; Par Vantage's "Babel" and Paramouunt's "Flags of Our Fathers" were the only films that didn't come from one of the two companies...

Djimon Hounsou of "Blood Diamond" and Catherine O'Hara from "For Your Consideration" were the winners in the supporting acting categories....

Get more NBR winners here

Law And Order

Actor/director George Clooney has taken early steps to produce a film version of author John Grisham non-fiction book, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town...

Clooney Goes "Buy" The Book

Michael Fleming and Pamela McClintock of Variety write in today's edition:

Warner Independent Pictures and Smoke House partners George Clooney and Grant Heslov are buying screen rights to John Grisham's nonfiction tome "The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town."

Deal is the second in the past two weeks between WIP and Smoke House; Clooney and Heslov earlier came aboard to produce "White Jazz."

Details are still being worked out in the Grisham deal, but Clooney and Heslov are solely producing at this point.

Published in October by Doubleday, "Innocent Man" is the true story of a gross miscarriage of justice that sent Ron Williamson to Oklahoma's death row for 11 years for a murder he did not commit. Among the flimsy evidence: eyewitness testimony from the man ultimately convicted of the murder.

Deal is the first studio pact in several years for Grisham, whose last novel adaptation was the Joe Roth-directed "Christmas With the Kranks." After "The Firm" became a blockbuster, such Grisham courtroom thrillers as "The Rainmaker," "The Client" and "A Time to Kill" routinely sparked fevered auctions and seven-figure movie deals, culminating in a then-record $8 million deal from New Regency for "Runaway Jury."

Even before studios stopped paying outrageous sums for books, Grisham and his longtime editor-dealmaker David Gernert changed the way they sold his titles. After a self-imposed hiatus on deals, Grisham returned but became more interested in quality control and less interested in big paydays...

Article Continues...

For the most part, I have enjoyed many of the Grisham-themed films that have been released, over the years. I'm also a bit of a sucker for the fact based film. Grisham is an excellent storyteller--I'm hoping he can be tapped to write the screenplay for the project...

The "Write" Stuff

Dave McNary of Variety has an update on that possible strike of the Writers Guild of America that I mentioned in the last edition of Cinema Stew

...In a message sent to members over the weekend, WGA West president Patric Verrone amped up the hostility with a spirited defense of the guild's decision to spurn an offer to launch negotiations in January in favor of waiting until September. Guild's current contract expires on Halloween.

Verrone also hit back at the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers a week after the AMPTP announced the WGA's plans to put off negotiations. He accused the AMPTP of duplicity, histrionics, bullying, manipulating public opinion, ignoring history and refusing to negotiate over new technologies.

"The recent saber rattling by the AMPTP is designed to frighten us and our entertainment industry co-workers both above and below the line," Verrone said. "The AMPTP asserts that, by refusing to negotiate early, we will force our employers to make rash business decisions to prepare for an inevitable strike. That simply flies in the face of the last 18 years of Writers Guild history. In the past five WGA MBA (minimum basic agreement) negotiations, we have been able to reach agreement without a strike, even though, in most cases, we did not begin negotiations more than a few months before the contract expiration date."

And he insisted WGA leaders aren't aiming for a work stoppage -- even though studio and network execs are now planning for that scenario by accelerating production and stockpiling scripts.

"The last thing we want is a strike, and we hope we won't be pushed to that result by conglomerates that declare windfalls to Wall Street and plead poverty to us," he said. "Rather than trying to manipulate public opinion in the press, our employers could be working with us to develop business models that make the talent community feel included, respected and reasonably rewarded. If that is the agenda they want to put on the table, we will gladly pull up a chair."

The AMPTP had no comment Monday on the letter. AMPTP president Nick Counter had expressed frustration last week over the guild's decision, asserting that the new tech issues are so complex that they need to be negotiated as soon as possible.

Counter also contended last week that WGA West exec director David Young had reneged on a WGA proposal in October to start bargaining in January. Counter said last week that after he had agreed to launch negotiations in January and proposed setting aside the second and fourth weeks, Young then withdrew the offer because the WGA board had decided to delay negotiations until the fall.

But Verrone's missive portrayed a different sequence of events. He said the AMPTP had proposed late in the summer that negotiations start on Nov. 30, with the WGA then proposing starting early next year and the AMPTP responding "angrily" by saying it would not meet until September 2007 and then proposing a month later that talks start in January.

"We declined, citing the extremely odd sequence of their proposals," he added.

Verrone asserted that the AMPTP refused to include discussions over Webisodes, reality TV, product integration and streaming video in early negotiations. And he said the WGA's strategy is aimed at achieving the best deal at the bargaining table...

..."We will maintain a calm approach, even when the AMPTP engages in histrionics through the press," he said. "If you have any questions, comments or ideas for me or David Young, please do not hesitate to call or write. We are all in this together."

Read the complete article here...

Of course, there's still plenty of time for all parties involved, to alter the current time-table. Meanwhile, it sure is fun watching both sides spin the problem to their advantage--Looking forward to the next round in this bout.

We Three Kings

The top films in the U.S., stayed exactly the same, for the second straight weekend. Happy Feet, Casino Royale, and Déjà Vu., all enjoyed a comfy combined lead over the handful of new releases.



As usual, Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo leads off the analysis of the numbers

'Happy Feet' [$17 million] and 'Casino Royale' [$15.1 million] led the post-Thanksgiving weekend, while ' The Nativity Story' [at #4 with $8 million] had a meager opening...

Get more Mojo right here

Variety's Ian Mohr is up next:

...Warner Bros.' B.O. champ "Happy Feet" reigned for a third straight frame, while Sony's "Casino Royale" followed closely behind and Disney's sci-fi thriller "Deja Vu" took third for the second frame in a row.

The last CG-animated pic to lead domestic box office three weekends straight was 2004's "Shark Tale"; "Shrek 2" matched that mark earlier that year. Both those toons were from DreamWorks.

New rollouts had a tough time drawing auds: Widest newbie of the frame, New Line's "The Nativity Story" on more than 3,000 playdates, birthed just over $8 million to bow fourth on the charts.

Pic, directed by "Lords of Dogtown" helmer Catherine Hardwicke, saw a per-screen average of $2,603 -- "on the lower end" of what the studio had been hoping, New Line distribution head David Tuckerman said.

Horror pic "Turistas," the first movie from Fox genre arm Atomic, took in $3.5 million off 1,570 to hit No. 8 in its bow. Pic had been acquired for about $4 million.

MGM's latest installment in the "Van Wilder" teen comedy series -- from the Bauer-Martinez label -- barely made the top 10, grabbing $2.29 million off almost 2,000 engagements. Per-screen average was below $2,000 as teen auds were still turning out for Fox's "Borat," which took in another $4.8 million; its total tally is $116.3 million.

"Happy Feet" dropped 54% from the previous frame but still managed to rake in another $17 million, raising cume to $121 million domestically. Per-engagement average was a plump $4,481.

Previously this year, only "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" led the B.O. three times consecutively...

Article Continues...

Finally, Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly, writes in his weekend wrap-up

"Happy Feet" and "Casino Royale" are tops for a third straight weekend, while new releases fail to make a mark...

All Work And No Play...

In this latest edition of Cinema Stew...

A remake of a classic 8o's comedy is finished before it really begins; A sequel to a film from last summer is given a green light; More Borat; A box office report for '06; Is a Writers strike looming? And playing the race card

The IGN Staff (via Variety) gets things started:

Fox Atomic has officially scrapped their planned remake of Revenge of the Nerds which had been set for a Summer 2007 release.

Word of Nerds' nixing comes after the production was halted earlier this month when Emory University in Atlanta booted the production off campus. Nerds had relocated to a smaller college elsewhere in Georgia, but word is that it just didn't feel right. And the studio was reluctant to look for yet another location while continuing to pay everyone involved in the production.

Rumor has it, according to today's Variety, that Atomic's head honcho Peter Rice wasn't all that enamored with the footage he'd seen. "Everybody worked very hard on 'Revenge of the Nerds,' and we're all extremely disappointed that we can't move forward," Rice said in a statement.

Much like the original, the new film was to tell what happened when a college campus is turned upside down by a group of freshmen misfits who wage an all-out battle against the jocks during Greek Week.

Fanboys director Kyle Newman was helming the redo of the 1984 comedy which was to star Katie Cassidy, Jenna Dewan, Dan Byrd, Christopher Marquette, Ryan Pinkston and Nick Zano. McG and Adam Brody were producing Nerds.

The original Revenge of the Nerds is a comedy classic and would have been a tough act to try and top, I wonder what happened to get the production kicked off that first campus? Didn't school officials know what they were getting into when they agreed to be a part of the process?

Next up,'Da Vinci Code' Sequel To Be Made, says Studio Briefing:

A sequel to the blockbuster movie adaptation The Da Vinci Code is in the works. Scriptwriter Akiva Goldsman, who adapted the Dan Brown novel for the screen, has reportedly been paid $3.8 million to write the sequel. However, it's said the sequel will not be an original story, but will actually be based on Angels And Demons, the book which precedes The Da Vinci Code.

Sources claim the plot, which sees cryptologist Robert Langdon, played by Tom Hanks, help a woman to discover the links between her father's death and secret society conspiracies, will be altered so that it can follow on from the first film. It is expected the movie will be released in 2008.

Critics may have hated the The Da Vinci Code movie...But it still made a ton of dough worldwide and recently debuted on DVD. Hence, the prequel is moving forward.

Borat: A One-Time Wonder?

Although Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan passed the $100-million mark at the box office over the weekend, Universal Pictures may already be "feeling buyer's remorse" over its agreement to pay Sacha Baron Cohen $42.5 million to make a follow-up film in the guise of his gay Austrian fashion designed Bruno, the Los Angeles Times observed (in a story published this past Monday).

According to the newspaper, the studio is concerned about the numerous lawsuits filed against Fox, which released Borat, and the possibility that Baron Cohen may now be so well known that he will be unable to dupe enough people into participating in his on-camera hoaxes. Entertainment lawyer George Hedges told the Times: "Once you have a high-profile situation and you have lawyers circling around, your risk factor is higher."

Sacha Baron Cohen = Overexposed

Box Office Offsets Last Year's Losses

So far this year, total box-office revenue is up 5.5 percent above last year when it was down 5.2 percent from 2004. And, after declining every year for three consecutive years, attendance is up 3.9 percent. (In 2005, it was down 7.1 percent.)

Analysts attributed the upswing to a larger output of films this year, appealing to a wide range of moviegoers. (Last Monday's) Los Angeles Times observed that by the end of the year, 154 films will have had wide openings in at least 1,000 theaters -- a 17 percent increase over 2005.

Total domestic box-office revenue for 2006 now stands at $8.4 billion, compared with $8 billion at this date a year ago. (Last year marked the first time since 2001 that the box office failed to pass the $9-billion mark.)

Does this mean the "slump" is considered over?

It's time to cue the ominous music...

Producers Sense Writers Strike

Appearing to foreshadow a tough year ahead for labor relations in Hollywood, the head of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said Monday that he had been "rebuked" by the Writers Guild of America, West after he proposed early contract negotiations.

J. Nicholas Counter told [the] Los Angeles Times [on Tuesday] that he had offered to begin negotiations in January, but that his proposed had been rejected by WGA Executive Director David Young, who proposed that the talks begin in September. The writers' contract expires on Oct. 31. Counter told [the]... Times that the refusal raises the possibility of a strike and he suggested that it may cause the studios to accelerate production of films and stockpile scripts

I remember the strike of 1988 and that affected TV more directly than it did films. If a strike does happen and it goes beyond, say 8 weeks, then tinstletown can hit the panic button.

Casting Companies Put Out "Whites Only" Signs

Despite federal law barring discrimination in employment based on race, 69 percent of all casting notices this past summer specifically asked for white actors, according to a study by the UCLA School of Law and the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, and reported in [Friday']'s Los Angeles Daily News. "Casting directors take into account race and sex in a way that would be blatantly illegal in any other industry," Study author Russell Robinson observed.

The study also found that ethnic minorities were not cast in about 80 percent of first-, second- and third-billed leading roles. "When we get to the bus captains and the busboys [roles], then we get into the Latinos," commented Alex Nogales, president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

The results of the study come as no surprise to me. Minority actors often get short changed.

That's all the stew for now...This afternoon the Chicago Bears have a rematch with the Minnesota Vikings to win...Rex Grossman has the start...He better have a good game...The team needs a consistent QB as things move ahead

Slipped Discs

On Wednesday November 29th, my Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition box set arrived...

Upon opening the 14 disc set, I confirmed that the problems, as previously reported on, were indeed real. At that point, I called the 800 number, leaving my name and telephone number with the Warner Home Video representative on the other end of the receiver--who sounded very overwhelmed by what I'm sure was a never ending stream of calls...I was promised a call back within 24 hours. By late afternoon on Friday I hadn't heard back from them...I decided to call back on a hunch, based solely on the fact that I was unsure if the person I spoke with the first time actually took down my info

It's a good thing I did call a 2nd time--Things sounded a lot calmer on the other end this time around...WHV will send out a postage paid return envelope..I will send back defective Disc One of Superman The Movie Special Edition (with the wrong sound mix) and the Superman III disc (sent out minus bonus material)

Photo Courtesy Superman Homepage

Once WHV gets the mislabled discs--corrected DVDs will be mailed in exchange

In the meantime, I am working my way through the set, and will have much more to say about it by next weekend...

Post Turkey Day Slowdown

After a busy start to the holiday '06 movie season, the studios have slowed things down quite a bit as December begins...There's not a big opener among the new releases this week. None of them, as I write these words, are impressing critics all that much either.

The seasonal film, The Nativity Story (Reviews) appears to be pretty boring: The horror flick Turistas (reviews) looks like a rip-off of Eli Roth's H 0 S T E L from last year; The comedy sequel National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj (reviews) gives every body's favorite second banana Kal Penn a chance to carry a movie; Meanwhile, the dramedy 10 Items or Less (reviews) and Christmas at Maxwell's (reviews) open very small...

Olivia Wilde, Melissa George and Josh Duhamel star in Fox Atomic's Turistas

Ian Mohr of Variety writes about the current cinema landscape:

Jesus vs. James Bond.

That unlikely matchup will indeed unfold this weekend at the U.S. box office as New Line preps "The Nativity Story" to do battle with Sony holdover "Casino Royale," as well as Warner Bros.' B.O. champ "Happy Feet" and Disney's second frame of sci-fi thriller "Deja Vu."

New Line will put "Nativity" in 3,183 playdates as the frame's widest new rollout.

Frame following the Thanksgiving glut is a traditionally slow affair. Other wide openers will include MGM's "Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj," bowing on 1,979, and Fox genre banner Fox Atomic's first release, horror pic "Turistas."

"Nativity" continues Hollywood's more aggressive targeting of the faith-based crowd in the wake of "The Passion of the Christ."

"Turistas," meanwhile, will be a litmus test for Atomic topper Peter Rice, who also runs the studio's specialty label Fox Searchlight.

"Wilder" comes as MGM makes a bold year-end push: Studio has nine pics rolling out between Thanksgiving and New Year's...

Standing in the way of the new releases will be holdover "Happy Feet," which has turned a flock of singing CG-animated penguins into B.O. behemoths this season and won the past two weekends.

Pic has passed $100 million in two frames, and Warners sees "Happy Feet" as having the legs to last through January and take in $200 million.

"Casino Royale," meanwhile, which has settled for No. 2 the last two weekends, is still tracking just behind "Happy Feet" with strong numbers

Article Continues...

In his weekend box office preview, Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly thinks Happy Feet will three-peat

It'll be deja vu all over again...