Young Whpper-Snapper

I'll give ya one guess as to which movie actor Shia LaBeouf (pictured), currently staring in the thriller Disturbia, is going to do next...


Stax of IGN:

After weeks of "is he or isn't he?" speculation, often fueled by the actor himself, Transformers [co star] Shia LaBeouf has been officially cast in Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones IV.

In an official announcement posted [Friday] morning on IndianaJones.com, director Steven Spielberg said, "We are excited about bringing Shia into our Indy family. His talent has impressed not only his audiences throughout his young career but the directors, producers and fellow actors who have worked with him in his television career and now his film career."

"I was hoping the rumors were true, so I couldn't be more thrilled," LaBeouf is quoted as saying. "To be cast in an Indiana Jones film is like grabbing the brass ring and holding on for the ride. I'll do my best to meet the high standards that Steven, George, and Harrison have set and I can't wait to take that giant step in front of the Indy cameras."

The official announcement [came] after LaBeouf personally confirmed the casting [yesterday] morning to USA Today. "Up until about two weeks ago, it was little more than a rumor," LaBeouf told the paper. "Literally, when I was saying, 'I don't know anything,' I didn't know anything. It was an act of faith. I have not read a script. I don't think anybody has."

LaBeouf couldn't say if he was indeed playing Indy's son, as earlier rumors suggested. "I can tell you I'm sort of the sidekick character, obviously," he said. "I'm sure there are a lot of laughs at my expense, and some kind of creature crawling on me."

The veil of secrecy surrounding the project even affects LaBeouf, who still doesn't know what relic it is that Dr. Jones and company will be chasing after in the film.

I love being right

On March 11th, I posted the following about all of those LaBeouf/Indy casting stories:

I actually think a deal with LaBeouf to appear in the film may indeed be in the offing It's just not been worked out yet...The young actor may claim to have trouble normally keeping mum. But in this case, he knows better than to say anything, at this point. I think he would rather that papa Steven and or uncle George make any news about Indy official.

And that's exactly what happened here.... As to what his role might be? Indy's son sounds good to me...

Speaking of producer, George Lucas...He also spoke with USA Today earlier this month, about Indy 4. And in the process, we learned the following about the sequel:

Will 64-year-old star Harrison Ford be convincing enough for all of that rough and tumble action?

"He's not running in any of the movies. He's either on a horse or driving a car or a motorcycle. And he'll play his age in this movie with what's appropriate. The chases are more suspenseful than speedy. Like the rolling ball in the first film -- it's not that he's running that fast, it's that there's a giant ball coming at him." says Lucas.

One tradition will be maintained though -"he will get beat up."

Sean Connery has yet to sign on as Indiana's father, but Lucas says "we're still trying."

He also won't go into detail about the 'top secret filming locations', but says that one locale will have a "waterfall."

As for the official title? It's being kept under wraps until the first trailer hits theaters around Thanksgiving.

Indiana Jones IV begins filming this June for a May 22, 2008 release.

Milk Does Directors Good

Bryan Singer and Gus Van Sant are trying to reach the starting line first, in hopes of beating the other, over competing films on the same subject

Michael Fleming and Pamela McClintock of Variety report that Singer may have the lead

...Each is trying to be first in production with a film about Harvey Milk, the San Francisco supervisor and first openly gay elected official in the U.S., who was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone by Supervisor Dan White

After 15 years in development,"The Mayor of Castro Street," the movie based on the book by Randy Shilts, is moving toward the starting gate. Warner Independent Pictures., which brought in Singer two years ago, is near a deal with Participant Prods. to co-finance and with [Christopher McQuarrie] to write the final draft.

Now, Van Sant has attached himself to an untitled Milk script by Dustin Lance Black, writer of several episodes of the HBO drama "Big Love." The writer's agents at Endeavor will shop the script early next week.

The fates of "Capote" and "Infamous" have demonstrated how important it is to be first in the marketplace when it comes to rival fact-based pictures. "Capote" came first and became an awards season darling highlighted by an Oscar win for Philip Seymour Hoffman; "Infamous" followed a year later, and, despite good reviews, a dead-on Capote [performance] by Toby Jones and the presence of Daniel Craig and Sandra Bullock, barely got noticed.

Adding to the intrigue is that fact that Van Sant was once set to direct "Castro Street" and even wrote a draft of the script years ago for Warners.

Craig Zadan, who is producing "The Mayor of Castro Street" with Neil Meron, liked their chances to get into production quickly. This despite Singer's commitment to the [Tom Cruise] movie, "Valkyrie," which has a July 8 start date, and a "Superman Returns" sequel which Warner Bros. hopes to have ready for release in 2009.

"We're seeing the light at the end of a long tunnel," he said. "Warner Independent is pushing us to get the film made right away. Some of it might have to do with the enormous success of 'Brokeback Mountain,' and some of it is passion for the right tone and the story we are telling.

Chris has nailed the take, and the goal is to have the script ready so that we can make the movie as soon as Bryan finishes his UA film. We've had tremendous response from actors."

Read the full story for more...

This is a story that Singer has championed for quite a long time. Both directors are skilled craftsman--But if I had to pick a winner in the Milk sweepstakes --it's Bryan. Despite having a lot of stuff on his creative plate, right now--his corner seems a bit more organized....Then does Van Sant.

Trix Of The Trade

Christina Ricci has officially joined the cast of Larry and Andy Wachowski's live action adaptation of the popular 1960s cartoon "Speed Racer" for Warner Bros. Pictures and producer Joel Silver writes The Hollywood Reporter.

Emile Hirsch, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman are already on board the project.

Ricci is set to play the crucial role of Speed's girlfriend Trixie, his formidable ally on and off the track. The Wachowskis, who are writing and directing the movie, are setting up for a Summer shoot in Berlin with a May 2008 release.

After reading the news, I went to You Tube and found video of Ricci talking about the flick....



Ricci makes for a great choice as Trixie--I can totally see her in the part...

Teen Beat

A six pack of new releases are looking to go the distance, with one of them hoping to unseat 2-time box office topper Blades of Glory:

Taking a page from the late Alfred Hitchcock is Disturbia (reviews); Halle Berry and Bruce Willis team up for the thriller Perfect Stranger (reviews); The actioner Pathfinder (reviews) starring Karl Urban; You'll feel the need for speed if you see Redline (reviews); Ray Liotta returns in Slow Burn (reviews); And finally Cartoon Network "Adult Swim" favorite Aqua Teen Hunger Force (reviews) hits the big screen...

Shia LaBeouf Is Spying On His Neighbors In His New Film "Disturbia"

Ian Mohr of Variety:

Six new wide releases will careen into multiplexes this weekend, making for an uncharacteristically crowded mid-April frame as companies try to avoid competing with the blockbuster summer sequels ahead.

Four R-rated pics vying for similar demos make the movie race even tighter.

Of the new crop, Paramount's "Disturbia," starring Shia LaBeouf in a sort of "Rear Window" twist for teens, could come out on top.

Thriller is tracking well with both male and female demos, and its PG-13 rating should help draw young folks to the 2,925 theaters in which pic will play.

Among other new openers, Sony's "Perfect Stranger," a racy, R-rated thriller starring Halle Berry and Bruce Willis, should also make a run for the top of the charts. It rolls into 2,661 theaters over the weekend.

Fox is taking "Pathfinder," a fantasy battle pic pitting Vikings vs. Native Americans, into under 1,800 runs. Movie could conceivably pick up biz on the heels of another battle epic that's wooed auds, Warner Bros.' "300," which remains a player over the weekend as a holdover.

Away from the major studio pics, Lions gate will roll out its acquisition "Slow Burn," with an ensemble featuring Ray Liotta, LL Cool J, Taye Diggs and Mekhi Phifer.

Gunning for a similar crowd will be actioner "Redline," which is aimed at urban gearheads. Upstart indie banner Chicago Pictures will open the movie in about 1,600 theaters. Release is the first for the company, headed by real estate investor Daniel Sadek, who produced and, in a novel twist, cast his personal collection of luxury cars in the pic.

One wild card in the mix will be the animated "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" movie based on the Cartoon Network [show], from beleaguered indie distrib First Look.

Pic, booked in 877 theaters, is the first to roll out from the banner since it recently announced its acquisition last month by Avi Lerner's Nu Image/Millennium Films.

Millennium's "Lonely Hearts," starring Salma Hayek, John Travolta and James Gandolfini will hit 23 screens this weekend through Samuel Goldwyn Films.

And making the market even more crowded, Miramax moves its Richard Gere vehicle "The Hoax" to more than 400 screens from its roughly 200-screen launch.

Paramount Vantage platforms its Mike White-directed comedy "Year of the Dog," starring Molly Shannon.

Concentration of pics playing could spell bad news for any holdovers that haven't popped yet, including the Weinstein Co.'s "Grindhouse."

Par's "Blades of Glory," a No. 1 for two frames straight, should continue to move ducats....

Click here for the entire story...

Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly says:

Many new movies are vying to debut at No. 1 -- but only one has Halle Berry and Bruce Willis, and that may be enough...

RIP Roscoe Lee Browne (1925-2007)

Character actor and Woodbury NJ native Roscoe Lee Browne has passed away...Browne's career spanned some 40 years. His distinctive presence made everything he did seem that much more special. He could do it all Movies TV and the Stage--in any genre. He will be sorely missed

Here is an extended excerpt from the obituary written by Jon Thurber of The LA Times

...the Emmy-award winning actor with the mellifluous baritone that he used to give voice to roles as varied as Shakespeare's plays and the popular animal film "Babe," died Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 81.

The cause of death was cancer, said publicist Alan Nierob.

A classically trained actor with a commanding presence, Browne worked for some of the leading directors in film, including Alfred Hitchcock in "Topaz" and Jules Dassin in "Up Tight!" and starring in William Wyler's last film, "The Liberation of L.B. Jones."

Gifted in comedy as well as drama, Browne won his Emmy in 1986 for a guest appearance as Professor Foster in an episode of "The Cosby Show."

"He was one of the most remarkable presences on stage, on film, on television," Sidney Poitier, who directed Browne in the 1974 comedy "Uptown Saturday Night" and knew him for about 40 years, told The Times on Wednesday. "However, when he was in person, he was particularly impactful."

One of Browne's real loves was poetry, which he wrote as well as read...

"This is the only person I know who could recite, without anything written in front of him, hundreds of poems," Poitier said. "He was a connoisseur of poetry. He made his living partially visiting places where poetry is revered, and he would perform, he would read, he would discuss, he would analyze poetry. He was a remarkable person in that regard, in addition to being a consummate actor."

The son of a Baptist minister, Browne was born on May 2, 1925. After serving in the U.S. Army in Italy during World War II, he graduated from historically black Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where he later taught French and comparative literature.

A gifted runner, he won the 1951 world championship in the 800-yard dash.

For much of his career, television provided Browne with steady employment.

When Robert Guillaume's character Benson left to star in his own series, Browne replaced him in 1980 as the butler to the Tate family on the ABC series "Soap." He also appeared as Rosemont on the CBS prime-time drama on "Falcon Crest."

One of his more memorable guest appearances on television came in a 1972 episode of "All in the Family " when Browne, playing a snobbish attorney, got stuck in an elevator with Archie Bunker and a pregnant woman.

Film roles ranged widely, from the story of the Harlem drug dealer in "Superfly T.N.T." to the John Wayne film "The Cowboys."

Browne described working with Wayne as "delightful" and said he had "never worked with anyone who was more professional or generous of spirit."

In an interview with Times film writer Kevin Thomas in 1969, Browne noted in his wry manner that his voice had always been a cause for comment.

While he was on location in Tennessee in the late 1960s for "The Liberation of L.B. Jones," a policeman came up to him and said, "You don't sound like the others" — to which Brown replied, "It's my native tounge"

Brendan Of The Desert

Diane Garrett and Michael Fleming of Variety have the latest on the third Mummy flick....One major franchise player will be there--while another will not.

Brendan Fraser (pictured) has closed a rich deal to return in "The Mummy 3," but Rachel Weisz is not coming back.




Rob Cohen will direct the pic, which is expected to begin production late in the summer. It will be set in China and will introduce Jet Li as a villain.

Universal is planning a summer 2008 release; franchise has earned more than $830 million worldwide. "The Mummy" bowed in 1999 and "The Mummy Returns" in 2001.

Weisz has won an Oscar and had a baby since the last installment, has dropped out of talks to reprise her role. She has several other projects in the offing, including "The Brothers Bloom" and Phillip Noyce's Outback drama "Dirt Music," set to begin shooting in August.

Script is by "Smallville" creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who will do another pass that will factor in the absence of Weisz. Universal is holding up a greenlight pending a final rewrite, but a late summer start date is still expected

Fraser, who previously toplined the "George of the Jungle" films, has proven a reliable franchise performer. Word has it he's made a top-of-the-food-chain money deal for "The Mummy 3," the first film in the series that won't be directed by Stephen Sommers.

....Sommers and his [production company] partner Bob Ducsay are producing....

I am excited for this third go-round, if only because of the casting of Li, as the film's bad guy. His skills as a martial artist are simply amazing and should prove an asset...The first time I saw Li do his thing was in Lethal Weapon 4 in 1998 and I have loved him ever since...As for Fraser's return. I'm not surprised. He has as much at stake in the Mummy series as anyone else.

RIP Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007)

Influential, and at times controversial author Kurt Vonnegut , died Wednesday at 84. He suffered brain injuries after a recent fall at his Manhattan home, said his wife, photographer Jill Krementz.

His most well known novel, Slaughterhouse-Five hit the big screen as a 1972 feature film, remains a favorite of mine from the filmograpghy of director George Roy Hill. An adaptation of his book Breakfast of Champions was released in 1999, while the mis-step that was Slapstick (Of Another Kind) came in 1982.

The author wrote the script for Happy Birthday, Wanda June in '71 from his stage play of the same name. He also penned an episode for the 60's TV show "Bus Stop" entitled The Runaways

Mr. Vonnegut also appeared in 2 well known TV commercials. One for Discover credit cards in 1997, and for the Nissan Murano minivan in 2002.



The Variety obituary has more...

"Cottage" Industry

A young television actor is gonna have an awesome hiatus--nabbing a film with some high powered co-stars..

Dave McNary and Pamela McClintock of Variety:

Lions Gate and the Firm have tapped Jared Padalecki...to star as painter Thomas Kinkade in biopic "The Christmas Cottage."

Padalecki Is Probably Giving 2 Thumbs Up Over His Next Film Gig

Peter O'Toole also will star in "Cottage," directed by Michael Campus, penned by Ken LaZebnik and based on the events that led to Kinkade becoming an artist. Filming begins in Vancouver this month with the goal of a holiday release.

Padalecki's wrapping his lead role on the second season of the CW's " Supernatural." He'salso appeared in "House of Wax" and "Flight Of The Phoenix."...

McClintock also reports that Oscar-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden has joined the cast as well...

This is quite a get for Mr. Padalecki any way you slice it. Not only is he working opposite screen legend O'Toole and the talented MGH.--but he has his first lead role, in a potentially BIG movie. Talk about pressure...

Hanks Keeping "Code" Name?

Sony Pictures wasted no time in developing the sequel Angels & Demons after The Da Vinci Code opened to blockbuster business last summer. The studio paid Da Vinci screenwriter Akiva Goldsman a big sum of money to complete scripting duties on Angels, which, like Da Vinci, is based on a novel by Dan Brown.

Although the rumor mill has been working overdrive about who might direct the follow-up (with Da Vinci director Ron Howard appearing to be the likeliest candidate), another major question hanging over the project has been whether Tom Hanks would return in his role as symbologist Robert Langdon (pictured).



CinemaBlend.com is reporting that Hanks "has been officially locked up" for Angels & Demons. The site's "exclusive" scooper claims that Angels will mean Hanks is being offered the "biggest salary ever paid to an actor in the history of Hollywood."

They also report that filming is gearing up for a July start and that the beautiful and very fetching supermodel Gisele Bundchen is being considered for the role of "an Italian woman named Vittoria."

The plot of Angels & Demons finds Langdon out to halt a plot by the secretive Illuminati to destroy the Vatican during a papal conclave.

Truth be told...I have yet to read A&D and have only read a portion of TDC...That said, a few months ago, I rented TDC on DVD and thought it was, at best, an OK film. After hearing so much on the film version--I think I was preconditioned to be underwelmed.

As for Hanks and his purported BIG salary...Par for the course for tinstletown--Throw money at something and the issue has a better chance of getting resolved...The possible casting of Bundchen is a good move to entice the male demo to buy a ticket. Whoo-Hoo!

Prison Prism

The story is all over the place...The comic book movie genre is about to get turned on its ear---and I for one--think it's a great idea

Pamela McClintock of Variety kicks things off...

Warner Bros. has locked up a fresh take on the superhero canon.

David Goyer who helped return Batman to the big screen, will produce "Super Max," a tale that finds DC Comics' superhero the Green Arrow incarcerated in a special prison and stripped of his powers.

Story is based on an original idea by Justin Marks, who is set to pen the script. Goyer is producing with partner Jessika Borsiczky.

"Super Max" begins with a traditional comic book hero, but the storyline takes a turn as Green Arrow's true identity is revealed and he's forced to band together on an escape attempt with the very villains he's previously imprisoned.

A fixture in adapting comic books to the big screen, Goyer hatched the story for "Batman Begins" and co-wrote the script with helmer Christopher Nolan He also helped come up with the story for follow-up "The Dark Knight," which Nolan is set to begin lensing this summer from a script by his brother, [Jonathan Nolan].

...Marks has set up a number of projects around town, including penning "Voltron" for producer Mark Gordon and adapting vidgame "Street Fighter" for Ashok Amritraj's Hyde Park Entertainment He's also working on an untitled thriller for producer Kevin Mischer and Paramount

The whole Variety article can be found here...

Meanwhile, WizardUniverse.com has more...

"He's Green Arrow for the first 10 minutes of the movie, and then he's arrested and his secret identity is revealed," Goyer tells the site.

"They shave his goatee and they take his costume and send him to prison for life, and he has to escape. It's like 'Alcatraz,' and he has to team up with, in some cases, some of the very same villains he is responsible for incarcerating in order to get out and clear his name. Of course, tons of people try to kill him while he's in there. We've populated the prison with all sorts of B and C villains from the DC Universe.

For the fans, there will be all sorts of characters the hardcore comic book junkies will know, but they're all going to be there under their human names and no one is wearing a costume, but there will be a lot of characters with powers and things like that."

What a great premise! Green Arrow has always been a favorite of mine. The whole idea of jumping right into the story--skipping the usual origin narrative--is fine here. Having our hero lose his powers almost out of the gate means it sustains the tension and puts him in real jeopardy like few films of the genre have before. Making "Max" much more exciting to watch...

In an extensive report on the project--the IGN staff has even "started" the casting process...



Justin Hartley, (pictured) played the Arrow for a handful of episodes during the current season of Smallville and in my opinion, did a fine job in the part. He gets my vote to play Arrow in the film...

Nice Outfit

Some serious cash was spent recently--All in an effort to own a piece of film history... An original Superman costume [pictured] worn by Christopher Reeve in the 1978 film classic has sold for $115,000 in US dollars during a recent Hollywood memorabilia auction.

The sale, put together by the firm Profiles In History, sold more than $2 million dollars worth of film and TV treasures, including scripts and posters.

The Superman outfit sold for more than twice the amount it was expected to go for.

Other items sold included H.R. Giger's creature suit from the 1979 film Alien, which sold for $126,500. Marilyn Monroe's gown from There's No Business Like Show Business and Val Kilmer's Batman costume from Batman Forever netted $92,000 and $63,250 respectively. Elsewhere on the block, the golden headpiece of the "Staff Of Ra" from Raiders Of The Lost Ark took $69,000.

What "Lies" Ahead For Leo

Michael Fleming of Variety:

Leonardo DiCaprio is in early talks to star in Warner Bros.' adaptation of the new David Ignatius novel, "Body of Lies"

Ridley Scott will direct the project, which reunites DiCaprio with screenwriter William Monahan, Oscar-winning writer of "The Departed."

...DiCaprio's deal has to be negotiated, but he already has worked the picture into his busy schedule. He'll make it this fall after first reteaming with "Titanic" co-star Kate Winslet "Revolutionary Road," the Sam Mendes-directed drama that shoots in April.

Scott already is scouting venues in Morocco for a film that will shoot in Washington, D.C., Europe and the Middle East.

DiCaprio will play an ex-journalist-turned CIA agent who's sent to Amman to work with Jordan's intelligence chief to track an Al Qaeda leader rumored to be planning attacks against America.

Monahan and Scott aligned to the project last year...when Warner bought the novel, then titled "Penetration," by Washington Post columnist Ignatius. Middle East-set project is the third that Monahan has scripted for Scott, after "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Tripoli", the latter of which hasn't yet been made.

DiCaprio is one busy guy. He must like playing characters undercover or on the run--as he's played quite a few of them--in the last 5 years.

Grinding To A Halt

The 2 flick in one double feature, Grindhouse, proved no match for last week's winner Blades of Glory:

Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo...

Opening well below expectations, Grindhouse sputtered to an estimated $11.9 million, while Blades of Glory repeated atop the weekend chart...

Read the full report here...

Ian Mohr of Variety writes about the weekend:

"Grindhouse," the three-hour-plus genre double feature from helmers Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, was ground up at the multiplexes over the weekend, bowing in fourth place.

Pic, for which the Weinstein Co. had high hopes, picked up just $11 million in its debut, coming in under expectations and trailing Sony/Revolution family comedy "Are We Done Yet?," starring Ice Cube, which took in $15 million and was the weekend's biggest new pic at No. 3.

Easter weekend was a tough one overall for new releases, as "Blades of Glory" and "Meet the Robinsons" landed a 1-2 punch for the second straight frame with $23 million and $17 million, respectively.

Bob Weinstein called the "Grindhouse" opening weekend B.O. disappointing, but added "We hope that the strong word of mouth will overcome any initial resistance in smaller markets to its running time.

"Grindhouse," two hard R mini-features separated by faux trailers and ads, had been tracking to bring in about $20 million. Tarantino and Rodriguez's most recent releases, "Kill Bill Vol. 2" and "Sin City," were No. 1 in their debuts, and the directors' collaboration, plus largely positive reviews, seemed a potentially potent draw. TWC even added 10 p.m. shows in top markets Thursday night to keep pace with fans' interest.

But while biz for "Grindhouse" was solid Thursday and Friday, ticket sales dipped by about 18% Saturday, suggesting that the pic connected with its core young male demographic, but was unable to draw wider auds.

The running time of the movie, an ode to exploitation films of yesteryear, had been expected to be something of a drag on B.O., and Monday-morning quarterbacks may say the two parts should have been split and released separately, as they are abroad. TWC had reportedly toyed with the idea, but the filmmakers wanted their pics to remain as a double bill.

Harvey Weinstein defended the decision to keep the two together Sunday, telling Daily Variety it was artistically the right move and that the movie will be a moneymaker thanks to its foreign sales as separate films and an upcoming DVD rollout, which also will release the films as two separate titles.

But he acknowledged that it "has taken a while to educate the public" on how the pairing would work, as some moviegoers in areas outside [New York City] and Los Angeles went into multiplexes not realizing they were in for two distinct pics.

Meanwhile, "Blades," from Paramount/DreamWorks, has cumed $68.3 million after two weekends.

"Robinsons" cume now stands at $52.2 million after two weekends; release of the pic on 581 digital 3-D screens, which charge premium prices, have helped buoy biz.

"Are We Done Yet?," about a suburban family man grappling with a money pit of a dream house, nailed $15 million in its debut. Cume is an estimated $19.2 million after a Wednesday release to get a jump on holiday family biz.

Like "Grindhouse," Warner Bros.' "The Reaping" also debuted out of the top three, with $10 million off 2,603 over three days. Supernatural thriller with religious overtones stars Hilary Swank. Released on Thursday, it grabbed $12 million over four days in release.

Fox family pic "Firehouse Dog" was a bit of a woofer, bowing at No. 10 with $4 million from 2,860 theaters. Movie was also released earlier in the week, and cume is $5.25 million.

"Grindhouse," which posted a per-theater average of $4,417 off 2,624, is only the 17th wide release with a running time of more than three hours, according to Nielsen EDI. Data service also reported Sunday that the pic is the first R-rated film running more than three hours to be released since 2000.

Continue reading...

Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly has posted his weekend wrap-up:

Will Ferrell skates his way back to the top spot on the podium, leading an Easter weekend pack of family films, while 'Grindhouse' scares holiday crowds away

"These Are The Eyes Of A Psychopath"

The teaser trailer for Rob Zombie's Halloween remake has hit the net....



I find it curious that John Carpenter's classic theme can be heard in the trailer--even as Zombie had told MTV Movies that the music would not be used in the new film. I guess those folks in the marketing department didn't get the memo...

As good of an actor that Malcolm McDowell is... no one can play Loomis the way Donald Pleasence did. He seems ok though.

As for the rest...Let's just say...

Fingers Firmly Crossed.

The film opens August 31st, 2007

Chico And The "Man"

Another actor is going to be hard at work behind the scenes for an upcoming feature film:

Dave McNary of Variety:



Freddie Prinze Jr ("Scooby-Doo" pictured) and partner Conrad Jackson are producing crime thriller "Manslaughter" through their [production company], Hunga Rican Entertainment along with IKM Prods.

Jackson... is also writing and directing. James K. Jones and Patrick Moses will produce for IKM, and Prinze will exec produce.

"Manslaughter" follows five college students looking for fun in the Philippines. The students find themselves embroiled in a manslaughter they try to cover up, leaving them scrambling for their lives.

Production is expected to begin filming in May in Los Angeles. Prinze has a cameo role in the film.

Prinze next will be seen in "Brooklyn Rules."

I really think Prinze is quite talented. All he needs is that one project to showcase those skills. I actually enjoyed his short-lived sitcom Freddie from last season...Hey--It made me laugh...

"Rules" hits theaters (limited) on May 18th 2007.

Tux Tale Redux

Gee, What a shock..Another horror film from the bygone days of my youth is getting remade.

Stax of IGN:

With production gearing up on the remake of the '80s slasher classic Prom Night, several [actors] have reportedly been added to a cast led by Brittany Snow (John Tucker Must Die) and Idris Elba (The Reaping).

According to Bloody-Discusting.Com, the production has cast Dana Davis (The Nine), Jessica Stroup (The Hills Have Eyes 2), Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights TV series), Collins Pennie(Half Nelson Kelly Blatz (The Oakley Seven) and Johnathon Schaech (Road House 2: Last Call).

Nelson McCormick directs. The screenplay was penned by J.S. Cardone (The Covenant). The [film], which will be shot in Los Angeles, is slated for release February 1, 2008.

Bloody-Disgusting.com also has a plot synopsis for [the new] Prom Night, which sounds slightly different than the original film.



I have a soft spot for the original, thanks only to the presence of Jamie Lee Curtis, who at that time, seemed to be in every horror film that was being made. The great Leslie Nielsen shows up as well--playing it straight--just before he found a new career in comedy, thanks to the disaster spoof, Airplane!. Beyond that, it's an admittedly, by the numbers scare-fest.

Still--do we really need the update? Given that, there's a solid team attached to the new version...Who knows it might be fun? And the changes to the story don't sound all that bad...

Feeling Festive In France

The folks in charge of this year's Cannes Film Festival are finalizing plans for the anual event. A slew of Variety reporters have the details

"The Golden Compass," U2, the Coen Brothers and Martin Scorsese have joined the festivities at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, while "Zodiac Movie" could be the closing-night film.

Fest kicks off May 16.

After New Line's big success with its "The Lord of the Rings" preview in 2001, "Compass," selected scenes of which will be shown, brings the cachet of star Daniel Craig and director Chris Weitz. (Nicole Kidman may not be making the trip since she'll be filming in Australia.)

Scorsese will be the guest of honor. "He has a long history with the festival, and we want our friends with us to celebrate the 60th anniversary," festival artistic director Thierry Fremaux said Wednesday.

Helmer, winner of the 1976 Palme d'Or for "Taxi Driver," will multitask during his sojourn on the Croisette, presenting the fest's Cinema Lesson, handing out the Camera d'Or for first film, and launching his World Cinema Foundation for the preservation of classic pics from around the world.

In addition, Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington's U2 Concert Doc (will be for sale at the market and there will be an out-of-competition showing of 20 minutes of Scorsese's documentary on the Rolling Stones...

Films confirmed before Wednesday include "Ocean's Thirteen" (Daily Variety March 15th, 2007 ) and "Death Proof," Quentin Tarantino's contribution to "Grindhouse"...(Robert Rodriguez may present a midnight showing of his half of "Grindhouse," "Planet Terror.")

The rest of the lineup is a guessing game at this point...

Fremaux said Scorsese's presence as guest of honor was a one-off initiative.

"He's a very special guest. He is also attached to the transmission of knowledge to the next generation, which is why we are so pleased that he will give the Cinema Lesson and hand out the Camera d'Or to a filmmaker of the future."

Scorsese was the festival's jury topper in 1998.

There's much more in the entire report....

I'll have more to say about Cannes at 60 as the event draws near...

RIP Bob Clark (1941-2007)

One of my favorite film directors has died.

Bob Clark, the man who helmed the best holiday movie of all time, 1983's A Christmas Story died in a car crash with his son on the Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles, early Wednesday morning; he was 67. According to police reports, Clark's car was hit head-on around 2:30 am by an SUV that swerved into Clark's southbound lane; Clark and his 22 year-old son, Ariel, were pronounced dead at the scene. The SUV driver, who was driving without a license, was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and is to be booked for gross vehicular manslaughter.

I can't believe it... So very sad. Clark's career spanned many genres. He made the grandaddy of all slasher films 1974's Black Christmas, which influenced all others to follow--like Halloween and Friday the 13th and so on...In 1979 he tried his hand at doing a mystery with Murder by Decree. He achieved surprise success with the teen sex romp Porky's (1982) and its sequel Porky's II: The Next Day (1983). Those movies helped define the very genre and the decade...The off beat drama Turk 182!, starring Timothy Hutton is notable for the football stadium sequence if nothing else.

Clark Celebrates The 2 Disc DVD Release Of ACS In 2003

He also directed a segment of the anthology TV series "Amazing Stories" called Remote Control Man...1999's Baby Geniuses and its 2004 follow-up SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2.

Mr Clark had several projects in the pipeline...It's a tragedy that he died before any of them could be finished...

A Christmas Story is, and every shall be his best work and for that alone, he leaves behind quite a legacy.

Read the AP story for more...

Hero In The 'Hood

Dade Hayes Of Variety has a tale to spin:

The Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday announced plans for what figures to be an even splashier Hollywood-style event than last year's Tom Cruise-a-thon for "Mission Impossible 3" -- the U.S. [premiere] of "Spider-Man 3."



Billing the event as "the first-ever star-studded gala premiere in Queens," the fest said stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, [pictured] accompanied by a marching band, will join an [audience] of 3,000 filling each theater of the UA Kaufman Astoria 14 on April 30. Surrounding streets are to be lined with fans.

Beyond the main preem in Peter Parker's nabe, the fest and Columbia Pictures are unspooling the pic simultaneously in the other four boroughs. These free advance screenings will be open to the public; details about ticketing will be announced in the coming days.

"Bringing exciting and new events to New York City and its community is one of the major goals of the festival," said Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal. The preem and related events "will give us the opportunity to reach out to a new community as well as to the devoted fan base of the Spider-Man series."

Jeff Blake, vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said the bash "allows us to reach our goal of bringing the full Spider-Man experience to the heart of the film community and the city of New York."

The Spidey trilogy will also be woven into festival programming to a greater extent than previous tentpole premieres at Tribeca. In addition to the premiere and citywide screenings, the festival will host screenings of the first two "Spider-Man" pics on the days leading up to the third installment's May 4 bow.

A May 1 panel discussion about the ins and outs of the trilogy (and prospects for more installments) will feature [producers] Avi Arad, Laura Ziskin, Kevin Feige and Grant Curtis. A May 3 session about comic book pics will feature scripter Zak Penn (X-MEN: The Last Stand," "Elektra"), Dark Horse Comics [president] Mike Richardson and Marvel. writer-illustrator Joe Quesada

Unrelated to the festival, New York and Columbia Pictures are teaming to present Spider-Man Week. That promotion will bring spider-themed events and attractions to a range of city landmarks, from spider exhibits at the Bronx and Central Park zoos to comic book displays at the public library on Fifth Avenue to, yes, spider-themed rap performances at Harlem's Apollo Theater.

It's only fitting that the sequel would debut in NYC--since the character calls the Big Apple home. Sounds like it's gonna be a great week--and a great way to start the '07 "Blockbuster Season"

Two For One Sale

Opening in theaters today is the flick The Reaping (reviews). And while it may feature Oscar winner Hilary Swank facing off against an apocalyptic threat...Critics, as I post this, have not been kind. Having the horror film open a day before the latest Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino collaboration, Grindhouse (reviews), was probably a smart move. So far, most critics love the double biller... Grindhouse has been really getting a publicity push. Promos have been all over the place in the last 2 weeks or so...



Ian Mohr and Dave McNary of Variety offer up this holiday weekend preview:

Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's "Grindhouse" will aim to grind out the B.O. bucks this weekend for the Weinstein Co., but the movie's three-hour-plus runtime and unorthodox two-pics-in-one format may flummox some auds.

Core fans of the directing duo should give the film a solid launch for TWC, which said Wednesday it is adding 10 p.m. Thursday shows of "Grindhouse" in 13 markets to meet demand from ticket buyers.

Standing in the pic's way will be Paramount/DreamWorks' No. 1 holdover "Blades of Glory," as well as Warner Bros.' new horror entry "The Reaping," from a producing team that includes Robert Zemeckis and Joel Silver.

Going for family auds, meanwhile, will be Fox's "Firehouse Dog" and Sony's "Are We Done Yet?," which face off against the second frame of Disney CG pic "Meet the Robinsons."

"Grindhouse," which bows in 2,624 theaters, is a weekend wild card.

Hard R-rated pic, budgeted at about $53 million, includes Rodriguez's zombie movie "Planet Terror" and Tarantino's action-horror pic "Death Proof," separated by a string of fake trailers and ads by guest genre helmers.

But it remains to be seen whether younger auds will respond to an ode to exploitation pics from an era they don't remember. And the movie's runtime means fewer screenings over the frame for exhibs.

Warners' "Reaping," starring Hilary Swank as a former Christian missionary investigating a series of Biblical plagues, will be in 2,603 theaters by Friday.

Sony will go with 2,877 theaters for "Are We Done Yet?," starring Nia Long and Ice Cube as a couple whose suburban dream house becomes a money pit.

Fox walks its "Firehouse Dog" to 2,566 theaters. Pic follows a Hollywood pooch who winds up the mascot of a fire station.

Both "Done" and "Dog" got head starts in theaters with Wednesday releases.

Last weekend, "Blades" broke the ice with $33 million, and the laffer should have some legs left to skate along to the top of the charts.

Tarantino's biggest-ever opening was the $25.1 million for Miramax's "Kill Bill Vol. 2" in 2004.

Rodriguez's biggest opening weekend came in 2003 when the third installment in Dimension's "Spy Kids" franchise racked up $33.4 million. His last film, "Sin City," opened to $29.1 million two years ago.

In more limited release, rollouts include Miramax's "The Hoax," Sony Classics' "Black Book" and ThinkFilm's "The TV Set."

The complete article can be found right here