Micheal Bay Blows Up Long Beach

Wow, we got some footage from on the set of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Be warned, there is some crude language in this video.

Well, this is certainly a Micheal Bay movie, I can tell you that.

Voltron Gets A Director

And I'll form the head! Unknowing to me, apparently the awesome 80's staple Voltron has got a movie. Not only that, but a director has been hired! Latino Review says:

So last week we got the official word that Voltron was put into turnaround, that Relativity picked it up to make it on the cheap ala 300, and that a director was going to be announced within a week. Well, guess what? Here he is… MAX MAKOWSKI “Huh? Who the fuck is that?!” you just said? So did I.

Who the fuck is that indeed. After a quick IMDB background check, I have discovered he is pretty much a complete unknown, with unknown episodes of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy being his most recognizable work.

Now alot of people are probably going to be bitching about having an unknown actor direct such a movie like Voltron, which I'm sure is close to alot of people's hearts. But I think this is a good thing! In Hollywood, it's hard as fuck to be able to get a good movie deal, as you have to establish yourself before you can get good deals. But how can you establish yourself if you don't have any deals? So whenever I see an unknown get a good deal, I'm happy that at least someone has beat the system and gotten a good movie. Besides, he won some awards at Sundance a couple years back, so relax!

Voltron, represent!

Facebook Gets a Movie. I Lose Hope In Western Civilization

To quote Darth Vader: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" I like Facebook. In fact, I'm addicted to Facebook and am on it far to often. But to make a movie out of it is ridiculous! But it was confirmed (through Facebook, no less) that Aaron Sorkin, the man who wrote A Few Good Men and Charlie Wilson's War, will be writing a movie about how Facebook was made;

I've just agreed to write a movie for Sony and producer Scott Rudin about how Facebook was invented. I figured a good first step in my preparation would be finding out what Facebook is, so I've started this page. (Actually it was started by my researcher, Ian Reichbach, because my grandmother has more Internet savvy than I do and she's been dead for 33 years.)

Mr. Sorkin has written alot of really good stuff, and if someone can make a good movie about the birth of Facebook, it's him. Still, this is just a bad idea. Behind the scenes at websites are far less interesting then the websites themselves. Besides, this could open up the floodgates for more websites to make movies that are basically advertisements for themselves! What's next? Youtube the Movie? I'm Feeling Lucky: The Google Experience? Oh god, Twitter Twatter? In the name of all thats holy, I hope this movie dies a slow and painfull death.

Speaking of Facebook, Victory Gin has just gotten it's own Facebook Group. You should join, if only to pity me.

Nicolas Cage: Can He Kick-Ass?

I just don't like Nicolas Cage that much. He hasn't been in a good movie for a long, long time, and I'll never forgive him for Ghost Rider ( The Wicker Man was bad too, but it's also one of the funniest movie's I've seen, although not intentionally). But if there's one thing we can all agree Cage is not, it's badass. Apparently he's trying to change this image, with his next movie being called Kick-Ass. Film School Rejects tells us:

Cage has signed on to the Matthew Vaughn adaptation of Mark Millar’s comic book, focused on a high school nerd, Dave Lizewski, who wants to be a superhero in spite of the fact that he has no superhero powers or athletic ability whatsoever. Please God, let it be better than Blankman.

Cage will play “a former cop who wants to bring down a druglord and has trained his daughter (Chloe Moretz) to be a lethal weapon.”

I'm am tired of comic book adaptation! Just because comic book movies are popular doesn't mean you have to make every comic book a movie. I'm glad filmmakers are looking towards comics for movie ideas, but not all comic movies will be good or make a lot of money. We've been having a good year with comic book movies, what with The Dark Knight and Iron Man and whatnot, but remember both Fantastic Four movies, Spiderman 3, Ghost Rider, and others? Be wary of the superhero movie guys.

But this looks like it could be pretty good, if it's done well enough. And it reminds me of Unbreakable a little. Also, there are rumors that the kid who played McLovin may be in this movie too! Now that's kick-ass!

Is Harvey Dent Dead? Yes, Yes He Is.

Almost a month after the release of the second highest grossing movie of all time (to those reading this in a cave on Mars, it's The Dark Knight), people are already speculating about the inevitable sequel. Whose the villain? What will the plot be? Whose the villain? Will any of the actors be replaced? Whose the villain? Is Harvey Dent (A.K.A. Two Face) truly dead? Well, I can answer one of those questions. According to MTV:

The script for the blockbuster sequel was made available for purchase on Tuesday and soon after found its way online. It's a long read at 167 pages, but fans looking for confirmation on the fate of Dent need only look at page 163.

"Dent lies at the bottom of the hole, his neck broken," the stage direction, written by brothers Jonathan and Christopher Nolan, reads. "DEAD." (Capital letters their emphasis, not ours.)

Well, I guess that answers that. Of course this may just be over exaggeration on their part, and the still could bring him back. Myself, I hope he stays dead. Quite frankly I thought he played out his part as well as he could have. What do you want him doing in the sequel? So he can get the Scarecrow treatment and be in it for 5 minutes before he's foiled by Batman? Bitch please.

(NOTE: Digg is being lame for me, so if someone wants to digg this, post the link in the comments section)

Yet More Tarantino Casting: THIS IS INGLORIOUS BASTARDS!

Micheal Fassbender A.K.A. Stelios A.K.A. that guy who says "Then we will fight in the shade" in 300 has jumped upon the ever growing Quentin train for the movie Inglorious Bastards. The Movie Blog reports:

Teutonic thesp Michael Fassbender is in final negotiations to join the cast of Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Bastards.”

Brad Pitt has signed on for the lead role as a Tennessee hillbilly who assembles a team of eight Jewish-American soldiers to take on the Nazis. Also on board are Mike Myers and Eli Roth. Tarantino is courting Nastassja Kinski, David Krumholtz and B.J. Novak.

Well, I think we have our first Nazi casting. Mr. Fassbender was in the glorious sword swinging actioner 300 and I consider his casting to be the best to date; save for Mr. Pitt.

Well, at least they're getting real Germans for the German parts. That's good news. It's also good news that we're not getting comedians! I'm all down for a comedic war movie (if this is the movie's intention), but just think how distracting it would be if you saw Jim Carry playing a Nazi. It's good that they got somebody who's not recognizable enough to be distracting as the bad guy. Good news! I agree with Doug when I say this is the best casting to date for the movie. (seriously, Austin Powers?) This movie better be good, considering how much I've been talking about it lately!

(NOTE: Digg is being lame for me, so if someone wants to digg this, post the link in the comments section)

A New Leprechaun!

Fuck yeah! If the almighty /Film is to be believed, there will be yet another Leprechaun movie! For those who don't know, Leprechaun is a series of horror movies about a Leprechaun played by Warwick Davis. Scary. And with such installments like Leprechaun 4: In Space and Leprechaun: Back 2 Da Hood, it is known for it's horribly hilarious quality. The first one is my ultimate guilty pleasure. My friend and I always watch that movie when I sleep over at his house.

Luckily for me, it seems the series is going to stay in it's horribly rut, as this one may take place in the wild wild west. I can see the opportunities now. When a loner cowboy finds some gold, tis his lucky day. But lo! An evil is stalking him, and that evil is a leprechaun! Please please please make this happen!

Do it, or I'll bite your ear off, and make a shoe out of it.
(NOTE: Digg is being lame for me, so if someone wants to digg this, post the link in the comments section)

Simon Pegg: A Bastard No More!

Well, some good and bad news regarding British great Simon Pegg. It appears that he will not be appearing in Quentin Tarantino's newest movie Inglorious Bastards, which is a shame. /Film tells us:

When the story was first reported by the trades, it was reported that Pegg was “in talks” to join the cast. Usually when this information is leaked to the industry newspapers, it is close to a done deal, but every once in a while this hapens. Tarantino is rushing Bastards into production in October, and Pegg had schedule conflicts. “Much to our mutual disappointment, I won’t be appearing in QT’s forthcoming Inglorious Bastards due to insurmountable scheduling difficulties. We really tried to make it work but in the end, it just was not possible without severe ramifications elsewhere,” Pegg wrote on his blog. “I’m trying to remain upbeat, as Tom Selleck said ‘Who the hell is Indiana Jones anyway?’”

I'm not gonna lie, this did drop my excitement for this project a bit. Simon Pegg was by far the actor I was looking most forward to in this movie. Sure, Mike Myers is making an apperance , and Brad Pitt will be starring, but Pegg as an British commanding officer would be priceless.

But there is a silver lining! The scheduling conflicts Pegg speaks about are for a new comedy he's working on with Superbad director Greg Mottola, as well as the great Nick Frost, who also starred in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. This news is much more exciting! Superbad was one of the funniest movies of 2007 and I think that with Frost and Pegg at the helm, it will be brilliant. The movie is called Paul. It is about two British comic geeks (Pegg and Frost, who also wrote the script) who travel across America and get in various adventures. Apparently Frost is the bigger star in this movie, with Pegg being the sidekick. I like this little changeup, but we'll see if it really works out when the movie hits theaters.

Mike Myers Cast in Inglorious Bastards. Why Am I Not Surprised?

Yes, it seems there is even more Tarantino casting passing through this blog. According to Variety:

Mike Myers has been recruited by Quentin Tarantino to join the ensemble cast of "Inglorious Bastards," the Tarantino-scripted pic that the Weinstein Co. and Universal will put into production Oct. 13 in Germany.

Myers will play British Gen. Ed Fenech, a military mastermind who takes part in hatching a plot to wipe out Nazi leaders.

This definitely keeps on my idea of this movie being a comedy. But I wonder if this may prove to be a clever ruse. Take Stranger Than Fiction for instance. It was advertised as a comedy. It starred comedy legend Will Ferrell. Yet it was not a comedy at all, but a rather ironic drama. I'd love to see another movie do this sort of thing. I really liked Stranger Than Fiction and I'd love to see another film, starring primarily comedians, actually be a compelling drama.

But knowing Tarantino, it will be a dark comedy. And it will be shot in the style of a bunch of old war movies. That's just his style.

Potter Pushed to Summer '09

In a move know only to the people over at WB, the newest Harry Potter movie is being pushed from November '08 to July '09. /Film tells us:

Warner Bros has just announced that they are moving Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from November 21st 2008, back to July 17th 2009. The reasons given are that the summer season is a more ideal window for for a family tent pole release, and that the writers strike left a big gap in the Summer calendar. I’m not quite sure if I buy the first reason. The three Potter films released in November averaged $916 million worldwide, while the two summer releases averaged $866 million worldwide, which is about a $50 million difference.

This baffles me. November seems to have no competition for that brand of film (besides Twilight, which comes out a couple weeks later), yet I'm sure that the summer will be a more competitive season. Plus, I just liked the idea of a November release. Back when I was 9 and the first Harry Potter came out in November 2001, that was one of the first real moments of hype I had for a movie. I can't remember being so excited for another movie ever (besides the movie How The Grinch Stole Christmas)! I like the November release dates simply for pure nostalgia alone. I really hope they change this back.

Madagascar 3 Annouced. Nobody Cares.

We've got news that the animated comedy Madagascar is getting a third movie. Movie Web tells us:

DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg announced that one more sequel is on its way. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is set to open in theaters November 7. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa continues the story of a group of Central Park Zoo animals trying to make their way back to the Big Apple. Calling it the "second chapter in one story," Katzenberg said, "there is at least one more chapter. We ultimately want to see the characters make it back to New York." The returning voice cast for Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa includes Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Chris Rock and Jada Pinkett Smith, and new cast members including late actor-comedian Bernie Mac.

Poor Bernie Mac. Heath Ledger gets The Dark Knight and he gets stuck with Madagascar 2. The first Madagascar was an okay, but only because of the penguins and the hilarious Sasha Baron Cohen. But the sequel will suck. No exceptions. Here's the trailer if you don't believe me. I see nothing redeeming in that at all. The fact that they are still using the song "I Like To Move It Movie It" shows that they have nothing new to offer. So if they can't even make semi original material for the second one, they'll have nothing for the third.

Pixar is NOT the Next ILM

The über animation studio Pixar is making it clear that they are not a special effects studio. /Film tells us:

When it was announced that Brad Bird would be directing a live action adaptation of 1906, a co-production of Pixar and Warner Bros, many assumed that the Emeryville animation studio would be providing the visual effects. Well now Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull told attendees of the SIGGRAPH computer graphics conference that Pixar will not be entering the special effects business.

“We’ve got two projects coming where there’s a live action element. But our view is not that we’re trying to diversify; it’s more that we’ve got a creative vision to try something different, and we want to support that vision,” Catmull said. “Whether or not it goes beyond that we don’t know, but we don’t want to turn Pixar into a live action studio. In fact, the intent is that the special effects will not be done at Pixar… We are not trying to become a special effects company.”

I think that this is a good move for the company. Yes, Pixar's movies are absolutely stunning to look at, but that's not what makes their movies great. What makes them great is the story and the imagination they put behind all their movies. Yes, they look fantastic, but The Incredibles could have looked like a Nintendo 64 game, and it still would be my favorite movie of all time. Why? Because the story is funny, imaginative, and (no pun intended) incredible. So if Pixar begins to focus more and more on visuals, I'm afraid that they would start to lose sight of what made them so good in the first place. So I wholeheartedly approve of this decision.

Tom Cruise Starts a Food Fight

Tom Cruise is apparently supposed to star in a new comedy called Food Fight. The Movie Blog gives us the latest:

Cruise is now loosely attached to a film called Food Fight for Working Title. The picture is described as a warmhearted comedy about a snooty New York chef who is forced to cook meals at a school cafeteria, with Cruise playing the role of the chef.

Adam Brooks who wrote and directed the enjoyable film Definitely, Maybe is attached to write the screenplay. Good news already is that Drillbit Taylor helmer Steve Brill was originally in talks to direct, but that is no longer happening. The decision for Cruise to look at comedy has apparently come out of his much talked about performance in Tropic Thunder opening this Wednesday in which Cruise plays a balding, overweight, foul-mouthed studio exec.

You know what, I like Tom Cruise. He's funny, an okay actor, and who cares if he's a Scientologist? Let people pick what they want to believe in. Jerry Maguire was the last real Cruise comedy I can think of off the top of my head, and I love that movie! And Risky Business is awesome too. So another Cruise comedy should be good news for me. But, I'm not gonna lie, this plot sounds horrible. It's gonna take some really really clever writing to make this a good movie. The fact that the director of Drillbit Taylor (horrible movie) is involved doesn't instill confidence in me either. Although if Cruise bases his character on Tom Ramses and starts horribly swearing at a bunch of middle schoolers, that could be pretty funny.

Tropic Thunder Boycott

The newest Ben Stiller comedy Tropic Thunder may be boycotted by the Special Olympics! Cinematical tells us:

"Not only might it happen, it will happen." Timothy P. Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics, told The New York Times that he and representatives of his group and others will picket the opening of Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Reportedly, more than a dozen disabilities groups, including the National Down Syndrome Congress and the American Association of People with Disabilities, made plans over the weekend to start protesting on Monday.

Dreamworks already pulled down a promotional web site that was considered offensive a few days ago, as William Goss reported, and has altered some television advertising, but that's as far as they're going. A spokesman told the NYT : "No changes or cuts to the film will be made." Both Stiller and Dreamworks exec Stacy Snider insist they are not targeting the disabled, but the foolish ambition of certain actors. Shriver told the NYT he's asking members of Congress "for a resolution condemning what he called 'hate speech' in the movie." The film's repeated use of the term "retard" is "a particular sore point."

Personally, I think this is a bit excessive. In no way to I think calling somebody a retard is acceptable, but to have a whole boycott over it seems excessive and I doubt it will really do any good. Remember when all those Christians boycotted The Da Vinci Code? That didn't do any good. In fact, it made more people want to see it! Oh well, to each his own.

Isaac Hayes Dies at 65

As the year rolls on, it seems more and more celebrities are dieing. The newest person to fall into this unfortunate trend is soul singer Isaac Hayes, famous for his theme song for the movie Shaft. CNN tells us:

Soul singer and arranger Isaac Hayes, who won Grammy awards and an Oscar for the theme from the 1971 action film "Shaft," has died, sheriff's officials in Memphis, Tennessee, reported Sunday.

Relatives found Hayes, 65, unconscious in his home next to a still-running treadmill, said Steve Shular, a spokesman for the Shelby County Sheriff's Department.

Paramedics attempted to revive him and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 2 p.m., the sheriff's department said.

No foul play is suspected, the agency said in a written statement.

Hayes may be most famous, not for his singing, but for his portrayal of the character Chef and the show South Park. He caused a bit of controversy back in 2006 after walking off that show when the creators wanted to do an episode parodying Hayes' own religion, Scientology. However, all controversy aside, this man was a great singer and a overall nice guy. My condolences for him and his family.

I can't remember a time when I've heard of this many celebrity deaths/injuries within a year. It is truly a shame, as so many of these people are really talented and it's a shame they won't be able to do the things so many people love them for.

After Four Weeks, The Dark Knight is Still On Top

Jesus Christ, this honestly surprised me. If the almighty Rotten Tomatoes is to be believed, The Dark Knight has pulled through once again and is still #1 in the weekend box office, beating out Seth Rogan's stoner comedy Pineapple Express. This honestly shocked me. I really expected Pineapple to be the one to pull The Dark Knight off it's high horse. The Dark Knight made 26 million while Pineapple Express pulled in 22.4 million.

This puts The Dark Knight's total gross at about $441,541,000, making it the third biggest money maker of all time, only beaten by Star Wars ($461 million) and Titanic ($601 million). I couldn't have possibly predicted the amount of money this movie is making! At it's current position, it looks like this movie may even take down Star Wars a notch, although I doubt even it can beat Titanic. Heres hoping though, as I really didn't like Titanic that much.

Martian Scorsese may Direct HBO Pilot "Boardwalk Empire"

Legendary director Martian Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Goodfellas) might be directing a pilot for HBO. Hollywood Reporter says:

Oscar winner Martin Scorsese is in negotiations to direct HBO's drama pilot "Boardwalk Empire." Scorsese already is exec producer on the project, based on Nelson Johnson's book, which chronicles the 1920s origins of gambling mecca Atlantic City. Following HBO's green light to the Terence Winter-written script last month, there had been some speculation that Scorsese might take the helm, but given his busy schedule, that was not easy to pull off. "Boardwalk" marks Scorsese's first foray into drama series; his only other TV directing credit is one episode of Steven Spielberg's mid-'80s anthology series "Amazing Stories."

Scorsese is an awesome director, with Goodfellas being my favorite movie I've seen from him. What the man can do in the movie business is no question. I do question how he will fare with the television world though. Even with HBO's modest censoring policies, I wonder how much they will allow him to get away with? " Sorry Martian, just got off the phone with the excets. You can't have the main character call his wife a cum-guzzling gutter slut and then beat her. How about he calls her a foxy vixen and just buys her some Stilettos?"

Bernie Mac Dead

Ladies and Gentlemen, African American comedian Bernie Mac has died. CNN tells us:

Comic actor Bernie Mac died early Saturday of complications from pneumonia, according to a family member and his publicist. He was 50.

He had been hospitalized in Chicago, Illinois, for more than a week with the lung infection.

Danica Smith, the comedian's publicist, had said Thursday that Mac's condition was "stable," The Associated Press reported.

This is certainly bad news. Although Bernie Mac has been in a considerable amount of trash, when he was in the right role he was hysterical. I loved him in Ocean's 11 and his own The Bernie Mac Show. I hope the best for his family and his friends in this undoubtedly hard time for them. RIP.

2008 seems like a bad year for movie stars. There was Heath Ledger's death back in February, Shia's recent injuries, Morgan Freeman's car crash, and now this! This is certainly a shame.

Flash Gordon Movie Gets Writers

A new Flash Gordon movie has already aquired some writers. Hollywood Reporter tells us:

Sony has signed writers Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless to pen the script for the new take on the outer space tale, just a few months after winning rights to the title from Hearst. "Flash Gordon" centers on the titular young polo player who is kidnapped and taken to the distant planet Mongo, where he and companions Dale Arden and Hans Zarkov embark on a series of adventures fighting a ruler named Ming the Merciless. Sony's "Flash," a live-action film, follows in a 75-year tradition across many media for what began life as Alex Raymond's comic strip; the property was a movie serial in the 1930s, a Sam Jones-toplined feature in 1980 and a recent Sci Fi Channel series.

I've never seen any sort of Flash Gordon serial or movie, but I do know that they where a big inspiration for Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and that's always a good thing. I'd love to track down some older serials on DVD. Meanwhile, I enjoy the idea of a Flash Gordon movie, but I hope that they don't feel obliged to be 100% faithful to the source material. I think the problem to many movies based on classic or popular material is they stay too true to the source, and that takes away any individuality the movie had a chance to be. I'd love it to be a completely original story in the classic Gordon style. That would probably be the best road to go down.

A Shot of Nostalgia: Pinocchio

When you wish upon a star

Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you

This is the song that most people remember when they hear Pinocchio. However, I have wished upon a star many times after I've seen Pinocchio that my nightmares surrounding the movie will go away. Sadly, it hasn't come true yet.

Don't get me wrong. Pinocchio is a fantastic film. Great story, great animation, all that jazz. The thing is that for a kids movie, this is a damn scary film! Hell, it's probably scarier then most horror movies released today. Now I know what your thinking. "Pinocchio? Isn't that the movie where the puppet is alive and a cricket sings? Whats so scary about that?" First of all, puppets are damn scary (haven't you seen Saw?), so one that's alive should frighten the hell out of you. But that's not the point. The point is how damn scary some of the scenes were. Remember when they all went to Pleasure Island? And how they all turned into jackasses. And how they all where crying while they where being shipped to work in the stockyards? And how you where giggling so much over the fact they said "jackass"? But seriously, the scene where Pinocchio's pal transforms into a donkey in front of him made me cry the first time I saw it, when I was only an innocent lad of 7.

Plus, just look at this guy!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

That's probably the scariest thing I've seen in my entire life. Just look at it! It's even worse in the movie, because this guy looks pretty darn jolly before he makes this hideous face. It's like if you were six years old. Your at the mall. It's Christmas time. Your just walking out of the toy store when your innocent little eye sees Santa Claus. After begging your mom for ten minutes, you finally are allowed to go over. The line is long, and you end up waiting for 3 hours. But just before the store is about to close, you finally get to him. His belly is nice and warm and his breath smells of cookies. You know this guy is the real deal. You take a deep breath, but just before you can tell him what you want (a Transformers action figure), he yells "YOU LITTLE TWAT, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOUR GOING TO GET FOR CHRISTMAS! NOTHING! NOT A DAMN THING YOU LITTLE FUCKER! YOUR THE WORST FUCKING KID IN THE WORLD! JUST LOOKING AT YOU MAKES ME SICK! JESUS TITTY-FUCKING CHRIST! I PREDICT YOUR GOING TO BE THE KID IN HIGH SCHOOL WHO ALL THE BULLYS PICK ON AND THEN FORCE YOU TO DO BLOWJOBS ON! AND AS THE HOT CUM RUNS DOWN THE SIDE OF YOUR FACE, YOU'LL START CRYING BECAUSE YOU ARE A LITTLE FUCKING CRYBABY! GOD DOESN'T EXIST!" And then he makes that horrible smile at you.
That kinda what it's like.

But there are alot of great things about this movie too, all crazy scary Coachmen aside. The animation is so good. Watching so many CGI movies that have technology that even Disney himself couldn't even imagine, yet it's amazing how much more enjoyable it is to watch the surreal worlds that the hand animated Disney movies possese. There is one scene in which Pinocchio is walking underwater looking for Monstro the whale. That is my favorite scene. It's just so cool to watch and the effort put into the movie shines through in that scene.

In short, Pinocchio is a fantatic movie. Great story, billiant animation, awesome voice work. However, this might be a little scary for the wee ones. Wait a little bit untill they see this. 21 is probably a good minimum age.

More Tarantino Casting: Brad Pit is a Bastard

More casting news from the Tarantino camp, Brad Pitt has officially signed on for Inglorious Bastards, as well as more rumors of others. Film School Rejects tells us:

Finally today we got some actual official announcements as Variety has confirmed that Brad Pitt has signed on to the project to play the leader of the rag-tag crew, a Tennessee hillbilly who assembles a team of eight Jewish-American soldiers to take on the Nazis.

Also in talks, according to the report, is German actress Nastassja Kinski, who could end up taking one of the film’s few female roles. As well, Hot Fuzz star Simon Pegg and Harold and Kumar star David Krumholtz are in talks to join the squad. Pegg as a British lieutenant and Krumholtz and the aforementioned B.J. Novak as members of the Jewish-American fighting force.

Pitt is a good choice for the role, as he is somebody who can genuinely act. One great performance can make up for several disappointing ones. But I am most excited about talks of the great Simon Pegg in the movie. Simon Pegg is one of the funniest people in the movie business. If you haven't seen Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, you haven't lived. I am also a fan of Davif Krumholtz. I really liked him in Numb3rs and he was decent in Harold and Kumar.

I wonder if this movie, despite it being about WWII, will be a comedy? Almost all the the casting mentioned has been in comidic roles, and Simon Pegg and B.J. Novak have been in nothing but comedies. If it is, that would be a very interesting road to go down, as a comedy about WWII and the Nazis can be very offensive. I would love to see it done though.

I've recently watched Pulp Fiction, and I have to say, although a good movie, it is highly overrated. In fact, Tarantino is one of the most overrated people in the movie business. Still, he can make a good movie (see Resivor Dogs. It is so awesome), so I hope this movie turns out to be awesome.

Brintney Spears Casted In Tarantino Film?!?!?!?

Oh come on! Really? I can stomach Roth, but no way can I ever respect Britney Spears for ANYTHING she has ever done! /Film tells us:

Last night it was announced that Eli Roth was cast in the World War II film Inglorious Basterds, and now the Telegraph reports that Britney Spears will play a killer lesbian stripper Varla in Tarantino’s remake of the 1965 cult film Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

Now I understand Tarantino made a name for himself by casting against traditional standards, sometimes casting the forgotten Hollywood wash-up. Now it looks like he has set his sights outside the realm of acting, toward the music industry.

Mr. Tarantino, I think I speak for everyone when I say you are trying to draw the wrong demographic by casting Britney Spears. It turns out most of your audiences are cult movie fans, not regular TMZ watchers. Yeah, I know he revived John Travolta's career, but at least the man had some talent and wasn't some media whoring bitch. Plus she can't act. Didn't anyone see Crossroads? If you haven't, keep it that way because it is horrible. Stupid stupid desision.

I know I just said "his movies don't rely on acting, but rather story", but still. Britney Spears? Seriously? She's not even that hot. Get Megan Fox or Jessica Alba or someone. I wouldn't mind seeing them play a stripper.

Eli Roth to Star in Inglorious Bastards?

Quentin Tarantino has been known for some rather strange casting, but this one is ridiculous! Coming Soon.Net gives us the news:

Hostel director Eli Roth will play a baseball bat-swinging Nazi hunter in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards, which starts production this fall in Europe for the The Weinstein Company and Universal Pictures.

Brad Pitt is in talks to play Aldo Raine, leader of a rogue band of Jewish-American soldiers who wreak havoc on the bad guys in Nazi-occupied France.

Roth is in talks to play Sgt. Donnie Donowitz.

I haven't seen any of the Hostrel movies, but I did like Roth's fake trailer in the movie Grindhouse (he did the hilarious Thanksgiving). As an actor, I have no idea what his abilities amount to. However, it seems that most Tarantino movies usually rely more on story than on acting, so it could still turn out ok. An intersting choice, to say the least.

What do you think? A good choice, or an obvious disaster?

Megatron The Tank!

Promising news! Megatron may no longer be a space jet thing as he was in the first transformers, but he may be a tank! CHUD tells us:

OK, I don't think there's a soul out there who will be surprised when Megatron returns in Transformers 2. If the current incarnation of the script follows the beats of a previous incarnation (which did not feature The Fallen), Megatron may be getting brought back by the Autobots, who need him to conquer the new menace. But I've learned that this time he won't be that weird alien jet. This time he's a tank.

Now that's what I'm talking about! This is a much better incarnation for Megatron than the space jet. (which looked cool, but just seemed weird to me) I know that he can't be a gun because that would be a little too much, but at least he'll have a reason to have an arm cannon now. Lets just hope this isn't some of Micheal Bay's alleged "propaganda".

The Goonies 2 In The Works?

The classic 1980s kids movie The Goonies may have a sequel in the works. /Film gives us the details:

There have been many rumors over the years, and supposedly a script that fell into development hell, but as Hollywood continues to search for my recycled ideas, The Goonies never say die. Moviehole is reporting that Warner Bros is planning a big screen theatrical tent-pole movie release. There are supposedly writers aboard the project, however we have no idea who.

The last script attempt involved a new group of kids, as the daughters and sons of the original Goonies gang, going off on a new adventure. All of the original cast members, including Josh Brolin, have expressed interest during interviews, in returning for a second film, if it were to happen.

This is a terrible idea! The Goonies is a fantastic movie, but it's from 1985, and a sequel 23 years later is bound to be a little off the mark. Indiana Jones 4, while enjoyable, wasn't even up to snuff, and the last Indy came out 4 years after The Goonies! Movies shouldn't have sequels 20 something years later. They come off as forced and can never live up to the original. Hopefully this is just a rumor and will be quickly shot off.

W. Poster

Hahaha! We have a new poster for the Oliver Stone biopic on the current President, W, thanks to the good people at Ain't It Cool. I was not extremely impressed by the trailer that came out recently, but I think this poster is very funny. It almost makes me want to go see it. That and Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney.

Vacation Wrapup: Stories of Interest

Another vacation has come and gone, and now all I have to look forward to for the rest of the summer is homework. But while I was out, we have seen a couple of stories that have peaked my interest.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Trailer: Hell yeah! As the actors and the characters in the story mature, it's nice to see that the films are too and are straying away from that "Harry's riding a broomstick AND IT'S MAGIC!" attitude to a more serious looking movie.

Marvin the Martian Movie?: I hope not. Looney Tunes: Back in Action was bad enough, and I doubt a CGI/Real world movie with Marvin the Martian (who I love, by the way) is going to stop this trend.

The Princess and the Frog 2-D Disney Trailer: 2-D is defiantly the road to go down for Disney to go down. They already have Pixar putting out high quality CGI, so Disney should go back to being the big traditional animation player in town. Plus I love the classic Disney musical.

Venom Standalone Film?: I don't know how to feel about this. A new actor playing Venom is good and all, but I can't see Venom being stong enough a villian to be able to carry a movie without Spiderman. However, It will probably have Carnage, witch will please the fans.

Monster's Inc 2: If anyone can pull it off, it's Pixar. However, I'd rather they keep the first movie alone. I love how it ended and I wouldn't want it to expand and become too ridiculous.

Step Up 2 Wins best Dramatic Performance At Teen Choice Awards: No comment.

Well, I think that just about does it. Check back tommorow as we get back into the cycle of giving you the movie news you want to hear. Or at least the stuff I do.

Morgan Freeman in Car Crash

Hello, I'm back from a brief vacation and before I post some older stories of interest, I have some troubling news. The brilliant Morgan Freeman has apparently been in a very serious car crash! The Movie Blog gives us the scoop via CNN:

CNN affilliate WMC of Memphis reported that he was in a car accident in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, about 100 miles south of Memphis, late Sunday.

According to The Associated Press, Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Ben Williams said Freeman was driving a 1997 Nissan Maxima belonging to Demaris Meyer of Memphis when the car left a rural highway and flipped several times shortly before midnight Sunday.

“There’s no indication that either alcohol or drugs were involved,” Williams said, according to the AP. Both Freeman and Meyer were wearing seat belts, Williams reported. The woman’s condition was not immediately available.

“They had to use the jaws of life to extract him from the vehicle,” Clay McFerrin, editor of Sun Sentinel in Charleston, Mississippi, told the AP. “He was lucid, conscious. He was talking, joking with some of the rescue workers at one point.”

Morgan Freeman is an actor who I love no matter what role he's in. He could read the phonebook and win an Oscar for it. So I seriously hope that some of this account is exaggerated and he pulls through. The news that he is joking around seems hopeful, but you never know.

I think I speak for everyone when I say I hope he recovers quickly so he can continue making movies like The Shawshank Redemption and Glory. Mr. Freeman, I wish you the best.