Movie News: Thursday, October 12

40 Greatest Musical Moments in Film History
   

Everyone loves music in their movies. Sometimes using just the right song can make or break a scene. Almost the entirety of Knights Tale was an excercize in suspending your disbelief with its inappropriate music. But the gang at Bullz-Eye put together their list of greatest musical moments in film.

FilmJunk reviews the rules:

The writers of Bullz-Eye have come up with an interesting list of what they consider to be the 40 greatest musical moments in film history. In this case they have chosen to count only pop songs (not scores), and only pre-existing songs that were not written specifically for the movie. There are some interesting choices here, although there are many more that have been left out (wouldn?t this make a great top 5 list or online poll?). Here are a few of their selections;

39. ?The Promise,? When In Rome ? Napoleon Dynamite
36. ?Closer,? Nine Inch Nails ? Se7en
32. ?Sweet Emotion,? Aerosmith ? Dazed and Confused
31. ?Oh Yeah,? Yello ? Ferris Bueller?s Day Off
28. ?Jump in the Line,? Harry Belafonte ? Beetlejuice
23. ?Where Is My Mind,? The Pixies ? Fight Club
19. ?Tequila,? The Champs ? Pee Wee?s Big Adventure
14. ?Misirlou,? Dick Dale ? Pulp Fiction
9. ?The End,? The Doors ? Apocalypse Now
6. ?Stuck in the Middle with You,? Stealer?s Wheel ? Reservoir Dogs
5. ?Tiny Dancer,? Elton John ? Almost Famous
4. ?Damn It Feels Good 2 Be A Gangsta,? The Geto Boys ? Office Space
3. ?Twist and Shout,? The Beatles ? Ferris Bueller?s Day Off
2. ?In Your Eyes,? Peter Gabriel ? Say Anything
1. ?Bohemian Rhapsody,? Queen ? Wayne?s World

And for my favourites from the list (not mentioned already above):
40. ?Cuban Pete,? Desi Arnaz ? The Mask
37. ?Cruel to Be Kind,? Letters To Cleo ? 10 Things I Hate About You
24. ?I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow,? The Soggy Bottom Boys ? O Brother Where Art Thou?
13. ?Old Time Rock and Roll,? Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band ? Risky Business

Oddly enough Stan Bush's "The Touch" from the Transformers Movie didnt make the cut. Maybe they overlooked animated features. Yeah, thats it.

See the whole list At Bullz-Eye

Lucasfilm wins Copyright Infringement Case
   

Maybe Lucas doesnt have enough money. Maybe the recent "not-special" edition releases of the original uncut trilogy are not selling well enough. (Most retail chains still have overstock of this limited time release - so much for the fans outcry for these releases) or maybe George just really doesnt like anyone else playing in his sandbox.

M&C Movies says:

The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has awarded Lucasfilm Ltd. $20 million in damages in a copyright infringement and unfair competition case against the British firm Shepperton Design Studios and its owner, Andrew Ainsworth.

The court found that Shepperton Design Studios had been marketing unlicensed copies of Stormtrooper helmets and costumes, and TIE fighter pilot helmets from the Star Wars films, as well as making misleading claims about the authenticity and origins of these items.

The Judgment, by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner, awards damages to Lucasfilm Ltd. for copyright infringement, unfair competition and trademark infringement and permanently bars Shepperton Design Studios from copying, reproducing, importing, licensing, marketing or displaying any of its unauthorized Star Wars products in the United States.

What he doesnt like is someone thinking they can cash in big time selling his toys. Clearly for a court to issue this much in damages, this company must have made a significant pile of coin for Lucas to even bother. I wonder if this company even made close to the $20million they were sued for?

I do like how Lucas is not backing down one bit on this. I actually applaud this. He won the case, likely bankrupted Shepperton, and stopped him from continuing to sell these fruadulent replicas in the US. But thats not all! He is pushing for the UK government to stop him from continuing to sell these items there as well!

Now I have to go delete my ebay auction for the Star Wars Holiday Special DVD.

One Night With The King
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006   Rated: PG (MPAA)   Avg. Score: 5/5     Details | Reviews  ) The Gist — Religious fodder for the non-religious

"Step Up" starlet enrolls in "Nerds" remake (Reuters)
   Reuters - Jenna Dewan is joining Ryan Pinkston and Nick Zano as they put on pocket protectors to work in a remake of the 1984 comedy "Revenge of the Nerds."

Old Joy
    ( Avg. Score: 5/5     Details | Reviews  ) The Gist — Wonderfully silent

Man of the Year
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006   Avg. Score: 1.25/5     Details | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) The Gist — Hardly funny or relevant

Infamous
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006   Avg. Score: 5/5     Details | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) The Gist — Less superior to Capote

Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006   Avg. Score: 0.83/5     Details | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) The Gist — Terribly dull

Pan's Labyrinth
    ( Release: Dec. 29, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — During the fascist regime in Spain in 1944, Ofelia, a lonely kid living with her mom and adoptive father, creates a dreamworld filled with fantastic creatures to escape from post-war repression.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
    ( Release: Dec. 27, 2006    Details | Photos  ) — Jean-Baptiste Grenouille has used his unique talent for discerning the scents and smells that swirl around him to create the world's finest perfumes. Grenouille tries to capture the irresistible but elusive aroma of young womanhood, but as he travels the world searching for the ingredients to a new perfume, his obsession takes a deadly turn.

Notes on a Scandal
    ( Release: Dec. 25, 2006    Details  ) — When Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) joins St. George's as the new art teacher, Barbara Covett (Judi Dench) senses a kindred spirit. But Barbara is not the only one drawn to her. Sheba begins an illicit affair and Barbara becomes the keeper of her secret.

We Are Marshall
    ( Release: Dec. 22, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — After a plane crash claims the lives of 75 members of the Marshall University football team and its coaching staff, young coach Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey) and his assistant (Matthew Fox) try to keep the program going, despite the emotional weight of the accident and the concerns of the community.

The Good Shepherd
    ( Release: Dec. 22, 2006    Details | Trailers  ) — Edward Wilson (Matt Damon), a student at Yale, is recruited to join the secret society Skull and Bones, a brotherhood and breeding ground for future world leaders. Wilson's sincere belief in American values render him a prime candidate for a career in intelligence, and he is soon recruited to work for the OSS (the precursor to the CIA) during World War II. Working in the heart of an organization where duplicity is required and nothing is taken at face value, Edward's idealism is steadily eroded as the country gets deeper and deeper into the Cold War. As his methods are adopted as standard operating procedure, Wilson develops into one of the Agency's veteran operatives.

The Painted Veil
    ( Release: Dec. 15, 2006    Details | Photos  ) — An bored, unhappily married woman (Naomi Watts) living in 1920s London goes through a midlife crisis and journey of self-discovery, first cheating on her stuffy scientist husband (Edward Norton) and then fighting the cholera outbreak in the Far East.

Home of the Brave
    ( Release: Dec. 15, 2006    Details | Trailers  ) — Four American soldiers (Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Biel, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson) nearing the end of their tours of duty in Iraq are sent on one final humanitarian mission to bring medical supplies to a remote Iraqi village. The unit is ambushed and takes heavy losses. The surviving troops suffer both physical and psychological injuries. Now, as they return to the United States, four soldiers must face memories of the past as they look towards the future and return to civilian life.

Eragon
    ( Release: Dec. 15, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — Eragon is a young farm boy who finds a blue stone in the mountains. The stone turns out to be a dragon egg, and Eragon soon bonds with the dragon and discovers that he's one of the last Dragon Riders. Later, Eragon's family is killed by the marauding Ra'zac, and he must learn to fight before a war begins.

Unaccompanied Minors
    ( Release: Dec. 8, 2006    Details  ) — A group of children create their own holiday after being snowed in at an airport over the holiday season.

Off the Black
    ( Release: Dec. 8, 2006   Rated: R (MPAA)    Details  ) — A teenage boy (Trevor Morgan) forms an unusual friendship with a reckless umpire (Nick Nolte) at his high school after he fails to find any common ground with his own father. But when the two go to the coach's high school reunion, with the kid pretending to be his son, some unexpected events occur.

DOA: Dead or Alive
    ( Release: Dec. 8, 2006    Details | Photos  ) — Based on the popular Dead or Alive video games, this action flick focuses on a group of gorgeous, highly trained and — to distract their horndog adversaries — scantily clad female fighters.

Bush assassination film to open in Canada (Reuters)
   Reuters - The Canadian distributor of the new George W. Bush assassination film doesn't expect to face any controversy when it comes out on October 27, claiming that the president has few friends north of the border.

Breaking and Entering
    ( Release: Dec. 8, 2006    Details | Photos  ) — Jude Law is a snooty London architect whose worldview is challenged when his office is robbed by a Muslim thief.

Van Wilder Deux: Rise of the Taj
    ( Release: Dec. 1, 2006    Details | Trailers  ) — There's more wild partying and mayhem when Taj (Kal Penn) from the first Van Wilder film travels to England to teach a few snooty Oxford University students how to overcome their natural reticence.

The Nativity Story
    ( Release: Dec. 1, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — Keisha Castle-Hughes plays the young Mary as she travels with Joseph to Bethlehem in this dramatization of the birth of a fairly famous dude: Jesus.

10 Items or Less
    ( Release: Dec. 1, 2006    Details  ) — While considering a role as a supermarket manager, an actor (Morgan Freeman) decides to do some field research at a small ethnic market on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Finding himself stranded with no cell phone or transportation, he meets a cashier (Paz Vega) at a store's express register. When she offers to drive him home, they strike up an unusual friendship.

Let's Go to Prison
    ( Release: Nov. 22, 2006    Details  ) — Felon John Lyshitski (Dax Shepard) has figured out the best way to get revenge on the now-dead judge who sent him to jail: watch the official's obnoxious son, Nelson Biederman IV (Will Arnett), head to the clink himself. John strikes gold when Nelson is wrongly convicted of a crime and sent to the pen. So John gleefully gets sent back to become Nelson's cellmate and to ensure that his new buddy gets the "full treatment."

The Fountain
    ( Release: Nov. 22, 2006    Details  ) — A man (Hugh Jackman) embarks on a thousand-year struggle to save the woman (Rachel Weisz) he loves. His epic journey begins in 16th century Spain, where conquistador Tomas Creo commences his search for the Tree of Life, the legendary entity believed to grant eternal life to those who drink of its sap. As modern-day scientist Tommy Creo, he desperately struggles to find a cure for the cancer that is killing his beloved wife Isabel. Traveling through deep space as a 26th-century astronaut, Tom begins to grasp the mysteries of life that have consumed him for all these years.

Deja Vu
    ( Release: Nov. 22, 2006    Details | Trailers  ) — A sense of déjà vu unexpectedly guides ATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) through an investigation of a crime. Called in to recover evidence after a bomb sets off a cataclysmic explosion on a New Orleans ferry, Carlin discovers that what most people believe is only in their heads is actually something far more powerful.

Deck the Halls
    ( Release: Nov. 22, 2006    Details | Trailers  ) — Steve (Matthew Broderick), a suburban dad and Christmas enthusiast, leads a well-ordered, well-planned, and well-organized life. His new neighbor, Danny (Danny DeVito), is Steve's polar opposite: a big, crazy personality. Danny's latest dream: to create the biggest holiday light display in the world, visible from outer space. This is turning Steve's disciplined world into a chaotic nightmare. As Danny's home explodes with festive lights of incredible design, increasing complexity, and exponentially-growing wattage, Steve becomes a man on a mission: thwart Danny.

The History Boys
    ( Release: Nov. 21, 2006   Rated: R (MPAA)    Details | Trailers  ) — An unruly class of history students pursue an undergraduate place at Oxford or Cambridge. Bounced between their maverick English master (Richard Griffiths), a young and shrewd teacher hired to up their test scores (Stephen Campbell Moore), a grossly out-numbered history teacher (Frances de la Tour) and a headmaster obsessed with results (Clive Merrison), the boys attempt to sift through it all to pass the daunting university admissions process.

Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny
    ( Release: Nov. 17, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — Two average Joes (Jack Black, Kyle Gass) believe they have one mission in their lifetime: to become the "greatest band on Earth."

The Hoax
    ( Release: Nov. 17, 2006    Details | Trailers  ) — This historical drama explores the controversy unleashed in the 1970s when Clifford Irving (Richard Gere) sold a bogus biography of Howard Hughes to a major publishing house.

Mel Gibson leak leads to probe of officer - report (Reuters)
   

Reuters - The sheriff's deputy who arrested actor Mel Gibson for drunken driving has had his home searched by fellow officers investigating how a police account of the actor's anti-Semitic tirade was made public, it was reported on Thursday.

"Harry Potter" pal fails "Driving Lessons" (Reuters)
   Reuters - Rupert Grint becomes the first "Harry Potter" principal to enter big-screen brink-of-adulthood, not with a leap but on tiptoe.

Happy Feet
    ( Release: Nov. 17, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — In the great nation of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica, you're nobody unless you can sing, which is bad news for Mumble (Elijah Wood), who is the worst singer in the world. But he sure can tap dance. Mumble's mom, Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman), thinks his dancing is cute, but his dad, Memphis (Hugh Jackman), says it "just ain't penguin." Besides, they both know that, without a "heartsong," Mumble may never find true love. His one friend, Gloria (Brittany Murphy), happens to be the best singer around, and the two have a connection from the moment they hatch, even though she has a tough time understanding her pal's eccentricities.

Fast Food Nation
    ( Release: Nov. 17, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — Don Henderson (Greg Kinnear) is a marketing executive at Mickey's Fast Food Restaurant chain, home of "The Big One." He must uncover how contaminated meat is getting into the frozen patties of the company's best-selling burger.Leaving the confines of the company's Southern California boardroom for the immigrant-staffed slaughterhouses, feedlots and strip malls of Middle America, Don realizes that his company has been serving up some pretty disgusting stuff.

Bobby
    ( Release: Nov. 17, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — Directed by Emilio Estevez, this historical drama revisits the night Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down at the Ambassador Hotel in 1968. The film follows 22 individuals who are all at the hotel for different purposes but share the common thread of anticipating Kennedy's arrival at the primary election night party.

F*ck
    (  Details  ) — This documentary takes a look at the history of the word "f---." Talking to celebrities, political figures and other commentators eager to discuss this taboo word, director Steve Anderson crafts a film that manages to combine deep conversation about civil liberties with some highly amusing uses of a word that is still considered shocking to many.

For Your Consideration
    ( Release: Nov. 17, 2006    Details | Trailers  ) — The cast and crew of a small indie movie find themselves inexplicably surrounded by Oscar buzz in the middle of Academy Awards season.

Flannel Pajamas
    ( Release: Nov. 15, 2006    Details | Photos  ) — Stuart and Nicole hit it off on a blind date over the course of a romantic dinner and rainy walk. Oh, and they have great sex, too. But as they get to know each other, their different family backgrounds and some disagreements about religion threaten to break them apart for good.

Come Early Morning
    ( Release: Nov. 10, 2006    Details  ) — Ashley Judd plays a woman with a drinking problem and an insatiable appetite for sex who learns a few sharp lessons when she finally meets someone she really likes.

A Good Year
    ( Release: Nov. 10, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — London-based investment banker Max Skinner (Russell Crowe) plans to sell a small vineyard he inherits from his uncle. But Max encounters a beautiful California woman who also lays claim to the property, and he begins to consider whether or not he can really sell the place.

Babel
    ( Release: Nov. 10, 2006    Details | Photos  ) — Two Morrocan boys set out to look after their family's herd of goats, but when one of them tests his stolen rifle, the bullet finds an unintended target. In an instant, the lives of four separate groups of strangers on three different continents collide. Caught up in the rising tide of an accident that escalates beyond anyone's control are a vacationing American couple (Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett), a rebellious deaf Japanese teenager and her father, and a Mexican nanny who, without permission, takes two American children across the border.

Zerophilia
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006    Details | Tickets | Reviews  ) — Luke, a young man insecure about his masculinity, attempts to solve the mystery of his rare genetic condition, zerophilia, before it turns him into a woman.

Driving Lessons
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006   Rated: PG-13 -- for language, sexual content and some thematic material    Details | Tickets | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — Rupert Grint (Harry Potter) plays a shy teenager with an overbearing mother, but the dorky kid finds solace when he goes to work for a retired actress (Julie Walters).

Infamous
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006    Details | Tickets | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — This Truman Capote biopic, which is not to be confused with Capote, stars unknown Toby Jones as the renowned writer, who became uncomfortably close to the murderers Perry Smith and Dick Hickock while researching his "non-fiction novel" In Cold Blood.

One Night With The King
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006   Rated: PG (MPAA)    Details | Tickets | Reviews  ) — In this retelling of the Old Testament story of Esther, a young Jewish girl rises to become the queen of Persia.

The Marine
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006    Details | Tickets | Trailers  ) — WWE wrestler John Cena stars in this story about a marine who returns from duty in Iraq only to find that his girlfriend has been kidnapped by a gang led by the merciless Rome (Robert Patrick).

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
    ( Release: Nov. 3, 2006   Rated: R - for pervasive strong crude and sexual content including graphic nudity, and language    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — Kazakhstani reporter Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) travels to the United States in hopes of bringing back important knowledge to his primitive homeland.

Saw 3
    ( Release: Oct. 27, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — Jigsaw's (Tobin Smith) new apprentice, Amanda (Shawnee Smith), kidnaps a woman named Lynn and takes her to an abandoned warehouse. Jigsaw is on the verge of death and she is charged with keeping the madman alive long enough for another of his victims, Jeff, to complete a game of his own. Together, Lynn and Jeff struggle to complete their assigned tests, unaware that Jigsaw has something even more devious planned for them.

Shut Up and Sing
    ( Release: Oct. 27, 2006    Details  ) — This doc follows bestselling country band The Dixie Chicks through the fallout and fan backlash resulting from comments made by singer Natalie Mains about President Bush.

Romeo & Juliet: Sealed With a Kiss
    ( Release: Oct. 27, 2006    Details | Photos  ) — To sum up very briefly: It's Romeo & Juliet, only with animated seals. No, really.

Running With Scissors
    ( Release: Oct. 20, 2006   Rated: R    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — Based on Augusten Burroughs' best-selling memoir, the story follows Deirdre Burroughs (Bening), a 1970s poet with bipolar disorder. Her instability after a messy divorce leads her to send her 12-year-old son to live with an unusual psychiatrist and his eccentric family.

The Prestige
    ( Release: Oct. 20, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — In early 20th-century London, a magician (Christian Bale) develops a rivalry with another conjuror (Hugh Jackman) after he devises a seemingly impossible new trick.

Romeo & Juliet: Sealed With a Kiss
    ( Release: Oct. 27, 2006    Details | Photos  ) — To sum up very briefly: It's Romeo & Juliet, only with animated seals. No, really.

Marie Antoinette
    ( Release: Oct. 20, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — When betrothed to King Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman), the Austrian-born Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst) enters the French court, rebels against Versailles and becomes France's most misunderstood monarch. Stripped of her riches, imprisoned and beheaded by her own subjects, the queen of France becomes a symbol of excess.

Catch a Fire
    ( Release: Oct. 27, 2006    Details | Trailers  ) — This dramatic portrayal of terrorism during apartheid in South Africa follows one man's (Derek Luke) battle against the regime.

Flicka
    ( Release: Oct. 20, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — On a ranch in Wyoming, young Katie (Alison Lohman) aspires to one day run the family spread, even though her father (Tim McGraw) is grooming her brother for the job. Katie finds and tames a wild horse and names it Flicka.

Sleeping Dogs Lie
    ( Release: Oct. 20, 2006    Details | Trailers  ) — Amy (Melinda Page Hamilton) is a seemingly normal young girl, adored by her parents and golden-boy fiancé. But when her future husband suggests that they tell each other their darkest secrets, everything falls apart.

Gibson calls his DUI arrest `a blessing' (AP)
   

AP - Mel Gibson called his DUI arrest "a blessing" and also told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an interview Thursday that he needed "public humiliation on a global scale" to get sober.

Flags of Our Fathers
    ( Release: Oct. 20, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — In February 1945, the United States closes in on victory in Europe, but the battle in the Pacific still rages on. A photographer captures a photo during the battle of Iwo Jima, an image of men raising the flag that is destined to become a symbol strong enough to raise morale back home. But the surviving flag raisers had no interest in being held up as symbols and did not consider themselves heroes; they wanted only to stay on the front with their brothers in arms who were fighting and dying without fanfare or glory.

Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
    ( Release: Oct. 20, 2006   Rated: Rating Pending    Details  ) — On Nov. 18, 1978, more than 900 members of Peoples Temple died in the largest mass suicide-murder in history. What drew so many people across racial and class lines to the Peoples Temple? How could a diverse group of 900 people be convinced to commit suicide? What was a California congregation doing in the jungles of Guyana? And who was Jim Jones to command such loyalty that parents would murder their own children? Using never before seen archival footage and survivor interviews, this doc tells the story of the people who followed Jim Jones from Indiana to California and finally to the remote jungles of South America in a misbegotten quest to build an ideal society.

New Web venture ClickStar set to rankle Hollywood (Reuters)
   Reuters - Intel Corp. and actor Morgan Freeman have paired up to launch a Web site whose goal is to release some independent films on the same day they debut in theaters, challenging long-held Hollywood practices.

Zerophilia
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006    Details  ) — Luke, a young man insecure about his masculinity, attempts to solve the mystery of his rare genetic condition, zerophilia, before it turns him into a woman.

One Night With The King
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006   Rated: PG (MPAA)    Details  ) — In this retelling of the Old Testament story of Esther, a young Jewish Girl who rises to become the Queen of Persia.

The Marine
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006    Details | Trailers  ) — WWE wrestler John Cena stars in this story about a marine who returns from Iraq duty only find his girlfriend has been kidnapped by a gang led by the merciless Rome (Robert Patrick).

Man of the Year
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — Many talk show hosts harbor lofty ambitions, but few would go to the extremes of Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams). After entering the race for president as a joke, Dobbs is in for quite a surprise when he proves to be more popular than anyone could have imagined.

Infamous
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — This Truman Capote biopic, not to be confused with Capote, stars unknown Toby Jones as the renowned writer, who became uncomfortably close to the murderers Perry Smith and Dick Hickock while researching his "non-fiction novel" In Cold Blood.

The Grudge 2
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — In Tokyo, the younger sister (Amber Tamblyn) of the woman (Sarah Michelle Gellar) previously haunted by the titular supernatural force — which fills folks with rage and spreads victim by victim — finds the nasty problem tracking her down, too.

Driving Lessons
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006   Rated: Rating Pending    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — Rupert Grint (Harry Potter) plays a shy teenager with an overbearing mother, but the dorky kid finds solace when he goes to work for a retired actress (Julie Walters).

Deliver Us From Evil
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006   Rated: NR    Details | Trailers  ) — This doc looks at the activities of a priest named Oliver O'Grady. O'Grady had been identified by the Catholic Church as a pedophile but was allowed to continue to work and molest children throughout the 1970s.

Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker
    ( Release: Oct. 13, 2006    Details | Trailers | Photos  ) — Alex Rider (Alex Pettyfer), a teenager with unusual talents, is recruited by the British Secret Service to carry out a dangerous mission following the mysterious death of his uncle (Ewan McGregor).

49 Up
    ( Release: Oct. 6, 2006   Avg. Score: 4.5/5     Details | Tickets | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — Director Michael Apted continues his award-winning series with this look at his group of subjects as they turn 49. Apted has followed the group since they were 7 years old, checking in every seven years to see how their lives have changed.

The Queen
    ( Release: Oct. 6, 2006   Avg. Score: 5/5     Details | Trailers | Reviews  ) — When news of the death of Princess Diana reaches the British public, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) retreats behind the walls of Balmoral Castle with her family, unable to comprehend the public response to the tragedy. For Tony Blair (Michael Sheen), the popular and newly elected prime minister, the people's need for reassurance and support from the royal family is palpable. As the unprecedented outpouring of emotion grows ever stronger, Blair must find a way to reconnect the queen with the British public.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
    ( Release: Oct. 6, 2006   Avg. Score: 1/5     Details | Tickets | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — Oh, so that's how Leatherface became a murderous psycho! Jordana Brewster and a bunch of other young hot people star in this prequel to the classic horror series.

Ebert hopes to be back for Oscars (AP)
   

AP - Roger Ebert hopes to be fully recovered in time for the Academy Awards and the Cannes Film Festival. In a letter published Thursday in the Chicago Sun-Times, the Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic and co-host of the "Ebert & Roeper" TV show says he's looking forward to getting back to work full time early next year.

Little Children
    ( Release: Oct. 6, 2006   Rated: R - for strong sexuality and nudity   Avg. Score: 4.5/5     Details | Tickets | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — In a suburban town, two 30-somethings (Patrick Wilson, Kate Winslet) have early midlife crises and suffer through personal breakdowns and infidelity. As one would expect, the man's jilted wife (Jennifer Connolly) isn't exactly happy when she finds out about the affair. The situation only gets worse when a child molester moves into the neighborhood.

Employee of the Month
    ( Release: Oct. 6, 2006   Avg. Score: 1.75/5     Details | Tickets | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — A couple of employees at a Costco-like superstore (Dax Shepard, Dane Cook) compete for the affections of a new co-worker (Jessica Simpson) by trying to win the Employee of the Month award.

The Departed
    ( Release: Oct. 6, 2006   Avg. Score: 4.75/5     Details | Tickets | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an undercover cop in South Boston assigned to infiltrate a mob syndicate run by a boss named Costello (Jack Nicholson). Meanwhile, a young criminal, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), has embedded himself in the police department's Special Investigation Unit. Both their lives become endangered when the two organizations realize they have moles within their ranks.

Rosario Dawson And The Worst Haicut Ever
   

I'm not sure a device has been invented by man that could possibly measure the sheer hotness of Rosario Dawson. This is a women who can pull off every type of beautiful there is. Hot dirty girl, cute innocent girl next door, stunning beauty queen... you name it, she can do it... and do it to my eternal approval. This is one hot woman... and talented to boot.

But as Doug will often point out, a good looking woman (or man for that matter) can instantly degrade to almost Fugly with the wrong haircut... and man... Dawson is sporting one of the most horrible haircuts I've ever seen. No really... she should be charged with crimes against humanity for harming her universally needed sexiness. This is by far worse than that Halle Berry hair cut from a few years ago that Doug is always complaining about.

Yikes... I never thought there would come a day that I'd be putting up a post about haircuts. But COME ON!!! Look at that do! (via)

Massive Deposit of Transformers Pictures
   

Earlier this morning Martin was kind enough to drop me an email and point me towards the single largest deposit of Transformers images on the net. It's filled with hundreds of pictures from the set, concept art (much of which you've seen already... but there is some new stuff too), characters, behind the scenes and stuff.

The picture to the left is a shot of Ironhide. Let me tell you something, I was standing next to Ironhide when I was down for my set visit in LA, and it is the BIGGEST fricken pick up truck I've ever seen. Maybe I just need to get out more.

Anyway, to see the treasure chest of Transformers images you can just go here.

13 Tzameti Remake
   

Not too long ago I did a review of the French film 13 Tzameti (you can see the review here). A decent film that HUGE potential because of it's main story arc, but didn't quite live up to that potential. Still, the movie got some buzz and even won a couple of film festivals.

It's now been announced that 13 Tzameti is going to be remade into an American version. And you know what... this could be the perfect film to remake. Think about it... the original is a FANTASTIC concept, but fell kinda short in the execution. Maybe the remake can use that concept and tighten up on the original's weaknesses.

Apparently there are already a lot of BIG A-LIST actors who are wanting the role. According to the good folks over at Cinematical:

the New York Post reports Joaquin Phoenix, Tobey Maguire, Heath Ledger and Leonardo DiCaprio are all circling the film's lead role, though a clear and distinct front-runner is yet to be seen.

'Borat' defends portrayal of Kazakhstan (AP)
   

AP - The comedian known as "Borat" appeared briefly in Amsterdam Thursday, praising the city's freewheeling nightlife and defending his portrayal of the central Asian country of Kazakhstan. Borat boasted of picking up a date at a popular Amsterdam bar known as a gay meeting place.

Man Of The Year Reviews
   

The Man of the Year reviews are ulgy. The idea behind "Man of the Year" is a great one that you just knew someone was going to capitalize on. Basically take a Jon Stewart character, and make him run for president. Make Robin WIlliams the lead character and you've got gold right? RIGHT???? Well... maybe not.

The early Man of the Year reviews are coming in... and boy are they ugly. I mean REALLY ugly. Not because of it's political nature... but more because the film fails to really make political commentary either way... which is what the film was set up perfectly to do.

Here is what some of the critics are saying in their Man of the Year reviews:

An awkward mix of standard genres that doesn't give us what we desperately need in this increasingly desperate political season -- a black and snarling assault on our imbecile status quo.
Richard Schickel - TIME Magazine

As well as this may have worked as a comedy ... it tries too hard to be a thriller and a drama, which is where it falls flat on its face.
Edward Douglas - ComingSoon.net

There's nothing about Man of the Year that's quite as fantastic as its depiction of moribund Saturday Night Live as culturally and politically relevant.
Nick Schager - Slant Magazine

All the audience can do with this DOA comedy is wait for their next chance to see Robin Williams do another stand-up routine, providing a precious break in an otherwise tedious film.
Ron Wilkinson - Monsters and Critics

Around the Web - October 12th 2006
   

Here is some of the other movie related news floating around the web today that you may find interesting:

- Rebecca Romijn and Keith Carradine are joining "Lake City."
"Romijn plays a small-town cop romantically involved with Garity's character, who reunites with his estranged mother (Spacek) when deadly circumstances threaten their home. Carradine plays a local gas station attendant, and Matthews, who will be billed as David Matthews in the film, plays a member of a dangerous crowd that entraps the son." Huh?

- David Bowie goes out to sea for 'SpongeBob'
"Bowie will be a guest on Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants, playing a character called Lord Royal Highness in a show that will air next year."

- Universal Picks Up Secret Agent Men

- Big violent fight on "Grey's Anatomy" set involving Patrick Dempsey

- Randy Quaid to join "Gary The Tennis Coach"
This one had possibilities. Also has Seann William Scott.

- Paddy Considine Joins The Bourne Ultimatum

- Movie to make millionaires of lost Mexico fishermen
"Three Mexicans who spent nine months drifting across the Pacific Ocean in a flimsy fishing boat eating raw fish and sea birds are to be paid at least $3.8 million to turn their story into a movie."

Jolie: West's apathy on refugees a shame (AP)
   

AP - Angelina Jolie says it is shocking that refugees are being turned into hate figures in rich countries in an attempt to win elections or sell newspapers.

Rome rolls out red carpet for new film festival (Reuters)
   Reuters - Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman opens Rome's first international film festival on Friday, kicking off nine days of movies that many in Italy see as a direct challenge to Venice's venerable Lido competition.

Homebody actors good for California business (Reuters)
   Reuters - Hollywood stars are fighting back against "runaway" production to cheaper foreign locales, though for personal rather than patriotic reasons.

Oscar sets short documentary shortlist (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Social problems, medical challenges and the power of music are among the subjects covered by the eight short documentaries shortlisted for Oscar consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Tamblyn plugs into "Blackout" (Reuters)
   Reuters - Amber Tamblyn, star of this weekend's expected box office champ "The Grudge 2," has joined the cast of the indie thriller "Blackout."

Randy Quaid game for "Tennis" comedy (Reuters)
   Reuters - Randy Quaid is in final negotiations to join Seann William Scott in the indie comedy "Gary the Tennis Coach."

Considine gets "Ultimatum" from spy thriller (Reuters)
   Reuters - British actor Paddy Considine has joined the cast of "The Bourne Ultimatum," the third installment of the hit action series starring Matt Damon. Filming is under way in European and African locales.