Movie News: Wednesday, October 25

Socially relevant films crowd DVD shelves (Reuters)
   Reuters - When Al Gore's environmental documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" hits DVD on November 21, it will join a quartet of other socially relevant new releases.

"Over the Hedge" DVD animates sales chart (Reuters)
   Reuters - "Over the Hedge" scored an over-the-top victory on the national DVD sales chart last week, according to sales data issued Wednesday.

Hollywood screen icon Esther Williams hospitalized (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Swimming champion turned Hollywood screen icon Esther Williams has been hospitalized for a viral infection but was responding well to treatment, her spokesman said on Wednesday.

New video message on DVD's that have smoking
   

Smoking is officially uncool, even if cool actors are smoking because now there will be a declaimer before movies telling us that the hip folks in our movies will actually become addicted and die from smoking. Bit of a downer, but then again so is cancer. Yahoonews.com gives us this:

BOSTON (Reuters) - Film industry veterans Bob and Harvey Weinstein will put anti-smoking video messages on DVDs of movies in which people smoke -- a move sought by U.S. states to combat teen smoking.

"These messages will fight false film images of healthy and hip smokers with the real hard truth of addiction and disease," Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said in a statement on Tuesday. The attorneys general of 32 states a year ago asked Hollywood's major movie studios to place an anti-smoking message on DVDs, videos and other home entertainment products. The Weinstein brothers, founders of moviemaker Miramax Films, were the first to respond, Blumenthal said.

Beginning with December's release of "Clerks II" by director Kevin Smith, Weinstein's DVDs will include an anti-smoking ad aimed at discouraging kids from lighting up. "As a former smoker, I feel like it's my responsibility to do everything I can to educate young people about the dangers of smoking," Harvey Weinstein said in a statement.Anti-smoking groups have intensified pressure on Hollywood this year, calling in July for the Motion Picture Association of America to require an "R" rating for movies with a non-historical depiction of smoking
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I'm sure that Harvey Weinstein is trying to do the right thing, he's a former smoker after all and he doesn't really have a choice if the government is pressuring him but there are other ways of inspiring people to not light up. Making movies like Thank You For Smoking or just not putting the element of smoking into movies in the first place is a better solution.

And the anti smoking groups have a point with the R rating for movies with smoking, it is a bit extreme but I bet of that if law was passed smoking would become out of fashion very quickly in Hollywood.

The best way to get kids to not pick up a pack, is to make it obsolete. Like an old PC, no kid wants last years model.

Stewart, Fitzgerald to appear on stamps (AP)
   

AP - A man who had a wonderful life, went to Washington and later was accompanied by a giant white rabbit will be a highlight of the Postal Service's new commemorative postage stamps for 2007. James Stewart will be featured on the 13th Legends of Hollywood stamp.

Review: Dixie Chicks don't `Shut Up' (AP)
   AP - The Dixie Chicks would probably think of themselves as mothers first, then musicians.

'Cross' shows Jesus as being a black man (AP)
   

AP - It's a familiar image for millions of Christians: Jesus Christ, with a crown of thorns, hanging from the cross. What color is he? In a controversial new film opening Friday, he is black.

Review: 'Death of President' off target (AP)
   AP - George W. Bush is assassinated in the fictional, futuristic documentary "Death of a President."

Marilyn Manson rumoured to be in Rocky Horror Picture Show Remake
   

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a classic, an amazing feat of music and creativity and it would be a shame to tarnish it with a bad remake/update, but if they are going to do it then I can think of no one more suited to play in it than Marilyn Manson. The people over at bloodydisgusting.com give us this:

although this next one I cannot confirm until I hear of some other people who happened to catch it on TV. B-D reader 'Time Warper' writes in to B-D, "In a recent interview with E!, shock-rocker Marilyn Manson revealed that 20th Century Fox has approached him to star as the sweet transvestite, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, in an update of the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, tentatively titled Rocky Horror." Rumors about a remake have been floating around for months... and who better than Manson to join the horror? We'll keep you posted and confirm as soon as we know, until then keep this under rumor.

Sounds exactly like the original. I guess they will have to update it with cellphones and breast implants, not story lines. This is one movie that I wouldn't mind having a sequel of. It would be fun to see the continuing saga of sex, song and rock and role in the land of naughty transvestites. But it's an updated remake and that has it's appeal. There are a few things going for it and a few thing going against it.

What may go wrong: Manson's acting, the guy likes to appear cool, too cool sometimes and for a role like this you have to be able to make an absolute jackass out of yourself. The envelope could be pushed too far and it may end up being gratuitously shocking in all the bad ways, also the music could be terrible, if is all new songs the chances go way up for badness. Finally people may riot in the streets at the mention of someone trying to outdo the original.

What I'm hoping for in this movie: cool new takes on the original music by Marilyn Manson, even sexier outfits with quality gender bending that pushes but doesn?t rip the envelope, seeing if Manson can act and, of course, dancing the Time Warp again.

My gut feeling says that it will be good, but not as good as the original.

80's parody "Totally Awesome" done by VH1
   

Parodies come and go, some are funny some are not, this one sounds like it's going to be funny, damned funny. monstersandcritics.com give us this

: HOLLYWOOD, CA, United States (UPI) -- VH1 Films and Paramount Home Entertainment are planning to release 'Totally Awesome,' their parody of 1980s movies, in U.S. theatres. The release date is Nov. 4. Directed by 'Chappelle`s Show' co-creator Neal Brennan, 'Totally Awesome' will also be released in early November as an unrated DVD. VH1 said Monday the film lampoons a bevy of 1980s movies through a plot involving lovelorn high school students and plenty of dancing.

The cast includes Chris Kattan and Tracy Morgan of 'Saturday Night Live' as well as Ben Stein and Nicki Clyne.

Eric Bana in new BTX killer movie Factor X
   

Eric Bana was great in Munich and I was beginning to wonder if he'd fallen into a well or something there has been so little news on him, but apparently he's is fine and is preparing for his new role in Factor X. The good folks over at comingsoon.net give us this:

Eric Bana and Terrence Howard are attached to star in Factor X, a thriller being written by Gregory Allen Howard for New Line Cinema telling the true tale of how the BTK killer was captured, says The Hollywood Reporter. Ridley Scott and Scott Free Productions president Michael Costigan will produce the project, which could become a directing vehicle for Scott.

The serial killer known as BTK murdered people in and around Wichita, Kan., from 1974-91 and was finally caught in 2005, turning out to be a mild-mannered leader at a local church. The acronym described his modus operandi, which was to bind, torture and kill.

Factor X, which takes its name from what the killer described in taunting letters to the police as his motive for murder, tells how a young, black counterterrorism expert from Washington teamed up with a Wichita police detective, who spent his career trying to chase down the killer.

Bana will play the detective and Terrence Howard would be the counterterrorism expert.

That's what makes the story so interesting, a church man with a violently sadistic mind that kills for 17 years and then suddenly stopped murdering for no apparent reason, and the detectives that never gave up on the case.

It would be cool to see how Ridley Scott directs this, he has already directed a serial killer movie (Hannibal) and his style would be an asset should he decide to direct.

But with or without Scott this movie should be a success, the BTK killer is one of those stories that continues to shock, it's fresh from the news since the killer was only caught last year.

Add to the talented Eric Bana and Terrence Howard who no one has seen enough of yet and you can expect a great movie. I only wish that Bana was playing the killer.

"Prada" still a runway success overseas (Reuters)
   

Reuters - In one of the big surprises at a traditionally slow fall box office overseas, "The Devil Wears Prada" logged a third weekend as the top choice for foreign moviegoers as its international total passed $100 million.

For "Babel" director, pictures tell the story (Reuters)
   

Reuters - If a picture truly is worth a thousand words, then movie audiences should easily be able to grasp the challenging story in "Babel" even though it is told in Arabic, English, Spanish, Japanese and even sign language.

Harry Potter Is A Star Wars Rip Off
   

Finally... I always suspected it, but now hard solid proof has emerged that once and for all shows that J.K. Rowling (aka the great plagarist) stole her entire concept for Harry Potter from George Lucas' "Star Wars". For shame lady... for shame. The following document was taken from Rowlings purse at a London airport.

Many Bothans died to bring us this information. See for yourself

An epic 3-D debut in works for "Beowulf" (Reuters)
   Reuters - Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis is continuing his love affair with 3-D technology.

Michael J. Fox makes stem cell vote push (AP)
   

AP - The symptoms of Parkinson's disease that all but ended Michael J. Fox's acting career are making him a powerfully vulnerable campaign pitchman for five Democrats who support stem cell research.

Anti-smoking messages to appear on some DVDs (Reuters)
   Reuters - Film industry veterans Bob and Harvey Weinstein will put anti-smoking video messages on DVDs of movies in which people smoke -- a move sought by U.S. states to combat teen smoking.

Tom Cruise offered three different movies
   

I guess Tom Cruise's name is still popular in some film industry circles, because the guy has options, three to be exact. The folks over at cinemablend.com give us this on Criuse:

Variety says the now freelance actor is eyeballing three new projects: Two at Warner Brothers and Fox, and one indie.

The indie is supposed to be the one he's most likely to sign up for. It's a political drama called Lions for Lambs, about a platoon of soldiers in that other place we all forget about, Afghanistan. The really interesting thing about this one is that Robert Redford may direct and star in it. Cruise would play a congressman if he joins, and Meryl Streep is already involved to play a journalist.

The other two films are also interesting. One is another war movie called Ha-Ha. Cruise would play a Gulf War vet gone mute and charged with taking care of a 9-year-old boy. The third movie is a Spike Lee joint about a man who sells back chunks of time from his life in trade for a chance to relive the worst day in it.

Tom Cruise is still a name, slightly tarnished but not even close to being ruined for good. Sure he is a loon, he's a Kate controlling anti metal health meds nut but....he gets people into theaters, he's professional on set and promotes the hell out of the films he?s in. If he chooses the right role (and all threeof these look promising) and does it well then he could be back on top in no time.

Let?s just hope it?s not the top of Oprah?s couch again.

"Cobalt 60" comic book coming to big screen (Reuters)
   Reuters - Universal Pictures has picked up the rights to the cult comic book "Cobalt 60."