Movie News: Monday, October 30

At 40, The Doors break on through -- again (Reuters)
   

Reuters - It seems to happen every decade or so.

"Prada" leads foreign box office for 4th week (Reuters)
   Reuters - "The Devil Wears Prada" remained in style at the foreign box office for the fourth weekend in a row, according to final data issued Monday, while new North American champ "Saw III" also ruled the UK.

Why Is No One Seeing Marie Antoinette?
   

I've been saying for months that there was just something about Marie Antoinette that didn't appeal to me. I don't know if it was because the trailers were horrible or if it was because of Kristen Dunst who I lost almost all interest in after Elizabethtown or if maybe it was something else.

But the fact of the matter is Marie Antoniette has been marketed, its got a big name star and a big name director (Sofia Coppola). So how on earth does this $40 million dollar film only make $9 million after its first 2 weeks of release? The real question here is: "Why is no one going to see Marie Antoinette"???

So, assuming that you didn't go to see the film (most of you haven't) tell us why you skipped this one:

Hostel 2 Teaser Trailer
   

The very first Hostel 2 trailer is up and online. Well, it's a teaser trailer. It's quite short, doesn't really show us anything from the movie itself, but they do a pretty good job of setting the tone. And what on earth is more creepy than a narrator talking in German? I submit that there is nothing more creepy.

The best part of the video though it director Eli Roth's introduction. He's laying in a bunch of blood and introduces the trailer... then looks away as if they're getting ready to film... and says "Action.... MORE BLOOD!". That was pretty funny. Anyway, you can check out the Hostel 2 teaser trailer over here.

Jack Black NOT Green Lantern!
   

Of all the superhero movie news we have been reporting lately, it seems the Green Lantern franchise seems to be the most overlooked iconic character of all. Mostly because news hit last July that Jack Black had been slated to play Hal Jordan. This would be the second time Black played a guy named Hal. But it looks like the Watchers have spoken and Jack Black is losing his Power Ring.

IESB.net Reports:

A dreadful script this site reviewed a few months back totally reinvented the beloved Green Lantern superhero into a bumbling idiot who, with his ?Fear Factor-like? tactics, receives the power ring and the battery (lantern) to become the Green Lantern.

But to see Jack Black go all School of Rock with this would just be embarassing. I thought maybe we would see a serious side to Jack Black considering the character, but it was confirmed that they were going for "zany". I said it in July and I will say it again. Making this movie slapstick and goofy will accomplish one thing. A crappy movie.

It just improved 1000% with this one peice of news.

If you would like to see Jack Black comment on it himself, you can go to this link and click PLAY.

After seeing this video, Id sooner see him play Wonder Woman than Green Lantern.

Now if they want to do PlasticMan and cant afford Jim Carey, call Black.

"Death of a President" flops at U.S. box office (Reuters)
   Reuters - The provocative film "Death of a President," which imagines the assassination of George W. Bush, bombed at the North American box office with a meager $282,000 grossed from 143 theaters in its first weekend.

Charlotte’s Web - Trailer 3
   The classic story of loyalty, trust, and sacrifice comes to life in this live-action adaptation. Fern (Dakota Fanning) is one of only two living beings who sees that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him, the runt of the litter, into a terrific and radiant pig. As Wilbur moves into a new barn, he begins a friendship with the most unlikely of creatures.

Superman Returning Official
   

I loved Superman Returns. It's not what a lot of people were wanting from a Superman film, but I believe that once you look past what you were "wanting" or "expecting", then you end up with a great film on it's own merit. Many people disagree, and that's fine, but to me Superman Returns was a great flick.

Well, according to the reliable guys over at IESB, all the "t"s have been crossed and the "i"s have been dotted and the next Superman films is greenlit and already scheduled for production starting next fall (possible September filming date". This time the budget will be slightly smaller (which is SHOULD be) at around $175 million tops, and there will be a significant DC universe villain with a ton more action.

Second, more action, tons more action is expected this time around. The studio was quite happy with the way Supes was reintroduced to the world and next time around expect to see him in full action battle mode. We’ve been told that Superman will have the battle of his life in the sequel and audiences can expect one of the ultimate baddies in the D.C. universe to come to Metropolis to pick a fight with the Man of Steel.

WHo do you think it's going to be?

Will Ferrell in new basketball movie Semi Pro
   

Will Ferrell must be getting into great shape because the next two movies he is in are sport's themed flicks. This one is called Semi Pro, and he has another in the works called Blades of Glory. The folks over at monstersandcritics.com give us this:

Will Ferrell is lacing up his high-tops for ``Semi-Pro,`` a basketball comedy from New Line Cinema. New Line executive Kent Alterman will be stepping down from company duties to make his directorial debut on the picture, which will co-star Woody Harrelson.

Written by Scot Armstrong, who worked with Ferrell on ``Old School,`` the fictional story is set in the last year of the now-defunct world of the American Basketball Assn. and follows Jackie Moon, the owner-coach-player of the fictional Flint Michigan Tropics. Moon must lead his team on a desperate attempt to make it to the big leagues.

Hey, we all know that Will Ferrell is a great comedic actor and I'm dying to see Woody Harrelson in something but this story just leaves me numb inside.

It's not that Scot Armstrong , hasn't done good work, he's written winners like Road Trip, Old School and School for Scoundrels, all very funny movies. However, usually Armstrong writes with his writer/director buddy Todd Phillips. I wonder if it was the premise that kept Phillips away from this one.

I can see the reasoning behind Ken Alterman choosing this movie for his directorial debut. A nice light comedy, a resonably high budget and experienced, reliable actors. I can even see him likeing the story because really when it is a paint by numbers plot the editing room is far less daunting. But it certainly doesn't float my boat as an audience.

Semi Pro seems to have a lot going for it, a good writer, great cast and a new director with a lot of experience and enthusiasm with films. But I can't help feeling that this movie is going to flop harder than a chubby man flying face first into a pool.

Audio Edition - October 30th 2006
   

On today's round table Darren, Doug and I are joined by a special guest. Serena Whitney from the good ship JoBlo and Arrow in the Head. On todays show we discuss:

1) Superman Returning again

2) Why no one is seeing Marie Antoinette

3) Lords of the Rings importance to the fantasy genre

4) Jesus Camp

5) Ewan McGregor offered James Bond first

6) What is the appeal of films like Hostle and Saw

All this an a few things more.

Subscribe to The Audio Edition on iTunes! iTunes will automatically download each new episode for you as soon as they go online! Just click this button. iTunes will open to the Audio Edition page. When it does, just click "subscribe". It's that easy!

Or you can manually download this installment of The Audio Edition here.

Bruxy Cavey's Site
Darren Conley's Site
Doug Nagy's Site

Down to the Bone
    ( Released: 10/31/2006   Avg. Score: 5/5     | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — Downward-spiraling drug addict Irene (Farmiga) checks herself into a rehab center in upstate New York. There, she falls in love with a fellow reformed addict (Dillon). When one of them experiences a relapse into addiction, their commitment to each other is tested. This one was inspired by a Sundance short film from 1998.

Keeping Up With the Steins
    ( Released: 10/31/2006   Rated: PG-13   Avg. Score: 3.5/5     | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — Parents Adam (Jeremy Piven) and Joanne (Jami Gertz) must splurge on a bar mitzvah to end all bar mitzvahs after their neighbors throw a Titanic-themed party for their kid.

Mission: Impossible III
    ( Released: 10/31/2006   Rated: PG-13   Avg. Score: 5/5     | Trailers | Photos | Reviews  ) — Retired from active duty, former spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) now spends his time training IMF agents. But when a lunatic arms dealer named Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) threatens the life of Hunt's protégé, Lindsay (Keri Russell), the superspy gathers his crew — old buddy Luther Strickell (Ving Rhames), transportation ace Declan (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and underground operative Zhen (Maggie Q) — to bring her back to safety. Doing so, however, causes Davian to go after Hunt's wife-to-be, Julia (Michelle Monaghan).

Smokin Aces trailer looks smokin hot!
   

Smokin Aces just jumped off of my computer screen and slapped me in the face with their new trailer. Directed and written by Joe Carnahan the same guy who did Narc, there is something about this movie that reminds me of Reservoir Dogs, in all the right ways.

The trailer has that same sort of fast paced, smart mouthed feel to it as RD's had and as an added bonus we have a very hot Alicia Keys looking badass with a gun.

Here's the plot: When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel (Piven) decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he's no longer breathing. It has a great cast with Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Ben Affleck, Jeremy Piven, Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds.

Click here to see Smokin Aces.

Farce of the Penguins Pushed Back to January
   

I have to say I was never quite enticed to watch March of the Penguins. It seemed a little TOO National Geographic to me. I know that was the point, and I know a lot of people liked it. I just couldnt muster the attention span to watch it. But THIS I might watch!

SlashFilm.com reports:

Bob Saget's spoof of the popular documentary March of the Penguins will now be headed straight to DVD.

Farce of the Penguins was originally scheduled to be rushed into theaters to quickly parody the original March, but the movie fell behind schedule and will now hit store shelves on January 30th 2007.

The film is a very adult-oriented live-action comedy which features shots of penguins overlaid with voiceovers from Jason Alexander, Dane Cook, Christina Applegate, James Belushi, Jason Biggs, Lewis Black, Whoopi Goldberg, Gilbert Gottfried, Alyson Hannigan, Jamie Kennedy, Jon Lovitz, Norm McDonald, John Stamos, and Penn Jillette. Samuel Jackson offers narration, parodying Morgan Freeman's original track from March.

We talked about this a while back and I share every bit of enthusiasm now as John did when it was first posted. Bob Saget has a WICKED sense of humour and the cast he has backing him up on this just guarantees some laughs.

The only thing bad about this movie is that we wont be able to get it until January. Would have made a great stocking stuffer for my Grandma. She loves old reruns of America's Funniest Home Videos.

Samuel Jackson to star in The Cleaner
   

Intelligent Crime Shows are the popular kids in the cafeteria lately. Your just not cool if you are not into them. So its no wonder that Hollywood wants to put them out on the big screen. This one seems to stand a head above the others and has me really interested.

Cinematical says:

The Cleaner, a thriller scripted by Matthew Aldrich. The Cleaner, Jackson, playing an ataxaphobic neat-freak who cleans up crime scenes for a living, must overcome his compulsive fear of untidiness in order to solve a murder that he helped cover up while doing his job. As he investigates the crime, he eventually uncovers secrets of his past that threaten to change his life forever.

Indiana Jones had to deal with snakes to get the prize. He faced his fear. But he had a gun and a whip. Jackson is just a highly trained janitor who works for the cast of CSI. Looks like he "cleaned" some evidence and now has to deal with his compulsion to solve the case himself.

Im calling my mom. She said there is no such thing as "too clean". Im gonna tell her shes wrong!

Who the $#%& is Jackson Pollock?
    ( Release: Nov. 15, 2006   Rated: PG-13 (MPAA)    Details  ) — Teri Horton, a 73-year-old former long-haul truck driver with an eighth grade education, buys a painting in a thrift shop for five dollars, but unbeknownst to her, the artist is Jackson Pollock. Documentary filmmaker Harry Moses explores the hidden life of the iconic painter.

Umrao Jaan
    ( Release: Nov. 3, 2006   Rated: Not Rated    Details  ) — Indian director J.P. Dutta fashions a lavish Bollywood musical out of a classic Urdu novel about a courtesan (Aishwarya Rai) who writes poetry and dreams of finding true love.

Review: 'Borat' an ingenious comedy (AP)
   

AP - In U.S. and A., people can be bigoted. And homophobic and misogynistic, and just closed-minded in general. And that becomes glaringly, uproariously clear through the innocent eyes of Borat Sagdiyev, a Kazakh TV journalist (and we use the term loosely) who travels to the United States to make a documentary and bring his findings back to his homeland.

Filmmaker sees lessons in Iranian history (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Iranian artist Shirin Neshat plans to shoot a film about the United States overthrowing a democratically-elected government in Iran to gain control of the nation's vast oil supplies.

"Hip Hop" jumps to movie theaters via ThinkFilm (Reuters)
   Reuters - Indie distributor ThinkFilm has picked up "The Hip Hop Project," a documentary about a one-time homeless New York teenager who encourages the musical aspirations of other troubled teens.

Brenneman, Smits sign up for "Book Club" (Reuters)
   

Reuters - "NYPD Blue" alumni Amy Brenneman and Jimmy Smits will play an unhappy couple, and "Lost" star Maggie Grace their lesbian daughter in "The Jane Austen Book Club," a feature adaptation of the Karen Joy Fowler novel.

New DVD releases include `M:i3' (AP)
   AP - Selected home-video releases:

Hollywood loads up on Christmas spirit (AP)
   AP - Hollywood has outdone itself on Christmas spirit.

`Saw III' scares box office competition (AP)
   AP - "Saw III," a horror sequel released just before Halloween, cut up its competitors to lead the weekend box office with $33.6 million.

Tim Allen says being Santa isn't easy (AP)
   AP - Tim Allen, who donned 75 pounds of costuming and makeup for "The Santa Clause" movies, says the four hours of preparation required to become the big guy weren't easy.

Reese Witherspoon & Ryan Phillippe split (AP)
   

AP - Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, who started the year on an Oscar-winning high, are ending it on a low note: The couple have separated.

Review: 'Borat' _ it is good! (AP)
   AP - In U.S. and A., people can be bigoted. And homophobic and misogynistic, and just closed-minded in general.