Movie News: Tuesday, November 21

France bans Saw III for minors
   France is a country that people either love or hate, get ready to hear some more news that will either have you cheering or booing for the place where women tan topless and age gracefully. The people over at yahoo.com give us this: The French culture minister sat through a screening of horror flick "Saw III" ? and wasn't happy with what he saw. Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres announced in a statement...

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Shawshank In A Minute
   Oh man, the good folks over at Cinematical pointed me to this fantastic little video. It's from the guys at JibJab. It's a quick 2 minute rap summary of on of the very best films of all time, The Shawshank Redemption. Good stuff. Check it out.

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Robert Altman: 1925 - 2006
   It is a sad day for film fans everywhere. Robert Altman, genius, visionary, maverick, has passed away at the age of 81. One of the true greats in the movie world has left us, and he'll never be replaced. Back in January I wrote the following about Altman when it was announced he was going to be the recipient of this past years Honorary Oscar. I'm glad they gave it to him when they...

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101 Most Influential People who Never Lived
   Obviously the film industry is part of the mix in what shapes our lives and our experiences. I personally quote movies like they are part of my own vocabulary and though not everyone does that, most people know exactly what I mean when I say it. Since everyone LOVES lists, I think people might actually be interested in this book. Yes, a book (You know those things with the pages that movies...

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Get Smart Gets Hathaway and Carell
   Now of all the cinematic remakes of 60s and 70s sitcoms and copshows go, I have never been overly excited about any of them. Until now. One of my fondest memories as a kid was sitting with my dad on the couch watching Get Smart. I think that 99 was likely my first real tv crush. At least as early as I can remember. Now they are making a movie with Maxwell Smart being played by 40 Year Old...

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Like Women? Like Movies? Wanna Be In One? - The MOVIE I mean.
   Okay fellas, if your life is panning out anything like mine, one day you'll find yourself befriending people you'd never think you'd meet let alone hang out with. Victoria is one of those people. Her and 5 of her friends would love your help -- and to do so, all you need to do is come out to a strip club. No really. Life's tough, huh? Can you get to Midland, Ontario? Okay, here's the...

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Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
   This is great news! As some of you may remember, I recently attended the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. The absolute highlight of the festival for me was the screning of Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. It is seriously one of the best, funniest, and most creative projects I've seen in a long long time. Right after I got home from seeing the film, I instantly wrote to people I...

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Jackson's Frodo Farewell (E! Online)
   

E! Online - Has the ringmaster lost his precious for good?

Sally Field comedy set for December release (Reuters)
   

Reuters - MGM has acquired worldwide rights to "Two Weeks," a bittersweet comedy starring Sally Field. It has set a December 1 release.

Minors barred from horror film "Saw 3" in France (Reuters)
   

Reuters - In a rare ruling, France's minister of culture decided on Tuesday to bar minors from seeing the horror movie "Saw 3" after personally viewing the film which he said contained "incessant and unbearable sadism."

Kazakh president laughs off "Borat" controversy (Reuters)
   

Reuters - There's no such thing as bad publicity, the president of Kazakhstan joked on Tuesday as he welcomed the attention lavished on his country by the comedy film "Borat."

Robert Altman Dies at 81 (E! Online)
   

E! Online - Robert Altman once summed up his moviemaking career as "one, long film.

Wesley Snipes says he's a `scapegoat' (AP)
   

AP - Wesley Snipes has told a newspaper columnist he is being unfairly targeted by federal prosecutors who indicted him on tax fraud charges.

List of Robert Altman films (AP)
   

AP - Films of Robert Altman as director, producer or writer include:

Biopics are perennial Oscar lures (AP)
   AP - Actors playing Truman Capote and June Carter Cash won top honors this year at the Academy Awards. Next year, actors playing Queen Elizabeth II and Idi Amin could do the same.

'History Boys' goes from stage to screen (AP)
   

AP - When Samuel Barnett and Dominic Cooper landed the roles of Posner and Dakin, respectively, in Alan Bennett's play "The History Boys," they were expecting an 80-show run at England's National Theater. Instead, the parts lasted for nearly three years, leading to a world tour that included a Tony-honored run on Broadway, stops in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Los Angeles — and finally a movie adaptation with them keeping their roles.

Director Robert Altman dies at 81 (AP)
   

AP - Robert Altman, a five-time Academy Award nominee for best director whose vast, eclectic filmography ranged from the dark war comedy "M-A-S-H" to the Hollywood farce "The Player" to the British murder mystery "Gosford Park," has died of complications from cancer. He was 81.

Paul Rudnick has fun with gay marriage (AP)
   AP - Early in Paul Rudnick's new play, a man is asked if he ever considered marrying his longtime companion.

'Saw III' banned for minors in France (AP)
   AP - The French culture minister sat through a screening of horror flick "Saw III" — and wasn't happy with what he saw. Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres announced in a statement Tuesday that he would prohibit minors under 18 from seeing the film, which opens this week in France.

Jackson says he won't be making `Hobbit' (AP)
   AP - Peter Jackson says he will not be directing a movie based on J.R.R. Tolkien's novel "The Hobbit" or a planned prequel to "The Lord of the Rings."

Movie Review - Don
   DON is Shah Rukh Khan film all the way. The superstar literally breathes fire into his character of a ruthless and clever Don. He has taken the risk of being compared with the master showman who had done the role previously with amazing ease. Though Shah Rukh seems to be imitating Bachchan at times, there is no denying the fact that he does impress on his own right.

Movie Preview - Vivah
   Rajshri Productions is known for its portrayal of larger than life weddings of a large family. We saw the mega marriages in their earlier ventures like MAINE PYAR KIYA, HUM AAPKE HAI KAUN, and HUM SAATH SAATH HAI etc. The production house, which has a special bond for marriages, now comes out with a new film in the name of marriage itself - VIVAH .

Cruise, Holmes arrive in Maldives (AP)
   

AP - Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes began a honeymoon in the Maldives, a government official said Tuesday, after the couple married in a 15th-century castle in Italy over the weekend.

Movie Review - Jaanemann
   Salman Khan, being the center point of the love puzzle, looms above the rest. He gets the meatiest role and makes an unforgettable mark though he is a bit loud in the initial reels.Akshay is quite convincing in playing the shy, clumsy, giggly and tongue-tied Chimpu (his nickname in college). Later he transforms into a little more suave astronaut, but he retains certain awkwardness in his character - a laudable performance.

Movie Preview - Dhoom 2
   DHOOM 2 has been extensively shot in various locations including the desert of Namibia, the backwaters of Goa, the mean streets of Mumbai, and the ancient forts of Rajasthan. You also get to see the most exotic place, Rio, Brazil in the movie. The amazing stars and exotic locales ensure you a visual treat. You have thrilling action sequences, hi-tech heists, breathtaking chases, and a lot of fun to pep up the excitement.

Movie Preview - Baabul
   BAABUL revolves around the family consisting Balraj Kapoor (Amitabh Bachchan), Shobhna (Hema Malini), and their son Avinash (Salman Khan). The story moves ahead with time and depicts the life of two generations of the same family. BAABUL is en emotional drama that looks into the changes in time of crisis.

Movie Preview - Risk
   RISK is Vishram Sawant's second film as director. He made his debut as a director with Ram Gopal Varma's 'D' and now he is all set to come out with a new film independently. Though he has done it on his own he has chosen a subject, which is pet to his mentor RGV.The honest and upright cop Suryakant (Randeep Hooda) is in a dilemma. His family and his love interest Shradha (Tanushree Datta), come in the way of his duty.

Movie Review - Umrao Jaan
   The film, based on Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa's novel, tells you the tale of Umrao Jaan Ada, a royal courtesan in 19th century Lucknow. The film is visually rich and the performances are by and large excellent. Aishwarya Rai, around whom the movie revolves, has lived up to the expectations with her amazing looks and wonderful acting.

Gambit In X-Men 4
   There are hundreds and hundreds of characters in the X-Men universe and only a precious limited amount of screen time. THerefore, not everyone can get in. Many people have complained about their various favorite characters not making the cut, but no character had a bigger outcry than Gambit... and for good reason. He's a rich character with a huge following. The problem has always been, as...

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Rainn WIlson of The Office to play ninjas with Jason Reitman
   I'm a big fan of Rainn Wilson's character Dwight on the office, and I loved the film Thank You for Smoking directed by Jason Reitman. So it was a pleasure this morning when I got the news from yahoo.com about their pairing up for a new ninja comedy, here's the word on the street: Rainn Wilson, who plays the sycophantic Dwight on "The Office," is making his screenwriting debut on a project in...

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Constantine sequel in works with Keanu Reeves on board
   Constantine was mildly enjoyed by audiences in North America but overseas it was a massive hit. So because Keanu Reeves wouldn't mind playing the role again there will now be a sequel. Here's what the people over at moviehole.net have to say: Constantine was huge foreign, international, therefore, there is a good financial reason to make a sequel?, producer Lauren Schuler Donner tells the site....

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Jackson goes public with "Hobbit" dispute (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Much to the distress of his fans, Peter Jackson has said he no longer plans to direct "The Hobbit," a prequel to his mega-successful "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, because of an ongoing accounting and legal dispute with New Line Cinema.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Trailer
   Today is the day that the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Trailer is supposed to be up on the net. The trailer originally was shown before Happy Feet this weekend, and is now available for wide release. Or is it? Movie Web says:Warner Bros. has provided us with the first 10-seconds of the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix teaser trailer that will not be available until...

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Audio Edition - November 20th 2006
   On today's Round Table I am joined by regulars Bruxy Cavey, Doug Nagy, Darren Conley and Movie Blog poster Wormwood! Today we discuss: 1) No Peter Jackson for The Hobbit 2) Gambit for X-Men 4 3) Happy Feet Beats Bond! 4) Bruxy and John review Casino Royale 5) 28th aniversary of the Star Wars Holiday Special 6) The Death of VHS 7) Reflections on Porn (our favorite porn moments) 8)...

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Bjork, Barney documentary lands U.S. release (Reuters)
   Reuters - IFC Entertainment and the Weinstein Co. have co-acquired North American rights to the artist documentary "Matthew Barney: No Restraint," featuring pop singer Bjork and about 40,000 pounds of petroleum jelly.

Bond bounces "Borat" at foreign box office (Reuters)
   Reuters - As the major studios maneuver to position their holiday season offerings overseas, the newest James Bond offering got an early start by unseating "Borat" for weekend honors.