FILM: New to the Box Office - 8/31

Death Sentence

When I first saw the trailer for this Kevin Bacon thriller, I was astounded by how excited I was to see the star of Footloose morph into a vengeance-seeking bad ass. In the film, an unfortunate tragedy occurs when Bacon's son is murdered during a gang initiation. Justice is not served, so Bacon does what every parent whose child has been a victim of gang violence wished they could do. He kills them all. Starring opposite him is newbie Garrett Hedlund (Friday Night Lights), who has been really trying ever genre since his feature debut in Troy--from sports to drama (Four Brothers) to fantasy (Eragon) to romantic comedy (Georgia Rule) and now a thriller.


Balls of Fury

Christopher Walken--in my generation--has always been thought of as that crazy old guy who danced throughout the entire Fatboy Slim "Weapon of Choice" video like he was in a Broadway musical and not 58 years old. Whatever happened to that bad ass who made you forget your name when you locked eyes with him? Well, wherever he is he won't be watching this pathetic attempt at mocking professional ping pong players--yes, they exist--with a supposedly comical addition of action sequences. Newcomer Dan Fogler (School for Scoundrels) stars as a player who is recruited by the FBI--George Lopez just trying to pay the bills--to enter a tournament and get evidence against his father's murderer (Walken). Sounds riveting.


Halloween

It's a never ending saga. They just won't let Mike Meyers die. Rob Zombie chose to remake John Carpenter's legendary horror flick, a story about a 17 year old psychopath who is accidentally released from the insane asylum he was institutionalized in since he was 10. Let the mayhem begin.


The Nines

Ryan Reynolds is trying his hand at a little less comedy and "action" for an indie mystery/horror/thriller that's basically a puzzle. It consists of three short films that feature the same actors in different roles. One is about a house-arrested TV star who questions whether two women are deceiving him about the nature of his incarceration. The second is a behind the scenes documentary on the production of a reality show. And the third is about a video game designer stranded in the woods with his wife and daughter, who discovers secret info that'll lead to a difficult decision. The stories are intertwined to examine the relationship between creator and creation. What the number 9 hast to do with anything? I don't know. It seems deeply philosophical for an end-of-summer flick. Also starring in the film are Hope Davis ("Six Degrees"), Elle Fanning (Babel), and Melissa McCathy (Sookie on "Gilmore Girls").

MUSIC: Britney Spear's new single, "Gimme more"

Britney's new single "Gimme more"!
It's an acceptable club hit--complete with all of 3 lyrics. I mean, it isn't a Grammy winner, but I guess it'll do for the end of the summer.

MUSIC: Alicia Keys' new single "No One"

"No One" by Alicia Keys

If Beyonce is the Queen of Pop R&B, who gets you on your feet to shake your moneymaker, then Alicia Keys is the Queen of Soul R&B, who with just a few notes can evoke a sadness in even the happiest person. For her first single in 4 years, since the release of the Grammy award winning album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, she's chosen a piano-driven ballad about loving against all odds. Since her last #1 single was recorded with Usher, it was sort of expected that her next release would have been her collaboration with John Mayer--since there was so much hype around it. But she could just be testing the waters.

On the track, itself, she sounds like she's wailing. But if you're a veteran Keys fan, you'll know that it's just the intensity of her emotions amplified. However, Keys usually stays away from musical compositions that require her to sing at high pitches, known more for her deep intonations--especially in live performances. This could be her attempt at evolution. We'll see when the album--featuring Mayer, Timbaland, Marsha Ambrosius (Floetry), and Linda Perry--hits stores in November 2007.

FILM: Box Office Results - 8/27/07

It seems the audience is McLOVIN Superbad. It's #1 again, reaching $68 mil. As for the newbies to the box office, miraculously in the lead is Mr. Bean's Holiday. Apparently, the end of the summer is primo tiempo for comedies. It came in at #4 with $10.1 mil. On it's heels is War at #5 with $10 mil. I'm guessing Statham needs to find a new trick quick before he loses his bankability. The ladies were MIA from the theaters, pinning The Nanny Diaries to the #6 spot with a shameful $7.8 mil. Critics thought Laura Linney (Breach) was its only treat. Could Johansson be losing her touch? And will Evans ever deliver on a leading man role? Well, at least they did better than her ex-boyfriend's movie, Resurrecting the Champ, which didn't even place in the top 10 and only scraped together $1.8 mil. The critics knocked it the fuck out, often citing its attempt to examine "journalistic integrity" as its downfall. It seems they might have been a bit offended. Dedication made $24,000 in the 4 theaters it was released in, which is relatively good. But the critics weren't too fond of Justin Theroux's directorial debut, complaining about it's predictable plot and uninteresting dialogue. Ethan Hawke's Hottest State, however, got rave reviews from big critics for its direction and effective dramatic scenes. Lastly, DiCpario's 20-theater release raked in $150,000, which I'm assuming will go towards...charity.

Rounding out the top 5 are Bourne Ultimatum and Rush Hour 3. The Invasion got so much bad buzz after its debut last week that it dropped five spots to #10 and has only reached to $11 mil. And Harry Potter has finally dropped out of the top 10 with a domestic gross of $283 mil.

Next week, we've got the horror rehash Halloween, the dummed down, slapstick comedy Balls of Fury, the bad ass action flick Death Sentence, and the mind-boggling indie The Nines.

FILM: New to the Box Office - 8/24/07

The Nanny Diaries

This movie was supposed to come out in March, but the producers delayed it so it could be considered for awards. What awards? It's a romantic comedy with kiddie slapstick. That's like giving an award to the Princess Diaries--I loved it, but come on. Like Anne Hathaway's modern princess tale, The Nanny Diaries is an adaptation. I didn't read the book--I meant to, I swear--but from the trailer I've gathered that Scarlett Johansson's signed up for a live-in nanny job to take care of a neglected little boy with a WASPy tight ass of a mother. Not to mention, she conveniently finds a hot neighbor, Chris Evans (Fantastic Four), to crush on and, of course, humiliate herself in front of. It's like Uptown Girls with a side of Spanglish and maybe a dash of The Devil wears Prada. It should make for a lot of laughs.

Resurrecting the Champ

Josh Hartnett has been MIA from the box office since last Fall, and now he returns with Samuel L. Jackson in tote. The underlying gist of this sports drama is to convince the audience that maybe, just maybe, that poor defenseless homeless person stinking up the train car was once a great man and he shouldn't be overlooked. It's a tad farfetched, but makes for quite the tearjerker. Many films chronicle the rise and fall of good-natured individuals: Wall Street, The Firm, etc. But not many make the effort to rebuild a man from scratch at the very beginning of a film. Hartnett plays his Geppetto in the form of a meddling sports journalist who's green around the gills and eager to dodge his father's shadow. While vying to reveal to the masses that he's unearthed a famous boxer believed to be dead, he simultaneously reinvigorates a broken man and reevaluates his own worth. This is a definite Oscar-maybe IF done correctly. Who knows?

War

I read a while back that Jet Li is going up against Jackie Chan. I am way more psyched about that than his faceoff with Jason Statham in this cop action flick about seeking revenge on a determined hitman. Don't get me wrong. Statham can kick major ass--when it's against other non-Asian people. But there's no way I'm going to buy that he can beat Li. Not unless he runs him over with a car. BUT, if by some miracle chance you aren't tired of watching explosions and sporadic fight scenes, then hit the theaters for another dose of a film high on spectacle on low on dialogue.


Mr. Bean's Holiday

Rowan Atkinson is one of very few British comedians who do tremendously well in U.S theaters. That mainly comes from his popular shtick of a seemingly mute, socially-retarded, child-like guy who wanders aimlessly, accidentally causing trouble everywhere he goes. He really has made a career out of beating the same joke to death...repeatedly--with a twist every now and then. This time, Bean wins a vacation to France and bumps into a director on his way to Cannes Film Festival. When the director gets stranded, Bean is left to the task of safely accompanying the director's son to the festival. And, of course, mayhem ensues. It's a different kind of humor that isn't as explicit as Superbad, but if consumed in the right mood, could be as funny.


Dedication

Justin Theroux is stepping out of the actor's seat for a while and into more stressful professions. Next year he'll co-write his first film, with Ben Stiller directing. But this is his directorial debut. In this dry romantic comedy, Billy Crudup (Almost Famous) plays an anal-retentive, obsessive complusive prick who, unlike Bean, is the unattractive kind of socially-retarded. Mandy Moore plays Crudup's illustrator, but her services are kind of useless since he has writer's block. I guess you could say he won't be able to find the words to write until he finds the right words to win her over. Crudup is surprisingly good at being a jerk and Moore's mellow behavior is mesmerizing to watch--you're just waiting for her to break out in song in this solemn performance. It's a nice contrast to The Nanny Diaries.


Hottest State

Ethan Hawke has been trying on a lot of hats in the past couple of years: screenwriter, author, and director. And now he's managed to where all of them for this film. It's a drama about two love birds, Mark Webber (Snow Day) and Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), who are trying to follow their artistic dreams in New York without forfeiting their relationship, their morals, and their life goals. Obviously there's going to be a lot of tension and philosophizing, so if the dialogue isn't killer, the film will surely die.


The 11th Hour

Leonardo DiCaprio does his part to assist Al Gore in his campaign to save the world. Who needs a costume and a cool alter ego when you can make a documentary featuring notable actors, activists, politicians, and scientists helping you instill a great concern in the people of America. But he's not just trying to make you feel guilty. Bring a pen and pad (and a flashlight--or use your cell phone) because there will be fun facts on how YOU can save the world too. He'll clue you in on new technology (you probably can't afford) that'll decrease toxic emissions and bad habits you should ban from you everyday routine (which will be as hard to do as quitting smoking). And for those of you ladies (and gents) who are shamelessly in love with DiCaprio, he's not just the documentary's voice, but its face too.

FILM: Box Office Results - 8/20/07

SUPERGOOD! I knew--if you didn't--that Superbad was going to do tremendously well. It reached #1 making a cool $31 mil. The New Yorker's David Denby said it best: "The movie succeeds as a teen’s wild fantasy of a night in which everything goes wrong, revised by an adult’s melancholy sense that nothing was ever meant to go right."

Scifi thriller The Invasion, on the other hand, got no love. It did debut at #5 with $6 mil, but it probably won't fair well in the second week since the critics butchered it. It already started off on the wrong foot since it's the second remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Then it's release date was delayed because the producers weren't too fond of German director Oliver Hirschbiegel's ending and they decided to bring in the Wachowski brothers (Matrix) to wrap it up. Critics cite the dull vibe of Hirschbiegel's camera work oddly mixed with the the spectacle of the Wachowski's action scenes as one of the reasons it just didn't work. Entertainment Weekly gave it a B-, while the Tomatometer averaged 30% good reviews.

I was hoping The Last Legion did well and although it didn't get into the top 10, it made it to the #12 spot with $2.5 mil domestically and $4 mil in foreign theaters. Apparently the lack of press wasn't its downfall, so much as its poorly executed production and script. As for the UK indie Death at a Funeral, it made $2.5 mil worldwide, which isn't bad for just 200 theaters compared to Superbad's 3,000. Even though Entertainment Weekly gave it a C+, other critics were impressed enough to get it a 75% on the Tomatometer.

Despite the fact that the critics wooped Rush Hour 3's ass, it still stuck around in the #2 spot, reaching $88 mil. Bourne Ultimatum and The Simpsons--which have both reached $165 mil--are rounding out the the top 5. Stardust dropped a couple spots but is still hanging on to the #6 with just $20 mil. Daddy Day Camp and Skinwalkers did so badly they didn't even place in the top 12. Surprisingly though Hairspray is at $100 mil, Chuck and Larry is at $110 mil, and Underdog is up to $30 mil. But surely it's no shock to anyone that Harry Potter is closing in on $300 mil domestically and $900 mil worldwide.

There won't be a lot of shake up next weekend for the top 5 spots since there isn't much competition. Debuting will be a handful of celebrity-directed indies: Leonardo DiCaprio's global warming documentary The 11th Hour, Ethan Hawke's The Hottest State, and Justin Theroux's (Broken English) directorial debut Dedication starring Mandy Moore. Mr. Bean's Holiday comedy goes up against Scarlett Johansson's comedic adaptation of The Nanny Diaries, while Jet Li and Jason Statham's action flick War and Josh Hartnett and Samuel L. Jackson's boxing drama Resurrecting the Champ will go unchallenged. If I weren't headed to the theaters to see Superbad, I'd probably catch the Nanny Diaries and have plans to rent War and Resurrecting the Champ.

FILM: Dark Knight Teaser Pics

I gave you a sneak peek of the trailer straight from this year's Comic Con a few days ago and now here are pics revealing the maniacal Joker played by Heath Ledger. It looks like he's really trying to top Cillian Murphy's psychotic Scarecrow.

FILM: New to the Box Office - 8/17/07

SUPERBAD (explicit trailer version)

It's finally arrived...the day three boys try (really hard) to become men. Michael Cera ("Arrested Development"), Jonah Hill (Knocked Up), and newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse star in this teen comedy as bumbling idiots who are trying to, essentially, get laid. Jonah has to score booze for the hot girl who "invites" him to a party. Michael has to feign normalcy to bag his crush. And Chris spends most of the film hanging out with the dumbest police officers that have ever been certified by an academy, Seth Rogen (Knocked Up) and Bill Hader (Hot Rod). I'd say it's American Graffiti meets Can't Hardly Wait if the leads were unapologetically realistic. This will go down in history as a teen comedy favorite. I can see the t-shirts now. I, myself, will be purchasing a "McLovin!" t-shirt the second it goes on the market.


THE INVASION

I'm not really a fan of the rigid Nicole Kidman or--to be perfectly honest--alien action movies. Not sure why. I think after watching War of the Worlds I've given up on trying to enjoy them. But when I first saw this trailer I was pretty interested in finding out how Kidman's character plans on getting her son out of a city filled with, essentially, pod people who've been possessed by aliens. It's an entire city. What are you going to do? It's not like you're Mila Jovovich in Resident Evil. Perhaps some of you will be enticed enough to go find out. A few things that might persuade you to go see it: Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) is playing a supporting role and James McTeigue, who visually impressed us with V for Vendetta, is co-directing.


DEATH AT A FUNERAL

Two brothers try to prevent their dead father's gay lover (Peter Dinklage from Underdog) from outing him at his funeral. Not only does this British black comedy feature Matthew Macfadyen (Pride & Prejudice), who's usually tapped for more subdued lead roles, and Alan Tudyk (A Knight's Tale), who's usually the butt of every joke, but it also takes place in the midst of the most topsy turvy funeral there ever was. Whatever you can imagine can go wrong at a funeral does. Leave it to the Brits, who can capture the ineptitude of bosses in "The Office," to make death awkward.


THE LAST LEGION

It seems 300 has inspired the creation of more epic tales of battles that we thought we broke free from once Alexander bombed. This one revolves around Excalibur. It's not what you think. We've heard the story of only the rightful king being able to pull it from the rock, thus crowning King Arthur. This, however, is the story of the boy (Thomas Sangster from Nanny McPhee) who was destined to find it before it was plunged into the rock, the story of 3 people who would protect him and fight hundreds of warriors until he fulfilled his destiny. Those three are the venerable Ben Kingsley (You Kill Me), playing a sorcerer, the well-known romantic lead Colin Firth (Bridget Jones' Diary), playing his guardian, and legendary cross over Indian actress Aishwarya Rai (Bride & Prejudice), playing a warrior. It looks like an interesting story, but it really doesn't have enough star power (amateur writers and directors) to evoke mass hysteria.

MUSIC: Fergie and Sean Kingston collabo

17-year-old Sean Kingston seems to be the break out artist of the summer, because of his crooning ballad "Beautiful Girls." So much so he's just cut a remix with Fergie on her girl-power anthem of the summer "Big Girls Don't Cry," where he plays the part of the guy begging her to stay. Can two of the summer's most favored artists make an even bigger splash together?



I'm not too impressed.

FILM: Dark Knight Teaser Trailer

Oh, I'm as psyched as you are! Check out this quick glimpse of Heath Ledger's Joker.

FILM: Box Office Results - 8/13/07

Despite its bad reviews, Rush Hour 3 debuted at #1 with $49 mil. And ironically, the well-reviewed magic movie Stardust came in at #4 with $9 mil. However, all became right with the world when Daddy Day Camp came in at #10 with close to $5 mil. Unsurprisingly pathetic. And like I said it would, Skinwalkers bombed like William Hung on "American Idol," making less than a million dollars. For an indie, 2 Days in Paris did relatively well with $173,000, and Rocket Science made $58,000.

Bourne Ultimatum, The Simpsons, and Hairspray are still in the top 5. Underdog didn't suffer beneath the wait of criticisms, staying strong in the top 10 at #6. And No Reservations is finally picking up steam falling to #9, but grossing $32 mil so far, which is reasonable for a romantic drama. This weekend there will be a definite box office shake up when the Seth Rogen-masterminded, teen comedy Superbad and the scifi thriller Invasion hits theaters. Either The Simpsons or Hairspray will have to forfeit their place in the top 5.

FILM: New to the Box Office - 8/10/07

STARDUST

Alright, alright, enough with the Michelle-Pfeiffer's-still-hot-at-50 crap! Let's focus on the movie. Okay so a star falls out of the sky and when it makes impact with the Earth it turns into...Claire Danes. Apparently gutting her like a fish and ripping her heart out will give Pfeiffer's wicked witch character back her youth. Why are witches always vain? Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the most vapid of them all? Charlie Cox (Casanova) plays Danes' knight-in-shining-rags who protects her at every cost and of course falls madly in love with her--despite the fact that he begins the film doting on Sienna Miller. From the trailer, you can tell Cox is really good at interchanging between bumbling idiot to brave swordsman. Ricky Gervais ("Extras") is the actual comic relief. And somehow Robert Deniro factors himself into this peculiar equation as a pirate captain to a flying ship. Let's see. Magic + Pirates + Witches + Romance + Heroism = the perfect topping to a summer full of fun blockbusters.

RUSH HOUR 3

One really loud obnoxious black man and one really heroic Asian guy go to Paris, and even in the city of love they can't go five seconds without getting in trouble. Apparently the Chinese triad is "vacationing" in Paris--offing French secret policemen left and right. Piggybacking on all the slapstick fun are Vinnie Jones (X-Men: The Last Stand), Hiroyuki Sanada (Sunshine) as the kingpin, Roselyn Sanchez ("Without a Trace"), and newcomers French Noemie Lenoir, as a valuable informant, and Chinese Jingchu Zhang, who'll join in on the action. It should have a lot of laughs mixed with insane action.


DADDY DAY CAMP

I thought the first film, Daddy Day Care, was pretty funny. But not funny enough for a sequel. I get it. Kids say and do the darndest things, but not for 2hrs. Maybe the newest generation will find it quite enjoyable, because a tall fat guy getting hit in the head and a kid spontaneously puking on an adult is too overdone for any teenager. And of course they also diminshed the sequel's credibility by switching out the original main characters, Eddie Murphy and Jeff Garlin, for two other black and fat guys, replacing them with Cuba Gooding Jr--who has hit a new low--and Paul Rae (Air Buddies).


SKINWALKERS

There was a time when Jason Behr ("Roswell") had potential. That was five years ago. Now he's getting parts like Buffy's boyfriend in The Grudge and C-grade horror flicks about warring werewolf clans called skinwalkers who want to abduct a 13-year-old boy who's about to go through puberty in the most mystical way possible. This poor kid is the deciding factor on whether or not these werewolves survive. Apparently, there's a gene that separates humans from animals and skinwalkers are born without it. The good skinwalkers want to end the curse and make sure the boy never tastes blood, and the bad skinwalkers want to feast on the flesh of all mankind. The boy has until the rise of the red moon to decide, and chances are his non-skinwalker mom might have to kill him. Despite all the mysticism, there's a lot of gunslinging and explosions. It's not hard to imagine that this isn't exactly worthy of a place in your DVD collection, but if you're feening for some blood lust this could be your ticket.


2 DAYS IN PARIS

Juliette Delpy (Before Sunset) and Adam Goldberg (Deja Vu) play a couple who vacation in Paris. Delpy, being the Parisian-native, visits her parents and runs into a truckload of ex-lovers, making Goldberg the insecure, jealous, muttering boyfriend. By the trailer I can tell there'll be a lot of French-hateration as well as plenty of signature Goldberg humor.


ROCKET SCIENCE

It's your usual coming-of-age story about a geeky kid, Reece Thompson ("Three Moons Over Milford"), who's learning about girls and trying to master socializing, while also trying to survive his screwy family and a bully of an older brother. If anything it could be Thompson's stepping stone into better roles.

MUSIC: J.Lo's double single release

Jennifer Lopez is back in a big way. Not only did her indie El Cantante
re-solidify her place as a respected Latina actress in Hollywood, but she's just released 2 new singles to the airwaves.

"Do it Well"

First up is this very old school--with a big band in the background--beat that's got her rhyming faster than usual--which should make for interesting performances--and has reawakened her Jenny from the block status.


"Hold it, don't drop it"


This one has the same production, but it's more vocal-driven. It almost sounds like an Amerie-throw away.

Perhaps being married to Marc Anthony and going back in time for her film has made J.Lo go old school.

FILM: Box Office Results - 8/6/07

Andy Samberg must be so embarassed. Underdog came in at #3 with $12 mil making Hot Rod--at #9--it's bitch. They weren't exactly competing for the same fans, but grossing $5 mil out of the gate is pathetic. At least they did better than Bratz, which came in at #10 with $4 mil. I guess there weren't enough preteens with low self esteem to take this into the top 5. Of course, Bourne Ultimatum--which got good reviews all around--came in at #1 with $70 mil.

It's a shame word didn't get out to the rest of the public that Becoming Jane was a pretty decent period piece and James McAvoy was an incredible sight to behold, since it only made a million dollars. El Cantante, the Hispanic indie masterminded by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, surprisingly came in at #12 with $3 mil despite bad reviews regarding production and directing. Lopez, however, was congratulated on making a successful comeback. The Ten was only released in 25 theaters, making $117,000.

The Simpsons is still going strong at #2, amounting to $128 mil; Chuck and Larry are at #4 and Hairspray's at #5. Despite No Reservations' poor entry last week, it's at #7 behind Harry Potter, still hanging in there. Ratatouille finally dropped out of the top 10 with $188 mil. Transformers is teetering dangerously close to the edge at #8. But that's okay since it's almost up to $300 mil.

Next week the Comic Con-appreciated Stardust premieres and Rush Hour 3 hits theaters, which should make for an interesting box office shuffle. And if kids really do love watching other kids have unlimited freedom, then the sequel Daddy Day Camp should do quite well.

FILM: Kevin Bacon's Comeback

Death Sentence

Alright, so I love Footloose. But to be honest, it's the only movie I've ever enjoyed Kevin Bacon in. I even thought his skit on "Will and Grace" was annoying. So after watching this trailer today--before enjoying Bourne Ultimatum--I was shocked to discover how pumped I was to see Kevin go from clean cut family man to vengeance-seeking bad ass. Turns out his character's son, a hockey star in the making, was a victim of a gang initiation during a convenience store robbery. When justice was not served to the teenage murderer, Bacon's character decides to retaliate on his own. It's basically a visual manifestation of the psychological deterioration of a broken man. But to be perfectly honest, I love it cause the stunts are insane. After he kills his son's murderer, the gang targets his wife and youngest son. So what does he do? Forfeits his soul to take theirs to hell. Drops one of those sons of bitches off the top floor of a parking complex. Revenge scenarios are one of the easiest plots to sell. You've got everyone rooting for the good guy and gunning for the bad guys to be buried ASAP. I'm in.
Release Date: Aug. 31

FILM: Ang Lee's return inspires a generation

Lust Caution

It's been two years since Ang Lee released Brokeback Mountain and he hasn't quite gotten tired of the romance genre...and boy does he know how to make it interesting. Lust Caution is about a girl who agrees to take out a target by seducing him and puts more than her life in danger. I can guarantee that it'll get good reviews, but I'm not quite sure if the Academy will be as generous as before.
Release Date: Sept. 28

It seems like love is in the air...

Hottest State

Written and directed by Ethan Hawke, this is a romantic drama about two people trying to make it in Hollywood against all odds while trying to make their relationship work. Mark Webber (Snow Day) is an actor in the making--ushered along by Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain) and Catalino Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace). It could be a very brief achievement for Hawke and maybe an extended one for Webber.
Release Date: Aug. 24

FILM: New to the Box Office - 8/3/07

BOURNE ULTIMATUM

All week newspapers and blogs have been comparing Jason Bourne to the new James Bond, trying to determine who's more bad ass. I think the fact that Bourne doesn't have a theme song or a signature drink makes him the more masculine choice--if that's the defining factor. But overall, Bourne's ambition is more courageous and relatable than Bond's "save the world" agenda. Not to mention, Matt Damon is certainly hotter than Daniel Craig. In this "last" installment to the Bourne trilogies, Jason forgoes the defense tactic and goes completely on the offensive in that "I'm stalking you" (and not in a hot way) manner. Although I'm sure Joan Allen (The Upside of Anger), the bitch who heads the agency that "made" him, doesn't mind. Julia Stiles takes a break from making movies nobody watches and acts as Bourne's new sidekick--by default of course. She's the gov't snitch who provides all the intel. By far the coolest addition to the cast is Edgar Ramirez, who I believe plays an agent who has to track Bourne. He was in Domino as the sexy Choco. He's a lot more clean cut in this film, but that doesn't stunt the fire in this 30-year-old Venezuelan's eyes. Head to theaters for what's sure to be one of the coolest action films of the summer.

HOT ROD

Needless to say, this movie about a guy who wants to prove to his step father that he has balls by jumping over 15 school buses hasn't been getting a lot of good buzz. I mean, there isn't exactly a Knocked Up-type fan club. But a female critic from the Los Angeles Times did say: "Chock-full of references to bad teen movies from the '80s and saturated with sarcasm, Hot Rod is a cheekily fun sendup of Gen X iconography," sooo...she must really like Andy Samberg ("SNL"). You'll have to in order to watch this movie. Mr. Moviefone told Z100 listeners this morning that they'd have to be high and chomping down on some serious munchies in order to endure this flick. With Will Arnett (Blades of Glory) playing shot gun yet again and Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers) playing the love interest, you'd expect at least one or two big laughs. The trailer shows a lot of slapstick-driven stunts, but I'd hate to think we were a nation of people who laugh when someone falls down (even though we are). It shoots for Napoleon Dynamite-Talladega Nights humor, but ends up looking like a made-for-MTV teen flick.

BECOMING JANE

I know what you're thinking: "GOD! Another Jane Austen movie?!" Technically, it's her biopic dating back to before she wrote all of those ridiculously long and somewhat tedious tales of frigid women who ultimately fall in love with men they initially loathed with every fiber of their being. Now you'll meet her muse, the Irishman she fell in love with (James McAvoy, King of Scotland), despite her efforts to not follow the tradition of being signed up for marital slavery. Anne Hathaway seems to be a perfect incarnation of the wise lady and the film should be chocked full of anticipation and romantic gestures. So if you're looking for a little less wam-bam-thank-you-Bourne, cuddle up with a BFF and live vicariously through Jane.

EL CANTANTE

If you're up for a romantic biopic that's infused with the beautiful music of my Latino people, then you'll probably enjoy this intense love story about how music and drugs tested the bond between the famous salsa singer Hector Lavoe and his wife Puchi. Many critics are disappointed by the directing, but thoroughly impressed by Marc Anthony's musical performances when channeling Lavoe. Other critics credit the return of a Jennifer Lopez with talent, a throwback to her Selena and Out of Sight days.

BRATZ

Um, so like the Bratz dolls have totally come to life and they're like totally going to high school and this super bitch is totally trying to make them split up and join opposing cliques. But there's no way Sasha, Jade, Yasmin, and Chloe are going to let that happen. Girl power to the max! *Clears throat* You might lose brain cells just by watching the trailer. I fear for the welfare of my unborn children if this is the best that girls can do. Cute boy alert! (Let's be honest. It's the only reason teenagers with a GPA over 3.0 watch.) Ian Nelson ("7th Heaven") and Stephen Lunsford ("Unfabulous") are the resident hotties in this flick. So if you really don't have anything to do and heckling in a theater full of preteens is your idea of a Friday night, splurge.


THE TEN

Paul Rudd is like the wise sensei of the Frat Pack. So naturally he would be the narrator to this comedic indie about the ten commandments and how our generation is breaking them. It's an ensemble cast full of stars--like Jessica Alba, Winona Ryder, Adam Brody, Famke Janssen, Liev Schrieber--and nobodies. Besides the repetitive mention of male genitalia, it should make for a few good laughs...if you remember what the ten commandments are. Hmm I wonder which one Winona breaks?


UNDERDOG

There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! It's a movie about a dog that can fly and speak and lift heavy objects after a scientific experiment gone wrong. So he decides to put all of that together and become...a superhero. Does it surprise you that Underdog was cooked up in the 60s...probably in a meth lab. Little boys and overgrown men who wish their dogs would do more than just roll over or eat their weight in bacon will probably love this movie.

VIDEOS: Eve & Sean Paul, Maroon 5, Justin & 50 Cent, and Nelly Furtado

Eve & Sean Paul "Give it to You"

It's so weird that they actually look good together. Makes for a very nice summer love song.


Maroon 5 "Wake up Call"


I see Adam is covertly auditioning for bad boy parts in this literal lyric-to-visual video. Could it be...the new Bonnie and Clyde?


Nelly Furtado "Do It"

Nelly's having a little fun...probably, hoping teens'll use her song to do the same this summer.

MUSIC: Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am going solo

"I Got it from my Mama"

This actually isn't Black Eyed Peas' beat master Will.i.am's first solo outing. By the end of the year he will have released his third album, Songs about Girls, during the group's hiatus, joining Fergie on the self-promotion kick. He's been really hot in the music business lately. In the past he's collaborated with artists like Justin Timberlake, Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Carlos Santana, Pussycat Dolls, John Legend, Ciara, and of course Fergie. And now he's rumored to be hooking artists up with a little of that Black magic, from Michael Jackson, Mariah, Whitney Houston, Amerie, Nicole Scherzinger, Rihanna, Hilary Duff, Common, and even Macy Gray. In his single, "I Got It From My Mama," he basically adds on to the whole "My Humps" phenomenon by...appreciating a woman's figure and the gifts she was given at birth. The video is a veritable Victoria's Secret commercial slash Miami beach ad. Expect a lot more women-worshiping on the album.

FILM REVIEW: The Host (Gwoemul)

This Korean horror/thriller/comedy amalgam was surrounded by a lot of hype when it was first previewed overseas. Premiere magazine even dubbed it as "the coolest monster movie since Aliens." I'm no expert in monster flicks, but those are pretty big claws to fill...so naturally I had to watch it.

The basic rundown of the plot is that some idiot American coroner ordered his lackey to pour hundreds of bottles of cyanide down the drain into a river, thus mutating one of its inhabitants into a huge hydra/tadpole beast that swallows people, hoards them in a sewer like a squirrel and then picks at them later. Said beast kidnaps a girl, then her father, grandfather, uncle, and aunt work ridiculously (and maybe even unbelievably) hard to get her back despite a myriad of obstacles. They try to escape quarantine SWAT, who have to contain the creature's virus, and track the beast through the city.

The point of the film is not to reveal the imposed evolution of the creature, but of the father, Gang-du (Kang-ho Song of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance). He's introduced as a lazy lay-about who sleeps when he should be working. Even though he is quite the doting father--perking up the moment his daughter, Hyun-seo, comes home from school--he's irresponsible--giving her beer--and immature. His siblings--a professional archer and an alcoholic college graduate--and even Hyun-seo (Ah-sung Ko) see him as a failure and an embarrassment. His father seems to be the only one who cuts him any slack, blaming himself and his past irresponsibility for Gang-du's behavior. His last and most devastating failure is when he grabs the wrong girl's hand and Hyun-seo is kidnapped. From that point on Gang-du makes every effort to be a better father. However, you start to sense that he's always been this protective and devoted. It's as though once life was given to the creature, something had awoken in him.

The suspense was amped by the frequent off-camera action. Many heart-skipping moments were due to the random instances where the creature would attack oblivious bystanders. The creature itself was acrobatic and very well-designed. I wouldn't say the film was as good as Aliens, but I understand the comparison. Both had unsuspecting heroines. This 15 year old girl was met with the task of essentially saving herself and a little boy who was also kidnapped. Even though she hoped her father would rescue her, his lack of discipline had molded her into an independent and courageous girl. Her lips may have trembled and her eyes may have gaped in trepidation, but she was fearless and determined to the very end. Never before have I seen a film with so many heroes--of ordinary and non-super power origin--deserving equal praise.

It ends in a flurry of self-sacrifice, family bonding, and seriously bad ass girl power. Although some who may have grown attached to the main characters weren't too keen on certain uncontrollable deaths, loss was necessary for the complete evolution of Gangu-du--and even his siblings. His brother goes from a drunk, unemployed waste of space with a degree to a strategic, relentless activist-in-the-making. His sister, who balked at her last competition, unable to fire an arrow under pressure, finds her inner Athena at the most crucial moment. And in the last scene, Gang-du is no longer coiffed with a juvenile, blond, disheveled hairstyle; he's no longer afraid to defend himself; and he no longer sleeps on the job...whether it's as a snack vendor or as a father.