FILM: Jonah Hill + Shia Labeouf = Transformers 2

How do you make the Transformers sequel better than the first? By equalizing the humor and the action.

The producers of the summer blockbuster thought it wise to amp up the comedy not by giving Shia Labeouf more lines, but by adding a "sidekick" that'll be played by Jonah Hill. He'll be Shia's college roommate who happens to run a conspiracy theory website.

TV: "Gossip Girl" - Is Eric or Serena Gay?

Perez posted a spoiler yesterday that suggested that Georgina isn't a frenemy but a jealous lover--making Serena bisexual. So is the huge coming out party for Eric, her little bro who is supposed to be caught making out with Jenny's new Upper West Side bo Asher, or Serena?

The forums on other sites have reminded me that the secret Georgina has over Serena could get her in trouble with the law, so I doubt her sexuality is really the issue. However, some other poster suggested that she could've made a porno with Georgina, which would definitely be something to hide.

On other news, while some die-hard GG readers have said that the identity of GG will never be revealed, several sites are saying that it's Eric. Who do you think it is?

ALBUM REVIEW: Madonna's "Hard Candy"

Collaborations: Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Kanye West.

Williams's approach was to give Madonna rhythms and intonations that you wouldn't normally hear from her. It's almost as if he was trying to help her make up for the horrible rap lyrics in her American Life album by giving her uncharacteristic lines like "get stupid" during a Teriyaki Boys-infused detour in the mildly entertaining "Give It 2 Me" and "see my booty get down" in "Heartbeat," which I'm sure unintentionally reminds me of the character Virginiaka on "SNL" who often says "see my booty go up and down." He also sped up the way she sings in "She's Not Me" and produced an extremely hot guitar/drum/flamenco beat for "Spanish Lesson" that she destroyed with lame English translations and monotone Gwen Stefani-esque moments. Once I heard "Incredible," I realized that the problem with the Pharrell-Madonna collaboration process is that he's really just producing songs that he himself would record. Madonna is just not this eclectic. Her tracks have never changed up backbeats as many times as the songs he's provided her with do. His best contribution is a 70s throwback called "Beat Goes On" where he sings on the chorus and Kanye West raps a few sub-par verses. Listen:


There was also a semi-tolerable 70s/techno track in Timbaland and Justin Timberlake's 5 production contributions, which was called "Dance 2night." If she wanted to release a slow-beat track, I'd skip the lyrically juvenile "Voices" and opt for "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You." I'm not sure why, but it gives me a "Cry me a River" vibe. Listen:


Besides "4 Minutes," which grew on me, my personal favorite of the Timbsters collabos is "Miles Away." Listen:


All in all, I'd recommend downloading choice tracks instead of investing in the whole shebang.

MUSIC: Madonna Playlist

To take a trip down memory lane, download this playlist and watch her innovative videos for optimum Madonna overload:




Madonna (1983)
_+"Burning Up"
_+"Holiday"






Like a Virgin (1984)
This was about the time where she started to amp up her sex appeal.
_+"Material Girl"
_+"Like a Virgin": If you care to watch the video, you'll see the inexplicable use of a lion. Grrr. Aargh.
_+"Get into the Groove": She co-wrote this one for her second starring role in Desperately Seeking Susan.
_+"Dress You Up": I never noticed that the lyrics don't make any sense. "I'm going to dress you up in my love." Huh? There's still a catchy beat. (The song starts at about 1:45 into the concert performance.)
_+"Shoo-Bee-Doo": She wrote it all by herself. That in itself is impressive.
_+"Pretender": These days we refer to them as "players." A more untimely term for them is "asshole."

True Blue (1986)
This is the last album she works intensely with one of her two best producers/co-writers, Stephen Bray. While producing it, she married Sean Penn and she suddenly became very worldly, intelligent, and controversial.
_+"Pappa Don't Preach": One of her most controversial videos ever, where she portrays a young girl who refuses to get an abortion.
_+"Open your heart"
_+"White Heat": This reminds me of a squeaky Ashlee Simpson, and I recommend it despite the juvenile lyrics.
_+"Live to Tell": This was a song written for the Sean Penn film At Close Range.
_+"La Isla Bonita": This was her first venture into worldly music, before she would invade India, Japan...and later Africa. lol_+"Jimmy Jimmy": This kind of gives me a "Hey Mickey! You're so fine!" vibe.


Like a Prayer (1989)
She filed for divorce while producing this album. That might explain all the lyrics about expressing yourself and full-on descriptions of what girls deserve and should ask from men. She was then rumored to be dating Warren Beatty after filming Dick Tracy with him. There are two horrible tracks--one that happens to be a duet with Prince. For shame. But this was her very last awesome album, which she did with her other best producer Patrick Leonard.
_+"Like a Prayer": This is another super controversial video that she shot, depicting stigmata, attempted rape, and what appears to be an African American Jesus.
_+"Express Yourself"
_+"Promise to Try": It's an ode to her deceased mom.




Erotica (1992)
She produced this album after dating a porn star and Vanilla Ice. I'm not sure if that's why it sucked, but it is why it was so heavy in sexual content.






Bedtime Stories (1994)
In this album she seemed to have tweaked her sound a bit by going for a sensual R&B vibe. The whole album is pretty mellow.
_+"Human Nature": I like the whispering in the background.
_+"Take a bow": This was actually one of her best ballads--which is saying a lot since she's not known for them.

Ray of Light (1998)
She produced this two years after starring in the critically acclaimed Evita and giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, and one year after getting divorced from her second husband. It's almost as if she were enlightened by the beauty of motherhood. She also immerses herself into Japanese and Indian culture.
_+"Nothing Really Matters":
_+"Frozen"
_+"The Power of Good-Bye"

Music (2000)
She produced this pro-America album when she started dating British director Guy Ritchie and gave birth to her second child Rocco. It veers off her spiritual quest, coincidentally one year after the Princess of Pop, Britney Spears, burst onto the scene. It's also the first time she gets super buff.
_+"Music"
_+"Don't Tell Me"
_+"What it feels like for a girl": It's like a PSA for why girls should know they're awesome.
_+"American Pie"

American Life (2003)
She released this album one year after she was railroaded for her performance in Swept Away and two years after marrying Ritchie. It seems while under the Brit-influence and film criticism, she grew tired of Hollywood's bullshit and released this anti-American album. Unfortunately, she also raps into two songs ("American Life" and "Mother and Father") and reminds us why she should stay a pop star.
_+"Hollywood": Here she tears the media a new one.
_+"Intervention": This is a sweet love song about enduring love's trials.
_+"X-Static Process": Here's an acoustic rendition of this track, where she expresses how it feels to have an identity crisis.
_+"Die Another Day": This is her contribution to the Bond saga.

Confessions of a Dance Floor (2005)
I’m not sure why I’ve always thought of Madonna as a dance diva, but this is actually her first dance album--however, she’s always been physical in her videos and on the stage. In this album, she shows her appreciation for the 80s b-boy and starts the pop-hip hop phase of her career, while bringing back the unitard and Farrah Fawcett hair.
_+"Hung Up"
_+"Sorry"

Honorable Mention: "Vogue" was on the Dick Tracy soundtrack, but it deserves to be downloaded nonetheless.

FILM: Box Office Results - 4/25/08

Baby Mama's everywhere rejoice! Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's anti-chick flick debuted at #1 with $18 mil. The Harold & Kumar sequel may have premiered at #2 with #$14 mil, but that's 3 times as much as the first movie did in 2004. Comedies dominated the box office, placing Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor's Deception at #10 with $2 mil despite a wide release. Helen Hunt's directorial and screenwriting debut Then She Found Me grossed $74,400 with a 9-theater release, and received mixed reviews. Meanwhile, Rogue didn't even register on the radar.

As for the rest of the top 10, The Forbidden Kingdom is hanging in there at #3 with $38 mil, while Forgetting Sarah Marshall sticks close by at #4 wtih $35 mil. In its fourth week, Nim's Island is at #5 with $39 mil. Prom Night is surprisingly still going strong at #6 with $38 mil. 21 is finally losing steam in its 5th week with $75 mil at #7. Al Pacino's stinker 88 Minutes is at #8, making its way out of the top 10 with $12.6 mil. Horton Hears a Who! seems like it's taking a final bow in its 7th week with $147 mil at #9. Both Street Kings and Leatherheads exited the top 10 this week. Kings left with a remarkably low $23 mil and Clooney's flick disappointed with a paltry $29 mil. It seems John Krasinski isn't meant for the big screen, which does not bode well for his future projects.

Next week, Iron Man hits theaters full force, Patrick Dempsey solidifies his romantic lead legacy in Made of Honor, Chiwetel Ejiofor reinvigorates the kickboxing genre with Redbelt, and the cutest brits on the indie circuit expand their imaginations in Son of Rambow.

VIDEOS: Avril's "Innocence" and "The Best Damn Thing"

This is so bizarre. Wikipedia says that Avril's second single after "Girlfriend" is "When you're gone" and her third was "Hot," but I just saw a clip of a bubbly video on MTV for "The Best Damn Thing," and when I youtube-searched for it, I found a video she released at the beginning of April in Italy for "Innocence." It was quite the run around, but I liked it and Avril was surprisingly a good actress. See for yourself!

TV: Hilary Duff's might star in "90210"

Since NBC already failed with the revamp of "Bionic Woman," the CW wants to make sure that when it brings back "90210" it's a sure-fire hit. The execs were smart enough to notice that "Gossip Girl" is a major hit, so they want to reproduce that catty mania by reviving the 90s series. But to guarantee it success, they're courting Hilary Duff to play a theater geek with a love for emo.

Now before you say that Duff is too big of a star to be in a revived TV show, I'd like to remind you that she hasn't released a single for almost a year and her last movie, Material Girls, was released in 2006 and it only made $11 million.

The real question is are tweens, teens, or even adults interested in Duff's return to TV?

VIDEO: Rihanna's "Take a Bow"

When I first heard Rihanna's latest single "Take a Bow" I thought it was really juvenile. Especially, when she talks in the middle of the lyrics. But after watching the video, I realized that she's trying to do two things: 1) a revenge song like Beyonce's "Irreplaceable," which was also written by Ne-Yo, and 2) remind everyone that she can sing. I have to admit that I like the song better now that I've seen the video--I can process the emotions better. But I still think the abrupt talking is weird. Listen for yourself:

VIDEO: Ne-Yo's "Closer"

I haven't heard a new track from Ne-Yo in quite some time, and even though I'm not exactly clicking maniacly through iTunes for his latest, "Closer," I do like the video. It's monochromatic Bond slash Michael Jackson flair does, however, overshadow the lyrics. Style-wise it's great, but it's not like he's supposed to be auditioning for GQ. See for yourself:

FILM: New in Theaters - 4/25/08

It's a difficult choice: the hilarious pot-smoking Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay or the hilarious pregnancy chick flick Baby Mama. I say make a double feature of it. If you're not really interested in comedies this week, then the sexual thriller Deception starring Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor, and Michelle Williams about a naive accountant who is lured into a sex club, framed for murder, and entangled in a multi-million dollar heist.


Or you can opt for the romantic dramedy Then She Found Me written and directed by Helen Hunt. She plays a middle aged woman (Helen Hunt) who's having marital (Matthew Broderick) troubles and whose adopted mother just died. But it's just her luck that her birth mother (Bette Midler) emerges, eager to connect with her, and the divorced father (Colin Firth) of one of her students starts to show interest. Could make for an interesting directorial debut for Hunt.


Or you can just watch pure crap. In Rogue, Michael Vartan ("Alias") plays a journalist on an Australian guided safari who encounters a huge alligator. I think it's funny that the film description feels the need to describe the alligator as "man-eating"...because usually they're really picky. I know, riveting stuff. But if you want blood, gore, and mild suspense:

FILM: Which Sex in the City Guy is your Soulmate?

Go to the Sex in the City website and take the quiz marked "Match your Man" so you can figure out which guy is meant for you: Mr. Big, Smith (Samantha's lover), Harry (Charlotte's bald hubby), Steve (Miranda's super-sweet husband), Stanford (Carrie's balding bff), or Anthony (Carrie's nasal bitchy gay friend). Sorry ladies if you were hoping Aidan was an option, but he won't be in the flick.

I got Steve as a match and here's what they say about him at the end of the quiz:

"Sweet, sincere, scruffy Steve is a romantic who prioritizes your relationship over his career and his wardrobe. He's content having you be the breadwinner in the relationship, and he's even willing to be bossed around a little bit. Although at times he lacks maturity, you have a hard time resisting his boyish charm. Steve has a contagious optimism and is always there when you need him."

Sounds like the perfect guy...except for the bossy thing. I am so not bossy. But what's funny is that after taking the "Which Sex in the City Character are you?" test, I got Carrie. Steve and Carrie aren't exactly the perfect match.

TRAILER: New Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Release Date: May 16

TV: Gossip Girl Video Spoilers

USmagazine.com has a video where Serena's mom (Kelly Rutherford) spills the beans on her son being the gay GGer and the possibility of Michelle Tratchenberg's Georgina throwing herself at Dan and causing a rift between him and Serena. Plus, Jenny gets a new boyfriend named Asher and Eric steals him away. His official coming out party is May 5th. Say it with me: Scandalous!!! Watch it here!

And if you want to see the future hot couple of GG, then check out this super sweet moment between Vanessa and Nate:

FILM: Jonah Hill's first starring role

Jonah Hill will finally be benefiting from his Apatow-connection. True, he has been mastering the art of the sidekick for quite some time since he first met the guy, but now he's going to be starring in his own film, Get Him to the Greek. The director of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Nick Stoller, poached two actors from his last movie to star in this comedy. Along with Hill, who plays a "fresh out-of-college insurance adjuster," he's cast Russell Brand as--what he does best--an out-of-control rocker who needs to get to the L.A.'s Greek theater. If the film does well, which--no offense--I doubt it will, Hill could reach his own independent success.

FILM: Black Comedians Documentary

Actor Robert Townsend (The Meteor Man) is directing a documentary called Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy that'll be an uncensored examination of black comedy and its cultural influence. Chiming in on its social impact are a few famous black comedians. Of the list (Chris Rock, Steve Harvey, George Wallace, Paul Mooney, all four Wayans Brothers, D.L. Hughley, Eddie Griffin), I'm most shocked by the addition of Bill Cosby and Katt Williams. I know Cosby is funny, but he hasn't been for a very long while. However, I'm sure he can add a little historical context. But why add Katt Williams? He's fairly new to the game and his appeal isn't as broad as say Eddie Murphy or Martin Lawrence. And what's even more peculiar than the exclusion of these two big names is the fact that there's only one woman on the roster: Marla Gibbs ("The Jeffersons"). What happened to Mo'Nique? The woman is loud enough--it's not like you don't know she exists.

Who would you add for a more accurate portrayal of black comedic history?

TRAILER: College

It seems both Drake Bell and Josh Peck are breaking out of their Nickelodeon "Drake & Josh" roles. While Peck is playing a pothead in the Sundance indie The Wackness, Bell is living out every teenage boy's dream in the film College. Playing a high school senior, searching for the perfect college, Bell gets drunk, hazed, assaulted, and abused all in one weekend tour. It's safe to assume that this movie has already been done--and done better (Superbad)--and that the producers were simply following a formula:
Relatively attractive teen (Michael Cera = Drake Bell)
+ scrawny geek (newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse = newcomer Kevin Covais)
+ perverted fat kid (Jonah Hill = Andrew Caldwell)
_______________________________________
= Funny teen comedy geared towards males but accepted by females.


Also starring are Nick Zano ("What I Like About You") and Ryan Pinkston ("Quintuplets").

VIDEO: Alicia Keys' "Teenage Love Affair"

I've been listening to a lot of Madonna in the last two days, prepping for the release of her new album next Tuesday, and I noticed that she has some amazing cinematographic videos. Then it donned on me that the quality of video plots and direction have gone down in the last decade. I mean, Rihanna won best video at the VMAs for "Umbrella," which was basically her dancing around in the rain. Nowadays all you need is a desert and/or a scene of a sad teenager to express a rock video or colorful backgrounds, a party scene and/or cute outfits for an R&B video.

Then I saw Alicia Keys' video for her latest single "Teenage Love Affair." Not only does it have an actual plot, but it employs dialogue in between lyrics and not just in the intro. It manages to tell an entire story in less than 5 minutes. I think Chris Robinson, who is best known for doing hip hop videos, did a great job. See for yourself:

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

MUSIC: Fergie's "Sex in the City" track

When you think of four middle aged women searching for love in the Big Apple, you think of Fergalicious don't you? lol Well, apparently the producers of "Sex in the City" thought they could rope in a younger fan base by getting Fergie to record the intro song, "Labels of Love" (a play on the phrase "labor of love"), for the movie. As expected, there are made-up words ("super-fraga-cali-sexy") with an 80s back-beat, and several references to shopping. Dare to listen:

TRAILER: Hamlet 2

This indie is super hilarious! Here's a few keywords: Jesus, the Devil, sex. That's really all that you need to know to laugh.

TRAILER: Henry Poole is Here

Luke Wilson finally gets back on track with this quirky indie where the visage of Jesus appears on the outside wall of his home and attracts believers who want to be healed and blessed. Although it does work miracles, it would seem that the apparition's true purpose is to heal Luke's character, a depressed alcoholic of a schlub. It also stars Oscar nominated Adriana Barraza (Babel), Rhada Mitchell (Melinda and Melinda), and George Lopez.

FILM: Halle Berry succeeds & Eddie Murphy declines

Halle Berry isn’t waiting a second more after giving birth to get back to work. She’s already working on producing and starring in the psychological thriller Frankie and Alice as a woman with multiple personalities—one of which is a racist Caucasian. Yikes!

Meanwhile, Eddie Murphy continues to humiliate himself by playing a shrunken man, not only in the upcoming Meet Dave, but his next project with Bret Ratner called The Incredible Shrinking Man, where he’ll play a magician who is put under a spell that causes him to shrink.

TV: "Arrested Development" Reunion

It’s not exactly the reunion that fans were hoping for, but Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Henry Winkler are working on a project together…as animated characters in Sit Down, Shut Up, a FOX pilot that'll be penned by the guys behind "The Simpsons." That’s what teachers used to say to their students before there were rules implemented to prevent educators from berating them. Well the “Arrested” boys are remaking this Australian live-action sitcom as an animated film where “staff members at a high school…are preoccupied with their own needs and agendas, which means the students come second.” Sounds like it'll be hilarious, as well as adult-friendly.

FILM: Gladiator Sequel

Check out the Gladiator sequel plot HERE!

FILM: Kilmer to star in "K-Ville" Feature

Some of you might remember the FOX show "K-Ville" that was cancelled. It was about the crime-increase in New Orleans after Katrina and the cops who had to deal with it. It seems since it didn't workout on TV, execs thought it best to throw onto the big screen.

Val Kilmer, Sharon Stone, Dylan McDermott, and 50 Cent will star in the film Streets of Blood, which'll follow two cops fighting through the trenches of post-Katrina Orleans. I liked the show, but I doubt I'll watch this.

FILM: Hermione finally gets a different role

Emma Watson, known fondly as Hermione, will be starring in the period drama Napoleon and Betsy. She'll play a "young, impetuous noblewoman trapped on the isolated British Isle of St. Helena. There she falls in love with Napoleon, who is in exile on the island." Can't wait to see who plays Napoleon. Although most of us are only familiar with her Harry Potter role, Emma actually starred in a made-for-TV drama called Ballet Shoes last year and has just finished recording the voice for the adventure animated movie The Tale of Despereaux. She's finally getting her feet wet for her post-Potter career.

FILM: X-Files & Indiana Jones 4 Plot

"When a group of women are abducted in the wintry hills of rural Virginia, the only clues to their disappearance are the grotesque human remains that begin to turn up in snow banks along the highway. With officials desperate for any lead, a disgraced priest’s questionable “visions” send local police on a wild goose chase and straight to a bizarre secret medical experiment that may or may not be connected to the women’s disappearance. It’s a case right out of The X-Files. But the FBI closed down its investigations into the paranormal years ago. And the best team for the job is ex-agents Fox Mulder and Dr. Dana Scully, who have no desire to revisit their dark past. Still, the truth of these horrific crimes is out there somewhere...and it will take Mulder and Scully to find it."

If you want to know the super secret plot to Indiana Jones 4, then click here!

FILM: My Tribeca Film Festival 2008 Picks

I tend to recommend all documentaries--like Gloria Estefan's 90 Miles, Chevolution, Madonna's Malawi doc I Am Because We Are, and the Colin Farrell-narrated soccer doc Kicking It--and bi-pass shorts because I'm not rich and I can't afford to pay-up for 10-min of plot. So here are feature films I'd recommend:

STAR-STUDDED
Ball Don't Lie (dramatic adaptation)
"An urban coming-of-age story that follows Sticky, a talented streetballer (Grayson Boucher) who overcomes his troubled past through his passion for the game."
Starring: Ludacris, Rosanna Arquette (What About Brian?), and Nick Cannon.

Boy A (drama)
"A former juvenile offender released from prison after 14 years reenters society with the help of his counselor. Newcomer Andrew Garfield gives a stunning performance as the hesitant 24-year-old who must catch up with his peers while keeping his past a secret."
Starring: Andrew Garfield (Lions for Lambs)

The Caller (neo-noir thriller)
"An energy executive...tries to expose his corporation's corrupt practices...He hires a private investigator to forward his efforts, but who is investigating whom?"
Starring: Frank Langella (Good Night, Good Luck), Elliott Gould (Ocean's Thirteen)

From Within (thriller)
"Evil comes from within in this smart, supernatural thriller, set in a small extremist evangelical town that is mysteriously afflicted with serial suicides."
Starring: Thomas Dekker ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"), Laura Allen ("Dirt"), and Rumer Willis.

Tennessee (drama)
"In this intimate road movie, two brothers travel to the hometown they fled as teenagers to find their estranged father. When they are joined by a spirited woman running from her abusive husband, they begin to grow closer, and the truth of their journey comes to light."
Starring: Mariah Carey

Trucker (drama)
"A tough-talking, devil-may-care truck driver...is faced with raising her estranged 11-year-old son after his father is hospitalized."
Starring: Michelle Monaghan, Benjamin Bratt, Nathan Fillio (Waitress), Joey Lauren Adams (Big Daddy)


BLACK COMEDY
Finding Amanda
"In Peter Tolan's (co-creator, "Rescue Me") hysterical feature directing debut, a successful TV writer struggles with his addiction to gambling, drugs, and alcohol, making it that much harder to travel to Las Vegas and convince his troubled niece to go to rehab.
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow (Prom Night)

Killer Movie - Trailer available"A reality TV director copes with a spoiled celebutante and a show gone haywire when a masked killer starts bumping off the crew in this slasher-movie satire from a director who did time working on 'The Simple Life' and 'The Real World/Road Rules Challenge.'"

War, Inc.
"A hit man is sent to a fictional war-torn Middle Eastern country where the United States is waging the first fully outsourced war."
Starring: John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Marisa Tomei, Hilary Duff, and Sir Ben Kingsley


COMEDY
Bart Got a Room
"It’s ticktock ticktock for Danny as the prom approaches, and he still doesn’t have a date. With the help of his plain-Jane best friend and likable but wacky parents, his hopes for that 'special' night may come true in this colorful and quirky comedy."
Starring: William H. Macy, Alia Shawkat ("Arrested Development")


DRAMA
Elite Squad
"Fresh from its Golden Bear win at Berlin, and one of Brazil's most controversial films, Elite Squad is a searing look at the corruption of the special police force in the volatile slums of Rio. As one cop desperately tries to get out, two naive recruits see if they have what it takes to get in."

Strangers - Trailer available
"In Berlin, an Israeli man and a Palestinian woman accidentally swap backpacks on their way to the World Cup. Meeting again, they discover an instant connection, but can two people from the same land but different worlds transcend the larger struggle between their communities?"


THRILLER
Fermat's Room - Trailer available
"The walls are closing in-literally-on four brainiac mathematicians with shadowy pasts in this über tense debut. These strangers have all been brought together by the mysterious Fermat to solve their most profound equation yet: Why is someone trying to kill them?"


ANIMATION
Terra - Trailer available
"When the last remaining humans exhaust Earth's resources, an alien girl on the idyllic planet Terra must fight the earthlings who want to inhabit her planet!"
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, James Garner, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, David Cross, and Luke Wilson.

TV: Shows Re-Premiering after Strike

"Bones," "30 Rock", "One Tree Hill," "Desperate Housewives," and several other shows returned from their hiatus last week. This week most of the other shows will be flooding back as well. "Brothers & Sisters" returned last night, and tonight "Gossip Girl" returns and I'm SUPER excited. Plus, this Thursday "Ugly Betty," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Lost" return. Tune-up those TiVos and stock up on popcorn, it's going to be a TV-tastic week. Alright, I'm a little over excited.

FILM: Celebrating 4-20 Movies! Puff Puff or Pass?

Yesterday was 4/20, the day that potheads celebrate...marijuana consumption at 4:20pm. For the full history, hit Wikipedia. For the top 10 movies to commemorate the day and turn it into a week:


Create Your Own

FILM: Box Office Results - 4/11/08

Yayy!! I'm so glad the Jackie Chan vs. Jet Li face off, Forbidden Kingdom, did relatively well, grossing $20 mil at #1, and that the hilarious Forgetting Sarah Marshall came in at #2 with $17 mil. Both even did well with the critics, which is a hard thing to do with comedy and action films. Al Pacino's 88 Minutes, however, bombed. EW's Liza Schwarzbaum said it best, "It takes eight minutes, tops, to know that even by the conventionally lax standards of watch-and-toss serial-killer movies, 88 Minutes is a stinker, the more so for the thespian excesses of the accomplished cast." It may have come in at #4, but it only made about $7 mil. Milo Ventimiglia's Pathology, for some bizarre reason, was released as an indie. Perhaps it's R rating and B-list cast proved too risky. But with 46 theaters, it managed $50,000 domestically and more than half a mil overseas. Oddly enough, the other indie Life Before Her Eyes doesn't even have a box office earnings listed yet. Hmm. But surprisingly enough, a documentary featuring Ben Stein about rebel science pioneers called Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed premiered at #9 with $3 mil.

As for the rest of the box office list, Prom Night dropped to #3 with $32.6 mil, Nim's Island dropped to #5 with $32.9 mil, 21 dropped to #6 with $70 mil, Street Kings is floundering at #7 with a disappointing $20 mil, Horton Hears a Who is on it's way out at #8 with $144 mil, and Leatherheads is teetering at #10 with $26.5 mil. Smart People exited the top 10 after its second week with nearly $7 mil and Superhero Movie after it's fourth week with $23.5 mil.

This weekend, I can't wait for Tina Fey's Baby Mama or Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Although I'm sure the thriller enthusiasts will head in for Ewan McGregor and Hugh Jackman's Deception, action lovers will check out the giant alligator-fest Rogue, and drama searchers will tear up for Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, and Colin Firth's Then She Found Me.

NYC COMIC CON 08 pictures

Here are few from the event:

For more, CLICK HERE

NYC COMIC CON 08: Twilight

I managed to get a sneak peak of Twilight before a security guard surprised me with his flashlight. Swear to god. Had no idea I coudn't record. But here are a few behind-the-scenes snippets:




I'm half way through the first book, but after seeing this I'm eager to read the rest. However, after seeing Ben Barnes, who plays Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia, up close, I would totally cast him over Robert Pattinson in the role of Edward, the seductive vampire. He is smoking.

NYC COMIC CON 08: Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

Three exclusive clips were shown and I don't want to give too much away, however there are plenty of spoilers in the videos below, but my favorite parts were when Rob Corddry, the Homeland Security agent, racistly referred to Harold as Hello Kitty and the KKK mistake them for Mexicans. Here are a few snippets of the panel that I noted:
+ They wanted to pick up where they left off, so the movie starts literally an hour after they get back from White Castle.
+ Apparently a scene from Raging Bull inspired the scene where Kal humps a bag of weed in the first film. The bag of weed will reappear in this sequel.
+ Corddry is thought of as the most racist character since Mississippi Burning and manages to insult every race. But you'll also get to see Harold and Kumar show a little of their prejudices.
+ Neil first heard of the script from a friend who was auditioning and had read Harris' name in it. He was like, "Oh, it's not good"--as in, they make you look like a perv. Harris immediately sought the script out and thought it was hilarious.

Neil Patrick Harris, Kal Penn, and the creators of Harold & Kumar give away a few spoilers:


Here they talk about pranks that were done on set:

NYC COMIC CON 08: "Moonlight"

In this video, Alex O'Loughlin, the star of "Moonlight," starts to talk about being accident prone, but he's eventually distracted by a weird sound from the audience that he discovers is a baby. It's pretty funny to see the light-hearted side of the vamp known as Mick.


The moderator asks Alex and Jason Dohring what their favorite episodes are from the show and they can't seem to pick one. So the fans start to yell out and mention episodes that they love, as well as express their hatred for Coraline, and it gets a little hectic.

NYC COMIC CON 08: Milo Ventimiglia's comic "Rest"

Milo Ventimiglia ("Heroes") talks about the new comic he's involved with called "Rest" and its basic plot. I apologize for the jumpy camera work. Just listen to it.

NYC COMIC CON 08: Wanted & Hellboy

Wanted
All I have to say is that the new trailer is sick. Timur Bekmambetov (Day Watch) is an amazing action director and his car chase scenes will blow your mind. I mean, he's the master of having cars drive on surfaces that are not meant to be driven on. For example, on the side of a city bus that it just leveled. The only thing I gathered from the panel was that in the comics the characters wear costumes, and Timur refused to have his actors wear them because he doesn't believe they were realistically incognito. See Hitman for an example of what he did not want to do.

Hellboy 2
1) Guillermo del Toro is a really funny guy. The last person to ask a question from the audience was a 15-year-old named Nick and when he said his age, Guillermo said, "Ay, the pubes are popping." So humiliating--thankfully Guillermo realized that and boosted the kids ego by promising to dedicate a sketch of a "ball licking giant 3-headed dog" that didn't make the cut on his website to him. So try to find that.
2) Doug Jones, who plays Abe Sapien, also happens to be the body for the Silver Surfer in the Fantastic Four films and he informed the crowd that he did sign a 3-picture deal to portray Silver Surfer, so there's hope for a full film about the character.

NYC COMIC CON 08: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Robot Chicken, Dark Knight, & The Spirit

Star Wars & Indiana Jones
They showed footage from the new video games that are coming out soon and from the new movie The Clone Wars that'll be a series in the Fall. It looks very realistic and he's still pushing the bar with the creatures and the fight scenes. The Indiana Jones video game makes the characters look like lego men, which is so cool.

Robot Chicken
Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, his business partner and collaborator, talked about how they got the idea for the show and how they first met.


Seth talks about how he got a call from George Lucas's people and was given the ok to make a 30 min robot chicken star wars episode.


Seth talks about George's first take when he did voice overs for a stop motion version of himself that appears in "Robot Chicken." The first part is cut off, but Seth was just saying that George said he knew what he was doing, which caught Seth off-guard comically.


The Dark Knight
They surprised everyone with a new trailer that will be out in theaters in two weeks. They wouldn't allow me to record it and asked nicely if we didn't spoil what happens in it. But I'll just say a few things that I don't really think are spoilers but are juicy enough.
1) One of Harvey Dent's (Aaron Eckhart) lines aimed at Bruce Wayne is: "You either die a hero or live long enough to kill the villain." Take that for what it's worth.
2) As you may know, Harvey Dent is destined to become the legendary Two-Face, and I believe I caught a glimpse of Dent's face being shoved into the ground as a liquid seeped towards him. Either he was getting drowned or his face was about to be burnt to its Two-Face appearance. So maybe the movie will end with the destruction of one villain and the creation of a new one.
3) The late Heath Ledger doesn't sound at all like himself or any character he's ever played when he's speaking the Joker's lines. He sounds very old school cops-and-robbers. I wonder, can you give an Oscar to a dead person?

The Spirit
All I have to say for this comic-to-film adaptation is that 1) he doesn't use guns, yet 2) he reminds me of Dick Tracy.

Lastly, the Sci Fi channel announced that they have a new pilot called "Superbia." The concept is: what if the Justic League moved to Wisteria Lane? It's sort of a gated community for superheroes. Hmmm.

NYC COMIC CON 08: Avatar: The Last Airbender

"Avatar: The Last Airbender"
I've never seen this Nickelodeon show, but I know that M. Night Shyamalan is making the live action feature, so I thought I'd take a peak. They showed this puppet spoof that I thought was pretty funny. Skip to the end if you get bored.

NYC COMIC CON 08: Chronicles of Narnia & Wall-E

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
+ The only news I gathered from the convention was that the creator is already set on "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" and would like to do "The Silver Chair" next.
+ Oh, and he also implied that two of the main characters die, because he said that they wouldn't be back again.

Here are 3 video snippets of the interview:

Ben Barnes talks about his character and the first scene he shot.


William Moseley talks about the stunts that he had to do for the film and what lengths he went to do them himself.


William talks about having fun with the action aspect of the movie. He describes it with an American word "gnarly" and Peter Dinklage, who'll play Trumpkin, informs him that that is an 80s American word.


Wall - E
+ He's all alone on the planet, but his best friend is a cockroach and his name is Al.
+ It has a sort of a Robinson Crusoe influence.
+ He falls in love with another robot called Eve. There's probably some sort of biblical meaning, behind that. The last two "people" on the earth being a male and a female similar to how earth's history religiously began.
+ Eve and Wall-E are polar opposites of each other and of the stereotypes men and women usually have. Eve is gun-happy, brutish, clumsy, clunky, while at the same time beautiful, intelligent, and at times graceful. Meanwhile, Wall-E has a childlike curiosity, romanticism (favorite movie--only movie he could find--is Hello, Dolly), easily frightened, and grimey.
+ Sigourney Weaver voices a mother robot. The creator wanted the icon of Alien to voice a mother, instead of fight one as a tongue-in-cheek nod to her role.
+ I don't think there are any words in the movie. All three clips they showed had a sort of R2D2 sound effects with a few audible words. It'll have kids talking robot.
+ My favorite part of the clips was when Wall-E sneaks onto Eve's ship and he encounters a robot-cleaner who finds Wall-E to be disgusting because he's so dirty and rusty. Everytime Wall-E takes a step, the machine cleans it up. So Wall-E messes with him, purposefully smudging the ground to watch him clean it, and ultimately he smudges the robot cleaner. The entire audience erupted in laughter.
+ If you're unsure if you want to see it, think of it this way: It's like following R2D2 on his own heroic journey.

NYC COMIC CON 08: X-Files 2 spoilers

I don't plan on watching X-Files: I Want to Believe in theaters when it's released July 25th, but I thought I'd take a sneak peak into the panel for you guys and get a few spoilers.

1. Scully's family will not be in the film--I'm not sure why that's important, but If I'm not mistaken she did have a daughter at some point--but they will be referenced.

2. DC Comics is launching a new X-Files comic series.

3. The love scene is a rumor--I can't really tell though, they were being ambiguous.

Here's a snippet of the trailer:

FILM: "Sex in the City" spoiler

This spoiler has been making its way around the web for a while now, but I was sort of torn as to whether or not I should give it away. I mean, spoilers for TV shows is one thing, but for a movie. Why go see it if you already know the big surprise? Whatevs. Apparently, somebody dies. Now, Perez is speculating that it's one of the leading ladies--that Charlotte dies in child birth or Samantha comes out of remission--but I think it's Big. I know. I know. Isn't the movie about Carrie getting her happily ever after? Not exactly. "Sex in the City" has always been about these four women learning to feel content with the love they give each other when the love they seek in men (or women, in Samantha's case) dies. To be honest. I'd be happy if Big died. He was kind of a selfish jerk. And no, Aidan shouldn't replace him. He can keep his hippie family.

But, who do you think kicks the bucket?

TRAILER: "My Best Friend's Girl"

Poor Kate Hudson. She's just coasting on her blond hair and good looks, doing romantic comedy after romantic comedy. She should at least change it up a bit. You know...pick a good romantic comedy. Whatevs. This one's got her in a love triangle between Dane Cook and Jason Biggs (American Pie)--yes, those B- list actors. Bigg's character is one of those serial monogamists who's desperate to settle down and tends to practically propose marriage after a month of dating, while Kate's character suddenly realizes that after only having been with two men in her life, she needs to play the field. Biggs tries to prevent that by getting his bff, Dane, to go out with her and ruin her perception of the men in the world. He gets paid for this. He's like Hitch, except he's equipped with obscene tactics. Of course, Kate happens to be the most open minded hot chick on the planet and isn't phased by any of his antics, and they fall for each other. So while Dane tries to fend her off, Biggs tries to figure out which of her new guys is stealing his future wifey. Watch the trailer for minimal laughter:

FILM: Casey Affleck is "The Kind One"

No, I'm not differentiating between Casey and his big bro Ben. The Kind One is an adaptation that Ridley Scott (American Gangster) is planning on directing with Casey in the lead. Normally, I try not to report casting news for movies that'll show up on screen in two years unless the actor is well-known or up-and-coming or the plot is extremely interesting, but after reading the plot to this one I got excited for a whole other reason. I saw Casey in The Assassination of Jesse James last month and he was phenomenal, engaging, and mesmerizing. He brought psycho to a whole new level. I used to think Cillian Murphy (Red Eye) was the end-all-and-be-all of actors who have the keen ability to portray quiet-but-deadly murderers. Then Casey blew him out of the water. He made his murderous character, not only creepy but, relatable.

Tom Epperson's period noir novel is "set in 1930s Los Angeles, and centers on an amnesiac who finds himself working for a mobster - a killer given the nickname 'the Kind One' - and falling in love with the thug's girlfriend." He has no memory, he's getting his hands dirty for a mob boss, and he's having an affair. I can't wait to see how he pulls it off.

FILM: "Teen Witch" remake

When I was a kid, I used to love this 1989 romantic musical called Teen Witch, where a geek manifests powers after receiving a magical amulet from an old gypsy who says that the teen is a descendant of the Salem witches. Once she gets the hang of her powers, she becomes the most popular girl in school--hence the song, "Most Popular Girl"--and scores the hottest guy. I watched it again a couple of months ago and realized how horrible it actually is. Not only does she stick with the jock who only acknowledges her after she seduces him with her magic, but she sticks to her new makeover instead of reverting like in Mean Girls.

United Artists, however, are planning on remaking it with Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical) in the lead. The original lead was Robyn Lively, who happens to be Blake Lively's ("Gossip Girl") big sister. I'm glad she didn't follow in her sister's footsteps, but I also hope they modernize the ending. The best part of the film, however, is when she puts a spell on her best friend so she has enough courage to ask out some Paul Rudd-Matt LeBlanc-looking beatboxer and she starts to rap-flirt. It's awesome! You've gotta watch it. lol To see if you might be interested in watching the remake, watch the original trailer: