TV: Fall 2008 Schedule + Spoilers + Video Previews

The Fall season starts up on Labor Day with the return of FOX's "Prison Break," the CW's "Gossip Girl" and "One Tree Hill," and the series premier of TNT's new series "Raising the Bar." The week will also bring about the return of FOX's "Bones" (Wednesday) and HBO's "Entourage" (Sunday), and the series premieres of the CW's "90210" (Tuesday), FX's "Sons of Anarchy" (Wednesday), and HBO's "Tru Blood" (Sunday).

For a FULL SCHEDULE to tack up on your fridge, CLICK HERE.

Below are a list of links that'll give you a sneak peak into the Fall season.

+ Series Descriptions
+ Next Season on...

CBS
+ Promos

NBC
+ Lineup
+ "Heroes"
--Video: Sneak Peak 1
--Video: Sneak Peak 2
--Spoilers
+ "Friday Night Lights"
--Spoiler 1
--Spoiler 2
+ Video: "Kath & Kim" Promo
+ "Chuck"
--Video: Promo
--Jordana Brewster Cast
--Nicole Richie Cast

FOX
+ "Life on Mars" Casting
+ "The Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"
--Casting
--Garbage's Shirley Manson Cast
+ Video: "Class Dismissed" Promo
+ Videos: "Dollhouse" and "Fringe" Promos

ABC
+ "Grey's Anatomy"
--Denny Returns
--Journeyman's Kevin McKidd Cast
+ "Desperate Housewives"
--Recasting & Eva Gains Weight
--Video: Next Season Preview
+ Katie Holmes on ABC's "Eli Stone"
+ Death on "Dirty Sexy Money"
+ New Love Interest for "Ugly Betty"
+ "Brothers & Sisters" Spoiler
+ Mary-Kate Olsen on "Samantha, Who?"

CW
+ "Gossip Girl"
--Video: Season 2 Clips
--Spoiler 1 & Alternate Season Ending
--Spoiler 2
+ Green Arrow returns to "Smallville"
+ "Surviving the Filthy Rich"/"Priveleged"
--Video 1
--Video 2
+ "90210" Cast Description

Check out the SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE!

FILM: New in Theaters - 8/29/08

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR…

…killer action scenes, then I’d suggest the sci-fi thriller Babylon A.D.
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz’s (Gothika)
Screenwriter: Adapted from Maurice G. Dantec’s novel by French screenwriter Eric Besnard
Leads: Vin Deisel, Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), and 27-year-old French newcomer Melanie Thierry
Supporting Cast: Gerard Depardieu and Mark Strong (Stardust)
Main Attraction: A mercenary is hired to protect a mysterious woman who is carrying a synthetic virus in her system that could destroy mankind. Think of it as The Fifth Element with less humor.
Insider Notes: David Belle (District B13) trained Vin Deisel and Yeoh in parkour, the increasingly popular form of combat, for many of their action scenes.
Verdict: Foreign-produced action films are becoming widely accepted as we witnessed this summer with Russian director Timur Bekmambetov’s Wanted, so I have high hopes for this one.
Trailer:



…for an unexpected spy thriller, then I’d suggest Traitor.
Director: Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Screenwriter: Jeffrey Nachmanoff (The Day After Tomorrow)
Leads: Don Cheadle, Jeff Daniels (Dumb & Dumberer), and Guy Pearce
Supporting Cast: Neal McDonough (88 Minutes), Said Taghmaoui (Vantage Point), and Archie Panjabi (A Mighty Heart)
Main Attraction: An FBI agent (Pearce) must unravel a conspiracy that pegs a former special ops officer (Cheadle)--with strong ties to Afghan rebels in the Middle East--as his prime suspect, until he gets tangled in all of the facts and is forced to delve deeper to find the truth.
Insider Notes: Steve Martin thought of this idea while filming Bringing Down the House.
Verdict: I’ve never thought of Cheadle as the Bourne-type, but the mystery does intrigue me a bit.
Trailer:


…for an R-rated teen comedy, then I’d suggest College.
Director: Deb Hagan
Screenwriter(s): Dan Callahan (Pathology) and Adam Ellison
Leads: Drake Bell, Andrew Caldwell (Drillbit Taylor), Kevin Covais (“American Idol”)
Supporting Cast: Ryan Pinkston (“Quintuplets” and Full of It), Haley Bennett (Music and Lyrics), Camille Mana (“One on One”), Nick Zano (“What I Like About You”), and Alona Tal (“Cane” & “Supernatural”)
Main Attraction: Three high school seniors visit a college for the weekend to soak up the “academic” atmosphere and get a little preview of the life they’ll enjoy for the next four years. Of course, since they’re seniors, frat guys treat them like slaves and the female population treats them like lepers. Think of it as if the geeks in Revenge of the Nerds were visiting their college instead of already enrolled in it.
Insider Notes: Bell used to be a Nickelodeon cash cow, milking his good looks and budding music career for all it was worth. Unfortunately, his lasting power wasn’t as potent as his former co-stars, who’ve moved onto bigger (Miranda Cosgrove in “iCarly”) and critically-praised ventures (Josh Peck in The Wackness). Less than a year after he wrapped up the last episode of “Drake & Josh,” he’s not only signed on for two TV movies based on the show and a straight-to-video sequel to Jerry Lewis’version of The Nutty Professor, but he’s stuck in this movie with D-list actors and amateurs running the show.
Verdict: Since it’s been branded a Superbad-clone, it’s likely to suffer like a pledge during Greek-week.
Trailer:


…for crap wrapped in elephant dung, then I’d suggest Disaster Movie.
Director: Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, the boys behind nearly every spoof film of this decade
Screenwriter(s): Friedberg and Seltzer
Leads: Matt Lanter (The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream), Nicole Parker (“MADtv”), Crista Flanagan (“Mad Men” & “MADtv”), and G. Thang (“In Case of the Emergency”)
Supporting Cast: Carmen Electra, Vanessa Minnillo (“TRL”), Kimberly Kardashian (…her sex tape), and Ike Barinholtz (“MADtv” and Meet the Spartans)
Main Attraction: “Over the course of one evening, an unsuspecting group of twenty-somethings find themselves bombarded by a series of natural disasters and catastrophic events.”
Insider Notes: While this genre has overstayed its welcome, at least it's given skit stars from “MADtv” and “SNL” somewhere to start their feature film careers.
Verdict: Somehow these films keep getting green-lit for big screen productions instead of shoved on the video store shelves where they belong.
Trailer:


…for an indie family drama, then I’d suggest Ballet Shoes.
Director: Sandra Goldbacher
Screenwriter: Brit Heidi Thomas adapts Noel Streatfeild’s novel
Leads: Emma Watson (Harry Potter), Yasmin Paige (“The Sarah Jane Adventures”), and Lucy Boynton (Miss Potter)
Supporting Cast: Eileen Atkins (What a Girl Wants), Emilia Fox (The Pianist), Marc Warren (“Hustle”), and Richard Griffiths (The History Boys)
Main Attraction: Three orphans are adopted by an eccentric explorer and his niece during the 1930s and are given the opportunity to join a prestigious ballet school. Through their lessons, they learn about themselves and about life.
Insider Notes: It’s the first of three new non-Potter films that Watson has signed on for. Here, she changes it up a bit, acting alongside a female-centric cast for once. Then she’ll diversify her resume with voice-over cred in the animated Tale of Despereaux and officially declare her mature age when she stars in the romantic drama Napoleon and Betsy.
Verdict: If you’re into period pieces and ballet, then you just might enjoy this.
Trailer:

TRAILER: Fast and Furious

Hmmmm...

TRAILER: "New York, I Love You"

Star-studded and full of promise:

FILM: "Fast and the Furious" 20-minute Prequel

Vin Diesel (The Chronicles of Riddick) is going to dip back into directing and producing. Relax, he's not going on hiatus from acting again just yet. Universal has given him permission to direct a 20-minute prequel to The Fast and Furious as a promo for the upcoming fourth installment in theaters June 2009.

It'll feature Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, who is said to die in the 4th film, and Sung Kang, who played Han in the third film Tokyo Drift. It's still unclear on how the prequel will be released--the best bet for now is via the Internet.

TV: Good News for "Moonlight " Fans

While the CBS romantic vampire series "Moonlight" hasn't been revived, it's leading star, Alex O'Loughlin, has been coaxed into a talent-holding deal with CBS and ABC Studios through producer Mark Gordon ("Grey's Anatomy," "Criminal Minds"), who plans on developing a project for him.

Till then you can gawk at him in the April thriller Whiteout and if he's lucky, maybe his fellow Aussie and friend Yvonne Strahovski will get him a guest spot on her show "Chuck."

FILM: Tom Cruise could be a "Sleeper"

The DC Comic Sleeper, written by Ed Brubaker, is being adapted into a fim by Sam Raimi. While it is interesting that the recently redeemed Tom Cruise is attached, what is actually the eye-popping factoid in this news update is the comic's plot.

It's about "an operative whose fusion with an alien artifact makes him impervious to pain and allows him to pass it on to others through skin contact." I thought that this quick synopsis meant that this hero could spread his power, making others "impervious to pain" as well. But in actuality, what he spreads is the pain. He stores it and then passes it onto someone else.

The reason why this was done to him was because the government agency he works for wanted to send him on an undercover mission to infiltrate a criminal organization run by a man named Tao. But, of course, once he rises in the ranks, he falls for one of his fellow evildoers, named Miss Misery, and befriends the bulletproof thug Genocide Jones and a trusted ally named Peter Grimm. Much like The Departed, once his gov't boss, Lynch, falls into a coma, he loses his untainted identity and starts to question which side is actually in the right.

Once Tao discovers his true identity, he convinces him to essentially turn to the dark side. After he agrees, Lynch comes out of the coma and tries to bribe him to defect with the promise that he would get the alien who provided the artifact to rid him of his cursed power. Seeing that both sides want him badly, he attempts to play them against each other and figure out a way to live happily ever after with Miss Misery.

It could be visually enticing.

FILM: Box Office Results - 8/22/08

Tropic Thunder held tight to the #1 spot with $66 mil this weekend. The House Bunny and Death Race, two very low grade films somehow, some way managed to elbow their way into the #2 and #3 spot, knocking Dark Knight to #4. But there's no chance in hell either of them will reach Batman's $489 mil gross--Bunny opening with $15 mil and Race with $12 mil.

The force is also not strong with the animated Clone Wars, which came in at #5 with $25 mil. Following suit, Pineapple Express is at #6, slowly edging its way out of the top 10 after only 3 weeks and $74 mil. Hopefully, people will come to their senses soon and acknowledge how awesome that movie is. I have no objection, however, to the horror flick Mirrors dropping three spots to #7 with $20 mil or The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor topping out at $290 mil worldwide at #10, nearly half of what the second sequel earned.

I did, unfortunately, expect Fred Durst's The Longshots to get a little love from the critics and moviegoers to no avail. It came in at #8 with $4.3 mil, putting Mamma Mia! at #9 with $125 mil. My sure bet for the weekend, the indie Hamlet 2, may have only scraped together $435,000 with its 100-theater release, but at least it didn't open in more than 2,000 theaters at #12 with $3.8 mil like The Rocker. OUCH! Why is it that every time a television actor tries to breakout on their own (i.e. Rainn Wilson's co-star John Krasinski in License to Wed and Leatherheads) without any substantial proof of their impending fame (for example Arrested Development's Will Arnett or SNL's Andy Samberg as opposed to Tina Fey), they fail miserably? Even Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which was only released in 600 theaters, managed to stack up $8.5 mil at #11 in its 2nd week.

Speaking of top 10 dropouts, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, retired after three weeks with $38 mil, while Step Brothers took home $96 mil after 5 weeks.

Next weekend, you can look forward to the long-awaited (by some) return of Vin Deisel in Babylon A.D., the intensely dreaded (by too many) addition of Disaster Movie to the spoof genre, the intriguingly down-played spy thriller Traitor, the potentially humorous teen comedy College, and the first movie that Harry Potter's Emma Watson has starred in where she doesn't go by the name Hermione, Ballet Shoes.

TRAILER: The Secret Life of Bees

Director and Screenwriter: Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball) adapts Sue Monk Kidd's novel
Stars: Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Dakota Fanning, Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda), Tristan Wilds ("The Wire"), Paul Bettany (The Da Vinci Code), and Hilarie Burton ("One Tree Hill")

VIDEO: Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent"

Ne-Yo is obviously still interested in film after his sidekick role in Stomp the Yard because this video, starring Gabriel Union, singer Keri Hilson, and Lauren London (This Christmas) as his lovely leading ladies, just screams romantic comedy in the making.

FILM: New in Theaters - 8/22/08

Alright, so there are sort of slim pickings this weekend--perhaps even a good time to catch up on all that Olympics footage you might've saved on TiVo or to enjoy an end-of-summer event. But if you're desperate, there are a few commercial films that are available.

Jason Statham solidifies his B-list status, starring in Paul W.S. Anderson's (Resident Evil) video game adaptation Death Race. Expect a lot of death and...a race. Okay, it might be a little more complicated than that. There might be something about Statham's race car driving character being framed for the murder of his wife so that he would land in a specific prison to partake in a race that will make a lot of money for bad people. Winner gets set free. I'm thinking he's going to have to do a whole lot more than win in order to get his freedom though.


If you'd rather watch a comedy, Rainn Wilson is breaking out of "The Office" for a quick second to star as a washed-up, overzealous drummer for his nephew's band as they go on the road after they make a huge splash on youtube. There's sure to be a lot of sight gags, including a frequently nude Wilson. Keep an eye out for budding new talent Josh Gad ("Back to You") and Emma Stone (Superbad). Also starring are Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Bradley Cooper ("Alias"), Jane Krakowski ("30 Rock"), and pop singer Teddy Geiger.


For a little brain dead humor, you can check out House Bunny. An over-the-hill Playboy bunny (Ana Faris from Scary Movie) gets kicked out of Hef's mansion, so she tries to get a "real job." Discovering that being the hen mother to a sorority house is almost as fun as being a sexy pin-up leads her to counsel a few misfits (Emma Stone from Superbad, Kat Dennings from Charlie Bartlett, Rumer Willis, and Katherine McPhee) into feeling a little more comfortable in their own skin. She, of course, learns a lesson of her own while trying to bag a cute geek (Colin Hanks from Orange County): Beauty isn't everything.


If you're looking for a sports drama with a heart of gold, I'd suggest Fred Durst's The Longshots. It's the story of the first female to play in the Pop Warner football tournament in its 56-year history. Ice Cube and Keke Palmer (Akkelah and the Bee) star.


Hamlet 2 is the real treasure this weekend. It's too bad it's a limited release. This comedic indie, starring Steve Coogan (Tropic Thunder), is about "a failed actor-turned-worse-high-school-drama-teacher [who] rallies his Tucson, AZ students as he conceives and stages politically incorrect musical sequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet." I know. It sounds awesome. Catherine Keener (40-year-old Virgin) and Amy Poehler (Baby Mama) also star.

FILM: "Veronica Mars" Movie

Rob Thomas, the creator of "Veronica Mars," has reportedly met with Kristen Bell so they can hammer out the details of a big screen adaptation of the cult hit TV show.

ALBUM REVIEWS: Jonas Brothers' "A Little Bit Longer" & Miley Cyrus' "Breakout"

The Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus may not sing the same kind of music or the same caliber of music, but they do have a very similar fan base: screaming teens. Another thing that they have in common is that they are both products of evolution--not only their own, but that of the music industry. Back in the 90s or even the early 00s, when an artist "matured," it pretty much meant that they discovered their bellybuttons, the opposite sex, and how keeping their name in the press translates well into album sales and sold out arenas. The sound of the Jonas Brothers and Miley's albums, however, is mature both lyrically and production-wise.

It is true that Miley Cyrus has gone the Britney-Christina-Hilary Duff route with her public persona and image, but she did manage to squeeze out a few good songs in spite of it. Two things Disney stars have to be careful of is 1) having to lip synch because of their horrible vocals and 2) having juvenile lyrics backed by dance beats. I'll admit that Cyrus' voice is quite untraditional for someone her age. Ask anyone and they'll tell you that the girl sounds like she's a 40-year-old country singer who's smoked since she was 10. In fact, in her double album Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, she had a track called "See You Again," where she sounded like a young Blondie. On this album, she has a few songs that showcase her unique voice, like "The Driveway," which she co-wrote:

Fun Dance Tracks: "Breakout" & Cindy Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" remake

The Jonas Brothers did a better job of stepping into the next phase of their musical careers, solidifying their chances of at least securing a more stable (and decidely older) fan base. I think the main issue with boy bands of the 90s is that they relied to heavily on a formula, giving their fans the same product wrapped in a new gimmick. When Justin Timberlake broke out of N'Sync he reinvented himself and when he returned from his hiatus, he "brought sexy back." What the Jonas Brothers have done is allow their more mature musical influences that most of their fans have never heard of seep into their new music, creating a sound (nearly) for all ages--well, at least female ones.


The album was written by all three brothers with a few tracks that were only written by Nick. Unlike Cyrus's first single "7 Things," I immediately fell in love with "Burnin' Up." When I previewed the album on AOL, I expected great pop/rock-driven tracks, like "Shelf," "Tonight," and "Pushing Me Away," and beautiful ballads, like "Sorry." But instead, I kept these on steady replay:

"Lovebug" is a sweet, seemingly acoustic track that reminds me of Jason Mraz's folk love music if it were set in Hawaii:


"Got Me Going Crazy," which was written by Nick, sounds like a Vegas-y rockin song:


"A Little Bit Longer," the title track is my favorite ballad on the album and it was also written by Nick. He was said to have written it about his hospital stay when he was diagnosed with diabetes. Tell me it doesn't make your eyes water:


All in all, both releases show promise for better albums in the future.

FILM: Box Office Results - 8/15/08

Despite naysayers, Tropic Thunder shoved The Dark Knight out of the #1 spot with $37 mil. Like I said yesterday, I enjoyed a double feature of the uproariously funny industry spoof and Pineapple Express. What surprised me the most about the film were the amount of cast members that were barely mentioned during promotions for the film. While I didn't expect them to mention the cameos by Christine Taylor (Ben's wife), Martin Lawrence, Maria Menuonos, Tyra Banks, or Lance Bass, I did think that they would at least mention that Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up), who played a young up-and-comer, Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), who played Tom Cruise's assistant, and Matthew McConaughey, who played Ben's doting manager were in it. By far the best bit-parts were performed by Tom Cruise, who busted a move to Flo Rida's "Low" and Ludacris' "Get Back" with surprisingly rhythmic hip-hop dance moves, and two of the young Asian actors--Brandon Soo Hoo, who could give Jet Li a run for his money, and the most adorable little psychotic toddler (played by twins J. Thomas and Jacob Chon) who could melt you with his pout.

The Dark Knight steadied itself at #2, reaching $471 mil domestically after 5 weeks. Despite the fact that Star Wars: The Clone Wars wasn't written or directed by George Lucas and it was animated, it managed to come in at #3 with $15.5 mil. The horror flick Mirrors snagged the #4 spot with $11 mil, pushing Pineapple Express, a movie that made me laugh so hard I almost puked on an empty stomach, to #5 with $63 mil.

After three weeks, moviegoers came to their senses and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor plummeted three spots to #6, but not before grossing $87 mil. It doesn't seem like it'll retire within the high nine figures like its two previous films. Mamma Mia!, on the other hand, is up to $116 mil at #7. Its only other female counterpart in the box office, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, however, hasn't faired as well. In its second week, it's dropped four spots to #8 and is likely to retire with perhaps a little more than its present $32 mil gross. But this is actually a coup for the Sisterhood, since its first installment debuted with $9 mil in its first week and retired with $39 mil. Shoved out by their fellow comedians, Step Brothers comes close to taking its leave after a month, positioned at #9 with $91 mil. The indies Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Henry Poole is Here, and Fly Me to the Moon did not make huge splashes due to their small releases. But Woody Allen's romantic dramedy, which grossed $3.7 mil, did receive rave reviews, while Luke Wilson's dramedy, which grossed a measly $800,000, was harshly skewered. And Moon failed to intrigue kids everywhere, despite slim pickings, and it only grossed $2 mil.

Retired this week from the top 10 are: Journey to the Center of the Earth ($100 mil), Wall-E ($248 mil), Hancock ($557 mil), and Swing Vote ($15 mil).

Next week, we've got the teen comedies The Rocker and The House Bunny, the action flick Death Race, the indie comedy Hamlet 2, and the inspirational sports drama The Longshots.

FILM: Religious Movie Spoofs - "Tropic Thunder" & "Alienate People"

While we've all grown tired of the Scary Movie sequels and their cousins, Date Movie, Epic Movie, and Disaster Movie, it's seems there's a new undercurrent of religious spoofs.

The intro to Tropic Thunder is actually a compilation of fake trailers for movies that the stars are in. One in particular stands out the most. Robert Downey Jr. plays an Australian Oscar winning actor who was heralded for his portrayal of a gay monk who must fight his desires. Tobey Maguire makes a hilarious cameo as the monk's young lover.

Then this afternoon, as I was skimming the web, I found a fake trailer that was shot for the movie How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. One of the film's characters is an overpaid actress (Megan Fox), who is starring in an Oscar-nominated film called Teresa: The Making of a Saint. The way it's shot is supposed to be borderline serious and comical. But what really pushes it over the edge is the voice-over which veers into action movie territory. Watch it below:


Do you think these religious spoofs will catch on?

VIDEO: "Everybody Nose" Remix

While it was originally an N.E.R.D track, CRS (Kanye + Lupe + Pharrell) united to remix the song with a friend, Pusha T, who's from the twin rap duo Clipse. The graphics on this one--old school video games--is pretty sick.

WATCH it for yourself.

FILM: "Twilight" Release Date Moves Up

Since Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince has been moved from Nov. 21st to July 17th, that release date is wide open for a huge opening weekend.

Twilight has been building buzz steadily ever since April's New York Comic Con sneak peak and the producers are eager to please ravenous fans of the teen vampire love story, so they snagged the empty spot.

FILM: Tina Fey & Steve Carell Get Married!

Steve Carell and Tina Fey have signed on to play a married couple in Josh Klausner's (Shrek the Third) comedy Date Night.

They'll play a couple who comically forgo the usual dinner-and-a-movie date nights. I love when comedic heavyweights get together and make me laugh until I can't breathe. I hope these two will bring the funny.

FILM: New in Theaters - 8/15/08

Sorry for the delay. I have the flu. And what's the best way to forget about having the flu? Go to the movies!!!...and spread it to everyone in the theater. lol

I went for--what we in NYC refer to as--a "double feature." Four hours of R-rated comedy: Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder--two of the funniest movies I've seen in a long while. Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Black's war spoof slash industry mockumentary is definitely a must-see. While Tom Cruise's cameo has been hyped up for quite some time, trust me, you will forgive him of all his past crimes against sanity. He's one funny mothaf*cka, especially when he's dancing to Flo Rida's "Get Low."

But if you're interested in sheer action, yet another epic Jedi tale, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, will hit theaters. It's true that it's not written and/or directed by George Lucas, and that it's completely animated, but is there any doubt that the stunts will be killer? Plus, if you were not a fan of Hayden Christensen's performance or the abomination known as Jar Jar Binks (who I did not find that annoying), you won't have to worry about seeing them. The film takes place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and will chronicle "the on-going intragalactic battle involving the Jedis of the Republic and the battle droids of the Trade Federation." Comic Con fans everywhere are salivating.


If you're looking for something dramatically philosophical with a side of funny, then I'd suggest yet another Luke Wilson indie called Henry Poole is Here, which also stars George Lopez, Adriana Barraza (Babel), and Radha Mitchell (Melinda and Melinda). He plays a guy who thinks he's dying, so he sequesters himself in a house to spend his last days alone. Unfortunately, his neighbor spots a stain on his stucco wall that she believes to be the image of Christ. Could it be the miracle he needs?


And if you drop your kids off at the animated movie Fly Me to the Moon, which is about houseflies who hop on a space ship, you could indulge in the romantic drama Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The Woody Allen flick has been getting a lot of buzz because of its lesbian kissing scene and the sexy love triangle between Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, and Javier Bardem. But the film is actually about two friends (Starter for Ten's Rebecca Hall and Johansson) who go to Spain and fall in love with a painter (Bardem), who has romantic issues of his own with his ex-wife (Cruz). Think of it as the thinking woman's soap opera.

FILM: Who will play Pablo Escobar?

Joe Carnahan (Smokin Aces) originally sought after Oscar winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) to play Pablo Escobar in his upcoming biopic Killing Pablo. Bardem claimed to drop out because of scheduling issues and it was believed that Carnahan was left in the lurch. But he's recently reported that the part has already been recast and the Pablo-to-be is already packing on the pounds to play the illustrious drug-running kingpin.

So who got the part? Edgar Ramirez (below). You might remember him as the unstoppable bad ass Choco in Richard Kelly's Domino, or the formidable enemy Paz in The Bourne Ultimatum, or a member of the political action thriller Vantage Point's ensemble cast. If not, you will be formally introduced to him when he stars alongside Benicio del Toro in the two-part Che Guevara biopic Guerrilla and The Argentine. But what will really make him unforgettable is...wait for it...when he plays Pablo Escobar in TWO different films!!!!

Not only has Carnahan tapped Ramirez for the role, but Antoine Fuqua (Shooter and King Arthur) has also cast him in his biopic titled Escobar, and both films are slated for a 2009 release. I think this would be the first time an actor was asked to play the same guy for two different novel adaptations.


If Ramirez had to choose between the two, I'd suggest sticking with Carnahan's film. While Escobar is adapted from a book written by Pablo's brother and is being executive produced by Oliver Stone, Killing Pablo also stars Christian Bale and Chris Pine (Just My Luck star, who is in desperate need of a big break).

Which film would you rather see?
Do you think one of the directors should cast another actor?

Update: According to Entertainment Weekly, Carnahan stole Ramirez from Fuqua and he'll only be doing one of the films, but of course Fuqua is denying it.

FILM: No Harry Potter film this Fall

In March, we learned that the seventh book of the Harry Potter series will be split into two films. Now we're being informed that the sixth book, Half-Blood Prince, will not be released this November as scheduled, but July 2009. The president of Warner Bros. studios said:

"Our reasons for shifting 'Half-Blood Prince' to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last 'Harry Potter' film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment. Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers' strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films--changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move 'Half-Blood Prince' to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer."

While I am peeved—after seeing the trailer—about not getting to see it this fall, I'm glad they informed us of this now and not a week before it was supposed to hit theaters. The Harry Potter community is a rowdy bunch and I don't think they would've accepted such a major delay.

UPDATE: Perez reported that the real reason the movie was moved was because Daniel Radcliffe will be starring in the provocative Broadway play Equus this fall and they don't want people to be turned off by his bare chest and...horse humping. If it's true, they better hope Emma Watson and Rupert Grint don't do anything stupid in the next year or they'll have to make up some other lie for postponing it.

FILM: "Severance Package" Adaptation

I must have a thing for movie plots that involve someone running for their lives (i.e. Bourne Identity, Enemy of the State, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the upcoming Eagle Eye, etc.), because hearing that Duane Swierczynski's violent action comedy novel Severance Package has been optioned fills me with sheer joy.

The story is about a "media relations director of a financial company who learns that the firm was a front for a covert intelligence agency that is being shut down immediately, with every manager scheduled to be terminated - literally." Awesome! lol If you notice the book jacket says, "Ever wanted to kill your boss?" It makes me think of when James McAvoy flipped on his female boss in Wanted.

Hmm, who should be cast in the lead? a

TV: "Maid in Manhattan" film now an ABC series

When I studied abroad in Madrid my roommates and I had two DVDs at our disposal: "One Tree Hill" Season 2 and Maid in Manhattan. I watched that movie so many times that I convinced myself that Ralph Fiennes wasn't half bad. He was, trust me.

But never did I imagine that this film was perfect for being turned into a series. Then again I had my doubts about "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer," which were proven wrong, and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," which is presently in development hell.

The 2002 rom-com, starring Jennifer Lopez, was about a maid...um, in Manhattan, who worked at a hotel as a cleaning lady, but had timid ambitions to be in the upper echelon of the staff. Her pushy best friend, who submits her application for a manager job, goads her into playing dress up with a rich person's ridiculously expensive clothing. Bam! The meet-cute. Her son, a disturbingly aware political junkee, eagerly introduces her to a Senatorial candidate that's staying at the hotel. Naturaly, he immediately falls madly in love with her. I'm sure, by now, you've guessed that he eventually discovers that she's some lowly, blue collar, poor person and accepts her for who she is...after a little hesitation.

The ABC series will take a page out of "Ugly Betty"s handbook and cast a young Latina from the Bronx in the lead. The character will still work at a Manhattan hotel and still have ambitions, but she won't fall head-over-heels for a politician. Instead, it'll just be an office-type scenario that focuses on her relationships with co-workers.

Now here's the kicker: Move over Selma Hayek, this was Lopez's idea and she's executive producing.

Sooooooo...
1) Are you gonna watch?
2) Which Latina actress do you want in the lead?
(It's too bad Ana Ortiz is already busy. Hmmm, cross over episodes?)

TV: "Chuck"s Matthew Bomer stars in "White Collar"

Matthew Bomer, who's played Bryce, the cooloer and more capable version of the lead character in NBC's "Chuck," has been tapped to star in USA Network's 90-minute pilot "White Collar."

It's about "a brilliant con artist who, against his will, partners with the head of FBI's white-collar crime unit to solve cases."

Will you watch?

FILM: Jolie steals Cruise's part

Tom Cruise was supposed to star in the espionage thriller Edwin A. Salt, but he mysteriously dropped out. Instead of lining up another big name actor to take over the role, the producers gave it to Angelina Jolie.

Obviously, they'll have to tweak the script, which is about "a CIA officer who's accused by a defector of being a Russian sleeper spy and must elude capture long enough to establish their innocence."

Kurt Wimmer (Thomas Crown Affair and Street Kings) is writing and Philip Noyce (Catch a Fire and The Bone Collector) is directing.

But don't worry about Cruise, he's busy courting a future in comedy. Hoping that his cameo in Tropic Thunder will jumpstart a comedic career--since, apparently, being attractive has gone out the window--he's vying for a role in Food Fight. It's the story of a "snooty New York chef who is forced to cook meals at a school cafeteria."

Adam Brooks (Definitely, Maybe and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason) is writing and Steven Brill (Drillbit Taylor and Mr. Deeds) is directing.

FILM: Box Office Results - 8/8/08

The Dark Knight conquers the box office for the fourth week in a row, amassing $441 mil domestically. But Pineapple Express did manage to debut at #2 with $22 mil. I plan on seeing it this Tuesday, when the theaters have thinned out. After reading the August issue of GQ, where Judd Apatow described the film by saying, "In my head, it is clearly a story of how pot leads to Asian gangs trying to murder you,” and Seth Rogen said, “To us it was a movie about business associates who are trying to figure out whether or not they’re friends apart from the business," I'm even more interested. At #3 is the ever-resilient despite horrifically bad reviews The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor with $71 mil.

Meanwhile, the other contender for the weekend, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, came in at #4 with $11 mil, which is a little more than they made opening weekend the first time around. I thought the film was pretty good and definitely a tear jerker. I should've brought a towel instead of a sweater--practically had to ring it out in the bathroom. Tibby was her usual anti-social, commitment-phobic self; Lena was stuck in a sexy love triangle; Carmen was the poster child for girl power; and Bridget emptied tear ducts. My only gripe was the lack of interesting hot guys. Kostos (Michael Rady from "Swingtown") played backseat to some unromantic "artist" named Leo (Jesse Williams) and Carmen fell for some wannabe actor named Ian (Tom Wisdom who looks like a young Dougray Scott, which is surprising since he's actually 35, not 20) who was supposedly out of her league. Why? Because he was British? If it wasn't for Brian McBrian's (Leonardo Nam) comedic moments and impressively patient behavior with Tibby, the romantic side of the film would've been a wash. Recently, I've grown fascinated with the "trivia" section of imdb.com and it's nuggets of knowledge. For example, did you know that Hilary Duff was interested in playing the role of Tibby at one point? That would've ruined the movie for sure--I don't like my Duff with a side of angst.

Step Brothers rounded out the top 5 with $81 mil. Mamma Mia! has finally reached triple digits with $104 mil at #6. Journey to the Center of the Earth takes a different journey...towards the exit with $82 mil at #7. Hancock slowly begins its retirement at #8 with $222 mil. Swing Vote slides down from #6 to #9 with $12 mil. Wall-E is finally on its way out at # 10 after 7 weeks with $213 mil worldwide--surprisingly only grossing $3 mil abroad. Space Chimps dropped out of the top 10 with $25 mil along with The X-Files: I Want to Believe, which got kicked to the curb with $20 mil. The indies Bottle Shock debuted with $295,000 and Elegy with $102,000--both garnering mixed reviews.

Next weekend, the ridiculously funny Tropic Thunder will hit theaters like a mack truck. Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the animated sequel/prequel--what is it called when it takes place in between sequels?--will appease comic con fans who are jonesing for a little Jedi action. Woody Allen's latest film Vicky Cristina Barcelona will mostly pull in viewers for its scandalous content and sultry actors. And Mirrors will provide some terror to horror-free theaters.

FILM: Channing Tatum in "Parkour"

Channing Tatum has a number of projects lined up in the next year. He just wrapped up Fighting, Public Enemies, and G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, and now he's about to start shooting Parkour, where he'll play an undercover cop who has to stop a jewel heist by joining a gang that specializes in parkour.

TRAILER: Appaloosa

Westerns have been a respectable genre for several decades--enough to garner being chronicled in books and classrooms, and paid homage to in present day films. But I didn't start liking them until I saw 3:10 to Yuma last year, and there's a slight chance I'm going to start loving them if the studios cranks them out as fast they're doing musicals.

The next western to hit the screen, Appaloosa, stars professional tough guys Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris, who are hired to police a town that's under a violent dictatorship run by Jeremy Irons. Let's see. Dusty roads? Check. Showdown? Check. The fastest guns in town? Check. Damsel in distress? Renee Zellweger playing a grieving widow...check.

FILM: New in Theaters - 8/08/08

Who knew that the most ambitious comedian of this generation would be an avid pot smoker? In the spirit of Cheech and Chong film, Seth Rogen brings you a new adventure, where frequently fawned over James Franco plays the drug dealer who bestows upon him a special treat known as The Pineapple Express. It's so potent and epically mind-blowing that it heightens the terror they're already feeling after Rogen witnesses a murder and goes on the run. Filling out the cast are Danny McBride (Drillbit Taylor), Kevin Corrigan ("Grounded for Life"), Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Amber Heard (Never Back Down), and Rosie Perez.


Meanwhile, the girls who don't find a red-eyed, disshelved Franco attractive or pot-smoking shennanigans amusing will be watching The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. In the sequel to the 2005 chick flick, Tibby's (Amber Tamblyn) busy pursuing her directing ambitions with an actual crew, while falling for an Asian guy; Bridget (Blake Lively) reunites with her estranged grandmother after a fallout with her secretive dad and copes with her feelings about her mother's death; Carmen (America Ferrara) falls for a cute guy while nervously starring in a play and helping her mom through her pregnancy; and Lena (Alexis Bledel) gets sucker-punched by Kostos' pending nuptials to somebody else, tempted by a nude model in one of her art classes, and faced with a repenting, newly single Kostos. And while all of this is going down, the girls lose touch and even the pants get lost. In the last movie, they reconnected because of the urgent Carmen situation, and this time it looks like Lena's going to need the reunion-boost.

I haven't been to the movies in 21 days, which for this summer is a record, so I'll be seeing both of those flicks. But for those of you looking for something a little more low key, there are two options. Bottle Shock is a dramedy about two wine lovers in 1976 from opposite sides of the world, who both have a passion for wine that could change the industry forever. It's literally a love letter to wine and a dramatic examination of ambition and passion. Chris Pine, Alan Rickman and Eliza Dushku star.


And then there's the Spaniard adaptation of Philip Roth's novel Elegy where an eternal bachelor (Ben Kingsley) turns over a new leaf once he falls for his mysterious student (Penelope Cruz) and becomes obsessed.

FILM: Jason Statham as Daredevil

Jason Statham has long been a star of B-action movies ever since he charmed us in in the British heist film Snatch and impressed us with his first starring role in the action film The Transporter. But I'm sure the 35-year-old actor is eager to get more commercially accepted roles, which is why the news of his interest in portraying Daredevil in a new installment of the comic film comes to no surprise.

What is surprising is that Frank Miller (The Spirit), the creator, is on board for it. I bet Ben Affleck feels like crap right now.

FILM: Max Thieriot is a "Prodigy"

It's been four years since Max Thieriot starred in his first film, Catch that Kid. During those years, his co-stars Corbin Bleu and Kristen Stewart found fame--Bleu in High School Musical and Stewart in the upcoming Twilight--so it's about time he got his due.

Having co-starred in The Pacifier, Nancy Drew, and Jumper, the 19-year-old has had his shot at commercial stardom, but has never officially made a lasting impression...until now apparently.

Thieriot recently scored the lead role in Dave Kalstein's novel adaptation Prodigy, where he'll play "a rebellious student at an elite boarding school producing world leaders with the help of pharmaceuticals. Three days before graduation, several of its alumni are murdered, and William is implicated. As the school valedictorian investigates William, the two eventually become reluctant allies and targets while uncovering a conspiracy behind the crimes."

It sounds fairly interesting and could become even more so with the likes of Chuck Russell (The Scorpion King and The Mask) directing.

FILM: "Bourne" in Reverse

Paul Schrader (Raging Bull) just sold his spy thriller The Dying of the Light.

"The story follows a CIA agent who's forced to retire because he's begun to suffer the effects of Alzheimer's and finds he's racing the clock when he takes on a final mission."

Casting hasn't been decided yet, but the idea of the plot just reminds me of Bourne Identity in reverse. Instead of trying to remember his past in order to start his future, he's trying to retain it in order to put it behind him. If written well and cast correctly, it could be an Oscar contender...by my standards anyway.

FILM: Lethal Weapon 5

Shane Black, who is best known for writing the four films in the Lethal Weapon series, has written a fifth where Riggs (Mel Gibson) stalls his retirement by dragging Murtaugh (Danny Glover) out of his to solve one final case.

While I do enjoy Lethal Weapon, Black shouldn't sell himself short. The last film he did, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang starring Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer, was very well-written and really funny. Maybe it wasn't his idea. Maybe Gibson needs to revamp his public persona.

Either way, will you watch another Lethal Weapon?

Update: Columbus Short (Stomp the Yard) has been tapped to play Murtaugh's son.

FILM: Box Office Results - 8/2/08

Dark Knight came in first place for the third week in a row with $597 million worldwide—getting closer and closer to Titanic's record. But The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor wasn't far behind, debuting at #2 despite horrendous reviews. While Step Brothers ($63 mil), Mamma Mia ($88 mil), and Brendan Fraser's other action adventure flick Journey to the Center of the Earth ($73 mil) rounded out the top 5, Swing Vote entered the box office at #6 with $6 mil. I guess moviegoers aren't interested in political fair just yet.

Hancock ($216 mil) and Wall-E ($204 mil) take up #7 and #8, edging towards the bottom after more than a month raking in triple digit millions. Meanwhile, The X-Files faces huge disappoint, dropping from #4 to #9 in its second week with $17 mil. Hopefully it'll make more before exiting the top 10 so as not to be more of a failure than Space Chimps, which sits at #10 with $22 mill. Speaking of surprising failure, Hellboy 2 exited the top 10 after a month with $71 mil. Wanted, however, left with $227 mil worldwide. I definitely smell a sequel. And last week's indie Brideshead Revisited jumped from #21 to #13 with $1.7 mil.

Next week, theaters get foggy when Pineapple Express hits the big screen, ladies everywhere start to squeal when The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants delights them with tales of bffs and teen romance, and the indies Bottle Shock and Elegy tag along for the ride.

TRAILER: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

I've never read this book, but after seeing the trailer, I just might. Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's romantic novel about teenagers who fall in love one night has been adapted for the big screen.

Michael Cera and Kat Dennings (Charlie Bartlett) play the leads. Cera's Nick has recently been dumped by a brainless girl (Alexis Dziena from Fool's Gold) on his birthday, and is so distraught he refuses to play gigs with his band (includes Aaron Yoo from Disturbia). On the same night they force him to, his ex happens to flaunt her new guy and taunt Kat's Norah for always being a good girl with no guy. So to fend her off, Norah pretends that Nick is her boyfriend and he graciously plays along. They spend the night getting to know each other, searching for her drunk friend, running into random characters like John Cho and Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up), and having the time of their lives. It reminds me of Can't Hardly Wait...but better.



Release Date: October 3rd

TRAILER: Sex Drive

Normally, teen comedies with unestablished actors aren't worth watching. But you can tell that these boys at least have a future in the business. Newcomer Josh Zuckerman ("Kyle XY") and Michael Cera's comedy partner Clark Duke (Dale on "Greek") play best friends who go on a road trip to meet Zuckerman's internet girlfriend (Katrina Bowden from "30 Rock"). Of course, he lied to her about what he looks like and...everything else. But he thinks that if he rolls up in his sports-loving brother's (James Marsden playing douche like he's never played before) car, he'll win her over instantly. I don't see this ending well. But it isn't about where their going, just how they get there. Apparently, there's an amish Seth Green involved. That alone is reason enough to at least watch the trailer. And if that really isn't enough, the last scene where a rent-a-cop tries to taser and mace Zuckerman while he's wearing a donut costume is just priceless.


Release Date: October 10th

TRAILER: The Brothers Bloom (Ruffalo, Brody, & Weisz)

Rian Johnson, the writer and director of Brick, veers into the action comedy genre with Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz, and Rinko Kikuchi (Babel). Make no mistake—this isn't your average explosion-heavy rom-com. There's some definite Wes Anderson quirkiness going on.

The story follows a pair of brothers who are professional con men. They make their money tricking the wealthy out of their millions with "complex scenarios of lust and intrigue." While Brody wants out, Ruffalo begs him for one last job. The mark? A homebody with a hunger for adventure played by Weisz. Tricking her into thinking she's in danger and he's her hero is only half the fun. The other half? Watching how they do it.


Release Date: October 24th

VIDEO: NBC's "Kath & Kim" sneak peak

When I first heard about Molly Shannon and Selma Blair (Hellboy) teaming up to play a mother-daughter duo in a new comedy series, I didn't think much would come of it. But after seeing how obnoxious, spoiled, and stupid Blair's character is, I understand why it was greenlit. See for yourself:

VIDEO: "Chuck" Season 2 & "Dexter" Season 3 Preview

Season 2 of NBC's "Chuck" is chocked full of action, romance, and comedy--my three favorite genres. In the clip below, you'll see Sarah and Chuck passionately kiss, Chuck profess his undying love for her a billion times, Sarah get jealous, Bryce make an unwelcome reappearance, Tony Hale (Buster from "Arrested Development") join their work environment, Chuck's co-workers concoct games that would put "The Office" olympics to shame, and Casey get orders to terminate Chuck. Oh yeah!!!!



I haven't seen season 2 of "Dexter" yet, so for a preview of season 3, watch the clip below:

FILM: "I Am Legend" prequel & "Inside Man" sequel

Francis Lawrence is gearing up for a prequel to last year's blockbuster I Am Legend. While I didn't watch the film, I think it's kind of weird--knowing how it ended--to explore Will Smith's character any further. The dystopian portion of the film takes place three years after the epidemic spreads, and the prequel will happen earlier. But I was under the impression that, you know, nothing interesting happened in those three years, which is why the film's action was set in that year. I really don't get where Lawrence could go with this, unless they involve other characters who were trying to survive. But, of course, they won't want to exclude their cash-cow Smith, so that's unlikely.

There are also talks for a sequel to the critically lauded Inside Man. If you remember, Clive Owen's character gets away scot-free after performing a very clever bank heist, leaving Denzel Washington with his jaw hanging open. So what exactly will it be about? First off, most of the main players will return, (Jodie Foster, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and director Spike Lee), except for William Dafoe, who played the captain, and Christopher Plummer, who played the rich douche bag. The film will take place three or four years after the original heist, and will open with Washington going to Riker's Island to ask Owen for help. He needs an insider's eye for a bloody robbery he's investigating that involves Eastern European gangsters. No worries, they'll use a flashback to explain how Owen ends up in jail and how he becomes Washington's last resort. It sounds fairly interesting.

Which second installment are you most excited to see?