Got a scoop...tell us here!
or email Joey Baloney directly here
 

August 10, 2001

John from the cool screenwriting site, Words from Here, was nice enough to send me a note about his recent screening and Q&A with John Carpenter, regarding his latest film GHOSTS OF MARS, opening wide on August 24, 2001. One of the things that I discovered while reading his coverage, and something that explains why we haven't seen many early reviews of this movie out there, is that Carpenter himself negotiated that his film "have no test screenings", seeing as movies like his are designed strictly for a niche market in the first place, so why get feedback from a bunch of people who aren't part of your target audience anyway (makes a lot of sense to me!! Good job, Carpenter!).

In respect to the movie itself, John really liked it saying, "This is a really neat film, and it'll be a treat for Carpenter fans" and "There is so much great humor, action and horror... I have some renewed faith in the genre of science fiction and horror again." Wow...pretty big words indeed. Mind you, he prefaces his entire column by saying that he's a HUGE John Carpenter fan, so read his review with that grain of salt in mind. Thanks for the head's up, dude!

Read the entire GHOSTS OF MARS review here
    

August 10, 2001

The moment of truth has finally arrived! On August 8, at around 4:30 in the morning (when I'm usually watching porno and getting my rocks off), Joey Baloney (aka Mike Sampson), and more specifically, his wife gave birth to a 7lb 9 oz healthy baby boy named Indiana Christopher Sampson. That's right...INDIANA!!!! Kewl...

Everybody is well and everyone is happy, including the bouncing baby boy, I'm sure (how can you NOT be with a dad like Joey Baloney, man!!), so a few days off for the man with the golden scooper's touch is definitely warranted (if not, a whole bunch of other things!).

The best part about all this is that JoBlo.com has already signed little Indiana on for reviewing duties as we open up our latest section in January 2002 called "The Baby's Corner", in which Indy will take some shots at the latest for the baby cribs with BARNEY'S LAST ADVENTURE, ALADDIN 8: BECAUSE EISNER'S KIDS WANT CARS OF THEIR OWN and LION KING 4: WHERE SIMBA LOSES HIS SHIT! I think Joey already started the little tyke off with some GOODFELLAS last nite, just to break the ice, and hopefully his life, his career and his health will be filled with much laughter and love for all his days to come.

All joking aside, congratulations to you both and all of our BESTEST wishes from JoBlo and the gang!! 

-- JoBlo
(who will be doing the news" for a while...duh!)

Send Joey and his family some nice wishes
   

August 10, 2001

Let's all put our hands together and welcome our latest member on board, a gentleman who will herein be referred to as Julius Funkenstein (is that a cool name or what?). Scoops are his game! And right off the bat he comes through with an early review of Robin Williams' "come-back" into movies, with ONE HOUR PHOTO, a thriller starring Williams, Connie Nielsen and Michael Vartan. Take it away, Jules!

Julius Funkenstein Catches One Hour Photo!

Unlike most people I talked to after the film, I walked into the screening of One Hour Photo with high hopes for Robin Williams next dramatic role. The common vibe moving throughout the theater was that of negativity...comments like "I bet this will be another Patch Adams" and "Williams couldn't act himself out a wet paper bag"...I ignored this and embraced the film with a clear and open mind.

One Hour Photo is for me, one of the most enjoyable films of that I have seen all year. It's character study through and through. It's emotion to the max. It is a breath of fresh air...

This is a tale of a man with a serious problem. Robin Williams is Sy, a lonely man working the photo counter in a discount-like store who becomes fascinated, fixated, fucking obsessed with a family who brings their film to him. The way that the script is dealt with makes it nearly impossible for you to not like Sy. Sure, he is deeply disturbed, but its not like Sy is evil and I'm sure most of us can identify with him in some form or another...we have all been obsessed with someone in sometime in our lives, whether it be romantic or not.

Sy's narration throughout the film kind of speeds along the slow pacing of Photo...it also helps us comprehend Sy better which is essential to the understanding of his actions and his state of mind.

On the acting front, Robin Williams delivers an Oscar worthy performance and damn near carries the film on his shoulders. While there are other actors in the film (most noteworthy, Connie Nielsen), this is pretty much a one man show.

The only real problem I have with One Hour Photo is the lack of editing in some scenes. A common hurdle with slow paced films is that some scenes tend to drag out a bit...One Hour Photo is not immune from this. There are some places where we understand what the filmmakers are trying to say and the scene can end, but it continues for no apparent reason. While this isn't a major problem, it can get in the way a bit.

Now while this film surely won't pack 'em in (due to the fact that the teeny-boppers dominate the market), I have a feeling that this film will have a large following in the art house world, so Fox Searchlight...DON'T SCREW IT UP!

On To The Critique...

WHAT I LIKED
-Robin Williams!!! He dominates this film. He makes One Hour Photo his bitch.
-The subtle direction that Mark Romanek takes
-The excellent storytelling...especially through the POV of Sy

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
-The film could be cut down a bit in some places.
-The fact that most will overlook One Hour Photo as a "voyeuristic, pervert film"

Finally...this is a great, original film. Best acting from Robin Williams in years. If slow paced, character driven dramas are your bag, then you will probably wanna catch One Hour Photo when it comes out in theaters...

The "Funk" Factor: 9.0 out of 10

Send your scripts, your girlfriends and your self respect to... juliusfunkenstein@hotmail.com

One Hour Photo has a tentative LIMITED
release date of September 28, 2001
    

August 10, 2001

The man barely had time to get over his drinking problem (what problem, btw? The man likes to drink...no problem!!), and already comes word that actor Ben Affleck, who is currently holed up in some alcohol rehab center, is expected to re-team with none other than writer/director Kevin Smith on his next feature film. The movie, will be shot on a low-budget, and will be based on Smith's own experiences with his 2-year old daughter. Smith told the New York Post that the film will be close in tone to his 1997 film CHASING AMY, and that he is trying to coax Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams back as well. In reference to Affleck, Smith said "I spoke to Ben the other day and he sounds good..." You bet he does...he's probably drunk off his ass!!! (alright, alright...I'm sorry...I'm just being a jerk, but I guess it's all that alcohol in my system....but did I mention that Joey Baloney had a kid yesterday...woo-hoo...feliz navidad, everybody!!!)
   

August 10, 2001

Holy schmuckoly! The South China Morning News (which is delivered to my house every morning), is reporting that actor/stuntman/kung fu master Jackie Chan will be paid $20 million to star in a remake of the 1960 Jerry Lewis movie BELLBOY. Jackie apparently said that it "isn't about the money" and that he would be "willing to work with Spielberg for free-- because he's a quality director" (Spielberg is NOT directing this film, btw), but he's gonna take the twenty big ones anyway! ;) It goes without saying that the grand success of RUSH HOUR 2, for which Chris Tucker was paid the big 2-0, had a little something to do with the negotiations working out so well for the man.
   

August 10, 2001

Harry got a nice scoop today as pictures of the supporting cast from Cameron Crowe's upcoming movie VANILLA SKY, starring Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz (the latest "in" couple of Hollywood) hit his page (and yes, that's Jason Lee on top!). Everybody looks kinda funky and there are a few others over at AICN.

< click on pics to see bigger versions and more >
   

August 10, 2001

Joey's a papa now but he's still able to get to his computer every now and then, just to forward some stories to me...whatta trooper!! (luv ya, babe!) Anyway, here's old faithful "Honest Abe" back with a positive script review of a film entitled TRUE BLUE. Take it away, Abe!

"I know many of you may not have heard of this and according to the trades, the first person signed so far is Lori Heuring, the blond chick from "In-Crowd" but aside from all that, this is actually a nice twisting police drama.  It starts out with the usual....missing person/body part found (but not an entire dead body).  Turns out she was from a wealthy family.  So Rem, our hero, a grizzled veteran detective, starts digging deeper into the disappearance of her and her roommate while getting what information he can from the third roommate, Nikki (Heuring).  Rem starts to fall for Nikki while digging deeper into the disappearance which leads to the mayor's office and a D.C. bigwig as well as the Chinese mafia and a bondage club (and some pretty intense sex scenes for all you hairy trolls out there).

Now, typically, there's a plot twist and a deception in these types of thriller dramas.  Well True Blue is no exception and it's easy to pick up on early on (or maybe I'm just deep) but just when I started to see it unfolding and
confirming my suspicions, I got not one but two more surprises...and that second one I never saw coming (so I'm not THAT deep).  Credit the writer for penning a nice tight thriller that doesn't get too convoluted or too distracted by it's own plot devices.  I don't know where or when this will turn up but bottom line: I would recommend this. It's not
too hard to follow yet it definitely keeps you interested."
   

August 10, 2001

Well, according to Variety, it might not be TERMINATOR 3 after all. Word on the street is that Ahnuld is circling around a black comedy film entitled UMP, based on a novel by Jim Cohen. It's basically the "..story of a hitman who is called the Ump because he adheres to a strict set of rules. After eliminating two-thirds of a triplet mob boss team, the Ump hides out in a local town in New Jersey. The townfolk embrace his no-nonsense ways, and the hitman winds up cleaning up the troubled town while he waits for the chance to finish the rubout trifecta." He would then begin work on TERMINATOR 3 with director Jonathan Mostow (U-571).
   

August 10, 2001

I LOVE Bill Murray and pretty much adore any film that he touches (how he was left of the Oscars list for RUSHMORE is fuckin' beyond me!), but for some reason or another, I didn't really care for his appearance in CHARLIE'S ANGELS. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't "bad" or anything, but the whole film was just such a "popcorn / bubble-gum" kinda thing in the first place, that his presence just felt superfluous. I don't know...maybe I'm just talking out of my ass again (I'm just excited about Joey's kid being named Indiana, baby!!), but here's news that Murray, who had some problems on the set of the original movie, might be returning for the sequel as well. He said: "Well, it would all depend on if the script were good, it's the same rules I have for anything else." Oh well...as long as they slap some real T&A in the next one, I'm there with bells on!! (just kidding...kinda)
   

August 9, 2001

Not satisfied with bedding all of the single women in Hollywood or grabbing an Oscar from time to time, actor Russell Crowe will be making his directorial debut, as well as his screenwriting and producing firsts (sounds like he really wants to be Mel Gibson!), on a film entitled THE LONG GREEN SHORE, a World War II ensemble drama, in which he will also star! Wow, is that BRAVEHEART I smell in the air? Sniff, sniff.

The film is based on a book that will illuminate Australia's involvement in WWII. More specifically, it "..tells the story of an Australian battalion that arrives on the beaches of New Guinea with orders to beat back the retreating Japanese. The men are greeted by the corpses of Americans and Japanese, remnants of earlier bloody warfare and a reminder of their dubious purpose there." Sounds like...fun? Production is set to start in the South Pacific next spring.
   

August 9, 2001

We always like to dabble in the "art" films every now and then, so here's a script review for director Atom Egoyan's latest film entitled ARARAT, a movie within a movie regarding the Armenian genocide, starring Bruce Greenwood, Eric Bogosian, Charles Aznavour, Elias Koteas and Christopher Plummer. Stax, aka the Man of a Thousand Scripts, took a look at the 90-page February 2001 script of the film, written by Egoyan as well, and liked it for the most part saying "...a small, personal story about a large historical event and what it means to a group of contemporary people". He also goes on to say that "...this will be a movie you should see if only because its subject matter is, unfortunately, still relevant to today."

For those who aren't aware, a genocide of over 1,500,000 Armenian people was committed by the Turkish rulers of the Ottoman empire back in 1915, an event that has sadly been overlooked by many. One scum-bucket actually counted on the world over-looking the Armenian holocaust to commit his own, by saying “Who remembers the Armenians?”. That man was Adolf Hitler.

Read Stax's entire review of the Ararat screenplay here
     

August 9, 2001

Shit, that's one less movie to look forward to in 2002, I suppose. SciFiWire is reporting that MATRIX producer Joel Silver told them that the sequel to the MATRIX will likely not come out until the year 2003!! And MATRIX 3, you might ask? (the film that they are shooting concurrently with the follow-up). All uber-producer Silver would say to that was "you'll see". The word on the street is that the delays are because the directors want to make the pictures of the highest-quality, especially since they are apparently shooting them as "one big movie", says Silver. "It's not back to back. It's one movie, so they'll finish shooting it, and then they'll take the time to finish the movies." Oh well, I guess I can watch the original MATRIX another 45 times before the sequel comes out in 2003 and hopefully still give a shit by then... 
    

August 9, 2001

...but does anybody really give a rat's ass?!? Well, whether you do or not, expect to see the trailer for the next installment of the "kill me already, I was done three pictures ago!" HALLOWEEN series called HALL8WEEN: HOMECOMING (catchy! ugh) attached to copies of one of the better movies to hit the big screen this year entitled THE OTHERS, this coming Friday (and selected prints of AMERICAN PIE 2). The sequel is now set to be released on October 5th, because the studio apparently requested a few lines dubbed over because they didn't like them (read: re-shoot the ending!) as well as the addition of newly shot scenes involving added characters (read: pray like hell!). 
    

August 9, 2001

I can't help but feel sorry for this guy! I grew up on his dinky flicks during the 1980s, and now he seems to be put out to pasture, but he just doesn't want to leave in peace. You go, Rock!! His latest movie, a film entitled EYE SEE YOU (currently ranked #1 as the worst movie title of the year), has apparently been given the green-light for a limited release this coming November. For those unaware of this film's past, it's been in the can for over a year now, used to have another crappy title DETOX and co-stars Tom Berenger, Charles Dutton, Sean Patrick Flanery and Kris Kristofferson. Sniff, sniff...what's that I smell? Is that a straight-to-video release, you say? Sure smells like it, but the studio isn't saying much on this at this point. Just more waiting and seeing, I guess. Adriaaaaaan...help this dude out already!!
     

August 9, 2001

Hmmmm, now I'm never sure how seriously to take these actors who "claim" that they're ready to retire, give it all up, settle down and raise the kids in a farm, but the latest dude to take a shot at the title is none other than Canadian boy, Dan Aykroyd. He told Canada's own Globe & Mail newspaper that he has already moved out of Hollywood and that he was now planning his exit from movies. "I'd like to find and choose the last vehicle and exit on a really high, graceful, substantial note in film," said Aykroyd. Of course, greater actors such as Anthony Hopkins and Sean Penn have also toyed with the idea of leaving the Woods of Holly and never returning, but only time will tell if Danny Boy is serious about his statement. Mind you, he does sound pretty serious: "At 49 years old, I'm really feeling sedentary, reclusive. I really just want to just shut everything down for a while."
     

August 9, 2001

A survey was sent out to 4500 members of the Writers Guild of America, asking them to name the best screenplays ever written, the most overrated and the most underrated. Note that only about 175 people answered the survey (way to go, WGA members, you really support the home team, I see!), and here are some of the results:

BEST
1. Citizen Kane
2. Casablanca
3. The Godfather
4. Chinatown
5. All About Eve
6. Some Like It Hot
7. Sunset Boulevard
8. Annie Hall
9. The Graduate
10. The Godfather, Part II

MOST OVERRATED
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Citizen Kane
3. Gone With the Wind
4. Casablanca
5. Traffic
6. American Beauty
7. Titanic
8. E.T.
9. Crouching Tiger..
10. It's a Wonderful Life

MOST UNDERRATED
1. Groundhog Day
2. Quiz Show
3. Aliens
4. The Wizard of Oz
5. Best Years of our Lives

Discuss these picks here
   

August 8, 2001

Wow, now here's a scoop I never thought I'd hear. Coming Soon is reporting, by the way of Variety, that SEVEN and SLEEPY HOLLOW screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker has been asked by Warner Bros to pen a yet untitled script featuring superheroes Batman and Superman!! What the f***?!? Pretty neat. They've also added director Wolfgang Petersen into the mix as the man who will be helming this puppy. He of THE PERFECT STORM and AIR FORCE ONE fame. Keep your ears to the ground on this one...

Discuss the BATMAN/SUPERMAN movie here
 

August 8, 2001

DreamWorks has assembled an amazing comedic cast for its upcoming animated film MADAGASCAR, with Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Jason Alexander all signing on to voice characters in the film.Popstar and current laryngitis sufferer Madonna has also agreed to lend her voice to the project (though hers will be funny for all the wrong reasons).  The film will be directed by Eric Darnell (who directed ANTZ) and Conrad Vernon (who co-wrote SHREK) and revolves around four zoo animals "rescued" by animal rights activists who release them into the wild.  The animals, born and raised in captivity, have difficulty surviving on their own when a ship transporting them to their native land capsizes on Madagascar.  It is unknown what type of animals each actor will be voicing but I've heard Madonna's character will be American but speak with an peculiar British affect.

MADAGASCAR will be fully CGI animated and created by Pacific Data Imaging (PDI), the same folks who brought you SHREK and the aforementioned ANTZ.  Their next projects are SHREK 2, which has been fast-tracked for a Summer 2002 release date, the long-delayed TUSKER, and further down the line THE BROMELIAD TRILOGY.  No mention was made of when MAD would be released but I'm guessing the project (once codenamed by PDI as WILD LIFE) should see theaters in 2003 sometime.
 

August 8, 2001

Take a look at 2002 for chrissake.  STAR WARS 2; SHREK 2; SPY KIDS 2; STUART LITTLE 2; LOTR 2; BLADE 2; HARRY POTTER 2; X-MEN 2; MEN IN BLACK 2; AMERICAN PSYCHO 2 (?!?!?!?!) - where does it end?  Some of those sequels should be made and I'll admit I'm looking forward to them.  But it's really just a testament to how desperate Hollywood is for decent ideas.  I know this issue has been beaten to death so I'm sorry I got off on such a crazy tangent there.  To finish what I was saying about LEGALLY BLONDE 2...

Reese Witherspoon is currently in negotiations with MGM to reprise her role in a sequel to LEGALLY BLONDE which has grossed over $70 million for the studio.  The star is expected to return pending her approval of the script.   Witherspoon will star next in SWEET HOME ALABAMA and also has Miramax's HONEY WEST on her plate of future projects.
 

August 8, 2001

Jackie Chan is in final negotiations with MGM to star in their remake of the 1960 Jerry Lewis film THE BELLBOY.  Jackie's name has been mentioned in conjunction with this film for over a year now but its speculated the huge success of RUSH HOUR 2 this weekend helped move negotiations along a lot quicker.  Chan will star alongside Lewis (who will play himself as a spoiled movie star) as a bellboy at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas who gets into all kinds of mischief and (I'm assuming) martial arts related adventures.  The script was recently rewritten by Bradley Allenstein who also wrote JUWANNA MANN (oooh, bad sign...).  Always a fan of comedy, Chan has set his sights lately on playing more comedic roles and with his recent successes, he may have the clout to make a pure comedy movie without having to kick some ass.  After all, he is 47 years old...he can't keep doing this forever.
 

August 8, 2001

If you've seen the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, you've seen the faces of Julia "Furious" Stiles, Josh "Total Eclipse of the" Hartnett and "Messy" Mehki Phifer on the cover.  They're not there just to look good, they're there to promote their (wow, "there", "their" and "they're" all in one sentence!!) controversial new film O, which opens on August 31st.  Not just another "Shakespeare in High School", O takes a gritty and serious look the classic tale of OTHELLO, this time set at an "elite private school located deep in the new American South."  Courtesy of Lions Gate Films, we have some information on O to share with you today.  If you're not familiar with OTHELLO, here's a brief synopsis of the re-telling:

"Mekhi Phifer portrays NBA hopeful Odin James, the only black student at the school...Odin not only enjoys widespread popularity with the students, he is dating Desi Brable (Julia Stiles), the beautiful daughter of the Dean of Palmetto Grove Academy (John Heard)...Odin's best friend, Hugo Goulding (Josh Hartnett), drawn closely from Shakespeare's nefarious Iago, is a starting forward on the basketball team, and the son of Coach Duke Goulding (Martin Sheen). Hugo has been asked by his father to look out for Odin because of the particular pressures facing him at Palmetto Grove. Yet Hugo is bitterly envious of Odin and the attention Odin receives from the coach and everyone else at school. An introspective and somewhat mysterious young man, Hugo seeks to manipulate those around him to his own private ends.Odin's best friend, Hugo Goulding (Josh Hartnett), drawn closely from Shakespeare's nefarious Iago, is a starting forward on the basketball team, and the son of Coach Duke Goulding (Martin Sheen). Hugo has been asked by his father to look out for Odin because of the particular pressures facing him at Palmetto Grove. Yet Hugo is bitterly envious of Odin and the attention Odin receives from the coach and everyone else at school. An introspective and somewhat mysterious young man, Hugo seeks to manipulate those around him to his own private ends.

O was directed by Tim Blake Nelson (who you may remember from his starring role in O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?) and written by Brad Kaaya.   For more information you can visit the official site at www.othemovie.com or AOL Keyword: O.  Check out some pictures from the film below (including the most beautiful, and current object of my affection, Julia Stiles)

< Click any pic to see official site >

Download the official O trailer here
  

August 8, 2001

A brief column in yesterday's New York Post mentions how the ending of the recent PLANET OF THE APES bears a considerable resemblance to a panel in a 1998 "Jay and Silent Bob" comic book (I won't explain how to avoid a possible spoiler situation but click here to see the image for yourself).  They spoke to Kevin Smith who replied "I think I got robbed and I'm talking with my lawyers about possibly suing." 

Shortly thereafter, they spoke with Tim Burton who replied, "I have not seen the image and anybody that knows me knows I do not read comic books. And I especially wouldn't read anything that was created by Kevin Smith."   [insert awkward silence].  Maybe Tim's pissed about the whole SUPERMAN LIVES thing or maybe he just really doesn't care for Kevin's work (hell that's probably why SUPERMAN never got made).  Kevin responded to Burton's slam on his official website and said simply, "Smell that? That's the pungent scent of yet another bridge being burnt. Not even 'SUPERMAN LIVES', Tim?  Seriously, though - that'd be an excellent quote for the jacket of a book, wouldn't it."

In other brief Kevin Smith news, the writer/director spoke with NPR (National Public Radio) and announced his next project would be a comedy/drama in the vein of CHASING AMY which will be followed directly by FLETCH WON.  Smith also confirmed that a CLERKS ANIMATED FILM will be released sometime in the future.
  

August 8, 2001

Friday was a sad day for myself and many others who grew up watching MR. BELVEDERE on ABC in the late 80s.  Christopher Hewitt, the veteran actor who portrayed the title character, died on Friday of health problems that had plagued him for some time.  He was 80 years old.  You will be missed Mr. B...

August 8, 2001

Source: Joey Baloney

• Hate the new STAR WARS title?  You're not alone. Ewan McGregor publicly let his thoughts on ATTACK OF THE CLONES be known here
• The news that Mariah Carey's film GLITTER is being delayed three weeks should come as no surprise.  Read the full article here
• Watch (in Quicktime) an interview with Chris Rock and Brandy, who lent their voices this Friday's OSMOSIS JONES, here
• If the thought of a N*Sync movie doesn't make you completely nauseous, you can download the trailer for ON THE LINE here
• OK, so do you really hate ATTACK OF THE CLONES?  So much so you'd be willing to sign a petition to change it?  If so, you're in luck. There are two petitions online: one here and yet another one here

August 7, 2001

As we reported here yesterday, George Lucas officially announced the title of EPISODE 2 as ATTACK OF THE CLONES.  Since the news took most of us by surprise, yesterday's announcement was scarce on my usual opinion.  I would normally take this time to share my opinion (in great detail...) but I'm thinking most of you out there are sick and tired of listening to me kvetch.  Besides, I'm not a die-hard STAR WARS fan.  Loved the films but I'm not as devoted a fan as some of you out there. Therefore I've decided to step aside and see what the fans are saying about the new title.  Good?  Bad?  Let's see what the public says:

bskutle: "it's a stupid title; even worse than THE PHANTOM MENACE"

ak: "That's got to be some terrible, terrible joke"

ANTBond007: "I also find ATTACK OF THE CLONES to be better than the rumored THE REBELLION RISE FORTH."

Claire: "I really like the title. It's really cheesy...I think that we need some time to get used of this title and after that, it will be fine"

dh1989: "I like the title! It sounds like a fun science fiction film!"

The Heart Collector: "I think we can all safely assume that George Lucas is high."

Well, there you have it.  The general consensus seems to be slightly negative, although there are supporters out there that dig what Lucas was trying to do.  The key sentence in the LucasFilm release is "It harkens back to the sense of pure fun, imagination and excitement that characterized the classic movie serials and pulp space fantasy adventures that inspired the Star Wars saga."  The title is cheesy but that's (apparently) exactly what they were looking for.  Anyway, the debate will continue until May of 2002 when people get their glimpse at the finished film and forget all about the title.  All quotes above were taken from posts on the JoBlo Discussion Boards.

Continue the STAR WARS title debate here!!!
 

August 7, 2001

Director Brett Ratner (who should be partying awfully hardy this weekend after RUSH HOUR 2's success) and Universal Studios are in negotiations with Edward Norton for him to star in RED DRAGON, according to a report by Smilin' Jack Ruby.  Ruby, if you'll remember, had the inside track on Ratner's hiring and his same source brought him the news of Norton's discussions with Ratner.  Norton would play Detective Wil Graham, who originally caught Hannibal Lecter and seeks his help with another serial killer, the Tooth Fairy.  Nicolas Cage was in talks to join DRAGON in dual roles, that of Graham and the Tooth Fairy, but has since dropped out leaving the role of Graham Norton's for the taking.

In this reporter's humble opinion (didn't I just say no one cares about my opinion...) Norton seems a bit too young to play Detective Graham but considering he's such a strong actor, he might be able to pull it off.  Producers are now seeking an unknown to take the role of the Tooth Fairy (if it were up to me, I would cast Stacy Keach...seriously, he'd be perfect for this).  The script for DRAGON was written by Ted Tally, who won an Oscar for his work on SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.  Production is scheduled to begin this November.
 

August 7, 2001

Considering I gave such coverage to a blatantly lesbian movie this past month (LOST AND DELIRIOUS), I figured it would only be fair to cover a film revolving around two gay men.  That film is ALL OVER THE GUY and is produced by Don Roos, who directed BOUNCE and THE OPPOSITE OF SEX.  You may have heard recently about the controversy regarding the poster for ALL OVER THE GUY.  Apparently the MPAA didn't like the fact that the poster showed four pairs of legs sticking out from under the bed covers with a tagline that said, "4 friends, 2 couples.  You do the math."  The film has gotten past that controversy with a revised poster and is scheduled to open this weekend in New York.  If you're wondering what the movie's about, look no further:

August 7, 2001

Source: Joey Baloney

• Have you heard about this Halloween's thriller 13 GHOSTS? Check out the creepy poster for the Shannon Elizabeth starrer here
• Read an interview with Jason Lee (JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK) made up primarily of questions from fans, here
• Check out a new shot of a very buff looking SPIDER-MAN (Tobey is that you?) here

August 6, 2001

It's days like these where I love this job.  Being able to bring people such highly anticipated news like this really makes me glad I got into the whole online journalism thingy.  Now as the title of this article said, LucasFilm has indeed officially announced the title of STAR WARS: EPISODE 2. Unless some fan with a deathwish hacked into the official STAR WARS site, this is the real deal my friends. Are you ready?...EPISODE 2 is now formally known as......ATTACK OF THE CLONES!!!   Wait.  What?  ATTACK OF THE CLONES?  Are they serious?  I remember people being pissed at THE PHANTOM MENACE title, but this sounds even goofier. Keep in mind that George Lucas has changed his mind last minute before (REVENGE became "RETURN" OF THE JEDI) so maybe he'll come up with something better and then release a statement saying, "Ahhh, we were just kidding!  I can't believe you guys fell for that!"  Until then, it's STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES. Lest you think I'm joking, here's the official release by LucasFilm as reported here on the official website:

"Starwars.com is pleased to announce that Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones is the full title for the next Star Wars film, scheduled for release in 2002.

Attack of the Clones joins The Phantom Menace, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as chapter titles in the six-episode Skywalker saga. It harkens back to the sense of pure fun, imagination and excitement that characterized the classic movie serials and pulp space fantasy adventures that inspired the Star Wars saga.

Ten years after the events of The Phantom Menace, not only has the galaxy undergone significant change, but so have our familiar heroes Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) as they are thrown together again for the first time since the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo. Anakin has grown into the accomplished Jedi apprentice of Obi-Wan, who himself has transitioned from student to teacher. The two Jedi are assigned to protect Padmé whose life is threatened by a faction of political separatists. As relationships form and powerful forces collide, these heroes face choices that will impact not only their own fates, but the destiny of the Republic."

There you have it folks!  Some of the biggest news to be announced on the STAR WARS front in some time.  While the title does not instill me with a lot of confidence, I'm standing behind Lucas on this one as I have this feeling AOTC (I just made that acronym up myself) will kick some major ass.  We'll bring you more on this story as it develops...

Discuss the ATTACK OF THE CLONES here!!
                                        

August 6, 2001

Few films based on Saturday Night Live skits could do much to pique my interest at this point. After seeing THE LADIES MAN I was beginning to lose hope that there could be a decent SNL adaptation anywhere in the near future.  No other SNL skit could make me more excited for a movie (other than possibly "Pepper Boy" or "The Herlihy Boy") than the news that Rob Schneider will star in an Adam Sandler produced film based on his SNL character, Tiny Elvis.

If you never saw the "Tiny Elvis" skits when they ran let me try to sum it up for you.  Basically it was just Nicolas Cage dressed up as Elvis, in front of a blue screen made to look about two inches tall. The running gag was that Elvis (or "Tiny E" as his hangers-on called him) would just sit or stand around and remark about how big everything else was.  If it sounds extraordinarily simple and stupid - it was.  But at the same time it was incredibly hilarious.  I'm not sure exactly how they plan to extend this skit into a feature film but that doesn't really concern me.  TINY ELVIS would be one movie that I could sit through 90 minutes of the same joke over and over again.

Download the clip of Nicolas Cage as "Tiny Elvis"
  

August 6, 2001

On the fine advice of our own Dr. Drew, I went out and pre-ordered my copies of THE GOONIES and MEMENTO on DVD.  I suggest you do the same. Anywho, Drew's back on the scene to dispense the latest and greatest in the world of DVD.  I'm gonna go take a break and watch the rest of JACKASS (was that just Brad Pitt in a monkey suit?...).  Here's Drew:

Tron to get long-awaited Special Edition
Fans of Disney's sci-fi flick TRON will be getting a loaded special edition in honor of the 20th anniversary of its release. Preliminary details point to a double disc set, loaded with commentary tracks, featurettes as well as brand new audio and video transfers. Should be cool. The release date has been set for January 15th 2002.

Sopranos to hit DVD again!
Fans of the ol' boob tube will be happy to learn that The Sopranos will be getting the DVD treatment for their second season, set to hit stores November 6th. The 5 disc collection will include all 13 episodes from the second year as well as commentary tracks for each one from the episodes various directors. Suggested Retail should be 99 bucks.

< click to pre-order >

The Truth is Out There...on DVD
X-Files fans, mark November 13th on your calendars because that’s the day that the complete fourth season is set to be released. Priced at about 150 bucks, the seven disc set will include "The Truth About Season Four" documentary, episode introductions from Chris Carter, interview clips for 5 episodes, deleted and extended scenes available via extended branching during each episode as well as a separate supplement on the seventh disc, eight special effects clips with commentary, 13 "Behind the Truth" spots and on TV spot per episode, as well as "international clips" with foreign dubbed versions of scenes. DVD-ROM extras also include the X-Files website as well as the "Urbs Tertia" interactive game.

< click to pre-order >

Dave Matthews Band fans...read this!
Yes, in case you’re wondering, I am a huge “Davehead” and just wanted to pass along this little piece of information. DMB is planning on release a collection of all their music videos on August 21st, which should include such hits as Ants Marching, Don’t Drink the Water as well as their two latest videos for I Did It and The Space Between. Confirmed extras include directors’ commentary tracks for all videos as well behind the scenes extras for specific videos. For more info, check out www.davematthewsband.com

< click to pre-order >

New Movie Release Dates: ANGEL EYES, THE CRIMSON RIVERS, FREDDY GOT FINGERED, TOYS (October 16th) DUMBO (October 23rd) SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, SWORDFISH (October 30th) EMPIRE OF THE SUN (November 6th)

Check out all of the future DVD RELEASE DATES here
 

August 6, 2001

The long rumored EXORCIST prequel took a huge step forward this Friday when John Frankenheimer (RONIN) signed on to direct the film.  I was worried that a fourth EXORCIST film would be a direct-to-video piece of shit, but it sounds like the script (by author Caleb Carr) is actually on the money and with Frankenheimer, the production actually has some decent talent attached.  No official subtitle has been announced but THE BEGINNING, DOMINION and 4:1 have all been tossed about at one time or another.  The film will take place beofre the events in the original EXORCIST and will follow a young Father Merrin and his travels to Africa to stop a demonic force.  At one point, Alec Baldwin was rumored to be taking on the role of Merrin but that seemed to be just rumors as no cast is attached at this time.
 

August 6, 2001

I was already excited about the big-screen version of TINY ELVIS and then I saw that one of my favorite books when I was a kid, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, is on the fast-track to filmdom.  In fact, Universal has finally hired a director in Eric Goldberg, who was a long-time feature animator at Disney, and a writer in David Reynolds (THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE).  Tom Hanks is co-producing the film through his Playtone Productions company.  WILD THINGS revolves around a young boy who dreams about a land of giant monsters where he is the king.  The book, written by Maurice Sendak, was released in 1973 and went on to win the prestigious Caldecott Medal for achievement in children's literature.  While I haven't read this book in years, I still have fond memories of WILD THINGS and I'm looking forward to see how they adapt this into a CGI-animated world.  Don't let me down guys!...
 

August 6, 2001

I'm sure you've heard by now about the rumored SIMPSONS feature film that the show's producers and creator Matt Groening have been talking about.  Well, an interesting report comes out of Film Force this weekend that says the feature film might instead by a series of short films that would run before Fox films in theaters.  Apparently writers were having a difficult time adapting THE SIMPSONS to a ninety minute world when the characters and their scenarios are much more used to being in a shorter format.  Their source inside Fox says that "The beauty of THE SIMPSONS is that you can write funny 3 1/2 minute bits that would run before G & PG films while you could have others that would be tailored for PG-13 and R."  Film Force maintains that this is not a done deal and simply one of the possible ideas for the SIMPSONS to make their way onto the big screen.  Personally, I feel that they should avoid a SIMPSONS movie because it'll never be as funny as the shows and you'll get a lot of Comic Book Guys walking around saying "worst movie ever."  The idea of having SIMPSONS short films actually strikes me as a pretty ingenious idea.  I always liked the very short shorts they would run at the end of some SIMPSONS episodes (see "The Adventures of Ned Flanders") and this format would fit the show much much better than a full on feature.  Just my thoughts...
  

August 6, 2001

Source: Joey Baloney

• Read an interview with director Jerry Zucker (RAT RACE, AIRPLANE) here
• Check out a shot of Brad Pitt and George Clooney on the set of OCEAN'S 11 here
• Wanna join the heated debate on the DAWN OF THE DEAD remake? Wanna just sit and read the venom spewed back and forth by Coming Attractions and AICN?  Head here and relive the old feuds