Will Smith and the Fourth of July go together like apple pie and fireworks - and even though Hancock is more adult than the Fresh Prince’s past blockbusters, it’s still already on pace for a whopping $90-100 million gross over the long weekend. As much as I liked it, the film never escapes the feeling that it’s an R-rated dramedy trapped in a PG-13 blockbuster’s body, and that’ll likely cause a significant drop off after opening weekend. But for the next three days, this is Will Smith’s country, and it’s time to sit back and enjoy the explosions (then let us know what you thought of the movie here).
If you’re in the mood for more lazy summer fare, the weekend also offers The Wackness in limited release, milking the mid-90s nostalgia for all its worth. Check out my review of the film from Tribeca here, then remember to enter our Prize Pack giveaway - today’s your last chance to win.
And just like that, I’m off to stuff my face full of hot dogs like I was Kobayashi. Have an awesome long weekend everybody, and we’ll see you back here on Monday.
Posted in News, Posters, Rants & Raves | No Comments »
Did I mention the film rights for the Queen of Babble series have been optioned by Sharp Independent Films, and Kristin Bell of Veronica Mars and Forgetting Sarah Marshall has agreed to play Lizzie Nichols???
Considering I just had to sift through 40 paragraphs of Meg Cabot’s literary diarrhea just to get to this one solitary newsworthy sentence, you’re either crazy or already drunk if you think I’m going to sit through an hour and a half of that in movie form just to get a good look at Kristen Bell. Especially when I can just as easily do that here. Happy Fourth of July everybody.
More Kristen:
Kristen Bell Pictures At “Baby Mama” Premiere
Kristen Bell Pictures At “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” Premiere
First Look: Kristen Bell And Mila Kunis In “Sarah Marshall”
Kristen Bell Pictures At WonderCon 2008
Kristen Bell Heads To “Rome”
 |
   |
|
 |
|
You can have The Incredible Hulk. Me? I’ll take Hancock.
Even in a summer filled with not-your-average superheros, Will Smith’s surly, alcoholic John Hancock stands out from the crowd. It’s the superhero movie most fans with a cynical streak have been waiting years to see - one where mid-fight “heroics” have real-world consequences (like a personal best $9 million price tag). And while it’s clear - to me at least - that the film’s PG-13 rating hampers it far more than a less-than-Incredible third act, Hancock still makes good on its promise of delivering something different for moviegoers bored with the usual “Truth, Justice, and the American Way”.
It certainly helps that Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron are a cut above the typical superhero movie cast, able to leap between comedy and drama in a single bound. Is it everything audiences could’ve hoped for from the high-concept and A-list stars? Not really, but the promise shown in the film’s first hour is worth the price of admission alone… and leaves me waiting to see the real version on the inevitable Unrated DVD - a place where MPAA squeamishness and studio marketing concerns have far less sway.
Now let’s hear it from you: what did you think of Hancock? Did it live up to its potential, or were you disappointed they didn’t take things further? And who do you think would win in a fight drinking contest - Tony Stark or John Hancock? Sound off below.
Because everybody loves an Arrested Development update (and because Hancock had me waxing nostalgic about the Bluths), here’s the latest on the long-rumored jump to the big-screen: It might actually be time to reunite the band.
Jason Bateman told MTV last week,
“We all want to do it. All the actors want to do it, the writers want to do it, and the boss [series creator Mitchell Hurwitz] wants to do it. And they are working on making a deal, probably as we speak. But it’s a long, sort of drawn-out, complicated business process. ‘Arrested Development’ is such a specific tone, it doesn’t lend itself to mass appeal, as played out by the fact that it’s canceled. So it has to be done for a price… They’re working it out, and hopefully we’ll be able to know something in the next month.”
But it looks like we may have already gotten our answer, albeit a roundabout one… Jeffrey Tambor told EW last weekend that, “After months of speculation, I think we have finally figured out for sure that we are indeed doing an Arrested Development movie.”
So go ahead and get excited Bluth fans, but remember: No touching.
Related Post:
Is An “Arrested” Movie Finally In “Development”?
Is there anything more dramatic than Keanu Reeves‘ “dramatic” pauses? Just look at the way he milks so much tension out of answering “Yes” to “Are you currently in a seated position?”. The guy’s a genius! If Keanu ever starts an acting school, I’ll be the first to sign up. Then it’s Hollywood, here I come!
P.S. Click above to watch the trailer. I don’t know about you, but I still vastly prefer this version.
Related Posts:
Jennifer Connelly Boards “Earth” Remake
Keanu Reeves Lands On “Earth”
If you’re not psyched for Pineapple Express yet, you should be. That’s because the Huey Lewis and the News-recorded theme song has just gone up over on MySpace (check it out here).
Sure, it’s not as awesome as “Back in Time”, but it’s pretty damn close. And hell, it’s worth a listen just to hear Huey Lewis croon “Yeah, it’s the chronic” like some adult contemporary version of Snoop Dogg. I guess Huey was right, it really is hip to be square…
Related Posts:
The Gloriously ’80s “Pineapple Express” Theme Song
The “Pineapple Express” Poster Hits
The Cleaned-Up “Pineapple Express” Trailer Is Here, But Why?
Check Out The “Pineapple Express” Red-Band Trailer
More Movie Babes:
Amanda Seyfried At “Mamma Mia!” UK Premiere
Anne Hathaway Pictures At “Get Smart” Premiere
Kristin Cavallari Pictures At “Street Kings” Premiere
Hayden Panettiere Pictures At Kira Plastinina’s Launch Party
If you missed the first five minutes of The Dark Knight when it played in front of I Am Legend on IMAX last winter and couldn’t stomach the shaky cameraphone footage that went up on YouTube shortly after, well, you’re in luck. Because a slightly less crappy version went up on iKlipz, and you can watch it by clicking here - at least until Warner Bros. shuts it down. Does that sound like something you might be interested in? I thought so.
Related Posts:
New “Dark Knight” Poster Revealed!
New Extended “Dark Knight” Trailer: Get It While It’s Hot
New “Dark Knight” Video Introduces Two-Face!
“Dark Knight” Changing The Way We Look At Comic-Book Movies
We’ve got a pretty sorry collection of DVDs this week, kicking off with Vantage Point. I still haven’t seen the political thriller starring Dennis Quaid, but it got good enough reviews to warrant a rental. That said, I’m a little suspicious about the interesting premise (an assasination attempt told through different perspectives) generating anything more than middle-of-the-road suspense.
Drillbit Taylor hoped to turn its fate around with the usual promise of an Unrated DVD, only without any of the usual material that might warrant the “Unrated” tag. Despite a scene-stealing supporting role from Danny McBride (if you haven’t seen The Foot Fist Way, do so), Owen Wilson looks like he’s phoning one in as the titular bum-turned-bodyguard. A pre-Wackness Josh Peck and cameos from a handful of recognizable comedians make Drillbit Taylor tempting, but it’s essentially a watered-down Superbad for the PG set - and that’s not really what anyone had in mind from the latest Apatow and Rogen collaboration.
And Wong Kar Wai may have a loyal following, but his My Blueberry Nights had me contemplating the fast-forward button. It may seem odd for me to have trouble watching a movie featuring two of my favorite actresses (Rachel Weisz and Natalie Portman), not to mention the lovely Norah Jones, but for Wong Kar Wai’s first English-language film, My Blueberry Nights was definitely a disappointment. Jones may be a good singer, but her lack of acting experience shows and Wai’s stilted pacing and dialogue make the movie feel far longer than its 95 minute run time. Unless you’re a huge fan of his previous work, I’d pass.
Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns also hit shelves this week, and while I haven’t seen it, IMDB’s 2.3 rating ought to tell you enough to know what to expect. I’m much more inclined to give City of Men, the pseudo-follow up to the amazing City of God, a chance. If it’s even half as good as Fernando Meirelles‘ debut, it’s well worth the rental.
Posted in News, Rants & Raves, DVD | No Comments »
Only two days left for our Wackness Prize Pack giveaway, so keep those entries coming. The contest ends at midnight EST on Friday; here’s where you need to go to find out how to enter:
Win “The Wackness” Prize Pack, Including A Signed Poster!
We’ll be choosing the winner (via random draw) over the weekend, so be sure to check back Monday to find out if you’ve won!
Posted in News, Contests, Notes | No Comments »
Ouch… only a few days after announcing Red Sonja, a McGowan vehicle to be produced by Robert Rodriguez, comes the news that the couple has split - and it may have been partly because of the well-documented problems Rodriguez had securing funding with Rose in Barbarella’s title role, PageSix reports:
“Too bad ‘Grindhouse’ didn’t gross $100 million. Then, maybe, ‘Barbarella’ would have gotten the green light,” said one source. “Instead, the moguls were saying, ‘We need a bigger star, a bigger name.’ ”
Jessica Alba has been touted as a possible replacement, but given her aversion to nudity (a trait McGowan thankfully didn’t share), I’d bet on someone else landing the sexpot role - or the remake getting scrapped altogether. Either way, it’s time to get the rumor mill rolling again: who would you like to see as Rodriguez’s new girlfriend Barbarella?
Related Posts:
Rose McGowan Goes “Red” For Robert Rodriguez
Rose McGowan Here To Stay As “Barbarella”?
Universal Balks At Rose McGowan As “Barbarella”?
Rose McGowan Confirmed As “Barbarella”?
.jpg "Sacha Baron Cohen Picture")
Columbia Pictures has set an untitled comedy that will star Sacha Baron Cohen as master detective Sherlock Holmes and Will Ferrell as Watson, his crime-solving partner.
Get ready for a box office rumble, as Warner’s Guy Ritchie-directed Sherlock Holmes now has Columbia’s comedic take on the legendary detective to contend with. Despite the different genres, rival films on the same subject matter always lead to one clear victor - and it’s usually whichever studio can get their movie into theaters first.
That gives the Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell vehicle the inside edge (all they need is a director), but it also probably deprives us of seeing what Ritchie could do with the master crime-solver. And as funny as Cohen and Ferrell are, what, have they run out of sports to do a movie about instead?
Sound off below: which version of Sherlock Holmes would you rather see, Ferrell’s or Ritchie’s?
Related Posts:
No Sh#t: Guy Ritchie Directing “Sherlock”
Sherlock Holmes Is A Badass
This Week’s DVDs: Don’t Waste Your Time On “Semi-Pro”
“Step Brothers” Red-Band Trailer Is Just More Of The Same
« Previous Entries
