A Very Slusho Xmas

Well here it is everyone. I told you I'd do it and I finally have, just in time for the holidays, check out my official entry into the Slusho Happy Commercial Contest of Joy! Check it out here below, or go to the YouTube page and feel free to either rate or comment on the ad.



As you can probably tell the happy Christmas spirit (along with the delicious taste of Mikan-Banana flavored Slusho) inspired this contest entry. I hope you all like it. Although I don't think the Slusho company will be letting the judging open to the public, I do think they will post the entries online. To find the contest page from the Slusho site, just click on the "Contest" bubble (farthest right one).

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The entry period for the contest ends on the 4th, and the winners will be picked within 2 weeks of that. Cloverfield as we all know comes out on 1-18-08. The top five chosen entries will win Slusho skinned Alienware laptops. Pretty sweet, I know. Anyhow, I hope you like my entry, and wish me luck on the contest.

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Thanks to Erica, and Caryn for help with filming, and of course to Bernard for his technical support throughout.

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Slusho zoom!!!

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Gone baby gone

And for my next trick...

look for me to be gone for a quick week or so on bv vacation. I fly to Toronto tomorrow for the Christmas festivities.

I might be able to throw in an update or two, but probably not. So until next week everyone, have a wonderful holiday and stay safe.

I part leaving you with this final show from the fine folks who brought you Star Wars. This is a cartoon that aired during the infamous Holiday Special, and features the very first appearance by Boba Fett. Enjoy.


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Red, we have company...

The trailer for Hellboy II The Golden Army has dropped and I for one am very excited to see this film. I really enjoyed the first one and think the production design on this new one is just utterly fantastic now. Check out the trailer and decide for yourself though...



This film, sure to be a hit, is set to come out July 11th, '08.

If you'd like to see more Hellboy goodies you might come upon this production http://www.hellboymovie.com/production/. It is a very good production site with blog, exclusive photos and more. I think you should check it out.
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More Terminator 4 details

Chud has scored a solid scoop with some emerging details on the upcoming Terminator 4 film, which yes IS in fact set to feature Christian Bale as John Connor. The details could probably be considered mild spoilers, but by the time the film gets closer to release, and the marketing machine kicks into gear I can't imagine that you won't know these details anyhow. However if you're sensitive to this kind of thing, look away now.Yes that means you too Bernard. don't bitch to me about it after I warned you and everything...

So here we go. The film does feature the character John Connor, but reportedly will not "star" John Connor. Instead it will star a new character named Marcus. This role has yet to be cast, but he will play the main protagonist in all proposed 3 upcoming Terminator films. That said, John Connor will play a bigger role in the second and third films. We'll also get a cameo by the character Michael Biehn played in the original Terminator, Reese. And finally another new character, Blair a hard ass woman fighter pilot will be introduced. But back to Marcus. As the film opens we find its around the year 2015, and Marcus who I think may be some sort of convict is just stepping into this brave new world for the first time. He is a bad ass along the lines of Riddick. And he will find Connor well into gathering his resistance fighters and then get himself involved somehow.

There will be lots of big action scenes as I'm sure we all expected. And we'll even get a few fights between humans and the "rubber skinned" T-600s, the precursor to the Schwarzenegger model. But then there is the one other major plot element that I won't mention here; but you can go read for yourself over at CHUD if you like. It's the part they hid in invisotext. I will say that it is a very interesting prospect that has never been explored or really even hinted at in the films before...

So, really pretty big happenings in the works for our shiny metal friends. I think the future of The Terminator franchise seems to be shaping up nicely. Now let's just hope The Sarah Connor Chronicles can do as well with the material.
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I got an iTouch.

You know the best thing I like about Christmas? I mean aside from the goodwill, cheer and other crap that is so very important.... the presents. It's 16Gb, slick black, all shiney and beautiful. so very very nice. Check out this video of the system... pretty freakin sweet.



Thanks to my dad for this awesome gift :)
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Storm Shadow and Scarlett cast

Latino Review has the exclusive scoop on this breaking story about the ongoing casting for the highly anticipated, at least by me, G.I. Joe movie.

Reportedly, Korean mega star, and lets assume martial arts expert Byeong-Heon Lee has been cast as the wily ninja Storm Shadow. Evil swordbrother to Snake Eyes, he is basically the most badass cool ninja villain in the world. According to wikipedia "Storm Shadow's real name is Thomas S. Arashikage (Arashi = "Storm" and kage = "shadow" in Japanese). Best known as the Cobra Commander's ninja bodyguard and assassin at times, he is the only member of the team to change sides several times, conflicted in loyalties between Cobra, G.I. Joe and his long relationship with his swordbrother Snake-Eyes. He usually wears a white uniform and mask. When out of his uniform, he is shown to be Japanese, with black hair and dark eyes."

And who, might you ask has been cast in the other role? That of Scarlett O'Hara? but Rachel Nichols of Alias, season 4 (i think) fame, and also the upcoming Charlie Wilson's War. She is pretty damn hot, and kicks ass with the best of em. At least she did hold her own against Jennifer Garner on tv. And Rachel was also recently cast in Star Trek, as the role many speculate is Janice Rand.

According to wikipedia, Scarlett "was the first female action figure in the G.I. Joe toy line and is also the only member of the original team to see much action in both cartoon and comic incarnations. The official line on Scarlett is that her full name is Shana M. O'Hara. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Although she is as adept with standard weapons as any of her comrades, her weapon of choice is the crossbow which fires various bolts with specialized functions. Her rank is Master Sergeant, and she serves from time to time as team leader. Her primary specialty for the team is counter intelligence and is additionally skilled in martial arts and acrobatics. Of note, her secondary military specialty remains classified in all of her file cards."

Looking at that pic I've got to say that today is a good day for the fans :)
The movie will hit theaters August 7th, '09.

UPDATE - The Hollywood Reporter had not one but two additional names of new cast members. Granted the characters probably aren't as big as Storm Shadow and Scarlett butg its cool nonetheless. Said Taghmaouim, of The Kite Runner, will play Breaker, the communications officer; and the awesome Lost Tailie who got eaten by the smoke monster last season, Mr. Eko himself, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, will play Heavy Duty, the man with the biggest guns on the team.

The role of Breaker is something I can take or leave as you will. But personally I'm a bit unhappy that they decided to go with the character Heavy Duty for this role. Originally there were a number of big beefy meatheads on the Joe force: Leatherneck, Recondo, Stalker, Bazooka, and of course my favorite Roadblock. He holds a special place in my heart not just because he was the first G.I. Joe figure I bought, but that purchasing the Roadblock action figure was the very first thing I ever did with my very first allowance ever. Now with another huge black man, carrying the heavy ordinance I have some serious doubts as to whether we'll even see Roadblock in the film.

Still, despite all that, I am excited that this film is really coming together. The rumor floating around at the moment is still that Sam Worthington is being courted for the lead role of Duke, should production on Avatar wrap with enough time. Whatever happens I'm glad that casting continues.
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Return to the Shire

Well, it was in the works for a fair while, but with Peter Jackson's legal disputes with New Line over monies owed it looked like The Hobbit was something that fans, especially fans of Jackson's LOTR trilogy, would never get to see on the big screen. Until today.

In a sweeping press release MGM and New Line announced the development of not one but TWO Hobbit movies. The first is purported to likely follow the basic story of the novel while the second film, to be shot LOTR style consecutively back-to-back, will cull from the voluminous notes, background sketches, ancillary materials and other resources at the disposal of the Tolkien estate, to finally and effectively (for the movie going public) bridge the gap between The Hobbit story and the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring.

So far Peter Jackson will likely only produce the films rather than direct. And the turnaround time is slated to be rather quick relatively speaking. Pre-production is already underway to an extent, and actual shooting is tentatively scheduled to begin in '09 with the first film set to come out in 2010, and the second a year later. And according to AICN Howard Shore has already begun working on themes for The Hobbit although official word on that should definitely be a long ways off. I suspect Jackson will in fact step into the directing chair, he has such close ties to the material, and since he is already committing the next 3-4 years of his life to these films I don't see why he would want to pass up the opportunity, but only time will tell for sure.

I have to say I am rather relieved to hear this news. I think we ll knew it was coming soon enough; and I'm pretty happy to hear that it will have the hand of Peter Jackson at the helm. Simply put I think his Lord of the Rings films are true masterpieces. I look forward to seeing what he does with The Hobbit, a story I admittedly know much better than the LOTR trilogy. We'll keep posted closely on this one as developments progress.

UPDATE - Entertainment Weekly has gotten to the bottom of the PJ directing rumor, and it looks like he will probably not end up doing it According to EW and Jackson's manager Ken Kamins "Peter won't be directing because he felt the fans have waited long enough for The Hobbit. It will take the better part of every day of the next four years to write, direct and produce two Hobbit films. Given his current obligations to both The Lovely Bones and Tintin, waiting for Peter, Fran, and Phillippa to write, direct and produce The Hobbit would require the fans wait even longer."

Who will direct then? Well according to Comingsoon.net "Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man" films), Guillermo del Toro ("Hellboy" films) and Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) are names that have come up, but no decision has been made, says New Line's co-chair Robert Shaye. "There is obviously a small but significant number of directors who could handle two films of this magnitude, but we have no commitment to anybody. Now that Peter is an integral part of the decision-making process, we all have to see eye-to-eye on any candidate we try to enlist."
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new Wall-e trailer

Check out this fun new trailer for Wall-e. Its for the most part just an extension of the trailer that dropped a few months ago, but I have to say I can't help but love that little guy already.

I just know this film is going to be wonderful in every way a great Pixar film should be.



Wall-e comes out June 27th '08.
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Speed Racer poster

Check out this very nice poster for the new film Speed Racer. Now isn't that much more manageable than a crazy breakneck real-life-anime style trailer :) check out AICN for a big high rez version of this poster.

Speed Racer hits theaters May 9th, '08
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The end is near for Journeyman

Since I've been so busy lately I think I missed mentioning this Journeyman news last week, but NBC has allowed the options on the actors contracts to expire, freeing them to seek other work if desired. Not exactly an outright death sentence, but effectively the same thing. As far as I understand it for most shows the ongoing strike will eventually effect a force majeure contract clause which rather sneakily allows the AMPTP to duck out of liability for contract breach and avoid their potential debt due to halted production. Great loophole jackasses.

Anyhow, Journeyman has one more episode to air, and I say its a real shame. This show is totally just hitting its stride creatively. Each episode especially since the 2 parter a few weeks ago has been consistently better than the last. I'm getting involved in the fate of these characters and I'm pissed that it looks like it's not going to get another chance.

It feels like good genre shows always get screwed. Thank god for Heroes, and the few others like Lost which can buck the trend.

If you believe the hype you can still act to save Jouneyman by visiting Savejourneyman.net They're trying to organize a Rice-a-roni campaign in the same vein as the Jericho nuts saga of last year. Can internet lightning strike twice in consecutive seasons? I doubt it, even though I'd say Journeyman is more deserving that Jericho.

So with that I will say my personal fond farewells to yet another great genre show cut down far too soon. We'll miss you dearly Journeyman. It was really getting good too...
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Latenight to return

Well, the writers strike doesn't look like its going to be ending anytime soon, but we may be getting a new dose of late night tv regardless.

According to The USA Today Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien are both planning a return to the airwaves as early as January 2nd. They will be joining Carson Daly who is already back on the air, as well as 'probably but not definitely' yet David Letterman, and Craig Ferguson, who are currently in the midst of their own direct negotiations with the writers guild.

The late night slate will obviously be missing the two most important pundits though, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert who rely on a much more scripted format for their shows.

While I'm interested to see what they do, the big dogs on the air for an hour a night without a net. Can they really just fly off the cuff like that? The word on the street is that back in the strike of '88 when Letterman hit the screen sans writers it was just about the worst thing on television. Now I have faith in Conan O'Brien, but really I have to be practical minded about this.

And what does this mean for the writers? I believe that these hosts have all gone on record in support of their writing teams? Does falling to this pressure to return to work hurt the cause of the writers; or will it just show the networks that without material even the best comedians will fall flat...
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Lost season 4 promo

I know I don't talk much about Lost, but it is absolutely one of my all time favorite shows. Next season is going to be crazy. And although I'm definitely not thrilled that ABC will be splitting up the season again, this time thanks t the writers strike, I am really very excited to see what happens.

For the record, my favorite characters are Sawyer and Sayid.



The show will`be coming back on Thursday nights starting Jan 31st.
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Hancock trailer

I guess I'm coming into this movie with slightly lower expectations than I maybe should have. To me Hancock just sounds kinda stupid. But after seeing this trailer I might not think it actually looks so terrible... maybe. Hmmm, now I don't know if its that the movie doesn't look that bad, or just that it doesn't look as bad as I imagined it would look. What do you think?



Hancock is set for theatrical release July 2nd, '08
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Let the Batmania begin

I've been really busy this past two weeks with a new job starting, and a few other holiday style distractions, but I had to mention this because frankly, its just damn cool not to...

Two more international movie posters for The Dark Knight recently appeared online. The first one, perfectly compliments the one I mentioned a few days ago, and the other... well it kind of scares me. I like it, but it scares me. Check em out.

And now my friends, prepare to have your little minds blown away, by the awesomeness of the new full length Dark Knight trailer. Here is the nice big official version... sweet. or just check it out below from our old friends at YouTube :)



Oh so very pretty. I really like how Ledger seems to be playing The Joker. I know fanboys get all crazy for Nicholson, but I'm intrigued by this new take on him. Just listen to that laugh, it so much more sickly psychotic than Jack ever was. And really, don't those action scenes and explosion looks cool.

Look for The Dark Knight to hit screens July 18th, '08
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5 Minutes of Cloverfield

Seriously, check this out! Cool new Cloverfield footage and a weird little widgit thingy. Oh and a contest to boot. Not that it's the kind of contest I could hope to win, but wow, Still very sweet. Check out the footage now :)
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Horton Hears a Who! trailer

Here it is kids. The trailer I know you've all been waiting for :) Horton Hears a Who! I say Whoray!!1! This movie looks totally fun. Jim Carrey and Steve Carell; that's a great pairing. I'm expecting some quality family fun. Check it out.



The film is set to come out March 14th, 2008.
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Dark Knight international poster

You see what they do here? They give the foreigners the cool posters. Well I'll say it just makes me sick. Here's for your presentation is the new international Dark Knight poster. I think it looks much better than the teaser one released here last week. What do you think? Click to enlarge, or go to ComingSoon.net for a much bigger version.

Once again, the movie is set to come out Stateside July 18th, 2008
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Clash of the Titans returns

Well this news does not exactly fill me with instant glee. According to Variety, director Stephen Norrington, is set to helm the remake of Clash of the Titans; another great classic of yesteryear.

Norrington if you'll recall was the man behind the fairly awful League of Extraordinary Gentlemen film. Since then he has not gone back to directing. That's the part of the news that worries me. But before we all start jumping on the poor guy; let's remember that once upon a time he also directed an awesome little comic book movie called Blade. And some more really good news, Lawrence Kasdan has done the rewrite on the Titans script. And he has a very solid track record.

Production is scheduled to begin sometime in '08. When exactly is anyone's guess, but as with Metropolis, I'm going to try to keep an open mind though this process. I mean honestly, you never really know what they'll put together for us. Bad or good, I know I am at least interested enough to see where it goes.
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new 10 000 BC trailer

Check out this excellent new full theatrical trailer for 10 000 BC. Although the film looks totally predictable, I still think it'll be fun. I mean wooly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers! how could that not be fun?



10 000 BC opens March 7th, 2008.
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Golden Globes '08 nominations

they're here, they're here! Thank you so much Hayden Penettiere (she helped present them). This years Golden Globe Awards nominations have been announced. Hollywood Foreign Press Association... you're on my list still from last year, but that doesn't mean I'm still not going to have a look at what you've got to say.

Let's check em out. Shall we? As usual, I'll pick my faves in a different color; let's say orange.

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
American Gangster
Atonement
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away From Her
Jodie Foster - The Brave One
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley - Atonement

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy - Atonement
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington - American Gangster

BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Across the Universe
Charlie Wilson's War
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Amy Adams - Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky - Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose
Ellen Page - Juno

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks - Charlie Wilson's War
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Savages
John C. Reilly - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Bee Movie
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (Romania)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France and USA)
The Kite Runner (USA)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Julia Roberts - Charlie Wilson's War
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta - Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE
Tim Burton - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Ridley Scott - American Gangster
Joe Wright - Atonement

BEST SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE
Diablo Cody - Juno
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Christopher Hampton - Atonement
Ronald Harwood - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Aaron Sorkin - Charlie Wilson's War

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - MOTION PICTURE
Atonement
Eastern Promises
Grace is Gone
Into the Wild
The Kite Runner

BEST ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE
"Despidida" - Love in the Time of Cholera
Music by: Shakira, Antonio Pinto
Lyrics by: Shakira
"Grace is Gone" - Grace is Gone
Music by: Clint Eastwood
Lyrics by: Carole Bayer Sager
"Guaranteed" - Into the Wild
Music & Lyrics by: Eddie Vedder
"That's How You Know" - Enchanted
Music & Lyrics by: Alan Menken
Walk Hard - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Music & Lyrics by: Marshall Crenshaw, John C. Reilly, Judd Apatow, Jake Kasdan

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
"Big Love" (HBO)
"Damages" (FX Networks)
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
"House" (FOX)
"Mad Men" (AMC)
"The Tudors" (Showtime)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Patricia Arquette - "Medium"
Glenn Close - "Damages"
Minnie Driver - "The Riches"
Edie Falco - "The Sopranos"
Sally Fields - "Brothers and Sisters"
Holly Hunter - "Saving Grace"
Kyra Sedgwick - "The Closer"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Michael C. Hall - "Dexter"
John Hamm -"Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie - "House"
Jonathan Rhys Meyers - "The Tudors"
Bill Paxton - "Big Love"

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"Californication" (Showtime)
"Entourage" (HBO)
"Extras" (HBO)
"Pushing Daisies" (ABC)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Christina Applegate - "Samantha Who?"
America Ferrera - "Ugly Betty"
Tina Fey - "30 Rock"
Anna Friel - "Pushing Daisies"
Mary-Louise Parker - "Weeds"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Alec Baldwin - "30 Rock"
Steve Carell - "The Office"
David Duchovny - "Californication"
Ricky Gervais - "Extras"
Lee Pace - "Pushing Daisies"

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" (HBO)
"The Company" (TNT)
"Five Days" (HBO)
"Longford" (HBO)
"The State Within" (BBC America)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Bryce Dallas Howard - "As You Like It"
Debra Messing - "The Starter Wife"
Queen Latifah - "Life Support"
Sissy Spacek - "Pictures of Hollis Woods"
Ruth Wilson - "Jane Eyre"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Adam Beach - "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"
Ernest Borgnine - "A Grandpa for Christmas"
Jim Broadbent - "Longford"
Jason Isaacs - "The State Within"
James Nesbitt - "Jekyll"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Rose Byrne - "Damages"
Rachel Griffiths - "Brothers & Sisters"
Katherine Heigl - "Grey's Anatomy"
Samantha Morton - "Longford"
Anna Paquin - "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"
Jamie Pressly - "My Name Is Earl"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Ted Danson - "Damages"
Kevin Dillon - "Entourage"
Jeremy Piven - "Entourage"
Andy Serkis - "Longford"
William Shatner - "Boston Legal"
Donald Sutherland - "Dirty Sexy Money"

Also the Cecil B DeMille award for lifetime achievement is going to Steven Spielberg this year. Who is obviously very well deserving on that one.

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Well that was interesting. Of the films Atonement won the most nominations with 7, followed by Charlie Wilson's War, and finally No Country for Old Men, which I'm rooting for. I really haven't seen very many of these films at all though.... As for the tv stuff, well I'm stoked that Damages, 30 Rock and Mad Men got some love, but what the heck is Longford?! I've never even heard of that before... hmmm, looks like a miniseries that I totally missed. Oh well. DFor more stats, check out the HFPA website. We'll see how it all plays out I guess. There's still a big question too as to whether the celebs will actually turn out for this event. With the writers strike going on, everything is a bit tense in Tinseltown, and there is a rumor out there that the awards shows will be boycotted. I personally doubt the stars will be able to resist collecting their spoils, but you never know in Hollywood.

The Golden Globes will air on Sunday January 13th.
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Singleton to direct A-Team

The really fantastic director John Singleton has been tapped to direct a big screen adaptation / update of the A-Team! nice....

What a great pairing. According to Comingsoon.net "Stephen J. Cannell, who created the show, will produce the movie with Spike Seldin. Mark Silvestri will executive produce." And while the original tv show followed a team of ex-Vietnam veterans turned badass mercenary soldiers of fortune with hearts of gold. This new one will see a group of ex-Gulf war vets with big guns, fighting for the little guy on the wrong side of the law and reflect on current politics and social issues.

Can't wait to see who they cast as B.A. Baracus. :)

With the writers strike the film is probably a ways off, but it's pretty good to see that people out there actually care still. I hope this film kicks ass.


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Knight Rider the series.

So as all you loyal readers know, I've been somewhat following the behind the scenes drama that is Knight Rider. Well this week, with the announcements that the new KITT will be portrayed by a black 550 HP Ford Shelby GT500KR Mustang, and not a Camaro, and then the official press kick off with photos to boot, I think this version has taken a significant leap in the polls. Not that fans, especially internet one, aren't finding things to bitch about (they always do), but this Knight Rider is here and now, and 'real'. The Weinstein's one is one of those 'out there in the ether' kinds of things...

Check out these sweet picks of the cast, including KITT and the new hero of the show, long estranged son of Michael Knight, Mike Tracer as played by Justin Bruening, of All My Children fame.

also... click to embiggen.

(left to right) Deanna Russo (as Mike Tracer's long lost love & daughter of KITT's creator), Justin Bruening (Mike Tracer), Bruce Davison (playing KITT's creator) and Sydney Tamiia Poitier

For a bunch more great photos please go check out this AICN article.

But that's not all people. This "backdoor pilot" which is set to air February 17th, '08 on NBC, also announced that none other than evil comedian Will Arnett of Arrested Development fame will be voicing the new KITT! Pretty sweet if you ask me. KITT needs to be a bit smarmy, and Arnett has a great voice for something like this.

The final news though is so awesome I can hardly believe it. And it makes me suspect that whatever else happens the proposed film version of Knight Rider will NOT ever come to fruition. Is that the man himself David Hasselhoff, is going to cameo in the pilot, reprising his role from some 20 years ago!

Things are sure shaping up pretty interesting with this one. A few unexpected turns, but so far I have nothing really to complain about. I hope its good. I think this property deserves to be on tv, its fun and cool, has great action, and hot women... or at least that's what I'm hoping for, lets see what they deliver.
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New Spiderwick poster

I think the thing I like most about this new Spiderwick Chronicles poster care of Comingsoon.net is ho9w much it reminds me of one of those old Choose Your Own Adventure books. I really loved those things. They always had this great tone. Mystery and adventure, very serious and oft wandered into danger, and a magic that I've never seen translated really decently to the screen. I don't know that this film can really live up to what the poster makes me feel. Still at least I can enjoy it for a little while.

The Spiderwick Chronicles opens Feb 15th, '08.
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New Jumper Trailer

I have to say I am pretty interested in Jumper. The trailers have been sweet, I think the concept is great, I just hope its fun, and not taking itself too seriously... you know?



Jumper opens February 14th, '08. awww... valentines day :)
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Indiana Jones poster and plot

Today on the official movie site, the brand new first ever official poster for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of teh Crystal Skull has been revealed. Enjoy the spoils...

Some plot details from the USA Today. Set squarely in 1957 the film catches up with Indy 16 years after the events of The Last Crusade. And once Indy is whisked away from the halls of academia to adventure he will find himself in a very different world. The Cold War is in full swing and new villains like the temptress Cate Blanchett as Agent Spalko. Indy is also joined on this adventure by a new sidekick played by Shia LaBeouf, and in shades of Raiders of teh Lost Ark Indy squares off against a rival, and highly unethical archaeologist, played by Ray Winstone. Familiar faces appear as well with Karen Allen making an appearance, although unfortunately no Sean Connery. In this outing Jones will travel to the likes of New Mexico, Old Mexico, Connecticut and the jungles of Peru. All of course in search of the elusive titualr prize, the Crystal Skull.

The film will be gangbusters. I can't wait until May 22nd 2008.

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Metropolis redux

It truly never ends does it? The destruction of classics? The re-purposing and repacking of vintage films for a more modern, hip sensibility... While I'm generally ok with updates, this one is going to take me a bit to get used to.

Metropolis is going to be remade.

According to Variety, Thomas Schuehly, the producer of Alexander, has acquired the rights to the property and is retooling it for the modern world. Teamed up with Mario Kassar, of T3 fame not too much is known about the planned update. The dynamic duo is currently shopping around for a a top name director who they plan to hire in early '08.

Could this actually be a good idea? Do we need an update of this classic? We'll have to see what becomes of this news in the months come. With the writers strike in full swing and not looking to end anytime soon, it might be a little while before we see much more on Metropolis... I'll try to reserve judgment until more is known.


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The Happening poster

So the poster for M Night Shyamalan's film The Happening has hit the web. Frankly I was kind of intentionally ignoring The Happening because M Night really rubs me the wrong way. His films however, are usually interesting if often flawed. At least the man has a great look with his films, check out this pretty cool poster care of Comingsoon.net.

According to wikipedia, "The Happening is a paranoid thriller in which a family must survive a global environmental crisis. The film will portray the earth as a victim of mankind's doings, which causes a global backlash. Elliot Moore, the main character figures out these conflicts, due to his being a high school biology teacher. In the center, lies a conflict between him and his wife, in which he must settle before she threatens to end their marriage."

The film stars Mark Wahlberg, and Zoey Deschanel, and is set to come out June 13th, 2008.

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The Black List '07

I'm not sure I've ever actually seen this list before. But from what I gather The Black List has been around for quite a while. Sigh, I hate being behind the times.... Anyhow, The Black List is basically a list of 'hot' movie scripts that are currently floating around Hollywood. These are movie scripts that have a strong association with 2007, have been written, bought and sold, read a lot, or are on the cusp of being developed. They are scripts that have been in bidding wars, and scripts that almost certainly WILL be blockbusters eventually. Sure, some of these scripts will never get made into films, but undoubtedly a few of them will become megahits in the years to come.

The list, is compiled by collecting the suggestions of over 150 of Hollywood film executives, and high level assistants. People picked to participate in the selection process were asked to nominate up to 10 of their favorite scripts. Only scripts with more than one nomination are included in the list.

And that's it. The list has been published online in a few places, but I like IESBs coverage of it as they include slug lines for each of the films. I'm not going to copy the entire list her, but thought I'd mention a few of the scripts that caught my eye. For the full list please go check out IESBs post, it's a pretty fascinating peek into what sort of stuff the power players are looking at right now. It's not a 'best of' list, but just a 'most popular' list. So without further ado, here are my picks for the most interesting film scripts included on The Black List 07.

Just to start with, cause I know you're interested, here are the top three voted for scripts:

44 VOTES - RECOUNT by Danny Strong
“A behind-the-scenes view of the 2000 presidential election and the scandal that ensued in the weeks following.”

43 VOTES - FARRAGUT NORTH by Beau Willimon
“A young, idealistic communications director for a fast-rising politician falls prey to backstabbing and trickery while working on a presidential campaign.”

38 VOTES - PASSENGERS by Jon Spaihts
“A passenger on an intergalactic spaceship is the only one prematurely thawed out from cryogenic slumber … 100 years before anyone else.”

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Now here are a few scripts that really caught my eye. Don't forget, I am mostly interested in genre stuff, for the full list check out IESB.

24 VOTES - THE ROAD by Joe Penhall
“Based on the book by Cormac McCarthy. After a nuclear explosion, a man goes on a nightmarish road trip in order to transport his son to safety, while fending off starving stragglers and marauding packs of cannibals.”

16 VOTES - DUBAI by Adam Cozad
“A young economist is forced to go on the run to prove his innocence after Iranian operatives in Dubai use him as part of a plot to collapse the United States economy.”

13 VOTES - SOURCE CODE by Ben Ripley
“As part of an experimental government program to investigate a terrorist incident, a soldier finds himself living and reliving a series of events that take place on a commuter train just prior to the train exploding.”

11 VOTES - EDWIN A. SALT by Kurt Wimmer
“Centers on Edwin A. Salt, a CIA officer who is fingered as a Russian sleeper spy. He eludes capture by superiors who are convinced he is out to assassinate the president. While trying to reunite with his family, he struggles to prove someone else is the traitor.”

7 VOTES - NEVER LET ME GO by Alex Garland
“Based on the book by Kazuo Ishiguro. Students at an isolated boarding school in the English countryside gradually discover that they are clones who will inevitably be harvested for organs no matter how ‘human’ they are.”

7 VOTES - THE BOOK OF ELI by Gary Whitta
“A lone hero must fight his way across the wasteland of postapocalyptic America to protect a sacred book that holds the key to saving the future of humanity”

6 VOTES - $40,000 MAN by Jonathan Goldstein & Sean Daily
“A legendary astronaut finds himself horribly injured in a crash and is rebuilt by the government to be a bionic man -- but on a budget of only $40,000.”

5 VOTES - VALKYRIE by Chris MacQuarrie
“Severely wounded in combat, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg returns from Africa to join the German Resistance and help create Operation Valkyrie, the complex plan that will allow a shadow government to replace Hitler's once he is dead. Fate and circumstance conspire to thrust Stauffenberg from one of many in the plot to a double-edged central role. Not only must he lead the coup and seize control of his nation’s government--he must kill Hitler himself.”

5 VOTES - WORLD WAR Z by J Michael Straczynski
“A sober telling of the aftermath of a war fought against a legion of humans who were inflicted with a virus, died and were re-animated into flesh-eating zombies.”

5 VOTES - ZOMBIELAND by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick
“After a zombie plague ravages America, a pair of ‘odd couple’ survivors team up to find purpose and combat the living dead in the post-apocalyptic Southwest.”

4 VOTES - 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA by Craig Titley
“A mad scientist has created a monster-like looking submarine that sails underneath the oceans. "

4 VOTES - BROTHERS IN ARMS aka HILL 427 by Noah Lukeman
“The true story of a long-shot American army rescue mission 60 miles behind German lines during World War II to free General Patton’s sonin-law from a POW camp.”

3 VOTES - CLASH OF THE TITANS by Travis Beacham
“Zeus’s son, Perseus, journeys to save Princess Andromeda. During his adventure, he must complete various tasks set out by his father, including capturing Pegasus and slaying Medusa.”

3 Votes - JEFF THE IMMORTAL by Chris Bishop
“A slacker discovers that he is the lastest in a long line of immortal warriors who must fight to achieve his destiny.”

2 VOTES - GIANT MONSTERS ATTACK JAPAN by JF Lawton
“Prompted by a corporate transfer, a father and son move to Japan and find that all the fantastic elements of the son’s favorite Japanese movies – Godzilla, giant robots, secret ninja cults, etc. – are a real and borderline mundane aspect of everyday Japanese life. Adjusting proves difficult, hijinks ensue.”

2 VOTES - JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA by The Mulroneys
“The exploits of the Justice League of America, an organization made up of the world's greatest superheroes: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Green Lantern.”

2 VOTES - NO MAN’S LAND by Jeffrey Nachmanoff
“Fifty years after an alien race takes over earth, a human detective investigates a rape/murder case and ultimately discovers the aliens’ true intentions.”

2 VOTES - UNIQUE by Michael Cooney
“Jon Geoffries discovers the Earth has a twin, a parallel world in another dimension. The worlds are closely linked, explaining such phenomena as deja vu and love at first sight, with people having counterparts on both Earths. However, a few are born "unique," with no doppelgangers, and can travel between worlds. Geoffries is one such person and soon finds himself a target of enemies who want to exploit his connection.“

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So there you go, that's 21 film scripts that I think sound cool. It's a pretty interesting list. Who knows what will happen with the films in question though. Yes a few of them are already being made, but whether the rest will is up in the air. Also, even if they do get made who can say if they'll be any good. Sometimes its pretty different seeing the words on a page as compared to the big screen. What works in one doesn't always work in the other.

Still, if we can get even a few of these rolling, I for one will be pretty stoked.

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Speed Racer trailer

Wow, this is really different.

The Speed Racer trailer has landed online via Moviefone. Go to their site for the trailer in HD, or just check it out below. It is really wild...



I'm actually finding it kind of hard to figure out how to react to the trailer. On one hard it's unlike anything I've seen on film. Like something really right out of the anime, but on the other hand I'm not sure I can handle something as insane as this. Will this film be a masterpiece? or is it destined to miss the mark? With the Wachowskis at the helm I want to think it will work, but well, just check that trailer... is that something that everyday America can connect with?

I definitely look forward to seeing even more and maybe reading a few early reviews. For now though you can find a bit more info to gobble up at the official film site speedracerthemovie.com. Although nothing can really explain the cool madness of that trailer. Speed Racer is set for release May 9th, 2008.

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Punisher pic

The first picture of Ray Stevenson in full Punisher: War Zone garb has landed squarely on the net care of SuperHeroHype. Despite the sad truth that, as Devon pointed out to me, he looks suspiciously like Steven Segal in the picture. I have to say I am still excited to see a new Punisher coming to life. A trailer is really what we need now. Either that, or a few more revealing pics. For now though, check out the pic, and let me know what you think.Click to enlarge or go to SHH for the high rez version.

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Slusho! the commercial!!!!!!1!!

It's the advertisement you've all been waiting for! Straight from Slusho.jp here is the official commercial for Slusho! the super happy fun drink for all!!!



You can't drink just six!

And with this ad comes a fantastic new contest! That's right I said contest! Create your very own Slusho commercial and submit it to the Slusho team who will pick 5 winner to receive brand new Slusho skinned Alienware laptops! I definitely think I should enter. this is even better than the Spider-Man contest I entered; and I got to the semi finals for that. The official rules can be found on the Slusho contest page. Check it out, but don't even think that you'll beat me ;)

Slusho Zoooooooooom!!!

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Sweet new Iron Man pic

Care of Paramount, via Comingsoon.net check out this absolutely fantastic new picture of Iron Man. And click onto Comingsoon for a great High rez version of this pic. I have to say, this is definitely one of, if not my absolute, most anticipated new film of next year. The film comes out May 2nd, '08.

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Racer X

Check out ETs behind the scenes video with Matthew Fox who plays Racer X in the Speed Racer film. We also get a glimpse of Emile Hirsch, and... is that Rain?

Very cool, even if it is from ET ;)

The race is on May 9th, '08.

UPDATE - It seems like it must just be a Speedy day. Care of a nice little USA Today article we've now gotten our first official pictures from the Speed Racer film. Check out these two pics, then head over to the article to see the other 6. This movie might just be unlike anything else ever made. It reminds me a bit of Ultraviolet in how totally stylized it is. Very, very interesting.

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Where in the World???

According to this MSNBC story, and some snippets of rumors, Morgan Spurlock of Supersize Me, and 30 Days fame, might have the crazyiest most fucking brilliant documentary ever on his hands.

Because according to AICN after a mere 15 minutes of preview footage, the Weinsteins dropped $25 million on the film rights which have been classified according to /film and the film's director of photography Daniel Marricone as "the Holy Grail".

The film in question is entitled "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?" and is set to premiere at Sundance next year.

Did Morgan Spurlock find Osama???

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Snake Eyes is cast

Or so says /film in their exclusive breaking white hot news that none other than Darth Maul himself Ray Park has been cast in the ninja-tastic role of Snake Eyes in the highly anticipated G.I Joe film.

My reaction? Perfect casting.

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Oh and in case you missed it, cause I don't know that I've mentioned it here before, also according to /film the official synopsis runs a little like this...

“From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite co-ed GI JOE team, based from it’s headquarters The Pit, deploys the latest in next-gen spy and military equipment to fight crooked arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious COBRA organization from plunging the world into chaos.”

Look for the Joes to hit screens August 7th 2009.

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Prince Caspian trailer!!!

Wow, check this great trailer out.

Remember how excited I was after comic-con about the Prince Caspian stuff I saw, well I hope this trailer gives you a small sample of the excitement I felt and a sense of what coolness should come from this film. I am definitely excited to see this movie; I think it looks fantastic. What do you think? I'm not blowing this out of proportion am I? Check out the trailer.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is set to release on May 16th, '08. For more info, including production sketches etc, check out TCON blog.

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Batman teaser poster

Dropping yesterday, after a series of needlessly complicated run around clues the Dark Knight teaser poster has finally hit the net, and although I'm not thrilled about the Why So Serious tag, I think its a pretty nice design.

Is it just me or has the 'viral' marketing campaign for The Dark Knight gotten a bit stupid. It's so engineered, I'm feeling a bit put off buy it. Just look at this list of various viral sites connected to the film. Why are they pushing so hard on this? I mean its Batman, give it time and cool teases to work with and a genuine organic buzz will build. All this whysoserious.com stuff, is just getting annoying.

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Avatar pic a fake

The wonderful people over at Ain't It Cool News have a great update on Avatar direct from the source, director James Cameron. Today they published an email sent from Cameron to Harry Knowles on among other things that recently leaked artwork, which I talked about here. Head over to AICN for a very nice update on the film, it's well worth the look.

Whether you consider it unfortunate or not, that 'leaked' artwork from last week is absolutely and definitely fake. Cameron set the record straight saying "it is definitely not remotely our actual character design. Aside from two legs, two arms and a tail, it doesn't have any features in common with our final designs."

Oh well... FOX will give us something real when they're good and ready. And since Cameron is in the thick of shooting now, you never know what might get out. We'll have to keep posted on this, and hope to get something a bit more tangible in the near future. At least it got me excited to see more, that's a very good sign.

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Wonder Woman?

Normally I wouldn't want to mention this kind of a rumor, or at least regarding Justice League. There have been SO many rumors as to what hot young actress will land the role of Wonder Woman in the JLA film it's gone past ridiculous. However, that said, this girl who AICN reports is 100% positively going to be the star spangled amazonian, is the first woman I've seen who automatically just looks to fit the part.

Megan Gale is a model from Australia, and she is, not to put too fine a point on it, smoking hot. Click to enlarge.

Is she Wonder Woman? I don't know. Are the rumors of Common as Jon Stewart true? Or Adam Brody as The Flash? I don't know... There are a gillion and one rumors out there about the cast for JLA. And while I'm excited to know finally, the guess work makes me crazy.

We'll know when we know. And if they decide to scrap the film, or wait until the strike ends and they don't have to push a potentially unpolished script into production, even better in my opinion. This movie has a lot of potential, and obviously Warner's knows that. What becomes of it in the end has yet to be determined, and so far I am definitely not convinced they can pull it off.

All that aside though, the most important point: Megan Gale is really, really hot.

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Stop-Loss trailer

Wow, this Stop-Loss film looks pretty powerful.



Check out more on the film here, and comments from actual soldiers and their families on this film, and this policy at the Stop-Loss Sound Off page...

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Journeyman finale to air

A few days ago I made mention that the final episode of NBCs Journeyman seemed to be in some jeopardy of airing. Very sad news indeed.

But it looks like the tide may have turned. Ain't it Cool News has learned direct from series producer Kevin Falls that they have decided to air the 12 and final (so far) episode of Journeyman at 10pm on December 19th.

For more info on how to help, send your support over to SaveJourneyman.net. I definitely think this show deserves a full season order at the least. Don't you?

December 3rd has been declared an action day for Journeyman fans. Either go watch a full episode online at NBC.com, or purchase the latest episode "Blowback" off of iTunes and help make NBC take notice.

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