Entertainment Today and Beyond

Never Met a Zombi I Didn’t Like…

Will the new FREDDY KRUEGER please stand up

freddykreuger newWarner Bros has released the first image of Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach in Watchmen) as Freddy Krueger in the Platinum Dunes remake of the classic horror outing A Nightmare on Elm Street. Since the modern day remake concept has already produced films featuring iconic horror characters Leatherface, Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, Freddy just seemed inevitable. While it’s hard to picture any other actor in the role of Freddy other than Robert Englund I believe Haley will do him justice. While this first look still is mostly a teaser, you get the feeling that Haley will be pretty menacing.

My biggest concern for this project is how the film’s heroine, Nancy (now played by Rooney Mara), is written. Actress Heather Langenkamp was terrific in the 1984 Wes Craven original and her part had equal importance in the overall story of the monstrous and now legendary Freddy. I believe this new incarnation will live or die on how the Nancy role plays out. Platinum Dunes and Haley will be at comic-con this week to promote the film which hits theaters April 27, 2010.

July 22, 2009 Posted by | Reviews | | Leave a Comment

GEORGE ROMERO’s newest ZOMBIE film gets official title

romeroWhile it hasn’t gotten a lot of coverage, apart from a few websites that cover the horror genre, George Romero has made another living dead film. A trailer was released many months ago but the film did not have an official title until now. Romero’s sixth zombie film will be titled Surviving the Dead. I like the title and look forward to seeing the film but deep down, as a huge fan of his original living dead trilogy, I just don’t think it will have any real relevance. According to the press release Surviving the Dead is about a war-weary band of soldiers who are lured to a remote island that promises to be paradise on earth. They soon discover that even in paradise there is no escape from the appetites of either the living or the dead. Trailer

It’s hard to believe that the now 69-year-old Romero has been doing this genre for forty one years with his classic Night of the Living Dead breaking serious genre ground back in 1968. His 1978 Dawn of the Dead is still the most epic zombie film ever made; all the more amazing since it was shot a budget of around $1,000,000. His 1985 Day of the Dead rounded out the original trilogy and Romero is on record saying that is his favorite of the bunch.

Twenty years after Day of the Dead, Romero scored a box-office hit with 2005’s Land of the Dead (his first studio zombie movie) as that film pulled in $46,000,000 worldwide on a budget of $16,000,000. George went back to his low budget roots with his next zombie outing, Diary of the Dead, which was released in 2007. It barely registering at the box-office, grossing just $4,600,000 on a shoestring budget of $2,000,000. Considering what he had to work with in terms of money I liked the film when I finally caught it on DVD.  I thought it played as an interesting companion piece to Night of the Living Dead as it deals with the initial zombie outbreak. Yet it really cannot be mentioned in the same breath as his first three zombie outings, which are now legendary.

Surviving the Dead will be unleashed upon the world at the Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness showings. What kind of theatrical release the movie will get after that has yet to be determined, but I would be surprised if it plays in more than a few hundred theaters. The film was shot on a very low budget and a couple of million dollars nowadays isn’t what it was in 1978 when he made Dawn of the Dead, arguably one of the five greatest horror films ever produced. Still I’m interested in seeing what the old zombie master can deliver with this new film. If it’s Romero, it’s certainly noteworthy!

July 21, 2009 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | | Leave a Comment

TWILIGHT ZONE Movie moves forward

TwilightZone3Last year it was announced that Leonardo Dicaprio’s production company, Appian Way, and Warner Bros were in the early stages of bringing the classic Rod Serling ‘60’s television show The Twilight Zone to the big screen. Variety reported today that Rand Ravich (The Astronaunts Wife, NBC’s Life) has been signed to write a script. Reportedly the concept of this new Twilight Zone feature film will have one continuing storyline based on one or more episodes. At this point there has been no word on what episode or episodes they might use but if you’re a fan of this iconic series (which ran from 1959-1964) you know there is much classic material to choice from. To Serve Man, The Shelter, Eye of the Beholder, Third from the Sun, Time Enough at Last, Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up (clip below), Characters in Search of an Exit, Long Live Walter Jameson, It’s a Good Life, Walking Distance are all great episodes and ten of my very favorites.

As for other post Rod Serling Twilight Zone incarnations, Warner produced a feature Twilight Zone movie back in 1983 with four directors; Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, George Miller and John Landis, who directed one installment each. Three of those were based on classic episodes while the Landis entry was an original story. While Dantes and Millers entries faired the best, the movie was mostly remembered for actor Vic Morrow and two child actors who were killed in a tragic accident while filming a scene involving a helicopter. Morrow’s overall segment was left in the finished movie which continues to be an eerie watch to this day. Its currently airing on the HDNET channel this month if anyone wants to check it out.

There were two additional television series in 1985 and in 2002 that tried to revive the magic of the original series but only to limited success from a creative standpoint. Twilight Zone just seemed destined to be a black and white program and producing these episodes in color took something away from it.

I don’t know if the pure genious of Serling’s original show can really ever be recreated in any form. I believe the brilliance of The Twilight Zone was not only a product Serlings one-of-a-kind imagination and keen eye for human behavior, but it was also a product of a time and place that dosen’t exist anymore. Still I love the Twilight Zone and look forward to see what becomes of this new feature based on the classic show.

July 20, 2009 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | | Leave a Comment

Top Ten reflections in 2009 so far by Chuck Curry

Star trek Spock10. The Hangover- Every summer a sleeper hit emerges and The Hangover is this summer’s version. With a domestic take of $227,567,151 to date on a reported budget of $35 million this is summer’s most profitable movie. A sequel has already been announced.

9. Watchmen- While it didn’t light the box-office on fire (a disappointing $182,735,282 world wide), Zack Snyder’s Watchmen is easily one of the year’s best films and, in time, should eventually gain the respect it deserves. This coming from someone who never read the novel. Watchmen had me nailed to my seat for its entire running time.

8. Lost- I can only wonder how JJ Abrams and his amazing writers will wrap things up on the final season of Lost which begins airing in 2010 on ABC. For my money it’s the most inventive television show ever created, or at least neck and neck with The Twilight Zone. It just doesn’t get any better than Lost!

7. Land of the Lost- Will Ferrell and dinosaurs don’t mix as Land Of the Lost was not only one of the summers worst films, it was also a huge financial loser for Universal. It has grossed just $56,118,746 worldwide on a production budget of $100 mil. Throw in marketing costs of $40 million plus and that’s what you call a tax write-off.

6. Biggest Box-office upset: It’s still hard to believe that The Haunting in Connecticut ($55,389,516) did more business than Sam Raimi’s critically hailed Drag Me to Hell ($41,553,100), this despite the fact that it wasn’t even in the same league in terms of overall entertainment quality. It’s a true head scratcher.

5. Bruno- Audiences loved Sasha Baron Cohen’s Borat but it appears, by Bruno’s 80% box-office plunge in weekend two, that his antics went a little too far away from the realm of good taste for many. A real talking penis will do that every time. Still this is one funny film.

4. Star Trek- While a niced sized hit here in the States JJ Abrams Star Trek ($252,473,974 to date), like all the previous entries in the long running franchise, still wasn’t widely accepted overseas. Its $125,580.479 total to date is far less than most films that hit big domestically. While Terminator Salvation did an OK $123,348,698 here, it has grossed a pretty healthy $232,748,475 abroad, almost doubling Star Trek’s ticket-sales. I would expect Paramount to keep the budget of the next Trek installment in the $150 million range once again because of this continuing trend.

3. Late Night Wars- With David Letterman now beating The Tonight Show in overall ratings (Conan is barely holding on in the coveted 18-49 demo) one has to believe that NBC is sweating its decision to replace Jay Leno. While I really dig Conan O’Brien I never felt he would be a great fit in that 11:30 pm time slot, especially with The Tonight Show name attached. One has to think that maybe Leno is gloating a little bit behind the scenes as he gets ready for his 5 night a week show in the 10PM timeslot on NBC. I still can’t believe that is going to happen.

2. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen- Truly the definition of critic proof. Only 19% positive reviews on Rotten tomatoes and more hollow than a tin can the film has already out-grossed its superior original, pulling in $733,174,657 worldwide to date. Will Michael Bay helm the planned third installment? With the profit participation deal he has in place, how do you say no.

1. RIP Walter Cronkite- He truly was the most trusted man in America and all Anchormen and talk show hosts on the 24/hour cable channels should re-examine what they do and ask themselves how they sleep at night selling bias and hate. Cronkite defined an America that is no more. A sad fact indeed.

July 19, 2009 Posted by | Reviews | | 2 Comments

Expect FUNNY PEOPLE to make sizable dent at box-office, BRUNO Backlash, Portman cast in THOR, IRON MAN Entertainment Weekly cover and EMMY nominations announced

I would be very surprised if Judd Apatow’s latest, Funny People, isn’t a nice sized hit with legs. Considering that his name has been on a lot of product as a producer, Funny People is only the third film that Apatow has actually helmed. Since his other two films were the 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up there’s no reason to believe that his fan-base won’t show up for this one expecting a solid story with a laugh. The Universal release opens on July 31 with the marketing campaign already in full swing. By the way, according to Forbes the star, Adam Sandler, pulled in $65 million in 2008. Not bad for a guy most critics hate. Not me. I can put on Mr. Deeds any day of the week and laugh myself sick.

Despite the fact that I believe Bruno is a wildly funny movie, the backlash against it’s over the top content will certainly cause a sharp falloff at the box-office this weekend. Barbara Walter’s went to see it and discussed it on her gabfest morning show The View this week. Her reaction is priceless. Let’s face it how often do you hear a 79 year old women talk about anal sex. Check it out…

Natalie Portman signed on to play the female lead and love interest of Thor in the big screen version of the Marvel comic book superhero movie The Mighty Thor this week. My question is; does the general movie going public really care about this project. While any and all comic book movies are going to get big time play on the fan boy sites Thor, at least to me, doesn’t come across as overly exciting. Give me Batman, Spiderman, Iron Man and Superman but Thor? I don’t think so. Marvel might be overestimating the audience for it and should think twice about spending a $150 million before marketing costs. I could be wrong but that’s my gut feeling.

Entertainment-today-iron-maSpeaking of Superheroes, Entertainment Weekly has the three major players on its cover of the highly anticipated Iron Man 2 as part of their Comic-Con coverage issue. This is the first pic of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. My only fear for Iron Man 2 is that they might be making it a year too soon. I would have had a lot more confidence if they took a full year or two just to write the script before going into production. We’ll see how this thing turns out.

One disappointment for me on the Emmy Nominations was the omission of Friday Night Lights. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton got the shaft again. Also unacceptable – the show didn’t get a best drama nod. Clearly the voting members are not watching. It’s high quality television week in and week out. In a bright spot, I was glad to see Cherry Jones get recognized for her fine work on 24 as President Taylor. She was nominated for best supporting actress in a Drama. Well deserved! Also Lost was nominated for best Drama. For my money it’s the best show on television. Here’s a complete list of nominees.

July 17, 2009 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | , , , , | 3 Comments

Whip It Trailer

Fox Searchlight has released the trailer to Whip It, the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore. Ellen Page (Juno) stars as Bliss, a rebellious Texas teen who throws in her small town beauty pageant crown for the rowdy world of roller derby. Whip It has the production feel of a 70’s or 80’s piece and that’s one of the reasons I really like what I see here. It certainly feels different from current fare and that’s a good thing. Besides Page, who is as unique a screen personality as it gets, the movie co-stars Barrymore, Kristen Wiig (SNL), Juliette Lewis, Eve, Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern (Home Alone) and Jimmy Fallon. Whip It hits theaters Oct 9, 2009. Take a LOOK

July 16, 2009 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | , , | Leave a Comment

True Blood ratings continue to grow

trueblood_season2-1Viewers are tuning into HBO’s vampire series True Blood in record numbers. The offbeat program attracted 3.9 million viewers on Sunday night which was the biggest audience the show has had in its two seasons on the air. Viewership has now doubled from its premiere episode last year, a solid sign that it’s been building from terrific word of mouth. From creator/ producer Alan Ball (Six Feet Under), this show is perhaps the quirkiest program I can remember since David Lynch’s night time soap, Twin Peaks which aired for two seasons starting in 1990. Twin Peaks was a true water cooler show but it burned itself out pretty quickly, ending after only 30 episodes.

The amazing thing about True Blood is that it really doesn’t have straightforward narrative to propel it along week to week. It mostly relies on its solid cast and wacky offbeat tone. Like Lynch’s Twin Peaks, strange things often happen that are not fully explained. This really helps build intrigue and that alone keeps me tuning in every week. The opening credit sequence is by far and away the strangest and most interesting for any show on television.

True Blood has also become a monster hit on DVD. Sales for season one have grossed more than 43 million dollars in just over two months, mind-blowing for a program with a viewership of less than 4 million. Those sales are great news for its two main leads, Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse) and Stephen Moyer (vampire Bill Compton). I’m sure they will use these very profitable figures as leverage when they eventually renegotiate their contracts for the show. Alan Ball has said that he plans to start shooting the third season before Christmas 2009. All things considered, True Blood appears destined to have a long life on the air.

Whether it’s a cult, a fad or a force here to stay, True Blood is generating a lot of positive buzz and becoming a very profitable entity. It’s the biggest hit HBO has had since the landmark Sopranos ended. Check out the opening sequence below…

July 16, 2009 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | , | Leave a Comment

The Towering Inferno on Blu-ray

towering inferno blueray20th Century Fox releases The Towering Inferno today, July14, on Blu-ray in all of its high definition glory. It’s actually hard to believe that it will be 35 years come December that this 1974 disaster classic was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. If all of the so-called popcorn films released nowadays were half as GREAT as The Towering Inferno I would be one very happy moviegoer. Released two years after Producer Irwin Allen’s blockbuster hit The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno went on to become the year’s highest grossing film, pulling in $116,000,000 domestically on a budget of $14,000,000. If only Hollywood could maximize a profit like that now on big studio movies.

Both Fox and Warner Bros financed the film which was considered a gamble at the time because of its sizable budget. Actually it’s only $58 million today adjusted for inflation – pretty cheap for a studio tent-pole. 57 stage sets established records for a single film on the Twentieth Century Fox lot and, while John Guillermin (King Kong-1976), helmed the overall film Irwin Allen himself directed the action scenes.

Initially, the fire chief’s role was relatively minor. The architect was the lead and hero and Ernest Borgnine was planned to be Fire Chief Mario Infantino to Steve McQueen’s architect Doug Roberts. However, when McQueen signed on, he requested the fire chief’s role (renamed Chief O’Hallorhan) and Paul Newman was signed to take the architect’s role. Both actors who had equal lines and billing were terrific and their star power was as big an attraction as the movies stunning special effects. In an era pre-GCI – quite impressive.

Supporting turns by hollywood legends Fred Astaire (Oscar nominated for Supporting actor) and Jennifer Jones (her last film role) also elevated the whole project. The film, which had a running time of 2hrs and 45 minutes, was the last movie I can remember attending that had an intermission at its halfway mark. At the time movie theaters were single screened houses so it was much easier doing this than it would be nowadays with multiplexes. While the film had many highlights, Robert Wagner’s heroic death scene has always stuck out for me as it’s just so beatifully done. It’s truly a genre classic.

It was also a time when OJ Simpson was a really likable guy. Actually he’s quite good in the film. Originally released December 14, 1974, The Towering Inferno is one of my all time favorite films and well worth owning on Blu-ray. The behind the scenes featurettes are a must see for diehard fans. Watching Irwin Allen in action is just fascinating. I said it before and I’ll say it again, they don’t make ‘em like they used to. The Towering Inferno is a classic.

Primary cast • Steve McQueen as Chief Michael O’ Hallorhan • Paul Newman as Doug Roberts • William Holden as James Duncan • Faye Dunaway as Susan Franklin • Fred Astaire as Harlee Clairbone • Susan Blakely as Patty Duncan Simmons • Richard Chamberlain as Roger Simmons • Jennifer Jones as Lisolette Mueller • O.J. Simpson as Harry Jernigan • Robert Vaughn as Sen. Gary Parker • Robert Wagner as Dan Bigelow • Susan Flannery as Lorrie • Mike Lookinland as Phillip Albright

July 14, 2009 Posted by | And Beyond - Trailers & News | Leave a Comment

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