The Boca Breeze

Eli Manning: The Champ is Here

2012-02-10T09:33:00.005-05:00

Says it all right there.
Super Bowl champ.
Super Bowl MVP.
SI cover boy.
New York legend.
One name status.
Eli.
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NFL Films is the best at what they do and this time around is no different. Some sound bytes from the game and some stuff from the NY Times on the footage. Giants fans will relish in this for years to come:

-Belichick on the receivers and the last drive:

"Crouched on the sideline in front of the players, Belichick emphasized that they had to focus on Giants receivers Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz.

“This is still a Cruz and Nicks game,” he said. “I mean I know we’re right on them, it’s tight. But those are still the guys. Make them go to Manningham, make them go to Pascoe, all right. But let’s make sure we get Cruz and Nicks.”

-On Welker's drop. Even the ref's knew:

"When Patriots receiver Wes Welker failed to hang on to a pass from Brady on second-and-11 from the Giants’ 44 with about four minutes remaining, at least one of the game officials appreciated the significance. The ball fell from Welker’s hands at the Giants’ 20, with the Patriots leading, 17-15. After the drop, the referee John Parry turned to a fellow official and said, “Whoa, that was the game.”

There are great links to video and sound from the game in the article as well.

Super Bowl XLVI: Giants Beat the Pats Again

2012-02-06T08:25:00.008-05:00

GIANTS WIN THE SUPER BOWL!

-From friend of the Breeze and game attendee Gary Hartman:

"I honestly don't know where to begin. I guess with the one word that continued to define this team. Resiliency. It is truly astounding. Always overcoming. We were 7-7 before that Jets game. 7-7! What an unbelievable, amazing run. Jets or go home. Cowboys or go home for the division. Shutout Atlanta. Knock off the PREVIOUS Super Bowl Champions in Lambeau. Go face the possibly best defense in the league on the road for a chance to play today and take care of business. Then de ja blue. Wa La. SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS. SUPERBOWL 46 CHAMPIONS. ONE MORE TIME. SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS. I am so thrilled. Actually the best night of my life. Never have experienced anything like this before. I wasn't joking before when I said I can now die happy. In person, I saw my New York Football Giants win the Superbowl. Obviously no questions about Eli anymore. Hall of Famer. Same goes for Coach. Tom Coughlin is a god as far as I'm concerned. Pass Rush was shit for 3 quarters, but defense came up big when it needed to in the 3rd quarter. Manningham- amazing. Nicks-amazing. Bradshaw coming up big when need be and this whole team was, well, resilient. I'm sitting in my hotel room in Indianpolis with a huge smile on my face. Beyond happy. This is so surreal. We are Super Bowl Champions. Can't say it enough. Now need to get back to College Park tomorrow night, get my car and off to The canyon of Heroes for Tuesday. Can't Wait. WE DID IT. WE WANTED IT MORE. WE OVERCAME EVERYTHING AND ARE NOW WORLD CHAMPIONS. NYG FOOTBALL."

-On Manningham's catch from the NY Times:

"Quarterback Eli Manning took the snap on first down from the shotgun. Manningham was not the first option on the play, but Manning seemed to know where he planned to throw the ball the entire time. Manningham said the Patriot who defended him gave him a cushion of 5 or 6 yards, that he started inside and worked outside, streaking up the left sideline.

The ball arched high, went long and arrived over Manningham’s shoulder, in the only place Manning could have thrown it with success. Manningham told himself to “freeze your feet,” and he stomped them at the turf, conscious of the out-of-bounds line and his position relative to it. “That was clutch,” Nicks said. “We had to get the ball downfield. Someone had to make a play.”

-From SI.com:

"I thought I heard Eli yelling at me to fall down ... I tried," Bradshaw would say, but not unhappily. People can argue about the right and wrong thing to do there. If he had stopped and not scored the touchdown, and the field goal was somehow missed, that would be the worst decision in the history of the NFL. Of course, if he had scored and Tom Brady then drove the Patriots for the win, people would second-guess that too."

From Don Banks on SI.com:

"It's a pretty select club Eli Manning joined here Sunday night. You could almost call it an "elite'' membership to belong to.

Quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl wins have a cache all their own in NFL history, and we had best start wrapping our minds around the reality that Peyton Manning's little brother is in the fraternity, and the Colts' long-time great isn't. That last shall be first stuff really does come to pass sometimes."

-From Peter King's MMQB on SI.com:

"I've noticed this about the guy. Football's his job, and he likes it a lot. But let's say God tapped him on the shoulder tomorrow and said, "I've got different plans for you. You're going to be an architect.'' Manning would handle that pretty well. He is a sick competitor, but he'd figure a way to satisfy that part of his life. Golf with the other architects, Friday night poker, trying to be a better architect than anyone else out there.

"He just doesn't care,'' Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck said by his locker 90 minutes after the Super Bowl. "He doesn't. If we lose the game today, life goes on. He's fine. He'll just start getting ready for next year. That's who he is.''

Fine Fifteen:

It's a wrap. 1. New York Giants (13-7).

The other day, Tom Coughlin said to me, "Don Shula's amazing. Amazing! Look at how many games he's won!'' Shula's won 347. Coughlin won his 154th last night and would be lucky, obviously, to get to 200 one day. But I do think Coughlin's amazing himself, to have withstood the stress of this job with an expansion team for half his career and one of the modern powerhouses for the other half ... and to have won an average of 9.6 games a year."

The Award Section

Offensive Player of the Week

Giants QB Eli Manning. I've come to the conclusion that his laissez-faire attitude is one of the things that makes him a great player. He doesn't sweat the small stuff. How else do you explain the great play late in so many big games? In his two Super Bowl victories, Manning is a 66 percent passer with 551 passing yards and one turnover. And his throw to Manningham with the season on the line ... priceless.

Defensive Player of the Week

Giants DL Justin Tuck. Give credit to the Patriots for sealing off the holes they couldn't seal four years ago. The Giants weren't as successful rushing the passer as they were in the previous Super Bowl against New England, but Tuck did get two sacks, the second of which left Brady with a left shoulder injury that will be painful this morning. While the Patriots shut down the rush of Osi Umenyiora and Jason Pierre-Paul with strong play on the left side of their line, Tuck got the best penetration of the night.

Special Teams Player of the Week

Giants P Steve Weatherford. Other than one sloppy touchback, his day was stellar. His four punts left the Patriots to start from their 6-, 20-, 4- and 8-yard lines.

Coach of the Week

Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. Sometimes you have to take what the defense gives you. Sometimes you have to attack the defense when it's not giving you much, in hopes that your key guys can make a play or two that logic says isn't coming. I thought Gilbride had a great feel for this game. It's not always total rushing yards; number of rushes is just as important when you want to keep the ball away from the other quarterback. The Giants' 28 rushes (4.1 per rush) helped them to 37 minutes of possession time. Gilbride had to figure out what the Patriots were doing on defense, which took a while (like, about 55 minutes). "It was a tough game to call,'' Gilbride said, "because they're a tough team to go against. They don't let you figure out what they're doing very easily.''

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Giants all the way baby. From 7-7 to World Champs. LOVE IT.

The Nominations Are In! Oscar Edition

2012-01-24T09:24:00.002-05:00

Some great surprises and some not-so-surprises this year, including a first nomination for Gary Oldman (finally!) as well as some deserving nominations for Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, George Clooney, Woody Allen, Terrence Malick, Alexander Payne, Nick Nolte and Rooney Mara. There will be a ton of time for analysis, predictions and snubs, but for now, the full list:

Best Picture

"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
"The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
"The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
"Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
"Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
"Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
"The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
"War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role

Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
George Clooney in "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Actress in a Leading Role

Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis in "The Help"
Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

Actress in a Supporting Role

Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Cinematography

"The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
"Hugo" Robert Richardson
"The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
"War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Directing

"The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Alexander Payne
"Hugo" Martin Scorsese
"Midnight in Paris" Woody Allen
"The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick

Film Editing

"The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Kevin Tent
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
"Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

"The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
"Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
"The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
"Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin Story by Stan Chervin
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

"The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
"Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
"Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
"Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
"A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi

See you on February 26, 2012.

OMFG The Giants Are In The Super Bowl: Party Like It's '07

2012-01-23T08:50:00.007-05:00

Emotions running crazy, never giving up. The Giants are back in the Super Bowl for the second time in five years behind the brilliant play this season of our boy Eli Manning. Hard to explain, no need to explain.

From Don Banks on SI.com:

"Here's my favorite summation of this plucky Giants team, all wrapped up in one mind-boggling statistic: There have now been 92 Super Bowl teams in NFL history, and New York is the first one to have been outscored in the regular season (400 to 394). But somehow, I don't think the Giants care. Their story was never about how they started, it was about how they finished. And New York knows how to finish. Just ask the Jets, Cowboys, Falcons, Packers and 49ers, their past five opponents/victims."

"Manning's toughness and determination was on full display all night. San Francisco's tenacious defense sacked him six times, hit him some 20 times according to the FOX telecast, and limited him to just 5.4 yards per pass attempt. But they didn't beat him, and now he gets a rematch with New England's Tom Brady, meaning the Super Bowl will have a Manning in it for the fourth time in six years."

From ESPN New York:

"Eli Manning began the season telling everyone that he's an elite signal caller who should be considered on the same level as Tom Brady. Manning should add toughness to that list. Once again, the Giants' franchise quarterback proved not only how good he is, but how he may be the toughest player on Tom Coughlin's team. And now the best season of his life will end in the Super Bowl against Brady' Patriots."

From Peter King's MMQB on SI.com:

"How about this incredible Xerox of fate for the Giants.

In 2007, the Giants started the playoffs by beating an NFC South team. Then they beat the No. 1 seed on the road. Then they beat the No. 2 seed in the conference title game when the foe turned it over in overtime and gave the Giants a short field and the Giants won on a Lawrence Tynes overtime field goal. Then they moved on to face the Patriots in the Super Bowl."

In 2011, let's see ... NFC South team, No. 1 seed, No. 2 seed, overtime, turnover, Tynes, Patriots. Check.

One more thing:
2007: Giants lose to Washington 22-10 in Week 15.
2011: Giants lose to Washington 23-10 in Week 15.

--YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS SHIT UP

More from Peter:

The Fine Fifteen:

1. New York Giants (12-7). There's something about getting hot at the right time. The Giants have played five straight elimination games and won them all, which sounds a lot like the last time they played the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Defensive Players of the Week:

New York DL Justin Tuck. As usual, you could name two or three guys from the Giants' defensive front to this august honor. Tuck's 1.5 sacks and three pressures helped keep the Niners out of scoring position for 11 of their last 13 drives.

Special Teams Player of the Week:

New York LB Jacquian Williams. In overtime of the NFC title game, Williams stripped punt returner Kyle Williams at the Niners' 24-yard line. Devin Thomas recovered, and the Giants kicked the winning field goal five plays later.

Coach of the Week:

New York head coach Tom Coughlin. For a guy who's been fired at least 65 times in the last five years, Coughlin sure can organize, plan, motivate and game-day-coach exceedingly well. That showed with a poised team that understood the basics of how to win this game: Don't turn it over ... punting is fine ... you'll be in position to win at the end. And the Giants were.

Eli vs Brady rematch in the house that Peyton built. Let's do it boys.

NFL Playoffs: Attack the Pack

2012-01-16T21:29:00.003-05:00

Giants take down the mighty Pack and set up a huge NFC Championship matchup with a team they may have been able to beat earlier in the year, the San Francisco 49ers.

From friend of the Breeze and all around g money all star Gary Hartman:

"I said after the last GB game that they were very beatable, just needed the right test and that I'd love to see them again. This being said, GIANTS FOOTBALL BABY. What a game! We dominated in every facet. Yeah they dropped passes but doesn't change the fact that we simply out played them. Playing unbelievably right now.Eli and Nicks truly are Gods. Defense is playing at a different level and everyone from coaching down is stepping up huge. PLAYING FOR THE SUPERBOWL BABY!!!! Bring on San Fran!!!"

From Peter King at SI.com:

Quote of the Week II:

"How the hell is that not a fumble?''
-- Giants play-by-play man Bob Papa, on the Giants Radio Network, after ref Bill Leavy did not overturn a first-quarter non-fumble call against the Packers. (SERIOUSLY..how???)

One of the Offensive Players of the Week: "New York Giants WR Hakeem Nicks. His second straight strong playoff game -- seven catches for 165 yards, with two touchdowns -- is reason enough to honor him. But the dagger he plunged into the Packers just before halftime was the play of the game. "Those Hail Marys work about twice a year,'' said Tom Coughlin. Nicks, with the help of a Packer defense that was far too passive near the goal line, caught the 37-yard fly ball from Manning cleanly, and the Giants went into halftime up by 10, not three. Huge factor.

One of the Defensive Players of the Week: "New York Giants DE Osi Umenyiora. After Umenyiora batted the ball out of Rodgers' right hand, FOX showed clearly how incredibly open Greg Jennings was down the left sideline. Umenyiora saved a touchdown, clearly. For the day, he had two sacks for 12 yards, and the forced fumble."

One of the Special Teams Players of the Week: "New York Giants S Derrick Martin. It's one thing to tell your front players on the kick-return team to stay alert for an onside kick. It's another thing for every guy on the line to wait until the ball is kicked. Martin and his mates did wait for Mason Crosby to kick it deep in the first half -- and when Crosby pooched an onside kick, it went right into the arms of the waiting Martin, who is a former Packer, by the way. Smart, smart play by Martin."

More King:

"I must be the only guy in America who didn't think his non-reversal on the Greg Jennings fumble or non-fumble was horrible. But his blow-to-Rodgers'-head call, extending a desperation fourth-quarter drive, was a fictitious call if I ever saw one. I wouldn't expect to see Leavy doing any games until next September."

Some stats and interesting nuggets:

-The Giants are Giant killers in the postseason. In terms of difference of wins during the regular season, the Giants have authored the 3 biggest wins in NFL postseason history. The Giants have defeated three teams that had won at least 5 more games than they did during the regular season. In fact, they own the two 6-win differential games with Sunday and back in Super Bowl XLII when they knocked off the unbeaten Patriots.

-Hakeem Nicks had 165 yards receiving in Saturday night's upset victory. That total is the second-most in a playoff game in Giants history.

-Eli Manning threw for 330 yards, the 3rd-most in a single postseason game in Giants history.

-Hakeem Nicks has two TD receptions of 66 or more yards this postseason. He's the 2nd player in NFL history with 2 TD receptions that long in a single postseason, joining Isaac Bruce of the 1999 Rams.

Let's go G-Men.

NFL Wild Card Weekend: Anything Can Happen

2012-01-09T09:05:00.008-05:00

Hey why not us? Giants dominate the Falcons setting up a rematch with the Pack in Green Bay.

From Sports Illustrated:

"In winning their first playoff game since upending the unbeaten Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, the Giants finally showed themselves to be a complete team after relying on Manning's arm (he threw a career-high 4,933 yards) for most of 2011."

From the head Ball Coach Tommy Coughs:

"The two fourth-down stops were just outstanding. Those plays that our defense made really inspired everybody. If we continue to play defense like that, we can make ourselves heard in this tournament. "

From ESPN New York: Eli.....the athlete?

"The timing of the play," Tom Coughlin said of Manning's scramble, "was outstanding."

Atlanta was holding a 2-0 lead -- Greg Maddux had a one-hitter going -- when Manning faked a third-and-2 handoff to Jacobs, dropped back and looked downfield. Six minutes into the second quarter, the Giants had no successful third-down conversions to their name, and the MetLife crowd was already giving off that uneasy vibe felt in the old place in the squandered postseason openers of '05 and '08.

John Abraham was closing fast on Manning, and the quarterback felt the heat of his vile intentions, stepped up and took off through the gaping hole that had been the left side of the line, kicking free of the diving, flailing Abraham. As Eli "raced" Sean Weatherspoon to the sideline, he huffed and puffed and, finally, mercifully, hit the brakes and veered out of bounds.

From ESPN's Grantland:

"Twice yesterday, the New York Giants defense faced that moment, the primal of the primal, and twice they stopped the Atlanta Falcons. (The Giants also blew up the Falcons on a third-and-short situation.) And twice you saw the Atlanta offensive line suddenly find itself moving up and not forward, as though they were a wave and the New York offensive line were a seawall. Twice, the Giants hurled them back, and if you want to know why New York is going back to Green Bay next week to face the Packers in yet another playoff game, and if you want to know how an NFL playoff game ends up with a baroque score like 24-2, then look to those two moments. As a defensive end, Osi Umenyiora plays outside the main contact area where fourth-and-short explodes, but he knows what he hears."

"To be honest. Yes, I was a little insulted. I felt a little disrespected."

From friend of the Breeze Peter King:

"Excellent coverage by Corey Webster on Falcon wideout Roddy White, who had but two catches for eight yards in the first 37 minutes of the Atlanta loss."

Happy New year Giants fans, the team is clicking at the exact right time. Let's go!

Movie Binge Month and Happy New Year

2011-12-30T09:35:00.007-05:00

It’s cold out, so the only thing to do is watch movies all month. Between trying to get off my lazy behind and going to the movies, watching TV and my instant Netflix subscription, I’ve watched a few movies this month.

Some have been great, some just good, and some I’ve seen many times already....In no particular order, I’ve seen:

The Tree of Life
Shattered Glass
Drive
Raging Bull
On the Waterfront
Tiny Furniture
Page One: Inside The New York Times
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Road to Perdition
Young Adult
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Romantics
The Myth of the American Sleepover
Slacker
Waiting for "Superman"

Have a happy and healthy New Year peeps. 2012 is going to be a good one. The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Great Gatsby are just a few reasons.

Happy New Year.

"Dark Knight Rises Trailer": The Comeback Kid

2011-12-20T09:37:00.003-05:00

I can't stop watching this trailer...it is amazing. Can't wait for next summer already.

Also a great screen shot by shot look at the trailer from io9.

And yeah, it's hard to hear what Bane says, but it's not thaaaaat hard. They'll fix it before July, and even if they don't, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what he'll be up to.

Watch out for that end zone Hines Ward.

Awards Season: Golden Globe Noms Released

2011-12-15T09:42:00.010-05:00

The Golden Globe nominations can be weird sometimes due to the fact that they split up movie awards into comedy/musical and drama and also because of the way they combine supporting awards on TV...and also because they are voted on by the foreign press. Sometimes the nominees can make you go..huh? Like this year with Breaking Bad not getting a nomination for Best TV Drama.

But while they aren't perfect, the Globes are still a good barometer to see what will come with the Academy Award nominations. This years nominees are pretty great, especially in the Best Actor - Drama category for film:

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Georege Clooney, "The Descendants"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"
Michael Fassbender, "Shame"
Ryan Gosling, "The Ides of March"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

The rest of the movie nominees:

Best Motion Picture - Drama

"The Descendants"
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"The Ides of March"
"Moneyball"
"War Horse"

Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

"50/50"
"The Artist"
"Bridesmaids"
"Midnight in Paris"
"My Week with Marilyn"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Tilda Swinton, "We Need To Talk About Kevin"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

Jodi Foster, "Carnage"
Charlize Theron, "Young Adult"
Kristen Wiig, "Bridesmaids"
Michelle Williams, "My Week with Marilyn"
Kate Winslet, "Carnage"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Joseph Gordon Levitt, "50/50"
Ryan Gosling, "Crazy Stupid Love"
Brendan Gleeson, "The Guard"
Owen Wilson, "Midnight in Paris"

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Kenneth Branagh, "My Week with Marilyn"
Albert Brooks, "Drive"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Viggo Mortensen, "A Dangerous Method"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

Best Director - Motion Picture

Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
George Clooney, "The Ides of March"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

"Midnight in Paris"
"The Ides of March"
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Moneyball"

And the TV nominees:

Best Television Series - Drama

"American Horror Story"
"Boardwalk Empire"
"Boss"
"Game of Thrones"
"Homeland"

Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

"Enlightened"
"Episodes"
"Glee"
"Modern Family"
"New Girl"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama

Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Kelsey Grammer, "Boss"
Jeremy Irons, "The Borgias"
Damian Lewis, "Homeland"

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama

Claire Danes, "Homeland"
Mireille Enos, "The Killing"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Madeline Stowe, "Revenge"
Callie Thorne, "Necessary Roughness"

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

Laura Dern, "Enlightened"

Zooey Deschanel, "The New Girl"

Tina Fey, "30 Rock"

Laura Linney, "The Big C"

Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

David Duchovny, "Californication"

Johnny Galecki, "The Big Bang Theory"

Thomas Jane, "Hung"

Matt LeBlanc, "Episodes"

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television

"Cinema Verite"

"Downton Abbey"

"The Hour"

"Mildred Pierce"

"Too Big to Fail"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Romola Garai, "The Hour"
Diane Lane, "Cinema Verite"
Elizabeth McGovern, "Downton Abbey"
Emily Watson, "Appropriate Adult"
Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Hugh Bonneville, "Downton Abbey"
Idris Elba, "Luther"
William Hurt, "Too Big To Fail"
Bill Nighy, "Page Eight"
Dominic West, "The Hour"

The 69th Golden Globes will be held on Sunday, Jan. 15.

Awards Season: SAG Nominations Released

2011-12-14T11:23:00.006-05:00

The SAG awards were released on Wednesday morning and there are some surprises among this years crop.

Best ensemble cast
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
Midnight in Paris

Interesting fact: "No film has won Best Picture without a SAG nomination in 15 years.." Should make the rest of the awards season very interesting.

Best actor
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best supporting actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Armie Hammer, J. Edgar
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best supporting actress
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

TELEVISION

Best ensemble cast in a comedy
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office

Best ensemble cast in a drama
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Dexter
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife

Best actress in a comedy
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Best actor in a comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Steve Carell, The Office
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Best actress in a drama
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
Glenn Close, Damages
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Best actor in a drama
Patrick J. Adams, Suits
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter

The awards will air on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 on TNT.

AFI Awards: Cold Winter Gives Way to Awards Season Heat

2011-12-12T22:21:00.005-05:00

It’s getting to that time of year again when the Top Tens start filtering out and many Academy Awards dreams start to become realized or shattered. Not all lists or awards are equal in weight, but there are many out there that are considered to be a cut above all the rest, and one of those is the AFI Awards.

This year the AFI top ten list for film offers a wide range of genres:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
J. Edgar
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Absent from the list are films like The Artist, Shame and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which don’t qualify for the awards because they are not an American production. Sidenote, both The Artist and the entire Harry Potter series will receive special awards at the ceremony.

The AFI list usually does a decent job at predicting the nominees and winners of Best Picture, but since some films aren’t eligible to be nominated, it changes things a bit. The top tens have been released by the AFI since 2000 and only three times has the Best Picture winner not been among the top ten.

The first one was in 2006 when The Departed won Best Picture and the second time was in 2008 when Slumdog Millionaire won Best Picture. Slumdog, however, was not eligible for the AFI Awards considering it was a British film and the same goes for The King's Speech last year, although it did win a special award.

AFI's Top Ten American TV shows for this year is an extremely stacked list:

Breaking Bad
Boardwalk Empire
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Homeland
Justified
Louie
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation

Hard to have a beef with any one of these choices. While I’ve never seen The Good Wife, I hear enough to know it deserves to be here and as for the rest, I’ve seen every episode of each from this past year and while there are a lot of good choices not on the list, it's hard to have much beef with those nine.

The AFI Awards will be held on January 13, 2012.

Boardwalk Empire Finale: “To The Lost”

2011-12-12T19:51:00.002-05:00

Great shows usually make audiences react in the most emotional ways, and this finale of “Boardwalk Empire” was no different. Anytime a show kills of a main character, especially right after making him so damn interesting, it’ll hurt. But take a step back for a minute and you realize, this was the only logical way for things to end.

Time’s critic James Poniewozik, in his wrap up of the finale, puts it best:

“......in terms of sheer character and story, killing Jimmy was the wrong thing to do. From where I sit, collecting my jaw from the floor, it feels right now like the most logical thing for the show to do. Considering what unfolded this season, all the shit that went down between them, for Nucky and Jimmy to partner up again and get back to old times would have felt like a contrivance.”

We all know Jimmy didn’t exactly want Nucky killed when he took a bullet to the hand, but as an audience we KNEW that Terence Winter and crew wouldn’t kill Nucky anyway because he’s real and necessary for the show. But from that point on, it must have been simmering in Nucky to get full on revenge for everything that had happened.

Earlier in the series, in the first episode I believe, Jimmy said to Nuck, “You can’t be half-a gangster.” Well for Nucky, this was his Walter White moment, the point where he went from being a politician and a gangster on the side to just a full on gangster.

I’m upset about it just as many of you are, not only because I felt they were turning Jimmy into such an interesting character, but because of just how excellent Michael Pitt was in the role. The simplicity of Jimmy staring out at the ocean or smoking a cigarette and how powerful those moments were is a testament to Pitt’s skill.

I also thought the wedding sequence mixed in with Neary’s death was awesome and a great hark to “The Godfather.” One of the most interesting scenes of the episode to me was the very last shots of Jimmy in the trench in WWI. It was great writing and a powerful moment when he says: "I died in the trench, years back. I thought you knew that."

The episode leaves many questions, and luckily creator Terance Winter spoke with a few writers about the episode and the show’s future:

From the NY Times Art Blog:

“For most of the episode, I was hoping to [annoy] the audience a little bit in having them think, ‘Oh, great, everything’s going to be forgiven, and now he’s going to take this guy back and everything’s fine.’ And of course it’s not. But that was all by design, so that’s great.”

At HitFlix with awesome critic Alan Sepinwall:

It's clear, as you said, that when Jimmy gets the phone call and doesn't bring his knife, he knows it's coming. Does he know it earlier in the episode? Because it seems like some of his interactions with Tommy, for instance, are that of a father getting ready to say goodbye.

“I think he knew. I don't know that he knew exactly when it was coming, but this finale was Jimmy mopping up all the business he could, preparing knowing that at some point in the future, this was going to happen, whether it's now or next week or next month. He's going to do as much undoing of the damage he's caused as he can, he's going to psychologically say goodbye to his son, say goodbye to Richard, and get his affairs in order, and then he's ready to ship out.”

And on Entertainment Weekly, both Winter and Michael Pitt answered questions:

Said Pitt on Jimmy’s shocking death: “I like it...As much as I will miss working with everyone on this incredible project, I thought that it would be very shocking, and I’m always drawn to that.”

There are also many questions to be answered in season three, like will we ever see Van Alden again? Or what role will Gillian and Richard have now that Jimmy is gone? For all you Harrow fans, don’t be alarmed, Winter has things in store for him and the others.

Some quick hits from various interviews:

Q: What about Michael Shannon’s character, the now-disgraced federal agent Nelson Van Alden?
Winter: People in the audience who are students of Mob history might pick up on the fact that Cicero, Ill., was the place that became Al Capone’s headquarters in 1924. It wasn’t an accident that we chose to put him somewhere in the Midwest that might or might not have ramifications down the line for him.

Q: So can we expect to see Al Capone come into his own as a formidable force next season?
“As time goes on. The plan is now is we would come back in season 3 a little further into the future and start to really track Al Capone’s rise and — God willing — through the course of the series. By 1925, Capone was the guy everybody recognizes — the guy in the white fedora who’s firmly in charge of Chicago. Hopefully we’ll be on the air long enough to see that guy. Certainly in [season 3] we’ll start to see Capone on pretty much equal footing as Johnny Torrio in terms of who’s running the town.”

Q: And I’m assuming Richard Harrow will continue as a key player?
“Yes, Harrow will continue to be part of the show, absolutely.”

Obviously it hurts to lose a character as great as Jimmy and an actor as good as Pitt, but if you are a fan of the show, please don’t let this discourage you. These are many of the same people who did “The Sopranos” and this show is turning into something special.

Don’t let the emotion of it get the best of you. Can’t wait for season three. RIP James Darmody.

NFL Week 14: They Did What?!?!?

2011-12-12T08:24:00.003-05:00

An astute analysis of the Week 14 thrillll-fest between the Giants and Cowboys from friend of the Breeze Gary Hartman:

"NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL. NEVER GIVE UP. ALWAYS RESILIENT. In a five minute period we go from season being over to being a first place team. Now, I will be the first person to tell you that our defense sucks. Plain and simple play calling is awful and execution is even worse. 10 out of 11 players on the defensive end were playing with their heads up their asses the whole game. That needs to be fixed.

Jason Pierre-Paul is a freak of nature. Blocking that kick was simply unreal. He would be by far our MVP so far this season if it weren't for that one guy. Eli Manning is absolutely, unbelievable, undoubtedly simply amazing. ELI-te for sure. Best fourth quarter QB in the league and it is not even close. He never gives up, never stops fighting ( through dropped passes, constant blitzes, tipped balls) and it paid off today. Look at this offense when it has a run game! Put up 37 and that is with settling for 2 FGs and the unlucky turnover. Brandon Jacobs deserves a huge shout out.

Great game for Nicks too. O-Line was great in the run game not as good as it looked in the pass game, that is again credited to Eli. Blitzes in his face and he makes perfect throws, he is again unreal. Defense has to get its shit together. We control our own destiny. Fuck the Cowgirls. New York Giants Football. First place. Washington next week, Fewell get it together and let's run the table like we are capable of doing with Eli at the helm. GMEN."

Here we go boys. On to the next one.

NFL Week 13: What's A Catch These Days?

2011-12-05T08:18:00.002-05:00

An astute analysis of the Week 13 poorly officiated game between the Giants and Packers from friend of the Breeze Gary Hartman:

"First off, that was absolutely one of the worst, one sided officiated games I have ever seen in my 19 years. Unfortunately as Dave Tollefson said, there are no moral victories. The Giants did play their hearts out though. Our defense gave up 28 points to the Packers offense which is about standard, yet does not make up for the fact that they did not make plays when they had to. If you give Rodgers all day to throw he'll kill you regardless of how poor coverage is. I still cant get over the officiating. So fucking terrible. Awful pass interference call against Prince, very bad call on the third down sack, JPP and Kiwanuka were being blatantly held all day in ways that vastly effected the game and we still should have won. That being said, it was really nice to see fire with this team again. One of the more exciting games I have gone to in a long time and we did not play like a team that just lost 4 straight. Offense was great. Luckily remain in the same position as last week and all in all if we play like we did tonight we can no doubt take the division. 38-35--same score of the week 17 Patriots game in 2007. Let's hope this game lights the same fire under this teams asses. Heartbreaking loss but looking up right now. Dallas next week baby. Let's get it.

One more thought: The packers are not a that should win the Super Bowl. Not taking away from their greatness but they have a very average to weak defense and no run game. They just need the right test. I'd love to see em again. NYG Football."

Time to win out boys. We still have two games against Dallas, lets do it.

These New "Dark Knight Rises" Photos Are Effing Amazing

2011-12-01T11:11:00.004-05:00

Soon enough we will some real footage for The Dark Knight Rises, with a real trailer and the 6-minute-sure-to-be-amazing IMAX prologue to fawn over, but for now all we have are some pics. And they are spectacular.

The new pics show off Batman standing over some rubble looking grizzled and bad-ass, Bane standing on what looks to be his own customized Tumbler in front of a city building (City Hall?). He is holding up a picture of fallen DA Harvey Dent, perhaps in a speech telling Gotham that his hero story was a cover up?

The last picture is the best, as usual. Bane in the foreground, back to the camera, veins and muscles pulsing with rage. Batman is in the background prepared to do some battle, but clearly looking slightly worried.

While there aren't many details on the upcoming film, director Christopher Nolan has let out a few snippets that make the story sound like it will be something truly epic.

Said Nolan to Empire Magazine: "It's really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne's story. We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after 'The Dark Knight.' So he's an older Bruce Wayne; he's not in a great state."

Actor Tom Hardy also spoke about his role as the villain Bane: "It's not about fighting. It's about carnage. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it's nasty. Anything from small-joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns. He is a terrorist in mentality as well as brutal action."

Cannot wait for this one.

Idiots On The Trail

2011-12-01T09:53:00.006-05:00

Things on the trail Republican candidates have already proven they don't know:

Bachmann says if she were President she would close down the U.S. Embassy In Iran...Hmm. Ever hear of the Iran hostage crisis? The U.S. hasn't had a functioning embassy in Iran since 1980.

Cain is worried about China "Trying to develop nuclear capability."...Hmm. Just so you know, China's first test on a nuclear device dates back to October of 1964. Better watch out.

Now we could go on all day about the good 'ol Texan Rick Perry. "Uhhhh Ooops." But lets stick with this. Apparently Mr. Perry didn't get the memo that the voting age is 18.

As he said in New Hampshire recently, "Those of you that will be 21 by November the 12th, I ask for your support and your vote." He also couldn't grasp what day the election is, but we'll let that slide. Guess he didn't hear about that little thing called the Twenty-sixth Amendment, which limited the minimum voting age to no more than 18.. By the way, it was adopted on July 1, 1971. Yeah, 1971.

We could go on and on with these idiots, but these are pretty egregious if you ask me.

These aren't gaffes or mental errors, these are pure facts that these idiotic candidates just do not know and should know if they want to become the POTUS.

Read an effing newspaper.

NFL Week 12: Another One Bites the Dust

2011-11-29T08:19:00.006-05:00

An astute analysis of the Giants latest from friend of the Breeze and certified G Money All Star, Gary Hartman:

"Everyone not named Eli Manning, coaches included (actually coaches especially) associated with the New York Football Giants should be extremely embarrassed. This has been the most pathetic display of Giants football that I've seen in a real long time. I'm not a big fan of jumping to people losing their jobs but Fewell needs to go right now. I understand that coaches don't play but it is their job to put players in position to be the most successful and the defenisve performance from play calling down has been absolutely pitiful tonight. Just gross. We are pounded with injuries, have no run game, no offensive line, receivers who drop balls, a defense who plays with no heart and seemingly no talent whose captain even gives up on plays. (That was very upsetting to see and tells me all I need to know about this team). This being said, again everyone not named Eli Manning should be ashamed. From Coughlin down, this team needs to get its shit together. I am very upset with this performance. I hope something changes for Green Bay next week, right now I don't even want to go home for the game. Ugh, embarrassed to be 'Giants status guy' right now."

Not another collapse! Come on guys, get it together. See you next week Packers....Shit.

NFL Week 10: An Astute Analysis of the New York Giants

2011-11-13T21:01:00.002-05:00

The New York Giants fly out West to play the San Fransisco 49ers.

Almost another fourth quarter comeback by Eli Manning and now the G-Men are 1-1 to start what many are calling the schedule from hell: Week 11 vs. Philly, Week 12 @ New Orleans, Week 13 vs. the Pack, Week 14 @ the Cowboys, Week 15 vs. the Skins, Week 16 "@" the Jets, and finally, week 17, at home, New Years Day, vs. Dallas again.

An astute analysis of week 10 from friend of the Breeze Gary Hartman:

"Fuck. Almost did it again too. Mistakes, stupid mistakes (and soft, bad play calling) cost us that game. Injuries throughout didn't help either but dumb mistakes. We hurt ourselves more than they hurt us which is why this loss sucks. Self-inflicted loss with dumb penalties, play calling and mistakes. Tough game. Get right back up though. I really don't have much to say except that I know we are better than that outcome. The anti-dream team at home next week. Bounce right back up and start putting a 'NY' permanent mark on the division. Hats off to San Fran though that is a good team. I'd love to see them again though because when we are playing mistake-free football like we proven we can this season, no doubt in my mind we can beat them. We'll bounce right back and get em next week. Some improvement needed but this team still has what it takes. Looking forward to finally going to another game next week. NYG Football."

See you next week iggles.

Six Minute Teaser of "The Dark Knight Rises" on the Way

2011-10-25T19:51:00.005-04:00

The first real look at The Dark Knight Rises is almost here. Warner Bros. will be premiering six minutes from Chris Nolan's third Batman installment this fall with the release of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol in an extended trailer. The new footage will only be screening in 70mm IMAX theaters, so that might limit the exposure to some people, but it's sure to hit the net soon after. Finally some footage to follow up that awesome-yet-utterly-too-short teaser!

Daily Breeze: What's Breezing

2011-10-24T18:14:00.006-04:00

The Daily Breeze...

Tom Hanks is developing another show at HBO. Damon and Affleck team up and head to Boston like it's the Good Will Hunting days. Coldaply. Justin Timberlake. Captain America. And the return of a Butt Head.

- Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are gonna party like it's 1997. The two friends and Oscar winners will team up in the near future for a movie about the reputed former godfather of the Irish Mob. As Matt Damon said in an interview with GQ: "We're doing a Whitey Bulger movie." Damon will star as the notorious gangster while Affleck will direct. Affleck is currently filming his next picture, the Iran hostage crisis film Argo, and will most likely direct the film after completing that project. Terence Winter, of The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire, will pen the screenplay.

- Tom Hanks is developing another show at HBO, but this time the project is not a war epic or a series detailing the space race, instead the setting shifts to another American institution: college. The half-hour comedy, titled Players, will follow the lives of college athletes and is in development from Hanks and long-time producing partner and Playtone co-founder Gary Goetzman.

- The quality hit from the summer and arguably marvels best "second" wave production Captain America: The First Avenger gets the Blu-Ray and DVD treatment this week. Extra features include how to get a six pack and the short documentary on Steve Rogers titled: "From Frail to Feared."

- Coldplay drops their fifth album, Mylo Xyloto, this week. Lead singer Chris Martin explains to MTV the details: "It's definitely a schizophrenic album ... it keeps changing sounds. That's why we called it such a strange thing, Mylo Xyloto. Because we felt like so many people have already made up their minds about us, both good and bad, that we can sort of start again from scratch and try and reflect all the music we listen to and we love." Some people will scream.

- Speaking of MTV... Beavis and Butt Head makes a glorious return to television this week on Thursday night. This time around the duo will be riffing on the likes of the Jersey Shore and 16 and Pregnant. Beavis and Butt-head Do America is classic. Cornholio.

- In Time races into theaters, the latest film from Gattaca director Andrew Niccol. The film stars Justin Timberlake, along with the slick cast of Cillian Murphy, Vincent Kartheiser, Olivia Wilde, Johnny Galecki and Matt Bomer, as a man who is accused of murder and has to go on the run. The catch in this one? It's a retro-future when the aging gene has been switched off and people stop aging at 25 years old. Time is money, literally. JT starts running when he inherits a fortune of time from a dead upper-class man over a century old prior to his death. The premise might sound a bit out there, but trust the director on this one. Gattaca is one of the most underrated films of the 90's.

- Some crazy stuff happened on Boardwalk Empire last night.

Weeeee Back!

2011-10-24T18:07:00.004-04:00

"Inventory is boring. In the islands, they don't make you do stuff like take inventory. Why do you think so many businesses move to the Caymans?"

After a slight hiatus for some much needed r and r...weeeee back.

Emmy Award Winners - It's a "Mad" and "Modern" TV World

2011-09-20T13:40:00.005-04:00

The Emmy's were on Sunday night in case you missed them (I missed some, just couldn't take my eyes off of "Breaking Bad")...Not too many surprises, although if you've never watched "Friday Night Lights" Kyle Chandler winning might be one. "Mad Men" won its fourth "Outstanding Drama Series" award, placing the show in the company of past fourpeaters "Hill Street Blues" and "The West Wing," which both won four in a row, as well as "LA Law," which won four in five years. No show has ever won five in a row, so next year "Mad Men" will make that attempt, but with some (probable) stiff competition from the likes of "Breaking Bad," "Game of Thrones" and "Boardwalk Empire."

There were some glaring snubs though. While I think Jim Parsons and Chandler are great on their respective shows, this was the year for Steve Carell and Jon Hamm to finally win. The whole drama category for male actors was lucky that "Breaking Bad" premiered so late and was ineligible for this years awards, because there's no doubt that Bryan Cranston will pick up his fourth win in fivey ears when the awards roll around next year...But I digress...Also props to Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show".....Here are the winners:

Outstanding comedy series: Modern Family
Outstanding drama series: Mad Men
Outstanding miniseries or movie: Downton Abbey
Outstanding lead actress, miniseries or movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie: Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Outstanding directing for a miniseries, movie or dramatic special: Brian Percival, Downton Abbey
Outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie: Barry Pepper, The Kennedys
Outstanding supporting actress, miniseries or movie: Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Outstanding writing for a miniseries or movie: Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey
Outstanding lead actor, drama: Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Outstanding lead actress, drama: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Outstanding supporting actor, drama: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Outstanding directing, drama: Martin Scorsese, Boardwalk Empire
Outstanding supporting actress, drama: Margo Martindale, Justified
Outstanding writing, drama series: Jason Katims, Friday Night Lights
Outstanding variety, music or comedy series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Outstanding directing for a variety, music or comedy series: Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live (host: Justin Timberlake)
Outstanding writing for a variety, music or comedy series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Outstanding reality competition: The Amazing Race
Outstanding lead actress, comedy: Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly)
Outstanding lead actor, comedy series: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Outstanding writing for a comedy: Steve Levitan, Jeffrey Richman (“Caught in the Act”), Modern Family
Outstanding director, comedy: Michael Alan Spiller (“Halloween”), Modern Family
Outstanding supporting actor, comedy: Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Outstanding supporting actress, comedy: Julie Bowen (Modern Family)

Football is Back

2011-09-11T14:35:00.002-04:00

After a lengthy lockout, finally the NFL on Sunday is back. No matter what team you love weekends are just not the same without some footy ball.

A Subway Playground

2011-08-07T19:44:00.002-04:00

Now this is crazy....but maybe not so crazy:

From the Freakonomics Blog and the Pop-Up City blog:

"It’s officially called a ‘transfer accelerator’ by Dutch railway maintenance company ProRail, but everyone else would say it’s a slide. An awesome slide. Installed next to a stairway at the newly renovated railway station Overvecht in the city of Utrecht, the slide offers travelers the opportunity to quickly reach the railway tracks when they’re in a hurry. But above all, the slide is a great instrument to make the city more playful. The ‘transfer accelerator’ was designed by Utrecht-based firm HIK Ontwerpers, and installed as the final piece of the renovation of the Overvecht railway station."

Could it work in New York? Probably not, but quite an interesting development.

TeenNick at Night is "Doug" Funnie

2011-08-03T20:28:00.003-04:00

Great having "Doug" on TV again. Especially the episode "Doug's Cool Shoes," in which "Doug feels inferior because he doesn't have awesome new shoes, Sky Davis Inflatable Air Jet, like everyone else. That is, until he meets the real Sky Davis." Which is awesome. As are Skeeter's reversible sneakers.

TeenNick is airing some of the 90's best cartoons once again for all us older kids who relished them back in the day. "Doug," "Clarissa Explains It All," "All That" and "Keenan and Kel" are currently airing from midnight to 2 am. More to come in the future, considering Nick has shows like "Rugrats," "Hey Dude," "Salute Your Shorts," "Alex Mack" and more in their vault.

First Poster Released for "The Dark Knight Rises"

2011-07-12T12:58:00.006-04:00

Christopher Nolan is just amazing. The first poster for "The Dark Knight Rises" has just come out, and it's already too much for me. I can't wait for this movie and the depth and symbolism of the poster are just awesome. Batman as a symbol of hope? Gotham City crumbling? A Knight who must rise from the depths? Who knows. Nolan always keeps things close to the chest, and this time should be no different. A teaser will be attached to the new "Harry Potter" but don't expect to see much footage. Ugh, I already can't fucking wait for this movie.

In Defense of “Transformers 3”

2011-07-01T12:26:00.002-04:00

Okay before we start I’ll get one thing out of the way and state: I am totally fucking biased in favor of this franchise. How could I not be? I’ve been a fan of Shia LaBeouf since he was on “Even Stevens,” I love action films, I’ve loved the Transformers toys since I was a kid, and Optimus Prime is the most badass non-human movie character ever. So even with all that said, I totally understand the criticism of “Dark of the Moon” --- the bad dialogue, the ridiculous story-lines, the gratuitous shots of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley ----- I get all that.

But you know what, I don’t care about any of that. Look at it this way. Michael Bay has to make a movie that appeals to the masses of people all over the world, many of whom never played with a Transformer toy in their lives and are only going to the movies and because that’s what they do in the summer. He has to blow up a ridiculous amount of shit to please people, and in that respect he succeeds.

Let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment, who went to see this film looking for an Oscar winning script? Probably no one. What we all wanted to see was Optimus Prime being a badass, Shia being funny and heroic, Chicago getting blasted to smitherines, and of course, to see that beautiful model in action. Check, check, check and check. Also, you’d be hard pressed to find a cooler aspect of any action film this summer than the sky diving scene when the NEST team descends on Chicago from above amidst some exploding shit and a possible crash landing. What makes that scene even more amazing is that Bay strapped a camera to a guys head and ACUALLY HAD GUYS BASE JUMP OFF BUILDINGS IN CHICAGO.

Say what you will people, that was fucking dope. So this probably isn’t the best defense of the film that you can find out there, but my point is that I wanted to see some dope Transformer action, have some laughs with my friends, a hot babe and a conclusion to a trilogy that had me pretty skeptical when it was first announced. In that respect, the man delivered.

Go see the movie, the hour and half long climax battle scene is totally worth the price of admission. And if you don’t like it? Take it up with the Autobots, see what they think about it.

What I'm Listening To Today #1

2011-06-26T19:27:00.002-04:00

I have to give ESPN's Scott Van Pelt some credit, on a regular basis him and his boy (aka co-host) Ryen Russilo play some quality music on their radio show and more often than not, it's the sweet electric sounds of Passion Pit. This track from their debut studio album "Manners" has the perfect loud banging intro which is perfect for transitions, but it's lead singer Michael Angelakos' vocals that make this track hard to forget. The catchy chorus of "...Let this be our little secret/no one needs to know were feeling/higher and higher and higher..." can stick with you throughout the day, and on a gloomy one like today was, it can be a small wrinkle of pleasure in an otherwise gray abyss of clouds and possible rain. And we all have our little secrets anyway.

And Just Like That...Summer is Upon Us

2011-06-19T15:22:00.006-04:00

Big ups for warm days, long nights, the beach, beers and bbq's.
Definitely go see "Super 8" this summer. Imagine a mix of "The Goonies," "Close Encounters," "E.T." and "Stand By Me," filled with great story, suspense, mystery, wonder and fucking dopeness.
Watch a season of a TV show you missed over the year this summer. I recommend this one. Or this one.
Have fun at the movies this summer. Pick one: "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" (June 29), Horrible Bosses (July 8), Captain America: the First Avenger (July 22), 30 Minutes or Less (August 12).
Watch some good television this summer. It's called "BREAKING BAD."
Also good on TV this summer: "White Collar" (USA), "Falling Skies" (TNT), "Real Time With Bill Maher" (HBO), "Entourage" (HBO), "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO).
Go to a baseball game this summer. Or two. Or three. Or four. Go to one in a city where you're not from. Like this one.
If you've never watched "The Godfather" before in your life, watch it this summer.
....Or do nothing. Fuck it, it's summer right?

New Death Cab for Cutie Album Streaming in Full at NPR!

2011-05-23T12:25:00.001-04:00

Check out a streaming, full copy version of Death Cab for Cutie's new album, Codes and Keys on NPR.com! Click HERE for the stream!

Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises" Starts Production, First Photo of Bane Appears

2011-05-20T13:31:00.003-04:00

Anything Batman related always gets the Internet chatter rolling, but today, there aren't many rumors around, just excitement about Christopher Nolan's (most likely) last Batman film starting production.

As the press release reads:

Filming will take place on three continents, with an all-star cast working under the direction of Christopher Nolan.

BURBANK, CA, May 19, 2011 – Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises,” the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter”) again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake.

Returning to the main cast, Oscar winner Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

In helming “The Dark Knight Rises,” Christopher Nolan is utilizing IMAX® cameras even more extensively than he did on “The Dark Knight,” which had marked the first time ever that a major feature film was partially shot with IMAX® cameras. The results were so spectacular that the director wanted to expand the use of the large-format cameras for this film.

The screenplay for “The Dark Knight Rises” is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is being produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on “Batman Begins” and the record-breaking blockbuster “The Dark Knight.” The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. “The Dark Knight” is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.

Behind the scenes, “The Dark Knight Rises” reunites the director with several of his longtime collaborators, all of whom worked together on the “The Dark Knight.” The creative team includes director of photography Wally Pfister, who recently won an Oscar® for his work on Nolan’s “Inception”; production designer Nathan Crowley; editor Lee Smith; and Oscar®-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (“Topsy-Turvy”). In addition, Paul Franklin and Chris Corbould, who both won Oscars® for the effects in “Inception,” will supervise the visual and special effects, respectively. The music will be composed by Oscar® winner Hans Zimmer (“The Lion King”).

The locations for “The Dark Knight Rises” span three continents and include the American cities of Pittsburgh, New York and Los Angeles, as well as sites in India, England and Scotland.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures. Slated for release on July 20, 2012, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

On top of that, it seems as if the first "real" photo from the film has been released, showing off Tom Hardy, aka the man, as the villain Bane. Hardy (above) looks even more dark and sinister that I thought he would, and it only makes me more excited for what's ahead.

The cast is utterly brilliant, Nolan is a genius. I cannot wait for this movie. I know you can't either.

Star Wars Prequels...The LEGO Version

2011-05-10T08:55:00.003-04:00

As a big "Star Wars" fan, like many other people, I was disappointed with the prequel films, but I never totally dismissed them. The first one was awful, (I partially blame the casting of that kid from "Jingle All the Way", talk about a whiny fucking kid), but the second one was a bit better, and I actually think the third one is a dope ass movie, although still could have been way better. But at the very least, the sequels spawned this super-entertaining two minute video of all three in LEGO form. Can't say I'm not impressed.

Awesome Steve Carell Film Adds Some More

2011-05-05T11:33:00.004-04:00

Steve Carell's awesomely titled project "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" has just added a few new cast members. According to Variety the post-apocalyptic romantic comedy, which reportedly stars Steve Carell and Keira Knightley, has picked up additional members such as Adam Brody, Rob Corddry and William Peterson.

From Variety:

William Petersen, who's been extremely selective in choosing feature roles since leaving "CSI," is in negotiations along with "Scream 4" star Adam Brody and Rob Corddry to join Steve Carell and Keira Knightley in Mandate Pictures' "Seeking a Friend at the End of the World."

In addition to writing the script, Lorene Scafaria is making her directorial debut on the project, which finds an incoming asteroid threatening to end life on Earth.

Carell stars as a man whose wife leaves him amidst the ensuing panic, prompting him to seek out his high school sweetheart, who yearns to be with him when doomsday arrives. Knightley plays the female lead, a neighbor of Carell's character who accompanies him on a romantic road trip to find her.

Brody just signed on to star in the indie "Hemlock Drive" with Susan Sarandon. He next stars opposite Greta Gerwig in Whit Stillman's "Damsels in Distress," and has also wrapped Julian Farino's indie dramedy "The Oranges."

The film is still in the early stages but having Steve Carell, Keira Knightley and Adam Brody in the same film is just dopetacular.

"The Amazing Spider-Man" Will Be Amazing

2011-05-04T09:34:00.002-04:00

Look, I love Tobey Maguire. I love Sam Raimi. But lets all be honest for a moment. Those "Spider-Man" films really weren't that great. Too much CGI, too much metallic costumes (Green Goblin anyone?) and I really never could get over how egregious of a change Peter Parker's web shooters were in those films.

But they were still pretty decent, some of the first "big" super-hero movies we see today. But now, now we have a Peter Parker we can really believe in.

Andrew Garfield is far and away one of Hollywood's best young actors. He was robbed of an Oscar nomination for "The Social Network" and his work in "Boy A" as well as Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go" was just stunning and amazing. And now, to Peter.

This is the Peter we've always wanted. A teenager, a kid with some angst and inexperience. I look at these pictures and I just feel like this is right. Marc Webb is the man for the job, I mean just look at that name! This film is going to be "Amazing" and apart from "The Dark Knight Rises," this is the film I am dying for.

SWAGGGGGGGGG

2011-05-04T09:17:00.002-04:00

walk like a g, you deserve it...thank you. pat tillman, my thoughts are with you. thanks obama. this is what happens when an intelligent man receives some intelligence.

McKenzie, Cranston Voice "Batman: Year One"

2011-04-24T19:00:00.001-04:00

In one of the coolest developments in recent memory, Frank Miller's amazing graphic novel "Batman: Year One" is being made into an animated film and the voice cast is shaping up to be absolutely great.

According to Heat Vision Benjamin McKenzie, Bryan Cranston, Eliza Dushku and Katee Sackhoff are all set to lend their voices to Warner Premiere’s upcoming direct-to-disc animated adaptation of Frank Miller's acclaimed graphic novel "Batman: Year One."

McKenzie ("The O.C.") will voice Bruce Wayne and Batman, Cranston ("Breaking Bad") will play a young lieutenant James Gordon, Dushku ("Dollhouse") will star as Catwoman, and Sackhoff ("Battlestar Galactica") will be Gordon’s love interest Detective Sarah Essen.

In the article producer Bruce Timm said the PG-13 rated feature will be a "straight forward literal retelling" of the comic with 80% of the camera setups based on David Mazzucchelli’s artwork.

On top of the fact that the book is easily one of the best ever created for Batman, the voice cast is just stacked from top to bottom. Cranston is fantastic and I'm totally pumped about having McKenzie and Sackhoff involved, considering they were a part of two of my favorite shows in recent memory, "Southland" and "Battlestar Galactica."

The book had some amazing visuals and it's very refreshing to see that the filmmakers want to keep things as accurate and based on the book as possible. Miller's story was one of the best origin stories for Batman and while many wished it turned into a live-action adaptation for many years, that's really not a big deal anymore with Chris Nolan having done a great job with the franchise. In fact this is probably the best way for it to be done especially if fans want the adaptation to stick closely with the actual graphic novel.

The film is set to premiere at Comic Con before hitting stores in the Fall.

Patrick Warburton Joins MacFarlane's "Ted"

2011-04-24T18:58:00.001-04:00

Seth MacFarlane has already dominated the animation world with his hit series "Family Guy," and with his new film "Ted," he is looking to make his first foray into live action comedy and its shaping up to be quite the project.

The film has an already stacked cast and has just added another comedic vet to the fold. According to Deadline Patrick Warburton has joined the cast of MacFarlane's "Ted" at Universal Pictures.

The story revolves around a thirty-something Boston man (Mark Wahlberg) whose childhood teddy bear came to life and is now a cursing, smoking, delinquent that prevents the man from maturing. Warburton will play Guy, a sexually confused Enterprise Rent-A-Car co-worker of Wahlberg's character.

The films cast is already deep with Mila Kunis, Giovanni Ribisi and Joel McHale also starring, and now having Warburton just adds another layer to the project. The film sounds like it’s a perfect project for MacFarlane, and having Wahlberg in the lead role is just too good to be true. While the actor might be better known for his dramatic or action work, he clearly is comfortable in comedy as seen in "The Other Guys," which was absolutely hilarious.

I'll always love Warburton for his Puddy character on "Seinfeld" and I can see him playing off the other cast members in the movie very well.

The film will start production later this year.

Alec Baldwin Joins Woody Allen's Next

2011-04-24T18:56:00.001-04:00

Woody Allen is a director who always can get a fantastic cast together, no matter what type of script or where it shoots, and for his next film the legendary director is at it again.

According to Deadline Alec Baldwin has joined the cast of Woody Allen's upcoming project to be shot in Rome this summer. Jesse Eisenberg is also in talks for a lead role in the film which will hit screens next year.

While no story details have been released, it's expected to make full use of the capital the way Allen's earlier films did with Rome and his more recent ones have done with London and Barcelona.

This would be Baldwin's first time working with Allen since "Alice" way back in the early 90's. Baldwin has been fantastic on "30 Rock" all these years and with rumors of that show coming to an end, Baldwin should have tons more opportunities to star in films. The actor currently is set to star in the new adaptation of "Rock of Ages" as well and should fit perfectly in Allen's new project.

Rome truly is a fantastic city and serves as an excellent location for a Woody Allen picture to be set. It'll also be interesting to see Eisenberg directed by Allen, considering the two have fairly similar mannerisms and way of speaking.

It's always exciting to see Allen get to work with a great cast in a great location and this one is no different. Shooting will begin later this year.

Michael Mann, Paul Haggis Find "Gold"

2011-04-24T18:54:00.001-04:00

Although his name may not come to mind as quickly as let's say Scorcese when thinking of the best director's in Hollywood, there's no doubt that Michael Mann is one of the top helmers working.

Through his career he has made some amazing films including "Heat," "The Last of the Mohicans," "Manhunter" and "The Insider" and for one of his next projects the great director is teaming with one of Hollywood's best filmmakers.

According to Heat Vision Mann ("Heat") and Paul Haggis ("Crash") are teaming for the contemporary thriller "Gold."

Described as being in the vein of Bogart classic "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," the story revolves around a ruthless search for the precious metal. Haggis was initially drawn to the script, but other projects took his attention.

TV producers Patrick Massett and John Zinman ("Friday Night Lights") wrote the script and the plan now is to develop and package the project, with Mann directing and Haggis producing.

While no actors are attached at this time this project has a boat load of potential. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" is one of the best films of all time and combining the talents of Mann and Haggis to bring this story to fruition is just a dream come true. Mann has shown through his career that no matter the location, story or subject matter, he can bring out some amazing performances and this film should have no shortage of dramatic moments.

Mann has worked with some big named stars in the past, including Russell Crowe, Johnny Depp, Daniel Day Lewis, Tom Cruise and more, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see someone with some start power in the main role.

While the film is still in the early stages more news should come about in the next few months.

Joshua Jackson To "Lay the Favorite"

2011-04-21T15:09:00.003-04:00

If you look at Joshua Jackson and still see Pacey Witter from "Dawson's Creek,"you might have a few problems. On top of the fact that you are stuck in the wrong decade, you've totally missed out on some of the most enjoyable TV work in a while. "Fringe" is one of the best shows on TV, and while John Noble and Anna Torv are both great on the show, Jackson is just as good, bringing some emotion and brooding rage to the table.

Jackson has had a very solid career since his "Dawson's Creek" days, but while working on "Fringe" he hasn't been able to do much film work apart from "One Week" and "Shutter," but that’s about to change.

The actor is attached to the adaptation "U.F.O." and according to Variety Jackson is in talks to star in Stephen Frears' "Lay the Favorite" for Pathe and Emmett Furla Films reports Variety.

Based on Beth Raymer’s bestseller "Lay the Favorite: A Memoir of Gambling", the story charts her rise from lowly Vegas cocktail waitress to one of the top sports gambling bookmakers. After falling in love, Raymer soon begins to re-evaluate her life and the profession she has chosen. Rebecca Hall and Bruce Willis also star.

Frears is one of Hollywood's most underrated directors, having worked on such great films as "High Fidelity," "The Queen" and "Dirty Pretty Things" and should bring a great eye to this project. He is very versatile and has worked on all types of genres in his career, including comedies, dramas and biopics.

Jackson joins an already strong cast with Willis and Hall, who gave a great performance last year in Ben Affleck's "The Town" and should bring some emotional depth to the project.

D.V. DeVincentis (”High Fidelity,” “Grosse Pointe Blank”) adapted the script and shooting aims to kick off in New Orleans in the coming weeks.

Michael Mann, Paul Haggis Find "Gold"

2011-04-14T18:47:00.001-04:00

Although his name may not come to mind as quickly as let's say Scorcese when thinking of the best director's in Hollywood, there's no doubt that Michael Mann is one of the top helmers working. Through his career he has made some amazing films including "Heat," "The Last of the Mohicans," "Manhunter" and "The Insider" and for one of his next projects the great director is teaming with one of Hollywood's best filmmakers.

According to Heat Vision Mann ("Heat") and Paul Haggis ("Crash") are teaming for the contemporary thriller "Gold." Described as being in the vein of Bogart classic "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," the story revolves around a ruthless search for the precious metal. Haggis was initially drawn to the script, but other projects took his attention.

TV producers Patrick Massett and John Zinman ("Friday Night Lights") wrote the script and the plan now is to develop and package the project, with Mann directing and Haggis producing.

While no actors are attached at this time this project has a boat load of potential. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" is one of the best films of all time and combining the talents of Mann and Haggis to bring this story to fruition is just a dream come true. Mann has shown through his career that no matter the location, story or subject matter, he can bring out some amazing performances and this film should have no shortage of dramatic moments.

Mann has worked with some big named stars in the past, including Russell Crowe, Johnny Depp, Daniel Day Lewis, Tom Cruise and more, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see someone with some start power in the main role.

While the film is still in the early stages more news should come about in the next few months.

Kevin Durand Visits "Cosmopolis"

2011-04-14T18:46:00.001-04:00

Don DeLillo's novel "Cosmopolis" seems almost impossible to adapt for some filmmakers, basically because the book takes place mostly in a limo riding through a city. But if there was one director I would trust to make it, it's David Cronenberg. The project has already put together an excellent cast and it's looking to add another solid actor to the fold.

According to Variety. Kevin Durand ("Robin Hood," "I Am Number Four") is in final negotiations to join the cast of Cronenberg's "Cosmopolis."

An adaptation of Don DeLillo's popular novel, Robert Pattinson plays a financial whiz who risks his immense fortune by betting against the yen on one particularly chaotic day. His decisions eventually make him the target of an assassination. Most of the film is set inside a limousine as Pattinson's character is transported from one location to another. Durand would play his chief security officer.

The cast of the film is truly stacked, with Samantha Morton, Juliette Binoche, Paul Giamatti and Sarah Gadon also starring. Cronenberg is making the film a full service project, with him writing, directing and producing.

The book was one of my favorites by DeLillo, and you'd be hard pressed to find a better director to tackle the project. Adding Durand to the cast is a great choice, especially to play a security guard. The actor is super-underrated and has given some great performances in his career, including on "Lost" as well as in "Robin Hood," "Smokin' Aces" and "3:10 to Yuma."

The film is set for a 2010 release.

McBride Penning Hick Heist Tale

2011-04-14T18:45:00.002-04:00

In a short time funny man Danny McBride has established himself as a force in the comedy world. From Kenny Powers to "Pineapple Express" to his new film "Your Highness," McBride has shown that he has a keen insight to comedy and has amassed quite the following and he has no plans of slowing down.

His new film came out this past week and according to an interview in GQ McBride says that he already has plans for an upcoming project based on a screenplay he wrote with Jody Hill a few years back.

McBride described the story to the magazine, which is based on a real-life 1997 bank robbery in Charlotte. McBride said: "These rednecks robbed Loomis Fargo for over $17 million. And they would have gotten away with it, except they stayed in the town they were living in. They literally moved from trailers into the richest neighborhoods in town, lived like kings, bought their wives tit jobs. Jody wants to make it like a southern Godfather."

McBride and Hill met in film school and have collaborated ever since, including on their first amazing film "The Foot Fist Way" and the TV show "Eastbound & Down."

At this point in my eyes McBride can do no wrong. While some less informed people find his humor stupid or sophomoric, there's a legion of fans out there that know McBride is truly great at what he does. Sure Kenny Powers is a profanity hurling sex fiend but he also is emotionally deep and culturally significant. The new project actually sounds like it could be something truly amazing, especially if McBride wants to star in it.

The article also describes some other projects McBride is working on, including turning a bare-knuckle boxing doc into a TV series, and helping establish a show about a hitman which several Australian filmmakers are trying to set up at HBO.

Ben Affleck Wanted For "Great Gatsby"

2011-04-14T18:41:00.001-04:00

Although I admit I'm slightly afraid of what Baz Luhrmann might do to "The Great Gatsby," so far I can't knock the man for his casting choices. The book is my favorite of all time and he has landed three of my personal favorite actors to play parts in the film and is looking at another one.

According to The Hollywood Reporter Ben Affleck is in talks to join Baz Luhrmann's film adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic "The Great Gatsby" for Warner Bros. Pictures.

Leonardo DiCaprio is pegged to play the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby who still pines for his former flame Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan). Tobey Maguire also stars, while Affleck is said to be interested in playing Daisy's wealthy husband Tom Buchanan.

As of right now there is a slight scheduling conflict with Affleck, his next directorial effort, the political thriller "Argo", is currently aiming to shoot in September while "Gatsby" is looking to start in August, but both sides are trying to figure it out.

Many have knocked Affleck's acting in the past, but his performances recently, including in "The Town," and his directorial work should be enough to say that he is a great choice. Affleck would be the perfect type to play opposite DiCaprio and he has the machismo and look to play the brutish Tom Buchanan.

The film has potential to be something truly amazing, especially since the cast is filled with a slew of former Oscar nominees and talented actors. The 3D project aims to kick off principal photography in August.

Vanderbilt Penning "Amazing Spider-Man 2"

2011-03-31T20:35:00.001-04:00

Even though the upcoming reboot "The Amazing Spider-Man" is still filming and hasn't even showed off any official footage yet, production is already beginning on a sequel.

According to The Hollywood Reporter James Vanderbilt, who penned the script for the upcoming "The Amazing Spider-Man" at Sony Pictures, has already begun work on the sequel.

Vanderbilt had a meeting with the filmmakers and studio yesterday to talk about his take. He scored the go-ahead and will now begin writing, even though the first film is still shooting and won't wrap until mid-April.

Vanderbilt has been involved with the franchise for quite a while now, so it's not surprising that the studio would want to keep him involved. Vanderbilt first worked on "Spider-Man 4" for Columbia back when Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire were sill involved in the series. At the time, he was chosen for his character-driven approach to the story rather than a focus on special effects and worked on an outline for a trio of films.

Alvin Sargent did a polish of Vanderbilt's newer script for the first film, but as of yet there's no word if he'll do the same for the second. Before working on "Spider-Man," Vanderbilt wrote "Zodiac," David Fincher’s serial killer tale starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr.

Of all the projects in Hollywood right now, I'm more excited for "The Amazing Spider-Man" than any of them. I think Andrew Garfield is the perfect choice to play Peter Parker, and Vanderbilt's character and emotional-driven script will be something director Marc Webb can handle beautifully.

Avi Arad, Laura Ziskin and Matt Tolmach are producing both "The Amazing Spider-Man" and its potential sequel.

Gladwell To Polish "Hexum" Script

2011-03-31T20:33:00.001-04:00

Although best known for his books such as "Blink" and "The Tipping Point," celebrated author Malcolm Gladwell is finally taking a crack at the film industry.

According to Deadline Gladwell has been hired to polish David Arata's drama script "Hexum" for Disney Pictures.

The story follows a CIA threat-assessment analyst, an alternative-thinking brainiac who is relegated to a distant corner of the CIA where he assembles theories nobody pays attention to. By connecting a series of seemingly random occurrences, he uncovers a sinister adversary planning an imminent global threat.

On top of the fact that Gladwell is an amazing writer, this project almost sounds as if it was specifically geared towards him in the first place. His books detail lots of information and analysis on random occurrences, and if there was anyone I think could put an interesting spin on this story, it's him.

Another positive for this project is the fact that Arata wrote the original script. His past work includes two of my favorite films of all time, "Spy Game" and "Children of Men" and this one sounds as if it is right up that same alley. Both those films were compelling, interesting and very well written, and there's no doubt in my mind this project fits that bill.

Gladwell is one of the smartest writers working out there today and I hope he has as much success with his first crack into film as he has had with book publishing.

Geoffrey Rush Joins "Green Lantern"

2011-03-31T20:32:00.001-04:00

Much like Jon Favreau's "Iron Man" did a few years ago, DC Comics is hoping to bring one of its most beloved characters to the mainstream with its big-budget feature "Green Lantern." Starring Ryan Reynolds as the titular superhero and directed by Martin Campbell, the film has just added another key member, an Oscar winner who will be heard, but not seen.

According to Heat Vision Geoffrey Rush will voice the role of Tomar-Re, a key member of the Green Lantern Corps. in the upcoming "Green Lantern" movie for Warner Bros. Pictures

In the comics, Tomar-Re was a scientist before joining the intergalactic police corps where he was instrumental in training new members including newly minted Lantern Hal Jordan (Reynolds).

The film is currently working through post-production to complete its extensive visual effects. Michael Clarke Duncan was linked to the role yesterday, but clearly that was just Internet chatter.

Rush is a great choice to voice the character. He can be assertive, emotional, loud and quiet when needed and based on his work in "The King's Speech," he wont be afraid to stand up to someone in power when they need a lesson. Rush will have a busy summer ahead of him, he also is set to appear in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" in May.

"Green Lantern" is set for a June 17th release.

Adam McKay & Russell Crowe Team On "Boys"?

2011-03-31T20:30:00.002-04:00

In what could be one of the more interesting director-lead pairings in recent memory, MTV News reports that "Anchorman" helmer Adam McKay has sat down with Russell Crowe about a spot in his upcoming project.

According to the site, McKay has reportedly sat down with Russell Crowe to discuss the Oscar winner's chance of playing the lead role in his upcoming adaptation of the comic "The Boys" at Sony Pictures.

The story follows a group of CIA agents, known informally as "the boys," who are assigned to police the world's super-powered heroes and villains. The team goes to great lengths to keep heroes in their place, including using assault, blackmail, kidnapping, and murder.

Crowe's role would be as the tough-as-nails team leader Billy Butcher, while McKay has already said he'd love Simon Pegg in the role of new recruit Wee Hughie, who greatly resembles the actor.

The comic truly is amazing for anyone who hasn’t checked it out and the passion McKay has shown for the project only gets my hopes higher. While selling and ultra-violent anti-superhero film might be tough when it comes to finances, this is a project tat could turn out to be something spectacular.

McKay is still working on the script, while Neal H. Moritz will produce the project.

Alan Rickman Joins "Gambit"

2011-03-31T20:24:00.002-04:00

It's always interesting to see how an Oscar winner follows up their award winning performance. Some actors go on to some stinkers, like Halle Berry with "Catwoman," but most go on to other great projects, like Colin Firth, the recent winner for Best Actor for his work in "The King's Speech."

The actor is set to star as a thief in the Coen Brothers-scripted remake of "Gambit," and it looks like he finally has found his mark. According to The Hollywood Reporter Alan Rickman is in negotiations to join Firth and Cameron Diaz in the remake of the classic 60's caper movie "Gambit."

The story follows a British thief (Firth) who plans to steal an expensive statue from one of the richest men in the world and needs the help of a woman (Diaz) who closely resembles the rich man's late wife. Rickman will play the rich man. English actor Sir Tom Courtenay, who appeared in "Doctor Zhivago," has also been cast in the movie.

The script was written by Joel and Ethan Coen, while Michael Hoffman ("The Last Station") directs the film.

Rickman is one of the more underrated actors in Hollywood and brings great range to the role. Having Firth and Diaz was already an excellent combination, and adding a great actor like Rickman to the mix is never a bad thing. The original film, which starred Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine was great but I cannot wait to see what type of spin the Coen's put on it.

Shooting begins in May in London.

"Eclipse" Helmer Doing "Daredevil" Reboot

2011-03-31T20:22:00.001-04:00

With superhero films being all the rage in Hollywood these days, it's no surprise that many studios are looking to reboot and remake past films that didn't work all that well. In a sense it all really started with "Batman Begins," which totally revamped the "Batman" franchise for the better and now 20th Century Fox is looking to do the same with everyone' favorite blind hero.

According to Deadline "30 Days of Night" and "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" director David Slade is in talks to develop and helm a reboot of the "Daredevil" film franchise for 20th Century Fox.

While the project doesn't have a writer attached yet, the film will be a continuation of the story started with the 2003 film starring Ben Affleck as the blind superhero. That film grossed $179M worldwide and was a critical failure, especially compared to films like "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight."

While Affleck will not be involved in the project, some rumors have surfaced that the project will actually be more a reboot than a sequel as the storyline is said to be an adaptation of the critically acclaimed Frank Miller-written and David Mazzucchelli-illustrated "Born Again" run of the comic series.

In that series, blind hero Matt Murdock begins to systematically destroy his life when his ex sells his identity off for heroin to the Kingpin.

While the project will obviously take some time to come together, if the film follows the Miller storyline things might actually go pretty well for this adaptation. The first "Daredevil" was just a mess, and while I honestly like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, the first "Daredevil" film just did not do the character justice. Miller's story is one of the best to grace the character's pages and if the project casts the right man, this one could help "Daredevil" break out to the mainstream much like "Iron Man" did a few years back.

Slade's next film is the period horror "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" with Ben Kingsley and Noomi Rapace.

Sam Worthington Set To "Drift"

2011-03-31T20:21:00.001-04:00

Although he has been acting for quite a while, Australian actor Sam Worthington stayed below the radar until breaking out in "Avatar" and "Terminator Salvation" in 2009. Following work on those two films, his new fame led him to star in "Clash of the Titans" and got his named linked to just about every notable developing project out there.

Worthington gave an excellent performance in the 2010 film "The Debt" and is also set to star in "The Fields" as well as the sequel to "Clash," titled "Wrath of the Titans" and the actor has just added another project to his already busy future slate.

According to The ABC Screen Australia has given the green light to "Drift," the 70's-set surfing drama starring Worthington, which will be shot in the actor's hometown of Perth.

The story follows the Fisher brothers who "escape their brutal past to start a new life in a remote Australian coastal town". The pair soon battle "suspicious locals, killer waves and ruthless bikers as they struggle to kick-start a business from their greatest passion - surfing,"

In a statement released regarding the film, Screen's acting CEO Fiona Cameron said the film will be: "the first character-driven action movie set in the surfing world since Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break."

This project has a boat load of potential, not only because Worthington is involved, but also because the plot sounds like it could be very interesting and exciting. Worthington obviously will be inspired, considering it will film in his home town, and on top of that not too many films showcase surfing as this one looks to do. The comparisons to "Point Break" is a great jumping off point as well, because I don’t think there is another action movie out there that incorporates surfing so well.

Actor turned filmmaker Morgan O'Neill directs the project while Ben Nott ("Tomorrow When the War Began") will serve as the director of photography. Tim Duffy and Myles Pollard will produce, with filming to begin later this year.

Sony Goes "Moonwalking With Einstein"

2011-03-31T20:19:00.002-04:00

A few years back when writer Joshua Foer set out to cover the U.S. Memory Championship, there's no way he could have predicted how things turned out. Foer participated in the competition for research, trained and actually ended up winning the Us title, facing off against competitors from around the world.

Foer, the brother of writer Jonathan Safran Foer, wrote a book detailing his experiences, which will now be a major motion picture. According to The Hollywood Reporter Sony Pictures has acquired the screen rights to Foer’s bestseller "Moonwalking With Einstein."

The instructional book focuses on how to improve memory as Foer relates his real-life experience as a science journalist covering the U.S. Memory Championship, which he entered as a participant.

After announcing the deal, Columbia president Doug Belgrad said: “This is a very special book which transcends the already fascinating subject of memory. By explaining in personal and entertaining fashion a great deal about how our brains work, Joshua has written a book that sheds light on how memory is connected to humanity."

Foer's story is extremely interesting, especially if you aren’t that familiar with the memory competitions. These "memory athletes" spend hours training and studying and it's so amazing to see how skilled they become when it comes to remembering numbers, patterns and more. While it may not seem like the most obvious choice to be a motion picture, the way the book is written allows for a very open interpretation, as well as an amazing story of someone who adapts to a new world and environment.

The book is currently on the NY Times and Amazon.com best seller lists.

Doug Liman Seeks Cast For Moon Project

2011-03-31T20:07:00.001-04:00

Sometimes when a film project falls into development hell, it's impossible to get it out, but when they do, sometimes the results can be amazing. For example the "Batman" franchise was stuck in development hell for years until Christopher Nolan totally kicked ass with "Batman Begins," and now it seems another director is trying to work his magic on a project stuck in the depths.

According to The Hollywood Reporter "The Bourne Identity" director Doug Liman's long-in-development sci-fi feature at Paramount Pictures may have escaped development hell.

The story centers on a renegade group of former space employees, led by an Eastern European woman, who travel the world, stealing space equipment in an attempt to go back to the moon to acquire an energy source. The last item to steal is an ever valuable ex-NASA employee.

A few years ago the project had a chance at some life at Dreamworks with Jake Gyllenhaal attached to star, but interest in the project cooled over time. Liman pursued other films while the script received rewrites from Ken Nolan, Mark Bowden and Simon Kinberg. The site reports that interest is swelling, and that the project could start shooting by as early as the end of the summer.

The biggest piece of the puzzle comes with casting. Liman has met with a crop of talented young actors for the project, including Andrew Garfield, Emile Hirsch and Chris Pine for the male lead, while Rosario Dawson, Megan Fox, Rachel McAdams, Eva Mendes, Zoe Saldana and Olivia Wilde have all had meetings about the female lead.

Once any casting becomes official, this film could get the go ahead and move along quickly. I really hope it does, because when I first heard about the project I thought it was infinitely interesting, and with that crop of actors meeting with Liman, this could be a huge project down the line.

Science fiction and space exploration films have become very trendy these days, with projects like "Skyline," "Battle: Los Angeles," "District 9" and "Super 8" all gracing theaters.

While development hell has consumed many of a project, lets hope this one that makes it out alive.

Logan Marshall-Green Joins "Prometheus"

2011-03-23T18:22:00.001-04:00

Ridley Scott's new film "Prometheus" has been through some fluid transitions since it was announced last year. First it was supposed to be a direct "Alien" prequel, but now it seems that it will be more of a stand-alone story, with some connections to the original. Either way, for science fiction fans, it's a project that offers a ton of excitement, one reason being the awesome cast, which looks as if it just filled another starring role.

According to Variety, actor Logan Marshall-Green ("Devil," "24," "The O.C.") has signed on to play one of the lead male roles in the movie for 20th Century Fox.

Marshall-Green will play the role of Holloway, the love interest for Noomi Rapace's character. Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron also star in the film.

The Internet has been buzzing since last year about what the film will show and when it will take place. Some sites have reported that the story will take place thousands of years in the future, while others say it will show the origin of the "Space Jockey" from the original film.

Whether the project actually connects to the original "Alien" almost seems moot at this point. The film has Ridley Scott, Michael Fassbender Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron involved. So, no matter what the plot is, it should be an awesome science-fiction adventure because of them.

The addition of Marshall-Green is a small but a very solid one. While he hasn't starred in all that many films, Green has put on solid performances throughout his entire career, including on TV shows "24" and "The O.C.," in which he played Ryan Atwood's brother.

Shooting kicks off in the spring.

Brendan Fraser Has A "Whole Lotta Sola"

2011-03-23T18:09:00.001-04:00

The past year or so hasn't been all that kind to Bredan Fraser. He starred in two pretty awful movies, "Furry Vengeance" and "Extraordinary Measures," and also starred in a Broadway production of "Elling," which closed after only nine performances due to lackluster reviews. Obviously, not the best run of luck for the actor who is best known for starring in "The Mummy" franchise.

While Fraser isn't one of Hollywood's "best" actors, the man has proved over time that he has a load of potential. He was great in the 2002 film "The Quiet American" and say what you will about "The Mummy" trilogy, but the first film was flat out great.

Fraser will next be seen in the Steve Carell film "Crazy Stupid Love" and he just recently joined another brand new project as well. According to Variety, Fraser will star in Terry George's comedic heist film "Whole Lotta Sola."

The script from George and Thomas Gallagher centers on a young man who plans to rob a fish shop to pay off his gambling debts. However, his plan goes awry, leading to an unexpected hostage situation. Fraser will play the shopkeeper who is on the run from his gangster father-in-law.

One reason this project is a step in the right direction for Fraser is due to the fact that George is directing. This could turn out to be a run-of-the-mill hostage film, but George has proven over his career he is not the run-of-the-mill director. George directed "Hotel Rwanda" from his own script and directed "Reservation Road," both of which were excellent emotional dramas.

While the comedy theme will be a change up for George, having Fraser may turn out to be a great bit of casting if he can tap into that comedic charm that at one time made him a box-office star.

The film will shoot later this year in Northern Ireland.

Classic Album Review: Raekwon, "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..."

2011-03-14T15:34:00.001-04:00

In 1993 when the Wu-Tang Clan released their debut album "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)," the group emphatically put the New York scene back on the map in a big way, and helped to shepherd in East Coast Renaissance of hip-hop. The album enabled members of the group to put out solo albums, many of which were good, such as "Tical" from Method Man and "Iromman" from Ghostface Killah.

While releases from Ol Dirty Bastard and RZA were successful as well, the most influential and arguably most important album released from the group came from the one and only Raekwon.

His debut album "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." was released in 1995 to great critical acclaim and is considered one of the most creative and inventive hip-hop albums out there. The album is structured in a cinematic style and features Wu-Tang members Ghostface Killah as the "guest-star," and producer RZA as the "director." Ghostface appears on numerous tracks throughout while RZA produced the entire album.

"Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." plays out in a beautifully cinematic way and details the types of things Raekwon and Ghostface Killah experienced in their lives in Staten Island, including tracks revolving around hustling, cocaine dealing, street life, and the Mafioso lifestyle. Another aspect of the album that elevates it above the rest is how Raekwon and Ghostface seamlessly incorporate Italian Mafia influences, nicknames and distinctive slang throughout the connected tracks on the album.

From top to bottom the lineup of tracks is fantastic, with highlights including "Criminology" and "Ice Cream," "Rainy Dayz" and the utterly distinctive "Wu-Gambinos,"

"Criminology" was the second single released of the album, but in my opinion was one of the best. Like many of the tracks, it features a sample from a film, this one being the '80s crime classic "Scarface." The dialogue fits in perfectly on the track, which features two illustrative and fierce verses from Raekwon and Ghostface and one of the smoothest beats on the album.

The second half of the track is strong as Raekwon spits: "But anyway, let's toast, champagne thoughts with Ghost/I max the most shotguns through the nose/Phonograph hip-hop put me on top/'Lo wears, and Tommy Hil fly shit with a knot /The witty unpredictable live shit, drive by shit/Do or die shit, I'll take your lie and shit /And then you know, I'm runnin through the penal, foul/Four-toothed child was wild/The old lady snitched, but fuck it, you know it, one love kid/No I'm not doin a bid."

"Rainy Dayz" is one of the more laid back tracks on the album, but what it lacks in explosiveness it makes up for in quality. RZA's production is at its sharpest on the track, with the beat having a haunting, creepy repetitive sound to it. Ghostface has some of his best lines on this track, but its Raekwon who steals the spotlight on the track.

The second verse is one if his best as he spits over the memorable beat: "What brings rain hail snow and earthquakes/The beat breaks, cause all my niggaz to break son / Styles is similar to criminals locked up/With gats, ghetto tabernacles is fucked up/I live once though, the mind stays infinite/Travel in the church, nine planets, in my midst/While I carry, to earn a decent salary/Soon get married, raise a family, but the plan'll be/real great, to sit up in the loft, count stacks and max/And real cats cold watch my back."

"Wu-Gambinos" is easily my favorite track on the album and is one of the most creative and original of the bunch. The track features numerous samples of dialogue from the John Woo film "The Killer" and features verses from Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, RZA and Method Man. The track prominently features the various nicknames and "la cosa nostra" Mafia influences mentioned earlier.

Raekwon's verse on the track is another example of the rapper's skills as a lyricist, showing of how illustrative he can be, as he raps: " This goes for niggaz who know/Wu will grow like llello, ley no/Plus coolin in Barbados/Ricaans be givin me much shit, the dutch shit/Stay cool papi, seize it with enough shit/Back at the lab a, crack's bagged up/Yo niggaz act up, what blow up the workers if they hafta/Senoritas, fuckin up a storm buyin guards margaritas/Suckin his dick, up in the whip long."

"Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." is an album which warrants numerous listens, allowing yout to fully soak in all the lyrical details, slang and intricacies that make it so inventive. Raekwon and crew form a sort of "Mafioso" family of their own, and RZA's production is second-to-none and helps create a completely connected atmosphere throughout the tracks on the album.

The lyrics are realistic and complex, the first person narratives detailed and ambitious. No matter what way you look at it, Raekwon's "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." is one of hip-hops all time best and most definitely a classic.

Derek Luke Is Gabe Jones In "Captain America"

2011-03-13T17:56:00.001-04:00

In this Internet day and age, it's hard to imagine a spoiler or plot detail staying secret for too long, especially when it comes to some of the more high-profile films set to be released in the near future, including this summer's "The First Avenger: Captain America."

That film had quite a few secrets leak out over the past few months, but one thing that stayed quiet was who actor Derek Luke would play in the film. That is until now. Although the role was cast months ago, it's only now finally been revealed whom Luke will play in Marvel's upcoming superhero film.

According to Blackfilm, its been confirmed that Luke will play Gabe Jones, an original member of the elite Howling Commandos combat squad of World War II in "The First Avenger: Captain America."

In the original comics, Jones was the first African-American to serve in an integrated unit and a close confidante to Sergeant Nick Fury, who is played in the films by Samuel L. Jackson. Jones would later join Fury as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Luke is part of a studded cast that includes Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan, Toby Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Dominic Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, and Neal McDonough.

Luke has been a powerful actor throughout his career and he definitely will bring some intensity and quality acting skills to his part. It really seems that Joe Johnston's film is going to pay a lot of homage to the original comics, which is always a plus for fan boys out there. The footage from the film really looks great so far and it has the feel of an "Indiana Jones" film with superhero elements mixed in, which is not a bad thing at all.

The film is scheduled to open July 22nd 2011.

Magicians Fight Hitler For HBO

2011-03-13T17:55:00.002-04:00

HBO was the first cable network to really put a lot of effort into truly original programming and for years they were ahead of the curve. Between shows like "The Sopranos," "Six Feet Under," "Deadwood" and "The Wire," the network was second to none when it came to quality programming.

In recent years the network has been just as strong, with shows like "True Blood," Boardwalk Empire" and the upcoming "Game of Thrones" and according to Entertainment Weekly they are developing another uniquely original show.

According to the site HBO is reportedly developing "Hobgoblin", a period drama series involving illusionists during the WWII era. The story follows a group of con men and magicians who battle Hitler and the Nazis during WWII, using their powers of deception to outwit the Third Reich.

Michael Chabon ("Wonder Boys") and Ayelet Waidman ("Bad Mother") are attached to the project, which is in early development.

While magicians might not be the first thing to come to mind when thinking of fighting the Third Reich, if anyone knows how to handle it is Chabon. He is easily one of, if not the best American authors out there and his book "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" was a Pulitzer Prize winner and featured a main character who had magician's skills and took place during the same WWII era.

While the show is in early development it will definitely be something to keep an eye on because Chabon's involved. The idea of the story sounds totally unique and could turn out to be a surprise hit for HBO in the future.

Chris Pratt, Rhys Ifans Have An "Engagement"

2011-03-13T17:53:00.001-04:00

While both have taken different routes along the way, actors Chris Pratt and Rhys Ifans have been hot commodities in Hollywood as of late.

Pratt has been putting in steady work on "Parks and Recreation" for a couple years and has spun that into some solid film roles including in the recently released "Take Me Home Tonight" (which also stars his wife Anna Faris) and in the upcoming films "What's Your Number?," the highly anticipated "Moneyball," as well as in the Channing Tatum indie "Ten Year."

Ifans has been putting in solid supporting work for a long while and been drawing attention recently for some lower profile roles, including as notorious pot smuggler Howard Marks in the British indie "Mr. Nice," but looks to break out big as the villain in Marc Webb's upcoming "The Amazing Spider-Man.

Both actors are on the cusp of mainstream stardom and have added a new wrinkle to their resumes, joining up on a new comedy project. According to Variety Ifans along with "Parks and Recreation" star Pratt have joined the cast of Nicholas Stoller's comedy "Five-Year Engagement" for Universal Pictures.

Jason Segel and Emily Blunt star in the film which chronicles the highs and lows of a lengthy relationship. "Community" actress Alison Brie co-stars as Blunt's younger sister.

"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Get Him to the Greek" scribes Segel and Stoller co-wrote the script, while Judd Apatow, Rodney Rothman and Stoller are producing.

Everything about this project seems like it should add up to a winning combination. Anything Judd Apatow produces always warrants some attention, but what this has going for it is the fact that Segel and Stoller are teaming up once again. The duo did an amazing job on "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and although "Get Him to the Greek" wasn't as good, Stoller has shown he has a knack for comedic timing.

Adding both Pratt and Ifans is a great move as well, because both are excellent supporting actors and should provide Segel and Blunt some relief throughout the film. The cast of the film was great even before the two were added, with Emily Blunt and Allison Brie also starring in the film. Blunt is one of Hollywood's underrated talents and Brie is just perfect in her role on the NBC sitcom "Community."

Shooting kicks off next month.

Vince Vaughn Caught By "Insane Laws"

2011-03-13T17:52:00.001-04:00

Although his past few films haven't impressed me much ("The Dilemma," "Four Christmases"), Vince Vaughn is still one of my favorite comedic actors out there. His work throughout his career on flicks like "Swingers," "Old School" and "The Wedding Crashers" is hard to beat, so it's great to see that he'll be starring in a new project sometime very soon.

According to The Hollywood Reporter Vaughn is attached to star in the upcoming comedy "The Insane Laws" for Universal Pictures.

The project will act as a starring vehicle for Vince Vaughn and will reteam the actor with the man who co-wrote his 2006 hit, "The Break-Up." Jeremy Garelick ("The Break-Up") wrote the script and will make his directorial debut on the project, which is partially based on events from Garelick's life.

The story focuses on two best friends and how their lives are impacted when their grown children fall in love, with one man's daughter becoming pregnant by his best friend's son.

I was watching "The Break-Up" recently and I have to admit the film is much funnier and much better than I originally remembered from when I first saw it. I think Vaughn can get things back on track with this role, which sounds like it could be an under-the-radar comedy hit.

Garelick did a solid job of taking a real-life relationship situation and finding some great comedy in it with "The Break-Up," and this story has a similar feel to it.

Production on the film will start later this year.

Next "Mad Max" Sets Filming For January

2011-03-13T17:49:00.001-04:00

Following numerous delays, mostly due to weather issues, it looks as if George Miller's next "Mad Max" installment has found an official start date. According to The Daily Telegraph Aussie filmmaker Miller said that the next "Mad Max" has targeted a January 2012 date to kick off filming.

Miller said to the paper: "We've built the vehicles. We've designed the movie. The principal cast is locked in. The film is funded. It's all ready to go. We just wait."

The film had originally aimed to begin production around the Broken Hill in the Australian state of New South Wales this Spring, but the production was shut down last October due to unseasonal rains in the area. The terrain had once been perfect to depict a post-apocalyptic landscape but due to the rain had turned much more green and fertile.

Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron are still set to star in the film, which will kick off pre-production later this year.

Although that seems like a way off, it could turn out to be great timing for the project. Hardy has only become a bigger star since starring in "Inception" and he should only continue to rise as time goes on, considering he is starring in Hollywood's next most anticipated film. "The Dark Knight Rises." Theron is beautiful, talented and an Oscar winner so bringing the two together should be a great combination for the project.

Miller is a professional and he has already been through problems with weather on the first "Mad Max" film, so this is nothing new to him and he should be able to fight through the delays.

David Koepp Performs MIB3 Re-Writes

2011-03-09T09:17:00.001-05:00

Although I thought "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" was an absolute mess, David Koepp has shown over his career that he is a master at penning the big-budget screenplay. Koepp has written and done unaccredited work on numerous high-profile films in his career, including "Angels and Demons," "Spider-Man," "Men in Black," "Jurassic Park" and "Mission: Impossible," and it looks as if he can add another to that list.

According to Deadline, Koepp has been brought in for several weeks of script doctoring on "Men in Black III," which has been on hiatus before it's scheduled to kick off again March 28th.

The newest installment of the film involves time travel with much of the action taking place in 1969, where Josh Brolin plays the younger version of Tommy Lee Jones' Agent Kay. Present day-set scenes were shot late last year in New York City.

"Tropic Thunder" writer Etan Cohen wrote the first draft of the script while scribe Jeff Nathanson, who has written some successful big-budget films himself including "Catch Me If You Can" and "Rush Hour 2," was hired very late last year to perform rewrites. Koepp's work will tweak the various past-set scenes which the studio has been having some major difficulties with.

Although the project has been on hiatus and has gone through some rewrites, the studio is still excited about the project and even with the delays, they say it should be ready for its release date. Koepp is an excellent writer and the scenes he is working on are sure to improve with his help.

The film's premise actually sounds pretty awesome because time travel ideas always are a solid plot device to use, especially in a comedy setting. While Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones had some solid chemistry, I'm excited to see Josh Brolin as a young Kay, because in both of the previous films his past life and work was eluded to a lot, but never explicitly shown.

The film is scheduled still for a May 25, 2012 release date.

Mandy Moore, Rodrigo Santoro Are "Falling Slowly"

2011-03-09T09:16:00.002-05:00

Although she first made her bones as a pop singer, I think Mandy Moore was always best suited in the acting game. Sure, she's not an Academy Award winner, but in nearly every role throughout her career she's been solid.

I thought she was excellent playing herself on the second season of "Entourage," in the emotional drama "A Walk to Remember" as well as in the comedy "Licensed to Wed," even though the film wasn't all that great overall. Moore recently voiced the main character of Rapunzel in the animated film "Tangled" and has now signed on for a live-action project.

According to Variety, Moore and Rodrigo Santoro have joined the cast of the supernatural drama "Falling Slowly."

"Buried" writer Chris Sparling makes his directorial debut on the film, which follows the story of a couple whose apartment is haunted by a dark presence. Julie Snyder will produce the project.

While the plot description is sparse right now, the reason I think this project has some potential is because of the involvement of Chris Sparling. Sparling took one of the most bare bones ideas and turned it into quite the fantastic film with last year's "Buried," which starred Ryan Reynolds. In that movie, the entire film takes place inside a wooden coffin after Reynolds finds himself buried alive with only a lighter, flask, flashlight, knife, glowsticks and a mobile phone to help him escape before the oxygen in the coffin runs out.

Depending on what Sparling decides to do here, this film could take a tried and true story of a couple with a "spooky, haunted" apartment and make something great out of it. Moore also should be able to show off her range in this film, as it obviously isn’t much of a comedy.

Dates haven’t been set yet, but the film should start production later this year.

Eisenberg, Leo, Morgan Are "Predisposed"

2011-03-06T21:20:00.002-05:00

Even before his breakout role in "The Social Network," Jesse Eisenberg has long been one of my favorite actors in Hollywood. I thought he was fantastic in "The Squid and the Whale," "Adventureland" and "The Education of Charlie Banks," so I was more than pumped when I found out he received his first Academy Award nomination.

Although he didn’t win, receiving the nomination was quite the achievement for the actor and he plans on keeping his hot streak going, adding another project to his future plans. According to Vulture Eisenberg, Academy Award winner (and f-bomb dropper) Melissa Leo and Tracy Morgan are all set to join the indie comedy "Predisposed."

The story takes a look at the unhealthy relationship between a drug-addicted mother (Leo) and her college-bound son (Eisenberg), set on the day of both his interview at Julliard and her planned arrival in rehab. Adding complications to the matter is that she has no health insurance so she can only be admitted to rehab if she shows up intoxicated.

Morgan will play her drug dealer Sprinkles who has a feud with her, while another major role of a rival dealer has yet to be cast. The project is a feature adaptation of Philip Dorling and Ron Nyswaner's 2009 Sundance short film, which also starred Leo.

Just based on the plot and the two main actors involved, this is surely a project to watch for. Leo is an excellent actress and she has the right look and intensity to play a character such as this. Eisenberg is perfect for this part, especially because it seems as if he will have to strike a good balance between comedy and real-life drama, which is something he is very well versed in, as evidenced by his work on "Charlie Banks," Adventureland" and "The Squid and the Whale" as well.

One of Eisenberg's next releases is the summer flick "30 Minutes or Less." That film in itself could be the surprise hit of the summer. It’s impossible to really know how a movie will turn out, but based just on the cast and plot, this might be a huge one. Eisenberg joins up with two of my favorite comedians, Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride in the film, which is about criminals who force a pizza delivery man to rob a bank in 30 minutes or less.

Shooting is scheduled to start on "Predisposed" this summer.

Spacey, Fincher Team For "House of Cards"

2011-03-06T21:19:00.002-05:00

Although I think he got totally robbed for Best Director for "The Social Network," David Fincher hasn't let the loss slow him down. He's hard at work on his adaptation of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and he also is directing the pilot of the series "House of Cards," which just received a new starring cast member.

According to Deadline Kevin Spacey has signed on to take the lead role in the Fincher-directed pilot of "House of Cards" for Media Rights Capital. The two have previously worked together on the 1995 film "Se7en."

The one-hour drama is based on Michael Dobbs' original novel and the famed Emmy-winning 1990 UK mini-series, which starred Ian Richardson. The premise fuses black political comedy with elements from "Macbeth" and "Richard III," and like the original series, it will follow political story lines.

In the original series, the story was set at the end of Margaret Thatcher's tenure as prime minister and follows scheming British politician Francis Urquhart who has his eye on the top job and manipulates agendas to get his way. Fincher's adaptation will change the setting to the U.S. but maintain focus on political ambition and blackmail.

Fincher doesn’t do TV all that often, so you know he must really dig the premise, which should fit very well in a US location. For as much political drama as there is in England, the United States has just as much to work with, and arguably even more so that it's Atlantic Ocean counterpart.

The teaming up of Fincher and Spacey again is sort of too good to be true, as is Finer working on a pilot at all. Spacey is one of this generations best actors and he has showed of his political drama chops numerous times through his career including in HBO's "Recount" and more recently in "Casino Jack."

Beau Willimon ("The Ides of March") adapted the script and the pilot is currently being shopped to the networks.

Robert Downey Jr. Has An "Inherent Vice"?

2011-03-06T21:16:00.006-05:00

As someone who is a fan of literature and culturally significant authors, when I first learned about Thomas Pynchon I was fascinated. Much like famed author J.D. Salinger Pynchon was a sort of recluse, someone who was not a fan of being in the public spotlight. He has popped up numerous times over the years, including on "The Simpsons" and to come to the defense of "Atonement" author Ian McEwan when he was accused of plagiarism.

Pynchon is a great writer, that is clear, but many of his books are almost impossible for a casual reader to read. "Gravity's Rainbow," his magnum opus is a 750 page monster that is set primarily in Europe at the end of World War II and centers on the design, production and dispatch of V-2 rockets by the German military, and, in particular, the quest undertaken by several characters to uncover the secret of a mysterious device. Sounds a bit crazy right? Try reading it.

Another one of his books, "Vineland," is a bit more accessible, although it still took a concentrated effort to get my head totally around it. The point it, he is a literary genius, yet some of his books are pretty hard to jump into, which is why I was thrilled when I read his most recent book, the surfer-hippie-noir-detective story "Inherent Vice."

The novel was easily the author's most accessible to readers and I just had the feeling it would make a great movie. Clearly some people in Hollywood agree.

According to the Risky Biz Blog, Robert Downey Jr. is in talks to star in one of Paul Thomas Anderson's potential next projects, "Inherent Vice."

The project would be an adaptation of the 2009 Thomas Pynchon novel, the story follows a stoner detective who gets caught up in various mysteries in 1969 Los Angeles, a time when the Manson Family trial was underway.

Anderson adapted the screenplay while still trying to get his religious organization film, "the Master," starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman off the ground. That film is still looking for financing and coupled with the fact that Downey dropped out of Disney's "Oz, the Great and Powerful" last month, it allowed him to do another movie this year after he shoots "The Avengers" for Marvel and Disney.

Downey and Anderson are literally two of my favorite people in the industry so seeing them team up on anything is amazing, the fact that it's Pynchon is even better. Anderson's last film, "There Will Be Blood," was one of the best films of the decade, and I feel like only a guy like him could adapt a Pynchon work and have it just make total sense.

I hope that this film doesn't suffer the same problems as "The Master," which has been rumored to get financing numerous times throughout the past couple years. While I understand a lot of film production is about money, why can't Paul Thomas Anderson ever find any? All the man does is come out with a movie every few years that gets nominated for Academy Awards. The man is a filmmaking genius, and I really hope we get to see what he can do with a Pynchon novel and Downey.

Downey has recently wrapped filming on "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" for director Guy Ritchie, which comes out in December.

Giovanni Ribisi Joins MacFarlane's "Ted"

2011-03-06T21:14:00.003-05:00

As a big "Family Guy" fan, I've always been curious as to what creator Seth MacFarlane would do with a feature film, or live actors at least. He's able to push the boundaries of comedy with animation, could he do the same with real people? Whether he is able to or not remains to be seen, but either way his new project "Ted" sounds totally interesting.

MacFarlane serves as co-writer and director on the film, which will be rater-R and feature a grown man, and a teddy bear that has come to life. What makes things even better is that Mark Wahlberg is set to play the grown man and the project has also just added another member.

According to Variety Giovanni Ribisi is attached to co-star in MacFarlane's comedy "Ted." Ribisi will play Donny, a man obsessed with Ted. Mila Kunis is also in final negotiations to star.

MacFarlane directs, and co-wrote the film with Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. The bear itself will be stop motion and voiced by McFarlane.

One great thing this film has going for it is that it will be rated-R and features a talking animal. MacFarlane has pushed the envelope on network TV for years and it will be amazing to see what he can do when he is almost completely unfettered from censors. On top of that, anyone who watches "Family Guy" knows that he has a knack for talking animals, as evidenced by Brian Griffin the dog.

The film should be hilarious because of MacFarlane and also because the teddy bear Ted will be a drinking, smoking loudmouth.

The closer it is to Brian Griffin the better.

Christina Ricci Checks Into "Pan Am"

2011-03-06T21:12:00.001-05:00

Maybe it's just me, but this pilot season seems to be one of the most interesting in recent memory. So many shows I read about, like J.J. Abram's show "Person of Interest," along with a couple others sound pretty good and for once there seem to be a lot of high concepts out there.

One of those interesting concepts is the series "Pan-Am," which looks like it just got a star. According to The Hollywood Reporter Christina Ricci is in negotiations to star in ABC’s 1960s-set sexy soap "Pan Am" from Sony Pictures TV.

The story revolves around the pilots and flight attendants of the once-iconic airline, which dominated the skies and had a huge building in Manhattan. Australian actress Margot Robbie has already been cast as one of Pan Am’s flight attendants, while Michael Mosley ("Scrubs") has locked to play one of the pilots.

Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing," "Mr. Sunshine") is on board to direct while Jack Orman ("ER") penned the script and will executive produce.

While Ricci is best known for her work on films like "The Addams Family" and "The Ice Storm," she has popped up on recently on television including "Grey’s Anatomy" and "Saving Grace."

I think this pilot has a lot of promise and could turn out to be a surprise hit if ABC handles it right. It easily could turn into a fluffy, worthless drama, but with Schlamme involved I think it has a chance at being something more than a run-of-the-mill soap. Ricci also is a very solid actress and should fit well alongside Robbie and Mosley.

"Arrested" Creator Is "The Boss Of It All"

2011-03-06T21:11:00.001-05:00

With the "Arrested Development" film in constant flux, creator Mitch Hurwitz has found a great way to kill his time before that film starts production (if it ever does): direct a movie.

According to The Wrap "Arrested Development" creator Mitch Hurwitz is set to direct a remake of Lars von Trier’s Norwegian comedy "The Boss of it All" for Universal Pictures.

The story centers on an IT company that hires an actor to serve as the company’s president in order to help sell the business. Turns out the current boss pretended there was another boss above him so it would be easier to break bad news to employees. When he sells the company and the new owner wants to meet that boss, he has to hire a failed actor to play him, and obviously hijinks ensue

Hurwitz is signed on to direct, with Imagine's Brian Grazer and Ron Howard executive producing. Emma Forrest is attached to write the screenplay.

The project has been in development for a year and while like "Arrested Development" no sure filming timetable is set, this project is perfect for Hurwitz. "Development" is one of the smartest and funniest television shows of all time and Hurwitz should bring a similar style to this as well.

Hopefully this is another step in the "Arrested Development" film getting done. If Hurwitz can turn this into a winner there may be a chance that "Arrested" could finally get seriously into production, because that would be a dream come true.

Either way this film sounds hilarious in itself and Hurwitz should have no trouble finding a way to create some laughs.

Daniel Radcliffe Turns "Amateur Photographer

2011-03-06T21:08:00.003-05:00

When Daniel Radcliffe beat out thousands of other actors to score the role of Harry Potter, it was obvious that his life would never be the same. As the star of the hugely successful franchise, clearly he would always be seen as Harry Potter, so it was very wise of Radcliffe to try and do some different things during breaks from the film, including starring buck nude in a West End stage production in "Equus."

Now, as the Harry Potter film franchise comes to a close, Radcliffe is setting himself for the next stage of his career, and apparently he has just added a new project. According to Variety Radcliffe is attached to star in the indie comedy "The Amateur Photographer" for This Is That Productions.

The 1970-set tale follows a young man who discovers his artistic calling after being drafted by the denizens of a sleepy little New England mill town to serve as photographer of their most intimate moments. He battles local authorities while bringing a bit of a velvet revolution to the community.

"Temple Grandin" scribe Christopher Monger will direct from his own script which is based on Monger's novel of the same name. While I don't know much about Monger, he was recently nominated for an Emmy for writing the HBO movie "Temple Grandin," so he has some pedigree behind his name.

Either way, I think this will be a great project for Radcliffe to work on, I really think he would slide right into the '70's setting with no problems and I also could easily see him as a photographer. While he may not get as much credit as he should because it's "Harry Potter," all three of the main stars of those films are solid actors, especially Radcliffe, who in a sense has had the weight of the franchise on his shoulders for quite a while.

Due to their popularity the films would always make money, but that wouldn't mean all audiences would accept Radcliffe playing their beloved Potter, but he has proved time and again that he is quite the performer. Things should be no different on this film.

Ted Hope, Anne Carey and Karen Montgomery will produce the film, which should shoot later this year.

Classic Album Review: Scarface, "The Diary"

2011-03-02T13:34:00.001-05:00

Houston-born rapper Scarface gained notoriety early in his career as a member of the Geto Boys, along with artists Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The group was known for their explicit lyrics, many of which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia among other controversial topics.

The group was fairly successful, even with the fact that several American politicians were attacking gangsta rap at the time, along with artists like Ice-T and the N.W.A. Through the controversy, the group continued to put out music, and even broke some new ground with their soulful southern sound.

As time went on all the members of the group started working on solo careers. While the group didn't break-up exactly, once Scarface started working on his solo material, it was clear he was meant for some bigger things than just the Geto Boys.

Scarface released two albums, "Mr. Scarface is Back" and "The World Is Yours," to strong sales, but his sophomore album didn't gain as much recognition with critics. This set the stage for his third album, and arguably his best, titled "The Diary."

Released in October of 1994, Scarface sheds away the excess of his previous album by keeping "The Diary" much shorter than the 70-minute long "The World Is Yours," which had some solid tracks (like "Now I Feel Ya") but was cluttered with mediocre work. Clocking in at a succinct 43-minutes, the album has no filler and is filled with strong tracks, especially "I Seen a Man Die," "Hand of the Dead Body," "Jesse James," "Mind Playin' Tricks '94" and "No Tears."

"Hand of the Dead Body" was the first track released from the album and features a verse from gangsta rap veteran Ice Cube as well as Devin the Dude. Scarface outshines both artists by spitting some of his best lines on this track, which centers on the government and media critics who attacked gangsta rap for its violent imagery.

Scarface brings it hard on this track as he raps: "Shot in the face by a cop, close casket / An open and shut situation/Cop gets got, the wanna blame it on my occupation/If you don't dig me, than nigga you can sue me/Because the shit that I be sayin ain't worse than no western money/Don't blame me blame your man Gotti/So you can feel the hand of the dead body."

"I Seen a Man Die" is one of the more thoughtful tracks on the album, but it's also one of the best. Scarface shows off his versatile skills as an artist by switching things up here, using a more existential and somber tone. The song is a tale of a young kid released from prison after numerous years looking for a better life only to get caught up on the crime side once again. The track goes over how he's robbed by his enemies only to die in the hospital while feeling regrets.

The track is one of the deepest on the album and you can hear how close the subject matter is to Scarface as he spits: "Imagine life at it's full peak/Then imagine lying dead in the arms of your enemy/Imagine peace on this earth when there's no grief/Imagine grief on this earth when there's no peace/Cuz everybody's got a different way of endin' it/And when your number comes for service then they send it in/Now your time has arrived for the final touch/I see the fear in your eyes and hear your final breath/How much longer will it be til it's all done?/Total darkness and ease be in all one."

Minus the interludes, there are only ten songs on this album (which is a good thing) and the understated production is fantastic with most of the production coming from N.O. Joe and Mike Dean and some from Scarface as well. "Jesse James" is one of my favorite tracks on the album, with Scarface making some connections himself to one of history's most notorious criminals. The slow beat is also intoxicating and just oozes the aura of street living.

"The Diary" is some of Scarface's best work and the album is one of the few to receive a perfect rating from both The Source Magazine and XXL, which is a pretty impressive feat in itself.

The album may be short, but what it lacks in quantity it surely makes up for in quality. It's hard to find one that's worth skipping while listening to it straight through, and that's something that is usually the exception not that standard for most rappers.

The Academy Awards Are Tonight!

2011-02-27T12:22:00.002-05:00

Best Picture

"The King's Speech," "True Grit," "Inception," "The Social Network," "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "The Kids Are All Right," "Toy Story 3," "127 Hours," "Winter's Bone"

Breakdown: It's really hard to argue against any of these nominees, but it's clearly a two-horse race between "The King's Speech" and "The Social Network," although it wouldn't be a major surprise at all to see box-office favorite "True Grit" pick up the award.

Who Should Win: "The Social Network." There's just something about this movie that I can't shake. David Fincher's directing, Aaron Sorkin's writing, Trent Reznor's score, and the acting of Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake all combine together to create what in my opinion is the best all around movie of the year. While some people have called the film "The Facebook Movie," it's really about much more than Facebook. It's about culture and the generation we live in now.

Who Will Win: "The King's Speech." At the beginning of awards season, it looked as if "The Social Network" could not be stopped. It seemingly was winning every critics award imaginable and was starting to have the feel of an Oscar lock. But the race got interesting late in the game as "The King's Speech" started to rack up awards and after winning the award for director Tom Hooper from the DGA, the historical drama looks to be the front-runner.

Snubs: "The Town." While I think "Winter's Bone" is completely deserving of its nomination, Ben Affleck's Boston crime drama easily could have slid in to (what was most likely) the tenth slot.

Best Director

David Fincher ("The Social Network"), Tom Hooper ("The King's Speech"), Darren Aronofsky, ("Black Swan"), David O. Russell ("The Fighter"), Joel and Ethan Coen ("True Grit")

Breakdown: It's hard to argue with any of the five nominations in this category, but it's a two-horse race again, this time with Fincher and Hooper. Both films, "The Social Network" and "The King's Speech," have enjoyed high praise everywhere, and if one of these two didn't win the award, I would be surprised. While the Coens have past pedigree in the category, I think it's between Hooper and Fincher.

Who Should Win: David Fincher has directed some truly great films in the past, including "Seven," "Fight Club" and "Zodiac," and I think he made the best picture of the year in "The Social Network." It should be his award.

Who Will Win: Fincher has it. His film and his work on it have earned widespread praise and although Hooper won the DGA Award (making him sort of a frontrunner), I still think Fincher will pull away with it.

Snubs: Christopher Nolan! "Inception," In one of the most glaring snubs in recent memory, Nolan was shut out of this category again (after another snub for "The Dark Knight). Conspiracy theories abound, but I think the reason for the snub is because some voters just didn't understand "Inception" (which means they are dumb), but whatever the reason, he deserves to be miffed. Hopefully with "The Dark Knight Rises," Nolan will get his due.

Best Actor

Colin Firth ("The King's Speech"), Jeff Bridges ("True Grit"), Jesse Eisenberg ("The Social Network"), James Franco ("127 Hours"), Javier Bardem ("Biutiful")

Breakdown: While all five actors gave amazing performances, this feels like its Firth's award to lose. He won the Golden Globe and his performance has been unanimously praised for its realistic portrayal of a character suffering from a stammer. Both Franco and Eisenberg were fantastic, and if not for Firth, either of them would be deserving.

Who Should Win: Whenever an actor is nominated two years in a row for Best Actor, I think that is truly an amazing accomplishment. Both Firth and Bridges pulled it off this year (Bridges won for "Crazy Heart" last year, while Firth was in "A Single Man") and while I think Bridges was great as Rooster Cogburn, it's Firth's year.

Who Will Win: Firth is the frontrunner and he will take it home.

Snubs: You name it. From Robert Duvall of "Get Low" to Ryan Gosling of "Blue Valentine" to Mark Wahlberg of "The Fighter." All three have legitimate beef with the Academy, but I can't argue with any of the five nominated. That said, Gosling was exceptional.

Best Actress

Annette Bening ("The Kids Are All Right"), Natalie Portman ("Black Swan"), Jennifer Lawrence ("Winter's Bone"), Nicole Kidman ("Rabbit Hole"), Michelle Williams ("Blue Valentine")

Breakdown: Another category that seems as if it's down to two nominees: Annette Bening and Natalie Portman are the frontrunners. Portman was previously nominated as a supporting actress for 2004's "Closer" and Bening has been nominated four times without winning.

Who Should Win: I thought both Bening and Portman were fantastic, but I think it's Portman who should win this year, because "Black Swan" totally fell on her shoulders and she was great in it. It was a physically and mentally demanding role, she took it head on--and she nailed it.

Who Will Win: While I think Portman could easily take this, I actually think the Academy will finally call on Bening for the first time.

Snubs: Hailee Steinfeld of "True Grit." I should call this the "Sort Of Snub." While I think it's great that she was nominated for Supporting Actress (which she has an actual chance to win), her character was more of a leading role, and I think she deserved a nomination for Best Actress, although I understand the voters reasoning.

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale ("The Fighter"), Geoffrey Rush ("The King's Speech"), Jeremy Renner ("The Town"), Mark Ruffalo ("The Kids Are All Right"), John Hawkes ("Winter's Bone")

Breakdown: While obviously every Oscar category is "deep" in the sense that the nominees are all deserving, this category is probably the strongest of any from top to bottom this year. While Bale was a knockout in "The Fighter" and is the front-runner, in any other year each four of these actors could take home the award. Ruffalo gave an amazing performance in "The Kids Are Alright,"and while I don't think he'll win this year, he was fantastic.

Who Should Win: I do think Bale was amazing, and he should win the award, but for the sake of it, and because I am a huge fan, I'll say John Hawkes should win. He has been spinning great performances for years (including in "Deadwood" among many others) and after seeing "Winter's Bone," I was floored by his performance.

Who Will Win: Bale is the frontrunner and after a slew of great career roles, he deserves this award.

Snubs: Justin Timberlake and Andrew Garfield ("The Social Network"). Each snub shows just how much voters liked "Winter's Bone," which I admit I was a fan of, as well. Although I loved Hawkes in the film, I think both these actors could have received a nomination. Timberlake was great and Garfield was even better--he played the emotional and sympathetic center of the year's best film.

Best Supporting Actress

Melissa Leo ("The Fighter"), Amy Adams ("The Fighter"), Helena Bonham Carter ("The King's Speech"), Hailee Steinfeld ("True Grit") Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom")

Breakdown: When a film has two nominations in one category, it says a lot. While Carter gave an amazing performance, as did Weaver, it seems to be Leo's award to lose (apart from her strange Oscar campaign photos).

Who Should Win: Steinfeld was amazing in "True Grit" and based on pure performance, she should win.

Who Will Win: Leo most likely will take home the award for her loud and realistic portrayal of boxer Micky Ward's mother.

Snubs: Mila Kunis ("Black Swan") and Julianne Moore ("The Kids Are All Right"). Both were absolutely deserving but were shut out in a strong year for the category. Kunis was great in "Black Swan" and has a definite gripe here.

Other thoughts and observations:

-Snub: Lee Smith - Editing - Inception. Come on, that last act when the movie is jumping through three different levels of dreaming isn't Oscar worthy? Please.

-I hope Christopher Nolan wins for Best Original Screenplay for "Inception." The film was fantastic and do you get a script more original than that? Don't think so.

-Snub: Daft Punk - Score - Tron: Legacy. I'm probably biased because I am a Daft Punk fan, but their electronic and transy soundtrack to the new "Tron" film definitely deserved a nomination. But if Trent Reznor loses the award, it's an injustice.

-I don't care if they thought the film wasn't that great overall, but "Tron: Legacy" getting shut out of an Effects Oscar just doesn't make sense.

The Academy Awards air tonight on ABC.

Paul Walker Sold At A "Pawn Shop"

2011-02-26T12:29:00.002-05:00

While many people remember Fred Durst best for his work as the front man of the band Limp Bizkit, more recently he has proved he has a knack for directing films. In 2008, he directed the Ice Cube film "The Longshots," which was nothing special, but in 2007 Durst completely shocked me with his excellent work on "The Education of Charlie Banks."

Starring a pre-Oscar nominated Jesse Eisenberg in a pitch perfect role, the film was a tale of friendship, secrets and higher education that showed that Durst had a feel for cinema and was a skilled director. For his next project, Durst is aiming for something more along the lines of "Banks" rather than a comedy like "Longshots," and it has just added a leading man.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paul Walker will star in the Durst-directed thriller "Pawn Shop Chronicles" for Lionsgate.

The article describes the project as "hillbilly Pulp Fiction" and follows interconnected stories centering on a missing wedding ring, which leads to a wild-goose chase involving meth addicts, skinheads and an Elvis impersonator.

Actor-turned-writer Adam Minarovich penned the script while Jordan Schur, David Mimran and Steven Schneider are producing along with Durst.

I'm not sure exactly why, but there was always something I liked about Paul Walker. Sure, his acting could be a bit stiff, but he was solid back in the day in "She's All That" and he was pretty good in the mediocre "Running Scared." I think he could be a good fit here, but the reason I look at this project as a potentially successful one is due to Durst.

If you're a fan of good movies or Jesse Eisenberg, seriously do yourself a favor and get your hands on "The Education of Charlie Banks" because it really is worthwhile. This new project seems suited for him, and I'd expect it to be a solid film all around, especially from the director's chair.

Shooting aims to kick off this spring in Michigan.

Wentworth Miller Goes "Analog"

2011-02-26T12:28:00.001-05:00

Back when "Prison Break" first premiered, lead actor Wentworth Miller looked like a superstar in the making. The badass shaved head, the solid acting--it just seemed to me like he had the chance to break out in a big way. That never happened for Miller, although "Prison Break" did end up lasting for four seasons, which is something to be proud of, I guess.

Either way, Miller didn’t do much with his star chance, so it's great to see him headlining a new project, even if it is a small one. According to Variety, Miller is attached to star in the $3 million indie dramedy "Analog."

The story follows an introverted genius who tries to find a love connection in an increasingly digital world. Mike Million ("Tenure") directs from his own 2005 Black List screenplay.

Maybe I have a soft spot for Miller because he went to high school in my neighborhood, but either way, I really think he is a solid actor and perhaps this film could lead him to doing more movies in the future. The simple premise of the film sound very unique and the fact that the script was on the Black List is a huge plus for the project.

Brendan McDonald is producing with shooting potentially ready to start this summer in Michigan.

Binoche, Amlric Enter The "Cosmopolis"

2011-02-26T12:27:00.002-05:00

David Cronenberg hasn't directed a feature film since 2007's "Eastern Promises," which makes his next feature "Cosmopolis" all the more exciting. On top of the fact that it's based on Don DeLillo's excellent novel, the film's cast is shaping up extremely nicely.

According to C7nema, French actors Juliette Binoche and Mathieu Amalric ("Quantum of Solace") have joined the cast of Cronenberg‘s upcoming adaptation.

Based on the novel by Don DeLillo, the story follows a day in the life of newly married billionaire Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) as he cheats on his wife, is pursued by a stalker (Paul Giamatti), gets attacked by a protester and gradually loses his entire fortune over the course of a single day.

DeLillo's book is really interesting and while I thought the story would be very hard to adapt to film, I think Cronenberg is a director who is totally up to task. While he hasn't helmed a film in a few years, his past few films have been nothing short of excellent, especially Cronenberg's 2005 film "A History of Violence," which starred Maria Bello and Viggo Mortensen.

The supporting cast of "Cosmopolis" is superb and deep, with Giamatti and now Binoche and Amalric, who was amazing in "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" a few years ago.

Production on the film is aiming for a start on May 24th in Toronto.

"Tron" Scribes Talk "Once Upon a Time"

2011-02-26T12:26:00.002-05:00

Based on the work they did on "Lost," Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz proved they are one of the most talented science-fiction screenwriting teams out there. They wrote many episodes for the series, including such memorable ones as "Something Nice Back Home," "Every Man for Himself," "Dave," "Fire and Water" and "Greatest Hits," which was one of the most emotional of the series.

They followed up their work on the show with a little film called "Tron: Legacy" and while not all die-hard fans liked the film, I thought it was pretty good considering how high expectations were for the project.

The duo are currently working on a TV series for ABC titled "Once Upon a Time" and they spoke to Vulture in an interview about the show, revealing some interesting details about it.

The part-fantasy story revolves around "A young boy who lives in Storybrooke, Maine, where he's convinced things aren't what they seem, and we also get glimpses of a fairy tale land where familiar evil queens and dwarves with sharply drawn personalities are quite real."

Horowitz said in the interview: "We want to take the iconography that we've always loved and find a new way to look at what makes these fairy-tale characters tick."

Kitsis said that "there will be self-contained stories in each episode. [And] there will be a larger mythology at work. But it's not like if you miss an episode one week, you can't catch up."

Just based on their past work, I would watch the show, but after reading more details about it, the series sounds like it could be something very unique, which often is not seen on network TV. The show begins by jumping between two different world's--the fairytale and the Storybrooke, which sounds very "Lost" influenced, and that's not a bad thing.

While the project is still early in development, it could be a surprise hit for the network.

Richard Kelly Visits "Corpus Christi"

2011-02-26T12:25:00.001-05:00

Whether you loved it or hated it, if you saw "Donnie Darko," you have to admit that Richard Kelly has a distinct and unique skill and vision when it comes to film. He isn't conventional and while some of his films were a bit muddled, like "Southland Tales," for example, his projects at least make audiences think outside "The Box."

Kelly, in fact, last directed the previously mentioned "The Box" and for his next project, he will work on something a bit more conventional. According to Variety, Kelly will next write and direct the contemporary thriller "Corpus Christi," which will be co-financed through his own company, Darko Entertainment.

The Texas-set project will be a foray into a more traditional narrative for the "Donnie Darko" director, with the story concerning a mentally unstable Iraq war veteran who forges a strange friendship with his boss, the wealthy and politically ambitious owner of a supermarket chain.

While the plot of the film sounds a bit strange, this will be Kelly's first film without heavy science-fiction effects or elements. I was a big fan of "Donnie Darko," I thought it was a strange and totally original idea, and I thought what Kelly did with time travel was fresh and pretty intelligent. Although I wasn't as big of a fan of "Southland Tales" or "The Box," I was always curious at what Kelly could do on a more conventional film, and it looks like we'll all have a chance to see that.

Kelly's unique skill set should be well suited for this film and it will be interesting to see how he tackles the idea of having the main character be a mentally unstable war veteran.

Kelly, Eli Roth and Sean McKittrick will produce and shooting will kick off on location in July. Casting is under way and an announcement is expected within the next month.

Danny Boyle Tries "Sharp" Werewolves

2011-02-26T12:24:00.001-05:00

The director/writer team of Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy has proven to a successful formula in recent years. The two scored Oscar gold for their work on "Slumdog Millionaire," and this past year they lent their talents to the Oscar-nominated "127 Hours," so it's not a surprise that they would want to work together again.

According to the site InContention, who spoke with Beaufoy, the writer said that he's working on a film adaptation of Toby Barlow's werewolf-themed poem “Sharp Teeth,” which Boyle may direct.

The story follows a trio of werewolves in East Los Angeles. Characters include a lawyer with ambitious plans to takeover the city, a dogcatcher and loner who falls for a beautiful and mysterious woman, and a detective investigating dog-related murders.

In the article, Beaufoy explains that he has been taking ridealongs with LAPD officers in Compton and Watts for research. Boyle himself is currently working on a soon-to-open stage adaptation of "Frankenstein."

If only because of their track record, anything these two work on together is something worth being interested in, but beyond that, I think the story would be something Boyle would love to tackle.

He has worked on numerous types of films in his career, including the drug-fueled "Trainspotting," the horror/survival film "28 Days Later," and the science fiction film "Sunshine." This type of film would be another way for Boyle to show off his signature creativity and style.

No release date is set yet, but look for news in the coming weeks.

Levy Helms "Fantastic Voyage" Remake

2011-02-26T12:23:00.001-05:00

Director Shawn Levy is still putting the finishing touches on his robot boxing film "Real Steel," but that hasn't kept him from lining up his next possible job. According to Deadline, Levy has been tapped to direct the James Cameron-produced 3D remake of the sci-fi classic "Fantastic Voyage" for 20th Century Fox.

Based on the 1966 film, the voyage revolves around a team of scientists who are shrunk to atomic size and sent in a miniature submarine inside the body of a scientist to save his life.

The film has been in development for awhile with director Paul Greengrass attached last year, but when he left, it became one of the most wanted open spots in the industry. A whole crop of names, including Darren Aronofsky, Timur Bekmambetov, Jonathan Mostow and Louis Leterrier met with Cameron about the gig, but it looks as if Levy is his man for the job. Shane Salerno penned the script, which Laeta Kalogridis performed re-writes on it.

While Levy doesn't seem like the most obvious choice of the crop for an action film due to his background in comedy with films like "Cheaper By the Dozen" and "What Happens in Vegas," Levy has recently shown he is looking to broaden his horizons. His upcoming film "Real Steel" is a science fiction/action/sports story and Levy also has signed on for another action/adventure picture with Fox.

This film could be a huge success due to the subject matter and James Cameron's involvement. We all saw what he could create with 3D imagery and technology in "Avatar," so I can only imagine what he'll do with the inside of a human body.

With Levy at the helm this could play well to general audiences and turn out to be a big hit down the line.

Redford To Act In "Gold in the Snow"?

2011-02-26T12:22:00.001-05:00

Robert Redford hasn't stepped in front of the camera for an acting gig since 2007's "Lions For Lambs," and it's not like that film was great or anything. It's been quite a while since the aging film star took to the screen, but it looks as if that might just happen.

According to The Playlist, Redford might be making a return to star in Nicolas Vanier‘s next directorial effort, "Gold In The Snow."

An English-language adaptation of Vanier‘s own 2004 novel, the film would find Redford playing an old trapper who helps a young American man seeking gold along the Klondike river in Alaska in 1897. Three well-known actors are said to be in contention for the younger role.

Although Redford's role in the film will most likely be small, I'd be thrilled to see him in front of the camera again. I recently watched "All the President's Men" again for the first time in a while, and I marveled at how great Redford was in the film. On top of that, "Spy Game" always has been a personal favorite and it made me hope that Redford would do more acting work in his later years.

Redford directed the upcoming historical drama "The Conspirator" starring James McAvoy, which will be released in April.

Shooting for "Gold" would take place over the course of a year to capture the Yukon territory as it passes through the various seasons.

Classic Album Reivew: The Roots, "Do You Want More?!!!??!"

2011-02-22T15:12:00.002-05:00

Throughout the years artists, critics, writers and musicians have drawn tons of comparisons between hip-hop and jazz, and no group has combined the two genres better than The Roots.

Since the group is so successful now and currently serves as Jimmy Fallon's house band on "Late Night," it's almost hard to remember that there was a time when mainstream success eluded the group.

The origins of the group began when rapper Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) and drummer Questlove (Ahmir Thompson) met and became friends at the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts in the late '80s. As the next few years went by they began to do shows around Philadelphia and New York City with bassist Leonard "Hub" Hubbard and rapper Malik B, the Roots and eventually recorded a debut album, titled "Organix."

The band produced the album independently and originally sold it at shows in Europe. The group earned itself a very loyal following and as time went on, the album earned a great deal of buzz around the industry and led to the group finally getting some studio recognition.

After releasing "From the Ground Up" EP in 1994, the group went to work on their first official studio album, which showed off how truly skilled they were at combining elements of hip-hop, jazz and live instruments. Unlike some other artists, the group didn't use the combination as a commercial gimmick, instead they fuse the two together to great a new genre in itself and a sound that is truly intoxicating.

Their first true studio album "Do You Want More???" was released in January of 1995 and was extremely well received by both fans and critics. The album is long, clocking in at over 70 minutes, but in this case quantity equals quality. From top to bottom, every track is solid, especially "Lazy Afternoon," the title track "Do You Want More?!!!??!," "Distortion to Static," "? vs. Rahzel," and "Mellow My Man."

The thing that makes the album work so well is how the group takes a completely original approach to the hip-hop genre, with their jazzy instrumentals and socially conscious lyrics. One track in which this really shines through is on "Distortion to Static," which features a provocatively smooth beat and some of the best verses on the album.

Malik B is supremely confident on the track as he raps: "Yo, I'm every MC, it's all in me/That's the way it is, when ya gotta be/Indeed as I distort I proceed, I need / Gettin hotter than sacks of boom, in my room at the Ramada/Four tanks in your memory banks to fill up/I provide the static, with scratch to match, while you catch the vibe/Most can play high post, but yo that don't mean shit/Because my click'll make a motherfucker sick."

Black Thought has one of the truly unique flows and voices in the hip-hop industry and his work on this album is one reason why it holds up so well after all these years. On the title track "Do You Want More?!!!??!," Thought takes center stage, spitting some great lines over a truly amazing beat, which uses perfectly placed Scottish bagpipes mixed in with a hard drum from Questlove.

Thought opens the track with a hard sound that hooks you in and keeps you until the track ends. He raps ferociously as he spits: "Like I'm a medical doctor, watch the damage/I inflict properly, ain't nobody risin on top of me/I be droppin more plot in my mic monopoly/Got to be, got to be reality, Stevie Wonder see/Black Thought be me, I groove ba-by/Or I clue they say baby/Would you get with this? Not even maybe."

Although it isn't exactly a conventional track, I couldn’t write this without mentioning "? vs. Rahzel," which is my one of my personal favorites from the album. While it is mainly instrumentals and a beat and doesn't feature any verses, the track is a favorite of mine because it has two of my favorite hip-hop artists showing off their skills front and center. The track features Questlove banging out the drums while Rahzel mixes in his patented beat-boxing techniques, combining for a unique sound not found on many other hip-hop albums.

The track epitomizes The Roots' jazz influences, with Rahzel's beats and Questlove's drums forming an improvisational loop of just pure music and jamming. Another track that really shows off those influences as well is "Mellow My Man," which features heavy electric piano grooves and realistic lyrics.

With their offbeat delivery and live instrumental sound, The Toots literally were like no other group out there. The group was extremely musically talented, that was clear, but they also possessed a skill at linking the experimental nature jazz with the gritty life of the streets and hip-hop. Due to its jazzy influences, "Do You Want More?!!!??!" sometimes sounds more like an album bred from old-school hip-hop rather than contemporary rap.

The group lets the music breathe throughout the album, letting tracks build as they go one and creating a funkadelic hip-hop sound that is impossible to copycat. The album was a blueprint for combining hip-hop and jazz; it emphatically put The Roots on the map, and is definitely a classic.

WELCOME TO NY CARMELO

2011-02-22T08:41:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the Mecca of Basketball.

The Garden is Back.

Can't wait to get Chris Paul or Deron Williams in a year.

Let's rejoice and put that decade of futility behind us!

Some Academy Awards Thoughts and Predictions...(in case you were wondering)

2011-02-20T20:57:00.006-05:00

Ah the Academy Awards. Everyone has a prediction, and while I don't claim to be an expert, here are some predictions for the big night.

Best Picture

Nominees: "The King's Speech," "True Grit," "Inception," "The Social Network," "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "The Kids Are All Right," "Toy Story 3," "127 Hours," "Winter's Bone"

Breakdown: It's really hard to argue against any of these nominees, but it's clearly a two-horse race right now between "The King's Speech" and "The Social Network," although it wouldn't be a major surprise at all to see box-office favorite "True Grit" pick up the award.

Who Should Win: "The Social Network" There's just something about this movie that I can't shake. David Fincher's directing, Aaron Sorkin's writing, Trent Reznor's score, the acting of Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake all combine together to create what in my opinion is the best all around movie of the year. While some people have called the film "The Facebook Movie," it's really about much more than just the website, and it says a lot about culture and the generation we live in now.

Who Will Win: "The King's Speech" At the beginning of awards season it looked as if "The Social Network" could not be stopped. It seemingly was winning every critics award imaginable and was starting to have the feel of an Oscar lock. But the race got interesting late in the game as "The King's Speech" started to rack up awards and after winning the award for director Tom Hooper from the DGA, the historical drama looks to be the front runner.

Snubs: "The Town," While I think "Winter's Bone" is completely deserving a nomination in this category, Ben Affleck's Boston crime drama easily could have slid in to (what was most likely) the tenth slot.

Best Director

David Fincher ("The Social Network"), Tom Hooper ("The King's Speech"), Darren Aronofsky, ("Black Swan"), David O. Russell ("The Fighter"), Joel and Ethan Coen ("True Grit")

Breakdown: It's truly hard to argue with any of the five nominations in this category, but it's a two horse race again with Fincher and Hooper. Both films, "The Social Network" and "The King's Speech," have gotten high praise everywhere, and if one of these two didn't win the award I would be surprised. While the Coen's have past pedigree in the category, I think it's between Hooper and Fincher.

Who Should Win: David Fincher has directed some truly great films in the past, including "Seven," "Fight Club," and "Zodiac," and I think he made the best picture of the year in "The Social Network." It should be his award.

Who Will Win: Fincher has it. His film and his work on it have earned widespread praise and although Hooper won the DGA Award (making him sort of a frontrunner) I still think Fincher will pull away with it.

Snubs: Christopher Nolan! "Inception," In one of the most glaring snubs in recent memory, Nolan was shut out of this category again (after another snub for "The Dark Knight). Conspiracy theories are abound, but I think the reason is because some voters maybe just didn't understand "Inception" (which means they are dumb), but whatever the reason he deserves to be miffed. Hopefully with "The Dark Knight Rises" Nolan will get his due.

Best Actor

Colin Firth ("The King's Speech"), Jeff Bridges ("True Grit"), Jesse Eisenberg ("The Social Network"), James Franco ("127 Hours"), Javier Bardem ("Biutiful")

Breakdown: While all five actors gave amazing performances, this feels like it's Firth's award to lose. He won the Golden Globe award and his performance has been unanimously praised for it's realistic portrayal of a character suffering from a stammer. Both Franco and Eisenberg were fantastic, and if not for Firth, either of these two would be deserving.

Who Should Win: Whenever an actor is nominated two years in a row for Best Actor, I think that is truly an amazing accomplishment. Both Firth and Bridges pulled it off this year (Bridges won for "Crazy Heart" last year, while Firth was in "A Single Man") and while I think Bridges was great as Rooster Cogburn, it's Firth's year.

Who Will Win: Firth is the frontrunner, and he will take it home.

Snubs: Robert Duvall of "Get Low" and Ryan Gosling from "Blue Valentine" to Mark Wahlberg of "The Fighter." All three have legitimate beef with the Academy, but I can't argue with any of the five nominated. Gosling was truly exceptional though.

Best Actress

Annette Bening ("The Kids Are All Right"), Natalie Portman ("Black Swan"), Jennifer Lawrence ("Winter's Bone"), Nicole Kidman ("Rabbit Hole"), Michelle Williams ("Blue Valentine")

Breakdown: Another category which seems as if it's down to two nominees: Annette Bening and Natalie Portman are the frontrunners for this award. Portman was previously nominated as a supporting actress for 2004's "Closer" and Bening has been nominated four times without winning.

Who Should Win: I thought both Bening and Portman were fantastic, but i think it's Portman who should win this year, because "Black Swan" totally fell on her shoulders and she was just great in it. It was a physically and mentally demanding role, and she took it head on.

Who Will Win: While I think Portman could easily take this, I actually think the Academy will finally call on Bening for the first time.

Snubs: Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit", I should call this the "Sort Of Snub". While I think it's great she was nominated for Supporting Actress (which she has an actual chance to win), her character was more of a leading role, and I think she deserved a nomination for Best Actress, although I understand the voters reasoning.

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale ("The Fighter"), Geoffrey Rush ("The King's Speech"), Jeremy Renner ("The Town"), Mark Ruffalo ("The Kids Are All Right"), John Hawkes ("Winter's Bone")

Breakdown: While obviously every Oscar category is "deep" in the sense that the nominees are all deserving, this category is probably the strongest of any from top to bottom this year. While Bale was a knockout in "The Fighter" and is the front runner, in any other year each four of these actors could take home the award. Ruffalo gave an amazing performance years ago in "You Can Count On Me" which was Oscar-winning-worthy, and while I don't think he'll win this year he was fantastic.

Who Should Win: I do think Bale was amazing, and he should win the award, but for the sake of it, and because I am a huge fan, I'll say John Hawkes should win. He has been spinning great performances for years (including in "Deadwood" among many others) and after seeing "Winter's Bone" I was floored by his performance.

Who Will Win: Bale is the frontrunner and after a slew of great roles in his career, deserves this award.

Snubs: Justin Timberlake and Andrew Garfield ("The Social Network"), the snubs of either of these two shows how much voters liked "Winter's Bone," which I admit I was a fan of as well. Although I loved Hawkes in the film, I think both these actors could have received a nomination. Timberlake was great and Garfield was even greater, playing the emotional and sympathetic center of the year's best film.

Best Supporting Actress

Melissa Leo ("The Fighter"), Amy Adams ("The Fighter"), Helena Bonham Carter ("The King's Speech"), Hailee Steinfeld ("True Grit") Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom")

Breakdown: When a film has two nominations in one category, it sure says a lot. While Carter gave an amazing performance, as did Weaver, it seems to be Leo's award to lose (apart from her strange Oscar campaign photos).

Who Should Win: Steinfeld was amazing in "True Grit" and based on pure performance, she should win.

Who Will Win: Leo most likely will take home the award for her loud and realistic portrayal of boxer Micky Ward's mother.

Snubs: Mila Kunis ("Black Swan"), Julianne Moore ("The Kids Are All Right"), Both were absolutely deserving but were shut out in a strong year for the category. Kunis was truly great in "Black Swan" and has a definite gripe here.

Other stray thoughts and observations:

-Snub: Lee Smith - Editing - Inception. Come on, that last act when the movie is jumping through three different levels of dreaming isn't Oscar worthy? Please.

-I hope Christopher Nolan wins for Best Original Screenplay for "Inception." The film was truly fantastic and do you get a script more original than that? Don't think so.

-Sunb: Daft Punk - Score - Tron: Legacy, I'm probably biased because I am a Daft Punk fan, but their electronic and transy soundtrack to the new "Tron" film definitely deserved a nomination. But if Trent Reznor loses the Award that is an injustice.

-I don't care if they thought the film wasn't that great overall, but "Tron: Legacy" getting shut out of an Effects Oscar just doesn't make sense.

The Academy Awards air on Sunday February, 27, 2011.

Gerard Butler Goes Surfing In "Mavericks"

2011-02-17T17:13:00.002-05:00

Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I've always thought that Curtis Hanson was one of Hollywood's most underrated directors. Hanson won an Oscar for his writing-work on "L.A. Confidential," which is easily one of Hollywood's best films in the past 20 years, and he has directed some excellent films in the past including "Wonder Boys," "8 Mile" and "The River Wild."

Hanson doesn’t work all that often (he hasn't directed a feature film since 2007's "I'm Lucky"), so whenever he does direct something, it has my attention. His next project is a surfing film that sounds quite interesting, and it also has just added a leading man.

According to Deadline, Gerard Butler ("300") is set to play Rick "Frosty" Hesson in Hanson's upcoming surfing feature "Mavericks" for Walden Media.

The fact-based story follows the late Jay Moriarity and his quest to ride the iconic Northern California break known as Mavericks, where winter swells bring in treacherous waves the size of five-story buildings. Moriarity trained for over a year under Hesson, a friendship that transformed both their lives. Moriarity, who died in 2001 in a diving accident in the Maldives, remains an inspiration to surfers around the globe.

While Butler has lent his talents to a bunch of awful romantic comedies, his work in "300" and "RocknRolla" was solid and this could be a good chance for him to show off his dramatic talents. Hanson recently directed the HBO financial crisis drama "Too Big To Fail" and should be very enthusiastic about his first feature since 2007.

Hanson's work on "L.A. Confidential" truly was something great and I think this film could be a surprise hit.

Shooting is expected to kick off in October.

"Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome" Gets Underway

2011-02-17T17:11:00.002-05:00

"Battlestar Galactica" fans around the world rejoice.

According to MovieWeb, production has officially begun in Vancouver on Syfy's anticipated two-hour pilot "Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome."

The show follows in the footsteps of "Battlestar Galactica," which ran from 2004 to 2009 and "Caprica," which premiered last year.

The show's official synopsis describes the story as having "the action set in the 10th year of the first Cylon war. As the battle between humans and their creation, the sentient robotic Cylons, rages across the twelve colonial worlds, a young, talented fighter pilot named William Adama (Luke Pasqualino) finds himself assigned to one of the most powerful Battlestars in the Colonial fleet--the Galactica.

Full of ambition and in pursuit of the intense action that the Cylon war promises, Adama quickly find himself at odds with Coker (Ben Cotton), the battle-weary officer to whom he reports. With 47 days left in his tour of duty, Coker desires an end to battle just as much as Adama craves the start of it. Though they clash at first, the two men forge an unlikely bond when a routine mission turns dangerous and becomes a pivotal one for the desperate fleet."

Universal Cable Productions will produce the series "utilizing cutting edge CGI and virtual technology" according to the official release.

I thought "Caprica" was solid, but that series was a bit more of a soapy drama compared to the original "Battlestar" series and I'm happy to see that "Blood and Chrome" is more in the latter's vein. On top of that Pasqualino, I think will be an excellent choice for the young Adama. Those that have seen the British version of "Skins" knows for sure that Pasqualino is a great young talent and I think this could be a big breakout role for him.

"Blood and Chrome" is created by the same crew that worked on the re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica" series, so this one has potential to be something special.

The pilot should debut later this year.

Classic Album Review: Ghostface Killah, “Supreme Clientele”

2011-02-16T13:22:00.001-05:00

After the release of their debut album "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" back in 1993, Wu-Tang Clan was literally on top of the rap world. The album was hailed as an instant classic and allowed the members of the group to branch out and record their own solo albums.

With the success of "36 Chambers" obviously expectations were high for the first round of solo projects from the Wu-Tang Clan and for the most part they didn't disappoint. Both "Tical" from Method Man and "Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version" from Ol Dirty Bastard are considered hip-hop classics and Ghostface Killah's "Ironman" was easily one of the best of the solo albums released by the group.

But as with many artists, sometimes the sophomore effort doesn't quite stack up the debut version. After releasing "Wu-Tang Forever" in 1997 the group separated for a second round of solo albums, but this time around many weren't as acclaimed as their original counterparts.

While albums from RZA, GZA, Method Man, and Raekwon were all commercially successful, they were not quite as close to critically acclaimed as their debuts. But one member of the group bucked this trend, emphatically improving on his second effort, the album "Supreme Clientele" from Ghostface Killah.

Released on January 25, 2000 the album features guest appearances from RZA, Raekwon, GZA, Method Man, Cappadonna, Redman, and Masta Killa and is considered to be one of the best solo albums to come from a member of the Wu-Tang Clan.

The album was hit with critics and fans alike after its release and was certified Gold in sales two months after its debut. The album is a long one, with 21 tracks, but in this case quantity equals quality. From start to finish there are few dull moments. The entire lineup is great but "Malcolm," "Apollo Kids," "Child's Play," "Cherchez LaGhost" and "Wu Banga 101" stand out above the rest.

Throughout the album Ghostface employs some excellent samples on the tracks, including on the first single released "Apollo Kids," which has a sample of "Cool Breeze" by R&B singer/songwriter Solomon Burke. The track also features Raekwon and has one of the most gangsta music videos of all time. The video was directed by Chris Robinson and showcases Ghostface as Tony Starks CEO of Starks Enterprises, located in the heart of Staten Island.

The beat, produced by Hassan, is hard biting and non-stop and is one of the best on the album. Ghostface is equally as intense as he raps on the track: "Yo, check these up top murderous/Snowy in the bezzle as the cloud merges/F.B.I. try and want word with this/Kid who punked out bust a shot uip in the becon/Catch me in the corner not speakin/Crushed out heavenly, U.G. rock the sweet daddy long fox minks/Chicken and brocolli, Wally's look stinky/With his man straight from Raleigh Durham, he recognized Kojak."

RZA produces numerous tracks on the album, my favorite of which is "Child's Play." The beat is fantastic (as usual from RZA) and has an old school-style, piano melody to it that is hard to forget about. The beat fits in perfectly with the track which is a sort of retrospective on the past and childhood itself.

Ghostface spits some of his best verses on the track, including towards the middle of the track as he spits: "Beautiful in lightshows, having no intentions on love/But having strung eyes of oppose, here we go/It's not the way she bubbed the gum, shooked her ass/I'm not the one, double dus, waiting for the bus/The faggot Nore son, now year later/Lady 7th floor, building 7-80/Fancy fox, booties for her socks, nothing else can change me/Young Nefertiti, knowledge seed with no jewelry on/Tahitian fresh berry tree, she's a Capricorn/I really liked the girl, had dreams about her."

"Malcolm" is one of the more serious tracks on the album, but it's also one of the best. The track has two of the most perfectly placed samples on the album in "Going In Circles" by Isaac Hayes and also Malcolm X's "After the Bombing" speech. Ghostface proves on this track how he can turn from something silly or less serious on the album (like "Child's Play) and then take on something that's more significant here.

The track is very symbolic and Ghostface has a flow on this track almost better than any other on the album as he spits: "Yo he sucked his thumb smooth for the kid laced with the big guns/Stain to my Baltimore niggas that he on the run/Plus he ill in the drums, heartburn for life, calcium man/Watch him grab the Tums, he's a front/Pigeon totalist sister with the fat ass/Show hash behind up the block plus he smashed her/Big Bub did him somethin deadly, act premedidtated/Buck 60 strike was the medley/Nice like Van Halen, seen him at the tunnel with his skin peelin/Did two days thought he was jailin."

With all its guest stars and producers one might mistake this album for a Wu-Tang one, but at its core it truly is Ghostface's show. Lyrically he is a force on every track, using some fantastic imagery and his dense rhyming skills to give the album an energetic, almost cinematic feel to it.

"Supreme Clientele" has a distinct sound and feel to it and emphatically proved that Ghostface Killah and the Wu-Tang Clan were forces to be reckoned with. The album was some of Killah's best work and is definitely a classic.

Judi Dench, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Garner Have "Better Living Through Chemistry"

2011-02-16T13:04:00.001-05:00

In a short period of time Jeremy Renner has proved to be one of the industry's best acting talents. Anytime you are nominated for Oscars in consecutive years, there is no doubt that you are one of the Hollywood elite. Last year, he lost Best Actor to Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart" for his work in "The Hurt Locker," and this year he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Ben Affleck's "The Town."

Renner is keeping himself busy as well, starring in both "The Avengers" as Hawkeye and as the new face of the "Mission Impossible" franchise in "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol." As if that weren't enough, it looks as if he just added another job to his busy schedule.

According to Variety, Renner, Judi Dench, Jennifer Garner and Michelle Monaghan have all joined the cast of the indie drama "Better Living Through Chemistry."

The $8 million dollar project follows a straight-laced small-town pharmacist stuck in a loveless marriage who rediscovers himself through an affair with a wild, drug-experimenting trophy wife. David Posamentier and Geoff Moore penned the script and are co-directing.

This film sounds like a classic independent drama and that's a good thing. The cast is great--Dench is an acting legend and Garner, Monaghan and Renner are some of Hollywood's best young talents. While Monaghan doesn't have the pedigree of Renner, she has given some excellent performances herself through the years, including in "Gone Baby Gone" and "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang."

Garner has been a personal favorite of mine for years because I was such a big fan of "Alias," but she has proved over the years to be a solid actress.

The cast makes this film a project to watch and could be one of those largely under-the-radar indie hits.

Felipe Marino, Joe Neurauter and Keith Calder will produce the film while shooting will start in August.

Abigail Breslin, Julianne Moore Bite Into "Innocence"

2011-02-16T13:03:00.002-05:00

With "Twilight" so successful, there has been an influx of vampire-themed films the past few years in Hollywood. While many of them haven't been great, such as "Daybreakers" and "Vampires Suck," the films have potential to take a tried and true genre and turn it on its head, much like "Let Me In," the remake of the Swedish film "Let the Right One In."

According to Variety, another vampire novel is getting the adaptation treatment, with Abigail Breslin and Julianne Moore teaming up for the gothic vampire thriller "Innocence."

The story follows a recently bereaved teenage girl who finds herself the focus of everyone's attention at her elitist private school, which is home to a nest of vampires. The story is adapted from the original novel of the same name by Jane Mendelsohn.

While this film could easily turn into a "Twilight" copycat, the fact that Breslin and Moore are attached is a huge positive sign for the project. Both actresses have been nominated for Academy Awards (Moore multiple times) and Breslin, along with actresses like Chloe Moretz and Haliee Steinfeld, has proved that some of Hollywood's most talented actors are just kids.

"Innocence" could turn out to be a surprise hit considering it's talent and interesting plot. Shooting will kick off late this summer.

Charlize Theron Set For "Prometheus"

2011-02-15T12:07:00.001-05:00

When Ridley Scott announced his intentions to film a prequel to "Alien," I have to admit I was a bit skeptical, just because of how epic the original was. But as time went on, the project morphed from a straight prequel to a related story that takes place in the same world as the original "Alien" film. It could turn into something pretty great all in itself.

"Lost" co-creator Damon Lindelof is writing the project, which is being described as an original sci-fi movie titled "Prometheus."

Noomi Rapace ("The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "Sherlock Holmes 2") is already attached to star and now it seems as if the project has added another big name. According to Variety, Charlize Theron is in final talks to co-star in Ridley Scott's upcoming sci-fi epic "Prometheus" for 20th Century Fox.

Theron and Noomi Rapace will be the leading protagonists in the film in the roles of Elizabeth Shaw and Vickers. While the story will not be a straight "Alien" prequel, there is still some connection to that film and it's "world."

Actor Michael Fassbender, who plays an android in the film, spoke about the film with MTV and explained a little more about its connection with "Alien."

"There's a definite connecting vein. You realize you're part of something else, but it's definitely in keeping with the old ones. When I read it, I was like, 'Well, okay, another Alien. Where do you go with this idea?' And then I sort of read the script, and it's new, yet it's in keeping with the old traditions as well. But there's a whole new revelation within this film. The first 'Alien' [movies], they were thrillers. Something's going on. It's creeping, it's sinister. Things are happening, it's building, [and there are] different sorts of intrigues and politics going on between the different relationships on board. There's action in (this new film), but the intelligence is what struck me when I read it. It's more sort of like the original ones. There are things happening and building, and the intelligence of the first two-thirds of the film gets you ready for the action."

As a science fiction project by itself the film sounds great and adding the connection to "Alien" makes things even more exciting for this film. Fassbender has been one of the "go-to" guys in Hollywood after his amazing performance in "Inglourious Basterds." He will also star as Magneto in the upcoming summer blockbuster "X-Men: First Class."

Adding Theron is also a pretty big deal as well. This project falls on the shoulders of its two female leads, and if they weren't two strong-willed and talented ones, the film could falter. Theron is an Academy Award winner and Rapace showed off her talent in the Swedish versions of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" films.

Shooting should begin later this year on the film with a possible release for 2012.

Anton Yelchin Joins Koontz' "Odd Thomas"

2011-02-15T12:06:00.004-05:00

In the past few years, Anton Yelchin has taken on the roles of some iconic figures, including as time-traveling hero Kyle Reese in "Terminator: Salvation" and as Pavel Chekov in J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek." I thought Yelchin was excellent in both films, and although one of his next upcoming projects isn't for a character as well established, the actor should have no trouble stepping into his shoes.

According to Shock Till You Drop, Yelchin is the first to join the cast of the $47 million adaptation of Dean R. Koontz's 2003 novel "Odd Thomas" for Fusion Films.

The story follows Odd Thomas, an optimistic twenty-year-old short-order cook who can see both dead people and the shadowy figures called 'bodachs' that appear around death and disaster. When bodachs seem to be swarming around a diner customer he nicknames 'Fungus Man', Odd is convinced the man is connected to a terrible catastrophe about to occur. Stephen Sommers is directing the movie from a script he adapted.

While the fact that Sommers wrote and will direct the film may not be the best news in the world (umm see "G.I. Joe"), having Yelchin top the cast may be what helps make this film something special. The story sounds fascinating and original and looks as if it should translate to the silver screen pretty well.

Yelchin has some acting chops; the naïve and truthful performance he put on as the main victim in "Alpha Dog" a few years ago really impressed me and I think this role should suit him quite well.

Howard Kaplan and John Baldecchi will produce but no production start date has yet been set.

Gere Replaces Pacino In "Arbitrage"

2011-02-15T12:06:00.002-05:00

One old man steps out, another old man steps in.

Although it seemed that Al Pacino was set to play the lead in Nicholas Jarecki's financial drama "Arbitage," according to Deadline, it looks as if Richard Gere is close to a deal to star in the flick.

The story follows a troubled hedge fund magnate desperate to complete the sale of his trading empire before his fraud is exposed. He soon makes a costly error that forces him to turn to an unlikely person for help.

At last report Pacino was slated to star in the lead role but is no longer attached to the film as of last month. Eva Green and Susan Sarandon also star in the film.

Laura Bickford, Kevin Turen, Bob Salerno and Justin Nappi are producing while Jarecki also penned the script.

Rapper Drake is also reportedly set to star in the film, which even with the absence of Pacino should be an interesting one. While Gere clearly isn't the caliber of an actor that Pacino is, he is still a top-notch talent and even though one of his recent film, "Brooklyn's Finest," was uneven, Gere was great in the film.

Shooting is set to start mid-April in New York.

Tom McCarthy Pens "Million Dollar Arm"

2011-02-13T20:49:00.002-05:00

Back in 2000, while still toiling around public school somewhere, I had my first interaction with filmmaker and actor Tom McCarthy.

He had a small role in "Meet the Parents" as the soon-to-be son in-law of Robert De Niro and for some reason I can't quite understand till this day, I thought he was the funniest thing in it. Maybe it was something about the timing in a couple of his lines, but either way, the point is that afterwards I looked up his name in the credits, and from then on I was a McCarthy fan.

I soon learned that on top of acting, McCarthy was quite a writer and director as well, with his 2003 film "The Station Agent" and then later on in 2007 with "The Visitor." He also lent his talents to the development of the screenplay for "Up," so clearly the man has talent.

His upcoming film, "Win Win," is getting good early buzz, so it's great to hear that McCarthy has just picked up another writing gig. According to The Hollywood Reporter, McCarthy is set to pen "Million Dollar Arm" for Walt Disney Pictures.

The story is based on the inspirational tale of how sports agent J.B. Bernstein discovered professional baseball pitchers Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel from over 40,000 contestants through an Indian reality show. Patel and Singh became the first athletes from India to sign professional baseball contracts when joining the Pittsburgh Pirates.

McCarthy’s is set to pen the project next, but as of yet there's no word on a director or whether he would be up for the job himself.

Whether McCarthy writes or directs the film, it sounds as if it should be an inspiring one, much like Disney's other sports films, such as "Secretariat." The story behind the two players is truly fascinating, even for people who aren't baseball fans.

While I think this type of story would be a great project for McCarthy to direct, just the fact that he is contributing the screenplay is a huge step in the right direction.

Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan Say "He Loves Me"

2011-02-13T20:48:00.001-05:00

Last time directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris actually helmed a film, it was on a little indie comedy called "Little Miss Sunshine." That film obviously exploded, scoring a Best Picture nomination and Oscars for Alan Arkin's acting and Michael Arndt's writing.

Since that film was such a surprise success, whatever project they decided to work on next would obviously be greatly anticipated. Well, five years later it's that time, and their next project is a film titled "He Loves Me."

On top of the fact that the film has the same "independent comedy" vibe to it, making it rife for "Sunshine" comparisons, it has another reason for that as well, since it just added a member of that cast to this new film.

According to The Los Angeles Times, actor Paul Dano ("There Will Be Blood," "Little Miss Sunshine") and his real-life girlfriend Zoe Kazan ("It's Complicated," "The Savages") will be teaming on the comedy "He Loves Me," which Kazan wrote.

The story follows a young novelist who achieves success early in his career but begins to face struggles. In a bid to overcome writer's block, he is told to write the woman he thinks will love him. He winds up willing her into existence.

Aside from the fact that the story sounds extremely interesting already, having Dano star in the film adds another layer to it, just because he's involved with the writer. He's a great actor and I think the role is pretty perfect for him (perhaps because his girlfriend wrote it?).

But having the "Sunshine" directors on board is what makes this film really something to watch for though. "Little Miss Sunshine" was a fantastic film that could have been something so ordinary but with Dayton and Faris's unique vision, the film truly was something amazing.

Dayton and Faris are tweaking the script now with hopes to shoot later this year.

Sony Invited To Jason Sudeikis' "A Good Old Fashioned Orgy"

2011-02-13T20:47:00.001-05:00

Jason Sudekis is having quite a year.

No longer just "that guy from SNL," Sudekis starred in 2010's "Going the Distance," did a guest spot on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "30 Rock," and oh yeah, he dated "Mad Men" star January Jones (they've since broken up). He also has "Hall Pass" coming up with Owen Wilson and now comes news about another one of the actor's projects.

According to Variety, just before the start of the Berlin Film Festival, Sony Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Films announced that they picked up the domestic rights to Sudeikis' comedy "A Good Old Fashioned Orgy" from Essential Entertainment.

The story follows a group of 30-somethings who spend every summer weekend throwing elaborate theme parties and eventually they throw one final bash – an orgy. Pete Huyck and Alex Gregory ("King of the Hill," "Frasier") make their co-directorial debut on the project, which is being looked at for a late summer release.

I'm glad Sudekis has been making his way up the star ladder recently--I think he's one of the more talented comedians working on "SNL." Another thing that this project has working in its favor is the late summer target date. Just a few years ago a film got released towards the end of the summer, maybe a little overlooked, remember "Superbad"?

"A Good Old Fashioned Orgy" could really appeal to the Judd Apatow-crowd and with Sudekis in one of the lead roles, it could be a summer surprise.

CBS Picks Up Drama Pilot From J.J. Abrams, Jonah Nolan

2011-02-13T20:45:00.001-05:00

While I'm super-excited to see J.J. Abrams' upcoming film "Super 8," I have to admit that ever since "Lost" ended, I've been dying to see him fully delve back into a TV project. The show was unlike anything else on TV and had me hooked from start to finish and I always hoped he would bring another series like "Lost" to the screen.

Luckily for me, my hope for a new series is looking pretty good.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, CBS has given the greenlight to Abrams’ new drama pilot, "Person of Interest."

What makes this even better (if that's possible) is the fact that the show is written by "The Dark Knight" co-writer Jonah Nolan. I've been a fan of Jonah Nolan (Christopher Nolan's bro) ever since I found out his short story was the inspiration for "Memento," one of my all time favorite movies.

The new series will follow an ex-CIA hitman and a scientist who team, not to solve crimes, but to prevent them before they happen. The story sounds similar to "Minority Report," but knowing Abrams and Nolan, this film will have a very different feel to it than that film.

"Person of Interest" is the second pilot order for Abrams' production company Bad Robot this year, following Fox’s pickup of "Alcatraz."

Although there are numerous police and crime procedurals on TV today, the science fiction element allows for this to possibly be something truly unique and may stand out once it comes to pass. The fact that Nolan and Abrams are working together is enough for me, this project should absolutely be something to keep an eye out for come next TV season.

Bale Drops Weight Again For "Concrete"

2011-02-13T20:35:00.002-05:00

Before actor Christian Bale bulked up to 200 pounds of pure muscle to play Bruce Wayne in 2005's "Batman Begins," the actor transformed his body in the opposite way, slimming down to 90-something pounds to play the lead role in "The Machinist."

Bale was literally almost unrecognizable, but anyone who has followed the actor over his career knows that he is dedicated to method acting and will shed or gain weight whenever needed.

According to We Got This Covered Bale will apparently do that once again and re-team with his "The Machinist" director Brad Anderson for the project "Concrete Island."

Based on the novel by J.G. Ballard ("Empire of the Sun"), the story follows an architect who finds himself stranded on a man made island in the middle of a highway intersection after a car crash. Surviving only on what is in his car, his mind begins to deteriorate before realizing that he wants to spend the rest of his life on his concrete island.

The site describes the film as: "A twisted adaptation of Robinson Crusoe, the story’s protagonist, Robert Maitland, a wealthy architect, finds himself stranded in a manmade ‘island’ (a section of fenced-off wasteland in the middle of a motorway intersection) between the Westway and M4 Motorway in West London, forced to survive on only what is in his crashed Jaguar and what he is able to find. As his condition degrades, it soon becomes difficult to determine whether Maitland is finding sanity or watching his mind fall apart as he finds companions on the island and eventually decides to remain there and forsake his former life."

Bale is already familiar with Ballard's work, having starred in "Empire of the Sun" many years ago, which was an adaptation of one of the author's novels. The project sounds very interesting and Anderson seems like someone who could turn an obscure story like that into something great, ala "The Machinist."

Over the years Bale has proven to be one of the best actors in Hollywood and I'm thrilled to see him finally receive his first Oscar nomination this year. He probably will win the award for his role in "The Fighter," which was another instance of the actor having to drop weight for a role.

The writer of "The Machinist," Scott Kosar has adapted the script for "Concrete," which will shoot later this year.

Jennifer Lawrence Up For Stone's "Savages"

2011-02-13T20:33:00.002-05:00

When I sat down to watch "Winter's Bone" recently, I wanted to closely watch the performances of Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes, because they both received Oscar nominations for their work on the film.

I didn't know much about Lawrence beforehand, but after seeing the film I can emphatically say that she deserves her nomination and I really wouldn't be all that surprised if she won (shocked maybe, but not surprised – little different). It's clear that she's a rising young star, she will appear in this summer's "X-Men: First Class" and according to Deadline she's in line for a new project as well.

According to the site Lawrence is in talks to join the cast of Oliver Stone's latest project "Savages."

The film is based on the bestselling novel by Don Winslow, and follows a love triangle between two best friend pot growers and 'O', the wild child girlfriend they share. Lawrence will play O.

"Despite their sharing, the friendship between brainy botanist Ben and Chon, a hardcore ex-Navy SEAL who returned from Afghanistan with top-quality pot, is unaffected. Together they live a quiet lucrative existence in Laguna Beach, growing and distributing said product."

Stone has been meeting with top actors to play the lead roles including Leonardo DiCaprio, Aaron Johnson, Tom Hardy, James Franco and Garrett Hedlund. He's also after Benicio Del Toro to play a Mexican drug cartel enforcer sent to muscle Ben and Chon out of business and who kidnaps 'O'.

Although I thought "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps" wasn't quite up to par with the original, I thought it was ambitious and smart for Stone to show the effects of the financial crisis through that perspective. He has always been a controversial but top quality filmmaker and this type of story seems suited to his style very well.

Lawrence truly was great in "Winter's Bone" and whomever she stars in this film with should make for a compelling love triangle.

Rodriguez Is Bosley In "Charlie's Angels"

2011-02-13T20:31:00.001-05:00

While "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" was a muddled mess, one thing that was as consistent through the film as the explosions was the comic relief coming from Sam Witwicky's college roommate, played by Ramon Rodriguez.

I thought Rodriguez played his part perfectly in the film and now it looks as if he's brining his comedic chops to another project, this time on the small screen.

According to TV Line Rodriguez ("The Wire”) is set to play the role of Bosley in ABC’s new take on “Charlie’s Angels.”

David Doyle played the role in the original series, while Bill Murray and Bernie Mac starred in the role in the two film versions. This new take on the character is described on the site as a “charming and funny guy with GQ looks and Peter Pan smile who has great hacking skills and technical knowledge.”

Minka Kelly, Rachael Taylor and Annie Ilonzeh star as the "angels," while Robert Wagner is providing the voice of the never-seen Charlie.

The three lead stars are all extremely beautiful and should make for some good comedic chemistry with Rodriguez. Both Bill Murray and Bernie Mac brought their own personas to the character, so it will be intriguing to see exactly how Rodriguez plays it.

The series will shoot later this year.

Ryan Gosling In For "Logan's Run" Remake

2011-02-13T20:28:00.001-05:00

After earning widespread praise for his performance in "Blue Valentine," actor Ryan Gosling isn't thinking of slowing down one bit.

According to Deadline Gosling and filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn ("Bronson," "Valhalla Rising") are looking to team-up again for the new adaptation of "Logan's Run" for Warner Bros. Pictures.

William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson penned the original 1967 novel, set in a utopian future where anyone over the age of 21 is euthanized in order to maintain a balance over the consumption of resources.

The story follows Logan 5, a 'Sandman' who serves as an enforcer who pursues those who try escaping as they approach their 21st birthday, and ultimately ends up on the run himself.

The 1976 cult classic starring Michael York raised the age level to 30 and a remake has been in the works for years. Bryan Singer was once developing the new film adaptation and several other filmmakers were linked to the project over the years including Robert Schwenke, James McTeigue, Joseph Kosinski and Carl Erik Rinsch.

Gosling would be a great choice for the leading man role, adding some quality talent to yet another remake. Clearly he liked working with Refn, the two recently finished working together on the chase thriller "Drive." Though this film has been in production for some time, having Gosling attached signifies they really want to make this project happen.

The studio hopes to start shooting in the fall.