Warner Bros. has set July 20, 2012, as the official release date for the third Christopher Nolan-directed Batman movie.
The studio has barely begun the process of developing the movie; Nolan is in postproduction on “Inception,” but is hammering out a story with David Goyer.
There is no title as this point and no start date.
July is becoming Nolan’s month. “The Dark Knight” opened on July 18, 2008, and “Inception” debuts July 16.
With Batman 3 on the docket, summer 2012 is shaping up to be one of the greater geek movie seasons. Marvel’s “The Avengers” is slated to come out May 4, board game adaptation “Battleship” leaves port May 25, the “Star Trek” sequel beams up June 29, and the rebooted “Spider-Man” swings into theaters on July 3.
Although all that is known about the film now is the release date, I'm glad that things are finally headed into the right direction. Even though it's over two years away, this is the movie that I'm going to be looking forward to the most. Mark down your calendars fans, the Batman is back.
Any smart hip-hop fan knows who Pharrell Williams is. The uber-producer is one of the most popular beat makers in the industry.
With Chad Hugo, his partner in The Neptunes, he has crafted some of the most well known beats for artists such as Puff Daddy, Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lupe Fiasco over the years.
While he has had the most success as a producer, any intelligent hip-hop fan knows about Williams’ other affiliation: N.E.R.D. (No One Ever Really Dies). Comprised of Williams, Hugo and rapper Shay Haley, the group formed in 2001 and has released three albums to date.
Their debut album, “In Search Of…” is easily their best piece of work, and for the group it was a labor of love. The album was initially made with sampled beats and released in Europe first, but N.E.R.D. was unhappy with the results, so they decided to re-record it with mostly live instruments. A pretty rare move in the industry, but N.E.R.D. isn’t your run-of-the-mill hip-hop group.
The new version of the album replaces their signature techno grooves with rock guitars, drums, pianos, and other jazzy instruments and makes the album sound dynamic and alive. The American version was critically acclaimed, but it didn’t sell too many copies. Chalk that up to the release date, which was on September 28th, 2001, only a few weeks after 9/11.
The debut album from the group is an eclectic mix of hip-hop, funk and rock and is some of the most unique and original sounding music in the industry. The album touches on some interesting topics, including shady adolescents (“Bobby James”), desperate drug dealers (“Provider”) and dudes who like to videotape their girlfriends during sex (“Tape You”).
Pharrell raps with a tone of youthful exuberance and irony that makes each track even better. The way he can mesh sex, humor, the teenage mindset and cockiness is an art form in itself. From top to bottom, all twelve tracks are solid, with “Run to the Sun”, “Stay Together”, “Truth or Dare” and “Am I High” standing out as the best.
The first track “Lapdance” is easily the most party-friendly track, coming in hard with a percussion heavy beat that continues until the last second of the song.
Pharrell comments on American culture not-so-subtly as he raps into the chorus: “It's how I feel/It's this society/That makes a nigga wanna kill/I'm just straight ill/Ridin' my motorcycle down the streets/While the government is soundin' like strippers to me/Oooh baby you want me?/Well you can get this lap dance here for free.”
“Run to the Sun” is a heartbreaker and is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It starts on with a smooth keyboard that sets the stage for the funky guitar and bass. It’s an apology song at its core, detailing the end of an affair.
You can hear the truthfulness and hurt in Pharrell’s voice as he raps: “Girl I want to leave you with this line/It goes while you're here/I wanna tell you something/It's that I love you girl/Yeah, and I wish we could run to the sun/And never come back.”
“Am I High”, which features Malice (from Clipse) is my favorite track on the album. The piano heavy, drug themed ballad sounds like it’s coming straight from a high school melodrama, with the background vocals providing a great compliment to the lyrics.
It’s clear the drugs can’t heal Pharrell’s pain as he raps: “I think I've loved you since our high school/But you only wanted friends of mine/So when they replied, her, she's cool/Only then you gave our friendship time.”
Malice has one of the best and catchiest verses on the album as he raps with ferocity: “It's the kinda high that got me leaning/120 speeding in the rain/Meaning of a hydroplane/Play both sides of the field/See I know pain/Keep 'em high like Kurt Cobain/Listen,I'm known for speaking my mind/Known for fleeing from the scene of a crime/Eyes redder than the beam of my nine/Eyes redder than the scene of that crime/All for the love of the lime/I'm so high.”
“Bobby James” is the most underrated track on the album. The soft percussion and the opening verse sets the stage for this nearly six-minute teenage epic perfectly as Pharrell bellows: “Hi I'm 17 and my name is Bobby James/Everyday in school all my classmates call me names/And so this pusher introduced me to this thing/He said it makes you forget pain but makes you sing.”
Throughout the whole album Pharrell raps with a naïve attitude, and it’s never more prevalent than on this track. The chorus is equally painful as he raps: “Hey there mister give me some cash/I'm high as hell and I'm ready to blast/I'm just one hit away from being passed out/Young and assed out.”
N.E.R.D. doesn’t waste a single second on this album, and each track has something to offer, which is a rarity in hip-hop these days. The singing is flawless, the beats are bold and the album displays how talented The Neptunes really are. It’s a unique and stylish and is easily one of the most intriguing and classic hip-hop albums of the past decade.
Finally, after weeks of waiting, the news is in. "Southland" will be back for a third season.
TNT announced yesterday that they have ordered 10 new episodes, slated to air in January 2011.
Says Michael Wright, head of TNT, tbs and TCM programming: "Southland is a challenging, visceral show that engages viewers with its immersive style, provocative storylines, and complex characters. These qualities have made "Southland" a favorite among critics and appointment viewing for an extremely loyal audience."
"Southland" is an expensive show to produce, so the decision from TNT to renew the series came as a bit of a surprise, but boy am I glad they made it.
Even though Southland has pulled in only moderate ratings since starting its run on TNT, the network was quick to point out that the series gains about 50% more viewers with DVR numbers and averaged about 2.7 million viewers for the season once time-shifting numbers were added.
The John Wells-produced cop-drama focuses on a police unit in Los Angeles. It stars Ben McKenzie (The O.C.), Tom Everett Scott (TNT's Saved), Michael Cudlitz (Band of Brothers) and Regina King (24).
Can't wait to see what they have in store for season 3.
Frank Pierson ("Dog Day Afternoon," "Cool Hand Luke") will pen the script for the 3D Korean War epic "17 Days of Winter" for Madmedia Entertainment says Variety.
The story follows the pivotal 1950 battle of Chosin Reservoir, in which 12,000 American troops fought a 120,000-man Chinese force in sub-zero temperatures.
Pierson served in the Pacific during the second World War and fought against the Japanese in New Guinea and the Philippines.
Eric Brevig ("Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D") directs with filming to take place in South Korea and New Zealand in time for a 2012 release.
Both "Dog Day Afternoon," and "Cool Hand Luke" are classic films, so it will be interesting to see how the script looks once Pierson is done with it.
What a week it's been. There has almost been too much good stuff to watch on TV this week.
Whether it's the NBA playoffs (congrats on a first career playoff win Mr. Durant), the NHL playoffs (peace Devils!), the NFL Draft (Tebow a Bronco!? Clausen and McCoy still waiting?!), awesome shows like "Lost" and "Fringe", the possibilities were endless.
On top of that "South Park" put on arguably its most controversial episode in a while, which we now find out was partly censored by Comedy Central. Obviously they were looking out out for the safety of their employees, but I still think they totally bitched out.
It was also another strong and fantastic week on "The Daily Show", which had Jon Stewart defending his fellow Comedy Central brethren Matt and Trey on last nights episode. Stewart brought out the choir once again, and trust me, it's worth a watch, especially if you are a fan of "South Park".
Of course there was a ton of stuff out there I forgot to mention, "Community", "Justified" and of course "The Office", which made great use of the Cookie Monster, as well as a perfectly timed reference to "When Harry Met Sally" by Michael while out to lunch with Erin.
So as this Friday comes to a close, there's a lot on people's minds, but I know what Mel Kieper Jr. is thinking: When the hell is Jimmy coming off the board?
If you've been watching any draft coverage you know one thing, Kieper is HIGH on Clausen and very LOW on Tebow. Guess the draft is as big a crapshoot as anything. We'll see where he falls later tonight.
Rising star Garrett Hedlund ("Troy," "Tron: Legacy") is in talks to play one of the two lead roles in "On the Road" says Production Weekly.
Walter Salles directs this long-gestating adaptation of Jack Kerouac's acclaimed 1951 novel about his years traveling all over North America with his friend Neal Cassady on a "cross-country bohemian odyssey".
Hedlund would play Dean Moriarty, the character based on Cassady. The role of Sal Paradise (Kerouac's alter-ego) has yet to be cast though Sam Riley ("Control") has previously been rumored. Shooting kicks off this Summer.
"On the Road" is one of the most classic novels ever written, so I am always weary of adaptations like that, but with Hedlund and Salles involved things might be different.
Salles is considered a quality filmmaker, and with material like this, I think he will do great. Hedlund is a a rising star who I think will break out fully later this year with "Tron Legacy".
It seems that Chris Rock has really been into remakes lately.
In the same week that his film Death at a Funeral (adapted from the British film of the same name) is set for release, Rock was hired to write the script for the US adaptation of High & Low.
According to BlackVoices Rock will be rewriting David Mamet's script that was commissioned way back in 1999, while Mike Nichols (The Graduate) will direct.
The film is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's acclaimed 1963 detective thriller High and Low, which itself is based on Evan Hunter's novel "King's Ransom".
The story follows a wealthy corporate executive whose son has been kidnapped. He's prepared to pay the ransom using funds he needs for a critical corporate buyout, but before he can send the payment though, he realizes the kidnappers have mistakenly abducted the child of his chauffeur and thus the decision becomes much more complicated.
Suddenly, he's not so eager to part with his money and as the title suggests, Kurosawa's film opens up to explore the class issues of the era while still retaining turning the dials of the plot.
I have always felt that Chris Rock is one of the funniest, most talented actors in Hollywood, and by taking on this project, it shows that Rock can do a lot more besides make people laugh. If you remember his role in New Jack City back in the day, he proved he can take on a dramatic role and perform just as well as he does in stand up.
Kurosawa is considered one of the best filmmakers of all-time, so you know the material will be good, but only time will tell one how Rock shapes the story to fit his style, as well as adding in aspects of American culture to it.
The project would mark the fourth remake Rock has been involved in script-wise starting with 2007's I Think I Love My Wife and this week's Death at a Funeral.
Over the year’s there hasn't been another rapper striked fear in the hearts of parents everywhere like Eminem.
When Eminem first exploded onto the scene in 1999 with the release of his debut album “The Slim Shady LP”, he injected a shot of adrenaline to hip-hop. Along with having some truly graphic lyrics, the album went triple platinum and solidified Eminem as one of the most controversial and popular artists in the game.
To follow up his controversial debut, Eminem released “The Marshall Mathers LP”, considered by many to be one of the best hip-hop albums of all-time and is Eminem’s magnum opus, his defining work. The album is more introspective in its lyrics and focuses less on the Slim Shady persona, instead shining some attention on Eminem’s personal life, and takes a serious look at his rise to fame.
Eminem takes on a great deal of personal and controversial topics on this album including his childhood, violence, drug abuse, and the Columbine massacre. Although his lyrics can be vulgar and offensive, they hold much more meaning than just being for shock value. He also does an excellent job (as he has in his whole career) of mixing in a humorous tone and witty punch lines throughout his lyrics, commenting on the industry and society.
On “Kill You” and “Marshall Mathers” he raps about his family issues, mostly involving his mother, while on “Kim” he looks back on the relationship struggles with his wife. He also intelligently and accurately raps about American society and the youth culture in our country on the tracks “The Way I Am”, “Criminal”, and “Who Knew”.
“The Way I Am” was the second single released from the album, and is much darker in tone and style from the first single, the very catchy, “The Real Slim Shady.” Eminem truly makes some intelligent commentary when he raps: "And they blame it on Marilyn/And the heroin/Where were the parents at?/And look where it's at/Middle America, now it's a tragedy/Now it's so sad to see/An upper-class city/having this happening."
While there are a lot of great tracks on this album, “Stan” may be the most genius and most controversial. The track is a unique one, and tells the story of a fan that is obsessed with Eminem and writes to him without receiving a reply.
The first three verses are delivered by Eminem as Stan, while the fourth verse is Eminem attempting to write to Stan, only to realize that he had already heard about Stan's death on the news. The style and content of the track is like no other, and you can feel the raw emotion coming from Eminem as he raps: “And what's this shit about us meant to be together?/That type of shit'll make me not want us to meet each other/I really think you and your girlfriend need each other/Or maybe you just need to treat her better”.
''I'm Back' is my personal favorite track on the album. Although I think Eminem is at his best when he raps in a serious manner, I personally enjoy this track for it’s humorous tone, and especially catchy chorus.
Eminem shows off his supreme lyrical skills as he starts off the track, rapping: “I murder a rhyme one word at a time/You never, heard of a mind as perverted as mine/You better, get rid of that nine, it ain't gonna help/What good's it gonna do against a man that strangles himself?”
While “The Marshall Mathers LP” may not be the most morally responsible album, it is raw, intelligent and supremely dope. You can all it one of the most controversial albums of all-time, you can call it one of the best albums of all time, just make sure you call it a classic.
Though he missed out on playing the titular hero, hunky actor Sebastian Stan (TV's "Kings," "Gossip Girl") will still be involved with Marvel Studios' "The First Avenger: Captain America" film.
According to EW.com: Several sources report that Stan has signed a multi-picture deal to play Bucky Barnes, a sidekick from the early days of the comic who became the Soviet assassin Winter Soldier, and later briefly the Captain himself after the death of Steve Rogers.
Initially, Barnes was an orphan who discovered Captain America's true identity and partners up with him to fight the Nazis during World War II. He was seemingly killed in the same plane explosion that hurled Rogers into the North Atlantic sea where his body was frozen and then revived decades later.
In 2005, Barnes returned--the character having been rescued from the sea by the Soviets. Struck with amnesia and now sporting a bionic arm to replace the one lost in the explosion, he becomes a ruthless assassin for them.
Stan's deal is expected to include not just the "Captain America" film but "The Avengers" and other Marvel titles.
The news came just as Marvel Studios issued a press release officially confirming Chris Evans will star as Steve Rogers/Captain America.
I don’t know much about Stan, but I’m glad that casting for this film is shaping up. I really think what Marvel has done the past few years with “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk” and their upcoming slate of films is truly brilliant. The actual Marvel comic books and characters have always shared the same ‘world,’ so why not their movie characters too?
If “Captain America” and “Thor” are successful, “The Avengers” may end up being one of the highest grossing films ever.
Filming on “The First Avenger: Captain America” kicks off this summer in Europe.
