Archive for Posted by Rabs
Rant: “Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark” The Broadway Musical. WTF?
Posted by: | CommentsHaving grossed over $2.5 billion worldwide and now extending the current three-part series by adding a fourth and a fifth installment, you’d think that Marvel Comics/Studios would be content with it’s Spider-Man saturation on American pop-culture. Whoa, pump them breaks kid, of course they’re not content. Why…? Wait I’m sorry, what am I talking about? That was a stupid question. I meant, WHY STOP at five movies, thousands of comics, animated/live-action TV shows and a vast ocean of assorted toys, clothes and every other type of merchandise known to man??? So having conquered all the verticals of synergy, the next obvious step would be a web-slinging Broadway musical. Right?
The New York Post has the first official update of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, the $40 million Broadway musical set to open in New York in January of next year. The play is being helmed by Julie Taymor. She staged the long-running and successful Broadway adaptation of The Lion King, as well as being the director of the awesome & beautiful Beatles movie-musical, Across The Universe. Taymor is claiming that this will not be a traditional musical, instead describing it as a “circus rock-’n'-roll drama” that “is going to have a comic-book, pop-up sensibility.” That sounds all well and good, and while I enjoy musicals and am obviously a big admirer of comic adaptations in any shape or form, this whole concept just feels forced and weird. I understand that superheroes are dominating Hollywood right now, but what’s next “Punisher The Musical Extravaganza?” Or maybe we’ll see Bruce Banner belt out a few operatic show tunes before he gets angry and green.
The biggest thing that I find puzzling about this venture into singing and
dancing is the choice of villains. On Broadway, Peter Parker is going to do battle against: Green Goblin, Carnage, Electro, Rhino, Swarm and Lizard. And most of the movie-going public will swear to the fact that too many villains was the inevitable downfall into Suckville for Spider-Man 3. $40 million can boast a lot of cool effects, but how are they going to accurately and awesomely convey Carnage (photo right) on live stage. Carnage is my favorite Spider-Man villain and one of the most bad-ass of any comic. How are they going to display the melting, morphing, alien, biological drip that oozes from his body? It’s either going to get really messy up there, or be stupidly conveyed in some other physical fashion. And honestly, I don’t know which I would even prefer at this point.
Look, this is an interesting IDEA. And if I lived in New York, I’d probably go see the show when it comes out next year for curiosity/pop-culture’s sake; and that’s why I’m playing such a harsh Devil’s Advocate, because I’m a fan. HOWEVER, the makers of this better proceed with extreme caution and try really hard not to make a laughing stock-mockery out of beloved comic-book lore (Cough: Joel Schumacher).
What Do you Think? Discuss.
Trailer Trash: “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” Teaser
Posted by: | CommentsSony Picture’s new animated comedy is about an amateur inventor whose newest concoction makes food fall from the sky like rain. Features voice performances by: Anna Faris, Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, Tracy Morgan & Mr. T. Epic comedy casting. Looks pretty sweet. And of course, like every movie coming out this year, it’s in 3-D. Check it out.
What do you think? Discuss.
Rant Update: First Photos of Nic Cage in “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” Emerge
Posted by: | CommentsAs some of you may recall, I did a Rant piece around a week ago about the casting and production of The Scorcerer’s Apprentice; the live-action adaptation of the famous Mickey Mouse story from Fantasia; being concocted by brain cell-lowering-super producer Jerry Bruckheimer, aka Jerry SUCKheimer. If you want to get caught up to speed on the back story of my beef CLICK HERE first before continuing. Now I haven’t seen Fantasia since I was very young, but I have seen it many times, and I don’t remember there being a homeless, cowboy, NEO conjuring up magical shenanigans with the dancing broomsticks.
(Nic Cage on set with co-star Jay Baruchel from Tropic Thuder & Knocked Up)
First Showing has the scoop of the photos that they received from Celebrity Gossip website, Just Jared. Now, you all know about my ill feelings for Nic Cage and Jerry Bruckheimer, (not to mention their box-office showdown with my most anticipated movie of 2010, Inception) but I’ll definitely be seeing this movie anyway. Now I’m no scab, but it’s a live adaption of Fantasia for cryin’ out loud, I have to see it. So, does Nic Cage look absolutely ridiculous? Or straight up bad-ass? Is this movie going to be a complete disaster? Or an epic adventure?
What do you think? Discuss.
Tom Cruise & Cameron Diaz back together in new Romantic Comedy?
Posted by: | CommentsWalk the Line and 3:10 to Yuma director James Mangold goes back to the rom-com setting for his next TBD titled flick, formerly rumored to be either Witchita or Trouble Man, and starring Tome Cruise & Cameron Diaz Variety reports. If you remember, the two stars were together in 2001′s Vanilla Sky, where Diaz played a psychotic stalker who killed herself and nearly killed Cruise in a TITF (taking it too far) car accident.
The story apparently “revolves around a woman who has terrible luck with men but finds her path intertwined with that of a mysterious handsome man she meets on a blind date.” Now I know Tom Cruise might be a giant bag of douche, but the dude is a great actor and he makes good movies, especially sci-fi & action. Cameron Diaz is always adorable, but only in small doses; her joker laugh can get really annoying about an hour into most of her movies. These two played off of each other perfectly in Vanilla Sky, but that’s because it was such a messed up movie. If this is a super-processed, formulaic rom-com, filled with best-friend advice and wacky misunderstandings, it’s gonna be a long 90 minutes. Can I get a “seen it a thousand times” or a “ground-breaking film making”…?
What do you think? Discuss.
Poster Alert! 3 New “Stark Trek” Posters
Posted by: | CommentsPosted by Rabs
Brand new posters from the new Star Trek movie directed by J.J. Abrams (director of MI:3 and creator of Lost & Cloverfield). True sci-fi is really making a comeback in 2009, which is great. And I’m really happy to see Zoe Saldana (top left: from The Terminal & Vantage Point) get a leading role in a blockbuster; she is a great actress and is SMOKIN’ HOT!
What do you think? Discuss.
Trailer Trash: “Taking Woodstock”
Posted by: | CommentsDemitri Martin (the comedian from “Important Things w/ Demitri Martin” on Comedy Central) makes his big screen starring debut in the film about how “the greatest concert of all time” actually came together. It’s based on a true story and is directed by Oscar-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger). Epic supporting cast including: Emile Hirsch, Liev Schreiber & Jeffery Dean Morgan. I really like Demitri Martin, could be pretty sweet. Check it out.
What do you think? Discuss
Sean Penn, Jim Carrey & Benicio Del Toro Are The “Three Stooges”
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Sean Penn is Larry, Jim Carrey is Curly, and Benicio Del Toro is Moe. The legendary slapstick comedy trio is coming to the big screen in Three Stooges, to be released sometime in 2010. Penn has been rumored to be involved for months now and Johnny Depp’s name was even thrown in the ring as a contender. The Penn casting was expected, so the Jim Carrey/Benicio inclusion is rather news worthy. Now let’s take a look at this from an ability perspective. They’re all brilliant actors in their own right. Penn is a two-time Oscar winner, Del Toro is a one-timer, and Carrey has been nominated, so obviously they have skill. Penn has played everything from the oblivious stoner Spicoli (Fast Times) to grieving father/ex-con (Mystic River); dude’s got skills. Del Toro has definitely played some eccentric characters with meticulous and bizarre personalities (see Fear and Loathing), but we haven’t really seen him in pure-wacky mode for comedic sake. Then there’s Carrey, who should have no problem due to a career of of-the-wall, goofy character creations.
The thing that makes this movie so intriguing is that it’s going to be a Farrelly Brothers movie. If you didn’t know, the Farrelly Brothers (Peter & Bobby), are the writing and directing comedic tag-team behind such classics as Dumb & Dumber & There’s Something About Mary. They know what makes people laugh. And this film isn’t going to be a biopic about the life and times of the Three Stooges, rather it’ll be a contemporary comedy that incorporates those three crazy characters. Needless to say, it’s going to definitely be interesting to see how they approach this.
What do you think? Discuss.
“Where The Wild Things Are” Trailer Hits The Web
Posted by: | CommentsInteresting choice of song. The costumes & effects look like nothing I’ve seen before. Looks awesome! Enjoy.
What do you think? Discuss.
Megan Fox on the Cover of Empire Magazine for “Transformers 2″ & more…
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The movie magazine will be doing a feature on the actress who is a very hot commodity this year; especially in the world action and comic-books. She already has Transformers 2 coming out June 26 , with Shia Lebouf reprising his role as well (she also has a Megatron tatoo on her arm, but I doubt that’s real). Then it was just announced last month that she had been aggressively purusued and eventually signed on to do Jonah Hex and Fathom.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jonah Hex is Warner Bros.’ action Western based on the DC Comics character. Fox will be playing a gun-wielding beauty and love interest of Hex (Josh Brolin), a scarred bounty hunter tracking a voodoo practitioner (John Malkovich) who wants to raise an army of undead to liberate the South.
Then almost simultaneously, she committed to Fathom, a comic created by recently deceased artist Michael Turner, follows a young woman named Aspen who learns she is a member of a race of aquatic humanoids who possess the ability to control water. Quite a heavy load for a 23 year-old, but that’s what you get in the business to do, make movies; so kudos.
Mini-Rant: everyone can make fun of fan boys and our lust for “nerdy” fantasy films like Star Wars, LOTR and an adaptation of every comic-book ever made, but you know what?…WE RUN HOLLYWOOD RIGHT NOW! I mean, what were the highest grossing films of last year? Oh yeah, The Dark Knight, Iron Man & Hancock; all about superheros. Oh, how nerdy and pathetic is that? And people might make fun of the fact that a new Star Trek is coming out, or might even be embarrassed to say out loud that they’re excited to see it because they don’t want to have any association with Trekkies, but I guarantee that it’s going to make over $220 million. So I guess in that case, we’re all fan boys/girls, nerds and pathetic losers, so get over yourselves.
And as for Ms. Fox, obviously she’s one of the hottest women alive, and sometimes she gets some guff from her (perceived by some) wooden acting ability, after 2011 and these three films come out, she will have gained some respectable nerd cred and the Nolans, the Spielbergs, the Favreaus will know that we support her and will continue to cast her in mega-blockbusters. Megan Fox, I salute you.
What do you think? Discuss.
Trailer Trash: “Give ‘em Hell Malone”
Posted by: | CommentsBad-ass trailer from the 60s shoot-em-up starring Tom Jane.
WARNING, graphic violence.
What do you think? Discuss.
