The MPAA's rating system is flawed and arbitrarily enforced, and the system itself is corrupt. I urge one and all to see the enlightening This Film Is Not Yet Rated for ample evidence of this -- or, if you prefer, just watch The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and marvel at how such a violent movie magically got the kid-friendly PG rating.
I didn't know the rating before I watched it, and I didn't remember, off the top of my head, whether the first Chronicles of Narnia was PG. (It was.) As Prince Caspian unfolded, I noted that there was an awful lot of stabbing, throat-slitting, and other killing, though I also noted that it was almost entirely bloodless. I figured it was the lack of gore that had prevented the film from being rated R, and that it was instead a moderately violent PG-13.
So I was flabbergasted to discover afterward that it was rated PG. Mind you, I have nothing against wanton violence and destruction in film -- it just needs to be labeled properly. Prince Caspian has (no spoilers here) several large-scale battle scenes, akin to Lord of the Rings in size and scope, with people and magical creatures slaying one another right and left. In a scene of hand-to-hand combat, someone slices off someone else's head; in the next shot we see the head, still in its helmet, on the ground next to the body. Elsewhere, there's a massive slaughter while good guys are forced to look on, powerless to help.
This is just too cool not to share with you all, and I hope you pardon my indulgence. I know I should look at this cynically as yet another piece of ridiculous movie marketing, but I don't want to. My grasp on reality is officially slipping (or I've regressed into a five-year-old), because my cynicism has melted, and I am now convinced Wall-E exists. There is video proof. He is real.
My life will be forever incomplete because I want one for my very own. I want him to wheel around my house and chirp at me. Thanks, Disney/Pixar -- I will never be happy again. (It does make you wonder what happens to things like this. Seriously, Disney, if you need a home for one, call me. I will treasure him forever.)
Thanks to Bourne, the spy-fi genre is alive and well and every studio is on the lookout for a franchise of their own -- even Disney. Variety reports that super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer (along with the Mouse) has purchased the screen rights to David Ignatius' spy thriller, The Increment. Ignatius is an associate editor for The Washington Post and Increment will be his seventh novel. An adaptation of his 2007 book, Body of Lies, has already finished shooting with Ridley Scott at the helm, and Leonardo DiCaprio starring as a CIA agent hot on the tail of a terrorist.
The Increment centers on a "shadowy, elite group of British undercover intelligence operatives who are conscripted by a CIA agent to help a weapons scientist defect from Iran." Early reviews of the manuscript praised the story, citing the wealth of facts about the CIA and the international intelligence community. But insiders were shocked that Disney would want the property considering the amount of 'hot button' issues in the book, like Islamic politics and an invasion of Iran.
Ignatius' novel has not even been published yet, so it's very early days for the adaptation -- and leaving plenty of time for Disney to water down the story. In the meantime, look for Body of Lies to arrive in theaters on October 8th, 2008.
Well, it was a surprise. MTV caught up with Jason Segel to pry more Muppet movie tidbits from him, and it seems he was happy to oblige. He revealed he's written a cameo for a veteran of The Great Muppet Caper.
"I have a cameo for Charles Grodin in it. It's a really brilliant cameo, I must say. I'm really proud of it." Maybe we will find out if he ever tried Hare Krishna.
As to who else might be making an appearance -- well, just about everyone. "At one point they need all the Muppets they can get." And no, it won't be full of raunchy adult humor found in Segel's Forgetting Sarah Marshall. No Muppets will get high or drop trou. "When I get into Muppet mode I turn into a 12-year-old boy," he protested. "I think them seeing me in those meetings, they had no doubt I would be OK with the tone."
If you still doubt Segel, you really need to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall and witness the glory that is the Dracula musical. It sealed the deal for me. (Has anyone else noticed the TV spots always show him singing the Muppet theme song? Such a savvy marketing team.) I vote for Steve Martin to reprise his role as the cheap champagne hawking waiter. I don't know why, but the expression on his face when they request straws still gets me. Or Michael Caine, because I think he deserves a special Oscar for turning in such a perfect Scrooge alongside rats and frogs. In case Segel is reading, offer up requests of your own.
OK, first off: Whoever decided to call this movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua needs to be fired really quick. I mean, seriously: Are we still cribbing titles off of Beverly Hills Cop -- which came out 27 years ago? You want your new kiddie flick to be remembered as fondly as Beverly Hills Ninja, Beverly Hills Bodysnatchers, Troop Beverly Hills, and The Taking of Beverly Hills? With all due respect to Down and Out in Beverly Hills and Slums of Beverly Hills, the phrase is practically the kiss of death where movies are concerned. (Makes me wish Axel Foley's first adventure had had a more accurate title, like A Detroit Cop in Beverly Hills or The Cop Who Laughed Funny.)
But somehow I doubt it's the title that's going to irritate you most about this trailer. Personally I couldn't get past the fact that the computer-generated canines look about as realistic as a bunch of Muppet puppies. And get this: I actually own a half-chihuahua / half-terrier (it's actually my sister's freaky little dog), so I guess I'm part of the intended audience for this thing. Anyway, check out the mind-numbing promo clip and then we'll talk blame.
Maybe you're completely sick of all things Wall·E, but I'm not. He's like candy, only without the bad side effects. Every video clip that comes across the Internet, I watch it. And post it. I like that they are just bits of character work and giving nothing away.
I think this one is better than the magnet one posted last week, if only for the blissful shot of Wall·E wheeling away in the hula hoop, whistling like Artoo the whole time.
It's only been a few months since we got Annie Leibovitz's last round of stunning Disney recreations, and now we're getting one more. After the likes of round one'sAlice and Cinderella, and round two'sPeter Pan and Aladdin, Julianne Moore is getting a little wet.
Above you can see the latest image in the Disney series, "Where Another World is Just a Wish Away," courtesy of Just Jared (check out some hi-res pics there). Moore is Ariel in the recreation, and you can spot Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps at the bottom. Talk about perfect casting! Leibovitz really knows how to bring these scenes to life, and again, I wish that we could have films that are this stunning from beginning to end. It would be a feat similar to the likes of the artists who worked on Sleeping Beauty, but I think it would be well worth it. Well, one can dream.
If you want to see how this whole shoot came together, check out the YouTube clip after the jump.
Well, that was quick. The dust had barely settled on Disney's decision (announced at New York ComicCon, and reported here) to possibly end the Narnia franchise after three films, but then they decided no, not really. They take their cues from Aslan.
MTV Movie News cornered producer Mark Johnson, who revealed he has a list of directors for The Silver Chair, and is closely eying several names on it. (I appreciate that MTV was as shocked as everyone else by this.) Johnson went on to say that he envisions Narnia along Harry Potter lines, with a new director coming on for each installment. "I think [the director of Silver Chair] will be somebody new entirely," John said. "I would like to get somebody totally unexpected."
So, never say never. If they truly go in this direction, I would applaud them, as I think it could add some spice to a film series that hasn't really distinguished itself from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings -- and should have, because the books are pretty fabulous.
With a name like "Fear Phil," I can't help but imagine a comedic horror movie with a larger-than-life, bobble-headed Dr. Phil running around, spreading doctorly advice through an almost disembodied, booming voice, and killing those who don't follow his suggestions. (Or maybe he only kills those that do, so there's always more people for his talk show...) But this isn't about Oprah-loved doctors -- it's about those pesky, preying insurance salesmen.
Variety reports that Jack Angelo and Sam Brown's new comedy pitch Fear Phil has been picked up by Disney for Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot to produce. The film, which cost Disney high six against low seven figures, focuses on "an insurance salesman who makes a living preying on other people's fears, only to wake up and find that his own worst fears are coming true." Oh, the bite of poetic justice, or tide-turning karma.
There's no further word about the project yet, nor word on whether Shankman will just produce the comedy, or direct it as well. In the meantime, Angelo and Brown also have Undateable floating around on the Disney lot -- a film that was picked up just over one year ago. April is definitely their month of magic. Stay tuned to see what they sell next year!
Why We Can't Wait to See It: After waiting for years for a quality theatrical adaptation of C.S. Lewis's beloved Narnia series, the first film, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, didn't disappoint. Will the darker, more action-packed tale of Prince Caspian continue to impress fans of the books?
Why It Might Do Well: The best-selling series has a built-in fan base with families, Christians, and fantasy fans. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe grossed over $740,000,000 worldwide off an estimated $180,000,000 budget. This installment also boasts the addition of Ben Barnes as the handsome Prince Caspian, which could draw in the tween and teen market.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Producer Mark Johnson confirmed at the Narnia panel at New York Comic Con that the Mouse House plans to stop the franchise after filming Voyage of the Dawn Treader -- news that might not sit well with hardcore Narnia fans who were hoping to see all of the series brought to life. Also, the kid market has been rather flooded with fantasy films of late; The Spiderwick Chronicles brought in a dismal $70 million domestically off a $90 million budget, and Abigail Breslin starrer Nim's Island just over $32 million off a $34 million budget. Could interest in fantasy films be waning?
Fun Fact: Work on the script for Prince Caspian was started during the shooting of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, so filming on the sequel could begin as soon as possible, before the four children playing the leads visibly aged. Prince Caspian starts just one year in "Earth time" after the end of the first book.
MySpace has posted this striking second trailer for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which hits on May 16th. It's actually shorter than the first one, with much more of an emphasis on action and effects; I'd guess they're planning to keep showing the first trailer before family films and try to use this one to pique adult interest. If it weren't for the PG rating, I'd think some of this would be pretty scary -- and hell, it still might be. If nothing else, the film is a near-lock to make a whole lot of money; it may compete with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull for this summer's box-office title. `
Am I allowed to go around calling this movie The Passion of Aslan, the Jesus Lion? Because I really enjoyed doing that for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe back in 2005.
After a weekend of reading and writing things New York ComicCon, I can't help but think "Hooray! Pixar!" with this. If you're craving some Wall-E, Disney has you covered this week with a little clip entitled "Wall-E vs the Magnet." No plot spoilers, no extra details, it's just Wall-E in all his adorableness. Watch the clip here.
I wish I could understand how Pixar managed to make a character so instantly endearing. The movie could completely let me down, but I will still be all melty and sniffly at the sight of his limpid eyes. He just strikes such pity -- and in this new clip, it is because he seems so high strung. Life seems very dramatic for this robot -- and he's definitely the brother of R2-D2. Listen to his beeps! (They share the same father, Ben Burtt, or at least in the sound effect sense.)
Incidentally, I didn't realize what a voice cast this had. I knew Fred Willard was in it, but Sigourney Weaver? Wouldnit be cool if this movie was full of sci-fi nods? It probably isn't but seeing Ripley pop up in anything outer space related is always cool.
Remember that rumor that we reported on several weeks ago -- the one from Jim Hill that said Disney was considering abandoning The Chronicles of Narnia franchise for John Carter of Mars? The response was, well, harsh. No one felt it could possibly be true.
Well, it might be. FirstShowing.net was at the Prince Caspian panel at New York ComicCon, where producer Mark Johnson confirmed that Disney was planning to end the series as a trilogy with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. There are "no plans" at present to film the remaining books -- although there is the possibility that if Caspian and Dawn Treader do well, Disney will revive it. As of now, there's no confirmation that Disney plans to replace Narnia with John Carter -- but you have to imagine they'll certainly explore all options.
The news doesn't surprise me at all. I think Disney's enthusiasm for the beloved fantasy franchise was admirable, but not entirely well thought out. I stand by my original opinion that the books become darker, stranger and nigh unfilmable from this point on. I think A Horse and His Boy would make a spectacular standalone film, though, and an ideal place to revisit the series if Disney ever revived it. Well, at least I'm getting Dawn Treader. I can live just fine without ever revisiting The Last Battle, but give me Narnian adventure on the high seas!
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian comes to theatres May 16th, 2008.
There's currently a crisis in the theater industry and apparently it's all Steven Spielberg's fault. According to Variety coverage of Sunday's National Association of Broadcasters Show's Digitial Cinema Summit, the filmmaker was named as a constant obstacle in the transition to digital cinema.
Spielberg's insistence against releasing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulldigitally was overruled last month when Paramount announced that it would indeed open the summer blockbuster on some digital screens, but the fact that it won't be a full digital release, coupled with the fact that Spielberg still doesn't "get" the fact that digital is superior to film, is a problematic issue for an industry having difficulties installing a necessary amount of digital projectors by 2009.
The short films Pixar produces to precede its theatrical features are among life's singular joys, and word of a new one is almost as exciting as this recent mega-announcement. The Pixar Blog tells us what to expect when we finally sit down to watch Wall-E this summer. Presto is a five-minute short about Alec, a magician's rabbit who becomes increasingly disgruntled as a hat trick involving him makes his master famous. When the magician goes out to dinner one night, he leaves Alec locked in a cage, gazing longingly at a carrot just out of reach. Doug Sweetland, an animator on most of Pixar's big productions, directs and does all the voices. Above is a somewhat low-res still from the film.
You can take a peek at most of the Pixar shorts here, and the full versions are available on iTunes for two bucks a pop. You can't really go wrong with any of them but the best, for my money, is For the Birds, which is so outrageously fantastic that I'm convinced it contains the meaning of life. (The fact that it is forever associated with Monsters, Inc., my favorite Pixar feature, doesn't hurt.)
Wall-E -- and Presto -- hit theaters on June 27th.
The MPAA's rating system is flawed and arbitrarily enforced, and the system itself is corrupt. I urge one and all to see the enlightening This Film Is Not Yet Rated for ample evidence of this -- or, if you prefer, just watch The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and marvel at how such a violent movie magically got the kid-friendly PG rating. 
Thanks to Bourne, the spy-fi genre is alive and well and every studio is on the lookout for a franchise of their own -- even Disney. Variety 
Well, it was a surprise. 
OK, first off: Whoever decided to call this movie 
Well, that was quick. The dust had barely settled on Disney's decision (announced at New York ComicCon, and 
With a name like "Fear Phil," I can't help but imagine a comedic horror movie with a larger-than-life, bobble-headed Dr. Phil running around, spreading doctorly advice through an almost disembodied, booming voice, and killing those who don't follow his suggestions. (Or maybe he only kills those that do, so there's always more people for his talk show...) But this isn't about Oprah-loved doctors -- it's about those pesky, preying insurance salesmen.
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After a weekend of reading and writing things New York ComicCon, I can't help but think "Hooray! Pixar!" with this. If you're craving some Wall-E, Disney has you covered this week with a little clip entitled "Wall-E vs the Magnet." No plot spoilers, no extra details, it's just Wall-E in all his adorableness. _thumbnail.jpg)
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