Babes, Bombs, and Blockbusters Movie News Report 10.13.09

Posted by Mike Gorman on 10.13.2009

From The Fantastic Four and the Ninja Turtles to the Entourage guys and the Sex & The City girls, we rank the Top 10 Hollywood Foursomes! Plus, hot pics of sizzling hot Russian chick Amanda Braun!

Shake off your Columbus Day hangover (is it really a big party day?) and come on into this week's Babes, Bombs and Blockbusters.

This week's Babe is Russian model Amanda Braun. I could not find out too much about her but in this case I thought it was fine to let her pictures speak for themselves. Hope you agree.














Check out today's news bombs!

Could this actually be true?
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Bryan Singer told reporters at South Korea's Pusan International Film Festival that he is interested in making another X-Men. He said that he has been in talks with Fox Studios about returning to film series he began but left in order to direct Superman Returns. Nothing is set in stone and obviously this could just be idle chatter on Singer's part but if he is sincere than count me in. The first two X-Men films were fantastic adaptations of the comic heroes and if you follow this column you know that I am no fan of third. Singer's return could revive a franchise that seems to have become unfocused and a bit lost.





Things are heating up in 3D
Neil Marshall, director of 2006's The Descent, is set to jump onto the 3D horror film bandwagon with Ghost House Pictures' Burst 3D. According to Variety, the story "revolves around a group of stranded travelers who meet during a blizzard and get stalked by a malevolent force that makes people spontaneously combust." Clearly a front runner for next year's Best Picture Oscar, audiences are sure to be surprised when it is revealed that this malevolent force is the spirit of a recently deceased pop star seeking revenge on those people who set his hair on fire during the filming of a cola commercial.





We want Whedon! But we're not getting him for a while…
IGN reports that the Joss Whedon horror satire film Cabin in the Woods has been pushed back from its original release date of February 5, 2010 until January 14, 2011. The not so surprising reason for the shift is that the film is going to be rendered in 3D. This conversion process can take several months. I have been waiting a long time for this film so I think I can wait a little bit longer, but 3D? Really? I honestly think this is a fad that we will soon see peak and then fade away again as it has in the past. At least until there is a reliable method for 3D home viewing.





Well, we did it!
Paramount Pictures put it out on the internet that if one million people demanded the nationwide release of the allegedly quite good movie Paranormal Activity that they would give the film a national release. This past weekend the number was reached and Paramount is following through on their promise. This is what Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures had to say, "From the very beginning, we put this film in the hands of the fans and we trusted them to tell us where and when it should be seen. We couldn't be more thrilled by their overwhelming support and we are happy to release the film in every town - big and small." It would seem that for once, social media sites like Twitter and Facebook have harnessed their powers for good. I think this will turn out to be some great free promotion for the film. I for one cannot wait to see it.












If I am one thing, it is loyal. This is why I remain a faithful viewer of the show "Heroes" on NBC when most of my friends have long ago jumped ship. They tell me that it was a great concept that never fully materialized on the small screen and that the stories are going nowhere fast. Is this true? Let's take a ‘buster or Busted? look at the new season so far. SPOILERS AHEAD!


Nathan is dead, but Sylar is Nathan: At the end of last season when Nathan was killed, his mother convinced Matt Parkman to use his telepathy to make the shape shifting Sylar truly believe he was Nathan. It would seem however that the effect is not permanent and Sylar is waking up. I am glad that they did not drag this one point out for an entire season. 'buster!

Sylar also haunts Parkman: It seems that Matt did not get off scot free when he messed with Sylar as now Sylar is showing up to haunt him. Is it really Sylar or is Matt's guilt making it happen? I want to know!. 'buster!

The cheerleader goes to college: Claire's in college. So far her roommate has apparently been killed or committed suicide and her new best friend may be a lesbian stalker. Who didn't experience that in college, boring. Busted!

HRG, the divorcee: Claire's dad is also not doing so well since his wife filed for divorce. I think they want this story to make him more sympathetic to us. I liked him better when he was hunting the Heroes down.Busted!

Hiro's "bucket list": It was established last season that Hiro's abilities were killing him. This season he was shown that he can actually change the past and is setting out to right the wrongs of times gone by before his time is passed. Great storyline for him and I can already see some kind of "Monkey's paw"-esque twist coming. 'buster!

The Carny Folk: Mysterious carnival folk with powers of their own. Seems like something sinister is up. I hope the Heroes can figure out what these people want before they make Fonzi jump that shark tank. Busted!

Peter Petrelli, Super EMT: Angsty Peter feels the weight of the world is on his shoulders and that he needs to save everyone. So what better cover than being an EMT? This is going to go south fast in my opinion and I look forward to how Peter reacts when his noble intentions backfire. 'buster!

The compass that changed the world: Is this the new slogan for the show? What's up with the compass and the tattoo'd version? I am lost. Busted!

I guess I do have my fair share of complaints about this new season; but still I have hope!









The other night I was sitting around with some friends and the topic of Halloween costumes came up. We were mostly brainstorming famous TV and movie pairs they could go as for a party coming up soon. As usual, tangents ensued and we soon realized that there is often a lot of attention given to pairs and trios in film and on TV but what about the foursomes out there? You hear about the dynamic duos and who doesn't love a good threesome. But is there something special about four characters with a connection? I thought so and we soon realized that some of the best TV shows and films today feature four main characters.

We decided to call this phenomenon "The Power of Fours." There are many different ways that this dynamic can play out and I think that is what we found so interesting. This week I wanted to share with you a Top Ten list that highlights some of the best foursomes to come out of Hollywood and just what it is that makes them unique.




10. Fantastic Four
They are such a great foursome that they have "Four" in their name! So why is it so hard to make a great movie about this well balanced comic team? They are comic icons and archetypes for many characters to follow. In my opinion, without them we would never have see the creation of other great properties like "The Incredibles." The FF are unwilling victims of circumstance who could have become super powered outcasts with their weird abilities and appearances but instead they became the first family of Marvel Comics. I hope that the rumored reboot of their film franchise brings them the respect that they deserve.




9. Sex & the City
Four very different characters united by their gender and the challenges they face as residents of New York City. What is it about their dynamic that makes magic? One, a neurotic writer in love with the man everyone says is wrong for her. Another an aging sex kitten who would wear the Cougar badge with pride. These women should probably not be best friends as they lead such varied lives but is their unique experiences that seem to continually draw them together and drew audiences in for both a long running show and hit film.




8. Anchorman
The Channel 4 News Team is made up of four guys who will take on any other station's attacks while still able to get together and sing about a little "Afternoon Delight." They are masculine stereotypes taken to the extreme so it should come as no surprise that the greatest threat they ever faced was a woman trying to break into their boy's "club." Their quirks complement each other perfectly as do their polyester suits.




7. Heathers
I believe that Heathers introduced us to one of the more prolific foursome dynamics, "The high school clique." Specifically, it is three girls who are the "In" crowd and one girl who challenges their status quo. Here we saw the three Heathers vying for control and popularity while Veronica slowly had her eyes opened to the world by the charismatic JD. This formula has been repeated several times over the years in films like Mean Girls and Jawbreaker. Look at these stories. Would they have been the same with just three girls or would they have worked better with five? I think the answer to both questions is "no." With four, you have enough wiggle room for some of the flock to not follow the head girl but not so many that the eventual rebellion seems commonplace. It has to be four.




6. The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show
But wait, I know you're screaming at the screen right now, "Rocky and Bullwinkle is a duo!" You are correct but without another duo, Boris and Natasha, R&B would be totally boring. Their foursome shows the importance of the dramatic foil, the balance of the comic and straight man. The show was really about character symmetry. Our favorite foursomes need not always be best friends. Sometimes the best foursomes loathe each other.




5. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
At the heart of these three epic films are four little hobbits. While inhuman in form, they are the stories humanity. Brothers in spirit, with these hobbits we get to see that one of the benefits of a core foursome is that the four can often split and still remain together in spirit. They may not always walk side by side over hills and valleys but they are united by their mission and their care for each other. Their importance to the viewers cannot be overlooked.




4.Star Wars
This classic foursome was often seen as a romantic threesome with Chewbacca along for the ride. They are the damsel in distress (who's not so weak after all!), the young warrior, the seasoned vet and his best friend who cares for them all. Luke, Leia, Han Solo and Chewy are characters that transcend the film they are in and could really show up almost anywhere and be respected. In my opinion, they are the four central characters of the series regardless of what the newer trilogy implies.




3. Entourage
The guys of Entourage truly exemplify what can be great about a solid foursome. And yes, I am not including Ari in this grouping because at the core the show is about the lives of four friends who grew up together and now are living their dreams in Hollywood. Ari is an important part of their story but not really integral to their existence. Vince, Johnny, E and Turtle are the four pieces needed to make up the puzzle that is the show's success. They represent connections that many of us feel for our friends. Connections that we wish could continue as our lives develop and we encounter new opportunities.




2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
In many of the foursomes I have mentioned already there is a clear leader of the group and the other three characters support and challenge that leader in their own different ways. With the Turtles you get the foursome at its most pure. No one was really more important than the other but they were each equally important to the show's success. This quintessential cartoon foursome was made up of distinctly crafted characters who together exemplified teamwork, unity and a sense of fairness. While no one turtle lead the pack, they were not interchangeable.




1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
A super powered cheerleader, a librarian, a witch and a normal guy. Doesn't exactly add up to a dynamic foursome on paper but in action there is no better foursome in any medium to me than the Scooby Gang from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They are the core of the show and over its seven seasons they grew as characters and as friends. Sure others came and went throughout the years planning important roles in their group dynamic but at the end of the day it was Giles, Willow and Xander that Buffy needed around her the most. They even beat us over the head with this concept at the end of Season Four when they all must link their essences so that Buffy can defeat Adam. Like most great foursomes they become, with time, a true family.

So what are your favorite foursomes? Look closely at some of your favorites TV programs and films there are certainly several that will pop out at you.



Your Tuesday ‘Tube Bonus Clip

Soon we will all be able to see this film at our local theaters, so let's check out the HD trailer for Paranormal Activity in preparation:



Hey Amanda, do that thing with your hair please…




Until next week watch out for the bombs, catch a good blockbuster and check out a sweet babe or two. Oh, and for goodness sake, bookmark http://www.411mania.com. Are you using Twitter? You can follow me and 411mania's zones on these pages:

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(All information and gossip gathered from Fark.com, Aintitcoolnews.com, Hollywoodreporter.com, Moviehole.net, Reuters.com, Variety.com, MTV.com, IMDB.com, IGN.com WENN news, and Darkhorizons.com)