Babes, Bombs, and Blockbusters Movie News Report 11.03.09

Posted by Mike Gorman on 11.03.2009

Check out ten great TV miniseries, the pictures of Keeley Hazell and a full dose of Hollywood news including word about the District 9 sequel, how you can buy the rights to the Terminator franchise, and who is sponsoring Seth McFarlane’s comedy special on Fox in this week’s 3Bs News Report!

A cold may be kicking my butt this week but don't worry, I'm here for you my loyal readers!

Keeley Hazell is perhaps best known as one of London's The Sun's Page 3 girls and has appeared in magazines such as FHM. This British hottie has recently given up modeling in order to pursue a career in acting. She has allegedly moved to the US recently to study her craft.













Check out today's news bombs!

But will they use the Buy It Now option on Ebay?
Halcyon, the company that produced Terminator Salvation, will be auctioning off the film's franchise rights later this month according to The Financial Times. The deal will include the rights to Salvation and potential sequels but not the original three films. Allegedly those expressing the most interest include Sony Pictures, Summit Entertainment and Platinum Equity. Ok, so maybe this is a bit bigger than an eBay auction but it is an interesting happening none the less. The fourth Terminator film was not exactly a success so perhaps a transfer would light some fire under those developing a sequel and bring about some positive changes.




The next District will not be along soon
According to IGN, Sony Pictures is eager to get a sequel to the $200 million grossing District 9 underway but it appears there will be a definitely delay. Sources report that director Neill Blomkamp and producer Peter Jackson have their plates full already and will not begin work on a sequel until they find the right story and can coordinate their schedules. As the first film was such a truly great, original story, I am glad to see that those involved are willing to put some thought into a sequel instead of simply rushing one out to make some money. Peter Jackson has The Hobbit to contend with before he gets into this one.





Sanchez serious about Blair Witch sequel
One of the original creators of the Blair Witch Project, Eduardo Sanchez has confirmed that he and co-writer/director Daniel Myrnick are planning a third film for the franchise that would pick up right after the first film ended. IGN reports that Sanchez told the Toronto Star that they "have written a treatment that includes small roles for original cast members Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams." Sanchez says they want to completely ignore the terrible sequel, Blair Witch Project 2: Book of Shadows. In my opinion this alone is great news about this project! While this film is not greenlit yet it does seem like Sanchez and Myrnick are on the right path.





Microsoft out, Warner Bros. in
Last week Microsoft pulled the plug on their sponsorship of FOX's "Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show" after seeing footage of the special. Allegedly the content was a bit too racy for their liking. Never fear however as this week Warner Bros. Studios announced that they will step in and use the special to promote their new Sherlock Holmes film starring Robert Downey Jr. The special airs this Sunday on FOX. Have the execs at Microsoft never seen "Family Guy" or heard Seth McFarlane speak? Apparently not if they took this long to realize that this special might push some buttons. I for one cannot wait to see and am pretty sure that Microsoft will be missing out on a valuable opportunity.













Tonight on ABC, the remake of the 1983 miniseries "V" begins. When it first aired "V" was groundbreaking television tackling social issues and politics under the guise of an alien invasion. The miniseries is a television art form that I think is sometimes overlooked. Today I present you with my personal Top Ten Sci-Fi/Horror Television Miniseries.


10. Dune
While the original film is a classic, the SciFi Channel's miniseries treatment of Dune was able to expand upon the themes of the novel due to the expanded time frame allotted. While many feel the acting was not on the same level as the original most agree that this miniseries is visually stunning and makes excellent use of the available technology.




9. Rose Red
Stephen King, a name you will repeated on this list, entered familiar territory when he created Rose Red, a haunted house out to get its inhabitants, but he took us down a unique path with this story of psychic investigation. This miniseries constructed a rich mythology for the house that spanned centuries and drew you in as a viewer. Add in a creepy kid with a psychic connection to the terror at play and you end up with a successful viewing experience.


8. The Lost Room
The Lost Room is a truly unique miniseries that tells the story of a father searching for his child who is lost in a motel that moves about in a rip in the space-time continuum. The story is much more complex than just that and weaves together a cast of seemingly unconnected characters into one cohesive, mind bending epic.




7. Taken
Proving that a miniseries can be more than just 3 or 4 episodes, Taken is a jammed packed 10 episodes that deals with the topic of alien abduction. What is most interesting about Taken is the way it follows the stories of three families across three generations as they attempt to deal with alien contact on many levels. Their stories take them in many different directions but always seem to intersect again in complex ways.


6. Tin Man
Updating the tale of "The Wizard of Oz," Tin Man brought us a look at a different Oz than the one first visited by Dorothy and Toto. The premise is still the same, a young girl finds herself transported to a fantastical world by a twister but this world is much darker and twisted than the original yellow brick road. What I enjoyed the most about this miniseries was its excellent attention to detail and manner in which the story truly unfolds in the end. There is much more going on than meets the eye in this tale and how they get us to the end is an enjoyable journey.




5. Dead Set
Proving once again that they are the masters of the short form television series, the BBC struck gold in my opinion with Dead Set. How this show has not been replicated in the US yet I am not sure. Its premise is simple; a new season of the popular reality show "Big Brother" is being filmed. If you are not familiar with the show, it places a group of individuals into a monitored, controlled "house" that they cannot leave until they are voted off by the viewing public. A little snafu happens to interrupt this current season though, a zombie apocalypse. Sealed off from a world that has turned undead, this miniseries shows how the stereotypical reality show contestants deal with a truly terrifying challenge. Great special effects and zombie makeup amp up this great show's intensity.


4. The Stand
"The Stand" is my favorite of all of Stephen King's works and this is why I was so excited when I heard that it was being turned into a miniseries. I was worried that they would not be able to capture the scope of King's enormous novel but my fears were laid to rest when I saw the first episode. An all star cast including Gary Sinise and Molly Ringwald, brought to life the characters going through these extreme circumstances. This production brought to life this showdown between good and evil in a way that really did honor its source material.




3. Battlestar Galactica
This is the miniseries that took a relatively corny sci-fi series that was extinct and made it relevant to the modern age. The new BSG miniseries went beyond a mere battle between humans and robotic Cyclons and explored themes of religion, philosophy and politics. What seemed to endear viewers the most to this update was the depth of character on all sides. There were no clear cut answers as to who was the "good guys" and who was the "bad guys" but instead the shades of grey within all were exposed and examined.


2. It
Adapting another of King's mammoth novels, It did something that is very rare in a horror film made for TV; it scared the pants off of viewers. Most of the scares were due to Tim Curry's tour de force performance as the twisted clown Pennywise. I still get chills when I hear his raspy voice speak the words, "We all float down here" from between his bright red lips and razor sharp jaws. This tale of the strength of innocence is very well produced and in my opinion only suffers when they attempt to give the evil "It" a physical form at the very end.




1. The original V
It inspired this list and is truly my favorite TV miniseries of all time, not just in the Sci-fi genre. It begins with what seems like benevolent contact with an alien species who promises the earth technological advances in exchange for some simple chemicals they need to survive. It turns out they are actually here to take the earth's water and feed on the human race. What follows is a tale of fascist take over and grassroots resistance. A recent viewing of this original showed me just how edgy and topical this show was. It echoed the age old saying that if we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. There was a magic to V that I truly hope that the new series will be able to recapture but I am wary. It will be hard to show up such an amazing adventure.




Your Tuesday ‘Tube Bonus Clip

This week I leave you with a look at the new V series premiering tonight on ABC:




One last glimpse at Keeley…




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:

twitter.com/Mykelogan
twitter.com/411mania
twitter.com/411wrestling
twitter.com/411moviestv
twitter.com/411music
twitter.com/411games
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One last note…
This week I want to use this space to promote a new feature I am getting going that allows you to let out your inner fat kid on Twitter. Welcome to:



Have you eaten something particularly bad for you?
Craving a specific snack like it is nobody's business?
Maybe your jeans are tight and you're having a fat day?
Or maybe like me, you a fat guy (or girl) living your life and encountering some unique moments that you know other peeps could relate to?

Post it on Twitter and add the tag "#fatter", then you can check out your post and others from fellow fatties in substance or spirit on my web site at:
http://www.mykelogan.com/fatter

In the next week or so "The Fatter Blog" will also launch on that site as I document the life and times of a not so typical fat guy… me. Ok, so maybe sometimes I fit the stereotypes but what are you gonna do?




(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)