The Hardywood Holler! 01.11.06: Episode XX - Where It All Beings... Again
Posted by David Hardy on 01.11.2006
What A Boring Week! Thank God For E-Mail...
Before we get started, I think I should mention this great news blurb from the front page.
The production studio that created "Futurama" is strongly considering putting the series back into production. Talks are ongoing with FOX to air a few new episodes. The show was created by "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening and David X. Cohen.
Just like "Family Guy," "Futurama" has become a hit on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim and has also logged strong DVD sales. The show was axed by FOX in 2003. Similar to "Family Guy," "Futurama" was troubled with huge gaps between new episodes and constant time changes when it aired on FOX.
Anyone else out there think this is a great idea. Futurama was just as great as Family Guy and deserves a second shot. I'll be counting the days til this baby comes back!
Mailbag
Lots of mail this week, keep 'em coming!
From Todd V: I just thought I would drop a line about the new Resident Evil flick. Every one is arms in the air about Paul Anderson coming back to direct. But to the best of my knowledge, he directed the first, better installment; Yet only wrote and produced the second less than stellar effort. I think him returning to the series as director is a good thing. Could be worse. Could be Uwe Boll.
You make a good point, but I'd still rather the series be in more capable hands. Maybe I'm still bitter about Anderson ruining AVP for me and millions of fans. But the first one was decent and had some good, creepy moments and hopefully he can duplicate that in this third installment and keep it less campy than the sequel. And amen to Boll not directing this. That man needs to be publicly executed.
From Swordfighter13: Hey, just read your latest and so ya know, Betsy\'s psyche was switched with a ninja named Revanche when Betsy\'s body was dying. Revanche wanted to die, Betsy wanted to live and someone (Roma, I think) got them thier wishes. Revanche lived out Betsy\'s last days and Bet got a hot new body. Go to www.uncannyxmen.net \'s Spotlight On... section for a bio. Wikipedia works too. L8.
I never knew what "uncanny" meant.
From Eric: Psylocke was - a british gal till she was changed by the Mandarin and his groupies The Hand. They found her i think after she went through the \'Seige perilious\' way back when - and remade her. An excellent series for the X-men - think the art work was Jim Lee. highly highly recommended, cheers eric
From Jason M: http://www.freewebs.com/xgirlscerebro/psylocke.htm There\'s a brief paragraph on this page that tremendously briefly describes the story arch in which Psylocke became Asian. I only barely remember it myself, but it happened around the time I was first getting into the X-Men comics, and thus, did ring a bell. Some baloney about body-switching with ninja assassins and blah blah blah. Wikipedia has a bit more thorough explanation, but neglects to mention that she switched bodies with an Asian. And so you have it. Psylocke is, and has been Asian, for over a decade now. Cheers! Jason M
Thanks for the info guys! I understand it totally now, though I do think it is all very hokey, but that's X-Men tradition. This all happened after I stopped reading the comics. Although it now makes sense for them to cast an asian lady to play Psylocke, I'd still much rather have the good ol' Brit. Either way, let's keep our fingers crossed that she'll be wearing that skimpy blue outfit and has a badass psi-blade. Something like this:
For further discussion on the topic, why not check out our Fan Forums?
From Jason L: I was just curious where you had heard that Omega Red was going to be in the new X-Men movie. Thanks alot.
IMDB. I'm guessing it will be only a smaller roll or just a quick blurb.
Thanks for all the mail and keep it coming!
Weekend Box Office
1. Hostel - $20.1 million ($20.1 million)
2. The Chronicles of Narnia - $15.4 million ($247.5 million)
3. King Kong - $12.4 million ($192.5 million)
4. Fun With Dick and Jane - $12.2 million ($81.3 million)
5. Cheaper by the Dozen 2 - $8.3 million ($66.4 million)
6. Munich - $7.4 million ($25.2 million)
7. Memoirs of a Geisha - $6 million ($39.7 million)
8. Rumor Has It - $5.8 million ($35.3 million)
9. Brokeback Mountain - $5.7 million ($22.4 million)
10. The Family Stone - $4.6 million ($53.1 million)
It looks like gross-out horror is becoming a big thing for movie-goers. Just like Saw and Saw 2 before it, Hostel has topped the box office using it's disturbing torture methods as the main selling point. Good for it, though, as it is an enjoyable movie when you're not totally cringing. At least it dethroned Narnia, which is ridiculously overrated. No real surprises from the rest of the group as it is more or less the same as the previous week. It's good to see Harry Potter finally off the chart, and Johnny Knoxville proved his drawing power as The Ringer was hardly in the top ten at all before dropping out. I actually expected a bit more from Munich, but I think lack of advertising and weird conflicting opening dates had people confused about when the movie was actually happening. I'm actually surprised that Fun With Dick And Jane has done so well as it is rather mediocre. I guess this proves that people wanna see more of Jim Carrey in comedy roles.
Opening This Week
The New World
Tristan And Isolde
Glory Road
Last Holiday
Hoodwinked
Note: These news bits aren't really organized in any way, so don't think the top one if more important than a middle or bottom one.
Lucky 13 For Ocean The Story: Screenwriters Brian Koppelman and David Levien have turned in a draft of "Ocean's Thirteen" to Warner Bros. producer Jerry Weintraub, indicating that Warner Bros. does plan to go ahead with the film. The idea for the film is being pitched to director Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney right now in hopes that they return. Warner Bros. hopes to start shooting within a few months. Source: Variety
The Pink: The first two movies were both excellent and both made a whole pile of money. This one will be the same and top the box office easily. Not only that, but it's gonna have a great cast if they stick with the same as the previous ones, and will most likely add another. Angelina Jolie anyone?
The Stink: Isn't it kinda soon to be making another one? The last one only came out a little while ago. They don't wanna smother people with the series so they should probably wait another year or two to build up anticipation for it. Also, the entire main cast needs to return, otherwise it just wouldn't be the same. And let's not for get that it needs a great story and script that doesn't rip off the first two.
Allen And Travolta Getting Hog Wild The Story: John Travolta and Tim Allen are in negotiations to star in "Wild Hogs," a comedy for Touchstone Pictures that Walt Becker is directing. The script, by Brad Copeland, revolves around a group of four frustrated middle-aged biker wannabes who hit the open road in search of adventure only to encounter a real Hell's Angels group. Travolta and Allen will play two of the four suburban men. Source: Hollywood Reporter
The Pink: What a great combination these two would make! The story sounds like it would be alot of fun, and there's still two positions to be filled for the suburbanites. Hopefully they can get a couple of other big stars to join in on the fun.
The Stink: I really hope that they don't screw this one up. Movies always portray biker guys as jerks with rods up their asses or scruffy guys with hearts of gold. Let's hope this is somewhere in the middle. Hopefully it'll be more of a comedy then anything else.
Spike Jonze Gets Wild Too The Story: Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to the classic children's story, "Where The Wild Things Are." Universal owned the rights and planned to make a movie of the story but delays caused the rights to go back up for sale and WB grabbed them. Spike Jonze has already written the screenplay for the film and will direct as well. The movie will include live-action mixed with CGI. Source: Variety
The Pink: I loved this story as a child and think it would be fun to watch on the big screen. It'll be cool to see the fantasy creatures come to life in CGI just like I imagined them as a child. Hopefully the actor who plays the child won't suck like so many other child actors.
The Stink: The story isn't that long, unfortunately. It will either have to be a short movie or they'll need to add a whole lot to it to make it longer.
Depp and Burton Reuniting The Story: Director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp could reunite for a big screen version of the Stephen Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd." The film would be a musical about Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street. The story opened on Broadway in 1979. Source: Zap2it
The Pink: A demon barber? Sounds like fun to me.
The Stink: How many friggin movies do they have to make together? What an overdone, overrated duo! And a musical? Do we really need another musical?
Secret Drawer To Be Opened The Story: Producers Daniel Alter and Howard Sun are joining "The Secret Drawer Society," teaming with tyro scribe Sharon Scott to develop her script into a feature focused on the supernatural. Project revolves around the practice at East Coast inns of guests leaving behind letters -- often accounts of encounters with ghosts -- for future occupants to find. Scott's script follows two sisters and their friends seeking to unravel the mysteries surrounding a hidden treasure. Alter and Sun are working with Scott to develop the script into a line of comicbooks and a children's animated series with the goal of creating awareness prior to release of the live-action film. Source: Dark Horizons
The Pink: Stories involving ghosts are always fun. It will be interesting what kind of approach they'll give this movie, whether it'll be a horror, suspense, comedy or childrens story. Hopefully a good cast will be brought in for this instead of stupid child actors.
The Stink: I really hope they don't make this just a childrens movie. But from the sounds of them making comic books and and animated series, that looks to be the case.
Return To Hostel The Story: After a strong $20.1 million opening weekend, Screen Gems and Lionsgate are planning a sequel to "Hostel," with writer-director Eli Roth in talks to return and steer the second installment. Lionsgate and Screen Gems intend to release the sequel in a year, mimicking Lionsgate's successful quick turnaround of "Saw" and "Saw II". It's not clear whether "Hostel" exec producer Quentin Tarantino will be back. Screen Gems will make the movie, while Lionsgate will release it in the U.S. Screen Gems will retain international theatrical rights, as well as all homevid rights. Source: Variety
The Pink: Dang, Lion's Gate sure likes to greenlight sequels quickly, don't they? I'm all for a sequel. The first one was a blast to watch, and obviously people wanna see more gross stuff like this movie presented. I just hope they get a better cast than the one they had in the first. Also, it could use more torture scenes, as the movie didn't really deliver all that it was building itself up to be in that department
The Stink: Where can they take it from now? The story pretty much started and finished in the first one. If they do a sequel, they run a strong risk of it being a total ripoff of the first one. Chances are there will just be more people to kill off with no real story change. Maybe have some feds discover the place and try to bring it down. Or else and explanation of how the hostel/cutting chamber thingy came to be. Also maybe a backstory on the group of hunters could be interesting.
Movie Reviews... In Haikus!
Hostel Good gross-out horror
Not too scary but still fun
Not for feint of heart
Annoying Celebrity Of The Week
Paris Hilton!
I pulled this off the main page:
Paris Hilton has admitted that she made up stories about the former girlfriend of her ex-lover Paris Latsis, Model/actress/producer Zeta Graff. Graff filed a $10 million lawsuit claiming that Hilton made up stories to the New York Post in an attempt to ruin her name. Hilton has now come out and made a deposition of slander, admitting she made the stories up.
"Hilton will learn a valuable lesson about what happens when you try to ruin another person's reputation," Graff says in a statement. "She made a number of false statements about me, and she repeatedly lied under oath during her recent deposition. I look forward to her explaining all of this to a jury."
Everyone's favorite stupid spoiled whore has done it again. She narrowly beat out Lindsay for top spot this week, though I'm sure Ms. Lohan will be making an ass of herself again next week. It's Paris' time to shine! Can she get jail time for that? I certainly hope so, because the world can really use a break from her for a few months.
