Babes, Bombs, and Blockbusters Movie News Report 4.22.08

Posted by Mike Gorman on 04.22.2008

Ron Weasley takes on Linsdey, Bond’s car takes a swim, and a former Superman’s career takes off again in this week’s Three B’s news report. Also included are a look a handy “free” robot and Mike Gorman’s take on the combination of comic books and TV/Film.



This Tuesday's movie news is a series of ups and downs for several people in the entertainment field. Lindsey Lohan finds herself under attack again… by a member of the Harry Potter cast and Law & Order: SVU loses two of its stars while T4 gets to finishing its casting and Dean Cain looks to land the lead in a new flick. I also take a look at the recently completed "Jason vs. Freddy vs. Ash" comic book and how well it functioned in the new medium. Eva Mendez is this week's Hot Shot and she's ready to go so I will let her kick things off!



The G Spot

Even Ron Weasley thinks Lohan is sleazy...
19 year old actor Rupert Grint is in no hurry to move to Hollywood. The young actor would rather avoid the lifestyle and individuals living there seems to introduce into one's life. Specifically he wishes to steer clear of Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton and their ilk. After a recent run in with Lohan, Grint had the following to say, "I met Lindsay last summer and she talked about herself a lot. She said she was going to win an Oscar before she turns 25. I just kept thinking, 'But you can't act'. I haven't met Paris and don't want to either. She and Lindsay are the type of girls you need to stay away from." Seems like this kid has a good head on his shoulders… I give it two months after the last Potter film premieres until he is seen in a hot tub with Britney!

Say it ain't tru SVU
"Law & Order: SVU" is saying goodbye to Diane Neal and Adam Beach. Beach is leaving after a one year stint on the show in what appears to be a mutual decision between him and the show's creators. Neal's exit however is not so cut and dry. It was first reported that her exit was like Beach's, a mutually agreed upon decision, but Michael Ausiello of TV Guide reports that it now seem's Neal's decision to leave the role of ADA Casey Novak was not really hers to make. It seems she may have been fired. Now while I am said to see Neal leave after a long run as Novak, I can only hope that this will open the door for Stephanie March to return as Alexandra Cabot.

Talk about a wrong turn
The new James Bond car, an Aston Martin, was in an accident this weekend as a staff member was delivering the car to the set. While the driver is ok, the car itself will probably not recover from its trip to the bottom of a lake in Italy. The alleged cause of the accident was heavy rain. I am a little disappointed that a James Bond car is equipped with some kind of hover-craft option for just these occasions! Will someone get me Q on the phone???



More on T4!
While recent reports have filming stalled on this much anticipated (note the sarcasm please) sequel, it appears that casting moves forward. Moon Bloodgood, who starred in NBC's short-lived series Journeyman, is in final negotiations for the female lead. This casting report also indicated that principal photography is set to begin on May 5th. There is a solid cast attached to this project now so I do hold out some hope for the production. Of course then I remember that McG is the director and I warm up a spot on my rental queue for this one!

Angela Bassett cast in Notorious B.I.G. biopic
Bassett will portray Voletta Wallace, Biggie's mother. Newcomer Jamal Woolard will play the rapper in the new film and reports state that once he is in wardrobe he is the spitting image of Biggie. The film's plot includes events throughout his life and several after his passing, including his funeral. I have seen the pictures of Woolard and the resemblance is quite stunning. It will be interesting to see how, if at all, this picture addresses any of the controversy surrounding Biggie and Tupac's deaths being linked.

Good for him!
Dean Cain is in negotiations to play the lead in Starr Light Productions ensemble film, "Material Lies." Teri Polo and Jay Thomas are set to round out the cast. The details of the film's storyline involve Cain's character planning a reunion for his college friends after discovering he has leukemia. The story feels a little too "Movie of the Week"-ish for me but I have to say it is good to hear that Cain is getting work again. As a fan of "Lois & Clark" it saddens me to see his only work being "Ripley's Believe it or not" freak show on SciFi.



The Trunk

Are comic books becoming a valid medium for the production of theatrical and television projects?



The concept seems over the top and yet somehow it ended up a very satisfying experience. I speak of the recently completed comic book miniseries, "Jason vs. Freddy vs. Ash." Based on a film treatment by Jason Katz, this six issue romp brought together these three movie icons in a storyline that served as a satisfying sequel to the recent Jason vs. Freddy film and the Evil Dead Trilogy. Set about five years or so after the end of Fvs.J we are reintroduced to the Camp Crystal Lake area which is trying to change its name again and set its sordid history in the past. The first issue of the book presented what I always clamor for in a sequel, an appearance by the last film's survivors. Will & Lori return to the lake to be sure that Jason and Freddy are gone and quickly learn that these monsters never stay gone for long. Their deaths begin a gory, fun rollercoaster ride that incorporates elements from all three icons' films and weaves them together in a intricate yet very workable plot. I do not want to give away all of the details but I do want to encourage fans of these characters or horror films in general to pick up this series.

The comic book medium allows the creators to have those big effect moments without worry of budget or production restraints. Freddy is allowed to be the master of dreams and Jason can hack away all he wants without either's presence appearing too cartoonish or phoney. Presenting the story over six issues also allowed the writer to elaborate on many details that would have probably been cut from a film in order to keep the time down. As a reader, the monthly cliffhanger aspect of the comic book treatment only served to increase my enjoyment of this piece as it unfolded. In film form this story may have been too heavy with back story to keep the audience aware of the necessary details surrounding each character while the comic allows for that exposition to unfurl as a natural part of the story. "Flashbacks" just don't seem to feel as out of place in print as they sometimes do on screen.

Aside from allowing this story to exceed its boundaries in print I also think that it serves as a testing ground for the viability of these properties to return to the big screen. With production costs much lower in the comic realm, a study could do well using the colored page as a way to "screen" properties they might not be willing to risk bringing into full production. This translation of form seems to be working for other properties as well. Joss Whedon is currently giving new life to both "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel: The Series" in print.



"Buffy Season 8" and "Angel After The Fall" are both posting big numbers as they carry on the stories begun in the defunct TV shows. These cult favorites both continue to have strong audiences wanting to connect with their favorite characters. Each book has been criticized of course by those who feel that the shows should have been left well enough alone but as a hard core fan of each I am greatly enjoying seeing where Joss himself would have taken each series if he had another season. Buffy now leads an army of Slayers amidst adventures with enemies new and old while Angel finds himself and Los Angeles literally in hell.



I do think that comics are a strong enough form to carry on these strong concepts and present them in an enjoyable manner. Check them all out if you get the chance and keep your eyes open for more properties to enter this arena as it was just announced by Chris Carter that the "X-Files" will soon be appearing in comic form.



Beerwatch
Had a hard day at work? Are your hands too busy to get the can open? Well check out this Beer Gadget…



This is Asahi, a beer pouring robot from Japan. It can refrigerate up to six cans of beer, two mugs, and with a simple push of a button it will pour a beer into the mug with perfect head every time. Sadly you cannot buy this robot just yet but he was available as part of a promotion with Asahi beer in Japan. All one had to do was collect 36 special seals found on specially marked Asahi beer.



Tuesday Hot Shot
Eva Mendez certainly heated things up this week as the Hot Shot. She was suggested to me by a friend while watching this week's UFC pay per view. While almost anything would be better looking than the bloody faces of the losing fighters, I think she definitely rises to the top of anyone's must see list this week.




(All information and gossip gathered from Aintitcoolnews.com, Hollywoodreporter.com, Hollywood.com, Reuters.com, Variety.com, TMZ.com)