The Big Screen Bulletin 08.18.08: News That Won’t Give You the Hershey Squirts

Posted by Chad Webb on 09.01.2008

The birthday bash with Salma Hayek, the box office results, movies about Guitar Hero and Facebook, "The Dark Knight" flops in Japan, new DVD releases, new quickees, new trailer ratings, and much more!

I went to Hershey Park this weekend. Hence the Hershey Squirts. Haha. It was fun, but crowded. I'm used to it though; I grew up around that area. I rode the new Fahrenheit rollercoaster. I stood in line for 90 minutes, and the ride was neat, but at that point, I just wanted to sit down and get the ride done with already.

The Birthday Bash

Cameron Diaz turns 36 - I don't find Cameron Diaz as attractive as I did in say…The Mask, but this is a smokin bathing suit pic. She has The Box, My Sister's Keeper and Shrek Goes Fourth on her slate.






Chris Tucker turns 36 - Uh oh, this photo was taken from his 2005 reckless driving arrest. No smile to be found on the funny man who demands outlandish sums of money for his films these days huh? He has Mr. S: My Life with Frank Sinatra, as his next role, and he will be producing a movie called Mr. President.






Richard Gere turns 59 - This photo is for all my female readers. I'd be shocked if I had any, but here you go, Richard Gere with a towel. He has Nights in Rodanthe on the way this year, followed by Hachiko: A Dog's Story, Brooklyn's Finest, Amelia, and The Prodigy. A full schedule.






Salma Hayek turns 42 - I will never forget that scene in Desperado. She has still got a slammin body. The Oscar nominee has a voice contribution in Beverly Hills Chihuahua, followed by regular parts in Cirque du Freak, La Banda, and Keep Coming Back.






Keanu Reeves turns 44 - Keanu says stop clicking away from this page. Mr. Neo has The Day the Earth Stood Still on the horizon, as well as The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.

The News Bulletin

Thunder Echoes Thrice
DreamWorks and Paramount's holdover comedy "Tropic Thunder" continued to dominate at the Labor Day box office with three-day take of $11.5 million from 3,473 theaters, while 20th Century Fox's Van Diesel sci-fi actioner "Babylon A.D." grabbed the No. 2 spot with $9.7 million from 3,390. It's the third weekend in a row that the Ben Stiller-directed "Tropic Thunder" has won. Overall theater traffic was slow, however, even with the entry of "Babylon" and four other new wide players. Final four-day numbers for the long holiday weekend--and final frame of summer--won't be released until Monday, but sesh looks to be down by as much as 14% over last year, when "Halloween" redo made $26.4 million for the three days, and $30.6 million for the four. If there were any bright spots, they largely belonged to "Tropic Thunder" and Warner Bros.' "The Dark Knight," which continued to make news as it crossed the $500 million mark on Sunday, becoming only the second pic in history to earn north of $500 million after "Titanic." Overture's Don Cheadle-Guy Pearce political thriller "Traitor" opened solidly son the strength of adult moviegoers, grossing an estimated $7.9 million from 2,054 theaters through Sunday for a strong per location average $3,846 and a five-day cume of $9.5 million. Film came in No. 5 for the weekend.

In addition to "Babylon' and "Traitor," there were three other new wide offerings, none of which did notable business. Lionsgate's send-up "Disaster Movie," from the "Scary Movie" team, came in No. 7 for the three-days, grossing an estimated $6.2 million from 2,642 runs. MGM's comedy romp "College" only came in No. 15, grossing an estimated $2.1 million from 2,123 runs. Focus Features' "Hamlet 2," a Sundance acquisition, stumbled badly out of the gate, coming in No. 17 for the three-day weekend. Quirky comedy grossed an estimated $1.7 million from 1,597 runs for a per location average of $1,064 and a cume of $2.7 (film opened a week ago in a limited run, before going wide on Wednesday). "Dark Knight's" hold was even more impressive, as it registered a decline of just 17% in its seventh sesh to $8.7 million from 2,750 runs. It took "Dark Knight" six weeks and three days to jump the $500 million boundary at the domestic box office; it took "Titanic" 13 weeks. "Dark Knight" should top out at around $530 million, while "Titanic's" domestic cume was $600.8 million. On the specialty side, Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" held well, coming in No. 10 for the weekend in grossing an estimated $3 million from 692 runs for a per location average of $4,340 for a cume of $12.8 million. MGM is distributing the film for the Weinstein Co.

I just couldn't see anything but Tropic Thunder winning the weekend, so my streak continues...for now. And I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad Vin Diesel's Babylon A.D. did better than Disaster Movie. The Dark Knight is still at #3, and has no signs of going away anytime soon. I need to see that in IMAX. I am also pleased to see Traitor opening in the top 5 with such weak publicity. Otherwise, Death Race is dipping fast, and the rest are mostly holdovers, which did very well over the holiday weekend. Although Nicolas Cage's Bangkok Dangerous will do ok next week, I still see Tropic Thunder staying on top just barely. At this point, reviews and word of mouth mean a lot with kids heading back to school, so I doubt big daddy Vin will stay in the top 3.






The Dark Knight Flops in Japan
It's the biggest box-office earner in over a decade in the US, the biggest earner of the year internationally, and still the best reviewed, wide-release live-action film of the year according to Rotten Tomatoes.

Yet "The Dark Knight" has hit an unexpected stumbling block - it's flopping in Japan where the film has pulled in just $8.7 million so far in its first three weeks of release says Film Junk. To give you a comparison the first Chris Nolan/Christian Bale team-up "Batman Begins" scored $14 million in just its opening weekend in Japan.

Several predictable factors have come into play. As comic books are very much a part of American culture, movies based on them have always done significantly better domestically rather than globally with only the rare exception to that point. Likewise another movie juggernaut is dominating the scene - "Ponyo on the Cliff". The latest animated epic from acclaimed filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away," "Princess Mononoke") has pulled in a staggering $93.2 million in its first four weeks.

Yet there's more to it than that, and film critic Chika Minagawa offers one possible explanation: "The story is very pessimistic. It has a dark and gloomy texture that Japanese movie fans do not find appealing in a ‘comic hero' film… Japanese movie fans expect such films to be fun and action packed, for the hero to be attractive, for the villain to be loud and outrageous, and for the movie itself to be easy to understand and light."

Meanwhile the film has just surpassed the first "Spider-Man" as the biggest comic book movie of ever made. "Knight" has taken in $492.7 million domestically, beating the original Sam Raimi movie which took in $403.7 million back in 2002 and now sits at $491.95 million when adjusted for inflation. Globally it is expected to pass the $900 million mark this weekend. Its foreign cume of $400 million so far is more than double that of the previous best-selling Batman movie "Batman Begins" with $166 million.

Well this was certainly a surprise, at least in my eyes, but that just goes to show that while Americans are very much favoring the flawed and shadowy type of superhero film currently, not all cultures share that sentiment. I realize there was not a strong chance anyway, but this hurdle definitely prevents it from coming close to Titanic as far as international totals are concerned. Japan is no small market, and would have helped greatly. Plus, the fact that Miyazaki just released a new film was a blow they probably did not forsee. What will be interesting is that now studios are leaning towards the darker atmosphere for future comic book adaptations, even the planned Superman reboot. How will the reputation of Superman change overseas with an altered attitude?











Guitar Hero and Facebook: The Movies
--It's that game we all play when we're drunk at home with friends - Guitar Hero. Now, "Rush Hour" and "Red Dragon" helmer Brett Ratner wants to bring that experience to the multiplex it seems. Speaking with MTV News, Ratner says "I would love to do a Guitar Hero movie, if Activision would ever let me. I'm trying to convince them". What in the world could the plot be? "It could be about a kid from a small town who dreams of being a rock star and he wins the Guitar Hero competition." Ratner remains attached to direct another video game adaptation - "God of War".

--West Wing mastermind Aaron Sorkin is entering the world of social networking, writing a script about internet phenomenon Facebook. Sorkin, whose screen credits include A Few Good Men, Malice and The American President, made the announcement on his own Facebook page this week. According to Variety, the film will revolve around the creation of the site by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, and the way in which it changed his life and the lives of those around him. Scott Rudin will produce for Columbia Pictures, although there's no word yet on a start date.

For some reason, I had the urge to rope these projects together in a singular news bit. As I am not a Guitar Hero fan (sorry for those didn't read my South Park review), I think the idea of a movie based on the game is ridiculous, and ranks right up there with another parody flick (yeah I went there). Even the proposed plot mentioned above sounds stupid, but I don't have to worry, as all video game adaptations are commonly horrid. And Brett Ratner? When After the Sunset came out, I began to quickly lose patience with Ratner. Directing a Guitar Hero movie would only further ruin his reputation.

As far as Facebook goes, it helps that the brilliant Aaron Sorkin is writing the screenplay. I guess we'll find out just how good he really is. If the script stays focused on Mark Zuckerberg, I think it has potential, but Sorkin should be careful of clichés. We do not need to watch anything on how romances started from Facebook. Snore!






Commercials, Trailers, and…Logos?
You've just sat through seven trailers and 20 minutes of preshow entertainment. You're ready for the start of the movie -- in this case, "Hancock." The Columbia logo, featuring the company's familiar torch lady, comes onscreen, followed by Relativity Media's revolving planets, then Will Smith's Overbrook record and Akiva Goldsman's overgrown Weed Road. By the time Michael Mann's new Blue Light label flickers past, you have two key questions: How many logos does one film need? And when's the movie going to start already?

Audiences have been conditioned to expect one or two logos before a movie, most of them forgotten the instant they disappear from screen. But as more movies are hatched via co-production deals, that pre-credits lineup is getting awfully crowded -- and that doesn't even count the number of star- or director-driven shingles in the mix. Everyone from Tom Hanks to Mel Gibson to Ben Stiller has a company these days, and they all want placement.

As it is, the few rules governing logos remain largely unwritten. The distributor always goes first. Studios don't like it when another company's logo spends more time onscreen than theirs does. Most max out at 14 or 15 seconds (Walt Disney Pictures' enchanted castle is longest, at 30). Leave one off and risk a lawsuit, as Warner found after chopping the Ladd Co. tree from DVD prints of "Body Heat" and "Chariots of Fire." When an associate producer credit won't do, try offering 'em a logo.

Many sequences, like the Pixar lamp or DreamWorks' fishing boy, aim to tell a short narrative. Others are less clear: Paramount Vantage's logo looks almost creepy as a strip of Dymo tape inches across a wobbly, unfocused frame. Some logos are so lengthy and polished that auds are fooled into thinking the film is actually starting, as when the jungle parts to reveal Mandalay's tiger. A few even dissolve into the opening shot of the film, the way Paramount-shaped peaks begin each of the Indiana Jones movies. Lately, the sheer number of logos seems to be spiraling out of control, with no limit in sight. "Some movies are all cooks, no pots," critic Roger Ebert -- who once lost count at six logos -- tells Variety.

Indies and foreign films can be the worst offenders, given all the entities involved. Many distributors just slap their branding in front of festival acquisitions, sometimes resulting in sequences of seven or eight companies. Auds have been known to chuckle at the run-on opening lineups for European co-productions like "Tristram Shandy" or "This Is England." "As an independent, when you're scraping it out like we are, you want everybody to think it's their movie," says "Bottle Shock" producer Randall Miller, who gave logos to Freestyle Releasing (for distributing) and Casey Jean Prods. (for putting up most of the P&A). "If there's less than a minute of stuff before you get to your movie, I don't think anybody really worries about that." The trick is finding a way to stand out, and for that, production companies turn to pros in the trailer or visual f/x industries.

"They want to make a splash and be memorable, and it's a challenge as the logo sequence gets fatter and fatter," observes Picture Mill executive director Rick Probst, whose firm specializes in motion graphics branding. As soon as a new shingle is announced, Picture Mill goes knocking. "Everybody's got a different story or memory from their childhood that's going to make the logo personal," Probst says. "When we went in to Phoenix Pictures, Mike Medavoy said, 'I always liked that shot in 'Lawrence of Arabia' where he lights the match and it cross-dissolves to the sun,' so the logo starts out that way."

When Bob Berney launched Picturehouse, the name and logo were conceived to reflect a specific goal. "The idea was to create a sense of community, not only for an audience but also as a place for filmmakers to come to," says Molly Albright, senior VP of creative advertising. The resulting animation, which features a marquee sparking to life at dusk, had to be universal enough to introduce everything from "Pan's Labyrinth" to "Kit Kittredge." By contrast, Lionsgate has struggled to find a logo suitable to fit its entire slate, evolving from a simple lion-shaped constellation to heavy-duty steel initials (better suited to "Saw" sequels than Tyler Perry fare). With design help from Deva Studios, it settled on an elaborate animation in which gears spin and a vault door swings open to reveal the company logo suspended in midair -- the background either heavenly white or hellish red, depending on the film.

Legendary Pictures went unsung in the opening lineup before "Batman Begins." But by the time "Superman Returns" rolled around the following summer, the company had commissioned Picture Mill to design a spinning, blazing, three-dimensional Celtic knot that could hold its own between Warner Bros. and DC Comics (total running time for all three: 42 seconds).

"We didn't have a lot of money for a big splashy logo," says Marvel Studios prexy Kevin Feige, remembering a time in 2002 before the first "Spider-Man" movie opened. Imaginary Forces cooked up a sequence in which flipping comicbook pages (which change from film to film) slowly reveal the Marvel lettering. The branding is so effective, the Marvel logo actually earned cheers before "Iron Man." "I love the idea of that logo having an effect on a kid watching the movie the way the Amblin or Lucasfilm or Disney logos did on me when I was a kid," Feige says. Studios are very protective of their logos, but have allowed a few filmmakers the privilege to monkey around with the look onscreen. Warners brass have been good sports, permitting their shield to be desaturated by Clint Eastwood, hacked for "The Matrix" and downright obliterated in the opening shot of "The Dark Knight."

Cartoon dweeb Ralph Wiggum sang the Fox fanfare before "The Simpsons Movie," Universal's icecaps melted in "Waterworld" and a snarling croc took Leo's place in MGM's "Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course." The proliferation has gotten so bad that multiple logos are even popping up in trailers. The good news: Given the 2½-minute time limit on trailers, at least that puts a max on how long these sequences can get.

Normally, my limit for logos is three. Up until that number, I usually don't care, but when it becomes more than that, then I begin to wonder what the heck is going on. It seems to me that companies are trying to one up each other by the creativity of the logo. They change frequently, while more attempt to fool you as if the feature has started. Some are unique and fun, but for the most part, you just want them to get on with it. I sometimes wonder why they went to so much trouble just to introduce the company name. There must be a different way to please the companies, yet not have the start of the film delayed. Personally, I like it when the studio gets innovative with the film that is about to begin in relation to the logo, like Fox with The Simpson's Movie, or Warner Brothers with the Batman and Harry Potter franchises. To me, it shows they have personality, and are willing to let loose. This is not a serious issue, but someone should nip it in the butt before we sacrifice the happiness of the moviegoer for that of the studio execs.

The 20 Second Sermon

A sequel to Rob Zombie's Halloween (George Sirois's favorite film) is set without the rocker in place to helm. Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo will be co-directors, and have said they will be faithful to his effort. Crow filmmaker Alex Proyas is prepared to work on Dracula Year Zero, a prequel that will have lots of teeth on display apparently. I like Proyas, but this sounds like your run of the mill vampire tale. Bryan Bertino will be writing a sequel to The Strangers. Did everyone see the ending I did? What is the point of this? We already had The Devil's Rejects. The title for The Descent will be The Descent: Part 2. This sequel is totally unnecessary, and we will all ignore it. I bought the new Staind CD The Illusion of Progress. I heard it was supposed to be their most musical to date or something. It was standard Staind, which I love, and not much of a shift for the band. I also picked up the One Day as a Lion EP. The songs were extremely good, and I wish they would have recorded a full album.

What's Coming to DVD….Buy or Avoid?

DVD Headline of the Week



Married Life - The plot was not exactly unique, but the acting, the chemistry, and the quality of filmmaking was top notch. And for that price, how can you go wrong? Buyable

The Office – Season Four - I only caught a few episodes of this season, but what I saw was a riot. The girlfriend is a fanatic, so we'll be purchasing this one promptly on Tuesday. Buyable

Then She Found Me - I heard positive word of mouth from this Helen Hunt directed drama. I intend to rent it and find out for myself.

Ballet Shoes - Emma Watson in a non-Potter flick. Despite the rather feminine title, I would like to see how she handles herself outside of Hogwarts.

The Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow - I'm not sure what this DTV comic release is all about, but I'd review it out of curiosity.

The Promotion - Anything with Seann William Scott receives mixed to average ratings at best, so no doubt this minor release with John C. Reilly resonated the same way.

Outsourced - This stars Ayesha Dharker and Josh Hamilton. I don't know much about it, but the pickins are slim this week, so I decided to include it.

How to Rob a Bank - A movie with Nick Stahl, who really is a terrific actor, and should not be resorting to this crap for paychecks, and Gavin Rossdale? What? Apparently this is what he does when he is not attempting side projects or making babies.

Bait Shop - You might be a redneck if…you watch a film starring Billy Ray Cyrus and Bill Engvall. Don't get me started on the title.

Bright Lights, Big City - With Michael J. Fox and Kiefer Sutherland. Watch MJF try the drug addict role.

Skeleton Key 2 - Does anyone remember the first one? I do. It wasn't all that bad, but they choose now to release a sequel? O…..k….

The Critic's Quickee

Death Race - Being a fan of Roger Corman's Death Race 2000, I thought I was going to hate the remake, especially considering it was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. However, while it is not the best remake ever, it is not the worst either. It did get one crucial element right. Both the original and this new version are mindless action fun. That being said, Anderson failed to utilize some of the most entertaining aspects of the original B-movie classic. For instance, the social commentary is nowhere to be found. It is substituted for explosions, gun fire, and blood. Anderson has the patience of 15 year old in a porno shop after he downed a case of Red Bull. If he feels the characters are talking too much, one can anticipate a fight or a car crash. The other part is the look of the cars, which in a brainless flick such as this, is important. It's all about the eye candy, and Anderson made these cars gray, which is…say it with me…dull. Jason Statham is probably the biggest bonafide action star going today. He is a talented actor, as he proved in The Bank Job and the fun but flawed Crank. Statham is fine as Frankenstein (with his Mortal Kombat mask), but Mr. Transporter has the tendency to play the same people over and over again, and this falls into that category. Keep your ears alert for the original Frankenstein by the way. While it did keep my attention, the predictability of the plot, and the fact that it was done almost exactly the same in The Condemned and a bunch of other flicks, made me annoyed at the lack of passion put forth to the script. Tyrese Gibson is Machine Gun Joe, and I think Tyrese was fine in the story, but he should not have been MGJ. This is the first and last time, you'll ever hear me say this, but I think Vin Diesel would have been spectacular as Joe. Think of Statham and Diesel as foes. Tyrese is just not a very menacing villain in my eyes. Natalie Martinez, as one can see from the posts of A.J. Grey is a very attractive woman, and the camera shows us that in case we were not aware. She did not have to be the only eye candy for guys. Joan Allen comes off the last two Bourne sequels amped for more treacherous roles, but she embarrasses herself here. I was reminded of Patrick McGoohan as the warden from Escape from Alcatraz, and how Allen is the opposite of him in that she phones in her performance. She utters a line that literally still baffles me. I can't believe it came from her lips. Here it is, and trust me, this will not spoil the reaction. You must hear it from her. "Ok coc*sucker, fuc* with me and I'll show you who shi*s on the sidewalk." That does even make sense. Folks, that was the woman from Pleasantville! Ian McShane is admirable as Coach by the way. Those expecting a thought provoking thriller should wake up. What you see is what you get, but what you get ain't that special. This was better than I anticipated, but the problems were too significant to overlook. **1/2

The Rocker - I actually had the time to review this one. For all my thoughts on this comedy that flopped, click here.

Movie Dictionary: Word of the Week

Pre-Code Films - Pre-Code films were created before the Motion Picture Production Code or Hays Code took effect on 1 July 1934 in the United States of America. Although an existing code of conduct for the film industry came into being in 1930, many ignored it and it was not enforced very enthusiastically. The original code was written by a Jesuit priest, Father Daniel A. Lord and officially adopted in 1930. The code was effectively ignored because many found such censorship prudish, due to the libertine social attitudes of the 1920s and early 1930s. This was a period in which the Victorian era was looked upon as being naïve and backward and was constantly ridiculed as such.

Films in the late 1920s and early 30s reflected the liberal attitudes of the day and could include sexual innuendos, references to homosexuality, miscegenation, illegal drug use, infidelity, abortion, and profane language (such as the word "damn") as well as women in their undergarments. Such behavior was common in the liberal climate of cities at that time, although it often shocked audiences in rural areas. Popular character roles include tough-talking, assertive women, gangsters, and prostitutes.

Of particular note were both the references to sexual promiscuity, drug use, bloody gangster life, and morally ambiguous endings, which drew the ire from various religious groups – some Protestant, but overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. In particular, Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, apostolic delegate to the Catholic Church in the U.S. called upon American Catholics to unite against the surging immorality of the cinema. As a result, many religious groups created their own leagues, such as the Catholic Legion of Decency (eventually renamed to the "National Legion of Decency") in 1933, premised around controlling and enforcing decency standards in theatres, and boycotting movies which they deemed offensive. Conservative Protestants tended to support much of the crackdown on "immorality", particularly in the South, which had its own form of censorship. By 1939 "Even black bellboys were routinely cut out of films shown in the South; from the evidence of Hollywood pictures of the 1930s, one might not suspect that black people existed in America". Anything relating to the state of race relations in the South or miscegenation could never be exhibited below the Mason-Dixon line.

By 1934, theatre revenues were slumping (likely, in part, due to the Depression) and those in the film industry were unhappy with the prospect of losing even more of their audience, particularly in heavily Catholic cities (New York, Boston, Chicago, etc). Thus, the pre-Code era effectively came to a close with the establishment of a special bureau (eventually christened The Breen Office, after Joseph Ignatius Breen, a former public relations executive), whose purpose was to review scripts and finished prints in order to ensure that they adhered to the new Code. This effectively spelled the end of the pre-Code era, and shaped the trends in American film-making during the ensuing years. Enforcement of the code popularized several new trends, such as plots about headstrong, able, employed women (like Jean Arthur).

Based on the Trailer…

Newest Trailers

Fast & Furious - Is that the best title they could come up with? Well, I hate this franchise, and everything it stands for, but I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a step up from the previous installment. Trailer Rating = 6.0/10.0

Ghost Town - If The Sixth Sense were a comedy, it might look like this. I love Ricky Gervais, but I expected something a bit fresher out of him. Trailer Rating = 6.5/10.0

Knowing - This has Number 23 sort of approach, which is fine, but why is Nicolas Cage doing all these mediocre thrillers? He's a great actor, and should be showing that more. Anyway, this looks ok. Trailer Rating = 6.5/10.0

September Releases

Bangkok Dangerous - Nicolas Cage continues his "Next" phase with this assassin story. Ehh, Cage is starting to piss me off. He's such a talented actor, and he does this junk. Trailer Rating = 6.0/10.0

Nights in Rodanthe - An adaptation of a novel from Nicholas Sparks, so this might not be too bad for a romance. It has Richard Gere and Diane Lane reuniting from Unfaithful, so I'm in. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0

Burn After Reading - The new comedy from the Coen Brothers looks funny as hell. I am not totally sure where the plot goes, but then again, that is why I am so fascinated by it. The cast looks great, and I am definitely seeing this one. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0

Choke - A new adaptation from author Chuck Palahniuk, and that gets me excited. I love his books, though I haven't read this particular one. I will before the movie comes out though. This has Sam Rockwell in the lead, so it should be funny. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0

Tyler Perry's the Family That Preys - Kathy Bates and Cole Hauser in a Tyler Perry film. That certainly surprised me. This looks to be fairly ambitious for Perry, and might not be as bad as his previous efforts. Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0

Righteous Kill - The new crime thriller with Pacino and De Niro! This looks average at the moment, but it should be fantastic with the two of them as a duo on screen for most of the film. The supporting cast looks excellent as well. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0

Lakeview Terrace - Patrick Wilson and Samuel L. Jackson star in this thriller about an insane neighbor who is also a cop. This seems sort of like Cape Fearto me, but not nearly as good. Ehhh. Trailer Rating = 6.5/10.0

Eagle Eye - Mr. LaBeouf surprises me with every passing role. I'll start giving him more credit. This thriller teaser has me intrigued for sure. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0

Igor - The concept has potential, but I can't see this being anything more than a couple laughs. John Cusack does not sink into the character well. I'll see this for Steve Buscemi‘s contribution, but I'm not all that impressed. Trailer Rating = 6.0/10.0

The Duchess - This is a goofy trailer. You wonder who could be introduced, and then the title "The Duchess" comes up, and you wonder why all the hassle of building it up. Knightley is to period pieces as Seagal is to B-movie action. Trailer Rating = 6.0/10.0

Miracle at St. Anna - I get annoyed by some of Spike Lee's comments, but he is a fabulous filmmaker, and this new war epic looks marvelous with Derek Luke and Joseph Gordon Levitt. Trailer Rating = 10.0/10.0

Blindness - This is a movie that proves how I have changed. It stars Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo. It involves an infection. That sounds rather bland right? Well, it's directed by Fernando Meirelles, a brilliant filmmaker, so I'm in, even though it doesn't sound outstanding. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0

October Releases

Quarantine - For weeks I have been told this is a remake of a decent Spanish flick called .REC. I get the picture. I will rent it at some point. I still think this remake will suck big time. That is all. Trailer Rating = 4.0/10.0

Zack and Miri Make a Porno - Kevin Smith's new comedy looks hilarious. I'm anxious to see this because I know he is a great filmmaker that can flourish outside of Jay and Silent Bob. Note: This may not be online anymore. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0

Regilulous - Well, Bill Maher is always one to stir up controversy, and I'm sure this documentary will do the trick. I think it looks funny personally, so I'll give it a shot. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0

City of Ember - Here is a film that could end up being pretty neat. The cast alone is worth the price of admission. You have Bill Murray, Saoirse Ronan, and Tim Robbins, among others. Gil Kenan is a decent director and the plot is creative, so I'm in. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0

High School Musical 3: Senior Year - Oh boy the teaser has arrived. Why do I have the feeling that this will be exactly like the first two, both in plot and level of suckage. Ms. Tisdale is the only tolerable character. Trailer Rating = 6.0/10.0

Pride and Glory - A nifty looking cop thriller with Ed Norton and Colin Farrell. Should be ok. And if we're lucky, we will get some commendable work from Jon Voight. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0

Max Payne - This trailer kicks major a** with the song in the background and Marky Mark as the main character, but then again, so did the Hitman teaser, and it ended up blowing. Remember, this is based on a video game. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0

W. - You're lying if you say you're not curious. Josh Brolin looks the part with white hair, but as the younger Dubya, he looks like himself. I will definitely see this because it is Oliver Stone, but I have serious doubts since its being rushed for the election. Trailer Rating = 6.5/10.0

RocknRolla - The new thriller from Guy Ritchie. It can't be as bad as Revolver right? He needs a comeback badly, and I hope this is it. Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0

Saw V - This is just a teaser, but it gets the same point across. I am a fan of the series, so I'll certainly be seeing this one. Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0

November, TBD, and Beyond Releases

Body of Lies - The new Ridley Scott pic featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. It looks phenomenal, but that should be expected with such brilliant talent. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0

Frost/Nixon - Wow. I was glued to my seat. This is an amazing trailer that shows right away how brilliant the performances are. Ron Howard is a superb director, and I really hope this is a hit for him. Trailer Rating = 10.0/10.0

Transporter 3 - I know George's buddy is looking forward to anything Statham, but this franchise has never been all that outstanding to me. Statham is hit or miss. I'll see this I guess, but only out of curiosity. Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0

Yes Man - A new Jim Carrey comedy where he must say yes to everything. Sounds a bit like Liar Liar, but this is the Carrey humor I have missed for years. It looks pretty funny to me. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa - This is some sort of weird DVD trailer, but we see the basic layout of the plot, and it is not very funny or interesting. I could care less about this one. Trailer Rating = 4.5/10.0

The Escapist - A British prison break film starring Brian Cox. This is my favorite genre, so I can't wait for this, but in order for this to make a splash, it will have to be something special. The critic quotes being from random guys worries me. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0

Terminator Salvation - I love Christian Bale, and the Terminator franchise, but I have serious doubts about this. I believe it will be terrible, but I must admit, this teaser was well constructed. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0

Watchmen - This was the best trailer attached to my Dark Knight screening. Hopefully Zack Snyder can continue to improve his skills after 300. I must read this graphic novel soon. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0

Star Trek XI - The teaser was superbly placed before Cloverfield, and this causes me to be amped for the next installment despite my doubts about the cast. I hope it's as good as we deserve. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0

Australia - The new epic from filmmaker Baz Luhrman seems to have left out his usual exaggerated flair. Kidman and Jackman will make a fine team. I think this looks rather good, and the trailer has a splendid piece of music accompanying it. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0

Defiance - This new Edward Zwick film looks outstanding with Daniel Craig leading the cast in World War II story. This gave me chills. I can't wait. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0

Che - Granted, this is in Spanish, which I do not speak fluently, but this trailer looks amazing nevertheless. Soderbergh's epic should be fantastic. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0

Wolverine - Not the finest quality of trailers, but you can still seen and understand it. Gavin Hood is directing, so that is intriguing. The preview is ok, and I am still unsure. Can the character carry a whole film on his own? Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0

The Perfect Game - Though I'm not a baseball fan, I always enjoy watching the Little League World Series. The problem with this film, despite a bad title, is that the preview reveals way too much, so hopefully it has more going for it besides the story, which I'm sure is inspirational. Trailer Rating = 6.5/10.0

Punisher: War Zone - This is only a teaser, but I get the impression I have seen all I need to. This sequel (or whatever is in relation to the previous film) looks like an comic action nightmare with cliches up the wazoo. I'm not a fan of the Punishers movies thus far, and this does not look to change that. Trailer Rating = 5.0/10.0

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - This film looks amazing. David Fincher is the man, I will be waiting to purchase my ticket. A plot about someone who ages backwards has all sorts of possibilities. Trailer Rating = 10.0/10.0

The Spirit - This is the new adaptation from Frank Miller. I'm anxious to see this, but from this teaser, it looks a bit too similar to Sin City. Oh well. I loved that film, so maybe this will be just as entertaining. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0

Quantum of Solace - I saw this weeks ago, but forgot to rate it here. The new Bond movie looks to be just as awesome as Casino Royale. I can't wait. Trailer Rating = 10.0/10.0

The Day the Earth Stood Still - This teaser illustrates how a classic sci-fi film will probably not update well for this era. I am curious because Keanu Reeves is a suitable choices, but I noticed too much CGI just from this, so that's not a good sign. Trailer Rating = 6.0/10.0

The Tale of Despereaux - This new Universal CGI film has some cute lines and some exquisite animation, but the plot strikes me as dull. You never know, at least it isn't filled with poop jokes. Trailer Rating = 6.5/10.0

Bolt - It takes exactly two seconds to decipher the Disney CGI to the Pixar Disney CGI. This has John Travolta as the lead voice. The hamster seems funny, but the rest doesn't impress me. Trailer Rating = 5.5/10.0

Repo! The Genetic Opera - They keep the music clips to a minimum in the trailer, which was wise. While this certainly intrigues me, the praising quotes from random websites worries me. It could be really bad, but check out the cast. That alone is worth the price of admission. Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0

Outlander - Hmm, I'm not sure about this, but the cast alone is enough for me to buy a ticket. James Caviezel is so talented, but his script choices continue to boggle me (not in a bad way mind you). The idea is shaky, but the effects and acting look good, so I'm in. Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - This was a great book, the darkest of the set, and this trailer rocks. I'm anxious to see this. The franchise has not decreased in quality, and here's hoping this continues that trend. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0

Other Stuff to Read

The Best Movies of the Alphabet
411 August Roundtable - This month Owain J. Brimfield takes the reigns and compiled the thoughts of the movie zone staff on the summer releases for August!
The MeeThinks Friday FreeThinks - Thanks again to John Meehan for providing my banner here, and for the Alphabet feature.

Also, keep an eye out for more comic book character timelines in the future. Here are the first two:

The Ultimate Batman Timeline
The Ultimate Daredevil Timeline



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