Video Games: Milano Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts!

Source: Variety

Ghostbusters: The Game has taken a hit in nostalgic cred but a major step up in the hotness meter as Alyssa Milano has signed on to voice Dana Barrett in the Atari published game. The part was originally played by Sigourney Weaver who declined the chance to reprise her roll.

How weird is the world when you can get the normally aloof Bill Murray to come back but not Rick Moranis or Sigourney Weaver. Milano is a good actress my only pause is that it might sound out of place. She is certainly saying the right things though. Milano stated "I have so much respect for that character in the movie that I hope I do the position that she is in justice. I was just flattered to be asked to be part of 'Ghostbusters'."

Ghostbusters: The Game hits the PS3. XBOX 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PS2 and PC on June 16th.

Movies: Saturn Award Nominees

The nominees for the 35 annual Saturn Awards were announced today. The Saturn Awards which are put on by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films are a specialty award show catering to genre films. Head right over to their official website for all the details!

Science Fiction Film
"The Day the Earth Stood Still"
"Eagle Eye"
"The Incredible Hulk"
"Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
"Iron Man"
"Jumper"

Fantasy Film
"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian"
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Hancock"
"The Spiderwick Chronicles"
"Twilight"
"Wanted"

Horror Film
"The Happening"
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army"
"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor"
"Quarantine"
"Splinter"
"The Strangers"

Action / Adventure / Thriller Film
"Changeling"
"The Dark Knight"
"Gran Torino"
"Quantum of Solace"
"Traitor"
"Valkyrie"

Actor
Christian Bale, "The Dark Knight"
Tom Cruise, "Valkyrie"
Robert Downey, Jr.. "Iron Man"
Harrison Ford, "Indiana Jones & Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Will Smith, "Hancock"

Actress
Cate Blanchett, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Dark Knight"
Angelina Jolie. "Changeling"
Julianne Moore, "Blindness"
Emily Mortimer, "Transsiberian"
Gwyneth Paltrow, "Iron Man"

Director
Clint Eastwood, "Changeling"
Jon Favreau, "Iron Man"
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Christopher Nolan, "The Dark Knight"
Bryan Singer, "Valkyrie"
Steven Spielberg, "Indiana Jones & Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
Andrew Stanton, "Wall-E"

Network Television Series
"Fringe"
"Heroes"
"Life On Mars"
"Lost"
"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"
"Supernatural"

Movies: Loki Might be Joshin!

This story comes to us courtesy of IESB and JoBl and tells tale of a Thor casting rumor. Apparently Josh Hartnett is in the running to play the god of mischief himself Loki.

For those of you unaware Thor is the story of, well, Thor who is the Norse god of thunder. He is sent to earth by his father Odin to learn humanity and humility. Loki is his brother and constant fly in his ointment. Kenneth Branaugh is set to direct for a July 2010 release. Thoughts on Hartnett as Loki?

Movies: "Drag Me To Hell" Trailer!!!

The first trailer for "Drag Me To Hell," Sam Raimi's return to horror film making,debuted at Yahoo movies today. All I can say is hell fucking yeah. We have one of the greats going back to doing what he loves. People who don't know Evil Dead or any pre Spider-man Raimi will be in for a major shock.

Click the picture to peep the trailer!

Movies: Fantastic Again?

According to IESB 20th Century Fox is looking to reboot the "Fantastic Four" franchise. They plan to tone down the campiness and turn the production more towards an "Iron Man" like tone. The reboot would mean a totally different team. So, that mean Alba is out,Gruffold is out and Tim Story is out. However, Chiklis and Evans being out is not the best news. Evans as the Human Torch was the saving grace of both mediocre films.

I'm glad they are deciding on a new direction I just can;t put much faith in Tom Rothman's capabilities of letting a good hero movie happen.

Television: Let the Ratings Be With You!

The long gestating "Star Wars" live action television show is getting itself underway. George Lucas revealed to MTV that this new show will he show will center around minor characters from the mythology between REVENGE OF THE SITH and the original STAR WARS. We will follow the Rebel Alliance as it slowly gains strength against the Empire. There will be no Storm troopers nor Jedi.

It doesn't seem to matter how many Jar Jars, Jake Lloyds or gay Hutt clan members Lucas gives me I still find myself stoked beyond belief at this news. I'm always hungry for more of the universe and hopefully with television budget constraints Lucas can make something more akin to the first trilogy. Thoughts?

The Fanboy Remix Podcast Episode 1.3 "Watchmen"

Brian and Bobby return for the third episode of Fanboy Remix where they discuss "Watchmen," the evil that is Brett Ratner and stumble upon a golden idea for a new SNL film.

Episode 1.3 "Watchmen"
Mac: Option click for direct download
PC: Right click and save as


Subscribe on iTunes

Movies: We Were Watching the "Watchmen" This Weekend

A 20 year journey to the silver screen ended in a number one debut for comic book adaptation "Watchmen" this weekend. Director Zack Snyder's new film collected an estimated $55.7 million making it the third best March debut behind "Ice Age 2" and another Zack Snyder film "300." There was hope in some circles that "Watchmen" would open higher but it is still a major win for a film that was once believed impossible to make.

Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes to Jail" slid into a distant second place with $8.8 million for a cume of $76.5 million after it's third weekend.

Disney's "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" plummeted 78% and just barely hung on to the top ten finishing in ninth place with $2.8 million. It's cume stands at a disappointing $16.8 million.

"Slumdog Millionaire" fell 42% to fourth place with a weekend tally of $6.9 million and raising the Oscar winner's cume to $125.4 million. The Weinstein Co.'s "The Reader" reached the $30 million mark as it grossed an estimated $2 million.

Overall the box office was up a healthy 11% from last year continuing a successful first half of the year for Hollywood.

Chart is courtesy of Box Office Guru:

1	Watchmen	$ 55,655,000			3,611	1	$ 15,413	$ 55,655,000	Warner Bros.
2	Madea Goes to Jail	8,800,000	16,175,926	-45.6	2,151	3	4,091	76,505,000	Lionsgate
3	Taken	7,450,000	9,864,197	-24.5	3,016	6	2,470	118,049,000	Fox
4	Slumdog Millionaire	6,925,000	12,026,343	-42.4	2,890	17	2,396	125,441,000	Fox Searchlight
5	Paul Blart: Mall Cop	4,200,000	5,602,392	-25.0	2,558	8	1,642	133,643,000	Sony
6	He's Just Not That Into You	4,020,000	6,011,405	-33.1	2,445	5	1,644	84,647,000	Warner Bros.
7	Coraline	3,313,000	5,261,129	-37.0	1,959	5	1,691	65,680,000	Focus
8	Confessions of a Shopaholic	3,121,000	4,634,534	-32.7	2,290	4	1,363	38,356,000	Buena Vista
9	Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience	2,785,000	12,510,374	-77.7	1,276	2	2,183	16,791,000	Buena Vista
10	Fired Up	2,600,000	3,701,562	-29.8	1,798	3	1,446	13,360,000	Sony

Television: DRADIS Contact: Battlestar 4.18

"Islanded in a Stream of Stars" marks the first episode of Battlestar A.B. , that's after Boomer. The opening of the show deals in the aftermath of Hera's abduction. We learn very quickly of a Cylon colony, that Starbuck is now convinced of Hera's importance, and we witness an accident that leaves the crew in shambles. The rest of the episode shows Adama struggling to let go of the dying Galacatica.

"Stream" was definitely more plot dense than last week and yet I felt less forward movement. It seemed to be moving the pieces around the chess board rather than putting them on the attack. The inevitable abandoning of the Galactica was a welcome development s weas Hera's arrival with into Cavil's waiting arms. I don't really know if I buy Kara's anguish over Sam when she didn't seem to care not too long ago.

Grace Park continues to blow me away. Her one scene as Athena was heartbreaking and her time of Boomer managed to deepen that character as well as our sympathies towards her. Similarly, Helo's confrontation with Adama is a highlight for Tahmoh Pinkett in the entire run of the show.

Why Starbuck ever trusted Baltar I have no idea. His betrayal was one of those clarifying moments in his personality. That he is at his core rotten and warped. It's such a juxtaposition of his reaction to seeing Caprica 6. There he seems open and vulnerable. But in the end she is right he hasn't changed, not really.

We did get the return of several reoccurring themes. "All Along the Watchtower" made an appearance as a Number 8's dying words. The shared dream returned as did the "harbinger of doom." The question I ask myself is, who will she lead to their doom? I'm starting to think it will be the Cavil led cylons.

A few of my favorite moments:

Helo screaming "Look at me!" to Athena.

Lee's reading of the name "Gaius Baltaar!"

Lee's speech to Kara in the halls of Galactica. "This is all that matters" Which seems to be a reoccurring theme of the overall series. The question of humanity and what makes us human.

We are now set up for the epic 3 hour finale of the series. I'm sad and excited all at the same time. Tune in next week!

"So say we all!"

Movies: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Trailer

The new Potter trailer popped up on Yahoo Movies tonight and its about as cheery as an old man without hard candy.  The film retains the dark direction the series has been taking since the third film which is good news  for anyone who has read Rowling's novels because the series grows in maturity with it's main character. "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" opens on July 17,2009.  

Follow the link to watch it in all its HD goodness

Click Here

Video Games: The Beatles Set Date to "Rock"

Erik Pedersen story over at The Hollywood Reporter wrote this story and I though I'd pass it along.   I'm so excited about this it has what I've wanted since the first time I put my hands on a "Guitar Hero" controller.  I hope I'm doing well financially so I can get the deluxe set.

Meet the digital Beatles.

The Fab Four will make their initial foray into d-music Sept. 9 with the long-anticipated release of "The Beatles: Rock Band." It marks the first time any Beatles music will be available in the digital realm.

Harmonix, MTV Games and the band's Apple Corps said Thursday that the game-- the first in the "Rock Band" franchise based on a single band -- will be released worldwide for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii.

And here's something new: Accompanying instruments modeled after the ones used by Paul, John, George and Ringo also will be available for $100. The game will be playable with existing "Rock Band" guitars, drums and microphones, though.

"The Beatles: Rock Band" will list for $59.99; a Limited Edition Premium Bundle will run $249.99. Some "exclusive content" will be available for those who preorder the game. Details will be announced in the coming months.

The game will be available simultaneously at locations in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand on 9/9/09 -- a date picked to acknowledge the significance of the number 9 for the band.

No song lists have been announced for the project, but Thursday's announcement said the game will "allow fans to pick up the guitar, bass, microphone or drums and experience the Beatles' extraordinary catalog of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band's legendary career."

McCartney said in a recent interview that the game "will feature different periods of the band -- you get early days, Liverpool, then psychedelic and on from there. It's very cool. And I like the idea that the game introduces kids to music, you know?"

Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer George Martin and co-producer of the Cirque du Soleil "Love" show, is serving as music producer for the "Rock Band" game, which originally was announced in October.

The Beatles have sold more than 600 million albums worldwide -- 170 million in the U.S. alone -- but the group's music has remained absent from the digital world. Beatles songs are not available at Apple's iTunes Store, for instance, as surviving members of the group and their representatives have closely guarded the distribution of their music.

A Web site devoted to the game has been set up at www.thebeatlesrockband.com.

Movies: Boyle not Bond

Well tie me up and slap me silly. We ran a story a few days ago selling the idea that Danny Boyle was in the running for the director's chair on the new Bond flick. Well that has now been proven patently untrue. I did say that I would love to see Boyle on a big project and now it seems he may bring his significant skills to the movie musical. The "Slumdog" director is looking to remake "My Fair Lady."

"Lady" is based on "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw and tells the story of Henry Higgins,a snobbish photenic professor, who takes a bet to teach a poor flower girl named Eliza Doolittle to be a proper lady. The most famous version is the 1964 film version starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn.

Boyle has proved over the years that he is a very pliable director. His works include the drug film "Trainspotting," the zombie film "28 Days Later," the family oriented "Millions," the sci fi epic "Sunshine" and of course the modern fairy tale "Slumdog Millionaire."
I would love to see what he does with the movie musical.

Tales of the Super Watchmen

I saw this embedded up on Ain't It Cool and had to post it.  I don't know if this is viral or fan made but its genius.

Television: "Seinfeld" is hitting the "Curb"

source Hollywood Reporter

The gang is getting back together.  It's not a "Seinfeld" reunion but its the next best thing.  Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, and Michael Richards will appear together playing themselves on Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm.  

Alexander and Dreyfus have both appeared on the show in prior seasons but this will mark the first time for Seinfeld and Richards. Larry David was co-creator and a major influence on the entire direction of "Seinfeld."

Video Games: Guitar Hero Gets Greatest Hits

News broke over on IGN today that Activision will release the tentatively titled "Guitar Hero" Greatest Hits" on XBOX 360, PS3, Wii, and PS2 this June. The package of 48 songs -- all master recordings pulled from Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. On the Xbox 360 and PS3 it will have a suggested retail price of $59.99, while Wii and PS2 will be $49.99 and $39.99 respectively.

Developer Beenox released the names of a few of the included tracks. They are "Them Bones" by Alice in Chains, Queen's "Killer Queen," "Nothin' But A Good Time" by Poison, Rage Against The Machine's "Killing in the Name," "I Wanna Rock" by Twisted Sister, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts's "I Love Rock N Roll," Heart's "Barracuda. and Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and Flames!" The game will allow you to play all these songs in full band mode for the first time. However you will not be able to play downloaded tracks from "World Tour" in "Greatest Hits" or be able to rip the songs off the new set to play in your "World Tour."

Is it just me or does "Guitar Hero" just seem to fall farther and farther behind the times. Harmonix has utilized the ripping method for both "Rock Band 2" and their AC/DC track pack. Is it Activision's plan to keep us drunkinly swapping endless discs in and out of our machine during parties? But damn them they have Queen on this disc! It must be mine.

Movies: Apatow is Afraid of Ghosts

Rumors were that Judd Apatow would even be producing a third Ghostbusters flick. But Sony's Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures released this statement to the LA Times. "We have some great new writers working on a new script, but Judd isn’t involved. Judging from the frenzy on the Internet, there still seems to be plenty of interest in the idea of doing another film, so we’re certainly taking that as a good sign." The word is that those writers are "The Office" scribes Lee Eisenberg and Greg Stupnitsky.

I don't know how to make head's or tails of this Ghostbusters 3 scenario. On one hand I don't want them to touch such a sacred property but on the other I wouldn't mind seeing the likes of Seth Rogen, Jason Segal, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd and others take a crack at it. I'm just glad we've moved past the days of Ben Stiller being a candidate.

Movies: "TRON" gets Daft

TR2N is not on my RADAR. I can't find much to be excited about when it comes to the sequel of a 27 year old mediocre genre picture. But the news coming out of the Internets today at least has me interested.

French electronica duo Daft Punk have been brought on by the Mouse House to bring music to the 2011 release. This will mark the band's first new major release since 2005's "Human After All."

The film will return stars Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner as the titular TRON and is slated for a 2011 release.

Movies:Batman and Dr. Manhattan Vs. Captain Jack Sparrow..."Public Enemies" Trailer

Holy Crap....I was having a bad day up until about 2 minutes ago when I laid eyes on the first trailer for the Johnny Depp starring"Public Enemies." Now I'm as giddy as a school boy. I've been pumped since the day I heard about this project and the trailer does not disappoint.

CLICK HERE TO SEE BATMAN AND DR. MANHATTAN BATTLE CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW

Movies: More Madea on the Way...

source: Variety

Lionsgate has renewed it's ticket on the Tyler Perry gravy train. The studio has acquired the rights for two more Perry vehicles. The films are "Why Did I Get Married Too" and "I Can Do Bad All By Myself." Perry will of course write,direct,and star in all three. Lionsgate made the announcement just a few days after the director's "Madea Goes To Jail" spent it's second weekend atop the box-office.

"I Can Do Bad All By Myself" will co-star Academy Award nominated actress Taraji P. Henson and is set for release on September 11,2009.