1. Other Than “Avatar” The Best Thing You’ll See This Week Is …
“Shorewood’s Lip Dub” video, brought to my attention by Movieline. Using the same Hall & Oates song “You Make My Dreams Come True” featured in “500 Days of Summer” Mr Ballew’s Video Production 1 Class came up with this four minutes of total joy. It had 12,500 hits when I saw it. Expect it to be in the millions by the end of the weekend.

2. Vale Dan O’Bannon
Sci-fi fans seeing “Avatar” this weekend: Take a moment to pause and give thanks for the life of Dan O’Bannon, who passed away Friday in Los Angeles, aged 63. The writer and director helped reshape the genre, first with his script for John Carpenter’s 1974 cult film “Dark Star” (in which he also starred) and then, of course, with his brilliant screenplay for “Alien," which made blue-collar workers in space facing a xenomorph creature seem like the most natural thing out of this world. O’Bannon’s other terrific contributions include “Total Recall” and “Screamers” and, as a writer and director, 1985’s horror parody “The Return of the Living Dead." He will be missed. 3. Larry vs. Predator
Laurence Fishburne sure must’ve had a good time with director Nimrod Antal’s “Armored” because he’s signed on to the director’s “Predators." Adding Morpheus to the cast -- which kicked off with the oddball duo of Adrien Brody and Topher Grace -- inches the Robert Rodriguez production closer to being one of 2010’s most anticipated genre flicks. 4. "Iron Man 2": Woo Hoo
Notice I said “most” because “Iron Man 2” is hands-down still what I’m most psyched for in 2010. And that was just reinforced by this week’s trailer. Downey Jr.’s punk in a suit (be it designer in the Congressional hearing or iron in the shoot-em-up scenes) makes me laugh, and Mickey Rourke (another second-chancer making bank thanks to comic book material) looks great fun as Whiplash. 5. "X-Men" Again
Bryan Singer -- great director. "X-Men" -- great property. So why is it so tough for me to get amped about the news that Singer’s returning to the franchise to make the origins film “First Class." Perhaps it’s because “X-Men: Last Stand," while not the dud most everyone said, certainly took the fizz out of the franchise. And then “Wolverine” failed to reach expectations, while “Valkyrie” similarly wasn’t up there with Singer’s best. Color me jaded but maybe this one’s best left alone? 6. How Much of a Star: "Avatar"?
It’s fun to see box-office pundits in a dither. Yes, it’s the most anticipated film of the year but … it’s on fewer screens … not all of them in 3D … and it’s long, long, long! Count me in on the prognostications! I’m saying it’s gonna bust “I Am Legend”’s December record of $77.2M by $12M for a sweet $85M. But here’s where I’ll get really specific -- I think it’ll have the lowest drop-off ever. If I’m wrong, ship me to Pandora. 7. Globes’ Logic? Up in the Air.
I’m a huge Vera Farmiga fan -- to the point of suffering the mockery of friends and family -- so I might be a bit biased here. But can someone answer me this: How is it that “Up in the Air” has no lead female actress? Farmiga and Anna Kendrick scored Best Supporting. So George Clooney’s so big it takes two women to support him on screen? And for that matter, why is it that the film’s cast got the most SAG nominations and yet not an ensemble nod? Weirdness. 8. Aniston Packs Heat
Wowza, talk about your mix-and-match movies. Here’s Gerard Butler splitting the difference between “Law Abiding Citizen” and “The Ugly Truth” with Jennifer Aniston playing herself again but also wielding a gun for the first time (if memory serves) since her 1993 feature debut “Leprechaun." Corn is right, Rolling Stones on the trailer or not. It’s their Razzies to lose. Oh, no, wait -- “The Tooth Fairy” has the ’11 Razzies sewn up, right? 9. A Thai "Hangover"?
To me “The Hangover” felt like a lightning in a bottle of whiskey. Drink it, have a blast, suffer the gut-busting consequences but beware before you reach for the hair of the dog that bit you. Party animals Warner Bros. however were already planning the second bender before the first one had kicked off and their decision to pre-emptively greenlight the sequel was vindicated by “The Hangover” clocking up $270m off a $35m budget. Now CHUD’s reporting that “The Hangover 2” will be set in Thailand.
While I’m glad they ain’t going back to Vegas, I hope that this isn’t just a slew of ping-pong balls gags. The smart move would be to get the hell out of Bangkok and get Cooper, Helms and Galifianankis down south, to the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan. Plenty of magic mushrooms, badly brewed booze and beach babes – plenty of options for comic regret. 10. The Continuing Adventures of Jake Sully
Don’t read until you’ve seen “Avatar," but this is pretty funny (at least, I thought so). 

VERY MINOR SPOILERS

  1. Even in the Future, It's All About Paper Money
Despite all the hi-tech gizmos on display, from the cryosleep pods and exo-skeletal warrior suits to the amazing Avatar-transplant technology, mankind still hasn’t evolved past folding paper money. Jake Sully’s brother -- who has an enormous amount of R&D dollars invested in his PhD-achieving ass -- dies because he’s robbed for the cash in his wallet. So it’s the decision to not move to an all-electronic funds transfer system by 2154 -- hardly credible - that really determines Pandora’s fate.   2. With All that Technology, You'll Still Need a Wheelchair
Sully is paralyzed from the waist down after a war wound, and thus he gets around in an old-fashioned wheelchair. It’s pretty crummy, really, that science has developed to the point where human consciousness can be transplanted into a genetically engineered 9-foot-tall Na’vi but a spinal column can’t be given an overhaul while-U-wait. Sully explains it costs too much for the lowly likes of himself. Well, that sure sucks, but surely they could come up with a nifty set of mechanical legs for him, given the gnarly exo-suits on display everywhere you look.   3. Cigarettes Will Survive
Earth is now devoid of greenery but tobacco farming apparently still survives -- as evidenced by Sigourney Weaver’s Grace Augustine lighting up every chance she gets. Even weirder is that, despite there being hundreds of highly stressed macho warriors stuck on Pandora for six years at a time, she seems to be the only smoker left. Where does she get them? And why does the industry serve one customer?   4. Pandora’s Mining Economy Might Not Stack Up
Doing nasty things the Na’vi to get precious Unobtainium is morally reprehensible, but it also might not really make the best business sense. We’re told the stuff (whose name is to sci-fi what the MacGuffin is to mystery thrillers) goes for -- hold on to your piggy banks! -- $20M a kilogram. Sounds impressive -- until you factor in 145 years of inflation. Right now, platinum goes for about $46,000 a kilo. At 3 percent annual inflation for the next century and a half that becomes $3.5M. But given the state we’re told Earth is in, a 3 percent inflation rate seems pretty optimistic. At 4 percent, you’re looking at $13.5M. If it hits 5 percent then the going rate for platinum would reach $54M per kg. Now factor in the insane cost of traveling to a distant planet, waging a war and transporting Unobtainium back to Earth. Just saying the Corporation might be better off, y’know, growing weed.   5. Aussie-American Accents Are the Way of the 22nd Century
Good call, James Cameron, by letting Sam Worthington keep the Australian twang to his American accent. The actor’s voice maintains a pleasant consistency that wasn’t found in "Terminator Salvation" and recalls the tones of Mel Gibson. Maybe Cameron went a wee bit too far in that direction, though, in the "Braveheart" scene.   6. Marine Cliches Survive, Too!
“Get some!” cries one Marine. Meanwhile, virtually everything that villainous Colonel Miles Quaritch says, from “Pandora will s--- you out with zero warning” to “Nothing’s over while I’m breathing," sounds, well, like it’s taken from a 2009 action movie that’s nodding back to the genre’s 1980s heyday, which its creator helped establish. As a point of reference, here are a few military words and phrases popular in the mid-19th century. “Graveled” -- to be perplexed; “The pinch of the game” -- the defining moment; “Tight scratch” -- a difficult fight. I’m saying the tough guys of Avatar might do terse-talk we don’t quite understand. “Grub the Navs, chippers, I be blerkin the pnau-flerks out of ‘em!”   7. Hair’s The New USB
And you thought braided ponytails were only for acid casualties, time-warp-stuck yuppies and drummers in reggae bands? Think again, kiddo. In the future, whenever you want to upload or download a few files -- or sync with a flying dragon, or the planet in general -- you’ll reach for your hairbraid’s fibre-optic thingies. Hair stylists will price their weave work by the Tera-byte and connection speed.   8. If You Live In Nigeria or Venezuela: Move
Sorry, Nigerians and Venezualans, but according to Cameron, you will some time soonish be receiving a visit from the U.S. Marine Corps and its hi-tech arsenal -- all because you live on top of something precious and have therefore become an enemy of the country-company. Hmm … Nigeria … Venezuela … what could it be, y’ail?   9. Aliens Will Be Slow Learners and a Little Fickle
The Na’vi have plenty of spiritual connections to Pandora, live in sweet symbiosis with the animals and plants, and are all-round athletic warriors. But they aren’t the brightest chameleons in the terrarium, as evidenced by their initial bow-and-arrow response to super-dooper hover-gunships. No offence, blue guys, but you’ve had -– oh –- decades to learn that firing your pointy sticks doesn’t work at that range. Thankfully, they can depend on the clans -- even if they never mention them in passing. Which makes me think our forest-dwelling heroes may be fair-weather Na'vi.   10. Future Verse, Same as the First
I’m not the first and I won’t be the last to say it. "Avatar" is visually revolutionary, a technological step forward into the filmmaking future. But it’s also a liberal space-set cowboys & Indians story that echoes most obviously 1991’s "Dances With Wolves: and before that Jimmy Stewart’s 1950 western "Broken Arrow" and John Wayne’s 1953 3D effort "Hondo."Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Maybe it’s Cameron’s sly point: while the Na’vi learn slow, humans never learn.  

1. Watch Out for David Michôd
Australia has long fought above its cinematic weight, delivering to the world a wealth of film talent disproportionate to its small population. The “World Cinema” section of next year’s Sundance will unveil “Animal Kingdom,” the debut feature of the latest Aussie A-list director in the making: David Michôd. I visited the Melbourne set earlier this year was mightily impressed by Michôd’s vision for his crime drama, which stars Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn and newcomer James Frecheville. Confirming Michôd’s wide-ranging talent, he also wrote “Hesher,” Spencer Susser’s directorial debut, which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Natalie Portman, and which premieres in Sundance’s main competition. To get a measure of their talent, watch their collaboration, zombie-short “I Love Sarah Jane” below. It’s a classic. (And see Michod’s just-as-excellent “Crossbow” here.)

2. Boom!? Let’s Not Hug This Out
“Entourage: The Movie.” Really, are we going there? Making Vinnie Chase into a real movie star?As much as I love the show -- and I thought Season 6 was just great, despite the carping of hipsters who said it’d jumped the shark -- I’m not sure we need a big-screen adaptation any more than we needed the “Sex and the City” movie.

3. Bring on the Klosterman Flicks
Slashfilm has a terrific excerpt of an interview they did with Chuck Klosterman about the prospects of his fantastic nonfiction books “Killing Yourself to Live” and “Fargo Rock City” being made into movies. I also can’t wait to hear his theory about how “Avatar” is the “Chinese Democracy” of cinema. I fear he may be right.
4. "Avatar" Overload
And on that front … Every day there are more “Avatar” clips on TV, new excerpts on the web, exclusive new photographs, etc. I am now in the (I think) enviable position of having only seen the first trailer once -- and on a computer, months ago. There’s a massive over-hype and over-exposure dilemma with James Cameron’s revolutionary sci-fi epic -- and you’re part of the problem. I’m suggesting that to maximize enjoyment (and minimize disappointment), put yourself on an “Avatar” black-out until it hits theaters. Fifteen minutes of preview footage? Behind-the-scenes clips? Isn’t it all a bit like tearing open the wrapping paper to peek at the presents and then spending the lead-up to Christmas feeling deflated that you kinda know what you’re getting -- and maybe mom and dad didn’t get it exactly right? Being surprised by what Cameron unveils might actually, you know, be half the fun. 5. Remakes in Trouble?
Hallelujah if this is a trend we’ll see spreading -- the remake announced only to be canceled. First McG’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” -- OK, strictly speaking not a remake but do we need another version? -- sunk under the weight of budgetary pressures and a world who could care less. Now it’s announced that Steven Spielberg, whose DreamWorks recently walked away from a re-do of “Oldboy,” has given up on trying to bring invisible rabbit “Harvey” back to the screen. Kudos to Tom Hanks, who just couldn’t be tempted to step into Jimmy Stewart’s shoes. 6. Whatever Happened to the Clever Spoof?
In the wake of the “Scary Movie” and “Epic/Disaster/Etc Movie” franchises, it seems producers and writers have decided the only way to go is down. This week the trailer for “The 40 Year Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It” is doing the rounds. At least it’s only a DVD. But what of “Transylmania”? Surely one of the stupidest, least appealing horror-spoof trailers since, well, “Transylvania 6-5000” -- and it’s in cinemas! Quick vote, people, which is worse?  

 

7. "Star Wars": Facebook Updates
This is hilarious.

8. Mimacs to the Max
Empireonline.co.uk has an exclusive trailer for Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s latest quirk-explosion, “Mimacs.” It looks fantastic – and comes with sound design that’s reminiscent, and as effective as, “A Serious Man.”

9. Nic Cage’s Bible -- Own It!
If you saw “Knowing” then you know it was nuts. But in a good-bad way, featuring as it did aliens who looked like 1980s Eurotrash and born-again spaceland bunnies in the finale. Now real fans can buy up screen-used props at total bargain prices! My favorite is Nic Cage’s Bible – currently only attracting $20 on Ebay.

10. Overheard in the Newsroom: The Movie
Forget “Entourage” on the silver screen. Some enterprising agent-producer-type person ought to acquire the rights to this very popular, always very amusing series of bitterly funny quotes supposedly uttered by journalists, editors and other muckrakers the world over. It’s kinda “State of Play” meets “The Office."
Samples:
“Our job is not to judge if they’re right or wrong. Our job is just to lend voice to their stupidity.”
Editor to Designer: “This entire page is about Christmas … except for that dead hooker."

   

1. Wasteland Warriors … for a Weekend
Everyone knows an oil-shortage-and-nuclear-war apocalypse is for keeps, not just three days, but that didn’t stop a bunch of rabid “Mad Max” fans from donning the leather and chains and revving up their motley machines over three days in the Californian desert recently. The LA Weekly story and photos are fantastic, although I’m a little disappointed these faux-barbarians from Down Under flew the New Zealand flag instead of the Australian standard. But, hey, when society has crumbled and the crossbow bolts are flying, you make do, right?

2. What’s the Question?
Ever have those dreams where you’re back at school, unprepared for a crucial exam? Well “Exam," the new British movie by Stuart Hazeldine starring Luke Mably and Jimi Mistry, could be your worst nightmare. I’ve always enjoyed watching filmmakers try to rise to the challenge of a single-set story and this one, about eight high-fliers taking a sinister corporate exam, looks like it could be up there with “Saw” and “Cube” in the mind-scrambling stakes.

  3. Kat for Thor Eyes
Kat Dennings, who I’ve praised here before, is to join the cast of “Thor." The beautiful 23-year-old, so good in “Nick And Nora’s Infinite Playlist," “Shorts” and “Charlie Bartlett,” is to play Darcy, sidekick to Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster character. With this and “Defendor," I’m again saying it’s only a matter of time before fanboys catch on and turn Ka-Den into the next Scar-Jo. 4. Mr T for "Star Trek"
According to Cinematical, original “A-Team” cast member Dirk Benedict is to join Dwight Schultz in filming a cameo for Joe Carnahan’s big-screen adaptation of the hit 1980s show. Mr. T, though, still isn’t on board, although it is worth noting that his very amusing denunciation of the cameo idea came over two years ago. Who knows where he’s at now? But if he still doesn’t want to play B.A. Baracus Snr, perhaps he could sign up for “Star Trek 2”? I pity the Klingon, etc… 5. "Scream" and Scream Again
According to S. Freud, horror was all about “the uncanny," or the return of the repressed. These days it’s about returning to the last thing that gave you a box-office hit, no matter how wrung out the concept may be. Thus there now, according to U.K. site Black Book, would appear to be confirmation that Wes Craven will be back directing Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette in the Kevin Williamson-written “Scream 4." I liked the “Scream” trilogy, but the interview with Ms Campbell suggests that script and characterization are even less important than we thought. Q: So you haven’t been sent a script yet, then? 
 A: No. Not yet. They had to wait for us all to sign on. I suppose that’s the way these days!” Ms Campbell then, in all seriousness, claims that getting her black bob right is the key to playing her character Sidney. She then rhapsodizes about the properties of a particular hair care goo before suggesting all readers should try it. So nowadays actors not only sign on before a script is written but they also start doing product placements before cameras roll? 6. "Amityville": Horror
Want something even more depressing than “Scream 4” news? Bloody Disgusting is reporting that the Weinstein Company and Dimension are considering a remake of “The Amityville Horror." No, not a continuation of the 2005 remake that starred Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George, but a brand-spanking “new” remake of the same-old-same-old. How long will it be before movies that premiere in January have their remakes released December of the same year? 7. What Katie Said Next?
Man, I’d give anything to hear what Katie Holmes was talking about non-stop during a screening of “New Moon." “Sources said she kept talking about the film and everything else,” reads the report. Everything else? I’m guessing that the following comments passed the lips of Suri’s mom. “Tom was such a better vampire in Interview…” “Ewww, there’s an engram in my popcorn!” “Hurry up, girls, the tunnel to freedom needs to be finished by the end credits.” Your suggestions welcome in comments below! 8. New Moon Oscar?
Movieline made great sport of “New Moon” being a strong contender for the Oscars this week. Now they’re running what’re supposedly full-page color “For Your Consideration” ads that’re going to be in the trades next week. Please, no. 9. "Tingler" Turns 50
It was a half-century ago that William Castle released “The Tingler," his most famous gimmick-flick, which gained its notoriety because he had cinema seats wired up to give patrons a mild electric buzz that’d replicate the effect of the feature’s creature. To celebrate the audacious schlockmeister, Sony has released an eight-film collection, which includes other B-classics “Strait-Jacket,", “Homicidal," “13 Ghosts” and “Mr Sardonicus," along with the documentary “Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story," in which fans like John Landis, Joe Dante and Roger Corman pay tribute to the pioneer. 10. "The Wolfman"
I know it goes against the whole anti-remake thing but I can’t help but be excited still for “The Wolfman,” and the one-sheet posters don’t diminish that. Here’s hoping it’s really something to howl about.  

1. Sam's Boots Were Made for Walking
With just a month to go until “Avatar” makes him one of the biggest -- and bluest -- stars in the movie world, Sam Worthington's having himself a fun victory tour of his native Australia. This week he was named “Man of the Year” by the Down Under version of GQ magazine and lauded at the Inside Film Awards. Showing he's keeping it real, Sam wore his “lucky” old workboots -- the ones he kept on during the entire “Terminator Salvation” shoot -- to both the magazine's glittering function and the awards show and after-party. When a paparazzi called him on it, the rising star's response was colorful. “Mate, f---ing ease up, f---ing take it easy, or that's the last pic you get,” he said as a joke. “They're f---ing comfortable. Why wouldn't I wear them?”

2.McG's Sub Sinks -- for Now
A few months back, we fretted that uber-hack McG was making a new blockbuster version of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and suggested he look to cheapie schlocker “30,000 Leagues Under the Sea” for inspiration. Now, it appears the gods -- Neptune, Poseidon, Walt Disney execs -- have seen the light and pulled the plug on the $150M production. Yes, a script by Michael Chabon may have been interesting, but McG? C'mon, we're still smarting from what he did -- other than give an inkling of Sam Worthington's potential as “Mad Max” -- in “Terminator Salvation”.

3. Edgar Pissed Wright Off
And who can blame him? The Brit co-writer-director of “Shaun of the Dead," “Hot Fuzz” and the much anticipated “Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World” is a lovely chap and an avid cinephile. So what the hell was the Times doing ripping off -- as in, printing without permission -- the heartfelt obituary he wrote for actor Edward Woodward and passing it off as a piece he'd penned for them? Adding insult to injury, they edited the piece sloppily. Follow it here.

4. More Violence! More Suffering!
Ah, test screenings, is there anything they can't do? “The Lovely Bones” -- which I reckon could be shaping up to be the Dark Horse of the Oscar season -- is near enough completion that Peter Jackson felt comfortable showing it to a test audience. Their feedback led him to recut the film to include “more violence and suffering” for one particular character. I'm guessing it's not the film's narrator, Saorsie Ronan. If it is, well, scrap the preceding Oscar sentiment.

5. "Twilight" Mash-Ups
“Twilight” reviews are everywhere -- and they suck! Fans are everywhere -- and they don't care. Youtube Twi-mockery mash-ups are everywhere! Enjoy one of the best:

6. Puppet People Brought Down Nixon
This week I chatted with Bert I. Gordon, the writer-director-producer who in the 1950s thrilled a generation of kids with B-grade monster flicks like “Earth Vs. the Spider” and giant-grasshopper movie “Beginning of the End." What's truly amazing is that his 1958 opus “Attack of the Puppet People” actually played a crucial role in the fall of Richard M. Nixon. True story.

7. Double Steve!
Stephen King's “Under the Dome” landed on my desk with a thud a week ago. Comparisons to “The Stand” are immediately obvious because this sucker weighs a ton. I'm gonna read it, promise, Steve, but not until I've finished your boy's excellent “Heart-Shaped Box," which I've jumped onto immediately after devouring an advance copy of his “Horns." But now news that DreamWorks have snapped up “Dome” rights for a TV miniseries doubles my anticipation. Steves Spielberg and King together? Hell, yeah.

8. Sayonara, Popcorn!
I've never been a huge consumer of the buttery, salty cinema treat -- namely because once I start, I can't stop. But news this week that a medium sized popcorn and soda can contain as many calories as THREE QUARTER-POUNDERS TOPPED WITH 12 PATS OF BUTTER has me swearing off the stuff for life. Pass the carrot sticks, kiddo.

9. War Dogs? Pass The Pooper Scooper
Why haven't movies about Iraq attracted audiences yet? Not enough canines tugging on heartstrings. Thankfully, Warner Bros. will remedy that situation when it brings the story of Nubs, a pooch rescued by an American soldier, to the big screen. Major Brian Dennis' story of nursing the dog back to health and shipping him home for a reunion has done the news and talk show rounds -- and that's where it belongs, I reckon. I doubt we need six years of hellish conflict “redeemed” and given a happy ending by, say, Owen Wilson staring with puppy eyes into the eyes of his beloved war puppy.

10. The $32M Man ... and His Hair
According to his former business manager, Nic Cage spends something like $32M a day buying up Porsches for his genetically engineered iguana army to drive around the life-sized replica of Pompeii he's built in an underground hangar. Or something. Cage has always been a nut and that's why we love him, so who cares? Even better, he's clearly listening to no-one about that hair. Just look at this teaser for “Season of the Witch," which IGN procured.

1. The Master of Disaster Still Has It
“2012” is a massive -- the most massive -- eruption of molten B-movie cheese in history -- not that that’s a bad thing. In fact, it’s hard to think of many better pure-popcorn experiences this year. What genocidal levels of destruction played for fun says about us and our civilization, I’m not too sure. But I know we’ve been doing it on screen for over 100 years now. Will audiences stampede to this one? I’m betting it exceeds expectations and hauls in $70m+.

2." ID4" -- Parts 2 and 3?
When “2012” blows the box office apart like a supervolcano, expect some serious thought to be given to Roland Emmerich’s MTV interview this week where he said he wanted to make two sequels to “Independence Day." Apparently, these movies would make for a bigger “arc” about alien invasion. So, they come back? Perhaps to take on the survivors of “2012”? Anyway, if “2012” is as huge as I think it’ll be, a greenlight for "ID4:2-3D" can only be as far away as Will Smith saying, “Hell, yeah."   3. "2012" In 5 Seconds?
Please do it, Mr. The Guy With Glasses. This guy’s irreverent “five-second” mash-ups of movie classics always brighten the day. My favorite? “The Departed” -- it’s NSFW, unless you work in the L.A. morgue.     4. Roger Corman: We Salute You
Who woulda ever thunk it? The “King of the Bs," Roger Corman, clutching an Academy Award? But on Saturday night, that’s exactly what’ll happen when he gets his honorary Oscar -- and good for him. Not only has the 83-year-old given generations of movie thrills with the likes of “Day the World Ended," “Teenage Caveman," “Little Shop of Horrors," “The Trip," “Battle Beyond the Stars” and literally hundreds more, but he also gave a start to many of those who remade Hollywood -- Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Jonathan Demme, Robert De Niro, Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson and literally hundreds more. Don’t miss Chris Nashawaty’s piece, including comments from some of these guys, in this week’s EW, with more material online at Popwatch.   5. Own a Piece of the Moon
It’s been a big Friday for lunar news. NASA has confirmed there’s a lot of water on the moon, which is good news for future astronauts wanting to chill with a bong hit after a hard day’s mining Helium-3. Almost as exciting: props from Duncan Jones’s brilliant “Moon” are being auctioned off. Yes, one lucky bidder will own this piece of model-making awesomeness.   6. What Would Lloyd Dobler Do?
MTV pulls a little gag on John Cusack that references his most beloved flick, “Say Anything”, and the once king o’ casual acts like he’s being offered a piping hot tray of Ebola. Then again, MTV’s Josh Horowitz might’ve thought out his approach a little better. All in all, two minutes o’ cringe, although Amanda Peet comes off well.  

7. Monopoly Plot Details Are Insane
Anyone of right mind and body has had the same reaction to Ridley Scott making a “Monopoly” movie: WTF. But now the L.A. Times has a detailed account of what got Sir Rid amped about translating the beloved board game to the screen. Frank Beddor’s description of how he reconceived “Alice In Wonderland” as a capitalist fantasy comedy boggles the mind. Who will be cast? For some reason Jim Carrey’s face just appears whenever I think about this “lovable loser” handing out wads of Monopoly money.   8. “Titans. Will. Clash.”
The “Clash of the Titans” teaser was a welter of regurgitated imagery from “300," “Kingdom of Heaven," “Gladiator” and any other movie of the past decade that combined swordplay with CGI fancy stuff. Fair enough -- it’s simply sizzle to get 14-year-old fanboys excited, and a more plot-character (we hope) trailer should be coming down the line in a few months. But who the hell got paid for the tagline “Titans Will Clash”? I’m not the only one who immediately hit Twitter to reboot a few classics in this fashion: “Wars Will Star," “Rings Will Lord," “Shankshank Will Redeem” and so on. Try it at home.     9. Howling at the Moon
Plot details have come out about this -- snore -- “reboot” of Joe Dante’s 1981 B-movie classic. Over at www.joblo.com, they’re reporting: “According to a source of mine who is close to the project, ‘The Howling Reborn’ is essentially going to be the "Twilight" of werewolf movies. Indeed, the grittiness of the original, and the zaniness of the sequels that followed, will be replaced by a 'tween friendly plot about young wolves on the prowl in a big city...” Oh, yay! Just what horror needs in addition to the remake and torture porn cycles -- everything to come with a bit of “Twilight” sparkle! So, hopefully “The Thing” remake can now be set at a teen youth camp, where lovely young things debate as to whether they ought to give themselves over to alien shapeshifters. And surely “Saw VII-3D” (announced this week by Lionsgate) could use a dose of brooding vampires and swooing emo gals to restore the franchise’s box-office fortunes.   10. "Star Wars: The Gangsta Rap"
A great four minutes to end the week. The Force is strong with these guys (even if the C3PO voice needs a bit of work).   ALL NEW! Star Wars Gangsta Rap: Chronicles
Atom.com: Funny Videos | Atom Originals | Star Wars Gangsta Rap  

1. 2012 = BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

Roland Emmerich’s mega disaster mash-up does exactly what it says on the tin. His puree job of every end-of-the-world movie ever made – with big dollops of “Airport," “The Poseidon Adventure” and “Titanic” thrown in for good measure – is spectacular and a terrific popcorn entertainment. It’s also one of the best comedies of 2009, although it’s open to debate how intentional the laughs are.

http://www.empireonline.com.au/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=135843

Not sure about a TV series spin-off, though, unless it can star Tina Fey and Jeremy Piven.

2. WANT QUALITY? CALL ELIJAH WOOD “Counting The Stars”, a new report by Miller-McCune Online Magazine, has some interesting conclusions about which Hollywood stars fare the best with the critics. By analysing Metacritic reviews from the past 10 years, academic David Sparks has concluded that the movies of Elijah Wood rate better than anyone else’s, with an average rating of 75.3/100 for his works. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Viggo Mortensen and Clint Eastwood were close behind. The lowest scores? Matthew Lillard, Eddie Griffin and Freddie Prinze Jr. I’m assuming they didn’t rank Michael Madsen’s movies. http://miller-mccune.com/culture_society/counting-the-stars-1553 3. EVIL DEAD TO RISE! I’ve said it just about every time that a remake is announced: if a filmmaker loves the original so much, why not re-release it? Happily, that’s what Sam Raimi is doing with his debut, 1981’s awesome “The Evil Dead”. The landmark horror will be hitting theaters in the US and Canada in a string of midnight screenings next year. Nice. 4. YOGI BEAR: THE MOVIE? Ouch. Maybe some midnight marathons of the corny old cartoon would be preferable to a live-action/CG animated version of “Yogi Bear." Anna Faris, Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake are said to be starring in this adaptation, shooting in New Zealand next month, with “Journey To The Center Of The Earth” director Eric Brevig behind the camera. Faris is charming but her track record at choosing good comedies is terrible. As for her male co-stars, well think no further really than, say, “The Love Guru” and “Christmas With The Kranks”. And “Journey To The Centre Of The Earth” had all the heart and soul of a theme-park ride. So, sounds good! 5. CAN YOU DIG IT? “The Canyon” offers a simple premise, a couple of good-looking stars and a breathtaking natural backdrop. While I doubt it’ll make “Paranormal” money, it looks like a tense, realistic little thriller. 6. JIMCARREY.COM = NUTZO

Taken your meds today? Think Jim Carrey’s “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind” was too clear-cut? Well, check out the actor’s website, which brings all sortsa crazy. http://jimcarrey.com/

                7. KICK ASS SHOW US ASS In a marketing move as unusual as Jim Carrey’s website, the first poster for “Kick Ass”, the Matthew Vaughn’s superhero comedy-adventure, offers no star names or even faces. Click here:  http://media.movies.ign.com/media/142/14276014/img_7294003.html for hi-res version.   8. ALBA & MACHETE

But here’s some much more traditional key art. Hey, it worked once for “Sin City”, right? Talk about knowing your market. The new Robert Rodriguez film “Machete” – based on the awesome fake trailer in “Grindhouse” – has its first Jessica Alba-heavy poster, which was found by www.comingsoon.net.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=60616   9. ANOTHER SIDE OF ALBA Whoa, check out the AFM promo trailer for Michael Winterbottom’s “The Killer Inside Me” for a darker – much darker – look at Jessica Alba. With Casey Affleck on truly sinister form, this looks like “Bad Deputy Sheriff” crossed with “No Country For Old Men”.

10. THE NEXT J.K. MEYER OR STEPHENIE ROWLING? Talk about a story to inspire struggling writers everywhere. An Australian mother of four, whose first novel made $100 and whose second novel was rejected by every publisher she sent it to, has now had her third book, “Beautiful Malice”, acclaimed as the next Harry Potter or Twilight. http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/books/milliondollar-mum-hailed-as-new-jk-rowling/2009/11/06/1257247749015.html?autostart=1  

1. Halloween Now Creepier Than Ever

This week saw the DVD and Blu-ray release – after a long, long wait – of a neglected mid-1980s horror-comedy classic, Fred Dekker’s “Night Of The Creeps”. Dekker told me that the new disc version of his schlocker about zombie-making parasites from outer space comes complete with his original, darker ending.

An ending that calls for a sequel. Once you’re done a-trickin’ and a-treatin’, you could do worse than get some friends together and put this one on for a rollickin’ good time.

2. Be The Sheepmonster This Halloween

I also discovered “Godmonster Of Indian Flats” this week.

A true 1970s B-grade horror oddity, it’s much more bizarre than even this clip suggests. But, as a last-minute costume option, it’s pretty easy: add old car-seat covers or throw-rugs, stagger, roar, repeat.

3. Spider-Man and Batman Return: The Movie – Sequel!

The follow-up to the “The Lego Batman & Spider-man Movie” has dropped. Got a spare 10 minutes? You know you have. Then see if you can devise a superhero-in-Lego outfit in time for Halloween.

4. The Room Now A Bona Fide Hit!

Well, if the L.A. Times is putting it on the front page, it must be so.

One of Hollywood’s stranger denizens, Tommy Wiseau, has seen his 2003 flop turn into the biggest bad-movie sensation since Elizabeth Berkley pushed Gina Gershon down the stairs in “Showgirls”. Fair enough, too, because “The Room” is utterly nuts and well worth the pilgrimage to an audience participation romp. It’s perfect for Halloween. If you can’t get into a screening, grab the DVD and a bunch of friends.

Click here for screening details.

5. Midnight Madness Midwest Style

This Halloween, midwest fans of the original midnight movie with audience participation can relive their misspent youths with this stage production of “The Rocky Horror Show."

6. Drunk Ewoks On Today

If you think nothing could be funnier, furrier or weirder than Al Roker in a Han Solo wig, then stand by for drunk Ewoks on the rampage! Stick around through the boring start because the Endormania ramps up around the two-minute mark! “One of the Ewoks is drinking already” says Han-Al. (“And a happy 10235th birthday to Emperor Palpatine!” I wish Willard was on hand to say.)

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7. Miller, Miller On The Wall… Is Tom Hardy The Maddest Max Of All?

Casting rumors about George Miller’s “Mad Max 4” continue to swirl. The initial reports assumed that it’d be Sam Worthington in the lead, until Miller said no decisions had been made. That was only 7 days ago. Now it’s being reported that the Aussie director has settled on British actor Tom Hardy – best known for “Bronson” and “Star Trek” – to take the lead, with “The Road”’s Charlize Theron co-starring. I’m saying this news, if true, is setting the cat among the pigeons, given that Miller earlier this week decried how Australian film talent fled their homeland’s productions to Hollywood during production lulls. Is he really going to cast a Brit in a homegrown blockbuster and an iconic Aussie role? Let me be the first to say I’ll believe it when I hear it from Miller’s mouth. Let me also say I still think it’ll be Sam Worthington who takes the role.

8. The Road On The Road To Oscars?

I caught “The Road” this week and it’s powerful, powerful stuff. Despite the first trailer, which the Weinsteins filled with stock/news footage to sell it as a kinda “2012”, the second trailer, released this week, is a more truthful reflection of what is a faithful adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Viggo Mortensen’s intensity is a lesson for Christian Bale in how not to overplay, while Aussie kid Kodi Smit-McPhee is a natural as the frightened little boy who knows nothing other than the post-apocalypse. Charlize Theron, meanwhile, is all sorts of heartbreaking. Australian director John Hillcoat’s vision of this world is hellish and immersive and terrifying. Fans of the book won’t be disappointed, but the book itself was so heavy it might actually put people off reliving it. Regardless, I’m saying this might just sneak in with a Best Picture nomination.

9. Bad Lieutenant Will Come Out To Play

For a brief distressing moment this week it looked like Nic Cage and Werner Herzog’s nutjob reboot of “Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans” might be going straight to the “Crazy WTF” shelf at your local Blockbuster. Happily, website The Playlist got the lowdown on the theatrical roll-out. The recent trailer’s pretty conventional

at least until the appearance of those drug-hallucination iguanas and dancing-soul comments.

10. Woody Allen’s “Untitled 2049 Film Project” Greenlit.

Ripped from the headlines! His muse should drop around 2032!