JJ Abrams brings a monster movie to theaters. A monster of epic porportions attacks New York City in Godzilla style. What the monster is a mystery. Below is a supposed photo of the monster that appears to be some sort of mutated whale that breathes fire. I am guessing it is a hoax, but how awesome would I be for finding this one for. That’s right, bask in the blogger glory.
The Upside- The hype alone may be worth the price of a movie ticket. The Downside- The entire film is shot from the perspective of a video camera. All I can think of is the awful camera work of The Blair Witch Project.
Rambo-January 25th
Stallone shoots up the screen again in yet another Rambo. The plot is set in Thailand where a group of mercenaries and John Rambo try to infiltrate a Burmese village. The war filled trailer promises a fill of theatrical gore.
The Upside- It’s freaking Rambo people. The Downside- If there is such a thing as too much violence, this would be it. Then again…some might see that as an upside.
21- March 21st
Kevin Spacey brings us a hot way to appreciate math. It is based on a true story that involves some MIT college kids counting cards in Vegas. This is the math club I missed out on. The six students took several Vegas casinos for millions of dollars. If you are into books it came from the novel “Bringing Down the House.â€
The Upside- Kevin Spacey, a plot that should fuel a great movie and a moral lesson. The Downside- It could really be overdone and corny depending on the talent.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian- May 16th
The Pevensie children return to Narnia to help out ol’ Aslan. What has only been one year to the kids has been 1300 years in Narnia. Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy help out a prettied up Prince Caspian regain the throne. It follows the film The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The 2004 wasn’t bad, but leaving things open to interpretation can hinder your views.
The Upside- The trailer was able to capture my attention and the books are a staple in many households. It looks to be a darker and intense view that echoes the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The Downside- That interpretation factor could ruin a movie. When you create film from something that holds a legendary quality it is easy to screw up.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull- May 22nd
Harrison Ford teams up with up and coming Shia LaBeouf in the latest installment of the Indiana Jones films. The film is set in the Cold War of 1957 and Shia is rocking a pompadour. No trailers out there yet.
The Upside- Harrison Ford returns to the character of Jones after an 18 year hiatus. The Jones film hype speaks for itself. The Downside- That is a lot of hype to live up to. Sequels are hard to impress an audience with. Especially when 18 years of anticipation is behind it.
Sex and the City- May 30th
Sarah Jessica Parker brings sexy back in the film version on the HBO series. The series strayed into new realms that women have no fear to talk about in real life. Beyond love, relationships and men the four women became heroes to the modern day bored housewife. They freely talked about sex and cranked out some quotes that will not leave you.
“I will wear whatever and blow whomever I want as long as I can breathe and kneel.â€
The Upside- The series was fearless, if the movie is the same way we are in for a treat. The Downside- Oh let me count the possible factors that could doom the film. So much has been leaked online it will be beyond predictable. The second factor….I fear it will be one of those things that ended on a high note, but they tried to squeeze one last dime from a concept that is stale.
The Happening- June 13th
Yes that is a Friday the 13th release date. M. Night Shyamalan strikes again with another thriller. While the past few Night films have failed to impress the masses, this one is rumored to be a redemption. Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo and Spencer Breslin star in the film that is already rated “R.â€
The Upside- I would love to see M. Night get back into the swing of twisted thrillers that rival The Sixth Sense. The Downside- It could be a further disappointment that could be the final blow.
Batman: The Dark Knight- July 18th
The Dark Knight is probably the most anticipated films. Heath Ledger and Christian Bale star in the latest installment of the Batman films. The sequel features the ultimate villain, the Joker. When I heard Ledger was cast in the role I was disappointed. I kept picture this pretty boy in the Joker’s shoes giggling as he tried to thwart Bale. The trailer has redeemed my faith in the film. This version of the Joker is darker, better, more intense and believable as a psycho. Kudos to Heath for proving me wrong.
The Upside- Maggie Gyllenhaal replaced Katie Holmes’ dumbass damsel in distress. The Downside- Let me get back to you on that.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince- November 21st
Harry Potter is one of those films that directors can easily screw up. (Ahem…Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban.) The last film of the series wasn’t bad and the director who was at the helm for returns again for the Half Blood Prince. My fingers are crossed for those Harry Potter fans who are so very dedicated to the books. Either way you can bet that this film will not fly under the radar.
The Upside- Harry Potter has become the new aged superhero that has started a following that is appealing to all ages. The books are beyond detailed, here’s hoping for some cinema magic. The Downside- If you haven’t read the books by the end of the this film you will be lost. So much has already been left out of the films that, personally, I feel are vital to understand the plot.
The Lovely Bones- Currently Rumored Release in Summer 2008
Peter Jackson won my heart by not completely killing the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Here we have another novel based film that has a big budget. Ryan Gosling had the leading male role before age became a factor and Mark Wahlberg reportedly took his place. The story is from the perspective of a 14 year old girl who was raped and murdered by a neighbor. She tells the tale from heaven and shows the lives of those affected by her death.
The Upside- Great cast, great director and the material is of substance. The Downside- How freakin’ sad!
Sources: Yahoo Top 10 Movies [Yahoo] and 55 Movies Not to Miss of 2008 [Slash Films]
Kiefer Sutherland was officially booked this evening at the Glendale City Jail. He is to serve a 48-day sentence stemming from a September arrest for DUI.
He was scheduled to turn himself in on December 21st, which happens to be his birthday. The plan was to serve when the show was on Christmas hiatus. But because of the writers strike and the fact that the show is on ice, Kiefer checked in earlier.
Kiefer was just booked. He is officially an inmate. The booking records show he is 5’10″, 150 lbs, blue eyes, blond hair, 40 years old. The arrest time (surrender) was 5:30 PM and he was booked 16 minutes later. According to Glendale PD PIO John Balian he will wear a standard issue orange jumpsuit.
Jail officials tell us he will be searched, have a booking photo taken and be placed in a holding cell awaiting cell assignment. We’re told he’ll also be served dinner tonight. [see picture at top]
They could like,… have dinner together or somethin’. Ha!
What others said:
The Blemish says, “Outside the courtroom, Kiefer said: “Ha! 48 days is nothing. Sure, it sounds like a lot in soberland, but I’m from drunkland where 48 days is only a week if you subtract the 41 days of blackouts.
Gabby Babble says, “I bet he looks super sexy in the orange jumpsuit!
John Travolta is more gay than all the Village People put together, L.A. Rag reports. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
There’s a junkie Korean spa in Koreatown called Century Spa that no one knows about so it’s cheap and fantastic. It’s also a place that’s been overrun by a slew of gay men cruising for dick in the steam room and clay room.
When we went to get Lynn a body scrub and massage the two Korean women behind the counter were unusually giddy.
“You will never believe who here!â€
“Who?†We asked eyes raised.
“Mr. John Travolta!†They exclaimed, exploding into giggles.
Now, why in the name of Liberace, would John Travolta be miles from his home in Korea Town at a men’s spa. For their amazing service? The gorgeous showers with broken tiles?
Once we saw John we instantly ran to our locker to try and take a picture of him, but it didn’t work so we have no proof. But we are telling you straight up our experience, we saw him there, and he was checking out Alex’s Middle Eastern feast in the showers.
This was the wrong thing to do, and we realize that now. We should have flirted with him until he laid his hands on us and we could’ve said, “Dude, I liked you in Hairspray and all, but I’m not like that!â€
That would’ve been more hilarious than him in a fat suit.
John, look, no one goes to a Korean Spa unless they WANT to get caught. Stories about you cruising in the steam room have surfaced before so it’s not a surprise.If you come out as gay, then that just makes you that much better of an actor. You fooled the American public for years, and usually you have to be the president to do that.
That’s not exactly overwhelming evidence, is it? Some woman at some bath house saying she saw Travolta?
Still, people seem to believe it. One of the commenters says, “I hate to tell you but everyone has known Travolta was gay since like 2000. He’s like fucking Jodie Foster gay. He’s gayer than Tom Cruise. GAYGAYGAYGAY.” Now, you have to admit, that’s gay.
Defamer is playing coy: “What to make of this beyond the fact that Century offers some of the best spa services in the city at the most reasonable prices? Why, we’re certain we have no idea!”
Glitterati Gossip calls the rumor “totally unsubstantiated” but points out “If he were gay, there’s every reason to believe he’d try to hide it, though. Scientology has moderated its stance on gays in recent years, but for many years classified homosexuality as a disease.”
Queer Verve suggests: “Maybe Travolta was on a mission from Xenu to spread Gonorrhea Scientology to queers in dire need of a body scrub.”
Seriously, though, the man’s married to a beautiful woman and they have kids together. Does that mean he’s not gay? Not at all. Still, he should probably get the benefit of the doubt when he says he’s not.
It is a bold move for such a C-lister. “Last Call with Carson Daly†is set to return next week despite the WGA strike. The show will be the first late night gabfest to return with fresh episodes. While taping is scheduled, no guests have signed up to appear.
Technically speaking Carson is not a member of WGA, but the picketing writers are unhappy with his decision to return to air. To add salt to the wound he has hired non-Guild writers to provide the repartee. This doesn’t bode well for Daly.
“The Writers Guild of America, East joins our colleagues of the Writers Guild of America, West in expressing our profound disappointment with Carson Daly’s decision to return to work. We thank them and hope that Mr. Daly will reconsider his decision, including the soliciting of scab writers to provide material for his program.â€
His choice is said to be in support of his staff, but an email he sent appears to have other motives. (Thousands have already been laid off and fired due to the strike. No other programs are giving any hints of returning.) In the email to his peeps he lets them know of his master plan to make a complete ass of himself. Apparently random folks have felt sorry for him and offered up jokes which he plans to make a mockery of.
He is going to be eaten alive. I would hate to be in his shoes…and not just because of his manorexia.
Any reason to get that man in spandex is fine by me!
Jake Gyllenhaal will be portraying the former NY Jet quarterback, Joe Namath in a feature film. Joe Namath, also known as Broadway Joe, retired after playing for the LA Rams in the late 70’s with 77 wins and 108 losses tied to his name.
While he had a talent, he was more widely known for his “rock star status.†Joe acquired a sex symbol significance and began his venture into the commercial world. His “guarantee†for a Super Bowl win in 1969 also set the stage for controversy. The statement caused a media frenzy and tons of press for Joe. Luckily he delivered a win.
The film is the brainchild of Andrew Lazar and Jimmy Walsh. Namath gave the green light on the film after Jake Gyllenhaal accepted the role. The film just needs a script to be provided by David Hollander as soon as the WGA strike ends.
This is like Christmas has come early. Jake all sweaty and hot….throwing a football around…someone get me a wet nap.
Source: Jake Gyllenhaal is a Football Player [Just Jared]
Last year, Keifer Bonvillain was hit with a federal extortion charge after he allegedly tried to sell Winfrey audiotapes for $1.5 million of a high-ranking Harpo employee bad-mouthing her. But the charge didn’t hold up in an Illinois court.
“An office manager at Harpo broke his silence and his confidentiality agreement when he spoke freely about Oprah Winfrey’s private life and business affairs. Keifer Bonvillain underestimated one of the world’s most powerful women when he, armed with clandestinely recorded tapes, decided to write a ‘tell-all’ book unmasking the famed celebrity. Within days of Harpo learning about the book, two men were attempting to break into Keifer’s home – presumably to get the tapes. Oprah was desperate to keep the truth from being revealed . . . The fallout was Keifer’s highly publicized arrest.”
Bonvillain vows to disclose that Harpo may have been involved in “blatant discrimination . . . This CEO not only knows about these practices . . . she condones them . . . Hours of taped conversations . . . reveal what they don’t want the public to know about [Oprah's] private life, and a business that prides itself on its diversity.”
What others said:
Dlisted says, “Keifer Bonvallian! WTF?! Bitch has been watching way too many Bond movies.”
Bitten and Bound says, “I would have to imagine that Oprah is slapped with many more lawsuits than any of us know about.”
The Girls Aloud singers have hired five guards to give them each personal protection after being left unnerved by the deranged lesbian fan. They were terrified to find the mystery woman had slipped backstage to their dressing room.
On Saturday night after performing at London’s G-A-Y nightclub she was waiting for them completely naked.
After initially laughing about the oddball turn of events the girls, including hot bods Cheryl Cole, 23, Nadine Coyle, 22, and Nicola Roberts, 22, decided to take tough action. A source close to the girls said: “Originally they were a bit shocked when they found her there, but laughed it off.
“It’s not every day you find a naked lady in your dressing-room. But since then they’ve been thinking about the serious nature of the situation.
“It’s a little bit unnerving. This woman’s been following them everywhere.
“So they decided to get a guard each so that no one’s ever put at risk.â€
The naked lesbian decided to strike at G-A-Y club night at London’s Astoria as a birthday surprise for blonde Sarah Harding, who turned 26 on Saturday, and Kimberley Walsh, who is 26 today.
I was totally curious as to what a ‘lesbian stalker terror‘ was. Note to self: Random naked woman in public place is a lesbian stalker.
source: GIRLS IN LESBIAN STALKER TERROR [daily star]
The writers strike is still on, and more actors are stepping up in support. George Clooney has donated $25,000 to the striking writers. He gave the money to the New York-based Actors Fund, which provides emergency relief for workers in the entertainment industry.
He is planning to make periodic donations to the fund and encouraged other stars to emulate his actions.
He told Variety,
“My hope is that people who can afford it will take responsibility for this and help out.”
After only one day of support, Ellen DeGeneres crossed the Writers Guild of America‘s picket line.
Now, they are responding:
Ellen DeGeneres went back on the air this week after honoring only one day of the writers strike. In anticipation of her plans to tape shows in New York City on November 19th and 20th, the Writers Guild of America, East is extremely disappointed to see that Ellen has chosen not to stand with writers during the strike. Ellen’s peers who host comedy/variety shows have chosen to support the writers and help them get a fair contract, Ellen has not. On her first show back, Ellen said she loves and supports her writers, but her actions prove otherwise.
Ellen has also been performing comedy on her show. Even if Ellen is writing those segments herself, since those segments would normally be written by the writers on strike, she’s performing “struck work”. Ellen is violating the strike rules that were clearly explained to all of the comedy/variety shows.
We certainly intend to let Ellen know our dissatisfaction in person if she decides to proceed with the shows she has scheduled in New York on November 19th and 20th. We will also make our voices heard the preceding week if she tries to pre-tape comedy segments on location.
We find it sad that Ellen spent an entire week crying and fighting for a dog that she gave away, yet she couldn’t even stand by writers for more than one day – writers who have helped make her extremely successful.
Every show and film set has a production staff and crew that is beloved by their writers. Ellen’s staff is no more important than the rest of the industry. When shows refuse to stand with us they create huge revenue streams for the companies and that prolongs the strike for the thousands of staff and crew members who are noble enough to honor our picket lines. We find this situation hurtful to those people and extremely unfortunate.
The writers did not cause this strike. The companies’ greed caused this strike and it could end tomorrow if they were finally willing to negotiate a fair deal. We ask Ellen to cease doing shows immediately. She should stand by all writers and help us bring this strike to a quick conclusion. We owe that to the thousands of people who are caught in the middle.
If you agree that Ellen should stand with the writers on strike, please contact her and tell her so at:
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/dearellen/.
Or, contact the show’s production office at (818) 260-5600.
The writers strike is in full swing, but Ellen DeGeneres isn’t really feeling it. In fact, Ellen DeGeneres is crossing the picket lines. She has continued to film despite the ongoing writers strike.
Ellen defended her decision, saying,
“I want to say I love my writers. I love them. In honor of them today, I’m not going to do a monologue. [But] people have traveled across the country. They’ve made plans. They’re here. I want to do everything I can to make your trip enjoyable and give you a show.”
I see her point, but it’s a strike – all the other talk show hosts’ guests made plans, but s–t happens. A strike is most effective when everyone participates, and she’s kind of killing the mood here.
What others are saying:
In Touch says, “Ellen DeGeneres is going where no other talk show host is daring to go.”
Mollygood says, “Indecisive dog owner Ellen DeGeneres is a scab! While she may love animals (briefly, before handing them off to be loved by someone new), apparently she’s a little iffy about her writing staff.”
dlisted says, “Don’t you sort of have to be a bitch sometimes in order to make it in Hollywood? Ellen is a fake and a phoney, but she’s playing a character on TV.”
Best Week Ever says, “And really, who needs writers when you can just electric slide around to a few Justin Timberlake songs, then throw a sobbing fit about some puppy you gave away to your hairdresser?”
The writers outside the Time Warner Building were handing out these flyers, an open letter, to everyone willing to take one.
The flyer states their position regarding the strike. The bonus is for those of us who are supporting them. It supplies a list of media executives and their respective addresses.
Call or write them!
[Click the thumbnails for a larger view]
Ironically, the flyer is poorly written.
For a complete list of the affected shows, go HERE.
For all of you wondering what the big deal is with the writers’ strike, this video does an excellent job of explaining what the writers want. And it makes sense – they just want a cut of the profits from online views. Sounds fair to me.
And it sounds fair to Steve Carell, too. He is showing his solidarity with the writers by not crossing the picket line. “The Office” set was shut down for good Tuesday afternoon, and the actors who’ve not reported to work have helped that happen. Steve Carell called in sick, telling NBC that he was unable to report to work because he is suffering from “enlarged balls”. Awesome.
Source: “The Office: ‘Shut Down For Good’” [United Hollywood] via “Nick Counter Is A Weiner, Declares ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Heigl” [Defamer]
The writers strike is on, but some stars that have multiple roles on TV sets might struggle with what to do. B.J. Novak, for example, is both a writer for and a star of NBC’s “The Office”. He is a card-carrying member of the Writers Guild, and as such will be on strike. However, he’s also an actor and a member of the Screen Actors Guild, and NBC’s studios have made it clear that they expect the actor to show up to work, with or without a strike.
Such dual-roles can be found all over Hollywood. Most TV shows are run by producers who double as writers, and the networks are depending on these “showrunners” to keep things going on set so that work can continue on already-completed scripts.
But the strikers want the showrunners to stand in solidarity with them and have urged showrunners to stop working immediately. The reason: the more episodes studios have written, the longer a strike will continue.
According to a senior network executive,
“The official line on all of our shows is we expect you to show up. We’ve told them that it’s required under their contracts, and they’ll be in breach if they don’t show up.”
But that’s probably not going to happen, according to this showrunner,
“Showrunners will not show on Monday or all week. No one likes to leave a crew unsure of whether or not they have work, or assistants wondering where their next paycheck will come from. And no one wants to leave their baby in someone else’s hands. It’s a difficult time. But I will not cross a picket line.”
If these dual-roled actors and showrunners decide not to work, the networks might take action. “Whether we’ll pursue legal action will be determined on a case-by-case basis,” one network suit said.
But the networks are prepared to go to bat for those who cross the picket lines. If someone gets fined by th WGA for working, an NBC insider said the company won’t hesitate to fight the fines on behalf of the writer.
Kiefer was just booked. He is officially an inmate. The booking records show he is 5’10″, 150 lbs, blue eyes, blond hair, 40 years old. The arrest time (surrender) was 5:30 PM and he was booked 16 minutes later. According to Glendale PD PIO John Balian he will wear a standard issue orange jumpsuit.
“The Writers Guild of America, East joins our colleagues of the Writers Guild of America, West in expressing our profound disappointment with Carson Daly’s decision to return to work. We thank them and hope that Mr. Daly will reconsider his decision, including the soliciting of scab writers to provide material for his program.â€
On Saturday night after performing at London’s G-A-Y nightclub she was waiting for them completely naked.
“My hope is that people who can afford it will take responsibility for this and help out.”
Ellen DeGeneres went back on the air this week after honoring only one day of the writers strike. In anticipation of her plans to tape shows in New York City on November 19th and 20th, the Writers Guild of America, East is extremely disappointed to see that Ellen has chosen not to stand with writers during the strike. Ellen’s peers who host comedy/variety shows have chosen to support the writers and help them get a fair contract, Ellen has not. On her first show back, Ellen said she loves and supports her writers, but her actions prove otherwise. 
“The official line on all of our shows is we expect you to show up. We’ve told them that it’s required under their contracts, and they’ll be in breach if they don’t show up.”
