Hasbro Ready To Cash In On Toys Tied To Transformers Movie

Technorati Tags: Hasbro Inc.,Blockbusters,Transformer,No.1

Hasbro Inc. (HAS) is revving up for bigger sales in the toy aisle thanks to the blockbuster Transformers movie sequel, with merchandise sales topping the 2007 product lineup by as much as 25%, analysts say.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is No. 1 at the box office so far this year. Since its June 24 release, the movie has racked up $607.6 million in global ticket sales through July 6, according to reporting service Box Office Mojo.

Industry analysts forecast that Transformers toy-related sales, including licensing fees, could be as high as $600 million by year's end. ...

High school comedy "Beth Cooper" flunks out

Technorati Tags: Beth Cooper,High school movie,movie character

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - It's always dangerous to introduce a movie character who loves to quote lines from classic movies; you're forcing the audience to make comparisons, which are unlikely to favor the movie they're watching.

In "I Love You, Beth Cooper" one of the teenage characters is a movie nerd constantly pontificating on some of his favorite flicks. During his movie-mad monologues, Rich (Jack T. Carpenter) even conjures up a couple of memorable high school movies, "Risky Business" and "Dead Poets Society." How we wish we were watching those pictures instead of the dud on display here. Although the teenage audience is notoriously undiscriminating, it's hard to imagine many kids turning out for this laugh-free comedy, which 20th Century Fox releases Friday.

Prodded by Rich, Denis (Paul Rust), the shy high school valedictorian, uses the occasion of his graduation speech to declare his love for Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere), the head cheerleader who is way out of his league. Although Beth barely has been aware of his existence, she is (rather improbably) touched by his declaration, and over the course of the evening, she and her snooty best friends take Denis and Rich on a night of adventure, pursued by Beth's psychotic boyfriend, the school jock.

The movie, written by Larry Doyle and directed by Chris Columbus, recalls several earlier high school movies that took place over the course of a single day -- "American Graffiti," "The Breakfast Club" and "Superbad," to name just a few. Actually, Columbus' own directorial debut was a comedy with a similar premise, "Adventures in Babysitting," a sweet, clever trifle that seems like "Citizen Kane" in comparison to "Beth Cooper."

Columbus went on to direct such huge hits as "Home Alone," "Mrs. Doubtfire" and the first two "Harry Potter" movies, and somewhere along the way, he lost touch with recognizable human emotions. But it's hard to know whether the blame for this fiasco rests with Columbus or with Doyle, who rote a novel based on his high school experiences and then turned it into a screenplay. Despite the claims of autobiographical authenticity, nothing seems fresh. Most of the scenes are stock teen crises that we've seen many times before: Underage kids trying to buy beer, getting into a car wreck, fighting off vicious bullies.

The actors can't do much with such a tired script. Rust doesn't really distinguish himself from a hundred other movie geeks, but Panettiere finds some warmth and even poignancy in her character. If the movie were worth stealing, it would be stolen by Carpenter. He brings some panache to the picture, though Rich's struggle to decide whether he's gay is a running gag far less rewarding than the filmmakers realize.

The film was shot mainly around Vancouver, doubling for Tacoma, Wash., and Columbus has enough experience to serve up a handsome production. Some of the stunt work is impressive, but a comedy cries out for smart jokes rather than convincing fight scenes.

MacGruber: The Movie

Technorati Tags: Mac Gruber,Will Forte,Saturday Night Live,Hollywood Reporter

Will Forte’s Saturday Night Live spy spoof MacGruber is headed for the big screen.

The parody of ’80s TV series MacGyver is being made into a movie, and actors Ryan Phillippe and Val Kilmer being courted for lead roles, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The sketch stars Will Forte as the son of secret agent Angus MacGyver. He and his assistant (played by Kristen Wiig) regularly find themselves trapped in a room with a bomb, only to see MacGruber get sidetracked by his addition to alcohol.

Actor Richard Dean Anderson, who starred in MacGyver, has appeared in several of the sketches over the years.

Other Saturday Night Live sketches that have been adapted for theatrical release include, Wayne’s World, Coneheads, and A Night At The Roxbury.

Actors on board for Cinemash movie send-ups

 

Technorati Tags: cinemash,on-line film

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Will Arnett, Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Milo Ventimiglia and Channing Tatum are some of the stars who have signed up for Mean Magazine's Cinemash, which re-creates scenes from well-known movies in short online films.

The series kicks off Tuesday with Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who star together in Fox Searchlight's "(500) Days of Summer," interpreting "Sid and Nancy." In "Summer," the two actors have a scene in which they talk about the 1986 film. "Summer" director Marc Webb directed the short.

In other Cinemash shorts, Tatum stars in a "Dirty Dancing" parody, Ventimiglia does "Oldboy," and Arnett channels "Carrie."

The shorts will be available exclusively for download on Microsoft's Zune, and will stream on MSN, released weekly throughout the summer.

Enjoyed The July 4th Fireworks? Skip The Waledac Movie

Technorati Tags: fabulous,waledac

After a few weeks of low activity, the infamous Waledac botnet is lighting things up once again. This time, its hook is the promise of a "fabulous" July 4 video on YouTube.

Researchers at anti-virus firm ESET claim to have "reliable intelligence" that Waledac is being readied to conduct a spam campaign centering on Independence Day:

They [Waledac operators] have registered at least 18 domain names all related to the theme of video, fireworks, and Independence Day. The criminals behind Waledac are preparing to start sending spam with links to supposed videos of Independence Day fireworks which are, in reality, fresh copies of the Waledac malware family. We estimate the size of Waledac’s botnet as tens of thousands of infected computers. We believe that more than 20,000 compromised computers will be used to send the malicious emails, in an effort to increase the size of the botnet.

While ESET's advisory predicted the attack would start, Web security start-up Purewire has published a note showing a sample of the attack already underway. This post has an image of the fake YouTube video, that if clicked will infect users with Waledac. Purewire points to an analysis that claims the ability for anti-virus to detect these attacks as "poor."

We covered Waledac since its purported inception. That time, it was using the Christmas holiday to spread itself.

Vail movies: Giant robots fight to destroy your eardrumsEnter a post title

Technorati Tags: robot,eardrum,transformers

 

ENLARGE

Optimus Prime from Michael Bay's “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”

VAIL, Colorado — By now I've come to realize that complaining about a Michael Bay movie is like those parents who feed their kids Cap'n Crunch for breakfast then complain about how hyper they are five minutes later. Sometimes you just have to feed your kids and there isn't always enough time to make a nutritious meal.
Bay's latest film, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” is just the kind of sugar buzz the summer box office demands. It will probably leave you with a headache and an upset stomach, but at least you'll be entertained.
Picking up two years after the original “Transformers” left off, the U.S. government now works with the Autobots (the good Transformers) to find and eliminate the Decepticons (the bad Transformers) still left on earth. The last film revealed that a metallic cube called the AllSpark was the source of creation for all Transformers but it was destroyed in an epic battle between the two sides so there was clearly nothing for mankind to worry about any more.
Or so we thought.
In this installment of what is sure to be a 10-part series, a small shard of the AllSpark is found by Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and it takes about a minute before the Decepticons and Autobots are battling for the fate of our planet once again. The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, must stop the Decepticons from destroying the sun and wiping out humanity once and for all.
“Revenge of the Fallen” tries its best to create a Transformers mythology with a complete history of their prehistoric visits to Earth, something called a Matrix of Leadership, a fallen-angel-type Decepticon actually called The Fallen (in case it wasn't obvious enough) and an ancient death machine buried in the pyramids of Egypt. Only Bay could try to cram so much into a movie and get away with it.
I thought the last Transformers movie was actually pretty good, despite popular protest. It had just enough humanity in it to keep it grounded while the giant robots duked it out. Unfortunately, all that goes out the window in “Fallen.” Instead, for two and a half hours, there's literally nothing going on but giant robot fights and soldiers with guns running around trying not to get killed by them. It's extremely loud, obnoxious, overwhelming and confusing. And yes, entertaining.
Most of the original cast reprise their roles, but when they are on screen they're either running or yelling or crying. There's no down time between fights for us to get to know them like we did in the first film. I guess Bay thought he got all that out of the way already, so exploding aircraft carriers and crumbling pyramids were all we needed now.
Then there are the Transformers themselves. The first film introduced us to a handful of them, both good and bad, and they were easy to keep track of. “Revenge of the Fallen” crams so many new ones into the mix, most with little to no introduction, that it's impossible to keep track of who's who after a few scenes. And most of the new Transformers are so lame it just feels like a waste. What's with the Jar-Jar Binks wannabe's of Skids and Mudflap? They're horrible and borderline racist.
But it all goes back to Bay. If you don't know what you're getting into by now, go back and watch “Armageddon” or “Bad Boys II” again. Don't expect anything but action, and later, when your ears are still ringing but you forget why, you can smile knowing there will be a Transformers 3.

Ramon Rodriguez will have bigger role in third 'Transformers' movie, Bay hints

Technorati Tags: Ramon Rodriguez,transformers,movie

How big will "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" get? The movie was closing in on $400 million on Monday, a number that surprised even some of the people at Paramount Pictures. We've had tons of coverage on the film, which is breaking records at the box office, and we're not done yet. Here's a longer version of the Los Angeles Times Calendar story I have in today's paper on one of the new faces in Hollywood, Ramon Rodriguez, who plays Leo Spitz in the No. 1 movie in America right now. A lot of people are expecting big things from Ramon in the future, including Michael Bay, who hinted to me that the third film in the franchise will have a meatier role for the new cast member.

It turns out that filmmaker Michael Bay runs an audition a lot like he makes movies.

Last year, Ramon Rodriguez visited Bay’s Santa Monica offices seeking a key role in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and, instead of a sedate line-reading, the young actor was told to basically run for his life.

“For 90 minutes, he had me jumping, running, diving over the furniture in his office -- that was the audition,” said Rodriguez, who was adept enough to land the role of Shia LaBeouf’s sidekick in the biggest movie of the year. “I was drenched in sweat. He told me, ‘OK, hide behind the desk!’ ‘Now, run over here!’ And man, I was looking in his eyes, and he was enjoying it. He’s got a passion for action. It shows in the movies too.”

Critics may cringe, but audiences are feeling it: “Revenge of the Fallen,” as of Monday, was closing in on $400 million worldwide. That's a staggering number, and the domestic gross, $201 million, fell just short of the five-day record of $203 million set last year by “The Dark Knight.”

It’s been dizzying to watch from a distance, but it’s an especially wild ride for newcomer Rodriguez, whose career surged this summer with the “Transformers” role as well as his work in Tony Scott’s “The Taking of Pelham 123,” which put him side by side with Denzel Washington and John Travolta.

“I’m coming out of nowhere this summer,” Rodriguez said on recent bright afternoon on a basketball court in Studio City. “At least that’s how it seems to people. It feels that way to me sometimes too. And it’s been a major education.”

For Rodriguez, this summer is the equivalent of a half-court shot that hits nothing but net.

The actor, who grew up on Manhattan’s lower east side but also spent much of his youth in his family’s native Puerto Rico, was a college and prep-school basketball star but didn’t have the height needed to achieve his NBA dream.

After picking up a sports-management degree at New York University, he was working for the New York Knicks in their community relations department but hating it. “You would think I would love it, but working for a team that’s losing is just no fun,” he said. “It was so gray, so dark, there were layoffs and turmoil."

A friend coaxed him to enter a Nike basketball-trick competition and, with the lure of a free pair of sneakers, a disinterested Rodriguez agreed. He ended up winning by spinning a ball, putting it on the tip of a pen and then gripping the pen with his teeth without interrupting the revolving ball.

It was a heck of a trick: It led to the ballplayer joining the Nike freestyle team and a tour of Asia and Europe as a sort of latter-day Harlem Globetrotter. At NBA games, Rodriguez performed in front of stars he had hoped would be his peers.

“They were checking us at halftime, I could see out of the corner of my eye that they were smiling,” he said. “We got paid, we traveled, people cheered. And then there’s another thing: When you’re the halftime show, you never lose.”

His work in Nike commercials gave him a foothold in a new sector: acting. That path became more than a lark in 2005 when Rodriguez had an eye-catching, two-episode guest appearance on “Rescue Me,” FX's firehouse drama, in which he played a young man who had been molested by a priest.

“The firefighters went to the priest and at the end of the story arc, in front of everyone, I kill myself,” Rodriguez said. “I put a gun to my head in the middle of the church. I was finding out what it meant to be an actor.”

Rodriguez then immersed himself in acting studies even as he did an eight-episode run on “The Wire” in the role of Renaldo, the dangerous lover of stick-up man Omar Little. Next was Rodriguez’s memorable turn in Alejandro Gomez Monteverde’s “Bella,” the 2006 film that won the people’s choice award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

That set the stage for “Transformers,” which allowed Rodriguez to get in touch with his youth – he used to watch the cartoon series while munching on sugary cereal. The role of the fast-talking Princeton freshman Leonardo Ponce De Leon Spitz – who is the new college roommate to LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky — makes Rodriguez the comic relief in the film about giant alien robots.

Director Michael Bay has a third "Transformers" film in mind, and if it plays out as he expects, the next installment would have a more substantial role for Rodriguez. The filmmaker, speaking at his office a few weeks before "Revenge of the Fallen" was released, seemed to have some pride of discovery when talking about Rodriguez.

"I've worked with big stars, people like Will Smith, Sean Connery and Bruce Willis, but casting is a weird thing, it takes you places you don’t expect," Bay said. "We went looking for a sidekick in this movie, Shia’s sidekick, and we find this new kid who really pops on screen. I think he’s going to have a real bright career. It’s great to work with big stars, but it’s always fun to discover people."

Bay said the actor is a mix of rough charm and refined intellect.

"He’s got a street edge and a realness to him," said the director, whose past films include "The Rock" and "Bad Boys.” "He’s a New York kid with a street feel to him. He adapted to the actors very well, which isn’t always easy in a big movie, a sequel, where a lot of the cast chemistry has been set already. He’s funny, charming, comes off cool and accessible.”

Rodriguez is eager to diversify his résumé and do arty films and ensemble pieces as well as the huge summer fare. But he said, no matter what comes next, he won’t soon forget this summer.

“It was the full deal: I remember flying to Egypt to climb the Pyramids … and then taking a Blackhawk helicopter to Petra to shoot there,” he said. “We shot on an aircraft carrier. I mean, all of it, it was just mind-blowing. I got my shot and, man, it was a good one.”

-- Geoff Boucher

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Images, from top: Ramon Rodriguez in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." Credit: Paramount Pictures. The cast poses in Japan, with Rodriguez at top left and director Michael Bay at center front. Credit:  Getty Images.  Other images from Paramount.

More gangster movies to watch

 

Gangster movies are as enduring an American institution as crime itself.
Three quarters of a century after Hollywood started churning ’em out, the genre’s still kickin’. On Wednesday, the Johnny Depp-starring John Dillinger bio “Public Enemies” hits screens, continuing a long line of flicks about tough guys with tommy guns.
After you see “Enemies,” check out these bitter little numbers if you haven’t.

[+]Enlarge

Johnny Depp will star as John Dillinger in "Public Enemies." (Joel Ryan)

1. “The Godfather 1 and 2”: Well, of course.
2. “Goodfellas”: Arguably better than the Godfathers.
3. “Miller’s Crossing”: The Coen Brothers try depression-era crime and succeed awesomely.
4. “White Heat”: Original gangster actor James Cagney is a poisonous cookie as a guy who loves nothing ’cept his Ma.
5. “Get Carter”: Michael Caine is ice-cold awesome as a vengeful chap who’s really good at killing people.
6. “Scarface” (1983): Isn’t it about time you said hello to Tony Montana’s little friend?
7. “City of God”: Basically, “Goodfellas” in the favelas of Rio. As cool and upsetting as it sounds.
8. “Rififi”: Italian noir featuring the longest, greatest heist in screen history.
9. “The Long Good Friday”: Bob Hoskins is surprisingly scary as the leader of the London underworld.
Others: “Pulp Fiction,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Road to Perdition,” “The Big Heat,” “The Departed,” “Donnie Brasco,” “Mean Streets,” “Key Largo,” “Little Caesar,” “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” “Shoot the Piano Player,” “The Red Circle,” “Casino.”

Technorati Tags: gangster movie,johnny depp

Michael Jackson movie?

Technorati Tags: michael jackson,new movie

One of the earliest biographical films about a musician was Lady Sings the Blues, a 1972 semi-factual film about Billie Holliday that starred Diana Ross and was nominated for five Academy Awards (1). Though it didn't win in any category, a soundtrack double-album of Diana Ross doing Billie Holliday topped the charts, and its prosperity was widely noted. More recently, the monumental successes of Walk The Line and Ray further ensured that no good musician will ever go un-biographied in Hollywood.

What I'm wondering is how long it will take them to come out with a biopic about Michael Jackson. Notorious came over a decade after the death of Biggie Smalls, but it was a latent addition to the flurry of musician bios, and it is more likely that Michael Jackson's recent death sparked a rush of opportunist scripts and project pitches.

I predict a Michael movie is already under negotiation by multiple movie studios and that a film will come out as early as next summer. But who will direct? More importantly, who clould play MJ?

There will have to be at least three, maybe even four actors, to portray Michael in all stages of his life. Since his life has always been public, the MJ audience will not easily be fooled; casting will be very important to make sure the film is believable. Who will play the light-skinned, disturbed Michael? Jonny Depp?

No...Probably someone more unexpected, like Elijah Wood as Iggy Pop or Michael Douglas as Liberace (2). Unpredictable casting choices drive publicity (in addition to untimely deaths,) as with Heath Ledger in Dark Knight.

Depp is too obvious. He already looked uncannily like Michael in Tim Burton's remake of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, used Keith Richards as inspiration for Captain Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, and is involved already in talks to play Freddy Mercury in a movie about Queen to be produced by Robert De Niro's Tribeca Productions (3).

So who could it be?

The Associated Press reports that VH1 is planning to run a movie that chronicles MJ's life and a casting search is in progress (4). VH1 has already done the Jackson 5, however, and made-for-TV biopics hardly get the critical or commercial attention that their subjects usually warrant. The only reason we haven't heard of any other Michael projects in the works is because every studio is likely fighting for the rights to his story, and the chance to make the big bucks.

The problem is that MJ, a tragic figure, has been relentlessly parodied, and making a film that takes his story as seriously as it should will prove to be a very difficult task.

Tanya Tucker Honors Her Father's Favorite Music on New Album

Technorati Tags: Tanya Tucker,Favorite Music,New Album

Tanya Tucker

As a grade-schooler in Arizona, Tanya Tucker and her father, Beau Tucker, would convince touring country singers like Ernest Tubb and Little Jimmy Dickens to give her a moment in the spotlight, too. And by the time she was 13, Tucker was working her own shows in a Las Vegas nightclub, fearlessly performing honky-tonk classics like Faron Young's "Wine Me Up." So it's no surprise the 50-year-old singer sounds perfectly comfortable on her new album of country classics, My Turn. She says she recorded famous songs by the likes of Lefty Frizzell, Buck Owens, Ray Price and Hank Williams to honor her late father.
"He's the one that got me started in this business, and he's the one that got me hooked on country music from the very beginning, so it only makes sense that I dedicate this album to him," she said. "I wanted to call it The Songs My Dad Wanted Me to Sing ... but I finally decided on My Turn, which I think is a good title, too. He's the one that had these records when I started singing. He was my mentor."
Tucker possesses one of the most familiar voices in country music, with 40 Top 10 singles and 10 No. 1 hits. These days, she divides her time between Malibu, Calif., where her daughters are pursuing film work, and Franklin, Tenn., a small town about 20 miles south of Nashville. During a phone interview, she discusses the healing power of music, the first demos she was pitched and why she's keeping her vinyl collection.
CMT: Preparing for this record, did you go back and listen to the original versions?
Tucker: Not really. [Producer] Pete Anderson came over to my house in Malibu one night, and it was the first time I ever met him. We started talking about the songs that we really liked. There was a list about 20 to 30 songs. He was dead set about some things. There was one that I wasn't really sure of -- "Big Big Love." I was hoping to do something like "It's Such a Pretty World" by Wynn Stewart. But he was set on "Big Big Love" and even right up until I recorded it, I really didn't know if I was going to like the song. But after I recorded it, I really loved it. That's one of my favorites on the record.
When you moved to Malibu, did you keep all your vinyl records, and do you listen to country music on vinyl?
Oh, absolutely. I haven't lately because I don't have anything to play it on. All my turntables are in storage. I haven't gotten to listen to them in a long time. But I love all the white noise.
You can't bear to part with those.
No, never will. That's the beginning, you know. That was the core. That's what got us here.
When you listened to material for your studio records, were most of those demos sung by men?
Yeah, it's true. I've made a career out of singing songs that mostly were men's songs. I mean, I have definitely cut some songs that had female demos, but I have always been attracted to men's songs. I always turned them around into stronger kind of songs. I have made a career out of that. Nobody would really know, I guess, but me and my producer.
Did the industry ever tell you that since you're a female country singer, you're only going to appeal to women?
Oh, no, no, I was never told that. I think they wanted me to appeal more to men, especially when I got a little older. The facts are that women buy the records. It's always been that way. Somehow through them wanting me to appeal to men, I ended up appealing to women because of the strong songs. There is just a little more strength in a woman's song these days. I never have really been attracted to "poor little me" songs -- "I'll do anything if you take me back." I never have liked that kind of attitude. (laughs) I have had a lot of women come to me and say, "Man, you helped me get through a divorce." It's amazing how powerful music is. It never fails to amaze me. I think sometimes artists get so involved in making the music, we forget really how important it is as far as changing lives and helping people through a bad part of their lives. It's very, very powerful.
In your early career, one of the first songs you were pitched was "Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.," which later became a Grammy-winning song for Donna Fargo. What was going through your mind the first time you heard it?
I thought it was a good song, but I didn't think at that time it was for me. Of course [music publisher] Al Gallico brought it in because he had the publishing on it. He knew Billy Sherrill had this new 13-year-old kid he was producing, so he put it together and brought it in and said, "This is a monster." ... So we really could have recorded it if we had wanted to, but I just said it wasn't my song. Billy told the guys, "Well, you heard her." And they're going like, "Oh, God, he's lost his mind. He's starting to listen to a 13-year-old kid." (laughs) Billy was a little left-of-center anyway. It was to be expected, I guess. But when I heard "Delta Dawn," which is what he played me next, it was an Alex Harvey guitar vocal, and I said, "Now that's my song."
So they thought, "He's lost it." But, in fact, it was the best thing he could have done. As kids, we're unafraid. I was unafraid. That's the way you've got to be when you're starting out in this business -- and when you want to stay in this business, that's for sure. You can't get scared too much.

The Movie 17 Again Online Free

Technorati Tags: movie online,comedy,story

17 Again Movie is a comedy teen movie about a guy, Michael O’Donnell who gives up everything in life including his basketball career and a scholarship chance for the sake of a girl who he managed to get pregnant. Twenty years down the line, Michaels life is going nowhere with his wife separating from him and forcing him to move in with his nerdy best friend, Ned Gold. To top things off, Michaels children, Maggie and Alex, abstain from their dad.

All Michael wishes for is a chance to change that decision he made to give up everything in life to marry Scarlet. God isnt all that mean to him. Michaels wish is soon answered on a visit to his high school. The morning after the visit, Michael learns that he has magically transformed to himself, except that he is 17 again. Michael grabs this opportunity to be younger again and doesnt hesitate to get himself enrolled at the same high school he studied in when he was young. He doesnt take long to find out the guy that his daughter has been dating. The guy happens to be the captain of the basketball team, Stan. He obviously does not approve of Stan when he sees Stan bullying Mikes son, Alex. He makes up his mind to teach Stan a lesson.

Michael tries to correct all the stuff that he did wrong during his first attempt at life. He and Maggie become good friends. He also comforted Maggie when Stan breaks up with her. He helps Alex in making it to the basketball team and also helps him go out with a girl Alex likes. All feelings for his wife, Scarlet come back when he sees her looking for their son at one of the high school parties. Without much thought, he goes up to her and kisser her in public. This turns off Maggie completely. Issues between the couple are then sorted out later with the help of Ned as their marriage is finally reconciled. Mathew Perry plays the role of the adult Michael ODonnell while the star of the show is Zac Efron, who plays the younger one.

Apart from its popular cast, 17 again movie hasnt got anything much to offer. It comes off as just another teen flick with the all too common scrip. It hasnt been received very well by teens or critics worldwide. However the jokes in the movie are fairly good and commendable and are worth watching the movie for.

Thanks to the over exploding collection of movies at our movie library, you would never have to think twice to watch any movie that you wish to without worrying about the fact that it might end up in a wastage of money. To watch 17 Again movie online free, you will be required to subscribe to a life long membership at the movie library which will give you unlimited access to an unlimited database of movies which you can watch at your convenience. The excellent quality of the movies and lightning download speeds are two more advantages that should convince you to get that lifetime membership.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen": Pretty Much What Meets The Eye

Technorati Tags: transformers,blockbusters,new movie

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After the success of Michael Bay's 2007 Transformers film, it was obvious that we'd get a sequel. But though the first film pulled in mega bucks in both ticket sales and merchandising, its actual craft was called into question. Does the sequel stand any better?
In a common trend for big summer blockbusters, the new movie tracks real time and begins two years after the conclusion of the previous film. The Autobots and the human military have formed a special strike force dedicated to covertly destroying any Decepticons hiding on the planet. Of course the terms 'covert' and 'giant robot' don't go hand in hand, and so after a destructive opening mission the team comes under threat from pencil pushers. The actual opening battle is a lot of fun, reminiscent of the cold openings of the James Bond series. It's especially enjoyable to see Optimus Prime take centre stage in the fight and give a taste of how mighty he is.
Away from this, Sam Witwicky is starting college life. The movie switches gears in this respect: the scenes focused around Sam are very much about teenage hormones and social issues in a way that' feels a lot like demographic box-ticking. LaBeouf does a great job and gets a range of good scenes, but it also feels like his stuff is taking time away from the title characters. In the first movie there was at least the excuse that things had to be established, and the Autobots even had to find him first. Here, though, it just feels as if someone ultimately couldn't accept that the lifeblood of the franchise were worth focusing on, and that the audiences were paying to see a mix of Shia's previous Mutt Williams character and Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker.
The two storylines finally merge when remaining Decepticon forces discover Megatron's remains and revive him. In the first film, Megatron was made out to be an unstoppable colossus. But he loses a lot of this menace when it is quickly established that he's been working for another villain all along: the Fallen, one of the first Cybertronians. The Fallen is in fact a pre-existing character, though one only found in the franchise's comic books. For what should be the starring villain he's actually pretty weak. It isn't helped that he and Megatron are played as second=rate versions of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, with plenty of "I have failed you, my master" "You have much to learn, my apprentice" type lines. The character's dramatic impact is further weakened by a very poorly paced finale, with one of the shortest final fights I've ever seen.
Pacing is an overall problem with the film. It comes in two halves. The first is generally exciting and funny, with flashes of character. However, after successfully building up tension and setting up various cliffhangers, the movie then drags them out for over another hour in a very human-centric second half which puts Sam and friends on a quest in Egypt. This second half drags on so long that I'd honestly forgotten about the established cliffhangers until they suddenly appeared again.
Many will probably be wondering how the 'bot characters fare this time round. It's a mixed bag, with Optimus, Megatron and Starscream getting the best attention. Optimus gets a fair share of scenes to highlight the living legend he is, including some great fight scenes. Megatron and Starscream are portrayed as having a relationship closer to the original cartoon, with Starscream as the two-faced suck up who is constantly receiving violent discipline from Megatron. The other 'bots don't do so well, with most being around just long enough to drop their name, do something cool, and sell their toy. Even the much-hyped appearances of Soundwave (voiced by Frank Welker doing his unmodified Dr. Claw voice) and previous star Bumblebee are disappointingly minor. The exceptions are the trio of kid-appeal characters (Skids, Mudflap and Wheelie), though "kid-appeal" sounds like the wrong term, given how far these characters go with swearing and other acts, to the point I'm amazed that Hasbro okayed most of their antics. These are the tip of the iceberg sadly, in a movie that includes dry humping, drug use, panty shots and even implied robo testicles. Parents really should do their research before deciding if they want younger kids to see this. One of the few charms of this trio is that two of them are voiced by famous voice actor Tom Kenny. Kenny was a regular on Transformers: Animated (which was sadly cancelled to make way for this movie), and it's great to hear him voice some 'bots that will reach a wider audience.
The special effects work well, with most of the characters having a generally realistic appearance with small elements of a more cartoony nature. However, the visual spectacle can only go so far; I know ILM put a lot of work into this film, but the dramatic 'camera spins around a transformation' shots soon lose their appeal and flashy visuals are no match for genuine characterisation. At least it can be fairly said that the animators have done their best to imbue soul into the characters they're handling: when you look at Optimus face in close ups, you can see there's deep thoughts going on behind it. Combined with Cullen's great voice work, this helps to pick up some of the slack from the script and directing, though it shouldn't have to.
Overall, I think Revenge of the Fallen is disappointing. Whilst there are some good parts (especially of the 'switch your brain off' variety) the movie comes off as senseless and immature, as though Hasbro were drunk on the success of the first film and Bay didn't care enough about the established mythos to give it time in its own movie. I'd actually say the first movie was better, as at least it had a firm identity. Revenge of the Fallen seems uncertain what it wants to be. A military movie? A superhero movie? A teen comedy movie? I think a better creative team could have strung all three together well, but Bay doesn't achieve it, and gives us a mish-mash that makes the Transformers feel like outcasts in their own film. I'm sure it'll make a ton of money at the box office, but I think ultimately it won't endure as well as the previous film, and hopefully this will give Hasbro and Paramount good reason to sit down and put out a film of higher quality, as the franchises' history shows it's capable of.

First Look at the Characters and Concept Art of Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’

 

(from left to right) Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter; Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen; Anne Hathaway as the White Queen
Photo: Disney Enterprises Inc. courtesy USA Today

USA Today has gotten their hands on an impressive array of concept art and character images from Tim Burton’s upcoming Disney feature Alice in Wonderland, which is due in theaters on March 5, 2010.

As you can see from above the early photo of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter that leaked online was dead on accurate, but the coloring is much, much different in this official image, although I am not sure if the effect of the photo has really changed that much. We also get a peek at Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, all three photos can be seen in much larger versions over at USA Today.

Moving on we come to three separate pieces of concept art. The screen captures I have taken and added below are smaller versions than what is available at USA Today, although you can click on each image for the largest clean copy I could manage. The USA Today feature is a Flash based feature allowing you to zoom in and out all while scrolling around the image for a better look. Considering the size of the images and the detail this is a pretty cool feature I recommend you check out right here.

The critter (voiced by Michael Sheen) checks his timepiece while Alice (Mia Wasikowska) takes in the view, one that she has seen before.
Photo: Disney Enterprises Inc. courtesy USA Today

Just as the trees talked in Oz, the roses that blossom in Wonderland can hold a conversation. Alice greets them along the entrance to what appears to be a forest of giant mushrooms. But as in the book, her size shrinks and grows throughout her journey.
Photo: Disney Enterprises Inc. courtesy USA Today

Egg-shaped Tweedledee and Tweedledum, who are created through motion-capture technology, are among the first characters to greet Alice. They take her to meet the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). The twins are played by popular British comic Matt Lucas, best known for the TV series Little Britain.
Photo: Disney Enterprises Inc. courtesy USA Today

Alice in Wonderland is based on the Lewis Carroll classic and will combine performance-capture with live-action and while be shown in theaters in 3-D. Starring as Alice is Mia Wasikowska whom producer Richard Zanuck describes at USA Today saying, “There is something real, honest and sincere about her. She’s not a typical Hollywood starlet.” As for Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter in his seventh role for Tim Burton Zanuck simply says, “This character is off his rocker. He is so much fun and so nutty, I can’t imagine anyone else doing it.”

 

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Are you ready for a quirky holocaust movie?

Technorati Tags: movie,holocaust

Legendary French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard may be gearing up for a drama about the Holocaust.
The groundbreaking filmmaker behind “Breathless” and “A Woman Is a Woman” is considering an adaptation of the 2006 memoir “The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million,” Daniel Mendelsohn’s account of his research into the wartime fate of relatives from Bolechow, Poland.
A winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Jewish Book Award, “The Lost” would be Mendelsohn’s first work adapted for the screen.
In an e-mail sent from a literary festival in France, the author told The Shmooze that he had “no comment at present” about the Godard story, first published by The Hollywood Reporter on June 3. “[I]f and when there is a film,” he added, it will be publicized in an “appropriate fashion.”
For Godard, a movie version of “The Lost” would mark his first cinematic foray into the Holocaust. The filmmaker, born in Paris in 1930, is currently at work on “Socialisme,” his first feature-length drama since 2004’s “Our Music.”
Known for incorporating Marxist and other political messages into his films, Godard was scheduled to attend a student film festival in Tel Aviv last year, but pulled out after becoming the target of an open letter by activists advocating a boycott of Israel. The filmmaker declined public comment at the time, but an unnamed source speaking with Reuters attributed the decision to political pressure.

Movie review: 'Pelham' remake is entertaining

 

By Brad Memberto/Staff Writer/bmemberto@santamariatimes.com

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John Travolta stars in the action thriller "The Taking of Pelham 123." / Columbia Pictures

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The 1973 novel “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” by Morton Freedgood, under the pseudonym John Godey, has been made into two movies in the past.
Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw led the cast in the 1974 film, while Edward James Olmos and Vincent D’Onofrio co-starred in a TV movie in 1998.
So was it necessary for action director Tony Scott to make it again in 2009?
Well, if you can get Denzel Washington and John Travolta to agree to star in it, I would say yes.
Slightly renamed for 2009, “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” is a fun ride in which a director with experience in the genre does a nice job with the action.
It is a good mix of intense action, high drama and good tension.
Scott has worked with Washington three times before — in “Crimson Tide” (1995), “Man On Fire” (2004) and “Deja Vu” (2006). And in this latest effort, he is able to get the maximum out of a less-showy role for the Oscar winner.
Washington plays Walter Garber, a transit supervisor who is under investigation for corruption. While the probe is being conducted, he is assigned to working at the dispatcher desk.
It is there he comes into contact with Ryder, played by John Travolta.
Ryder and his gang have taken over the front car of a subway line, and are holding several passengers hostage. The gang will release the hostages if they get their ransom in one hour, but will kill them one by one for every minute the ransom is late.
Travolta is very good as the unhinged leader of the gang. He is much smarter than he is initially thought to be, and turns out to be in complete control of the situation.
There is one school of thought that Travolta is more of a personality than an actor. I am not of that school. I think he is a good actor who has done some great work over the years. And in “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,” Travolta is excellent.
He is given some great dialogue in the screenplay by Brian Helgeland, an Oscar winner for adapted screenplay (“L.A. Confidential” in 1997) who had worked with Scott before with “Man On Fire” and also wrote “Mystic River” in 2003.
There are several humorous lines that help break the tension just at the right times.
Garber is a man with many flaws, but in the hands of a great actor like Washington, you come to understand and relate to his actions and reactions.
John Turturro plays Camonetti, a hostage negotiator who is turned into a helpless bystander by Ryder, and James Gandolfini is the mayor who is caught up in the ordeal. Both actors are very good in small but pivotal roles. A fine character actor, Luis Guzman is not given much to do as Mr. Green, one of the hijackers.
The pacing is good and never seems forced. The finale is somewhat predictable but is not a major disappointment. The New York City exteriors are gritty and well used.
“The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” is not a great movie. But it is entertaining, and it features two Hollywood heavyweights at the top of their games.
THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123
RATED: R (for violence and pervasive language
RUNNING TIME: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Movie Gadget Friday: Runaway

Previously on Movie Gadget Friday, we tapped into the near dystopian future of fear in Brazil. Keeping on that 1980's near-future vibe (but with a slightly more sentient twist), this week we check out Michael Crichton's Runaway, starring Tom Selleck, Gene Simmons, Cynthia Rhodes and Kirstie Alley. Filled with circuitry and hardwired chips, the movie reinforces wholesome family values by featuring warranty voids as the gateway hack to murder.

Leaping Insect Robot
Measuring in around the size of a human head, these six-legged, spider-like, autonomous robots are mechanical in movement but shockingly precise in killing prey. The autonomous insects have the ability to propel themselves up to seven feet in the air, allowing for attacks on unsuspecting victims. Dual-functioning, the legs are able to crawl and grasp a multitude of surfaces, albeit awkwardly and rather slowly. After programming targets into a mainframe, the robots are able to identify and kill victims by injecting them with acid via a probe before short circuiting and eventually exploding into a ball of flames. Sadly, the robots lack any sort of remote control, making human errors in target-programming unable to be edited.

Smart Bullet and Lock-On
Essentially deadly tracking devices, the smart bullet and lock-on follow unique signatures at high speeds with an amazing amount of accuracy. Lacking sentient nature, the Lock-On seeks out planted "bugs". Used in high traffic situations, Lock-Ons can easily glide on smooth surfaces and navigate through obstacles at high speeds (60 MPH+) before exploding at the site of the target bug. The smart bullet acts as a mini-missile, requiring use of a custom-made gun. The bullets seek out the unique heat patterns of individuals in order to identify the recipient of their smoldering and massively fatal bullet wound. The bullets consist of a solid propellant and different valves for direction control (including dodging objects/corners and turning around). We're uncertain if the user interface for programming targets lies within the gun or if the bullets are acutely sentient in their ability to analyze the gunman's desired victims, as we were unable to observe any need for punching buttons or flipping switches in between rapid fire.

Domestic Robots
Ranging from Type 9-12 basic house cleaners to Series 12 full-on nannies, domestic multi-purpose robots appear to dominate households in the world of Runaway. We're guessing the design decision to not make any of the robots taller than four feet was deliberate so as to demand hierarchy in the human-to-robot relationship. The domestic robots can come equipped to cook, take messages, carry on conversation and monitor electronic activity such as remote power surges. Similar models such as the 577 are used in offices, and have the unique capacity to taser misbehaving employees at levels ranging from shock to stun. The dials-and-buttons controls are left exposed for easy day-to-day programming, but most also possess the ability to accept voice codes for operation. Seemingly without an open API, modifications to these domestic robots typically result in fatal situations rather than improved capabilities.

The Night At The Museum II

Director: Shawn Levy Cast: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Hank Azaria, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan Genre: Comedy Run Time: 110mins Links: http://www.nightatthemuseummovie.com/

Ben Stiller returns to the role of night watchman Larry Daly in this sequel to the 2006 family film NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM. This adventure takes the action to Washington D.C, where things at the Smithsonian aren't quite as quiet as one might think...

U - General Viewing for all ages PG13 - Parental guidance is suggested for children below 13 years of age 18SG - For 18+ with non-excessive violent/horrifying scenes 18SX - For 18+ with non-excessive sex scenes 18PA - For 18+ with political/religious/counter-culture elements 18PL - For 18+ with a combination of two or more elements

Transformers Movie

Action/Adventure, Science Fiction, Sequel and War

June 24th, 2009

Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, language, some crude and sexual material, and brief drug material.

STARRING

Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Isabel Lucas and Ramon Rodriguez

DIRECTED BY

Michael Bay
Full Cast & Credits >>

SYNOPSIS

Sam Witwicky again joins with the Autobots against their sworn enemies, the Decepticons.