It probably comes as no surprise that what is arguably the biggest movie franchise in history has scared away any all competition with its Wednesday release. Don’t expect any big names or big movies this week. If you’re not a Potter fan, or you were one of the thousands lined up for the midnight showing, you may be a little disappointed with what this weekend has to offer.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Love him or hate him but that angsty wizard pulls in the big money and the big crowds, with every one of the movies having a worldwide gross of over $700 million. In this installment love is in the air, and if you don’t know between who I really won’t spoil it. Dumbledore takes a much bigger role in this one than we’re used to seeing and while it may not be as impressive as seeing Yoda kicking butt it still packs an amusing ‘punch.’

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince tickets on sale now!

The following movies are only opening in select theaters so keep a look out for them…or don’t really.

(500) Days of Summer

This movie is probably only opening against Potter because it never had much of a chance in the first place. The tagline for this one is ‘Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn’t.’ and if that doesn’t give you a hint at how cheesy this movie is going to be, the story line holds absolutely nothing of interest. Even if this movie is done well to get over such a seemingly overdone plot line would need some Hollywood heartthrobs that this move seriously lacks. ‘3^rd Rock from the Sun’ fans might be happy with the main actor (no not the goofy funny one, the socially awkward cute in a ‘he’s the only one remotely close to a teenager on the show way’). Personally I can be a sucker for a decent romantic comedy (like the Proposal) but I see nothing redeeming about this one.

Homecoming

Yes it’s another one of those movies that give guys that famous fear of commitment. In this one, a high school football star comes home from college with a new girlfriend. This of course drives his ex-girlfriend psycho and she goes on a rampage to get rid of the new girl. I’m not quite sure who comes up with Horror movie plotlines lately but I have a theory that it has something to do with an infinite amount of monkeys with an infinite amount of typewriters….on the bright side eventually these monkeys might turn out something worth watching.

While normally I don’t report on films that don’t exactly fit into the mainstream, considering Harry Potter is pretty much the only choice for the weekend, here is a movie that is definitely worth trying to find.

A Woman in Berlin

If you are looking for a very controversial, sad and very powerful movie, this is it. While as of late Holocaust movies seem to be the main releases in the art house documentary scene, this one takes place in 1945 and tells the story of a German woman. It has had a controversial history, based on the published diaries of Anonyma (Nina Hoss). The diaries told about her rape and her subsequent struggles. The book was banned in 1953 because of the taboo subject but became a literary phenomenon in 2003. This movie is filled with drama and very powerful characters that shows just how World War II’s aftermath affected people on both sides.

Terry Gilliam Accepting An Award

Terry Gilliam is giving his failed epic The Man Who Killed Don Quixote another go nearly 10 years after giving up on the first attempt.  Gilliam has rewritten and updated the script along with Tony Grisoni, who also cowrote the original version.

Says Gilliam:

“I’m not so much a filmmaker as someone who gets possessed by an idea and it doesn’t leave me until I make the film,” Gilliam told Variety. “I commit myself to it so fully.”

Gilliam is also in talks with Johnny Depp, who had been set to star in the first ill-fated attempt as a modern-day ad exec who travels back in time and is mistaken for Sancho Panza by Don Quixote. Scheduling concerns are seen as the biggest obstacle to Depp’s participation this time.

Lost in La Mancha, which chronicles the original disaster of a production, still brings tears to my eyes whenever I see it.

Source: Variety.com

Lost in La Mancha

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

The Complete Monty Python’s Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset

That's right, I'm smokin', whaddya gonna do about it?

According to Variety, Martin Scorsese is set to direct a biopic of the Chairman of the Board himself, Frank Sinatra.  Scorsese will also produce.

Per Variety:

Although no actor is attached to star in the film, Schulman said Leonardo DiCaprio is an obvious candidate because he has become Scorsese’s go-to actor over the past decade, having starred in the director’s past four features: “Gangs of New York,” “The Aviator,” “The Departed” and the upcoming “Shutter Island.” Because any music in the film will come from Sinatra’s recordings, it will not be necessary to cast an actor who is a proficient singer.

Apparently the process of acquiring the rights to the music and story was a royal pain and this has been in development for a couple of years now.

Source: Variety.com

Nothing But The Best

Live At the Meadowlands (with Bonus CD)

Frank Sinatra Mug Shot – Fine Art Print / Poster – 20.00 x 35.00

I can see why she was so popular with the gents! ROWR!

Producer Ed Bass is set to make his directorial debut with a film about the best little female serial killer in America, Belle Gunness.  According to Wikipedia, the esteemed Ms. Gunness “may have killed both of her husbands and all of her children (on different occasions)”.  I’m sorry, immediate family can’t be grounds for the serial killer label.  I want my serial killers to have cross-familial designs!

Says Bass:

“It’s classic theme: a woman looking for love and never quite finding it,” Bass said. “And when she finally does find love, it eludes her.”

Of course, because serial killers are always looking for love.  The insurance money didn’t have anything to do with it, promise.

Source: Collider.com

The Mistress of Murder Hill: The Serial Killings of Belle Gunness

Bobby (Widescreen Edtion)

While She Was Out

Preacher: Gone To Texas

Collider has an exclusive interview with director Sam Mendes.  He popped out a nugget regarding the Preacher adaptation that has been rumored.

For fans of Garth Ennis’ comic book, Sam says John August is still writing the script. He also said he’s directing two plays and the earliest he’s making his next movie is in 2010. That means while “Preacher” is on the horizon, it’s not happening anytime soon.

So basically, it still might not see the light of day for many years, but at least someone is working on it.  It would be a shame if this movie doesn’t get made, since I absolutely loved the comic by Garth Ennis.

Source: Collider

Preacher Vol. 1: Gone to Texas

Preacher Vol. 2: Until the End of the World

Preacher Vol. 3: Proud Americans

I Saw What You Did and I Know Who You Are

According to Variety.com, Joel Silver’s Dark Castle is remaking 1965′s I Saw What You Did and I Know Who You Are! by William Castle.

The original Castle pic, which starred Joan Crawford, was based on the Ursula Curtis novel “Out of the Dark” and revolved around two girls who innocently pass the time making prank phone calls to unsuspecting people until they call the wrong guy.

Patrick Lussier will direct and Lussier and Todd Farmer will share writing duties.

Dark Castle’s first film was a remake of House on Haunted Hill, William Castle’s 1959 classic.

Source: Variety.com

I Saw What You Did

House on Haunted Hill (Color + B&W)

House on Haunted Hill

Return to House on Haunted Hill (Unrated)

Yes, ma'am. Whatever you say, ma'am.

Yes, that’s right, everyone’s favorite steriod-filled hour of power is making it’s jump to the big screen.  According to Variety.com:

Johnny Ferraro, creator of the “American Gladiators” TV franchise, is bringing a live-action adaptation of the property to the bigscreen.The film will be based on the TV show that first aired in 1988 and has been on the air every year except one during the past 20 years….

Former Legendary Pictures chief marketing officer Scott Mednick is producing “American Gladiators.” The goal is to create an action story that takes place inside the world Ferraro has created.

“I look forward to creating a compelling story that launches a whole new set of characters,” Mednick said.

Apparently the show started off as a movie idea, sort of a Running Man-esque type of thing I suppose, but then some bigwig had the brilliant idea of actually making the game show a reality.  Now the show will return to it’s original fictional roots.  Hopefully it will continue to devolve until it no longer exists at all.

Source: Variety.com via Filmdrunk.com

American Gladiators (The Original Series): The Battle Begins

Gladiator: A True Story of ‘Roids, Rage, and Redemption

American Gladiators Ultimate Workout

Uh... Sulu can you move your hand please?

I would consider myself to be a Trekkie, though not a fanboy.  I have always been a fan of the show and hold it even above Star Wars in its epic greatness, but I also recognize that it has never been perfect.  I had heard of vaguely un-Trekworthy storylines and pissed off fanboys, but I intentionally avoided spoilers like the plague on this one, so I knew nothing of the sheer scale of this “reboot” of the franchise.  Therefore, when I got in line to go in and see the movie, I fully expected it to suck and to be righteously pissed off in a couple of hours.  I must say, though, that I was pleasantly surprised and only a little pissed off.  But I’m getting ahead of myself, first the movie.

Minor spoilers after the jump…I can’t remember a recent movie that I enjoyed more than Star Trek.  Maybe Iron Man…  I think I enjoyed Iron Man as much as Star Trek.  It’s the same brand of non-stop action coupled with familiar figures shown in a new light and with new special effects that attempt to blow your mind.  OK, so maybe maybe it’s a formulaic grab-bag of explosions and fight scenes with little exposition, but I was on the edge of my seat anyway and the grin on my face was proof positive that the formula works.  When space-shrapnel is whizzing by your ears at warp speed, it’s easy to overlook all the huge, gaping plot holes.

I think the cast selections were for the most part pretty good, although I wouldn’t call any of them perfect.  I will admit that it took me a few minutes of watching Sylar/Spock before I stopped expecting to see him dismember everyone in the room.  I will also admit that Zachary Quinto is a dead ringer for a young Spock.  Chris Pine is a bit forgettable as James Tiberius Kirk, and that’s unfortunate because Shatner was so unforgettable in the role.  As for rest of the cast, I thought Karl Urban as Dr. ‘Bones’ McCoy was pretty spot on and Simon Pegg was hilarious as Scotty, who was always a bit comical.

But the story… ah, there’s the rub.  JJ Abrams could have gone with what everyone expected.  There was an expectation that this was to be a movie about Kirk and the gang in Star Fleet Academy together, sort of a Hogwarts in space.  Abrams chose not to stick to that expectation.  Doing a prequel has certain limitations (especially when the fans are as rabid as these), in that you have to stick to the established time line and certain things are preordained.  This movie makes it seem like JJ Abrams just said “screw that, I’m doing what I want with it” and someone had the balls to let him do it, with fantastic results.

If you want to remain spoiler free, you should stop here and just know that the story he chose takes the “franchise reboot” scenario to the extreme, but it does it in a way that has me anticipating what’s next.  I think it’s the fact that it’s so ballsy that makes me a little giddy.

—SPOILERS BELOW—

The problem essentially boils down to mucking with the time line.  Yes, boys and girls, this flick includes a bit of the ol’ time travel, and this script completely ignores such pesky things as paradox (e.g. traveling back in time to see the guy who figured out the game-changing formula and then giving him the formula?!).  Luckily our heroes never have to go tripping through space time, it’s the enemy that is flipping around in time, and we, the tender audience, don’t have to endure watching it happen.  Much.  An unfortunate consequence of the bad boys back in time blowing stuff up scenario is that EVERYTHING CHANGES!  In the course of the movie, an entire well-known and highly populated planet is completely destroyed.  There’s no coming back from that.  There’s nothing our heroes can do about it but accept that it has happened.  There is some attempt to relate this to the alternate universe story lines that were popular in all the Star Trek shows, but it basically boils down to this:

Because of the events of this single movie, none of the other Star Treks will ever happen, or at least not EXACTLY as we’ve already seen them.  Sure, Kirk and the crew still end up on the Enterprise, but the story of how they got there is different now.  This movie not only changes the time line, it completely wipes it out.  And you know what?  I’m OK with that.  I’m OK with believing that all this NEW stuff is just an alternate universe.  Star Trek, Enterprise, The Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space Nine, gobs of movies and books, they all happened, but they’re history now.  They’re done, they’re in another universe.   James T. Kirk has a new history to make now, free from the chains that bound him to a future that was already written (as cool as that future was).

—END SPOILERS—

Let me know what you thought about it in the comments.  Catch up on all that history with some of this swag:

Star Trek: The Original Series (Remastered) – Three Season Pack

Star Trek The Animated Series – The Animated Adventures of Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Complete Series

Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection (The Motion Picture / The Wrath of Kahn / The Search for Spock / The Voyage Home / The Final Frontier / The … Captains Summit Bonus Disc) [Blu-ray]

Sulu, don't hate me because I'm beautiful....

Star Trek raked in the dollars over the weekend to the tune of 72.5 million.  Not bad, but not quite as good as Wolverine last week.  Top 10 box office draws were:

TW	LW	Title (click to view)	Studio	Weekend Gross	% Change	Total Gross	Week #
1	N	Star Trek	Par.	$75,204,289	-	$79,204,289	1
2	1	X-Men Origins: Wolverine	Fox	$26,408,288	-69.0%	$129,032,435	2
3	2	Ghosts of Girlfriends Past	WB (NL)	$10,258,141	-33.4%	$30,054,386	2
4	3	Obsessed	SGem	$6,560,266	-45.6%	$56,207,576	3
5	4	17 Again	WB	$4,232,422	-33.5%	$53,994,515	4
6	N	Next Day Air	Sum.	$4,111,043	-	$4,111,043	1
7	6	The Soloist	P/DW	$3,949,430	-30.2%	$23,845,177	3
8	5	Monsters Vs. Aliens	P/DW	$3,260,440	-43.8%	$186,774,092	7
9	7	Earth (2009)	BV	$2,666,219	-38.6%	$26,264,242	3
10	8	Hannah Montana The Movie	BV	$2,193,043	-47.3%	$73,861,795	5

Source: BoxOfficeMojo.com

JCVD takes a little "me time"

Jean-Claude Van Damme has a new teaser trailer out for his new movie The Eagle Path and it is a double-handful of awesomeness, let me tell you.  I tell you this guy can act!  His range is incredible.  I stand in awe.  From Twitchfilm.net:

A military veteran and former mercenary, Frenchy (Van Damme) works as a taxi driver, hiding somewhere in East Asia, haunted by his past. After his driving shifts he often frequents the Eagle’s Nest, a seedy bar that houses a caged eagle. In the midst of the chaotic Asian traffic Frenchy picks up a beautiful female passenger who will change him forever.

Where does he come up with those unique story lines? Video of the trailer after the jump…

Van Damme Four-Feature Film Set

Van Damme Action Pack Quadruple Feature (Timecop / Hard Target / Street Fighter / The Quest)

Van Damme Collector’s Set (Kickboxer/Replicant/Universal Solider)

Jcvd