Untitled Batman Project

I’ve just found out that Christopher Nolan, the director of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, has another Batman project in the works. The project is currently titled Untitled Batman project, but I think it’s safe to say that it’s the sequel to The Dark Knight.
As for casting, I do know that Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman are all under contract for three films. There is also a rumor floating around that Harvey Dent “Two-Face” played by Aaron Eckhart will be returning for the third film (that’s only a rumor though).
The other rumors I’ve heard all have to do with the possible villains. I know that Catwoman is a very strong possibility and so is The Riddler, fans have also been asking to see The Penguin once again on the big screen and there is also talk that they might recast The Joker (which I don’t want to happen).
I’ll keep you updated with any information I receive.

Horror Movie Remake List

If you were already sick of remakes or sequels to remakes, then your not going to like the next couple years, especially for horror movies.
Below is a list I found of all horror movie remakes that spans from 2009 to 2012. Some of the movies on the list have already been released, but a lot of them are still in-development.
I can't judge any of these movies until I sit down and watch them, until then we can only hope that who ever makes these films gives it their all and makes a product that will make all of us proud.
I'm currently trying to get a list of all non-horror movie remakes that are coming out.

The Wolf Man (2009)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
Angel Heart (2011)
Anguish (2009)
Art of the Devil (2010)
At the End of the Spectra (2010)
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (2011)
Battle Royale (2012)
The Birds (2009)
The Brood (2009)
The Burning (2012)
Candyman (2011)
Cat People (2010)
The Changeling (2011)
Child’s Play (2010)
Children of the Corn (2009)
Communion (2011)
The Crazies (2010)
Cruising (2011)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (2012)
Dead Daughters (2009)
Death Line (2012)
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
Don’t Look in the Basement (2009)
Don’t Look Now (2009)
Don’t Look Up (2009)
The Echo (2009)
The Entity (2010)
The Evil Dead (2011)
Faces of Death (2010)
Hell Night (2011)
H2: Halloween 2 (2009)
Happy Birthday to me (2012)
Hellraiser (2010)
I Saw What You Did (2012)
Humongous (2012)
I Spit on Your Grave (2011)
In the Playground (2009)
I Walked with a Zombie (2009)
Infection (2009)
Isle of the Dead (2009)
It’s Alive (2009)
The Last House on the Left (2009)
Just Before Dawn (2011)
Let the Right One In (2009)
The Leopard Man (2010)
Long Weekend (2009)
Motel Hell (2012)
Martin (2010)
My Bloody Valentine (2009)
Mother’s Day (2010)
Night of the Demons (2009)
Night of the Living Dorks (2011)
Piranha 3-D (2009)
Plan 9 (2009)
Poltergeist (2012)
Silent Night, Deadly Night (2010)
Sorority Row (2009)
The Stepfather (2009)
The Seventh Victim (2011)
Suspiria (2010)
The Thing (2012)
The Tingler (2009)
The Uninvited (2009)
Vargtimmen (2010)
Versus (2010)
The Witches (2010)
Yeux sans visage, Les (2010)
Zero Dark Thirty (2010)

SAG Winners

Film Awards:
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: "Slumdog Millionaire."
Outstanding Performance of a Male Actor in a leading role: Sean Penn, "Milk."
Outstanding Performance of a Female Actor in a leading role: Meryl Streep, "Doubt."
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting role: Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight."
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting role: Kate Winslet, "The Reader."
Stunt ensemble: "The Dark Knight."

Television Awards:
Drama series cast: "Mad Men."
Actor in a drama series: Hugh Laurie, "House."
Actress in a drama series: Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters."
Comedy series cast: "30 Rock."
Actor in a comedy series: Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock."
Actress in a comedy series: Tina Fey, "30 Rock."
Actor in a movie or miniseries: Paul Giamatti, "John Adams."
Actress in a movie or miniseries: Laura Linney, "John Adams."
Stunt ensemble: "Heroes."

Life Achievement Award: James Earl Jones.

The Bat Gets Snubbed

It's great that Heath ledger was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, because his performance is, hands down, the best performance of the year. Yet, The Dark Knight was snubbed for more obscure titles, which are films that deserve to be there, but The Dark Knight should be there as well and it is a slap in the face for everyone that made that movie so great.
Let’s compare one Best Picture nominee with The Dark Knight; I’m going to pick The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Looking at the reviews of both these films, Button was only able to pull in 122 positive reviews and drew in 47 negative reviews; The Dark Knight was able to pull in 247 positive reviews and only had 16 negative reviews.
This really bothers me, because Knight is obviously a superior film and the only reason it was snubbed is because it’s a fantasy film and also it’s a Batman film, two things that were working against it.
Now, the Oscars has been suffering from low ratings for the past couple years and they’ve been wondering why. I can tell you why, because I don’t think they’re connecting with their audience, they’re picking movies that few people have been able to see (due to select city releases) and they snub movies that audiences and critics seem to connect with and love.
The other snub I will touch upon is the snub of Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor and I will have to agree with the academy on this one. I was able to see Revolutionary Road and I thought his performance was nothing special and it even felt unnatural at times. I don’t agree with them snubbing Kate Winslet for Best Actress though, she is the one that was actually good in Revolutionary Road and is the reason to watch the movie.
So, yes I’m a little angry with the nominations this year and I feel that there is no reason that The Dark Knight should have been overlooked, I mean they even overlooked it in the writing category and it was a better written film then most this year.
After all that, I can say that I’m very thankful they didn’t snub Heath Ledger.

Oscar Nominations

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Ceán Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall
Frost/Nixon (2008): Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Eric Fellner
Milk (2008): Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
The Reader (2008): Nominees to be determined
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Christian Colson

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Nominees:
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Sean Penn for Milk (2008)
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Nominees:
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)
Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominees:
Josh Brolin for Milk (2008)
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominees:
Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I)
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)

Best Achievement in Directing
Nominees:
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008)

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Nominees:
Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh
In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh
Milk (2008): Dustin Lance Black
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan
The Reader (2008): David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Nominees:
Changeling (2008): Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight (2008): Wally Pfister
The Reader (2008): Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Anthony Dod Mantle

Best Achievement in Editing
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
The Dark Knight (2008): Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon (2008): Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
Milk (2008): Elliot Graham
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Chris Dickens

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Nominees:
Changeling (2008): James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo
The Dark Knight (2008): Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
The Duchess (2008): Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway
Revolutionary Road (2008): Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Nominees:
Australia (2008): Catherine Martin
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Jacqueline West
The Duchess (2008): Michael O'Connor
Milk (2008): Danny Glicker
Revolutionary Road (2008): Albert Wolsky

Best Achievement in Makeup
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Greg Cannom
The Dark Knight (2008): John Caglione Jr., Conor O'Sullivan
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Mike Elizalde, Thomas Floutz

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Alexandre Desplat
Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard
Milk (2008): Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman
WALL·E (2008): Thomas Newman

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Nominees:
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Gulzar("Jai Ho")
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Maya Arulpragasam("O Saya")
WALL·E (2008): Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman("Down to Earth")

Best Achievement in Sound
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Mark Weingarten
The Dark Knight (2008): Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty
WALL·E (2008): Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Ben Burtt
Wanted (2008): Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño, Petr Forejt

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Nominees:
The Dark Knight (2008): Richard King
Iron Man (2008): Frank E. Eulner, Christopher Boyes
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Tom Sayers
WALL·E (2008): Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood
Wanted (2008): Wylie Stateman

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron
The Dark Knight (2008): Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin
Iron Man (2008): John Nelson, Ben Snow, Daniel Sudick, Shane Mahan

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Nominees:
Bolt (2008): Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Kung Fu Panda (2008): John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Nominees:
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)(Germany)
Entre les murs (2008)(France)
Revanche (2008)(Austria)
Okuribito (2008)(Japan)
Vals Im Bashir (2008)(Israel)

Best Documentary, Features
Nominees:
The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008): Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath
Encounters at the End of the World (2007): Werner Herzog, Henry Kaiser
The Garden (2008/I): Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Man on Wire (2008): James Marsh, Simon Chinn
Trouble the Water (2008): Tia Lessin, Carl Deal

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
Nominees:
The Conscience of Nhem En: Steven Okazaki
The Final Inch: Irene Taylor Brodsky, Tom Grant
Smile Pinki: Megan Mylan
The Witness from the Balcony of Room 306: Adam Pertofsky, Margaret Hyde

Best Short Film, Animated
Nominees:
La Maison en Petits Cubes: Kunio Kato
Ubornaya istoriya - lyubovnaya istoriya (2007): Konstantin Bronzit
Oktapodi (2007): Emud Mokhberi, Thierry Marchand
Presto (2008): Doug Sweetland
This Way Up (2008): Alan Smith, Adam Foulkes

Best Short Film, Live Action
Nominees:
Auf der Strecke (2007): Reto Caffi
Manon sur le bitume (2007): Elizabeth Marre, Olivier Pont
New Boy (2007): Steph Green, Tamara Anghie
Grisen (2008): Tivi Magnusson, Dorthe Warnø Høgh
Spielzeugland (2007): Jochen Alexander Freydank

800 Jobs Lost At Warner Bros.

Warner Brothers has reported that is will let go 800 employees as an overall company cutback.
What I’ve heard is that this was not a decision made by Warner Brothers themselves but by their parent company, Time Warner.
These 800 people represent 10 percent of the studio’s staff, which is sad because Warner Brothers had such a strong year in the box office and I’m sure these people thought they had some sort of security.
Co-Chairmen Barry Meyer and Alan Horn told IMDb the reason for the cut backs, “It was a last resort to help position the company for its future. The changing entertainment business landscape, shifting consumer demand and the overall state of the economy have affected companies around the world, and Warner Bros. is not immune to these factors.”

Spider-Man Returning For Round 4

I just heard that Spider-Man 4 has a shooting start date next year, and I’m really not that thrilled about this. I also heard that Sony is eyeing a 2011 release and also that most of this stuff is coming out of the mouth of J.K. Simmons, the man who plays the Daily Bugle’s publisher J. Jonah Jameson.
Let’s all be honest with each other, Spider-Man 3 was a huge disappointment. The story had too much going on, Peter Parker was not even remotely likable and they butchered one of the comic’s most beloved villain - Venom. A villain we all were waiting for since the original Spider-Man was announced.
I honestly think they should just leave the Spider-Man franchise alone, we all have had are fill of this character and it’s about time they let it rest.
The reason I say this is because if they screw up the next one the way they destroyed the third, then this once promising franchise would just have a bigger hole to get out of. I know I’ve said the same things before on this blog, but I mean it, please don’t screw up Spider-Man 4 or maybe don’t make it at all.

It's The Highest Grossing Movies of 2008

Internet Movie Database has just released a list of the 25 highest grossing movies of 2008 and I thought I would bring it to you.

25. You Don’t Mess With the Zohan - $100 million
24. Step Brothers - $100.5 million
23. Eagle Eye - $101.1 million
22. Journey to the Center of the Earth - $101.7 million
21. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - $102.2 million
20. Bolt - $104.5 million
19. Tropic Thunder - $110.4 million
18. Four Christmases - $111.6 million
17. Juno - $112 million
16. Get Smart - $130.3 million
15. Wanted - $134.3 million
14. The Incredible Hulk - $134.5 million
13. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - $141.6 million
12. Mamma Mia! - $143.7 million
11. Sex and the City: The Movie - $152.6 million
10. Horton Hears A Who - $154.5 million
9. Quantum of Solace - $164.3 million
8. Twilight - $169.9 million
7. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa - $174.9 million
6. Kung Fu Panda - $215.4 million
5. Wall-E - $223.8 million
4. Hancock - $227.9 million
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal of Skull - $317 million
2. Iron Man - $318.3 million
1. The Dark Knight - $530.9 million

The Resurrection of Mickey Rourke In The Wrestler

Here it is the movie that has become the shining moment for Rourke – The Wrestler.
The film is about Robin Ramzinski or as his popularly known as - Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke), a professional wrestler from the ‘80’s who has seen his golden days come and go.
As a professional wrestler who is passed his prime, he’s stuck in the independent wrestling world in New Jersey and wrestles for extra cash on the weekends.
After one of these shows he’s approached by the event promoter who proposes a 20th anniversary match with his old opponent, the Ayatollah (Ernest Miller), a match that 20 years prior sold out Madison Square Garden. Randy of course agrees and sees this as an opportunity to retake his once famous image and also put him right back on the top of the wrestling world.
We continue to follow Randy and see him locked out of his trailer, for failure to pay rent, we see him working his day job at a super market (loading boxes) and then we follow him to a strip club, where we meet Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). Cassidy becomes like a love interest for Randy and a person he can talk to.
We continue to follow Randy (and I mean we follow him, there is a lot of camera work where we are directly behind him, looking at the back of his head). We see him exercising and using steroids, which keeps up his appearance as a built wrestler and then we are brought to the match that changes Randy’s life.
During this match he faces off against Necro Butcher (Dylan Summers), a man who uses a staple gun and a host of other tool/weapons to fight Randy in the ring. This scene is brutal, if you are not a fan of blood and destruction it will most likely make your stomach turn.
After the match we see the paramedics removing staples out of randy and also treating his gashes that are gushing blood and after they fix him up, we see Randy stand up, throw up and collapse on the ground, due to a heart attack.
Randy wakes up in the hospital and we learn that they had to do a bypass operation and Randy is told that his heart can’t take all the pressure he places on it when he’s wrestling and using steroids.
This makes Randy look at his life and Cassidy tells him to contact his daughter and tell her that he had a heart attack. We see Randy do this and we see him meeting up with estranged daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). The first visit doesn’t go well, but the second visit they reconnect.
At this point Randy sees the important things in life and the movie then shifts and I won’t say what happens, I don’t want to ruin the powerful ending.
The movie is great, the direction and writing are powerful, but its Rourke performance that hits this one out of the park. All his lines and everything he does it so true to life that your right away sucked in and relating to this character, because he’s a real person, you so badly just want to see him succeed.
Darren Aronofsky (the director) truly understands his story, characters and actors and it shows. Not for a moment do you feel that the director lost his direction and the movie flows perfectly. After watching the film, I’m really interested to see what Aronofsky will do with the remake of RoboCop.
I would also like to mention Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood, who are also very strong in this movie, they are overshadowed by Rourke, but they deserve some notice because they play very strong rolls and they both flex a lot of acting muscles.
Yet, in the end it’s all about Rourke and we finally get to see him make a huge comeback and I’m glad he did, because it’s a real treat to watch a good actor take such a great role and make it infamous.

A

Don't Answer The Phone. Don't Open The Door. Don't Try To Escape. It's Scream 4!

Bloody-Disgusting.com has exclusive details from Dimension Films and the Weinstein Company, that they are planning a fourth Scream and this source is listed as very reliable.

What I've read is that Kevin Williamson, the man who wrote Scream 1 and 2 is currently writing a draft and it looks very likely that Wes Craven will return to direct.

I also have heard that they want to make this like the first scream, have a all new cast, but there is rumors that their might be cameos from past cast members such as Courtney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell.

I also have to stress that this is not a remake of any kind, it all takes place after the events of the first three Screams.

Scream is one of my favorite slasher films of all-time and I just don't think the sequels lived up to the first ones greatness, so I'm hoping that Scream 4 can recapture some of the elements that made the first one so great.

Insider Gaming Will Be In Saturday's Paper

Due to it's epic size, Insider Gaming will not run for Friday but it will return in Saturday's paper. All I can say is get ready for the ultimate battle as Brad and I list the pros and cons of NCAA Football games and Madden games.

The Joker Might Be In The Next Batman

I know that there is a lot of rumors surrounding the next chapter in the Batman franchise, and this can be just a rumor, but I've heard that the Joker is being considered as a villain for the next film.

What does this mean? Well, this means that Ledger's famous role will be taken up by someone else.

Moviehole's Clint Morris has claimed that he "heard from someone at the WB (Warner Brothers) that The Joker may be a part of the next Batman film - if even in a minor capacity. I believe it's definitely possible; ya never know. Heard some thing' were his exact words."

Now before you start thinking this is the worse decision that Warner Brothers can make, I need to stress the point that this is only a rumor and we can't get mad or happy that hasn't come out of the studio's mouth.

My opinion on this is that The Joker is a character I believe Ledger captured to the fullest. If they can find a way not to include him into the next film then do that and let the Ledger Joker live forever.

My other opinion is ... do we really need another Batman movie? (we know we'll get one, because The Dark Knight made to much money not to produce a sequel) I feel like that The Dark Knight gave us all we wanted in a Batman film and it's better if they just leave the franchise alone while they are on top.

I've also read many responses to this subject and I know the Joker is an iconic character in the Batman universe, and the most important villain, which brings me to the MTV interview with producer Charles Roven, who suggested that the role is more important then the actor playing it.

Roven is right, but I do believe if they do recast the role we know it would never reach the level of Ledger's and only be a disappointment to the fans, so I say let's move onto other villains.

Golden Globe Winners

Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, “The Reader”

Best Original Song: Bruce Springsteen, “The Wrestler”

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Movie: Tom Wilkinson, “John Adams”

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Movie: Laura Dern, “Recount”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama: Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment”

Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama: Anna Paquin, “True Blood”Outstanding Animated Feature: “WALL-E”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy: Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: “John Adams”

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”

Best Foreign Language Film: “Waltz With Bashir”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture

Made for Television: Laura Linney, “John Adams”

Best Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Paul Giamatti, “John Adams”

Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy: “30 Rock”

Best Original Score, A.R. Rahman: “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy: Tina Fey, “30 Rock”

Cecil B. DeMille Award: Steven Spielberg

Best Director - Motion Picture: Danny Boyle “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy: Colin Farrell, “In Bruges”

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy: “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -Drama: Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road”

Best Television Series - Drama: “Mad Men”

Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama: Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”

Best Motion Picture - Drama: “Slumdog Millionaire”

Friday the 13th is Approaching

I was able to track down the two TV spots for the new Friday the 13th movie. In my opinion I can see a lot of elements from previous Friday the 13th movies, mainly from part 4 and I can also see where this movie can go wrong and disappoint all of us. Here's hoping this movie doesn't go the way of Rob Zombie's Halloween and just produce a dud. I want to see a movie that proves to be a worthy film to have the Friday the 13th name on it.
No matter what though, the film will be better than Jason X.

How Do You Break Free Without Breaking Apart?

Here it is the movie that reunites Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio for the first time since Titanic, here is Revolutionary Road.
The film is set in 1955 and focuses on Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Kate Winslet), who are a couple who have set aside their lives to raise their children in the suburbs of Connecticut, on a road named Revolutionary.
The first scene into their married life we see has April as an aspiring actress, whose play flops and we start to see some tension between the two. On the surface the Wheeler’s look like a perfect couple, but behind closed doors they are fed up with their lives and each other.
This leads to April’s realization that the life they both lead is a life they never wanted and she remembers a time where they were happy and also a specific moment where Frank brings up his passionate feelings about Paris.
This gives April an idea and she gives Frank a proposal for them and their children to leave Connecticut and Revolutionary Road behind and start anew in Paris.
Frank, who hates his job, likes this idea and this one idea, this one opportunity to escape breathes new life into their relationship.
Problems begin to occur once again, when Frank gets a promotion and his salary is increased. This causes him to become less captivated by his wife’s proposal and he starts to see a life on Revolutionary Road. Of course April still feels they should still move to Paris and Frank should turn down the job. We see Frank saying one thing to his wife’s face, but once her back is turned we can see him really thinking about what he should do.
Things only get more complicated when April finds out she’s pregnant and knows that this could damper their escape, so she plans on getting rid of the unborn child, but Frank doesn’t want her to. This brings back the tension in their relationship and the arguments and the frustration reach a new height.
I’m not to get any further into the story, there are also a lot of things that happen in between that I would consider major spoilers and won’t reveal them to you, just in case you haven’t seen the movie.
Now the problems I had with this movie is the emptiness and bleakness that plaque the middle section of the story. The strongest points to me were the first ten minutes, which included the first fight between Frank and April and once the movie gets out of its boring second act we see the couple being engulfed once again by their problems and that’s where the movie picks up and stays up until the end.
I know that the movie is about the dullness of suburban life, but American Beauty (directed by the same person, Sam Mendes) was about that too and that was done in a more interesting approach and I think Revolutionary Road failed to capture the true essence of the source material it was based off of.
Ok with all the negative out let’s look at what positive things this movie has to offer. One thing that really carries this film is the performance by Kate Winslet; I didn’t care too much for Leo in his role, just something about him saying “swell” didn’t seem natural. Winslet is more than outstanding in her role as a bored housewife and the scenes with her fighting DiCaprio, she just trumps him, thinking of it, she trumps in all their scenes together.
Also, the movie is very beautiful to look at, not as pretty as American Beauty or Road to Perdition, which is because the Director of Photograph for those two movies passed away, but still the film is able to showcase some beautiful shots.
All in all the film is a good movie, it’s not a great movie and it does have some short comings. Fans of the source material might be a little upset with the adaptation not being as grand as the book, but honestly have we ever been fully happy with any adaptations? The book will always be better than the movie.

B

James' Golden Globe Predictions

Best Motion Picture – Drama: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Mamma Mia! Will most likely walk away with it though, because the HFP likes musicals over comedies)

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama: Anna Hathaway

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama: Mickey Rourke

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy: Sally Hawkins

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy: Colin Farrell (The only reason I didn’t choose Javier Bardem, is because of all the attention he received last year and I heard that he really didn’t carry his movie as well this year)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Kate Winslet

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Heath Ledger

Best Animated Feature Film: Wall-E

Best Director: Danny Boyle

Best Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Television Series – Drama: Mad Men

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama: Kyra Sedgwick (January Jones might steal this one though)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama: Jon Hamm

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy: Entourage (I will NOT go with 30 Rock, because I don’t really find it funny and what is with all those guest stars this season)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy: Tina Fey (I don’t like 30 Rock, but she’s the most original out of the other nominees)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy: David
Duchovny (I want Duchovny to win, but the award will most likely got to Alec Baldwin)

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Television Series, Mini-Series, or made for Television Motion Picture: Dianne Wiest

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Television Series, Mini-Series, or made for Television Motion Picture: Jeremy Piven (How can’t you go with Ari Gold?)

Most Anticipated Movies of 2009

Friday the 13th (Feb. 13, 2009) - One of my favorite horror franchises returns to the big screen this year and I'm hoping its good. The movie is a reboot of the franchise and will mix elements of the original four Friday the 13th movies. The plot once again centers around a group of teenagers who are picked off by the legendary killer - Jason Voorhees (Derek Mears), the killer who stalks the remains of Camp Crystal Lake.

Terminator: Salvation (May 22, 2009) - The fourth movie in the Terminator franchise brings us to the post-apocalyptic year of 2018. John Connor (Christian Bale) the man who is said to lead the humans to victory over the evil corporation Skynet and their army of Terminators. Now the future Connor was raised to believe is altered when Marcus Wright, a man no one is familiar with. There is then a dilemma Connor faces, trying to figure out if Marcus is from the future or the past. As Skynet prepares to finish off the humans, Connor and Marcus journey into the belly of the beast to learn more about Skynet’s operations and they also learn their secret about the possible annihilation of mankind.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (May 1, 2009) - The movie takes place about 20 years before the first X-Men film. Obviously the movie is all about Wolverine’s past and his first encounters with William Stryker (Danny Huston), the villain from X2: X-Men United. The movie will cover the Weapon X program and the dysfunctional relationship with Sabretooth (Live Schreiber). Wolverine will once again be played by Hugh Jackman.

Night at the Musuem 2: Battle of the Smithsonian (May 22, 2009) - So when they close the Museum of Natural History is closed for upgrades and renovations, the museum pieces are moved into federal storage at the famous Washington Museums. Also, the film will center on bringing to life the Smithsonian Institution, which is the home of over 136 million items. That’s all I could find on this movie.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (Jan. 23, 2009) - A prequel to the Underworld movies, which will tell the origins of the feud between the vampires and the Lycans (which are werewolves). What I’ve read is that the movie will be set in the Dark Ages and the main character is a Lycan named Lucian. He is able to rally together the werewolves to take on the leader of the vampires, Viktor, the vampire king that had enslaved them.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (June 26, 2009) - In this sequel to the hit 2007 film, Transformers, the battle of the universe will begin. We learn that Starscream (a Decepticon, who survived the first film) returns home to Cyberton and assumes the command of the Decepticons. His first order of business is to return to Earth with more Decepticons and fight the Autobots (the good guys). The Autobots believe that the world is at peace after they defeated Megatron (old leader of the Decepticons), but they soon find out that the U.S. Military has stolen the body of Megatron and have revived him. Now the Autobots have to face Megatron and Starscream and his army of Decepticons.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 17, 2009) - Here is the official plot summary from Warner Brothers, "Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simpering with jealousy but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again."

Saw VI (Oct. 23, 2009) - I know very little about this movie and what I gathered is this much, Tobin Bell will be returning as the series main character, Jigsaw, and Costas Mandylor will also be joining the cast. Kevin Greutert will direct, he has been the editor on all the Saw films to date. Writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, who wrote Saw IV and Saw V, will be returning to write this one.

Fast & Furious (April 3, 2009) - The movie will be heading back to its roots in this fourth sequel to The Fast and the Furious, but a prequel to The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. A crime brings back ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and ex-LAPD officer Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) to Los Angeles and they are forced to trust one another to confront a shared enemy.

Angels & Demons (May 15, 2009) - In this prequel to The Da Vinci Code, Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is summoned by CERN to investigate a murder victim, who has been branded with the Illuminati ambigram. This leads Langdon to discover the secret society’s scheme to murder four cardinals and also destroy St. Peter’s Basilica. They go about doing this during a papal conclave using antimatter.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (July 1, 2009) - There is not much out about this movie, all I know is that it will reunite the original voice cast for this third installment in the Ice Age franchise.

Fanboys (Feb. 6, 2009) - The movie is set in 1998 and it’s about a group of friends who can’t wait for the movie Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace to be released. One of these friends is suffering from cancer and wants to see this movie more than anything else. They then come up with an idea to break into Skywalker Ranch and steal a early print of the film.

Watchmen (March 6, 2009) - The movie is set in an alternate 1985, where superheroes exist, Richard Nixon is still president and tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union are at an all-time high. We then meet Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), who is the stories vigilante and is investigating the murder of a former hero, the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and uncovers a plot to discredit and murder various heroes.

Star Trek (May 8, 2009) – Couldn’t find much about this movie, but it is a reboot of the franchise and will tell the early days of the USS Enterprise. The movie will reintroduce the world to Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder), Uhura (Zoe Saldana, McCoy (Karl Urban), Sulu (John Cho) and Chekhov (Anton Yelchin), Leonard Nimoy will also be in the film as older Spock.

UP (May 29, 2009) - The new Disney and Pixar movie is about a 78 year old man, Carl Fredricksen (Edward Asner) who’s wife Ellie dies with out ever being able to complete her dream of exploring the mountains. After her death and a development company threatening to move Carl into a assisted living home, so he decides that he’s going to fulfill Ellie’s dream and explore.

Land of the Lost (June 5, 2009) - Based off of the 1974 TV series of the same name, the film is about a disgraced paleontologist, his assistant and a macho tour guide who end up in an alternate world inhabited by dinosaurs and a dangerous reptilian race that is know as Sleestak.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Aug. 7, 2009) - The film will act as an origin story that will showcase the rise of the Cobra Organization. The movie will focus on Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord’s (Marlon Wayans) induction into the G.I. Joe team. It has been said that the G.I. Joe team is based in a place called The Pit and there was also talks that Cobra Island will make an appearance. The film will also be set ten years in the future.

Zombie Brings Back Myers

Michael Myers returns to the big screen Aug. 28, 2009. Yes, Rob Zombie is making a direct sequel to his 2007 Halloween remake.
What I know so far that principal photography starts is March and pre-production begins this month. The other thing I know is that Tyler Mane (Michael Myers) is the only actor attached to the project at this time.
I have to be honest I really didn’t like the 2007 film, I respect that he tried to do something different and I also respect him for attempting to make it his own, but the movie was filled with bad scenes and lame dialogue. (Example: The scene where Michael is running through the halls of his school and the screen freezes and the films title appears really reminded me of an after school special on a trouble teen.)
Also what I didn’t like about the movie is the long back-story about Myers, I thought it was dragged out and we didn’t need it. You know what makes all these horror icons interesting and scary? Is having the bare minimum of information on their pasts, the less we know the better.
I don’t mind if you liked the 2007 remake, but lets face reality it was not the epic return for Myers that we all hoped for. And yes I thought the back story was awful and don’t think that we needed to know that much about Myers’ past it only made him less scary.
Do I have hope for Halloween 2? I don’t, I think its just going to be more Zombie dialogue and style and I really think he should leave the franchise alone, I think everyone should just leave it alone. No one is ever going to create a sequel or remake up to the caliber of John Carpenter’s original.

Is The Sony PSP Really Dead?

There has been a lot of talk about the PSP, after Yahoo released an article stating that the future is bleak for the handheld console. Many are saying that the PSP is dead and the Nintendo DS has conquered the handheld war and after the DS sold 1.5 million units in the United States and the PSP is listed for selling only 421,000 for the holiday season, which really isn’t a bad number but it’s been declining in sales for awhile.
I would say yes that the PSP has seen better days and most likely will see its end, if it’s next round of games fails to convince developers that it’s worth system citing development costs. I also think that the PSP took some missteps, it was released to give Nintendo competition in the handheld war (that Nintendo dominates) but offered us way too much that we didn’t need in a handheld causing it to be way over priced.
The PSP launched at the high price of $249.99, which is a lot of money for a handheld, it has since been lowered to $169.99. The DS launched at the price of $149.99 and has since been lowered to $129.99.
Obliviously the DS was extremely lower in price, but also lacked some of the features that the PSP was able to show off.
The PSP is able to play movies, music and even work as a phone (which was an add on). The DS had none of this stuff but it really didn’t matter, the DS may have not had those features or the graphics the PSP offered but it had solid first party games and a new innovative way to play.
Which brings me to my point why the PSP is failing to compete with Nintendo, the reason I have is it’s first party support. Nintendo has Super Mario 64 DS, Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing: Wild World, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, New Super Mario Brothers and even more and that’s always been their big sellers. PSP has their GTA stories series and even Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters, but those are only a couple games and PSP never got the first party support I believe it needed.
If it had the first party support, I do believe that the PSP would have been around longer. The PSP has some great games and that includes Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core and Metal Gear Solid Portal Ops and I think it deserves to stick around for a little while longer.
But after all that I think why Nintendo is number one is because they give people different ways to play. They aren’t killing themselves in trying to compete with the graphic power of the PS3, XBOX360 or even the PSP and they give us a product that is solid, affordable and has strong first party support.