Tuesday, November 06, 2007 Rant Archive
The fastest man alive made good strides this past week, as the film version of DC comic’s THE FLASH once again changed creative hands, this time landing in the lap of director David Dobkin, the man behind such fun fanfare as WEDDING CRASHERS and the upcoming FRED CLAUS.
However, unlike the other heroes to make the jump to the big screen, THE FLASH film will not be a stand-alone project with its own unique universe like that of Batman or Superman. In an interview with
MTV news Dobkin revealed that THE FLASH would serve as a spin-off of the upcoming
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA movie, which has had the Internet all abuzz with plot and casting rumors.
“It’s designed to work as a spin-off from [‘JLA’], so we’re honoring the story and we’re working in tandem with the storytelling,” [Dobkin] said. “I think we’ll just have to see how the movie does and how it works off it, but it certainly would be a movie that comes after ‘Justice League.’”
For those wondering which alter ego will don the Flash’s trademark crimson speed-suit (the comic book has chronicled the adventures of several men in the Flash costume over the years) Dobkin was unhesitant in his assertion that it would be the modern Flash, Wally West, who would take up the mantle. That revelation only fuels the rumor mill that the JLA movie will begin with the heroes gathering to mourn the previous Flash, Barry Allen (who was also the focus of that abysmal 90’s TV series.)
Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) is facing a shortfall in her crop of weed. But a second supplier has miraculously appeared, a motorcycle gang happy to sign her up as a client.
Meanwhile Celia Hodes (Elizabeth Perkins) is fed up and isn’t going to take it anymore. She takes a bat to Sullivan Groff’s (Matthew Modine) office, angry because he betrayed her. Then, no longer satisfied to just rent her home as an indoor weed farm, she demands a more active role in Nancy’s enterprise. But not too active.
Asked to help plant fragrant flowers in the garden to mask the aroma of marijuana wafting from the house, she says “these hands went to college. The majored in English lit. These are not farm hands.”
Nancy, meanwhile, has had a tattoo of a U-Turn sign painted on her lower back. U-Turn, since deceased, was a gangsta who attempted to take over her drug business. The tattoo, she says, is a reminder that “Thug means never having to say you’re sorry.” But it’s wrong. Nancy may have to apologize to both of her sons.
Her super-genius kid, Shane (Alexander Gould), believes he sees the ghost of his dead father. And if it isn’t a ghost, who or what is setting off the burglar alarms? He’s clearly been traumatized by what he’s seen lately, including his mother holding a knife to Celia’s throat, threatening to kill her.
Dan (Kevin McKidd) is a very busy man, in tonight’s episode of JOURNEYMAN. First off, he isn’t too pleased about Katie’s (Gretchen Egolf) decision to go back to work as a television journalist. Remember, they had been talking about having another baby, but what with the possibility of Dan disappearing at any given moment, Katie isn’t sure whether a baby is a good idea. I have to say, I agree with her. I mean, who wants to have a second child with a man who was sent flying back to the past while he was alone with the kid you already have. It’s a pretty scary proposition, if you ask me. Besides, something tells me there may be some unresolved feelings between Katie and Dan’s brother, whom she dated for several years before marrying his brother.
In fact, those unresolved feelings may be why Jack (Reed Diamond) refuses to stop digging into Dan’s odd behavior. Besides, Jack’s a cop, so I guess snooping is in his nature. Still, I get the picture there is more to it than that, and with Dan running into his former fiancé, Livia (Mood Bloodgood), every time he time-travels, I’d say a little flirting between his brother and wife may not be as offensive as it would be under normal circumstances. All of this leads me to believe there may be some shuffling around of the couples at some point during the season. That is if it makes it through the whole season. JOURNEYMAN still has some problems to contend with; namely the fact that they still bite off more than they can chew for each episode. I mean, even with all that going on Dan has to travel back to the past to save a witness’s life.
I have long felt that May Foster (Jane Alexander), the therapist of TELL ME YOU LOVE ME, really ought to increase her malpractice insurance. The woman seems to have only three patients – two couples and a young single woman. The couples are both on the verge of divorce and the young lady just broke up with her second boyfriend of the season – the first actually being her fiancée.
Since next week will be the last episode of (at least) the season, it’s difficult to see how this will all be resolved. My guess is a suicide pact. That certainly works for me.
Let us begin with Dave (Tim DeKay) and Katie (Ally Walker), the couple in their 40s who haven’t had sex in over a year. Katie learns one of her best friends, Rita (Sherry Stringfield) is getting a divorce, and doesn’t understand why. You got top stick by your man. “If his legs fell off I wouldn’t leave him,” she says, to which Rita replies “What does that mean?” Good question.
I believe this opens Katie’s eyes to other possibilities. She applies for a job, is out of the house all day abdicating her mommy responsibilities and falls asleep on the couch in front of the TV. When she wakes up in the middle of the night, she heads into the bedroom, takes one look at Dave and decides to spend the evening on the couch.
When Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) and Caitlin (Katie Carr) ended up one year in the future last week, I was worried that this week’s episode of was going to mimic last year’s future-seeing episode. Gladly, that was not the case. It seems that 2008 is a dark time in the world, and spending tons of time there would have made for a very boring show. Instead, we split our time among present day, the future, and the feudal past.
Of tonight’s storylines, I have to say Hiro’s (Masi Oka) was the best. Last we saw him, Hiro had been betrayed by Kensei (David Anders). Now, with the help of Yaeko (Eriko Tamura), he must stop White Beard from destroying Japan. Hiro saves the day, has a sword fight with Kensei, and right before the tent full of gun powder explodes, Kensei vows to hurt everyone and everything Hiro ever loves.
Hiro thinks nothing of this since Kensei is burned to a crisp in the explosion, but come on. If Claire (Hayden Penettiere) can survive a nuclear Ted encounter, then I think a little gunpowder won’t do too much to Kensei. Not so surprisingly, I’m right. Kensei’s reappearance in the world makes me really wonder if the same person is attacking the elder heroes. Hmm …
Tonight we get to learn some of the origins in the mythology of Chuck (Zachary Levi). Or why the nerd was booted out of Stanford and why his roommate and best friend, Bryce Larkin, orchestrated it. Bryce, the guy who stole his girl, sent him the Intersect program that gives Chuck his powers and the guy who used to have Agent Sarah’s heart. That Bryce.
The caper that draws Chuck and the team into this mess starts when his old Professor Flemming, the guy who booted him, gets spooked by an Icelandic hitman whose weapon of choice is the crossbow. Don’t stop and question, just accept it, it’s the only way to enjoy this stuff. Flemming was working for the CIA, because you know, these are the ways adventures get going and a past is uncovered. He copied some CIA data and now he’s on the run as the Icelandic killer chases him.
At the BuyMore, the reign of Assistant Manager Harry Tang (C.S. Lee) is underway and the staff is cowering. This isn’t germane to anything close to the thing known as the “plot,” but it does give time to both Morgan (Joshua Gomez) and Tang and lets the subliminal and overt movie references flow. I gleaned props to LORD OF THE RINGS, OFFICE SPACE, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. Throw in a scene scored with Hall and Oates’ MANEATER and it’s enough to say it was working.
Warner Bros. studios has found a director and a team of script writers to bring a live-action version of DC Comics’
GREEN LANTERN to the big screen. Greg Berlanti, a former writer and exec producer for such television fare like
DIRTY SEXY MONEY and
BROTHERS & SISTERS will make the jump to big-budget cinema as director of the GL film. He has one previous director credit under his belt, 2000’s THE BROKEN HEARTS CLUB.
In addition to directing, Berlanti will also be responsible for co-writing the film’s script along with Marc Guggenheim and Michael Green. Both Guggenheim and Green have worked on previous TV projects with Berlanti, including BROS & SIS and EVERWOOD. The two writers also have extensive experience working with comic book subject matter; Guggenheim did writing stints on Marvel Comics’ “Amazing Spider-Man,” “Wolverine” and “Blade,” while Green did a stint on DC Comics’ “Superman/Batman.” Green is also a co-exec producer on comic-book-themed shows
HEROES and
SMALLVILLE. In short: these men are definitely qualified to pull off GREEN LANTERN.
There’s no official word yet, but rumors are that the GL movie will, (like the upcoming FLASH movie,) serve as a spin-off for the much-buzzed-about JUSTICE LEAGUE flick, which Warner Bros. is scrambling to put together before a writer’s strike strands it (and any potential spin-offs) in cinematic limbo.
Now I’m mad. Halo 3 is not (I repeat NOT) just for the nerd of heart. It is a complex and cognitively demanding battle simulator, designed to make soldiers out of couch-jockeys worldwide and— oh my God… Am I a nerd?
This week’s episode found the nerd-squad gathering for their Friday night Halo 3 throw-down. Geeks will be geeks. Just as some serious gaming was about to go down, Penny came bursting in the door, looking for a place to hide out from the slutty high school friend who was crashing at her apartment. That explanation was enough for nerd-Don-Juan Wolowitz, who ran off to capitalize on the “easy opportunity” with Penny’s friend, leaving Penny to fill in as fourth member of the nerd-squad Halo team.
When Wolowitz and Penny’s friend’s hookup turned into a sleepover, Penny had to crash on Leonard and Sheldon’s couch for a night, which was too close for the neurotic comfort of Sheldon. The next day Penny urged her friend to find a new crash pad, which Wolowitz was more than happy to offer.
It’s finally time for Michael (Wentworth Miller) and Whistler (Chris Vance) to break out. Plans have been made, traps have been set, and it’s all going down at 3:13 in the middle of the day.
I have been waiting all season for this episode. I’ve wanted to get out of Sona prison and on the run probably more than Michael and Whistler combined. Sorry to spoil the surprise, it isn’t going to happen in this hour of television.
Turns out that fight Michael challenged Whistler to was indeed a new distraction. They won’t have to fight to the death because they’re going to be halfway to the beach by the time they need to be in the yard. Right? Haha. That’s hilarious.
After all of Michael’s careful planning—electrifying the fence, getting Sucre (Amaury Nolasco) work at the prison, setting up the guard with some bad coffee—what foils all their plans but a cloud in the sky. A cloud?! Isn’t it always Mother Nature biting you in the ass when you’re trying to escape from prison? So now the men are stuck in the prison facing a fight to the death. They think they can possible wait it out, not really kill each other, and maybe no one will care. Yeah, because that always works in a prison like Sona. No one really wants to see anyone die. After getting booed and threatened, Whistler and Michael finally go at it. Soon, Michael is on the ground and Whislter has a rock in his hand. Michael is ready to die, but of course, in an utterly predictable moment, a guard catches sight of their makeshift ladder and the alarm sounds.
Now that the Red Sox have once again taken the World Series, Fox has returned to its regularly scheduled programming. And someone at Fox thought it was necessary to not subject audiences to simply one hour of PRISON BREAK but two back-to-back episodes of one of the most mediocre series on television.
Sorry to come down so hard on the show, but I’m just ready for something to happen. At least in the first two seasons of PRISON BREAK there were conspiracies and plot twists to keep me interested. This season is full of predictable and dull plotlines.
Remember a couple of weeks ago when there was a new guy in the prison? I was slightly interested in this man, especially since he seemed to recognize Whistler (Chris Vance) from The Ambassador Hotel in Nice. My curiosity was honestly a little peaked. Maybe we’d finally get a little more information on the mysterious Whistler. Well, not so much because the guy’s body was carried out into the yard before the episode hit the halfway mark. I guess he’s not all that important.
But who killed him? That must be important, right? Whistler is suspected, but Michael (Wentworth Miller) thinks it was Mahone (William Fitchner). Was it? We won’t be asking Mahone since some of his FBI buddies just picked him up in the hopes of moving him to a prison in the states. More on that later; back to Whistler’s fate.
Apparently the truth is still out there somewhere because a sequel to the 1998
X-FILES movie is set to land in theaters on July 25, 2008.
As of yet untitled, the X-FILES sequel will re-unite series creator Chris Carter with stars David Duchovny (
CALIFORNIACTION) and Gillian Anderson, who will reprise their roles of paranormal FBI investigators Mulder and Scully. The film is being co-written by Carter and long time series collaborator Frank Spotnitz, who also co-wrote the first film.
This latest installment will involve its own stand alone story, which promises to offer the usual thrills and chills that made the series a cult hit during is run from 1993–2002. The sequel will also take the hot/cold relationship between Mulder and Scully in bold new directions—something fanboys have fantasized about since the series inception.
I’ve said all season how much I think the Marshall-Lily (Jason Segel-Alyson Hannigan) marriage is ruining HIMYM, but even
I didn’t want to see them get a divorce. Well, that almost happened on Monday, as Marshall found out about her dirty little secret (she’s a shopaholic) the hard way – namely, as they were trying to get a loan to buy their own apartment together. Talk about bad timing.
Anyway, they work it out (as they always do), they don’t get a divorce, and Barney uses the place they were going to buy to get laid. So, all’s well that ends well. Well, except for that huuuuge credit card debt of Lily’s.
I didn’t like the whole Lily shopping problem thing when they introduced it earlier this season. But I guess you gotta have some conflict, and apparently shopping addiction is more serious of a problem than I ever thought (who knew, right fellas?)
Hey gang! Take a peek at the new international teaser trailer for
IRON MAN! It’s pretty much the same as the
U.S. version, except that it offers some new footage of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) tinkering around with the Iron Man gauntlets. The international version also makes Gwyneth Paltrow’s character, ‘Pepper’ Potts, seem like a much bigger factor in the film than the domestic trailer did. They must still like her on the other side of the pond.
Check out the trailer inside and rant back to us about what you think!
It only took 14 years, but Bruce Timm, one of the big dogs in superhero animation, finally got around to making a film of the 1993 comic landmark The Death of Superman. SUPERMAN: DOOMSDAY is a direct-to-DVD film that pares the series down to essentials—Superman vs. Doomsday, death, rebirth and a few moral questions along the way—and presents it in a fashion much darker than the more recent animated series. This is not the more complex but light Superman of JUSTICE; this film is closer in tone to BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER, and like that astonishingly grim flick, this film isn’t for kids.
As it all begins, Superman (Adam Baldwin) and Lois Lane (Anne Heche) are enjoying a romantic interlude at the Fortress of Solitude. Despite having dating for six months, Lois still hasn’t twigged to Kal-El’s other identity. Nice investigation, Lois. Anyway, a hush-hush LexCorp project is tunneling into the Earth when it discovers a spaceship buried for millennia. The drilling machinery cracks the ship, which opens to reveal Doomsday, who begins slaughtering everything in sight while Lex Luthor (James Marsters) coldly watches over live video. Doomsday soon reaches Metropolis and starts raising premiums everywhere. The Man of Steel shows up and takes on Doomsday alone (nobody else to help in this version). A titanic struggle kills them both, but Lex, peeved that the Man of Steel had the gall to die at somebody else’s hands, decides to bring Superman back. Soon enough, there’s a red-and-blue defender patrolling Metropolis again, but this one doesn’t have Superman’s enlightened views. When a second Superman appears, with longer hair and a new suit, things go south in a hurry, and trust becomes tough for Kal-El to find.
Capitalizing on his recent resurgence with films ROCKY BALBOA and JOHN RAMBO, Sylvester Stallone is currently in talks with MGM studios to direct and star in a remake of the classic 1974 Charles Bronson revenge flick,
DEATH WISH. A script for the film is currently being written up by Michael Ferris and John Brancato, who brought the world such landmark films such as TERMINATOR 3, and the upcoming (and efficiently titled) TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE FUTURE BEGINS.
Provided that the looming writer’s strike is settled quickly and bloodlessly, MGM hopes to start production on DEATH WISH before March 2008. The remake comes as MGM is leafing through the extensive back catalogue of their properties, which include properties developed under subsidiaries UA, Orion, Polygram and Samuel Goldwyn.
“We are looking at our library to determine which potential franchise properties make the most sense for us to produce, and DEATH WISH was clearly one of [those] that jumped out.” Said MGM chief operating officer Rick Sands. “We hope to get a deal done with Sylvester Stallone to direct and star, and like the ROCKY and RAMBO films, we see this as another potential franchise for him.”
Man, I hate therapists. Never trusted ‘em. I mean, what can they tell you about yourself that you don’t already know? I’m guessing LD is feeling the same way, after dealing with not only his own rogue psychoanalyst but Cheryl’s as well.
It all starts when Larry’s therapist, Dr. Bright, gives him some terrible advice to give Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) an ultimatum about moving back in. His reasoning for being so stern: “No one likes a pussy.” While you have to respect the logic, you know it ain’t going over well with Cheryl.
That sets off a chain of events (is there any time that doesn’t happen on this show?) that leads to Larry faking a mugging of Cheryl’s therapist to make him look good – which works a little too well. Dr. Slavin falls for Larry, while Dr. Bright gets arrested for the fake/real mugging. Larry’s solution: Fake Alzheimer’s, obviously.
Things all turn out well -- that is, until Larry’s therapist spills his guts to Cheryl’s therapist, which definitely does not bode well for LD.
THE SIMPSONS, “Treehouse of Horror XVIII”: That’s right, when Halloween comes around, it’s time to climb back into the Treehouse of Horror yet again. The fact that it probably should have aired last week … well, how much more Simpsonian does it get? Three parodies this year: First up is a takeoff on E.T., whereupon Kodos the Destroyer is found by Bart in the shed and begins his plan to serve up humanity on a platter. Literally. Fortunately, human weaponry turns out to be sufficient to completely lay waste to Kodos and his buds. As a bonus, Homer gets to take part in a vivisection. What luck!
Next up for the Simpson treatment is MR. AND MRS. SMITH, wherein Homer and Marge turn out to be competing assassins. Unfortunately, Homer works for Mr. Burns, automatically giving Marge the upper hand by any conceivable measure. Like in the source movie, there’s lots of violence, bullets and sex. Sadly, none of it features Angelina Jolie. But, on the bright side, Skinner gets shot. In the third segment, Flanders decides Bart, Nelson, Milhouse and Lisa are having too many Halloween hijinks, so he gives them a forced tour of Hell House to scare them straight. Did it work? Beats the hell out of me; that segment was so nondescript it slid right out of my memory as soon as it was over. First two were good, though.
Now that Kitty (Calista Flockhart) is pregnant, her family will be intervening into her relationship with Robert (Rob Lowe) even more than every before. Come on, you know the Walker’s will be swarming all over the new mother-to-be, and they’ll be smothering her with advice, warnings and most of all love. The good news is that everybody else’s lives are so messed up right now they will be scattered into a gaggle of different directions. I mean you’ve got Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) in the middle of a nasty custody battle with her ex, Justin (Dave Annable) recovering from his war injury, and unbeknownst to the family yet, beginning to slide back into his drug addiction. Than there’s Tommy (Balthazar Getty), whose in the midst of losing his family, and his recent affair with his office manager sure isn’t going to help the situation. So see, Kitty isn’t the only one who has issues the family needs to butt into.
However, Kitty is very close to her family, and when there is a setback with one of them she needs to call in another advisor to help with Robert’s presidential campaign. That’s a lucky thing for us, because that new advisor is played by Danny Glover, who is one of the best actors out there, if you ask me. And now that Robert has aced his first debate, he’s got more at stake, so he can use all the brilliant spin doctors he can get. Now if he can just get somebody to help him through the maze of the Walker family life. After all, you’re never number one when you marry into that family. Well, maybe you’re number one, you just have to share that spot with everybody else that comes along with marrying one of them.
I bet right about now Jerry Seinfeld is wishing that he’d stayed retired. Despite marketing and promoting ‘ad’ nauseam, Seinfeld-vehicle
BEE MOVIE failed to trump the much-buzzed showdown between Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe in Ridley Scott’s drug-lord biopic
AMERICAN GANGSTER, which capped the box office this weekend with an impressive $46.3 million debut.
Not that BEE MOVIE’s earnings were anything to sneeze at. The CGI animated film from DreamWorks studios, which was also co-written and produced by Seinfeld, still earned a sweet $39.1 million. CGI kids film HAPPY FEET performed only slightly better this same time last year. Interestingly enough, CinemaScore surveys indicated that over half of BEE MOVIE’s first week audience were adults age 25 and up—most likely those turned away from GANGSTER’s sold out shows. A surge of kid support could still give BEE MOVIE the push it needs to sting its way to no. 1 next week.
AMERICAN GANGSTER’s $46.3 million opening marks the highest first week debut for either Washington or Crowe. Washington’s previous best was last year’s heist thriller INSIDE MAN ($29 mil), while Crowe’s previous best was another Ridley Scott film, 2000’s GLADIATOR ($34.8 mil). For director Ridley Scott GANGSTER marks his second-best debut behind 2001’s HANNIBAL, which devoured $58 mil in its first week. With strong critical reviews (metacritic score of 76) and fans obviously turning out in droves (I was turned away twice in NYC due to sell outs) AMERICAN GANGSTER is poising itself to be an early Oscar contender, much like THE DEPARTED did a year ago.