Welcome to the Film School Rejects Archive

First came the rumors, then came the confirmation and now we have the trailer to prove it; the Silver Surfer can talk and his voice is going to be provided by Laurence Fishburne. Today a brand new trailer has hit the web. And I have to say, this may just be one of the more badass trailers we have seen for any summer movie. Catch the full trailer after the jump…

It has already begun. On April 13, SuperHeroHype began reporting on the fact that Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film The Dark Knight, the follow-up to 2005’s Batman Begins, was to begin filming in Chicago. Since then the internet has been a buzz with TDK here, TDK there and rumors flying everywhere.

What do you get when you cross The Sixth Sense with Ghost what do you get? Well, probably something that looks like The Invisible, but stars Bruce Willis and Whoopi Goldberg. You know, that probably would have been a better movie, instead we actually get The Invisible, a dullard of a film populated with a cast that is easy not to like. There were a number of things to like about the movie, but with characters that I did not care for, it was hard to be entertained. Now I don’t need a movie to have likable characters, but some movies need them, you need someone to identify with, and this one failed to deliver.

I couldn’t stop grinning after seeing the trailer for 28 Weeks Later for the first time. I loved 28 Days Later, and saw it as not only one of the best horror films in years, but also one of the best films I had seen in years. The new film from Fox Atomic continues 28 weeks after the first film left off. I know what some of you might be saying,and that is a long time. Have no fear, Fox Atomic has come to the rescue.

From the brilliant team behind Shaun of the Dead, comes this new genre mash up. Following the successful reinvigoration of horror/comedy, they have turned their eye on the action/comedy. The results are spectacular. The approach to making a successful spoof of the action genre is to play it straight. A plot involving murder in a small town is approached with deadly seriousness and the comedy just builds from there. It is such a brilliant comedy that blends subtle and wildly over the top comedy within a story that is actually well developed and much more than what you would expect from what is, essentially, a movie that makes fun of buddy action conventions.

SuperHeroHype clued us in on some very cool videos that are circulating around the web this afternoon. The videos are captures from a Behind the Scenes feature of Spider-Man 3 last night on Starz. Check out all three parts after the jump…

There have been tons of doctored photos of Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight and the following may very well be just another in the long line of fan fakes, but there is no doubt that this has to be the best to date. An FSR fan named Matt sent this over this afternoon. It is supposed to be a shot of what Heath Ledger will look like as The Joker. To me, it appears to be just another great Photoshop job. I will let you decide…

Everyone is waiting for Spider-Man 3. We knew that. But we really didn’t expect that the box office estimates would be terrible this weekend. Then we found out that Next, The Condemned and The Invisible were all throw-away flicks. So while most major releases took a bath on the last weekend before the unofficial start of the summer movie season, the only winner was Disturbia, which maintained its top spot for a third straight week.

See Results after the jump…

How far is too far? Reality television isn’t going away, and with everyone looking for the next way to shock an audience, how far away are we from a show that introduces a real battle to the death? The things are going, it does not seem to be that far removed from a possible reality. From the ratings that shows like American Idol and Survivor generate, combined with the wall to wall, twenty four hour coverage of such tragedies as the recent Virginia Tech shooting, Columbine, and the ongoing war in the Middle East, I would not be hard pressed to believe that there is some unscrupulous producer concocting a scheme to inject a little more shock and awe over what is presently acceptable for prime time television. It is this very subject that The Condemned seeks to contend with, sadly, they don’t hit the broadside of a barn.

Peter over at /Film has hooked everyone up with a first look at Natalie Portman in My Blueberry Nights, a film about the trials and tribulations of love being directed by Wong Kar Wai.

See the full pic after the jump…

More and more lately, studios have been shying away from screening their movies for critics. On one hand, I feel empowered. After all, if they are purposely not screening movies, they must be scared of us, and that means we are significant.

On the other hand, it ticks me off. They’re leaving us out of the equation. They’re not playing fair. And they’re showing their hand before it gets played. After all, it’s like running from the cops. If they don’t screen a film, it’s gotta be bad, right?

Stephen King once pointed out in his book “Secret Window, Secret Garden” (which was subsequently made into the stinker film “Secret Window”) that the ending of the film is the most important thing. It’s too bad the folks making “Next” weren’t aware of this. While “Next” is a mediocre run-of-the-mill sci-fi thriller through most of its 96-minute running time, the ending is a real disappointment.

I will always have a special place in my heart for “The Year of the Dog.” It’s not just that I love dogs, although I do. But rather it’s because “The Year of the Dog” is about my sister.

Oh, it’s not written about my sister specifically, as I doubt that Mike White has ever met her. However, after seeing the movie, he must have known someone very much like my sister because this film tells her story very well.

Welcome to edition #2 of the Weekend Warrior. Every week I am dedicated to delivering the need-to-know info around what is coming out, what you should be going to see and what you should pass on by. This week seems to be one of those “looking forward to next week…” weekends with a few lame duck releases whose studios want to make a quick buck before Spider-Man swoops in for the kill next week. Don’t expect to be wowed this week, rather expect disappointment — unless of course you are going to catch up on some films from last week.

This week Kevin and Neil talk about tons of movies that only Kevin has seen (fortunately) and Neil bashes on The Condemned. Kevin also has a chance to sit down and talk with the Director of The Condemned, Ohio native Scott Wiper. Then all hell breaks loose as the gruesome twosome joke about Jack Valenti, the hotness factor of Helen Mirren and the directorial talents of Michael Bay. Hide the women and children…

Listen to the Fat Guys after the jump…

Dutch director Theo Van Gogh, had aspirations of remaking some of his films in English before being murdered in Amsterdam by a radical Muslim. His film “Submission”, on women’s treatment in Islamic societies, was too much for his latest rivals (islam radicals) to digest. Steve Buscemi, Stanley Tucci and Bob Balaban took up the task of remaking three of Van Gogh’s movies. “Interview” is Buscemi’s attempt.

There is something inherently humorous about movies that come from a production company that is the brain-child of the guy who brought us World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). But to his credit, Vince McMahon has made a science out of pleasing the easily entertained mass populous of America, so why not do it with films? In the last few years this brand of entertainment has delivered such jaw dropping action classics as See No Evil and The Marine. I mean, how can you possibly top those two flicks?

My favorite awards show, hands down, is the MTV Movie Awards. Think about some of the best movie parodies that have ever been shown at the Oscars and multiply that by 1 entire show. In fact, I could care less about the actual awards themselves; who goes home with a bucket of golden popcorn is useless to me. I tune in for the host and the space between the awards. It just seems like a lot more fun than the stuffy atmosphere that surrounds other awards shows. But then again, it is MTV.

This year the MTV Awards are taking a new approach to some of its movie parodies. It is looking to YOU, the fan.

Find out what they are looking for after the jump…

Sometimes when you see a trailer you come in expecting to feel a certain way about a movie. I, for one, love Jessica Biel as an actress. To me, the prospect of Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel could really set the scene for some intense moments. Nicholas Cage isn’t my favorite sometimes and that really made me feel almost ambivalent about the movie coming into it. I’m all for Sci-fi movies, and anything that potentially really can get into a genre and kind of tear into the ideas of the time and space make me giggle at heart. However, a basic lesson on quantum mechanics is what I didn’t want. This movie is all about Schrodingers cat, and the thought that you are everywhere and nowhere at once.

The premise of this movie is Cris Johnson was born with an ability like any other. Cris was born with the ability to see into his future. How far? Two minutes into his life, and only thing directly affecting his life. Except he’s found one exception. He has had one vision in his life of a female who comes into what appears as a waffle house. He has a time and where, but he doesn’t know when and it could be weeks in the future. He’s never seen this far and it could be directly related to his life somehow, but he knows he’s in love with her. Can this really make a good movie?

Have you ever heard a bunch of namby pamby critics trying to compare a movie to something and you just care if it’s good or not? This movie doesn’t make any illusions as to what it is. You see a poster with a WWE logo, and one of their biggest stars in recent history plastered all over it. The Marine with John Cena didn’t do so bad, but it got panned by those same namby skirt wearing critics for being low brow. Well buckle up you hippies. Get ready to burn this one down, but you can’t take away from it what it is. An unapologetic action movie made by lumberjack, hairy chest, real men, for real men. It has explosions, decent breast shots, and use of the worth “Motherfucker”, “Fuck you”, “Fuck Your Mother”, and a judicious use of the word “Cocksucker”. Juvenile? Maybe, but honestly it’s for men.

Recently everything except See No Evil have been decent movies for wrestlers. Lets call it what it is, action movies have been more about gore and shock factor than they have been what they’re supposed to be. I am a male, I want to see hot girls, explosions, death, and some really great one liners. We don’t get that vary often, and that’s the general problem with movies recently. Why can’t this be a good movie?

When I saw Night at the Museum projected on the big screen, I found myself having a good time in spite of myself. I remember walking into the theater and wanting to enjoy it, but also wanting to not enjoy it too much. Why I had that approach I have no idea. Despite those intentions, my defenses were quickly worn down and I found myself sucked into this delightful family fantasy. Revisiting now on DVD, I find I have no defense to the charms contained within. Is it a great movie? No, not really, but what it does do is hit all the right notes and deliver a wide eyed spectacle that has a lot of heart. You will turn it off at the end with a smile on your face, and perhaps the desire to visit a museum to see where “History comes to life!”

Lots of people ruin movies. Some do it without realizing it. Others do it because they have nothing better to do. Everyone in Hollyweird does it because that’s how they make a living.

They come from all creeds, all nations, all races, all walks of life. Some of them talk to each other during the movie. Some of them answer their cell phones. Some of them even talk to the screen…

Okay, So we all love the movie badass? Chuck Norris, Vin Diesel, even Jack Bauer and James Bond. Yet, have you ever seen a movie that the badass is a big skirt wearing vagina? Yes. I know I know that there are some of you that will disagree with this list, fine you suck too. I’m just saying that if I had to fight a movie bad ass, I want a piece of someone on this list because I have a chance of me escaping alive. Most movie badasses really destroy everything in their wake. Most on this list, are on the ropes for most of a fight to save their battles in a final wind. No, no more of this hippie, crunchy granola having bitch-ness. I demand a brutality from my badasses that is unmatched and unwavering. So, I throw down the gauntlet right now. I bring you the “Top 10 Badasses that I’d fight,” or “Top 10 Movie Heroes that Were Vaginas.”

You won’t believe who made #1. Find out after the jump…

Sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide. That was the mineral stolen by Lex Luthor in Superman Begins. A drill core of the unusual mineral was unearthed in Serbia by the mining group Rio Tinto PLC, which turned it over to mineral expert Chris Stanley at the Natural History Museum for analysis.

Over at Shock-till-you-drop, there has been some news finally leaked about the upcoming Saw movie. Saw IV seems to pick up a lot where Saw III left off. It appears that Angus McFadden will be back as will Shawnee Smith among others. At what point has a scary movie outworn it’s welcome? Look here and keep up to see if Saw IV is jumping the shark.

Jigsaw still haunts the living in “Saw IV,” forcing them to appreciate life, or face death. As a continuation of “Saw III,” Jeff must find his daughter and escape the building to which they are confined before they both die. After finding another tape of Jigsaw, Jeff realizes there may be a newly added piece of the puzzle that he must decipher before it’s too late.

How can you not love the look of this. Christopher Walken as a chinese emperor whom loves table tennis? Plus any subtle hint to balls, makes me personally laugh. This poster was put up in most theaters today, so if you see it. You know one of the places you saw it first! This movie won’t be an amazing movie in my opinion, but honestly. When was the last time you’ve seen a mean game of ping pong since you’ve seen Forrest Gump? I haven’t and anything with Christopher Walken has to be classic. So click the poster! Do it!

See a bigger version after the jump…

Harry Potter has a newly released trailer! Click above to see it! Honestly, this is a screen cap from the trailer and I must say it does look good. In the past week there has been an international and an American trailer released. Will it be good? Who knows. Honestly the colors look outstanding, and this looks to be one of the better Potter movies to date. I hope the trailers don’t over hype this movie. As this whole thing progresses, I’m sure we’ll see more and more of this movie. Until then be happy with this, fanboys!

I love Spiderman and I got every reason in the world for it. He’s a geek who finds his niche, becomes the hero and gets the girl. What more could a weirdo like me, who finds books about mullets interesting, ask for to identify with. Unfortunately I love cinema more. “Spiderman 3” maybe a good Spiderman flick but it’s not good cinema. There’s only one thing worse than a bad movie; and that’s a bad movie that passes itself as a great one.

When I was a humble textbook editor, I had a colleague who grew tired of seeing chapters from national and state history texts that were titled, for example, “Indiana Grows and Changes.” His complaint was valid, that states and the U.S. in general are always changing.

The world is changing around us, and there’s no evidence that we’re undergoing more or less changes than those going on in the 1970s. However, the changes we face today are different than those faced thirty years ago.

Welcome, once again. This week brings with it a large number of television titles, so if you are a fan of the so-called idiot box, this is going to be a happy week for you. As for you fans of the big screen, there are still a few choice selections for you, including an Oscar winner and one of the biggest box office hits of 2006. So whatever you may be looking for, I am sure there is at least one title for you in this week’s crop of freshly grown home entertainment.