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During the planning for this year’s Con they said it couldn’t be done. They said that there was no way that Hall H would fill up on Thursday. As a Comic-Con virgin myself, I am unable to talk about past years; maybe it was tough to get the movie fans in the convention before Friday. What I can speak for is this year; a year when they DID pack the house in Hall H for Paramount Pictures to get us started with a rockin’ presentation.

In the vast landscape of the feature film, Hairspray really doesn’t have much of a reason for being. It is a movie version of a broadway version of a movie, sort of the same path that The Producers took when the musical version hit screens back in 2005. Anyway, back to the reason for being, [...]

The high concept of a fake gay marriage to save pension benefits sounds like it would be the perfect fit for another low brow Adam Sandler comedy. Why is it, then, that most of the jokes fall flat in this movie? I sat there in the darkened theater waiting for the story to take off, [...]

Hot from the vast space that is the infamous Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center, we have a little bit of breaking news. Tension in the room was think as J.J. Abrams took the stage not once, but twice to talk about his upcoming projects.

We have been speculating like mad about J.J. Abrams’ upcoming monster flick, loosely called “Cloverfield” or “1-18-08″. Now — at least for now — Paramount has provided us with the first look at the official teaser poster. They have also released, as part of the Comic-Con festivities, the poster for “Star Trek” as well. Take a look after the jump…

Maybe it is the fact that I am sitting right now in the Paramount Pictures presentation at Comic-Con, but I am feeling a little geeked out for Star Trek. In less than an hour J.J. Abrams will be telling the world not only about “Cloverfield” but also about his plans for the next generation (pun intended) of “Star Trek” films.

As you may already know, Comic-Con 2007 in San Diego is only a few days away. It is an event that not only serves as the pinnacle of the convention circuit for comic book aficionados, it has also become a premier launching pad for major motion pictures. But this is a huge event, hundreds of exhibitors and movie publicists will be bringing the heat — too many to visit them all. So where should you spend your time?

It was a surprisingly close three-way race at the cinemas this weekend. In the end it was I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry that ended up in first place, nosing out Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Chuck and Larry finished with $34 million, while Harry Potter brought in $32 mil. I guess too many Harry Potter fans were hanging out at bookstores late at night and reading the latest release to bother with going to the theaters.

“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” is rotten to the core, not just bad but spectactularly bad. As I walked out of the theater I was shocked at how unbelievably awful and unfunny the movie was and I couldn’t imagine it being any worse. It kept getting worse and worse until the point I just had to cover my eyes in disbelief.

As we continue to gear up for Comic-Con this week (more to come later in the day), everyone seems to be keeping a closer eye on the Warner Brothers camp. The Dark Knight has been for a long time the most watched and prodded production in recent years. And we are all waiting patiently to see some footage that wasn’t shot from the 10th story of a building 3 blocks away.

Based on the 2002 German film “Mostly Martha,” “No Reservations” is a nice and sweet summer treat. So surprisingly witty and emotionally absorbing, it’s an impressive little film that far exceeds expectations. The premise isn’t all that original but this dish isn’t overcooked nor undercooked, it’s just right.

On-line rental companies now offer democratized, unprecedented access to the annals of film history, but the copious selection can be a bit daunting and counterproductive: what, exactly, should you watch? This column hopes to help steer you towards good film and away from the bad.
As the recent Broadway production, and upcoming film adaptation, of Frost/Nixon [...]

It’s the gayest week in American cinema here at the end of July. We can either choose to watch John Travolta cross dress in a fat suit, or we can watch Adam Sandler and Kevin James almost make out in “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.” It’s enough to drive someone to drink. So in honor of Adam Sandler’s return to low-brow humor, FSR’s Kevin Carr gives you a drinking game to make things a little more palatable in the theaters.

“God only knows how long we’ll be stuck here,” says Fortunata Mancuso, the talkative grandmother played by Aurora Quattrocchi in the insufferably boring movie about immigration, “The Golden Door.” My thoughts exactly. Maybe I’m missing the big picture here, but I feel this has to be one of the most overrated films of the year.

Our own Brian Gibson is about the biggest Wes Anderson fanboy you could find. It rivals my love affair with Kevin Smith’s portfolio of potty-mouthed humor. So needless to say when I was browsing through Anne Thompson’s blog and I came across the poster for Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited, I felt it necessary to share it with the world.

In their Comic-Con Preview, Entertainment Weekly online has released an awesome new still from Iron Man, Jon Favreau’s flick that is set to make a big splash next week at Comic-Con. As you already know, we will be there in full force covering all of the week’s happenings. Who else will be there? As EW found out, just about everyone.

There’s something so uncharacteristically…American about the surface of Werner Herzog’s latest film, Rescue Dawn; when the bad guys show up near the end of its first act, for example, “bad guy music” plays on the soundtrack, a cheap bit of shorthand for a director who, hitherto, has been known as a cinematic iconoclast. Well, let’s face it I guess, Rescue Dawn is a genre picture—and as such, it’s a rousing yarn—the latest entry in the hit or miss POW genre and, with the dependable Herzog at the helm, it holds its own.

Brian Singer’s Valkyrie, the thriller based on the true story of the daring German officers’ plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944 has begun principle photography in Berlin this week. The film stars Mr. Scientology himself Tom Cruise as German Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. According to the press release from United Artists the film tells the story of “The July 20 Plot”, possibly the most notable attempt on Hitler’s life.

I was once interviewing Eric Idle about the musical “Spamalot,” and I joked to him asking if he thinks they’ll ever make a movie out of it. Idle chuckled and said, “I guess that’s the way they do it.” Back then, it was a joke, because it just seemed silly to bounce a story back and forth from stage to screen like that.

You’ve gotta wonder about Kevin James. A couple years ago, he practically stole the show by planting a kiss on Will Smith in the date flick “Hitch.” Now he’s in another big budget comedy ready to lock lips with Adam Sandler. Maybe his hit TV show “King of Queens” had a double meaning.

On this week’s show Kevin dresses up like a woman and sings songs from the upcoming release Hairspray. The guys then move onto something slightly less gay, a domestic partnership between Adam Sandler and Kevin James in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. Also, the guys welcome competitive eating icon Crazy Legs Conti to the show to talk about his new DVD Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating. And finally, the guys present the official Fat Guys Mid-Year Report, running down Top 10 Movies of 2007 thus far. Jessica Biel’s boobs are also discussed. Go figure.

It’s Reject Report time again. This is shaping up to be a big “gay” weekend at the cinemas. What else can you say about these new offerings? I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry features two guys pretending to be gay. Then you have Hairspray, a new movie musical with John Travolta playing a role, get this, in drag!!! I kid you not. Of course this is shaping up to be a huge week for the Harry Potter franchise inside and out of the theaters as well, but more on that later. First, a look at what is new at the cinemas.

Combining elements from the Victorian era through the post-World War II period, Perfect Creature brings a new take to the standard vampire mythos. Writer/director Glenn Standring takes the supernatural origins of the bloodsuckers and brings it a few steps closer to reality by presenting them as the next evolutionary step for humanity. The movie is [...]

This movie is a sequel to The Hills Have Eyes (2006), a remake of the 1977 film by horror legend Wes Craven; however, it’s not a remake of his sequel from 1985, which was titled Part 2. That may sound confusing, but there’s no reason for concern as there isn’t much in the way [...]

It has been a while since we had a film with Vikings in it. The last one I can remember is 1999’s The 13th Warrior, which was helmed by John McTiernan and starred Antonio Banderas. There may have been something in between, but I cannot recall any. Now, eight years later we are faced with [...]

First they allowed Brett Ratner to ruin the X-Men series. Since then, the fine folks at 20th Century Fox have continued to rub salt in the wounds of fanboys and those who serve them here on the web. Now in a monumental show of intelligence, Fox studios has pulled out of next week’s trip to fanboy Mecca, otherwise known as Comic-Con.

On-line rental companies now offer democratized, unprecedented access to the annals of film history, but the copious selection can be a bit daunting and counterproductive: what, exactly, should you watch? This column hopes to help steer you towards good film and away from the bad.
The Devil Doll, directed by Tod Browning (Freaks, Dracula), has a [...]

If you were one of the many to see Transformers in theaters (and if you have not, please go see it then come back; we can wait), then you undoubtedly got a glimpse at a brand new movie from Lost creator J.J. Abrams. Since the first sightings of this trailer, the web has been abuzz with speculation and rumors, making this untitled project one of the most anticipated talking points at this year’s Comic-Con, which takes place next week in San Diego. On Thursday of Comic-Con, sometime in the Californian mid-afternoon, press and fans alike will head out to the Paramount panel, anxiously awaiting the moment when Mr. Abrams and the folks behind the film take the stage.

As part of our on-going coverage of the upcoming comedy Hot Rod, we have unearthed a few awesome videos. We will be delivering these videos to you between now and the release of the film in (as Harry Knowles would say) “glorious Quicktime!” First up is an introduction to Rod, Stuntman for life… Keep a close eye on this guy; he is dangerous.

In a world filled with mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, and young couples, Introducing the Dwights finds a place that almost anyone can relate to. The film hails from Australia, almost halfway across the world, but feels just like home because of its characters and timeless story.