Oh, the old kiss of death for any film. There are those that might claim that a director being forcibly removed from the final phase of authorship is not necessarily the sign of a bad picture, but results like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time speak for themselves. Then there are examples like Jonah Hex and X-Men Origins: Wolverine where new directors were brought on to “consult” for reshoots. No matter what, switching horses midstream is a dangerous move that stinks of desperation. Just how much desperation is coming off of Judge Dredd remains to be seen, but the LA Times is reporting that Pete Travis is no longer involved with the production, with writer/producer Alex Garland taking over his chair in the editing bay in a serious way. Here’s where it gets weird. Apparently, Garland is also contemplating petitioning for a director’s credit on the film, despite not having shot any of it, because of how involved he is in the post-production phase. Reshoots are a possibility as well, but like all of the rest of the reporting, it’s been claimed by people unwilling or legally unable to give their names. So who knows. Of course, like anything with movies, all the juggling could lead to a successful flick. However, it’s important to note that if all of this is the case, it’s not the producers not having confidence in what Travis churned out that almost ensures a bad movie – it’s the lack of a singular, focused storytelling [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

What is Movie News After Dark? It’s a nightly column about entertainment news and points of view that, for the time being, is keeping it brief. It’s author has not yet seen the season four premiere of Breaking Bad and he’s worried that continued exposure to the internet will lead to spoilers. He’s a big, bearded pansy like that. We begin tonight with a first look at Karl Urban as Judge Dredd in the simply titled Dredd, the redoing of the character created by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra and Pat Mills in the late 1970s. It comes courtesy of Bleeding Cool and for all intents and purposes, looks pretty slick. Though Urban is a considerably smaller man in that helmet than Sly Stallone, his actual acting ability could prove to his advantage. But we’ll see.

This week, Fat Guy Kevin Carr gets set for another weekend of weddings with Kristen Wiig and her posse. Sadly, he discovers that he doesn’t have a vagina and decides to move on. Next, he takes a trip to an alternate world where priests kick ass and kill vampires. Once he realizes he is woefully out of place next to sultry Maggie Q in a ninja priest outfit, he comes home to find his possessions kicked to the curb with Will Ferrell in the middle of the whole mess.

Is there any film more highly anticipated than the new Judge Dredd? Yes. There are many. However, it’s the only film out there that has the best chance of righting a wrong from the past. It’s a rare instance of a remake (or reboot or re-adaptation or re-envisioning) that people are supporting outright because of its redneck past. Fortunately, some new set photos have popped up, and they display a deserted Mega City One and its variety of snack options, dog catching vehicles and convenient INGSOC signage. If you see a visor-headed shadow spying on you while checking these out, run for your damned life.

This week, Fat Guy Kevin Carr makes a complete and total jackass of himself by enjoying the hell out of Red and being more excited than he should about the prospects of Jackass 3D. He realizes that it may be the beginning of award season, but that won’t stop him from watching a movie about bodily fluids flying at the camera in 3D and getting mildly turned on by Helen Mirren firing a Gatling gun while wearing an evening gown.

It’s been a long time since a single film has featured the acting talent assembled in RED. But if there’s one thing this halfhearted action-comedy proves, it’s this: even Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren and John Malkovich (not to mention Mary-Louise Parker, Brian Cox and Ernest Borgnine) can’t enliven a story as deadly as that crafted by screenwriters Jon and Erich Hoeber, based on the Warren Ellis/Cully Hamner graphic novel. Co-opting the age old, out of retirement for one last fling blueprint, the film follows retired CIA agent Frank Moses (Willis) as he and his former colleagues are forced back into the game when government spooks try to rub them out. Heavily armed and dangerous geriatrics Joe Matheson (Freeman), the wiry and paranoid Marvin Boggs (Malkovich) and the distinguished Victoria (Mirren) assist Frank in some serious butt kicking, supplemented by quirky quips and knowing, wizened back and forth banter.

Your time is valuable. I understand that. But we have a trailer for you to watch for a film you’ve probably heard absolutely nothing about. And to make matters worse it’s a remake. But what if I told you this particular new film stars Amber Heard, Odette Yustman, and Karl Urban? That’s two attractive ladies and Bones McCoy right there. What if I added in the fact that two of those actors, the ones without penises, spend part of the film in tiny bikinis? Plot and pedigree don’t even matter anymore do they? I didn’t think so. You people are perverts. And I love you for it. So with no foreknowledge of what this film is about go ahead and watch this new trailer for And Soon The Darkness…

There’s a world out there where people get shot more than they get paper cuts. It’s a world where alliances change, people might be out to kill you, but nothing’s ever all that big a deal. It’s just a Tuesday, and the black ops have busted into your home to end your life. Red might just be the best romantic comedy of the year featuring Helen Mirren on a piece of heavy artillery. Frank (Bruce Willis) is a former CIA agent who’s attacked in his home just when he’s close to asking out Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), a woman he calls the Federal Pension Program help line to speak with on a regular basis. The retired don’t know about Facebook yet. He draws her into a world of former spooks who are also being targeted, including a suave gentleman (played by Morgan Freeman), a paranoid stuffed pig enthusiast (John Malkovich) and a gorgeous lady with a penchant for wet work (Helen Mirren).

Some of it looks a bit cheesy, but on the whole, the first full trailer for Priest is incredibly promising. Maggie Q tossing all sorts of ninja stars, Karl Urban looking like The Gunslinger and conducting the burning of a town, Paul Bettany brooding and slashing a dagger into some vampires. It’s all good stuff, and it all looks incredible. The blend of science fiction attributes amidst the crumbling visage of an ancient order is a great concept pulled directly from the graphic novel, and the spirit of the Western (including what looks like a great fight on top of a speeding locomotive) is in tact here amongst the gadgetry and blood-guzzling creatures of the night. The CGI vampires are, sadly, a bit I Am Legendary. However, it seems as though director Scott Charles Stewart is taking this a bit more seriously than he took Legion, and that’s a good thing. Go see the trailer for yourself over at Crackle.

When I visited the set of Summit Entertainment’s Red earlier this year, I had an idea that it might be sort of fun. Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren (among others) playing former CIA assassins who must band together to fight against the Agency that’s now hunting them? Sure, that sounds like a blast. But it wasn’t until this new trailer — one that played to crowds at Comic-Con and has since hit the web — that I was completely sold. It’s not the dark, grim tale that Warren Ellis wrote in his comic. It’s something different. Something fun and in many ways, completely absurd. But damn, does it look fun. After the jump you can check out the new trailer, as well as a few new images from the film.

Just yesterday it was rumored that Karl Urban was offered to play Judge Dredd and I can confirm that that’s true. When I confronted Urban at the end of Red press conference and asked him about this, he didn’t seem surprised at all. First he gave a big laugh as he was expecting the question, but then, surprisingly, he actually talked a bit about it. To hear exactly what the actor/Judge Dredd fan had to say about possibly taking the role, click after the jump. 

Before we get to the fact that Star Trek star Karl Urban may be a candidate to play the title role in the upcoming Judge Dredd reboot, there are a few things to keep in mind. The plan this time around is to make a Dredd that is closer to the tone of the comics. Meaning something darker. That would hopefully mean no Rob Schneider, no plastic chest plates and no stiff Stallone dialog delivery. It also means that the title character — the tough futuristic crime fighting force on wheels — won’t be removing his mask. Maybe not, at least. I doubt they’d carry through on that. With all of this in mind, I can’t see a reason why Urban wouldn’t work in the role. And I’ll explain why after the jump.

Throughout this entire week, I’ve been coming to you with a series of dispatches from my visit to the set of Red, the upcoming action-comedy release from Summit Entertainment starring Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren. Based on a Warren Ellis comic, the story follows a group of former CIA assassins who are being targeted by the very Agency to which they dedicated their lives. It’s a flick that looks like a bit of fun — especially after seeing the first trailer (embedded after the jump). Along with my dispatches about each character, Summit released character posters for each of the main players. In case you missed them, I’ve assembled them into a neat little gallery, which you will find right after the jump.

Today we round out our week-long coverage of the upcoming action-comedy Red. It’s heading to Comic-Con 2010 next week with plans for a big Bruce Willis-filled panel, and we’ve had our eye on it ever since we found ourselves on set with Bruce and the gang earlier this year. As a fan of the Warren Ellis comic upon which it’s based, I’ll admit to being skeptical about the “action-comedy” angle. But after that first trailer and a few conversations with cast and crew, they’ve got me on the hook. More to the point, you’ll be on the hook when you remember that both Mary-Louise Parker and Karl Urban share the screen with the legendary Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich and Morgan Freeman. After the jump you’ll find more about their characters and two brand new character posters.

While on a recent visit to the set of RED, I had a quick conversation with Star Trek star Karl Urban about his upcoming role in Priest, a film that is of interest to anyone disenfranchised by the recent rash of teen vampire movies. It’s the kind of movie that puts the brutality back in the mix, pitting man against oblivion brought on by blood-thirsty vamps. After a few moments of Urban telling us about how much fun it was to play a very bad guy, my interest was piqued. Now I’m looking forward to Priest.

Anyone who has read the comic “RED” by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner may have a certain set of expectations for a film adaptation. Predictably, they’d think it to be dark, violent and more of a lone wolf on a mission story. For better or worse, that’s not the case for the Bruce Willis led film. Based on this trailer, it’s clearly a comedy.

Admit it, you want to see a Star Trek sequel as soon as possible. We do, too. And as we found out in a recent chat with Karl Urban on the set of his upcoming film Red, he’s interested in seeing another one soon, as well.

Reviewing Star Trek on Blu-ray was such an all-encompassing, enjoyable experience, I had to fight to find the right words to describe it. Luckily, about 1600 of them just popped into my head.

The on again off again film adaptation of Min-Yoo Hyung’s manga series Priest is on with Paul Bettany as the renegade Priest and Karl Urban newly added to the cast as the villain Black Hat.

Kevin Carr reviews this week’s new movies: Star Trek and Next Day Air.