The Wachowskis haven’t directed a ton of movies. They also haven’t given a ton of interviews. If we can look at their output versus their impact (and in the case of Speed Racer, divisiveness), they look an awful lot like auteurs. There’s a number of themes they enjoy working with as well as a brand of visuals that seem conflicting movie to movie even as they share a kernel of The Future between them. At the very least, it would be easy to call them auteurs, but they completely reject the title and the concept. After Bound, The Matrix series, Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas and their non-directorial writing (most notably V for Vendetta), they’ve maintained a firm view of film as a truly, inextricably collaborative process. For them, that goes even above and behind the standard meaning. They’re a bit enigmatic, but that’s fantastic. So here’s a bit of free film school (for fans and filmmakers alike) from two totally normal, crazy people named Lana and Andy.

It’s fair to say Matthew Fox is still in a transitional period post-LOST. After six years on the air, the rapid fanbase, and ending on that hugely divisive note, it’s naturally going to take time moving away from a show that big. Picasso, the egotistical psychotic assassin at the center of Alex Cross, is certainly a role which could assist Fox in that department. The actor transforms himself somewhat similarly to the way he did a few years ago with Speed Racer, a box office bomb he rightfully calls far ahead of its time. Racer X and Picasso may not be share personality traits, but both characters rely heavily on Fox’s physicality. As anyone can see in Alex Cross, making a transformation in achieving that physicality is a challenge the star embraces. Here’s what actor Matthew Fox had to say about defending a psychopath, avoiding villainous monologues, and his love for Speed Racer:

I wish I got this interview on video. Emile Hirsch was acting like he just came off a late night of drinking countless Red Bulls. The actor couldn’t have been more energetic and enthusiastic about everything he was saying. It threw me at times, for sure, but it was refreshing on some level. Here is a young actor that does not take himself seriously at all and that does not come off pretentious, at least that’s the impression I got. Hirsch was at Comic-Con promoting the under-the-radar alien-invasion film, The Darkest Hour. The film had no Hall H presence, but a press event was held at the pain-in-the-ass Hard Rock Hotel. The concept art I saw presented the film as an atmospheric and small invasion film set in Mother Russia. The aliens decided not to stop by Los Angeles or New York for the thousandth time. Here’s what Emile Hirsch had to say about the scope of the film, how it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and how Speed Racer was ahead of its time:

Speed Racer is the young, hotshot kid that’s going to shake up the world of racing. With the help of his loving family and hot girlfriend (?), he’ll be able to stop the stock scheme of some villain and change the face of race car driving forever. Will Speed find the will to defeat some evil corporate schmuck? Since this is intended to be a kid’s movie, yes, you bet he will! Why We Love It: Dick Tracy + Sin City + The Matrix + The Wizard of Oz + Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory + Wall Street (yes, that Wall Street) + whatever visually eye-titillating movie you can think of = Speed Racer. This film is totally “cool beans,” and that, while featuring flavors of those movies listed, is its own colorfully bombastic beast.

Cartoon Network has a show called Ben 10 that’s ridiculously popular with young boys at the moment. I’ve never heard of it before, but I imagine that some of our readers with children are all too familiar with shelling out big bucks to their grubby little offspring so they can buy all of the latest Ben 10 whosits and whatsits. I mean, when they made a live-action special based on this character, four million people watched. I didn’t even know that many people still watched cable TV in total; this thing has to be huge. And you know what happens any time something becomes a well-known brand name in the world of anything. Hollywood looks to make it the next big summertime franchise. This time it’s legendary producer Joel Silver looking to help Ben 10’s jump from small to big screen happen. I’m sure you’ve heard of him, he produced pretty much every amazing thing ever, like Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Predator, The Matrix, and Hudson Hawk. Okay, so maybe Hudson Hawk isn’t awesome, but point is: Silver has been around the block. For the people behind Ben 10, having him on board to put this project together must be seen as a real coup. As a matter of fact, I have a quote from the chief operating officer of Turner animation Stu Snyder that says as much right here, “I cannot think of anyone better suited than Joel Silver to develop a theatrical action-driven adventure based on our franchise

How (puke-colored) green was our valley in 2008? I offer ten instances in film that did not live up to a certain amount of hype, didn’t get the credit they deserved, or just flat-out disappointed the general public.

Brian Gibson loves to buy DVDs. Come with him on his weekly journey into the depths of credit card debt as he tells you what to buy, rent and avoid.

Sure, Speed Racer might not have done so well at the box office this summer, but that doesn’t mean you should pass up a chance to get it on DVD for free…

The headline of the hour is that The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian was the Number One movie at the box office with a take of $56 million dollars. That’s the good news.

It’s really easy to pick a weekend box-office winner when these studios roll out only one new blockbuster week after week against absolutely no competition.

While Iron Man may have crushed Speed Racer in last week’s box office grand prix, the man in metal will most likely be slain handily by Disney’s family fantasy adventure The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

After the debacle that was Speed Racer’s opening weekend, it appears that Warner Brothers may be ready to kick marketing for The Dark Knight into high gear.

t’s only been two weeks, but the first major train wreck of the summer movie season is in the books. Or maybe I ought to say “car wreck”, because Speed Racer crashed in spectacular fashion and was killed at the box office.

While some folks are going to alter their mind before watching the mind-blowing special effects (which will surely result in a literal mind-blowing), others might decide to just get drunk.

Kevin and Neil talk about how What Happens in Vegas was surprisingly decent and how Speed Racer almost gave Neil an aneurysm. There’s also plenty of baby stories… and poo.

I am very aware of the fact that Speed Racer is a kid’s movie. I don’t care — I’ve had a huge crush on Christina Ricci for some time now, and this is my column, so get over it.

Check this out, here you will find the first 7 minutes of the film, in which Speed, played by Emile Hirsch, flashes back to childhood memories as he rips around the track in the Mach 5.

It is shaping up to be quite a race this weekend, one of the most dramatic box-office showdowns of the year in fact. Will it be the challenger, Speed Racer, or the defending champion Iron Man that takes the checkered flag this week at the box office?

Upon screening Speed Racer, the latest attempt by the brothers Wachowski to push the envelope of technical effects in filmmaking, I can come away with one two clear conclusions. On one hand, I have a headache. On the other hand, I have decided that the Wachowskis are sick, in more ways than I can count.

There’s nothing I love more than declaring my love of comics and film. Except maybe declaring that love while also drawing attention to my crotch. With that in mind, how can you possibly go wrong with an awesome comic or movie inspired belt buckle? Hint: You can’t.