Netflix wants someone to break the movie watching world championship, and they’re willing to $10,000 to do so. Netflix Movie Watching World Championship: The Quest for the Popcorn Bowl will begin on October 2nd in a plexi-glass living room in the center New York City’s Times Square on October 2nd at 10:30am, and is expected to last until a new Guinness World Record, for most consecutive hours spent watching movies, is set five days later on October 7th.
Guinness World Records rules require the contestants to watch films non-stop without averting their eyes from the screen. Competitors will be given 10 minutes between each movie, or approximately every two hours, to refresh themselves. Eating, drinking, standing and stretching are allowed as long as eyes are on the screen.
The record to beat for watching a continuous run of movies is 120 hours and 23 minutes held by Ashish Sharma of Mathura, India. The competitors include:
- Mr. Sharma, the current world record holder.
- Former three-time movie marathon record holder Claudia Wavra of Germany who will attempt to reclaim the title she lost to Mr. Sharma in June.
- Suresh Joachim, a Canadian of Sri Lankan descent, who holds 32 Guinness World Records. Mr. Joachim is an endurance champion whose records include television viewing (69 hours, 48 minutes), dancing (100 hours), radio dj-ing (120 hours), and ironing (55 hours, 5 minutes), among other disciplines.
- Cheryl Jones of Portland, Ore. who was a part of the team of Netflix members who broke the Guinness World Record for continuous movie watching in 2003.
- Dallas movie buff Jeff Jones who won $250,000 on the movie edition of the popular game show series “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” in 2007.
New York-based competitive eating champion, Crazy Legs Conti, who also happens to be a cinephile with a penchant for ‘80s films, will join the ranks of endurance enthusiasts for a shot at the title.
So after much ballyhoo, J.J. Abrams’s Fringe premiered last night on Fox. I’m curious to know how you guys felt about the pilot episode, and if this is a show you’d like to see covered on Slashfilm in the future. The ratings are in—roughly 9 million viewers—and while it’s not necessarily a homerun off the bat, word of mouth will play a large factor in the proceeding weeks. Do you expect the show to reach the heights of The X-Files in its prime? Did the 90-minute $10 million premiere grab you?
Yesterday, a screener for The Dark Knight leaked all over the interwebs, so the entire world has officially enjoyed Chris Nolan’s Batman sequel. Nevertheless, let me whisper “SPOILER ALERT” in your ear like a geeky Craig Mack. In a couple of new interviews, co-star Aaron Eckhart has revealed the ultimate fate of Harvey Dent and Two-Face per the ending to TDK and this second sequel we love to speculate about…
“[My character is] dead. I couldn’t even get the words out of my mouth. ‘Hey, Chris, am I–?’ ‘No. You’re dead. You’re dead,’” Eckhart told AICN. “…Well, it’d be easier than anything to bring him back, but… it’s like Chris said on the tour. He wasn’t thinking about the next movie when he made [THE DARK KNIGHT]. All the vegetables were in this stew. I think that this franchise has shown that it doesn’t have to bring back characters. I mean, there’s still Catwoman. I’ve heard Angelina Jolie really wants to do Catwoman; I think that’s a great idea. I’ll be a happy audience member this time.”
Do you guys agree with Eckhart that it’d be “easier than anything” to bring Two-Face back for the next installment? Like most of us, I’ve had this debate with friends. Given, Two-Face’s arc in TDK is swift (some fans have said too swift) and his final scene in the film is dubiously played (so is The Joker’s), but I feel that infection would have set in and killed him if a character ultimately did not.
One of my minor quibbles with TDK is that Two-Face’s appearance in the film entertains a Dick Tracy-type cinematic reality, whereas The Joker, his goons, and Lt. Gordon are based in a realistic universe that’s drawn comparisons to Heat. Having Two-Face return for another film would only reinforce this extension of disbelief. One of the counter arguments to this is that Dent, beloved by his peers and the city, could be medically treated and make a still-conflicted return with lots of scarring and facial reconstruction. And of course, there’s the chance, albeit small, that Eckhart is setting us up here for a similar surprise. So, Dent’s done, but what about Nolan?
“He never said he’s going to make another one. I’m sure they drove the Brinks truck up to his house and dumped money on his lawn. But I think Chris wants to go out and make other movies, too. And he should. He’s an independent filmmaker at heart.”
Money on the lawn? Meh. Nolan is probably sitting poolside in a purple beret next to an original work of Francis Bacon, demanding that Warner Bros. put his “face on the one dollar bill.”
Discuss: Eckhart’s statements aside, do you think Two-Face should return? If so, in what state and what’s his new arc? As it stands, was TDK’s take a definitive one for this major character? Is there a chance Eckhart is being sly? Angelina Jolie for Catwoman? How many films do you expect Nolan to make before a second sequel?
WEEKEND UPDATE: Okay. So, I just witnessed a press copy of Disaster Movie. Let’s up the ante. If you really, really want bad things to happen to Disaster Movie, and the movie’s directors/hacks, Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer Water, paste the following in the comments: Necronomicon Xmortis Juno. Thanks. If their film suffers a horrible death at the box office, we’ll update/celebrate. Disclosure: I’ve had this post/hex blessed by a perturbed employee of Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo in New Orleans. The /Film Effect is in effect!!! (Per the emails: No, I’m not kidding.)
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Okay. So, who braved the shallow waters today and paid to see Babylon A.D., a Vin Diesel comeback movie repeatedly wedgied by its director, or Disaster Movie, a national disgrace released on the friggin’ anniversary of Hurricane Katrina that has the power to shutdown Slashfilm if it grosses over $20 million?
Don’t worry readers, we will not hire Osama bin Diesel to track you down (or your innocent friends) using IP addresses. Please confess below: How did either of these “films” make you feel? Shock the cowards among us and rip into the soon-to-be infamous twist ending to Babylon A.D. below. Feel free to exaggerate, lie or simply imagine. Feel free to not even identify which travesty you are referring to, it will make things that much scarier. We await to vicariously experience these winners via your comments by candle light with a bag of Cape Cod jalapeno potato chips and an airplane pillow to muffle our screams.
/Film reader, joelnstuff, informs, “Looks as though the hex [is working], early reports have Disaster Movie only making 2.2M on Friday!”
Arguably the most beloved, foul-mouthed, politically incorrect sports comedy of all time, 1977’s Slap Shot will see a second direct-to-DVD sequel released later this year. Starring Leslie Nielsen, this one focuses on a “junior league” hockey team, alongside the three actors known as the Hanson Brothers (above), who have milked their pseudo-fame in all three films. Make it four. Today, courtesy of YourMovieMaven, we have an update on Universal’s planned theatrical remake of Slap Shot from screenwriter Peter Steinfeld (21, Analyze That, Be Cool)…
“Right now I’m finishing writing the re-make of the iconic hockey movie Slap Shot for Universal. I’ve never had so many people hate me for writing something they haven’t seen yet. It’s such a classic film and fans of the original feel like I’m grave-robbing or something. But I think the movie will be really fun and will capture what it’s like to play minor league hockey in 2008. We haven’t set cast yet…”
And I agree. This is a cherry on the sundae of suck. I’m sure we can look forward to remakes of Paul Newman’s Cool Hand Luke and The Hustler in the lovely future. Back in February, Steinfeld visited Johnstown, Pennsylvania where the original film took place. He hinted that the script would “adhere” to the ‘77 film and its location but needed to, “reflect how the world has changed and how the town has changed in the last 31 years. There have been huge changes to hockey in that time.”
Movies have arguably changed more, just see Linklater’s neutered, wheelchair-accessorized remake of 1976’s The Bad News Bears or the asinine fuss over Tropic Thunder’s Simple Jack. I highly doubt Universal’s Slap Shot redux will boast any lines this funny and filthy, and the American glee in getting away with murder was the, uh, point.
Earlier this month we reported that Relativity had scooped up the gestating Voltron movie from 20th Century Fox (nice move) with plans to make it with a “more moderate budget, utilizing the type of cost-effective technology employed in films including 300.” Latino Review (huge Voltron fans) report tonight that Max Makowski, a general unknown, is set to direct the nostalgic robot actioner.
Makowsi is currently attached to direct the revamp of Kung Fu, due in 2009, and he’s best known for the 2005 Sundance assassins flick, One Last Dance, co-starring Harvey Keitel. Haven’t seen it, neither has LR. IMDB: 6.0. Here’s the trailer. Other films he’s attached to, in a writing or directing capacity, include Shinobi and Hawaii Five-O.
A while ago, LR memorably referred to the script by the buzzing Justin Marks (Hack/Slash, Street Fighter: Chun Li) as a “fucking masterpiece.” I’ve got it, need to read it. Logline: “a post-apocalyptic tale set in New York City and Mexico which follows five ragtag survivors of an alien attack band together and end up piloting the five lion-shaped robots that combine and form the massive sword-wielding Voltron that helps battle Earth’s invaders.” I’ve been pretty amped to see this film for years, and the early word parlays that Makowski’s visual acumen will set it apart from Transformers. Playing it loose sans a $100 million budget and with a risky hotshot actually ups my anticipation.
Discuss: Familiar with Makowski? Please chime in below. Voltron fans, what do ya think?
/Film reader, ch, adds: “Saw One Last Dance. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. A definite ode to some its more entertaining Korean action predecessors.”
Update: No loving bitch slaps were ultimately exchanged. We can all sleep soundly. However, Devin did make an LOLCats: The Movie joke on air. FYI: “Andrew Stanton from Pixar is directing.”
Peter leaves for an epic film festival triathlon and suddenly Slashfilm is vulnerable to attack? No way, dudes. Our readers will easily guess who the first sneaky culprit is. Yep, one Devin Faraci from Chud.com, known here as the guy who labeled Wall-E a would-be date rapist on the /Filmcast. Today, Devin threatened via Twitter to “lovingly bitchslap” Slashfilm (more specifically: me) this evening on G4’s magnificent Attack of the Show.
The reason? Well, Faraci has quickly anointed himself as the web’s chortling spokesman for Facebook: The Movie, and he’ll be defending it on G4 tonight as such. Yesterday, FB:TM was announced by writer Aaron Sorkin on, duh, Facebook, only to be immediately and unanimously meh’d by /Film and its readers. Devin then responded by comparing the reception here to “bitching about email,” in reference to both the film and the site/company. He’s playing up Sorkin’s involvement (accomplished, talented, agreed) and presumes the rather typical controversy surrounding the company’s start will be the basis for a really good film.
Well, let’s say Sorkin was writing Wal-Mart: The Movie or Match.com: The Movie instead: would he choose to first announce the film on those respective companies’ websites, especially if he plans to deal fairly with controversy? Moreover, Faraci calls me “ignorant” and “snobbish” for not aligning with his view that Facebook isn’t much different “from email,” the phone book or Verizon. His Scrabulous-referencing headline aside, Faraci completely overlooks how sites like Facebook forever impact(ed) personal identity, relationships, consumerism, privacy, conformity, expression, for good and bad and who knows. I’m not championing or “rebelling” against the site or being a hippity hipster. Unlike Devin, I simply don’t think people hold Facebook dear enough to see a feature about it this soon, like they might, say, Atari or Nintendo, hence my comparison yesterday to The Wizard. Whatever.
And not to be disrespectful or ageist, but is the 47-year-old Sorkin of walk-and-talk fame—who admits to knowing nada about social networking and the site—the guy for a high profile film on this subject? And if so, who’s the audience? Grandpa meet Devin? Fun.
Good luck with that bitch slap, Devin!1111. FAIL. <3 Attack of the Show airs tonight at 7 and 10 p.m. EST.
Another morning on Slashfilm, another Kid Icarus in Hollywood. Previously, Robert Downey Jr. used the web to hawk an Iron loogie at The Dark Knight and DC Comics, and now Mark Wahlberg—who enjoys lighting cigarettes in the rain—says he’d pummel The Caped Crusader. Put down the Pop Tarts and take a deep breath, fanboys.
“I’m not talking about financial box office, I’m talking about one-on-one with these [puts up fists],” Wahlberg squealed to MTV while flexing in front of a mirror.
We interrupt this quote to bring you a witty message from ODB. And we’re back. Moreover, Wahlberg offered a direct and slightly ‘mo challenge to Bruce Wayne…
“Take off the suit and if you want to go one-on-one, two-on-one, and put a couple of you guys together—they all like to put the comic book characters together—come at me.”
Who is he calling “they”?! Of course, this braggadocio is in reference to October’s Max Payne, the PG-13 adaptation of Rockstar Games‘ framed cop-shoot ‘em up franchise.
“I guarantee you there’s not a badder dude in a movie this year than Max Payne. This is like my characters from The Departed, Fear, Four Brothers, all mixed into one, times ten.”
Wait a second, Fear? Mebbs he has a point.
Discuss: Should Christian Bale bother retorting in front of a mirror? Chris O’Donnell?
/Film reader, Jones Johnson, says, “Nobody’s badder than Michael Jackson. …I have doubts.”
/Film reader, Reggie, nicely references Walhberg as “a white dwarf heading for a black hole.”
Common sense would have you believe that Sony wouldn’t auction off a walk-on role in a movie which hasn’t even been given a greenlight… or would they? /Film reader Chuck W sends along word that the studio is doing exactly that. Sony is auctioning off a visit to the set of Spider-Man 4 (Location of visit will be determined by Sony Pictures based on scheduling of visit) that would include a meet and greet with the cast (this is where I expected the disclaimer “Cast will be determined by Sony Pictures based on who is willing to come back after we finish the script”) , a walk-on/extra role in the film, a trip to the New York premiere and more. The proceeds go to the Stand Up To Cancer charity. You can see the ebay auction here.
Let’s not kid ourselves. Obviously a fourth Spider-Man film is going to happen, with or without Raimi or any of the original cast, and this is just further confirmation of such. Even so, I do find it hillarious that Sony would put this up for auction when a final screenplay hasn’t even been turned into the studio, and no cast and crew have yet to sign on to the project.
Slyly, included in the fine print is “If experience cannot be fulfilled, Sony Pictures will provide alternative set visits/premieres based on the provider’s availability”. How pissed would you be if you spent tens of thousands of dollars and they changed the film to the Goosebumps movie? The current high bid (as of this writing) is $5,000 and the auction ends on September 5th.
Marvel is teaming with Madhouse, the respected Japanese animation studio responsible for Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and Ninja Scroll, to reenvision its comic book characters, their origins, and new characters for anime series. Iron Man and Wolverine have been tapped, but others characters were not specified. In a report by the NY Times, Marvel’s International President, Simon Philips, says the venture will create a “parallel universe” to the current canon.
He’s not exaggerating. In a press release from Marvel, Madhouse’s president, Jungo Maruta, confirms the scope, ambition and creative vision behind this partnership…
“We are incredibly excited to have this full collaboration with Marvel to create a completely new world that has never been done before in the Marvel Universe. This will be the first time there will be a full Japanese anime style for Marvel, and the Madhouse creative team is fully engaged to bring this to a worldwide audience.”
As of now, there are four planned series scheduled to air in 2010 on ANIMAX, Japan’s 24-hour anime network. Any plans to bring the series to the U.S. were not released, but it would seem inevitable, no? Everyone involved has boldly expressed that this will not be Westernized anime (or manga), it will be embedded and shaped by Japanese culture. As expected, these series will eventually spawn merchandise and tie-ins et al. I don’t follow anime too closely, but this is phenomenal forward-thinking on Marvel’s part, nearly comparable to open-sourcing their properties and reaping the benefits. And just pondering how Madhouse would take on Captain America or Silver Surfer is pretty damn cool.
Don’t worry. The above image of Iron Man was made using the Slashfilm office’s outdated Manga Machine.
Discuss: Lots to talk about with this deal. Your thoughts?
