Public Enemies - What Did You Think?
Kristen Bell Doesn’t Think a Veronica Mars Movie Will Ever Happen
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
In March, show creator Rob Thomas gave an update on the developing Veronica Mars movie, stating that “while the pitch went well and I don’t think the movie’s dead, right now it’s looking depressing.” We haven’t heard anything since, and assumed that it’s fallen into the deep dark depths of development heck. Ad now the star of the series, Kristen Bell, is finally conceding that a film will probably never happen.
Live-Action Star Wars Series In Pre-Production In Australia?
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 by Russ Fischer
Remember the time when rumors that a live-action Star Wars television series was in pre-production would have ignited swirls of fan frenzy? How things have changed. Now SciFiWire’s report that writers are being assembled down under is just another line item in a crowded RSS feed. The show has long had a planned start date of late ‘09, so this report goes along with what we’ve already known. Assuming we do see a Star Wars series premiering next year, what will it actually be? Read More »
Last Airbender Trilogy Not Being Filmed Back-to-back, May Take Over 6 Years to Complete
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 by Devindra Hardawar
Last Airbender producer Frank Marshall recently confirmed that the trilogy of films will not be filmed back-to-back (Lord of the Rings style), but will instead be shot one at a time. M. Night Shyamalan is still working on the script for the second film, while also sketching out the trilogy’s greater mythology. Marshall notes that they still plan to take advantage of the sets and other elements from the first film in the sequels:
One of the things we’ll be doing is using the sets, ships and elements for each different nation in this film and incorporating them into movies two and three. We’re not waiting. There just isn’t enough time. Night will finish this movie, then the script and then we’ll prepare for the next one. I think it’ll probably happen over six years.
He also confirmed on Twitter that fan-favorite animal characters Appa (a flying bison, think Neverending Story), and Momo will be in the film.
On the eve of its rebranding from The Sci Fi Channel to SyFy (seriously guys, WTF?) the home of Battlestar Galactica has announced plans to revive another venerable TV show featuring the conflict and cooperation between humans and other beings: Alien Nation. Variety says Tim Minear (Angel/Firefly) is scripting, hewing close to concepts behind the original 1988 feature that spawned a season’s worth of episodic TV on Fox and five additional TV movie sequels. The film told of a human cop and his alien partner who is part of a race (the ‘Newcomers’) carried in a slave ship that crashed on Earth and is attempting to fit into human society. Read More »
With characters that included a titular, homeless-footed superhero with a fan for teeth and a pot-bellied, psycho-analyzing mass-rapist in a tiki mask, MTV’s The Maxx definitely has its fans. The cartoon—an adaptation of the feted and trippy Image comic book by Sam Kieth—originally aired in ‘95 and remains officially unavailable on DVD. This week, MTV posted six full episodes for free streaming, and they are a great refresher and/or requisite viewing if you dig slightly-adulterated, “offbeat” animation.
Watching The Maxx kabob an endless wave of his primary adversary, an otherworldly critter species called The Isz, never gets old. But it’s the episodes’ stream-of-consciousness editing and alternating narration, which borders on an open-mic bohemian poetry night, that sticks with you. We’ve included the first episode after the jump, but episode three (cow-udder shaving cream) and episode five (Beavis cameo, teenagey writer pains) are personal faves.
With only two feature films and one TV show to his name, writer/director Jody Hill, is now synonymous with ignoring the boundaries and “genre rules” of modern comedy and creating anti-heroes that laughably burble with nihilistic rage, scary faux pas and hot-air egos. But there is also an internal depth to these macho doofuses played by Hill’s longtime pal and writing partner, Danny McBride, and comedy star Seth Rogen, to surpass the high art of a perfectly-timed and pronounced “fuck.”
Hill’s work on Observe & Report, The Foot Fist Way, and his cultural breakthrough, HBO’s Eastbound & Down, contains more glass-darkly social commentary and life-lived expression than the work of any hotshot young novelist in recent memory. Rather than document the cold realities and indulgent pleasantries of another big city with bright lights, Hill is set on exploring the very place that so many creative-types vacate upon the arrival of their first Visa card or college acceptance letter: the American South. Moreover, as many middle-class and broke white American males face sobering, if inevitable, realizations and disillusions about the future, laughing at Hill’s moronic, unhinged versions as they champion outdated movie/sports star heroics atop small-town kingdoms is like homemade medicine. When it comes to countering the monotony of the average day-to-day? Eastbound is harder to beat still. The sight of Kenny Powers “dancing” in a middle school gym under the influence of eggrolls and ecstasy or ejecting a topless broad from his Jet Ski is priceless. Like cheetah-spotted gold or “a bulletproof tiger, dude.”
A native of North Carolina, Hill is the latest progeny of the North Carolina School of the Arts, alongside McBride and creative partner Ben Best, fellow EB&D director David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express), and EB&D cinematographer Tim Orr. In the first part of my interview, we discuss the show in-depth, including some of the surprising and vile admissions and special features on the Season One DVD. We also talk about what it’s like to be a young director coming from, and staying in, the South, why so many comedians today are from there, and why the region was overdue for a proper comedic depiction.
Hunter Stephenson: Hey Jody, how are you?
Jody Hill: Hey Hunter. Good, good, good. Hey man, I wanted to say that I was sorry I wasn’t there when you visited down in Wilmington [Eastbound & Down set, 2008]. I remember the piece you wrote, and it sounded like a really good time. [laughs] Sucks I couldn’t there, man; I was editing my film (Observe & Report), and Warner Bros. wouldn’t let me go. When you have to do a director’s cut, they want to lock you up for 10 weeks. [laughs] Everybody said they had a blast…and I was editing.
Yeah. I expected to interview you there. And I didn’t know about the change, that David Green was now directing the majority of the episodes while you were in L.A. But it all worked out, he killed it. My first question: Legend has it that when you, Danny [McBride], and Ben [Best] first conceived of Kenny Powers you were sitting in a kiddie pool in North Carolina drinking beers. [laughs] Is that accurate?
Jody Hill: [laughs] Yeah, this was before we made Foot Fist Way or anything. We were trying to come up with ideas for shows. I was between jobs; I had been working this really shit reality show job, doing motion-control for Behind the Music and shit like that. [laughs] It was pretty lame. And so, yeah, we were in Charlotte, in the backyard of Ben Best’s house. And yeah, we were literally sitting in a kiddie pool with a case of beer. And Kenny was one of the ideas that, uh, we came up with. [laughs]
Weeds Session: Episode “Su-Su-Sucio” Offers Jokes, Hugs, Voyeurism, and Blood Relief
Posted on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 by Hunter Stephenson
In our latest wrap-up and discussion of Weeds—a show where it’s increasingly rare to see characters puffing the titular herb, mind you—we take a look at season cinco’s third episode, “Su-Su-Sucio.” After we found ourselves not so much stunned as exhausted and turned-off by the previous ep’s k-hole of casual misery (and forced entry), we were glad to kick back with a breezier follow-up. “Sucio” was filled with hugs, laffs, morning sex, and welcome family admission and reconciling between the MILFy sisters above. (Wait, we didn’t mean they had sex.) Sure, there were a few splotches of mysterious blood, but as with Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker), any blood in this ep came to symbolize relief (her blood) and a fast break (that dude’s). Spoiler alert from here on. I’ve included the plot synopsis for next week’s ep, “Super Lucky Happy,” at the bottom…
Last night, the Academy of Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films held the 35th annual Saturn Awards. The Dark Knight was the big winner of the night, taking home five awards, including Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film, Best Supporting Actor (Ledger), Best Writer, Best Music and Best Special Effects. Iron Man, Battlestar Galactica, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button each won three awards. A full listing of winners is available after the jump
Read More »
From the start of the ’00s, musician and motivational speaker Andrew W.K. has been jumping around the planet promoting the benefits of partying the human heart out. So relentless is his dedication that he’s been consulted on the topic by entertainment zeitgeisters like Jackass, Conan O’Brien, and The Daily Show. His music and modus operandi were forever immortalized—in one of the first crossovers of then-nascent youth culture with the summer blockbuster—in Old School. As the decade closes out, 2009 finds Andrew W.K. overseeing one of the best major nightclubs in New York City, Santos Party House, a brand new record label, and…a new kids gameshow on Cartoon Network that entails firing bazookas and setting off enough C4 to make John McClane grind a roll of Tums.
Entitled Destroy Build Destroy, Andrew W.K. serves as a white-denim ringmaster on episodes pitting two demolition squads of barely-teens. Last weekend’s premiere saw a team of Mathletes take on a team of Skaters. Pass the safety goggles and get your awkward on. The show’s grandiose objective is to build massive machinery and Road Warrior-esque makeshift vehicles, throw down the gauntlet on a bizarre stunt course, and then blow up the losing team’s creation. Big time. As we discuss below, the show plays like Michael Bay 101, utilizing military tanks and firearms in a novel—arguably thought-provoking—positive means to an end. If you’ve never read an interview with Andrew W.K., caution: you may find yourself hypnotized by his “punk rock feng shui” philosophy, as if lost amongst flowing robes accented by a stream of signature blood in the name of fun.
Hunter Stephenson: Andrew, what do you make of the critics who already say that your show, Destroy Build Destroy, will lead to a kid being accidentally blown up?
Andrew W.K.: Well, that’s certainly always a concern when you’re presenting potentially hazardous situations to anybody. This could be a show about senior citizens and I’m sure there would almost be as much concern about them injuring themselves. Whenever you’re venturing into the exciting part of the world and want to present it, there tends to be risk there. But, I always have a lot confidence in the intelligence of young people to be safe, to do what they want to do. Just because there is someone out there who might end up hurting themselves doesn’t mean that everyone else needs to have all that excitement taken away. That’s how I’ve been thinking of it…
Showtime has apparently released a new teaser poster advertisement promoting the fourth season of Dexter. Check out the full poster after the jump.
David Cross Creates UK Television Comedy With Spike Jonze and Will Arnett
Posted on Monday, June 22nd, 2009 by Russ Fischer
Were you let down by the so-so showing of David Cross in this weekend’s Year One? Here’s the antidote: Cross has written a pilot for a UK comedy show called The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. His co-writer is Shaun Pye, an actor who had a recurring role in Extras. Alongside Cross, the stars of the show are Will Arnett and, in his first big acting gig since Three Kings, Spike Jonze. Read More »
Must Watch: New Trailer For The WWII Miniseries The Pacific
Posted on Sunday, June 21st, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Executive produced by Steven Spielberg and from the creators of “Band of Brothers”, The Pacific is a a 10-part HBO mini-series which tells the intertwined stories of three Marines, Robert Leckie (played by James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello) and John Basilone (Jon Seda), during America’s battle with the Japanese in the Pacific during World War II. You might remember that we posted a promo trailer for the series back in March.
Produced on a reported budget of more $200 million (some have reported $250 million), and shot on location in Australia, the series follows (from an early press release) “The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rain forests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day.”
HBO has begun airing a new trailer for this epic miniseries. Watch it now after the jump, and please leave your thoughts in the comments below!
