Ed note: This review ran in the print edition of this week’s WEEKEND. But I love it, and wanted to post it here, too.

Best. Film. Ever?

Michael Bay, you win. Your second “Transformers” film might be the best film ever made.  Read the rest of this entry »

The new season of my only real reality pleasure, BIG BROTHER is only a few days away (it begins on July 9), and the press for the show is now revving up. We have been given the list and small profiles of the new cast members, and as usual, I am less than impressed with the lack of age difference - no one is older than 41 this go around - and also as usual, they all look like major tool bags.

Names and info for the new cast members after the jump.

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Finally, the TV Academy has done something right - Neil Patrick Harris will host this year’s Emmy ceremony.

After last year’s horrible fiasco that saw five reality television shows butcher the hosting gig, this is certainly a welcome change. It also could mean that the Emmys are willing to take the show a bit younger, which could obviously make it more entertaining to watch for people that aren’t just geeky television critics. Read the rest of this entry »

The first trailer for the powerhouse comedy film of the fall, COUPLES RETREAT has hit the interwebs. Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman and Kristin Davis star in the film which was written by Vaughn and Favreau. With one hell of a cast and creative staff for a comedy not related to Judd Apatow, this film has all the makings of a big hit.

However, although the trailer certainly has its funny moments, I was not blown away in the way that I had hoped. I really wish Vince Vaughn was more than one-dimensional and Malin Akerman could act — but you have to love Favs and Kristin Davis as a married couple. Let’s hope when the film hits theaters in October that it is better than what we see here. Or even hope for a red-band trailer at the end of the summer once Universal has FUNNY PEOPLE out of the way.

What are your thoughts?

In some pretty cool news, ABC has announced that LOST will actually have 18 hours in the sixth and final season, instead of the originally-planned 17. This will also lead to a two-hour premiere and a two-hour finale for the show.
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Yesterday Zack Snyder did some promotion for the Blu-Ray release of WATCHMEN, and it was revealed that his cut of the film will hit select theaters in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas and Minneapolis on July 17, just a few days before it hits Blu-Ray on July 21. The director’s cut, which is 25 minutes longer than the March theatrical release, will only run for one week.

Meanwhile, Snyder will do a in-house BD-Live presentation just a few days later at Comic-Con on July 25. The BD-Live feature will allow anyone in North America watch the film along with the CC audience as Snyder gives his thoughts on the film.

I am still wound up by the fact that WATCHMEN only made $107 million in theaters and was met with a lukewarm reception by most critics and fanboys alike. It is still my favorite film of the year. It is surely flawed, complicated and sometimes frustrating, but damn is it ambitious. I hate that it is still bashed for being too faithful to the comics in certain scenes and not faithful enough in others. Make up your freaking minds people. In fact, I want to see it again now just for doing this post. If you haven’t - give the film a chance, and maybe give it a second chance. This is a film you should see a few times.

Image courtesy of RottenTomatoes

In a fairly surprising move, the Academy Awards have upped the number of films in the Best Picture category from 5 to 10 films.

This obviously means that the Academy is trying to appeal to the mainstream moviegoer who has trouble caring or having stake in the type of films that usually make it in the Best Pic category [I am looking at you, THE READER]. Although 2009’s ceremony did better with viewers compared to the lows of 2008 and 2003 thanks to the feel-good story of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, it still fell as the third-lowest rated Oscar telecast in 40 years.

But I guess there are two schools of thought on this decision - in one respect, the awards are giving in to the powerful studio pressure that wants their more popular films on the Oscar stage [this is where Hollywood gossip journalist Nikke Finke falls on the topic]. On the other, it’s a good business move because everyone involved should be more interested in the Oscars [where the Academy hopes this goes]. Think about how big the Oscars would have been if THE DARK KNIGHT or WALL-E were nominated in the Best Pic category?

For now, I’m on board with this idea. Though a film could win with only like 15 percent of the vote or something, if more films I have seen, enjoyed or even heard about get nominated, that gives me more incentive to watch - and that’s exactly what they want.

image courtesy of Newsday.com

My most anticipated new show coming this fall is FLASHFORWARD - I guess it is one word, meh - and many critics and web sites were given an opportunity to screen the two-hour pilot a few days back. Though they can’t divulge real plot information or actually review the episode, they can post thoughts.

And they’re saying good things. A collection of thoughts about the show, where an event occurs and everyone in the world sees 2 minutes and 17 seconds of their future (about six months into it I believe), after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Can you say “best casting news of the summer?”

I can - and will. The news that Brian Austin Green has been cast for a two-episode arc on SMALLVILLE is the best casting news of the summer. BAG will play Metallo, a mechanical villain that attempts to take out CK and steal Lois’ heart. You can read up on the character on his Wikipedia page.

Things have been interesting for BAG in recent weeks, with the cancellation of his old show TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, his back-up pilot BODY POLITIC not getting picked up (though people say it is great) and his possible casting in a major ONE TREE HILL role. Read the rest of this entry »

The ratings for the premiere episode of TRUE BLOOD are in and the news is very good for HBO. Even going up against Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the show hauled in 3.7 million viewers, a staggering 157 percent increase from the season one premiere and a 51 percent increase from the season one finale. And yet another great fact - the episode was HBO’s highest-rated since the SOPRANOS series finale.

Add this with the very, very impressive DVD sales of the first season (almost $31 million in sales and over 800k units moved) and the program’s success in the BitTorrent arena and you have a really succesful show.

But as a person who doesn’t have HBO and isn’t willing to pay $40 for a DVD set of a show that I haven’t at least since one episode, should I really invest my time in TRUE BLOOD? Read the rest of this entry »