For the first time since 2002 Mel Gibson has signed on to star in a movie. You mat remember Gibson as the actor who brought crazy to the screen with Lethal Weapon, Gave us Freedom in Braveheart, or fought aliens allergic to water in Signs (the last movie he starred in).

Since then Gibson has spent his time as a Director, bringing us the story of Jesus Christ in the gritty, realistic Passion of the Christ and the story of a Mayan man trying to make it back to his wife and son. Both movies were noted for their use of dead languages and subtitles to tell the stories.

Gibson will return in Edge of Darkness directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale). The movie written by William Monahan (The Departed) is based on a six-hour BBC miniseries from 1985.

Gibson has long been a fan of the original miniseries and apparently jumped at the chance to star when approached by Campbell and Monahan. In the movie Gibson will play "a straitlaced police investigator whose activist daughter is killed. He plunges into the case and uncovers systemic corruption that led to his daughter's death."

Personally I'm excited to see Gibson return to the profession that made him famous, especially in a movie with the pedigree of this film. So what do you think of Gibson's return to acting?

Labels: Casting, Mel Gibson

So I haven't heard much about this movie, but it seems Brad Pitt and Sean Penn have been in Texas since February filming Terrence Malick's new film 'Tree of Life'

The movie tells of a mystical world of folklore, in which several individuals embrace in a race to find the Tree of Life, said to give immortality, fertility, and other supernatural powers.

It's ironic to note that Pitt was originally set to star in that other movie about the quest for immortality The Fountain, but he ultimately dropped out and the part went to Hugh Jackman.

The movie was casting for several young boys, ages ranging from 2 weeks to 2 years, all with light brown/blonde hair, which makes me wonder if we don't see Pitt's character in various ages.

Labels: Tree of Life

Katherine came out of surgery this morning and was moved into ICU. She is currently in a drug induced coma for the nest 36-48 hours so her brain can recover. They got all the area damaged by the AVM, but don't yet know the extent of her injuries.

In good news she has apparently moved her hand and wiggled all of her toes which means she's not paralyzed.

I'm setting up an auction to help them with medical bills and future costs of this situation. I'm collecting entertainment memorabilia from anywhere we can get it to auction it off. I'll keep you updated as the auction nears.

If anyone has any contacts that might be able to help me find items for auction or can make donations please contact me at the link above.

Thanks,
Travis

I'm going to take a break from entertainment to ask for your prayers.

A couple of our friends need your prayers right now. Earlier today our friend Katherine passed out, luckily her husband Jay was there to revive her. They took her into the hospital and she has some serious bleeding on her brain.

Katherine is currently undergoing emergency brain surgery at the UCLA medical center in Westwood. The surgery began at just before 5pm and will last 6 to 8 hours if it goes well. Jay and Katherine have a 6 month old son, so please pray that his mommy will be ok.

Please pray for Katherine, Jay, James, and all the doctors currently performing the surgery.

Thanks,
Travis

Now let me preface this by saying this review was originally posted back in October based on an early screening of the film. Since then the movie was been recut and several scenes have been dropped (for the most part I've gone through and marked out references to scenes no longer in the final movie and made new comments in italics) but it should give you some guidance in what the movie is like. I'll be seeing the final version tonight and will try to have a review up this weekend, maybe I'll even get that promised review of Prom Night up as well!

I've been excited about seeing this film for some time because not only am I a fan of Kristen Bell, but it was produced by Judd Apatow, the creator of both Knocked Up and The 40 Year-Old Virgin, two of the funniest movies of the last few years. While both are pretty raunchy they are also full of heart, so I was anticipating another film that fits in that category. But possibly the most exciting part of the movie is that it was written by and stars Jason Segel, who has been in two of the most loved series in the CineManiac household, Freaks & Geeks and How I Met Your Mother.

Jason Segel plays Peter Bretter, a struggling musician who creates the music for the hit TV show, Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime. Peter's girlfriend the titular Sarah Marshall is the shows star, and her career has been rising because of it. The movie starts with "The Break-up Scene" as Sarah dumps Peter, telling him there's another guy. The scene plays out in a way that I don't think has been attempted before, so I don't want to ruin it, I'll just say it's funny. At this point everyone knows Sarah dumps Peter while he's wearing only a towel and leads to a quick nude shot. Devastated Peter tries to go on with his life, but quickly spirals into a depression he can't get out of. So on the insistence of his step-brother, Brian (Bill Hader) Peter decides to take a trip to get away from it all.

Peter winds up at an amazing resort in Hawaii, only to discover that his Ex is there with her new boyfriend, Brit Rocker Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). It quickly becomes clear that getting over Sarah is going to be much harder than he thought. As both decide to stay at the resort, they keep running into each other, At dinner Peter, seated alone, is given "the best table in the house" because it's facing Aldous and Sarah, the next morning non-flexible Peter runs into the duo at a Yoga class, where he tries to keep up, (Look for this scene on the DVD, hilarious!) and, being on an island, they can't get away from each other.

Luckily for Peter, he meets Rachel, the resort's Customer Service lady played wonderfully by That 70s Show's Mila Kunis. What starts as a simple flirtation quickly (very quickly) turns into a relationship over Peter's 4 days at the Resort. While somewhat fast paced, the relationship does seem fairly realistic.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the fantastic supporting cast. Jonah Hill plays a resort employee whose clearly obsessed with Aldous Snow, to the extent of baking him a cake. Paul Rudd is fantastic, as always, as the local Surfing Instructor with an awful memory. SNL's Kristen Wiig steals the show in her small scene as a Yoga instructor, who fawns over Aldous and Sarah and gives Peter a hard time. Her scene as said above has been completely excised, probably due to time constraints, so this DVD will be great!

But possibly the best of the supporting cast is 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer as one half of a Mormon newlywed couple, who's having trouble in the bedroom. McBrayer's scenes are hilarious and he constantly made me laugh. And to say he steals the show from Paul Rudd means a lot since I've recently decided that Rudd is the funniest member of the Apatow Acting Troop.

If there was any disclaimers about the movie it's the amount of sex. There are several sex scenes, each of which are played for laughs, which could turn some people off. The scenes are done in a way that there's no actual nudity, but instead implied nudity.

The cut we saw, while having some raunchy material, is definitely the cleanest of the Apatow movies so far. Pretty sure this no longer applies, but we'll see. The other difference is that this film does not throw out a joke a second. This doesn't mean it's not funny, to the contrary I laughed as much in these as I did at Super Bad or Knocked Up. It's just a different beast altogether, and I don't think it should be compared to those, although I'm sure it will be.

All in all it was a hilarious movie that I've waited a long 6ish months to see again. Hopefully the new cut is just as good as the old one. One other thing I wanted to mention, one really good scene featuring Sarah and Peter which wrapped up their story at the end was apparently cut from the film. This scene really was an amazing piece of acting, especially for Bell, so it's sad to see it go. But once again it just means the DVD will be amazing.

Labels: Forgetting Sarah Marshall, new releases, Review

Today brings good news for fans of Joss Whedon as not one but two veterans of the "Whedonverse" have signed up for new series.

Firefly's Alan "Wash" Tudyk (recently of 3:10 to Yuma & Death at a Funeral) has been cast in the as yet untitled Kohan/Mutchnick pilot for ABC. The series is about two lifelong best friends and business partners. The two men--one straight, the other gay--have their relationship tested when they both get significant others. Tudyk will reportedly play the gay half of the duo.

Meanwhile Angel's Amy "Fred/Illyria" Acker has joined a trio of actors who will round out the cast for Whedon's Dollhouse. Along with Acker, Miracle Laurie (Medical Investigation), and 24's Harry Lennix will fill out an already fantastic cast. Whedon himself spilled the beans about the new ladies joining the cast over at Whedonesque.com. Dollhouse finds Eliza Dushku playing Echo, a member of a group of people known as "Actives" or "Dolls" who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas, including memory, muscle memory, skills, and language, for different assignments. They're then hired out for particular jobs, crimes, fantasies, and occasional good deeds. In between tasks, they are mind-wiped into a child-like state and live in a futuristic dormitory/laboratory, a hidden facility nicknamed "The Dollhouse". The story follows Echo, who begins, in her mind-wiped state, to become self-aware.

Acker has been cast as Dr. Claire Saunders, the dollhouse's medical specialist who cares for the physical well-being of the Dolls. Laurie has been cast as November, another of the Dolls who does not appear in the pilot but has a recurring role throughout the series. And Lennix will play Boyd Langton, Echo's handler and former copWithin the confines of Dollhouse, Boyd seems to offer a (gruff) voice of reason, feeling morally at odds with the treatment of the Actives (or Dolls, as they're sometimes known) yet willing to lay down his own life to protect them.

As if Whedon's Dollhouse wasn't exciting enough now it's got Fred! I can't wait! Fox will begin airing the series in the fall.

Labels: Casting, Dollhouse, Joss Whedon

Normally I wouldn't post anything having to do with a movie called "Zombie Strippers" but the tagline for this film is too good not to post, so here's the poster:

That's right "They'll Dance for a Fee, But Devour You For Fee." Awesome!

Labels: movie posters

Today The CineManiac's "Comedy of the Year" Juno hits DVD. Juno was the 3rd pregnancy comedy to come out last year following Waitress and Knocked Up, and it was the best by far. It's always amazing when any group backs a movie about teen pregnancy, but it's utterly mindblowing to see 2 groups at extreme ends of the spectrum take a movie and praise it for being an example of their beliefs. But that's just what happened with Juno, both Pro-Life and Pro-Choice groups showed their support for the film.

The movie finds teen rebel, Juno, pregnant and trying to figure out what to do about it. Her first choice is to abort, but a protester outside changes her mind by telling her that the baby already has fingernails. This small fact makes Juno think twice about abortion and she instead decides to give the baby up for adoption. Juno finds a couple in the penny saver who are looking to adopt and the film follows the nine month journey of all those involved, Juno, the boy who knocked her up, her parents, friends, and the couple hoping to adopt.

What sets Juno apart is the quick fire dialogue. Juno speaks unlike any teenager I know, but more like a teenager than most movies. Plus unlike Waitress which dealt with adultery, and Knocked Up which was vulgar and more adult, Juno is a movie which almost anyone could see. I'd say it's a good movie for parents to watch with their teens in order to start a discussion on teen sex and pregnancy.

Juno appears on pretty much every platform you could imagine (From the Press Release):

Apple iTunes users will be able to purchase JUNO for $14.99 and then download the film to view on a PC or Mac, iPod with video, iPhone or with Apple TV on a widescreen TV. Additionally, consumers that purchase the Special Edition two disc DVD of JUNO or the BD disc version with Digital Copy have numerous ways to enjoy the film. They can watch the DVD or blu-ray disc on their television screen or computer and they can also effortlessly transfer the digital version of the film to their iTunes account and view it on a computer or compatible portable video device iPod with video or iPhone just like a movie purchased from the iTunes Store.

I recommend the DVD (or Blu-Ray if you can), but I really just enjoy having a physical copy.

Labels: DVD releases, Juno

Friday night I finally made it back to a movie theater to see "Prom Night" and while I actually enjoyed it quite a bit (a review will come later on) the scariest part of the night was the trailer for The Strangers.

The Strangers tells the story of a couple, Kristen and James (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman), who come home one night after a wedding and are slowly terrorized by 3 masked strangers. From the preview it looks like the couple are celebrating a recent engagement (or are about to become engaged) as there are rose petals laid out on the bed and candles and champagne set out on the table. But their celebration is interrupted by some strange noises outside.

Then comes the scariest part of the trailer, Kristen standing in her dining room/kitchen area as a man in a mask, made from what looks like a burlap sack, walks into the frame behind her. The man doesn't do anything but stand still and watch her. But the most unnerving part is how long the scene plays. Most trailers cut from scene to scene as quickly as possible, but here it stay on this creepy image for what seems like an eternity, but is really only a few seconds.

Then we see the other 2 masked strangers, who look to be women as they appear and then are gone when the couple turns to look for something. When the couple hears a record playing and go to investigate they see James' cell phone melting in the fire place. They hear more noises and find the word hello written on the inside of one of their windows.

Then an ax crashes through the front door as James stands inches from it, and the trailer kicks into high gear. We see quick cuts of the 3 strangers as they terrorize the couple, chasing them, and finally standing in front of the couple as they sit on the couch (another terrifying scene).

And in the end we get possibly the worst part of the entire trailer. We hear Kristen cry out "Why are you doing this?" and then comes the reply in a female voice "Because you were home" It's terrifying to find out there is no reason to it. Something like this could happen to anyone and for no reason other than because you were home when they stopped by.

If the movie is half as terrifying as the trailer it will be an amazingly frightening movie. I'm hoping to get a chance to see this when it comes out, preferably on opening night with a packed house. And the main reason I'll be going to see it: it's a scary movie that's not torture porn. I love being scared in movies, but the new string of torture porn makes it hard to see any good scary, suspenseful film, because all they're about it grossing people out not scaring you.

Let me know what you think, the trailer is below:

Labels: The Strangers, Trailer Review, Trailers

If you're roughly my age there's a good chance you spent the saturday nights of your middle school years sitting in front of the TV watching SNICK AKA Saturday Night Nickelodeon. SNICK was a 2 hour block of programing which ran from 8pm/7pm central to 10pm/9pm central. Over the years the shows featured on SNICK changed but for my tour of duty the last show of the night was always, my personal favorite, Are You Afraid of the Dark?

AYAOTD? was an anthology series that featured "The Midnight Society," a secret society who met at their secret location deep in the woods to take turns telling Ghost Stories. Each episode would open with The Midnight Society (Left) arriving at the site, usually with something funny happening that would lead into that weeks member beginning to tell their story by throwing some "birch bark powder" into the fire, producing heightened flames while saying "Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this story "The Tale of..."

Each weeks the stories varied between subject matter. One week might be about a murderous ghost clown, the next might be about a group of kids playing hide and seek in the cemetery where there may or may not be a killer lurking, or it might be an adaptation of a fairy tale or urban legend. Whatever the tale it always involved a group of teens and something supernatural. Most of the time the story was just scary enough to make you look behind you during it, but not so scary as to give you nightmares. (Although "The Tale of Laughing in the Dark" featuring a clown, still frightens me today) And usually the tale ended with a happy ending. After the tale was told someone would dump a red bucket of water on the fire and the group would all leave.

Most episodes were stand alone, although there were a couple of multi-episode stories. Also there were a couple of recurring characters Sardo (No Mister, accent on the "Do!") owner of Sardo's Magic Mansion, who often appeared in Gary's tales and Mr. Vink ("Vink. With a Va-Va-Va") a mad scientist/magician type who would appear in Frank's stories. Both characters appeared in two-parter "The Tale of Cutter's Treasure" told by both Frank and Gary.

The show, based in Canada, was a revolving door of young Canadian actors, many of whom were either on other Nickelodeon series or have since gone on to have decent careers. Among those that appeared on the series over it's Seven Seasons were: Mia Kirshner (The L Word), Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina), Eddie Kaye Thomas ('Til Death), Tatyana Ali (The Fresh Prince), Neve Campbell (Right, The Scream series), Will Friedle (Boy Meets World), Jewel Staite (Firefly), Ryan Gosling (The Notebook), Tia & Tamera Mowry (Sisters, Sister), Emmanuelle Chriqui (The upcoming Don't Mess with the Zohan), Elisha Cuthbert (24), Hayden Christensen (Jumper), and more I'm sure I've missed. I think it was a job you had to have in order to be a young Canadian actor.

The first Six Seasons are out on Region 1 with season 7 hitting on April 29. Although if you look on Amazon.com you can't find any of them new and will pay a hefty price for them used. (My I got my Complete Series on eBay a few years ago) But if you've never seen the show or can't afford to purchse the DVDs, there's good news. Apparently the show will be airing on The N starting on May 14th.

As for me I'm going to turn the lights down low, curl up in the chair in the corner (so nothing can sneak up from behind) and watch a few old episodes.

Labels: Are you afraid of the dark?, AYAOTD?, RetroTV

Every April-ish I get very excited as I get to watch the new season of Doctor Who. The series, which airs 13 episodes a season, always seems to go by so fast and before I know it it's gone. And over the next 8 months I somehow forget how much I love "The Doctor."

The 4th season of the revived Doctor Who (Which had previously run from 1969 to 1983) is already airing in The UK, but it's coming to Sci-Fi here in the states starting with last December's Christmas Special on April 18th.

So in order to gear up for a new season I rewatched last seasons brilliant episode "Blink" and remembered exactly how much I love this show. What's amazing is that the episode feature "The Doctor" for less than 10 minutes of the entire episode.

"Blink" tells the story of Sally Sparrow (Carey Mulligan, left), a young woman who loves antiques and enters an old abandoned house, called Wester Drumlins, to look around. While there she notices something written on one of the walls, under the wallpaper. When she peals away the paper the note says her name and tells her to "Duck" Luckily she does and when she turns around there's only a statue of a weeping angel standing in the yard.

Sally goes to tell her friend Kathy Nightingale and bring her to the house to see. As they look around there's a knock at the door and Kathy hides as Sally goes to answer it. At the door is a man who gives Sally a letter from his grandmother, a woman named Kathy Nightingale. Thinking it's a prank Sally looks for Kathy who has seemingly disappeared. The only thing Sally finds is three more weeping angel statutes in a hallway, one of which has a key hanging from it. As Sally leaves the house with the key we see that the angel statutes are watching her from the windows.

The letter form Kathy informs her that Kathy was standing in the shadows watching the man at the door one minute and the next she was standing in a field in 1920. She got married and had children and grandchildren, one of whom she asked to deliver this letter on her deathbed.
The letter also asks her to make up an explanation for her brother Larry, who runs a DVD store.

When Sally goes to Larry we see the Doctor on his TV screen. He explains to Sally that there are 17 clips of this man hidden as Easter eggs on 17 different DVDs. It's strange because no one seems to know how the Easter Eggs got on the DVD. Larry then gives Sally a list of the DVDs, although at this point Sally has no clue that the Easter Eggs and her friends disappearance are related.

Sally then goes to the police and meets with Detective Inspector Billy Shipton who shows her a garage filled with cars that have been found at Wester Drumlins with the owners having disappeared. He also shows her the most intriguing find at the house
a blue, fake Police Box (recognizable to viewers as The Doctor's "TARDIS" aka his time machine). Shipton tells her that they can't even get the thing open, saying it takes a normal "York key" but none seem to fit it.

Shipton asks Sally on a date and she gives him her phone number and then leaves. Shipton turns around after watching her go to see the 4 weeping angel statues standing around the TARDIS. He walks towards the statues and we cut to Sally. As she walks away she realizes she has a "York key" the one found at Wester Drumlins. But when she makes it back to the garage both Shipton and the Police Box are gone.

Billy wakes up in 1969 to the voice of The Doctor who tells him the "Weeping Angels" feed off potential energy by sending people back in time and feeding on the future that will never be. The Doctor then tells Shipton he needs him to deliver a message Sally, but apologizes because it's going to take awhile.

When then return to Sally who is still standing in the garage as her phone rings. Shipton is on the other end and asks to met her. Sally goes to a hospital and finds Shipton is an old man. He tells her that The Doctor told him he could only contact her on this day, the day of his death, or it would tear a whole in the fabric of time that would destroy 2/3 of the universe. He also tells Sally to "look at the list" and figure out what the 17 DVDs have in common. Shipton also says that after going to 1969 he didn't stay a detective, he got into publishing, first books, but then moved into video and eventually DVD publishing, hence the Easter Eggs.

Sally quickly realizes that the 17 DVDs are the only 17 DVDs that she owns, and that the Easter Eggs were meant for her! She calls Larry and has him met her at Wester Drumlins with a DVD of the Easter Eggs. There she begins to watch the DVDs and realizes The Doctor is responding to what she is saying. Wondering how he can hear her she asks and he says "Look to your left" where she sees Larry writing a transcript of both sides of the conversation, a transcript The Doctor has back in 1969.

The Doctor tells Sally that the "Weeping Angels" have a perfect defense mechanism in that they are "quantum locked," meaning they turn to stone when a living thing looks at them, even themselves. But when unobserved they are deadly fast, and thus it is important that they not blink. He tells them that she has to get his time machine back to him. But when Sally asks how to defeat the "Weeping Angels" he can't answer because his copy of the transcript has ended, because Larry has stopped writing because an Angel has entered the room. The Doctor concludes by saying they have to keep their eyes on the Angels and try not to blink!

In one of the most frightening scenes I've watched in sometime Larry stands against a wall staring at the "Weeping Angel" and trying not to blink as Sally tries to find a way out. As Larry starts to strain he turns his head for a split second and turns back a round to see the statute inches from him looking quite frightening. (Left) Unfortunately the Angels have locked the doors, but Sally finds a stairway to the cellar.

As Sally and Larry enter the Cellar they see the remaining 3 Angels standing around the TARDIS. Larry turns around to see the 4th statue has followed them and the duo makes their way to the TARDIS while keeping watch on all four Statues, but not before one of them has pointed at the lights, causing them to flicker.

Sally unlocks the TARDIS just as the Angels gain on them. Once inside a holographic Doctor tells them the TARDIS has recognized a control disc, the DVD of easter eggs that Larry has. Larry loads in into the TARDIS and the TARDIS gears up, but leaving Sally and Larry behind. As the TARDIS completely disappears Sally and Larry prepare for the Angels to attack. But The Doctor has fooled them, the Angels are all standing in a circle around where the TARDIS had been, looking at one another, completely freezing them forever.

The episode then jumps forward one year to Sparrow & Nightingale's Antiquities and Rare DVDs shop. Sally is putting a folder together with the transcript and several other items from the events at Wester Drumlins. When Larry sees what she's doing he asks her to give it a rest and hints that its getting in the way of the two of them having a relationship. Larry then goes to get milk and Sally sees the Doctor getting out of a cab.

Sally runs out and yells to him, but he doesn't recognize her. Sally realizes that the events have not yet happened to him and tells him he'll get stuck in 1969 and to make sure that he has the packet and hands him the transcript. Larry walks up and looks astonished to see the Doctor, Sally then takes his hand and walks into their shop with him.

The episode ends with The Doctor via voice over warning about the statues, that you can never blink, while showing images of dozens of statues around the world. Quite Unsettling.

In the end it's an amazing episode of a wonderful show and one of the scariest episodes Doctor Who has had so far. And part of me keeps hoping that they will bring back Carey Mulligan's Sally Sparrow to become a new companion.

Labels: Doctor Who, Things I Love

Want to win a copy of Blade: The Complete Series on DVD? It's really, really easy.

Since the last post kind of got buried and no one commented on it, we're going to try this again.

If you want a free copy of Blade: The Complete Series on DVD simply click the link above that say "Contact Me" with your name and "Blade DVD Giveaway" in the Subject line.

I'll take all the names and pick one lucky winner out at random.

You have until 5pm (Pacific) this Friday the 11th to enter your name. One entry per person. The winner will be notified by e-mail on Saturday the 12th.

Good Luck!

If the link above doesn't work simply send an e-mail to thecinemaniac.com@gmail.com

Labels: Blade, Giveaway

It's hard to believe that Mrs. Doubtfire is 15 years old. Its even harder to believe when actually watching the film because it's held up remarkably well. The jokes still pop and the story of a father dressing up like a British Nanny to be close to his kids still holds weight today. And now there's a new "Behind-the-Seams" edition DVD that lets us relive the movie, a DVD bursting at the seams, if you will, with extra content.
For those few of you who don't remember or never saw the movie it goes a little something like this:
Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) has just split from his wife, Miranda (Sally Field) and been denied custody of his children. In order to spend time with them he passes himself off as Euphegenia Doubtfire a wonderful British Nanny, thanks to his brother, a make-up artist (Harvey Fierstein). The kids end up loving Doubtfire, but it's not long before Daniel is running around trying to be both Daniel and Doubtfire at the same place at the same time. In fact the best scene has Daniel running back and forth in a restaurant switching in and out of the costume, make-up, and wig and forgetting which character he's supposed to be.

One of the reasons the movie is so good is it mixes humor and drama, as we see how the divorce changes everyone involved, especially the kids. And Daniels deception definitely takes its toll on the kids once they find out who Doubtfire really is. But really what father wouldn't go to such measures in order to see his kids more than one day a week.

This new 2-Disc release is packed full of Special Features, the best of which is "The Improvisation of Mrs. Doubtfire," offering 35 minutes of alternate, improvised takes of several scenes from the movie. The feature allows you to see Williams at work creating different versions of the same scene, each genuinely funny, and usually completely different from the take before. It also shows the final version which made it into the final film.

Another great feature is the Aging Gracefully" feature which looks back at Mrs. Doubtfire from Script (Williams wife read the book, "Alias Madame Doubtfire" and thought it would be great for him to play the lead) to Casting to Make-up to the on the set antics of Williams as Doubtfire (once in Make-up Williams stayed in character at all times) and finally ending with a look at how they mixed the seriousness of divorce with the comedy of the story.

Other features include: all-new on-camera interviews with Williams; a plethora of footage from the "Cutting Room" including deleted scenes, extended scenes, and alternate scenes; an in-depth look at the Make-up, "A Conversation with Legendary Animator Chuck Jones" about the film’s credit sequences; and a look at the original publicity for the film including a 15 year old documentary on the making of the film.

Compared to the old bare bones version of the film it's definitely time for an upgrade. The special features are great and the movie looks wonderful (and I imagine with an up-converting DVD player and HD TV it would be even better!) So go out and pick up a copy today, as the Behind the Seams Edition is out now.

Labels: DVD review

It's taken awhile but I finally sat down and watched Dr. Dolittle: Hail to the Chief. The movie stars Kyla Pratt as Maya Dolittle, the daughter of Eddie Murphy's character in the Dr. Dolittle movies. (This direct-to-dvd movie is a sequel to a made-for-tv sequel to the original two theatrical releases, and if you think that's convoluted wait until you see the plot for this movie)

Maya is hoping to follow in her father's footsteps and become a veterinarian, since she shares his gift of being able to talk to animals. Unfortunately her grades are not great and she's not going to get in to Veterinarian's school based on her father's name alone. It looks like her plans will have to be changed when a session with some baby animals goes completely awry and leaves her future in jeopardy. It's gonna take a big recommendation to get Maya into school.

Luckily the President comes calling on her father, who happens to be in Antarctica, and Maya answers the call instead. (and here's where it gets complicated) The President's Dog Daisy is a symbol of his presidency and all it stands for, but recently she's start acting out and become a bad dog. You may ask "Why does this matter?" Well I'm glad you did ask, you see the President is trying to save a rain forest by getting the leader of an African nation to sign a treaty to save the rain forest and the animals that reside in it, but last time it was ruined by the President puking on the African leader. But he's finally convinced the leader to join him for a state's dinner in his honor, and the leader's bringing his daughter a huge Daisy fan. so of course if daisy is acting bad, she'll destroy an entire rain forest.

The story quickly moves to the President's ranch/wild life preserve where Maya can talk to dozens of new animals. The movie is clearly aimed at kids, although the love interest for Maya and the random last act introduction of a villain trying to keep the treaty from being signed do show that the creators were trying to get to the young teen audience as well, something I fear it doesn't do.

Let's be honest, this movie is not for adults, and was quite painful for me to get through. But it is something young kids, specifically those under the age of 8 or 9 could really enjoy. It's a good kids movie with good clean content, and only a few poop jokes so parents can rest easy letting the little ones watch it.

Special features include: Critter Casting Sessions” featurette, “Working With Actors Of A Different Breed” featurette, “Goin’ Wild at Mountain View” featurette, and “Learning About Endangered Animals” featurette.

Final Verdict: Something to leave for the babysitter to watch with the kids, so the parents don't have to suffer through it.

Labels: DVD review

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I said there was a potential "game changer" coming to Lifetime. Well today in the New York Times (where I hinted the story would first break) it was announced that Project Runway was heading over to Lifetime after 5 seasons at NBC Universal's Bravo.

And NBC Universal is none to happy about it. In fact they've filed a lawsuit against The Weinstein Co. claiming that the move violates their contract for the series, saying "NBC Universal has continuing rights related to Project Runway, including a right of first refusal to future cycles of the series, which the Weinstein Company unfortunately has refused to honor."

TWC on the other hand says "We believe that this lawsuit is without merit," and it "is always unfortunate when parties try to win in court what they have lost in the marketplace."

Either way this is a huge deal for Lifetime as it gives them a guaranteed hit for the next five years. I'll try to score an interview with someone from Lifetime this week if possible.

Labels: Lifetime, TV

My Bloody Valentine 3-D
Not to be outdone by his Supernatural co-star's, recent news that he'd head the Friday the 13th remake, Jensen Ackles has signed on to star in Lionsgate's My Bloody Valentine remake: My Bloody Valentine 3-D.

The original film, a Canadian cult classic, starts out "20 Years Ago" with a explosion trapping 5 miners after several key members of their crew leave early for the Valentine's dance. After 6 weeks the sole survivor is rescued, having eaten the other 4 to survive. After a year in an institution he escapes on valentine's day to kill the guilty crew members, leaving a warning that if the town ever holds a Valentine's day dance again he'd be back. 20 years later a group of young miners decide the towns gone long enough without celebrating V-Day. Unfortunately for them a maniac in mining gear starts killing the townfolk in blood-ily creative ways.

The new version, directed by Patrick Lussier (Dracula 2000 and it's 2 sequels), sees Ackles playing Tom, a "handsome, principled man" who returns home 10 years after 22 people were murdered on Valentine's night. Back home he discovers he's still in love with his old flame, Sarah (Jamie King) and is now a murder suspect.

Sound less like a remake and more like they took one piece of the plot and ran in a new direction. But I've never seen the original, so I guess I'll have to rent it and check out the new version.

The interesting thing here is that they are taking advantage of the new 3D technology to bring us bloody deaths spraying right in our faces! The only thing that could make it better would be if they sprayed water or air in your face like the 4D rides at some theme parks (Shrek 4-D for instance) to make it feel like the blood was hitting you in the face, but that's just me.

Labels: Casting, Jensen Ackles, My Bloody Valentine, My Bloody Valentine 3-D, Supernatural

That's right Battlestar Galactica is finally back after more than a year off the air. BSG's truncated fourth (And somewhat final) season* starts tonight at 10/9 central on Sci-Fi, and I personally couldn't be more excited. After last season's thrilling finale, it's been hard to wait this long to see how it's going to end.

So a Few things I can't wait to find out:

How will "The Four" revealed at the end of last season deal with their shocking discovery?

How is Kara "Starbuck" Thrace back, and did she really see Earth?

How will everyone respond to Starbuck's return? (From the previews it looks like not everyone will be happy)

Who is the final Cyclon?!?!?!?! Clearly this is the biggest mystery currently surrounding the show, which means we probably won't find out until next year.

And what exactly is the meaning behind the Cast photo above?

So why not tune in and see for yourself the best show on television. I promise you'll be glad you did. (Although if you're just starting you might want to go rent Season 1 and start at the beginning.

*In order to cash in on BSG, Sci-Fi has decided to air Season 4 in 2 pieces. The first 10 episodes will air now and the final 10 will be held, likely until next April. Which to me means this is season four and next April we'll get the fifth and final season, but I guess it's all semantics.

Also Keep Scrolling down as I hope to post several reviews today and they'll be under this post.

Labels: Battlestar Galactica, BSG

Have you ever sat watching a film for 2 hours and 25 minutes and once it was over think "What the Heck did I just watch?" I hadn't either until last night (Ok I've seen several movies that made my ask that, but usually they aren't that long) Anyways last night I watch Richard Kelly's Southland Tales and I still have no clue what I watched.

I am a huge fan of Kelly's Donnie Darko (Another, shorter film which had me scratching my head), and so I've been excited about seeing Southland Tales since it was announced years ago. Even after it got all the bad press after Cannes I was still very excited. So this past week I picked up a copy for rent and finally watched it last night. What I saw is a strange, strange movie, which somehow blends together Sci-Fi, Satire, Religion, A Musical Number, and numerous cameos and comes out with.... well it comes out with something unlike anything you've ever seen.

The movie starts off in my home of 4.5 years, Abilene, Texas on July 4, 2005, as a Nuclear attack is launched and wipes the town out. (Something that could in fact happen as Abilene houses Dyess Air Force Base and has been rumored to be high up on the potential targets of a nuclear attack, as is strangely my hometown Amarillo, TX, but that's off topic) We then learn through a CNN-like news channel, and narrator Pilot Abilene (Justin Timberlake), that El Paso was also wiped out in the attack and the US then entered into World War 3 and reinstated the Draft.

We then jump forward 3 years to the summer of 2008 and introduced to Boxer Santaros (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) a movie star and son-in-law of a Texas senator running for President, who wakes up in the middle of the dessert with amnesia. He meets up with porn star Krista Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and writes a screenplay which tells the future and describes how the world ends (Not with a Whimper, but with a bang). Unfortunately all of this takes place off-screen in Kelly's 3-part Prequel saga which can be found in Graphic Novel form. So the audience is left without some knowledge which I think might be important to the film. So much so in fact I'm considering picking up the graphic novel to see if the movie somehow makes more sense after reading it.

Anyway back to the film, Boxer has been missing and has in fact been kidnapped by a group of Neo-Marxists who want to use him against his In-Laws. (As I said his father-in-law is running for president and his mother-in-law is the dead of the NSA'a new internet watchdog program USIDent, which requires the use of fingerprints to access the internet) The Neo-Marxists are against the censoring of the internet and want to use footage of Boxer with Krista to get the senator to vote against Proposition 69, which gives USIDent its power, or something like that.

There's also an experimental new power source which uses the ocean to create power called Liquid Karma, Time Travel, A rip in the wall between us and the 4th dimension, a musical number that has Justin Timberlake singing along to The Killers' "All These Things I've Done," and a bunch of other weird stuff that I don't know if I fully understand.

I truly can't put into words what this movie was about. And I'm still trying to decide if I liked it. I think it's going to take me reading the graphic novel and rewatching the movie before I make my decision. But I will say if you want to see a crazy movie, unlike anything you've ever seen, that will mess with your head, and likely confuse you, then go check it out.

Labels: Graphic Novels, Review, Richard Kelly, Southland Tales

I have to confess I'm a huge fan of the Blade trilogy. I love that each film has a very different look and feel. The first one was a very dark action film with a bit of horror thrown in, the second took that and added a bit more sci-fi and horror and of course the great Ron Perlman, and the third one made it a bit lighter and added some comedy to the mix in the form of Ryan Reynolds. In fact it's the addition of Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel that makes the third one my favorite of the trilogy.

So it was with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that I set forth to watch Blade: The Complete Series. The trepidation comes from taking Wesley Snipes out of the picture and replacing him with Sticky Fingaz and the fact that it was aired on Spike TV.

Right out of the gate the series begins with some fairly decent action, unfortunately it's quickly pulled down by some horrendous acting and bad pacing. The main problem is that it expects it audience to know exactly who Blade is, and for me thats fine but what about those who have never seen a Blade movie or read a Blade comic, it leaves them wondering what is going on. More is slowly revealed about Blade, and maybe that's the point, that you are at the same place as Krista Starr (Jill Wagner) an Army Veteran whose brother is killed by vampires soon after she returns home from war. Starr starts to investigate her brothers murder and soon becomes embroiled in an underworld of Vampires.

But it's Wagner who poses the biggest hazard to the show, her acting is wooden, and her character is hard to care for. She's quickly turned into a vampire by big bad, Marcus Van Sciver (Neil Jackson), and it's up to Blade to save her using the same serum he uses to fend off "The thirst". (Don't even get me started on the weird Lynchian dream Starr has after being turned) After Blade "saves her" he and Starr team up to take down the "House of Cthon" (Van Sciver's Vampire Clan) from the inside. It's Starr's fight against being a vampire, while trying to keep her cover that fuels the entire show. Which makes my utter distaste for her character a major problem in enjoying the series.

The show is a bit of a disappointment coming off of the movies. Sticky Fingaz is sadly no Wesley Snipes, his delivery is at times painful to watch, and his performance makes Blade a completely unlikeable character. I'm not saying the film version was a lovable guy, but there was a charisma to the character that made you care, something the series is utterly lacking.

On the upside the show does have some good fight scenes and the series is at it's best when it focuses on Blade, like the 7th episode, "Sacrifice" It feels like the writers cared more when they were shedding more light on Blade and his past, but much like the audience, they didn't care about Krista Starr and her struggle with the villains, and didn't spend much time on those parts of the script. (Or maybe it was just the actress)

I will admit I couldn't make it through the entire series. After the 8th episode I was just burnt out on the show and I've waited over a month writing this, because I thought I could bring myself to finish the show. But I couldn't.

If you have to see this series rent it, otherwise pass on by. Better yet, if you have to see this series, post a comment telling me why you NEED to see this series, and I'll send you my copy. That's right this is the first CineManiac giveaway!!! So get typing!

Labels: Blade, DVD review, Giveaway, Review, TV Reviews

I'm a huge fan of the early cut I saw of this movie, and I absolutely love this new poster.
You can see the entire thing exclusively over at Jo Blo, but here's a little tease:

Labels: movie posters, Pineapple Express

Let me say this right now I LOVE The Muppets!!!! I remember waking up at 6:30am when I was little so I could sit in front of the TV and watch The Muppet Show. I grew up watching the wonderful Muppet movies (The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan) and even had a few Muppet toys. (I also love the word Muppet and will randomly blurt it out as my wife can attest) But over the years the Muppet movies dwindled in quality and I slowly stopped watching them, just living on my nostalgia for the old days of muppet glory.

But now theres a new hope for Muppet lovers and his name is Jason Segel. Best known for his roles in tv shows like Freaks & Geeks and How I Met Your Mother and raunchy big screen comedies like Knocked Up and the upcoming Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which he also co-wrote. While Segel may seem an unlikely person to champion the Muppets, he recently inked a deal with Disney to write a new muppet movie, with Forgetting Sarah Marshall director Nick Stoller.

Now details are slowly starting to leak out, as Segel is more than willing to talk to anyone, and seemingly everyone about his plans for the film. Segel told ComingSoon.net ecstatically that working on the new Muppets movie was "hilarious, fantastic, heart-wrenching, beautiful, nostalgic and remarkable." Asked if he was a big fan of the show he continued "I just remember being 10 years old and for me Kermit was Tom Hanks. Kermit is like the original every man and I remember watching the old Muppet with my parents and seeing Peter Sellers and people like that on. I've always had Muppet pictures and figurines all through my house. Now that I'm getting to write it, I feel like all if my dreams are coming true."

Chud.com was able to get a bit of information about the plot, which matches up with a new interview from Empire Magazine released today. Chud says that "Apparently their Muppet film is going to be incredibly old fashioned, with the familiar Muppet characters putting on a show to save an old theater (the theater from The Muppet Show?). The danger? An evil character wants to tear the place down to get at the oil underneath."

Jason told Empire ""It's a classic story, It's the Muppets needing to get back together to save the show...It's going to take place all over the world. Basically, the Muppets are no longer together. So that might take a while to film. I guess they've set the precedent in that last movie (Muppets From Space) that Gonzo is, in fact, an alien, so he could well end up in space. That guy's all over the place!"

Segel says that he's "about halfway through writing the script with Nick (Stoller)" and that he's already hoping to get some of his buddies (from the Apatow Crew) into the cast. Something I was hoping for back when the project was announced. "I'm hoping there'll be cameos from our group of people," he continues. "I think that might be what makes it work. It's not going to be raunchy like our movies though! Every time I bring it up with somebody - Mila Kunis, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen – they say, 'Oh my god, you're writing me a part'. So I don't think there'll be trouble casting. I would love to star in it myself. I think that's the plan, but right now it's just a script deal".
Publish Post
This new Muppet movie is taking shape very quickly and could possibly be Segel's next project. Let's hope that means we'll see it soon, I know personally I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Labels: Jason Segel, Muppets

TVGuide has posted a letter from Smallville creators' Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, stating that they have decided to step down from the series after 7 seasons.
You can read the full letter below:

An open letter from Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, creators and executive producers of Smallville.

As the creators of Smallville we look back at 7 amazing years. We look back at 152 episodes. We look back knowing that the show will continue into Season 8 without us. After much heartache and debate we have decided it is time for us to move on.

Over the last 7 years we have had the honor of working with a remarkable team of people here in Los Angeles and in Vancouver. We have been blessed with a wonderful cast who we have watched mature with admiration and affection. We have been rewarded with a fan base that is as loyal as it is vocal.

We are incredibly proud of our work on this show. We achieved what we set out to do. We never compromised our vision. We leave knowing that Smallville is the longest — running comic book based series of all — time. The show was featured on the covers of Rolling Stone, MAD magazine, TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. The pilot had the highest — rated premiere in the history of the WB. Even in its seventh year it is still the #1 scripted show on the network. Smallville is watched by millions of people in hundreds of countries and in dozens of languages around the world.

The show's success is a credit to a fantastically talented group of people.
We wanted to take this chance to single some of them out:

Our writers — your work speaks for itself.
James, Jae, Rob, David — the backbone of our team in Vancouver.
Joe Davola, Chris and Shelly — remember those Friday night brainstorming sessions?
Len Goldstein and Steve Pearlman — thanks for believing we could do this. David Nutter — for giving the show your magic touch.
John Litvack — when the knives were out, you always had our backs.
Ken Horton — our Yoda.
Peter Roth — Smallville's biggest fan.
Melinda, Michael R., Paul M., Susan and Suzanne — for steering us through 152 episodes.
Greg Beeman — your passion is an inspiration.
Jordan, David, Garth, Carolyn, Bob & Lew — and everyone at the much — missed WB.
Paul Levitz, Greg Noveck and the guys at DC Comics.
Lisa Lewis — our very own soccer mom/mafia accountant.
Michael Gendler — aka mega — counsel.
David Lubliner — we can finally focus on features now.
And last but in no way the least, Renee Kurtz — the smartest TV agent in town, we would be nowhere without you!

Finally, to the fans who have stuck with us through the highs and the lows:
know this — we never stopped fighting to make this show great. Thanks for watching.

Alfred Gough & Miles Millar

Labels: News, Smallville

NBC PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR FALL 2008-09

*New programs in UPPER CASE (with the exception of "ER")

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. "Chuck"
9-10 p.m. "Heroes"
10-11 p.m. "MY OWN WORST ENEMY"

TUESDAY
8- 9:30 p.m. "The Biggest Loser: Families"
9:30-10 p.m. "KATH & KIM"
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. "KNIGHT RIDER"
9-10 p.m. "Deal or No Deal"
10-11 p.m. "Lipstick Jungle"

THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. "My Name Is Earl"
8:30-9 p.m. "30 Rock"
9- 9:30 p.m. "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. "The Office"/ "SNL THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE"
10-11 p.m. "ER"

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. "CRUSOE"
9-10 p.m. "Deal or No Deal"
10-11 p.m. "Life"

SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
9-10 p.m. "KNIGHT RIDER" (Encores)
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (Encores)

SUNDAY
7- 8:20 p.m. "Football Night in America"
8:20-11 p.m. "NBC Sunday Night Football"

NBC PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR WINTER 2009

*New programs in UPPER CASE (with the exception of "ER")

MONDAY
8- 9 p.m. "Chuck"
9-10 p.m. "Heroes"
10-11 p.m. "THE PHILANTHROPIST"

TUESDAY
8- 9:30 p.m. "The Biggest Loser: Couples"
9:30-10 p.m. "KATH & KIM"
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. "KNIGHT RIDER"
9-10 p.m. "Deal or No Deal"
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order"

THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. "My Name Is Earl"
8:30-9 p.m. "30 Rock"
9- 9:30 p.m. "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. "THE OFFICE" SPINOFF
10-11 p.m. "ER"/"The Celebrity Apprentice"

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. "Deal or No Deal"
9-10 p.m. "Friday Night Lights"
10-11 p.m. "Life"

SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
9-10 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (Encores)
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order" (Encores)

SUNDAY
7-8 p.m. Specials/"Dateline NBC"
8-9 p.m. Specials/"MERLIN"
9-10 p.m. Specials/"Medium"
10-11 p.m. Specials/"KINGS"

NBC PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR SUMMER 2009

*New programs in UPPER CASE

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. "American Gladiators"
9-10 p.m. "AMERICA'S TOUGHEST JOBS"
10-11 p.m. "Dateline NBC"

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. "Most Outrageous Moments"
9-10 p.m. "America's Got Talent"
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (Encores)

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. "SHARK TAGGERS"
9-10 p.m. "America's Got Talent" (Results Show)
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order" (Encores)

THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. "The Office" (Encores)
8:30- 9 p.m. "THE OFFICE" SPINOFF (Encores)
9-10 p.m. "Last Comic Standing"
10-11 p.m. "THE LISTENER"

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. "CHOPPING BLOCK"
9-11 p.m. "Dateline NBC"

SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. Drama Encores
9-10 p.m. Drama Encores
10-11 p.m. Drama Encores

SUNDAY
7-8 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
8-9 p.m. "Monk"
9-10 p.m. "Nashville Star"
10-11 p.m. "KINGS" (Encores)

2008-09 NEW SERIES DESCRIPTIONS:

NEW DRAMAS

MY OWN WORST ENEMY - Henry Spivey (Christian Slater, "Bobby") is a middle-class efficiency expert living a humdrum life in the suburbs with a wife, two kids, a dog, and a minivan. Edward Albright is an operative who speaks 13 languages, runs a four-minute mile, and is trained to kill with his teeth. Henry and Edward are polar opposites who share only one thing in common -- the same body. When the carefully constructed wall between them breaks down, Henry and Edward are thrust into unfamiliar territory where each man is dangerously out of his element. "My Own Worst Enemy" explores the duality of a man who is literally pitted against himself. And it raises the question: who can you trust when you can't trust yourself? The series is produced by Universal Media Studios. Jason Smilovic ("Kidnapped") is the executive producer; David Semel (director of the "American Dreams," "Heroes" and "Life" pilots) is the director and executive producer.

KNIGHT RIDER -On the heels of NBC's hit movie, the iconic 1980s television classic comes roaring back to life as an updated drama series showcasing the new customized KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand) Ford Mustang. As the sequel resumes, KITT is absolutely the coolest car ever created: its supercomputer capable of hacking almost any system; its weapons systems efficient; and its body -- thanks to its creator's work and nanotechnology -- is capable of actually shifting shape and color. It is the ultimate car -- and someone will be willing to do anything to obtain it. "Knight Rider" stars Justin Bruening ("Cold Case"), Deanna Russo ("NCIS"), Sydney Tamiia Poitier ("Veronica Mars") and Bruce Davison ("Breach"). David Bartis ("Heist," "The O.C."), Doug Liman ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "The Bourne Identity") and Gary Scott Thompson ("Las Vegas," "The Fast and The Furious") are executive producers and David Andron serves as supervising producer and writer. Based on characters created by Glen Larson, "Knight Rider" is from Universal Media Studios and Dutch Oven Productions.

CRUSOE - Based on the legendary novel by Daniel Defoe, this is the tale of Robinson Crusoe. A young man leaves his true love to embark on an adventure -- only to end up shipwrecked on a remote tropical island for 28 years, completely detached from the life he once knew. His desire to return to his wife and his strong and unlikely friendship with Friday are the only things that keep him sane. While stranded, Crusoe encounters enemies and braves the elements. Equal parts "MacGyver," "Castaway" and "Pirates of the Caribbean," this series is an inspirational tale of survival rife with action and comedy. Power Entertainment produces "Crusoe."

KINGS -- "Kings" is an inspiring exploration of the timeless David vs. Goliath struggle. The show is set in a modern metropolis under siege where the fighting has gone on for too long and cost far too many lives. When David Shepherd (Christopher Egan, "Resident Evil: Extinction"), a brave young soldier, rescues the king's (Golden Globe winner Ian McShane, "Deadwood") son from enemy territory, he sets events in motion that will finally bring peace. Suddenly, David is thrust into the limelight, earning the affections of women -- including the king's daughter. When he's promoted to captain, he becomes the reluctant poster boy for hope. But for David, the line between his allies and enemies will blur as the power players in the kingdom go to great lengths to see him fall. From the director (Francis Lawrence) of the blockbuster movie "I Am Legend" comes the ultimate story of David vs. Goliath, and there's no telling who will win. Sebastian Stan ("Gossip Girl") also stars. "Kings" is a production of Universal Media Studios; Michael Green (NBC's "Heroes") is the executive producer. Francis Lawrence ("I Am Legend") is the director and executive producer and Erwin Stoff ("I Am Legend") also is executive producer.

MERLIN - "Merlin" brings to life a new legend for a modern audience. "Merlin" is an exciting, hour-long fantasy series set in the mythic city of Camelot -- but inspired by 21st Century storytelling. Before Merlin (Colin Morgan, "Doctor Who") and Arthur (Bradley James, "Lewis") became legends, they were ambitious young men looking for adventure, hoping to live up to their family's expectations, discovering love and finding their own true destiny, making mistakes along the way. The innovative, action-packed drama has cross-generational appeal and paints a picture of Merlin and Arthur's early life that audiences have never witnessed before. Anthony Head ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Richard Wilson ("A Passage to India"), Angel Coulby ("Magicians") and Katie McGrath ("The Tudors") also star. A FremantleMedia Enterprises distribution of a Shine production for BBC.

THE PHILANTHROPIST -- This one-hour drama is about a rebel with a cause. Teddy Rist loves women, money and power. After the tragic death of his only child, Teddy has an awakening and becomes the world's first vigilante philanthropist -- a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth, connections and power to help people in need. He'll do anything to achieve his goals -- bargain with the self-righteous, trade with the nefarious and even tell the truth. Instead of spending $25,000 a plate at a fundraiser, he's dodging bullets in third-world countries to hand-deliver vaccine. It's a global adventure that will take viewers to the ends of the Earth and will inspire them as well. "The Philanthropist" is produced by Universal Media Studios, Original Media and the Levinson/Fontana Company. Tom Fontana ("Homicide: Life on the Street"), Barry Levinson ("Homicide: Life on the Street") and Charlie Corwin ("L.A. Ink") are the executive producers; Jim Juvonen is a co-executive producer.

THE LISTENER -- In this one-hour drama, Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik, "The Runaway") is a 24-year-old paramedic living with a secret: he can read people's minds. This telepathic procedural takes viewers into the heart of a tortured hero who struggles to solve crimes with his unique gift. Week-to-week, "The Listener" balances high-stakes drama with irreverent humor and sends Toby on an intellectual and emotional adventure. Ennis Esmer ("The Path to 9/11") also stars. "The Listener" is a production of Program Partners and Shaftesbury Films. The executive producers are Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Michael Amo, Russ Cochrane, Glen Davis and Bill Laurin.

NEW COMEDIES

THE OFFICE SPINOFF - From Greg Daniels, the executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning American version of NBC's "The Office," comes the most highly anticipated comedy of the season in "The Office" spinoff. Audiences will follow another comic journey, complete with new faces and new locations, but with the same unique sense of humor and brand of quality from Daniels and his creative team. It's the next chapter of what viewers have come to know and love about "The Office."

KATH & KIM -- They're the most dysfunctional duo in suburbia. Kath Day (Molly Shannon, NBC's "Saturday Night Live") is the mom, a foxy, 40-something divorcée who finally has time for herself and her valiant search for love. Kim Day (Selma Blair, "Hellboy," "Hellboy II") is the daughter, a self-absorbed princess recently separated from her husband who finds consolation in stuffing her face. When Kim decides to move back home, Kath reluctantly agrees -- but to Kim's chagrin, Kath is not about to cater to her every whim as she has in the past. Based on the most successful comedy in Australia of the same name, Kath and Kim are two brassy women who prefer the finer things in life like acrylic nails, big hair and faux diamond chips. The series is produced by Universal Media Studios and Reveille. The executive producer/writer is Michelle Nader ("The King of Queens") and the executive producer/director is Paul Feig ("Freaks and Geeks," "The Office"). Gina Riley, Jane Turner and Rick McKenna also are executive producers.

SNL THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE - Dubbed "TV's funniest and most influential political player" by Entertainment Weekly, "SNL" expands its "Weekend Update" coverage to Thursdays in primetime for three live half-hour shows beginning October 16. With all of the excitement and attention around "Saturday Night Live" during the presidential primaries, the anticipation for the show's take on this Fall's election will be at a fever pitch, "SNL Thursday Night Live" will keep the momentum -- and the laughs -- going. The program is a production of Broadway Video in association with SNL Studios. Lorne Michaels is the executive producer.

NEW ALTERNATIVE

CHOPPING BLOCK -- It's time to sharpen your knives! It's not just about the meal, it's about the business of food. From the producers of "Hell's Kitchen," original rock-star chef Marco Pierre White comes to America to host the ultimate food fight on NBC -- a new reality competition set in the high-drama, high-stakes world of New York City restaurants. The cooks are given a grilling over the course of the series. The teams, which are made up of couples, will be tested in challenges that vary from having less than a week to design and revamp a restaurant space to planning a menu and creating a signature dish. The winning couple will get a chance to have their dreams come true -- opening their very own restaurant in Manhattan. The series is produced by Granada America.

AMERICA'S TOUGHEST JOBS - From creator/executive producer Thom Beers ("Deadliest Catch," "Ice Road Truckers") and executive producers Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun, "America's Toughest Jobs" is a new extreme competition series that will test 12 people who venture out of their safe, comfortable careers and are injected into some of the most challenging, dangerous and demanding jobs on earth. From logging high in the Oregon Forest to oil drilling on the Texas range, or from driving icy roads to extreme fishing -- each job requires guts and stamina, and they'll have to live up to the same standards as the pros. In the end, their new boss and co-workers will determine success or failure, and those who don't make the grade get sent home. Upping the ante, the annual salary of each job will be thrown into the pot until the finale, where one rookie will take home the well-earned cash. "America's Toughest Jobs" is created by executive producer Beers and is produced by Original Productions and BermanBraun.

SHARK TAGGERS -- From creator/executive producer Thom Beers ("Deadliest Catch," "Ice Road Truckers") and executive producers Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun, "Shark Taggers" is a one-hour reality series that follows daring marine biologists as they track down the ocean's top predators and hand-tag them with cutting-edge satellite transmitters or investigate bull sharks' sudden attacks on surfers. The series is produced by Original Productions and BermanBraun.

MOST OUTRAGEOUS MOMENTS -- This half-hour show proves that anything can happen when the cameras keep rolling. Audiences can enjoy hilarious outtakes from some of NBC's most popular shows, as well as outrageous moments from home videos, newscasts, game shows and commercials from around the globe. "Most Outrageous Moments" is produced by Universal Media Studios and Scott Satin Productions. Scott Satin ("Who Wants to Be a Superhero?") serves as executive producer.

NEW EVENTS/MINISERIES/MOVIES

THE LAST TEMPLAR -- In this four-hour miniseries, Oscar winner Mira Sorvino ("Mighty Aphrodite") stars in an epic action-adventure tale about the greatest mystery of our time. At the New york Metropolitan Museum, four horsemen dressed as 12th century knights storm the gala opening of an exhibition of Vatican treasures and steal an arcane medieval decoder. For archaeologist Tess Chaykin (Sorvino) and FBI agent Sean Daly (Scott Foley, "The Unit"), this is just the start of a suspenseful game of cat and mouse as they race across three continents in search of the enemy -- and the lost secret of the Knights Templar. The miniseries is produced by MUSE Entertainment Enterprises. Victor Garber ("Alias") and Omar Sharif ("Doctor Zhivago") also star. Emmy Award-winning television impresario Robert Halmi Sr. ("Tin Man," "Gulliver's Travels"), Robert Halmi, Jr. ("The Poseidon Adventure," "The Christmas Card"), and Michael Prupas ("Human Trafficking") will executive-produce the miniseries.

XIII - "XIII" is a high-stakes cat-and-mouse thriller starring Val Kilmer ("The Doors") and Stephen Dorff ("World Trade Center"). This adrenaline-charged miniseries begins dramatically as the first female U.S. President is shot dead by a sniper during her Veteran's Day speech. Three months later, a wounded man is found tattered in a forest with no memory of his identity. The only clue is a tattoo on his neck, "XIII." Could his lightning-fast reflexes and killer instincts betray him as the presidential assassin that the U.S. is desperately searching for? Submerged in a far-reaching conspiracy, which threatens to overthrow the entire government, XIII's identity becomes the key to unraveling a complex and dangerous secret that will shock and excite. From the first bullet, this gripping action-thriller will leave audiences gasping for more. "XIII" is produced by Prodigy Pictures and Cipango.

Ok so Captain Hammer isn't getting his own show, but the man playing him Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Slither, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) has revealed that a pilot he wrote has been picked up by ABC.

The comedy, whose working title is "Repo Brothers," follows 2 brothers who become repo men. The original story was inspired by an incident that had Fillion and Firefly Co-Star Alan Tudyk picking locks. In an interview last year with Europe's SFX Magazine Fillion said he had written the pilot and a couple of episodes of a TV show and hoped to eventually write and direct a movie. I guess we know know what the TV show is.

Fillion is one busy guy, he just wrapped Joss Whedon's indie project "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," He's currently co-starring on ABC's Desperate Housewives, and has recently worked on the movies Chilled in Miami & Trucker.

Labels: Nathan Fillion, Pilots, Repo Brothers

The official Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along website Blog has the first glimpse of the poster for Joss Whedon's new Indie project. The poster features NPH* as the titular Dr. Horrible, who will apparently be singing about pining for the girl at the local laundry mat and being defeated by his nemesis Captain Hammer.

You can check it out at the official site or see below.

*That's Neil Patrick Harris to You!

Labels: Dr. Horrible, Joss Whedon, NPH