Thursday, March 11, 2010
MiB3 Rumored
So Bloody Disgusting is reporting that Columbia Pictures has "Men in Black 3" in some stage of development. Sacha Baron Cohen and Josh Brolin's names are attached, but everything depends on a commitment from one of my favorite actors, Will Smith.
Review: Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" Remake is a Powerful SFX Bonanza
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 102 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux
War of the Worlds (2005)
OPENING DATE: Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Running time: 117 minutes (1 hours, 57 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for frightening sequences of sci-fi violence and disturbing images
DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg
WRITERS: Josh Friedman and David Koepp (based upon the novel by H.G. Wells)
PRODUCERS: Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Janusz Kaminski, ASC
EDITOR: Michael Kahn, A.C.E.
Academy Awards nominee
SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER/ADVENTURE with elements of drama
Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins, Justin Chatwin, David Alan Basche, Rick Gonzalez, and Morgan Freeman
Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds is a big, giant, summer action movie that worth’s every dime paid to see it, and if you’re going to see it, you must see it on the big screen to appreciate the affect the action sequences can have on you. War of the Worlds may end up being dismissed by the Spielberg haters, but years from not, it’ll be seen as one of the great disaster movies and exceptional sci-fi films.
Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is a bad father, but he’s about to find out just how much his children, teenager-with-attitude Robbie (Justin Chatwin) and his young daughter Rachel (Dakota Fanning), mean to him. Not long after his ex-wife, MaryAnn (Miranda Otto), and her husband, Tim (David Alan Basche), drop the children off for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down. Not long after the drop off, Ray witnesses something that will change his life and the world forever – a towering three-legged war machine emerges from deep beneath the earth, and almost immediately begins to incinerate everything in sight. Thus, a cataclysmic alien attack on earth begins, and no matter where Ray and his children run on their long journey across a ravaged countryside, they cannot find safety or refuge from the extraterrestrial army of Tripods.
War of the Worlds is certainly a Steven Spielberg film, and like all Spielberg directed action/adventure/thrillers this one delivers the goods. It’s a monumentally breathtaking, heart-pumping, heart-racing, and fear-inducing, gargantuan thrill machine. The film looks good thanks in large part to the usual Spielberg cohorts, such as cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and editor Michael Kahn. Technically brilliant, War of the Worlds is full of the Spielberg magic that can keep you on the edge of your set for about two hours or so. The effects for the alien craft and the destruction they wreak are bloody brilliant and eye-popping, even as mind-bending as something like The Matrix; the destruction is enough to make you run from your seat in the theatre because it seems as if these alien behemoths will walk right off the screen and into your lap.
Tom Cruise gives a fine performance, enough to not only give this effects-heavy (over 500 SFX shots) film some humanity, but to sell the idea that this version of War of the Worlds is about a family surviving disaster that is on an apocalyptic level. This is one time the fine young actress Dakota Fanning does not steal the show because Cruise’s performance reveals that at the core of this fabulous summer, atomic fury, joy bomb is the story of man trying to save the family he neglected. Spielberg’s combination of earthly family values and extraterrestrial fury and the heart stopping and the heartwarming is a winning combination.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
2006 Academy Awards: 3 nominations: “Achievement in Sound Editing” (Richard King), “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, and Ron Judkins), and “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Dennis Muren, Pablo Helman, Randy Dutra, and Daniel Sudick)
----------------------
Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds Arriving on Blu-ray
TOM CRUISE STARS IN A THRILLING RENDITION OF THE CLASSIC H.G. WELLS TALE DIRECTED BY STEVEN SPIELBERG
ARRIVING ON BLU-RAY FOR THE FIRST TIME, WAR OF THE WORLDS
Visually-Stunning and Action-Packed Sci-Fi Thriller Debuts on Blu-ray June 1, 2010 Featuring Over Two Hours of Special Features
HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. – When the Earth is suddenly invaded by menacing aliens in giant fighting machines, one family struggles for survival in the eye-popping adventure WAR OF THE WORLDS, directed by Steven Spielberg and landing on Blu-ray for the first time ever June 1, 2010 from Paramount Home Entertainment. A DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures co-production, WAR OF THE WORLDS stars Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier, a father who is desperately trying to protect his teenage son (Justin Chatwin) and 10-year-old daughter (Dakota Fanning) from the relentless alien onslaught that is destroying everything in its path. Fueled by the desire to reunite the children with their mother, Ray battles to shepherd his family from New Jersey to Boston, all the while fending off the mysterious and deadly aliens.
Filled with stunning visual effects and non-stop action, the WAR OF THE WORLDS Blu-ray features the finest picture and sound quality to further enhance this sci-fi classic. The Blu-ray also features over two hours of bonus material including in-depth production diaries following the crew from the east coast to the west coast, featurettes on H. G. Wells’ legacy, scoring the film, the characters and previsualization, multiple photo galleries and more.
WAR OF THE WORLDS Blu-ray
The WAR OF THE WORLDS Blu-ray is presented in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital along with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. Special features are presented in standard definition except where noted HD:
· Revisiting the Invasion
· The H.G. Wells Legacy
· Steven Spielberg and the Original War of the Worlds
· Characters: The Family Unit
· Previsualization
· Production Diaries
o East Coast—Beginning
o East Coast—Exile
o West Coast—Destruction
o West Coast—War
· Designing the Enemy: Tripods and Aliens
· Scoring War Of The Worlds
· We Are Not Alone
· Galleries
o Sketches by Costume Designer Joanna Johnston
o Production Stills
o Behind the Scenes
o Production Sketches
· Theatrical Teaser Trailer (HD)
About Paramount Home Entertainment
Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. PHE is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products on behalf of various parties including: Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Paramount Famous Productions, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS and PBS and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment.
WAR OF THE WORLDS Blu-ray
Street date: June 1, 2010
Pricing: $39.99 U.S.
Runtime: 117 minutes
U.S. Rating: PG-13 for frightening sequences of sci-fi violence and disturbing images
Canadian Rating: 14A
ARRIVING ON BLU-RAY FOR THE FIRST TIME, WAR OF THE WORLDS
Visually-Stunning and Action-Packed Sci-Fi Thriller Debuts on Blu-ray June 1, 2010 Featuring Over Two Hours of Special Features
HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. – When the Earth is suddenly invaded by menacing aliens in giant fighting machines, one family struggles for survival in the eye-popping adventure WAR OF THE WORLDS, directed by Steven Spielberg and landing on Blu-ray for the first time ever June 1, 2010 from Paramount Home Entertainment. A DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures co-production, WAR OF THE WORLDS stars Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier, a father who is desperately trying to protect his teenage son (Justin Chatwin) and 10-year-old daughter (Dakota Fanning) from the relentless alien onslaught that is destroying everything in its path. Fueled by the desire to reunite the children with their mother, Ray battles to shepherd his family from New Jersey to Boston, all the while fending off the mysterious and deadly aliens.
Filled with stunning visual effects and non-stop action, the WAR OF THE WORLDS Blu-ray features the finest picture and sound quality to further enhance this sci-fi classic. The Blu-ray also features over two hours of bonus material including in-depth production diaries following the crew from the east coast to the west coast, featurettes on H. G. Wells’ legacy, scoring the film, the characters and previsualization, multiple photo galleries and more.
WAR OF THE WORLDS Blu-ray
The WAR OF THE WORLDS Blu-ray is presented in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital along with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. Special features are presented in standard definition except where noted HD:
· Revisiting the Invasion
· The H.G. Wells Legacy
· Steven Spielberg and the Original War of the Worlds
· Characters: The Family Unit
· Previsualization
· Production Diaries
o East Coast—Beginning
o East Coast—Exile
o West Coast—Destruction
o West Coast—War
· Designing the Enemy: Tripods and Aliens
· Scoring War Of The Worlds
· We Are Not Alone
· Galleries
o Sketches by Costume Designer Joanna Johnston
o Production Stills
o Behind the Scenes
o Production Sketches
· Theatrical Teaser Trailer (HD)
About Paramount Home Entertainment
Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. PHE is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products on behalf of various parties including: Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Paramount Famous Productions, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS and PBS and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment.
WAR OF THE WORLDS Blu-ray
Street date: June 1, 2010
Pricing: $39.99 U.S.
Runtime: 117 minutes
U.S. Rating: PG-13 for frightening sequences of sci-fi violence and disturbing images
Canadian Rating: 14A
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Review: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson Rock "Twilight"
Twilight (2008)
Running time: 122 minutes (2 hours, 2 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some violence and a scene of sensuality
DIRECTOR: Catherine Hardwicke
WRITER: Melissa Rosenberg (based upon the novel by Stephenie Meyer)
PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey, Greg Mooradian, Mark Morgan, and Karen Rosenfelt
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Elliot Davis
EDITOR: Nancy Richardson
DRAMA/ROMANCE/HORROR
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Cam Gigandet, Ashley Greene, Christian Serratos, Anna Kendrick, Nikki Reed, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Jack Rathbone, Michael Welch, Gil Birmingham, Justin Chon, José Zuniga, and Edi Gathegi
The 2008 box office smash, Twilight, is based on the 2005 novel of the same name written by author Stephenie Meyer. Twilight is the story of an outsider girl who falls for a chivalrous vampire.
Isabella (prefers “Bella”) Swan has always been a little bit different and has never cared about fitting in with the trendy girls. When her mother and her new husband move to sunny Florida, Bella returns to the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, to live with her father, Police Chief Charlie Swan (Billy Burke). Surprisingly, Bella does make a few friends at the local high school, but she finds life dull. Then, Bella spots the school’s strangest students, the Cullens, but she is most captivated by the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she’s ever met.
After he saves her life, Edward is forced to reveal to Bella that he is a vampire, but he doesn’t have fangs. His family is unique in that they choose not to drink human blood. The intelligent, sly, and witty, Edward sees straight into Bella’s soul. Her mere presence drives him crazy, and their passionate romance is as thrilling as it is unorthodox. They’re soul mates. However, the arrival of a small pack of vicious vampires threatens the peacefulness of Forks, the Cullens’ way of life, and Bella and Edward’s happiness.
I think the secret of Twilight’s success as a film adaptation of a (wildly) popular book is that it captures the essence of The Twilight Saga
(which is composed of four books – for those not in the know). Twilight
may have vampires, but it is unequivocally a romance. The birth of Bella and Edwards’ love and its continual growth is so powerful that it permeates Twilight and spills over into the readers’ imaginations. These are captivating characters. Bella is an independent girl, who keeps her own counsel. Edward is chivalrous and is something of a Byronic hero.The success of Twilight as a movie, separate from the Twilight Saga, depended on how the film depicted the intense romance of Bella and Edward. First, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg did a fantastic job adapting Twilight for the screen. Rosenberg is near-perfect at trimming the novel, creating new scenes that are true to the original text, and keeping pretty much everything from the novel that really encapsulates this story. Director Catherine Hardwicke has this deft touch at getting to the heart of what makes this story work, and she is especially good at capturing the magic of Bella and Edward as a couple. The best example of Rosenberg and Hardwicke’s storytelling is a magical sequence in which Edward puts Bella on his back and takes her on a journey through the lush forests surrounding Forks via the tree tops.
However, the biggest reasons for Twilight’s success are actors Kristen Stewart as Bella and Robert Pattinson as Edward. Stewart, who seems to have the makings of an exceptional actress, embodies the moodiness and independent streak of Bella that define the character. Kristen makes Bella seem like a real person even in the midst of Twilight’s fantastic scenario. Pattinson is simply a beautiful man, and he channels his acting through a passion for his craft; maybe, that’s why Edwards is so fierce and intense. Here, Pattinson is pitch perfect at playing the sly, tormented bad boy.
Stewart and Pattinson are so good that they are this movie. Simply put, Twilight is a winner.
8 of 10
A
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
--------------------------
Will Mo'Nique Cash In?
Fiancial news journalist Lynnette Khalfani-Cox penned this article for AOL Black Voices Money about the financial benefits actress Mo'Nique stands to reap in the wake of her best supporting actress Oscar Sunday night.
In recent years, actors have earned high-paying gigs following both Oscar wins and nominations. I don't know if actresses benefit as much as actors do. And winning an Oscar has not always meant better roles - F. Murray Abraham, anyone?
In recent years, actors have earned high-paying gigs following both Oscar wins and nominations. I don't know if actresses benefit as much as actors do. And winning an Oscar has not always meant better roles - F. Murray Abraham, anyone?
"The Drawn Together Movie" to be Screened at Anaheim Comic Con
WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT'S GAREB SHAMUS ANNOUNCES THE COMEDY CENTRAL® SCREENING OF "THE DRAWN TOGETHER MOVIE: THE MOVIE!" ONLY AT ANAHEIM COMIC CON
"The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" Screening At Anaheim Comic Con On Saturday, April 17
From 7:00-8:00 P.M. PT With Creators, Writers And Executive Producers Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser
NEW YORK, NY (March 3, 2010) -- From the warped minds of creators, writers and executive producers Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser, comes the most reprehensible and most guilty-pleasure movie of all time…"The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" The first animated film based on the Drawn Together
series will be released by COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment, to be screened for the fans on Saturday, April 17 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. PT at Anaheim Comic Con.
THE DRAWN TOGETHER MOVIE: THE MOVIE
!, will be available on DVD on Tuesday, April 20th from Comedy Central Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment.
"My family and I grew up with one of the co-creators, Dave Jeser, and have known him and his family since I was a teenager," said Shamus, chairman and CEO, Wizard Entertainment. "Having Dave and Matt at our inaugural Anaheim Comic Con will be a treat both personally and professionally!"
"The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" is bigger, badder and uncensored and certainly lives up to its tainted heritage and provides the audience with a not-so-healthy heaping of what everyone has come to know and secretly love from the show. Namely, copious amounts of drunken-revelry, taboo-busting and cartoon-on-cartoon violence.
The "The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" screening will be held at Anaheim Comic Con on Saturday, April 17 from 7:00-X p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center, immediately following the closing of the show floor. Join creators Silverstein and Jeser as they discuss their new film and host a Q&A with fans.
Immediately following Anaheim Comic Con, on Tuesday, April 20, "The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" DVD will be released nationwide by COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment. The over one hour of bonus features include the following: “Anatomy of An Animated Sex Scene,” an in-depth investigation into the genesis of the soon-to-be infamous 3-D sex scene; “Re-Animating Drawn Together: From the Small Screen to The Slightly Bigger Screen,” a technical piece focusing on the production/animation end of the project; “Drawn Together: The Legacy,” a faux-serious reflection on the show’s impact and lasting cultural relevance; “Drawn Together: True Confessionals,” the actors and co-creators discuss their favorite memories from the show; “Drawn Together Minisodes,” a fond remembrance of all the loveable characters from the series hosted by the Jew Producer; “D.I.Y 3-D Glasses,” step-by-step instructions on how to create your own 3-D glasses; and deleted scenes.
In addition, "The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" will be available on Tuesday, April 20 on download-to-own platforms in HD and SD including iTunes, Xbox LIVE Marketplace, Zune, Sony PlayStation Store, and Amazon Video on Demand.
Anaheim Comic Con runs from April 16-18, 2010 at the Anaheim Convention Center. It is a major regional pop culture convention bringing fans the latest information on Hollywood, comics, toys, collectibles and connecting attendees with celebrity guests, artists and industry professionals.
Tickets for Anaheim Comic Con are on sale now at www.wizardworld.ticketleap.com/anaheim or at 866-882-5860.
For more updates become a fan of Anaheim Comic Conon Facebook and follow us on twitter @wizardworld .
About Drawn Together:
"Drawn Together" premiered on the network in October 2004 and aired for three seasons and 36 episodes. The series presented a world where cartoon characters from various genres of animation were brought together to live under one roof. The characters left their animated "reality" and entered a new world where their cartoon universes collide with a bang, combining different styles of animation and different personalities, all "drawn together." This was COMEDY CENTRAL's first original animated series that was drawn traditionally and in 2-D digital ink and paint animation. The eight stars/housemates represent iconic archetypes from the world of animation and include: "Captain Hero," a not-so-moral do-gooder reminiscent of the Saturday morning TV super heroes of the 70's; "Clara," a 20-year-old sweet and naive fairy-tale princess; "Toot Braunstein," a black-and-white pudgy heart throb from the 20's; "Foxxy Love," a sexy mystery-solving musician; "Spanky Ham," a foul-mouthed Internet download pig; "Ling-Ling," an adorable Asian trading card mini-monster; "Wooldoor Sockbat," a wacky Saturday morning whatchamacallit; and "Xandir," a strong young gay video game warrior. "The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" stars the incorrigible cast of the most hilarious animated reality show ever to air on basic cable. When the mystery-solving musician, Foxxy, notices she and her fellow housemates can curse without being bleeped - something they’ve never been able to do before - they realize that their show has been cancelled. Determined to get back on the air, they venture to such far-off lands as Bedrock, a Fairy Tale Village and the fantastical Make-a-Point Land, all the while outrunning their enemies who are hell bent on keeping them off the air and are prepared to use any means necessary to do so.
About Gareb Shamus:
Gareb Shamus founded Wizard Entertainment in 1991. Today, Shamus publishes consumer magazines Wizard, ToyFare, FunFare and numerous books about pop-culture’s top talent, comic books and toys. Shamus also produces a North American Comic Con tour.
Wizard World Comic Con Tour:
March 26-28, 2010, Toronto Comic Con, Direct Energy Centre
April 16-18, 2010, Anaheim Comic Con, Anaheim Convention Center
June 11-13, 2010, Philadelphia Comic Con, Pennsylvania Convention Center
August 19-22, 2010, Chicago Comic Con, Donald E. Stephens (Rosemont) Convention Center
October 1-3, 2010, New England Comic Con, John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center
October 7-10, 2010, Big Apple Comic Con, Pier 94
October 15-17, 2010, New Jersey Comic Con, New Jersey Convention and Expo Center
November 12-14, 2010, Austin Comic Con, Austin Convention Center
Atlanta Comic Con, TBD
Cincinnati Comic Con, TBD
Cleveland Comic Con, TBD
"The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" Screening At Anaheim Comic Con On Saturday, April 17
From 7:00-8:00 P.M. PT With Creators, Writers And Executive Producers Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser
NEW YORK, NY (March 3, 2010) -- From the warped minds of creators, writers and executive producers Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser, comes the most reprehensible and most guilty-pleasure movie of all time…"The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" The first animated film based on the Drawn Together
series will be released by COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment, to be screened for the fans on Saturday, April 17 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. PT at Anaheim Comic Con. THE DRAWN TOGETHER MOVIE: THE MOVIE
!, will be available on DVD on Tuesday, April 20th from Comedy Central Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment."My family and I grew up with one of the co-creators, Dave Jeser, and have known him and his family since I was a teenager," said Shamus, chairman and CEO, Wizard Entertainment. "Having Dave and Matt at our inaugural Anaheim Comic Con will be a treat both personally and professionally!"
"The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" is bigger, badder and uncensored and certainly lives up to its tainted heritage and provides the audience with a not-so-healthy heaping of what everyone has come to know and secretly love from the show. Namely, copious amounts of drunken-revelry, taboo-busting and cartoon-on-cartoon violence.
The "The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" screening will be held at Anaheim Comic Con on Saturday, April 17 from 7:00-X p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center, immediately following the closing of the show floor. Join creators Silverstein and Jeser as they discuss their new film and host a Q&A with fans.
Immediately following Anaheim Comic Con, on Tuesday, April 20, "The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" DVD will be released nationwide by COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment. The over one hour of bonus features include the following: “Anatomy of An Animated Sex Scene,” an in-depth investigation into the genesis of the soon-to-be infamous 3-D sex scene; “Re-Animating Drawn Together: From the Small Screen to The Slightly Bigger Screen,” a technical piece focusing on the production/animation end of the project; “Drawn Together: The Legacy,” a faux-serious reflection on the show’s impact and lasting cultural relevance; “Drawn Together: True Confessionals,” the actors and co-creators discuss their favorite memories from the show; “Drawn Together Minisodes,” a fond remembrance of all the loveable characters from the series hosted by the Jew Producer; “D.I.Y 3-D Glasses,” step-by-step instructions on how to create your own 3-D glasses; and deleted scenes.
In addition, "The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" will be available on Tuesday, April 20 on download-to-own platforms in HD and SD including iTunes, Xbox LIVE Marketplace, Zune, Sony PlayStation Store, and Amazon Video on Demand.
Anaheim Comic Con runs from April 16-18, 2010 at the Anaheim Convention Center. It is a major regional pop culture convention bringing fans the latest information on Hollywood, comics, toys, collectibles and connecting attendees with celebrity guests, artists and industry professionals.
Tickets for Anaheim Comic Con are on sale now at www.wizardworld.ticketleap.com/anaheim or at 866-882-5860.
For more updates become a fan of Anaheim Comic Con
About Drawn Together:
"Drawn Together" premiered on the network in October 2004 and aired for three seasons and 36 episodes. The series presented a world where cartoon characters from various genres of animation were brought together to live under one roof. The characters left their animated "reality" and entered a new world where their cartoon universes collide with a bang, combining different styles of animation and different personalities, all "drawn together." This was COMEDY CENTRAL's first original animated series that was drawn traditionally and in 2-D digital ink and paint animation. The eight stars/housemates represent iconic archetypes from the world of animation and include: "Captain Hero," a not-so-moral do-gooder reminiscent of the Saturday morning TV super heroes of the 70's; "Clara," a 20-year-old sweet and naive fairy-tale princess; "Toot Braunstein," a black-and-white pudgy heart throb from the 20's; "Foxxy Love," a sexy mystery-solving musician; "Spanky Ham," a foul-mouthed Internet download pig; "Ling-Ling," an adorable Asian trading card mini-monster; "Wooldoor Sockbat," a wacky Saturday morning whatchamacallit; and "Xandir," a strong young gay video game warrior. "The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!" stars the incorrigible cast of the most hilarious animated reality show ever to air on basic cable. When the mystery-solving musician, Foxxy, notices she and her fellow housemates can curse without being bleeped - something they’ve never been able to do before - they realize that their show has been cancelled. Determined to get back on the air, they venture to such far-off lands as Bedrock, a Fairy Tale Village and the fantastical Make-a-Point Land, all the while outrunning their enemies who are hell bent on keeping them off the air and are prepared to use any means necessary to do so.
About Gareb Shamus:
Gareb Shamus founded Wizard Entertainment in 1991. Today, Shamus publishes consumer magazines Wizard, ToyFare, FunFare and numerous books about pop-culture’s top talent, comic books and toys. Shamus also produces a North American Comic Con tour.
Wizard World Comic Con Tour:
March 26-28, 2010, Toronto Comic Con, Direct Energy Centre
April 16-18, 2010, Anaheim Comic Con, Anaheim Convention Center
June 11-13, 2010, Philadelphia Comic Con, Pennsylvania Convention Center
August 19-22, 2010, Chicago Comic Con, Donald E. Stephens (Rosemont) Convention Center
October 1-3, 2010, New England Comic Con, John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center
October 7-10, 2010, Big Apple Comic Con, Pier 94
October 15-17, 2010, New Jersey Comic Con, New Jersey Convention and Expo Center
November 12-14, 2010, Austin Comic Con, Austin Convention Center
Atlanta Comic Con, TBD
Cincinnati Comic Con, TBD
Cleveland Comic Con, TBD
Review: "Yours, Mine & Ours" is a Fun Family Film
Yours, Mine & Ours (2005)
Opening date: Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Running time: 88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some material may not be suitable for children
DIRECTOR: Raja Gosnell
WRITERS: Ron Burch & David Kidd (based upon the 1968 motion picture screenplay by Melville Shaveson and Mort Lachlan from a story by Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll Jr.)
PRODUCERS: Robert Simons and Michael Nathanson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Theo Van de Sande, ASC
EDITORS: Stephen A. Rotter and Bruce Green, A.C.E.
COMEDY/FAMILY with elements of romance
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Rene Russo, Rip Torn, Jerry O’Connell, David Koechner, and Linda Hunt
One evening, while he is in the middle of an unpleasant date, Frank Beardsley (Dennis Quaid), a widow, runs into his old high school sweetheart, Helen North (Rene Russo), and it’s as if the thirty years since they last saw each other never passed. Helen, a widow, also feels the attraction and can’t wait to meet Frank again, which they do at a high school reunion cruise. They rush into marriage, but they don’t tell their kids…
Frank has eight children: four-year old Ethan (Ty Panitz), six-year old twin boys Otter (Briger Palmer) and Ely (Brecken Palmer), eight-year old Kelly (Haley Ramm), 10-year old Harry (Dean Collins), 12-year old Michael (Tyler Patrick Jones), 16-year old Christina (Katija Pevec), and 17-year old William (Sean Faris).
Helen has 10 children – four she had with her late husband and six they adopted: four-year old Aldo (Nicholas Roget-King), eight-year old twins Marisa (Jessica Habib) and Bina (Jennifer Habib), nine-year old Lau (Andrew Vo), 10-year old Joni (Miranda Cosgrove), 11-year old Jimi (Lil’ JJ), 12-year old Mick (Slade Pearce), 14-year old Naoko (Miki Iskikawa), 16-year old Dylan (Drake Bell), and 17-year old Phoebe (Danielle Panabaker).
But maybe love can’t conquer all. The two families don’t mesh quite as easily as Frank and Helen had hoped. Frank, a Coast Guard Admiral, is a by-the-book disciplinarian, but the free-spirited Helen has no “book” and believes that the home is a place for free expression, not military style discipline. The children are always at odds. Helen’s brood aren’t pleased about moving or sharing rooms with a bunch of uptight strangers, and Frank’s offspring have nothing in common with the unruly and strange pack of kids their father’s new wife brings into their lives.
On the other hand, both sets of children realize that they have a common goal – breaking up their parents’ marriage, so they band together to create the kind of chaos that causes confusion between a couple with different parenting styles. As the kids succeed in their plot, they also realize that they really like each other in spite of their differences. Now, they have repair the bond between Helen and Frank that they broke, but are Helen and Frank still interested in being a couple.
The box office success of 2003’s Cheaper by the Dozen, the remake of a 1950’s film about a father managing a large pack of children, probably encouraged Paramount Pictures and MGM to remake another film about parents struggling to manage a large number of offspring. Thus, we have Yours, Mine & Ours, the remake of a 1968 film. This 2005 version of Yours, Mine & Ours
isn’t as good as the Cheaper by the Dozen remake. For one thing, the acting by the leads playing the parents, Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo, two talented actors with a deft touch at comedy, waffles between listless and over done. Quaid has his moments when his talent shines through this murky material, but Russo delivers a surprisingly mediocre turn in a role she should sleepwalk through, or may be she did sleepwalk through it.Also, 18 child and teen actors can’t get the screen time that even 12 can get, so none of young cast gets a chance to give his or her character personality. The script for the 2003 Cheaper by the Dozen gave the actors playing two of the older children (Tom Welling and Hilary Duff) a chance to bond with the parents (played by Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt), which gave the comedy some emotional resonance. Here, the script lumps the older kids in completely with the younger ones. The film would have more dramatic resonance if the older ones could be seen as a bridge between what the parents want and what the kids want. This doesn’t happen until the very end, and it comes across as a tacked on happy ending.
Still, Yours, Mine & Ours has some truly funny moments. It’s a silly and fun family flick for parents with ‘tweens and younger. The adult actors give the film some credibility, and director Raja Gosnell (Big Momma’s House and the Scooby Doo movies) keeps the pace fast, only slowing down for some romantic scenes between Quaid and Russo. It’s all too fast for us to stop and examine the numerous cracks in this picture and just fast enough to keep the easy laughs coming. Yours, Mine & Ours is chock full of predictable moments, and the audience can see the punch line the moment any particular joke or gag begins, but it’s all still funny.
5 of 10
B-
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
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