Source: Variety

Rodriguez doing ‘Barbarella’

Schlock master and B-movie aficionado Robert Rodriguez is set to take the reins of the remake for “Barbarella.” Even after the financial bomb “Grindhouse” Rodriguez isn’t stopping to find his next project. He’s been rumored to be up for “The Jetsons” among others. This time he’ll work with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (Casino Royale) to write the script about a futuristic mercenary. Word is it’s going to R-rated and not the least bit campy. Hopefully he’ll knock our asses off with this one.

Hughes Brothers going apocalyptic

“Book of Eli” is about a lone hero who must fight his way across a post-apocalyptic America to protect a sacred book, which may save humanity. We just hope this time around the entire movie kicks ass. The Hughes Brothers have shown flashes of brilliance at times and other times look merely pedestrian. This could be something fantastic to see.

McQuarrie becomes that hot screenwriter again

Christopher McQuarrie, the writer behind “The Usual Suspects” and the underrated “Way of the Gun” has lined up a World War I drama titled “No Man’s Land.” It’s set up at 2929, Mavs owner Mark Cuban’s film company. This movie will use three fictional characters to illustrate the inns and outs of the alliances during World War I. Would love to see his take on modern warfare, which began with the First Great War.

Kenneth Branagh joining Tom Cruise for World War II

Bryan Singer is directing “Valkrie” with Mr. Cruise. It’s about an assassination squad aimed for Der Fuhrer. Cruise will play an American soldier, with we’re sure a toothy smile and an annoying laugh. Branagh will be a German general who puts the plot in motion against Hitler. Oh yeah, this one is also written by Christopher McQuarrie. We mentioned he was hot didn’t we?

Eva Mendes has curves

That’s for sure, but now she’s starring in a movie aptly titled “Curves.” Except it’s not really about her gloriousness, it’s a about a young women, a serial killer, their struggle to understand their love for one another in a small upstate New York town. Except replace love with struggle for survival as the serial killer hunts Mendes.

Sorta shaping up to be a trailer filled movie day, although we’ve got one post to roundup the latest casting things going on. You’ll see. Anyway.

Underdog looks like it could be enjoyable if I were seven years old. And though family and friends will say, “hold on a minute champ. You still act seven,” it’s safe to assume that I love the cartoon version of this property dearly.

It’s one of the greatest cartoons ever made and it slides nicely into a batting order with “Tennessee Tuxedo,” “Mr. Magoo,” “Dudley Do-Right” “Rocky and Bullwinkle” and of course “Peabody’s Improbable History” rounding things out. Though we hate the Yankees, that’s the kind of cartoon lineup we’re talking about here.

So, right, the new Disney movie stars Jason Lee as the voice of Underdog and it’s got Putty from “Seinfeld” and the awesome midget dude Peter Dinklage as a couple of shady villians. Like I said, it looks like the production spared no expense when it comes to action, but it just all feels really goofy. And not in a good way. More like goofy in that “my wet dog just licked his balls and then licked my face and now I don’t know what to do” kind of way.

See here for yourself.

Gotta love the random confluence of events in life. Yesterday afternoon I was cruising around rocking out to The Hives’s “Tyranosaurus Hives” and thinking to myself, what the hell is the greatest rock band in the world up to? Okay, I didn’t really have that thought.

But I did wonder what they’ve been up to since “Tyranosaurus Hives” dropped about three years ago. That’s an eternity for Pelle and the gang, especially when they’re used to getting in, melting our faces for 10-songs and thirty minutes and  then disappearing for three years.  You realize The Hives have only put out three albums in the past decade? But hey, they’re the self-proclaimed greatest band alive, so no biggie.

So last night I’m flipping channels after the Sox blew the Yankees, thinking how “Heroes” was ultimately disappointing and convinced that I’ll never watch “24″ again. And then I stumbled upon WWE Raw. And there were hot chicks, scantily dressed. So now I’m thinking okay this is good. And I decided on the undesirable woman’s totem pole it goes from top to bottom: hooker, escort, stripper, porn star, WWE Diva. And then they announce the new Timbaland video “Throw It On Me” and low and behold those Swedish rapscallions The Hives decided to melt my face Timbo-style.

There’s also a little bit of Sin City in the new video, which premiered last night. Overall, whatevs. But at least The Hives have crawled out of hiding to melt faces once again.

Love the line “Look at that ass, ya probably a gold digger but I ain’t Kanye.” Just straight kills.  Pelle and the gang are just nasty.  No doubt about it.

Lyle Lovett - “If I Had a Boat”

Does anyone really understand Lyle Lovett? Will anyone ever? Probably not, but listening to his Pontiac album it’s fathomable why Julia Roberts would marry the homely looking country singer. At the time she was the biggest movie star and it was like, “what?!? She’s marrying whom? You’re kidding right?”

Go out and get your hands on Pontiac. While the world will never understand Lyle Lovett, it’s clear that he understands us more than we’ll ever know. He paints songs as Monet painted water lillies. Subtle, underwhelming from a distance, immensely complex up close, revealing more with each listen. Clearly the work of a master even if they make it look so easy and effortless.

The album swings from twangy, up beat numbers like “Give Back My Heat,” “She’s Hot To Go” and “M-O-N-E-Y” to the gentler, introspective tunes like “If I Had A Boat” or “Walk Through the Bottomland.”

Who knew? Certainly not us, until very recently. Even though we were like 7 when the album came out in 1987 we’re just glad we finally found you Lyle.

When word came out that British hottie Lena Headey (300) was cast to play the iconic Sarah Connors in the Terminator television show we got very excited around these parts.  Well FOX has unveiled a trailer for the show, which takes place between the events of Terminator 2 and Terminator 3. 

Looks like it has some potential, we especially love that Summer Glau is back kicking some ass as John Connors protective terminator.  That could lead to some weird sexual tension.  Not saying it would, but that it could.  She’s quite the looker.  Even the special effects look like they were handled well.  The only problem is with the FOX network.  They’ve never really showed a penchant for handling good shows.  I mean just look at the laundry list of excellence cancelled by FOX over the years.

‘The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ debuts in mid-season.

Well, we gave the first word about the Monolith Festival being held at the Red Rocks Ampitheatre Sep. 14-15. Initially, the idea behind the festival was to attract more than 50 up and coming bands. But now that the initial lineup has been revealed by The Denver Post, it seems that “up and coming” clearly means well-known established stars with a smattering of unknowns.

On the bill:

The Flaming Lips
The Decemberists
Spoon
Kings of Leon
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Brian Jonestown Massacre
Cake
Cloud Cult
Ghostland Observatory
Flosstradamus with Kid Sister
Das Efx
Earl Greyhound
Juliette & the Liks
YACHT
Ra Ra Riot
Bob Log III
Lords of the Underground
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Autovaughn
Otis Gibbs.

Tickets go on sale June 2 at 10 a.m., with prices still to be determined.

A monkey just died from the bubonic plague at the Denver Zoo. All it has to do is spread to rats and well based on the last bubonic scare of 1340 AD we should be terrified. From Reuters:

A Denver Zoo monkey has died of bubonic plague, apparently after eating a squirrel stricken with the disease, Colorado health and zoo officials said on Monday.

Five squirrels and a rabbit found dead on zoo grounds tested positive for the flea-borne disease in recent weeks, Denver Zoo spokeswoman Ana Bowie said.

Zookeepers on May 15 noticed the 8-year-old hooded capuchin monkey was lethargic, and the next day it was found dead in its enclosure. Zoo veterinarians sent tissue samples to a state laboratory where it was determined the animal died of the plague. The death was announced on Monday.

Zoo veterinarian Dave Kenny said that the risk of plague spreading to humans was extremely low but that visitors were being urged to avoid squirrels and rabbits.

“There are species in the zoo collection, especially monkeys, that could be susceptible to the plague,” said John Pape, an epidemiologist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Bowie said none of the 17 other capuchin monkeys in the exhibit — or any other animals at the zoo — have shown plague symptoms. But as a precaution, all the capuchin monkeys have been moved to an inside enclosure and are being treated with a regimen of antibiotics, she said.

I think I remember this movie with that monkey and Dustin Hoffman? What was it called?

Christian Bale is right up there in the upper echelon of actors working today. He’s got this unmatched intensity whether he’s playing Bruce Wayne, Alfred Borden in The Prestige, Jim Luther Davis in Harsh Times, Trevor Reznik in The Machinist, the list goes on and on back to when he was 12 and starring in Empire of the Sun.

He’s got the western 3:10 to Yuma with Russell Crowe and directed by James Mangold coming up on the horizon, as well as Rescue Dawn.

Rescue Dawn is a story of survival, the story of a U.S. pilot shot down during the Vietnam War over Laos. Bale stars as Dieter Dengler, a German-American who organized a death-defying escape with a small number of POW’s.

The film is directed by, some would say, legendary filmmaker Warner Herzog (Grizzly Man). And at least one profile of Christian Bale makes the bold statement that he should win an Oscar for his work in the film.

This on looks like it’ll be worth seeking out.

Rescue Dawn hits theatres in limited release on 7.4.07.

The Golden Compass, a fantasy film directed by Chris Weitz (About A Boy, American Pie) hits theatres this Christmas. It’s based upon a trilogy of books (”His Dark Materials”) written by Oxford professor Philip Pullman. The story focusses upon a precocious orphan living in the shadows of Oxford University. However, her world is different than ours. Every person has an animal manifestation known as daemons and it’s a fantasy world based on science, theology and magic.

The orphan girl, Lyra, gets caught up in an adventure. The film version has a fantastic look to it and the special effects shots, which it seems there are many, look like they fit in nicely. Regardless based upon this trailer, it seems that Chris Weitz has stepped up his skills as a director. It’s hard to imagine The Golden Compass is from the same director as About a Boy.

Click on the photo below. The film stars Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Eva Green and Dakota Blue Richards.

The Golden Compass hits theatres on 12.7.07

Okay, so we banged out to stories first that should have maybe come after the weekend roundup. However, we were very excited about the Joker and almost as excited about Absinthe coming stateside. We figured why wait. Anyway, it was a great but busy weekend for us around the office. Lots to do, except it rained considerably up in Boston and that’s never fun.

Went to LTK on Saturday for my lady friend’s college graduation and couldn’t recommend the place enough. Great vibe, great food in one of the soon to be gentrified areas of Boston. Makes me yearn for the industrial wasteland that was Fisherman’s Pier only five years ago. Now there’s condos, upscale restaurants and a fancy new musuem. So the weekend that was:

• Michael Moore’s new film Sicko debuted at Cannes and word is it’s another Michael Moore film, only this time he checked his ego at the door to make an actual documentary about the US healthcare system.
• Shrek the Third blew into theaters and rang up about $122 million in sales. I’m guessing that has a lot to do with the $122 million dollar price of movie tickets these days.
• The Smashing Pumpkins new single ‘Tarantula’ got its debut Friday morning. It’s a non-radio rip and um, well, I’m not sure it was worth the wait. I dunno maybe it’ll grow on me like Billy’s bald head.
• Stewart Copeland has high hopes for The Police reunion tour, which launches on Saturday. He says they’re playing all-new music, just not all new songs.
• Now that the Sabres have been bounced from the Stanley Cup playoffs, what’s a city to do? Look forward to free summer music. Hopefully my buddies up in The Buff will have this great lineup to keep them off the ledge.
• Belgians are actually more useful than just making chocolate, beer and waffles. Apparantly they can pull off a good Indiana Jones impression as well.
• The bad news: The Cutty Sark ship went up in flames over the weekend. The good news: It won’t impact the availability of the scotch.
• Seems that the Immigration deal reached by the Senate is so not cool. Apparantly no one is happy with it, although most are willing to go along with it.
• Star Craft 2 artwork revealed. And some deets were given in a huge Q&A.
• Thank god we freed Willy! Otherwise some producer would be thinking of making Free Willy 5.

Well the folks at Warner Bros. gave some geeks a good time over the weekend. As we’ve reported earlier regarding the campaign signs for Harvey Dent, another website popped up over the weekend - I Believe in Harvey Dent Too - and after much shenanigans it revealed the first image of Heath Ledger as The Joker.

Gotta say, this is much scarier than Jack Nicholson’s incarnation. Ledger looks much more John Wayne Gacy serial killer scary with the scarring around the mouth and the haphazard lipstick smear and black blotches over the eyes. Nightmares dude, nightmares.

It inspired Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde and Arthur Rimbaud. Now it can inspire you perhaps?

Absinthe, the cocktail preferred by Parisian artists, writers and poets of long ago is returning to the United States after a 100 year absence. The alcohol hasn’t been seen in these parts since 1910, but now it’s available in New York City and the Hamptons courtesy of Viridian Spirits via France.

They’re still trying to find online distribution and break into other markets, but keep an eye out for Lucid. It’s made with actual wormwood, fennel and anise, along with other herbs. It’s also 62% alcohol per volume. From the NY Daily News:

Viridian is trying to correct the misperceptions that have given absinthe a bad rap. A liquor distilled from herbs, including wormwood, anise and fennel, which give it its distinct color and licorice taste, absinthe was first introduced in late 18th century France as an herbal remedy. It later caught on with artists and the Cafe Society, who nicknamed it “The Green Fairy” for its supposed clarifying effects on the mind. That absinthe was cheap and there was a wine shortage didn’t hurt. At its height, the French consumed 36 million liters a year. Absinthe, however, soon came to be blamed for rampant drunkenness and gained a reputation as a dangerous elixir that produced hallucinations and bizarre behavior, leading to its ban in Europe and many countries. The culprit was believed to be thujone, a toxin contained in wormwood. (Absinthe also figured in the mysterious disappearance of George Allen Smith IV, of Greenwich, Conn., from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in 2005 while on his honeymoon. He and a group including his wife were reported to have been drinking absinthe purchased in Italy the evening he presumably went overboard.)

Modern science has debunked many of the myths surrounding absinthe, including that it contains large amounts of thujone. But its reputation as the Lindsay Lohan of liquors lingers on. To counter that reputation, Viridian turned to an American-born absinthe expert and historian, T.A. Breaux, to develop its formula. Lucid is made using authentic techniques, including antique copper stills and pure French herbs. The product has just a minute amount of thujone, allowing it to pass U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regulations. But since it’s a whopping 124 proof, the company recommends it be consumed in the traditional manner: diluted with water. As for its edifying effects, Jared Gurfein, president of Viridian and a lawyer by training, would only say that Lucid ($59.95 for 750 ml) delivers “a unique buzz.”

No hallucinations. Boo to that. I guess that’s a good thing tough, so presumably this won’t happen?

Not sure what Ozzy has to do with anything, but if that’s how Absinthe makes you feel then I want to scream like “The Prince of Darkness.”