Sports and Entertainment

 Tim Falletti

Jett over at Batman-on-film.com has heard some rumblings in the lab that the sequel to the summer blockbuster The Dark Knight is just about ready to go to the early stages of pre-production.  He is getting his information from some of the guys and gals who worked behind the scenes—ie stuntmen, filmcrew, etc. 

While the inevitable sequel was just well…. inevitable, this seems like a pretty fast turnaround for director Christopher Nolan, who is known for doing a movie or two he wants to do in the middle of his blockbuster series.

I called a source close to the Chicago filming who said he has yet to hear anything but would keep me posted.

So far a script has yet to be written, but fans are clamoring for the villian Riddler to appear in the sequel (supposedly already cast by Johnny Depp—a rumor he squashed himself.)  The Riddler in the Nolan universe of Batman would be a great fit.  Imagine a Zodiac-esque character that sends Batman riddles.  It’s already blockbuster gold.  Check out this fan made poster while you are salavating over the “news”.

 Tim Falletti

Remember those rumors about a year ago that were saying that Will Smith was interested in doing another I am Legend?  Well they weren’t completely dumbfounded.  According to Variety, writer DB Weiss is writing a prequel story and Will Smith and director Francis Lawrence are on board.

The movie will chronicle the last days of humanity in New York before a man-made virus caused a plague that left Smith’s character the lone survivor among a mutated mob in the city.

I can see this movie being half way decent in an Escape from New York vs. 28 Days Later.

The new red band trailer for the comedy Role Model starring Paul Rudd and Stifle….I mean Sean William Scott has hit the interwebs.  The movie has two guys get in trouble and have to be “big brothers” for little kids.  Hilarity ensues.  While the story itself might seem underwhelming, Paul Rudd is one of the best actors out there with great comedic timing, and Sean William Scott is due for some funny.  Check out the trailer and the new poster.

“I guess I’m back,” pitcher Carlos Zambrano said on Sunday.  “I’m a little confused right now.  It’s a great feeling, a feeling that you can’t describe.  I still can’t believe it.”

Believe it Z.  Pitching for the first time since Sept. 2, and due to Hurricane Ike was cheered on by thousands of Cubs fans at the coined Wrigley Field North a.k.a. Miller Park in Miliwaukee, Zambrano put an emphatic stop to a red hot Houston Astro team. 

This is the first no hitter thrown at Miller Park, and the Brewers weren’t even there.

To add insult to injury, the Brew Crew were swept in their day/night double header in Phili.  The Cubs now have a 7.5 game lead in the division, and their magic number is 7. 

Clint Eastwood has done it again.  This dude could film a movie of him doing dishes and it would win an award.  But from the looks of this trailer, it has everything the academy needs to sweep through like hurricane Ike and win everything.  (Besides best supporting actor.  That belongs to Heath Ledger.)

Changeling is the story of Christine Collins of Los Angeles, who in 1928 reported her nine-year old son, Walter, as missing. In the midst of charges of corruption and negative publicity, the Los Angeles police department was desperate for a positive P.R. boost from solving the case. After much searching, they finally found a boy in DeKalb, IL claiming to be Walter, and returned him to his mother. But it wasn’t really him. This immutable fact galvanized Collins on a quest to find the truth and a battle against authorities that threatened to tear her life apart.

The flick stars Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, and Jeffery Donavan.  Look for it at the end of October.

According to an email sent to good folks over at the Chicago Tribune, Harold Raimis is saying all the pieces of the puzzle are in place to go forward with a new Ghostbusters flick.  (Did you hear that?  The sound of a tear hitting the floor?)

Raimis writes: 

Yes Columbia is developing a script for Ghostbusters 3 with my Year One writing partners, Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg.  Judd Apatow is co-producing Year One and has hmade several other films for Sony, so of course the studio is hoping to tap into some of the same acting talent.  Aykroyd, Ivan Reitman and I are consulting at this point, and according to Dan, Bill Murray is willing to be involved on some level.  He did record his dialogue for the new Ghostbusters video game, as did Danny and I, and Ernie Hudson.  The concept is that the old Ghostbusters would appear in the film in some mentor capacity.  Not much else to say at this point. Everyone is confident a decent script can be written and I guess we’ll take it from there.

So there you have it straight from the horse’s mouth.  Imagine an Apatow fueled Ghostbusters!  Seth Rogen, Will Ferrell, McLovin, Paul Rudd!  The black dude from the Office!  It’s classic already.

best,
harold

If any number of things were to send this world into a catastrophic tailspin, Stephen Colbert will have nothing to worry about.  For you see, Stephen Colbert will live forever. 

The Colbert Report host’s DNA is being digitized and sent to the International Space Station, Comedy Central reported today.  In October, video game designer Richard Garriott will travel to the station and deposit Colbert’s genes for an “Immortality Drive.”

“I am thrilled to have my DNA shot into space, as this brings me one step closer to my lifelong dream of being the baby at the end of 2001,” Colbert said in a statement, referring to the 1968 landmark science fiction film “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

Garriot, who is one of a few private citizens to travel into space, is collecting human DNA, personal messages, and a log of all of humanity’s greatest achievements to build a time capsule. 

In the unlikely event that Earth and humanity are destroyed, mankind can be resurrected with Stephen Colbert’s DNA,” Garriott said in a statement. “Is there a better person for us to turn to for this high-level responsibility?”

So don’t worry about our future civilization.  Our grandchildren’s grandchildren will one day know the laughter that Colbert has brought to our civilization….and maybe even those crazy aliens can enjoy the man theirselves.

 Tim Falletti

I don’t make a habit of insulting other people’s television viewing habits.  I don’t judge, mock, or laugh.  I think everyone’s viewing tendencies are different, and people like different shows deemed craptacular by critics because of their personal tastes.  On occasion though, I have to get high and mighty when it comes to one show in particular:  The Shield.

The Shield is the best written, best acted, and most addicting show to ever be aired on our boob tubes.  This is not opinion.  This is fact.  If anyone says different, I will do all the aforementioned things above, and insult the crap out of you.  It has been used in real police stations across the country on a “what not to do” level.  It has been used in universities in classes on ethics.  The Shield is the most thought provoking, entertaining, gut wrenching, insert superlative here, show on television.

It tells the story of badass Los Angeles cop Vic Mackey (Michael “Don’t call me Thing” Chiklis) who is not just above the law, but breaks every rule to stay that way.  He leads a little strike team of other bad ass cops who are a little crooked and lot willing to do whatever it takes to keep the streets safe…all the while taking a little for their own for all their hard work.

From the opening scene in episode 1.1, to this final season, The Shield has defined what the cop genre should be—paving the way for shows like The Wire to be successful, and has reinvented cable television shows in general.  Using its hyper-realistic camera angles, it sucks you in and punches you in the stomach….repeatedly.  I urge you to check this show out.  Hell, I demand it.  Any show that can turn Anthony Anderson from a fat comedian prop to criminal bad ass is worth your money.  If you need to start from the beginning, you can find all the seasons for 25 bucks right now at Amazon.  They are worth the money. 

If you are a loyal follower, and are itching to find out what happens to Vic.  This is the season all the questions will be answered…..and knowing writer Shawn Ryan……there will not be any cheesy Journey song to end it.  Guns blazing folks.  Guns blazing.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Don LaFontaine, the man who popularized the now loved-catch phrase, “in a world where…” and lent his voice to thousands of movie trailers, has died. He was 68.

LaFontaine died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from complications in the treatment of an ongoing illness, said Vanessa Gilbert, his agent.

LaFontaine made more than 5,000 trailers in his 33-year career while working for the top studios and television networks.

In a rare on-screen appearance in 2006, he parodied himself on a series of national television commercials for a car insurance company where he played himself telling a customer, “In a world where both of our cars were totally under water…”

In an interview last year, LaFontaine explained the strategy behind the phrase.

“We have to very rapidly establish the world we are transporting them to,” he said of his viewers. “That’s very easily done by saying, `In a world where … violence rules.’ `In a world where … men are slaves and women are the conquerors.’ You very rapidly set the scene.”

LaFontaine insisted he never cared that no one knew his name or his face, though everyone knew his voice.

LaFontaine went on to work in the promo industry in the early 1960s. As an audio engineer, he produced radio spots for movies with producer Floyd Peterson.

When an announcer didn’t show up for a recording session in 1965, LaFontaine voiced his first narration, a promo for the film, “Gunfighters of Casa Grande.” The client, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, liked his performance.

LaFontaine remained active until recently, averaging seven to 10 voiceover sessions a day. He worked from a home studio his wife nicknamed “The Hole,” where his fax machine delivered scripts.

LaFontaine is survived by his wife, the singer and actress Nita Whitaker, and three daughters.

His funeral arrangements were pending.