Sports and Entertainment

Columbia Pictures and Ghost House Pictures’ sequel to David Slade’s 2007 vampire movie “30 Days of Night” is actually shooting as we speak if you can actually believe that.  A lot of the cast is already in place but there is still no word if another actress is or isn’t going to be taking over for Melissa George’s role from the first movie.  Besides that, some cool casting news includes Mia Kirshner as the lead vampire/villain Lillith. (Kirshner played the Sarah Michelle Gellar part in Not Another Teen Movie)

Other members of the cast include two former “Lost” alums Harold Perrineau and Kiele Sanchez.  Most notably in my opinion is the casting of the always beautiful and really really funny Diora Baird.  (follow her on Twitter, she is a freaking comedian I swear)  PS Baird, it’s almost impossible to find a safe for work picture of you.  Seriously.

The direct to DVD sequel directed by Ben Ketai, is expected to hit Blockbuster shelves in 2010.

Tim Falletti

Writer/Director Michael Dougherty gets it.  Instead of the typical Halloween movie nonsense we seem to get each year (cough Saw cough), Dougherty gives us a throwback of sorts to a simpler time where “horror” movies could be fun, exciting, and thrilling.  With respect to the source material of Halloween in general, Trick ‘r’ Treat is less ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ and more ‘Creepshow’ .  Trick ‘r’ Treat is an anthology film which will one day rival the original ‘Halloween’ as must see viewing on the holiday.

Trick ‘r’ Treat’s story is straight and to the point.  In a small Ohio town, the Halloween holiday is celebrated with enthusiasm that rivals Christmas across the rest of the nation.  During this one night, anything can happen, and in this film it does.  There are four different stories in this movie; all of which intertwine with each other at some point in the movie.  For example, early in the movie a punk pre-teen kid is seen knocking over pumpkins and ruining them.  Later, we see teens who need these pumpkins for a reason I would rather not spoil.  If you pay close attention during the movie, you will see other characters and bits and pieces of their story that are more easter eggs than anything, but all the while still engaging. The four stories: The Principal, The Surprise Party, The Halloween School Bus Massacre, and Meet Sam, all have their strengths and weaknesses but all four will leave you wanting more.  The movie stars Anna Paquin (pre Tru Blood), Dylan Baker, Brian Cox, and Leslie Bibb.  It’s rated R for violence and sexuality.

If you get this movie at your local video store or Netflix, I must put this warning out:  It’s really not a ’scary’ movie.  It’s a Halloween movie.  There is a difference.  As Tales from the Crypt was to HBO, this movie is to DVD.  There will be more laughter than screams and more “a-ha” moments than deaths.  (There are deaths though…lots of them.)  Trick ‘r’ Treat is a great Halloween movie that deserves to be rented this year.  It will definitely be on my top 10 list at the end of the year even though technically it was released in 2008.  (Warner Bros foolishly never distributed this movie to theatres.  Why?  I have no clue, it would have made millions).

Tim Falletti

When I was nine years old, my family and I went on a vacation to Florida.  My oldest sister was 19 and my middle sister was 13.  As the youngest little “bratty” brother, I wasn’t old or cool enough to hang out with my sisters.  I spent most of my time playing with my Ninja Turtle and comic book superhero toys by myself while my sisters were off doing whatever it was than teenage girls did.  I desperately wanted to fit in with them and hang out with them but now, as a 28 year old man, I understand why I couldn’t.  The magic of being myself though, imagining the battles between Spider-Man and Master Splinter, is still something I fondly recall.  That pure childlike wonder…that pure imagination…that pureness of a 9 year old boy who just didn’t quite belong in the real world with all the adults, is what Where The Wild Things Are is all about.

Where the Wild Things Are isn’t a typical kids movie.  Let’s get that out there right now.  There isn’t any talking gerbils or chipmunks running around. There aren’t any fart jokes or silly cliched pop culture references.   This is an adult children’s movie.  I honestly do not know how director Spike Jonze got the studio to go along with it.  This movie is a love letter to adults about their childhoods.

I’m not going to beat around the bush.  Where the Wild Things Are is the best movie I have seen this year.  Sorry District 9.  Sorry Hurt Locker.  I say this without even a hint of hyperbole:  Where the Wild Things Are is the best movie in this genre since The Wizard of Oz.  What Oz did for 1939, Where the Wild Things are will do for 2009.   This movie deserves to be held in the pantheon of discussion with a movie like Wizard of Oz.  I laughed.  I was scared.  I was filled with emotion.  I was a child again for an hour an a half.

Thank you Spike Jonze.  Thank you.

Tim Falletti

If you have been following any sort of movie news, you have no doubt heard of a little low budget indie flick called Paranormal Activity.  If not, let me give you a little backstory.  Paranormal Activity was made for 11,000 bucks and has gone through hell getting released to the public.  It’s been around for roughly two years and it’s been getting really great word of mouth from movie reviewers and the college kids that have been lucky enough to take a peek at it.

Well, I had the pleasure of sitting through Paranormal Activity here in Chicago this weekend, and I can tell you that while this movie is fairly overhyped, it does do a decent job at what it’s supposed to do:  Scaring you.

Here’s the plot:  In a Blair Witch/Cloverfield type setting, this is found footage from a suburban couple who think they are being haunted by something ghostly…or demony.  They buy a camera, set it up in their bedroom, and creepiness ensues. (Just a little mental note, if you get sick during these types of movies, you might be good here.  The shakey camera is not bad at all compared to the aforementioned movies)

SPOILERS AHEAD BE WARNED!!!

The first few encounters with the demon/spirit are pretty lame.  A door opens and closes, a few loud noises, and lights turning on and off.  There is a really really slow burn of suspense that some will find terrifying but others will find it moves too slow.  It doesn’t start getting really freaky until the boyfriend of the movie brings a Ouija board into the home thus instigating the demon.   After the Ouija board, less subtle things start happening like footprints in some laid baby powder, the girlfriend of the story starts staring at the boyfriend all night, and ultimately the demon gets physical with the couple.

END SPOILERS

While sitting in the theatre, there were many many people that were screaming and physically frightened.  I on the other hand, was not.  I thought it was less than creepy and boardered on humorous.  There was a lot of hype going into the movie, and none of it lived up to my expectations.  Maybe the hype was too much, maybe my expectations were set too high…I couldn’t tell you.  But it just didn’t do it for me….while I was in the theatre.

It wasn’t until bedtime that the movie actually resignated with me.  I was hearing bumps in my house I had never heard before and kept thinking about the final scene in the movie.  Even now, two days later, I still find myself thinking about the ending and the hair begins to stand up on its own.

So to really sum it all up, Paranormal Activity is not the Exorcist of our generation.  Don’t go into this thing with the expectation that you are going to be too scared to move after the lights come up.  Go into it thinking that you are going to see a decent movie with a few scares that hours after you see it, you will still think of it if you are home alone in the dark.

 It was only a matter of time before this started.  Zombieland did well at the box office this weekend, and quite frankly I loved the crap out of it.  (If you haven’t seen this flick yet, go now.)  Critics and audiences alike dig this movie, so sequel talk isn’t unheard o.

It seems Woody Harrelson already has said he would want to do it.   (MTV has an interview with co-writer Paul Wernick and he said Woody told him that).  And if you didn’t know this little interesting tid-bit, Wernick and co-writer Rhett Reese actually planned on Zombieland being a television series.  In essence, the movie Zombieland was only the first episode!  These dudes probably have tons of ideas for a sequel.  Stay tuned for more info on this.

And stay tuned for a hot picture of Emma Stone:

Let’s talk about video games based on comic book characters.  There were games in each generational system that I had to have just because it was Superman or Spider-Man or Batman.  All of those games were well below par.  Extremely below par.  Dismal.  Every once in a while you would get a game like The Incredible Hulk where it showed some promise or the Spider-Man movie games that were playable and fun.  Still, the day never came where you could honestly say, “This game is awesome.”

Today is that day.  Batman:  Arkham Asylum is the greatest superhero game of all time, I would also say, the best licensed game period.

Here’s the story:  Batman captures the Joker in the beginning of the game, brings him back to Arkham, Joker planned it the whole time and busts loose in the crazy house, and you have to put an end to his menace before it’s too late.  Pretty simple concept, but unbelievably played out to perfection.

You encounter tons of Batman’s rouges gallery from the likes of Joker, Harley Quinn, Bane, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, and Poison Ivy.  (There are also Easter eggs thrown in everywhere for the casual and addicted Batman fan.)

The graphics are sweet, the sound is phenomenal, you never get sick of playing it, and it has tons of surprises.

If you haven’t already played this game (I know this is a very late post. I have been super busy at work — Welcome back S&E!! hehe) go out and buy the thing today.

 Robert Rodriguez and Nimrod Antal have cast Adrien Brody in one of the leads in the new Predator remake/prequel/sequel thing-a-ma-jig they are in preproduction on Variety reports.  They also say Topher Grace might want a hand in this movie too.

Adrien Brody wasn’t exactly my first pick to star in this flick *cough The Rock cough * but hey.  It seems he lobbied pretty hard for it so he must want in.  Time will tell.

Here we go again with these dumb ass rumors.  The Sun out of the UK is reporting that Megan Fox has indeed signed on to play Catwoman in the Dark Knight sequel.  This is all fiction folks.  There isn’t a script.  Catwoman might not even be in it.  And if she is, I seriously believe it won’t be Megan Fox.  1., she is too young.  2. Christopher Nolan likes actresses that can…ummmm….act.

Don’t get me wrong.  I would like to see Fox in black leather with a whip.  Just not in a Batman movie.

Yes, the Avatar teaser trailer hit today.  But this trailer knocks that one aside like a pesky little brother!  Check this out!  2010 can’t come fast enough for this bad boy.

After 5 years in the making, James Cameron’s Avatar teaser trailer finally hit today and let me tell you…..I am not all that impressed.  I know I know.  I sound like a fanboy. But after all the hype, this thing just didn’t impress me.  I wasn’t blown away.  My eyes weren’t violated.  I thought it just ‘meh’.  Tell me what you think.