It's Tuesday morning, so let the hate flow

I normally try not to get in the business of telling people not to see movies that I haven't and won't, but the fact there's only one this week - and what it is - just has me in a fairly cranky mood to start the day, so bear with me.

I always knew this week was going to be a hole in what otherwise is just a sensational month for movies. Already, of course, there's "Star Trek," which I'm almost certain to see again this weekend. Next week comes "Terminator: Salvation," for which you can count me thoroughly jazzed, and then Pixar's "Up" and Sam Raimi's "Drag Me to Hell" (but not, apparently, dammit, Rian Johnson "The Brothers Bloom.")

In between, however, all we get is "Angels & Demons." Now, for reasons I'll keep to myself, I will never, ever read a Dan Brown book or see one of his movies, but let me see if I have this plot summary right. After the Pope is murdered, the four Preferiti, or candidates to replace him, are also slain. Is this really anyone's idea of pleasant Summertime entertainment? Sheesh. Here's hoping against hope that this somehow makes a grand total of about $100 worldwide.

And, in the spirit of hating, which can actually be more than a little fun, here's a word or two about one I did see last weekend, so I guess you can call this a cautionary tale. Here goes:


I should have known "Next Day Air" was going to be a disaster when I saw it called, in separate places, both "the black Pineapple Express" and "the black Lock, Stock and Two Smokin' Barrels."

Now, I guess the bigger question would be why we would need either of those, but for right now, I can just tell you "Next Day Air" just falls miserable short of both. Not even Donald Faison, Wood Harris (Avon Barksdale on "The Wire") and Mos Def (who wisely only spends about five minutes total in this train wreck), all of whom I like a whole lot, were enough to give this flick either an ounce of comedic charm or dramatic urgency. Lacking both, it's a grim affair, and much more importantly, just incredibly boring. Avoid this one at all costs. I sure wish I had.

Actually, I guess just about everyone already has since it made a grand total of about $4 million. I give it one more week, and the filmmakers only have themselves to blame, because I really can't think of a movie I was looking forward to more that's just so completely lacking in anything that could even come close to being called entertainment value.

The premise, which I knew going in, can only generously be called tired. Faison, playing a spliffed-out delivery guy, delivers a package of narcotics to the wrong address. To that, the movie adds almost no comedy and really no further story, hence why it has no relation AT ALL to "Lock, Stock" and even less to "Pineapple Express." Debbie Allen shows up for about two minutes and tries very hard to be funny, as does Mos Def, but they both wisely bail very quickly. I guarantee that if you do somehow manage to see this, Mos' line in the commercial, "I like your outfit," is just about the only one that will make you even snicker.

And you can call me a devoted fan of "stylized violence," but the bullet ballet that closes out "Next Day Air" forgot one key element: Any kind of style. It just mercifully puts this instantly forgettable flick to bed in just under 90 minutes, which in my book amounts to a mercy killing. Peace out.

Remember Sofia Coppola? She's back ...

It's really funny that this turned up this morning, since one of the many things that has passed through my too-active imagination recently while it was trying to avoid any actual work was what in the world ever happened to Sofia Coppola?

It's been three years since "Marie Antoinette," and I have to say that, for me at least, that one just left a bad taste in my mouth. I dragged my brother to see it in Amsterdam while we were taking a side trip from the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and perhaps if we had sampled a bit of the local product beforehand I would have enjoyed it more. As it was, the flick had style to spare, but it was certainly signifying nothing, and I just couldn't get into it one bit.

All that, said, however, I still have a lot of time for Sofia Coppola, because I count her first two flick among my favorites, and of how many directors can you really say you like two-thirds of their movies? "The Virgin Suicides" and "Lost in Translation" were both much more intimate affairs than "Marie Antoinette," and each represented just a moment in time as much as they did a dream. And it sounds like what she's up to now (yes, I will get to it very soon) could be a return to form.

Much as "Lost in Translation" centered on the Park Hyatt hotel in Tokyo, Coppola's next flick, "Somewhere," will take place at the iconic Chateau Marmont in Hollywood. Stephen Dorff will play "a bad-boy actor stumbling through a life of excess," and Elle Fanning (who I have to assume is some kind of relation to Dakota) will play his daughter who visits to interrupt his reverie.

The flick, which was also written by Coppola, is set to start shooting in June in L.A. and Italy, so to that I can only say welcome back.

Why I love Blackfilm.com

Well, there are many reasons, actually, but a big one is that they simply cover movies that get ignored by most of the world earlier and much more extensively.

Case in point: I had never heard of a flick called "Next Day Air," a comedy set to be released very wide May 8. Directed by rap video helmer Benny Boom, it's an ensemble comedy that's clearly in the vein of "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and starring Donald Faison of "Scrubs" and Mos Def, easily one of my favorite actors.

Why in the world wouldn't I be interested in that? Anyways, enjoy the trailer, and certainly go see this one when it comes out soon.



"It's just a dragon-looking wild thing"

Can you imagine how happy Warner Brothers must have been when they found out their "Where the Wild Things Are" flick was gonna get a free endorsement of sorts from no less than Barack Obama? The Spike Jonze flick is finally set to come out in October, but in the meantime, enjoy this seriously fun reading of my favorite children's book by Mr. Obama at the White House Easter Egg Roll, and I defy you to not just smile broadly.



"Bruno" somehow gets an R rating

Even after pointing out that it still has "pervasive, strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity and language" (one can certainly hope so!), the MPAA has still rescinded the NC-17 rating given to Sacha Baron Cohen's next flick, centering on the Austrian fashion reporter Bruno, and awarded it an R rating. This is one I'm certainly looking forward to seeing in July, but for now just enjoy this new promotional pic and have a perfectly pleasant weekend. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to the Atlanta Film Festival 365, and rather excited about it. Peace out.

Demko's DVD shelf: A truly packed week

"It would be like me going to ['No Country for Old Men' author] Cormac McCarthy and going, 'I have an idea for a [sequel]: You write a book, and I'll write a movie, and you can release it. You'll win a Pulitzer; I'll win an Oscar. It'll be awesome. The attitude toward comic books, they show their hand a little bit. They would never say that about a real novelist, but they would about a comic book."
- Zack Snyder in The New York Times

The rather meager $55 million opening of "Watchmen" will hopefully put the kibosh on any talk about a sequel, and judging from that quote above I'd have to assume Mr. Snyder at least wouldn't be on board. At least until the dumptrucks of money pull up to his door, anyway.

I will say this about anyone who would dare to pen a "Watchmen" sequel, which would really be just about the worst cinematic idea short of a big-screen remake of "The Wizard of Oz": He or she would have to have some serious huevos.

But enough about that. Let's just assume for now that it's never going to happen and move on to a much happier subject: This week's rather seriously loaded DVD shelf. There's a ton of new titles, and at least six that are well worth a rental. These include "Milk" and "Synecdoche, NY," but because I still don't get paid to do this I'm just gonna have to brush over those and simply say check them out if you haven't already (even if Charlie Kaufman's conceit, unfiltered, does wear out its welcome a bit by the end.)

And there's a 12th season of "South Park" (and, much better, a new season beginning tomorrow night, huzzah!), but I just checked Hulu and all 14 season 12 episodes are indeed available there, so why not just watch them for free? A good starting point would be the "Breast Cancer Show Ever," 'cause there really are few better ways to waste 20 minutes or so than by watching Cartman finally get his ass thoroughly kicked by Wendy. Priceless.

But there are four other titles out this week that are so good they're worth a full mention, starting with the best vampire movie I've seen in many, many years. I had no expectations at all going into "Let the Right One In," which probably helped it grow even higher in my estimation, but mi hermano has seen it and raves about it just as much as I do, so I know this time I'm right.

Director Tomas Alfredson's flick, based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, is in fact at least as much a coming-of-age tale as it is a horror movie. Set in frozen Sweden and making full use of its smothering setting, it tells the story of 12-year-old Oskar, who is bullied by his stronger classmates and is pretty much just all-around miserable until he meets new neighbor Eli, who resembles a pale young girl, but, well you can probably figure out the truth. Watching what happens as Oskar does too is easily one of the biggest cinematic pleasures of 2008, and I guarantee you won't soon forget what happens when Eli steps up to fight for Oskar. I've ranted about this before, but it's so sinister an idea that it's worth mentioning again, only as a word of warning: "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeves' plan for an American remake, to be transported to snowy Colorado, is now far enough along to have an IMDB listing. Stop this madness now if you somehow can, or at least just trust me and watch the original now that you have another chance.

"Cadillac Records"
Anyone who's been here before (and I'm still amazed there appear to be a few of you out there) knows that I have nothing but love for Darnell Martin's flick, and I'm happy to sing its praises for what might be the last time now that it's out on DVD. Rather than the straightforward story of Chess Records, Martin just makes her movie all about the music, the mood and the 'tude, and she's helped out by - with all apologies to "Milk" and "W." - the best ensemble cast of 2008. If you think you haven't heard Beyonce sing Etta James' "At Last" by now, you're probably wrong, because its just everywhere. But as beautiful as that is, the real joy in Beyonce's performance (and yes, I am serious) comes in the pain she mines in James' story. Just as good are Jeffrey Wright, who is just a simmering pot of pride and anger as Muddy Waters, Columbus Short, who wrings all the life out of Little Walter, and finally Mos Def clowning it up in full ham as Chuck Berry. All Ms. Martin has listed now on her IMDB sheet since this thoroughly fun flick is three episodes of "Law and Order," but here's hoping she finds real movie work again soon, because she certainly deserves it.

Rachel Getting Married
Be warned before you watch it: Jonathan Demme's flick is the most claustrophobic one I've seen since "Margot at the Wedding," but - on screen, at least - I like my family life served up with a big helping of dysfunction, so they both just worked for me. I was really hoping Anne Hathaway would win the Oscar for this, because she really is as good as all the hype would have you believe as the unwelcome guest at her sister Rachel's wedding. My parents were surprised by this one because they heard a "Fresh Air" interview with Demme in which he called it a "romantic comedy." It's far from that, but you won't get very many flicks that take a more perceptive look at the family dynamic, and Rosemarie DeWitt (Don Draper's hippie mistress on the first season of "Mad Men") is every bit as good as Hathaway as the titular Rachel.

"Happy-Go-Lucky"
I'm not sure I was supposed to find Sally Hawkins' Poppy easily the most annoying lead character of 2008, but it's one of the biggest strengths of Mike Leigh's flick that I was still rooting for her from the start. Hawkins' Poppy is indeed so cheerful that you might want to throttle her, but it will certainly make you think when she encounters someone who might just be ready to act on that understandable impulse in combustible driving instructor Scott, in an unforgettable turn by Eddie Marsan. Like most of Leigh's movies its just an enjoyable little snapshot of working life, with the bonus this time that it just might make you think a little about how you look at the world around you (hokey I know, but true.)

So, there you have it. If you rent any of these, I certainly hope you like them as much as I did. Peace out.

When Michel Gondry met ... "The Green Hornet"?

Actually, the best news I found out there today is that Andy Richter and Conan O'Brien are going to be reunited again when Conan takes over "The Tonight Show" on June 1.

Though it was purely by coincidence, when Richter left "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" in 2000 was just about the same time I stopped tuning in loyally almost every night (having nothing to do with him, but instead because increasingly grumpy, clearly middle-aged men simply shouldn't be up that late.)

In his new role, Richter will serve as announcer but also, thankfully, participate in a lot of the sketches too. I'd much rather see him back as a traditional on-the-couch sidekick a la Ed McMahon or, well, Andy Richter, but this still will be enough to make me stay up a little later for at least the beginning to see what Conan cooks up in his new time slot.

And the weirdest thing is easily that the Humane Society gives out movie awards, including Best Picture, for flicks that it thinks address animal issues well. And the nominees (none of which I've seen) are:

"Bolt"
"Marley & Me"
"Red"
"Saving Luna"

Actually, that "Red" is one I'd like to see, and will instantly watch on Netflix soon, because I like Brian Cox in just about anything. And for one that they missed, though it just moved way too slow for my tastes, no 2008 movie better addressed the perils of dog ownership when you don't have a home for yourself than "Wendy and Lucy," which starred Michelle Williams.

But easily the coolest news out there is that Michel Gondry is now attached to direct "The Green Hornet." Take a minute to let that sink in.

It may seem odd that the director of such mind-bending flicks as "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "The Science of Sleep" would take on something as silly as a superhero flick, but I think this could really work well, because if you look at two other recent flicks from Mr. Gondry, he clearly also just likes to have fun.

I own a copy of "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" on DVD, and that Gondry flick delivers just what its title promises (with some sensational music to boot.) And anyone who's seen "Be Kind Rewind" (and if you haven't, why not?) knows that he can be just as goofy as anyone when he wants to be.

So, what's up with "The Green Hornet"? Well, amazingly enough, it's set to star Seth Rogen as the titular hero (yes, really) and - even better - Stephen Chow as his loyal sidekick Kato (the role made famous by one Bruce Lee.) Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the team behind "Superbad," wrote the script. Chow was attached to direct at one point, which would have been even more bizarrely entertaining, before pulling out over "creative differences."

I know that's a lot about a movie that isn't even set to come out until June 25, 2010, so I'll just wrap this up with a clip from the "Block Party" featuring probably my favorite rap act of all, Dead Prez. If you like hip-hop, R&B (Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, Kanye West, the Roots and even the Fugees all show up to perform here) or the humor of Dave Chappelle, I can't recommend a rental higher than I can this great little concert flick. Enjoy, and have a perfectly passable Wednesday. Peace out.

The best ensemble movie that, apparently, almost no one will ever see

Actually, the craziest thing I heard this morning was that The Roots are gonna be the house band for Jimmy Fallon's late night show, which I don't think I'd bother tuning in for even if I could still stay up that late on a regular basis. Seems like a definite step down to me, but anyone who's seen "Chappelle's Show" knows that ?uestlove can be one seriously funny guy, so who knows?

The real topic here today is director Darnell Martin's "Cadillac Records," which managed to take in a rather unsensational $3.5 million in its first week domestic (sadder still, it even lost to the latest "Punisher" flick, which took in just more than $4 million.)

Which means if you wanna see this one the big screen, you'd better do it this week. I couldn't bring myself to call Martin's fun flick a great one, because she just plays too loose with the facts to get there. But as far as drawing great performances out of an ensemble of performers, I do submit that no one has done a better job this year (not even Oliver Stone with "W.", a very strong ensemble flick in its own right.)

I was inspired to think of this by an ad I saw for "Burn After Reading" touting it for Best Ensemble, easily my favorite of the Golden Globes categories and one the Oscars would be wise to pick up on. As for "Burning," however, it was full of good performances and one great comedic one, Brad Pitt's turn as Rusty, but it falls way short of what you'll see (if you bother) in "Cadillac Records."

It starts with Jeffrey Wright, who plays Chess Records' first big star, Muddy Waters. Wright was in "W." too, of course, as Colin Powell, but this was the first time this year when I felt he really just disappeared into a role. His Muddy is fiercely proud and clearly has a devilish streak that you can always see in Wright's eyes. One of the best exchanges comes near the beginning when he first meets Adrian Brody's Leonard Chess and Chess asks him to drop the "yes boss" act. Muddy's response, "what the f*** do you want?", just made me laugh out loud.

I was certain going in that Wright would be great in this one, but I wasn't ready at all for what happened when Beyonce entered the scene about an hour in as Etta James. Beyonce, clearly just a beauty beyond all reason, becomes something completely different as Etta: Desperately sexy. It comes out best when she's singing, both in the money shot "At Last," but also as she performs my favorite Etta James Chess track, "I'd Rather Go Blind." In every mannerism she just captures the perfect mix of anger, desire and vulnerability, and it's the kind of performance I never would have guessed Beyonce could deliver. My apologies.

And the supporting cast in "Cadillac Records" is almost as great as its leading man and women, starting with Mos Def. He's easily one of my favorite actors already, but just as Chuck Berry's career was cut off at its height because of his attraction to young white girls, Mos doesn't get a whole lot of screen time here. He does, however, make the most of it, playing Berry with an impish smile that masks serious attitude, and if you don't smile too when he does the duck walk I just have to wonder what's wrong with you.

Rounding out the cast are Columbus Short as mouth harp man extraordinaire Little Walter, Eamonn Walker as an amusingly menacing Howlin Wolf and an understated Cedric the Entertainer as narrator Willie Dixon. Brody wisely and mostly just stays out of the way of these energetic performers but is still likable enough as the Chess boss man.

Like I said at the beginning, Martin's first flick isn't necessarily a great one, but with a cast like that and an all-around fun feel, surely it deserves more than $3.5 million.

Though this certainly isn't a reason to see a movie, I'll leave you with this rather troubling fact: With last year's "Talk to Me," which I almost thoroughly enjoyed, Kasi Lemmons became the first black woman to direct three feature Hollywood films, the other two being "The Caveman's Valentine" and her debut, "Eve's Bayou," both well worth a rental. One of my co-workers, Eldridge McCready, suggested perhaps Gina Prince-Bythewood had also reached this peak, but her only two features so far are this year's "The Secret Life of Bees" and 2000's "Love and Basketball."

Again, not a reason to automatically go see a movie, but unless it just looks too sappy for my taste (as with "Secret Life of Bees), I'll always spring for at least a matinee when a black woman gets the chance to direct a flick that actually makes it out to my little corner of the world.

And now I'll leave you for real with this rather remarkable Etta James and Dr. John performance of "I'd Rather Go Blind," apparently on Japanese TV. As sad songs go, I'd say there's only one better, Toussaint McCall's "Nothing Can Take the Place of You." Enjoy this dose of the blues, and have a perfectly passable Tuesday. Peace out.

DVD pick: "Be Kind Rewind" redux

Consider this an open letter of apology to Michel Gondry.

I was more than a little bit psyched to see Mr. Gondry's "Be Kind Rewind" when it hit the big screen a little while back. Jack Black, Mos Def and Michel Gondry? I was so jazzed to see it that I even drove an hour or so up the road to do so.

And I think it was these expectations that led me to be at least slightly disappointed as I was walking out of the theater.

Now, don't get me wrong. After watching the movie again last night on DVD, I still think Gondry's flick is just goofy as goofy can get, but it's also more than a little bit magical once it manages to get going.

If you haven't seen it, take this warning from me going in: You'll almost certainly wince through the first half-hour or so. Jack Black's character vacillates between mildly retarded and thoroughly annoying. I know people have found him to be that way before, but it was a first for me (yes, I even liked "Nacho Libre.")

And the premise of "Be Kind Rewind," if you think about it for even a second, is simply ludicrous. Gondry's love of mom-and-pop stores and of Passaic, N.J., comes through clearly, but why in the world would you want to save a movie rental store where you know the owner (Danny Glover) can never get any new movies because he refuses to make the move to DVD?

So, my advice: Go ahead and rent "Be Kind Rewind" and just don't think about it too much. Once Black, Mos Def and the very charming Melonie Diaz get down to "sweding" all the tapes that Black's Jerry has managed to erase (because he's magnetized, of course), it's just tons of fun. The "Ghostbusters" and "Rush Hour 2" takes got the most attention, but my favorite moment in Gondry's flick was when Mos sheepishly explained why he felt uncomfortable sweding "Driving Miss Daisy." Just perfect.

And the last 20 or minutes or so, when the community bands together to make a movie about Fats Waller (don't ask, just watch for yourself and find out why), it morphs into probably my favorite subgenre of all: Movies about the love of movies.

So, for all its faults, I can still heartily recommend renting "Be Kind Rewind" if you're in the mood for something truly odd but often very entertaining.

Also out this week is possibly my favorite movie of all so far this year (second only to maybe "Son of Rambow," but they're pretty much tied), Patricia Riggen's "Under the Same Moon." Though I hate the phrase "putting a human face" more than just about any other in the English lexicon, I guess you could say that's what Riggen's movie manages to do with immigration.

On paper it would seem to be just too sappy for words, but the story of a 9-year-old Mexican boy (Adrian Alonso) trying to reunite with the mother (telenovela star Kate del Castillo) who had to leave him behind when she went to look for work in L.A. is just thoroughly engaging. It turns into an odd buddy-road movie of sorts when young Carlitos teams up with a laborer (Euginio Derbez) to make the journey, the movie's best stretch.

So, there you have it. Two DVD recommendations for no entry fee. Have a perfectly pleasant weekend and, if you actually go see either "The Love Guru" or "Get Smart" (which I can't bring myself to do) and want to share your opinion of them, please feel free to do so.

The flameout of "Jezebel James"

Even if the end was inevitable - because the show was in many ways just bloody awful - this is still an awfully harsh fall from grace for the creator of the often sublime "Gilmore Girls."

After airing only three episodes (over just two weeks) of the only seven episodes ordered, Fox has indeed already pulled the plug on Amy Sherman-Palladino's new show, "The Return of Jezebel James." To give credit where it's squarely due, this news was broken by TV-obsessed Michael Ausiello here.

There were a number of factors going against this show from the outset, but though it pains me to say it, the biggest problem was easily Parker Posey. It wasn't that she's not Lauren Graham - because there can of course only be one of those rather perfect human specimens - but a whole other problem.

Posey could keep up with ASP's rapid-fire dialogue, which hasn't seemed to slow down much at all, but in order to do so she had to adapt the mannerisms of a meth addict, which along with being thoroughly annoying just didn't gel too well with her New York book publisher persona. Lauren Ambrose fared better by playing it a little more cool, but still ended up often looking nothing but awkward.

The second big killer was that laugh track, which is easily the worst I've heard in many years (though I don't watch many sitcoms.) Why do networks still use this? It never sounds real, and when it's turned up very loud in all the wrong places - as on "Jezebel James" - it just points out how unfunny the show really is.

If I can digress a bit, it was great to see Sarah Chalke on "How I Met Your Mother" - another show that should just dump its laugh track - last night. Britney was, as I guess should have been expected, just pretty darn awful, but Chalke was just as charming as she's always been on "Scrubs." Could she be the secret "Mother" in this puzzle? Probably not, but that would indeed be pretty friggin cool if so.

But, getting back to "Jezebel James," the real shame here is that buried beneath all its obvious faults was the foundation for a pretty good show. The relationship between these two sisters with almost entirely different views of the world could well have developed into something very interesting, but for once at least I can't blame Fox: The gap between potential and payoff was just too wide with this one. R.I.P. Jezebel James.

The "Cadillac" of movie casts?

I've recently added Blackfilm.com to my morning reading list (in place of the froggy site Cinempire.com, which has just fallen off precipitously of late), and it's definitely a welcome addition.

As might be expected, they tend to track the minute details of movies that others pay little attention to, as they're doing with the rather fun-sounding "Cadillac Records," which is quickly attracting quite an A-list cast.

The newest addition is Gabrielle Union, who I'll admit to being smitten with ever since "Bring It On." She'll play Geneva Wade, the girlfriend and later wife of Muddy Waters, being played by the great Jeffrey Wright.

Written and directed by first-time feature (but long-time TV) director Darnell Martin, the story is about Leonard Chess, the legendary founder of the South Side Chicago blues label Chess Records, who will be played by Adrian Brody. Also confirmed for the biopic are Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon, Beyonce Knowles (heard of her?) as Etta James, Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf, Columbus Short as Little Walter and, easily one of my favorite actors working today, Mos Def as Chuck Berry.

Mos Def as Chuck Berry? It just doesn't get much cooler than that, so definitely keep your eyes on this one. Peace out.

Is there hope that "Friday Night Lights" will keep shining?

If the perhaps final "Friday Night Lights" that aired a few weeks was indeed a finale, it would certainly be an odd way to go out.

In ways it did feel like an ending of sorts, with Smash (Gaius Charles) finding out he just might still have the chance to play (very small) college football and show honcho Peter Berg even making a very funny appearance as an old flame of Tami Taylor's (the simply fantastic Connie Britten) who gets into a drinking and then wrestling match with coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler.)

But it also, of course, had some aspects of a perfect cliffhanger, with Street (Scott Porter) waiting to find out if he will be a daddy and Lyla (Minka Kelly) and Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) perhaps about to start knocking boots again. (If this all sounds rather like a tawdry soap opera, it often is, but like "The Last Picture Show," it's also a fantastic portrait of life in small-town America.)

And I tell you all that to tell you this: NBC, which has until now shown little inclination to bring the show back for a third season despite its rather attractive demographical (is that even a word?) numbers, may be having a change of heart.

In order to salvage my favorite network TV drama (by far), NBC is currently in negotiations with the CW, Comcast Entertainment Networks, TNT and DirecTV to see if it can find a "shared window" plan which would have the show air on multiple networks (which I can only assume would divvy up the production costs, too.)

NBC is apparently asking a high price (especially for a show that it seems to have so little love for), but here's hoping someone takes the bait and saves this TV gem.

Be Kind, play wide?

I was so psyched until Wednesday morning when my local multiplexes updated their weekly movie offerings that, with the arrival of Michel Gondry's "Be Kind Rewind," we would finally have the first truly great (or at least really fun) movie of 2008.

Well, as some of you who live in a small city (well, town, really) like me might be finding out, apparently putting Jack Black and Mos Def in a movie all about the love of movies isn't enough to insure any kind of distribution at all. I will apparently have to drive almost 60 miles this Saturday morning (which I will definitely do) just to see it at the rather palatial AMC Southlake Pavilion south of Atlanta.

There's no real point to this portion except to let me vent a little, which is also a welcome release. I do have to ask, though: What in the world does a movie have to do to play in anything except "select cities"?


Fincher set to dive into a "Black Hole"

Complain about its length or its lack of focus if you have to, but for my money there were very few movies (only four, to be exact) better than David Fincher's "Zodiac" in 2007. And I'd put even money on "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," his take on the F. Scott Fitzgerald tale about a man who ages in reverse through the 20th century, being among my favorites of this year too.

And now comes word that he's attached to a new project that seems right up his alley. Though I can't claim to have read the "Black Hole" series of graphic novels by Charles Burns, they seem, from what little I've been able to piece together, to exist in that splendidly sordid realm where Fincher feels most at home.

In the graphic novels, at least according to Publisher's Weekly, the setting is Seattle during the early '70s. A sexually transmitted disease, the "bug," is spreading among teenagers. Those who get it develop bizarre mutations—sometimes subtle, like a tiny mouth at the base of one boy's neck, and sometimes obvious and grotesque. The most visibly deformed victims end up living as homeless campers in the woods, venturing into the streets only when they have to, shunned by normal society. All I can say to all that is bring it on!

In case you need any more inducement to get geeked up about this, here's what Daniel Clowes of "Ghostworld" fame has to say about Mr. Burns at Amazon.com:

"Charles Burns is one of the greats of modern comics. His comics are beautiful on so many levels. Somehow he has managed to capture the essential electricity of comic-book pop-art iconography, dragging it from the clutches of Fine Art back to the service of his perfect, precise-but-elusive narratives in a way that is both universal in its instant appeal and deeply personal."

Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman are writing the script for this project which would should definitely keep Fincher on a roll.

Now that's a lead

In a good article about movie studios bringing their video game development in-house that you can read here, the Wall Street Journal leads off by revealing what may (or may not) be the plot to Pixar's 2010 release, "Toy Story 3":

In Pixar's coming movie "Toy Story 3," Woody the cowboy and his toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, leaves for college.

Now, if that is indeed the case, it does sound like a fun way to bring a new batch of kids into the franchise. That plot summary, however, does differ wildly from what's up at the IMDB:

The adventure continues as Toy Story 3 makes its way into theaters in 2010. In this new adventure, Buzz Lightyear has encountered a malfunction and is being sent to Taiwan to be fixed. It appears that these malfunctions are occurring with toys all around the world! Now, Woody and a group of his friends are on a mission to save Buzz's destruction.

No matter which one is right, we'll have to wait a couple of years to find out, but isn't it so much more fun to wonder about such silly things than say, whatever work you have to do? Peace out.

A world without movies? Perish the thought

You know, I can really live without a Golden Globes ceremony, but did anyone out there think this writers' strike (which I wholeheartedly support, by the way) would still be going on?

I just assumed it would be settled by Christmas, but I've been wrong at least once before (I also believed the Media that last night was going to be a coronation for Barack Obama, which would have been just fine with me.) I've fared fairly well through the strike as far as finding entertainment options. After all, "The Wire" is back, there are five more consecutive new episodes of "Friday Night Lights" starting Friday, and the readers of this blog have kindly helped me restock my depleted Netflix queue.

In reading about the possible cancellation of the Feb. 24 Oscars ceremony (which I still don't think will happen), it finally hit me that the directors are set to follow the writers as soon as early June. Now, I would have to assume that would mean the end to virtually all movie production, or would at least render any scab movies that still get made unwatchable. Sheesh.

But enough of that. I have to hope that would never happen, and even if the writers' strike means there's not a ton of movie news around, there are some juicy tidbits about directors who I really like, so here goes:

Noyce and Queen Scarlett?

If I'm pressed to name a favorite director, you might get five to 10 different answers if you ask 10 times, but at least one of those will be Aussie Phillip Noyce. I was hoping he was hard at work on his adaptation of Phillip Roth's "American Pastoral," a simply fantastic novel, but it seems that's on the back burner for now to make room for Queen Scarlett.

After watching the often painful "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," which was only even watchable when Cate and Clive were pitching woo, I think just about the last thing the world needs now is another royal biopic, but at least Noyce has picked an interesting queen for his turn.

With filming set to start in April, Scarlett Johansson (wtf?) is set to play "Mary Queen of Scots" in the tale of the woman who became Scotland's queen at 9 months in 1542 and, later, a rival to the English throne. Mary would go on to plot the murder of Elizabeth I, who would have her beheaded for the bother. Juicy stuff, at least, from a director who almost always makes winners.

Gondry has kings of a different kind

These next three entries are translated from the French, from the great froggy film site Cinempire (and, since I hadn't checked the trades for a long while before this morning, possibly a bit old), so please bear with me.

The most likely savour for what looks like a bleak January (I can't help but keep being suspicious of "Cloverfield") will be Michel Gondry's "Be Kind Rewind," which will hopefully open very wide Jan. 28.

After that potentially sublime does of silliness with Jack Black and Mos Def, and if I indeed have this translation right, he will soon begin work on something called "The Return of the Ice Kings."

Here, in case my French is bad as I fear, is the one-sentence plot summary offered by Cinempire: Intitulé The return of the Ice kings, l'histoire est celle de plusieurs jeunes gens qui inventent une eau spéciale, générant de la musique en la buvant. Now, if anyone can do better than me, please do, but best as I can tell that means the story is about a group of dudes who discover a new kind of water that somehow makes music. Crazy? Yes, but as more details about this madness emerge, I'm sure it will be pure Gondry, which is always OK by me.

A Russ Meyer biopic?

In the right hands, of course, this could be tons of fun. However ...

Cinempire, which hails Russ Meyer as "the Sacré roi du nudie movie avec les kitchissimes" (the king of kitchy nudie pics, essentially), has the unfortunate news that this potentially fun project has been put in the hands of Rob Cohen.

Now, I have made it this far in life without seeing "XXX," and "The Fast and the Furious" certainly had a few primal charms, but couldn't we do any better than this? Anyways, the movie is set, and I'm not making this up, to be called "King of the Nudies: The Russ Meyer Story" (and I promise, the word nudie has now officially henceforth been banned from this space.) It will be based on the Meyer biography "Big Bosoms and Square Jaws" by Jimmy McDonough.

Here's hoping this somehow turns out to be a lot better than I'm fearing.

What Spielberg wants ...

Whew .. all this French stuff is kinda giving me a headache, since I haven't spoken or read it regularly for almost 20 years now.

For a movie that isn't even listed yet in the free portion of the IMDB, "The Trial of the Chicago Seven" is certainly attracting an impressive cast. Though nothing's apparently on paper yet, Steven Spielberg will hopefully be directing this after "Indy 4," with a script from Aaron Sorkin, who made a fantastic post-"Studio 60" rebound this year with "Charlie Wilson's War."

Sacha Baron Cohen has already been announced as Abbie Hoffman, if this movie ever happens, and now in even better news, Philip Seymour Hoffman will apparently play William Kunstler, the "radical lawyer" who defended the notorious titular seven. Also apparently in negotiations to join the cast are Will Smith, Kevin Spacey, Adam Arkin and Taye Diggs. After all, what Spielberg wants ...

And that's enough French translation for today. Enjoy, as much as is humanly possible, your Wednesday. To help in that endeavor, here's a picture of Cate Blanchett in her "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" garb from the latest issue of Vanity Fair. Peace out.

More "Thank You for Smoking"? I'd quit that habit

I guess the big news today is that Ben Stiller's new "comedy" couldn't even make enough to topple The Rock at the top of the box office. But since I joined the masses in just skipping "The Heartbreak Kid," I'd instead like to talk about something else that caught my eye (and ire.)

On the surface, at least, this sounds like a fairly good idea. You can count "Thank You for Smoking" as easily one of my favorite movies of 2006, and probably the funniest flick of the year.

So, why not a TV series designed as a follow-up to the flick, as USA Network is currently planning. Well, it's just a really bad idea.

First of all, look at where Nick Naylor ends up at the end of "Smoking" (and if you somehow haven't seen the movie, there's not much I can do for you, so you'll have to just forgive me for giving it away.) The whole flick is centered on Aaron Eckhart's (very Oscarworthy but completely snubbed) portrayal of Nick Naylor as one seriously smug bastard who does sublimely evil things.

By the end of the movie, when he's given up his work for the great Satan (a k a Big Tobacco), you can accept it because the movie's over and you won't have to bear the sight of Nick Naylor actually working for the side of good. Who in the world wants to see that?

Well, the folks at USA think you do. With someone named James Dodson (not to be confused, apparently, with Focus on the Family's James Dobson) writing the script, the TV version will turn Naylor into some kind of free-agent do-gooder, using his rhetorical skills to help people in need. If you just threw up a little bit, I'm sorry, because I did too.

So, along with dropping any of the malicious spirit that drove both Jason Reitman's flick and the Christopher Buckley novel that it sprang from (both of those guys, wisely, have nothing to do with this new project), they'll turn the lead character into yet another generic TV composite character. Meh.

Luckily, Both Mr Reitman, with the upcoming "Juno," which I think I've now plugged here 150 times (and now I've apparently "adopted" both "Juno" star Ellen Page and Georgia actor Ray McKinnon, with the aid of Splotchy, so get used to it), and Mr. Buckley have more important things to keep them busy on the big screen. Although it's not listed anywhere at the IMDB, I'm fairly certain the once-great Whit Stillman (I still consider "Metropolitan" to be one of my favorite flicks) is at work now on an adaptation of another of Mr. Buckley's satirical Washington novels, "Little Green Men."

And you have my gold-standard guarantee that both of those will turn out to be miles better than anything that comes out of this silly TV project.

Weinsteins just say no to "Red State"

I read Kevin Smith's "Boring Ass Life" blog from time to time, mostly because when he's not completely full of himself Mr. Smith can still be a pretty darn funny guy. So I wasn't too surprised to hear the Weinsteins had passed on his rather crazy idea for a "horror" movie, "Red State."

The first warning sign came about two weeks or so ago when Mr. Smith reported that the Weinstein bros. had called his "Red State" script "important" and compared it in import to past Miramax output like "Pulp Fiction" and "The Piano" (that last bit may have actually come from Mr. Smith's mind, but he said it, not me.)

This sounds exactly like the kind of "vote of confidence" a baseball manager gets just before being fired (as Joe Torre hopefully will be tomorrow.) And indeed, another visit to his site this morning showed this to be true.

Given the subject matter, it's not terribly shocking that the Weinsteins wouldn't want anything to do with it. The lead bad guy is based on the Rev. Fred Phelps, a Kansas "preacher" who, among one of his nicer qualities, I bet, likes to picket the funerals of homosexuals (it pains me to even type his name, but remember, I'm just the messenger here.)

Though I'm sure it's a little better than I'm making it sound here, I'm also certain the Weinsteins bought the superior Kevin Smith project in "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" (which now has, in the two latest installments, both Zach Braff and Seth Rogen listed as "rumored" to play the lead role of Zack.)

"Be Kind" and laugh

It's been a fairly bile-filled post so far for a Monday morning, so let's end with a couple of very funny things.

The Michel Gondry flick "Be Kind Rewind," starring Mos Def, Jack Black and Melonie Diaz, is set to come out at the end of January. The flick, of course, is about video store employees who set out to re-create all of the movies after the tapes get magnetized (by the power plant that, of course, is located right next door.) It's a premise ripe with possibility, as these two posters, riffing as far as I can tell on "Boys in the Hood" and "Rush Hour," clearly show. Enjoy, and have an entirely bearable Monday.

The Korean Godzilla attacks Macon!

Though I certainly respect and, when I can, support the Macon Film Guild's efforts to bring truly obscure movies to Macon, I never thought they'd get around to anything this much fun.

This Sunday at the Douglass Theatre they're showing "Gwoemul," better known in the U.S.A. as "The Host," and even more informally known as "The Korean Godzilla." Well, having seen this flick, I can tell you that while it's not quite as fun as the Godzilla flicks, it's pretty darn close, and well worth checking out on the Douglass screen.

The plot revolves around a fairly old dude who owns a snack bar on the banks of the Han River in Seoul. Everything seems to be going fairly well for he and his ragtag family until, very early on of course, a giant creature emerges from the depths of the river and abducts his daughter. From there on out it plays out predictably enough, but with lots of humor and just enough fright for me. I can't recommend this one highly enough.

The Douglass screenings are this Sunday at 2, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m., as always introduced by Camp Bacon and with a discussion following the 4:30 showing. I'll be at the early show, and I hope many Maconites will join me there.

Besides, what else is there to watch this weekend?

Rush Hour 3: No way in hell. Am I the only one who's wondering if Roman Polanski made some kind of karmic deal by which he's paying for all his past sins by agreeing to be pummeled by Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in the latest installment of threequel summer?

Daddy Day Camp: Good Lord. In the trailer alone, the poor white dude who has to be Cuba Gooding Jr.'s sidekick gets covered in feces at least three different ways. It would be hard to call me an elitist, but I just can't see any possibly way I could watch that.

Stardust: Though I'm only mildly excited at best, I might give this a chance. It looks like a paint-by-numbers fantasy though, so I might wait for DVD.

Skinwalkers: I have no idea what this is, but judging from the title, I'd have to guess it's fairly generic horror aimed at folks more than slightly younger than me. If I'm somehow wrong about this, please let me know.

Rescue Dawn: Absolutely. Even if its Werner Herzog remaking one of his own documentaries ("Little Dieter Needs to Fly"), it's still a Herzog flick, and most likely a damn fine one at that. Christian Bale plays Dieter Dengler, a fighter pilot who gets shot down over Laos on his first flight mission in the Vietnam War and captured. From there on out, it apparently plays out as if "Rambo" were directed by Terrence Malick, so I'm definitely in. This one is only showing at the Regal Rivergate 14 in Macon, so please go see it there!

"Be Kind Rewind" preview

This does look awfully silly for the great Michel Gondry, but it should still be tons of fun.

For anyone who doesn't know, the flick, finally set to come out in January (I think), stars Jack Black and Mos Def (huzzah!) as employees of a video store (not DVD, of course) where all the tapes get erased due to their location next to a power plant. Our heroes, of course, set out to re-create all the erased movies and, according to the rather rough Comic-Con footage here, become quite the hit.

My favorite bits have to be Mos' declaration of "You're magnetized!" and Black's explanation of why they have no need to heed the FBI warning at the beginning of each tape, but even in these scant two-and-a-half minutes or so there are plenty of other things to like.



New Jason Isbell album

I picked up the solo debut from this former Drive-By Trucker last night, and while i'm still digesting it, there's a lot of strong stuff on "Sirens of the Ditch."

DBT fans be warned - this album never really rocks like the Truckers do, even though all of them except Mike Cooley (what the hell's up with that?) made significant contributions to this record. It's really a pop album with Isbell's still-developing songwriting touches, and really starts to pick up in the middle with the war gem "Dress Blues" through the bluesy "Hurricanes and Hand Grenades."

It was a dark day indeed when Mr. Isbell quit the Truckers, but they seem to have recovered fairly quickly, adding pedal-steel man John Neff (who I had the pleasure of meeting way back when he ran with Red River Dave and the Star Room Boys) as a permanent member and even recruiting Southern legend Spooner Oldham for their current tour (which, unfortunately, won't be coming to Macon.) We will, however, be getting a solo shot from Mr. Isbell at the Hummingbird Stage and Taproom Sept. 2, so definitely check that out.

And here is a great clip of Jason and the Truckers performing "Dress Blues" live at Stubbs in Texas. It's one of the best war songs I've heard in many, many years, so enjoy, and have an entirely suck-free Wednesday. Peace out.