When Tyler Perry met ... Ernest?

OK, first and for the record, for anyone who's never been here before, I am a big Tyler Perry fan and supporter, so please don't read too much into that headline.

Although Madea is pretty far from my favorite of his creations, I'm still convinced that "Madea Goes to Jail" will be a winner, both for its solid cast and because, well, Mr. Perry hasn't completely failed me yet, so he's earned more than a bit of my trust.

But what continues to vex me more than a bit is that, even on a weekend with only two major releases coming out, the only one that gets screened for critics is a teen cheerleader/sex comedy titled "Fired Up!" (and starring Claire's boyfriend from "Heroes" and a star of my beloved "Rocket Science," Nicholas D'Agosto.) Surely, though he clearly doesn't need them, it should finally be time for Perry's flicks to get some scrutiny from critics (though maybe not for anything as silly as Madea.)

The title of this post actually comes from what two co-workers - neither of whom have ever seen a Tyler Perry movie - said to me this week about "Madea Goes to Jail," comparing it, of course, to the work of the late Jim Varney. If you'll indulge me for a sec, that just set my easily occupied mind journeying for a few minutes, so bear with me.

First off, beyond any racial underpinning, I'd have to say 1) the comparison is sometimes pretty accurate and 2) I actually liked Jim Varney quite a bit, if not always Ernest (just for proof that he was actually a pretty damn fine comedic actor, I've included a clip from "Ernest Goes to Jail" below.)

They each engage in the broadest kind of comedy, but as anyone who's dared (and I only say dared because I know so many people haven't yet) to see a Tyler Perry movie knows, with his flicks you usually get a lot more. Though not yet a first-rate director, he is an outstanding writer and creates well-rounded characters who have a real human appeal, especially his women. For the best examples you can watch on DVD, check out what he did for Kathy Bates in "The Family that Preys" or Stringer Bell (Idris Elba) in "Daddy's Little Girls." Or his best ensemble comedy/drama, "Madea's Family Reunion."

I tried more than once to watch his TV show "House of Payne," but just couldn't make it through an entire episode, mostly because in tone they're a lot more Ernest than anything he's done for the big screen, without all the other good qualities.

So, what will you get if you take a chance on "Madea Goes to Jail"? Well, Madea, of course, but also Derek Luke as an assistant district attorney, Keshia Knight Pulliam (yes, Rudy Huxtable) as a prostitute who catches his eye, and the return of the very funny David and Tamela Mann as Madea's supportive relations. Also in supporting roles are Oscar nominee Viola Davis (for Supporting Actress in "Doubt"), and one of my favorite young actresses, Keke Palmer of "Akeelah and the Bee." It's also a return to Atlanta, where Tyler Perry's films are always at their best.

If you weren't going to see this at the beginning of this post, I'm fairly certain I didn't do anything to change your mind, but if you do go see it Saturday afternoon at the Amstar/Grand cinemas in Macon, you'll find me there laughing. Very hard and right out loud.

And, as promised, here's that clip of what happens when Ernest meets a leaky pen. Priceless. And, because nothing says Friday better than Quentin Tarantino and Nazis, I've also included the first three posters I could find for his World War II flick coming in August, "Inglourious Basterds," and then a trailer that adds more footage than was available in the teaser from a few weeks ago. Even if this somehow turns to be awful, it should still at least be a fascinating mess. Peace out.

Will "Mad Men" really be back this summer?

The Variety piece about this that caught my eye does indeed feature the much more optimistic headline " 'Mad Men' Season 3 set for summer," and I really can't see anyway that AMC would really let its clear franchise show fail.

It was more than a little distressing, however, to hear that executive producer and creator Matthew Weiner, who has said he foresees a five-season arc for what is clearly TV's current best drama (with all apologies to "Friday Night Lights") still hadn't signed a new contract with Liongate. Sign the man up already! Here's what AMC president Charlie Collier had to say Thursday:

"As long as we get the writers' room up and running over the next few months, we're fine (for a summer launch)," Collier told reporters after the sesh, adding that he's optimistic that an agreement with Weiner will be reached soon.

Good news indeed, hopefully, since I just can't wait to see what happens to Sterling Cooper and, of course, to our hero Don Draper. Along with the "Mad Men" return came news about what AMC will be using it to launch, which sounds like it could be pretty cool in its own right.

The cable network is cooking up a six-part remake of the '60s British show "The Prisoner," set to star Jesus (a k a James Caviezel) as "No. Six" and, even better, Sir Ian McKellen as "No. 2," the mysterious official charged with extracting secrets from "No. Six."

A solid two-hour block of summer entertainment. I can only say bring it on.

"Iron Man 2" cast taking shape in great form

Perhaps even better than the news on who will play the villains in "Iron Man 2" is at least the implication that there will only be two of them (at least someone managed to learn something from the excremental "Spider-Man 3"!)

According to multiple sources, Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell are set to sign on as the big baddies who will do battle with Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark when the second installment hits in summer of 2010.

The Hollywood Reporter has the most details about Rourke's character, who would be called the "Crimson Dynamo" and be: "An evil version of Iron Man who battles the superhero in a nuclear powered suit of armor." Nothing but cool there.

Rockwell will play Justin Hammer, a multibillionaire and business rival of Tony Stark. I just love the possibilities opening up here, especially with the franchise continuing with great actors playing smart villains (following Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane), even if Terrence Howard is out as Rhodey and being replaced by the equally intriguing Don Cheadle.


What's Jean Pierre Jeunet up to?

When I first heard Jean Pierre Jeunet was going to direct a movie based on Yann Martel's "The Life of Pi," I can't say my reaction was much more than meh. I thought the novel, about a character (I'm not kidding) who survives for more than 200 days on a lifeboat with an orangutan, a tiger and various other zoo animals, had its charms, but I also just though Jeunet could do so much better.

Well, apparently so does he. After backing out of "The Life of Pi," he's now apparently well into something called "Micmacs a Tire Larigot" (and though I have a rudimentary knowledge of French, don't ask me what in the world that means.) Here, however, is a rather interesting snippet that falls short of a plot summary, courtesy of Twitchfilm:

Is it better to live with a bullet lodged in your brain, even if it means you might drop dead any time? Or would you rather have the bullet taken out and live the rest of your life as a vegetable? Are zebras white with black stripes or black with white stripes? Is scrap metal worth more than landmines? Can you get drunk from eating waffles? Can a woman fit inside a refrigerator? What’s the human cannonball world record?
Find out answers to these questions and more.
A comedy in the vein of Delicatessen and Amélie.

The IMDB describes it further only as "a satiric comedy set in the world of illegal gun trade," but whatever this turns out to be I only hope I get to see it fairly soon. The photo above is courtesy of Twitchfilm also, and they have plenty of more stills from "Micmacs a Tire Largot" you can view here.

"Amelie" is just one of those movies I return to a couple of times each year when I need a lift, and "City of Lost Children" is even better, so any news about Jeunet is welcome in this little corner of the world.

And, since it's Friday, I'll leave you with this fairly disturbing poster from Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes to Jail," set to drop in February. I'm a big fan of Tyler Perry, so here's hoping probably beyond hope that this turns out to remarkably funny. Peace out.

Does the world need men in drag and fat suits? Maybe not, but Tyler Perry is damn funny

I realize I'm far from alone here (though perhaps in the minority in the rapidly aging white dude community), but I've been with Tyler Perry since the beginning, and I still get pretty excited when I hear one of his now semi-annual movies is coming.

Granted, the man has been slipping a bit of late. "Meet the Browns" and "The Family the Preys" were both average movies at best that contained great performances by its female leads, Angela Bassett in "Browns" and Alfre Woodard and Kathy Bates in "Preys." In fact, I'd list Bates' turn as the matriarch of a very wealthy Atlanta family as easily one of my favorite female performances of 2008.

And along with making movies with a definite human feel, Perry is also always good at just that: Writing well-round and very funny roles for women. Which is why it's always made me scratch my head when he turns into Madea.

Now, Madea can be very funny in small doses, but as a rule his movies are much better when he lets the women play the "id" rather than setting loose too much of his alter ego. Which is why I wasn't terribly thrilled to hear that she/he is getting her/his own movie, "Madea Goes to Jail," coming Feb. 20 from Lionsgate, Perry's movie home from the beginning.

From this trailer, however, it appears I once again must have been wrong, because it looks like a strong ensemble piece, led by the always-welcome Derek Luke and Keshia Knight Pulliam - a k a Rudy Huxtable (yes, that is little Rudy, all grown up and hoed out with that rather ridiculous wig.) And apart from that, I know that all trailers always cherry-pick the best laughs, but it also looks like not only Perry's Madea but also Perry stage regulars David and Tamela Mann will bring the real funny. Enjoy the trailer, and have a perfectly passable Wednesday. Peace out.