Gervais and Merchant Back

source: empireonline.com
British comedy masters Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, known for their celebrated work writing and acting in both The Office and Extras, are all set for writing their next big project together.

Titled The Men At The Pru, it's a coming-of-age story set in the 1970's which focuses on a group of young guys in their 20's working together and having a great time, but also being forced to finally grow up and become adults.

If it was anyone else I would be dubious, but these two have such a great record that I am confident such a bland-sounding premise for a movie will be chock-full of comedy gold.

Currently Gervais is working with unknown Matt Robinson to both direct and write a feature film titled This Side Of The Truth. It focuses on a world where humans never gained the ability to lie. Gervais stars as the first man to develop the ability, which gives him an almost superhuman power which he naturally abuses for personal gain.

• Add The Office Season 1 to your Queue
• Add The Office Season 2 to your Queue
• Add Extras Season 1 to your Queue
• Add Extras Season 2 to your Queue

2008's Blockbusters Previewed

source: firstshowing.net
WonderCon, one of the biggest (and earliest) comic book conventions in America, has just wrapped up in San Francisco.

Why is this relevant to Quickflix film lovers? Well at WonderCon, a number of exclusive teasers for 2008's upcoming face-melting blockbusters are put on show. Here are some of the more exciting developments of these awesome upcoming flicks straight from the source:

Wanted
The upcoming film from Night Watch director Timur Bekmambetov is loosely based on the comic book miniseries by the same name. James McAvoy stars as a young man who is trained to be an assassin by Angelina Jolie and ... Morgan Freeman? Well, why not. The foul-mouthed and bloodthirsty footage screened at WonderCon ignited a wave of excitement.


Wall-E
From Pixar, one of the greatest movie studios in the world (in history?), comes Wall-E, the story of a robot who falls in love. Now we are as much against against robots with feelings as anyone. However, since its Pixar, it's definitely worth giving the benefit of the doubt.


Iron Man

Everyone seems excited about this one, following the story of a brilliant weapons scientist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who creates a suit of armour that can pretty much do anything you could hope for. Some new pics have been released, including the first pics of Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges in action, as well as a cameo from director Jon Favreu:



Ghostbusters 3
No one can say for sure, but this little flyer was making its way around the floor. It’s not about the upcoming Ghostbusters game, we know that much. We also know an announcement will be made very soon. The big rumour is a new 3D animated movie, including all the cast from the original films.


Pretty exciting stuff! But don’t peak yet; we won’t catch these films until May/June, and who knows when that new Ghostbusters will arrive. Until then, re-watch Toy Story, and get ready for the rumbling hype of Iron Man.

Bana Rules Out Full Frontal Reunion

source: perthnow.com
Great Australian export Eric Bana has ruled out returning to his comedy roots, stating that the genre which made him an Aussie celebrity is also responsible for burning him out.

The popular actor, who stars alongside Scarlett Johannson and Natalie Portman as King Henry VIII in the upcoming period drama The Other Boleyn Girl, initially made his name in Australian sketch comedy as both a writer and star.

I have many great memories as a kid laughing at his classic characters on the show Full Frontal, such as Ray Martin and "Poiter" the yobbo. His portrayal of Con, the Greek kick-boxing accountant in the iconic 1997 Aussie comedy The Castle won him a Logie.

Speaking to an Australian newspaper early in February, Bana said, "I know it is frustrating for people who like to see that stuff and I just tell them to go onto YouTube, I just had had enough of it.

"I did it for a long time back home where they probably don't take me seriously and internationally people can't believe I was once funny so it's a good scenario, I enjoy that scenario."

Since his breakout role in the Australian crime film Chopper, Bana's performed in a host of films ranging from the acclaimed Australian film Romulus, My Father to roles to the mega-budget Hulk, the epic Troy and a starring role in Steven Spielberg's drama Munich.

The next big film I'm really looking forward to seeing Bana in his when he portrays the supervillain Nero in J.J. Abram's upcoming Star Trek film, slated for release in early 2009.

Speaking to The Herald Sun, Bana admitted that, "It's just a great character, it's J.J. Abrams. It's a really well-written script, great part. Couldn't say no. I don't actually look at the size of parts ever."

Bourne Again?

source: darkhorizons.com
Jason Bourne looks set to star in an all new adventure, with both the star and director of the hit action-spy-series signing on for another film.

Despite star Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass both stating that they were happy with wrapping up the Bourne story with recent hit The Bourne Ultimatum, the pair have reportedly recently signed on for a fourth Jason Bourne adventure.

While details are scarce at the moment, it's a safe bet that the plot will likely feature evil Government assassins hunting Bourne, and a scene or two where he will smugly let an unaware high-ranking CIA agent know that he is watching them through their office window.

It's certainly the time for the action quadrilogy. With Bruce Willis's John McLane (Die Hard 4.0), Sylvester Stallone's Rambo (Rambo) and Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) all either having returned or set to return to the big screen.

Personally I'm still waiting on an official fourth part to The Matrix - one that somehow makes the second and third films from the series make sense.

• Add The Bourne Identity to your Queue
• Add The Bourne Supremacy to your Queue
• Add The Bourne Ultimatum to your Queue

And The Winners Are...

A violent killer, a crazed oil-baron, a pregnant teenager and a forgetful assassin were the big winners at this years Academy Award ceremony.

Across the board, deserving films were rewarded from a variety of genres and countries, marking one of the richest years in cinema history.

Ethan and Joel Coen won three Oscars, for writing, directing and producing Best Picture winner No Country for Old Men. The bleak Texas-set thriller dominated the awards season, and deservingly so. Javier Bardem was awarded Best Supporting Actor for playing the sadistic killer that drives the Coen Brothers film forward.

Daniel Day-Lewis was named Best Actor for his role in There Will Be Blood, which also claimed the Oscar for Best Cinematography. Daniel Day-Lewis was the clear favourite for this award, after successfully ‘drinking up’ everyone else’s ‘milkshake’ at awards shows prior. The now iconic ‘milkshake’ rant from the film was noticeably absent from his humble acceptance speech.

French actress Marion Cotillard was awarded Best Actress for her portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose. She beat the favourite Julie Christie and the dark horse Ellen Page. She also beat Cate Blanchett, which is not so surprising, as many had tipped the Aussie icon to win Best Supporting Actress instead. However, in the biggest surprise of the night, Blanchett’s portrayal of Bob Dylan in I’m Not There was beaten by Tilda Swinton for her role in Michael Clayton.

Rounding out the other major winners:

Perennial blogger and (yes, we all know) former stripper Diablo Cody won Best Original Screenplay for penning the audience favourite Juno.

The action packed Bourne Ultimatum won three technical Oscars.

The incredible Ratatouille was named Best Animated Feature.

And the highlight?

Marketa Inglova and Glen Hansard winning Best Original Song for ‘Falling Slowly’, from the movie Once.

Although lacking surprises in its 80^th year, in recognising the very best that cinema had to offer, the Oscars were fresher than ever.

Competition Winners @ Quickflix (Definitely, Maybe)

In the February edition of the Quickflix newsletter, On The Couch, we announced that our members would have a chance to win one of five prize packs for the romantic-comedy Definitely, Maybe.

All they had to do was to email us their most romantic moment in 25 words or less. Well we got plenty of entries coming in telling us all about their romantic and not-so-romantic moments, even with all the tough competition, some of the girls in the office chose the best five entries.

Included as well are some of the ones that came close and some that... well... didn't quite make it, but are worth reading nonetheless.

So without further ado, here are the five winners who can be expecting a prizepack to be arriving shortly:

1. Winner - Sylvia Tracey
My boyfriend cut out and painted 50 Red Hearts and wrote loving messages on them all and left them in my bed as a surprise!

2. Winner - Carol Koski
From never receiving flowers from my hubby of 39yrs, last year I got one dozen long stemmed red roses and a huge teddy bear that said I Love You from him. Reckon he might love me after all.

3. Winner - Michelle Johnston
My husband sent me 100’s of long stem red roses for my birthday I had to put them in the bath tub – no vase big enough.

4. Winner - Sara Hunter
When my fiancé sat beside me, stroking my hair, during a 2 hour dental treatment then took care of my every need during that evening.

5. Winner - Sam Collis
Our wedding in Adelaide. Sunny, blue sky, 27 deg and just our parents. That perfect day with all the people who you love.

Congratulations guys! Now a few of the notable mentions that came close, but just missed out on the prize pack...

My most romantic moment, let me see, it's been so long. The day my husband proposed, 24 years ago. All down hill from there.

Our first anniversary, me in my beautiful long gown I'd bought for the occasion...and he takes me to a roadhouse. Sad, but true.

The day my eyes looked over and met the biggest brown eyes........and drooling jowls I knew we would be together 4 ever! Even if he is my very Own St Bernard
(Beethoven)

The moment my paramour bent down, revealing his hairy butt cleavage. Why romantic? Because as grotesque as it was, I was strangely un-disgusted. True love.

My Definitely Maybe romantic moment was when I met my husband and he told me to kiss him because he wanted to make his old girlfriend jealous. I said if you want to be with her then go. That was 23 years ago and we are still together.

This may be a bit macabre but I once had a fight with my boyfriend and then sent him a vial of blood telling him that I would die for him. Weird or Romantic?? You choose.

Toys, Toys, Toys, Toys, Toys, Toys...

http://www.mtv.com/

TOYS! The coolest toys of 2008 have been revealed at the 105th American International Toy Fair this past week.

It's very exciting because of some of the secret clues that have been revealed in the collectibles for these upcoming films. Firstly, check out the cool Hellboy and Iron Man toys above prepped for release.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will probably be one of the biggest films of 2008. The range of Indy Lego was revealed at the Toy Fair, with Shia LaBeouf, Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett all immortalised in tiny, bendable versions. However, this particular Lego(man?) had people scratching their own crystal skulls:


An alien skeleton? So does this mean the rumours that were floating around last year about Indy squaring off against aliens are true? Either way, the film and its toys look terrific. Have a gander at the teaser trailer a few blog posts down.


The Joker figurine from the new Batman flick, The Dark Knight, is set to become the major collectible of 2008. There were doubts about releasing the toy since the death of Heath Ledger, but a release date for the toys has been set in May, a month before the film debuts around the world.


This blurry image of the Two-Face figurine is the first hint as to how Aaron Eckhart will look as the horribly scarred politician Harvey Dent. Christopher Nolan has revealed that The Dark Knight will focus on the origin of Two-Face, as he goes from an ally of Bruce Wayne to the enemy of Batman.

Finally, check out Batman's sweet ride:



- Simon

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

source: usatoday.com, empire.com, aintitcool.com
The first shot of 2009's "X-Men Origins:Wolverine" has been released, showing the surprisingly tough-looking Hugh Jackman back wielding the claws that helped propel him to the A-list.


Jackman, who is also a producer for the film, says that the story is a prequel to the popular X-Men trilogy and tells the story of how Wolverine came to be... from his indestructable adamantium metal skeleton, to his regenerative healing abilities, to the foot-long blades coming out of his hands.

Liev Shreiber/Sabretooth

His nemesis Sabretooth will also be involved heavily in the story, with reports that Liev Shreiber in the role - not sure about that one. Other rumored cast include Ryan Reynolds making a cameo as the character Deadpool - the mercenary known for his over the top regenerative-powers, ADHD-like energy and constant wisecracks.

Ryan Reynolds/Deadpool

The bigger surprise however is that the role of Gambit has not been given to perennial favourite Josh Holloway. Holloway, who plays the character Sawyer in TV's Lost, has been rumored as a potential Gambit for years - notably turning down the role in X-Men 3: The Last Stand due to him believing the character was too similar to his famous Lost alter ego.

Not to be: Josh Holloway/Gambit

A shame really. While there are definitely similarities, he would have really nailed the role. Still, I have high hopes that the new Wolverine film will definitely deliver the goods.

- Adam Q


UPDATE: 05/03/08 - slashfilm.com have released a new set of on-site shots of Liev Shreiber as Sabretooth (complete with claws) on the set of the film. Check them out below:

The Strike Is Over! Back to Work Seth Rogen!

moviehole.net

Last Wednesday, the Writers Guild of America voted overwhelmingly to lift the strike order which had been crippling both Film and Television production.

A hefty 92.5% of the guild voted in favor of going back to work after a new contract was made with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Among the many positives of the strike being lifted include writers getting some more coin, thousands returning to work and Lost going back into production.

I'm especially glad to know that some very exciting film projects will finally receive scripts.


The first is the highly anticipated sequel to Transformers, which director Michael Bay admitted last week to having already formulated a story. Knowing Bay's speedy production time and Paramount's desire to repeat the $700 million dollar gross of the original, we can probably be optimistic and hope for a 2009 release.

Second is the seemingly cursed Justice League of America movie. The George Miller helmed project has been delayed until 2010; but that hasn't stopped the rumour mill from working overtime during the strike.

The latest rumour is that JLA will focus on how the remaining members of the league (including Wonder Woman, The Flash and The Green Lantern) deal with the expulsion of Batman and the death of Superman. This certainly solves the problem of Christian Bale and Brandon Routh refusing to reprise their roles in the Miller film.

Of course, Megan Gale is currently being touted as the new Wonder Woman, while fellow Australian Teresa Palmer will possibly play Ra's Al Ghul's daughter Talia. The OC's Adam Brody is considered the likeliest candidate to play The Flash, and rapper Common has confirmed he will play The Green Lantern. However, no official casting announcement has been made by Warner Brothers.

Now for my favourite post-strike project: The Green Hornet, to be written by Knocked Up star Seth Rogen! Not only that, he's going to play the Hornet as well!

I know what you're thinking - this could go very badly. But I can't wait to see this, especially with rumours of Stephen Chow being considered to play Kato.

Unfortunately, due to the strike delay, both the JLA and Green Hornet flicks are not expected for a couple of years.

To tide us over, the only superhero films we'll get to see are Wolverine, Magneto, The Watchmen, Thor, The Man of Steel (Superman), The Dark Knight (Batman) and Will Smith's Hancock.

Sigh, I guess that'll do.

So congratulations WGA! A well deserved victory. But please, now that you've won, don't give us another Norbit. Didn't we suffer enough?

- Simon

Indiana Jones 4 Trailer!

source: aintitcool.com
Our whip-cracking hero is back! The official release of the trailer for the fourth Indiana Jones film - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - was launched today.

It looks amazing. Full of all the adventure, ancient gadgets, wisecracks and action that made the first trilogy such a hit. Check it out below:



I love how the first half of the trailer takes you back through the original trilogy before launching into footage from the new film. Spielberg and Lucas look to have yet another hit on their hands - I am still curious to see just how the alien angle will play out, since rumours abound that the much-sought-after Crystal Skull is used to communicate with visitors from outer space.

Regardless, this still looks to be a contender for must-see movie of the year. Just you try and tell me you didn't get a shiver of excitement when the quintessential "Indy" music kicked in...

In other news the Writer's Guild of America strike has ended. My message to Hollywood is - Great everyone got it all sorted out, now get busy entertaining us!

-Adam Q

That's Today?!

Yes, today is St Valentine's Day; when young lovers and devoted couples flood the cinemas for that perfect post-dinner appetizer.

However, when it comes to choosing the perfect Valentine's day movie, the pressure is on.

From a male's perspective, there is always a fine line to tread in choosing a movie your date will enjoy, and that you will find bearable.

For example, if you take your date to see Alien vs Predator: Requiem, you are likely to only receive a handshake at the end of the night.

Then again, if you choose a film with attractive leads, a zany plot, and a heavy dose of romance, you'll end up seeing Fool's Gold, and will regret it for the rest of your life.


So if you're are unsure about your film tonight, my tip is Juno; its funny, its sweet, its romantic, and most importantly, its great.

Also worth checking out is the big Valentine's release Definitely, Maybe. It stars the hilarious Ryan Reynolds who has been waiting ten years for a worthwhile starring role. Also starring Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks and Rachel Weisz, the film has a big heart.

Saying that, if you can convince your date to go see There Will Be Blood, then you've got yourself a keeper.

To get yourself in the mood, take a gander at our Top 10 Romantic Moments Collection.

Add them to your queue, and make every night of the next couple weeks Valentine's.

Then she'll forgive you for taking her to see Alien vs Predator: Requiem.

- Simon

The Empire Strikes Back

source: starwars.com
George Lucas is set to return to his popular world of Star Wars for another adventure on the big screens with the feature animated film 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' is released to audiences this year.

"I felt there were a lot more Star Wars stories left to tell," said executive producer George Lucas on the site starwars.com, "I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the art of animation forward."

With a state-of-the-art distinct animation visual style, Star Wars: The Clone Wars will be followed by a television series on the Cartoon Network to continue the epic story.


Plenty of major characters will be back including Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as a host of villains such as the evil Count Dooku and the ever popular multi-limbed robot General Grevious. Expect some crazy new characters and heroes to make appearances too.

By all accounts it looks to be an exciting new chapter in the Star Wars world that will no doubt cause the many, many, many Star Wars fans around the place to positively squeal with glee.


As to whether or not the original Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, will return hasn't been said.

Since his time on Star Wars however he has become one of the world's most successful voice-actors for cartoons and animation, so personally I would love to see him included - if only for the extreme Star Wars Geek Trivia value.

-Adam Q

When Will I, Will I Be Famous?

source: rottentomatoes.com

The popular arcade game Tekken is on its way to the big screen, with actor/singer Luke Goss signed on to play the lead.

The film, slated for a 2009 release, will arrive fifteen years after the first game was released in 1994.

Tekken is considered the granddaddy of the 3D fighting genre.

After making its way onto the Playstation in 1995, its cult following increased, and was considered the number one fighting game to own.

I have many fond memories of battling Heihachi into the wee hours of the night...every night...for several years.

11 games later (including a card-game version, and even a volleyball version), Tekken will be hitting cinema screens.

So who is this Luke Goss that will be playing the English boxer Steve Fox?

Well, he had a small role in Blade 2, and will have an equally small role in Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.

However, some may remember him as one of the members of eighties sensation Bros, who sang such hits as 'When Will I Be Famous' and... umm...

So will Tekken match up to the other classic fighting-game adaptations such as Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.

Probably, but that's not saying much.

But I'm still excited.

- Simon

Actor Roy Scheider Dies, Age 75

The popular actor Roy Scheider died yesterday, at the age of 75, reportedly after a long battle with bone cancer.

Known best as the character Martin Brody in Steven Spielberg's 1975 Jaws, Scheider absolutely stole the film. His portrayal of the rough and ready police chief was key in winning over the audience, not least of which was for his iconic line featured in the film:

"You're gonna need a bigger boat..."

Which supposedly wasn't a line originally in the script, but improvised by the late, great actor himself.

Nominated for two Oscars for his roles in The French Connection and All That Jazz, Scheider's varied career spanned the likes of Shakespeare all the way through to shlock horror, covering everything in between.

Roy Scheider remained a popular everyman character actor, respected for his range, body of work and attitude on any project he was working on.

At most he was a trailblazing American actor, whose performances will be enjoyed for generations to come.

Roy Scheider 1932-2008

To: Hollywood. You're Great! From: Hollywood.

source: rottentomatoes.com

Over the last weekend, both the British Academy of Film and Television and the Writers Guild of America handed out their annual awards.

Less than two weeks until the Academy Awards, they are the final major indicators of who will walk away with Oscar glory.

The Orange British Academy Film awards were handed out in London, with many Oscar favourites securing their positions, and others losing their edge in surprise losses.

The romantic war epic Atonement was named Best Film, beating solid favourite No Country for Old Men. It is the second major prize the film has collected this awards season, the other being Best Motion Picture - Drama, at the Golden Globes.

Daniel Day-Lewis cemented his position at the podium after winning yet another Best Actor award for his portrayal of an oil tycoon in There Will Be Blood.

Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) walked away with the Best Actress trophy, beating British fave Julie Christie (Away From Her), as well as the Dark Horse (and my current crush) Ellen Page (Juno).

Javier Bardem, who along with Day-Lewis, is probably the only sure-thing in this Oscar race. He was named Best Supporting Actor for playing Anton Chigurh, the terrifying killer with the darling hair-cut in No Country for Old Men.

Cate Blanchett's portrayal of Bob Dylan in I'm Not There was left unrewarded, with the Best Supporting Actress award going to Tilda Swinton for Michael Clayton.

Over at the WGA awards, Diablo Cody picked up one more prize for writing the original screenplay for Juno, while The Coen Brothers won for adapting the Cormac McCarthy novel into their brilliant No Country for Old Men.

With only the Independent Spirit Awards left to be handed out, it won't be long before the winners are revealed in one of the tightest Oscar races in history.

While No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood have dominated the Critic's Group Awards, Atonement has taken out some of the more major prizes. Juno is probably the audience favourite, and has been awarded consistently throughout the season, as has the actor's film, Michael Clayton. The spreading out of awards is evidence of the exceptional quality of all the nominees.

But who will eventually collect the tiny golden man? In my opinion, No Country is probably the best film of the last few years. But Juno is pretty damn loveable! Maybe my feelings for Ellen Page have got me confused...

- Simon

The Dark Knight - Lego

source: geeksofdoom.com
This is absolutely fantastic. Someone has managed to recreate the entire trailer for the upcoming Batman: The Dark Knight in Lego format.

Using stop-frame animation and all kinds of techniques to match it scene for scene, this is obviously something that took a diehard Batman fan some time to make, but the results are very impressive.

Have a look below. First embedded trailer is the officially released one, the Lego trailer follows underneath it.

Why so serious?

Official Batman: The Dark Knight Trailer



Unofficial Lego Trailer



-Adam Q

Sequel Mania!

As anyone who visited the cinema in the last twelve months clearly saw, 2007 was a bumper year for movie sequels.

The next few years will be no exception, with some of the biggest installments not the 2^nd or 3^rd chapter, but in some cases 6^th, 11^th and 22^nd! There are some high quality releases in store for sequel lovers. However, for every Spiderman 2, there is Revenge of the Nerds 2: Nerds in Paradise. So prepare yourself for Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2, and even Step Up 2 to the Streets. Here are the more notable upcoming sequels:

1. Quantum of Solace (2008):
Since Daniel Craig breathed life back into the series, James Bond has gone from your father’s creepy, martini-drinking best friend, to ...well, an awesome secret agent, like he always should have been. Oh, and Olga Kurylenko is going to be in it. Google her now, thank me later.


2. Night at the Museum 2: Escape from the Smithsonian (2009):
How did it all go so wrong? Ben Stiller’s a funny guy, right? Cameos from Steve Coogan, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Paul Rudd. They’re funny too! Well, it did go wrong, but it still made over $570 million worldwide. This second installment doesn’t show too much promise, but the wonderful Amy Adams has been attached as an unnamed historical figure. She’s pretty funny too,...right?


3. Spiderman 4 (2009):
Despite the main crew calling it quits after the 3^rd film, Sam Raimi has agreed to either direct or produce a fourth instalment. It may be too early to write the film off just yet, especially since Zodiac scribe James Vanderbilt was announced as screenwriter. As for the new spidey? I’m rooting for Superbad’s Michael Cera.


4. Star Trek XI (2008):
J.J Abrams has rebooted the Star Trek series, Bond style, taking the crew of the enterprise back to when they were young bucks. With Eric Bana, Simon Pegg, and most of the cast of Heroes attached, this has a lot of potential. As for William Shatner fans...rent Boston Legal, because Abrams is intent to keep him out. Boo!


5. The Dark Knight (2008):
Now anticipated for being Heath Ledger’s final completed film, the latest Batman pic has had fans excited for the last year and a half of production. From what we can tell in the trailer, it is going to be spectacular; with one of the best casts of recent years, and a director and screenwriter whose pedigree is top notch. As for Ledger’s performance as the villainous Joker? It will surely be a standout performance, placing him as one of the greats, and one of the great losses in Hollywood.

- Simon

Arrested Development Movie in...Development?!

source: eonline.com

Fans of the illustrious Bluth family can rejoice, with the rumours of an Arrested Development movie finally verified by star Jason Bateman.

Bateman has confirmed that show producers Mitch Hurwitz and Ron Howard have started to develop a story and contact cast members for a film adaptation of the cult program. The little watched but much loved show was axed in 2006, much to the chagrin of its loyal fans. However, the program has experienced a second life on DVD, thanks to fervent word-of-mouth and the growing popularity of it's cast.

I, along with many fans, was left devastated by the show's abrupt conclusion. However, in the final scene of the series, series producer and narrator Ron Howard hinted toward the possibility of a movie. After two years of mourning, praying and protesting, its congregation will be finally rewarded.

With stars Jason Bateman and Michael Cera currently enjoying cinematic success in films such as Superbad and Juno, the bankability of a film version has never been higher. Bateman has clarified that a script would only be written post-strike. However, I don't think it's ever too early to get excited for an AD movie, and without sounding hyperbolic, the defining moment of our collective existence.

Could 2009 be the year of the frozen banana?

- Simon

• Add Arrested Development Series 1 to Your Queue
• Add Arrested Development Series 2 to Your Queue
• Add Arrested Development Series 3 to Your Queue
  

Brand New Movie Trailers Courtesy of the Superbowl

source: geeksofdoom.com
Well apparently while all of us busy in Australia have been going about our daily business, there has been a Superbowl happening in the U.S. Not big news for us by a long shot, but the great thing about Superbowl is that while the game is on, many brand new trailers are launched for the world to see.

Embedded and ready to view, here are some of the latest trailers from upcoming cinema blockbusters, with a bit of a writeup for each. Ranging from the guaranteed-to-please Wall-E, to the action-packed Ironman and capping things off with a clip from the football-mad "Leatherheads".


Wall-E
Wall-E (Wally) is the latest film by animation powerhouse Pixar, who are best known for Ratatouille, Toy Story, Cars, Finding Nemo and just about every major CGI family movie ever made that is adored by all ranging from kids to adults.

The trailer starts off with Toy Story stars Buzz Lightyear and Woody on the couch watching "the game" and talking about the robot Wall-E who is set to save the world and is basically the best thing since sliced bread. It then cuts to robot Wall-E looking completely overjoyed, perplexed and then scared by a vacuum cleaner. Pixar always delivers and this looks to be another sure-hit for the reigning kings of computer animation.

Ironman
Ironman is the latest in a long line of comic-book heroes come to life. Admittedly, while for every Spiderman there are three Daredevil's, this looks to be a surefire winner. Robert Downey Jr. kicks it into high gear as Tony Stark, a weapons designer who manages to create a robotic armoured suit.

Brand new footage on offer here from the Ironman trailer currently in Australian cinemas, this is all new footage and shows Ironman in complete combat mode. Hard rock soundtrack, crazy explosions and some of the most jaw-dropping CGI. I can't wait for this one.


Leatherheads
Not too sure what to make of this one, as I haven't heard much about it before viewing the clip. From what I gather it seems to be a bit of a cheesy comedy about the origins of American football. Looks a little slapstick, but with players like George Clooney and Renee Zellweger leading the film, it has a good chance of being a pretty solid comical movie.



Not a bad turnout, though frankly Ironman wins it for me.

- Adam Q
-
-

Fake Trailer #7 - Australia (Double Feature)

Submitted by one of the readers of the blog, this is a great double feature showing a fan-made pair of fake trailers for the upcoming Baz Luhrmann film 'Australia'.

For those who don't know, 'Australia' is the soon-to-be released $130million epic set in northern Australia pre-World War II. Nicole Kidman plays Lady Sarah Ashley, an upper-class English woman who inherits a massive cattle station. Lady Ashley is forced to join up with The Drover (Hugh Jackman) to drive her cattle across hundreds of miles of Australian outback, only to be forced to face Japanese forces bombing Darwin, Australia. Support cast include David Wenham, Bryan Brown and a host of other recognized performers.

Reports and teaser footage have been quite rare about the film, which is why this pair of trailers, both edited by Stuart Bowen, work so well. Created entirely out of existing footage from previous feature films, the two take completely different looks at the story of 'Australia' - the first is a serious nod to the story done in such a way that at first I thought it was a real trailer. The second is much more of a parody, titled by the author as the "Fair Dinkum Version".

It must have taken Mr Bowen literally days to view, watch, capture and edit together all this footage - the second trailer alone uses snippets from over 40 movies. Well worth having a look if you are looking for an excuse to procrastinate just a little longer this Monday morning. :)

Serious Version


------------------------------



'Fair Dinkum' Version


- Adam Q

• Fake Trailer #8 - Must Love Jaws
• Fake Trailer #9 - The Shining
• Fake Trailer #10 - Ten Things I Hate About Commandments

-
-

Cloverfield Sequel

source: empireonline.com.au
The Blair Witchesque monster-movie Cloverfield, which broke January box-office records, has predictably been given the green light to have a sequel, hopefully shedding some light on the unanswered questions from the first film.

The original, still available to see in the cinemas currently, follows a group of friends as they try to escape from New York city while a monster runs absolutely amok. Their story is captured on a home-video camera that one of the group operates in amongst the carnage and action. For more of an explanation, have a read of my earlier review.

A popular suggestions is that in the film, when the camera-operator character Hud films the Statue of Liberty's head crashing down onto the street, for a second or so through his camera you can see another scared survivor on the opposite side of the street also filming with a handicam of their own - for a brief moment both of their cameras are directed at each other.

The sequel could be the story of that different survivor, with the moment when both of the cameras are pointed at each other when the original and sequel intersect.

Other ideas being thrown around include a documentary style film which shows the story of the military's fight against the monster, or an extended film which continues the story of any surviving characters from the original Cloverfield.

- Adam Q
-
-