Pixar are truly amazing. Has any studio ever had a run of quality movies like they have? Every single one of their films has hit what I like to call the “magic 3″. Firstly, they all turned a profit; second, they’ve been critically well received; and finally and most importantly they’ve made audiences happy.

Hopefully WALL-E will extend their winning streak. Check out this great teaser poster courtesy of Upcoming Pixar.

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Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I have seen two movies starring Mike Vogel, who IESB are claiming is the front runner for Captain Kirk but I don’t remember who he is. Those movies were POSEIDON and THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE remake.

It’s probably good that I won’t associate him with any other role but damn, he’s hardly been memorable to me at all.

I think this is going to be the guy folks. I’ve said it before on this site, you just get a feeling when a name gets mentioned that this will be the guy they go for. I had that feeling when Zachary Quinto was first mentioned for Spock and I’m getting that feeling again.

Mike Vogel will be Captain Kirk.

He’s 28 and from Pennsylvania and another big hint on this one is that the actor is in the Abrams produced monster movie opening in January, so Abrams is certainly aware of who this guy is.

So there you have it. Good or bad?

I have nothing to say on this one. Remember the days when Matt Damon was always up for the role? I miss those times.

And this is what you could have won…

IESB are telling us that 30 DAYS OF NIGHT helmer David Slade was hired to direct a JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA movie in the summer and had three full weeks worth of work completed in the development stages until Warner Brothers balked on the $160 million project and decided to go for a veteran helmer who was seen as a more safe choice.

They claim the news comes straight from Slade’s mouth, who they mention isn’t bitter about WB’s decision.

Slade’s take would have been an interesting one. I once said he was shaping up to be the next Zack Snyder and him working on a JLA movie would certainly have mirrored what Snyder is doing with WATCHMEN. Here would have been two young guys given the chance to direct comic book fanboys dream projects after helming a zombie/vampire horror movie and impressing studio’s with their visual eye and youthful hunger.

But ya know, Miller is fine, they could have done an awful lot worse and there’s a couple of Marvel projects in the hands of the wrong people right now so at least Warner Brothers avoided doing that.

The site also have some news on who has read sides for the role of The Green Lantern. In this movie it was revealed the other day that this version of the Lantern will be the cool John Stewart version of the character. They say AMERICAN GANGSTER actor and hip-hop star T.I. auditioned for the part.

No word on how it turned out. Can’t say I’m all that familair with the guy but if Ridley Scott likes him enough to cast him for his movie… then he’s cool by me.

There’s another STAR TREK story today folks. Trek Movie have confirmed that STARGATE ATLANTIS star and actual Scotsman Paul McGillion has auditioned for the role of Scotty in J.J. Abrams’ reboot and that he not only has the fans backing but also Chris Doohan, the son of the legendary James Doohan who played the role originally for four decades says he is perfect for the part.

Despite being 38, and at least six years older than the age they were looking for… McGillion got the chance to audition for the part though he have no idea how it went down with the producers.

Here are Chris Doohan’s comments to the site endorsing him for the role…

I think Paul McGillion is a GREAT choice for the role of Scotty. He has a great accent and I think that he actually looks like my father. He would be a much better Scotty then McAvoy.

Yeah, I’ve never been all that keen on McAvoy as Scotty either. I’ll admit I’ve never seen this guy act but he looks great, and it’s a miracle that he’s Scottish and has already built up a big sci-fi fanbase. What more could you want?

Is his age ultimately going to let him down on this one? Here’s a highlight reel of what he can do. He might be a little camp, but I think this is your man Abrams…

The remake of the 50’s sci-fi classic THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL has been delayed until December reports Dark Horizons. The studio claim the reason is the worry that SPEED RACER will take away it’s audience on May 9th next year when both films were due to open head-to-head but it’s obvious it’s been delayed because they haven’t actually got round to filming anything yet.

They hired THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE director Scott Derrickson to helm this movie all the way back in April and it took them over four months to secure Keanu Reeves as their first casting and principal photography hasn’t begun yet, so even if SPEED RACER wasn’t opening on that day then there was no way in hell they would have it completed in time.

The original is one of the most fascinating of 50’s sci-fi paranoia and although the themes are relevant today, a remake is about as unnecessary as they come. I did like THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE though, even if it did just take the best parts of THE EXORCIST and build a hammy story around that.

Maybe 20th Century Fox should have a built a new story that homaged the original but wasn’t actually a remake. Maybe that would have worked better?

The tiny territory of Hong Kong has been responsible for producing some of the greatest action movies the world has ever seen. Here are ten of the very best from before the digital age; a time when often the only thing an actor had to save him from a painful trip to the hospital was a thin straw mattress or a small cushioning pad under the shirt! In reverse order, I give to you:
10. CRIPPLED AVENGERS

Director: Chang Cheh Starring: Phillip Kwok, Lo Meng, Chiang Sheng, Sun Chien, Lu Feng, Chen Kuan-Tai

Definitely the least well known of the ten, but that shouldn’t put you off. A standard revenge tale is given a bizarre twist by giving the team of heroes a crippling disability each. The result is unbelievable in every sense of the word in a film best watched in a “loose” frame of mind!

9. 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN

Director: Lau Kar-Leung Starring: Lau Kar-Fai (Gordon Liu), Lo Leih

Classic training sequences make this a kind of martial arts “torture porn” movie. The hardships San Te (Lau) goes through really bonds the viewer to the character. Sparked a whole wave of Shaolin movies where an everyman undergoes a rigorous and gruelling training regime to become an invincible fighting machine. This is the best.

8. PRODIGAL SON

Director: Sammo Hung Starring: Yuen Biao, Frankie Chan, Lam Ching-Ying, Sammo Hung

Incredibly rich, with a scene-stealing Lam Ching-Ying on fine form as an Opera performer and Wing Chun master. Yuen Biao shows he can take a leading role, and his brutal ending fight with Frankie Chan (the man who composed so many movie scores in Hong Kong) is definitely not for the squeamish! Elsewhere, Hung appears in an extended cameo in the first of many appearances in his own movies where he gives others a chance to shine.

7. ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA

Director: Tsui Hark Starring: Jet Li, Yuen Biao, Rosamund Kwan, Jacky Cheung

The return of the traditional kung fu movie showed that the genre had grown up somewhat in this sumptuously shot film depicting China’s favourite hero Wong Fei-Hung. Jet Li would go on to play Wong three more times in the six film series (and once more in an unrelated comedy film!) but this is his strongest performance and the strongest film in the set.

6. HARD BOILED

Director: John Woo Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Teresa Mo

John Woo’s Triad thrillers gave a fresh spin on the old Wuxia Pian and set them in the modern world, but the old themes of loyalty and brotherhood are still in very much in evidence. HARD BOILED trades enchanted swords for guns and bullets, and was Woo’s last film in Hong Kong with his muse Chow Yun-Fat. That one-take shot following the protagonists as they shoot their way through a hospital is unforgettably exciting.

5. THE WAY OF THE DRAGON

Director: Bruce Lee Starring: Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, Chuck Norris

Many would choose FIST OF FURY, but for me this film is the pinnacle of Lee’s all-too-short movie career. Lee plays it for laughs in the early stages as the fish-out-of-water Chinese country bumpkin in modern day Rome. Meanwhile, the small-scale war between Chinese restaurant workers and the Mob escalates into a deadly life-and-death struggle. Lee takes on Chuck Norris in the Coliseum (and in the Golden Harvest backlot!), in one of the most famous fights in movie history.

4. PROJECT A

Director: Jackie Chan Starring: Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Dick Wei

Jackie Chan teams up with his former Opera school brothers Hung and Yuen in this fun-packed action comedy that pleases on every level. This was also the first time Chan brought his stuntwork to the fore, making this an unmissable mix of gags, fisticuffs and death-defying feats.

3. MILLIONAIRE’S EXPRESS

Director: Sammo Hung Starring: Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Richard Ng, Eric Tsang

Sammo throws everything at the screen in Hong Kong’s answer to IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD, and surprisingly, it works like a charm. Sammo plays a ne’er-do-well with a heart who intentionally scuppers a trainload of wealthy travellers in the hope that they will spend money at his brothel. What follows, though, defies explanation in a film that really needs to be seen a handful of times before it can be truly appreciated.

2. A TOUCH OF ZEN

Director: King Hu Starring: Hsu Feng, Shih Jun, Tin Peng

OK, it’s not actually a Hong Kong film (it was made in Taiwan with a largely Taiwanese cast), but King Hu (originally from mainland China) cut his teeth working through the ranks of Hong Kong filmmaking before becoming a director in his own right (and producing a bona-fide classic along the way in COME DRINK WITH ME). After leaving the Shaw Brothers studio and moving to Taiwan, he came up with this: an epic Wuxia Pian fairytale shot in truly remarkable style. It took three years to make, and its echoes are still felt in CGI-heavy swordplay movies being made to great acclaim today. Sadly, a decent home version has yet to be produced.

1. POLICE STORY

Director: Jackie Chan Starring: Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Bill Tung

Some films are action packed. This is everything packed! There’s not a single frame where there isn’t something going on, whether it be Jackie recklessly endangering himself in some way or getting himself into difficulties with his girlfriend May (Cheung) or his boss (Tung). And the finale, which takes place in a shopping mall and involves more fake glass than you would have thought possible to have in one place, is so relentlessly manic it will leave you breathless.

When you come to do these lists you realise just how many films you’ve got to leave off! So while there’s nothing by Ringo Lam, no PEDICAB DRIVER, DRUNKEN MASTER, A BETTER TOMORROW, ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN etc, hopefully the list won’t offend too many people and hopefully tempt any curious observer not yet familiar with these films to try one or two and maybe become one of the converted!

No real surprise here. Wes Anderson has cast Bill Murray for his fifth movie in a row, as the actor will lend his voice to the stop-motion animated movie THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX. Also on board is Jason Schwartzman, who himself is no stranger to Anderson as he’s just starred in THE DARJEELING LIMITED and also the Anderson short HOTEL CHEVALIER with Natalie Portman.

The voice work on the movie is about to begin, with George Clooney as we told you in February voicing Mr. Fox and Cate Blanchett as Mrs. Fox!

Don’t expect the film to be in theatres anytime soon though. This animation, Anderson has warned us will likely take a couple of years to complete so a 2010 release date sounds likely on this one.

Oh, and I just thought I would remind you that you can download Anderson’s HOTEL CHEVALIER right now here with ITUNES.

source - mtv movies blog

Martin Scorsese is at it again. This is now the 8TH movie he has attached his name to since his last movie THE DEPARTED opened this time last year.

Variety say Scorsese will direct an untitled documentary on the life of former Beatles man George Harrison, which has the blessing of his widower who is also on board as one of the producers. Harrison lost his battle with lung cancer six years ago.

It’s said the project is going to be a lengthy one and that it might be a couple of years before we see it in theatres, with early production work to begin later this year.

The Harrison Estate has allowed Scorsese unprecedented access to the family archives and has lined up interviews with people who were involved with the man through his life. The documentary will cover not only his time in The Beatles but also his later life as a media mogul and film producer.

Scorsese has previously directed documentaries on Bob Dylan and most recently The Rolling Stones. I would expect that he will work on a feature movie at the same time as this documentary but what movie exactly is another question entirely.

I really don’t think he can make his mind up on what big movie he wants to film next. A sequel or prequel to THE DEPARTED seems to have gone sour, his reunion with Robert De Niro never got off the ground and the other flicks he has committed to have all stayed stagnate. Come on Marty, get moving on something epic!

I questioned on the pre-strike memo, what exactly was the movie AGAINST ALL ENEMIES that Robert Redford was attached too about? I had never heard of the title before and as I do this movie blogging thing everyday, it would be difficult for such a project to just pass me by.

Well it seems like it didn’t because Variety have just picked up on the story today. They say the movie will be Redford’s next film and it’s actually based on the memoirs of Richard A. Clarke.

Columbia Pictures had originally been the studio behind with Paul Haggis to helm, and offers going out to Vince Vaughn (as security chief John O’Neill) and Sean Penn (lead role of Clarke) but constant stalling on the project meant it was put into turnaround last month where Columbia duly picked it up and quickly put it on fast-track, with Redford quickly attached.

James Vanderbilt, the writer who penned ZODIAC has penned the screenplay which delves into Clarke’s life as an adviser to three U.S. Presidents. The movie is likely to look at how the Bush administration prioritized Iraq over threats from Al Qaeda before and after the events of 9/11.

Looks like Redford has a passion for this topic after just completing LIONS FOR LAMBS, which also dealt with the current war on terror situation. It is of course the most important story in the world right now and it’s no surprise to me to see such a huge amount of movies dealing with the subject.

LIONS FOR LAMBS opens in just over a month’s time.

Russell Mulachy is probably quite pleased with himself right now, after seeing his RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION top the box office charts for the weekend with $23.7 million. The Aussie director is currently working on THE SCORPION KING: RISE OF THE AKADDIN which may have even begun filming as he looks to get back into the film grove after spending years in the T.V. and music video wilderness.

Once THE SCORPION KING has wrapped, it looks like he will be helming ZEN IN THE ART OF SLAYING VAMPIRES, a new flick financed over at Capital Productions and it’s hoped it can be the first movie in a trilogy, as it’s based on Steven Elliott-Altman’s first novel of a 3 series franchise.

From Variety…

Protag is turned into a vampire as he and his lover are attacked in lower Manhattan. She dies, and he struggles to overcome his murderous instincts and thirst for blood through Zen meditation. A struggle for his soul ensues between the bloodsuckers and the zen masters.

Yet another vampire movie. The zombie and vampire genre seems to be the craze at the moment, but still there’s a reluctance for a 28 MONTHS LATER. That’s the horror movie I want to see greenlit!