Superhero – Il più dotato fra i supereroi (Superhero Movie) è un film parodia del 2008, diretto e sceneggiato da Craig Mazin.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Comico | Supereroi | Craig Mazin | Drake Bell | Sara Paxton | Christopher McDonald | Leslie Nielsen | Kevin Hart

When it comes to noise, I am that girl. I watch TV at a level that most find inaudible, try to covertly turn the music down at parties, and I’ve been known to sleep with earplugs.  In all honesty, I even occasionally avoid certain people because I’m all-too aware of the volume at which they insist upon speaking, and no matter what they say, all I hear is, “I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR DISCOMFORT; I LIKE TO HEAR MY OWN VOICE AND INSIST THAT EVERYONE ELSE DOES AS WELL.”  And while it’s become a source of ridicule, I just can’t help it – I hate loud noises.

So maybe New York wasn’t exactly the best choice for me – or at least for my ears.

I had always heard that the city was noisy – that it audibly never slept, etc., etc.  For some reason, though, my distaste for loudness and the rumors of the city never connected for me, and arriving here, I was blown away.

Motorcycle gangs rev and race down the streets, packs of emergency vehicles get stuck in traffic, inevitably moving at about the same pace and same direction as my walking, and cliques clamor in every language, each seemingly trying to talk over everyone else.  Subway cars whiz by, screeching their brakes, and bars blast music at all hours, attempting to entice customers.

And at first, this put me, the anti-loud noises girl, constantly on edge.  I’d hear almost anything at all and my teeth would automatically clench, my back hung over, my fingers would move to my ears, and I’d glare at whatever was causing the foul sound.  And it wasn’t so much just for me; I felt like my reaction was a duty – I had to glare at whatever was imposing discomfort onto the pedestrians of NYC.

But no one else batted an eye at these volume violators.  And what’s more, even when people did notice, no one seemed to care.  They’d just carry on, talking on their blackberries, clicking their high-heeled boots, and pushing through the sea of people.

At first, I thought that there would be places to give my ears and nerves relief.  So I tried museums and galleries.  While the Slash: Paper Under the Knife exhibit at the Museum of Art and Design was mind blowing (seriously, SO cool. Look at the site), the chatter inside was almost more deafening than the traffic out.  And the Natural History Museum, while also really freaking cool, may as well have been a playground, for as much yelling as was going on.

The other day, though, I went on a walk with one of my friends.  It was a beautiful night – a big full moon -  and we went to one of my favorite places in the city: the High Line park.  It’s this very avant garde-esque park that was once an elevated freight track, newly converted by the city.  It’s one of the few places where I can feel a little removed from the hustle and bustle (so much, in fact, that once I heard a cricket there).  But as we were talking, we both realized how quiet it felt.  And upon further listening, discovered that really, it wasn’t that quiet.  It’s just that the noise of the city – the stuff that made me cringe at the beginning – has more or less faded into the background.

Yes, I still jump when a siren sneaks up on me, and the buzz of the fluorescent light in my room feels like it might leave me neurotic enough to come home with a twitch. Overall, though, I think I’ve become one of the blasé pedestrians that I was so astounded by at the beginning – or maybe it’s just my blaring ipod.

Celeb sighting of the post: Every week, a group of us has been going to see a well-known comedy troupe perform.  There is an ever-changing monologist, and then a varying group that does sketch comedy based on suggestions from the audience. Most of the time, the performers are definitely funny, but only semi-known.  Often, it includes writers from The Daily Show, Colbert Report, Comedy Central, etc, and with the occasional big name like Jack McBrayer who plays Kenneth in 30 Rock.  No matter who is there, though, I’m consistently cackling.

But last weekend was big.  First of all, Christopher McDonald (also known as Shooter McGavin from Happy Gilmore) was the monologist – he was there promoting his new movie, Splinterheads.  Sweet, right?  Wait, it gets better.

About halfway through the show, I realized that I couldn’t stop looking at this woman in front of us.  She was there with a man, clearly on a date, and they were being really cutesy as a couple (normally reason for me to make a fake vomiting action and forget about them). But she just looked so familiar, and she was so damn pretty.  At intermission, I leaned over and asked my roommate who it was.  And that’s when we realized it.

We were sitting directly behind Natalie Portman.

As hard as I tried, I couldn’t creepily take a picture on my phone – it was too dark, and they booked it out as soon as the lights came on.

But basically, it was awesome.

In this independent comedy, Justin (Thomas Middleditch) is a twentysomething slacker who has a hard time getting out of bed before noon and works part-time mowing lawns with his buddy Wayne (Jason Rogel), who is only slightly more ambitious. Justin hears a lot from his family about making something of himself, but he doesn’t pay much attention until he and Wayne check out a traveling carnival one evening. Justin meets Galaxy (Rachael Taylor), a beautiful and spunky girl who works at a dunk-tank concession, and he is so taken with her he doesn’t mind when she takes his money in a fixed game. Justin unexpectedly crosses paths with Galaxy the next day, and before long he’s spending most of his time with her and her fellow carnies. Has Justin finally found his destiny with Galaxy, or is he just another stop on the road for her? Also starring Lea Thompson, Christopher McDonald, and Frankie Faison, Splinterheads received its world premiere in 2009 at the South by Southwest Film Festival, where director Brant Sersen’s first feature, Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story, won the Audience Award in 2004.

And you should see my Harry on Television. We’re giving the prizes away. I JUST WANTED TO BE ON THE SHOW.

– Sara Goldfrab

Requiem for a Dream is the first Darren Aronofsky picture that I have seen. I have not had to chance to view π yet, but I want to see the early beginning of this genius filmmaker. It is currently the #66 Top Film of All Time on IMDb. This film based on the novel by Hubert Shelby, Jr. was critically acclaimed for its unflinching look at drug addiction and how it will destroy your life.

Ellen Bustryn received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for playing Sara Goldfarb, a lonely widow that longs to get on television. She only watches Tappy Tibbons (Christopher McDonald), a self-help guru that she wants to meet.

Her son, Harry (Jared Leto) is hooked on heroin and cocaine with his girlfriend, Marion (Jennifer Connelly) and his friend, Tyrone (Marlon Wayans). They are constantly finding ways to score. Harry and Tyrone come up with a plan to buy some grade A coke and sell it for a huge profit in order for Marion to open her own design studio.

One day, Sara receives a call that she has won a chance to be on TV. Upon hearing the news, she wants to fit in her red dress with gold shoes. The problem is that she is not able to fit into the dress anymore. One of her friends suggested that she go to Dr. Pill (Peter Maloney) to get diet pills. Little does she know that they are uppers.

As the movie progresses, we see the downward spiral into drug addiction. Seeing their lives dismantled before our eyes.

It has been a while since I have seen this movie. I love the raw human emotions expressed here by all of the actors. You felt claustrophobic as you caught a glimpse of what its like to be a drug addict.

That’s not to say that this movie is not showing its age, it does. The repeated drug taking sequences would get on your nerves. The super speed shots and the fish-eye camera lens are played out.

Judgment: A great deconstruction of addiction and its side effects.

Rating: ****1/2

(Season 1, Episode 3)

We could have done all three hours of this opening story in the first night, and I would have been okay with it. What an excellent introduction to the situation aboard the Destiny. And an excellent foundation for how this can work.

With those stones, they can communicate with (and even change places with) people back on Earth, so they’ll never be fully isolated. And yet, it creates an even bigger emotional punch when you have a character from the ship interacting with someone on Earth.

This week, it was when Chloe visited her mother to tell her of her father’s death. When the mother was screaming at the military officer that he absolutely must bring her daughter back, and yet Chloe was standing right there. Only, of course, it wasn’t Chloe at all. It was her inhabiting another body temporarily.

The nearness of that loved on, and yet it not being them at all, makes it that much more difficult to fathom that you may never see, hear or hold the real them again.

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s already friction between the military on Earth and what Young is trying to do with the ragtag “crew” he has on board the Destiny. I agree that Young needs to make do the best he can with what he has. Giving up certainly isn’t the right answer.

The rest of the episode was spent traipsing through an alien desert world. There are so many worlds we’ll get to explore, but this one was pretty damned desolate. It reminded me of the deserts of the Stargate film.

But that sequence showed just how emotionally tattered and drained these survivors are. In such a short time, they turned on on another, threatened one another, abandoned the mission and even took off through the Stargate into an unknown world. Okay, not all of them did all of those things, but it all happened.

I’m hoping we’ll get to see where the survivors that went through the wormhole to who-knows-where got to at some point. It’s a nice quick set-up for a future encounter. Everything settled down on the ship, and air was restored.

But all of this was accomplished in time for the ship to take off into hyperspace of its own accord, and then in the final moments a smaller ship detached from the hull of Destiny. A sobering reminder that no one we know is in control of this ship or the destiny of its new inhabitants. And that’s fine with me.

(Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2)

I remember seeing the Stargate film, but because the original Stargate: SG-1 got its start on Showtime, I missed that bandwagon. Back then, I was college poor. So, as I had a tendency to do when I missed the start of something, I continued to miss ten seasons of SG-1 and five of Atlantis.

But Stargate Universe promised a “new beginning,” as it were, An opportunity to jump into the Stargate television universe even if you don’t know the past ten years of continuity.

Right away, I saw how that could be. This was like some crazy mixture of Lost and Star Trek: Voyager. I mean that in a good way.

Things moved along pretty slowly considering we got the first two episodes in this two-part premiere. We also got to see Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping and Michael Shanks from the original series (and I believe Tapping went on to Atlantis as well). See, I know some stuff.

One of the biggest surprises for me was Col Everett Young. Justin Louis was an unknown to me a month ago, until I stumbled upon Ion’s Canadian import Durham County. There, Louis played an absolute psychopath, but the character was so rich. The man has acting chops, so hopefully he heals up and sticks around.

I was glad it was the Senator who sacrificed himself to save everyone else. You knew someone was going to have to, and considering the extent of his injuries, and the fact that he implied he needs regular medication to stay alive due to his heart condition, he was a “dead man walking” for sure. Might as well go saving everyone.

And as a creepy memorial, anyone can walk to that bay and look through the door and see his body just sitting there. That’s not disturbing at all.

I like the inclusion of Eli, because he’s me. He has really no idea what’s going on, doesn’t get the significance of a ninth chevron, but is enjoying the ride. I like that he’’s the one who’s coming up with good ideas, and even found those nifty floating camera balls.

Which brings me to what will possibly be the coolest thing about the show. The Destiny. A ship launched unmanned thousands of years ago with a Stargate on it so the Ancients could jump on board when it got further out (like where it is now) is so cool. Just imagine all the cool things the put on the ship.

And if the crew ever gets an idea of how to control it, all bets are off. I’m betting that particular feat is a ways away, but I’m sure the camera balls are just the tip of the iceberg.

And then they cut the episode on the cusp of our first trip off the ship and onto a world the ship believes will help with whatever it’s problem is. I’m digging the concept tremendously. They did manage to make a decade-old property accessible to a casual viewer, and it looks like they were rewarded with stellar ratings (beating out FOX’s Dollhouse head-to-head … of course, that’s less impressive when you consider how horrible Dollhouse is doing).

The faces of Stargate Universe - Jamil Walker Smith (Sgt. Ronald Greer), Ming-Na (Camille Wray), Louis Ferreira (Colonel Everett Young), Elyse Levesque (Chloe Armstrong), Robert Carlyle (Dr. Nicholas Rush), Brian J, Smith (Lt. Matthew Scott), Alaina Huffman (Lt. Tamara Johansen), David Blue (Eli Wallace) and Lou Diamond Phillips (Colonel Telford). Photo copyright of The Syfy Channel

SPOILER ALERT!! – In Air: Part 1, Senator Armstrong (Christopher McDonald), his assistant and daughter Chloe (Elyse Levesque) and Eli Wallace (David Blue), a recently recruited gaming genius, are on an official visit to Icarus, a secret off-world military base, when the facility falls under attack by the Lucien Alliance, leaving Colonel Everett Young (Louis Ferreira) with no choice but to retreat. He orders an evacuation to Earth. However, a last minute maneuver by scientist Dr. Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle) thrusts the escapees headlong into his experiment, which transports everyone to deep space.

The survivors arrive on an uninhabited ship floating billions of light years away from Earth. Panic spreads throughout the group and Colonel Young, who was severely injured during the escape, transfers command to Lt. Matthew Scott (Brian J. Smith), before lapsing into unconsciousness. Teams led by Dr Rush and Sergeant Greer (Jamil Walker Smith)try to make sense of the situation, while Lt. Tamara Johansen (Alaina Huffman), a medic who was days away from leaving the program, is thrust into the role of chief medical officer.

After secretly contacting the Home World Command using communications stones – an Ancients device which allows the swapping of consciousness between bodies across vast distances – Dr. Rush claims that he has been placed in charge by General Jack O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and there is no hope of returning to Earth. When the ship’s air supply systems begin to fail, his theories are challenged by Eli. As the crisis deepens, divisions emerge between those who want to attempt a return to Earth, including human resources executive Camille Wray (Ming-Na), and those who want to remain aboard the Destiny. The 2-hour Air: Part 1 also guest-stars Amanda Tapping (Colonel Samantha Carter), Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson) and Gary Jones (Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman) and premieres Friday, October 2nd @ 9 p.m. EST on The Syfy Channel.

Click the following links to view preview clips from the episode – http://download.yousendit.com/Y1RyRFFZQTZoMlUwTVE9PQ

http://download.yousendit.com/Y1RyRFFZQTZIcWV4dnc9PQ

http://download.yousendit.com/Y1RyRFFjNnl3TGp2Wmc9PQ

As noted above, photo courtesy of and copyright of The Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Police Operations Daily Activity Log

Monday – Tuesday
08/17/2009 – 08/18/2009

Major Crimes:

09-01967; AUTO BURGLARY; 1600 block Dolphin Ct. The homeowner reported that while parked unattended at this location, someone unlawfully entered her vehicle and took property from within.

Arrests:

Marc Cuff

Christopher MacDonald

09-01974; D.U.I. 600 Block of Goodlette Rd. N. Christopher Macdonald, 46, of Naples was arrested for D.U.I. following a traffic stop at this location.

Other: None

Un film del 2009, regia di Brant Sersen, con Thomas Middleditch / Rachael Taylor / Christopher McDonald / Lea Thompson. Prodotto da ()

Commedia

La vita di Justin Frost viene sconvolta quando un carnevale itinerante arriva in città per l’estate portandosi dietro una folla lavoratori chiamati ’splinterheads’ che attirano l’interesse e il denaro degli abitanti. Quando Justin si innamora di una delle ragazze del gruppo, un’artista di nome Galaxy, scopre di non essere il solo ad averla eletta ragazza dei sogni. A fare la corte a Galaxy ci pensano, infatti, un sergente di polizia che è anche l’ex fidanzato della madre di Justin, il suo nonno di 116 anni da poco eletto “più vecchio uomo del mondo”, il suo migliore amico Wayne Chung, oltre al gelosissimo e belligerante fidanzato di Galaxy.

“Shooter’s not about to let his reign at the top be spoiled by some freak sideshow clown.”

Cocksure, sleazy, arrogant, and a not so sharp wit with the pants to mach, golfing “great” Shooter McGavin oozes prickery on the course as well as off.  His only goal in life is to obtain the coveted Championship Golden Jacket and he will stop at nothing to get it.  Weather it be hiring a heckler to throw off rival Happy Gilmore’s game,   purchasing the house of Happy’s grandmother, or simply stealing the jacket outright, Shooter is one opponent you don’t want to annoy.

The moxie that makes this marvelous asshole spark to life comes from a deeper source.  Actor Christopher McDonald is the swaggering hotdog that gives Shooter McGavin his venom.  He has an uncanny knack for playing characters that are pure dirtbags.

Now I don’t know what kind of guy Master McDonald is in the really real world, but if he’s anything like the characters he plays in the movies I would certainly hesitate before making a slick comment about him, if I knew he was near by.  Every one of them either intimidates, insults, or (on those beautiful rare occasions) charms the pants off those around him.  You can almost taste the vileness that drips off of that forked tongue of his; a quality lacking in most pricks.

To get a clear picture of the extent of Chris McDonald’s ability at arrogance, jet over to Netflix and look up some of the better movies he has been in:  DUTCH, Dirty Work, Grumpy Old Men, Happy Gilmore, Celtic Pride, House Arrest, and FANBOYS.  It’s raining out, so you have no excuse what so ever to not watch at least 3 of these.  \m/

When 3 friends find out their friend is dying of cancer they begin a lifelong dream of breaking into Skywalker Ranch to steal an early cut of The Phantom Menace.

Directed by – Kyle Newman

Written by – Ernest Cline, Adam F. Goldberg, Dan Pulick

Starring – Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Dan Folger, Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, David Denman, Christopher McDonald, Charlie B. Brown, Isaac Kappy, Seth Rogen, Danny Trejo, Ethan Suplee, Billy Dee Williams, William Shatner, Carrie Fisher, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Ray Park

Fanboys lives up to it’s name by being this fanboys wet dream! Hilarious from start to finish. All the leads are great in the movie and the story is heart warming in a geeky guy kind of way. Easily the best parts of the flick are the little cameos and the odd touches of the Skywalker Ranch. It helps to be a bit of a fanboy to enjoy them though as it may be hard to pick some of them out. Some are pretty obvious as anybody can tell who William Shatner is but Billy Dee Williams may be more recognizable to the hardcore fans. My favorite was Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes and the THX security guards at the Skywalker Ranch. It actually made me want to pull my copy of THX 1138 out and watch it. (If you haven’t seen that one I’d recommend it)

There’s nothing better than a geeky comedy and this one fits the bill. Plenty of references to Star Wars, obviously, and the group of friends have an hilarious hatred of ‘Trekkies’ that leads to a few confrontations with a group of Trekkers led by Seth Rogen. The ending has a touch of sap to it but ends on that one last shot of hilarity that made me laugh. A great comedy where the little things add up to make a funny flick and an obvious must see for all the geeky fans like me out there.

Under the marquee – Will

Herman Spooner is a used car salesman who still lives at home with his parents. Spooner is fairly set in his unfulfilling routine, but turning 30 marks a hard deadline set by his mom and dad to get a place of his own. To top it off, Spooner’s boss is putting on the pressure to bring in some numbers, or face the chopping block. Headed for one of the worst days of his life, Spooner meets the girl of his dreams, Rose. Forgoing all other priorities, Spooner is now working on winning her heart, but on their perfect date, she breaks the news that she is about to leave for the Philippines. How far will Spooner go to show Rose he really knows how to spoon?

Humorous, minimal mushiness and just the right amount of charm keeps you entertained throughout this wonderful story, without falling into predictable indie-cliches, as well as a fantastic performance from lead actor, Matthew Lillard. A great little film that does everything it should.

This morning, the Sci Fi Channel announced some additional guest-stars set to appear in Stargate Universe, which premieres this fall. Joining former Stargate SG-1 regulars Richard Dean Anderson (General Jack O’Neill), Amanda Tapping (Colonel Samantha Carter), Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson) and Gary Jones (Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman), all of whom will be reprising their SG-1 roles, are Christopher McDonald, Carlo Rota and Grammy nominated recording artist Janelle Monae.

Christopher McDonald (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Medium, Family Law) stars as Senator Alan Armstrong, the U.S. senator and head of the International Oversight Committee that governs the Stargate program. He is the father of Chloe Armstrong.

Carlo Rota (24, La Femme Nikita, Queer As Folk) stars as Carl Strom, head of the International Oversight Advisory (IOA), the civilian oversight committee that heads up the Atlantis Expedition and all funding.

Janelle Monae (Bad Boy/Atlantic Records), the Grammy nominated artist plays herself in an upcoming episode. Janelle and her band will perform “Many Moons” and “Sincerely,” two songs featured from her latest album entitled Metropolis.

On Saturday March 14, from 10:00 pm to midnight, LA Theatre Works presents Halcyon Days by Steven Dietz and starring Anne Archer, Ed Begley Jr., Richard Masur, Christopher McDonald, Samantha Bennett, Lyvingston Holmes, Jon Matthews, Gil Segel, and Michael Winters.

Halcyon Days is a darkly comic satire of Washington politics and Presidential spin set against the 1983 invasion of Grenada – the so-called “nutmeg capital of the world.

Details
LA Theatre Works
http://www.latw.org/

# 30 #

The Iron Giant is an animated science fiction movie about a boy who befriends an alien giant robot. It is based on the 1968 novel The Iron Man by Ted Hughes and has been directed by Brad Bird. The voices have been given by Eli Marienthal (Hogarth Hughes), as well as Jennifer Aniston (his mom), Harry Connick Jr., Vin Diesel, Christopher McDonald and John Mahoney.

The Iron Giant

The story revolves around Hogarth Hughes, a 11 year old boy who is raised by his widowed mother and his unlikely friendship with an alien robot which crash landed nearby. Soon the news reaches the Govt. who send a federal agent to investigate the matter. On discovering the robot, he convinces the general to send in the army to destroy. Hogarth, with the help of Dean, a beatnik scrap metal artist, tries to save the robot eventually leading to a showdown of sorts where the robot makes a choice to sacrifice himself to save the human beings.

___

The story of the movie is pretty simple and straightforward. And that’s definitely a good thing. It uses the ancient (1990s) way of animation rather than completely being computer graphics and motion capture. It doesn’t try to dazzle you with bombardment of images and visuals. To Hogarth, the robot is a friend. What drives the movie is the story; the friendship between the robot and Hogarth; their interaction; and the message it tries to send out. And it does it in a very well.

What sets the movie apart is the theme of love and friendship and how it is a choice we make. Here, its the kid who is trying to teach the gentle giant of a robot the values of life, importance of choice and the goodness of mankind, which essentially gives a very simple uncomplicated perspective (“That’s part of life. It’s bad to kill, but it’s not bad to die.”).  Of course, the movie has its share of funny moments as well. Again, this doesn’t seem forced and doesn’t hinder the narration. Credit should be given to the script. And at 1 hr 25 minutes, the length is just perfect. The voice artists have done a very good job as well.

The setting is also very apt and well detailed. It is based on the 1950s when the cold war was reaching its peak. It was an age when the American public was fearful of the a nuclear holocaust and alien invasion and the Sputnik’s launch had captured the public’s imagination. Parallels can also be drawn from the movie ‘ET: Extra Terrestrial’. Another obvious influence would be the ‘Day Earth Stood Still’.

The ending of the movie is sure to draw some tears. The only negative I  see is the last few minutes of the movie which waters down its impact bit.

___

Sadly, the film bombed and didn’t reach the audience it deserved. The commercial failure had more to do with the marketing (or the lack of it) by Warner Bros than anything else.

Do watch it. A very well made movie where the characters are believable and the story-telling is far superior to the recent animated movies.

Cheers

Jais

Well now you know as much as we do. No, no, that’s not exactly true. We still know more than you do. But at least we ALL know the names of our cast members. The news finally broke yesterday but, on the off-chance you were in your basement watching a Lord of the Rings marathon, here are the latest additions:

Alaina Huffman (Tamara Johansen): Alaina was one of the first auditions we saw way back in December (I was in Tokyo at the time and watched the stream from my room in The Peninsula). She was so good that, quite frankly, we would’ve been crazy not to cast her. I finally got the chance to chat with her today and discovered that, besides being quick-witted and absolutely lovely, she shares my affinity for Japan. Bonus points for that.

Elyse Levesque (Chloe Armstrong): Like Alaina, Elyse delivered a wonderfully nuanced audition, demonstrating impressive range in two very different ad demanding scenes. I only got the chance to speak to her briefly at the cast dinner but my first impression lines up with what everyone else has been saying about her: she is a sweetheart!

Ming-Na (Camille Wray):Back in my January 30^th entry, I wrote “Meanwhile, we inch ever closer to casting one of my other favorites roles – the character of Wray.”. She’s one of my favorites because she has so much potential. That said, as I was working on the first part of the mid-season two-parter, I actually grew nervous. Wray has some nice, meaty scenes in my script and, without a strong actress in the role, the character would crash and burn. So you can imagine my delight to hear we had closed the deal with Ming-Na, a tremendously talented actress (and, apparently, poker player) who is more than capable of delivering bigtime.

Lou Diamond Philips (Colonel Telford): Speaking of talented actors, Lou Diamond Philips is another huge addition to an already impressive roster. He is a kick-ass Colonel Telford and incredibly charming both on and offscreen. I told him I’d enjoyed his work and, especially, his role opposite Mark Wahlberg in The Big Hit. He laughed and admitted it was one of his faves as well. Check it out!

Christopher McDonald (Senator Armstrong): Another experienced Hollywood veteran, Chris brings gravity and charisma to the role of Senator Armstrong. When I was on set the other day, he approached me, shook my hand, and told me how happy he was to be working on the show. A clas act.

Speaking of class acts – today, I was on set talking to some of the cast when the conversation turned to actors who are not only accomplished, but great to work with as well. And, not surprisingly, Bob Picardo’s name came up. As it turns out, Gateworld just posted an interview with him. Check it out here:  http://gateworld.net/interviews/man_in_a_suit.shtml

Had a nice, long chat with Brian J. Smith today. I continue to be impressed with his self-effacing, down-to-earth attitude. However, not so impressed with his NFL team of choice: the Dallas Cowboys. But fellow Romo-booster Rob Cooper certainly was. Hey, Sherry – unfortunately, the studio has put the kibosh on any behind-the-scene pics for the time being. I told Brian that I might convince you to provide some embarrassing baby pics of your son and, while he assured me that you have plenty, he strongly urged me NOT to ask. And so, in the interest of continuing to see that self-effacing, down-to-earth attitude – I’m not going to ask. For now. But I will welcome you to our little book of the month club.

If I had to give the award for Funniest Guy On Set (and I do believe I’ll be presenting the award at this year’s ceremonies), I would be hardpressed not hand it to David Blue. A very funny guy, but a professional through and through. Richard – I echo everyone’s best wishes for Buddy. Here’s hoping for a quick and full recovery that will see him bounding around that backyard in no time.

A pretty hilarious guy in his own right is actor Justin Louis who did a really nice job opposite Ona Grauer in some heartfelt scenes earlier this week. I told him: “You guys are eventually going to get tired of hearing it but – we are loving the dailies!”

Finally, late yesterday, Robert Carlyle delivered a performance in a key scene that was so outstanding it blew the doors off Stage 3 – and the entire crew away! “Masterful” would be one word to describe it. “Extraordinary” would be another. But I prefer to simply go with “Wow!”.

Hey, look at what arrived in the mail today! A super, special, advance copy of Joe Abercrombie’s latest: Best Served Cold. Regulars to this blog know that I’m a huge fan of Joe’s and consider his First Law trilogy among my favorite works in the fantasy genre. Will be jumping on it next and have a full report for you all next week. 

In the meantime, our continuing discussion of David Louis Edelman’s Infoquake:

AMZ writes: “Ironically, with my phone line and internet down I found I could really sympathise with the boys during Initiation…”

Answer: So could I.  Their technology-free wilderness survival training reminded me of my last trip to Montreal.  Minus the bears, wilderness, and training.  Still, my internet connection was kind of iffy.  I empathize.

AMZ also writes: “

I particularly liked the history he created, especially the Autonomous Revolt, which seems to have instilled in the people a fear of losing technology and creates a rich tension between moving forward with advancements and treading with a bit of caution…”

Answer: Which brings up an interesting point.  Given the repercussions of the Autonomous Revolution, is it difficult to accept that humanity would be willing to introduce nanite technology into their everyday lives?  Would they be more cautious given the past or could it be argued that enough time has passed to make them more accepting of the technology?

Sparrow_hawk writes: “ I’m not really a computer geek, but have a lot of friends and acquaintances who are. I was fully prepared to like Natch and his apprentices, but the more I saw of them, the less I cared about them. “

Answer: And how do these characters compare to your computer geek friends?  Is there a Natch in your midst?

Fsmn36 writes: “At the same time, it wasn’t a fully conscious act for Natch. I don’t think he can entirely be blamed for instinct. I don’t agree with it, certainly not, but was he fully himself in that moment? Or did fight-flight and self-preservation kick in?”

Answer: Except that he didn’t just happen to cross paths with Brone while the fight-flight instinct kicked in: “Until, as chance would have it, he spotted Brone.  Natch whipped around and headed in his direction.”  Sounds like he knew exactly what he was doing. 

Movie update!  I will be watching the following movies and reviewing/recapping them soon!

Added February 25, 2009

Australia

“Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand.”

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, & David Wenham

Who’s performance I’m excited to watch: Hugh Jackman

Reviewed? Not yet!

Body of Lies

2008 American spy film based on the novel of the same name by David Ignatius about a CIA operative who goes to Jordan to track a high-ranking terrorist.  Production took place in Washington D.C. and Morocco.

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Golshifteh Farahani, Vince Colosimo & Mark Strong

Performance I’m excited to watch: Golshifteh Farahani

Reviewed? Not yet!

Brideshead Revisited

2008 British drama film directed by Julian Jarrold.  Based on Evelyn Waugh’s 1945 classic British novel, Brideshead Revisited is a poignant story of forbidden love and the loss of innocence set in England prior to the Second World War.

Starring: Emma Thompson, Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw, Hayley Atwell, and Michael Gambon

Who’s performance I’m excited to watch: Matthew Goode

Reviewed? Not yet!

Burn After Reading

A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to sell it.

Starring: George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, and Brad Pitt

Who’s performance I’m excited to see: Brad Pitt

Reviewed? Not yet!

Choke

Based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club).  It tells the story of a man who works in a colonial theme park, attends sexual addiction recovery workshops, and at nights pretends to choke on food in upscale restaurants so his “rescuers” would pay him out of sympathy and thus cover his mother’s Alzheimer’s disease hospital bills.

Starring: Sam Rockwell & Anjelica Huston

Who’s performance I’m excited to watch: Sam Rockwell

Reviewed? No yet!

Hounddog

A drama set in the American south, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.

Starring: Dakota Fanning & Piper Laurie

Who’s performance I’m excited to watch: Dakota Fanning

Reviewed? Not yet!

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

A British writer struggles to fit in at a high-profile magazine in New York.  Based on Toby Young’s memoir “How to Lose Friends & Alienate People.”

Starring: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges, Megan Fox, Danny Huston and Gillian Anderson

Who’s performance I’m excited to watch: Gillian Anderson

Reviewed? Not yet!

Pride and Glory

A saga centered on a multi-generational family of New York City police officers.  The family’s moral codes are tested when Ray Tierney, investigates a case that reveals an incendiary police corruption scandal involving his own brother-in-law.  For Ray, the truth is revelatory, a Pandora’s Box that threatens to upend not only the Tierney legacy but the entire NYPD.

Starring: Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight and Noah Emmerich

Who’s performance I’m excited to watch: Edward Norton

Reviewed? Not yet!

Quarantine

A television reporter and her cameraman are trapped inside a building quarantined by the CDC after the outbreak of a mysterious virus which turns humans into bloodthirsty killers.

Starring: Jennifer Carpenter, Steve Harris, Jay Hernandez, and Johnathon Schaech

Who’s performance I’m excited to watch: Jennifer Carpenter

Reviewed? Not yet!

Step Brothers

Brennan Huff and Dale Doback are both about 40 when Brennan’s mom and Dale’s dad marry.  The sons still live with the parents so they must now share a room.  Initial antipathy threatens the households peace and the parents’ relationship.  Dad lays down the law: both slackers have a week to find a job.  Out of the job search and their love of music comes a pact that leads to friendship but more domestic disarray compounded by the boys’ sleepwalking.  Hovering nearby are Brennan’s successful brother and his lonely wife: the brother wants to help sell his step-father’s house, the wife wants Dale’s attention, and the newlyweds want to retire and sail the seven seas.  Can harmony come from the discord?

Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hann and Rob Riggle.

Who’s performance I’m excited to watch:Richard Jenkins

Reviewed? Not yet!

The House Bunny

Shelley Darlingson was raised in an orphanage, finally happy when she blossoms into a fox and moves into the Playboy Mansion.  Unfortunately, she’s summarily expelled on her 27th birthday (she’s now too old).  In desperation she takes a job as house mother for a sorority of misfits losing their house for lack of members.  They have but a few months to find 30 pledges, or a sorority of mean girls will take over their place.  Shelley figures that the girls will pledge a house that boys find interesting, so she sets out to make the Zetas alluring, not to act smart, and host great parties.  Can she succeed, and what about her own makeover?  Sabotage is everywhere, plus it’s hard to be one’s self.

Starring: Anna Faris, Colin Hanks, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Hugh Hefner, Christopher McDonald and Beverly D’Angelo.

Who’s performance I’m excited to see:Colin Hanks

Reviewed? Not yet!

The Midnight Meat Train

2008 horror film based on Clive Barker’s 1984 short story of the same name.  The film follows a photographer who attempts to track down a serial killer dubbed the “Subway Butcher” and discovers more than he bargained for under the city streets.

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb, Brooke Shields, Roger Bart, Ted Raimi, Peter Jacobson and Barbara Eve Harris

Who’s performance I’m excited to watch:Brooke Shields

Reviewed? Not yet!

Tropic Thunder

A film crew is in Southeast Asia filming a Vietnam-war memoir.  It’s early in the shooting, but they’re already behind schedule and over budget.  On the day an accident befalls the novice director, the cast and crew are attacked by a gang of poppy-growing local drug dealers, except that the cast and crew don’t realize these aren’t actors who are stalking them.  The thugs kidnap Tugg Speedman, an actor whose star seems on the decline, and it’s up to the rest of the ragtag team to band together long enough to attempt his rescue.  But will Tugg want to leave?

Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Baruchel, Nick Nolte, Tom Cruise, Danny McBride, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Coogan and Bill Hader.

Who’s performance I’m excited to watch: Robert Downey Jr.

Reviewed? Not yet!

Vicky. Cristina. Barcelona.

The plot centers around two American women, Vicky and Cristina, spending a summer in Barcelona, where they meet an artist who is attracted to both of them while still enamored of his mentally and emotionally unstable ex-wife Maria Elena.

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Rebecca Hall

Who’s performance I’m excited to watch:Javier Bardem

Reviewed? Not yet!

Wanted

The anxious, clumsy and abused office clerk Wesley Allan Gibson has a hell and boring routine life:  his obese boss humiliates him all the time and his girlfriend betrays him with his colleague and best friend during working period.  When he meets the sexy Fox, Wesley is informed that his father was a professional killer that belonged to an ancient organization called Fraternity and was killed by the skilled and powerful Cross, a hit-man that has betrayed the Fraternity.  Wesley learns that his anxiety is actually a manifestation of his latent abilities and he joins the society under the command of Sloan.  Trained by Fox, he changes his personality and attitude, being prepared to face the dangerous Cross and find a hidden secret.

Starring: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Common, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp and Angelina Jolie

Who’s performance I’m excited to watch:James McAvoy

Reviewed? Not yet!