Weekly Entertainment News

[FH]

Hanks & Goetzman Team on City of Ember
Source: ComingSoon!
Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, whose The Polar Express opens November 10, have bought Jeanne DuPrau's young adult bestseller The City of Ember.

Variety reports they are in talks with Edward Scissorhands screenwriter Caroline Thompson to adapt it and Gil Kenan (upcoming Monster House) to make his live-action directorial debut. Walden Media is coming aboard as co-producer and financier.

In the futuristic sci-fi fantasy adventure, Earth's citizens have moved to underground cities when the planet's atmosphere grows too toxic. The focus is on two teens: One longs to be a messenger because the job will allow her to venture above ground, while the other dreams of working underground to repair a generator whose failure will doom the city's power supply.

The deal includes an option on a sequel novel DuPrau is writing.

[FH]

Marcia Gay Harden Has Bad News Bears
Source: ComingSoon!
Marcia Gay Harden will star in Paramount's remake of The Bad News Bears, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Greg Kinnear.

Variety reports that the Oscar winner is in talks to portray an attorney who recruits Thornton's character to coach a Little League team of misfits.

Richard Linklater is directing with shooting expected to begin November 15. The comedy, written by Bad Santa scribes Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, is scheduled for release next summer.

[FH]

[b]Better Picture of The Thing[b]
Source: People Magazine

[FH]

Blade: Trinity Soundtrack Coming Nov. 23
Source: SuperheroHype!
Lil' Flip, WC, E-40, The RZA, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan are among the platinum artists who appear on the highly-anticipated Blade: Trinity motion picture soundtrack from New Line Records. Set for a Nov. 23 release, the soundtrack features five tracks produced by The RZA (Wu-Tang Clan), who co-composed the film's score with newcomer Ramin Djawadi. A complete track listing for the soundtrack is below. Starring Wesley Snipes, Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel, Blade: Trinity is the third film in the successful Blade franchise and is scheduled for a Dec. 8 release.

"Working with The RZA was a great experience," said David Goyer, Blade: Trinity's director, writer and producer. "He pulls in so many different, wide-ranging elements for his sounds and constantly surprises you. You never know where he'll find inspiration."

The movie's soundtrack will be available in two editions. The "Deluxe" edition includes a nine-panel manga comic piece by Takashi Okazaki, the creator of the successful Afro Samurai series; and a bonus DVD that features a four-and-a-half minute anime piece from the creators of Blokhedz, a 13-minute behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the movie's music including interviews with David Goyer, The RZA and Djawadi; a 5-minute behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the anime comic; a "Blade" weapons gallery; early costume and production sketches for the "Blade" films; and a gallery of the international "Blade" movie posters.

"I'm really excited about the deluxe edition of the soundtrack -- it's always cool when you can give the fans something special and authentic," said Goyer.

The soundtrack's other version does not include the DVD, comic, production sketches or the movie poster gallery.

Following is the complete Blade: Trinity Original Motion Picture Soundtrack track listing:

-Fatal -- The RZA
-I Gotta Get Paid -- Lil' Flip/ Ghostface Killah/ Raekwon
-When The Guns Come Out -- WC/E-40
-Thirsty -- Black Keith & ODB
-Daywalkers (Foot Chase) -- Ramin/ RZA
-Party In Tha Morgue -- Kool Keith
-Skylight -- Overseer
-Hardwax -- Manchild
-Bombs Away -- Paris Texas
-Weapons of Mad Distortion -- Crystal Method
-The Blood -- Black Lab
-Blade's Back -- Ramin Diawadi

[FH]

A fleeting visit from the Fantastic Four
Source: Moviehole

Seems the net'sters have already started to make up their decision about FOX's redo of "The Fantastic Four", with some going so far as to say it's going to be the clucking turkey of 2005.

I'm still on the border of 'um' and 'ah'. I've never been that impressed with the cast - personally, I would've gone with Clooney for Mr.Fantastic, who was always a fave 'apparently', and anyone with blonde locks for the role of The Invisible Girl - but I know one thing, I'm still a lot keener to see this than I ever use that green goo that Uni churned out a year or two back. Tim Story is a fine-ass storyteller, just hoping he brings a bit of that 'character' to "FF". So I'm not with you all yet, I'm confident this still could be an ok pic.

JoBlo had some footage up from a promo reel which gave us a sneak peek at the gang in action, but alas, FOX has asked them to remove it. It didn't look too crash hot, and that's probably why the aforesaid net fans are cold to icy on whether they want to see it or not now. Can't give you my opinion, didn't catch it in time.

Guess you'll have to be happy with these few lone stills or until the reel shows up again on the www sometime....

[FH]

The latest on Die Hard 4
Source: Moviehole
We haven't heard much about the direction "Die Hard 4" is taking - hey, who the heck yelled out good guy shoots back at bad guys?! - since Doug Richardson was hired to pen it, but over the weekend we had the pleasure of having some details passed on.

I've been told that, in December, a second draft of the "4.0" screenplay is to be handed in to the Twentieth Century Fox Execs and also Cheyenne Enterprise's Bruce Willis and Arnold Rifkin, who are producing the movie for Fox. Writing duties were provided by "Die Hard 2: Die Harder"'s Doug
Richardson, who also penned the upcoming Willis starrer "Hostage" as well as "Money Train" and the original "Bad Boys".

Word is that the script was a spec called "Worldwar3.com" and was in the vein of the 80's Matthew Broderick flick "War Games". Mark Bomback who scripted the God awful "Godsend" was brought in and whom was rewritten by Richardson a few months ago.

As yet, only Willis himself has been cast and "Die Hard" and "With A Vengeance" helmer John McTiernan IS NOT going to be involved.

Despite no firm storyline being released, detective John McClane is supposed to be RETIRED in the fourth movie of this most successful and entertaining action
franchise.

We also checked in with Ben Trebilcook, who penned a version for "Die Hard 4", to see what he's heard and whether he'll be involved.

"I certainly think Doug Richardson is the way to go with this film. Steven De Souza should be brought in too. People forget that those guys played a major part in creating this franchise as well. I'm a huge admirer
of them both. I'm really looking forward to "Hostage", says the writer, whose new film "Daisy Scarlett" is in production.

"It's been ten years since "With A Vengeance". In the first movie, McClane said he had been in the job for 11 years. If it was real life, he'd be the right age for retirement. It has to be kept as real as possible. It's where Lethal Weapon 3 and 4 went wrong with Danny Glover's Murtaugh. He was about to retire in the Lethal Weapon, back in 1987. Sure it's 'movie world' but movie world has to make sense sometimes."

Is he involved? "For once, I won't say too much, however don't anybody rule out any Die Hard related involvement where my name's concerned."

[FH]

Keith, Mayhew and Scott join American Pie 4
Source: Moviehole
Young actors Richard Keith and Lauren C.Mayhew have reportedly joined the cast of Universal's "American Pie : Band Camp", the - unnecessary - fourth chapter in the Dessert Banging series.

Keith ("Riding in Cars with Boys") and Mayhew ("Raise your Voice") are at work on the film - rumoured to be getting a direct to disc release in '05 sometime - in Vancouver.

Director Steve Rash has reportedly also coaxed Sean William Scott into reprising his role as Steve Stifler, for the film, albeit briefly.

This time, the movie centres on Stifler's younger brother, Matt, who is shipped off to Band Camp as a form of punishment. He gets up to his smutty ol' tricks there, but ultimately gets sorted out by a young woman.

[FH]

Nirvana Box Set: Complete Track List, Details Revealed
Source: MTV
There's something missing from Nirvana's "new" video to promote the band's upcoming box set: drummer Dave Grohl.

That's because Grohl was still hitting the skins for DC punk band Scream when the video for "In Bloom" was shot in April 1990, with Chad Channing behind the drum kit. The vintage clip, which first appeared on 1991's "Sub Pop Video Network Program 1," will resurface the week of November 8, two weeks before Nirvana's long-awaited four-disc box set, With the Lights Out, drops on November 23.

The original "In Bloom" video was filmed mostly in New York. Performance footage is intercut with scenes of the bandmembers goofing off around Manhattan a day before they were to play a show at the Pyramid Club that ended with mixed results. According to Michael Azerrad's "Come As You Are," the definitive Nirvana tome, the show was far from the band's best: One of the few who refrained from heckling was Iggy Pop, who cheered encouragingly. After the show, bassist Krist Novoselic was so disappointed with the performance that he shaved his head bald in the Jersey City, New Jersey, motel where the band was staying. This explains why, in the video, he's seen with hair in some scenes and resembles Kojak in others.

Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon stitched in the story's silver lining by bringing A&R man Gary Gersh to the show. Not long after, Gersh signed the band to Geffen Records, the company that released Nirvana's breakthrough, Nevermind, in 1991, after Moore convinced Kurt Cobain that signing to a major label wasn't selling out. The video, however, offers no indication that the band was on the verge of a bad night. The trio parades through New York's East River Park wearing creepy clear-plastic masks and goofing around in the city's Financial District. After the band checks out the clipper ships in the South Street Seaport, Cobain even munches on a street-vendor hot dog.

While the version of "In Bloom" used in the video sounds similar to the one that appeared on Nevermind, it was actually recorded in 1990, a few weeks before the video was shot, with producer Butch Vig at the helm (Vig was also responsible for producing Nevermind). A second studio version of "In Bloom" was later recorded with Grohl on drums, and another video was shot with director Kevin Kerslake, who also directed clips for Nirvana's "Come As You Are," "Lithium" and "Sliver," and later worked with Ryan Cabrera and Velvet Revolver.

The 81-track With The Lights Out, which takes its name from the first line of the chorus of "Smells Like Teen Spirit," includes 68 previously unreleased tracks, including rehearsals, outtakes, demos and covers that include Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker," the Velvet Underground's " Here She Comes Now" and four Leadbelly songs. Five tracks come from an overseas promotional sampler: a 1987 radio performance of "White Lace and Strange," a 1988 demo of "Blandest," a 1990 solo acoustic version of "Lithium," a 1993 demo of "Heart Shaped Box" and a 1994 solo acoustic version of "You Know You're Right," the song that served as the single from 2002's Nirvana greatest-hits set.

A DVD features live and rehearsal footage (including an eight-song rehearsal filmed at Novoselic's mom's house in 1988), home movies, and 20 full-length videos. Thurston Moore reprises his role in Nirvana lore by penning the liner notes to the set's 60-page booklet.

Track list for With the Lights Out, according to Geffen Records:

Disc One:
Heartbreaker (live, 1987)
Anorexorcist (radio performance, 1987)
White Lace and Strange (radio performance, 1987)
Help Me I'm Hungry (radio performance, 1987)
Mrs. Butterworth (rehearsal, 1988)
If You Must (demo, 1988)
Pen Cap Chew (demo, 1988)
Downer (live, 1988)
Floyd the Barber (live, 1988)
Raunchola/ Moby Dick (live, 1988)
Beans (home demo)
Don't Want It All (home demo)
Clean Up Before She Comes (home demo)
Polly (home demo)
About a Girl (home demo)
Blandest (demo, 1988)
Dive (demo, 1988)
They Hung Him on a Cross (demo, 1989)
Grey Goose (demo, 1989)
Ain't It a Shame (demo, 1989)
Token Eastern Song (demo, 1989)
Even In His Youth (demo, 1989)
Polly (demo, 1989)


Disc Two:
Opinion (solo acoustic, 1990)
Lithium (solo acoustic, 1990)
Been a Son (solo acoustic, 1990)
Sliver (home demo, 1989)
Where Did You Sleep Last Night (home demo, 1989)
Pay To Play (demo, 1990)
Here She Comes Now (demo, 1990)
Drain You (demo, 1990)
Aneurysm (demo, 1990)
Smells Like Teen Spirit (demo, 1991)
Breed (rough mix, 1991)
Verse Chorus Verse (outtake, 1991)
Old Age (outtake, 1991)
Endless, Nameless (radio session, 1991)
Dumb (radio session, 1991)
D-7 (radio session, 1990)
Oh, the Guilt (B-Side, 1992
Curmudgeon (B-Side, 1992
Return of the Rat (B-Side, 1992
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Butch Vig mix, 1991)


Disc 3:
Rape Me (solo acoustic, 1992)
Rape Me (demo, 1992)
Scentless Apprentice (demo, 1992)
Heart Shaped Box (demo, 1993)
I Hate Myself and Want To Die (compilation track, 1993)
Milk It (demo, 1993)
Moist Vagina (demo, 1993)
Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip (B-Side, 1993)
The Other Improv (demo, 1993)
Serve the Servants (solo acoustic, 1993)
Very Ape (solo acoustic, 1993)
Pennyroyal Tea (solo acoustic, 1993)
Marigold (B-Side, 1993)
Sappy (a.k.a. Verse Chorus Verse) (previously unreleased, 1993)
Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam (demo, 1994)
Do Re Mi (solo acoustic, 1994)
You Know You're Right (solo acoustic, 1994)
All Apologies (solo acoustic)


Disc 4 (DVD)
Love Buzz
Scoff
About a Girl
Big Long Now
Immigrant Song
Spank Thru
Hairspray Queen
School
Mr. Moustache
Big Cheese
In Bloom
Sappy
School
Love Buzz
Pennyroyal Tea
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Territorial Pissings
Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam
Talk to Me
Seasons in the Sun

[FH]

"The Grudge" Doesn't Budge
Source: E!
Ray Charles overcame adversity; his biopic almost overcame The Grudge.
Ray, the glossy, dramatized rendering of Charles' life, opened to an up-tempo $20.1 million at the weekend box office, per estimates Sunday from the box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations.
The movie, generating Oscar buzz for star Jamie Foxx, played second chair to first-place holdover The Grudge, generating bankability buzz for star Sarah Michelle Gellar.

With a take of $22.4 million, Gellar's Grudge now has scared up $71.3 million on a budget estimated at less than $10 million by BoxOfficeMojo.com.

Ray, with a bigger, though still modest budget of $40 million, made its money on 1,300 fewer screens than The Grudge--2,006 versus 3,348. Ray's per-screen average of $10,020 was the second highest of the weekend.

Only writer-director Alexander Payne's own Oscar-buzz-making machine, Sideways, packed more people per capita into theaters. In extremely limited release--just 16 screens--Sideways uncorked $435,731, or $27,233 per theater.

Elsewhere, Saw, an R-rated horror flick released in time for tricks and treats, was witness to a strong $17.4 million debut.

Among other new releases, Nicole Kidman's creepy Birth managed just $1.7 million on 550 screens, finishing out of the top 10; the art-house thriller Enduring Love did a solid $35,000 on seven screens.

Among holdovers, The Forgotten ($1.7 million for the weekend; $64.5 million overall) and I Heart Huckabees ($1.7 million; $8.4 million) both fell from the top 10.

On the Ben-and-Jen front, business for Ben Affleck's Surviving Christmas ($2.6 million; $8.1 million) fell 41 percent from last weekend's unmerry opening; Jennifer Lopez's Shall We Dance? ($6.3 million; $33.9 million) limped along in its third weekend.

Here's a look at the top 10 as compiled by estimates from Exhibitor Relations:

1. The Grudge, $22.4 million
2. Ray, $20.1 million
3. Saw, $17.4 million
4. Shark Tale, $8 million
5. Shall We Dance?, $6.3 million
6. Friday Night Lights, $4.1 million
7. Ladder 49, $3.3 million
8. Team America: World Police, $3.1 million
9. Surviving Christmas, $2.6 million
10. Taxi, $2.2 million

[FH]

[DannyBoy]

i can't see the emporer .. care to outline him and post the picture again ? ive looked for a while and had no luck lol .. help!!

[FH]

[ QUOTE ]
dannyboy said:
i can't see the emporer .. care to outline him and post the picture again ? ive looked for a while and had no luck lol .. help!!

[/ QUOTE ]http://cgi.theforce.net/theforce/image.cgi?Image=episode3/newspics/rots_teaser-characters03.jpg

[DannyBoy]

umm ..... wtf ? LOL ... i still don't see it .. i guess im blind to it .. but i dont see it at all ..

[FH]

Saw 2 Announced for Halloween 2005
Source: ComingSoon!
Saw, the terrifying new film produced by Twisted Pictures and released by Lions Gate Films, the motion picture acquisition, production and distribution arm of Lions Gate Entertainment, cut a wide swath into the nationwide box-office over the lucrative Halloween weekend, grossing $18.3 million on 2315 screens, taking the #3 position. Scaring off the competition by coming in #1 on Halloween day, the films three day gross exceeded industry expectations. On the heels of positive response to the bloody tale of a twisted psychopath's murderous cat and mouse games, plans for the sequel releasing Halloween 2005 was jointly announced by Peter Block, Lions Gate Films President of Acquisitions, Television and Co-Productions and Twisted Pictures Mark Burg, Oren Koules and Gregg Hoffman.

"We were confident going into this weekend as the only new horror release that we would hit our target audience of genre fans, but this has exceeded all our expectations," said Tom Ortenberg, President of Lions Gate Films Releasing. "With 'Saw,' James Wan and Leigh Whannell have tapped into filmgoers' most base fears and have created something that people immediately feel they need to talk about with others, and see again to catch clues they may have missed the first time," he added.

"We are thrilled about the strong opening weekend of 'Saw.' Lions Gate's marketing and distribution team has done a phenomenal job and we're very excited to be partnering with them again on Saw 2," say producers Burg, Koules and Hoffman.

Directed by 27-year-old James Wan and written by 27-year-old co-star Leigh Whannell, Saw follows a madman who, obsessed with teaching his victims the value of life, abducts morally wayward people and forces them to play horrific games for their own survival. Faced with impossible choices, each victim must struggle to win back his/her life, or else die trying. The film stars Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Dina Meyer, Ken Leung and Leigh Whannell.

[FH]

Tarantino Planning a New Kung-Fu Film
Source: ComingSoon!
Director Quentin Tarantino says he's planning a kung-fu film with all the dialogue in Mandarin Chinese and out-of-sync English dubbing in homage to many such films in the past.

In an interview with Total Film magazine, Tarantino said he decided to do the kung-fu movie instead of Inglorious Bastards, the working title of his long-expected movie based on World War II.

"I enjoyed shooting all the Japanese stuff in 'Kill Bill' so much that this whole film will be entirely in Mandarin," he said. "If you're not up to watching it with subtitles, I really want to do a full-on dubbed version."