Archive: April 2009 (381-390 of 498)

Apr 8 2009 01:00 AM ET

'300' sequel: Zack Snyder says he's up for it...but are you?

300_lDirector Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) said earlier this week that he’d be up for making a sequel to 300. Well, it wouldn’t quite be a sequel. According to Snyder, Frank Miller is developing a graphic-novel followup to 300 that’ll take place in between the moment Leonidas (Gerard Butler) dies and the Platea battle one year later (in which 10,000 Spartans defeat the Persians). During this time period, there’s also the battle of Salamis, in which Athens’ navy also fights the Persians — jeez, those guys keep getting picked on!

Snyder hasn’t yet boarded the project, which has been in development for nearly a year. "If Frank comes up with a great idea and draws something cool, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t make another movie," he said. But what do you think, PopWatchers? Men, are you thirsty for additional bloodshed? Ladies, ready to ogle more CGI-enhanced abs? Or, after Watchmen, are we not quite as enthusiastic for what Snyder may have in store for us?

Apr 8 2009 12:03 AM ET

'Shadow of the Colossus' is being made into a movie: Yay! But who should direct?

Shadowcolossusdeltorro_lThis totally made my day: The 2005 PlayStation 2 game, Shadow of the Colossus, is going to become a movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. For those of you who have played the game, you already know why this is wonderful news. For those who haven’t, let me explain. Colossus is an adventure game in which you guide a young man and his horse through a hauntingly barren landscape in search of colossi — huge, majestic stone creatures. In order to bring your loved one (a young woman) back to life, you must destroy each of the land’s colossi, which is not an easy feat since some of them stand several stories tall.

The game’s atmosphere is hushed and introspective. Unlike other games in which you must complete dozens of side-missions and consult with a plethora of supporting characters, Colossus is extremely simple-minded in terms of your objective. But as you roam the landscape in search of your next battle, something about your surroundings (void of life, save for plants and a few lizards) starts burrowing its way into your emotions. I never wanted to leave this place, and yet with each slaughtered colossus, I felt as if I was somehow harming this world. What a powerful game.

Of course, I doubt a filmed version of Colossus will ever live up to the experience of playing the game; for instance, how is Hollywood going to fill all those sparse passages of silent wandering? I hope they don’t replace the game’s sense of exploration with additional action scenes, but you know they probably will. It all depends on the director Sony chooses, and I have only one suggestion: Guillermo del Toro.

I suggest Del Toro because of a specific hour-long interview he did with blogger Jeffrey Wells last June. Del Toro gushed to Wells, unprompted, about his specific love for Colossus. "It’s a gorgeous piece of storytelling," Del Toro said. "Absolutely immersive, beautiful, and poetic. Colossus actually has, I think, the most engaging storyline and the most engaging, intelligent gameplay in many, many years." I cannot think of a director who better understands the unique charms of videogames, and one whose own sensibilities are so perfectly in sync with Colossus. Alas, Del Toro is tied up until at least 2012 with the two Hobbit movies, but I don’t mind. I can wait. Sony, you gotta make this happen.

PopWatchers, are you with me? Could there possibly be any director more appropriate than Del Toro for this movie? Should this movie even be made? Discuss.

Apr 7 2009 11:59 PM ET

'American Idol': It talks live about tonight's performance show. It does this whenever it's told.

Sorry. I know it’s a little creepy to make Silence of the Lambs references in an innocent  American Idol post. Especially when it’s magical and marvelous  Songs From the Year You Were Born Week! (Hurrah for people who were born in…gulp…1992!) But anyhow, while I take copious notes on tonight’s proceedings, you should feel free to fill up the comments section of this blog post with hot and tasty comments about tonight’s Idol telecast. I’ll be back here at PopWatch at 9 p.m. with my snap judgment; then, I’ll work into the wee small hours on my full TV Watch recap. In the interim, check out my video interview with Megan Joy below! I won’t lie to you: She gets feisty about the infuriating judges! (Oh, and don’t forget to make like Melinda Doolittle and sign up to play EW.com’s Idol Prediction Challenge!)

Apr 7 2009 09:56 PM ET

'Yo Gabba Gabba!': Who should guest on season 3?

Yogabbagabbajayz_lYou might not have noticed if you don’t have a young kid in the house, but Nickelodeon’s Yo Gabba Gabba!, currently in its second season, is totally huge. A third TV season green-lit, a live tour coming this spring, a feature film in the works: Those brightly-hued oddballs are a phenomenon. "We’ve been trying to develop this idea of Yo Gabba Gabba! for such along time," exec producer Scott Schultz told Variety yesterday. "To all of a sudden have squishy pals and plush toys instores…it’s humbling."

The show has booked some legitimately cool guests for the first two seasons, including Jack Black, Andy Samberg, the Shins, and Chromeo. So, as the Yo Gabba empire continues to expand, now’s the time to ask: Which stars would you like to see cavorting with Brobee, Foofa, Plex, and Co. when season three comes around? Personally, I’m pulling for Danny McBride doing a toned-down version of his Kenny Powers shtick. Very toned-down. C’mon, he’s hilarious with kids. (Okay, maybe that one is a little too edgy even for Yo Gabba.) On the music front, I wonder if Jay-Z (pictured) might be interested in one-upping his wife’s upcoming Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! arc. Or, considering the hipster cred the show has already accrued, maybe Yo Gabba‘s producers should give Animal Collective a call. Those guys seem like they already live in a manic cartoon. What do you think?

More on Yo Gabba Gabba!:
Yo Gabba Gabba!: A two-year-old’s take
Exclusive: Jack Black on Yo Gabba Gabba!
Jack Black rocks Yo Gabba Gabba! and other first looks

Apr 7 2009 09:34 PM ET

Zac Efron's FunnyOrDie skit: Does this thing actually exist?!

Zacefron_lPeople.com has a story up now about a skit that Zac Efron is allegedly premiering on FunnyOrDie.com tomorrow to promote 17 Again. I say "allegedly" because, well, here’s how People describes the clip: "Brody Jenner, Joel Madden, Queen Latifah, Justin Long, Nicole Richie, Vanessa Hudgens, Carmen Electra, Brittany Snow and Lance Bass all take part in a ‘pool party from hell,’ according to 17 Again producer Adam Shankman who co-directed the FOD video." That’s a random bunch of celebs, but okay, sure, sounds like a reasonable premise for a viral video so far. Shankman keeps talking, though, and here’s where this starts sounding less like an actual FunnyOrDie offering and more like a horribly disturbing hallucination: "We have Brody Jenner talking about the AIG thing," he says. "Queen Latifah is deejay [sic] trying to sell herscabies medicine." HUH?

In fairness, a pool party where Brody Jenner shares his thoughts on "the AIG thing" does sound very much like a pool party from hell. Do you believe that this video is real? And if it is, will you watch it tomorrow?

More on Zac Efron and 17 Again:
We can’t wait to see 17 Again
Exclusive Zac Efron: Why I said no to Footloose
Zac Efron’s day off: EW photo showcase

Apr 7 2009 08:14 PM ET

ABC Scrunchie Watch: And Lil' Kim makes two

Abc_scrunchies_2Kate’s rather jarring giant red scrunchie on last week’s Lost seemed a bit out of the norm at first, but, you know, busy mom, wanted to relate to Cassidy, whatever. We’ll let it slide. On last night’s Dancing With the Stars, though, my fave contestant, Lil’ Kim, whipped out an even fluffier beige variety with which to wrangle that mane during her rehearsal segment with Derek! Resurgence of the scrunchie? Oh hell to the no!

I’m just saying. We’re onto you, ABC. Stop trying to make scrunchies happen again! They’re not going to happen again. (Much to my mom’s eternal dismay.) So not fetch.

If you see any other scrunchies infesting ABC or any channel, email ScrunchieWatch@ew.com IMMEDIATELY. Investigation ongoing.

Read more:
Last night’s ‘DWTS’ recap: That’s bull!
‘DWTS’: Season 8′s Crazy Costume Watch
EW.com’s ‘Totally Lost’ video series

Apr 7 2009 07:57 PM ET

'Star Trek': What people are saying after the surprise screening

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Fullcastincharacter_lLast night, some very lucky Star Trek fans who believed they were walking into a screening of 1982′s Wrath of Khan instead got a surprise sneak peek at J.J. Abrams’ new enterprise. While Abrams’ reboot/prequel, Star Trek, isn’t scheduled toofficially hit theaters until May 8, those fortunate enough to be onhand at the Alamo Draft House in Austin, Tex., were the giddy victimsof a blockbuster bait and switch. And nudging the event into total nerdvana territory, the hotly anticipated summer tentpole was reportedly introduced by the film’s writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, its producer Damon Lindelhof (Lost), and (get this) Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy.

Needless to say, those in attendance — no doubt very familiar with making their sci-fi opinions known in cyberspace — immediately posted early reviews of the film on the Internet. And so far, the reactions range from wildly ecstatic to only barely less ecstatic. On his AICN site, Austin’s blogging poobah Harry Knowles dedicated about 40,000 words to the screening, reporting that it concluded with a standing ovation that lasted five to six minutes. "After the film, the audience was a collective smile, some crying they were so happy," Knowles wrote.

Meanwhile, in another huge, scrawling review, a writer at filmschoolrejects.com summed up the pic by saying, "This version is new and fresh, but it doesn’t forget its roots — and I think fans will appreciate that." Cinema Blend was similarly positive: "The new Star Trek movie is amazing — easily the best Trek movie since The Wrath of Khan, and a veritable feast of sight and sound."

Elsewhere online, OMG twitter posts were blasted from inside the darkened theater before the end credits even rolled. Here’ a sampling from slashfilm.com:

-"I just got back from Star Trek and it was AMAZING. The best Star Trek movie ever. Yes, it even best Wrath of Khan. Believe me."

-"ZOMG!! Just saw the new Star Trek movie and it melted my pants!!!!!"

-"My mind = blown Star Trek was AWESOME!"

-"Yes, I’m the guy who’s never seen an episode of ST and got to see Star Trek tonight. As a total ST virgin, the movie is incredible."

One blogger on Knowles’ site who was at the Alamo added: "You don’t replace Wrath of Khan. You just don’t. Not unless the movie you’re replacing it with is pretty godd—- strong. And guess what? It is. Holy Christ Crispies in a bucket of milk, was this movie f—ing awesome."

If you were lucky enough to be at the Alamo last night, let us know what you thought. 

 

Apr 7 2009 07:24 PM ET

'Castle': Great, now I'm invested

Castle_l1

You know, this Monday-at-10 p.m. time slot on ABC has not been kind to me. Exhibit A: Crap. ‘What About Brian’ got me. Exhibit B: ‘October Road’: Worth another ride? Nathan Fillion’s Castle was already better than both of those shows combined, but last night’s episode (watch it here) made me do the one thing I hadn’t: care about Beckett (Stana Katic).

She finally told Castle why she became a detective: Her mother was stabbed, the cops called it random gang violence because there were no signs of robbery or sexual assault, and the killer was never found. It explains why she’d be a fan of crime novels like Castle’s — they always have endings — and why she puts solving cases for other families ahead of herself. The episode ended with Castle sitting down to look at her mother’s case file. (Love it when he gets serious — for a moment.) Is that just research for the character he’s basing on Beckett, or will he eventually help crack the case? (Or, will he let something slip that he shouldn’t know, and she’ll get angry with him for sleuthing behind her back, and the situation will either fuel or momentarily squelch the sexual tension that the writers are due to ramp up?) Either way, Castle producers were smart to give us that Beckett reveal now. Just like they’re smart to introduce us to Castle’s first ex-wife next week — and have them sleep together. (After loving daughter Alexis’ bedding, I’m oddly excited to see Castle’s linens, I’m not gonna lie.)

As for the laser tag scene (pictured above, and beginning around 23:28 in that link), two thoughts: (1) I can’t believe how hard I laughed at Martha (Susan Sullivan) walking into the frame and saying, "Has anyone seen my purse?" It was so obviously going to happen, but Sullivan’s delivery was perfect. (As was Fillion’s for his response to her asking how old he is: "Old enough to afford top of the line laser tag.") (2) That is so the kind of scene David Boreanaz would kill to put on Bones. But, as I tried to explain to him last month, Castle can get away with it because they’ve set that character up as a complete man-child from day 1. (And BTW: I appreciated the character continuity last night having ice cream in the freezer.) Bottom line: I want to see Castle play with fake guns, and then when real bullets fly (as they do next week), cower. I want Booth to shoot the bastards.

More ‘Castle’:
Nathan Fillion takes the EW Pop Culture Personality Test
‘Castle’: Nathan Fillion making your clock tick?
‘Castle’: Snap judgment on Nathan Fillion’s new show

Apr 7 2009 06:56 PM ET

Francis Ford Coppola turns 70...Salut!

"Leave the gun, take the cannoli…"

And while you’re at it, why not put a birthday candle on top of it? After all, Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola turns 70 today. And we can’t think of a better to celebrate than kicking back with a bottle of maestro’s Cabernet Sauvignon and taking a gander at one of the most indelible scenes from the 1972 mafia classic: the moment when the hulking Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana) gets offed and sleeps with the fishes. What’s your favorite scene from the Godfather trilogy?

Apr 7 2009 06:54 PM ET

'Idolatry': Let's talk about Allison, Lil, and (ugh) Kara!

Should Kara DioGuardi be the next singer voted off American Idol? Why can’t Allison Iraheta get any respect from the judges? How come Lil Rounds keeps shouting at me? These are the questions that EW’s very own "On the Scene" Idol correspondent Adam B. Vary and I discuss as we head into Songs From the Year You Were Born Week. Press play below, then post your own thoughts on these all-important debates in the comments section below!

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