As if making remakes of really bad 80’s shows weren’t enough, Hollywood has to continue remaking really bad 80’s movies, too.
I don’t know what kind of demented Hollywood executive greenlit this project but Short Circuit, that cheesy 80’s movie is about to be remade by Dimension Films.
For those who have mercifully forgotten what Short Circuit is about, it’s the story of a robot made by the military and designed to be a weapon. A miraculous lightning bolt on the machine imbued it with a conscience and one of the most irritating personalities in the universe. He befriends some civilians while all the while the military runs after it intent on its destruction because, get this, it became a pacifist. Only in the cocaine-addle 80’s, I tell you.
The two guys who created the characters (including that matchstick robot Number 5), SS Wilson and Brent Maddock, have been identified as the writers who will produce the script for the remake.
I hope to hell this movie doesn’t get made… ever.
The Soup’s McHale to join Damon in new movie
I obsessively watch E!’s The Soup because I find host Joel McHale quite outrageously funny. I’ve seen Ayesha Tyler’s and Greg Kinnear’s run in the show and I tell you, both pale in comparison to the always funny McHale.
Now it looks like McHale is going to do a Kinnear — that is, initiate the jump from the small screen to the big screen. McHale is reportedly slated to appear in Matt Damon’s new movie along with other comic actors. The new movie, a comic thriller to be directed by Steven Soderbergh is entitled The Informant and will be made under Warner Independent Pictures, Participant Media and Groundswell Productions. The movie is based on the smash bestseller The Informant: A True Story. Actual filming for the movie is scheduled to happen anytime this month.
Bakula and McHale, who is in final negotiations, will play FBI agents working with agri-business insider Mark Whitacre (Damon) to stop a price-fixing scam. The film is based on Kurt Eichenwald’s 2000 best-seller “The Informant: A True Story.”
Other new cast members known for their comedic turns are Mike O’Malley (CBS’ “Yes, Dear”), Andrew Daly (Semi-Pro), Adam Paul (Starz’s “Hollywood Residential”) and Melanie Lynskey (CBS’ “Two and a Half Men”). Comedian-actors Tom Wilson, Rick Overton and Tom Papa will round out the cast.
Scott Z. Burns adapted the book for the screen. Principal photography is set to begin this month.
Tropic Thunder trailer now available
I’ve been hearing a lot about Ben Stiller’s new comedy Tropic Thunder. First time I heard about it was during the unfortunate suicide attempt of Owen Wilson when it was announced that he had to drop out of the said movie. Next thing I hear the movie’s already finished and finally, the new trailer is now available!
The movie revolves around the making of a “Vietnam” movie and the hilarity that ensues. Special props has to be given to Robert Downey, Jr. and his character — a white actor who decides to play black soldier. Some people are already calling it racist but all I have to say is chill out people.
Ben Stiller stars and directs the movie and also stars Jack Black, Nick Nolte, Brandon Jackson and Steve Coogan. Also expect a cameo from Tom Cruise.
Evan Almighty – Review
I honestly didn’t know they were even making a sequel to “Bruce Almighty” until the first trailer for this film showed up in theaters a couple months back. It snuck in with little fanfare and wedged itself in during one of June’s down weeks in regards to blockbuster releases. Still, this sort of warm and fuzzy PG-rated comedy is a nice thing to have from time to time, and while “Evan Almighty” isn’t one of the funniest movies I’ve ever sat through, I found myself enjoying it.
Evan Baxter (Steve Carell) is a newly elected Congressman from New York who has just moved to Washington with his wife and three kids. Out to change the world for the better, Evan is a genuinely good soul, albeit a little weird. Unfortunately, once on the job he finds himself in bed with corrupt politicians such as Congressman Long (John Goodman), who want to develop housing in America’s National Parks. Complicating matters to an astounding degree, Evan quickly finds himself receiving orders from God (Morgan Freeman) to build an Ark not only to save his family, animals and the people of his community from a great disaster, but to deliver a message of kindness and goodwill to the world. Evan, however, is not so enthusiastic.
With PG-rated comedies you typically know what to expect. They’re cute and funny, but they’re always more cute than funny. “Evan Almighty” wasn’t what I’d call a laugh-a-minute, and I didn’t even find myself laughing out loud very often, but the story and characters all had a charm to them that kept me enthralled.
Steve Carell brings his memorable brand of awkward and weird humor to the character of Evan. Much like how Jim Carrey’s character of Bruce in the previous film had his little quirk (“Its goooood”), Evan has his one of his own (he enjoys dancing like a doofus). Carell certainly carries the title role good enough. John Goodman doesn’t fair too well as Congressman Long, who’s merely your stereotypical corrupt politician and little more. I like Goodman and all, but he didn’t have much to work with as the movie’s lead antagonist. Wanda Sykes got on my nerves as Rita, Evan’s chief assistant back at the office. She existed mostly to provide sassy commentary throughout the film and felt more like an annoying person sitting in the theater yelling at the screen than an actual character within the movie. And lastly we come to Morgan Freeman, who once again could not be a better choice to play the character of God. Having narrated tons of documentaries and specials, he’s got the omniscient all-knowing voice down, but there’s more to it than that. Freeman just gives off this presence of gentleness and kindness that really sells the role.
I’ve heard some people bash these movies as being “heavy-handed Christian propaganda”, but I couldn’t disagree more. While there are certainly Christian elements to the film (this is a parody of a story from the Bible, after all), the lesson the film tries to convey is one of goodwill, not a straight-up endorsement of Christianity. Personally, I’m Agnostic and I didn’t find the film to be “heavy-handed” at all.
At its core, “Evan Almighty” is a family film and considerably less risqué than “Bruce Almighty”, so it’s a pretty safe way to kill some time with the kids. There are some unremarkable computer effects toward the end during the flood, but the montage of the family working with a legion of trained animals to build the Ark more than makes up for it. You’re probably better off waiting for this film to hit TV, but I’d still recommend checking it out.
Grade: C+
MONSTER SQUAD DVD Trailer!
One of the greatest movies in the history of time is finally coming to DVD…here’s the official DVD trailer for MONSTER SQUAD!