rimblr.com

The rumor mill is churning out word that Marvel Studios has begun eying a few pretty-boy stars to play the star-spangled Avenger in the forthcoming Captain America movie. Early reports are that mega-stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are early favorites for the role–though again, not one iota of this has been confirmed by Marvel. We’re still at the “trusted source of a trusted source” stage, people.
However, while we’re churning this particular mill: the same trusted sources of trusted sources from inside the house that Stan Lee built are saying that Marvel is eager to get into the Brad Pitt business - be it playing Captain America, or Norse-god Thor (another franchise Marvel is said to be breathing cinematic life into.) I can see Brad tackling either role, really, (they’re going to need someone with chops to pull Thor off.) However, Leo as Cap? I mean… do we start the short jokes now, or is it still too soon?
dc:description=”The rumor mill is churning out word that Marvel Studios has begun eying a few pretty-boy stars to play the star-spangled Avenger in the forthcoming Captain America movie. Early reports are that mega-stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are early favorites for the role–though again, not one iota of this has been confirmed by Marvel. We’re still at the “trusted source of a trusted source” stage, people. However, while we’re churning this particular mill: the same trusted sources of trusted sources from inside the house that Stan Lee built are saying that Marvel is eager to get into the Brad Pitt business - be it playing Captain America, or Norse-god Thor (another franchise Marvel is said to be breathing cinematic life into.) I can see Brad tackling either role, really, (they’re going to need someone with chops to pull Thor off.) However, Leo as Cap? I mean… do we start the short jokes now, or is it still too soon?

screenrant.com

If there’s a “killer asteroid” out there with our name on it, it will arrive on Friday the 13th of April in 2029. The odds of it hitting us are only one in 30,000 and it will whiz by 20,000 miles above the Earth — in astronomical terms, very, very close.
Discovered three years ago and named Apophis, the 400-yard-wide Near Earth Object was called “very dangerous” by asteroid hunter Robert Jedicke in a talk Thursday at Southern Oregon University.
If calculations are off and Apophis gets Earth in its crosshairs, he added, we can send rockets out to the killer rock (which is flying at 20,000 miles a second) and deflect it with nuclear explosions, beams of reflected sunlight or the gradual gravitational pull of a spaceship nearby.
“Should you be worried? No, but be careful and pay your taxes to support our project,” joked Jedicke, an astronomer with the University of Hawaii and director of Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System).
Jedicke served as a consultant on the movie “Deep Impact,” which depicted with scientific accuracy the Earth being ravaged by asteroids, but he confessed “Armageddon,” though lacking in science, was a lot more entertaining.
Near Earth Objects that are bigger than one kilometer and flying around inside the orbit of Mars are being discovered at a rapid clip, with 5,432 now known, compared to 335 in 1995 — and given enough eons, it’s inevitable one of them will target Earth, he said.
However, doing the math — dividing the number of fatalities from asteroids (which is zero in recorded history) by the population of Earth, the odds of you or your children dying from a major asteroid impact in this century are about the same as the odds of dying in a plane crash.
But one only has to look at the moon, heavily cratered by meteor impacts, to realize the same thing happened to the Earth — and only a century ago a meteor 10 to 30 yards across leveled 100 square miles of forest in Siberia but luckily killed no one. If it had hit three hours earlier it would have leveled London and killed millions, said Jedicke.

mailtribune.com

WANTED // (Universal Pictures) James McAvoy stars as a cubicle-dwelling slacker who is recruited by a secret society and transformed into a lightning-fast hero. With Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. Opens June 27.
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY // (Universal Pictures) The big, bad and red superhero battles a merciless dictator and his band of marauding monsters. With Ron Perlman, Selma Blair and Doug Jones. Opens July 11.
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3-D // (New Line Cinema), Brendan Fraser stars in this update of the Jules Verne classic. Opens July 11.
THE DARK KNIGHT // (Warner Bros.) Batman returns in his crusade to clean up Gotham City but faces a new challenge: the Joker. With Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart. Opens July 18.
THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR // (Universal Pictures) The franchise shifts to Asia, where explorer Rick O’Connell inadvertently awakens a 2,000-year-old dead ruler and his 10,000-strong terra-cotta army. With Brendan Fraser, Luke Ford, Jet Li, Maria Bello. Opens Aug. 1.
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS // (Warner Bros.) The fate of the Star Wars universe rests in the hands of the Jedi Knights as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala battle it out in an intergalactic struggle between good and evil in this animated film. Opens Aug. 15.
DEATH RACE // (Universal Pictures) A prisoner who is weeks away from being released is forced by his warden to compete in a brutal, deadly car race in this futuristic tale. With Jason Statham and Joan Allen. Opens Aug. 22.
THE FOOT FIST WAY // (Paramount Vantage) After his life falls to pieces when his wife betrays him, a macho tae kwon do instructor goes on a pilgrimage with four friends to meet the greatest martial artist of all time. With Danny McBride, Ben Best and Jody Hill. Opens June 6.

baltimoresun.com

Movie critic Jeffery Lyons said, “I confess i’ve never been the biggest fan of Adam Sandler movies, but every one is a clean slate.
I’m happy to report that “You Don’t Mess With The Zohan” which he co- wrote with Robert Smigel of SNL fame (and the voice of Triumph the insult dog) and Judd Apatow, current comedy king, is sometimes flat out hilarious.
He plays an Israeli counterterrorism agent of legendary status who suddenly has grown tired of that life, comes to New York with hopes of becoming a hair stylist.
But trouble seems to find him.
But getting a job as a hair cutter can have its pitfalls.
The movie moves up at a breakneck pace as this montage suggests, as he lands a job and woos the salon’s elderly clients before his old life catches up to him.
You Don’t Mess With The Zohan” is at times hilarious, Adam Sandler’s funniest movie.
At other times the movie is infantile, vulgar and slow moving.
But his fans will love it.And his usual costars show up, John Turutorro, Rob Schneider, Kevin James and Chris Rock.
Put your brain on hold and laugh.

wbir.com

LOS ANGELES, May 29 /PRNewswire/ — With the long-awaited “Sex and the City” movie debuting tonight at midnight, hundreds of showtimes are already sold out in advance on Fandango (www.fandango.com), the nation’s leading moviegoer destination. As of this morning, the movie represents 92% of Fandango’s daily ticket sales, the highest daily percentage for any film so far this summer.
In an online survey on the site’s “Sex and the City” showtimes and tickets page, more than 10,000 moviegoers told Fandango about their weekend plans:
– 67% of respondents plan to attend the movie this weekend with a group of female friends. — 80% plan to attend a “Sex and the City” get-together before or after the movie. — 68% plan to drink Cosmopolitans at their get-togethers. — 51% plan to dress up for the occasion. — 94% of the respondents are female. — 45% of the respondents are 25-34.
To help celebrate the film’s debut, Fandango is offering a “Get Carried Away” Sweepstakes, where one lucky “Sex and the City” fan and three friends will be able to walk in the shoes of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. The grand prize winner will receive airfare for four on American Airlines, a three-day, two-night stay at The Westin New York at Times Square, plus a “Sex” Hotspots tour, courtesy of On Location Tours (where fans can visit many of the locations where the movie and series were filmed).
For sweepstakes details and a full itinerary of “Sex and the City” movie locations (including St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Bryant Park, “Big’s Apartment”, etc.), visit Fandango’s Summer Movie Guide at www.fandango.com/summermovies.
One of the Web’s top movie and entertainment destinations, Fandango sells tickets to more than 15,000 screens. Fandango entertains and informs consumers with reviews, commentary and trailers, and offers the ability to quickly select a film, plan where and when to see it, and conveniently buy tickets in advance. Fandango is available at www.fandango.com, 1-800-FANDANGO and via your wireless mobile device at mobile.fandango.com. Fandango is a unit of Comcast Interactive Media.

sev.prnewswire.com

One of the few things you may have heard in advance about the long-awaited, already-buzzed-over-to-death movie version of “Sex and the City” is that it runs roughly two hours longer than an average episode of the HBO series. This much, we’re allowed to disclose, is true.
We can also say that its length doesn’t make the movie an overlong “Sex and the City” episode so much as an overlong string of episodes chronicling several major, often traumatic shifts in the lives of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her three best friends, roving-eyed Samantha (Kim Cattrall), gimlet-eyed Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and dewy-eyed Charlotte (Kristin Davis). (It must be said here that through the sluggish tread of bruised emotions and melodramatic hiccups, the quartet clicks as well as it ever did, collectively and individually.)
What we’re not allowed to disclose are specific “surprises” - none of which, really, will be all that surprising to those who’ve watched every episode of the original series. A pregnancy, a separation and homemade sushi are among the juicier tidbits involved here - and this may be telling you more than we’re supposed to. Then again, if you’re a devoted fan, you probably already know more than we’re telling.
Watching these changes unfold over 2 1/2 hours (have we mentioned yet that it’s overlong?) is a lot different from, say, watching several “SATC” episodes on DVD in succession as if gobbling fudge brownies. That may be OK for the living room, but in a multiplex, you just want things to move along already. In all honesty, some of us would have been OK with a 90-minute pastiche of the fab four hurling quips and intimacies at each other over brunch. Sort of like “My Dinner With Andre,” only with brighter lighting and more lip gloss. What would have been so wrong with that?

newsday.com

Forget kung-fu, this is car-fu. Speed Racer is a movie like you’ve never seen before.
Visually stunning and made using a high definition video layering technique, it’s as in your face as you can get. Probably too in your face - bold, brighter than bright colours, fast, choppy editing, result in a full throttle visceral experience.
But it left me confused. Was I watching a computer game or a movie? You may find it hard to tell most of the time. The film’s marketing division will no doubt be working on overdrive as it reeks of spin-off potential.
Based on the 1960s Japanese cartoon of the same name, the series was never huge in the UK. Dubbed into English it was shown on America TV where it was as popular as Wacky Races was here.
The men responsible for this live action make-over are the Wachowski Brothers, the directors who brought us the groundbreaking Matrix and its two (disappointing) sequels. But fans expecting something grown up will be left hugely disappointed. Speed Racer is aimed squarely at the family market.
However, younger kids may find the plot confusing. The timeline jumps back and forward at breakneck speed. But then again they may not notice if they’ve been hypnotised by the movie’s flashy kaleidoscopic technicolour - or given a headache.
The plot is simple, good verses evil. Speed Racer verses the evil dastardly Mr Royalton (a very good Roger Allam) and his corrupt business empire. But with a two-hour running time, there’s a lot to get through to hear the message, cheaters never win.
The casting can’t be faulted. Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer) is like a young Johnny Depp, John Goodman is loveable as Pops Racer and Susan Sarandon plays the perfect ‘Mom’. Thankfully they provide the heart and soul of this pixel-fest and the majority of the film’s quieter ‘emotional’ moments. Lost’s Matthew Fox also stars as the mysterious and very cool looking Racer X. And let’s not forget newcomer Paulie Litt as Speed’s little brother, Spritle - he is fantastic.

dailyrecord.co.uk

Something for everyone in this crop of releases
Big or low budget. There is plenty to view before Sept. 1
By Roger Moore
Published on Friday, May 02, 2008
Major studio releases dominate the summer cinema season, but there will be lower-budget fare squeezed in between all the action adventures, cartoons, blockbuster comedies and thrillers. And some smaller studio releases are sure to be added to the following schedule as the strengths and weaknesses of the big popcorn pictures become obvious. (All release dates subject to change without notice.)
Redbelt (Sony Classics): David Mamet’s latest is about an honorable, nonviolent martial arts instructor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who gets mixed up in the seedier side of martial arts professional brawling and the movie business.
Speed Racer (Warner Bros.): The Wachowski (Matrix) brothers’ live-action take on the Japanese TV cartoon, with Emile Hirsch and Christina Ricci as Speed and his pal Trixie, and John Goodman and Susan Sarandon as Speed’s parents.
What Happens in Vegas (Fox): Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher get
drunk, get hitched and get rich in Vegas, a marriage just waiting for an annulment. But a winning jackpot gets in the way.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney): The Pevensie siblings are transported from England to Narnia again, where they fall in with young Prince Caspian and do battle with the evil King Miraz in this sequel to the C.S. Lewis blockbuster.
Son of Rambow (Paramount Vantage): Little British boys — one a punk, the other part of a religious group that eschews popular culture and cinema — resolve to make their own Rambo film and are pestered by everybody they meet to be in it.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount).
The Fall (Roadside Attractions): Music video vet Tarsem Singh (The Cell) directed this fanciful fantasy about the wild adventure tale that one patient, an injured man, tells to another (a little girl) in a 1915 Los Angeles hospital.

ohio.com

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Directed by Sidney Lumet
Starring Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Aleksa Palladino
Release date: April 15, 2008
Sidney Lumet, the legendary director who brought us classics such as Twelve Angry Men (1957), Serpico (1973), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and Network (1976), is the reason alone to see his new film Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. So say you’re not familiar with Lumet (shame on you), the story, which is a pitch perfect crime drama, that he puts on screen is such an emotionally devastating powerhouse that plummets a stake in the human heart and leaves it their for the entire movie. At the old age of 83 he still knows how to make a movie stick with you. He’s churning out films that are better than what all directors recently have been putting out today. No intense tricky camera work, no CGI tricks or stunts, just pure American filmmaking at its very peak.
Let’s start with the acting, which is the best acting you’ll see so far this year. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is starting, if he isn’t already, to be Hollywood’s most reliable actor. He brings to the table here a man named Andy Hanson who’s in such a rut, but on the other hand you would never seem to notice it. We don’t realize it because he dresses in rich suits, has hair that’s perfectly slicked back, has a well-paid real-estate job, and a beautiful wife in Gina (the beautiful Marisa Tomei).
The thing is, his problems aren’t visible because they are internal. He has a major addiction to drugs, wants to keep Gina happy, worries about his bank account all the time, and knows that he isn’t what his father (Albert Finney) wanted him to be. His brother Hank Hanson (Ethan Hawke is terrific) is in the same boat, only thing is his boat is dirtier. He needs money to pay for his daughter’s school but owes it to his ex-wife who was been paying it for the last three months. He’s constantly hearing this from her. Even his daughter puts him down as she calls him a “loser” for not coming up with the money to send her on a fieldtrip to see The Lion King. The apartment he resides in is dark and dirty and it’s here where Gina is his mistress. Yeah, he has a sexual affair with his older brother’s wife. This is a family that is on the brink of destruction.

geeksofdoom.com

The Seamstress Frances de Pontes Peebles . Harper , $25.95 (656p) ISBN 978-0-06-073887-7
This lavishly detailed if overlong debut novel set in 1920s and ’30s Brazil follows two sisters who share excellent sewing skills, but take divergent paths into adulthood. Crippled by a childhood accident and mocked for her deformities, Luzia is considered unmarriageable. So after a bandit kidnaps her, she realizes that marrying the outlaw leader may be her only chance at independence and happiness. Beautiful Emília, yearning for the refinements of the big city, spurns her many rural suitors, but—reeling from her sister’s abduction and her aunt’s subsequent death—enters a disastrous marriage with a wealthy, suave stranger who has plenty of untoward secrets and a mother who treats Emília like dirt. The sisters’ paths collide after Luzia, now mythologized as a vicious criminal known as the Seamstress, becomes targeted by Emília’s criminologist father-in-law, unaware of the two women’s connection. Though a good number of passages could have been left on the cutting-room floor, the leisurely pace and attention to detail immerse the reader in both gilded halls and unsavory bandit camps. (Aug.)
Inside Out Girl Tish Cohen . Harper Perennial , $13.95 paper (352p) ISBN 978-0-06-145295-6
Cohen throws every imaginable obstacle at her protagonists in this thoughtful but overly dramatic tale of two single parents turned lovers. Rachel Berman, the divorced publisher of Perfect Parent magazine, is striving to be just that to her two children, rebellious teen Janie and 12-year-old Dustin. Len Bean, a widowed lawyer, meanwhile, tries to manage his daughter Olivia’s learning disorder, a condition that causes her to repeatedly talk about rodents and dress inappropriately. When Rachel and Len serendipitously meet, they hit it off. Soon their lives and those of their children become intertwined, much to Janie and Dustin’s dismay. As tension builds for the children, a secret from Rachel’s past comes to the forefront, and Len receives bad news at the doctor’s office. Regret, rejection and worry abound as the plot touches on the standard societal/familial issues (divorce, teenage sexuality, adoption), and Rachel fights to create her own legacy at work. Cohen’s language is pleasant and the characters relatable, but the plot is so obvious that the narrative feels like a quirky soap opera. (Aug.)

publishersweekly.com