Screen Time

Moviegoers can catch director Robert Zemeckis’ new big screen version of “Beowulf” in Digital 3D starting Friday at McAllen’s Cinemark Hollywood USA.

Digital 3D showtimes start at 1:30 p.m. on Friday at Cinemark Hollywood. The place is also screening a conventional print of “Beowulf,” as will most Valley theaters come Friday.

I want to catch this thing in 3D, but I’m afraid it’ll look all blue and red and not very 3Dish, like that third “Spy Kids” movie. I think I’ll screen the conventional print first, and if this movie is more than an unnaturally buff and animated Ray Winstone screaming “I am Beowulf!” a hundred times in two hours, I might drive up to McAllen and dig on the 3D experience. Anyone out there heard anything good about this 3D print?

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Poster image courtesy Paramount Pictures

Yahoo! Movies has posted 11 amazing-looking clips from Robert Zemeckis‘ upcoming animated “Beowulf,” including this one featuring ol’ Beowulf battling some intense sea creatures.

I wasn’t too interested in this flick when I saw the first few “Beowulf” teasers and trailers that popped up online a few months ago, but now I’m sold. The detail work on the characters’ faces and the bold colors and imaginative designs of the monsters look great. I can’t wait to see them on the big screen, and I’m sure Zemeckis’ effects team will be buying some tuxes for Oscar night come March. (Too bad we don’t have any IMax 3D theaters nearby.)

Some early reviews are hinting that the “Beowulf” writing team of author/graphic novelist Neil Gaiman and screenwriter Roger Avary (Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” collaborator) might take home a few awards for solving the original text’s structural problems.

So, “Beowulf” reportedly delivers cool and artful “performance capture” visuals and a good story? I was expecting “The Polar Express” with swords and bare abs. This one looks like fun.

“Beowulf” opens Friday, Nov. 16
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Photo courtesy Paramount Pictures

Mulder and Scully will reunite for some paranormal investigating - and some deadpan romantic tension - for a second “X-Files” movie, reports SyFy Portal. Twentieth Century Fox announced that the flick is in pre-production and will hit theaters July 25, 2008.

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are attached to reprise their roles from the series and the original 1998 movie. Series creator Chris Carter is attached to direct. The report states that the sequel will not be a direct continuation of the last movie. Instead it will be more like one of the self-contained mystery episodes of the series and that it will take Mulder and Scully’s relationship in “unexpected directions.”

“Unexpected directions?” I stopped watching this show after Duchovny bailed and the T-1000 took over. Still, I’m excited about this sequel. At its peak, “The X-Files” was one of the best things on TV, and the first movie was a lot of fun.
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Photo courtesy Twentieth Century Fox

Trying to get the facts straight about the proposed Justice League movie is like trying to give Superman a noogie. It’s hard. Really hard. And minus some kryptonite knuckles, it aint gonna happen anytime soon. That’s why I haven’t been posting about every JL rumor - and there have been tons - that hits the Web here.

So far, a number of online reports state that “Happy Feet” director George Miller will direct the upcoming ensemble superhero flick. From there the questions only multiply, and I haven’t heard any real answers from Warner Bros., the studio reportedly committed to the project.

So far, a number of young actors have been screen tested for the thing, but it’s still unclear whether this will be a live action movie, a complete CGI fest, or a combination of the two, like “300.” Also, will this movie diverge from the current “Superman Returns” and “Batman Begins” franchises? Is the short, blond and very un-Amazonian Teresa Palmer going to play Wonder Woman? Does the script feature a violent showdown between Superman and Batman? … Like I said, the questions go on and on.

Here’s from The Hollywood Reporter’s latest report about the casting process:

Miller is seeing about four or five actors for the parts of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern and the Martian Manhunter, with a few overlaps …

On the roll call are Adam Brody (Fox’s “The O.C.”), Joseph Cross (”Running With Scissors”), D.J. Cotrona (”Windfall”), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (”Grindhouse”), Michael Angarano (”Sky High”), Teresa Palmer (”Wolf Creek”), Max Thieriot (”Jumper”) and rapper Common.

The cast of NBC’s “Friday Night Lights” is well-represented as well, with Minka Kelly, Adrianne Palicki and Scott Porter also among those testing for parts.

So, a teeny bopper Justice League? I really hope it’s a cartoon.
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Photo courtesy Cartoon Network

Yuck. That’s one ugly baby up there. Will you pay seven bucks to see that on the big screen, along with the last death pangs of two formerly awesome franchises? Yeah, me neither.

USAToday.com just posted that pic of the alien/predator hybrid monster from the upcoming “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem,“ the unnecessary sequel to the unnecessarily bad 2004 flick “Alien vs. Predator.”

The USA Today story says the filmmakers want to make “Requiem” a darker flick and are taking inspiration from Ridley Scott’s 1979 original “Alien.” I like the sound of that, but I don’t like the look or the idea of ol’ dreads up there. He looks like he should be playing bass for Slipknot.
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Photo courtesy 20th Century Fox

A new Terminator movie without Gov. Schwarzenegger? It looks like it might happen.

Variety and The AP are reporting that a fourth Terminator flick will most likely hit screens in 2009. The working title for the movie is “Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins,“ and it will take place in the future (der) where humans are battling evil Skynet robots. Warner Bros. hopes to launch another Terminator movie trilogy with this thing.

“Terminator 3″ exec. producer Moritz Borman says it is unlikely that The Governator will reprise his role in part four, since he’s kinda busy running California and terminating “tha special interests” in that state.

I love the Terminator franchise (I even liked “Rise of the Machines” almost as much as the first two) but making another one without Arnold is strike number one for me. Here’s strike number two: The AP reports that “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” director McG is the front runner to helm the new project. McG? He of the joyless, empty thrills and pointless, bloodless action spoofs? Why?

Anyone out there excited about this news?

Well, if you can’t wait two years to get your Terminator fix, you can watch “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” on Fox, debuting Jan. 14.
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Photo courtesy Warner Bros.

Seriously. Did anyone out there really think that back in 2004, when the original “Saw” was released, that we’d be expecting “Saw IV” to hit theaters this Friday? Plus, it’s been reported that “Saw V” and “Saw VI” are on the way, making the awkward catchphrase “If it’s Halloween, it must be ‘Saw’” true, at least until 2010.

I’m no big fan of the torture movie genre, especially the “Saw” series, but I know a lot of people are. (How else could they justify making five theatrical sequels in almost as many years?) Anyway, “Saw” buffs can catch a video interview with director Darren Lynn Bousman here. Also, Movieweb just posted a long interview with star Tobin Bell, aka Jigsaw, and don’t forget about the new and gross “Saw IV” red band trailer here. It features the line “Just lean forward into the knives … with your face.” Enjoy it, but make sure you’re not having lunch while you watch it.
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Photo courtesy Lionsgate

When I caught the first TV ad for the upcoming thriller “Gone Baby Gone,” starring Ben Affleck’s younger brother Casey, I thought, “Wow, Casey Affleck’s really getting a lot of good roles these days.”

It was looking like Casey was in and Ben was out, but that was before I realized that Ben directed and co-wrote “Gone Baby Gone,” and the film is earning some strong reviews.

Variety praised “Gone” and had kind words for Affleck’s directorial skill. So did The Hollywood Reporter, and PopMatters.com calls Affleck’s directorial debut “moviemaking of classic neo-noir artistry.” All that and the movie looks pretty good too. Check the trailer after the jump.

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UPDATE: Pine Is Kirk! ‘LOTR’ actor is Bones!

Hot off the news that Eric Bana (now an official badass after being referenced in “Knocked Up”) will play the villain in JJ Abrams upcoming “Star Trek XI” project, reports are coming in that actor Chris Pine is being considered for the role of Captain Kirk. Some folks are even calling Pine the new “It Boy.”

Pine is probably best known for starring opposite Lindsay Lohan in “Just My Luck” and for playing one of the assassins in “Smokin’ Aces” - both of these movies made me want to flee the theater. I know, I know … it’s unfair to judge Pine by his short resume, and he might even prove Bill Shatner proud if he does get to sit in that captain’s chair in the new “Trek” flick.

I gotta say that I ‘d rather see Pine as Kirk than that frat-a-touille Mike Vogel.

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Photo courtesy Samuel Goldwyn Films

The inevitable has happened. Someone just cast Toby Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal as brothers in a movie. It’s called, remarkably, “Brothers” and it’s directed by Jim Sheridan (”In America,” “My Left Foot”) and co-stars Natalie Portman.

This is either brilliant casting or a big no-brainer. I remember back in 2000/2001 - the “Wonder Boys” and “Donnie Darko” days - most people couldn’t tell Maguire and Gyllenhaal apart. They both had that same sleepy-eyed, slim, “alternaboy” look and it seemed like they were always landing similar roles - usually playing the sensitive, sleepy-eyed alternaboy in indie movies.

For a while there I was referring to Gyllenhaal as the “poor man’s Tobey Maguire,” since Maguire seemed liked the better actor, and he seemed to get the better gigs. Well, Maguire still gets great roles (”Spider-Man,” “The Good German”) but Gyllenhaal’s resume is lookin’ pretty good nowadays (”Brokeback Mountain,” “Jarhead”). Who’s the better actor? I dunno, I think it’s a draw at this point. They both still have the market cornered on the sleepy-eyed manboy thing. Hopefully we’ll get to see them act against each other once “Brothers” opens in 2009.

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