Sam Raimi Talks Spider-Man 4

From cinemablend, With his tween project Drag Me To Hell set to release this summer, it looks like Sam Raimi is ready to get back in the webslinging business. Sci-Fie caught up with him and got him to spill the beans on where he’s at.

Among the things he had to say, was a confirmation that he’ll meet with Kirsten Dunst about brining her back for the fourth film even though, let’s face it, we all really thought someone would have had the good sense to make her dead by now. Says Raimi, “I'm hoping that she is going to come aboard, and I've got a meeting coming up with her… I think she would like to. But I don't want to speak on behalf of her.”

He also answered those inevitable and annoying, superhero filmmaking in a post-Dark Knight world that all journalists must now ask every filmmaker working on a comic book film. Raimi is Raimi though, and I see no reason what TDK did should have any influence on him. He doesn’t seem to think so either. He says, “Edgy could be a direction, but I don't think it will be applied without really understanding the character's journey from the inside out first and then figuring out the best way to bring that about.”

Next X-Men movie to suck?

From filmstalker, We’ve been hearing a lot about X-Men: First Class lately. Last week we learned that the film was not actually a spin-off, but a prequel which features “young Scott, young Jean, young Beast” attending the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. But more telling is the answer she gave SciFi Wire when they asked Producer Lauren Shuler Donner about the franchise potential of the series.

“I like kids. I did produce Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo’s Fire. I do like those kind of teenage movies; I really do. Part of it takes me to my roots. It’s action. There seems, to me, to be more humor, or more potential for humor. I really like that idea. The relationship … I don’t want to get into what the script is about, but it provides a bit of a lighter touch to the franchise.”

Sounds to me like X-Men: First Class is being set-up to be a PG-rated kids superhero film ala Fantastic Four.

Halloween 2" Photo That Zombie Removed

From bloodydisgusting, Director Rob Zombie updated his official MySpace page with two more images from his upcoming "Halloween" sequel. One of them features a creepy shot of a masked Michael Myers, while the other shows a "Hobo-Myers" standing in front of a little kid. Even though Zombie put up the second photo himself, he yanked it only seconds later. Thanks to Bloody-Disgusting for being quick enough to grab it.

Zombie also commented on why he returned to the franchise, after saying that he will only make one "Halloween" film. Here is what he had to say:

"Well, that's true. If I said it once I said it a million times. When I finished Halloween I was so fucking burnt out that the thought of doing another seemed totally insane to me at the time. I was done. But after a year and a half break I started to think that maybe another one wasn't such a bad idea. I love the characters and felt that I had only just scratched the surface of what could be done with them. The basic story was out of the way and now the series could go anywhere. Seeing the aftermath of Michael's rampage through the eyes of Laurie and Loomis was very exciting to me. So I came back and now we have a movie. Never say never."

There's no place like Haiku Hump Day!

Batten down your farmhouse and set your flying monkey traps, today's topic is The Wizard of Oz.

One movie might seem like a narrow topic for the kind of output this group usually wields, but I think this movie has got the chops. For one thing, you've all seen it. For another, it's chock full of memorable characters, scenery, props, themes, icons, history, dialogue, music and midgets like no other movie that doesn't have a Lucasfilm logo at the front of it.

Is that lion licking his balls?
Contemplating tomorrow, I find myself in the mood for two things. One I know I'll get anyway, and that's sass. So tarnish those rubies and emeralds, my munchkin bitches!

The mafia.
The other thing is some poking into the corners of Oz, a shout out to the bit players. I expect lots of coverage of the core team, naturally, but as you mull, consider unseen perspectives and one-shot roles.

I WILL scare your children.
The various books, movies, plays and further hoo-ha are all fair game, but today make the 1939 MGM movie the meat in your poetry sandwich.

No joke here, this is just an amazing shot, don't you think? Oops, I just made you gay.
Now go and make some seventeen-syllabled history!


Go I said!

Bruce Springsteen Concert Review: Miko Edition

Yes, this is just for Miko. Everyone else please ignore. Conversely, Miko please ignore JPX's review. I get the feeling it will be full of lies.

So fueled by our trademark pre-concert dinner (gigantic slabs of North End pizza), JPX and I attended the Springsteen concert tonight at the Boston Garden. I for one was vastly disappointed. The so-called "Boss" was lazy, insincere, and didn't seem interested in his fans in the least. The crowd seemed lukewarm about the whole deal. The E Street band was sloppy and unprofessional. Basically, a crappy time was had by all, and Miko, you didn't miss a thing, concert-wise. But we did miss you bro! Raincheck?

Even more testosterone news

From worst previews, IGN got their hands on the first look at Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren in the upcoming "Universal Soldiers: A New Beginning." Click on the link below to check it out.

The film is a sequel to the 1992 movie that revolves around Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) and Andrew Scott (Lundgren) who were killed in Vietnam and are reanimated by the army to become near-perfect soldiers.

The new movie is about a crazed Chechen nationalist, Basayev, who seizes control of Chernobyl, site of the infamous nuclear meltdown, and threatens to unleash a radioactive cloud unless his nationalist blackmail demands are met.

Luc Deveraux (Van Damme) joins a US team of revived UniSoldiers secretly held in deep storage. Their mission: retake Chernobyl and disable explosives that will unleash the radioactive clouds. Luc is surprised when he finds one of the reactivated UniSoldiers is a clone of his old Sergeant, Andrew Scott (Lundgren). But the cloned Andrew has no recollection of Luc.

As the team furiously battles its way into the Chernobyl plant, they are caught off guard. Using a mind-control chip, Baseyev turns Andrew against his own comrades. Now surrounded, wounded, and out-numbered, Luc must battle Andrew, and save the world.

"Universal Soldiers: A New Beginning" is directed by John Hyams, who is the son of Peter Hyams (Timecop). The film recently wrapped principal photography in Bulgaria. There is still no word on whether it will go straight to DVD.

Make fun of me all you want, I can't wait for The Expendables!

From cinemablend, Presumably there are tons of you out there who are huge Rocky IV fans, and flipped your lids when Dolph Lundgren, a.k.a. Ivan Drago, was listed as a potential cast member in Sylvester Stallone's next movie, The Expendables. Now Lundgren is talking to Wizard (as reported by JoBlo) about his role in the movie, and glory be, we'll see him face off against Sly one more time.

"[The characters is] a mercenary who's part of Sly's team. He's kind of a victim of the violence. He ends up getting fired by Stallone." But later on in the film, bent on revenge, Lundgren's character returns. "There's a showdown between me, him and Jet Li."

The Expendables sounds like it will have as much awesome, reality-bending action as a person can stand, and with a cast like this, how can you lose? Hopefully more details like this will start getting leaked to give us even mroe reason to look forward to this extravaganza.

Trick R Treat Finally Gets a Release in October?

From slashfilm, Screenwriter Michael Dougherty’s (X2, Superman Returns) feature directorial debut Trick R Treat has been sitting on the shelf for almost two years. The film earned great reviews and buzz from a handful of screenings, but Warner Bros has been reluctant to release the film in theaters.

A new trailer has surfaced on About.com (found via Shock ), which ends with the words “Coming to Blu-ray & DVD This October”. It is unclear if the film will be released theatrically before then, but it is very likely that Warner Bros is sending the film direct-to-home video. It’s a shame because I know a lot of people who were interested in seeing this film on the big screen. Anna Paquinhas gained a larger fan following thanks to the HBO show True Blood, and it seems like this film would be an easy sell to the audience.

Someone come up with a caption!

Wilbur from "Mr. Ed": 'Memba Him?!

From tmz

Scientist Stephen Hawking 'very ill'

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Scientist and author Stephen Hawking is "very ill" and has been hospitalized, according to Cambridge University, where he is a professor.

Hawking, 67, is one of the world's most famous physicists and also a cosmologist, astronomer, and mathematician.

Wheelchair-bound Hawking is perhaps most famous for 'A Brief History of Time.'

Hawking has Lou Gehrig's Disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS), which is usually fatal after three years. Hawking has survived for more than 40 years since his diagnosis.

On his Web site, Hawking has written about living with ALS. "I try to lead as normal a life as possible, and not think about my condition, or regret the things it prevents me from doing, which are not that many," he wrote.

He added: "I have been lucky, that my condition has progressed more slowly than is often the case. But it shows that one need not lose hope."

Hawking has been married twice. His Web site says he has three children and one grandchild.

Hawking was born on what turned out to be an auspicious date: January 8, 1942 -- the 300th anniversary of the death of astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei.

A Cambridge University spokesman told CNN: "Professor Hawking is very ill and has been taken by ambulance to Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge."

Professor Peter Haynes, head of the university's department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, said: "Professor Hawking is a remarkable colleague, we all hope he will be amongst us again soon."

Hawking has guest-starred, as himself, on Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Simpsons. He also said if he had the choice of meeting Sir Isaac Newton or Marilyn Monroe, his choice would be Marilyn.