“Super Troopers 2”: Start Freaking Out, Man!

The title of this article from Filmdrunk is enough to get any fans of the original Super Troopers, count me in, very excited. However, like many things on the interwebs it is a bit misleading. “Super Troopers 2 is happening!” is actually a quote from Broken Lizard’s Kevin Heffernan when he was asked what the next Lizard project would be. Jay Chandrasekhar’s comments later on in the same live discussion is a bit more lukewarm: “Super Troopers 2 will likely happen. Not ’78, We changed out minds.”

This is the first that I’ve heard of a Super Troopers sequel so I am guessing the ’78 reference is in regards to an idea they had thrown around about doing the second movie set in 1978 which apparently has been scrapped. When further pressed about ST2 and it’s state of development Chandrasekhar is again pretty neutral answering “Thanks for the enthusiasm, pal”. These don’t seem like the types of comments that would lead you to believe a ST2 movie will be coming out anytime soon, but it’s good to see that the Lizard team has been developing the idea and hopefully it won’t be TOO long before they return to their most successful franchise.

Further searching revealed that their problems actually may lie in development hell with Fox Searchlight as they mention in this interview with Coming Soon. They also mention in said interview that they are developing a Beerfest psuedo-sequel that would be pot-themed:

“We’ll also probably make ‘Potfest,’ which was a joke, but then Willie (Nelson) said he would do it, and Snoop Dogg and Cheech (Marin), they both said they would do it and we’re like, ‘We can probably do this.'”

Any way you cut it there will definitely be something funny coming out of the Broken Lizard camp sometime in the not too distant future but whether it’s a Super Troopers sequel or Potfest or some other project is yet to be determined. That’s all the updates you get for meow you chickenf***ers!

The New 52 – ‘Red Lantern: Blood and Rage’

What do you do when all you are fueled on grief and rage, but suddenly all that has gone? Red Lantern Atrocitus has this dilemma after Krona, the rogue guardian who slaughtered his home world is killed by Hal Jordan and not by Atrocitus’s hands. He is on a path of self discovery to see where his life now leads him. His troops no longer respect him, he is a changed man.

Continue reading The New 52 – ‘Red Lantern: Blood and Rage’

Does Justice League Have a Director? Hint: He Was the Bomb in Phantoms, Yo.

According to Variety via Fandango, it looks like Warner Bros. has approached Ben Affleck to direct the Justice League movie. Affleck is a hot property in the directing pool due to his critical and commercial successes with Gone Baby Gone and The Town. Argo is also shaping up to be a film to be reckoned with considering the early buzz, and since he has made Warner Bros. some money with his films, they have sent him the Will Beale (Gangster Squad) script to see if he’d be willing to guide DC’s finest to the promised land achieved by The Avengers, aka, a vault full of cash.

The movie is scheduled to be launched at the earliest around 2015 so that would put it into direct competition with The Avengers 2 movie, which just announced Joss Whedon returning as director and writer. Ben Affleck apparently makes it known that he wants to act in the films that he directs so you might also see him don a costume if this comes true. He has been circling another project called Replay, which is also being developed by Warner as well, but they have been working on that for the last decade so this might be his next project. Only thing that might get in the way would be his long-term commitment because 2015 is a long ways away and he would be tied up until then most likely developing the story and filming. I don’t know how he can get the time off from Fashionable Male during this time.

He’s come a long way from the back of a Volkswagon

I can understand the misgivings of Ben Affleck as the director of this movie. First off, he’s not Christopher Nolan, let’s get that out of the way. Second, it’s Ben freakin’ Affleck. He was the dominatrix Daredevil and that might ruin any street cred with the comic book crowd. The reputation might not be there for him to tackle this movie with that awkward fight scene with Elektra (Jennifer Garner) on people’s minds. Third, this would only be his fourth movie and unlike Joss Whedon, he does not appear to have a deep understanding of fanboys and the comic book universe. Can he handle the massive size of this project when he is considered a neophyte to the directing game? He is basically one of the more random choices out there to grab on to. However, I liked Gone Baby Gone and I loved The Town (partially because the Boston accent is fun to imitate) and I feel that he can definitely handle the characters and the scope of this movie based off of those flicks. Now, I absolutely do NOT want him to act in it but not because I think he is a bad actor (quite the opposite actually), but he should concentrate on delivering on all the characters and not just his own. I think he would be a great choice but I honestly don’t think he’ll do it. 3 years is a long time for someone to dedicate for the movie. Granted, I don’t know who else would at this point but just for discussion purposes, maybe Looper director Rian Johnson? He has about the same experience as Affleck behind the camera and handled Bruce Willis and potential DC staple Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Looper. Granted, as I wrote that, he also did Brick, which I loved and also with JGL so maybe he should revive that detective feel and go with Batman. Boom. Discuss.

A Good Day to Die Hard: Casting Updates and Why I’m Even More Excited Than I Was Yesterday…

The term ‘geek’ can be used or taken in a lot of different ways. Mostly though, it’s commonly used to describe someone with an abundance of knowledge on a particular subject, combined with a genuine love for said topic. For example, I could be easily referred to as a ‘Batman Geek’. I have a love for the mythology, I’m knowledgeable about the subject matter, and I’m passionate about what it all means to me. Perhaps that is why the abortion of a movie known as Batman and Robin is so painful for me to watch.

The Batman Mythos isn’t the only thing I geek out about however. There is another do-gooder that I find myself attached to as well – John McClane. Played by Bruce Willis and star of 4 Die Hard movies (with a cameo in Loaded Weapon 1), McClane was the ultimate ‘wrong time-wrong place’ guy. Through four movies he’s fought and defeated Hans Gruber, John Amos, Scar from the Lion King, and U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens – all the while, arguing with either his wife, his daughter, or Sam Jackson.

In addition to my love of Die Hard (and of Batman), I’ve also got what you might call an ‘uber-crush’ on one Ms. Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I mean, come on, who wouldn’t? So imagine my surprise when I first heard she had been cast to play Lucy McClane in 2007’s Live Free of Die Hard. She obviously owned the role, and I loved the movie and I believe her to be the most promising female movie star to come along in quite a while. Just look at her script selection – Black Christmas, Death Proof, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The Thing, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – she picks the movies I would pick if I were her. So awesome.

So anyhow, when news broke of the impending 2013 Valentine’s Day release of the franchise’s fifth movie – A Good Day to Die Hard – I was pretty bummed that it seemed she wouldn’t be involved. And then today, news broke which indicates otherwise! Booyah! According to The Film Stage, Ms. Winstead spotted on the set in Budapest:

Now the extent of her role is not yet known, so it could be anywhere from an extended cameo, to an actual role, but her mere presence makes me swoon excited elated confident that I won’t be disappointed on Valentine’s Day.

In addition to this, we have some other casting updates, four of them actually. Cole Hauser (Pitch Black) will appear as a supporting villain, marking his 3rd time in a Bruce Willis movie, previously appearing in Hart’s War and Tears of the Sun. In addition to Mr. Hauser, we will be seeing Megalyn Echikunwoke who has a funny connection to the film. She played ‘Nicole Palmer’ during the first season of 24, and just a few years ago FOX was kicking around the idea of crossing over the 4th Die Hard movie with a 24 film launch, pairing up the wise-cracking John McClane with the ultra serious and stoic Jack Bauer. It would’ve been epic. ALSO cast was Amaury Nolasco (Southland) who most people will likely recognize from Prison Break. If that’s not enough, we’ll throw in Russian Model Anne Vyalitsyna just for good measure.

There is also a rumor that Captain Picard will be playing the villain in this newest installment, but it’s not yet confirmed…

Combine those four with Willis, Winstead, and Jai Courtney (John McClane Jr) and you’ve got a damn solid cast. Aside from casting, there is actually some other news as well. Director John Moore, whose resume ranges from ‘disappointing and mediocre’ to ‘down right effing terrible’ has been handed the reins to one of the greatest Action franchises ever, and I’m a little worried. But he talked to Empire and said something I found interesting:

EMPIRE: …this is a Die Hard movie, pure and simple. In other words, no glib jokes then? No “How can the same shit happen to the same guy five times…” lines?

MOORE: “No, because that’s preposterous! I don’t know whether it’s post-financial crash or whatever, but I don’t think people are in the mood for that bollocks anymore. People are well savvy to the cynical reheating of any product, any franchise. Any shit won’t do. The bar’s a bit higher.”

EMPIRE: But what about the fish-out-of-water element, with McClane in Moscow?

MOORE: “There are a couple of great gags and a couple of great McClanisms. It’s not like he this idiot, bumbling around Moscow making ‘America won the Cold War’ jokes. It’s not Carry On Die Hard, I can assure you…”

EMPIRE: And what about the scale of the movie? So far, each Die Hard has been bigger than the one before… 

MOORE: “The scope along goes from New York to Moscow. It’s very, very international. There’s a car chase through Moscow that’s taking us 78 days to shoot. So… yeah. That should answer your question!”

This movie could make John Moore, and I really hope it does, because that would mean it was good. If it sucks though, I’ll have to add him to a list with Paul WS Anderson (who ruined Alien vs. Predator) of Directors I won’t watch anymore.

Finally, we have some footage. And SPOILER ALERT – At some point John McClane will bleed…

And just for fun, here’s some history you might not have known. Keep in mind though, she is totally wrong in thinking that Die Hard 2 is better than Die Hard: With a Vengeance…

And for good measure…

Cinemax’s Femme Fatales: 211 – Bad Christmas/Hell Hath No Furies

It’s Christmas in Cuesta Verde, so that means we got some gifts for you today! In the latest installment of Femme Fatales, it looks like we are getting a bit old school up in this joint. From the get go, you’ll notice the look and feel to be a bit different. That’s right boys and girls, we are seeing Femme Fatales in a new manner: Grindhouse style. And guess what people, it works like a charm and makes you wonder why didn’t they get to this sooner?

Continue reading Cinemax’s Femme Fatales: 211 – Bad Christmas/Hell Hath No Furies

‘Premium Rush’ – New Trailer and Featurette

Premium Rush kind of looks like one those films that I would normally pass over, but with a cast including Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon, I will actually give this a chance and I hope it does well. I haven’t seen a bad film which stars Joseph so my hopes are high there. The film centers on a New York City bicycle messenger (JGL) who picks up an envelope from Columbia University. A dirty cop (Shannon), desperate to get his hands on the envelope, chases the messenger around the city. It’s sounds basically like Citizen Kane with bikes!

Here’s the trailer:

Its looks like high-octane fun on bikes. “Got a name, got family…people who care if they see you again?” That’s what we like to hear from a bad guy, and I think Michael Shannon will easily do a great job as a corrupt cop (see his work on Boardwalk Empire).

Here’s a Behind the Scenes Featurette

All I can say is that director David Koepp has some balls letting his main actors do some of that stuff, because I mean look at Josephs arm at the end of that video. I didn’t expect this film to feature so many of the actors doing their own stunts, especially when it was shot using real traffic, because that seems to be insanely dangerous. On the other hand…if they die for the entertainment of the viewing public, that would show great devotion to their craft.