Clint Morris over at Moviehole had a chance to visit the set of The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader and while perusing the Australian country-side, sat down with effects guru, Howard Berger, to talk with him about one of his upcoming projects, the Robert Rodriquez-produced Predators.

Morris, who got started in effects working with Stan Winston on the original Predator and Aliens movies, just received photos of the finished Predator(s) from his team in Los Angeles and says that they look “fantastic” and that the fans will be happy with the look of the Predator(s).

After Aliens vs. Predator and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem were released, fans weren’t all too happy with what was done to the look of their beloved, iconic Predator. What’s Morris’ angle that has him so confident?

”We wanted to have the Predator look as it did in the original film. We went back and looked at the original.”

Sure, it sounds so simple now, but two films completely ignored that philosophy and because of that thinking we received this monstrosity below:

This interview with Morris really made me feel confident in this project. Sure, Robert Rodriguez is involved, but I’ve come to put less significance in the whole “produced by” moniker than by the people actually, physically involved (Kevin Smith was a “producer” on Good Will Hunting). I’m glad to know that the person behind the decisions regarding the character design wants simply, as he says, “…to make sure we built them as Stan Winston did.”

Does this raise your hopes for the next Predator movie?

Predators will start filming soon with release in 2010.

Source: Moviehole [via: Comingsoon]

• Predators Has A Writer In Its Sights
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• Predators Start Date Announced
• Robert Rodriguez To Direct Predator Remake – Updated
• Nimrod Antal To Direct Predators Instead Of Neil Marshall?
• Neil Marshall To Direct Predators?

According to horror news website ShockTilYouDrop Aliens vs Predator 3 is going to be made. Here’s a quote from the site:

“An anonymous source over at 20th Century Fox got in touch with us over the weekend to relay the news another Aliens vs. Predator sequel is a ‘certainty’ at this point. If you recall, the brothers Strause – who helmed the Christmas release Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem – stated Fox was going to take a ‘wait-and-see’ approach to a third chapter, furthermore, that the story would have to continue in space.”

Just shoot me right now. Please.

Haven’t they tortured us enough?

Between the weak Alien vs Predator and the heinous creation that was Aliens vs Predator: Requiem I had truly hoped this franchise was dead. Ah, but where there’s even a meager amount of money to be made, a movie franchise will never die (can you say “Freddy” or “Jason”?).

It only made $129 million worldwide, and overseas crowds must have liked it more than folks in the U.S. because here it only earned $42 million. In case you don’t know, for a movie like this that is WEAK. They must have made it on the cheap for it to have shown a profit. First time directors and no name actors probably contributed to that.

I guess the DVD release of the movie is right around the corner and they’re anticipating good sales on that. No doubt they’ll have an “unrated” version… When is it coming out? Who cares!

I don’t think there is a snowball’s chance in Hell that this movie could possibly be good at all, but I’m sure they’ll come up with some spin or director that will once again fan the flames of hope in fans of both franchises. Like a girl you have a crush on that keeps saying she’ll go out with you and then cancels at the last minute, I’m sure that the next film will leave us beaten and disappointed. Again.

Hey, maybe they can get Brett Ratner to direct it, wouldn’t that be cool?!

Source: ShockTilYouDrop via TheMovieBlog

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• Third Narnia Film Gets A Release Date

By Vic Holtreman

Short version: I didn’t think it was possible, but AVP-R is worse than the previous Aliens vs Predator movie.

Abandon all hope ye who enter a movie theater that is showing Aliens vs Predator: Requiem.

It’s that bad. I kid you not. As first time directors, “The Brothers Strauss” (as they are referred to in the credits) are great visual effects guys. Honestly, I’m having a hard time coming up with ways to tell you just how depressingly awful this movie is, but I’ll do my best.

Within minutes of the start of the film I was bored and my mind started to wander. It opens aboard a Predator ship, where a dead comrade is presumably being transported to the home world directly after the events of the last film. An Alien bursts forth from the dead Predator, shortly taking out the entire crew and crashing the ship on Earth.

Immediately I wondered just how this could happen so easily. In the last film the premise was that Predators had been using Antarctica as the location for a rite of passage or training ground for Predators. For many years (was it centuries?) the Predator race had been doing this very thing.

So how is it that they could be so oblivious to the possibility that a dead comrade might be home to a gestating Alien? How is it that one Alien was able to take down the crew of a Predator ship (these guys ARE hunters, right?) so easily?

Once the ship crashes one of the mortally injured Predators manages to send a distress call which is pi,cked up by an elder on their home world. It was marginally cool to get a glimpse of their world, but that’s about it. He heads out for destination Earth.

Once the story cuts to the residents of the small town it gets even worse. We meet a variety of characters whose lives will clumsily come together as the movie progresses. We have an inexperienced (and inept) sheriff, the rebel/criminal brother of a local teen who comes back to town, that teen lusting after the local hottie who is dating a jerk/bully.

We also have Reiko Aylesworth as Kelly: a mom returning home after some unspecified amount of time to an estranged little girl and stay at home dad. The whole role reversal thing here creeped me out a bit for some reason.

She is probably the only person in the entire film who demonstrated any acting ability above what you might see in a high school play. We don’t really care about what happens to any of the characters despite the weak attempts at trying to connect the audience with them.

Oh, who cares about the acting, right? You want to see this for the action. Well I’m sorry to report that 90% of the time the scenes were shot in such a way that between the low lighting, rain, extreme close ups and quick cuts you can’t even tell what the hell is going on. Nor do you care much, as the whole thing seems assembled with less reason for being than a video game plot.

Then there were the really vile bits, like Aliens invading a hospital and finding easy hosts for their “little ones.” Beyond the idea of using the sick and helpless for this were a couple of scenes in the maternity ward where a woman who is going into labor is attacked by an Alien and has eggs deposited inside her in a repulsive manner (no, not THAT, but it was still disgusting).

Seriously, if I wasn’t going to review this I was so bored and disinterested I would have walked out 20 minutes in. It seems that my initial reactions to AVP-R turned out to be right after all. Of late I had been getting cautiously optimistic that there might be some chance that this would actually redeem the first, but it’s actually worse.

While I gave the first on only 1.5 stars, at least it got to be a bit of fun in the second half, but this one is almost completely without any value. There were a couple of very brief moments that were cool between the Pred-Alien and the Predator, but I’d count those at no more than maybe two or three eye-blink moments, tops.

I know the Strauss brothers are big fans of both franchises and had good intentions, but Aliens vs Predator: Requiem proves that being a big movie fan does not necessarily mean that you can make a good movie.

Folks, seriously, don’t bother. This thing is going to tank hard at the box office and if you see it anyway don’t come crying to me because YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

I can only hope this will sound the death knell for this sci fi movie franchise merger.

• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Will Arnold Schwarzenegger Be In Predators?
• Dragonball: Evolution Review
• Alien Trespass Has The Potential To Impress
• Horror Plus Sci-Fi: Alien
• Robert Rodriguez To Direct Predator Remake – Updated

Considering the greatness that came before it, the first Alien vs Predator movie wasn’t a big hit with fans of either franchise. It was OK I suppose, but overall it was a bit of a letdown.

However, money talks in Hollywood, so it’s no surprise that a sequel has been made due to AVP’s $170 million worldwide gross.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem or AVP-R as the marketing guys would like it to be known, will be released on Christmas day, and the official website has now gone live.

There’s quite a lot to see on the site and you can also make your own Predalien or send a loved one your very own Facehugger E-card.

Did I really just type that?

For fans of Alien and/or Predator there’s a bit of good news: Paul W.S. Anderson won’t be directing. Instead we have Colin and Greg Strause who are self-proclaimed fans of both franchises. In addition to that the film will be rated R. Maybe that’s why it’s called AVP-R.

Unlike most people I don’t hate Paul W.S. Anderson (who is not to be confused with Magnolia’s Paul Thomas Anderson). I enjoyed Resident Evil and I also really loved Soldier, although that had a lot to do with it starring Kurt Russell.

AVP-R looks gory and violent, two things that we have come to expect from the Predator and Alien films, but which was lacking from the original AVP (or should that be the unoriginal AVP?). Let’s hope that this one lives up to the expectations that we have for both of these iconic franchises.

Official Aliens vs Predator: Requiem website: AVP-R.com

• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Resident Evil 4 To Kick Off New Trilogy
• Will Arnold Schwarzenegger Be In Predators?
• Kurt Russell Rejects ‘The Expendables’
• Ridley Scott to Direct Alien Prequel!
• Avatar’s 3D Team Hired For ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife’

Here’s a summary of what’s going on today in the wonderful world of entertainment…

- Harlan Ellison debunks the rumor that Star Trek 11 incorporates the Guardian of Forever. We reported this AS rumor a month ago, so we don’t fall under the category of blogs that Ellison so colorfully refers. – TrekMovie.com (warning, lots of colorful language… it IS Harlan Ellison after all)

- AICN floats a supposed alternative title to the upcoming Justice League movie which I believe is utter and complete hogwash and there’s no way it’s true. – AICN

- The uber-classic sci fi film Metropolis is headed for a remake. This could be incredibly stupid and the odds are that it’s a bad idea. However there is a very, very slight chance that if done correctly it could turn into a modern day classic. – FirstShowing.net

- A few new images from Aliens vs Predator: Requiem over at Yahoo! Movies, including another look at the Predalien and the Predator home world. I’m still holding out hope that this will be a fun and scary ride. – Yahoo! Movies

- Want to see what the Mark II armor will look like in Iron Man (as a toy, anyway)? I was hoping for something a bit more different from the red and gold, but I’m not complaining. – MarvelousNews.com

- A couple of new images from The Dark Knight including a better look at the Batpod aka Batcycle. – Comics2Film

- Director Lexi Alexander answers questions about Punisher: War Zone. I didn’t have time to read it myself so maybe you guys could chime in with a summary. SuperHeroHype forums

• Iron Man 2 Mark VI Armor Revealed
• First Look At The Iron Man 2 Armor!
• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Thomas Jane Talks Perfect Punisher Movie
• Will Iron Man Battle War Machine In Iron Man 2?
• New Terminator Salvation Trailer, Posters & Photos

I was going to throw a copy of the new Aliens vs Predator:Requiem footage (it’s not really technically a trailer, actually it’s a scene from the movie), but it’s pretty damned gory so I’ll just point you towards IESB.net to check it out, where they will ask for some age verification.

This one looks to be shaping up as what the first one should have been.

Thanks to SHH! for the heads up.

• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Awesome New Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince Trailer
• Bloody Violent Red-Band Trailer For ‘The Collector’
• Unreleased Halloween 2 Trailer Best One Yet
• New Clips: District 9 And Inglourious Basterds
• The Watchmen Movie In 17 Minutes (Sort Of)

If you are at all interested in seeing Aliens vs Predator: Requiem and want any sort of suspension of disbelief and sense of dread when it comes to the new Alien creature, I would recommend you not click on the image on the left. I purposely blurred and darkened the image you see to retain at least some sense of mystery about the creature because the large version is ridiculously bright, clear and completely devoid of any menace.

It actually looks kind of like a Halloween costume.

The photo comes courtesy of USA Today. I think the studio’s eagerness to promote the movie also known as AVP-R has caused them to reveal too much. The Alien-Predator hybrid was one of the more anticipated things about the movie, and in the image above they’ve given such a clear view of the thing in such an antiseptic way that it’s almost the equivalent of getting a look at it in the special effects workshop where it was created.

No atmosphere, mood, or even decent context. It almost looks like the actor hanging around in between takes.

Still, despite this the brother duo who directed the film are saying all the right things to try to lure fans of the original movies back into the movie theater:

“We want it more like the classic early ‘Alien’ and ‘Predator’ movies we grew up on. There’s a real history to these characters, people grew up with these characters when it was a serious franchise. We want to make it just as serious and dark as the originals.”

Personally I hope they deliver. I’m a huge fan of the first two Alien movies and would love to see something that combined the best of both.

Aliens vs Predator: Requiem opens on Christmas Day.

• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Alien Reboot On The Way
• Ridley Scott to Direct Alien Prequel!
• Tony Scott Confirms Alien PREQUEL!
• Remakes And Sequels: Have We Reached Overload Yet?
• Will Arnold Schwarzenegger Be In Predators?

[UPDATE: Apparently I wasn't wrong: AVP-R is terrible - worse than the first one.]

Thanks to IGN.com we have a look at a brand new trailer for Aliens vs Predator: Requiem / AVP-R.

At least trailer-wise this thing seems to be looking better and better. There are scenes in this new trailer that actually seem to be paying homage to the original Alien movies, and the lead female Reiko Aylesworth seems to be channeling Sigourney Weaver big-time.

At the very least I’m betting it’ll be better than the first AVP…

AVP-R opens on Christmas Day. Ho ho ho.

For a larger version and other formats go to IGN.com.

• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• New Intimidating District 9 Poster
• Sigourney Weaver Won’t Be Back for ‘Alien’ Prequel
• Japanese Avatar Trailer & New TV Spot
• District 9 Trailer: Uncensored!
• Alien Reboot On The Way

While I really didn’t like the red band trailer for Aliens vs Predator: Requiem, I have to admit that the new one below is a vast improvement over that one.

I’d go so far as to say that the other one doesn’t really even qualify as a trailer… it seemed to be more like footage that should have been shown at the San Diego Comic-Con. Kind of intense, focusing almost exclusively on carnage with little emphasis on plot or characters.

On the other hand, this new one (presumably an international trailer since it came from Filmweb.no) is far better and seems much more like a regular trailer for AVP 2. It actually has me interested in checking it out.

Source: Superherohype

• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Alice In Wonderland Teaser Trailer Online! (Plus New Posters)
• New Avatar International Trailer
• 3D Avatar Footage to Premiere at Comic-Con
• Offiicial Preview of Heroes: Redemption
• Solomon Kane Trailer Makes Evil Pay

Over at MTV.com the guys behind the AVP sequel Aliens vs Predator: Requiem spill a ton of details about the upcoming movie.

I won’t go into a lot of detail here since I try to avoid heavy spoilers on the site, but some of the highlights include:

- They really want to prove to the fans that this one will be different from the previous one. (It’ll be different, but will it be better?)

- I found this quote pretty funny regarding how acutely aware they are that the first movie sucked: “The only thing [director] Paul [W.S.] Anderson did correctly was bring people closer together in their community hatred of him.”

- The film focuses on one Predator and his hunt.

- Yes, there’s a Predator/Alien hybrid in the movie.

- While the film has a definitive ending, it’s open enough to allow the possibility of another sequel, which they would like to do. If they have the chance to do another one they would like it to be more of a bridge between present day and the original Alien, or take place after Aliens.

I’m really torn… directors Greg and Colin Strause are saying all the right things and from the sound of it they really are trying to take things back to the roots of the original Predator movie as well as Alien and Aliens. The question in my mind is can they execute their vision of redemption for this franchise on the big screen, or will their good intentions just go down in a ball of flame?

Maybe the red band trailer they put out was more of a fanboy-gore appeasement thing than something meant to convey the meat of the story… I’m hoping that’s the case and that this movie turns out to be more than just an uber-gore fest. I get the sense that these guys are true fans and I hope that they can pull off a great movie worthy of the originals.

Click on the following link if you want much more detail and plenty of spoilers…

Source: MTV.com

• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Will Arnold Schwarzenegger Be In Predators?
• Ridley Scott Looking To Resurrect Alien?
• Ridley Scott to Direct Alien Prequel!
• Alien Reboot On The Way
• Predators Has A Writer In Its Sights

I think the tagline for Aliens vs Predator: Requiem should be:

Abandon Ye All Hope

And I’m not referring to the characters in the movie… I’m talking about the audience.

The first trailer for AVP2 is out, and be warned that this is a “Red Band” trailer. Meaning it is not approved for all audiences, has tons of gore, violence and R-rated language.

Within the first 20 seconds, before a single character had appeared on the screen I already had my first “uh oh” moment. The trailer opens with the classic tagline from the original Alien:

In space no one can hear your scream.

Except here it goes like this:

In space…

Cut to a spaceship flying by, with a very definite engine whooshing sound.

…no one can hear you scream.

Cut to the same ship pulling away, again with loud whooshing sound.

So I guess the deal is that although in space no one can hear you scream, you can hear the sound of spaceships flying by…

To me this looks bad, bad, BAD. I’m sorry, but the very first thing that bugs me is that right off the bat the movie is populated with a bunch of under 25 year olds. I got flashbacks to Transformers not only from that, but from scenes that followed. It felt like a cross between that and one of the Friday the 13th sequels with Aliens substituted for Jason Voorhees.

I had really hoped beyond hope that this one wouldn’t stink like the first one, but unless this trailer is completely misrepresenting the movie those hopes have gone flying out the window.

I’d love to hear what you think about it.

For larger versions of the trailer head on over to IGN, which premiered it.

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• Friday the 13th Part 2 Coming Soon [Updated]
• Friday The 13th ‘Follow Up’ On The Way
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• Brand New Transformers 2 Footage

According to ComingSoon.net, the latest title for the Aliens vs Predator sequel is:

Aliens vs. Predator Requiem

I think they’re missing a colon in there, and that it should be Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, but what do I know.

To me that sounds like a pretty highbrow title for a film such as we’re expecting.

How the word “requiem” ties into AVP 2 is beyond me. The closest definition of the word that might make sense is “a mass for a deceased person.” So to whom does the requiem apply? The Aliens? The Predator? Individually? As a race?

As far as I’m concerned the jury is still out on this one so who knows? It may turn out to be decent.

Ah, what mysteries to keep us going until the Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem comes out on Christmas Day, 2007.

• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Predators Has A Writer In Its Sights
• New Footage From Matthew Santoro’s ‘Offline’
• Will Arnold Schwarzenegger Be In Predators?
• New Poster & Trailer For Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2
• ‘The Karate Kid’ Remake Retitled ‘The Kung Fu Kid’

Hugely important news out today concerning the AVP sequel…

Instead of being called:

Alien vs. Predator 2

the sequel will be called:

Aliens vs. Predator.

I guess that give some hint about the story.

Are you excited yet?

Me neither.

Ok, ok… maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh so early on. After all there’s an entirely new bunch of folks working on the sequel, and hopefully a restraining order was obtained to make sure that Paul Anderson is kept at least 100 yards from the production of this one.

Miracles do happen from time to time, after all.

Source: Superherohype

• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Predators Has A Writer In Its Sights
• First Image From Simon Pegg And Nick Frost’s ‘Paul’
• Will Arnold Schwarzenegger Be In Predators?
• ‘Eastern Promises 2′ Moving Forward
• Ghostbusters 3 Is Apatow-Free

Some images have come out of the Predator-based Alien from the upcoming Alien vs Predator 2 (or AVP2). It was established in the Alien movies that the creature takes on some characteristics of whichever creature it gestated in.

I don’t really remember, but apparently one of the Aliens infected a Predator at the end of the first film.

The first AVP was a train wreck of a movie, offending fans of both of the characters. There’s a whole new team behind the sequel and one can only hope that this one will be an improvement.

Head on over to JoBlo to see more pics of the creature.

Source: JoBlo.com

• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Predators Has A Writer In Its Sights
• Predators Casting Updates: Adrien Brody & More!
• Robert Rodriguez To Direct Predator Remake – Updated
• Alien Reboot On The Way
• Ridley Scott to Direct Alien Prequel!

Sheesh, it’s easy to fall behind on this movie news stuff… miss a couple of days and there’s tons of new info out on all kinds of movies. So here’s a quick grab bag of news for ya…

Bill Shatner has no idea what’s going on with Star Trek 11. Are they sure they’re going to put him in it? TrekWeb

This was a big week for new trailers. There’s a new poster and trailer out for the next Will Smith Sci Fi flick I Am Legend. Gut reaction? Looks like it’s going to be a good one. Apple.com

A trailer for the Invasion of the Body Snatchers remake titled simply The Invasion, starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. I could be wrong but to me this looks like one of those well made trailers for a movie that isn’t so great. FirstShowing.net

And yet another trailer, this one for the horror flick 30 Days of Night, of which I know absolutely nothing about. Didn’t really like the trailer much… the music at the end didn’t suit it. Some advice: go rent John Carpenter’s version of The Thing instead. IGN.com

The longest running Iron Man fan site has relaunched with a cool new look worthy of the upcoming movie. Jon Favreau even commented about it over at his myspace group. The site includes an armory, movie news, an active forum and more. Advanced Iron – Iron Man

Speaking of websites, the official Speed Racer website is up. Pretty car. Warner Brothers

Aliens vs Predator 2 (AVP2) will supposedly be scarier than the first. I don’t know… the first one was so awful it was scary. Then again different folks are working on this one, so who knows? Cinematical

Indy 4: Sean Connery is out and John Hurt is in. The buzz is that Connery backing out is a reflection on the poor quality of the script. Cinematical (again)

• First Day Of Shooting On Iron Man 2
• Will Sean Connery Return For Indy 5?
• Iron Man 2 News Round-Up
• Screen Rant on The Movie Blog Podcast
• Is Iron Man Headed For 3D (and IMAX)?
• Iron Sky: Nazi Space Invaders Are Coming!

Here’s a list of some of the movies coming out this year… some are highly anticipated, others are on the list because I find them interesting in one way or another. And yes, I know that I should have called this post “2007 Movie Roundup”.

March 16
I Think I Love My Wife – Being married for 11 years, this one just struck my funny bone.

Shooter – Looks cool. Danny Glover is back and I like Mark Wahlberg.

March 23
The Hills Have Eyes 2 – Didn’t see the first remake, but from what I’ve heard do we really need a sequel to a remake?

The Last Mimzy – Mixed early reviews but looks like a good one to bring the kids to. (Don’t forget to enter the contest!)

TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) – Maybe this time they’ll get it right.

March 30
Blades of Glory – Looks like it could be funny, but VERY crass.

Meet the Robinsons – Disney CGI without Pixar? Uh oh…

April 6
Grindhouse – Tarantino and Rodriguez… won’t be for everyone but it’ll be a hell of a ride, I’m sure.

The Reaping – Modern version of the 10 plagues of Egypt. I wonder what the movies take on this will be?

April 13
The Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters – I’ve never seen an episode all the way through. Parents, PLEASE get a babysitter if you go see this one!

April 27
The Invisible – Trailers and the story look interesting, but will it work?

May 4
Spider-Man 3 – OH…. YEAH. ‘Nuff said.

May 11
28 Weeks Later – The first one was really good, can this one live up to it?

May 18
Shrek the Third – Should be fun, although I hope they don’t put in even more innuendo in this one than they had in Shrek 2

May 25
Angel-A – Nothing but rave reviews at Sundance, but I didn’t have a chance to see it. Supposed to be an amazing film from one of my favorite directors, Luc Besson.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: At Worlds End (POTC 3) – Man, I really hope this one is better than the second one.

June 1
Knocked Up – The trailer for this romantic comedy actually looks kind of cute, but I really HATE the title.

June 8
Hostel II – More of the same or will it bring something fresh?

Ocean’s 13 – Ok, sue me: I actually LIKED the first two. Hopefully this one is up to par.

June 13
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer – The first one was weak, so it wouldn’t take much for the sequel to improve on it. I’m cautiously, weakly optimistic.

Fido – Saw this at Sundance and it was AWESOME. Go see it.

Nancy Drew – Here’s one for my daughter. I hope they don’t screw it up.

June 22
Evan Almighty – The first one with Jim Carrey was great a few years back. Can Steve Carrell pull it off?

June 29
Live Free or Die Hard (Die Hard 4.0) – I have to go see this no matter WHAT the reviews say.

Ratatouille – Pixar: Do I need to say anything else?

July 4
Transformers – Not a fan of the toys, TV shows or the comics, but it looks like it’s going to be a wild ride and probably lots of fun.

July 13
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix – I know it’s going to make a gazillion dollars, but these are starting to come across as kind of ponderous to me.

July 20
Hairspray – Wild horses couldn’t drag me to see this. John Travolta in drag as a fat woman? Brrrr….

July 27
The Simpsons Movie – One of the most popular animated shows that I’ve barely watched. I’ll bet the movie will be fun. For adults.

August 3
Underdog – From the photos I’ve seen of this I just have to say “be afraid.” This should have been a CGI animated film, NOT live action.

The Bourne Ultimatum – Loved the first two and can’t wait for this one.

August 10
Rush Hour 3 – Do we really need a third one?

The Signal (limited) – Saw this at Sundance and I highly recommend it if you get a chance to see it.

August 24
Revenge of the Nerds – Someone PLEASE poke out my eyes.

August 31
Halloween – Don’t mess with the classics!

Trade – Another Sundance hit that I didn’t get to see. Not a happy movie but it’s supposed to be very powerful.

September 21
Resident Evil: Extinction – Oy.

October 26
Saw IV – Haven’t seen III and I probably won’t see this one either.

November 2
Bee Movie – Seinfeld is back, but as an animated bee? Could go either way.

November 9
Fred Claus – Ah yes, another cynical Christmas comedy.

November 21
I Am Legend – I know nothing about this beyond the basic premise: Will Smith is the last person on Earth, except for all the vampires.

December 21
National Treasure: Book Of Secrets – I thought the first one was unexpectedly good and I’m hoping this one is as well.

December 25
Alien vs Predator 2 – Well, at least Paul “it wasn’t my fault AVP stank” Anderson didn’t direct it.

• New ‘Evil Dead’: Slightly Better Than Snowball’s Chance In Hell
• Full Theatrical Trailer For Toy Story 3
• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Monsters, Inc. Sequel in the Works?
• How to Train Your Dragon Teaser Trailer
• ‘Puss In Boots’ Jumps On The Origin Story Bandwagon

So the buzz is beginning on Alien vs. Predator 2 with a behind the scenes video on YouTube as well as interviews popping up here and there.

Will AVP2 stink? Will it be better than the first debacle where the director took no responsibility for how horrible it was? Well let’s see…

On the one hand we have a still cool premise (however poorly executed in the first film) and a couple of guys directing it that seem to be geniune fans of the original source material, and eager to capture the “vibe” of those movies (see the youtube video). So far, that’s alll great news.

On the other hand we have two guys with a ton of visual effects experience but NO directorial background directing the movie. We also have a writer who does not have what I would call a distinguished background when it comes to screenplays.

Another thing that bothers me a bit is (if I heard it correctly) in the video the brothers who are directing AVP2 mention wanting to capture the feel of Alien and Aliens. The problem with that statement is that those two movies were completely different in mood, feel and approach.

So…. that adds up to a LOT of enthusiasm, but NOT a lot of experience and maybe a little bit of a mish-mash approach to the movie.

It could go either way IMHO, but if it does end up not being very good, at least I’ll know that the folks behind it meant well.

• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Fox Wants Ridley Scott to Direct Alien Prequel
• Aliens To Sink Peter Berg’s Battleship?
• Explosions Galore on the Set of Red Dawn
• SR Pick [Video]: Hitler Hates Movie Remakes
• Renting Movies Through YouTube?

You be the judge.

Personally suicide looks like a good option. The above script review makes the first AVP look like Citizen Kane.

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According to Sci Fi Wire, an Alien vs. Predator sequel is being planned and it will apparently take place in a populated area as opposed to a remote location like Antarctica.

Thanks to overseas box office and DVD sales AVP turned a pretty penny so of course the studio is going back to the well. Although the first one pretty much stank, I can’t say I blame ‘em. A buck is a buck after all, and if folks are willing to shell out the cash for dreck…

P.T. Barnum would have been proud.

• Howard Berger Talks ‘Predators’
• Alien Reboot On The Way
• Columbia Brings P.T. Barnum’s Big Show to the Big Screen
• Predators Has A Writer In Its Sights
• Sherlock Holmes Sequel: Brad Pitt To Play Moriarty?
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You may have heard that Paul Anderson has been complaining that the studio tied his hands in certain respects in regards to the production of Alien vs Predator. He has stated that his cut of the film would have been much better than the studios version, and has hinted that it will be available on the upcoming DVD.

Well, Peter Briggs (who wrote the first draft of Alien vs Predator) is here to tell you that Anderson is full of it, and the reason the film wasn’t very good (I gave it a qualified decent review) was all on Anderson, and no one elses fault.

Among the highlights are the fact that there were not many drafts of the script before Anderson came on board and there’s nothing in the script to indicate that there’s a “real” version of AVP that’s better than what’s on the screen.

Briggs opinion on the film pretty much echoes my own. Click below for the full interview.

Source: Bloody Disgusting

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