Screen Rant » star wars

Family Guy ‘Empire Strikes Back’ Parody Trailer

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:01:36 +0000

To round off this Friday nice and easy, I thought I’d post a little something to get you laughing (or hopefully at least chuckling). Family Guy has become a household name at this point, but the show managed to out do itself back in 2007 with its season 6 premiere, “Blue Harvest”, an hour-long parody of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Well, today we have the trailer for Family Guy’s follow up to “Blue Harvest”, which could only be an equally hilarious skewering of the next film in the Star Wars canon, The Empire Strikes Back.

With “Blue Harvest” the Family Guy team lampooned pretty much everything you could ever want to make fun of in a Star Wars movie, and earned extra points for inserting all our favorite characters from Quahog into ironic (and gross) Star Wars roles. [NERD ALERT] “Blue Harvest” was the fake working title used during the shoot for Return of the Jedi and the parody was done in honor of the the 30-year anniversary of George Lucas’ space opera.

It looks like the laughs are only get bigger for this Empire Strikes Back parody, which is entitled “Something, Something, Something, Darkside”. Have a look (Giggidy!):

If you don’t think that trailer is funny, be sure that there will be more dirty humor and ironic family incest jokes galore packed into the full feature – and who doesn’t love those?

“Something, Something, Something, Darkside” will be released on DVD/Blu-ray on December 22, 2009 – before it ever airs for free on Fox. Will you be checking it out?

Family Guy airs (for free) on Fox Sundays @ 9 pm.

Source: THR

You Might Also Be Interested In:

New Star Wars Trilogy Coming in 3D?

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:34:15 +0000

So a rumor recently popped up online stating that there’s a new Star Wars Trilogy in the pipeline that is going to be filmed in stereoscopic 3D. The rumor originated from Market Saw, who attributed the news to a source close to the Lucasfilm camp who was feeding them this exclusive info. This new 3D Star Wars would NOT be a conversion of the existing trilogy (or those prequels we do not speak of), but rather an entirely new three-part chapter in the Star Wars canon!

Another part of the rumor was that George Lucas would NOT be directing this new trilogy, but would instead produce them, handing the helming duties off to more able other seasoned directors, such as Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola, who are both friends of Lucas.

Sci-fi fans, are your heads still attached to your necks?

Fueling this latest turn of the rumor mill is (surprisingly enough) James Cameron’s upcoming 3D sci-fi epic, Avatar. According to Market Saw’s source, if Avatar is a smashing success (inevitably kicking off a new popular sci-fi/adventure franchise), then Lucas would have the necessary technology and motivation to give Cameron some good ol’ fashioned competition by jumping back into the Star Wars universe.

But how true is any of this?

Market Saw swears that their source is someone who “SHOULD KNOW. This source is absolutely connected. So odds are it is seriously being talked about at Lucasfilm. Right now.” However, the guys over at Collider have posted an article on their site diseccting this Star Wars 3D rumor, and this is what THEY came up with:

…because this was such a sensational rumor, Eric Vespe over at Ain’t It Cool News had to take time out of his day to send the Laura Wuhlhammer of Lucasfilm’s Public Relations department an e-mail asking her to confirm or deny the rumor. She, of course, denied it. I imagine Vespe then sighed, looked at the clock, and knew he would never get those 90 seconds back.

Eric Vespe did in fact contact Laura Wuhlhammer over at Lucasfilm – not once, but twice. Upon first query, Wuhlhammer addressed the question of whether Lucasfilm was developing any Star Wars trilogy in 3D. Here was her response:

Hi Eric,

Thanks for your email. Lucasfilm is not currently working on a 3D version of the Star Wars movies.

Best,
Laura

Vespe (being the savvy guy that he is) read that and figured “Hey, she could be referring to converting the OLD Star Wars films to 3D…” and so, like any good reporter, he followed up with a more specific question. Upon second query, Wuhlhammer stuck a definitive fork in this overcooked rumor:

Hi Eric,

We do not have any Star Wars theatrical movies planned.

Thanks,
Laura

If that’s not enough, Collider points out that Lucasfilm currently DOES have its hands full with a Star Wars project: a live-action TV series set between the events of Episode III: Revenge of The Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope. Last word was that the TV series is moving into pre-production and script prep, and would continue gearing-up into to the new year, with 2012 marked as a tentative air date. That means that Lucas and company will have their hands full trying to create a whole new mythos for the time period between the fall of Anakin and the rise of Luke Skywalker; seems like planning a whole new film trilogy (using new technology, no less) would be something of a tall order.

Collider and Ain’t It Cool are shooting this one down as a wild rumor prematurely reported by Market Saw. I’m a bit fairer, so I’ll keep in open mind that anything can happen in the world of movies, but I would NOT get your hopes up for a new Star Wars trilogy coming anytime soon.

New Trilogy, New Jedi?

Come 2012, if the TV series is doing well and interest in Star Wars is at a peak and 3D motion-capture tech is still improving by leaps and bounds…we’ll see how George Lucas feels about taking on James Cameron’s Avatar universe for the title of “most worshiped geek franchise in the world.” Until then…

How do you feel about a new Star Wars trilogy using new 3D CGI technology? Do you need a new trilogy (with quality directors) to help erase the memory of the prequels? Or should the franchise be left alone before it rolls any further downhill? And just what kind of story would a new trilogy have to tell?

We’ll keep you posted as these rumors inevitably get punctured by the truth.

Source: Market Saw, Collider & Ain’t It Cool News

You Might Also Be Interested In:

SR Pick: Star Wars Tauntaun Sleeping Bag

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:43:28 +0000

We all remember the scene from The Empire Strikes Back: Luke Skywalker and Han Solo trying to survive the sub-zero temperatures of planet Hoth by finding shelter in the stomach of a Tauntaun. For you Star Wars enthusiasts out there, your reenactment sessions are about to get a little more “authentic,” as you too can now find shelter from the frozen wastelands (your front yard in winter) inside your very own Tauntaun stomach!

What started out as an April Fools joke has now became a reality for sale; Think Geek is offering Tauntaun sleeping bags to those who want, starting this November.

Here’s the April Fools joke that started it all (it makes for a pretty good press release if you ask me):

In the sub-zero wasteland of the planet Hoth, only the strong survive… and of course those lucky Jedi protected by the thick skin of a Tauntaun. Now after exhaustive movie viewing research and analysis ThinkGeek Labs has isolated the exact synthetic compounds needed to re-create Tauntaun fur. What have we done with this supreme knowledge? Created a Tauntaun sleeping bag of course.

Pretty humorous. Now for the actual description of what you get for your money:

This high-quality sleeping bag looks just like a Tauntaun, complete with saddle, internal intestines and plush lightsaber zipper pull. Now when your kids tell you their favorite Star Wars movie is “Attack of the Clones” you can nestle the wee-ones snug in simulated Tauntaun fur while regaling them with the amazing tale of “Empire Strikes Back”.

* Classic Star Wars sleeping bag simulates the warmth of a Tauntaun carcass
* Built-in embroidered Tauntaun head pillow
* Plush Lightsaber zipper pull
* Great for playing pretend “Save Luke from the Wampa” games
* Teach your children about the best Star Wars movie ever
* Fully Licensed Lucasfilm™ Collectable
* Enough room for adults, plenty of space for kids
* 100% Polyester construction, Machine washable
* Bag Dimensions -- 33″ x 67″ (not including head pillow or legs

That lightsaber zipper really does seal the deal, if you ask me.

Think Geek should have limited quantities of the Tauntaun sleeping bag in stock sometime in early November, priced at $99.99. If you would like to purchase one, go HERE to place your order.

BONUS: In case you have kids too young to understand why you want them to sleep inside of some weirdo animal-themed sleeping bag, just show them this clip and tell them “It’s from the old Star Wars movies -- the ones that DIDN’T suck.”

Source: Think Geek

You Might Also Be Interested In:

SR Picks [Video]: Darth Vader Meets His Match

Rob Keyes — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:36:36 +0000

I love the classic Star Wars movies and I can’t see myself ever getting over that passion.

On that note, we have for you an awesome video spoof featuring Darth Vader in an alternate version of the events surrounding the Death Star and its inhabitants (pre-destruction) from the first Star Wars movie.

SCI FI Wire picked up on a tweet from actress Ming-Na who linked to the following video from two years ago. It’s based on a scene from A New Hope, re-created perfectly with one major exception…

… the addition of one new character, a love interest of our favorite Darth Vader.

Check it out:

Poor Darth Vader just wants to be loved…

Very high production quality! I’m impressed how they meshed the characters, costumes, style and dialogue perfectly with that of the original film. They could make an entire film like this.

What do you think of today’s SR Pick?

The original Star Wars hit theaters May 25, 1977 and it’s still awesome.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

The Latest On the Live-Action Star Wars Series

Bruce Simmons — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:08:55 +0000

Though news is limited on the live action Star Wars show, there is some news about the project stemming from the “Future of Star Wars“ Dragon*Con panel.

First off, pre-production (Writing) will start up soon and run through until “the new year.”

Rumors are saying that since Daniel Logan (Who played Boba Fett in Attack of the Clones) would probably be interested in reprising his role, he might be involved in the project. During the panel, it was stated that we should “… expect news from Daniel’s camp in the not-too-distant future.“ Whatever that might mean.

That’s the latest we’ve seen on the project.

2012 is roughly looking like the air date for the project.

Source: Examiner

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 2 Premieres in October

Mike Wilkerson — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:20:31 +0000

The words “Clone Wars” were only mentioned once in the original Star Wars trilogy, while the three “prequel” films (during which the Clone Wars are set) are the generator of all kinds of feelings and mental images that are often hard for me to describe.

What isn’t hard for me to describe is the tone, quality and vision of George Lucas’s most recent animated offering, The Clone Wars – an ongoing series of CGI cartoons that recently received a second season green-light on Cartoon Network. The series will continue to offer literal filler of the years, events, and goings-on which occurred between the feature-film events of the Star Wars prequels.

The Clone Wars second season will offer 22 full episodes, running 30 minutes each, beginning with a special one-hour season premiere on October 2nd, 2009. Season 2 promises more insight about the origins and relationships between established and soon-to-be-introduced Star Wars characters, with a particular focus on the bounty hunters (”Rise of the Fetts?”).

“Satisfaction”… That’s not a word you’ll often hear from anyone when talking about any Star Wars movie prior to the original trilogy, but it’s true for The Clone Wars. All of the pain, embarrassment and “childhood-rape” of the Star Wars prequels gets a lot more polish in this cartoon series.

Tell us more of why you’re watching this great series on Cartoon Network in the discussion section below.

Source: Cinemastatic

You Might Also Be Interested In:

SR Pick [Video]: Little Anakin Skywalker, 10 Years Later…

Mike Wilkerson — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:26:16 +0000

While surfing the always-growing expanse of the Interweb during Comic-Con weekend, we stumbled upon this video of (now 20-years-old) Jake Lloyd who played “Anny” Skywalker from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

It seems that Hollywood has created yet another child actor that in general, has benefited from being a “child actor” but still clearly has issues. Check out what I mean:

Even though we’ve seen the conclusion of the Star Wars series, many still criticize George Lucas’ handling of the prequels. Is it fair for people to heap on ANY of the responsibility of the “failure” of Episode I onto Jake Lloyd’s shoulders? Isn’t it Lucas who should be shouldering the blame, not some poor kid he picked out of the blue to play one of the most poorly-written roles in Star Wars history?

Let’s Discuss in the comments.

Source: Yahoo

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Star Wars: A Live-Action Series Coming Soon?

Bruce Simmons — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:31:48 +0000

Do we still have some rabid Star Wars fans out there? Semi-rabid? Tepid? I know Niall is, as shown when he first talked about a live-action Star Wars show back in March.

If you’re an animation fan, you’ve probably been watching the animated series on Cartoon Network titled Star Wars: Clone Wars that was airing on Friday nights.

Now, “inside sources” are stating that a live action Star Wars series will start shooting soon.

The interesting angle on this is that they’re using Australian-based talent to pump out what they consider to be scripts of the highest quality. They’re also going outside the Sci-Fi industry to find their writers.

They’ve approached writers from award winning shows down under like Love My Way and Secret Life of Us. The idea is to aim the writing towards the style of those shows, which focuses on relationships between the characters. It’s like a new writing fad… it’s all about the relationships.

All joking aside, when a show focuses on characters and doesn’t become dependent on visual effects or events, it definitely helps the focus of the writing.

This approach to a new Star Wars venue is verging away from the last few efforts that were geared towards the younger audience and it’s hoped, I presume, that it will snare the older, mature audience and excite them anew!

The hands-off executive producer, George Lucas, has been noted to saying that the show will have at least 100 episodes and likens it to “Deadwood meets The Sopranos in space.”

If cowboys and organized crime met in space, wouldn’t they just suffocate?

Anyway, the new series is set in the time-frame between the movies Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope and will be experienced from minor characters from within the mythos of the Star Wars realm.

Casting has started, Lucas is financing the show himself and does not have a network partner yet.

I have to wonder if this effort is going to be worth it? I do like quality story. I also like my blasters and the use of ‘The Force’ in my Star Wars stories. Will this work for me? If the story is good enough, sure, I think it will. Will it finally get on the air and wow the general populace or will it pan out and become more fodder for a cable station that snatches up repeats of canceled shows?

Sources: /Film, /Film

You Might Also Be Interested In:

What Star Wars Could Have Been…

Rob Keyes — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:32:20 +0000

Remember when Star Wars was awesome? When it owned the sci-fi genre and had the most devoted fans in the world, including its own legion of real storm troopers?

And then came the prequels… and then The Clone Wars…

This is where a big portion of the fans of old lost interest, where many became angry at George Lucas for what happened with Star Wars and more recently with Indiana Jones. While there were a billion different overpriced toys to buy from for the franchise from a million different Star Wars toy lines, the franchise was heading in the wrong direction.

To me, Star Wars was no longer the cool thing and it was no longer exciting… How could that possibly happen? I used to love it! The prequels were dumbed down and not as respected as the originals, changes were continually being made to the originals for a dozen different variations of the DVD sets, most of the video games were weak and the obvious focus and effort was placed on merchandising which was getting out of hand. It had become an absurd case of quantity over quality in all facets of the Star Wars business model.

What interesting timing for Star Wars to fall a few notches in the minds of many fans, as Star Trek began to make its triumphant return with J.J. Abrams leading the charge. And to the pleasant surprise of moviegoers around the world, the movie was a smashing success critically and financially. Trek had stepped up to re-claim the sci-fi throne from the faltering Star Wars (we’re talking movies here).

One of the bright spots in all of this for Star Wars was its two amazing Knights of the Old Republic video games which brought Star Wars to a new era, with a strong story based 4,000 years in the past. The games won major awards (including game of the year for the first), were critically acclaimed and everyone seemingly loved them. It was even rumored that they might make a film based on the first game. It’s funny that the only good games we had seen in the franchise in such a long while had to distance themselves as far as possible away from where the movies had gone -- We also saw this with The Force Unleashed.

While gamers waited eagerly for a third installment in that franchise on the new generation of video game consoles, we were instead given news that the next game made by Bioware (the electronic entertainment company behind KOTR) would instead be an MMO (massively multiplayer online game like World of Warcraft) and the trailer for it debuted not long ago.

John over at The Movie Blog picked up on the trailer for this game and made a great point – If the prequels were anything like this, everyone would be a lot happier, and the state of Star Wars a lot different.

You must watch this video and see how awesome it is:

Imagine a movie like that? Instead, the recent Star Wars films targeted children in a dumb way. People of all ages loved the original trilogy movies without having overly childish moments, characters and dialogue – why do it like that now?

Anyways, instead of a movie like what we see in that trailer, we got this:

… and this:

We got ripped off.

What do you think of this trailer and where do you see the future of Star Wars heading?

Source: The Movie Blog

You Might Also Be Interested In:

SR Picks [Video]: Star Trek Vs. Star Wars

Rob Keyes — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:32:00 +0000

Did you see the new Star Trek movie that opened this past weekend? If you have, you no doubt also saw that little movie called Star Wars that came out back in 1977. Did you notice any similarities?

J.J. Abrams has been openly honest all along that he was a fan of Star Wars growing up and not so much Star Trek. It’s no secret that he guided his new Star Trek movie in a more Star Wars-like fashion because of it.

From more differentiable aliens, to faster-paced and more dynamic ship battles, we saw in the movie many similarities to the classic Star Wars films. Even the little things like the phaser fire from the ships and sidearms looking and sounding more like Star Wars and the massive increase in usage of smaller craft to emphasize the grandness of the larger capital ships.

Here is some evidence that the J.J. Abrams’ entire movie is just like Star Wars. Watch and enjoy:

When you think of it, it was the perfect time for Star Trek to make its return. Star Wars has unfortunately turned away many fans and support with the prequels and then The Clone Wars (and Indiana Jones 4). Up until then, Star Wars sat strongly on the sci-fi throne. Now, as it falls (in terms of quality and not financial success – it still makes a fortune on the new kids show and ridiculous merchandising among many other facets), Trek comes swooping in at warp speed, returning from the dead, to take the mantle as the leading Sci-Fi movie franchise.

The movie will have several sequels and will likely help give rise to a new Trek TV show down the road.

Although way over-simplified, it’s an interesting and funny video. What do you think?

Source: College Humor, Tom Bowl (Image)

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Star Wars Back In Production In Hollywood

John Scott Lewinski — Sat, 02 May 2009 16:33:33 +0000

As Admiral Ackbar would say, “It’s a trap!” And, it’s an admittedly cheap headline.

There isn’t a new Star Wars movie in production if that’s what you’re thinking. And, the live-action series Lucas is planning is still in the writing and pre-production phase.

What’s really going on then?

A West Hollywood sound stage is full of familiar faces like Ackbar, C3PO and Boba Fett as Lucasfilm produces new material for an updating of Disney’s Star Tours ride. You can always trust Disney and Lucas to keep up with the newest in entertainment tech.

It’s hardly surprising Lucas is sticking to the “classic trilogy” heroes and villains for the updating. I mean, what are the odds that we’ll catch anything resembling a glimpse of Jar Jar Binks anywhere?

Source: /Film

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Live Action Star Wars TV Show Closer To Reality

Niall Browne — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:05:46 +0000

A live action Star Wars television series has been talked about since 2005 when George Lucas first mentioned the show and the Clone War animated series while doing promotion for Star Wars Episode III Revenge of The Sith.

Lucas and a group of writers started writing scripts for the 100 episode series way back in 2007, but now comes the first news that casting for the series is underway.

MTV spoke with Star Wars bit part actress Rose Byrne at the Knowing press junket and she said:

“A lot of my friends have been auditioning for it”

While it’s not an awful lot to go on it does look that Lucas will once again unleash the force once more.

As a huge Star Wars fan (I have no idea how many DVDs and VHS copies I own) I have to admit that I haven’t watched the last animated movie or it’s television counterpart. It’s animation – I just don’t get animation.

However, I may just get excited by a live action series – if it’s done right. Television is a new frontier for narrative story telling and I feel that if Lucas has developed the series correctly then it could be a good show.

I know that there an awful lot of Lucas haters out there who feel that he has milked the Star Wars cash cow for all it’s worth, but I believe that we have to give this series a chance – lets see some previews before we bash it.

Don’t expect to see any familiar faces in the show – it’s due to be set in the 20 years between Episode III and Episode IV but with no major character making an appearance.

If Lucas is only casting at the moment I’d say that the show is probably another two or three years away due to the technical effects and because I’d imagine that they’d want a few episodes in the can before they premiere on television.

Screen Rant will have more news on the live action Star Wars series when we get it.

Source: MTV

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Are You Looking Forward To 3D Movies?

Bruce Simmons — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:59:31 +0000

3D. I remember the 1D headaches from watching some older 3D movies. Yet the entertainment industry thinks 3D is the new tech that will help sales. Not only is it coming to a theater near you, it’s coming to computer games and some TVs that are already set up for 3D movies. Or will this newest effort end up in the warehouse with the massive unsold collection of 10,000 Segways?

The Potential of 3D:
Anyone remember trying to sit through a 3D movie with those totally dorky cardboard “glasses?” Do you also remember the massive eye-ripping 1D headache that came from using those things, or was that just me? I remember the headache because I just got it again after watching the Monsters vs. Aliens 3D movie trailer commercial that came in after the 2nd quarter of Super Bowl XLIII.

Yet 3D does have its fans. That is if you look at some ticket sales. 3D is considered to be a success because 3D versions of movies like Meet the Robinsons and Beowulf sold twice as many 3D version tickets than their 2D version counterpart.

On a scary note, they also tout the success of the 3D flick, Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour. The Disney 3D film shattered records for a limited release movie. Groan.

Are There Enough Theaters?
As studios start to pump out 3D products, theaters are starting to add the necessary projectors for the approximately 40 upcoming film projects coming down the pipe. But will there be enough theaters for this big plan?

It was estimated that there would be around 5,000 theaters with the proper technology installed when Monsters vs. Aliens comes out, but the true estimate is that there are only 1,500 theaters ready to show the movie in 3D. That’s a sobering number for the hopes Dreamworks had, considering that making a 3D movie costs much more to make than a regular film.

Then again, is this an example of studios pushing their own schedules on everyone before they’re ready? And I presume that the costs to upgrade are on the theater chains who are already struggling with the finance balances of showing a film.

Some 3D Projects Noted:
Of the 40 planned 3D projects, a few of them you may have already heard of:

There’s already been Journey to the Center of the Earth, the previously mentioned Dreamworks’ computer-animated film Monsters vs. Aliens which is due out next March and James Cameron’s Avatar.

Journey to the Center of the Earth was the first ever live-action film that’s been shot entirely in 3D, but it also had a 2D version out. Pixar studio is now making all of its computer-animated films in 3D.

On top of that, in the “Is Nothing Sacred” category, Disney’s Pixar is redoing Toy Story (I & II) in 3D, and George Lucas is hoping to keep his Star Wars franchise alive by redoing that in 3D.

The Home Viewing Industry:
With the home viewing industry being a nearly $36 billion industry, some big names are looking at how to get 3D into your home. Some of the companies include Disney, Universal, Philips, Samsung, Sony, Thomson and IMAX.

Some sports telecasts have already taken place in 3D and there’s a push to develop TVs where you won’t need glasses at all. (That confuses all three of me.)

The idea is that since Hi-Def made such an impact, 3D HD will be even bigger. Right now we already have some 3D products in the home. An estimated 1 million 3D-ready HDTVs made by Mitsubishi and Samsung are already in U.S. homes. The basic concept from the Philips brand is to place a lens over the screen to create the effect.

Even The Computer Is Not Immune:
Madden NFL, Tiger Woods PGA Tour and FIFA Soccer are coming to the 3D world, and Bioshock can now be transformed into 3D via a package from DDD (Dynamic Digital Depth) and their TriDef 3D Experience.

Do I even want to touch on the process being pitched to make Blu-Ray discs viewable in 3D? Nah, not right now.

What do I think?
3D needs to be watchable. It needs to be able to be experienced without the headaches, or more precisely, without the glasses. It needs to not be a distraction.

What does a 3D platform add to a story? Most 3D scenes seem to be extraneously injected camera angles to take advantage of a spear being thrust in your face and other such moments where scenes, people or objects are filmed.

Pointing to the successes of 3D sales from a teenage pack of swarming Miley Cyrus fans or Meet the Robinsons and Beowulf may be giving these movies more credit than they deserve and sending a lot of serious funds down the wrong entertainment avenue. Or are they? Is this where they think the fan base is really heading? Yeesh.

As far as that 3D trailer during the Super Bowl, I was impressed… NOT! There were maybe two moments that looked cool. The very opening with the paddle ball moment, and then later on in the SoBe commercial that followed it up, when a lizard smacked the screen. OK, those did look cool, but the rest of the air-time just seemed dark, fuzzy and confusing to me.

A closing note on a very scary development that most of us probably didn’t see coming: The Huffington Post reports that a Hong Kong “production” company is looking to create the first ever 3D porn movie. Oh my, the possibilities are just way too frightening to even try to consider.

Back To You:
So is it me, or are you feeling the same, underwhelming emotions about this potential process?

Sources: USA Today, Portfolio.com, Telegraph.co.uk, Huffington Post, /Film,

You Might Also Be Interested In:

2008 Razzie Award Nominees Anounced

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:58:13 +0000

The Oscars attempt (emphasis on the word, “attempt”) to recognize cinemas greatest achievements each year. The Razzies, on the other hand, recognize cinema’s greatest underachievements each year.

After seeing the nominees for this year’s Razzie Awards, I’m beginning to think that the Razzie judges need to be given jobs on the Oscar selection committee. Maybe then the Oscar noms would be a little bit more spot-on.

Here are the 2008 Razzie Award nominees for your viewing displeasure.

WORST PICTURE

Disaster Movie & Meet The Spartans (Two bad movies, one tired-ass concept)
The Happening (Ouch, M. Night that’s gotta hurt!)
The Hottie and The Nottie
In The Name of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
The Love Guru (Like no one saw that one coming.)

WORST ACTOR

Larry The Cable Guy, Witless Protection
Eddie Murphy, Meet Dave
Mike Myers, The Love Guru
Al Pacino, 88 Minutes & Righteous Kill (double ouch!)
Mark Wahlberg, The Happening & Max Payne

WORST ACTRESS

Jessica Alba, The Eye & The Love Guru
The cast of The Women, (Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Meg Ryan)
Cameron Diaz, What Happens In Vegas
Paris Hilton, The Hottie and The Nottie
Kate Hudson, Fools Gold & My Best Friend’s Girl

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Uwe Boll, Uwe Boll’s Postal
Pierce Brosnan, Mama Mia!
Ben Kingsley, The Love Guru & The Wackness
Burt Reynolds, Deal & In The Name of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
Verne Troyer, The Love Guru & Uwe Boll’s Postal

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Carmen Electra, Meet The Spartans & Disaster Movie
Paris Hilton, Repo: The Genetic Opera
Kim Kardashian, Disaster Movie
Jenny McCarthy, Witless Protection
Leelee Sobieski, 88 Minutes & In The Name of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale

WORST SCREEN COUPLE

Uwe Boll and any actor, camera or screenplay
Cameron Diaz & Ashton Kutcher, What Happens in Vegas
Paris Hilton and either Christine Lakin or Joel David Moore, The Hottie and The Nottie
Larry The Cable Guy & Jenny McCarthy, Witless Protection
Eddie Murphy IN Eddie Murphy, Meet Dave

WORST PREQUEL, REMAKE, RIP-OFF OR SEQUEL

The Day The Earth Blowed Up Real Good
Disaster Movie & Meet The Spartans
Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull
Speed Racer
Star Wars: Clone Wars

WORST DIRECTOR

Uwe Boll, 1968: Tunnel Rats, In The Name of The King & Postal
Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer, Meet The Spartans & Disaster Movie
Tom Putnam, The Hottie and The Nottie
Marco Schnabel, The Love Guru
M. Night Shyamalan, The Happening

WORST SCREENPLAY

Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer, Meet The Spartans & Disaster Movie
M. Night Shyamalan, The Happening
Heidi Ferrer, The Hottie and The Nottie
Doug Taylor, In The Name of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
Mike Myers & Graham Gordy, The Love Guru

WORST CAREER ACHIEVEMENT (SPECIAL CATEGORY)

Uwe Boll (”Germany’s answer to Ed Wood”)

Personally I’m just happy that I didn’t see most of the movies on this list. The Happening caught me off guard, though; if I could get my time and money back for that one, I would. And poor Uwe Boll–The Razzies are really raking him over the coals, creating a special category just to highlight his failures.

On a side note, I’m glad to see that the debacle that was Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull is also getting the recognition it deserves: as a steaming pile of…well, you know.

Do the 2008 Razzie Award Nominations seem about right to you? Let us know.

Source: The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation Official Website

You Might Also Be Interested In:

The Star Wars Mythos Continues With The Clone Wars

Bruce Simmons — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:32:25 +0000

If for some reason you just can’t get enough of “The Force,” well, “The Force” is with you! Lucasfilm Animation is presenting a 22-episode series called Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network.

The Clone Wars follows Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and other heroes as they deal with the troubles that come from the likes of Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress, Darth Sidious and other evil forces from the empire.

A pair of episodes will premiere Friday night on Cartoon Network, and the first one is titled Ambush.

We watch as the Jedi Master Yoda and three clone troopers face off against Count Dooku’s assassin Asajj Ventress and the massive Separatist droid army, trying to prove that the Jedi are strong enough to protect a strategic planet, and thus, help forge a new treaty for the Republic.

In the second episode (titled Rising Malevolence), the clone Starfleet deals with a Separatist mystery weapon in the hands of General Grievous.

The first episode, Ambush is directed by David Bullock (Justice League: The New Frontier) from a script written by Steve Melching (The Batman). Dave Filoni is supervising director, George Lucas is the series’ creator and serves as executive producer, and Catherine Winder is producer.

Because Yoda was so serious in Episodes I, II & III, part of the creative team’s goal was to bring back some of the impish-like clever behavior we first saw Yoda wield about in Episode V (The Empire Strikes Back), as well as his inspirational and warrior side.

So joke around, he will, I say! (Don’t forget to read that with that pitchy little Yoda voice we all know, love and respect! Be happy I didn’t write this whole article in Yoda-ish!)

David Bullock had this to say about Yoda:

“When I was storyboarding Yoda’s big fight scene in Ambush, Rob (Coleman) told me that George (Lucas) liked to flip a switch so that Yoda would go from very reserved to “springy. Overall, the episode is a good mix of the impish Yoda of The Empire Strikes Back, some serious, reflective moments, and Rob’s ‘Ninja Yoda’ for the action bits. And Yoda kicks some serious butt in this episode.”

Which I think is an excellent way to introduce the series. I remember when Yoda broke out in battle wtih Count Dooku in Episode II. I was just taken aback watching him bounce all over the place like a Ninja Superball with a light-saber! It was too cool.

The series premiere of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is at 9 p.m. ET/PT Friday, Oct. 3 on Cartoon Network.

Source: Lucasfilm

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Check Out The Full Clone Wars Trailer

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 10 May 2008 05:20:12 +0000

Well since we do consider ourselves mainly a sci-fi, fantasy and superhero movie site, I guess we ought to post up the new full trailer for Star Wars: Clone Wars. If you haven’t heard, this will be a new ongoing CGI animated TV series, but Lucasfilm decided to launch it as a feature length animated film in theaters this summer.

You can check out the trailer for yourself below…

Oh, and since this page didn’t take long enough to download already, here’s the new poster as well:

I find it quite funny that one of the taglines in the trailer is “Star Wars like you’ve never seen it before.”

Really? I’ve never seen huge CGI-generated vistas and thousands of CGI characters in gigantic battles before? Apparently they’re assuming that no one has seen Star Wars 1, 2 or 3…

Clone Wars comes to a theater near you on August 15th.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Star Wars: Clone Wars – Do You Care?

Vic Holtreman — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 02:10:45 +0000

So tell me, seriously – does the image above make you excited to see a new Star Wars series about the Clone Wars?

In case you don’t know, there’s a new completely CGI animated series coming out in the Fall that picks up where Episode 3 left off. So what actually should have happened in Episodes 2 & 3 will take place in this animated TV show.

The twist is that Lucasfilm will kick off the series with a theatrical movie which will be released on August 15th.

Genndy Tartakovsky, director of the first Clone Wars series, will not be involved with the production. That’s too bad because that series was quite well done story-wise, although I wasn’t a big fan of the animation style.

Although Genndy isn’t involved, I suppose there may be some hope that this may be decent since George Lucas is neither directing nor writing the episodes. I think his best destiny is basically being a tech-geek in charge of the visual/CGI effects.

Personally, I find it ironic that so many people scoff at Star Trek fans wanting new material on both the big and small screen, but when it comes to Star Wars they say:

“Bring It.”

Personally, I think this horse is dead and maybe they ought to think about not beating it any more.

But since it’s inevitable (they already have 30 episodes in the can), do you think it’s going to be any good? Are you looking forward to it? Or are you sick or it?

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Screen Rant Movie News Grab Bag

Heath McKnight — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:44:16 +0000

The new Star Wars: Clone Wars animated feature film will premiere theatrically August 15, 2008, then it will air on Cartoon Network and TNT. This one is from Lucasfilm Animation, not from Genndy Tartakovsky, who oversaw the original Clone Wars series in 2004/05. He’s attached to the new Dark Crystal movie.

This is cool, because I was just thinking that it’s been three years since the last Star Wars movie, and we’re not getting one this year. There were new Star Wars movies in 1999, 2002 and 2005.

Find out more at starwars.com.

Looks like a re-cast for Destro in G.I. Joe. He was originally to be played by David Murray, who was the jumpy baddie who asks, “Where are you?!” in Batman Begins (when Bats was upside down and answers, “Here!”). Now it looks like Dr. Who’s Christopher Eccleston has the role now.

This seems like even better casting to me! Eccelston was also in 28 Days Later, and has a lot of experience that can help him in playing Destro. Apparently, Murray had work visa issues. The movie has started shooting, so producers had to move fast.

Sources: Mania, IESB,

You Might Also Be Interested In:

Cool Stuff For Star Wars Geeks: Life-Size Salacious B. Crumb

Vic Holtreman — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:38:34 +0000

Anyone recognize this little fella? It’s Salacious Crumb, the creepy little guy that sat at the foot of Jabba the Hut in Return of the Jedi. If you’re a big Star Wars collector this is a pretty cool piece since it’s a 1:1 reproduction of the character from the film.

Tony McVey was the original sculptor of the Salacious Crumb character in Star Wars Episode VI – The Return of the Jedi. Sideshow commissioned him to create this limited edition sculpture. It’s cast in fiberglass and polystone, and the figure is complete with a pillow and optional display base.

Sideshow Collectibles has these available for Pre-Order and their stuff tends to sell out really quickly. They’re limiting sales to two pieces per person.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

A Star Wars TV Show That Networks Won’t Buy?

Heath McKnight — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 15:22:59 +0000

As unbelievable as it sounds, it’s true: According to several reports, George Lucas can’t find a network willing to air his new, self-financed Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series. Lucas says this is a PG-13 style show that doesn’t follow the model of the first animated Clone Wars series.

I first heard these rumors from my sci fi fan friends, and when I checked out IMDb, there it was. Lucas is financing 100 episodes of this new series (with animation, this could be at least two to four years worth of episodes). So what will Lucas do to get the animated series on the air?

My first guess would be to put the show on Cartoon Network’s mega-successful Adult Swim, and help build the presence and brand there. The other place to air it would be on the Sci Fi channel. If nothing else, syndicate it immediately and allow it to grow.

He is also paying for 100 episodes of the planned live action Star Wars TV series, which guarantees at least three to five years of shows. I’m guessing this one will possibly be syndicated immediately vs. finding life on a network. Not much is known yet about this show, except that it hasn’t started shooting yet.

Lucas is pretty busy these days, with Indiana Jones 4 in post-production for a summer 2008 release, the two self-financed Star Wars TV shows, and his planned Tuskegee Airmen movie called Red Tails (which I understand he’ll produce and possibly direct). I’m curious which network will pick up the new Clone Wars animated series, and I’m excited about something completely different for Lucas (Red Tails).

Source: IMDb

You Might Also Be Interested In: