Rama’s SCREEN

There was a project that happened under the radar so to speak. An indie gig that was announced but the spotlight didn’t stay on it for long, it was by Jay and Mark Duplass, the brothers behind Baghead and The Puffy Chair which happens to be one Jonah Hill’s favorite movies of all time. The was project was known as Safety Man, title is subject to change, about son of a single mother (Marisa Tomei) who begins a relationship with a 40-something guy (John C. Reilly) with a failed marriage in his past. Jay Duplass told MTV recently that the six-week shoot in L.A. was officially done. This is what he said, explaining what goes on in the story

“[Tomei’s character] is very much out of his league,” Duplass explained to MTV News in a recent interview. “They light up an incredible relationship but she doesn’t really let him in and he finds himself on the other side of the coin, like wanting the snuggle and he can’t get it.”
Reilly soon discovers that she’s been hiding the fact the she has a grown son. The three of them end up having “a very bizarre, codependent relationship,” he said. “It almost develops into some obtuse love triangle, as John and Jonah wrestle for the feelings of Marisa.”
“It’s very funny, but it’s also rooted in the humanity of these characters and a lot about what it means to be a little lonely and a little lost and trying to find your way in the world, but at the same time, all the ridiculous funny s— you do trying to find your way,”

Jay went on to praise Hill’s performance, his ability to improv on the spot and yet remains so humble about it.
Whatever the final title is going to be, Fox Searchlight expects to distribute it late this year or early next, it will possibly travel through film festival circuit.

For those of you who probably are just sitting around this 4th of July weekend, got nothing to do, just waiting for the firework show to start, you can keep yourself entertained by playing DISTRICT 9 online game launched by Sony’s Screen Gems, you can ply it OVER THERE. You can be either an MNU Officer on patrol in District 9 and arrest or shoot non-humans, or be a non-human and take action against the MNU’s patrolling guards by sneaking through the slums and collecting valuable alien fuel canisters. I suggest the first one because there’s no way in hell you’re ever gonna lose.
Here’s something to anticipate, the new trailer for the Peter Jackson-produced film, will arrive next week in theaters attached to the upcoming comedy BRUNO on July 10th but the trailer may hit the web before next Friday.
If you’re curious as to what you’re going to see in the new trailer, joblo has the complete description, I’ve included an excerpt after the jump… Read more

Lionsgate has released the trailer for BROTHERS, via ET, directed by Jim Sheridan who brought us In The Name of the Father, In America, I’ll pretend Get Rich or Die Tryin’ never happened. It’s clear to see that it has every intention of trying to get a slot in the 10 Best Picture Oscar nominees. The trailer’s a bit funny because the first half gives you a sense of emotional drama, like it’s going to be your typical love triangle but then the last half suddenly becomes suspenseful, like Maguire’s character has gone psycho on his kids, his wife, his brother, the cops and the whole neighborhood.

In a small, snowy Pennsylvania town, a young man (Jake Gyllenhaal) comforts his older brother’s wife (Natalie Portman) and children after her husband (Tobey Maguire) goes missing in Afghanistan.
A remake based on the 2004 Danish movie Brodre directed by Susanne Bier,

BROTHERS opens December 4th, 2009

The 4th movie from Final Destination franchise is simply called THE FINAL DESTINATION and we’ve seen the crazy trailer that puts CW type teens in many deathly situations. Terrible acting no doubt. On top of that, it’s in 3D so the big knife could jump out of the screen and slash you in the face. A little dramatic, but you get the picture. Directed by David R. Ellis who brought us the crapola Snakes on a Plane.
Now DVD-forum has some new gory images from the movie, you can check out the rest OVER THERE, but I’ve included 2 here that crack me up, especially the one below. Maybe THE FINAL DESTINATION 3D is so awful that the movie literally kills the audience before killing itself.

On what should have been a fun-filled day at the races, Nick O’Bannon has a horrific premonition in which a bizarre sequence of events causes multiple race cars to crash, sending flaming debris into the stands, brutally killing his friends and causing the upper deck of the stands to collapse on him. When he comes out of this grisly nightmare Nick panics, persuading his girlfriend, Lori, and their friends, Janet and Hunt, to leave… escaping seconds before Nick’s frightening vision becomes a terrible reality. Thinking they’ve cheated death, the group has a new lease on life, but unfortunately for Nick and Lori, it is only the beginning. As his premonitions continue and the crash survivors begin to die one-by-one–in increasingly gruesome ways–Nick must figure out how to cheat death once and for all before he, too, reaches his final destination. The film marks the latest in the highly popular “Final Destination” series, and its first 3D installment, giving horror fans an especially visceral thrill ride.

THE FINAL DESTINATION opens August 28th, 2008

When info hit the web recently that Ryan Reynolds is going to star in an indie thriller BURIED where he’ll play a civilian contractor who’s kidnapped in Iraq and awakens buried in a coffin in the desert, armed only with a cell phone, a candle and a knifehold, it was said that Reynolds will hold the screen by himself most of the time, I had no idea it actually meant the entire time. Via The Playlist, Reynolds talked in a recent interview on Australian television..

“‘Buried’ is the story about a guy whose buried (laughs). It’s the only movie I’ve ever heard of with only one person in it. So it’s just me, I’m the only person in the whole movie so, I don’t know, we’ll see. It’s either going to be, you know, the greatest, most experimental cool movie ever made or god knows what.”

I previously asked if anybody can remember other movies where only one actor/character holds the screen, Rama’s SCREEN reader moviebuff123 reminded us Phone Booth starring Collin Farrell. Great example but even Colin wasn’t all by himself in that one, there was Forest Whitaker and a street full of people. Rama’s SCREEN reader Andy reminded us of Cast Away but even Tom Hanks had Helen Hunt in the beginning and the last parts of the movie.

80 minutes of Ryan Reynolds stuck in a coffin, now that’s gotta be something new, right?
Carson Reeves at Script Shadow already read the Chris Sparling script and called it a “top-notch storytelling….There are so many ticking time bombs: the battery, the signal, the air supply, the ransom,…It’s all ticking down and you really feel this guy drowning – running out of options”
Damn, not too shabby for an Indie project. Big studios should take note.

Michael Bay’s ego is nothing new to most of us, there was Bay vs. McG (Terminator Salvation) over whose robots are bigger, and then there was Bay vs. Critics whom Bay called ‘anti-fun’ people, and now it’s Bay vs. his own Transformers 2 star Megan Fox. This one’s more of a fair battle because Bay’s got his fame and money while Fox got her hotness, she knows that she can say whatever the hell she wants and gets away with it because folks will still drool at her damn near perfect face. Check out what’s going on after the jump… Read more

We previously saw set photos of the replica that Favreau’s crew built to imitate the setting of Monaco Grand Prix to shoot scenes for IRON MAN 2. Whatever those scenes maybe, they were teased in the first 2 official still images that were released not too long ago. A shot of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark staring at what appears to be some kind of a blue print of the famous circuit and a shot of Mickey Rourke as the Russian villain, standing in the middle of the racetrack, wearing power pack, which brings us to the image above.. Road & Track has a photo of Tony Stark’s GP racer!

This is the Stark Industries-sponsored vintage race car that the movie’s main protagonist — genius inventor and swashbuckling lady’s man Tony Stark — will be driving in a scene that depicts him racing in the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, a vintage race held in Monte Carlo. The scene is not being filmed on the actual streets of the tiny, glamorous seaside principality near the south of France, but on an elaborate set that replicates the Monaco circuit.We’re not sure what the Stark Industries car, which is built to resemble a ’70s racer, is based on exactly, but this image leads us to believe that a fully functional race car — perhaps a Formula Ford or Formula Mazda car — resides beneath that blue-and-white Stark Motor Sports livery. Check out the Avon racing slicks and transmission sticking out the back of the car beneath the rear wing.

IRON MAN 2 opens May 7th, 2010

Real quick now, so you guys won’t be kept out of the loop. WB’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is hitting the big screens July 15th (make sure you got those IMAX Tickets). The fun thing about summer movies is checking out what previews/trailers will be attached to those movies that will leave audiences in awe, just like what Toy Story 3 trailer did in front of Pixar’s UP.
joblo has found out that WB will have the new trailer for the adaptation WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (check out the previous fantasy trailer) will be attached to Harry Potter 6, it will run 1:33, along with that is also the new trailer for Guy Ritchie’s SHERLOCK HOLMES (check out the previous silly trailer) which will run 2:15 and is expected to be more kid-friendly, so that scene of Downey Jr. handcuffed, naked on a bed might not appear in the new trailer.
O.. and the new trailer for Robert Rodriguez-directed kid movie SHORTS (check out the previous dumb trailer) is also attached to Harry Potter 6.. but who cares!

This spoof has made my day, watch the hilarious vibrant video above from Electric Spoofaloo showing the trailer for New Moon like you’ve never seen before. Jacob looks like a porn star and turns into a guinea pig, Edward doesn’t know how to leave Bella, a Caribbean Laurent, and Bella’s paper cut blood keeps squirting and making a mess.

A few months ago, Latinoreview reported that the writing team Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick of the upcoming Zombieland would pen the screenplay for VENOM Movie which I thought was a great idea because that character is still one of the most menacing, powerful villains in the superhero world that unfortunately didn’t get a decent portrayal in Spider-Man 3. And if you’ve seen the bloody fun time trailer for Zombieland, you’d believe that Reese and Wernick could write an entertaining, badass VENOM Movie. The two scribes said they weren’t experts but they were going to re-learn the mythology again to get this right for the fans.

We don’t know what they have for the storyline yet but what we do know is that, via Superherohype, comic legend Stan Lee once again will do a cameo. Reese and Wernick said that they’ve written a part for Lee whose funny appearances are some of the highlights in Marvel movies. Just recently, Nukethefridge said Lee’s going to play a Larry King-like personality interviewing Tony Stark in IRON MAN 2.

In 2006, I almost fell asleep watching Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns. Presenting the Man of steel as some kind of world savior instead of a superhero that kicks ass in the American way, literally bored me to death. But I still think director Singer made the right choice in casting Brandon Routh, considering all the other non-worthy options that were rumored, from Ashton Kutcher, Nicolas Cage, Branden Fraser, Jim Caviezel, Routh was the right actor for the job. He was excellent playing the nerdy bumbling Clark Kent but the story restricted him from becoming the Superman we know he could be.. if unleashed, I’m sure he could do some serious damage in the most awesome proportion.

Int’l website omelete has a few quotes from Routh, roughly translated by Firstshowing, he basically said that regarding the next plan for SUPERMAN Movie, he doesn’t know what’s going on, all he knows is that his contract expired, but if they called him again, he’d wear the cape again in a heartbeat without thinking twice.

WB doesn’t know what to do with SUPERMAN franchise yet. We’ve heard so many versions of rumors and info over the last 3 years, the case of is it happening or is it not happening? While Nolan’s Batman is enjoying success and the next installment is in high demand, the fate of SUPERMAN is uncertain.
There was a rumor about The Wachowski bros. handling the project but none of it was true, there were plans of making SUPERMAN in a darker story like The Dark Knight but Routh and Kevin Smith thought it was a bad idea. The only person excited was Kevin Spacey who couldn’t wait to shave his head bald again to play Lex Luthor.
WB is going to reboot SUPERMAN, no doubt about it, the studio just doesn’t know quite exactly how to move forward with that. Meanwhile, possible Smallville TV Movie titled METROPOLIS might arrive in 2010.
Tom Welling to replace Routh, maybe?

Unfreakin’believable! When is this toy-based movies fad going to end? Stretch Armstrong, Candyland, Battleship, God forbid they might think of making a movie based on Ledger’s Joker action figure and they won’t care if The Dark Knight was around first. Ready to get even more ridiculous? According to comingsoon.net, VIEW-MASTER The Movie is in the works. Co-producer/writer of the TV series Fringe, Brad Caleb Kane will be writing a movie based on the device for viewing seven stereo images on a paper disk, mostly used for tourist attractions.
Kane twittered saying that after he’s done penning the sci-fi action-adventure Uprising for director Wolfgang Petersen and Columbia Pictures, he will take on VIEW-MASTER for DreamWorks Pictures.

“Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (”Fringe,” Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Star Trek) are behind the film and that it will be “like the old 80’s Amblin movies: Goonies, Young Sherlock… In that vein.”

Yeah well Transformers 2 was a dreadful, the names Kurtzman and Orci may not always be a guarantee. VIEW-MASTER The movie as it is just sounds like such an awful idea, what the hell are we going to be watching.. a group of kids trying to find treasure by looking at each of the View-master pictures that serves as clues? Or an investigation that can be solved only by looking through a special view master given to man by aliens from thousands of years ago?! Or he view-master can transforms into a giant poop that transforms into a rickshaw?!

Nothing like celebrating 4th of July weekend than celebrating the patriotic basterds that kill Nazis and cousin, business is a-booming! The latest issue of Empire magazine has 4 new character posters for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS featuring Brad Pitt’s Lt. Aldo Raine, Diane Kruger’s Bridget von Hammersmark, Christoph Waltz‘ Col. Hans Landa and Melanie Laurent’s Shosanna Dreyfus. Each poster is spoiled with their catchy lines from the movie. Click on the images to enlarge
We saw the other day the international trailer that’s surprisingly is way more exciting to watch than the domestic version. That’s a Bingo! Via Tarantino Archives

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS opens August 21st, 2009

We’re entering the 4th of July weekend, meaning movie info would hit a slow turn but no worries, there’ll be some stuff to enjoy here on Rama’s SCREEN if you’re bored with the BBQ. I just hope it’ll be a nice weekend with no sad surprises, after McMahon, Farah, Jacko and Malden, I think it’s fair to hope for some real time off, a breather.
Here’s a quickie, I don’t know if you remember the 1988 movie HEATHERS starring 2 has-beens, Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, about a girl who half-heartedly tries to be part of the in crowd of her school but she meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics.
Ryder’s been wanting a sequel for as long as I’ve been wanting to be the next John McLane, but just like my fantasy, Ryder’s wish is nothing but that. Recently, she said that a sequel is in the works..

“Whatever you hear, there is a sequel in the works. I swear to God,”
“But for some reason the writer Dan Waters and director Michael Lehmann don’t want to talk about it.”

I wrote an article a while back titled They Were Supposed To Be Awesome, What Happened?! and Ryder was one of my example of a star that was once shining so bright, Oscar nominated too but then along the way, through her poor choices, she became yesterday’s news in a blink of an eye.
But movieline got on the ball and asked director Michael Lehmann if there’s any truth to Ryder’s statement about HEATHERS 2. He denied it nicely.

Winona’s been talking about this for years — she brings it up every once in a while and Dan Waters and I will joke about it, but as far as I know there’s no script and no plans to do the sequel. A couple weeks ago everyone started talking about it and I guess Winona said the movie was gonna get made, and I thought, “I don’t know, maybe they did this without me?” But I got in touch with Dan Waters and he said he didn’t know anything about it. So I don’t think there’s any truth to it.

I read recently that Christian Slater has been cast in the ABC series titled THE FORGOTTEN. I laughed because that title practically describes him and his career.
I think Winona Ryder is screaming for HEATHERS 2 because she can’t think of any other way of getting herself back on top, not even her recent cameo as young Spock’s mom in J.J. Abrams’ STAR TREK left a lasting impression. Very sad if you think about it. Maybe she wants the same luck that happened to Mickey Rourke to happen to her too.
This just in, Freddy Prinze Jr. is demanding She’s All That 2.

As you know, Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo are starring in the drama THE FIGHTER and you can be in it too. Well, sorta. The movie’s looking for unpaid extras to fill the stands for some boxing scenes that will be shooting in Lowell, Massachusetts on July 14th, 15th and 16th. You can go to Beinamovie.com to sign up for free. Free parking, and raffle prizes for CDs, DVDs, and Gift Cards will be provided and they say that scenes that will be shot include Bale and Wahlberg. But the chances you’ll see your face in the movie is very slim because the camera might not focus on the area where you’re sitting at.

I went to this kind of gig back when I was in college and it was a waste of time. The last one it was for Semi-Pro, we, all of the unpaid extras, were told that we only had to wait for an hour but then it turned into 5 bloody hours, thedamn paid extras got to have better food. After waiting for so long, they announced that they couldn’t film the scene so they wanted to reschedule. My friend and I pulled a Cartman and each of us said ‘Screw you guys, I’m going home!’

THE FIGHTER is about Boston Fighter “Irish” Mickey Ward (Wahlberg), who was losing bouts and was ready to hang up the gloves when his trainer-brother Dick Ecklund (Bale) came back into his life, out of years of drugs, crime, prison, and helped Mickey get the world lightweight championship in London, to be directed by David O. Russell (Three Kings)

This remake literary has 6 drop dead gorgeous girls but the theatrical poster, via MySpace didn’t do justice in showing that. The movie’s going to stink real bad so I thought the poster would at least sell the attractiveness of those girls but now not the trailer, not the poster would invite audiences.. the only ones will be watching are those who thought Prom Night the remake was the best movie in 2008.

When five sorority girls inadvertently cause the murder of one of their sisters in a prank gone wrong, they agree to keep the matter to themselves and never speak of it again, so they can get on with their lives. This proves easier said than done, when after graduation a mysterious killer goes after the five of them and anyone who knows their secret…

SORORITY ROW opens October 2nd, 2009

Judd Apatow’s upcoming comedy FUNNY PEOPLE got a crapload of stars: Eric Bana, Leslie Mann,Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Ken Jeong, Sarah Silverman and many more A-list comedians but one will stand out, Eminem’s cameo, the rapper himself told the world about it not too long ago. He should get back to acting again, he’s got some mad skills in 8 Mile. MTV has the first look photo above showing Marshall Matters talking to Adam Sandler’s character, George Simmons, in a restaurant. What do you think they’re talking about?

FUNNY PEOPLE opens July 31st, 2009 (check out the trailer)

I wish I was at the Anime Expo 2009 this weekend, I really do but I got too much on my plate right now, this ain’t gonna be a fun 4th of July holiday I tell ya that much. But I’ll be at the Comic-Con in a few weeks  so that should be some kind of remedy. Luckily, Collider was at the larget manga and anime gathering today and checked out the coolness all around including Imagi Studios booth showcasing the upcoming movie versions of ASTROBOY (check out the teaser) and GATCHAMAN.

We saw the teaser poster, we watched the 10 second teaser and we witnessed some really cool concept art and now check out these two signage or display if you will..  and I’m sure we’ll get to see them again at Comic-Con in San Diego. Now I didn’t grow up watching GATCHAMAN so forgive me if I don’t know much about it but as far as the upcoming movie goes, it will feature some of the most ambitious action sequences ever seen in animation, the story is set in a future world grappling with environmental and technological issues, it focuses on five reluctant heroes whose remarkable genetic code makes them Earth’s only hope of defeating extra-terrestrial invaders.

This isn’t exactly a movie info but if you’re a STAR WARS fans, then you’re gonna wanna know about this. According to Sci-Fi Wire the preproduction for George Lucas‘ proposed live-action STAR WARS series is currently underway in the land Down Under, that’s Aussie, mate
Slashfilm said that master jedi George Lucas once described the project as “Deadwood meets The Sopranos in space”. I liked those two HBO shows but geez..of all the titles out there, it’s funny that Lucas would pick those two to paint a picture in your mind about this STAR WARS series.. I guess the storm troopers would be dropping F-bombs, and may the graphic sex and gratuitous violent force in mafia style be with you.

The website went on to say that the show is assembling Aussie TV industry’s high quality writers, including those who penned Love My Way and Secret Life of Us (Are you familiar with those shows?)
This currently untitled series is expected to debut in 2010. The series will reportedly be set between the eras of Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope and will NOT feature any major characters from the film series…
How can, star wars without yoda, you have, hmm?
I hope, do a cameo, will he.
I’m not a big fan of the recent CG animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, so I don’t know if a live action series is a more exciting idea.

As long as it’s nothing like this cheesy clip from the 70s show Donnie and Marie..