Author: Josh Wigler

‘Max’ Cuts Out Some ‘Payne’ to Land PG-13

‘Max’ Cuts Out Some ‘Payne’ to Land PG-13

According to Shack News, Max Payne will be released with a PG-13 rating. Director John Moore had been advocating for this rating, which is significantly more financially viable than the R rating that the MPAA had granted.

Moore and his team "trimmed some frames for the sake of trimming frames," which led to the MPAA’s reconsideration of the film’s rating.

Fans will still see a bloodier cut of the video game adaptation, which Moore refers to as the "Gamer Dedicated Cut."

"It’s a little slower and a little more atmospheric," Moore tells GameDaily. "There are some rougher edges on it, but it’s not going to be a bloodfest. I want this to be the Max Payne that I set out to shoot. It’s not that I wanted to release one version in the theaters and make a cheap buck by following up with a blood-drenched DVD version. The movie you see in the theaters will be an intense experience and the movie you see on DVD will be as intense an experience with some extra sensibilities for people who really adore the game."

Starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, Max Payne centers on a DEA agent (Wahlberg) whose family is slain as part of a conspiracy. He teams up with assassin (Kunis) out to avenge her sister’s death. The duo will be hunted by the police, the mob, and a ruthless corporation.

Max Payne arrives in theaters on October 17, 2008.

Kirsten Dunst is ‘in’ for ‘Spider-Man 4’

Kirsten Dunst is ‘in’ for ‘Spider-Man 4’

A few weeks ago, news broke that Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi would be strapping on their webslingers (err, maybe surgically outfitting their bodies with adhesive web goo is more like it) for yet another Spider-Man installment. Spider-Man 4 and 5 will be shot back-to-back, not unlike the latter (and lesser) two Matrix and Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. But what those films lacked making them inferior to their predecessors, Spider-Man has in spades… Kirsten Dunst!!

[Crickets]…

Nothing?

Alright, well, word is coming in that Ms. Dunst, whose been playing hot-and-cold with your friendly neighborhood franchise both on and off the screen, is "in" to reprise her role as Mary Jane Watson.

"I’m in," the actress told MTV News while promoting her upcoming film, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.

She was later asked to make the announcement official, to which she cryptically replied, "I’m not saying anything, I know there’s rumors…"

C’mon, Kirsten. Cat’s outta the bag. And the feline’s a feisty creature; once she’s out, you can’t put her back in. Either Kirsten Dunst is returning to play the fiery redhead one more time, or she’s just curb-stomped the collective hopes and fantasies of teenagers everywhere.

Review: ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ Episode #204

Review: ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ Episode #204

Note: Click here to relive the past episode!

This Week’s Operation: “Alison from Palmdale”

Mission Briefing:

Cameron, whose been malfunctioning lately, goes amnesiac in a grocery store while having strange visions of the future. A woman identical to her in the future, named Alison Young, is captured by Terminators and interrogated about the whereabouts of John Connor. Eventually, Alison comes into contact with Cameron, who is trying to infiltrate John’s rebel camp. When it becomes clear that Alison won’t comply, Cameron breaks her neck.
 
In the present, Cameron begins to think that her name is Alison from Palmdale, California. She’s befriended by a troubled girl named Jody, who takes her to a halfway house. Cameron calls Claire Young, Alison’s mother, but she’s actually still pregnant. Later, Cameron leaves the halfway house with Jody, where John finds her and tells her what she really is: a killer robot from the frickin’ future. Cameron realigns her identity, but still decides to run away with Jody. They break into a home which turns out to be Jody’s, and Cameron realizes that Jody was going to leave her behind for the cops to take the blame. John shows up just in time to prevent Cameron from killing Jody. As they’re driving home, Cameron lies to John about a necklace she got from Jody, implying that her malfunctioning days are far from over.

Meanwhile, Sarah keeps Casey company at the hospital while doctors check on her pregnancy. Sarah meets Casey’s LAPD boyfriend, Trevor. Elsewhere, Agent Ellison accepts Catherine Weaver’s offer to join Zeira Corp to find and disassemble Terminators.

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Marvel extends distribution deal with Paramount

Marvel extends distribution deal with Paramount

Though hard to deny the colossal success of The Dark Knight, it can’t be said that Marvel slept through 2008. Iron Man was the second highest grossing film of the year, taking in $318 million domestically and $571 million worldwide. It wasn’t long after the appropriately Stark-sized success that Marvel Studios announced official development on further film projects. Today, it was announced that Shakespearean director Kenneth Branagh is in talks to direct Marvel’s Thor. Now, only hours later, Marvel has yet another big announcement.

Marvel Studios has extended their distribution pact with Paramount Pictures. Paramount will distribute Marvel’s next five films. These films include Iron Man 2 (May 7, 2010), Thor (July 16, 2010), The First Avenger: Captain America (May 6, 2011) and The Avengers (July 15, 2011). The deal also covers Iron Man 3, which was always an assumed project but is now officially in the woodwork.

The agreement includes theatrical distribution in foreign countries previously uncovered by Paramount. Such territories include Japan, Germany, France, Spain and Australia/New Zealand. Due to a prior arrangement, Iron Man 2 will be distributed in Germany by Telemunchen.

"Coming off of Iron Man’s incredible success this summer, we could not be more excited about extending our relationship with Marvel," Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore said of the new deal. "Marvel’s iconic brand, its popular characters and its proven ability to create compelling and visually spellbinding films complement Paramount’s great history of filmmaking."

Iron Man 2
reunites the creative powerhouse of director Jon Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr. Terence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow are expeced back and director Favreau has been meeting with Iron Man scribe Matt Fraction top kick around story ideas although the War Machine armor is expected to debut.

Thor, set for release two months after Iron Man 2, was written by I am Legend screenwriter Mark Protosevich. Actor/director Kenneth Branagh is attached to direct.

The First Avenger: Captain America comes from a screenplay by Zak Penn, and is rumored to be a World War II-era period piece. No casting announcements have been made regarding Steve Rogers, but rumors have ranged from Leonardo DiCaprio to Will Smith.

These properties will culminate in 2011’s The Avengers, Marvel Studios’ big team-up epic. Captain America, Iron Man and Thor are set to headline with their respective actors in place. The films leading up to the project will feature interweaving cameos from other Marvel characters, such as Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury appearing after the credits in Iron Man and Robert Downey Jr. at the end of The Incredible Hulk.

Assuming that the remainder of Marvel’s current slate succeeds on the same scale as ol’ Shellhead’s cinema outing, this could be the start of a very long, beautiful relationship between Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures.

Review: ‘Dexter’ Episode #301

Review: ‘Dexter’ Episode #301

The Crime Scene: “Our Father”
From Showtime: “[[[Dexter]]] begins to question his blind loyalty to his father’s memory. In an act of spontaneity, he wonders whether The Code of Harry is a necessity anymore. Dexter’s relationship with Rita intensifies. Angel becomes Sergeant, replacing the deceased Doakes. Dexter goes to desperate measures to cover up his latest murder, while meeting assistant district attorney Miguel Prado, who has history with Lt. LaGuerta. Meanwhile, the team discover the victim of another killer, which could just be bigger than the Bay Harbor Butcher.”

Blood Spatter Analysis

[[[The Dark Defender]]] is back, and he’s ready to kick ass and take blood samples.

Last season, blood spatter analyst cum vigilante killer Dexter Morgan nearly found himself on the wrong side of a prison cell. Sergeant James Doakes discovered that Dexter was the man behind the grizzly Bay Harbor Butcher slayings. Luckily, Dex was saved by the belle, the highly obsessive Lila, who killed Doakes to prevent Dexter from being discovered. Not so luckily for Lila, Dexter murdered the woman for killing Doakes, but not before pinning the murders on the deceased officer. With that monkey off his back, Dexter was free to resume his vendetta against Miami’s criminal underground… and resume he has!

As the third season begins, Dexter reflects upon his highly successful summer. His game has stepped up in every sense of the word. He’s back in the killing business, taking out all new bad guys and making up for lost samples with a new blood collection. He’s also upped his acting abilitiy, particularly notable when Dexter poses as a junkie to attain recon on his next victim, a murdering drug dealer named Freebo. Dexter’s social skills are at an all time high as well, both around the Miami Metro Police Department and at home with his girlfriend, Rita. In fact, Dexter’s progress as a killer might be second to his relationship progress with Rita. Let’s just say that he’s had his hands very, ah, full.

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Kenneth Branagh in talks to direct ‘Thor’

Kenneth Branagh in talks to direct ‘Thor’

In a move that may be construed as either a gift from the Gods or the coming of Ragnarok itself, Variety has announced that Kenneth Branagh is in negotiations to direct Thor for Marvel Studios. Branagh’s previous directing and acting credits include Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing. He also starred as Gilderoy Lockart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The trade reminds us that Branagh is joining a pantheon of well established directors such as Bryan Singer, Chris Nolan and Jon Favreau that have crossed from arthouse film to big studio projects. What they aren’t emphasizing nearly enough is that Branagh is a Shakespearean actor at his core, bringing the kind of gravitas that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan lended to their roles in X-Men.

The movie has been written by Mark Protosevich basing it on the early Journey into Mystery stories by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby involving mortal doctor Donald Blake, who finds Mjolnir and trasnsforms into the god of Thunder. Other rumors peg Thor as an entirely mythology based film. Given that, can you imagine a Shakespeare inspired, all-out war between Norse gods? Verily, so can we!

Although no mention of whether Branagh will also star in the film, it’s a safe bet that he’ll step in front of the lens in some capacity, as he’s done several times before. It’d be a bit of a stretch to see Branagh wielding Mjolnir, but maybe he’ll step into the trickstery boots of Loki… assuming, that is, they aren’t going with the chick version. And hey, even if they are, we’ve certainly seen weirder.

Thor is the next in Marvel’s 10-picture deal with Paramount Pictures where the studio releases the films, giving Marvel Studios creative control as they self-fund from a $500 million credit line still secured by Merrill Lynch.  The first film in the deal, Iron Man, proved the deal a smart move for Paramount. Also included among the ten pictures are Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, First Avenger: Captain America, Thor and Avengers.

The film is another building block to July 2011’s Avengers film so fans can expect Easter eggs and cameos.

Review: ‘Fringe’ Episode #103

Review: ‘Fringe’ Episode #103

Note: Click here for last week’s mystery!

Autopsy Report: "The Ghost Network"

A man named Roy is having visions of terrible accidents and attacks before they happen, including the mystery of Flight 627. When he has these "feelings," he needs to draw the visions in order to get them out of his system. His latest premonition involves a man gas-bombing a bus that suspends all the passengers in an amber-like substance. Olivia Dunham and the Bishops investigate and learn that someone was trying to obtain an item from one of the passengers, secretly an undercover FBI agent. Olivia meets with the agent’s handler, who seems distraught over the agent’s death and goes to see her body.

The Bishops, meanwhile, meet with Roy. Walter discovers that Roy is tapping into something called the Ghost Network, a theory he and Massive Dynamic founder William Bell devised that there were certain wavelengths that information could be transferred on. Roy was a test subject of theirs, and was injected with a metal compound that turned him into a receiver of this top secret intelligence network. His premonitions occur because he intercepts the transmissions agents use on the Ghost Network.

Walter jerryrigs a way for Roy’s visions to be translated in spoken word rather than through illustration. In doing so, Roy picks up a signal suggesting that the dead FBI agent’s secret item has been found and is being exchanged at Boston’s South Station. Olivia figures out that the woman’s FBI handler must have removed the item from her dead corpse. She intercepts the handler, who is then shot by the other man in the exchange before throwing himself into the path of a moving train. With the culprit dead, Olivia obtains the sought after item and hands it over.

Meanwhile, Agent Phillip Boyles secretly meets with Massive Dynamic representative Nina Sharp. Phillip is irritated that Nina is trying to steal Olivia away from his agency. He nonetheless hands her an item, presumably the same item that Olivia recovered. Nina later takes the item to a scientist. The scientist is performing experiments on a very interesting test subject: a sedentary Agent John Scott, Olivia’s supposedly deceased ex-lover.

 

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Review: ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ Episode #203

Review: ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ Episode #203

Note: Click here to relive the past episode!

 

This Week’s Operation: "The Mousetrap"

 

Mission Briefing:
Charley Dixon and his wife Michelle are fleeing town from the big bad Terminator, when Cromartie himself shows up and abducts Michelle. Charley enlists the help of Sarah and Derek Reese, who track Michelle to an abandoned shack in the desert. She’s strung up to a series of explosives, that turn out to be fake. Cromartie was trying to lure Sarah out in the open so she’d contact John, and then he could trace his location. His mission successful, Cromartie blows up the shack and drives off in pursuit of John. Michelle is severely injured in the blast and needs a hospital, but Cromartie has sabotaged Sarah’s car. They hijack a van and race against time to save both John and Michelle.

Meanwhile, John goes to buy a computer with Cameron, but ditches her to hang out with his new friend Riley. Cameron stalks them from a distance, but Riley and John catch on and run off. John gets a phone call from Cromartie posing as his mother. Using Sarah’s voice, he tells John to meet at a nearby pier. John shows up and sees that it’s not his mom at all, unless she’d undergone extensive work in the past couple hours. John pulls some Mission: Impossible moves to evade Cromartie, and the two eventually wind up in the ocean. Luckily for John, Terminators don’t move so well in the water, and Cromartie sinks to the bottom. John and Cameron later reunite with Derek and Sarah, and John notices blood in the hijacked van. It’s revealed that Michelle died from her wounds, and Charley is not happy at all.

Elsewhere, former FBI agent James Ellison is contacted by mysterious CEO Catherine Weaver, who is secretly a T-1000. She tells him that her company has been trying to reverse engineer Terminator technology from parts they’ve found in recent years, but their attempts haven’t been successful. She wants answers, but more importantly, she wants Ellison to help her find another Terminator.


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‘Lost’ loses Emilie de Ravin

‘Lost’ loses Emilie de Ravin

With so many questions looming about Lost’s impending fifth season, there’s at least one mystery that can be solved right now: we won’t be hearing a certain cry to "stay away from my bay-bay!"

At the Emmy awards last night, Entertainment Weekly‘s Michael Ausiello had the chance to interview actress Emilie de Ravin who plays young mother Claire Littleton on the hit island drama. Claire was last seen as hanging out with her spooky ghost father in Jacob’s cabin, leading many to theorize that Claire herself had sailed off to that big island in the sky. Now comes word from de Ravin herself that fans won’t be seeing Claire as a regular in the new season, starting in January, causing further speculation that the young Aussie is toast.

"I’ll miss everyone," de Ravin says of her departure, "but it’s also great for me, because I can go and work on some other things."

That doesn’t mean she’s walking off into the sunset completely. When asked if she’d be returning for the show’s final season, she answered a resounding "Yes."

While we’re in the process of bringing out our dead, now’s a good time to bring out our possibly living, too. Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Jin Soo Kwon on Lost, also spoke to Ausiello on the red carpet about his status on the show. He acknowledge that Jin’s fate was "up in the air" after potentially blowing up in last season’s finale (gee, ya think!?!) but he swore that "if you keep watching, you’ll be rewarded."

Pressed if he’d completed any actual filming on the show, Kim coyly replied, "I just came from Hawaii. One could interpret that as [a good sign]."

There you have it. One character lost, another one found, and the rest of us thoroughly on the brink of madness waiting for some frickin’ answers!

Review: ‘Fringe’ Episode #102

Review: ‘Fringe’ Episode #102

Previously on Fringe

During an investigation into mysterious deaths aboard Flight 627, Agent Olivia Dunham’s boyfriend and partner Agent Scott is nearly killed, his body becoming translucent. Olivia recruits Walter and Peter Bishop, an eccentric father-son scientific duo, to devise a cure for Scott’s condition. Although successful, it turns out that Scott has secret knowledge of Flight 627, but he’s killed before he can reveal anything. Olivia is determined to uncover what Scott’s involvement means in relation to an enigma known as ‘The Pattern,’ and is recruited alongside the Bishops to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, the secretive Massive Dynamic corporation looms in the distance, somehow involved in the plot.

“Same Old Story,” different day…

The series kicks off it’s first post-pilot installment with “[[[The Same Old Story]]],” and it’s anything but. A woman suddenly becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby in a matter of minutes. Upon birth, the baby grows and ages 80 years. Who you gonna call? Fringe… busters… people. Alright, they need a cooler name.

“The Same Old Story” matches the creep factor so heavily ratcheted in the first episode. Kicking the show off with a fast-forwarded version of [[[The Curious Case of Benjamin Button]]] is eerily reminiscent of [[[The X-Files]]] — and that’s certainly the effect that the ladies and gents at Fox have in mind. The computer graphics could use some work, but it’s solid as far as network television goes.

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