Behold the New Red Dawn Cast!!

You heard me right. They are remaking Red Dawn (they remake everything these days). If you don't remember, the movie is about the Soviet Union and Cuba attacking the United States on our home soil and the group of Colorado high school students who fight back. It's a classic that is well liked and was well made so naturally Hollywood has to redo it in hopes of making more money off of us, the consumer whores.

Well, the cast for this remake has been set and /Film has the info:

Chris Hemsworth (best known as Kirk’s father in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek) will be playing Jed Eckert (played by Patrick Swayze in the original), a marine on leave, who leads the group into battle.
Josh Peck (The Wackness) will be playing Matt Eckert (played by Charlie Sheen in the original), the younger brother of Jed and the high school’s star quarterback.
Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights) will play Toni Mason (played by Jennifer Grey in the original), survivor turned tough girl and Jed’s possible love interest.
Josh Hutcherson (Journey to the Center of the Earth) will play the role of Robert, originated by C. Thomas Howell, the Wolverine’s tech geek and communications specialist who transforms into a warrior along the way.
Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) will play Erica, a role originated by Lea Thompson, the Wolverines’ head cheerleader and Matt’s girlfriend who becomes incarcerated in an internment camp after the invasion.
Edwin Hodge (Mental) will play Danny, a role originated by Brad Savage, no longer the young kid but the cool kid in school, the Wolverines’ wide receiver, and Matt’s best friend.
Connor Cruise (son of Tom Cruise, appeared in Seven Pounds) as Daryl, a role originated by Darrne Dalton — The mayor’s son, the youngest Wolverine, and Robert’s best friend.

I'm pretty intrested with their choices. I liked Chris Hemsworth as papa Kirk even though he didn't have much screen time. He still has a very strong air of young leadership which will work well in this movie. Josh Peck has really come pretty far from his days as the fat kid from Snow Day, All That, or even Drake and Josh. I want to see what he brings to this movie. And of course we got to see Isabel Lucas as the "hot chick who is really a robot dog" in Transformers 2 so I would like to see if she can really act or is just another pretty face. However, we are all well aware that an interesting cast doesn't always make for a good movie. Just look at The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

DC Universe Online

Stephen Schleicher over at Major Spoilers has posted an article about what he's hearing from Comic Con about the DC Universe Online MMORPG coming out.

The articles and stories coming out of the San Diego Comic Con regarding the upcoming DC Universe Online MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) Game, haven’t been very detailed, but here’s what we know so far…

* The game will use the Unreal 3 engine for physics based games. If you are in the path of a bus that another character has thrown, be prepared to get knocked down and suffer some damage.
* There will be accessible environments. If you have speed based powers, you may literally be able to run up the sides of buildings.
...
* The game will be simultaneously on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC systems...
...
* Players can work through a mentor like the Batman or The Joker (called Side Kick For Real), or they can strike out on their own with the Patrol (good) or Prowl (bad) PvP interaction.

Stephen lists more details that relate to the fact that the game is going to stay true to the DC Universe and will allow players to experience just about everything they would expect if they were actually in that world.

I get the feeling for that this is going to be nothing more then a DC licensed version of City of Heroes/Villains. I'm sure it will be very pretty from the images I've seen but will the gameplay be worth it? I've played many pretty games and some of which are MMO's that have let me down. I really hope this isn't one of them.


If you are hyped up about the game and what to know more you can add them to your buddy list on My Space and get exclusive info that will hit the web a few hours later.

Family Guy Spin-off : The Cleveland Show

Well, looks like they are going through with it. It has been rumored for a while that Cleveland (the black guy from Family Guy) was getting his own show. Starting Spring of '09, Fox will have a new show on it's Sunday lineup.

Summed up, the show is about Cleveland heading back to his home town to help a recently divorced ex-girlfriend raise her kids which includes a flirtatious stepdaughter and a 5-year old lady's man. He will also get some wacky neighbors such as bears, a Victorian-style British family, and red-necks. But don't take my word for it. Check out the promo below.



If Family Guy gets another season, who will they get as their wacky black next door neighbor. Maybe they will give Ollie Williams more just a line a week. Let's wait and see if this works out. Or is as dull as American Dad (except for Patrick Stewart... anything with him is gold).

Via [TV Squad]

Battlestar Galactica: The Last Supper

This is "The Last Supper" as reimagined with the cast of Battlestar Galactica. It was appearently printed in Entertaiment Weekly but is also shown on the Battlestar Galactica page on Scifi.com. I like how it appears to me that Six is playing a christ-like figure in this picture. I wonder if that's a hint at something in the upcoming season.

The fourth and final season officially began with the tv movie "Razor." The remaining episodes will be split in two halves. The already filmed episodes will begin airing April 4, 2008 well the production on the last episodes is set to begin this month. I can't wait to see how it all turns out but with this great of a show I'm sure it will be amazing.

Via [Boing Boing]

The Clone Wars, TV Series Trailer

I loved the animated shorts on Cartoon Network, Star Wars: Clone Wars. The animation was great and it was nice to have a glimpse of what happened during these fated wars. Now, a new series is coming out this fall called Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It too takes place between Episode II and Episode III.

Here is the trailer released last week and I have to say I like the way it looks.
New Clone Wars Trailer

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This show should fill in the gaps left out by the other short series and maybe we will finally see how Anakin got that scar on his face.

Via [Major Spoilers]

Star Trek Movie Date Moved

I know this is week old news but as they say, better late then never.

The upcoming Star Trek movie has been moved form December of this year to May 8th, 2009. The change is due to a "major reshuffling to the studio’s release calendar" which I assume is in an attempt to give certain movies more time due to the WGA strike. The strike, which is on the verdge of ending as soon as all the members approve the new contract, has undoublely created a lot of trouble for all the studios out there and I'm sure we will see similar shuffling of movies in the upcoming months.

I am actually very glad to hear that this particular movie has been given five more months to pull things together. From what I've read about the movie, there are several details that need to be fixed and I'm sure J.J. Abrams looks forward to the opportunity to make changes.

This is good news. Be patient.

Big Changes for Stargate: Atlantis

[NOTE: Spoilers ahead. Read if you want to know, or don't if you're a pansy. Your choice]

So far this season there hasn't been too much opportunity for Colonel Carter to show her ability to lead the Atlantis team. Each episode either had everyone separated into small groups, amnesia of sorts, Sheppard leading a small group of the cast, or only a brief minute of Carter on film. Nothing much to speak of. Well, with the success of one of Amanda Tapping's projects, Sanctuary, she is going to drop from the regular cast during the fifth season.

Who is going to take her place? Well, Dr. Jennifer Keller (Jewel Staite)will now be a regular cast member during the fifth season as well as the new administrator of Atlantis : Richard Woolsey. Yes, Robert Picardo will renew his role as the uptight I.O.A representative and will join the cast as their new commander.

I'm not surprised by the change of command due to the lack of Carter as it is, but the choice of the new commander is a little odd. I like the fact that we will no longer have a liked character but a known pain in the ass, but I'm still unsure. This could be a jumping of the shark or simply a unique development. It all depends how the writing goes and with the WGA strike coming to an end soon (I will comment about that tomorrow) this could be a good thing. Let's wait and see.

Oh, and keep an eye out for Dr. Carson Beckett to make a five episode return and a brief visit from Daniel Jackson.

Via [TV Squad]

Best Buy is Loves Heath Ledger

Best Week Ever has posted this picture sent by a reader hours after the word of Heath Ledger's death hit the news. Just goes to show that Best Buy will find any excuse to sell something. Glad to see that there is now soul in business. Keep up the good work you callous bastards.

Comic of the Day 1/24

Yes, unfortionetly Super Smash Bros. Brawl has been delayed till March 9th. So we will all have to wait for me too kick all your butts. But you can read this comic and feel a little better about it.



Via [VG Cats]

Heath Ledger Found Dead

I'm sure most of you know this already because this news has hit the web hard. The future Joker in the upcoming The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger, has been found dead today.

At 3:31 p.m., according to the police, a masseuse arrived... for an appointment with Mr. Ledger. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of the bedroom Mr. Ledger was in. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger naked and unconscious on a bed, with sleeping pills — both prescription medication and nonprescription — on a night table. They moved his body to the floor and attempted to revive him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities.

There is no word of foul play at this time but I just don't understand why the man would overdose, accidental or otherwise. I will post more if their is any further word about the cause of Ledger's death.

Via [The New York Times]

8th Harry Potter Movie

United Press International has an article that states that crew members working on the current movie adaptation of the 6th book, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, has mentioned that the 7th book might have to be made into two movies. Their concern is that there is so much story in the final book, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows, that it would be difficult to reduce it into a single movie.

"There's so much to fit that the view is the last movie should be in two halves," one anonymous source said. "There is a huge battle when Harry, played by Daniel Radcliffe, takes on Voldemort that needs to be done really well."

They state that it is all a matter of keeping the "artistic vision" of the story intact and it is "not aimed at cashing in on the highly profitable series." Which I frankly don't believe. I am an avid reader of the series and have watched the movies with cringes and cries of pain. They have manipulated, cut, and re-imagined the "artistic vision" of the previous books since the second movie. They have shown no concern for the original vision of the story nor presenting information that is vital to the depth of the story.

Simply put, they are just using the excuse of the battle at the end of the last book to milk this movie franchise for every penny they can get. It's no different then how many movies have repeated re-releases of movies in order to have people who love the movies buy them again for an added scene or feature. The scary thing is that despite so many of the buyers being aware of this fact, they still purchase the extended special editions and I have no doubt that people will watch the split-up Harry Potter movie.

Damn us all for being consumer whores.

More Star Trek Movie News

I have three bits of news/rumors about the upcoming Star Trek movie.

The first bit of news is that the teaser trailer will premier before JJ Abrams other upcoming movie, Cloverfield January 18th 2008. So if you aren't interested in the movie, which I am on the fence about, then look for it the next day online.

Secondly, another actor has been added to the cast of the movie. Tyler Perry will be playing the head of the Starfleet Academy. Don't worry, he won't be dressed up as his annoying old black woman persona. The rumor is that Perry's scene takes place with Spock and Kirk and it relates to him being upset over the rigging of the Kobayashi Maru exam. The famous "no win" scenario mentioned in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan where Kirk is the only known victor.

In relation to the above mention of the rumor about the Kobayashi Maru exam, comes in as the final tidbit of information. Quint, over at AintItCool.com, has reported that a source of his has read the script and shared with him the details of how young James T. Kirk actually won the "no win" scenario. Apparently, Kirk sleeps with a girl who in return alters the program for him. If true, that would be very much in character with the Kirk that we have come to know and love. Also, if true, it will definitely add towards a positive review from me about this movie when I see it.

The 4400 and The Dead Zone Canceled

TVSquad.com has posted that both The 4400 and The Dead Zone have been canceled.

The 4400, which completed its 4th season back in September, has been waiting to find out its fate. Yesterday series creator Scott Peters announced in a post on the USANetwork.com forums that the show has been canceled:

"We've had a great time bringing you this story and submersing you in the lives of all these incredible characters. ...But at least we got to go out with a bang! I had an awesome time directing the last episode. I think I got to make almost every single cast member cry (on camera). ...So let me raise my metaphorical glass to you all and thank you for being so loyal and so dedicated. I wish we could go on forever, but the party has come to an end."

I've only seen a few episode in of this show and I honestly never got into it. It was just to slow paced for me but I know a friend of mine loved the show completely so it definitely had it's following. For all those out there who wish to fight this can "sign" the petition at this link.

Joining The 4400 in the "Will Not Be Back" column is The Dead Zone. The show, also on the USA Network, has been on for 6 seasons and I was along for the ride for the first 2 seasons. I'm sorry to say it for you now mourning fans, but after the 2nd season the show just seemed to lose some of it's magic. I watched a few episodes during the 3rd season in hopes that the show would keep its unique and interesting writing but it seemed to drop off dramatically. I was honestly quite amazed that the show lasted 6 seasons in the first place. Don't get me wrong, I loved the acting of Anthony Micheal Hall, but the shows story began to diverge from what it was in the beginning. It became nothing more then a gimmicky show with single episode storylines and repeating themes.

Well, whether you liked the show or now it is over. However, just like The 4400 a petition has been started on the USANetwork.com forums that you can also "sign" at this link. As a big fan of Firefly I am on your side and hope you guys are able to change the fates of your shows. At least to get an ending to your shows to wash out the bitter tastes in your mouths.

James Potter and the Hall of Enders' Crossing

First lets get this straight, Rowling is not making this "sequel" book. It is in fact a fan made book that is being sold at EldersCrossing.com

A sequel to the Harry Potter series has been made and has a website to promote it. The book, titled James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing, is about the adventures of Harry Potter's eldest son. The book will be 360 pages and is being made by George Lippert, a 37 year old digital artist from St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. Lippert has stated that he wrote the book for his family who are fans of the series and were looking forward to more.

Christopher Little, Rowling's agent, has targeted any unauthorised works trading on the Harry Potter name. But experts specialising in copyright law say it may be less straightforward to prosecute Mr Lippert because young James Potter makes a fleeting appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The site is well made and is so realist that many people who have stumbled across it have theorised that J.K. Rowling is behind it, which was proven false by the face that Rowling is attempting to sue Lippert over copy right. Upon entering the site a brief video promoting the upcoming book followed by a countdown clock to the day of the book's release is displayed. More features can be accessed by using the following passwords:
1st Password: Genisolaris
2nd Password: Corsica
3rd Password: Poink
4th Password: Sylvven

The first password will give you access to an excerpt from "Technomancy, History, and Magical Polices." The second password displays a little video celebrating the end of Voldermort and admitting that this is not a site supported by J. K. Rowling. The third password gives access to an additional excerpt from "Technomancy, History, and Magical Polices." The forth password gives you access to a picture of the book's cover art.

From the excerpts and the artwork it is quite clear that Lippert has really dedicated himself to this project. The drawings are in the style of the Harry Potter books and the writing is very similar to the style of Rowling. I look forward to this book and will enjoy it as what it is... fan fiction.

I hope that Lippert wins against the might of Rowling's lawyers especially give that "experts specialising in copyright law say it may be less straightforward to prosecute Mr Lippert because young James Potter makes a fleeting appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

Via [The Scotsman]

The Movie Blog Becoming Sci Fi Mission

Wow. Just wow. About a week after the news about Major Spoilers comes the news that The Movie Blog is shutting down. Fortunately though, John Campea, Doug Nagy, Bruxy Cavey, and Darren Conley aren't going away. They have signed up with Coming Soon and starting a new sight dedicated to everything scifi at www.scifimission.com. The site will be going up later this month and will include not just movies but comics, tv shows, and even videogames.

I am happy for the group. I've been a fan of theirs for a few years now and I know John has been working hard to live his dream, being paid to talk about what he loves. If only we were all so lucky but hey, best of luck guys.

!!!UPDATE!!!

Well, looks like they are staying after all, but some things will probably still change. Oh well, guess you are stuck with me to find random stuff covering movie, television, comics, internet, videogames, and anything that falls out of my head. ;-)

Major Spoilers Shuts Down

Major Spoilers, one of my favorite blogs to get information on the comic community, is shutting down. Stephen Schleicher, the creator and writer of the site, has decided to shut down due to the demands of the real world which is something that haunts all us bloggers. I'm just sorry to see that it has become too much for him and that the internet is losing a great blogger and information source.

I've enjoyed the man's creative and interesting way of reviewing comics. He cuts out the mess and gets right to the heart of the story and even gives us a quick side note on each of the more interesting geeky tidbits. His enormous mental database of comic knowledge and his willingness to share it with us has been a pleasure. I wish him luck in his decision (with I completely support) and I hope that someday when his life has calmed down again he might be open to the possibility of returning to us.

The site will remain up until October 31st before he finally pulls the plug so if you have time today stop by and take a look.

Newsie News 10/25

J. K. Rowling Glad to Reveal that Dumbledore is Gay
Last week J. K. Rowling, the creative mind behind the popular Harry Potter books, revealed that Albus Dumbledore is gay. This revelation has shocked many people and has created a lot of buzz for the author. At another conference this week Rowling shared that very early into her writing of the books she already had the idea in her head that the beloved Headmaster was gay. She was glad to say that the whole thing was "freeing" and that one man even came out at Carnegie Hall after the announcement.

Honestly, I was worried this was nothing more then a publicity stunt but looking back on the books and looking more closely at Dumbledore, it becomes quite obvious. It even better explains the young Dumbledore's relationship with the dark wizard Grindelwald as apparently many fans have suspected.

The Dark Crystal Returns!!!
TokyoPop and The Jim Henson Company have decided to come together and make a prequel graphic novel to The Dark Crystal. The novel is titled Legends of The Dark Crystal: The Garthim Wars and TokyoPop has released the following description:
Lahr and Neffi are gentle and fun-loving Gelflings who want little more than to enjoy the simple pleasures of life and love. But when their villages are attacked and plundered by the violent Garthim, their worlds are turned upside down as they narrowly escape with their lives. Now, united against insurmountable odds, the two Gelflings must put aside their peaceful ways and emerge as heroes to lead a frightened neighboring village into something they never thought they’d face-war.

If you were a fan of the original movie, then I suggest you keep an eye out for this novel. And if you feel very kind, buy me a copy. Please and thank you!!

The Rock Drops Out of Spy Hunter
YEAH!!!! One less videogame made into a terrible movie. What? Did you want to know why he droped out? Who cares. I'm just glad he did because that is one giant nail in this movies coufin.

And James T. Kirk is....

... Chris Pine. Who? Exactly. This guy is best known for his roles in Smokin' Aces (yeah, it took me a second to remember who he played) and a bunch of romance movies (including Princess Diaries 2 and Just My Luck). So in other words.. the movie has made a jumping leap towards "holy crap, what the hell is this garbage."

I'm sure the guy is a very talented actor. I'm sure he will dedicate a lot of effort and time towards a role this big, but I can't see a new, revitalized Star Trek movie sitting on this man's shoulders. Kirk has to be a nerd's idol, a bad-ass hero, a playa, and cunning leader all in one. I just can't picture this guy doing it.

I will still watch the movie besides the unfavorable choice, but now I've lost a lot of confidence in how good this movie will be now. Oh well, I can always wait till the sequel because everyone knows only the odd number Star Trek movies suck.

Three more for Star Trek Movie

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Gods & Heroes Cancelled

On the Gods & Heroes site they announced the game was being placed on "indefinite hold" or in other words "cancelled." Here is a highlighted version of their reasons for cancellation.:

Recently, we took a step back to evaluate the competitive landscape, the game's current state, and the overall goals for our organization... we also realize that achieving the level of quality and polish that we are committed to will take a significant investment...After assessing all of Perpetual's opportunities, we have made the decision to put the development of Gods & Heroes on indefinite hold... Moving forward, we're shifting our collective focus, resources and development efforts to Perpetual's Platform Services division and Star Trek Online, thereby ensuring that the game lives up to the high level of expectation set by the dedicated Star Trek fan base...

So, in other words they are stopping work on the game because they can't make it as good as they want and they would rather put their efforts into Star Trek Online. I am looking forward to Star Trek Online so this is great news on that front, but I was also interested in seeing how Gods & Heroes turned out. Gods & Heroes was getting great reviews and hype from gaming conventions, shows, sites, and magazines. It seems almost stupid to cancel a game with so much great press.

Well, like I said this is probably great news for Star Trek Online at least. Now I know they will have a bigger team working on it to make it great. I hope.

Now I better go. I need to stop by Gamestop to see if I can get my $5 back from reserving the game.