Remake News: Godzilla, Popeye and More

Godzilla: You didn’t think Godzilla would go down without another fight, did ya? Legendary Pictures has announced that it plans to resurrect the giant creature in 2012 with help from Warner Bros. The film, which will not be a sequel to the 1998 version starring Matthew Broderick, will “pay respects” to the 1954 outing. A director has not yet been named.

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This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: January 15, 2008

Alright, yes—this article should have been written yesterday. But despite my lack of punctuality, I’ve decided to go ahead and post it anyway as part of a New Year’s resolution to write more. And this is a slow time for film in general, so I think I deserve a reprieve.

To be perfectly honest, little jumps out at me this week. We have the hilarious, slightly esoteric The Ten, helmed by some The State alumni and starring, well, just about everyone. Is there anything else worth mentioning? Could Girls Gone Wild: Baby Bash—Live and Uncensored be the best Blu-ray title this week? That seems a bit sad, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, HD DVD patrons—if you were looking for some girl-on-girl action, hold out until February 12th when it releases in your format.

I can’t wait for these sluggish few weeks to pass.

Check out the full list of high-def releases after the jump.

Click to continue reading This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: January 15, 2008

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In Theaters this Weekend (10/19)

Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:

• 30 Days of Night (R):  starring Josh Hartnett, Melissa George (directed by David Slade)
• The Comebacks (PG-13):  starring David Koechner, Carl Weathers (directed by Tom Brady)
• Gone Baby Gone (R):  starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman (directed by Ben Affleck)
• Lars and the Real Girl (PG-13):  starring Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer (directed by Craig Gillespie).  Read the FilmCrunch review here.
• Rendition (R):  starring Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep (directed by Gavin Hood)
• Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour (PG):  starring Rissa Walters, Brian Comrie (directed by Lisa Comrie)

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Review: Lars and the Real Girl

Lars Lindstrom (Ryan Gosling) is a shy but amiable man yearning for love in a world he has trouble confronting. When he finds the woman of his dreams on the Internet, Lars emerges from his funk and proceeds to introduce his new girlfriend to friends and family. There’s only one problem: His new sweetheart is a life-size, anatomically accurate sex doll, and Lars has convinced himself she’s real. With love and concern, family, friends and other locals resolve to play along while Lars undergoes surreptitious mental evaluations.

In August, I made a prediction about an upcoming film called Lars and the Real Girl. The educated guess was part of a sporadically written column I write called The Preview Review, where I watch new trailers, look at who’s involved and try to speculate as to the film’s commercial and critical success.  Here’s what I had to say about Lars:

Prediction: Lars and the Real Girl will be a simple story with deep, complex characters, awkward comedy, and unconditional familial support.  It will be on par with the fantastic Little Miss Sunshine, but with one great bonus—Ryan Gosling.

Well, I was largely correct in my assertion—not too impressive, admittedly—but I did walk out of the theater with some caveats.  Read the full review after the jump.

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In Theaters This Weekend (10/12)

Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:

• Elizabeth: The Golden Age (PG-13):  starring Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush (directed by Shekhar Kapur)
• The Final Season (PG):  starring Sean Astin, Larry Miller (directed by David Mickey Evans)
• Michael Clayton (R):  starring George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson (directed by Tony Gilroy)
• We Own The Night (R):  starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg (directed by James Gray)
• Why Did I Get Married? (PG-13):  starring Tyler Perry, Janet Jackson (directed by Tyler Perry)

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In Theaters This Weekend (9/14)

If you need a little help planning your weekend, here are a few possible suggestions:

• The Brave One (R):  starring Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Naveen Andrews (directed by Neil Jordan)
• Dragon Wars (PG-13):  starring Jason Behr, Amanda Brooks, Robert Forster (directed by Hyung-rae Shim)
• Mr. Woodcock (PG-13):  starring Seann William Scott, Billy Bob Thornton, Susan Sarandon (directed by Craig Gillespie)

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The Preview Review: Be Kind Rewind, Lars and the Real Girl, Good Luck Chuck

Welcome to an exciting August edition of The Preview Review, where the newest trailers get a second glance.

This time, we turn a scrutinizing eye on three upcoming films about bumbling, unlucky men struggling to overcome ineptitude and find happiness, fall in love, or replace hundreds of erased VHS tapes with homemade film homages.  I’ll explain after the jump.

Click to continue reading The Preview Review: Be Kind Rewind, Lars and the Real Girl, Good Luck Chuck

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