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'Paranormal Activity' Director Oren Peli To Explore 'Area 51'

Posted 9/25/09 5:00 pm EST by in News


Tonight, fear begins its slow creep across the nation as audiences in select cities finally get to experience the horror that is director Oren Peli's "Paranormal Activity." The is-it-real-or-not scare flick delivers home camera-captured views of a young couple as they are terrified by one or more malevolent spirits. There are clear inspirations tracing back to "The Blair Witch Project," but whether or not "Paranormal" breathes fresh life into the genre remains to be seen.

Still, Peli has accomplished something with his $15,000 project, which was committed to film back in 2006. His "little movie that could" has survived festival rejections, remake plans and a studio split, and is now one of the most buzzed-about releases this year. It's enough to have landed Peli his next project -- "an original, found-video thriller called 'Area 51.'" -- mentioned almost offhandedly in a Los Angeles Times profile. Read More...

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'Back To The Future Part II' Gives Us A One-Cola Future In Today's eBay Prop-Watch

Posted 9/25/09 4:00 pm EST by in eBay Prop-Watch


I'm torn by today's eBay Prop-Watch pick. It's suspicious: the seller is very up front about there being no certificate of authenticity. On the other hand, it's from "Back to the Future Part II." Perhaps not the best of the "Back to the Future" movies, but definitely the most imaginative of the three.

See, "Back to the Future Part II" jumps around in time far more than either of the other two. We see present-day 1980s, an alternate present in which Biff's possession of a sports almanac from the future leads to a "Mad Max"-like dystopia, the '50s, the Wild West and -- best of all -- the future. A future filled with flying cars and hoverboards, robot waiters and a one-cola world. Pepsi Perfect is apparently the choice of the next generation. Read More...

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Stephenie Meyer Novel 'The Host' Gets The Casting Call Treatment

Posted 9/25/09 3:30 pm EST by in Casting Call


FROM HOLLYWOOD CRUSH: "New Moon" is still two months away from hitting theaters, "Eclipse" is filming and Summit Entertainment is figuring out who is doing what in "Breaking Dawn" pre-production, but with film rights for Stephenie Meyer's "The Host" being purchased earlier this week, the focus has shifted away momentarily from "The Twilight Saga" and instead to its science fiction cousin.

I've met plenty of "Twilight" fans who still haven't read "The Host," even though its maintained its spot on the New York Times bestsellers list from its debut in May 2008. In many ways, I like it more than "The Twilight Saga" for its intriguing plot and interesting characters. The dynamic relationship between Melanie, a rebel human trying to resist an alien invasion, and Wanda, the alien or Soul who possess her body, is the driving force of the entire novel, and a really intriguing one at that.

Continue reading Just Like 'Twilight,' Stephenie Meyer's 'The Host' Will Hit The Big Screen, But Who Should Star In It?

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'Paranormal Activity' Leaves Gore Girl Terri Schwartz Without Sleep

Posted 9/25/09 3:00 pm EST by in Commentary


A couple weeks ago I received an invitation to a midnight screening of “Paranormal Activity” as it came through Boston. Why would I ever want to go see the alleged scariest movie ever during a midnight screening? It wasn’t going to happen. I immediately discarded the idea. I may be a Gore Girl, but I’m still a chicken when it comes to being scared.

And yet somehow this week I found myself being coerced by a friend into joining him during the midnight release. Against my better judgment I agreed to go. As I expected, the instant the lights dimmed I immediately regretted my decision. Read More...

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David Mamet's 'The Diary Of Anne Frank' Rejected By The Walt Disney Company

Posted 9/25/09 2:00 pm EST by in News


The departure of longtime chairman Dick Cook from Walt Disney Studios is having a ripple effect on the company's planned film slate. Beyond the potentially endangered "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise given Johnny Depp's recent loss of enthusiasm, it appears that Disney is turning around on another project -- namely, "The Diary of Anne Frank."

According to The Wrap, Disney has ceased development on playwright, screenwriter and filmmaker David Mamet's interpretation of "The Diary of Anne Frank," the story of a young Jewish girl's experiences throughout the Holocaust. The report suggests that "Anne Frank" was rejected by Disney for being "too dark," but also because Cook's recent ousting has stalled movement on a vast majority of Disney's projects. Read More...

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Talk 'The Lord Of The Rings' With Howard Shore And Billy Boyd

Posted 9/25/09 1:30 pm EST by in News


In just a few short weeks, New Yorkers will get a rare treat. Howard Shore's Oscar-winning score for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" will be performed live at Radio City Music Hall by more than 300 musicians while the movie plays on a 60-foot screen above them. The performances -- spanning two evenings -- are the centerpiece of a week-long series celebrating the trilogy.

I'm here today to tell you about a cool panel that's happening on October 1 at The Paley Center for Media, located at 25 West 52nd St. MTV's own Kurt Loder will moderate Shore on the Score: The Music of "The Lord of the Rings," featuring Shore, The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films author Doug Adams and actor/musician Billy Boyd, who played the hobbit Pippin in the trilogy. As a special treat, MTV is happy to extend readers an offer to purchase tickets to the event at 50% off. That's a mere $10, a hard-to-resist offer even in these troubled economic times if you're a "Lord of the Rings" fan.

Follow this link for your savings!

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'Paranormal Activity' And The 'Blair Witch Project' Effect

Posted 9/25/09 1:00 pm EST by in Commentary


A horror movie is made by a young and unknown creator. It is shot on digital video, in a style intentionally giving the impression that the movie’s principal characters are the ones filming, not a director. The characters are played by unknown actors. They’re threatened by a supernatural, largely unseen force. The film plays before small audiences on the festival circuit, gaining praise and infamy with each screening.

If you stop right there, you could be describing either “Paranormal Acivity,” which Paramount is giving a limited release this week, or “The Blair Witch Project.” What remains to be seen is whether or not “Paranormal Acivity” will be the runaway multi-million dollar success that “Blair Witch” was ten years ago. It also remains to be seen if it will be a revitalizing force for its genre in the same way. Read More...

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Tony Jaa Puts Some Hurt On In This EXCLUSIVE 'Ong Bak 2' Clip

Posted 9/25/09 12:30 pm EST by in Hot Stuff, Video


I have an unbelievably high tolerance for action. The fight scene from "They Live" ranks among my all-time favorites. This clip from "Ong Bak 2" is considerably better than that. You can check out the movie now on Xbox Live, Amazon or VOD, or you can head out to see it in theaters on October 23.

In the first "Ong Bak," Tony Jaa plays a Muay Thai (Thai boxing) warrior in a contemporary setting. He kicks ass and takes relatively few names as he searches the seedy underbelly of Bangkok for a stolen statue. The Jaa-directed-and-starring sequel winds back the clock to feudal Thailand, 1421 by our calendar. Jaa plays Tien, a young man who grows into the greatest martial artist in the land after he is rescued from slave traders by the leader of a warrior tribe. Check out the clip below to see a display of Tien's skills.

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'Fame' And The Future Of The Movie Musical

Posted 9/25/09 12:00 pm EST by in Commentary


I’m not a fan of musicals. In theory. When I start thinking about filmed stories that ask me to be emotionally invested in people who inexplicably burst into song, my brain gets cranky like a baby who hasn’t had its nap. Why are they bursting into song? Why are all these songs so obnoxious? Are these people talking to themselves? If so, why do other people know the melody they were singing during the reprise later? Then my brain starts angrily waving its arms until it gets its bottle, which, as I overextend this metaphor past the point of comprehension, is a genre movie of some kind.

In practice, I always end up enjoying musicals, especially movies. I loved “Moulin Rouge” for its bombast and excess. It’s hard not to enjoy at least a few Disney classics, like “Aladdin.” Musicals in contemporary settings tend to lose me though. “Fame” would seem to fall into the category of too-modern musicals for me, but it does interest me. How many remakes of film musicals are there? And say it’s successful. Know what that will mean? More film musicals and more remakes. This could be good and bad. Here are some wishes for the future of screen musicals. Read More...

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'The Hobbit' And James Bond Imperiled By Looming MGM Bankruptcy

Posted 9/25/09 11:00 am EST by in News


While Bob Weinstein was announcing sequels and Neve Campbell's return to the "Scream" franchise last night, MGM investors were fretting over a dispiriting conference call led by studio management. Things are looking bleak, my friends. The gist of it, as reported by Nikki Finke for Deadline Hollywood, is that right now MGM needs $20 million to cover basic overhead and another $150 million to finish out the year. This includes funding for high-profile projects like "The Hobbit" and the next James Bond movie.

"The implication is that [the studio] is teetering on bankruptcy," one source said. A band-aid was applied over the summer when CEO Harry Sloan was relegated to a non-executive role and three senior execs stepped in to take the reins. With a debt that falls just south of $4 billion, the move may have come too late. Read More...

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