Director Simon West, Amber Heard, Red Sonja? No thanks.

First it was Rose McGowan dawning the bikini in a Robert Rodriguez remake of Red Sonja.  Then that picture was delayed due to drama in Rodriguez's personal life.  Then there was the God awful story that Megan Fox might play the comic book hero who Brigitte Nielsen made so popular.  Now now this?!

I dislike Megan Fox and her acting very much.  So today the rumor is Amber Heard is taking the reigns with Simon West directing.  I don't like Heard's acting AT ALL.  I think she's just like Fox, another pretty face that became famous and can't act.  Worst part is, she's actually getting a lot of roles, unlike Fox who can't land a movie if she paid for it.  West is an interesting choice.  He directed Con Air and the first Tomb Raider, but nothing else is really standing out on his resume.  I would have rather Rodriguez's vision, especially considering the poster below.  Rose McGowan looking bad ass!  Oh well, we'll see if this rumor is verified in the next week or so.  Your thoughts?

Colin Farrell Cast in "Total Recall" Remake. Why Is There a "Total Recall" Remake in the First Place?

Colin Farrell has been cast in the pointless remake to Total Recall. The original starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. I'm only posting this because it further proves that Hollywood is fresh out of ideas. That is all, have a lovely evening.

FattMatt: "True Grit" Review

31 years after the original True Grit, the Coen Brothers decide to put out a remake with the same name. Well, its not really a remake. The new film is based on the same novel that the older film is also based on, True Grit by Charles Portis. That's the reason that I didn't bother watching the original film yet before writing this review.

The story centers around Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old girl who is out to find Tom Chaney, the man that murdered her father, and bring him to justice. To help her, she enlists U.S. Marshall 'Rooster' Cogburn, an old, one-eyed drunk that she has heard is the best man for the job. A man that has true grit.
Let's dig in.


What I liked about the film:
The Acting
14-year-old actress Hailee Steinfeld is just great in this film. She stars as Mattie Ross, a character who is also only 14 years old, but is quite mature for her age. She takes on the task of hiring a U.S. Marshall to hunt down the man who killed her father because her mother is basically too much of a girl to do it. Mattie is independent and smart, and can hold a conversation like a grown woman.
I haven't seen Steinfeld act in anything before, but I think she was just right in this role. I can't wait to see what types of projects will be thrown at her from now on.

Jeff Bridges takes on the role of U.S. Marshall Reuben J. 'Rooster' Cogburn. He's a drunk and only has one good eye, wearing an eye patch over the other. He's the one man that Mattie has heard has 'true grit,' and so gets hired for the job.
Bridges does a fantastic job in this role. I think he was just perfect and I can't wait to compare him to John Wayne, who played Rooster in the older film and won his only acting Oscar for it. Bridges really shows us why he has that Oscar, perfectly spitting out that one-liner to get a laugh at just the right tone, and showing us his talent when it comes to darker situations. The man reminds me of Al Pacino in that he can act without saying a word, just using his eyes, or, eye in this case.

Matt Damon does a fine job in the role of LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger who's been pursuing Tom Chaney for months for the murder of a senator. I have a little problem with Matt Damon trying to look older by just wearing a mustache, (I also have the same problem with Leo DiCaprio and Matt Broderick). I think Damon's talent, however, eventually makes me forget what he looks like. He really pulls me into the character later on in the film when he has to talk with a lisp for reasons I won't spoil here. Great job.

Josh Brolin has a much smaller role in the film than I imagined he would, playing the murderous Tom Chaney that everyone is after. He does a fine job, along with Barry Pepper as Lucky Ned, the head of the gang that Chaney ties in with.

The Story
The story is just awesome. I love revenge stories, and this is a great one. It's also just a straight forward Western, which I think is quite unusual of the Coens, who usually tend to experiment a bit more with their films. Although seeing as how they wanted to stick very close to the novel, it's a very tight story that plays out like a good book. Great adaptation.

The Cinematography
Roger Deakins has been with the Coens for most of their films, and once again does a fantastic job portraying the old west, at a few times reminding me of Rio Bravo and other classics. Overall, this is a beautiful movie with perfect shots and gorgeous scenes.

The Soundtrack
The music in the film is done by Carter Burwell, another long-time Coens collaborator. It is based on 19th century church hymns. Typical of the Coens, it wasn't used over-abundantly, but rather just at a few places to emphasize the situation. It sounded strong and hard, not uplifting, but also not sad or depressing.

Now that I've listed all my positives for the movie, I'm going to tell you that I really didn't have any strong dislikes!
The only thing I had trouble with every now-and-then was the editing. It felt forced at some points and didn't really flow well. But only at a few points. Most of the film was fine.


Overall, this film was fantastic. Now, I love the Coens and have seen every one of their films. So it's true that I might have a little bias when it comes to watching this film, but let me just say that it was not exactly what I had thought it would be.
It is very unlike their films in many ways, yet it still felt like a Coens film. Although it has some severe and violent moments, it's not a severe or violent film. It doesn't feel like you're watching a Coen Brothers film until it ends and you reflect upon it. It's hard to explain it. You'll just have to see it for yourself.

"A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop" Trailer

Chinese director Zhang Yimou, who is probably best known in the USA for the films Hero and House of Flying Daggers has made a remake of the Coen brothers' first film, Blood Simple.

Retitled A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop, the movie now has a trailer for the North American release. Above is a comparison of the two movie posters.

I am personally a huge fan of the Coens, and hope this remake lives up to the excellent original.

Here is the official synopsis and trailer:

Wang is a miserable yet cunning noodle shop owner in a desert town in China. Feeling neglected, Wang’s wife secretly goes out with Li, one of his employees. A timid man, Li reluctantly keeps the gun the landlady bought for ‘killing her husband later’. However, not a single move they make escapes the boss’s notice, and he decides to bribe patrol officer Zhang to kill the illicit couple. It looks like a perfect plan: the affair will come to a cruel but satisfying end… or so he thinks, but the equally wicked Zhang has an agenda of his own that will lead to even more violence…

The film will be out on limited release September 3.

Actor Cast in "Judge Dredd" Remake...

Well we knew they were remaking Judge Dredd, but we didn't know who would don the mask and ride the bike, until now. It's actually been rumored for a long time, but I didn't want to post until it was confirmed, and now it is. Empire magazine is confirming that Karl Urban will play the iconic comic-book hero.

Karl Urban is known for his roles in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy and more recently in J.J. Abrams Star Trek. He definitely has the physique. Not ripped and ready to pop like Sylvester Stallone was, but big and tall. Urban is a fine actor and should be able to bring some emotion to the role, even if the character is emotion-less. I liked the previous incarnation, I don't know why exactly. It had its own charm despite all its faults. I still go back and watch it on DVD every few years. But I'm also excited about this remake. But not so excited about the 3D talk, booo!

The Karate Kid sequel is officially in development

I'll keep this post short and sweet. It comes as no surprise that this is happening. The Karate Kid starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan opened HUGE. To the tune of 55 million dollars, 30 million dollars MORE than second place The A-Team. The studio is working on a sequel and says it will be independent of the 80's sequels. I'm hoping to see the movie this week, I'll post a review. Til then, Hollywood's rehashing continues.

Judge Dredd remake a reality?

Maybe I'm just nostalgic. But I really enjoyed the 1995 Judge Dredd. Sylvester Stallone starred as the comic book hero who was judge, jury and executioner. Pretty cool concept for a futuristic comic book hero. The movie didn't do well, and I think a lot of that had to do with studio involvement. They took a "buddy" comedy approach that just didn't feel right considering the source material. So yesterday came news of a remake! That exclamation mark is on purpose.

Deadline first reported that financing and a script are ready. The financing doesn't come from a major studio, but rather an Indian entertainment corporation with a budget around 50 million dollars. The script has been turned in by Alex Garland, writer of The Beach, 28 Days Later and the upcoming Halo. A director is rumored as well; Pete Travis, director of Vantage Point. Another rumor is that it will be brought to life in 3D (booooo).

That's all there is for now, if anything comes up, I'll be sure to let ya know, cause this sounds like it could be good.

Megan Fox for Red Sonja, all of a sudden I don't care for this movie anymore

Gosh darn you, Robert Rodriguez! You couldn't stay together with Rose McGowan long enough to make this film right?! Well, apparently not. The two were an item (Rodriguez even left his wife for her, yikes). They were both set to make the Red Sonja remake, and they even released the two posters above to whet our appetites.

Rose McGowan is even set to co-star in the Conan remake, so it was obvious that her spin-off would go as planned (Red Sonja, is indeed a spin off of the older Conan films). Not the case.

Today its rumored that the title role is being offered to my favorite actress in the world, Megan Fox; for any idiot that can't read sarcasm, that was it. As soon as I read the headlines, I felt the need to rant... WHYYYY?! WHYYYY?!

She is the epitome of the pretty, overachiever. My God, the girl does NOT know how to act. Watch the Transformers' special features on DVD and hear how she got the part. Michael Bay says it clear as day. He asked for someone hot, "who could run and had a flat stomach." C'MON PEOPLE! Why is she getting this movie?!

Anywho, if this becomes official, we'll let you know... and if this rumor is shot down, we'll let you know FOR SURE!

(I'm mad that I spent 5 minutes making the picture above, lol).

"Edge of Darkness" Trailer

Martin Campbell, the director of GoldenEye and Casino Royale, is directing Mel Gibson in his first lead role since 2002.

Edge of Darkness is a remake of a 1985 TV mini-series from the U.K. (that Campbell also directed). The movie deals with Gibson's character's murdered daughter and also stars AtD fav Ray Winstone.

Enjoy and let us know your thoughts!

Fox to make a Moses film... 300 Style baby

Variety is reporting that Fox studios is planning a remake of sorts. They are planning on retelling the story of Moses, but not in the traditional way. Here's exactly what Variety had to say about it:

The Moses story will be told using the same green screen strategy as "300," so it will feel more like that pic or "Braveheart" than "The Ten Commandments,” the 1956 Cecil B. DeMille film.

Someone should think about this a little bit. The Passion of the Christ cause such a ruckus when it came out, and performed very VERY well at the box office. But a Moses story in a style made famous by a Spartan/Persian war may not be the way to go. I think there's a lot more room for biblical stories, no matter what your religion is. These are stories, they are being told on the big screen, it doesn't matter where they came from. But at the same time, I think you have to be careful with religion. Some people get enlightened, while others offended, that's just the way it works.

I say this a lot, but I'll say it again... it doesn't matter what I think. The movie will be made, make a gazillion dollars and have a sequel by the following Summer, stay tuned.

Quickie: Highlander remake gets a "Furious" director

Yay! Another remake, this time, Highlander get's the remake treatment. Justin Lin has been tagged to direct the film. He is the first time director of Fast & Furious, last years fourth hit of the successful franchise. Summit Entertainment has taken on the project. Art Marcum and Matt Holloway of Iron Man fame, will write the script; Peter Davis will produce; and Lin will of course direct. The movie could be released as early as 2011. We'll keep you posted.

Quickie: Byran Singer to remake Excalibur & Battlestar Galactica

The Hollywood Reporter is stating that Warner Brothers and Bryan Singer have signed a deal to film Excalibur, a remake of the 1981 John Boorman film about King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable. This came as a bit of a surprise to us at AtD, considering Singer was signed on to do a different remake last week... Battlestar Galactica.

We didn't report much on the 'Battlestar' news, because quite frankly we're not big fans of the genre, or the TV series. So what is Singer thinking with all these remakes? I'll tell you what no one will say... guaranteed built in fan base. After the Superman Returns abomination, and a less than stellar Valkyrie film, he needs a commercial success. Excalibur and Battlestar Galactica will have a built in fan base, and will be easy to market.

As a fan, I would be excited to see his King Arthur point of view, but will skip on the sci-fi stuff. As for his career, these movies are a much needed change of pace. We'll have to really wait and see what happens. Keep it here.

Quickie: Brewster's Millions remake is on its way

Brewster's Millions is a classic in the comedy genre. The movie starred Richard Pryor and John Candy. Pryor's character has to spend 30 million dollars in 30 days, in order to inherit 300 million dollars. But he has to blow his money, not spend it on investments or property or anything. It turns out to be a lot hard than you think; plus the movie was released in 1985 when 30 million dollars was a lot more than it is now. Warner Brothers has already hired writers to begin the script. Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan have been brought on to start the project. We'll keep you updated as soon as casting begins.

The Smurfs movie, God helps us...

You will probably hear me bitch and complain about this a lot as time goes by, but I am guilty of supporting it... no new ideas! There are no fresh and new ideas in Hollywood and the Smurfs movie will be just another case in point. comingsoon.net has just announced that a Smurfs, live action/3d animation movie is in the works. With a tentative release date of December 17, 2010. The movie will of course be based on the 1958 comic strip turned Saturday morning cartoon.

I am guilty of supporting movies that take old ideas and re-hash. I support sequels and prequels and remakes... but I feel like it's so far and few between new, solid ideas that the industry is losing its sense of creativity. I'm not trying to sound hypocritical, I just wish there were more fresh movies like The Hangover. Either way, agree or disagree, the Smurfs movie it is.

Photo debut of Sam Worthington in Clash of the Titans remake.

Remember a few weeks ago when Matt and I reviewed Terminator: Salvation? Well, both of us agreed that the best acting part was that of Sam Worthington. He is the lead in the new Clash of the Titans remake. The studio has released a photo that looks pretty awesome. We'll update you as news is released, but from my perspective, this looks to be a gritty, dirtier movie than the original. With all the special effects to boot. Enjoy.