Nine directed by Rob Marshall - Trailer

I'm not a huge musical fan.

But I like a good song and dance number as much as....um...the next guy.

Nine is directed by Academy Award winning director Rob Marshall of Chicago fame.

What really appeals to me though is the participation of Daniel Day Lewis, who does a film once every couple of years. Which affords him the energy to throw everything he has into a role.

Lots of iconic female co-stars in the film too.

In the trailer we get a glimpse of Sophia Loren, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Stacy Ferguson, Marion Cotillard and Nicole Kidman.

The film is an adaptation of the hit play, which was inspired by the classic film 8 1/2 directed by Federico Fellini.

The motion picture is due out November 25, 2009. I assume to capitalize on Awards season buzz.

Whatever Works Trailer

Larry David and Woody Allen, that's a comic team I can't miss.

Whatever Works opens in theatres in New York and Los Angeles on June 19, 2009.

Star Trek directed by J.J. Abrams

Star Trek directed by J.J. Abrams marks the return of one of the most beloved and cherished franchises in entertainment history.

Not only is it a successful return, it also invigorates and reinvents the franchise to heights never imagined.

The film works as a pure summer action film, as well as makes a significant contribution to the Star Trek Universe.

Let's first acknowledge that fans of the Star Trek Universe are notoriously fickle.

There is a significant population of fans who frown on the very notion of disregarding or altering the continuation of Gene Roddenberry's created universe. The television show Enterprise was never fully embraced by fans because it was burdened with and failed to accurately depict the continuity of the earlier established Star Trek universe. Never mind that the task is arguably impossible considering that the fictional universe was molded by at least five different shows and several films all with different writers, producers and creative visions.

Enter J.J. Abrams who attempted to reinvigorate the Mission Impossible franchise. He was tasked with doing the same with this troubled franchise which was at its best seen as an archaic niche fetish for sci-fi fans and at its worst...dead.



Before I begin my actual review let me first state that I am a Star Trek fan.

Actually, fan is not accurate. I'm a Treker. I've never been to a convention, have never worn a costume or pointed ears. But in terms of information and trivia, my Star Trek knowledge, especially of the original series can stack up comparably to most of the people that do take their appreciation for the show to the extreme.

I know that in the opening credits of the series the titles were yellow in the first two seasons and in the third they turned blue.

I know Pavel Chekhov doesn't appear in the series till the second season. Harcourt Mudd appears in two episodes in the original series.

My favorite five episodes from the original series are:

#5: "Space Seed" - which marked the debut of Khan

#4: "The Menagerie" parts 1 and 2 - the original Star Trek Pilot altered into two episodes.

#3: "Balance of Terror" - The first appearance of Romulans in the Universe

#2: "City on the Edge of Forever" - The Hugo Award winning episode featuring Joan Collins

And my #1 favorite episode is "Amok Time" which featured a hand to hand fight between James T. Kirk and a unbalanced Mr. Spock in heat.



I used to record the series on betamax tapes and fall asleep watching them...um...every night.

No joke.

I bought and read Star Trek encyclopedias and reference books on the series. I collected the episodes on tape and cataloged them in my own system.

I've seen every original cast and Star Trek Next Generation episode and movie.

I love Star Trek. Despite all its faults.

So if anyone has a right to nitpick about a reboot it's me.

But I can't. I loved this movie.

Not only did I love it, I think the changes that were made actually improve the franchise.

In all honesty, I will admit, the movie owes more of its inspiration to the recent "Battlestar Galactica" series then to the original 1960's series.

However, the movie doesn't completely neglect the major characteristics of the original universe either.Captain Pike is still the previous Captain to the Enterprise. All the major characters are present. They all still say their famous catch phrases and they all look relatively similar to the original cast members. Starfleet is still a peace keeping and scientific organization. Kirk still cheats in the Kobayashi Maru test. The Enterprise hull still looks the same.

But make no mistake about it. There are several significant changes.




Spoilers follow.

Ultimately, I think the alterations that were made are not only re-invigorating but also logical. Beginning with the death of Kirk's father. Raised as a fatherless child, James T. Kirk now has a lethal chip on his shoulder.

Fantastic.


Next, the sexual relationship between Uhura and Spock.

Wow.

What a stroke of genius. I'm not sure why it never occurred to previous writers, but in retrospect this seems like a no-brainer. Spock is half human. His mother, the most significant female in his life IS human. Wouldn't it make sense that he would be attracted to a talented, strong HUMAN woman like Uhura? I know in the original series they flirted with the idea of Nurse Chapel liking Spock. But wouldn't Spock only go for the hottest chick in the fleet?

Another major change, Vulcan is destroyed.

Wow. So the most cherished characters in the Star Trek Universe have now become endangered and are now...in this timeline more important, revered and valuable to Starfleet than ever before.

Brilliant.

But the most significant and freeing move is that due to the time travel plot of the film, the rules and the universe that was previously created by the previous movies, shows, etc are now smashed in this new timeline. It's an open book now. A clean slate. Literally...anything can happen.

Anything.

In terms of artistic possibilities, that's the greatest thing you can do with a franchise.

Yet extremely risky.

But J.J. Abrams and screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman pulled it off.

They have delivered the best movie of the summer. Possibly one of the best movies of the year.

I guess an argument can be made that this movie may invalidate the previous Star Trek universe. But I don't look at it like that.

It's an extension. A next step in the evolution.

A part of me wonders why they even bothered to connect the two universes. Abrams could have easily just rebooted the franchise without any acknowledgment of the Star Trek Universe.

But when you really break it down, I believe because he respects the material that has come before it so much, he actually goes out of his way to connect the two universes.

Despite all its problems, he is in actuality paying tribute to the previous universe not invalidating it. He cares too much to just throw it all away and start from scratch.

Fascinating.

Make sure to catch this fun film on the big screen where it can be seen in all its visual splendor. You won't regret it.

Natalie Portman is Between Two Ferns

Natalie Portman guest stars in the latest edition of Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis.

Classic. Funny stuff.

My favorite inappropriate question from Zach Galifianakis is his query regarding her role in V for Vendetta.

Manny Ramirez Suspended for Illegal drugs

Manny Ramirez was suspended by Major League Baseball today for 50 games.

After the announcement of his suspension was made, Ramirez released a statement, he explained, "Recently, I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me,unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons."

Now...I believe...and reports have confirmed that "the personal health issue" Ramirez is referring to is for sexual potency. The kind of performance enhancing that Major League Baseball could care less about.

So the culprit is supposedly... a fertility drug?

Ramirez will reportedly lose about $8 million dollars for his missed time with the Dodgers.

Wow.

Now I'm not a doctor, so I don't know what positive effects a sex drug will have on a Major League Baseball player's swing, but this seems a little excessive. Doesn't it?

He lost $8 million in salary because he needed help to get it up? He's too good to use Viagra?




Reportedly, the drug in question, hCG, is also used to help an athlete restore testosterone after a steroids cycle use, to restart the bodies' natural testosterone.

Now THAT'S interesting and more than suspicious.

I know the situation says otherwise, I'm not naive or stupid but I still find it hard to believe...that a guy in Manny Ramirez's current situation would use a drug like this to cheat at baseball, especially at this point in his career. It's not like Manny was in a contract year. He JUST landed his big contract. It makes no sense for Manny to use performance enhancers now. Andruw Jones landed a big contract from the Dodgers and sucked ass last year. He's still getting his money. They don't take away money from you when you suck ass. They just get angry at you and try to get rid of you.

I know he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer but man....

It makes more sense to me that Manny needed help to get it up in the sack, not on the baseball diamond.

I'm not a famous multi-millionaire so I wouldn't know, but I assume that when you are, attractive women tend to throw themselves at you in new and creative ways. He's been a multi-millionaire for way over a decade now....that's a lot of women being creative trying to get his attention.

Something tells me he needs a little more than whispering sweet nothings in his ear to get his juices going.




Ramirez was reportedly devastated by the news, he stated "I want to apologize to Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, Mr. Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation."

I think the Dodgers will be fine without him. The ironic thing is that Manny usually takes about 50 games off during the season with a fake injury anyways. So losing him for a short while, this early won't hurt too much and the Dodgers, who play in the horrible National League West aren't in any danger of missing the post season because of this.

The damage done by this news will be on Manny Ramirez's legacy. History is not kind towards reported cheaters. No matter if he meant to cheat or not.

Ramirez will return from his suspension to the Dodgers on July 3, 2009.

I imagine he'll be in bed "working out" during this free time...getting his money's worth I hope.

Tetro Trailer

This first trailer looks fantastic.

Love Vincent Gallo and I like the quirky feel of the film. I really admire Francis Ford Coppola's new artistic direction of making independent films that are personal to him.

Tetro opens June 11, 2009.

Manny Pacquiao destroys Ricky Hatton

Wow.

That's all I could say after watching another lopsided victory by Manny Pacquiao.

I honestly didn't have a good feeling going into this bout. Manny proved me wrong...again.

Logic dictates that a man fighting at 140 pounds for his entire career would have a marked advantage over a fighter who is fighting at that weight for only his third time.

Manny surprised me again with a brutal second round knockout. He knocked down Hatton twice in the first round in a fierce display of boxing superiority.



The key to the fight was not only Pacquiao's punching power, but also an excellent game plan by legendary trainer Freddie Roach.

Roach stated, "Ricky is wide open for the right. He always cocks his fist back before he throws it. He fights the same way over and over. I've studied every tape I could get for two months. I know him like I know my own fighter."

Pacquiao noted, "He punches his hands before he throws a punch. He's a sucker for a right hook. I knew he'd be looking for my left. It was nothing personal. I was just doing my job."

He sure did, that knockout will be on highlight reels for years to come.



As for the extremely likable Ricky Hatton, after a few tense moments when he didn't move after being knocked out, Hatton went straight to the hospital with little comment to the media.

Hatton later stated, "It was a hard loss, but I'm okay. I really didn't see the punch coming but it was a great shot. I know I'll be okay."

Hatton's father confirmed his son's good health after the brutal knockout. Ray Hatton stated, "He's perfectly all right. They've checked him out. He's had all the tests and everything. He's not got a mark on him."



As for the motor mouth trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr., he was left virtually speechless. Mayweather flapped his gums these past several months during the promotion of the bout, with silly, insulting poems and made a habit of constantly belittling trainer Freddie Roach, calling him "Freddie the Roach Coach".

Mayweather stated,"I really felt Ricky would get him. I don't want to go into it more than that."

Ha.

The day after the fight, Mayweather called for Hatton to retire. In typical Mayweather style he included a backhanded insult of Pacquiao.

Mayweather stated, "I would suggest he retire. At the end of the day, it's his decision. He tried twice. He failed twice. He lost to my son and to lose to someone below that, it's time to leave the ring. He made a good profit. Sometimes you have to go when your prime is still there."

Witnessing the event were celebrities such as Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Jay-Z and P Diddy.

They watched a systematic, shocking destruction of a proud, talented and honorable fighter in Ricky Hatton and the cementing of a legend in Manny Pacquiao.

With the victory, Pacquiao becomes only the second boxer in history to win six titles in six different weight classes. Oscar De La Hoya, who Pacquiao previously defeated, is the only other boxer to accomplish the feat.

Nothing But the Truth directed by Rod Lurie

(A.K.A. the best film of 2008 you didn't get to see)



Arriving on DVD on April 28th is one of the best films of 2008.

Nothing But the Truth directed by Rod Lurie was a critics and film festival favorite, but unfortunately due to the well publicized financial troubles of distributor Yari Film Group, the film was unable to secure a nationwide film release.

The film bears a circumstantial resemblance to the Valerie Plame scandal, but is NOT based on those events. The piece is actually a character drama which explores the lengths that a journalist, played by Kate Beckinsale, will go to protect a source for an explosive political story.

If you are unfamiliar with Rod Lurie's works, he is recognized in the industry for creating outstanding, story driven, character pieces, which is rare in today's Hollywood.

His films such as the Academy Award nominated The Contender, Deterrence, The Last Castle and Resurrecting the Champ often explores the theme of standing by principles in the face of tremendous adversity.

He takes that theme to the extreme here and has delivered arguably his best film ever.

In the past, Lurie has been criticized for being too sentimental towards his protagonist. He avoids that trap here, maintaining an objective point of view. The result of his unsympathetic distance reveals fascinating portraits of morally imperfect characters in a harsh and cold legal world. The film is simply put, an emotional roller coaster with surprising plot twists and unexpected turns.

The piece also features tremendous performances from the entire ensemble cast.

The actors in this film unfortunately went unrecognized during awards season. Stand out performances were delivered by Alan Alda, Angela Bassett, Vera Farmiga and David Schwimmer.

But the performances that stood out for me the most were Kate Beckingsale, Matt Dillon and Noah Wyle.

Surprisingly, Noah Wyle seems to be transformed here and at times appears almost unrecognizable. His performance has a different spiritual rhythm and tone which hasn't been seen in his previous works. Matt Dillon, who is the traditional antagonist here, portrays a character whose working class roots shine through his high powered lawyer exterior. The performance reveals a humble, yet intelligent character who is surprisingly sympathetic.

But make no mistake about it, the film belongs to Kate Beckingsale.

Her character is simultaneously affable and stubborn, smart yet naive, strong yet vulnerable. The performance explores a character whose morals are tested in unimaginable and heartbreaking ways. The character's arc reveals a person who is so complex, that by the end of the film, even after experiencing her long journey and emotional turmoil, we haven't even scratched the surface of understanding her. It is beyond a doubt the best performance of Kate Beckingsale's career.

The film will leave you debating and examining your own personal beliefs and morals for days after.

The DVD features a commentary by writer/director Rod Lurie and producer Marc Frydman, deleted scenes and a behind the scenes special titled "The Truth Hurts: The making of Nothing But the Truth."

Make sure to take advantage of this DVD release and catch this outstanding and little seen gem of 2008.

The Passing of Nick Adenhart

After watching last night's frustrating loss to the A's, I went to bed with the comfort that today would be a new day. I looked forward to the chance for the Angels to turn the page on a bad ending to a good game. Little did I know that before I would wake up this morning, a tragedy would unfold that would profoundly effect this season and many more seasons to come for the Angels and their fans.

The day started normally for me. I drove to work listening to Colin Cowherd on ESPN. The recap played every ten minutes of how the Angels blew the lead, despite six strong innings from the young pitcher Nick Adenhart. When I arrived at work, I clocked in and started my work day. Before I was even completely settled in at work, I was already daydreaming about coming home to my family and watching the Angels game on the big screen tonight.

I was briefly chatting on AIM with my wife, when she informed me of the tragic collision. The news was being reported on TV.

At the young age of 22, Nick Adenhart had passed away, the victim of a senseless traffic collision. Two others were also killed, while one was in critical condition. The culprit, a man who made the poor decision to attempt to drive home under the influence of alcohol and with his license suspended. He ran a red light with his mini-van, striking the coupe Adenhart and three friends were traveling in.





Reports trickled out about how the man was humble, well liked and respectful to people he came in contact with. He overcame adversity in his career by recovering from tommy john surgery and worked hard to try and bounce back from a disappointing debut last year in the majors.

Last night's game was seen by many as a turning point professionally for him. It was a coming out party for a pitcher who was once seen as a prospect and was now a legitimate major leaguer. His father had even flown out from Maryland to watch the best game of his son's Major League career.

I have never met Nick Adenhart or even watched him play in person at the stadium. But I have to admit that this news has affected me more than I ever expected. It has affected me as a fan of the Angels, as a father, and as a fellow human being.

My deepest condolences go out to the family, teammates and fans of this obviously well-liked and talented young man.

One more Angel in heaven.

A right hander who had amazing potential and reportedly great heart.

Bruno - Red Band Trailer

The Red band Trailer for Bruno was released today and the film looks poised to offend and shock even more people then Sacha Baron Cohen's previous film Borat.



Obviously going to be hilarious. Can't wait.

Where the Wild Things Are trailer

I've heard about the ambitious Where the Wild Things Are movie project for awhile now. Reportedly, Spike Jonze resisted the obvious temptation to use CGI and animation for this project. He instead used costumes which obviously delayed the film, but the quality and effectiveness of his vision is easily apparent.

Year One Trailer

When I first saw the teaser trailer for Year One, I wasn't impressed. The movie actually reminded me of that horrible eighties movie Caveman starring Ringo Starr.

This trailer shows more potential than the teaser did and also some of the comedic chemistry between Michael Cera and Jack Black.