Thursday, May 28, 2009

Happy birthday, Jesse Bradford!

King of the Hill (1993)

Hackers (1995)

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Bring It On (2000)

Swimfan (2002)

Happy Endings (2005)

Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

My Sassy Girl (2008)

Happy 30th, Jesse! I can't believe you hit the big three-oh. It makes me feel old! I have been following Jesse's career half my life now! My earliest Jesse memory is watching Hackers back in the 90s. And I also remember being mad in 2001 that he won Exciting New Face at the Young Hollywood Awards. Because Jesse Bradford, in 2001, was definitely not a new face. Exciting? Yes. New? No.

Anyways, happy birthday Jesse! Continue making movies and I'll continue to watch them. Looking forward to I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell!

Pics are thanks to Celyn at jesse-bradford.com

Monday, May 25, 2009

National Treasure 3 please


Just rewatched National Treasure and the movie held up really well for a third viewing. I also liked the sequel, Book of Secrets. So what I'm trying to say is.. I'd like to see a third flick. I never thought I would make a post stating this, but yeah, I'd like to see another one. They're fun! Plus, JUSTIN BARTHA. I cannot stress this enough. JUSTIN BARTHA.

I think a third one is in development so come on Powers that Be, make it happen!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Watch Harper's Island tonight!

Episode 6, "Sploosh", airs tonight on CBS. And believe me, you don't want to miss the "Sploosh".

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Chace Crawford is Footloose

My friend Stitch and I always joke about Chace Crawford's resemblance to Zac Efron and that they should play brothers some time. Only we never call Chace by his first name. We always call him 'Man-Bangs'. Gossip Girl fans will get it. Anyways, two months ago I expressed my joy that Efron pulled out of the planned Footloose remake. Apparently the producers solved this problem by casting someone that looks like him (source). That's how the business goes these days?

I have no problem with Man-Bangs, but I'd still rather not see this remake happening.

E! reports Hayden Panettiere, Amanda Bynes, Julianne Hough are in the running for the female lead, as well as Miley Cyrus. Powers that Be, please let it be Bynes so this remake won't end up a total tween fest.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Coop, you're killing me


Seriously, Bradley Cooper, I don't have time to post about anything else anymore! Important things like how in the world Man-Bangs got cast in Footloose! That will now have to wait because Chud.com talked with Coop, who told them his earlier A-Team comments were taken out of context and that he hasn't even read the script.

No Green Lantern. No A-Team. Somebody hire this guy already, kay?

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Review: Star Trek

Okay, it's not really a review. The whole concept of Star Trek is so foreign to me, I could not write a review about it and have it make sense. Instead I'm presenting you with some of my thoughts about the new Trek movie.

• I enjoyed the movie! And I don't even like Star Trek! Kudos JJ Abrams, kudos! I was afraid I wouldn't get the movie, but it's really accessible for non-Trek watchers.

• Chris Pine is funny. I had no idea Chris Pine could be funny. Excellent choice for James Kirk.

• Pine had good chemistry with Karl Urban.

• Watching Zachary Quinto on the big screen makes me feel like a proud momma. I knew that kid had potential when I first saw him in the Off Centre episode "Diddler on the Roof" in 2002.

• Winona Ryder is not old enough to play Quinto's mom. Whatever happened to her anyways?

• John Cho is awesome.

• Simon Pegg was fun to watch.

• Anton Yelchin is adorable. Happy for him that he's in two of the biggest movies of the summer (this and Terminator: Salvation).

• Thanks for stopping by Jennifer Morrison! At least you weren't green like Rachel Nichols.

• Rachel Nichols, what the hell? Why were you green?

• Chris Hemsworth did well in his small role as papa Kirk. I can see why he's been cast in Thor and Red Dawn.

• It's sad that when I first saw young James Kirk, I immediately thought 'Jimmy Bennett' instead of 'James Kirk'. What's even more sad is that I didn't recognize Clifton Collins Jr.! I thought I was well trained in the art of recognizing him, but I failed. EPICALLY.

So uhm yeah, most of my thoughts are cast related. But that's just how I roll. I'll watch anything if there are actors in it that I like. Even Piranha 3-D is looking pretty good to me because of Adam Scott, Jerry O'Connell and Ving Rhames! Anyways, back to Star Trek. Give it a chance. It might surprise you. A 4/5.

The Weekly Cooper Update

I meant to post this yesterday, but I was busy with other stuff. Anyhow, new week so new Bradley Cooper scoop!

IESB.net reports that Coop is playing Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck in the new The A-Team movie. Surprised? I was! There have been a lot of rumors going around Cooper was in the running to play the Green Lantern. Now that he has joined The A-Team remake, it seems unlikely he'll go green as well. The A-Team has franchise potential, just like the Green Lantern. I don't see him doing both, especially because the movies aren't for the same studio. The former is set up at 20th Century Fox, while the latter is a Warner Bros production. Plus, it already bugs me that Christian Bale is Batman AND John Connor. No need to have Coop go down that road.

And in even more important news: People reports Cooper is NOT dating Jennifer Aniston. Halle-friggin-lujah! Now I can focus on my Star Trek post.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Random thoughts

• I want this poster (via). Justin Bartha is adorable. I can't really explain it, but this poster amuses me.

• Was surfing JoBlo.com and read the most recent C'mon Hollywood column, which made me laugh. Its title? Bradley Cooper as Green Lantern: make it happen! It's basically the same post I wrote last week. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks Cooper would be a good choice, you know, despite not knowing anything about the Green Lantern.

Scrubs has been renewed for a 9th season and Zach Braff will be back for 6 eps (source). While I didn't really like the supposed series finale as a whole, I did think it gave Braff a nice send off. I wonder how they'll write him back in and how many original castmembers they'll get back for the new season as some are attached to pilots.

• I finally remember which trailer was attached to 17 Again: it was Fame. Watching it, I didn't think it was a bad trailer. Apparently it wasn't memorable either.

AWWWWWWWWW!

• Finally saw the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. It was sad. AWWWWWW! :'( I really want to love the episode, but a certain ER episode is still too fresh in my mind to find this GA ep shocking or original. I miss Grey's Anatomy's glory days.

• I saw Star Trek! Will post my thoughts later! But for now, two thumbs up!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Watch Harper's Island

Watch Harper's Island, CBS's murder mystery show! It's cheesy and campy, but oh so addictive! Please don't let me down, US peeps, I need to know how the story plays out!

Let me let CBS tell you what the show is about:


HARPER'S ISLAND is about a group of family and friends who travel to a secluded island off the coast of Seattle for a destination wedding. This island is famous for a streak of unsolved murders from seven years ago. Although they've come to laugh and to love, what they don't know is they've also come... to die. As the wedding festivities begin, friendships are tested and secrets exposed as a murderer claims victims, one by one, transforming the wedding week of fun and celebration into a terrifying struggle for survival.

In every episode, someone is killed and every person is a suspect, from the wedding party to the island locals. By the end of the 13 episodes, all questions will be answered, the killer will be revealed and only a few will survive.

That last part is what I find really appealing about the show: it has an end date. The story won't be stretched out over 5 seasons. We won't have to worry that we'll never find out who the killer is when ratings drop so low CBS wants to cancel it, because all 13 episodes have already been filmed.

The show has been described as Ten Little Indians meets Scream. I get the Agatha Christie reference, but no way is this show like Scream. Campy like Scream 3? Maybe. Sure, our supposed heroine Abby (Elaine Cassidy) has dead mommy issues. And like in Scream, people die. But the characters in Scream have self-awareness. The characters in Harper's Island are self involved. Which brings me to one of my biggest issues with the show: how come no one notices people are missing?

You have reached SPOILER TERRITORY so beware! I have seen the first 5 episodes and will spoil certain deaths and storylines below. However, I will give another spoiler warning before I really spoil something.

Really it annoyed me to no end that SPOILER a bridesmaid died in the second ep yet her disappearance isn't explained until the 5th episode. And then what really bugged is that I read an interview with Sean Rogerson, who plays Booth, that a scene where they mentioned the bridesmaid's absence was cut from the episode! Yes, vital information gets cut, but about a gazillion other things they kept in. Great job, editor! /SPOILER

While we're on the subject of crew members who should've done a better job.. Dear casting director, why cast so many people that look alike so it takes me 5 episodes and a visit to the CBS website to figure out who all these people are? There are a lot of characters on this show, yet with the exception of one of the groomsmen who is African American, there is no cultural diversity at all! All the women are white and either blonde or brunette, which makes it difficult to keep track of who's who. I'm pretty familiar with Katie Cassidy and Gina Holden, but throw them in with the 4 other brunettes and even I'm confused. At least the groomsmen don't look alike, but Adam Campbell (the Brit) and the guy who plays JD (the groom's brother) do have similar faces.

I have another problem with the casting. The original pilot presentation had different cast members, including Ryan Merriman as the groom and Bill Pullman as Uncle Marty. While I'm totally on board with replacing Merriman with Christopher Gorham as the groom as Merriman is so young looking, getting rid of Pullman confuses me slightly. Look, Harry Hamlin is great and I enjoyed him as Uncle Marty, but he did add to the camp factor. Just like Adam Campbell was part of the original cast AND THEY KEPT HIM! Watching him in the pilot is like I'm watching him in Date Movie again. That's not a compliment. And also, Topher Grace wants his DNA back. I'm really wondering here if it was their intention to make the show campy. If so, they succeeded. If not, then I have no words. Honestly, I like show. But I'd rather like the show because it's good, not because it's so bad it's good.

Finally, our lead Abby is played by Elaine Cassidy. I have never seen this girl before, but I can say I don't like her in this role. The character of Abby (the groom's best friend) doesn't work for me. The Powers that Be are trying too hard to make us like her. Everyone on the island seems to like her. The groomsmen like her. Even the friggin' bride likes her. Okay, I get it, she's supposed to be awesome. Yet what I'm seeing is a plain Jane who pushes people away. The cast is huge and most of the screentime is focused on her and her background. I get bored everytime she's on screen being all angsty. Normally I'm not a fan of KATIE Cassidy, but she's Meryl Streep compared to ELAINE Cassidy here. At least I'm not hoping Katie dies everytime she's on screen. Really, I would've cut the character of Abby and put the focus on the bride and groom.

Okay, I've been complaining a lot but I do really like the show. It's fun! I can't wait for the next ep to see who dies next. Hah I originally typed 'how dies next'. The kills are interesting so yeah, I also want to know HOW the next person dies! Plus, Richard Burgi as the bride's dad is very awesome. Chris Gorham is a cutie! And Jim Beaver as the Sheriff is cool!

As for the killer. Really, I have no clue. It could be anyone at this point. I have a lame theory though. The show reminds me of the movie Mindhunters, where a bunch of people are trapped on an island and they are killed via traps. The killer has no parents, because he killed them when he was a kid. The groom also has no parents so if I had to make a guess, it's him. But I don't really (want to) believe it's Henry. Gorham is too adorable!

I'm surprised I could write so much about the show without spoiling much. Watch Harper's Island and get hooked!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Come on, Warner Bros!

The Bradley-Cooper-is-the-Green-Lantern rumors have been driving me crazy. Look, I don't know anything about the Green Lantern, but having Bradley Cooper play him seems like a perfect choice. Other people who have been rumored for the role: Ryan Gosling, Chris Pine and Anton Yelchin? Seriously, I have never been so confused about casting before in my life. All these guys barely have anything in common. Gosling is all broody and serious. Pine is Captain Kirk and he was also in the Princess Diaries 2 (why do I know that?). He's the pretty boy type. Yelchin is young. In my mind he's still 12. He will always be that kid in Hearts in Atlantis to me. I don't know what type they are looking for. I don't think Warner Bros even knows!

So why do I think Cooper should play the Green Lantern even if I don't know anything about the Green Lantern? Cooper has a regular Joe vibe, but also the charisma to carry a superhero movie like this. Plus, he has a pretty decent track record (Alias, Wedding Crashers, Failure to Launch, Yes Man, Nip/Tuck, He's Just Not That Into You and the upcoming, much buzzed about The Hangover). If I were a studio investing many bucks into a project like this, I'd have more faith in Cooper pulling this off than any of the other actors. And hey, I love Gosling. He's an excellent actor. Better than Cooper (sorry, Brad), but not the type for a movie like this.

In conclusion: I know nothing about the Green Lantern. I just have a good feeling about this casting idea. Warner Bros could do a LOT worse, that's all I'm saying. So, Cooper for the win!

And in other news: for the love of God, Bradley Cooper, don't date Jennifer Aniston. No good could come of it! You were married to Jennifer Esposito! This is what we call trading down! That is all.

Review: 17 Again


I saw 17 Again last week. See, Zac Efron, I kept my word! Now you keep your word as well and stay away from Footloose.

Anyhow, I liked the movie. I had incredibly low expectations so that helped, but I have to admit, Efron wasn't even that bad. He has the charisma to pull off a role like this, but I don't see him doing Magnolia. Or Schindler's List. Or even The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He's too glossy. I would like to see him do a serious drama just to get an idea of what he's capable of.

The rest of the cast did fine. Leslie Mann's character reminded me of her character in Knocked Up, so that really wasn't all that challenging for her I think. Matthew Perry is underused. I get it's about him turning 17 again, but five more minutes of screentime would have been nice. I enjoyed Thomas Lennon as Efron/Perry's best friend. I had never seen him before, but I'm sure it won't be the last time. Michelle Trachtenberg was completely wasted here. She barely had anything to do and I was just cringing at the scene where she threw herself at Efron. I'm not criticizing Michelle, I just hated the scene. Sterling Knight, who played Michelle's brother, has potential to have a good career ahead of him.

Looking at the movie itself, well, yeah, it's not like we haven't seen or heard this story before. But it's well executed, fun and yes, funny at times. I could even see myself owning this on DVD at some point. A 3,5/5.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Trailer Park: Wolverine and 17 Again

I don't watch a lot of trailers online, so this feature will mostly feature (hee!) trailers that were attached to movies I've recently seen. Keep in mind that I live in The Netherlands, and that the trailers attached wont necessarily be the same as the ones in your country. In this post I'll review the trailers that were attached to Wolverine and 17 Again.

First up is Wolverine and all trailers attached were for 'guy flicks'.

Fighting
Fighting = Step Up - dancing + fighting. I haven't seen Step Up (unfortunately, I have seen Step Up 2), but it looks like the same movie. Channing Tatum needs to branch out. I think he has it in him to become a big star, if he moves away from these flicks. Let's see it as a 'step up' for something greater.
To be viewed: probably never

Star Trek
I was kinda looking forward to this. I like the cast, the promotional pics look good. Then I saw the trailer and it reminded me I don't like Star Trek. I do like John Cho and Zach Quinto. Hmmm...
To be viewed: on DVD unless one of my friends wants to see it on the big screen, which probably won't happen

Terminator: Salvation
I thought the first two Terminators were great and I liked Rise of the Machines (apart for the Claire Danes factor). The trailer for T4 did nothing for me. I only liked seeing Bryce Dallas Howard! Maybe if Nick Stahl was John Connor again, I'd see it. I don't understand why Christian Bale's playing him now. Bale's already Batman! What's next yo? Superman?
To be viewed: DVD

The Hangover
I already mentioned The Hangover here. It looks good! And Bradley Cooper! *squee*
To be viewed: hopefully on the big screen

Girl-friendly films were attached to 17 Again (this shouldn't be a surprise).

The Proposal
I already mentioned here that The Proposal looks awful. I'm still feeling bad for Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Now that I'm remembering that he gets to be married to Scarlett Johansson and that Sandra gets millions for a flick like this, that bad feeling is fading away.
To be viewed: on DVD

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
I hate the title! Hate it! Hate it! Hate it! I do love Matthew McC, Jennifer Garner and Breckin Meyer so that partly makes up for it. At least this doesn't look as generic as The Proposal.
To be viewed: on DVD

I Love You, Man
Paul Rudd amuses me, Rashida Jones is lovely and I love Jason Segel and Jaime Pressly. I want to see this! But probably won't in theaters.
To be viewed: on DVD

I'm sure there was another trailer shown, but I can't remember which... :S