Final "Indy" poster

Now it's not just anything that could make me supplant a post of my adorable little daughter (see below), but this was just too exciting to pass up. How great is this poster? In addition to being a great throwback to the Indy posters of old, this poster gives a great view of several of the things that have really got me excited about this movie (see my comments related to the trailer). Perhaps most interesting about this poster is the central presence of the fabled crystal skull...does that look like a creepy alien skull or what?

May 22 is really only 59 days away. Just enough time for me to get my copy of Indiana Jones Monopoly and some fantastic Indiana Jones Legos...

Lily's first duet

Here's our little Lily, singing along with Wendy's whistling. (This video was taken last night and was spontaneous, of course, hence the poor lighting...)

On a related note, Lily has slept through the night for the last four nights...now THAT'S something to sing about! (knock on wood)

The "24" gods have smiled on us today...

Perhaps realizing that a two-year stretch between Jack Bauer's adventures is a little too much for die-hard fans, producers have decided to create and air a special two-hour bridge between last year's season 6 and next year's season 7. The two-hour special will air sometime this fall (probably November). The "core cast" has been contracted to appear, although aside from Jack and Chloe, I'm not sure who else is considered "core."

Either way, it should be interesting to see how producers treat a two hour self-contained story. Maybe it will be a little sneak peek into what they could do with a 24 movie...Read all about it here.

Interesting "Lost" Q&A

A few of you have expressed frustration that I haven't been blogging actively about the recent episodes of Lost with theories, reactions, etc. I'm sorry that I haven't been so die-hard as to include a week-by-week rundown of the show, but please don't misinterpret my lack of Lost-centric posts to imply that my passion for the show is cooling; Lost is as frustratingly addictive as it ever was, and I'm loving every minute.

There's always a mild sense of disappointment at the back of my mind when more questions are being presented than those that are being answered, but I'm pleased that this season has, at the very least, never slowed down. Even though I have no idea where producers intend to take the show, at least I feel like they are steadily pushing forward with the story. And the biggest blessing to come from the new flash-forward mentality of the show: no more pointless flashbacks. I don't mean that there are no flashbacks altogether--I think we have a Juliet-centric episode this week that includes some island flashbacks. But at least every time we leave the island, it feels very relevant to the larger questions looming over the island itself; the producers have really done a masterful job of maintaining that balance.

So I'm still all-in when it comes to my favorite show. It never fails to take me in directions that I couldn't have imagined (Aaron?!? Desmond?!?!). Click here if you'd like to read a mildly interesting Q&A session held between Lost producers and stars.

Tonight's "American Idol": My take

Danny Noriega (boy who thinks he's a girl) was dreadful but somehow won over the judges, mostly because he is "different" (a compliment, I guess). Dude with the dreadlocks officially takes the 7th season prize for crazy hair, pretty face, and mediocre voice (a successor to Season 1's Justin). Aussie rocker was pretty good. Blond streaks is gonzo this week.

But how about this David Archuleta kid? Is he a star-in-the-making or what? Talk about a show-stopper. Watch it here while the link still works. I'd KILL to have a voice like that.

A fourth "Bourne" movie?

Variety reported today that Universal recently inked a deal to produce a fourth installment in the successful Bourne series:

More recently, Shmuger and Linde [Universal executives] landed Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon for a fourth "Bourne" movie, even though the director and star seemed ready to wrap it up after three pics.

Since each of the Bourne movies has been a critical and financial success, it's hardly a surprise to see the studio do everything it can to keep the franchise alive. And though there are no more official Robert Ludlum-penned Bourne books left to adapt for the big-screen, I doubt it will make much of a difference to the quality of the movies: the existing three Bourne movies are supposedly so wildly different from their literary sources, that it's almost as if they weren't adaptations at all.

As I've said before, the Bourne movies are the thinking-man's action films for our generation. I can't wait for more.

I just can't help myself...

"The Spiderwick Chronicles" review

It's been a couple of months since Wendy and I had been able to get to the movies, so it was lovely for Wendy's parents to watch Lily over the weekend while we got out to celebrate our 5th anniversary. The movie we chose to see was The Spiderwick Chronicles, which I hadn't been horribly excited to see based on the TV ads or trailers available. The reviews, however, were mostly positive, and we both love fantasy (when done well), so we thought we'd give it a shot. We weren't disappointed.

Though targeted to young children, who have likely read the books, there's much to love in Spiderwick for grown-ups as well, including an excellent cast, led by the always terrific Freddie Highmore. The production values are fantastic, with appealing and believable sets and props (the creepy old house is really great), convincing creature effects, and another good musical score from James Horner (one of my favorite composers). I won't get into the story, because the surprise is half of the fun, but it has elements that are reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, or Bridge to Terabithia.

More than anything, the movie made me feel like a little kid again. As I was sitting there enjoying the adventure, I couldn't help but remember those imaginative days of my childhood where we would seek out or build "clubs" (usually in the weeds in our backyard or in the Stilson's abandoned sheds) where we kids could act out our fantasies. Though the movie doesn't really deal with it specifically as a theme, it feels implied that adulthood signals the death of the imagination, something I find both sad and inspiring at the same time.

It might have just been the luster of a "night out," but Wendy and I found The Spiderwick Chronicles to be a worthwhile and fun diversion. It's a little scary for young kids, but the rest of you will probably enjoy it a lot. I hope we get to see more of this world. (***1/2 out of four)

Finally...the "Indy 4" trailer

It finally debuted today. Yep, our first peek at Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Click here to see the trailer from Yahoo. Though clearly not as revealing as I would have liked, here are a few of the delights from the trailer:

• A car chase/bullwhip fight through what looks like the warehouse from the final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark
• A very brief glimpse at the word "Roswell," possibly indicating some kind of alien subplot
• The return of Marion (Indy's love from Raiders)
• Cate Blanchett...no further explanation necessary
  
• Some fun-looking Inca-inspired sets
• Harrison Ford back in that hat

Is anyone else getting excited about this movie besides me?

Return dates for your favorite shows

With the official end to the Writer's Strike occurring today, here's a semi-official update from EW.com on the scheduled return dates of some of our favorite scripted shows (click on the link for all the shows they have listed):

• The Office: April 10 (5-6 new episodes)
• My Name is Earl: April 3 (8+ new episodes)
• CSI: April 3 (6 new episodes)
• Grey's Anatomy: Late April ( 4-5 new episodes)
• 30 Rock: April 10 (5 new episodes)
• 24: Early 2009 (yes, we'll have to wait an extra year to see Jack Bauer's latest...grrr)
  

Lost, which is already on the air with new episodes, will apparently add 5 more new episodes to the 8 they have already completed, meaning that we'll get 13 of the promised 16 (we've already seen 2 of these 13). Though it has officially been renewed for next season, I haven't seen a promised return date for Pushing Daisies.

Good news, bad news

Here's an update on the status of your favorite shows, courtesy of USA Today:

"Most prime-time series will need six to eight weeks to write, produce and edit new episodes, but a handful of series (The Office, Two and a Half Men, Desperate Housewives) have one or two scripts nearly ready, which could shorten that time frame.

With few exceptions, most top series will come back between mid-April and early May and air four to six new episodes. Some networks want to keep shooting new shows, hoping to keep them on the air into June to help win back viewers, or store up extra episodes for late summer or fall, partly as insurance against a possible actors' strike June 30. That goal might be hampered because of budgeting problems or stars' film commitments. And serialized dramas will have a harder time for creative reasons.

NBC's Heroes will wait for fall, because of the expense and hurdles of filming a few episodes with a self-contained story. Fox's 24 will produce the remaining 16 episodes of its planned season this spring, to avoid losing options on its actors, but the drama won't return till next January.

"We have to have some kind of abbreviated wrap-up for some shows," says producer Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters). "And for others we're going to have to create the beginning of a new season" in unexpected places. "It's challenging creatively, but it could also end up being inspiring."

But not all shows will return right away: Some newcomers that are neither hits nor flops, such as Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, Chuck and Life, are expected to get new-episode orders but won't be back until fall."

Are your fingers crossed?

This article indicates that the Writer's Guild is planning on voting on a new contract this coming Tuesday, meaning that if approved, Hollywood could be back to work as early as Wednesday. The best news for us viewers is that a swift resolution could mean 4-6 more episodes of our favorite TV shows before the end of May.

I'm guessing that the coming days will give us a better idea of what plans networks will make for each individual show, but things are looking good for a few more episodes of Lost, The Office, and even possibly Pushing Daisies before too long...

Stephanie Meyer's calendar

Here's your Edward the Vampire update, courtesy of USA Today:

"Fans of Stephenie Meyer (and there are millions of them), mark your calendars: Her publisher, Little, Brown, plans to announce today that the fourth and final book in her series about teenage vampires, Breaking Dawn, will go on sale at 12:01 a.m. Aug. 2. Bookstores are expected to stage midnight parties à la Harry Potter. Last August, Meyer's Eclipse (No. 34) knocked J.K. Rowling off the No. 1 spot. A special edition of Eclipse will be released May 31; it will include the first chapter and cover art of Breaking Dawn. Meyer's first novel for adults, The Host, which features an alien species that takes over the minds of their human hosts, arrives May 6. And the movie version of her novel that started it all, Twilight (No. 22), with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, will be released Dec. 12."

One more...

We had a photographer take some pictures of Lily yesterday, and though we haven't gotten most of them back yet, she did email us this one:

Our photographer was Michele Reyes (www.michelereyes.com), and we were very impressed with her. Lily was pretty well-behaved during the mostly-naked shoot, only urinating on us three times. I'll try to post some of the others as soon as we have them.

Oh yeah and with regard to entertainment, I'm loving Lost, guessing that the Writer's Strike is coming to an end (cross your fingers), and looking for a good movie to watch while we're in St. George (free babysitters) on our 5th anniversary next weekend. Any ideas?

More Lily pics

Pardon me if you've already seen these. But seriously, can you blame me for posting them?

"Get Smart" trailer

Don't know about you, but I loved watching old reruns of Get Smart when I was a child. I think it aired on TV at 10:00 p.m., after which we were quickly ushered away to bed. Don Adams was supremely silly, and the show was just enough of the James Bond-esque spy world to feel cool to a 10 year old boy. (I also think I remember Jennie pretending that her pink jellies were her shoe phone...)

Now Steve Carell is starring as Maxwell Smart in the film adaptation of the 1960s TV show, with Anne Hathaway as his romantic foil, Alan Arkin as his boss, and The Rock as a fellow agent. While the following trailer didn't blow me away, it did have a few good chuckles. This could be a silly diversion for the summer movie season; I just hope they stay true to the show's innocent sense of humor. Watch the trailer here.

What do you think? Will you pluck down $8.50 to go see this?

Random movie tidbits

Here are a few interesting movie-related nuggets I've read about over the past day or two (click on the included links for more info):

• Moviegoers across the country are loving Cloverfield, the new movie that is Godzilla meets Blair Witch. Only problem is a lot of people are getting motion-sickness from watching the movie (like The Bourne Supremacy times 10). Now I'm as excited to see it as the next guy, but seriously, is it worth having to take Dramamine just to get through the movie?
• Ain't It Cool News has a potential Indiana Jones trailer description that seems pretty cool. Don't know if it's real, but sounds like we'll get our first peek on Feb. 15.
• Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday. Since I haven't seen most of the movies, I don't really care much...but I can't help but be excited for Johnny Depp, who looks fantastic in Sweeney Todd (and was robbed a few years ago by losing for the original Pirates). What do you suppose the Clearplay version of Sweeney Todd will look like?
• The new James Bond movie has apparently been given a title: Quantum of Solace. My first reaction to the title was the taste of bile in my mouth...which was quickly erased when I read the next piece of news:
• Disney/Pixar are going to be re-releasing Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3-D, in anticipation of the June 2010 release of Toy Story 3. The original Toy Story is among my all-time favorites, so the chance to see it again in a new format feels really exciting to me. Maybe by then Lily will get into the action!

Ledger's work on "The Dark Knight" complete

Although it's pretty superficial to think about at a time like this, people have obviously been asking where Heath Ledger's death leaves The Dark Knight. From Ain't It Cool News:

There's a lot of rumors swirling around right now in regards to Heath and where his involvement with THE DARK KNIGHT was. I got it confirmed from a source involved in Post-Production on THE DARK KNIGHT. Heath's post work was complete. He had indeed finished it, as to not interfere with the production of the film he was doing with Gilliam. We're now working to find out what's going to happen there. The last known photo of Heath was as a clown in that film. Will Terry re-cast? What will happen? We'll try to find out for all of you. But there will be no-dubbing on Heath in THE DARK KNIGHT - his performance was finished.

The Dark Knight is still scheduled to hit theaters on July 18, 2008.

Heath Ledger found dead in NYC

Though not much detail has been released, here's what police have released so far.

Such a shame that a promising life and career come to an end so early. We'll see him next as the Joker in the upcoming The Dark Knight, which has already finished filming. I'm not sure if that was his last film.

What a sad sad story.

Alternatives to our favorite MIA shows

Robert Bianco, an excellent and personable TV critic for USA Today, has a great feature in today's edition for those of us that are mourning the absence of our favorite shows: customized alternate recommendations for fans of 24, The Office, Pushing Daisies, etc. Most (if not all) of these recommendations are on DVD, so you may have to put them in your Netflix queue or try to find them at Blockbuster, but he makes a compelling case for some shows that we might not have caught the first time around, at least until our writers get back to work and start making our favorites again.

I'm most curious about Wonderfalls, the recommendation for fans of Pushing Daisies, both created by Bryan Fuller. For the rest of Bianco's recommendations, grab a copy of USA Today or click here.

This one's for you, Jon

If you hadn't heard already, production has already begun on the as-yet-untitled X-Files movie sequel. Though little is known about the plot, creator/director Chris Carter promises that the new movie will not focus on the alien mythology/conspiracy plot from the series or the previous film: "We want a stand-alone movie." Here's an ambiguous little photo from the new movie:

As if we needed another movie to look forward to this summer, The X-Files sequel hits theaters on July 25.

"So You Think You Can Dance" to audition in SLC

Now this, Kristen, is what I call a guilty pleasure. Producers have announced that auditions for the fourth season of the hit summertime dance-off will take place in six cities across the country, including Salt Lake City (for the first time). I'm guessing that this decision stems from the fact that last year's winner, Sabra, was from SLC, as well as several of the finalists from the past couple of years. Read the press release here.

I think I owe it to all of you to show up at the Capitol Theatre on Feb. 4 and give it my jazziest. I'm certain that by this time next year, you'll all be wishing I had been cast as Edward in Twilight...

New "Indy" pic

Go ahead and click on it for a closer look. There's only about four months to go. I'm guessing the first trailer will probably show up sometime during the Super Bowl, but if not, we'll probably see something exciting attached to The Spiderwick Chronicles in February.

HP7 in two halves?

This report states that Warner Bros. is planning on making two parts to the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Considering all the stuff I hope makes it into the movie, I really hope this is true.

Read all about the rumors here.

Lily Marie Allen

Well, she finally arrived. Yes, to those of you who had been watching the baby-counter down in the bottom left corner of this blog, our little Lily Marie Allen was born on January 2, 2008 (about five days late). Both she and Wendy were very stoic during labor and delivery, and are equally blessed with good looks.

Lily weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. She has been healthy and happy and a genuine blessing to our little family. I'd like to upload more photos, but I'll wait to put them on a yet-to-be-created Allen Family-centric blog. In the meantime, don't mind if I borrow this space to brag about our pretty little princess.

She's blessed with daddy's chin(s).

She loves her Grandpa Allen, but maybe not as much as he loves her...

She has her dad's strange pointy little pinkies, but you can't really tell here.

She's much happier now that she's not stuck in a birth canal.

"Aww Dad, you're embarrassing me!"

Pardon the diaper shot, but I just couldn't resist.

Harry Potter 8?

J.K. Rowling said in a recent interview that she is no longer opposed to returning to the world of Harry Potter. Though it's not a very meaty article, click here to read what she has to say about it.

I've got mixed feelings about returning to the world of Harry Potter. On the one hand, there are probably countless new stories to be told in that world. On the other hand, it seems like Rowling wrapped up her classic series with such discipline and skill (epilogue notwithstanding), I'd hate for her to dilute her own legacy by not knowing when to stop.

What do you think? Are you ready for more Harry Potter?

Merry Christmas, Ringers!

This is the news that fantasy fans worldwide have been waiting for: J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is finally coming to the big screen, thanks to the recent reconciliation of Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema. Read the exciting (and long-overdue) press release here.

I can't tell you how happy this makes me. Hot on the heels of the disappointing news that our baby is likely a few weeks away still (sniff, sniff), this comes as a pleasant consolation, as Wendy and I are both big fans of both the books and Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy. The press release doesn't discuss a lot of specifics (such as casting or even an official director, although I would be shocked if Peter Jackson didn't take the reigns again), but the fact that everyone is at peace again is good news for everyone.

Shooting begins in 2009, with a target release date of 2010 for The Hobbit and 2011 for the as-yet-unnamed sequel to The Hobbit. (Yes, we're getting not one, but two more LOTR movies!) Can I get a resounding woo-hoo from everyone?!?!

"The Dark Knight" trailer debuts

Good news to Batman fans: the exciting new trailer for next summer's The Dark Knight, again starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader, has premiered online. Click here to view it.

The summer of 2008 is shaping up to be a very promising season at the movies. What do you think of this trailer?

"Lost" to return on Jan. 31!!!

ABC finally made up its mind: Lost's 4th season is set to begin on Jan. 31 at 8:00 p.m. For those of you who are looking at a calendar, you'll notice that Jan. 31 is a Thursday, and 8:00 p.m. is normally the same time you'd probably be watching CSI, Grey's Anatomy, or The Office, if there were any new episodes of those shows left to watch. Instead, Lost will go up against NBC's Celebrity Apprentice (which is decidedly light on celebrity, if you asked me...).

Producers of Lost have finished only 8 of the promised 16 new episodes, and have said that the 8th episode ends in a bit of an unplanned cliffhanger, if it ends up being the 4th season finale after all (assuming the strike continues to go on...). While I'm thrilled for one of my all-time favorite TV shows to return, I really don't want to end up getting cheated out of those extra 8 episodes...

If you're not caught up with the show yet, Season 3 of Lost was just released on DVD this week (and my copies are currently lent out for the next several weeks), so make sure to check it out. And for those of you that are up-to-date, go here to see a brief Season 4 trailer that will help get you ready for Jan. 31.

"Pushing Daisies" on hiatus

For those of you that watched the excellent Pushing Daisies last night, you probably didn't realize that you were getting the last new episode that has been filmed of the wonderful new show. Yes, that means Daisies now joins the wasteland of all our favorite shows to be indefinitely on hold until this cursed writer's strike comes to an end.

I really think Pushing Daisies has gotten better as time has gone on. It has always been witty, but it has continued to prove that it's not just a one-trick pony...the cast is great, the sets are whimsical, the narration is fantastic, and the story always seems to go in a direction you wouldn't have expected (like the revelation of last night's killer, as well as the identity of Chuck's mother). Best of all, the dialog is razor-sharp, fast, and always smart (like Olive's witch-bosom joke and Tennessee Williams reference). Rather than feeling like a romantic, I actually feel like an intellectual for loving this show.

For the love of all things baked and delicious, let's end this strike NOW!!!

"Twilight" casting

Now in the interest of full disclosure, I never got past page 67 of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight, and I highly doubt I will see the movie when it finally makes it to theaters, but I thought that some of my female readers might get tired of me writing about Jack Bauer and Indiana Jones, so I'm throwing them a bone. Producers have announced some of the major casting for the film version of Twilight, and I thought some of you might be interested to see Edward and Bella personified:
You might recognize this chap from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as Cedric Diggory himself. Not really the type of guy I would see Wendy leaving me for, but I guess that's a good thing...


As for Bella, you'll recognize this actress (Kristen Stewart) from things like Zathura, Panic Room, and In the Land of Women. One thing I'll say for her is that she does moody well...

Stephanie Meyer is on record as loving these two casting choices. The real question is what do you think about them? Is this your vision of Edward & Bella?

"Indy 4" poster

You can expect a lot more of this random Indiana Jones crap as we get closer and closer to May 22. In this case, however, the crap genuinely gets me excited.

Making good use of the writer's strike...

Sounds like Kiefer Sutherland is making good use of the writer's strike; he's reported to Glendale City jail for his 48-day sentence for DUI. Read all the details here. While I am extremely bothered at anyone driving under the influence, and especially by Hollywood stars who occasionally seem to get special treatment (ahem, Paris Hilton), I find Kiefer's response to be mature, humble, and responsible. I hope he can get his alcoholism under control.

As for 24, which has only filmed 8 episodes of the upcoming season, I'm not sure what the ramifications are. He might as well get this all taken care of now while the writers are on strike and the show is out of production. EW reports that his jail sentence is not expected to interfere with the show's filming schedule.

For those of you who didn't catch Season 6 when it aired last spring, it was just released on DVD this week. I still believe it to be the weakest of the 6 seasons, with several storylines falling horribly flat (mostly revolving around the ridiculous choice to make Wayne Palmer the President). That said, the show is still one of the most unique and thrilling on TV, and even a weak season is better than no season at all. The show's unique format (each season representing a 24-hour day) can be as much an advantage to the show as it can be a restriction: if one day doesn't go so well, producers can start completely fresh for the next season, often with much better results (such as the mini-slump during Seasons 2-3, revived so well during Seasons 4-5). Let's hope the show bounces back for Season 7, and that they bounce back soon!

Romantic comedy reviews

For whatever reason, Wendy and I have seen three "romantic comedies" over the past couple of weeks, though not all of them were romantic and only one of which was really a comedy. Here's a brief review about each of them:

• No Reservations: Is it just me, or has Catherine Zeta-Jones just sorta fallen off the face of the earth lately? After having watched her latest, I can't say I've really missed her that much. Based on the German film, Mostly Martha (which, though I've never seen, comes highly recommended by H.B. Arnett), it follows the life of a lonely but obsessive chef (Zeta-Jones) who unexpectedly gains custody over her young niece (Abigail Breslin) after her sister's death. The movie's advertising wants you to believe that this movie focuses on the romance between Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart, though it's really mostly about the relationship between her and her niece. Now there are a few cute moments throughout the movie, mostly thanks to a warm performance by the young Breslin, but there are far too few laughs and a very uneven balance between the comedic and dramatic moments to recommend this movie. To top it all off, Zeta-Jones and Eckhart have zero chemistry (she looks way to old for him), and their romantic tension lasts all of about 5 minutes. Harmless, but not great. (** out of four)
• Waitress: Here's an odd film that I'd been hearing a lot about since Sundance last year. It stars the appealing Keri Russell (TV's Felicity) as an unhappily married pie-making genius who unexpectedly gets pregnant, apparently only weeks before planning to leave her emotionally-abusive husband. Along the way, she falls in love with her OB-GYN (Nathan Fillion) and befriends the grumpy old owner of the diner where she works (played with spunk by Andy Griffith). Though the film is peppered with several charming moments and a few memorable characters, it deals with lots of unseemly behavior (almost everyone in the movie is cheating on their spouse), which makes it a little more difficult to root for anyone. Additionally, the movie's conclusion left me feeling unsatisfied; it has an almost anti-marriage, man-hating spirit that turned me off. The movie was written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, who also stars in the movie as one of the pie waitresses. Shelly was murdered earlier this year, and never got to see how her film would be received. Sad though her story is, here's a romantic comedy that could have used a happier ending, on and off screen. (**1/2 out of four)
• Enchanted: Here's another movie with some misleading advertisements: it's not nearly as dumb as the ads make it look. It stars the talented Amy Adams (the hot purse girl from early episodes of The Office) as a Disney fairy-tale princess who is transported out of her animated kingdom into a modern-day (and live action) New York City by the local wicked witch (played with little gusto by Susan Sarandon). There she befriends a single-father divorce lawyer played by McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey (getting the girl on the big screen for the first time in since maybe Can't Buy Me Love), and is pursued with oblivious passion by a never-more-lively James Marsden (as Prince Charming). Along the way, she inspires Central Park crowds to join openly in spontaneous song, summons NYC vermin to help clean the apartment, and extols princess advice to all who will listen. The movie is silly, to be sure, but is also bright, fast-paced, funny, and occasionally surprising--clearly the best thing in theaters in this otherwise discouraging holiday movie season. Adams does her own singing, and has a great voice to add to her winning performance. The finale seems a little unnecessary (why is the witch still after the princess during the King Kong-inspired climax?), and the movie as a whole is occasionally cheesy, but your wives and daughters will be enthralled, and after sitting with you through this summer's very man-friendly lineup of movies, it's probably their turn for a magical night at the movies. After all, men, Rambo IV is just around the corner... (*** out of four)
  

I just got the chills...

A couple of pieces of good news for us here today, both courtesy of the fanboy website Ain't It Cool News:

• The Writer's Guild strike could be ending soon. This source says it could be over as early as next week. Let's all say a silent prayer for Jack Bauer's return...
• I just got back from Disneyland, where I made time for the Indiana Jones Adventure twice. And yet strangely, I get more geeky-chills from looking at the following image than from anything I saw on that great ride (click on image to see Indy in a larger degree of glory):
  

See a couple of other great Indy-images here. Memorial Day can't come soon enough!

Now I'm starting to get mad...

Since daytime soaps and late-night talk shows don't really tickle my fancy, the writers' strike has done little to affect me...until today. Fox has announced that 24's upcoming season has been shelved indefintely because of the writers' strike. Apparently they're not keen on starting Jack Bauer's next day from hell if they can't promise that they'll be able to end it...read Fox's horrifying plans here.

It times like these, when this writers' strike starts to keep me from my yearly Jack Bauer fix, that I think that a little Jack Bauer-style torture of these stubborn studio execs isn't such a bad idea. Right now, I think that the stabbing-the-kneecap technique might do the trick.

Which form of torture do you think is most appropriate?

The end of scripted TV as we know it?

Some of you may have heard recently about the strike of the Writer's Guild of America that started a few days ago. I don't understand the issue completely, but know that part of it has to do with Hollywood writers feeling left out of royalties from TV shows released on DVD and other various forms of media (iTunes, etc.), which studios are refusing to cough up. And so, after much negotiation, the writers of your favorite TV shows and movies are now currently on strike.

I read today that Tina Fey joined her 30 Rock's writers on the picket line today; The Office has halted production because half its producers are also writers (not to mention actors). Same goes for Lost, Pushing Daisies, and Heroes. (Read more about it here.)The networks are now reportedly scrambling to finish up already-filmed episodes in preparation for the possibility of a long-term strike, in which case I suppose we'd be flooded with even more reality TV and news magazines.

Some of you might ask why the networks won't just go hire some talented young writers who haven't yet joined the WGA, and there is a possibility, I suppose, that they will. Having said that, any writers hoping to make it into show business are basically shooting themselves in the foot by writing against the WGA strike. As one radio reporter, talking to KSL's Nightside, put it: "They'll never work in Hollywood again."

Let's hope the studios and writers can make peace again, and soon! I can only imagine what life would be like without our favorite scripted shows!

"The Office 2" on its way?

This link asserts that NBC is getting set to spin off The Office (likely in the spring), although it sounds like the spinoff will not be stealing any of the mothership's original cast. Read all about it here (you'll need to scroll down to find it...).

How do I feel about this news? Well, happy that Dwight won't be leaving Scranton, for one, and sad that they are diluting the product--which rarely ends well (especially because The Office isn't really the huge hit NBC is acting like it is...). We'll see how it goes.

"24" Teaser; "Angels & Demons" news

A couple of interesting pieces of news for those of you Jack Bauer and Robert Langdon fans: First of all, Fox has released a teaser for Season 7 of 24 which genuinely looks different than previous seasons of the show. Again, if you don't want to know anything about Season 7, don't watch this link. (Having said that, I bet you anything that Fox will start promoting this like crazy in the next couple of months, so staying completely secret-free is going to be increasingly difficult...).

Personally, I think the 24 trailer is a great one--with plenty of action and new scenery to make it feel new, as well as a few familiar faces to tie us back to former seasons (they even address--twice--the controversial torture issue that has been so abundant in season's past). I really can't wait for the season premiere in January.

Next, Sony announced today that production will begin in February for the film adaptation of Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code prequel, Angels & Demons, again starring Tom Hanks. Ron Howard is returning as the director. No other cast members have been announced. The target release date is December 2008. Read all about it here.

While I wasn't initially as impressed with the film version of The DaVinci Code as I would have liked, a recent repeat viewing left me feeling a little kinder towards the box office hit. I still don't love the albino-monk self-flagellation scenes, and think they could have found a more charismatic heroine, but overall it was a flashy and passable thriller, with some killer locations and a decent score by Hans Zimmer.

I always felt like Angels & Demons was a superior book to The DaVinci Code, even though it's a little gorier and has basically the exact same plot as its successor. Can't wait to hear how they try to film around the Vatican with such a controversial plot.

One more interesting note: although Angels & Demons is officially a prequel to The DaVinci Code, they have written it for the screen as a sequel. Since the two stories stand alone from each other and have very little ties to each other, I don't think it was that difficult for the screenwriter to adapt as a sequel. Still, I hope they'll do a good job with it--I think the story lends itself to be a very thrilling movie.

The Amazing Racers

Well, here they are, for our viewing pleasure: the new teams from the next season of The Amazing Race. This time around, our teams include a grandfather/grandson, married ministers, and dating goths (bet you can't guess which ones they are...).

Can't wait!

"The Amazing Race" returns!

Hot on the heels of the season's first big TV failure (Hugh Jackman's Viva Laughlin), CBS has announced that TV's most exciting reality show, The Amazing Race, will return on Nov. 4 in the timeslot it previously occupied last spring (Sundays at 7 p.m.). Details on the racers are yet to come, but producers promise that the race takes us to new countries this time around, including Ireland, Croatia, and Lithuania.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: even in the dullest of seasons (the Family Edition, anyone?), The Amazing Race represents the best of reality TV, mixing interesting players/relationships with exotic, wish-I-could-go-there locations. It's the one reality show I really wish I could be part of.

Judging by the show's most recent Emmy win (the fifth in a row), critics are in love with the show too. If you haven't already become a racer, mark your calendars for Nov. 4!

Dumbledore is gay!?!?!

I was shocked to read the following article this weekend:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/2007-10-20-potter-dumbledore_N.htm

All I can say is that I'm glad she didn't try to elaborate on this in the books.

We should all be "Pushing Daisies"

Because of my aforementioned lack of engaging TV shows to watch this fall, I was willing to give one of the newbies a shot because of the overwhelmingly positive reviews I've been seeing for it. The show is ABC's Pushing Daisies, which premiered last night, and I have to say, it's definitely the most interesting pilot (premiere episode) I've seen since Lost three years ago. Not that this show has much else in common with Lost; Pushing Daisies is breezy, romantic, and completely charming.

The premise is the stuff of fairy-tales: a shy pie-maker is magically given the gift (or curse) to bring the dead to life with a single touch. This gift has it's pros (he talks to murder victims so he can solve the crime and collect the bounty) and cons (if he touches the recently revived a second time, they die again, this time forever...). Without giving too much away, the premise certainly shows promise of becoming a quirky and addicting diversion for Wednesday nights; a welcome contrast from the standard soaps and procedurals that dominate the rest of network TV.

The main reason I bring up this show is for all you Twilight fans out there; this show (or at least last night's episode) has the potential to be the charming romantic comedy you've all be waiting for. (Watching it by myself while Wendy was at the church, I stopped it halfway through so I could rewatch it with her...she loved it.) Having said that, it's romantic without being cheesy, witty without being cheap, and quirky but accessible. No, there aren't vampires, but it does involve death, so cheer up.

ABC is reairing the pilot on Friday night. If you missed it last night, set your DVRs to catch Pushing Daisies. For at least one hour, you'll be glad you did.

Boring "Heroes"

In my neverending quest for some engaging television these days, I have continued to watch Heroes this season, even after having a mediocre reaction to last year's first season. Yes, I love the show's concept. Ordinary people with extraordinary powers is always good for some fun stories, even if it's not a completely original idea. Last season had a couple of humdingers, with the Claire/Matt/HRG/Nuclear Man episode (about 3/4 through the season) right up there with some of the best single hours of television I've seen recently. Having said that, the season as a whole was never so consistently addictive as to make me eagerly anticipate the new season. It ended with a whimper, and unfortunately has come back (2 episodes in) just as underwhelmingly.

Here are a couple of my problems with the show, in no particular order:

• Too gory, especially the Sylar business. I know it's far-fetched, but come on, cutting off the top of a person's head is gross, even if you do it with magical powers.
• Too many characters. Network serial dramas these days seem to be determined to weave so many stories that the most engaging ones often get the short-shrift, while the more boring ones get overly diluted (anything with Suresh). It's a problem even Lost has faced at times.
• No rules. This is a problem I've had with the Mystique character in the X-Men movies--she can be anyone, anytime. It makes for sloppy storytelling. Anytime your character is in a bind, just give them a new power that will get them out of it, but the new power only works when it is convenient for the writers. The Peter character in Heroes is a perfect example of this, as is Hiro and his oh-so-finicky time-traveling skills.

I can't say that I've given up on the show completely--there's nothing better to watch on Monday nights--but I have decided once and for all that, unless they resolve some of my above concerns, this show will never be as great as the show that forged the path for its existence, Lost. February can't come soon enough.

Scratching my head

Jackie Chan was apparently quoted recently as saying ""I spent four months making [Rush Hour 3] and I still don't fully understand the humor."

I spent about four minutes in the theater and realized that I wouldn't ever understand the humor. The main difference between me and Jackie is that I didn't get paid millions to pretend like I got the joke.

More fun "24" facts

I am a faithful subscriber to Entertainment Weekly magazine, which I anxiously await every Saturday and read often in the car while I drive Wendy from store to store. Although the magazine is usually fairly celebrity-gossip-free (People or US Weekly it ain't, thank goodness), what really interests me is the fascinating focus in many of its feature articles about the entertainment business and behind-the-scenes peeks at some of my favorite TV shows and movies. (This week's edition, for example, dishes some fun stuff about Heroes.)

Having said this, the following article doesn't come from Entertainment Weekly, but rather from Zap2it.com, another TV & movie-centric website that serves as a source for interesting news from time to time. I'm including the link because it includes a little more juicy 24 news (related to my previous post) as well as an interview with one of the show's producers. For 24 fans, it's a must.

Click here to read Zap2it.com's article

Just like some of the great feature stories in Entertainment Weekly, this story includes some fun facts about 24 that helps illustrate a little better the huge phenomenon this show has become. Someday, when I have a booming career as an entertainment columnist (I understand that they are all ridiculously wealthy...), this is the type of article I will write.

Chocolate + popcorn movies = Summer 2008

As if we needed more reasons to anticipate the upcoming Indiana Jones and Batman movies, I found this article that discusses some of the fascinating upcoming candy-bar cross promotions for next summer:

Even Mars is getting into the act with its Snickers Adventure bar containing a hint of chai and coconut. The limited edition offering ties in with Lucasfilm's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The Indy tie-in also extends to M&M's, which will offer limited-edition Mint Crisp flavor...The silver screen continues to figure big in the marketing of sweets, and among the flavor fits unveiled during last week’s All Candy Expo was Hershey’s hook up with Warner Bros.’ next installment of the Batman series The Dark Knight coming to theaters next July. The Reese’s line will include bat-shaped chocolate and peanut butter pieces, and Kit Kat wafers bars will be stamped with the bat signal.

Suddenly I'm feeling like a Batman-flavored Symphony bar.

Shocking piece of "Lost" news...

Yes, it's been a slow workday. So it's a welcome coincidence that on the heels of 24's big news, I find some interesting Lost news as well. Although not as potentially shocking as the 24 news, this post nevertheless gives us the hope that one of the more frustrating loose-ends from Lost's Season 2 will finally be addressed. It's not as surprising as it is satisfying, so unless you want to go into Season 4 completely blind, feel free to click here.

This is a welcome announcement, and makes the February premiere seem even further away. I can't wait to see what the producers have got up their sleeves.

Shocking piece of "24" news...

Those of you who love being surprised by 24's shocking twists and turns will undoubtedly want to avoid looking at the link below, but for those of you that need a compelling reason to return to the show after last year's underwhelming season, go ahead and click on. Don't be mad at me for spoiling this for you; you've been warned!

Click here for more details.

24 has been one of my favorite TV shows of all time, and has provided some of the most thrilling moments of any recent entertainment I can think of. Having said that, I've always felt that the show's restrictive format has limited the producers' ability to fairly resolve all of the show's many characters and storylines (with the exception of the main ones). Inevitably, some characters get the shaft. Such was the case with this character, who deserved better than what he/she got. Though I was already a fairly die-hard 24 fan, this just got me really excited for season 7.

"Survivor," anyone?

I am a very casual Survivor fan. I have only seen three complete seasons of the show (Marquesas, All-Stars and Guatemala), and have only occasionally caught episodes of other seasons. My lazy attitude toward the show (really one of the major pioneers of today's reality TV craze) stems mostly from the fact that there were usually so many other shows on that I'd rather spend my TV-time on.

Not so this time. With the exception of The Office (which returns next Thursday), I can't think of another show this fall that I'm excited to watch. Yes, I'm mildly curious about Back to You with Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton--I've always loved a well-done traditional sitcom--although the jury's out on this one. I'll give it another week or two to decide if it deserves a timer on my DVR.

I'm also mildly curious about ABC's Pushing Daisies, which critics are unanimously declaring to be the best new show this year. Having said that, critics' also praised Studio 60 last year, and it ended up crashing and burning in a most spectacular fashion. So I'm a little reserved about jumping on the critics' "best" bandwagon.

At least Survivor is a proven brand, which season after season continues to attract people around the watercooler. Although its ratings have waned since the show first premiered, it still does huge numbers up against some other very popular shows, and has "outlasted" almost all of its clones (despite what NBC keeps trying to make us believe, The Apprentice is running on fumes). I think part of Survivor's success has been the exciting locations, which change each season, as well as producers' ability to recruit some very unique TV personalities (who, though almost always "beautiful," seem a little less desperate and shallow than, say, the creepy girls of The Bachelor).

As for the game itself, the challenges, rewards, and twists have evolved, sometimes in a thrilling fashion, and sometimes in a "all that hype for nothing" way (remember the racial division a couple of seasons back, which ended shortly and quietly after the premiere episode?). Having said that, I don't feel like there's anything else to watch on Thursday night, since I don't get into Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, ER, or CSI. Yes, I'm back to Survivor by default.

Come January, my TV schedule gets a little more exciting, with the return of 24, Lost, American Idol, and The Amazing Race. But until then, I'm a Survivor fan again. Who's in with me?

The "Indy 4" official title is...

So we have Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, and... The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Well, it doesn't really roll off my tongue, but I guess it will grow on me. Having said that, I'm so excited about this movie that I'd still go see it if it was named Indiana Jones and the Quest for Britney Spears' Dignity, so I guess the title is irrelevant.

KOTCS arrives in theaters on Memorial Day weekend in 2008. What do you think of the new title? Do you have any better ideas?

The Return of "V"???

I stumbled across an interesting rumor today, indicating that there are talks of reviving the 1980s classic miniseries "V" (and its fantastic sequel, "V: The Final Battle"). While I'm certain that any revival would likely be gorier and racier than the original, I still have to say that I'm pretty curious about the idea of returning to one of my childhood's most fascinating TV fetishes. My parents would warn us about watching it; that it might give us nightmares. And of course, we'd be glued to that TV screen, even if it meant nightmares later on that night. I can still remember being completely creeped out about seeing the guy in the red suit being spied behind the dumpster while consuming a live mouse. Or Diana, the leader of the alien lizards, screaming "I WAS IN CHAAARGE!!!" Or when they'd peel off their skin to reveal that creepy green skin underneath. Or when that girl who mated with a lizard gave birth to twins...one human, one lizard. Man, I'm getting excited just thinking about it! Check out the full rumor here.

Who knows what will really happen, but given Hollywood's current fascination with all-things nostalgic, I wouldn't be surprised to see something happen. All I can say is that I'm sufficiently intrigued. How about you?