Movies

When news first came of the new Roger Corman Syfy movie Sharktopus, essentially the entire world rejoiced.  Well thanks to today's news, Mickey Rourke can officially be included in the rejoicing contingent.  As you may remember from Rourke's awkward speech at last year's Spirit Awards, he really feels like his good buddy Eric Roberts should get the same shot at redemption he did.  Well Mr. Rourke, today is your lucky day because Eric Roberts comeback is officially on track with the news that he has signed on to star in Sharktopus.

Already the talk of the Internet, Sharktopus is about a research scientist (Roberts) and his talented daughter who develop a secret military weapon – a hybrid shark/octopus that can be controlled by electrical implants.  But when the controls break down, the monster goes on a killing rampage at the resort beaches of Mexico.

Eric Roberts received Golden Globe nominations for his starring roles in King of the Gypsies (1978) and Star 80 (1983). He was nominated for the 1985 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the escaped convict Buck in the film Runaway Train In 1987, he won the Theatre World Award for his Broadway debut performance in Burn This.   [via tv by the numbers]

I'm not sure they could have come up with a better synopsis.  They are going to genetically engineer a hybrid Shark and Octopus to be used as a military weapon?  Are you kidding me.  That sounds so awesomely ridiculous I want to make love to it right now. I also love that Sharktopus is going to go on a killing rampage in Mexico, maybe he can do something about all those damn Chicklet salesmen.  This movie really has a chance to be an all time classic, sort of the Citizen Kane of hybrid monster Syfy movies.  We'll keep you updated.

Also don't forget that another notch in the Syfy awesomeness belt that goes by the name of Dinoshark debuts this Saturday.

Well this is pretty great news.  The Office's Ed Helms is teaming up with someone else funny for a stoner comedy.  That someone else's funny belongs to How I Met Your Mother's Jason Segel.  Rock.

Jason Segel and Ed Helms are starring in "Jeff Who Lives at Home," a stoner comedy from Mark and Jay Duplass. The film is in the process of being set up at Paramount.

The Duplass brothers, who are writing and directing the feature, are producing with Jason Reitman via his Right of Way Films. John Malkovich's Mr. Mudd shingle is also producing.

Written by the brothers, the pic chronicles a day in the life of two brothers, one a loser (Segel) who lives at home and the other (Helms) more together but overbearing.

The role of their mother is being cast; Judy Greer is in talks to play Helms' wife.

Shooting is set to begin next month in Louisiana.  [via thr]

I like my stoner comedies as much as the next stoner comedy fan, but I wasn't as in love with Pineapple Express as a lot of people were, which is weird considering my love for all things Danny McBride.  I'm a little more hopeful with this one as I absolutely love loser Jason Segel and uptight Ed Helms.  We'll keep you updated.

If I was into cats, which I'm not, I would definitely consider Clint Eastwood the cat's meow.  Anytime there is news of a new Eastwood project I get a little pep in my step and usually start breakdancing.  It's still a bit early in the morning for breakdancing but my downstairs neighbors can attest to me breaking out the worm this morning.  Adding to the excitement is the fact that this project is about the uber controversial and slightly insane J Edgar Hoover. 

Eastwood is teaming with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment on the pic, which was initially set up at Universal, where Imagine has been developing it. Dustin Lance Black, who wrote biopic "Milk," penned the script.

Hoover was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935 and turned it into an efficient crimefighting organization. He remained its director until his death in 1972, but his sculpted persona was already coming apart at the seams; he employed the FBI to harass political activists and used illegal methods to make secret files on leaders. Many biographies also assert the man was a closeted homosexual and cross-dresser.

The Hoover project isn't set up at a studio, though it will most likely end up at Warner Bros., where Eastwood and his Malpaso shingle are based, as a Malpaso-Imagine production. Malpaso's Robert Lorenz also would serve as a producer in addition to Eastwood and Grazer.  [via thr]

I try to like most people but I have a severe distaste for J Edgar Hoover.  Aside from being a corrupt self-loather, he was also prominently involved in the career of douche nozzle Joseph McCarthy, not to mention essentially waged war against my all time favorite person Charlie Chaplin.  I'm hoping Clint is looking at this as a way to enlighten the world to the dangerous aspects that Hoover brought into the American government, as opposed to the standard dramatic fare where we are "peeling the layers off a troubled and misunderstood soul". 

Billy Crudup just played Hoover in Michael Mann's Public Enemies, but this role will be a lot more substantial, as it appears we will be covering a much wider range of history.  Normally I'd take this as an opportunity to suggest Tony Danza for the role but I figured Hoover would have thought Danza was a communist so we'll skip that.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman anybody?  Bueller?  Bueller?

Also, check out this "communist".  God he is awesome.  Weird how everything still applies from a speech in a 1940 movie.  That's some good writing.

Looks like ESPN is really giving it a go with this whole ESPN Films thing.  The latest news is the hiring of Robert DeNiro to play Vince Lombardi in the creatively titled Lombardi.

The film will focus on the years that Lombardi rebuilt the Packers into a gridiron powerhouse, and five-time champions, between 1959-67. The producers plan to release the film in late January 2012, between the AFC and NFC conference championship games and the Super Bowl.

De Niro and Jane Rosenthal’s Tribeca Prods. is producing along with ESPN Films, Andell, the NFL and Chris Olsen.

“There are few actors who could accurately portray the fire, passion and grit of Lombardi, and we’re thrilled to have Robert De Niro on our team,” said NFL vp programming Charles Coplin. “With the addition of De Niro, Eric and Tribeca Prods., we have a deep bench to produce a film worthy of the legendary coach and American icon.”   [via risky business]

The script is being written by Eric Roth who has already dabbled in the biographical sports movie section with the Oscar nominated Ali.  Definitely a bit skeptical of this as DeNiro hasn't done good work in years and the ESPN Films banner is still relatively unproven when trying to play with the big boys.  Should be interesting to see who they get to direct the project with Roth and DeNiro officially on board, we'll keep you updated.

In other DeNiro reliving the past news comes the following tidbit from Deadline, apparently they are going to make a sequel to the awesome Midnight Run.  Unfortunately the sequel will be without the unbelievably curmudgeonly fantastic Charles Grodin who retired from acting years ago to be a professional brodcast journalist.  I guess that's the kind of thing you have to deal with when you try and make a sequel more than 20 years later.  No word yet on the plot but Role Models writer Tim Dowling has been hired to pen the script.