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This Again?! Five Sequels That Are Pretty Much the Same As the Originals

By John Mitchell (Subscribe to John Mitchell's posts), Posted May 24th 2011 11:00AM
Filed under: Features

Listen, we're just as excited to see 'The Hangover Part II' as the next guy. With Zach Galifianakis bringing the weird and straight-laced Ed Helms on board to abuse, there's little doubt that it's going to be a crude riot to rival the first film. But the trailer gives us a wicked sense of déjà vu.

"I can't believe this is happening again," Stu (Helms) exclaims from a Thai rooftop while Galifianakis and Bradley Cooper survey the scene. Neither can we. They may have traded Las Vegas for Bangkok and the tiger for a monkey, but it seems like director Todd Philips is sticking with what works, right down to Ken Jeong and Mike Tyson.

In the first film, Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis lose their about-to-be-wed buddy (Justin Bartha) during a particularly drunken night and must retrace their steps in order to find him. Switch out the buddy for Helms' about-to-be-brother-in-law and you've got the plot of the sequel.

Which got us thinking about redundant sequels. They may change the locale or add a few new co-stars, but for better or worse it's just the same movie all over again. Check out five offenders after the jump.
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Latest 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' Trailer Shows Off 3D Special Effect

By John Mitchell (Subscribe to John Mitchell's posts), Posted May 23rd 2011 12:00PM
Filed under: Trailers and Clips
The news that Paramount is moving the release of 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' from July 1 to June 29 to get a head start on the Fourth of July weekend is so new that it didn't even make it into the studio's latest trailer for the Michael Bay–directed mega-movie. But make no mistake about it: Optimus Prime will be in a theater near you in just over a month.

In the new clip, we get a good look at some of the 3D special effects that will enthrall audiences when Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel and newcomer Rosie Huntington-Whiteley try to save the world from the machines.

Check it out after the jump.
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Teaser Trailer for Sean Penn's 'This Must Be the Place' Arrives, and It's ... Weird

By John Mitchell (Subscribe to John Mitchell's posts), Posted May 19th 2011 4:30PM
Filed under: Trailers and Clips, Movie News
In 'This Must Be the Place,' Sean Penn plays a retired rock star who sets out to find his father's executioner, an Nazi war criminal who is a refugee in the U.S. Not much else is known about the Paolo Sorrentino–directed film. Well, except Frances McDormand is also in it; we do know that.

The trailer offers up more questions about the film than it provides answers. First, why is Penn made up to look like Robert Smith? Second, is the character, um, affected in some way? And what is that dog doing at the bottom of an empty pool?

It all feels very arty.

'This Must Be the Place' is set to hit theaters later this year. Check out the trailer after the jump.
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First Class at School 'Adopted' by Sandra Bullock Sees 100 Percent Graduation Rate

By John Mitchell (Subscribe to John Mitchell's posts), Posted May 19th 2011 2:00PM
Filed under: Celebrity Gossip
In 2007, Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock "adopted" the Warren Easton Charter High School in New Orleans and now the students who were freshmen when Bullock took up their cause have graduated in record numbers.

For the first time ever, the school will graduate 100 percent of its senior class (220 students). And that's not all! The graduates have been offered $4,625,100 in scholarships from 15 different colleges and universities.

"I cannot express how proud I am of the 2011 graduating class at Warren Easton. To achieve a 100 percent graduation rate just goes to show that the recipe for success lies under that roof," Bullock said in a statement. "People who believe, people who love and support, and people who don't take no for an answer. How lucky am I to be a very small part of this great school!"
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'Melancholia' Director Lars von Trier Banned From Cannes Film Festival

By John Mitchell (Subscribe to John Mitchell's posts), Posted May 19th 2011 11:30AM
Filed under: Movie News, Festivals

Yesterday, 'Melancholia' director Lars von Trier caused quite a stir at the Cannes Film Festival with a series of thoughtless remarks where he called himself a Nazi who "understands Hitler ... I sympathize with him a bit."

Soon after, the director issued an apology, saying, "If I have hurt someone this morning by the words I said at the press conference, I sincerely apologize. I am not anti-Semitic or racially prejudiced in any way, nor am I a Nazi."

However, that was not enough for the festival, which has expelled the director for his remarks. "The board of directors firmly condemns these comments and declares Lars Von Trier persona non grata at the Festival de Cannes, with effect immediately," festival organizers said in a statement Thursday from Cannes.

A spokesperson for the festival said von Trier's acclaimed 'Melancholia' would remain in competition. Prior to his comments, many were calling the film a serious contender for the Palme d'Or. For a full rundown on the von Trier controversy, read on.
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'Titanic' to be Re-Released in 3D to Commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Ship Setting Sail

By John Mitchell (Subscribe to John Mitchell's posts), Posted May 19th 2011 9:45AM
Filed under: Movie News, Announcements
From PopEater: Coming soon to a theater near you: A movie you saw on the big screen seven times in 1997.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's doomed maiden voyage, Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox are re-releasing James Cameron's 1997 Oscar-winner 'Titanic' on April 6, 2012. But that's not all! This time around, when Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet set sail, they'll be in 3D.

In a statement, Cameron said, "There's a whole generation that's never seen 'Titanic' as it was meant to be seen, on the big screen. And this will be 'Titanic' as you've never seen it before, digitally remastered at 4K and painstakingly converted to 3D. With the emotional power intact and the images more powerful than ever, this will be an epic experience for fans and newcomers alike."
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Major Titles From Roman Polanski, Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney Line Up for Spots at Venice Film Festival

By John Mitchell (Subscribe to John Mitchell's posts), Posted May 18th 2011 3:00PM
Filed under: Movie News, Festivals

The 68th Venice Film Festival doesn't kick off until Aug. 31, but word of what will play at the fest is starting to surface and the lineup features some of the most anticipated films of the fall.

Director Roman Polanski's 'Carnage,' an adaptation of the Tony-winning play 'God of Carnage,' about two sets of parents whose discussion of their children's fight devolves into heated, irrational chaos, stars Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly, and will make its debut in competition at the fest.

David Cronenberg's Carl Jung / Sigmund Freud biopic 'A Dangerous Method,' featuring Viggo Mortensen as Freud and Michael Fassbender as Jung, as well as Todd Solondz's 'Dark Horse,' with 'The Hangover''s Justin Bartha, Christopher Walken and Selma Blair, will also compete. 'W.E.,' co-writer and director Madonna's much-discussed film about the love affair between Britain's King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson, has also been submitted.

A number of major directors have more than one pic vying for entry to the fest. Read on for more.
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