"Prometheus" to be rated "R" - apparently

May 9th UPDATE: 20th Century Fox today confirmed "Prometheus" will indeed be rated R for intense images, sci-fi violence and some language.

After months of speculation it seems the matter of which rating the MPAA would assign Ridley Scott's upcoming "Prometheus" has been settled quietly. A presale ticket stub (left) posted on line by an IMDB user reveals the rating, which had not been formally announced. To fans hoping to see the film Scott intended to make this is good news, though it may of course mean fewer tickets sold overall. And that's been the debate/discussion all along: artistic integrity vs cash money.

Of course a word of caution is needed here. Since there has been no formal announcement it could be that the ticket agency simply made an assumption and took it upon themselves to print the "R" on the ticket. Maybe they just got tired of waiting for a decision. Or it could be that the person who posted the image has a decent knowledge of photoshop and was of a mind to make some mischief. Impossible to tell for certain at this point. But if this ticket turns out to be genuine and the rating is confirmed kudos should go to 20th Century Fox for staying their hand and giving Scott his way.

"The Avengers" shatters opening weekend record with $200.3 million

Marvel's "The Avengers" didn't just break the opening weekend record set last year by "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II" it crushed it. The official weekend estimate is now a mind-boggling $200.3 million with some analysts suggesting that Disney and Marvel are actually low-balling the final number. The box office behemoth earned its haul by attracting an "Avatar"-like audience composed of men and women, teens and adults, couples on dates and scores of families as well. It's Saturday take of $69.7 million set an all-time Saturday record and represented a scant 13% drop from Friday's gargantuan $80.5 million. It's the first movie to earn more than $200 million dollars in its first 3 days of release in the domestic market.

Take a bow folks. You've earned it.

At $641 million worldwide and considering that it's just started it's domestic run as well as its run in Russia and Communist China and that it hasn't opened yet in the lucrative Japanese market the film is poised to rocket past the 1 billion mark. These must be heady days at Disney and especially Marvel, which bet the farm on their superhero movie convergence strategy several years ago and are now watching it pay off in spectacular fashion.

James Cameron: "I’m not interested in developing anything"

While in Peking recently (I'll call it Bejing when they hold an election) James Cameron sat down for an interview with the New York Times and The Economist. He talked about a number of issues but maybe most surprisingly stated...

"Last year I basically completely disbanded my production company’s development arm. So I’m not interested in developing anything. I’m in the “Avatar” business. Period. That’s it. I’m making “Avatar 2,” “Avatar 3,” maybe “Avatar 4,” and I’m not going to produce other people’s movies for them. I’m not interested in taking scripts. ...anything I can’t say in that area (Avatar sequels), I want to say through documentaries, which I’m continuing."

This is bad news for anyone (like myself) who has been waiting anxiously for the past several years for any news regarding "Battle Angel Alita", one of those properties Cameron talked about for a long time but is apparently no longer interested in. He's going to do "Avatar" and documentaries and that's it. Okay James, if you say so. But (and this is me getting editorial) I'd like to state for the record that, like most people, I've never seen one of your documentaries and don't plan on doing so any time soon. Also, by the time you actually get around to releasing the Avatar sequels going to see one will be more of a nostalgic thing than an actual movie experience.

He had one more disturbing thing to say before the interview was over. When asked about Chinese censorship he stated...

"I can’t be judgmental about another culture’s process. I don’t think that’s healthy."

Au contraire James. It's not only healthy, its essential, especially for anyone who dares call himself an artist. You don't have to be overt in your criticism or set out to make anti-regime propaganda but you must keep all creative and expressive options on the table. If part of your film makes the unelected squirm in their (knock-off) Depends then so be it. Once you start editing yourself to appease tyrants you're lost as a creative entity. But hey, it's your call.

Anyone who wishes may read the entire interview here.

"Jersey Shore Shark Attack" - trailer

For everyone losing sleep wondering whatever happened to Paul Sorvino you can rest easy. He's back at the top of his game in the latest from legendary director John Shepphird.


I only have one question: where the hell is David Hasselfhof?

"The Avengers" set to challenge for domestic record

UPDATE: Marvel's "The Avengers" hauls in a staggering $80.5 million in its opening day Friday. Many media sources are now confidently predicting the superhero epic will push past $170 million for its opening weekend which would make it the new #1 opening weekend of all time.

The box office juggernaut that is Marvel's "The Avengers" has trained its sights squarely on the domestic box office records for opening Friday and opening weekend. Both those records are currently held by the Harry Potter finale "Deathly Hallows 2" from last year which opened with a $91 million Friday and a $169 million weekend. Studio estimates for The Avengers have been tracking upward all week as astonishing numbers have come in from overseas markets and showing after showing has sold out in the US prior to the film's opening. We already know that The Avengers earned $18.7 million in its midnight showings besting the superhero record set 3 years ago by "The Dark Knight" and that it's worldwide total (without having played a full day in the US, Russia or Communist China) stands at $322 million, but where will it go from here? Is $170 million or more really in play? That would be pretty amazing and a stunning vindication of Marvel's brazen master plan to bring the ensemble to life on the big screen.

Fans line up for midnight showing of Marvel's "The Avengers"

While it seems a no-brainer now that the Avengers will take the top spot at the domestic box office this year it should be remembered that such a feat was anything but guaranteed only a month ago. Most people would have put any one of several movies atop the year-end list over The Avengers. But now that it seems Joss Whedon's superpic will not be denied the only question that's lingering in my head is whether the long awaited "Dark Knight Rises" (which many were and still are picking to be the year's domestic box office champion) will come in 2nd, 3rd or maybe even 4th or 5th. I could see a scenario where the domestic order winds up like this...

1) The Avengers
2) The Hunger Games
3) The Hobbit: An unexpected journey
4) Prometheus
5) The Dark Knight Rises

Then again no shuffling of the order of numbers 2 thru 5 would really surprise me. The only thing that would surprise me would be a different #1. Whatever the final box office verdict it will be fun to watch.

New trailer for "The Amazing Spider Man"

I love this time of year! All the big tentpole films are lining up on the runway getting ready to take off. Among those is the-reboot-nobody-asked-for; otherwise known as "The Amazing Spider-Man", which  is back with a new trailer. It looks pretty good and I'm glad they chose The Lizard as the baddie here but I'm not sure a smart-ass Peter Parker is what the masses have been (silently) longing for.


"The Amazing Spider-Man" opens July 3rd.

First trailer for "The Expendables 2"

The Geritol gang is back and bigger than ever. Stallone, Crews, Li, Statham, Lundgren et at are joined in their second outing by none other than The Impregnator himself Arnold Schwarzenegger and my granddads favorite action hero Chuck Norris. Revel in the glory of HGH-driven action like you've never seen it before.


"The Expendables 2" opens August 17th.

2 new images from "The Amazing Spider Man"

With Marvel's "The Avengers" bogarting most of the movie hype oxygen right now other superhero movies due out soon have been forced to take a back seat. Maybe none more so than the-reboot-nobody-asked-for, Marvel's own "The Amazing Spider Man". But the fact that it's not getting much press doesn't stop the Spidey PR machine from grinding ever onward and the latest piece of the marketing puzzle are these two images from the upcoming film that showcase The Lizard. He's green. He's slimey. He looks pretty cool actually (love what you've done with the lab coat dude) and he's got his spiky reptilian mitts all over Peter Parkers camera. What does it all mean? I guess we'll have to wait for the new trailer (due out any time now) to learn more.

The top 10 movies for the weekend of April 27 - April 29, 2012

1) Think Like a Man	$17.6 Million
2) The Pirates! Band of Misfits	$11.1 Million
3) The Hunger Games	$10.81 Million
4) The Lucky One	$10.80 Million
5) The Five Year Engagement	$10.6 Million
6) Safe	7.8 Million
7) The Raven	$7.2 Million
8) Chimpanzee	$5.2 Million
9) The Three Stooges	$5.1 Million
10) The Cabin in the Woods	$4.6 Million

The number one movie a year ago this week was Universal's "Fast Five" which debuted in the top spot with an $86.1 million haul.

Off the beaten track trailer of the day - "Zomboobies"

While Chris is busy being consumed by blockbuster fever I thought I'd lighten the mood a bit. Here we have the aptly name "teaser" trailer for Francois Fujimoto's sure to be classic "Zomboobies". The footage is heavy on the blood and heavy on the heavy boobs as you might expect so it's probably not safe for work unless you work in a porn production house. Enjoy!