I did, and I loved it.

Randy, check your email please.

I’ll admit, Bandslam was not on my radar of movies to watch at any point this summer. I saw the poster, read the little preview blurb in Entertainment Weekly’s Summer Preview Issue and wrote it off as a Camp Rock wannabe. I mean, it had High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens in it! But then earlier this week, I went on Rotten Tomattoes and saw Banslam’s  Tomato-Meter: 76%. Wait…what?

Yes, 76%. As of Thursday, Bandslam is getting better reviews than Funny People and is neck and neck with matching 500 Days of Summer AND Harry Potter. Now, I’ve never been one to just rely on a number, but then I started going through some of the reviews:

Variety: “And awkward, earnest, almost irresistible indie”

Hollywood Reporter: “This savvy, music-fuled high school comedy really rocks.”

Bandslam is getting dick in terms of marketing and even crtical attention; Rotten Tomatoes only had six reviews posted and I’ve yet to come across a movie news site that had even bothered to review it. But after reading some of the reviews and watching the trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAloQYjWmFI) I can honestly say that will be adding Bandslam to my must-see list this weekend; along with District 9 and Ponyo. You guys might want to do the same.

If any of our readers live in California or think Pee Wee is worth the pilgrimage, here’s the ticket info:

Tickets go on sale Tuesday, August 11 at 8 am at all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and by phone at 800-745-3000.

Personally, I had a lot of fun with G.I. Joe; a LOT more than I thought I would. I think this is Stephen Sommers’s best movie since The Mummy and it’s leaps and bounds above Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/14942419/14942419

The film, directed by Johnny Depp hater Terry Gilliam,  is set to hit theateres in October. What do you guys think?

John Hughes, director of The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller Day’s Off, Sixteen Candles, Home Alone, Uncle Buck, Weird Science, Planes Trains and Automobiles, and writer/producer of Pretty in Pink died on August 6th of a heart attack.

If you guys wanna reflect on Hugh’s work and films, here’s the place to do it. I for one, will be forever grateful for the funny, human, sometimes even life-affirming movies that actually treated the teenage experience with respect and affection.

“He’d better start making some good films … I’m not a great fan of Public Enemies, because I think [Michael Mann's] a fucking extraordinary filmmaker, but personally I didn’t think Johnny had enough room to act … He’s making so much money….It’s like, ‘Come on. You’ve got the power to make some really good films happen. Why are you doing this shit?’”

This is very strange. Yeah, Public Enemies was a dissapointment considering all the huge talent involved with the project, but Sweeney Todd? Awesome movie. Pherhaps he was referring to Depp’s somewhat curious choice of upcoming projects, inlucing A fourth Pirates movie, Alice in Wonderland, The Lone Ranger and a Dark Shadows Movie.

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/08/terry_gilliam_johnny_depp_had.html

Gilliam is like Spike Lee in a way; whenever he has a new movie coming out. His marketing stratergy is shitting on other filmmakers. When The Brothers Grimm was coming out in 2005, I remember reading an Entertainment Weekly article where Gilliam bemoaned the recent work of Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg; that is to say, The Island and War of the Worlds. Could this Depp hate just be Gilliam blowing steam to promote The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassasuss?

Wait, isn’t Johnny Depp in that movie?

The idea of a prequel/reboot to Alien has been floating around for months now, but it would seem that after numerous directors being courted for the project, Scott has decided to direct the film itself, which he has said will deal with where the aliens were first found and how they were created.

Personally, I find this a lot more promisng then if some commerical director were directing an Alien remake. Scott’s a visually interesting filmmaker at worst and at its best well, I think his filmography speaks for itself.

And as this latest bit of news proves; Judd Apatow is truely sucessful. On the eve of his newest directorial effort, Funny People, (Seeing it tomorrow; so excited!) the biggest name in comedy has decided to reach out his handand help out some truely talented, but relatively unknown indie filmmakers and help them with future projects. He and John Carney, director of the beautiful and fantastic Once, will be making a comedic project with Apatow producing and Carney directing and possibly writing. Apatow will also be teaming up with the Oscar-winning Kimberly Pierce, who directed Hilary Swank to first Oscar with Boys Don’t Cry and recently made the well-made, but little seen Stop-Loss. While the details of the Apatow/Carney project is unknown, the Pierce-directed film will be a sex comedy about a group of women giving their friend advice after a bad breakup. This is interestign news, as some of Apatow’s critics have given the filmmaker some guff for his somewhat male-centric stories. The plot for the John Carney film is currently unknown

I loved Apatow before, but this boosts my respect for him as an artist 10 fold. After seeing what a guy like David Gordon Green did with Pineapple Express, I can’t wait to see what two talents like Pierce and Carney can two when teamed up with Comedy’s Humble Genius.

Summit Entertainment doesn’t seem to be doing a good job handeling its eye-liner wearing cash cow. First they hire  Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke becuase she didn’t want to comprimise the qulaity in New Moon by rushing the filming and NOW Summit has recast franchise member Rachelle Lefevre, who was in Twilight as well as New Moon as the charecter Victoria.  Apparently the actress requested 10 days of from filming Eclipse to shoot an indie called Barney’s Version. Summit Entertainment responded by firing her and replacing the actress with Bryce Dallas Howard. Lefevre was stunned by this news and even wrote a letter to Entertainment Weekly detailing how stunend she was.

“I was stunned by Summit’s decision to recast the role of Victoria for Eclipse.”

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

But wait, she gets more sad;

“I was fully committed to the Twilight saga, and to the portrayal of Victoria. I turned down several other film opportunities and, in accordance with my contractual rights, accepted only roles that would involve very short shooting schedules. My commitment to Barney’s Version is only ten days. Summit picked up my option for Eclipse. Although the production schedule for Eclipse is over three months long, Summit said they had a conflict during those ten days and would not accommodate me.”

They wouldn’t fucking accomadate her!! What the hell, Summit Entertainment!?

Oh but hold onto your hats readers; Summit Entertainment isn’t about to let this uppity actress slanderize the Summit Entertainment name! No, sir! They wrote their own letter Entertainment Weekly! Apparently Summit Entertainment issued a deadline for all Eclipse actors to tell the studio about other projects they had commited to, so that the director and crew could schedule shooting thusly. But apparently little Miss Lefevre thinks she’s too good to tell Summit Entertainment on time, so she doens’t tell them about her commitment to Barney’s Verison until late July, even though she accepted the role back in June! The movie starts shooting in August!! Can you smell the heat radiating from the white-hot story because I sure as hell can!!

 ”Summit had acted in good faith that she would be available to fulfill her obligations both in terms of rehearsals and shooting availability for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” says the Summit Entertainment statement to Entertainment Weekly. “We feel that her choice to withhold her scheduling conflict information from us can be viewed as a lack of cooperative spirit which affected the entire production.”

You hear that Lefevre? Maybe if you had shown a little goddamn team spirit, the good folks at Summit Entertainment wouldn’t have fired you! What, Rob Pattinson can turn in his schedule on time but you fucking can’t? Just who the hell do you think you are!?

Needless to say, this story is rocking the very foundations of the entertainment world; I hear Dr. Phil might even get involved. But I think we all know who the real bad guy is in all of this;

Bryce Dallas Howard.

Bitch.

Like many pf Seuss’s books, The Lorax attempted to teach children vaulable, sometimes quite deep messages through simple rhymes and storytelling; In The Lorax’s case, the dangers of exploiting forests and the nesessacity of protecting the enviroment. Horton producer Chris Meledandri will be helping to bring the 3D animated film to life with Universal Studios. It’l; be interesting see just how far the studio will be willing to go with the book’s bleak third act and ending; cumulating in The Lorax’s final words; “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, things nothing’s going to get better. It’s not. ”

The film is set for realese on March 2nd, 2012

Sam and Craig Are Champions is a wacky, endearing comedy about a shy London teen and his sister who are relocated to America to live with their mellow dad and loony, but well-meaning stepmom. In high school, Sam- who wants nothing more than to live the life of a wallflower- meets Craig, a brash, quirky kindred spirit on a quest to become a high school legend. The show is (hopefully) in the same style as 30 Rock, Spaced, Scott Pilgrim and the Judd Apatow comedies. Pleas reply soon; we hope to have the pilot ready in time for the Edinburgh Comedy Festival (August 15th) Sam and Craig are already cast.

ROLES NEEDED (These are the series regulars)

MALES
Name: Nathanial
Age: 36
Bio: Sam and Samantha’s father. Good-natured and friendly, but a bit clueless. Traditonal sitcom dad with a bit more moxie
Voice type: Regular, Gary Cole-ish. Kim Possible’s dad, but a bit less cartoonish.
Audition line 1: You know, if your mother was here and not…strapped to a bed somewhere in North London crying out in vain for a fix of cocaine…I’m sure she’d be very proud of you
Audition line 2: Absolutely! It takes a special kinda lady to just take in two teenagers out of the blue. I couldn’t do this without you

Name: Fall Out Boy
Age: 15
Bio: A shy, good-natured guy. Friends with Craig and Katie. Awkward, but likeable
Voice Type: High pitched, somewhat nervous
Audition Line 1: Hey guys
Audition Line 2: Sweet! Can I be in the club?

FEMALES

Name: Cindy
Age: 32
Bio:A bit of a boozehound, but a kind soul. Cindy is intimidated by her new step-children and desperatly wants them to accept her.
Voice Type: Attractive, nasally; Leslie Mann if she were a drunk
Audition Line 1: This one time, I went into the living room where they were both watching TV or something and I told them dinner was ready. They both looked up at me and said “we’ll be right there,” like at the same time…it scared the shit out of me; I felt like was in The Shining

Name: Samantha
Age: 17
Bio: Sam’s posh sister. She’s obsessed with popularity and always wants to be the most charming, memorable person in the room. And she usually is.
Voice Type: British Accent required. Very cute, somewhat air-headed; capable of being a bit bitchy.
Audition Line 1: But then I thought, just be chill! Americans like chill! I’ll just play it off like it’s no big deal; “what? Oh my accent? I’m from England, no big deal,” do you know what I mean?
Audition Line 2:Because I wasn’t invited! The only reason I would be going is because Sam was invited and I’d be tagging along! And despite the series of events that happened today I still wish to believe that possess some bloody dignity!

Name: Katie
Age: 17
Bio:Craig’s best friend. She recently discovered that she’s a lesbian. Witty, sardonic and motherly.
Voice Type: Comforting, sarcastic, even headed. Strong-willed
Audition Line 1:Craig, the drama department is an impenetrable clique. You don’t just waltz in and score a lead; you have to be in the circle. It’s like the Skull and Bones except not as gay.
Audition Line 2: You’re comparing me to Rosie O’Donnell!? That’s like comparing a black guy to Tracy Morgan!

Name: Fern
Age: 16
Bio:Smart, and she wants everyone to know it. Fern has little time for friends or any other petty games teenagers usually likes to play, yet is surprised when people don’t want to be around her.
Voice Type: Dry sense of humor, very deadpan.
Audition Line 1: Can you be quiet please? He’s telling us how many spiral notebooks we need for the class.
Audition Line 2: – It’s very cool. It’s the coolest of them all

Name: Maya
Age: 17
Bio:The most popular girl in school. Spoiled but charming, Maya can sometimes be rude, but its mostly out of arrogance more than meanness. Should be cute and friendly, but spoiled and arrogant nonetheless
Voice Type: Very Amy Adams-ish. Full of life and spunk. But a tad bitchy.
Auditon Line 1: Well would you look at that, we’re all out of seats! Oh well, you know what they say; the early bird gets to sit next to the cut, popular girl of undetermined but exotic ethnicity.
Audition Line 2: Sit down Sam, tell about England. I just love those little outfits you wear, with those knee-length socks? I’d wear a pair myself, but then no one could see my sexy, sexy knees. Oh well, win some lose some

If you want to audion, please email me at geekeasy@gmail.com with an mp3 of your auditions with the name of the charecter you’re auditioning for in the subject line AND mp3

1. This season will be something of a companion piece to Season 1. Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse stated that the show’s overall saga is meant to almost loop into itself thematically, meaning Season 6 will deal with plot (and charecters) the show hasn’t dealt with since Season 1.

2. Season 6 will be light on Dharma mythology.

3. Richard Alpert will get his own episode, which will hopefully unviel his mysterious origins

4. Daniel Faraday, aka The Greatest Charecter Ever, will be returning in some form next season, despite his death at the hands of his own mother

5. Although her fate seemed sealed at the end of Season 5’s finale, Juliet may not be dead. Actress Elizabeth Mitchell will be popping up next season, which means Jack’s plan to blow the Island back to the past may have worked.

6. Claire will be back. Maybe. Sort of.

7. At the panel, a video of a Mr. Cluck’s Chicken Shack commercial was shown, with Hugo “Hurley” Rayes as the chain’s owner/mascot. In the commercial, Hurley speaks of his adventure to Austrialia, resulting in exciting new “outback themed” menu items. This gives further evidence that Jack’s plan worked and the hydrogen bomb explosion prevented the crash of Oceanic Flight 815

8. More evidence; another video was a clip of America’s Most Wanted….featuring fugitive Kate Austin.

9. Lindelof states that not all of the Island’s mysteries will be solved. “Just the ones that matter.”

10. At the very end of the panel, Charlie himself Dominac Monahagn took to the stage, alongside former castmates Josh Holloway, Michael Emmerson and Jorege Garcia. Was he just making a fun little cameo or was this hinting that Charlie will be making an appearnce?

LOST!!!!!!!!!!!

I joke, I joke, I kid, I kid. During the Dollhouse panel, Alien Ressurection and Titan A.E. screenwriter Joss Whedon hinted that two of his frequent collaberators may be joining the cast of his newest-series. That’s a “maybe” by the way, but it does make sense. Denisof was a cast member of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel, while Summer Glau won serious geek cred as the blank-stared, super-powered River Tan on Firefly and Serniety and a similar charecter, Cameron on The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Now, I stopped watching Dollhouse after Man on the Street, but I am looking forward to checking out the series on DVD and have no qualms about jumping on baord the bandwagon come Season 2 time. But I really hope Glau isn’t playing the same, emotionless, little-girl-lost charecter she played on Firefly and SSC. Come on Joss, let the girl stretch! Remember how much fun you used to let Sarah Michelle Geller have?

Speaking of Buffy, how fun is it gonna be to see Denisof and Dollhouse star Eliza Dusku reunite?

I realize we here at Geekshow haven’t really done much reporting on Kick-Ass, so allow me to reitterate the plot; the film is based on Mark Millar’s (Wanted, The Ultimates)comic book series about a geek who decides to become a masked crusader…and roundly gets his ass kicked. Aaron Johnson stars as the film’s title charecter (Yes, his superhero name is Kick-Ass.) and the film co-stars Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Red Mist, another wannabe crime-fighter; Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl, a bloodthirsty eleven year-old assassian; and Nicolas Cage as Big Daddy, Hit Girl’s father and boss.

The scene-stealing footage shown at the Con centered on Hit Girl brutally and efficiently taking out a roomful of grown men using a variey of swords and knives, ; inspiring a standing ovation from those in the screening. Vaugn is convinced that her performance as Hit Girl will turn Mortez into a star, telling SlashFilm “If we’re Star Wars, she’s our Han Solo.”

Kick-Ass was made independently and still lacks a distributor, but after the rousing feeback generated at the Con, I’ll be very surprised if the film isn’t bought by a Fox Searchlight-esque distributor.

Due Date will star Downey as a father-to-be who has to go on a cross-country road trip with Galifanakis’s charecter in order to get to the hospital in time for his child’s birth. Filming is to begin in the Fall. Todd Phillips of Hangover and Old School fame will be directing.

Alright, in hindsight I really should’ve posted this story eleven hours ago, but now I just wouldn’t feel right linking you to a video becuase by the time you got to it, it would already be taken down. If you DO happen to stumble across it, or if you sneak into G-Force, watch the trailer and leave….its amazing. It’s dark and creepy and exactly what you would want a Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland to be. Now, I’m sure several of you are going to chime in about it being a kids movie and “why does Burton have to push his own style on everything he does?”  Anyway, to those guys- you’ve read Lewis Carrol’s work right? You’re aware of how creepy it all is, right? Burton is the perfect guy to do this and it shows in this trailer. Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter looks fantastic, the Cheshire Cat is horrorfying….it all reminds me of those dark fantasty films that came out in the 80’s; The Dark Crystal, Gremlins…serioulsy getting that vibe.

So if you get a chance to see the traier, enjoy

Towards the end of today’s Avatar panel, director James Cameron announced plans to realese a special sneak preview of his 3D sci-fi opus in theatres for free for one day only. This marketing experiment is, Cameron hopes, a way of spreading good word of mouth for the film, set for a December realese.

What do you guys think? Is free the magic word?

It would appear so. The acclaimed director recently signed on to direct a film adaptation of the massively popular massively multiplayer online role playing game. The film will be produced by Legendary Pictures and Dark Knight producer Charles Roven. Raimi will supervise devolpment while shooting Spiderman 4 and will be begin production after that film wraps.

What does this mean for Spiderman 5, which is rumoured to be a the second part of a two-part story arc beginning in Spiderman 4? Will Raimi utilize over-the-top, hyper-violent fantasty action a la Army of Darkness? Or will he go a more epic, elegant route like Lord of the Rings? Remember when Raimi was rumoured to direct The Hobbit? You think he was still just itching to direct a fantasy epic and felt this was the next best thing?

Discuss

The image is the first offcial image of Jackie Earl Hayly as Fredd Kruger in Samuel Bayer’s remake of the Wes Craven classic.

Any rumour us open for discussion, any movie, TV show or comic is par for the course; I realize that this is more of a Fourms discussion, but that would require me to awknowledge the existince of the fourms.

It appears that when the cult comedy Futurama returns to TV screens with all new episodes in the Fall on Comedy Central, they’ll be using so without ANY of the central cast.  Billy West (Fry, Professor, and Ziodberg), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker) have all been let go by Twentieth Century Fox due to “salary demands.” Now its up to Matt Groening and David Cohen to find an all-new voice cast for all their main characters.

R.I.P. Dr. Zoidberg

Needless to say,

A 17-year-old boy named Kyle Shaw.  located in the Upper-East Side of Manhattan was arrested earlier this week for the May 25th  bombing of  a local Starbucks. Shaw is/was somewhat of a Fight Club fanatic; the DVD of the film was actually on person at the time of his arrest and had been bragging to his friends starting a local fight club and his own Project Mayhem. Thus breaking the first and second rule of Fight Club, which is DO NOT FUCKING TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB.

So remember guys; if you’re gonna join underground organizations based uopn exercises in masculinity and anit-establishment comradarie, make sure the leader of said orgnization isn’t a 17-year-old dumbass whose idea of “rebelling” is throwing a cherry bomb into an empty Starbucks.

Seriously, all asshole-wisecracks aside, I love Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and I’m really glad that the Emmys were cool enough to give recognition to something so innovative and entertaining. So congratulations  DHS-AB; you’ve been nomianted for, wait for it, Outstanding Special Class Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Programs Category!

Page plays a misfit teenager who moves to Texas with her family and becomes infatuated with the local Girls’ Roller Derby League. Barrymore directs and costars and Smashley Simpon. Whip It! Trailer 

The movie drops Octber 9th and I personally think it looks pretty fun.

And yes Polygon Wizard, still using the URL link.

Chow, once attached to both play the Kato to Seth Rogen’s Green Hornet as well as direct the film itself, has offically severed himself from the production. Here’s an offical-type statement from Sony:

“There was a mutual and amicable decision by both sides to move on. We are out now to cast a new Kato and remain fully committed to Michel Gondry’s exciting vision for the film, which will begin production this September.”

Now, am I bummed? Yes, I think Chow was a genius choice. But, hey, what can you do? I still have faith in this project; Rogen and Evan Goldberg have yet to write a bad screenplay and Michel Gondry directing a summer action movie just makes me giddy. The film is now in “casting call” mode to find the new Kato in the next…two months. Yikes, this is gonna be one for the books.  Who do I think would do a good job as Kato? Well, call me crazy, something about Disturbia’s and Aaron Yoo strikes me as very Katoish.

Leave your thoughts and opinions on the film below. Warning: Spoiler Zone!

From Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green, Your Highness stars McBride as a lazy second-born prince and Franco as his dashing elder brother who embark on a quest alongside a warrior princess played by Natalie Portman to save their father’s kingdom from an evil wizard. Deschanel will play Franco’s bride.  Green and the film’s screenwriter Ben Best have said the film will be an R-rated love letter to 80’s fantasy flicks like Krull and the Dark Crystal

Your Highness hits theatres 2011