Were you blown away by the vehicle carnage that was Paul Anderson’s “Death Race,” but felt it was sadly lacking in the pedestrian killing and social satire of the original Roger Corman film? Unfortunately, you probably won’t get it in the follow-up prequel “Death Race: Frankenstein Lives” either.
The Plot: Newly arrived at Terminal Island, a prison for the most nonredeemable of convicts, Carl “Luke” Lucas must prove his mettle in a race to the death.
Since Jason Statham drove off with Tyrese Gibson, the producers are seeking an actor to wear the Frankenstein mask, as well as the female …read more

Movie: Disney’s A Christmas Carol * Trailer * Official Site 
In Theaters: Nov. 6, 2009

Runtime: 96 minutes
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

MPAA Rating: PG for scary sequences an images
Gecko Rating:

We all know the classic Charles Dickens tale about the crotchety Ebenezer Scrooge who’s visited by three ghosts who make him see the light. There’s really nothing new to tell here, but it’s the WAY the story is told that makes it seem fresh and new in our eyes. This animated, 3D version of “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” does indeed bring new life to the story.
It’s directed by Robert …read more

A new version of the classic film “A Christmas Carol” is headed to theaters on Nov. 6, 2009. This time, Jim Carrey takes center stage as the iconic Ebenezer Scrooge, as well as all three ghosts!
The CG-animated movie is rated G, and also features the voices of Robin Wright Penn, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman and Michael J. Fox. Watch the trailer here.
Here are a few photos of Carrey and director-writer Robert Zemeckis on their “train tour” at Grand Central Station to promote the film. Looks like a blast!
By the way, Carrey has gained a few pounds for …read more

Ridley Scott’s “Robin Hood” is due in theaters May 14, 2010. Russell Crowe is already hard at work on “The Next Three Days” with Elizabeth Banks, but here’s a gorgeous little photo to get you psyched for “Robin Hood.”
The movie also stars Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian (of course, she’ll be perfect, even though at one time I thought they might be too old for the characters), Kevin Durand as Little John, William Hurt as William Marshall, and Matthew Macfadyen as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Image: Bauer-Griffin

Filming is set to begin on the thriller “The Tourist” in early 2010, if you believe the IMDB page, that is. I can’t imagine how that’s going to happen, considering all the changes the film has endured.
First, we learned that Tom Cruise was out and Sam Worthington was in. Then director Bharat Nalluri was out, and is yet to be replaced. Now The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Charlize Theron is out, and Angelina Jolie in talks to replace her.
Let’s hope they can figure it all out by the time filming starts. The film is a remake …read more

You know, I understand wanting to name a film after a place, person or original film with a weird name, but really, it’s not a good idea. Trust me on this.
For one thing, you have to educate everyone in how to pronounce it. And for another – raising hand here — anyone who writes about it will undoubtedly get it wrong at some point. It’s just a pain.
But even with the hard-to-pronounce-and-spell title, “Reykjavik-Rotterdam” sounds like a good film, especially with Mark Wahlberg onboard.
The remake, based on an Icelandic film directed by Oskar Jonasson that’s in …read more

What if your life was nice and peachy, and then all of a sudden, your friends and family and coworkers started going nuts?
That’s what happens in “The Crazies,” a reimagining of the George Romero classic, directed by Breck Eisner from a screenplay by Ray Wright (“Pulse,” “Case 39”) and Scott Kosar (“The Amityville Horror,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”).
David Dutten (Timothy Olyphant) is sheriff of Ogden Marsh, a picture-perfect American town with happy, law-abiding citizens. But one night, one of them comes to a school baseball game with a loaded shotgun, ready to kill. Another man burns down his …read more

Movie: Fame * Trailer * Official Site
In Theaters: Sept. 25, 2009

Runtime: 107 minutes
Directed by: Kevin Tancharoen

MPAA Rating: PG for thematic material, including teen drinking, a sexual situation, and language
Gecko Rating:

The original 1980 movie “Fame” was rated R, and while I understand the desire to make this one PG (to appeal to the “High School Musical” crowd), it loses a lot in translation.
This modern version could have benefitted from a PG-13 rating; then they could have included more intense material, without trying to dilute it for the younger crowd. As it is, the movie is a little …read more

There’s no doubt that Jim Carrey is a talented actor, and he has such a diverse list of movies on his IMDB page. Sometimes they work and sometimes not. My favorite is probably “The Truman Show,” but I’m not so big on the goofier ones like “Ace Ventura” and “Dumb & Dumber.” My son likes those, though.
Some of his recent movies, like “Yes Man” and “Fun with Dick and Jane,” were nice, but completely forgettable. In a way, it almost seems like he’s trying to find his footing again. We’ll see if he can do that with “A Christmas …read more

In the 1980 movie “Fame,” Debbie Allen played dance teacher Lydia, and in the new version, she’s the principal of the school. ReelzChannel sat down with the iconic choreographer, who talks about her new job (in the film), her classic line (“You want fame…”), and the modern version, in theaters tomorrow. It actually seems more like a sequel than a remake. Watch the trailer here, and listen to Debbie’s take…