Let’s talk about the Two-Disc Special Edition DVD. This has a bunch of bonus features: 

• Trailers: Night At The Museum 2, The Marine 2, Family Guy Presents: Something Something Something Dark Side, X Men Trilogy Blu-ray Trailer, and Sons Of Anarchy Season 1
• Commentary by Director Gavin Hood
• Commentary by Producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter
• The Roots of Wolverine: A Conversation with Stan Lee and Len Wein
• Wolverine Unleashed: The Complete Origins
• Deleted and Alternate Scenes
• Anti Smoking PSA

Disc 2: Digital Copy

When I saw this movie in theaters, people were actually getting up and walking out, but I didn’t think it was that bad. Not the best movie I’ve ever seen, but still not that bad.

More after the jump…

The movie takes us back to the childhood of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). We know him from the first three “X-Men” movies, but he had a wild and interesting life before he showed up in those. Even as young Jimmy Logan in 1845, he had those spiky hands, only the spikes were crude, bony-looking things then, emerging whenever Jimmy got angry. His heritage included some daddy issues, and a half-brother named Victor Creed a.k.a. Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), complete with fangs and all.

A series of quick scenes shows the non-aging brothers fighting through several wars, including the Civil War, World War Two, and Viet Nam. We also learn that the evil Stryker (Danny Huston) is building an army of mutants called Team X. But after a particularly gruesome incident in Africa, Jimmy walks out on the group, and ends up as a woodcutter in Canada with a hot schoolteacher girlfriend (Lynn Collins).

After a devastating tragedy, Stryker convinces Jimmy to undergo a procedure that will make him indestructible. It’s an agonizing operation that injects a substance called adamantium into his skeleton. And presto-chango, he’s “Wolverine,” his once bony spikes now shiny, titanium-looking weapons of mass destruction. And Victor comes back into his life, as well.

Here’s the thing about “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”: It’s not a bad movie, and Hugh Jackman and his awesome muscles are not hard to look at. But the writing is cheesy, and they could have done more with the various characters who show up in this movie, including card-shark Gambit (Taylor Kitsch), The Blob (Kevin Durand), John Wraith (Will.i.am), and Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds). I mean, I get that the movie is called “Wolverine,” but most of these characters are only in the movie for a few minutes, if that.

If you’re a fan of the X-Men characters and movies, you should check this out, especially now that it’s on Blu-ray and DVD.

Note to Parents: There’s lots of action and fighting and explosions, including one awesome scene with an exploding helicopter. Oh, and Hugh Jackman gets naked from a distance in a couple of scenes. But overall, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a PG-13 movie about a mutant superhero.

Image: X-Men Origins: Wolverine, TM and Copyright 20th Century Fox Film Corp., 2009

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He stars as FBI agent Tom Greer who lives in a world where robotic surrogates stand in for people. The idea is that if you stay home and send your surrogate out into the world, you’re safe from all harm, i.e. violence, illness, aging, what have you.

I got to thinking, though, since there’d be no one out in the world to eat or do other human things, seems like all the restaurants would go out of business. But I guess we’re not supposed to think of those things.

So you’ve got all these picture perfect robots out in the world, who are remotely controlled by the real person hooked up to a machine back home. Again, doesn’t sound like much of a life, and wouldn’t all the real people be, like, 500 lbs.? Anyway…

Greer and his partner, Agent Peters (Radha Mitchell), are called in to probe the mysterious death of a college student, whose life ended when his surrogate was destroyed. That’s not supposed to happen. When Greer’s surrogate is damaged in the investigation, he ventures out of his apartment for the first time in decades, which is more than a little anxiety-producing.

More after the jump…

What is it with all the avatar movies lately? Are we that inadequate that we need machines and other technology to run our lives for us?

At any rate, this movie was a fun action thriller, and kept me interested all the way to the end. It’s rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, language, sexuality and a drug-related scene. It’s directed by Jonathan Mostow, who also directed “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,” and also stars Ving Rhames, James Cromwell and Rosamund Pike.

Bonus Features:

• Deleted scenes
• A more perfect you: the science of Surrogates
• Breaking the frame: a graphic novel comes to life
• “I Will Not Bow” (great song) music video by Breaking Benjamin
• Feature audio commentary by director Jonathan Mostow

Image: Amazon.com

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So how will Webb, known mainly for directing “Summer,” as well as several music videos (Green Day and 3 Doors Down, among them), fare after Sam Raimi’s work on the previous three “Spider-Man” movies? Webb has an interesting take on it.

“This is a dream come true and I couldn’t be more aware of the challenge, responsibility, or opportunity,” said Webb. “Sam Raimi’s virtuoso rendering of Spider-Man is a humbling precedent to follow and build upon. The first three films are beloved for good reason. But I think the Spider-Man mythology transcends not only generations but directors as well. I am signing on not to ‘take over’ from Sam. That would be impossible. Not to mention arrogant. I’m here because there’s an opportunity for ideas, stories, and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas, and creative voice to Spider-Man.”

Good answer! Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, added, "I’m excited that Sony has chosen a director with a real penchant and understanding for the character. This is a brave, bold direction for the franchise, and I can’t wait to see what Marc comes up with next.”

Hmmm … I wonder if “brave, bold direction” could be translated as “What the heck is Marvel doing hiring a romantic comedy director to helm “Spider-Man”?

But hey, I’m excited to see where it goes, because I feel like the franchise needs a serious reboot. Something bold and brave!

Image: Sony Pictures Entertainment; Source: Coming Soon

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Here’s the cast of “Avatar” following the 67thAnnual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 17, 2010. From left are Sam Worthington, director James Cameron, Zoe Saldana, producer John Landau and Sigourney Weaver (I love her dress). The film is on course to become the highest-grossing film in history.

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And it gets better. Shout! Factory is also producing a wide range of bonus content for special editions and double features. Collectively, it’ll be known as “Roger Corman’s Cult Classics” home entertainment series.

The first titles include the original “Piranha” to go along with this summer’s 3-D remake, as well as “Humanoids from the Deep,” “Death Race 2000” and its follow-up “Deathsport,” the punk favorite “Suburbia,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School,” “Up from the Depths,” Michael Beck in “Warlords of the 21st Century,” “Demon of Paradise,” the sci-fi horror flick “Forbidden World,” and the 1981 classic “Galaxy of Terror.”

An independent filmmaker and producer, Roger Corman has produced more than 350 films and directed 50 others. He’s well known for his creative, low-budget movies, as well as his ability to spot young talent.

He had a hand in the early success of Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Ron Howard, Peter Fonda, Jonathan Demme, Gale Anne Hurd, Diane Ladd, Tommy Lee Jones, Sandra Bullock, Bruce Dern, Talia Shire, Charles Bronson, Joe Dante, Peter Bogdanovich and Sally Kirkland.

Are you a fan of Roger Corman films? Excited about this news? Check out the trailer for “Piranha”:

Image: Amazon.com

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Movie: The Book of Eli * Official Site	In Theaters: Jan. 15, 2010
Runtime: 118 minutes	Directed by: The Hughes Brothers
MPAA Rating: R for some brutal violence and language	Gecko Rating:

I saw “The Book of Eli” last night with my 15-year-old son. It’s rated R and has a few scenes of gore and violence, so if you’re at all squeamish about that stuff, be forewarned.

The story takes place after some sort of apocalypse. We know that “30 winters have passed since the flash,” so it sounds like some sort of nuclear explosion. 

Denzel Washington takes center stage as a guy named Eli walking to the west coast with a coveted book in his possession. It’s the only known book of its kind; the rest were destroyed after the war. One man named Carnegie (Gary Oldman) wants to get his hands on that book.

More after the jump…

Carnegie has access to a water spring, and is thus lording it over people who’ve gathered in one spot – a town of sorts. The entire country is a wasteland of crumbled buildings, barren and windswept lands, and people struggling to survive by any means. Crime is rampant, as the women and weaker people are preyed upon by those with weapons and strength.

In Carnegie’s stead are two women trying to make the best of things – Solara (Mila Kunis) and her blind mother Claudia (Jennifer Beals). Also in the town are lots of thugs doing Carnegie’s dirty work, as well as a shopkeeper/engineer (Tom Waits) who agrees to re-charge the little battery that Eli uses with his worn iPod.

When Carnegie realizes that Eli has the book, he plots and schemes and will do whatever is necessary to get that book. Meanwhile, Claudia feels her daughter will be better off with Eli, so Solara ends up tagging along with Eli on his journey west. She’s curious about the book, and we learn that it has something to do with faith.

Eli tells her that long ago, he heard a voice in his head that told him where the book was, and that he had to journey to a place somewhere in the west. He’s not sure why, but he has faith that all will be revealed in the end. That’s the overall message in this movie.

I won’t reveal a few big “wow” moments towards the end, but they’re definitely of the “wow” variety. You get a few hints along the way of what’s to come, but when the end credits roll, you realize this movie is all about faith and what people can accomplish with it.

Denzel Washington is grim and determined in his task to get that book to the West Coast, but you also see that he has a heart for humankind. He knows that his mission is bigger than any struggles he encounters along the way.

“The Book of Eli” is gripping, never boring, and you’re drawn into the story from start to finish. Mila Kunis can play just about any part, whether it’s funny, sexy or apocalyptic, and Gary Oldman makes a great bad guy. I also love that this movie is washed in gray and sepia tones. It’s all very eerie.

I definitely recommend checking out “The Book of Eli.” Yes, it’s apocalyptic and dismal, but it’s much more hopeful than “The Road” (read my review here), another recent doomsday movie. Whereas “The Road” left you with the feeling that we’re all doomed no matter what, “The Book of Eli” gives you a glimmer of hope that things will work out, no matter what happens.

“The Book of Eli” Trailer:

Images: TM and (c) 2008 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

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“The Wolfman”

He says it’s not going to be the Captain America that you expect. It’s influenced by the comic book, but apparently goes off in a very different direction.

“It’s basically the story of how Steve Rogers becomes Captain America,” said Johnston. “The great thing about Captain America is he’s a superhero without any super powers. Which is why this story, among the hundreds of superhero stories, appealed to me the most. He can’t fly, he can’t see through walls, he can’t do any of that stuff. He’s an every man who’s been given this amazing gift of transformation into the perfect specimen—the pinnacle of human perfection.”

And it seems like that’s the sort of story that will appeal to audiences, too. That even the most normal person can be a superhero.

Johnston also said there WILL be a “Jurassic Park IV,” and it will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. “It breaks away from the first three — it’s essentially the beginning of the second ‘Jurassic Park’ trilogy,” he said. “That’s pretty much all I can tell you.”

It makes you wonder if they’ll go back to the very beginning of the franchise, so that we can see how the Park came into being and who the masterminds were behind it. That would be a great story to tell.

Image: Universal Pictures; Source: Boxoffice Magazine

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Warner Bros.’ "Green Lantern" is on track with Martin Campbell directing, and now the film has a villain in Peter Sarsgaard. Most recently, he starred with Carey Mulligan in “An Education” (see image below). That was a more serious film!

Ryan Reynolds is starring as Hal Jordan, the test pilot who finds a downed spacecraft with a dying alien who passes him a powerful ring, introducing Jordan to an interstellar police force known as the Green Lanterns.

Sarsgaard will play Dr. Hector Hammond, the pathologist son of a senator who’s a big disappointment to his dad. He becomes infused with psychic powers when he discovers a meteor and, well, it doesn’t go well – at least not for his enemies.

Blake Lively has already been cast as Reynolds’ love interest, Carol Ferris. The “Green Lantern” characters were created by John Broome and Gil Kane in the early 1960s.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter; Image: Sony Pictures Classics

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I saw “The Road” a while back and found it utterly depressing. Maybe “The Book of Eli” will be a little more hopeful. That’s a tough challenge when you’re talking about the apocalypse, but it’s got Denzel Washington and Mila Kunis going for it.

Washington stars as a man fighting his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind. The movie also stars Gary Oldman, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals, Michael Gambon and Tom Waits (who I totally love whether he’s singing or acting).

The movie’s in theaters this Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. Check out the premiere pics below.

Images: Bauer-Griffin

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In a “man on the street” thing, they asked people to say whose blood they’d like to suck if given the opportunity. Sarah Palin, George Bush, the cast of “Jersey Shore,” and Halle Berry (say what?) topped the list.

“Daybreakers” sinks its teeth into theaters this Friday Jan. 8, 2010. It’s directed by Michael Spierig, and Ethan Hawke is one of the players. Rated R for strong bloody violence, language and brief nudity.

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