Most people had probably never heard of Sharlto Copley until “District 9” became a smash hit. But now the 35-year-old actor has joined the cast of “The A-Team” remake as the goofy oddball H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdoch.
Jessica Biel (pictured) will portray an ex-flame of Faceman’s, and Patrick Wilson of “Watchmen” will play a CIA operative. Also in the cast: Liam Neeson (Col. John “Hannibal” Smith), Bradley Cooper (Lt. Templeton “Face” Peck), and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (B.A. Baracas).
While the premise of director Joe Carnahan’s “A-Team” will still center on four war vets wrongly convicted of a crime they …read more

Warner Bros. has released the “Our Gang Collection,” which includes all 52 MGM shorts from the Little Rascals gang. I watched it the other day with my family, and wow, those kids were tough back then. I know they were being portrayed as grown-ups (sort of), but the whole era was just rough and tumble. It’s like watching old “Three Stooges” films and going, wow, they did their own stunts?
But this is a great collection to own if you’re a fan of the Little Rascals and that era. The five DVD set includes all 52 shorts from 1938 through …read more

Here’s the trailer for Summit Entertainment’s “Astro Boy,” due in theaters Oct. 23, 2009. Sometimes these animated movies don’t quite reach the “summit” of what they could be (sorry, couldn’t resist), but this one looks like a winner.
The movie is set in futuristic Metro City, where Astro Boy (voiced by Freddie Highmore) is a young robot created by a brilliant scientist named Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Powered by positive “blue” energy, Astro Boy has super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed, and the ability to fly.
The young robot goes on a search which eventually leads him back to Metro City to …read more

If you’re expanding or getting caught up on your TV seasons, now would be a good time to invest in some of these. Amazon is running a deal right now offering a slew of Video on Demand seasons for just $5! Here’s a few of them:

The Office, Season 1
The Office, Season 4
Top Chef, Season 5
Psych, Season 3
House, Season 4
30 Rock, Season 1
Friday Night Lights, Season 3 (HD)
Battlestar Galactica, Season 1 (HD)

And lots more! Check them all out here: $5 Season Specials on Amazon
Image: Amazon.com

Remember when movie trailers used to be free? Remember when we saw them in theaters before other movies that we paid for? Whatever happened to those days? And is this the new trend? 
Free tickets are being distributed online for special IMAX showings of a 16-minute trailer for Fox’s upcoming 3D sci-fi flick "Avatar."
Ok, admittedly, this is more than just any old trailer. It’s an extended trailer with an intro by director James Cameron.
Still, I’m sure it’s someone’s way of trying to build buzz for a movie that’s not getting a lot of great pre-press. But who …read more

Most excellent DVDs and Blu-ray discs are hitting store and cyber-shelves this week. Here’s the rundown of my faves:
Watchmen (Director’s Cut): Someone’s killing former superheroes! Read my review of this dark and gritty comic noir film starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, and Billy Crudup. [Buy DVD] [Buy Blu-ray]
Coraline. Dakota Fanning voices the main character in this animated story about a little girl who finds an alternative reality right in her own home. It’s a little scary for young ones, but ok for kids 12 and older. Read my review here. [Buy DVD] [Buy Blu-ray]
Stargate SG-1: Children of the …read more

I really don’t have much history with Astro Boy, but the movie looks like a lot of fun! It’s a CGI-animated movie coming to theaters Oct. 23, 2009.
“Astro Boy” began as a Japanese manga series and TV show first broadcast in Japan from 1963 to 1966. The story follows the adventures of a fictional robot named Astro Boy and lots of other fun characters, too.
 
The movie is set in futuristic Metro City, where Astro Boy (voiced by Freddie Highmore) is a young robot created by a brilliant scientist named Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Powered by positive “blue” energy, Astro …read more

Must every cheesy 1980s show be made into a movie? Apparently, so. Now “The A-Team” is jumping on the feature film bandwagon. The story will follow the original plot about a group of framed, on-the-run war vets who pull capers while evading the military.
Bradley Cooper has been rumored for a while to play Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck, originally played by Dirk Benedict in the NBC series helmed by Stephen J. Cannell.
Liam Neeson is in talks to take on the role of Col. John “Hannibal” Smith, played by George Peppard in the TV series. The roles of "Howling Mad" …read more

Movie: Land of the Lost * Trailer * Images * Official Site
In Theaters: June 5, 2009

Runtime: 93 minutes
Directed by: Brad Silberling

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and for language, including a drug reference
Gecko Rating:

If you’ve seen the 1970s series on which “Land of the Lost” is based, you know it’s low-budget and cheesy. The movie has some cool special effects, but overall, the plot tries to re-create the cheesiness of the TV series. It doesn’t really succeed, which is saying something. Or saying nothing, take your pick. Still, the movie has a few moments that click.
Like the …read more

With the success of the new “Star Trek” movie, we’re seeing all the vintage “Star Trek” shows in a new light. Or maybe an old light with a new lightbulb. Or something.
At any rate, I’m a “Star Trek” fan from way back, and it’s fun to see people take an interest in the TV shows. Personally, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” is my favorite, although “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” is extremely underrated. Really, they’re all good in their own way.
Now we have two new sets out, released on DVD May 12, 2009:
The Best of Star Trek: The Original …read more