A while back, it was announced that Emma Stone would be filling the shoes of Peter Parker’s first “true love”, Gwen Stacy, in Marc Webb’s Spider-Man movie. From day one I have expressed that I would love to see the saga of Gwen and Peter/Spider-Man play out on the big screen – and while no one knows for sure exactly what Webb has planned for this story, we at least know she will be a major character in his movies.

Out and about at the “Trevor Live” show on Sunday night, Emma Stone was showing off her new blonde look in anticipation for filming, which starts later this month. Personally, I think she looks fantastic as a blonde and I can definitely see some Gwen Stacy in those eyes! Check out the pictures below!

Photos: Celebuzz

Campbell Scott, who most recently has been playing reclusive billionaire Boris Kuester von Jurgens-Ratenicz  (just Boris, usually) on USA’s Royal Pains is going to be Peter Parker’s dad in the new Spiderman film, alongside Julianne Nicholson (who I’ve never seen but is supposedly on Law and Order: SVU) as Peter Parker’s mom.  With this casting news, we can only conclude that this smells like an origin story.  (Ugh)

In other news, Irrfan Khan (Slumdog Millionaire) will play an unknown spidey villain named Van Atter.  Good actor, but who the F#$% is Van Atter?

In my opinion, this is strike 2 against the Spiderman reboot.  Strike 1 is the casting, skewing young, meaning we might be going back to high school with Peter Parker, and casting good actors (Martin Sheen and now Campbell Scott) to play dead people.  Strike 2 is Van Atter.  You’re already trying to sell people on this new Spiderman, and instead of ANY of the well-known and POPULAR rogue’s gallery that makes Spiderman so fun, you have some guy named Van Atter.

We’d better start seeing some plot details spill soon, because there are lots of impatient and skeptical geeks out there ready to crap all over this thing.

And if you don’t believe me, just look at Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark and the angry buzz surrounding that.

It’s time once again for another installment of The Big Movie Mouth Off, starring Jeff Vice from MSN and Jimmy Martin from SLUG Magazine (and both are regular panelists on The Geek Show Podcast)

You can friend the show on Facebook here.

These are available exclusively on Comcast On Demand in Utah.  They are produced and directed by Bryan Young (myself) and Elias Pate both from Big Shiny Robot! and ShineBox Media Productions.

Starting next week, we’ll also be launching a joint Big Shiny Robot! and Big Movie Mouth-Off mini-podcast that will appear weekly featuring the boys, myself and Elias Pate.

Without further delay, let’s get to the reviews:

First we have the buddy comedy “Due Date”:

Then we have the John Lennon biopic:

And finally, our extra special review of Megamind:

The third installment in the Twilight saga hits home video tomorrow, and you have your options of purchasing it as a Blu-Ray, a DVD, or both.

The two-disc DVD contains Deleted & Extended Scenes, Audio Commentary, a “Making of” Documentary, Music Videos, and the ability to fast forward to all of your favorite supernatural guy’s scenes, whether your tastes lean more towards vampires or werewolves.
If you’re not a fan of the books or movies, then I’m not going to waste my time telling you to see this film.  Personally, I’m sick of explaining why I like the story to people who haven’t so much as read a single page.  Or are male.  Guys, you are not the target audience.  The world doesn’t revolve around you.  Get over it.

However, if you like the books and find the movies reasonably enjoyable, then Eclipse is a fine addition to the series.  The Cullens have a bit more screen time, the love triangle between Bella, Edward, and Jacob reaches a fever pitch, and an old enemy returns for revenge.

It’s not high-brow cinema and will never likely win any awards, but it’s a fun flick.  I’ve added it to my Christmas list since I own Twilight and New Moon already.

And, to whet your appetite a bit for next year’s Breaking Dawn, Glamour Magazine has posted a teaser image involving feathers.  Now, gals who have read the book know what THAT refers to.  Let’s just say . . .  a headboard gets damaged and a lot of pillows are torn during the honeymoon.  Sounds like my kind of fun!

In a recent interview with MTV, Eckhart revealed that he knows for a fact that Two-Face will not be returning for The Dark Knight Rises (I told you all he was actually dead!). You can check out the video of the interview at the link above, but here’s what Eckhart had to say:

“Chris and I had a meeting, on the beach, just the two of us,” Eckhart told MTV News at the red carpet premiere of his new film, “Rabbit Hole.” “I said, ‘Chris, a lot of people are asking me if I’m in the next ‘Batman.’ And Chris said, ‘Yes?’ I said, ‘Am I?’ He looked at me and he said, ‘No.'”

“We found ourselves alone on the beach together on a stormy day and he delivered the news to me,” said Eckhart. “I was heartbroken. But Chris has his reasons and my life must go on.”

“Honestly, it was Heath’s movie to go on,” he added. “We had a great movie. I’m so honored to be a part of that movie. I know Chris has got something in store that is going to blow everybody away.”

So there you have it Two-Face fans! Dent will not be returning for revenge on Batman or anything of the sort for the third installment – but, where that many of you really expecting him to? . . .

Christmas is coming up- so is Chanukkah and Kwanza and all those other gift giving holidays… (unless I just named them all) and you’re probably looking for something to get for that Nerdy sister of yours, or that geeky nephew, or that introvert of a brother… well- here’s an Idea:

The “My Boomstick!” T-Shirt. Only $10 at RIPTapparel.com and the perfect gift for that Deadite hating relative who, until now, was so hard to shop for.

Check it out- I know I am getting one for the nerdiest person I know… ME!

Into every generation, a Slayer is born . . .

Turns out that’s more accurate than we originally thought.  First there was the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie with Kristy Swanson and Pee-Wee Herman, then there was the television show starring Sarah Michelle Gellar that lasted 7 seasons, and now Whit Anderson is penning a script for a reboot to be released by Warner Brothers.

No, I don’t know who Whit Anderson is, either, but her IMDB page reveals that she has acted in 3 films and has scripted . . . um, none.  I’m not quite sure how she even got involved in this project, but according to Hero Complex, she is a fan of the television series.  That’s a step in the right direction, at least, but fans aren’t thrilled that this will be a Whedon-less Buffy.  Myself included.

Joss Whedon wrote the script for the original film and is the creator and the guiding hand for the television series.  His devotees are loyal and have followed him from Firefly to Dollhouse (both short-lived series), but he wants no involvement in the new film: “I think that’s something better left untouched by me. So, I wish them luck,” he said in a 2009 interview.

This reboot could be a success, since fans are hungry for more Buffy, but I think they want more of the characters and actors they know and love.  Will we see Angel, Spike, Drusilla, or even Oz?  I doubt it.  (And Buffy without Spike is no Buffy at all!) Likely this story will feature mostly new characters.  It may not even be set in California, much less Sunnydale.  It’s impossible to predict what elements will remain from either the 1992 movie or the series.

However, it’s reasonable to assume the protagonist will be a girl named Buffy, and she slays vampires.  I also suspect she’ll have a Watcher.  Aside from that, it’s anyone’s guess.

I just hope it doesn’t suck.

“To make a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It’s like a whole big sucking thing.” – Buffy, “Welcome to the Hellmouth”

First off, let me preface this review by saying that this Harry Potter is the best out of the series, save one (The Prisoner of Azkaban) and it’s too bad that they’ve finally hit their stride as the end draws near. They’re learning to add emotional moments into the climax of the story, which is something that has been lacking over the last few films.

The death of Sirius Black in the fifth film was a bungled mess leaving audiences to scratch their heads and wonder if it really happened. The death of Albus Dumbledore in the sixth film was a marked improvement, but still lacked some of the gravitas required.

Not since the Prisoner of Azkaban has a Harry Potter film lived up to the potential of storytelling and brought me a well-told, logical story with an emotional heart that mattered.

A particular highlight of the film was the animated sequence explaining the Death Hallows. It was a tremendously well done sequence (even though Death did look a lot like General Grievous.)

The acting of the kids and supporting actors has improved dramatically, though I must say Emma Watson needs to rely on her eyebrows less. Jeez. If she ever won an Oscar, they’d have to give her one full size statuette and two miniature ones for each eyebrow.

The action sequences in this film were incredible, from the opening chase in mid-air to… well, perhaps the only real big one. The rest of the film is just thrilling drama and close-calls. Perhaps my favorite sequence in the movie was when our heroes infiltrate the Ministry of Magic under the guise of a poly-juice potion. It was very, very well put together.

Though the plot is much less complicated than the twists and turns of Azkaban, it establishes very well what’s at stake going into the second half of the film due out in July.

Having said that, I say the movie this morning. At about 1:30 am. It finished sometime around 4:00 am. Beyond some miracle, I was able to stay awake through the entire time. Afterwards, in my delirium, I tweeted the following:

“Harry Potter was good, but it was no Phantom Menace.”

And now let me explain what I meant by that. This is a totally subjective statement based completely on subjective criteria. This is probably a better film mathematically, but I enjoyed the Phantom Menace so much more. When I went in to see The Phantom Menace for the first time, I was literally shaking with adrenaline and when the film began there was an explosion in excitement and I left the theatre in awe and wonder. Never had a film so completely bowled me over with enjoyment on the big screen before, save the Special Edition releases of the Star Wars trilogy.

Harry Potter didn’t have that effect on me.

At all.

I could see moments in it that gave me the chills, the mythology was cool, sure. But nothing in it invoked a reaction in me like that of a new Star Wars movie.

I can’t fault Harry Potter for not being Star Wars, but I can still enjoy Star Wars more. The people I was seeing it with did have that sort of experience, though, and for that I’m grateful. Because if they can experience a taste of what I went through watching Phantom Menace, then they won’t discount my feelings about a movie so readily.

So at the end of the day, sure, this movie was good. But to me, it was no Phantom Menace.

I liked Superman Returns. Despite its flaws, I thought it was a good story and a great setup for a new Superman franchise – reestablish the characters, give them some weight, then come back with an action-packed movie. But alas, the second movie never came and we find ourselves once again bracing for another “reboot” for the Man of Steel. Personally, I thought Routh was a great Superman/Clark Kent, and had he been given the chance to throw down with a bigger villain, he could have handled the job, but it looks like he won’t be getting the chance.

Early reports had Routh at least in the running to return as Supes, but either those just weren’t true, or Nolan and Snyder have just decided to go a different direction. According to Deadline:

Warner Bros, producer Chris Nolan, and director Zack Snyder have begun to cast a “wide net” to find the next Man of Steel. Insiders tell us the studio is open to creating a star as it reboots the Superman franchise: specifically, that the actor will either be a discovery or on TV but likely someone who isn’t well known yet. And he’ll be in the age range of 28-to-32. The studio expects to look at hundreds of young actors before making a decision.

Of course, along with this you already have some relatively unknown actor names being thrown around, including your standard CW stars that always seem to make it on to these types of lists. I swear, no matter what superhero casting is announced, not long after you start seeing Jensen Ackles name pop up – there must be a huge group of 14 year old fangirls out there pimping this guy for every superhero role imaginable; but I digress.

I am a little disappointed that Routh won’t get another chance to wear the cape again, but I have enough faith in Nolan and Snyder to do some solid casting for this film.

Production on Nolan and Snyder’s Superman film is slated to begin next June.

It’s time once again for another installment of The Big Movie Mouth Off, starring Jeff Vice from MSN and Jimmy Martin from SLUG Magazine (and both are regular panelists on The Geek Show Podcast)

You can friend the show on Facebook here.

These are available exclusively on Comcast in Utah.  Soon they’ll be available On Demand.  For now, they’re available nightly on Comcast Channel 6 at 11pm.  After their exclusive run there, they will be appearing on Big Shiny Robot! and across the Internet.  They are produced and directed by Bryan Young (myself) and Elias Pate both from Big Shiny Robot! and ShineBox Media Productions.

Without further delay, let’s get to the reviews:

First we have the Hilary Swank/Sam Rockwell film ‘Conviction’:

Then we have the Clint Eastwood directed ‘Hereafter’

Next, we have ‘Paranormal Activity 2’

And Saw 3D: