Tom Cruise Laughable in “Valkyrie”

MSNBC’s The Scoop and New York Times has some very unsettling reactions to a “Valkyrie” screening. The thriller, directed by Bryan Singer, sees Tom Cruise’s Claus Von Stauffenberg attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany during WWII.

According to people from the test audience the film is far from being a thriller. But reportedly worse seems to be Tom Cruise’s performance as Claus Von Stauffenberg even going as far as saying his performance elicits inappropriate laughs.

MSNBC quotes various reports:

A scene where Cruise’s character, Claus Von Stauffenberg, is forced to give the infamous “Heil Hitler” salute. “It’s an unsettling scene but you almost start to laugh,” the source says. “His character is resisting it but you never forget it’s Tom Cruise saying ‘Heil Hitler.’ It’s funny and shocking at the same time.”

Another described a scene where Cruise’s character removes a false eye.

“It was disgusting,” said another who saw the film. “It was like watching someone pluck their contacts out. The film just isn’t a thriller at all. It’s a bunch of white guys in Nazi uniforms. It’s too bad. And Tom doesn’t speak with a German accent, though they did add a voice-over of him speaking German to the beginning of the film. Still, it’s as if he could say ‘I complete you’ at any time. This is not his Oscar moment.”

Is it possible Valkyrie is still the steaming pile we thought it once was? Will Tom Cruise have the worst movie with a coveted pre-Oscar release date?

“Valkyrie” opens to theaters on December 26th.

Punisher: War Zone Featurette

As released by Yahoo! Movies, featurette for “Punisher: War Zone” focuses on the film’s title character, Frank Castle.

Waging his one-man war on the world of organized crime, ruthless vigilante-hero Frank Castle, also known as The Punisher (Ray Stevenson) sets his sights on overeager mob boss Billy Russoti. After Russoti is left horribly disfigured by Castle, he sets out for vengeance under his new alias: Jigsaw. With the “Punisher Task Force” hot on his trail and the FBI unable to take Jigsaw in, Frank must stand up to the formidable army that Jigsaw has recruited before more of his evil deeds go unpunished.

“Punisher: War Zone” is directed by Lexi Alexander and her new movie is scheduled to hit theaters on December 5th 2008.

Jim Carrey to Narrate IMAX’s “Under the Sea 3D”

Warner Bros and IMAX Corporation announced that Jim Carrey will narrate “Under the Sea 3D.” Scheduled to be released to IMAX® theatres beginning on February 13, 2009, “Under the Sea 3D” will offer an entertaining and uniquely inspirational way to explore the beauty and natural wonder of the oceans. Moviegoers will be able to experience face-to-face encounters with some of the most mysterious and stunning creatures of the sea. In IMAX 3D, the images appear to leap off the screen and float around the theatre, putting the audience IN the movie.

The project is the third IMAX 3D co-production between the two companies. It is scheduled to be released to IMAX theaters starting Feb. 13.

“Jim Carrey is a favorite of film audiences everywhere and of every generation, so he is the perfect choice to narrate this undersea adventure for moviegoers of all ages. We are also very proud to be working with IMAX to bring audiences this visually stunning film that reminds us all of the beauty and magic of our oceans, and the importance of preserving them for future generations,”

Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures, said in a statement. Read the rest of this entry

Star Trek Official Trailer

After the bootleg trailer, we just added “Star Trek” official trailer. You can watch it now in good quality.

For more movie info you can visit “Star Trek” Movie Page

WALL-E Concept Art And BURN-E Short Film

Here’s a new short film from Pixar - BURN-E or Basic Utility Repair Nano Engineer.
The seven and a half minute short film - which is including on the upcoming DVD/Blu-ray release of WALL-E is directed by Angus MacLane. WALL-E DVD/Blu-ray will be available on November 18th.

CinemaBlend has an interview with BURN-E director Angus MacLane:

Q: WALL-E stands for Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth class. What does BURN-E stand for?

A.M.: BURN•E stands for: Basic Utility Repair Nano Engineer. I have since heard from some people that it actually be BURN•A because the “E” in WALL•E stands for “Earth-Class” and the “A” would be the appropriate “Axiom-Class”. Now I could argue that maybe BURN•E was a robot on earth that then was installed on the Axiom, but A: I would be lying and B: What is the point? If that is the biggest problem you have with the film, then I have done my job. Now put yourself in my shoes- you have to name this robot. The name BURN-E is funny and breaks the continuity of the film or BURN•A which is more accurate to the feature and is not funny at all. Which would you choose? I thought so. I do love that geeks pick up on this and I am happy to be creating this controversy. I’d probably do the same thing were I not involved.

Q: How hard was it to think of a name that sounded like a robot but was a pun for a human name (Bernie)?

A.M.: His name internally had been “Repair Bot” When I started the short, I envisioned him as being called WELD•R. About two days later Jim Reardon, the head of WALL•E Story handed me a drawing he had done of the word BURN•E burned into metal. After that there was no going back.

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“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” New Trailer

The second trailer for the upcoming “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” from director David Yates starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Helena Bonham Carter has been released.

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas.

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The Day The Earth Stood Still … Who Will Be Saved?

Twentieth Century Fox has teamed with Moxie Interactive, to create a new application that allows the world to decide who and what will be saved when the earth “stands still”. It’s part of a global participation campaign for Fox’s upcoming movie, The Day The Earth Stood Still. The film stars Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly in the ultimate alien invasion movie. The digital campaign utilizes seven of the world’s top social networks - including MySpace, Facebook, Bebo and Netlog - across 10 languages.

In the film, a renowned scientist (Jennifer Connelly) finds herself face to face with an alien called Klaatu (Keanu Reeves), who has traveled across the universe to warn of an impending global crisis. She quickly discovers the deadly ramifications of Klaatu’s claim that he is “a friend to the Earth”. Now she must find a way to convince the entity who was sent to destroy us that mankind is worth saving - but it may be too late.

Earth’s Vital List, which launches today, poses the question; if the earth was under attack what would you save? Consumers are asked to build a “Vital List” of 12 items (people, places or things) they would save on “the day the earth stands still”. Vital lists can be shared with friends encouraging feedback and votes on which items are truly vital. The world’s most vital items will be tabulated on a global microsite, at http://www.earthvitallist.com. The site also provides visitors with a view on how items are being ranked around the globe. A countdown to the film’s US release (12/12/08) will coincide with a special reveal of the world’s 1,212 most prized possessions on MySpace.com/earthvitallist.com. Read the rest of this entry