Manny The Movie Guy

Movie Reviews -- "Chronicle" and "The Woman in Black"

Two big films opening this weekend � we have �Chronicle� for superhero buffs and �The Woman in Black� for horror fans. �Chronicle� belongs in the found footage genre and tells the tale of three high school friends who gain their superpowers while making an incredible discovery. �The Woman in Black� stars Daniel Radcliffe as a widower and lawyer who dukes it out with the supernatural in a house in the marsh.

Which one is my pick of the week? Take a look!

"Back to the Future" The Musical?

Is "Back to the Future" heading to the Great White Way? With all the 80s film treasures getting Broadway makeovers, we all know that it's just a matter of time before the adventures of Marty McFly and Doc Brown be transported to the stage. Deadline is exclusively reporting that director Robert Zemeckis is in early talks with his co-writer Bob Gale and composer Alan Silvestri to explore the Broadway possibilities of the time-traveling adventure"Back to the Future." I enjoyed the movie and the pairing of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, so I welcome this musical news with open ears! Will Huey Lewis and the News' "Back in Time" be included?

Halle Berry to Present at 84th Academy Awards

Halle Berry, the Oscar-winning actress, will present at the 84th Academy Awards according to telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer.

The actress won an Oscar in 2001 for her fantastic performance in "Monster's Ball." Currently, she can be see in "New Year's Eve," the only good performance from the movie!

Berry will next be seen opposite Tom Hanks and Hugh Grant in "Cloud Atlas." She will join Jennifer Lopez, Hanks, and Tom Cruise to present at the upcoming Oscars on Feb. 26th! (Click here for the complete Oscar nominations, and here for my rants and raves about the Academy)

The Latest Oscar Presenter? Tom Cruise!

First we heard about JLO, then Tom Hanks, and now, Tom Cruise will also present at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony according to producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer.

The three-time Oscar-nominated actor ("Born on the Fourth of July" and "Jerry Maguire" for best actors; "Magnolia" for Best Supporting Actor) made everyone love him again with the latest "Mission Impossible -- Ghost Protocol." He will next be seen rocking it out in "Rock of Ages."

Let's see if Cruise will rock out the Oscars on Feb. 26th!

Final Oscar Ballots Mailed to Academy Members

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has mailed the final ballots for the 84th Academy Awards to the 5,783 voting members! Voters must now complete their ballots and return to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) by 5pm Tuesday, February 21. (Check out complete Oscar nominations right here, and my rants and raves right here)

According to the Academy's press release:

Listed on the ballots are nominees in 19 Awards categories. Separate ballots for five categories (Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film) will be distributed after verification of mandatory member attendance at screenings.

Winners' names will then be placed in sealed envelopes upon tabulation of the votes. The envelopes will not be opened until Oscar night on Sunday, February 26.

Take a Look at This! Daniel Craig in the Upcoming Bond Movie, "Skyfall!"

So, the only two reasons I'm excited to see yet another James Bond movie, the 23rd film to be exact, is 1) because of director Sam Mendes who can truly tell a good story, and 2) because of the cast which features Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Berenice Marlohe, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Albert Finney and Judi Dench.

I guess those two reasons are enough for me to watch Daniel Craig in his 3rd outing as Bond, James Bond...and while we're at it -- the picture above is the first official image released by Sony.

Are you excited to see Craig as Bond again?

Either or, "Skyfall" will fall into the U.K. theaters on October 26 and in the US on November 9.

Get Ready for Katy Perry Documentary Concert in Glorious 3D!

Much like Justin Bieber before her, Paramount is planning an untitled 3D film starring the super-hot pop songstress Katy Perry. Deadline told us that it's already shot by director Nanette Bernstein (I think Deadline meant Nanette Burstein, director of 2001's mini-series "Say It Loud: A Celebration of Black Music in America," "The Kid Stays in the Picture," and "American Teen").

And much like Bieber's "Never Say Never" (which I actually liked, I know...sorry!), this Perry docu-concert will be about her growing up as Katy Hudson with her gospel background before dumping that last name and deciding to kiss a girl and liking it!

Will the 3D film talk about the one who got away, Russell Brand? Stay tuned...

The Perry 3D flick is being planned for a June or July release this year.

Adam Sandler to Visit "Candyland!"

Three years ago, we told you about Universal's plans to turn Hasbro toys into big blockbusters. One of those films was the board game "Candyland," and it was supposed to be written by the "Tropic Thunder" scribe, Etan Cohen, and to be directed by Kevin Lima, the guy who gave us "Enchanted." (Check "Candy Land" Moves to the Big Screen! The "Enchanted" and "Tropic Thunder" Connection!)

Well, fast forward to three years later, and Universal has wisened up about their Hasbro dreams, dumped their plans, and now, Sony's Columbia Pictures is stepping in and they're bringing Adam Sandler and his Happy Madison shingle with them. They're in deep talks to take over this board game.

Lima is still attached to direct but Sandler and Robert Smigel are now in negotiations to write the screenplay.

Here's the deal, Universal is smart to stay away from this project. Sandler hasn't been funny in a while, although I love "Enchanted" and perhaps, Lima and Smigel can produce a miracle.

But really? A board game? "Candyland?" Will this suck?

Let's wait and see if the upcoming board game movie, "Battleship" from Universal and director Peter Berg will suck and sink on May 18 when it opens.

Here's the full press release via Deadline:

CULVER CITY, Calif., January 31, 2012 � Columbia Pictures, Happy Madison and Hasbro, Inc. are in final talks to develop Candy Land, a live action movie based on the bestselling Hasbro board game with Adam Sandler attached to star, it was jointly announced today by Doug Belgrad, President of Columbia Pictures, Hannah Minghella, President of Production for Columbia Pictures, and Brian Goldner, Hasbro President and CEO. Kevin Lima (Enchanted) is attached to direct the project for the studio with Sandler and Robert Smigel are in talks to write the screenplay.

Commenting on the announcement, Belgrad said, �Candy Land is more than just a game. It is a brand that children, parents and grandparents know and love. The world of Candy Land offers an extraordinary canvas upon which to create a fantastical, live-action family adventure film with a larger than life part for Adam. We are thrilled to partner with Hasbro and Happy Madison on this project.�

�The creative talent on board for this movie is amazing and we are excited to bring alive the world of Candy Land for kids and families everywhere,� Goldner added. �Sony/Columbia has been a wonderful creative partner as we develop another of our games, Risk, for the big screen. We are looking forward to working with Sony/Columbia and Adam Sandler and his team at Happy Madison Productions on this film.�

Candy Land is one of the most beloved and best known games of all time. Created in 1949, it has been played by generations of families. In the game, players go on a magical journey through fantastical lands made of candy, sweets, and ice cream: the Peppermint Forest, the Gum Drop Mountains, and the Lollypop Woods. Along the way, players encounter such iconic characters as Princess Frostine, Lord Licorice, Mr. Mint, and King Candy.

The project will be produced by Goldner (Transformers) and Hasbro�s Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Motion Pictures, Bennett Schneir (Battleship) along with Happy Madison Productions. At Columbia, development of Candy Land will be overseen by Sam Dickerman.

See Julianne Moore's Stunning Transformation as Sarah Palin in New HBO "Game Change" Trailer!

All I can say is wow! Julianne Moore, the fantastic understated actress, goes all out as former Alaska governor Sarah Palin in the upcoming HBO film "Game Change" from executive producer Tom Hanks. (Take a look at the trailer below)

The film chronicles the 2008 failed campaign of GOP presidential nominee John McCain and his vice-presidential pick Palin. This one's based on the book by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann and directed by Jay Roach, yup, the guy who gave us all the "Austin Powers" films, "Meet the Parents," "Meet the Fockers," and "Dinner for Schmucks."

But Roach also gave us the powerful, Emmy-winning film "Recount" about the 2000 presidential election when Al Gore lost to George W. Bush. So he knows how to find comedy in life's real drama!

In "Game Change," Moore channels Palin and from the looks of it, channels her well! In her interview with the Huffington Post, she says, "We have her displaying moments of sheer brilliance �- I mean, she was unbelievably charismatic." Moore continues, "Suddenly here was this working class mother who popped out and seemed to be able to command the world, but of course upon further inspection, she was clearly not prepared. She didn't necessarily have the experience necessary to lead our country, and that�s what we were attempting to characterize."

But Moore isn't the only one doing all the characterizations, take a look at Ed Harris as well, who does an impressive job as McCain. Woody Harrelson also co-stars as adviser Steve Schmidt.

I can't wait to see "Game Change" on HBO on March 10th at 9pm!

Trailer

Tom Hanks to Present at 84th Academy Awards

Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks will present at the 84th Academy Awards. The actor, who is also a governor of the Academy, won consecutive Best Actor Oscars in 1993 for "Philadelphia" and in 1994 for "Forrest Gump." Hanks also received Oscar nominations for "Big," "Saving Private Ryan," and "Cast Away."

His current film with Sandra Bullock, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" is one of the Best Picture Oscar nominees. Hanks will join Jennifer Lopez as one of the presenters at the Oscars on Feb. 26th.