Pop Culture Buzz

He may look old, but he is still our Indy, and he looks great. I am pretty excited to see the next installment of “Indiana Jones” just as much as every other movie geek. We’ll have to wait until summer of 2008 to get our fix!

Check out this bizarre clip of John Stamos on Australian t.v. He appears to be either drunk or high on something. There is something wickedly fascinating about watching people break down in public. You got to hand it to Stamos though, he looks hot as hell.

This movie trailer gives us a better look at the full length “Simpsons” movie from FOX. I know this is going to be bigger than any other movie out there this summer. Could you imagine “The Simpsons” being nominated for an Academy Award this year? It’s hard to believe it’s been over 15 years since “The Simpsons” first came into our lives.

THE WIKIPEDIA EXPLANATION OF “THE WATCHMEN”:

Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. Originally published by DC Comics as a monthly limited series from 1986 to 1987, it was later republished as a trade paperback. It was one of the first superhero comics to present itself as serious literature, and it also popularized the “graphic novel” format. To date, Watchmen remains the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award, and is also the only graphic novel to appear on Time Magazine’s 2005 list of “the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present.”

Watchmen is set in 1985, in an alternative history United States where costumed adventurers are real and the country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union (the Doomsday Clock is at five minutes to midnight). It tells the story of a group of past and present superheroes and the events surrounding the mysterious murder of one of their own.

Watchmen depicts superheroes as real people who must confront ethical and personal issues, who struggle with neuroses and failings, and who - with one notable exception - lack anything recognizable as super powers. Watchmen’s deconstruction of the conventional superhero archetype, combined with its innovative adaptation of cinematic techniques and heavy use of symbolism, multi-layered dialogue, and metafiction, has influenced both comics and film.

As we wait and wonder about what Zack Snyder’s film version of “Watchmen” will end up like, www.RottenTomatoes.com has a big juicy casting report to share. It might not be 100% finished just yet, but it’s still fun to look through anyway. According to Film ick, here’s what one scooper is calling the “Watchmen” cast. Some (or all) of the names are subject to change, but someone sure seems to think this is the real deal:

Kate Winslet as Silk Spectre
Patrick Wilson as Night Owl
Jason Patric as Dr. Manhattan
Jude Law as Ozymandias
Thomas Jane as The Comedian
Jeremy Irons as Moloch
Virginia Madsen as Sally Jupiter
Jonah Hill as Seymour
Henry Gibson as Mr. Figure
William Fichtner as Detective Fine
Noah Emmerich as Captain Metropolis
Gretchen Mol as Janey Slater
Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach

Following a calculated publicity buildup, the original Girl Power group of the 1990s announced Thursday that they have agreed to reunite for six concerts around the world — their first since breaking up in 2001. Talk of a reunion had swirled for weeks — boosted by Sporty Spice herself.

Victoria (Adams) Beckham (Posh Spice), Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice), Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) and Melanie Brown (Scary Spice) formed the Spice Girls in 1994. They became a global hit. Chisholm, who had opposed a reunion, recently told the British Broadcasting Corp. she had changed her mind.

“For the first time ever, there is some truth in the rumors. We’ve been discussing it and it could possibly happen,” the 33-year-old singer told BBC radio. “I’ve always said, `I don’t want to do it, the past is the past. It was amazing, it was magical. We could never recreate it,’” Chisholm said. “But this year people have been talking about it and some of the girls have expressed an interest in doing it.” The Spice Girls’ 2000 album, “Forever,” had weak sales, and they began concentrating on their solo careers.

This video is terrific, and not to mention kind of hot. Leave it to Rufus to put out such an operatic campy little video masterpiece. I will be reviewing his newest c.d. “Release the Stars” on my blog really soon, until then enjoy the video.

This is so silly and ridiculous I love every gay minute of it. I love the “America’s Next Top Model” reference, it makes this episode even more gay….as if that was possible.

Is it me or does the rock in this episode sound like Towelie from “South Park”? The new “remixed” theme song is hilarious. I can’t wait for the next episode.

** 1/2 STARS

Scary movies these days are a dime a dozen, almost all of them fail at creating original moments and genuine scares. Most of the horror movies out these days contain way more gore and cruelty (”Saw”, “The Hills Have Eyes”, “Hostel”) then some of the best, most recent scary movies have in them (”The Others”, “The Sixth Sense”, “Frailty”, “Stir of Echoes”). After watching “1408″ it reminded me that some horror films do not need the over the top elements to chill you to the bone, sometimes the quiet subtle scares are more creepy.

Based on a Stephen King short story “1408″ is a entertaining and refreshing escape from the summer blockbuster season. It is the little chiller that could, and based on it’s fabulous opening box office numbers, it may just end up to be a big sleeper hit by this summer’s end. John Cusack once again reminds us why he is one the best actors we have in Hollywood. Three quarters of the movie is just Cusack on the screen. He is so convincing that we are drawn into his characters downward spiral of madness.

Although there is not very much gore or very many moments that make you jump out of your seat, “1408″ does a good job of keeping you creeped out and guessing what will happen next. If it weren’t for John Cusack this movie may have not worked at all. Even with a PG-13 rating this ghost story does a great job at delivering spooky moments with a smart story to back it up.

I have been looking for this song and for Robyn’s new c.d and it is impossible to find/purchase here in the states. Thank god my totally hip partner found this music video on You Tube.

If this song doesn’t get you excited and giddy then you must be a zombie. The dance remixes are off the hook, but the original is just as fun. Check it out below.

1.) Evan Almighty $32,112,000 / $32,112,000

2.) 1408 $20,175,000 / $20,175,000

3.) F4: Rise of the Silver Surfer $20,150,000 / $97,604,000

4.) Ocean’s Thirteen $11,350,000 / $91,018,000

5.) Knocked Up $10,636,000 / $108,982,000

6.) PofC: At World’s End $7,215,000 / $287,015,000

7.) Surf’s Up $6,700,000 / $47,313,000

8.) Shrek the Third $5,754,000 / $307,908,000

9.) Nancy Drew $4,500,000 / $16,188,000

10.) A Mighty Heart $4,006,000 / $4,006,000

You got to love The White Stripes brand of unique songwriting and performance style, there is no one else quite like them. Their sound is still fresh and on the cutting edge of what is hip in rock and roll.

Their music video’s have always been artistic and fun in nature as well. this new song “Icky Thump” is no different and is just as fun as their last few outings. It looks like The White Stripes are experiencing a Renaissance in their creative years.

** 1/2 STARS

Last year Eli Roth’s “Hostel” debuted with stellar numbers in the #1 slot and shocked millions of horror movie lovers with his over the top vision of horror. Some people call this type of horror film “slasher porn” or “gore porn”. The underlined sexual nature is there, but the creepy images of torture and killings are intensely graphic and at times are a bit comedic. Eli Roth did a fabulous job balancing the dynamic of comedy and gore in “Hostel” but he loses a bit of his edge in the follow up, “Hostel 2″.

There were a few fleeting moments of genius in this movie. In the last 5 minutes of this film and in a part of the movie I will only describe as the “castration scene”, there are some glimmers of brilliant dark comedy (and I mean dark). This movie is not for someone who has a light stomach or cannot stand the blood and carnage of horror films like “Saw” or “Halloween”. This movie goes above and beyond anything you have ever witnessed on the big screen in terms of gore.

One thing Roth does well is creating real to life characters and situations in his films. These aren’t the same sex crazed teenagers from the “Friday the 13th” movies. There is always a bit of gritty realism added to his plots and characters. This movie does have less of that movie magic than it’s predecessor. All in all it was a fun ride, but not as satisfying as the original.

I am excited to what Eli Roth does with the Stephen King novel “Cell”. “Cell” involves zombies, and mass destruction of cities and the end of society from one electronic pulse emanating from a phone call. It will be fun to see what Roth does when using material with this big of a scope. As for this time around, “Hostel 2″ was not as good as the original and not as fun as his first feature “Cabin Fever”.

Remember “Garbage Pail Kids” trading cards from the 1980’s? I used to have hundreds but now I only have a few left. I remember when they were banned from my elementary school because kids were too sensitive to name calling.

A new company has created another popular trading card called “Hollywood Zombies” that are selling like hot cakes. With a premise much like the “GPK” cards, the “Hollywood Zombies” use celebrities as their victims of satire. Check out the funny samples of these cards below:

After creating the stoner classic “digital shorts” like “Lazy Sunday”, “Sloths”, “Dick In A Box” and “Laser Cats” for “Saturday Night Live” it was obvious that someone would try to capitalize on the popular comedic charm of Andy Sandberg.

Sandberg is the perfect young addition to SNL, an aging show, but will his fresh goofy brand of comedy transcend to the big screen for the YouTube generation? I hope he makes the cross over to the big screen, he’s cute enough and has a dorky charm.

CHECK OUT THIS GREAT NEWS FROM ROTTENTOMATOES.COM:

Scott Weinberg writes: “Only a few months after severing ties with DreamWorks Animation, the mad geniuses at Aardman hooked up with Sony’s animation division. And now they’re announcing their next movies.

Fans of “Chicken Run”, “Flushed Away” (the brilliant hidden gem from last year) and the Academy Award winning “Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” will be pleased to hear about Aardman’s newest flicks:

“The Cat Burglars” — Described as “Wallace & Gromit” meets “Ocean’s 11″ AND as “family-friendly Tarantino,” this one will be about, you guessed it, a team of feline felons. (And clay-mated, not CG animated.)

“Pirates” — Aardman co-founder Peter Lord will helm this action comedy about … pirates! (Based on the series of stories by Gideon Defoe.)

“Operation Rudolph” — From one of the “Borat” screenwriters … I’ll let Variety describe this one: “The Christmas movie shows the North Pole operation as an exhilarating ultra-high-tech military procedure on a massive scale, revealing how Santa and his huge army of combat elves get around the whole world in one night.” Sounds cool!!