Freshly Popped Movie Blog Archives - January 2008

Just when you thought it was safe to turn off the bedlights, here comes Michael Bay, New Line Cinema and Platinum Dunes to give the 'ole revisionist history spin to another beloved horror franchise. After remakes of Halloween, The Hills Have Eyes and Dunes' own Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hitcher and Amityville Horror (and a planned Friday the 13th update)...is it really necessary to...

This in from Lizerne Guiting: The sun has set on 2008’s Sundance Film Festival, but not before bringing to light a crop of esteemed new indie dramas and docs. One of the fest’s most buzzed-about films was Frozen River, a drama about a desperate trailer-park mom and a Mohawk Indian girl who team up to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States from Canada. Frozen River was a...

This in from Stacie Hougland: No huge surprises for this evening's SAG Awards (although I wouldn't have guessed Ruby Dee would win Supporting Actress over Cate Blanchett); in fact, maybe the most interesting thing about tonight's show was the stargazing on the red carpet (did Brangelina look great or WHAT?). Here we present this year's winners and nominees in the major film...

This in from Stacie Hougland: Earlier this week producers announced the title for the next Bond installment, chosen mere days before, as well as some secrets about the film. (Here's a shot of stars Daniel Craig, Judi Dench and Mathieu Amalric at the press conference.) Let's hear it for….Quantum of Solace.Producer Michael G. Wilson explains the title was taken from one of Ian...

It's just very sad to hear about Heath Ledger's death. You just feel for all of his family and friends and everyone who knew and loved him personally, or through his work. Yesterday, to hear that he died sounded almost unreal or impossible. Millions of us didn't know him, but it felt like you did in a way. Heath Ledger never came across onscreen or off as someone you wouldn't...

Here's a few Oscar nom observations from our staffer on the scene at the announcements ceremony... There's nothing like a dark, rainy L.A. morning to pick up the spirits of the press corps, and publicists - especially those whose films don't pick up nominations. On one side of the auditorium: the all-smiles camp from Fox Searchlight, who received multiple nods for Juno. On the other...

Some random thoughts, pre-Oscar nominations... 4:03am, PST, 01/22/08 - Do they announce the Oscar noms at 4:30am or was that 5:30am? Dahhh. I guess it was 5:30am. I could have slept another hour. Oh well. 4:17am, PST, 01/22/08 - I wonder if Daniel Day-Lewis is up. Is it more fun to be on the east coast eating a bagel when they call your name, or George Clooney half-asleep in Malibu? Who's...

The word from Sundance so far: lots of attendees, not so much hype. Unlike past years, the focus has been more on the movies than the marketing and the tie-in after-parties (which is good news, since this is a film festival). Getting some press still on the movie front is The Wackness, set in 1994 with Ben Kingsley as a stoner shrink, Josh Peck as his young pot-dealing patient and a small role...

The movie's out finally, the reviews have hit the 'Net (as of this post, 78% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), and a new photo's popped up (courtesy of 1-18-08.com). So what will it mean for the box office? I'm guessing whether you dig the shaky cam effect or not, Cloverfield 's still going to be a monster hit at least for the first weekend. I'll go in for a $37 million Fri - Sun...

Mid-January...no Golden Globes show...perhaps no Oscars...BUT, one annual movie tradition is alive and kicking. And due to the never-ending writers' strike, 2008's Sundance Film Festival may be more interesting than usual. Tonight's the opening night up in Park City, Utah, and the premiere movie event (actually held an hour west in Salt Lake City) is for In Bruges, a grubby gangster...

This in from Stacie Hougland: Someone must think Robert Downey Jr.’s gauntlet-sheathed arm is a fascinating subject, as several new photos of it have popped up around the web lately. The first two stills below were just released this week by Marvel, and I leave it to you to judge what exactly he's doing with that outstretched appendage. (Do my eyes deceive me, or is that a six-pack...

You know it's a surreal year for movie fans when NFL commentators Cris Collinsworth, Jerome Bettis and Tiki Barber are offered up as part of the pre-show entertainment for the Golden Globes. Um, yeah...so, the awards show did go on...sort of. On television, Nancy O'Dell and Billy Bush, co-anchors of NBC's Access Hollywood, were the hosts, commentators, and the closest thing to live...

Less than a week remains til we find out if producer J.J. Abrams' creature feature Cloverfield really will be a mega-monster at the box office. The mystery isn't just what kind of "thing" is freaking out all those anonymous New York City partygoers. I'd like to know, and you might, too - what's with the title? Nothing's a sure bet, but here at the Fandango offices,...

This in from Stacie Hougland: The phenomenon that is Juno is like, totally topping charts and busting records everywhere. It hit number one at the box office (Monday only) with a $1.4 million gross in its expansion to 1,925 theaters, edging out National Treasure 2 and I Am Legend, which earned $1.3 mil and $1.1 mil respectively on twice the number of screens. Having made a reported $52 million on...

Happy New Year everyone! Hope everyone had a great, and movie-filled holiday. 2007 was truly a year to remember at the cinema. Money-wise, it will go down as the biggest in history. But more importantly, for movie fans, there were also just so many good films that came out. 2008 has its work cut out for it (especially with the writers' strike still ongoing), but there are a lot of movies to...