Ponyo's On Her Way To America

Looks like Japan's favorite super-cute fish-girl-thingy is finally making its way to the U.S.


(You can also watch the US trailer for Ponyo in High Definition on Apple)

I really enjoyed seeing this when I was back in Japan last year. (Although my Japanese must be really rusty because I don't remember the whole "Ponyo needing to save the world" part.) Quite the voice cast Disney's assembled for this! (FRANKIE JONAS!!)

What's really interesting to me is the Ponyo theme was such a major part of the advertising campaign in Japan (to the point of making your ears bleed) yet, here in the States, you can barely hear a few notes of the theme played on a muffled xylophone (in a passing car with the windows rolled up) at the end of the preview.

I'm OK with that.

Happy Birthday, Charlie Chaplin!

This one goes out to all of the Charlie Chaplins in my life...

HELLO, I’M FAMOUS STARRING JOHN HODGMAN
(via men.style.com):

"That is when I was approached by a grown man pretending to be Charlie Chaplin.

Now, I guess it is some people’s dream to meet Charlie Chaplin, or just someone dressed as him. But even as a 10-year-old, I found Chaplin’s work to be pretty maudlin and cheap. He was no Buster Keaton, in any case. And as “Chaplin” approached, I considered saying so to his face.

But there was a problem. At this time in my life, I had very long hair. It was an affectation, and an awful one at that. But it was a better affectation, I would argue, than the affectation of dressing up as Charlie Chaplin, even if you are doing it for money.

But this wasn’t the problem. The problem was that because I was a small child without a beard or moustache, people routinely thought I was a girl. And this would lead to occasional embarrassing situations. Double takes as I entered the men’s room, for example, or being referred to as “Joan,” or being expected to kiss Charlie Chaplin on his white powdered cheek. All of these things happened, all of the time.

And so the moment came, after some predictable cane-and-bowler-hat shenanigans, that Charlie Chaplin sat next to me and indicated that he was ready for me to kiss him. For obvious reasons, his expectations were unspoken, just as mine were quite clear: I did not wish to kiss the fake Charlie Chaplin. But let’s just say that they didn’t call him the Little Tramp for nothing. He waited me out. It was clear that I was powerless. It was clear what was going to happen, and I let it happen."

New Judd Apatow Movie!

Also known as "The 30-Year-Old Virgin".

Big hat-tip to Flex MacGuffin for taking the idea and running with it and to Judd Apatow for throwing a few Doc Brown impressions in "Knocked Up":




Oh, and quick tip to any sexy ladies out there who may find themselves on a date with me in the near future: if you don't know who Doc Brown is and you'd still like a ride home, dear god, don't tell me.

'Candy Land' Coming to Bigscreen, Tens of People Rejoice

Because, you know, I've always wanted to see what Gumdrop mountain really looks like.

'Candy Land' coming to bigscreen
(via Variety):

"Universal Pictures is sweet on 'Candy Land.'

Studio has set Etan Cohen to write and Kevin Lima to direct a live-action feature based on the enduring Hasbro board game.

Project is the first film to emerge from the deal U made last February with Hasbro, whose properties are the basis for the summer tentpole films 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' and 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.'"

G.I. Joe, Transformers, Candy Land. Way to run with a trend, guys.

I'm still waiting for Chutes and Ladders.

TODAY'S THE DAY!!!

It has arrived!



Best part? It's got footage from the ride! In ENGLISH!



More bonus footage over at BTTF.com.

Or on the DVD!

BUY THE DVD!!!

BUY (ME) THE DVD!!!

Sneak Preview of 'Back to the Future' Bonus Disc!

(via BTTF.com):

"In addition to the new trailer last week, our good friends at Universal Studios Home Entertainment have sent us nine brand new video clips from the upcoming Back to the Future™ 2-Disc DVD Special Edition, specifically from the new content found on the second disc."

What I'm really excited about is that they're including footage from the now-closed (everywhere but Japan) "Back to the Future" ride. On rainy days in Osaka, when it was too wet to do the Doc Brown show, I used to do meet & greets in the ride's queue and this was one of the clips that I kept hearing in the background (except it was in Japanese):



Takes me back.

Man, I really hope they don't get rid of the Japanese BTTF Ride any time soon. (Stay away, Homer! You too, Transformers!)

Click through to BTTF.com for more bonus videos.

Has Production on Astroboy Shut Down?

Looks like it.

(via /Film):

"Sadly, they’re now reporting that production on Imagi’s Astroboy movie appears to have shut down. This comes just days after I last reported on the film, on how it appears to have just scraped through it’s troubles with the recession. They have no official word on the matter, just information from those that have been working on the film."

I may have had some slight reservations about this project before but I certainly would never have wished this on them. I hope they find a way resume production.

I Love Movies

Hey, gang. Is everyone having a good year so far?

Christ, I hope so. It's been like, what, 2 days?

As for me, I'm taking things a bit easy this first week of 2009. Alas, probably nothing too substantial on this site until at least Monday. (Not specifying which Monday.) I might post a few year-end lists, some resolutions, a couple a' pictures or nothing at all. Hey, we'll see.

Anyway, the good news is that I've lots of cool stuff (or, at the very least, moderately not boring stuff) planned for the near future so keep checking in.

Until then, here's an excellent retrospective of some of the movies of 2008 done to the sounds of yours and my favorite Icelander, Sigur Rós. Enjoy!



(via /film)

Bollywood is Remaking Back to the Future

(via /Film):

"Is Bollywood remaking Back to the Future? RealBollywoodNews is reporting that Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai have been cast in Action Replay (yeah, horrible title…), a film which will be unofficially based on the popular 1985 Robert Zemeckis film Back to the Future. BTTF.com was able to contact Future producer/screenwriter Bob Gale who denied any knowledge of the production."

There's only so much I'm allowed to say about this, especially considering how long I played a Japanese-speaking Doc Brown in a series of shows which, to my dismay, usually had little-or-nothing to do with the glorious, original trilogy.

But, it does scare me a little.

Still, I will admit that I wouldn't mind seeing a massive, fully-choreographed, big-budget, Bollywood-style musical number for "The Power of Love" a la Chandni Chowk to China.



Great Scott.

VHS Era is Winding Down (Get it??)

(via Los Angeles Times)

"Pop culture is finally hitting the eject button on the VHS tape, the once-ubiquitous home-video format that will finish this month as a creaky ghost of Christmas past.

After three decades of steady if unspectacular service, the spinning wheels of the home-entertainment stalwart are slowing to a halt at retail outlets. On a crisp Friday morning in October, the final truckload of VHS tapes rolled out of a Palm Harbor, Fla., warehouse run by Ryan J. Kugler, the last major supplier of the tapes.

'It's dead, this is it, this is the last Christmas, without a doubt,' said Kugler, 34, a Burbank businessman. 'I was the last one buying VHS and the last one selling it, and I'm done. Anything left in warehouse we'll just give away or throw away.'"

Or perhaps bury in a grave next to books-on-tape, HD-DVDs and Windows Vista.

Doc and Marty Make the Top 100!

Empire Magazine recently included Marty McFly and Doc Brown in their list of the "100 greatest movie characters":

#39. Marty McFly

"Nobody calls me chicken!"

Played By: Michael J. Fox
Film: Back to The Future 1-3

Why He's On The List: Goddamn, but Marty McFly is cool. Ace guitarist, ace skateboarder, world-class slacker, hot girlfriend, hangs around with a daffy old boffin without inviting the interest of Operation Ore, travels through time in a DeLorean, manages to make his teenage mum fall in love with him, reunites his parents, inspires a teen band - yep, his mojo is working, and then some. Played by any other actor - say, Eric Stoltz - and you might hate the little bugger, but with Michael J. Fox working his cheeky chappy charm to the full, that's not an option.

Finest Hour: Marty gets carried away during Johnny Be Goode

[...]

#76 Dr. Emmett Brown

"Great Scott!"

Played By: Christopher Lloyd
Film: Back To The Future 1-3

Why He's On The List: The white hair may be standard issue mad scientist, but Doctor Emmett Brown, creator of the flux capacitor and a man incapable of normal social interaction because his head is too busy buzzing with ideas, is a genuinely likeable creation, a world away from stereotypes. So much so that, when he gets shot by Libyans ten minutes in, we're sad even though we've only just met the man. And joyous again when we meet his younger self. Now that's acting.

Finest Hour: "1.21 gigawatts!" The young Doc's spazz-out when he hears the full extent of the energy needed to send Marty back to the future is a sight to behold.

While I'm glad they are both (deservedly) in the top 100... only 76 for Doc?? Really?? Especially considering that 75 is Marge Gunderson.

Who?

Exactly.

Look, I liked Fargo. And nothing personal Frances McDormand. But "Marge Gunderson" just doesn't have the name recognition of Doc Brown.

You betcha.

Oh, and implying that Doc was a pedophile is just plain wrong.

(But I will give them credit for not making Vito Corleone number 1. Tired of seeing "The Godfather" at the top of every movie list.)

WTF UPDATE:
White Goodman?? Brick Tamland?? #$@%& JUNO???

Prices So Low... They're INSANE!!! ("Heroes" and "Arrested Development" DVDs)

This stuff is just too good not to share.

For some unknown reason, Amazon has gone a little crazy and is currently offering the Heroes Franchise Collection (Season 1 | Season 2) for only $50!

On top of that, for only 24 hours, they've got the entire series of Arrested Development for under 30 bucks!! (That's 80 dollars in savings! What th' what??) All finished. (>_<)



It's all part of their Box Set Blowout!

(Now if they could just do the same with 30 Rock.)

So, um, Ken... no need to get me these for Christmas either. Sorry, bro.

(via /Film)

I Have Good Netflix News and Bad Netflix News

The bad news:
Lots of titles currently available via Watch Instantly will no longer be available by the end of the year. (More information over at cnet. Hollywood seems determined to have their stuff pirated.)

So check your queues!

Guess I know how I'll be spending my 12 Days of Christmas.

The good news:
Watch Instantly has just added Sukiyaki Western Django.

Which I will watch on the 2nd.

(Cookie Monster) UPDATE: Seeing Quentin Tarantino in that ad reminds me of this video for some reason:

Astro Boy Teaser Trailer

While I can't say I have ever actually watched Astro Boy (or read any of his comics for that matter), he was a memorable part of my time in Japan because he was "born" on April 7th, 2003... 2 days before my 29th birthday and shortly after I arrived in Japan.

It was cool, Kyoto had a big celebration and all while I was there. (For him, not for me.)

So, I'm not really sure what to make of this:


(via /film)

Nathan Lane? Nicolas Cage?? Really??

Captain James T. McFly

Glad I'm not the only one who thought this:

LOL: Movie Jackets From the Future | /Film

and

Back to the Future Meets Way in the Future

Prepare Yourself

Twilight opened tonight.

I haven't read the series but, being an aspiring author, I can't help but admire how big Stephanie Meyer's books have become.

That doesn't mean that her fans don't scare me.

It's OK, though. I'm prepared...

I Knew Hollywood Was Running Out of Ideas But...

It seems to be running out of music, too.

If you watch the trailer for Adam Sandler's new movie Bedtime Stories, keep an ear out at about the halfway point.

That's the score from Back to the Future III.

Can't imagine why I would know that.

And The Lord Sayeth, Go Forth and Trash Your Career

I love "The Usual Suspects".

Love it.

The style, the story, the ending ("and like that... he's gone!") and the cast. Everyone did great in that film and I was particularly impressed with Stephen Baldwin.

I had no idea that, 13 years later (Usual Suspects was done 13 years ago??), this Baldwin Brother would be reduced to Hannah Montana tattoos and "Shark in Venice":



Stephen, what happened?

Please. Come back to the Dark Side.

Lost “Horrors” Ending Found on YouTube

(via 10 Zen Monkeys)

"The web has resurrected a rare alternate ending to a 1986 musical about a monstrous, blood-sucking plant.

The spectacular 24-minute sequence shows an army of giant plants rampaging past city skyscrapers, overturning cars, swallowing railroads, and demolishing New York City, Godzilla-style. The U.S. army discovers the plants are bulletproof, and as helicopters flee, the plants swarm over the statue of Liberty.

It cost $5 million, took 11 months to produce, and has never been released.

Well, almost never."

Click through to watch Part I, Part II, and Part III. If you're a movie fan like me, you should find it fascinating. I loved the movie version of "Little Shop" (and used to listen to the soundtrack in the car so much it wore out the cassette). The puppetry is still impressive as hell, too. Had they made this movie in the last few years, it would have been all CGI and, I think, would have lost a lot of its charm.

And what a cast! Steve Martin and Bill Murray in the same scene.



There's just so much right with that clip. Classic.

Sadly, it wasn't until I read the post over 10 Zen Monkeys that I realized that Levi Stubbs - voice of Audry II and singer from the 4 Tops - had recently passed away. I won't lie, I'd always wished I'd had his voice. Back in high school, I used to daydream that there'd be a production of "Little Shop" and I would wow everybody by being able to - despite being 98 lbs and barely having the lung capacity to blow out a candle - do a spot-on impression of Levi Stubbs. And then I would get popular and girls would like me.

I was a dork.

Anyway, I did a search for Levi Stubbs and the first clip that came up was this one of Aretha Franklyn doing a tribute to him.



Considering how he looked, I didn't think he was going to sing. But he did.

Maybe it was seeing him in that condition, or maybe it was the old me hearing traces of his old voice, or perhaps it was the actor in me knowing how hard it can be to leave the stage and how much that night must have meant to him or maybe it was the way his bandmates kept encouraging him. Or maybe it was that last note he tried to hit.

Whatever it was, by the end, I was crying like a baby.

The Opposite of Excited

Transformers: The Ride at Universal Studios
(via /Film)

"Universal Studios Hollywood and Singapore will be launching a theme park attraction based on Michael Bay’s Transformers."

Ugh.