At the Movies - Dead Dogs, Singing Single Ladies and a Really Desperate Housewife

This weekend features three major releases.

Frankenweenie: A tale of the love between a boy and his dog that transcends the grave when young Victor manages to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life. Burton clearly has an affection for the Halloween holiday (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and all things creepy (just about every other film he's done - Dark Shadows, Corpse Bride, Ed Wood, Edward Scissorshands, Sweeney Todd, ...) From the fertile (and weird) mind of Tim Burton I’m sure this will be a kids film that parents will love just as much.

Pitch Perfect: Leaked in limited release a week ago, Pitch Perfect expands in full release this week. With lots of music, comedy and great buzz, I think it will be competing with Frankenweenie for the top box office spot this week. As a fan of Glee and The Sing-Off (and just about every other vocal competition out there … except Duets and the stuff on the country music channel), I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while!

Taken 2: After Taken, you got the impression that deadly covert operative Bryan Mills reunited with his wife Lenore after he saved the life of his daughter Kim who’d been traveling in Europe with a friend when she was taken. Now both of them are set to be taken in Taken 2. I don’t know but if I were Lenore, this would probably be grounds for a second divorce. First they take my daughter? Now they take me and my daughter for a second time? Enough is enough! Taken 2 looks like it’s bringing the action though and if you want action (and/or Liam Neeson), this would be your best bet for the weekend.

What's At the Movies This Weekend

I know it's supposed to be
romantic but this pairing
always struck me as weird
and a little kinky.

Beauty and the Beast 3-D: This isn't a new film. It's the same beloved Disney classic that was released back in 1991, only this time its in 3-D. If you've got young kids, this is a great way to introduce them to a classic.

Contraband: It isn't a good sign when a movie is released with almost no publicity. I watch a lot of TV and I can't even say that I've seen one commercial for this one. Mark Wahlberg plays an ex-con who is drawn back into the world of crime for one last big score. See it at your own risk.

Joyful Noise: Now, I've seen a ton of promotion for this Queen Latifah/Dolly Parton church choir competition and love story. It looks cute. I think however the only reason to really see this film is for the music.

The Iron Lady: This opened in limited release last month (just in time for awards season) and opens wide tomorrow. Meryl Streep is British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The buzz on this is that Streep could earn another golden statue for this one.

Eddie's Out

He might be at the Oscars this year as a
guest but he won't be there as the host!

Director Brett Ratner stuck his foot in his mouth at the Tower Heist screening, which made good friend Eddie Murphy decide to walk away from his Oscar hosting gig. Too bad, I was looking forward to it.

Here's the story...

The offending comment occurred during a Q&A session after a screening of Tower Heist in LA. According to The Wrap, it went like this.

Moderator: So you get this entire group of actors together -- what was rehearsal like?

Ratner: Rehearsal? What’s that? Rehearsal’s for fags. Rehearsal. Not much. A lot of prep, preparation, complex action sequences, visual effects. Storyboards, animatics. The process was I made the actors stick to the script. And they wanted to, because the script was great.

Several audience members left after that and later Ratner issued an apology. He said, “I apologize for any offense my remarks caused. It was a dumb way of expressing myself. Everyone who knows me knows that I don’t have a prejudiced bone in my body. But as a storyteller I should have been much more thoughtful about the power of language and my choice of words.”

Nevertheless, the damage was done and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was not too happy about Ratner's 'choice of words.' Ratner resigned as Oscar's producer yesterday. People were speculating that his good friend Murphy might follow suit.

Today he did. In his statement, he said, "I completely understand and support each party's decision with regard to a change of producers for this year's Academy Awards ceremony. I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I'm sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job."

In that article, the author cited that 'early in his career', Murphy had gotten in hot water a while back with comments he'd made about AIDS and calling gays derogatory names. I don't remember that ... but I do remember him getting in trouble with a tranny back in the day.

This just in... Producer Brian Grazer (24, A Beautiful Mind, American Gangster) is in as the new producer.

Sparkle Gets More Shine

Here's some of the original artwork.
This time it will be Jordin Sparks and
not Irene Cara belting out a tune.

The production of the remake of Sparkle is gaining momentum. Jordin Sparks will play the title role while Whitney Houston will play her mother. Now we learn that Cee-lo Green has been added to the cast and R. Kelly will oversee the music.

Two unknown (well at least unknown to me) actresses will play Sparkle’s sisters and the other two member of their trio. Those actresses are Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter. Rounding out the cast are Derek Luke, Mike Epps and Omari Hardwick.

Straight Outta Where??

Why we need a biopic about gangsta rap group N.W.A, I’ll never know … but one is in the works, Straight Outta Compton. Original N.W.A. member turned actor Ice Cube is co-producing. It looked as if Boyz in the Hood director John Singleton would be at the helm but then again, maybe not. According to several sources, producers are looking at three other directors: Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan, the upcoming Footloose), F. Gary Gray (Set It Off, The Italian Job, Friday) and Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, Hancock, The Kingdom). I'll keep you posted because I'm sure you're sitting on the edge of your seat ...

Whitney Houston Sparkles?

Remember the movie Sparkle? Okay, maybe you don’t (there I go showing my age again!). It came out in 1976 and starred Irene Cara who later achieved fame by starring in ... Fame. Anyway, it was Dreamgirls, before Dreamgirls as it was also loosely based on The Supremes except this trio was made up of sisters.

It looks like a remake is underway. Written by Mara Brock Akil, creator of The Game and Girlfriends and directed by her husband Salim Akil (who directs The Game). American Idol Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks is set to star as lead singer - Sparkle. Houston would play her mother. Comedic actor Mike Epps is on board playing Satin, a comedian who marries one of the sisters.

In an unrelated story, it was only a matter of time before Bobby and Whitney’s daughter started singing. Here she is doing a cover of Adele’s Someone like You. What do you think?

The Help Still #1

Viola Davis and the girls have spent their third week at #1 in the box office. The Help is helping itself to great reviews, amazing word of mouth and a heap of success. The last movie to do linger at #1 for three weeks was Inception. The Help is holding its own without having Inception-like money. The film made $19 million over the historically slow Labor Day weekend, and has grossed $123 since it debuted. It took Inception just nine days to make that much.

Still, this is great news for the cast and especially Davis. Here's hoping she can parlay this success into more leading roles!

Matthew, Really?

Seems like my hometown is coming up in the film world. We've got two movies shooting in Cleveland right now. First is next summer's blockbuster, The Avengers with Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and a bunch of others. Now, I find out that the new Alex Cross movie, I, Alex Cross is shooting there as well. Alex Cross, if you don't remember, is the fictional detective made famous by author James Patterson. He was played by Morgan Freeman in Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. I reported on this film earlier in the year when director Rob Cohen dropped Idris Elba as the lead and replaced him with Tyler Perry. Yes, you read that right. At the time, I thought it was some kind of cruel joke, but, alas, it is true (stupid if you ask me ...but true).

Betcha he ain't smiling so pretty
with that busted lip. Don't
mess with Cleveland!

Also true is the fact that former Lost star, Matthew Fox, who was in Cleveland shooting his role in the Alex Cross film, got into a little melee over the weekend. Seems he had a little too much to drink and tried to board a party bus. The female driver, Heather Bormann, told him he could not board as the bus was reserved for a private party but Fox was not taking no for an answer. He insisted on trying to board the bus.

At this point, according to ABC News, he "punched her in the chest and stomach area" and she responded by punching him in the mouth and cutting his lip. Neither one sought medical treatment at the time, although Bormann now says she thinks she might have broken her hand in the altercation. She told TMZ she is considering pressing charges against the actor.

Cleveland not only rocks, it punches too!

That Krazy Katt

If you haven't seen it yet, check out Katt Williams rant in response to a Mexican heckler at a show in Phoenix. He went on for like 7 minutes. A lot of people say he went too far. What do you think?

Could the Real Eddie Be Back?

No one can define that from the early 80's to the mid-90's Eddie Murphy was the man. He was classic on  Saturday Night Live. His concert films Delirious and Raw will still make you laugh. And, let's not forget the string of hits that gave us Trading Places, 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, Harlem Nights, and Boomerang.

And then it happened, Eddie Murphy lost his mojo.

Somewhere after The Nutty Professor, he lost it. It was gone. He went all 'family-friendly', giving us tripe like The Haunted Mansion, Daddy Daycare, Dr. Doolittle and Shrek (which wasn't tripe and was actually pretty good). He sanded down his edginess and what was left, well, what was left wasn't funny.

Can anyone explain or even care to remember the craptastic Pluto Nash or the filmmaking flatulence that was Norbit or Meet Dave? Sure, he emerged for a second with a small dramatic role in Dreamgirls. But still...

So imagine my surprise when I came across this trailer for Tower Heist starring Ben Still, Alan Alda, Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick and, you guessed it ... Eddie Murphy. Basically, Alda plays a Bernie Madoff-like character who scams people out of all of their money, including the staff at the apartment building where he lives. As the manager, Stiller vows that he will get their money back, even if he has to steal it back. So he and a team of employees (including Precious' Gabourey Sidibe) plan a heist, with a little help from you know who.



I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's actually funny. It's set to be released on November 4, 2011.

Idris is Out ... And Replaced with WHO?

How could anyone turn this down?
He's just all kinds of delicious!

Back in the 90’s Morgan Freeman brought to live James Patterson’s detective Alex Cross in the movies Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls. Fans of Patterson’s books often wondered what happened after that. Why no more Alex Cross movies?

Well, they are now looking at revamping that series and bringing the Cross character back. Initially, Cross was to be played by Idris Elba. To me, the casting would have been perfect given Elba’s intensity and especially after seeing him in the BBC series Luther.

But the producers have changed their minds. They are going into another direction, they scrapped Elba for … wait for it … Tyler Perry. Yes, the actor/writer/director known for playing an old woman in drag, was selected over Idris Elba to take over a role made famous by Morgan Freeman. Does that sound right to you? It doesn’t sound right to me either.

Producer Bill Block explained his casting choice to Entertainment Weekly. “Sure, Idris is a great actor; Tyler Perry is a phenomenon. Tyler Perry is one of the most significant entertainers in all of media. He is a huge cross-media talent and presence — and he’s a terrific actor whose range is going to be shown here. You’re going to see Tyler Perry like you haven’t seen him. He’s 6’5″, he is a linebacker. He is an awesome physical presence and is just going to tear it apart here. It’s an intense, dramatic role.”

Would you rather see Perry or Elba in this role?

Oscar Noms are Here!

It’s Oscar time! The nominations were released today, led by The King’s Speech with 12 nominations (and True Grit hot on it’s royal tale with 10) there were a few notable omissions. How was Christopher Nolan not nominated for Best Director for Inception?


Here are the top categories, with my choices in bold.

I'd be more comfortable if they
let me wear pants.

Best Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Best Director
"Black Swan" Darren Aronofsky
"The Fighter" David O. Russell
"The King's Speech" Tom Hooper
"The Social Network" David Fincher
"True Grit" Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Best Actor
Javier Bardem in "Biutiful"
Jeff Bridges in "True Grit"
Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network"
Colin Firth in "The King's Speech"
James Franco in "127 Hours"

Best Actress
Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman in "Rabbit Hole"
Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman in "Black Swan"
Michelle Williams in "Blue Valentine"

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale in "The Fighter"
John Hawkes in "Winter's Bone"
Jeremy Renner in "The Town"
Mark Ruffalo in "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech"

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams in "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter in "The King's Speech"
Melissa Leo in "The Fighter"
Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit"

Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom"

The Epitome of Sexy

Halle Berry as Catwoman.
She's a kitten with a whip! Meow!

Catwoman is sexy. From Eartha Kitt to Lee Meriwether to Michelle Pfeiffer to Halle Berry … Catwoman is the epitome of sexy.

Anne Hathaway? She’s cute. She’s pretty. Maybe she’s sexy. The question is, is she sexy enough to don the catsuit and become the iconic Catwoman? I don’t think so, but she’s been tappeed to play the Feline Femme Fatale in the next Batman installment.

Hmmm. This does not excite me. In the end however, I’ll have to put my trust in director Christopher Nolan. After all, I second guessed his decision to cast Heath Ledger as the Joker and look how that turned out.

Expect The Dark Knight Rises in theaters July 2012.

In Case You Were Wondering

Yes, Halle Berry got a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for her performance in Frankie and Alice. Never heard of it? Well, it only opened in one theater in Los Angeles in December, so it could be considered for Awads season. It doesn't go into wide release until February 4, 2011. Berry plays a woman with a multiple personality in the 1970s (notice the cool afro in the trailer). Rounding out the cast are Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård (Frankie's psychiatrist), Phylicia Rashad (Frankie's mom), and Grey's Anatomy's Chandra Wilson (Frankie's sister).

Take a look at the trailer.


Does the trailer pique your interest?

And the Nominees Are ...

The nominees for the Golden Globes have been announced. Of course, the Golden Globes kick off the awards season and are also a precursor to the Academy Awards.

Confession Time: I am not a fan of award shows. I find them painfully boring and prefer to get the recaps of the show the next day. With the advent of YouTube, I can watch all of the good parts in a manner of minutes, as opposed to hours.

What I like about the Golden Globes is that they don't always mimic critical favorites. Movies like Burlesque, The Tourist and Love and Other Drugs get the nod even though the critics didn't appreciate them. Having said that, here are some of the Golden Globes nominations.


Best Motion Picture, Drama
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
The Kids Are All Right
Red
The Tourist

Best Director - Motion Picture
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David Fincher, The Social Network
Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David O. Russell , The Fighter

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg, The Fighter

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Halle Berry, Frankie and Alice (opens in wide release 2/4)
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy
Johnny Depp, Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp, The Tourist
Paul Giamatti, Barney's Version
Jake Gyllenhaal , Love and Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey, Casino Jack

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy
Anne Hathaway, Love and Other Drugs
Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone, Easy A
Angelina Jolie, The Tourist

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Michael Douglas, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Best Animated Feature Film
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3
Tangled

Best Television Series, Drama
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
The Good Wife
Mad Men
The Walking Dead

Best Televison Series, Comedy or Musical
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
The Big C
Glee
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie

Best Actor in a Television Series, Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House

Best Actress in a Television Series, Drama
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Piper Perabo, Covert Affairs
Katey Sagal, Sons of Anarchy
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Best Actor in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matthew Morrison, Glee
Jim Parsons, Big Bang Theory

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Hope Davis, Special Relationship
Jane Lynch, Glee
Kelly McDonald, Boardwalk Empire
Julia Stiles, Dexter
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Scott Caan, Hawaii Five-0
Chris Noth, The Good Wife
David Straithairn, Temple Grandin
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Chris Colfer, Glee

Best Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Lea Michelle, Glee

Get Your Turkey Fix ... Then See a Flick!

If you are like me, you like a little movie along with your turkey and stuffing. While the boys settle down for an evening of football, me and the girlfriends often choose to spend our turkey-induced tryptophan haze in a darkened theatre. This year, five movies are being released for the long-weekend and there is a little something for everyone.

Burlesque
If you think that the one thing missing from a big boisterous musical is the genius of … Cher, then your prayers have been answered. Or, maybe, you’ve been waiting patiently for Christina Aguilera and her big dramatic voice to make a big screen debut, your guardian angel has a surprise! Burlesque, a small town girl (Aguilera) comes to Los Angeles and dreams of making it big in a burlesque club. Since we’re all hankering for flashy costumes, audacious set designs and over-the-top singing, this is what me and my girls will be seeing Thursday night.




Love and Other Drugs
If you are yearning for a side of romance to go with your yams, then may I suggest Love and Other Drugs. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a pharmaceutical rep and unrepentant playboy who unexpectantly meets his match in the bubbly Anne Hathaway.





Tangled
If you’re hitting the Cineplex with the kiddie table set, Tangled might be more to your liking. It’s a retelling of Rapuntzel’s tale, the girl with all that hair and of course, her prince charming.



Faster
If you wait until the football games are over, your guy will probably go for the testosterone fest that is Faster. The Rock, fast cars, lots of ass-kicking, need I say more?




The Nutcracker
The classic ballet is being brought to life in 3-D no less. Starring Elle Fanning, John Turturro and Nathan Lane, rest assured, it won’t be just dancing.

Gibson is no Tyson!

Sequels to good movies always seem like a good idea, at least they do to studios, after all, the first one made a crapload of money! Rarely do they live up to the expectation though. So it’s with some trepidation that I report, The Hangover 2, is in production. I loved the first one. But, the thought of a second one? Meh, I don’t know if lightning can strike twice.

Of course, Mel Gibson is a lightning rod of another sort. He been able to attract boatloads of negative attention over the years. Many people objected to his portrayal of Jews in The Passion of the Christ. Then there was his anti-Semetic and sexist rant when he was pulled over and arrested for drunk driving. His Christian fan base (who loved The Passion of the Christ) took a hit when the long-time Catholic left his wife and all of their kids, for a Russian hottie, Oksana Grigorieva, who was pregnant with his child at the time. And most recently, Oksana released a series of recording of a seething, ranting Mel who at one point, wished that she’d get raped.

Just as people were wondering if Mel would ever work in Hollywood again, he got an offer to make a cameo in The Hangover 2. However, apparently the cast (and especially Zach Galifianakis, if the reports are true) wasn’t too fond of the idea and Gibson has been replaced by Liam Neeson. Reports say Gibson is livid.

A lot of people, Gibson included, thought it was hypocritical of the Hangover cast to object to Gibson when Mike Tyson, a convicted rapist played a critical role in The Hangover. I don’t think those are exactly the same, and I’ll tell you why.

Mike Tyson was convicted of his rape and served three years. After he came out of prison, his fighting career was pretty much over. It was definitely in decline when he bit off part of the ear of Evander Holyfield. Over the years, Tyson has become a parody of himself. Basically, way before The Hangover came around, he’d already become a joke, a tired punch line (no pun intended).

Gibson and all of his behavior is still fresh in our minds (especially the tapes). As far as I know, he did no jail time for his DUI and his apology for his anti-Semitic ranting didn’t satisfy many people. The Oksana situation is on-going. Right now, Gibson is a villain. He’s someone we love to hate. And I don’t think anyone is ready to laugh at him or with him right now.

Why Movies Suck

There is an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal, of all places, that suggests that 2010 is the worst year in movies ever. Ever. In that article, the author touches on one of the reasons movies have been so bad as of late. Everything that has been done is being done, and done again, and basically done to death.

Case in point, for 2010, we've had, or will have before the year is over, remakes: Clash of the Titans, The Karate Kid, Nightmare on Elm Street, Death at a Funeral. We've had sequels: Sex and the City, Toy Story, Shrek, Predators, Iron Man, Step Up, Cats and Dogs, Paranormal Activity, Why Did I Get Married?, Wall Street, Tron. And, to be honest, we've had a lot of crap and abysmal flops: Dinner for Schmucks, Knight and Day, Shutter Island, Grown-Ups, The Bounty Hunter, Hot Tub Time Machine, Killers, Cop Out, Macgruber, shall I go on?

If the question is, "Why do so many of these movies stink?" I might have an answer.

I have a friend out in Los Angeles, who is an amazing writer. I actually have a few friends that are amazing writers. When I say amazing, I mean that they not only write well, but they also have great, original ideas. Ideas, I think, a lot of people would pay to see in a theatre.

Anyway, this friend is so good that he’s had several meetings with Hollywood producers. They love his writing. They love his original ideas. They want him to write … remakes. His original work got him through the door but that isn't what they are interested in. They want remakes (Nightmare on Elm Street), movie adaptations of successful books (Twilight, Eat, Pray Love) or graphic novels (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), movie versions of old TV shows (The A-Team) or even adaptations of popular video games (Resident Evil).

Basically, they are reluctant to take a chance on an original idea because they would have to actually do some work marketing it and they don't trust us, the audience, to respond to something original.

They expect us to say, "Hey, I liked The A-Team back in the day, sure I'll see it even if Mr. T isn't in it." Or, maybe, "I loved that book/graphic novel/video game and can't wait to see the film!" Sometimes in the case of Twilight, it works. Other times, (A-Team, Macgruber, ...) it doesn't work at all.

If any original works do make it to the screen, it's because they have, what Hollywood Insiders call 'a package.' They have a big name actor/director attached. My friend could have never pitched Inception but a director like Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Memento) can get it done. On the flip side, Shutter Island made it to the screen on the strength of the Leonardo DiCaprio/Martin Scorsese package (and that was over two hours of my life I can never get back).

Otherwise, successful, original films often start out as small, independents aimed at a niche audience that find a bigger audience (The Kids are Alright).

When movies come out that are a little different or are the kinds of movies you want to see, you have to support them, and no, I don't mean by buying the bootleg!

African-Americans had been clamoring for a good family drama when Akeelah and the Bee came out several years ago. It was well-written, well-acted, even well-marketed. It didn't crack the top five the weekend it debuted.

A friend of mine had a meeting the Monday following Akeelah's disastrous opening weekend to discuss her family-friendly black drama. Monday morning, she got a call. Her meeting had been canceled. The executive felt Akeelah's 'failure' showed there was 'no market' for her kind of film.

I wish I could say that things will get better, but I doubt it. The Powers That Be don't have the nerve or the creativity to really make films. I predict more of the same. More remakes. More formulaic comedies. And, more mindless, mediocre movies masquerading behind 3-D effects.

So sad, but probably so true...

Mad Mel

You know things are bad when your agent drops you. I mean agents have a sleaze factor that's only rivaled by used car salesmen and guys who still wear polyester shirts open to the navel with big gold chains. Yet Mel Gibson was dropped with a big thud by the William Morris Agency.

Over the past few years, the man known for playing Mad Max has gone just plain mad. It was bad enough when he went on an Anti-Semitic and sexist tirade when he was pulled over for drunk driving a few years ago. Now, he’s apparently gone off the deep end over his baby mama Oksana Grigorieva and the custody fight over their daughter.

In the eight-minute rant released by Radar Online, Gibson seethes with anger, yelling, making threats, hoping she gets raped by niggers and telling him she should just smile and ‘blow’ him. In the first tape (there are three so far), he said “You look like a fucking bitch in heat. And if you get raped by a pack of niggers it will be your fault. Alright? Because you provoked it.”

When she asks him what kind of man would hit a woman while holding his child and who would break two of her teeth, he responded with a culpable “You deserved it.”

The man is clearly unhinged — hate-filled, abusive, and out of his mind in over the top anger.

Any of the massive love he got from Passion of the Christ is long gone. Now, he’s just an embarrassment. Acting, directing or producing anything in Hollywood is not even a realistic option for Gibson now. He’s offended anyone who is anyone in that town. I don’t even think the Christian population wants him (After all, he did divorce his wife of almost 30 years and mother of eight of his children to take up with Grigorieva the woman he had an affair and a child with and never married).

I wonder what Danny Glover has to say about all this. Did Murtaugh think that Riggs could be this much of a basket case?

Gibson's Racist Rant
Gibson's Angry Long Rant
Another Crazed Rant