Burton Unleashes Bizarre 'Wonderland' Images

Pictures from Tim Burton's forthcoming "Alice in Wonderland" popped up over the Internet this weekend and, of course, they are incredibly strange.

However, what really surprised me has been the response from people who have seen them. Over and over, I have read that people wish Burton would make "more normal" movies and stop trying to be so "bizarre."

Now, I'm not really a Burton fan. I see some of his movies and miss others. Why? Well, because his "bizarre" style isn't my cup of tea. However, I really don't want to see him stop making those kinds of films, because it is never better for the movies to see unique visions watered down for the masses.

Do I think the movie looks weird and nightmarish? Undeniably, yes. Will I go see it? Probably not. Am I glad he is making it and his vision remains uncompromised? Yes, absolutely.

   

Update on Tue, June 23, 2009 by Sean Gerski

CC2K.US has a review of the script available at: http://tinyurl.com/AliceScriptReview.

The following is an excerpt from the site's review of the script:

Written by Linda Woolverton, who also co-wrote The Lion King, and had a part in Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, and the Teen Wolf cartoon, the script isn’t exactly an adaptation of the original story by Lewis Carroll, as it is an extension of it. Alice went to Wonderland as a child, and she’s now almost grown. She’s 17, and she’s back for more, but doesn’t remember her times there earlier. She’s about to be engaged, maybe. A rich suitor wants to marry her, and the opening scenes of the movie are of her engagement party. But she, of course, gets distracted by a white rabbit.

The White Rabbit (who will be played by Michael Sheen), goes after Alice (played by In Treatment’s Mia Wasikowska) because of an omen that she is the one to slay the Jabberwock, who guards the Red Queen’s empire. But when she arrives, she has no knowledge of this, or of Wonderland at all. She meets Tweedledee and Tweedledum and the Dormouse, the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), the Catepillar (Alan Rickman), and of course the March Hare (Noah Taylor) and the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp).

See, the good White Queen (Anne Hathaway), of who these were all loyal subjects, has been banished by the bad Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). She is much larger than everyone else and surrounds herself in a court full of people with enormous lips, or noses, or ears, as well as the Knave of Hearts (Crispin Glover), her most trusted aide.

Second Trailer Up for Tarantino's 'Basterds'

After hearing it being talked about for so long, it's still somewhat of a surprise that we are actually going to see Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds."

Tarantino kept talking about how he was going to get around to making it someday, but if there are two things everyone knows about Tarantino, they are: the man loves to loves to talk; and he takes forever to make his movies.

Oh, wait, there is a third thing: he is still a terrific filmmaker. And, as evidence, here is the second trailer for "Inglourious Basterds" (due in theaters Aug. 21):

Megan Fox's Role in 'Jonah Hex is 'Basically a Cameo'

There are a lot of things to like about the forthcoming "Jonah Hex" movie -- and first among them is the cast.

The movie will star Josh Brolin (in the title role), John Malkovich, Will Arnett and Megan Fox.

In the hype for the movie, Fox has received the lion's share of attention. However, it turns out she may be getting too much attention.

“It’s basically a cameo,” Fox recently told MTV. “She’s a twisted love-interest to Jonah’s character; my part’s pretty small.”

And speaking of things that are small, I still can't look away from her freakishly small waist in this picture:

"Jonah Hex," based on the DC Comics character, is scheduled to be released Aug. 6, 2010, by Warner Bros.

Metallo Headed to 'Smallville' Next Year

According to TV Guide, Metallo will be making the jump to "Smallville" next season.

Taking on the role will be Brian Austin Green, formerly of "Beverly Hills 90210." Those who remember him only for that show should check him out in "Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles," where he showed a flair for sci-fi/action.

Green, who has gained fame recently as Megan Fox's boyfriend, also has come up in the casting discussions for "Green Lantern."

TV Guide says Green will "appear as the kryptonite-powered villain (alter ego 'Daily Planet' journo John Corben) in at least the first two episodes of Season 9, which kicks off Friday, Sept. 25."

Update on Sat, June 20, 2009 by Sean Gerski

TV Guide had this video followup that expands slightly on Green's role on the show:

'Superman/Batman: Public Enemies' Arrives Sept. 29

Here is a peek at the blu-ray and DVD covers for the animated movie "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies" (and, most importantly, it gives the official release date as Sept. 29):

The movie will be based on a story arc of the comic book "Superman/Batman," as written by Jeph Loeb and drawn by Ed McGuinness.

According to a release, "United States President Lex Luthor uses the oncoming trajectory of a kryptonite asteroid to frame Superman and declare a $1 billion bounty on the heads of the Man of Steel and his 'partner in crime' Batman. Super heroes and super villains alike launch a relentless pursuit of Superman and Batman, who must unite – and recruit super help – to stave off the action-packed onslaught, stop the asteroid, and uncover Luthor’s devious plot to take command of far more than North America."

Trailer For Beckinsale's 'Whiteout' Leaked Online

Here is the leaked movie trailer for "Whiteout," starring Kate Beckinsale. The movie is scheduled to be released in theaters Sept. 11, 2009.

But I can't guarantee you the trailer will be here for long.

'Follow' Scott Swan Into Movie's Credits

Writer/Director Scott SwanFor filmmakers, Twitter is becoming an increasingly useful tool. The service is a remarkably quick and easy method through which casting news, trailers, posters and other promotional items can be instantly transmitted to mass numbers of people.

And better yet, the information is dispersed to people who have signed on to hear about just those kinds of things.

For Hollywood's biggest names, adding "followers" can be as easy as logging on. For others, who are just starting to make their mark, creating a base of followers can be a far more difficult proposition.

Scott Swan, an up-and-coming writer/director, writes engaging posts and has conversations with people who send messages to him.

However, on the morning of June 12, he had only 80 followers.

Now, on the verge of directing his first feature film, Swan has set a modest goal -- to have 500 followers by July 4 at 6 p.m. PST.

For most Twitter users, the reward for following someone often is that they will follow you back. That's nice, of course, but Swan is offering something much better.

This is the message Swan posted on Twitter June 13: "If I reach 500 followers by July 4, I will thank all my followers in the end credits of the horror flick I'm about to shoot in Pittsburgh."

Swan's credits including writing stints for the "Masters of Horror" series and the television series "Fear Itself."

Up next for the 39-year-old is his debut as a feature film director.

"It's a little horror flick called 'Mask-Head,' produced by Fred Vogel and Toe Tag Pictures," Swan told me June 12. "Fred's the creator of the 'August Underground' series and the director of 'The Redsin Tower.' Most recently, Toe Tag released 'The Murder Collection: Volume 1.'"

Swan said he thinks "Mask-Head" will be released in late 2009.

"'Mask-Head' focuses on a group of underground filmmakers who cross a number of gruesome lines in pursuit of making their video masterpieces," he said. "It really is a bit of underground shock nastiness."

For Swan, getting his name in the credits of a movie has been the product of a lot of hard work. And now, thanks to him, 500 more people will get their names in the credits listed under "the director wishes to thank" merely by pushing the "follow" button.

Swan said the idea of adding the names of his first 500 followers to the credits wasn't about innovation or trying to tie into the wave of social networking. He said it is simply a way "to get some attention."

"It just seems like a great way to reach out to a specific fan base," said Swan.

To follow Swan on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/ScottObiSwan.

New Poster For 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'

I can't even pretend like I care about this movie, but for those that do, ComingSoon.net/Superhero Hype! has an exclusive first look at the new poster for "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra."

"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" will arrive in theaters Aug. 7.

Financial Crunch Trips Up Two Movies

Brandon Routh on the set of "Unthinkable."The economic situation besieging us all has had an effect in Hollywood and the most recent company to feel the pinch is indie distributor Senator U.S.

The cash-strapped unit is being forced to indefinitely postpone the release of a pair of movies: "Unthinkable" and "Brooklyn's Finest."

The second movie is a Antoine Fuqua-directed picture that has gone through a series of tweaks in post-production to fix some problems. The movie also has legal issues involving the distribution rights. The movie, which was scheduled to come out in November, features a quality cast, including: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ellen Barkin and Will Patton. Word on the street is that the movie may have had trouble being released even without the financial concerns.

More disappointing is the postponement of "Unthinkable," which had been gearing up for an October release. The movie stars Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Sheen, Carrie-Anne Moss, Brandon Routh, Stephen Root and Martin Donovan. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter: "Releasing the pic involves the relatively straightforward matter of locating the P&A -- not easy, but not legally complicated -- and then finding someone to help release the pic, since the company's marketing and distribution staff have been depleted."

Senator U.S. already has an agreement with Sony Worldwide Acquisitions Group for "DVD and other ancillary revenue" for its existing movies -- including "Unthinkable" and "Brooklyn's Finest." The trick now, however, will be finding partners to get the movies into theaters.

Animated 'Scott Pilgrim' Movie Poster Revealed

A new 20-foot-tall poster for the movie "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" was unveiled at the recent License Show in Las Vegas.

The poster doesn't reveal much in the way of new information about the movie.

However, the poster does officially say the movie is due out in 2010. Most people had surmised as much, but no release date of any kind had been locked down. So I guess that's something. 

For more on the movie, see our previous stories here and here.