THE NEW DARK KNIGHT POSTER... Did Batman start that fire so he could display his symbol on that building? What was he thinking?? Haha. The next theatrical trailer for The Dark Knight should be out soon...



UPDATE (April 28): This international poster was also released recently. Apparently, the Caped Crusader is escaping on his Batpod after he set that building on fire. Pretty cool, though.

WHAT I’VE DONE... This video was posted last August, but Transformers rocks, and so does the Linkin Park song made for the movie...so I’ll post the video here anyway.

THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM... I saw the film with a few friends yesterday, and it was entertaining. Actually, it was really entertaining! The movie had some cheesy/campy moments in it, but all in all, it was pretty cool to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li finally team up in this action adventure flick. Not only did he conduct his usual kick-ass stunts, but Jackie Chan as Lu Yan was friggin’ hilarious! He had some funny lines in The Forbidden Kingdom, and there was one REALLY funny scene where he was trying to use his immortal powers to summon rain in a desert. Needless to say, Chan summoned something...but it sure as hell wasn’t water! You’d have to watch the movie to know what I’m talking about.



Jet Li was his usual silent but cool self...hence is why he is called The Silent Monk in Kingdom. Only when (SPOILER Ahead) he was dressed as the Monkey King (End SPOILER) did Li act all goofy and mischievous. But that’s how the Monkey King is in Chinese folklore. I think. Michael Angarano, who plays the main character Jason Tripitikas, is a poor man’s Shia LaBeouf in this flick. I’m pretty sure this movie would make a ton more money if LaBeouf was cast in this film instead. But then again, how quickly could Sam Witwicky learn the art of stick-fighting? Haha. Seriously though, Angarano did a decent job in Kingdom.



Now... Onto the FEMALES in this film. Crystal Liu Yifei as the Golden Sparrow was really cool. She has a cute face, but the main hottie in this movie is Li Bingbing, who plays Ni Chang, a.k.a. the White-Haired Witch. Holy cow, did she look so good with white hair! Calm yourself down, McParno... The only other thing I’m gonna say about Ms. Bingbing is that I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of hot young Asian girls in real life start to dye their hair white to look like Ni Chang. What an interesting fad that would be. Not to name names or anything (yea right), but I suggested to Sue a while back that she dress like Chang for this Halloween. I could picture her in long white hair. Wow. One can only dream... I would totally be screwed if Sue read this journal entry, hahaha.



One more thing: Another highlight of this film—other than the awesome cinematography since much of the movie was actually shot in China—was when Lu Yan and The Silent Monk were both unwittingly beating the crap out of Jason Tripitikas as they attempted to teach him martial arts. I was laughing hysterically during that scene! No BSing.



All images courtesy of Lionsgate Films

STREET KINGS... I saw the film yesterday, and it was about as good as I expected (which isn’t a criticism). Keanu Reeves didn’t stop bullets in midair by raising a hand, but his character did kick ass as much as Neo did in The Matrix flicks (oh, and Constantine). Forrest Whitaker gave an animated performance as the head of an LAPD special detectives unit, and it was amusing to hear Hugh Laurie (who plays the title character in the hit FOX TV show House) cuss in this movie. Performance-wise, he wasn’t as sarcastic in Street Kings as he is on House, but Laurie still made the kind of snide remarks that his small-screen character is known for. The twist at the end was unexpected, though I already knew that (SPOILERS ahead) Reeves was gonna shoot Whitaker’s character (End SPOILERS)...since one of my co-workers told me the ending last week. We conducted test screenings for Street Kings several times at my work. Its original title was The Night Watchman. Yea, Street Kings sounds better.


FOX Searchlight

TF2 Fan Art... Thanks to the Transformers Live Action Movie Blog for posting these awesome drawings made by fans of characters they want to see in the sequel, which has been confirmed to be one of many films that will be shot in Philadelphia this summer. Hmm- Looks like Transformers 2 will be incomplete if it doesn't show Sam and Mikaela sharing a cheesesteak together.

IF JUNE 2 CAN’T COME SOON ENOUGH... Much as how Barricade (or the prop cars that portray him) was reportedly seen in Culver City recently, more photos have turned up on the Net showing additional Transformers vehicles being moved around Southern California. This time it’s Optimus Prime on the 405 Freeway (which would take you towards Culver City), and Ratchet and Ironhide on Lankershim Boulevard (located in North Hollywood, which you can also get to via the 405).


SuperHeroHype.com

There are reports that Transformers 2 will film in Sedona, Arizona (along with Philadelphia, and um, Egypt?), and IESB.Net has posted a possible cast breakdown for the sequel. Oh, and the CONSTRUCTICONS are rumored to make an appearance in the movie!! Woohoo! Of course, keep in mind Michael Bay said that he’s gonna leak fake info on TF2 to throw the fanbase off during production (of course, he's still in pre-production). Oh well. Start of filming for next year's blockbuster is still on track for June 2.


Fan art courtesy of Rise Studio