"Harold & Kumar 3" Goes into Production

Mandate Pictures and New Line Begin Production on the Third Harold & Kumar Comedy

John Cho and Kal Penn Head the Ensemble Cast in the First 3-D Installment of the Comedy Franchise

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The ensemble cast has been set for Mandate Pictures’ and New Line Cinema’s third installment of the Harold & Kumar film franchise, which began with the 2004 cult hit “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.” John Cho (“Star Trek,” TV’s “Flash Forward”) and Kal Penn (“Superman Returns,” TV’s “House”) reprise their title roles in the holiday-themed comedy, which recently began principal photography on location in Michigan.

The first of the Harold & Kumar comedies to be shot in 3-D, the film is being directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, marking his major feature film directorial debut. Academy Award®-winning producer Greg Shapiro (“The Hurt Locker”) and Mandate president Nathan Kahane return as producers. The screenplay is by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who wrote the previous two movies and directed the second, “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.” They are also serving as co-producers, together with Nicole Brown, who is overseeing the project on behalf of Mandate.

It would not be a “Harold & Kumar” film without Neil Patrick Harris, who reunites with Cho and Penn in the cast. Returning “Harold & Kumar” cast members also include Paula Garcés (TV’s “The Shield”) as Maria; Danneel Harris (TV’s “One Tree Hill”) as Vanessa; Bobby Lee (“Pineapple Express”) as Kenneth Park; and Eddie Kaye Thomas (“American Pie,” HBO’s “How to Make It in America”) as Rosenberg.

Joining the “Harold & Kumar” ensemble are Tom Lennon (“17 Again,” TV’s “Reno 911”) and Danny Trejo (“Grindhouse”). Rounding out the new film cast are Amir Blumenfeld (TV’s “Pranked,” CollegeHumor.com), David Burtka (TV’s “How I Met Your Mother”), Fred Melamed (“A Serious Man”), Patton Oswalt (“The Informant!”) and Richard Riehle (“Halloween II”).

Harold and Kumar were introduced in the first film of the series, “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle,” which follows two post-college friends on their search for the best pot and snacks that suburban New Jersey has to offer. The second film, “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay,” found them being mistaken for terrorists and having to clear their names—with the help of old friend Neil Patrick Harris.

The new “Harold & Kumar” comedy picks up six years after the duo’s last adventure. After years of growing apart, Harold Lee (John Cho) and Kumar Patel (Kal Penn) have replaced each other with new best friends and are preparing for their respective Christmas celebrations. But when a mysterious package arrives at Kumar’s door, his attempt to deliver it to Harold’s house ends with him inadvertently burning down Harold’s father-in-law’s prize Christmas tree. With his in-laws out of the house for less than a day, Harold decides to cover his tracks rather than come clean, and reluctantly embarks on another ill-advised but hilarious journey with Kumar, taking them through New York City on Christmas Eve in search of the perfect Christmas tree.

Collaborating with Todd Strauss-Schulson behind the scenes are: director of photography Michael Barrett (“You Don’t Mess with the Zohan,” “Bedtime Stories”); production designer Rusty Smith (the “Austin Powers” movies, “Elf”), editor Eric Kissack (“Brüno,” “Role Models”), and costume designer Mary Claire Hannan (“Into the Wild”).

The film is a production of Mandate Pictures and New Line Cinema and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.


ABOUT MANDATE PICTURES:
Mandate Pictures is a multifaceted film production and financing company with a distinguished reputation and proven track record of success and profitability. Acquired by Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) in 2007, Mandate continues to operate as an independent brand delivering acclaimed commercial and independent films worldwide. Under President Nathan Kahane, Mandate has carved out a unique position in the film industry, having the creative autonomy and capital to finance, develop, package and produce theatrical films, including the Academy Award®-nominated film “Juno,” directed by Jason Reitman, written by Diablo Cody, and starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman.

ABOUT NEW LINE CINEMA:
New Line Cinema continues to be one of the most successful independent film companies. For more than 40 years, its mission has been to produce innovative, popular, profitable entertainment in the best creative environment. A pioneer in franchise filmmaking, New Line produced the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which is a landmark in the history of film franchises. New Line Cinema is a division of Warner Bros.

Review: Before "Inception," Chris Nolan Did Trippy with "Memento"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 13 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux

Memento (2000)
OPENING DATE: March 16, 2001
Running time: 113 minutes
MPAA – R for violence, language, and some drug content
DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan
WRITER: Christopher Nolan (based upon a short story “Memento Mori” by Jonathan Nolan)
PRODUCERS: Jennifer Todd and Suzanne Todd
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Wally Pfister
EDITOR: Dody Dorn
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/THRILLER/MYSTERY

Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Stephen Tobolowsky, Mark Boone Junior, Jorja Fox, and Harriet Samson Harris

Leonard “Lenny” Shelby (Guy Pearce, L.A. Confidential) was an insurance investigator. While intervening in the murder of his wife Catherine (Jorja Fox), Lenny receives a blow to his head. The resulting brain damage causes Lenny to suffer from Anterograde Amnesia, a condition in which Lenny cannot create new memories. Everyday he wakes up knowing who he is, but not remembering anything that happened since the injury. From that day on, he awakes every day, his mind a virtual blank slate. He compensates by taking pictures with a Polaroid camera, tattooing information on all over his body, and annotating pictures and pages of notes as a way to remember important information from previous days.

His current associates are a cheeky friend, Teddy (Joe Pantoliano, The Matrix) and a friendly bar waitress, Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss, The Matrix). They’re either assistance or hindrance as Lenny searches for the man who killed his wife, a search he remembers began the night of his wife’s murder and his injury.

Memento is a combination mystery, thriller, crime drama, and like most of them, the answer comes at the end of the film. However, a twist that can confuse viewers, the movie begins with what is the conclusion of the story. The movie works backwards in time with each succeeding scene taking place earlier in the story than its predecessor. By the time the movie ends, the answer to the puzzle is actually the beginning of the story. If this sounds confusing, it isn’t. Memento is one of the most engaging mystery thrillers in quite a while.

Writer/director Christopher Nolan plays with time the way that Quentin Tarantino does, and he dresses his film in hardboiled film noir in the tradition of Los Angeles crime dramas. Memento’s execution is a mental exercise of the kind found in European cinema. Once you learn that the story works in reverse, you are drawn in and you can’t quit the film until its end. As you watch the story, you see a result of an action, so you must continue to watch to see what caused the action. To the bitter end, or beginning as it is, you want to know how Lenny’s suffering, how his search began, and each scene you watch only makes it more imperative that you see what happened get closer to the beginning of Lenny’s odyssey.

The performances by Pearce, Pantoliano, and Ms. Moss are excellent. Pearce makes an excellent everyman hero, and Pantoliano is the perfect sly trickster. However, Ms. Moss’s character turns are a revelation of her latent talent. Known for playing sexy heroines in sci-fi movies, to see her play a low-end bar hop is shocking.

The most brilliant work comes from Nolan, his brother Jonathan (whose original short story, upon which this movie is based, was published after the film’s release), and film editor, Dody Dorn (the special edition of Terminator 2: Judgment Day). These three creators, in particular Dody and Christopher Nolan, compose a beautiful piece of work that easily could have fallen apart upon its central conceit. They turn a gimmick on its ear. You’re impatient to learn what’s going on, and the film is so beautifully put together that you can never abandon it, lest you never learn the how it all began.

Like the tattoos that cover Lenny’s body, Memento will leave its own mark on your film viewing memory. Words in praise of Memento don’t do it just. Its impact is purely in what you see. Some film lovers see sound as a corruption of the pure visual magic of film, and Memento’s stock in trade is images and memories. The experience of seeing this film is itself a cherished memento.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2002 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Editing” (Dody Dorn) and “Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” (Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan-story)

2002 Golden Globes: 1 nominations: “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Christopher Nolan)

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2010 Emmy Nominations Announced

Since African-Americans are routinely ignored, I really don't care too much about the Emmy Awards.  I can't blame the voters, though.  Most of the networks don't even have any starring or major supporting roles played by Black actors.  Would it kill such totally white shows as "How I Met Your Mother" to have even a recurring Black character?  Thank God for TBS.

Anyway, here are the 2010 Emmy nominations in a few major categories:

OUTSTANDING DRAMA

Lost
Breaking Bad
Dexter
Mad Men
True Blood
The Good Wife

OUTSTANDING COMEDY
Glee
Modern Family
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Nurse Jackie
30 Rock
The Office
Curb Your Enthusiasm

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Mariska Hargitay (Special Victims Unit)
Glenn Close (Damages)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)
January Jones (Mad Men)
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Hugh Laurie (House M.D.)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Matthew Fox (Lost)

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Lea Michele (Glee)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Toni Collette (The United States of Tara)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The New Adventures of Old Christine)
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Matthew Morrison (Glee)
Steve Carell (The Office)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Tony Shalhoub (Monk)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Chris Colfer (Glee)
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
Jon Cryer (Two and A Half Men)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
John Slattery (Mad Men)
Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
Martin Short (Damages)
Terry O’ Quinn (Lost)
Michael Emerson (Lost)
Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Sharon Gless (Burn Notice)
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
Rose Byrne (Damages)
Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Jane Lynch (Glee)
Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)
Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
Holland Taylor (Two and A Half Men)

OUTSTANDING REALITY SHOW (COMPETITION)
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing with the Has-Beens
Project Runway
Top Chef

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Kristen Chenoweth (Glee)
Jane Lynch (Two and a Half Men)
Christine Baranski (The Big Bang Theory)
Elaine Stritch (30 Rock)
Tina Fey (SNL)
Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives)
Betty White (SNL)

If you want to see a complete list, go here.

Aliens vs Predator is Deranged and Stupid, But Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 145 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux


AVPR: Aliens vs. Predator – Requiem (2007)
Running time: 94 minutes (1 hour, 34 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence, gore, and language
DIRECTORS: The Brothers Strause – Colin and Greg
WRITER: Shane Salerno (based upon the Alien character created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett and the Predator character created by Jim & John Thomas)
PRODUCERS: John Davis and Wyck Godfrey
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Daniel C. Pearl
EDITOR: Dan Zimmerman

SCI-FI/ACTION/HORROR

Starring: Steven Pasquale, Reiko Aylesworth, John Ortiz, Johnny Lewis, Ariel Gade, Kristen Hager, Sam Trammell, Robert Joy, David Paetkau, Tom Woodruff, Jr., Ian Whyte, Chelah Horsdal, and Meshach Peters

Picking up where 2004’s AVP: Alien vs. Predator left off, AVPR: Aliens vs. Predator – Requiem finds an Alien infestation aboard the Predator scout ship. A Predator has been impregnated by an Alien face hugger, which results in the birth of an Alien-Predator hybrid, the Predalien (Tom Woodruff, Jr.). The scout ship crashes in the forest outside the small town of Gunnison, Colorado. Soon the entire town is overrun with Aliens – killing, wreaking havoc, and breeding. Ex-con Dallas Howard (Steve Pasquale) leads his brother Ricky (Johnny Lewis) and a small band of locals in a struggle to survive against the Alien infestation. Thrown into the mix, however, is a veteran hunter, Wolf (Ian Whyte), from the Predator home world, and he’s itching to kill Aliens and ready to destroy all evidence of both alien races presence on Earth.

Many bad things can be said about Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. The acting stinks, except for Woodruff and Whyte who play the lead monsters and who really get into their roles (doing great work under thick costumes and makeup). The blame for the bad acting can be placed on a large ensemble cast that exists only to be bait, food, victims, and breeding stock for the otherworldly monsters that have invaded their town. The storyline eschews common sense in favor of slaughter, but in the hands of the imaginative script writer Shane Salerno, this is a good thing. Take it in with too critical an eye and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem seems like a bad video game pretending to be a bad movie.

There is, however, much to delight in this cheesy gore-fest for those who won’t view it with the critical eye this film doesn’t deserve. Those same people will have to forget the better parts of the two sci-fi/horror film franchises that spawned “AVP” – Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), and Predator (1987). Directors Colin and Greg Strause and Shane Salerno have fashioned a bloody, stupid monster movie full of rude violence, tasteless shock value, and shamelessly gory displays of human and alien bodies being torn and ripped apart, stabbed, shot, eaten, sexually violated, etc. It’s the kind of joyfully sadistic exhibition that will either be called low art or crass schlock.

I call AVPR: Aliens vs. Predator – Requiem a bloody entertaining monster movie with bucket of blood for every bucket of cheese. It’s the perfect Christmas gift for the guy who wants a bloody mess out of his horror movie.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, December 30, 2007

"Alien vs. Predator" Always Fun to Watch

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 152 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux


AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence, language, horror images, slime and gore
DIRECTOR: Paul W.S. Anderson
WRITERS: Paul W.S. Anderson; from a screen story by Paul W.S. Anderson, Dan O’Bannon, and Ronald Shusett (based upon the Alien character created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett and the Predator character created by Jim Thomas and John Thomas)
PRODUCERS: Gordon Carroll, John Davis, David Giler, and Walter Hill
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David Johnson
EDITORS: Alexander Berner

SCI-FI/ACTION/HORROR/THRILLER with elements of mystery

Starring: Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen, Ewen Bremner, Colin Salmon, Tommy Flanagan, Joseph Rye, and Agathe De La Boulaye

For those who have at least a vague idea of what’s going on, AVP: Alien vs. Predator is a dumb, mildly entertaining picture with some genuinely thrilling, scary, and heart-stopping moments. During an archeological expedition in Antarctica, a team scientists and archeologists discover an ancient pyramid beneath the ice and a deadly trap. The team, led by Alexa Woods (Sanaa Lathan), a top expedition and field guide, find themselves caught in the middle of a small war between two legendary movie monsters, the Aliens and the Predators. Only one species will survive, and the numbers don’t look good for the humans.

Alien vs. Predator is a movie-fan movie the way Freddie vs. Jason was a movie for fans of movies. You kinda had to know what’s up with Freddie and Jason to really enjoy that flick (or to at least have a chance of liking the film); thus it is with AVP. Those who have seen the four films of the Alien franchise and the two films in the Predator franchise will best know what’s going on in this story. If not, you may have some trouble, as some of the teenagers who made up most of the audience where I saw this movie. Director Paul W.S. Anderson’s script assumes the viewer is familiar with both the Alien and Predator films, or with the various Alien vs. Predator comic books that Dark Horse Comics has been publishing since 1990 or the AVP video games.

Is this a great film? No. Could it have been a great film? Probably not. Anderson makes a film that lies flat; even when his screenplay has the characters digging through the mysterious circumstances they keep finding themselves in, the story seems to lack an extra dose of oomph. In the end, it is an adequate sci-fi monster thriller. Although the film doesn’t overly rely on CGI, the SFX are actually quite good and for the most part seamlessly blend with the live action.

Even though it’s a simple-minded popcorn movie merely meant to generate cash for a huge, multi-national media corporation, AVP is still a popcorn movie that registers nicely on the interest scale. It’s one of those bump-in-the-dark movies that you can watch over and over again. You don’t have to think, just sit there and wait for the monster to come running out of the shadows, or at least just sit there and laugh at the holes in the plot because this movie often ignores its own internal logic. If you liked the original films that inspired this, you’ve probably been waiting years for the next installment of these franchises (even longer in the case of Predator), and you’ll take anything you can get. AVP is better than the last two Alien films and it’s way better than Predator 2. Call this one a home video monster flick classic.

6 of 10
B

Review: Original "Predator" Still a Thrill

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Predator (1987)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
DIRECTOR: John McTiernan
WRITERS: Jim Thomas and John Thomas
PRODUCERS: John Davis, Lawrence Gordon, and Joel Silver
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Donald McAlpine (director of photography)
EDITORS: Mark Helfrich and John F. Link
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri

ACTION/SCI-FI with elements of horror and thriller

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, Richard Chaves, R.G. Armstrong, Shane Black, and Kevin Peter Hall

A favorite Arnold Schwarzenegger film is the action movie classic, Predator. The film also introduced moviegoers to the talents of director John McTiernan, who would go on to make a name for himself in big action thrillers featuring lone, tough guy heroes like Die Hard and mega flops like Medicine Man and The Last Action Hero. As much as this is considered a Schwarzenegger film, McTiernan put his stamp on Predator by creating not only good action and fights scenes, but also by creating a palatable air of mystery and suspense to the proceedings. He only let the audience see just enough to keep their appetites going before he finally opens the film up for the big throw down between Arnold and The Predator.

The story is simple. A team of commandos led by Major Dutch (Schwarzenegger) go on a mission in the jungles of Central America for a government operative (Carl Weathers) with whom Dutch has a history. The story behind the mission turns out to be a sham. Worse, an extra-terrestrial warrior (Kevin Peter Hall) is hunting the team and picking them off one at a time.

Like Aliens, Predator would go on to influence a generation of comic book creators, game designers, and sci-fi novelists who became enamored with commando units and assorted military special operatives. Many super hero comics and violent video games feature Navy S.E.A.L.s, marine units, and heavily armed soldiers fighting monsters and sundry creatures from other worlds.

But don’t hold that against it. Predator is a good time – a great popcorn movie for the guys. It’s an effective thriller, a textbook example of a simple-minded, macho action movie that works so well. Heck, I’ve seen it countless times.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
1988 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (Joel Hynek, Robert M. Greenberg, Richard Greenberg, and Stan Winston)

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Star Wars Insider Magazine Celebrates "The Empire Strikes Back" Anniversary

STAR WARS INSIDER ANNOUNCES COMIC-CON AND CELEBRATION PLANS

To mark the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, Titan is releasing a special tribute issue of Star Wars Insider with an exclusive Han Solo in Carbonite cover, available at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International and Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Florida, August 12 to 15.

This 100-page commemorative issue includes interviews with the cast and crew of The Empire Strikes Back, including: George Lucas, (story and executive producer), Irvin Kershner (Director), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett).

The magazine also features interviews with the team behind Star Wars: The Clone Wars looking back on The Empire Strikes Back, 50 amazing facts about Empire, and an Empire merchandise guide. Plus, much more must-have material for all Star Wars fans.

A special Empire cover, which features Han Solo in Carbonite, is available to purchase at the Titan booth at Comic-Con (stand #5537) and Celebration V (booth. #521, part of the Gentle Giant booth).

Visitors to the Star Wars Insider booth at Comic-Con and Celebration V will receive a FREE exclusive Star Wars Insider bookmark.

Readers can keep up to date with more news and announcements from Star Wars Insider at the official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/StarWarsInsider

For more information, visit: http://www.titanmagazines.com/