Category: Action

Rampage Jackson Back in ‘A-Team’

rampage jackson

After his agent claimed he was out of the ‘A-Team’ project, it appear Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is back on the project as BA Baracus.   The film is currently shooting in Vancouver, and The Vancouver Sun ran an article late last week claiming the UFC Champion was in town to star in the film.

Being a six-week shoot will surely have an effect on Jackson’s UFC career.   He was set to face Sugar Rashad Evans on the UFC 107 card, set for December 12th.   However, with Jackson setting his time aside to shoot the film, he will not have the proper training needed for a UFC, main event fight.

UFC President, Dana White, never a man to hold back what’s on his mind, didn’t disappoint this time around, either.   Here’s what he had to say about the Jackson/Evans fight.

Guess what Rashad Evans is thinking about right now.   He’s thinking about beating your f**king ass. He’s not sitting around thinking about how him and his mom used to watch the f**king Love Boat together and he wants to get the role of Isaac the bartender.

Jackson joins a cast that already includes Liam Neeson as Col. John “Hannibal” Smith and Bradley Cooper as Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck.   ‘The A-Team’ is set for release on June 11th, 2010.

‘Rambo V’ Gets a New Title, Synopsis, and Promo Poster

rambo hunt poster header

Sometimes, I wake up and thank God I am me.   I relish in what I have been given and what I have achieved in life, and I cannot imagine it any other way.   Then, there’s days like today, where I read about Harry Knowles getting a voicemail from Sylvester Stallone, a voicemail, mind you, about ‘Rambo V.’   Lucky bastard!   Evidently, Stallone is hard at work on the new adventure for John Rambo, and it’s something you might not be expecting.

Just check out this synopsis for ‘Rambo V: The Savage Hunt’:

JOHN RAMBO could track anyone – or anything – on earth.   Now the MILITARY desperately needs him for a mission that his ultrasensitive instincts tell him he should refuse. A BEAST is loose somewhere north of the ARCTIC CIRCLE.   It has already decimated a secret research facility and annihilated a SQUAD of elite MILITARY GUARDS.   And the raging CREATURE is headed south toward civilization, ready to wreak bloody devastation.

It’s a job that RAMBO and his 22 year old hunting partner, BEAU BRADY, can’t turn down, but they and a TEAM of highly skilled SPECIAL FORCES KILL TEAM discover that the prey is a terror beyond their wildest imagination, a half-human abomination created by a renegade agency through a series of outlawed genetic experiments.   It has man’s cunning, a predator’s savageness, and a prehistoric power that has transcended the ages.   And even if RAMBO and BEAU survive its unrelenting hunger for human blood, they’ll still have to confront the grim reality that it may have grown immortal.

So, it appears John Rambo is going to be taking on something straight out of the SyFy network’s Saturday night lineup.   Sure, on paper, this sounds incredibly stupid with a capital STU, but, seriously think about it.   Taking the ‘Rambo’ franchise in a completely new direction, injecting it with some sci-fi elements, kind of freshens the whole deal, doesn’t it?   We know if you put Rambo against a squad of drug dealers or foreign military personnel, he’s just going to wipe them out in gory fashion.   But put him up against something that we’ve never seen before, and it’s a whole new ballgame.   This could very well be the closest we get to seeing a Rambo Vs. Predator movie, and I, for one, couldn’t be more stoked about it.   Personally, I, like Harry, cannot wait to see what it looks like to actually see fear in John Rambo’s eyes.

Also, according to our bros over at Coming Soon, Stallone has owned the rights to a novel titled “Hunter” for nearly a decade.   The novel, written by James Byron Huggins, has this for its official synopsis:

Nathaniel Hunter could track anyone — or anything — on earth. Now the military desperately needs him for a mission that his ultrasensitive instincts tell him he should refuse. A beast is loose somewhere north of the Arctic Circle. It has already decimated a secret research facility and annihilated a squad of elite military guards. And the raging creature is headed south toward civilization, ready to wreak bloody devastation.

It’s a job that Hunter can’t turn down, but he soon discovers that his prey is terror incarnate, a half-human abomination created by a renegade agency through a series of outlawed genetic experiments. It has man’s cunning, a predator’s savageness, and a prehistoric power that has transcended the ages. And even if Hunter survives its unrelenting hunger for human blood, he’ll still have to confront the grim reality that it may have grown immortal.

Sound familiar?   It looks as if Stallone is adapting Huggins’ novel into the new ‘Rambo’ film.

AICN also revealed a promo poster that has been worked up for ‘Rambo V: The Savage Hunt.’

rambo hunt poster

We’ll keep you posted as more news comes in about the new ‘Rambo’ film.

‘Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans’ Poster Released

bad lieutenant poster

It’s been a back-and-forth struggle getting much excitement brewing for Werner Herzog’s remake of ‘Bad Lieutenant.’  Despite what the director says, it’s a remake.  At the very least, it’s a spin-off, a concept I thought died out with ‘The Scorpion King’ and ‘Elektra.’  The initial thoughts, particularly of Nicolas Cage coming on board, were that the film would be a bland retreading of familiar territory. Then the trailer came along, and that distilled some negativity towards the project.  SOME negativity.  The undying thoughts of it being a needless remake still wandered out there, somewhere.  However, that trailer was so bat-shit crazy, it actually moved the film up a few notches on the anticipation chart.

Now, courtesy of Coming Soon, we have the film’s official poster.  While you can’t construe much opinion of a film from its poster, you have to take notice of the mind-set going into creating it.  It’s boring.  It’s Cage’s and Eva Mendes floating heads, Cage giving you the “Why don’t you put the bunny down” look, red and white lettering, and some crime scene imagery below.  You almost think it’s going to stun us by not putting some lame tagline in the mix somewhere, but, then, you get near the bottom, and you read “THE ONLY CRIMINAL HE CAN’T CATCH IS HIMSELF.”  Now, that’s one to grow on.

Like I said, you can’t gather much opinion on a film based on its poster, but you wonder if Herzog had anything to offer in the making of this bland, stock one-sheet.  ‘Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans’ is set to bow at the Venice Film Festival today (September 4th).  It is set for wide release on November 20th.

Guy Ritchie Taking on ‘Lobo’

lobo

No, not Lobo Marunga, and, yes, Steve Guttenberg, for all intents and purposes, is still retired.  And, if you get that reference, then I feel as bad for you as I do myself.  Guy Ritchie is, however, setting out to bring the DC comic book ‘Lobo’ to the big screen.  According to Variety, Ritchie has locked the deal with Warner Brothers, and it will be his follow-up to ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ set for release this coming Christmas.

The comic book followed an alien bounty hunter with an incredibly bad attitude.  The guy was basically a blue viking who rode around on a space motorcycle and chomped on giant cigars.  At one point, Lobo even came to Earth and took out Santa and his elves.  That one-shot traumatized me as a child.

The screenplay for this film, however, has been written by Don Payne.  He previously wrote ‘My Super Ex-Girlfriend,’ which we won’t hold against him, and ‘4: Rise of the Silver Surfer,’ for which we will.  The film looks to visit Lobo’s first appearance in comics as he comes to Earth to take out four fugitives.

While some of Lobo comics are strictly for mature audiences only, WB is aiming for a PG-13 rating.  Production begins early next year.  There is no word, yet, on who will be playing the 7-foot, blue badass.

How About a ‘Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day’ Red-Band Trailer?

boondock saints II

Yeah, I know there are those out there who feel ‘The Boondock Saints’ is “‘Pulp Fiction’ Lite” and Troy Duffy is a lucky asshole who burned his bridge before he even crossed it.  Personally, I think the movie is quite cool and very kickass.  This trailer for the follow-up comes to us today from IGN, and it looks to be even more of the same thing, and, for me, that’s a very good thing.  And seriously, doesn’t Clifton Collins Jr. just make everything a little bit cooler?

It is red-band, so be warned.

Troy Duffy is returning as writer/director, and he got everyone but Willem Dafoe back on board.  Dafoe, evidently, was too busy playing with Lars Von Trier out in the woods.  That’s pure speculation.  I have no evidence to back that up.  This time around, Duffy’s even brought on board Julie Benz, who is, I’m guessing, choosing her roles based on how much violence and blood is shed in the film; Peter Fonda, who, in my humble opinion, should ride a wave down Wilsire Boulevad in every film he’s in; Judd Nelson, who was last seen saving St. Louis from a black hole; and the aforementioned Collins Jr.  That man needs no introduction.  He merely is.

‘The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day’ is set for an October 30th release.

‘The Tournament’ Poster, Stills, Trailer, Bullets, and Smiles!

tournament header

High octane, blood-bathed British action thriller…

That’s how Mann Made Films is referring to their latest film, ‘The Tournament.’   The film stars Ving Rhames, Robert Carlyle, Ian Somerhalder, Kelly Hu, and Scott Adkins as just a few of the world’s most dangerous assassins.

Here is the official synopsis:

Every 7 years in an unsuspecting town, The Tournament takes place. A battle royale between 30 of the world’s deadliest assassins. The last man standing receiving the $10,000,000 cash prize and the title of Worlds No 1 (which itself carries the legendary million dollar a bullet price tag). The Tournament is set up by a group of sick high stake billionaires who watch the mayhem unfold via CCTV and bet on its outcome.

Here is the sweet yet simple poster:

tournament poster

Here is the film’s action-packed trailer:

And last, but certainly not least, are a handful of movie stills straight from the film’s official website.   Check ’em out:

tournament1

tournament2

tournament3

tournament4

tournament5

tournament6

tournament7

While the premise down sound somewhat reminiscent of ‘Battle Royale,’ this looks like it’s going to be one helluva fun ride.   These insanse kind of action movies like ‘Crank’ and ‘Smokin’ Aces’ that come out every so often are always welcome.   With the cast involved here, this movie is moving its way up the most anticipated ladder.

No release date has been set for ‘The Tournament,’ though the film is currently working its way through the festival circuit.   It currently does not have a US distributor.

‘Iron Man 2’ Coming At You in 3D

iron man

It’s one thing to shoot a movie in 3D, a la James Cameron’s ‘Avatar,’ where every, little intricacy is put in place to enhance the usage of the style.   It’s not really a gimmick when this is the case.   Unfortunately, Paramount and Marvel Studios apparently love a good gimmick.   According to Harry over at Ain’t It Cool News, ‘Iron Man 2,’ not shot with the intent of being viewed in 3D, will be converted to incorporate the new found trend.

Read this little excerpt from Harry’s article:

Right now, there is a 1 minute demo of IRON MAN 2 converted to high quality digital 3D. I’m told this one minute is totally like Kim Basinger & Mickey Rourke in 9 1/2 WEEKS. HOT! Crazy Hot! Right now the Suits at Marvel & Paramount & now also Disney are considering this 1 minute.

At the same time that this is happening, they are fishing for bids with 3 different companies to see what the cost and time it would take to convert IRON MAN 2 to a complete 3D film. This same process is being done to Tim Burton’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND – but if this comes to pass. What will this mean for the rest of Marvel’s slate leading to THE AVENGERS? Will THOR & CAPTAIN AMERICA also go through this process? Or will they be shot from the get go in 3D?

Watching Iron Man, Whiplash, War Machine and Black Widow in 3D would be an unbelievable experience next summer – and my little birdy tells me there’s a chance they’ll actually pony up to convert IRON MAN for a reissue in advance of IRON MAN 2’s summer release.

Now, Harry’s not one for subtlety, so his geek-gasm over the potentiality of ‘Iron Man 2,’ is explicitly expressed.   Unfortunately, with the film begin converted after the fact, it seems like Paramount and Marvel are just trying to cash in on a growing trend with this announcement.   Not exactly a groundbreaking observation, a movie studio trying to cash in on a popular piece of filmmaking.   However, with what Favreau put together for the first ‘Iron Man,’ it just seems like he would be above cashing in on something his film wasn’t even designed for in the first place.

Time will tell.   We’ll keep you posted.

Third ‘XXX’ Film Scores a Director

xxx

I know you were all holding your breath in anticipation for the next installment in the ‘XXX’ franchise, and, lucky you, it looks like things are moving along just fine.   The Hollywood Reporter is reporting ‘XXX: The Return of Xander Cage’ has picked up a director.   Ericson Core is stepping in to helm the film that sees the return of Vin Diesel as a former X-Games star turned secret government agent.

Don’t worry if you aren’t entirely sure who Core is.   His only previous endeavor into feature filmmaking was 2006’s Invincible starring Mark Wahlberg.   He previously served as cinematographer on such films as ‘Payback,’ ‘The Fast and the Furious,’ and ‘Daredevil.’   He will be working from a screenplay by ‘Terminator 3’ and ‘Terminator Salvation’ scripters John D. Brancato and Michael Ferris.

‘XXX: The Return of Xander Cage’ was initially set to be directed by Rob Cohen, who directed Diesel in the first ‘The Fast and the Furious’ and the first ‘XXX.’   However, Cohen moved on to direct ‘Medieval’ in June.   Columbia, dead-set on getting the third ‘XXX’ feature made with Diesel attached is banking on Core to deliver.

The plan is to begin filming on ‘XXX: The Return of Xander Cage’ early next year.

Bekmambetov Wants Angelina Jolie for ‘Wanted 2’

wanted jolie

I think we found the reason for her to come back.

Those were the words director Timur Bekmambetov used after stating to MTV he would like Angeline Jolie to reprise her role as Fox for the planned sequel, ‘Wanted 2.’  Now, for those of you who haven’t seen the first ‘Wanted,’ you’re probably already spoiled on this one, but just in case that first quote didn’t reveal too much, be warned.  The rest of what Bekmambetov had to say about ‘Wanted’ and its sequel definitely does spoil the ending of the first film.

If you remember from the first film, we have a recovery room with the baths of wax.  We know how to do this, but it’s still tough to do, because the bullet is inside her head.

But there has to be a reason for her to come back… and we know the reason.

Based on the comic series by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones, ‘Wanted’ pulled in $341 million at the worldwide box office last year.  Jolie has expressed in previous interviews she does not feel her character can return, but, with movie magic and a little dispension of disbelief, anything is possible.  This is the same world where people curve bullets and flip vehicles with perfect grace.  Bringing Jolie’s character back to life is not only plausible in the realm of ‘Wanted,’ it actually makes sense.

Whether the actress wishes to return for another round is another question, entirely.  Regardless of who returns, Bekmambetov declared the movie would probably being production sometime this Winter.

‘Black Dynamite’ Scores Some Distribution

blackdynamite1

‘Black Dynamite’ and its star, Michael Jai White, are a few of our favorite things here at We Are Movie Geeks.  You can check out Scott’s Sundance Review, Jerry’s Tribeca Review, or Jeremy’s CineVegas Review for just a taste of the love we have for everything ‘Black Dynamite.’  Well, the rest of the world is about to get a whole lot more, as the film is getting distribution courtesy of Apparition.  According to Variety, the film was bought by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group, who then brought it to Apparition for a theatrical release.

Says Bob Berney, one of the chief producers behind Apparition:

Both Scott [Sanders] and Michael really know every film in the (blaxploitation) genre and every little detail.  Even the strangest stuff in the film has been seen or done in those films. It’s a sort of ‘Austin Powers’ period comedy that appeals to younger audiences.

The filmmakers have done so much, it makes it easy to really partner with them and use their materials.  They really know their audience and what they want to do.

Apparition has three, other projects slated for release including Jane Campion’s ‘Bright Star,’ Terrence Malick’s ‘The Tree of Life’ starring Brad Pitt, and ‘The Young Victoria’ starring Emily Blunt.  ‘Black Dynamite’ is set to have a platform release on October 16th.