Category: Movies

Sacha Baron Cohen to Play Freddie Mercury in Queen Movie

Here’s a bit of completely awesome news — Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G, Borat) has been signed to play Freddie Mercury in an upcoming Queen movie. I’m a huge Queen fan (Brian May rules!) and I really enjoy Sacha Baron Cohen. While Mercury’s voice is impossible to replicate, Cohen — more than anyone else I can think of — has the goods to portray the Queen frontman’s unique charm. Seriously, can you think of anyone else that can be fierce, forceful, and a little effeminate at the same time? Here’s a clip from E!:

In what could be one of the more inspired castings we’ve heard about in quite some time, Sacha Baron Cohen has signed on to star as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in a movie about the legendary rock band.

The pic, which will be scripted by Frost/Nixon and The Queen writer Peter Morgan, will follow the band from its early years to its performance at Live Aid in 1985, six years before Mercury died from AIDS complications at age 45.

What do you think of Ali G playing Freddie Mercury? Will it work? Or will it fall flat on its face?

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The Fighter Trailer, Starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale

I can’t wait to see The Fighter, starring Mark Wahlberg (“Feel the vibrations!”) and Christian Bale (“You and me, we’re done professionally!”). The movie is a dramatized biography of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward. He’s best known for his scintillating trilogy against the late Arturo “Thunder” Gatti and his brutal fight against Emmanuel Augustus. While Ward was hardly a skilled ring technician, fans adored him for his heart, guts, and cast iron chin. Before he made decent money in the Gatti fights, boxings fans — especially in Massachusetts — loved that he worked as a road paver between fights.

Check out the trailer above and let me know what you think (please)! Also, Amy Adams is really hot (but not in this movie).

Ralph Macchio in Wax On, F*ck Off

I was watching a bit of the U.S. Open when Ralph Macchio was randomly interviewed. In addition to talking about his son’s tennis career and his first trip to the U.S. Open despite growing up in New York, Macchio plugged his tongue-in-cheek short film Wax On, F*ck Off. Naturally, I searched for it right away…and was greatly amused with what I saw. I love it and hope you enjoy it too!

Coffee Talk #208: Airplane Movie Reviews!

I caught up on several movies while flying to and around Asia. Most of them were new releases that are out of theaters but not yet available on Blu-ray/DVD. There were some surprises for me, but for the most part I was happy that I didn’t pay money to see these movies in theaters. Here’s the rundown.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Intelligentsia’s Organic Ethiopia Sidama Shilcho, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. being a racist prick, or your fantasy football team, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I caught up on several movies while flying to and around Asia. Most of them were new releases that are out of theaters but not yet available on Blu-ray/DVD. There were some surprises for me, but for the most part I was happy that I didn’t pay money to see these movies in theaters. Here’s the rundown.

The Karate Kid: I had a huge problem with this movie conceptually. The martial art used in this film is kung-fu, not karate. In my head it just confuses kids into thinking that all Asian martial arts are the same…which is just a step away from saying all Asians look the same. Still, I heard that Jaden Smith was absolutely charming in this movie and I was curious to see if superior genetics spawned a great star. In my opinion, the genes cancelled each other out. Smith is just another crappy child actor. I’m convinced that everyone that praised his performance was really kissing his parents’ asses. Most importantly, the Karate Kid remake didn’t have the awesome music that powered the first two films. Joe Esposito’s “You’re the Best” is legendary.

The Cop Out: Kevin Smith gets tons of praise for his writing and loads of flack for his directing. I was surprised that a studio gave him a movie — with none of his fantastic writing — to direct. There are a handful of laughs in the film, which wasn’t a surprise because Tracy Morgan is hilarious, but for the most part it really sucked. Ironically, Smith’s did a capable job directing the film. The writing was just mediocre.

Shrek Forever After: I like the Shrek movies. They’re entertaining for children and adults. While this one is a step down from the previous films, I was entertained. It’s pretty much what I expected and wanted from Shrek. That said, I’m happy I didn’t pay $10 to see it in a theater.

The A-Team: This movie surprised me. My expectations were low and they were absolutely obliterated. It’s a fun, fast, and stupid flick with some sweet action. Liam Neeson wasn’t nearly as ridiculous as I thought he’d be and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has a nice future in action movies (if he wants it). Although Jessica Biel is completely unbelievable as a military women, she’s always nice to look at. Out of all the airplane movies I watched, this was my biggest surprise.

Iron Man 2: I love this movie (except for the 15 seconds with “Bolivia Bunn”). The dialog and action are fantastic. I watched it at least five times, with several partial viewings that were interrupted by sleep. I haven’t watched all the big movies of 2010, but out of the ones I’ve seen, this was my favorite.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on any or all of these movies. Fire away (please)!!!!

Coffee Talk #200: Gamers Should Hate Freddie Prinze, Jr.

It’s the 200th edition of Coffee Talk! I want to thank all of you for helping me make it this far!!! If you’d like to thank me then please do me a favor and start hating Freddie Prinze, Jr. You see, I saw him over Summer Slam weekend at the lobby of the Sheraton. Freddie used to be a writer for WWE and was visiting the wrestlers. Anyway, start hating him. Like now.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the awesomeness of Bryan Danielson, the soap opera that is the NY Mets, or stupid bombs on Wilshire, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

It’s the 200th edition of Coffee Talk! I want to thank all of you for helping me make it this far!!! If you’d like to thank me then please do me a favor and start hating Freddie Prinze, Jr. You see, I saw him over Summer Slam weekend in the lobby of the Sheraton. Freddie used to be a writer for WWE and was visiting the wrestlers. Anyway, start hating him. Like now.

Freddie is young, handsome, and rich. He’s also a total nerd. He loves videogames. He loves wrestling. I hate that he turned his markdom into a job with WWE (especially when my WWE writing skills are far superior to his). I hate that he’s young, handsome, and rich. I hate that he’s married to an incredibly hot woman. And by hate, I mean I’m completely jealous of this man to the point where I almost have a crush on him.

To help me deal with this issue, please let me know if there are any celebrity gamers that you hate. If you like, I can hate them too!

Scott Pilgrim Set to Take Over Movies and PlayStation Network

So many of my friends are super psyched for the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World movie. I have high hopes for it too, but I’m actually more interested in the game coming out on PlayStation Network. Check out the video above and let me know what you think. It appears to be awesome 2D side-scrolling beat-’em’up action. Any of you going to give it a go?

Emma Watson Cuts Off Her Hair — Why?!?

Harry Potter actress Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) has lopped off all her hair in favor of a pixie haircut. This is majorly depressing. Hermione has developed into quite the hottie. The pixie look…doesn’t quite work for her. People has posted a photo of her with the new haircut. Check it out.

Why Emma, why?!? You were so sexy before! Now you look like…an angry high-school student that’s questioning her sexuality. *sigh* Here’s a picture of Emma in bathtub. That should cheer me you up.

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Guillermo del Toro to Sign with THQ?

Renowned writer/director Guillermo del Toro is close to signing a development deal with THQ, according to the Los Angeles Times. Moviegoers have dropped serious dough to see del Toro’s works, which include Pan’s Labyrinth and the Hellboy movies. According to LA’s paper:

Guillermo del Toro is finalizing a deal to bring his creative vision to the video game world — and the company is THQ, the Agoura Hills-based game publisher previously known mainly for kid-focused games based on licenses from Pixar and Nickelodeon and its WWE wrestling titles.

The 45-year-old native of Guadalajara, Mexico, did not reveal the name of the company, but people familiar with the matter confirmed to The Times that he was finalizing a deal with THQ, an outfit that recently began focusing on more ambitious games aimed at adults.

By Del Toro’s own prediction, his deal should close within the next few weeks, at which point THQ may provide some details about the projects.

I have a few thoughts on the matter. Firstly, I’m reminded of the comic-book industry. Starting in the late ’80s and booming in the late ’90s, comics became hip with movie and television writers. A flood of popular scribes crossed over to comics — J. Michael Straczynski and Joss Whedon come to mind — which was good and bad. It gave the industry more exposure and led to increased sales. It also made work harder to get for lifelong comics writers. I see the same thing happening to the games business.

Secondly — and more importantly — del Toro better respect my writing for the SmackDown vs. Raw series. If he doesn’t, he’s totally getting a Rock Bottom from me.

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Coffee Talk #194: Your Favorite Animated Comic Book Movie

After failing to find it at Best Buy last weekend, I finally watched Batman: Under the Red Hood last night. It was frickin’ brilliant! DC’s animated movies have been rocking for years, but Under the Red Hood raises the bar. The art style is fantastic and the voice acting is first rate (I thought I’d miss Kevin Conroy more, but Bruce Greenwood’s fine performance ensured that I didn’t). Most importantly (to me, anyway), the story was fantastic. It took a great plot from the comic books, tightened it up, and got rid of some of the convoluted twists that confused readers.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, nobody caring about A-Rod’s milestone homer, Shaq to the Celtics, or Prop 8 being overturned, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

After failing to find it at Best Buy last weekend, I finally watched Batman: Under the Red Hood last night. It was frickin’ brilliant! DC’s animated movies have been rocking for years, but Under the Red Hood raises the bar. The art style is fantastic and the voice acting is first rate (I thought I’d miss Kevin Conroy more, but Bruce Greenwood’s fine performance ensured that I didn’t). Most importantly (to me, anyway), the story was fantastic. It took a great plot from the comic books, tightened it up, and got rid of some of the convoluted twists that confused readers.

There’s a chance that I’m still basking in the afterglow of Under the Red Hood, but I’m pretty sure it’s the best animated comic-book movie I’ve ever seen. I’m a big fan of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and think that Under the Red Hood blows it away. I’m struggling to think of an animated comic-book movie I’ve enjoyed more. That’s where you guys and dolls come in! What’s your favorite animated comic-book movie? Hell, go ahead and name several of your favorites, if you will.

Coffee Talk #190: What’s Your Favorite Star Trek?

Last week a few of you started a fun Star Trek fight debate. It started with The Original Series vs. The Next Generation, moved onto Kirk vs. Picard, and even touched on Spock vs. Data. I was thoroughly entertained and hope you’re up for it again! This time around let’s include all of the Star Trek shows — even Voyager (Come on! A woman captain and a black vulcan?!?). Let’s start with the poll:

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Intelligentsia’s Edelweiss Finagro Estate Tanzania, if Roy Oswalt is a difference maker, or the rumor that Apple’s new trackpad uses sorcery instead of magic, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last week a few of you started a fun Star Trek fight debate. It started with The Original Series vs. The Next Generation, moved onto Kirk vs. Picard, and even touched on Spock vs. Data. I was thoroughly entertained and hope you’re up for it again! This time around let’s include all of the Star Trek shows — even Voyager (Come on! A woman captain and a black vulcan?!?). Let’s start with the poll:

[poll id=”61″]

I’d love to learn more about your Star Trek preferences. In addition to your favorite show, I want to know your favorite characters, aliens, weapons, etc. As for me, I have four words for you: “There are four lights!!!”