Films and TV

Well its been 2 weeks and The Dark Knight is still number one at the box office and looks in good stead to stay there for a while.

The film took a massive $75.6 million this week which has broken a record for the highest grossing second weekend. The movie has already made an incredible $314 million at the US box office and with out a doubt is set to become the biggest financial hit of the year.

Step Brothers and The X Files: I Want To Believe, are new additions to the table both also ranking quite highly.

1. The Dark Knight - $75,630,000
2. Step Brothers - $30,000,000
3. Mamma Mia! - $17,865,000
4. The X Files: I Want To Believe - $10,200,000
5. Journey To The Centre Of The Earth - $9,415,000
6. Hancock - $8,200,000
7. WALL-E - $6,349,000
8. Hellboy II: The Golden Army - $4,934,000
9. Space Chimps - $4,375,000
10. Wanted - $2,727,000

Well its now been confirmed by the The Weinstein Company last week, that the fouth instalment in the scream franchise ‘Scream 4′ is in the making.

Jamie Kennedy, who played Randy in the movies has hinted that he may be back again in the new film. Even though he was killed off in one of the earlier installments to the Horror movies.

He said: “I actually had a conversation with somebody very big in the organisation, and there’s a way.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, but they have plans for a lot of things. You can see new faces that you wouldn’t expect and you can see old faces that you wouldn’t believe. There’s a way to bring a lot of things around.”

Tom Cruise’s classic ‘Top Gun’ is about to have a second addition added to its ranks. The sequel to the hit Movie has now been written.

Cruise has already been approached about playing Maverick again but this time as a Top Gun instructor trying to teach a cocky new female pilot. The inspiration for the sequel came from the success of films such as Rocky & Indiana Jones which came out earlier this year.

“The idea is Maverick is at the Top Gun school as an instructor - and this time it is he who has to deal with a cocky new female pilot,” said a source.

Top Gun, was released back in 1986 and is still a must see movie even 22 years on. It is still unknown when the sequel is due to hit the screens as its still in development, so die hard Maverick will still have to wait some time yet. The original starred familiar faces such as Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis and Tim Robbins.

The new movie Mamma Mia had a few surprise visitors at its Swedish premiere the other day. Abba showed up to lend support!

This is the first time they have been seen together in public for years. The last time they were officially together , was back in 1986. Although there were reports that they also reunited for a one-off preformance at a friends birthday party back in 1999.

All the members of the band attended the event (Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskog) along with the film’s star-studded cast, which includes Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Meryl Streep.

Anni-Frid or as she is better know by her fans ‘Frida’, and Agnetha posed for pictures with Meryl Streep and they even entertained fans by doing a dance together.

Due to Heath Ledgers death back in January, there has been talk about cutting certain scenes from the new ‘Batman Movie The Dark Knight’. Some critics even suggested that the movie should have been scrapped!.

Ledger plays the Joker (probably one of Batman’s most memorable super villains), he died early this year due to an accidental drug overdose. A scene showing him in a body bag at the end of the movie may not make the final cut for its release later this month.

Christian Bale who plays Batman in the film was outraged at the notion of cutting scenes from the movie:-

“I know there are a lot of people out there who don’t think this movie should be shown,” Bale admitted. “But, if you’re asking my opinion, I think that’s bloody insane. I also think it’s an insult to Heath and everything he stood for. I don’t think anything should be cut - I think it’s the movie he wanted to make.”

“The guy was brilliant. He was a fantastic actor and he put everything into this part,” Christian continued. “I absolutely know without question that he would have wanted everyone to see it. For me, this is a celebration of what he did best - entertain people…respect the man. This is what he did. This is what he wanted to do.”

I for one completely agree with Bale, why on earth should scenes be deleted from the movie just because he died. Who is this protecting! I would understand if the family had requested this but i don’t think this is the case.

The film Mama Mia has premiered in London. Meryl Steep has received rave reviews and has been tipped for an oscar for her singing and dancing performance alongside Firth, Julie Walters, Pierce Brosnan and Stellan Skarsgård .

The film tells the story of a young woman, played by Amanda Seyfried, who wonders who her biological father is as her wedding day looms closer. Her mother, portrayed by Streep, invites the three possible candidates (Brosnan, Firth and Skarsgård) to the wedding in Greece.

Based on the musical Mama Mia the stage version, which opened in 1999 in London, went on to become one of the most popular musicals of all time.

i am looking forward to watching this film besides it having the evergreen Pierce Brosnan and delicious Mr Darcy, Colin Firth. The music of Abba is a double bonus

The ‘Incredible Hulk’ storms the box office and goes straight to number 1 this week.

The new ‘Incredible Hulk’ movie starts with Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) living peacefully without an ‘Incident’ for 158 days, learning new techniques to try and control his anger but still rigiously trying to find a cure for his condition with aid of an elusive ‘Mr Blue’.

He is soon discovered by his arch nemesis General Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt) and all of a sudden Banner is back on the run again. After many failures trying to develop a cure, Mr Blue asks him to find the data base of research that was originally done on Banner before he went into hiding in Brazil, this unintentionally leads him back to his old flame Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), the generals daughter.

This explosive and action packs addition to the ‘Marvel Movies’ also sees a monstrous new adversary known as The Abomination (Tim Roth) who’s power is rivaled only by the Hulks and forces Banner to make a difficult decision: To be able to live a peaceful life as Bruce Banner or to trade in his deepest desire to stop The Abomination as ‘The Incredible Hulk’.

To my surprise i actually liked this film, most likely because it couldnt have got any worse than the 2003 addition directed by Ang Lee. i was concerned with the decision to cast Edward Norton as Banner but he in fact played the character quite well.

The top ten in full:

1. (-) The Incredible Hulk - £3,253,723
2. (1) Sex And The City - £1,787,507
3. (2) Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull - £1,759,754
4. (-) The Happening - £1,632,055
5. (3) Superhero Movie - £515,590
6. (5) Gone Baby Gone - £351,127
7. (4) Prom Night - £243,947
8. (6) What Happens In Vegas - £132,744
9. (7) Iron Man - £128,509
10. (9) Mongol - £128,386

The New Batman film, The Dark Knight, is a 2008 American superhero film directed by Christopher Holan, is the sequel to 2005’s Batman Begins.  Christian Bale appears as the lead role. 

Batman’s main conflicts in the film are with The Joker played by the late Heath Ledger, who has created a terrifying, psychotic version of the character, and his strained friendship with district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart).

Nolan decided to make the movie as he was inspired by the Joker’s first two appearances in the comics and Batman: The Long Halloween.

The Dark Knight  starts with Batman beginning to succeed in getting rid of the criminals that infests Gotham City. He is surprisingly challenged when the Joker, a mysterious criminal mastermind appears in Gotham. Batman’s and the Joker’s confrontations becomes personal, forcing him to improve his technology to stop the Joker’s campaign of destruction.  

Michael Caine stars as Alfred Pennyworth, who is Batman’s butler and father figure who looks after Wayne Manor.

Jack Nicholson, who played the previous role of the Joker was not invited to replay the part said:

“You can’t believe the reasons things do or don’t happen. Not asking me how to do the sequel is that kind of thing. … Maybe it’s not a mistake. Maybe it was the right thing, but to be candid, I’m furious.”

The co-creator of Batman: The Animated Series,Paul Dini commented of Ledger’s portrayal of the character by saying,

“He seems more street than any other version of the Joker. … His attitude is mordant and sardonic as opposed to manic. … No goofy gags or puns for him. This Joker doesn’t split sides: he splits skulls.”

The film will be dedicated to the memory of Heath Ledger who tragically died on the 22 January 2008.

The Dark Knight will be in cinemas on the 25 July 2008.  A fantastic film not to be missed!!

When Jack (Ashton Kutcher) a cranky, yet vunerable guy loses his job and Joy (Cameron Diaz), a clean living workaholic is dumped in a humiliating fashion. They decide to go to the US party capital, Las Vegas to blow off some steam and let the good times roll. When the two strangers meet, during a bender of epic proportions as they both drown their sorrows, but the party ends abruptly the next morning, when they wake to find that they are now a married couple. 

During a discussion regarding divorce, Jack hits the jackpot on a fruit machine using Joy’s quarter winning a swift $3m. Soon after, the wrangling begins over who gets the cash until a judge sentences them to

“six months hard marriage”

Before any of them can touch the money. It doesn’t take long for them to realise that if they can convince the other to divorce them, they get the whole $3m. Egged on by their close friends, Jack and Joy set out to make each others lives hell! Which leads to various hilarious events. 

I found this film to be effortlessly funny and Ashton Kutcher stole the show with his stunning performance as Jack, a carefree party loving animal, who strives to impress his overly critical father.

Definately worth watching!!!