First off, let me just say I had a blast choosing the selections for this week's edition of Eat My Shorts. With thousands of short films available, it was nearly impossible to bring you the very best. Frankly, it would have taken me weeks to sort through them all, which means I will definitely need your help the next time we re-visit this topic. Which topic, you ask? Oh, just a tiny little thing called a fanfilm.

The closest I've come to being involved with a fanfilm was three years ago, when a friend of mine needed to create a Halloween-themed short as part of a contest he was entering. I forget the idea, but it was a spoof that included Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger and, of course, Michael Myers. Although the movie did not win (I believe it placed third overall), it was fun to watch how excited my friend became as he mulled over the different ways in which he could use three of his favorite horror-related characters in one story. While I've never been a huge fanfilm dude, his motivation and determination showed me just how meaningful fanfilms are, not only to the fanfilm community, but also to people like me ... who just want to be entertained.

In a little over a week, Mission Impossible 3 will crash-land in theaters marking the official start of the summer blockbuster season. Why are you not excited about this? C'mon, it's summer! It's time to escape the heat and cool down in front of a film that cost more money than you or anyone you know will ever see in their entire life. What's NOT fun about that?

While some feel this year's crop of popcorn flicks are a bit smarter than previous years, like with every summer, we're bound to walk away from it sad, lonely and depressed because that one film we were anticipating so much left an awfully sour taste in our mouths. Last year, Michael Bay's The Island tanked, despite its gigantic budget. And, even though it made a killing at the box office, some felt Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds just wasn't up to par.

This year, it's completely up in the air. Personally, I don't have a very good feeling about Superman Returns. Sure, you can throw a ton of good buzz my way, claim Brandon Routh will revive the Man of Steel in a way that would make Christopher Reeve proud and tell me Bryan Singer made a good choice when he stepped away from the X-Men series -- but it just doesn't feel right. I'm calling it now -- this film will disappoint.

So, that leaves me wondering: Which summer blockbuster do you feel will turn out to be the most disappointing?

Well folks, it appears as if our dreams for a Star Trek 11 have officially been squashed. TrekWeb reports that Doug Mirabello, who is Rick Berman's personal assistant, told Dreamwatch magazine (Wait, so magazines interview assistants now?) that you may as well forget about a new Star Trek film or TV series for the time being. Man, I can almost taste the tears forming under your eyes - but trust me, I've been there. You know what they say: If you love something, set it free. And if it comes back, then it's yours forever.

Maybe personal assistant Doug Mirabello needs some time away...to heal. In fact, he says, "I think this is actually for the best – the public needs to want to see Star Trek again. The best way to achieve this is to take it away for a few years and then bring it back and do it right. The franchise needs a totally new creative team, some time off, and a cool new approach." Oh yeah, and what if I meet another Sci-Fi series while you're gone Doug? Huh? And what if we hit it off and I don't want your Star Trek anymore? Something tells me it would be awfully hard to be just friends.

Mirabello also admitted that Erik Jendresen's Star Trek: The Beginning script has been trashed and plans for Patrick Stewart to make a return as well as other past Trek heroes is a long shot at best. So, do you think Mirabello is right? Do you feel as if a longer wait would produce a better product? Or are you itching for more Star Trek right now?

[via Moviehole]

I usually decide how I'll watch a film long before it hits the theaters. For example, 'Rocky Balboa', to me, feels like a pay per view rental. Perhaps, depending on the buzz, I may upgrade it to a Blockbuster rental (Yes, I am the only soul living on this planet who still rents films from Blockbuster) should I feel it deserves a walk to the store.

In saying that, a small script review for 'Rocky Balboa' showed up online via an AICN reader and, from what I've read thus far, this puppy appears to be heading straight for pay per view, if not cable. The actual review doesn't give away too much, aside from a rant on Sylvester Stallone's horrible grammar and vocabulary skills, however it does provide us with the basic plot. OK, here's where I'll shine my "Beware of SPOILERS" sign ...

One of the questions on my mind, story-wise, was why 'Rocky Balboa' is coming out of retirement to fight again? Well, without reciting the entire review, how about I just share this part with you: "Meanwhile, the rocket scientists at ESPN have designed a computer program that pits current fighters against the classics. After using CGI to pit Mason Dixon against the Philly slugger, 'analysts' realize they have a great fight on their hands." See, if Rocky would have decided to step back into the ring after producing a failed reality show ... wait, that is what happened. Nevermind. CGI rocks!

Holy crap, the dude is huge! While filming in the Bahamas last week, a few shots were taken of newly Bonded, Daniel Craig, as he played supermodel on some beach. For those naysayers who still feel Craig is a horrible choice to play everyone's favorite secret spy, then how about you just check out those rock solid abs. For a few other pics, you can go here and here. Casino Royale is scheduled to be released this November.

In other picture news, the first set photos from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix have arrived online and, while they're not as incredibly sexy as the Casino Royale pics, they're sure to excite the Potter fan in all of us. According to Coming Soon, the two images show the construction of Hagrid's Hut. From what we know right now, it appears Phoenix will be released sometime in November of 2007.

Hey, do you guys remember the movie Backdraft? It was about firemen, and I think they were sexy, and Donald Sutherland was pretty good in it, but not as good as he usually is, and Robert DeNiro was in it too, and there was a lot of coughing and crying, I think?

Right, so obviously that movie didn't really stick in my synapses too well. That's okay, because Eugene Mirman, one of my favorite comedians, made a sequel to Backdraft with his comedy pals Jon Benjamin and Sam Seder called Backdraft II: Backdraftier. It's completely unnecessary, and Mirman, like myself, recalls very little from the original movie. I don't think I've laughed this hard since I won that Laughing Contest at the 1987 Ohio State Fair. Take that, three-time Giggle Champion Maynerd Ferbenberger of Akron!

Anyway, you can watch the short film by clicking here.

[via The Onion AV Club blog]

Now that we're just about 24 hours away from Valentine's Day (or as some like to call it, "The worst semi-holiday ever invented"), it's about time we combine our love for film with our love for, well, love. The folks over at Something Awful have provided us with some very delicious Star Wars themed Valentine's Day cards for you to share with your favorite film geek come Tuesday night.

As the website proclaims, these cards "are more accessible to people that haven't left their basement since Episode III stopped showing at theaters." Mixing actual images from the films with sayings like, "What I really need is a droid who understands the binary language...of love," these cards are the perfect way to tell that someone special you care...about Star Wars.

[via Boing Boing]

I have no idea how we here at Cinematical managed to overlook the early installments of the now-completed Ninjas vs Pirates short, but I'm here to tell you that it's a work of rare genius. Had it been released in 2005, this sucker would have come in well behind The Squid and the Whale but just a bit ahead of Brokeback Mountain on my personal end-of-the-year list. Yes, it's just that good.

What is it? Well, apart from the obvious part about pirates and ninjas not getting along, it goes something like this: start with a healthy chunk of Romeo and Juliet, throw in dashes of The Matrix, Star Wars, Top Gun, and Rocky, and combine them with a healthy sense of humor and a non-existent effects budget., and you're on the right track. Basically, a pirate chick falls in love with a ninja, despite the fact that the two groups are eternally at war. Needless to say, all hell breaks loose, leaving the ninja (aided by Mattbeard, the pirate lass' nanny) little choice but to kill every single pirate that walks the earth. Just trust me and go watch it - it's not like you don't have 10 minutes to spare. Come on, it's Saturday!

[via Twitch]

For awhile now, all we've been hearing about the character Harvey "Two Face" Dent (as per his part in the next two Batman films) was that Liev Schreiber had all but locked up the role. Now, according to Batman on Film, it seems as if you can throw Josh Lucas' name into the mix. The actor, who has been quietly inching his way up the radar with films like Sweet Home Alabama and Wonderland,has also dipped into the Marvel universe with a role as baddie Glen Talbot in the movie version of the Hulk.

Lucas also has a prominent role in the soon-to-be-released Glory Road, as well the upcoming Poseidon remake. Could this be why they're going after him? Is Josh Lucas the next big thing? Personally, I think Schreiber would play a better Two Face, seeing as he easily has the ability to gofrom straight-laced to creepy in a matter of moments. Lucas, however, has this whole boy-next-door thing going on and I'm not so sure he can pull off the amount of depth required for the Two Face role.

Another possible problem with casting is that whoever signs on to that role will have to do so for two films, instead of one. From what we understand so far, Dent will not be making his actual transformation into Two Face until the third Batman installment. Who do you like better for the role - Lucas or Schreiber?

 

I don't even know if I should write this post because I'm not sure you can handle it. If true, this could possibly be some of the most explosive Star Trek news in some time. Not long ago, I told you how Patrick Stewart was talking up a new Trek film in which he would return to the holodeck as Captain Picard. My friends, that is just the beginning - things could get a whole lot crazier.

According to a scooper over at CanMag.com, there's rumors that, as previously reported, this new film will not be a prequel full of unknowns. In fact, it is said to take place in a "mirror" universe, where folks from the past, present and future can all hang out and talk shop. Yeah, you know what I'm about to say next, right? Word right now is that, not only will Picard be in the film, but Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Captain Archer (Scott Bakula). Bonkers!

Now, this "mirror universe" is nothing new to Star Trek; we've seen it before. But it would be very interesting to see the three Captains share the same screen. Apparently, this whole thing got started when Shatner turned down a role on Enterprise due to little money and the fact that he'd rather act in another film. I'd be real curious to see how you hardcore Trek fans feel about this, so have at it.

Now that blogging has officially become the new "cool" way to market a movie, it seems as if we no longer need to see the film once it comes out since the entire thing has already been shown to us over the course of a year and a half on that damn webpage. Between the interviews and the assortment of behind-the-scenes tours, these blogs are waging a tough battle against, what used to be, a sweet spoiler-free world.

The latest film to join in on the blogging fun is Rocky Balboa; Sylvester Stallone's ode to a sequel that should never have been made. Right now there's only one post up on their website and it features - you guessed it - a video of Stallone talking about the film. "Yo, like it came to me in a dream and stuff." If you're one of those people that are dying for tons of Rocky Balboa nonsense, then make certain you stay tuned to the blog which is sure to knock your socks off.

It looks like Harold and Kumar are coming back to a theater near you, however, this time they're not going to White Castle. The highly anticipated (depending on how stoned you are or were) Harold and Kumar go to Amsterdam appears to be on the fast track and Kal Penn (Kumar) told MTV that discussions are definitely underway. Totally awesome! Apparently there's an option that's about to expire forcing the filmmakers (who own the rights to the franchise) to put down the bong and get this movie made.

Penn also let on that a third Harold and Kumar may happen depending on how well the movies do in theaters and on DVD. He says, "I heard they were thinking about Vegas. John [Cho, who plays Harold] and I are both, obviously, committed to doing at least two more, but whether or not they happen is not up to us." Personally, I enjoyed the White Castle flick (kind of), but I cannot see them holding onto this shtick and keeping it funny for two more films. What do you think?

Robert Rodriguez (director of Sin City and official DGA nemesis) hosted an online chat tonight over at DVDFanatic and, while he avoided the questions dealing with "double dip" DVDs (ie: Why the hell did the studio release two Sin City DVDs just a couple of months apart?), he did provide us with some interesting details. Because we like to make things simple for you here on Cinematical, here are some of the "best of" moments from the chat:

No, that's not the name of the seventh Harry Potter book, but it may as well be seeing as our favorite teenage hero may be - dare I say it - making an appointment to meet with the Grim Reaper. According to Jim Dale, the voice behind Harry in the US audio books, not only has J.K. Rowling confirmed with him that the seventh book will mark the conclusion to the series, but that, after living with Harry for so long, she's pretty desperate to just kill him off.

Die? Harry Potter? Say it ain't so J.K. When asked recently whether Harry would reach adulthood (Sex? Drugs? What's adulthood?), Rowling said, "You have to wait and see if he survives to be a grown-up." Oh, if that's not toying with emotions, I don't know what is. Thing is - she's not the only one saying it. Potter himself (Daniel Radcliffe) has also claimed that there's a "possibility he could be killed in the final book." Conspiracy, you ask? Perhaps. Is that how you'd like to see the series end - with Harry dead? C'mon, get it all out now folks. It will be easier on you in the long run, trust me.

The first images of Sylvester Stallone as a bruised and battered Rocky Balboa have just surfaced through, of all places, ESPN. The pictures were taken before the Jermain Taylor-Bernard Hopkins fight this past Saturday at Manderlay Bay in Las Vegas. Although there are only two right now, it's enough to say that Stallone doesn't look all that bad for a 59-year old boxer. In the photos, it appears as if they were shooting some of the final scenes of the movie, as they are from the climactic fight between Rocky and the current Heavyweight Champ, Mason "The Line" Dixon.

In the second pic, there's even one of them trademark fight posters in the background featuring Rocky and Mason with a message that reads, "Will vs Skill." We also get a peak at Milo Ventimiglia as Rocky Jr. all dressed down in a black and gold jumpsuit. Rocky Balboa will tell the story of a widowed and retired Rocky who, for some reason, gets the urge to step into the ring one more time after challenging the current Heavyweight Champ to a fight.