JUNKFILM

While some sites like IEGN might claim that only the script is being talking about, it would seem that the latest installment of the rebooted Batman saga is setting up shop in Chicago, IL once again. A close source to Junk Film has quoted that not only the new Batman but a few other big name films are about to set up house (where the studio hires out to crew and extras) in the Windy City. A rumor circulated says the new film is going to be dubbed “The Caped Crusader”… Let’s hope to the cinema gods that that is only a working title.

By now, anyone who knows movies should know that stories are stolen all the time. A movie might steal a character architype, or a plot, or even the whole damn thing.  No movie, though, is nearly as evident as Disney’s The Lion King.

This is an old topic, but one I am utterly surprised when ever I bring up in conversations that people don’t know about. OK. let me clear the room now, DISNEY ARE FUCKING LIARS!

Whew, that felt good to get outta my system. They claimed that The Lion King was their original story… and America fell for it. But wait… wasn’t there a movie and tv series in the 60s called Kimba The White Lion? Oh I do believe there was. This guy writes on the topic with great enthusiasm and finds a lot of facts and facets that are fun to read about. I highly recommend checking it out if you’ve never heard of this VS match before.

And for your enjoyment, here are some pictures to prove just how dickish Disney is when they say The Lion King was all their idea.

Veronica Mars in ON!!
Great news for V.Mars fans. Joel Silver has money set aside so he can start producing the silver screen version capper to Veronica Mars. After it was unceremoniously ended, the story left off with alot of questions unanswered. Hopefully the movie can follow in the steps of Firefly and kick some ass.

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Chrystler wasting their bailout money on Terminator 4
It’s a sick country that allows companies begs for money from its government because it can’t maintain it’s own profits. Chrystler has spent most of their bailout money putting their emblem and cars into the new Terminator film. Not to mention all the asshole bank board of members giving themselves HUGE bonuses after they got their bailout money. These people are scum.

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Heath Ledger receives Oscar nomination one year to the day when he died

“Ledger, who died at age 28, became the seventh actor to earn a posthumous nomination in the history of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. If he wins, he will enter even more select company: Only Peter Finch, nominated for 1976’s “Network,” has ever been awarded an acting Oscar after his death.”

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New Wolverine Set Pics
A Flickr account has some new set photos up from the Wolverine reshoots this past week. Word is, DeadPool is going to be playing a much bigger role than previously indicated. Yay!
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Boba Fett Statue
A cartoony version of the Fett man is up for showing over at Entertainment Earth, which comes complete with a Han Solo in carbonite. Wicked good looking, but with a $120 price tag, this one may not be destined for my shelf.
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Star Wars Horror
I never thought about it before… but wouldn’t a horror story set in the Star Wars universe be awesome? A new book set in the Star Wars universe is a horror story…and I can’t say enough about the cover, click and check it out.
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New Hong Kong Movie….who cares…3D Sex!
That is right, ladies and gents a new films being made is having a 3D sex scene. We’ve all talked about it. All wanted to see it… and now, it’ll be here soon!!!

Stephen Shiu Jnr., chairman of One Dollar Production, said he would use special effects to make the love scenes in his 30 million-Hong Kong dollar (four million US) “3D Sex and Zen” as realistic as possible.

“The 3D erotica will probably be the world’s first,” he told the Sunday Morning Post.

“Just imagine that you’ll be watching it as if you were sitting beside the bed.”

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Gaiman announces director for GraveYard
Neil Gaiman announced today the director for the adaptation of his book, the GraveYard Book. The director is none other than Neil Jordan (Crying Game, Breakfast on Pluto, Good Thief). Hopes are high as they have been pre producing this for a while, he says, and they are ready to start shooting soon.
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Hey guys! Thank you for reading us at Junk Film, we really appreciate the comments, the readers and everything you do. It really warms our hearts when we read your comments and emails. Even if you don’t agree with us, that’s cool, that is the whole point. Regardless though, thank you all!

Ok, with all of you sending in your nomination guesses, I think it’s far and away by time I throw my own hat into the ring. I finally watched all the 5 best film nominations and have my secured locked votes for the films and awards:

Actor Leading Role: Brad Pitt for Benjamin Button
Actor Supporting Role: Heath Ledger for Dark Knight
Actress Leading Role: Meryl Streep for Doubt
Actress Supporting Role: Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler
Animated Feature: Wall-E
Art Direction: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Cinematography: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Costume Design: The Dutchess
Directing: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Documentary Feature: Man on Wire
Documentary short: The Witness
Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Foreign Language Film: The Class
Make Up: (the only one worth make up awards) HellBoy II - (although I think Button might take it)
Music Score: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Music Song: “Jai Ho” - Slumdog Millionaire…only because The Wreslter’s Bruce Springstein wasn’t listed
Best Picture: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Animated Short: This Way Up
Short Film Live Action: On the Line
Sound Editing: Wall-E
Sound Mixing: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Visual FX: Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Writing (adapted): Doubt (Although I have a HUGE fear Slumdog will win it)
Writing (original): Wall-E (though Milk and Happy-go-lucky are damn close)

Well, there it is. Want to try and beat me? Click here and comment your own winners…

With the names an films up for the nominations for the Oscars, a silent but select few are raising their hands and I am one of them.  We raise our hands slowly, yet defiantly.  Inside our hands is a sign with one acronym painted upon it.  That acronym is “WTF?”

Most of the nominations I agree with.  Benjamin Button and Wrestler were the best films of the year.   This I don’t argue.  But Slumdog Millionaire, I don’t see how the fuck anyone could have liked this.  My thought is that the only reason it’s up here is because the story takes place in a different culture and country… other than that, the movie is cliche to the 10th degree…

What the fuck was with the absence of Bruce Springstein’s song from The Wrestler?   WHILE… Slumdog gets two of it’s songs nominated in one category.  I do believe someone dropped the corndog on this one, folks.  And as fellow Junk Film writer, John writes: what the fuck was up withthe Make Up category?  Two of the 3 depended almost solely on CGI for their makeup, while the one that truly deserves the win, HellBoy II will more than likely not receive it.

More of our thoughts will be announced on Monday. …. Along with a special episode…a pre episode of Junk Film  NotLive… or a better title if I can think of one this weekend.  lol.  Peace homecats!

With yesterday’s benevolent display of great films, there is always a backlash… and today we present the Razzie (or worst films of the year) nominations. I love that Uwe Boll is on there twice for worst director.

STATS on RAZZIE® WORST PICTURE NOMINEES for 2008

Disaster Movie

6 Nominations: Worst Picture, Supporting Actress (2x) Rip-Off, Director(s) and Screenplay

Released: Aug. 29, 2008 by Lionsgate

Rotten Tomatoes Rating   98% Negative

Box Office $14,190,901

Budget $20 million (estimated)

(Recently Ranked #2 on IMDb’s Bottom 100 Worst Movies of All Time)

The Happening

4 Nominations: Worst Picture, Actor, Director and Screenplay

Released: June 13, 2008 by 20th Century-Fox

Rotten Tomatoes Rating  81% Negative

Box Office  $64,506,874

Budget  $48 million

The Hottie And The Nottie

5 Nominations: Worst Picture, Actress, Screen Couple, Director and Screenplay

Released  Feb. 8, 2008 by Regency Releasing

Rotten Tomatoes Rating  95% Negative

Box Office  $27,696

Budget  $2 million (estimated)

(Recently Ranked #17 on IMDb’s Bottom 100 Worst Movies of All Time)

In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale

5 Nominations: Worst Picture, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Director and Screenplay

Released  Jan. 11, 2008 by Boll KG

Rotten Tomatoes Rating  96% Negative

Box Office  $4,775,656

Budget   $60 million (estimated)

The Love Guru

5 Nominations: Worst Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor (2x) Director and Screenplay

Released  June 20, 2008 by Paramount

Rotten Tomatoes Rating   86% Negative

Box Office   $32,200,122

Budget   $62 million

Meet The Spartans

5 Nominations: Worst Picture, Supporting Actress, Rip-Off, Director(s) and Screenplay

Released   Jan. 25, 2008 by 20th Century-Fox

Rotten Tomatoes Rating   98% Negative

Box Office   $38,233,676

Budget   $20 million (estimated)

SOURCES: Internet Movie Database, Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office MoJo

Check out more bad movies at The Razzie Awards Page

Welcome back to the 2009 edition, that would make this the 5th yearly Academy Awards Game!!!  The yearly movie buff’s answer and win game!  Think you know the movies this year?

Here’s what you have to do…

The easiest way to see you answers is to post a comment on this blog posting with your answers, no emails, no telling me, just post a comment, tell your friends to post a comment with their answers too.  Look back at the Academy Awards Nominations Posting right beneath this one, and choose your selection for each category.  Copy and paste or rewrite the names out, but be specific on each answer.

Who is going to win the following categories? Copy and paste this list and fill in your answers:

Actor Leading Role:
Actor Supporting Role:
Actress Leading Role:
Actress Supporting Role:
Animated Feature:
Art Direction:
Cinematography:
Costume Design:
Directing:
Documentary Feature:
Documentary short:
Editing:
Foreign Language Film:
Make Up:
Music Score:
Music Song:
Best Picture:
Animated Short:
Short Film Live Action:
Sound Editing:
Sound Mixing:
Visual FX:
Writing (adapted):
Writing (original):

Good luck!

Ah!  The film elitist’s favorite time of year: the winter.  Bringing the best films of the year to the forefront and showcasing Hollywood for all it’s truly talented.  Today at 6:30 am the Academy has finished and announced their choices for the award nominations.  The names and nominations are as follows:

Richard Jenkins
THE VISITOR

Frank Langella
FROST/NIXON

Sean Penn
MILK

Brad Pitt
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Mickey Rourke
THE WRESTLER

Josh Brolin
MILK

Robert Downey Jr.
TROPIC THUNDER

Philip Seymour Hoffman
DOUBT

Heath Ledger
THE DARK KNIGHT

Michael Shannon
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Anne Hathaway
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

Angelina Jolie
CHANGELING

Melissa Leo
FROZEN RIVER

Meryl Streep
DOUBT

Kate Winslet
THE READER

Amy Adams
DOUBT

Penélope Cruz
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

Viola Davis
DOUBT

Taraji P. Henson
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Marisa Tomei
THE WRESTLER

BOLT

KUNG FU PANDA

WALL-E

CHANGELING

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DARK KNIGHT

THE DUCHESS

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

CHANGELING

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DARK KNIGHT

THE READER

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

AUSTRALIA

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DUCHESS

MILK

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

FROST/NIXON

MILK

THE READER

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)

ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD

THE GARDEN

MAN ON WIRE

TROUBLE THE WATER

THE CONSCIENCE OF NHEM EN

THE FINAL INCH

SMILE PINKI

THE WITNESS - FROM THE BALCONY OF ROOM 306

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DARK KNIGHT

FROST/NIXON

MILK

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

The Baader Meinhof Complex

The Class

Departures

Revanche

Waltz With Bashir

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DARK KNIGHT

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

DEFIANCE

MILK

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

WALL-E

“Down to Earth”
WALL-E

“Jai Ho”
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

“O Saya”
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

FROST/NIXON

MILK

THE READER

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

La Maison en Petits Cubes

LAVATORY - LOVESTORY

OKTAPODI

PRESTO

THIS WAY UP

AUF DER STRECKE (ON THE LINE)

MANON ON THE ASPHALT

NEW BOY

THE PIG

SPIELZEUGLAND (TOYLAND)

THE DARK KNIGHT

IRON MAN

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

WALL-E

WANTED

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DARK KNIGHT

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

WALL-E

WANTED

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DARK KNIGHT

IRON MAN

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

DOUBT

FROST/NIXON

THE READER

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

FROZEN RIVER

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

IN BRUGES

MILK

WALL-E

Ok, I know. I know. It’s not a movie. But, I figured since HBO is going to shoot a pilot for it and adapt the book into a possible tv show, then it makes it valid for me to talk about it here.

Neil Gaimen’s (best known author of Sandman, Neverwhere, and Death, comics and novels) “The Graveyard Book” is freaking outstanding. I had seen the book cover every so often in book stores and online, never giving it a second thought when glancing at it. I picked it up once, read the back jacket, thought it sounded too kiddy. But Neil’s name kept probing my mind, like “Junk, pick me up. You love Sandman, why not give something else a try?”

I put it out of my mind as fast as it came in. Until one day, when I was posting a blog on my old blog site and my good friend Bob wrote to me and suggested I read this. He even said he would buy it for me and ship it out before Xmas. Bob’s opinion has always been one of high esteem to me. I value his thoughts, beliefs, and ideas. If he thought it was that good, then, shit, it had to be.

I told my girlfriend, Andy about what Bob had told me, and she, without missing a beat said, “Maybe he shouldn’t get it for you,” smiled, and walked away. I wrote back to Bob telling him that Andy had already bought it for me for Xmas.

After I opened the book, I poured over it for days… I’m a slow reader, it’s big font and only 300 some pages. Just finished the book last night and I could not promote it more. I loved it.

The story revolves around a young baby who escapes certain doom at the hands of a serial murderer who has slain the baby’s family. The baby strolls off, crawling away and finds itself in a cemetery. The ghosts come out and take care of the child, raising him as one of their own. It’s a beautiful look into how we all grow up and how our environment creates who we are inside. And best of all, and I will have to quote Bob on this one because I think he nailed it right on the head, “I like Gaimen because his stories and elegant, well written, and he never talks down to kids.” I have to agree. I like kids’ stories. The have an innocence and wonder about them. However, with the grand majority of kids’ books, they talk down to kids, thinking the kids who are reading them are not keen on the world around them.

I highly recommend the book, “The Graveyard Book” and look forward, anxiously, for the pilot to be produced.

Congratulations Maggie D.!  You successfully answered all 15 questions correctly and were the first person to email us with all 15 answers.

1. It was Earth all along and not another planet when a famous American statue is found. - Planet of the Apes
2. Anakin is Luke’s father. - Star Wars (Empire Strikes Back)

3. Verbal is Keyser Soze - Usual Suspects
4. The therapist is a ghost. - Sixth Sense
5. Tyler Durden isn’t real. - Fight Club
6. Rosebud was a sled. - Citizen Kane

7. Neo really is the ONE. - Matrix (specifically part 3)

8. The Killer’s mother is a part of his split personality. - Psycho
9. 299 Die, except… - 300
10. She was really dead all along and the ghosts are alive. - The Others
11. It’s made out of people. - Soylent Green

12. They really just lived on a modern day nature reserve. - The Village
13. The policeman is sacrificed by the villagers. - Wickerman
14. Dil is actually a man. - Crying Game

BONUS - Kristin Shot J.R.  - Dallas

So Congrats!  And here is your prize, randomly picked from the award bucket!

A Criterion Collection edition of Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket! To be honest this was one of the cooler prizes in the Junk Film prize bucket, so big congrats to you, Maggie! Keep reading!