Casting Couch: Part Three

Ever since his cinematic masterpiece Heat, Michael Mann has always been on my radar when going to the cinema for a flick.

Now rumors are swirling that Mann and Johnny Depp are teaming up for the big screen adaptation of Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34. DiCaprio was supposed to be the lead, but bowed out to be a part of Scorcese's next crime drama, Shutter Island.

Speaking of Shutter Island, movie legend Ben Kingsley has joined the cast. The movie revolves around a U.S. marshall (DiCaprio) who is sent to the remote New England island in summer 1954 to investigate the disappearance of a patient from the island's prison/mental hospital. Kingsley will play the mental hospital's chief physician.

Thoroughbred dime-piece Molly Sims has also been added to the Jim Carey vehicle, Yes Man. The story revolves around a man who says yes to everything for one year (couldn't the studios have just called this Liar Liar 2?).

Late Night in Peril

It has been over a month since the big late night programs have returned to work, and now the psychological and financial effects are starting to make their appearance known.

NBC has laid off 120, count em', 120 staffers for "The Tonight Show." To confirm what I have thought all along, insanely corny (and now apparently cheap) Jay Leno was not going to pay the laid off workers out of his pocket, until threats of a PR nightmare.

Maybe he took a cue from the man who will supersede him. Conan O'Brien, who had a feeling his crew would be getting laid off, vowed to pay his staff out of his own pocket before any news was reported.

Late Night writers have voiced admiration for such a loyal move.

Staying in the "Cone Zone," Conan has posted a video blog unveiling his "strike beard." Cabin fever has hit the late night host.

David Letterman is also starting to get the jitters. Reports are funneling that Late Show show runners are attempting to gather guests, implying that Letterman might have all new shows starting as early as next week (scroll down to 11/29/07 9:55 a.m.).

The Joke is on us

The viral marketing for The Dark Knight has been kicked up a notch. And by a notch, I mean a marketing campaign that has left an Internet trail so large, Warner Brothers might have Chris Hansen on their tail.

It first started with whysoserious.com, where fans were sent on a scavenger hunt in major cities to put together a clue.

When the hunt was completed, a new picture of the Joker was revealed as well as a link to rorysdeathkiss.com, and yet another scavenger hunt.

Now there is TheGothamTimes.com, a four-page faux newspaper that uses news stories to present the overall plot and atmosphere of the setting for the next Batman flick.

On top of this paper, there are also links found within the paper, particularly the Ha Ha Ha Times, which seems to be the same paper except altered by the Joker.

Here are the other faux sites that were revealed in the site:
We Are The Answer
Gotham National Bank
Remembering Gina
Gotham Police Department
Gotham City Rail

Also, Empire magazine is slowly revealing a picture of the Joker here....

Expect the first official trailer for The Dark Knight to be before the Will Smith vehicle, I Am Legend

Ready To Exhale?

Could the squabbles between writers and the studios be over soon? Nikki Finke of the highly reliable Deadline Hollywood Daily has a source that says a deal is about to be met.

"As the WGA strike begins its 4th week, I've been told positive news about today's resumption of contract talks between the writers and the producers. So positive, in fact, that I'm almost fearful to post it. But here goes: a very reliable source tells me that there appears to be a deal seemingly in place between both sides."

This is terrific news considering that I am completely zoned into shows that are currently in production, including...

Dexter - Gina Bellafante wrote a great article in the New York Times about this loveable serial killer who's episode last week broke Showtime's ratings record.

Californication - This show revolves around a gifted author who lets drugs, alcohol and sex get in the way of his writing. While the Red Hot Chili Peppers recently filed a lawsuit against Showtime for the name of the program, here is a great article on why Californication is the perfect show to watch during the strike.

Lost - Filming is suppose to come to a halt on November 30th because of the strike, but maybe this resolution on the horizon is taken from the hit shows "webisodes."

I will keep you posted on the latest speculation regarding the strike, as well as its effect on these shows.

Isn't it Iconic?

Entertainment Weekly has released their list of the 50 Greatest Television Icons Of All Time. Since Hollywood is in a proverbial slap fight, let's take a nastalgic reflection of the good old days. Here are some highlights from the list.

#42. James Gandolfini. While nearly every Sopranos fan hated the series finale, I thought it was brilliant. Then again, I am a colossal television geek.

#32. Henry Winkler. This is an atrocity, flat out. How is EW going to tell me that Arthur "Fonz" Fonzarelli, the man who literally jumped a shark, is not in the top ten? I almost quit this countdown on morals alone.

#25. Heather Locklear. Shwing.

#16. David Letterman. A staple of American television, Letterman is hilarious and timeless. In other words, he makes Leno look like an anxiety-ridden 16-year-old doing stand up at open mic night.

#1. Johnny Carson. While Mr. Late Night was a little before my time, his Best Of series is in my collection. He owned that stage and had his audience hook, line and sinker.

Behind the Picket Lines

While Los Angeles is known for its warm weather, shoulders are getting awfully cold when dealing with communication between the studio execs and the WGA.

20th Century Fox and CBS Paramont are beginning the process of taking legal action against the striking writers on grounds of breach of contract. This hardball tactic is not going to ease any tension that is already in place, nor will it stop my ever-growing frustration against those greedy big wigs running the studio.

A slew of actors are joining the picket lines to show support. One of my favorite new show's leading actors, David Duchovny (star of Californication), as well as Robin Williams have joined the picket lines. The cast of Everybody Loves Raymond and Lost producer Damon Lindelof have also voice support.

Some good news for Lost fans however. Mobisodes, mini episodes of Lost (between 2-3 minutes) are being posted on ABC's official site for the show. They will be weekly and continue until the series returns in February (hopefully).

An Inconvenient Strike

While it is only officially day two of the strike that is putting the squeeze on Hollywood, battle lines are already being drawn and the casualties are mounting.

Matt Groening (The Simpsons), Larry David (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiam), and the cast of Grey's Anatomy have joined the pickets lines to show their allegiance to the Writers Guild Of America.

Strikers implemented a new battle tatic by tapping into the walkie talkies during production of ABC's show Big Shots to throw off production.

Casualties of the strike include 24, Law and Order: SVU, Pushing Daisies, The Office and a slew of new shows including Dirty Sexy Money.

A potential John Wayne figure is emerging from the battle fields of this strike...

Writers Unite!

And so the strike begins.....
The Writers Guild of America and studio executives could not reach a deal. Here are some reactions and news.

The LA Times has posted a rundown on how hit television series will be affected. All late night programs like The Daily Show, Late Night With David Letterman and The Conan O'Brien show will all go to repeats. Lost is only expected to have eight of its 16 episodes complete.

Tina Fey picketed outside of 30 Rock in protest.

John Stewart will pay his writer's salaries for the next two weeks to help the strikers financially.

Shawn Ryan, writer for the critically acclaimed FX series The Shield, has posted his reasons for going on strike. It is a good inside look and should help with a perspective to the strike.

While I am on the writers side of this argument, my fingers are crossed for a quick resolution

Good News and Bad News

With the writer's strike less than a day away, major studios have released a "pre-strike short list" of films that will be made during the strike.

Bad news first. One of my top three favorite novels, Shantaram, will not be converted into film during the strike. Shantaram is about a Australian heroin addict who escapes a maximum-security prison and flees to Bombay, only to work for the mafia, be tortured in prison, set up a free medical clinic, and ultimately, find himself.

Russell Crowe and Johnny Depp had a fierce bidding war for movie rights to the film, with Depp winning. This 900+ page epic would have been great with Depp in the lead role.

Now on to the good news. The ridiculously awesome Casino Royale is getting the respect it deserves with Bond 22 to begin filming in a month.

Everyone's favorite mutant, Wolverine, will get a back story when Wolverine: Origins is made in December.

While The Da Vinci Code was a stinker, Angels and Demons (the far better novel) is being made. Tom Hanks is rumored to have received $50 million for his return.

Tricks and Treats

It is that wonderful time of year when I can dress up like an idiot and ladies can dress as seductively as humanly possible. It is also that time of year for some serious viral marketing.

Take for instance whysoserious.com, a website that is affiliated with the upcoming Batman Begins sequel, The Dark Knight. That candle has been dimming for the last week and just today the pumpkin started to rot on the right side only. It kind of reminds me of a certain Batman villain....

Also out this week is the official trailer for the futuristic vampire flick, I Am Legend. Will Smith plays the last human being on Earth who attempts to fend off vampires will creating a cure. This is up there on my "can't wait" list.

Cinematical.com has released a list of their hottest horror hotties. While I agree with Neve Cambell being on the list, where the hell is Jaime Lee Curtis?

"Voted Most Like Dexter"

As said earlier in this blog I dropped the bombshell that a writer of Dexter was coming to talk to my TV/Radio Broadcasting and Programing Management course. Last Friday, Tim Slotsman "voted most like Dexter" by his fellow writers) came and dropped dimes of important knowledge on my class.

Slotsman earned a master's in speech communication before heading to Hollywood. Before writing for shows such as Roseanne and Smallville, Slotsman started as a production assistant and writer's assitant.

"You start out being the whipping boy of every assignment," Slotsman said. "You have to know how to adapt."

Slotsman also offered some insight on how the actual production of shows goes.

"Once a company purchases rights for an idea, a producer usually hires writers he knows and trusts. After a pilot is made, it is either picked up or cancelled."

Slotsman has been part of Dexter since the idea was brought up. He is one of six writers of the show and shares writing duties for main plots of the season, as well as two entire episodes.

"The six of us sit down and start 'spitballing' ideas," Slotsman said. "After we make a timeline for for each character, we start making actual scripts.

Slotsman is part of the Writer's Guild of America, which plans to go on strike on November 1st. This would put a halt on any scripts and will inevitably put a halt to many television shows as well as films.

"Studios made $2 billion on DVD sales and internet sales last year. As of now writers are not seeing a dime of that money."

Hopefully Slotsman and his fellow writers can get a share of that so I can keep watching my favorite serial killer.

No Blog For You!

It is hard to argue that Seinfeld is not the greatest sitcom of all time, but it is insanely easy to argue the best episodes.

A poll conducted by The Hollywood News has found that the top three episodes of Seinfeld are:
1. The Soup Nazi
2. The Bubble Boy
3. The Opposite

While these are all appropriate and phenomenal pieces of television work, three others stand out for me:

3. The Hamptons - Season 5 - Episode 85. What does it take to ruin a gorgeous weekend at the beach? Apparently a grotesque baby (Jerry: Boy, a little too much chlorine in that gene pool.) and a quick dip in frigid water (Elaine: It shrinks? Jerry: Like a frightened turtle!).

2. The Marine Biologist - Season 5 - Episode 78. Seinfeld is known for its interweaving story lines, but the fact that George saved the life of the whale that Kramer shot a "hole in one" on is classic.

1. The Contest - Season4 - Episode 51. It still amazes me that a show about four friends wagering on who could be master of their domain the longest would pass on prime-time television.

The Best Show You're Not Watching

I am as giddy as a Swedish chunky-boy at a chocolate factory. This Friday in my Broadcast/Cable Programming and Management class, one of the writers for the best show you are not watching, Dexter, is coming to talk with my class about writing in Hollywood.

Dexter follows the life of Dexter Morgan (played with brilliance by Michael C. Hall), who is a serial killer who kills other serial killers. After a horrific experience as a child, Dexter is adopted by a detective who teaches our anti-hero a positive way to vent his inner demons. Let the fun begin.

Set in the beautiful backdrop of Miami, Dexter must balance his quadrouple life as a vigilante killer, boyfriend, brother, and (believe it or not) cop.

While season two is already three weeks in, have no fear, Dave is here!

I stumbled across tv-links.co.uk looking for a website that provides streaming videos of my favorite shows. It has just about any program you can think of and is completely free. I implore you to watch Dexter.

Geek Out!

I have to be honest, Star Trek never tickled my fancy. It seemed like a campy cheese-fest for sickly dudes with skin issues. However, my favorite Hollywood heavy-hitter J.J. Abrams and his production company, Bad Robot, are developing a remake.

So far the cast includes:"Heroes" villain Sylar, Zachary Quino as Spock; Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog) as Chekov and the ridiculously gorgeous Zoe Saldana as Uhura.

Now is seems Abrams and company have found their villain and Captain Kirk. Eric Bana, who has had some recent stinkers at the box office, will play the villain Nero. Dark Horizons is reporting that tween' romantic-comedy star Chris Pine will be playing Captain Kirk.

Speaking of campy cheese-fest, some news that I am emotionally invested in! Thunder, thunder, Thundercats HOOOOOO! One of my favorite cartoons growing up is getting the CG face lift. Warner Brothers has signed Jerry O'Flahtery to directed the new feature that is an origin story with a plot focusing on Lion-O becoming leader of the feline heroes.

Casting Couch: Part Deux

Some interesting casting rumors have been fluttering around the web, and I grabbed that big-old butterfly net and caught them for you.

Everyones favorite fanboy site, Ain't it Cool News, is reporting that Vin Diesel is negotiations to play the Terminator in the fourth installment due out in 2009. The story supposidly follows John Connors rise as the leader of the remaining human race.

I previously discussed the casting for Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal in the war drama: Brothers. Now it seems the stunning Natalie Portman has joined the cast as Gyllenhaal's wife. Fingers are crossed that she will be wearing the same outfit from Closer.

Bradley Cooper (Zack "Sack" Lodge from Wedding Crashers) has been added to the Jim Carrey vehicle Yes Man. The film follows a man who says yes to everything for an entire year. Cooper will be playing Carrey's best friend.

Now it is time to let those rumors go free so we can catch more later.

Rockies Mountain High

What an amazing game. My Colorado Rockies have just came back from a two-run deficit in the bottom of the 13th inning to advance to the playoffs for the first time since 1995. In honor of my boys, I am offering my top five baseball films of all time.

5. The Natural. Robert Redford delivers a tour-de-force performance in this period piece. The last five minutes of this film will leave you breathless.

4. The Sandlot. This feel-good coming of age tale has everything you want in a childrens film, except Dennis Leary as a dad.

3. The Babe. John Goodman as the greatest baseball player of all time? Don't mind if I do!

2. Field Of Dreams. While I think that Kevin Costner is one of the most overrated actors of all time, this is one of those rare films where it is okay to shed a man-tear.

1. Major League. I quote this movie at least once a week. From Rick Wild Thing Vaughn, to Willie Mays Hayes, the characters keep this classic comedy roaring. "This ain't the penal leagues!"

Go Rockies!

Fuck the Use of Bad Language

Last Friday my stomping ground's school paper published the words "Fuck Bush" in huge letters in the editorial section. Because of my deep hatred for the worst president of all time, I don't see what the big deal is. I guess the word "fuck" seems to ruffle some feathers, but not mine.

In dedication for the greatest expletive of all time, here are the top five films that drop the f-bomb the most.

#5. Jarhead - 2005 - Number of Fucks Spoken: 335. Length: 123 mins. Fucks Per Minute 2.72
-This war drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jaime Foxx might have received mixed reviews due to the fact that it is a war film missing the war, but it is not missing the "f-bomb."

#4. Alpha Dog - 2007 - NFS: 267. Length:118 mins. FPM: 3.11.
While no one wants to see Sharon Stone in a fat suit, the use of "witness numbering" and stellar settings boost this bad drama to a mediocre. Plus, hearing a former mouseketteer say "fuck" over 40 times is pretty entertaining.

#3. Casino - 1995 - NFS: 398. Length: 178 mins. FPM: 2.24.
Sharon Stone in the countdown twice? Never mind that fallen star, Casino is the best film in this countdown. I can guarantee Joe Pesci accounts for more than half of the f-bombs said.

#2. Nil By Mouth - 1997 - NFS: 428. Length:128 mins. FPM: 4.43.
Written and directed by actor Gary Oldman, this movie revolves around a middle-class family living in the industrial district in London. I guess "bloody" doesn't have the same effect anymore.

# 1. Fuck - 2005 - NFS: 824. Length: 93 mins. FPM: 8.86.
This documentary covers the expletives history, origin and social impact with commentaries from actors and comedians. It was dedicated to Hunter Thompson who committed suicide shortly after production wrapped. Far-Fucking Out!

When Dave Met His Feminine Side

I have a confession to make. While laying in bed, ready to turn in for the night, I stumbled upon a film I have never seen before. While I am always up for a new film, this one was detrimental to my manhood. Yes ladies and gentlemen, it was When Harry Met Sally.

Okay, let the stones be thrown. For a 22-year-old male to watch this movie from start to finish without a lady friend next to them is completely unacceptable. I get it, I understand. But in my defense, let me offer three reasons why I should get a free pass for this sissy-boy deed.

One, Billy Crystal is a funny guy. Forget that it was a "romantic comedy." Crystal offers a great performance as a depressed city guy and his lines and delivery are spot on.

Two, the cinematography is excellent. The backdrop of New York City in the four seasons is the perfect compliment to the dialogue. From Harry and Sally's stroll through City Park in the fall, from the glitzy New Year's Eve Party, it is a wonderfully shot piece.

Third, the infamous "fake orgasm" scene. Shot in Katz's Deli, an actual restaurant on New York's E. Houston Street, Sally proves to Harry that women are terrific actors. This scene was not in the script and was actually suggested by Meg Ryan. Fun fact: the women who says "I'll have what she's having" is director Rob Reiner's mother.

There you have it, my defense for watching a movie intended for everything but a 22-year-old college student.

Casting Couch: Part One

This blog will start an ongoing series where I will provide the latest information of new castings. So take a seat on the casting couch and be ready to have your mind blown.

Good news for all the ladies out there. It turns out that The Notebook star Ryan Gosling is the top choice for Batman/Bruce Wayne in the new Justice League film. Other casting rumors have Ryan Reynolds laying The Flash and Smallville's Tom Welling as Superman.

Tobey Maguire and and Jake Gyllenhaal have been cast as brothers in the film, Brothers. The story revolves around one brother who is sent to fight in Afghanistan while the other stays and takes care of his kin's family.

I have been going nuts in anticipation for the Michael Mann produced The Kingdom due out next Friday. One of those reasons happens to be the gorgeous Jennifer Garner, who has just joined the cast of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. This romantic comedy takes a fresh look at Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" and replaces ghosts of Christmas past with you guessed it, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

Part two of this amazing series will be posted shortly.

Let's Get Serious

As autumn falls upon us we can officially say goodbye to the summer movie season. This year's batch can be summed up in a couple of points.

Deadline Hollywood has created a list of the "don'ts" learned from this summer such as: Don’t forget that Judd Apatow is officially now a mogul (Knocked Up, Superbad), don't make expensive comedies (Evan Almighty, the most expensive comedy ever made bombed), and don't make movies starring Lindsay Lohan.

After a summer's worth of truly terrible sequels (Spider-Man 3), the best sequel of 2007 has to be The Bourne Ultimatum.

Now it is time to switch gears to Oscar season. In the next few months studios will be releasing their dramas that have the gold statue on their mind. Eastern Promises, starring Viggo Mortenson, is out Friday and just coming off a win for the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival.

Also out soon is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck.

Speaking of awards, congratulations to The Sopranos and Terry O'Quinn for their Emmy wins last night.

Blast From The Past

Nostalgia seems to be the rage in Hollywood. Due to the impending writers strike, companies in the industry are flocking to the idea that original and new creative ventures are not the most financial promising ventures to go on. For instance...

According to The New York Times John Stewart will be returning as host of the Academy Awards. Stewart received mixed reviews for his last outing as ringmaster for Hollywood's shinning award ceremony.

Fight Club can easily be hailed as one of the top films of our generation. Those who witnessed the masterpiece in the theaters can attest to the remarkable acting of Brad Pitt and Ed Norton. Reports claim that the two actors will be acting side by side in the upcoming flick State Of Play, a film that 'revolves around the relationship between a politician (Norton) and a journalist (Pitt) whose friendship is tested by a murder investigation.'

For those of you who are feeling nostalgic about what great television is (Lost), can take solice in the fact that the Symphonic Orchestra of Honolulu is going to play the entire soundtrack of the hit show Lost (by Michael Giacchino) with Terry O'Quinn (John Locke) narrating passages from the hit show.

I Love The 80's

Hey, remember the 80's? Slap bracelets, Trapper Keepers, and shoes that lit up were all the rage. While these might never comeback into fashion, it seems Hollywood is going into that magical decade for some new films.

SpielberFilms.com is reporting that the official name of the fourth Indiana Jones installment will be "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Harrison Ford will be reprising his role as the adventurer, with Shia LaBeouf (Transformers) and Cate Blanchett (Lord of the Rings) coming along. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has a projected release date of May 22, 2008.

Robert Downey was one of the most celebrated members of the "Brat Pack," until he started hitting the slopes in the middle of July and was in jail more than in films. However, the 42-year-old actor is on a bit of a comeback. Here is the first trailer for his upcoming hero-epic Ironman. Ironman follows Tony Stark, a weapons manufacturer who builds an unstoppable suit to fight crime.

The first Batman movie starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson was released in 1989 and absolutely slayed at the box office. The anticipated sequel to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, has had some photos leaked on the net. Check out Heath Ledger as the Joker here (just scroll down).

How The West Was Lost

After watching the heartbreaking defeat my Colorado State Rams took on Saturday morning, I truly thought that the underdog will never win (especially when we throw the chance away). Now that I have washed my tear-soaked pillow cases and burned my ticket stub, I have gotten over the horrendous loss and am ready to move on. In hopes to assist my fellow Rams in their grieving, I have some news on television and movies that have to do with underdogs and their pursuit to defeat their respective goliaths.


Those who enjoyed watching Jason Bourne defeat an entire government agency with pens, dishrags and textbooks in the Bourne trilogy will be thoroughly excited that according to Dark Horizons, Dan Bradley, the stunt coordinator and second unit director of the last two Bourne films has been hired by Sony Pictures to do the same for the next Bond installment. Bradely has also done work for the new Indiana Jones movie as well.


The main editor, "Ari", of The Aspect Ratio has released a script review from the upcoming Speed Racer adaptation. The Wachowski brothers (Bound, Matrix Trilogy) are directing the G-rated flick with Emile Hirsch (Alpha Dog, The Girl Next Door) as Speed, John Goodman and Susan Sarandon as Ma and Pa, Christina Ricci as Trixie, and Matthew Fox (Lost) as Racer X.


Perhaps the show with last TV season's greatest season finale, Lost, might have the greatest off season when it comes to casting. So far J.J. Abrams and company have cast five new 'losties', all seasoned acting veterans. Jeremy Davies (the coward translator in Saving Private Ryan), Ken Leung (The Sopranos), English actress Rebecca Mader, Lance Reddick (The Wire), and Jeff Fahey (The Lawn Mower man) have all crash landed on the mysterious island. My best bet is that Mr. Fahey will be playing the role of 'Jacob' because of this picture. Lost Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse talked to Entertainment Weekly about their casting.

Our Rams could take a lesson or two from these shows, they might just bounce back and come up with an upset of their own against Cal.

Citizen Dave

Hello fellow JT326ers',
My name is Dave Welch and I am a super-senior pursuing degrees in both technical journalism and speech communication. Being from the stinkiest town in the United States (Greeley, Colo.), I sought refuge from the methane-drenched outdoor air by heading to the nearest cinema. I have always been a colossal movie geek and now I can study the field of film with my media studies concentration from my speech major.

With several journalism classes under my belt, I hope to report the latest news and reviews from Hollywood with purpose, percision and patience. I check numerous film dedicated websites daily, including: Rotten Tomatoes, The Internet Movie Database, and The Movie Web.

Aside from film, I am also an avid outdoors man. In the summer I hike, rock climb, raft and camp. In the winter I attempt to get at least thirty days of skiing in. Music is also an integral part of my life (you will not see me without my ipod), as well as my friends (and the pubs we go to). You can learn more about me by checking out my Facebook page as well.

I hope this blog will help you with your inquiries into the latest news for movies!