One of the benefits of living on the East Coast (besides being … home), is that it allows me a three-hour jump on Hollywood and the time needed to do what I hope will become a regular feature and, of course, forever change the face of Hollywood as we know it.
First off, I would be remiss if I did not thank Associate Editor Alex Marlow and all the contributors who gave me great peace of mind during my cross-country move. Big Hollywood didn’t miss a step while I was away. A great job was done by all. Also, a big, BIG thanks to Andrew Breitbart and his business partner Laurence Solov for simply saying “yes,” when I asked about moving home and, most importantly, for creating the kind of work environment I was eager to return to.
The Morning Call Sheet is planned as a new Monday through Friday feature that will be a sort-of summary/round up of the day’s big news from Hollywoodland, as well as other things as they come up. While the marquee is mostly devoted to the intersection of pop culture and politics, the Morning Call Sheet will give you a rundown of that as well as the day’s straight entertainment news. The hope here is to eventually turn this into a regular newsletter. With help and input from others, the Morning Call Sheet is likely to change and evolve over time. Meaning: tips and suggestions can either be noted in the comments or emailed to jnolte@breitbart.com.
But for now, it’s inauguration time…
Transformers, Horrible Bosses, and The Zookeeper are doing well. As if movie stars aren’t already having enough trouble (see below), two star-driven vehicles have flopped miserably. The duo of Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks has already collapsed in week 2 and Jim Carrey’s latest is DOA in week 4.
—ANDREW KLAVAN’S FINAL CHAPTER OF HIS “HOMELANDER” SERIES, “THE FINAL HOUR,” IS ALREADY AVAILABLE AT AMAZON. SOME EARLY REVIEWS HERE.
The Homelander trilogy is not only an exciting, extremely well-written, page-turner of a series (even though they’re written for young adults, I read the first two with little difficulty), it’s the rare fiction novel any parent who believes in God, America, and the evil of terrorism can hand to a child without worrying that after they close the back cover, they will demand you throw away your 100 watt light bulbs.
Conservatives looking for quality entertainment that fits their values, need look no further. Read chapter one here. Even better news … a film version is in the works.
—CUBA SHOOTS ITS FIRST ZOMBIE MOVIE ‘JUAN OF THE DEAD‘
Supposedly the story has something to do with immigration, which is probably the least of Cuba’s worries.
In the film, Havana is overrun by Zombies while’s Cuba’s Commie leaders insist it’s just a plot by US-backed dissidents to bring down the government. It is up to the hero Juan to rid the island of the undead for money. But as the zombie outbreak begins to spread, he is left with no choice but to fight for his own survival.
According to Bruges…
“It’s a zombie film but it’s about Cubans and how we react in the face of a crisis because we’ve had a lot of them here over the last 50 years[.]”
“It is a social comedy, it has a bit of everything. It has horror, it has action and it pretty much laughs in the face of problems.”
In other words, hilarity ensues.
Watch the trailer here.
—OH-SO LIBERAL HOLLYWOOD UNDERCUTTING UNIONS?
Say it isn’t so:
Judging from this summer’s output of star-free studio movies, the major difference between the sports world and Hollywood is that showbiz moguls have actually found a way to promote their product without having to rely on the costliest element in the talent equation — the star. “X-Men” and “Transformers” are saleable brands, even without a big name on the marquee. The studios are operating a lot like small-market sports teams like the Tampa Bay Rays — they’re building box-office behemoths using younger, comparatively underpaid talent. …
“It may not be as dramatic as what’s happening in sports, but we’re seeing a steady effort on the part of the studios to erode the status and union power of writers, actors and directors,” he said. “In the feature-writing business, quotes don’t mean anything anymore – -now the studios work backwards from what they’re willing to pay for a job, and if you don’t take the offer, they move on. The size of writing staffs are smaller. The studios are chipping away at everything involving talent.”
More proof, that the era of the movie star is coming to an end. Other than Adam Sandler, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, and Sandra Bullock, stars are no longer the draw. Concept is. One reason for this is that America simply doesn’t like their movie stars as much as they once did. It’s just a fact that they lack the powerful charisma and mystery stars of the past possessed in ways that made them immortal. There are many reasons for this, but just for starters, rather than simply advocate for their own beliefs, too many of today’s celebrities openly insult those who dare disagree — which has done permanent damage to the overall brand.
John Garfield might have flirted with communism, but he never called me a Nazi.
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QUICK HITS
—TRAILER FOR THE NEW ADAM/MADAM SANDLER FILM? OR… IS SANDLER PUNKING CRITICS?
—PRODUCTION VIDEO FROM “THE HOBBIT”
–-“DARK KNIGHT RISES” TRAILER TO SCREEN AHEAD OF “HARRY POTTER”?
—COOL POSTER FOR “SHERLOCK HOLMES” SEQUEL
—INTERNATIONAL TRAILER FOR STEVEN SPIELBERG/PETER JACKSON “TINTIN”
—ANOTHER IMMORTAL PIECE OF CINEMA HISTORY SCHEDULED TO BITE THE DUST
—THE SITUATION HAS A SITUATION
—‘GI JOE 2’ HAS A VILLAIN: FIREFLY
—HAVE WE REACHED THE END OF ‘TRANSFORMERS’?
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CLASSIC PICK FOR TUESDAY JULY 12TH
6:00 PM EST Jailhouse Rock (1957) — After learning to play the guitar in prison, a young man becomes a rock ‘n roll sensation. Dir: Richard Thorpe Cast: Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy. BW-96 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format
Tomorrow evening, Turner reminds us that before celebrity and narcotics and Hal B. Wallis got a hold of him, once upon a time Elvis Presley was not only a promising young actor but also the coolest man on the planet. Marvelous soundtrack, and it’s been reported that Elvis himself choreographed the immortal title number.
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Again, the Morning Call Sheet is going to morph and change over time. Please drop a comment or send any tips/suggestion to jnolte@breitbart.com.
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