Written by Mitch Cyrus

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I hope everyone will have a great Easter Weekend.  I’m on a mini-break myself, so it will be a slightly shorter Crystal Ball than usual.

No Mini-Review, as my DVD was too busy this past week catching up with the first ten episodes of “FlashForward”.  Some people on the boards have been raving about this show as a viable contender for the coolest “it” show since “Lost”, so given how awful “24” has become, I was willing to give it a chance.

And I must say that I was hooked.  Great actors and a great premise.  With only six or seven episodes of “Lost” remaining, I need something on broadcast TV to watch other than “Fringe”…and this looks like it might fill the bill.

News and Rumors

~ Leonardo DiCaprio has worked with Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, so is it really surprising that he’s looking forward to working with Clint Eastwood?  Leo is in talks to play the lead role for Eastwood’s upcoming biographic film of FBI icon J. Edgar Hoover.

~ This is the best news for a remake that I’ve heard in a long time.  Roland Emmerich, my second least favorite director (“2012”, “10,000 BC”) has dropped out of the project to remake one of my favorite sci-fi movies from my childhood, “Fantastic Voyage”.  The new director is none other than Paul Greengrass, the genius behind the last two Jason Bourne movies. This is being planned to be a 3D film as well…which isn’t surprising given the recent popularity of it.  The movie is also supposed to be very similar plot-wise to the original, minus the Cold War aspects of it…another good sign.  For those wondering…M. Knight Shyamalan currently rates as my least favorite director.

~ I’m not a regular watcher of the comedy “Two and a Half Men”, but I do catch it every now and then, simply because it’s really funny.  But now news comes out that Charlie Sheen is about to leave the show.  If so, it’s time to pull the plug.  Trying to limp by after a star leaves never works.

~ Chris Evans, who played the Human Torch in the two terrible Fantastic Four movies, will play the lead role in another comic book adaptation as “Captain America”.  I’m thinking this one might end up contending with “Daredevil” in terms of general lameness.

~ Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed that there will be a “National Treasure III”.  Given how much loot the first two took in, this shouldn’t be a surprise.  Nicolas Cage will return, of course, as the heroic/bumbling treasure hunter Benjamin Gates.  So why isn’t this in the next category?  Because I actually liked both of the first films…not great, by a long shot, but good popcorn entertainment, and I’m sure the next one will be as well.

Stupid Remakes and Sequels

~ Vin Diesel says he is up for a 3D sequel of his xXx series.  Of course he’s “up for it”…the man needs a job and has no shame.

~ Anna Farris is being considered for a remake of the Goldie Hawn classic “Private Benjamin”.  Just perfect (sarcasm intended).

~ The “Highlander” series is supposedly being prepared for a “reboot”.  Meh.

This week's new movie releases: 

Clash of the Titans

Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes

Plot:  In a loose adaptation from Greek mythology, Perseus who was born a god but raised as a man, sets off on an epic mission to combat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus and unleash hell on earth.

View Trailer

The BeerBuzz: I’m like many people who loved (in spite of myself), the 1980s version with Harry Hamlin and all of those awful special effects.  Obviously, the special effects in this one are amazing, but is there more to it than just effects?  Not really, according to a majority of critics.  Worthington in particular is getting slammed for this, while Neeson and Fiennes are being praised for doing their best in poor conditions.  I’ll let you know in the next week, as it’s time for me to hit the theaters again.

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The Last Song

Starring: Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Liam Hemsworth

Plot: A drama centered on a rebellious young woman who is sent to spend the summer with her estranged father, who abandoned his family in the past.

View Trailer

The BeerBuzz: I guess Miley couldn’t play Hannah Montana forever (thank God).  This is her first attempt to break out of that role, and the critics are at least being kinder to her acting than they are to this script, which is said to be a stale, formulaic weeper.  This opened on Wednesday, and I’m still waiting for the “family discount” press pass to come to my door.

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Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too

Starring: Janet Jackson, Michael Jai White, Tyler Perry

Plot: Four couples reunite for their annual vacation in order to socialize and to spend time analyzing their marriages. Their intimate week in the Bahamas is disrupted by the arrival of an ex-husband determined to win back his recently remarried wife.

View Trailer

The BeerBuzz: More of the same from Tyler Perry, so he’s pretty much guaranteed in pulling in $35 - $40 million with his normal story telling.  The only thing that strikes me as unusual is that he did not make this available for screening from critics, always a sign of a movie that the studio knows is going to get trashed.  This is a first for Perry, so I’m thinking it’ll be a stinker.

April 6^th DVD Releases:

Talk about a short week…only one movie being released that made over $2 million at the box office (and this one only made $4 million)

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans  – Nicolas Cage plays a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants.  With Eva Mendes (his “Ghost Rider” co-star) and Val Kilmer.  I’ve actually heard decent things about this film.

Calendar Watch  

Next Week Date Night

Upcoming Biggies (click on the hyperlink to view the available trailers).

Kick-Ass – April 16 – Lots of good early buzz on this action comedy about ordinary people dressing up and fighting crime.

Nightmare on Elm Street – April 30 – Jack Earle Haley (“Watchmen”) takes over the Freddy Krueger role.

Iron Man 2 – May 7 – Downey Jr. is back, this time dealing with Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) and Black Widow (Scarlet Johannson).

Robin Hood – May 14 – Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe in what is supposed to be a more “historic” account of the legendary hero.

Shrek Forever After – May 21 – 3D entry into the series that is seemingly the only way Michael Myers or Eddie Murphy can make any money

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – May 28 – Might this finally be the first video game that translates to a huge hit at the box office?  Depends on whether or not you can buy Jake Gyllenhaal as an action hero.  Why not?  It worked for Tobey Maguire, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr.

The A-Team – June 11 – Based on the campy TV series…but the makers of this film are trying to sell it more as an action film with no camp.  With Liam Neeson playing Hannibal Smith as their leader, they may have a chance.

Toy Story 3D – June 18 -  It looks like a big year for 3D films in 2010.  In this one, Buzz, Woody, and the rest of the toys are dumped into a day care after Andy grows up and goes to college.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – July 2 – More Wussy Vampires!  I can’t wait! (sorry…sarcasmectomy isn’t scheduled for a few months yet).

Inception – July 16 – Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page in a Christopher Nolan sci-fi mind bender that looks to be in the mode of “Momento”

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – July 16 – Live action remake of the Disney classic short, starring Nicolas Cage.

Salt – July 23 – Angelina Jolie as a CIA operative accused of being a Russian spy.

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps – September 24 – Oliver Stone brings Michael Douglass back as Gordon Gecko, teaming him with Shia LaBeouf in a film that looks to be quite different in tone than the last one.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I – November 19 – Part One of the final book about Harry, Hermione, and Ron.  This one (and I’m sure the last one) will be in 3-D.

Tron Legacy – December 17 – Might be the most anticipated Holiday release of this year.