It was only a matter of time, really; we’ve got FDR fighting werewolves and Abe Lincoln staking vampires , why not resurrect Osama bin Laden from the dead so Western heroes can kill him off again? This time around it’s a bunch of soldiers — excuse me, hunky, apparently manscaped soldiers — hunting the zombified bin Laden as he leads an army of flesh-eating terrorists towards a zombie apocalypse in Osombie . Yep, someone went there. Too soon? Nah, who are we kidding — I’m betting the world is ready to eat this stuff up. Also betting on that are director John Lyde and the makers of Osombie , who have put together a teaser reel of footage full of zombie decapitations and love scenes (of course!) to garner finishing funds for their indie production, which shot Utah for Afghanistan last fall. The synopsis of Osombie , as if you needed to know anything more: The story follows Dusty, a yoga instructor from Colorado, who is on a desperate rescue mission to save her crazy brother Derek, a conspiracy theorist who is convinced Osama Bin Laden is still alive, despite having been buried at sea. In Afghanistan, Dusty falls in with a team of NATO Special Forces on a secret assignment. Turns out Derek is not so crazy after all, and that Osama has returned from his watery grave and is making an army of zombie terrorists. When the group crashes headlong into the growing zombie apocalypse, Dusty and the troops must find and destroy the root of the zombie insurgency before it infests the rest of the world. More info on Osombie and its Kickstarter campaign here . All in all, the Osama hook should give Osombie a bit more exposure than your average B-movie independent genre flick, but still expect it to fare best on DVD. Even so, it raises an interesting question: With other dramatic retellings of bin Laden’s death in the works, are we ready to see the al-Quada leader come back to life in the movies — at least, with comedy paving the way first? [via MSNBC ]
Ha! It’s a trick! There are no words . Also: Totally coincidentally, I’m sure, the shoulder-surgery-party duo is now confirmed to be reteaming for the long-rumored prison-break flick The Tomb . [ WhoSay/Arnold Schwarzenegger ]
If it takes you a beat to remember the movie to which Journey 2 is a follow-up, that may not just be because the makers have opted for a trimmer title than, say, the marquee-busting, geographically confusing Journey to the Center of the Earth: The Mysterious Island . The 2008 Journey to the Center of the Earth was solid if unexceptional summer box-office fodder starring Brendan Fraser as a scientist who adventured through a Jules Verne-documented fabulous world hidden under the earth’s crust, accompanied by his young nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) and their dishy Icelandic guide (Anita Briem). This new film, directed by Brad Peyton (of, yes, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore ) has dropped Fraser to instead follow the less-familiar and less-charismatic Hutcherson as the series through-line. Sean’s grown to surly teenagerdom and has been reluctantly relocated to Dayton with his mom (Kristin Davis) and new stepdad Hank (Dwayne Johnson), who has to learn how to fill in as the boy’s latest father figure. I’m maybe unreasonably fond of the actor formerly known as The Rock, and his willingness to stride fearlessly and unabashedly into sequels like this despite having played no part in the earlier installments (see also Fast Five and the upcoming G.I. Joe: Retaliation ) is curiously endearing — he’s the poor man’s everyone, game to replace any star around whom a franchise was previously built. And he’s not a bad substitute for Fraser, sharing the same cartoon-caricature handsomeness and willingness to combine brawny bits of action with goofball silliness, an apparent must for the family action adventure. But Johnson’s disarming commitment to the doodle of a character he’s playing isn’t enough to inject life into the rest of the film, which is an anemic retread of beats and elements from its predecessor, taking place on a secret island hidden beneath a constant storm in the South Pacific rather than in an underground realm hidden inside an extinct volcano in the North Atlantic. Instead of continuing the story, Journey 2 just blatantly recycles it. In the role of competent local/love interest this time around is Vanessa Hudgens as Kailani, on whom Sean immediately develops a crush, and who’s accompanied by her father Luis Guzmán, strenuously working at being the comic relief. In the place of dinosaurs there’s a giant lizard. Instead of a roller coaster-style mine cart ride there’s a roller coaster-style chase in which everyone rides massive bees. In the first film, the characters had 48 hours to escape deadly rising temperatures, while in this film they have a little less than that to get away before the island sinks into the ocean. You can argue that there’s no need to mess with a formula that worked, especially given how young the intended audience for this film is, but the one thing Journey 2 can’t recreate is the novelty that still clung to 3-D in 2008. Journey to the Center of the Earth was advertised as “the first live-action digital 3-D movie ever,” and much of its charm lay in the nostalgically corny pleasure it took in the technology, the sense of wonder it demonstrated for making things appear to fly out of the screen, even if that meant having someone rinse their mouth and spit the water out at the audience. In the four years since, our love affair with 3-D has hit some rough patches, and while Journey 2 has moments of multi-dimensional inventiveness, like a trick of perspective involving sea life swimming by close to camera, or an erupting mountain framed by a window serving as a character’s TV, it doesn’t offer much in terms of memorable spectacle. In fact, the film’s effects can look surprisingly outdated given they’re the primary selling point, from the hazy fantasy landscapes to a submarine-escape sequence that resembles a video game cutscene. This franchise is based on the idea that everything Verne wrote about not invented but real — the Vernians, of which Sean’s late dad could be counted, seeks out the locations the author described in his books. But the films are actually focused on missing and surrogate father figures, with family members rushing off to explore and go missing rather than stay with their children and be there for them when needed. Michael Caine, cruising along, turns up as Sean’s flaky Vernian grandfather, Alexander, the man who lured the party out to the island in the first place. When the action slows down enough for characters to have a conversation, which is thankfully not often, Alexander and Hank bicker over and compete for Sean’s attention and admiration like dueling swains. Will Sean come around to his new stepfather, and will Alexander realize that being reliable is just as important as being exciting? Of course — this is a family movie, after all — but you’ll have to sit through some abrasively broad, unfunny exchanges to get there. Dialogue, alas, is the kind of thing that can’t be enhanced by the wearing of 3-D glasses. Follow Alison Willmore on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
The mtvU Woodies are once again heading to SXSW, with plans for a day-long festival leading up to the awards themselves. By James Montgomery Jay-Z and Kanye West Photo: Getty Images The mtvU Woodie Awards are heading back to South by Southwest, and this year, they’re going to be bigger than ever. That’s because on Wednesday (February 8), mtvU announced that, in addition to the awards themselves, the Woodies will channel the SXSW spirit and become a day-long festival. It begins March 15 at 1 p.m. CT with a host of live performances — open to all SXSW badge holders (though, if you’re not going to be down in Austin, you can watch the fest unfold live on Woodies.mtvU.com ) — and culminate with the 2012 Woodie Awards. The best moments from the awards will air on MTV and mtvU on March 18 at 8 p.m. ET, though the music lovers can stay up to date on all Woodie-related mania — interviews, performances and SXSW updates — beginning on March 11, when “Woodie Awards Week” kicks off on MTV, mtvU and MTV.com. Woodie performers will be announced in the coming weeks, but the nominees have already been announced, and fans can vote for their favorite nominated artists beginning Wednesday through Woodies.mtvU.com . Kanye West and Jay-Z, The Black Keys, Skrillex, Mac Miller, Frank Ocean, J.Cole and more lead the field that will vie for the coveted big hunks of wood in categories like “Woodie of the Year” (given to the artist who left their mark on music in 2011) and the “Performing Woodie” (given to the year’s best touring musician). And this year, the Woodies have unveiled a brand-new category to honor electronic dance music: the “EDM Effect Woodie.” Voting in all Woodies categories closes March 9. Here’s a look at all the nominees. Woodie of the Year
The mtvU Woodies are once again heading to SXSW, with plans for a day-long festival leading up to the awards themselves. By James Montgomery Jay-Z and Kanye West Photo: Getty Images The mtvU Woodie Awards are heading back to South by Southwest, and this year, they’re going to be bigger than ever. That’s because on Wednesday (February 8), mtvU announced that, in addition to the awards themselves, the Woodies will channel the SXSW spirit and become a day-long festival. It begins March 15 at 1 p.m. CT with a host of live performances — open to all SXSW badge holders (though, if you’re not going to be down in Austin, you can watch the fest unfold live on Woodies.mtvU.com ) — and culminate with the 2012 Woodie Awards. The best moments from the awards will air on MTV and mtvU on March 18 at 8 p.m. ET, though the music lovers can stay up to date on all Woodie-related mania — interviews, performances and SXSW updates — beginning on March 11, when “Woodie Awards Week” kicks off on MTV, mtvU and MTV.com. Woodie performers will be announced in the coming weeks, but the nominees have already been announced, and fans can vote for their favorite nominated artists beginning Wednesday through Woodies.mtvU.com . Kanye West and Jay-Z, The Black Keys, Skrillex, Mac Miller, Frank Ocean, J.Cole and more lead the field that will vie for the coveted big hunks of wood in categories like “Woodie of the Year” (given to the artist who left their mark on music in 2011) and the “Performing Woodie” (given to the year’s best touring musician). And this year, the Woodies have unveiled a brand-new category to honor electronic dance music: the “EDM Effect Woodie.” Voting in all Woodies categories closes March 9. Here’s a look at all the nominees. Woodie of the Year
The two weeks leading up to the Grammy Awards are when we finally get a good idea of who’s performing and who’s presenting. This year’s Grammy Awards, which is this Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS, will feature about 22 songs being performed. The executive producer of the show says it’s going to be “one of the biggest shows” in the history of the Grammys. Chris Brown, Tony Bennett, and Carrie Underwood are the most recent performers who have been added to the lineup. This will be Chris Brown’s first Grammy performance in three years after he was arrested for assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna at a pre-Grammy party in February 2009. He is nominated for three awards at the 2012 Grammys, including Best R&B Album for F.A.M.E. The Foo Fighters will participate in a “special performance highlighting dance/electronica music” at Sunday’s show and will collaborate with an unlikely crew that includes Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, David Guetta and Deadmau5. All five artists are nominated for Grammy Awards this year. Tony Bennett will duet with Carrie Underwood and Alicia Keys will lead an Etta James tribute alongside Bonnie Raitt. The Grammys announced last week that Adele will make her first performance after undergoing vocal-cord surgery. Previously announced Grammy performers include: Katy Perry, Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, Glen Campbell, The Band Perry, Blake Shelton, Coldplay, Rihanna , Bruno Mars, Paul McCartney, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift.
A gaggle of right-wing functionaries is furious with Clint Eastwood and Chrysler, with no less than Karl Rove calling out the actor-director- inspirational halftime huckster for a Super Bowl ad that Rove and others perceived as a thinly veiled reelection endorsement for President Obama. Wait, what ? The shit hit the fan Monday afternoon when Rove took to Fox News to protest the epic TV spot, arguing that… honestly, I have no idea. Big Hollywood’s John Nolte offered the most succinct explanation of conservative outrage — “Because Obama’s decided to eliminate moral hazard and socialize losses for anyone who employs the unions who fund his campaigns, Chrysler obviously wrote a thinly veiled thank you in the form of a reelection ad for their benefactor, and convinced a Republican icon to deliver it” — but things just got straight-up surreal with Rove (via EW ): Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com “Chicago-style politics”? Excuse me? If anything, this is Detroit politics (or economics, really), and to think Eastwood would just overlook the potential implications therein for the simple sake of a rah-rah Super Bowl message is to underestimate a pretty smart guy who once made it a two-year mission of his life to emphasize the benefits of business over politics . Anyway, Eastwood’s manager offered a beleaguered defense (“People have to understand that what he was doing was saying to America, ‘Get yourselves together – all of you – and make this a second half.’ It’s not a political thing”), but the best part came when Eastwood himself reached out to O’Reilly Factor producer Ron Mitchell to defuse the conspiracy theories, hype, conjecture, invective and the rest of it: “I just want to say that the spin stops with you guys, and there is no spin in that ad. On this I am certain. l am certainly not politically affiliated with Mr. Obama. It was meant to be a message about just about job growth and the spirit of America. I think all politicians will agree with it. I thought the spirit was OK. I am not supporting any politician at this time. Chrysler to their credit didn’t even have cars in the ad. Anything they gave me for it went for charity. If any Obama or any other politician wants to run with the spirit of that ad, go for it.” Love. It. It’s like, “Screw you and your panic; there’s plenty of room up here for anyone who wants to join me on the high road.” Now Obama doesn’t have to say a word, and the conservatives are left to either embrace the “let’s fix this” spirit that they just implicitly ascribed to the president or oppose it as a matter of ideological course — which would just reinforce the ad’s criticism of “the fog, the division, the discord and blame” crippling our discourse. Whoops! I’m still not buying a Chrysler, but hey. This is turning out all right! Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Sunday night, hacker group Anonymous worked its way into 78 email accounts belonging to Syrian President Bashar Assad and his ministry officers. Among the discoveries: Damning emails that suggest Assad was trained to manipulate facts in his ABC News interview last year with Barbara Walters, in which he denied that his government was targeting its own citizens in violent clashes that have rocked his country for nearly a year. And to think, it all might’ve been prevented if Assad and his tech guys had heeded the lessons of information security learned from Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs … In the least, they could’ve made it a bit harder for Anonymous to break in; according to reports, many of the hacked email accounts were protected with the password “12345.” Sound familiar, King Roland? Take it away, Dark Helmet! Meanwhile, head to Haaretz for more on the leaked emails, including point-by-point lessons in spinning the ongoing Syrian conflict for American media sent to Assad by a press attache. [ Village Voice , Haaretz ]
Lana Del Rey’s 15 minutes may be nearing their end (she did just postpone her tour after tanking on SNL ), but she’s got one last charge towards relevance up her sleeve; just check out her new jam inspired by The Hunger Games called, simply, “Hunger Games.” So Lana. So Katniss. “This District smells like rat piss/My name is Katniss/I play the Hunger Gaaaaames…” Okay, so it’s not technically Lana Del Rey. But isn’t Lana Del Rey herself more of an idea, really? One made of pouty lips and moody sunsets and Veronica Lake hair that belongs to us all? Well anyway, Second City’s Holly Laurent does an uncanny job smashing together these two zeitgeisty entities into one weirdly perfect package that boils down both the neophyte songstress and Suzanne Collins’ bestselling YA phenomenon to their essences. [Thanks to @earnestp for the heads up]
Need poetic inspiration for the Hunger Games haiku you’re composing for tickets to the premiere ? Look no further than the newly unveiled Hunger Games Super Bowl trailer, which will air this weekend and features new footage of special moments with Prim, Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), and Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), the all-important mockingjay pin, and the deadly goings-on in the Games. Via Yahoo! Movies : Quite a breathless, pulse-quickening 60 seconds. And a reminder that these kids aren’t playing with pads on for points; could this spot actually bring in the male-driven Super Bowl demographic? Don’t forget to enter Movieline’s premiere giveaway contest , candidates!
