The Twilight Saga: New Moon, like last year’s Twilight, is critic-proof.  We film critics don’t get it, this film isn’t for us, and the fans will love it.  However, none of that means New Moon isn’t worthy of humorous derision or concerned analysis of the disturbing subtext.  New Moon is a bad movie which fails on nearly every level, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fascinating.  The series is one of the most popular young adult stories of the last decade yet the movie, which wouldn’t dare make radical changes to the book, lacks so much: a strong female protagonist, subtlety, joy, a positive message to young women, and above all, shirts.  The men of New Moon need shirts.

“‘The Princess and the Frog’ is a return to the timeless world of hand-drawn animation at Disney. It’s an ageless fairy tale, but with a fresh twist that combines everything we look for in great stories: comedy, adventure, music-and most of all, the kind of heart that always sets Disney animation apart.”

~ John Lasseter, Executive Producer and Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Opening on November 25^th, in limited release, is Walt Disney’s return to 2D animation, The Princess and the Frog.  After years of focusing on computer animation, The House That Walt Built is returning to its roots and I couldn’t be more excited.  While I don’t know if The Princess and the Frog is going to be a classic like Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast, I know there is a place for traditional animation alongside what Pixar does so brilliantly with computers.  So if you feel like I do and want Disney to make more 2D films, you’ve got to buy a ticket when Princess and the Frog goes nationwide on December 11^th.  So to help promote the film, we’ve been provided with six clips from the movie and a featurette.  Check them out after the jump:

When I first heard director Werner Herzog and Nicolas Cage were going to make a remake/re-imagining /reboot of Abel Ferrara’s insane 1992 film Bad Lieutenant, I’ll admit I wasn’t excited.  For some reason I thought they’d fuck it up or the movie would be another Nicolas Cage performance where he was just going through the motions

I couldn’t have been more wrong.   The fact is, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is a great movie featuring one of Nicolas Cage’s best performances.  He’s absolutely fearless; it’s like he stepped back in time to when he was an up-and-coming actor with nothing to lose.  If you want to see a great performance, you need not go any further Nicolas Cage’s latest role.

So when I sat down to talk with director Werner Herzog, we discussed how he got involved, working with Cage, how he shot a lot of the movie using just a few takes, what he has coming up, and with this being Werner Herzog, he said some quotes that must be heard.  It’s a great interview with a filmmaker I truly admire.  Watch it after the jump:

As I wrote this summer when I posted my exclusive Comic-Con interview with The Twilight Saga screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, she has the difficult task of trying to bring Stephanie Meyer’s insanely popular book series to the screen. So while writing any movie is difficult, writing one that has so many passionate and knowledgeable fans is taking it another level. Luckily for her, the Twilight fans I’ve spoken with have really enjoyed her work and are anxiously awaiting the sequels.

When I spoke to Melissa Rosenberg a few months ago we talked about how the increased budget changed the way she writes and what did she have to edit out of books two and three to make them into movies.  This time I decided to ask about her reaction to watching New Moon, has she seen any of Eclipse, who came up with the way to keep Rob Pattinson in the movie as a ghost-type image, and I also tried to find out, hypothetically speaking, if she thinks more would have to be changed from the book in the eventual fourth movie, Breaking Dawn.  I also asked if she has an opinion on Breaking Dawn being two movies.  If you’re a fan of The Twilight Saga, you’ll love the interview.  Take a look after the jump:

Remember when you thought Nicolas Cage was one of the best actors in the business.  When he made films like Leaving Las Vegas, Raising Arizona, Vampire’s Kiss, and Face/Off (and I don’t want to hear he wasn’t great in Face/Off, cause he was).  Well, I’m happy to report the amazing Nicolas Cage is back and he can be seen in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, which opens in limited release this weekend.  While I was one of the people that wondered if Cage and Werner Herzog could do justice to the Bad Lieutenant name, I really shouldn’t have been worried, as Bad Lieutenant is an awesome movie and something that you should go see in a crowded theater this weekend.  Also, Cage hasn’t been this good in years.

So to help promote the film, I recently attended a press conference with Cage.  He talked about his character, making the film, and a lot more.  You can either read what he had to say or listen to the audio after the jump:

I think Michael Sheen is one of the best actors working in Hollywood. No matter the role, he disappears into his character to the point where you forget he’s acting. Think about it: Sheen has played real people (Tony Blair in The Queen, David Frost in Frost/Nixon, and Brian Clough in The Damned United, among others), and he’s also managed to work in genre movies like Underworld and its sequels. And while he’s been in a couple dozen movies over the last decade, he’s about to appear in some very high profile films like Tron Legacy, Alice in Wonderland and some vampire movie called The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Sheen plays Aro, the leader of the Voluri (the vampire governing council). And while I am still under embargo from talking about the movie, I don’t think anyone will be upset if I tell you he’s great in the movie and fans are going to love his portrayal.

Last week, I managed to get an exclusive interview with this fantastic actor and we talked about working on New Moon, his upcoming movies like Alice in Wonderland and Tron Legacy, how he prepares for his roles, and he tells some great stories about how he came up with his character in New Moon and what happened with his driver who took him to the hotel (It has to do with Twilight). If you’re a fan of Michael Sheen, I promise you’ll love the interview. Take a look after the jump:

Last week, Sony held a press junket at the Griffith Observatory, here in Los Angeles, to help promote their upcoming animated movie Planet 51.  Since the film takes place on another planet, I think the location was perfect.  Also, almost every press day is held at a hotel, and it’s great to “shake and bake” the junket format.   But while the location was different, that didn’t stop Jessica Biel, Justin Long, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson from making all the journalists laugh during most of their press conference.  While you may be sick of Justin Long and his Mac commercials, the guy is quick on his feet when reacting to questions.  I was very impressed.

Anyway, after the jump to can either read the transcript of the press conference or listen to the audio.  While I always think listening to the audio is better than reading a trancript, for this one, it’s almost mandatory.  There is just no way to get some of the jokes that were being told by reading them.  I promise, if you listen to the conversation, you’ll be laughing as much as we were.  Read or listen after the jump:

If you ask any interviewer, they’ll tell you the same thing: some people are easy to interview, and some are John Cusack. While I love Cusack’s work, I’ve interviewed him a few times and none of them are what I consider great interviews. I don’t know his deal, but every person I spoke to at the 2012 press junket had the same thing happen: we walked in ready to talk, and we walked out wondering if anything was usable. Thankfully, I got him to answer a few of my questions, but compared to some of the other interviews I did for this movie, this didn’t turn out as well as I hoped.

Saying that, if you’re a fan of John Cusack, I think it’s still worth watching.  He talks about all the 2012 stuff and does he believe in any of it, making the movie, working in Vancouver, and a bit on Hot Tub Time Machine.  Finally, a big thank you to our partners at Omelete for making this interview happen.  Take a look after the jump:

Last month, I was lucky enough to be invited to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to cover the press junket for Roland Emmerich’s upcoming disaster flick 2012, which opens this Friday.  Some people reading this may be thinking, “Lucky to go to Wyoming? Har har!”  These people (in addition to laughing oddly) have never been to Jackson Hole, Wyoming because it is an absolutely gorgeous landscape.  There are forests, grassland, and mountains all grouped together and it provides a feeling of complete tranquility to the area.  It’s isolated but when you stop to think about how most of us are bombarded on a daily basis by technology and communications that isolation turns into an oasis.

I also got to see Roland Emmerich destroy the world real good and then talk about it with Emmerich and stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.  Hit the jump for what they had to say about the Earth crumbling like an old Chips Ahoy along with my tale of adventure in Big Sky country.  It involves bears.

Opening on November 25^th is director James McTeigue’s Ninja Assassin.  The film stars Asian superstar Rain in the title role and as you can easily put together from the title, it’s about Ninja’s.  And assassin’s.  Also, the film is loaded with action and blood so if you’re into either of those things, this is pretty much a must see movie.  Finally, it’s produced by the Wachowski Brothers and Joel Silver (The Matrix Trilogy, V for Vendetta), and they’ve done a few things you might have liked….

Anyway, if you’d like a taste of the movie, after the jump you can watch six clips.  In the coming weeks check back for interviews with the cast and filmmakers.  Until then….

Steve went to the American Film Market (AFM) today.  AFM is where film buyers go to pick up some of the biggest movies that are in development or already completed.  The film sellers use promo art and synopses to entice buyers.  It also enticed Steve to land some the first images and full synopsis for some of the biggest upcoming films of 2010.  We’ve got the goods for The American starring George Clooney, Eagle of the Ninth starring Channing Tatum, Greenberg starring Ben Stiller, and Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere starring Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning, and much more.

Looking at the images and reading the synopsis should really get you excited for these films so hit the jump and check it all out.

The first teaser trailer for director Louis Leterrier’s Clash of the Titans has been released and it looks awesome.  If you were nervous the movie would be some cheesy remake, think again.  The film looks like it’s loaded with action, effects, and some awesome creatures.  Also, I love the way the teaser trailer is all music with almost no dialogue.   To any of the other studios checking this trailer out…this is how you sell a movie.  Check it out after the jump and tell me you’re not excited.

I absolutely loved director Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox.  The film is his first foray into stop-motion animation and it’s like he brought the genre to him rather than attempting to adapt to the genre.  Trust me; if you’re a fan of his previous work like Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, you’re going to love this movie.

As most of you know, Fantastic Mr. Fox is based on the best-selling children’s book by Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach) and it features the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Wally Wolodarsky, Eric Anderson, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson.  But unlike some animated movies that cast famous actors to help sell tickets, everyone who provides a voice is perfect in this film.  Again, this is a great movie that you should check out as soon as you can.

So to help promote the film, I recently had the chance to speak to Jason Schwartzman and we talked about his reaction to the film, the unusual way they recorded the voices, working with Bill Murray, and I asked him if he’s seen Sofia Coppola’s new movie Somewhere. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Yesterday was the start of the massive Los Angeles press junket for “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”.  While an embargo prevents me from writing my thoughts on the film (or I’d tell you), I’m allowed to start positing all the interviews I participated in, so if you’re a fan of Rob Pattinson, after the jump you can either read or listen to his entire press conference from yesterday afternoon.

The big news is what I reported yesterday.  At the end of the press conference, I asked Rob “what movies have you committed to in 2010 and have you been told a tentative start date on ‘Breaking Dawn’?” He told me “I think the tentative time for ‘Breaking Dawn’ is fall of next year.” Also, he talked about his next movie “Bel Ami” and a western he might do with Rachel Weiss and Hugh Jackman called “Unbound Captives”.  So not only are you going to get a lot of info on “New Moon”, you can learn what he has coming up.  Take a look after the jump:

While I am not a “Twilight” expert, I do pay attention to the world of vampires as many of you out there care a great deal about them.  So at today’s press junket for “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”, one of the big things I tried to find out was what is the status of the movie version of the last “Twilight” book, “Breaking Dawn”.  When I asked Kristen Stewart if she knew what was up with “Breaking Dawn” and if the rumors about it being two movies were true, the moderator quickly said next question and wouldn’t let her answer.

But when I had the opportunity to ask Robert Pattinson  the last question at today’s press junket, I made the most of it.  I asked him if he has been told of a tentative time he might film “Breaking Dawn”? He replied:

“I think the tentative time for “Breaking Dawn” is fall next year.  They may well change that.”

What you need to realize is many things change. Perhaps “New Moon” doesn’t do as well at the box office as the first “Twilight” movie.  Or perhaps they can’t get the script right.  While things might change, Pattinson’’s statement of fall 2010 is the first time anyone in the cast has admitted there is a plan.  Much more on “Twilight: New Moon” later tonight.

I’ll admit that when I sat down to watch “The Blind Side” last week, I really didn’t expect much.  I thought it would be a Lifetime movie of the week except on the big screen.  But even though I walked in ready to dismiss the film, I’m forced to say “The Blind Side” was a lot better than I expected and I enjoyed the way it mixed a few different genres together.  What you need to know is, “The Blind Side” is both a football movie and a family values film.  It’s also a bit of a comedy.  When films try and mix genres like this, you almost always end in disaster.  So I have to give credit to director John Lee Hancock (”The Rookie”) for crafting a film that should appeal to both football fans and families.  He even made me feel something for Sandra Bullock.  Trust me, that’s not easy.  Anyway, to help promote the film, we’ve been provided with seven clips and you can watch them after the jump.

For those unfamiliar with the book it’s based on, the film is based on the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home who is taken in by the Touhys (Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw), a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher’s presence in the Touhys’ lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.