For the last 5 years, I've watched over and tended to The Fodder Network on a daily basis. Heck, for the last decade, Filmfodder has been entwined in my life. I started the site before I was married, before I had kids, and before glasses and gray hair became defining physical characteristics.

But this is the end of The Fodder Network. As of Sept. 1, I'll be shutting the doors on Filmfodder, TV Fodder, Tech Fodder and the smattering of other Fodder sites that were launched (and ... uh ... abandoned) over the years.

I'll keep some of the sites up for archive purposes. And there's always the chance I'll resuscitate one or another down the road. But that's the future. For now, it's time for me to let it go.

I am deeply grateful to all the contributors and readers who have participated in these sites over the years. Of particular note: Rachel Cericola, TV Fodder's amazing editor, Brian Orndorf, Filmfodder's longtime reviewer, and all those awesome people who turned The Lost Blog into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.

A big thank you to my family as well. They put up with my Fodder shenanigans with nary an eyeroll. That took effort, and I appreciate it.

I'll still be polluting the Interweb with my personal site, Twitter, Facebook, Buzz (yes, I use that thing), etc.

Thanks for spending a little time in the Fodder 'verse. You're all lovely, generous and good looking people.

-- mac

The film has a very interesting cast and I believe that at least two of it's star are in need of a universal hit. Wahlberg hasn't had a great performance since his Oscar-nominated role in Martin Scorsese's The Departed (although The Lovely Bones looks very promising) and Christian Bale is still trying to perform damage control since his infamous rant on the set of Terminator Salvation (however his skill as an actor should never be put into question). If David O Russell can return to his directorial style he displayed in Three Kings (also starring Wahlberg), The Fighter could be quite a treat. The Fighter is set to released in 2010.

Check out the images by CLICKING HERE!

Source: Total Film
Posted by Casey LaMarca

Yet many questions are still up in the air as to where this film is heading financially. With a reported $265 million budget, it's going to need serious staying power and international success in order to turn in a profit. And with Twilight: New Moon opening just one week later, it may have a hard time holding on in its second weekend. This is a film that was supposed to come out in June, but Sony pushed it back to November because they saw a better chance at a profit. The gamble is still up in the air.

Emmerich discusses his trademark for destruction. "When (producer) Dean Devlin and I made 'Independence Day,' it had a lot of destruction in there and it became very successful. It became a signature for me. And I realized that people get very excited when things blow up. When we blew up the White House, people applauded! Because of 'Independence Day,' I get money to make these kinds of movies."

Emmerich got money to make 2012, now he and the rest of us must wait to see if it was even worth the effort.

Source: Reuters
Posted by Casey LaMarca

Makes sense. After all, Jackman is coming off one of his biggest years in his professional career. He received praise for hosting 2009's Oscars and rocketed X-Men Origins: Wolverine to almost $400 million worldwide. There's no doubt the man is one of the hottest actors in Hollywood.

So whose up for hosting? There have been rumors of Neil Patrick Harris (eh, stick to TV, you're great there), Ricky Gervais (hmm, not bad), Conan O'Brien (yes, please) and a few others. What do you think? Who do you want to see host the 2010 Oscars?

Source: E! Online
Posted by Casey LaMarca

The film, directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma) is a spy comedy-romance thriller about a secret agent (Cruise) who gets caught up in secret agent like, uh, stuff (the full plot has yet to be revealed). Along the way, he winds up romancing a Midwestern woman (Diaz). The film will also star Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, There Will Be Blood).

This is the latest film to be shot in the Boston area, as the city is becoming one of the most popular places to shoot a movie. This week’s newest release Surrogates starring Bruce Willis is also set in Boston. With the near completion of Plymouth Rock Studios, I expect the film industry is here to stay (not that anyone is compaining).

Wichita is set for a July 2010 release.

Source: Cinematical
Posted by Casey LaMarca

''There was a valid arrest request and we knew when he was coming. That's why he was taken into custody, told ministry spokesman Guido Balmer to the AP. “The U.S. would now need to make a formal extradition request.”

The victim, Samantha Geimer, has actually joined Polanski in an attempt to have the charges dismissed claiming she also wants the case to end. During the time of the crime, Geimer said Polanksi pilled her with champagne and half a Quaalude.

Polanski won a Best Director Oscar for the 2002 Holocaust film The Pianist. Given that he is not allowed back in the country, Polanski did not attend the ceremony to accept the award. This and the original crime are featured in the documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired.

Source: TV Guide
Posted by Casey LaMarca

Holding the #1 spot for the second straight week, Sony’s Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs pulled in another $24.6 million, bringing its two-week total to a very healthy $60 million. The $100 million animated feature seems on its way to obtaining a successful profit.

Surrogates marks the latest flop for films that have had chances to become hits. Last week, Jennifer’s Body (you know, that Megan Fox movie you saw a bunch of ads for but was unsure if she was going to get naked so you decided not to risk your money) bombed on its opening weekend with a mere $6.8 million. The Jennifer Aniston & Aaron Eckhart romance Love Happens also underperformed with $8 million.

There have been many other flops this month (Whiteout, Sorority Row, Gamer), and while many will point their fingers to the month of September as the reason why attendance is down, perhaps there is another explanation. Maybe it’s just because these films just aren’t any good. Or is it the way these films are being advertised? Take Jennifer’s Body for example. The whole campaign behind the film seemed to be showing the it-actress of the moment making sexy poses in a horror film. Who are they trying to attract? The teenagers who can’t get into an R-rated film? Or the men who are looking at Megan Fox on the Internet for free?

I have an idea. Why not show the film organically, you know, for what it actually is? This should have been promoted as Diablo Cody’s follow-up to her Oscar-winning screenplay for Juno. I’m a 21-year old male who never got into the whole Megan Fox obsession thing, but don’t think for a second I wouldn’t love to see a horror comedy where she plays a chick that is actually evil, not just high school evil. It’s too bad, because I think the studio behind this film may have realized this a bit too late.

Source: Los Angeles Times
Posted by Casey LaMarca

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Columbia Pictures is in the works on Bad Boys III, the third entry in the successful Michael Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer action franchise starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Entertainment Reporter Screenwriter Peter Craig (who co-wrote The Town, which is now being directed Ben Affleck) is being attached to write the script.

A deal has yet to be made for the return of the big four (Bay, Bruckheimer, Smith, and Lawrence), but the obvious hope for Columbia is to bring back the original cast and crew. The first two Bad Boys films grossed over $400 million worldwide. The original Bad Boys from 1995 was Will Smith’s breakthrough movie role, just one year before he starred in a little film called Independence Day. The stars and company have all expressed interest in a third installment, so long as a story is possible.

Since Michael Bay is arguably the most bankable director working today, along with Will Smith still being one of the biggest movie stars in the world, a third film is certainly not out of the question. Martin Lawrence hasn’t necessarily had a hit film in years, so he will most likely be on board for round three.

There seems to a trend happening this year (ok, it’s nothing new) involving stale franchises getting the greenlight for another installment. But there have been rumors of a Men in Black III, Mission Impossible IV, Indiana Jones 5, and Beverley Hills Cop IV. You could easily argue that the apocalypse will occur before sequels stop getting made, because while nothing is officially confirmed for Bad Boys III, remember that it took eight years for Bad Boys II to come out after the original, ten years for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and twelve years for Live Free of Die Hard. In other words, anything is possible.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Posted by Casey LaMarca

While selling tickets for a movie four months in advance is rather unprecedented, Avatar has already experienced incredible buzz. Most notably after “Avatar Day” on August 21st, the day the world saw the film’s teaser trailer for the first time. A selected amount of people were also able to catch 16 minutes of footage on numerous IMAX screens throughout the country. The amount of people who turned out made “Avatar Day” extremely successful. Fox’s Senior VP Chris Aronson discusses AMC’s thoughts on selling Avatar tickets this early:

"AMC came up with the idea," says Aronson. "They said that if all these people are going to come to our theater to see 16 minutes of a film that doesn't open until December, let's give them an opportunity to buy tickets to the first performances of the show itself."

Only AMC is offering tickets right now for the midnight premiere, and it leaves many questions regarding James Cameron’s future at the box-office. It’s his first film since Titanic, the highest grossing film of all time ($600 million domestic, $1.8 billion worldwide).

"Tickets being put on sale for a film four months in advance is unheard of," says MovieTickets Executive VP Joel Cohen. "The fact that tickets have already been sold really speaks to the tremendous buzz the film has already created and the power of James Cameron at the box office."

Avatar stars Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi, and Zoe Saldana. It opens worldwide on December 18th, 2009.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Posted by: Casey LaMarca

Starring Leonardo Dicaprio, the plot of Inception has been kept a complete secret from all, and don’t think the trailer will give you any answers. Remember, this is just a teaser. A teaser is supposed to spark you interest before giving away any sort of details. All we know about Inception for now is one thing, “Your mind is the scene of the crime.” I have no clue what that means, but that has to be one of the catchiest lines from a teaser trailer I’ve ever heard. Rather than trying to explain it to you, have a look for yourself.

To see the trailer for Inception, CLICK HERE! (Source: Yahoo! Movies)

-Posted by Casey LaMarca

The success of Inglourious Basterds has its financier The Weinstein Company breathing easier, after speculation that this was a make-or-break film for the struggling company. The much-needed hit has Harvey Weinstein defending himself from critics, who many believed the company was on its last legs, "saying we were the flavor of the '90's but we were kind of over in the new millennium."

The $37 million opening for Basterds marks the highest opening ever for Tarantino, surpassing the $25 million for Kill Bill Volume 2 along with the biggest opening for the second-half of August. While that may not seem as much, it's huge for a month that usually struggles with big openings. Plus, with a 153 minute runtime and a hard R-rating, $37 million is almost $10 million more than what many analysts had projected.

Tarantino helped build the house of Miramax," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "He's proving right now that he's helping to build the house of Weinstein."

Here are the top ten films from this weekend's box-office:
1. "Inglourious Basterds," $37.6 million.
2. "District 9," $18.9 million.
3. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $12.5 million.
4. "The Time Traveler's Wife," $10 million.
5. "Julie & Julia," $9 million.
6. "Shorts," $6.6 million.
7. "G-Force," $4.2 million.
8. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince," $3.5 million.
9. "The Ugly Truth," $2.9 million.
10. "Post Grad," $2.8 million.

Source: Associated Press
-Posted by: Casey LaMarca

"It's so out-of-the-box different from most movies that you see from a major studio," says Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony Pictures Entertainment. "It's kind of a rogue, raw, visceral film that has a life of its own."

The film stars the unknown talent Sharlto Copley (that will soon change given the films success) as a bureaucrat who finds himself in the middle of an alien eviction from Johannesburg, South Africa. The ghetto, known as District 9, is for non-humans only. The film is an adaptation from the short film Alive in Joburg also directed created by Neill Blomkamp.

The top ten films this week at the box office:

1. "District 9," $37 million.

2. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $22.5 million.

3. "The Time Traveler's Wife," $19.2 million.

4. "Julie & Julia," $12.4 million.

5. "G-Force," $6.9 million.

6. "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard," $5.4 million.

7. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," $5.2 million.

8. "The Ugly Truth," $4.5 million.

9. "Ponyo," $3.5 million.

10. "500 Days of Summer," $3 million.

Source: Yahoo! Movies
Posted by Casey LaMarca

"For the most part when we were on set he would stay in character," says Tarantino. "It was like, 'Why drop the accent when you don't have to?' And I have always liked it when actors do that."

Pitt plays Lieutenant Aldo Raine, a Nazi hunter during WWII who originates from Tennessee with a very thick Southern Accent. Tarantino said that he appreciated Pitt staying in character because it allowed him to interact with him as if Aldo Raine was a real person.

"He'd get into Aldo's mindset and stay there. He could be Brad and make a Brad joke but it was always in Aldo's dialect. Aldo is more crude than Brad. So that allowed Brad to go all the way with that. It was wonderful as a writer to be confronted by my character all day, and to talk to him and ask questions."

Inglorious Basterds comes out on August 21st with huge expectations and advance buzz for a possible Best Picture nomination. And Tarantino has stated that this may not be the last time him and Pitt unite for a feature.

"Brad deserves more respect and I think he is getting it," says Tarantino. "He has become arguably the biggest male movie star in the world. It seems like his time. It is the best time to work with him. I would work with Brad again in a heartbeat."

-Source: WENN
-Posted by Casey LaMarca

Starting August 17th, tickets for a 16 minute IMAX trailer of Avatar will go on sale online. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the extended trailer will feature an on-camera intro by director James Cameron and will be released on 101 IMAX theaters in the U.S and Canada. The shorter/standard trailer will be released in 2-D and 3-D on the same day, August 21st.

Says Fox distribution boss Bruce Snyder, “It will be two tickets to a customer to keep people from hoarding. We expect a tremendous amount of interest from the fans who are aware of Avatar."

The extended Avatar trailer will play just before and after separately ticketed performances for Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It will play twice between 6-7pm. Check your local IMAX theater for more details.

Avatar is the first feature for James Cameron since Titanic. With a budget reportedly between $230-$300, expect this to the movie event of the holiday season, with its release on December 18th, 2009.

-Source: The Flick Cast
-Posted by Casey LaMarca

The story chronicles around the afterlife of Susie Salmon (Ronan), a young girl who was murdered by her neighbor. From the afterlife, Susie witnesses the events of her grieving family and the actions of her killer.

The Lovely Bones is getting serious Oscar Buzz, most notably for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and many possible acting cagetories. As the summer season comes to a close and the Oscar Season begins, make sure you check out the trailer! The film is set to release on December 11th, 2009.

To the see the trailer, Click Here!

Source: The New Zealand Herald

Posted by: Casey LaMarca