New Speed Racer Theme 'Go Speed Racer Go' Gets Unfortunately Tweaked For The 21st Century

Warner Brothers has released the official music video for the newly revamped version of the "Go Speed Racer Go" theme. It's performed by some band called Ali Dee and the Deekompressors. As you might suspect, it's 3-minutes of painful ear damage with tons of clips from the movies and apparently spoilers too (we don't really give a rat's). "Speed Racer" stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman and come out in May. We think it looks like a joke and asked a few months who the hell the film would be for? And Jeffery Wells says much of the same saying the marketing faces a big challenged (duh) and that WB is "generally concerned," about how the film will play with audiences.

Ben Stein Fires Back At Yoko Ono Lawsuit; This Will TOTALLY Hold Up In Court

Yoko Ono and her kin, along with privately held publisher EMI Blackwood Music Inc. are suing the pro-creationist film, "Expelled:No Intelligence Allowed,"and its producers (Premise Media) for the unlawful use of John Lennon's 1971 classic song, "Imagine."

They're claiming the fair-use doctrine, but whatever Ono's going to sue them into the stone age, wait, they probably don't believe in that. Sue them back in to the B.C. days?

Either way, Ben Stein the star of the doc has shot back at Yoko via a damning press release.

"So Yoko Ono is suing over the brief Constitutionally protected use of a song that wants us to 'Imagine no possessions'? Maybe instead of wasting everyone's time trying to silence a documentary she should give the song to the world for free? After all, 'imagine all the people sharing all the world...You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the World can live as one.'"

Case closed? Surely that sharp defense would win over Judge Judy or at least Judge Reinhold, no? It is Hollywood, so we should assume one of the two should have some jurisdiction here.

Honestly, have you never heard how litigious Yoko is about Beatles material, let alone John Lennon's? And it's fucking "Imagine," are you guys completely stupid or just a little stupid? Case in point...

"If you really listen to the lyrics of 'Imagine' then you realize that it represents everything that the Neo-Darwinists want," Walt Ruloff Executive Producer and CEO of Premise Media said in an airtight, shut-and-close argument and pointing out the irony of the song use (how clever and kind of you to explain). " 'Imagine there's no Heaven...No hell below us...Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too...' That's exactly what the Darwinist establishment wants to do: get rid of religion. And that's what we point out when we play less than 15 seconds of the song and show some of the lyrics on screen."

You're out of order! The whole friggin' system's out of order!! Best of luck their kids. No intelligence allowed, indeed.

No Matter Who Wins We Lose: Uwe Boll Challenges Michael Bay To Fight To The Death...Or Something Like That

Oh brother, Uwe Boll's at it again. His fifteen minutes of fame on this particular beef should be over, but the video game director hack is relentlessly milking this one for every second he's got left.

The backstory is basically Boll wants to beat the shit out of every director who is more successfully and more critically regarded than he is which basically means everyone.

Michael Bay has dismissed Boll outright and the German director is evidently very "upset." The original video of the challenge is on below.

"Hi, here’s Uwe Boll and you see my outfit so you know what’s coming up now basically. Michael Bay responded to my note about him in a very insulting way for me. He said that he doesn’t care about me and this was very insulting because I care about him and I think that with the money he has for his movies, he sucks big time. I think it’s time to meet in the ring actually.

So it’s my message to Michael Bay, Michael, in between your pool parties in LA or your casting sessions with the strippers you should start training now. And I’m sure you look good, you look thin. I saw you at the Hollywood Film Festival, I think you’re a fit guy and you do like private karate Asia bullshit crap fighting stuff in LA where you think you’re super cool that you do that with your 500 bucks per hour trainer.

So let’s meet in the ring in September or October. Pay-per-view. Mandalay Bay. Las Vegas. Twelve rounds of boxing. Boll against Bay.

It’s also independent against the studio system and I think that this day in Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas we will clear it up who is not only the better director who is also able to fight more for that what he wants.

OK Michael, if you see that message I expect that your people contacting me, it will be all arranged. We even make money with it, and so let’s go for it. Boll against Bay. It’s on."

What once was amusing is now just becoming pathetic.
Wait, sort of. Boll's uber-sincere responses to his critics still yield tons of laughs.

Boll Responds To The Haterz
Highlight: "Don't write me with some bullshit internet nickname, write me with your name and address so I can track you down and rip you apart, thank you."

Boll Says Your Online Signatures Are Bullshit Frauds
Highlight: "The second thing, I know that Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay are posting under various different identities that I should stop making movies and I know why: they're afraid of the competition."

Man, if this guy is remotely joking he has the driest and most sincere deliver ever.

Film Reviews For Erotic Thrillers Tend To Skip By The Parts We Really Want To Know

LOOKZ, DOES SHE GET NAKED OR NOT!? WE KNOW THATS CRASS CAUSE SHE'S NOW A [HOT] WIDOW.

Pardon for that gauche eruption, it'll never happen again. "Deception" starring Michelle Williams, Ewan McGregor and Hugh Jackman comes out this weekend. It is getting godawful (and uninformative) reviews.

Sometimes you just want a cheat sheet.

NY-Centric: Jean-Luc Godard '60s Retrospective Hits Film Forum Starting May 2

Man, it's going to be a good summer for movies if you live in New York and Film Forum is having a banner year, especially for rock docs ("Lou Reed's Berlin" and "Patti Smith: Dream Of Life" debut at the repertory theater later this summer).

Moreover, the FF house is doing 5 weeks of a maverick French New Wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard during his '60s heyday starting May 2-through June 5.

It's going to be a madhouse for these screenings. You won't see us at a lot of these cause we've seen most on the big screen over the years (and crowds suck), but we'll likely be there for "Two Or Three Things I Know About Her" as that's one we've missed (our hunch is it hits Criterion later this year if the Rialto/Criterion trends follow suit).

All the big ones are there, "À Bout De Souffle," "Weekend," "Bande à Part," etc. etc. and if you're a budding cinephile or a dogged one, you should not miss.

We recommend you catch the eye-popping color of "Pierrot Le Fou," and skip the didactic snoozefest that is, "Les Chinoise" (it is colorful though, we'll give it that).

"Movies should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but not necessarily in that order." - Jean-Luc Godard.

Yes, we're unfortunately NYC-entric because we live here, but if you have info on a good film festival upcoming in your North American city, lets us know. Hell, we'd totally report it. Everyone should know about their cinematic options aside from the predictable mega-theaters. Presumably this retrospective will tour around major North American cities (one would hope).

This Michael Showalter Showalter clip with David Wain that digresses into a conversation about Godard around the 3:30 mark says it all and cracks us the fuck up.

Beef Watch: Movie Critic Dick-Battling Edition

We can't decide who matter less, music critics or film critics. Sure Roger Ebert is a household name and there's no real analogous person for music, but we tend to think music critics are slightly better known? Eh, we probably have a skewed perspective since we've worked on both sides of the fence, but deeper on the music hack side of things.

We digress. Movies have respectable critics like J. Hoberman (The Village Voice), A.O. Scott (The New York Times), Manohla Dargis (New York Times; and only semi-respectable as she is semi-infuriating at times), Joshua Rothkop (from Time Out New York - generally not as well-regarded at large, but for our buck a lot more tolerable then most) and Glen Kenny (the zaftig, snobbish, but mostly deservedly so, encyclopedic critic at Premiere).

There's tons more and many out there will disagree with us, but critics generally loathe critics, so these are the ones we can tolerate (and bother with, we won't pretend to say we're knowledgeable about everyone). Anywhoo, all this long-winded babbling to simply point out two recent beefs that are amusing.

Film Critic Nathan Lee just recently left got laid-off from the Village Voice, but not before one last salvo — not at his former colleagues — but New Yorker critic Anthony Lane. "Anthony Lane is a very witty, very funny writer — and he doesn't know shit about movies," Lee told Rotten Tomatoes.

We don't know Lee at all personally, but have mostly liked his writing over the years which is insightful without trying to sound like a know-it-all jackass (like many critics). We probably should read Lane, but the New Yorker is for people with the luxury of time. (who the hell as time to read 10,000 word reviews on one film? bloggers certainly don't).

Either way, we thought it was an amusing attack. His second diss of the myopic nature of movie bloggers is spot-on too. "Internet writing...It's so narrow and insular and just about movies, and I think to be a really good writer and film critic you need a range. You need to know what's going on in painting, you need to know what's going on in music, you need to read books, and get laid, and go to restaurants, you know what I mean?"

And how, brother.

Then there's Armond White. First off he writes for the New York Press, a paper that no one in America, let alone New York, reads. The fact that it still exists is mind-boggling. The general characteristics of those who write for the New York Press are contrarianism for the sake of contrarianism — mainly to stir the pot in attempts at attention because no one generally cares — and a deeply bitter tone that's completely in step with someone who is routinely ignored.

White, the pedantic, pretentious, asshole contrarian critic follows all these rules to a T. Generally regarded as one of the most prominent film critics in America, no one outside of film critics knows who he is or reads his impenetrable and academic-to-the-point-of-sleep "prose."

White's latest bitter screed is a shot at every other film critic in America. "WHAT WE DON’T TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MOVIES: Armond White takes aim at the critics who write with their thumbs." It's typically obtuse, long-winded and self-importantly suggests that no one outside of himself knows what they're talking about (as critics are wont to do, but especially the intolerable White).

Glen Kenny of Premiere (one of the few film critics who knows a lick about music) calls him out on his blog and it gets personal. "White's known for spewing bile at his peers in print, and then turning around and being quite affable to said peers in person—I've experienced it. And I've had it. So: screw you, Armond. Don't say 'hi' next time you see me at a screening because you won't get a 'hi' back. You think you're applying some form of moral rigor to your work, but the fact is that you're a bully and a hypocrite, and I don't want to know you."

What's the point of all this? Nerds sometimes hate other nerds too. Halfway through this post we wanted to delete it, but we figured we'd gotten this far so we should just finish it. 2% of the Internet public will give a rats ass about these beefs and rightly so. Please disperse, nothing to see here. If you're asking where someone like Harry Knowles is on this list is, well, you shouldn't have to ask. He and his third grade-crew don't count.

Stuff White People Like That Kanye West Also Likes: Connect Four With Judd Apatow Cast Members

Kanye West loves connect four, we all know that, but he also loves playing the game with actors from Judd Apatow comedies, namely Jonah Hill ("Superbad," "Knocked Up,"). Next week, parcheesi with Michael Cera, followed by Uno with Paul Rudd.

When asked in a separate interview who Judd Apatow, Jonah Hill or Michael Cera was, the entire rest of the hip-hop community had no clue what we were talking about. So far, Milton Bradley has not reached out to West for any endorsement deals, but the year is still young.

The best part of this riveting clip is one woman saying about Jonah Hill, "OMG, is he going to play connect four? You're going to lose," with genuine concern and interest. Then Hill hilariously breaks down the IQ needed to play the game (and presumably insults West). "This is like chess for dumb people. Let's sit down and play a 'thinking man's game'. " LOL.

But then it gets worse. At one point Kanye puts on Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" really loud (a wretched new single, sorry Weezy) - basically as impending victory music - and yes, this is a clip from FunnyorDie (or wait is it?) - but if he's fucking around to try and make a joke it doesn't translate and he comes off hilariously as taking himself too seriously (gee, that's never happened before).

'Patti Smith: Dream For Life' Hitting Theaters On August 6

Much like "Lou Reed's Berlin," we've been dying to see the rock doc "Patti Smith: Dream Of Life," by director Steven Sebring.

The film debuted at Sundance earlier this year, played many a smaller film festival this spring, and now has a firm release date of August 6 for its regular theatrical release. In New York, the doc will debut at Film Forum, for the rest of North America, consult your like-minded repetory theater.

WHEN PEOPLE ASK HER “HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A ROCK ICON?” Patti Smith says she “always thinks of Mount Rushmore.” Steven Sebring’s directorial debut takes a lyrical, stream-of-consciousness approach that is exactly right in his affecting portrait of the “rock ’n’ roll Joan of Arc” (Stephen Holden, The NY Times) who can bring a crowd of devotees to their feet chanting “Glor-i-a!” as effectively as she can share her pain over the early death of her husband, Fred (Sonic) Smith and her brother, and the loss of her close friend Robert Mapplethorpe and of other artists she admires (Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, William S. Burroughs). Everyone knows that Patti Smith’s music, poetry and politics are fearless, funny, raw and original. But this film also captures her physical presence – her gamine beauty – and a charming, self-effacing style that will take you by surprise and leave you deeply moved.

A source close to the project tells us the DVD release for 'Dream Of Life' will probably arrive in early 2009.

Watch: "Patti Smith: Dream Of Life" trailer

60-Year Period Between 'The Hobbit' & 'Fellowship' For Hobbit Sequel Suddenly Gone? Or Not?

Ok, so Guillermo del Toro is officially directing "The Hobbit," no big surprise there, right?

Much has been made - by fans at least - about the sequel to the 'Hobbit' (it's a two-picture project) that would take place during the 60-year period between "The Hobbit" and "The Fellowship of the Ring," according to official sources like theonering.net and the New York Times,

This "sequel" would likely reference "The Silmarillion," and some of it apparently would be pure invention from Peter Jackson and his co-writer Fran Walsh (this is where's it's either disastrous or wonderful part enters the picture - remember there is quite a bit of reinvention in the 'LOTR" trilogy and 'Silmarillion' is notoriously known as a snoozefest).

However, stop the presses, it looks like that 60-year period has vanished and been dropped as part of the storyline plan.

In the Associated Press story about "The Hobbit" directorial announcement, their article is now corrected and has deleted their reference to this 60-year span. "New Line now says the movies are based on the book only," the AP wrote in their correction at the bottom of the story.

"Book" singular, not plural. So what gives? Did the filmmakers give up on the idea of making this extended period? Would their have been too much invention involved? Did they realize if they wanted further adventures between Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Aragorn that Viggo Mortensen might look too old to play a younger version of himself? (Mortensen turns 50 this year, Mckellen is already old, but presumably as a wizard it wouldn't take that much make-up to make him look a little less haggard).

So, it looks like that invented period is no more. Those with real New Line contacts can get the official word, but we've done the legwork for you. Have at it.

Update: However, TheOneRing.net has a fresh interview with del Toro from yesterday (or at least it ran yesterday) and he's still talking up this 60-year period. The Mexican director said he flew to New Zealand specifically to discuss the direction of the 2nd film. " ‘The Hobbit’...is really one self-contained film. We sat down and worked out [the second film]...we got really excited because this second film is not a ‘tag on’, it’s not ‘filler,’ it’s an integral part of telling the story of those 50 years of history lost in the narrative. There will be certain things that we will see from the first movie but from a different point of view, but it will feel like a volume, in the 5 volumes of the entire story. It will not feel like... ‘a bridge film.’

So did the Associated Press fuck up? They seemed to change their story at the behest of New Line, what gives? But even the official New Line press release mentions this 60-year span. We emailed TheOneRing.net and they said, the AP will probably need to run a correction to their correction. Hmmm.... Wait, what's this? The AP correction is now gone from the story. Did we write a whole story based on their fuck-up? Grrr... You'd think the "real" media would have their shit together. The Huffington Post version of the story however, still has the correction.

It reads in full: "Please note that this version DELETES INCORRECT reference to second movie spanning time between "Hobbit" and "Rings"; New Line now says movies are based on book only."

We're not the only ones who have noticed the discrepancies (though these guys have clearly got it wrong with their last detail that we won't even bother referencing - hint "third film" - don't worry, not happening).

Whatever the case will be, "bureaucracy pending," del Toro told TheOneRing that Andy Serkis (Gollum) and Ian McKellen (Gandalf) are both "on board."

'Wild Things' Assistant Editor Confirms Some Reshoots, Script Re-Writes & Spike Jonze Still On The Project

Internet speculation and hysteria is amusing and dangerous. You'll recall that rumors of reshoots on Spike Jonze's adaptation of "Where The Wild Things Are" quickly morphed into feral panic that begat more rampant specious conjecture that presumed that the film was a) being entirely rehot, b) would possibly be totally re-written and c) that Jonze and Eggers might be fired from the project entirely.

All of this was obvioulsy just hollow assumptions and those of us with cooler heads (ok, not many out there) took more of a wait and see attitude instead of sounding the alarm up to red alert status.

Well, an techy interview with 'Wild Things' assistant editor James Haygood in yesterday's StudioDaily website basically confirms what we had assumed - Jonze is still on the project, some re-writes are happening and some re-shoots will be happening, but calm down WWIII is not on the horizon. This excerpt basically says it all.

Can you talk a little bit more about Where the Wild Things Are?
I just spent the last year on it. It is an amazing project. Like all of Spike’s projects, there’s a complicated birthing process. But it’s a real special, one-of-a-kind thing. That was really fun, and it’s still going. I may go back for a couple months. They’ve gone on hiatus to shoot a couple things and write some stuff, so post-production took a break. I really look forward to seeing how that all comes together. We worked in HD, so whatever movie I do next, I think it’s going to be edited in HD.

Note there's no panic or hysteria. Production has gone on hiatus to make some tweaks, big fucking deal. If Jonze were gone, he'd have said, if reshoots and re-writes were massive, he'd probably have said that too. The tone is even keeled. We're hoping internet geeks will shut the fuck up now and dial down the teenage emo drama once and for all.

It's Official: Guillermo Del Toro To Direct 'The Hobbit'

File this under, predictable, no-brainer news, sure, but nerds (and people who like the LOTR films like us) will be happy to know that Mexican director Guilleremo del Toro has officially signed on to direct "The Hobbit," prequel to the "Lord Of The Rings" films by Peter Jackson according to EW's Hollywood Insider blog, Variety and the rest of the world who got the NewLine statement.

There's actually two Hobbit films to be made and del Toro will direct both (the latter is sort of an invention by the filmmakers and it deals with the 60-year period between "The Hobbit" and "The Fellowship of the Ring"). Update: The AP has now corrected their story and deleted their reference to this 60-year span. "New Line now says the movies are based on the book only."

We all knew this was coming, del Toro said as much a in January, but apparently a lot of ink wasn't dry yet and there was a ton of contract negotiating finagling to be dealt with. Just last week at ComicCon, del Toro told MTV that it was basically a done deal. "If all goes well we'll finish up the legal complications - that are many - and hopefully next week there will be announcement... either way."

The director will work back-to-back on both films and the plan is for him to move to New Zealand for the next four years. Filming is expected to start in 2009 with the films coming out in 2010 and 2011.

"We have long admired Guillermo's work and cannot think of a more inspired filmmaker to take the journey back to Middle-earth," Peter Jackson and longtime producing partner, Fran Walsh said in a statement.

We're not over the moon about the news or anything, we've never seen a 'Hellboy' film, nor "Blade II" and don't ever plan on it, but "Pan's Labyrinth" was great, so we trust (hope) Jackson and co. can dial down any of his past, B-movie tendencies (that seemed to have evaporated with 'Labyrinth'). In other words, if Jackson doesn't want to do it, Del Toro seems like the next best nerdy shlub to handle the franchise. All hail the chubby geek.

Will Smith's 'Hancock' Trailer - Superhero Film For Those That Don't Like Superhero Films?

More later, but man, this doesn't look half bad! And hey, Jason Bateman. We're not really comic book people so we didn't know anything about this premise, but the idea of good-for-nothing, alcoholic super hero who doesn't really give a flying fuck (Will Smith) and then has to hire a publicist (Bateman) to improve his image sounds like an amusing new twist on the getting-stale, I-have-so-many-fucking-demons-to-battle genre.

Fergie's 'Sex And The City' Theme Leaks Much To The Chagrin Of Ears Everywhere; Soundtrack Features Jem, India.Arie & Other Songs To Shop To

Holy shit, this thing is an abortion. It's some like someone's shitting in our mouths and trying to call it a Sundae, we aint' having it. Fergie's "theme" to the upcoming "Sex and the City," movie - titled the "Labels or Love" - has leaked on the Tube and holy christ is it baaaaaad.

A sampling of the lyrics that we seriously did not make up: "shopping for labels, shopping for love," "I know my credit card will help me put out the flames," "Stop chasing those boys and shop some more!" (ack!!) she honks away in an aggravating autotune (it's like they put a bolt in her head to block out any remote traces of intelligence in the words). There's actually some musical motifs in there from the piano-dancing original 'Sex' theme which is just painful. Or as the press release says, the iconic theme is "re-imagined as a fabulous pop song."

Sure, it's Fergie and we might have expected as much, but christ, really? If this doesn't induce a heart attack for Big, we're not sure what will. An indication of things to come for the movie? Upwardly mobile New York City girls with plenty of extra spending income are sincerely worried.

The soundtrack info came out today as well. Sex and the City: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, is due May 27 via Newline and features, what we assume will be shopping/cosmo-drinking montage-friendly tracks by the aforementioned Fergie, c0-star Jennifer Hudson, Jem, The Bird & The Bee, India.Arie and Al Green. And oh yeah, Pitchfork reminds us to re-write what we already reported: Cee-Lo of Gnarls Barkley co-wrote (with MC Jack Splash) the song sung by Jennifer Hudson in the film's credits, "All Dressed in Love."

Fergie said in a stock statement. "I grew up watching 'Sex and the City' and I know a lot of my girlfriends did as well. We felt like these characters were our friends, so to be a part of this project has been amazing. I'm such a fan of the show and am very flattered that they asked me to be involved."

"Sex and the City" hits theaters nationwide on May 30. It will provide insight into lifelong friendships and make you cry at the end. There will also be montage sequences in the film shot in slow motion.

Can "Sex and the City" compete with the comic-book heavy summer? Oh hell it can. Check this hilarious nugget. "These women are the ultimate female superheroes," says Michael Patrick King, who executive produced the HBO series. " 'Sex and The City' was made to correct the myth that if you were single at a certain age, you were a leper. Its four characters are heroes to a lot of women; they run around New York, or Gotham -- but they have fancy shoes instead of capes." LOLZ.

"Sex And The City" soundtrack tracklist
1. Labels or Love - Fergie
2. All Dressed in Love - Jennifer Hudson
3. The Look of Love (Madison Park vs. Lenny B remix) - Nina Simone
4. New York Girls - Morningwood
5. All This Beauty - The Weepies
6. I Like The Way - Kaskade
7. It's Amazing - Jem
8. How Deep Is Your Love - The Bird & The Bee
9. The Heart Of The Matter - India.Arie
10. Auld Lang Syne - Mairi Campbell & Dave Francis
11. Kissing - Bliss
12. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart - Al Green (featuring Joss Stone)
13. Walk This Way- Run-D.M.C. (featuring Steve Tyler and Joe Perry)
14. Sex and the City Movie Theme - The Pfeifer Broz. Orchestra

Dear Judd Apatow - Leading Roles For Martin Starr, Jay Baruchel & The Rudd?

Dear Judd Apatow,
People that don't like your films are cynical assholes. Ok, that's not totally true, we're starting to like your films slightly less than we used to ("Drillbit Taylor" wasn't so hot, you probably recognize this).

But in theory, we still love your comedies, heart the concept of dick jokes with heart and adore your post-"Freaks & Geeks" family players troupe that you seem to take with you wheresoever you go.

Which brings us to your lesser, somewhat less-adored Frat-patow members. Rogen, Franco, Segel are great (the Sege is particularly endearing in his goofball, awkwardness), but they've had their day and plus: what about the other kids? Jonah Hill is definitely taken care of, you don't need to give him anymore leading roles. Micheal Cera is a good satellite member, but he's set no matter what.

So what about people like Martin Starr, Jay Baruchel and the good ol' trusty standby Paul Rudd?

Yes, Baruchel was the lead in "Undeclared," a show that wasn't fantastic, but still enjoyable despite getting cancelled without being given even half a chance. And Martin Starr grew that grotesque beard for "Knocked-Up," and surely endured those humiliating fur-burger beard jokes even off-screen (we noticed it in his small "Superbad" cameo, you still hadn't allowed him to shave it). He's owed for that, no? (and he kinda looked pimp in that movie)

And what about Paul Rudd, if ever there was a utility player comedy actor, it's the Rudd. An adaptable, malleable player who can seemingly play any field position he's given he's that adept. Couldn't he have starred in your upcoming serious-relationship drama instead of Adam Sandler who's going to butcher it unless you somehow coax a "Punch Drunk Love" out of him?

Also, hello?? Clark Duke from Clark and Michael? (bring that shit back, yo). If you really truly mean when you said you continually kept casting these kids cause you wanted to keep them working and you loved them and wanted to give them careers, you'll give ol' Clark a shot (ok, but prolly not a leading role yet, we understand that, and yes, we did see his "Superbad" cam).

And how about the ladies? More non-cameo work for Carla Gallo and Monica Keena? (We assume the Segel dumping means Cardelllini is off limits).

Think about it.
- Sinceriously,
The Playlist

'Tracey Fragments' Soundtrack Coming Out Early Via ITunes On May 6

We gave you the scoop on "The Tracey Fragments" soundtrack that comes out May 13 via Lakeshore records and features a score by Broken Social Scene and songs by the Fembots, Rose Melberg and other Canadian indie-rockers (star Ellen Page and director Bruce McDonald are Canucks, hence the Great White score). We also gave you a first look at the new Social Scene track "Horses" (also bel0w) sung by newest BSS satellite-member Liz Powell from Montreal indie trio Land of Talk (it's a Patti Smith cover).

A few more bits of info: the album is coming out a week earlier via Itunes on May 6. Also, the official myspace page is streaming three new songs from the soundtrack by the aforementioned Fembots, the Deadly Snakes and Dutchess.

The Tracey Fragments" came out in Canada late last fall and comes out in the U.S. May 9 via ThinkFilm. Hit us up with screening info already.

Lou Reed's 'Berlin' Finally Hits Theaters Proper On July 18

“Lou Reed records the album Berlin in 1973. It was a commercial failure. Over the next 33 years, he never performed the album live. For five nights in December 2006 at St. Ann’s Warehouse Brooklyn, Lou Reed performed his masterwork about love’s dark sisters: jealousy, rage and loss.” – Julian Schnabel

It's played at the Toronto Film Festival and Venice Film Festival last year. It's played at the SXSW Film Festival and now the Tribeca Film Festival and there's not even a proper trailer out for it yet! (scratch that we just found one over at the Weinstein Company site) Well, we all won't have to wait too long, "Lou Reed's Berlin" (directed by insufferable teddy bear artiste Julian Schnabel) will finally hit theaters proper - or at least small repetory theaters come July 18 (in New York it opens at the estimable Film Forum).
The film synopsis:

A searing song cycle about two lovers going to pieces in the shadow of the Berlin Wall, Lou Reed's Berlin was greeted by a chorus of rebuke upon its release in 1973. Crushed, Reed and his producer, Bob Ezrin, left the record to gather dust in the archives. But a funny thing happened on the way to obscurity-Berlin was rediscovered, anointed a misunderstood masterpiece, added to the pantheon.

And how, we've always been a big fan (though Street Hassle is still our fave). The film also features Sharon Jones of the Dap Kings and Antony of Antony and the Johnsons, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus as guests. Additionally the doc boasts the work of estimable rock-cinematographer Ellen Kuras ("Shine A Light," Young: Heart of Gold" for Jonathan Demme, and was personally hand-picked by Bob Dylan himself to shoot his "No Direction Home" interviews for the doc. )

The concert documentary also gets a little arty (it is Schnabel afterall) and it features moments with Roman Polanski's wife Emmanuelle Seigner ("The Butterfly & The Diving Bell") as a stand-in for the main female character, Caroline, in the Berlin story.

Julian Schanel's set design creates the backdrop of a hotel with greenish walls and with Lola Schnabel's films displaying the beauty and tragedy of the narrator's leading lady (Emmanuelle Seigner) the experience is devastating and beautiful.

And finally, some congratulations have to go out to Mr. Reed and his long-time partner, the asymmetrically coiffed artisan vocoder-enthusiast Laurie Anderson. The pair were two of New York's hippest couples for over 20 years and they recently got married earlier this month in secret. We're so happy we forgive Lou for snoring so loudly during a 2007 Tribeca screening of "Scott Walker: 30 Century Man" (he unfortunately sat right behind us).

Download: Lou Reed - "Berlin"
Download: Laurie Anderson - "Let X=X"
Watch: Lou Reed - "The Kids" (from Berlin)

Listen: J. Spaceman & Sun City Girls' Score To Harmony Korine's 'Mister Lonely'

Just yesterday, Pitchfork pointed out that Spiritualized's myspace page is streaming "Soul On Fire," one of the new songs from the gauzy space-rockers' upcoming album Songs in A&E due June 3. That reminded us to give off a taste of the just released soundtrack for Harmony Korine's latest surrealist opus, "Mister Lonely" which features a score by Spiritualized's J. Spaceman (née Jason Pierce) and the experimental Phoenix-based outfit the Sun City Girls.

The score is super interesting insofar as a lot of stuff we assumed was J. Spaceman score during the film - simple, elegiac, beautiful - was actually score by the Sun City Girls and conversely, the more outré, almost glitchy minimalist stuff was actually composed by Mister Spiritualized. Way to defy expectations.

Featuring Diego Luna and Samantha Morton as odd, misfit Michael Jackson and Marilyn Monroe impersonators, "Mister Lonely" features nuns skydiving to the likes of A Silver Mt. Zion and Aphex Twin and there's bizarre, wonderfully weird moments like this in the film that are pure cinema porn for geeks like us that go nuts for amazing moments of movie/music convergence (the gorgeous, sad, disturbing and sultry, "13 Angels Standing Guard 'Round the Side of Your Bed," by Mt. Zion in the film is literally an jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring moment).

There's also strange/hilarious moments where Diego's MJ tries to cheer up old folks to Spank Rock in their retirement homes. It's a freakshow to be sure, but it's also Harmony Korine's best, most-cohesive film to date (it comes out May 2 in limited release).
Download: Aphex Twin - "Btoum-Roumada"


Watch: "Mister Lonely" trailer

Watch: Scene from "Mister Lonely" featuring Spank Rock

Yoko Ono Sues 'Expelled' Filmmakers For Unauthorized Use Of Lennon's "Imagine"

Did we call this one first or what? Yoko Ono has filed suit against the filmmakers of "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," for the unauthorized use of John Lennon's classic 1971 song, "Imagine."

On April 17, Ono's lawyer, said in an interview that the filmmakers of the pro-creationist film starring adenoidal actor Ben Stein did not have lawful permission to use the song. "It was not licensed," he told the Wall Street Journal. "We are exploring all options."

And explore they did. However, before that, the producers of the project tried to argue some lame free speech excuse because the film only used :25 seconds of the song. "After seeking the opinion of legal counsel it was seen as a First Amendment issue and protected under the fair use doctrine of free speech," the producers said in a paper-thin statement.

Ono, Sean and Julian Lennon, along with privately held publisher EMI Blackwood Music Inc. filed suit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan seeking to bar the filmmakers and their distributors from continuing to use "Imagine" in the movie. They are collectively seeking unspecified damages.

The suit is against the film's producers and distributors: Premise Media Corporation, C&S Production LP and Rocky Mountain Pictures.

Premise is still clinging to their weak, ahem, premise. They are citing fair use doctrine which news outlets generally use for the purposes of commentary and criticism.

"We are disappointed therefore that Yoko Ono and others have decided to challenge our free speech right to comment on the song 'Imagine' in our documentary film," Premise said in a statement.

See you in hell, twice over boys. Maybe the Killers will now follow, um... suit?

Nevermind The Bullocks, Tom Cruise's 'Valkyrie' Film Is Fine People, Just Fine!

It's a conspiracy witchunt! Please disregard the rumors! Please disperese, there's nothing to see here! Tom Cruise's "Valkyrie," is doing fine, no really. Despite being bumped straight out of Oscar season contention, the producers behind the film insist you're ignorant and, "It's all good." "Anybody trying to dismiss us or write us off doesn't understand the business," United Artists chief Paula Wagner says sounding much like a scary and dogmatic Nazi herself. "Nothing is going to stop us." [New York Times]

Roger Ebert won't be attending Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival. "Sigh. I was really happy with this one…A broken hip adds to my tour of medical adventures. My current plan is to take it easy, obey the doctors orders, and start writing reviews again," he writes. Unfortunately, you'll have to watch Ang Lee's "Hulk" and Tarsem's "The Cell," without him. Tears. [Spoutblog]

"That's 'Neil Patrick Harris.' I'm not a big onion guy. And sliders make you poop. So that combination of the two is not good for me." - Neil Patrick Harris insists there's a difference between Neil Patrick Harris and NPH the White Castle-loving debauched meth freak in the "Harold & Kumar" films. [MTV]

Ang Lee loves the gays (not that there's anything wrong with that). First he made a gay cowboy movie, then he made a homoerotic superhero movie, now he's making a film about gay hippies (that met at Woodstock) [Reuters]

Girls want to have fun in their menial bit parts in superhero films too! USA Today speaks to three comely ladies in three upcoming super hero films, Gwyneth Paltrow ("Iron Man"), Liv Tyler ("The Incredible Hulk") and Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Batman: The Dark Knight"). Unfortunately, instead of sounding like smart underused actresses they're made to look like airhead twits to responding to questions like, "what super power would you have if you could choose? (not to mention the retarded color-coded scheme to keep their answers apart) Shameful shit. [USA Today]

James Franco Writing Raunchy 'Goonies'-Like Script For Judd Apatow

We should get paid for Apatow publicity.

Producer/writer/director Judd Apatow is a smart and crafty dude. Not only does he have a stable of extremely loyal actors (he gave these guys careers), he's basically created a veritable cottage industry of talent by getting two'fers and putting them to work to write "comedy of embarrassment" scripts for him to make and get rich off (they basically get rich when they sign on for other projects like Muppet movies).

Seth Rogen has been writing since "Undeclared," and has co-penned a ton of Apatow films "Knocked-Up," Superbad,") Jason Segel co-wrote "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and it's only a matter of time before Martin Starr and Jay Baruchel get put to work too.

But the next immediate goon from the stable "encouraged" to write? "Pineapple Express" star James Franco who's been writing with his brother Dave. EW has the goods.

EW: Are either of you guys working on more mainstream screenplays that you might work with Judd on?
JAMES: We have a script that Davey and I worked on. We developed it, and then Davey finished it. He's at USC, although he has not finished yet. He's in his fifth year.
DAVE: Someone here's almost 30 and he hasn't finished [college] yet.
JAMES: I will be finishing and going to New York for grad school next year. I don't know if Davey will be. And by the way, the accumulated years I've spent in school have been less than four years, and he's had over five years.

Tell me a little about this script you're working on...
JAMES: [Dave] finished the script and I think it is up Apatow Alley, and we'll see what happens.

What's it about?
DAVE: We took a lot from some '80s movies like Stand by Me, The Goonies, those kinds of films. It's just a couple young kids going on a journey, kind of a coming-of-age story. But a lot raunchier and a lot more R-rated! I think there'd be small parts for both of us. But the central characters are all 11 or 12 years old.

That's two Franco posts in one day, we must have a crush or something. Oh yeah, he made out with Sean Penn in "Harvey Milk" too.

Tarantino Prepping New Expanded "Kill Bill" DVD With Brand New Anime Origins Sequence?

Loudmouth Quentin Tarantino has been quiet and recent months, no? Maybe it's cause he's working on a new animated section of "Kill Bill" for a special extended DVD version starring David Carradine's Bill character in what might be an origin sequence? Sounds that way. Uma Thurman recently said, "Right now he’s putting the two films together with an intermission with an added anime sequence he had already written. So additional stories are in there, in animation.”

Two years ago Tarantino announced that he was going to make anime films about the origins of Beatrix Kiddo (Uma's character) and Bill, but maybe now it's just going to be Bill? “It has nothing to do with me,” Thurman said coyly. “It has to do with another character. You’ll have to see.”

All we know is that it takes away from "Inglorious Bastards," a WWII epic we want to see only because Tarantino's talked it up for like what, 8 years? Dude works at a sloooow clip. [MTV]

Woody Allen Manages Your Expectations For Scarlett On Penelope Cruz Action In 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'

Penelope Cruz obviously has no problem with being nude on film. Scarlett Johnasson has yet to bare it all much to the chagrin of movie-going boyz everywhere, but Woody Allen is going to change that, right?

His upcoming romantic triangle thriller, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is supposed to feature a three-way with Scarjo, Cruz and Javier Bardem, plus a lesbian sequence with the two ladies, right?

Mr. Skin and other sites devoted to naked ladies onscreen however can cool their screen-cap fingered jets right now. Allen says the scene is not all that. In the summer preview issue of Entertainment Weekly (not online yet) the nebbish director of nearly 40 movies downplays the whole scenes.

"Because it was Scarlett and Penelope, it got out there that there was torrid sex in the picture," Allen said. But sadly, no that's not the case and the scene is apparently a "discreetly shot ménage à trois." Allen cautioned the JoBlo movie fans that would normally not bother with the film, "People who come and expect those exaggerations are going to be disappointed."

Way to sell your movie Woody. Cut receipts in half right now.

Still, Allen's not a total idiot, he did cast them for a reason. "To come to the set every morning with two of the sexiest women in the world... that was certainly as big a treat as you could have."

Once a perv, always a perv.

Brad Pitt's 'True Romance' Stoner Begats Apatow's 'Pineapple Express'

If you were one of those people that noticed the similarities between James Franco's stoner in the upcoming Judd Apatow stoner-action film, "Pineapple Express" and Brad Pitt's couch-surfing pothead in "True Romance," you did so for good reason.

In the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly (not online yet) Apatow admitted to basing 'Express' off of Pitt's 4/20-enthusiast from the 1993 Tarantino-written, Tony Scott-directed "True Romance."

"The whole idea of the movie comes from Brad Pitt's stoner in 'True Romance,' Apatow said. "I Thought it would be funny to make a movie in which you follow that character out of his apartment and watch him get chased by bad guys."

"I thought it would be great to do one of those pot movies, but with the action of a Jerry Bruckheimer movie," he elaborated to ReelzChannel in December.

And that's basically what happens in the film, Seth Rogen's (mostly) straight-laced character in the film witnesses a murder committed by crooked cops and he inadvertently implicates James Franco's weed-dealing stoner when he comes over to his house to tell him all about it. The hilarity and insanity ensues from there (you've likely already seen the very-funny R-Rated trailer featuring M.I.A. that gets you quite pumped for the film).

We can all thank Brad Pitt who apparently did a lot of improvising on set in the original film including the idea that his character should never leave the couch, and wearing the rasta hat his character wears which he apparently found abandoned on a street in Venice, Italy. He took it, washed it, and wore it for the film.

"True Romance" was also apparently part of a larger screenplay written by Tarantino and "Pulp Fiction" co-writer Roger Avary and the second half of that screenplay became "Natural Born Killers" (In both films Tom Sizemore plays a cop). Of course Avary didn't recieve a writing credit for either film, which explains the reason why he and Tarantino had a very public falling out (QT apparently ripped-off Avary at every turn).

Pitt apparently wanted the lead role of Clarence (that went to Christian Slater), but was busy filming "Kalifornia," so he opted out for the smaller role of Floyd the stoner.

For 'Pineapple Express,' Apatow had originally cast James Franco as the straight man and Rogen as the stoner, but at their table reading it became clear to him that he should switch their roles. "I remember the first table read - it was just astounding how comfortable [Franco] was with the comedy," Apatow told EW. "That's the thing about him, you tell him, 'OK, you're going to play a pot dealer,' and he comes back with a three-dimensional character you totally believe. He take [his work] very seriously, even when it's comedy."

Did Franco really indulge for the part? Unfortunately not he says, "The truth is that they got me pot with no THC in it. I'm wondering if I should come up with a new answer. Just say, ''Yeah, we smoked a lot of pot on that movie,'' he told EW in a separate piece.

"Pineapple Express" (directed by normally arty indie director David Gordon Green no less) hits theaters August 8. There might not be a summer film we're anticipating more at this point. But what we really want to know is, when is someone going to make a film based on Gary Oldman's 'Romance' character who's a white-rasta pimp who thinks he's black? Comedy genius is just waiting to be mined, people.

Download: Hans Zimmer - "You're So Cool" (Theme from "True Romance")
Download: Nymphomania - "I Want Your Body" (electronic hyper dance track from the Oldman scene in 'Romance')
Download: Soundgarden - "Outshined" (music for the Brad Pitt stoner scene while accosted by goons)
Brad Pitt classic stoner scene from "True Romance"

Who's Crazier? James Caan Or David O.Russell? Call It The Cookie Incident

You'll recall that we just reported that James Caan walked off the set of David O. Russell's new political satire, "Nailed," and then quit the film.

O.Russell's history as difficult, temper-tantrum throwing director is well very documented and Caan himself isn't a walk in the park either. Well, apparently the incident happened over a measly cookie.

And, the Hollywood Reporter says the altercation happened on Caan's first day of shooting!

Caan played the U.S. speaker of the house who chokes to death on a cookie. "Russell asked him to cough as he choked, but Caan argued that the character couldn't cough and choke to death at the same time."

Russell suggested that they shoot it both ways, but the actor expressed distrust that his version would be considered and left the South Carolina set. A spokesman laughed, wouldn't deny or confirm and said "the departure was amicable."

Suuuuuure. Russell is notoriously cantankerous and Caan isn't exactly a walk in the part either. The director came to blows on the set of "Three Kings" with George Clooney and got into a huuuge, ugly spat with Lily Tomlin "I Heart Huckabees" as seen last year on YouTube. Apparently Jake Gyllenhaal has been acting like a primadonna on the set of "Nailed," too so this is probably just the beginning of juicy stories to come.