Ten Things You Didn't Know About Bruce Lee

Season 3 Episode 9 - Open Thread

2009-10-18T20:27:28Z

Talk about Season 3, Episode 9, "Wee Small Hours."

Putting Together a SciFi Military Squad? You Can Count on Kurt Russell and Dennis Quaid

2009-10-14T17:00:04Z

Quelling a deadly space-bug riot or facing down an army of droid mechas is not a job for your average thespian. Actors for the most part are a cowardly, squishy lot. But there are a few, proud exceptions -- men that go above and beyond the call of duty on the movie screen, time and again returning to serve our country, the world, and sometimes even the whole galaxy. These are the Soldiers of SciFi, and let's show them a little respect, maggot!

Jean-Claude Van Damme
Rank: Seargent
The debate over genetically engineered soldiers has divided our troops, and the public. But one man has shown that those half-lives cause more trouble than they're worth, and that man is Van Damme. Through three Universal Soldier movies, Van Damme's resurrected Vietnam soldier Luc Devereaux has been a thorn in the side of the U.S. Army. Create a program to resurrect troops? Devereaux will take it down. Evil computer tries to destroy the U.S. government? Devereaux can't help but get involved. At least in this year's Universal Soldier 3: A New Beginning, he teams up with our boys to stop an evil nuclear cloud. Oh, and the less said about Van Damme's army leader in Street Fighter (1994), the better.

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Rank: Lieutenant
The T-800 is the most ruthless killing machine we've ever seen. And though we don't have to like them, we do have to respect their prowess. Schwarzenegger has portrayed the T-800 in four Terminator movies (well, three plus a computer generated head). But it's not for his misdeeds that we honor the Governator today. In Commando (1985), John Matrix alone stood against an army of evil. In Predator (1987), he was the only man to survive an alien hunter. Time and again, Schwarzenegger has served this country, with only a moderate amount of collateral damage. OK, a significant amount of collateral damage. So what, punk?

]]> Michael Biehn
Rank: Captain
Never quite the leader, but always a great second in command, Biehn kicked off his career as Kyle Reese -- second to leader of the resistance John Connor in The Terminator (1984). Though he had to sacrifice himself to save his own baby (who was also his best friend), Biehn did go on to serve a long military career in other scifi fare: He fought the alien menace in Aliens (1986) as Cpl. Dwayne Hicks, who holds the distinction of being the only marine to actually, ya know, survive (at least until Alien 3). Then he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in The Abyss (1989) -- a leading role that may have proved premature, as he kind of lost his mind and hasn't been seen in scifi since.

Kurt Russell
Rank: Colonel
Russell has become one of the most valuable assets in our cinematic army. His role as the bank-robbing merc Snake Plissken in Escape From New York (1981) and Escape From L.A. (1996) gave him the hardcore training he needed to take things to the big leagues. And make it to the big leagues he did as Col. Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neil in Stargate (1994), who led a whole platoon of soldiers to battle an androgynous alien menace from Earth's past. Sadly, Russell has since fallen out with the army, going on the run against his genetically engineered replacements in Soldier (1998). But there's a cushy desk job waiting for him, if he ever wants back in.

Dennis Quaid
Rank: General
No soldier has served the military so faithfully or for so long as Dennis Quaid. Having cut his teeth as a military man in the non-scifi Stripes (1981), Quaid crash-landed on a planet in Enemy Mine (1985), where he befriended an alien combatant and brought them both to safety. His tour off-planet earned Quaid a promotion to Lieutenant, during which time he journeyed to the center of Martin Short in Innerspace (1987). Finally, after nearly thirty years, Quaid was promoted to General, portraying General Hawk, the leader of a team so elite he doesn't even need to tell you who they are in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009). We salute you, General Quaid. Hoo-ah!

Classic Ten - Crazy Doctors in the Movies

2009-10-14T04:01:00Z

Even in the modern age, doctors are revered for their god-like powers to save human lives. If your doctor tells you to take two pills and call him in the morning, you unquestioningly do just that because, well, he made it through four years of fancy-pants medical school and you didn't. Enter Hollywood, which has no problem up-ending our blind faith in medicine and its practitioners by supplying us with an endless stream of board-certified kooks -- like the ones messing with Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau in Couples Therapy. Which iconic doc is most whacked-out? Read on!

10. Eddie Murphy as Dr. Dolittle in Dr. Dolittle (1998)
There's a reason everyone -- including his wife -- thinks this family physician (Eddie Murphy) is nuts: He bonks his head and the next thing you know he's giving a rat CPR, sobering up a drunk monkey, and saving a suicidal tiger. Can you imagine if you found out that's how your doctor was spending his nights? For his ridiculous hijinks, Dr. Doolittle squeaks into the bottom spot on this list.

9. Billy Crystal as Miracle Max in The Princess Bride (1987)
Without wacky Miracle Max's medical expertise, Wesley would have been left for fully dead, when in fact he was merely "mostly dead." A crucial distinction! Miracle Max's accurate diagnosis saves the swashbuckler, and proves that saving a life can sometimes have less to do with good medicine than it does with the revenge fantasies of a disgruntled former employee ("Humperdink! Humperdink! Humperdink!").

]]> 8. Tom Wilkinson as Dr. Mierzwiak in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Dr. Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson) can erase bad memories in a procedure no more painful than a bad hangover. Naturally, things go awry. For the successful marketing of voluntary brain damage (which explains both Kate Winslet's character's amnesia and her rainbow-colored hair), Dr. Mierzwiak is certainly some kind of crazy, but at least he's not as bad as...

7. Robin Williams as Dr. Adams in Patch Adams (1998)
Dr. Adams is crazy, alright: Crazy annoying. Nine out of ten patients prefer their physicians to have completed residency in a hospital, not a clown college. Enter Robin Williams, playing himself as a gag-loving nut job, and the result is a doctor sure to set your teeth on edge. Two parts manic physical comedy plus one part maudlin speeches makes him the seventh craziest doc on our list.

6. Alfred Molina as Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Talk about commitment to a cause! In exchange for indomitable power, Alfred Molina's gleefully villainous doctor takes full advantage of his experiment gone awry, despite having sacrificed any hope of ever again sharing a bed with a woman. Doc Ock isn't a medical doctor per se, but for his innovative work in the field of insane prosthetics, he easily deserves recognition here at number six.

5. Miguel Lunardi as Dr. Zamora in Turistas (2006)
Evil Brazilian physician Zamora (Miguel Lunardi) acts as Rio's Robin Hood of black market kidney transplants in this 2006 horror flick, in which the plot falls neatly at the intersection of organ harvesting and adventure travel. Lunardi delivers a sweaty, hollow-eyed performance so creepy that co-star Josh Duhamel was moved to publicly apologize for the movie's portrayal of Brazilians.

4. Steve Martin as Orin Scrivello in Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Orin Scrivello, DDS (Steve Martin) is the only dentist to make the Top Ten, and this list's finest example of prescription pad abuse. The sadistic Scrivello huffs into fourth place with his penchant for pain administration and soft spot for self-administered nitrous. Time to take a couple of Motrin, as it only gets more painful from here, starting with...

3. Peter Sellers as Dr. Strangelove in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Would you entrust your life to a man who suffers from alien-hand syndrome? Peter Seller's Dr. Strangelove is a former Nazi committed to an agressive breeding technique involving 100 years living in the bottom of an abandoned mine shaft. Eugenics aside, that gloved hand with a violent mind of its own spazzes Sellers into third place.

2. Jeremy Irons as the Drs. Mantle in Dead Ringers (1988)
Ladies, this one's for you. Brothers Beverly and Elliot Mantle share a gynecological practice, a girlfriend... and a serious mental illness. Need another reason to cross your legs? They also make their own custom surgical tools that look more like condor talons than speculums. What could be worse than a pair of schizophrenic twin doctors? Brace yourself for the top spot on the list...

1. Arnold Schwarzenegger in Junior (1994)
When Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dr. Hesse, invents a pioneering new fertility drug, what does he do? He uses it on himself, of course! And then he gives birth, which no sane man would ever consent to. For the sheer repulsive pleasure of watching a future political leader Lamaze his way through labor, Arnold claims his title as the wackiest of the Hollywood quacks.

Anybots and WowWees Are Today's Robot Surrogates

2009-10-14T04:00:29Z

Ready for your robot doppelganger? While we can't yet use robots the way they do in Surrogates, today's technology suggests the time will come when we can. When that happens, each of us will be faced with a choice: Live life from the safety of a "stim chair" or face the world in person like the Dreads. (Agent Tom Greer, Bruce Willis, chooses the latter; a decision made easy by the fact that unlike everyone else in the movie, he's better looking than his robot replacement and there's also the possibility that using it could get him killed.) But what will you do when faced with a chance to live life differently? Can't wait to find out? Here are four ways to get your surrogate on today:

Buy Mattel's Mindflex
For just $80 you can find out what it feels like to control something synthetic using only your mind. That something isn't an android body double -- it's just a small ball -- but still! When you concentrate the ball will rise; relax and it will fall. Simply put on the wireless headset and use your brainwaves to move the ball through the obstacle course presented. If the game gives you a headache or fails to hold your interest, you'll probably end up in the Dread camp.

3D Your Face
Why wait for the year 2017 to see your face frozen in 3D on your surrogate when you can experience this creepy feeling today? Thanks to thatsmyface.com, you can get a life size portrait tile made of your face -- or the face you plan to eventually put forward. Better yet, they'll put your head on a 14-inch MechRC Robot which you can then control. Using a game-style remote, make the new you perform some hardcore dance moves without even breaking a sweat. That's just a taste of what your robotic body will be able to do.

]]> Split Your Personality
Companies like WowWee and Meccano are already mass marketing personal telepresence bots. You can buy the Rovio -- a Wi-Fi enabled mobile webcam -- that allows you to interact with those it encounters while you're someplace else. According to the company website, "You will always be just a click away from the people and places that are important to you." There's also the SPYKEE spy robot which, as the name implies, allows you to look on in secret while safely someplace else. Find out if leading a double life is as interesting as it sounds, or if you're bored in both places.

Trick-or-Treat at Anybots
Make your way to the IEEE meeting (Oct. 21, 6 PM) at the Anybots office in Mountain View, CA. The robotics company builds telepresence 'bots controlled remotely like the ones in Surrogates and they'll be showing them off. Can't make the meeting? Try trick-or-treating at their office this Halloween. Last year, their tele-operated humanoid robot Monty was the one handing out candy. Company founder Trevor Blackwell says, "We'll probably do the same thing this year, though we haven't actually organized it yet."

For those non-California dwellers, Blackwell says they plan to replace the contact page on their website with a "click here to drive a robot around our office" function. You'll literally be using a robot surrogate to walk through their front door. As you proceed, you might catch a glimpse of prototypes doing the dishes, pouring coffee and learning to run. (Rest assured, if these 'bots hurt themselves, you won't die in front of your computer screen.) You'll also be able to use a map to track down staff members and interact with them.

The future Greer and his toupee wearing 'bot face is coming: Anybots is beta testing now, and claims they'll have a helper available for purchase next year; neuroscientists are making progress on the brain-machine interface that will allow you to control the machine with your mind; and anyone following robotics in Japan knows they already look exactly like humans.

Daily Scan for 10.14.09 - McKellen Doubts Magneto, Emmerich Ponders Stargate

2009-10-14T04:00:16Z

• Sam Raimi says that as much as he'd like to see the Lizard in Spider-Man 4, the actual villain has still yet to be decided. That seems hard to believe considering the movie begins filming in March.

• X-Files creator Chris Carter's other show, the apocalyptic Millennium, is coming to the big screen. Bizarrely, Chris Carter is not attached.

• Sir Ian McKellen talks The Hobbit and X-Men Origins: Magneto, the latter of which he's very skeptical he'll be starring in.

• Director Roland Emmerich says he's still game for doing two proper Stargate sequels that take place before the television series picks up.

]]> • Philip K. Dick, though he died before filming completed, had a lot of hope for Ridley Scott's Blade Runner.

• The Guardian asks if we're now in a post-science fiction world. I don't think so, but then again, I think genre labels are fairly meaningless to begin with.

• Tripods adapter and screenwriter Stuart Hazeldine talks about the process of working with Alex Proyas on the adaptation of John Chrisopher's book series.

Western Villains in the Movies Quiz

2009-10-14T04:00:15Z

Many of the most memorable characters in Westerns are also the most despicable. Who says, "People scare better when they are dying?" What is Liberty Valance's winning poker hand? Which actor won an Oscar for Unforgiven? Test your mettle against these bad guys. Maybe you'll get lucky. Take Quiz Â»

To challenge yourself with more movie trivia, try our Super Movie Quiz.

Check out Dances With Wolves, playing today on AMC at 11:30AM | 10:30C and tonight at 12:30AM |11:30C. Click here for the full schedule.

Check out Wyatt Earp, playing today on AMC at 3:30PM | 2:30C. Click here for the full schedule.

What's Your (Guilty) Pleasure? Five Fright Flicks Stacie Ponder Hates to Love

2009-10-14T04:00:12Z

I'm not a fan of the term "guilty pleasures," particularly in reference to movies or music. If you enjoy a movie, why should you feel bad about it? I'm not talking about movies whose camp value launches them into the realm of "so bad it's good": There's no shame in loving Shark Attack 3: Megalodon or Mausoleum or anything else that's a real, genuine hoot. A true "guilty pleasure" is a something you actually like like, even though no one else does. You dig it, go in search of kindred spirits, but when you look it up on IMDB, you find it's rated a 2 and everyone seems to think it's a big pile. So while they're laughing or rolling your eyes, maybe you're actually a little scared. You feel embarrassed, and may begin to question your sanity -- why did you like the movie when no one else did? Did you actually like it?

Yes... yes, you did like that horror movie! And you know what? That's OK. Sing their praises out loud, my friends! Stand up and say, "I enjoy these movies and I'm not going to feel guilty about it!" Here, I'll go first.

]]> Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows (2000)
Does it live up to the terrifying awesomeness of The Blair Witch Project? No, not by a long shot. Still, it's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It's an clever take on what constitutes a sequel -- Blair Witch 2 acknowledges that its predecessor was, in fact, just a movie, and explores the "fact or fiction?" fallout surrounding it. That's clever and kind of cool.

Cherry Falls (2000)
Both a slasher movie and a blackly comic send-up of slasher movies, Cherry Falls is a horror movie where, for once, sex doesn't equal death. In fact, the killer stalks virgins, so the local teens set about adjusting their status as the bodies pile up. Sometimes creepy, other times over-the-top and always constrained by MPAA demands, Cherry Falls never got much positive attention, and I think it deserves some.

The Craft (1996)
The night I saw The Craft, I came out of the theater to find that my car had been stolen from the parking lot. And even that didn't diminish my love of this teen witchapalooza. Along with Scream, this movie helped usher in what some claim has been the downfall of the horror genre: Fresh-faced teen stars. Still, I don't see how it's possible to hate this movie once Fairuza Balk gets her crazy on.

Halloween H20 (1998)
The seventh installment in the Michael Myers saga (or maybe the sixth, depending on where you stand on Halloween III: Season of the Witch) arriver twenty years after John Carpenter's original and yes, it features those ubiquitous fresh-faced teen stars (not to mention LL Cool J). But it also features Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode and makes a rare attempt to explore the effects of horror movie survival. Laurie, still haunted by the murderous antics of her brother, is a paranoid wreck given to boozing and hallucinations. It's one of the best sequels in the franchise, and not a bad movie in its own right.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
This is the one I find it most painful to admit I like. It's a Platinum Dunes remake of one of my most favoritest horror movie ever! It features fresh-faced teen stars! It bears the fake patina of ersatz 1970s! How could I possibly dig this movie? I guess these things just happen... I went into the theater expecting to hate it and walked out a fan. It's gory, it's fast, it's ridiculous and dammit, it's fun.

Phew, I'm glad I got that out of the way! Yes, my name is Stacie, I'm a horror fan and I love some movies that most people don't. There, I said it... do you still like me? Go on, confess to your non-guilty guilty pleasures in the comments field below. It only hurts for a second. I promise.

A fan of horror movies and scary stuff, Stacie Ponder started her blog Final Girl so she'd have a platform from which she could tell everyone that, say, Friday the 13th, Part 2 rules. She leads a glamorous life, walking on the razor's edge of danger and intrigue.

The Newsdesk 10.14.09 - Pine to Play Jack Ryan; Tommy Lee Jones Joins Lincoln Lawyer

2009-10-14T04:00:01Z

• Chris Pine is in talks to play Jack Ryan in a reboot of the Tom Clancy franchise. First Captain Kirk, now Jack Ryan? Not too shabby. Though Shatner still has T.J. Hooker.

• The promo trailer for The Expendables has leaked online. Action-packed, testosterone-heavy, and vaguely racist -- this is what the G.I. Joe movie should have been like.

• Tommy Lee Jones will direct and co-star with Matthew McConaughey in The Lincoln Lawyer, a drama about a struggling lawyer who lands the case of a lifetime. Wait...Tommy Lee Jones and McConaughey in a legal drama? Isn't this every other movie made during the '90s?

• The Venom movie will be delayed while writer/director Gary Ross brings the Matt Helm character to the big screen. Helm, the original "swinger" agent, was of course previously played by Dean Martin.

• Doctor Who star David Tennant will join Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) in John Landis' graverobbing comedy Burke and Hare. This is a perfect storm of nerdy zombie comedy and nerdy scifi.

• Rashida Jones (I Love You Man) will adapt her comic book series Frenemy of the State for Universal. Rashida Jones created a comic book?

]]> BIZ

Time Warner's Jeff Bewkes Not Pursuing NBC Universal

from Advertising Age - MediaWorks by ahampp@adage.com(Andrew Hampp)

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- As reports amass around NBC Universal's potential future corporate owners, you can officially count out Time Warner Chairman-CEO Jeff Bewkes among the interested parties.

AWARDS

Adam Lambert to perform at AMAs

from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Mike Bruno

Ryan Seacrest and Adam Lambert announced on Seacrest's KIIS FM radio show this morning that the American Idol star is performing at the American Music Awards (AMAs), which will air on ABC Nov. 22.

Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson Lead AMA Nominations

from Entertainment Awards: News & Videos about Entertainment Awards - CNN.com

The country singer and late pop star also both vie to be named artist of the year

FILM

Daily Box Office: Monday, October 12, 2009

from Box Office Mojo - Current Box Office Results

Couples Retreat tops Monday's box office with $4.0 million

Jackie Chan eyes role in 'Flying Duck'

from Hollywood Reporter by By Karen Chu

Jackie Chan is in talks to play a role in "Flying Duck," a $5 million comic road movie produced by award-winning director and festival favorite Jia Zhangke.

Sharon Stone signs on to indie film 'Satisfaction'

from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Josh Rottenberg

Sharon Stone has signed on to star in the indie drama Satisfaction, according to Variety, playing the role of a wealthy woman who gets involved with a young London gigolo.

'The Hangover' as a best picture nominee?

from MSNBC.com: Movies
With the new 10 film Oscar format, it could happen and maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Paramount plans counterfeit tale with Chris Pine, D.J. Caruso

from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Wendy Mitchell

Paramount is in talks with Star Trek star Chris Pine and director D.J. Caruso for fact-based drama The Art of Making Money, Variety reports.

Rio de Janeiro woos Woody Allen movie project

from Los Angeles Times - Celebrity News

The Brazilian city, host of the 2016 Olympics, is courting film productions to gain jobs and polish its image as a tourist destination.

"Zombieland" director weighs flurry of offers

from Reuters: Entertainment News

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With the undead of "Zombieland" stalking the box office, one person involved with the picture may be enlivened more than any character on the screen: director Ruben Fleischer.

TELEVISION

'Office,' 'Big Bang,' dramas big on DVR

from EW.com: TV

By Jennifer Armstrong
Variety: Biggest shows get bigger when digital recorder playback audience is added, according to premiere-week Nielsen stats

'Upstairs' remake in the works

from Entertainment News - UPI.com

NEW YORK, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- A remake of the classic British soap opera, "Upstairs Downstairs," is to start shooting next year, television industry sources said.

Matthew Perry Signs Deal To Write, Produce & Star In TV Show

from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by The Huffington Post News Team
Matthew Perry is returning to broadcast television with a single-camera comedy.

Carrie Underwood to star in holiday special for Fox

from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Wendy Mitchell

Carrie Underwood will headline a variety special for Fox, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

MUSIC

Janet Jackson's greatest hits includes new single

from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Janet Jackson is topping her latest greatest-hits collection with a new single....

'New Moon' Soundtrack Release Date Pushed Up

from MTV News

Soundtrack to 'Twilight' sequel will now hit stores this Friday, more than a month before movie's release.

R.E.M. Announces Sneak Previews of This is Not A Show Concert Doc

from Paste Magazine

In honor of a release Paste has been looking forward to since September, R.E.M. will be showing sneak previews of its Vincent Moon and Jeremiah-shot concert documentary in venues across the nation.

ETC...

It's a girl for Heidi Klum and Seal

from CNN.com - Entertainment

After a weekend of rumors, it's finally official: Heidi Klum and Seal are now the proud parents of a baby girl, Klum's representative confirmed.

Miley Who? Twilight Signs Up for Twitter!

from E! Online - Movie News

Miley Cyrus leaving Twitter is, like, so five minutes ago, thanks to the social network's hottest new member. Oh, @Twilight, where have you been all our lives?!

Tilda Swinton Joins Fight Against Donald Trump

from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by The Huffington Post News Team
EDINBURGH, Scotland -- Academy Award-winning actress Tilda Swinton has joined the fight against Donald Trump's plans for a multi-million pound (dollar) golf resort in Scotland.

How Mad Men shows the need for future laws of protection

2009-10-14T03:17:15Z

Notice Sal, who did nothing wrong--and actually is the ethical one in the situation--gets fired when the account fails but Don's account is lost directly because of poor performance and he doesn't get fired????....And the nerve of Don to question Sal as he did! Remember California, Don? Baltimore and the stewardess? The Menken account and Rachael? Utz account and Bobbie? Did I miss any?

Pure examples of why laws were created to protect against sexual harassment, wrongful firing, civil rights, equality and discrimination in the work place.
Not to mention---the women's movement....

Don's Waterloo

2009-10-14T03:06:26Z

I think Don has met his match with the teacher. I sense she is fatal attraction material. All of the defensive character attacks in her "Prelude to a Kiss" that she new would be inevitable. There is the implication of some deep rooted emotional baggage there. This isn't a casual adult thing like Don had with strangers far away cities or Jimmy's wife who knew the score. This is in his backyard with a woman who is obviously not about to be cast aside. Don is vulnarable. He is succumbing to compromise left and right. Look at the way he allows Connie to overstep professional bounds. He responds to him like a child to a father desperately seeking approval. Its disconcerting to witness and it won't be long before it compromises the respect of the young ambitious elements of SC. Betts is longing for glamour and excitement and the charm bracelet trinket Don gave her demonstrated volumes. But this young teacher, Don is weak and in over his head.

OH MY GOD! LOOK AT BETTY!

2009-10-14T00:58:59Z

http://www.dlisted.com/node/34341

NEW - Bobbie Barrett by Valarie McCubbins (Woodside, N.Y.)

2009-10-13T22:00:57Z

About Valarie: "Originally from Texas."

NEW - Don Draper by Prudence Heyert (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

2009-10-13T22:00:55Z

About Prudence: "An actress."

NEW - Bobbie Barrett by Janine McGrath (New York, N.Y.)

2009-10-13T22:00:50Z

About Janine: "Waking up with advice."

NEW - Don Draper by Kelly Walters (Weehawken, N.J.)

2009-10-13T22:00:47Z

About Kelly: "Moonlighting."