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Video of the Day 2: God, Inc. - Episode 1 1/9/2007 4:30:00 PM It premiered on YouTube barely two weeks ago and it’s already well on its way to being an Internet phenomenon – Francis Stokes’s webisodic serial takes a look at what it’s like at the corporate headquarters of the Almighty. Anthony Kaufman describes it best: “Like a theological version of ‘The Office,’ ‘God, Inc.’ has the dry, biting humor of its successful forerunner, but it's the jokes about fate and religion that make it sparkle.” Enjoy. Read or Leave Feedback   (0) Permalink : http://www.nerve.com/nerveblog/screengrabblog.aspx?id=107e8446#8446

Your Turn To (Not) Get Off 1/9/2007 3:15:00 PM Hey, check it out. If you go to the website for the film Shortbus, give ThinkFILM your info, and send an ecard to five others telling them about the film, your name will appear on the DVD. Sweet! It’s like having all the benefits of being in the film, except, y’know, for the part where you get to have sex with people. (Hat tip: The Hot Blog.) Read or Leave Feedback   (0) Permalink : http://www.nerve.com/nerveblog/screengrabblog.aspx?id=107e8439#8439

Blasts From the Past: Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sequel, Plus Bond Joins Trek? 1/9/2007 2:30:00 PM - From the rapidly-expanding Sequels Nobody Needed Department: Karen Sharpe Kramer, the widow of Stanley Kramer, is planning on producing a sequel to her late husband’s zany multi-character 1963 classic It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World. Like the original, this would be “a large ensemble movie mixing comics and dramatic actors,” and it will follow “the descendants of the characters from the first movie who are thrust into another madcap chase to find a cache of money after it is revealed that the money found in the first movie was counterfeit.” It will be titled It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD World. - Here’s a totally unfounded, irresponsible rumor about Daniel Craig joining the new Star Trek film. - Nigel Cole will direct a feature adaptation of the children’s classic Eloise in Paris, adapted from the book by Kay Thompson, in hopes of beginning a new franchise for the recently-revitalized HandMade Films, the British company originally founded by ex-Beatle George Harrison in the 1970s and which has in the past produced such notable films as Time Bandits and Withnail & I.. Read or Leave Feedback   (0) Permalink : http://www.nerve.com/nerveblog/screengrabblog.aspx?id=107e8434#8434

Just Take It To The Bank Already: The Director's Guild of America Weighs In 1/9/2007 1:15:00 PM No real surprises among the all-important Directors Guild of America nominees for Best Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Babel, Bill Condon for Dreamgirls, Martin Scorsese for The Departed, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris for Litte Miss Sunshine and Steven Frears for The Queen. Read the Variety story here, or look up the history on the DGA's bright yellow website here. Now, as usual, the Oscar nominees may be -- in fact, probably will be -- slightly different. Ordinarily there's one name on the DGA's list who doesn't make it onto the Academy's. That person or persons might conceivably be replaced by another one of the Three Amigos (Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron had been "surging" of late, according to some) or it might be somebody who directed a film that had more highbrow appeal (my increasingly foolish vote is still for a Greengrass nomination). Or it might all stay the same. It's certainly shaping up to be an uneventful Guild season. That said, this thing is Marty's to lose, and it's about damn time it was, too. Read or Leave Feedback   (0) Permalink : http://www.nerve.com/nerveblog/screengrabblog.aspx?id=107e8441#8441

Video of the Day 1: Family Pants 1/9/2007 1:00:00 PM ”My loins are ablaze with liquid-hot java!!” Animator Dave Redl has gone quite far screening short animated installments of his Family Pants series online. The show’s official website not only includes the webisodes themselves (we recommend the latest, “Canned Ham,” as well as “Toilet Turmoil”), it also has features on how Redl does the animations and all sorts of bonus stuff as well. After all that, you may wonder why you should still go ahead and buy the DVD…but, well, you should. (Hat tip: Cartoon Brew.) Read or Leave Feedback   (0) Permalink : http://www.nerve.com/nerveblog/screengrabblog.aspx?id=107e8417#8417

Alicia Keys Would Have Once Kicked Your Ass For Looking At That Skirt 1/9/2007 12:05:00 PM “When I first got into the business, people were saying, 'Why are you such a tomboy?' I was a tomboy because I thought I had to protect myself in that way. As a young lady you have to be very careful. I felt any time I called attention to myself, dressed nicely in skirts or dresses, it would bring so much negative attention from people I didn't want attention from that I shrank from it. It was a while before I felt comfortable as a young lady to be able to dress more feminine.” - Alicia Keys discusses her troubled past, in connection with the upcoming release of Smokin’ Aces, in which she plays “an elegant lesbian hitwoman who must pretend to be a hooker and wear the teeniest of shorts, with a holster beneath a skimpy vest and ammunition in her thigh-highs.” Read or Leave Feedback   (0) Permalink : http://www.nerve.com/nerveblog/screengrabblog.aspx?id=107e8432#8432

Hollywood Ego Deathmatch: J. Cam and M. Night Both Doing Avatar Flicks 1/9/2007 11:00:00 AM - Believe it or not, James Cameron actually has a shooting start date for his next feature, the long-gestating CG-and-live-action blend Avatar: He will “start virtual photography on the sci-fi epic in April, with live-action photography commencing in August, for a summer 2009 release. It will be filmed in a new digital 3-D format for release in 3-D.” More significantly, the director vows not to go over $200 million on the budget of the film. - Not to be outdone, M. Night Shyamalan has signed on to do his own Avatar project, with Paramount. This will be a live-action, bigscreen adaptation of the popular Nickelodoen kids TV series, “set in an Asian-influenced fantasy world permeated by martial arts and magic, [which] follows the adventures of the successor to a long line of Avatars who must put aside his irresponsible ways and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations.” Amazingly, this has nothing to do with the Avatar that James Cameron is doing. Read or Leave Feedback   (0) Permalink : http://www.nerve.com/nerveblog/screengrabblog.aspx?id=107e8431#8431

Morning Deal Report: Germans Ho-Hum On Hitler Yukfest, Borat Triumphant 1/9/2007 10:00:00 AM - Uh oh. German critics and journalists are accepting Dani Levy’s Hitler comedy Mein Fuehrer: The Truly Truest Truth About Adolf Hitler with a shrug, deeming it too tame and not particularly funny. And its harshest critic is the film’s star Helge Schneider, who says the film was recut and watered-down after test screenings, and has now become "boring.” - Despite many, many high-profile lawsuits, it looks like Borat has emerged unscathed and will be able to come out on DVD without any cuts or changes. If anything, it will be even more offensive. - An adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel Ecstasy might be dead in the water, due to the dismissal of the entire Scottish production team. - Apocalypto is breaking opening weekend box office records in the UK for a foreign-language film. Meanwhile, it now has an actual rating in Italy. - United 93 has won Best Picture from the Online Film Critics Society. Also: Scorsese, Whitaker, Mirrennnzzzzzzzz… Read or Leave Feedback   (0) Permalink : http://www.nerve.com/nerveblog/screengrabblog.aspx?id=107e8430#8430

Trailer Roundup: Fox Can Go to Hell Edition 1/8/2007 6:41:04 PM Idiocracy Trailer: Finally, the rest of humanity can get a glimpse of Idiocracy. Cue the Stripes style music. Some army dudes are talking about their first candidate for the Human Hibernation Program and there’s a projected image of Luke Wilson looking as befuddled as usual. Luke Wilson’s put to sleep until 2505. Not a bad idea. Wilson is freaking out in the future. Some guy is telling him to put chords in his mouth and butt. He put the butt chord in his mouth. Ho ho! A prison IQ test says that Wilson is the smartest person in the world. The president of the United States is black Macho Man Randy Savage. He also has a machine gun. What the studio wants me to think: Cue wacky announcer voice, "A budget priced DVD from the creator of Office Space and Beavis and Butt-head! A-hyuk!” What I’m actually thinking: I will buy two copies. Go to hell, Fox. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Trailer:Jessica Alba looks moderately less out of place next to Ioan Gruffud this time out. Aww, there’s a cute little invisible bride on their wedding cake. The Commish is back in his rock suit and is wiping a tear from his eye. Where’s your Shield cred now, Chiklis! Brian Posehn is definitely the priest at Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman’s wedding. This movie is already better than the first one. Something falls out of the sky. Human Torch chases it. There’s a silver dude on a surf board and he just flew through a building. Human Torch says that is so cool. I’m inclined to agree. The Silver Surfer just dragged the Human Torch into space and threw him at the planet. What the studio wants me to think: Remember X2 and Spider-man 2? Exactly. We make-a-the good sequels. What I’m actually thinking: The first Fantastic Four was probably the worst movie I’d seen in the theater since Throw Momma From the Train, but this looks promising. Don’t go to hell just yet, Fox. The Simpsons Trailer: Computer animated flowers. Cute little bunny. The Nutcracker Suite plays. Bunny dances with flowers. Voiceover says, “In a time when computer animation brings us worlds of unsurpassed beauty, one film dares to be ugly.” The Simpsons Movie logo descends. Moe just killed the little bunny. Homer then embeds a claw hammer in his eye socket. Then he falls through the roof of the Simpson home. Hardy freaking har. What the studio wants me to think: We’ve been talking about this movie since 1994! The Simpsons defined comedy… What I’m actually thinking: … in 1994. Please stop raping the corpse of what was once one of the greatest pieces of American media in existence. Fox, you are now cleared to go to hell. --John Constantine Trailer Roundup appears every other Monday in Screengrab. Trailer Roundup, December 18th Trailer Roundup, December 5th Trailer Roundup, November 20th Trailer Roundup, November 6th Trailer Roundup, October 23 Trailer Roundup, October 9 Trailer Roundup, September 25 Trailer Roundup, September 11 Trailer Roundup, August 7 Trailer Roundup, August 7 Trailer Roundup, July 24 Trailer Roundup, July 10 Trailer Roundup, June 26 Trailer Roundup, June 12 Trailer Roundup, May 23 Read or Leave Feedback   (0) Permalink : http://www.nerve.com/nerveblog/screengrabblog.aspx?id=107e8426#8426

Video of the Day 2: Happy Birthday, David Bowie 1/8/2007 4:30:00 PM In honor of the Thin White Duke's turning 60, perhaps it's time to revisit his great debut as a leading man in the Nicolas Roeg-directed The Man Who Fell to Earth. This trailer may well be the most criminal act of promotionally misrepresenting a film I've ever seen, taking Roeg's meditative, borderline experimental moodpiece and making it look like some pulse-pounding sci-fi adventure. In fact, it's so insane you could easily mistake it for one of those modern-day mash-up trailers. Read or Leave Feedback   (0) Permalink : http://www.nerve.com/nerveblog/screengrabblog.aspx?id=107e8422#8422

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THIS WEEK'S FILM REVIEWS:

The Darjeeling Limited

Lust, Caution

Feast of Love

LATEST FEATURES:

Sex and Sensibility, by Sarah Hepola

Q&A: Michael Apted

EDITOR:

Peter Smith is the associate editor of Nerve. He's like the lead character of Irwin Shaw's The 80-Yard Run, except less athletic.

THE BLOGGERS:

Kent M. Beeson is a freelance writer living in Seattle with his lovely wife, newborn daughter and cranky cat. He writes the film blog This Can't End Well, as well as co-writing, with Martin McClellan, Spitball!, the world's first screenplay written entirely by blog. He maintains that Jaws is the best movie ever made.

Pazit Cahlon is a Toronto-based writer. Formerly at home in children's TV production, she is now blogging and writing fiction. She is fond of classics and documentaries, and ocasionally, really awful “feel-good” fare. She is also quite enamoured with the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Paul Clark is an aspiring screenwriter and the proprietor of the film-centric blog Silly Hats Only. Paul's cinematic obsession began in high school over a decade ago, and he is always searching for unique cinematic experiences, such as a recent trip to New York City for the U.S. premiere of Jacques Rivette's magnum opus OUT 1. He considers his first viewing of Luis Bunuelâ's BELLE DE JOUR to be better than any sex he's had, although he's always on the lookout for a woman who is willing to challenge this. Paul lives in Columbus, Ohio with his two temperamental guinea pigs.

Bilge Ebiri reviews films for New York magazine, and has written for Time Out New York, Entertainment Weekly, and Popular Science, among others. He lives in Brooklyn and is also the writer and director of the ultra-low-budget indie feature comedy, New Guy. In case you're wondering, his name is pronounced "Bill-guh," and no, his parents weren't into boating.

D. K. Holm lives in Portland, Oregon, contributes to Green Cine Daily and Quick Stop Entertainment, and has published books on Quentin Tarantino, R. Crumb, and Film Soleil.

Phil Nugent lives in New York and is the movie columnist for the world music magazine Global Rhythm. He also contributes regularly to the e-zine The High Hat and maintains the blog The Phil Nugent Experience.

Leonard Pierce is a freelance writer, editor, and publishing industry factotum currently wandering around Texas with no sense of direction. He has written for trade and consumer publications hither and yon, and is a senior editor of the High Hat as well as the sole content provider of the Ludic Log, a mass grave for short humor, and Clown Central Station, a frivolous political blog.

Many people have told Faisal A. Qureshi that his name is a problem. Unfortunately, its those people who have money for the films he'd like to make. A screenwriter, editor and director, he is currently scraping together enough money to do another film, either a feature or a short. When not taking successful legal action against regional screen agencies, Faisal is based in the North of England, scribbling and cutting away or lecturing on filmmaking.

Scott Renshaw is the Arts and Entertainment Editor and film critic for Salt Lake City Weekly. He has contributed reviews, essays and Sundance Film Festival coverage for alternative newsweeklies in several states, and was a founding member of the Online Film Critics Society back in the day when the Web was just for nerds with too much time on their hands (as opposed to today). He currently lives in suburban Salt Lake City with his wife, two kids, a dog and not the slightest interest whatsoever in making a film himself.

When Vadim Rizov isn't wrapping up a Film/English undergrad degree at NYU, he can be found writing for The Reeler and his own, sporadically updated website, Vadim Rizov: Still Not Dead. Vadim has neither impressive credits nor pithy one-liners to insert here. However, his alter-ego Vlad the Impaler wants you to admit that Citizen Kane is overrated and you know it.

Vern is a lone wolf writer from Seattle specializing in the films of badass cinema. He has been stockpiling reviews at his own web site since he got out in 1999, but is better known for contributing to Ain't It Cool News, where he was once challenged to a wrestling match by the subject of a negative review. He is currently finishing his first book of all new material, Seagalogy, an academic analysis of the films of Steven Seagal. Also, he likes Die Hard.

Bryan Whitefield lives on New York City's Lower East Side. Bryan studied film with Stan Brakhage and Suranjan Ganguly where he was introduced to Cassavettes, Kieslowski, Italian Neo-Realism and the smug self-satisfaction of being a film snob. Bryan is also a working screenwriter with one finished script, another in development and a bunch of really good ideas he hasn't written down yet.

Gwynne Watkins is a consulting editor of Nerve and editor of the urban parenting website Babble. She's also a playwright and lyricist. Her most recently produced plays were about Wonderwoman and space pirates, respectively.

Editorial Director:
Michael Martin

Send us news, gossip, scandal, links and Gyllenhaal sightings: screengrab@nerve.com

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