This story broke yesterday and for some reason every movie blog on the internet is reporting it.  It comes from one of AICN’s infamous anonymous sources, one who even they say is untested.  And he has some *important* news about the I Am Legend prequel.

Let’s start at the beginning. Will Smith is actually the one who developed the initial story. It took place several years before the original film and there were still pockets of survivors and the story centered around Smith interacting, bonding, and ultimately failing to save them. For months this was the story. Warner’s didn’t much care for it and Smith and Weiss eventually came on board and all parties agreed to change things up. Well this change is pretty insane, the film is no longer a prequel, it’s a f-cking sequel!  [AICN]

So, to recap, some random guy on the internet says a movie in which Will Smith dies at the end is going to have a sequel, and everyone reported on it. Join us tomorrow for exclusive commentary on the dump I just took!  Ooh look, there’s some nice marbling on this one…

This story strikes me as super bogus, but one of AICN‘s gay-sounding sources claims George Clooney is interested in playing the lead in Jerry Suckheimer’s even gayer-sounding Lone Ranger movie.

Word as of now is that George Clooney has shown a lot of interest in the role of the Lone Ranger, and the studio’s been talking to him about it. Previously it was rumored that Nic Cage was up for the role, but that rumor died a long time ago. Clooney’s name has come up quite a number of times since.
-Electric Dreams

Say what you will about Leatherheads or Ocean’s 12, George Clooney still has a better track record of picking projects than pretty much anyone in Hollywood.  I don’t believe for a second that he’s considering playing a “modern movie hero who doesn’t curse, use slang, drink or smoke or visit saloons, who believes in God and country and a strict moral code, uses guns only when he has to, and never shoots to kill” for the most shameless crap peddler in town.  And if “Electric Dreams” isn’t a middle-aged dude with a ponytail and rainbow suspenders I will eat my own shit.

Harry from AICN got to see an advanced screening of Star Wars: The Clone Wars last week, and posted a highly negative review. Long story short, LucasFilm told them to pull the review, saying they were enforcing an embargo on reviews until the film opens Friday, and even though the internet isn’t a harbor, AICN complied. 

Of course, the embargo apparently didn’t apply to the less negative reviews everywhere else.  I’ve included Harry’s original review after the jump, courtesy of Valleywag.  Like all of Harry’s reviews, it’s more than a thousand words, but here are some highlights:

Before the movie started I was firing myself up to go out after the film and buy that new $200 Hasbro Millenium Falcon. I really wanted to go buy it, and I wanted this movie to empower my brain to go through with that. Instead, I found myself at home – putting on Genndy’s THE CLONE WARS – to try and rebuild my passion – so I can go get that new Falcon. Instead – I’m thinking I’ll just be here at home enjoying this and that’ll be all I need.  

…Then they introduced Baby Jabba aka Rotta the Huttlet aka Stinky. At the point of this character’s introduction – it officially became, the worst character in the history of STAR WARS. If you hate George Lucas cutsiepoo bull**** – oooooooh boy. You’re gonna have a field day of venting and hatred directed at this unbelievably ****ing awful little ****. 

…As I watched this terrifyingly awful character named Ziro the Hutt. A seemingly female Hutt – with tattoos and make-up that sounds like a racist take on a Black New Orleans Crack-Dealing Whore. Because this Hutt speaks ENGLISH – and it is many times worse than I’m actually describing. This character was actually too much for me. So bad that every flaw I was looking past, was now a road sign to inadequacy and mediocrity. All of a sudden my brain realized that Asajj Ventress’ voice no longer was acceptable – and sure enough – the amazing Grey DeLisle, who originally voiced the character back in 2003 – had been replaced by a Nika Futterman – and that voice was missed. The character didn’t have that snarling menace anymore. 

Holy crap, is that even English?  Check out the rest of the review if you dare, in the meantime I’m going to see if Babelfish has added a Nerd-to-English translator.  Oh, and way to go siccing your lawyers on everyone, LucasFilm.  I’m sure all the word of mouth will be super positive now.

I’ve never hated a STAR WARS film before. I have weathered Jar Jar and any number of Ewoks. I survived Hayden and a wooden Portman. I even accepted Jake Lloyd. I handled all that because it felt like STAR WARS.

I can accept all of Lucas’ flaws, so long as at its heart it felt like Star Wars. I can deal with politics in Star Wars. I can deal with trade skirmishes in Star Wars. I can deal with musical numbers, breathing in the vacuum of space. Basically – so long as it feels like STAR WARS – I can watch any of it.

Was I looking forward to STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (2008)?

******** A!

I was dying. After Genndy’s CLONE WARS – I felt that perhaps Lucas “got it” – and that this new animated series was taking a lead from Tartakovsky’s brilliant assembly of pieces. Genndy’s CLONE WARS got STAR WARS better than anyone has got it since Lawrence Kasdan and Irvin Kershner. Genndy took designs and characters that folks were dissatisfied with and made them cool. He did this by using and adapting the themes created by John Williams, the wholly perfect entity involved with Star Wars along with… the sound effects of Ben Burtt. He understood speed and motion – not just with action, but in editing. He understood classic film composition and iconography. And he knows what BADASS is.

The folks behind this STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS movie… you could tell, they looked at what Genndy did – but they didn’t understand any of it. There’s a ****load of battles and ***** going boom. There’s noise everywhere – fury everywhere… but none of it is directed. The music by Kevin Kiner is criminally bad. Why they didn’t employ Paul Dinletir and James Venable is beyond me. No, no – let’s hire the composer of WALKER, TEXAS RANGER. Ahem.

Now – I made excuses for this film as I was watching it. I don’t think you understand how much I love STAR WARS. Maybe you do, maybe you do too.

Before the movie started I was firing myself up to go out after the film and buy that new $200 Hasbro Millenium Falcon. I really wanted to go buy it, and I wanted this movie to empower my brain to go through with that. Instead, I found myself at home – putting on Genndy’s THE CLONE WARS – to try and rebuild my passion – so I can go get that new Falcon.

Instead – I’m thinking I’ll just be here at home enjoying this and that’ll be all I need.

Anyway – as I was watching the film, I was excusing the sloppy shots, the sloppy use of the Clone Troopers and Droids – undoing all the awesome work that Genndy had done – and the droids are silly again. The Clone Troopers are limp. And the Jedi – they’re at 25% power from the mind of Genndy. But I was accepting that. I figured that was Lucas dialing back so that the animated series wouldn’t overpower his features.

Then they introduced Baby Jabba aka Rotta the Huttlet aka Stinky. At the point of this character’s introduction – it officially became, the worst character in the history of STAR WARS. If you hate George Lucas cutsiepoo bull**** – oooooooh boy. You’re gonna have a field day of venting and hatred directed at this unbelievably ****ing awful little ****.

Oh – but wait… Little Stinky the Hutt isn’t the worst character in the history of STAR WARS… because Stinky got introduced earlier in the film. As much as I hated lil Stinky… I was weathering Stinky. I seriously was. But later there was a character of such immense **** – offensively bad. The character was so bad, so incredibly awful – that it was a slap to the face. It woke me out of my ****-accepting stupor and made me angry. SUDDENLY my “inner fanboy rage” was awoken.

As I watched this terrifyingly awful character named Ziro the Hutt. A seemingly female Hutt – with tattoos and make-up that sounds like a racist take on a Black New Orleans Crack-Dealing Whore. Because this Hutt speaks ENGLISH – and it is many times worse than I’m actually describing. This character was actually too much for me. So bad that every flaw I was looking past, was now a road sign to inadequacy and mediocrity. All of a sudden my brain realized that Asajj Ventress’ voice no longer was acceptable – and sure enough – the amazing Grey DeLisle, who originally voiced the character back in 2003 – had been replaced by a Nika Futterman – and that voice was missed. The character didn’t have that snarling menace anymore.

I realized that nothing in this animated film felt right. I felt time expanding. It seemed that the film was dragging – nevermind that lots of **** was firing all over the place – and stuff was going boom and things were being revealed. I just didn’t care because this wasn’t what I wanted.

I hated the score, the animation, the shots, the characters and most of all the retarded ******** idiot story.

I hated the film. HATED IT. REALLY HATED IT.

Does this mean the whole Star Wars Animated Series is doomed? No – but it isn’t a good sign. So much of this is awful because of the Hutt plotlines and character. I also feel that Dave Filoni must be a hack. His work here is sloppy – and depending on writers and directing talent – individual episodes may be better. This film was several episodes all strung together – my prayer is that the individual episodes will be both great and awful – and we’ll discover which talents are responsible for each.

That said – the audience did have light applause. My father liked it. My sister felt too much was going on. Me nephew really liked it. That said – Yoko was complaining right along with me. She thought it was **** too. I know Moriarty liked it. Wonder what Quint and Massawyrm thought.

****. I hated a STAR WARS. That ****ing sucks.”

After yesterday’s story that 77-year-old Clint Eastwood has signed on to direct and star in the mysterious Gran Torino, a tipster sent this email to IESB and AICN*:

I recently advertised my 1974 ford grand torino classic original for sale in the local here, and within 24 hours had someone from Village Roadshow Pictures interested in having a look at it. He came. He wasn’t interested for numerous reasons (probably the modifications). He told me they were looking for the right car for a new Clint Eastwood movie.

He said it was a thriller about a killer that drives a certain torino. His 1972 Ford Gran Torino is the only thing the police have on him. A retired police lieutenant, one Harry Callahan, makes it his mission to track down the culprit when two young police officers, one Callahan’s grandson, are shot and killed by the guy. …Kurt, North Hollywood

Hmm, that’s funny – a guy came to your house and volunteered the entire plot of the movie he’s making?  And he talked exactly like a movie synopsis writer?  Jeez, that’s pretty strong evidence that they’re making another Dirty Harry movie – I mean, I can’t imagine a guy trying to buy a used muscle car in North Hollywood would lie to make himself sound cool.  Or that someone would send in bogus tips to movie blogs.

In any case, once all this movie talk is over, there’s a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to discuss with you – I think you’ll agree that it’s a great investment. 

*This article has EIGHT exclamation points.

The Signal must be really good because the poster has an AICN quote above the title.  Either that or someone sent them free t-shirts.

Anyway, IMDB’s plot keywords are “Male Nudity” and “Cellular Phone”.  Sounds like my Friday night! Zing! 

Trailer after the jump.