Here we have Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dmitri Martin, and Dan Fogler in the trailer for Michael Dowse’s Take Me Home Tonight, which doesn’t look terrible, just like a more generic version of Adventureland.

As the summer of 1988 winds down, three friends on the verge of adulthood attend an out-of-control party in celebration of their last night of unbridled youth. Recent MIT grad Matt Franklin (Topher Grace) should be working for a Fortune 500 company and starting his upward climb to full-fledged yuppie-hood. Instead, the directionless 23-year-old confounds family and friends by taking a part-time job behind the counter of a video store at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. [Cinematical]

Not to be confused with Greg Mottola’s 80s period piece from two years ago…

Unable to afford the European vacation he’d dreamed of, recent college grad James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) reluctantly takes a gig at a local amusement park, only to learn that the dead-end job is, in fact, excellent preparation for the real world.

And just when you’re like, “Whoa, aren’t they gonna put the Eddie Money song in the trailer?” BOOM!  There’s the f*ckin’ Eddie Money song, right in the f*ckin’ trailer! Meanwhile, Adventureland had the New York Dolls, Husker Dü, and the Velvet Underground, was rated R, and made no money.  Stupid Greg Mottola, what were you thinking, not naming your movie after a song, giving it a cheesy tagline, and making it look like a Glee episode?  Were you trying to not make money? Ugh, I hate people.

A Sam Kinison biopic has been in development for long time, and last we heard about it back in 2008, it was being developed as a TV movie with Dan Fogler (that’s his screen test above).  Today, HBO Films says they’re planning it for a theatrical release. No word on whether Fogler is still involved, but it’s set to be directed by Tom Shadyac from a script by Rich Wilkes.  That’s the director of Evan Almighty and the writer of xXx, respectively.  Er, disrespectively.

HBO Films is developing a biopic of the outrageous comic with Tom Shadyac attached to direct and Rich Wilkes writing. Story is based on the memoir “Brother Sam: The Short, Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison” by Bill Kinison and Steve Delson.
Story will trace Kinison’s rise as the son of a preacher to be one of the most cutting-edge and significant comedians of his era. Kinison first came into the public eye with an appearance on HBO’s Rodney Dangerfield-hosted “Young Comedians” special in 1984. [Variety]

Last we heard from Shadyac, he was shopping around his documentary I Am, which chronicles his “journey of self discovery” (weird, my hand just automatically wanks when I type that) following a bike accident. According to legend, the crash, concussion, and subsequent depression led Shadyac to ditch his “A-list” lifestyle and move to a trailer park. Jesus, this story just goes all over the place, doesn’t it.  Maybe his time in the trailer park taught him to make better movies?  Didn’t seem to work for Troy Duffy.

This is Atom’s new web series, M’Larky, starring Dan Fogler, Jeffrey Ross, Gilbert Gottfried, and others.  I enjoyed it, mainly because I enjoy Dan Fogler’s over-the-top Pacino impression.  |via Atom|

DAILY CIRCLE JERK LINKS

• I wrote this Uproxx piece about suggested UFC nicknames, such as Krzyzstof “Shrek” Sozsynzski. |Uproxx|
• Nike’s ‘Write the Future’ ad is kind of legit. |SmokingSection|
• Stem Cells could eventually cure hearing loss. (*cranks up music, donates fetus to science*). |GammaSquad|
• Big brawl at the White Sox game.  That’s strange, I don’t remember Ken Griffey and Paul Konerko looking so much like fat losers. |WithLeather|
• “Hot Meg” is your bachelorette of the week. She likes long walks on the beach and slurred speech. |HolyTaco|
• New FireFox add-on “Shaved Bieber” removes all mentions of Justin Bieber. |Urlesque|
• Bat Boy action figure will haunt your dreams.  (And also looks like a member of the Shrek/Soszynszki family). |ComicsAlliance|
• The 24 best 24 quotes. |TVSquad|
• Survey of married women find women prefer sleeping, watching TV to having sex.  |Asylum|
• Benevolent ninjas roam the streets of Australia.  Too bad there’s not much crime to fight.  Can ninjas fight public intoxication?  |ToplessRobot|
• 10 sports figures who deserve a star on the walk of fame. |Guyism|
• The success or lack thereof of SNL spinoff movies. |ScreenJunkies|
• Kevin Pereira’s Robin Hood.  Starring Captain Whatshisface, the one next to Olivia Munn. |G4|

[picture via MotivationalPosters. Comments of the Week will be up later today]

UPDATE 12:45 pm: A helpful tipster helpfully emailed me this video, which is supposedly Fogler’s screen test as Kinison. Looks more like early footage than a screen test to me, but either way, looks like solid casting.

Tom Shadyac will be directing a biopic of legendary comedian Sam Kinison for HBO.  Shadyac last directed Evan Almighty (which lost an estimated $27 million) and last produced the tragedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. Dan Fogler from Balls of Fury will play Kinison (by most accounts, Fogler’s a super talented Broadway actor who hasn’t quite yet been utilized properly on film) .

Basis for the telepic is “Brother Sam: The Short, Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison,” a memoir written by his brother and manager, Bill Kinison, and Steve Delsohn. A new script has been written by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, the writer-directors of “American Splendor.”  The book had previously been optioned by Howard Stern back in ’94. [Variety]

Berman and Pulcini did an amazing job on American Splendor.  Why they’re not directing this makes zero sense.  There’s no doubt Shadyac has made some awful movies like Almighty and Patch Adams, but give him credit for Liar Liar, which I actually love.  Still, even the guy’s best movies are the epitome of slick, conventional Hollywood, filled with the annoying and ever-present musical score that tells you how to feel every second, right up to the inevitable happy-sappy ending.

Meanwhile, American Splendor took a guy (Harvey Pekar) who was unique and weird-funny in real life and made a film that was a pretty good reflection of him.  Yet they’re taking a guy who was one of the original “edgy comedians” and handing his life story over THE GUY WHO MADE EVAN F-CKING ALMIGHTY.  If Kinison were here he’d be screaming really loud right now. And for probably the only time in my life, I’d have to say, “You know, I agree with the fat guy in the beret.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Fanboys is the many times delayed, much-discussed film about a group of guys who break into George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch to steal a print of Episode I for a dying friend. I won’t get into to the behind the scenes squabbles because they’re boring and mostly involve unattractive people, but suffice to say it opens February 6th 2009 after originally being set for August 2007.  The film also features Kristen Bell in a slave Leia outfit, which is apparently a selling point for some people. So far she seems to me like another Jessica Alba, someone who’s cute but not nearly hot enough to justify how uninteresting I find her.  She also appears to about three apples tall.

Having not seen this movie yet, I give it two “Mehs” and half a dismissive wanking motion.