Tag: warner bros

MORTAL LAWSUUU-IT!

Someone gimme my techno music.

A Hollywood production company has filed suit against Warner Bros., claiming the media giant has frozen it out of developing a Mortal Kombat movie after buying up the franchise in last year’s sell off of Midway.

It’s being reported that Threshold Entertainment filed the suit on Tuesday in Los Angeles. It was the original development partner with Midway of the 1995 film adaptation of Mortal Kombat, and in 2006 signed a contract with Midway to develop another film. While Midway went bankrupt and Warner successfully bid on its properties, Threshold says federal bankruptcy proceedings upheld the agreements it had signed with Midway, passing them on to Warner.

Last month word surfaced that Warner was interested in doing a reboot of the 1995 movie, having already hired a screenwriter to the project. Meantime, Threshold said Warner had avoided communications with them, and the screenwriter news? The last straw.

LEGALITY.

MasterChugs Theater: ‘Ninja Assassin’

I implore anyone not to smile when purchasing a ticket to see Ninja Assassin. Just saying the words “Ninja Assassin” should spark a silly grin on your face.

I’m not going to over-simplify and proclaim that making a good ninja movie is the easiest thing in the world. But I never would have guessed that doing so is as difficult as James McTeigue’s Ninja Assassin makes it appear at times. This is a big-budget movie with a top-flight crew and a star blessed with undeniable magnetism, not to mention the R-rated freedom to provide the copious blood and gore that so many genre fans crave. Not only that, it’s got massive geek credit, thanks to a script written by J. Michael Straczynski, a lead role by K-pop singer Rain and even a place for ninja movie legend Sho Kosugi. How can you mess up something like Ninja Assassin? Other than Peanut-Butter Sandwich or Free Wi-Fi, no two words in the English language have ever been more of a perfect fit for one another. Good or bad, it’s fun to watch, at least on a primal, blood-letting level.

Unfortunately, it’s still got some issues in it that could be considered bothersome by most. Click the jump to find out more.  Continue reading MasterChugs Theater: ‘Ninja Assassin’

For Elijah Wood!

The book, it burnses us! Cursed texts-filled pages!The lawsuit by the Tolkien family over profits from New Line Cinema’s Lord of the Rings movies has been settled!

Warner Bros., the new owners of New Line, wisely ditched New Line’s original “Go f@%k yourself, Christopher” defense and will pay the author’s family.

Being British, the family apologized for doing something assertive (since colonization), regretting “that legal action was necessary, but are glad that this dispute has been settled on satisfactory terms.” (“Satisfactory terms!” They even sound like hobbits!)

So, that’s good news for the fans and great news for the rest of us, who were worried that we’d have to actually pick up a book about elves and read it.

Why so sensitive?

Because we never miss an opportunity to make a reference to Heath Ledger, Warner Bros. announced that it is canceling the release of The Dark Knight in China, citing “cultural sensitivities.”

Well, we know that Chinese culture is totally cool with someone spying on their communications at all times, so that can’t be it. What about a Chinese national being one of the bad guys? Nah, they can’t be that sensitive. Maybe it’s because part of the movie takes place in Hong Kong, which just so happens to be within their borders, and the forcible kidnapping of said Chinese national from within China to the U.S.? Well, maybe, but the movie did well in Hong Kong.

Then maybe it’s because the movie features a woman in a powerful position. Yep, that’s the one.

October movie audiences will be uncomfortable

On October 24, two movies will be released simultaneously. That’s not so awkward; movies get released on the same day all the time.

Unfortunately, one of these movies stars Angelina Jolie and the other stars Jennifer Anniston. That’s right: no matter where you fall in the Brad Pitt love triangle contention, there will be the other woman. On the one hand, Angelina is unrivaled in beauty, like Brad. On the other hand, Brad’s mother loved Jen!

But aside from the movie theater anxiety that’s only exceeded in the supermarket checkout line while discussing the tabloids, there’s an issue of the titles of their movies.

Angelina will appear in Changeling, which is presumably about a child not raised by its birth parents.

Jennifer will appear in He’s Just Not That Into You, which just reminds us that you deserved better than him, Jen! The pretty ones will just break your heart! Stay strong, and maybe eat something. We love you!*

*Except McBournie. He doesn’t care about celebrities until they’re dead.

Why would Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. do this to us and Jen? How about they just agree to release on alternative weekends? He’s Just Not That Into You would be perfect for the October 24th premier, and Changeling can debut on October Thirty-Never. (Call us, Jen!)