What you need to know…

Chris Weitz director of New Moon has finally picked an actor to play Aro the leader of the Volturi clan.  Michael Sheen, famous in the horror movie world for playing Lucian in Underworld and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, is set to play the famed vampire. Shooting for the sequel kicked off last month in Vancouver, Canada.

He’s baaaccck!  Warner Brothers will be bringing back everyone’s favorite demon clown Pennywise.  The Hollywood Reporter has said that Dave Kajganich (The Invasion) will be the one to pen the script.  Bloody Disgusting says the film  ”follows a group of kids called the Losers Club that encounter a creature called It, which preys on children and whose favorite form is that of a sadistic clown called Pennywise. When the creature resurfaces, the kids are called upon to regroup again, this time as adults, even though they have no memory of the first battle.”  There will also be one huge change to the time period of the film. Even though the book is set both in 1958 and 1985 the remake will take place in present day for the most part.

Following in the recent Hollywood trend of 1980s horror film remakes the fabled Freddy Krueger movie “A Nightmare on Elm Street” is getting a reboot.  The Hollywood Reporter blog Risky Biz confirmed on Friday that Jackie Earle Haley will be the new Freddy in the New Line/ Platinum Dunes film.  Haley has had previous experience with playing a sex offender. He received an Oscar nomination for playing a similar role in the 2006 film “Little Children”.  Needless to say he shouldn’t have any problem filling Freddy’s shoes.  Samuel Bayer will be directing the new film which is set to begin production on May 5th in Chicago.

Moviemind News reported on April 1st that Paul Bettany  is currently in negotiations to star in a new film directed by Michael De Luca and Josh Donen called “The Priest”.  This movie is based on a TokoyoPop comic book and chronicles the life of a rebel priest as he searches for a gang of evil vampires.

This film and Twentieth Century Fox has had a very interesting week thus far.  An unfinished work-print of this movie has recently been leaked on the web. Twentieth Century Fox has recently removed the copy from the net and is currently working with the FBI to find the person or persons responsible for the leak.

So here’s the big question for all the Twilight crazy fans out there: how many copies of the DVD did you actually buy?  Now don’t get me wrong…I loved the first two books.  However, the movie was sort of a huge let down.  In case you missed them I’m going to help point out several of the movies many flaws.  To begin, did anyone else besides me wonder why Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) seemed to shift between being deathly pale and slightly tan?  I know it was a low budget film people but we could have at least sprung for some cheap Halloween makeup.  The makeup team obviously found enough money to outfit Jacob Black (Tayler Lautner ) with a lovely black wig that looked like it came out of the discount bin at Wal-Mart.  No one really thought that the hair was natural did they?  Not to mention the wide-eyed look that Jasper Cullen (Jackson Rathbone) wore for the entire film.  Say it with me Jasper: It is ok to smile.  These are only three of the many shortcuts taken for what was supposed to be one of last year’s biggest blockbusters.  As I said before the hardcore Twilight fans probably fell to there knees at the sight of the DVD on department store selves but for the rest of us it was merely a way to waste an hour or two.

The Haunting in Connecticut lacks any real creep factor.  The most it accomplishes is a little bit of a gross out.  The movie stars Kyle Gallner as a teenager with the worst luck on the planet.  Throughout the film he undergoes treatment for cancer, becomes possessed by a former clairvoyant’s ghost while sleeping in a basement possessed by demons and is trapped when his own house catches on fire.  Oh and did I mention that the whole thing is based on a true story. I first saw the story on Haunting, a show on the Discovery channel that documents real life paranormal experiences.  Had I realized that when I was deciding whether or not to go see the movie I would have made the right decision and waited to rent the movie on DVD.  The film makes you scream at the family for their complete stupidity at staying in this crazy, demonic house.  Would any sensible person stay in a house where they saw dead people? Personally I would have left after I found a box full of “family portraits” that showcased the family’s dead relatives.  Then again that’s just me. But hey you might change your mind after you read more about this family’s story.  

Warner Brothers recent feature film Watchmen did well on its opening weekend but was soon surpassed by Disney’s new film Race to Witch Mountain.  Here’s my question…who or what exactly are the Watchmen?  I personally visited the movie’s website and I still have no idea.

Last House on the Left is a remake of the 1972 horror film by Wes Craven. Personally I like the idea of a film in which a family fights back when they and their house are attacked.  However, I am not the person who decides whether or not the film rakes in big bucks so this is to let you know what the critics said.  The New York Times calls Last House on the Left “a study of operatic vengeance and dueling family values”.  One interesting scene that the Times points out is the one in which a human skull (the bad guy’s) explodes in the microwave.  The reviewer even says that it was eerily realistic.  While the New york Times gives the film a good review the movie site Rotten Tomatoes gives it a mere 42% on the fabled tomatometer. Many of those who commented on the film for this site said that it was brutal and disturbing but no the less a great film.  Others said they disliked the fact that it portrayed revenge as a zero-sum game.  So now its up to you to decide…Is the Last House on the Left worth the ticket or not?