Looks like the new trailer for this summer's "The Dark Knight" is debuting today @ 3pm ET. How do we know this? Because of the message we found on the latest site in Warner Bros.' viral web campaign plugging the Bat-sequel.

Check it out: http://clowntravelagency.com/.

Today IS April Fool's Day so this could just be a prank. But I'll be checking @ 3pm just the same.

Well, sort of. Sony's begun promoting Smith's upcoming summer action comedy "Hancock" with a viral website that pretends to be an official site run by Hancock himself. Pretty clever stuff, actually. Check it out here.

These viral marketing campaigns seem to be gaining serious traction in Hollywood as an effective way to reach potential audiences. BTW, Smith's co-star (and love interest I imagine) is Oscar winner Charlize Theron, who told Jeffrey during a recent visit that the film is going to blow people's minds. "Hancock" opens July 2nd, which is perfect timing since Will Smith is Hollywood's Mr. Fourth of July!

Our special friends over at Warner Bros. recently sent us the new 3D 'Speed Racer' poster. Check it out, let us know what you think!

Here's the picture, drag your mouse over it to see the effect.

I love a good documentary, but right now it seems that the market is flooded. I think it’s because many filmmakers are shooting on video and it has become relatively cheap to put something out there.

But what this results in is a diluted product pool. Any one can find an interesting subject and turn the camera on. But does that mean the subject merits 90 minutes of our time?
Recently I’ve seen two documentaries that have seemed to be a better fit for a television program such as “20/20” or “Dateline”.

“Fighting for Life” is about doctors in the army who are trained in battle surgery. Interesting, sure. But after about an hour the film had made its point and then watching soldiers being rehabilitated turned into a promotional video for the rehab facility.

“Hats Off” is about an eccentric, vivacious 93 year old actress who lives in NY and still goes on auditions. You might recognize her from “Sex and the City” (Stanford’s grandmother) or “Hitch” (old lady at wedding). She has a Katherine Hepburn look about her and an indefatigable attitude. But after about 40 minutes of her life story, I started to feel that I was flipping through someone else’s family album.

Some subjects just shouldn’t be stretched to fit the 90 minute formula, or we should get used to seeing ‘shorts’ and not feel like we’re being short-changed.

Recently one of our viewers wrote in to complain that Jeffrey and I had failed to mention certain things in our review of “Horton Hears A Who!” He took his pre-school kids to see it, and was alarmed that the kangaroo fomented mob mentality and chased after Horton who is insisting that another world exists inside the speck on his flower. This viewer left the theatre with his children as he didn’t want them privy to a bigot.

First of all, I apologize that Jeffrey and I did not address Carol Burnett’s Kangaroo in detail. Time does not allow us to talk about every aspect of each film we review.

Secondly, I would like to defend 20th Century Fox’s decision to portray a bigot on screen in an animated children’s film. The politics of witch-hunting may be above the comprehension of young children, but basic concepts of good and evil are not. Every Disney animated film since “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” has had a vivid, and terrifying character of evil incarnate; wicked witches, puppy purveyors, cat-nappers, villainous octopi. I was scared stiff by the evil queen who poisons Snow White, but did it scar me for life? No. If all our films were only about goodly, kind characters, it would be a sorry and boring bunch indeed.

In fact, I found “Horton” to be a perfect blend of kiddie and adult humor with some juicy existential themes thrown in for anyone who wanted to delve into the subtext of Dr. Seuss. When the mayor of Whoville hears that celestial voice and asks the residents of Whoville to trust him and believe, isn’t that a metaphor for believing in an invisible higher power? And when Horton realizes that our world is perhaps not the only world in existence, isn’t that analogous to scientists insisting on other worlds in galaxies outside our own? And the kangaroo’s attack on Horton for his ‘heretical’ ideas, reminded me of the catholic church’s damnation and arrest of Galileo who had the audacity to suggest that the earth was not the centre of the universe.

I applaud 20th Century Fox for making a film that can entertain on several levels and welcome the dialogue that such a film could provoke with inquisitive children.

The Vegas drama "21" was an easy winner at the box office this weekend, earning a surprising $23.7 million. Looks like all the publicity the cast did (including star Jim Sturgess' appearance on this weekend's RT) and the escapist-fantasy appeal of 'beating the house' was a sure bet. Here's Jeffrey & Alison's review of "21." The rest of the box-office recap comes after the jump.

In second place was "Horton Hears A Who!" with $17.6M. The G-rated animated tale is now the first big hit of 2008 with more than $117M. Third place went to "The Superhero Movie," which debuted with a disappointing $9.5M total. Hopefully that low figure will force Hollywood to put a moratorium on the 'Spoof' genre. When the parody is lamer than the subject matter they're spoofing, shouldn't that tell the studios something's wrong?

Coming in fourth was "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns" with $7.9M, showing Mr. Perry is as reliable as it gets in the movie biz when it comes to delivering audiences. Fifth place is almost too close to call, with "Drillbit Taylor" and "Shutter" -- two holdovers from last week -- duking it out.

The other new films this weekend flopped. "Stop-Loss" couldn't turn positive reviews into profit as it made only $4.5M on less than 1,500 screens to barely crack the Top 10. So not even a young, attractive and talented cast in a good movie can lure audiences to see an Iraq War film. That likely means Hollywood is done greenlighting projects that have anything to do with the war.

"Run Fatboy Run" from debuting director David Schwimmer didn't do well either. It earned only $2.3M on less than 1,200 screens

Next week should be interesting, with George Clooney starring and directing in the 1920's football comedy "Leatherheads" and Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler and Abigail Breslin starring in "Nims Island."

Our tireless hosts see so many films, there's no way we can fit all of them into the show. But since we exist to serve you, the moviegoing public, we're going to start offering movie reviews available EXCLUSIVELY here at reeltalktv.com. Here's Alison & Jeffrey's review of the new indie "Irina Palm" starring rock great Marianne Faithful, which is opening this weekend in limited release:

With two young children, I rarely (make that never) get the chance to see live music these days. But I have been listening to some early Stones recently, “Flowers”, “Some Girls” and “Let it Bleed” in the hopes that my children grow up to like the music of bygone generations.

Last night I saw Martin Scorsese’s concert film/documentary “Shine A Light” about the Rolling Stones and I am now walking on air. What a rush! First of all, Scorsese manages to capture the exuberance and joy that these four sexagenarians obviously still feel each time they step on stage. They were performing in a small venue, the beacon theatre in Manhattan, and I only wish I had been there to experience it live. But the film is the next best thing, and Scorsese skillfully weaves some old archival footage of interviews with the younger stones into the mix.

It’s startling to see how they have aged, they all look like leathered cadavers from the “Bodies” exhibit, but thank heavens they haven’t quit because then we’d be deprived of their ongoing genius.

The film kicks off with “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Shattered” and includes old gems such as “As Tears Go By” and “Some Girls.” Mick Jagger, with the smallest bum known to mankind, anchors the show. He has more energy than a 20 year old -- leaping and wiggling around the stage like a manic, whirling dervish. He’s offstage for two songs, and Scorsese wisely intercuts some old footage with the numbers Keith Richards performs. Not that Richards was bad. Far from it. In fact, I was shocked at how good his voice sounded. Guest performers were Jack White, Christina Aguilera and blues player uddy Guy. Guy as absolutely astounding and joined Jagger in a song called “Champagne and Reefer.” He blew me away.

The encore included “Brown Sugar” at which point I wanted to get out of my seat and leap around with Mick. I hope they keep going for a good few many more years so I get the chance to see them live. Meanwhile, it’s time to get real, my oldest, Agatha, has put the Laurie Berkner band in the CD player, I guess it will be a while until she appreciates the finer things in life!

Jim Sturgess, one of our guests on this weekend's RT, stars in the new film "21." After hitting all the right notes in Julie Taymor's Beatle-icious musical "Across the Universe," this movie could be the one that makes him a bonafide leading man.

He talked to Jeffrey about keeping his head on straight ...and reading his own press!

Entertainment Weekly has a great advance look at this summer's "Speed Racer," including exclusive pix from the film. It probably helps that EW and Warner Bros. -- the studio behind the movie -- are in the Time-Warner corporate family.

Two things the article doesn't have: Plot details or quotes from the picture's notoriously-reclusive directors, the Wachowski brothers.

Check it out here.

Check out the first images released from the upcoming "G.I. Joe" movie. That's Ray Park (Darth Maul from the "Star Wars" prequel and Toad from "X-Men") as the silent soldier Snake Eyes. As a big fan of the old Joe toys, cartoon and Marvel comic book series, all I can say is -- so far, so good.

Check out another image after the jump.

Snake Eyes looks like, well, like Snake Eyes. If director Stephen Sommers can overcome his usual habit of camp-ifying an interesting concept (see his past works "The Mummy" and "Van Helsing"), then this could live up to the high expectations created by last year's toy-based blockbuster "Transformers." That one worked because the material was taken seriously (albeit with a fun attitude). With Sommers, I can't help but worry he'll have Snake Eyes talk, or that he'll give us the buffoonish Cobra Commander from the cartoon, instead of the always-one-step-ahead Mad Genius from the comic book series.

And while I have questions about the director, the casting dept. appears to be hitting bullseyes across the board. Dennis Quaid as Hawk, Channing Tatum as Duke, Sienna Miller as the Baroness and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander?!? OK, Marlon Wayans as Ripcord I have serious problems with (as I've posted about before) but overall, I'm encouraged by the roll call. Check out this USA Today article for more about the Joe film.

"G.I. Joe: The Movie" arrives in theaters Summer 2009.

Like many Stephen King novels-turned-movies, “The Mist” flopped at the box office. Unlike most adaptations of King’s work, Frank Darabont’s chilling tale had generally positive reviews.

Alison had high praise for the movie when we reviewed it on RT last November.

Here are some clips from the movie, which is now out on DVD. Check ‘em out and see if you’re up for a trip through “The Mist.”

Whenever people talk about the top directors, the likes of Spielberg, Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Michael Mann, Clint Eastwood, Spike Lee, Michael Bay (just kidding!) and Ron Howard usually come up. Guillermo Del Toro, P.T. Anderson and Steven Soderbergh get props from the indie film set.

But you know who almost never gets included in that discussion? Edward Zwick. This is the guy who directed great films like “Glory,” “Blood Diamond” and the vastly-underappreciated “The Last Samurai.” Each film had an ambitious story, epic battle scenes, exquisite period details and Oscar-nominated performances. Yet he seems to always be overlooked when it comes time to talk about the top filmmakers.

So what’s Zwick working on next? A story based on the true story of 3 Russian brothers who, during WWII, outsmarted the Nazis and helped save the lives of thousands of Jews. Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell star in “Defiance,” which is based on the same-name book by Nechama Tec.

“Defiance” arrives in theaters in December.

It was on this date in 1973 that Marlon Brando refused his Oscar for Best Actor in "The Godfather" as a gesture for the Native Americans at Wounded Knee. It turned out that the woman who spoke for him, one "Sacheen Littlefeather" spoke on Brando's behalf.

" Marlon Brando... has asked me to tell you, in a very long speech which I cannot share with you presently — because of time — but I will be glad to share with the press afterward, that he must... very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award.

And the reason for this being... are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry… excuse me…and on television in movie re-runs, and also the recent happenings at Wounded Knee. I beg at this time that I have not intruded upon this evening and that we will, in the future… our hearts and our understanding will meet with love and generosity. Thank you on behalf of Marlon Brando.

Littlefeather, an actress named Maria Cruz and who three years before had been named: "Miss American Vampire", was remembered by history as a fraud who demeaned Native Americans and the Oscars by her showy gesture.

By that time, Brando had become a caricature of himself, often badmouthing his movies after he'd been paid. He had much sadness in his life, outliving his troubled daughter Cheyenne and his son Christian served prison time for manslaughter. It was a strange night at the Oscars on this date in 1973.

I just watched this Oscar winning thriller for the second time. I enjoyed it as much the second go around, but took different things away from it.

I realized it wasn’t really about the drugs, the money, the killer, but about a changing world. I also laughed more than I did the first time. Tommy Lee Jones had some of the best lines, but delivered with such throwaway deadpanning I must have missed the first time.

I still maintain that Javier Bardem got lucky to win that Oscar. Sure, he made a chilling killer. But best supporting actor turn?? I don’t think so. He was so taciturn that all he had to do was deliver a few lines and look menacing the rest of the time. The haircut helped too. But it made me realized that Tom Wilkinson from “Michael Clayton” and Phillip Seymour Hoffman from “Charlie Wilson’s war” gave astounding performances for roles that seemed to me to be much more challenging and demanding.

The death of Richard Widmark on Wednesday at 93 marked the passing of one of the last great postwar movie stars. Only a few remain -- living treasures like Kirk Douglas, Maureen O'Hara, Eli Wallach, Ernest Borgnine, Karl Malden and not many more.

Widmark was amazing; he could convince you he was a cowboy, a sailor or a more conventional type, too. A native of Sunrise, Minnesota, he came to NY in 1938 when radio dramas were at their height; it was the year, after all, that Orson Welles, spooked America with his "war of the worlds" broadcast and scores of radio dramas were the country's main entertainment between movies.

The young actor found work in that medium and on Broadway. He was billed 17th in something called "Kiss and Tell" at the Biltmore Theatre, which is still in use. On march 17, 1943. He was ‘Lieutenant Lenny Archer’ and luckily for him “Kiss and Tell” ran 956 performances. His next job was in November, 1944 when this reporter was just 18 days old, by the way, in a show called "Get Away Old Man" which featured future character star Ed Begley, who would be one of the movies' "12 Angry Men" 13 years later. But it only ran 13 performances and is otherwise forgotten today.

On to three other shows, "Trio, "Kiss Them For Me" and " Dunnigan's Daughter," before his movie career began. It was "Kiss Of Death," his 1947 screen debut, which provided him with his most famous character, the killer with a trademark chilling laugh as he pushed a wheelchair-bound elderly lady down a flight of stairs to her death. He earned an Oscar nomination that year.

Some of his other memorable movies were "Panic In The Street,” “No Way Out," "The Hall of Montezuma," “The Frogmen," “Destination Gobi," "Saint Joan" (miscast, alas, as the dauphin for director Otto Preminger), "Two Rode Together" and "Judgement at Nuremberg" as a prosecutor of Nazi war criminals. I loved his work in "How the West Was Won" in 1963 as a gruff railroad boss, determined to lay track for the transcontinental railroad at a furious pace -- even if it meant encroaching on sacred Indian land. Other films included "Murder On The Orient Express," "Twilight's Last Gleaming," two “National Lampoon Movies," the otherwise-unbearable "The Alamo" for director and costar John Wayne (Widmark played Jim Bowie), and a superb cold war drama called "The Bedford Incident" with Sidney Poitier. He was also, for a few years, the father-in-law of baseball hall-of-famer Sandy Koufax.

Richard Widmark was one of the most dependable and durable Hollywood stars of a bygone era has died.

A huge hit at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, “Son of Rambow” sparked a bidding war and a lawsuit or two on its way to its theatrical debut. Due to arrive in theaters on May 2nd, the movie is set in Britain during the 80s, Two kids being raised in a hyper-religious community become obsessed with Rambo after watching a bootlegged version of “First Blood” and decide to make their own action pic.

Check out the trailer:

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, former partners on “Saturday Night Live’s” 'Weekend Update’ …now aim to deliver laughs in theaters with Universal’s upcoming comedy “Baby Mama.”

Fey plays a working woman who’s ticking biological clock gives her slim odds of having a baby, so she hires a girl from South Philly (Poehler) to be her surrogate. The two polar opposites struggle to find a balance with a baby on the way and …well, imagine the comic possibilities.

Watch the trailer after the jump.

“Baby Mama” opens April 25th. It will also be the Opening Film at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, something we’ll be covering in-depth here at REELTALKtv.com and on the show.

Just saw Kimberly Peirce’s new film “Stop-Loss,” about the army’s abuse of the stop-loss clause in servicemen’s contracts. Seems that in times of war, a soldier can be sent back into action after they have served their tour of duty, even against their wishes. The film rightly points out that Bush himself declared the war over -- so this is an abuse of rights.

Could this be the first film about Iraq that might appeal to a movie-going audience? It’s filled with young appealing actors (Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Abbie Cornish) who capture the intensity and immediacy of war and its aftermath. Phillippe follows up solid performances in “Flags Of Our Fathers” and “Breach” and is searingly intense.

Peirce also fills the soundtrack with pounding heavy metal music, or angry rap during the combat scenes, music that our young servicemen might actually listen to. And even though it revisits some of the same themes as “In The Valley Of Elah”, “Stop-Loss” is seen through the eyes of the young soldiers -- not the fathers or wives at home.

Films like this need to make money, otherwise studios won’t make more, and I think “Stop-Loss” is a film that needs to be seen.

Jeffrey and I discuss the film in detail on this week's episode of RT.

It doesn't open for nearly five months, but Ben Stiller's "Tropic Thunder" is already stirring the media pot. the action-comedy Hollywood satire -- about several egocentric actors out to make an 'Apocalypse Now'-type war movie -- stars Stiller (who also directed/wrote and produced), Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr.

The latter is playing a white actor portraying a black character and the role's already causing controversy.

"Tropic Thunder" opens August 15th. Check out the trailer:

Videos are huge in the entertainment world. Sites like Vimeo, blip.tv and YouTube have really launched the peer generated video format. On a related note, these videos (viral videos) have helped launched publicity for many films, including this year’s Cloverfield(which was AWESOME btw—can’t wait until the sequel!). Below are a few upcoming viral campaigns, cool video sites and tips you should know about, and all things in between.

"The Dark Knight" Viral Campaign
(Reported in an earlier post by Mike Avila)

I Believe in Harvey Dent
The Dark Knight Movie Chronicles
The Gotham Times
The Ha Ha Times
We Are the Answer
Gotham National Bank
Remembering Gina
Gotham Police
Gotham City Rail [Slashfilm]

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” Viral Campaign
This campaign is all over the place – literally. You can’t walk without seeing some type of ad or gimmick. But check out the viral sites – it’s a nice try in the right direction. [FirstShowing]

I Hate Sarah Marshall
Sarah Marshall Fan
Infant Sorrow

So now you're interested in the viral video movement. Say, perhaps, you've succumbed to "Cloverfield's" campaign and plan to buy the DVD when it's released April 22. Once you get said DVD, you might want to back it up. I mean, it IS part of cinematic history! Check out Lifehacker's suggestion on how to back up your disk collection. [Lifehacker]

Make your own viral video with Animoto Animoto uses 'cinematic A.I. technology' that thinks like an actual director and editor. It analyzes and combines your uploaded photos, images and music into one fluid, professional-like video. They also offer a huge lexicon of music to select from. [SXSW]

New on DVD:
· Bonnie & Clyde
· The Mist
· The Kite Runner
· Control






Opening this weekend:

Here's the latest trailer for the adaptation of the mega-hit Broadway musical "Mamma Mia!" starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth. I have to admit I'm really looking forward to this -- I loved the Broadway show for what it was -- the musical equivalent of comfort food. Not very good for you but quite tasty! And how can anyone NOT be interested in seeing Meryl Streep sing???

"Mamma Mia!" opens July 18.

A decade as part of the classic TV hit "Friends" apparently was more than enough onscreen work for David Schwimmer. Aside from the occasional guest-starring role on shows like "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "30 Rock," Schwimmer told Alison during a recent interview he's focused on behind-the-scenes work, like his feature directorial debut "Run Fatboy Run," which opens March 28.

Here's part of the interview. You can hear more on this week's RT:

Wong Kar Wai's first English language film is filled with his trademark touches: cameras lurk behind columns, peer through windows, and capture reflections in mirrored walls. Neon signs blur in background. Slow motion captures action scenes. Voice over mixes with a lazily seductive score.

The story is a simple love affair, but the biggest revelation to me was Natalie Portman. She does her best work of late here, as a Southern gambler who befriends Norah Jones' character. After disliking her performance in "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium” it was a welcome treat to see her looking like an adult rather than a child and playing a complex, interesting character.

This past week, the world lost one of the great actors of his generation -- Oscar winner Paul Scofield, who died at 86.

Though primarily a stage actor, he won his Academy Award for best actor for "A Man For All Seasons." But unlike some Oscar winners, he didn't eschew his stage career for the more lucrative world of movies, preferring to return to the stage and make only occasional screen appearances.

He'd performed "A Man For All Seasons" in London's West End for nearly a year, and then on Broadway, winning a Tony award in 1961. You can see his craft in "A Delicate Balance" and "Henry V"; not in the title role but as the king of France.

He had a small role in "Quiz Show" under Robert Redford's direction as the Pulitzer Prize winning poet and critic Mark Van Doren, father of quiz show cheat Charles Van Doren, who'd been fed the answers beforehand.

Scofield didn't seek adulation; it came to him. His turn as Hamlet came in 1955, under the direction of the great stage director Peter Brook. Schofield was one of those larger-than-life actors, and I only wish he'd made more movies so future generations could've seen the wide range of his craft.