Want to watch the entire interview with "Traitor" star Don Cheadle? Click here!

Remember "Ocean's 13"? Or "The Italian Job"? Well, this new flick seems to be very similar to those. Starring Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz it's a story about a great heist being operated by the brotherly masterminds, played by Ruffalo and Brody. Check out the trailer, does it remind you of "Ocean's 13" and "The Italian Job" also?

Nicholas Cage is back in another thriller! And, it has nothing to do with finding a treasure this time, instead it's about finding a disaster! Check out the trailer for 'Knowing' coming out in March of 2009!

Are you eager to see 'Traitor' this weekend? Well, we had Don Cheadle come in this week to talk about his new film, and other projects he's working on.

Click here to watch the entire interview!

So get this! According to Cinematical.com it looks like screen writer Aaron Sorkin ("A Few Good Men," "Charlie Wilson's War") and producer, Scott Rudin ("No Country for Old Men," "There Will be Blood") are going to be making a "Facebook Movie." (Confused pause...)

Huh? I don't know about you, but I don't know what would be SO interesting about Facebook, that would attract me to run to theaters to see this documentary about just where the phenomenon of "Facebook" came from? Don't you agree?

Sorkin, recently created a Facebook page as a way of doing research, and the writer tells us the basis for the "Facebook Movie" will be about the creators of the social networking site. Here is a portion of a post he wrote...

I've just agreed to write a movie for Sony and producer Scott Rudin about how Facebook was invented. I figured a good first step in my preparation would be finding out what Facebook is, so I've started this page. (Actually it was started by my researcher, Ian Reichbach, because my grandmother has more Internet savvy than I do and she's been dead for 33 years.)

Some of you might be familiar with some things I've written. I'm the author of two Broadway plays--A Few Good Men and The Farnsworth Invention, five feature films--A Few Good Men, The American President, Malice, Charlie Wilson's War and The Trial of the Chicago 7 which is in pre-production, and three television series--Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and the first four seasons of The West Wing.

I honestly don't know how this works, which is why I'm here. If anyone has any questions I'd be happy to answer them as best I can. If anyone has any comments I'm glad to listen. And if anyone has any Facebook stories I think they might be helpful.

That's all. I'll try to get better at this as I get more practice.

Aaron

Well I guess now we'll just have to wait and see what Myspace is going to do about their competitors Hollywood debut.

Nostalgia can be very deceiving. Especially when it comes to those Saturday morning cartoons many of us remember fondly from our younger days. Don't believe me? Try watching an episodes of "Superfriends" now. You'll be shocked at the lameness. After you’ve seen “Batman: The Animated Series” or “Justice League,” watching The Wonder Twin powers, Activate!…just doesn’t cut it.

Which is why I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the just-released DVD, “DC Super Heroes: The Filmation Adventures.”

This set collects 18 episodes of guest-star episodes that aired as part of the “The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure” on CBS in 1967-68.

The guest heroes are The Atom, Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, the JLA and the Teen Titans.

If you watch Cartoon Network or Boomerang, then you have probably seen heavily edited versions of these episodes at the end of other DC cartoons. This set offers up all 18 segments for the first time, as they originally aired.The episodes have been restored and the visual quality is impressive, considering they were produced four decades ago. The audio levels on some episodes are uneven, especially the narration. But even at inconsistent levels, it’s still great to hear Ted Knight’s narration.

The plots for each episode all follow the same, simple premise: An alien invader threatens Earth and (insert your hero here) comes to the rescue.

The voices of some of the heroes were dead-on, such as Gerald Mohr as Green Lantern and Pat Harrington Jr. (‘Schneider’ from “One Day At A Time”) as The Atom. But others were head-scratchers. I don’t know who cast the voiceover talent for The Flash, but it wasn’t close. So was the guy voicing Superman in the JLA installments.

The animation actually holds up far better than the stories. Unlike the Marvel cartoons that were on the air around the same time that just recycled plots and art from the comics, the DC Filmation ‘toons were fully animated episodes with new plots (albeit simple ones). While simple compared to today’s work, the animation had lots of dynamic movement, especially in the Flash & GL episodes (although stock footage, certain scenes recycled over and over, are prominent).

Particular highlights included the Teen Titans episodes, especially “The Space Beast Round-Up.” The JLA installments were also entertaining. It was nice to finally see the unedited version of “Bad Day on Black Mountain.” Now I know how Flash & The Atom accomplished their part of the mission.

In terms of extras, it’s a bare-bones release. There are trailers for upcoming WB DVD sets “Lego Batman” and “Smurfs: Vol. 2”, but no commentaries from the animators or voice talent, which I think should be standard on all old cartoon DVDs. Considering these were the first animated appearance for the JLA and the Titans, some kind of historical perspective would also have been welcome.

There is one feature, and it’s a dandy. “Animation Maverick: The Lou Scheimer Story” is an in-depth look at the founder of Filmation, and the impact his company had on the industry.

Scheimer explains how he, as he put it, ‘lucked out’ to land the rights to do the Superman cartoon and cartoons based on other DC Heroes cartoons. This watershed moment in animation helped pave the way for super heroes on Saturday morning television.

The last animation studio to do the bulk of its work in the U.S.A, Filmation had a huge impact on the industry in many ways. They introduced rotoscoping and stock footage into the process, the use of establishing shots, new backlighting techniques and other effects that gave a 3D-like look to vehicle movement.

If you’re an animation buff, this doc is worth the price of the DVD alone. It’s also good enough to make me overlook the fact that someone in Warners’ DVD dept. can’t tell winged cartoon heroes apart from each other. How else do you explain why Birdman is featured on the menu page of both discs instead of Hawkman??

That aside, “DC Super Heroes: the Filmation Adventures” is a treat for cartoon fans looking for a nostalgic blast from their Saturday morning past.

Looks like Ben Affleck and Jason Bateman are going to be working together in the new comedy 'Extract.' According to Variety.com, the Oscar winning writer will be working with the 'Hancock' co-star in a Miramax, Mike Judge production.

"Sex Drive" starring James Marsden is having its release date pushed back one week to October 17th, instead of October 10th.

Have you ever heard of the "Fantastic Fest?" Well if you haven't, my only suggestion is that leave the kids home for this one. According to Cinematical.com, Kevin Smith will be holding the premiere for his new movie "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" at the X-rated event. Leave it up to Kevin Smith to make such a perfect match huh?

"300" is getting pretty luxurious! Cinematical.com has released pictures of the ultimate Collector's Edition for the movie, that is scheduled to hit stores right before the Christmas season.

So, Jodi Benson will be returning to her role as "Barbie" in the next "Toy Story 3" movie. But, she won't be alone this time. Ken is planning on making his debut appearance in the film also, and will be voiced by Michael Keaton. Check out the article right here!

J.B. Rogers will be directing the new indie comedy "Demoted." And, looks like he's got his cast all lined up also, check it out at Hollywood Reporter.

Don Cheadle will be coming by our studio tomorrow to talk about his role in the new upcoming film "Traitor." Check out the second trailer released for this film, and see if you are on the so-called "Traitor's" side or not. And... check back tomorrow to watch the entire interview with Don Cheadle!

Watch the entire interview with Jason Statham from "Death Race" right HERE! And, you can watch the entire interview with Steve Coogan from "Hamlet 2" right HERE!

Interested in more of a chick flick this weekend? Check out the interviews with Anna Faris, Emma Stone and Katharine McPhee from "The House Bunny" premiere!

'The Women...' okay so maybe you don't need another reason other than the title to see this new movie. Eva Mendes, Meg Ryan, Debra Messing and Jada Pinkett Smith star in the new comedy about a "Love Pentagon!" Check out the trailer for this new chick flick, that's coming to theaters September 12th.

Jason Statham, about to return to theaters with "Death Race", is probably the last true action hero working in movies today. A world-class diver, martial arts pro and an all-around tough guy, Statham is proud of the fact he does most of his own stunts in movies like "The Transporter" and "Crank."

His Hollywood hero is the late, great Steve McQueen, another genuine tough guy who was famous for doing the bulk of the stuntwork in films like "Bullitt" and "The Great Escape." So in this age of remakes ("Death Race" is a redo, after all), would Statham consider remaking a McQueen movie? Check out his answer:

Last time we had Seth Rogen on set, Jeffrey asked him about his action role in "Pineapple Express." Rogen mentioned it made him feel just as tough as those other guys like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Jason Statham. When Jason got a chance to visit our studio yesterday, he got to watch this interview with Seth Rogen, check out his reaction!

Click Here to Watch!

Karate, kickboxing, wrestling... all these sports have a violent edge to it. Mixed Martial Arts, better know as MMA along with a growing populairty in the movie industry is also a popular sport amongst kids. Jeffrey asks the big action star Jeffrey Statham, about whether he feels MMA is a good sport for young kids, I know I certainly do! See what he has to say...

Jason Statham dropped by this week as he promotes his new actioner "Death Race", where he plays another butt-kicking hero. Among other things, he talked with Jeffrey about how he keeps himself in such great shape for these physical roles. You can hear more from Jason Statham on this weekend's RT:

We'll begin this week's Mixtape with some courtroom action. Seems 20th Century Fox's legal attempt to stop the release of Warner Bros.'s hotly-anticipated "Watchmen" movie is still ongoing. The movie is due out March 6, 2009. Check out our feature on the "Watchmen" Comic Con panel here!

Tom Cruise, fresh off his hilarious, scene-stealing cameo in "Tropic Thunder," looks to emulate Robert Downey Jr. by getting into the comic book movie game. He apparently wants to star in a film based on DC Comics' "Sleeper."

and speaking of DC-based films, what's the deal with the Man of Steel? Latest word is that Warner Bros. is unsure of what to do with the Big Cheese. "Superman Returns" didn't exactly light many people's fire (although I liked it) so word is Superman may get rebooted AGAIN. Online buzz about this topic is hot.

Are you ready for a remake of the 80s musical "Fame"? No, you say? Too bad. It looks like it's really happening, check it out here!

Despite the monster success of "The Dark Knight," it's no secret to comic book movie lovers that Marvel heroes seem to have a much clearer path to the cinema than DC's caped crusaders. But according to recent reports, it looks like Warner Bros. and DC are trying to get on the same page regarding their comic movie strategy.

"Bottle Shock" is one of many small indie films getting buried under the weight and marketing campaigns of the summer movie behemoths clogging up the multiplex. Bill Pullman stars in the pic. Check out Jeffrey's interview with the likeable actor here, and listen to him talk about how he's still remembered for playing the President in "Independence Day." Good stuff.

Joss Whedon's cult classic TV Show "Firefly" is coming on Blu-ray in November!

Watch out Elle Woods... it looks like another blonde has caught the attention of the "Legally Blonde" screenwriters! Reel Talk had the chance to go to Cosmo Girl's screening of "The House Bunny" where we got to talk to all of the "Zeta Alpha Zeta" sorority girls! Click on picture of Anna Faris, Emma Stone and Katharine McPhee to watch our interviews with these lovely ladies.

After a month-long, record-breaking run at the top of the box office, "The Dark Knight" has finally met his match. And in a bit of geeky irony, "Iron Man" had a hand in his defeat.

"Tropic Thunder", the outrageously offensive (not to mention downright hysterical) comedy directed by and starring Ben Stiller and co-starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black, earned $26 million in its debut weekend to take the top spot. Its five-day total (it opened on Wed.) stands at $37M, a surprisingly pedestrian number for a mega-hyped comedy that's had overwhelmingly positive reviews. Frankly, I'm shocked 'Tropic' didn't open bigger. Maybe word of mouth will sustain it.

TDK earned $16.8M for a mindblowing $471M total, leapfrogging "Star Wars" to become the second-highest earning film of all time, behind only "Titanic."

Speaking of George Lucas' cosmic cash cow, the animated "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" debuted in third with $15.5M. Fourth place went to Kiefer Sutherland's scary movie "Mirrors" (check out our interview with Kiefer here.)

Bringing up the Top Five rear was "Pineapple Express" with $10M, a 57% drop from its premiere week. Its total now stands at $62.9M.

Meanwhile, Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona", buoyed by strong reviews (like ours, which you can see here) and big name actors like Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, earned a robust $3.7M on 692 screens. The $5,361 per-screen average was the 2nd-highest in the Top 10 behind "Tropic Thunder."

That bodes well for Woody to score his first hit since 2005's "Match Point."

So now comes news that the next "Harry Potter" movie has had its opening date postponed until next summer. A few years ago, such an announcement would've been unimaginable but with so much money at stake, it appears Warner Bros. wants maximum capitulation with a summer release (the last film, released during the summer time, was the franchise's biggest earner since the first movie). Regardless, my job is to go to the movie whenever it opens, with an open mind...as Mel Brooks told me: "Hope for the best, expect the worst."

I don't expect the worst when reviewing a movie (unless it's a "Saw" or "Texas Chainsaw" movie) but I always hope for the best.

Part of the reason is that author J.K. Rowling has written what she says is her last in the series so there is a sense of finality to Potter franchise. The sixth Potter movie, by the way, is "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” and the final book in the series is "Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows," which is being split into two movies. So we'll see how this works out. Maybe she'll go write about something else. But what an incredible ride it's been, introducing the joy of reading books, to a whole new generation.

In a wonderful example of corporate synergy, two Time Warner-owned companies, Warner Bros. Pictures and "Entertainment Weekly" magazine, pulled off the best team-up since Power Man & Iron Fist. For its just-released Fall Movie Preview issue, EW put "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" - a Warner Bros. movie - on the cover. Makes perfect synergistic sense, doesn't it?

Except...someone at Warner Bros. forgot to tell the EW folks that the day the Fall Issue was sent out, the studio would be announcing that the 6th Potter film's release would be pushed back from Thanksgiving until Summer 2009!

To their credit, the EW team took the rather clumsily-handled corporate backslap rather well. Read their article on it here.

All sorts of reasons are being given for the bump to '09 ...from production delays left over from the writers strike to financial concerns (namely, the Potter movie's sure-fire big box office will look better on next year's books than this year (thanks Dark Knight!). Either way, who cares? "Half-Blood Prince" will make a ton of money no matter when its released.

And you might want to hold on to that EW Fall Preview Issue. Maybe you can flip it on eBay in the near future for a quick buck.

"Tropic Thunder" starts off with three hysterical trailers for fake movies starring the three main actors in the film. Ben Stiller is Tugg Speedman who has made a living as an action superstar. His latest film is "Scorcher VI: Global Meltdown"...and the trailer perfectly apes idiotic disaster films.

Jack Black plays a comedian who has donned a fat suit to play multiple members of an overweight family called "the Fatties". And Robert Downey Jr. as the serious Oscar winner of the bunch is appearing in a homo erotic monk love story. There are also commercials for fake products.....all of which are a perfect build-up to the film itself which doesn't disappoint. It may not be politically correct but for me, it's the funniest film of the year.

If you're a fan of the show "24" (and really, if you're not, you're missing the best thrill ride on television), then you know Jack Bauer is not shy about using any means necessary to extraction the information he needs. Lamps, clamps, even good old-fashioned beatdowns...CTU's favorite rogue agent has used 'em all. So much so that the show has become a lightning rod for criticism for what some perceive to be a tolerant attitude toward torture.

Star Kiefer Sutherland, who dropped by to talk up his new horror movie "Mirrors", told Alison that anyone who thinks "24" is trying to make a political statement is missing the point. Here's what he had to say, and you can catch more of Alison's interview with Kiefer this weekend on RT.

Watch the clip right here!

According to an interesting story in the LA Times, not everyone may get a chance to see Guy Ritchie's new caper movie "RocknRolla" in theaters. Seems Warner Bros. has too many movies on its release schedule this fall, thanks to its having to absorb New Line's cinematic slate (Time Warner dissolved New Line earlier this year). WB apparently doesn't have the marketing manpower or $$ to properly pitch all these films, so its having to decide which movies to throw its support behind...and which ones to abandon.

"RocknRolla" may fall into the latter category. And having caught an early screening of this movie, I can say without hesitation that Warners would be making a mistake. "RnR" is a rollicking good time.

This is Ritchie moviemaking at its best. Like "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch", this is a very muscular, very funny, very British movie. And what a cast! Gerard Butler regains his swagger after two straight 'softies' in movies like "P.S. I Love You" and "Nim's Island." He's manned up here. His character 'One-Two' is a career criminal who gets caught up in a crooked London land deal that becomes incredibly complicated with a bunch of different characters involved in the mix. As the prickly veteran London mob chief, Tom Wilkinson is superbly vile. Thandie Newton, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges and Jeremy Piven also co-star. But watch out for two not-so well-known faces...Mark Strong as Archie and Toby Kebbell as Johnny nearly steal the movie. Oh, and the music and how its used is fantastic!

Yes, we Yanks may miss a few bits of dialogue here and there (especially when the Wild Bunch - thats the name of the lawbreaking crew One-Two belongs to - gather at their hangout), because the accents are pretty strong. So what? A good movie is a good movie, and this one's darn near great. It deserves a chance to find an audience.

I know Joel Silver, the film's producer and the guy behind massive hits like the Lethal Weapon and Matrix series, has been in a bit of a slump lately. Having the summer's biggest bomb in "Speed Racer" probably didn't help his bargaining position with Warner Bros. either. But I hope he convinces Warner Bros. to support this picture so as many people as possible get to enjoy it.

C'mon Warners, roll the dice on this one and watch it pay off. That's what a real RocknRolla would do.

"RocknRolla" opens in limited release Oct. 8, with a national rollout expected on Halloween.

While Tom Cruise is back in theaters now in "Tropic Thunder" (making a cameo as a fat, bald studio executive in the world's worst-kept casting secret), the date of his next STARRING performance has been unclear. The WWII drama "Valkyrie" has been bounced around the release calendar so many times I've lost count. Last we heard, the Bryan Singer-directed ("X-Men", "Superman Returns" helmer) thriller was due to open early 2009. Now we're told it's been pushed back to December 26th.

Considering the prime Christmas weekend positioning, it sounds like the studio heads at MGM have had their faith restored in the project. That's good news for Cruise, who badly needs a hit to repair his battered image. This comes on the heels of this week's announcement that his longtime production partner Paula Wagner is leaving United Artists. That's the studio she revived with Cruise. Various industry reports indicate Wagner was forced out because she couldn't get new movies on track.

Dennis Hopper came by the studio the other day and will appear on an upcoming "Reel Talk" episode. He is a movie icon; with "Easy Rider" the seminal film of the rebellious 1960's, and with dozens of other films and TV movies over six decades. Currently he's in "Swing Vote," as the democratic presidential candidate, (he said his role was heavily cut down...watch the interview right HERE!) and also in "Elegy" as the friend to whom Ben Kingsley confides in about his love affair with the much younger Penelope Cruz.

We reviewed both on "Reel Talk," (you can watch those reviews by clicking on the title…”Elegy” & “Swing Vote”) but he's also in "Hell Ride," co-executive produced by Quentin Tarantino.

Time didn't permit us to review that one last week, but it's a throwback to those awful but campy biker movies of the sixties. This film, starring Michael Madsen (a "B" actor if ever there were one nowadays; nothing wrong with that, mind you) and Larry Bishop, who also wrote, directed and portrays “Pistolero.” This one is as awful as those old biker films it imitates. "Pistolero" leads a biker gang called "The Victors" and they're out to avenge a death blamed on rival bikers. That's about all there is except the presence of Vinnie Jones, the tall cockney heavy actor. Dennis Hopper plays Eddie "Scratch" Zero, sort of an older biker who now uses a sidecar. The ending is a bloody shootout and you only wonder how the actors kept a straight face. The legacy of "Easy Rider" remains safe.

Looking to add some more flicks to your DVD collection? Well, it is Tuesday, the day all of the latest DVD's are released so here are some of the latest movies gone home entertainment! Click on the poster to watch Jeffrey and Alison's review.

Congratulations to...
1.Emmanuelle Louis
2. Jennifer Leonard
3. Darla Delgado
4. Lou Stellato

All of you will be receiving one of out 'I Love the 80's' DVD's! Thanks for playing, and keep checking back for future contests!

It looks like Tom Cruise is done flirting with the 'Edwin A. Salt' script. Screenwriter Kurt Wimmer has decided to give the espionage thriller a sex change and Angelina Jolie might be taking over the lead role. According to Variety.com, in the wake of the success of Jolie's last film, Wanted, it looks like studios are looking to keep the sultry action star in the spotlight.

According to Slashfilm.com it's being rumored that J.J. Abrams (Star Trek) is working on a new disaster movie about earthquakes. Although the details are being kept under wraps, it is understood that Abrams and screenwriter David Seltzer are planning to focus on the relationships between the people caught in an earthquake.

Looks like 'Tropic Thunder' is bringing about a storm of protests! Variety.com reports the film was picketed during its premiere last night (Monday) with people carrying signs reading "R-word=Hate Speech.

Oliver Stone's new movie, has a lot of people wondering what the White House response will be.

'W.' the new Josh Brolin movie about George W. Bush Jr. serves as a biographical story about the current American president, and exactly how he went from drinking and partying into the White House. Check out the trailer by clicking here!

Just how many frogs do you need to kiss before you find your prince charming?
Disney has decided to take a little break from the Pixar frenzy to bring back the original 2D theme work, of hand drawn animation. 'The Princess and the Frog' is scheduled to be released next Christmas of 2009. Watch the teaser for this new animated flick by clicking here!

I came back from a brief, 'turn everything off and enjoy myself' trip to Washington, D.C. to learn the horrible news that Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes had died within a day of each other.

Two men who displayed their talents in very different ways, but who had the same impact: They were unforgettable.

Mac, who passed away at 50 Saturday from complications of pneumonia (he had been in the hospital for several days before his death), first made his rep as a standup comic. As one of the four Kings of Comedy (Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer and D.L. Hughley were the others), he turned standup comedy on its ear. The KoC tours were sold-out events, and he parlayed that success into one of the funniest TV shows of the past decade, "The Bernie Mac Show." His observations on life and family were hilarious and dead-on, helped greatly by his exasperated baritone delivery.

In the movies, he excelled in supporting roles in everything from the "Ocean's" franchise to "Transformers." He could carry a film too. "Mr. 3000" was one of the better baseball movies in recent years, thanks largely to Mac's turn as a self-absorbed Barry Bonds-type player who gets his comeuppance. As his "Ocean's" co-star George Clooney said after hearing the sad news, the world isn't as funny now that Bernie Mac is gone.

As for Hayes, who died Sunday after collapsing at his Memphis home, he made his impact in the movie business off-camera at first. Anyone who calls him or herself a film buff knows the beat and the lyrics to Hayes' theme song to the 1971 classic "Shaft" (click to listen.) The Oscar-winning number remains one of the gold standards of movie themes, so much so that when people talk about the film now, the first thing they bring up is the song.

To younger fans, Hayes is of course better known as the voice of 'Chef' from TV's "South Park." But he appeared in a number of other films, including one of my personal favorites, John Carpenter's cult classic "Escape From New York." He was the Duke, baby, A Number 1!! The image of a sunglasses-at-night wearing Hayes running through Manhattan after Kurt Russell with a sequined vest that looked like it was lifted from Cher's closet in the 70s remains engraved in my memory banks.

He also appeared in "I'm Gonna Git You, Sucka" and "Reindeer Games."

In a sad twist, Hayes' last film appearance was to be in the recently completed "Soul Men," with Samuel L. Jackson and...Bernie Mac.

But music is Hayes' legacy. After "Hot Buttered Soul" made him a chrome-domed star in cool sunglasses and lots of gold, Hayes would go on to write hundreds of songs, many of them soul standards, while at the legendary Stax Records label.

Sam & Dave's "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Coming" were co-written by Hayes.

And his influence helped pave the way for the Disco and Hip-Hop phenomenons that erupted in the mid and late-1970s. Listen to his early 70s albums, with their driving beats, sexy hooks and his rap-like lyricisms, and you'll notice the resemblance.

Hayes, along with the Rick James, are two of the most sampled artists in Hip-Hop, which is about as high a compliment as you can pay someone in Modern Music.

Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, both gone on the same weekend. They will be missed, but they won't be forgotten. R.I.P. gentlemen.

You can also watch the ENTIRE Seth Rogen interview by CLICKING HERE!

Get your leg warmers and sweat bands out! The 80's are back! This week, Paramount released their DVD collection of some of our favorite 80's flicks. Remember Kevin Bacon in 'Footloose,' or Molly Ringwald in 'Pretty in Pink,' or how about Matthew Broderick in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off.' Ahh... these are just some of the 80's classics, that I grew up watching. So in an effort to bring you a little nostalgia Reel Talk will be giving away free DVD copies of 'Pretty in Pink', 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off', 'Footloose', 'Some Kind of Wonderful', and 'Top Gun.' Just watch the clips, by clicking here, and answer the questions on the next page! GOOD LUCK!

Whoever is the first to answer 4 of the 5 questions correctly will get a FREE DVD copy of their choice.

E-mail your answers here!

1. What is the rich boy's name who takes Andie Walsh out on a date, in "Pretty in Pink"?

2. How many times did the high school teacher have to repeat Ferris Bueller's name during attendance?

3. What color is Ariel Moore's prom dress in "Footloose"?

4. What is the name of Andie’s best friend in “Pretty and Pink?”

5. The leading lady in “Pretty in Pink” is currently starring in what TV show?

CONTEST ENDS MONDAY, AUGUST 11th

Director Barry Levinson is coming back with "What Just Happened?", a satire on the movie industry starring Robert De Niro as a washed-up producer. It features an all-star cast that includes Bruce Willis, Sean Penn, Stanley Tucci, John Turturro and many more. With that kind of pedigreed cast and filmmaker, this sounds like a can't-miss, right?

Think again. The film debuted at Sundance this year to mostly indifferent reaction from audiences. While that may seem shocking considering the talent involved, it really shouldn't be.

With very rare exceptions, movies about the movie business rarely find an audience. TV shows seem to do a little better. Witness the success of "Entourage" for HBO, and NBC's "30 Rock." But that critically-acclaimed show's success comes with a disclaimer: its ratings remain low.

Getting back to the movies though. The reason these 'inside looks' at the entertainment world hardly ever succeed in theaters is that they're too 'inside baseball' for the casual viewer.

Movie junkies and people whose work is linked to Hollywood in some way, shape or form - such as the producer of a movie review show - tend to love movies like "The Player", "Postcards From The Edge", "Swimming With Sharks" and "The Big Picture" and because they usually can spot familiar faces buried within the offbeat characters that tend to populate these films (anyone who's ever dealt with Hollywood types has met some as oily and sleazy as Peter Gallagher's Larry Levy from "The Player").

But much of the absurdity in said characters' behavior is usually lost on the average guy in the Midwest whose only exposure to the Hollywood system is the Universal Studios backlot tour. And before you suggest that aiming for that industry crowd as the target audience for your low-budget indie Hollywood satire, keep in mind that most people who work in the movie business DON'T PAY TO GO TO THE MOVIES. They go to screenings. So even that tactic doesn't pay off.

It's also important to reiterate that "What Just Happened?" had a disappointing debut in front of an insider-heavy crowd at Sundance. That couldn't have sparked confidence in the distributor that the film will find an audience in Middle America.

All this doesn't mean that Levinson's film, based on Art Linson's book, is guaranteed to fail at the box office. That's anyone's guess. According to history, though, it could be tricky. "What Just Happened?" opens October 3rd.

Watch the trailer HERE!

For the millions of Jim Carrey fans who stayed away from his well-intentioned dramatic turn in "The Number 23" (did ANYONE actually see that film in theaters?), the trailer for his next movie should make your day. "Yes Man" finds Carrey back in his familiar comedic stomping grounds. The film, directed by Peyton Reed ("The Break Up" and "Down With Love"), is based on the best selling memoir by Danny Wallace. Carrey plays a guy who changes his life by deciding to say 'yes' to everything for a year.

Kind of strange saying this about a guy with as many hits on his resume as Carrey, but he needs a hit. When your asking price is $20 million per, you need to bring in the big box office $$, and his last few movies haven't done that. Yes, I know he did voice work in the big Spring hit "Horton Hears a Who!", but that was an animated film. Carrey's last certified live-action success was "Bruce Almighty" in 2003.

"Yes Man" opens December 19. Here's the first trailer!

First there was "Ratatouille", now comes another Rodent Reel, this one called "The Tale of Despereaux." It's an animated picture about Despereaux (voiced by Matthew Broderick), a mouse who's in love with a princess (voiced by Emma Watson). Other voices include William H. Macy, Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver as the Narrator. "The Tale of Despereaux" is due out December 19th. WATCH THE TRAILER RIGHT HERE!

According to Hecklerspray.com it seems that production is already in the works for a 'Goonies 2.' It is rumored that Warner Bros. wants to bring back the truffle shuffle for the new generation, that seems to have missed out on that 'Goonie' phase. What do you think? Do you really think this is a good idea? I don't know about you but I remember watching the 'Goonies' over and over again as a kid... what if this little makeover ruins it?

The "Knocked Up" co-star, Seth Rogen stopped by our studio today over at 30 Rock, to talk a little bit about his new movie 'Pineapple Express' but... that's not all he talked about. From weed to tough guys to his next film 'The Green Hornet' Jeffrey and Seth had plenty to talk about. Check out this clip where Seth talks about why it took SO long to get this movie done.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

The third chapter in the man vs. killer insect space saga, "Starship Troopers 3" finds Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien, square-jawed as ever) back to kill him some more bugs. No one's hated bugs like this guy since Muhammad Ali in those commercials for RAID back in the late 70s. Anyway, this direct-to-dvd release (anyone else notice how many films are going straight to the home video market these days, no matter what the budget is or what stars are in it?) features a few neat twists: one being that while the soldiers are fighting the bugs on a remote planet, there are elements within their own government undermining their efforts.

Check out scenes from "Starship Troopers 3: Marauder", which is out now on DVD:

It seems like every movie this year has either a cameo or main appearance by Morgan Freeman. However, over this past weekend the talented actor suffers from a broken arm and elbow, after a car accident in Mississippi. According to Variety, the actor's car went off the road on Sunday and flipped several times before landing in a ditch.

Ladies, have you read 'Eat, Pray Love' yet? I personally haven't but with all of the buzz and not to mention Oprah raves over the book it is definately on my must-read soon list. But, get ready for this... 'Drink, Play, F@#k.' According to 'The Hollywood Reporter' Warner Bros. has recently acquired rights to this comedic satire of 'Eat Pray Love.' Written by Andrew Gottlieb, the book is expected to be published some time early next year.

The comedy producer Robert Simonds (Big Daddy, Weddng Singer) is back and he's bringing Jackie Chan with him in the new movie 'The Spy Next Door.' According to 'The Hollywood Reporter' this new spy movie is centered around Chan who is asked to baby-sit his neighbors kids. But, when one of the kids ends up bownloading a secret code, the secret agents are after him leaving Chan to fight them off.

The great thing about Star Trek and Star Wars is how obsessed we fans are about continuing to throw money down these two particular wells. No matter how many times or on what format the SW Original Trilogy or the original three seasons of Trek are released on, we'll buy 'em. For George Lucas and Paramount (the studio that owns Trek), we're the gift that keeps on giving. And just think, the Hi-Def debut of SW and Trek is still to come! Whoo-hoo! Take my $$$, please!!

Sarcasm aside, I'm genuinely excited about the arrival of TOS (that's The Original Series Star Trek for you non-Trekkies) in Remastered form. Season 2 has just arrived and each episode has been delicately remastered from the original negative. New modern special FX have been added to enhance certain episodes and a new 5.1 soundtrack has been provided. You can really notice the difference in sound in the opening theme of each episode. Even William Shatner's classic voiceover -- "Space, the final frontier..." -- has been digitally remastered [did you know that voiceover was 38 words long? Did you care??]

The result is a stunning presentation of TOS that adds a modern gloss to Gene Roddenberry's legendary series. I'm not a guy who liked the 'colorization' of old black & white films, or even of Lucas' updates and revisisions of the original Star Wars Trilogy. I thought those two efforts tinkered with the legacy of the originals. I think Remastered Trek genuinely enhances the original episodes in a positive sense, so I'm all for it.

Some of the series' most memorable episodes are included here, like "Amok Time," "The Changeling," "A Piece of the Action" and perhaps the most popular Trek episode EVER, "The Trouble with Tribbles."

Special features include featurettes that have home movies from the making of the show and explore the relationship between the series' Big Three: Kirk, Spock and Bones.

Here are some scenes from the Season Two remastered set of Star Trek TOS.

I saw "Pineapple Express" the other night and was thoroughly disappointed. I was hoping for another Judd Apatow modern classic....with his mix of sensitive but stupid males and coarse language and gross humor.

He is credited with the story idea with Seth Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg, but the script is all Rogen/Goldberg. These childhood friends are stuck in perpetual adolescence and have delivered a film that offers nothing more than stale stoner jokes and a flaccid exploitation flick homage. I laughed a couple of times at Rogen's asides and Danny McBride was a good compliment to Rogen and James Franco...but the ending tries for a Tarantino blend of comedy and violence that goes on far too long . I got the feeling the actors and the director were just winging it on the set that day. All in all this is a film that may only truly appeal to the stoner in the audience.

I have seen two films recently with the Spanish actress Penelope Cruz and my opinion of her has sky-rocketed! Not that I ever disliked her.....I guess I was just blinded to her talents by her dazzling beauty.
In "Elegy" she plays the lover of an acclaimed writer, Sir Ben Kingsley. It's easy to see why he is bewitched by her.

But the end of the film (which I won't divulge) has Cruz demonstrating the full gamut of emotions...pain, regret, love, vulnerability and fear. It's an incredible performance and she proves herself Kingsley's equal.
In "Vicky Cristina Barcelona", Woody Allen's latest film she is a chaotic force of passion that whirls onto the screen and into the characters' lives. There's comedy and pain in her portrayal of an unstable artist who loves excessively and gives too much of herself to relationships. She's a mess of streaky eyeliner and untamed hair, but you can't take your eyes off her.

As I write this, I'm still recovering from last night's marathon effort by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band at Giants Stadium. After a two-hour delay because of traffic problems on the NJ Turnpike, Bruce and the E Streeters came out and made it up to the crowd with a 3 hour, 15 minute steamroller of a show. I like to consider myself a Bruce diehard, having seen him in concert some 30+ times over the past 23 years. But you couldn't walk 10 feet in the stadium parking lot without running into someone with triple-digit Springsteen shows under his/her belt.

Bruce inspires passion in his fans like no other, and his music is so personal it makes us feel as if we're close friends, which is why we refer to him like we would our buddies, by his first name. It's why so many of us travel around the country to see him, hoping each show provides a surprise from his vast catalog of songs or -- as last night proved -- circumstances offer up a performance with just that little bit of extra 'Bruuuce' to make it unforgettable. So as we headed out on the "Long Walk Home" (we actually didn't walk, but since we didn't "Drive All Night" I wanted to avoid any car references), something suddenly occurred to me:

Why hasn't there been a movie made about The Boss?

It's a no-brainer. There have been great musical biopics on Ray Charles, Johnny Cash (a favorite of Bruce's BTW), Janis Joplin ("The Rose" was so clearly inspired by Janis there's no point in arguing about it), Jerry Lee Lewis, a handful on Elvis in the movies and on TV. What made those work is that besides the incredible music, the artists were unique characters with fascinating stories.

Bruce fits the bill as well. While he doesn't have the drug history that nearly all of the above have, or the tragic finish of Elvis, Janis or Buddy Holly, Bruce is a uniquely American success story. Born into the Jersey working class, struggles with his family (his strained relationship with his father was the underpinning of many of his best songs) and struggles to find success. Before "Born to Run" made him a superstar, Springsteen was in danger of being dropped from his record label. His first two records had sold nothing and the hype calling him the 'next Dylan' was fading. Then came the simultaneous Time & Newsweek covers, the amazing success of BTR, and BOOM!

A star was born.

You want conflict? How about his battle for control over his music with his first manager, Mike Appel? How about the incident at the 1980 'No Nukes' show where, apparently upset over turning 30, he flung a birthday cake into the crowd? Or his struggles to get a grasp on the sudden superstardom that hit him like a Thundercrack when "Born In The U.S.A" became a misunderstood, massive hit in 1984??

Wait, you say every good biopic needs a romance? There was his first, shortlived marriage to actress Julianne Phillips, and his subsequent romance with his very own Jersey Girl, Patti Scialfa (who was part of the E Street Band at the time).

And there's also his transformation from societal observer to outright political rabblerouser. For most of his career, Bruce chose to keep his political opinions to himself, choosing instead to use his pulpit to tell the stories of the working class with which he had grown up, and though now fabulously wealthy, still identified with.

But as the 21st Century unfolded, Bruce stopped dipping his toes into the political waters and became an outright activist. First, openly campaigning for John Kerry in 2004 on the Vote for Change Tour, and now, with his most recent album "Magic", including "Living in the Future," a political rant disguised in catchy pop song gloss that makes "Born in the U.S.A." seem like the patriotic jingle the mid-80s GOP thought it was.

I don't know, I could be biased here because I'm a Springsteen guy, but that sounds like a darn good screenplay to me. So who's writing it?

Feel free to offer casting suggestions as to who could play The Boss onscreen. I'll post them in a future column.

You can watch the entire Maria Bello interview right here!

AND

You can watch the entire Kevin Costner interview right here!

Here in New York, The Film Society of Lincoln Center is showing eleven movies starring Charlton Heston, who died earlier this year.

The series begins Aug. 29th, and they show the incredible range of this actor. "Ben Hur" is the most honored film of all time, and he won his Oscar for the title role. But before that, he was in "The Greatest Show on Earth," a circus movie. Also on the bill is "El Cid" and I might see that showing, just to see if it's true that you can spot a stagehand standing in a corner of the set replicating Medieval Seville...

I'm not a big "Planet of the Apes" guy, but my producer sure is, and so are millions of others. Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil" kicks it off and you can't do better than that. Heston appears with a thin moustache in that film noir classic co-starring Janet Leigh; hard to believe they're all gone now. "Major Dundee" and "Will Penny", two of his fine Western genre films, are also on the bill, though for some reason they omitted "The Big Country" one of my three favorite Westerns of them all. His connection to the sci fi genre will be represented with "Soylent Green" and "The Omega Man," the latter the forerunner of the Will Smith movie, "I Am Legend."

Heston came out of Northwestern University, as did other actors of his generation. There he studied with the legendary acting coach Alvina Krause, and even in hokey disaster movies, so popular in the 'Seventies, like "Earthquake", he always performed well. I also recommend the 1953 movie "Pony Express", a forgotten Heston Western. If you can't make the series, Netflix is there to fill in the gaps.

The first trailer for the next Harry Potter adventure has been unspooled. Get a look at how Voldemort became...well, VOLDEMORT in our favorite wizard's sixth adventure.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" debuts Nov. 21st. Here's the trailer: