Showest Final Report

Adam and Sheldon with Eli Roth

A look at Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures, 21, Redbelt, Then She Found Me, Towelhead, The Awards Banquet and much more!

WARNER BROTHERS PRESENTATION

GET SMART
Director Peter Segal, and stars Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway were on hand to talk about their big screen adaptation of the righteously funny Don Adams t.v. show. Segal and Carell were their usual hilarious selves. Hathaway, while very classy, appeared a bit uncomoftable attempting to bring the funny. In her defense, she was in the presence of comedic brilliance. The director and his fearless cast presented a trailer and a sequence from the film. The scene takes place aboard a commercial airflight. It starts off in a sort of slapstick fashion as Carell's Maxwell Smart runs into a bit of a problem in the airline bathroom. Before long, Smart is dropped through a trap door in the restroom and finds himself hurdling towards the ground below. Luckily, Hathaway's Agent 99 is also on board and she remembered her parachute. Without missing a beat, she rushes to the bathroom and jumps after her dopey partner. Unfortunately for our two heros, there's also a nasty villain hot in their pursuit. So what starts out as a bit of funny business, quickly turns into high octane action as 99 and Smart do battle with a ruthless bad guy while falling through the sky. This well timed sequence sort of illustrated what the trailer suggests--That Get Smart will be a fusion of laugh out loud hilarity and well executed action sequences. Get Smart opens on June 20.

SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2
I won't spend too much time on this one as I must confess; I haven't actually seen the first one. I will say, this sequel looks sweet and charming and the cast appears extremely likable, particularly America Ferara of Ugly Betty fame. The film takes place three years after the first and reunites four childhood friends. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 opens on Aug. 8.

SPEED RACER
Producer Joel Silver was on hand as were stars Emile Hirsch, Matthew Fox, and Christina Ricci. Firstly, Silver and the cast talked about how amazing it is to work with The Wachowski Brothers. They also went on to reveal that Speed Racer, based on the animated cult phenomenon, would be rated PG. After the action and carnage that was the Matrix trilogy, the Wachowskis decided they wanted to switch gears a bit. We were then treated to some new footage from the film and I have to tell you; I was pretty impressed. The movie is live action, but it exists in a very animated universe. Like the Matrix pictures, it's very stylized. Visually, Speed Racer looks like something we've never really seen before. It opens in theaters and Imax on May 9th.

THE DARK KNIGHT
Since Paramount wasn't really around to pimp Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Iron Man, The Dark Knight was clearly the most talked about film at the convention. Director Christopher Nolan and stars Christian Bale and Maggie Gyllenhaal (taking over for the bland Katie Holmes) were on hand to talk about this highly anticipated follow up to Batman Begins. We were then treated to the first seven minutes of the film, an intense, beautifully shot bank heist featuring a bunch of thugs in clown masks. The end of the sequence features the introduction of the Joker (played by the late Heath Ledger). This very same sequence played late last year with select Imax prints of I Am Legend (several sequences in The Dark Knight–including the opening–were shot with Imax cameras). The opening was followed by a brief new trailer giving us quick glimpses of Batman in action and a couple of shots of Harvey Dent (played by Aaron Eckhart), a character who will go on to become Two Face. This is not Joel Schumacher's Batman. Thank God for that. The Dark Knight opens in Theaters and Imax on July 18th.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
For whatever reason, Warner Brothers has distribution rights to George Lucas' CG animated feature. It's going to be weird not seeing that famed 20th Fox logo before the actions starts. Lucas was on hand, joined by a squad of Storm Troopers, and talked a bit about the project. Initially, The Clone Wars was going to go directly to t.v. but when the project was being produced, Lucas decided that it was good enough to play theatrically. We were shown around seven minutes or so and to be honest, I wasn't that impressed. The story, which bridges the gap between Episodes II and III, is fine, but the animation style is distracting. I was annoyed by the motion of the characters. It's far too video game for my tastes. I prefer the Clone Wars cartoons we got a few years ago. In some respects, I liked those shorts more than the prequels. Still, I'll be seeing this in the theater cause I'm always down for another Star Wars adventure. Star Wars: The Clone Wars opens on Aug. 15.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTATION
Universal Pictures gave us a new look at the stylized action film at Wanted starring the luscious Angelina Jolie. We were also privy to an early glimpse at The Mummy 3. Joy. Yes, I'm being sarcastic. There were two other films on the slate that are worth highlighting.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK
Ang Lee's Hulk took quite a beating from critics and fans alike. While the film wasn't an all together flop, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who will admit that they actually liked it. I'm one of those people. Don't get me wrong. I didn't go ape shit over it. It's certainly a flawed film and like everyone else, I couldn't stand how the Hulk kept changing size. With The Incredible Hulk, Universal is going the reboot route. We were shown the new trailer, and as expected the stuido is marketing it as a straight up action piece. The final portions of the preview feature the Hulk and villain Abomitable pummelling each other in the city streets. It actually reminded me a bit of the carnage at the end of Transformers. This Hulk doesn't look much different from the Hulk in Ang Lee's version which is kind of disappointing. He's simply another cartoonish CG creation. I don't know what the hell I was expecting. What I liked most about the trailer were the character driven scenes with Edward Norton. Portions of the film almost seem to be recalling the Bill Bixby t.v. show. Whatever the case may be, this movie should be a hit unless the negative stigma attached to Lee's film take it down. The Incredible Hulk opens on June 13.

HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY
What can I say? I can't get enough of Guillermo del Toro. I was a moderate fan of the first Hellboy, but I can say without hesitation that Pan's Labyrinth is one of my favorite films of the last ten years, and The Golden Army looks to encompass some of the same breathtaking visual bravado that made Pan's so stunning. Hellboy 2 features the return of the title character, a misunderstood super hero who embarks on a mission that just may save the world. He's aided by a rag tag team of colorful but slightly misguided cohorts. Visually speaking, this was the most impressive footage I saw at the entire convention. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army opens on July11th.

21 FILM SCREENING AND AFTER PARTY AT PLANET HOLLYWOOD
Sony pictures was probably the most prominently represented studio at ShoWest 2008. Not only did they give convention attendees the coolest goodie bags (including, among all things, a "Don't Mess With the Zohan" hair blower), and not only did they present the Las Vegas premiere of the new gambling drama 21 (check out my review here on the site) but they completely outdid themselves in the after party department. Held at The Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino, this lavish shindig included amazing food (you name it, they served it), unlimited open bars, gorgeous pole dancers (yes, they were clothed), Blackjack tables, and live music. I'm not much for the late night party scene, but even this get together won me over. An absolute blast!

ADVANCE SCREENINGS
My favorite part of ShoWest is getting to see movies in advance. In addition to the Brendan Fraser vehicle Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D (opening this July), we were fortunate enough to see Kung Fu Panda (I can't go into detail, but it'll get a positive review from me this June). Before the Kung Fu Panda screening, Mike Myers showed up and treated the audience to a little taste of his upcoming movie The Love Guru. If you're a fan of Myers' brand of humor and you don't scoff at the idea of seeing Justin Timberlake running around in a speedo, then it just might be the film event of the year for you. Later on in the week, we saw a rough cut of the new Ashton Kutcher/Cameron Diaz comedy What Happens in Vegas (again, we aren't allowed to write about the film yet–I will say this June release wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be). Finally, we got to see a new independent film called Hamlet 2. Hamlet 2 scored a massive pay day at the Sundance Film Festival, and after seeing it, it's easy to see why. This irreverent comedy (co-written by Team America's Paul Brady) features Steve Coogan as a wacky high school drama teacher who relishes in bringing famous movies (like Erin Brockovich) to the stage. When the school board threatens to shut down his production of Hamlet 2, Coogan bans together with a group of students, and opts to present the play in a different venue. With a plethora of colorful and controversial musical numbers (i.e. Rock Me Sexy Jesus), Hamlet 2 will surly offend some folks, but personally, I thought it was a scream. It opens on August 22.

A NIGHT OF INDEPENDENT FILM
Every year, ShoWest hosts an event called "A Night of Independent Film" over at the Orleans Hotel and Casino. Convention attendees are given the opportunity to see two soon to be released independent films. The thing is, there are around six movies to choose from. This year, the titles were Young @ Heart, Mongol, Son of Rambow, Towelhead, Redbelt, and Then She Found Me.

TOWELHEAD
Sheldon and I opted to split up for the first film. I encouraged him to see Towelhead. I had already seen Alan Ball's directorial debut at Sundance and couldn't stop talking about it. Demke decided to see for himself. In this disturbing but occasionally funny look at Texas suburbia, the stunning Summer Bishil plays Jasira, a Middle Eastern girl who must adjust to a new life after her divorced mother ships her off to live with her stern biological father. The first half of this picture is incredibly uncomfortable to sit through and I have no doubt Towelhead will stir up quite a bit of controversy when it opens this August. Having said that though, this picture goes in some unexpected directions and despite it's somewhat bleak tone and disturbing subject matter, it ends on a hopeful note. On a final note, Sheldon really liked the movie. Thank goodness for that. Had he not, I never would have heard the end of it.

REDBELT
This outstanding take on the underdog sports movie comes courtesy of the brilliant David Mamet (Glengarry Glen Ross). This drama/actioneer features another commanding turn by Chiwetel Ejiofor as a martial arts instructor who finds himself in the movie business after a fateful encounter in a bar. Redbelt breaks down many of the sports film conventions you might be expecting. This is a wonderfully intricate, beautifully acted film from one of the best screenwriters of the last twenty five years. And as strong a writer as Mamet is, he's also one hell of a director. The only downside to this picture is it's going to be hard to market. While Redbelt does offer up some nifty fight sequences, this is more of a character driven piece. It opens on May 2 (it's up against Iron Man–great).

THEN SHE FOUND ME
Helen Hunt makes her directorial debut with Then She Found Me, a story of a flawed but sympathetic woman (played by Hunt) who gets a chance at a new life after her husband (played by Matthew Broderick) leaves her. This new life comes in the form of a budding romance (involving a charming Colin Firth) and a reunion with the mother (played by a glowing Bette Midler) she never new she had. Then She Found Me is an earnest film about relationships and while it doesn't always hit the mark, I give it props for not shying away from painfully honest truths when it comes to moving on after a break up. Further more, kudos to Helen Hunt for not being afraid to let her age show. My only complaint. I don't ever need to see Midler with her pants down again. Then She Found Me opens on April 25th.

AWARDS BANQUET
ShoWest always prides itself on good food and this year was no different. The Awards Banquet feast in particular was absolutely amazing. Of course, the talent wasn't too bad either. The ceremony was hosted by Access Hollywood's Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell. Bush can be a tool sometimes (did you see his commentary during that no frills Golden Globes telecast? Lame!), but he did a pretty good job here. O'Dell is a class act. I'd watch her read the phone book. Here's a list of the Award Winners.

COMEDY STAR OF THE YEAR--Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express)
MALE STAR OF TOMORROW--Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer)
FEMALE STAR OF TOMORROW--Abigail Breslin (Nim's Island)
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR--Charles Roven (The Dark Knight)
DISTINGUISHED DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM--Brendan Fraser (The Mummy 3--Yuck!)
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR--Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
SHOWEST VANGUARD AWARD--Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City: The Movie)
SHOWEST ENSEMBLE AWARD-The Cast of "21"--Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, and Jim Sturgess
MALE STAR OF THE YEAR--Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man, Tropic Thunder)
FEMALE STAR OF THE YEAR--Anne Hathaway (Get Smart)

That's it for our coverage of ShoWest 2008! I hope it was entertaining and informative.