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THE CAMPAIGN Review By: MattInRC A strong opening leads to a disappointing finish for THE CAMPAIGN . If there was ever a time that our country should be laughing about the current political system, it should be now. Faced with the lowest approval ratings for our federal elected officials and a growing feeling that recent Supreme Court decisions have allowed powerful interests to control our elections, you would think that a smart, raunchy comedy about politics would be the perfect cure. On the surface, it would seem that The Campaign would serve this interest quite well: however, it fails to plant itself firmly on any comedic ground, existing somewhere between what-could-have been and the little engine that couldn't. Congressman Cam Brady ( Will Ferrell , Megamind) is the unquestioned leader of North Carolina’s 14th District; he says the right things to his constituents (although none of it ever makes sense), has the perfect looking wife and kids (who listen to ghetto rap

Sony Pictures Animation has closed a deal to acquire rights to the classic 1980s sitcom ALF and will develop the property into a hybrid CG/live action feature. Jordan Kerner, who produced SPA’s adaptation of 1980s Saturday morning cartoon staple The Smurfs and helped turn it into a hybrid blockbuster franchise, will produce the project with show creators Tom Patchett, a veteran of 1970s comedies, and puppeteer Paul Fusco. ALF stands for alien life form, and the '80s sitcom centered on a friendly furry alien creature (a puppet) who crash landed on Earth and took up with the Tanners, a suburban family. ALF, whose name was later revealed as Gordon Shumway, is sarcastic and has an appetite for cats. He courts trouble with government forces that are on his tail. The show aired 102 episode from 1986-90. Fusco voiced the title character on the show and is expected reprise his role for the movie. In an extended interview with The Hollywood Reporter in May, he expressed hope that

Today that implies Warner Bros will get Ben Affleck as director of its Justice League film. This is a story I checked out days ago, and didn’t run when Affleck’s reps stated that it was not going to happen with him. Now, it makes sense that Warner Bros would offer Affleck the project. Chris Nolan is top man over there, but after three Batfilms and after producing the Superman reboot Man of Steel , he’s gotten spandex-clad protagonists out of his system. After Nolan , the studio then offers everything else to Harry Potter director David Yates (who is now keen on Tarzan) and Affleck, who has become a major director with Gone Baby Gone, The Town , and the upcoming Argo . Just because the studio wants Affleck doesn’t mean he will do the movie, and several sources tell me he might take a meeting, but that’s it. After costing himself momentum as an actor with some questionable choices like Gigli, Affleck admirably scripted a second act for himself with his writing and directing ski

On behalf of Film District, we are pleased to share the official trailer for PLAYING FOR KEEPS , the upcoming romantic comedy starring Gerard Butler and Jessica Biel . Butler stars as a George Dyer, a former soccer star who gets roped into coaching his son's soccer team. His attempts to finally become an “adult” are met with hilarious challenges from the attractive “soccer moms” who pursue him at every turn. Also starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dennis Quaid, Uma Thurman and Judy Greer , PLAYING FOR KEEPS opens in theaters on December 7th, 2012. Watch the trailer after the Jump... Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Dennis Quaid star in “Playing For Keeps,” a romantic comedy about a charming, down-on-his luck former soccer star (Butler) who returns home to put his life back together. Looking for a way to rebuild his relationship with his son, he gets roped into coaching the boy’s soccer team. But his attempts to finally become an “adult” a

Given how short Rex’s arms are, it’s ironic that he’s the Toy Story world’s resident hand-wringer. But in Pixar’s new animated short Partysaurus Rex ( playing before Finding Nemo 3-D on Sept. 14 ), we discover that bath time is when the nervous-nellie plastic dinosaur finally lets himself get down and dirty. “He’s sick of being the angel of goodness and sensibleness and caution and fear,” says voice actor Wallace Shawn, who has played the persnickety plaything since 1995. “He wants to stand on the side of pleasure and happiness and joy. … I live this drama every day of my life!” It’s the third in Pixar’s series of Toy Story Toons shorts, which follow life for Woody, Buzz and the gang in the care of new owner Bonnie (seen at the end of Toy Story 3, and as the face in the center of the bubbles in the pic below.) In this mini-movie, Rex gets drafted for bath time and encounters a sad lot of rub-a-dub-dub cohorts. “If you’re a bath toy you get really intense playtime. It’s like a p

ALAN RITCHSON CAST AS GLOSS IN LIONSGATE’S THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE are pleased to announce that Alan Ritchson has been cast in the role of Gloss in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel Catching Fire. A former Career tribute from District , Gloss and his sister Cashmere are both competing in the Quarter Quell. Ritchson most recently starred in the CBS comedy pilot SUPER FUN NIGHT with Rebel Wilson, and BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE , which aired on Spike TV for three seasons. THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is sti

There's no such thing as going too far in ABOUT CHERRY , a shocking new film from IFC that challenges assumptions about sexuality and pornography, while addressing the common struggle of finding one's role in life. The film stars James Franco, Heather Graham and up and comer Ashley Hinshaw as Angelina, a runaway who begins exploring the universe of San Francisco's porn industry using the moniker of Cherry. Angelina ( Ashley Hinshaw ) is an 18-year-old on the verge of finishing high school, rushing to escape her broken family life. After reluctantly taking nude photos at her boyfriend's ( Jonny Weston ) behest, she takes the cash to skip town with her best friend ( Dev Patel ). Angelina gets a job cocktailing in a San Francisco strip club where she meets Frances ( James Franco ), an affluent lawyer who introduces her to a high-class world beyond her wildest dreams. At the same time, Angelina begins exploring San Francisco's porn industry, using the moniker Cherr

" THE SIMPSONS " MAKE A SPLASH IN 11 CITIES THIS SUMMER America’s Favorite Family Joins with Palace Entertainment for Water Park Takeovers Beginning today, TV’s longest-running scripted show, The Simpsons , is hitting the road in collaboration with Palace Entertainment Water Parks to host a themed takeover in 11 cities nationwide from August 8-26, 2012 . Dive-in and celebrate the summer along with The Simpsons and be the first to ride a Springfield donut inner tube that would make even Homer jealous! Fans can also join the family for some great photos with the Simpsons, water park style! Guests can cool down, enjoy The Simpsons Summer Celebration at these exciting Water Parks, and continue the fun at home with The Simpsons on Blu-ray and DVD. Fans can enjoy exclusive footage and special features available only on these releases. The Simpsons Seasons 1-14 are currently available; Season 15 will be released on December 4, 2012. “The Simpsons Celebrate Summer” Cities an

BRUNO GUNN CAST AS BRUTUS IN LIONSGATE’S THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE are pleased to announce that Bruno Gunn has been cast in the role of Brutus in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel Catching Fire. Brutus is a former Career victor from District 2. Gunn has co-starred in a variety of films, most recently the comedy hit Bad Teacher, and is recognizable to TV audiences from frequent guest starring roles including on “The Office”, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Sons Of Anarchy,” “Oz,” and “Prison Break.” THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering,

The magnificent epic drama from master filmmaker Chen Kaige ( Farewell My Concubine ) available on DVD September 4, 2012 from Indomina Releasing. SACRIFICE is a sweeping story rich with suspense, humanity and emotion, featuring outstanding performances by some of China’s great actors including the beloved Ge You ( Farewell My Concubine ), Wang Xue-Qi ( Forever Enthralled ), Fan Bing-Bing, Zhang Feng-Yi and Huang Xiaoming. SACRIFICE was the number one film in the China for two weeks and is based on the classic play Orphan of Zhao, written by Ji Jun-Xiang, which was the first Chinese play known to Europe. Watch the trailer after the Jump... Written and directed by Kaige and set during the opulent Yuan Dynasty in the 5th century B.C., SACRIFICE is the story of a newborn prince whose entire family, the Zhao clan, is wiped out by a rival general who ruthlessly seizes the throne. An ordinary man, the doctor who delivers the baby, gives up everything dearest to him to save the