Will the REAL Brad Pitt Stand Up!

For all who loved the Brad Pitt who was not side-swiped by the ridiculous desperations, entrapment and not to mention mentally instabilities of Angelina Jolie, let's hope Brad Pitt is on his way to freedom from the mommy monster Ms. Jolie. Let’s also hope that her African child is returned to her African mother, Pax remains with Brad independently of Ms. Jolie and the real biological father of Shiloh comes forward to rescue that child from the manipulations and entrapment for which Ms. Jolie only sought to bring her into this world to achieve.

Meanwhile, let's all focus on BRAD PITT and his dignify and oh so respectable co-star CATE BLANCHETT who would not be caught dead pursuing married or fiancé committed men on film shots no matter who they are in Hollywood. As it looks like the stunning pair will bring the elegancy and credible performances that we witnessed in their first collaboration Babel, prepare to be stunned once again. Let's all also hope in addition to Brad ditching the sad and exploitative Ms. Jolie in general that he also remembers to keep her well away from his professional life.

After all if it were not for her scandalous association to him, his marriage and his divorce he would have already received his first Oscar win. His work and life minus Ms. Jolie more than merits it.

See the trailer for their up and coming film at benjaminbutton.com

(YouTube. trailer in spanish)

'National Treasure' holds No. 1 spot for a 2nd week

"National Treasure: Book of Secrets" fresh off of its number one slot debute last weeks holds onto the number spot for a second week. In its second week at the top of the heap National Treasure took $35.6 million at the box office. With a return ensemble cast comprised of Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruge and the legendary John Voight as well as new to the adventure Dame Helen Mirren the fortune hunting gang became even more extraordinary at the weekend for the second week at the top of box office.

Although, Walt Disney Co.'s "National Treasure" sequel was down by 20% from its opening weekend it still managed to bring in $124 million within day 10 days of its release. It is set to more than surpass its 2004 released film which grossed $173 million domestically and $348 million worldwide.

The Christmas Day film releases gave much needed boasts to the sluggish fall film financial takings ending the year for business in Hollywood on an all time high. "It's being spread among three or four key movies, then another six or seven or eight below that, which is great," said Mark Zoradi, president of the motion-picture group at Disney, which released "National Treasure."

The top December released 12 movies took in $169.2 million which is significantly up by 18 percent from the final weekend of 2006, when "Night at the Museum" led the box office with $36.8 million. Hollywood has much to sing about as it will end the year’s film takings in total with record high revenues of approximately $9.7 billion. This is a substantial increase up from the previous best of $9.45 billion in 2004, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

In spite of higher prices at the box offices as well as the gas pumps, the revenue increase suggests that actual admissions were up only a small percentage more than in 2006 and were diminutive of Hollywood's record of 1.6 billion tickets sold in 2002. The holidays falling on Tuesday, are believed to be a major part in the box office upturn in revenue as many people have been taking five-day weekends. "It's turned into like a two-week-long weekend for the movie industry," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers.

"Alvin and the Chipmunks," from 20th Century Fox, held firmly at number two with takings of $142.4 million. In third place was Warner Bros. "I Am Legend," starring Wil Smith as lone survivor and possible last man alive which reached an impressive $194.6 million. Other films to hit high notes at the box office included "There Will Be Blood," "No Country for Old Men" and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is due out on December 21, 2007, but already is causing a buzz. Johnny Deep apparently is sing and dancing in this mouth watering box office holiday treatment especially for all you Johnny Depp fans. Ok, correction, did I say he dances, well maybe he does NOT actually dance in this film but he might as well from the excitement brewing around this late December box office release. The film is rated R due to the enormity of graphic and bloody violence throughout.

Also starring with Johnny Depp are Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, and Jayne Wisener. Sweeney Todd is the sixth time charmed collaboration for Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton who takes the helm of this gruesome tale with gusto to say the least. The story is about Benjamin Barker who finds himself wrongly imprisoned by a corrupt judge in 18th century London. Once released from prison Barker who is still just a little peeved off wants his revenge with a vengeance. As a transformed into local barber named Sweeney Todd, Barker serves up some of the most ghastly shaves in town.

The shaves themselves have been described as the last shave his customers will ever need. An obvious dilemma arises with regards to what he should do with the mounting bodies as a result of his especially close shaves. He surprisingly gets the absurdly evil help of a local baker called Mrs. Lovett who comes up with the idea to serve Sweeney Todd victims up in deliciously baked pies...um. Shock and horror follows as her business begins to boom and the two develop one of the most perverse working relationships about town. Hence the singing and music.

Here are the three official good reasons to see Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

1. Stephen Sondheim has won seven Tony Awards, an Oscar, a Pulitzer, and, shockingly, The Stephen Sondheim Award.

2. It's director Tim Burton's sixth collaboration with Johnny Depp, his fifth with Helena Bonham Carter (not counting their two kids), and his third with both.

3. Sacha Baron Cohen leaves Borat behind to play wily Italian conman Signor Adolfo Pirelli.

The-Golden-Compass

The-Golden-Compass, with a release date set for December 7, 2007, is finding that its release is not without controversy. Already film boycott cries are being made by anti-haters of Christ who believe the film's subject matter has pinned the Catholic church as the evil villain. The adverse opinion to the film is that it is on some level attempting to spread a message of atheism to children. Therefore, crossing a greater line by targeting children through what should be a straight forward child's fable. The rating of the adventure film is PG-13 as it has several sequences of fantasy violence.

The film is a stellar cast including Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, Eva Green, Daniel Craig, Derek Jacobi, and Ben Walker (II) and is directed by Chris Weitz. The story based on 12-year-old Lyra an orphan who lives in a parallel world, where human souls take the form of animal companions called daemons will surely cause uproar of some sort this weekend at the box office. We will have to wait and see what actual moviegoers make of the fantasy adventure story once the weekend box office takings are in on Sunday. Apparently the following are being billed as the three good reasons to go and see the film... hum.

1. It's a unique take on the fantasy genre: no old wizards in pointy hats, but loads of talking, fighting, shape-shifting animals.

2. Dakota Blue Richards beat out more than 10,000 other girls for the role of Lyra. Clearly, the kid's got something.

3. Casino Royale stars Daniel Craig and Eva Green reunite, but this time he's an aristocratic explorer and she's a witch.

"American Gangster" takes on and takes down the completion

Outstanding! "American Gangster" takes on and takes down the completion at the weekend’s box office. The Ridgley Scott directed mega flick has more than seen off all others over the weekend with an impressive $46.3 million taking it to the very top of the heap with the "Bee Movie," $39.1 million coming in at second and at third the highly anticipated umpteen sequel "Saw IV," with $11 million.

The exceptional success of "American Gangster" makes for a great recovery at the box office for Ridley Scott after the financial disappointment of "The Assassination of Jesse James" produced by Scott and directed by Andrew Dominik due to what could be only described as "production baggage"... aka. BRANGELINA! This in the face of the monster successful western “3:10 to Yuma” released just weeks before "The Assassination of Jesse James" and still raking it in to the tune of approximately $50 million by the time "The Assassination of Jesse James" was also at the box office. The tremendous western “3:10 to Yuma” was directed by James Mangold who brought to life in larger than life fashion the legendary Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line.”

Let’s see Brangelina or a monster triumph at the box office… I know which one I would have decide on. Goes to show the real power in Hollywood is the power you never really see who ultimately have the final word on who will get the nod or award and who doesn’t. They will always be the voice that speaks louder than any publicist at the end of any and everyday. Not to mention the paying movie going public who buys those tickets or opts to give certain flicks a miss. And, thank GOD for that!

Tom and Katie at Tom's new film "Lions for Lamb"

Tom and Katie...ahhhhh! Good luck with the new film Lions for Lamb, Tom. It looks like a real contender for the box office and awards season 2008.

Katie Holmes in Mad Money

We at Excalibur-one adore Tom and Katie... We are Real Tomkat fans....And Suri is just heavenly! Check out Katie's new flick also starring Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Roger R. Cross, and Ted Danson. The remake comedy caper is described as a film about three ordinary women who become unlikely friends and then step a little out of character when they decide to do something extraordinary... ie. Rob one of the most secure banks in the world. Mad Money is directed by Callie Khouri and opens in a theatre near you on January 18th, 2008. We haven't seen Katie on the silver screen for a while since marrying Tom and have a "REAL" love child... so this should be fun!

"Juno," has taken top awards at the Rome Film Festival

Congratulation! The film "Juno," has taken top awards at the Rome Film Festival. The winning film is about a Minnesota teen faced with an unplanned pregnancy. Ellen Page stars as Juno MacGuff, a woman who tries to find a couple to adopt her baby. It is directed by Jason Reitman and co-stars Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. "Juno" took the first runner-up for the people's choice award at last month's Toronto International Film Festival.

Redford's new film shown at Rome fest

The elegance of a man lies not in his account balance or his celebrity profiling, but in his ability to transcend all. An actor’s ability to be any and every character on screen while off screen there is not a murmur about his private or personal life in general becomes the most attractive aspect of that actor to me. The classic Hollywood actors of another era reign supremely today because they were able to keep the two while both separate, but also in check. Such professional credibility as if of an era and a lifetime ago in itself out of a movie when you compare them to today's Hollywood and the vulgarity of celebrity attention seeking antics.

Robert Redford is one on those actors who became as stunningly a director over the decades as an actor. Redford was then and now one of my all time favorites. I adore is discretionary lifestyle and irrefutable self-preservation at all times. There is nothing more seductive then the unknown as far as I am concerned. The too obvious fails to hold my attention at the best of time. The open book celebrity-ism of today gets pretty nauseating to say the least and weekly tell all cover story... warrant nothing more than a yawn, and possible the lying of bins and waste paper baskets around the world.

Robert Redford was never one to reduce his talent and integrity for that of the latest shopping center magazine rack soap opera deplays... neither his professional life nor his personal life. He stands heads and shoulders above the rest even now along with the likes of Paul Newman, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, and Al Pacino. These actors of that time and ever since have more than maintained an undisputed mark and presence on the history of cinematic film making and will continue to do so for years to come.

I can only compare them to the likes of days George Clooney, MattDamon, Don Cheadle, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jonny Deep whose esteemed body of work all speaks for itself. While their personally lives are remained extremely guarded respectfully so and certainly not flaunted nor over exposed to the press or in the media. Don’t’ forget to check Robert Redford’s latest “Lions of the Lambs.”

First Coppola film in a decade premieres

The Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola is to release his first film in a decade. Speculation mounts over whether or not there need be praise or complaint for the highly anticipated release called "Youth Without Youth" be it good or bad. Either way, a Francis Ford Coppola film is always worth at least one viewing no matter what the reviews. Don’t forget to check it out at a theatre near you.

Is Clooney drama headed for the top spot at box office?

Here is wishing George Clooney who happens to also be in impressive recovery form from a nasty spill on his Harley with girlfriend Sara Larson all the best for his latest film flick called Michael Clayton. George delivers yet another even more impressive than his speedy recovery performance as a fixer in the legal drama which opened in limited release at the box office last weekend. Check for your local listing for a theatre near you.