James Bond, Agent Double-O Seven, is celebrating 50 years on the screen this year, when the super-franchise launched in 1962 with Sean Connery as the debonair spy in DR. NO. With the release of the first trailer for Bond’s 23^rd outing, SKYFALL, it only seems fitting that another film concerning Bond should be in the works, with all the festivities. Collider reports that Duncan Jones, the man behind the sci-fi drama MOON starring Sam Rockwell ha signed on to direct a biopic of the man who created bon, Ian Fleming himself. Jones had something to say about the topic:

“Fleming lived through one of the most perilous periods in world history, in a position that allowed him a unique vantage point of all the players, all the stakes.  He witnesses true heroism first-hand.  And he saw the evil men could do.  Then, when the war ended, he went off to write fiction. The essential question for me is; where did Ian Fleming end and Bond begin?”

Matt Brown has written a script based. on the biography Ian Fleming, The Man Behind James Bond by Andrew Lycett. Here is the full press report from Cannes:

CANNES, FRANCE. Duncan Jones, the BAFTA Award-winning British director of MOON and international box office hit SOURCE CODE, will direct the action-packed story of one of Britain’s most celebrated yet mysterious legends – James Bond creator Ian Fleming.

Before Ian Fleming became the globally renowned best-selling author, his own life was no less exciting than that of the hero he created. Fleming travelled the world and masterminded real life top-secret operations, inspiring him to create James Bond. Duncan Jones’ take will explore and tie together those events in the author’s life that gave birth to Britain’s greatest superspy.

Duncan Jones remarked – “Fleming lived through one of the most perilous periods in world history, in a position that allowed him a unique vantage point of all the players, all the stakes.  He witnesses true heroism first-hand.  And he saw the evil men could do.  Then, when the war ended, he went off to write fiction. The essential question for me is; where did Ian Fleming end and Bond begin?”

K5 Film (Oliver Simon and Daniel Baur), PalmStar Media Capital’s Kevin Frakes and Liberty Films’ Stuart Fenegan will produce the film in association with Jim Young and Robert Laycock of the Ian Fleming Estate.  K5 International will handle worldwide rights.

Jones is currently in the process of casting the film, which is based on the authoritative biography “Ian Fleming, The Man Behind James Bond” by Andrew Lycett, and is anticipated to go into production later this year. It is the only film to be given the full support of The Ian Fleming Estate.

Kevin Frakes says, “Fleming is a larger than life character and it’s fantastic to be bringing him to the big screen with Duncan.”

“Duncan is one of the hottest directors currently working in film and everyone has been waiting to see what he would do next,” say K5’s Co-Founding Partners Oliver Simon and Daniel Baur.

Stuart Fenegan commented, “The opportunity to make a period action film about the life of Fleming and origins of Bond – a hero we all grew up idolising – is too great for Duncan and me to resist.”

Now, who will they get to play Fleming, the man with the golden pen?

AAAHH!!! REAL MONSTERS: SEASON 2
Rating: Not Rated, but monsters over the age of seven or so should get a kick out of this.
Studio: Shout Factory
MSRP: $19.93 but Amazon has it for $14.99.
Running Time: About 5 hours

What’s Going On?

Young monsters Ickis, Krumm and Oblina continue learning the best way to scare the pants off of humans in Monster Academy. Highlight episodes this season include “Rosh-O-Monster”, a multiple perspectives story modeled after the Rashomon story, made famously into a film by Akira Kurosawa, and “Eau De Krumm”, in which Krumm’s putrid stench finds its way into human perfume and acts as a monster repellent!

Who’s In It:

Charles Adler (whose voice talents have included the Bigheads from ROCKO’S MODERN LIFE, Cow and Chicken from COW AND CHICKEN and Starscream in the Transformers movies), Christine Cavanaugh (best known as the voice of Chuckie from Rugrats, as well as Dexter from DEXTER’S LABORATORY), David Eccles and Gregg Berger (who has done tons of voices for video games as well as providing voices for THE ANGRY BEAVERS, HEY ARNOLD! and JOHNNY BRAVO).

If You Like…:

Monsters Inc., but thought things were too cute and fluffy and you want something a little more delightfully gross, then check this out. Also, if you’re excited for Tim Burton’s upcoming FRANKENWEENIE and want more story than Tim Burton’s DARK SHADOWS, I’d also recommend it. If you grew up with Rugrats like I did, Klasky Csupo, created this show as well.

Special Features:

There are no special features included on this disc.

The Technical Gist

Things look better here than they did in the Season One DVD, and are up to standard for a  DVD transfer.

The Verdict

I’d recommend you QUEUE IT, especially since you can watch all four seasons now on Netflix Watch Instantly! Otherwise, it’s a great in-the-car DVD to put on for the youngins on those Memorial Day car trips.

FANTASY ISLAND: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
Rating: Not Rated, but most of the content is pretty family friendly, and by today’s standards would probably fall between TVPG and TV14 depending on the episode.
Studio: Shout Factory
MSRP: $39.97, but Amazon has it for $25.95.
Running Time: 25 episodes totaling about 19 hours

What’s Going On?

People from all walks of life are brought to Fantasy Island to live out what they think are their dreams. These fantasies are all orchestrated by the enigmatic Mr. Roarke along with his faithful companion, Tattoo.

Who’s In It:

Fantasy Island stars Ricardo Montalban as Mr. Roarke and Herve Viillechaize as Tattoo, but the series was really known for its guest stars. This season includes appearances from Cassandra Peterson (Elvira), Sonny Bono, former Playboy Playmate Barbi Benton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leslie Neilson, Don Knotts, Abe Vigoda, Danny Bonaduce, Janet Leigh, Regis Philbin, Annette Funicello and two members of the Brady Bunch: Florence Henderson and Maureen McCormick.

If You Like…:

Any of the stars I listed above, people in white suits, tropical drinks, drag races (of the vehicular and not RuPaul variety), satanic cults, women in small bikinis, lusty nuns, or golf carts that are the size of Cadillacs, check this out.

Special Features:

There are no special features on this disc.

The Technical Gist

I was actually surprised by how good all of these episodes looked, especially considering that the show aired nearly forty years ago. The colors are bright and the picture is surprisingly sharp.

The Verdict

There aren’t really shows like this anymore; FANTASY ISLAND is able to provide little morality tales in the guise of what is arguably a science fiction show – Mr. Roarke is creating fantasies for all of his guests, some of which involve transport to far off locations or even back in time. If you haven’t seen it before, it’s worth a QUEUE, especially if you’re a TV history buff.

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: JESSE OWENS
Rating: Unrated, but appropriate for even younger burgeoning historians.
Studio: PBS
MSRP: $24.99 but Amazon has it for $17.83.
Running Time: About 60 mins

What’s Going On?

This documentary focuses on the achievements and life of the legendary track and field athlete Jesse Owens, whose four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin were not only a feat of athleticism, but made a profound statement against Adolf Hitler, who intended to use the games as a way to promote the supremacy of the German race.

Who’s In It:

The film features a host of historians, but perhaps more interesting, also includes interviews with other athletes from the 1936 US and German Olympic Team and even archived audio interviews with Owens himself.

If You Like…:

The history of racial integration and civil rights struggles in the United States, Germany during World War II, the Olympics, or of fantastic athletes, then check this out.

Special Features:

There are no special features included on this disc.

The Technical Gist

Everything looks pretty good.

The Verdict

Jesse Owens’ story is presented in a way that makes it more engaging than the typical “this is the movie your teacher will give a substitute when she’s gone” fare. What I particularly enjoyed about it was that the film went beyond Owens’ achievements in the 1936 Games and looked at what happened to him after he returned to the states. He was quickly cast off by the American public who had regarded him as a hero in Berlin because of the prevalent racism that still existed at the time. It wasn’t until almost thirty years later that Owens reemerged as a celebrity, but was more of a spokesperson for cigars and a game show guest star than anything else. I’d say QUEUE IT.

THIS MEANS WAR
Synopsis: Two spies, played by Tom Hardy and Chris Pine, become enemies when they find themselves fighting for the affections of Zachary Quinto Reese Witherspoon. I don’t know why Chelsea Handler is in this, please don’t ask me.
Tomatometer Rating: 25%
Special Features: There are three alternate endings, an unrated cut of the film, a commentary track with Director McG, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
Deals: Amazon and Target have the blu-ray combo pack for $19.99.
Buy/Queue/Skip: This movie needed more gay and less everything else. SKIP IT and Courtney’s review for more.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK
Synopsis: Daniel Radcliffe finds himself in a spooky house and period garb and looks into the deaths of children and who or what might be the cause.
Tomatometer Rating: 65%
Special Features: There’s a commentary track with Director James Watkins and Screenwriter Jane Goldman, a making-of featurette, and a featurette focusing on Daniel Radcliffe.
Deals: Amazon and Target have the blu-ray for $19.99.
Buy/Queue/Skip: If you like haunted house stories and have already seen THE INNKEEPERS, give this one a QUEUE. Read Mel’s review for more.

Also Available This Week

This week we’ve also got RED TAILS, the George Lucas produced Tuskegee Airmen story that took twenty three years to get on the big screen and about two hours to mess up. Mel’s suffered through it so you don’t have to.

The absolutely wonderful CERTIFIED COPY joins the ranks of the Criterion Collection this week, deservedly so. This French romance is a small, funny, and touching and absolutely worth your time.

A whole host of Studio Ghibli movies are available including THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY which I loved, CASTLE IN THE SKY, and WHISPER OF THE HEART. I’ll be reviewing the ARRIETTY blu-ray later this week.

There are a few TV shows being released this week too, including ABC’s now cancelled THE RIVER and MTV’s TEEN WOLF, which has less humor and Michael J. Fox as well as shirts. It’s got more homoeroticism though, which is always good.

In light of the recent not at all awesome news about Dan Harmon’s exit as COMMUNITY’s showrunner, I suggest that even if you own them already, pick up the first two seasons of the show, available for thirteen and twenty dollars respectively this week at Best Buy, and give them to friends, family (if they’re awesome), or just clutch them and cry in the corner like I will. Either way, COMMUNITY is a fantastic show and I’m more than a little nervous to see what will happen in what will be the show’s final season.

Manny’s Pick

My pick this week is SHERLOCK: SEASON TWO, which is available this week, mere days after concluding its season run on PBS. Steven Moffatt and Mark Gatiss have created the definitive modern take on the detective and have managed to outdo what was a stellar season. This is some of the best television of the whole year and it’s going to be hitting shelves this week. Do yourself a favor and BUY IT and if you don’t believe me, then wait for my review of the blu-ray later this week.

See you next week!

If BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT are any indication, then that poster you see above will be just one in a long line of promotional art heading our way for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. As the release date approaches, WB is going to bathe us in a whole lot of posters, banners and images. Buckle up, Batfans.

So what do you think of this new poster (courtesy of the film’s Facebook page)? While it’s striking and very exciting, I don’t think it’s as strong as previous one sheets. Actually, it feels like a compilation of a few Batman posters from the past. It’s as if the first teaser poster for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES had a baby with the color scheme of BATMAN BEGINS and previous art for THE DARK KNIGHT. Hey, I’m not complaining; I’d have a baby with those posters too.

So would you hang it on your wall or will you wait to see what else Warner Bros. has up their sleeve?

Did you know THE DARK KNIGHT RISES opens July 20? Crazy, huh?

The long and winding road is coming to end for Walter White. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) it’ll take awhile to conclude.

AMC announced today that BREAKING BAD will begin its fifth season on July 15th. As we all know, the show only has 16 more episodes left so this truly is the beginning of the end. However, as many expected, the network is splitting the final 16 episodes into two seasons. Therefore, season 5.1 will begin airing this July and season 5.2 starts in Summer 2013. We still have more than a year before we see how things end for Walter and Jesse.

A part of me is bummed that we have to wait so long for the final season. However, another part of me never wants this show to end so the split is a welcome extension of the series. Hey, AMC, maybe you can just show a new episode every few months and drag this out for years. I just don’t think I’m ready to say goodbye yet.

Some shameless self-promotion: read my piece on what might come next for the final episodes.

Late last night, while most of America slept, the UK got their first look at Sam Mendes’s SKYFALL, the latest chapter in the James Bond adventure. We have the trailer below, which has a bunch of great visuals and the dapper Daniel Craig back in his traditional James Bond tux.

Since this is a teaser you won’t get much storyline but you get the sense that this is going to be a darker James Bond. That makes sense, the Craig-era Bond films have had an emphasis on the real world of 007. But this movie won’t advance the plot set forth by CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE. Instead, Bond, M and MI-6 have a new threat. If this trailer is any indication, it’s one tough threat.

Of note: Roger Deakins is handling cinematography this time around and this teaser shows how gorgeous the movie will look. I can’t wait to see more.

SKYFALL stars Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, Berenice Malohe and Naomie Harris. It opens November 9th.

If the first teaser for Paul Thomas Anderon’s THE MASTER was making you feel too mature, how about a teaser trailer featuring the phrase “cream in your jeans”?

Here we have our first look at the Action 4 News Team back in action for ANCHORMAN 2. The teaser is full of predictably great one liners and the snazzy fashion sense we remember from the first film. Ah, it really is great to see these guys back together again.

As you’d suspect, the teaser doesn’t give away any of the plot but that’s to be expected. Hell, they haven’t even started filming the thing.

It doesn’t matter. I would pay ten bucks just to watch these guys ad-lib for a couple hours.

ANCHORMAN 2 opens in 2013. Experience the theatrical trailer and the special, Funny Or Die trailer below.

MAD MEN is a show with such reserved, insular people that when they actually show real emotions, it’s like TNT blowing up. A MAD MEN character publicly emoting feels more dramatic and shocking than almost anything else on TV.

There were two instances of this on “Christmas Waltz”. The first, most surprising moment came from Joan, who received news that her lovely Army husband was divorcing her. Embarrassed and angry, Joan screams at the poor receptionist who admitted the notary public. When I say screams, I really mean it. We’ve never seen Joan like this. Luckily, Don is there to handle it and calm her down.

What follows is a classic MAD MEN scene. Don takes Joan to a bar where they both proceed to drink and talk about their problems (though Don seems convinced he doesn’t have any). Don and Joan know each other well, they can be completely honest with one another. It’s a touching moment, one that shows two people letting their guards down. It’s cathartic for us as well as them. It’s so refreshing to see two people on this show actually communicate and open up. It’s also sweet to see a relationship that lacks drama and bitterness.

But drama and bitterness comes back into the episode quickly and that leads to the other big “explosive” moment from tonight. Arriving home drunk and late, Don is greeted by a very angry Megan, who proceeds to throw a plat full of spaghetti at the wall. This doesn’t lead to the knock-down-drag-out fight you’d expect but it’s still a pretty intense moment and indicative of their troubled relationship. Don concedes and agrees to eat dinner while Megan says nothing and sips her wine. This feels familiar, huh?

But more often it’s what a character doesn’t do that creates drama. Let’s take a look at Harry Crane and his terrific storyline. Harry is contacted by Paul Kinsey, who we all remember from early episodes of MAD MEN. Paul was always something of a forward thinker and this has lead him to become a Hare Krishna. While Paul publicly states his devotion to the cause, he confides to Harry that he’s only subscribing to the religion because he’s fallen in love with Lakshmi, a fellow follower. Paul tells Harry that he’s still a creative at heart and is dying to start a life with Lakshmi. His plan: get Harry to read his STAR TREK script and see if he can get it into the right hands. Harry’s a non-confrontational guy so he accepts. Eventually, after having sex with Lakshmi himself (yeah) and seeing her ulterior motives, Harry convinces Paul to give up Hare Krishna and head to L.A. to try and make it a writer.

Harry’s plan, while somewhat admirable, is shitty for couple reasons. For one, the script isn’t good. Secondly, is Harry sending Paul to L.A. to get him away from Hare Krishna and Lakshmi or is he sending him there because of his guilt from sleeping with Lakshmi? Is his fear of being caught (and being a bad friend) motivating him more than his fondness for Paul? Well, yeah, you can see it on his face.

Speaking of secrets, Lane sure has a big one doesn’t he? Let’s just take a moment to reflect on what a great character Lane has become. When he first appeared on the series, we all assumed he would remain a stuffy, stiff upper lip British fellow. How wrong we were. Tonight is just another example of Lane being a fully fleshed out, flawed human with as much emotional depth as Don or Peggy. And god damn has he gotten himself into quite a pickle. Stealing from SCDP in order to pay back his tax debt? That’s some sneaky stuff. But the defining moment of Lane’s storyline comes at the very end when he learns that the Christmas bonus he was banking on isn’t coming until late January, putting his whole scheme, career and life into jeopardy. The look on his face when he finds out is powerhouse acting. He keeps his emotions in check (like I said, that’s the usual S.O.P. for MAD MEN) but you can tell he’s panicking underneath.

Underneath. So much goes on underneath the surface for the characters on MAD MEN. Sometimes it bubbles over as it did for Joan and Megan but more times than not things stay covered like they did for Lane or Harry. But we know what’s working inside their heads, we know how tortured and troubled they are.

Tonight ended with a perfect example of this. Don invigorates SCDP with a rousing speech about the future of the firm. He peels off his jacket and goes into a fiery pep talk about their upcoming pitch to Jaguar. It’s going to change the company, he says. It’s going to put them on the map, it’s going to be a long, hard slog that’ll make all the past problems worth it. The crowd errupts into applause. That’s the Don Draper they remember and worship.

But what am I thinking of? Well, I’m thinking of what Megan said to Don during their fight (“You used to love your work,” she snapped bitterly). I’m also thinking of how Don said there will be long, tiring hours ahead that’ll keep everyone in the office longer than normal. They’ll be slaving over the pitch during extended shifts, weekends, Christmas and New Year’s. That’s more time working…and less time at an increasingly unhappy home.

Meanwhile…

Just last week, I was saying I’d love to see Paul Kinsey again. He was always an amusing, interesting character. I’m glad they brought him back. I’m curious to see if he returns.

Between the Jaguar, the play Don and Megan attended and the stuff with Hare Krishna, this episode really showcases the time period.

Roger seems drunker than normal, doesn’t he? Uh oh.

Lane faking the check in Don’s name was like something out of a sad version of OCEAN’S ELEVEN.

Don’s Frank Sinatra look is spot on. I’m surprised that guy doesn’t get more girls. Oh, that’s right.