See that?? That’s me when I heard that the US release of Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy had been pushed back from November 18 to December 9! It wasn’t bad enough that that was two full months after the Limeys…I mean Brits get to see it. Now I have to wait two additional, excruciating weeks!

I understand why they did it. By moving it back two weeks, the assumption is that it won’t get lost in “holiday” traffic and will be in a better position for awards season. (Frankly, in my opinion, even unseen, this one is a lock for the big three : Gloden Globes, BAFTAs and Oscars.) Originally, the November 18th date was counterprogramming against Twilight: Breaking Dawn part 46 or whatever the hell it is and Happy Feet 2. Now it will go up against The Sitter (No. Just No. We talked about this), New Year’s Eve (Just like Valentine’s Day, only not), Young Adult ( w/Charlize Theron – Jason Reitman’s 4th film), I Melt with You and W.E. I realize this is probably a smart move. With the exception of The Weinstein Company’s other awards season contender, Madonna’s W. E., the other films do not share an audience, in my opinion. When I say “other awards season contender” I mean in addition to Coriolanus, which has a limited opening on December 2, just one week prior to Tinker Tailor and W.E. I think all three of these films do have a common audience. (I have to wonder ifCoriolanus is not going to open wide until after the holidays then and December 2 is just an awards positioning date. But I digress.)  Like I said, I understand it, but it don’t have to like it.

As a consolation prize, Alberto Iglesias’ (The Constant Gardener, The Skin I Live In, Volver) soundtrack now has a page on the film’s official website where it is available for pre-order starting today August 29. I’m really liking the samples on the site a lot. I want the movie damn it! *shakes fist*

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Actually it’s called Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, but it certainly is fiery. And it certainly is excessive. Not to mention over-the-top nutty in the trademark style of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor.  If you’re not familiar with the names, they are the dynamic duo behind the wacky fun of the Crank movies with Jason Statham as Chev Chelios. They were also responsible for draining any soul out of the high-concept Gerard Butler vehicle Gamer (which I still managed to enjoy to an extent, but you don’t want to hear about that now.) The only thing right about Jonah Hex was Michael Fassbender. (At least they only wrote that one. I can forgive a multitude of sins, but don’t push me.)

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, a sequel to 2007′s inexplicably popular Ghost Rider and Nicolas Cage again plays Johnny Blaze. What’s even more puzzling is how they got Ciaran Hinds to sign on as The Devil. I’m only interested because Idris Elba is playing someone called Moreau. In the trailer he’s wearing black leather and riding a motorcycle. Need I say more? I didn’t think so. *thud*

This time out, as Johnny Blaze lays low in Eastern Europe, he is called upon to stop the devil, who is trying to take human form. (But it’s CIARAN HINDS!) Replacing Eva Mendes (who turned down the option to return) as “the girl in the movie” is Violante Placido who was so good in Anton Corbijn’s The American with George Clooney.

Classy ending guys.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance opens in the US and Canada on February 17 and in the UK on 22 February

I hope you’re not touching anyone! A massive collection of new images from Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion, a germified disaster flick starring the likes of Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotilliard and Goopy…I mean Gwyneth Paltrow have cropped up online, proliferating like the microbes in the film.

Contagion is an action-thriller centered on the threat posed by a deadly disease, apparently being spread by birds (don’t we have an actual ‘bird-flu’? Is this a more virulent strain? Can I get vaccinated for this? OMG, I’m already paranoid!) and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak.

The machine is in high gear for the film, which will play the Venice Film Festival next weekend, but is skipping Toronto to open in the US on September 9. Contagion won’t begin infecting the UK until 21 October.

I’m giving you a few of them but the rest can be found at imdb among other places. Real-life heroine Kate, who plays Dr. Erin Mears, looks like she’d rather be pulling mums from burning buildings than dealing with this catastrophe. Check her out below:

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You have got to see this. It’s a clip from the dvd version of X-Men: First Class due out September 9. Michael Fassbender either lost a bet, owes director Matthew Vaughn money or someone watched him bury a body and has video. I have to give Fassy props for his willingness to showcase his feminine side, and he certainly looks better than the drag evinced by Robert Downey, Jr. in the trailer for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Fassy in drag, however, not pretty. Rest assured he will not be joining the road company of “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” anytime soon.

The scene takes place during Charles and Erik’s recruiting tour. The two men are demonstrating their powers to young Angel, played by Zoe Kravitz. Erik levitates a champagne bucket and playfully calls Charles “Vicar”. That much made the cut to the theatrical version. What we didn’t get to see was Charles then using his powers to make Angel see Erik in drag. I can understand why Vaughn filmed it, but I can also understand why he then decided, unfortunately, to cut it.

The focus of every stop on the press junket would have been “why was Charles Xavier picturing Erik Lensherr in drag at all?” Which is a valid question. If that scene had stayed in the version released to theaters, that’s all anyone would have been talking about all summer. (Although on the upside, it probably would have taken the spotlight off of January Jones’ Emma Frost and her skimpy outfits, and the fascination with her ‘baby bump’.) There was already a perceived homoerotic subtext. If audiences had heard “You’ve never looked lovelier, darling” from Charles, small minds would not have seen the joke and the film probably would have been boycotted or picketed.

In any case, Erik in drag is out now (oh I crack myself up) thanks to the home version and the interweb where nothing stays hidden for long.

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Amanda Brumfield 32, (Billy Bob Thornton’s estranged daughter) was denied a new trial in the aggravated manslaughter of a child in May by Judge Reginald Whitehead on August 29:

“Defendant’s motion for a new trial is denied.”

She faces sentencing on October 6, however her lawyers plan on filing an appeal immediately. She was found guilty in the death of her best friend’s 1 year old daughter Olivia Madison Garcia in 2008. She was found not guilty of first degree murder and aggravated child abuse. She was babysitting the child in October, 2008 when she told officers the child fell from the playpen.

The fall was 28 inches total and the autopsy concluded the damage Olivia sustained would not have occurred from a 28 inch fault and that Olivia:

suffered a fractured skull and a subdural hematoma due to blunt trauma.

And if the story of this 1 year old’s death isn’t sad enough, Amanda’s trail was held in the same courthouse that Casey Anthony’s trial was held. So very sad.

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Photo: TMZ

Ten, that’s right TEN new clips from Steven Soderbergh’s chilling new film Contagion have been released into the blogisphere. We’ve been talking about this film for a while now. Just the other day we were gifted with a great big batch of stills and now this. There have been teasers, trailers and tv spots a-plenty already. This deluge kind of makes me start to wonder about the film itself.

What will be left to show in theaters if this keeps up? With a cast that includes Oscar winners Kate Winslet, Marion Cotilliard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Matt Damon, not to mention nominees like Jude Law, John Hawkes, Laurence Fishburne and Elliott Gould, what’s wrong with the finished product that they feel the need to do this full-court press? The movie opens in less than two weeks, right on the cusp of the start of the fall season. It’s an iffy time for an awards contender. Release too soon and it may be out of sight, out of mind come December. I’m beginning to wonder if the decision to skip Toronto and TIFF had less to do with its opening date and more to do with a lack of confidence in the film itself. I don’t want to be having these thoughts.

With a cast like this, under the direction of Steven Soderbergh (this is his fourth film with Damon. It’s screenwriter Scott Z. Burns’ third),Contagion should be a sure thing. Winslet doesn’t make movies every day. (For that matter, neither does Paltrow, although she’s made questionable choices in the past - Country Strong? Really?) Maybe the paranoia is contagious and I’m worrying for nothing, but this seems like overkill to me. I don’t want to be having these thoughts.

Here are the first three clips. The rest can be found at Trailer Addict.  After a stop at the Venice Film Festival next weekend, Contagion is released in the US on September 9 and in the UK on 21 October.

72 Hours:

A Billion:

They’re Closing Midway and O’Hare:

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