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Darren Aronofsky (Pi, The Fountain) is one of my all time favorite directors alive.  I know a lot of people did not care for The Fountain, that’s your (bad) choice.  I think Fountain is one of the better films around.  I’ll stop there, I don’ t want to bore you with my Aronofnsky man love. 

Now Darren’s next two films are “The Wrestler and “The Boxer.”  Interesting.  You know they have to have something to do with one another, I wonder what.  The pics your about to go look at are not from the movie (I hope) but they may give an idea of what Mickey Rourke is going to look like in “The Wrestler.”

Anyway, AICN provided a link to some obscure semi pro wrestling web-page, wxwwrestling. I’m not into wrestling, but when these crazy clips of people kicking the crap outta one another popped up I couldn’t turn away, it was like staring at a grizzly accident scene (you have too).  If you don’t want to see that click here. 

Tell me what you think.

Doug-      

Finally we will get to see a trailer for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” (wow mouth full).  The teaser trailer is going to be attached to “The Spiderwick Chronicles,”  which I have to say I am excited to see.

I really thought we would see a teaser for Indy during the Super Bowl, I even made, and lost an $11 bet, I was that sure.  It has been 19 yrs since “The Last Crusade,” people are hungry for the snap of Indy’s whip.  Blockbusters start a year in advance with teasers, Indy’s trailers are starting on Feb 14, 3 months before its release date of May 22nd. 

Geniuses or foolish?, I’m not one to judge the powers to be, but you can.  What do you think about the marketing on “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?”

Doug-

The great folks over at Variety told me that Lionsgate has nabbed the U.S. rights to Danny and Oxide Pang’s “Bangkok Dangerous,” from IEG Virtual Studios.  The Pang brothers recently helmed the Jessica Alba (I have new eyes so creepy things happen to me)film “The Eye.”  Which looks obvious and silly.  Eyes don’t retain information, why would that allow her to see these things…I digress sorry. 

Dangerous stars the multi faceted Nicolas Cage who plays an assassin.  Cage is hired by a mob boss too take out 4 subjects in Bangkok (no jokes you pervs).  And get this nifty twist, Cage the assassin falls prey to his own conscience after he meets a girl.  Bet you didn’t see that coming!  Then I’ll wager that Cage the assassin has to use his assassin skills to kill the very mob boss that hired him, (thats just a guess, I have no idea if that happens). 

Really!  Is this what we get to see Nic Cage in, another movie where he doesn’t get to act and kills bunches of people.  Cage is good, the man can act, but we never get to see it, he’s always doing silly, bubble gum, over the top, cliched, junk.  I would love to see Cage in a real movie where is ability to act can be exploited, not just his name.

Now on to the movie.  Been done several times, some where good, most where not.  The idea of an assassin with conscience is good, but there needs to be some new thread in it.  Look at “The Professional”, or “The Matador” both great, great movies.  I don’t think the idea of an assasin who finds his/her heart is dead, it just needs a more clever twist than love.

I’m sure it will make  tons of money, and more films like this will be on the horizon. 

Tell me what you think.

Doug-   

BBQ Chicken Pizza

10 oz. boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. favorite BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s, is AWESOME)
Thin Crust Dough (Raw store bought dough is fine.)
Cornmeal, semolina, or flour (just for handling the dough)
1/2 cup favorite BBQ sauce (a spicy?sweet sauce works best)
2 Tbs. shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1/2cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 small red onion, sliced into 1/8?inch pieces
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat pizza stone for approx’ one hour at 500.  (No stone?  Go buy one, or use a cookie sheet, no preheat needed)
In a large frying pan, cook the chicken in olive oil over medium?high heat until just cooked, 5 to 6 minutes.

Don’t overcook chicken!  It will get dried out and tough, and that’s just gross.
Set aside in the refrigerator until chilled through.

Once chilled, coat the chicken with 2 Tbs. BBQ sauce; set aside in the refrigerator.

Assemble your Pizza:
Use a large spoon to spread 1/4 cup BBQ sauce evenly over the surface of your dough ’bout 1/2″ from the edge.       Sprinkle 1 Tbs. smoked Gouda cheese over the sauce.                                                                                                                 Cover with 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella.
Distribute half the chicken pieces evenly over the cheese (approximately 18 pieces).                                                            Place approximately 18 to 20 pieces of red onion over the surface.                                                                                            Sprinkle an additional 1/4 cup mozzarella over the top of the pizza.
Transfer the pizza to the oven; bake until the crust is crisp and golden and the cheese at the center is bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes.                                                                                                                                                                                                  When the pizza is cooked, carefully remove it from the oven; sprinkle 1 Tbs. cilantro over the hot surface.

Slice and serve.  BBQ Chicken Pizza is the new craze, you go to a restaurant or order take-out your looking at 10-15 bucks.  You can make this for like $2.50, (OK maybe $5).  Also, yours is going to taste better, and be better for you, ’cause you control the ingredients.  Don’t go out to eat, it’s much cooler to eat in and prepare yourself and good healthy meal.  As always, change as you like, but let me know what you did in a post.  Doug-

It seems there’s a new little Vs. big brother rivalry brewing.  We’re all used to Peyton Vs. Eli, now we have Casey Vs. Ben Affleck.  Nifty, don’t ya think.

No one can say that the little bro’s haven’t been kicking some butt as of late.  We all know what Eli did, (best super bowl in memory) .  And Casey just had his break out year with, “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” and ”Gone Baby Gone,” (directed by Ben). Casey is following up with a great sounding film noir, “The Kind One.”

“The Kind One” is set during the ’30’s in L.A. and Casey works for the nastiest thug in the crime underworld, The Kind One.  Which if what I read is correct this Kind guy is really, really UNkind.  Get it (just think Curly from the Stooges).  It wouldn’t be film noir without a love triangle, soooo Casey’s character falls for the boss’s dame.  I love noir. 

“The Kind One” is based on the novel (New Release) by Tom Epperson.  Epperson helped with the writing of “The Gift,” that real creepy movie by Sam “Spidey” Raimi.

I think it sounds cool and I may just have to go and grab up this novel before the film comes out, ’cause if you know me, you know that is my favorite thing to do. 

Tell me what you think-

Doug- 
 

I’m just about to hit the road to get my girl, but I just stumbled across this trailer for “Taken.”  This is a Luc Besson produced movie starring Liam Neeson.  Taken is directed by the dude who did “District 13″ so I can assure you this film will not stop.  How am I just hearing about this?  It’s like a sneak attack of awesome. 

The always crafty boys over at AICN brought it to my attention so I will direct you there.  Enjoy.

Doug-

This one is so easy it almost does not seem fair.  Very easy, very little cooking, very little prep.  This is a perfect dish for the super busy, the college kid, the “I can’t cook, lets go spend money to eat crap,” kinda people.   We were sitting and eating a warm meal within 20 mins of opening the fridge.  Can’t beat it.  Our good friend Napeloeon thinks these are the best Quesadillas in the universe.  Enjoy. 

 Turkey Quesadillas:   

Ingredients:
1 can (103/4 oz. condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup thick & chunky salsa or Picante sauce (medium)
2 cups cubed cooked turkey or chicken (if you prefer)
10 flour tortillas (8-inch)
fiesta rice (opt)  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In medium saucepan, mix soup, salsa and turkey. Over medium heat, heat through, stirring often. Place tortillas on 2 baking sheets. Top half of each tortilla with 1/3 cup soup mixture. Spread to within 1/2 inch of edge. Moisten edges of tortilla with water. Fold over and press edges together. Bake 5 minutes or until hot. Serve with Fiesta Rice, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

As always tweak it as you see fit.

Tell me how you liked it.

Doug-

Universal has found their director for “Wolfman.”  Many rumor based sites were claiming that is was going to be Brett Ratner, he was in the running (it seems he’s always in the running) but he was NOT chosen.  THANK YOU GOD. 

The new director of Universals “Wolfman” is Joe Johnston, (Hidalgo, J.P.III, Jumanji).  I really don’t know what to think about Johnston other than he’s a safe bet for Universal.  Aside from “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” I didn’t think any of his previous work was that speacial.  But as you know, I like to be fair and those movies may have been dull due to studio over-involvement.  We will see what he does with time tested material, a fantastic cast and a genre that people flock to.  Not to be the turd in the punch bowl but I think the studio will have a lot of involvement here, why else do you think Romanek dropped out.  Click his name to read that post. 

Doug-

Lets hear what you think.                       

No contract yet, but the writers and the studio big-wigs are getting close.  Saturday evening broad strokes were made toward an agreement, following two weeks of what I’m sure where arduous negotiations with Disney’s president Roger Iger, News Corp.’s COO Peter Chernin and the other top media execs.  On Sunday, WGAG president Patric Verrone and WGAE president Michael Winship issued a joint statement to members, warning that more work is needed to be done in order to secure an actual tentative agreement.    

I know, I know, it’s still a little ways from being done, but this is a giant step in the right direction and we may have an agreement as early as Thursday of this week.  Thank goodness, ‘cause if I have to see an ad for one more mindless, degrading reality show, I may just watch one, and that would mean the studios have won.

I agree with the writers, they should receive royalties from the numerous media portals that are now available to most people in the Western World.  As it stands now the money grubbing studios receive all that extra revenue.  That extra revenue totals up to be well over a Billion dollars, that’s right, Billion, with a “B.”  Not saying the writers are completely innocent, there have been many negotiating blunders on their part as well.  This entire ugly affair could have ended much earlier. Money, it sure makes people ugly (or pretty, which ever stance you take).

Come studios give the writers what they want after all, they are the mothers and fathers of our modern day “Cave.” Doug-

 Let me know what you think.

• 1 pound ground beef
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 Tbs blue cheese, more or less
• 1/4 cup red wine

Mix together the beef, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Form patties and tuck the blue cheese into the middle, surrounded by ground beef.  You want to make a little indentation for the cheese.  HINT: When making anyburgers, push you thumb into the center of the raw meat, ’bout 1/2″.  This prevents the burgers from loosing shape as they cook.   Pour the wine into a shallow dish and lay the patties into the wine to soak 10 minutes or so. Cook the burgers in a frying pan over medium high heat until done.  You don’t want to loose all the flavour from the wine or loose your cheese, so do NOT grille these burgers.My wife did a quick toss salad with Roma-tomatoes, green peppers, and some blue cheese to tie it all in.  A fine easy dish.  DON’T go out to eat.  Cooking is fun and easy.Doug-

Tell me what you think.