Leaked Video Footage from Heroes Season 3

December 28th, 2007 by david lay

Heroes creator Tim Kring debuted a new Heroes trailer over the weekend at the Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival of Los Angeles (whew!), which features never-before-seen footage from Volume III, “Villains.” Where’d the footage come from, you ask? Well, it turns out that the show managed to shoot a bunch of scenes for Episodes 12 and 13 before production ground to a halt. But those episodes are incomplete and, therefore, can’t air until the conflict is resolved.

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Six to Eight Black Men

December 24th, 2007 by davidlay

I want to wish you all a very Happy Christmas. In lieu of the obligatory “Christmas Post” I thought i would just share with you one of my all time favorite Christmas stories. I know its long, but it is well worth the read, I promise. Here, also, is an audio copy you can read along with.

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Six to Eight Black Men

by David Sedaris

I’ve never been much for guidebooks, so when trying to get my bearings in a strange American city, I normally start by asking the cabdriver or hotel clerk some silly question regarding the latest census figures. I say silly because I don’t really care how many people live in Olympia, Washington, or Columbus, Ohio. They’re nice enough places, but the numbers mean nothing to me. My second question might have to do with average annual rainfall, which, again, doesn’t tell me anything about the people who have chosen to call this place home.

What really interests me are the local gun laws. Can I carry a concealed weapon, and if so, under what circumstances? What’s the waiting period for a tommy gun? Could I buy a Glock 17 if I were recently divorced or fired from my job? I’ve learned from experience that it’s best to lead into this subject as delicately as possible, especially if you and the local citizen are alone and enclosed in a relatively small space. Bide your time, though, and you can walk away with some excellent stories. I’ve heard, for example, that the blind can legally hunt in both Texas and Michigan. They must be accompanied by a sighted companion, but still, it seems a bit risky. You wouldn’t want a blind person driving a car or piloting a plane, so why hand him a rifle? What sense does that make? I ask about guns not because I want one of my own but because the answers vary so widely from state to state. In a country that’s become so homogenous, I’m reassured by these last touches of regionalism.

Guns aren’t really an issue in Europe, so when I’m traveling abroad, my first question usually relates to barnyard animals. “What do your roosters say?” is a good icebreaker, as every country has its own unique interpretation. In Germany, where dogs bark “vow vow” and both the frog and the duck say “quack,” the rooster greets the dawn with a hearty “kik-a-ricki.” Greek roosters crow “kiri-a-kee,” and in France they scream “coco-rico,” which sounds like one of those horrible premixed cocktails with a pirate on the label. When told that an American rooster says “cock-a-doodle-doo,” my hosts look at me with disbelief and pity.

“When do you open your Christmas presents?” is another good conversation starter, as it explains a lot about national character. People who traditionally open gifts on Christmas Eve seem a bit more pious and family oriented than those who wait until Christmas morning. They go to mass, open presents, eat a late meal, return to church the following morning, and devote the rest of the day to eating another big meal. Gifts are generally reserved for children, and the parents tend not to go overboard. It’s nothing I’d want for myself, but I suppose it’s fine for those who prefer food and family to things of real value.

In France and Germany, gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve, while in Holland the children receive presents on December 5, in celebration of Saint Nicholas Day. It sounded sort of quaint until I spoke to a man named Oscar, who filled me in on a few of the details as we walked from my hotel to the Amsterdam train station.

Unlike the jolly, obese American Santa, Saint Nicholas is painfully thin and dresses not unlike the pope, topping his robes with a tall hat resembling an embroidered tea cozy. The outfit, I was told, is a carryover from his former career, when he served as a bishop in Turkey.

One doesn’t want to be too much of a cultural chauvinist, but this seemed completely wrong to me. For starters, Santa didn’t use to do anything. He’s not retired, and, more important, he has nothing to do with Turkey. The climate’s all wrong, and people wouldn’t appreciate him. When asked how he got from Turkey to the North Pole, Oscar told me with complete conviction that Saint Nicholas currently resides in Spain, which again is simply not true. While he could probably live wherever he wanted, Santa chose the North Pole specifically because it is harsh and isolated. No one can spy on him, and he doesn’t have to worry about people coming to the door. Anyone can come to the door in Spain, and in that outfit, he’d most certainly be recognized. On top of that, aside from a few pleasantries, Santa doesn’t speak Spanish. He knows enough to get by, but he’s not fluent, and he certainly doesn’t eat tapas.

While our Santa flies on a sled, Saint Nicholas arrives by boat and then transfers to a white horse. The event is televised, and great crowds gather at the waterfront to greet him. I’m not sure if there’s a set date, but he generally docks in late November and spends a few weeks hanging out and asking people what they want.

“Is it just him alone?” I asked. “Or does he come with some backup?”

Oscar’s English was close to perfect, but he seemed thrown by a term normally reserved for police reinforcement.

“Helpers,” I said. “Does he have any elves?”

Maybe I’m just overly sensitive, but I couldn’t help but feel personally insulted when Oscar denounced the very idea as grotesque and unrealistic. “Elves,” he said. “They’re just so silly.”

The words silly and unrealistic were redefined when I learned that Saint Nicholas travels with what was consistently described as “six to eight black men.” I asked several Dutch people to narrow it down, but none of them could give me an exact number. It was always “six to eight,” which seems strange, seeing as they’ve had hundreds of years to get a decent count.

The six to eight black men were characterized as personal slaves until the mid-fifties, when the political climate changed and it was decided that instead of being slaves they were just good friends. I think history has proven that something usually comes between slavery and friendship, a period of time marked not by cookies and quiet times beside the fire but by bloodshed and mutual hostility. They have such violence in Holland, but rather than duking it out among themselves, Santa and his former slaves decided to take it out on the public. In the early years, if a child was naughty, Saint Nicholas and the six to eight black men would beat him with what Oscar described as “the small branch of a tree.”

“A switch?”

“Yes,” he said. “That’s it. They’d kick him and beat him with a switch. Then, if the youngster was really bad, they’d put him in a sack and take him back to Spain.”

“Saint Nicholas would kick you?”

“Well, not anymore,” Oscar said. “Now he just pretends to kick you.”

“And the six to eight black men?”

“Them, too.”

He considered this to be progressive, but in a way I think it’s almost more perverse than the original punishment. “I’m going to hurt you, but not really.” How many times have we fallen for that line? The fake slap invariably makes contact, adding the elements of shock and betrayal to what had previously been plain, old-fashioned fear. What kind of Santa spends his time pretending to kick people before stuffing them into a canvas sack? Then, of course, you’ve got the six to eight former slaves who could potentially go off at any moment. This, I think, is the greatest difference between us and the Dutch. While a certain segment of our population might be perfectly happy with the arrangement, if you told the average white American that six to eight nameless black men would be sneaking into his house in the middle of the night, he would barricade the doors and arm himself with whatever he could get his hands on.

“Six to eight, did you say?”

In the years before central heating, Dutch children would leave their shoes by the fireplace, the promise being that unless they planned to beat you, kick you, or stuff you into a sack, Saint Nicholas and the six to eight black men would fill your clogs with presents. Aside from the threats of violence and kidnapping, it’s not much different from hanging your stockings from the mantel. Now that so few people have a working fireplace, Dutch children are instructed to leave their shoes beside the radiator, furnace, or space heater. Saint Nicholas and the six to eight black men arrive on horses, which jump from the yard onto the roof. At this point, I guess, they either jump back down and use the door, or they stay put and vaporize through the pipes and electrical wires. Oscar wasn’t too clear about the particulars, but, really, who can blame him? We have the same problem with our Santa. He’s supposed to use the chimney, but if you don’t have one, he still manages to come through. It’s best not to think about it too hard.

While eight flying reindeer are a hard pill to swallow, our Christmas story remains relatively simple. Santa lives with his wife in a remote polar village and spends one night a year traveling around the world. If you’re bad, he leaves you coal. If you’re good and live in America, he’ll give you just about anything you want. We tell our children to be good and send them off to bed, where they lie awake, anticipating their great bounty. A Dutch parent has a decidedly hairier story to relate, telling his children, “Listen, you might want to pack a few of your things together before you go to bed. The former bishop from Turkey will be coming along with six to eight black men. They might put some candy in your shoes, they might stuff you in a sack and take you to Spain, or they might just pretend to kick you. We don’t know for sure, but we want you to be prepared.”

This is the reward for living in Holland. As a child you get to hear this sto-ry, and as an adult you get to turn around and repeat it. As an added bonus, the government has thrown in legalized drugs and prostitution–so what’s not to love about being Dutch?

Oscar finished his story just as we arrived at the station. He was a polite and interesting guy–very good company–but when he offered to wait until my train arrived, I begged off, saying I had some calls to make. Sitting alone in the vast terminal, surrounded by other polite, seemingly interesting Dutch people, I couldn’t help but feel second-rate. Yes, it was a small country, but it had six to eight black men and a really good bedtime story. Being a fairly competitive person, I felt jealous, then bitter, and was edging toward hostile when I remembered the blind hunter tramping off into the Michigan forest. He might bag a deer, or he might happily shoot his sighted companion in the stomach. He may find his way back to the car, or he may wander around for a week or two before stumbling through your front door. We don’t know for sure, but in pinning that license to his chest, he inspires the sort of narrative that ultimately makes me proud to be an American.

Happy Christmas

Posted in Yada Yada | 2 Comments

Borat and Ali G Characters Retired

December 24th, 2007 by david lay

In an interview yesterday with the The London Daily Telegraph, Sacha Baron Cohen revealed that he is permanently retiring his Borat and Ali G characters. He claims that too many people know them and that he can no longer retreat behind their personae.

Cohen told the newspaper: “When I was being Ali G and Borat I was in character sometimes 14 hours a day and I came to love them, so admitting I am never going to play them again is quite a sad thing,” he said. “It is like saying goodbye to a loved one. It is hard, and the problem with success, although it’s fantastic, is that every new person who sees the Borat movie is one less person I ‘get’ with Borat again, so it’s a kind of self-defeating form, really. “It’s upsetting, but the success has been great and better than anything I could have dreamed of.”

Da Ali G Show, which originated in England and aired on HBO became a cult favorite in the U.S. thanks to hilariously idiotic and offensive questions to former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, Newt Gingrich, former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, Donald Trump and the former Surgeon-General C. Everett Koop, among others.

Ali G’s popularity led to Cohen’s first film, Ali G Indahouse after which he provided one of the voices in the animated film Madagascar and then played an obnoxious French racing river in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

Then Borat, the film featuring the character who had first appeared on the Da Ali G Show. Helped by objections from the official government of Kazakhstan and Baron Cohen’s wildly funny promotional appearances on any talk show that would have him, Borat became a phenomenon, although not everybody was happy.

“Since last year I’ve been sued by about 3,000 people,” said Baron Cohen. “Some of the letters I get are quite unusual, like the one where the lawyer informed me I’m about to be sued for $100,000 and at the end says, “P.S. Loved the movie. Can you sign a poster for my son Jeremy?’”

Cohen can currently be seen in the movie Sweeney Todd and he is finishing work on his next project, which features Bruno, the gay, Austrian fashion reporter who also made his first appearance with Ali G, although Baron Cohen is unwilling to discuss it at this time.

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Ralph ‘08 - A Political Endorsement

December 21st, 2007 by david lay

Cold Leftovers has been careful in remaining politically unaffiliated so far this year, believing that our influence is great and that any endorsements of policy, candidates or political parties would, in essence, remove our readers’ free will and could potentially take the political process out of the hands of the people.

While Cold Leftovers still believes this to be true, we cannot sit idly by when a candidate comes along who encompasses all that we stand for, bringing to the forefront policy issues that cannot, will not, and should not be ignored.

We know that the 2008 presidential election is one of the most contested and vital races in our great country’s history. Candidates on both sides of the isle are jockeying for position as we are rapidly approaching the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire Primary. Cold Leftovers believes that the country of the United States of America needs a candidate that can bring our country together and unite us as a Nation in a way that we haven’t seen in a very long time.

There has been - and will continue to be - a lot of talk by candidates regarding leadership, experience, and the so-called importance of the issues. Cold Leftovers, however sees that for what it is - a bunch of silliness, and would like to take this opportunity to throw our support firmly behind a candidate who encompasses the values and beliefs that WE hold dear: Ralph Wiggum.

Ralph Wiggum’s political platform includes:

• Immigration - Ralph Wiggum says:”Stranger Danger!”
• Government Spending - Ralph Wiggum says: “I only have this much moneys”.
• Partisan Politics - Ralph Wiggum says:”Everyone is invited to my party!”
• Bumper Sticker Slogan - “I Dig Wig”
• Ethics and Values - Ralph Wiggum says:”I’m Ralph Wiggum and I’ve been a good boy.”
• Political Appointments - Bart Simpson as the Secretary of Indian Burns and Lisa Simpson as the first Ladle.
• Foreign Relations - Ralph Wiggum says: “When we’re mad, we’ll use our words. The rest of the world will play nice with us. And only boom-booms will be in our pants.”

Ralph Wiggum: Hope for Our Future

Posted in Yada Yada, Politics | 2 Comments

Survivor Micronesia Cast - My Sources

December 20th, 2007 by david lay

Earlier this week, I posted that I had successfully uncovered the Survivor Micronesia castaways for the upcoming season (at least the returning cast members). I have had a lot of questions about whether or not these returning castaways have been verified or not, and how I came about this information. Well, I will share with you a couple of my secrets to help lend some additional credibility to the list as well as to ease any misgivings a few of you might have.

• Source One: Coby Archa from Survivor Pulau - Coby has been active in Survivor-related discussion boards, gossip columns and fan sites since his days in Pulau. He writes commentaries on current seasons as well as discussing theories and strategies on fan sites. Coby says that he was in the running for Survivor Mocronesia, but was left out in the end - I assume this means he was chosen as an “alternate.”

  Because of his closeness to the show, it is safe to say that he is extremely credible - unless he’s lying, but there is NO reason to think that. We know he isn’t on the show, because filming was from early November to mid December and he was posting away all along. Coby has confirmed (via various online sources) that several of the survivors I listed are on board - including Eliza Orlins (who made the final four in Survivor Vanuatu, so she’s no slouch), Ami Cusack, Jonathan Penner, Ozzy Lusth, James Clement (who was also COMPLETELY off limits after the Survivor China reunion show), and Amanda Kimmel. Coby did, however, state that he did not believe that Cirie Fields was involved.

• Source Two: MySpace and Social Networking Sites - John “Johnny Fairplay” Dalton strangely left the spotlight shortly after his altercation with Danny Bonaduce. His online profile is has been set to “On Vacation”. Additionally, there are sources very close to the production of Survivor Micronesia that say he is on the show. For you who hate Johnny Fairplay and think he shouldn’t be on the show, that is exactly why he is on it - The network needs a villain! Ratings, people!!!

• Source Three: Undisclosed - Sorry, I can’t give this one away, but believe me I feel VERY confident that “he” is completely credible - Even more so than Coby. “He” confirmed Yau-Man Chan and John “Johnny Fairplay” Dalton.

I feel very confident in this list and I have done plenty of research to ensure it is accurate. If it is not entirely so, I guarantee it will be 90% (9 of 10 Castaways).

As for the remainder of the Survivor Micronesia Cast, I have their names and in some cases, a small bit of information about them.

THE FANS

1. Alexis - A Image Consultant and Motivational Speaker from Austin, Texas
2. Kathy B. - Aged 45 - From Glenview, Illinois
3. Mary Sartain - Aged 29 - A Loan Officer from Emeryville, California
4. Natalie - From Los Angeles California
5. Tracy Wolf - Aged 42 - From Fredericksberg, Virginia
6. Chet - Worked on the Miss America Pageant - From Ford City, Pennsylvania
7. Joel “Truck” Anderson - A firefighter From Phoenix, Arizona
8. Jason Siska - Aged 22 - A Student from Fox River Grove, Illinois
9. Michael “Mikey” Bortone - Aged 33 - An Actor from Los Angeles, California
10. Eric - The young, blonde kid from the trailers

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New Cloverfield Trailer

December 19th, 2007 by david lay

A new television ad is about to start running for J.J. Abrams‘ Alien/Monster thriller, Cloverfield. It shows a few new never-before seen clips and adds a music soundtrack over top the sequences.

In the movie, five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives.

Cloverfield opens January 18th.

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A First Look at Will Smith’s “Hancock”

December 18th, 2007 by david lay

You saw it here first.

As Will Smith is enjoying record-setting box office numbers for his new film, I am Legend, a trailer has been released for his next film entitled, Hancock.

In Hancock, Smith plays a “fallen” Superhero, of sorts, who tries to get some *umph* back in his life when he falls in love with an alluring housewife played by Charlize Theron.

In the wake of I am Legend, and last spring’s The Pursuit of Happyness, it may be easy for us to forget that Will Smith is a comic actor at heart, and I think this role might personify his comedic gift as well as his appeal as an action star. Could be a good one.

What do you think?

…and check out the even newer “first look” trailer here.

Posted in Yada Yada, Movies | 2 Comments

Peter Jackson Signs on for Two Hobbit Films

December 18th, 2007 by david lay

MGM, New Line Cinema and Director Peter Jackson have jointly annouced today that they have reached the following series of agreements:

• MGM and New Line will co-finance and co-distribute two films, The Hobbit and a sequel to The Hobbit. New Line will distribute in North America and MGM will distribute internationally.
• Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as Executive Producers of two films based on The Hobbit. New Line will manage the production of the films, which will be shot simultaneously.
• Peter Jackson and New Line have settled all litigation relating to the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) Trilogy.

The two new Hobbit Films - The Hobbit, and its currently unnamed sequal, are scheduled to be shot simultaneously with pre-production set to begin immediately. The Hobbit is tentatively scheduled to be released in 2010, with its sequal to be released in 2011.

The Oscar-winning, critically-acclaimed LOTR Trilogy grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide at the box-office. In 2003, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of The King swept the Academy Awards, winning all of the eleven categories in which it was nominated, including Best Picture — the first ever Best Picture win for a fantasy film. The Trilogy’s production was also unprecedented at the time.

Visit The Hobbit Blog for more information

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Survivor Micronesia Cast Revealed

December 17th, 2007 by david lay

Last night, as Survivor: China concluded, they announced that the new season of Survivor would be called Survivor Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites and would feature a tribe of long-time Survivor fans pitted against fan-favorites (not to be confused with all stars) from previous seasons.

I did some digging today and have found out who the ten returning castaways will be for Survivor Micronesia:

From Survivor: China

James Clement

Amanda Kimmel From Survivor: Fiji
Yau-Man ChanFrom Survivor: Cook Islands
Jonathan Penner

Ozzy Lusth

Parvati ShallowFrom Survivor: Panama Cirie FieldsFrom Survivor: Vanuatu
Ami Cusack

Eliza Orlinsand… From Survivor: Pearl Islands

Johnny Fairplay

…as for the rest of the Survivor Micronesia cast, I found their names too, but no one really cares who they are yet, so I’m not going to waste my time listing them…

Posted in Yada Yada, Events | 24 Comments

The Dark Knight - First Six Minutes Leaked

December 16th, 2007 by david lay

Video of the first six minutes of The Dark Knight, which debuted in IMAX theaters this weekend before showings of I am Legend, has been leaked…

The problem is, the video quality is terrible (typical bootleg)! If you are planning on watching I am Legend in IMAX, then don’t waste your time!

Personally, I haven’t watched it yet because I’m hoping to watch the real thing sometime this week…If not, and you really want to see it, then here it is:

 

Also, contrary to previous reports, Warner Brothers has now released the official trailer for The Dark Knight.

 

Posted in Yada Yada, Events, Movies | 1 Comment

New Batman Trailer Leaked

December 14th, 2007 by david lay

I knew it would happen, and it did…

Hours after the new Dark Knight trailer was released in theaters, it was bootlegged and is now available online thanks to YouTube.

This is NOT the six-minute “first scene” that is supposedly available in IMAX theaters before showings of I am Legend, just a regular trailer, but Warner Brothers has said that this preview is exclusive to theaters.

Be aware that is is filmed with a handheld camera, so if you would rather wait to see it in the theaters, don’t watch it.

Update: Warner Brothers did release the trailer online. View it in the next post…

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Two New Dark Knight Posters…

December 14th, 2007 by david lay

Once Again, DC has revealed two new posters for Dark Knight, if anyone is interested. Click to make ‘em huge.

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Watch a Three Minute Clip of Cloverfield

December 14th, 2007 by david lay

Check out this new 3 minute clip from Cloverfield. The last trailer or two that they released didn’t really do it for me as much as the orignal teaser, but this one got my blood pumping again!

Posted in Yada Yada, Movies | No Comments

Watch the Opening Credits of Sweeney Todd

December 14th, 2007 by david lay

Dreamworks released the first three-and-a-half minutes of Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street yesterday via BroadwayWorld. I’ve heard the story of Sweeney Todd, and the broadway musical has gotten rave reviews since the revival opened in 2004, so its no surprise that this motion picture adaptation is expected to do well in the box office when it opens on December 21st.

Nothing really happens during this first few minutes (just long enough for the opening credits to roll) but I think it gives you a good idea of the dark ambience of the film and the cinematography. So take it for what its worth.

UPDATE: Yahoo Movies just released the first 3 minutes of I am Legend. Get a head start, click here.

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Knight Rider Making a Return To Television

December 13th, 2007 by david lay

One the 1980’s most iconic and successful television series’ is coming back! NBC announced yesterday that they are producing a 2 hour made-for-TV movie sequel to Knight Rider.

Among the details of the announcement yesterday is that KITT will be voiced by Arrested Development’s Will Arnett. Arnett is known for his comedy roles but has also shown talent as a voice-over actor in commercials. Additionally, it was announced that KITT will be a new customized 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR.

The movie will star Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, and Bruce Davidson. Additionally, David Hasselhoff will make a special-guest appearance as Michael Knight (the role that made him famous).

The new KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand) is the coolest car ever created - an onboard supercomputer capable of hacking almost any system, a fully loaded weapons system, and a body that is capable of shifting shape and color. Not to mention its highly advanced artificial intelligence that makes it a crime-fighting partner - not just a car.

Plot details released by NBC yesterday are as follows:

Sarah Graiman is a 24-year old Ph.D candidate at Stanford University, following in her genius father Charles’ (Davison) footsteps. But when men attempt to abduct her, Sarah receives a mysterious call from KITT warning her that he’s a creation of Charles, who also invented the first KITT 25 years ago — and that her father is in serious danger.

Sarah and KITT track down her best friend from childhood, Mike Tracer (Bruening), a 23-year-old ex-Army Ranger, whom Sarah hasn’t seen since he left home at 18. Having served in Iraq, Mike is now jaded and lost and initially resistant. Eventually he agrees to help Sarah and the two set out to discover who’s behind the attempt to procure KITT and find Charles. Along the way, Carrie Rivai (Poitier) plays the agile yet tough FBI agent who has a long-standing friendship with Charles and Sarah. Due to those ties, she is brought into the mix to help in the search.

NBC said that they will monitor responses to the one-time TV event in order to determine whether or not to order a primetime television series for the fall season. The movie will air on February 17th from 9-11pm EST.

Posted in Yada Yada, Events, Movies | 1 Comment

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