While it was hinted at for quite some time, news broke yesterday that made it official. It looks like Dimension has officially greenlit Scream 4, with not only original writer Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven returning, but Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courtney Cox Arquette as well. From a Dimension Films press release:

“SCREAM has been such an integral part of Dimension’s history, and I look forward to continuing the franchise,” said Bob Weinstein, co-chairman The Weinstein Company. “I’ve worked with Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven on so many films at Dimension and hope to continue our successful collaboration.”

Wes Craven added, “I am delighted to accept Bob Weinstein’s offer to take the reins on a whole new chapter in SCREAM history. Working with Courteney, David and Neve was a blast ten years ago and I’m sure it will be again. And I can’t wait to find the talent that will bring new blood to the screen as well. Kevin is right on his game with the new script  – the characters and story crackle with energy and originality – to say nothing of some of the most hair-raising scares I’ve seen in a script since… well, since the original SCREAM series.  Let me at it.”

The original franchise, which spanned 3 films, grossed more than $500 million in the worldwide box office, which should mean some success for a return to the world of Scream.

The film currently has a release date of April 15th, 2011.

Very rarely does a film come along that incites interest and excitement from the title alone. Not since Snakes on a Plane has a film done this to a mass audience, and unfortunately, the excitement of that title led to an underwhelming payoff in the film itself. Luckily, we fans of comedy and cult cinema get a second chance at happiness with the upcoming release of Hot Tub Time Machine.

I’ll admit, after hearing about the title, seeing who was in the cast, and getting a peek at the first trailer, I was ready to get excited about the film, which is never a good sign. Thankfully, in checking out a screening of the flick, not only does it hold up to its ironic title, but kills with its spot-on writing and nonstop visual humor.

I’d explain the premise to you, but if you’re going into a movie called Hot Tub Time Machine and you’re looking for some kind of Notebook style story that you can sell to your wife or girlfriend, you’re out of luck. This movie is roughly 90 minutes of hilarity, done in a setting of science fiction. If Bill and Ted graduated from San Dimas High School, grew up,  went through a few failed marriages, and had a drinking problem, they would be the characters in Hot Tub.

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This week sees the release of several new movies and TV shows, some for the first time ever on Blu-ray. Of the ones coming out this week, we’re excited for The Blind Side, the new season of Mad Men, the Blu-ray release of The African Queen, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Fantastic Mr. Fox and the Criterion Collection Blu-ray of Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece Yojimbo, with Toshirô Mifune (pictured above). Yes, it’s black and white, get over it.

Check them out:

Movies

After Dark Horrorfest Vol. 4 (Dread / The Final / The Graves / The Hidden / Kill Theory / Lake Mungo / The Reeds / Zombies of Mass Destruction) ~ Don McManus, Ryanne Duzich, Teddy Dunn, and Daniel Franzese (Blu-ray and DVD)

Bigger Than Life (The Criterion Collection) ~ James Mason, Barbara Rush, Walter Matthau (Blu-ray)

Brothers ~ Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman (Blu-ray and DVD)

Days of Heaven (The Criterion Collection) ~ Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard (Blu-ray)

Fantastic Mr. Fox ~ George Clooney, Meryl Streep (Blu-ray and DVD)

Red Cliff International Version – Part I & Part II ~ Tony Leung (Blu-ray)

The African Queen ~ Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn (Blu-ray)

The Blind Side ~ Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron (Blu-ray and DVD)

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Sometimes when you’re looking around the far reaches of the Internets you find a lot of videos and whatnot that are, well, not really that interesting. For every Star Wars Kid there’s a USA Busty Adventure #3 that just doesn’t sit right. Fortunately, this time around we’ve found quite a treat for you.

Seeing as how we’re big fans of Sam Raimi’s work and loved the Evil Dead series of movies we’ve always wondered how they could possibly be improved upon. One thing we never thought of was to do Evil Dead in 60 seconds using clay. Fortunately, filmmaker Lee Hardcastle has done just that and shared his claymation creation over at Vimeo.

The video tells the entire Evil Dead story in a minute and allows you to experience the film in a new and funny way. Plus, claymation Bruce Campbell rocks.

Check out the video after the jump.

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Inundated by a flurry of commercials blasting the latest nerd boy fantasy, She’s Out of Your League, I’m reminded of another story about an awkward boy and a stunning, but much sharper girl. In this story a nerd manages to sweep the woman of his dreams off her feet, but not without a lot of effort and some spiffy tights.

This betty mischievously quips with her small-town colleague and brazenly flirts with the hottest jock in the universe. This woman is Lois Lane.

The dorky boy gets the girl films are just as abundant as the beautiful, yet clumsy girl who gets her knight in shiny armor tales. They’re just fairytales dressed up for adults with a bunch of sex-talk for the guys and thinly veiled attraction in the form of snippy repartee for the ladies. How do you make two lovers out of enemies? Watch The Bounty Hunter, 10 Things I Hate About You, You‘ve Got Mail, or pretty much any movie with Meg Ryan in it.

Lois and Clark’s relationship is fascinating because it’s a mix of both of these fairytales. Clark is a straight arrow boy scout if there ever was one and Lois doesn’t mind bending the rules at her leisure. They quip constantly on the sidelines, but run plays seamlessly during the big game. Over time these bff’s have flown over their stereotypical scenario to become a team to be reckoned with.

After doing some investigative work, I found Lois was a combination of several women. In turns out Jerry Siegel wishes he had the super powers needed to impress a girl he crushed on in high school, Joe Shuster fell for the model he based Lois‘ look on, and Siegel based Lois’ personality on Torchy Blane, a reporter from 30‘s flicks. Lois might have come out of a nerdy fantasy, but this doll wasn’t just another Top Model.

She’s a Hepburn who gleefully spars with Tracy, Clark, Perry, Jimmy, Lex, or whoever else might be in the bullpen. These creators were ahead of their time in crafting a woman who wasn’t a secretary (cough…Diana Prince…cough) and instead was Clark’s equal in and out of the office.

Lois doesn’t have the benefit of donning a mask when unearthing villainous plots, and yet she’s fearless. She’s not just a love interest, she’s a woman on a mission to bring truth and justice to the world by using the mighty pen.

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In case you were busy last night and were not able to catch the great dramas on NBC, including Chuck, Trauma, Law & Order and more, we’ve got highlights from the shows for you today. Starting with one of our favorites, Chuck, the clips highlights a fight between our hero and some tough guys which results in a precarious predicament for Chuck.

On Trauma, Nancy realizes she’s got to do whatever it takes if she really wants to be a doctor. For Law & Order, Lupo and Bernard go head-to-head with McCoy after clashing over how to handle a case. Plus, we’ve got a preview of next week’s show featuring guest star Tony Hale in a dramatic role as a father involved in a bitter international custody battle.

Finally, on Jimmy Fallon, Human Target‘s Mark Valley drops by to talk about his love of Civil War reenactments and also he shows Jimmy how throw a fake punch. Being a pretty good action guy on the show, he should know.

Check out all the videos after the break.

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Even though the 2010 SXSW Film/Interactive/Music Festival is all but finished, that doesn’t mean there are not still a few awards left to give out. Today the fest announced additional audience awards for films that screened during the film portion of the event.

These films include films from the Spotlight Premieres, Emerging Visions, Lone Star States, 24 Beats Per Second and Midnighters categories. For the 2010 SXSW Film Festival, 134 feature-length films, including 64 world premieres, were selected from a record 1,572 feature-length film submissions composed of 1,206 U.S. and 366 international feature-length films. 130 shorts were selected from 2,312 short film submissions.

Here’s a list of the additional 2010 SXSW Film Festival Audience Award Winners:

Feature Film Audience Awards

SPOTLIGHT PREMIERES
Winner: Richard Garriott – Man on a Mission
Director: Mike Woolf

EMERGING VISIONS
Winner: NY Export: Opus Jazz
Director: Henry Joost and Jody Lee Lipes

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We were all pretty relieved and excited last June when news first hit that Futurama would be returning–with the original cast–in all new episodes exclusively on Comedy Central this summer. We had almost forgotten about how excited we got, until a new teaser trailer got released over the weekend. Now we’re back, and hungry for more!

The comedy network has been airing the show in syndication ever since they got the rights from Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. The deal also encompassed the rights to break up and air each of the direct-to-DVD Futurama films, as well as the now forthcoming sixth season.

The newest season is set to have all of our original voices back in action this June, and if you want a bit of a peak at what the first episode back, entitled “Rebirth”, has to offer, take a look here.

Until we get the full episode, however, we’ll just have this teaser to keep us warm at night with the thoughts of Fry and the gang. Check it out after the jump, and keep it here for any more info we can bring you on Futurama.

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Now that the traditional TV season of starting shows in the Fall and then having to watch reruns all Summer is pretty much gone for good, networks are debuting new shows and bringin back old ones pretty much anytime of the year. Case in point is USA Networks announcement of new and returning shows debuting this Summer.

Among the shows debuting or returning to the newtok over the next fews months are the brand new Covert Affairs featuring Piper Perabo, Christopher Goram and Heroes alum Sendhil Ramamurthy. Returining shows include Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Royal Pains, In Plain Sight, Burn Notice, White Collar and Psych.

For a full description of the shows and their respective return or premiere dates, check out all the info from this official USA press release:

MARCH

LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT (RETURNING SERIES)
Season nine of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT gets underway March 30th as we say goodbye to old friends and welcome new faces to the Major Case Squad. LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT stars Emmy nominee Jeff Goldblum as Detective Zach Nichols and SAG nominee Saffron Burrows (“Boston Legal,” “Troy”) as Detective Serena Stevens. Burrows plays a highly educated, worldly single parent with a broad range of life experiences to draw upon in solving even the toughest of cases. Teamed with Detective Zach Nichols, they create a partnership of challenging intellect and street-smart savvy. Dick Wolf’s third installment in the “Law & Order” franchise follows the Major Case Squad as it investigates high profile crimes.

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Based on reports from around the Internets, including both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, it would appear Marvel Studios has picked the actor who will play Captain America in The First Avenger: Captain America. The actor is, as was rumored over the last few days, Chris Evans.

According to the reports, Evans accepted an offer made by the comic book publisher late last week, beating out a number of other actors, including Channing Tatum and Garrett Hedlund, who were being considered for the high-profile role. Although the deal is still being finalized with contracts being written and, presumably rewritten, it seems a done deal. And quite a deal it is.

Evans will be in at least three Captain America movies, starting with The First Avenger: Captain America. He will also appear in the first The Avengers movie along with Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Edward Norton as the Incredible Hulk. That film is reportedly set for a May 4, 2012 release. Plus, he may also appear in other films based on Marvel characters to tie in with the developing on-screen Marvel universe.

Now that things appear set I have to say I’m not entirely disappointed that Evans will be taking on the role. Of all the people mentioned previously, he seems pretty well suited. It doesn’t even bother me that he already played Johnny Storm in both Fantastic Four films. I think he’s got what it takes to make a good Cap. I hope I’m right.

This week brings more new comics from our friends at Marvel. Of the ones coming out we’re particularly interested in the latest The Marvels Project, Secret Warriors #14, Peter Parker #1 and the latest X-Factor. Remember to get to your nearest comic shop early for best selection.

Don’t know where your nearest comic shop is? Use this handy guide to find one.

Comics On-Sale:

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #626
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #34 (S)
BREAKING INTO COMICS THE MARVEL WAY! #2
CAPTAIN AMERICA #604
DEADPOOL #21
DEADPOOL CORPS: RANK AND FOUL #1
FALL OF THE HULKS: RED HULK #3
HALO: BLOOD LINE #4
MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #61
MIGHTY AVENGERS #35 (S)
MILLAR & MCNIVEN’S NEMESIS #1
MILLAR & MCNIVEN’S NEMESIS #1 YU VARIANT
NEW AVENGERS #63 (S)

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Zulu (1964) directed and co-written by Cy Endfield, is a film which follows in the tradition of such films like The Four Feathers, The Charge of the Light Brigade, and Gunga Din. It is the screen story of a small garrison of British soldiers who defend the mission station of Rorke’s Drift following the British defeat at the battle of Isandlwana on the afternoon of January 22, 1879. Stanley Baker (Lt. John Chard), Michael Caine in his first major role, (Lt. Gonville Bromhead), Jack Hawkins (Reverend Otto Witt), James Booth (Pvt. Henry Hook), Nigel Green (Colour Sgt. Frank Bourne), Patrick Magee (Surgeon-Maj. James Henry Reynolds), and Gert van den Bergh (Lt. Josef Adendorff) star as the defenders who thwart off numerous attacks by over 4,000 Zulu warriors.

Zulu is a fantastic film, shot in glorious Technirama 70mm. It is a film that shows the sweeping African landscape and was shot on actual battlefield locations. Lt. Chard (Baker) is a member of the Royal Engineers who is sent down from the colony to build a bridgehead across the Buffalo River for the invasion of Zululand. Lt. Bromhead (Caine) is the commanding officer of the 24th Regiment of foot (a primarily Welsh regiment), who learn that two Zulu “impis” (armies) are coming to Rorke’s Drift in an attempt to destroy it and to slaughter the British soldiers there.

Rorke’s Drift was used as a hospital facility and a staging area for the invasion into Zululand and would prove to be a second victory for the Zulus.

Fearing annihilation like Chelmsford’s army, Bromhead wishes to dispatch his troopers into the countryside to fight the Zulus in a guerrilla engagement. Lt. Chard takes command due to seniority and has Bromhead’s soldiers set up defenses and wait for the approaching Zulus. Reverend Witt (Hawkins) begins to drink heavily and starts to demoralize the troops telling them that they will all die if they stay at the mission.

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