J.K. Simmons, who is wrapping a seven-season run on TNT’s hit drama series The Closer, is making a switch to comedy with a co-starring role opposite Kyle Bornheimer in ABC/ABC Studios’ half-hour pilot White Van Man.

The comedy features a blue collar ensemble that centers on a man (Bornheimer) who is forced to put his dreams on hold in order to take over the family handyman business from his father (Simmons). The series will be based on a British show by the same name and will utilize a single camera format.

The series takes its name from the United Kingdom’s phrase that describes the stereotype for light colored vans and trucks, which are most often utilized by self-employed/small businesses that render handyman or repair services. White Man Van is set to be written by Raising Hope writer Bobby Bowman, who will also executive produce with Mark Gordon. The series will also be directed by Michael Fresco.

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While most comic fans are getting ready for this Friday’s release of Kick-Ass in theaters, they can get into the average-guy-superhero today, as the indie super hero flick Defendor hits DVD stores everywhere.

The film stars Woody Harrelson as a regular guy-turned night crusader. Also starring is Kat Dennings, Elias Koteas, and Sandra Oh. It’s got a great message, some funny moments, and a tone that’s very reminiscent of classic Batman stories.

We recently got a chance to sit down with Nicholas Tabarrok, producer of the film, and he shed some light on Defendor, as well as where he and writer/director Peter Stebbings plan on taking the character from here.

The Flickcast: For those who aren’t aware already, what can you tell us about your new film, Defendor?

Nicholas Tabarrok: It’s about a regular guy (Harrelson) who read comic books as a kid. Kind of a slow guy who lives in a bit of a fantasy world, and he thinks that he’s a super hero. So he’s got a homemade costume and homemade weapons, and at night he goes out there and patrols the streets looking for bad guys. All he wants to do is help people and do some good.

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Mike Judge’s new movie, essentially an almost direct followup to Office Space, is a quirky and well-meaning comedy that strikes many of the right notes but in the end falls a bit flat and ends up with very little to show for it’s efforts. The film covers pretty familiar territory for Judge and as such doesn’t seem quite as fresh as perhaps it did when Office Space was released. The cast, with the notable exceptions of David Millgan as the male gigolo hired by Jason Bateman’s character to seduce his wife, the always awesome J.K. Simmons and, surprisingly, Ben Affleck as a helpful bartender and friend to Bateman’s character, are mostly relegated to sitcom level schtick and not given much else to do. And in the case of Mila Kunis, are simply the eye-candy — a role she plays very well, however.

Sure, many of the lines and situations in the film elicit a chuckle and in some cases, cause the viewer to laugh out loud, but those moment a few and far between. Instead, we’re left with many attempts at humor that fall flat and leave me to wonder what Judge was thinking. Some gags in the film are particularly overused — the “pushy neighbor” comes to mind — and result in not only being unfuny but annoying to the audience as well.

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For those unaware about this film, but intrigued by the title; you’re in luck. The premise is a bit bizarre, and supposedly based on a true story in which reporter Bob Wilton, played by Ewan McGregor, is in search of his next big story when he encounters Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a shadowy figure who claims to be part of an experimental government program that trains psychics.

Originally based on the book by Jon Ronson, the film was adapted for the screen by writer Peter Straughan (How to Lose Friends and Alienate People) and directed by actor-turned-writer-turned-director Grant Heslov, who penned Good Night and Good Luck. The film has the same feel as Clooney’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind or even Burn After Reading in it’s ability to stay quirky and funny. The cast also includes Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, J.K. Simmons, and Robert Patrick.

Check out the trailer after the jump. The Men Who Stare at Goats hits theaters on November 6th.

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