OK, when her film A Walk to Remember did so well at the box office, many of us jaded critics lost some bets. Mandy Moore proved to everyone that she could not only sing but apparently also act as well. But did any of you see that movie? Basically it was just an after-school special blown up into a feature film. Moore did a good job with what she had to work with (and she gets to die young, always a plus), but the film ranks pretty low on the totem pole, in my opinion anyway.
Regardless, Remember launched Miss Moore as a bona fide actress. What is the lovely singer/actress doing as a follow-up? A quirky independent film where she plays a nymphet who sleeps her way through a small, dusty town? An action-packed blockbuster that has her helping save the world from impending doom? Nope. Her next feature is a teen romance (imagine that!) called How to Deal, in which she’ll play a teenager who decides love does not exist when she sees it going wrong around her. Wow, that sounds exciting. We’ll see if Mandy has the stuff to make something that sounds even more banal than A Walk to Remember actually work.
Looney Tunes Reunite!
Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes gang are making their way to the big screen again. Since 1996’s Space Jam was such a hit, it makes sense they’d try it again (even though that had as much to do with the affable basketball star Michael Jordan than with Bugs and Daffy). This time around, affable Brendan Fraser does the honors. The new feature, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, stars Fraser as a man who meets up with the cartoon creatures in Hollywood, Las Vegas and Africa while searching for his missing father and an ancient hidden treasure. I think this will work for a few reasons: 1) Fraser has acted opposite animated characters before in Monkeybone and held his own and 2) Bugs Bunny is still infinitely cool. Am I wrong?
Bob Dylan Acts?
I still can’t believe this one. ’60s icon and folk singer Bob Dylan has decided in his ripe old age that acting might be fun to try. He’ll be starring in the feature film Masked & Anonymous, in which he plays a wandering troubadour named Jack Fate brought out of prison by his former manager for one last concert, a charity benefit. The subject matter certainly fits his profile, so thankfully he isn’t trying to be an action hero. But wait until you hear the supporting cast: Masked also stars Angela Bassett, Jessica Lange, Luke Wilson, Penelope Cruz and Jeff Bridges. That’s an impressive lineup. You get the idea the producers are a little nervous resting a film on the shoulders of a novice–albeit a famous novice. Chances are the all-star cast will handle most of the acting and Dylan will just play his guitar and sing. At least, that’s what we hope for (sorry, Bob, don’t hold out much hope for you. But hey, I was wrong about Mandy Moore…).
Garner’s Turning “30”
Here’s a story idea that isn’t necessarily original, but still seems somewhat intriguing. Jennifer Garner, the hot, sought-after actress of ABC’s Alias fame and a virtual unknown a year ago, is in negotiations to star in her the feature film 13 Going on 30 for a cool $3 million. Not bad, girlfriend. The story revolves around a 13-year-old girl who wants to be popular and pretty. During her birthday party, she decides to play that age-old kissing game, Seven Minutes in the Closet, to show how cool she can be. Unfortunately, her experience turns into an ultra humiliating one and she stays in the closet for fear of more embarrassment. When she finally emerges, she discovers she has–well, gotten Big. She is now five days shy of her 30th birthday, beautiful and very popular. Yes, yes, it’s been done, but Garner may be able to pull it off and turn it into an appealing romantic comedy. Maybe they should think about casting her real-life husband Scott Foley of WB’s Felicity fame as the leading man.
Lopez Gets “Shrink”-Wrapped
Spider-Man and Superman, forget about it. Hollywood’s turning to Internet comic strips for material. Jennifer Lopez is set to star in Shrink!, a comic strip created by Rob Leifeld for the Internet about a voluptuous, blonde psychologist whose patients are superheroes. The idea sounds hysterical. If any of you television fans caught the short-lived Fox show The Tick (which was based on a cartoon series) starring Patrick Warburton, then you know spoofing superheroes can be very funny if done correctly. Unfortunately the show got the axe, but nonetheless, if Shrink! keeps it all tongue-in-cheek, like The Tick, then it could be a great movie. Plus, J.Lo might get to show off whatever comedic skills she might have.
