In case you weren't aware, Owen Wilson's first interview since being holed up in a hospital following an apparent suicide attempt took place the other day via MySpace's Artist on Artist series. The interview itself was finally posted online somewhere around 10pm EST last night, and after watching it, I must say it's definitely one of the most awkward interviews I've ever seen. Basically, director Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson talk to one another about The Darjeeling Limited -- only problem is, they're not together in the same room. They're miles upon miles apart, and through some special effects magic, it appears as if both are sitting next to each other having a conversation. I tried embedding the actual interview into this post, but for some reason it wasn't working ... and our tech folks are normal people who have off on the weekend. Unlike myself. So you can check out the interview for yourself over here.

Of course, everyone and their publicist was wondering whether Owen would open up at all and talk about what went down a few months ago. I'll save you all the time now: he did not. And the reason why the interview seemed awkward probably had to do with the fact that both men were not together in the same room (although at one point it was funny to see them play off that). Owen seemed tired, and a tad out of touch, as if it took hours to convince him to do this. Anderson tried his best to remain lively, tossing questions out to Owen, following up on them, but the whole thing just seemed forced. That's nothing against The Darjeeling Limited -- I happen to be one of the few who actually loved the flick -- but I wish the boys got into it a little more. Perhaps I'm reading into it too much (and feel free to tell me that), but something definitely seemed off here. Let us know what you think.

Do age-verified, online-only "red-band" trailers make your mouth water? In today's Los Angeles Times, Robert W. Welkos says that more uncensored trailers are making their way to the Internet because theater owners are reluctant to show them. Studios are reportedly using the trailers "as a marketing tool to reach older audiences not as likely to be offended by super-violence, sex or use of the "F" word. In the process, the more provocative trailers allow them to telegraph to moviegoers the edgier content of their films."

The article highlights "red-band" trailers for the upcoming films Beowulf and No Country for Old Men, in which sex (in the former) and violence (in the latter) are used for marketing purposes. Paramount Pictures first showed 20 minutes of footage from Beowulf at Comic-Con, as our own Kevin Kelly reported from the scene, and an international version of the trailer, featuring Angelina Jolie naked, quickly hit the web; the official "red-band" trailer for the US soon followed. More recently, the sexy advertising has hit billboards and bus stops.

The Times article comments: "To be sure, Angelina Jolie is not going to be nude in the [PG-13] movie, but the restricted trailer allows the studio to highlight the sexiness of her character in ways it couldn't in a green-band trailer." Can we be more direct and say "bait and switch"? And what happened to the days when brief nudity was permitted in PG-13 movies?

At least the sensational No Country for Old Men trailer, available at the film's official site, doesn't promise anything the movie itself can't deliver. The "red-band" version starts with a shot to the head (not as bloody or explicit as the one on the highway in Fargo) and includes a lot more gun shots, body blows and blood-splattered clothing than the family-friendly version that's now showing in theaters. Both Beowulf and No Country for Old Men open in theaters next month.

Not for nothing, but if I was going to do something really cool like merge a Predator with an Alien for the first time, I'm not sure I would reveal a ton of pics of the thing before the movie comes out. Ya know, leave a little to the imagination -- tease people, make them cough up the dough to see more. But I'm not in charge, and since these crazy photos just arrived courtesy of USA Today, it's my job to bring them to you. That said, USA Today has a gallery full of movie stills featuring the new Predalien, a mix-up job of the Predator and Alien that looks absolutely terrifying. Seeing this photo reminds me of Wednesday's South Park episode, where the Alien and Predator wreak havoc in imagination land. Too bad this thing wasn't around yet; the boys would've had a field day.

Looking for some fun Predalien facts? How about this one: "Unlike the original aliens, the predalien doesn't lay eggs, which are then transported by a 'face hugger.' The new creature can just regurgitate in its victim's mouth." Yum. Talk about using a bit too much tongue. Directed by Colin and Greg Strause, the brothers are intent on making this one "as serious and dark as the originals." According to them, they've cut back significantly on the special effects, saying, "You're not going to see 50 digital creatures running around. We want to bring the franchise back to basics. That's what made them so frightening in the first place." I totally agree, and I truly hope the brothers score a hit with AVP2. What do you think of the Predalien? Is it spooky enough? Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem arrives in theaters Christmas Day. (Leave cookies out for Santa? Check. Open presents with the kids? Check. Watch a Predalien regurgitate into its victims mouth? Triple check!)

"Live for nothin' ... or die for somethin.' Your call ..." I'm sorry, and I really have nothing to gain by throwing love at this movie, but Rambo IV (or Rambo, as I think it's now being called) looks to be all kinds of awesome. I'm really impressed with Sylvestor Stallone and what he's managed to do with his Rocky and Rambo franchises. While you might view him as some big, dumb, fading action star, he's actually a really smart guy and a terrific writer. Unlike this past summer's Live Free or Die Hard, Stallone isn't bringing Rambo into the new century and asking him to stand on a jet and dodge flying cars. He's keeping the story simple, setting it in yet another exotic -- but tremendously violent -- location, and serving up plenty of realistic balls-to-the-wall action.

We've already witnessed some footage from the flick, but it appears an official trailer has just landed online. I guess it becomes official when you have that deep-voiced guy reading lines over the action. And the film definitely looks to be a throwback to the way action films used to look, back before folks tried to impress us with ridiculous, far-fetched special effects. This is Rambo in the jungle. It's bloody, it's powerful and it looks like so much fun to watch. I've included the trailer above (there will be some grey to start out with, but stay with it -- the trailer will kick in), so let us know what you think. Rambo arrives in theaters on January 25, 2008.

Well, it's official: After watching the latest trailer for the Omega Man update, I Am Legend, I can safely say that I am now looking forward to this movie. Worstpreviews.com is hosting the new trailer for the sc-fi thriller about the last man on earth left to do battle with fellow survivors of a cannibalistic plague. WB has managed to improve their poster art for the film, so I guess they thought they would apply the same mentality to their trailers. The first trailer release back in June was much more focused on the drama angle of the film. This time, its all about the thrills -- and it definitely succeeds (although I probably could have done without the shots of Will Smith in full science-guy mode; lab coat and all).

Directed by Francis Lawrence, Smith stars as the survivor of a plague battling to find a cure before he is overrun by some pretty nasty fellow survivors. The script was written by Poseiden's Mark Protosevich, and Smith is joined by Salli Richardson and Alice Braga, but the trailer makes it very clear: this movie is all about Will Smith. Personally, I think he can carry it off, but that might just be me. So don't worry if this trailer has not sated your appetite for all things Legend. DC comics still has graphic novels on the way, and you can already play a MMO through Second Life courtesy of WB and The Electric Sheep. I Am Legend hits theaters on December 14th, 2007.

Looking at this new promo still for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, I now realize what the first two Mummy movies were missing: martial arts! Never mind the fact that Jet Li looks awesome in this shot. I'm just excited because there's no possible way that Brendan Fraser (aka "Rick O'Connell") is going to get out of this fight alive. Imagine how great this sequel would be if Fraser got his ass kicked. Yeah, unfortunately, Fraser probably does win the battle somehow. Or if he does get served in this scene, he will win out in the end. In that case: poor Jet Li. How could he ever live with himself if he's seen on the big screen defeated by the guy who played George of the Jungle and Dudley Do-Right?

The photo comes courtesy of Rob Cohen, the sequel's director, who has been blogging the production ever since shooting began over a month ago. Since, we have seen a photo of "the Terracotta Army" and a photo of Maria Bello, who took over the part of "Evy" after Rachel Weisz dropped out. There have also been some videos on the blog, including footage of Fraser shooting at a river, falling out of a tree and throwing himself in some mud. And if you are really excited about the martial arts, you will want to check out the video about the stunt team, which doesn't feature any actual fighting but is still interesting enough. Say what you will about Cohen's directorial skills, he may in fact be better than Stephen Sommers at least, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is sure to be the coolest installment of the series. Unless, that is, they decide to follow tradition and give us some really terrible CGI at the end. Pray that Jet Li doesn't end up rendered out of sand in the end.

One of the best bits in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle is the cameo from Neil Patrick Harris. The former Doogie Howser plays himself, as a drugged-up, sex-crazed car thief. Forget the fact that lots of celebs portray themselves as sleazy or otherwise negative on shows like Entourage and Extras and it's one of those great moments in self-mockery -- up there with Roger Moore in The Cannonball Run and Gus Van Sant in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Now Harris is set to reprise his role for Harold & Kumar 2 (aka -- for now? -- Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay; formerly Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam). He's already shown up in the first trailer (now available on the movie's official site) and now he's here on this teaser poster. As you can see, courtesy of IGN, the poster features Harris riding a unicorn. And the tagline reads, "What Would NHP NPH Do?" There's also a website listed at the bottom, for WhatWouldNPHdo.com. Unfortunately, as of this writing, the URL doesn't seem to be working the URL just takes you to movie's website.*

One thing that is a bit interesting about Harris' return for the sequel is that the actor has come out as being gay since the first Harold & Kumar. So, will he still be playing himself as a guy who likes female hookers? It is very possible, and will make the joke that much more exaggerated. Of course, this poster also has a hint of gay self-parody, so there's a good chance that Harris is going to mock his own coming out. Obviously it isn't a problem for the movie that Harris is now openly gay. It isn't even something necessitating discussion, and I apologize to anyone who is offended at me bringing the issue up. Knowing Harris' playful humor, though (did you know he's even done a Rifftrax commentary with Mike Nelson? Unfortunately, it wasn't for Starship Troopers), I don't think it's a touchy subject for the guy. So, what would NHP NPH do? I guess we'll see come April, when Harold & Kumar 2 hits theaters.

*apparently I suffer from dyslexia.

Pictured Above: Cinematical's Erik Davis wakes up in Saw IV.

Oh, how I lurve Lionsgate. Not long ago, I woke up to a package arriving at my door which contained a pair of girl's underwear promoting the film Good Luck Chuck. The underwear were cute, and my wife wears them when we role-play, pretending to be Dane Cook (that's me) and Jessica Alba (that's her). What? Why are you looking at me like that? Anyway, this morning a different kind of package arrived at my door; this time Lionsgate was pimping out a certain horror sequel opening in theaters this weekend. Unfortunately, it wasn't another pair of girl's underwear. Oh no, this time it was a large briefcase. As I removed the briefcase out of the ginormous box it came in, a million different scenarios ran through my head. Maybe they sent me Megan Fox? Could she fit in a briefcase? Perhaps?

No, it wasn't Megan Fox. It was a nifty Saw IV package, consisting of a t-shirt (seen above), a weird pig's mask (now I have a Halloween costume!), a key chain that speaks like Jigsaw when you push a button, a few Saw IV postcards and a bottle of vodka. Combine all of that together, and I can come up with one helluva freaky night for myself. I can only imagine how nutty this film is going to be, and if I drink enough of that vodka, perhaps I'll work up the courage to sit through it. You can check out all the Saw IV treats Lionsgate sent me in the gallery below; Saw IV finally arrives in theaters this Friday.

So the second trailer is out for Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd, and it might be an international version, though I'm not entirely sure. Either way, it's slightly different from the first trailer in that there's no musical element whatsoever. You'll remember that the last trailer featured a brief and random scene of Johnny Depp singing in the street. It was odd and out of place, but at least it told us that there would be some singing in the film (since, ya know, it's based on a musical). Now, however, all of the singing has been taken out ... and we're left with a trailer for a movie that's based on a musical but isn't looking to incorporate any of those song and dance tunes just yet.

That being said, I still think the film looks great. It's dark, sinister, and based on the last shot that we see, there's a chance for at least a little gore. I imagine they're keeping the musical stuff out until the next trailer? I don't know, part of me feels they won't touch on it at all. Another part of me is scared they've removed it all for fear audiences won't go near the thing. For the sake of the film, I hope they give us at least one trailer that's all music. Not everyone is familiar with the Sweeney Todd property, and if the trailers remain this way, I could see a lot of folks walking out of the theater saying, "God, that sucked -- I didn't know Depp was going to break out into song and dance after he slit that guy's throat." What do you think? Will they give us at least one trailer with the music stuff in, or will they continue promoting this film as if it were just another Tim Burton movie, and not a movie-musical? Check out the trailer above; Sweeney Todd hits theaters on December 21.

At a reading of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Friday night at Carnegie Hall, author J.K. Rowling revealed what many fans have suspected all along: Albus Dumbledore is gay. The outing of Dumbledore came during a question and answer period following the reading, when a young fan asked if Dumbledore ever found true love. "Dumbledore is gay," Rowling responded. Gasps, prolonged applause. So now it's official, Potter fans, Dumbledore is out of the closet.

Rowling, who has since the publication of the final book in her enormously popular series, revealed to fans bits and pieces of the back stories that aren't in any of the books, further elaborated that Dumbledore was smitten by his former friend and later rival Grindelwald, who figures heavily into the last book, and that his love for Grindelwald blinded him for a while to the Grindelwald's true nature. Rowling called Dumbledore's love for Grindelwald, "his great tragedy" before noting with a laugh, "Oh, my god, the fan fiction!"

Rowling revealed that while working on the planned sixth Harry Potter film, she noticed a reference in the script to a girl Dumbledore once loved, and passed a note to the director, David Yates, revealing to him the truth about Dumbledore's sexuality. Fans have long suspected Dumbledore was gay -- he's had no significant relationship with a woman, and his past has always been clouded in mystery.

Rowling noted that some Christian groups already don't like the Harry Potter series because the books allegedly promote witchcraft. Dumbledore being gay, as she noted will give them one more thing to not like about it. Not that Rowling -- or most Harry Potter fans -- seems to care.

I've stayed away from this story for a few days to see how it develops, but now seems to be a good time to point you toward The Dark Knight viral site WhySoSerious.com, as it appears they're using a candle inside a carved-out pumpkin to count down toward some kind of announcement ... on Halloween, perhaps? Not long ago, this pumpkin with a candle inside appeared on the site, and folks immediately began to look for its purpose. Right from the start, it was obvious this was a nod to the pumpkin that appeared on the cover of Batman: The Long Halloween, which was a 13-issue comic book series that director Christopher Nolan used, in part, as a source for The Dark Knight. Among other things, The Long Halloween tells of Two Face's origins -- and, as we all know by now, this will be touched upon in the follow-up to Nolan's Batman Begins (with Aaron Eckhart playing Harvey Dent, aka Two Face).

What's interesting about the pumpkin and the candle, is that with each day that passes, the candle burns down a little -- leading many to believe that the candle will burn out completely on Halloween, at which time we'll be given some sort of Dark Knight trick or treat. What will they give us? Photos? Another teaser trailer? More riddles? Absolutely nothing? Who knows, but it's got the online community buzzing and we've got only 12 more days before the mystery will (hopefully) be over. So bookmark WhySoSerious.com, and you bet we'll be back here to let you know whatever it is that appears (or doesn't) on that page once the candle burns out. Any ideas? The Dark Knight will arrive in theaters on July 18.

I came across this little nugget today whilst surfing these internets, and all I can say is ... wow. Some blog called Lost in Negative Space has posted 15 of the most obscure, embarrassing, horrific-looking movie posters that I have ever seen in my entire life. It's truly amazing to me that, at some point, these were actually movies being promoted -- and that some artist worked tirelessly to come up with the poster art. Then, after that was done, at least one other person said: "That looks fabulous -- print!" Some of these look like either porn films or soft-core porn films, so I'll excuse those posters (though I'm not sure which ones they are), but others -- like The Incredible 2 Headed Transplant -- are just, well, wrong. Or what about the 1961 German flick Ordered to Love -- which teases the following: "teen-age girls forced to submit in secret nazi mating camps." Yeah. I'll take a bag of Twizzlers and a medium diet Coke with that.

The person who posted these calls them the 15 most embarrassing posters of all time, but a couple of them are pretty cool (in that cheesy B-movie style sort of way), like the poster for Devil Girl from Mars or Black Cobra (tagline: "How much snake can one woman take"). And what's up with Born Black ... to white parents? Seriously, that's the title. It's from Hallmark Releasing, and it comes with the tagline, "The Most Shocking and Unusual Film That You Will Ever See." Some of them are cool, some are warped, and others -- like Is Stalin Alive -- are just plain odd. In the Stalin poster, there's a picture of a guy examining a bald woman alongside the words, "Stalin's weird fetishism revealed!" So he had a thing for bald girls? Who doesn't? Anyway, check out the site and let us know your favorites. Oh, and did any of you actually see one or more of these films? Why?

Usually these movie websites launch with nothing more than a teaser image and a note asking folks to leave their email for further updates. Well, not Hellboy 2. Guillermo del Toro's follow-up to the very popular action flick has officially attacked the web with all sorts of fun stuff. Among the tasty treats to devour, fans can check out del Toro's blog post from the set, a set visit report from CHUD's Devin Faraci, and -- probably the best of them all -- a scrapbook with all kinds of production art for the film. Each piece of art comes with its own description (I especially like the Golden Army Chamber -- that puppy is going to look pretty slick up on the big screen). There's lots more stuff, including a gallery, a message board and a news section, so head on over there to check it out. All of this should keep you busy while we await the film's first trailer. Hellboy 2 is due to arrive in theaters on July 11, 2008.

Additionally, folks can head on over to the new Hitman website, which boasts a trailer, downloads, origins webisodes and a game called The Killer App which kept me busy for all of about a half hour until I remembered I was in the middle of writing this post. In the game, you get to play a sniper who takes on missions and wipes out targets. Pretty fun stuff; let us know how far you got. Since the site still claims the film in not yet rated, we don't know whether Hitman will indeed stick with its hard-R rating, or opt to edit it down to a PG-13. Different sources claim different things, but in the meantime I think I'll dust off the Hitman video game I have and play some. I forgot how much fun it was to be a sniper, even though my aim is worse than that of a drunken fat guy at a urinal. Oh well. At least I try. Hitman will hit theaters on November 21.

Cinematical has just received the exclusive poster for The Perfect Holiday (click on the image for a larger version), starring the smokin' hot Gabrielle Union, Queen Latifah, Terrence Howard and Morris Chestnut. This looks to be one of them feel-good Christmas flicks (and we need at least one of those every year ... because it's nice to just feel good). In the film, Gabrielle Union stars as a divorced mother who's too busy raising her three kids, she never finds any time for herself. Ah, but her kids are paying attention -- and when they go to visit Santa at the local mall, they don't ask for a lousy football or a Red Rider BB Gun, they ask the jolly fat man for a nice gentleman to compliment their mother. Turns out Santa himself is a nice, good-looking guy in the form of Morris Chestnut, and, well, I imagine sparks fly from there. Based on the poster, it looks like there will be plenty of characters swirling around mom and her kids; some of which are dressed up as big ass elves. Also starring in the film are Malik Hammond, Charlie Murphy, Faizon Love, Jeremy Gumbs, Jill Marie Jones, and Rachel True. The Perfect Holiday was written, produced and directed by Lance Rivera (The Cookout, Life Support), and you can check it out in theaters on December 12.

By now you've probably watched a video or two over at the Funny or Die website (our own Patrick Walsh has a gem up there as we speak). The site, created by Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, specializes in promoting comedic shorts, uploaded by users, who then try to spread the word and get their short as many votes as possible. The highest rated shorts -- or the shorts with the most buzz -- have a special section reserved on the site, and a fraction of those often wind up in Will Ferrell or Adam McKay's own top picks of the week. For the casual internet surfer, there's a ton of funny stuff on there -- stuff that's sometimes created by Ferrell and McKay themselves (see: The Landlord series) -- and now that successful duo has added a new partner to their team: Judd Apatow.

Apatow has already used the site to promote his viral marketing videos for Knocked Up and Superbad, and now it looks like he'll be coming onboard as another creative head -- a comedic mastermind, if you will. The three have already shot and uploaded a short of their own, announcing Apatow's involvement, which you can view here (or after the jump). In it, Apatow insists that he wants to add more hardcore porn to the website, while McKay and Ferrell argue against the idea. It's a little long, but pretty damn funny. I assume this means we'll be seeing shorts exclusively created by Apatow and his clan arrive on the site soon, some of which I'm sure will feature Ferrell and/or Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill ... you name em'. I think it's great that the current leaders in big-screen comedy have banded together in an attempt to produce the funniest stuff out there. Can't wait to see what they have in store for us down the line ...