I never thought that Back to the Future should have a fourth movie and at the moment, there are no plans to reboot what is probably my favourite franchise of all time. After seeing the movie back in the cinema last year, it because a new cinema highlight for me. BUT what if the most famous time-traveling movie ever (if you disagree with what please tell me in the comments below) was to head to Broadway in a new form?!

Well, this evening, Deadline have announced that the movie could be going to Broadway with some information that the film’s Writer / Director, Robert Zemeckis is in talks with his co-writer, Bob Gale and the man responsible for the awesome score, Alan Silvestri to transition the movie to the New York stage!

For those of you who don’t know, Back to the Future sees Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and his good friend, Doctor Emmet Brown (Christopher Lloyd) traveling through time in their car of choice from the time, the DeLorean. If you’ve never seen the movie, click here and buy it!

I now have to plan a trip to New York when this opens and hearing Johnny Be Good live on stage will be too good not to see!

More as we get it but please let us know what you think of this rather interesting and unexpected news! I’m just off to book some tickets to New York for next year!

What do you think of the news? Good idea? Bad idea? Tell us in the comments section below.

Source: Deadline

After almost three months since the release of the first set pic from the Footloose remake, we are now graced with a picture Dennis Quaid as a rather annoyed Rev. Shaw Moore (played by John Lithgow in the original).  The image comes to us via director Craig Brewer’s twitter, and most likely the editing room for the film as well.

Unfortunately for me, Footloose is one of those films that I have yet to watch.  As upsetting as it is it just doesn’t remain top of mind with me and everytime I hear about this remake I kick myself for not having seen it yet, especially since Kevin Bacon is in it.

The film stars Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough in the lead roles with Andie MacDowell and Ray McKinnon in supporting roles.  The comedy/musical remake is expected to to hit theaters on October 14th of this year.  Now check out the pissed off Quaid below, a man I undoubtedly believe will play a good killjoy (despite the fact I haven’t seen Lithgow’s performance).

I could be hugely unimaginative and begin this review of Glee Season 1: Volume 2 Road to Regionals by comparing the hugely successful television series to Marmite. Such an analogy, however, would be doing Glee a disservice. Marmite, you see, is rubbish.

Picking up where Volume 1 left off, this second collection of episodes chronicle the aftermath of the William McKinley High School Glee club’s victory at Sectionals. Returning to school – for more life lessons courtesy of teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), further scheming from his arch-nemesis Sue Sylvester (the exceptional Jane Lynch) and much, much more in the way of drama – Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) and her fellow Gleeks face new trials and tribulations on the road to Regionals.

It is impossible to describe Glee without invoking nauseatingly saccharine High School Musical comparisons. However, while Disney could have undoubtedly pitched a show with similar set-up, the Mouse House could never have found such a winning balance between the mawkish drama and laugh-out-loud humour so expertly tapped by show-runner Ryan Murphy.

While there were undoubtedly problems in the beginning, with many criticisms levelled at the inconsistent tone and ridiculous storylines (fake-pregnancy sub-plot, we’re looking at you), many of these issues have been remedied by Hell-O (the episode which opens this collection). Among the many highlights of Volume 2 are The Power of Madonna – an episode devoted in its entirety to the career of the titular star, Dream On – a Joss Whedon directed episode dissecting the characters’ individual aspirations and a finale which simultaneously fulfills and begs for more.

Jane Lynch delights as she chews scenery, Lea Michele lends credence to the suspicion that she may embody the most compelling character ever to grace the airwaves and Mike O’Malley (who plays Chris Colffer’s Kurt’s father) continues to choke throats at an accomplished rate. The actors have settled into their roles, making the often bipolar tone of the show less jarring than it had been previously; and while the show’s many quirks continue – on occasion – to undermine the often serious subject matter, it is to a far less grating extent.

There are, however, still issues. Along with the occasional diffusion of austerity through song and dance, there is a disproportionate attention paid to certain cast-members over others. While this is often acknowledged onscreen – as a knowing wink to the audience – you cannot help wishing that the showrunners might practice as Mr Shue preaches and offer more dialogue and dittys to characters other than Rachel, Finn (Cory Monteith) and Kurt.

Although this is a small gripe, and one which can be easily rectified in later seasons, it is nevertheless telling that – after watching this Volume for review and the season as a whole for my own personal Gleekdom – I had to wikipedia the names of two ‘main’ characters: the pencil-drawn Mike and Matt.

By now it would be a largely pointless exercise to attempt to win over those as-yet uninitiated with the series. For those able to appreciate the knowing humour, tongue-in-cheek melodrama and lovable characters, however, Volume 2 presents Glee at its finest. Messy at times, but endlessly entertaining, Glee is so full of inspired moments and winning characterisation that being a Gleek is always worth the occasional misfire – whether you like Marmite or not.

Aside from the nine episodes comprising Volume 2, the collection also offers a series of special features. Unsurprisingly, many of these extra’s focus on the music of Glee; with Glee Music Jukebox – which allows you to jump to any of the songs featured in this half of the series, and Glee Sing-Along Karaoke – which includes the songs “Alone”, “Somebody to Love”, “Keep Holding On” and of course “Don’t Stop Believing”.

Staying in Step with Glee allows you to strut your stuff in the comfort of your own home, while should you also wish to dress like your favourite Gleek – there is an extra which caters for that, too.

For those of you over the age of eleven and not partaking in a guilty dose of alcofrolics, the collection also features an interesting making of doc titled Unleashing the Power of Madonna. Making of a Showstopper, meanwhile, delves behind the scenes into the creation of showstopper Bohemian Rhapsody.

Spamalot was a huge success and a textbook example of taking a very silly film and spinning it into crowd pleasing musical – helped in no small part by the Pythons themselves.

Now John Cleese and his daughter Camilla have adapted the 1988 seafood revenge comedy A Fish Called Wanda into a musical and drafted in the services of Bill Bailey to write the songs.

This is a brilliant move by Cleese, as Bailey may be known to many for his roles in Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz and the comedy series Black Books, he is also an accomplished musician, basing many of his stand up tours around musical themes.

Speaking to Chortle Cleese had this to say on the project,

We’ve just completed the book for the musical of A Fish Called Wanda and I’m pleased that Camilla hasn’t completely stolen all of my dignity in writing so brilliantly. She’s left me a few scraps to hang onto to keep me warm at night.

Soon, we’ll start to work on the songs for the show with Bill Bailey, who, among his many achievements, is an honourary member of the Society of Crematorium Organists. This musical is destined to be a hit amongst funeral directors.

Bailey is currently filming with Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis in the Edinburgh-based bodysnatcher movie Burke and Hare, in which Cleese also has a role, so it’s all a touch incestuous, but considering Bailey’s talent and the fact that Wanda is a comedy which is still as funny as it was two decades ago, this will be great fun.

Those of you who know your 80s movies may have twigged that our site name is a tribute to one of the most beloved 80s kids films, The Goonies.

Richard Donner’s 1985 film is well remembered and revered in the hearts of its fans, and as the 25th anniversary of the film’s release approaches with its own celebrations planned, two die hard Goonies have adapted the film into a musical, and the results are great fun.

The guys at /Film were contacted by Rob Dean and Keith Doughty who have uploaded a few of their songs playing over the scenes in the movie and they play perfectly, with the Goonies spirit evident in every one.

My favourite of the songs released so far is below and I urge you to join the fun over at /Film where you can find all the songs, and the lyrics in case you’re inspired to sing along.

This week sees the release of Fantastic Mr. Fox in the US, an adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl children’s story. Wes Anderson directs. Best known for adult themed, quirky comedy dramas, there is a question over whether he has been able to craft a movie with his unique style of humour that also appeals to a younger audience.

Whilst past Dahl adaptations like Matilda and James and the Giant Peach have been firmly aimed at children, it has been proved that his stories can be made to appeal to both young and old. The brilliant Gene Wilder stars, as we look at 1971′s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Willy Wonka opens with Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum). The youngest member of a truly working-class family, Charlie lives with his hard-working mother, and two sets of bedridden grandparents. The definition of paupers, they all struggle to exist on little more than cabbage water, with a simple loaf of bread considered a luxury item. Big hearted Charlie works a paper route after school, to contribute what little he can towards his families meagre existence. It’s an ordinary day at school for Charlie when word comes in that Mr Willy Wonka is opening the doors of his factory for one day only. The world famous chocolatier has been a recluse for many years, since a fallout with now rival Slugworth. No-one ever goes in or out of Wonka’s factory, and it’s a mystery how he manages to produce vast volumes of wonderful chocolate.

The whole world goes Wonka mad, as literally millions of bars of chocolate are bought up, everyone hoping to find one of just five lucky golden tickets that entitles the bearer entry to a confectionary paradise. Charlie is no exception, and dares to dream that he has a chance as good as anyone’s, despite not being able to afford more than a couple of bars of Wonka’s favourites. Four lucky children find tickets, could Charlie possibly be number five?

Willy Wonka is almost a game of two halves. Charlie’s under privileged existence, and his dreams of sampling just some of the luxuries others around him take for granted, is heart wrenching. His love for his family, and particularly his Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) are touching. Charlie inevitably finds his ticket, and the scene where Grandpa Joe staggers out of bed for the first time is genuinely moving, his song ‘I’ve got a golden ticket’ beautiful, despite his lack of a good singing voice. The first thirty minutes of Willy Wonka, the story of a poor hard working young boy achieving his greatest wish, are almost Dickensian.

Then Gene Wilder turns up, and the story is turned on it’s head. What starts off as a story of childhood innocence becomes a cutting look at what is wrong with the ‘youth of today’. Gene Wilder’s song, and the beautifully realised confectionary garden replete with chocolate waterfall are awe inspiring, a children’s fantasy land brought to splendid technicolor life. But despite the brightly coloured scenery, the tale takes a decidedly dark turn. Augustus Gloop’s gluttony, Violet Beauregarde’s passion for gum are their downfall, the greedy and spoilt Veruca Salt and square eyed Mike Teevee also get their just desserts.

Firmly a product of a more innocent time, Willy Wonka is none the less still relevant for our time. Ok, so the idea of the world coming to a stand still for a glorified Cadbury’s World tour is a little out of touch. And the wonderment of seeing people with brightly coloured hair and orange faces is now a mundane experience to anyone who frequents Essex nightclubs. But the concerns over greedy, overweight ASBO teens, obnoxious, addicted to TV are more pressing now than ever. Slugworth’s attempts at industrial espionage are an everyday occurrence in corporate America and Britain. And the idea of promotional chocolate wrappers was ahead of it’s time, today products of all kinds are subject to this style of marketing.

There are some good performances here. Peter Ostrum as Charlie Bucket is almost TOO sickly sweet, and most of the children and parents are passable. But Jack Albertson as Grandpa Joe is wonderfully confident and understated. And the stand out performances by Gregg Kinnear and particularly Julie Dawn Cole as father and daughter Salts far outshine the other members of the tour party. But Gene Wilder owns the screen from his first appearance to the end. Known for great adult comedy roles, it’s perhaps ironic that his greatest performance came as a character in a children’s story.

A touching children’s story with wonderfully written songs, and a darkly comic undertone make Willy Wonka an amazing movie, with much for all ages to enjoy. If Anderson’s Mr. Fox turns out half as good as this, it’ll be well worth watching.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is on general release in the UK now, and opens in the US this Friday 13th November.

Bazmann

The iTunes 99p rental – so good they do it every week. It’s easy, you go into the films section of iTunes, locate the movie picture that states ‘this weeks 99p rental’, point and click. It only takes 30 minutes to download on my computer, and my broadband is super-slow speed. It’s not surprising the concept is number 16 in the ‘Future 100′ in this months Total Film.

It’s been a couple of bad weeks, with Surfer, Dude and Starter For 10 on offer. So it’s with a sense of trepidation i say… Let’s take a look at Megan Fox and Lindsay Lohan in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.

I must start by saying that i am not, and never have been, a teenage girl. There is no situation in which this movie is aimed at me, but i’ll try and provide balance as far as possible.

Lola Cep (Lindsay Lohan) is a girl from New York, dragged kicking and screaming by her mother to live in a little town in New Jersey. Lola has aspirations of being a star, and has a penchant for being over dramatic. On her first day at her new school she instantly bonds with geeky Ella, over their mutual love for rock band Sidarthur, much to the consternation of resident mean girl Carla (Megan Fox).

A rivalry instantly forms as Carla senses a rival for her spot as coolest girl in school. This animosity is fully brought to surface by the imminent auditions for the school play. Both girls are desperate to win the lead role, an updated Eliza Doolittle, in a contemporary musical set in modern day New York.

Tragedy strikes, however, when the news comes through that Sidarthur have broken up! This is Lola’s last chance to see her idol Stu Wolf sing live at the farewell concert. Thoughts of the play are cast aside as Lola has to somehow get tickets, and convince best friend Ella to lie to her parents so they can get to the concert in New York. All this whilst Carla gloats that not only has she got tickets to the concert, but thanks to her father’s connections she will also be at the after show party at Sidarthur’s apartment. Will Lola pull it off, and fulfil her dream?

Made before high school musical, Teenage Drama Queen could have got a jump on Zac and friends if it had got this right. The resolution to the jeopardy of who will get cast in the lead role is badly telegraphed as soon as Lola starts singing in her audition. The whole play thread is then put on the back burner in favour of the very silly trip to the concert. Hilarity doesn’t ensue, it’s all a bit predictable, and it all gets a bit messy.

As Lola browbeats her friend into the ill-advised jaunt, and coupled with the revelation that Lola lied about her Dad dying, and even her real name (which is actually Mary), it’s difficult to see exactly why you should be pulling for her.

 It’s only when we, finally, get back to the musical that things pick up a bit. When you’ve got someone with the talents of Lindsay Lohan, you should make use of them for the whole movie. Say what you want about her now, here she can sing, dance, and yes even act well. It’s a shame Lohan is taking the film’s lead nowadays and wasting her talents. That’s the most interesting story here. Lohan gets the better of Fox, whilst in the real world the roles have now been reversed. Fox is the more successful actress based on two Transformers movies alone, and with some big movies coming up next year she is one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood. Lohan is now a shadow of her former self. She reached a career low with I Know Who Killed Me, and it’s unlikely her part in next spring’s Machete is going to set the world alight.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen missed the opportunity to be a trailblazer. There’s nothing here that wasn’t subsequently done better in High School Musical and Mean Girls. The Eliza Doolittle play, and the rivalry between Lola and Carla are the highlights, but are overshadowed by the poorly conceived quest to meet Sidarthur.Oh, and i won’t even go into the embarrassment factor of a 30-something male watching Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, on an Ipod Touch, on a packed train in the morning.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen is available on iTunes for rental at the discounted price until Midnight Monday 19th October. It is also available on DVD now. But buy the far superior Mean Girls instead.

Bazmann