'Hex' Crime

On paper, Jonah Hex seems like a character primed for the silver screen. A scarred, surly, Old West antihero, Hex made his debut in DC Comics’ All-Star Western #10 in 1972, and even though he never garnered the popularity of Batman or Superman, he’s become one of the publisher’s cult-favorite characters. Surely, those fans that have supported this character over the decades must be pretty excited that their favorite gunslinger is making his cinematic debut in Jimmy Hayward’s Jonah Hex, right? Well, they shouldn’t be.

One of the most disappointing things about Jonah Hex is that it could have been a far better film in more capable hands. Starring Josh Brolin as the titular bounty hunting badass and John Malkovich as his nemesis, a former Confederate officer-turned terrorist named Quentin Turnbull, this film should have been a slick, modern Western based on solid source material featuring top-notch actors. Instead, in spite of Brolin’s noteworthy performance that nearly pulls this film out of the muck on several occasions, it’s one of the most predictable and sloppily-edited action films in recent memory, and one can’t help but think that this was a total rush job.

Oh, and for those of you titillated by the idea of Megan Fox playing a tough-as-nails (and frequently sweaty) gun-packing prostitute, here’s another bombshell: She’s barely in the movie.

Read the rest of this review at Broken Frontier.

Megan Fox Booted from Transformers 3

For many of you, this news will serve as yet another reason not to see Transformers 3.

According to Deadline.com’s Nikki Finke, Paramount will not be picking up Megan Fox’s option on Transformers 3 and, reportedly, the decision to oust her from the blockbuster flick rested with Michael Bay.

Considering the fact that Megan Fox has been trashing the director in the press over the past year or so, saying he’s “like Hitler on his sets” among other disparaging remarks, it’s not all that surprising that Bay dumped her. However, Bay did seem to confirm Fox’s involvement in the film late last year when he confirmed its release date: July 1, 2011.

“P.S. Megan Fox, welcome back,” Bay wrote in an October posting on his website. “I promise no alien robots will harm you in any way during the production of this motion picture.”

Well, I guess he was half right, since it’ll be some other hot, young starlet of questionable acting talent on the run from evil alien robots next summer when Transformers 3 hits theater.

Michael Bay: Megan Fox’s Character Won’t Be Killed Off in Transformers 3

While the tension between Megan Fox and her Transformers director Michael Bay is the stuff of legend at this point (she has reportedly compared him to Hitler), the explosion enthusiast rushed to his leading lady’s defense at a recent Victoria’s Secret fashion show.

“She called me [after the Hitler comment] and goes, ‘It’s all bullsh—t, Mike,’” Bay told USA Today’s Andrea Mandell. “The press, they just like to prey, and stalk, and pounce and find a good little juicy thing. But she’s always wanted to do these crazy comments. That’s just her. She’s great.”

As for those rumors that Bay’s going to kill off her character, Mikaela Banes, in the next Transformers sequel? “No, no, no,” he said. “She gets enough of that already.”

The USA Today piece points out that Bay directs commercials for Victoria’s Secret, which is a bit of a shock. That being the case, I’m surprised we haven’t seen more pyrotechnics and giant robot genitals in our lingerie ads.

Transformers 3 Set for 2011

This may not necessarily be the most awesome news for those of us who sat through the barely coherent (albeit pretty) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, but director Michael Bay announced October 1 on his Shoot for the Edit site that he has a “great Transformers 3 story,” and that the release date of the sequel has been moved up to July 1, 2011 from 2012.

According to his blog, Bay has already had a five-hour meeting with visual effects powerhouse Industrial Light & Magic in San Francisco, and is in talks with Transformers toy manufacturer Hasbro about new character designs.

Bay ends the post with a shot at franchise star Megan Fox, who has described him in the press as being “like Hitler on the sets” among other widely publicized insults. Despite this apparently rocky professional relationship, she will be returning in the next installment.

He writes:

P.S. Megan Fox, welcome back. I promise no alien robots will harm you in any way during the production of this motion picture. Please consult your Physician when working under my direction because some side effects can occur, such as mild dizziness, intense nausea, suicidal tendencies, depression, minor chest hair growth, random internal hemorrhaging and inability to sleep. As some directors may be hazardous to your health, please consult your Doctor to determine if this is right for you.

Ouch.

Michael Caine Debunks Batman Sequel Casting Rumors

Since news on Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight sequel is pretty much non-existent, the Internet has been buzzing with speculation that stars such as Johnny Depp, Philip Seymour Hoffman and even Megan Fox may be attached to the highly anticipated film as villains. To get some clarification on the issue, MTV News caught up with Alfred Pennyworth himself, Michael Caine, at the Toronto International Film Festival. The big news? There still isn’t any.

“There is nobody, there’s no script, there’s nothing,” Caine said. “It can’t possibly be made before 2011 because Inception is such a big picture.”

As for Depp’s involvement? “Johnny Depp is great in anything, but there is no Johnny Depp in this Batman. They tell me in no uncertain terms.”

Nolan’s Inception, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, opens July 16, 2010.