“Needs more Brolin” is the new “needs more cowbell.”  You folks have reminded me that just because I and The Movie Mark helped launched Josh’s acting career into the stratosphere doesn’t mean the job is done.  Yes, he is dominating Hollywood and making chump meat of all who cross his path, but we’ve gotta help him keep it up.

It’s my job (and yours) to keep things such as the ‘stache gallery (see below) and the American Gangster white pimp suit on the forefront of the world’s mind.

So today I give you the second official trailer of Josh’s upcoming Gangster Squad.  Brolin lays the smack down all over Sean Penn’s ugly mug?  Sign me up!  Looks awesome.

This:

The above is a pic from the set of Brolin’s upcoming film Oldboy.  As you can tell, Josh will proceed to kick major amounts of rumpage in the film.  That’s a given.  Check out what his co-star James Ransone had to say about Josh and his role (from a Q&A with EW):

“Josh, no matter what people’s expectation of the movie is, is really intense. He’s been living with this. He knew he was going to do this for a long time. His A-game is really intense. In the remake, the captivity scenes are longer than in the original. In the remake, they get more in-depth. What Josh did to his body, I’ve never seen an actor do before. He showed up pretty lean, pretty cut, and they shot the scene pretty much in sequence. In the course of nine days, he was ripped, he was fat, and then he was ripped again. He gained 35 pounds in one week, and then he dropped 19 pounds. I think Josh is so talented at what he does, I think there’s no way it’s going to be that bad. I met him for the first time last week. I’ve never worked with him before.”

I’ll now be in search of this outfit.  I might just have to get an Under Armour shirt and doctor it a bit.

Who remembers the great Brolin ‘Stache Revival of 2007?  Here’s the gallery:

My hope is his next line of films will result in a clothing gallery as awesome as the ‘Stache Gallery above.  I know that’s asking a lot and is a bit unrealistic, but if anybody can pull it off it’s The Brolin.

Here’s a video to send you merrily into the weekend.  If you haven’t heard of the “Bad Lip Reading” series then it’s time to change that.  My friends Shawn and Kristi introduced me to them this weekend.

We’ll start with a scene from Twilight.  Kudos to anybody who can create a way for me to enjoy watching anything from that movie!

Enjoy.

“Dude… you slapped a fiiiiiiiiish.  You punched it.  Why would you hit it?”

“That cake’s my most bestest creation.”

If you’re a Star Wars fan then you have most likely heard the news – Disney has worked out a deal with George Lucas to buy LucasFilm, and they’ve already announced that they’re making a new trilogy, starting with Episode 7 in 2015.

You can read the full story here.

No word yet on if George Lucas’ chin will make an appearance as an alien life form.

So, what do you think?  I have high hopes.  More Star Wars films is a good thing.  Less Lucas involvement is even better!  Sure, Disney could go the route of focusing more on merchandise than story and mess this up, but if they put it in the right hands then this can be awesome.

Star Wars fans owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Lucas for his original vision, but let’s keep in mind that he’s responsible for Ewoks replacing Wookiies in Return of the Jedi and – most regrettably – JarJar Binks.

He’s also responsible for the clunky dialogue between Anakin and Padme.  So the idea of Lucas acting as a consultant but placing the bulk of the writing and directing in more capable hands has me excited.

Despite the emperor’s decree that a recently discovered time travel machine is NOT to be used, the well-known Roman Centurion – Maximus (Dolph Lundgren) – decides to defy the emperor and see what the future has to offer.  After traveling to modern times, Maximus finds himself in a beat up old Ford, traveling down a rural road.  What transpires is a journey of epic proportions where Maximus must learn a new way of life and a new way of dealing with people.  Maximus’ defining moment occurs when he comes face to face with the fact that the things we do in life really DO echo in eternity.

All right Bond fans, here’s a featurette that discusses the upcoming James Bond installment – Skyfall – and its relevance in regard to the 50th Anniversary of the iconic character.  I’m looking forward to this one.  I love Daniel Craig as Bond, and I thought Casino Royale was the bee’s knees.  The bee’s knees, I tell ya!    Quantum Solace was OK, but it was a bit of a chaotic misstep.  If the trailers depict the film accurately then Skyfall should get this franchise back on track.

I love the fact that Javier Bardem has outdone his bad hairdo from No Country for Old Men.  I did not think that was possible so kudos on a hair job well done.  Or poorly done in this case.

Details and video are below…

Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, and Judi Dench as “M”

Rating: This film has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for INTENSE VIOLENT SEQUENCES THROUGHOUT, SOME SEXUALITY, LANGUAGE AND SMOKING.

Synopsis: Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in Skyfall, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time.  In Skyfall, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her.  As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Check out the synopsis and first trailer below.  Looks good to me!  Glad to see Ben Kingsley proving that miracles still occur.  There’s no other way to explain his career’s survival after starring in The Love Guru, BloodRayne, Thunderbirds, AND A Sound of Thunder.  Whew.  Dude must have bought quite the nice Summer home.

U.S. Release date: May 3, 2013

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, and Ben Kingsley
Director: Shane Black

Synopsis: Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

“A movie version of Welcome Back, Kotter has been in the works for years.  Here’s the worst part – it is set to star Ice Cube.  This should alarm you.  Could there be a more defiant way for Hollywood to say, “We’re short on ideas”?  That’s a tough call.  I figure I might as well jump into this dazzling display of ZERO creativity and offer a few ideas of my own.”

Go on and read the list.  You’ll be glad you did.

I was feeling a little nostalgic recently and decided to read an old “Johnny Betts” paper from elementary school.  In doing so, I noticed something very interesting when you click on the “Tools” menu item on Microsoft Word. Check it out:

Feel free to send this slice of hilarity to all your friends and family. But keep in mind that it is a Movie Mark original, so you’re required to provide proper credit.  Failure to do so will result in a Southern Fried, biker boot-laced beat down.

“Hey, you said that was an old paper you wrote in elementary school?”

Yeah, that’s right.

“Um, there was no such thing as Microsoft Word when you were in elementary school.”

Yeah, well, I’ve had my staff transfer all my old handwritten school papers into Word for longevity, posterity, and whatnot.  Don’t be a smart aleck.

Actual photo of the Chinese bootleg DVD that includes a part of my review (without my permission).

Did you know the Chinese bootleg DVD market has actually stolen my reviews to use on the back of their DVDs?  An American living in China alerted me to this fact!  I think this means I’ve officially “made it.”

Go on, read the full story.  You know you want to.

And please use the comments section to answer the question regarding how YOU found The Movie Mark.  I’d love to hear your stories.