Don LaFontaine, famous voiceover, died Monday

The voice of more than 5,000 movie trailers and 350,000 television commercials passed away at the age of 68 Monday from complications in Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He had been hospitalized August 22 due to a blood clot in his lungs and had been in critical condition since then. He is believed to have died from a collapsed lung.

His 2006 Geico commercial in which he parodied himself as "that announcer guy from the movies" marked one of the few times he made an appearance on television. LaFontaine supposedly voiced about 60 promotions a week, sometimes 35 a day.



Some of his famed trailer voice-overs:

• The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day
  
• Cast Away
• Batman Returns
• Reno 911! Miami
  
• Cheaper by the Dozen
• Dr. Strangelove
• The Simpsons Movie

He also served as the commercial voice-over for:

• The Land Before Time
• Extreme Makeover Home Edition
• 24
  

And was also the announcer for:

• The World's Greatest Magic
• America's Most Wanted
• Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction?
• Entertainment Tonight
• The Insider

5 Promising Upcoming Animated Movies

"Kung Fu Panda" deserved a black belt in film production, but it just wasn't enough to fill my constant craving for animated movies. Luckily, Hollywood is making progress in a few upcoming films that might hit the spot. Here's what you have to look forward to:



Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
The NYC zoo animals are back and ready to go home. (The first one ended with the four animals aboard a ship expecting to return to the U.S., but the penguins are sunning on the beach admitting their knowledge that the boat is out of gas.) Supposedly, the group ends up in the African wild, where Alex the lion encounters his long-lost family and attempts to overcome the wilderness/domesticated zoo language barrier. And of course, the penguins are back as well.
Expected release date: 7 November 2008

The Fantastic Mr. Fox
I can't decide which I'm more ecstatic about: Tim Burton directing "Alice in Wonderland" or Wes Anderson directing Roald Dahl's "The Fantastic Mr. Fox." The plot unfolds around the Fox family (Mr. Fox, Mrs. Fox and their fox babies) who share a spot under a tree with Rabbit, Weasel and Badger. The local farmers decide they have had enough of Mr. Fox's food-stealing and decide to get revenge by first ambushing the family, digging them out, then starving them out when their first attempts fail. George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Bill Murray star in this recreation of one of my generation's best children's books.
Expected release date: 6 November 2009

Alice in Wonderland
Alice returns from her 57-year intermission to appear in a new, CGI version of Disney's "Alice in Wonderland," this time working with Tim Burton, mastermind of the weird and bizarre. My girl Mia Wasikowska (from the HBO series "In Treatment") will playing Alice, and rumors have been surfacing of Johnny Depp's involvement as well.
Expected release date: 5 March 2010

Shrek Goes Fourth
Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), Eddie Murphy (Donkey), Mike Myers (Shrek) and Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots) make their fourth big-screen debut in this film that follows more of the adventures of a giant green ogre and his ogre princess wife. Not much is known about this one yet, but judging from the last three, we have much to look forward to.
Expected release date: 21 May 2010

Toy Story 3
Disney may be finished with the "Toy Story" series, but Pixar isn't. The release of the third film about the cowboy and spaceman toys and their friends marks the eleventh year since the first movie's sequel. This second sequel supposedly follows the toys as their owner, Andy, grows too old to own them and sends them to a day care center. Hamm, Rex and Mr. Potato Head search for their relatives.
Expected release date: 18 June 2010

Top 10 Greatest Animated Movies of the 21st Century

I couldn't care less that I'm 22 when it comes to animated kids' movies. Most of them contain better jokes than the Will Ferrell/Vince Vaughn/Owen Wilson comedies these days, and they always leave you feeling young and happy. The cuddly and adorable animal characters don't hurt either.

Some of the best animated films have been created just in the past decade, giving the Disney classics a run for their money. I mean, who really wants to buy the new DVD version of "Cinderella" when "Kung Fu Panda" is already out on DVD? Though compiling this list proved to be a challenging task, I finally decided on an order of the ten best animated films of the century (so far):

1) Happy Feet (2006):
This one actually makes my list of top five favorite movies of all time simply because a film that combines baby penguins with an awesome soundtrack and tap dancing just can't get much better.

2) Kung Fu Panda (2008):
If you didn't check this one out in Imax this year, you better have at least bought a ticket to the big screen. Jack Black's performances have fallen short of stimulating lately, but his role as Po the panda left critics and moviegoers smiling. It's tough to keep a straight face when a fat, talking panda is attempting to do high-kicks, splits and advanced martial arts moves.

3) WALL-E (2008):
Pixar has been kicking Disney's ass for a while now with feature films such as "The Incredibles," "Ratatouille" and "Monster's Inc." "WALL-E" is no different and may be considered the best of Pixar's finest, which is a spectacular accomplishment considering the film didn't even include dialog in the first half.

4) Shrek (2001):
I have yet to meet someone who hasn't seen this movie. Eddie Murphy's gregarious, smack-talking donkey character makes the film a hit, and the twists on nursery rhyme characters deserves some credit for cleverness.

5) Finding Nemo (2003):
The thing I remember most about this film was watching it three times in a day one Christmas because my little cousin just wanted to see it over and over again. The fact that I still enjoy watching Dori babble and the baby sea turtle say "dude" couldn't be a better sign of the movie's exceptional quality.

6) Bee Movie (2007):
Possibly one of the most underrated animated films of the past eight years, "Bee Movie" cracks laughs with clever jokes and puns from Jerry Seinfeld's character, Barry B. Benson. Chris Rock added some extra humor as a mosquito named Mooseblood who becomes a lawyer in the end and delivers my favorite line of the film. A cow asks the mosquito, "You're a lawyer too?" only for him to reply, "Ma'am, I was already a bloodsucking parasite. All I needed was a briefcase." You know you wanna laugh.

7) Madagascar (2005):
When four animals--a giraffe, a lion, a hippo and a zebra--decide to dodge the everyday monotony of zoo life and escape to the city, their plans go awry and end up in Madagascar, a place much wilder than their domestic cages in the New York City zoo. Chris Rock delivers another outstanding performance as the antsy zebra who is desperate to experience the wild. The movie wouldn't be the same, however, without the four commando penguins who never fail to find trouble and act more bad-ass than their cuddly exteriors would lead you to believe.

8) The Emperor's New Groove (2000):
Incan Emperor Kuzco's inconsiderate narcissistic behavior lands him in the hands of a vengeful ex-employee with a black magic hobby. She transforms him into a llama, and he learns about the importance of compassion. This Disney movie, for the most part, skips the corny love story and avoids inserting a mushy lesson every five minutes. Instead, it uses cuddly animals with a vicious side and an adorably dumb evil sidekick (the always hilarious Patrick Warburton) to rack in the laughs.

9) The Incredibles (2004):
This Pixar success takes a spin on the annoyingly perfect, stereotypical superhero. The plot follows a unique family of undercover superheroes as they are forced to abandon their fifteen-year hiatus and jump back into the dangerous routine of saving lives. The cleverest, funniest part of the movie is the way it satirically pokes fun at the cookie-cutter, suburban lifestyle in such a subtle way while maintaining the superhero jokes.

10) Monsters, Inc. (2001):
I'm not sure if this film actually convinced kids that the monsters under their beds are friendly, but there's no doubt that it was entertaining. A lovable little girl teaches the monster who can't scare anyone how to be scary, and Disney and Pixar (which were merged at the time) managed to create a fun, action-packed, witty animated comedy without the cheese. The animation itself is commendable, and the storyline is original and imaginable.

Favorite Actress of the Week: Evan Rachel Wood

Sure, it's creepy that she's only 20 and dating the eccentric Marilyn Manson, but besides fornicating on a bed full of blood in his music video last year, she rocks. She hit Hollywood with 2003's "Seventeen" and was nominated for a Golden Globe and more recently starred in "Running with Scissors" (2006). The role that really grabbed my attention, though, was that of Lucy in last year's "Across the Universe." Who knew she could sing well and look so innocent?

Wood will be starring in Woody Allen's new film "Whatever Works," which is set to be released in 2009.

3 Movies That Need to Stop Being Made

Sometimes producers just don't learn. No matter how hard a film flops, some idiot recreates it with a different cast and a tweaked plot. Here's my list of top 3 film ideas I never want to see again.

1. College movies:
I never understood the hype over "Old School." It squeezed a couple laughs out of me, but for the most part I was more fascinated with my popcorn than the film. None of its predecessors accomplished much more, nor did its followers. "Legally Blond," "Road Trip," "American Pie" and, worst of all, the film that made me detest Ryan Reynolds--"National Lampoon's Van Wilder."

Yesterday marked the release of 2008's updated version of "Animal House" with "College." The plot focuses on some annoyingly heartbroken teenager who is peer pressured into joining a fraternity to distract his love sickness. You can figure out the rest on your own; just watch an episode of ABC Family's "Greek." Enough already.

2. Films starring pop superstars who can't act:
They never succeed, and quite a few of them top "worst movies ever made" lists on major movie sites.

"Glitter" with Mariah Carey
"Gigli" with J-Lo
"From Justin to Kelly" with the American Idol stars Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson
"Crossroads" with the pre-breakdown Britney Spears
"Spice World" featuring British pop sensations The Spice Girls

We can also look forward to upcoming "Hannah Montana: The Movie" featuring Miley Cyrus and set for release on May 1, 2009.

These stars are made for singing, and at least a few of them do it well. Why not stick to your talents?

3. Football movies:
I realize this is hypocritical considering my constant promotion of the upcoming SU football film "The Express," but if it weren't Syracuse, I wouldn't think twice about avoiding it. They're all the same: "The Replacements," "Any Given Sunday," "Friday Night Lights," "We Are Marshall." They always focus on an underdog team that usually has to fight for civil rights while tackling players on a football field and following the guidance of a heroic, intelligent coach with a hot body and pristine virtues. I've seen enough of them to predict the plot. Why go to the theater?

3 Movies that Need to be Made

Just in case Hollywood is running out of ideas, I've concocted a few film ideas to help with their writer's block.

1. Michael Phelps film: He's going to be legendary, and his story serves up a decent plot. He has all the classic requirements of an inspirational film:
- He's extraordinary; no one else can say they own 14 Olympic gold medals (8 of them in just this past Olympics) or broke seven world records in swimming.
- He's just an Average Joe; He grew up in Baltimore, Md. with a policeman father and a mother who was principal of a local middle school.
- He's worked through obstacles; Part of the reason Phelps began swimming was because his Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder left him with excess energy that he needed to work off. His parents divorced when he was young.

2. Documentary on illegal immigration: How has Michael Moore not yet thought of this one? He's already got school shootings, universal health care and 9/11 under his very large belt. This is right up his alley, but I personally think a better director with a less snarky tone would be better suited to produce a film so controversial. The excessive sarcasm of Moore's films tend to reduce their objectivity and therefore their accuracy. Illegal immigration has created so many issues--issues big enough that they're even considered a somewhat high priority in this presidential election. The unfortunate part about it is that many people whose votes are affected by the topic don't actually know much about it. It's a topic on which the U.S. needs to be better educated, and what better way to educate than through a film?

3. Adaptation of "The Lovely Bones": This was originally my third idea, but it seems a better producer than myself thought of it quite a while ago. Peter Jackson, director of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and the 2005 "King Kong" remake, is directing this adaptation of Alice Sebold's book. Set in 1973, the plot revolves around the young Susie Salmon, who is raped and murdered by a serial killer neighbor. (I never said it was an uplifting story.) The majority of the book follows Susie as she goes to heaven and watches her family on Earth as they attempt to uncover the reasons behind her disappearance. The film's production commenced back in October 2007 and is supposed to be released between September and November 2009. Susan Sarandon, Rachel Weisz and Mark Wahlberg are just a few of its stars.

Wikipedia vs. IMDB: Is IMDB doomed?

For years I have relied on the International Movie Database (IMDB) for movie facts, cast lists, trivia, release dates and quotes. The online database, bought by Amazon.com in 1998, is usually up to date, accurate and dependable. However, I've been Googling film information more often lately in order to frequently update this blog, and the three top hits never fail to be the official movie site, IMDB and Wikipedia.

I began betraying my old friend IMDB and moving my mouse instead to the Wikipedia links, which tend to have many more details concerning the movies, especially if they are still in production. Wikipedia mirrors IMDB in that its entries contain cast lists, plot summaries, trivia and release dates. In fact, the only thing the monopolizing online encyclopedia lacks is movie quotes on the actual movie entry.

On top of its similarities to IMDB, Wikipedia usually expands its information into longer, more detailed paragraphs, often with entire sections devoted to production, design, filming, effects and music sections. It also includes the film's awards, budget, box office performance, reviews and external links to other, relevant online articles.

The multilingual conglomerate has already expanded into Wikinews (Wikipedia's own free news source), Wiktionary (dictionary and thesaurus), Wikibooks (free textbooks and manuals), Wikiversity (learning resources and educational material), Wikiquotes (a giant collection of quotations) and a handful of other Wikipedia branches. The site is also an expert lister with enormous lists of just about anything from music genres to government departments to random compilations like "roses named after people." They already have an extensive, frequently updated list of upcoming movies.

IMDB doesn't have anything to bring to the table, since Wikipedia already produces the exact same information and more. I think it's safe to assume IMDB will fall into the shadows in the near future, and even the most loyal IMDB-ers will flock to Wikipedia. Considering the site's tendency to dominate every online information outlet out there, it's completely probable they're already discussing the establishment of a Wikimovies. Unless IMDB steps it up, the site is bound to be left in the dust.

End of Summer Blues: The Few Films You Have to Look Forward to in the Near Future

Summer has come to a close and with it, vacation, warm weather, beaches and weekly movies worth your time and cash. Here's a mini-timeline of the handful of movies that may be decent enough to see this year:

10/3 The Express: Football movie about Syracuse University's #44 hero, Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. [See "Go Orange!" blog entry for more details.] As an SU grad, I can't help but be biased.

10/17 The Secret Life of Bees: Based on Sue Monk Kidd's 2002 bestselling novel, this film follows 14-year-old Lily Owens as she attempts to dig up the secrets of her mother's death and develop a true family at a South Carolina honey farm. This one is undoubtedly going to be a chick flicky tearjerker that I will most likely pass on. However, if you fall into the demographic of Oprah-watching, Dr. Phil-loving, middle-aged moms, grab a box of tissues and hit the theater.

11/12 Burn After Reading: This dark comedy focuses on a former CSI agent Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) whose journal is discovered by two gym employees, one played by Brad Pitt. Cox's secrets are threatened to be revealed, and a blackmailing plot ensues. George Clooney plays another CIA agent who is given the task of recovering the memoir. The film is written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, the brothers who brought you "No Country for Old Men," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "The Big Lebowski."

11/12 Christmas on Mars: A Fantastical Freakout Featuring the Flaming Lips: So this one will most likely be a complete disaster, but my guess is that it's going to be bizarre enough to be worth the watch. Wayne Coyne actually directs it, and the plot is just as freaky as their live shows: something about the colonization of Mars, hallucinations and aliens.

11/21 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Oh wait--those assholes are actually making us wait til summer '09. Still bitter.

12/25 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Based on the 1922 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, this promising film is a weird and dark drama about a man who is born aging backwards. This made absolutely no sense to me either until I read further. Button, played by Brad Pitt, is actually an old man as an infant and becomes mentally younger as he becomes physically older. The story begins in 1919 but follows Button's life until 2000 and is directed by David Fincher ("Se7en," "Fight Club" and "Zodiac"). I'm shocked Tim Burton didn't snatch this one up, considering it's dark, sci-fi nature is exactly his style. Other big names: Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton and a cameo from the over-publicized Shiloh Jolie-Pitt.

Facebook Movie Confirmed

"The West Wing" writer Aaron Sorkin and "No Country for Old Men" producer Scott Rudin are working with Sony Pictures to create a movie about the creation of the popular social network Facebook, says Internetnews.com. No comments have surfaced yet from Mark Zuckerberg, the site's founder and the world's youngest billionaire, and very little is known about the film.

The team has initiated their research by creating their own Facebook group in order to learn more about the site and its issues and benefits. The group encourages Facebook members to post Facebook stories on the group's "wall" and participate in discussions on its discussion board.

What's the big deal about Tom Cruise in "Tropic Thunder"?

On the night of the "Tropic Thunder" release, I had read up on some reviews and was anticipating an incredible performance from Tom Cruise. All the critics raved more about his cameo than they did about the star performances of Robert Downey Jr., Ben Stiller and Jack Black. I left the theater wondering if I had missed a huge chunk of the film where Cruise stole the show. Sure, seeing the sexy star in a bald cap and fat suit adds some humor and his ridiculous gangsta dance at the end cracked some laughs; but besides that, his role basically consisted of yelling at co-stars and screaming egotistical rants. It's not like Cruise acting crazy is anything new.