Steven Spielberg Blames George Lucas for Indiana Jones Aliens, But Takes Credit for Nuking the Fridge

Steven Spielberg may have hated George Lucas’s addition of aliens into Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls, but the much-loathed refrigerator scene? All him. “What people really jumped at was Indy climbing into a refrigerator and getting blown into the sky by an atom-bomb blast. Blame me. Don’t blame George. That was my silly idea. People stopped saying ‘jump the shark.’ They now say, ‘nuked the fridge.’ I’m proud of that. I’m glad I was able to bring that into popular culture.” See here, fellas: No one gets away clean. [Empire]

James McAvoy talks X-Men: First Class sequel ideas

Total Film recently sat down with the new Professor X, James McAvoy, and naturally we grilled him about the potential of a sequel to X-Men: First Class.When we asked him if he'd be up for a follow up to Matthew Vaughn's mutant prequel, McAvoy told us, "I'd be up for it. But the truth is I'm contractually obliged to be up for it because they made us all sign multiple picture deals!"But does he have any idea where the story will go, following on from the ending of First Class?"I've spoken to Matthew [Vaughn] about ideas, but I can't tell you what they are because they may or may not be the story. One thing I liked about our one was that it was different from the other three films where the X-Men are the good guys, Wolverine's figuring out who he is and Magneto is the bad guy."This was a completely different thing. Magneto wasn't a bad guy, we were friends. We're now set up to go back to the way the other movies are, so we've got to try to be cleverer than that."For more from James McAvoy, get the new issue of Total Film Magazine, which hits newsstands on Thursday 27 October 2011!To subscribe to Total Film Magazine, click here.You can now read Total Film magazine on iPhone and iPad via Apple Newsstand!To find it on the UK App Store, click here. To find it on the US App Store, click here.

Amos loves promoting underdog pics

Jim AmosJim Amos was born into the movie biz -- his father owned a chain of movie theaters and his mother worked for Columbia Pictures. When "I grew up, that was what we did, we went to movies," says Amos, who is now Sony Pictures' prexy of domestic distribution. Amos remembers "Le Mans" and "Lawrence of Arabia" as two defining films of his childhood. In his nearly three-decade long career at Sony, Amos has crisscrossed the country, starting in Boston, then San Francisco, NY and now L.A. Though Amos has worked on hit movies such as "Ghostbusters," "The Karate Kid" and "Men in Black," what excites him are the underdog films that come out of nowhere to garner critical and box office success, much like "The Social Network." Amos' fervor for film hasn't waned throughout his long career. "I'm as excited about (the future) as I was when I first started in the business," he says. SHOWEAST 2011 Five 3D myths that will not dieHonoreesShow "E" Award: Jim Amos | Al Shapiro Distinguished Service Award: John C. Hall | Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award: Kurt Hall | ShowEast Hall of Fame 2011 Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Box Office Report: 'Paranormal Activity 3' Collects a Franchise Best $8 Mil in Midnight Shows

Paramount's Halloween horror pic Paranormal Activity 3 grossed a stellar $8 million in Thursday midnight grosses from 2,200 theaters in North America -- 30 percent higher than last year's Paranormal Activity 2, which earned $6.3 million.our editor recommendsBox Office Preview: 'Paranormal Activity 3' Expected to Open North of $30 MillionParanormal Activity 3: Film Review The prequel now has a strong shot at matching the $40.7 million opening of the sequel, bucking the overall downturn at the domestic box office. The midnight grosses were the best ever for an R-rated film after Hangover Part II, which earned $10.4 million in midnight runs this past summer. And Paranormal 3 also is off to a strong start overseas, where it's outpacing Paranormal 2 as well. The movie opened to $521K in France on Thursday, 13 pecent of Paranormal 2. In Russia, the $550K opening waas 45 percent higher than the sequel, while Australia turned in $516K, 14 percent ahead. The Paranormal franchise, produced by Jason Blum, Oren Peli and Steven Schneider, has been one of the most profitable film series in recent memory. The first Paranormal, which cost $15,000 to produce and opened in a limited run in September 2009, went on to gross $193.4 million worldwide. Paranormal 2 cost $3 million to produce, and grossed $177.5 million worldwide. The threequel's budget is pegged at $5 million. Related Topics Box Office Paranormal Activity 3

Shame Trailer Hits The Net

McQueen & Fassbender, erotic dramatistsShame is a movie about sex. A movie about Brandon (Michael Fassbender) and sex. Not love, not intimacy, not romance... sex.So as you'd expect, the world's first trailer for the Hunger director's second film (both with Fassbender starring)is pretty, well, sexual, slapping you with images of Fassbender writhing, kissing, charming and generally being a degenerate human being.We also see glimpses of Brandon's sister, Cissy (Mulligan), whose sudden arrival (and indefinite stay) ruins his perfectly constructed life, but it's definitely the Fassbender show, pure and simple.Conjuring up an atmospheric world of meaningless sex, addiction and dependency, it's pretty moving stuff from McQueen and Fassbender, and it only makes us want to watch the film even more.Funny that, it being a trailer an' all, but there you go:they've got us hooked, good and proper. Shame (no pun intended)we're going to have to wait until January 12 next year before we can see it in the cinema.

Apple apple apple iphone 4S Sells In U.S. Pre-Orders

NY - U.S. mobile phone service companies have offered from Apple's new apple apple iphone 4S in pre-orders, the NY Publish reported.our editor recommendsApple apple apple iphone 4S Leads to Mixed Web Reaction From ConsumersApple apple apple iphone 4S Had On The Million Pre-Orders in First DayApple apple apple iphone 4S: What Hollywood States It mentioned that three major service companies that offer the phone - Sprint, AT&T and Verizon - have introduced pre-order sellouts. Earlier inside the week, Apple mentioned the newest apple apple iphone is its fastest-selling phone yet exceeding millions of pre-orders. Meanwhile, since the new apple apple iphone ongoing purchase in stores around the world on Friday, 1000's arranged such urban centers as London, Paris and Tokyo, japan, japan to obtain the final Apple device revealed while co-founder Steve Jobswas alive, Reuters reported. "I am a fan, a sizable fan," Reuters reported one consumer arranged in Tokyo, japan, japan as saying. "I'd like something to think about Jobs by." The completely new phone was introduced eventually before Jobs died. Initially seen as disappointment, reviews have since been positive with a lot of lauding a voice-triggered software that will help answer user questions. New Apple Boss Tim Cookand his team desire to show while using device that they may sell hit products even without their extended-time leader. Related Subjects Jobs Apple

Hershman new leader of Cinemax Sports

Cinemax has raided its pay cable rival Showtime and named Ken Hershman as leader of sports. The outlet in the internet grew to become obtainable in This summer when longtime Cinemax sports topper Ross Greenburg left after his executives were unhappy he was not able to retain pay-per-view privileges to some Manny Pacquiao combat Shane Mosley in May. Hershman, who went Showtime's sports division since 2003, have been in the network since 1992. Losing Hershman is really a blow to Showtime, that has seen its sports department make major strides recently. In 2005, boxing was the only real sport Showtime transported. Now it airs longtime football recap show "Within the National football league," "Inside Dale earnhardt jr .," and weekly mma and boxing programming. Additionally, Hershman performed a job, together with Showtime entertainment leader David Nevins, when controling Mlb in obtaining the weekly reality skein "The Franchise: A Season Using the Bay Area Titans." Also approaching is doc "A Game Title of Recognition," phone legacy from the Military-Navy nfl and college football game. "Ken leaves to pursue other possibilities.," stated a Showtime spokesperson. "Sports will always be a significant part in our content selection. We now have great programming in position and our resolve for sports remains strong." Internet also mentioned that there's no successor in position to exchange Hershman. You will find three executives at Showtime, however, who labored carefully with Hershman in sports who will probably be given consideration: professional producer David Dinkins Junior., (boy from the former Gotham mayor), programming Vice president Jock McLean, and production Vice president Gordon Hall. Greenburg was at Cinemax for 33 many was instrumental in establishing pay-per-view boxing matches that demonstrated greatly lucrative for that internet. Eventually, however, his relationship with several boxing marketers started to wane and Showtime could capture the long awaited Pacquiao-Mosley fight. Formerly, all Pacquiao's major fights have been on Cinemax or its pay-per-view division. While boxing was the activity that introduced probably the most gold coin to Cinemax, Greenburg introduced the highly popular "Hard Knocks" National football league preseason docu series towards the internet. As well as in among his last major purchases, Greenburg labored using the National Hockey League and started the "24/7: The Street towards the Winter Classic" franchise, that is now in the second season. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

'Hellboy' Actor to see an Alien in 'Neighborhood Watch'

Doug Manley Doug Manley, recognized for playing figures under prosthetic make-up, remains cast becoming an alien in Fox's sci-fi comedy Neighborhood Watch. The film sees Ben Stiller leading a cast including Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill (Billy Crudup, as Warmth Vision first reported, is at discussions to participate the expansion) and concentrates on a suburban "neighborhood watch" group that finds itself in over its mind if the discloses an alien plot to get rid of the earth. Akiva Schaffer is pointing while Shawn Levy is creating. The film begins shooting this month in Atlanta. A type of modern-day Boris Karloff, Manley, repped by Omnipop Talent Group, constitutes a status for themselves hiding his face playing fantastical figures. He starred as Abe Sapien in Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy movies in addition to carried out Fauno and Pan inside the director's Pan's Labyrinth. More youthful crowd carried out the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise in the Silver Surfer. Jonah Hill Vince Vaughn Ben Stiller

Motherhood Out Loud

Randy Graff, James Lecesne, Mary Bacon and Saidah Arrika Ekulona perform parenthood vignettes in Motherhood Out Loud. A Primary Stages presentation of a play in one act conceived by Susan Rose and Joan Stein, written by Leslie Ayvazian, Brooke Berman, David Cale, Jessica Goldberg, Beth Henley, Lameece Issaq, Claire LaZebnik, Lisa Loomer, Michele Lowe, Marco Pennette, Theresa Rebeck, Luanne Rice, Annie Weisman and Cheryl L. West. Directed by Lisa Peterson.With: Mary Bacon, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Randy Graff, James Lecesne.An anthology of sketch plays, unified by a female-friendly theme and put together mostly by women? "Motherhood Out Loud," a show conceived by Susan Rose and Joan Stein and written by a dozen women and a couple of guys, sounds made-to-order for the "Love, Loss and What I Wore" audience. But despite prior showings at Hartford Stage and the Geffen Playhouse, the material has yet to jell. Writing is uneven, format needs an overhaul, and the whole show should check into a spa for a style makeover. The collective message of these 20 vignettes -- written by the impressive likes of Beth Henley, Theresa Rebeck and novelist Luanne Rice -- would have it known that motherhood is exhausting, terrifying, but ultimately joyous work. Taken individually, however, the show's bits and pieces give off mixed, even counterintuitive signals. Rachel Hauck's abstract set puts a cheery face on motherhood, but then the pointless graphics and dull video projections make it look downright dreary. More unkindly, the drab costumes imply that, once women become mothers, they forget how to dress themselves. The chronological timeline also does the material a disservice by suggesting that all the tender, funny, and endearing aspects of being a mother are confined to the early years. "New in the Motherhood," a clever sketch by Lisa Loomer, finds thesp Mary Bacon in wry humor as a laid-back mom trying to get the hang of playground protocol ("Can't we just let 'em duke it out?") and secretly proud of her naughty little boy ("Put the little girl down, Harry"). In Michele Lowe's low-keyed monologue, "Queen Esther," Randy Graff ("City of Angels") makes sensitive work of an understanding mother whose 7-year-old son wants to wear barrettes in his hair and dress up as Queen Esther for Purim. Some sketches take on predictable subjects, like birth pains and sleep deprivation, in predictable ways. Others show some originality in dealing with thorny issues like adoption, gay parenting, and, in a quietly moving monologue by Rice, the challenge of being a stepmother. But once past infancy and early childhood, it's all loss, emptiness and sorrow. The kids grow up, go off to college, get married, go to war, and, at the bitter end, watch their mothers grow old and helpless. Some playwrights' voices are more captivating than others. But by the end of the evening, they all sound pretty depressing.Sets, Rachel Hauck; costumes, David C. Woolard; lighting, Christopher Kuhl; sound, Jill BC DuBoff; projections, Jan Hartley; animation, Emily Hubley; production stage manager, Donald Fried. Opened Oct. 4, 2011. Reviewed Oct. 2. Running time: 1 HOUR, 30 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

The Interview With My Friend Who Seems Like Ryan Gosling's Mask From 'Drive'

Throughout an early on scene in 'Drive,' Ryan Gosling's not named stunt-vehicle driver needs to use a mask while participating in the dangerous vehicular rollover on-set. Later, Gosling dons the identical mask to be able to hide his identity within a weather scene where he confronts one of the movie's villains. Sadly personally, the mask that Gosling wears looks just like my longtime friend Kirk. Oddly similar, as you have seen above. Because of this, really, it needed me in the film through the mask portions. Clearly, I desired to confront my friend Kirk about why he looks just like Gosling's mask from 'Drive.' It had been our email conversation. Hey, Kirk, possibly you've seen 'Drive'? No. I hear 'Drive' is great. Any idea what? It's good. Possibly you've seen any pictures in the mask that Ryan Gosling wears inside the movie? Exactly what are you talking about? Here, I attached a picture. What is the first reaction? Not flattering. You need to do too think it seems like somebody that the two of us know? F-ck you. Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook You'll be able to contact Mike Ryan on Twitter

Warner Bros., Downey team for 'Perry Mason'

Warner Bros. and Team Downey are joining to relaunch the "Perry Mason" franchise like a feature film, with Robert Downey Junior. thinking of getting the title defense attorney role like a potential starring vehicle. Such as the original number of books by Erle Stanley Gardner, "Perry Mason" is going to be occur the rough and tumble realm of early nineteen thirties La, and have fan faves for example Mason's secretary, Della Street, private eye Paul Drake, and Mason's longtime court docket enemy, Hamilton Hamburger. Team Downey principals Robert Downey Junior. and Susan Downey will produce with Robert Cort, while David Gambino, Eric Hetzel and Joe Horacek will professional produce with Susan Feiles and Chris Darling. The producers are presently searching for a author, whose script depends with an original story by Robert Downey Junior. and Gambino. WB professional Jon Berg will oversee the work for the studio. Cort and the Robert Cort Prods. professional Hetzel teamed with Darling and Feiles of Action Entertainment to create the concept for that feature relaunch of "Perry Mason" to Team Downey. Estate attorney Horacek discussed the privileges deal with respect to Paisano Prods. Gardner's 82 "Perry Mason" books and a large number of short tales happen to be released in 37 languages worldwide. With book sales exceeding 425 million, Gardner, who mentored both Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett at the start of the careers, surpassed both of them in sales, even combined. In the height of his recognition, Gardner offered typically 26,000 "Perry Mason" books daily. A "Perry Mason" radio series started in 1937, running 3,257 episodes, and there have been 34 two-hour telepics and six movies from the nineteen thirties from Warners. However the character is possibly best referred to as protag from the popular Television show starring Raymond Burr, which went on CBS from 1957 to 1966 and featured memorable theme music composed by Fred Steiner. The series still plays everyday in 87 languages all over the world. Robert Downey Junior., who next stars in "A Virtual Detective: A Game Title of Shadows," is presently reprising his role as Iron Guy in Marvel's "The Avengers." He's repped by CAA. Contact Shaun Sneider at shaun.sneider@variety.com

New apple apple iphone Unveiling Today At 10 AM PT: First Without Jobs

Super-secretive Applee-mailed “Let’s Talk apple apple iphone” invites with a 10 AM PT media event at its headquarters in Cupertino today. Nevertheless it’s the initial major product unveiling that won’t be produced by Jobs. Rather,his successor Tim Prepare is predicted to supply what may be the apple apple iphone 5 and/or perhaps the apple apple iphone 4S and/orApple’s latest iOS mobile software –iOS 5.In line with the AP,the newest iPhonewill includewireless device setup and content syncing, a far greater 8-megapixel camera, additionally to email and Web-browsing programs. Butthe new smartphone isn’t prone to lookmuch different then the apple apple iphone 4, although it might be thinner and possess a larger screen. Deadline’s subling site BGR.com states some industry audiences had wanted fora brand-new curved-created apple apple iphone 5 with bigger display, insanely thin design, plus much more. Now its searching like Apple might be set presenting a much better apple apple iphone 4 rather. Bummer, right?Not ifApples apple apple iphone 4S isa pretty substantial bump rather than just an incremental update, as much take an opportunity. Occurrences where thinkAppleis set to unveil of a dozen various apple apple iphone models now, different in the modest update cheaply with a teardrop-created overhaul that will possess a 4-inch display together with a unibody aluminum design. Many industry audiences are predictinga more efficient nick: Apple’s dual-core A5 processor, the sameused in the present iPad for enhanced multitasking, opening programs, and gaming. A completely new service referred to as iMessage enables iOS 5 clients to deliver texts to each other over Wi-Fi or wireless service companies’ data systems. A folder referred to as Newsstand will corral newspaper and magazine application monthly monthly subscriptions in a single location making it better to see them.The newiPhone may also be prone to include Apple’s forthcoming iCloud service, which will store content for instance music, documents, programs and photos on Apple’s servers and permit you to access them easily on numerous items. AP saysanalysts believeApple couldtrot out new apple apple ipods and updates toiTunes music software, therefore it usually does inside the fall anyway.Regardless, the completely new software willbe designed for Apple’s iPad, apple apple iphone 4 and 3GS and 2 of the very recent decades in the ipod device device Touch. Janney Capital Areas analyst Bill Choi thinks Apples success while using apple apple iphone is constantly on the sky rocket. Choi thought recently that Apple will ship 87 million apple apple iphone models this year and 107 million throughout 2012, a 27% increase year-over-year. Apples growing volume of company partners will be the primary catalyst for your growth, Choi mentioned, watching that 228 wireless service companies offered the apple apple iphone in the total of 105 nations through the 3rd quarter of the season. You will discover still numerous major service companies worldwide that have not yet carry the apple apple iphone. Potential handles Sprint (52.1M clients), T-Mobile (33.6M clients), China Mobile (628M clients) together with other large worldwide service companies pose a catalyst to fuel apple apple iphone sales, Choi written in the research note. Meanwhile,the Wall Street Journal is verifying that Sprint has anagreement with Apple to purchase over $20 billion cost of apple apple iphones over the following four years, oraround Thirty Dollars million apple apple iphones.

Rose McGowan to star in 'Napa'

McGowan "The Pastor's Wife" star Rose McGowan will topline new romantic thriller "Napa" from writer and producer Michael Kerr.Pic marks the directorial debut for Kerr, who is financing the production through his self-named shingle.Co-written by Hans Ostrom based on his novel "Three to Get Ready," the story centers around Scarlett Harding (McGowan) who gets a job as Sheriff in her hometown of Napa after returning from three military tours of Afghanistan.Exec producer Ellen Wander will handle worldwide distribution and sales for Napa through Film Bridge International."Lackawanna Blues" producer Nellie Nugiel will produce along with Kerr.McGowan recently completed "Wife" where she portrayed Mary Winkler, the real-life preacher's wife who murdered her husband in 2006. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com