A short synopsis by Deadline reports that film is about “A ghostwriter of young adult novels who realizes she has no identity with her pseudonym and plots to reclaim her identity. Her campaign involves going back and rekindling a relationship with her high school boyfriend–who’s freshly married, is a new father, and wants no part of her.”

Charlize Theron is set to play the female protagonist of the film.  Even though the last film scripted by Cody, “Jennifer’s Body” was a failure at the box office “Young Adult” seems more promising. The Playlist reviewed the film’s script saying that it’s Cody’s “most mature effort to date, largely dispensing with the annoying slang she’s been tagged with and is refreshingly unhip…funny, yet sad/pathetic and a little unflinching in the way it doesn’t let the female lead’s grotesque narcissism and/or insecurities off the hook.”

By the way things have been progressing for “Young Adult,” I’d say that it has a decent chance at being a decent movie.  All of the criticisms usually applied to Cody’s writing seem to be missing here i.e. her use of unrealistically hip lingo such as seen in “Juno.” Also the lack of Megan Fox and addition of Charlize Theron will contribute much in my opinion to the film since Theron is, after all, a more widely renowned actress.  Though I have been one of Cody’s many critics since she’s broken into the movie business, I’m kind of looking forward to “Young Adult.”

“Twilight” is following in the tradition of many other cinematic literary adaptations by breaking up its final chapter into two different films.  “Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows” has two films that will be released in 2010 and 2011 and reportedly “The Hobbit” adaptation is to also be released in separate segments in 2011 and 2012.

Both films are to be directed by Bill Condon of “Dreamgirls” fame.  Part one will hit theaters on Nov. 18, 2011 and the second part will follow at an as of yet unknown date in 2012.

In the meantime, you can catch the third installment in the series, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” opening in theaters nationwide on June 30^th.

The National Lampoon brand got its start as the Harvard Lampoon, an undergraduate humor publication and social organization at Harvard University.  It later became one of American’s foremost humor magazines known for its sharp satire and wit.  Popular articles from the publication became the most famous incarnations of the franchise, “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and “National Lampoon’s Animal House.”

It’s hard to imagine that a brand once responsible for creating comedy classics and launching the careers of actors such as John Belushi and Chevy Chase is presently known for releasing subpar, and often straight-to-video, comedies such as “Van Wilder.”  National Lampoon has clearly had its ups and downs over the years and as Triola tells the Hollywood Reporter this will certainly be highlighted in the documentary, “Our goal is to tell the story of National Lampoon in a way that takes audiences back to an era with all of the laughs and tragedies that came along with it.”

At this point it’s hard to say exactly what the effect of the documentary will be on the franchise.  It might cause National Lampoon to reconsider who their audience is and return to the films they were known for or just serve as another documentary to divulge the fall from grace of its subject.  Either way I think that Tirola and Bedusa have stumbled onto a superb topic and even if National Lampoon still continues to crank out frat boy comedies after the release of the film, we’re likely to at least get one awfully entertaining documentary.

Mehta seems confused about exactly what his film is.  Sometimes it’s a comedy, sometimes it’s a drama and sometimes it’s social satire.  On occasion, it’s all three.  The viewer can easily feel baffled by the rapidly shifting tones and moods of the film.  It really succeeds in the moments when it plays as a light comedy.  The character of Stella provides the most comic relief through the way she easily takes advantage of Michael and Maya but even these jokes get old fast since Michael and Maya are the type of innocent Canadians that hand out money before it can even be swindled out of them.  They’re too boring as a couple and any attempt to create tension between them falls flat.   Towards the last third of the film the plot shifts to focus largely on Tannu but this segment is easily the weakest.  Her character is used to bring attention to the plight of the lower class in India but she is never developed fully enough to bring in any sympathy for the character.

The contrast between the living situation of our Canadian protagonists and the impoverished Indians is touched upon but never fully explored.  Scenes of Michael and Maya’s grand residence and ones of a local street market where Stella buys her grocery are paired against each other nicely.  However, there is no footage portraying the real poverty India faces thus weakening the film’s attempts at insightful social commentary.  If Mehta really wanted to make a point about the clash between different cultures and classes it would have helped him to make his characters less stereotypical.  His Canadians are of course innocent and naïve and his poor Indians are all crafty swindlers.

Overall, the character of Stella is the real diamond in the rough here.  Biswas plays her perfectly.  One can’t ever stay mad at her for long enough regardless of how much thieving she does around the house because she later turns around and does something supremely sweet for Michael.    She provides nearly all of the film’s humor and comes off as the most endearing character.   Mehta’s film could have succeeded if he had left it at the light comedy territory but he oversteps his material too often and his attempts at social satire fall flat.  If anything, “Cooking with Stella” will just leave you with a craving for some butter chicken masala.

“The Red Chapel” is an endlessly entertaining and well-executed documentary.  Our two main performers, Simon and Jacob, along with Mads stir up gut-busting laughs throughout their adventure that will surely keep any viewer amused.  However, it’s Jacob that really shines through.  His handicap makes the Danish he speaks nearly unintelligible so there is no way for any of the Koreans to understand what he says creating a sort of secret language between him and the viewer.  When Ms. Pak, the tour guide assigned to guide the troop through their stay, takes a liking to Jacob and starts treating him as if he was her own son he exclaims that he feels like “he’s being smothered” and “can’t breathe.” Little moments like this serve not just for humor but also to endear Jacob to the viewer.  Part of the reason he has such a prominent role in the documentary is to highlight the lack of handicapped people in Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.

Brügger’s filmmaking never falls prey to the pitfalls of a typical documentary.  His camera work is never dull or shoddy but usually frantic and fast-paced mirroring the way the viewer feels after being exposed to such confusing and overwhelming images.  Though Brügger does insert commentary and historical information wherever necessary he also lets the images speak for themselves to a large degree.  Seeing a massive group of school-aged children singing the praises of Kim Jong-Il really just speaks for itself.  In this way, Brügger, can also showcase the strangely inviting charms of the unity brought about by fascism thus keeping his documentary from appearing the same as the propaganda he is working against.  He himself even begins to question his ideas about North Korea though this aspect isn’t explored in any detail in the film.

Brügger’s “The Red Chapel” is a hilarious, thought-provoking, and masterfully crafted film that will leave any viewer unsure of whether to laugh or feel genuinely disturbed.

In Cody’s own words, she describes “Young Adult” as “a movie about a woman who’s stalking her high-school sweetheart.”  It reportedly “has elements of humor, but it’s pretty serious and fucked up.”  Additional plot details reveal that the protagonist is “a thirty-something, divorced, young-adult fiction writer in Minneapolis who returns to her hometown to chase the ex-boyfriend, who’s now married with a kid, that got away.”

Mandate Pictures is reportedly fast tracking “Young Adult” so it’s likely to be the next Cody screenplay to hit the screen.  Mandate’s President Nathan Kahane and Mr. Mudd’s John Malkovich will be the executive producers with Lianne Halfon, Russell Smith and Mason Novick rounding out the production team.  There is as of now no director currently attached to the picture though I’m sure that casting news and the director choice will be announced in the next few coming months.

The first incarnation of the show was called “Sneak Previews” and premiered in 1975.  The show’s heyday started in 1986 when Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel renamed it “Ebert & Siskel,” a version of the show that lasted until Siskel passed away at the age of 53 in 1999.  Ebert continued to host from then on with a variety of co-hosts until Richard Roeper was made a permanent co-host in 2000.  “Ebert & Roeper” only held on until 2006 when Ebert was forced to leave the program due to his own battles with cancer.  Roeper continued to host with a slew of hosts ranging from film critics to movie directors until 2008 when the show faced its worst downturn.

Ebert and Roeper both chose to cut their ties with Disney due to the production company’s plans to take thing in a new direction.  Turner Classic Movies presenter Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons were named as successors to the series much to the dismay of the public for Lyons’ namedropping and inability to contribute at the same level of rumination the show had been known for.  Fans became hopeful when A.O. Scott from The New York Times and Michael Phillips from The Chicago Tribune replaced the previous hosts last season but alas it seems that even a return to “serious criticism” was not enough to save the series.

In the words of Roger Ebert, “RIP ‘At the Movies.” You will be missed.

The theatrical adaptation, that consists of little dialogue and lot of Green Day tunes, tells the story of three small town guys and the different paths their lives take.  One joins the army, one moves to the city and surrenders his life to drugs and the third stays home and gets his girlfriend pregnant.  “Spring Awakening’s” Michael Mayer helmed the theatrical production and Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman are to produce the film version.

Playtone’s last production “Mamma Mia!” was a hit for Universal Studios grossing $610 million worldwide despite being critically panned.  Even though, last year saw musicals such as “Nine” tank at the box office it seems that fans will flock to familiar material.  Universal is reportedly also looking into a film adaptation of the wildly popular “Wicked” and New Line is turning the Broadway musical “Rock of Ages” into a film.

The star-studded continuation of the “Wall Street” franchise features Shia LaBeouf, Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, Susan Sarandon, Frank Langella and Carey Mulligan.  Cinematical speculates on the reasons for pushing the film back.  Fox may be positioning “Wall Street” for Oscar considerations since the film is such a star packed and flashy affair.  Most big name films receive their premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival so that they can be fresh in the minds of the Academy when they are making Oscar considerations.

A later release date may up “Wall Street’s” Oscar chances but it will also be playing against bigger competition and the box office.  In April, its main competition would have been “The Losers” and the Jennifer Aniston vehicle “The Bounty Hunter.”  While in September it faces stiff competition such as Zack Snyder’s “Legend of the Guardians” and “The Eagle of the Ninth.”

If anything though, the film’s trailer looks promising and the cast has some outstanding players working with a big name director.  With all of these factors considered, “Wall Street” will probably be okay regardless of when it premieres.

The Film Stage is reporting that Gilliam is planning on taking up production on “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” again this fall.  The plot of the film centers on an advertising executive who travels back in time and gets mistaken for the fictional character Sancho Panza from Cervantes’ original novel, “Don Quixote.”  Gilliam planned to cast Jean Rochefort in the role of Don Quixote and Johnny Depp was to play Toby Grisoni, the advertising executive that travels back in time.  Due to Depp’s busy schedule he will be unable to reprise the role. Gilliam confirmed that Robert Duvall will star as Don Quixote.  The role of Toby has yet to be cast though Gilliam hinted that it will not be any A-list big name star but an up and coming actor instead.

The film is slated for release in 2011.