So We Got Catwoman & Bane... Here Are My 5 Reasons Why This Can Be Great

Very Catwoman-esque.... no?

This is Hardy before and after Bronson... dude can get jacked for a role!

So Ann Hathaway is going to be Catwoman & Tom Hardy is gong to be Bane in Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight Rises'... and the Internet has been all a buzz about this. But this is CCD, and we are not just going to give you the same old story you are seeing on every other site. Instead of the typical "good or not good casting" bullshit, I am going tell you my 5 reasons why this is truly a good thing. Here we go:

1. Both of these guys are great actors - This should not be a throw in, it should be the most important requirement. Yeah, their are a ton of hot chicks who could wear the cat costume or muscle bound steroid freaks to be Bane 'the Bat Breaker'... but isn't better to get two actors who can pull the part off "physically" and also be able to give a great performance? It's not like Hathaway isn't smoking hot... and Hardy bulked up big time for Bronson (see the picture of him). This is the right move. I expect nothing less from Nolan.
2. Both stars are bankable and on the rise - Hathaway is on fire with the critics raving about her latest flick 'Love and Other Drugs' and was an Oscar darling a few years back with 'Rachel Getting Married'. She has been associated with tons of big budget flicks and arthouse indies... and she always seems to come out right side up. Hardy has been better and better in every successive movie he has made. 'Layer Cake', 'Rock n Rolla', 'Bronson'.... and then he completely stole 'Inception' from Leo DeCaprio & Joseph Gordon Levitt when he got onto the screen in the second half of the film. The dude is on fire... with the impeccable reps and media love these guys got, you couldn't ask for a better one two punch.
3. Catwoman and Bane work well in the Nolan-verse - Nolan has made it his business to make the Batman universe that he creates real... as real as you can make a movie about a guy who dresses like a bat. Ra's Al Ghul was not the constantly regenerating comic character in Nolan's world... he made him practical. Scarecrow was a psychologist that wore a potato sack mask... Ledger's Joker had the painted face and the purple suit, but that's all the goofiness Nolan would allow. Nolan's Joker was much more brutal (like Alan Moore's Joker) and cold blooded. Hathaway's Catwoman needs to be much more hi-tech burglar and gymnast instead of the Cat-Lady that Halle Berry portrayed. Hardy's Bane needs to be less goofy and muscles & more sinister and brooding the way his character is in the comics. This is the guy who hatched the plan that almost killed the Batman and left Bruce Wayne with a broken back... he is not a mental slouch. Hardy should kill this part.
4. These two are not so hard to look at - Hardy is a dreamboat of an actor (at least that what my chick friends tell me) and Hathaway is beautiful. These two are not hard to look at... not by a long shot. They are both pretty faces that can back it up with good chops, but at the end of the day no matter how good they can act you can't portray looks. These two got that... and that's important for these characters especially Catwoman. She needs to be seductive and appealing, sexy and confident.... it can't be any other way.
5. There is no real reason why these two villains should be together - This can not be an adaption of 'Hush', nor 'The Long Halloween', nor 'Knightfall', nor any of the other Batman stories that were rumored to be the source material of Nolan's third flick. Catwoman and Bane never really had a storyline together... at least not that I could remember. Could it be that Nolan will take small pieces of each of these wonderful Bat stories and give it his own unique spin? Yup, probably... and these two total opposite types of villains will play out wonderfully.... bet that.

So what do you think? Are Hathaway and Hardy a good fit for the roles of Catwoman and Bane? tell us in the comment section below.

NetFlix Streaming Picks of the Weekend - 7/2/2010

One of the coolest parts of subscribing to NetFlix is the live streaming option. Not only are you able to recieve the discs at your home, but using all sorts of devices (Wii, XBox 360, PS3, Blu-Ray Players, Computers, etc.) you can stream 1,000's of titles instantly to your TV. Every week, I will give you 3 recommendations on some great stuff for you to catch. Just drop these titles into our Instant Que and you will never wonder what you should pick to watch again. Enjoy!!! 

Pick #1 - Bronson - This movie about a convict who was supposed to be in jail for a short stretch and ended up being a lifer is fantastic. Ulrta violent and awesome, a great British import.

Pick #2- Prison Break Season 1 - One of the coolest things about the Netflix Instant Streaming is the TV shows. I'll admit I didnt watch this show when it was on, but I tried it out this week and finished Season 1 & 2 (22 episodes each) in 3 days. This show is great. Nice tats Mr. Scofield...

Pick #3- The House of the Devil - This Ti West directed horror movie may only be a year old, but you could sub it in with an 80's horror classic and no one would be able to tell. It looks and feels like the good old days of horror. If you like the O.G. horror films, this is a newbie for you to check out

See you next week with some more picks... happy viewing!!!

DVD Release for Tuesday February 9, 2010

Sorry, but for some reason my scheduled post for yesterday didn't publish... so I am a day late on the DVD releases for this week. So lets get right to it:

Couples Retreat: Starring Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, John Favreau, Faison Love, Kristin Davis, Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Kali Hawk, and Jean Reno

This movie was one of my most anticipated movies of last year. With a cast like this, how can this movie not be hilarious? But after viewing it, I came to the relization that my expecatations were way to high. But even with all the disappointment that I felt from watching the film, I must say that it was a pretty good comedy. Not one of the all time classics I thought it would be, but a solid movie. Lots of laughs, especially once the couples get to their island paradise. The four couples represent every type of relationship that exist: 1) The married couple who stay married even though they no longer like each other (Favreau & Davis) 2) The lovely dovey couple who seem to have the perfect relationship ( Vaughn & Akerman) 3) The newly single older man with his much younger girlfriend ( Love & Hawk) and 4) The over analytical "nerdy" couple who always need to break down every situation before they move foward ( Bateman & Bell). Jean Reno also stars as the couples "Love Counselor" who designs the relationship programs they must go through. He steals the movie in a rare comedic role for the frenchman. Highlights included Vaughn's Guitar Hero battle and the shark scene... this movie is good for a laugh and then for you to hate the cast since they got to shoot the movie on location in Bora Bora ( Fuck Movie Stars).

Next up on the list:

The Time Travelers Wife: Starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams

Based on a best selling novel, in theory this is the perfect Valentines day movie because it should appeal to both chicks and dudes. Why you ask? Because the life time romance between Bana and McAdams starting from when she is a kid and continuing through her adulthood is the kind of mushy details that chicks love, and the time traveling aspect of the movie will appeal to hardcore sci-fi geek dudes. That is a great start for a movie that both sexes can enjoy this Valentines Day weekend. Mcadams looks great, and Bana is awesome in everything, so the acting is top notch. This is a good one to curl up on the couch and watch with the one you love... or the guy/girl you happen to be boning at the moment!!! Enjoy.

Also being released this week:

A Serious Man, The Stepfather, Bronson and the Charlie Chaplin Collection (10 dvd's)

Happy viewing... now go out and get those DVD's!!!!!