There is a phone…

that can do…

ANYTHING!

I guess Echelon Conspiracy is being marketed solely at technophiles who spend their days with their pants around their ankles while browsing Gizmodo. I’m just not sure what’s remotely a good idea about making a movie based around a magic cell phone that tells you how to win at casinos and changes stoplights, but it was a good enough pitch for someone to give them a few millions dollars to make this absurd concoction.

As it turns out, other people want this magic phone and will kill you to get it. It’s kind of like The One ring from Lord of the Rings, if Lord of the Rings was set in the present day, and was incredibly stupid. I thought that Clive Owen movie about evil banks was the least scary “conspiracy” I’d ever heard of, but now “omniscient cell phone” definitely wins the grand prize.

And didn’t this come out last year when it was called Eagle Eye?

In the new poster for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Wolvie expands and improves the gesture for “f*ck you.”  In the states, the lone middle finger extended from a fist signifies a wonderful feeling of disrespect.  In other counties, it’s the index and middle finger together.  Logan’s taking it one step further, showing three claws to us for extra emphasis on how he feels.  It’s as if he’s thinking, “Stop asking me about the re-shoots; your mother will be rubbing her bean to my image when I host the Oscars.  F*ck you.”  Ain’t that the truth.

I’m not exactly sure who is asking for an A-Team movie, but whoever you are, your prayers have been answered. The film is being produced by Ridley Scott (despite the inaccurate Telegraph title) and directed by Joe Carnahan of Smokin’ Aces infamy. The two are unnaturally excited about the project, which will probably end up falling into the “Miami Vice” category of remakes the really are nothing like the once iconic show.

Sir Ridley told Variety the newly assembled team aimed for “a fast-paced, exciting franchise – one we hope will be around for years to come.”

Carnahan said he hoped to make “a classic summer popcorn film” that “reflects the real world” and said it would stick to the original’s premise, in which the army veterans escape from a military prison after being wrongly convicted of armed robbery.

”This was a coveted property, and re-imagining a show that I remembered as a kid was tough to turn down,” Carnahan said. “Fox hired me to make it as emotional, real and accessible as possible without cheesing it up.”

So a not-campy version of The A-Team huh? I suppose it’s theoretically possible, but I mean come on, they call themselves “The A-Team.” If you’re going to change everything else camp-related, you might as well grab the title while your at it. The remake is apparently just going to be a straight up action flick, presumably something in the vein of Bad Boys with double the team members and half the black guys. And speaking of, who can possibly take up the iconic mantle of Mr. T’s B.A. Baracus? That’s a fool’s errand, which is ripe to be pitied.

More on this ridiculousness as it develops.

I’m not exactly sure the process Empire had to go through to get exclusive images like this, but whatever they had to do was well worth it as these are probably the most gorgeous images I’ve seen pertaining to the film so far, and that includes all the official posters and stills, which are all pretty gorgeous in their own right.

The only one I don’t quite understand is the Dr. Manhattan shot, which isn’t Dr. Manhattan at all, but appears to be Billy Crudup in part of his mo-cap suit. Seems kind of out theme with the other ones no? And is mo-cap these days just putting dots on your face and tron-gloves on your hands? I feel like I’m missing something here.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sE8r-LNNJs

Apropos of today’s Power Rankings, I’ve posted the above compilation of clips and quotes from Schwarzenegger movies.  It’s actually pretty funny, so enjoy.  A good laugh is the second-best way to start your weekend.  The first?  Meth!  Now if you’ll excuse me…

Last week we tackled Grand Theft Auto IV, and now we’re taking on Fallout 3. An amazing game in many aspects, Fallout topped game of the year charts all over the place, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a few glaring flaws that had me banging my head against my wall.

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Robots in movies has always been a fascinating subject.  On the one hand Robots carry that machine like mystique that enables them to do things that we humans can’t.  And that factor alone leads us to curiosity and amazement.  On the other, when we see human qualities in these robots, it makes them that much more interesting.

With this in mind,  I think it was fine time to identify some robots who were revolutionary, who carried thematic weight, who were lovable (or frightening), or who were just cool as hell.  For the purposes of this list,  “robot” is defined as any manufactured entity primarily of mechanical parts that emulates human behaviors like walking, talking,  or hunting for Sarah Connor.

Here are ten of the best movie Robots

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There has never been an action star like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I think it’s safe to say that there never will be.  It’s not just that today’s action stars are scrawny by comparison, but Arnold possessed a unique charisma that is to this day is nearly unmatched.  Arnold has starred in in many, many memorable flicks in a variety of genres ranging from science fiction to comedy.  Here are the five best Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, ranked - as always – in reverse order.

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One of the reasons that the Sundance Film Festival has become so respected and known has been the quality of the documentaries that are displayed.  However, despite the efforts of Robert Redford and others to showcase these non-fiction works of art, they are often overshadowed by the larger studio releases.

Film School Rejects takes a look at a few films that may have an impact this year.   Check out their review.

I mean how often do you really go to independent movies?  When’s the last time you went to that dinky little theater that only plays stuff you might see on IFC a year later?  That’s why I love Sundance time.  And Cinematical brings us their take on the best.

The Countdown

The 20 Hottest Films of Sundance – [Cinematical]

Nintendo’s profits take a dip in 2008 – [Gamepro]

Google Earth assists in taking down pot farmers – [Geekologie]

I’m really not sure how I feel about an A-Team movie – [I Watch Stuff]

Cheating Second Life Husband:  The Movie – [Kotaku]