Catching an afternoon screening of Iron Man last weekend, the questionably denigrating representations of Afghani villains bugged me less than the bizarre cultural references in the trailers preceding it -- especially when it came to accents. Three previews in a row contained characters speaking intentionally mangled English, a fact all the more recognizable because all of them were played by well-known actors. You Don't Mess With Zohan showed Adam Sandler as a tough Israeli hair stylist. The Love Guru preview found Mike Myers blabbering on with South Asian inflections. Rounding things out in perhaps the most innocuous case, Cate Blanchett popped up as a Communist baddie in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Are these gross caricatures or fair play?

We've touched on this issue before, but it looks like each month the trend gets a little stronger. There's edgy and there's a line: Borat may or may not send the wrong message, but the character's faux Kazakh accent tells you a lot about the way Americans tend to judge foreigners on the basis of their less-than-perfect English. The specific nature of the satire gives Cohen's performance an underlying purpose -- unlike, say, Love Guru, which seems more like a chance to ignorantly marvel at Myers' ability to turn Indians into a continuous punchline. Recently, a few Hindu groups launched protests against the film. This could mark uncharted terrain for Myers, who did not, as far as I know, get lambasted by any hippies after the first Austin Powers.

Before I get started, I just wanted to say that anyone who was undecided as to whether or not Knocked Up was sexist, probably wasn't really paying too close attention to Leslie Mann's performance. Mann's portrayal of a woman forced into being the bad cop because her husband isn't into the whole 'grown up' thing was one of the best things about that film. Now she's heading for another 'wronged wife' role, and The Hollywood Reporter announced that Mann has joined the cast of I Love You, Phillip Morris.

Phillip Morris is based on the true life story of Steven Russell (as played by Jim Carrey). Russell was a married family man whose criminal exploits landed him in the Texas prison system. While incarcerated, Russell fell in love with his cell mate, Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). After Morris' release, Russell concocted a variety of bizarre escape attempts in hopes of reuniting with the love of his life.

I used to love Adam Sandler. For a few years, his movies even became a ritual for my mother and I, ever since we went to see Airheads on the big screen. Mixed Nuts. Billy Madison. Happy Gilmore. (We missed Bulletproof.) The Wedding Singer. Between those films and listening to "Lunchlady Land" on repeat, I was pretty hooked on the dude. And then my interest plateaued. One would think that working with Judd Apatow would bring it back, but after the the first trailer for You Don't Mess with the Zohan, that Erik directed us to in December, I wasn't so sure. It looked like a pale imitation of Zoolander mixed with hair and the Hebrew Hammer.

Now a new trailer is up over at JoBlo. Is it any better than the last? I'd say so. The editing on this one certainly helps it, but now Zohan seems like a dance fest rather than a movie about styling hair and Israeli counterterrorists. Also, considering the amount of dancing in this trailer, methinks you can expect at least one retro montage, sort of like 40-Year-Old Virgin, somewhere in there. However, instead of spurning me to bounce along, I am just thinking how happy I am that my hair stylist isn't a weird man who gyrates his crotch next to my face.

Recently, I watched the old Judd Apatow series Undeclared. It was both a blast from the past and a reminder that Adam Sandler used to be pretty darned popular. He gets knocked a lot these days; but really, he is still around and kicking. However, the big question is: What happens when you team him up with the super-popular Apatow? They're already testing that question with the upcoming Don't Mess with the Zohan, and now Variety reports that the two are teaming up again.

This time, Apatow has written a currently untitled comedy that will star Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann, and will be a co-project between Universal and Sony. While production is set to begin later this year, Judd is keeping the plot under wraps. Argh! That's so annoying.

Since we can't talk about what the movie will be about, other than to muse about what sort of movie would require that trio, what do you think about this Sandler/Apatow pairing? At the very least, it looks like Sandler is now one of Apatow's talent pool.

Not long ago, a friend of mine was auditioning for a role in Fast and the Furious 4. I never found out how that went, but we had fun running through the script pages he had; showing him how to get into character. (As if I know what I'm talking about -- heck, he probably lost the role based on what we told him to do.) Anyway, there's been lots of buzz surrounding part four, seeing as both Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are reprising their roles from the earlier films. Well, JFX Online (those folks who stake out film sets and snap photos) have posted a few photos and a video from the set of Fast and the Furious 4. We get our first look at Vin Diesel (above), as well as Paul Walker (after the jump) and a bunch of the vehicles being used in the flick (see video). Fast cars. Fast women. AND Vin Diesel. Is your mouth watering yet?

In addition to the Fast and the Furious photos, JFX Online was also stalking the set of Adam Sandler's new film Bedtime Stories, and managed to get the first pic of Sandler holding an umbrella for a scene that features ... gumballs falling from the sky? We've included that photo after the jump for you to check out; Bedtime Stories follows a dude (Sandler) who realizes that, after reading bedtime stories to his nephews, the characters suddenly come to life. It's due out this Christmas.

Most Adam Sandler fans are probably more than a little relieved that he has left some of the 'earnest' comedy behind and is now headed back to a sillier state of mind with You Don't Mess with the Zohan. But don't get too comfortable; it looks like there's more family-friendly fare on the horizon. ComingSoon.net recently got the chance to speak with Adam Shankman on the set of his latest flick, Seventeen (starring the 'dreamy' Zac Efron) to talk about his upcoming directing gig with Sandler in Bedtime Stories.

Shankman told Coming Soon that the release date of December 25th is foremost in his mind and that production is going to have to work, "Unbelievably fast, because I'm going till mid-June; it's a long schedule. Then, I have to be out in theaters December 25th. And there's a ton of CG, so I'm excited." Sure, he sounds excited, but why am I suddenly worried that this film is going to be the Jumanji of 2008?

The family comedy was written by Matt Lopez, a relative newcomer who only has a few credits to his name -- one of which is the upcoming remake of Witch Mountain. Stories stars Sandler as a guy whose life is forever changed when the stories that he tells his nephew at bedtime start to become real. Keri Russell (Waitress) also stars, although there is no description of her part. The smart money is that Russell will get the thankless role of 'love interest'. Shooting is set to begin in the next three weeks and keep your fingers crossed that Shankman can keep on schedule.

I can just see Eli Roth grinning ear to ear about this news (you can too, look at the photo). I've never agreed with claims that violent movies influence violent behavior, but I also don't imagine violent movies are necessarily good for people who already have violent tendencies. Yet a new study argues that violent movies do in fact help to lower crime rates. According to the New York Times, a research paper was just presented to the American Economic Association concluding that "would-be assailants" choose to go see violent movies instead of performing violent acts themselves. That's right, murderers, rapists, muggers and the like apparently get their rocks off by watching actors perform their favorite bad deeds. Then, not only have they been kept out of trouble for two hours; they are also satisfied for days afterward. The reasoning behind this conclusion is based on data that shows crime rates are way down on weekends when a new violent movie is in theaters, and they stay down for a good period of time beyond that opening weekend.

That could be a neat coincidence. But how does the study indicate that the "would-be assailants" are actually part of that movie's audience? It seems a little too easy to think that violent people are pacified by violent movies. Attracted to them? Sure. Influenced by them? It can be argued. Subdued by them? I doubt it. At least not most of them, anyway. One of the economists who wrote the paper, Professor Gordon Dahl, pointed out that young men attending a movie have chosen that activity over drinking alcohol and/or taking drugs, either of which might have led to violent acts. He went on, however, to argue that Hollywood should actually be making less violent movies that still have the same appeal ... such as Adam Sandler movies over gory horror movies. The New York Times makes sure to let us know that Dahl is in fact a Mormon who doesn't allow his kids to watch violent movies; he even just bought one of those DVD players that cuts out offensive content. I have to agree with Melissa Henson of the Parents Television Council and say that this is one of the goofiest studies I've read about in a long time.

[via Fark.com]

Once upon a time, back when I started out this line of work, it was my aim to see every movie ever made. Then came the VHS player. Once the direct-to-video market began, numerous filmmakers stopped thinking of the pleasures and rigors of making films for the big screen. Instead, they started thinking of a quick payoff. VHS financed the rise of the indie movie for good (or often, ill). It all added up to a huge increase in the number of films released. Eventually, I realized if I wanted to do some ordinary things--hoisting an ale, listening to music, reading a book--I was going to have to let a few films slide. Coming attractions have been a huge help in picking which ones to avoid, particularly the ones that reveal every single plot point and the most likely resolution of the problem. So how can I really do a worst of 2007 list? I ducked a lot of contenders. Underdog, for instance.

I missed P.U., I Hate You, as those slashing wits at Cracked magazine will be calling it, but I really felt James Rocchi's personal agony at witnessing the last of Hilary Swank's trio of evil movies this year. Though some would call it a duo; some people fell for Freedom Writers. Maybe this kind of story can be told without Room 222-levels of obviousness and manipulation...perhaps from the POV of one of the students, instead of the earnest white teacher? I'm not going to get any prizes for prescience by saying Swank's agent needs to be renditioned to some country with deep dark dungeons. Swank's Lost Year has already been celebrated elsewhere.

But The Reaping (#1) was the worst of the three; no one wants to see this actress's career reaped anymore. The low-water mark of this swamps-of-blood Christian thriller was the scene where Swank is told by a yokel, "Some people just don't want to go to heaven." Meaning her, and the atheists, agnostics, and Odin-worshippers in the audience.

Strange Wilderness is a new comedy starring Steve Zahn as the host of a wilderness television show with plummeting ratings. To increase viewership, he assembles a motley crew and sets out on an expedition to find Bigfoot. The cast includes Jonah Hill, Justin Long, Ashley Scott, Peter Dante, Jeff Garlin, and -- believe it or not -- Ernest Borgnine! The red band trailer for Wilderness just hit the internet. (Need a little incentive to check it out? There's nudity. You're welcome.) Cinematical spoke with two of the film's stars -- Kevin Heffernan (of Broken Lizard fame) and Allen Covert (pretty much every Adam Sandler movie, Grandma's Boy) -- about this film and their careers. First up is Kevin Heffernan...

Cinematical: Who do you play in the film?

Kevin Heffernan: I play a character named Whitaker. When they go out on this trip, they need to hire an animal wrangler. I'm a car mechanic and I have no animal wrangling experience. Basically, I'm just looking for a job. So I go and interview with them and I win the job but I have no knowledge of animals. I don't even like them that much really! It's got this great ensemble cast and some great cameos...

Cinematical: It does have such a great comedy cast, was improvisation encouraged on the set?

KH: Yeah man. The script was so good, I mean it was written by Fred Wolf and Peter Gaulke who have a lot of comedy writing experience, but it was just one of those kind of movies where there's always like six or seven people on the screen. And they left it free for us to do the improv stuff that we all love to do. So there were a lot of people going off, and they had to kind of pull you back to the script a little bit.

I know it's a cliche, but I seriously think I just threw up a little in my mouth. What do you get when Hollywood decides they want to make another Borat film? Yup, you get You Don't Mess with the Zohan. Oh trust me Mr. Zohan, I won't mess with you -- I won't even go near you. Yahoo has the first trailer for this Adam Sandler comedy, and it might just be me, but I actually think his films are getting dumber. I know, they've always been pretty dumb -- but this one ... I don't even know what to say, honestly. Go watch it yourself. Maybe you dig this type of thing, and more power to you if you do -- but it's just not my cup of manishevitz. It's like Borat mixed with typical idiotic Adam Sandler comedy, and it just looks so wrong on so many different levels. The scariest part of the whole thing is that Judd Apatow actually co-wrote this script? Judd? Seriously? Dude!

Unlike Borat, though, Sandler plays an Israeli Mossad agent who decides to leave his home country, cut his hair and travel to the United States in an attempt to cut other people's hair. Based on the trailer, it appears his sexy middle-eastern strip-tease/hairdresser moves have women lined up around the block for a cut ... but it isn't long until Rob Schneider shows up as a taxi driver and a bunch of "funny" terrorists want to mess with the Zohan. Ah, but you see -- you don't want to mess with the Zohan. Because when you mess with the Zohan ... I don't know; I give up. Feel free to let us know what you think of the trailer in the comments section below. Maybe I'm just having a bad day. You Don't Mess with the Zohan hits theaters on June 6.

What will comedy look like in 2008? Here's a taste ...

Is there a sport Will Ferrell hasn't taken on yet? Competitive idiot throwing? Is that a sport? Anyway, a whole set of pics from his latest sports comedy, Semi-Pro, have just landed on the internets (courtesy of Cinema Blend). And if you're itching for plenty of Ferrell with a giant afro, then these photos might just make your day. The pic, which co-stars Andre Benjamin and Woody Harrelson, revolves around Jackie Moon (Ferrell), the owner-coach-player of the ABA's Flint Michigan Tropics. In between a ton of ridiculous physical comedy, Moon will try to rally his team together to make their NBA dreams come true. Semi-Pro slam dunks into theaters on February 29. (Bonus: See a photo after the jump.)

The first image from You Don't Mess With Zohan has arrived online (courtesy of JoBlo), showing the pic's star, Adam Sandler, surfing the top of a car a la Michael J. Fox in Teen Wolf. In the film, Sandler plays a Mossad agent who fakes his death and travels to New York City to become a hairdresser. Mariah Carey and Rob Schneider co-star. On paper, it sounds cheesy and the kind of film you take on when in need of a quick fix, however Judd Apatow co-wrote the screenplay and, well, that's gotta be a good thing, right? Frequent Sandler collaborator Dennis Dugan directs, and this flick is set to arrive in theaters on June 6. (Bonus: See the photo after the jump.)

Finally, guess who's baaaack? Yup, our favorite ethnic pot smokers are heading back to the big screen in 2008; this time, however, there's a lot more at stake than a trip to White Castle. Oh yes, when Harold and Kumar attempt to fly to Amsterdam, they're mistaken as terrorists and soon find themselves on the run from authorities and all wrapped up in an hour and a half's worth of shenanigans. Five words for you fans out there: Neil Patrick Harris Will Return. Harold and Kumar 2 (aka Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay) will smoke you out on April 25. (Bonus: See an additional photo after the jump, or check out more over at Cinema Blend.)

Variety is reporting that Keri Russell will follow in the footsteps of such beautiful actresses as Drew Barrymore, Winona Ryder, and Jessica Biel. In Disney's Bedtime Stories, Russell will romance Adam Sandler. She'll play "a potential love interest for Sandler's character, a harried real estate developer whose life is suddenly turned upside down when the lavish bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew become real." Adam Shankman, a director who totally underwhelmed me until Hairspray, will direct. Matt Lopez (the upcoming Witch Mountain) wrote the script.

It might not be the most challenging role Russell could tackle -- women in Sandler comedies historically don't have much to do other than laugh at the star. But I'll be thrilled if appearing in the film bumps Russell into the stardom that has bafflingly eluded her all these years. I was a big Felicity fan, I've enjoyed her in pretty much everything else, and she was just wonderful in this year's Waitress, now on DVD. Her lovely performance in Adrienne Shelly's romantic comedy just might snag her an Academy Award nomination. And here's hoping this gets Sandler comedy back on track. I'm not expecting another Happy Gilmore, but I can't sit through another Click. Get ready for your Bedtime Stories next year at Christmas.

Confession time: When I was young, like 10 or so, I had a very vivid imagination. Sometimes, when I couldn't sleep at night (and this is before girls entered the picture, just so you know) I'd imagine myself in ridiculous situations where, ultimately, I could save the day. Since I was always at the mall (big shout out to the Staten Island Mall -- holla!), occasionally I'd concoct a day-dream that involved armed men taking over the mall, with me as the only one who could put a stop to it. I know, I was 10 -- what can I say? Don't you love these little personal stories? Anyway, Kevin James somehow snuck into my dreams and decided to turn them into a feature-length movie. Damn him!

Variety reports that James will write, produce and star in a comedy called Mall Cop. And if you paid any attention to my previous paragraph, you probably already know what it's about. Yup, James will play a mild-mannered security guard who's forced to take action when a group of organized thieves take over his mall. Look for plenty of product placement and mall cop jokes to ensue. Columbia Pictures will shovel this one out, with Happy Madison producing -- which means, yes, Rob Schneider will most likely show up in some capacity. While I like James, he still hasn't convinced me he can hold down an entire film by himself. But it's an idea that has potential, so we'll see where they go with it. No director, cast, production schedule or random Adam Sandler cameo has been announced at this time.

It's been almost a year since New Line first acquired Michael Colton and John Abound's spec script Mild Things, and Variety tells us a director has finally been attached. Long-time Adam Sandler collaborator Frank Coraci will helm the comedy that follows a married couple who decide to go on a "baby bender" and party like rock stars for a couple of months before settling down to have their first child. Judging from the title, I imagine their idea of partying like a rock star is probably more in line with partying like a sober couple gearing up to watch the premiere of Big Brother 8. Then again, I haven't read the script. So I don't know.

I do know, however, that Coraci was responsible for one of my favorite Sandler comedies, The Wedding Singer. But once he followed that one up with The Waterboy, Around the World in 80 Days and Click, I kind of lost all hope in the man. Since the film has been set up with Peter Principato and Paul Young, and not Happy Madison, I assume Sandler won't be a part of Mild Things. It's a shame too, because this would be a good role for the guy. I like when he plays one-half of a married couple (moreso with Spanglish than Click), and watching him play a soon-to-be father attempting to party it up before the kid arrives could make for some quality entertainment. Aside from Mild Things, Coraci also directed the TV pilot I'm in Hell (featuring all kinds of random names), and is set to helm Hawaiian Dick, based off the graphic novel. No word on a cast or release date for Mild Things, but expect that info to arrive soon.

Wayyy back in seventh grade, there was about a two-week period where a group of kids were calling me Gay-vis, instead of Davis. There's an unspoken rule amongst teenage males that states you must call your fellow peers by their last name only. And, since I was always an easy target for gay jokes (not because I was gay, mind you, but because I was weaker than a wet tissue), the boys had a grand time at my expense. I grew up in Staten Island; a borough of New York City full of tough Italian-Americans who used the word 'gay' to describe anything or anyone that wasn't worth their time.

Watching I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry was like taking a trip back 17 years -- back to a time when you couldn't step foot inside a school cafeteria without hearing someone blurt out another unoriginal gay joke. And that's exactly what this latest Adam Sandler comedy is -- a long, 140-minute version of those stereotypical gay jokes that were popular during my youth in the early '90s. Problem is, it's 2007. But if blatant, in-your-face homophobia tickles your funny bone, and you're the type that feels Sandler can do no wrong, then Chuck and Larry should definitely get you off -- but not in a, ya know, gay kind of way.