Jon Heder Tagged Articles at Cinematical

It's time for more zombies and some undead love that doesn't have sharp teeth and teenage angst. Crackle (a TV/movie/media goodness website) has just launched a new web series called Wake Up Dead. Yeah, it's more on the TV side of things, being a series and all, but it's got enough Hollywood connections to make it Cinematical friendly. And it's a zombie comedy. Who doesn't like zombies?

The brainchild of John Fasano (the pen behind Another 48 Hours, Universal Soldier: The Return, Darkness Falls and helmer behind Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare), Dead follows a university student (Jon Heder) who wakes up dead. But rather than being a drooling, brain-dead zombie a la Dawn of the Dead, he's basically just himself -- or himself mixed with the perks and downfalls of undead life. (Krysten Ritter, John Gad, Wayne Knight, and Lexi Alexander also star.)

I talked with Fasano over the weekend, and he describes the show as "Brazil's corporate nihilism meets Shaun of the Dead," birthed out of his unhappiness with his experience on Darkness Falls. He grabbed his mom's old admonishment: "One of these days you're going to wake up dead," and started morphing it into a zombie-filled feature spec, and ultimately had it rejigged into this web series. As a movie bonus, Fasano says: "look for subliminal cuts from my earliest film, Mystery Science Theater alum Zombie Nightmare -- the Montreal lensed bad cult classic starring Adam West and Tia Carrere. You can catch glimpses of Canadian Heavy Metal God Jon Thor as a zombie, as well as a young screenwriter names John Fasano under the Zombie Makeup. Nightmare is finally getting the DVD treatment this year -- look for it in all of its crappiness."

Check it out and let us know what you think below! Perhaps delight in a Zombieland/Dead double feature?

Combine a comedic, out-of-print science fiction book, and the uncertain star power of Jon Heder, and what will you get? I'm not sure, but I don't think it'll be Moon.

Variety reports that Heder has nabbed the lead in Buddy Holly is Alive and Well on Ganymede, an adaptation of Bradley Denton's 1992 sci-fi novel that'll be directed by newcomer Robert Rugan. I'll confess right up front that I vaguely remember the title, but never read it. But since the book is out of print, I'm not going to be uncool or alone in that club.

The story follows an ordinary man named Oliver Vale, who has his life turned upside down when Buddy Holly takes over all television stations and declares himself not only to be alive (on Ganymede, presumably) but insists that Vale is the only man who can interpret his message. Vale becomes pursued by evil aliens, government authorities and probably just really crazy people as he flees his destiny, and befriends a robot dog. It's said to be chock full of rock and roll references while tackling all those meaty issues so often prevalent in science fiction -- religious belief, morality, the pitfalls of society, and other topics that are safely discussed only when there are Martians around. As I desperately want a sci-fi renaissance (and I think it's here), I'll throw my support behind Buddy Holly, and hope it isn't as kitschy as it looks from here.

At some point this past summer, between all but consecutive viewings of The Dark Knight, I slipped into a screening of Step Brothers with the same tempered expectations with which I had greeted Blades of Glory and Semi-Pro -- and found myself equally surprised in the coming days and weeks and months by just how admittedly tickled I was by any of them (quoting lines was moderate on all counts). Mind you, I'm saying this as the guy who chuckled during Anchorman, sure, but not really enough to keep it on my shelf or call myself thankful for it.

That's nothing against our Eric D. Snider, and nothing against the star of each film mentioned, Will Ferrell (yes, he was actually Batman). In fact, with Step Brothers hitting shelves today (with reports of a wholly sung commentary track), it only seemed fitting that we go over his most amusing roles as overgrown man-children (Ferrell's, not Snider's). Because they're there, and they always will be, and the sooner that I admit to being vulnerable to his shtick, a better world this very well may be.

Napoleon Dynamite, also known as Jon Heder, is certainly keeping himself busy with surprising roles. Who ever would have thought that he'd don skates and take on some male-male ice skating action? But this news -- it's even more brow-raising. Eons ago, back in 2006, Erik posted about how the guy was whipping up a project called Loudermilk with his brothers, Dan and Doug. Erik mused about scientific experiments and trading places with milk, but the reality is just as wacky -- he's going to become a superhero ... sort of.

The Hollywood Reporter posts that Craig Zobel has signed on to rewrite Chris Bowman's script, and they've finally released the plot. The flick will center on a Napoleon-like "oddball who becomes contaminated with a substance that gives him what might arguably be considered superpowers." It's both a blessing and a curse for the dude -- but at least it's not a magnetized mix-up Jack Black-style. The Heders seem quite into Zobel's "cinema-verite style," but the guy has also got a certain Internet celeb under his belt -- he's the co-founder of Homestar Runner.

This seems to be just one low-budget comedy of many on the way for Heder and his brothers. Does the world need more Dynamite? How about if a little Strongbad is included in the flavor?

Sometimes you really need to be careful what you wish for, or at least where you steal coins from. In February, Jessica posted about the new Disney romantic comedy When in Rome, which will star the electric detective Kristen Bell. She will play a real estate agent in New York City who heads to Rome for her sister's impulsive marriage. There, she picks coins out of a "fountain of love" to try to find the romance out of her reach, and when she heads home, she finds a lot of mens waiting for her. Now surprise, surprise, Variety reports that Jon Heder and Dax Shepard have signed on for roles.

Oh, yes -- they're both potential suitors for the lucky Bell. Heder will take on the role of a street magician who tries to win her love with his..."talents," and Shepard will play "a self-absorbed suitor who falls under the spell and chases the girl." I must say -- these weren't the sort of choices I was imagining. Perhaps instead of finding all the possible men she could date, Bell will get a serving of Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered. Where's Logan when you need him?

Oh wait! The Hollywood Reporter has more on the story, saying that Josh Duhamel and Anjelica Huston have also signed on. Bell has been saved -- they say that Josh will be the romantic lead. Huston, meanwhile, will be Bell's boss, who is the curator of the Guggenheim.

Still... I miss Veronica Mars.

He will always be "McLovin", but at least newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse has found another role to follow-up his hilarious debut in Superbad. The actor told Moviehole in an interview hat he has been cast in Little Big Men alongside comedy vets Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott. This is apparently the movie formerly known as Big Brothers, which was written by Timothy Dowling (George Lucas in Love) and which was to be directed by Luke Greenfield (The Girl Next Door). According to Mintz-Plasse, though, Little Big Men will now be helmed by Wet Hot American Summer and The Ten director David Wain. The movie's plot involves two wild and crazy guys who end up sentenced to community service in the form of the Big Brothers mentoring program. Why a judge would think a couple of party boys would be suitable mentors to kids is beyond me (the program does have very strict guidelines against drug users, and I'm sure these guys are probably potheads), but it should at least make for some funny situations.

It isn't clear what kind of role Mintz-Plasse will have (the mentored kid, perhaps?), but I see him having difficulty shedding his persona as Fogel/McLovin, which was so perfect I almost found the guy funnier than Michael Cera. The actor may end up like Napoleon Dynamite's Jon Heder, who similarly came on the scene with a quirky, imitable character and has had trouble finding another movie that audiences accept him in (he succeeded marginally by co-starring with Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory). Interestingly enough, Heder even played a Big Brother in School for Scoundrels -- at least, his character was in the program until being let go for being too much of a loser. If Mintz-Plasse can join the ranks of Wain's usual crop of collaborators -- which spans the State/Stella/Reno 911! crowd and the Apatow/Stiller "Frat Pack" group -- then he should be able to make a decent career for himself.

If an ice-skating Jon Heder wasn't enough to appease your Hederistic impulses for the year, you're getting another shot. indieWIRE has posted that First Independent Pictures will be releasing his next comedy, Moving McAllister, on September 14. The movie's star, Ben Gourley of Pride and Prejudice, wrote the indie screenplay, and the film was helmed by the man who directed him in the Jane Austen film, Andrew Black. It's looking like a cross between Three for the Road, Stranger than Fiction, Road Trip and even some Planes, Trains & Automobiles -- the quest, the uptight hero, the seemingly insane sidekick and some saucy bed shenanigans.

Gourley plays Nick -- a rather anal intern at a law firm who dreams about making partner. To impress the firm's top lawyer McAllister (played by Rutger Hauer), he agrees to transport the lawyer's niece (Mila Kunis) across the country only a few days before he has to take the bar exam. Along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker (Heder) and as with any road trip full of crazy mishaps, Nick begins to reevaluate things. You can check the trailer out here, and even delight in the wonderful scene where Nick pops a rather large pimple on Heder's back. If the initial votes over at IMDb are any indication, it should be worth the time -- out of 32 votes, it's scored 8.9/10.

I was somewhat surprised by Surf's Up, which is better than you might think from the trailers. It's very much a movie for children, without much to capture the interest of adults, but there are so many subpar movies for kids these days that it's refreshing to see one that entertains in an almost classic fashion. The filmmakers behind Surf's Up were obviously aiming for a timeless family movie, something kids 10 years in the future could watch and still enjoy, although by then the animation might be considered dated in some way.

The structure of the narrative is the only real pop-culture reference -- it's shot in faux-documentary style, like The Office, and the beginning is obviously meant to recall March of the Penguins in a few ways. (In fact, the film is funnier than the few minutes I lasted through Farce of the Penguins.) The offscreen filmmakers interviewing the penguins are voiced by Surf's Up's directors, Ash Brannon and Chris Buck. The pre-credit sequence, which features "vintage" footage of penguin surfing legend Big Z and home movies of the main character, is done beautifully with some clever graphics and was my favorite part of the film.

No, they're not remaking that classic Rodney Dangerfield flick (although I wouldn't be surprised if a remake shows up once Vince Vaughn ages a bit more); the Hollywood Reporter tells us that Cuba Gooding Jr. has signed on to star in a new edgy teen comedy called Harold, which some are saying is in the vein of Napoleon Dynamite. Pic will be produced and financed by City Lights Pictures (The Ten, Brooklyn Rules) and M.E.G.A. films. The deal was announced during the Cannes fest, and the powers that be are hoping to begin filming in August with intentions to finish the flick in time for the Sundance Film Festival. Five months ain't a lot to work with, so I imagine a cast and a director will be announced fairly soon.

The film follows this dude named Harold; a "premature balding young teen" who's finding it hard adjusting to life in high school. (Um, excuse me, but if this is going to be based on my life then I think I'd like a little compensation.) Cuba Gooding is said to be playing the school's janitor who befriends Harold and helps guide him through this rigorous time in his life. I'm not sure what's worse: losing your hair at 16 or knowing that your best friend in the world is the janitor at school? Sheesh, talk about a prequel to The 40 Year Old Virgin. Although he won an Oscar for asking us to "Show him the money!," Cuba Gooding was, instead, shown a number of crappy roles. Rat Race? Snow Dogs? Boat Trip? Someone stop me before I become dizzy. With Daddy Day Camp (directed by the very awesome Fred Savage of Wonder Years fame) on the way, it doesn't appear his slate is improving anytime soon. That is, unless Harold becomes the next Napoleon Dynamite. Hmm, perhaps Jon Heder and Cuba Gooding should team up on Show Me How to Build A Successful Career Off One Good Role?

After taking a look at this weekend's box office numbers, I'm now convinced the rumor is indeed true -- Steven Spielberg can see into the future. Perhaps that's why he's been so hot on Shia LaBeouf, when the rest of us were all like, "Um, you mean that kid from The Battle of Shaker Heights? Really? You dig him?" Granted, if Disturbia opened up in the middle of January during what I like to call "Hollywood's version of spring training," then it's $23 million first place finish wouldn't have been such a big deal. However, Shia LaBeouf (whose last three films were Bobby, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and The Greatest Game Ever Played) won this weekend's top spot by defeating some serious competition.

Shall we run down the list of top-notch actors LaBeouf out-box officed? Let's see, there's Will Ferrell, John Heder, Bruce Willis, Halle Berry, Hilary Swank and Ice Cube -- not to mention filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. I suppose one can make the argument that it wasn't so much Shia LaBeouf that attracted the crowds, but that Disturbia was the weekend's only new film geared toward the teenage audience. (Well, that's if you don't count the street-racing flick Redline which -- and I'm sure you'll agree -- didn't exactly shell out the dough when it came time for marketing. I'm sure most people showed up to the theater, saw the name 'Redline,' and thought it was some low-budget indie film about a red line.) Regardless, I think it's safe to say that Shia LaBeouf has officially arrived ... and just in time for a little film called Transformers, due out this July 4.

What do you think? Was Disturbia a fluke? Or does Shia really have a lot more fans than Catwoman, John McClane and that Pulp Fiction dude combined?