Indiana Jones -- The Adventure Collection
... or any of the three special editions -- Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade

We're just over a week and a half away from seeing Harrison Ford run around as Indiana Jones for the first time in almost twenty years in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and hopefully not collapse in an arthritic fit. Of course, that means putting out a collection for Indy buffs to buy -- just in time for a late-night triple feature before the big release. However, unlike the Die Hard re-do, which stripped tons of extras away, and other releases that just fill up landfill space, there is a perk in this whole money-grab: aside from getting them as a collection, you can pick them up for the first time separately.

That's music to my ears, since I detest Temple of Doom, and would be happy not to see it again. Pick up one, pick up a few, or pick them all up in the Adventure Collection, which is just the three special editions in a fancy cardboard box. Each disc has a bunch of extras -- intros, interviews, special effects, storyboards, and more. Some is old footage, but there's lots of new bits as well -- including a look at Skull on the Last Crusade DVD.

Buy the Collection | Buy Raiders | Buy Doom | Buy Crusade

Let me tell you why I do what I do: Not long ago, Cinematical gave away tickets to the New York City premiere of The Great Debaters. Afterward, two of the ticket winners emailed, thanking me profusely, saying that attending the premiere -- in the historic Ziegfeld Theater -- was one of the greatest moviegoing experiences of their lives. I may not make a million dollars a year, or know everything there is to know about film, but to help two people enjoy such a wonderful and memorable experience is more rewarding than any macho paycheck. So thanks for emailing.

And in the meantime, for those who haven't yet seen The Great Debaters, Cinematical has received this exclusive clip from the film (see above), in which Denzel Washington welcomes a bunch of young kids into a make-shift classroom in an attempt to teach them how to debate. The Great Debaters was just nominated for a Best Picture Golden Globe, and in his review our own Scott Weinberg noted the film is "easily worth seeing for the superlative performances, the still-important history lessons, and the really excellent mid-'30s production design ..." The Great Debaters is directed by Denzel Washington, and it stars Washington, Forest Whitaker, Nate Parker and Denzel Whitaker. You can read more about the film in our junket report; The Great Debaters is currently playing nationwide.

The Great Debaters is inspired by the true story of how professor Melvin B. Tolson (played by Denzel Washington) formed the first debate team at Wiley College -- a black liberal arts institution -- in the 1930's Jim Crow south. The film was just nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Picture of the Year, and it co-stars Forest Whitaker. Debaters is Washington's second film as a director (his first was Antwone Fisher). Cinematical attended a press junket earlier this month with Washington and the film's young debaters: Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, and Denzel Whitaker. Yes, the co-star of a movie with Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker is named Denzel Whitaker! To avoid confusion, we'll refer to them as they refer to themselves -- Big Denzel (Washington) and Little Denzel (Whitaker).

What did you guys do to prepare for this film?

BIG DENZEL: We set up a camp for the kids. I met Dr. Freeman, who is the debating coach at Texas Southern, which is one of the top debating schools in the country. I interviewed him and put him on film and asked if we could set up a little mini-camp for the young actors and he put them through their paces.

NP: We arrived and learned all about parliamentary and impromptu debate. Denzel was very adamant about us researching and knowing what we were talking about, and being well versed in the process of debate. So we got the Texas Southern University team, and they took us through it and gave us a class course. They told us we should be more persuasive, being that we're actors! So the first day we learned about debate, the second day we broke into teams and we debated. And the morning of, we were watching CNN and MSNBC and reading the Wall Street Journal. You should have seen us, we took it very serious, and we defeated their freshman and sophomore team.

For the final shopping weekend before Christmas, the Disney sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets took the top honors, but all of last week's other new releases had to take a backseat to the previous week's holdovers I Am Legend and Alvin and the Chipmunks, both of which continued to do brisk business with Legend raking in a whopping total of $137.5 million since its release. The Chipmunks took in $83.7 million over the last two weeks, pretty much guaranteeing that Alvin will finally get that hula hoop. Here are the numbers for last weekend:

1. National Treasure: Book of Secrets: $45.5 million.
2. I Am Legend: $34.2 million.
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: $29 million.
4. Charlie Wilson's War: $9.6 million.
5. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: $9.35 million.

All of this week's new releases came out for Christmas day rather than the usual Friday, so we've got three new movies that hit theaters yesterday, as well as one that went into wider release.

Aliens Versus Predator: Requiem
What's It All About: The lead critters from the Aliens and Predator franchises duke it out once again, with several unfortunate humans getting between them.
Why It Might Do Well: There's always room at the box office for a big old science fiction special effects extravaganza. Unlike the first AVP, this one is rated R, giving the gore hounds more bang for their buck.
Why It Might Not Do Well: While the creature action in the series' previous installment had its moments, things like the plot and dialogue left me ice cold. Rottentomatoes.com is giving this a 14% rotten rating.
Number of Theaters: 2,563
Prediction: $18 million

The Great Debaters
What's It All About: Denzel Washington directs and stars in this film based on true events. Washington plays the coach of an East Texas college debate team who took on the team at Harvard in the 1930s.
Why It Might Do Well: Should offer a viable alternative to all the action and effects laden extravaganzas out there.
Why It Might Not Do Well: A war of words might be too low key for some.
Number of Theaters: 1,164
Prediction: $10 million

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
What's It All About: A young boy cares for a strange and rapidly growing creature hatched from an egg of unknown origin.
Why It Might Do Well: An E.T.-esque tale that should attract those looking to bring the whole family.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Alvin and the Chipmunks may have already burned out the holiday cute factor at the box office.
Number of Theaters: 2,772
Prediction: $14 million

When you think of the classic 'sports movie' formula, you probably run through your favorite baseball or football movies, but make no mistake: Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters is every bit the sports flick that Hoosiers, The Natural and Remember the Titans are. It's only the extra-curriculars that have changed. Whether or not that's a good thing is entirely up to you, but if you're a big fan of totally predictable yet effectively entertaining "competition" movies, then there's very little chance you won't dig what's offered here. And even if you find the screenplay to be the pinnacle of all things obvious, the performances are still pretty excellent.

Plus, hell, if cheerleading is a sport, then so is debate.

Denzel Washington (directing his second film after 2002's Antwone Fisher) does a reliably excellent job of elevating basic material -- when he's on the screen, anyway; his character here is Melvin B. Tolson, debating coach for a black Texas college. The year is 1935, the civil rights movement is just starting to gain (a little) traction, and Tolson (despite being an unquestionably dedicated educator) is in big trouble thanks to his "questionable" politics.

The latest debate team for Wiley College is a broadly interesting one: the soft-spoken girl, the passionate hunk, the youthful prodigy, and ... the chubby one. Again, it's a good thing this movie has such a strong cast. Each of the young actors do exceedingly fine work with some fairly one-note roles. As the angry yet powerfully articulate Henry Lowe, Nate Parker is particularly excellent, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more movies from him in the future.

Just when you thought we were done giving away tickets today, we've only just begun! Cinematical is happy to announce that we have a whopping 15 pairs of tickets to give away for next Wednesday's (12/19) New York premiere of The Great Debaters! And in case you weren't following the news, The Great Debaters was just nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Motion Picture (Drama) category -- the most prestigious of them all -- and now you have a chance to see it, before anyone else does, at New York's historic Ziegfeld Theater. Oh, but that's not all: Your ticket also allows you to attend a private pre-show reception, with folks like Denzel Washington and other high-profile celebs in attendance. Yup, you've read all about those swanky New York movie premieres in the papers -- well now YOU get to go to one! And chill ... with Denzel!

Here's what you need to know: We'll be picking 15 random commenters to attend The Great Debaters star-studded New York premiere starting ... now. The private reception will be held prior to the screening in The Ziegfeld Theater Lobby beginning at 6:30pm on Wednesday, December 19th, with the screening to follow. (And on a personal note, if you've never been to a screening at the Ziegfeld -- then, seriously, you have no idea what you're missing.) Since cocktails will be served, you must be 21 or over in order to attend, and you must be in or around the New York City area on that day. Additionally, you'll need to travel to and from the theater on your own dime. Worth it to watch The Great Debaters with Denzel at The Ziegfeld? Um, yeah. You'll want to be there for this. Directed by Denzel Washington, and starring Washington, Forest Whitaker, Nate Parker and Denzel Whitaker, The Great Debaters arrives in theaters on Christmas Day.

Check out the trailer for The Great Debaters and the official rules for this contest after the jump.

Cinematical was just sent another poster for The Great Debaters (click on the image for a larger version), directed by and starring Denzel Washington. And yes, he's pointing at you -- get up out your seats and go see this film, dammit! (I don't know if that's what he's saying, but I imagine it's something inspiring and important.) Last month, we debuted the first official poster for the film, which carried a shot of Denzel with his arm around a young student surrounded by several cast members (including co-star Forest Whitaker) -- a whole town's worth, it seemed. This new poster is the one that gets your attention -- looking all yellow and retro; Denzel is all in debate mode and what not. Inspired by a true story, The Great Debaters tells the story of Melvin B. Tolson (Washington), a professor at Wiley College Texas who in 1935 inspired students to start up the school's first debate team. They would later go on to challenge Harvard in the national championship. Based on the trailer, it's certainly got that whole inspirational, feel-good vibe -- which is something you need in a film that arrives during the holiday season. He ain't no Santa, but I'd happily take a Denzel DVD under my Christmas tree. Check out the trailer over on Moviefone; The Great Debaters arrives in theaters on Christmas Day.

When the passionate, inspirational teacher and poet stands on a desk, you know he means business. Robin Williams did it as John Keating in Dead Poets Society, and now Denzel Washington is doing it as Melvin B. Tolson in the latest educational drama, The Great Debaters. A trailer has finally been released on the web, over at Yahoo, and while it starts off with a very recognizable attention-getter, it's still looking pretty darned good in its own right. Granted, I grew up watching school flicks with my dad, so it does hit a soft spot.

Regardless, I have a feeling this flick will do well. Denzel's second directorial effort, Debaters co-stars Forest Whitaker and Kimberly Elise, and it focuses on Tolson, a Texas professor at Wiley College in the '30s. He brought together a collection of his African-American students and created the school's first debate team, which went on to win a televised championship at Harvard. Tolson is snarky, rabble-rousing, and rebellious, which makes him prime meat for an inspirational drama. The film will be released next month, as Santa delivers his annual supply of coal and presents.
Funny site note: Correct me if I'm wrong, but looking at the trailer, it looks like young co-star Denzel Whitaker, who sounds like a love child between Washington and Whitaker, is playing Forest's son. While he has no relation to either actor, he was named after Denzel. Talk about a dream come true for those parents!

It seems that director Tony Scott can't get enough of remakes -- and Denzel Washington, for that matter. Sources for Entertainment Weekly are reporting that Washington and Scott are in negotiations to re-team for the remake of the 1974 action thriller, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. The original film starred Walter Matthau and Jerry Stiller, and was based on the novel by Morton Freedgood (under the pseudonym John Godey). The story centered on a grizzled New York Transit cop sent to stop a group of terrorists who have hijacked a subway car for a million dollar ransom. Washington would reportedly play Matthau's role of the cop. This would be the second attempt at a remake for the film; the first was a made-for-TV movie in 1998 with Edward James Olmos and Vincent D'Onofrio.

So far, Sony has stayed quiet on the rumored Pelham negotiations. But, Washington and Scott have made three previous films (Crimson Tide, Man on Fire, and Deja Vu), so they must enjoy working with one another. Scott still has his other 70's remake reportedly in production; Walter Hill's, The Warriors. Although, it has been a while since anyone has heard a peep out of that project. Washington, on the other hand, has American Gangster (directed by Tony's big-brother, Ridley) headed for theaters on November 2, followed by the family-friendly drama The Great Debaters on Christmas Day. So providing everyone can coordinate their schedules, I wouldn't be surprised if Pelham joins the growing slate of productions headed for the fast-track before the dreaded "Hollywood Strike" begins.

Here are some of the words Harvey Weinstein is using to describe his critics: jealous; disgruntled; has-been. The first two, you may have assumed, refer to the many people criticizing the ability and financial stability of The Weinstein Co. The latter, though, is directed at an internationally respected filmmaker, Luc Besson. The comment was in response to Besson's claim that TWC mishandled the American release of his animated film Arthur and the Invisibles. Weinstein says he'll give the "has-been" $1 million if he can prove that Arthur actually cost $85 million, as Besson claims. So, once again, a film industry dispute turns into a messy blame game, battled with egos rather than brains (and here, I thought Weinstein actually believed Arthur failed because audiences are not used to films that feature both animation and live-action).

But Weinstein could never be personally apologetic for his company's failures. Then he wouldn't be Harvey Weinstein. And it has become a regular thing for him to tell reporters, such as Variety's Anne Thompson, how everyone else is wrong about The Weinstein Co. Despite the obvious, which has been easily noticed by all of us following the film business, Weinstein continues to claim that TWC is doing just fine. Sure, most criticisms are speculative, but mostly they are reasonably so. According to Thompson, rumors are floating around that the Weinstein brothers could lose TWC to its investors; either they will be forced to sell the company or merge with a studio. She also questions TWC's chance for independent success given that even Dreamworks was unable to survive on its own.

Still, Weinstein feels secure in the future of TWC, stating to Thompson that the only thing it's missing is a "glamorous theatrical hit." And he seems hopeful about this summer's release of SiCKO, as well as next year's slate of in-house productions like The Great Debaters, Crossing Over and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. According to Weinstein, anyone who is doubtful about TWC making it is either a jealous competitor, probably some exec just trying to look cool, or a disgruntled former employee. Considering Weinstein has already surprised me once this year, with his almost personally apologetic reaction to the disappointment of Grindhouse ("We obviously didn't do it that well."; "We didn't educate the South or Midwest."; "We missed the boat." -italics mine), I will just have to be open-minded about the possibility of him turning TWC's reputation around.