And who isn’t? Me. I love this damn city. There are only two negatives I find about it. Number one is the traffic, but I knew that when I moved here so I do my best not to complain. The second thing that aggravates me here is sports radio. It’s either USC, the Lakers or the Dodgers 24/7. To put it nicely, I don’t consider myself a fan of any of those teams. Even if I could get some national perspective, it would be better than that. But, I digress.

R&B artist Ne-Yo, whom I recognize by name only, but couldn’t tell any one of his songs (although I’m sure I’ve heard them) is one a few actors announced today to star in an upcoming sci-fi film entitled Battle: Los Angeles. The picture is to be directed by Johnathan Liebesman (Darkness Falls), and will pit Ne-Yo as a corporal in a platoon fighting against an alien invasion. Are all alien invasion movies going to be compared to District 9, now? I would think that’s pretty much the pinnacle at the moment.

Obviously the film will take place in L.A., which has to be the most depicted city in cinema (for ease-of-use purposes) and I’d be curious to check out where the mayhem is to take place, much like I have an inkling of interest in the new “NCIS: Los Angeles,” with LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell. Ne-Yo has previously been in Stomp the Yard and Save the Last Dance 2, so I can easily say I’ve never seen the guy act. He’ll at least be around Aaron Eckhart, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena and for fans of hers, Michelle Rodriguez. I’m more interested in your thoughts on the film than his casting, but by all means, throw your two cents in if you have an opinion on that, too.

Aaron Eckhart has always been an actor of interest to me since seeing him in Paycheck. Yes, the movie starring Ben Affleck. The movie was no good, but Eckhart was great and certainly got my attention. He later confirmed my beliefs of him as a good actor when he starred in Thank You for Smoking. Of course it was his portrayal as Harvey Dent/Two Face in The Dark Knight the really put him on the map.  Jennifer Aniston is another actress who I’ve always thought positive about (and still find attractive). Like everybody, I first became a fan during her run with “Friends” and enjoyed her in Along Came Polly and The Break-Up.  She even surprised me with the indie film, The Good Girl. Aniston is easily the most successful cast member from “Friends” and she has found her niche in romantic comedies. She has already starred in two this year with He’s Just Not That Into You and Management. She is one of the few that I can tolerate in the genre and has good acting chops. Eckhart has had his share of romantic comedies as well with No Reservations and Conversations With Other Women. Both will star in the upcoming Love Happens, though this one has more emphasis on drama than comedy.

The Zodiac, picking up his killin' tools.

Eckhart plays Burke Ryan, a successful self-help author who has written a book about his recovering after his wife died. Titled “A-OKAY!” the book helps people cope with loss and it soon sky rockets him to an in-demand self-help spokesman. While giving a seminar in Seattle, he notices Eloise attending, a florist who owns her own shop. While randomly bumping into her in a hallway at the hotel, he is captivated by her and asks her out for coffee.  They soon become acquainted with each other and start to date. But things start to become uneasy when Burke still hasn’t gotten over his wife’s death. Burke must find peace with himself after the passing of his wife and be willing to let someone new into his life.

The film co-stars Martin Sheen (The Departed), Judy Greer (27 Dresses), Joe Anderson (Across The Universe), Dan Fogler (Fanboys) and John Carroll Lynch (Gran Torino).  Love Happens was directed and co-written by Brandon Camp and his other work includes having written the terrible Dragonfly.  Mike Thompson is the other co-writer and he also served as co-producer. He co-wrote Dragonfly with Camp.

Good luck picking up a girl when you've got Fogler as your wingman.

I do think the title of the movie is a little cheesy, but this looks good.  I like Eckhart and Aniston and it’s nice to see a romantic movie free from the constraints of the comedy aspect. I guess I do tend to favor romantic dramas above the comedy ones. Love Happens should be a hit as a date movie and could be a potential tearjerker.  The beautiful Seattle backdrop reminds me of the classic Sleepless in Seattle and it should add something special to the movie. Come to think of it, Paycheck was also filmed there. Maybe it’s just a push, then.

Love Happens opens September 18^th.

Wrapping up the week, we have found some more interesting tidbits to share with you in our Film News Daily.

The biggest deal of the week is that we added the Bruno trailer yesterday.  It looks every bit as funny as Borat.  Fooking hilarious!

Also, see our The Hangover trailer with Mike Tyson.  We have seen the movie, our review is dropping soon.

Rabbit Hole has had Nicole Kidman attached for some time but now [Production Weekly] reports that Aaron Eckhart will join her.  This is supposed to be a major tear-jerker (the movie, not the news – and not because Two-Face is not Eckhart’s character).

Little Fockers appears to be the next project on the horizon for Paul Weitz. This should be the final installment in the comedic series where Meet The Parents was good and Meet The Fockers was not. [Rope of Silicon]

Stringer Bell, bka Idris Elba, and Star Trek‘s Queen Uhura, Zoe Saldana, become part of DC Comics’ The Losers, along with Jeffrey Dean Morgan of Watchmen infamy. [Screenrant] has more goods on the prospects.

[MTV] has more goods on David Cronenberg’s The Matarese Circle which is supposed to star both Denzel Washington and Tom Cruise.  That is one of the biggest star pairings in years as far as I can tell, but Cronenberg has more quirky tastes than most blockbusters would allow.  This one is interesting.

Vin Diesel and Chris Pine are officially in for Green Lantern.  [Moviehole] actually says check that.  Pine is close to signing for the lead in “Lantern” and Diesel is looking to play “Sub-Mariner” in another comic property film.

Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) has added Ben Stiller to his untitled film that is underway in LA.  Stiller is doing drama this time (a welcome departure, I think) says [Film School Rejects] and Rhys Ifans is also on board.

Sex And The City 2 gets an official release date of May 28, 2010.  Mark your calenders.  Or don’t. I’m still hopeful it will be re-cast and re-titled, “More Sex, Less City.”

[ShockTilYouDrop] has info on Scott Nicholson’s “The Home” book adaptation turned film.  It’s a horror novel in which experimental treatment on chidlren brings back the spirits of the titular house”s former residents.

Some more casting news for you today. With a 180-degree about-face from yesterday’s rumor and conjecture, comes concrete casting evidence for two literary adaptations.

Guardians of Ga’Hoole

First up is the upcoming animated film to be directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen), entitled Guardians of Ga’Hoole. Jim Sturgess, Geoffrey Rush, Rachel Taylor and David Wenhem have all signed on to be part of the voice cast.

“Based on the children’s book series by Kathryn Lasky, the film, which is shooting in Australia, follows a young barn owl and his friends as they join forces with the mythical Guardians of Ga’hoole, owl protectors, to save the owl kingdom from rogue elements.”

The above quote says “shooting in Australia,” but as I understand it, there’s no shooting to be done at all. It appears to be a CG animated film, utilizing the same company from Happy Feet. No motion capture technology for Snyder in this one. He definitely has a visual style, which will be interesting to see transferred to the world of animation.

The Rum Diary

Next, the cast for the Johnny Depp-headlined The Rum Diary is rounding into shape. Amber Heard will be a busy girl, after last week entering John Carpenter’s The Ward, she’s also signed onto this project.

Piggy-backing on the Heard news is Two-Face himself, Aaron Eckhart is in negotiations to play the third-wheel along with Depp and Heard of a love triangle.

Last, but certainly not least, fresh of the heels of his Oscar-nominated performance in The Vistor, Richard Jenkins has signed on for the film.

“Diary is the tale of a washed-up, hard-drinking journalist named Paul Kemp (Depp) in 1950s Puerto Rico. Eckhart would play Sanderson, a wealthy landowner who believes everything has a price and introduces Kemp to a different standard of living. Jenkins is playing Lotterman, the man who oversees the rundown newspaper where Kemp works.”

The Rum Diary, is an adaptation of a novel by gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson.

This is not Depp’s first filmatic dealing with rum:

Thanks to “The Hollywood Reporter” for the news.

Are all men bastards…or just misunderstood?  That was the tagline for Neil LaBute’s 1997 film, In The Company of Men, a classic in my eyes that far too few have come to appreciate to this very day.  The reasons are likely many.  It was an ultra low budget film, shot for a reported $25,000, with no moving camera shots in the entire film to my recollection.  They are all still shots with the only motion coming when LaBute affixes the camera to a trolley-ride at a generic amusement park of sorts.  It ended up doing just under $3 million domestic box-office, a modest hit for a then still small independent film scene.

IMDB breaks down the plot as follows: Two business executives–one an avowed misogynist, the other recently emotionally wounded by his love interest–set out to exact revenge on the female gender by seeking out the most innocent, uncorrupted girl they can find and ruining her life.  So essentially, two guys who work together pick on a co-worker, dating her at the same time, only to supposedly screw her over.  Not one to watch with women.  However, not all goes nearly as smoothly as planned.  If it did, why would I recommend it?

Aaron Eckhart and Matt Malloy In The Company of Men.

This is kind of a movie for the hard-ass.  Chad sets the whole scheme up, they want to break one girl to get back at women for causing men so much heart break.  I think Kanye West can relate.  But it’s the weaker Howard who falls for the mute Christine, while Christine falls for Chad, thus making for an awkward love triangle before things get out of hand.  A woman would feel sorry for Christine, and it’s hard not to, she really is an innocent for the most part, especially considering that she is being set up the whole time, not to mention that she is deaf.  Howard finds this endearing and actually learns some signing to communicate with her.  Chad essentially just mocks her knowing that she can’t hear him.

But Chad is the handsome one, so Christine sees him as the prize between the two men, even though she is pleased with Howard’s kind persona.  Once her plight is revealed, her devastation ensues, and even Chad finds it a bit unsatisfactory, questioning her with “It only hurts that much?”  So she holds it together as long as she can and she sobs in his absence.  That’ll sting.  Eventually, after so bitterly losing out on Christine’s heart to Chad, a devastated Howard confronts him and Chad makes the big reveal.  When asked why he did it all, the married Chad closes the saga by simply saying “Because I could.” Now that’s cold, colder than Coors Light. But still, pure genius.

Stacy Edwards enjoys the company of the wrong men.

In the Company of Men was Aaron Eckhart’s first starring role as an actor.  His charismatic and suave player, Chad, was the type of guy that both men and women were attracted to.  He perfectly played two-faced long before he became Two-Face in The Dark Knight.  It launched his career, allowing him to eventually land a lead part opposite Julia Roberts in Steven Soderberg’s Erin Brockovich in 2000.  Eckhart helped get Julia her Oscar!

Neil LaBute wrote and directed it and has had a pretty good run of his own as a serious counterpart to Kevin Smith.  He recently directed Samuel L. in Lakeview Terrace, his eighth effort behind the camera and yeah, he was a virgin before Company of Men.

Matt Malloy’s Howard, is the perfect foil as well.  When he and Chad converse in a bathroom discussing details of their respective dates with Christine, their interaction is priceless.  His “Niiiice” response to Chad’s tale of he and Christine’s peck on the cheek goodbye kiss is just perfect.  I quoted that for years and might need to bring it back.  Malloy is a character actor that gets steady work.  He actually ended up with 5 film credits in 2008 alone and totals almost 100 acting credits in full as of this writing.  That’s some serious stuff.

Where real men take care of their business.

Why do I enjoy this film so much?  Maybe it is my dark side.  I adapted the deaf voice that Christine has as one of my voices for an acting audition to a comedy troupe.  (I didn’t book the gig so I can talk about it now, but it wowed a few on-lookers, as did my Eddie Vedder as Eminem impression, but that’s another story for another time.  Maybe mocking the deaf wasn’t funny to those hiring for the troupe, but I think they missed out.  Why be so PC in this Mac world?)  Yeah, it is a guy movie and perhaps a perfect one for anyone who has ever been hurt by a woman at some point in their life.  This was a shoestring budget film that made you feel, like Kevin Smith’s 1994 Clerks did, that filmmaking was an achievable medium for everyman.  Mind you, this was long before the iMovie’s and You Tube’s of the world really did virtually put filmmaking and distributing at your fingertips.

In the end, if you are a guy, this is a film you must see.  Just don’t watch it with your female mate.  Heed this call!  Nothing good can come out of that, unless you want to end up like the characters in the movie, sans a relationship.  But you can have a great time catching this and if you watch it with a few friends, commence the quoting.  It came out a year after the imminently quotable movie Swingers and it holds it’s own in a completely different way.  I can’t recommend it enough. A 4 nest film-u-missed.

Buy this Film U Missed here.