Robert Zemeckis

• The Amazing Race is getting a 13th season, Variety says.
• Cary Elwes (a.k.a. Westley in The Princess Bride) has joined the cast of Robert Zemeckis' digital 3-D version of A Christmas Carol, writes ComingSoon.
• Stanley Tucci will join Amy Adams and Meryl Streep in the Julia Child movie Julie and Julia, Variety reports.
• VH1 has a whole bunch of new reality shows in the pipeline, writes The Hollywood Reporter, including one in which contestants act out the sins of telenovelas and a female version of The White Rapper Show called Miss Rap Supreme.
• Paste brings word that free download of Radiohead's In Rainbows expires today.
• USA Today reports on the bizarre news that CBS and the New England Patriots are opening a restaurant together.
• According to the AP, Led Zeppelin is taking the stage tonight in London for the first time since 1980.

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"I. Am. BEOWULF!" roars a computer-generated (and significantly enhanced) Ray Winstone over and over and over again. The animated epic story of Beowulf is impressive from a visual standpoint — it really is like living inside a video game — though story-wise it's empty and forgettable. But if nothing else, you will absolutely remember who. Is. Beowulf.

I managed to see Beowulf in an IMAX theater, donning some giant, goofy 3-D glasses. In this way, the movie is spectacular. You'll be splattered with blood, threatened with sharp spears, and nearly dropped into the sharp-toothed mouths of terrifying beasts. It is, quite simply, amazing. I completely understand Robert Zemeckis' desire to bring this story to life via animation. Using (and improving upon) the motion-capture technology he tried with The Polar Express, the humans look as real as possible (more or less) while still existing in a mystical land alongside monsters, mermaids and water serpents.

Overall, it's a cool idea. In execution, it's enjoyable enough, though I'm not sure I would have liked it half as much if I were not watching it on an IMAX screen in 3-D. However, having said that I agree with the complaint of a fellow reviewer that if you turn your face even the slightest bit, the 3-D image is skewed and unpleasant to look at. Sitting in the same position with my head frozen in place for two hours and watching a 3-D movie left me with neck pains as well as a headache. For more about the pros and cons of this movie, read more

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt looked typically wax figure-esque out at last night's LA premiere of Beowulf. Angelina may have been shy about watching her computer generated body on the big screen, but she was full of smiles on the red carpet keeping herself covered in her coat while Brad opted for his requisite hat. Elsewhere on the red carpet Anthony Hopkins did his best Jack Nicholson impersonation while John Malkovich was generally cool in his yellow/green coat. Robin Wright Penn was looking good, too, but kind of unrecognizable, right? The movie doesn't hit screens until November 16th and I still can't decide whether it'll be worth a visit to the theater. How about you, on the edge of your seat excited or not so much?

To see the rest of the premiere including an oddly unrecognizable Robin Wright Penn, Crispin Glover Nicollette Sheridan, plus a lot more Angelina and Brad and many others just read more

Speaking of Comic-Con, apparently there was a screening of 20-minutes from Robert Zemeckis' computer-generated version of the epic tale Beowulf, starring Angelina Jolie and Anthony Hopkins, among others. MTV's movie blogger was there, and reported this:

"This is the oldest story in the English language," [Neil] Gaiman told the crowd of press and VIPs. "And it’s told with the most modern technology available," [Roger] Avary finished.

After a few hundred people strapped on their 3-D glasses, the verdict was in. While scenes featuring Anthony Hopkins and a near-nude Angelina Jolie are astonishingly photo real, the fantasy epic still occasionally suffers the "Dead Eyes" look of Robert Zemeckis’ Polar Express.

The flick, which costs $1 million per minute, is aiming for a PG-13 take on the tale we were all forced to read in high school. "That was my reason for doing this," grinned Avary. "I wanted to make it easier or future generations."

Well, for us poor hacks slaving away at work instead of chatting up Neil Gaiman at Comic-Con, at least we can check out the trailer for Beowulf, which hits theaters November 16. As was sometimes the case with Zemeckis' Polar Express, I find it eerie to see well-known actors portrayed in not-quite-reality, but I'm still supremely excited to see this movie in 3-D. To see the CG-tastic trailer, read more

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• GiggleSugar finds what may be the weirdest song ever. Seriously, you have to hear this.
• TV Squad cracks me up with the news that the BET show "Hot Ghetto Mess" has changed its name to "We Got to Do Better." Heh.

You may have heard about this project of Robert Zemeckis' (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump) to turn the epic poem Beowulf into an animated movie which, it was recently announced, will be screened in IMAX theaters. The movie's official website is up and running (though it basically just features dancing flames, dramatic music and a cast list), and now a Dutch website has posted photos of the posters for the movie, including the one above. The posters aren't groundbreaking, but they have piqued my curiosity in this project.

Namely, I wonder who, exactly, is going to see this? It's animated like many children's movies are, though I've never scanned my memory for works of literature to make into children's movies and gone, "Oh, I know! Beowulf!" Yet are adults interested enough in the story — even an adaptation written by Neil Gaiman — to see a classic piece of literature made into a CGI movie on an IMAX screen?

I must say, however, that the cast of actors voicing the characters is quite impressive:

• Angelina Jolie as Grendel's Mother
• Crispin Glover as Grendel
• Anthony Hopkins as King Hrothgar
• Robin Wright Penn as Queen Wealhtheow
• John Malkovich as Unferth
• Alison Lohman as Ursula
• and Ray Winstone, who I don't know, as Beowulf

What do you think? Come November 16 will you be checking out Beowulf?