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Have you ever wondered how come Vince Vaughn keeps on appearing in Ben Stiller flicks, or how the Wilson brothers always end up landing small roles in each other’s films? That’s because all four of them belong in a group called “The Frat Pack”, together with Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd and Jack Black. They’re a group of comedians who keep on appearing in films that they have written, produced or directed. They are the funny faces behind some of the most hilarious movies of all time.

So why are they called The Frat Pack? These guys are the kings of witty comedy, and since there’s a trail of nicknames left in the entertainment industry left by legends, they decided to name themselves how legendary comedic acts would. It all started with “The Rat Pack”, a nickname given to a group of popular entertainers who made our grannies swoon in the mid-50’s and mid-60’s. And then “The Brat Pack” followed, a group of young Hollywood actors in the 80’s which included Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore and Judd Nelson among a few others whose careers are all pretty much non-existent. Their name was also derived from the movie Old School, which of course, most of them starred in. “The Frat Pack” also works closely with Team Apatow, where Knocked-Up star s Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen and Suparbad’s  Jonah Hill are key players.
Here are some of the Frat Pack classics that you’ll sure be familiar with:

1.    The 40 Year-Old Virgin
This movie definitely proved Steve Carell’s comedic valor. The movie follows Andy Stitzer, a middle-aged virgin geek who works in an electronics store. His co-workers are all determined to help him become a man when he found love on a woman who works for an eBay store nearby. Not only was the chest hair wax scene grossly epic, but the characters are extremely funny. Mindy Kaling, who plays the Indian blabbermouth Kelly Kapoor in Carell’s hit TV series The Office is also featured in the flick as Paul Rudd’s ex.

2.    Old School
I can only think of two words when describing this movie: comedy gold. Hailed as probably the funniest frat pack movie ever, the movie is about three men who wish to recapture their college days. Mitch, Frank and Beanie (Luke Wilson, Ferrell and Vaughn) tried to start their own fraternity with a group of not so ecstatic college kids in order to have a frat house. Snoop Dogg appeared in a scene, but it didn’t overpower the vicious hilarity that Frank the Tank showed in the movie. A sequel is already on the works.

3.    Zoolander
Derek Zoolander’s (Stiller) Magnum look is one of the most unforgettable faces in Hollywood comedy. The satirical representation of the fashion and modeling industry in this film leaves no room for seriousness and a whole lotta space for laughter. Owen Wilson plays Hansel, Derek Zoolander’s modeling competition who became his ally against the evil fashion designer Mugatu, played by will Ferrell. Ben Stiller’s dad Jerry and wife Christine Taylor both appear in the movie, as well as cameos by John Voight, Billy Zane, Christian Slater and Donald Trump.

4.    Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) is San Diego’s famous news anchor in the male-dominated broadcast media of the 70’s, then came a witty, confident, and determined female newswoman Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) who’s willing to fight to the death just to prove her place in the newsroom. Burgundy and his entourage of newsmen Brian Fantana, weatherman Brick Tamland and sports guy Champ “Whammy” Kind (Rudd, Carrell, Koechner) do their best to kick Corningstone away from her seat in front of the camera, until Ron falls deeply in love with her.  While on their way to get new suits, they encounter other news teams such as the Spanish News Network led by Ben Stiller, the Primetime news team of Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn’s channel 6 team. They all engage in an entertaining brawl to the gut where prosthetic arms were pulled off and horses running around. Jack Black was also featured as a furious biker who Ron accidentally threw a burrito at. He then gets mad and kicked Ron’s beloved pooch off the bridge.

With Frat Pack future comedy legends Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder coming up, it is sure that these boys won’t be taking a rest from making the whole world laugh for a little while.

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What do you expect of a comic book adaptation? You want the thrill that you get when reading the comic books amplified as you watch the action come to life on big screen. The first Batman movie in 1966, with Adam West, might have failed at this. It is difficult to look up to Batman when he is wearing spandex and riding a helicopter that has bat wings attached to it. Thanks to Tim Burton, audiences got their first look on a great and justified Batman adaptation in 1989.

The Tim Burton adaptations did not fail. Firstly, he captured the essence of Batman – dark, mysterious, quiet but dangerous. The Batsuit and the Batmobile were intimidating as should be. Even the depiction of Gotham City was excellent. It reflected the ruin and darkness that crime brings. Secondly, the cast had a natural likeness to the characters they were portraying. Playing Batman is not much of a challenge as playing Bruce Wayne. Any man with good built and body coordination can put on a Batsuit and play the part. The challenge really is Bruce Wayne. Batman is focused and certain. He knows what he wants and what he must do to get that. Bruce Wayne is confused. He meets a girl and wants to take a shot in having a normal life but is driven in being a masked vigilante. Michael Keaton did great in portraying these two sides of the hero. He was stern and overwhelming when he was in the suit, but without it he can even be a baffled romantic.

One great thing about Batman is that he has interesting villains. A fight between the Joker and Batman would have to be the most interesting. The Joker is the exact opposite of the serious Batman. Jack Nicholson is a perfect fit for the character and has that natural sinister smile. The other Tim Burton adaptation villains were also exemplary. Who could have done a sexier and more enticing Catwoman than Michelle Pfeiffer? The Catwoman role differs from that of Batman in the sense that not every curvy body can put on the Catsuit and be Catwoman. Michelle Pfeiffer had the right moves, the right voice and, even when masked, the right look. The role of Penguin also could not have been done better than Danny DeVito. He made Penguin look like a pitiful harmless victim at one point and a scary mad man at another. Shifts in character like that could only be pulled off by great actors such as DeVito.

The two Batman movies that followed were handed over to director Joel Schumacher. These two movies broke the great Batman installments that Burton started. The dark, mysterious, quiet but dangerous Batman was gone. The Schumacher installments made our gothic superhero into a mainstream stereotypical comic book spectacle. Batman Forever with Val Kilmer in 1995 was actually forgivable. But Batman and Robin in 1997 just killed our hero. George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell’s roles were trying to be comedic, which is supposed to be the quality of Batman’s nemeses. The villains were also turned into stereotypical characters. They lacked the depth and dynamism of the previous villains, making Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze not challenging, dull and even silly villains.

After much disappointment, Batman was again the favorite superhero come 2005. Christopher Nolan, a remarkable director and writer, took on the installment and brought back the dark, mysterious, quiet but dangerous Batman.

The Nolan installments are definitely the best. Like Tim Burton, Nolan got the essence of the dynamic and interesting characters. Aside from the astounding cinematography and visual effects that were not possible during Burton’s time, Nolan’s version is better because it did not have the comic book feel. There were no silly-looking costumes and the plot was logical. The flaw in most comic book adaptations is that characters get soaked with chemicals and suddenly they change from an honest humble character to a ravaging superhuman menace. It’s like they could not think of any way to make villains and heroes that they take the formulaic plot. Batman Begins in 2005 gave characters history; human and logical reasons to turn into the way they are. Now we know why Batman is such a serious character. Who would not lose his cheer if his parents were killed in front of him when he was a kid, fell in a bat cave, and grew up without any challenge because he was left with a hefty inheritance? We also know how Bruce Wayne got to be such a great fighter since he trained in the East. The choice of villain was also good. The Scarecrow, though not a famous enemy, is a good call. He is more human than the other villains like Poison Ivy who could have passed in a carnival show. The Scarecrow’s weapon, drugs, is real and presented a real challenge to Batman. Such realism and logic is difficult to achieve in a comic book adaptation, but Batman Begins did it without being unfaithful to the original characters.

Just recently, the much awaited sequel to the Batman installments hit the theaters. And with no surprise, it did not disappoint. Firstly, the choice of the next villain was great. After an unknown yet challenging villain in the previous movie, Batman is ready to face the Joker.

Heath Ledger is a perfect Joker. Everything – his walk, voice, make-up, mannerisms and of course the laugh – is incredibly haunting. Heath Ledger captured the insane and disturbing character of the Joker perfectly. The way he annoys and taunts Batman makes him the most interesting and likeable villain. His sarcasm will actually make you laugh. What separates this Joker from other villains is that this one is so smart you cannot expect what he’s going to do next. Heath Ledger made the most liked and admired villain in comic book adaptation history.

Aside from the Joker, everything else in the movie was amazing. The rest of the cast were great as well. Maggie Gyllenhal put more character and spunk in Rachel more than Katie Holmes did. Christian Bale again, did great as Batman and as Bruce Wayne. The very lovable Harvey Dent was also portrayed well by Aaron Eckhart. There were no dull moments and like the first movie, there was logic in the plot. There were no unecessary cheesy scenes. The suspense will keep you at your seat’s edge for the whole two and a half hours of the film. Just when you think the movie is about to end, it is just beginning. This has to be the most awe-inspiring Batman adaptation yet, as it clearly captured the meaning of the Dark Knight.

It’s official, praises for The Dark Knight from critics and movie reviewers alike are pretty much unanimous in announcing, “it’s quite good.” Though I bet people aren’t just wondering if it’s worth watching or not, there is also an expectation, one that runs parallel to their appreciation of the film, which is: does Heath Ledger give us a proper farewell?

Based on reviews that I’ve read, the answer is an astounding yes. However, before anything else, critic Mick LaSalle cautions to, “shelve those outsize expectations, and, suddenly, Ledger’s performance opens up.” What he means is, don’t expect this last role to offer an explanation to the late actor’s death, nor should we look forward to a brilliant performance that justifies Ledger’s shocking death. The fact of the matter is that it is only a really good performance if and only we shed our rather romantic expectations. We shouldn’t think that watching Ledger as the Joker will tie up any loose ends about his tragic life or give us a satisfying farewell. We should all just appreciate his last role for what it really is, which is a performance by an actor and nothing more.

With that aside, Ledger really was the perfect joker. Everything, from his appearance (which is as scary as clowns go), his manner of uttering his words in a clear and concise way sounds like a “storyteller from hell,” and his interpretation of his character; reflecting on screen the troubling persona who has no other desires except for utter destruction.

Speaking of the movie itself, some might say that something over two hours is considered quite long—even too long for some. But this is a movie with plenty of action, or rather “smart” action. So don’t be dissuaded by its length for The Dark Knight is at par, if not above most “action flicks” when it comes to…action.

I mean it when I say the above. The Dark Knight shouldn’t be regarded as just an action flick as much as it shouldn’t also be seen as just another superhero movie. The plot touches upon themes that does the common action/superhero movie one better. Quoting LaSalle once more, “it’s about civic catastrophe and the fragility of our institutions in the face of blind, consuming evil.”

As for the part that most critics point out that the movie fall short on, it was mostly in it’s the job of trying to persuade the audience that it’s not an action film. It may be better than most action movies, but in the end it’s still a Hollywood action movie as it retains some of the exaggeration, and “mindblowing” effects that have tainted the genre. This quibble becomes more disappointing if one has read about Director Christopher Nolan’s meticulous endeavors to make the “action” scenes as realistic as possible. It was said that he refused doing them in CG, and just go “old-school” style in order to give audience a better feel for the drama behind the action. Sadly, it didn’t seem to work out.

Overall, The Dark Knight is a must-see. And if you have access to an IMAX theater, then you better watch it there. Five or six scenes were shot with an IMAX camera, so for those of you who prefer the whole experience, leave the regular theaters for the kiddies.

The folks at East High are getting ready for their most explosive movie yet. The phenomenon caused by the first two High School Musical movies has grown to such heights that it will become the very first Disney television-movie production to be granted a Hollywood theatrical sequel.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year will bring back familiar faces such as Troy (Zac Efron), Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale), Ryan (Lucas Grabeel), Chad (Corbin Bleu), and Taylor (Monique Coleman). The official trailer has just been released by Disney, and believe us when we tell you, it sure does look like the very best High School Musical movie to date.

Production budget isn’t the only thing that lets this movie outshine the rest. Fans are also going to be in for a real treat as they watch their favorite character’s lives develop and unfold. For the third installment, tensions run high as the Wildcats and the rest of the seniors are about to embark to face new challenges, and cope with drastic changes such as going to college. As synopses go, the relationship between Troy and Gabriella becomes endangered by the possibility of separation after graduation. With the Wildcats, they stage a spring production, one that relives their experiences at East High while also reflecting their hopes and dreams for the future.

Expect to see a better, louder, more modern High School Musical. As Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay) said at a recent interview, “We bring back a little bit of Fosse,” when asked about certain dance routines that will surely leave the audience in awe. The music also takes a step towards more “funky” driven beats. Tisdale hinted at one song being a mix of “Gwen Stefane-slash-Fergie [and] Sharpay Evans.” Lastly, her character’s attire will be revamped as well. “They are just as crazy, but also now a little bit more designer,” Tisdale said glittering with excitement, “A little bit more Dolce & Gabbana kind of stuff, but everything is still Swarovski crystals; she still has to have a touch of that.”

So as for those of you who are counting down the minutes until October 22, you can watch the trailer here, or in Disney XD here.

Hot off the press, here are the newly released pictures of the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-BlooPrince photos. Courtesy of ComingSoon.net: