2011 has come and gone and left quite the assortment of movie news in its wake. There’s been poster after poster, trailer after trailer and more casting updates than we can count. With so much news out there, how can anything possible be memorable enough to stick even after the year comes to a close? Well, turns out, there is a way and actually, more than one of them. Controversy, notoriety and sheer good filmmaking, the very first Movie New Cheat Sheet of 2012 takes a look back at some unforgettable Cheat Sheet items of 2011. 1. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen: We get a ton of big casting news…

We’re going into high-profile overdrive this week. We’ve got some major casting news regarding a number of highly anticipated productions including Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, Spike Lee’s Oldboy, Stephenie Meyer’s next book-to-film adaptation The Host and more. In non-casting news, of course, we’ve got the details on the Academy Awards producer/host shuffle and an update on the upcoming Justice League movie from Warner Bros. as well as a little sneak peek at the xnew Toy Story short film set to play ahead of the November 23rd release, The Muppets. So, want the goods? They’re all right here in your weekly Movie News Cheat Sheet. 1. Sacha Baron Cohen May Join…

It would seem like we’re coming to an end of the Brett Ratner-gate situation, and it’s what I personally thought would happen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Billy Crystal is going to host The 84th Academy Awards. Crystal tweeted the news, stating, “Am doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions. Looking forward to the show.” It is easy to get him to replace Eddie Murphy, who left the show in a pickle when he left his spot as host after Ratner left as producer, because Crystal, according to the article, has hosted the Oscars nine times….

Brett Ratner-gate is still going strong with the announcement that “J. Edgar” producer Brian Grazer is the official replacement of the “Tower Heist” director as producer of the Oscars, according to The Hollywood Reporter. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tom Sherak, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was currently in talks with Grazer Wednesday to produce the awards show along with Don Mischer. Also according to the site from their sources, an official press release about Grazer’s acceptance is in the works. The site reports that their sources told them that Sherak is moving fast to reboot the show, which has not only lost their…

“Tower Heist,” starring Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller, is certified fresh by the critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but only barely. According to the site, the critics gave the film a 69% fresh rating, and this time, the critics were being lenient. The audience gave the film a lower rating of 66%. The site gave the film a very backhanded compliment, saying “‘Tower Heist’ is a true Brett Ratner joint: little brains to this caper, but it’s fun fluff, exciting to watch, and showcases a welcome return to form for Eddie Murphy.” At the very least, Murphy is back on top. Here’s what the critics thought: “Cheerfully crappy schlock.”–Richard Roeper, RichardRoeper.com…

The theme of this week’s Cheat Sheet? Casting. Well, for the most part. We’ve got the best of the best including J.J. Abrams’ hopes to cast Benicio del Toro as his villain in Star Trek 2 as well as a slew of potential recruits for Warner Bros’ Akira. It’s been confirmed that Jennifer Lopez is producing a Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego movie, but now the question is, will she star in it, too? Then there’s Andy Serkis who just earned a solid paycheck for signing on for Rise of the Planet of the Apes 2 as well as subsequent Apes films. Yes, this Cheat Sheet is certainly…

Title: Tower Heist Directed By: Brett Ratner Starring: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Stephen Henderson, Judd Hirsch, Téa Leoni, Michael Peña, Gabourey Sidibe Sometimes formulaic filmmaking isn’t all that bad, especially in the case of a film with an outlandish plot like Tower Heist. It basically plays out as you’d expect with a few good gags along the way and some bumbling attempts to snag the cash, but if you’re simply looking for an enjoyable hour and 45 minutes, what else do you need? There’s certainly nothing too deep about this one, but courtesy of colorful characters, some solid laughs and a festive Thanksgiving backdrop,…

A discussion and review the week’s new movie release from your favorite entertainment and celebrity website. Hello everyone, this is episode 20 of the Movie Night Podcast. This week Rudie Obias and James McCormick of CineAwesome.com discuss the new film from Brett Ratner, “Tower Heist,” starring Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Stephen Henderson, Judd Hirsch, Téa Leoni, Michael Peña and Gabourey Sidibe. Also, Rudie Obias and Perri Nemiroff discuss the 3rd installment of the Harold & Kumar franchise, “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas,” starring John Cho, Kal Penn, Bobby Lee, Thomas Lennon, Amir Blumenfeld, Paula Garcés, Danny Trejo and Neil Patrick Harris. Subscribe…

Title: Tower Heist Directed By: Brett Ratner Written By: Ted Griffin, Jeff Nathanson Cast: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Judd Hirsch, Tea Leoni, Michael Pena, Gabourey Sidibe Screened at: AMC Lincoln Square, NYC, 10/26/11 Opens: November 4, 2011 No doubt inspired by Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme which lightened the wallets of hundreds of hard-working people, “Tower Heist” is a caper movie that comes off mostly cheesy despite good comic timing and the expense of shooting in New York’s fabulous Trump Tower. Some will find one-liners to stimulate their funny bones, but given its derivative quality, Brett Ratner’s movie can never excite the imagination like more…

Universal’s “Tower Heist,” directed by Brett Ratner and starring Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy, will be released November 4, and fans of the film will now have the chance to win a prize pack, including an official “Tower Heist” T-shirt, an official “Tower Heist” zip-up hoodie, “Tower Heist” branded gum, and a “Tower Heist” branded bottle-opener. To win, make sure to follow us @Shockya. Then tweet us the phrase: “Win a Tower Heist Prize Pack, Follow @Shockya and Retweet to Win” Only tweet once per day–that’s all it takes for you to qualify. You have until November 15 to enter. The giveaway winner will be chosen at random. “Ben Stiller…