Strange Movie Facts, Take 1

Angry director could pack up DreamWorks and leave studio

(NEWSER) - Steven Spielberg is so disillusioned with Paramount Pictures that he may bail on the studio, which less than 2 years ago bought the director's DreamWorks for $1.53 billion. The legend behind Jaws, E.T., and Transformers is furious that Paramount takes credit for his movies and mistreats his friends, including firing best bud Tom Cruise, Business Week reports. More»

JJ Abrams directs Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning in sci-fi flick

(NEWSER) - Super 8 is a fun summer blockbuster about kids, monsters, and filmmaking—but don’t expect a classic.

• Director JJ Abrams is “clever and sincere,” notes AO Scott in the New York Times , “but still, at least on the big screen, more student than master. Like his previous features, Super 8 is an enticing package without much inside.”
• Claudia Puig applauds the film in USA Today . “Super 8 packs the emotional punch of vintage Steven Spielberg with the spectacular effects and sense of mystery at which writer/director J.J. Abrams excels.

For starters, it's hard to blow up a car with one

(NEWSER) - Hollywood just loves its guns, but it doesn't always get the facts straight. Robert Evans of Cracked.com busts 5 common gun myths:

• Bullets blow up cars and stuff (Jaws, Casino Royale, Matrix Reloaded): If it were that easy to make flammable things go boom, every car accident "would look like a Michael Bay movie."

'Jaws' takes top honors, but some surprises make the list

(NEWSER) - Summer is all about the beach and blockbusters, and Time Out New York set out on a big mission: To rank the 30 best. It set a few restrictions—films had to hit theaters between May and August, had to gross more than $100 million globally, and couldn't be surprise hits, a la The Blair Witch Project. Highlights:

1. Jaws, 1975: This wasn't just a nail-biter, it was a trailblazer, the first flick to use a "wide-release" strategy, which no doubt helped make it the first film to rake in more than $100 million.

4. Ghostbusters, 1984: An action-sci-fi hybrid dosed with SNL-style humor, it proved that something-for-everyone mash-ups can make a smash at the box office.

These film plots are so ridiculous, they deserve props

(NEWSER) - Some movie plots are so absurd, you have to award credit for achieving a spectacular level of ridiculousness. Based on the title alone, it’s obvious Hot Tub Time Machine (trailer at left) fits into this category. Here are nine more from Olivia Allin of The Frisky :

• Snakes on a Plane: Again, the title alone is enough to land this Samuel L. Jackson flick on the list.
• I Know Who Killed Me: “This movie is a great reminder that if you’re having really weird memories and feel like you have a split personality, you might just have a stigmatic twin you didn’t know about and could be suffering sympathetic resonance from her plights.” Right.