With a jump to the left and a step to the right, MTV has announced they are remaking the movie that defines the terms "cult film", "audience participation" and "midnight movie classic", The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Original RHPS producer Lou Adler is heading up the remake, which will use the original story and score by Richard O'Brien, plus possibly a few songs from the original stage production ("Superheroes", "Once in a While") that were cut from the final 1975 movie. No director has been attached as of yet.

As expected, die-hard Rocky fans are up in arms (there is already an online petition protesting the new film), but I'm curious to see how they would do it ... and with a budget this time. Casting would be key, most especially for the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania immortalized on stage and screen by Tim Curry.

If I were making the decisions, I'd pick Alan Cumming for Frank; anyone who has seen his Cabaret Emcee would agree. For Brad and Janet, how about the Enchanted couple themselves, James Marsden and Amy Adams. O'Brien could be Riff Raff again if he's up to it; if not, perhaps Raúl Esparza from the 2000 Broadway revival. His co-star, Dick Cavett, would return as the Criminologist, while Magenta and Columbia could be the totally Wicked pairing of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. As in the stage RHS, Eddie and Dr. Scott would be played by the same person: Jack Black. And as for Frank's ultimate creation, Rocky himself? Why, Cheyenne Jackson of course; he is the perfect man and, as luck would have it, he has played the role before.

Hopes are for a Halloween 2009 release, so we'll likely hear more soon.

Dorothy's magical slippers in The Wizard of Oz already got a makeover once. Originally, the shoes that Judy Garland was to wear in her iconic role were going to be silver, as in the original L. Frank Baum story. However, once MGM head honcho Louis B. Mayer realized that they would look better in Technicolor, they became ruby. And a legend was born.

Now that legend is getting a new look, courtesy of the trendiest footwear designers this side of Carrie Bradshaw's shoe rack.

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz next year, Warner Brothers is gearing up for a special promotion in honor of the occasion. Twenty different redesigns of the classic clogs will be created and tour fashion shows around the country prior to being auctioned off next fall to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Designers working on the project include Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Oscar de la Renta and Diane Von Furstenberg.

If you can sing, look good in tights, walk on walls and be able to kiss upside down, then here's your chance of a lifetime. Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor is holding an open casting call this Monday in New York City for her upcoming Broadway musical adaptation of the comic book superhero Spider-Man.

In addition to Peter Parker and Mary Jane (roles that apparently won't be going to Taymor's Across the Universe stars Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood after all), it sounds like that evil spider-woman character Arachne is still intact (yeah, I know, but remember: this is Julie Taymor we're talking about here).

Music for the unlikely tuner will be by U2's Bono and The Edge. As of now, no timeframe has been announced as to when Spidey will spin his first web on the Great White Way.

In this day and age of instant information via the internet, where every minute detail of motion picture productions are broadcast worldwide in the time it takes to click a mouse, you got to give Disney props for what they pulled off yesterday at Comic-Con.

At the tail end of a presentation for the upcoming "re-imagining" of Escape to Witch Mountain titled Race to Witch Mountain, the Mouse House dropped a bomb that must have had the fanboys wetting their Underoos with glee. Not only did they confirm without a doubt that the long rumored sequel to Tron was being made, they actually showed footage from it. And not just any footage, but footage featuring The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges. Both the MTV Movies Blog and ComingSoon.net have play-by-plays of the clip, which will likely not be seen by we the masses anytime soon.

No other details of Tron 2 (or, annoyingly, Tr2n) were given, but Imdb lists a 2010 release date.

* Anyone else remember when the Pointer Sisters performed their hit "The Neutron Dance" on some Disney TV special back in the early 80's? There were actually dancers, clad in the familiar Tron costumes, dancing the, well, neutron dance. I tried in vain to find a video of it online, to no avail. So much for the internet ...

With all the booty that the Pirates of the Caribbean movies hauled in, it's a wonder that we aren't knee deep in pirate movies by now. That's about to change though with an upcoming remake of the classic swashbuckler Captain Blood. Apparently, this redo has been in the works for over a decade, but the ship will now set sail shortly with director Phillip Noyce (The Quiet American) at the helm.

As for who will play the good captain and his lady fair, perhaps they'll go for a pair of unknowns like they did the first time: the 1935 Academy Award nominated original (itself a remake of a 1924 silent) did make stars out of Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland after all. On second thought, take a look at Flynny above, and maybe you'll agree with me that Christian Bale could fill his shoes.

Feeling a little, well, lost without your favorite show? Well, this may satisfy your Lost fix a little bit as we await the next season (which is -- gasp -- still about six months away): G4 TV will be airing a new special tonight (at 10 PM EST) that promises to explore some of the secrets of the island, including various theories from Lost experts such as Entertainment Weekly's Doc Jensen.

And speaking of Lost secrets, here's a good one: the original script for the pilot episode. Seems things weren't always so mysterious for the survivors of the crash of Oceanic Flight 815.

This week's new releases include a sci-fi sequel, a classy remake and a pair of critically acclaimed documentaries. Oh yeah, and Will Ferrell too.

• The X-Files: I Want to Believe: David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are back as Mulder and Scully in this big screen spook show that not only promises some old school scares (reminiscent of the cult classic TV show), but a little romance between the two as well.
• Brideshead Revisited: Emma Thompson leads a cast of rising talent (Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw and Hayley Atwell) in this feature adaptation of the Evelyn Waugh literary classic, which was also the basis for a revered television mini-series in 1981. Reportedly, the gay angle hinted at in the novel and mini is amped up this go round.
• American Teen: High school life in the real world (in this case, Warsaw, Indiana) is explored in this fest fave doc.
• Man on Wire: A look back at "the artistic crime of the century", when a death-defying tight rope walker took his act to the Twin Towers circa 1974.
• Boy A: A BAFTA Award winning drama about a juvie trying to reform on the outside.
• Baghead and No Regret: Read Chris Carpenter's reviews right here at Movie Dearest to find out about these two widely different films, opening in limited release this weekend; the first is a horror comedy, the second a gay romance.
• And finally: Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly team up once more as child men (big surprise) forced to grow up when they become Step Brothers.

To find out what films are playing in your area, visit Fandango - Search movie showtimes and buy tickets!

On the heels of its Best Feature win at this year's Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, the critically acclaimed Ciao has been picked up for distribution by here! Films/Regent Releasing.

Dubbed the "best gay movie of the year" by AfterElton.com, Ciao will be released in select theaters this fall.

Add this one to the pile of head-scratching merchandising ideas: Paramount is releasing video games based on the teen chick flick classics Clueless, Mean Girls and Pretty in Pink later this year. Apparently, these will serve the previously untapped market of gamers who want to shop, sew and humiliate their classmates via digital technology.

Actually, these would be "so fetch" if you could hook them to each other and play them together. Just imagine: you're Cher, teaming up with Duckie to defeat The Plastics. Game on.

The Rat Pack hits the Great White Way: a stage adaptation of the 1964 movie musical Robin and the 7 Hoods is aiming for a 2010 Broadway bow.

Casey Nicholaw (Tony nominee for Monty Python's Spamalot and The Drowsy Chaperone) will direct and choreograph the new tuner, which will feature the movie's Academy Award nominated score and song "My Kind of Town". Rounding out the tune stack will be more hits from the Sammy Cahn/James Van Heusen songbook, including "Come Fly with Me" and the Oscar winning "Call Me Irresponsible" (originally heard in the Jackie Gleason comedy Papa's Delicate Condition).

The original film, a Robin Hood tale updated to the age of Prohibition, starred Rat Packers Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. (along with Bing Crosby, Peter Falk and Victor Buono), so casting is key to catch that ultra-suave vibe. Naturally, Harry Connick Jr. immediately springs to mind for the Sinatra role.

A few years back, out filmmaker Todd Haynes paid a well-received tribute to the films of Douglas Sirk with his Far from Heaven. Sirk was known for his soapy stories and glossy style, exemplified by such 1950's productions as Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows and Imitation of Life. Haynes created a picture- and style-perfect replica but with a contemporary, overtly gay sensibility, with Dennis Quaid playing the closeted gay husband of oblivious housewife Julianne Moore.

South Korean writer-director Leesong Hee-il has gone Sirk and Haynes one better with his No Regret. This excellent drama was actually filmed before Brokeback Mountain and the gay-themed The King and the Clown became enormous hits in South Korea and made LGBT topics more palatable there. Now recognized as the first true gay film in Korean Cinema, it is finally being released stateside this Friday in Los Angeles and New York by here! Films/Regent Releasing.

No Regret is, according to production notes, "plotted in a style similar to what has become known as 'hostess movies'--which deal with ambitious young women who come to the big city of Seoul only to end up working as prostitutes." Here, attractive male orphan Sumin (a great performance by straight actor Lee Young-hoon) moves to Seoul immediately following his 18th birthday and mandatory ejection from the orphanage. After losing menial jobs in a factory and restaurant due to his quick temper, he is hired as an exotic dancer at an underground gay club.

Sumin attracts the attention of many, but no one is more smitten by him than Jaemin (popular Korean television actor Lee Han). The son of a Korean conglomerate's wealthy vice-president, Jaemin is secretly gay and engaged to a woman. His falling for Sumin creates all manner of personal and public drama.

Much of No Regret, in true Sirk style, has the main characters denying and/or dancing around their true motivations and feelings. There is also considerable critique of Korean social and class distinctions, which is in keeping with the Sirk tradition. Indeed, director Hee-il is quoted regarding the inspiration behind his film, "Through the love of two men, I wanted to explore the themes of desire and class."

Fortunately, No Regret doesn't end as tragically as many of Sirk's melodramas did. Full of lovely, intimate moments between its various players and providing a unique travelogue of modern South Korea, I recommend No Regret to any adults, LGBT or otherwise, in the mood for a timeless romance.

Watch the No Regret trailer here.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

That rumbling noise you hear coming from the west coast is the sound of millions of fanboys and girls descending upon the San Diego Convention Center for the 2008 Comic-Con. And, as the official schedule attests, there will be plenty of movie and television related events, as Hollywood has caught on to the marketing power of having all those fans in one place at one time (a very crowded place, too; Variety reports that Los Angeles and Las Vegas are trying to woe the con away from San Diego to larger pastures).

In addition to Star Trek (which will be handing out the nifty posters displayed above), notable films and TV shows that will have a presence at Comic-Con this year include Disney's Bolt, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Death Race, Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell, Friday the 13th, GI Joe, Hamlet 2, Land of the Lost, Lost, Max Payne, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Pineapple Express, Punisher: War Zone, Quarantine, Race to Witch Mountain, Red Sonja, Repo! The Genetic Opera, RocknRolla, The Spirit, Terminator Salvation, Twilight, Pixar's Up, Watchmen, The Wolfman, and Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno, plus world premiere screenings of Lost Boys: The Tribe (the sequel to The Lost Boys that will be released on DVDJuly 29) and the one movie that couldn't be more fitting in this environment: Fanboys.

If last year is any indication, there will be a lot of news and such flying out of Southern California and onto the internets, so we'll try to post the relevant information here at Movie Dearest. Plus, our own Chris Carpenter (fresh off his Outfest assignment -- and didn't he do a great job with that, by the by?) will be braving the crowds of Klingons and Caped Crusaders on Friday. Expect a report from him this weekend; in the meantime, Entertainment Weekly has a pictorial preview of all the goings-on planned for this year's Comic-Con.

Talk about your pleasant surprises: New Line Cinema wants John Waters to write a sequel to Hairspray, the hit movie musical based on the stage version of his original film (did you follow that?). All the original creative team will be onboard as well, including director/choreographer Adam Shankman, producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan and songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who will pen new tunes for the sequel.

No further details or casting has been announced at this time, although it is hoped that as much of the original cast (including Golden Globe nominees John Travolta and Nikki Blonsky) will return.

As longtime readers of Movie Dearest know, we will certainly be following this project as it develops.

In a MySpace bulletin posted by film director/ screenwriter Chuck Griffith this morning, he states that the production of his Shifting the Canvas that we reported on previously has been halted due to financing problems. He writes, in a post titled "We Are Dead":

"So, with the economy the way it is, it appears that this film may not get made ... We have a letter of intent to distribute the film from over three distributors ... Cheyenne Jackson as the lead, Scott Thompson, Margaret Cho and Alan Cumming, and it wasn't enough."

In hopes of raising more financing, he has posted the script on the website of his production company, Roaring Leo Productions. Let's hope some luck comes his way, as this sounds like a worthwhile story to tell.

In addition to the actors mentioned, Christian Campbell (Trick), Matthew Montgomery (Socket), Will Wikle (Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild) and Gedde Watanabe (Sixteen Candles) were cast in the drama, described as a story "about art, family, longing, failure, and renewal".

2008's Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival came to a close last night. Best Feature winners were the sexy drama Ciao (watch the trailer here) and Stewart Wade's dramedy Tru Loved (Jury and Audience Awards, respectively).

Other winners including the fest's closing night feature, Were the World Mine, and the documentaries black./womyn.: conversations with lesbians of African descent, Squeezebox! and Polymath, or the Life and Opinions of Samuel R. Delany, Gentleman.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Elizabeth Berkley (of Showgirls legend) will be joining The L Word for five episodes during its upcoming final season (starting in January on Showtime). The former Nomi Malone will play "the straight girl that got away from Jennifer Beals' Bette in college". That's right: a Roger Dodger reunion, with no spiteful Campbell Scott to get in the way.

In more L news, creator Ilene Chaiken is developing a spin-off of the popular lesbian-themed drama. No word yet on which character or characters will get the new series.

Charles Van Doren, the man at the center of the "quiz show scandal" that was the basis of the Oscar nominated movie Quiz Show, is finally speaking out on the events that lead to his infamy.

Van Doren, who was played by Ralph Fiennes in the Robert Redford directed film, will tell "pretty much all" in an article scheduled for publication in next week's New Yorker. Watch this space for an update.

In honor of to the late great Estelle Getty, Lifetime (Television for Women and Gay Men™) will air a special marathon of Sophia-centric episodes of its signature series The Golden Girls this Friday.

Ten episodes will be broadcast starting at 12 noon EST, and viewers get to vote for their favorite one, which will air last.

And for more Sophia memories, watch this video tribute.

In the revered tradition of Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! comes Bitch Slap. The flick is breathlessly described as "a modern throwback to the B-Movie/exploitation films of the 1950's-70's, mixing hot girls, fast cars, big guns, nasty tongues, outrageous action and jaw-dropping eye candy with a message ... don't be naughty."

Former Hercules/Xena stars Lucy Lawless, Renée O'Connor and Kevin Sorbo headline the cast. Visit the official website for more fun (including sections labeled "Bitches and Boners", "Gang Bang" and "Peep Shows") and watch the outrageous, boobalicious trailer.

Bailey Hanks, the winner of the recent MTV talent/ reality show Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods, makes her Broadway debut tonight as that fabulous fashionista-turned-legal eagle Elle Woods in the hit musical version of Legally Blonde.

In a nice show of support for new talent, the show's producers have also cast the three Blonde runners-up. Autumn Hurlbert will also make her Broadway debut tonight; in addition to playing a sorority sister, she also understudies the lead role. Lauren Zakrin will fill similar roles on the upcoming Legally Blonde national tour, where she will be joined by Rhiannon Hansen in the ensemble.

And finally: Bailey's recording of the Blonde song "So Much Better" is now available for download on Amazon and iTunes – Over 2 million songs and growing.

UPDATE: Broadway.com has pics from Bailey's opening night, including a shot of new UPS guy, former Altar Boy Ven Daniel.

Congratulations to Stewart Wade and the cast of crew of Tru Loved: the recent Outfest fave has been picked up for distribution by here! Films/Regent Releasing for theatrical release this fall.

The comedy/drama, about a high school girl setting up her school's first Gay-Straight Alliance, stars Jasmine Guy, Jane Lynch, Alec Mapa, Nichelle Nichols, Bruce Vilanch and Marcia Wallace.

Object of our affection: Gillian Anderson, actress.
- As Special Agent Dana Scully on The X-Files, she won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Saturn Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. She also reprised her iconic character in the feature film The X-Files: Fight the Future and its sequel, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, opening this Friday.
- Like her X-co-star David Duchovny, she also wrote and directed her own episode of The X-Files, titled "All Things".
- Also on the big screen, she proved there was life after Scully with her critically acclaimed performance in The House of Mirth. Other films she has appeared in include The Mighty, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story and The Last King of Scotland.
- Back on the small screen, she gained more award recognition for the Masterpiece Theatre presentation of Bleak House. She currently hosts the long-running PBS program.
- In addition to the X-sequel, she will appear in the upcoming films How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, Boogie Woogie and No One Gets Off in This Town.

Oregon State Hospital, the actual "cuckoo's nest" that was the primary filming location for the Oscar winning movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, will soon be demolished to make way for a new facility.

The mental institution had fallen into disrepair over the years, but the final straw that spurned legislators to make some changes was when the cremated remains of 3,600 mental patients in corroding copper canisters were found in a storage room. Yikes.

Pop chanteuse Fergie (nee Stacy Ann Ferguson) has joined the cast of Rob Marshall's film version of the Tony Award winning musical Nine.

Fergie, who has also appeared in the movies Poseidon and Grindhouse, will play Saraghina, the lusty woman who introduces a young Guido to the world of sexuality through the showstopper "Be Italian".

Del Shores' Sordid Lives, the cult fave movie based on the cult fave play, is now aiming for that cult fave trifecta with a TV show: Sordid Lives: The Series premieres tonight on LOGO.

The 12-episode series will actually be a prequel to the play and movie, which starred Bonnie Bedalia, Beth Grant, Leslie Jordan, Olivia Newton-John and Ann Walker, who all return as members of the outrageous Texas family at the center of the story, originally billed as "a black comedy about white trash" (the Ewings they ain't). Joining them in the fun are new cast members Jason Dottley, Rue McClanahan and Caroline Rhea, plus such guest stars as Candis Cayne, Margaret Cho and Carson Kressley.

AfterElton.com has both a preview and a review to get you primed for opening night; click here to watch a sneak preview (NSFW for language).