The 12 Days of Christmas- Day 10: 'Trading Places'

If you haven’t seen Trading Places I’m going to ask you to turn off your computer and immediately go to your nearest TV and start watching, it’s available on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, so assuming you have one of those services (if you’re reading this site I’d say that’s a certainty) it won’t cost you a dime. Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd in their prime, a young and gorgeous Jamie Lee Curtis and more classic 80s comedy moments than you can shake a stick at (where did that saying come from…like, who was shaking sticks at things in the first place? Is it a witch reference…like with a wand? Can you tell I’m somewhat ADD?). As a matter of fact, one could argue that Trading Places invented many of those 80s comedy tropes being as it came out relatively early in the decade, 1983. Today we know Eddie Murphy as the quintessential buddy comedy actor, this film gave him those roots. Sure, he had 48 Hrs. prior to this but really that movie was much more action and Nick Nolte is far from a comic counterbalance.

For the 3 of you who don’t know, Trading Places is about two guys who have their lives swapped by the old grumpy guys from The Muppet Showon a $1 bet. Ok, I made up the Muppet show bit but there’s no way that you can deny the similarities. Basically Dan Aykroyd plays Louis Winthorpee III, a spoiled yuppie and president of Duke & Duke, a stock trading firm. After literally running into homeless con man Bill Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) Winthorpe accuses Valentine of trying to steal his briefcase and has him arrested. Meanwhile the Duke Brothers place a $1 bet that if they make the two switch stations in life Winthorpe will turn to crime and Valentine will become a success, basically a nature vs. nurture scenario. The next thing you know the Duke’s are bailing Valentine out of jail and giving him Winthorpe’s job, home, and butler. Meanwhile they frame Winthorpe for stealing and plant drugs on him to have him arrested. In comes the prostiture with a heart of gold, Ophelia (Jamie Lee Curtis) who sees Winthorpe as a good investment opportunity and agrees to help him get back his life if she pays him back plus interest.

Where do I start? Like I stated earlier this is Aykroyd and Murphy at their best. Watching Aykroyd play this snooty pampered rich boy is nothing short of perfect. Obviously the highlight of the funny is Eddie Murphy’s Billy Ray Valentine, look no further than the prison scene for proof of that. The glue of the film is the chemistry, not just between Aykroyd and Murphy, but also the group as a whole when you mix in Jamie Lee Curtis and Denholm Elliot who plays Coleman the butler. The funniest scene of the flick, in my opinon, is when all four of them are together on a train during New Year’s Eve in disguise.  Of the movies made by that 80’s comedy crew (Aykroyd, Murphy, Chevy Chase, etc) this one sits near the top, a lot of people would put Caddyshack in front of it, but not me.

So where’s the Christmas angle? All around my dear friend, all around. The movie takes place during the holiday season and really has the benefit of being the only film on our list to tackle both Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The atmosphere of the film is drenched in yuletide trimmings, with one of the most memorable scenes having a drunk Winthorpe crashing the Duke & Duke Christmas party in a dirty Santa suit. This is another one of those films that has less to do with the sugary sweet Christmas spirit and more something to watch as a buffer between the more saccharine faire. As we talked about before with Lethal Weapon these buffer films are essential so you don’t get burned out too quickly but can still stay in the Christmas theme. 

I leave you with Billy Ray Valentine's Karate Man demonstration

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Eddie Murphy Replaces Samuel L. Jackson in Bruce Beresford's Next Film

We don't get to see much of Eddie Murphy anymore, and maybe it's because he makes movies like A Thousand Words and Tower Heist.  He's shown in the past to be a strong dramatic actor when given the chance, but it has been a very long time since Dreamgirls gave him that opportunity. Before he makes his return as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop 4, Murphy will get serious in the next film from Driving Miss Daisy director, Bruce Beresford.

Murphy has taken a role in the untitled film, replacing Samuel L. Jackson as a "a cook who is hired by a dying man to prepare meals for his girlfriend and her daughter when he passes." TV writer Susan McMartin (Californication) penned the screenplay, and this will mark Beresford's first feature since 2011's Peace, Love and Misunderstanding. He also directed last year's hit Bonnie & Clyde miniseries.

Filming is set to begin next month. [IF]

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New 'Beverly Hills Cop' Movie Set for 2016

Multiple attempts to relaunch or follow-up Beverly Hills Cop have failed on the big and small screen, but it seems nothing will keep Axel Foley down. After the TV series attempt tanked, the decision was made late last year to try again for a film, bringing back Eddie Murphy and retaining his Tower Heist director, Brett Ratner. Now it looks like development has progressed far enough that Paramount has set aside a release date.

The new Beverly Hills Cop will open on March 25th 2016...and that's pretty much all the information there is right now. Jerry Bruckheimer will be producing and last we heard this film will take wise-cracking cop Aexel Foley "back to his Detroit roots", which still sounds counter intuitive for a film titled Beverly Hills Cop.

Makes me wonder if any elements from the failed TV show will make their way into the new movie. Maybe Brandon T. Jackson can turn up as Foley's son?  [TheWrap]

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Lee Daniels in Talks to Direct Richard Pryor Biopic; Michael B. Jordan Eyed for Lead

Lee Daniels has gone biopic crazy, and considering the success he found with civil rights drama The Butler, it's not really a surprise. While the film was still in development he became attached to a Janis Joplin biopic with Amy Adams; has circled a Sammy Davis Jr. film over at HBO; and has spoken frequently about making a Richard Pryor bio. It's that last project that has taken a big step forward into reality, as THR reports Daniels is in talks to helm a film on the legendary comedian.

Daniels will partner up with The Weinstein Company, who distributed The Butler and are fully committing to back the untitled biopic financially. In development for some years and once titled Is It Something I Said? , Eddie Murphy and Damon Wayans have long been seen as contenders for the lead role, and they are apparently still in the mix alongside Michael B. Jordan. There's a pretty big age disparity there, and Wayans is said to be the right age and has impressed Harvey Weinstein in screen tests. Jordan is red-hot right now coming off another biopic, Fruitvale Station, and may have the overall edge.

Everyone from Adam Sandler to Forest Whitaker to Bill Condon has tried to get this film off the ground so let's just wait and see if Daniels sticks. As for who would do Pryor the justice he deserves? Jordan has the look and could probably knock it out of the park, but aging him up could prove to be a problem. Let's just wait and see what happens. 

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Only in Hollywood: Failed 'Beverly Hills Cop' TV Show Leads to New Film

It seems Hollywood just can't quit Axel Foley or Beverly Hills Cop. The long dead cop comedy franchise led by Eddie Murphy has been revived a couple of times only to fall flat before ever going anywhere, but maybe this next time will be the charm? A couple of years ago Beverly Hills Cop 4 was put into development, but was shelved in favor of a television series starring Brandon T. Jackson as Axel Foley's son. The series was picked up by CBS and the pilot had a ton of attention, mainly due to a cameo by Murphy, but the network decided in the end not to add it to their line-up. Normally that would be it, but not for the ever-unkillable Beverly Hills Cop.

It all started with some tweets by producer Shawn Ryan, updating fans on the status of the series, which he had been trying to shop to other networks...

Ryan: "Sad to report that efforts to land Beverly Hills Cop pilot at another network have failed. This iteration is dead for now. Good news for fans of franchise is that the pilot tested so well, it has caused Paramount to put another #BHC movie into development."

Now Deadline reports that Paramount is indeed moving forward with a new film, with Murphy set to reprise his role as the fast-talking Axel, and hiring Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol writers Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec to pen the script. So all of this is based on a TV series that "tested so well" and has so much enthusiasm that no network wanted it? Only in Hollywood does that make any kind of sense.

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Brandon T. Jackson to star in the 'Beverly Hills Cop' TV Series

Lots of TV talk around here lately, but when they all have to deal with such high-profile properties as Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. and Beverly Hills Cop, it's tough to sit back and ignore them. In development seemingly forever, we learned earlier this year that CBS was moving forward on a Beverly Hills Cop TV series from Shawn Ryan(The Shield), and now we're hearing that Brandon T. Jackson is in negotiations to star as Aaron Foley, the son of Eddie Murphy's Axel Foley.

While it's unlikely we'll ever see Murphy take on the character in a Beverly Hills Cop 4, he will reprise the role in the pilot and occasional future episodes. Now the chief of police in Detroit, it's Axel's legacy in Beverly Hills that Aaron struggles to escape as he busts the elite and privileged just like his father did.

Jackson is perhaps the best choice for the role as he's a guy with a deep comedy background and an on-screen presence that I think is similar to Murphy's. After starting his career as a stand up comedian, he gained attention with scene-stealing turns in Tropic Thunder and the first Percy Jackson film.[Humor Mill via Shadow & Act]

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Cringe now. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, and Eddie Murphy are 'Triplets'

Before you even ask, yes it's a sequel to Twins. No, I don't know if the suits over at Universal were high on goofballs at the time they green lit this crap. For some godforsaken reason, people have actually wanted to see Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito come back for a sequel to the terrible, inexplicable hit 1988 film that saw them as oddball fraternal twins. And now those folks can reap what they friggin' sewed. You got Eddie Murphy now, too, as their long lost brother in a film with the oh so clever title of Triplets.

Not much is known other than that at this early stage. There are no writers yet, and no director is attached. Ivan Reitman led the original film to a $216M box office haul(huge back in those days), but he'll only serve as a producer now.

Can we officially give the hook to any hope that Murphy will make some sort of a comeback? I sure have. [THR]

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Sure Shots: Alien prequel; Tower Heist; The Crow/Mark Wahlberg

Quickly, as I try to catch up on everything I missed from yesterday...

* Last week we learned that Natalie Portman was at the top of the wishlist(hey she's on mine too!) to join Ridley Scott's prequel to Alien. Now comes word that she might be joined by two more of Hollywood's young elite as James Franco(127 Hours) and Anne Hathaway(Bride Wars) are "interested" in signing on. If all three suit up this could turn into one epic star-studded affair.

* Brett Ratner's buddy action comedy, Tower Heist, has a better supporting cast than it has leads. Period. Joining the lousy pairing of Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller will be none other than Gabourey Sidibe(Precious) and Michel Pena(The Lucky Ones). The Noah Baumbach(The Squid and the Whale) scripted comedy stars Murphy and Stiller as a pair looking to get revenge on the crook who swindled them by robbing his luxury highrise.

* Mark Wahlberg as the Crow? We've known that a relaunch of The Crow was in the works, reportedly written by Nick Cave(The Proposition, which you need to watch immediately if you haven't seen it) and directed by Stephen Norrington(The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), with few details revealed since. Wahlberg seems like an odd choice, considering all of the past actors to handle the role have been mostly unknowns, but then again if you're going to jumpstart the franchise Wahlberg is a good guy to accomplish that with. Let's just hope there are no guns anywhere in the script.

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