Tuesday, July 15

• Meet Dave Director Brian Robbins Critiques His Critics

  

  Jill Simonian is a correspondent for Dailies (ReelzChannel TV, weeknights @ 6PM ET), and occasionally shares stories from the field. This week: Brian Robbins

  And rightfully so.

  After 20-plus years of movie-making (directing, writing and producing), Brian Robbins' films have grossed almost $900 million worldwide. Yes, he may soon become a billion dollar man in the next few years, like the recent "Billion Dollar Club" inductee Michael Bay. But how do movie fans know him best? As Eddie Murphy's partner-in-crime who brought us Norbit ... and he also directed Murphy's current fish-out-of-water farce in theatres now: Meet Dave.

  I met Robbins for the first time last week at Paramount Pictures. A humble, and quiet -- but very friendly -- guy, he was working on location. And I was dying to ask him what I have been curious to know for almost a year:

  "What do you have to say to 'stuffy critics' and 'haters' of your movies?"

  I do believe that critics, especially with comedies, should have to sit in a room with an audience of people -- people who actually pay money for the movies -- and watch with them, and then review it. I just don't know how you can sit in a room by yourself and watch a comedy -- and review it -- when you're of "a certain age" ... I think you also have to review things in the context of who they're made for, you know? That's just my opinion.

  Well said, Robbins... well said. Here's to making a billion bucks.

  Watch the story this week on Dailies.

  See Also: Our recent interview with Brian Robbins.

  
  

  Posted 07/15/2008 by Jill

  Dailies | Brian Robbins | Norbit | Meet Dave

Thursday, July 10

• Getting Eddie Murphy to Shut Up

  After directing Eddie Murphy in the both Norbit and Meet Dave (in theaters tomorrow), Brian Robbins is now aiming to complete a trifecta, working with the talented funnyman on the high-concept comedy A Thousand Words.

  "A Thousand Words is a curse movie," Robbins told us at the premiere for Meet Dave. "It's about a guy who doesn't shut up, and then he gets a curse put on him and he's gotta shut up. So then you have Eddie Murphy, one of the most gifted verbal comedians of our generation, who stops talking at the end of the first act of the movie and becomes basically Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin for the rest of (it)."

  Robbins estimates that Murphy goes speechless for as long as 30 minutes in the film. Without the aid of words, fat suits or other hilarious prosthetics, A Thousand Words could very well be the comedian's greatest challenge yet.

  
  

  Posted 07/10/2008 by Thomas

  Brian Robbins | Eddie Murphy | Meet Dave

Wednesday, July 9

• The Movie Formerly Known as Starship Dave

  Opening this Friday is the comedy Meet Dave, about a miniature race of aliens who travel to Earth in a spaceship built to resemble a full-size human being (played by funnyman Eddie Murphy). You may recall the film was once known by a different -- and perhaps more apt -- title: Starship Dave. What prompted the change?

  "The studio," Meet Dave director Brian Robbins revealed to us yesterday at the film's premiere. "Starship Dave is a better title, I agree. Everybody has their theories, but Fox is really good at what they do, marketing-wise, so it's hard to argue with them."

  We'll find out if the change pays off this weekend, when Meet Dave takes on Hellboy II and Journey to the Center of the Earth at the Multi-plex.

  
  

  Posted 07/09/2008 by Thomas

  Eddie Murphy | Meet Dave

Tuesday, July 8

• Meet Dave Photos

  Eddie Murphy is back with another crazy comedy. Meet Dave, opening this Friday, is about a crew of miniature aliens coming to earth in their spaceship, which looks like a normal human.

  And lucky you, we've got the stills right here in our Meet Dave photo gallery. You know you want to see them.

  
  

  Posted 07/08/2008 by Heather

  Eddie Murphy | Meet Dave