Paramount Pictures has livened up this Tuesday morning moderately by unveiling a new image from Jack Reacher, this winter's attempt to kickstart an action franchise adapting seventeen novels centered on the eponymous drifter and unparalleled cracker of skulls.

Less than a week after Paramount Pictures debuted our first look at Tom Cruise as the title character, a teaser trailer for Jack Reacher has been made available.  It's pretty teasery, and spends most of its two minutes building up the indomitable hardass.  To represent the primal, violent, unstoppable appeal of the character, this trailer extensively utilizes the deep growling of a 1970 Chevelle Super Sport.  To make it absolutely clear that the hero is not to be f*cked with, it includes Reacher mercilessly turning a thug's crotch to mush.

Director Joseph Kosinski made his feature debut with TRON: Legacy, a big science fiction movie for Disney two years ago.  Now, he's working on his sophomore feature, Oblivion, a big science fiction movie for Universal Pictures.  Brewing even before the TRON sequel's release, Oblivion is currently in production starring Tom Cruise as a futuristic solider who gets mixed up in some serious shit.  That's my summation of the story, but today Universal issued the first official plot synopsis for the movie, which is actually based on a comic book by Kosinski, Arvid Nelson, and Andree Wallin.

If Tom Cruise is starring in a movie, the odds are that his character will sprint at least once and will wear at least one cool jacket, probably leather.  Paramount Pictures has revealed our first look at Cruise as the title character in Jack Reacher, the first cinematic iteration of Lee Child's ass-kicking hero who has stomped many bad guys over seventeen novels.  Reacher's not running, but he is definitely wearing a cool leather jacket, and he looks like he might be on the verge of running like the wind, too.

Synopsis: "Rock of Ages" tells the story of small town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock 'n' roll romance is told through the heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake, and more.

Cast: Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Paul Giamatti, Russell Brand, Mary J. Blige, Malin Akerman, Bryan Cranston, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Director: Adam Shankman

Genre: Musical

Release Date: June 15, 2012

The current blockbuster age is far more inclined towards superheroics and explosions than musicals.  Just because big, unabashed song-and-dance extravaganzas don't come along with same regularity as they did during Gene Kelly's day doesn't mean that the genre is gone, however.  Far from it, as this Friday's release of Rock of Ages demonstrates.

Based on the popular Broadway musical by Chris D'Arienzo, Rock of Ages is set in an overblown version of Los Angeles circa 1987.  The story revolves around the Bourbon Room, a fictitious bar and music venue on the Sunset Strip, where a young couple fall in love against a backdrop of huge musical numbers using the music of Twisted Sister, Def Leppard, REO Speedwagon, Journey, and Foreigner, amongst others.

The young lovers are played by Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta, surrounded by an all-star ensemble that includes Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta Jones, Malin Akerman, Paul Giamatti, Bryan Cranston, Mary J. Blige, and, of course, Tom Cruise as over-the-top hair band rock star Stacee Jaxx.  IAR Managing Editor Jami Philbrick was on hand for the Rock of Ages Los Angeles press day, where he had the opportunity to talk with director Adam Shankman, as well as castmembers Hough, Boneta, Akerman, and Blige.

As a genre, musicals are inherently prone to excess and hyperbole.  That's not a bad thing at all, it's simply in the nature of stories where characters express themselves by spontaneously bursting into song and dance as emotional expression. 

The upcoming musical Rock of Ages looks to be no exception, with lots of overblown neon lighting, a huge cast, Eighties pop-mashups, and a whole lot of dancing.

Fans who have been devoutly following the adventures of righteous drifter and indomitable beatdown machine Jack Reacher across seventeen novels by Lee Child first got the sense that One Shot, the character's first cinematic outing, wouldn't be pitched right at them about a year ago.  Last June, Tom Cruise entered discussions to play Reacher, who in the novels is six and a half feet tall and built like a brick shithouse.  Now, a title change puts Reacher front and center, perhaps as an introduction to the character for those unfamiliar.

Are you ready to rock?

Opening in theaters on June 15th is the big screen adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical Rock of Ages, which was directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray). The film truly features an all-star cast that includes Julianne Hough (Footloose), Diego Boneta (Mean Girls 2), Russell Brand (Arthur), Alec Baldwin (TV's 30 Rock), Bryan Cranston (Drive), Paul Giamatti (Sideways), Malin Akerman (Watchmen), Will Forte (MacGruber), Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago), singer Mary J. Blige, and international superstar Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol). 

Rock of Ages tells the story of small town girl Sherrie (Hough) and city boy Drew (Boneta), who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Much like the musical, the film features rock 'n' roll hits of the era from such legendary artists as Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, and White Snake. 

Last summer, I had the pleasure of flying to Miami, Florida (along with several other members of the press) to visit the set of Rock of Ages and talk with some of the cast and crew. While on the set, which was a recreation of the famous Sunset Strip circa the '1980s, I had a chance to speak with director Adam Shankman, and actors Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta, as well as witness filming, and even get a sneak peek of Tom Cruise singing Def Leppard's classic song "Pour Some Sugar On Me." 

Are you ready to rock?

Opening in theaters on June 15th is the big screen adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical Rock of Ages, which was directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray). The film truly features an all-star cast that includes Julianne Hough (Footloose), Diego Boneta (Mean Girls 2), Russell Brand (Arthur), Alec Baldwin (TV's 30 Rock), Bryan Cranston (Drive), Paul Giamatti (Sideways), Malin Akerman (Watchmen), Will Forte (MacGruber), Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago), singer Mary J. Blige, and international superstar Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol). 

Rock of Ages tells the story of small town girl Sherrie (Hough) and city boy Drew (Boneta), who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Much like the musical, the film features rock 'n' roll hits of the era from such legendary artists as Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, and White Snake.