In October of 2011, it was revealed that Eddie Murphy wanted to see a TV show based on his hit movie franchise Beverly Hills Cop that focused on the son of his character, Axel Foley.

Fast forward to today, and the show is moving forward, set up at CBS with a pilot episode set to be made and the possibility of a full season order growing greater each day. The likelihood of the show getting a full season has now increased thanks to the announcement of a star, Brandon T. Jackson.

For those of you who enjoyed the 2010 family-friendly Greek mythology flick Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, a sequel is on the way for release in 2013.

Stars of the first movie Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson, and Jake Abel are all set to return, and now Fox 2000 is assembling some supporting cast for the sequel, which will be titled Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Sea of Monsters.

Tropic Thunder
Blu-ray
Directed by Ben Stiller
Starring Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr, Jack Black, Nick Nolte, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride
Paramount Home Entertainment
Release date: November 18, 2008

Have you ever watched a movie that your conscious mind continually told you that you shouldn’t be enjoying? That the premise was thin, the majority of the acting was way overblown, and that teetered it on the edge of “Scary Movie 15″ lameness, yet somehow you found yourself laughing and having a good time? That is exactly the movie that Tropic Thunder is to me.

In order to discuss my thoughts on this film, I’m going to have to delve into some character details that may be considered spoiler territory, so be warned.

Still with me? Cool. Here we go.

Tropic Thunder is one of those “high concept” films that tells the story of the making of a film within the film itself. The idea is nothing new, and neither is Ben Stiller‘s desire to skewer the profession he loves. It’s well worn territory. And while I’d love to say that Stiller, who wrote, directed, and stars in this film, walked this well worn territory in a fresh and interesting way — I can’t. The truth is, this film offers us very little that we haven’t seen before.

Tropic Thunder
Written & directed by Ben Stiller
Starring Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Baruchel
Rated R
Release date: August 13, 2008

This country loves its parody, doesn’t it? The National Lampoon brand made a career out of it, Saturday Night Live is in its 34th season, and late night talk shows — a staple of which is poking fun at current events — have been around for over half a century. As much as people would sometimes like to turn their nose up and scoff at the audacity of the envelope being pushed, the market has been thriving almost as long as the medium has existed. So it always baffles me when these rights activists get their draws in a bunch over something that, even in the wildest stretches of imagination, was never meant to be taken seriously.

Tropic Thunder is a Hollywood movie making fun of Hollywood making movies. On the set of “the most expensive war movie ever made,” first-time director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) can’t pull his lead actors from their pools of self-absorption, costs are spiraling out of control, and the studio threatens to shut down production for good. He decides that he will set the actors loose in the jungles of Southeast Asia (and into the path of some real local mercenaries) to find their way back, all while the actors think they are still filming their Vietnam movie. The story itself isn’t terribly original or complicated — it tastes almost exactly like a dish I had years ago called The Three Amigos — but the point of the movie isn’t in the premise, which only exists to drive the story, it is in the parody.

Not an appealing title, I know, but it’s not as it seems.

With the release of Tropic Thunder right around the corner, rapper Alpa Chino (played by Brandon T. Jackson) wants you to “tap into some ass” with the released his new energy drink, Booty Sweat.

Check out the viral website for the drink where you can add an image and a phone number and enjoy some silliness: Get the Booty Sweat Effect!

You can also visit the official Alpa Chino website and check out some videos, pictures, and ads for his energy drink, upcoming energy bar Bust-A-Nut, and Alpa Wear.

Watch Alpa Chino’s promo for Booty Sweat here below.