Every once in a while, a story comes along that just leaves you scratching your head. If it had been announced by some random blog or rumor website, one could dismiss it as pure conjecture – silly conjecture at that – and go on with their lives. But the story came from The Hollywood Reporter, a respectable Hollywood insider that usually doesn’t give in to rumors.

The Hollywood Reporter is… reporting… that a movie is being made that is based on the classic Hasbro board game Monopoly. Yes, Monopoly. I’m sorry, but Candy Land might be worthy of movie status simply because it lends itself to such (and yes, a cartoon was made on that film), but Monopoly? Really?

Is it just some preliminary brainstorming that Universal Studios is tossing around? No. Pamela Pettler is set to write the screenplay, and Ridley Scott – yes, Ridley Scott – has officially signed on to direct. Can you imagine that meeting where they called Scott in to pitch him on Monopoly: The Movie? How do you convince a director like that to take on such a likely crapfest?

Well, according to the article, the movie may be set in the future with a Blade Runner edginess. Hmm. So, allegedly, the movie is going to be a sequel to Blade Runner but based on a board game?

I don’t get it. I really don’t get it. None of this story makes sense whatsoever.

I actually watched American Gangster over a week ago, but due to mitigating circumstances (changing day jobs, trying to get a date with this one young woman, traveling to Florida for a weekend and so on and so forth), I forgot about (a.k.a. put off) writing a movie review for the picture.

Interestingly enough, I had just watched Mr. Untouchable, a documentary that interviews Nicky Barnes, one of the drug kingpins depicted in the picture (played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.). American Gangster isn’t about Nicky Barnes, but it is about another drug kingpin who gained tremendous power a few decades ago but who thanks to a dedicated cop finally had his empire destroyed. American Gangster is about two men, the cop (Russell Crowe) and the gangster (Denzel Washington), who square off, even though they rarely share a scene together or even know the other one exists.

Director Ridley Scott has once delivered a solid picture, and some critics are suggesting early Oscar buzz. While I would say that there have been better movies this year, American Gangster has the stars, the dazzle and the box office success to be a serious contender. Hear what I have to say by reading my full American Gangster movie review.