 |
| All we currently have from Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" due out on June 8 2012 |
Oct 31, 2011
Where Have All the Trailers Gone?
Am I the only one who thinks its pretty weird that there's no trailer yet for Clash of the Titans 2 (Wrath of the Titans)? The movie is set to be released March 30 but not even a teaser trailer. What kind of way is that to promote your blockbuster? And speaking of blockbusters without trailers, where's the trailer for Ridley Scott's "Prometheus"? This is one of the most anticipated sci-fi films of the last 10 years yet here we are only 7 months from release and nothing, not even a teaser. Weird.
Beetlejuice sequel
A couple of personal thoughts on the momentum that's apparently building around the idea of a "Beetlejuice" sequel.
First, while Seth Grahame-Smith and David (son of Jeffrey) Katzenberg state that their proposed film would be a true sequel and not just a remake of Tim Burton's classic and that they'll only do it if Michael Keaton agrees to reprise his role as the used car salesman from hell, getting him to agree to it 23 years on would seem to be something of a challenge. Still, who knows? Maybe they'll make him an offer he can't refuse. And secondly, Burton himself would apparently not be helming the sequel which to me sounds like a good enough reason to give it a pass. What would the original have been without him? Nothing is the short answer. Burton and Beetlejuice were as much a part of each other as any director/film pairing in history. Putting someone else behind the camera to "extend" what was essentially a personal vision seems like a recipe for disaster, or at best, mediocrity. Guess we'll just have to stay tuned and see how it plays out.
First, while Seth Grahame-Smith and David (son of Jeffrey) Katzenberg state that their proposed film would be a true sequel and not just a remake of Tim Burton's classic and that they'll only do it if Michael Keaton agrees to reprise his role as the used car salesman from hell, getting him to agree to it 23 years on would seem to be something of a challenge. Still, who knows? Maybe they'll make him an offer he can't refuse. And secondly, Burton himself would apparently not be helming the sequel which to me sounds like a good enough reason to give it a pass. What would the original have been without him? Nothing is the short answer. Burton and Beetlejuice were as much a part of each other as any director/film pairing in history. Putting someone else behind the camera to "extend" what was essentially a personal vision seems like a recipe for disaster, or at best, mediocrity. Guess we'll just have to stay tuned and see how it plays out.
Oct 29, 2011
Death on the "Expendables 2" Set
One stuntman has died and another is in serious condition in the hospital after a staged explosion on the Expendables 2 set in Bulgaria went terribly wrong. The film's production company released the following statement:
"It is with great regret that we confirm this unfortunate accident. Our hearts go out to the families and those on the production affected by this tragedy. The filmmakers are working closely with the authorities in responding to and investigating this accident."
None of the film's action stars were present on the set at the time of the accident.
"It is with great regret that we confirm this unfortunate accident. Our hearts go out to the families and those on the production affected by this tragedy. The filmmakers are working closely with the authorities in responding to and investigating this accident."
None of the film's action stars were present on the set at the time of the accident.
Jackson' Talks "Hobbit" premiere
To absolutely no one's surprise Peter Jackson announced that the world premiere of "The Hobbit; an Unexpected Journey" will be held in New Zealand. After emerging from a sit down with Prime Minister John Key Jackson was effusive in his praise for Kiwi devotion to his little film projects stating that the over-the-top turnout for his "Return of the King" some 8 years ago (is it really that long!?) was a major reason for the studio's decision to stage the world premiere in Wellington. No firm date has been set though it's expected to be in late November 2012.
Jackson also revealed a tidbit of production news. While speaking to reporters outside a Hobbit hole about the set's future as a tourist attraction he mentioned that filming for both Middle Earth prequels was only a few days from wrapping on the Hobbiton set.
You can read the complete article on Jackson's press conference with PM Key here.
Jackson also revealed a tidbit of production news. While speaking to reporters outside a Hobbit hole about the set's future as a tourist attraction he mentioned that filming for both Middle Earth prequels was only a few days from wrapping on the Hobbiton set.
You can read the complete article on Jackson's press conference with PM Key here.
 |
| New Zealand PM John Key (left) and Hobbit director Peter Jackson (right) talk tourism and world premieres. |
Oct 28, 2011
No Country For Old Men - 2007
If you're familiar with "Fargo" there's little in the Coen brother's "No Country For Old Men" that will surprise or shock you. Like that earlier effort it's violent as hell, quirky as you'd expect, and full of great actors giving understated performances. What is lacking almost entirely is a sense of humor. On the rare occasion when the characters are allowed a moment of levity it feels like they're just breaking the tension before the noose is fastened around their neck.
Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is a down on his luck guy out hunting in the Texas back country when he stumbles upon the scene of a drug deal gone wrong. Under a nearby tree he finds a man who had managed to escape the carnage before dying of his wounds. Near him lies a satchel containing 2 million dollars. Moss knows exactly what's happened and knows that somebody will soon arrive looking for the money. But he takes it anyway. And we are thereby launched on a character odyssey, one far more interested in what happens when mostly ordinary folks encounter someone who sees them the same way Moss sees a deer through his rifle scope then in who winds up with the cash.
Sheriff Ed Tom Bell is the pivotal character in the narrative, the moral center of a film about amorality run amok. Played to world weary perfection by Tommy Lee Jones he's a man who thought he'd seen it all until he gets pulled into the quagmire created by Moss when he ran off with the drug money. As the only one of the principal characters with a strong moral center he's the only one able to recognize what everyone involved is up against.
Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh is what they're up against. A human terminator who will stop at nothing to retrieve his 2 million dollars. A black hole moving through society sucking in and destroying everything in his path. He's the embodiment of a kind of person that seems to be popping up these days with alarming regularity. If you have any doubts about this read some of the reports coming out of the drug wars in northern Mexico, the same area that spawns Chigurh in the story.
The good guys in the film though they inhabit different places on the morality scale are nonetheless on the scale somewhere. Chigurh is not. When he is forced to interact with other people he's capable of drumming up a pretense of civility if he feels this will serve his purpose. But most of the time he doesn't see the point. Give me what i want or die. Or better yet, I'll just kill you and take what I want. It's in those moments when Chigurh feels it necessary to act nice in order to facilitate an extermination that Bardem's portrayal takes on its most textured and menacing air. Anyone can walk around a set emotionless, Bardem makes you believe that stone face by demonstrating beyond doubt how difficult it is for this guy to say please.
As I mentioned all the characters exhibit some level of moral development and Moss is no exception. Though he stole 2 million dollars he can't help but go back to the scene that night to bring water to the one man he encountered who had survived, although he was severely wounded and unable to move from the cab of the pickup where Moss found him. In one of the most extreme examples of the saying "no good deed goes unpunished" agents of one half of the soured drug deal arrive and Moss barely escapes with his life down a riverbed. He knows though that those men now have his license plate number which means he is f***ed in big bold capital letters.
From here events spiral out of control with Sheriff Bell hovering just behind, off to the side of and generally around the various participants, never quite able to slap the cuffs on anyone and bring the affair to an end. Woody Harrelson plays a large part in the movie's second hour as a bounty hunter hired by one of the soured deal's investors. His job is to get the money before Chigurh does but he knows that won't be easy by any definition.
The movie's open ended ending is, I suppose, necessary in order to dispel any notion that this is a "good triumphs over evil" story. The closest we come to something good coming out of all the heinous events depicted here is a somber family reunion of sorts that maybe, just maybe, marks some kind of turning point for one of the main characters. But even then any comfort to be taken from this reunion is wrapped firmly in a block of ice.
No Country For Old Men is a brutal, beautifully crafted, wonderfully acted character study in which the characters don't take kindly to being studied. I'm not sure it's a film we needed, but it's not one you are ever likely to forget.
Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is a down on his luck guy out hunting in the Texas back country when he stumbles upon the scene of a drug deal gone wrong. Under a nearby tree he finds a man who had managed to escape the carnage before dying of his wounds. Near him lies a satchel containing 2 million dollars. Moss knows exactly what's happened and knows that somebody will soon arrive looking for the money. But he takes it anyway. And we are thereby launched on a character odyssey, one far more interested in what happens when mostly ordinary folks encounter someone who sees them the same way Moss sees a deer through his rifle scope then in who winds up with the cash.
Sheriff Ed Tom Bell is the pivotal character in the narrative, the moral center of a film about amorality run amok. Played to world weary perfection by Tommy Lee Jones he's a man who thought he'd seen it all until he gets pulled into the quagmire created by Moss when he ran off with the drug money. As the only one of the principal characters with a strong moral center he's the only one able to recognize what everyone involved is up against.
Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh is what they're up against. A human terminator who will stop at nothing to retrieve his 2 million dollars. A black hole moving through society sucking in and destroying everything in his path. He's the embodiment of a kind of person that seems to be popping up these days with alarming regularity. If you have any doubts about this read some of the reports coming out of the drug wars in northern Mexico, the same area that spawns Chigurh in the story.
The good guys in the film though they inhabit different places on the morality scale are nonetheless on the scale somewhere. Chigurh is not. When he is forced to interact with other people he's capable of drumming up a pretense of civility if he feels this will serve his purpose. But most of the time he doesn't see the point. Give me what i want or die. Or better yet, I'll just kill you and take what I want. It's in those moments when Chigurh feels it necessary to act nice in order to facilitate an extermination that Bardem's portrayal takes on its most textured and menacing air. Anyone can walk around a set emotionless, Bardem makes you believe that stone face by demonstrating beyond doubt how difficult it is for this guy to say please.
As I mentioned all the characters exhibit some level of moral development and Moss is no exception. Though he stole 2 million dollars he can't help but go back to the scene that night to bring water to the one man he encountered who had survived, although he was severely wounded and unable to move from the cab of the pickup where Moss found him. In one of the most extreme examples of the saying "no good deed goes unpunished" agents of one half of the soured drug deal arrive and Moss barely escapes with his life down a riverbed. He knows though that those men now have his license plate number which means he is f***ed in big bold capital letters.
From here events spiral out of control with Sheriff Bell hovering just behind, off to the side of and generally around the various participants, never quite able to slap the cuffs on anyone and bring the affair to an end. Woody Harrelson plays a large part in the movie's second hour as a bounty hunter hired by one of the soured deal's investors. His job is to get the money before Chigurh does but he knows that won't be easy by any definition.
The movie's open ended ending is, I suppose, necessary in order to dispel any notion that this is a "good triumphs over evil" story. The closest we come to something good coming out of all the heinous events depicted here is a somber family reunion of sorts that maybe, just maybe, marks some kind of turning point for one of the main characters. But even then any comfort to be taken from this reunion is wrapped firmly in a block of ice.
No Country For Old Men is a brutal, beautifully crafted, wonderfully acted character study in which the characters don't take kindly to being studied. I'm not sure it's a film we needed, but it's not one you are ever likely to forget.
Oct 27, 2011
The top 10 movies for the weekend of Oct 21 - Oct 23 2011
| 1) Paranormal Activity 3 | $52.5 Million |
| 2) Real Steel | $10.8 Million |
| 3) Footloose | $10.3 Million |
| 4) The Three Musketeers | $8.6 Million |
| 5) The Ides of March | $4.8 Million |
| 6) Dolphin Tale | $4.2 Million |
| 7) Moneyball | $3.9 Million |
| 8) Johnny English Reborn | $3.8 Million |
| 9) The Thing | $3.0 Million |
| 10) 50/50 | $2.8 Million |
The number one movie a year ago this week was Paranormal Activity 2 which debuted at number 1 with a $40.6 million haul. (Should we pencil in Paranormal 4 as the number one movie for this weekend next year?)
Spielberg Talks Indy 4 Regrets
Fear not those who think George Lucas lost the ability to tell a story sometime between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, for you are not alone. Empire magazine has an interview with Steven Spielberg where he weighs in on his lack of enthusiasm for the Lucas-penned story unpinning (many would say "undermining") Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. At one point he states: "I didn’t want these things to be either aliens or inter-dimensional beings. But I am loyal to my best friend."
In the interview he also mentions that the on again/off again Jurassic Park 4 is apparently on again.
In the interview he also mentions that the on again/off again Jurassic Park 4 is apparently on again.
Oct 25, 2011
Chuck Norris joins Expendables 2
Everyone in the Shady View Retirement Home rec room will be pleased to hear that 71 year old Chuck Norris has joined the cast of "Expendables 2" alongside Stallone, Van Damme, Statham, Schwarzenegger and just about anyone else over 40 whose ever done an action flick. One notable non-returnee will be Mickey Rourke who decided he's not irrelevant quite yet and that the $$ he was being offered to return just wasn't enough.
Expendables 2 is currently shooting in Bulgaria and is due out next August.
Expendables 2 is currently shooting in Bulgaria and is due out next August.
 |
| What goes through the minds of those aging action stars? |
Oct 24, 2011
Warner Bros to pull Harry Potter DVDs
With Christmas approaching Warner Bros have apparently decided to create a little faux-demand for their Harry Potter series by announcing they're yanking all HP DVDs from the shelves on Dec 29th. deadline.com has the press release here.
Oct 23, 2011
Wachowskis "Jupiter Ascending" sets sights on 2012 production launch
After laying low for nearly a decade following the utter humiliations of Matrix 2 and 3 the Wachowski brothers (more accurately the Wachowski 'siblings' since Larry is now "Lana") are ready to make a new foray into self-authored sci-fi. The project, dubbed "Jupiter Ascending" could begin production as early as spring 2012. No one has yet been cast for the film and no details of the story are known as of this writing though it's said to have a lot of sequel potential (gulp).
Until that project gets underway the siblings are keeping themselves busy with a big screen adaptation of the David Mitchell novel "Cloud Atlas", starring Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving and Halle Berry among others.
Until that project gets underway the siblings are keeping themselves busy with a big screen adaptation of the David Mitchell novel "Cloud Atlas", starring Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving and Halle Berry among others.
 |
| Lana (left) and Andy Wachowski remind us that they once made a good film. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)