On this week’s very special Reel Projections podcast, Host Joe (that’s me) is joined by PoHo Wayne Garcia for a conversation about the career of director John Hughes, who died on Thursday at the age of 59. Joe and the PoHo play audio clips from Hughes most famous movies and dissect the director’s influence on the 1980s specifically, and on film-making in general. And go here for video clips of Hughes’ films.
Podcast player after the jump …
For more news and reviews of all the summer blockbusters, go to CL’s Movies & Television site.
Reel-Projections-Episode-7_6-3-09.mp3
Mike J. Nelson
The Reel Projections podcast returns with an interview with Mike Nelson. Fans of bad movies or great TV shows remember Nelson as the former head-writer and star of the Comedy Central/Sci-Fi Channel hit Mystery Science Theater 3000. Nelson is still busy trashing flicks with Rifftrax, a provider of audio commentary tracks for movies both old and new. Joined by MST3K vets Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett (among others), Rifftrax is for anyone who ever dreamed of seeing the MST3K crew take on current releases. (I’ve included some YouTube Rifftrax’s clips for The Dark Knight, Jaws, Star Wars and a few others after the break below.) You can also find Rifftrax online, and some of the programs have been released as DVD’s now for sale. All come highly recommended.
Speaking of bad movies, this Reel Projections podcast is also loaded with details on the new Will Ferrell comedy Land of the Lost. Host Joe, Joran and Producer Stephen have all seen the movie, and they break it down on the podcast. A word of warning: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead, so if you plan to see the movie, read Joe Bardi’s non-spoiler review of Land of The Lost now and listen to the podcast after you’ve seen the movie.
In this edition, I interview with web designer Gary Burge, who’s personal story includes a 7 a.m. heart attack on the day after Christmas — while Burge was at his desk at work! And stay tuned to the end for details on a Watchmen Tales of the Black Freighter DVD giveaway.
After a long break, the Reel Projections podcast is back! In this week’s installment, host Joe (that’s me) talks to Brian Ries about Watchmen. Brian’s seen it and I pick his brain for information about the most anticipated movie of 2009. (FYI: We keep it mostly spoiler free. Mostly.)
If you dig the show, or just have general comments, send us an e-mail at reelprojections@creativeloafing.com and let us know. Thanks for keeping it Reel.
Rumors have been kicking around for some time that Quentin Tarantino is planning to recombine the excellent Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2 into one complete film on DVD. Of course, that was before the director ditched the continental 48 for Europe to shoot this summer’s Inglourious Basterds starring Brad Jolie. Fortunately, QT has gone on the record again, stating that Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair will be a reality, and that the filmmakers have even gone back and added a brand-spankin’ new, 7 minute anime sequence to the film. Though there’s still no release date (Amazon has a link to product they claim has been “discontinued by the manufacturer”), expect to see this package drop sometime right before the release of Basterds. It’s called corporate cynergy, yo!
Click below for more of today’s news from Tinseltown…
With history going on in D.C., the movie biz took time out from partying at Sundance to watch Obama’s inauguration speech. Speaking of Sundance, would you believe a documentary about Mike Tyson from director James Tolback was an early highlight of the festival? Only in America. As Nathan points out in the comments, I screwed this up and got an article from the Cannes film fest mixed in with my Sundance reading. I feel stupid and regret the error. This really ruins my use of that Tyson photo, huh?
Sony has decided to postpone the opening of 2012, the latest disaster mess from Independence Day director Roland Emmerich, from July 10 to Nov. 13. Sony claims the delay is due to an already rock-solid summer schedule, but I suspect there are problems with film that can’t be fixed by July …
Looking for previews? Read more of Reel Projections by clicking below…
* Picking up our Watchmen coverage, the above is Warner Bros.’ newish clip for the superhero spectacular that has been airing during the NFL Playoffs. Meanwhile, rumors leaking out of the negotiations between Warner and Fox hint that the sides are close to settling, meaning we might get to see the movie on March 6 after all. (Here’s the NY Times take on the wrangling.) You didn’t really believe the studio weasels were going to kill this one, did you?
* Will Linda Hamilton reprise her role as Sarah Connor in the upcoming Terminator Salvation? Better start hitting the weights, Linda.
Read more Reel Projections after the jump …
As today is my last here at the Loaf, (you can reach me at anthonyjohn71@yahoo.com) this may well be my final Reel Projections (I know, boo fucking hoo, the end of an era). But rather than cry in my beer (which I really don’t like to drink these days, anyway, and after Benjamin Button, I’ve pretty much dried out my tear ducts), I’ll go out with the shiny, happy enthusiasm that made men admire me and women want me.
So let’s get this might-be-a-farewell party started with the hands-down best trailer I saw last night before the screening of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (did I mention you should bring your hankies?). OK, that’s not saying much, since most of the other 29 trailers were, how do you say, fucking horrible. But The Proposal, yet another rom-com starring the rom-commiest of actresses, Sandra Bullock, was a breath of fresh, frothy air. See if you agree:
The wait is over. Joe and I return to the studio for our fourth Reel Projections podcast, 20 minutes of windbagging about the best films of the year (most of which we didn’t see), the biggest moneymakers and my utter lack of preparation for the show. Special Listener Bonus: another appearance by singer/songwriter Clint Eastwood.
Don’t call it a comeback: Tired of hearing about Mickey Rourke’s return to form in critics’ darling The Wrestler? Well, you’ve got company, ’cause apparently so is Mickey.
The New York Times is reporting that 20th Century Fox will try to delay the release of Watchmen. Deadline Hollywood Daily has a statement from Warner Bros. on the lawsuit.
This week’s DVD releases: Rope of Silicon runs down Paramount’s new Blu-Ray titles, including the Patrick Swayze stupid-face fest, Ghost; Tom Cruise going vroom vroom with Nicole Kidman in Days of Thunder; Event Horizon and The Truman Show.
Q: Who’s the most reviled movie critic? A: Ben Lyons. He’s so hated (and with good reason), that CriticWatch’s Erik Childress has a blog dedicated to using Lyons’s own words against him:
Is it possible that New York publicists have a poster of Ben Lyons in their office with the slogan that reads “Put critics in a theater full of people laughing with free tickets and one of them may laugh too?” What if the Bedtime Stories crowd was laughing at Ben Lyons laughing? Or just Ben Lyons? I guarantee he’s produced more unintentional laugh lines than Sandler & Co. did this year. Take for example:
I had every intention of seeing Valkyrie at the Regal Park Place Stadium 16 last night, but the 7:50 show was sold out. Although Valkyrie has received middling reviews, I still want to see it, a desire I can attribute to three reasons:
1. Tom Cruise (so intense, so watchable,)
2. It was directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men, The Usual Suspects)
3. (And most important) The poster for Valkyrie has the balls to make Nazis look like the antihero studs of Reservoir Dogs.
Watchmen ruling: Now what? If you read Wednesday’s Reel Projections, you know that a federal judge ruled that Fox Studios owns the distribution rights to Watchmen, putting its March 6 release by Warner Bros. in serious jeopardy. Over at Slashfilm, Peter Sciretta offers a few scenarios that could play out between the two studios, ranging from a co-distribution deal to the film not being released at all.
Every Friday, Reel Projections welcomes the Cranky (Because He’s Soon to Be Unemployed) Copy Editor into the screening room to review one trailer for an upcoming film. Take it away, CCE: Read the rest of this entry »
Merry Christmas! Let’s see what Santa has in his sack for you, hmm …
Tron is back! Bruce Boxleitner, the original Tron, has been added to the cast of Tron 2.
The Eddie Murphy-as-Riddler story will not go away. Why? Because U.K. Sun reporter Gordon Smart, who delivered this inconceivable bit of casting news, has now come forward to defend his inside info. The Guardian film blog also throws in this mind-bending bit of nothing to keep tongues wagging:
Off the record, Smart revealed his precise source, and if we are to believe him, it would appear a pretty reliable one. It follows, then, that the rest of yesterday’s story might also be falsehood-free.
That should clear things up.
Best. Movie. Ever. Take a deep breath and make sure you have a soft place to land, because your mind is about to be blown. The Expendables, Sylvester Stallone’s action flick about a band of mercenaries, has lined up the following cast: Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Jason Statham and Forest Whitaker. Add Mickey Rourke to the cast, pump “Sex Panther” through the air ducts, and theaters everywhere will enjoy a full-tilt boogie of testosterone the likes of which the world hasn’t seen since The Dirty Dozen.
Just sit right back, and you’ll hear the tale: Gilligan’s Island is headed for the big screen. Hear that? It’s the sound of people who remember Gilligan’s Island not giving a shit.
Roger Ebert isn’t feeling the Christmas Spirit: In fact, he lays the smack down pretty hard on Frank Miller’s comic-book adaptation.
The New York Times is reporting that a federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled in favor of 20th Century Fox’s claim to the rights to Watchmen, which is a Warner Bros. production.
This is big news, as Watchmen has been one of the most eagerly awaited movies of 2009. With the film scheduled to arrive in theaters March 6, it seems the two studios will now have to work out a deal fairly quickly.
As St. Pete Times media critic Eric Deggans noted recently, year-end top 10 lists are an easy way for columnists to fill space while also allowing them to take another shot at films they disliked and praise those
worthy of the honor. If you’ve been following Reel Projections for the past few weeks, you know that every few days, another critics’ organization has issued its best-of picks for 2008.
Not me. Instead, I thought I’d give a tip of the cap to those critics who toiled in darkened theaters and saved me my hard-earned money by warning me off a slew of films I had been at least somewhat interested in seeing.
When I want to gauge the overall critical reaction to a new film, the first place I head is Rotten Tomatoes, which provides a useful consensus, expressed as a number (anything below 60 is considered bad).
Here then, are the Top 8 of 2008 I initially wanted to see before the critics cut them down to size, along with some of the pithiest, nastiest comments by reviewers:
Eat me, baby! Megan Fox to star as a flesh-munching
cheerleader in Diablo Cody’s Jennifer’s Body. Which is great news, because that means I get to post a gratuitous pic of Megan Fox. (For the last time, she’s the hot girl from Transformers.)
Four more critics’ picks: Slumdog Millionaire (now playing in the Tampa Bay area) tops two more best-of lists (including Florida), while The Dark Knight and Frost/Nixon each get the number one spot by other tastemakers.
Tim-mah! Tim Robbins reported to play Iron Man’s dad. Discuss.
Hot stuff: David Fincher is cooking up something with Keanu Reeves. Seriously, the title is Chef.
Dredd-ful: A new Judge Dredd film is on the way. I wish I were kidding.
The Final Frontier: Majel Barrett-Roddenberry passes away at 76.
A hot chick totally wants to do me, and I’ve got an angel of a wife at home – score! Take one part Fatal Attraction, one part The Temp, add the ending of Pacific Heights, mix with a dash of Jungle Fever and voila! – Obsessed, yet another brain-dead male fantasy film masquerading as a lurid thriller.
Every Friday, Reel Projections welcomes the Cranky Copy Editor to review one trailer from an upcoming film. Take it away, CCE:
This week’s trailer is for Powder Blue, which appears to have aspirations of a (ugh) Big Artistic Statement. The BAS in this case seems to be that we’re all connected in mysterious, deeply meaningful ways, putting it in league with solemn snooze-fests like Crash, Babel and Magnolia. This is only a guess, however, since the trailer plays like one of those mind-bending avant collages projected onto the wall of a rave club while a DJ spins ambient-techno washes that remind you just how lonely and alienated you are from the rest of humanity. But I digress…
You can practically taste the indie ennui coming off the screen, so I’ll go out on a limb and predict Powder Blue will be recognized during awards season. In fact, I’m personally awarding Ray Liotta with Best Existential Crisis While Wading in the Ocean, and Forest Whitaker with Best Angsty Swan Dive Off a Building While Wearing a Santa Suit. Nice two-fer, Powder Blue! Almost as nice as the film’s main attraction…
Austin Film Critics have picked their best of 2008, and guess who cleaned up in the Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actor categories? JUST TAKE A WILD GUESS. That’s right. The Dark Knight. Fellow Texans the Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association gave Best Picture to Slumdog Millionaire, as well as Best Director to Danny Boyle for the same flick. Oh, and they also rewarded Heath Ledger with Best Supporting Actor. Read the rest of the winners here.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Film Critics Association, in an obvious cry for attention, have bestowed their Best Picture honor on Wendy and Lucy, which I wrote about in the Dec. 16 Reel Projections. They also gave that film’s Michelle Williams the nod for Best Actress and rewarded Jonathan Demme with Best Director for Rachel Getting Married. And Best Supporting Actor went to Williams’ former boyfriend, and father of her daughter, Heath Ledger. Here’s the rest of the TFCA winners.
Disney has released the first photo of an upcoming Bruce Willis sci-fi film. Behold this mysterious production still from Surrogates. What’s he looking at so intensely off-screen? Could it be one of the surrogate robots? A couch where he can sit down and watch those monitors in comfort? HANS FUCKING GRUBER???!!!
It’s the “I don’t care but somebody out there must” link of the day: Twilight sequel New Moon has a release date. Hoo. Rah.
SPOILER ALERT! Some guy at Chud.com saw the first 22 minutes of Watchmen in Austin, and now he’s spilling his guts all over the interwebs. You’ve been warned. And remember that lawsuit Fox brought against Warner Bros.? An L.A. federal judge has set a Watchmen trial date of January 20, 2009.
First things first: Shakespeare didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow may have crept along in a petty pace back in the Bard’s day when everybody spoke in impenetrable soliloquies, but no more. Not if you strap into your computer chair armed with a hoagie and obsess over every single bit of minutiae about upcoming movies. More specifically, big-budget movies that need years of post-production because all the advanced special-effects technology in the world still requires 300 programmers slaving 21-hour days to complete about 20 seconds of screen time. Take the Star Wars prequels as an example: Those films were released in 1999, 2002 and 2005. And how did this geek (along with millions of others) fill each three-year gap? By visiting sites like Countingdown.com every blessed day to get my fix of the latest production still or plot rumor or spoiler. Time didn’t just fly, into went to hyperdrive, and before I knew it: Presto! Another SW film to insult my childhood memories.
And that brings me to Tron 2, which has cast its first two female leads. That’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of what will be many updates, rumors and speculation about Tron 2 for the next year, because even though it’s supposed to be shooting in the spring, it won’t be released until 2010. And that means a lot of fanboys huddled close to a warm computer monitor, x-ing out the days on the calendar.
Harrison Ford has signed on to the comedy Morning Glory, apparently to kill some time before the next big-budget
movie where he gets to make his patented super-serious Harrison Ford Face.
Rob Zombie is making a sequel to Halloween. Actually, to his remake of Halloween. Big news, I know. So let’s let the cinematic auteur speak for himself:
“I was so burned out. (But) I took a long break, made a record and I got excited again. Now, we’ll be hauling ass, and that’s the problem making a movie called ‘Halloween’: If you come out Nov. 1 or after, nobody cares. If it was called anything else, I’d be fine.”
Yes, if only he were directing the third installment of Bridget Jones’ Diary, Rob could take his sweet time eliciting a winning performance from Renee Zellweger. But you degenerates just have to have your fucking Halloween …
New on DVD/Blu-ray: Mamma Mia!, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, The Third Man.
Cinemablend has a cool little interview with Mickey Rourke talking about his new film, The Wrestler.
The Horror! Stephen King’s 10 best movies of 2008. It’s a pretty respectable list, with the exception of Tropic Thunder, which would have been total shit save for Robert Downey Jr.’s performance.
AFI has also released its top 10 films of the year, with all the usual suspects accounted for. However, one surprise was Wendy and Lucy, which I hadn’t heard of ’til now. I dutifully found the trailer and can attest that it looks like a seriously heartbreaking piece of filmmaking. A check of the film’s official website doesn’t have it coming to Florida (at least not through March 26). Which kinda pisses me off, because if I’m going to watch a Depressing Important Film, it sure would be nice to see it on the big screen with a bunch of other people to share my tears with instead of alone, in my room, wearing my pj’s and feeling like an emotional basket case. One more thing: The dog better not fucking die. (Trailer follows the jump.)
First things first: The Guardian lists its top 8 most ridiculous plots of 2008. A fun read, and you should have quite a chuckle at numbers 1 and 2.
It’s a tie! Boston Society of Film Critics puss out and give Best Picture honors to both Wall-E and Slumdog Millionaire. Read the rest of the winners here.
First trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine: After watching it, you can head over to your favorite message board and write things like, “Cool! I can’t wait for this movie! Wolverine RULEZ!!”
The X-Man marks his spot: Super-hunk Hugh Jackman (and reigning sexiest man alive) has been confirmed as the host of the 2009 Oscars, which will be telecast Feb. 22. After I announced this juicy nugget to anyone within earshot, expecting to hear reluctant grunts of manly approval, music critic Wade Tatangelo expressed his displeasure over the cubicle wall. Among the kinder words he had to say were, “He’s a hack.” And “He kinda looks like [fellow Australian and country music star] Keith Urban.” Ouch.
Senior Account Executive Anthony Carbone, our self-styled sartorialist who’s like a moth to the flame when he hears the word “handsome,” seconded that emotion, “He’s just kinda sorry. I have no feeling for him.” And “He’s a clown.” Double ouch.
Puzzled by this antipathy toward our foremost portrayer of grizzled comic-book heroes (Wolverine, Van Helsing) I endeavored to seek out a female perspective (and hopefully a voice of sanity in a wilderness of macho repression and denial). Our heroine: Editorial Assistant Franki Weddington, who gave the most reasoned assessment: “Not only is he a good actor and really fucking hot, he’s on Broadway.”
Vindication is mine.
First things first: Pinup girl Bettie Page dies at 85.
Just imagine how good the movie will be: Feast your sore eyes on the ass-tastic poster for the upcoming The
Unborn, which was written and directed by David S. Goyer, whose writing credits include The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, the Blade trilogy and Jumper. I could say a few dissertation-worthy things about this poster as an example of our culture’s ambivalent feelings toward female sexuality and evil. But why get all serious on a flick that features Gary Oldman as a Rabbi performing an exorcism and a character whose last name is Hardigan, which, if you ask me, is truth in advertising right there. “Evil will do anything to live.” And I want to be bad. So very, very bad.
Sounds great! Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, will voice the computer of the Enterprise in the upcoming Star Trek film. Which I found of interest only because it permits me to include a Star Trek update in this post.
How did the Hollywood glitterati react to the Golden Globes nominations? Variety has their thoughts here.
ScreenRant rants about the Dark Knight snub at the Golden Globes and Cinema Blend chides awards givers about overlooking the Batman. (Money quote: The Golden Globes are “a vague entity run by a strange and mysterious European shadow organization.”)
Speaking of Dark Knight: It’s breaking more records.
Boy howdy, it’s the second Reel Projections podcast, which has part two of my talk with Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons. And never you mind what the player text says, Joe didn’t ask Dave Gibbons a damn thing — it was all me. Me! Me! Me! (Not to put too fine a point on it.) However, Joe acquits himself nicely the rest of the show, leading our conversation on upcoming holiday releases, both on the big-screen and on DVD, whilst I try to get a word in edgewise. It’s not easy, folks. This man could swim the English Channel twice over, he’s got that much lung power. Hey-O! You’ll also notice Joe tossing in little in-jokes (like the one about the fake New York Times cover) that I laugh politely at and might have understood if, like Joe, I obsessively monitored Google News feed (I’ve got film sites to obsess over). That gripe aside, I think we established our rapport in this episode, so be sure to save it for posterity.
Out this week: Milk, which our very own Editor David Warner reviews here. Also new in theaters is The Day the Earth Stood Still, starring Keanu Reeves as the alien sent on an excellent adventure to inform humans that their time is up. How nice for the holidays. Now go read the review, Earthlings.
The 2009 Golden Globes nominees have been announced. Tell us who you think will win/ shouldn’t have been nominated/ was looked over.
BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas, I’ve Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Leonardio DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Consider it a Christmas miracle: I was resigned to putting up the trailer for Dragonball: Evolution, until I finally came across a Terminator Salvation trailer that I could embed in this post. (And no, I won’t even link to the Dragonball trailer. If you want to burn your retinas, search for it yourself.)
Los Angeles Film Critics have Wall-E and Dark Knight at 1 and 2 for Best Picture of the year. Read the rest of their picks here.
Brad Pitt to star in Lost City of Z, about British explorer Percy Fawcett, who was one of the inspirations for Indiana Jones.
Keanu Reeves goes samurai in 47 Ronin
First things first: It’s that time of year when movie critics issue their best-ofs, and here’s three of them. Time magazine has published its Top 10 films of 2008, and it’s a doozy. Over at the nation’s capital, D.C. Area Film Critics announce their best of 2008. And, not to be outdone, Roger Ebert has his top 20 of 2008. 
New on DVD/Blu-ray today: Horton Hears a Who, Man on Wire, and the film we’ve all been waiting for: The Dark Knight, whose Blu-Ray edition will feature, live, interactive commentary from director Christopher Nolan.
Back to the Waters edge: John Waters has written a treatment for Hairspray 2.
More sucking: Tween vampire flick Twilight sequel will have a new director for New Moon.
Boll-ed over: Director (and I use that term very liberally) Uwe Boll, whose films consistently get awful reviews, lands Luke Perry and Lauren Holly for his latest piece of garbage.
Ripley, believe it or not: Sigourney Weaver and Ridley Scott have been talking about another Alien film. But without the Alien.
Dead as the dinosaurs: Jurassic Park 4 is a no-go.
And the winners are: National Board of Review announced this year’s best in film. Slumdog Millionaire — Best Pic, David Fincher — Best Director (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Clint Eastwood — Best Actor (Gran Torino), Anne Hathaway — Best Actress (Rachel Getting Married). Read the rest of the winners here.
Frank Miller says Sin City 2 is written and may start filming in April.
Big Man Japan: It’s kinda like Hancock. But Japanese. And way weirder.
Speaking of Hancock: Will Smith there’s going to be a sequel. His mission: Make a film that doesn’t suck as bad as the first one.
Welcome to hell. Remake hell. First, Russell Brand in Arthur.
And Romancing the Stone:
And John Carpenter’s They Live:
Warner Bros. to re-release Dark Knight in late January.
Man from Atlantis: Len Wiseman (Underworld, Live Free or Die Hard) to direct Atlantis Rising: So when it turns out to be a shitty film, you’ll know why.
Every Friday, Reel Projections welcomes the Cranky Copy Editor to review one trailer from an upcoming film. Take it away, CCE …
This week’s movie is Last Chance Harvey, starring Emma Thompson and, as best I can tell, k.d. lang. OK, it’s really Dustin Hoffman, but looking rather taut at 71. Anyway, the only other actor of note in the trailer was James Brolin (Hotel, Pensacola: Wings of Gold)
Right out of the gate, Harvey is hurrying to an airport backed by some peppy “Mr. Blue Sky”-esque music. I say “esque” because after a few stabs of the piano keys, it becomes clear we’re the victim of an unforgivable bait-and-switch: You don’t tease your audience with an ELOish song and not at least give them a few bona fide bars. Is it too much to ask for “Sun is shining in the sky, there ain’t a cloud in sight?” Horribly cliché? You bet. Perfectly suited to a light, frothy rom-com? Absolutely.
Two guys with mutton chops in a staring contest (and other pics) from X-Men Origins: Wolverine. 
Steven Soderbergh + Catherine Zeta Jones + Guided by Voices = a Cleopatra musical.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’s Director: Is David Fincher an asshole? Paramount apparently thinks so.
Over at Slashfilm, Peter Sciretta lists the movies he’s looking forward to at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, while Variety has the complete list of contenders.
No time to bask in the afterglow of my film feature on Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons or the inaugural Reel Projections podcast. But before we get back down to business, let me give a hearty “Hello, how are you?” to all the fine people at the Regions bank on West Kennedy. No less than three (might have been four) employees greeted me the moment I walked through the door this morning. This wasn’t a new experience; they’ve done this to me at least the past half dozen times I’ve come in to make a deposit, and it never fails to both please and unnerve me.
You’re gonna learn how to fly (again): Producers of Fame remake have signed Debbie Allen, Kelsey
Grammer, Charles Dutton and sex kitten Bebe Neuwirth. Noteworthy if only for the curious and distracting decision to reunite Frasier Crane with Dr. Lilith Sternin).
Shia LaBeouf to star in John Grisham’s The Associate. Kudos to I Watch Stuff for doing justice to this casting coup:
Be it cell phone, alien skull, AllSpark, or the modest briefcase, there is nothing Shia LaBeouf can’t run around holding while shouting. He’s truly our most versatile holding things and yelling young actor. When he steps into a legal thriller courtroom, the jury is going to be so awed at how he holds his briefcase and shouts objections, all with the charisma of a young Tom Hanks.
Kristen Stewart (the sleepy-eyed temptress from vampire flick Twilight) will play Joan Jett in rock ‘n’ roll biopic The Runaways.
Watchmen gets shorter running time: However, two director’s cuts are significantly longer.
Way beyond Thunderdome: Mel Gibson says “no” to Mad Max 4 script.
It’s the trophy that says “Bad Motherfucker”: Samuel L. Jackson honored with American Cinematheque Award.
First things first: Today marks the inaugural episode of the Reel Projections podcast, hosted by yours truly and fellow movie lover/CL Associate Editor Joe Bardi. Featured is the first part of my recent interview with comic-book artist Dave Gibbons, who talks about his new book, Watching the Watchmen, as well as the upcoming film based on his seminal graphic novel he helped to create with writer Alan Moore, Watchmen.
You can also read my feature story about Gibbons, his book and the upcoming Watchmen film here.
New info on the plot for Tron 2 (confess, 30-somethings — you know you’re geeked for this one).
Brian Grazer explains Russell Crowe’s dual roles in Ridley Scott’s Nottingham.
Just in case you give a damn (I know I don’t), Latino Review has plot details for Beverly Hills Cop 4.
MST3K fans rejoice: Cinematic Titanic.
Out on DVD today: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian; Wanted; Step Brothers
I had a feeling today would be a slow movie news day the moment I got on the Howard Frankland and started blowing by everyone else in my ‘85 Merc. Usually, 80 mph isn’t nearly enough to keep up with the other caffeinated leadfoots eager to send themselves (and the rest of us) to an early grave. But this morning, you’d have thought I was sporting a Universal Studios FastPass as I blew by all the poor souls who O.D.’d on tryptophan and were dreading being the only assholes at work while the rest of the world did its Christmas shopping for 25 percent off.
Fuckin’ A, why can’t EVERY DAY be like Black Friday — California has truck-only lanes; the Frankland needs to have a lane specifically for copy editors to get to work as quickly as possible so we can have that first coffee and cigarette of the day before stewing at our desks over all the fucking work we have to do. Like copy edit. And write headlines. And blog shit like this. Find a blackboard, Shelton Quarles, and make it so.
Sure enough, the choice tidbits are few and far between, but duty, as they say, calls. And my post-Thanksgiving gift to you: No Star Trek or Watchmen updates.
Black Friday, indeed: Steve Guttenberg says sequels to Police Academy and Three Men and a Baby are in the works. Ha, ha, good one, Steve. Seriously, stop kidding around. No, really. Shut the fuck up.
Joss Whedon ready to bring Buffy the Vampire Slayer back to the big screen.
Hold on to your hormones, ladies: Johnny Depp and Christian Bale are respective adversaries John Dillinger and Melvin Purvis in Michael Mann’s Public Enemies, a Cream Team pairing sure to keep theater ushers everywhere on “moist-seat alert.” Have your canisters of talcum powder ready, boys!
Tom Tykwer’s The International is set to open next year’s 59th Annual Berlin Film Festival. Normally I wouldn’t post this kind of Eurocentric fare, but Tykwer’s Run Lola Run is one of my favorite films, and with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts starring, I can’t wait to get a look at this. (Unless, of course, the buzz is really bad, in which case I’ll slam the film sight unseen.)
And finally, some strong Oscar buzz is swirling around Clint Eastwood’s performance in the upcoming Gran Torino.
See, I told you there’d be no Star Trek or Watchmen. Have a great weekend.
Let’s dispense with the news (save that for Friday) and just recap some of the things we have to be thankful for in the world of cinema this year:
The career resurgence of Robert Downey Jr. (see Iron Man, Tropic Thunder and the currently filming Sherlock Holmes).
What looks to be a major comeback by Mickey Rourke:
The Dark Knight wasn’t just the best superhero film of the year (and possibly all time). It was a piece of magnificent filmmaking that transcended its genre.
The Man in the Hat was back. OK, not everybody thought the movie was so hot, but Harrison Ford in a fedora brings a tear to my eye.
That when I’m at work, I’m within a 10-minute drive of Tampa Theatre, and when I’m home, it’s just over 10 minutes to the Beach Theatre, the two movie-house jewels of the Bay area.
Speaking of Beach Theatre: Its screening of Blade Runner: The Final Cut.
Speaking of Tampa Theatre: Its screening of the sing-along The Little Mermaid.
That I get to come to work and blog about movies.
And one sappy, non-movie-related note of gratitude: That I got to hang out for eight months with Emily Reddy, frequent contributor to WMNF and the new associate producer for WPSU in State College, Pa. I’d say “Go Nittany Lions,” but I can’t.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
Which movie posters do you find most memorable? Which ones do you consider among the best?
Film critic TC Candler tries to answer those questions with his list of the 100 greatest movie posters of all time. He’s included a lot of great, iconic posters, including those for Chinatown, Pulp Fiction and Casablanca. While reading Candler’s justifications below each of his selections, I started to consider the criteria for what makes a poster great: beauty, evocation of a movie’s themes, memorability and originality, among others. On on that basis, I think Candler made a glaring omission by not including the one-sheet for Raging Bull. The large, framed black-and-white rendering of Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta is so beautifully visceral, arrestingly primordial. It manages to be faithful to the aesthetic of Martin Scorsese’s film while also functioning as a stand-alone piece of art.
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