The UBS Evening Television & Movie News 10.22.09

Posted by George H. Sirois on 10.22.2009

A quick look at the latest theatrical and DVD releases, the trailer for The Fourth Kind, last week’s box office report and my latest addition to the “Re-Writing Miss-tory” memos. All this and Andy Critchell’s Babe Photo News Brief in The “Memo to George Lucas” Edition…



Welcome everyone to the latest edition of the UBS Evening Movie News. I'm George H. Sirois, and if you're on Twitter, you can find me HERE! And don't forget, for all of you who are new to 411Mania.com, make sure you check out all of our zones. We have some of the best writers on the Internet right here, and we love to hear from all of you! So keep coming back to read what we have for you, make us your homepage and if you have Facebook, make sure to join our group HERE!


Here's a little something extra I put together regarding pre-orders for my book. I like to call it: "Chosen Ones, Step Forward."

"Eons ago, on the planet known as Denab IV, its creator Excelsior appeared as a vision to several people he deemed "Chosen Ones." Those lucky few were selected by him to lead their fellow Denarians in keeping the planet as the paradise he always envisioned. As each passing generation of the Chosen Ones reached a certain age, Excelsior visited them in their dreams to give them the wisdom necessary to pick up where the previous generation left off. This continued on until Excelsior's spiritual form was cast down to the planet he had taken such care in crafting.

After over seventeen years of developing the character Excelsior, it's time for his Chosen Ones to step forward and make themselves known. By sending in your $2 pre-order deposit, you will not only reserve your copy of the upcoming novel, but you will also be acknowledged IN THE NOVEL as the first wave of men, women and children to be told the story of Excelsior's return.

That's right. Reserving your copy will put your name in print! But that's not all! By ordering through me, you will guarantee yourself a personalized autographed copy that will be shipped from me to you once the book is published. So make it happen! You're just one click away from bringing Excelsior's story to the masses…"

Reserve Your Copy - $2 Deposit

And feel free to check out the new blog for the novel HERE!


This week, I'll be taking the reigns of "Re-Writing Miss-tory" and sending a memo to our friend Mr. George Lucas. We'll also have a quick look at upcoming theatrical and DVD releases, some comments on various TV & movie news stories and Andy Critchell's choice for this week's photo brief.

Oh, one more thing. I don't know why the hell I waited so long to see it, but I finally sat down and watched Disc 1 of Season 1 of "Battlestar Galactica" and it was just all kinds of awesome! Loved it! So thank God for Netflix and it's off to Disc 2…

And now, on with the news!


SYBIL THE SOOTHSAYER

UPCOMING MOVIES

The Vampire's Assistant (Cirque du Freak): John C. Reilly plays a vampire who drafts a teenager (Chris Massoglia) to serve as his assistant on his traveling freak show called "Cirque du Freak."

I admire these guys for taking the current vampire craze and doing something a little different with it. However, I don't think this will capture the same audience as "Twilight" or "True Blood" or even "The Vampire Diaries" since the main vampire isn't the "dreamboat" that Robert Pattinson is and the John C. Reilly fans that helped make Step Brothers a hit might not think Reilly's going to be as funny as they want. We'll see…


Amelia: A look at the life of legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart (Hilary Swank), who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to make a flight around the world.

Could this be a shot at another Oscar for Hilary? You have to admit she has quite the flair for playing tragic characters and I don't see why the Academy would look at this any differently than the performances that got her the last two trips to the podium in Boys Don't Cry or Million Dollar Baby.

Credit: TheMovieBox.net


MOVIE TRAILER OF THE WEEK: The Fourth Kind

I've been seeing several commercials for this lately, and they definitely look effective. I hope the movie can match the marketing. I have high hopes for this…





JIM WEBBING AND HIS IT'S THE HONEST TRUTH DEPARTMENT

I didn't know millions even saw this movie: Heywood Gould who wrote Cocktail will be honored in a 20th world launch anniversary celebration with Tom Cruise look-a-likes and bottle spinning at a T.G.I Friday's®, the place where the blockbuster was filmed in Manhattan. The celebration coincides with Americas newest T.G.I Friday's® grand opening in Penn Station on Thursday October 22, 2009 at 6pm on the Amtrak level on 33rd and 7th in Manhattan.

The Tom Cruise look-a-likes and bottle spinning behind the bar will resemble the movie that was filmed over two decades ago. The movie was one of the most popular films in the bar and beverage industries. Millions wanted to become bartenders after the movie was released. Bartending Schools from across the nation still run the Tom Cruise film clips in their ads today.

When I first read this press release, I immediately thought of Ben Stiller's performance as stunt double "Tom Crooze" yelling and flashing wide smiles as he played Cruise's character in Cocktail. I have a feeling you'll see a lot more of the look-a-likes flashing that same amount of skill behind the bar and a lot more of the actual bartenders that can perform those tricks looking a little different.

So for those of you who are in New York City – and don't have to work that night like I do – and want to see this, then go down to Kokomo… uh, I mean Penn Station and watch some bartenders do the Hippy Hippy Shake in celebration of a movie that I had no idea needed celebrating.

All wiseass comments aside, anytime the writer of a film is honored is a good thing. So kudos to you, Heywood Gould, for keeping this movie alive.

Credit: King World Communications


Apparently, doing whatever a spider can doesn't include putting a show on Broadway: So what's happened to the "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" musical on Broadway, now just a few months away from opening?

"It's still a $45 million mess," says an insider who confirmed that Jim Stern and a group of investors including Norton Herrick are supposedly coming in as angels to save the day.
Will this show be happening? "Yes, definitely," says a source, who knows as much as anyone. "It's too good not to."

But in the meantime, "Spider Man" — directed by Julie Taymor with music by U2 — is sort of drifting.

"They had just enough money to get the theater ready. That's what's going on right now, preparations. But they don't have the money to really start beyond that. They're just waiting."

Five months remain — short months for a big show — to get "Spider-Man" ready for action. Come on, money guys, the ball is in your…web! And Evan Rachel Wood (who will play Mary Jane) isn't getting any younger!

I have no idea what to make of this show. Granted, if anyone can make Spider-Man work on Broadway, Julie Taymor can certainly come up with something pretty damn cool. But I keep thinking of the "It's a Bird, It's a Place, It's Superman" musical that bombed on the stage and the VERRRRY campy TV adaptation in the 1970s. And besides, a musical can get by on name recognition for only some time, nowhere near as much as a movie can be carried. Having music composed by U2 will bring their fans, but if the show as a whole ends up not working, then the cast recording will sell well but the show won't. I hope they're making sure everything works, not just the music or the effects.

And since we're on the topic of musicals…

Credit: Hollywood Reporter


Be prepared for another annoying "The Musical is Back!" montage during the Oscars: "Hairspray" helmer Adam Shankman is signing on to direct and choreograph "Rock of Ages," the screen version of the Broadway musical for New Line Cinema. The film will begin production by next summer, and will be released by Warner Bros. in 2011.

The musical's creator, Chris D'Arienzo, scripted the movie adaptation. Carl Levin, Matt Weaver, Scott Prisand, Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Gibgot will produce, and Janet Billig and Hillary Weaver are executive producers.

Shankman will move from the 60s music of "Hairspray" into the signature 80s rock anthems that drive "Rock of Ages." "I had the best time of my life making `Hairspray' and badly wanted another musical, and when I watched `Rock of Ages,' I was struck by the fact that not only had much of the audience seen it more than once, every guy in the audience knew the words to the songs," Shankman said. "I thought, `this is `Mamma Mia!' for dudes. What an extraordinary opportunity to open the genre to an audience that otherwise wouldn't go see a musical."

The musical tells the story of a couple that meets at the Sunset Strip club Rock of Ages, falls in love and tries to stay together amid the rough and tumble rock lifestyle. The cast finds reasons to belt out 80s rock anthems made popular by Journey, Twisted Sister, Joan Jett, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar and other MTV generation staples.

Landing a big director is the latest in a series of unlikely developments for a show that began modestly five years ago in a Hollywood rock club, where the sets had to be struck quickly to make way for rave parties. After a short-lived Vegas stint that almost killed it, "Rock of Ages" caught on off-Broadway, and three movie studios battled for the movie rights.

Since its move to Broadway, "Rock of Ages" fills most of its 1000 seats at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, and even got five Tony nominations. The show will eventually roll out around the world.

I don't think Shankman has it quite right. Granted, "Mamma Mia" is made up of ABBA tunes that have already been well known, but it sounds more to me like Moulin Rouge for "dudes." However, while I don't think it's going to be as big of a hit as "Mamma Mia" was – much to my chagrin, since it was a horrible movie – I do have to give them some kind of credit for taking a chance on something that's not quite a sure thing and trying something new with the film musical genre, even if it is simply adapting a popular product for the big screen.


FILM MUSIC NEWS

Download This Week's Issue at: www.filmmusicweekly.com.


VOX POPULI

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: October 16 - 18, 2009

1. Where the Wild Things Are: $32,695,407
Total: $32,695,407
2. Law Abiding Citizen: $21,039,510
Total: $21,039,510
3. Paranormal Activity: $19,617,650
Total: $33,171,743
4. Couples Retreat: $17,227,390
Total: $62,617,735
5. The Stepfather: $11,581,586
Total: $11,581,586
6. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: $8,017,871
Total: $108,201,645
7. Zombieland: $7,616,939
Total: $60,640,317
8. Toy Story & Toy Story 2 (3D): $3,016,580
Total: $28,554,678
9. Surrogates: $1,917,315
Total: $36,327,650
10. The Invention of Lying: $1,907,398
Total: $15,497,164

Credit: BoxOfficeGuru.com


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RE-WRITING MISS-TORY

Ever since I introduced this segment of The UBS Evening Television & Movie News, both 411 readers and fellow writers have gotten excited about participating. Since my memo to Sam Raimi regarding Spider-Man 3, we've had memos about TransFormers: Revenge of the Fallen, The Wrestler and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. All of them have been exceptionally done, and I'm very thankful to all of the guys who put in their memos.

This week, I thought I'd take another crack at them, so I decided to send one to the creator of the reason so many of us fell in love with movies in the first place, Mr. George Lucas. The movie in question I am covering is – in my opinion – the true weak link to the whole Star Wars saga…




Dear Mr. Lucas:

I must say it is an honor to be selected as the Quality Control Consultant for Lucasfilm Ltd, and I hope I can apply my skills to the screenplay written by you and Mr. Hales for Star Wars Episode II. While I do think the title you have chosen - Attack of the Clones - is very likely to stir some controversy, I appreciate how it sounds like a chapter from the 1940s Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon serials that inspired this saga.

After reading the latest draft, there is a lot here that works wonderfully. Obi-Wan's story of finding the source of Jango Fett's dart is especially effective, and I can't wait to see that first reveal of the Clone Troopers on the big screen. Also, bringing Anakin's mother back into the fold works very well and it is a tragedy that we can all relate to, since none of us can say we would react any differently if we saw our own loved ones in a similar situation. And I appreciate seeing Jar-Jar Binks in such a limited role after getting such an overdose of his antics in Episode I. I heard you had noticed the negative reactions from fans and this shows you had listened to the fans in that respect. It works much better to have R2-D2 with Anakin and Padme on Naboo than Binks.

However, there is one major problem that threatens to derail the entire film because of the structure of the story, and that is the love story between Padme and Anakin. So much of the first half takes us back and forth from Obi-Wan to the two supposed lovebirds, and while I see a lot of energy and plot-driving action on Camino, so much of the dialogue and situations involving Padme and Anakin read much more forced, like filler used to merely pad the running time. By the time Padme finally tells Anakin she loves him, it feels much more like she is beaten into submission by Anakin's pleading and whining and tells him this just to shut him up.

But like so many big problems with other films, this can be fixed with a little bit of tweaking. Just like there is momentum in the Obi-Wan scenes, we need to see some momentum with the kids. The kiss on the balcony between them rings a bit too soon for me, since it wasn't too long before this that Padme told Anakin not to "look at her like that" because it makes her uncomfortable. To let him kiss her so soon after that doesn't work. I understand that they're kids and neither of them is very smooth when it comes to romance, but it doesn't have to be THAT much of a mess.

It would do wonders if you not only took out the scene with the kiss, but also the "please don't look at me like that" moment. It would be a nice start to their new relationship if the scene in Padme's room ends with her telling him, "You've grown up" when he says that sometimes we all must do what is expected of us. This way, you're not only taking out the uncomfortable moment where Anakin kinda looks like he's stalking his prey, but you're also taking out the first scene of him whining about Obi-Wan. This will make the later scene on Tattooine more effective since Padme will not have heard this emo ranting before.

While Anakin gets to see Padme at work during the scene with the new Queen of Naboo, she never gets to see what he can do. Perhaps he would have some training droids on hand and she could peek in on his progress. It would be a bonus to the "Titanic Crowd" if Anakin were to have his shirt off, so they'll have something to swoon over, just as Padme will. This way, she'll have even more confirmation that he has indeed grown up and she won't look at him as a little boy anymore. Remember, Mr. Lucas, she needs to fall in love with him as well and we need to see that.

There can still be a kiss, but not that early. Maybe out in the field after he uses the Force to control the animal that he stands on would be an ideal moment. (I would trim that scene a bit, maybe take out Padme running across the field. She could instead be watching him from a distance.) Her relief from him being okay would make her vulnerable to him moving in, and then she could break it off like she did in the previous draft.

These changes will allow for a much smoother beginning to Anakin and Padme's relationship. We will see moments of them falling for each other and we won't have to hear as much dialogue that is there simply to pass the time. Also, with these changes, the moment where Anakin talks about slaughtering the Tusken Raiders will come off as even more chilling since this will be a side of Anakin that we hadn't seen yet. And when Padme finally tells Anakin that she loves him, then that big moment will come off as much more believable.

I hope these suggestions will help you in crafting the ideal version of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and effectively set up the tragic fall of Anakin Skywalker in Episode III. Maybe when you are ready to begin production on that film, I can act as your QCC again? I look forward to your response.


Sincerely,

George H. Sirois
Quality Control Consultant
Lucasfilm Ltd.




And that's a wrap for Chapter 135 of The UBS Evening Movie News! For Andy Critchell, I'm George H. Sirois and we'll see you next week!

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