Frickin' Eh Movie News 11.04.09: Don't Stop the Funk

Posted by Matthew Motiuk on 11.04.2009

Terminator gets auctioned off, the man playing Odin in Thor is announced (it's a good one), a couple series are getting extensions (which unfortunately includes The Blair Witch Project), and two new trailers for The Road and Prince of Persia!

I find myself completely out of energy this week, and I'm not entirely sure why. It may be because I'm giving some extra effort at work for no apparent reason, or maybe it's this damn time change screwing with my schedule. The good news is, in the future, I may gain a little bit of sleep every night.

I had a very lazy Halloween; in fact, I just sat on the couch and watched a whole bunch of movies and played a bit of Resident Evil 5. It left me craving more weekends like that; I forgot how relaxing it is to just sit there and do absolutely nothing, considering we've been going out a lot lately. But anyway, let's get into the news:


The Mid-Week Box Office Time Machine

So what performed well on Halloween weekend? Obviously, Michael Jackson's This Is It, which topped the chart but didn't really do all that well, pulling in only $21.3 million. Paranormal Activity fell a spot and made $16.5 million. Law Abiding Citizen rose a spot to third, making another $7.3 million. Couples Retreat rose a spot as well with $6.1 million. Saw VI took a steep drop from second to fifth with $5.6 million. Where the Wild Things Are fell from third to sixth. The Stepfather rose a spot to seventh for the occasion, while Astro Boy fell two spots to eighth and Amelia rose from eleventh to eighth. The Vampire's Assistant rounded out the top ten, falling from seventh and making $2.8 million.

What's opening this weekend? Well, The Box starring Cameron Diaz, about a box which will give you a million dollars if you're willing to have someone else die for it. Interesting concept, but can it hold up through an entire movie? A bit early for the holiday season, Disney's A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman and featuring the same 3D motion-capture technology as Beowulf also opens. The Fourth Kind is your pseudo-creepy and pseudo-real movie of the weekend. Starring Milla Jovovich and Elias Koteas, this one looks . . . interesting, and unique. And finally, my pick of the weekend, The Men Who Stare at Goats, what looks to be an absolutely hilarious movie with an all-star cast led by George Clooney. So take your pick.


The Alchemist Finally Starting Up?

ComingSoon.net has learned from filmmakers Scott McGehee and Dave Siegel (The Deep End, Bee Season) that they are currently working on an adaptation of The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho's bestselling adventure novel about an Andalusian shepherd boy who travels the world looking for treasures, for the Weinstein Company.

We first heard about the project back in 2007 when actor Laurence Fishburne and A-Mark Entertainment bought the rights to the novel with plans to direct, then over a year later, the Weinsteins came on board to produce and distribute the movie. At the time, it was reported that they would be looking for writers for the project but there hasn't been any development news since then. Coelho's novel has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, becoming a bestseller in 18 countries.

There's no word whether Laurence Fishburne may still be involved, either as director or starring in a key role as initially planned, but as directors themselves, McGehee and Siegel have also been looking at returning to a project called Baby, Baby, a baby heist comedy set in Turkey, which they'd been developing for years.

I fell in love with this book when I picked it up mistakenly, thinking it was something else, but absolutely loved it when I actually went through and read it. I would love to see this one on the big screen, done right, although being able to do it right would be a tough one as well, especially to have it keep up interest. We'll have to see if this comes to anything, though; who knows, we've heard this talk before.


Hittin' The Road

The Weinstein Company has released the new trailer for director John Hillcoat's The Road, starring Viggo Mortensen, Robert Duvall, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

The Road is the big-screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. It is the story of a man (Mortensen) and his young son (Smit-McPhee) traveling through a desperate, post-apocalyptic world. The film opens in theaters on November 25, 2009.

I just don't know how this one is going to hold up. In the recent flood of post-apocalyptia, this is definitely the most serious of them, but does that fit in an already bleak and empty world? Hopefully. It looks like Mortensen for sure has got in touch with his inner woodsman, although Duvall looks pretty creepy. And I just like Guy Pearce, so I'll probably have to see this, if just for him. Check out the trailer and see if this holds up to your other examples of post-apocalyptic America.


Anthony Hopkins Playing Odin

Anthony Hopkins has been cast as Norse god Odin in Marvel Studios' Thor, to be directed by Kenneth Branagh starting January.

Odin is the father of Thor and Loki, to be played by Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, respectively. Natalie Portman is playing Thor's love interest, Jane Foster.

In the movie, written by Mark Protosevich and Zack Stentz, the powerful but arrogant warrior Thor's reckless actions re-ignite an ancient war. As punishment, Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans. Once here, he learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends dark forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

Paramount Pictures will release the film on May 20, 2011.

Sweet . . . Anthony Hopkins is awesome in just about anything, and he's one of the most talented actors out there, so he's definitely rounding out this cast nicely. Plus, Odin is about as badass as you get, being the all-father and all. This is getting better and better every time I hear about it.


Terminator Hitting the Auction Block

The Financial Times is reporting that the rights to the "Terminator" franchise will be auctioned this month. The sale has reportedly sparked considerable interest because "Terminator" is a rare example of a blockbuster franchise not controlled by a big studio.

FT says several financial buyers have expressed interest in Terminator, including Platinum Equity, the Beverly Hills firm that owns Delphi, the auto parts maker.

All the big film studios have also registered interest in the rights, with Sony Pictures a leading contender.

Summit Entertainment, the company behind the "Twilight" series, is tracking the sale, as is Media Rights Capital, which produced Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno.

The rights are being sold by Halcyon, the production company behind Terminator Salvation. The auction does not cover earlier Terminator films. The rights will give the buyer to make new films, TV series and other spin-offs.

Oh, hopefully this doesn't turn out too bad. I hate to see a great franchise like the Terminator series be whittled away. Then again, Halcyon was losing its ability to hold on anyway, so hopefully the franchise will be allowed to continue for whoever picks it up, and they handle it well. I still want to see the continuation of the current trilogy, although I couldn't care less about the television properties. We'll just have to see what the future looks like when the auction is over.


A New Blair Witch Movie in the Works . . . Oh My . . .

The Toronto Star caught up with Eduardo Sánchez, who said that he and The Blair Witch Project co-creator Daniel Myrick are seriously thinking about making a sequel. Here's an excerpt from the article:

They're now at the point where they're ready to do a Blair Witch 3, once again sharing writing and directing. They'd pick up from where the original left off, pretending Blair Witch 2 never happened. The duo recently went on a drive through their original Blair Witch haunts, about a half hour from Sánchez's Maryland home, looking for inspiration.

They've worked up a treatment for a new story, which would involve original cast members Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams, albeit in smaller roles.

"We're at the step where we're about to pitch to Lionsgate, which owns the movie rights now. It's pretty much up to them. They can completely squash it or greenlight it."

Oh dear lord, really? I understand the thought process, with Paranormal Activity doing so well and basically being the same movie, but god does this sound like a terrible idea. Not only is this movie and idea terribly dated, and everyone is going to remember it as dated, but it wasn't particularly good in the first place. It will either go through and crash and burn, or it will be thankfully killed in the early stages.


Men in Black 3 Rolling Forward

Columbia Pictures has hired Tropic Thunder writer Etan Cohen to pen the script for Men in Black 3.

There are no deals yet in place for franchise director Barry Sonnenfeld and stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to return.

The studio is looking to start filming the third installment in 2010, perhaps as early as the spring.

The first two films combined to earn nearly $1.1 billion worldwide.

Hmm . . . not sure about this one. Continuing the series isn't an absolutely terrible idea, both of the first two were fresh and interesting, and if they could continue things well enough I wouldn't mind seeing it. That would, of course, hinge completely on Sonnenfeld and the stars returning, and a good script. Hopefully they can do this right if they're going to do it at all.


Gimli Not Making a Reappearance in The Hobbit

John Rhys-Davies told Empire magazine that he has been asked to return for The Hobbit and it's sequel, but has declined. He played Gimli in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and could have perhaps played his father, Gloin, as Gimli doesn't appear in "The Hobbit."

"I've already been asked and to be honest with you, I wouldn't," Rhys-Davies said. "I have already completely ruled it out. There's a sentimental part of me that would love to be involved again. Really I am not sure my face can take that sort of punishment any more."

He added that this time around, "They've got a different set of problems... because you've got 13 dwarves, a whole band of them... You're trying to represent a whole race... You're trying to do for dwarves what 'The Lord of the Rings' did for hobbits."

You can check out the full interview here. The first film is scheduled to hit theaters in December of 2011, followed a year later by the second film in December of 2012.

Meh. Gimli was, of course, one of the few consistently enjoyable parts of The Lord of the Rings for me, and it would be nice to see Rhys-Davies reprise even a slightly different role, but then again, it might become too much like his previous portrayal, and that is what you would always think, seeing him there. So hopefully this is for the better. As long as they can do it right and find someone as capable as him to fill the role, then they'll be sitting pretty.


First Look at the Prince of Persia

Walt Disney Pictures has revealed the trailer for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time which you can watch using the player below! Directed by Mike Newell, the fantasy-action-adventure stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina and Toby Kebbell.

In the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced video game adaptation, opening May 28, a rogue prince (Gyllenhaal) reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess (Arterton) and together, they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

Well, this looks plenty epic, and it does look like they've done an amazing job at fully fleshing out the world. Arterton, Kingsley, and everyone else looks pretty good in their roles as well – it's just Gyllenhaal that I have a huge problem with, and he still doesn't look like he fits very well. And for me, that will probably kill this movie. Watching the trailer, it looks like they've combined bits of all the games, mostly the three that appeared on the Gamecube that I remember playing. Take a look at the trailer and see what you think.


Rapid-Fire: Undercover Brother (2002, starring Eddie Griffin, Chris Kattan, Denise Richards)

I'm not a big comedy fan when it comes to movies, I never really have been, but there are those couple of rare ones that I absolutely adore, most of them because I watched them when I was younger and haven't really seen them since, which means sometimes I'm disappointed, and other times they're as good as I remembered. This is one of those movies. This week I present:

I suppose this movie falls into the category now termed "blaxploitation" or some such nonsense. That implies something bad, though. This is actually a fairly liberating and fun movie as it firmly squares itself behind that culture and they do a great job of it. Of course, the other half of it is the fun of ridiculing the dominant white culture, which is equally hilarious. Also thrown in there is a healthy dose of parody of typical films like this, and all of it is fantastic.

The story in this one is straightforward and ridiculous, poking fun at action movie plots in general, and it works perfectly. The special effects, where they are used, are usually suitable, if not fantastic. Actually, the only part that I was really disappointed in was at the end when Lance (Neil Patrick Harris) fights the three guys; it was just a little too ridiculous, especially in relation to the rest of the movie, which could stand on its own without much backup. The one really big part of the movie is the music, and it fits perfectly, plus it's awesome. Some of the songs are just background, others match what's happening (are you ready to Play That Funky Music White Boy?), but it all is so perfect, and the soundtrack to this movie would be a great one to own.

The cast is star-studded and fantastic. I haven't seen Eddie Griffin in much else, but his portrayal of Undercover Brother is priceless and perfect, and he nails the role down to a tee. Probably my favourite line is still when he slips off the hood and utters "I've got to get my groove back!" And of course steering the car to save his drink. Chris Kattan as Mr. Feather is plenty ridiculous, almost too much so, but he saves it through some brilliant performances, especially right at the end when you realize he was perfect for the role just to pull off that one part at the end. Denise Richards as White She Devil is a great foil to the black culture represented in the movie and some more sex appeal. Aunjanue Ellis as Sistah Girl is great, too. Dave Chappelle as Conspiracy Brother nails his absolutely ridiculous role, although I'm sure he's probably not all that far off. I always love Chi McBride in everything, and he just fits the role of the Chief so well, it's hard to see anybody doing it better. And let's not forget NPH as white-boy Lance. All in all, everybody is perfect.

I was glad, watching this again, to see that it is still just as awesome as it was when I first saw it – maybe more so now, as I can appreciate it a bit more. Call it cheesy or stupid if you will, but this will always be a favourite.


Closing Time . . .

Well, that's it for this week. Starting next week I have an essay due each week, and then it's finals. Bright side: I'll be done everything by the middle of December. I am definitely going to make the most of my Christmas break . . . probably by sleeping a lot. Anyway, until next week . . .


[All news, images, and other stuff from www.comingsoon.net, www.imdb.com, www.rottentomatoes.com and www.youtube.com.]