The Hush-Hush News Report 11.17.09: The Lion In Winter

Posted by Jeremy Thomas on 11.17.2009

This week we look at the potential impending auction of MGM's assets and what it means to film history! Plus, news on Lionsgate's successes with Saw and Tyler Perry, a new Super Troopers, Brian Cox in The Hobbit, a new writer for Hack/Slash and Courteney Cox talks Scream 4!

Happy Tuesday, my readers, and welcome to the Hush-Hush News Report! I'm your host Jeremy Thomas, bringing you the latest in news, rumors and the like from the world of film! The holidays are fast approaching, and yours truly will be getting quite busy. But fear not, I'm still going strong and you can be sure to catch all the column segments you know and love (or hate) right here.

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Lionsgate Looking on the Bright Side



There will be a "Saw 7," Tyler Perry is a machine, and "Precious" is a passion of ours -- that was how Lionsgate vice chairman put it in describing just how much the mini-major believes in control of content as the basis for the company's growth.

Michael Burns was speaking at the Media and Money conference in New York on Thursday, where he put the accent on branded franchises as the key to competing effectively in the media space. That means making money over a long period and through many iterations of product, he told the audience.

Despite a disappointing performance by "Saw VI," which Burns attributed to getting "buzz-sawed" at the box office by "Paranormal Activity," he said it was full steam ahead on the seventh installment, which will be in 3D.

"As long as we make money on it we'll keep doing this," he said, pointing out that such franchises tend to have a long shelf life across different platforms. "Dirty Dancing," he pointed out, still sells 2,000 DVDs a day for the company, and that's after 20 years.

While the company prides itself on rigorous cost control, Burns said that "passion goes a long way at Lionsgate" as well, pointing to the company's backing of the current movie "Precious" and the Oscar-winning "Crash," which none of the big studios wished to touch. Asked by The Hollywood Reporter's business editor Georg Szalai whether the relationship with Tyler Perry might have an end date, Burns put the accent on all the different parts of Perry's activities that Lionsgate is involved with -- not just movies but TV shows, theatrical plays and other projects and on the personal relationship with Perry. Burns said he thinks the arrangement was working effectively for both sides.

In short, the vice chair concluded, despite the economy, "it's a great time to own and control content." Libraries, he added, have been dissed of late but that's just because it takes fresh product to keep them dusted-off and viable. MGM? It would be interesting -- the Bonds and the half of "The Hobbit" -- but, he suggested, Time Warner is probably bent on spending whatever it takes to get it.

Most of the time when I hear a studio putting the positive spin on disappointing grosses, it seems like completely facetious spin. I have to say though that I really feel like Burns is speaking the truth on the grosses on Saw VI, which was the strongest in the franchise since probably the second or third film. Yes, sequel burnout has to be taken into consideration, but I don't think anyone expected Paranormal Activity to be the huge success it has been and certainly not to cut much into Saw's grosses. Plus, you have to figure that even with a relatively weak $27 million gross, it's already made back well over its $11 million budget. Add in DVD rentals and sales and the franchise still has a lot of blood left to spill. I will say again that I don't think a seventh film needs to be made and that I hate the idea of it being in 3D, but ah well.

In other news, I don't think it's a shock that Lionsgate is going to continue to do business with Tyler Perry. Perry's franchises, both television and film, have pretty much kept Lionsgate afloat through some harsh times and there's no reason to guess that they would stop doing business with him as long as he wants. I will admit that I'm not a huge fan of Perry, but I found I Can Do Bad All By Myself to be a pretty decent movie and I think Perry has some better work ahead of him than we've seen to date. Lionsgate is also smart to push the strength of Precious and set it alongside a Best Picture winner like Crash. Don't think that's a remotely coincidental placement, Lionsgate is praying for Oscar attention for the movie and it may well just get it.


McTeigue Takes Wing With The Raven



James McTeigue (V For Vendetta) spoke with ShockTillYouDrop about his next project, called The Raven, which isn't in fact a literal adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's classic short story which spawned a classic bit of '60s horror which teamed Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff under the auspices of Roger Corman.

McTeigue revealed a little more about the general plot of the movie which looks to start production sometime next year. "There's basically a serial killer loose in 1850's Baltimore and he's using Poe's stories as his methodology, so then he leaves clues at each murder and says it's up to Poe to find him before he kills (again)."

The director has just been in Europe looking for locations that would double for the film's period setting. "There's a European sensibility that could be cool. You could totally get into world creation where I can say, 'This is my version of 1850's Baltimore,' because the Poe film is a fictionalized account, his last five days. It's not real."

I have to admit that as bad as this movie could be, I'm looking forward to it. I'm a sucker for a good serial killer film and quite the fan of Edgar Allen Poe. The last five days of Poe's life is actually an interesting mystery, for those who have never heard of it. I won't recount it here because I could well be providing spoilers of a sort, but it's a little-known story that remains quite intriguing and could make for a pretty decent setting for a movie like this. I'm a fan of McTeigue's and loved V For Vendetta which was his first film in the big chair. If he brings the same kind of quality here that he did in that film, I'll be there opening night.


Broken Lizard Going Back To The Well With Troopers?



The Broken Lizard team, out doing promotion for their upcoming comedy "The Slammin' Salmon", tell Movie Cutlists that a sequel to their breakthrough hit - 2002's "Super Troopers" - is progressing.

"We have the financing So we're going to try to make a deal with Fox" says Jay Chandrasekhar. Steve Lemme adds that scripting wise they're "three drafts into it" and with the independent financing they've received, it should make a studio deal a lot easier.

Will Brian Cox return? "Oh, yeah. Yep. He'll be in it. I mean, he loved [the first one]. He loved it" says Chandrasekhar. 'Salmon' hits theaters December 11th.

Super Troopers was an enjoyable little comedy and the film that put Broken Lizard on the map; it's too bad that they haven't followed up with anything worth watching since. Club Dread was not a particularly good film in my estimation, and Beerfest was even worse. If they find their groove again by going back to what worked with the Troopers crew, I'm all for it. On the other hand, I think that Troopers is the kind of film that worked for what it was, but a sequel probably can't replicate the success of the original. Lighting only strikes once more often than not and this may well be one of those cases.


Cox to Go Short and Bearded For Hobbit?



Brian Cox is said to be a big contender to play a dwarf in Guillermo del Toro's upcoming film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" says AICN.

The story follows Bilbo Baggins as he first encounters Gandalf and is somewhat unwillingly swept off on an adventure to the lonely mountain to rid it of the dragon, Smaug.

The dragon is guarding a treasure of enormous value that he had firstly taken from the dwarves who once lived there. A major battle shortly, ensues. The film is scheduled to hit theatres in November 2011.

It's a busy Brian Cox week, it would seem. Since John Rhys-Davies is said to not be coming back, they need a good, solid thespian with a deep voice to handle one of the many dwarves, and Cox would be an excellent choice. I can completely see him as Thorin, the leader of the company of dwarves who accompany Bilbo and Gandalf on their trip to Lonely Mountain. He's played the pompous, proud type before and he'd look good in the make-up. Guillermo del Toro could certainly do worse than him; the question now has to turn to who's going to play Bilbo. I expect we'll find out soon enough.


Pennie Joins Stomp The Yard 2



Filming has gotten underway on "Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming" for Rainforest Films and most of the major cast has just been announced according to Screen Daily.

"Fame" actor Collins Pennie stars as Chance Harris, a young man who must juggle the demands of university homecoming with a tough job at his father's restaurant, an upcoming national dance contest, and a violent creditor.

Joining him are Pooch Hall, Terrence J, Lil Duval, Tika Sumpter, Kiely Alexis Williams, Keith David, rapper David Banner, musician Teyena Taylor and "So You Think You Can Dance" runner-up Stephen "tWitch" Boss.

Shooting is underway in Atlanta with Rob Hardy (CBS's "Criminal Minds") directing from a script by Albert Leon. Will Packer produces.

A Stomp the Yard sequel? I mean, really people? Has Hollywood not noticed the general decline of the grosses in dance films? Fame was a complete bomb, and that was just the latest in a line of fims that have been seeing decreased grosses lately. Still, the cost on these films is low due to a lack of legitimate stars and this film looks to be no different, outside of Keith David who again shows that he needs to fire his agent. Anyway, this is going to be horrible, but probably not as bad as Step Up 3-D which is set for next year. I'm sure that Erik Luers will be first in line for that one though; he loves a good dance film.


New Hack/Slash Writer Is No Hack Himself



ShockTillYouDrop.com reports that Stephen Susco (Red, The Grudge) has signed on to write Hack/Slash, which has had previous drafts by Justin Marks, Todd Lincoln, Ben Magid and Martin Schenk.

The site says that "Shock was able to confirm Susco's involvement, however, he was not available to comment about his take on the project and whether or not he was starting from scratch or simply revising the script that's currently out there."

Based on the Devil's Due Publishing comic book series, Hack/Slash chronicles the adventures of Hack, a young woman who travels to small towns across the country hunting slashers.

Hack/Slash is an interesting concept for a comic book as well as a movie, with a young woman who (as is noted above) hunts down and kills insane killers and undead monsters with the help of a giant, disfigured man named Vlad. It's a great little comic book series and I think it would make for a fabulous film in the right hands. Susco could well be those hands, having done well with The Grudge. I have yet to see Red but it got generally good reviews from critics. The number of previous drafts this film has gotten sounds worrying, but is not really that uncommon, especially for comic book adaptations. I would rather see them try several passes at the script and get it right than settle for something that's just "okay" and have it become a mediocre film. We'll have to see more as this develops, especially in casting, but I'm down with the idea for now.


Cox Talks Scream 4



Courteney Cox hinted to The Associated Press what the setting might be for Scream 4. Cox reunites in the fourth installment with her real-life husband David Arquette and Neve Campbell, who plays the series' lead character, Sidney Prescott.

"There are really only a few of us that survived," Cox said, but she shrugged off rumors that her character, Gale Weathers, and Arquette's Dwight "Dewey" Riley will be killed off at the beginning of the film.

"They're probably back living in Woodsboro," Cox added, "I think that he's probably still deputy, and I've had a lot of kids. I don't know. I'm probably miserable, and then I'm sure a lot of murdering will happen."

Kevin Williamson is currently working on the script. He told the New York Post recently that "there are a lot of twists and turns, so I can't promise anything. There are a lot of moving pieces, so we'll see -- but if you're a 'Scream' fan, I think you're really going to like it."

Really, this doesn't tell us all that much that we didn't know. We already knew from Williamson that they would be back in Woodsboro, and we knew that the trio wouldn't be killed off right off the bat. I wonder how much of Cox talking like she's not sure about the story is legitimate, and how much is just playing coy. I would imagine that she, Arquette and Campbell have to at least know the basic story before signing on. I've gone on record before as saying that I don't know if this is a film that needs to be made, but Williamson has talked about using the film to poke at the new horror trends—remakes, 3D and such—and that I'm absolutely down with. I just hope, as much as I liked him, that they don't bring Randy back for one more video. How many contingency can one movie nerd have planned for?

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From nethdogg:
watching john since 16 candles, i have to say his performances always help the movie. just like Matt Dillon and Robert Downey jr from that era, they never hurt the movie. these three are in some of my all time favorites.

Those are some excellent comparisons, neth. I agree that Cusack is much like Robert Downey Jr., and even Johnny Depp in some ways. Depp (and now Downey) found widespread commercial success eventually, but all were okay with staying out of the limelight in favor of smaller films and it did a lot of good for all three men's careers.


From Santa:
Damn good column this week again. Totally agree with you on Cusack. I don't think he has ever done a really bad movie... even the ones I didn't like (America's Sweethearts) still weren't that bad.

Pretty much. Even 2012 wasn't a terrible film, although it was far from good.


From YepYep:
I like Observe and Report, and thought Farris was good in it. I don't know why other people hate that film; I quite liked it. I will ask if anyone picked up on all the plays on Taxi Driver, including the part where Rogan is giving a monologue and then restarts it at one point, just like De Niro did in TD.

I'm not quite sure what you were responding to, as I didn't mention Observe & Report; I guess it refers to Faris. However, I have to say I didn't enjoy it. It tried to be funny, but it went too ugly most of the time and I didn't feel like most of the jokes worked. I did enjoy Faris but I feel she's done far better than this. The one thing I did love was the abrupt climax point, because it came out of nowhere and was so absurd as to be funny. To each their own, though.


From Michael L:
Cusack is the epitome of consistency. While his films are rarely box office blockbusters, and he's no Willis, Arnold or even Tom Cruise in terms of bringing in the average moviegoer, you are rarely disappointed with his performance (even when the film itself is mediocre). And Cusack himself has had some amazing films. The Sure Thing was a great film to debut as a star, as he nicely plays the goofball (which plays off of the straight-laced female character). You can't get much better than Cusack's scene where he psyches out a potential rapist and saves Alison.

And then there is Gross Point Blank, a fun romantic comedy where Cusack plays an assassin going back to his high school reunion.

Finally, I also enjoyed Identity, a take on "And then there were None/Ten Little Indians" but with a very interesting twist.

What makes Cusack so appealing is that he usually does a very good job of playing the everyman, which is one of the reasons why Runaway Jury was so fun to watch.

Couldn't have said it better myself, Michael.


From The Great Capt. Smooth:
John Cusack doesn't need a defense. 2012 won't ruin his reputation. In fact, he's not even the star. The star would actually be "Apeshit". Apeshit has been crapped on way too much. He needs to be defended. I'll be seeing 2012 this weekend and I'll be enjoying his work. Also, please no Yogi.

I'm curious to know what you thought of 2012. Again, I didn't hate it; didn't have a particular like for it, but I do think it's being savaged a bit much. Share your thoughts!


From Propagandhi:
There's a recession gripping the world. Even John Cusack needs to whore himself. Which would be fine by me if he didn't act like a pretentious twat.

A what? Yeah, I don't get that at all from him. He's politically active, but then I agree with his political views so that may be the difference.


From Guest#6606:
"I hated Alvin and the Chipmunks, I hated both Garfield and I'm sure I'll hate this…which means it will make loads of money and cause me to question audiences once again."

RIGHT ON! Screw Hollywood for making movies that might appeal to children! Screw Hollywood for choosing Dan Aykroyd and his spot-on Art Carney impression to do Yogi Bear's voice, also a spot-on impression of Art Carney! Screw them for not making movies only ***I*** might like! Screw them for not following the advice of attention-craving people who write for free on a pop culture websites! Screw the people who like movies ***I*** don't!

I am using teh InterNet... NOTICE ME!!! VALIDATE ME!!!!

Ah, young grasshopper, your troll-fu is weak. Welcome to Straw Man Argument 101; I never said Hollywood shouldn't make child-appropriate films. I enjoy a lot of said movies, point of fact. I just didn't like THOSE films, and I maintain that a film in which one animated animal eats his brother's fecal matter is not funny no matter how you slice it. But hey, I'm just the guy who writes for free on a pop culture website, and you're the guy who reads stuff from guys who write for free on pop culture sites. I'll bow to your wisdom.

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The Education of Charlie Banks: Fred Durst's directorial debut is beyond a surprise, as he proves himself to be a very competent filmmaker. Taking a very sharp script by relative newcomer Peter Elkoff, Durst keeps things simple and low-key as he lets the story unfold and the actors do their job without getting in the way. Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Ritter are very good in the roles they've been cast in, with Eisenberg carrying off the socially awkward underdog nicely as he has many times before and Ritter injecting a healthy dose of charm and charisma into the role of Mick, a street thug who can hang with the upper-crusters of an eighties liberal arts college. The suspense that plays out as Eisenberg's titular character wonders why Mick has suddenly shown up at his school is quite well-done and Durst captures the appropriate era nicely. Solid performances by Chris Marquette and Eva Amurri in supporting roles bolster the film, and despite a few plot contrivances and a couple of characters who deserve more than one note the film ultimately succeeds as a character drama.

Final Rating: 7.5

Nightmare Man: The poor production values alone would be enough to sink this movie, one of the "8 Films to Die For," down below an acceptable level of quality. The camera work has the feel of soft-core adult films and the darker scenes are not well-lit, which is a problem considering most of the film takes place at night. However, production values are not the only problem. The plot is a mish-mash of horror movie clichés piled one on top of the other in quick order, the situations are beyond ridiculous and the acting is abysmal. The climax is a bit better than the rest of the film, but that's only marginally the case and by the time the end comes the audience has been bludgeoned by the horrifically bad first ninety minutes into not caring. This is just a terrible film on any level and certainly earns its ignominious rating.

Final Rating: 1.0

Cube: A film that can be seen as the spiritual predecessor to the Saw films, Cube sets the road map for that series by taking five individuals (plus a brief appearance from another) and subjecting them to a maze full of traps. Cube lacks some of the subtext of the Saw movies, simply due to the lack of explanation as to the point behind it all, but that very lack of subtext also makes it more creepy. The effects are quite good and the set design is exceptional, making good use of the low budget while still giving the film a professional look. The acting is a little spotty at times, mostly from Maurice Wint and Nicky Guadagni who go a little overboard in the histrionics as Quentin and Holloway but otherwise it's an effective entry into the sci-fi horror/thriller category and a film that teaches you just how much of a life-saver math can be.

Final Rating: 8.0

Borderland: Borderland is based off a true story about a Mexican drug cabal who turned to human sacrifice to fuel their occult beliefs, and as a "based on a true story" film it has almost an equal number of strengths and weaknesses. The film wishes to bill itself as a splatter-filled piece of torture porn, and the opening scene at least supports that billing. The beginnings of the plot are the same, following three college guys travelling across the border to Mexico for a good time before college—the exact kind of story that Hostel presents. However, writer/director Zev Berman knows a lot more than Eli Roth about making a good, suspenseful horror film. The three Americans—portrayed by Brian Presley, Rider Strong and Jake Muxworthy—come off as real and sympathetic people, and Berman builds the tension nicely as the inevitable horrors approach. Sean Astin is also very good as one of the villains, playing way against type. On the other hand, the film has an undeniably lurid and grim feel, and several times feels like it would rather be the low-class horror it sells itself as early on then a real, nail-biting thriller. The end result is something that is sufficient yet disappointing, a movie that could have been more but sells itself short.

Final Rating: 6.5

Hard Candy: Fantastic performances by Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson highlight this film and turn it from a good, thought-provoking thriller into an excellent one. Page's performance is a revelation, even to people who were already a fan of her work and she portrays the role with a maturity and sinister edge that might be unexpected by many. Wilson is also very good in playing the possible predator-turned prey, and the dynamic between the two is fascinating to watch. Brian Nelson's script is straight-forward but not simple, and David Slade makes his directorial debut one to remember, keeping the tension high and the morality surprisingly ambiguous. Just watching the two talented actors go at each other is enough for a recommendation, but the entire package is more than that which makes it a must-see for those who can stomach the controversial topic at hand.

Final Rating: 9.0

Waking Life: The sheer density of the philosophical concepts presented within this Richard Linklater-directed film makes it difficult to digest during a first viewing. While the story is beyond light on plot developments, the various conversations that the protagonist has with conceptual thinkers--acted well by a diverse group of philosophers and actors including Bill Wise, Alex Jones, Steven Prince, Louis Mackey, Ethan Hawke and Julia Delpy--are as intensely interesting as they can be hard to follow. Part of the problem in following it is the rotoscope animation which earned the film technical awards; it has two edges as it is both impressive to watch but distracting from the high concepts being presented. The result is a film that is entirely Linklater's own, impressive and probably more so on repeat viewings. It makes viewers think in ways that you perhaps otherwise wouldn't and stands strongly in that respect.

Final Rating: 8.0

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The Hush-Hush Editorial Section: The Lion In Winter

One of the biggest headlines in the movie world to come out of the last week is the news that MGM films may be auctioned off in the next few months. Variety reported that despite the studio's assertion that it wasn't facing bankruptcy, the various equity owners were considering passing off the studio to the highest bidder, possibly even in parts. It would mean that a major studio could buy the MGM-UA library while another entity might acquire the logo, and yet another deal could be made for United Artists, the Tom Cruise/Paula Wagner-founded subsidiary of the Hollywood giant. MGM confirmed this potential sale in an official statement:

"MGM said today its lenders have agreed to extend the forbearance until January 31, 2010. The lenders took this action in support of the Company's ongoing efforts to develop and evaluate long-term strategic alternatives to maximize value for its stakeholders. MGM appreciates the continued support of its lender group for the process it is undertaking. MGM also said today it is beginning a process to explore various strategic alternatives including operating as a standalone entity, forming strategic partnerships and evaluating a potential sale of the Company."

The MGM bankruptcy came up a while ago, and at the time the big question was what would happen to the James Bond and Hobbit films. Those films are certainly important franchises for what's coming and what's happened before, but that's not even the tip of the tip of the iceberg here. MGM has a library of hundreds upon hundreds of films, including the entirety of its own library from 1986 onward, most of the post-1952 United Artists catalog, the post-1981 Orion Pictures film and television library, the Filmways American International Pictures, Heatter-Quigley Productions and pre-1997 Samuel Goldwyn Company library, the ITV Global Entertainment catalog, most of the Cannon Films library, most of the pre-1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment library and more. The number of marketable franchises in there is quite high, including The Addams Family, The Pink Panther, Rocky, the aforementioned Bond and Hobbit, Jeepers Creepers and more…and that's not even including the amount of money that could be earned on the historical library with DVD and Blu-Ray releases. Whoever ends up with the various portions of this company will be sitting on top of a potential gold mine if managed right.

As a fan of cinema from the modern era all the way back into the early days of film-making, it's a little difficult to see a studio like MGM fall by the wayside. MGM is one of the original big studios, the "Big Five" that included MGM, 20th Century Fox, RKO, Paramount and Warner Bros. These five studios—and to a lesser extent Universal, Columbia and United Artists—formed the policies, practices and structures that came to be known as the "studio system" which dominated Hollywood for decades and brought it into its Golden Age. Of them all, MGM could definitely be considered the most powerful, with the motto that it had "more stars than there are in the heavens." If you consider yourself a fan of movies, there is probably a film within MGM's library that you've absolutely loved. Classics such as The Wizard of Oz or Gone With the Wind (the latter of which is considered to be the biggest money-maker of all time when accounting for ticket inflation), through the Laurel & Hardy and Our Gang shorts, the 50's with Ben-Hur and Singin' in the Rain, the 60's with Dr Zhivago and 2001: A Space Odyssey…the list could go on and on and on with the number of classics the studio has in its vaults. So to see a studio with such history potentially on its way out is more than a bit sad to watch for anyone who considers them a film buff or historian.

Granted, it's not the first time the studio has had financial problems. After the studio system vanished in the late 50's and early 60's, MGM lost a lot of prestige, and started to lose a fair amount of money too. At that time it was able to get itself by on television production until it hit its stride again, but it wasn't long again before it was having problems and upon its purchase by Las Vegas millionaire Kirk Kekorian, it shut down production of its own films from 1973 to 1980. Even then, it was losing a lot of money and has really never recovered, despite several attempts to rise again and several different sets of owners. So in all honestly, if MGM is bought out and falls away to be absorbed into various other studios, it might be considered a mercy killing.

Still, even if it is time to let the Lion slink off into the jungle to die, that's not an event I can say I will relish. It's true that we complain about the bombs and terrible movies that the studios put out, and MGM has had its share in recent years from Soul Men and the new Fame to Who's Your Caddy and Into the Blue. And it's certainly true that old ways of thinking often need to give way to the new, and the image of the old, stodgy studio executives sitting behind a desk and crushing new innovations in distribution or creative ventures is not without merit. At the same time, I believe there is something to be said for a sense of history and prestige. I defy anyone to tell me they don't look at Leo the Lion roaring with at least a little smile, remembering some film or another they loved that Leo preceded the start of. I just hope that wherever MGM ends up, it falls into the hands of someone who realizes the wealth of cinematic history that they've inherited and treat it with the respect it deserves.

And now, after that maudlin little bit, I think it's time to perk up. And what better way to do that than with ninjas? So this week, our Random Video of the Week is the trailer for Ninja Assassin, the latest movie from James McTeigue of V For Vendetta fame, and who we talked about right above in our news bit section. Check out this little slice of awesomeness that will be exactly what it bills itself as…ninjas, assassins, and fun.

And that's all we have time for this week! This is Jeremy Thomas, off the record, on the QT…



…and definitely, "Hush Hush!"