The UBS Evening Television & Movie News 12.03.09
Posted by George H. Sirois on 12.03.2009
Some big news regarding January DVD releases, a peek at Summit Entertainment’s new problem, the latest project coming from the Paranormal Activity director, my Mad Prophet thoughts on The Room and Andy Critchell’s latest news brief for your viewing pleasure. All this and more in The “My Poor Forever Tainted Soul” 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!
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.
I am so thrilled to present the latest news regarding the pre-order deposits for "Excelsior." As of yesterday afternoon, I have reached another milestone by passing 30 deposits. My latest goal is to see 50 people ordering this book before it goes to press. Just like I said before, all you have to do is click on this button to send in your $14.95 (plus $3 S&H) and you will not only guarantee a personally autographed copy, but your name will be in the acknowledgements section in the back of the book. Yes, YOUR NAME will be printed in a novel!
Oh, and I'm working on getting another surprise ready by the time the book is completed. Again, this will be for those who send in their deposits early, so let's see if you can help me reach the 50-deposit goal! And who knows? We could pass that number and start working our way to 100! It could happen!
And feel free to check out the new blog for the novel HERE!
And with that, on with the news!
SYBIL THE SOOTHSAYER
UPCOMING MOVIES
EVERYBODY'S FINE: A widower (Robert De Niro) who realized his only connection to his family was through his wife sets off on an impromptu road trip to reunite with each of his grown children.
The buzz on this is very good, specifically for De Niro‘s performance, which is great to see since we‘ve seen so much of him in comedic roles lately. Nowadays, it‘s like the reverse of what we thought before, when we were surprised that he could be so funny. Now I‘m almost surprised that he was asked to pull off something like this. Looking forward to see this at some point, although it‘s not my number 1 to see this week.
ARMORED: A newbie guard for an armored truck company is coerced by his veteran coworkers to steal a truck containing $42 million, but a wrinkle in their supposedly foolproof plan divides the group, leading to a potentially deadly resolution.
This looks intriguing for the most part, but it also looks like a story that could get fouled up pretty easily if it were in the wrong hands. I don‘t know, something about this doesn‘t sit right with me.
UP IN THE AIR: With a job that has him traveling around the country firing people, Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) leads an empty life out of a suitcase, until his company does the unexpected: ground him.
Now, this is the one that I really want to see! I‘ve enjoyed both Thank You For Smoking and Juno, and I‘m not ashamed to say that I‘m a George Clooney fan. (I would even like to see him get another shot to play a comic book hero since he got a raw deal on Batman & Robin.) To have them working together can only equal a good piece of work, so count me in for this.
Credit: TheMovieBox.net
JIM WEBBING AND HIS IT'S THE HONEST TRUTH DEPARTMENT
How much "found footage" does this guy have laying around?: Oren Peli has just seen some new activity. The "Paranormal Activity" writer-director's follow-up, "Area 51," has been picked up for distribution in the U.S. by Paramount Pictures, which also distributed his mega-successful debut.
"Activity," produced for just $11,000, has grossed $106 million dollars in the U.S. in the last three months. It has just begun its release overseas, grossing $7 million over the Thanksgiving weekend.
"Moviegoers everywhere demanded to see Oren Peli's spectacular debut and we are excited to show them what he's created next," said Paramount Film Group president Adam Goodman, who was involved with acquiring "Activity" while at DreamWorks.
Peli wrote and directed "51," a slightly higher budgeted foray into science fiction that reportedly uses a similar "found footage" conceit as "Activity." The film's plot is otherwise shrouded in mystery.
Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions produced "Activity" and "51." Steven Schneider of Room 101, Stuart Ford of IM Global and Amir Zbeda are executive producing.
The picture, now in post-production, was financed by Incentive Filmed Entertainment and the Aramid Entertainment Fund.
"These films show that real franchises can be successfully launched from the independent side of the business -- not something the marketplace necessarily believed five years ago," said Incentive chairman David Molner.
Okay, there are two ways I‘m looking at this news. First of all, I think it‘s awesome that this guy turned an $11,000 feature into a Paramount deal and whenever you have a new face emerging in the film industry, this counts as an automatic WIN! So with that in mind, I wish Oren Peli the absolute best of luck and I hope to see what else he can bring to the table.
That being said, I question the second straight use of the "found footage" format. It works really well when it‘s done among an array of traditional narrative films, but to go right back to it risks making yourself look like a one-trick pony. And that only works for so long before you start to burn out what looked so good before.
Credit: Hollywood Reporter
Norman Jewison Superstar: Norman Jewison has been selected as the recipient of the lifetime achievement award from the Directors Guild of America.
Jewison will receive the honor at the 62nd Annual DGA Awards on Jan. 30 at the Century Plaza.
"He is an incredible filmmaker whose calm, affable manner belies a ferocious creative fire within," said DGA president Taylor Hackford. "There are very few filmmakers whose body of work moves so fluidly between romantic comedy and political thriller, musical and satire, with an ease and an eloquence that few could hope to match."
The DGA Lifetime winner is selected by the present and past presidents. Jewison is the 33rd recipient and joins Cecil B. DeMille, Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Billy Wilder, Akira Kurosawa, Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and most recently, Clint Eastwood in 2006.
Jewison has been nominated for three DGA Awards and for four Oscars and his films have received a dozen Academy Awards. In 1999, Jewison received the Irving Thalberg Award.
Whenever you get a veteran of the industry getting a well-deserved reward, there‘s nothing else you can do except tip your hat to them, offer them congratulations and wish them all the best in the future. So that‘s what I‘m doing here, so much congrats to you, Mr. Jewison. It‘s been a wonderful career and I‘m happy to see someone as deserving as you getting an award like this.
Credit: Hollywood Reporter
How Quickly They Forget: Universal Studios Home Entertainment will introduce so-called flipper discs, containing traditional video on one side and an HD version on the flip side, for planned special-edition releases of "The Bourne Identity" and its two sequels.
The DVD and Blu-ray Disc sides of the titles will include the movie and bonus features. USHE will introduce the flipper-disc concept with its Jan. 19 release of "Bourne Identity," "The Bourne Supremacy" and "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Each title will carry a suggested retail price of $29.98.
"Universal's flipper discs are the perfect way for consumers to future-proof their collections while still enjoying their favorite movies on all their existing DVD players," USHE president Craig Kornblau said. "The flipper disc offers an easy way for viewers to convert to Blu-ray now or at any time in the future, confident in the fact they will be able to experience their home entertainment purchases in the highest-quality picture and sound when they do."
In the past, USHE and other studios occasionally have offered DVD and Blu-ray discs in one "combo pack" but never both versions on one disc.
I understand that when a format is long gone, there‘s little to no mention of it from the media. That being said, I feel I must remind my readers that this flipper disc concept is NOT being introduced here. USHE may want to take the credit for coming up with this, but they can‘t.
And why is that? Well, you remember HD-DVD, right? They used to do this thing called "HD-DVD / DVD Combo." The hi-def presentation would be on one side of the disc and the standard presentation would be on the other side. SOUND FAMILIAR?! This is like the NFL using the XFL-created Sky-Cam after the XFL folds. How quickly people forget where the innovation really came from.
Credit: Hollywood Reporter
Get ready to own It: Sony's Michael Jackson documentary "This Is It" has been set for release on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on Jan. 26.
"This Is It" has rung up $71 million in domestic box-office since bowing in theaters Oct. 28, and the studio's plans for its release on shiny disc has been the subject of considerable speculation.
Initially, many observers assumed the studio would push out "This Is It" discs before the lucrative Christmas gift-buying season. Instead, Sony has opted to tag the title for post-holidays release in the hope that seasonal gift-card recipients will use their plastic to purchase discs.
Both the DVD and high-def versions of "This Is It" will include several mini-docs and other special features. Blu-ray Discs also will include two versions each of the Jackson music videos "Smooth Criminal" and "Thriller."
I already knew we were going to own this while watching the documentary. I thought it was a stellar piece of work that gave the best possible glimpse of what would have been an extraordinary concert. But to throw in TWO different versions of my favorite videos for my two favorite songs??? Okay, you got me. I‘m in.
Credit: Hollywood Reporter
Edward See, Edward Do: The two-week $481 million worldwide gross of "New Moon" has vaulted Summit Entertainment into the big leagues, but it also has created a high-class challenge for toppers Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger.
They will likely have to cut a few big checks if they decided, as rumored, to split Stephenie Meyer's final "Twilight" novel, "Breaking Dawn," into two pictures. Sources said Summit has set Melissa Rosenberg -- who wrote the first three films -- to finish the series, but Summit has to clear several hurdles before Rosenberg learns how many more scripts she'll write.
One of those hurdles is figuring out whether "New Moon" director Chris Weitz will respond favorably to overtures from the film company and the cast to shoot two more films, back to back.
Summit execs would not comment, but multiple sources said the company wants to go the two-film route, which means reopening negotiations and securing approval from the author. It also means making new deals with a principal cast that is only locked up for four films. If "Breaking Dawn" becomes two pictures, all of the key cast members will get fat raises, and the three principals -- Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner -- could land paydays in the eight-figure range.
That's what happened with key cast members when Warner Bros. extended its blockbuster "Harry Potter" franchise by turning J.K. Rowling's last book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," into two films that will be released in November 2010 and July 2011. The global success of the franchise made the paydays worthwhile.
While the solution to most of Summit's challenges will be determined by its willingness to open its wallet, the prospect of a Weitz return is more complicated.
After feeling violated by New Line's altering of his pic "The Golden Compass," Weitz said he felt redeemed and reinvigorated by the success of "New Moon." Yet, just before the film's release, Weitz was steadfast that he would next direct "The Gardener," a comparatively tiny film scripted by Eric Eason, with Paul Witt and Christian McLaughlin producing. At the time, he said Summit was in discussions to fund that film.
This is getting a little ridiculous here. Okay, everyone knows that all the different studios are looking to fill the void that Harry Potter is about to leave. And it‘s obvious that the Twilight Saga is calling dibs on everything from the opening day slot (remember, Summit took the day that WB abandoned when they pushed Half-Blood Prince to the summer) to the merchandising.
But they don‘t have to mimic EVERYTHING that is done by the Harry Potter franchise. From what I‘ve heard and read about Breaking Dawn, it does not warrant a two-movie release.
ANDY CRITCHELL'S INTERACTIVE BABE PHOTO NEWS BRIEF WITH ANDY CRITCHELL
Ever heard of the Counting Crows? If you are around 30 or above, you have. They had some big hits back in the 90s and were a quality band for the time. The lead singer, Adam Duritz is a legend for another reason though as he is a babe hound of LEGENDARY proportions. He has gotten so many top Hollywood hotties in their prime. Here is a brief and incomplete list:
Christina Applegate
Lara Flynn Boyle
Mary-Louise Parker
Teri Hatcher
Winona Ryder
Ivanka Trump (!)
And most famously he got Jennifer Aniston AND Courteney Cox! In succession! In the 90s! Who is this guy?!?!? Anyway, the reason I am bringing him up is because I want to post some pics of his current paramour, Emmy Rossum:
Yeah, not bad. By the way, he is 45 and she is 23. TWENTY THREE. And he supposedly met her through Twitter. He's got to have some ridiculous game. Like all-time game. I could get on Twitter and the only person I would meet is George. Huh.
Have a great week!!
George's Note: You just provided the only reason TO get Twitter! To meet George. Yes. http://www.twitter.com/ghwriter1976
MAD PROPHET OF THE AIRWAVES
To paraphrase Dr. Peter Venkman, "There are things in this life that go way beyond human understanding, things that cannot be explained, things that people don't even want to know about!" And when I speak of those things, I have to include the filmmaking "skills" of Mr. Tommy Wiseau. It's difficult for me to even say skills since - as the star, writer, producer, executive producer (yes, he was both) and director of the 2003 film The Room - the only skill Wiseau showed was the ability to get money to make this absolute cinematic abomination.
And yet, while I would never rate The Room anything higher than a 0.0, there is something oddly fascinating about it that forces you to pay attention, to dissect every little painful moment of incompetence, and it must be seen for only one reason: to prove to yourself and to the world that it exists.
We always grieve over movies that miss the mark one way or another. If only the acting was good. Or if the movie had better dialogue, or a more competent director, or more believable supporting characters, or a different lead, or a better musical score, or a better ending; even something as basic as better set design or – this is for you, Joe! – a better title. What Tommy Wiseau, his stock company of "actors," and his "crew" managed to do was get EVERYTHING wrong! Every single aspect of this movie missed the mark so badly that you feel compelled to track down everyone who gave Wiseau money and ask them what they were thinking when they saw their contributions put on the big screen.
You wouldn't know what this movie was about by hearing the title or even looking at the God-awful poster, so let me solve the mystery for you right here. The Room is about a very basic love-triangle between Wiseau's character Johnny, his future wife Lisa (Juliette Danielle) and his best friend Mark (Greg Sistero). Lisa finds Johnny boring and wants Mark, and meanwhile there's a college student next door that Johnny cares for named Denny (Philip Haldiman), who gets a little too close to both Johnny and Lisa. Oh, and Denny apparently owes some drug dealer money. And none of the guys in this movie have the slightest idea of how to throw a football! (You'll see what I mean when you see this.)
If there is a reason why you haven't heard of these names, all you need is to look and listen to them. There's nothing there, no sign of any potential for good acting if Scorsese had directed them. Unfortunately for them, it wasn't Scorsese in the director's chair; it was Wiseau, and it seemed like he put this movie together just so he could have a sex scene with a younger actress. Word is that the cast and crew were repulsed by that scene, and with good reason since Wiseau comes across as such a greasy Eurotrash creep despite trying to make his character the innocent victim.
Subplots come and go like they never existed (the drug dealer immediately comes to mind), the dialogue is absolutely atrocious and delivered even worse, the music score is painfully over-the-top melodramatic, the set design looks like a cheaply-made high school play… ucchh, I can't go on. To keep droning on and on about what's bad about this movie implies that there's a chance I'm going to mention something good. There's nothing good here! NOTHING!!!
And I have to keep saying that because knowing Wiseau and his attempts to spin The Room as an intentional comedy (everyone else involved insists he's full of shit and was trying to make an actual drama), he will take my comment that this is a perfect storm of cinematic crap and say that I called his movie "perfect." We're talking Troll 2 territory here, folks! This is beyond awful, and yet I have to recommend you see it just to prove to me that this is not just a bad dream I had. It must be seen, and yet it must not be seen.
View at your own risk, and know that you will be as scarred as I now am.
And that's a wrap for Chapter 141 of The UBS Evening Movie News! For Andy Critchell, I'm George H. Sirois and we'll see you next week!
Part of me thinks you're insulting Troll 2 by comparing it to The Room, and I haven't even seen it yet.
Posted By: Will_Helm (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 02:30 AM
The flipper-disc is atually older than that: they used to release some movies in both theatrical and director's cut on the same disc, one on each side. The ydid this with Basic Instinct. You could also get DVD two-fors with a different movie on each side, for example El Mariachi and Desperado.
Posted By: Guest#0005 (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 10:20 AM
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