The Big Screen Bulletin 07.17.06: Pre-Vacation
Posted by Chad Webb on 07.17.2006
My box office predictions, news on Shrek the Third, Sopranos finale delayed, thoughts on Last Comic Standing, new releases, trailers, and the greatest forgotten hottie ever!
Excuse the shortness of this news report. I am on vacation this week. By the way, please continue to read the exciting and fabulous B-Movie Feature, which is located in the column section of the movie zone.
Birthday Bash
Vin Diesel is 39 – I didn't realize he was this old, but whatever. I have never been a huge fan of his, but perhaps he will surprise us all in the future with better roles. His next projects are an animated film called Rockfish, and a historical epic called Hannibal, which he looks to be directing himself. That's almost as scary as Rob Schneider directing.
Jesse Ventura is 55 – I would have thought the actor/governor would be older. We all know what he is rumored to be doing in the future, and that is running for president. It remains to be seen if that's true.
Will Ferrell is 39 – The funny man is approaching 40, but he is still making decent comedies. His next projects besides The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a cool sounding movie called Blades of Glory and the inevitable Old School 2.
Corey Feldman is 35 – No surprise with his age. The popular child star is of course not doing anything in the future, but this is the time when we reflect on those great films he did in the past like The Goonies, Stand By Me, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.
David Hasselhoff is 54 – I think this sound like an appropriate age for Mr. Knight Rider. We all know what he is doing currently. He is one of the judges for that horrid reality show, America's Got Talent. No word yet if he will be involved at all with the upcoming Knight Rider adaptation.
The News Bulletin Dissection
Brad Pitt has confirmed girlfriend Angelina Jolie will play Mariane Pearl, the widow of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, in a movie being made by his production company. The film will be adapted from Pearl's memoir, A Mighty Heart, which chronicles her experience after her husband was kidnapped and murdered by Islamic extremists in Pakistan in 2002. According to Pitt, "The film will focus on the deep collaboration between people around the world in search of Daniel in 2002. We hope the film can increase understanding between people of all faiths and portray the story and the people involved as honestly as possible without anger or judgment." Pearl, a French journalist, was pregnant when her husband was kidnapped in 2002 and gave birth to their son Adam in May of that year. She has expressed her support for the project: "I am delighted that Angelina Jolie will be playing my role in the adaptation of the book. I deeply admire her work and what she is committed to." The film will begin shooting this autumn and will be Jolie's first dramatic role since giving birth to her daughter with Pitt, Shiloh Nouvel.
What a surprise. Now every film they make will be with each other. In all seriousness though, the movie does sound good, but it gets on my nerves when certain people gets parts they shouldn't just because they are the girlfriend/boyfriend of a star. That was one of my big problems with Ali Jolie is a great actress, and I know they are a thing now, but this kind of shit just aggravates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With several writers remarking that the super-hit Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, starring Johnny Depp, is more enjoyable if one has already seen the original The Curse of the Black Pearl, people rushed to video stores last week to snatch the original film, making it No. 2 on the VideoScan sales chart. The DVD was originally released in December 2003. Also making the top ten was the Johnny Depp starrer The Libertine. Last week's top DVD seller was the Matthew McConaughey/Sarah Jessica Parker romantic comedy Failure to Launch which held the No. 1 spot for the second week in a row.
I didn't expect an old film like that to climb back up the DVD charts. Oh well, I'm happy for all the folks involved with these movies. They deserve it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Comic Standing contestant Gabriel Iglésias has becoming the latest reality-show contestant to be disqualified and sent home after violating the show's rules. In this case the rules barred contestants from communicating with the outside world during the duration of the series. However, camera crews reportedly caught Iglésias sending email messages to his girlfriend on his BlackBerry, then leaving the Queen Mary, where the contestants are housed, to call his girlfriend on a pay phone. In a statement, NBC said that Iglésias had broken the show's rules. "Unfortunately, the producers and NBC agreed they had no choice but to send him home in order to maintain the integrity and fairness of the competition." Iglésias, who has made appearances on the Tonight show, had been the odds-on favorite to win the current Last Comic Standing competition.
This was just a stupid move on his part. My friends and I thought it was probably the only girlfriend the guy ever had, so of course he is whipped. The statement that he was the odds on favorite seems like a bit of a stretch to me. If you watch the show, I would say Josh Blue and Chris Porter are the most consistently funny. I like Josh Blue more, but I'm picking Chris Porter to win it all. For some reason, this series was always fascinating to me. I am a big fan of Stand Up Comedy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This weekend is sure to be coming up "Pirates" again as the monstrous action-adventurer "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" enters its second weekend at the boxoffice. The film has achieved the honor of becoming the highest-grossing film ever after six days in release, surpassing "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." "Dead Man's Chest's" cume stands at $183.6 million, compared with "Sith's" $182.7 million at the same point. Buena Vista Pictures' "Dead Man's Chest" is now $8.4 million away from establishing a record for the best first week and is set to surpass the $192 million "Spider-Man 2" grossed in its first week in 2004. Nothing entering the marketplace this weekend will have the power to knock "Dead Man's Chest" off its trajectory. Instead, the two new wide releases will engage in a horse race with each other for runner-up honors at the boxoffice.
It should be obvious that Pirates will easily win for the second week. I am picking Superman Returns for the #2 spot, followed closely by You, Me, and Dupree. I don't see much happening from Little Man, but you never know. It is possible that the new Dupree could edge out Superman, but I doubt it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jamie Foxx and his manager Jaime Rucker King have seen "The Power of Duff" and are coming aboard the project as producers, joining Marc Platt, who already has been developing the feature film via his Marc Platt Prods. Foxx and King will help develop the drama, which Foxx is eyeing as a possible starring vehicle. "Power" has been a hot property at Universal, which won the script in a bidding war last year, paying $900,000 against $1.25 million. The script attracted Russell Crowe and Ron Howard at one point as well as Tom Hanks. Written by Stephen Belber, "Power" follows a Rochester, N.Y., TV news anchor who after the death of his father begins praying aloud for things to happen while reading the evening news. When his prayers start coming true, it ignites controversy about whether he's a prophet, a pundit or a charlatan.
Well the plot certainly sounds intriguing enough. What I don't understand is, we go from Crowe, to Hanks, to Foxx. Nothing against Jamie Foxx at all, but how is he the next logical choice for the role. Just by glancing at this story, Hanks seems like a perfect person for the role. The title needs work definitely. I'm sure Jamie Foxx will do fine.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The largest independent film multiplex in the country is set to open in June in Los Angeles. Landmark Film Center at Westside Pavilion, operated by Landmark Theatres, will feature 12 auditoriums in the three-story venue dedicated to independent films. Landmark is in preliminary talks with film industry guilds, tech companies and local film schools to educate and train film students and screen works from emerging artists. Film panels and seminars also are planned.
I put this in here because I wish a huge theater like this was in my area. I love independent films, and would very much prefer a theater like this to the dozens that only play wide releases.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The final season of TV mob drama The Sopranos has been delayed to allow actor James Gandolfini to recover from knee surgery. The actor's "unexpected" surgery comes just weeks after he took a tumble from his scooter after colliding with a taxi in New York City - and insiders claim the operation is related to that incident. And the surgery means Gandolfini won't be recovered in time for the planned debut of the final season in January - so bosses at American network HBO have decided to delay the last episodes for two months. But HBO chairman Chris Albrecht insists the finale will be worth the wait: "I know the story lines for the final eight (shows), and I am absolutely positively certain that when the curtain comes down on The Sopranos, the vast majority of people will say it's one of the greatest things of all time."
I haven't seen this past season yet, so I need to get on the ball before the next one comes along. I am looking forward to seeing the ending. Hopefully he's ok though. What would fans do if the star didn't make it for the final filmings.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Four "Saturday Night Live" stars have joined the cast of "Shrek the Third." Amy Sedaris will play Cinderella, Amy Poehler will play Snow White, Maya Rudolph will play Rapunzel and Cheri Oteri will play Sleeping Beauty. The four will be part of an elite, ninja-like strike force of fairy tale princesses. The ladies underground resistance movement fends off a coup d'etat by Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) in the land of Far, Far Away. Also joining the hit animated comedy's cast are Ian McShane as Captain Hook, John Krasinski as Sir Lancelot and Monty Python veteran Eric Idle as Merlin the magician. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz are already set to reprise their roles.
I must admit, I am looking forward to this. This is one case where I think an all star cast of voices to an animated film only helps it. The cast looks fantastic, and I think this will be a lot of fun. The jokes are fantastic, and the animation is beautiful.
She's The Man - This movie was horrible. Amanda Bynes is cute, but the movie is so bad I can't express it in words. Avoid
The Best of She-Ra: Princess of Power - When the guys watched He-Man, the girls watched She-Ra. If you're a girl who still has respect for these types of cartoons, this is worth buying. Buy
ATL - This movie is just plain bad. The plot is boring, and the direction is juvenile. There are a dozen other films in this genre that are worth your time. Avoid
Road House - Amazingly Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier have a commentary track on here as fans. This film finally gets the treatment it deserves on DVD. Buy
Road House 2 - I will rent this just to see how bad it is. I'm amazed they made a straight to video sequel of this. Jonathan Schaech is becoming synonymous with these movies.
Some Like it Hot - One of the funniest movies ever made. The previous DVD is good, but this one is that much better. If you don't own this film, this DVD is the one to buy. Buy
Tsotsi - Unfortunately, I have not seen this years Foreign Film Oscar winner. Hopefully I will see it soon though. I have heard good things about this.
The Critic's Quickee
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - The second offering in this exhilarating modern trilogy is right on par with the first. Each character falls a little more into their roles comfortably. The romance, action, drama, and witty comedy are all plentiful. At points the pacing seems a bit shaky, but this film will be worth many repeated viewings regardless. Johnny Depp was yet again a delight as Captain Jack Sparrow, and I must say some of the adventure sequences are just brilliant (the windmill fight). There are twists and turn around every corner of this one. One thing for sure, with all the dead that come back to life, no one can say this is predictable. The ending was the best part of this. A great summer film. Final Rating = 8.0/10.0
Movie Dictionary: Word of the Week
Independent Film - An independent film (or indie film) is a film initially produced without financing or distribution from a major movie studio. Often, films that receive less than 50% of their budget from major studio are also considered "independent". According to MPAA data, January through March 2005 showed approximately 15% of US domestic box office revenue was from independent or indie studios. Creative, business, and technological reasons have all contributed to the growth of the indie film scene in the late 20th and early 21st century.
The roots of independent film can be traced back to when the early pioneer filmmakers at the turn of the century resisted the control of the Motion Pictures Patents Company, when filmmakers built their own cameras to escape the Edison trusts in order to relocate to Southern California where they laid the foundations of the American film industry as well as the Hollywood studio system.
The studio system took on a life of its own, and eventually became so powerful that some filmmakers once again sought independence as a result. Throughout the decades, independent filmmakers around the world have created a diverse range of filmmaking styles that symbolize their own unique cultures and subcultures such as experimental film and underground film.
Some independent filmmakers have even broken through technological barriers with the use of digital cinema. The American film industry is located principally in Los Angeles, while one-third of all independent films in the United States are produced in New York.
Until the advent of digital alternatives, the cost of professional film equipment and stock was a major obstacle to being able to produce, direct, or star in a traditional studio-quality film. The cost of 35mm film is outpacing inflation: in 2002 alone, film negative costs were up 23%, according to "Variety." Filming typically requird expensive lighting and post-production facilities.
But the advent of consumer camcorders in 1985, and more importantly, the arrival of high-resolution digital video in the early 1990s, have since lowered the technology barrier to movie production considerably. Both production and post-production costs have been significantly lowered; today, the hardware and software for post-production can be installed in a commodity-based personal computer. Technologies such as DVD, "FireWire" connections and professional-level non-linear editing system software make movie-making relatively inexpensive.
Based on the Trailer…
Spiderman 3 - Despite my dislike of the second one, this trailer is friggin awesome. The black spiderman suit storyline was always one of my favorites. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0
Transformers - My initial reaction to this teaser was laughter, not like I thought it looked bad, but because it was totally unexpected. A little early to tell, but so far so good. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0
Hollywoodland - This is a really interesting unsolved mystery, and I think this movie looks very good. A great cast with a great plot. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0
The Ant Bully - I must admit, this teaser was quite creative. The new trailers are a bit different, but the cast of voices is good, and the movie looks like a lot of fun. However, its not Pixar. Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0
My Super Ex-Girlfriend - I personally think this looks dumb. It had some funny parts, but I don't think it will end up good. Trailer Rating = 5.0/10.0
Ghost Rider - This looks decent to me. The special effects might be a downfall, but all in all I'm looking forward to Cage in this role. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0
Accepted - This could be really funny or really dumb, but holy shit, comedian Lewis Black is in this! Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0
Little Miss Sunshine - This looks pretty funny to me with a nice cast in Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, etc. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0
Monster House - This actually looks good to me. The trailer has some funny things in it, and I think children and grown ups would enjoy it. Trailer Rating= 7.5/10.0
World Trade Center - A wonderful trailer in every way. This will not be like United 93, but it can still be good. I can't wait to see this trailer in the theater. Trailer Rating = 10.0/10.0
Miami Vice - Normally, I think remakes of TV shows are bad ideas, but Michael Mann looks to have cleared out the cobwebs, and used his own vision. I think this looks good. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0
Lady in the Water - I loved the teaser trailer to this with the music in the background, but this is much different. This movie still looks pretty interesting though. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.
Clerks II - I look forward to any Kevin Smith film. This looks very funny, but I have doubts. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0
Casino Royale- I had my doubts, but this Bond film looks to be damn good after looking at this. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0
Forgotten Hotties
The Only Forgotten Hottie You Ever Need To See
Beatrice Arthur
(just kidding)
Other Stuff to Read
411 July Roundtable - Matthew Craggs gathers the readers thoughts on the July releases and more!
