Frickin' Eh Movie News 11.26.08: Documentary Edition

Posted by Matthew Motiuk on 11.26.2008

The Hulk gets a Leader, SAG prepares to strike, Benjamin Button gets a new trailer, and I rant a little bit.



Last week some terrible news was relayed to me: Pushing Daisies has been cancelled by ABC and will be no more at the end of this season. This has had me outraged and mildly depressed whenever I see the show now. With this, ABC is cancelling probably the best show on television right now. Pushing Daisies was witty and intelligent, romantic and cute, clever, and everything else. It was brilliantly written, acted, and produced. It has an artistic style second to none. I'd never heard of these actors outside of the show, besides Chi McBride (and then only briefly) but this show has proven to me their skill and brilliance, and I'd watch anything with them in it just to see how they do. There are only a few small good things about this announcement. I suppose you could look at the bright side and say that the show will never run out of secrets or get stale because of its short run; it's a dark positive, but a positive nonetheless. ABC is completing the season, so they'll have a chance to hopefully resolve a few things. And it sounds like there is a glimmer of hope that they may make a movie to tie off the show, and that would be very exciting for me. Will it happen? Who knows. I'm still hoping there's a miracle and enough outrage that they decide to reverse their decision and bring it back, but I doubt it.

But that's my rant about Pushing Daisies. And yes, that was slightly movie related because they might be making a movie. But now onto some more legitimate movie news . . .


The Mid-Week Box Office Time Machine

Howdy folks, welcome to the box office news. Shall we jump straight into it? Twilight blasted the competition and opened with nearly $70 million, easily claiming the top spot. That's what happens when you aim something at the right audience and nail it. Quantum of Solace slipped significantly and only pulled in $26.7 million, just barely beating out Bolt for second place. Bolt's debut brought in $26.2 million and the number three spot. Fourth was Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa still hanging on with $15.7 million, following by Role Models dragging in $7 million. Changeling followed at number six with $2.7 million and High School Musical 3: Senior Year dropped down to number seven with $2 million. Rounding out the top ten was the debut of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and The Secret Life of Bees, which has just been buzzing around the bottom of the top ten for a very, very long time.

What can you watch this weekend at the theatre if you're busy procrastinating over exams or want to sneak in one movie before Christmas completely takes over the world? Well, the big movie of the week is definitely Australia, with Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, and a gorgeous look to it that has blockbuster written all over it. If you're more into the comedies, then get an early dose of Christmas with Four Christmases starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. Or do you just want some straight-up action? Then look no further than Transporter 3, which looks like it'll be taking Jason Statham back a little closer to the feel of the first, and should definitely not disappoint. Personally, if I was not trying to pass university, I'd be a little torn between Transporter 3 and Australia, but who am I kidding? Statham is going to win. In terms of the box office, though, look for all three of these to be near the top, definitely knocking Quantum of Solace and Bolt down the ladder. Twilight on the other hand might be a little trickier to beat . . .


Tim Blake Nelson Fighting the Hulk Next Time Around?

Tim Blake Nelson, who played Dr. Samuel Sterns in The Incredible Hulk, tells Ain't It Cool News that the plan is for his character to become villain The Leader in a possible sequel:

Quint: Great well what about a potential HULK sequel? Gale Anne Hurd's been going around talking about how you might be The Leader and the main villain of the next one.
Tim Blake Nelson: That's the plan. That's what they tell me, but I don't know when that's happening or what the details are but I am eager to do it and I hear that's in the works. I would tell you if I knew more, but I honestly don't.

Quint: Yeah, but you haven't played a comic-book villain yet right?
Tim Blake Nelson: No, but I had a great time doing HULK, so if they want me for HULK 2 I'm there, it certainly was the plan going into HULK 1. When I met with them they said this is where it's headed so I'm eager to do it.

Marvel Studios has not announced whether it will move forward with a follow-up.

I like Nelson a lot and his goofy, weird look and style of acting, so seeing him become the villain would definitely be cool. I don't know the comics so I don't know anything about The Leader or what it entails, but I'm willing to bet Nelson can pull it off. However, I was under the impression that the status of the next Hulk movie was up in the air still with Norton and Marvel having a little bit of a feud of sorts. Hopefully it does go ahead, though, because it was a pretty good movie and definitely the best Hulk movie. But nothing is set in stone yet, that's for sure.


Star Trek Getting the Comic Book Treatment

IDW Publishing has joined with Paramount Pictures, J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions, Kurtzman/Orci Productions and CBS Consumer Products to publish a four-issue limited comic book series tied to next summer's new Star Trek movie, which will be released in theaters on May 8, 2009.

The first comic in the series, "Star Trek: Countdown #1," will be released in January 2009 to the comic book direct market. The story is presented by Abrams and plotted by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. It is written by Mike Johnson ("Superman/Batman") and Tim Jones, and features stunning art by David Messina ("Star Trek: Mirror Images"). Messina also provides covers for the series.

"There was a lot of back and forth about doing this project, how to do it, what it would be about, but what all parties agreed on was that we needed the right story and that it needed to matter. It had to count both on its own merits and when read in conjunction with the new movie," said series editor Andy Schmidt. "I couldn't be happier with the project and what it means to the overall Star Trek franchise!"

"'Star Trek: Countdown' lays the groundwork for what happens in the movie," said Roberto Orci. "It's our way of passing the baton from the 'Next Generation' characters and their movies to the new film."

It's funny how things go both ways; comic books have been laying the foundations for incredibly successful movies lately, but as well, movies are drawing on their plots to be supplemented by comic books. This is probably a pretty good idea, because it will be a good setup for the movie since it is so vastly different than what the fans are used to. And realistically, this is completely directed at the hardcore fans to ease them into it. Hopefully it works.


International Benjamin Button Trailer

Paramount Pictures has released a new international trailer for director David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, opening in theaters on Christmas Day.

The film is adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man's life can be. Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Julia Ormond, "Benjamin Button," is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.

This still looks like a very strange movie and I have no idea how it will turn out or where it will go. The story should, hopefully, let us take a glimpse at time through more impartial eyes with this 'curious case' and realize that it affects us, too, just the other way. Take a look, see where the story is headed, and see if you'll be excited to see it on Christmas Day


Farmiga Joining Clooney Up in the Air

Vera Farmiga (The Departed) will star opposite George Clooney in Jason Reitman's Up in the Air for Paramount Pictures and Montecito, reports Variety.

The story centers on a human resources executive whose only joy in life comes from the prospect of notching his millionth frequent-flyer mile, a goal he pursues with zeal as the rest of his life falls apart because he is constantly on the road.

Farmiga will play a businesswoman who develops a romantic relationship with Clooney's character through meetings in airports and hotels around the country.

Reitman adapted the screenplay from Walter Kirn's novel of the same name.

Shooting starts in late February in St. Louis, Miami and Las Vegas.

You know, this idea actually sounds kind of interesting. It's weird and quirky and with Clooney and Farmiga in charge, this could definitely be a worthwhile watch. Farmiga has the talent to balance against Clooney and it sounds like a good fit all around for this movie. I'm kind of interested to see how this turns out now.


Twilight Sequel Moving Forward Under a New Moon

Summit Entertainment announced today that the studio is officially moving forward with the production of New Moon, the second installment of its filmed franchise "Twilight," the action-packed, modern day vampire love story. The movie will be based on the second novel in author Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series titled, "New Moon." The first movie in the "Twilight" franchise, the self-titled Twilight, arrived in theaters this weekend to sold-out showings.

Stephenie Meyer stated, "I don't think any other author has had a more positive experience with the makers of her movie adaptation than I have had with Summit Entertainment. I'm thrilled to have the chance to work with them again on 'New Moon.'"

Starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, Twilight tells the story of 17-year-old Bella Swan who moves to the small town of Forks, Washington to live with her father, and becomes drawn to Edward Cullen, a pale, mysterious classmate who seems determined to push her away. But neither can deny the attraction that pulls them together... even when Edward confides that he and his family are vampires. Their unorthodox romance puts her in physical danger when Edward's nemesis comes to town and sets his sights on Bella.

This should not come as a surprise to anyone, as Twilight blew away the rest of the box office and has been incredibly hyped among the younger female audience. And that's a good audience to get on your side. A very, very good audience to have on your side. As long as this series keeps making money, expect to see more of these movies being made. And you know they'll keep making money.


SAG Looking to Strike

After 27 hours of round-the-clock meetings, talks between the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) have again broken down, and SAG will now seek a strike authorization from its members. First up is a statement from the AMPTP:

The AMPTP accepted the federal mediator's invitation to meet with SAG in hopes of concluding our seventh major agreement of 2008. The Producers met for two days with SAG at the request of federal mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez. The parties were unable to reach an agreement and the mediator has adjourned the mediation process.

SAG said:

Our leadership was optimistic that federal mediation would help to move our negotiations forward, but despite the Guild's extraordinary efforts to reach agreement, the mediation was adjourned shortly before 1:00 AM today.

Management continues to insist on terms we cannot responsibly accept on behalf of our members. As previously authorized by the National Board of Directors, we will now launch a full-scale education campaign in support of a strike authorization referendum. We will further inform our members about the core, critical issues unique to actors that remain in dispute.

We have already made difficult decisions and sacrifices in an attempt to reach agreement. Now it's time for SAG members to stand united and empower the national negotiating committee to bargain with the strength of a possible work stoppage behind them.

We remain committed to avoiding a strike but now more than ever we cannot allow our employers to experiment with our careers. The WGA has already learned that the new media terms they agreed to with the AMPTP are not being honored. We cannot allow our employers to undermine the futures of our members and their families.

No timeline has been set for the mailing or return of the strike authorization ballots.

SAG will need 75% of its voting members to approve the measure in order to go forward with a strike.

Oh, seriously? The economy is crumbling all around them and they're still going to insist on striking? Hopefully it doesn't come to a strike and somebody actually has some sense out there, but I would not count on it. Hollywood is many things, and the first and foremost quality is greedy. Maybe this is deserving, maybe it was a legitimate concern, but I just think this is horrible timing on their part, and not only is it going to be harder, but they are definitely not getting much sympathy from anyone.


Oldboy Not Coming from the Film, Says Smith

Earlier this month, it was announced that Steven Spielberg and Will Smith were in discussions to collaborate on a remake of Chan Wook-park's Oldboy. Not so, says Will Smith in an interview with Film School Rejects. Instead, their new DreamWorks Pictures project will be an adaptation of the comics by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi.

We're looking at that right now. Not the film though, it's the original source material. There's the original comics of 'Oldboy' that they made the first film from. And that's what we're working from, not an adaptation of the film...," said Smith.

Spielberg is currently looking for a writer to begin the development process. Universal Pictures will distribute.

This is a very good idea and I have to applaud both Spielberg and Smith on this decision. Always go with the source material and do your own take on it, don't just copy what somebody else thinks, because then you distance yourself even more from what it's supposed to be. Hopefully they do a good job at adapting this and come out with something faithful to the original material with a bit of their own take on it.


Universal Grabs Bourne and Holds On

Executives from Universal Pictures and Ludlum Entertainment announced today that they have entered into a long-term deal that gives Universal the exclusive rights to continue making films based on the Jason Bourne character. The "Bourne" franchise has been one of Universal's most popular and profitable franchises with The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum grossing a total of almost $1 billion worldwide at the box office, while 30 million copies have been sold in North America alone since the series debut in home entertainment.

"The 'Bourne' films have redefined the action genre with their smart and fast-paced approach," said President of Production for Universal Pictures Donna Langley. "We look forward to bringing more Bourne stories to fans all over the globe."

Added Co-President of Production and Executive Vice President of Universal Pictures Jimmy Horowitz, "The 'Bourne' franchise is one of our crown jewels at Universal. We are thrilled to be in business with our partners from Ludlum Entertainment for the foreseeable future."

In the fourth film, which is currently in development, Matt Damon will return as trained assassin Jason Bourne for the latest showdown. The espionage thriller will reunite Damon with Academy Award®-nominated director Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, upcoming Green Zone). George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum, Ocean's Twelve) will pen the script, and Frank Marshall (The "Bourne" series, "Indiana Jones" series) and Jeffrey Weiner from Ludlum Entertainment will produce.

"We're glad that an agreement was reached that keeps the 'Bourne' franchise with Universal Pictures for many years to come and creates the opportunity to jointly develop new projects in the future," said Jeffrey Weiner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ludlum Entertainment.

The agreement includes a first-look producing deal for Ludlum Entertainment to develop other properties in its library with Universal. The studio currently has in development The Sigma Protocol, based on the popular book owned by Ludlum Entertainment.

I seriously think Bourne might become the new Bond movies. And it could definitely happen; there are more than enough stories, and they can just keep making these movies. Then again, they could limit themselves once Damon is done and simply switch to Ludlum's other works, which is more likely to happen. Ludlum has a lot of material to pull from, and you can bet they'll be milking as much of it as they can. In the end, this is a good call. Bourne has done a fantastic job and I hope it keeps going strong.


Robert Downey Jr. On the Avengers

MTV has an interesting interview with Robert Downey Jr. in which he talks about the fact that Marvel Studios will have to work hard on getting The Avengers movie right with so many characters involved. But this quote is the one that got us...

"The danger you run with colliding all these worlds is [director] Jon [Favreau] was very certain that 'Iron Man' should be set in a very realistic world. Nothing that happened in 'Iron Man' is really outside the realm of possibility. Once you start talking about Valhalla and supersized super soldiers and jolly green giants it warrants much further discussion."

Interesting, very interesting! The movie doesn't hit theaters until July 15, 2011.

You know, I am constantly amazed and impressed how intelligent and thoughtful Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau are. It is a big challenge and Favreau seems willing to tackle the task of making this realistic. People like this actually care, and that's what we need, not people just waiting for the next paycheck. With Favreau at the helm, a movie I might usually pass up is becoming something I'm curious to see.


Random Mullings: University Documentaries

I did not get a chance in this past week to watch a movie to compose a Rapid-Fire about, so instead of just BS-ing one about some movie I watched a long time ago, I will instead provide you with some filler. I received this inspiration in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences today, while watching a documentary about the end of suburbia. So I will mull over documentaries today, in particular, the breed that get shown in universities.

When I refer to documentaries shown in universities, I mosty mean those anti-establishment documentaries that try to prove that the establishment is out to kill us all, or that we're mindless conformists, or something along those lines. There are plenty of other kinds, such as the popular ones (like Michael Moore) or the history ones, which are usually incredibly dry and just display the facts. Interestingly enough, I did watch a documentary about concentration camps, and the thing that surprised me the most was that instead of providing the facts and evidence, they chose to instead use simple shock value, with most of the movie simply being shots of the dead bodies in concentration camps. To me, this seemed to be trying to evoke an emotion more than actually show some scholarship; however, as far as I can gather, the documentary was one of the first about the Holocaust and would therefore have been trying to depict the horrors rather than analyze them.

But I don't really mean those kinds of documentaries. I mean the ones about corporations, global warming, urbanization, or marijuana. These documentaries are usually created by a single person or a group of people, available often freely over the Internet or by mailing away for it, and have low production values but a lot of thought. They border on conspiracy, from the one I watched about marijuana which basically shouted to the world how marijuana being illegal is simply a government ploy to control us, to the one about the end of suburbia which ran a close line to global warming and basically said when our fuel runs out our cities become obsolete.

These documentaries are often very interesting and very stimulating, especially for the young, impressionable, and often very liberal audience found at a university. However, I find them to be a little too radical, and that's their danger. In our society of technology, anyone can make anything available over the Internet, even with absolutely no valid background in a subject. And who's to know whether the person even is what they claim to be, if they do claim credentials? As such, people see these documentaries and take them to be the truth. Which, I think, is a dangerous thing. While corporations might often hurt the individual, I highly doubt they secretly control the world and are actively out to destroy civilization. And yet the creators of some of these documentaries are putting this out as fact. Marijuana is a drug, and like most drugs, it is banned; it's not because of some ultimate goal of controlling the masses. Even if it was originally (and often times I do find grains of truth in these documentaries hidden amongst the conspiracies) used for controlling a group of the population, it certainly isn't now.

What's my point with all this? I suppose what I'm trying to say is to be careful when you're watching something like this, and think while you're watching it. Sociology tried to teach me to question everything, and it backfired because I turned all my questioning on sociology instead of society, but it's still an important lesson. There are some outrageous claims and there are some believable claims. If you're going to start changing your life or preaching this as the gospel truth, then make sure you do a little research and know what you've watched first.


Closing Time . . .

Exams are almost upon us. In fact, there is only one week left of classes, which is quite scary. I also have numerous assignments due in that very narrow window, so I'd better kick it into high gear. Studying should also get started sometime soon. Oh boy . . . But after that, I get a nice break to relax, make some money, and write. So I'll try to hang on until then. So why don't you hang on and see me back here next week, alright?


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