The UBS Evening Movie News 11.27.08
Posted by George H. Sirois on 11.27.2008
The “Why Did We Leave England?” Edition…
Welcome everyone to the latest edition of the UBS Evening Movie News. I'm George H. Sirois, and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! As promised, Andy Critchell has the "Super-Awesome-Deluxe" Thanksgiving Special in the Interactive Babe Photo News Brief. All I can say about it is that it raises a very simple question, "Why the hell did we leave England?"
I also have a little update about my book in the Mad Prophet of the Airwaves section (although I come off as neither a prophet nor mad this week), and a much talked-about trailer for a film that looks nothing short of spectacular.
But first, we got news!
SYBIL THE SOOTHSAYER
UPCOMING MOVIES
Australia: An English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly and pacts with a stock-man (Hugh Jackman) in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot.
I'm kinda indifferent about this one, since it just seems to be there to fit the "sweeping epic" quota that's needed in every group of Best Picture nominations. It definitely looks like a labor of love for Baz Luhrmann, and you can't deny he's going to put together something special once he sets his mind to it.
Transporter 3: The third installment of the action "Transporter" film series, which follows Frank Martin (Jason Statham), a mercenary driver who has been pressured into transporting a kidnapped woman.
I suppose this is the weekend of "meh" for me, between this and Australia. I'm not in a huge rush to see Australia despite it looking like a solid epic, and I've yet to see either of the previous two Transporter movies. However, I do like Jason Statham and I think he's got himself a damn good career as a modern-day action hero, so I wish him well with this one.
Milk: The story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), a San Francisco supervisor who was assassinated.
And here's Sean Penn throwing his hat into the Best Actor race, and I feel he's going to make a strong case for that. Gus Van Sant has done some good work before, but I've been on the outs with him since his remake of Psycho. Could this be the movie that brings him back into my good graces? I'll just have to find out soon…
DVD NEWS
BLACK FRIDAY ALERT!: The day after Thanksgiving is known for its price cuts, but this year Wal-Mart is looking to get Blu-Ray players into the hands of consumers, just like it tried with HD-DVD players last year. In 2007, Wal-Mart offered certain HD-DVD players for $100 (although ones only capable of 720p). This year, the retail chain is offering a Magnavox Profile 1.1 Blu-Ray player (NB500MG9) for $128.
The players will likely run out of stock soon, and they will not be - by any accounts - top of the line players, but it will be a chance to bring more Blu-Ray players into homes for Christmas.
There! I hit my quota for mentioning Blu-Ray at least one time per week. If Sony won't send me a player, maybe Wal-Mart will.
Credit: DVDReview.com
MOVIE TRAILER OF THE WEEK: The Wrestler
JIM WEBBING AND HIS IT'S-THE-HONEST-TRUTH-DEPARTMENT
Schrader Takes His Cab and Goes… East?: Paul Schrader is taking a taxi to Bollywood. Saying he feels the U.S. film market has become "barren," the writer of classics Taxi Driver and Raging Bull is packing his bags for Mumbai to write and direct the Bollywood action movie Extreme City.
"I've been getting indie movies made for 20 years," he said. "But I take a good look around and what I see is a barren, barren place -- in terms of the financial community, in terms of audiences, in terms of distribution. It's cold out there."
In India, on the other hand, he says there are ways to gain both creative freedom and audiences.
"City" is a cross-cultural tale that will center on an American man who travels to India to help resolve a kidnapping case for his father-in-law, only to get caught up in a gangster plot. There likely will be some musical numbers, and dialogue will be spoken in English and Hindi. Schrader is working on the script.
While the story combines various elements, it's "not a Masala movie," Schrader said, referring to the term for a kitchen-sink Bollywood film that tosses in action, romance, family drama and other genres in one big stew.
"City" will be produced by Anubhav Sinha, the noted Indian director (he most recently directed the Bollywood action movie "Cash") who is looking to grow his producing slate and evolve from a more action orientation. Schrader and Sinha are in talks with a number of Bollywood stars; the movie could get greenlighted at a bigger Bollywood studio or go the indie route.
Schrader, who made his name as a writer on classics like "Raging Bull" and as a writer-director on Oscar winner "Affliction," is the latest film figure seeking to build a bridge to India.
One of the fall's nascent hits is "Slumdog Millionaire," Danny Boyle's romantic-action tale set in India. Indie director Jennifer Lynch is making the India-set mystery "Hisss." Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment has a deal with Indian entertainment company UTV to produce two movies.
And DreamWorks is, of course, now financed by India-based Reliance Big Entertainment. Still, Schrader is the first major contemporary U.S. writer or director to migrate to Bollywood, a trend he said could continue given the trajectory of both film cultures. "Old Bollywood will never go away," he said, "but it's changing. Movies can be shorter than two hours. There doesn't need to be singing and dancing."
It's possible that Schrader's still hurting from Morgan Creek Entertainment shelving his version of the Exorcist prequel, then turning around and letting Renny Harlin direct a paint-by-numbers "commercial" horror film. I remember sitting in the theater watching Schrader's version and wondering why the studio didn't take a chance with his cut. Sure, it's got its faults, but at the same time, it fits more into the Exorcist legacy than the Harlin version. And it dared to tell a very powerful story without the cop-out of a twist ending.
This ordeal could have had something to do with Schrader wanting to get the hell out of town. I've always admired the guy and his ability to somehow get his films out there, so maybe this will help further the belief – in its own weird way – that all the good movies are made overseas.
Credit: Hollywood Reporter
Singer Goes Online: Warner Premiere, the production arm of Warner Home Video, is branching out into live-action webisodes with some help from Superman Returns director Bryan Singer.
Premiere is in discussions with the helmer's Bad Hat Harry Productions to develop the apocalyptic sci-fi thriller "H+," with the intent to supplement Premiere's roster of direct-to-DVD titles with a slate of original programs intended for digital platforms.
While Premiere's previous efforts on DVD and digital are mostly based on existing intellectual property, "H+" represents an opportunity to introduce new material.
"We knew from the beginning of setting up Warner Premiere that digital would be a big emphasis for us," Premiere president Diane Nelson said. "The best way to get learnings for the studio to act on in the future is to dabble in a lot of different things now."
On the digital front to date, Premiere has released so-called "motion comics" based on existing franchises "Batman," "Peanuts" and "Watchmen," and more will come including a "Superman"-branded release. But the animated fare will begin to be balanced with live-action fare including "H+" that could bring Premiere's digital slate to more than 20 projects during the next 12 months.
"H+" centers on the aftermath of an act of cyber terrorism that kills off a segment of the world population who elected to hardwire their brains to the Internet.
Executive producers and writers are John Cabrera and Cosimo De Tommaso, who first pitched the project to Bad Hat as a TV series but were persuaded to convert it to a digital-friendly format with help from Lydia Antonini, director of digital development at Premiere.
Still early in the development process, the distribution strategy, episode total and length has yet to be determined, though "H+" should roll out before the end of 2009. "H+" also will need a cast and director; Singer is not expected to serve in that capacity.
Premiere won't divulge the budget for "H+" but it is not believed to be a record setter by any means.
"H+" is not the first time Warners has leaned on established talent from its film division to help launch Web product. Warner Bros. Television Group enlisted "Charlie's Angels" director McG to executive produce webisode series "Sorority Forever" for theWB.com. Although WBTVG and Premiere are separate units, Premiere output could end up on theWB.com.
While launching original digital programming has proven to be a tough nut to crack so far, efforts like "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon have proved that people behind the camera with an existing fan base can bring an audience to new material.
"In the digital space, we think creators as the brand equity can be an angle we can capitalize on more effectively," Nelson said.
This is some very good news for the industry overall, since it shows how eager a studio like Warners is to take advantage of the various forms of media out there. Of course, they waited to see if Joss Whedon's attempts would work before taking a step like this, but I still have to give them credit.
And I'll give credit to Singer & Co. as well for stepping forward and tackling the online webisode concept. This kind of format has the potential to really go somewhere and not only be a new playground for established filmmakers, but also where newer ones can be discovered. Before long, we'll get some new voices and new faces to move up to the big leagues and hopefully get their original ideas put into development for actual feature films. But as for now, everyone involved has to focus on making these early stories worth a look and then the industry as a whole can go from there…
Credit: Hollywood Reporter
FILM MUSIC NEWS
Fellow Score Lovers, Take Note: Marvel Entertainment has teamed up with Cherry Lane Music Publishing Co. in a long-term worldwide music administration deal.
Cherry Lane, which has existing relationships with DreamWorks Pictures, the Weinstein Co., Lakeshore Entertainment and Walden Media, will oversee music publishing for 2008 blockbusters Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk as well as upcoming animated TV series "Wolverine and the X-Men," "Super Hero Squad," "Thor" and "The Avengers."
The deal will also include Marvel's 2010 and 2011 film slate: Iron Man 2, Thor, The First Avenger: Captain America and The Avengers.
This is some very good news for lovers of movie music. As long as they keep churning out the soundtracks, we'll keep getting them. All they have to do is keep making them good. The Iron Man score is starting to grow on me, and the Craig Armstrong score for The Incredible Hulk was damn good. And if they want to come out with albums like the CD-R experiment for The Incredible Hulk, that would work too.
ANDY CRITCHELL'S INTERACTIVE BABE PHOTO NEWS BRIEF WITH ANDY CRITCHELL
On Thanksgiving we are supposed to reflect on what we are Thankful for. And most of us do but really Thanksgiving is more about just being with your friends and family, stuffing your face, and watching football. It really is the greatest American holiday, at least it is in my mind. We all know how it started, British settlers bonding with the Native peoples here and sharing a feast in the spirit of community. And of course, years later, the decedents of those settlers and others that came to this land decided to throw off the shackles of British rule and self govern. Obviously ever since then the American and English societies, while similar, have developed some big differences. Now don't get me wrong, I love this land but, and maybe it's my own British heritage, I can't help but think we may be missing out by not being British subjects. Now I've never been "across the pond" but as near as I can tell, all famous British chicks are super hot and/or have gigantic boobs. In fact, most of them are ONLY famous because they are super hot and/or have gigantic boobs. And you know…I'm completely cool with that. Check out these ladies:
Gemma Atkinson
Jennifer Ellison
Kate Beckinsale
Kayleigh Pearson
Keeley Hazell
Kelly Brook
Louise Glover
Lucy Pinder
Michelle Marsh
Sammy Braddy
I'll tell you what, it's no wonder that at one point the Sun never set on the British Empire…because these ladies have conquered my pants.
It's that time again. It's time to gorge ourselves on turkey, stuffing, lasagna, pie, cranberry sauce, bread, more bread and wine, and then to try and stay awake afterwards on the couch watching the Cowboys and rooting futilely for the Seahawks. Yup, Thanksgiving is upon us, and since the UBS report goes up every Thursday, you're likely reading this ON Thanksgiving. (Go Seahawks! Never thought I'd say that.)
Another part of this holiday tradition is to look back on what we are thankful for this past year. So for this week's Mad Prophet section, I thought I'd chime in on what I'm thankful for, and then I'll leave the floor open to all of you to say what you'll be talking about at the dinner table.
First, there are the basics. I'm thankful for my family which has doubled since November of ‘07, my friends, my co-workers both here at 411Mania and at my actual job, all of you readers for making my time on this site worth it and, saving the best for last, my wife for choosing to spend the rest of her life with me.
And then, there are a few specifics related to 2008. I'm thankful for Chris Baty, creator of National Novel Writing Month. If it weren't for this idea, I would have never conjured up the drive to put the first draft of my novel down on paper. Holding all of the printed pages in my hands was such a thrill that I hadn't experienced in quite some time. And in the same breath, I'm thankful for the people at kiwiwriters.org for coming up with the Southern Cross Novel Challenge. This allowed me to set my NaNoWriMo in June rather than November, which would have been too much of a chore to write a book the same month as Thanksgiving, my wife's birthday and our wedding anniversary.
I'm thankful that I'm my own worst critic, because one night I took a walk through Barnes & Noble and got more than a little paranoid about my book as I saw all of the other books on the shelves. The "Am I fooling myself?" voice reared its ugly head, as it tends to do more than once when it comes to my fiction writing, and I started to doubt myself that what I had just written was any good at all. Fortunately, two people came to my rescue. One person calmed my nerves and assured me that I was on the right path. And another person put me on a path I'm still on today that is giving me more confidence with each step.
The first person was Karen Mead from kiwiwriters.org. She and I wrote our drafts at the same time, and she offered to take a look at mine to see if I didn't mistakenly refer to a character as "he" when it should have been "she." (I realized when I was almost finished that I didn't have any major characters who were women so I literally gave one of them a sex change, and it worked out better story-wise.) Along the way, she had helped me clean up some of the grammar and encouraged me to keep going with it. She was really taken with what I had, despite sci-fi not being her favorite genre.
So that helped me out a lot, but then I heard from a very good friend who also happens to be an accomplished writer and editor: JeriAnn Geller. She also saw a lot of potential in the draft, but she also realized a major problem I had with my writing. According to her analysis, I can see this world I write about pretty vividly, but I'm not letting the reader in on as much as I should. So the two of us went back to square one, or Chapter 1 if you will. She recommended I pick up a book called "Hooked," which is all about the best ways to grab a reader from the first paragraph and practically force them to read the whole thing. While reading that, I gave the first chapter almost a complete re-write and worked with JeriAnn until it was just where it needed to be. Now, it seems like all the holes are filled in, the mysterious Elders are more fleshed out and they even have names and the world in which Excelsior is known as a savior feels more tangible.
It takes a lot for me to say this, but it's damn good now. And it wouldn't be half as good as it is now if it weren't for JeriAnn pressing me to keep going.
This leads me to another thing I'm thankful for: patience. When you're anxious to send out your work to a publisher so you can get it printed and bound and in readers' hands as soon as possible, it's difficult to look back at the work and point out what needs to be fixed. Thankfully, with JeriAnn's assistance, I've been able to go chapter by chapter and make sure that all of the changes made in the first two chapters are reflected in the rest of the book. Of course, this requires the two of us to go through the whole book and be as meticulous as possible, keeping the brand new continuity from getting lost. The big addition by subtraction was getting rid of a device that sounded just fine in the first draft, but HAD to completely disappear after later reading. By going in a different direction, the book is really starting to read better and the characters are becoming more and more alive.
They say that patience is a virtue. I say, so is an editor.
I've been able to – I suppose – curb my enthusiasm for getting the book sent into the publisher by starting up a group on Facebook dedicated to it. In there, I can fill friends in on how the editing and cover design are going, I can answer questions about how the character came to be, I can pay tribute to the person whom the main character is named after and basically start the hype machine early so more people can be informed about what's going on. So for that, I'm thankful to my friend and co-worker Bailey for talking me into re-joining Facebook and using it as a tool to get word on the novel out there.
Quite a bit to be thankful for, huh? Well, all I can say is that it's been a busy year so far and I expect it to get even busier as 2008 draws to a close. Don't forget, I still have 6 more weeks of columns to present to the 411 readers before I close the door on Scene Anatomy 101, and of course there is the editing of this book to finish. Which makes me thankful for my wife being ever so tolerant of the late hours, as always…
And that's a wrap for Chapter 88 of The UBS Evening News. I'm George H. Sirois, Happy Thanksgiving and we'll see you next week!
