Frickin' Eh Movie News 01.14.09: Indecisive Edition
Posted by Matthew Motiuk on 01.14.2009
A couple interesting bits about the new Terminator film, a hint at what's going on with Watchmen, the Quantum of Solace DVD release info, and more!
Film Studies is in full swing, and when they said we weren't there to be entertained by the movies we'd be seeing, they were not kidding. We watched a movie about the mail in Britain, a wrestling movie from Quebec, and a Romanian abortion movie. Fantastic. I may in the coming weeks start swapping out the Rapid-Fire portion for a new Film Studies segment, but we'll see how much I actually want to (or physically can) write about the movies we watch. The abortion one, maybe, but I'm afraid I'm a bit too busy this week to crank out a decent enough bit. But enough about what may or may not be coming. Let's take a look at what's happening:
The Mid-Week Box Office Time Machine
What did we have last weekend? Gran Torino blasted the competition and took the top spot with almost $30 million, which is very impressive, and almost doubled its earnings to date. Bride Wars took the second spot with $21 million. The Unborn was third. Marley & Me fell to fourth with $11.4 million. Benjamin Button took fifth, Bedtime Stories took sixth, and Valkyrie seventh. Yes Man hung around at eight. Ninth went to Not Easily Broken which debuted with $5.3 million. Seven Pounds rounded out the top ten and bumped Golden Globe winner Slumdog Millionaire off the list.
What do we have opening this week? Defiance makes its wide opening, bringing Daniel Craig and World War II to the rest of the world. Hotel for Dogs is the family film which looks just craptastic, but for the family, it should be fine. Last Chance Harvey also rears its head again as it hits most theatres, and this romance is hoping Dustin Hoffman will pull in the audience. My Bloody Valentine 3-D also debuts, and if you want to know what I think of that, find this week's Fact or Fiction. Synposis: it probably won't be pretty. Notorious is a biopic about rapper Notorious B.I.G. and not only that, it's produced by P. Diddy! Yes, you can tell I am simply riveted to see this. Paul Blart: Mall Cop is the last wide release, and this fairly ridiculous comedy will most likely fail spectacularly. So take your pick, sift through the crap (a challenge this week, for sure) and I'll let you know how they all did next week.
Depp Going for The Rum Diary?
First announced in May of 2005, could The Rum Diary finally be moving forward with Johnny Depp starring?
TheBadandUgly.com has received a casting announcement that suggests the Hunter S. Thompson adaptation will be Depp's next, as it lists a March 2009 start date. Depp will play Paul Kemp, a freelance journalist writing for a rundown newspaper in 1950s Puerto Rico and surrounded by a bunch of lost souls bent on self-destruction. Bruce Robinson wrote the screenplay and will direct.
Depp previously starred in the big screen adaptation of Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."
The casting call is for Chenault, the love interest in "The Rum Diary," and you can read more details here!
This would be pretty good, Depp is one of the great actors right now and he would be perfect for this role, and being paired with more of Hunter S. Thompson's work is another brilliant move, albeit this one will likely be a bit more serious. I wouldn't count on this being one hundred percent true, though. It could mean a lot of things, and Depp is probably pretty busy already, so who knows if this is speculation or something else completely. Let's wait for an official announcement before we get too excited.
Some Terminator Ideas Being Thrown Around
There's been a lot of rumors about the return of the "Governator" Arnold Schwarzenegger for McG's upcoming Terminator Salvation, and while McG remained mum about whether these rumors were true at a special Terminator Salvation roadshow event on Monday night, ComingSoon.net did see some cool footage and learned a lot about the plot and the direction for the upcoming franchise relaunch.
We'll save that for our comprehensive write-up of the event which you can read sometime tomorrow, though we may have figured out one of the "secrets" McG alluded to during the presentation. After the presentation was over, we talked with McG at the cocktail reception that followed and asked him whether he planned on doing any sort of recap of the first three movies as an introduction for those who didn't get a chance to see them. He said they were still trying to figure out what to do, but one option they came up with was to have Sarah Connor do a voiceover to open the movie. We didn't press him on this idea he tossed out, but we're now wondering whether maybe he was going to try and convince Linda Hamilton, the original Sarah Connor, to come out of "Terminator" retirement to provide that voiceover or just find a soundalike. The former option certainly would be a nice surprise for longtime fans of the series if they could make it happen.
Earlier in the Q & A segment of the presentation, McG was asked about the plans to shoot two back-to-back sequels to Terminator Salvation and he released another tidbit of what to expect in a fifth movie if it were to happen. He has spent some time with Jonah Nolan arcing out what the story for the next two movies might be and he hinted that "time travel has yet to be explored" in the upcoming movie, and that it would be one of the themes of the next movie. Since the plot of "Salvation" involves Christian Bale's John Connor trying to save Anton Yelchin's Kyle Reese, who would later go back in time and father John, a sequel may deal with some of the things leading up to Kyle going back in time to save Sarah from the original T-800.
So that's two quick teases from the event. Check back soon for our full recap of the Terminator Salvation Roadshow Event.
Well, these are a couple of interesting tidbits for sure. Seeing a cameo by Arnold would definitely be nice but I wouldn't be holding out for that one realistically. Hamilton's return as Sarah Connor is much more realistic and I wouldn't be surprised if they managed to pull it off. It would be a throwback not only to the story of the first three but to the greatness of Judgment Day and that can't hurt. The one thing I'm worried about is that they might pull in the television spin-off and get Lena Headey to voice it - and while I have nothing against her, I don't really consider the television show part of the true Terminator universe. As for time travel, it's only natural that it will come up eventually - after all, it's a fairly large part of what happened in the first three movies. However, that means it's going to get complicated . . . really complicated. I have the utmost faith that it will work out fine, though. This is looking to be a great new direction for the Terminator movies.
Terminator Salvation Tie-In
In January, IDW Publishing debuts the comic book prequel to Terminator Salvation, opening in theaters on May 22. Here is how the company describes the comic:
"Terminator: Salvation Movie Prequel" is written by Dara Naraghi ("Lifelike") with art by Alan Robinson and cover by Nick Runge.
The year is 2018. With John Connor as the voice of the resistance, the scattered remnants of humanity find themselves united against their common enemy: Skynet and its Terminators. Through a patchwork system of radio transmitters, hacked satellite phones, and encrypted computer networks, resistance leader Elena Maric in Detroit, and Nigerian mining engineer Bem Aworuwa, have formed an unlikely friendship and drawn up battle plans to take the fight to the Terminators!
Like the film they tie-in to, IDW's Terminator comics will push the timeline of the franchise past Judgment Day and into all new territory, allowing for stories and visuals previously only hinted at on film. The series will take the core concept of the Terminator films and give them a more global scope showing not just John Connor, but other humans who are either trying to survive or are actively part of the resistance. Writer Dara Naraghi says he was interested in exploring new themes—not just the action of a monumental battles, but also the game of basic survival the characters find themselves facing in such a war torn and desolate future.
"All over the world, people find themselves having to band together regardless of what their previous station in life or prejudices might have been," Naraghi explained.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99 Diamond order code: NOV084118
Huh, more comic book tie-ins? I've never been a huge fan of these. The majority of viewers will not have read this, and while I doubt they'd ever give away major plot points to understanding the movie in a comic book tie-in, I always think it would be nicer to just make a more concise movie, or maybe some extras on the DVD. But this is a nice way to make a bit of extra cash for them, and big fans can get more great Terminator goodness, so I can't be totally opposed to this. If you're interested, check it out!
Brendan Fraser Becoming Crowley
Brendan Fraser will play the title role in director Tom Vaughan's Crowley, joining Harrison Ford in the film that begins shooting April in Portland.
The drama is based on the true story of John and Aileen Crowley, whose two children had a rare genetic disorder. Rather than give up hope that nothing could help his children, John Crowley found a researcher (Ford) with a potential cure.
Ford also will executive produce the film inspired by a Wall Street Journal article and subsequent book, "The Cure," by Geeta Anand.
This is a good mix, a good story, and just all-around good, by the sounds of it. Fraser is a talented actor and can pull of a drama very well even though he's usually thought of in a comedic context. Harrison Ford is also a good fit, and his dramatic skills are great, too. Altogether, this sounds like it will be a great movie, and hopefully it turns out just as good as it sounds.
The Golden Globe Award Winners
As usual, I have no desire making you search through a painfully long and incomprehensive list when what you're looking for is concise news stories, so if you really want that, go here. Otherwise, I will recap. The best drama was Slumdog Millionaire, a typical pick that shouldn't be very surprising, edging out Benjamin Button, but still a deserving pick. Best comedy/musical was Vicky Christina Barcelona, another not surprising pick. Best animated film was less surprising and went to Wall-E, of course. Best director was Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire. Heath Ledger got props for The Dark Knight as best supporting actor in a motion picture. 30 Rock took best comedy, best actor in a comedy, and best actress in a comedy, which makes me very proud. Lots of good stuff if you're interested, so check out the full list if you want or sound off your opinions over the choices.
Watchmen Close to Being Settled?
Attorneys for rival studios fighting over the release of Watchmen told a federal judge on Friday that they're having fruitful settlement talks, reports The Associated Press.
Attorneys for 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. asked the judge to delay a hearing Friday so those discussions can continue over the weekend.
U.S. District Judge Gary Allen Feess agreed to continue the hearing but says a trial over whether to block the film's March release is still set for Jan. 20.
Lou Karasik, who is representing Fox, told Feess that the delay would be "very, very helpful" to settlement discussions he deemed "productive."
Friday's revelation surprised Feess, who noted that Warner Bros. had been seeking to move up the Jan. 20 trial to next week, citing the film's marketing campaign and its March 6 release date.
Fox sued in February to stop the release of Watchmen, claiming Warner Bros. violated its interests by filming the tale. Feess agreed last month that Fox appears to have the right to distribute the film.
Still disappointing that such a promising film might be delayed or trashed because of some technicalities (or more than technicalities, whatever) and studio in-fighting, but it's looking a bit more promising now than it did a couple of weeks ago. What will happen? Only time will tell. With this news, I think it's possible that Warner Bros. might cave a bit and shell out some cash to keep their baby, but really, anything could happen. It's hard to tell which side will give up first, or if neither will. We'll just have to wait and see . . .
Quantum of Solace Coming in March
MGM and Fox Home Entertainment have announced that Quantum of Solace will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in March. The full press release:
The high-octane action of the world's most famous secret agent continues when QUANTUM OF SOLACE explodes onto Blu-ray Disc and DVD this March from MGM and Fox Home Entertainment.
A worldwide box office phenomenon, QUANTUM OF SOLACE has broken countless records and scored among the top 20 film openings of all time in 67 international territories. Bond... James Bond remains one of the world's largest and most successful film franchises with 22 films to date.
Starting shortly after Casino Royale ends, Daniel Craig returns as James Bond, betrayed by the woman he loved and determined to find those responsible for her death. His pursuit and determination lead him deeper into the criminal organization known as "Quantum" and into the company of Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), an environmentalist using his wealth and power to help overthrow a government in exchange for a barren piece of desert land that will allow him to control the country's water supply. Forced to work without the help of MI6, Bond partners with Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a young woman on her own quest for justice, and together they travel across the globe in order to stop Greene and seek retribution.
The 22nd film in the James Bond franchise, QUANTUM OF SOLACE features many familiar faces from 2006's Casino Royale including Academy Award®* winner Dame Judi Dench as Bond's closest confidant, M; Giancarlo Giannini as René Mathis; and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter. The Blu-ray Disc and two-disc Special Edition DVD contains special features including behind-the-scenes featurettes, crew files, plus a music video for "Another Way to Die" featuring Jack White and Alicia Keys.
*1999; Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Shakespeare in Love
We all know how I feel about this movie so let's skip right by that and give you the skinny with minimal bias (outrageous, I know). Pick this up in North America on March 24, the UK the day before, and Australia on March 18. France has to wait until May 13, Japan until the middle of June, but most of the countries hover around the end of March. The single DVD will carry the music video for Another Way to Die and the trailers. The two-disc edition will have lots of featurettes about the filming, the boat chase, the music, etc. The Blu-ray edition has nothing extra except that it's prettier for those of you who care about that. So there you have it.
There was a pivotal movie at the turn of the millenium that would set new standards and inspire movies for years. That movie set off two sequels. I haven't reviewed the first or the third, but today I'll take a look at the second, which I believe is the order in which I originally watched them (poor idea, they're hard enough to understand chronologically). So here it is:
This sequel got a bad rap, and I never did understand why. It sets itself apart from the first as it has to, by furthering the story. A remake of the first would have been a waste of time. So instead we get more of the Matrix, more of the real-world battle, and a more complex story. While the overly complex storyline is probably not that necessary it does set the movie apart, and I can get a grasp on this one fine. Revolutions, however, confused the hell out of me, and still does. The first time you watch this one you might not get it, actually. But I digress.
The acting is the same as the first, really. Reeves gets to come out of his shell a bit and finally gets to show off his fighting skills for real, which is awesome. Fishburne gets more of his inspirational speaking and a bit of action, too, along with an expanding backstory. Moss is pretty well the same. All the other roles are well-fitted to the movie. Helmut Bakaitis is a good choice for the Architect. Monica Bellucci isn't just there for eye candy as Persephone, although it definitely doesn't hurt, and her role is well done. The Twins (played by Adrian and Neil Rayment) are cool and could have been so much better if they'd gotten more of a role, but oh well. My favourite role is probably Lambert Wilson as the Merovingian, though.
The plot thickens in this one and it has to deal with the continuing weighty issues, along with the religious overtones and issues of humanity that the first touched on. For me, though, this movie is an action movie, and that's where it excels. This movie contains two of the best fight scenes I've ever seen (the Smith fight after seeing the Oracle, and the lobby fight with the Merovingian's men) and I watch the movie esclusively for those sometimes. I'm not as big a fan of the real-world fights, but they add to the movie, and they serve their purpose. Some of the special effects are a little over-the-top and I hate that parts I can pick out exactly what is CG and what isn't, but it does make it more hectic and kinetic than it could otherwise.
All in all, I probably like this movie more than the first. It's a tough balance, because the first one was a better rounded film but this, being skewed, has really great points and points I don't much care for, and it's a tough call. In the end, I always fall back on this one. To each his own. If you are one of those who think this movie dropped the ball, though, I hope you're willing to give it a second try.
Closing Time . . .
I've had a lot of thinking to do lately about my future residence in my current apartment, and this has given me serious agitation over the past couple of days. Hopefully I can get over things soon enough, but it's a difficult decision which is going to take a lot of time. I hate difficult decisions. I'm a very indecisive person. Which is why it often takes me half an hour to decide what movie I want to watch. Too many choices! But until next:
