Movie News: Sunday, October 08

"Prada" leads parade at foreign box office (Reuters)
   Reuters - Contrary to the old industry saw that domestic satire doesn't travel well, "The Devil Wears Prada" dominated the weekend box office overseas, collecting an estimated $17.3 million from 35 territories.

"Departed" Arrives on Top (E! Online)
   

E! Online - The Departed sent Leatherface and Jessica Simpson packing as Martin Scorsese's all-star crime drama hauled in $27 million to dominate the weekend box office.

Fox headlines fundraiser for Mo. hopeful (AP)
   

AP - Michael J. Fox headlined a campaign fundraiser for Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill, but his message was broader than one Senate race.

Correction: Kennedy film story (AP)
   AP - In an Oct. 6 story on a film about Robert F. Kennedy, The Associated Press erroneously named the producers of "Bobby." The film was produced by Michel Litvak, Edward Bass and Holly Wiersma, not The Weinstein Company, which is handling marketing and publicity for the film. MGM is the distributor.

Correction: Oct. 6 Kennedy film story (AP)
   

AP - In an Oct. 6 story on a film about Robert F. Kennedy, The Associated Press erroneously named the producers of "Bobby." The film was produced by Michel Litvak, Edward Bass and Holly Wiersma, not The Weinstein Company, which is handling marketing and publicity for the film. MGM is the distributor. The corrected story is below:

"Jewtopia" duo finds "Religion" (Reuters)
   Reuters - The crew behind the off-Broadway hit "Jewtopia" is heading to the big screen.

Pitt, Jolie mobbed during rickshaw ride (AP)
   

AP - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, in India to shoot scenes for a movie about the slain journalist Daniel Pearl, went on an autorickshaw ride with their 5-year-old son on Sunday.

In House Business
   

Here there folks, just a couple of quick in house business items:

1) As you can see, the old site design is back. We just discovered some glitches in the new design and we've decided to take it down until we get them all worked out. The new design should be back in a week or two.

2) NO AUDIO EDITION ON MONDAY
It's Thanksgiving in Canada and we've all got family commitments to attend to. There will still be a mail bag on Wednesday, and the Monday Round Table will return NEXT Monday.

3) I had my first glass of Coke in almost 4 months the other day... it was so delicious!!! But I haven't had another one since, and I won't... I must break my addiction to the dark carbonated fluid of delight.

"Man of the Year" a comedy to forget (Reuters)
   Reuters - "Man of the Year" is a comedy about a comic who gets elected president of the U.S. -- or rather that's how the film starts out, only writer-director Barry Levinson gets sidetracked.

X-Men 3 Biggest October DVD Release Of All Time
   

It looks like more people liked X-Men 3 than you might think (I was one of them). As you know, X-Men 3 came out on DVD the other day, then reports are coming in that it's opening day sales were good... damn good. Yahoo gives us this:

Industry sources peg combined consumer spending on the titles to be more than $80 million, making Tuesday the biggest fourth-quarter opening day in the history of home video. Industry sources put first-day sales of Fox's "X-Men" at 2.6 million units and Disney's "Mermaid" at 1.6 million units. Those figures include sales to rental dealers.

"X-Men" is the biggest October DVD debut ever, and "Mermaid" is the biggest animated DVD debut for October.

Sean Connery as Gandalf?
   

It nearly happened but Sean Connery turned down The Lord of the Rings because he "didn't understand it". Too bad, I actually think he would have done quite well in the role.

Sometimes I wonder what the casting directors are thining in movies like Will Smith almost got to play Neo in The Matrix. There are some very interesting almost film moments and you can see them all at notstarring.com Some of my favorites are Jim Carrey as Howard Huges instead of Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator, John Travolta as Melvin in As Good As it Gets and Gus Van Saint wanted to directed Broke Back Mountain, that would have been a totally different movie.

Looking at that website reminded me that what makes a story good has a lot to do with the people who end up telling it.

New Eragon Poster Revealed
   

Eragon is really shaping up to get a lot of people pretty excited. Either you are in one camp or the other. Either you think its a "Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings and Dungeons and Dragons" ripoff, or you think it looks deliciously adventurous and you stare in wonderment like a 12 year old.

Yeah, I am in that second camp.

Now just on the heels of the release of the Ghost Rider Poster, in which I gave a scathing criticism to the giant floaty heads, Eragon releases a poster clearly inspired by the book cover.

With a big floaty head of a dragon.

I like it. Its not exactly like the book cover, but it pays a due tribute to the novel, and I think that is awesome. My biggest peeve with adaptations is when they stray too far from the source material. This gives me at least a glimmer of hope that they are holding a lot of parallels. I am going to buy the book tomorrow.

And hey, it looks pretty damn cool too!

Click here to see the previous posters via MovieWeb

If George Lucas Directed Lord Of The Rings
   

Ok, Mero pointed me to this little animated "what if" senario of "What if George Lucas directed Lord of the Rings". It's pretty cute. My favorite part:

GEORGE LUCAS: "Well, the battle of Helms Deep was pretty dark... so what I decided it needed was a bananna slapping itself in the face"

Pure... GOLD!

New Alien VS Predator sequel has it's cast
   

Well for everybody who loves a little bit of aliens with their predators there is great news, the two are at it again and this time.........it's for the kids. Ok, not really, but some young ones are involved. The good folks over at yahoonews.com gave us this:

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Shareeka Epps, John Ortiz and Johnny Lewis have been cast in "Alien vs. Predator: Survival of the Fittest." "Alien vs. Predator" marks the first studio role for Epps since her acclaimed onscreen debut opposite Ryan Gosling in the Sundance Film Festival favorite "Half Nelson,". Epps, a high school senior, will play Kendra, a young girl who must protect her little brother. Ortiz, who most recently appeared in Michael Mann's "Miami Vice," will play a recently elected sheriff. Lewis, a featured player on "The O.C.," will play Ricky, a troubled kid. The next installment is set in a tranquil town where the townspeople must join together to battle a predator and an onslaught of aliens. Production begins in the fall with the studio eyeing a 2007 release.

Ok enough of my bellyaching, lets look on the bright side of this. John Ortiz is a good actor, aliens are cool, predators are creepy and maybe, just maybe this could be entertaining and scary.

What is interesting as I look at the people involved with this movie is that most of them have never done the kind of roles that they are doing. The actors have never been leads (Epps has done one lead, but in an indi movie) the directing brother duo Greg and Colin Strauss have been working their way up the ladder for quite some time and although they have done a lot of special effects supervising on big sets they have never gotten their hands on something that they could direct themselves. Add to that the writer Shane Salerno who has only assisted in writing movies in the past and this may end up being something worth watching.

When new people work together on something that nobody has big expectations for, well sometimes what comes out is surprisingly good.

Around The Web - October 6th 2006
   

Here is some of the other movie new making its way around the web that you may be interested it:

- Lucas talks Clone Wars "the television series Clone Wars could air as soon as next year, should it be sold to a network in time. The CGI follow-up to the 2003 traditionally-animated series of the same name will present all of the main characters from the Star Wars prequel trilogy."

- Trailer for new Eddie Murphy film Norbit

- The Girls of Grind House Rosario Dawson, Rose McGowan and Marley Shelton - are going to be the hosts of Spike TV's Scream Awards 2006 which airs on October 10th.

- Matt Damon Talks About The Departed This movie is going to be so good.

- Kevin Costner Casino Legal Battle

- Jurassic Park 3 director returns for Jurassic Park 4 "Joe is my go-to ‘Jurassic’ guy now," Spielberg told SF in July. "I think Joe did an amazing job putting together those battles. And I think those battles Joe put together… I was jealous of the spinosaurus attack on the airplane! That scene where the spinosaurus attacks the airplane and the passengers inside the airplane was every bit as good as I thought the main road attack in ‘Jurassic Park’ was. So I’m a huge fan of Joe’s, and he’s the right guy to do the fourth one."

Brett Ratner on X-Men 4
   

Rumor has it that there are some people out there who didn't like X-Men 3. Really? KIDDING! I know there are lots of folks out there who disliked the third installment of the franchise. But as I've said before, I'm not one of them. I liked X-Men 3. Was it everything I hoped it would be? Nope. Was it as good as the first 2? Nope. But I walked out of the theater having had a good time... and that's all I can really ask.

There will indeed be an X-Men 4, but who will be directing it is obviously unknown. But we do know that Brett Ratner would like a shot at the directors chair again for the next installment. The good folks over at Moviehole give us this:

“It [an “X-Men 4”] wasn't in the plan, but I loved the experience of it, and I loved all the actors, and I would definitely do it again if they asked me to come back. I had that little thing [at the end] where Magneto moved the [chess] piece.

Anyway, back to Ratner. Would I like to see him back for X-Men 4? Quite frankly no. Yes, I think he did an ok job (It's all the rage to talk about how much he sucks, but I think a lot of people blow it way out of proportion), but I wasn't thrilled with it, and if they can't get Singer back to direct (who is apparently going to be busy working on the next Superman movie) then I'd like to see another director take a shot at it. Maybe a buy like John McTiernan, Sam Mendes or another director in that vein.

Zack Snyder Talks Watchmen
   

A movie project of "The Watchmen" has been dangled out in front of comic movie fans like some sorta of twisted carrot in front of a jackass for years. On again! Off again! It's a go! No it's not! I swear it feels like another Indian Jones sometimes (but not as bad). And like Indiana Jones I have a hard time believing this in will actually make it to the big screen, but there is at least hope... and that hope took another (small) step forward today.

Director Zack Snyder (who is busy working on one of my most anticipated films of next year "300" took some time out to talk about progress on The Watchmen. The good folks over at Empire give us this:

“We’re getting ready to turn a script that we like into this studio,” says Snyder. “They’re pretty excited about it…I think the script that Alex (Tse) has done for us is the closest to the graphic novel it’s been [since development started], for better or for worse. I feel like Alex has done an awesome job. It’s keeping all the things that are cool about the comic”. And despite widespread assumptions, Snyder isn’t planning to update it from its Cold War setting to the present day, despite both eras sharing a political unrest.

But as I said, with "300" not coming out till into 2007, don't expect any BIG Watchmen news until at least after that... if we get any at all. I still think there are too many studio execs who won't think that the story and feel of The Watchmen will attract enough of an audience... and I know this will make me unpopular for saying it... but THEY MIGHT BE RIGHT.

Kubrick Says Cruise and Kidman Ruined Eyes Wide Shut
   

Every once in a while I go off about how much I HATE it when actors try to take control of a movie set and usurp the director or producers. ACTORS!!! Here is some more great fodder for that steaming bitterness. Apparently, the late Stanley Kubrick told a friend of his that Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were wrecking his movie "Eyes Wide Shut". The good folks over at Cinemafusion give us this:

KUBRICK'S FRIEND, ACTOR R. LEE ERMEY - “Stanley called me about two weeks before he died, as a matter of fact. We had a long conversation about Eyes Wide Shut. He told me it was a piece of shit and that he was disgusted with it and that the critics were going to have him for lunch. He said Cruise and Kidman had their way with him - exactly the words he used. He was kind of a shy little timid guy. He wasn’t real forceful. That’s why he didn’t appreciate working with big, high-powered actors. They would have their way with him, he would lose control, and his movie would turn to shit.”

Bourne Supremacy's Franka Potente will play Pope Joan
   

Franke Potente, co star to Matt Damon in the Bourne Identity/ Supremacy and the star of every movie snob's favorite Run Lola Run is now cast in the leading role of Pope Joan. The people over at empireonline.com give us this on Franke Potente new role:

Talk about a career topper? She?s been cast in Pope Joan, an adaptation of Donna Cross? novel about a 9th century woman who takes on the guise of a man and ends up rising through the male ranks of the Vatican until she?s named the new pontiff.

Cross? book has been a huge seller, particularly in Germany, so it?s no surprise that Constantin Film would be gearing up to make it into a movie. The Tin Drum?s Volker Schloendorff will crank the cameras next May.

It's been a while since anything has come out that is geared specifically towards a female audience that isn't a romantic comedy or sappy chick flick. This has the potential of being something big, like academy award big.

So I will now shut the hell up so that I don't jinx the thing.

Robin William's is grateful for Mel Gibson
   

Robin WIlliams and Mel Gibson have two things in common; they are both actors and they are both alcoholics. Robin is grateful the world found out about Gibson's boozy verbal problems the same day Williams was checking into rehab for alcoholism. The good folks over at jam.canoe.com give us this:

LOS ANGELES -- Robin Williams is thankful to Mad Mel's now infamous racist rant. Not because he agrees with anything Mel Gibson told the arresting officer when he was pulled over for drunk driving on July 29 on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

Instead, it is because Williams went into alcohol rehab the same day. As a result, his own trauma remained a modest footnote in the media, while Gibson became the focus of attention for his astounding idiocy. "I think that allowed me a certain anonymity," Williams said earlier this week, during interviews for his new movie, Man of the Year, opening Oct. 13. "And God does have a sense of humour. (Gibson) was stopped by the only Jewish highway patrolman."

Williams is a good guy who makes movies that are almost always about putting your best foot forward, I'm glad to see him doing the same for himself.

If you think you may have a problem and you are ready to put your best foot forward click on any of the following substances you are having trouble with alcohol or drugs or overeating.

Censorship Alive And Well With “Death Of A President”
   

We've talked a lot about this issue of censorship around here lately. Let me repeat here what I've already said before. Individuals making a choice of what they themselves want to see or not see is NOT censorship. Censorship is when a person or group of people try to, in one way or another, decide what OTHER PEOPLE should be allowed or given the opportunity to see or hear. THAT is censorship.

We've talked a little about the documentary "Death of a President", a fake look at what might happen in a world where President Bush gets assassinated. The movie took home the FIPRESCI Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Many people are looking forward to seeing this film... but guess what... many won't get the chance. Why won't they get the chance? Because the major theater chains are refusing to show it.

It would be one thing if they didn't want to show it because they thought it wouldn't make them money. But they admit money isn't the problem. The problem is that THEY'VE decided that they are the judge of what is appropriate for us to see and watch. The following comes from Yahoo News:

But the country's largest theater chain, Regal Entertainment Group, has passed on playing the film, citing the subject matter as the primary reason. "We would not be inclined to program this film," Regal Entertainment Group CEO Mike Campbell said. "We feel it is inappropriate to portray the future assassination of a sitting president, regardless of political affiliation."

So let me get this straight you ignorant bunch of ass clowns... showing Orgies in movies is "appropriate". Showing scenes portraying incest with minors is "appropriate". Showing mass murders and genocide is "appropriate". Showing a movie where a guy uses a blowtorch to take out a young girl's eye for nothing but torture fun is "appropriate". Showing fathers sexually abusing their children is "appropriate". Showing terrorists flying planes into buildings is "appropriate". But make a movie that theorizes what might happen in the world today if a president was assassinated... HOLD YOUR HORSES PARTNER! That's "INAPPROPRIATE". People can't be allowed to see that!!!

Look, for those of you who may be tempted to say this is a politically motivated post, don't forget that I'm the WOP who hates all gay people and minorities... remember? If this film were about Clinton, Carter, or J.F. Fucking K I'd still be yelling till I'm blue in the face about this. This is sick, in the purest sense of the word.

There is no way in hell you'll ever be able to convince me this move isn't politically motivated with elections in the US just around the corner. No way in hell.

But the irony of this whole sick mess is that people are judging the film before even seeing it... calling it "anti-Bush propaganda". When in reality:

"Yes, it's controversial," Newmarket co-founder Chris Ball said. "It's quite a compelling political thriller. In many ways it is sympathetic to George Bush. It talks about a rush to judgment.

The theater chains are TOTALLY WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS to refuse to play this movie. But as I've said before... what is LEGAL isn't always what is RIGHT.

Oh well... once the elections are over I bet they'll have a sudden change of heart and allow the film to show. How convenient. Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments. Agree or disagree... at least we're allowed to talk about it... and contrary to what the morons at Regal might think, talking is good.

Portman Plays Dress Up with Hepburn
   

When not trying to belch out horrible dialogue in Revenge of the Sith, Natalie Portman often scores big on the big screen. She is truly a class act.

Yahoo News reports:

The 25-year-old Portman, wearing the iconic black column dress worn by Hepburn in 1961's "Breakfast at Tiffany's," graces the cover of the upcoming issue of Harper's Bazaar.
...

"I did feel very elegant suddenly," Portman tells the magazine. "I mean, you can't possibly measure up to Audrey Hepburn; there's no comparison. But the elegance that she exuded was transmitted to the dress, you know, the feeling, the emotion of it."

The dress, one of three versions made for the 1961 movie, will be sold to the highest bidder on Dec. 5 at Christie's auction house in London. It's expected to fetch as much as $130,000.

Proceeds from the dress will go to the City of Joy Aid charity, which provides aid to India's poor.

Knight Rider Teaser Poster
   

There has been a lot of Knight Rider talk around here lately.

First, Hasselhoff has been trotting the globe promoting his remake of the role that made him famous. Then we hear news that Orlando Bloom politely declined Hasselhoff's offer to have him play his son in the movie. THEN we find out that Hasselhoff isnt even involved in the movie!

But one of the hotly debated talks among those who dare to still call themselves Knight Rider fans has revolved more around K.I.T.T. The car that made the entire series possible. I dont know how we missed this 4 days ago, but there was a poster revealed that answers a few questions people had about K.I.T.T.

No word on whether its genuine or not, but either way, its very well done, and I would believe it if it turns out to be real. Still no news as to who will play Michael Knight, or if William Daniels will return as the voice of the indestructable car.

Check out Hollywood Northfor a better look at the poster!

Beast Recites Shakespeare
   

A deleted scene that isn't on my copy of X-Men 3. I actually liked it, but I can see why they took it out. Thanks to Terry for the heads up.

Pitt, Jolie give baby ride in rickshaw (AP)
   

AP - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, in India to shoot scenes for a move about the slain journalist Daniel Pearl, went on an autorickshaw ride with their 5-year-old son on Sunday.

Scorsese crime drama "Departed" leads box office (Reuters)
   Reuters - Crime paid for Martin Scorsese as his first contemporary crime saga in 11 years blew away its rivals at the weekend box office in North America and easily scored the best opening in the director's career.

Scorsese's 'Departed' nets $27M in debut (AP)
   

AP - Martin Scorsese's mob saga "The Departed" debuted as the weekend's top movie with $27 million, muscling out the horror prequel "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning."