The TV Addict 

Reading a piece of news on Variety reporting that Jason Isaacs has joined Paul Greengrass’ untitled “Green Zone” project along with Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, and Amy Ryan, two things popped out at me as worth discussing here. First, I want to bemoan how horribly underappreciated Isaacs is (check out the Showtime show “Brotherhood,” especially). Second, I couldn’t help but notice that one of my favorite screenwriters Brian Helgeland wrote the screenplay. A quick glance at his IMDB rap sheet quickly reveals why I’ve always enjoyed the guy. It’s hard not to like a guy who wrote L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, MYSTIC RIVER, PAYBACK and MAN ON FIRE, and even the silly (but ultimately fun) A KNIGHT’S TALE and CONSPIRACY THEORY. It also looks like he has a healthy menu of interesting and diverse projects coming out with his name attached, ranging from a vampire adventure tale (CIRQUE DU FREAK), the political “Green Zone” project, a drama about the Spanish conqueror Cortez (THE SERPENT AND THE EAGLE), and Ridley Scott’s much anticipated alternate take on the Robin Hood story (NOTTINGHAM).

The only thing I’m wondering is why Helgeland hasn’t stepped behind the camera in a directorial role in a while. His last directed film was THE ORDER (2003), though he also directed A KNIGHT’S TALE (2001) and PAYBACK (1999). Is it possible the infamous production woes of THE ORDER scared him somewhat, and has made him nervous about directing again? If so, that’d be too bad, because PAYBACK certainly showed that he was a writer who was able to deftly direct a fun little action film, and not be over-indulgent and too loyal in how he directed his own writing (such as David Goyer).

Source: Variety

Modern Technology versus Ancient Artifacts Well, ladies and gentleman, we have ourselves a blockbuster race for Memorial Day Weekend 2009. It looks like next year’s big show off will be TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE FUTURE BEGINS against NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM II: ESCAPE FROM THE SMITHSONIAN. I’d be pretty curious to see how movie theatres are going to manage to squeeze those two titles on their marquees while still leaving room to indicate what else they’ll be showing that day. I imagine they’ll probably have to order more letters for the marquee to being with, so they can actually spell it all out. I’m also a bit surprised Warner Brother wants to take on NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM in the first place. TERMINATOR 3 grossed $150.4 million domestically, and was largely considered a financial disappointment. NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM grossed $250.9 million. Memorial Day weekend traditionally tends to be a family oriented affair, meaning more people will gravitate toward MUSEUM. Then again the new “Sarah Connor Chronicles” television show – which is apparently quite good – might be enough to rekindle some interest in the previously presumed run-into-the-ground franchise. Personally, I say they should just make peace and combine forces, and have the Terminator run amok inside the Smithsonian. Imagine it! Cyborg versus skeletal T-Rex! Sigh. I guess this is why I’m not a studio executive. Source: Variety

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Roland Emmerich hates you
Admittedly our world sometimes has its darker moments, but I’m really beginning to wonder what the heck the world ever did to Roland Emmerich to make him take it so personally and want to blow it up in every one of his movies. As of last night, his latest project 2012 (a mighty jump in time from his upcoming 10,000 B.C.) sold to Sony after every studio in Hollywood was foaming at the mouth for it. What’s the project about? Well, this time it seems Emmerich got tired of some of the more novel ways of taking down our world a notch (aliens, global warming, Mel Gibson), and is now going right for the jugular: the apocalypse. You see, many people believe that December 21st, 2012 will be the apocalypse because something in the Ancient Mayan’s calendar or something. So it seems once again everyone on planet earth’s lives will be threatened. Now since there are no specifics as to what shape or form this apocalypse will take, based on Emmerich’s other films, I’m going to go ahead and say it’s some sort of imperialistic invading force. I base this on the fact that every film he’s ever done has had one. In INDEPENDENCE DAY aliens want to colonize Earth. In THE PATRIOT, America was a colony and didn’t want to be, so England tried to squash the ensuing revolution. In THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, nature itself essentially invaded mankind to re-colonize Earth without humans in it. In 10,000 B.C. (or as I refer to it, APOCALYPTO 2) from what I can tell it’s the same deal. At times I wonder – give that he is German – if the prevalence of invading forces in his films is possibly a subversive critique of American imperialism, just wrapping it around the kind of grand spectacle everyone loves, cleverly using one of the central mediums of cultural American imperialism (bid budget Hollywood films) to simultaneously criticize it. Kind of like an ideological Trojan horse, if you will. But then I realize a) my MA in Film possessed me for a moment and let me get out of hand, and b) that’s really giving him too much credit, and I really just think he likes blowing stuff up.
Source: Variety

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Wolverine is not such a lone wolf after all

Ever since the little fluff piece in USA Today about the upcoming WOLVERINE film, new casting announcements have been coming faster than a swipe of Wolverine’s claws. I’m sorry, that was pretty bad analogy. Anyway, in the last week alone we’ve heard that Lynn Collins has been cast as Silver Fox, and that Ryan Reynolds is showing up as Deadpool. Now today we get the news that Taylor Kitsch (from the awesome TV-series FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) has been cast as Gambit, and has been signed to a three-picture deal. Factor in that Liev Schreiber was cast as Sabretooth a while back, and that’s quite the super-hero/mutant line-up this film has going. It’s not an entirely stupid move of course. By promising more Marvel character than just Wolverine, the film makes itself that much more appealing to comic book nerds like myself. It also gives the producers enough characters that they can use to create potential spin-offs. Of course by casting established actors in the role makes it that much easier to realize such a spin-off. Then again, it can backfire too. Remember when Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel’s characters in BLADE: TRINITY were played up in order to set-up a spin-off? Then again, let’s face it. There’s no way WOLVERINE is going to fizzle out and fail the way BLADE: TRINITY did. I guess for Ryan Reynolds, the second time around is the charm. Or spin-off, if you will. Personally, I’d still rather see him as THE FLASH.

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Now that the Coen Brothers have remerged into the spotlight with the help of No Country for Old Men, erasing everyone’s memory of some of their more recent films (Intolerable Cruelty, The Ladykillers), they seem to be lining up projects to keep them busy and riding their new wave of adulation. One of those projects will now be the adaptation of the critically well-received novel The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, by Pulitzer-Prize winning author, Michael Chabon.

I’ll admit that I’m slightly torn about this news. On the one hand, I’m excited about the idea that the Coen Brothers are adapting a book from the author who wrote one of my favorite novels, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, and whose earlier novel spawned one of my favorite films, Wonder Boys. 

On the other hand, the book quirky, humorous amalgam of noir-homage, murder mystery, and alternate history, which admittedly, sounds like something right up the Coen Brother’s alley. But you see, the reason I liked No Country so much was in a rare instance, they did a movie straight up serious, with very few moments of humor in it. Don’t get me wrong, the Brother’s have a great sense of absurdity, and I have enjoyed some of their more witty outings, but Blood Simple, Miller’s Crossing, No Country for Old Men, and Barton Fink (which, admittedly has a lot of humor in it, but it’s pretty dark, and it’s about Hollywood, so how could it not?) are the films of their that count as my favorites. I guess I’d like to see Ethan and Joel stick to films with the tone of No Country for a while longer. Regardless, you can rest assured I’ll still be checking out whatever they have in store for us next. Even Yiddish Policemen.

What about you, fair readers? Which incarnation of the Coen Brothers do you prefer? Funny and quirky or dark and serious?  Or a little of both?

Source: Variety

Razzie Awards
Lindsay Lohan can’t seem to catch a break, here’s hoping to a better 2008 than the 2007 she had. Unfortunately her mistakes are coming back to haunt her as her role(s) in I Know Who Killed Me have had her nominated for Worst Actress of the year in the 2007 Golden Raspberry Awards, or Razzies. I Know Who Killed Me lead the nominations with 9, while Eddie Murphy obtained a new Razzie record by getting 5 nominations for the same film, his 2007 stinker Norbit. Murphy was nominated for Worst Actor, Worst Supporting Actor, Worst Supporting Actress, Worst Screen Couple and Worst Screenplay, which he co-wrote. The Razzies founder, John Wilson, summed it up like this, “We decided that each of his characters was so offensive that he deserved individual nominations.” Norbit and I Know Who Killed Me will compete for Worst Picture of the Year against I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Bratz: The Movie and Daddy Day Camp. [Source]

WGA & Studio bigwigs agree to talks
Perhaps motivated by the successful negotiations between the Directors Guild and the AMPTP, the WGA and various studio executives have agreed to meet and attempt to get negotiations underway in hopes of settling the now 4 month long strike. Negotiations broke off between the WGA and AMPTP on December 7th. Award season may also be a factor in renewing the negotiations, with the Golden Globes a hollow shell of it’s former self, Hollywood would do pretty much anything to prevent the Academy Awards from meeting the same fate. [Source]

Oliver Stone eyes Bush bio-pic
The controversial director has announced plans to film a biography on sitting President George W. Bush from a screenplay by Stanley Weiser and starring No Country For Old Men’s Josh Brolin as the Prez. [Source]