Also missed during my own private blackout: New trailers for Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (Haven’t read the books, but know enough to know that this shouldn’t be such a Jim Carrey vehicle) and Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator (Looks intriguing, although the Old Hollywood stuff looks like more fun than the planes.)
Category: Cinema
On the Comeback Trail.
Booyah…We’re finally getting close to a release date for the RotK:EE: December.
Tricksy.
Time? What time do you think we have? While the world enjoys the RotK theatrical edition (released on DVD last Tuesday…or earlier, if you live in NYC), the Extended Edition runs into delays, and now might not see the light of day until 2005. For what it’s worth, Entertainment Weekly has at least confirmed some inclusions, although nothing we haven’t heard before. Ah well, I’m ok with waiting a few extra months if it’ll mean a difference in quality.
Self-Flagellation.
“WHO THE H*#&! ARE YOU AND WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO MUCK AROUND WITH THIS TREASURED PIECE OF LITERATURE, YOU AMERICAN HOLLYWOOD HACK? Ah. Good one. Yes, I can see why a lot of people might be wondering this…” Screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick talks about his contribution to the forthcoming Hitchhiker’s Guide film.
The Unsubtle Pie.
Will Chris Weitz of American Pie direct His Dark Materials? This sounds like a terrible idea at first…then again, I thought he and brother Paul Weitz did a solid job with About a Boy. Well, hopefully they won’t throw out the Tom Stoppard script too quickly…
Back in the Saddle?
While Indy 4 flails about in Development Hell, Harrison Ford signs on for James Cameron’s Godspeed, which so far sounds like something between Solaris and Outland. Unfortunately, Cameron is only producing this flick, and so his much-awaited sci-fi 3D spectacular still waits in the wings.
Ogling the Ogres.
I was remiss in noting in my last update that I — like most of America — caught Shrek 2 over last weekend. Not much to say about it really…I thought it was as entertaining, eye-popping, and effervescent as the first outing, if ultimately somewhat insubstantial. I enjoyed myself while Shrek was on, then promptly forgot about it, but what more can you really expect?
Antonio Banderas as Puss-in-Boots (at left) was a quality pickup for the franchise, and I particularly liked the COPS takeoff and anything involving the blind mice. Still, if I have a beef with Shrek 2, it’s mainly that the movie wouldn’t stop trying to sell me the associated soundtrack of easy listening tunes and contemporary standards. Enough already! I prefer my fairy tale adventures without merchandising tie-ins…there’s only so many Versarchery, Farbucks and Old Knavery jokes one can make before the film feels complicit in the commercialism it’s sending up. But, that’s the ogre talking…All in all, Shrek 2 is 100 minutes of solid escapism, which is more than you can say for a lot of films so far this summer.
Irkutsk from Yakutsk…
Ok, I’ll take a card. The teaser for Oliver Stone’s Alexander hits the web and, while I generally enjoy Oliver Stone movies, this look doesn’t differentiate the film from Troy, King Arthur, or any other recent Gladiator meets RotK-CGI type flick. Uh oh.
From Greeks to Goblet.
With Prisoner of Azkhaban right around the corner, casting continues for Mike Newell’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. And for Year 4, the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher — Mad-Eye Moody — will be Brendan Gleeson, most recently seen as Menelaus in Troy. I like it.
Requiem for Felix.
“Politically outspoken against Republicans, he joked that although he hoped his funeral would be attended by far-flung dignitaries that his friends should bar President Bush and Vice President Cheney from entrance ‘because everyone knew how much I hated them.’” R.I.P. Tony Randall 1920-2004. He was one of those guys who seemed like he’d be around forever. Man, that’s just depressing.