Hey there, Father Geek here, Edgard is on summer vacation sooooo ol' Father Geek is trying to fill in...
First is this note from Denmark...
Hey there
Just heard on the TV news here in Denmark that Lars von Triers' Kingdom series is to be adapted by Stephen King for a US remake. The original is an 8 part series (the last 4 episodes to conclude the series have still not been made). The news spot said that the Stephen King adaptation is going to be a 14 part series - no clue as to why (other than needing to fit in all the commercials). The series should air next year.
NICK
Now here's a tidbit that came to me indirectly from http://www.ShowBizIreland.com...
Colin Farrell, who recently finished filming Steven Spielberg's Minority Report with Tom Cruise, is likely to next star in the thriller The Farm, playing a CIA agent-in-training who suspects that his instructor is a double agent.
Farrell made his name in Hollywood after starring in Joel Schumacher's Tigerland where he actually got shortlisted for the Oscars shortlist!!!
Ta
Ray
Then in a direct contact from Showbizireland we have this...
Hollywood actress Jodie Foster is to come to Ireland and take up the role of the murdered Irish journalist Veronica Guerin...
Post production on the Hollywood blockbuster is due to start in early next year sources close to the film production have told ShowBizIreland.com.
The Oscar winning actress has outdone stars such as Winona Ryder and Cate Blanchett for the role in the movie which will be called Chasing the Dragon, the Veronica Guerin story.
The film is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer the man behind films such as Pearl Harbour, The Rock and Con Air.
One movie has already been made about the death of the journalist staring Joan Allen and Patrick Bergin.
You have been contacted by... http://www.ShowBizIreland.com
From Mexico City, one of our fans sent in the following on FRANCE'S great film BROTHERHOOH OF THE WOLVES...
Just seen pirated Brotherhood of Wolves (recorded in the theater) that I picked up at a Mexico City street corner stand. Despite imperfections typical for all such pirated tapes - watercolors, shadows of people walking in front of the screen, Chinese letters, panning side to side - the movie is well-worth seeing. I`ll try to be as brief and spoiler-free as possible.
BoW is a successful mix of horror, mystery and high-flying action. And it`s unpredictable. There are brutal serial killings in a small French village and the church thinks it`s the Beast from the Bible. We are led to believe that it`s yet another fantasy movie, possibly with one of characters turning into werewolf, but no. When the mystery of the killer beast is solved you see that it isn`t fantasy movie at all.
I like the fact that the movie is smarter than I, in the sense that I couldn`t see what was coming, but not pretentiously smart in the sense that it leaves a viewer confused wondering what really happened in the end.
I`m not familiar with French actors but I recognized some faces like the guy from short-lived TV series The Crow and the beautiful brunette from various magazine covers. I think she`s starring in Matrix 2. Everyone did a good acting job.
Action and violence in BoW are R which is always a plus if you ask me. Dark tales like this can`t be done PG-13 style. There are blood and erotic and Matrixish ass-kicking. Anyone sick of PG domination is likely to love this movie.
All the best,
Vintop
And from NYC we get the following review of SPAIN's new flick THE OTHERS...
Greetings and salutations from The Big Apple, oh illustrious Head Geek!
I have for you a freshly written piece on a little movie I saw last night, namely Nicole Kidman's new ghost story, The Others. This is now my third early screening review for you, the first being Dogma (cool as hell), and the second being Me, Myself, and Irene (lame as hell). What was interesting about the screening I saw last night though, was that it was in the comforts of my very own home. I managed to get a preview copy of Dimension's new film on vhs. The whole film had a date stamp of July 11, 2001, so as to whether or not it was a locked print remains in question (to me at least).
Well, to cut to the chase...I loved it. Quite a nice little period, ghost story, which didn't (thank god) rely too heavily on cheap scares or gratuitous gore, all while remaining thoroughly creepy and mysterious. In fact, the reason the movie works so well, is that it really makes you think and wonder the entire time, about what the hell is actually going on.
Quick summary...the film opens with Grace (Nicole Kidman) living in an unspeakably huge mansion, the likes of which we simply can't comprehend these days, in a post World War I English rural countryside. We are immediately introduced to three people looking for servant work in the house, the elderly nanny Mrs Mills, the elderly gardener Mr. Tuttle, and the mute Lydia. They seem well suited to take care of the house, especially since we are told the previous servants all disappeared without a trace a little earlier...hhhmmmmm...
As Grace gives a tour of the house, the servants are introduced to her two children, Anne and Nicholas, locked in the attic in order to escape death in the form of overly bright light. The use of light/dark contrast throughout the movie worked well for me. We are told the children suffer from extreme photosensitivity to light, which is why the rules of the house state that all curtains must remain closed, and every time a door is opened, the one behind it must be locked...with NO exceptions. You see, Grace has a knack for acting a little weird, and it doesn't help that in one of the children's first real scenes, they refer to the time "when Mummy went mad" (or something to that effect)...hhhmmmmmm...
Well, there's your setup. I won't divulge further plot in detail, for this is a movie which should unravel as you watch it the first time.
WARNING!!! MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
I'm sure people will try to compare this movie to The Sixth Sense, mainly for it's surface similarities, but it rings as fresh, because of how the story is told. Let me say this, it deals heavily with "point of view". I was completely in the dark as to how the movie would end, simply because I had worked out about six different routes they could have taken, which all would have been completely supported by the facts we had been given. Actually, the film is more of a mystery than a ghost story, per se. Plot points and red herrings abound throughout. You never quite know who is a "good guy" or who is a "bad guy", in the generic movie sense, of course. Is Grace, in fact, insane? Is her daughter completely lying about seeing Victor and the others in the house? What the hell is it with the new servants? What do they want? If they do want something, what is their motivation? These questions, and many, many more will flutter through your mind as you watch this tale unfold.
Lastly, I feel I must state...DON'T let anyone talk to you about how this movie resolves. For me it was astonishingly heartbreaking, yet entirely satisfactory. Nicole Kidman has officially won me over. First Moulin Rouge and now The Others. Ms. Kidman never fails to impress upon me, both how exquisitely beautiful she is, and how very, very talented an actress she is. Poor Tom. He lost quite a catch!
Kudos to Alejandro Amenábar for directing, screenwriting, AND scoring (!) such a refreshing movie. My biggest fear was that it was going to be too cool, hip, cheap, or gratuitous, as movies tend to be these days. What I got was a haunting, highly intelligent, period piece dealing with personal tragedy and understanding, that never once underestimates the intelligence of the audience. Go see this movie.
Fingolfin
http://www.fingolfin.com
Here's some RED DWARF coverage you may find very interesting...
As Edgard & Co are off doing Euro-Slumber, I'm forwarding straight to Geek HQ.
Some news about the Red Dwarf movie has popped up on the official site Just Click Here Now to see it all.
Ed bye, who was slated to direct, has left the project. This is a good thing. He turned out some fine RD episodes, but his last feature "Kevin & perry Go Large" was an affront to cinematic and comedic decency -not to mention a total waist of Harry Enfield. (But When's Paul Whitehouse Gonna make a movie!)
Doug Naylor (co-creator of the series with rob Grant) will now helm the feature, which will have a 18-19 £mil budget. Most intriguing of all, Doug says the film will not follow on from where the last series left off. This is also a good thing. The last couple of seasons were poor, and full of wasted opportunities.
He says "It's a complete story unto itself...The story begins before the series started, and then goes off in a direction that the series didn't go off on. So it's set up and then has it's own story, complete in itself, whilst still being able to assemble the cast that we know and love."
I like that angle, but if the Red Dwarf books are anything to go by, we can expect a mixture of original story combined with gags and scenarios already used in the series and maybe the books themselves.
I'm hopefull that Grant & Naylor will try to capture the spirit of the first book which expanded on the history of the characters and created a funny universe beyond the confines of the TV series.
I'd rate these develpments as good. When Ed Bye was slated to direct I would have gone to a full AWOOGA red alert, if it hadn't meant changing the bulb. As it stands, I'm a happy fan.
Keep up the good work, Amigo.
I'm off for a Shami Kebab and a few cans of Tiger lager. Anybody seen the Poppadoms?
Retsil Evad.
PS, check out the site for storyboards and such.
Father Geek back again with all the poop on the EDINBURGH FILM FESTIVAL...
The 55th Edinburgh International Film Festival will kick off in just over a month's time and I haven't seen any stuff on your site about it. You can call me El Greico (el_greico@hotmail.com) and this is the first part of my preview of the festival. A full listing of all the films, screening times and theatres can be found over at www.edfilmfest.org.uk. I'll hopefully be working with the guys at entfirst.com and getting some press access to the festival and will keep you updated on what's happening.
The best of the fest A to F
The Anniversary Party
The Anniversary Party is the film collaboration between Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The film is pitching itself as a darkly comic drama following the lives of a group of people celebrating a mended marriage. It was shot on digital video and look out for Kevin Kline, Parker Posey and John C. Reilly in the supporting cast.
Atanarjuat The Fast Runner
A Cannes winner (Camera D'Or for best first feature) gets its UK premiere. A community is divided by evil and two brothers make a stand against it. One is killed by it and the other escapes across the arctic ice. The film is said to be visually stunning and have a fantastic soundtrack.
BAFTA Lecture
It has not yet been announced who will be doing this but past participants include David Putnam, Alan Rickman and Michael Caton Jones.
BBC writers roadshow
Great workshop that allows aspiring writers to quiz many of the BBC's top people and swap ideas.
Henry Bean and The Believer
Screenwriter Henry Bean (Mulholland Falls, Enemy of the State) talks about his work then presents his debut feature The Believer. This won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. It is based on the true tale of student Danny Balint (Ryan Gosling) as he transforms from yeshiva student into anti semitic skinhead. Billy Zane and Summer Phoenix provide the back up.
Chain Camera
Kirby Dick's newest documentary proves to be a heart rending and thought provoking experiment. He gives out ten digital cameras to students at an LA high school then asks them to make a diary and pass the cameras onto friends. An honest portrait of a generation in flux.
Roman Coppola retrospective.
Part of the Mirrorball branch of the festival. Provides an examination and discussion of Coppola's visual style and influences in the music videos he has directed. Debut feature CQ is also screening. CQ follows an American film editor in Paris as he tries to balance art with the necessity of paying the bills.
The Crossing Guard
Sean Penn's second feature as a director. Stars Jack Nicholson as Freddy Gale a man intent on avenging his daughter's accidental death. Also stars Anjelica Huston and Robin Wright-Penn. Sean Penn is also the subject of Reel Life and will be talking about his acting and directing work later in the festival.
The Deep End
An update of the 1949 film The Reckless Moment. The Deep End blends noir tones with psychological drama. Again this proved popular at Cannes. Tilda Swinton is supposedly outstanding in the main role as Margaret Hall. A woman who has to dispose of her gay son's lover and deal with blackmailer Alek Spera (Goran Visnjic).
Disco Biscuits
Adapted from the play by Edna Walsh this film is the directorial debut of Kirsten Sheridan. Pitching itself as a teen movie unlike any other, it is a revelatory look at teenage love. Central performers Elaine Cassidy and Cillian Murphy are said to be excellent.
Dog Town and Z-Boys
The influence of skate culture in Britain is growing daily and this is a documentary focusing on the Californian Zephyr surf team who eventually mutated into skate pioneers the Z-Boys. The documentary is the work of original Z-Boy Stacy Peralta and is narrated by Sean Penn. The blend of archive footage and interviews with the grown up Z-Boys should provide an interesting feature.
Down From The Mountain
This is a rare treat for fans of O Brother Where Art Thou? as this the film of the Coen organised Nashville concert which brings together the artists from the film soundtrack. So you get Emmylou Harris, The Fairfield Four, Gillian Welch and the late John Hartford among others. Filmed by famed rockumentary maker DA Pennebaker.
Enigma
This is one of the festival's major coups along with the appearances of Sean Penn and Guillermo Del Toro. Enigma is Michael Apted's adaptation of Robert Harris's best selling novel. Dougray Scott is Tom a key boffin in the bid to break the Enigma machine code. Hester (Kate Winslet) is housemate to the disappeared Claire (Saffron Burrows) who just happens to be Tom's ex lover. Hested and Tom team up to track down Claire and lead themselves into a beguiling web of intrigue. Promises to restore the historical blemishes of U-571 and be a modern British mystery thriller in the best sense of the phrase.
Freaks
Todd Brownings cult 1932 offering receives a rare screening. Indeed this is the first new print of the film in over twenty years. The film follows a travelling circus and the physically malformed freaks that inhabit it. Still guaranteed to shock and amaze even almost 70 years down the line.
Ghost World
Probably familiar to all regular AICNers. This is Terry Zwigoffs attempt at capturing the off kilter spirit of Daniel Clowes' Ghost World comics. Thora Birch is said to be a great screen embodiment of the character while Steve Buscemi is his reliable self in support.
Gimme Shelter
A digital remastering of Albert and David Maysles' recording of The Rolling Stones Altamont legendary concert. This provided the darker side of the coin to Woodstocks hippie love and idealism. The Stones play as fast and as dirty as they ever did while the footage often feels like an edge of consciousness experience.
That's it for the moment if you have all this stuff already or simply aren't interested then let me know. If you do want more then I'll get cracking with the next part of my preview.
Over and out
El Greico
And lastly Father Geek received the following from Edgard right before he flew out of Paris...
Hey Guys...
Before heading to my vacations, I just wanted to send you this cool link for the new ASTERIX movie... this should be a HUGE succes next year, certainly THE event of the French cinema in 2002, and certainly much much better than the first movie (at least the talents involved should raise the quality & fun)... check it out By Clicking Right Here.
Edgard
