Cool News
AICN-Downunder: HotStuff; Middle of Nowhere; Elizabeth 2; LookBothWays; Troy'sStory; InMyFather'sDen; Superman; Batman
Father Geek here in 104 degree (offical) Austin, actually when I got in my car to leave Harry's "Fortress of Solitude" at 6pm yesterday the reading of the OUTSIDE temp was 107, annnnd I was parked in the shade. That's quite a change from the temps in Minn.-St.Paul where Harry, Annette Kellerman, and I attended the ConVerence fest the 29th-4th, highs there were sitting around 77 degrees. Had a great time downing local brews and visiting with the area geeks till 5am each morn, picked up some astounding vintage lobby cards from GREEN MANSIONS, INVISIBLE BOY, I WAS A TEENAGED WEREWOLF, and the Tracy-Bergman DR.JEKELL MR.HYDE among others, and feasted on fantastic German, Greek, Cuban, and Brazilian food. Well enough of that, here's Latauro and the Downunder report...
That is so weird. The wind is blowing *toward* the storm.
AICN-DOWNUNDER
After the editorial last week
(http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=20572), I received the following
letter from "Clown Shoes":
"Hi Latauro,
Having just read this week's column, I thought I'd weigh in on Project
Greenlight's "Solo".
I was a contestant in PG Australia. I was also lucky enough to attend the
screening of the three minute scenes that the top ten contestants made
(there were about 20 tickets given out to "prominent community members",
being those who had listed in the top 50, read lots of scripts in the review
process, or contribute heavily to the message boards, unfortunately I only
qualify for the last two).
I've also read Solo, as well as several other scripts that made the top 10,
50, and 100 (not surprising, since I think I read the second most scripts in
the review section of the comp).
Was Solo the best script submitted to PG Australia? NO. IT WAS NOT.
So, was there any kind of interference in the competition? NO. MORGAN
DESERVED TO WIN.
The judges clearly judged on all the information presented to them; the
three minute video bio the top 50 made of themselves, the scene the top 10
directed, and of course the script.
Morgan O'Neill's three minute scene KICKED ARSE. It was absolutely
breathtaking. Having seen this gives me more confidence in the film than
the script does.
At the end of the top ten screening, they announced the top three, with the
winner to be declared two days later. Speaking to my fellow contestants
afterwards (again, about 20 of us) I think there was exactly one person who
didn't take Morgan's winning as a foregone conclusion. No disrespect to the
other nine (one has become a good friend) but most of us probably thought
that as soon as we saw "Solo". Yes, it was that good.
As far as the Morgan O'Neill/Sam Worthington connection goes, it's
unfortunate but not damning. Morgan has had a fairly good run as an actor,
and has probably gotten to know all sorts of people (the three minute scene
of "Solo" starred Jacek Koman from Moulin Rogue). Check out IMDB for some
of Morgan's credits. There are probably plenty of people who could have
been chosen for the judging panel who know Morgan. And hell, if an
Australian actor was going to weight Project Greenlight in their favour,
don't you think they'd pick a film that might have a role for them? (Solo
doesn't have a role for an actor Worthington's age).
Two final thoughts:
-Yes, there have been some problems with disgruntled contestants, including
one top 50 who didn't make the top ten being banned from the website under
very murky circumstances, and
-You'll understand the selection of Solo when you see the show. Definitely.
If you use this, please call me "Clown Shoes."
It's important to note that I'm not begrudging Morgan O'Neill his win. I've
not read his script or seen his video, and that my sincerest hope is that it
kicks arse, cleans up at the box office, and puts some life into the
barely-on-life-support Australian film industry.
The point (which I made last week) is that the connection between O'Neill
and Worthington isn't fleeting; they made a film together! And not in the
sense that they both got hired to work on a film, they got together and
actively made it happen. There is a definite and undeniable connection that
can be found by anyone with a passing knowledge of imdb.com.
Project Greenlight Australia made a serious error in not removing
Worthington from the judging panel, and now there's an unnecessary cloud
hanging over SOLO.
Still, the film is now in pre-production and will be hopefully be better
than, say, STOLEN SUMMER.
NEWS
* The cryptically-named "AICN Fan" wrote in with a first person Luthor, SUPERMAN,
sighting. Here's what she said: "I had the pleasure of meeting the one and
only Kevin Spacey this morning in Sydney. He was grabbing a coffee in
Elizabeth Street. I don't know what to scoop first? 1) he's bald - so yes,
Lex Luthor will be BALD! 2) He told the waitress (who was a bit nosey I
thought - but I listened, saves me from pestering) that he mightn't be the
"only villain in the movie". She then said something about 'The Joker'?
(dumb woman!!). 3) After this he said he's going back to his live theatre and
then he's talking to Sony Pictures about a sequel to The Usual Suspects. 4)
He likes his coffee "milky". There you have it. Luthor sighting!" We keep
hearing about this USUAL SUSPECTS sequel, but this is as close to a
confirmation as I've heard. Spacey thinks this is a good idea? Seriously?
Regardless, I think we're overlooking the big scoop here: he likes his
coffee milky!
* Shockingly, there seems to be no end to the BATMAN sequel rumours. The
latest, sent in to AICN-D by "The Stapler", is that Aussie actress Isla
Fisher will play the next love interest. "Stapler" says "She'd fill the void
left by Katie Holmes". I'd argue she'd fill the void *created* by Katie
Holmes. Look, I was a big critic of Holmes in BEGINS, but if you're going to
set up the character, at least follow through with it! The weakest part of
all the BATMAN films has been the love interest, the need to pair Bruce
Wayne up with some chick because, well, that's what films do. We just spent
a film setting up the relationship between Wayne and Dawes. It'll make
Holmes even more annoying if that plotline doesn't go anywhere! Isla Fisher
was seen by eight-year-olds in one of the SCOOBY DOO films, and will next be
seen in WEDDING CRASHERS.
* Hidden away in an interview with The Age, Oscar winner Adam Elliot (who
apparently, before becoming a media whore, used to be an animator) admitted
to turning down a bunch of projects. This isn't new; he's been mentioning
how he's waved his hand dismissively at DreamWorks and the like who wanted
to pour piles of gold into his pockets. What's interesting is the projects
he named. Disney allegedly asked him if he'd like to come have a chat about
directing FINDING NEMO 2, or MONSTERS INC 2. I guess this indicates there's
been some serious talk on the matter. Disney: stop fooling yourself, get
down on your hands and knees, and beg Lasseter & Co. to come back.
* Mary Murphy, curator of the Clive Owen News Page
(http://www.murphsplace.com/owen/conews.html) wrote to chime in our report
of Shekar Kapur's ELISABETH II: THE QUICKENING. "Latauro: Apparently there
are THREE versions of the story being filmed. we have one version with Helen
Mirren as Elizabeth (this is the version that Irons and Dancy are in), one
version with Anne Marie Duff as Elizabeth, and one version with Cate
Blanchett as Elizabeth (co-starring Clive Owen).ContactMusic is often
unreliable because they rarely list sources for their information. I'd say
they got their stories crossed again this time..." Phew. What's to bet
Lorenza Di Bonaventura is behind at least two of these? Big shout out to
Mary.
* Derek Luke (ANTWONE FISHER, SPARTAN) has just joined Tim Robbins in Phillip
Noyce's South African drama HOT STUFF. As we've reported in the past, the
film is based on the life of Patrick Chamusso.
* British TVC director Ringan Ledwidge's directorial debut will lens in
Australia this September. MIDDLE OF NOWHERE is described as a "psychological
thriller", in which two Brit backpackers come across an American with
"ulterior motives". The script was inked up by James Watkins (MY LITTLE EYE)
and Andrew Upton (Cate Blanchett).
* Australian filmmaker William Mather-Brown had just made his first feature
documentary. One hundred minutes long, co-written and co-directed with Aaran
Creece, narrated by Ewan Macgregor, TROY'S STORY was a biographical look at
the life of Troy Bayliss, the Australian motorcyclist. The film recently
took out the grand jury prize at the New York International Independent Film
and Video Festival. Two weeks ago, William Mather-Brown jumped into the Le
Var river in St Laurent du Val (in the south of France) to save his son
Nicolas, 11. Nicolas survived, but his father did not. William Mather-Brown
drowned at the age of 41. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and
friends.
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
2005 SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
New Zealand film IN MY FATHER'S DEN (directed by Brad McGann) took out Best
Cinematography for DP Stuart Dryburgh.
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
LOOK BOTH WAYS (directed by Sarah Watt) has been selected to play at the
Toronto festival. It will play alongside John Hillcoat's THE PROPOSITION,
and, reportedly, LITTLE FISH.
TROPFEST 2006
What's the big item for next year's festival? What must all entries include?
A bubble. So, start adapting that fifteen page script about the hapless bank
robbers to include a pivotal scene involving a kid blowing bubbles, and get
your entry in by January 19, 2006.
3RD ANGRY FILM FESTIVAL
Submissions are now open for the third AFF. To enter, download a form at
www.angryproductions.org. Details are up on the website, and the deadline
for entries is August 12th.
BOX OFFICE
The best film of the year opened at number one, despite Cruise's strange
behaviour turning away, well, most of the people I've spoken to. It'd be
nice to see it hold onto top spot against CRAPTASTIC FOUR, but people keep
telling me how hot Jessica Alba is, so who knows?
1. WAR OF THE WORLDS
2. MADAGASCAR
3. BATMAN BEGINS
4. HERBIE: FULLY LOADED
5. MR AND MRS SMITH
RELEASED THESE PAST TWO WEEKS
An about-time remake of James Toback's FINGERS is done in French, the
Ephrons cleverly come up with a dull spin on a novel idea, a group of
seventeen-year-olds play at astronauts, South Africa gives us another
blockbuster on female circumcision, I was a teenage lesbian, an Australian
film briefly slips onto a screen somewhere, life imitates art, a Thetan
takes on a Martian, and we see the results of a Michael Moore-Ashton Kutcher
birth.
THE BEAT MY HEART SKIPPED
BEWITCHED
FANTASTIC FOUR
MOOLAADE
MY SUMMER OF LOVE
OYSTER FARMER
ROCK SCHOOL
WAR OF THE WORLDS
YES MEN
NEXT WEEK
- Michael Moore returns to fiction, signing Mario Van Peebles to SWEET
SWEETBUSH'S BAAGDADDDDD SONG
- Jack White and Meg White to play Santa and Mrs Claus in John Pasquin's GET
BEHIND ME SANTA
- George Lucas returns to his character-based routes whilst remaining in the
STAR WARS universe, penning a script about a fatherless Gungan discovering
just who knocked up her mother all those years ago in DIVINE SECRETS OF THE
JAR-JAR SISTERHOOD
Peace out,
Latauro
AICNDownunder@hotmail.com
AICNDownunder@hotmail.com
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+ Expand All
-
Jul 08, 2005 9:21:16 AM CDT
seriously though--am I the only one who didn't care either w
by www.valiens.com
She's serviceable, not completely terrible. It's not as though she had a well-written roll. I mean really? Did she suck enough to boot her from the sequel?
-
I'm sure her roll is very well-written. Probably well-ridden too if "The Gift" is any indication. Maybe they shouldn't write her our of the sequel, just her clothes.
-
I thought Holmes was fine, neither great nor dreadful. I actually thought her character and her acting were much better than Basinger in 1989 (ohhh, I lurrve purple.) Basinger as a war photographer, ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha ha, ha ha, ha, give me a break. NOW THAT"S GOOD WORK. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ART, BUT I LIKE IT! By the way, is John Holmes Katie's dad, explaining her large pendulous breasts. Of course, I hope that means she doesn't have a 13inch clit. Hmmm, gets me thinking about her fiancee though.
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I know its not meant to be, but that just sounds wrong on so many levels. Could be good, but if Singer aint down with The Usual Suspects 2 Im gonna stay farther away from that then a fat sweaty girl in a donut shop.
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Crap idea. Unless Chris McQuarrie, Bryan Singer and John Ottman are ALL THREE involved in this one and they have the NEED to make this, 'cause the script is such a brilliant mind-fuck as the first one, I am cautious about this one. Hopefully it's just a rumour and it will go away soon.
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...in Batman Begins, but the way her character was written sure was distracting. How old was she supposed to be, anyway? I mean, she's already working in the DA's office (presumably as an assistant DA) when Bruce is flunking out of Princeton (and I have to assume that was supposed to be undergrad). So seven years later he's at most 28. WHat's she then? A prodigy who earned her law degree at 13? It's just dumb unless she's a clerk or some such. Still, not enough to make the movie any less enjoyable. Her lines were well delivered and her character did serve a purpose without cluttering up the mythos too much.
-
That is a joke, right? They're not actually making a film revealing that the Tudors were not in fact an Anglo-Normano-Franco-Welsh royal dynasty as everyone thought, but extra-terrestrial exiles from the planet Zeist...right? I quite like the idea of Anne-Marie Duff as Elizabeth, but only if they get David Threlfall to play Henry VIII: "Now nobody's saying Hampton Court's the Garden of Eden, but it's been a good home to me..."
-
HAR HAR
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I salute you Seepgood for writing the first Shameless reference I've ever seen on here. Nice one. Now then, am I the only one who's finding it hard to tell the difference between those *real* Elizabeth stories and Latauro's 'next week' jokes. There's a very fine line between them.
-
Jul 08, 2005 2:19:24 PM CDT
I liked Holmes and rachel in Begins. If they "create" a new love
by mrfloppy
-
There is actually much truth to the Elizabeth rumors.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4436303.stm -
I hate when they introduce a love interest then completly ignore them in the sequels.Maybe they could start it off with her getting shot in the back and having one of those huge JOKER grins on her face.I know Bale and Nolan wanted to make it darker..peace
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He's made quite a career for himself doing fiction already. :P
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http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0414055/
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Jul 08, 2005 11:20:41 PM CDT
Holmes will not be in the Batman sequel. That said, the death o
by jdanielp
Make the death of her character a small thorn in Batman's side (so-to-speak). Perhaps her killer is never found. And perhaps it's the perfect opening for Harvey Dent.
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Jul 08, 2005 11:31:37 PM CDT
In the past, I've mentioned that I should be making movies.
by jdanielp
...and it's going very well.
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Jul 09, 2005 12:07:34 AM CDT
I think it should be called Elizabeth 2: Full Throttle, starring
by prevert
Tagline: "Heads Will Roll"
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JDanielP hit it right on the head. Her death outside the movie would be a perfect way to bring in Harvey Dent. Have the Joker doing his thing and Batman stopping him, new love interest enters but Wayne is a little conflicted. Then for the third film with Dent becoming Two-Face we find out that Scarecrow killed Rachel and he'll return in the third. Because his exit in Batman Begins was lame, taser to the face? Seriously he needs to come back.
-
Jul 09, 2005 4:10:20 AM CDT
Has it been reported that Ian Roberts is in Superman Returns yet
by monkey butler
Guess that'll add some fuel to the rumour fires over how Singer casts people in his movies - because I've unfortunately seen him act. Doing Shakespeare, no less. It was painful.
-
When I heard this was starting Clive Owen. I was wondering if he could pull it off. I loved him in Closer and Greenfingers. He just doesn't seem the type to play this type of movie.
I remember reading some historan say she was afraid having Clive Owen in the movie means they may sex it up. In other words the Queen is going to get laid.
I guess I'll see it.
Donna A. -
I don't think Nolan is too concerned with the females in BB. Cos the focus is on batman, and katie holmes casting was not officially announced like the others, everyone just speculated that she landed the gig, and she did.... Also heres a suggestion with the sequel being about the joker, isla fisher maybe introduced as harley quinn (cos the characters she has played in scooby doo and wedding crashers have been high pitched kooky characters)...Nolan hasn't made any mistakes so far, i think he's conscience of what he is doing, cos batman begins is the introduction of batman, the focus is on him, in the 2nd movie that focus will be divided between him and the joker so you'll see a stronger villain.... in this sequel batman will improve as a character, his gadgets will improve and even the car will...going to be cool
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