Ol' Father Geek here with another of Latauro's reports from the land downunder and ahead of time except where Sin City was concerned, can't believe you're just now getting that in theaters... Oh, yeah, Three Extremes is probably the MOST aptly named flick I've seen this year, as opposed to the miss titled FANTASTIC Four. Here's Latauro...
Time to prove to your friends that you're still worth a damn.
AICN-DOWNUNDER
Well, after all that, SIN CITY finally opened this week in Australia. I hope
it does well, despite the fact that a significant number of people I've
spoken to have already downloaded it. It's a flawed but great film, and
deserves a sequel. I caught it about a month or two ago (both legally *and*
on the big screen... thanks again, Joel!), and was duly impressed. Even if
you were naughty and impatient and double-clicked that oh-so-tempting file
you were eyeing off on eDonkey, go catch it on the big screen. It's really
worth it.
Meanwhile, the Melbourne International Film Festival begins next week. I've
been sent a mini-pass and have booked myself in for more films than I have
time to see, so I can't wait. I'll try to do some interesting coverage, but
failing that I'll just throw some reviews at the bottom of AICN-D. Anyone
who's interested in grabbing a beer after the screenings of films like
GODZILLA: FINAL WARS, or HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, or THREE EXTREMES, drop me a
line. We'll get a posse together and drink the town dry.
NEWS
* Despite all the controversy surrounding Project Greenlight Australia
(honestly, there's no controversy outside of this column; nobody else has
reported it), Morgan O'Neill's SOLO is forging through pre-production. The
film has just added Australian film vets Colin Friels and Bruce Spence to
the cast, which includes Bojana Novakovic, Angie Milliken, Linal Haft and
actor/comedian Anh Do.
* Non-phone throwing Aussie export Hugh Jackman is signing onto a new
big-screen version of SUNSET BOULEVARD. When I say he's signing, I mean he's
either about to, or just has. "Hugh Jackman" isn't a particularly long name,
and the chances of him still being in the process of joining the "c" to the
"k" as you're reading this is both exceptionally high and, frankly,
immeasurable. Jackman joins Ewan McGregor and Glenn Close in the adaptation
of the musical by tone deaf Andrew Lloyd Webber. "Shan", who emailed this
bit of info, speculates that Close will be Norma Desmond, McGregor will be
Joe Gillis, and Jackman will be Max von Mayerling. I'm likely to take his
word for it.
* Moviehole got some info regarding Jonathon Mostow's SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON
adaptation. Looks like the film, which is set to lens in Queensland, may nab
newly-emaciated paparazzi magnet Lindsay Lohan. Lohan, who presumably has
been researching the starvation that occurs when you're stranded on a desert
island, is yet to sign. The key sticking point is, apparently, if she's
willing to be part of an ensemble or not. So, if Ms Lohan doesn't have a
problem with performing with other actors, AICN-D's Queensland readers
should keep a look out as of early next year. Big wet kisses to Clint.
* I got a rather mysterious email last week claiming that Australian actress
Cassandra McGrath (WOLF CREEK) is up for a role in Michael Bay's TEXAS
CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING. The role is apparently that of "Constance:
18-22, Caucasian, Sexy and smart, she is a girl coming into her own. On her
way to Mexico to celebrate with her sister, she notices all and fears it as
well. Beautiful, yet innocent, she will come full circle in a fight for her
life." I don't know what the "full circle" bit refers to. Presumably, she
starts of innocent and alive and ends up that way again. Like when people
say they "did a total three sixty!". Thanks to Jessica.
* An even more mysterious email (what is it with you guys?) came from "Cat",
who implies she works on the production crew adaptating MIDNIGHT MISTRESS,
but then feels the need to use an alias. Apparently, the adaptation of
Audrey Goodwin's novel features a main character called Brandi Heartt, an
American who "comes of age on the dirt roads and jumping jive joints of the
deep south". "Cat" says that "James King is someone else we've considered".
There was no response to my request for further info as to a director or
producer, so this might possibly be just a way to drum up publicity for the
film ("AICN reported Delta Goodrem is playing blank in blanky-blank!"). I
feel more like a pawn every day.
* Producer Jane Scott will again collaborate with screenwordmaker Jan Sardi on
the adaptation of MAO'S LAST DANCER. Based on the autobiography of Qingdao
born Li Cunxin, the film will follow Cunxin's life as he is chosen to study
ballet by Madame Mao, before falling in love with an American woman and
defecting to the US. He now lives in Australia with his family and works
with the Australian ballet. And now you don't need to see the film. Scott
and Sardi previously collaborated on SHINE, LOVE'S BROTHER, and the
mini-series "Winners".
* This August, filming will commence on GUESTS (also known in some parts as
POWER SURGE). The film, about a couple holed up in a cabin with a hostage,
is written by Dave Warner (CUT, GARAGE DAYS) and will be directed by David
Denneen (THE WALTZ). The process of pasting images onto strips of plastic
will take place in Sydney.
* Finally, there's a bit of kerfuffle going on with the distributors of Aussie
"comedy" STRANGE BEDFELLOWS (in which Paul Hogan and Michael Caton play
firefighters who pretend to be gay to get some sort of insurance or tax
exemption... or something) looking seriously into David Dobkin, who is
considering directing I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY, which features
two firefighters who pretend to be gay in order to... well, it's pretty much
the same plot. Before things get too heated, it's worth pointing out that
CHUCK AND LARRY was almost made many years before BEDFELLOWS, with both
Nicolas Cage and Will Smith attached. The distributors should check to make
sure that their film isn't breaking any copyright laws before they start
waving red flags above their heads.
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
SHOOT OUT FILM FESTIVAL
I spent a lot of time debating the funniest way to get the following
information across: the short film SPERM SOCIETY won a film festival called
the Shoot Out Film Festival. Or, instead of "won", it "came first". Hm. I
could be at this for hours. The film, a claymation mockumentary, is notable
for its win because the Shoot Out festival gives participants only
twenty-four hours to make their film. Big congrats to director Jason van
Genderen and his team. You may all stand proud.
EMMY AWARDS
Not that this ceremony needs any more exposure, but I thought I'd give a
shout out to the only Australian nominee, Mr Geoffrey Rush, for his sterling
performance in THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS.
BOX OFFICE
Sure enough, the film which has lots of bright colours and snappy one-liners
took out the top spot. Despite missing out on the school holiday crowd, next
week's HOUSE OF WAX will do some pretty good business.
1. FANTASTIC 4
2. BEWITCHED
3. WAR OF THE WORLDS
4. MADAGASCAR
5. HERBIE: FULLY LOADED
RELEASED THIS WEEK
Jeff Daniels drives another daughter to seek solace in an animal, Paris
Hilton gets a role in a legitimate film based on her talent, Robert
Rodriguez and Frank Miller make the second half of a film noir, and some
jerk makes the cinematic answer to millions of pointless blogs.
BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE
HOUSE OF WAX
SIN CITY
TARNATION
REVIEWS
FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX
When the X-MEN 3 directing gig was narrowed down to two names (John Moore
and Brett Ratner), I wasn't particularly excited about either. Ratner flits
between competent (RED DRAGON, RUSH HOUR) and painfully dire (FAMILY MAN,
RUSH HOUR 2), whereas the only thing I'd seen Moore do was the uninspiring,
by-the-numbers BEHIND ENEMY LINES. Now I've seen Moore's FLIGHT OF THE
PHOENIX, and I'm even more apathetic towards his work.
The film itself is pretty entertaining. The screenplay by Scott Frank and
Edward Burns borders between entertaining and clichéd; while the situations
and set pieces are pretty well plotted out, the characters all feel like
somebody went through the checklist and ticket off all the archetypes you
need for this sort of film. There's the grizzled pilot, the tough-as-nails
but pretty girl, the snobby businessman, the guy with the young family, the
sage Arab... The only character that feels like an original is Giovanni
Ribisi's creepy Elliot. Ribisi plays him like a wallflower Peter Lorre; it's
never mentioned, but it's clear that he has had very little interaction with
other people. It's a well-written character and a great performance.
That's not to say that the archetypal characters are boring or badly
performed. Dennis Quaid is, not surprisingly, superb. Between TRAFFIC, FAR
FROM HEAVEN and IN GOOD COMPANY, Quaid has been making the choices and
giving the performances that Harrison Ford should be looking at. The
comparison was all the stronger during PHOENIX, as Quaid gave what looked
like a hybrid Han Solo/Indiana Jones tribute.
Hugh Laurie, who lately seems to have been reinvented as a dramatic actor,
manages to lift his character up a bit and actually make him more
interesting that he was on the written page. Miranda Otto is great as
always, bringing a different dynamic to the group not as a woman, but as an
Australian. The sensibilities of Australian actors/characters are just
slightly different from those of the Americans and British, the two
ethnicities we almost exclusively see in films, and Otto's performance is
all the more refreshing.
Moore's direction is fine, but occasionally distracting. His choice of music
is just bizarre. Starting the film with Johnny Cash felt a bit like an
assurance that the Mongolian Desert is really just like parts of Texas, only
more remote. The song itself ("I've Been Everywhere") is a strange choice
and sets up a mood that just isn't continued. In fact, we then get some
James Brown and then Outkast. It's an eclectic set, and rather than creating
an overall cohesion, or hell, even suiting the particular scenes they're
used in, they seem to point to a director who isn't quite sure how to pick
music for a film.
That brings me to the sequence set to "Angel" by Massive Attack. Now, I love
the song, but is this a music video? Its inclusion breaks with the feel of
the film and I felt completely removed by it. Moore would have better off
letting composer Marco Beltrami (who hasn't written anything interesting
since his work on SCREAM a decade ago) do something. The music is
ill-fitting, and to be honest, a bit of a rip-off. I'm a big believer in
something I vaguely remember Tarantino saying many moons back: that once a
song is claimed by a film or a TV show and undeniably imprinted, that
everyone else should back off. The "West Wing" episode "Commencement" (which
I believe to be the finest hour of television ever produced) used "Angel" in
such a brilliant way, breaking with the show's own style, the result of
which pulled the viewer in, instead of removing us. It's a perfect example
of how to use a song; Moore's sequence, whilst well put-together, is a good
example of what *not* to do.
The film was not mind-blowing, but it wasn't terrible. The script was okay,
the direction was likewise, and the acting was mostly impressive. The end
result is a fairly serviceable and relatively enjoyable adventure flick.
NEXT WEEK
- Anthony Michael Hall bows out of the proposed BREAKFAST CLUB sequel to
star in WEIRD SCIENTOLOGY for Cruise/Wagner Productions
- Bruce Campbell signs on to VAMPIRE ATTACK!, in which vampires attack the
set of a zombie film in which Bruce Campbell is playing himself
- DC signs David Ogden Stiers and Kenny Johnston to reprise their roles as
Martian Manhunter and the Flash (respectively) in a new JLA movie!
Peace out,
Latauro
AICNDownunder@hotmail.com
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