- OCOTBER 5, 2007 8:09AM CST USA -

Merrick again...

The folks over at IESB say they've CONFIRMED OUR INITIAL REPORT; their sources indicate that Ratner is, indeed, in place to direct this project.

The IESB article can be found HERE!

Weep for the Snake. Weep for us all.

[ORIGINAL REPORT FOLLOWS]

Merrick here...


We have a source named Checkyr.

Checkyr is in frequent contact with AICN, regaling us with stories of behind-the-scenes intricacies and machinations which lead to the product we see on screen. One such contribution can be found HERE.

HOWEVER, Checkyr is unusual as far as sources go. To date, we've yet to verify...or refute...anything he's told us. Which means, despite his numerous messages, he's still (technically) an untested source.

So, I thought we'd post the following...to see what happens. We've never been contacted by anyone telling us Checkyr is full of shit. Will this message break that trend? Or, will Checkyr at last be validated as a trustworthy (and important) purveyor of information? Ohhhh the suspense!

We'll post an update...confirming or debunking the following report...as more information is gleaned.

So, take out a spoon, scoop up a rounded portion of salt, and consider the following:

I thought I'd still take a moment to fill you in on the latest news on a project near and dear to many loyal readers...

Got word this week that Len Wiseman is officially off Escape From New York. And who have the brilliant studio suits set their sights on?

None other than the much maligned Brett Ratner. So yeah, kinda goes from bad to worse. Chris Tucker and Jackie's Chan's involvement as Snake & Pliskin is still pendng...

YEOUCH.

Regular readers may recall that, while I often lament remakes of nearly any kind, I actually liked the script for the ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK remake quite a bit (HERE'S THAT ARTICLE).

In my review of the script, I said I felt it was critically important the project find a solid, gritty director who understood the subtleties of social satire, edgy film making, and raw brutality (the script is intensely visceral).

I evoked a Verhoeven. Talkbackers suggested Tarantino. Ratner...doesn't have the "oomph" required to make this right. For my money, neither did Len Wiseman...but at least his films look reasonably decent. Not sure I could say that for Ratner; his direction feels "point&shoot" and his films "look" as simplified as possible.

It should be noted that Ratner was recently attached to a FRANK SINATRA PROJECT; it's unclear if a Ratnerfied EFNY would roll before Frank, or if said project should be taken as automatic dismissal of his involvement with EFNY.

Again, if we get any news in regarding this..."yeahs" or "nays"...we'll drop in an update.