Cool News
Elston Gunn's Weekly Recap of the week that was...
Hey folks, Harry here. I'm getting ready to head on down to the Metroplitan theater today, to begin camp tonight for the final run to EPISODE ONE's midnight showing. The camping gear is packed, so are the special late night party surprises. Let's just say that beginning at 1am at our line... It's gonna be reel cool. I'll see you Austin folks in line, as for you folks out there in the rest of the world, enjoy your lines. I'm giddy. All the negatives... all the positives... I just can't believe how close I am to experiencing the film the way I've always wanted to. With my father, friends and in Austin with real film fans. Sink or swim, I'm in for a great time. Best of luck, and may the force be with y'all!!!
TAKEN FROM VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
CASTING
* Carol Kane joins THE SHRINK IS IN with Courtney Cox, David Arquette and
David James elliot for director Richard Benjamin.
* Kathy Kinney, Andy Dick and Jackie Guerra joins PICKING UP THE PIECES with
Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, David Schwimmer, Kiefer Sutherland, Cheech Marin,
Fran Drescher, Lou Diamond Phillips and Elliot Gould.
* James Duval (GO) has been cast in GONE IN 60 SECONDS with Nicolas Cage,
Anjelina Jolie and Giovanni Ribisi.
* Kathleen Turner has been cast in THE AMATI GIRLS about four sisters and
their relationship with their recently widowed mother.
* Amanda Peet (upcoming BODY SHOTS) will play the female lead opposite Bruce
Willis in THE WHOLE NINE YARDS for director Jonathan Lynn (CLUE).
* Marg Helgenberger ("China Beach") joins Julia Roberts in ERIN BROCKOVICH
directed by Steven Soderbergh.
* Sylvester Stallone will star in a new version of the 1971 British thriller
GET CARTER for producer Mark Canton. Stallone plays Jack Carter, a mob
heavy who's hunting for his brother's killer amidst local criminals in a
world of porn and gambling.
* Curtis Armstrong (REVENGE OF THE NERDS) joins the cast of SHANGHAI NOON
starring Jackie Chan for director Tom Dey.
* Dennis Haybert (upcoming THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR) joins WHAT'S COOKING with
Julianna Marguilies, Kyra Sedgwick and Alfre Woodard.
* Monica Potter (PATCH ADAMS) is in talks to play the female lead in
Disney's MISSION TO MARS for director Brian De Palma.
* Gloria Reuben ("ER") stars opposite Ray Liotta in Harley Cokliss' indie
flick PILGRIM. She'll play a painter who helps Liotta's character regain
his memory.
* Bruce Davison joins Jennifer Jason leigh and an international cast in THE
KING IS ALIVE to be directed by Kristin Levring.
* Antonio Banderas will star as a Catholic priest sent on a special mission
from the Vatican to investigate an archaeological discovery of bones that
might be those of Jesus Christ. Jonas McCord adapted and will direct THE
BODY from the novel by Richard Ben Spier.
* Jeffrey Tambor is in talks to play the Mayor of Whoville in HOW THE GRINCH
STOLE CHRISTMAS for Universal and director Ron Howard.
* Salma Hayek is in talks to play a cop in SHINY NEW ENEMIES starring Steve
Zahn. Jeff Goldblum also stars in this heist comedy.
* Christopher Lambert will star in DRUIDS as Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix
who put together an unsuccessful bloody campaign against Julius Caesar.
Jacques Derfmann will direct the pic also starring Max Von Sydow and Klaus
Maria Braundauer (Caesar).
* Kenneth Branagh is adapting and will star in MACBETH for a fall start, but
he may hand directing chores to someone else. Branagh is setting the story
in the present day.
* Lea Thompson ("Caroline in the City") will star in the indie flick SOME
GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK as an eccentric woman whose life is changed when her
nephew visits. Kevin Zegers (AIR BUD) will play the nephew. Jo Ann Dearing
("Roseanne") will direct.
* Sharon Stone is in final talks to join Billy Connolly in BEAUTIFUL JOE for
writer/director Stephen Metcalfe about a guy who meets a fast living single
mom and tries to save her from the mob.
* Lou Diamond Phillips will take the lead in the thriller BATS, a flick in
the vein of THE BIRDS, for director Louis Morneau. John Logan (ANY GIVEN
SUNDAY) scripted. Dina Meyer stars as well.
* Robert Forster joins ME, MYSELF AND IRENE as Jim Carrey's boss. Forster
will also star alongside daughter Kate in THE ALTOONA RIDING CLUB for
writer/director Dan Cohen as a salesman who enlists the help of some
youngblood to save his dying business.
* Joey Slotnick (PIRATES OF SILICON VALLEY) joins THE HOLLOW MAN.
* Marissa Ribisi and Shane Edelman sold their script THE MAIL ROOM. Ribisi
also stars in SOME GIRL which she co-wrote with Brie Shaffer. Juliette
Lewis, Michael Rapaport, Jeremy Sisto and Giovanni Ribisi (Marissa's
brother) also star.
* Marley Shelton (NEVER BEEN KISSED) is in talks to take the lead in New
Line's SUGAR AND SPICE for director Hank Perlman as a cheerleader who turns
to a life of crime.
* Dan Aykroyd joins HOME BREW, sequel to STRANGE BREW. Shooting begins in
July in Toronto.
* Catherine Zeta-Jones will star in the romantic sci-fi thriller THE TENTH
VICTIM to be directed by Lee Tamahori (MULHOLLAND FALLS, THE EDGE). It's a
remake of the 1965 Italian film LA DECIMA VITTIMA based on Robert
Scheckley's short story THE SEVENTH VICTIM about a society where there are
organized murder hunts and a couple of contestants who fight the system.
* Patrick Swayze and Melanie Griffith will star in the black comedy LOVING
LULU which also stars Penelope Ann Miller. John Kaye writes and directs
about a schizophrenic who tracks down her college boyfriend, a TV writer who
is tiring of his wife.
* Brooke Shields and Johnathan Schaech (THAT THING YOU DO!) will star in
AFTER SEX about 5 women who really understand their relationships while
their men are away.
* Macaulay Culkin, Fairuza Balk and Natasha Lyonne are in talks to star in
DIARY OF A MAD FRESHMAN for writer/director Amy Talkington aobut a student
who explores the nightlife in New York.
* Sir Ian McKellen will play the villanous Magneto in X-MEN for director
Bryan Singer and 20th Century Fox. Shooting begins in August.
DIRECTOR/WRITER ATTACHMENTS
* Peyton Reed ("Mr. Show") will direct the comedy CHEER FEVER about a
cheerleader in battle for the few spots on her squad, learning valuable
lessons while readying for a natural competition.
* Simon Doonan will adapt his own novel CONFESSIONS OF A WINDOW DRESSER for
Madonna's MADGUY Films about a kid who sells his soul to be forever young in
the high fashion business.
* Dwight Yoakam will direct SOUTH OF HEAVEN, WEST OF HELL, a Western he
co-wrote with Stan Barthoud and starring Yoakam and Billy Bob Thornton.
Peter Fonda, Bridget Fonda, Vince Vaughn, Paul Reubens, Michael Jeter and
Bud Cort. The story follows a U.S. Marshal who vows to bring justice a gang
made up of his former surrogate family.
* Pat Peach and Dennis Rockney are adapting the autiobiography of Jim Rose
FREAK LIKE ME: INSIDE THE JIM ROSE CIRCUS for the big screen.
* Director John Landis is making a deal to produce and direct a segment of
the tenatively-titled four segment horror anthology REALLY SCARY.
HARRY NOTE: Joe Dante will direct one of the other segments!
* Burt Reynolds will direct THE LAST PRODUCER starring himself, Lauren
Holly, Benjamin Bratt, Charles Durning, Ann-Margret, Joe Montegna, Robert
Costanzo, Gregg Gurman, Sean Astin and Robert Goulet. The film focuses on
an aging producer trying to make his masterpiece before he's forgotten.
* John Sayles is working on an adaptation of Davide Ferrario's novel BLACK
MAGIC for director Oliver Parker. It combines facts from Orson Welles life
as well as a fictional story of Welles becoming involved in a murder
investigation.
MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTION TIDBITS
* Walt Disney Pictures will distribute David Lynch's THE STRAIGHT STORY in
the U.S., Scandinavia and Australia.
* Warner Bros. seems to be developing three projects involving their classic
animated characters. Barry Levinson and Paula Weinstein are developing a
live action/animated project that would feature Bugs Bunny and Robin
Williams; a full-length featuring Tasmanian Devil is another possibility;
and a SPACE JAM-esque feature involving the Tiny Toon characters.
* Rhino Films is in the production lead with its horror spoof I KNOW WHAT
YOU SCREAMED LAST SUMMER shooting in L.A.; Dimension's SCREAM IF YOU KNOW
WHAT I DID LAST HALLOWEEN to be directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans hasn't found
a firm start date.
* Director Stephen Sommers and producers Jim Jacks and Sean Daniel will soon
meet with Universal about a sequel to THE MUMMY about the creature
resurfacing in London.
* Whole Nine Prods. has optioned film rights to two books: GENTLEMAN OF
LEISURE by Susan Hill and Harvey Baum's OSCAR CALIBER GUN.
* 20th Century Fox bought the romantic action-comedy pitch LONGSHOT from
Danny Jacobsen and David Chappe about a guy from the Bronx and a beautiful
woman from Mexico who together try to pull of a racetrack scam.
* United Artists picked up the screen rights to THE ROAD TO EDEN'S RIDGE by
Myra McLarey and Linda Weeks about a woman who changes her life at the altar
on her wedding day to try to become a country singer in Nashville.
* Meg Ryan passed on the WB sci-fi flick MARS. Joseph Fiennes is in talks
to star.
* Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner are developing THE OTHERS, a ghost story to
star Nicole Kidman and to be the English-language debut of Spanish director
Alejandro Amenabar.
* Warner Bros. may move the release date for WILD WILD WEST to June 30 from
July 2.
* Merchant Ivory Films are developing four projects: Henry James adaptation
THE GOLDEN BOWL with Nick Nolte, Uma Thurman and Anjelica Huston; the
Vanessa Redgrave starrer THE WHITE COUNTESS; James Baldwin adaptation
GIOVANNI'S ROOM; a film version of V.S. Naipaul's MYSTIC MASSEUR.
REMAKE OF THE WEEK: Martin Scorcese is trying to develop a new version of
Akira Kurosawa's HIGH AND LOW that David Mamet may write and direct. Steve
Martin, William H. Macy and Joe Montegna are in talks to star in the pic
about a business exec who is ruined financially after paying ransom money to
kidnappers who mistakenly took his chauffer's son. The film was based on an
Ed McBain novel.
I didn't think the casting would ever stop this week. I don't think
the casting will ever stop on PICKING UP THE PIECES--a lot of names in that
flick. The cast is also huge for SOUTH OF HEAVEN, WEST OF HELL. I very
much look forward to both films. *** Macaulay Culkin makin' a comeback?
With the help of Fairuza Balk and Natasha Lyonne? I'll see it. ***
Finally, official casting news from the trades on X-MEN...and Sir Ian
McKellen to boot. *** Dan Aykroyd joining HOME BREW. A decent mix. ***
Glad to see Curtis Armstrong is still working. I have fond memories of him
in "Moonlighting." *** Lots o' remakes this week: GET CARTER, THE TENTH
VICTIM and HIGH AND LOW (the latter of which I'm the most excited
about--come on: William H. Macy AND Steve Martin AND David Mamet). ***
John Sayles is going to focus on writing for a while. BLACK MAGIC sounds
very cool. Anybody read it? Tell us how good it is in the Talk Back. ***
I like the sound of THE LAST PRODUCER--Reynolds starring and directing and
an interesting cast along with him. Can't wait to hear more.
Just a reminder to everyone to mind their manners standing in the long
lines this week--don't get too crazy....REMEMBER you will get your turn to
watch A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM soon enough like everyone else.
Until next week...
Elston Gunn
elstongunn@hotmail.com
-
+ Expand All
-
They're already planning a Mummy sequel? THAT is getting a sequel while the Matrix is only "possibly" going to get its second and third installments? Shit. And what's this Wild Wild West moving to June 30th crap? Do they think the luekwarm reviews for The Phantom Menace will mean the film isn't going to rule the boxoffice? Figures. Only the a$$hole combination of WB executives and the over-ambitious/arrogant Wil Smith would think that. Wake up Wil, RUGRATS beat your a$$!
-
GET CARTER sounds like it will be great in a PAYBACK kinda way. I hear this film will be VERY violent. Has anyone seen the original with Michael Cain? 2000 will be a GREAT year for Stallone with DETOX and JACK'S RETURN HOME (aka GET CARTER).
-
Wouldn't it be cool if they actually used a script during the making of The Mummy 2? I think that'd be kinda cool. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is going to be sooooo incredibly bad. Who the fuck would cast JIM CARREY as The Grinch??? First of all, The Grinch should be cgi. Imagine a Jar Jar Binks style character but THE GRINCH! That would be amazing! And then he would be voiced by Jack Nicholson or Kevin Spacey or Christopher Walken or or... but NOT JIM CARREY! God people are SOOOO stupid! Wild Wild West should move its release date to May 21. It'd make more money that way by getting the sold-out Star Wars crowd. Otherwise WWW won't make a penny. That's just my 2 cents.
"There'll be no one to stop us this time" - Darth Vader -
SALMA HAYEK and STEVE ZAHN ...............together? That sounds GREAT! Also, I'd like to say that I think its a good idea that of "WWW" being removed to Wendsday. I don't think it has to do anything with this whole "Phantom Menace" reviews. On the contrary, I think WB wants to make much more money having a product that could do a huge box office in its opening weekend. Let's see how it all shapes up finally.....
-
Seems pretty obvious to me: finding themselves stuck with inferior product, Warner Bros. opts to open their stinker on a Wednesday to maximize what should be a big moviegoing weekend, instead of relying on just three days. This movie's success will depend on that opening, 'cause its numbers are going to head south as soon as word of mouth gets out. Hopefully, this will be the last time anyone listens to Jon Peters.
-
This was one of the best weekly recaps I've read in a long time, with several mouth-watering projects in the works. A Branagh MACBETH? Too cool. Next to HAMLET, MACBETH is my favorite Shakespeare play. I've always wondered if Branagh would get around to making it. For me, the definitive screen MACBETH (so far anyway) is the 1971 Roman Polanski version. For those of you who REALLY want to see a horror movie, get thee to a video store pronto. This was Polanski's first film after the savage murder of his wife Sharon Tate by the Manson family. This adaptation is LOADED with blood, dismemberment, bleakness, and horrifying images that are quite hard to shake (there's even a scene that seems inspired by Tate's murder). Almost from the start, the screen is covered with blood, and the savageness doesn't let up until the final image (which is NOT quite the ending that Shakespeare originally wrote -- one of Polanski's cinematic touches that actually improves the heroic ending of the play). In between are gory murders, beheadings, hangings, suicides, and bleeding corpses who won't stay in the grave. In other movie news, I can see the Scorsese/Mamet teaming with William H. Macy, Joe Mantegna, and Steve Martin. Macy and Mantegna go back to the theatre with Mamet. Macy appeared in numerous Mamet theatrical productions over the years, originating the role of Bobby in AMERICAN BUFFALO in 1977 (with Robert Duvall as Teach), Mamet's adaptation of THE CHERRY ORCHARD, and several others. Mantegna was the original Ricky Roma in GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, and appeared in Mamet's screen directorial debut, HOUSE OF GAMES. Martin appeared in Mamet's THE SPANISH PRISONER.
-
I'm also psyched about MISSION TO MARS (a De Palma space flick? Too cool) and REALLY SCARY. We need a good horror anthology, and this one seems to be it, what with the participation of John Landis and Joe Dante. These two have been away from the horror/fantasy field for too long. As for the other directors, how about George Romero, Sam Raimi, and/or Stuart Gordon?
-
Count me among the excited in regards to this project. Along with the directors W. Leach suggested above (good call on Stuart Gordon, by the way,) I'd like to suggest John Carpenter (would he participate, though, without them re-naming it JOHN CARPENTER'S SCARY MOVIE,) George Miller (who did such a bang-up job with the fourth, and best, segment of TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE, even though it was a remake,) Ronny Yu, (based more on THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR, than the okay BRIDE OF CHUCKY,) Janusz Kaminski, and Guillermo del Toro. Whoever they get, I'm glad to see a return of the horror anthology.
-
SANTA, what do you mean the "Assassins" ending? Was the original so great that there shouldn't be a re-make? PAYBACK was a FUCKING KICK ASS movie. Are you CRAZY!!! I think in the right hands, GET CARTER can be a COOL crime thriller with a KICK ASS Stallone we have never seen. The idea of Sly in a crime thriller sounds AWESOME.
-
maybe i missed it before, but there wasn't a mention that vinnie jones(lock, stock.....) is gonna be in the new bruckheimer movie, gone in 60 seconds.
Thats gonna rule, big chris and cameron poe together at last!!! -
Nato is bombing Serbie for less Heinous crimes than this!
-
Does anyone have any info on a release date for Stallone's "Detox". And, has anyone heard anything about Stallone's proposed adaptation of James Byron Huggins' novel, "The Hunter"?
-
If the movie is based on this book it should be really cool. This paranoid guy has a fort for a house, and when the bats come, he fights back. Lou Diamond Phillips sucks but if they give this a decent budget, and don't go to crazy on the CGI, it will rock.
-
SANTA, you are already opening your mouth before you even see how Sly will go about playing Carter. Remember, Stallone is twice the "tough guy" Michael Cain could ever be. GET CARTER has no director attached (I hope Stallone gets Renny "Cliffhanger" Harlin to direct), yet you are saying it can't be no good. Wait and see what actors, directors ect. join the cast before you open your mouth. And No, I haven't see the original GET CARTER yet but I plan on renting it since you say it's so good. To the person that asked about DETOX's release, it comes out next Spring. As for HUNTER (NOT The Hunter), the script is still being written. The Novel is GREAT (READ IT). Like I said before, 2000 will be an AWESOME year for Stallone with DETOX and GET CARTER.
-
I have been a Lambert fan of well over ten years and HATE 90% of his films, so it is nice to see he may finally get a role with good co-stars. I doubt if Max Von Sydow would star is a piece of shit. Here is hoping Lambert can break his direct to video curse.
-
Who the hell is Curtis Armstrong?
It says he was in Revenge of the Nerds, so what's he doing in a Jackie Chan film that's set in the past? -
May 16, 1999 6:41:55 PM CDT
Mummy 2, they must've come up with this idea the second the week
by paragonian
Stephen Sommers is the devil, seriously. He sold his artistic soul to the devil just like Spielberg and Lucas have done. They've all been sent to dumb us down before the apocalypse hits. As for Stallone, Get Carter sounds really cool. It could be a Scarface, 8mm, Rounders, The Killing type of thing. Stallone is very smart and talented and a very good actor. It's good to see he's finally taking projects that use his abilities, although Copland was disappointing and Detox sounds like the same old, same old.
-
...will take more than Joe Montegna. Bill Macey is great. David Mamet is good. I enjoyed Spanish Prisoner emensely, save the non-ending ending. Steve Martin? Yeah he was great in Spanish Prisoner and L.A. Story...but...ah well, he may surprise me. Now will Martin play Gondo? Will Macey be Gondo's assistant who betrays him? Joe Montegna as Gondo? Uh, I'm not as excited as many of you may be. Scorsese is great. Taxi Driver and King of Comedy are among my favorites, but he's messing with the master. You'd better have a great hand to bet so high. Remakes are made for three reasons. 1)a lack of new ideas 2)to cash in on a popular title 3)to improve on the original. Now seeing as Scorsese isn't likely to claim the first two reasons, let's say that he is trying to improve on the original. I'd cast Deniro as Gondo. Hands down. The kidnapper should be Gary Oldman, although that would further his 'madman' stereotype. Maybe Ewan McGregor? Macey will suffice as Gondo's assistant. Gary Oldman could play one of the detectives. Actually, he could play any character. Pound for pound the best actor working today. Anyone who has read my Michael Mann post will know that I think Mann should direct this. Mann has such a flair for noir. HEAT!
-
Remaking HIGH AND LOW!?!?!
Are you nuts!?!?! One of the best movies ever made!! The absurdity of this equals remaking Star Wars!! But by all means go ahead, make an ass of yourself!
And Stallone better as a bad guy than Michael Caine? Obviously you haven -
I'm sorry, but Stallone is no Michael Caine. This remake promises to be a typical Schmollywood action load of pants.
Pretty much the same as Tom 'short-ass' Cruise talking about remaking 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'. What would be the point of that?? Does anyone know what is currently happening to this terrible idea, by the way?
It's not because i'm British and therefore biased, honestly, its just that Get Carter, and other films like it optimised the era they were made in. The storylines were based around the culture of the times. Watch the original Get Carter and you'll see what I mean. Any attempt to bring them into the 90's will just result in another crappy action flick.... 'Lock Stock'is a good current day example.
I still believe they should have left the Bond flicks in the era they were supposed to be in,i.e. the cold war, rather than bringing them up to date and making them too bloody politically correct. Thats not to say I don't enjoy them still..
What do you all think on this matter?
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- UPDATED!!! A Six-Pack Of New Character Posters For THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Forecast A Lot Of Gotham Rain And Snow!! -- 199 total posts 199 posts
- Tom Cruise Saddles Up For A Remake Of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN!! -- 133 total posts 131 posts
- Baz's THE GREAT GATSBY explodes with one helluva dazzling trailer! -- 142 total posts 128 posts
- Mark Millar Offers Some Interesting Insight Into The KICK-ASS Movie Sequel!! -- 108 total posts 108 posts
- Quint sees some DJANGO UNCHAINED footage at CANNES!!! -- 327 total posts 88 posts
- A Fire Definitely Rises In The New DARK KNIGHT RISES One Sheet!! -- 215 total posts 87 posts
- When there’s no more room in Hell The Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day will walk the earth. -- 70 total posts 70 posts
- SPOILER ALERT! AICN COMICS/POPTARDS PODCAST: JUSTICE LEAGUE! DANCER! INCREDIBLE HULK! HARDCORE! NEW CRUSADERS! INVINCIBLE IRON MAN! DANGER CLUB! -- 69 total posts 69 posts
- Stay Away From The Creepy Girl Alone In The Parking Lot For THE POSSESSION's Poster!! -- 43 total posts 41 posts
- Zach Galifianakis Is Ignatius J. Reilly? -- 41 total posts 41 posts