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Quint at ShoWest! MiB III? And footage from YEAR ONE, ANGELS & DEMONS, PELHAM, JULIE & JULIA and THE UGLY TRUTH!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. My DISTRICT 9 piece went up (read it here) and now here’s the rest from the panel.
- There was an opening remark from some Sony high up (Think his name was Brewer, sorry for not catching the rest) about how this summer is great for them and that trend continues with their development slate going to 2011, which will have the next SPIDER-MAN movie as well as a new MEN IN BLACK film and GHOSTBUSTERS. So, MiB is pretty new news and it’s good to hear they’re still behind GHOSTBUSTERS.
- ANGELS & DEMONS… The product reel kicked off with a few minutes of ANGELS & DEMONS. I don’t follow the books, but I have to say this one looks much more interesting than THE DA VINCI CODE. Maybe it’s Tom Hanks’ less ridiculous haircut. Maybe it’s the man-crush I have on Ewan McGregor. Or my attraction to the darker, cult setting and the Illuminati bad guys. The footage just seemed less forced, everybody seeming to be having a good time, especially McGregor who just oozes charm and innocence as the young priest who seems to be Hanks’ ally at the Vatican (which probably means he’s really a bad guy, but that’s okay). Detail-wise, there were a lot of scenes that could have been pulled out of the first movie, but it just felt fun in this context. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I might really enjoy this movie.
- THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123… The new trailer just premiered and I have to say I’m going in to this one with low expectations. I’m not a Tony Scott hater, but I am a die hard fan of the original (naturally, Robert Shaw and Walter Matthau FTW). I have the one-sheet hanging in my bedroom. And what I keep seeing from this movie seems like it goes for the flash and over-the-top insanity aspect, forgoing the character work that made me love the first film. Denzel Washington looks better in the role than I thought. He’s more vulnerable and every-day-guy than I expected him to be, but Travolta is what I feared he’d be.
What I loved about Robert Shaw’s portrayal of the main bad guy in the original was just how calm, cool and collected he was. Mr. Blue was deadly serious, but intellectual, as were most of Shaw’s villainous turns. Travolta is going in a radically different direction, turning more to his over-the-top types like in FACE/OFF and BROKEN ARROW, screaming obscenities, etc.
Amongst the footage shown we also got a bit of John Turturro interrogating Denzel Washington, accusing him of being in cahoots with Travolta, Travolta saying he’ll trade all his hostages on the subway train for Washington and then a big moment on a bridge, which I can only imagine comes from the end of the movie where Denzel has a gun on Travolta.
I’m not really down with those changes, but then again I wouldn’t want a shot for shot remake either. Hopefully this movie works in its own context and I’ll enjoy it the same way I enjoyed the ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 remake. It won’t top the original, I’m pretty sure of that, but I’ll consider it a win if I can enjoy it for what it is.
- THE UGLY TRUTH… This was probably the surprise of the footage for me. The DISTRICT 9 stuff was as good as I was hoping it would be and I think the highlight of the day, but in terms of genuine surprise… going from no expectations to thinking a movie is going to turn out really good, I think THE UGLY TRUTH was the winner.
It’s a romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler as two local TV news personalities… he’s the gruff, rude, frank and flirty type and she’s the introverted beauty. It seems to be a Cyrano/Roxanne type tale, where Butler offers his talents in the male/female dynamic as a guide to help her land a hunky surgeon she has her eye on. I’d be shocked if the movie didn’t end with Heigl and Butler realizing they love each other, but the trip to that moment looks really funny.
Two scenes in particular stood out for me. One takes place during a baseball game as Butler is feeding Heigl advice through an earpiece as she’s out on a date with the surgeon. Butler tells her to order a hot dog and slowly slide it into her mouth. She realizes what she’s doing and abruptly stops, knocking the contents of her soda into her date’s lap. She furiously scrubs his lap, apologizing and not noticing the uncomfortable, but pleased look on his face.
The baseball “Kiss Cam” angles in on them and, of course, it looks like she’s giving him a massive, vigorous handjob. All the players stop and look on, the crowd looks on and Butler lets it continue on for a bit before telling her to look up. She does and realizes what it looks like and looks horrified.
Okay, that was kind of funny. Then the scene that really stole it for me. Someone (probably Butler) sends Heigl a pair of “vibrating panties.” She looks confused as she opens it up and after some internal debate tries them on. Just as she gets them in position, there’s a knock at the door. It’s her boss, their dinner meeting is on and they have to leave right that minute. She barely has time to hide the remote in her purse before running out.
Of course, at the dinner she has to give some kind of update on a presentation and before she does that her purse gets kicked over and a kid picks up the remote for her vibrating panties. He shakes it around, trying to figure the device out and of course on go the vibrating panties.
Heigl realizes what’s going on, but is called to give her pitch before she can excuse herself and ends up having to hide her pleasure, which goes up in stages as the kid at the far table finds a knob that turns it from enjoyment to ecstasy. Heigl sells it, the best orgasm at a restaurant scene since WHEN HARRY MET SALLY… not that there have been a ton to choose from, mind you, but the comparison is inevitable.
What really makes the scene work though is Butler’s reactions. The surprise, confusion and then realization as he spots the kid with the remote. The way he just grins and sits back to enjoy the show, even going so far as to block her tries to shrug off the presentation to him just so he can watch her squirm (literally) is great. Butler has a great sense of comedic timing and really makes me think this might go beyond just a cute rom-com.
- JULIE & JULIA… I don’t have much to say about this footage, but I liked it. Meryl Streep is always dependable and looks like she’s having a blast playing Julia Child. Amy Adams is also fairly dependable and she’s looking mighty adorable here, playing a woman who is using Child’s cookbook to separate herself from others, starting a blog where every day she cooks one of the 365 recipes in the book.
The flick looks to tell two stories that aren’t exactly related, but share a common struggle. One is Adams’ struggle to find her voice and Child’s struggle to make her passion her work. The flick looks really cute. I might have lost my insanely manly man macho image by saying that, but fuck it. I liked what I saw.
- THE YEAR ONE. I really, really want this one to work. A lot of people jump on Jack Black’s dick, but I think he’s a genuinely funny guy and when paired with the right material I think he crosses over into the hilarious zone. And I’ve noticed a bit of a backlash against Michael Cera, too. But I love these guys and I love Harold Ramis. He still has it. THE ICE HARVEST was a great bit of bleak comedy that was vastly overlooked.
But I’m not sure about this one. I like the idea… two idiots stumble across biblical stories… I like the cast. You have Black and Cera as well as Bill Hader, Hank Azaria, David Cross, Paul Rudd, Chris Mintz-Plasse, Oliver Platt and Ramis himself… a great comedy cast, no doubt.
However, the impression I got from the footage shown was a kind of a shotgun approach. It felt like they’re just kind of randomly throwing different kinds of jokes at the wall. Some stick and are really funny (like Hank Azaria as Abraham telling Cera and Black of Sodom and Gomorrah that are overrun with whores who will pleasure any man who wants it and Cera shyly asking which city has more whores… you know, so they can make sure to doubly avoid that one) and some isn’t (Black getting kicked out of his tribe… although, that did have a funny ending with a black-faced Bill Hader as the tribe chief watching Jack Black set fire to a hut and shrieking… then going, “Oh, that’s not my house” and going silent).
This is one I really, really want to like. I just don’t know if it’ll be all there by the time I see the full thing.
That’s about that for Sony. Be back with more as ShoWest develops.
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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Quint's boats will hook you up!
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I kinda figured they'd finish that up as a trilogy. Hopefully the third one will have more sense of scope (not the mouthwash) and really, really, really push the limits of onscreen aliens. I want what they did in Hellboy 2 to happen with this movie.
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Right now, it just looks stupid. I think it could be a funny concept, but man everything I've seen from that film looks extremely terrible.
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I read Angels & Demons and kinda sorta liked it. The Da Vinci Code was hilariously bad. Out of the two, Angels & Demons was the more violent. I doubt we'll see it get an "R", but it would be of more interest to me if it got that rating.
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I just rewatched Broken Arrow (the one with Travolta, not the Western) and was pleasantly reminded that Vincnet Vega can play one cool as hell villain. I love the original film, but I'm still going to see the retread.
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I avoid chick flicks like mad cow disease.
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Man, I hope they don't fuck up either one of those. I'm pretty much guaranteed to see both on opening day. Don't suck damn you!
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but I like it.
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Oliver Platt ftw!
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just saying
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was pretty good.
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again, just saying
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MiB clearly took a lot of influence from Ghostbusters. I think it's pretty awesome that the third film in each series is going to be going head to head in the same year.
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before anybody else even thought about posting. Now that's a game I'd like to play. Because I win.
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I'd really like to read your take on Cronenberg's Rabid. Armpit vaginas are such a rarity.
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They made a movie about that premise?
That's the most retarded thing I have ever heard.
What's next: a movie based on the menu at T.G.I. Friday's? -
It still sounds like a dumb idea for a movie. Streep is really out to show Winslet after this year's Oscars. Bet your butt she is.
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Sounds great!
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MiB now or something...it has been over ten years since the original afterall! I'd actually love to see a new MiB flick though as the first is a modern classic and the sequel has that Ghostbusters 2 syndrome..you know, its just a retread of the first but enjoyable enough all the same. A third film, with the right idea and much much more ambition could be great..like an agent exchange film where J is sent off to investigate something on a distant planet, while some other alien MiB guy takes over for him on earth or something...obviously not that idea but something much better.
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I love the series. Even the over the top craziness of the second one was fine with me. I hope the third goes even bigger and broader.
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It just doesn't scream "Make a movie out of me!" I mean, do you really wanna watch two women cook for two hours? Turn on the Food Network.
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So, does that mean in 2012 we get the MIB/Ghostbusters crossover film? I could spend an hour going over the franchise parallels so I won't even start. A lot of Ghostbuster's ghosts look like alien species already, so it wouldn't be a jump at all.
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Big names and yet since Indy 4 (and MiB 2, Ghostbusters 2, Spider-Man 3 for that matter) I just can't be excited for these.
And no, just seeing the characters back on the screen after all this time doesn't necessarily make it worthwhile. -
The first one had a great tone. The second was just too light and felt like a rehash. HOWEVER - there is gold in the story if it's done right. Get. Them. Off. Planet. Seriously, J & K in space in the midst of a galactic war in a similar vein to Galaxy Quest would absolutely work. And bring back Linda Florentino or whatever her name is.
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Gerard Butler has yet to be forgiven. Why doesn't he get back to "300" style action movies instead of this romantic fluff?
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The last one was one of the worst studio films I have ever seen!
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...from "The Drew Carey Show". Not sure how that's relevant.
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Make no excuses, it is what it is.
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Was pretty awful, and the first was only decent. The third will make tons of money though because of Will Smith. I'm really worried that they'll mess up Ghostbusters 3 with the next-gen cast. And someone here was all over me (was it Vern?) when I said that was the direction of the movie, and he said it wasn't set in stone (despite that being the direction of the script rewrites for years, and what the writers said, and Akroyd said, and what Raimis said, etc), and lo and behold, that is the direction they are going in.
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I got a wolverine review posted on my url it is www.myspace.com/martinjunior84
if you got a myspace page add me, and check out the review and let me know what you think. Stay cool fellow geeks and nerds! -
Apr 01, 2009 6:45:38 PM CDT
So you're THAT interesting that you want us to follow you on Twi
by nobody_touches_buddy_revell
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piece of rom-com sludge, whatever-the-fuck-it-was, with Hillary Swank...
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Seriously go watch Taking of Pelham 123, and watch any Travolta film, and try to say with a straight face Travolta plays a better badguy!
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If only there was a way to know! Am I the only one that DOESN'T want Ghostbusters 3? Wasn't 2 bad enough? Unless they're trying to redeem themselves, 20 years later. End it already.
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MIB1 was great but was like a prologue instead of a full feature film, MIB2 had, uh, good aliens. Rick Baker's stuff made those films. Recognise this, suits.
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The creepiest tan in Hollywood.
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Dam I need to find those episodes from the last season I never saw...
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C'mon these guys know what there doing I don't believe Ramis and Murray and Dan Ackroyd and that black dude would make this film if they couldn't pull it off. Only thing that sucks is Rick Moranis won't act anymore and he really needs to be in this.
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Mainly because they changed Agent Elle's voice. The origial voice was sexy as hell, the new one just blew.
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Like shockingly so. And I love really dark comedies, but this thing shifted tone about 17 times during the movie, it couldn't figure out what the hell it wanted to be. Unfortunately, the least of them was funny (or simply entertaining).
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Nope, you're not alone. Though the ironic thing is, I appear to be the only person on the PLANET that really liked Ghostbusters 2. I'm not saying it was as good as the original, but I have almost as much fun reciting dialog from it (& I can pretty much do it all) as I do from part 1. I love it.
But no G3 idea I've EVER heard have I liked so far, not if it's anything in line with the "passing the reigns on to a new generation", even if Murray IS involved (which, I'm shocked he'd actually sign up for any thing with that premise). -
not MIB3.
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Natch.
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Apr 01, 2009 11:01:08 PM CDT
ghsotbusters 3 should not be made without murrys script approval
by hellcomestofrogtown
he may not have been the original choice for venkman, but he is the character and always seemed to understand what made the first one tick.
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make it less of a silly comedy/action and more realistic scifi.
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Ever since I heard smith take one of Rock's catchphrases in MIIB, I thought if was smith's way of trying to get him involved.
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We already had two awful attempts.
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Ghost3usters! I'll probably pay to see it.
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Indy 4 Vs. Mummy in china. No matter who wins, we loose.
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...not that this is news to anyone, though.
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Another alien universe is hidden... in the crags of Tommy Lee Jones face. "Hell no!"
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Those "funny" scenes he described sound excruciating. A kid remotley masturbates a grown woman in public sound really funny. Who made this movie ,Mary Kay Laturnoe?
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Talk about wanting to get as many people in the movie and out in the fastest possible time!!!
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Honestly, I am quite sick of the trend. But watching Heigl feign clitoral stimulus...I may sneak into that one.
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Year One looks ridiculous. Even Mel Brooks and Monty Python knew enough to at least stick to a vaguely historical time line. Cavemen wandering through Bible stuff doesn't even make sense on an absurd humor level. And these are the guys writing Ghostbusters 3?
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the second one was pretty damn lame (despite having a handful of funny scenes), but I guess I would be game for a third
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sounds pretty funny and perverted....I like that
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