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Mr. Beaks Visits The Set Of THE GREEN HORNET!
The tenth floor newsroom at the Sentinel Media headquarters in Century City is trashed. Wires and ducts dangle from the ripped open ceiling. Desks and cubicles have been reduced to rubble. It's a disaster area. Judging from the skid marks on the carpet, someone's been driving a car in here.
"None of this is set dressing," boasts producer Neal H. Moritz. "It was all done for real. That half car... came through here at incredible speed and took all this stuff out. We shot a few real missiles in here."
Moritz is in his element. This is the type of over-the-top mayhem he's been delivering for well over a decade in films like THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, xXx and S.W.A.T. Though he doesn't betray much emotion, it's evident he's very pleased with what went down on this Culver Studios set just a few days ago. He knows how to make this work.
As for what's transpiring on a soundstage over at the adjacent Sony lot (and, most importantly, who's in charge of it), well, this is perhaps a new challenge for the meat-and-potatos producer.
It's an early December morning, and a group of online journalists are getting their first glimpse of THE GREEN HORNET. Yes, after years of errant development and false starts, the masked superhero created by Fran Striker and George W. Trendle is finally getting the lavish, big-screen treatment Hollywood has determined fans cannot live without. As Moritz leads us around the Owen Paterson's elegantly-designed sets (you know and love his work from THE MATRIX trilogy, V FOR VENDETTA and SPEED RACER), it quickly becomes clear that this is a big movie. The aforementioned action set piece - which also involves the Black Beauty being crashed into a glass elevator and split in half as it smashes into the third-floor ceiling of the lobby - is the handiwork of veteran second-unit-director/stunt-coordinator Vic Armstrong. The cinematographer is John Schwartzman, who knows from barely-organized chaos after three tours of duty with Michael Bay. This is an A-plus production across the board.
So, naturally, they placed it in the hands of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who in turn brought in the master-of-handmade-whimsy, Michel Gondry, to direct.
It may seem like two films are being made here, but, if anything, Gondry appears to be reining in his fantastical impulses in order to mesh with Moritz's mainstream sensibilities. Rogen and Goldberg have helped to ease the transition by writing a screenplay that fits snugly into the action-comedy genre ala 48 HRS. or MIDNIGHT RUN. As you can tell from the recently-released trailer, the setup is pretty basic: it's a buddy film, with the typical GREEN HORNET dynamic upended to emphasize the ruthless efficacy of Kato (Jay Chou) and the relative incompetence of Britt Reid. Nothing revolutionary here.
But, as we settle in on the Sony soundstage, where Rogen and Chou are laying waste to Britt's pool-house bachelor pad by engaging in clumsy fisticuffs, some of that inimitable Gondry silliness begins to surface. For reasons I can't discern, Britt's quarters are festooned with cheesy hard rock posters (Joe Satriani looms large here); there's also a suit of armor randomly hanging out. While we examine the gaudy clutter of the bedroom, I notice a member of the Armstrong stunt team working out a piece of fight choreography behind Britt's fully stocked bar. He's toying with the glass door of a refrigerator. "Could someone's head get shoved in here?"
When we get a chance to chat with Gondry, he's quick to single out working with Armstrong as a highlight. "He's all for doing things practically," says Gondry. "We don't rely so much on blue screen. There will be some blue screen and other computer elements, but, at the minimum, we want the physicality to be [emphasized]."
This is certainly the case with the Britt/Kato fight scene, the staging of which is about to culminate with Rogen's stunt double being jerked via wires through a glass window. They let us stick around on the set to watch them execute the gag, and, I've got to say, it's a bit of a rush watching a top-flight stuntman do his thing. As always, I'm surprised by how quickly and smoothly they set the sequence up - and that it goes off without a hitch. These guys are the best in the business. It's times like these I wish I could hop in a time machine and visit the set of HOOPER.
For the first time since arriving on the soundstage, I begin to sense a comfort level. This may not be Gondry's preferred method of shooting a movie, but he's enjoying the opportunity to place certain stylistic limitations on himself. There's too much money on the line here; he can't get too carried away.
One of my colleagues asks Gondry if he's worried about the perception that he's selling out. Predictably, he bristles at the notion. "That's too bad they feel this way," he says, mildly annoyed. "It's hard enough for me to get a movie. If I get ghettoized, what do I do?"
As for commenters and talkbackers who question the wisdom of the whole endeavor, Gondry is amused. "The best email I received, or blog I read, was 'Seth Rogen is the worst actor in the universe, and whoever hired Michel should be fired.' It was really awesome. I framed it." But he quickly turns defensive. "What else do you want me to say? People are against me - and some people are against me doing movies [like THE GREEN HORNET]. They try to demonstrate that they were right from the beginning, and they are hoping for your decline."
As a comic book fan, and someone who's very aware of the online discourse, Rogen has anticipated this skepticism and is eager to address it. Interestingly, he's just as bored with superhero movies as the rest of us, which informed his take on the material. "The fact that everyone's seen a hundred super hero movies at this point makes it a lot easier to play with the conventions because people know what to expect when you do something different. They know that you're subverting it. As a comic book fan, it's nice that it's reached a wide enough audience at this point that you can almost deal with it as though the whole world was these nerdy comic book fans. It's just part of the culture now. Everyone knows that Deadpool was part of the Weapon X program. The fact that that's common knowledge among kids these days is mind-blowing to me. If you had told me that when I was a kid, 'One day, every kid will know this shit...,' it's crazy. And it's really exciting now to be able to use the fact that everyone has this knowledge and this expectation from these movies to do what it is that we want to do creatively."
People are generally on their best behavior when journalists visit the set, but if a movie is troubled, you can still detect the tension. Obviously, Moritz and Gondry have two very different philosophies when it comes to filmmaking. But watching them work together, and noticing their excitement at checking out - over the journalists' shoulders - a sizzle reel hastily cut-together to give us a sense of what the film is going to be, it seems obvious to me that everyone feels upbeat about the direction of THE GREEN HORNET. This is the movie they set out to make. And I'd say that even if I didn't get a testicle-rattling ride around Culver City in the Black Beauty!
I can't wait to see what the boys bring down to Comic Con next month. THE GREEN HORNET hits theaters nationwide in 3-D on January 14th, 2011.
Faithfully submitted,
Mr. Beaks
Readers Talkback
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no idea of the history, but shiznit blows up real good in the trailer...
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that all concerned want to blow off the internet haterz? "Oh, we know they'll hate us whatever we do." Nope. Make it good, and we'll like you! :D
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Cynics be damned... I'm going into the movie with an open mind and hoping for the best.
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And that's a shame, because a proper Green Hornet flick could be really cool.
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Just Rogen once again playing the character he has recycled throughout much of his career. And is it just me, or did Rogen's delivery and "style" of comedy seem particularly forced in the Green Hornet trailer?
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July 13, 2010, 4:04 p.m. CST
Gondry is to Green Hornet what Michael Jordan was to Baseball
by Rubiks Doob
Talented guy, wrong sport...
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July 13, 2010, 4:08 p.m. CST
we will look up to seth rogen and shout, "GIVE US A GOOD MOVIE!"
by Dharma4
...and he'll whisper, "no."
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...and he'll *mumble*, "no."<p> ftfy
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Has any journalist after a set visit said "yeah, it looks crap." Its like a recent journo asked Evans what he thought of the Cap Am costume. Shockingly, he said he liked it and that the fans would too - as if would say anything else...
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I could barely bring myself to post about it. But I gotta be a smartass what can you do.
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It's whisper, not mumble. haha.
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July 13, 2010, 4:40 p.m. CST
Looks incredibly bad. Another sad fate for a nice property
by JonChambers
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you will never hear from Michel Gondry again.
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Once again AICN openly demonstrates how they are in bed with "favored" projects and promote them shamelessly in return for set visits and other privileges - journalistic integrity bedamned.<p>The list of movies that AICN has promoted for the studios gets longer and longer. If AICN wanted to be taken seriously as an INDEPENDENT movie website, it should have NO CONTACT WHATSOEVER with studios and filmmakers.<p>Instead, they continue to post these puff pieces and give studio plants free reign to put up their "reviews" on this site. AICN once again shows that it is nothing more than an extension of studio marketing departments.
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he looks like another Seth...Seth Green. And I love Seth Green, but Seth Green superhero???
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I see The Spirit-like grosses in its future.
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Unless they don't like the movie then they'll puss out and not review it all like Harry did with Predators.
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i've enjoyed everything rogen has done so far.
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You should have. Anything to stop Seth Rogen from fucking up The Green Hornet. Worst casting possible.
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/vomits
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Wow, he really trimmed down.
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...are you all out of your minds?!?! This will be a very cool movie. Not earth-shattering or paradigm-shifting, but very cool nonetheless. I'm thinking somewhere between Iron Man & Kick-ass kind of cool. Gondry & Rogen have the goods & the passion to make this work. Of course, I could be wrong. I loved Dune & Happy Feet. <br><br> Let the douchebag missiles fire.
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TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK!
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I am interested in how they are "subverting" the genre - Rogen did not seem to elaborate on this point. But a stab at making this unexpected has me enthused.
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not sure if this is the next "Spirit" or not, but it feels that way....
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...because Seth Rogan was cast in it.
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no waltz [pic], no read.
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Waltz has no costume, just wears a suit, check the http://tinyurl.com/248a352 pic
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...goes to that last Pedanski movie. The amount of hype on that one was puzzling, given the fact that we aren't exactly the target audience.
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but I AM DISAPPOINT now
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Green Hornet and this fake ass Kato be damned.
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July 13, 2010, 6:32 p.m. CST
STEPHEN CHOW SHOULD MAKE HIS OWN LION-O MOVIE
by RICHARD_GERE_RAPED_MY_GERBIL
THUNDERCATS!<br>HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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but this looks like 3lbs of shit in a 2lb bag. after i heard stephen chow wasnt gonna be in it i lost all interest
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Chow FTW!!!!
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July 13, 2010, 6:37 p.m. CST
IF I WERE SOME ASIAN DUDE WITH POWERFUL WICKED KUNG-FU
by BringingSexyBack
You can bet your sweet ass I wouldn't be wasting my life chauffering some fat round-eye around.
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I agree. And where is the Rogen hate coming from? Superbad, Knocked Up, Funny People... considering he is basically a normal dude, I think he could have done a lot worse so far. I Would go as far as to say average Rogen/Goldberg is FAR > than post-Amy Kevin Smith (though I do like Clerks II enough.) And Gondry gave us Eternal Sunshine. Don't try and give all the credit to Kaufman on that one, because if you are trying to do that, then you obviously did not see Kaufman's attempt at a directorial debut in Synecdoche, NY. Gondry and Jonze deserve a ton of credit for bringing Kaufman's work into the realm of watchability. How does this team spell disaster? Everyone just wants some Dark Knight version of Green Hornet, which just isn't going to happen. Nobody cares (besides us). They barely even got it to happen with Batman, one of the biggest/most profitable super heros in the world. I am not saying those who feel that the trailer was lackluster don't have a basis, but this and any other talkback related to this movie seem to have a whole gang of actual, real internet hates. Yes, they are real. And may actually be a majority. Also, stereochad, I also enjoy Dune, despite its very difficult script, and weird substition of certain plot devices. I would place it at a near-Watchmen level of difficulty/payoff.
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...THAT would have been funny. Joe Satriani is kind of douchey. Regardless, I'm just all confused by this movie. I'm tired of Set Rogen to a point that is approaching Michael Cera levels. They're both the same guy in every part. But I LOVE LOVE LOVE Gondry and want this to be good.
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I'm also cool with Seth rogen. I have to say, the trailer really didn't sell it to me anymore. It actually pushed me away a little.
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because Mel Gibson needs a woman!
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We're just not impressed with the product thus far. It's that simple. Great directors make crappy movies. Coppola made JACK. Spielberg made CRYSTAL SKULL. It happens to the best guys and girls out there. We haven't seen HORNET yet, but we can react to the stuff that's out there already. This looks like a pretty vapid piece of work. Period.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnfSl3zKyzY
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And forced. You try too hard.
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...at a directorial debut" <P> Are you out of your mind?! That film's a masterpiece. Even though it was VERY Inland Empire.
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I think Kaufman lays his depressing tone on way too thick in that movie, on top of the fact that it is way too derivitive of Kafka and Lynch. Kaufman has his own, nice little cinematic voice when he chooses to use it. Like Malkovich. And Eternal Sunshine, which smacked slightly of Phillip K. Dick, but was still more Kaufman that anything. And Gondry/Jonze add a nice balance to his downer tone in they way they choose deliver it. Kaufman doing his own film is not unintelligent by any means, it's just not very good viewing material in my book.
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I would go as far as to say I've had a way better time with any given Todd Solondz movie, and I have much the same problem with his fare.
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They won't know what fuck the Green Hornet is. Even a geek like myself has never read the comics (which were never put out by the big two, me being a Marvel zombie), has never heard the classic radio show or seen the TV show. I would have liked to have seen it but I was just a toddler when it first aired on TV and shows that only last one season rarely run in syndication. I only know that they did a one-time crossover with the Adam West Batman show (which I did see), Bruce Lee was Kato and that a retired California sheriff played the GH. So, I'm guessing the fanbase for this film is pretty weak and it's mostly on Rogen's shoulders to carry it.
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Beaks' visit reads like a paid-for advertisement designed to fool the ignorant masses they hope to trick into seeing this idiotic film!<p>"This is an A-plus production across the board. So, naturally, they placed it in the hands of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg"??? An A-plus superhero film production is "naturally" placed in the hands of... SETH ROGEN??? WHAT. THE. HELL??!!! >:O<p>You guys are nothing more than a bunch of sell-outs in the most literal sense. You have no interest in providing honest commentary to geek fans of these characters. Your primary interest is in shamelessly pimping out the scabby, diseased products various people in Hollywood tell you to, completely uncaring as to how your promoting such insultingly garbage films merely encourages the creation of even MORE crappy movies!<p>Totally inexcusable. >:(
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July 14, 2010, 1:16 a.m. CST
Chuckwalla, whether anyone's 'heard" of the Hornet...
by TheGhostWhoLurks
Is COMPLETELY irrelevant. How many people had ever heard of BLADE before the movie came out? Not that many... HIS fanbase was pretty small, as well. What MATTERS is how WELL the film is made and whether or not it's respectful to its audience's intelligence and sensibilities. Make a GOOD film that's exciting and doesn't treat the audience like morons and people will love it, regardless of prior knowledge.<p>The Green Hornet is NOT a comedic superhero and was never meant to be. He wasn't the subject of fart jokes, prat falls, a slovenly loser, or any of the other things that Seth Rogen & Co. are obviously attributing to him in this new film. How many "comedic" superhero films were actually any good and made money? EVER??? I can't think of one. Especially not ones that are based on straight superheroes and radically changed to be a "comedy" by misguided filmmakers.<p>This "Green Hornet" is DOA and a complete waste of time and money that SHOULD have been spent simply making a serious adaptation of the franchise that would have pleased EVERYONE, instead of just simple-minded Seth Rogen fans who just love his schtick. >:P
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That French "Green Hornet" film is EXACTLY the tone the movie should have taken. The Hornet may not be the butt-kicker Kato is, but he IS the brains of the operation and is more than capable of taking care of himself, when he needs to. And I can't imagine many people complaining about seeing a 2-hour film like that. It'd be a hit.
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They let Kevin Smith make his version so when it failed at the box office it would be a huge nail in his career coffin. Then I could laugh at all of his sad followers claiming it did okay and he makes all of his money on DVDs anyway.
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I actually like Rogen, I love Gondry's work, his imagination and all. But all the on-set troubles, Gondry's imagination being restrained, the movie looking like it doesn't know what it wants to be and all the other things, I see no indication this will work. Will it make money? Could be, but probably not enough to warrant a sequel, unless they make a last ditch attempt to use the dreaded "upscaled 3D" technique.
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What "on-set troubles" ? Were you on the set ?
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I just think it's a great film about mental illness, like Shutter Island was.
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Honestly, I didn't see Blade in its theatrical run and didn't know that it was based on a Marvel comic character until the second movie. It did modest amount of money (I read online) but had I known at the time that he was a character in Tomb of Dracula — a title that I never picked up — I probably would have gone to see it. But from what I saw in the trailer, it never mentioned anything about the comics and looked like just another B level action flick starring Wesley Snipes. I did eventually see it on HBO later, and thought it was alright but I didn't initially shell out my mad ducketts to see it in the theater. So you're telling me brand awareness isn't a factor? I don't see how it is COMPLETELY irrelevant.
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Hey blade you want to smoke this? "Later". Blade uses medical marijuana to help alleviate his thirst.
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Plus Vic Armstrong is a God.
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...i think it could go either way.
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July 14, 2010, 7:30 a.m. CST
Merriman Lyon: THere's nothing unbiased about this site.
by mistergreen
I just come here to catch up on rumors and news. I don't read reviews at all. If you want unbiased reviews, there are professional critics out there that are pretty good.
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There's a new definition of "bland" coming!
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Rogen=Superhero Spoof? Yes. Is this going to be a spoof? I don't think so. Thusly and therforely, this pill of a movie will be hard to swallow.
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AICN staff start Best Picture of the Year campaign for The Green Hornet.
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I'm sorry, but reading all this hate is making me laugh... Firstly, the trailer looks awesome. Secondly, shouldn't geeks be ecstatic that there's a chubby, unshaven, funny-looking guy with a lisp as a superhero? I mean, c'mon, loving Robert Downy Jr. - that's a man crush. Loving Seth Rogen as a superhero? That could give a geek hope!
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Go away. And the whole AICN selling out rant is tired. Put it to bed.
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set visit = positive review<p> But what he'll TRY to do is one of those Harry-style "Gosh by golly this film is great fun and critics are killing it because its not oscar worthy yadda yadda yadda..."<p> It certainly will NOT get the Roy Disney treatment.
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July 14, 2010, 12:16 p.m. CST
UH OH...AICN set visit means they are desperate
by CRISPIN_GLOVERS_ACID_FLASHBACK
to save this P.O.S.
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for worst picture.<p>Mark my words!
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I've said it before and I'll say it again...this looks appalling. I'll be amazed if it gets a general release outside the US.
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it still looks better than THOR.
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it's not about tearing down Gondry or Rogen. It's about having the right people involved, and these guys just are not the right people. But super hero movies suck, and likely always will. I have a feeling this will set a new benchmark in sucky super hero films.
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I'm starting to think all these douchebag haters are paid to come to AICN and shit on EVERYTHING!! But it's for damn sure that NONE of them are legitimate film geeks. A REAL film geek doesn't view every fucking film as a case of "I automatically hate this shit, and you're gonna have to make the best film ever made to get even a grudging half-ass positive word out of my sorry ass." I'm not saying that everyone needs to be a Pollyanna here, but Jesus H. Christ the amount of hate and venom spewed by some of you sorry-ass fucks is just pathetic. Find SOMETHING you like, or just go eat a bullet and quit shitting all your ridiculous hatred on the world.<p>THAT SAID, I like where this flick is going.
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What you say has some truth, but really, why pick THIS film to defend? Rogen has clearly gotten a huge head since his break through success and thinks he can be a Superhero figure just because he lost some weight. <p> Will this suck? Will it be great? To be honest, I don't give a damn at all about The Green Hornet one way or the other, but if I was a betting mad, I would lay my money on suck.
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Can't wait for this one.
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Good work, I am counting the days until it flops.
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It will make The Spirit look like The Dark Knight!
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So of course, Beaks is in its corner. I hope it does for Seth Rogen's long overdue 15 minutes what Jennifer's Body did for Megan Fox and Last Airbender is doing for Shyamalan (and what Mel Gibson is doing to himself!). Can't wait to see the box office returns on this turkey and see how miserably it's going to tank.
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New E-Weekly cover . . .
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just damn sick to death of the over-the-top hatred and bile spewing from so many TBers. It IS possible to express a negative opinion of something without resorting to language and tone that makes Mel Gibson sound like Mr. Rogers!
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Bill Crosby ftw.
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Bing Crosby is on the radio right now, how's that for synchronicity and a Freudian slip?
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July 16, 2010, 2:33 a.m. CST
Mr Beaks Visits a back-alley for an unmarked brown envelope
by Hardboiled Wonderland
How much they pay you for the positive spin, Beaks?
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the trailer made me say meh. The set visit piece also makes me say meh. My verdict so far is meh squared I suppose. I might give this a pass based on the information at hand so far.
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Singing Conan, I love you. Marry me.
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...a few wheels already broke off. This time it's the Rogen bandwagon. Way to be on point 3 years ago.
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July 17, 2010, 2:11 a.m. CST
FF to January: No reviews of Green Hornet except 1 "flawed but e
by reflecto
soundbite. Media blackout a la COP OUT.
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July 17, 2010, 2:12 a.m. CST
entertaining" It'll be another AICN media blackout like COP OUT
by reflecto
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I heard from some pals that worked on the shoot how it was in frustrated (even angry) chaos due to the director's arrogance and lack of understanding for the action sequences. The trailer looks like shit. Every time I watch that trailer and see them blowing up that red light camera I think how stupid the writers must think the public is. Any idiot knows the picture was already sent over a line to a computer and tickets sent out without human involvement. Plus, fuck, the Green Hornet acts like a criminal. The Black Beauty is not going to have plates the city can trace. It was just stupid shit like you see in other stupid shit Hollywood "comedies".
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We are exasperated by hacks making a mess of them, particularly by changing elements that don't need to changed.
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It isn't so much that people hate Rogen or Gondry. The truth is...this looks awful. True, trailers is supposed to generate excitement. This does the opposite. What we do see, shows us that no one in creative control really know what they're doing. The Matrix-Fu has been over for years. Rogen's contention that they're subverting expectations since we're all jaded by superhero movies - is laughable. Any superhero film, done well, respectfully, insightfully, would be welcomed with open arms. The very idea that Rogen was the right person for this needs to be dismissed. The entire take is a piss on the genre. THAT is why you're seeing hate. You're seeing it because the trailer looks like high concept shit dreamed up in a meeting. Half assed mess committed to film by people who feel they're ABOVE the genre.
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