Moon *UPDATED*

It's no secret that we love our science-fiction films to reflect actual science in their story. Unfortunately, these days "space films" or "technology films" are often mistaken for science-fiction. Real science fiction stories do not necessarily have to be set in space or involve any type of technology. Think about that for a while...

This debut film by director, Duncan Jones has been making the festival rounds and seems set for a wider release...sadly still the art house route, but I should be thankful this film is being distributed at all.

The story centers around Sam Rockwell's character, a contract employee working alone on the moon for a company that provides clean energy on Earth from resources sent from the moon. With his 3 year contract almost over, Rockwell's Sam Bell looks forward to returning home; that is when he discovers he is not alone. This encounter will heighten his sense of loneliness and push his grasp of reality to the breaking point when he is so close to leaving it all behind.

*Update*
Apple now has the trailer available in SD and HD versions. The official site has yet to go live, but you can sign up to be alerted when it does.

The film mixes a few familiar themes or concepts from past films, but the setting of the Moon is what makes it work. This isn't deep space. He can see home from his window. His family is an easy video call away, no lag time for communication. And this is exactly what makes the sense of isolation so much more intense. Just like the last hour of your work day can sometimes feel like the longest hour of your life, Sam Bell's two weeks might as well be an eternity.
Look for the film in theaters this summer.

JCVD

Gaumont's "JCVD," a French-language meta-movie parody par excellence, constitutes the headiest stretch of the beefy star's career since, well, ever.

That's a quote from Variety. If Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler has rejuvenated the career of bad-boy Micky Rourke, then JCVD might have just resurrected the career of 80s action maven, Jean-Claude Van Damme (his initials making up the title for those of you taking notes). In the film, Jean-Claude plays himself, or at least a likeness of himself-an aging action star whose personal life is on course to be smashed against the rocks in a sea of mounting problems. This ultimately comes to a head when he stumbles upon a robbery at the post office; unfortunately, due to speculative circumstances and gossiping, the media believes it is Jean-Claude who is perpetrating the crime, seizing on the tabloid sensationalism of what they assume has to be the man's last gasp for attention.

There is a lot poking fun at the industry and self-depreciation, but mixed in with this is a layer of melancholy which one might think a mirage; however, it becomes obvious as the film progresses that there is a genuine honesty at work culminating in a scene every review I've read has talked about; it's a monologue that, if scripted, demonstrates acting skill we'd not yet seen or, if unscripted, is some of the most honest, naked, soul-bearing ever put to film. I believe this scene is from where the main poster image was taken.

You can find the trailer over at Apple. Meanwhile, the real Jean-Claude Van Damme is hard at work on the post-production of an action-drama set in Southeast Asia called The Eagle Path which he also directed with Doug Milsome (Full Metal Jacket) behind the lens. Color me curious...

Black Dynamite

What do you know of Blaxploitation films? I grew up watching them on television without being aware of the genre. All I knew was that the films were fun to watch, packed with action, sometimes humor, but most of all a simple to understand yet serious message. Black Dynamite by writer/director Scott Sanders is just such a film. What makes this work special, however, is that it's not an old film resurrected from the past; this is a new film that is perhaps not so much a homage, but perhaps a renaissance of Blaxploitation. Every level of production is so spot on that it would be easy to argue that this is some restored, forgotten film of the genre. From the film stock to the cinematography; from the production design to the art direction (look at that poster!); from the script and directing to the original soundtrack, it is obvious that Sanders understands what he is doing. Better yet, everyone around him "gets it" as well. What they've managed to create looks to be a highly entertaining film that is also a throwback to simpler days:



Played by Michael Jai White, (yea, the guy from Spawn who also shares co-writer credit) the hero, Black Dynamite, takes action against those who would corrupt his community. He's cool, suave, manly, and the upholder of justice/virtue when others around him give in to "the man." He is absolutely confident in who he is. These qualities are all central to Blaxploitation which grew out of a need in the black community in the late 60s and 70s for films that were about them; that spoke to them. The only people who could do that were black filmmakers. Needless to say, the studio "system" was still largely engaged in entertaining whites, so black filmmakers had to do things themselves. The budgets were modest, but the creativity, talent, and most importantly, the enthusiasm were boundless. I won't go into the history of the genre here; there is an excellent summary of it on the Black Dynamite official homepage. Suffice it to say that this film captures the mood of the era with a casual wink of the eye that is just as charming as the title character.

The film has been playing the festival circuit, recently bringing down the house up in Park City (Sundance) and should hopefully be making it's way to an art house theater near you. Whether or not Scott Sanders will make another film like this is unknown. For now, I'll just revel in what he's created already.

The Storm Warriors

Back in 1997, a unique film came out combining wuxia with the latest CG effects at the time. The film was called The Storm Riders, a very satisfying evolution of the genre that was both a narrative success as well as a visual feast; certainly the first Chinese comic come-to-life. It was helmed by a young director named Andrew Lau. He went on to create this little trilogy known as Infernal Affairs. Well, jump forward 12 years later as the sequel, The Storm Warriors, is now in production. Both Ekin Cheng & Aaron Kwok reprise their roles as Wind & Cloud respectively with Simon Yam and Charlene Choi also joining the cast. In the director's chair(s) are Danny and Oxide Pang (The Eye, the original Bangkok Dangerous).

As with any good wuxia film, the story focuses on a threat to the country, this time by a Japanese warlord named Lord Godless. After either imprisoning or eliminating the land's martial artists, only our heroes are left. According to the official introduction of the film, The Storm Warriors will pit Wind against Cloud as Wind makes the decision to study darker arts in order to increase his power to defeat Lord Godless. Unfortunately, as warned by a little green "martial arts master" in another series, darkness ends up consuming him. Cloud and his allies will be forced not only to battle the villain, but a former friend as well. How will it end?

It certainly sounds epic and I believe this is going to be the Pang Brothers' first outing into something of this scale. Visual stylists that they are, one can already get a sense of the production value being employed, both in these character illustrations:



and in this brief teaser:



One will also note the visual style of the film, relying on heavy use of green screen, digital grading, and speed variations ala Zack Snyder. There is another clip of a battle scene available on the official website under "Top Secret" that has been a source of controversy among net denizens. Most people seem to hate it. For a wuxia film, it is certainly different, but I must caution those who look at it and assume this is part of the movie. The fact of the matter is, you don't know that. Also, there are parts of this video that seem to hint that this is nothing more than a sizzle reel, a test of whether the visuals can be achieved that's shown off to investors. The final look of the film is still largely unknown. With the film slated for a December release, I am sure we will eventually find out. For now, however, be cautiously optimistic at the prospect of the return of Chinese fantasy films.

High Kick Girl!

This is not some gimmick image. Though the obvious draw of a high school girl in her school uniform shooting her leg straight up like that might be the intention of other kinds of films, lead actress Takeda Rina is the real thing. Buzz about this film spread like wildfire after a short clip made it to YouTube, a hilarious vignette that showcased Takeda's skill. That vignette has made it to the opening segment of the official trailer:



Through the film's official blog (Japanese only), the filmmakers have released segments of behind-the-scenes videos showcasing Takeda and the other cast members in rehearsal sessions. Most of them have been collected at this YouTube page and unfortunately, they seem to make up the bulk of the official trailer. Though the appeal is that these performers will perform their own stunts sans wires or CG, and that Takeda will be doing her own fighting, it leaves little room for selling what the film is about. What will be the tone of the narrative? Will we see a Karate Kid style "be the best you can be" feel-good story? By the little dialogue featured in the trailer, and the synopsis on the production blog, perhaps not. Imagine if you will, the character of Daniel rejecting Mr. Miyagi and actually joining the Cobra Kai because he thinks he is better than Miyagi gives him credit. That seems to be the journey of Takeda's character, Kei. Ultimately, she learns she joined the wrong side and... let the action begin!

Obviously, the film isn't going to be pontificating much. We have a protagonist who's appetite for skill outweighs her maturity; it's typical adolescent stuff. The hook will be her encounters with all manner of fighters as she tests her skills and is tested by others' skills. I think the filmmakers are aiming for more entertainment than another karate film that came out in 2007 called Kuro-Obi (Black Belt) which was certainly more philosophical and informative.

For a time during the 60s, karate films were the mainstay, with Sonny Chiba's adventures as the Street Fighter leading the way for other Japanese action films. When Bruce Lee appeared on the scene, filmmakers turned to kung-fu. I wonder if anyone these days would recognize the difference. I believe kung-fu became popular because it is more cinematic; it's graceful moves, when choreographed skillfully, is breathtaking on film. Karate, with it's more staccato, hard, linear nature doesn't photograph well, no matter how well choreographed. However, thanks to the emergence of Muy Thai films, it seems the world is ready to accept more hard-hitting, less "pretty" martial arts in their films, so I hope High Kick Girl will be just one in a growing list of karate films coming out of Japan.

Point-Counterpoint

The King of Fighters

Synopsis

A stylish, high-octane, live action feature based on the highly successful video game franchise, in which the last surviving descendants of three legendary clans are continuously transported to other dimensions to test their martial arts skills against an evil force that seeks to invade and infect the real world.

EDCO's Point:
It would seem to have a great team and best of intentions behind it... on the surface.

But when I hear things about taking "license" with story and looking to expand appeal to a wider audience, the alarm goes off. I think it's just lazy (and on a small level insulting). What's the point of making a King of Fighter's movie if you aren't going to embrace and exploit the things that found a fanbase in the first place?

Japanese videogames typically have ludicrously deep storylines behind even the most esoteric details. Some may find them thin or non-consequential, but to think that they need to be bypassed to adapt to a film, well you're just not trying hard enough. If they are weird, the goal should be to present them just as weird! Else why wouldn't you just create something of your own? Marketing wants to trade off the name, yet has no reverence for what the name represents.

Also KOF has one of the longest pedigrees of balls-out fantastic character designs. To not try and translate that costuming verbatim is folly, I hope they just gave a drawing to the costume dept. and said "make this." Maggie Q as Mai? Fail. What is Mai's well known and game-iconic body type? Is Mai the character that should be cast lithe and tone with a petite, dancer's physicality? Ugh, a casting call would have done well, even [after you] take away all the models and fluff. Like there aren't 10 other KOF characters MQ could have played.

BD's Counterpoint:
The fact of the matter is that [EDCO's] eval of the "crimes" against this kind of material has plagued videogame adaptations since their inception. However, I also have to acknowledge that films needs to attract investors to get made and that means building into it features that increases its ability to open wallets, secure distribution deals, and get the folks who will exhibit this excited about it at trade shows like the lovefest going on in Vegas now called ShoWest.
Ultimately, however, producers [have] only [cared] about developing a way to bring the characters together rather than developing a story that makes said encounters a matter of fact. ["Ludicrously deep storylines" are] only esoteric to the uninitiated; it's your job as a producer to find a way to explain it to them. Projects that strip the meat away from the original property only leaves a bare bones idea that alienates the core fanbase, effectively eliminating the word of mouth they can generate. On the other hand, a project that adheres rigidly to all the original's details, stands to please only its niche audience and alienate the general audience, making it difficult for investors to hop on board.

The problem is time. Asian production timelines are extraordinarily fast--1 to 1.5 years from initial idea to premiere. That's not enough time to develop a proper script or find the right cast that will both serve the demands of the original material and the demands of investors. I agree that there could be a better choice for the character of Mai, but MQ is a face and a name you can slap on a poster, a presskit, or PR video. If you find a great gal who fits the physique, can she act? Can she fight? If she lacks either, you need time to train her. But if MQ can attract the investors, then there's nothing a prosthetic appliance couldn't fix to match Mai's game-iconic lines.

Summary:
Jim Jarmusch's rule #3 is absolutely right. However, Jarmusch has the benefit of making small scale films that neither involve complex action set pieces, effects work, nor a large amount of sets to be built. These kinds of genre films involve a large sum of money to get made. Unfortunately, the rule of thumb has been to develop a film that only vaguely resembles its source material and in extreme cases may only share said material's title. On the other hand, films that have tried to adhere to the source's ideas without developing it effectively for the different medium in which it will be exhibited tend to only appear as "inside jokes" to those unfamiliar with it.

Our wish is that filmmakers have the courage to adapt material with an eye on telling the story in as close to the same form that made it popular in its previous medium. Alongside this, we hope for the existence of producers who will believe in the material and the filmmakers' vision of it without resorting to demanding that, in order to have broad appeal, the material be changed and diluted so it becomes a theft of the concept and a robbery of the fan base's money. All we have ever asked is that they do it right; I think films like The Dark Knight, Iron Man, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy prove that fans are willing to accept certain changes as long as the adaptation gets the characters, the story, and a number of details right. And the box-office figures of these films prove it is worth it.

Public Enemies

Just viewing the first trailer for Michael Mann's latest does two things. First, it makes you glad that a filmmaker like Mann exists. The second, is that it makes you salivate at the prospect of seeing a new Michael Mann film.

I am an unabashed Mann fan ever since the Miami Vice days. He developed some amazingly original programming for TV including Crime Story and L.A. Takedown. I saw his feature film potential came to fruition beautifully in Manhunter, and he displayed his versatility with The Last of the Mohicans. Then, a little movie called Heat was released in 1995... insert "breakout" cliche here. He has continued to release films that are unmistakably Michael Mann both in his style and in the themes he explores. I think it is his love and command of portraying a metropolis at night that is the signature of Mann. He paints the late hours of cities as just as vibrant as their daytime hours if not more so. He loves to reveal how light and shadow interplay, revealing things about the familiar that one may have not noticed before in the glaring light of the sun. It's no accident that his narratives have thrived in locales that are meccas for sun worshipers; yet, this also plays into his thematic tendencies as a writer.

Public Enemies seems to explore the relationship between Dillinger and Melvin Purvis as well as revealing the gray areas between them. It is obvious that Depp is digging in to his experience being devilish from playing Jack Sparrow and turning that into a cunning charm that made Dillinger a folk hero to many in Depression Era America. Just as John Woo loves to explore the duality of good and evil, I think Mann's consistent and wonderful exploration of the shades overlapping light and dark, and what each reveals about the other has been at the heart of his work. With the dubious reputation a fledgling FBI built during those days under J. Edgar Hoover, the "good guys" will certainly be portrayed with more tarnish and less gleam than the genre generally utilizes.
The other thing you have to appreciate about Mann is his ability to make his characters "larger than life." His characters, even the ones based on real individuals, become less archetype or more mythic. There is just the way he stages scenes, chooses camera angles, and lights his actors that brings back a sense of the old studio days when there was no "small screen" so film characters and their adventures were as large as the screens onto which they were projected. I think this is a rare skill these days when people's horizon are more 4:3 than 16:9. The fact that Mann was able to attract Depp to portray his first "heavy" ever is a testament to the material and the directors ability to bring that material to vivid life free of cookie-cutter simplicity.

Venture Bros. Season 3: When package design trumps features

The question wasn't whether or not to purchase the latest season of The Venture Brothers, it was which edition to buy: DVD or BluRay?

The BluRay had the advantage of being BluRay, making the entire season available on one disc, along with a bonus soundtrack CD that I'd no doubt enjoy. The BlueRay package is colored blue in a cardboard sleeve around the standard plastic case, retailing for $40.

The DVD on the other hand is a vastly more complementary orange-- in consideration of the brilliant tribute/mockery of videogame packaging from days of yore. Even tho it was shrink wrapped in the store, if past Venture Bros. DVD's were any indication, I knew there would be a fabulous work of art on the cardboard clamshell foldout that the BlueRay clearly lacked. $26.

As you can see from these pics, I was not disappointed. BluRay: Denied.

Noise

Do not we all have limits? Even those of us who strive to remain calm in the face of adversity may eventually succumb to a breaking point, when the object of one's strife is endlessly attacked like waves against a rocky shore.

Noise exposes a near-inescapable annoyance of modern life, the relentless audible assault populated society forces upon us. The focus is the ubiquitous car alarm, that which brings the film's protagonist David Owen to his edge. A thinking man with designs on a workable solution, he sabotages himself by succumbing to his anger and frustration. David's actions in attempt to silence his neighborhood escalate over time, bringing him to extremes and losing grip on his life and family. His trials, personal and literal, steadily present the facts and support for the notion that car alarms are ineffectual to the point of uselessness, and do nothing to justify their intended purpose. It is something we have all trained ourselves to ignore, but when faced with the simple logic displayed in both exposition and the consequences of David's actions, it is astounding we as a society have put up with it as long as we have.

David is wonderfully portrayed by Tim Robbins. The character is intelligent and determined, short-tempered and self-destructive. Robbins elevates these qualities to a level that practically absolves the criminality of David's blatant vigilante acts. David is not played as crazed lunatic with fanatic designs, but as a man who shows us the paths that are taken when we choose to enforce our ideals at great personal cost.

Eventually David becomes a bit of a city folk hero on a crusade of vandalism and anti car-alarm decals. He finds somewhat of a catharsis in his cause, meets new friends and lovers, and even gets attention from city officials. Car alarms-- and noise itself-- become the enemy to a character we desperately want to succeed. What is most difficult to come to grips with is that success can never really be achieved. We think we live in a world where someone like David can actually bring about change. We desperately want this to be, and are even given a glimpse of how it is possible. While based on screenwriter Henry Bean's real life experiences, there is a realization that this is a fictional tale and it really is up to citizens to put aside our apathy and act. The film's resolution may initially come across as anti-climactic, but on reflection tells us everything we need to know. Armed with David Owen's example, we can ponder our resolve not only against incessant car alarms, but individual peeves as well.

Where The Wild Things Are

The natural fear when you hear of a project like this is whether or not a complete film can be realized from a 48-page children's book. It did not help matters that the production of the film has been low on publicly released information. That time is now at an end with the debut of the official trailer.

I think fears can be put to rest. The trailer effectively indicates that the sense of play and the power of imagination that is the foundation of the book is truly the heart of this film. There is so much to digest in these few minutes, but already one feels comfortable with the familiarity of the imagery, yet intrigued by the new things we have not seen before. Certainly, the anticipation for discovery and adventure will be as high for the audience as it is for the character of Max. I must also commend Spike Jonez and company for the exquisite production design. Thank you for utilizing costumes and puppetry to bring our furry friends to life and not CG. Seeing their form bounce, wrinkle, and get muddied is important for us to feel that Max's imaginary world is as real as ours.

All I can say now is that October seems a very long way off. However, I must echo the warnings I have read on the net. To those of you at the Hollywood studios, leave Spike Jonez alone and allow him to make the movie he wants to make. You will be better off for it.

The Five Rules of Filmmaking according to Jim Jarmusch

Jim Jarmusch is one of those filmmakers who has successfully made a career of being outside of the mainstream, and being very proud of it. You either like his films or you don't get them. I happen to be of the former, but understand those who feel the latter. However, that's what being creative is about, right? Back in 2004, he wrote an article for Movie Maker magazine on his five rules of filmmaking. I think his points are all valid; more interesting is #5. That quote from Godard is great. Yes, that is exactly it, isn't it?

Rule #1: There are no rules. There are as many ways to make a film as there are potential filmmakers. It’s an open form. Anyway, I would personally never presume to tell anyone else what to do or how to do anything. To me that’s like telling someone else what their religious beliefs should be. Fuck that. That’s against my personal philosophy—more of a code than a set of “rules.” Therefore, disregard the “rules” you are presently reading, and instead consider them to be merely notes to myself. One should make one’s own “notes” because there is no one way to do anything. If anyone tells you there is only one way, their way, get as far away from them as possible, both physically and philosophically.

Rule #2: Don’t let the fuckers get ya. They can either help you, or not help you, but they can’t stop you. People who finance films, distribute films, promote films and exhibit films are not filmmakers. They are not interested in letting filmmakers define and dictate the way they do their business, so filmmakers should have no interest in allowing them to dictate the way a film is made. Carry a gun if necessary.
Also, avoid sycophants at all costs. There are always people around who only want to be involved in filmmaking to get rich, get famous, or get laid. Generally, they know as much about filmmaking as George W. Bush knows about hand-to-hand combat.

Rule #3: The production is there to serve the film. The film is not there to serve the production. Unfortunately, in the world of filmmaking this is almost universally backwards. The film is not being made to serve the budget, the schedule, or the resumes of those involved. Filmmakers who don’t understand this should be hung from their ankles and asked why the sky appears to be upside down.

Rule #4: Filmmaking is a collaborative process. You get the chance to work with others whose minds and ideas may be stronger than your own. Make sure they remain focused on their own function and not someone else’s job, or you’ll have a big mess. But treat all collaborators as equals and with respect. A production assistant who is holding back traffic so the crew can get a shot is no less important than the actors in the scene, the director of photography, the production designer or the director. Hierarchy is for those whose egos are inflated or out of control, or for people in the military. Those with whom you choose to collaborate, if you make good choices, can elevate the quality and content of your film to a much higher plane than any one mind could imagine on its own. If you don’t want to work with other people, go paint a painting or write a book. (And if you want to be a fucking dictator, I guess these days you just have to go into politics...).

Rule #5: Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery—celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to."

Jarmusch has a new film out which I'll be writing more about in the coming weeks, but you can find a link for it at the bottom of the page under "Anticipated Films." Look for The Limits of Control.

The Perfect Sleep

Continuing with the "Noir" theme, here is a film that has all the trappings of a noir, but puts its own unique spin on it. Yes, it has the "tough-as-nails" hero, the voluptuous femme fatale, and the sinister mastermind, but it also has this rather wry humor about it--at least that's what I can gather from the trailer:



You have to love the casting of Patrick Bauchau as the heavy. That voice is too damn cool and his smoldering style of menace is perfect for the mood of the film. There is a surreal visual style being employed that doesn't exactly adhere to "noir" form, but I think this fits the apparent intention of the story. Like all noir films, there is a sense of menace and underlying atmosphere of dread; however, The Perfect Sleep also seems to have a revenge element that creates an air of uncertainty for all the characters whereas in a classic noir this sense of uncertainty hangs over the head of the protagonist alone. Add to this the notion that the standard combat motif is not guns but martial arts and you certainly have something worthy of interest. The filmmakers' description of the film is no less heady and fanciful:

Think of the hard-boiled world of film noir: the world of Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade, a world of femme fatales, a world of shadows. Now imagine this world populated with characters from tragic Russian novels like those by Dostoevsky: tormented figures suffering through harsh circumstance. This unique world provides the foundation for the dark and vivid dreamscape of “The Perfect Sleep.”

You can find more at the official MySpace page for the film here.
Do yourself a favor and check out the "Do Not Go See the Perfect Sleep" version of the trailer.

A Boot to Reboots

So, I guess there's a new game in Hollywood. You thought you were getting sick of Hollywood remakes of foreign film? Live-action adaptations of comics & videogames? Film versions of television shows? Well, it seems they have noticed and the operative word the studios are bouncing around these days is "Reboot."

Now, it's not enough to remake something. In their infinite and insatiable grab for your money (which all of us have less of these days), the studios are now double dipping. They are actually calling the proverbial "do-over" on certain franchises which either didn't meet their sales goals or are putting a "new spin" on an older franchise. For the latter, you may wonder what's the difference between calling it a "reboot" and a "remake?" Technically, there is none--but hey, if they can put it under a new umbrella, why not? They know you're getting tired of remakes? So, why not a "reboot!" It's like a thief who admits, "You know, I came close to robbing you. Next time, I just have to find another way into your house." What are some of the projects heading for a reboot? Here are just a sampling:

Fantastic 4
Fox, jealous of the success WB and Paramount are having with its comic book franchises, has decided that they will try again with the franchises to which they own the license, starting with the Fantastic Four. However, if you read the press release, you will see this little blurb:

"The site adds that Fox wants to reboot the series in a tone described as 'less bubble gum' and more in the vein of those two previous examples [Iron Man and Dark Knight]."

I beg your pardon? It's the so-called bubblegum nature of the comic that makes the Fantastic Four...the Fantastic Four. Maybe if you developed a better script with people who understand how to handle the adventure with a light touch, you would actually have something. Trying to go dark with these characters is not the way to go.

Nightmare on Elm Street
An absolute classic. Quite an original for it's time and still quite good upon viewing today. How do you figure they will try to improve on the original? More gore? Grittier cinematography? Freddy will have two gloves instead of one? You can read more about it here.

Predator
Even with Robert Rodriguez attached, I just have to shake my head at this one. Various attempts to capitalize on this franchise have all fallen flat. As par for the course, instead of offering something new, all they are offering is just more Predators according to the following quote from this article:

"In the reboot a team of commandoes face down a mysterious race of vicious monsters."

Sounds like the classic mistake for a sequel; offer the audience only more of the same, instead of better.

Hellraiser
Another classic horror film which I am sure will only offer more gore rather than anything substantially better than what the original brought to the table. Read about it here.

Tomb Raider
You knew this was coming. Another Fox franchise that they ran into the ground, developed only to take advantage of the game's popularity which, even with a reboot in the game franchise, seems to have run its course. Anyway, they seemed to have found a new Lara since Angelina Jolie's peg rate is probably more than Fox is willing to pay according to Ain't It Cool News.

Robocop
Like the Predator reboot mentioned above, this one has a talented director in Alex Proyas attached to it. And just like I said before, the only thing I can see them improving upon is the effects. Truly unnecessary. Read more here.

Conan
There were rumors of John Milius' script for the sequel hinted at the end of the first film and by 2002, it seemed the project was all but lost according to this article on Ain't It Cool News. Read Moriarty's link to his script review and you will find that a good movie was there on paper. Apparently, instead of following up on this, WB has decided on a "re-do" instead since Arnold is now involved in, you know, runnig the 4th largest economy in the world. The success of the LOTR Trilogy is certainly tempting a lot of studios to develop a fantasy franchise, but here's another case where if you want to do the character of Conan right, you had best treat it with the same veracity the title character deserves or else, don't bother at all.

One of the reasons this blog was started was to also talk about all the films that people aren't talking about; there's plenty of them out there, and more importantly, they're based on original material. Instead of wasting all this money trying to squeeze successful franchises dry or resurrect ones that didn't do well in the first place (there's a reason for that folks), they could be developing fresh new material by some very talented people. You know guys, save yourself some money; restore some the classic films you want to "reboot" with new sound and cleaned up picture, sell it on DVD/Blu-ray or have a short run in the theaters and introduce them to a new audience who will then come to appreciate today's films.
Sadly, however, the state of the industry has become too incestuous to warrant or even breed that type of thinking. It's all about building a marketable package that plays across a wide audience spectrum. I wrote those words intentionally, because that's how those people talk. Notice, there's no hint of anything remotely resembling words like "entertaining," "original," "creative," etc. They speak as cold and calculating as some Lehman Brothers banker and well, you know how that story goes....

The Babysitters

Just a stylish little indie film where a savvy high school girl puts on her entrepreneur hat and starts a lucrative babysitting business by offering the services of herself and fellow classmates.

Oh, I should mention something:

Babysitting = Prostitution. 

 Sure it all starts out innocently enough, when John Leguizamo's skeevy dad character Michael makes a play for his sitter... and succeeds. He tips big-- really big-- out of guilt and soon the lightbulb goes off. The sitter, Shirley, played oh-so-cooly by Katherine Waterston, sees a business opportunity wrapped in her burgeoning sexuality just as Michael looks to recommend her services to the neighborhood. Soon enough she's enlisting the aid of one of her friends. Things kind of snowball from there with a few things you expect and a few that you don't.

It's incredibly hard to ignore the more seductive scenes featuring aforementioned Waterston. It's all a little bit pervy in regards to the storyline, she's in high school, Leguizamo's character is a married father who's bored with his life, Lolita references are plentiful, etc. While Waterston plays a high school girl in the movie, we know she's not one in real life... else they don't get to do that kind of stuff on film, yeah? Oh, wait. There's a breadth of moral ambiguity in enjoying this film that is inversely proportionate to how much you have to justify it. Leguizamo also produced the film in addition to getting top billing, isn't it interesting how that worked out. Scrupulous allusions can be imagined, were one in a position to continually produce or finance below-the-radar films as Leguizamo does, would it only be a matter of time until writing oneself into a tantalizing, risque love scene in the name of arthouse cinema.

Oogling aside, Waterston skillfully holds up the movie, which is dependent on her central character. Leguizamo, too, is no slouch, and each are in the midst of a respectable supporting cast. Still, Waterston is the standout. From her strict madame-in-training management to the film's crushing (almost predictable) end, she's got the chops. She seems poised to be an indie darling with many films ahead.

Director David Ross plays the story arrow straight, even tho there's no shortage catty dialogue and black humor. Tho around the 2/3 mark things do get awful dramatic, as the rules of screenwriting dictate the shit has gotta start hitting the fan. In fact a couple scenarios play out that are downright unsettling. In lesser hands it could have gone the way of any number of forgettable taboo-inspired dramedies, but I gotta say The Babysitters is a quality film despite its sensationalist premise. That premise remains the hook, but the funny thing is if you've ever seen a segment of 20/20 or Dateline NBC, you know this kind of thing is happening somewhere in suburbia, right now. As is often the case with our most lurid subjects, both art and life are imitating each other.

J.J Abram's Star Trek

The new trailer for J.J. Abrams' re-imagining of the classic Star Trek series is certainly a sight to behold. Actually, it's quite an aural experience with the excellent score by Michael Giachinno doing most of the emotional conjuring backed up by the impressive imagery and select snippets of dialogue. As trailer's go, it is definitely one of the best seen this year.

I have been somewhat skeptical of this project, mainly because I just didn't see a need to go back to the early days of the crew from the television series we'd come to be familiar with these odd 40+ years (!!). However, the selection of J.J. Abrams was at least the first right decision the producers made. His attention to detail and love for the original material was well on display in his turn at the helm of the most recent Mission:Impossible. He brought teamwork to the franchise and at least a sense of espionage that had made the television series enjoyable.

And yet, some doubts remained. The trailer sets up nicely the challenge to a young James T. Kirk to join Starfleet and live up to his father's reputation, and gives a glimpse at the epic scale to the threat they will face. However, the trailer seems to focus on a few, key segments of the film. The crux of the first and part of the second act, I believe, will be the cadets' time at Starfleet Academy, of which only brief instances are shown. How will this part play out? I certainly don't want something resembling a big budget version of adolescent themed shows that pepper the airwaves these days. It will also a very difficult task to wrangle all the threads of the canon which, over various television series and films, has quite a few loose threads. My main caveat, however, was that the characters are imbued with a real life that we hadn't heard of yet without relying too heavily on trying to connect them to the familiar. I think the Star Wars Prequels was severely weighted down by Lucas' attempts to make sure that he drew a bright, center lane line from things you saw in the Original Trilogy to the Prequels (and vice-versa).



The dread began to set in when I read that we were going to see how the young Kirk reprogrammed the computer for the Kobayashi Maru test. That doesn't need to be seen; it's best left as the legend it is referred to in dialogue in Wrath of Khan.

Then there are the personal nitpicks such as the set design of the Enterprise bridge which I find to be a little too "advanced" for the time period it is supposed to be set in. It looks more advanced than the bridge of the Enterprise-D from "Next Gen". How about some real buttons, switches and dials guys? At least the sight of Sulu using a chrome throttle at the helm is reassuring.
In the end, I hope moments like the scene above won't seem forced. I can already see from the trailer that the well worn Star Trek plot device of (highlight to read) time travel is central to the film's story, but I do think seeing how our young cadets rise to the occasion at an hour of need will be quite stirring. Consider me cautiously optimistic.

"You have a...sister"

You may have noticed a lolipop sucking, knife wielding Asian lass in the Give 'Em Hell Malone trailer posted yesterday. I mentioned that the underworld boss had lieutenants, one of them being Ving Rhames' character. Well, the other is named "Mauler" and is played by Chris Yen. "Who?" you might say. OK, it's obvious that she's probably new to the scene. So, what if I told you that her brother's name is Donnie?

Yeah, that Donnie Yen. It seems she's been slowly making her way into the entertainment world, following the the footsteps and getting a bit of an assist from big brother. She looks rather capable and according to an interview she did with Kung Fu Cinema.com about her role as Mauler, she does her own choreography as well. She co-starred in a Hong Kong action-comedy titled PROTEGE DE LA ROSE NOIR and will soon appear in the television series, "Rockville, CA."

I will definitely be looking out for her in future films. Here's hoping the Yen blood will produce another great action star. More information, photos, links to articles, and clips can be found at her official website.