The /filmcast listens to Weakends!

It's true. Don't believe me? Check out their latest episode and listen up for their discussion of the recent announcement that Ridley Scott will be directing Monopoly. That's right a movie based on the board game. So this is a board movie? Or shall we say a bored movie? Cause that's what I imagine.

Anyhow, we're obviously big fans of the /filmcast. (We even tried to steal their podcast format like a couple of Silicone Valley pirates!) Some of you might remember that over the summer I would post a weekly request to be on their show right here, but I doubt we were on their radar at that point. That being said, we'd like to give a big thank you and huge shout out to Dave, Devindra, and Adam for throwin some publicity our way. Every little bit counts. And we'd still love to be on the show!

Check out the /filmcast, broadcasting live every Monday at 9pm eastern!

More Watchmen News (Sorry for the Delay!)

I know I had to apologize for this once before, and then I never got back on track like I said I would, but I'd like to apologize again for not updating regularly. I swear to you I'm doing my best, but Philadelphia is just crazy when you're a full-time student holding down your own blog, a position at another blog, a position with the school paper, and an actual part-time job. It barely leaves enough room for me to actually see movies!

Anyhow, I was listening to the (ever present on filmadelphia) /filmcast last night, and then discovered this article this morning. I did not read this article, and I also muted the /filmcast while they were talking about this because I don't want to know, but apparantly Zack Snyder DID change the ending to Watchmen. HOWEVER, whatever it was changed to does not actually change the theme of the book or the point made in the ending, simply the events by which it happens. IE, no squid. If you haven't read the book you probably don't know what I'm talking about (and you should go buy it right now!).

I didn't want to know what it was changed to, as I'd like to be surprised, but Dave Chen assured listeners on the /filmcast last night that it didn't actually change anything except the way in which the ending occurs. For me to continue on would be to reveal too many spoliers, so I'll leave you to /film's article about the ending change if you'd like to know more.

But rest assured Watchmen fans! This will still be excellent. From the preview screening last week came rave reviews, just a few dissenters who were die hard fans that simply don't want to see any element of the book changed at all. While I admit, it does suck that an artist can't adhere to another artists source work for whatever, but in this case it makes sense. The ending of the book is a very comic book ending that comments on the medium of comics. Film is a different medium as they pointed out on the /filmcast last night, and this ending wouldn't work in that medium. Hopefully whatever they changed it to will be a comment on film, and still adhere to the themes, which I'm assured it does.

So again, unless you're one of those whiney fan boys who MUST have everything complete and the same, it sounds like Watchmen is going to astound us. Is anyone truly upset by this news, or does it make sense to you as it does to me? (obviously, I've posted wayyyy too many Watchmen posts, as I'm reduced to pictures like the one you see above)

So Very Familiar...

This happens to me all the time. Thanks to /film to pointing us this way!

New Watchmen Video Journal! Doc Manhattan!

Its a doc about the Doc, and its exclusive over at sci-fi.  I haven't had the time to watch it yet, but I'm so absurdly amped for this movie that I decided to post it right away.  Check it out and let me know what you think.  These video journals have gotten better with each one.  

In other video journal news, it sounds like Kevin Smith is having trouble with the MPAA over the Money Shots making of shorts he was going to release in advance of Zack and Miri.  Here's hoping they get through without much editing, and in time to be useful promotion for the film.

Spielberg Pegg(s) Frost for Tin Tin

Apparantly Spielberg requested a meeting with Simon Pegg about whether he and frequent costar Nick Frost would be interested in playing characters called the Thompson Twins in Tin Tin. Here's how they're described on the Tin Tin wiki: "Thomson and Thompson (Dupont et Dupond) are two bumbling detectives who, although unrelated, look like twins with the only discernible difference being the shape of their moustaches. They provide much of the comic relief throughout the series, being afflicted with chronic spoonerism, and are shown to be mostly incompetent in their tasks." Now, while these sound like the perfect characters for Pegg and Frost to play, won't their extreme difference in appearance be a problem? It seems as though part of the humor is that they're exactly the same save for the stache. This news makes me scratch my beard a bit. I suppose since its a motion capture film, the can edit what the two look like, but I thought the point of motion capture was that the characters will actually look like their real life counterparts? Maybe not for this project though.

Stephen Chow(s) down Green Hornet

This is just a quickie to keep this thing on the sort of kind of regularly updated side of things. Stephen Chow, writer/director of Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer, and CJ7 (none of which I've seen... I know... all my geek credit is gone... I need to get on that... anyone wanna loan me some copies?) has signed on to co-star as Kato alongside Seth Rogen in the Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg written Greent Hornet adaptation. Rogen mentioned long ago he'd love to have Chow play the part, and apparantly his wish has been granted.

But the news doesn't end there folks, he's also signed on to direct! This would seem to confirm that this will be a comedic version of The Green Hornet, although I don't know what anyone else would have expected from Rogen and Goldberg. Rogen was quoted a while back as saying they were toying with the idea of it being about Kato being more famous and recognizable than Green Hornet (Kato was originally played by Bruce Lee and is much better remembered by audiences); a story where the sidekick is more famous than the actual hero, which definitely seems like a premise ripe for comedy.

I'm gonna say I'm cautiously optomistic about this one, as I'm not familiar with the source material, or the director. But my yearning to see Seth Rogen don tights* ala Charlie in It's Always Sunny supercedes all of that. What do other people think about this choice?

*Our faithful (and possibly only) reader Dustin has informed me that Green Hornet doesn't wear tights, something I should have known based on all the pictures I've seen of the original show scattered about the net. As Dustin puts it, his costume is similar to The Spirits, just a suit and a mask over his eyes. Thus, my reason for being excited about this has been destroyed. However, Dustin assures me the source material is the kind of campy, fun stuff that Chow has made a career out of, so it sounds like a perfect fit. Consider me re-excited.

I Love Science Fiction movies! New Trailer!

Sleep Dealer, directed by Alex Rivera, just got a trailer, you can find it over at /film (I couldn't embed it, sorry). It looks pretty freakin sweet. I'm excited we're going to be getting a handful of new, decent sci fi movies over the next couple years. Here's the synopsis, via /film: "Set in a future where people can plug into a global computer network using installed body modified holes that tap in their nervous system. The U.S. has installed a wall along the Mexican boarder, but the country still allows outsourcing through node workers who plug in and control remote control robots. A private company has hijacked control of a small Mexican village’s water supply, selling it back to them at a higher price. Memo Cruz is a young man living in this isolated non-tech village, with dreams of working in high-tech factories up north. One day he builds a transmitter that allows him to tap into signals from around the world. But when this transmission is intercepted, it changes his life forever."

What do you think?

A Slim and Trim Looper Detail

Rian Johnson, director behind a personal favorite Brick, and the upcoming Brothers Bloom, has a sci-fi pic coming up. And this just tickles my fancy. In fact, maybe even tickles a fancy I hadn't fancied before. It's called Looper, and check out this logline: “Looper is set in a present-day world in which a group of hitmen are sent their victims from the future.” And /film updated this story with this quote: "there’s much much MUCH much more to Looper than that logline suggests. In fact, that quick description doesn’t even get to the really interesting hook of the plot, and the plot’s hook isn’t what the movie is really about anyway." So, the logline is first of all awesome. That sounds like such an amazing premise that could go so many different directions, especially with a director like this. And if that's not even the half of it? Count me in. This little snippet has really piqued my interest. Anyone else think this sounds like its got a lot of promise?

We're Back! A Blogger's Story

Sorry for the break in updates folks. Things here in Philadelphia are getting crazy. I now write for two publications other than this one, go to school fulltime, and work parttime. Fear not though! This is not the main reason for my lack of updates. The main reason, is that film news has been rather boring lately. I'm trying to make it a point to only post articles about news I'm interested in. I also don't want to spread lousy rumors. That kind of shit has just been getting ridiculous on the net.

So with that, I found some interesting stuff today finally! Beginning with this link to a two and half hour interview with Charlie Kaufman! I haven't had the time to listen to it yet, but I'm rather excited to do. This guy is a fantastic writer, and I'm very excited for his upcoming directorial debut. If you listen to it, let me know what you think!

TMNT Upadte!

Apparantly, talk of a new live action Ninja Turtles movie has gone sour. Sort of. The other half of the creative team behind TMNT, Peter Laird, told MTV that they're at work on a "hybrid" TMNT movie. In other words, it will combine real actors and sets with CGI Turtles and most likely CGI villains. This should hopefully please fans of the original live action series, who hated the CGI film because it was too cartoony. There's also talk of bringing Steve Barron, director of the original, back for this installment. Everyone at slashfilm seems to hate this idea, but I don't know why. I frequently go back and watch this movie as it was the first movie I ever saw in a theater, and I like to see how my opinion of it changes as time goes on. I am always pleasently surprised and impressed with this movie, as it takes the premise seriously and sets it in a noir esque New York. This is the perfect world for the Turtles, and Barron really nailed a great color scheme with some awesome shadowy, grainy shots. I don't see why everyone thinks its a bad idea to get him back, when he was the one that made the Turtles into relatable, real characters.

What do you think? I'm all for more Ninja Turtles, and I really think Barron could succeed here.

(check out the slogan on the poster, hilarious!)

Banned Zack and Miri poster!

Apparantly this will only be appearing in Canada, as it was banned by the MPAA (jerks, I can't believe they control the advertising too. But I guess in todays world someone was bound to be controlling it). I think this is just hilarious. Look at Rogen's face.

And really, only astute viewer's would catch the ludeness. I also don't think children would figure out what was going on here. I see no reason why this was banned. If anything should cause this poster to be banned, it should be the word Porno, because I can see kids asking their parents what that word means. However, I'm so glad the MPAA has allowed them to pass with that as the title, because it is perfect and hilarious.

Is it me, or does Rogen only do movies with obvious, self-referential titles (or are all titles technically self-referential?)? 40 year-old Virgin, Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Zack and Miri make a Porno, even Superbad (sorta). Indie film-makers, this is your chance. Write a movie called "Asshole" and make the main character a complete dick. Seth will be sure to do it, and we'll get to see him take a turn as a bit of a different character for once.

New Red Band Zack and Miri Trailer!

I'm wicked excited for this folks, and I'd like to thank Peter over at /film for tweeting this.

I think the first scene in the trailer made me laugh the hardest.  "Is that like a sequel?" could only be delivered so humorously by Seth Rogen.  Oh wait nevermind, Craig Robinson talking about not being happy with his wife might be funnier.  That dude is a fuckin scene stealer.  I was already wicked pumped for this one (huge Kev nerd) and this has only fueled the fire.  Here's hoping we don't get too much spoilerish stuff before the movie comes out, as Smith tends to do (or at least he did on Clerks 2). 

I'd also like to point out that when Peter tweeted this, he called it the "Red Bank" trailer.  Very clever Mr. Sciretta.  Very clever, indeed.

Did this make anyone else laugh out loud?

An Open Call to /filmcast: Week 2!

That's right, I said I'd post once a week about this, and I intend to. I want to be a guest on the /filmcast! We're huge fans of the show, we get a lot of our news from you guys, and I love to talk. Sign me up!

Also, /film's Peter Sciretta is going on a 28 day trek around the world to visit 3 film festivals - Toronto, Tulluride, and Fantastic Fest. He's blogging the whole thing through videos and posts, and on day 2, things are already exciting. Check out, at the very least, the last of these videos, featuring firstshowing's Alex Billington as the angry google hater and Peter Sciretta as the film geek with an unhealthy fear of rickety old bridges. This is a really cool idea and I'm excited to see what comes of this crazy journy. We'll be watching!

What /film knows about Batman so far...

Peter Sciretta of /film just posted a short list of the little bits and pieces of information we have on the third Batman movie thus far. I'm super glad he did this because all of my friends who know I'm a super movie nerd have been coming up to me over the past week and acting like they know who the villains are for the new Batman. And I'm all "Oh yeah?" And they're all "Yeah!" And then I'm all "Well hit me with it playa!" And then they proceed to tell me that Johnny Depp will be playing the Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman will be the Penguin. And when I try to explain that those are just rumors, and are completely unconfirmed, and that Nolan hasn't even signed on to MAKE a third Batman yet, let alone begun writing it, they simply go "No, I read it online. I'm pretty sure they're all ready to do it." Well thank you Mr. Sciretta for clearing this all up by posting a list of the FACTS.

Most interesting for me is the one dated July 9th. I'm so glad Goyer is considering all the different stories they could play with and the variety of characters that exist in the Batman universe. I want to see some villains we haven't seen on the big screen before. I think this is what it will take to top the Ledger Joker: a new villain general audiences are unfamiliar with that will make the Joker look like a clown. No... wait... ugh.

Any suggestions as to what villain might fit that bill?

Trailer Alert: New York, I Love You

This just popped up over at /film.  Just like Paris, je t'aime, this movie boasts a lot of big names.  Interesting to note are Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson listed as directors.  I'd like to know why all these names appear as directors though, are any of them actually New Yorkers?  At any rate, Paris, je t'aime was a decent movie, some of the shorts were really good.  And I really like the concept behind this... is it a series now?   Yeah.  Check it out.  What do you think?

An Open Call to /film

UPDATE: I was listening to the Afterdark /filmcast last night and none other than Mr. Peter Sciretta was on. Just as I was nodding off to sleep he began to discuss Ben Button. However, I nodded off to sleep literally as I heard him begin talking about it, and I remember thinking "You should stay awake for this so you can update the blog." I recall no further information. Thus I will have to wait until Dave Chen puts it online (which usually isn't until the end of the week) to update you on whether Peter pulls through with some answers.

I've got two things I wanna say to you. And one is pretty important. I follow you guys on Twitter, and Mr. Peter Sciretta, I want you to do your job! You are a great writer, and I really respect the fact that you stand out amongst your peers by holding strong opinions and sticking to your guns, even on the /filmcast. But the other day I saw a little Twitter convo happen between you and Erik Davis over at cinematical in which you discussed "what's going on behind the scenes of Benjamin Button," David Fincher's latest film. You ask Erik why no one is willing to talk about it, and Erik responds "because if we pretend mom and dad aren't fighting, maybe it will be true," and it is left at that. Then, today on /film, you posted the TV spot for Ben Button that premiered during the Olympics. After the trailer you said "I’ve been hearing all sorts of troubling things coming out of the post production of the project. Most movie journalists are afraid to report on what is going on behid the scenes, because it’s very gossipy." But then you never man up and report on it yourself. What is going on? As a journalist I thought you guys had journalistic duties. Just like the mailman, you know? Through the rain, sleet, and snow kinda stuff? No? Dammit, c'mon man I'm dying to know what's going on! If everyone already knows about it, why don't you quit bein a pussy and man up! You finish your article with "There is a bigger story going on behind the scenes…" What the hell is that? Why even report on it in the first place if you're just gonna back down and never go anywhere with it?

I still love you.

But there's another thing. Mr. David-Peter Chen! Let me be on the /filmcast! I love the /filmcast, and I was just gonna pussyfoot around trying to find a way to get connected to you, but I'm too eager! I'm gonna put a post up once a week about being on the show until you let me on! The journey begins now!

Tom Cruise + Sam Raimi = Intruiged

They're apparantly putting together an adaptation of the DC Wildstorm universe comic Sleeper. Check this /film article for a nice rundown on the series. Sounds like a really interesting book, and I'm liking the idea of seeing Cruise step into some out of character roles in some out of character movies. Hopefully Tropic Thunder is going to usher in a new era of Cruise, one where he'll realize his age and start playing father figures and other types of roles he hasn't tackled yet. However, this would be way more exciting for me if Raimi were attatched to direct, not just produce, but we'll see what happens. No one else seems to be attatched yet so there's still that potential there.

Does this sound sweet to anyone else?

Ps. I feel like i always ask the same dumb questions down here, but I'm really just hoping someone will leave a comment. Help a brother out?

Check out these GREAT articles

The first two are from the cinematical team who do a lot of really great editorials. These guys and gals have great ideas and are fantastic writers, you should keep up with some of their weekly columns. The first, by the evil genius Eric Snider, is an excellent article breaking down and debunking the myths surrounding the changing of Harry Potter's release day. I don't know if we have any Potter fans reading, but this should lay things out pretty clearly and maybe sooth some of the pain of having to wait another 6 months for your movie. The second is from Eric Snider's evil doppleganger Erik Davis, and it is a plea to release Terry Gilliam's latest film, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, featuring the final performance of Heath Ledger. Erik makes a great case for this film, and I hope I'm not the only one that agrees with him on needing to give Gilliam another chance. He really is one of the great, creative forces from past and present cinema.

I'd also like to point you all in the direction of Mr. David Chen (or is it Peter Chen? Hmmm) the mastermind behind the /filmcast that I pimp so regularly here at filmadelphia. He wrote a great (spolier ridden) article about some of the racial issues addressed in Tropic Thunder. My hat goes off to you, Peter-David Chen, for digging deeper, especially with a movie I think most people will only remember fora fat Tom Cruise and a black Downey, Jr (which is not to say I didn't like it, I loved this movie). I enjoy the great cinematical debates, especially those that really get into the in's and out's of storytelling.

What did you think about these articles? Anything worth arguing about?

What's the big friggin deal?

This morning, every blog I read was flooded with images from The Art of The Dark Knight that Peter at /film posted last night. Everyone seems to think they're way creepier than the actual version Ledger helped create in the film. And I have no freakin clue why. It looks like a torn Michael Myers mask. Which, yes, that mask is creepy, but no, that's not nearly as creepy as what I saw in TDK. As geekadelphia was quick to point out, it's Ledger's facial expressions that really bring the Joker to life. And for me, it's those expressions that really make him creepy. They make the slightly more subtle makeup used in the movie creppier than this flat looking mask type deal.

What do you think? Are these concepts creepier than the Joker we actually saw on screen? Do you prefer these to the Joker you saw on screen? Let us know in the comments!

If I were ruler of the world...

I would make this guy let me take one, glorious roof-top ride over the mean streets of philly with this amazing DIY replica of the Tumbler from Christopher Nolan's new Batman series. Apparantly this dude also wants to build a Batpod, but as /film points out, its design made it nearly unridable.

This thing's been all over the internet today, so i'd like to point to geekadelphia, my favorite philly blog, where I first discovered this gem. And also to /film, where I rediscovered it not 30 mintues later.

Who else wants one? Perhaps if there are enough "Me!" comments at the bottom of this post we could get the guy to build us one. I got dibs on keeping it for the first week.