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)

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!

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?