Another flurry of rumours got the movie blogosphere fired up this week, including more talk about a live action Ninja Turtles sequel and Tom Cruise in Shrek 4, and finally something solid was announced regarding the long-awaited Ghostbusters sequel. The unfortunate passing of voiceover guy Don LaFontaine left a void in the world of movie trailers, meanwhile Michael Moore announced that he would be releasing a new feature length documentary online for free. Steven Soderbergh’s 4 and a half hour epic Che may have found a home with Magnolia Pictures, and there appears to be some concern about the direction that the next season of 24 is currently heading in. Hey, maybe it’s just time to put Jack Bauer to rest, folks!
The Burning Plain
Written and Directed by: Guillermo Arriaga
Starring: Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger, Jennifer Lawrence, J.D. Pardo, José María Yazpik, Joaquim de Almeida, Brett Cullen
There’s been a massive wave of Mexican filmmakers breaking into Hollywood over the past few years, thanks in large part to Guillermo Del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron, but there’s a third guy who arguably broke out before them both with a little movie called Amores Perros. Alejandro González Iñárritu has since gone on to direct 21 Grams and Babel, both of which were nominated for Academy Awards.
The trouble is, Inarritu recently had a falling out with writer and long time collaborator Guillermo Arriaga, who believed Inarritu was hogging the spotlight, leaving the two to head their separate ways. Arriaga is now the first to strike out on his own with his directorial debut The Burning Plain, starring Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger. Does this prove once and for all who is the true talent behind their collaborations?
JCVD
Directed by: Mabrouk El Mechri
Written by: Frédéric Bénudis, Christophe Turpin
Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, François Damiens, Karim Belkhadra, Jean-François Wolff
Like many 80’s action stars, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s career faded away into obscurity some time ago, the majority of his martial arts magic relegated to bargain bins and the memories of dedicated fans. Still, although it’s kind of sad to see the Muscles from Brussels getting older just like the rest of us, the good news is that it has put him in a unique position to star in this clever, self-referential movie that pokes fun at what it means to be a celebrity.
As such, JCVD is unlike any movie that Van Damme has ever starred in before. It is a high-concept French film in which he plays a real-life version of himself, struggling to make ends meet and going through every day problems like a child custody battle. When he one day finds himself in the middle of a hostage situation at a Belgian bank, there is a misunderstanding and the police think he is the one doing the robbing. The real criminals can’t believe their luck: not only are they in the presence of Belgium’s biggest movie star, but he’s also taking the fall for them! Meanwhile Van Damme is trying to find a way out of the situation, despite the fact that most of his Hollywood training is useless with a real gun pressed to his head.
Posted by Greg on September 6th, 2008 Filed under: Festivals
Usually I set the atmosphere at the internet cafe where I am, but this year I’m staying with someone who has a decent computer (sorry, bro). So, the only mood I can set for you is the fishing show that is on the TV. My roomie may have a good computer…but cable is not an option.
Moving on… Day 2 will go down as the greatest day I have ever experienced at TIFF and probably one of the best moments of my life.
“Everybody sees and everyone agrees that you and I are wrong and it’s been that way too long.”
“At the corner of your lips, as the orbit of your hips, eclipse, you elevate my soul.”
“You need coolin’, baby, I’m not foolin’. I’m gonna send you back to schoolin’”
Don’t worry I will explain a little more.
With today’s big news about a Ghostbusters sequel/reboot (I’m not sure which title is more appropriate), I can’t help but wonder what may be in store for us if such a thing does indeed come to pass. The involvement of the original cast and director Ivan Reitman sounds reassuring, but if they are going to be there to “pass the torch” onto a new group, I wonder if it would be better to simply distance themselves from it completely. A mix of old and new just sounds like a disaster waiting to happen (Star Trek: Generations anyone?).
Now, while Sony has appointed Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky as the screenwriters for this project, we still have no idea who might be in mind to direct. I guess the most obvious choice would be Ivan Reitman, who directed the first two, or perhaps Harold Ramis, who would star in the movie, and who also directed this Year One movie that Eisenberg and Stupnitsky wrote. But let’s get hypothetical for a minute here… if you could have any director in the industry take on Ghostbusters 3, who would it be? Someone quirky and artistic like Wes Anderson? The current king of comedy Judd Apatow? How about someone with an established comedy/horror edge, like say… James Gunn? Who is the right director to reinvent Ghostbusters without alienating the existing fans? Give us your thoughts here on Open Forum Friday.
Last year at the Toronto International Film Festival, Michael Moore screened a new documentary called Captain Mike Across America, which captured his campaign across the country during the 2004 election as he tried to convince young people to vote. The tour itself was called the Slacker Uprising Tour, and now it appears that this will become the name of the movie as well when it is finally released later this month. The cool thing is, Moore is offering the 96-minute movie entirely for free online starting September 23rd, before releasing it on DVD three weeks later.
I vaguely remember the movie getting rather mediocre reviews at the festival, so perhaps part of the reason for making it free is because no one would want to pay money for it. However, the other part of Moore’s plan is that he hopes that once again this will inspire young voters to come out for the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The film includes appearances from such celebrities as Roseanne Barr and Viggo Mortensen, and performances from Eddie Vedder, Tom Morello, and Steve Earle. To sign up for the free download, head over to SlackerUprising.com. Check out the trailer below… do you think it will make a difference?
War. Huh. Yeah. What is it good for? Well, if 70s Motown Funk Master Edwin Starr is to be believed: absolutely nothing. Yes, at first glance combining the horrors of war with fart jokes and prat falls hardly seems like the best idea, but if Hollywood has taught us anything it’s that it can take even the most unlikely of concepts and somehow make them work. Enter the war comedy: that rare cinematic sub-genre which blends both heavy weaponry and hilarity. Of course, the war comedy was been K.I.A. for a number of years now, but if the following list — and the recent box office smash Tropic Thunder — are any indication, it seems you can’t keep a good soldier down for long. So grab your M-16 and whoopee cushion and lock and load as Film Junk presents…
THE TOP 10 GREATEST WAR COMEDIES
10. The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming (1966)
If John Wayne demonstrated anything during the Cold War it’s that the only way to deal with a no-good dirty Commie is to wrap an American flag around your size-nine combat boot and shove it straight up Ivan’s ass. Of course, the alternative is Norman Jewison’s Academy-Award nominated flick The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming; a comedic look at Cold War era Soviet-American relations. Starring comedy legends Carl Reiner and Jonathan Winters along with a show-stealing performance from Oscar-Winner Alan Arkin, the film follows a group of bungling Russian sailors who find themselves in a world of trouble after their nuclear submarine runs aground near a sleepy New England town. With misunderstandings, machine guns and plenty of mutually assured laughs, The Russians Are Coming remains a classic of the genre; proof that despite their oppressive vodka-fuelled policies and soul-crushing Siberian gulags, those wacky Soviets weren’t really so bad after all.
Posted by Greg on September 5th, 2008 Filed under: Festivals
Hello friends,
Once again, it’s time for that jezebel to invade my life and spin it upside down. You know her as TIFF…or for those new this year…the Toronto International Film Festival. For the last 12 years I’ve been putting up with her issues and her nagging and her sweet loving, and I will continue to do it because deep down she makes me happy. Why? Who the fuck knows? I feel it is only necessary to share with you a daily account of my times here and let you be a small part of the sheer insanity that is my relationship with TIFF and this asswipe of a city.
Day 1 starts off very, very late. It’s the first day of the fest and usually I never have a film on that day so this is a new feeling. It’s a Midnight Madness screening. The MM is a group of films that showcase horror, action, sci-fi and all around mayhem. I’ve seen some amazing films at the MM and I’ve seen some ‘films’ that looked like some endomorph took a hefty dump on the film reels.
Today is a good day to be a Ghostbusters fan. Although I’m still not entirely sure what it all means, it appears that Sony has officially committed to developing a third feature film in the popular comedy series, with the intentions of reuniting the entire original cast (yes, including Bill Murray). It’s still in the early stages, but it seems like there is a good chance this may finally happen folks, so keep your fingers crossed.
According to Variety, Sony has hired The Office writers/executive producers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky to write the script for the new movie. Why they can’t just stick with the script that was already written by Dan Aykroyd remains to be seen, but the main reason for their involvement seems to be the fact that they also wrote Year One, an upcoming comedy directed by Harold Ramis. Year One is also being produced by Judd Apatow, which may explain where those Seth Rogen rumours came from a few months back.
Now, the biggest obstacle to this film will continue to be convincing the original cast to sign on. No deals will be made until the script is completed, and the last time they attempted to set up Ghostbusters 3, the actors asked for such a high percentage of the film’s gross that it was impossible for the studio to make any money from it. The Hollywood Reporter says that original director Ivan Reitman and the cast members are “aware of the project and involved in its development”, however, they are also calling it a “reboot” that will focus on a new group of Ghostbusters. I guess that makes a bit more sense, but I’m not sure I like the idea. It really could go either way, and it’s going to depend a lot on who these new guys are. What do you think, is a next generation Ghostbusters movie a good idea? Does this news excite you or disappoint you?
If you want proof that theatrical releases drop off immediately after the summer, just take a look at this weekend’s line-up. The only major new release is the Nicolas Cage action remake Bangkok Dangerous, which is getting pretty terrible reviews across the board. In select theatres we have Jessica Yu’s indie comedy Ping Pong Playa, along with a romantic comedy called Everybody Wants To Be Italian. At least Brad Anderson’s thriller Transsiberian is expanding to a few more theatres this weekend, so go out and catch this if you get the chance.
