Screen Rant » Rob Frappier

Matthew Vaughn: Kick-Ass is “Love Letter to Spider-Man”

Rob Frappier — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:25:34 +0000

Who loves hearing a director talk about their work? I know I do. That’s why it was such a pleasure to find this video of Matthew Vaughn offering a sort of pesudo-commentary track to the first trailer for his upcoming adaptation of the comic book Kick-Ass.

The trailer, which comes our way courtesy of /Film, was originally put together by French Premiere. While not a commentary in the traditional sense (Premiere placed excerpts of their interview with Vaughn over the trailer), it still provides some interesting insight into one of the most anticipated movies of 2010.

Ever since Kick-Ass had its coming out party at Comic Con, all of us here at Screen Rant have been of the opinion that the movie will, well, kick ass. Now that the film’s first trailer has finally hit the web, it seems like enthusiasm for the movie has been taken to a whole new level. It’s almost hard to believe that Matthew Vaughn financed the production of the movie on his own after no production companies stepped to the plate to back it.

Check out the director himself talking about the movie:

In retrospect, I’m glad Vaughn accepted the smart risk and made this movie his way, because you can clearly see his passion for the material. When you listen to him talk about the film and say things like his film is a “love letter to Spider-Man” and that it is “about people who love comic books and superheroes,” you can really sense that he understands his audience.

While comic book movies can work as complex morality tales (The Dark Knight proved that), they don’t all have to aspire to Academy Awards. Going into Kick-Ass, I know I’m going to get a movie that’s going to make me laugh, make me cringe, and, overall, make me glad I shelled out 10 bucks. And honestly, sometimes that’s all I want.

What do you think? If you’re still not on the Kick-Ass bandwagon, tell us why in the comments.

Kick-Ass will be in theaters on April 16, 2010

Source: French Premiere via Slash Film

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Zoe Saldana Talks Star Trek, Avatar & The Losers

Rob Frappier — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:59:05 +0000

Since her starring turn as Uhura in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot, the lovely Zoe Saldana has been racking up a number of major films. Besides the inevitable Star Trek sequel, Zaldana will play Aisha in the DC comic book adaptation The Losers, as well as the alien Neytiri in James Cameron’s epic sci-fi (or is it fantasy?) film Avatar. Recently, Coming Soon snagged an interview with the fast-rising actress at the DVD/Blu-ray release party for Star Trek.

In the interview, Saldana explains that, although her busy schedule has her worn out, she hasn’t lost her enthusiasm for any of her upcoming projects.

“I’m feeling great, but there’s a part of me that’s happy it’s almost over so I can finally take off my heels…Between guns, a little dress and heels I’m a little tired physically, but I never get mentally tired of talking about these projects I’ve been a part of because it’s every actor’s dream to work with amazing directors especially for a woman in Hollywood and film.”

Saldana also touched on her upcoming role in The Losers, saying Aisha was a “badass” and a blend of her Star Trek character Uhura and her Avatar character Neytiri. Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview came when Saldana expanded on her feelings about playing Neytiri, saying that taking on the alien role was “the most challenging role I’ve ever played.”

“It just challenged me from head to toe. Not only did I have to become more in tune with my body and train for seven months to do this role, but it was also a mental thing where I had to dehumanize myself because I was playing a different species–not of a different country. I was from a different planet so it took a lot of time and it was the most amazing experience I ever had.”

While she wasn’t my favorite character in the new Star Trek, I thought Saldana did a great job making the character of Uhura her own without disrespecting the Uhura of old. It is interesting to hear Saldana’s comments about her work in Avatar. While I am still hesitant to predict Avatar’s success, (I honestly don’t know what to expect from that movie) I will definitely be keeping a closer eye on her role to see if all her hard work paid off. I’ve always imagined it would be difficult to act in a movie that is filmed entirely in front of a green screen, let alone one that takes place on another planet with a completely imaginary race of creatures.

Speaking of Avatar, USA Today recently released a new image of Saldana as Neytiri. Check it out below.

So, what do you think of Zoe Saldana? Do you see her having a long and successful career as a Hollywood A-lister?

Source: Coming Soon, USA Today

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James McTeigue: Superman in “Weird Place at the Moment”

Rob Frappier — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:26:35 +0000

A few months back, our resident comic book movie expert (and newly crowned Game Rant editor), Rob Keyes put together an excellent report on the future of the Superman film franchise, confirming rumors that The Wachowski Brothers’ protegé, James McTeigue, was in talks to helm a reboot. Then, in August, with McTeigue still denying any firm involvement in the movie, we learned the director’s dark vision for the film.

Despite the fact that McTeigue hadn’t officially joined the film, it was beginning to feel inevitable that Superman would enter production relatively soon. Then, faster than a speeding bullet, we found out that DC Entertainment didn’t even have plans for a Superman reboot, in part due to complicated legal disputes over the franchise. Now, we have even more confirmation that Superman has stalled out thanks to an interview James McTeigue gave to MTV.

While promoting his upcoming action flick, Ninja Assassin, McTeigue talked about Superman’s progress, saying:

“It’s in a weird place at the moment…They’re trying to work out what they’re doing. Warner Brothers is trying to figure out their next move on it. There’s some things you can do with the ‘Superman’ franchise, there’s other things you can’t do. So it hasn’t gone anywhere.”

Despite the movie’s current situation, McTeigue reiterated his desire to be involved, saying:

“I think it’s ripe for a retooling…I would love to — if it happened, I would at least start a conversation about it.”

If you’re interested, here are those excerpts in video form from the man himself:

To me, this isn’t a huge disappointment. I’m not the biggest Superman fan in the world anyway, and I’m actually more interested in seeing other DC characters – like Jonah Hex and Green Lantern – hit the big screen. Still, I know that the Man of Steel has a fairly loyal fanbase, so allow me to propose this question: What do YOU think of this news? Are you bummed that Superman won’t be hitting the big screen anytime soon?

Source: MTV

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NCIS Producer Gil Grant Dicusses Gattaca TV Show

Rob Frappier — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:36:51 +0000

Sometimes, when you hear a movie is being turned into a TV show, you can’t help but cringe. It’s not always easy to make the transition from feature film to television show, especially when the movie has a loyal following. Some of the movies that have made the best transition into the TV world include M.A.S.H, Stargate, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Could Gattaca join that list?

Though often overlooked, Gattaca was one of the more interesting science fiction films to come out of the 1990s. Featuring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law, the movie explored a futuristic society where genetic engineering was the norm, creating a world where “Valids” (individuals who had been genetically enhanced before birth) live in a socially superior position to “Invalids” (average Joes like you and me).

Recently, the MTV Movies Blog caught up with writer/producer Gil Grant (NCIS:Los Angeles, 24) to discuss his work on developing Gattaca into a police procedural. The plot of the series would revolve around the social tensions between the one government-appointed Invalid officer working in a police force full of genetically engineered Valids. I’ve excerpted some of the interview below, but make sure to check MTV for the full article.

On involving Gattaca’s original director, Andrew Niccol (who is currently working on the Orlando Bloom sci-fi film, The Cross).

“I don’t know him…That’s really up to [license-holder] Sony, I think. I’m certainly open to it, but that’s not my call.”

On incorporating elements of the film into the TV series,

“I would use a great deal of the world and the nomenclature and the art direction, the feel of it, the music. It’s just such a beautiful film, and really cool.”

On possible plot angles,

“You get all the crimes and all the tension that’s built up with Valids being accused of something they didn’t do, all the forensic science that would be new and much more advanced than we have now…The Invalid character I see as having a Valid girlfriend, and she’s dating him for all the wrong reasons. And I think that the Valid, the older detective, has some problems in his personal life that you follow through. Then you’ve got the captain of the police department who’s forced to hire this [Invalid].”

On bringing back characters from the film,

“I think it would be in some ways truer to the film to just [set things in a] different corner of the world and not try to re-cast an existing character.”

While TV already has its fair share of police procedurals, I can really see Grant’s ideas coming to life. With shows like Battlestar Galactica, and the more recent V and FlashForward showing that TV viewers are more interested than ever in science-fiction shows, Gattaca could become a hit. Of course, we won’t know for sure until we actually see the show, and that might not be for a while. Grant says he will complete the first scripts in January or February.

What do you think? Could Gattaca make for a cool TV show?

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The House of the Devil Review

Rob Frappier — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:14:31 +0000

Short Version: Ti West’s The House of the Devil is an agonizingly suspenseful and genuinely creepy homage to 1980s horror that hits nearly all the right notes.

Screen Rant’s Rob Frappier reviews The House of the Devil

Let’s see if this sounds familiar: An attractive and likable college co-ed takes a job as a babysitter at a creaky old house even though we know (and she senses) that something devious is afoot. If you’re thinking to yourself, “Been there, done that,” I’d ask you to continue reading anyway.

While Ti West’s The House of the Devil may sound familiar, the film’s potent mix of suspense, creepiness and gore is well worth the price of admission.

Though I’ve already outlined the plot somewhat, allow me to fill in a few more details. Samantha (played by newcomer Jocelin Donahue) needs some quick cash to move out of her dorm room and into her own apartment. Walking through campus, she sees an ad for a babysitter and decides it could be an easy way to make some money. Upon arriving at the house, which is tucked deep in the woods and reminiscent of The Amityville Horror, Sam meets her employer, the polite, yet vaguely sinister Mr. Ulman (played by the always great Tom Noonan).

At this point, Sam learns she won’t be babysitting, exactly, but instead caring for the Ulman’s elderly mother. Although she tries to duck the job, Ulman offers her too much money to resist and she stays, against the warning of her friend Megan (Greta Gerwig). Like Megan, we in the audience know Sam has made a mistake, something she realizes for herself as she snoops around the home. Suffice it to say, the Ulmans have plans for young Sam and, as plainly indicated in the title, they involve the Devil. Oh, did I mention there’s a lunar eclipse? Surely you can guess what’s in store for Sam.

The House of the Devil is a throwback to a simpler time for horror. From its period-appropriate props (over-sized Walkmans, rotary dial phones, etc.) and grainy film stock, to its amazing score of synth-heavy rock and spare, yet menacing violin and piano, the movie authentically mimics the look and sound of early 1980s horror. Where other directors might use the 1980s as an excuse to make their movie cheesy, however, Ti West understands that the best thing about 1980s horror wasn’t its schlockiness, but rather its emphasis on slow-burning suspense.

To this end, the film moves at an agonizing pace (and I mean that in the best way possible). As she wanders throughout the house doing seemingly normal things (filling her water bottle, reading a book), West keeps Sam’s face tightly framed, tricking the audience into thinking something could happen any time she turns her head. When we’re not in tight frames, West opts for wide establishing shots where the camera moves just slowly enough that we feel someone might be watching Sam from the shadows. It’s a potent mix of cinematography that manages to keep you on the edge of your seat. As the night wears on and Sam becomes more paranoid about her situation, we’re right there with her grasping our imaginary knife to fight off the inevitably bloody ending.

Speaking of the ending, it may be the one part of the movie that doesn’t work quite to perfection. Don’t get me wrong, the ending is still very scary (and very bloody), but after 70 minutes of hair-raising suspense, it’s nearly impossible to live up to the viewer’s sense of dread. It is worth noting that there is a major stylistic shift at the end of the movie, favoring intense visuals and shaky cinematography over the film’s previous camerawork, demonstrating West’s ability to use the camera both as a tool to bring us into the film and to throttle us once we’re there. Despite the film’s very minor letdown at the end (and it really is minor), West works in a satisfying, if somewhat predictable, twist for the last scene that will make you smile in spite of yourself.

To some horror aficionados – most likely fans of über-violent slasher remakes like Rob Zombie’s Halloween – The House of the Devil may be too slow with too little violence. For genre purists, however, there are very few things to not like about the movie. I can only hope that The House of the Devil, along with this summer’s intensely entertaining Drag Me to Hell and the little-Indie-that-could Paranormal Activity, represent a slight shift in the way Hollywood thinks about horror.

The House of the Devil has been in theaters since October 30th, though the film has been in release on Amazon Video and other On Demand services since the beginning of October. If you can, I would recommend seeing this movie in theaters. The cinematography, art design, and sound design are too good to waste on a small screen.

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Alice in Wonderland: Meet The Caterpillar

Rob Frappier — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:02:22 +0000

When the first images of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland hit the web a few months ago, fans of the famously quirky director were ecstatic. From the Red Queen’s heart-shaped head to the Mad Hatter’s crazy Carrot Top hair, the characters were dark and bright at the same time in a way that was quintessentially Burton. As awesome as the first images were, however, fans have still been waiting to see what a few more characters looked like, namely, the hookah-smoking Caterpillar voiced by Alan Rickman.

Luckily, we now have our first look at the Caterpillar thanks to /Film. The image (found below) comes from a magazine scan. While the image is somewhat grainy, I’m sure we won’t have to wait long before we see a better version (we’ll update you). The second picture shows the whole two-page scan.

After hearing Alan Rickman talk about his character, it’s good to finally see him. While the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter seem to get all the love from Alice in Wonderland fans, I’ve always held a personal fondness for the Caterpillar. I’m excited to see what Rickman can do with the character. If the grainy magazine scan doesn’t satiate your thirst for Alice in Wonderland though, don’t worry, we have one more thing to show. Yesterday, Disney released the latest poster for the film on the Mad Hatter’s official Facebook Fan Page. The poster doesn’t really show anything we haven’t already seen, but it’s still nice to look at. Check it out below.

(click image for larger size)

Without a doubt, Alice in Wonderland is one of the most anticipated films of 2010. In retrospect, combining Burton’s unique visual aesthetic with Lewis Carroll’s classic story was a no-brainer. Adding a cast of well-liked and capable actors (including Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, and the aforementioned Alan Rickman as the Caterpillar) is just the cherry on top of a delectably psychadelic sundae.

What do you think of the first look at Alan Rickman’s Caterpillar and the latest poster? Is everyone as excited as I am to see this movie?

Alice in Wonderland hits theaters on March 5th, 2010.

Source: /Film and Facebook

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J.J. Abrams Discusses “Khannnnn!!!!” for Star Trek 2

Rob Frappier — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:57:30 +0000

After the outstanding success of his Star Trek reboot, director J.J. Abrams has found himself fielding questions about the film’s sequel on a near daily basis. Who will be the villain? Does Chris Pine have as hard a time with Tribbles as William Shatner? Etc, etc. Luckily, Abrams is one of Hollywood’s more nerd friendly directors, so you can always count on him giving you a decent answer.

Recently, MTV caught up with Abrams for an exclusive interview about Star Trek 2. In the interview, Abrams discusses some possibilities for the sequel and the relative leeway the screenwriters have in bringing old characters back to the big screen. Care to guess which name brought up the most excitement? You guessed it, KHANNNNN!!!!, a.k.a Khan Noonien Singh, the genetically engineered superhuman played by Ricardo Montelban in Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan.

From the interview:

“I think one of the byproducts of doing this movie was we were able to dispel the obvious and understandable concerns—how can ‘Star Trek’ possibly exist without those original cast members? Now that we are in a parallel existence with what fans of the original series love so much, we could introduce any number of characters, settings, references and situations that the original series introduced. Dealing with Khan would certainly be a challenge, but we had an equal challenge in finding our crew of the Enterprise.”

Abrams also clarified, however, that he didn’t necessarily want to simply remake old episodes or movies.

“While I don’t want to approach the second film as a remake of episodes we’ve seen in the past… nothing is off limits in terms of what we’re discussing,” he said. “When Bob Orci and the others who know ‘Trek’ so well, the fun of working with them is they know this universe so deeply they’re the ones who are always considering what it means to deal with the stuff in the past, so it’ll be exciting.”

You can check out the full interview by heading over to MTV.

Personally, I think Khan would be an amazing character to see brought back to the big screen, especially given the excellent casting of Kirk and Spock. On the other hand, it’s becoming rarer and rarer to find a good original story in Hollywood these days, so part of me would rather they start fresh with an interesting new villain for the new look crew.

What do you think? Would you like to see Khan in a Star Trek sequel, or should the writers try something new?

Source: MTV

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Is ‘The Mortal Instruments’ The Next ‘Twilight’?

Rob Frappier — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:32:03 +0000

Ever since Twilight made author Stephanie Meyer a millionaire, it seems as if the publishing industry has caught teen angst/fantasy/horror fever. Naturally, the fever spread to Hollywood where new movies about teenage werewolves, vampires, and various other classic movie monsters are appearing at an alarming rate. According to Variety, the most recent fantasy franchise to make the jump to the big screen will be Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series.

For those unfamiliar with The Mortal Instruments, here’s a quick blurb from the Variety article: “Story revolves around teenager Clary Fray’s search for her missing mother, which leads her to a city filled with mysterious fairies, raucous warlocks, vampires and other demons.” Collectively, The Mortal Instruments series of books have spent 28 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers List.

The Mortal Instruments film, which will compile the first three books of the four-book series, is being produced by Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne of Unique Features. Constantin Film will also play a role in producing the film. For the screenplay, Unique has signed screenwriter Jessica Postigo, who wrote the still unreleased Operation Checkmate, which details the hostage of Colombian-French politician Ingrid Betancourt Pulecio.

It would be easy to dismiss this series and others like it for seemingly cashing in on a fad, but that’s unfair to both the author and the filmmakers. Since I haven’t personally read the series myself, I’m going to hold off on passing judgment for the time being. However, if there are any fans of these books out there in Screen Rant land, please feel free to leave your comments below.

Source: Variety

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Mark Millar: Comic Creator, Screenwriter, Movie Director?

Rob Frappier — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:30:02 +0000

Scottish comic book writer Mark Millar has been getting awfully cozy in Hollywood over the past couple of years. In addition to seeing the film version of his graphic novel Wanted bank for more than $340 million worldwide, Millar has been able to work closely with director Matthew Vaughn on the film adaptation of his comic series, Kick-Ass, which comes out in April 2010. Now, according to the man himself, Millar is planning on getting behind the camera for his very own directorial debut. According to Millar’s personal website, principal photography on the project begins in March 2010.

Ah, but you must be saying to yourself, “Rob! You didn’t tell else what movie Millar is directing. Are you some kind of incompetent fool?” Friends, if I knew I would tell you, I promise. Unfortunately, Millar is keeping his lips sealed until February when more release details will be coming out.

From Millar’s website:

What is it? Who is it about? Well, that’s all a secret for now, but I learned a lot from Kick-Ass and love having the same creative freedom I have with comics when I work in cinema. I never want to be a studio bitch and go in there pitching for them to love me. The closest I came to this was a couple of calls regarding Superman, but pretty much none of my plans ever revealed as I didn’t like the idea of anyone nicking them.

Similarly, I don’t like the idea of asking for funding and justifying scenes with the money-men so I’m doing what Matthew Vaughn did with Kick-Ass and just making it outside the system with private investors. The financing is all secured and the movie stands or falls on how good I can make it, doing what Matthew did and just selling it once completed.

As you can imagine, I couldn’t be more excited. More as it happens, but this might just beat out War Heroes and American Jesus as my follow-ups to the Wanted and Kick-Ass movies. Have two other pictures about to go into development (and Wanted and Kick-Ass 2, of course), but I think you need to scare the Hell out of yourself every once in a while and something totally new like directing should do the trick.

Let me put this out there: I’m a Mark Millar fan. I know that some people aren’t into his style, but I think his early work in the Ultimate Marvel universe and Wanted more than demonstrate his ability to tell crisp and exciting stories. The thing is, directing a movie is an entirely different animal than writing a comic. We’ve seen other famous names in comics make the leap to directing without success, most notably Frank Miller, so Millar’s move certainly isn’t unprecedented. Will Millar’s experience working so closely with Matthew Vaughn on Kick-Ass help him bring his own project to fruition?

What do you think? Are you excited to hear Mark Millar will be making his directorial debut, or do you think he should stick to what he knows?

Source: MillarWorld.tv

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Tron Legacy Producers Talk Disc Tourneys & Light Cycles

Rob Frappier — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:02:37 +0000

Chris Hudak of GameRevolution had the chance to sit down and chat with Tron Legacy producers Steven Lisberger and Sean Bailey at the D23 Expo in Anaheim. The wide-ranging interview touched on a number of aspects of the film, including the film’s look, its tone, and its music. I’ve excerpted some of the juicier segments below. For the full interview, visit GameRevolution.

Steven Lisberger on the tone of Tron Legacy:

“The tone of first film reflects a certain naïve idealism. This film reflects the temperament of Joe Kosinski, our director, our young writers, and Sean Bailey, my fellow producer – those who have a more realistic point of view of the upsides and downsides of technology and cyberspace.”

Sean Bailey on matching the “newness” of the original Tron:

“The great thing is that the design is relatively timeless, but the ability we had effects-wise, action-wise, the speed we can move the Light Cycles at—we thought we could deliver just an incredible ride, an action movie, a science-fiction movie…It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Sean Bailey on Daft Punk’s involvement in the film:

“It was a really interesting experience…We talk with them all the time; they’ve come up to the set; they’ve been around in the effects—it’s just amazing…They were influential in many ways—a couple specific ways, which I think folks will see. With their music, they were trying to set the feeling of the Tron universe very, very early on.”

On meeting Syd Mead (the vehicle designer on the original Tron):

“Amazing. Amazing to have him. We brought Syd by one day, to walk up and down the halls of our designers—and they were, you know, kind of nervously ’showing their work’! And I have to say, just for me—having seen the movie as a boy, to be able to work as producer with the creator of Tron, Steve Lisberger, is just an incredible thrill.”

At first I wasn’t sure what to think about a Tron sequel. One of the things I love about the original movie is how it was so far ahead of its time in terms of visual effects. In 2010, however, we’re used to seeing giant alien robots fight each other on top of the great pyramids. Would a sequel be able to approach the same level of technical innovation as its predecessor?

After seeing the first full trailer for Tron Legacy however, I lost much of my apprehension. Not only did the footage look great, but it was abundantly clear that the director and producers were committed to faithfully recreating the Tron universe we all know and love. It is good to see the producers showing as much excitement for the project as us fans. I have a feeling that Tron Legacy will be one of the more successful sci-fi films of 2010.

Do you want to see the new Tron? Did the interview make you more excited for the film?

Tron Legacy stars Garrett Hedlund, Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, John Hurt, Michael Sheen and Olivia Wilde. It opens in theaters December 17, 2010.

Source: GameRevolution

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SR Pick [Video]: The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon

Rob Frappier — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:46:42 +0000

In the grand history of horror films, we’ve seen psychopaths slaying their victims with a veritable armory of weapons. Freddy had his claws, Michael Myers had his butcher knife, Leatherface had his chainsaw, and so on, and so forth. To be perfectly frank, finding creative and terrifying ways to kill people has become something of a lost art. Luckily, there are still bold and creative-minded filmmakers working in the horror industry; filmmakers like Richard Gale.

Gale’s most recent project pushes the very limits of horror. It dares to ask the question: How many years can a man fight for his life against an evil unstoppable force? If you have the stomach, watch the 10-minute trailer below. Be advised, in addition to the heart-pounding terror, there is some adult language.

If you’re still reading this, I applaud your strength. A lesser person would have fainted at the sheer power of the trailer. Just imagine the pain. You wake up, the spoon is there. You go to sleep, the spoon is there. You take a shower, the SPOON IS THERE! Day after day, there’s no escape from the madness. I won’t lie, I had to close my eyes for the last half.

All joking aside, The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon is a terrific lesson in short filmmaking. Gale has a pitch-perfect feel for the genre, and his script is filled with humor. Furthermore, on a technical level, the film looks great and reflects an attention to detail that often escapes other directors. According to Gale’s website, his horror spoof has already earned 12 film festival awards.

But what I think isn’t what’s important (at least not all the time). What did you think? For more information on Richard Gale and a list of live screenings for The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon, check out the director’s personal website.

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‘Scream 4′ Goes 3D, Wes Craven Almost Signed On to Direct

Rob Frappier — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:47:58 +0000

Scream 4 is coming and it might be coming in 3D! According to /Film, there is a rumor out there that the latest installment in the popular slasher franchise will be filmed in stereovision. It wouldn’t be the first time that a horror movie has used 3D to enhance its fright factor. One recent example is the abysmal My Bloody Valentine. Ugh. Honestly, if the story sucks, I don’t care if a giant, digitally projected knife is coming at my face. It’s just not scary.

On that note, I’m really hoping Scream 4 brings the franchise back to its roots. When it came out, Scream was critically praised for its clever mix of humor, satire, and genuinely frightening horror. For my money, there hasn’t been a slasher film as good since. Even Scream 2 was pretty awesome, though I don’t want to get into the mess that was Scream 3.

Anyway, my point is that a good horror film comes from a good script and good direction, plain and simple, which is why I have been eagerly awaiting news that director Wes Craven would finally sign on to direct Scream 4. According to the same article in /Film, Craven may not be that far off, with sources allegedly saying he’s “closer than ever” to officially joining the film.

So far, we know that Neve Campbell will reprise her role as Sidney Prescott alongside Courtney Cox and David Arquette. Thus far, those actors are the only members of the original franchise said to be returning. The hope is that Scream 4 will be a reboot for the series and the first in a new trilogy.

What do you think of the news that Scream 4 is in 3D? Are you eagerly awaiting Wes Craven to finally join the film officially?

Source: /Film via BloodyDisgusting

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Billy Ray Signs On For Gears of War

Rob Frappier — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:35:50 +0000

On Thursday, Variety shared the news that screenwriter Billy Ray (State of Play) was set to take on the real life story of Captain Richard Phillips, the man who was held captive by Somali pirates for five days earlier this year. As interesting as it would be to see Captain Phillips’ dramatic escape brought to the big screen, there was a line at the bottom of the Variety article that was far more interesting: “He [Ray] is currently writing “Gears of War” for New Line.”

Wait? Gears of War? Last time we heard, that movie was being written by the team of Len Wiseman (Underworld) and Chris Morgan (Wanted, Fast and Furious), with Wiseman as director. What happened? Brendon Connelly over at /Film speculates that Wiseman turned to Billy Ray after the duo worked successfully on the forthcoming film, Motorcade. Motorcade, if you’ll recall from our previous coverage, has been in development for sometime with Tom Cruise as its originally intended star. The film will now feature Ryan Reynolds (he is everywhere nowadays!) and will not be directed by Wiseman, but by 24 director John Cassar.

So, what does Billy Ray bring to the table for Gears of War? Well, let’s take a look at his track record thus far. To date, Ray has been the writer behind a number of successful thrillers, including Breach and State of Play. However, both of those films existed in the very realistic world of spies, betrayals, and myriad clandestine government activities. Gears of War is about the super bad-ass soldiers of Delta Squad who fight off the evil Locust Horde on the fictitious planet Sera. In other words, it’s not exactly Ray’s forte.

Does that mean the film won’t be any good? Of course not. Does it mean there won’t be any scenes of aliens being cut in half by machine gun/saws? Maybe yes, maybe no. All I know is that Billy Ray is a pretty good screenwriter with some solid movies under his belt. I’m hopeful that whatever he brings to the film can elevate Gears of War beyond a mere video game movie to something a bit more.

What do you think of the news that Billy Ray has come on to Gears of War? What would you like to see out of a Gears of War film more than anything else?

Source: Variety, /Film

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First Full Trailer for Timur Bekmambetov’s ‘Black Lightning’

Rob Frappier — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:55:40 +0000

If you read the title to this post and thought, “Awesome! The dude who made Wanted is making a new superhero movie!” you were only half right. Black Lightning is sort of a superhero movie, but it has nothing to do with the famous DC character of the same name. Also, Timur Bekmambetov isn’t directing it (Alexandr Voitinsky and Dmitriy Kiselev are.) He’s just producing it, so I guess you’d only be one-third right.

Anyway, I should probably move on to what Black Lightning is about. From what I can tell by watching the Russian-language trailer (below), Black Lightning basically borrows the plot of the first Spider-Man film with a little bit of Transformers thrown in for good measure. Let me clarify. Remember how Peter Parker/Sam Witwicky wanted to get a cool car to impress Mary Jane/Whatever Megan Fox’s character’s name was? Black Lightning works with the same concept, except that instead of the boy becoming super powered, his car, a Soviet-era Volga, does. Check it out for yourself.

Even though I didn’t understand a single word in that trailer, I still kind of want to see this movie. The action looks pretty good and seems to have a lot of Bekmambetov’s flair. According to /Film, the budget for Black Lightning was a meager $8 million, making the special effects that much more impressive.

What do you think? Would you see this movie, or are flying cars played out (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang pretty much set the standard 41 years ago)?

Source: /Film

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Adam Shankman Signs on to Direct ‘Rock of Ages’

Rob Frappier — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:32:26 +0000

According to Variety, director Adam Shankman has signed on to direct and choreograph the film adaptation of the Tony-award nominated Broadway play, Rock of Ages. If you’re unfamiliar with Rock of Ages, here’s a brief summary of the movie from Variety:

The musical tells the story of a couple that meets at the Sunset Strip club Rock of Ages, falls in love and tries to stay together amid the rough and tumble rock lifestyle. The cast finds reasons to belt out 80s rock anthems made popular by Journey, Twisted Sister, Joan Jett, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar and other MTV generation staples.

With his experience directing music videos and musicals (including 2007’s surprise hit Hairspray), Adam Shankman should be the perfect person to bring the project to fruition. Describing the film as “Mamma Mia!” for dudes,” Shankman said bringing Rock of Ages to the big screen is an “extraordinary opportunity to open the genre to an audience that otherwise wouldn’t go see a musical.”

Was there ever a better time for rock music than the 1980s? Honestly, who among us can claim that they haven’t belted out “Don’t Stop Believin’” at the top of their lungs while taking a shower? While I haven’t seen the Broadway production of Rock of Ages, I can’t help but imagine that I would like it. Of course, musicals haven’t always made the transition from stage to screen gracefully (for every Chicago, there’s a Rent). It should be interesting to see how Shankman handles the material, and whether the film finds its audience.

That being said, who out there in Hollywood can you see shredding guitar along to the power ballads of Styx, Foreigner, and Journey? Better yet, who can you see channeling Steve Perry’s golden pipes? (Zac Efron need not apply.)

Warner Brothers will begin production on Rock of Ages next summer with an expected release date sometime in 2011.

Source: Variety

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Mel Gibson Bashes Skulls in ‘Edge of Darkness’ Trailer

Rob Frappier — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:46:27 +0000

The first trailer for the Mel Gibson action/drama Edge of Darkness is out and it looks good. Edge of Darkness features Gibson as a Boston detective who uncovers a conspiracy while investigating the death of his activist daughter. The film was written by William Monahan (The Departed) and was directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale).

(Fun fact: The part played by Ray Winstone was originally supposed to be played by Robert De Niro who dropped out of the film in its early stages.)

Check out the trailer and a poster for the film below:

In recent years, it seems Mel Gibson’s personal life has clouded his considerable talents as an actor and director. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that, even at the age of 53, Gibson is one of Hollywood’s most credible action stars. I am looking forward to seeing him back on the screen (it’s been six years since he last starred in a film) doing what he does best.

What do you think? Does the first trailer make you excited for the film?

Edge of Darkness hits theaters January 29th, 2010.

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4-Day + Preview Passes for Comic-Con 2010 Sold Out

Rob Frappier — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:25:36 +0000

Attention all fanboys! If you were thinking of scoring four-day + preview night passes for San Diego Comic-Con 2010, think again. According to Collider, the four-day + preview night passes are already sold out. Let me repeat that again in bold: the four-day + preview night passes are already sold out.

You heard it right. Even though there are still more than 280 days until Comic-Con 2010, organizers are already selling out of tickets. It’s kind of amazing when you sit down and think about it. I mean, Comic-Con 2009 ended less than three months ago! Most people haven’t even planned their costumes yet, let alone bought tickets.

As of this moment, the regular 4-day passes are still available but don’t expect them to last.

What gives? Well, According to Collider, one of the reasons for the faster than usual sell-out is the fact that organizers are trying to cut down on the crowds that plagued this past year’s event. Whatever the reason may be, don’t miss out on your chance to get tickets to Comic-Con 2010. Click here to buy your tickets today.

Source: Collider

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Marlon Wayans Replaces Eddie Murphy in Richard Pryor Biopic

Rob Frappier — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:22:38 +0000

Back in February, Screen Rant reported that actor Eddie Murphy would portray Richard Pryor in a Bill Condon-directed biopic of the late comedian’s life, tentatively titled Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? At the time, the fit seemed perfect. Not only were Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor friends, but they are both respected as two of the most influential and successful comics in history. As of last week, however, it appears that Murphy won’t be stepping into the shoes of his longtime friend. According to an article over at HitFix, Murphy has been replaced in the role by actor Marlon Wayans (G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra).

In addition to the news that Murphy is out and Wayans is in, Paramount and Fox Searchlight are no longer considered potential distributors for the film. Instead, the project will now be produced by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison production company, which operates under the umbrella of Sony Pictures.

Although it is somewhat of a cliché to say, there are some people who are truly larger than life. In my estimation, Richard Pryor was one of them. From his raucous live performances to his unpredictable behind-the-scenes outbursts (I recommend reading Gene Wilder’s autobiography Kiss Me Like a Stranger for some insight into Pryor’s offscreen habits), there was truly nothing conventional about Richard Pryor. Does Marlon Wayans have the necessary dramatic chops to take on such a complex character?

For many moviegoers, the news that Marlon Wayans is taking on a more dramatic role may seem surprising. After all, the actor is most widely known for his recurring role in the Scary Movie franchise, among other financially successful, but critically panned comedies. Despite his propensity to star in cheap comedies, however, Marlon Wayans has proven in his career that he is capable of pulling off strong dramatic performances. Perhaps the finest example of Wayans’ dramatic abilities came in Darren Aronofsky’s acclaimed independent film, Requiem for a Dream.

Given his previous success in dramatic roles, along with the strong directorial vision of Bill Condon (Dreamgirls), I personally believe Marlon Wayans has the potential to do very well in his role. Of course, that’s just one man’s humble opinion. What do you think? Will Marlon Wayans make a good Richard Pryor?

Source: HitFix

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Is a ‘Zombieland’ Sequel Already in the Works?

Rob Frappier — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:21:27 +0000

After bringing in an impressive $25 million in its first weekend, the splatterfest zombie comedy Zombieland already has fans clamoring for a sequel. Luckily for them, it looks like everyone involved with Zombieland is just as excited to come back for another round of Zombie slaying action.

In an interview with MTV, Paul Wernick, one of the writers of the critically acclaimed comedy, spoke about the cast and crew’s enthusiasm for the sequel.

“We would love it, and everyone involved creatively wants to do another one. Woody [Harrelson] came up to us after the final cut of the last scene and gave us a hug and said, ‘I’ve never wanted to do a sequel in the previous movies I’ve done until this one.’ “

Given everyone’s “gung-ho” attitude for a follow-up, and Zombieland’s impressive financial success, a sequel the the film is probably inevitable. Does that mean a script is already in the works? Not yet, but according to Wernick, that might not be a huge problem, since he and co-writer Rhett Reese originally conceived Zombieland as a TV series.

“It has lived in our heads for four-and-a-half years. We developed it and wrote it as a spec TV pilot in the summer of 2005. We’ve got a long brainstorming document that still to this day gets updated on a near-weekly basis with ideas. We’ve got tons of new ideas swimming in our head.”

Of course, before Wernick and Reese can sit down and hammer out a script, they have to finish the multitude of projects that are already on their plate. Currently, the pair are working on a draft of a Venom movie for Sony Pictures, as well as the science-fiction film Earth vs. Moon, which they hope will star Will Smith.

Are you looking forward to a Zombieland sequel? How much fun would a Zombieland TV series have been?

Source: MTV

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G.I. Joe Hits DVD & Blu-Ray This November

Rob Frappier — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:12:58 +0000

After earning nearly $300 million in worldwide box office grosses during its theatrical run, G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra is set to make another boatload of money this November 3rd, when the film comes out on DVD and Blu-ray. Available in multiple formats, G.I. Joe fans can take the film home for $19.99 as a one-disc DVD, for $24.99 as a two-disc DVD, or for $29.99 as a two-disc Blu-ray.

If you opt for the two-disc DVD or Blu-ray, you’ll get access to a digital copy of the film, as well as two featurettes, “The Big Bang Theory: The Making of G.I. JOE” and “Next-Gen Action: The Amazing Visual FX and Design of G.I. JOE.” Oh yeah, there’s one more special feature I would be remiss to mention. It’s a little hard to explain, so I’ll let the press release do the talking.

“The two-disc DVD and Blu-ray packages will also feature augmented reality technology that will allow owners to participate in an exclusive 3D holographic G.I. JOE combat experience, utilizing their webcams and a special website. Fans will be able to choose between SNAKE EYES and STORM SHADOW, two of the most popular G.I. JOE and COBRA characters, and battle against their enemies one-on-one in an immersive 3D video game.”

Hmm… Sounds…interesting? Anyway, if you enjoyed G.I. Joe in the theaters and you have a Blu-ray player, I would recommend springing 30 bucks to pick up the movie. At the very least, you’ll have another mindless action movie for your rainy day collection.

If, however, you thought G.I. Joe was a disaster, guess you should let Paramount know by keeping your wallet closed.

Will you be picking up G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra on DVD or Blu-ray?

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