Overture hosts a ‘quarantined’ screening of the new release The Crazies
- Why can’t this kinda stuff happen HERE??
Angelina Jolie abandons Wanted 2 to film an indy flick called Gravity instead
- Gravity sounds interesting, but I want to see BOTH of these films made.
Check out this post-apocalyptic short-film Frame 137
- I would definitely watch the full-length version of this movie!
MSB
FirstShowing.net reports David Goyer is writing a new Superman movie, titled The Man of Steel. Goyer is the genius that wrote the screenplays for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, as well as Dark City, the Blade trilogy, Jumper, and The Unborn. Goyer’s impressive credentials obviously make him the perfect choice to reboot the series. Yup, you read that correctly: Brandon Routh will NOT be back to reprise the role, and the new movie(s) will not discuss Superman’s origins or anything like that. I am expecting a darker, grittier Superman, much like Goyer did with the Batman franchise. I hope so, anyway. The Superman character is a classic and deserves proper treatment.
More news on the Albert Pyun front: Looks like the writers for Nemesis and Cyborg are teaming back up with Mr. Pyun to create the “ultimate post nuclear cyber-punk action film”. According to QuietEarth.com, Mr. Pyun is quoted as saying:
“It’s the underground cyberpunk word versus the surface tribes of mechanized warriors. In essence it’s software versus hardware. Question is whether I can get this sucker properly funded and into production by the end of next year. Be great to have (Oliver) Gruner leading the software cyberpunks and (Jean-Claude) Van Damme leading his army of armored death. Matrix versus Transformers. You can imagine what’s left at the end of this war.”
WOW.
How freakin’ awesome does this sound? Aside from the cool premise, I would LOVE to see Oliver Gruner go up against Jean-Claude Van Damme. I’m a big fan of Gruner and have been since I saw Nemesis way back in the day. Talk about an ending fight-scene to end all fight-scenes. I hope Mr. Pyun can get this project off the ground.
Finally, John Scalzi gives us his list of Video Games That Could Make Good Movies (assuming they’re done correctly, of course). I would personally love to see a BioShock film. I think that is one of the most unique premises for a game so far this decade and would make a great movie concept. There’s also the obvious Halo movie, which I still foam at the mouth over.
Do you have a favorite game that you think could be made into a movie (assuming it was handled correctly)? Would you like to see Gruner and Van Damme duke it out on the big-screen? And will you see a new version of Superman if Goyer can get it made?
MSB
Director Albert Pyun was kind enough to give a few words about his new movie Bulletface, which is currently being released on DVD all over the country. I ordered my copy today, and will provide a review after I have had a chance to watch it. Here’s what Albert told us about his motivation for doing this film:
Why did I want to make Bulletface? Well, when I first read Randall Fontana’s script I was drawn to the way he created a kind of throwback to the B movie noir crime thrillers of the 1940′s and 50′s. As Eddie Muller defines in his “Film Noir” primer:
“…its the flipside of the American Success story. It’s about people who realize that following the program will never get them what they crave. So they cross the line, commit a crime and reap the consequences…they depict a world that’s merciless and unforgiving.”
“Noir is about the dark, swampy dark place in the soul where crime ferments.”
That description is very much Bulletface and it is what drew me to the material initially. I really wanted it to be, stylistically, like a contemporary version of those great B crime thrillers from the poverty gulch studios of the time like Monogram. They were shot fast (Bulletface was shot in 5 days), shot on the cheap (Bulletface cost just a bit less than $100,000) and shot with a lot of creative desperation which mirrors the plights of the Bulletface characters.
The great appeal of these films was that they had characters that were generally unredeemable and very bad. It was shades of black not gray. These were hard eyed, sensationalistic films. Precurors to the exploitation movies of the 1960′s and 70′s.
So I wanted a lurid tone. A movie a little scruffy and ragged with sharp edges. A movie that would follow one person’s 2 year descent into Hell.
I was also looking for something to star Victoria Maurette, the young Argentine star of my gothic horror western, “Left For Dead”. I wanted to bring her tough, sullen quality into a more contemporary setting. She got one of the more remarkable faces I’ve ever had before my camera. It’s exotic, petulant and beautiful in a rough and street-wise way. Clearly not a Hollywood starlet type.
Bulletface was originally written with a male lead. A traditional silently coiled man. I thought casting Victoria in the part would open up its possibilities. I kept the romantic and sexual connections the same. So her relationships we’re with women but clearly she was bi-sexual. Victoria brought a sexy earthiness into the role that made you understand her character’s preference for female companionship.
I am VERY excited about watching this movie. This sounds like a dark and daring flick, so it should definitely be entertaining.
This begs the question: what is your favorite Pyun film?
I would have to say mine is a toss-up between Cyborg and Nemesis. Cyborg had excellent action (i.e. Jean-Claude Van Damme) and a great soundtrack (I owned it at one-time on CD, but have no idea what happened to it over the years), while the story and special effects in Nemesis really solidified my love for science-fiction. A close second/third would be Knights, which again deals with cyborgs, and stars Kathy Long, Lance Henriksen, and the legendary Kris Kristofferson.
What do you think?
MSB
Although many people hated it, I loved the 4th Die Hard installment, Live Free or Die Hard. Granted, it does have one or two flaws (i.e. the fighter jet that hovers and navigates through a complex overpass…not to mention the fact that McClane was able to destroy it, basically with his bare hands), but all in all it was excellent. Len Wiseman did a fantastic job of combining the basic essentials of a Die Hard movie, which are action and comedy.
The reason I am bringing this up is because Bruce Willis has said we might see Die Hard 5 sometime soon. Again, this is a source of much debate for many people, as there are some who feel the McClane character needs to either die off or retire. I, personally, feel like Willis should tackle the roll for as long as he feels fit to do so. Much like Harrison Ford, the older Willis (55 years old) is still looked at by many fans as an action-hero. I certainly do, and probably always will.
Also, Wesley Snipes has said he will sign on for a 4th Blade movie, but only as long as the script and the story are good. As many fans of the Blade series probably already know, the third movie was bogged down due to a lot of off-screen friction between the three main stars (Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Biehl, and of course, Snipes). The off-screen friction translated to a lack of cohesion on-screen. As a result, Blade: Trinity was certainly not the movie it should have been.
I would love to see Snipes reprise the Blade character, but I also agree with him that the script would have to be unique and appealing. Speculation has placed the next move for the series as a prequel trilogy, that goes back to the origins of the Deacon Frost character. I don’t think that’s the way it should go. Frost is dead and gone, and although he was interesting, I wasn’t that invested in him enough to care about where he came from. Just please don’t send Snipes to space or some jump-the-shark crap like that!
Finally for today, USA Today has posted an article that discusses Science-fiction in films and how the genre is gaining more respect thanks to movies like Avatar and District 9. Both movies are up for an Oscar, and I say Hats Off to both directors for bringing the genre up several notches in the eyes of Hollywood. My personal favorite between the two is District 9, as I’ve discussed here in the past, but I’d be happy if either movie won.
What do you think about the topics above? Gimme your input on Die Hard 5, Blade 4, and the Oscars. Let’s talk!
MSB
Check this out:
Per FirstShowing.net, Johnny Depp has confirmed that Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom will NOT be returning for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. This comes on the heels of the announcement that Gore Verbinksi will not be directing. I’m a little unsure about this. I loved the first three movies, although was very disappointed with the complexity and chopiness of the 3rd. But a new director and only part of the original cast? Hmmmm…
ScreenRant.com gives us a hilarious (and completely fictional) list of upcoming movies based on toys. This comes in the aftermath of announcements about upcoming toy-based movies (i.e. Monopoly, Erector Set, etc.). I would definitely watch the Operation movie. What do you think?
MSB
It seems the Mortal Kombat reboot might have hit a snag. Threshold Entertainment Inc has filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. to stop any production relating to this franchise immediately. Why? Well, according to Threshold, they made a deal with Midway Games back before Midway went under to make a third film. This might sound all fine and good, but Warner Bros. is assuming they own the rights to the franchise since they won all of Midway’s properties during its bankruptcy. Hence, the big snag. This might come down to a deathmatch in court, if both parties can’t agree to a mutually beneficial resolution. Wonder who will get to yell “Finish him!” at the end?
Lawrence Person wasn’t too impressed with the recent remake of The Wolfman, so he decided to give us some alternative werewolf-film goodness. This list is particularly interesting to me because it starts off with one of my favorite SyFy Channel movies, Dog Soldiers. This 2002 classic is director Neil Marshall’s first film, and it’s a great one. The plot, according to an imdb.com review, is this:
A British Squad is sent on a training mission in the Highlands of Scotland against a Special Operations squad. Ignoring the childish “campfire” stories heard about the area, they continue with their mission and come across the bloody remains of the Special Ops Squad, as a fierce howling is pitching the night sky… With two mortally wounded men, the team makes an escape, running into a zoologist by the name of Megan – who knows exactly what hunts them. What began as a training mission turns into a battle for their lives against the most unlikely enemies they would have expected – werewolves.
This movie is very well done, with great, gory special effects and a lot of intensity. Lycan fans won’t be disappointed. I highly recommend it.
Finally, SciFi Squad gives us a sneak-peek into an upcoming thrill-ride of a movie directed by John Moore and produced by Gale Ann Hurd titled Final Orbit. According to the article, the plot is as such:
So you win a special lottery and the prize is a trip to a space station. Vacation of a lifetime, right? Maybe, but that’s before everything goes completely wrong and you’re trapped in a damaged module with no way to escape and your time is running out!
Depending on how well the film is done and what specific direction the plot takes, this could be an excellent movie. I am excited, especially given Gale Ann Hurd’s resume (click on her name for a list).
What do you think? Do you even care about a Mortal Kombat reboot? Have you seen Dog Soldiers? And what about Final Orbit…is it something you would want to watch? Let’s hear from ya.
Later.
MSB
So…guess who’s going to the Texas Frightmare Horror Convention weekend on April 30th. Just guess. Oh, come on. Don’t look at me like that. Give up? ME! That’s right…I know it’s a shock, but I’ll be there (and hopefully my wife will, too…just depends on whether or not we can get a sitter for the weekend). I (We) will be joining my buddy Hayes Hudson (from Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror) and his wife for a weekend full of scares and gore-galore.
For those of you not familiar, the Texas Frightmare Horror Convention is a three-day event held in Irving, TX, where scads of horror icons from film, music, and literature mingle with us common-folk and let us pay them for autographs and pictures. Vendors are on-hand to sell DVDs, books, music, t-shirts, and all sorts of other stuff as well. It’s basically a gathering of hundreds of like-minded horror-fanatics.
I am especially excited about this event for two reasons: 1) I have never been to any kind of con before, and 2) this year’s headliner is JOHN-FREAKIN-CARPENTER! That’s right…the man who made one of my Top 5 Favorite Movies of All Time (The Thing) is gonna be there in the flesh. I can’t wait to meet him. I’ll try not to drool all over him, I promise. A whole slew of other famous folks will be there as well, including:
Albert Pyun – That’s right, folks! THE Albert Pyun, who was kind enough to post a couple of comments of appreciation here on my blog for mentioning Bulletface. I can’t wait to meet him in-person!
George A. Romero – The legendary filmmaker who stoked up my undying love for the undead. Aside from zombie flicks, Romero is noted for making The Crazies and Creepshow.
Doug Bradley – The actor who made Pinhead (from Hellraiser) an almost-household name. Pinhead, a Cynobite demon from Hell, is one of my favorite movie, ah, monsters.
Sid Haig – The creepy-clown guy from Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects. I hope he wears his clown make-up.
Lance Henriksen – His role as Bishop in Aliens sticks out for me as his most notable role, but he’s been in a lot of movies, including Pumpkinhead and Near Dark.
Kane Hodder – Fans of Jason Vorhees will recognize this name: Kane played Jason in the 7th through 10th installments of the Friday the 13th franchise.
There are many others as well. Check out the link above to see a full list (so far) of attendees. Needless to say, I AM STOKED about going, and I’m glad Hayes and his wife will be along so that I (we) won’t be lacking for conversation. I’ll post pictures (if I get any) afterwards.
That’s it for me for now. I’m gonna go try to keep my head from exploding due to all of this excitement. (Oh, and Go Razorbacks! Woo-Pig-Sooie, baby!)
MSB
Last week, I mentioned Roger Corman and his upcoming Sharktopus project. Well, I guess he’s already trying to outdo himself because SciFiSquad reports he is releasing a movie on SyFy called DINOSHARK. The movie, set to premiere on March 13, is exactly what it sounds like: a half-shark-half-dinosaur creature that kills and eats people. Judging from the picture in the article, it looks like this thing is half shark, half Tyrannosaurus Rex. NOT something I’d want to have swimming around in the water underneath me. Anyway, I’m going to have to check this movie out, for sure. I think I can hear my buddy Justin clapping with excitement as well.
Also, FirstShowing.net has discovered more plot details about the new Riddick movie. It looks like David Twohy is going writing and directing this one as well, and has announced he’s going to try and recapture the Pitch Black feel with this one. According to the article,
“…they would be getting back to the gritty character focus of Pitch Black, rather than anything in Chronicles of Riddick.”
I would LOVE to see that happen. Pitch Black is a phenomenal movie…but Chronicles of Riddick was nothing like it. I think Chronicles could have been a pretty good movie, if it had had nothing to do with the Pitch Black universe or characters. Pitch Black has a raw, solid feel to it that really draws me in when I watch it. But Chronicles, in comparison when relating to the same characters, is too cinematic and too theatrical to even be considered in the same vein. Regardless, I’m still interested in Twohy’s new project and will definitely check it out.
Your thoughts?
MSB
A couple of weeks ago, I told you about an upcoming movie by Chris Sparling called ATM. At that time, details of the plot were sketchy, but the brief synopsis I had as intriguing. FirstShowing.net has discovered specific details about the plot and has printed them here.
I must say that, after reading the article, I am even MORE intrigued. This sounds more and more like a good, intense suspense-flick. Bring it on!
GiantFreakinRobot.com gives us a list of 11 SciFi Properties That Deserve Movies Right Now. I love this list and agree with every one of the properties listed on it. But two in particular have me drooling to see film adaptations: Ender’s Game and Futurama.
I’ve been a fan of Futurama since the pilot episode. I remember watching it on prime-time TV and thinking ‘Wow…this is going to be better than the Simpsons’. So imagine my puzzled expression when it was canceled after only a couple of seasons. I would still love to see it on the big-screen, though, but I’m not sure about an ‘R’ rating. I like the PG-13 attitude the show plays with and would like to see it stay the same on the big-screen.
Ender’s Game is on my Top 10 Sci-Fi Novels of All-time List. I was first introduced to this book by a buddy of mine named Glenn, a fellow student of mine down at Tulane University in New Orleans. Glenn was an Army-brat who had been dragged all over the world. Because he didn’t stay in the same place much, books became a good friend to him. This book, given its military nature, came to have a special place in his heart, probably because all the main characters are kids. I wasn’t in to Sci-Fi back then (I just heard several of you gasp), but he convinced me to read it. And now, eighteen years later, I’ve read it several times and still love it each time. SO, seeing it on the big screen, as long as it’s done well, would be a real treat for me.
What sci-fi properties do you think deserve a movie? Let’s discuss.
MSB
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m just about through with cold weather. Outside right now it’s a balmy 25 degrees, although with the wind-chill it feels like 14 degrees. Seriously, folks, it’s cold enough to piss you off. And that’s exactly what it’s doing to me. The wind is so severe it cuts right through you. Ugh.
Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. I am giving my loving, awesome wife who-puts-up-with-me her present today (yes, I know, it’s a day late…but I made it myself so it took a little longer than planned). If you’re really, REALLY nice, I’ll tell you what I made later.
And speaking of being pissed off, check out this recent blog post by author Tobias Buckell (warning: contains adult language). I love Mr. Buckell’s work and read his blog from time to time. In this post, Mr. Buckell critiques the recent Dodge commercial that was aired during the Super Bowl. I, too, thought this commercial was a generous waste of my tax bailout dollars. Attention auto-makers: Seriously, if this is the best you can come up with, don’t bother advertising at all. I’d rather see my tax dollars going towards R&D or something fruitful.
That’s all for now. Have a great Monday.
MSB
