The most significant of the film’s extraordinary feats is that the film “has crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office in just 17 days…to become #4 of all time.”  James Cameron is one of the few directors with that kind of box office clout.  In fact, with this film, “(he) has become the first director to have two films earn $1 Billion.”  (the other of course being Titanic which “remains seated at #1″ (on the list of highest grossing films of all time.)

“Transformers Revenge of the Fallen took 114 days to hit $402 million, becoming the highest grossing film of 2009 domestically. Avatar will surpass that figure in an estimated 20 days.”   Avatar seems to have become a true cultural phenomenon and reaches new heights of success on a daily basis.  ”Rotten Tomatoes” has given the flick an 83% percent Freshness rate.  It seems that both the audiences and the critics agree that this film is one to keep your eye on.

For more information:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/01/03/james-cameron-is-the-first-director-to-have-two-1-billion-films-avatar-passes-1-billion-worldwide-in-just-17-days/#ixzz0bcPQvnMz

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/avatar/

“Last month, Cage filed a lawsuit against…Samuel Levin, Cage’s former business manager…claiming that Levin duped the Hollywood actor out of more than $20 million since 2001 when he was hired.”  ”The suit went on to say Cage has “is now forced to sell major assets and investments at a significant loss and is faced with huge tax liabilities because of Levin’s incompetence, misrepresentations and recklessness.”

I find it surprising how often the super-wealthy find themselves getting into destructive financial relationships.  Would I ever to enter the class of the ultra-rich, I would hope to be very careful in my investments. I think that the reason that the rich often find themselves getting swindled is their attitude that the high financial times will never end and this fosters a pattern of reckless and unchecked spending because they feel that the high cash flow is seemingly ceaseless.  Also, there are a lot of parasites who foster professional relationships with celebrities for the purpose of taking advantage of them.  It is of course for the courts to decide where to assign the blame in this matter.

Look for Nicholas Cage in the upcoming Werner Herzog directed remake of Abel Ferrara’s 1992 film Bad Lieutenant entitled Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. Herzog denies the film’s remake status, stating, “It’s not a ‘re’ anything.”

http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/13/real_estate/Nicolas_Cage/index.htm?cnn=yes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1095217/

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-bad15-2009nov15,0,4122083,full.story

Despite the film’s good reviews, I found sitting through it to be an exercise in boredom.  It offered little to no insight into who the man really was; the film just redundantly cemented the fact that he was a perfectionist performer (which I think the world at large already knows).

The film’s stitched-together scenes of various rehearsal run-throughs makes for a very dull viewing experience. Granted, tapping my foot during the “Billie Jean” rehearsal scene was an almost involuntary response.  MJ’s lively solo practice dance routine during that number was certainly the high point of the film, but not worth the price of admission. I didn’t really care about how they made the green-screen effects for the concert that never ended up existing.  In this. you can see an example of the film’s fatal flaw – since Jackson died before the O2 concerts could be presented, the film had no climax.  We were just stuck at the end saying “wow, that MIGHT have been great.”

The film had the scent of a cash-in thrown together that the studio rushed in order to capitalize on Jackson-death mania.  It didn’t seem to exist to give us any kind of revelation or insight.  There seemed to be a wall between camera and subject that the film rarely cracked through.  The interviews with the band members are all just short MJ love-in fluff; no one actually says anything of substance.

“According to the BBC, Sony will be giving the flick an Oscar push, submitting the film to Academy Award voters for consideration in the best picture category.”  A Best Picture nod?  It certainly wouldn’t surprise me, given Jackson’s fame and tragic death.  But based on its merits as a film, I don’t think it even deserves a nomination.

On the bright side: at least the Hannah Montana concert film has been displaced as the highest grossing concert film. I don’t think that represented the finest in cinematic concert film.

http://movies.ign.com/articles/104/1040667p1.html

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-11-01-boxoffice02_N.htm

The Nickolodeon deal also nets the company “all merchandising rights to the Turtles,” which”will continue to work with its original and longstanding toy partner, Playmates Toys.”   Nickolodeon is also planning on “developing a CG-animated TV series based on the Turtles, also slated to premiere in 2012.”

Sixty million dollars sounds like a good investment on Nickolodeon’s part.  The franchise is in a kind of limbo now, their original audience has grown up, and do children even care? TMNT proved they did not.

If you watch the first live-action film today (and to a lesser extent, the second one, number three was just ridiculous,) the silly and fun characters still stand up well.  The writing is tight, and it keeps both films rolling at a snappy pace.  The first film even has a dark side; for example, Shredder brainwashed neglected youth to run his crime syndicate.  Raphael’s adversarial relationship with the other Turtles drove a wedge in the intrepid foursome.

What could sink the proposed film is an attempt to make the Turtles “cool.”  Part of their charm has always been, and will always be, the fact that they always had their own distinctive kind of charm.  A charm that defies the passage of time.  I can watch the first few films or the original animated series and feel like a little kid again.  I know part of that is their literal connection to my childhood, but there is a palpable timelessness to the best of the franchise.

But my advice to Nickolodeon for success in the TurtleUniverse is “do NOT try to hip them out.”  Leo standing around cracking jokes about FUBU….Donnie complaining about his BlackBerry reception in the sewer.  Turtle Power can only survive the 21st century by keeping the Turtles in their own world.  Also, my recommendation is to keep the suits in any future film.  The Turtle suits made them actually look like giant mutant turtles; CGI would just be overkill. 2009 marked the 25th anniversary of the Ninja Turtles first appearance in a comic book, which is a definite sign of their resiliency as a franchise. Righteous!

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118010193.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

It looks like there may be hope for this project yet.  ”Lance Henriksen was approached by private investors who wish to make an independent film version of the Carter-produced series…possibly without the involvement of Chris Carter.”  The name that “Screen Rant” has suggested as a likely director is “Brett A. Hart.”  He previously directed Henriksen in 2007′s Bone Dry.  He is a self-confessed “tremendous admirer of the Millennium series. (Hart maintains) it’s time to give the fans what they’ve been patiently waiting to see… More insight into the aberrant world of Frank Black… while further elevating and merging storylines, characterization and visuals… and finally closure for one of the finest series ever created… and as I’ve already publicly stated… my passion and conviction for the series is so deep that I’d direct Millennium – The Movie for free just to see it on the big screen.”  The question is whether an independent production is even a possibility “as the rights to the series are owned by 20th Century Fox.”

There is also speculation that Fox may be planning the release of a sequel to Chris Carter’s other big franchise The X-Files , and “it’s possible that Carter won’t be involved (he directed and co-wrote 2008’s I Want To Believe).”  I can see the Carter-less Millenium as a more-likely possibility than a Carter-less X-Files, because it does not have the earning potential of an X-Files sequel. Personally, I do not want to see either greenlit without his involvement. Both series are so indelibly interwoven with his creative talents and vision, that I think a film of either without his involvement will suffer. Many will point to the lousy box-office showing of I Want to Believe as justification for his exclusion from future Millenium and X-Files projects. In my opinion, the film was not as bad as many have made it out to be. In fact, repeated viewings have revealed the film to have a special kind of charm. The film was an exploration of the matured relationship of Agents Mulder and Scully, but did not have the action-driven pace that the series and the first film did. This film also dealt with complex issues of morality and religious faith, not topics meant to appeal to a mass audience. To its detriment, it seemed the film was barely given any promotion upon its release. Chris Carter simply did not make a commercially viable film.

I loved Millenium during its short run – it was distinct and downright creepy. Should Fox decide to make the movie themselves,  I think Chris Carter should be involved on the production/screenwriting side of things.  The director for the bulk of Millenium was Thomas J. Wright, a director with plenty of television direction experience, but no feature film direction.  So maybe Fox should give Brett Hart a shot.  I think that the real income earned from a Millenium film will be on the DVD/Blu-Ray market, as primarily only fans will remember the show a decade on.  Whatever happens, there are exciting possibilities here.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0942869/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115270/fullcredits#cast

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115270/

http://screenrant.com/millennium-film-niall-29966/

“Arrested Development creator Mitchell Hurwitz and his co-executive producer James Vallely are working on a screenplay for the long-debated feature version of their short-lived Fox series…Hurwitz would also direct the Fox Searchlight feature.”

The groundbreaking series launched the career of future Juno star Michael Cera (a newcomer at that point) as well as making a household name of Toronto, ON native Will Arnett.  The series was also spiced up with the inclusion of foul-mouthed comedian David Cross, veteran actor Jason Bateman, and the terrific Larry Sanders Show alumni Jeffrey Tambor.  Arrested Development was unique because the half-hour sitcom format was altered by altering conventions like  eliminating the laugh track.  The series also followed a narrative arc from show to show, and utilized a “pseudo-documentary format.”.  The series followed the misadventures of the Bluth family.  The family never seemed to get anything in their offbeat lives right, due to their own eccentricities and the troubles that never ceased to plague them.

The characters were fresh and full of wonderful quirks, especially from Cross and Tambor.  The show effectively mixed slapstick with subtle, sometimes surreal humour.  The series only lasted three seasons, despite its “cult following”, which did not translate into large ratings for Fox.

With this feature film, Hurwitz has the opportunity to make a fresh and fun comedy; it will be interesting to see what is done when the film is made without the restrictions TV put on it terms of language and content.  Hurwitz showed integrity when he “said that he wouldn’t start writing a film unless all the main actors…were committed”  He was unwilling to make a lame film that did not live up to the standards of the series just for the money.  Hurwitz understands that the success of the writing relies on the unique chemistry of all the characters.  This film has the potential to be one of the better comedies in recent memory.  Here’s hoping it does not let us down.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Arrested+Development+movie+script+works/2067461/story.html

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0148418/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004715/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000867/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrested_Development_%28TV_series%29

Directed by Robert Rodriguez

Breezy and entertaining while preserving its intelligence, Shorts is a rarity in this unexciting celluloid summer. The film revolves around a magical rock that allows wishes to become reality.  As one would expect, chaos slowly ensues as every character who gets ahold of the rock finds his wishes backfire into a chaotic mess, as their wishes come true. It is an old concept–you cannot give the power of God to us mere humans.  It got us cast out of the Garden of Eden.

An important element to the film’s success is that the two main child actors are very solid.  Narrator/protagonist Toe Thompson is ably played by Jimmy Bennett, who posesses terrific comic pacing.  Writer/director Robert Rodriguez also gets a funny yet darkly villainous performance from newcomer Jolie Vanier as Helvetica Black.  Her character was supposed to be hiding a crush on our protagonist Thompson.  She began by bullying Toe, while throughout the film her reluctance to do so gradually became more visible.

Rodriguez also packed the film with comedic veterans he knew he could rely on. Standouts included Jon Cryer (who shines in the TV series Two and a Half Men as the straight man to his brother Charlie, played by Charlie Sheen).  Cryer obviously had great fun as Dad Thompson.  Mom Thompson is played by Leslie Mann (an Apatow regular, who offered up a scene-stealing performance in 40 Year Old Virgin and was even better in Knocked Up.)

The city in which the film’s actions take place (Black Falls) is ground zero for the Black Box, a ridiculous multi-platform technological marvel that can do everything from shaving your face to sending a text message.  The consequence of this is that people use the device rather than communicate naturally with each other or the outside world.  In their world, boys look at multiple TV screens to see the weather rather than looking out a window.   There is a scene in which Mom and Dad Thompson are in the same room and are texting each other, rather than speaking.  Rodriguez knows this film is aimed at children, and kudos to him for addressing this issue as they will be the generation to decide how our rapidly evolving technology will be used. Will they use this power to improve the world or will it will be the noose they use to hang themselves? As someone who just purchased a BlackBerry, these subplots gave me pause to consider my own reliance on technology.

The film combines pure childlike fun with a little social commentary, and on those terms it is successful. The film’s approach to its morality is far from groundbreaking; villains are defeated by their own greed and everyone gets to learn a valuable lesson.  While there’s not much new here, it’s certainly more potent in subject matter than Rodriguez’s Spy Kids series.  If you are willing to throw cynicism to the wind for 90 minutes, it is a fun watch.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001675/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1100119/

Aside from that fact, it’s a just plain funny trailer, and it’s so great to see Beavis and Butthead again.  I never understood why their feature film Beavis and Butthead Do America never merited a sequel; directors Mike Judge and Yvette Kaplan took characters who we had previously seen only in 2-5 minute vignettes and made an unrepentantly silly and fun feature film out of it.  A 63 million dollar domestic total gross on a 12 million dollar production budget is a pretty good return on an investment.  I guess Mike Judge wanted to move on to other projects such as writing, producing, and voicing the underrated, satirical, and sly King of the Hill animated series. Extract comes out September 4th.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115641/

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=beavisandbuttheaddoamerica.htm

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118375/

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810039594/video/15335690

After the tremendous success of The Dark Knight, I could see a studio considering dolling out the funds for a completely IMAX-driven sequel.  However, in the end, I do not think that the studio would spend the money, for several reasons.

First, I believe that both the triumphant performance and tragic pre-release death of co-star Heath Ledger was a significant driving factor in the film’s tremendous worldwide $1,001,921,825 gross.

Second, getting the full effect of exhibition means the film must be shown in an IMAX theatre.  There are only a few theatres equipped with this technology.  Thus, spending a huge amount of money to shoot the entire film in IMAX when you can only see the IMAX effect in a limited number of theatres makes spending all that money a lousy investment.   My hometown of Ottawa only has one theatrical  IMAX theatre.  Many small towns have none.  Just shooting a few scenes in IMAX as was done for The Dark Knight makes more financial sense.  You can show it in IMAX in major markets and still make a good chunk of change.

It would be an impressive visual feat to see an entire Batman film done with this revolutionary technology. From purely a cinephile’s perspective, it would likely be visually stunning.  However, I do not think it will happen.  Commerce often trumps art.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/42153

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=darkknight.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imax

Zemeckis seems to have devoted his recent directorial career to animation and CGI-laden films, such as his soon-to-be-released animated take on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, which was preceded by the CGI-fuelled Beowulf in 2007.  Before that was the animated 2004 film The Polar Express.  After the November 6, 2009 release of A Christmas Carol,  Zemeckis will have three consecutive remakes under his belt (and the most recent film version of Beowulf was done a scant eight years before his version.  It was directed by Graham Baker in 1999.)

My personal prediction is that Yellow Submarine will lose much of its charm if given the slick 3-D digital treatment by Zemeckis.  The 1968 film is a historical artifact, besides being a fun and charming film that still stands up today.  You do not have to be a flower child to appreciate its whimsical humour.  More than that, it is an important film because of its fusion of animation and rock and roll, not to mention its connection to the most influential rock and pop group ever.  Should we remake things like that? I don’t really see the necessity.

The announcement of this remake sounds like another move by lazy Hollywood executives who would rather do another remake than come up with something original.  The only saving grace is that there is an attempt being made to use original Beatles songs rather than corny retreads.  I felt the reliance on covers (none of which were truly inspiring) was the Achilles’ heel of the otherwise ambitious Beatles-inspired musical Across The Universe.

Maybe I’m a luddite.  Maybe Zemeckis will prove me wrong with an amazing and transcendent remake that acts as a modern homage to the Beatles.  If so, I will be the first to praise him.

More info available here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120604/

http://weblogs.variety.com/bfdealmemo/2009/08/Disney-Zemeckis-board-Yellow-Submarine.html?nid=2854

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000709/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1067106/

Losing both of these directors is a real blow to this project.  A seminal documentary on the iconic reggae star has yet to be produced.  Both directors have solid past documentary experience -  Scorsese has made a series of iconic documentaries, including No Direction Home, a terrific biopic on Bob Dylan, as well as his film chronicling The Band’s retirement show, The Last Waltz, which set a new standard in how contemporary music documentaries are made. Demme made a beautifully shot solid concert film about Neil Young called Neil Young: Heart of Gold, as well as the thrilling Talking Heads concert pic Stop Making Sense.  Having lost two A-List directors leaves the Marley project in real turmoil.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08142009/gossip/pagesix/marley_loses_second_helmer_184540.htm

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001129/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000217/

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles ranks as some of the best work John Candy and Steve Martin ever did on the big screen.  There was a sensitivity to Candy’s performance that I do not think any other writer/director was ever been able to capture. Candy also shone in Uncle Buck, written and directed by Hughes.  John Hughes had a unique way of having us rooting for the obnoxious protagonist throughout Buck.  He did it by exposing the man’s naked humanity, warts and all.  This was a theme that ran through all of his best films. For example, when the character of Cameron Frye kicks his father’s prized muscle car in Ferris Bueller as a way of venting his own frustrations towards his father, the effect is wrenching.  The “confession” scene at the end of The Breakfast Club is a masterpiece of ensemble acting, propelled by Hughes’ excellent direction and script.  Having Emilio Estevez deliver his emotional soliloquy in one virtually unbroken take was a terrific decision on Hughes’ part. It’s a choice that gives the scene a theatrical flavour.

He wrote several great films that he did not direct.  Highlights included the underrated Career Opportunities and Some Kind of Wonderful.  While not as financially successful and famous as the three Home Alone films he penned, these films are some of the highlights of his career.  Writer/Directors like Wes Anderson, Kevin Smith, and Judd Apatow owe much to Hughes, both stylistically and in content. Apatow stated today in a statement: “I feel like a part of my childhood has died. Nobody made me laugh harder or more often than John Hughes.”

I am going to go pay tribute to him by popping in The Breakfast Club. What a shame.  Hughes leaves behind an impressive body of work that we can continue to appreciate for years.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000455/

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006975.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

The King of Pop continues to be incredibly lucrative, even in death.  The latest posthumous venture concerns the “…rights to the approximately 80 hours of high-definition, full dress rehearsal footage captured by AEG Entertainment, the company behind Jackson’s concert series.”  It’s the rehearsal footage for the “This Is It” series of 50 live shows that would have taken place at London’s O2 Arena. were it not for Michael’s tragic death in June.  “According to U.S. media and movie industry reports, Sony Pictures is among the lead bidders offering more than $50 million US for rights (to this footage)”  Financially, this is money extremely well spent, and necessary cash on the part of AEG Entertainment.  “AEG Live had invested $20 million to $30 million in the arena show, not including any advance paid to Jackson’s camp, according to Billboard.”

“According to reports, several of the 50 concert dates were insured…but according to insurance industry insiders, (if Jackson’s death was caused by) a preexisting condition, such as drug addiction or a heart defect, could mean AEG gets zip.”  So AEG has an extra incentive to make a deal for the footage; depending on whatever we eventually learn was the cause of death.

The real question from a cinematic standpoint is: can this be made into a quality documentary?  If Sony Pictures (or whoever eventually wins the bid) simply races to put it out to cash in on Jackson-Mania, they could just make it a straight concert film, which would likely still be profitable. However, it would be nice to see that footage integrated with some interviews and some past footage to create a unique and creative tribute to the King of Pop.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/06/who-and-what-really-killed-michael-jackson-.html

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2009/07/20/jackson-footage-aeg-rehearsal-movie.html

A few 66th Annual Venice Film Festival Highlights:

The festival will feature 71 world premieres. Some of the highlights in competition include:  Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Michael Moore’s new documentary, which comments on the perils of the American economy, entitled Capitalism: A Love Story, and famously eccentric  director Todd Solondz’s Life During Wartime.

Out of competition, the festival also features Oliver Stone’s new film South of the Border, and Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant!

For the entire film selection list, visit http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006678.html?categoryid=19&cs=1

Michael Sheen will be the new Tron Legacy villain

Walt Disney Pictures confirmed via Twitter…Michael Sheen (Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) will have a role in Tron Legacy.   Sheen was terrific as Tony Blair in 2006′s The Queen, but it is unlikely that this updated Tron will feature the nuance and sophistication of a Stephen Frears-directed film.  We are comparing two disparate styles of film here.
The film already stars Garrett Hedlund, Jeff Bridges, and Olivia Wilde.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436697/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0790688/

http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/michael-sheen-confirmed-as-villain-in-tron-legacy.php

The Saw Adventure continues…

How could the Saw franchise even get to six installments, you ask? (see below)  The sixth film is coming out in October of this year.   Well, what do you think about a seventh film?  So far, “the five Saw pics to date have grossed more than $700 million worldwide.”   The Lionsgate studio has made the fiscally logical choice in deciding to produce a seventh film.  There’s not much need for a quippy comment on my part – obviously these films have some sort of cultural cachet I do not understand.

“David Hackl — production designer of the second, third and fourth films and helmer of Saw V — has been tapped to direct (Saw 7)… Mark Burg and Oren Koules are producing again, as they have on all the Saw films…Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, who penned the fourth, fifth and sixth films, are writing the seventh.”

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006415.html?categoryId=13&cs=1

Judd Apatow tied down at Universal

According to Variety, “Universal Pictures has kept its key funny guy in the studio fold, signing a three-picture directing deal with Funny People director Judd Apatow…he has never directed a film outside of Universal….”  Apatow is pretty much a guaranteed investment, given that “…his directing debut on the 2005 comedy hit The 40-Year Old Virgin…grossed over $177 million worldwide. He followed with the 2007 hit Knocked Up, a film that grossed over $219 million worldwide.”  It is interesting to see a deal like this; it is almost like a return to the old studio system, where stars or directors were signed down to multi-picture deals, and were assets of the studio.  However, the studio is paying Apatow for his abilities as an auteur.  So rather than assigning him a writing or directing job, as would have been done in the majority of Old Hollywood under the studio system, they are contracting him to write and direct his own films.

“Apatow has not yet committed to his next directing vehicle. He writes those films himself, a process that will begin after Funny People opens.”

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006715.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/07/13/john-goodman-and-susan-sarandon-join-jack-kevorkian-biopic/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000199/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1132623/

Is Sacha Baron Cohen in danger?

Cohen’s brother “Erran Baron Cohen – who has produced the music for his younger sibling’s films…” is concerned for Sacha’s safety when performing the stunts in his films.  Erran has been quoted as saying:  “I do worry that it may all end horribly and I think it would be good if he did some less dangerous movies in the future. There are some scenes in ‘Bruno’ where the danger factor is completely nuts…”
The two brothers got started together by playing comedy shows together;  “…we ended up performing it (their act) in some comedy clubs around London, all dressed up as Hassidics (a conservative Jewish sect). Then some BBC late-night comedy show actually recorded it, but then banned it immediately because we’d insulted three religions within three minutes. And after that Sacha’s comedy career really started.”
Are stories like this just part of the image?  How many of Cohen’s risque stunts are pre-planned.  I haven’t seen “Bruno” yet, but plenty of the stunts in “Borat” looked staged.  I wonder if stories like this are planted in an attempt to cement the image of his extreme edginess, which verges on personal danger.

http://ca.lifestyle.yahoo.com/fashion-beauty/articles/archive/bang/sacha-baron-cohen-s-family-s-fears-2009-07-11

A Broken Film??

The terrific and eccentric Toronto band Broken Social Scene  “is teaming up with director Bruce McDonald and screenwriter Don McKellar to produce a concert film that will include amateur footage shot by fans.”  The “feature-length project, tentatively titled, “This Movie Is Broken,” says the experimental film will be anchored by a love story written by McKellar.”   The plot “follows a lovestruck boy who goes to a Broken Social Scene show with his romantic crush, but things don’t turn out as he planned.”  The performance footage has already been shot, but McDonald solicited fans to “Turn your cameras on the city (Toronto), turn it on your friends. We like faces, we like kissing … and any format — Super 8, 16-millimetre, digital, cellphone footage.”  The amateurs have been urged to “Experiment. Have fun. Our hope is that by integrating your footage with ours, we’ll be able to create a visual mosaic that captures the city and the summer.”
I am very excited for this film.  The live performance of BSS are an incredible synergy of music and scenery.   McDonald has shown his flair for visual and narrative experimentation in the recent films “Pontypool” and the terrific avant-garde “The Tracey Fragments.”  McKellar has written films that challenge the intellect, among the best being “Last Night,” about a group of people dealing with the end of the world.  The best known is probably “Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould,” a wild and diverse collection of films inspired by the beloved Canadian pianist.  A film combining amateur and multi-platform footage, a concert film, and a cohesive plot is an ambitious project that, to my knowledge, has never been attempted before.

Canadian film offers many wonderful opportunities for creativity.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001528/

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090713/broken_movie_090713/20090713?hub=Entertainment

http://www.thismovieisbroken.com/home

RIP Walter Cronkite

Although it does not strictly qualify as film news, we would be remiss not to acknowledge the death of an American news icon, Walter Cronkite, who died at 92.  “He delivered the news with care and consideration and humanity, never far removed from his declarative sentence, wire service and radio announcing roots…He never ceased to promote the need for solid, well-sourced news, nor was he quiet when he felt that trust was being eroded.”  It is rare that we see a person as respected as Cronkite pass away.  I wish I had lived through the Cronkite era; it seems that there is no news anchor today that brought to news the integrity that he did.  Maybe there never will be.

“…That man was called — without irony — “the most trusted man in America.” RIP Walter.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/17/cronkite.leopold.appreciation/index.html

Emma Watson (“Harry Potter’s Hermione) recently commented that “…in a new interview on the BBC’s “Friday Night with Jonathan Ross,” the 19-year-old revealed kissing Rupert (Grint), who plays teen wizard Ron Weasley, was just about the most uncomfortable filming experience she’s had in her career so far.”  Emma commented: “We did the kiss two weeks ago and it was the most horrible thing I’ve ever had to do…There are millions of girls out there who would probably chop their left arm off to kiss [Rupert], but it just felt like incest. That’s the only way I can describe it.”  I guess thats what happens when you spend “…half of (your) life playing Hermione Granger alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint in the “Harry Potter” series.”
In an interview with FHM magazine “before he filmed the love scene with Watson…(Grint stated) “I’ll be honest with you: it’s not something I’d say I’m dreading. Emma’s a pretty girl…As for who has the worst crush on her – me or (Daniel) Radcliffe – I’d rather not say.”  However, after filming the kissing scene, he confessed to sharing Watson’s awkwardness by stating “We’ve known each other for 10 years so it was a bit like kissing my sister.”

Find out more here:

http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/07/04/rupert_grint_and_daniel_radcliffe_share__1

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/accesshollywood/090704/entertainment/spoiler_alert__emma_watson_on_kissing__harry_potter__co_star___it_was_the_most_horrible_thing_i_ve_ever_had_to_d

A Rose by any other name.

A photo has appeared in the press that was taken at the “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”  premiere.  The picture shows Megan Fox, walking the red carpet, with her back turned to small boy presenting her with a rose; the look on the kid’s face is the saddest look of rejection ever recorded.  Fox explained the situation thusly:  “There were, like, 80 million people everywhere. It’s dark, all I see are flashes,” she says. “Everyone’s yelling different things … and I didn’t know that was happening.”  She was frank about her sadness at the situation:  “If you know his name, I will send him a personal apology,” she says. “I’m horrified. I would never do that…”I’m sorry, sweet boy,” she goes on. “I would never do that to you, and I would gladly accept your rose if I see you again.”
This situation is an excellent example of how in the digital age, one photo taken from one angle at just the right instant can make someone look like an insensitive jerk.  We are not privy to the photo’s context, we do not see the blinding glare of the paparazzi’s photo onslaught; instead we are seeing a sad child.  I’m sure Megan kindly signed many autographs and posed for fan photos.  I recently saw a video of Johnny Depp either entering or exiting the “Public Enemies” premiere on “hollywoodtv,” the Youtube channel of paparazzi footage.  The crunch of screaming fans trying to get at him was overwhelming, on the verge of a riot.  People need to calm down with everything surrounding celebrities, including rushes to judgement.  But Megan Fox’s apology seemed genuine and sweet.

Read more at:  http://ca.movies.yahoo.com/feature/us-magazine-megan-fox-flower.html

“Asteroids” movie:  Is this a joke?

I read this on various movie news sites, and assumed it was a joke or rumour.  However, I found a confirmation by “Variety” and was shocked .  “Universal’s won the bidding for feature rights to the vintage Atari vidgame “Asteroids” and set up the project with Lorenzo di Bonaventura.”  That statement can stand alone, however it gets better.  “Fox and Sony were also bidders on the project.”  There was actually a bidding war!  Multiple executives simultaneously thought that this “2-D game” from “1979″  was just crying out for a big-screen treatment.  Universal “has assigned Matt Lopez to pen the script. His credits include “Race to Witch Mountain” and “Bedtime Stories.”   Both of these films were actually guilty pleasures for me; the former did a good job at combining a sense of silliness with action.  Producer di Bonaventura was involved with the latest Eddie Murphy bomb “Imagine That” and the “upcoming “G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra,” which has been getting some pretty bad advance buzz.
But I still fail to see how “Asteroids” can be adapted into anything entertaining as a motion picture.  Do you?  Has the world forgotten another 2-D video game adaptation, the excreable “Super Mario Brothers”?  Has there ever been a good 2-D game adaptation?

Read more at:  http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005638.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

My Sister’s Keeper includes a performance not to be forgotten

In a recent viewing of “My Sister’s Keeper,”  I found myself blown away by star “Sofia Vassilieva…(she) had no doubts about the physical and emotional challenges of playing a young teen dying of leukemia.”  As preparation for the role,  “the 16-year-old was required to shave her head and eyebrows for the role which prompted the original actress in the part, Dakota Fanning, to drop out of the Nick Cassavetes film.”  She stars on the TV show “Medium,” and performed in the show simultaneous to filming the movie.  “When she filmed the TV series, the newly bald actress had to wear a wig made out of her own hair. But she still got both jobs done without a glitch, although she admitted to occasionally crying uncontrollably on the set of My Sister’s Keeper.”  I agree with Canada.com’s assessment that:   “There’s no doubt her part in My Sister’s Keeper has elevated her to another level, and there’s even talk of an Oscar nomination for her role.”
She had that magnetism onscreen that makes it hard to take your eyes off her.  She showed the pain of the cancer through her heavily expressive eyes.  There are few teenage actresses that could do that role without succumbing to melodramatic phoniness.  The climax of the film is the only time that I have seen virtually everyone in a theatre crying.  It was the authenticity of her performance that made the scene, and her entire performance, so powerful.  It requires a certain amount of courage to play a role like this.    Watch this actress; she is going places.

Read more here:

http://www.canada.com/entertainment/movie-guide/story.html?id=1744564