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Dan Owen reviews
I s s u e # 1 3 21 1 M a y 2 0 0 5
MOVIE NEWS SOUTHLAND TALESWriter-director Richard Kelly make a big impression with Donnie Darko -already a cult classic generations will reference as a “defining” moment ofteen cinema – but what has he been up to post-Darko?Well, beyond writing duties on the upcoming bounty-hunter action flickDomino (starring Keira Knightley), Kelly will bring his more Darko-esquebrand of storytelling to Southland Tales.
The Rock, Sarah Michelle Gellar (right) and Seann William Scott will star in themovie, which is described as a musical-comedy-sci-fi thriller that takesplace in 2008 during a L.A heat-wave.
The Rock will play Boxer Santaros, an action star stricken with amnesiawhose life intertwines with Krysta Now (Gellar), an adult film stardeveloping her own reality TV project, and David Clark (Scott), a HermosaBeach police officer who holds the key to a vast conspiracy.
Shooting begins in August, with Kelly describing the film as “a strangehybrid of the sensibilities of Andy Warhol and Philip K. Dick.”
Kelly also plans to release a series of six 100-page “prequel” graphicnovels on the movie website www.southlandtales.com, which is being hyped asan “epic multimedia experience”. The actual movie will serve as the lastthree parts of this overall story.
ALIEN VS PREDATOR 2’Sci-Fi Wire’ spoke to Tom Rothman, 20th Century Fox’s Co-Chairman, at the’Saturn Awards’, and he confirmed a sequel is in the works to Alien VsPredator.
Rothman: “We will do another one of those for sure. It was a big success. Inthe new Alien Vs Predator they will finally actually really come to ourworld.”
Given that AVP was set in “our world”, I’m guessing Rothman meant “our world”in the sense that Aliens and Predators would be duelling in somewhere lessremote than the Antarctic. Or maybe Rothman just hasn’t seen AVP…
SUPERMAN RETURNSThe first official photo of Brandon Routh as Superman has been released (seeright). Nice to see they’ve stuck with a traditional costume (it worked forSpider-Man!). The only changes seem to be a three-dimensional “S” on hischest, a smaller “S” as his belt buckle and that the red looks toned down.
However, Routh doesn’t look as good as Superman as he does as Clarke Kent,but let’s hope some trips to the gym work their magic…
BATMAN BEGINSScreenwriter David Goyer (Blade) has revealed plans for the next two Batmanmovies, which will definitely star Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and MichaelCaine. Goyer revealed that “the next one would have Batman enlisting the aidof Gordon and Dent in bringing down the Joker… but not killing him, whichis a mistake they made in the first one. In the third, the Joker would go ontrial, scarring Dent in the process.” CHILDREN OF MENClive Owen (Sin City) is set to star in Children Of Men for director AlfonsoCuaron (Harry Potter 3). The film is based on a P.D. James’ novel and is setin a dystopia where humans can no longer reproduce.
This society is sent into turmoil when Earth’s youngest person (18) dies,then a woman becomes pregnant for the first time in 20 years. She becomesthe most sought-after person in the world, and Owen’s character is enlistedto protect her.
HARRY POTTER & THE GOBLET OF FIREThe one-sheet teaser poster for the fourth Harry Potter movie has beenreleased (see right). BOND 21The James Bond casting rumours are officially getting ridiculous. About amonth ago we seemed to get it down to either Clive Owen or Daniel Craig, andthen it seemed the less-likely choice of Craig got the licence to kill.
However, Daniel Craig was in New York to talk about the US release of LayerCake, and gave ‘ComingSoon.net’ confirmation that he will not be playingBond.
So who is? Will Clive retract his recent statement about Bond-typecastingand sign up for Bond 21, or will a total unknown take the coveted secretagent role?
Dame Judi Dench recently let slip that Pierce Brosnan will be returning asBond, but can she be believed? Does she have some insider news, or is shemonths out of the loop?
The rumours, undoubtedly, will persist…
IRON MAN’New Line’ and ‘Marvel Studios’ announced last November that they’d signedNick Cassavetes to direct Iron Man, but it turns out there was never a donedeal.
Cassavetes is, however, working on a rewrite of the script by Alfred Goughand Miles Millar (Smallville), and David Hayter (X-Men). Cassavetes is stillin the running to direct, but the movie’s potential release has been pushedback to 2007.
RUSH HOUR 3Chris Tucker has signed on to reprise his role in Rush Hour 3. Jackie Chanis now also expected to continue the action-comedy franchise.
Worryingly for Tucker, the US comedian has starred in nothing but Rush Hourmovies since the first one was released way back in 1998!! He needs thesemovies to pay his bills – so expect Rush Hour 4 and 5 soon…
SILENT HILLSean Bean (Lord Of The Rings), Laurie Holden, Deborah Kara Unger, Kim Coatesand Tanya Allen have joined the cast of Christophe Gans’ horror movie SilentHill – based on the popular video-game.
Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black, right) is in the lead role of Rose, a woman searchingfor her lost daughter, played by Jodelle Ferland. Bean will play her husbandin the chiller, scripted by Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction).
THE SECRETDavid Duchovny (The X-Files) is set to star in The Secret, a supernaturaldrama directed by Vincent Perez.
The movie is based on the 1999 Japanese film Himitsu and is set against anemotional triangle among a 16-year-old girl, her mother and her father.After the mother is killed in an accident, her spirit inhabits thedaughter’s body.
SHREK 3Justin Timberlake is to provide the voice of a young King Arthur, who has nointerest in becoming King, in Shrek 3 – due for released on 18 May 2007.
LAND OF THE DEADThe new George Romero zombie movie, Land Of The Dead, has released itsofficial one-sheet poster (see right). STARDUSTMatthew Vaughn is having a good year. His directorial debut, Layer Cake, wasa modest hit in the UK – and has subsequently been given a release acrossthe US. Even better is that this led to Vaughn being given the directing jobon X-Men 3!
And now Vaughn’s name is attached to direct the movie-adaptation of NeilGaiman’s Stardust. Phew.
In relation to X-Men 3, Vaughn has stated that he compares X4 to Unforgiven,and that X3 will be more expansive than Singer’s prior movies. Vaughn hasalso said there will be 3-4 scenes where people will be shocked and close totears, and that Vinnie Jones will indeed play Juggernaut…
V FOR VENDETTAJames Purefoy has been replaced at the titular V, in this upcoming movieadaptation of the fabulous Alan Moore graphic novel, by… Hugo Weaving (TheMatrix).
US TOP 10 (CINEMA)All figures are weekend box-office gross.
- 1. Kingdom of Heaven ($19.6m)
- 2. House of Wax (2005) ($12.1m)
- 3. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005) ($9.79m)
- 4. Crash (2004) ($9.11m)
- 5. The Interpreter ($7.82m)
- 6. xXx: State of the Union ($5.52m) (aka xXx2: The Next Level)
- 7. Sahara ($3.43m)
- 8. The Amityville Horror (2005) ($3.35m)
- 9. A Lot Like Love ($3.16m)
- 10. Fever Pitch (2005) ($2.23m)
UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)
- 1. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (£3.29m)
- 2. xXx2: The Next Level (£0.92m)
- 3. The Interpreter (£0.74m)
- 4. The Wedding Date (£0.67m)
- 5. The Amityville Horror (2005) (£0.54m)
- 6. Guess Who (£0.41m)
- 7. Sahara (£0.28m)
- 8. Valiant (£0.23m)
- 9. Robots (£0.16m)
- 10. Waqt (£0.14m)
** TRAILERS ** “The Chronicles Of Narnia – The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe” – Teaser 1(weblink)
I remember the C.S Lewis books!
Now see the movie!
Don’t need to. I know what happens.
That didn’t stop Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter from dominating thebox-office in recent years.
Hmm, guess not. So Narnia has been called into action by those juggernautsof our cinematic age, has it?
Of course. The studio found that C.S Lewis’ beloved books would make idealmaterial for a major franchise. Expect Narnia films to become the staple ofChristmas movies for the next decade…
But isn’t The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe technically not the beginningof the story? There’s a prequel book soon after, isn’t there?
Sssssh. Keep your voice down. But yes, it’s probably going to get a bitmore complicated than even the Star Wars saga…
Anyway, does part 1 look any good?
It looks very good. Shades of Harry Potter-meets-Lord Of The Rings – asexpected. Of course, Narnia predates most of its contemporary movies, soit’s actually not the “copycat” here. But in terms of visuals, courtesy ofLord Of The Rings WETA Workshop, we have a sort of very colourful variant onthe Rings movies.
Sounds good. Should be one of those movies, like Rings, that outdoes yourown imagination when reading the books.
It certainly looks to be an exciting spectacle, all gorgeously brought tolife by WETA under the eye of director Andrew Adamson (who co-directed theShrek movies).
Pure Disney escapism, then?
Definitely. Looks like a lot of fun for kids too young to have sat throughthe bum-numb-athon of Lord Of The Rings. New Zealand (again) looks gorgeous,but in a more vibrant way, plus there are plenty of CGI beasts and battlesequences to keep adults happy throughout. Let the chronicles begin…
Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire – Teaser 1(weblink)
No prizes for guessing what this is all about!
Quite right. The Potter franchise continues, and with no more Lord Of TheRings, Matrix or Star Wars sequels/prequels in the offing, it looks set tobe THE movie franchise for avid fans to follow. Well, until the seventhmovie in… uh… 2008/2009.
Or unless J.K Rowling writes an eighth book.
Yes, there is that. But anyway, TGOF is another entry in the ever-expandingPotter canon. After Alfonsa Cuaron’s successful stint on the “grown up”movie Prisoner Of Azkaban, instalment four is likely to combine all threemovies distinctive tones into one cohesive whole. Hopefully. All courtesy ofMike Newell.
Who?
He did Four Weddings & A Funeral.
Gah!
And hard-as-nails gangster epic Donnie Brasco.
Ahhhh.
Keep that in mind.
Goblet Of Fire is the best book, anyway – this can’t fail.
Well, everyone has their favourite book – but, yes, Goblet is a good yarnabout a Tri-Wizard tournament being held at Hogwarts. Cue sinister mermaids,a huge maze and a kick-ass fire-breathing dragon!
And Harry gets a girlfriend! Can’t wait. When’s it out?
Christmas time. Oh, wait, same time as the Narnia movies start rolling outevery other year. Looks like Potter’s still going to have some competitionafter all…
“The Dukes Of Hazzard” – Trailer 1(weblink)
Ahh, dem good ol’ boys…
The very same. Luke Duke and Bo Duke, with help from sister Daisy Duke andtheir Uncle Jesse, are all set to take on the white-suited Boss Hogg in thisbig-screen adventure.
Who’s in it?
Johnny Knoxville (Luke), Seann William Scott (Bo), Jessica Simpson (Daisy),Willie Nelson (Jesse) and Burt Reynolds (Hog).
Hmm, cool cast. I particular like the casting of Simpson…
You dirty dog. But, yes, Mrs Simpson does get to wear a lot of skimpybikinis. It’s hot in the Deep South, y’know…
It’s hot in my Deep South right now, too.
Ahem. Anyway… this is basically a comedy update, but not a mickey-takelike the recent Starsky & Hutch. This is basically the TV series as a modernmovie… with the emphasis on action-comedy.
All affectionately told.
It would appear so. Everything features – the orange General Lee (and itspenchant for ludicrously high jumps while honking THAT horn), plus it evenhas Burt Reynolds playing the baddie in a movie very similar to his ownSmokey & The Bandit films (but where he always played the goodie).
So does it look like good fun, or a hideous cash-in embarrassment?
It looks pleasingly silly, with some good car-crashing action sequences,some funny(ish) moments, and a good sense of fast-paced energy. This couldbe a good, light-hearted romp.
I’d like to romp with Jessica Simpson (right). (drool)
Ahem. That’s all, folks!
“Land Of The Dead” – Trailer 1(weblink)
I’m guessing the dead aren’t going to lie down and be dead in this movie?
No. They’re zombies.
Ah. Popular these days, aren’t they?
Very. Land Of The Dead is the next zombie flick from “the man who inventedthe genre” – George A. Romero.
The guy who made Night Of The Living Dead, Dawn Of The Dead and Day Of TheDead
No, a completely different George A. Romero.
Oh.
Just kidding. Yes, him.
Does the trailer look cool?
Hmmm, it looks like the usual zombie fare. Thanks to the recent remake ofRomero’s own Dawn Of The Dead… some of the new aspects to Land seemoutdated. I mean, Land features a heavily-armed truck, for example -something the DOTD remake had.
Well, Romero is the recognized “master” of these things, so…
I agree. Wait and see. It also stars Dennis Hopper, which should be fun!
** IN THE PIPELINE **All the following are U.K. release dates, and are subject to change.
- 13th May 2005: A Good Woman, Friday Night Lights, Seed of Chucky, Monster-in-Law, Ong-bak, The Jacket
- 20th May 2005: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (19th), What the Bleep Do We Know?, Only Human
- 27th May 2005: House of Wax, The Pacifier, Slander, Strings
- 3rd June 2005: Adam & Paul, The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse, Sin City, Brotherhood
- 10th June 2005: Silver City, Danny the Dog, Kung Fu Hustle, Insidde Deep Throat
- 17th June 2005: Mr and Mrs Smith, Mindhunters
- 24th June 2005: Wonderful Days, Torremolinos 73, Evil, Batman Begins
- 1st July 2005: Stray Dogs, Madagascar, DiG!
- 8th July 2005: War of the Worlds (2005), Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Overnight
- 15th July 2005: A Lot Like Love, The Debutantes, Clean, The Wedding Crashers, One Love
- 22nd July 2005: Whisky, Fantastic Four (2005), The Devil’s Rejects
- 29th July 2005: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), The Descent
- 5th August 2005: Stealth, Because of Winn-Dixie, Nanny McPhee, The Skeleton Key, Dear Wendy
- 12th August 2005: The Island, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Fever Pitch (2005)
- 19th August 2005: Doom, Bewitched (2005), Dark Water, The Cave, The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3D, Domino
- 26th August 2005: The Dukes of Hazzard (2005), Goal!, Bad News Bears
- 2nd September 2005: Cinderella Man, The Last Days, The Business, The Honeymooners
- 9th September 2005: The Man, Everthing is Illuminated, The 40-Year-Old Virgin
- 16th September 2005: Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Four Brothers, Must Love Dogs
- 23rd September 2005: Pride and Prejudice (2005)
- 30th September 2005: The Perfect Man, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, The History of Violence
- 7th October 2005: Red-Eye, Night Watch, Oliver Twice (2005)
- 14th October 2005: Wallace & Gromit Movie: Curse of the Wererabbit, The Longest Yard
- 21st October 2005: Aeon Flux, Sky High, Corpse Bride, The Pink Panther (2005)
- 28th October 2005: Noel, Flightplan, Halloween 9 (31st), The Dark, Final Destination 3D, Tickets
- 4th November 2005: Serenity, Legend of Zorro
- 11th November 2005: The Tiger and the Snow, In Her Shoes, The Moguls
- 18th November 2005: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The New World
- 9th December 2005: Underworld: Evolution, The Chronicles of Narnia: Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Shopgirl
- 14th December 2005: King Kong (2005)
- 16th December 2005: The Hawk is Dying, Walk the Line
- 23rd December 2005: Brokeback Mountain
All the following are U.S. release dates, and are subject to change.
- APRIL: Amityville Horror (15), XXX State Of The Union (29),
- MAY: Kingdom Of Heaven (6), Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (6), Star Wars Episode III (19)
- JUNE: Mr & Mrs Smith (10), Batman Begins (17), War Of The Worlds (29)
- JULY: Fantastic Four (1), Bewitched (8), Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (15), The Island (22), The Dukes Of Hazzard (29)
- AUGUST: 3001 (5), Doom (5), Deuce Bigelow European Gigolo (12),
- SEPTEMBER: Birth Of The Pink Panther (23), Legend Of Zorro (23), Serenity (30), Spy Hunter (30)
- OCTOBER: Wallace & Gromit (7), The Fog (14), Land Of The Dead (21)
- NOVEMBER: Cars (4), Harry Potter 4 (18), Brother Grimm (23)
- DECEMBER: Chronicles Of Narnia (9), Underworld 2 (9), King Kong (14), The Producers (24), Zathura (21), Mad Max Fury Road (31), Die Hard 4 (31)
Page Content copyright © Dan Owen, 2005.
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Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.