DAN’S MOVIE DIGEST 139

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Dan Owen reviews

DAN’S MOVIE DIGEST
I s s u e # 1 3 93 0 J u n e 2 0 0 5

CoverMOVIE NEWS V FOR VENDETTAThe one-sheet for V For Vendetta has been released (see right). The scriptfor this adaptation of the Alan Moore graphic novel – by Matrix creatorsAndy and Larry Wachowski – has had mixed reviews online, but the casting ofNatalie Portman (Evey) and Hugo Weaving (V) is inspired, and some leakedphotos of the production look quite cool. As does this poster.

Could this be the Alan Moore movie adaptation fans have been waiting for -after the misfires of From Hell and League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen? Let’shope so, as Moore’s masterpiece, Watchmen, remains stuck in developmenthell…

BATMAN CONTINUESNow that Batman Begins has become a worldwide success for directorChristopher Nolan, plans are already afoot for the sequel. Christian Bale,Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman have all signed for three movies, althoughKatie Holmes will not reappear as Rachel Dawes.

The villain for the second movie will be The Joker, and a list of potentialactors is already flooding the internet (from Mark Hamill, who voiced TheJoker in the acclaimed Batman Animated Series, to Crispin Glover). However,’Now’ magazine apparently overheard a drunken Christian Bale commenting thatdirector Nolan would like Sean Penn to claim the role…

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUMScreenwriter Tony Gilroy has begun work on a third Jason Bourne movie,entitled The Bourne Ultimatum, but differing from the novel by Robert Ludlum(primarily because it utilized characters the movies failed to).

CoverTRAILERS King Kong (2005)(weblink)

Don’t tell me, another remake?
Well, yes, obviously. But this comes from Peter Jackson, the director ofThe Lord Of The Rings.

Wow, he’s busy!
This is his dream project; something he was months away from directing backin 1997 before Hobbits and Orcs got in the way!

So is it set in the modern day, with a Godzilla-style rethink?
No, nothing so sacrilegious! This is a straight remake set in the 1930s,but with all the special-effects majesty 2005 can throw at it. Er, and aless two-dimensional role for the lead actress Naomi Watts!

I presume the trailer is stunning in terms of effects then?
It takes a while to get to the “meat”, as this trailer is designed tointroduce the concept to audiences perhaps unfamiliar with the 1933original.

Okay. But does Kong look cool?
Yes, of course. Imagine Mighty Joe Young, but much bigger. Plus, there arelots of great-looking dinosaurs – including a V-Rex and some brontosauruses.

Don’t you mean T-Rex?
No, this is a fantasy hybrid dino. But needless to say Kong has someoutrageous fights with various monsters on Skull Island.

Well, we all know how it ends…
True. But the same was true about Lord Of The Rings – for fans – and lookhow that turned out. December can’t come soon enough!

CoverUS TOP 10 (CINEMA)

All figures are weekend box-office gross.

  • 1. Batman Begins (right) ($48.7m)
  • 2. Bewitched (2005) ($27.6m)
  • 3. Mr & Mrs Smith ($16.8m) (total to date: $126m)
  • 4. Herbie: Fully Loaded ($12.7m)
  • 5. Land of the Dead ($10.2m)
  • 6. Madagascar ($7.43m) (total to date: $160m)
  • 7. Star Wars Episode III: Return of the Sith ($6.11m) (total to date: $358m)
  • 8. The Longest Yard ($5.53m) (total to date: $142m)
  • 9. The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D ($3.5m)
  • 10. Cinderella Man ($3.45m)

UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)

  • 1. Batman Begins (£2.92m)
  • 2. Mr & Mrs Smith (£1.44m)
  • 3. Star Wars Episode III: Return of the Sith (£0.60m) (total to date: £37.8m)
  • 4. Gong Fu (£0.46m)
  • 5. A Lot Like Love (£0.41m)
  • 6. Sin City (£0.33m)
  • 7. Paheli (£0.19m)
  • 8. The Pacifier (£0.17m)
  • 9. Monster-in-Law (£0.06m)
  • 10. House of Wax (2005) (£0.05m)

Cover** IN THE PIPELINE **

All the following are U.K. release dates, and are subject to change.

  • 1st July 2005: Clean, War of the Worlds, Clean, DiG!, Walk on Water, The United States of Leland, Imaginary Heroes
  • 8th July 2005: Punishment Park (1971), The Car Keys, Overnight, Wonderful Days, The Descent
  • 15th July 2005: EMR, The Wedding Crashers, One Love, Madagascar, The Debutantes
  • 22nd July 2005: Fantastic Four (2005), No Entry, Silver City, Dark Water
  • 29th July 2005: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), 29 Palms, Shallow Ground, Whisky
  • 5th August 2005: Herbie: Fully Loaded, Stealth, Because of Winn-Dixie, Stealth, The Devil’s Rejects, Beautiful Boxer, Yes, Dear Wendy, The Last Days, Wolf Creek
  • 12th August 2005: The Island, Fever Pitch (2005), The Rising, Supercross, Crash (2004), Primer
  • 19th August 2005: The Skeleton Key, Bewitched, Paradise Now, R-Point, Danny the Dog, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Bewitched (2005),
  • 26th August 2005: Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, The Dukes of Hazzard (2005), Bad News Bears, Intruder, The Cave
  • 2nd September 2005: The Business, The Honeymooners (2005), Red-Eye, On a Clear Day, Vital
  • 9th September 2005: Cinderella Man, Land of the Dead, Rock School, The Man, The Longest Yard
  • 16th September 2005: Four Brothers, Must Love Dogs, Pride and Prejudice (2005)
  • 23rd September 2005: The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Revolver
  • 30th September 2005: Goal!, Corpse Bride, A History of Violence, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Aeon Flux, The Perfect Man, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, The History of Violence
  • 7th October 2005: Night Watch, Oliver Twist (2005), The Constant Gardener, Serenity, The Kinky Boot Factory
  • 14th October 2005: Wallace & Gromit Movie: Curse of the Wererabbit, Lord of War, The Dark
  • 21st October 2005: Nanny McPhee, Murderball, Elizabeth Town, Syriana, Sky High, Broken Flowers
  • 28th October 2005: Doom, Flightplan, The Legend of Zorro
  • 4th November 2005: V for Vendetta, The Exorcism of Emily Rhodes,
  • 11th November 2005: Everything is Illuminated, The New World, Hustle & Flow, In Her Shoes
  • 18th November 2005: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  • 2nd December 2005: Tickets
  • 9th December 2005: Hey Mr DJ, Just Like Heaven, The Chronicles of Narnia: Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), Shopgirl, Brokeback Mountain
  • 14th December 2005: King Kong (2005)
  • 16th December 2005: The Hawk is Dying
  • 30th December 2005: Stray Dogs
  • TBA: The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3D, Domino, The Pink Panther (2005), Halloween 9, Final Destination 3D, Noel, The Tiger and the Snow, Underworld: Evolution, Walk the Line

All the following are U.S. release dates, and are subject to change.

  • JUNE: 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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