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Dan Owen reviews
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MOVIE NEWS PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S ENDThe third Pirates movie will almost certainly star Keith Richards (right) in a cameoappearance as Captain Jack Sparrow’s father. Johnny Depp has famously said hemodelled Capt Jack on the Rolling Stone, adding: “we’re all looking forwardto the idea of Keith coming in and doing a cameo. You never say it’sdefinite until the guy steps on the set and the camera is rolling. But it’slooking very, very good.” AVATARJames Cameron‘s nearly back, folks! The director has been explaining theprocess to film his sci-fi epic Avatar, saying: “Believe it or not, theshooting is a very small part of it. It’s a very, very big project where theshooting is like a month and a half — not really very much. There’s just somuch CG, and the visual effects are a huge component. A lot of it isperformance capture. We use different techniques (from, for example, ‘SonyPictures’ upcoming Monster House), but it’s the same general idea.”“[We’re] very active right now in terms of casting. We’re not looking atanyone, we’re looking at everyone. There are a number of characters that wecan cast from that up-and-coming talent pool. They’re not going to bewell-known names — until after the movie, hopefully.”
DIE HARD 4.0The director of the fourth Die Hard flick, Len Wiseman (Underworld), hasreportedly let slip that John McClane’s son won’t be in Die Hard 4.0, withhis character being rewritten to make him no relation to Bruce Willis’iconic character. DRACULA: YEAR ZEROA spec script from Matt Sazama and Burl Sharpless is being produced thatwill retell the classic Dracula story by interweaving the plot withreal-life Dracula influence Vlad The Impaler. Sources say the script makesDracula more of a vengeful hero than the monster of Stoker’s original novel.
JUMPERSamuel L. Jackson (right) is set to star in Doug Liman’s Jumper, about a kid who canteleport. Jackson will play the NSA agent sent in to track the teleportingteen, who is on a quest to find his mother’s killer… and finds he’s notthe only one with this super power… FANTASTIC FOUR 2Director Tim Story has been speaking out about what fans can expect from thesequel, saying: “I’ve been going crazy prepping this thing. Just got backfrom Vancouver, which is of course where we will be filming the movie, andthings are shaping up. It’s the hard part of the phase where I have to makethings work. Even with $100+ mil, there’s never enough money. Looking at theplan for the new Baxter Building interior and it’s going to be hot. We’regoing more high tech and we’re giving Reed Richards and the gang moregadgets this time around. The “4” logo will be everywhere as we are used toseeing it. They are a corporation now.
“I’m going to use some looks that have been inspired from more recent comics,like in The Ulimate Extinction and a little from the Ultimate Fan Fourseries. I know what you’re thinking “Kirby, Kirby, Kirby!” There will bemuch props given to Kirby throughout the movie.”
“What I’m really excited about is the Fantasticar. It’s coming guys in allit’s glory. Wait until you see it. It’s going to split in pieces and allthat. Johnny and Ben fight over who should fly it. All the fun you expect.”
INDIANA JONES 4During a Q&A at a screening of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, original star KarenAllen (Marion Ravencroft) told fans that Natalie Portman could be starringin the fourth Indiana Jones movie as the daughter of her character and Indy. WATCHING THE DETECTIVESThe Broken Lizard comedy troupe (Super Troopers) are behind this movie,starring Cillian Murphy and Lucy Liu. Liu will play a femme fatale whoenters the life of an avid film noir buff played by Murphy. DAN’S MOVIE DIGEST BLOG (DMDB) –Dan Owen.blogspot.com
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TRAILERSRocky Balboa – Trailer 1(click here for trailer)
It’s the eye of the tiger!
Rocky 6 by any other name. 16 years after Rocky V.
Sixteen years!
… and 30 years since the original Academy Award winning drama!
Wow… I feel old.
How do you think Sylvester Stallone feels?
But Rocky V was crap. Rocky IV wasn’t that good either. Actually, I’m not entirely sold on III…
Well, yes… the franchise is a little overcooked, but Rocky Balboa shouldstill make some money. People love the charcter!
Okay, so what is this movie about?
Rocky’s retired, but a computer simulator pitting him against current champMason Dixon postulated that Rocky would win in a fight. This gets everyonethinking, especially Rocky, so he decides to come out of retirement,re-train, and take on Dixon!
But Stallone’s 60 years old!
Yes, and the trailer is all about how you’d go about training a 60-year-oldto defeat a man in his 20s.
How?
Through blunt force trauma. Apparently.
Hehe. Does this look good?
I have to admit… it gave me a tingle. Everyone loves a good underdogsports movie. The Rocky movies were good disposable fun, and the first is abonafide classic. I personally think Balboa will prove to be quite animprobably, but worthy, sequel.
Ding! Ding! Seconds out!
Let’s get ready to rummmmmmmmbleee….. er, at Christmas…
US TOP 10 (CINEMA)All figures are weekend box-office gross.
- 1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ($136.0m) (total to date: $136m)
- 2. Superman Returns ($21.8m) (total to date: $142m)
- 3. The Devil Wears Prada ($15.0m)
- 4. Click ($11.9m)
- 5. Cars ($10.7m) (total to date: $206m)
- 6. Nacho Libre ($3.34m)
- 7. The Lake House ($2.85)
- 8. The Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift ($2.55m)
- 9. Waist Deep ($1.90m)
- 10. The Break-Up ($1.62m) (total to date: $114m)
UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)
- 1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (£13.7m)
- 2. Over the Hedge (£2.16m)
- 3. Just My Luck (£0.42m)
- 4. The Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift (£0.33m)
- 5. The Wind The Shakes The Barley (£0.26m)
- 6. The Lake House (£0.24m)
- 7. The Da Vinci Code (£0.12m)
- 8. Banlieue 13 (£0.09m)
- 9. X-Men 3: The Last Stand (£0.08m)
- 10. Krrish (£0.06m)
** IN THE PIPELINE **All the following are U.K. release dates, and are subject to change.
- 14th July 2006: Superman Returns, Viva Zapatero, The Death of Mr Lazarescu
- 21st July 2006: 13th District, Little Fish, The Break-Up, 11:14, Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties
- 28th July 2006: Little Man, The Science of Sleep, Adrift, Cars
Page Content copyright © Dan Owen, 2006.
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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.