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Dan Owen reviews
I s s u e # 1 1 21 1 N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 4
HARSH TIMES
Christian Bale (Batman Begins) and Freddy Rodriguez (right) are set to star inindependent film Harsh Times, says ‘Production Weekly’.
The film is a West Coast version of Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets, set inSouth Central Los Angeles.
David Ayer (Training Day) will make his feature directorial debut from hisoriginal screenplay, which was developed at the Sundance screenwriter’s lab.Production is set to begin in Los Angeles the beginning of December.
The story follows Mike Alvarez (Rodriguez), unemployed and looking for ajob, and Jim David (Bale) who has just been accepted by the DEA to do hisshare of the dirty work in Columbia.
A pair of hell-raising beer-drinking screw-ups with time on their hands,they spend a few days riding around Los Angeles, causing trouble and leavinghavoc in their wake – until it all catches up to them and the good timesturn harsh.
BEHIND THE MASK
Producers Dino and Martha De Laurentis have assigned Peter Webber (Girl WithA Pearl Earring) to direct Behind The Mask, the Hannibal Lecter prequelcurrently being scripted by author Thomas Harris.
Harris’ novel will be released next autumn, with the movie adaptation set tobegin production in May 2005 for a summer 2006 release.
Dino De Laurentis: “It is a revenge story that shows why he became acannibal. But he kills people that audiences want to see killed. So whilethere is a natural revulsion, the sympathy toward Hannibal remains.”
The producers and director will soon begin scouting locations in Lithuania,the Czech Republic and France. They will simultaneously search for youngactors to play Lecter at three pivotal moments in his younger life beforethe events of Red Dragon.
THE INVISIBLE
David Goyer (Blade) is set to direct the English-language remake of TheInvisible for ‘Spyglass Entertainment’ and ‘DreamWorks’, says ‘Variety’.
The movie, written by Mick Davis, is based on the Swedish supernaturalthriller about two young teens whose real selves are invisible to others.
One teen’s untimely death renders him literally invisible. The other ismetaphorically invisible due to the neglect she’s endured since the death ofher mother.
Davis wrote the original film in English. The script was then translatedinto Swedish and directed by Joel Bergvall and Simon Sandquist.
TRANSFORMERS
Screenwriter John Rogers (Catwoman) has been hired to write thelong-gestating live-action version of classic 80’s cartoon and toy franchiseTransformers, for ‘DreamWorks’/’Paramount’.
Steven Spielberg is executive producing the film that is currently slatedfor a summer 2006 release and will likely be a franchise property. TomDeSanto, who executive produced the two X-Men films, wrote the story thatRogers will adapt.
Rogers is also working on Rush Hour 3 for director Brett Ratner, due outnext year. At ‘DreamWorks’, Rogers is also producing Fatal Frame, based onthe Japanese video-game.
WATCHMEN
It’s a sad day for fans of Alan Moore’s classic graphic novel, as directorDarren Aronofsky (Requiem For A Dream) has pulled out of the superheroproject.
Aronofsky may have only made two movies in over five years, but hisundoubted skill and intelligent viewpoiunt would have given Watchmen a muchgreater chance of success. Word has it that a fabulous cast was beingassembled, based on Aronofsky’s involvement, so even they could depart -depending on who takes over.
WEBSITES Elektra(link)
Witness some snazzy flash-animated snippets of footage from the Daredevilspin-off, starring Jennifer Garner (Alias).
TRAILERSOcean’s Twelve – Trailer 1(link)
A sequel to a remake?
Get use to it. The Italian Job remake is also due a sequel soon.
Ok, so who’s back?
They’re all back. Yes, all of them – to quote the trailer. George Clooney,Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac -plus Catherine Zeta Jones.
Wow! Quite a cast! So what’s it all about?
Fresh from stealing £160,0000 from Garcia’s Vegas casino boss in the firstmovie, Danny Ocean’s men are now wanted. So, they head to Europe to pay-offGarcia with three adventurous heists in three major cities.
So, the same old routine but in a different setting?
Hmmm, yes. Ocean’s Twelve has nothing very new to set it apart from itspredecessor, but if you liked the original’s snazzy direction, cool music,witty dialogue, and glamorous faces… you’ll love this.
Does the trailer inspired confidence?
It looks like good fun, but it’s particularly memorable and doesn’t containanything that screams for you to see it. It just looks… like fun.Hopefully, the meat of the movie is wisely being kept out of the trailer.
Star Wars Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith – Teaser 1(link)
Okay, feel free to wax lyrical!
As we all know, this is the third and final instalment of George Lucas’ StarWars prequel trilogy.
You mean, the moment the shit really hits the fan?
Excitingly, yes. The moment when Anakin Skywalker finally becomes DarthVader himself, amongst some other treats Lucas and his ILM lackies have instore for us.
Such as?
Well, as glimpsed from this excellent teaser trailer – a rampaging horde ofWookies, Yoda about to kick-ass again, some precursors to the X-Wing, alight sabre duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin on a volcanic planet, and a lotof seriously epic space battles.
With explosions?
Yes, plenty of explosions. James Earl Jones is back to voice Lord Vader,too, and everyone’s favourite walking carpet – Chewbacca – makes his prequeldebut.
Well, to balance the view here, every trailer for the Star Wars prequels haslooked amazing… but the finished films are always a disappointment.
I can only speak personally, but as someone who didn’t bow at the altar ofGeorge Lucas throughout the 80s, I’ve enjoyed all of the prequel films. Ofcourse, the overall story and characters of the original movies aresuperior, but Episode I and II aren’t that bad. Episode II, in particular,was actually a damn good adventure movie, I thought.
So, high hopes for Episode III?
Yes, I’ll risk ridicule and officially state that I think Revenge Of TheSith will finally produce a chorus of approval from die-hard fans.
It’s darker, it has more aesthetic links to the original trilogy, it willbridge the two trilogies’ plots, and it features one of modern cinema’s mosticonic villains – Darth Vader.
So George Lucas has finally got the mix right?
Based on this evidence, and a glowing Internet review from someone whosneaked a preview screening, I think a cautious yes is in order….
US TOP 10 (CINEMA)All figures are weekend box-office gross.
- 1. The Incredibles ($70.5m)
- 2. Ray ($13.6m)
- 3. The Grudge (2004) ($12.7m)
- 4. Saw ($11.1m)
- 5. Alfie ($6.22m)
- 6. Shall We Dance ($5.66m)
- 7. Shark Tale ($4.56m) (total to date: $154m)
- 8. Friday Night Lights ($2.98m)
- 9. Ladder 49 ($2.67m)
- 10. Team America: World Police ($1.86m)
UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)
- 1. The Grudge (2004) (£2.26m)
- 2. Shark Tale (£0.94m)
- 3. Finding Neverland (£0.57m)
- 4. Bad Santa (£0.47m)
- 5. Birth (£0.42m)
- 6. Princess Diaries 2 (£0.33m)
- 7. Alfie (2004) (£0.31m)
- 8. AVP: Alien Vs Predator (£0.28m)
- 9. White Chicks (£0.16m)
- 10. Five Children and It (£0.14m)
** IN THE PIPELINE **All dates are U.K release dates, and are subject to change.
Email Dan Owen
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.