This Week in Movie News (Nerd News)

There were a few big casting announcements made this week and a couple other bits of important news:

James McAvoy to play Charles Xavier in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS -

This film seems like an utter disaster to me just because the idea of having the titular characters played by teenagers just doesn't sound interesting. However, there are a few things keeping me slightly open to the film: 1. Matthew Vaughn is directing 2. Bryan Singer has been heavily involved in the development of the film 3. Chances of it being better than THE LAST STAND and WOLVERINE are very good considering those films are terrible and lastly - I see McAvoy as a good choice for Xavier. Yeah, there are a few people griping about this, but I can imagine it was difficult to find someone worthy of filling Patrick Stewart's chair. I like McAvoy and certainly see a lot of potential in him playing a young Xavier because he has a certain seriousness and presence that is necessary. We'll just have to wait and see who fills out the rest of the cast, most importantly Magneto. The actor who is eventually cast is going to need to have a great amount of onscreen chemistry and tension with McAvoy (Stewart and McKellen had a great friend/enemy relationship). Three actors I wouldn't mind seeing in the part: Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy and maybe Ryan Gosling. Only time will tell, but I'd be least surprised about Hardy as he worked with Vaughn in LAYER CAKE.

Christian Bale to star in John Hillcoat's THE REVENANT -

This is newsworthy to me because I'm a big fan of Hillcoat. His most recent film was THE ROAD, which was decent, but highly unpleasant to watch. However, Hillcoat was able to show off his knack for a grim visual style. I'm certainly happy to see him return to another violent, period film like he did with THE PROPOSITION. Essentially, from what I've heard, THE REVENANT is about a frontiersman (Bale) who seeks revenge on the men who left him for dead after he was mauled by a bear. That sounds awesome and the pairing of Hillcoat and Bale for this film is just perfect.

BTW, if you haven't seen Hillcoat's THE PROPOSITION, I suggest you get on that as it's one of the best westerns of all-time despite the unorthodox setting of Australia.




Tommy Lee Jones has a role in THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA -

I was never a huge Tommy Lee Jones fan (I took BATMAN FOREVER pretty hard), but I've recently started to come around since his outstanding performance in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. I feel I can now see his appeal. He's got a particular way about him in all his roles that just appeals to me now; something equal parts humorous and severe. We learned earlier this week that he'll play General Chester Phillips in CAPTAIN AMERICA, which means he'll likely be the one who turns Steve Rogers into the superhero. TLJ as a WWII military man is very fitting and I'm very eager to see his rapport with Chris Evans. Good call casting director!

DC wants to be like Marvel -

Speaking of comic book films, Warner Brothers announced that it plans to produce films featuring The Flash, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. THE GREEN LANTERN is sure to be a hit, so they might as well get to work on some of the other big DC properties that aren't Batman or Superman. I'm all for this as long as they put the right people in charge of the things that matter. (directing, casting, writing etc.). That's the only way they can hope to match Marvel's success. Honestly, and I know I'll catch shit for this, but the character I'd be most excited for is Aquaman. He's the butt of a lot of jokes, but I think a film about Arthur Curry has the most potential. The Flash might be more respected, but I don't know what a film focused on him would be about exactly. His villains are lame and he can run really fast, so what? Don't get me wrong, I love The Flash as a supporting JLA character, but not as a feature until I'm proven otherwise. Wonder Women is a bit too out-there for me to take seriously. You'd need to cast someone perfect too, nobody lame like Megan Fox or Beyonce (who has lobbied for the role). I don't want to see any invisible jets is all I'm saying. Returning to my original point - Aquaman, like Green Lantern, has a whole alien world to explore, in his case the sea. I see the epic, fantasy elements as having a lot of blockbuster appeal.

Also announced by Warner Brothers is that a tentative release date for the next Superman has been scheduled for late 2012. Having a superhero film outside the summer season actually seems kinda cool to me and smart. The end of the year can be just as lucrative as summer (see: AVATAR), so why not spread the wealth a little?

Finally, there's going to be a live-action Dilbert movie!

This is the stupidest idea I've heard in a long time. Do people even know who Dilbert is anymore? Didn't they try to make a Dilbert cartoon a few years back and didn't it fail miserably? This is going to lose some very dumb people a lot of money.

That's it, see ya later.

RIP Dennis Hopper

Today we mourn a great actor and remember a great career. There was just something so peculiar about Dennis Hopper, something so distinct. With all his great performances, he had it in him to be counted amongst the celebrity A-list, but you don’t think of him in the same company as the Jack Nicholson’s, Al Pacino’s and Dustin Hoffman’s because he was more aloof, less accessible to the public eye. We don’t know what we know about Hopper because of his interviews or his time in the headlines, what we have are his performances. There’s an unmatched intensity in those performances, coupled with his unique voice, his chilling sneer and the believability of his (usually) frightening actions that truly has the power to affect an audience. He’s appeared in some big films, Easy Rider (which he also directed) is probably the most iconic, but there are a few that I hold closely to my heart for various reasons. I’m sure everyone has their favorites, but here are mine:

SPEED – This might not be the most critically praised film in Hopper’s filmography, but it certainly had its part in my childhood. There are a few films that I always watched when I was home sick from school, this was one of them. I really loved it as a kid and I didn’t really know why. That was back when I still thought Keanu Reeves was cool and Sandra Bullock was worth talking about, so I assumed they were the primary reason I was so into the story. In retrospect, it was Hopper that held that film together. At its core, it’s sort of a silly film, but having a villain as great as Howard Payne really improves the quality ten-fold. He’s such a dick, you can’t not hate him. Everything he does is just so upsetting, but made all-the-more upsetting because of how much he appears to be enjoying it. “Pop quiz, hot-shot!”: Does a movie like this get remembered at all without a talent like Hopper in the credits?

BLUE VELVET – I’m not a huge fan of this film or David Lynch by any means. I have nothing against them, but neither are really my thing. The most noteworthy aspect of this whole film though is Hopper’s performance as Frank Booth, probably the most evil villain this side of Darth Vader. Every line Booth utters either shocking or funny and oftentimes both. It’s all quote-worthy and anyone who’s seen the film will likely have something derogatory to say about Heineken and only the best about Pabst Blue Ribbon. I’d probably prefer the former, but tonight, I’ll drink the latter in honor of this performance, which is, for my money, one of the best in cinema history.

APOCALYPSE NOW – Unlike the above film, this is one I truly love. Everything about it is great. Hopper, playing a crazed photojournalist, keeps this level of quality up and then some. Essentially, he’s a hype-man for Brando’s Colonel Kurtz. The Kurtz character is one of my favorites, but I doubt he’d be as effective without Hopper’s build-up. Hopper’s involvement also makes this film seem that much more real (though Apocalypse Now is notoriously deficient in actual facts). He belongs to the Vietnam era and to the jungles of the mind and soul that are on display in this film. Most actors just pretend (that’s not a knock, it’s the nature of the profession), but Hopper truly seemed to be living his life onscreen. There, he is immortal.

Rest In Peace.

Milwaukee's Midnight Movie Madness

For information on when these films are playing at Midnight in Milwaukee, read my article at Suburban Bully.

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

I'm not too familiar with the work of this film: street art. I've heard names like Banksy and Shepard Fairey, but I haven't really followed anything they've done. That's why I found this film to be so interesting. Graffiti, or street art, is pretty cool. These dangerous, elaborate ploys to put up stickers and spray paint of often amusing or thought-provoking work is incredibly admirable. Most of the men featured in this film are true artists. I particularly like Space Invader for all the Space Invader tiles he adheres to public property. The exploits or these often-reclusive people being captured on video is something quite special. It's something normal people would likely never see and for a midwesterner like me it would be rare to even see one of these works of art in person at all. To the aspect of this film that is the simple (narratively, not logistically) task of exhibiting these moments I give an "A".

However, much of the film is actually about the man who captured these moments, Thierry Guetta, Space Invader's cousin. The film's presenter, Banksy, puts out this notion that Guetta is actually more interesting than they are. I would argue that notion, but I suppose the narrative featuring Thierry is what makes this film more than just a simple street-art doc. What's so interesting about this man? He always has a camera on him, he's seemingly neglectful of his family and he seems rather unstable. Thierry has to be given credit for being such a helpful supporter of these renegade street artists for so long, but he also ends up being the harbinger of their doom. When Guetta sets out to make a film from his hundreds of tapes, he ends up with "Life Remote Control", an incoherent mess that inspires Banksy to set him on a new task - becoming a street artist himself. Thierry then becomes "Mr. Brainwash" and goes to work making a name for himself in LA. This culminates in a ridiculously hyped gallery show for the new artist and great success. This seems like a nice ending, but it's not so much when you consider that Mr. Brainwash's work is utter crap. The immense success of his show signifies the entry of street art into the commercial sector, where it ultimately loses life and purpose.

Banksy and others have moved on to larger venues than the street and likely been very profitable from it, but I wouldn't call these people sell-outs like I would Brainwash. Banksy insists that his work was never about the money, which is apparent when you witness his incredibly controversial act at Disneyland on the day of his gallery opening, which likely gained him nothing more than a sense of artistic fulfillment. The top artists still take risks and still do things just for fun. Thierry seems to be all about profits and hype. There's a point near the very end when Shepard Fairey refers to Brainwash's fans as suckers, he couldn't be more right. Street art suddenly became "in", so everyone went nuts for it. Rich people buy it and put it up in their homes for their eyes only, which truly renders it worthless. To make matters worse, the pieces they are buying are uninspired garbage. At one point, Thierry demonstrates how little effort he puts into altering his prints, but these alterations mark the value up 1000%. To be fair, it's not all Thierry's fault, it's also the fault of the lame contemporary art community for being such suckers.

This film is great, I'll say that, but I feel a little less time could have been devoted to Mr. Brainwash. It was an integral point of the conclusion, but some parts of the last act were borderline fluff or filler. He's certainly an interesting part of the evolution of street art, but I wouldn't say he's more interesting that the art itself. On the overall, I'd give this film an "A-".

One final note: There's a lot of speculation as to the authenticity of this film, whether it was a true documentary or not. I'd say it's more interesting if it is authentic, but even if it's not, it ends up at the same conclusion with the same message. I don't think there's much point in arguing about it, but it is a little intriguing.

This Week in Movie News (Nerd News)

Certainly some interesting headlines coming out of the past week:

James Franco likely for lead role in RISE OF THE APES -

Franco was at Cannes this past week promoting his new film HOWL, in which he plays beat poet Allen Ginsberg. The young actor's credits have been all over the spectrum, which is a refreshing thing to see out of such a talent. He's appeared on television (lately "General Hospital" and "30 Rock"), in comedies (PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, DATE NIGHT), and in big-budget fare (the SPIDER-MAN trilogy). It appears as though Franco has picked his next project in the latter category - RISE OF THE APES. It seems as though every time I do one of these "weekly news" posts, I end up with something about this film. When I heard about this, I wondered what type of role Franco's would be, crossing my fingers that he wouldn't appear as some CG ape. My fears dissipated when I learned that Franco would be playing one of the human scientists who are creating the genetically altered apes. Then I thought again about how this movie still sound stupid, but I'm open to having my expectations exceeded. Franco's involvement improves my opinion of this production from "potential disaster" to "maybe not the worst thing in the world".

Look for Franco later in 2010 when he stars, practically by himself, in Danny Boyle's follow-up to the Oscar winning SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, 127 HOURS, the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston who had to amputate his lower right arm with a dull knife to escape certain death.

Jemaine Clement to play villain in MEN IN BLACK 3(D)-

This news had me chuckling a bit. I was never a big fan of the MIB films, but they are kind of fun. I found the news of a second sequel a bit surprising considering it will have been nearly ten years since MIB 2 when this film is released. But Will Smith is still incredibly bankable and studios aren't missing any opportunities to round out trilogies with "3....D!". Side note: when did this becomes an okay thing to do? Sure, have your 3D films, but don't make it part of the official title, that's so cheesy. Have we completely forgotten JAWS 3-D!? Anyway, joining Smith and Lee Jones in the film will be Josh Brolin. I can imagine hilarity ensuing when all three of these macho men struggle to defeat Clement, who will be playing a character called Yaz (hilariously fitting for some reason). I could have probably waited for this to come out on DVD, but now I might just fork over the admission price (which by 2012 should only be $15). Good for Jemaine, he sure seems to be getting a lot of work. I was always partial to Bret (Brit) though, what's he up to?

MACHETE trailer just another fake -

Apparently, the MACHETE trailer that came out a couple weeks back was just a fake trailer made by Robert Rodriguez for Cinco de Mayo and political commentary. It was not an actual trailer for the film, but instead pieced together from the original GRINDHOUSE trailer and footage from the new film. I don't know how many people were hip to this. I'll admit, I was fooled. I guess the preview was a bit too topical to be real, but that's what had me excited. I'm sure the real MACHETE will be fun, but I can't help but imagine that this might have been a more exciting alternative.

See him talk about it here

David Fincher wants to go 2000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA -

Huh? I can imagine that being the majority response. That's right, Fincher, director of FIGHT CLUB, SEVEN, and ZODIAC, has reportedly approached Disney about directing a 2000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA film. Disney had previously lined up McG to helm a similar project, but dropped it. It seems as though Fincher's interest has reinvigorated the property. All I can say is: it probably won't happen. Fincher always lines up a dozen projects to do and almost all of them fall by the wayside (remember HEAVY METAL and TORSO?). If it does get made, it'll certainly be interesting to see how it turns out. More news on this as it arrives.

A couple final notes (Me talkin' shit)-

There's been a lot of news about potential WIZARD OF OZ spin-offs and sequels and what-nots being lined up. Just stop it. I don't want to see any of these made. What's the point? I don't really care about protecting the original film's legacy or anything like that, I just think it's a stupid idea. Move on. Nothing like this will ever be successful. Mark my words.

Megan Fox apparently dropped out of TRANSFORMERS 3. I don't know what I dislike more, Fox or TRANSFORMERS. Their parting ways will make each of them slightly better, but still not anything I'd endorse. Fox is toxic and will hopefully fall by the wayside in the near future. Transformers is idiotic, let's just get it over with.

Cinema Badger #2 @ Suburban Bully

My second article in The Cinema Badger column is now up at Suburban Bully. It will run every Friday at 9am, so look for it at the same Badger time in the same Badger place.

Cinema Badger #2

Nathan Fillion to Play Hank Pym (Ant-Man) in Whedon's AVENGERS

There were reports this weekend that Nathan Fillion is a lock to Hank Pym, a genius scientist also known as Ant-Man, in Joss Whedon's AVENGERS film. I pretty much called this when Whedon got the job because the two worked together on "Firefly". Now, rumors like this are to be taken with a grain of salt as they don't usually pan out. However, their strong working relationship would suggest there is some truth to his consideration.

I just wonder what kind of role Pym would play in the film. Attention already has to be divvied up amongst the marquee superheroes, so I imagine his screen time would be minor. But if Whedon plans on taking a few cues from "The Ultimates" (a modern re-telling of the Avengers' origins) playbook, then Pym might factor into the plot a bit more. Sure, he could just hang out in the background and provide some support to the front-line Avengers (which seems likely), but I hope he gets a bigger part. Pym in "The Ultimates" has a hyper-inferiority complex (especially when in the company of Bruce Banner) and an abusive relationship with his wife and fellow Avenger, The Wasp. Essentially, he's kind of a bastard. That's the type of role I'd like to see Fillion take on.

For those not familiar with his work, I'd suggest taking a look at the short-lived series "Firefly" and the subsequent SERENITY film. He plays the Captain of Serenity, Malcolm Reynolds, and charisma just spills out of him in every scene. It's a wonder Fillion has yet to get a chance to shine in a big, Hollywood production.

If reports are indeed true, then the announcement of his casting should take place around Comic-Con in late July. But a lot could change before then. Here's hoping it doesn't.

Trailer Time

Apart from the SUPER 8 and INCEPTION previews that hit the internet last week, there were a few more intriguing trailers that debuted:

First off - THE AMERICAN. This film stars George Clooney and is the follow-up to director Anton Corbijn's well-respected Ian Curtis biopic CONTROL. The trailer suggests a calculated and well-shot thriller. I'm not a huge fan of Clooney (I wouldn't call myself a detractor either), but I did like CONTROL enough to make me very interested in this project. Its release is scheduled for September 1st.



Next up is THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU. Screenwriter George Nolfi's directorial debut stars Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Terrence Stamp. This thriller based on a story by Philip K. Dick takes on an existential sci-fi twist, something I'm quite fond of. The trailer looks promising and I definitely like Stamp in the creepy-suit role. The film's release was scheduled for summer, but was pushed back to September 17.



Lastly - ANIMAL KINGDOM. This Australian production by director David Michod stars Guy Pearce (one of the most underrated actors currently working). The crime drama garnered some positive attention at Sundance and now boasts four very positive reviews at Rotten Tomatoes. The film will get a wide release this August.



There has also been a lot of coverage for the JONAH HEX trailer that recently debuted. In theory, this seems like an okay movie, but the preview looks terrible. The involvement of Michael Fassbender and Josh Brolin is completely negated by Megan Fox, who might just be the most irritating actress working today. Look it up for yourself if you're interested.

BLONDE - The Return of Andrew Dominik

It's typical in this day and age for directors to pump out a new film every one or two years. There's certainly nothing wrong with this as it gives cinephiles a chance to build a complete picture of one artist's style and capabilities. However, It's always interesting when a successful director takes their time in between projects to find something (s)he's truly passionate about shooting. One such director is Andrew Dominik, who will return in 2011 with BLONDE, based on Joyce Carol Oates fictionalized biography of Marilyn Monroe.

The New Zealander's debut was 2000's CHOPPER, the biopic of Australia's most notorious criminal, featuring a star-making performance by Eric Bana.



The film garnered some positive reviews and maintains a decent following. Dominik's follow-up wouldn't come for a further seven years. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD was worth the wait. All petty gripes about the title aside, this was a great and vastly underappreciated film. It earned mostly positive reviews and a couple Oscar nods (one for cinematography and another for Casey Affleck's awesome supporting performance), but it was still criticized as being slow and overlong. No, it wasn't the shoot-em-up heist film that one would expect with a name like Jesse James in the title, it was actually a hundred-times better than that. The film stunned me with its performances, music, and boldness. It's not the film that everyone wanted, it's something completely out of left-field and that's what makes it a marvel. I believe that time will out this film's greatness and its status as one of the best film's of this young century.



It's because of this film that I'm already convinced of BLONDE's potential. Dominik was supposed to return in 2012 with yet another literary adaptation, CITIES OF THE PLAIN, based on the Cormac McCarthy novel. This sounds like an ambitious undertaking and I hope he returns to it, but I'm glad I don't have to wait as long. I haven't read the Oates book, but its received high praise. When skimming various descriptions of the novel, I can see why Dominik is perfect for the film version: "Emotionally volatile, fey, self-absorbed, and frightened, Monroe could also be tough, outspoken, vulgar--her notorious perfectionism a shield against the ridicule and failure that Oates claims she continually feared" (Publisher's Weekly). Dominik isn't interested in stories that exalt and sensationalize its protagonists. He did a great job making Mark "Chopper" Read human. He could have made a film that demonized Robert Ford and enforced the mythic figure of Jesse James ("He took from the rich and he gave to the poor" as the song says), but he didn't. James is positively psychotic and Ford is vulnerable, but you still think he's a sonofabitch in the end even though James has it coming. There are shades of greys to both men that are thought provoking and elicit complicated feelings. This is what I expect from a Monroe biopic. The woman is too quickly honored as some sort of icon. I feel as though I'd care more about her if I got to see all her dimensions. Dominik is the man to capture the light and dark of her character. There's another Monroe film being produced currently that will likely walk the line of fluff, something this film will not.

More promising news about this project is that it will star Naomi Watts. Dominik has proven that he can bring amazing performances out of talented actors (something that's harder than it sounds). Bana, Pitt, and Affleck have all benefited from his direction. It's hard to imagine that Watts won't be able to put in a performance worthy of Academy recognition.

Hopefully, more news about this film will follow shortly, but all I've heard thus far has me already looking forward to 2011.

Check Out My Article at Suburban Bully

I wrote an article entitled "Wisconsin's Film Identity" for a Milwaukee Website called Suburban Bully. This might turn into a weekly thing, so I hope people get into it. Here's the link:


Suburban Bully