I was browsing around and stumbled across some really fun webseries via Fangoria. I love this new frontier of web distrubution. These web series are a lot of fun and really, much more satisfying than what’s in theaters these days. I like this vibe of how these filmmakers are making films they want to make and not trying to cater to white bread America.

First up, Vampire Killers. Hot chicks making out, great sound design, spooky and dark atmosphere. Good times.

Next, Blood on the Highway

And finally, Deathstop

Nothing we haven’t seen before, but it’s not what’s been done, but how one does it.

See you next time.

The biggest opening ever for a James Bond title and a major victory for a film franchise nearly half a century old. Previous record-holder for best Bond opening was the $47.1 million for “Die Another Day.” Director Marc Forster’s “Solace,” playing in 3,451 runs, opened 74% higher than the 2006 critically acclaimed “Casino Royale,” which gave a new look and feel to the Bond franchise, as well as a new 007–Daniel Craig

Other cool news; Trailers and Casting news:

The Latest Watchmen Trailer

2012

Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. 2012 is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.

Inglorious Basterds final casting with Jackson, Cheung

Samuel L. Jackson has muscled his way into a part as a rarely present narrator and Maggie Cheung, who won the Cannes Best Actress prize in 2004 for Clean, will play Madame Mimieux, the French cinema matron who cares for Basterd’s protagonist Shoshana (Mélanie Laurent) when she is being searched for by the Nazis. Cheung won the role over other European actresses once rumored for the part including Catherine Deneuve, Nastassja Kinski and Isabelle Hupport.

And yes, we have the script; do a search and you’ll find it on our site.

Australia

This looks radical.

Australia is an epic and romantic action adventure, set in that country on the explosive brink of World War II. In it, an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) travels to the faraway continent, where she meets a rough-hewn local (Hugh Jackman) and reluctantly agrees to join forces with him to save the land she inherited. Together, they embark upon a transforming journey across hundreds of miles of the world’s most beautiful yet unforgiving terrain, only to still face the bombing of the city of Darwin by the Japanese forces that attacked Pearl Harbor. With his new film, Luhrmann is painting on a vast canvas, creating a cinematic experience that brings together romance, drama, adventure and spectacle.

The Spirit

That’s all for today; I’ve got screenplays to develop.

This link courtesy EW

Image Courtesy AICN

Pitt

Here’s the first look at Brad Pitt in costume on the set of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds. Pitt has the starring role in this remake of the Dirty Dozen-ish WWII adventure as Lt. Aldo Raine, known to the Germans as Aldo the Apache for his practice of scalping his victims.

And if you wonder why Bastard’s, is spelled Basterd’s, read the script (Search this site).

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS.

First up, Variety is reporting that Will Smith is looking at an I AM LEGEND Prequel. I AM LEGEND, a book written by Richard Matheson, a book directly responsible for inspiring Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD as well as being a key read that made Stephen King want to become an author and a film that was released into the world of PG-13. (Brakes screeching)

Don’t worry dog. We got another 20 Million coming.

This is a book near to my heart and if I have my way, I’ll make my own, definitive version of this film one day. The day I heard about I AM LEGEND coming to the screen, twas a bittersweet one. I wanted to make this film, this would be my endead epic but I also was excited to see more undead films with the backing of a major studio. Alas, I predicted the canvas of the film long before it came out, PG-13, Will Smithy “Oh no you didn’t!” pop corn lameness.

The film was an uninsirped piece of crap with CGI vampire creatures to boot. CG Vampires ? What genius made this call during pre-production ? Well, it looks like we’re getting a prequel.

The prequel will chronicle the final days of humanity in New York before a man-made virus caused a plague that left Smith’s character the lone survivor among a mutated mob in the city.

Here’s an idea, ditch Will Smith, pick up where the movie left off and rate this shit R. Does anyone really want to see another PG-13 Horror film for th sake of Box Office profit ? Oh yes, the studios do. Read the article Here.

You can also read my rant from April 2005 when I first learned of the project HERE.

Del Toro

In other news; Guillermo del Toro has inked a publishing deal with HarperCollins imprint William Morrow to pen a trilogy of vampire thrillers with Chuck Hogan. Here we go again with the resurgence of the Vampire film, of which most outright suck, although I loved 30 Days of Night (Rated R.) With the huge popularity of Stephenie Meyer’s young adult novel series ‘Twilight’ you would bet thathere come the Vampires. Always a popular sub genre genre, but what’s the point when we get PG-13 crap. It’s like Soft Core porn but not really. Read it HERE.






Clive Barker’s The Midnight Meat Train.

Midnight Meat Train

Is that fucking Brooke Shields ? Why would you cast Brooke Shields in anything ? Never the less, this still looks pretty cool. The trailer is HERE.

Suspiria remake ? Really.

1977’s Suspiria is an Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento and is often considered Argento’s finest film and a classic of the horror genre. Entertainment Weekly rated it #18 in its top 25 scariest movies of all time, saying it had “the most vicious murder scene ever filmed”, and it was rated #24 on the cable channel Bravo’s list of the “100 Scariest Movie Moments”.

Suspiria

IFMagazine sat down with Giallo Master Dario Argento and to my notice has a Suspiria remake in the works. Here is the interview.

And finally, from CHUD. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is a Swedish Vampire film that has gotten some nice hype about 2 12 year olds that fall in love. And Hollywood of course has greenlit a reamke directed by Cloverfield director Matt Reeves; yeaaaaaaaah, there’s a good idea. Oh yes, and we shoul remake it PG-13 too !

Oskar is a 12-year-old-boy who is being bullied at school. He befriends a mysterious girl, Eli, who moves in next door with her father Håkan. In the course of the story the reader finds out all is not what it seems. Eli is really a vampire and her ‘father’ supplies her with fresh blood by murdering young boys. As Oskar gradually begins to understand who Eli really is, the bond between them grows stronger. Eli teaches him to stand up to his bullies and Oskar grows increasingly fond of ‘her’.

Eli

The film won the “The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature” at the TriBeCa Film Festival in 2008.

The Trailer

Alright, I have to get to working on my horror masterpiece.

The Theme for Quantum of Solace is out. From two of musics best acts, Jack White of the White Stripes and the hot hot hot Alicia Keys. The song is called ‘Another Way to Die’ and it kicks ass. I do miss the more traditional Bond themes that have a Bondesque cinema undercurrent that wreaks with adventure and espionage but by now, we know the producers are taking Bond to places we’ve never seen in the franchise. It’s a different Bond and it’s all good.

Here are my Top 10 Bond Songs and then you can check out the new one.

10. Diamonds Are Forever (Shirley Bassey)
09. Tomorrow Never Dies (Sheryl Crow)
08. Live and Let Die - (Paul McCartney & Wings)
07. A View To A Kill (Duran Duran)
06. The Living Daylights (a-ha)
05. GoldenEye (Tina Turner)
04. Die Another Day (Madonna)
03. For Your Eyes Only (Sheena Easton)
02. The World Is Not Enough (Garbage)
01. Nobody Does It Better (Carly Simon)

Sadly, neither the new song nor Chris Cornell’s from Casino Royale have me hooked. And on a liner note, I miss the opening theme with the silhouettes of the girls. I hope we don’t get poker cards as a substitute on this one.

Okay, check it out.

And here’s the second trailer TRAILER B

This film looks phenomenal. A perfect balance of bad ass and love interest. I can’t wait.

I’ve been a fan of Steven Spielberg since I was about 5 years old, when I first saw the films JAWS. But I’ve never have seen his earliest works, until I looked up and realized You Tube had them. What don’t they have that isn’t MGM related material anyways ?

I have ran across a few people from time to time that decry the man and say it’s all BS and yes, it’s usually from the Art House Crowd wannabe who can’t see past the rose colored brain disorder they seem to have. If it ain’t Tarkovsky or Wenders, it’s crap ! Don’t get me wrong, I love those guys but if one cannot look at Schindler’s List and just not accept the genius, then you must be an idiot.

Speaking of Ray Carney, anti film fan with the thickest pair of rose colored goggles you’ll ever find and who has said that “Spielberg’s films lack depth and do not take risks”. Schindler’s didn’t take a risk ? The Color Purple didn’t take a risk ? Oh yes Ray, those films are sure blockbusters. Ray! You’re missing the point badly. It’s okay to like more than one type of cinema style or genre.

Before we get to the films …

My favorite(s)

Jaws (My GOAT)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Top 30 Ever)
1941 (Yes, absurd, but a timeless film from my childhood.)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Top 20 Ever)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Poltergeist (Phantom Director)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Jurassic Park (The T-REX scene alone seals the deal)
Schindler’s List (2nd Best Film Ever for me)
Amistad
Saving Private Ryan (Top 20 Ever)
Minority Report
Munich (Top 30 Ever)
War of the Worlds

Not Favorites, but worth the time

The Color Purple
Empire of the Sun
Always
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Artificial Intelligence: A.I.
Catch Me if You Can
The Terminal

Bad

Hook
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Sorry Steven. George’s involvement with Indiana Jones has screwed up the entire thing.)

Amblin

Amblin’ is a short film released in 1968. It is the first completed film shot by Steven Spielberg on 35mm. The film is a short story set during late ’60s about a young couple who meet up in the desert, become friends, then lovers and make their way to a paradisiacal beach.

A young guy, carrying a closely guarded guitar case, hooks up with a free spirited girl when hitchhiking across the desert in southern California en route to the Pacific coast. Along the way, the man engaged the girl in an olive spitting contest and the girl initiates the guy into the joys of cannabis smoking and sex in a sleeping bag. As the pair reach the beach, the guy frolics in the surf and the girl checks out the contents of his guitar case: a suit and tie, toothpaste, mouthwash, a roll of toilet paper and a copy of Arthur Clarke’s The City and the Stars. The girl smiles in bemusement, perhaps sensing all along that her companion was a geek. She then proceeds to stand up and leave the beach, leaving the man behind.

ESCAPE TO NOWHERE

WW2 Super 8. Just like the ones I used to make when I was 14. Except not as good.

FIRELIGHT

Firelight is a 1964 science fiction adventure film. It was written by Steven Spielberg at the age of 16 and he directed it on a budget of $600. The film was his first commercial success, was shown at a local cinema and generated a profit of $100.

Che

Just spent the morning with the finest woman on the planet. No, the universe. My god. I feel like my head is going to explode. It’s the place where time stands still and dreams merge into reality, (Key the LOVE BOAT Theme). I’ll pull a quote from the film 1941 “She’s a goddess, DuBois, a goddamn goddess!


Okay, here’s a quick burst. From Variety, IFC Films has secured all North American distro rights to Steven Soderbergh’s two-part “Che,” starring Benicio Del Toro who won the Best Actor Award at the festival for his portrayal of Guevara in the film

Ernesto “Che” Guevara (June 14,[1] 1928 – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara, El Che, or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, military theorist, and guerrilla leader. whose image after death, has became an ubiquitous countercultural symbol worldwide.

Benicio Che!

In December 1956, he was among the revolutionaries who invaded Cuba under Castro’s leadership with the intention of overthrowing U.S.-backed Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. Guevara soon rose to prominence among the insurgents, was promoted to Comandante, and played a pivotal role in the successful guerrilla campaign that deposed Batista.

The two-part film first part focuses on the Cuban revolution, from the moment Fidel Castro, Guevara and other revolutionaries landed on the Caribbean island, until they toppled the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista two years later and in Part 2 focuses on the years following the Cuban revolution. It begins with Che’s trip to the United Nations headquarters in New York City in 1964, until his death in the Bolivian mountains in 1967. “Che” debuted to mixed reaction at Cannes.

Che was also shot on the kick ass camera Red, which is currently being used on at least 40 features. Soderbergh borrowed two prototypes to shoot his Che Guevara biopics and later purchased three for his film The Informant. I love red. I want one.

I am looking forward to this film even though I’ve never been the biggest fan of Steven Soderbergh and have always scratched my head at the hype and accolade he has gotten. Winning the 2001 Oscar for Best Director for Traffic (while simultaneoulsy having Erin Brockovich up for the same award that year) had me ranting on the Academy splitting the Best Director and Best Picture Awards. How can it be the Best Picture when the Director is the one who brought the creaitve vision alive ? Yes, I know, to give the Producers something to put on their shelf. Other films that year that deserved Best Director or, films I found much more satisfying of an experience ? Gladiator (Which won Best Picture), Tigerland, Requiem for a Dream, Unbreakable, Pollock, Shadow of the Vampire, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and, (gasp!) Erin Brochovich. I know,the irony.

They oughta just combine the Picture and Director award and then give one to the producer that’s called the ‘Producer who got out of the way and let the Director do his thing.” Award.

I’m not sure what the hard on is for this director ? He surely isn’t cut from any particular cloth of master that I can see and isn’t doing anything that stands out as claiming a trademark. I’m giving him the bene of the doubt with Che; I’m routing for him. I want to love his work. I really do.

Steven Soderbergh on set

My likes:
1989 sex, lies, and videotape
1998 Out of Sight (really in the vein of Tarantino’s and the Elmore Leonard emergence)
1999 The Limey
2000 Erin Brockovich
2006 The Good German
2000 Traffic (Yes, I liked it. Liked.)

The overhyped dislikes
2001 Ocean’s Eleven (anything Ocean related)
2002 Full Frontal
2004 Solaris
2005 Bubble
2007 Ocean’s Thirteen




IMDB Link:

Official Site

Che Trailer

Che at Cannes

Monsieur Cinema recently broke the news that French actress Melanie Laurent has joined the cast of Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming World War II epic Inglorious Bastards. At this time, it is only rumors as to who’ll she’ll be playing, but it is being whispered she’ll play the role of Shoshanna Dreyfus, a French Jew that escaped to Paris as a teenager after her family was slaughtered by the Nazi’s and owns the the Parisian movie theater that becomes the subject of interest for all parties in the film. You can read the entire Screenplay about it here

I’m not too familiar with this fine young lady but Melanie has won the Lumiere and César and was nominated for a Golden Palm for 2008’s “De moins en moins”. Here are a couple of videos for you to see her in action.

L’amour caché (Hidden Love)

Actress Biography

Shoe at Your Foot (2008) (post-production) …. Chloe
… aka C’est toujours mieux quand on sourit sur la photo (France)
Paris (2008) …. Laetitia
Chambre des morts, La (2007) …. Lucie Hennebelle
… aka Melody’s Smile (Europe: English title: festival title)
Tueur, Le (2007) …. Stella
Amour caché, L’ (2007) …. Sophie
… aka Madre e ossa (Italy)
Je vais bien, ne t’en fais pas (2006) …. Elise “Lili” Tellier
… aka Don’t Worry, I’m Fine (International: English title: festival title)
Dikkenek (2006) …. Natacha
Indigènes (2006) …. Margueritte village Vosges
… aka Days of Glory (Singapore: English title) (USA)
Visages d’Alice, Les (2005) …. Alice
De battre mon coeur s’est arrêté (2005) …. Minskov’s Girlfriend
… aka The Beat That My Heart Skipped (International: English title)
Dernier jour, Le (2004) …. Louise
… aka The Last Day (International: English title)
Hainan ji fan (2004) …. Sabine
… aka Rice Rhapsody (International: English title)
Une vie à t’attendre (2004) …. La jeune fille à l’usine
… aka I’ve Been Waiting So Long (International: English title)
Snowboarder (2003) …. Célia
Faucheuse, La (2003) …. Isabelle
Embrassez qui vous voudrez (2002) …. Carole
… aka Baciate chi vi pare (Italy)
… aka See How They Run (Australia)
… aka Summer Things (UK)
Ceci est mon corps (2001) …. Clara
… aka This Is My Body (International: English title)

Un pont entre deux rives (1999) …. Lisbeth
… aka A Bridge Between Two Shores (Australia: cable TV title)
… aka The Bridge (International: English title)

Jerry Reed has passed away. Reed died in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 1, 2008, of complications from emphysema (reminding me to quit smoking.)

I was 7 years old the first time I watched Smokey and the Bandit, and many years later, it remains a guilty pleasure. Burt Reynolds at the top of his game, Sally Field looking sweet and cute, like a frog, Jackie Gleason as a mean son of a bitch and Jerry Reed.

Jerry Reed Hubbard - Born March 20, 1937, known professionally as an American country music singer, country guitarist, session musician, songwriter, and actor who appeared in over a dozen films.

Reed played Cletus Snow AKA Snowman, the Bandit’s sidekick and had some of the funniest moments in the film. Although this blog is not devoted to Music, I will mention that I to this day love “East Bound And Down”, “Bandit”, “The Legend”, from the film.

RIP Jerry. You remain a cherished memory in my cinemafiles.

Filmography
Gator (1976)
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
High-Ballin’ (1978)
The Concrete Cowboys (1979)
Hot Stuff (1979)
Smokey and the Bandit II (1980)
Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983)
The Survivors (1983)
What Comes Around (1985)
Bat 21 (1988)
The Waterboy (1998)

They start wars over women like her.

A quick update. I’ve been going in 10 different directions this week, working on my man Tim Hyten’s new film, writing my feature (27 pages in, stay on target!) and the usual partying and hanging with the hottest chick on the planet.

Variety has reported that Quentin Tarantino has found his Jew Hunter, Col. Hans Landa, for “Inglorious Bastards” in 51-year-old German TV actor Christoph Waltz and the character of German movie star turned Allied Spy, Bridget Von Hammersmark, will not be filled by Nasstasja Kinski (which I welcomed but felt perhaps too old) but will be played by the hot blond from Troy Diane Kruger.

With shooting to begin in less than two weeks for a 2009 Cannes premiere, roles yet cast include Shoshanna Dreyfus, her projectionist friend Marcel, the German-born maniac Bastard Stiglitz and the wily Gestapo major Deiter Hellstrom.

The Cast so far:

Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine, a hillbilly from Tennessee who puts together a team of eight Jewish-American soldiers.

Mike Myers as Gen. Ed Fenech, a British “military mastermind” who provides a plot to kill Nazi leadership.

Eli Roth as Sgt. Donnie Donowitz, “a baseball bat-swinging Nazi hunter”.

German TV Star about to go Mainstream.

Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa, a Nazi officer nicknamed the “Jew Hunter” in reference to his keen ability to locate Jews hiding throughout France.

Diane Kruger as Bridget Von Hammersmark.

Michael Fassbender (From 300) British officer Archie Hicox, orignally intended for Simon Pegg (I’m totally bummed about this one.)

Daniel Brühl in a yet, unidentified role.

Paul Rust in a yet, unidentified role.

Tarantino is also in talks with B. J. Novak to portray PFC Utivich, a soldier that hails from New York, David Krumholtz to portray a member of Raine’s team.

Can’t wait, Can’t wait, Can’t wait.