— As is being luke-warmly discussed in the forums, Colin and Greg Strause (the FX guys turned new co-directors) discuss their plans for the next molestation of the Aliens vs. Predator (AVP) franchise. Essentially, they say nothing, rehashing what you’ve heard a thousand times before in various DVD commentaries and interviews. The only mildly interesting note here is that the next outing will be rated “R”. View the Extra-ey clip here
and let me know if you think this spot shows these guys as
directionless, unmotivated and creatively flaccid as I thought it did.
— The Tingler. Maybe that word was frightening in 1959, but in 2007 I can’t help thinking of anything but an adjective made naughty by a modern day sex toy industry. Battery-powered or not, Columbia Pictures is restarting the resurrection process of the old Vincent Price schlocktacular (again) and giving it a modern day goosing. And who would be the lucky guys to take a second crack at the tale of a scientist who finds a critter that inhabits the human spine, feeds off fear and grows when you don’t scream? None other than the very last Project Greenlight screenplay winners Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan (Feast and the Halloween-bound Saw 4). Gooeyness, bone crunching and flopping, severed penises may very well follow.
— My friend and I had a short-lived argument about the hotness of Nicole Kidman. I said, “No.” He said, “Yes.” I said “lighting and makeup artists.” He said, “Dan, of course you’re right.” You’ll have your chance to weigh in on the same meaningless subjectivity when Nicole Kidman is seen onscreen in no fewer than five films before Rabbit Hole, her latest project. Rabbit Hole is based on a Broadway play about a couple living in…yawn…wedded bliss who must… yaaaaaawn… confront a tragedy and struggle to regaaaaaaaaaaawn redemption and… happinesszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
— In the relentless effort to leverage fantastical children’s literature in the hopes of another Harry Potternomenon, New Line has proactively hired Hossein Amini to adapt The Subtle Knife, part two in the His Dark Materials triumvirate. Part one, The Golden Compass, (directed by American Dreamz’ Chris Weitz) is currently shooting big-budget style for a planned release around the holidays. The first film in New Line’s hope for a trilogy stars Nicole “is she hot or not Kidman”, Daniel Craig and a host of other well-recognized thesps who are all caught up in the efforts of a 12 year old girl trying to save her pal in parallel universe. I’m not big into spoilers, but I bet she does.
— Fred Keller (24, CSI:Mee-ah-mee) is making the directorial jump from violent TV shows to violent movies as he takes charge of bossing people around on the upcoming horror film Worst Nightmares. Worst Nightmares is written by Londoner-now-Australian Shane Briant (Letters From Fallujah), so you know it’ll be screwed up because most Australian horror films are. The film will allow us to sit back and enjoy watching people being killed in exactly the way they didn’t want to die. Like Jaws. Or Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Or Charlottes Web.