Universal simply cannot be deterred from exploiting their grand history of monster properties, and as a concept, that’s not a bad thing. Classic horror tales like Frankenstein and Dracula endure because they’re set on well-written, fully-fleshed out characters that can be interpreted in a number of ways. And so when whatever current wave of horror … Continue reading →
Missing from Anne Thompson’s article relaying Kevin Spacey’s plans to reprise his role as Lex Luthor in the sequel to Superman Returns, currently titled Man of Steel, are a number of things: 1) a budget, 2) a credible explanation as to how Bryan Singer will begin production on Supes 2 next year after completing the … Continue reading →
Imagine if Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro suddenly decided they hated each other and would never work with each other again. In my mind, the apparently now-permanent break-up of John Woo and Chow Yun-fat is that catastrophic. Though the two men haven’t worked together in a director-actor capacity since Hard Boiled, most of us … Continue reading →
You may not have heard much about Gavin Hood’s Rendition, but, by the end of this September’s Toronto Film Festival, it could very well be a frontrunner for Best Picture. It’s not like this is a stretch; Hood’s Tsotsi won the 2005 Oscar for Best Foreign Film, Kelly Sane’s screenplay made the 2006 industry Black … Continue reading →
Is July 10th National Theatrical Trailer Day or something? First, we get In the Valley of Elah. Then Get Smart. Now Jerry Seinfeld’s perilously hyped (see the photo to your right) Bee Story and Kenneth Branagh’s Harold Pinter-scripted remake of Sleuth! Which looks better? As Harold Pinter is one of the greatest dramatists on the … Continue reading →
I am no fan of Paul Haggis outside of the Bond franchise (where he should be permanently ensconced until whatever’s cooking there goes cold), but I’ll say this much about the screenplay for his Iraq War drama In the Valley of Elah: it didn’t make me want to be racist. Actually, I didn’t actively hate … Continue reading →
A few months ago, a promo still for Get Smart revealed Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway in clothes and a room. Today, a new teaser for Get Smart shows Steve Carrell sans beard, heavy CGI effects and a sequel no one asked for making his phone booth debut as Maxwell Smart, demonstrating the "be smarter … Continue reading →
Back in November 2006, Warner Brothers launched the teaser for their upcoming Christmas ’07 release Fred Claus. The trailer (view it here for a refresh) featured Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti enjoying some brotherly banter and a round of wet willies…and played great. The whole Vince Vaughn/Paul Giamiti living room riff-off felt clever, fun and … Continue reading →
For a certain segment of the web population, viral marketing puzzle campaigns are a blast. The kids today like to solve the puzzles and find the ancillary sites and to put the pieces together. For me, that’s an awful lot of work to have something advertised to me, but I can see where it would … Continue reading →
Today’s shaping up to be an ace day for viral marketing, both official and unofficial. J.J. Abrams weighed in with Harry at AICN about the puzzle site from late last week, http://www.ethanhaaswasright.com, and he says not only is it not one of his sites, but that he has frickin’ sites, as in multiple ones which … Continue reading →