A look at movies, especially films based on books (Yes that includes comics); Opinions, facts, movie charts, production news and, when possible a look at the movies VS their source material. I may also champion books I've read that really should be movies. I've also used it to display the unedited versions of my blogs for SyFy; (The sci-fi channel UK website.)Feel free to let me know about any stories that you think deserve the big screen treatment.
TheRealEverton
Green Arrow is one of DC comics better known characters: all
the more so after major parts in both the animated series Justice League
Unlimited and Smallville (played by Justin Hartley).
Stephen
Amell; as seen in Hung.
Arrow is a pilot, with a series naturally hoped for at the
end, for US TV network the CW. Although Smallville was also on that channel
this show will have no connection to that one. According to Deadline Canadian
actor Stephen Amell will take up the title role of Green Arrow, A.K.A Oliver
Queen; a billionaire who turns his mind to environmental and other political
ideal; as well as costumed adventuring with a variety of conventional and "trick" arrows. See pic below.) The tale is expected to be updated.
There’s a lot that people are scared of when flying these
days, but I guess Ghosts and supernatural goings on are not high on the list!
(Unless you’ve just been watching William Shatner, or John Lithgow, in the
Twilight Zone of course) Well maybe that’ll change after you see ‘7500’; or
this teaser for 7500.
Director Takashi Shimizu is probably still known for his
work on both the original Japanese Ju-On (The Grudge) films and the American
version of The Grudge & The Grudge 2. He may be just the man for a
spookfest where the protagonists can’t move from a, relatively, small location.
Craig Rosenberg, writer of the screenplay for ‘The Uninvited’, has written the
film.
So Liam Neeson has kicked all the human ass he can (Taken,
Unknown) and now the movies are giving him Wolves (They really don’t attack
people) and nature itself to beat down!
Synopsis...
“In The Grey, Liam Neeson leads an unruly group of oil-rig
roughnecks when their plane crashes into the remote Alaskan wilderness.
Battling mortal injuries and merciless weather, the survivors have only a few
days to escape the icy elements – and a vicious pack of rogue wolves on the
hunt – before their time runs out.”
I can’t lie; I am really looking forward to this one. Writer
director Joe Carnahan’s previous two films both turned out much better than
their trailers made them look (Smokin’ Aces & The A-Team) and this looks
like a pure and kick ass film. We shall see.
Well here’s the list of nominees for the 2012 Academy
Awards. Unquestionably the biggest and most well known (if not the
best...massive debate ensues) movie awards on the planet’ the Oscars always
have something to talk about, one way r the other. There are few surprises,
although some seem to be shocked at the inclusion of Demian Bichir, for A
Better Life, even though his Sag nom should have confirmed that.
For those interested in the numbers game Hugo has 11 & The Artist 10 (Girl With The Dragon Tattoo 5 & The Help 4.) Gary Oldman finally has a sniff of his long overdue est actor Oscar and Dragon Tattoo proves too 'icky'? for the Academy as it fails to fill the 10th spot free spot for Best Picture, despite being a fair sight better at least half the 9 films that did make it. (See video on all 9 nominees below.)
How in God’s name Puss in Boots (Which I liked) and Kung Fu
Panda 2 (which I also liked) are in there and Tintin isn’t I will NEVER
know. Given the large number of
nominations and wins (so far) it has garnered as an animated film from
EVERYWHERE else, I just do not get this at all. (Also The Skin I Live In??? Where is it?!)
Ah the Oscars, always room for an argument!
Here they are...
Best Picture
War Horse
The Artist
Moneyball
The Descendants
The Tree of Life
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Best Actor
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Best Director
Michel Hazanivicus, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Best Original
Screenplay
Michel Hazanivicius, The Artist
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo, Bridesmaids
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation
Best Adapted
Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Beau Willimon and Grant Heslov, The Ides of
March
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball
Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier
Spy
Best Foreign
Feature
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation
Best Animated
Feature
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse
Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse
Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.
Documentary
Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated
Documentary Short
Subject
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights
Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Film Editing
Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Kevin Tent, The Descendants
Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Thelma Schoonmaker, Hugo
Christopher Tellefsen, Moneyball
Makeup
Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle,
Albert Nobbs
Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng, Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, The Iron Lady
Music (Original
Score)
John Williams, The Adventures of Tintin
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Howard Shore, Hugo
Alberto Iglesias, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
John Williams, War Horse
Music (Original
Song)
"Man or Muppet" from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos
Brown and Siedah Garrett
Hasbro have released their first official pics for the Toy
range of Marvel Studios’ The Avengers. If you’re not into collecting / playing
with dolls action figures then the pics don’t really give you much more
info than you already have: except maybe what kind of Hulk they’re going for.
Still a, relatively, scaled down version of the green goliath, as in 2008’s The
Incredible Hulk, as opposed to 2003’s Hulk.
So the villain guessing game continues. We know Loki’s
allies aren’t Skrulls, are unlikely to be Kree and they aren’t Tribbles either. So what we have here is a dramatic face off between Loki (well the back of Loki) and The Avengers.
Here's my favourite version of the trailer fot The Avengers, which is set to the theme for the excellent 'The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes' TV show. (Due back in April I believe.)
Here's 'The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'...
Compare the 2...
Finally the regular old, record breaking, Avengers trailer...
There’s a theme developing for Michelle Rodriguez; if she
can convince James Cameron to get her a part in Avatar 2 &/or 3 then she’ll
have a hatrick of “What? But I thought you were dead?!?” roles in the next 3
years. As if her, as yet unexplained return from the grave in Fast 5, and the
as yet un-filmed Fast 6, wasn’t enough, now we’re going to get to see her tough
as nails character, Rain Ocampo, return for more in Resident Evil 5.
YOU CAN'T KILL ME BIATCH!. I'LL BE BACK IN EVERY FILM THAT EVER KILLED ME OFF!
Taking a lead from the Fast & Furious series, the Resident
Evil films are starting a reunion theme (Jovovich has expressed a desire for all
possible cast members to team up for a 6th Resident Evil film) with
2 of the series other kick ass ladies, Rodriguez & Sienna Guillory’s ‘Jill
Valentine’, showing up in their wonderful outfits (the end of the world shall
not cause any couture slip ups!) to aid / hinder Mila Jovovich’s pop culture
icon of female badassery, Alice!
The end of the world is no exscuse for bad clothes or hair darlin!
Anyone wondering what the fuss is about after Resident Evil
made a solid, but not spectacular $102.4m back in 2002 should just look at the
table below and see the table below. Resident Evil 5 is a film with a big act
to follow and, whilst we surely shouldn’t expect a Fast 5 like jump of over
$250m extra, all eyes will be on this to see if the film can take even more
money that part 4. Most importantly, can this film finally crack the North American
$100m barrier (so far $60m is the best the series could down there.) Director
Anderson’s attempt to get a Three Musketeer’s franchise off the ground stalled
last year, in large part due to a failure to capture the north American Market,
although in truth, the film also didn’t fare as well in a few of its key
markets (most surprisingly, given the subject, The UK and France) although the
quality of the film has much to do with that. But fear not, whilst we may not
(you never know, those crazy Germans may
yet back more Musketeering) be seeing more of Anderson’s crazy airship shenanigans,
it is highly likely that Resident Evil 5 will not be the last we see of
Jovovich’s Alice. As it gives us a high profile, the most high profile, female action
character of the decade, that’s not to be sneezed at.
I told you not to overtake it!
Resident Evil gets bigger every time; or your money back...
Film
Year
North American Gross
International Gross
Worldwide
Budget
1
Resident Evil
2002
$40,119,709
$62,321,369
$102,441,078
$33m
2
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
2004
$51,201,453
$78,193,382
$129,394,835
$45
3
Resident Evil: Extinction
2007
$50,648,679
$97,069,154
$147,717,833
$50m
4
Resident Evil: Afterlife
2010
$60,128,566
$236,093,097
296,221,663
$60m
Synopsis...
“The wildly successful film franchise adaptation that has
grossed nearly $700 million worldwide to the popular video game series,
Resident Evil, returns in its highly anticipated fifth instalment, RESIDENT
EVIL: RETRIBUTION in state-of-the art 3D.
The Umbrella Corporation's deadly T-virus continues to ravage
the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating
Undead. The human race's last and only hope, ALICE (Milla Jovovich), awakens in
the heart of Umbrella's most clandestine operations facility and unveils more
of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex. Without a safe
haven, Alice continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak; a chase that
takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow, culminating in a
mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything that she once
thought to be true. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, Alice must
fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion.
The countdown has begun.”
Well here it is. I think, I THINK, the film may have a connection with Sony??? Really this IS a trailer for the movie, not Sony goods. This is my world...
20th Century Fox had two goes at turning Marvel
Comics’ Fantastic Four into decent movie characters and, for many (if not most)
they failed miserably twice. Just about the only decent things to come out of
either 2005’s Fantastic 4 or 2007’s Fantastic 4: Rise of The Silver Surfer,
were Chris Evans’ Human Torch, Michael Chiklis’ The Thing and the Teaser for
Rise of The Silver Surfer.
However, whilst the sequel’s gross – negative reaction combo
was considered a poor enough mix to end the first run of FF movies, the films
still grossed $330,579,719 & $289,047,763 so Fox were never likely to let
that potential golden goose fly away. The vagaries of their licensing deal with
Marvel (Which I’m sure both Marvel Studios & their ‘new’ owners Disney wish
would destroyed in a super villain attack now that they are successfully making
their own films) means that they can keep on making Fantastic 4 films (and
X-Men films, and Daredevil films) as long as they keep making them. Hence the
upcoming restart of Daredevil too. (A similar deal explains the impending
return of the Ghost Rider next month and The Amazing Spider-Man this summer,
both from Sony.) Universal considered their attempt at The Hulk so unsuccessful
that they effectively gave the character back to Marvel, allowing them to
rehabilitate the character with the general public in 2008’s The Incredible
Hulk; and have him be a major part of The Avengers, due this April / May.
So on to the ‘new’ Fantastic Four film. Possibly worrying news
is that the person currently writing the script also wrote last year’s Green
Lantern film! Of course Michael Green was only one of several writers on that
film (which I’m on record as saying was weak, but nowhere near as terrible as
many critics tried to say) so maybe all the good bits are down to him. He also
wrote some of the better Heroes stories and should get the benefit of the doubt
for that alone. According to Variety Fox
have been in talks with Joshua Trank, whose first feature film ‘Chronicle, they
are releasing on the 3rd of February, for some time and, assuming things
to according to plan with that film, he’ll be directing the Fantastic Four. Chronicle
has building up a very positive buzz for months, due to some well put together
trailers and marketing, and the finished product is apparently very promising.
Of course none of that means that the film will either be well received, or a
success, let alone both; but what isn’t in doubt is that the film has
sufficiently impressed those in charge that they fell Trank is their man. Of
course, the people in charge were sufficiently impressed with Tim Story’s
Fantastic Four that they let him direct its sequel, so... Trank has written
& directed several episodes of TV show ‘The Kill Point’.
Chronicle Synopsis...
“Three high school students make an
incredible discovery, leading to their developing uncanny powers beyond their
understanding. Even as they learn to control their abilities and use them to
their advantage, their lives start to spin out of control because their darker
sides begin to take over.”
So are you looking forward to this new FF film with optimism?
Or are you one of those who participated in the ‘Boycott’ of Fox’s, surprisingly
excellent, X-Men: First Class because you really just want studios to follow
Universal’s lead and just let Marvel have the movie rights to their characters
back, so that Marvel Studios (Iron Man 1 – 3; The Incredible Hulk; Thor 1 – 2;
Captain America: The First Avenger; The Avengers) can make their own film with
ALL of their characters?
