Remake Roundup: Cartoon To Live Action Edition

With all the hype surrounding the live action adaptation of the popular Transformers 1980s cartoon sure to make the film a hit at least over its opening weekend, it’s not surprising that we’re starting to hear rumblings and announcements for similar big-budget projects.



G. I. Joe

Cinematical is reporting that, after years of wallowing in development hell, Paramount is putting their adaptation of the G. I. Joe cartoon on the fast track. They also report that there appears to be two scripts that the studio is looking at- one by Swordfish (2001) scribe Skip Woods which has received some negative online reviews and one originally developed a few years back for the studio by David Elliot and Paul Lovett (Four Brothers, 2005). If the studio will then choose one over the other or combine elements from each into a Frankenstein-like third script is anyone’s guess at this point.




Thundercats

Variety reported on Tuesday that Warner Brothers has optioned a screenplay from first time writer Paul Sopocy for an “origin story” of how a group of human-cat hybrids lead by the appropriately named Lion-O came together to oppose the evil sorcerer Mumm-Ra. Paula Weinstein (Blood Diamond, 2006) is set to produce.




He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe

This is one project that has been undergoing a lot of speculation and rumor over the past few years with the likes of John Woo and M. Night Shyamalan attached at various points. More recently scripter Adam Rifkin (Zoom, 2006) had been working on a screenplay, but it appears that he is off the project as Aint It Cool News is reporting (and Variety has confirmed) that producer Joel Silver has given Justin Marks the assignment now. This makes the third project for newbie Marks, who is also working on David Goyer’s Green Arrow-goes-to-prison movie Supermax as well as a live-action adaptation of the Japanese animated series Voltron.




Speed Racer

And speaking of Japanese animated series that found fan bases in the States, the live action adaptation of the popular 1970s series Speed Racer is moving along briskly. Writer/directors Andy and Larry Wachowski have announced most of the film’s major cast members. Emile Hirsch will star as Speed with Matthew Fox as his mysterious rival Racer X, Christina Ricci as Speed’s girlfriend Trixie, Susan Sarandon as Mom Racer, Dan Goodman as Pops Racer and Scott Porter, who will appear in flashbacks as Speed’s older brother Rex. The Brothers Wachowski have also released a picture of Speed’s car, the Mach 5. The film is scheduled to go in front of the cameras later this year and is scheduled for release next May 9th.

Remake Roundup: FAME, SLEUTH, HELLRAISER and More

Fame

Although it hasn’t been announced officially, Film Jerk reported on Friday that Andy Fickman has been selected to helm MGM’s remake of Fame, which we previously reported about here. As Fickman has already directed such family friendly films as the Amanda Bynes comedy She’s The Man and the Disney football flick The Game Plan with Dwayne Johnson, it gives one pause to wonder if the studio is looking to do away with some of the original’s darker elements such as drug use and Coco’s (Irene Cara) descent into pornography. Time will tell…


Slueth

EmpireOnLine has posted the first picture released from the upcoming remake of Joseph Mankiewicz's 1972 film starring Jude Law and Michael Caine. This version is a return of sorts for Caine, who starred in the original film as a hairdresser who has an affair with the wife of a mystery writer, played by Laurence Olivier, leading to a series of mind games between the two. This time, it is Caine’s character whose wife is having an affair with Law, leading to a game of wits between the two. Actor/director Kenneth Branagh is set to direct from a screenplay updated by Harold Pinter.

Colossus: The Forbin Project

The 1970 techno-thriller, Colossus: The Forbin Project, is being lined up for a remake at Universal with Brian Grazer producing and Ron Howard potentially directing. Based on the first of a trilogy of novels by D. F. Jones, the film tells the story of an artificially intelligent computer placed in charge of the United States defense systems who links up with its Soviet counterpart and comes to the decision that mankind needs to be enslaved in order to save itself from themselves. Screenwriter Jason Rothenberg is reportedly planning on incorporating elements from Jones’ other two books in this updating.

Via Variety.


Hellraiser

Noted author Clive Barker, who wrote and directed the 1987 original horror film Hellraiser based on his own novella The Hellbound Heart, has reportedly turned in a forty page treatment for an upcoming remake. This news comes from Seraphim Film’s Joe Daley, who told Variety, “There are some areas of the first movie where I think we can be a lot more intense and a lot more scary. It will not be simply a reworking or reshooting of the first picture.” However, with Barker currently working on adaptation of his short story “Meat Train,” it remains unclear as to when he’ll have time to further pursue a script for Hellraiser.

Via Shock Till You Drop

Academy Tightens Rules For Documentary Oscar Hopefuls

AintItCoolNews has an interesting news report/editorial on some recent changes that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have made to the rules regarding the eligibility of documentary films for possible Academy Award consideration.

Among the new rules include stipulations that feature-length documentaries must now screen for at least seven days in 14 markets across ten states as well as stronger restrictions on the format of any documentary shot digitally as oppossed to on film.

What does this mean for the smaller filmmaker?

Well, as AICN's Elston Gunn reports, "smaller budgeted documentary features will be the ones to suffer. You could shoot the greatest documentary of all time for $100 on mini-DV and you're still going to have to jump through fiery hoops or pay a hefty price to get the Oscars to consider thinking about at least putting it on their nominee shortlist."

To me this looks like yet another attempt by the motion picture industry to limit the exposure, and ultimately the profitablity, of any smaller film produced outside of the traditional studio structure. Kirby Dick's excellent documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated makes the compelling case that smaller, independent films are given ratings harsher than their big studio counterparts and thus limiting their potential business.

Until the rules change, documentaries were only required to have a one week run in either New York City or Los Angeles to qualify for Oscar consideration, a relatively easy thing to arrange for an independent silmmaker or small distributor. However, their problems are now multiplied in having to secure at least 14 venues in ten states to screen their films in order to be considered for the Academy Award ballot.

Even appearing on the nominations list gives a small film a boast in additional bookings and DVDs sales, and may very well be the thing that helps a small project break even or turn a slight profit. Appearantly, though, the Academy doesn't see it's mission so much as to encourage the advancement of all motion picture arts and sciences. Instead it seems to be, much like the Motion Picture Association of America, more interested in protecting the interests of the major Hollywood studios and their corporate bottom lines.

FLASH GORDON on DVD- FINALLY!

I've already talked about my love for the 1980 Flash Gordon.

Well, earlier today, Universal has announced that a new DVD release of the movie will be hitting store shelves on August 7. Titled "Saviour Of The Universe Edition" (though I have no idea why they went with the British spelling), no details have been announced as to what this edition will contain.

We do, however, know that the cover will feature some beautiful artwork by comic book painter Alex Ross.

Feast your eyes on this-

Remake Roundup: Fame, 3:10 To Yuma, Barbarella and more

Lot’s of remakes being announced by the studios over the last week or so. Here’s a rundown of what cinematic new retreads are coming our way.

Fame

MGM has announced that they will be revisiting the New York Academy of Performing Arts with a remake of Alan Parker’s 1980 musical Fame. Set at the real world school for young entertainment industry hopefuls, the original film starred Irene Cara and Debbie Allen. The new version already have a writer and director attached but they were not named by studio COO Rick Sands, who made the announcement at Cannes on Tuesday. He did say that the film is budgeted at $25 million and already set for a Summer 2008 release. He also promised that the new film would retain some of the musical numbers from the original.

Via Hollywood Reporter


3:10 To Yuma

A couple of new photos have been released of the remake of the 1957 western 3:10 To Yuma have surfaced. The new version stars Russell Crowe, seen below, will be hitting theaters in October.




Barbarella

Producer Dino DeLaurentiis is putting together an update of the 1968 camp classic Barbarella, which starred a pre-feminist Jane Fonda as a futuristic space kitten/adventuress. No director or cast have been hired (although that hasn’t stopped the British press from speculating on who may land the title role), but a script is currently being written by Casino Royale (2007) scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. According to an article in Variety, “in the remake, [Purvis and Wade] will make Barbarella a free, modern gal who survives in a futuristic world through her intelligence, fighting skills and sexuality.”

Via Cinematical


Clash Of The Titans

Lawrence Kasdan, scripter for two of the greatest genre films of the 1980s, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981), has been hired to write a remake of another ‘80s genre favorite- Clash Of The Titans. The original, which featured the last effects work from stop-motion genius Ray Harryhausen, starred Harry Hamlin as Perseus, the son of Greek god Zeus (Sir Laurence Olivier) who must complete a set of tasks including slaying the Medusa and taming the winged horse Pegasus as part of his quest to free the captured Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker). According to the Hollywood Reporter, Kasdan will be working from a previous draft by Travis Beacham.


The Incredible Hulk

Not so much a remake of Ang Lee’s critically roasted Hulk than an attempt to try and start a franchise again, director Louis Leterrier has found his Bruce Banner in the form of Edward Norton. With the film set for a release in July 2008, production should get rolling fairly soon. The film’s screenplay is by Zak Penn, who has also worked on the big screen comic book adaptations of Fantastic Four, Elektra and X-Men films, all characters published by Hulk publisher Marvel Comics.

(And if you think --- years is a little too soon to remake a film, remember that Dashille Hammet’s The Maltese Falcon was brought to the screen three times over the space of ten years, with the third try - John Houston’s version with Humphrey Bogart - being the charmed.)

Via Variety

THE GOONIES: Good Enough For Broadway?

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that while director Richard Donner never really had a solid script for a sequel to his 1985 film The Goonies, he may be revisiting the story of a group of kids who go on an adventure to find fabled pirate gold to save their land developer-imperiled neighborhood in another form- as a musical! The magazine’s website is reporting that Donner states that there is an active attempt to mount an adaptation of the film onto the Broadway stage.

''Steven [Spielberg, the film’s producer] and I have discussed it, and it's something that I'm fairly passionate about right now,'' Entertainment Weekly quotes Donner.

But what are the chances of actually seeing this movie hit the boards? Better than average, I would say.

Sure, both Evil Dead: The Musical and The Wedding Singer have closed in the past few months, but Broadway producers haven’t given up on adapting movies for the stage. Currently a production of the 1980 disco movie musical Xanadu is rehearsals for a May opening while last month saw casting notices circulating for an adaptation of Mel Brooks’ comedy Young Frankenstein. As long as The Producers, The Color Purple and Monty Python’s Spamalot continue to rake in the cash, there will be financial backers willing to pony up cash to mount a stage adaptation of any film they think will draw an audience.

Besides, you know you want to see what kind of production number they turn the “Truffle Shuffle” into.

The Battle for THE UNIVERSE

Across The Universe, the 1960s set musical utilizing the songs of the Beatles, is at the center of yet the latest round in the ongoing Hollywood struggle between art and commerce.

Specifically, director Julie Taymor is upset that Revolution studio chief Joe Roth has taken the film, re-edited it without her knowledge and test-screened the result last week. In a report in yesterday’s New York Times, an unnamed source has described that Taymor is feeling “helpless and [is] considering taking her name off the movie.”

The film stars Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturges as a young couple whose relationship is tested and torn asunder by the social turbulence of the 1960s. I have previously discussed the project and posted its trailer here.

While it is normal for a studio to test various edits of a film to determine what will respond most favorably with audiences, it is a process that usually includes the participation of the director. For Taymor to not even be informed of Roth’s cut is a marked departure from the standard operating procedure.

Taymor’s version clocks in at a reported 2 hours and 8 minutes. The edit overseen by Roth – who, in addition to his duties as Revolution’s head since 2000 has also directed America’s Sweethearts (2001) and Christmas With The Kranks (2004) – is reportedly a half-hour shorter. The Times is reporting that Taymor does not have final cut.

It seems to me that Hollywood has forgotten the lessons learned two decades ago when Terry Gilliam duked it out with Universal Studios head Sid Sheinberg over how Gilliam’s film Brazil (1985) was to end. Sheinberg argued that the Gilliam’s darker ending tested poorly and took the film away from the director to have it re-edited to include a more upbeat ending. Gilliam countered by taking ads out in the press chastising Sheinberg and by holding clandestine screenings of the film for Los Angeles critics, who promptly and loudly hailed Brazil as one of the best films of the year. Chagrinned, Sheinberg relented and released Gilliam’s version of Brazil. But the victory came at a price for Gilliam, and despite successful projects such as The Fisher King (1991) and 12 Monkeys (1995), he is still thought of in some circles as a “difficult” director to work with.

As noted, Taymor is reportedly contemplating removing her name from the film if Roth goes ahead and releases his shorter edit. The cat’s out of the bag though, and viewers know that any shorter version that shows up in theaters isn’t Taymor’s. Will this affect the film’s potential box office? Very probably. Although Taymor may not be a household name yet, her work on Titus (1999) and Frida (2002) have proven her to be not only a capable director but one with an exceptional eye for visuals. A move like Roth’s is just plain insulting to a filmmaker of Taymor’s track record.

It has already been announced that the Sony-owned Revolution Studios will cease operations in October of this year with Roth moving on to a producer position at Sony. Revolution already has a varied history, producing hits like Black Hawk Down (2001) and Rent (2005). It also has had its fair share of misses including The Master Of Disguise (2002) and Gigli (2003). With a release scheduled for September 28th, one hopes this would get resolved fairly quickly so Revolution can close its doors on a high mark rather than a low.

MPAA Clarifies R Rating, World Shrugs

The Hollywood Reporter has posted a story today where the Motion Picture Assocation of America's Classification And Ratings Admission has announced a change of wording that will accompany the "R" rating certificate on future movies receiving the rating.

Previously, the wording accompanying the rating went "Children under 17 not admitted without parent."

Going forward, the new advisory will read "Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures."

Gee, you think?

You mean the "graphic battle sequences throughout, some sexuality and nudity" which is already noted in the R rating for 300 needs to be reinforced with the additional warning that it wouldn't be appropriate for parents to bring their you children with them to see it?

If this the MPAA's ideas of their recently promised improvements to their much (and quite possibly rightfully so) maligned ratings system, then I can't say that I'm impressed. If this is the best that CARA chairwoman Joan Graves, MPAA general counsel Greg Goeckner and MPAA chairman and CEO Dan Glickman can come up with, than perhaps its time for them to clean out their desks and get some new blood in there.

Right now, I can only imagine that the meetings leading up to this revision mirror an early scene from Mel Brook's 1974 classic Blazing Saddles- "We've gotta protect our phoney baloney jobs, gentlemen!"

The Spoils of 300

This past weekend’s $70 million box office gross for the historical action/drama 300 surprised and surpassed nearly everyone’s expectations*, making its director, Zack Snyder, Hollywood’s Golden Boy of the moment. And that’s good news for those comic book fans who have been waiting for a big screen adaptation of the seminal classic graphic novel Watchmen. Created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen was a deconstruction of superhero tropes disguised as a murder mystery that not only forced those beyond comic book fandom to re-evaluate the potential of the graphic storytelling medium but also became the only graphic novel named to Time magazine’s list of 100 Best Novels Since 1923.

Watchmen has been in on-and-off again development almost since its publication in 1986. Director Terry Gilliam had been anxious to do the film, working with Batman (1989) screenwriter Sam Hamm on the screenplay. Gilliam even wore a Watchmen blood-splattered smiley pin on a 1995 appearance on The David Letterman Show while promoting his just-released Twelve Monkeys. Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass also took cracks at the project before moving on to other films. Chief among the reasons that none of these versions came to pass is the amount of money needed to bring the sprawling epic to life.

But now the Watchmen ball is in Snyder’s court and has been since this past June. Snyder has been deep into script development and has already done some costume tests, as evidenced by the quick image of Watchmen character Rorshach discovered hidden in the most recent 300 trailer by Snyder.

Snyder has stated during the press rounds for 300, itself an adaptation of a comic book miniseries from Frank Miller and Lynn Varney, that he is looking to start shooting Watchmen this summer, although the film has yet to be officially greenlighted by studio Warner Brothers. Industry scuttlebutt says that Snyder’s vision of the Watchmen world will cost the studio somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 million, while Warners would prefer to cut that budget by a third to around $100 million.

However, this weekend’s greater-than-expected grosses for 300 give Snyder a rather large bargaining chip to use against Warner Brothers when it comes to discussing the potential budget of the film. Snyder delivered the visually sumptuous 300 on a budget of just $65 million. With this weekend’s receipts at $70 million, the film is well on its way to being one of the first blockbusters of the year. Directors have been handed to the reigns to bigger projects for lesser reasons.


* 300 has done so well, that I see no point in writing up a review for the film. Still, I do want to share one thing I jotted in my notes while watching the film this weekend, just because I like how the wording came out.- “300 makes no pretense at a realistic depiction of the Battle of Thermopylae. It is a myth, a legend, a story told in the light of the modern day, 24 frames per second flickering campfire of cinema.”

DVD’s Vanishing Variety

Recent walks through various local chain stores have led me to wonder if I wasn’t seeing quite the variety of DVD titles that I’ve been used to seeing. More and more shelf space seemed to have been taken up with multiple copies of the most popular current releases while older catalog titles, more obscure titles and anything released longer than six months previously were becoming a rapidly vanishing breed.

It turns out this trend was not just my imagination. This past Sunday, The New York Times ran a piece looking at the number of DVD releases annually on the market and how that affects how much shelf space older titles and discs from smaller distributors are affected. It’s interesting reading and gives a look at some of the business forces at work as to why you may not be able to find a copy of James Cagney in 13 Rue Madeleine (1947) at the local Blockbuster but three displays of Let’s Go To Prison (2007).

You can read the article here.

Remake Roundup: SCANNERS, WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S, GET SMART

Scanners
David Cronenberg’s 1981 science-fiction/horror film Scanners is set to be remade under the direction of Darren Lynn Bousman, helmer of Saw II (2005) and III (2006) as well as the upcoming Saw IV (later this year). David Goyer is set to rewrite Cronenberg’s tale of telepaths who are used as weapons by an evil corporation. (Source- Variety)

Weekend At Bernie’s
Moviehole is reporting that a remake of the 1980s Andrew McCarthy/Jonathan Silverman comedy Weekend At Bernie’s is set for a remake from producers Ashok Amritraj and Jon Jashni. The original, itself a comedic riff on Hitchcock’s dark comedy The Trouble With Harry, centered on two bumbling office workers who are invited to their bosses beach house for the weekend only to arrive and find him dead. Rather than call the cops, the pair decide to trick the numerous partiers who have descended upon the beach house that Bernie is alive and well, just a little drunk. It looks like the remake will move the action from a beach house to a ski lodge, with probably very predictable results.

Get Smart
Superspy Maxwell Smart has found his Chief. The Hollywood Reporter has word that Alan Arkin has been cast as the head of CONTROL, the super-secret spy organization in the upcoming big screen adaptation of the classic 60s spy spoof that starred Don Adams. Taking Adams’ role for the new version is The Office star Steve Carell with Anne Hathaway as lovely sidekick, Agent 99. Also in the cast are Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Agent 23 and Terrence Stamp in an unnamed role. (Perhaps as Siegfried, head of the evil spy organization KAOS?)

New York Comic Con Photos

As I mentioned earlier this week, this past weekend's 2nd annual New York Comic Con was a gathering for more than just comic book fans. There's plenty to see and do for gaming fans and movie buffs with numerous signings, panels and screenings on the conventions schedule.

Sure, there's stuff for journalists like roundtables featuring the likes of director Eli Roth. (More on Roth's discussion with us journalists on his upcoming Hostel 2 soon!)






But there's always the lucky moment when you catch the bizarre sight of director Kevin Smith being escorted through the halls by a squadron of stormtroopers (Who won't slow down so one could get a good, clear photo).

If you stopped over at animator Bill Plympton's booth you could get a quick demonstration of Plympton drawing the title character from his 2004 Oscar-nominated short Guard Dog.

Here, The Spirit producer Michael Uslan listens Michael Kitchen, literary executor for the character's creator Will Eisner, make a point about the upcoming film. (Read our coverage of Uslan's panel on The Spirit here.)





There are plenty of toy and collectible manufacturers with displays of their latest wares. This particular doll of The Wizard Of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West caught my eye. Interestingly, the face is carved with a cold beauty that is definitely different from Margret Hamilton's look in the film. Also, note the flying monkeys on her dress.

Sure, there are lots of people who drerss in costumes as their favorite superhero or movie character and sometimes, there's nothing more absurd than two or three Darth Vaders squaring off in a hallway or stairway. But othertimes, there's nothing cuter than this-

Pop Culture Intersections

They may call it a comic book convention, but that is really an understatement.

This year’s New York ComicCon (NYCC), which is concluding today, is just one of the numerous major similar events held around the country every year that realizes that comic books and their fans do not exist in their own isolated continuum. Instead comic fans interests lie across numerous related fields and comic books themselves influence and are influenced by those fields. So any major convention will have programming tracks that encompass not only comic books, but also gaming, animation and films. There are comic book characters making the transition to television and movies, comic books and movies being created based on the story lines from video games and games are being based on both comic books and films. And as these various hobbies begin to overlap, so too do the creative people involved.

The result is a fertile cross-pollination that results in instances where a session where J. Michael Straczynski, creator of the TV series Babylon 5, can talk about the future of that show as a line of made-for-DVD movies, his script for a film called The Changeling which will begin filming this summer with Ron Howard producing and give hints about the various comic book projects he’s writing for Marvel Comics.

Producer Michael Uslan summed it up best at a panel about a forthcoming adaptation of Will Eisner’s classic comics hero The Spirit with Sin City co-director and comic book writer/artist Frank Miller. Hollywood is always looking for good stories and there are plenty of good stories to be found in comics. These stories are not just guys and gals with super powers and colorful outfits. Films like Men In Black, Ghost World, Road To Perdition and A History Of Violence have proven that.

For myself, I found plenty of good stories at NYCC this year as well, which I’ll be sharing with you as the week rolls on. So look for stories about John Landis’ next film, a sit down conversation with Eli Roth about the upcoming Hostel 2, as well as a preview of what we can expect from Miller’s Spirit film and more.

Stay tuned!

Howard Stern - MAN OF THE YEAR?

Yesterday, while discussing the movie offers he has received over the years in the wake of his 1997 autobiographical Private Parts, talk radio icon Howard Stern mentioned that he was in talks with director Barry Levinson to star in last year’s political satire Man Of The Year, with Stern in the lead role that was eventually taken by Robin Williams as a political satirist who runs for the highest office in the land. It was announcement that brought to mind visions of his 1994 aborted run for New York governor.

Ultimately, Stern turned down the project despite expressing a desire to really want to work with director Barry Levinson. At the time, Stern was making the move from his FCC-hampered terrestrial radio gig to his new home at Sirius Satellite radio and felt that Sirius deserved his full creative energies at the moment. He also mentioned that he felt the script could have used some punching-up and that he had some ideas in that direction. Unfortunately, Levinson was intent on shooting as soon as possible and couldn’t wait the few months that Stern needed to get to a point where he could concentrate on the film.

What made yesterday’s revelation interesting is that while Stern has mentioned receiving film offers in the past, he has only gone into this amount of detail about these offers once before. Following the release of Private Parts, Stern was set to play the supporting role of a record company executive in the Melanie Griffith project Jane. David Spade was cast as Stern’s character’s assistant. Preproduction on the film had gotten as far as wardrobe fittings before a portion of the funding fell through, resulting in a rescheduled shoot that Stern wasn’t available for. When he dropped out of the project, the rest of the funding for the film fell apart and it was never made.

What isn’t surprising is Stern’s insistence of a re-write of Man Of The Year’s script, especially if the draft he was concerned about is the same one Levinson shot with Williams. Stern has a record of being demanding when it comes to screenplays. The script for Private Parts was in development for nearly three years and had reportedly gone through several writers, including Peter Torokvei (Real Genius, Guarding Tess) before Len Blum and Michael Kalesniko delivered a draft that he approved. Other projects that Stern has announced in the past as developing have also stalled out in the scripting phase.

Bond, Penguins and a Tale of Numbers

According to a report last week in Variety, the latest James Bond film Casino Royale (see our review here) has grossed over $448 million worldwide at the box office, making it the top grossing Bond film of all time.

While this is certainly a validation for the new approach that the producers of the franchise have adopted following the casting of Daniel Craig in the role of the British super spy, almost predictably this news was neglected to be reported by the folks over at the anit-Craig-as-Bond site cleverly named DanielCraigIsNotBond.com.

DanielCraigIsNotBond.com made a splash back in late 2005 following the announcement of Craig as the inheritor of the role of James Bond from actor Pierce Brosnan. Some in the Bond fan community where fairly vocal in their feelings that Craig might not have been the best choice for the role and the website soon became a rallying point for them to air their grievances.

And while they are certainly welcome to voice their opinion, the site’s spin on the film’s box-office performance in the early weeks of Casino Royale’s release have revealed them to be nothing more than petty, petulant children. While they may have a point - relevant or not I leave to you to decide – that Craig doesn’t much resemble Cary Grant, whom was favored for the role by Bond’s literary creator Ian Flemming, their gleeful reporting of the film’s alleged failure at the box office transcends opinion and ultimately arrives in the realm of outright misrepresentation of facts.

“The happy penguins dance all over Craig!!!” proclaim a site’s headline in large blue type, complete with multiple exclamation points in what looks like a text book example of Schadenfreude. And on the surface, it appears to be true- the animated penguin film Happy Feet, released the same weekend as Casino Royale, pulled approximately $700,000.00 more at the box office than the Bond film during their first weekend in the theaters, a rather narrow margin considering that both films had grossed over $40 million. However, a closer examination of the box office information may reveal a different story than what DanielCraigIsNotBond.com would like you to believe.

(For the sake of the rest of this discussion, let’s put aside the abject ridiculousness of comparing the box-office performance an animated children’s movie to that of a live action thriller with a much different target audience.)

When looking at box office performance, two numbers that are arguably more important than just flat out gross receipts are the number of films that a film is screening on and that film’s per screen gross average. Casino Royale opened on 3,434 screens around the country, 370 screens less than the 3,804 screens that Happy Feet debuted on. And on each of those 3,434 screens, Casino Royale earned an average of $972.00 more than Happy Feet did. (Box 0ffice figures courtesy of BoxOfficeMojo.com) A quick bit of math soon reveals that with all things, or in this case the number of screens each film was seen on, being equal, Casino Royale would have outperformed Happy Feet by almost $3.7 million, a much wider margin than the $700,000 DanielCraigIsNotBond.com was championing. And that’s not even factoring in Casino Royale’s nearly half an hour longer run time, which cuts down the number of times the film can be screened (and tickets sold) per day versus the number of screenings of Happy Feet per day. Levelling that number would Casino Royale’s lead even wider in the neighborhood of another $10 million.

We should all be so cursed with such a failure.

But then again, facts never stood in the way of a good argument and for DanielCraigIsNotBond.com to try and present Casino Royale as some sort of box office catastrophe either on its own merits or in comparison to a completely different type of film is at least intellectually disingenuous and at the most the antics of the people behind the site only serve to make them look like spoiled children throwing a temper tantrum.

Sour grapes only produce bitter wine.

One post script- Oddly enough, Bond will be fighting penguins at the box office in 2008 as the next, currently untitled, installment is currently scheduled to open against the animated Madagascar 2 on November 7 of that year. Who will be the tuxedo-clad winner of that round? Who can say, but I know of one spot I’m not going to go to for any analysis of the film’s box office performance.

Saying Good-Bye To Robert Altman

Late yesterday afternoon, in the wake of the announcement of his passing, Robert Altman's production company Sandcastle 5 Productions sent out a press release with statements from the many actors and film professionals who worked with him over the years.

“I was friends with Bob for 20 years before we worked together on GOSFORD PARK. It was then that I experienced the real magic of Robert Altman. When he was working he had a youthful joyfulness that was just amazing.” – Bob Balaban

“I have always admired Robert Altman's films and it was an honor to
work with him on A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION. We had so much fun working on that project over the past year and I know that he went out ‘with his boots on’.” – Bob Berney, President of Picturehouse

“He was a great man of the cinema and a great man. Everybody who had the privilege to know him will miss him hugely.” - Kenneth Branagh

“There’s no one I’m prouder to have worked with. He was an ecstatic…a magician…a conjurer…a mischievous boy. Perhaps unprecedented. He understood and could express that uniquely American shapeshifting goofiness more than anyone. He was the deepest ocean and the lightest feather at the same time…we all loved him so very much.” - Richard Gere

“Mr. Altman loved making movies. He loved the chaos of shooting and the sociability of the crew and actors --- he adored actors --- and he loved the editing room and he especially loved sitting in a screening room and watching the thing over and over with other people. He didn’t care for the money end of things, he didn’t mind doing publicity, but when he was working he was in heaven. He and I once talked about making a movie about a man coming back to Lake Wobegon to bury his father, and Mr. Altman said, “The death of an old man is not a tragedy.” I used that line in the movie we wound up making --- the Angel of Death says it to the Lunch Lady, comforting her on the death of her lover Chuck Akers in his dressing room, “The death of an old man is not a tragedy.” Mr. Altman’s death seems so honorable and righteous --- to go in full-flight, doing what you love --- like his comrades in the Army Air Force in WWII who got shot out of the sky and simply vanished into blue air --- and all of us who worked with him had the great privilege of seeing an 81-year-old guy doing what he loved to do. I’m sorry that our movie turned out to be his last, but I do know that he loved making it. It’s a great thing to be 81 and in love.” – Garrison Keillor

“It was inspiring to know that Robert was in preproduction on his next film. Working with him was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I am blessed to have worked with him and to have known him as Bob. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Kathryn and his children.” – Virginia Madsen

"A great man has left this stage. If Bob had his way I'm sure he would want the speeches about him to be short and to the point. In my too brief time with him, his life seemed to be concerned with two things, telling it like it is and having fun. Every one of us has a lot of living to do if we are to follow his example. My thoughts and prayers are with Kathryn and his family, the immediate family and the gloriously extended one. I guess I'll see him in the next reel as he used to say." – John C. Reilly

"I am deeply saddened by the passing of Robert Altman, a great friend and inspiration to me since I had the honor of meeting him in 1990. His unique vision and maverick sensibilities in filmmaking have inspired countless directors of my generation and will continue to inspire future filmmakers. He leaves behind a legacy of great American films and he will be deeply missed." – Tim Robbins

“Bob's restless spirit has moved on -- I have to say, when I spoke with him last week, he seemed impatient for the future. He still had the generous, optimistic appetite for the next thing, and we planned the next film laughing in anticipation of the laughs we'd have. What a gent, what a guy, what a great heart. There's no one like him and we'll miss him so.” – Meryl Streep

NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS in 3D Locations

Wondering if you're living near one of the 168 or so theaters screening the new 3-D version of Time Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas? Find out below!

UNITED STATES

ALABAMA
Birmingham: Carmike Summit 16
Hoover: Rave Patton Creek 15
Montgomery: Rave Festival Plaza 16
Orange Beach: Rave Wharf 15

ARIZONA
Mesa: Cinemark Mesa 16
Peoria: Harkins Arrowhead Fountains 18
Tempe: Harkins Arizona Mills 24

ARKANSAS
Little Rock: Rave Colonel Glenn 18

CALIFORNIA
Chula Vista: UltraStar Chula Vista 10
Corona: Regal Edwards Corona Crossings Stadium 18
Daly City: Century 20 Daly City
Dublin: Regal Hacienda Crossings Stadium 20
El Centro: UltraStar Imperial Valley 14
Fontana: UltraStar Fontana 8
Glendale: Mann Glendale Exchange 10
Irvine: Regal Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21
Long Beach: Regal Edwards Long Beach Towne Center Stadium 26
Los Angeles (Hollywood): Pacific Walt Disney El Capitan
Los Angeles (Universal City): AMC Loews Universal City 18
Los Angeles (Van Nuys): Mann Plant 16
Los Angeles (Westchester): National Amusements The Bridge: Cinema de Lux
Moreno Valley: Harkins Moreno Valley 16
Porterville: Galaxy Porterville 9
Poway: UltraStar Poway Creekside Plaza 10
Riverbank: Galaxy Riverbank 12
San Diego (Gaslamp Quarter): Regal UA Horton Plaza 14
San Diego (Mission Valley): UltraStar Mission Valley Hazard Center
San Francisco: AMC Loews Metreon 15
San Jose: Century 20 Oakridge
Santa Barbara: Metropolitan Arlington
Santa Monica: Mann Criterion 6
South Gate: Regal Edwards South Gate Stadium 20
Thousand Oaks: Mann 9 at Janss Marketplace
Tulare: Galaxy Tulare 10

COLORADO
Colorado Springs: Cinemark 17 at Carefree Circle
Lakewood: Regal UA Colorado Mills Stadium 16

CONNECTICUT
Manchester: National Amusements Showcase Cinemas Buckland Hills
Milford: National Amusements Connecticut Post 14: Cinema de Lux
North Haven: National Amusements Showcase Cinemas North Haven

DELAWARE
Wilmington: Regal Brandywine 16

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington: AMC Loews Georgetown 14

FLORIDA
Boca Raton: Muvico Palace 20
Davie: Muvico Paradise 24Destin: Rave Destin Commons 14
Lake Buena Vista: AMC Loews Pleasure Island 24
Melbourne: Premiere Oaks 10
Melbourne (Viera): Rave Avenue 16
Orlando: Cinemark 20 at Festival Bay
Orlando: Regal Waterford Lakes Stadium 20
Pensacola: Rave Pensacola 18
Port St. Lucie: Rave St. Lucie West 14
St. Petersburg: Muvico Baywalk 20
Sunrise: Regal Sawgrass Stadium 23
Tampa: Muvico Starlight 20

GEORGIA
Buford: Regal Mall of Georgia Stadium 20
Cartersville: Carmike 12

HAWAII
Honolulu: Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18

IDAHO
Boise: Regal Edwards Boise Stadium 21

ILLINOIS
Lincolnshire: Regal Lincolnshire Stadium 20
Oak Park: Classic Lake
Peoria: Rave Grand Prairie 18
Schaumburg: AMC Loews Streets of Woodfield 20
Skokie: Crown Village Crossing 18

INDIANA
Evansville: Kerasotes Stadium 16
Fort Wayne: Carmike 20
Fort Wayne: Rave Jefferson Pointe 18
Indianapolis: Kerasotes ShowPlace 16
Indianapolis: Regal UA Galaxy Stadium 14
Plainfield: Rave Metropolis 18
Schererville: Kerasotes ShowPlace 12

IOWA
Davenport: National Amusements Showcase Cinemas 53

KANSAS
Leawood: AMC Loews Town Center 20

KENTUCKY
Louisville: Cinemark Tinseltown USA
Louisville: National Amusements Cinema de Lux 20: Stonybrook

LOUISIANA
Baton Rouge: Rave Mall of Louisiana 15

MARYLAND
Annapolis: Crown Annapolis Mall 11
Hanover: Muvico Egyptian 24

MASSACHUSETTS
Boston: AMC Loews Boston Common 19
Millbury: National Amusements Blackstone Valley 14: Cinema de Lux
Randolph: National Amusements Showcase Cinemas Randolph
Revere: National Amusements Showcase Cinemas Revere

MICHIGAN
Auburn Hills: AMC Loews Star Great Lakes Crossing 25
Brighton: MJR Brighton Towne Square Cinema 20
Canton: Emagine Canton 18
Flint: National Amusements Showcase Cinemas Flint West
Grandville: Cinemark 20Kalamazoo: Goodrich Kalamazoo 10
Kentwood: Loeks Celebration! Cinema Grand Rapids South
Novi: Emagine Novi 18
Southgate: MJR Southgate Cinema 20
Sterling Heights: MJR Marketplace Cinema 20
Waterford: MJR Waterford Cinema 16
Ypsilanti: National Amusements Showcase Cinemas Ann Arbor

MINNESOTA
Coon Rapids: Kerasotes ShowPlace 16
Oakdale: Carmike Oakdale Stadium 20

MISSOURI
Lees Summit: Dickinson EastGlen 16

NEVADA
Las Vegas: Regal Colonnade Stadium 14
North Las Vegas: Galaxy Cannery

NEW JERSEY
Edgewater: National Amusements Edgewater Multiplex
Elizabeth: AMC Loews Jersey Gardens 20

NEW YORK
Albany: Regal Crossgates Stadium 18
Farmingdale: National Amusements Farmingdale Multiplex
Gates: Cinemark Tinseltown USA
Holtsville: National Amusements Island 16: Cinema de Lux
New Rochelle: Regal New Roc City Stadium 18
New York (Brooklyn): Access IT Pavilion
New York (Brooklyn): National Amusements Linden Boulevard Multiplex
New York (Brooklyn): Regal UA Sheepshead Bay 14
New York (Manhattan): AMC Loews 84th Street 6
New York (Manhattan): Regal UA Union Square Stadium 14
New York (Queens): National Amusements College Point Multiplex
New York (Queens): National Amusements Jamaica Multiplex
New York (Staten Island): Regal UA Staten Island Stadium 16
Westbury: AMC Loews Raceway 10
White Plains: National Amusements City Center 15: Cinema de Lux

NORTH CAROLINA
Charlotte: Regal Stonecrest at Piper Glen 22
Wilson: Carmike 10

OHIO
Beavercreek: National Amusements Cinema de Lux 14: The Greene
Columbus: Rave Polaris 18
Maumee: National Amusements Maumee 18: Cinema de Lux
Milford: National Amusements Showcase Cinemas Milford 16
Springdale: National Amusements Springdale 18: Cinema de Lux
Valley View: Cinemark at Valley View
West Carrollton: National Amusements Showcase Cinemas Dayton South
West Chester: Rave West Chester 18

OREGON
Springfield: Cinemark 17
Tigard: Regal Bridgeport Village Stadium 18

PENNSYLVANIA
King of Prussia: Regal UA King of Prussia Stadium 16
Moosic: Cinemark Tinseltown 20

RHODE ISLAND
Warwick: National Amusements Showcase Cinemas Warwick

SOUTH CAROLINA
Greenville: Regal Hollywood 20

TENNESSEE
East Ridge: Rave East Ridge 18
Franklin: Carmike Thoroughbred 20
Knoxville: Regal Pinnacle Stadium 18
Memphis: Malco Paradiso

TEXAS
Austin: Galaxy Highland 10
Austin: Regal Gateway Stadium 16
El Paso: Carmike 16
El Paso: Cinemark Tinseltown USA
Fort Worth: Rave Ridgmar 13
Hickory Creek: Rave Hickory Creek 16
Houston: AMC Loews Willowbrook 24
Houston: Rave Yorktown 15
Houston: Regal Grand Palace Stadium 24
Hurst: Rave North East Mall 18
Katy: Cinemark 19
Plano: Cinemark Legacy 24
Plano: Cinemark Tinseltown 20
San Antonio: Santikos Silverado 16
Tyler: Carmike 14
Webster: Cinemark 18
The Woodlands: Cinemark Tinseltown 17

UTAH
Provo: Carmike Wynnsong 12
Provo: Cinemark 16
Sandy: Larry H. Miller Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons
West Jordan: Cinemark 24 Jordan Landing

VIRGINIA
Alexandria: Regal Potomac Yard Stadium 16
Fairfax: National Amusements Fairfax Corner 14: Cinema de Lux

WASHINGTON
Lacey: Regal Martin Village Stadium 16
Monroe: Galaxy Monroe 12
Vancouver: Regal Cascade Stadium 16


CANADA

ONTARIO
Mississauga: Cineplex Galaxy Famous Players SilverCity Mississauga
Scarborough: Cineplex Galaxy Coliseum Scarborough
Vaughan: Cineplex Galaxy Famous Players Colossus Woodbridge

QUEBEC
Montreal: Cineplex Galaxy Famous Players Paramount

Entertainment Weekly, You Are Dead To Me

Dean Wormer?- Dead!

Neidermeyer?- Dead!

Entertainment Weekly?- Dead!

Dead to me at least.

So glossy press release reprint source Entertainment Weekly has published a list of their 25 favorite online entertainment sites. And in between the glowing ego-strokes for the Youtubes and Defamers and Newsaramas of the cyberworld, the list has one glaring omission- no FilmBuffOnLine.

You know, I bust my hump around here to try and provide an entertaining and informative online experience for you readers. Sure, the site probably only gets about as many hits a month as Aintitcool gets in an hour, but come on EW, how about a little love? Is there anyone else out there trying to do what we’re doing here? Not that that I’ve been able to find.

And to think of all the hours I’ve wasted reading the multiple trial subscriptions that get pushed on me by those Best Buy register jockeys.

I won’t forget this.