Dec 22 2005Terrence Malick can't make up his mind
Terrence Malick's "The New World" is coming out Sunday but apparently the poor guy is still editing it.
Newer version is said to include 15-20 minutes of tweaks and trims, but has no major chunks cut out. New Line will release the longer version this weekend, will show it at awards screenings and has sent out DVD screeners of it to such voting groups as members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. New Line execs will see a shorter version soon and decide then which version will go out when the film expands late next month -- around the announcement of Academy Award nominations on Jan. 31. "It's all part of the process of working with Terrence Malick," Mittweg added. "He simply wants 'The New World' to be the best possible film that it can be."
I understand that you want to get the best possible film, but if you're still editing less than a week before your film is supposed to be shown, maybe you've got a problem. But I guess if your original cut was putting audiences to sleep, maybe trimming it down isn't such a bad idea. Although I don't understand how a film featuring Colin Farrell performing pedophelia could possibly be boring.
A small 'World' after all [Variety]
Dec 21 2005Mel Gibson puts himself in Apocalypto trailer
You know how to tell you're a huge success? When you start putting yourself into your own movie trailers, looking like a crazy version of Saddam Hussein, and nobody at the studios gives you any grief about it. If you do a frame by frame about 1:45 into the trailer for Apocalypto, you'll see that there's a single frame of Mel Gibson standing around with a cigar in his mouth looking like a jolly old goofball. Hate him or love him, you have to admit that's pretty damn cool. And you also have to admit that I'm stronger than you. Because I am. I work out.
Dec 20 2005Apocalypto teaser trailer
The teaser trailer for Mel Gibson's Apocalypto has been released. It doesn't tell much more than the short TV spot did, but at least it's better quality and is a little longer. I honestly have no idea how this movie is going to turn out. Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ were great, so I'm assuming this will at least be okay, but these little promo clips just aren't getting me excited. Honestly, the best thing about this entire trailer is the way they do the titles at the end. That, and the naked pregnant lady standing alone in a cave. Why? Because naked pregnant ladies standing alone in caves is awesome. And by 'awesome' I mean 'totally hot'.
Apocalypto teaser trailer [Apple]
Dec 20 2005Munich Soundtrack - first listen
SoundtrackNet has a sneak preview of John Williams' score for Munich. I don't understand why anybody would be interested in something like this, but to each his own. I gave it a short listen, but there's really nothing 10 seconds of audio can do to change my mind about a movie. Unless, of course, it happens to be 10 seconds of a woman simulating an orgasm. In that case, the watchability of the movie would shoot up by at least 80%.
Munich - First Listen [SoundtrackNet]
Dec 20 2005Ghost Rider sneak peek
The official Ghost Rider site has a preview teaser of some Ghost Rider footage. I don't want to imply that it looks like crap, but it sort of looks like crap. The effects are nowhere near where they should be, and it actually looks like the cheesy effects of Spawn. Unless something really amazing happens between now and its release, I don't see this thing having any real promise. Maybe they should give up on the CGI and actually light Nicholas Cage on fire. Sure it might hurt, but I bet the audience response would be downright spectacular.
Ghost Rider sneak peak [Official Site]
Dec 19 2005X-Men 3 Updated Photos
The official X-Men 3 website has some updated photos including Juggernaut, Beast, and some other new characters. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Juggernaut needs to put on 800 lbs and Beast needs to not look like a freakish troll. If you're going to do Beast, then make him look like a beast. Not like a man painted blue with hair glued to his face.
Dec 19 2005Apocalypto First Look
The Movie Box has a short clip of Mel Gibson's new Apocalypto. You can't really tell what's going on and they don't give you much to work with, but apparently Entertainment Tonight will be premiering the full teaser today. And if you know nothing about the movie, it takes place at the fall of the Mayan Empire and will use a dead language similar to The Passion of the Christ, to make sure that nobody will understand it. Hopefully this time the execs will be bold enough to release it without subtitles. Because if there's one thing I hate, it's understanding what people are talking about.
Dec 19 2005Watchmen is on again
Warner Brothers has picked up the rights to a film adaption of Alan Moore's The Watchmen after Paramount dropped the ball and let one of the finest comic book properties ever slip by them.
Warner Bros. has picked up vigilante action project "The Watchmen" out of turnaround from Paramount. Project, produced by Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin, has been without a home since spring. Paramount had been aiming for a summer shoot in London with Brit director Paul Greengrass attached but budgetary concerns stopped "The Watchmen" from moving into production. "The Watchmen" was previously set up at Universal, where David HayterDavid Hayter signed a seven-figure deal in 2001 to adapt with an eye toward directing. Warner's is seeking a new writer and director for "The Watchmen." Once those slots are set, Paramount will have the option to co-finance the project.
Maybe Paramount didn't realize what they were sitting on, or maybe they just hate making money. I hear their next move will be to replace their Faberge eggs with regular ones that they found on a farm in Kentucky. Good move, Paramount. Very well thought out.
Dec 19 2005The New World might be child porn
Filmmakers of The New World have apparently re-shot scenes where Colin Farrell makes out with a 14-year old Q'Orianka Kilcher because it's making lawyers nervous that they might be making child porn.
"Farrell was told to get romantic and sensual but knew there was a certain amount of kissing involved," a source told the British mag The People. "He played the scene brilliantly and he really put Q'Orianka at her ease. But when the lawyers saw the finished product with Colin and Q'Orianka rolling around on the ground kissing they just flipped out." The lawyers were concerned about child-pornography laws, and a tamer version of the scene was reportedly re-shot.
"This is the first time I've heard of this," a New Line spokesman told The Scoop. "To my knowledge, there is no scene of this nature in the picture."
Either somebody is lying about their age, or Q'Orianka Kilcher is the oldest looking 14-year old I've ever seen. I've seen the trailer for The New World and I could have sworn that Pocahontas looked no younger than 19 or 20. So either something really fishy is going on, or I've completely lost my ability to tell age, in which case I need to make some phone calls to some lawyers. Because, uh, I like to talk to lawyers. Not for anything sick or perverted.
