January 10, 2006
Tarantino Invented James Bond
According to the Sunday Mirror, Quentin Tarantino has said he is quite upset about the upcoming Bond movie, Casino Royale, because he conceived many of the ideas being used. From the article:
I'm annoyed that the James Bond producers never even called me up to talk to me about it because I can tell you they would not be making Casino Royale if I hadn't talked about it first.
They should have called me. Especially since they are taking my idea and they are taking the publicity I gave them towards that idea. They should have at least out of courtesy had coffee with me.
Among the ideas stolen from Q.T.: James Bond having cool inventions, James Bond shooting people, James Bond having sex with various women, James Bond driving cool cars, James bond fighting a rich, sophisticated villain with an extensive organization of thugs, and saying, "Bond. James Bond."
Among the ideas not stolen: Extensive anime sequences and Samuel L. Jackson.
Tarantino Furious With Bond Producers [Digital Spy]
Previous Entries
Bite Into Hard Candy (Not Literal Hard Candy)
The trailer for Hard Candy has been released on IFILM, and it's sure to stir up some debate. The movie follows a 32-year-old man who uses the Internet to seduce a 14-year-old girl into meeting him and coming to his home, where he finds she may not be as innocent as she first seemed.
Because of the controversial nature of the film, some parent groups are concerned about the film's release, worried for both the sexual content and the fear that other girls may attempt to be vigilantes. Also upset by the film were pedophiles, who hoped it would be more of an instructional video.
Trailer [IFILM]
Clint Eastwood: Un-American
Clint Eastwood is currently shooting the feature Flags Of Our Fathers, a World War II feature focusing on the American soldiers who famously raised the flag on Iwo Jima, and now the Oscar-winning director has announced it will be a two-part series. While the first focuses on the American side, the companion piece, Red Sun, Black Sand, will focus on the Japanese side of the battle. Iris Yamashita, a Japanese-American writer, will pen the script, with Ken Watanabe mentioned as a possible star.
While I'm glad a director finally has the courage to show the other perspectives of World War II, I worry about his rumored third film in the series, Hitler: Not Such A Bad Dude. Lofty concepts from a man still best known for asking a "punk" if he's lucky.
The Far Eastwood [Empire Online]
The Wild May Be Madagascar
Disney has released a preview for their new animated feature, The Wild, on the Disney Motion Showcase, a relic from the days when "motion" alone was still considered impressive. The film, due out April 14, focuses on the adventures of a group of zoo animals bungling their way through New York in search of a young lion.
To some, this film may look strikingly similar to Madagascar--an astute observation--but they're forgetting what originated this outsider-in-the-big-city genre: Crocodile Dundee. That's right, Paul Hogan did it first, he did it best, and he's still doin' it best with Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, which someone told me was actually a third Crocodile Dundee movie that got made somehow.
See The Wild! [Official Site]
Where the Wild Things Are is so on
Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to Where the Wild Things Are after Universal dropped the ball. The film will get started later this year, with Spike Jonze set to direct from a script he and Dave Eggers wrote. Details of the story are still a secret, but the film will be live-action with a large expected CGI budget. Not that it matters, because with Spike Jonze directing something he wrote with Dave Eggers, you can be guaranteed that socks will be sufficiently rocked off. I don't think they let you pre-order movie tickets two years in advance, but I'd gladly throw down my $10 now.
If you've never read anything by Dave Eggers, pick up A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and thank me later. And if you've never seen anything by Spike Jonze, find the nearest kitchen knife and cut out your own kidneys.
'Wild' ride for Warner [Variety]
Clerks 2 Teaser Trailer online
The Clerks 2 Teaser Trailer went up on the official site about 30 minutes ago. If you've ever wondered what Clerks might look like with color and Rosario Dawson, here's your chance to find out. It's mostly just a montage of quick cuts, but the story will pick up 10 years after the original with the stores replaced by a fast food joint. I don't want to ruin the movie, but I hear Silent Bob says something deeply profound at the end, and then Jay makes a marijuana reference and tops it off with a "Snoochie-boochies!"
