Oct 16 2009 Sam Raimi Concedes, OK, Maybe There Were a Lot of Bad Guys in 'Spider-Man 3'

Though still refusing to describe Spider-Man 3 as a "bullshit clusterfuck" (the only truly accurate way to describe it), director Sam Raimi admitted to the Coventry Telegraph that some of the criticism of his superhero film might have been accurate, and promised a back-to-basics approach for his next effort:

I think having so many villains detracted from the experience. I would agree with the criticism.

I think I've learned about the importance of getting to the point and the importance of having limitations, and I'm hoping to take that into a production where I'm actually allowed to explore with more of the tools to pull it off with a little more splendour.

I hope I don't lose that edge that I've just found. That would be my approach to Spider-Man 4: to get back to the basics.

Raimi would then add, "And by 'basics,' I mean 'Spider-Man dancing in jazz more clubs.' That is my definition of basics."

Oct 15 2009 Bill Murray Still Not That Hot on 'Ghostbusters 3'

Does the promise of a Ghostbusters 3 fill you with the same emotional mix of childlike excitement and fear of failure that you get when you realize a girl will actually sleep with you? (Is that just me?) Worry less, worrier: we have a self-appointed protector of the Ghostbusters legacy.

In this brief red carpet interview with Bill Murray, he reveals that he's not as on-board as Harold Ramis would like us to believe. He says he won't commit to anything until he reads a script, and even then it has to be good--better than mediocre Ghostbusters 2 good--before he'll consider it. Also, I think he attempted to make a reference to Snood:

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Oct 14 2009 Wes Anderson Addresses His Accused Sociopathy

Here's a new interview with Wes Anderson in which the director talks briefly about the production of The Fantastic Mr. Fox and, for those who are scandal-minded, the accusations made by his director of photography. Basically, those kind of conflicts tend to happen on movie sets and other stressful workplaces, and unless they involve recordings of Christian Bale screaming, no one cares that much afterward:

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Oct 13 2009 Animating for Wes Anderson Just As Annoying As You'd Think It Would Be

Director Wes Anderson is known for his attention to detail (like I claim to be known for in job interviews) and eccentric, extremely particular production design. I think it's safe to say that working as a subordinate to him (being forced to construct specially modified Adidas sneakers, painting spots on mice, scouring vintage stores for green velvet suits, brushing his flowing hair, etc.) would be at least arduous if not nightmarish.

For his most recent film, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Anderson upped the frustration ante by giving his ultra-specific direction remotely from Paris, leading to some key crew members, speaking to the LA Times, venting about how much they hated the guy. The LA Times, being a news source, published those vents:

"It's not in the least bit normal," director of photography Tristan Oliver observed at the production's East London set last spring, when production on "Mr. Fox" was about three-quarters complete. "I've never worked on a picture where the director has been anywhere other than the studio floor!"

"Honestly? Yeah. He has made our lives miserable," the film's director of animation, Mark Gustafson, said during a break in shooting. He gave a weary chuckle. "I probably shouldn't say that."

"I think he's a little sociopathic," cinematographer Oliver said. "I think he's a little O.C.D. Contact with people disturbs him. This way, he can spend an entire day locked inside an empty room with a computer. He's a bit like the Wizard of Oz. Behind the curtain."

Yikes! Those are the kind of comments that sassy recitals of "oh no you didn't" were built for. But Anderson, not being sassy, instead said this:

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Oct 8 2009 Newsweek Talks With, Shouts At Munchkin Survivors

Ever wondered what the Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz are up to nowadays? Wonder no longer, wonderer. With Pavement getting back together next year, Newsweek took the next logical step in reunions and got the last surviving Lollipop Guildsmen and other Munchkins from the 1939 classic together to reminisce. As was said on the Time Suck blog, "Some are in costume, one falls asleep, all are super duper old." And that's really all you can say about this:

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Sep 29 2009 'Where the Wild Things Are' Production Designer Speaks!

K.K. Barrett was production designer for Human Nature, I Heart Huckabees, Lost in Translation, Maria Antoinette, and every feature film Spike Jonze has made. If he spends 18 minutes talking about his work, including his recent Where the Wild Things Are job, wouldn't you want to hear that? To the few of you absentmindedly nodding in apathetic agreement: good news for you! This is your chance to find out that designing the sets for Maria Antoinette involved more than just watching Elizabeth:

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Jul 24 2009 'Asteroids' Update: Shooting Asteroids Now Has "Really Strong, Deep Mythology"

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, on why Asteroids: The Movie is somehow not one of our stupidest ideas for a movie:

"It's funny because people say there's nothing in the game, but that's not entirely right" he explained. "I was attracted to Asteroids, plain and simple, because I think what it tells you is that there's going to be this big thing in space."

"We've crafted a really strong, deep mythology for the thing. Without divulging too much about it, it's two lead characters - two brothers - who have to go through a seminal experience to figure out their relationship, against this huge backdrop."

Yeah, Lorenzo, that's funny how people say there's nothing in the game, when there's obviously the vague concept of "this big thing in space." How silly people are! Only you had the vision to realize the dormant potential within Asteroids to become The Darjeeling Limited in space, with asteroids.

Asteroids Movie Exclusive [IGN]

Jun 16 2009 Indiana Jones, Shia LaBeouf Searching for Futher Religious/Alien Artifacts?

Ut oh, Shia, you've just caused hubbub! Speaking to an obviously-possessed BBC interviewer, LaBeouf gave the following brief-but-terrifying response when asked if we'd see him in another Indiana Jones movie:

"Steven just said that he cracked a story on it before I left, and, uh, I think they're gearin' that up."

I can appreciate the spirit of being launched out of a nuclear test site and climbing right back into that fridge to try again, but this is not a good idea, Steven Spielberg. You (along with Oprah) are the most powerful person in media (source: I think I read that in a magazine once); can you not use that power for good? Just finish Tintin, throw Liam Neeson in a top hat and do the Lincoln thing you've been talking about for a decade, and put this Indiana Jones thing to bed. Thank you.

I'm not sure I believe the story anyway. LaBeouf using the phrase "cracked a story" makes me think maybe Spielberg's quote was mistranslated when converted from English to 1920s Reporter Speak.

Jun 11 2009 Nicolas Cage Clears Some Things Up

Nicolas Cage, on his behavior on the set of The Sorcerer's Apprentice:

I did not hire a voodoo priestess to break a hex.

So there you go.

(From MTV.)

Jun 2 2009 The Terrorists Won When 'Glitter' Bombed

Every American likely remembers where they were as the tragic events of September 11, 2001 unfolded. Unfortunately for Mariah Carey, not many 9/11 memories begin, "I was just walking out of a matinee showing of Glitter when..." and the diva is not pleased.

For whatever reason, the would-be actress recently spoke out about the failure of her indulgent, semi-autobiographical film, doling out blame to the two parties most responsible: the director and terrorism. From ShowbizSpy (via Cele|Bitchy, thanks to Nick):

“That movie was released on September 11th, 2001 – could there be a worse day for that movie to come out? I don’t think so,” she said. “I don’t even know that many people even saw the movie so I don’t think it’s the worst thing ever done.

“Glitter was a learning experience and I wouldn’t do it again if you paid me. But I didn’t have representation or anyone to tell me: ‘What you need is a great director’.”

Pointless, untimely, and mildly offensive, all at once. Probably not the best quote, M.C.

On the plus side, good job giving the film a positive spin by pointing out it's not literally the worst thing ever done. Great save! But I would have stopped before adding, "Also, if 1941's The Wolf Man hadn't come out the same week as Pearl Harbor, that shit would have been Star Wars."

May 12 2009 'Star Trek' Almost Had a Little Holo-Shatner

If you haven't seen the Star Trek, look away, because here's a spoiler: William Shatner is not in it. While Leonard Nimoy was given the privilege of donning his prosthetic ears one last time, Shatner was conspicuously absent from the film's symbolic passing of the tricorder. But, as writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci explained in an interview with io9, that wasn't always the case. In one draft of the script, there was apparently a Bill Shatner "Happy Birthday, I'm almost certainly dead" scene:

Orci: We wrote [a Shatner scene], it was in the script.

Kurtzman: The very last scene when Spock and Spock meet each other, finally. And elder Spock is convincing young Spock that he couldn't interfere, because it would have diverted [Kirk and Spock] away from their friendship. And that their friendship is the key to the whole sort of shebang.

Orci: He gave him a recorded message from Kirk.

Kurtzman: He [elder Spock] said, "Don't take my word for it." And he handed him [younger Spock] a little holographic device and it projected Shatner. It was basically a Happy Birthday wish knowing that Spock was going to go off to Romulus, and Kirk would probably be dead by the time...

That would have been something, but I'm personally glad they ended the film the way they did:

Did you not stick around for this after the credits?

Mar 10 2009 New 'Riddick' Movie You Coincidentally Haven't Heard About

Wondering what's going on with the Chronicles of Riddick franchise? What a coincidence! Gamespot news on that subject (via ComingSoon):

Maybe we're too tight-lipped about the next Chronicles of Riddick film, and I think circa the release of [this new Riddick video game] that's probably when you'll start hearing more about the next Riddick film. It is underway and I almost think it's a coincidence that we haven't heard anything, that there hasn't been a lot of public stuff on the Riddick movie.

I know it's a hell of a lot to chew on--the startling coincidence there's a new Chronicles of Riddick film being made and there hasn't been a lot of publicity about it--but sometimes the stars align a certain way and we're treated to a glimpse of the gods' magic here on Earth. Enjoy it while it lasts, friends.

Feb 10 2009 Michael Bay Talks 'Transformers 2', Punches People

At the premiere of Friday the 13th, Collider managed to get Michael Bay to speak at some length about Transformers 2. Between awkward, joking rants about owning the website and pretending to punch people a few times, he revealed:

- He's shot three scenes in IMAX--just like Dark Knight, that Batman movie we all liked!

- The sequel will be darker--just like Dark Knight, that Batman movie we all liked!

- The Transformers will be more emotive this time around. The effects team probably got a new set of Intel microchips and did a virus scan to get more computer power into robot facial expressions. That's my understanding.

- The film is at 2 hours 20 minutes now, but Bay is still editing it down. So basically that means it will be under 2 hours 20 minutes, in case you thought it was going to be like Lawrence of Arabia with an intermission.

- "It's not trying to just be bigger to be bigger." That sentence he was lying about. He's definitely making it bigger to be bigger, and thank god. The only saving grace of another Transformers movie is that it will definitely be bigger. No one is excited about seeing a smaller, more introspective Transformers movie. But yes, it will be bigger.

- Bay will be waiting at least a year if he decided to start on a third chapter of the series. Let's hope my already-deteriorating paper-mâché Optimus Prime head will last until that opening night!

Full video interview here.

Feb 2 2009 Terminator Hydrabots Hate Humans in the Worst Way

Thanks to Junkyard Dog for pointing out a McG interview at Wired with some new information and concept art--like this portrait of a Hydrabot murdering this guy via his mouth hole. This is the exact equivalent of what it's like when a man hacks a computer. This is how it feels for the computer. Think about that when you start your next Operation: Swordfish, hackers.

Nov 18 2008 New 'Where the Wild Things Are' Photo and Inter-view!

Someone give me this movie. Put it on one of those video discs and give it to me. Moriarty has posted a lengthy, engaging, reassuring interview with Where the Wild Things Are director Spike Jonze, along with the above, new production shot, over at AICN, and I've now reached a point where I'll give an organ to see this movie. Anything I have two of, one is yours, Spike Jonze. Just come and claim it; no need to call. So long as I awaken in a pool of ice with a screener at my side, the authorities will not be contacted.

Oct 29 2008 'Drag Me to Hell' Looks a Lot Like Being Dragged to Grandma's

Sam Raimi is finally returning to (somewhat) low-budget horror with Drag Me to Hell, and MTV has the first shots from the production, including the one above. If you think it's terrifying that this lady's teeth, Marilyn Manson eyes, head staples, and expression of utter madness are terrifying, wait until you come to the realization she's also wearing lipstick and earrings. The only thing worse than being attacked by a horrible hag-thing is having to awkwardly reject one that's hoping to date you.

Raimi interview and more shots here.

Sep 16 2008 Hear Charlie Kaufman Talk About Things

Earlier today, my friend Kevin sent me these mp3s of Wired's entire two-and-a-half hour interview with Charlie Kaufman, and I can't stop listening to them. The notoriously reclusive writer discusses taking on the director's role with Synecdoche, New York, working with Spike Jonze, his career, neuroscience, and more, all spoken in the endearingly neurotic, timorous style you'd expect. Well done, Wired. How about you keep doing interviews like this and I'll keep pretending they're relevant to a technology magazine.

Sep 9 2008 Don't Buy 'Guitar Hero', So That Brett Ratner Can Make a Movie About It

At the VMAs this weekend, Defamer spoke to an uncomfortably greasy Brett Ratner about his idea for a Guitar Hero movie. He had this to say about the likelihood of it getting made:

As long as it's really successful, they'll never let me do it. But I think if it starts going down and nobody starts buying Guitar Heroes, maybe, to revitalize it, they'll let me make the movie.

Good idea, Brett. Make a movie about a Guitar Hero tournament once the game is unpopular. And The Wizard really should have come out a few years after Super Mario Bros. 3, when it was no longer that big of a deal but still not old enough to be nostalgic. That would have been really good.

But really, if anyone could revitalize fading popularity with a movie, it probably would be Brett Ratner. Just look at Rush Hour. Five to six or seven o'clock is such a hot time now.

To Make the 'Guitar Hero' Movie, Brett Ratner Needs You To Stop Buying the Game [Defamer]

Sep 8 2008 'The Wrestler' Looks Good, Mickey Rourke Does Not

Here are some short clips from The Wrestler intermixed with brief interviews with director Darren Aronofsky and star Mickey Rourke. Even if you don't care about The Wrestler (but you should), you need to see what Rourke looks like in the interview portion. He's become a pre-humanoid Johnny Depp, and it's awful.

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Sep 4 2008 Aaron Eckhart Won't Be Returning to Batman, Because His Character is Dead

If you look at the box office numbers, it's mathematically impossible that you haven't seen The Dark Knight. And if you really haven't somehow, honestly, what are you doing? Thus, I'm unapologetic about posting this spoiler from an interview with Aaron Eckhart:

CS/SHH!: Is Harvey Dent alive? Aaron Eckhart: No. He is dead as a door nail.

CS/SHH!: So he's not coming back?
Eckhart: He ain't coming back baby!

CS/SHH!: I was hoping he would.
Eckhart: No. I asked Chris [Nolan] that question and he goes, "You're dead" before I could even get the question out of my mouth. "Hey Chris, am I?" "You're dead!" Alright, cool.

CS/SHH!: That's not a problem in comic book movies. You could still come back.
Eckhart: I think in contract negotiations it's a problem.

CS/SHH!: So you were never signed on for another film?
Eckhart: No, I'm not coming back. I think unfortunately, Heath [Ledger] was supposed to go on and that didn't work out. I'm nobody. I'm a cog. I have no say over this sort of stuff.

Yessss. This is going to make my Harvey Dent rookie card worth so much more. And, yeah, Eckhart, I guess the whole Heath Ledger thing really didn't "work out," did it.