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."
Sep 16 2009 Get Your Spider-Man Costume Dry Cleaned By May 6, 2011
Because that's when Spider-Man 4 will be released, "web-slingers!" This article from yesterday's Variety claims director Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are on board, with the script being written by Gary Ross.
Ross's previous writing jobs have been a bizarrely mixed bag, including Big, Pleasantville, Mr. Baseball, and the film that gave Kevin Kline his most memorable dual-role, Dave, so it's anyone's guess what this guy is going to come up with for a Spider-Man movie.
I wonder what happened to the talk of a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright writing the script. I'm just going to assume Raimi switched writers to find someone with more experience in writing the themes he has planned for the fourth film. Meaning his ideas for Spider-Man 4 probably revolve around Spider-Man magically aging, magically entering a '50s television show, playing baseball as Tom Selleck in Japan, and being both the U.S. President and someone who looks so insanely similar that he can pass as the U.S. President. So, basically, it's already way better than Spider-Man 3.
Jul 22 2009 Raimi Directing 'Warcraft' Movie, Months of Leveling Finally Coming to Screens
Like Doctor Who announcing the TARDIS runs on Linux, or Gandalf doing a Mountain Dew commercial, two nerd favorites have merged today with the announcement that Army of Darkness and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi has signed on to direct a feature film based on the massively-popular Warcraft video game series. From the press release:
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and Legendary Pictures announced today that Sam Raimi has signed on to direct the eagerly-anticipated major motion picture based on Blizzard Entertainment®’s award-winning Warcraft® universe. Raimi has, in the course of his career, clearly demonstrated a genius for developing and adapting existing fictional universes for mainstream audiences while staying true to the spirit of the original content."At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story," said Raimi. "I am thrilled to work with such a dynamite production team to bring this project to the big screen."
Thus far, fan reaction is largely split between, "ORC SHAMAN LFG 2 RAID ZUL'GURUB" and "R U REALLY A GIRL OR JUST IN CHARACTER???"
(Thanks for the tip, Matt.)
Mar 31 2009 'Drag Me to Hell' Poster: You Can't Take Your BFF Half-Heart Pendant with You
Continuing the Ghostbusters tradition of disembodied, demon-like brown arms dragging beautiful women into a hellish, inhuman world, here's the poster for Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell. Who knew eternal damnation would look so much like VHS box art for a suburban-set softcore porn with some flames and creature effects overlaid?
First Look at the Drag Me to Hell Poster! [Shock Till You Drop]
Mar 11 2009 'Drag Me to Hell' Trailer: Suburban Witches Also Hurt by Recession
After years of directing Spider-Men of varying qualities, Sam Raimi returns to the cheesy-but-enormously-enjoyable horror genre with Drag Me to Hell. It's a horrific morality tale that will teach you to place the needs of milky-eyed, nearly-dead women with staples in their head above your stupid promotion, because so long as they possess the black arts (and one of your personal effects), witches will inevitably control our banking system:
Continue Reading " 'Drag Me to Hell' Trailer: Suburban Witches Also Hurt by Recession "
Jan 19 2009 J.K. Simmons Reprising Role of Other Guy with "J" Initial First Name
There's been a lot of talk about if Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire, or Kirsten Dunst are returning for Spider-Man 4. Let's not even sweat them, everyone. Raimi fell apart a bit by the third film, Maguire had a mixed reception, and come on, Kirsten Dunst? The real guy we should be worrying about is J.K. Simmons, people. His perfectly exaggerated portrayal of "Daily Bugle" publisher J. Jonah Jamseon is accept-no-immitations spot-on. They can put Justin Long in webbed spandex and I'll say "fair enough," but if they try gluing a toothbrush mustache to Tommy Lee Jones, I call bullshit.
Let's start worrying about getting that guy back. Except just said he is coming back and shooting is starting next year, so don't worry, Pumpkin:
The fourth film in the blockbuster “Spider-Man” franchise will begin shooting in 2010, actor J.K. Simmons told MTV News at Sundance, revealing that he’ll continue in the role of Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson. “I saw Sam [Raimi] at his Christmas party.”
Simmons added that he doesn't want or expect a larger part in the next sequel, alluding to becoming a week-long wolf of some nature:
“We’ve definitely brainstormed ideas for Triple-J, but I have no desire to make Triple-J more of the focus of those movies,” he said. “The amount that I did in 1, 2 and 3, is just exactly right. Like be the wolf. Come in, blow in, do a week, blow out, be the comic relief, and hit the road. And let Tobey and everybody else do the heavy lifting.”
Also: don't make Justin Long Spider-Man. I was lying about saying "fair enough" to that.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Spider-Man 4’ To Begin Shooting In 2010, Says Bugle Chief [MTV]
Jan 9 2009 Morbius Could Be in 'Spider-Man 4', or Not
Does Sam Raimi want Morbius the Living Vampire as the villain in the next Spider-Man sequel? If you want to speculate that the director saying he likes it when Morbius fights Spider-Man in the comics to mean that, then yes. From Empire Magazine (via /Film):
“I like it in the Marvel comics when Spider-Man fights Morbius,” said Raimi. “He’s really cool. A vampire! I like that combination of superhero plus supernatural.”
So there you go. Personally, I'm less concerned about what this quote might mean in regards to Spider-Man 4 and more with what hints it gives about Sam Raimi's mental state. Doesn't it kind of sound like he has borderline dementia? Who gives quotes like that? Before Dark Knight, you never heard Christopher Nolan saying, "I enjoy it in the DC comic booklets when Batman fights the Joker. A clown!" It sounds like my grandpa muttering about the evening news. "I like it when the man on the TV gives Grandpa the weather. Help! A vampire!"
Of course maybe the question was, "Sam, do you like it--in the Marvel comics--when Spider-Man fights Morbius--and could you make sure to restate the question in your response and shout that Morbius is a vampire afterwards?", in which case I'm the one over-analyzing everything and looking like the fool. But I find it hard to believe I could be the one seeming foolish simply by spending half-an-hour reading into a quote and criticizing its slightly peculiar phrasing.
Oct 31 2008 Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright Writing 'Spider-Man', Probably Thinks He's Better Than Us
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire is in final negotiations to write Spider-Man 4. This will be the Spider-Man for the literati! From THR:
Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer in 2007 for his drama "Rabbit Hole," is in final negotiations to write "Spider-Man 4" for Columbia.Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are back as director and star, respectively, as are series producers Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest movie featuring the Marvel Comics character.
Lindsay-Abaire has said in interviews that his plays tend to be "peopled with outsiders in search of clarity," which would put his work on sympathetic terms with Peter Parker, who in his classic incarnation is the perpetual outsider.
A Pulitzer prize-winner writing a Spider-Man is nothing new, but a playwright this time? Yikes! Is this Spider-Man or Death of Spider-Man?! Is this Spider-Man or Spider-Madame Butterfly?! Spider-Man or Streetcar Named Desire, Which is Being Suspended by Webs of Spider-Man?! Spider-Man or Shrek the Musical...-Man????
Nah, this should fine. Almost anything would improve on the last sequel. Though I am slightly concerned that Lindsay-Abaire wrote Inkheart, which looks terrible (in fairness, everything with Brendan Fraser looks terrible), and Shrek the Musical, which is Shrek the Musical.
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.
Mar 4 2008 Lohman Replaces Page--in Hell!
In what I'm obnoxious calling a "casting switcheroo", Alison Lohman, recently seen in Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf and Things We Lost in the Fire, is replacing Ellen Page in Drag Me to Hell. The film, "a morality tale about the unwitting recipient of a supernatural curse," will be Sam Raimi's first attempt at cleansing our collective palette of Spider-Man 3. Oscar nominees lost in the trade: 1. Arbitrary indie cred points lost: 130.
Lohman replaces Page in 'Hell' [Variety]
Dec 20 2007 Sam Raimi Returning to Genre Roots with 'Drag Me to Hell'
With many critics let down by the snowboarder-inspired Green Goblin 2, goofy Dark Peter Parker sequences, and Batman and Robin-level of villains that made the third Spider-Man outing weaker than it's predecessors, director Sam Raimi has announced plans to return to his roots for his next feature, Drag me to Hell. Variety had few details beyond that it's a "morality tale about the unwitting recipient of a supernatural curse" that was written by Raimi and his brother shortly after Army of Darkness, but it promises to be a return the low(er)-budget genre filmmaking that made him a cult favorite. You may begin your pleading for Bruce Campbell to star... now.
Raimi 'Hell' bent on thriller [Variety]
Aug 14 2007 Sam Raimi Directing, Peter Jackson Producing The Hobbit
Following up on the earlier rumor that Sam Raimi might be taking over to helm The Hobbit, IESB is reporting Peter Jackson is finally settling disputes with New Line and has stepped on board to produce, putting Raimi in the director's seat. I will be starting the line for tickets tomorrow morning.
If you ask me, this is a pretty solid second choice that New Line's scoring. I've always been a firm believer in the idea that if you can't get your dream girl, might as well get her slightly uglier best friend, right? Or if not her, maybe some old, fat, drunk whore at a local bar. Then turn to the old, fat, drunk man who's dressed like a woman. If not him, how about pantyhose sewn into the shape of a human and stuffed with old socks?
Jun 27 2007 Sam Raimi is Nerd Baiting
Sam Raimi never let a receding hairline stand in the way of his desire to grow emo bangs.
In an effort to further smear mud on the retainers of everyone who criticized Spider-Man 3 for having too many villains (oh shit, I was one of those people, wasn't I?), Sam Raimi now says he'd like to see Spider-Man 4 with, like, six villains.
I would love to see Electro, Vulture, maybe the Sinister Six as a team.
Honestly though, I wouldn't read too much into this. Despite what the dorks on the other movie blogs are spitting about this, the source article they're quoting from is basically about Sam Raimi saying nicely that he's not coming back for a fourth Spider-Man. So when he talks about the number of villains that might be in it, he's just talking out his ass. Kind of like the time he told me my utility belt was just an extra long red vine and that my loin cloth had fallen off. Yeah, sure buddy, whatever you say.
