Fallback Position

The Summer now behind us, Fall is the time of year when the studios release the films, they hope will lead to Oscar gold come next year.

This weekend, Hollywoodland (reviews) tops the roster of new flicks, and has generated quite the positive buzz.

The film focuses on the mystery that surrounds the death of actor George Reeves (1914-1959), who played Superman on TV, from 1952-1958. Was it suicide? An Accident? Or Murder?

Directed by first timer Allen Coulter, the movie stars Adrien Brody as private eye Louis Simo, who investigates the case, Diane Lane as Toni Mannix--Reeves' lover and Ben Affleck as Reeves. Affleck is getting raves for his work here. Some critics are even using the "C" word (comeback) to describe the effect the movie may have on his faltering career.

The Comeback Kid?

Affleck And Lane in Hollywoodland

Ian Mohr of Variety discusses how the change of seasons affects the studio mindset in B.O. takes an artful aura saying: Air of seriousness signals start of awards season.

The other new releases include a movie about dueling Warlocks, called The Covenant (reviews)...Directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2), the film is not exactly getting good notices...Because, Uh Oh, it wasn't screened for critics--never a good sign...Martial arts guru Tony Jaa kicks butt in The Protector (reviews)--word is though it's not all that great of a film....

Entertainment Weekly's Michelle Kung asks if "The Covenant": No. 1 by default? Probably, she says, adding The warlock flick debuts with the biggest theater count this dismal weekend...

Also making news...The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced yesterday that Ellen DeGeneres has accepted their offer to host the 79th annual Academy Awards--which take place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on February 25 2007.

Timothy M. Gray of Variety says Thesp will be kudocast's sixth host in six years.

Read more about the story here...

I'm really ambivalent towards the news. DeGeneres as host...I was kinda hoping that Billy Crystal would return...

Finally, Happy 40th Anniversary to Star Trek which premiered on the NBC TV network on this day in 1966. I'll devote a post to all things Trek very soon...

"It's Only A Bloody Game"

When it comes to hearing news about remakes of movies that I like (or love), my initial reaction is usually one of skepticism or yes, seething rage, while I ask something like "Why risk ruining a good thing with a dopey remake?"

As a fan of the 1972 film Sleuth (which itself was based on a Tony Award winning play of the same name), I have to admit, I am nonetheless kind of jazzed about today's news that a Sleuth remake is going to happen--Given who's involved--I'm hopeful that the film will be more than a remake just for the sake of a remake kind of flick.

Variety scribe Michael Fleming has the details:

The Jude Law-Michael Caine remake of "Sleuth" is a go, with Kenneth Branagh on board to direct an adaptation of the Anthony Shaffer play, scripted by Harold Pinter.

Financing was arranged by Castle Rock, and the film will shoot in January at Twickenham Studios in London.

It's the second time Shaffer's play is getting movie treatment, and the second time Caine is playing a major role in the drama that revolves around two men vying for the same woman.

This time, Caine will play a brilliant thriller writer and social fixture who's so upset at losing his wife to a young hairdresser (Law) that he hatches a complex revenge plan. Caine played the hairdresser in the original and Laurence Olivier played the writer.

Both got Oscar nominations for the... original film, as did director Joseph Mankiewicz.

Law is stepping into a screen role originated by Caine for the second time, after "Alfie."

Law, who will produce the film through his Riff Raff Prods. banner with Tom Sternberg and Simon Halfont, has been at the center of the project for the past three years, since Castle Rock acquired the play rights.

While Castle Rock usually distributes its films through Warner Bros., the company won't sell domestic or foreign distribution rights until the film has been completed.

Branagh recently directed a version of "As You Like It" and a film version of "The Magic Flute" that opens this week at the Venice and Toronto film festivals.

I am thrilled that Kenneth Branagh is calling the shots here. I think he'll do a great job with the "cat and mouse" material. If you've ever seen (and enjoy) his 1991 movie, Dead Again (very underrated flick) you know what I sayin'. Kudos for giving Sir Michael Caine a bigger role in the update--rather than just throwing him a glorified cameo. Way to go. As for Law, I just hope he doesn't jinx this project--the way he seemed to, with his performance in the aforementioned Alfie redux of '04... which fell like a brick.

As we await the release of the remake--Be sure to take a look at the original film.

Story-Teller

Most folks I know that saw 2005's Fantastic Four movie, were ultimately disappointed, with the way things turned out. While I will admit that it didn't reach the cinematic heights of say, the first two Spider-Man films, still for me, FF was was far from the disaster some called it..,The team behind the film must have done something right, cause shortly after the film was released, the studio gave the go ahead for a sequel.

Director Tim Story, (who helmed the original) is now hard at work on the latest installment in the franchise, called Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (I hate that subtitle!). Slated to hit theaters on June 15, 2007, filming is now under way... Story updates his blog, discussing in some detail, the first few days of filming.

Stax of Filmforce offers up some highlights:

"Felt like old times. Everyone's back in the mix and really picking their characters up where we last left off," Story posted, adding, "We also shot Andre Braugher for the first time. He plays General Hager, an old acquaintance of Reed Richards and one of the major additions to the movie."

The director informed fans that "one of the days was pretty long. Just happened to be one of those locations that we can't come back to and we had a lot of effects shots. Those things always take forever. The background plates, then the actor buy [sic] himself, then the crowd. Blah blah blah. Wish we could shoot everything practically, but then again, I guess stretching Ioan [Gruffudd, who plays Mr. Fantastic] may not go over too well."

Needless to say, I'll be checking in on Story's blog, as filming kicks into high gear...

Everyone's back for the sequel

Winning Record

The fact-based football drama, Invincible, remained undefeated for the second weekend in a row...

In his Weekend Report for Box Office Mojo Brandon Gray writes:

Invincible' topped Labor Day weekend [making another $15.2 million], but 'The Illusionist' [in 5th place with $8 million] and 'Little Miss Sunshine' [in 4th with $9.7 million] showed the most growth. Meanwhile, 'Crank' [#2 with $13 million] and 'The Wicker Man' [placing 3rd with $11.7 mill in ticket sales] opened at predictably modest levels.

The complete analysis from Gray can be found here

Over at Variety, Ben Fritz looks back at lessons learned for Summer '06 in B.O.'s summer schism

U.S. loves the middle...

This summer, the magic was in the middle. Though only five films in 2006 passed $150 million vs. last summer's nine, the season was still 6% ahead of 2005. The '05 biggies racked up more than $1.9 billion; this summer's quintet grossed just under $1.5 billion. So how did this year's summer domestic box office -- $3.74 billion in all -- end up on such a high?...

Finally, Dave Karger of Entertainment Weekly must be fighting the temptation of doing an end zone victory dance (watch out for those new NFL rules against such a thing Dave!), as his prediction was right on target:

"Invincible" holds the line...

Pass The Potato Salad

Welcome to The Last Reel's Labor Day edition of the Cinema Stew

On the menu are industry headlines that made news over the last week...Dig in!

I am really looking forward to seeing director Brian De Palma's return to the big screen--The Black Dahlia. The film looks really good.


Josh Hartnett with co-star Hilary Swank in a scene from "Dahlia"

Nick Vivarelli of Variety takes us to the Dahlia World Premiere:

The 63rd Venice Film Festival kicked off Wednesday with Brian De Palma's noir "The Black Dahlia" giving the Lido some sparkle.

Pic's stars Scarlett Johansson, Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart strutted past the giant Golden Lions on the red carpet as the paparazzi went into a frenzy.

Among others filing into the Palazzo del Cinema were jury prexy Catherine Deneuve, Italian culture minister Francesco Rutelli, Venice Mayor Massimo Cacciari and a host of Italo industry figures.

De Palma's adaptation of James Ellroy's novel, which delves into the underbelly of 1940s Hollywood as it reconstructs the murder of aspiring actress Elizabeth Short, was received warmly, although inevitable comparisons with Curtis Hanson's "L.A. Confidential," also from an Ellroy novel, were not always in its favor.

However, Ellroy, also at the Lido, praised De Palma for "isolating the key themes of sexual obsession, redemption and the triangulation of one man (Hartnett) between two women (Johansson and Hilary Swank)."

The gala screening was followed by a lavish dinner on the Excelsior beach, complete with fireworks.

Given De Palma's recent track record (his "Femme Fatale" went straight to vid in some territories), some believed Venice topper Marco Muller was taking a risk by opening the fest with "Dahlia."

Pic opens Stateside Sept. 15 via Universal...

"This is a project that can no longer be delayed," said the Biennale boss during the opening ceremony.

Read more about the event here

Next up Dark Horizons posted news about actress Sarah Michelle Gellar's next move from a story in Production Weekly

Some actresses worry about being typecast, but not Sarah Michelle Gellar it seems who has added yet another supernatural thriller to her resume.

The former "Buffy" actress, who stars in "The Return" and briefly appears in "The Grudge" sequel this Fall, has signed on to "Addicted" for the Yari Film Group.

The article reports that the film will be a remake of the 2002 South Korean hit "Jungdok" and follows a woman who's husband and brother-in-law end up in comas after a horrible accident. When the brother-in-law wakes up, he says he's her true husband.

Swedish filmmakers Joel Bergvall and Simon Sandquist helm the project which begins shooting October 17th in Vancouver.

Gellar is one of my favorite leading ladies...Good for her and for us...

Neil Sean of SKY News shares this interesting little blurb

Thanks to her starring role as Lois Lane in the recent Superman movie, Kate Bosworth is much in demand. And the lucky girl, who is also dating the lovely Orlando Bloom, is already planning her portrayal of Lois in the next Superman film.

She said: "Lois will be back bigger and better in the next movie, and with more of her own storyline."Not only that, but I can reveal there are plans to give Lois Lane her very own investigation spin off.

What will the caped crusader think about that?

Gulp...a Lois spin-off movie...

From the World Entertainment News Service...

Scorsese Set to Become Film Critic

Famed director Martin Scorsese has been hired as a film critic for a satellite TV service after complaining about their movie review system. The Aviator director will pen a monthly column for On DirecTV, a magazine and program guide for people who subscribe to DirectTV.

Scorsese will offer critiques of overlooked films on DirecTV.

Executives at the company came up with the idea when Scorsese, a DirecTV subscriber, wrote to the firm to suggest changes in the movie review system.

Talk about perfect "casting"...

You can't top off any any Cinema Stew without talking about a former Top Gun...Can You?

Report: Scientology Was Prepared To Back Cruise

The Church of Scientology was prepared to underwrite Tom Cruise's production company, Cruise-Wagner, if it was unable to come up with other backers, according to a report on MSNBC.com, which cited an unnamed source.

A spokeswoman for Cruise-Wagner denied the claim. However, the site's source insisted, "They've got deep pockets. ... Tom has been good to the church, and they want to be there for him, but ultimately, this would have been a business deal."

In 2000, John Travolta's Battlefield Earth was plagued by accusations that it was secretly funded by Scientologists who inserted "subliminal" pitches for the church, charges that Travolta repeatedly denied. (The movie was based on a sci-fi novel written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.)

Sheesh!!!

That said, after taking a beating from the press and from fans over the last year, maybe Cruise is finally learning his lesson:

Shields: Cruise Gave 'Heartfelt Apology'

The Associated Press reported:

Brooke Shields says Tom Cruise has apologized for publicly criticizing her use of antidepressants after the birth of her first daughter.

The two had a public beef last year after the "Mission: Impossible III" star, echoing the position of Scientology, said in an appearance on NBC's "Today" show that depression can be treated with exercise and vitamins rather than drugs.

The 41-year-old actress says Cruise apologized in person Thursday.

"He came over to my house, and he gave me a heartfelt apology," Shields said Friday during an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

"And he apologized for bringing me into the whole thing and for everything that happened.

"And through it all, I was so impressed with how heartfelt it was. And I didn't feel at any time that I had to defend myself, nor did I feel that he was trying to convince me of anything other than the fact that he was deeply sorry. And I accepted it."

Cruise's spokesman confirmed the celebrities made up.

"It is true that his friendship with Ms. Shields has been mended," spokesman Arnold Robinson said in a statement. "He has not changed his position about antidepressants, which as evidenced by the black label warnings issued by the FDA on these types of drugs, are unhealthy ...

I'm glad Cruise took the time and finally apologized to Shields. Things would be going a lot better for him right now if he had done it sooner. I hate to sound cynical...But I wonder if his recent firing from Paramount had anything to do with this recent Mea Culpa?

My Return Trip

Without question, Superman Returns, was the most anticipated movie of the Summer (at least for me anyway) And even though I rated the film a solid 7.5...believe me that's the same as me giving another flick a 2 or 3. In fact, the more I thought about my review of SR, and my history with the original Superman--and all that the '78 movie accomplished--I began to wonder if all of that stuff combined got in the way when it came to SR? Did my extensive blogging about the film ruin the experience for me? After all, the critical reviews were quite positive, even better than the money making giant' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'...

In an effort to try and put my internal "debate" to rest, on Saturday, July 8th 2006 I went to see the film again. This time with several family members along for the ride. When the film ended, it seemed as though everyone else liked SR a lot more than I did. The female members of the entourage, focused especially on how well they thought star Brandon Routh filled out the suit. Take from that what you will...

I invited everyone who came along on that trip to voluntarily offer their thoughts on SR and I promised to post them on The Last Reel...Without further adieu, here are 3 folks who took me up on my offer:

Hey Uncle T- Here are my thoughts on Superman...

Overall, I thought the movie was entertaining and I am glad that I saw it. The highlight of the movie was watching superman himself... he was a delight to look at to say the least! I was a little confused about certain parts of the movie since I had never seen any other superman movies and don't know anything about the story. I thought Kevin Spacey was a good actor for the part of Lex, and I also love Parker Posey as his sidekick. I hope they do continue with the 2 other movies to follow superman returns... this one was good enough to make me want to see more.

Sara

My thoughts on Superman.................................

It was a great movie because the graphics were great!
I think that they chose the right actors and actresses for the film too.

That is why I thought the movie was great.

Jimmy, age 11

Superman was a great movie!! Brandon Routh capture the role of superman soooooo good!! I'm sure that Christopher Reeve would have been so proud of Brandon. the movie ended with you wanting to see more like what will happen to the boy, and will Lois lane get back with superman. i just hope they have another movie because i would love to see what happens next!!!

The movie was great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Allison, age 13

As for me, I felt more confident about my initial assessment of the film., after that second go round...

On Wednesday July 26th, while having an "e-mail conversation" with good buddy and fellow blogger Matt Durso (whose own blog There It Is boasts great stuff on Flyers Hockey and Phillies Baseball), the subject of Superman Returns came up...

Here now, is Mr Durso's first ever film review....Drum roll, Please...

Superman Returns

Be warned -- this isn't a review in the strictest sense of the word. It's more like random thoughts about the movie sort of connected in a sometimes coherent manner. If you're still interested, read on!!

**First, a little personal background. I have seen all four of the Christopher Reeve-Superman movies. They're all enjoyable in their own way -- though the third one did give me nightmares when I was a kid (give me a break, I was seven when it came out!!). Of the four, I would say easily that the second is the best. The three main actors -- Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman -- really came into their own and filled out their characters, and then throw in Terence Stamp as the bad guy, I mean, come on -- does it get any better than this?.

Hackman, in particular, really nailed Luthor, playing him with a megalomaniacal irreverence that arguably stands as Hackman's best role and, dare I say, best performance. That being said, I thought there was no better choice than to have Kevin Spacey fill Hackman's shoes as Lex Luthor, the "greatest criminal mind of all time." Especially considering it was under Bryan Singer's direction that Spacey won his first Academy Award for The Usual Suspects.

**I have to say I was very excited when I heard Bryan Singer had been hired to direct. I'm a big fan of his work, and it's obvious the guy knows how to deal with iconic superheros (see X-Men and X2). I'm not the biggest Superman fan -- I'm more of a Batman guy -- but I knew that Singer was talented enough to do him justice (I'm afraid the same cannot be said for the hatchet job that Brett Hack-ner, I mean, Rattner did with X-Men: The Last Stand ).

**Overall, I was very disappointed with the film. To quickly gloss over it:

• The movie was definitely too long. Singer just meandered the story along at a leisurely pace believing, I think, that since it was a Superman movie no one would have a problem with it.


• How is it possible that arguably the greatest arch-rivals in pop culture shared the screen for about 15 minutes? While it obviously would have necessitated a different story, I don't see how one can justify keeping them apart for so long.


• When do the events of this movie take place? If they're after the first two movies, then why do both Superman and Lois Lane look younger than they did in those two? If they take place in between the first two, then where was Lois' kid in the second movie (not to mention her fiance, too)?


• There was absolutely no screen presence for Brandon Routh nor Kate Bosworth, and they certainly didn't have any chemistry together. For the most critical relationship in the film, one would think that actors would have worked better than cardboard cutouts.


• Where was Kevin Spacey? I mean he was there, I saw him on-screen but, like Bosworth and Routh, I didn't really see him. Almost any other actor could have given the performance he did and it would have been fine. But, for the man who has played Verbal Kint, Jack Vincennes, and Buddy Ackerman, I really expected a whole lot more.

Matt Durso

Thanks Matt. Great review! You are welcome back any time.

For even more perspective on the latest Supes movie, you should also check out this post written by Matt's brother Tommy on his blog Shallow Center...

And finally, Jeff Martin, (a former co-worker of Tommy's) had this to say about SR. Be sure and visit Jeff's site MovieHawk sometime. It's worth the click.

Thanks to all of my guests! It was fun!

Sound Trax

Multiple Oscar winner John Williams has written some of the best film music ever heard. Take, for example, The Main Title March he wrote for Superman (1978). Not only does the decades old theme have a timeless quality, but if you listen closely, it "sings" the word Superman without saying a word.

On YouTube umder the name Goldentusk, someone had a lot of fun adding lyrics to the Man Of Steel's calling card...

Superman Theme Song




He also did the same thing with Monty Norman's classic James Bond Theme, first heard in 1962's Dr. No



Sure, the videos are very corny, but you gotta admit, the words are still darn clever, and he can carry quite a tune. Great Job!

Into The Final Turn

As summer '06 comes to unofficial close, with Labor Day weekend upon us--when all is said and done, the headline film isn't even expected to be the number one movie. What an odd way to the Blockbuster season.

The Wicker Man (reviews) is based on the novel by Anthony Shaffer, and stars the hit or miss Nicolas Cage. The buzz on this one is not very good. Given that, I think I will stay home and watch the 1973 version, and leave it at that

If the "Wicker" remake won't be number one, Ben Fritz and Dave McNary of Variety wonder if the actioner Crank (reviews) will come out on top? Will biz get 'Crank' call?

Dave Karger of Entertainment Weekly says the answer is "No"

Judging the unanimous raves from critics though on Rotten Tomatoes as I write this post, the answer to the question in the Variety article may be "Yes" indeed.

Karger predicts: Last week's No. 1 movie (Invincible--My review coming soon...) will make a goal-line stand against the new thriller over the sluggish Labor Day weekend

The other new releases for the week include the street basketball flick Crossover (reviews), which critics seem to loathe quite a lot...The controversial documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated (reviews, in limited release) that blows the lid right off the Motion Picture Association of America and exposes how it operates. The film has gotten a lot of media play this week, and as a result I am itchin' to see this. I hope it either goes wide or gets a quick release on DVD...The Mike Judge comedy Idiocracy (reviews limited) is barely registering on the cinema radar. Maybe it will go the way of his other live action film, Office Space (very funny!!), and become another cult fave...Last but not least, that perennial pooch Lassie (reviews limited) returns to the big screen...

If you are near your computer over the holiday weekend watch out for some special posts...If not, happy Labor Day folks!!

RIP Glenn Ford (1916-2006)

Another Hollywood great is gone..

Actor Glenn Ford has passed away at the age of 90.

According to AP writer Bob Thomas:

On Wednesday, the 90-year-old actor who starred in movies such as "The Blackboard Jungle," "Gilda" and "The Big Heat" was found dead in his home, police said. A cause of death was not given, though Ford suffered a series of strokes in the 1990s.Ford appeared in scores of films during his 53-year Hollywood career.

As for me, his role as Jonathan Kent, in the original Superman film will always be with me. He was perfectly cast in the film--bringing the character to life with such an all American feel that it was if Norman Rockwell was there on set coaching him.

The first time I saw him in the groundbreaking drama Blackboard Jungle (1955), as Richard Dadier, was in film school. Wow! He is amazing in that film! A must see for sure!!

Shockingly, despite a long career in Hollywood, and great roles, he never was even nominated for an OSCAR! Can you believe that? He did win a Golden Globe though, in 1961 as best actor for Pocketful of Miracles . In 1963 Ford played Tom Corbett in the comedy The Courtship of Eddie's Father. The premise of which was adapted for TV from 1969-1972. Ford later headlined a schlock horror film from '81, called Happy Birthday to Me--where he elevated the material--making it a true guilty pleasure. Speaking of which, he also showed up on TV's Circus of the Stars #12 (remember those?) What were they thinking?

Failing health meant Ford missed a 90th birthday tribute on May 1st at Hollywood's Grauman's Egyptian Theatre.

But he did send greetings via video, saying:

"I wish I were up and around, but I'm doing the best that I can. There's so much I have to be grateful for."

At the event, actress Shirley Jones, who co-starred with him in "Courtship", called Ford:

"...one of the cornerstones of our industry, and there aren't many left."

For more on this class act, read the rest of the AP tribute...

RIP Joseph Stefano (1922-2006)

His name may not be instantly recognizable, but I would say even with that, you probably know the work of Hollywood writer Joseph Stefano anyway. Sadly, he has passed away at the age of 84, from a heart attack.

A native of Philadelphia, he was a prolific writer at the dawn of the TV medium in the 50's, finding work wherever he could. But Stefano skyrocketed to fame as the screenwriter of Alfred Hitchcock's directorial masterpiece Psycho (1960). In fact, the script was so good that the team behind the 1998 remake asked him to update his work for the modern version. After Psycho hit it big, he took a job as a writer/producer on the first season of the sci-fi anthology series "The Outer Limits" penning some of the best segments of the show. He would come back for the 90's revival as writer for 2 episodes.

He even came into the world of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and helped to concoct Skin of Evil, a late first season episode, that saw the death of a major character. In 1990, Stefano returned to a certain motel to pen Psycho IV: The Beginning--a cable movie prequel that looked at how Norman Bates turned into a murderer.

He will be missed...

For more on Stefano, read The Los Angeles Times obituary

Bats On The Brain

The casting rumors that surround the forthcoming Batman Begins sequel, The Dark Knight, have been coming fast and furious in the last month or so...

Director Christopher Nolan addressed the validity of those rumors and what we can expect from TDK on the whole at an informal Internet website press event for his latest film--The Prestige (which looks great by the way).

From IESB/The Movie Reporter:

In the midst of all the Prestige talk, we were able to get him to talk a bit about the highly anticipated Batman sequel.

Q: Looking at Batman Begins now, were you surprised or was that the reaction you were expecting to get?

CN: I was very surprised for the simple reason that I felt that we really put our hearts into making a great film and I felt that on our own terms we had succeeded but I never never really expected to satisfy critics and fans, you know Batman fans, and regular audiences equally. I mean I thought maybe we'd get two points of the triangle but the fact that all three groups seem to respond well, that was a big surprise. It felt like you were going to lose one aspect of that somewhere along the line. But, I don't know, we were very fortunate in that regard.

Q: Because the formula works so well is that something that you were looking to do for The Dark Knight?

CN: I think, what people responded to most about Batman Begins is how different it was from their expectations. So I think we would be foolish to not recognize that and attempt to do something very different in the sequel. I certainly wouldn't have, you know, any interest in somewhat trying to repeat the experience that the film already made because I think, particularly being an origin story, it's a very unique thing very singular. My interest in the sequel is to move on from there and do something quite different.

Q: Since you did the origin story, it frees you up from doing the whole introduction, so are you expecting to do a whole lot more action the second time around?

CN: Um, I mean we certainly put a lot of action into Batman Begins through the film even though it didn't involve Batman until 50 minutes in or whatever. So certainly we are free to put Batman into action earlier on. But if you look at the, I mean the rhythm of action movies is very complicated because there is a limit actually to how much action is in the film, how you have to have a particular ebb and flow to what actually works and Batman Begins is pretty stuffed to be honest. But, it didn't all get to involve that character, Bruce Wayne was Batman because of the origin and that we don't have to do.

Q: Any truth to the rumors of Ryan Phillippe or Phillip Seymore Hoffman?

CN: (Laughing) As the penguin, no, not true.

Q: Sean Penn?

CN: No truth, no truth to any of those rumors. All interesting ideas though...

So there you have it folks, straight from the horses mouth...



The Dark Knight is set for release in June 2008.

I'd still like to see Ryan Phillippe take a crack at the Harvey Dent role...



Meanwhile, The Prestige, starring a cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Batman himself Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Andy Serkis (who played Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, Piper Perabo and David Bowie, opens on Oct. 20th.

Deal Me In

The status of three lucrative film franchises are making news from all corners of moviedom.

First up, IESB.net offers up a strange twist in the ongoing saga of Tom Cruise and Paramount Pictures:

Crazy as it may sound all things are not lost for Mission Impossible fans. With the recent breakup up between Cruise Wagner Productions and Paramount one would think that the franchise would be forever lost, but that is not the case.

Studio head Brad Grey has gone on record saying that he believes that Tom Cruise is a great actor and that he believes that he will work once again with him. Paula Wagner also has gone on record saying that “she would consider making a fourth "Mission"—at Paramount. "If it's the right script, why not?."

The L.A. Times is reporting that “Tom Cruise has cut a deal with a group that includes the owner of the Washington Redskins to finance the overhead costs of his film production company, sources close to the negotiations said today. Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder, chairman of Six Flags Inc., is said to be a leading investor in an agreement that would give Cruise less than $3 million annually to finance staff and office expenses. In exchange, Snyder and the others will have the ability to finance movies developed by Cruise and his producing partner, Paula Wagner.

The two-year deal gives Cruise less than the $3 million a year that he reportedly turned down from Paramount Pictures to renew his longtime deal with the studio that expires Thursday. Cruise and Wagner had been receiving an estimated $10 million annually from Paramount to cover their overhead under the soon to be expired deal.”

I knew someone would come along and sign a deal with Cruise/Wagner Productions...I just didn't expect the broker to be tied into a sports team of all things. Strange bedfellows indeed--but O.K.

The Star Trek fansite TrekWeb had this interesting little blurb concerning Star Trek XI:

The search for Spock is on again, as it becomes evident that JJ Abrams' Star Trek story shall focus on younger versions of the original crew.

With the Canadian Fan Expo nigh, the Ottawa Sun made a call to Leonard Nimoy, who joked about having to write a sequel to his I Am Not Spock and I Am Spock books.

"My next title should be I Am Not Necessarily Spock," laughed Nimoy as he considers that his signature character may be played by another actor, one who might need blessings from the archetype (story).

Having received a call from Paramount, Nimoy now speculates about his participation in the next Star Trek film, suggesting that he may be willing to come out of retirement to reprise his Vulcan persona.

"The head of production at Paramount called my agency to tell them about this project and they are aware of [William Shatner]'s and my contribution to the franchise," Nimoy explains, "and they'd like us to know they might want some involvement. It was all very, very general.

"They might possibly want Bill and I to set up the story as a flashback. But that's just conjecture on my part."

If I'm not mistaken, at one time anyway, both Shatner and Nimoy had it written into their contracts to have final casting approval during the time of the original series flicks. The "courtesy" call sounds like an offshoot of such a clause. No matter what the studio's reason for such a call happens to be--I think it's a good idea and the proper thing to do. After all, who knows Kirk and Spock better than Shatner and Nimoy, with the exception of maybe Trek's late creator Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991)?

And finally, Pamela McClintock of Variety reports that all signs are, that Legendary Pictures will once again team up with Warner Bros., and help to finance the Superman sequel.

If Legendary is unnerved, it isn't showing. Like Warners, Legendary insists it will turn a profit on "Superman Returns," and has given all indications that it's on deck to co-finance a sequel.

Like Legendary, all the funds [mentioned in the article] argue that they won't be made, or broken, by just one pic. By investing in a slate of pics over the course of several years, they're virtually guaranteed a return of 10%.

For more on this story, read the complete article here...

I wish I could be "guaranteed a return of 10%" for every "deal" I make--given that the Warner/Legendary partnership also yielded a bigger box office dud called Lady in the Water. Glub__Glub!...

The Invincible Man

As predicted, Invincible, recorded a win during this weekend's box office match-up. I am planning to see the movie sometime this afternoon. Look for an official Last Reel review to be posted in the next few days...

In the meantime, Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo wrote this in his Weekend Report:

Rookie 'Invincible' scored a solid estimated $17 million, while 'Little Miss Sunshine [placing 3rd with $7.5 million],' and 'The Illusionist' [at #14 with $1.8 million] successfully expanded and 'Snakes On A Plane' [#9 with $5.8] tumbled...

Here's Gray's full report...

Ben Fritz of Variety offers his own playbook to crunch the numbers

In Touch Down for "Invincible" Entertainment Weekly cinema guru, Joshua Rich said this:

Marky Mark is back in play with "Invincible", "Little Miss Sunshine" holds on tight, and frat boys come in small numbers to cheer on "Beerfest" [at #4 with $7 million in ticket sales]

I can't end today's post without taking time to congratulate actor Kiefer Sutherland and director Jon Cassar for taking home Emmy Awards during last night's telecast for their work on the Fox-TV drama 24 My favorite series also won as Best Drama for the 05/06 season. It's about time!! Way to go!! (I know this is a movie blog...But hey 24 is a very cinematic show right?)

Sutherland as CTU Agent Jack Bauer on "24"

Shock And "Call"

Reaction among industry heavyweights over the recent split between Tom Cruise and Paramount Pictures has proven to be...interesting:

From Friday's World Entertainment News Network column

Spielberg "Stunned" by Paramount's Cruise Decision

Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg insists he had no prior knowledge of Paramount's decision to end their partnership with...Cruise, declaring he was stunned by the news.

Spielberg's Dreamworks company is owned by Paramount Pictures and has directed Cruise in Minority Report and War of the Worlds. Spielberg also owns the talent firm Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which represents Cruise. When Sumner Redstone, the chairman of Viacom - Paramount's parent company - announced the studios would not be renewing Cruise's 14-year production deal due to his "recent conduct," Internet gossips claimed Spielberg was aware of the decision.

However, his spokesman Marvin Levy tells the New York Daily News, "Steven had no advance knowledge of Sumner Redstone's position. The story broke when Steven was on an airplane. He found out when the plane landed." Spielberg's producing partner Kathleen Kennedy has lashed out at reports the director was unhappy with Cruise's behaviour during the War Of The Worlds publicity campaign last year, when he indulged in public displays of affection with fiancee Katie Holmes on red carpets all over the world. Kennedy says, "It's not true. Tom was a consummate professional. He's done nothing wrong."

I believe Speilberg, when he says he had no prior knowledge, of Redstone's decision. As chief of Viacom Redstone doesn't need to report to Speilberg for anything...

Studio Briefing had this:

Were Grazer's Congratulations To Redstone Really In Order?

Producer Brian Grazer is reportedly contradicting statements by...Redstone that he phoned Redstone to congratulate him on decision to break off ties with Cruise's production company.

L.A. Weekly columnist Nikki Finke, citing a Grazer intimate (Grazer, she said, is on vacation and could not be reached), reported Thursday that Grazer had merely phoned Redstone "to ask what's going on."Finke's source added that "anyone would be shocked to see a private phone call ever discussed publicly, much less reported in The New York Times."

Meanwhile, Paramount chief Brad Grey and Viacom CEO Tom Freston remained conspicuously silent on Redstone's critical remarks about Cruise... [Friday's] New York Post quoted an unnamed studio executive as saying that Redstone "chopped his management off at the knees" and "showed no confidence" in either.

Patrick Goldstein of The Los Angeles Times wonders if Grey is Redstone's real target in all of this... After reading the Big Picture Extra--you may begin to think of the canning of Cruise as a small part of a larger plan for the company...?

Truth, Justice, And Marriage

Cinema Stew is back! On today's menu--Kryptonian Cuisine--Yummy!

We start things off with this--A new controversy surrounding Superman Returns

BroadcastingCable.com has published an article revealing that the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) has taken aim at Warner Bros. for advertising the film during shows aimed at children.

In part, the article reads:

CARU, the self-regulatory ad industry monitoring panel, says Superman Returns, which has a PG-13 rating for action violence, should not have been advertised in kids shows before 8:30 at night on Cartoon Network because, it said, that would "create an interest in the film by the child audience and send an implicit message that the film is. appropriate for all children."

CARU has previously cited several PG-13 films advertised in kids programming, and with Wednesday's decision sent the message that it believes such a move clearly violates its guidelines. "By airing PG-13 rated films during children's programming, the advertiser is substituting its judgment for that of the parents," CARU said.

Warner Brothers asserts that "a PG-13 rating does not mean that children under age 13 should not see a film or are barred from seeing it without a parent and therefore airing the commercial during children's programming is consistent with the self-regulatory guidelines for children's advertising."

Read the complete article at the Broadcasting Cable website.

Better late than never, eh?

How ridiculous is this? Forgetting that the film is now heading out of theaters--awaiting a release date on DVD--compared to most of this Summer's other PG-13 rated fare SR was pretty mild. I have always said that it's up to the parent or guardian of a child, to decide what he or she should see at the movies or on TV, not some group or government agency. And if a young person doesn't have an adult looking out for them--the problems they have are bigger than being harmed by anything one sees on the screen. There's nothing in the ads that children don't see during the afternoon on any given day. Good Gosh! Get a life!

Several clips and a featurette showcasing Hollywoodland--the film that looks into the mysterious death of actor George Reeves (Television's Superman of the 1950's) are up on IESB.net...Even though I'm not a fan of these "clip dumps", the more I see of this movie, the more impressed I get. You be the judge. Here are Seven Film Clips and Behind the Scenes Footage From Hollywoodland...

People Magazine reported a few days ago that “Superman Returns” star actor Brandon Routh is taking the BIG plunge... confirming that he is engaged to his girlfriend Courtney Ford.

According to Routh’s publicist, Routh proposed in early August with a ring from Los Angeles-based jeweler Neil Lane. Routh and Ford plan to marry next fall. The newly engaged couple will also costar in the upcoming short film “Denial”. Read the rest of the details here.

Routh And Ford At The 2006 MTV Movie Awards

While Routh is now engaged to be married, fellow "Superman Returns" star Sam Huntington (who played Jimmy Olsen) recently tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend Rachel Klein.

Sam and Rachel exchanged vows on August 12th



Huntington And Klein At The L.A.

Premiere of Superman Returns In June

Love is in the air for the citizens of Metropolis...big time. Congratulations!

Team Spirit

As Summer '06 winds down, 4 new films are hoping to make it into the end zone, before the play clock reaches zero. Invincible (Reviews) leads the pack--with most critics giving the Vince Papale biopic high marks.

Dave McNary of Variety handicaps this weekend's derby in Pic quartet tackles B.O....While Entertainment Weekly's Joshua Rich is a bit more certain who will come away the win: On a slow weekend, Wahlberg looks "Invincible"---adding that the football drama will be No. 1, but it's a victory against the second division as summer turns to fall.

Nothing goes better with football than a nice cold beer, right?...Cold is a great way to describe the critical reaction to the comedy Beerfest (Reviews). Meanwhile, rapper André Benjamin of Outkast tries to further cultivate a film career, in the prohibition era musical drama Idlewild (Reviews). Author Thomas Rockwell's popular book, How to Eat Fried Worms (Reviews) gets the big screen treatment, to round things out...

Can you believe it? Next week marks the end of the Summer '06 movie season. Wow! How time flies...Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a very special post that's coming soon concerning a particular comic book flick--taking the summer out in style.

But Who Gets Custody Of The Kids?

The noise generated by the nasty split between Tom Cruise and Paramount Pictures seems to have quieted in the last 24 hours...

But as is the case with any "divorce", since the love is gone, ultimately it's all about the division of assets accumulated during the union that matters now.

Michael Fleming and Chris Gardner of Variety discuss the possibilities:

The abrupt divorce of Paramount Pictures and Cruise/Wagner Prods. has not only sent shock waves through the industry but also raised questions about the future of the [production company] and its many projects at the studio.

The vociferous exchanges between [the studio] and Cruise's reps at CAA quieted down Wednesday. ...industry insiders observed that CAA also represents someone equally if not more important than Cruise -- Steven Spielberg. Paramount, of course, now owns Spielberg's company, DreamWorks.

The Spielberg angle puts even more pressure on [the studio] and CAA to devise a way to settle out the Cruise/Wagner deal. ...

As for the films, C/W had continued to dig up new projects for Paramount. They were in early talks for a fresh deal to develop a Hurricane Katrina film, made with Scott Gold, the journalist from the L.A. Times' Houston bureau who covered the disaster.

No deal has been closed for that project, giving Cruise and Wagner the option to take it to their new [production company], for which they have raised a revolving fund of $100 million.

Getting other projects they've developed at C/W for Paramount off the lot when they leave next month could be tricky, however.

A rep for [C/W] said that conversations about the fate of their Par-based pics have not yet begun. "We have not discussed what will happen with the projects. They all have separate contracts and agreements, and I'm sure they will be honored," said C/W spokeswoman Julie Polkes of Rogers & Cowan.

Negotiations could get very complicated. Several months ago, Paramount toughened its conditions for projects put into turnaround, insisting that [the studio] not only get fully reimbursed but also obtain co-production rights. The policy has frustrated producers who are trying to recover projects they'd set up under the Sherry Lansing regime.

It was during her tenure that C/W began to flourish on the Par[amount] lot. But with new top brass in place under studio chairman Brad Grey and movie stars facing a tougher studio landscape, many speculate that C/W's exit from Paramount is more about money and less about the behavior of Cruise, as cited by Redstone.

Cruise and Wagner had a notoriously rich deal with Paramount before Grey came in and began cutting costs...

Producers on the lot have groused about the studio's reluctance to let projects go into turnaround. And they cite the "brutal" terms Par imposed in allowing Lionsgate to take over the remake of Hong Kong thriller "The Eye" last month.

Paramount let C/W take it elsewhere after Renee Zellweger dropped out and instead committed to another Par thriller, "Case No. 39." Par waived its reversion rights to reclaim the project, even when Jessica Alba committed to star for directors David Moreau and Xavier Polud.

Cruise/Wagner is scheduled to make the film for Lionsgate next year.

While producers who exit first-look deals often see those projects through to production after they leave, insiders are wondering if the avalanche of other potentially lucrative C/W projects will become the kids in an ugly custody battle.

Outside of Scott Rudin -- who just completed his move to the Walt Disney Co. -- C/W was for years the most prolific buyer of books and scripts on the Paramount lot.

There is a stockpile of projects, many acquired because of their potential to become starring vehicles for Cruise...

Click here to see the list. Some of these projects sound really cool...

C/W has an inventory of projects that were originally bought for Cruise but atrophied. There are also numerous titles that will not star Cruise. It would not be surprising if Paramount was less territorial over those given its track record with C/W projects that Cruise didn't topline.

While "Ask the Dust," "Elizabethtown" and "Suspect Zero" were... misfires, C/W produced better-received titles "The Others" and "Shattered Glass."

I think both parties are looking to resolve these issues quickly and quietly...After all, the break-up itself was very noisy, and I doubt either side wants to have a prolonged "shouting match" over this stuff. I bet that Steven Spielberg is the key to how all of this ends. He's important to both sides...

Cruise--In-For A-Bruisin'

Actor Tom Cruise received "divorce papers" from Paramount Pictures yesterday. And to call the split "ugly" is putting it mildly.

The beginning of the end?

Chris Gardner of Variety gives us the play by play:

The 14-year Tom Cruise-Paramount relationship has ended on a note of anger and outrage.

Cruise and production partner Paula Wagner said they have raised a revolving fund of $100 million from two hedge funds and are striking out on their own -- including setting their next project at another studio.

Wagner denounced comments made by Sumner Redstone about Cruise as "outrageous and disrespectful." Redstone told the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that [the studio] was ending its relationship with Cruise because "his recent conduct has not been acceptable."

In fact, Wagner said that CAA, Cruise's agency, terminated discussions with Par earlier in the week. After Cruise/Wagner made 14 films in 14 years (not all Par[amount] releases), the studio had declined to renew the original Cruise deal and offered a sharply reduced pact.

Cruise has been a tabloid regular over the past year due to his relationship with actress Katie Holmes, their daughter, his outspoken views on psychiatry and medication, and his increasingly outspoken advocacy for the Church of Scientology.

Wagner defended Cruise/Wagner's longtime success for the studio, saying that the [production company]'s product has accounted for 15% of Par[amount]'s theatrical revenue in the last 10 years and 32% for the past six years. Their credits include the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, "Vanilla Sky" and "War of the Worlds."

The C/W [production company] also produced "Elizabethtown," "Ask the Dust" and "Suspect Zero."

"Worlds" grossed $591 million worldwide, while "MI3" recently took in $393 million.

Studio insiders have long been aware of Redstone's attitude that $10 million in overhead isn't worth it especially given Cruise's behavior.

In making his critical remarks about Cruise, Redstone has triggered an angry confrontation with one of Hollywood's most important superstars and his power broker, CAA.

Rick Nicita (who is married to Wagner) and Kevin Huvane, the two agents who rep Cruise, denounced Redstone's remarks as "shockingly offensive and graceless.

In addition to finalizing the $100 million revolving fund, the reps at CAA are about to close on a C/W overhead deal with another entity but not a distributor, they said. Further, Cruise has decided on his next film as an actor and negotiations are commencing at another studio.

Insiders reacted sharply to the Redstone-Cruise imbroglio, suggesting that it points up the mixed messages that the studio has been sending. "When you talk to Paramount, which voice will respond to you?" asked one top agent.

Par[amount] is a much different studio than the one where C/W set up shop in the early '90s. Jonathan Dolgen and Sherry Lansing guided the studio at the time when Cruise/Wagner rose to become the marquee [production company] on Melrose Avenue.

But over the past two years, the studio saw a massive overhaul following the exits of Dolgen and Lansing, followed by the installation of chairman Brad Grey.

Grey reworked the executive ranks and its supplier chain with the acquisition of DreamWorks and several new producer deals -- including another star pact with Brad Pitt and his Plan B [productions] and, more recently, a lucrative pact for Cruise's "MI3" helmer J.J. Abrams.

Clearly, there's more to this story then we know right now. While I agree that Tom Cruise is Nuts, and his behavior resulted in a backlash against Mission Impossible III I do question the timing and severity of the separation.

Why now? Cruise has been laying low of late. The box office receipts for MI-3 were counted long ago... MI-3 wasnt the money maker--but so what? Neither was Vanilla Sky. I'm the last to defend Mr. Cruise but to fire him over "personal" stuff such as this seems a bit much. The wording used by Redstone appears rather harsh as well, In the end the studio can do what ever it wants of course---Cruise may get the last laugh. As this incident could cause his devotees to shower him with much needed sympathy...I think the mighty $$ caused this split to happen more than anything else...for sure. Paramount hasn't had a bona fide hit movie, both critically or finacially in a while. The studio probably figures if golden boy Cruise couldn't deliver in tough times who can?

Reluctant Hero

As part of the Indiana Jones 25th anniversary celebration, (gosh, has it really been that long that the character's been around? Sigh...I feel very old!) Empire Magazine spoke with George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and the man himself Harrison Ford about the first three films in the series and Indy IV. Regarding the long gestating fourth installment, the trio offered up a status report. Garth Franklin of Dark Horizons gives us the highlights:

"We're basically going to do The Phantom Menace. People's expectations are way higher than you can deliver. You could just get killed for the whole thing... We would do it for fun and just take the hit with the critics and the fans" says Lucas

As a result, the trio has come up with an idea for a plot that was originally deemed 'too incendiary' by others. Lucas liked the idea it seems, but the other two were "a little dubious about it" and thought it was a "little too 'connected'" which would cause a critical backlash. This disagreement over the central idea seems to be the reason for the delays in recent years.

Why's it moving again? "Then Harrison really wanted to do it and Steve said, "Okay". I said, "We'll have to go back to that original MacGuffin and take out the offending parts of it and we'll still use that area of the supernatural do deal with it" says Lucas, with Spielberg adding "Hopefully it will be different in all the right ways and the same in all the familiar ways".

"There's a good chance it will happen. There are things left for this character to do" says Ford, whilst a mid-2007 start of shooting date is scheduled (which would put the film on course for a Summer 2008 release.

For more on Indy IV pick up a copy of the new issue (#308) of Empire on sale from August 25th.

'There's a good chance it will happen'. What does that mean? I thought it was a done deal? The article makes it seem like Ford isn't as optimistic about a fourth film as he once was....

I love Lucas talking expectations and referencing Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Priceless!!

Calling Animal Control

Snakes On A Plane de-throned 'Talladega Nights' as the top movie over the weekend--just barely. In fact, if it wasn't for those Thursday night screenings, the results would have been very different.

In his "Weekend Report" for Box Office Mojo Brandon Gray writes:

Scaling back from high expectations, 'Snakes on a Plane' nabbed an estimated $13.9 million Friday-to-Sunday ($15.3 million including Thursday night previews), as people didn't have to pay for the movie to chuckle at the title...

You can read Gray's full report here...

Meantime, in A slithery slope Ben Fritz of Variety says:

'Snakes' bite doesn't match the hype

Adding:

...Gross is well below predictions at New Line and among industry folk that the hype could translate into a bow somewhere in the 20 or perhaps even 30 millions.

Though "Snakes" was the big story going into the weekend, other pics mattered in their own right. "World Trade Center" and "Talladega Nights" held up nicely, while "Little Miss Sunshine" stayed strong as it started its move into wide release.

Finally, Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly, agrees After all the hoopla, "Snakes on a Plane" slithers in way below expectations...For more--read "Snakes" doesn't have much bite"

Hype? In Hollywood? Who would have thought...I still want to see this.