God, Please Save These Troubled States

Despite my obvious and blatant hatred for horror remakes, I went into the recent remake of the Pang brothers' The Eye with an open mind. Even if most horror remakes are letdowns, the source material the US counterparts had to work with was surprisingly good.

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Thought the G.I. Joe cast couldn't get any weirder? It does. Dennis Quaid has been cast as the leader of the squadron, General Hawk. So now we've got Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon Levitt, AND Dennis Quaid all in the same movie. Oh, and Sienna Miller. Please don't suck?

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One of the most heavy-handed and overrated movies of all time is set to be turned into a television show on the STARZ network. Crash, Paul Haggis' moral bludgeon of a movie, will have all the same writers, producers, and directors as the original. Will you watch the series?

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In light of the financial success of Cloverfield, Paramount is already in talks with director Matt Reeves about making a sequel to the monster movie. This, of course, creates an interesting predicament: Do you mirror the techniques of the first film or try to do something new?

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If you just can't get enough of people being ruthlessly tortured, fear not! You'll be able to do it yourself. The SAW franchise is set to be made into a video game using the various plotlines of the current 4 films. Really, this is totally necessary. Totally.

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Some sad news in the directing world: Mark Romanek has decided to part ways with the only horror-remake that looked decent. The Wolf Man, which currently stars Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins (!!!!), is now without a director. Who could possibly take over the reigns?

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Well, this can only get weirder from here on out. A cast member of Terry Gilliam's newest film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, claims that Gilliam is planning on using CGI to keep Heath Ledger in the film. It's a similar to the method used in The Crow when Brandon Lee died during shooting.

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In perhaps the most distressing and upsetting news of the 21st century, Michael Bay's production company is planning to remake The Nightmare on Elm Street film series. He doesn't plan on ruining just one film; he wants to re-do the series. More than one. God, please help us.

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Early this year, Heath Ledger posed for a painting for a local Melbourne artist; as the artist finished it, Ledger tragically left our world. The potrait has been released with the blessing of the Ledger family. It's a haunting and touching look at the actor in his final days.

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After being nominated for 7 Academy Awards and being praised so highly, I figured it was time to check out Tony Gilroy's mega-hyped Michael Clayton as it made a second round in local theaters. Anticipating interest due to its Oscar hype, Michael Clayton has been given an extended stay in theaters.

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Music downloaders in Europe, rejoice! Your privacy rights have been upheld by an EU court: record labels and film studios cannot demand that telecommunications companies hand over any personal information if you're suspected of downloading. Huzzah!

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Though the news isn't 100% official, it might as well be. Guillermo del Toro, who has worked on Pan's Labyrinth and both Hellboy movies, has been given the reigns for the two The Hobbit films. So that puts Peter Jackson in the producer chair and del Toro behind the camera. Perfect.

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Dimension is planning to remake the cult horror film Hellraiser, but the release date has been pushed back to next year. Yes, we're aware that no one seemed to know there was a remake planned in the first place; beyond that, would you be interested in seeing Hellraiser again?

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Well, if this isn't the most touching (and depressing) thing I've read all year, I don't know what is.

Christopher Nolan, who directed Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, has a piece published over at Newsweek remembering the talented actor. Be warned that it may turn on the tear factory.

Newsweek is kind of weird right now (maybe because of high traffic), so if you can't read it, here's the full text of the article, entitled, "Charisma As Natural As Gravity."

Best known for his haunting, Oscar-nominated performance as Ennis Del Mar, one of the gay cowboys in 2005 ' s "Brokeback Mountain," Ledger was a massive young talent on the cusp of greatness when he died last week in New York. The native Australian, who is survived by his 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, had recently finished work on this summer's "Batman" sequel, "The Dark Knight," in which he plays a villain, the Joker. Christopher Nolan, the film's director, shared these memories:

One night, as I'm standing on LaSalle Street in Chicago, trying to line up a shot for "The Dark Knight," a production assistant skateboards into my line of sight. Silently, I curse the moment that Heath first skated onto our set in full character makeup. I'd fretted about the reaction of Batman fans to a skateboarding Joker, but the actual result was a proliferation of skateboards among the younger crew members. If you'd asked those kids why they had chosen to bring their boards to work, they would have answered honestly that they didn't know. That's real charisma—as invisible and natural as gravity. That's what Heath had.

Heath was bursting with creativity. It was in his every gesture. He once told me that he liked to wait between jobs until he was creatively hungry. Until he needed it again. He brought that attitude to our set every day. There aren't many actors who can make you feel ashamed of how often you complain about doing the best job in the world. Heath was one of them.

One time he and another actor were shooting a complex scene. We had two days to shoot it, and at the end of the first day, they'd really found something and Heath was worried that he might not have it if we stopped. He wanted to carry on and finish. It's tough to ask the crew to work late when we all know there's plenty of time to finish the next day. But everyone seemed to understand that Heath had something special and that we had to capture it before it disappeared. Months later, I learned that as Heath left the set that night, he quietly thanked each crew member for working late. Quietly. Not trying to make a point, just grateful for the chance to create that they'd given him.

Those nights on the streets of Chicago were filled with stunts. These can be boring times for an actor, but Heath was fascinated, eagerly accepting our invitation to ride in the camera car as we chased vehicles through movie traffic—not just for the thrill ride, but to be a part of it. Of everything. He'd brought his laptop along in the car, and we had a high-speed screening of two of his works-in-progress: short films he'd made that were exciting and haunting. Their exuberance made me feel jaded and leaden. I've never felt as old as I did watching Heath explore his talents. That night I made him an offer—knowing he wouldn't take me up on it—that he should feel free to come by the set when he had a night off so he could see what we were up to.

When you get into the edit suite after shooting a movie, you feel a responsibility to an actor who has trusted you, and Heath gave us everything. As we started my cut, I would wonder about each take we chose, each trim we made. I would visualize the screening where we'd have to show him the finished film—sitting three or four rows behind him, watching the movements of his head for clues to what he was thinking about what we'd done with all that he'd given us. Now that screening will never be real. I see him every day in my edit suite. I study his face, his voice. And I miss him terribly.

Back on LaSalle Street, I turn to my assistant director and I tell him to clear the skateboarding kid out of my line of sight when I realize—it's Heath, woolly hat pulled low over his eyes, here on his night off to take me up on my offer. I can't help but smile.

Thank you for sharing that with us, Mr. Nolan.

Teen favorite Channing Tatum has been cast as the all-American hero in the upcoming live-action adaptation of G.I. Joe. Tatum will appear alongside an odd and eclectic cast that will include Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marlon Wayans, and Sienna Miller. Certain doom or awesome possibilities?

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In a long interview with TrekMovie.com, J.J. Abrams, director of the latest Star Trek movie, elaborates on what types of special effects he'll be using for the much-awaited film. In addition, he promises that the movie will satisfy Trekkies AND people who have never seen an episode of Star Trek in their lives.

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Thanks to Fox Searchlight buying the distribution rights at Sundance, Chuck Palahniuk's Choke has finally got a release date: August 1, 2008. Sure, that's like...six months away. But at least now we have a definite answer as to when we'll get to see this much-hyped film adaptation.

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The next film in the James Bond series has been officially titled Quantum of Solace. Daniel Craig is back, again, as the secret agent 007, and the film promises to continue in creating a realistic and believable bond. Oh, and the Bond girl is totally going to kick ass.

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Anticipating the success of 3D movies and the eventual release of Toy Story 3, Disney is going to release the first two Toy Story films in 3D. You'll be able to see the movies in an actual theatre in all their 3D glory. But is this overkill? Would you even want to see these movies in 3D?

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Huzzah! We are now two steps closer to ending the Writer's Strike! The Writers Guild of America has cut separate deals with Marvel Comics and Lionsgate. This means work can continue on the Captain America and The Avengers movies! And Lionsgate can keep doing...other movies? Either way, it's exciting!

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It's just a rumor for now, but boy. It's a doozy. Terry Gilliam is considering asking Johnny Depp to fill the role left vacant with the death of Heath Ledger. They've worked together in the past, so it's not completely impossible. Do you think Depp could replace Ledger successfully?

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Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia is set to star in Armored alongside Matt Dillon, Skeet Ulrich and Lawrence Fishbourne. The story follows a younger Armored Car driver who is convinced by his older companions to empty his truck of over $10 million. Heist movies rule!

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The shot-by-shot, American remake of Michael Haneke's Funny Games debuted at Sundance this week. Say what you want of the film, but it seems apparent after one viewing that the point of the film is a critique of cinema violence. Yet one reviewer seemed to completely miss the point.

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The first set of reviews are in: American Teen, a documentary chronicling life in a suburban high school, could be one of the next Oscar contenders come 2009. Following four separate teenagers who all attend the same school, it's being described as both hilarious and horrifying--in a good way.

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The newest Rambo flick is out tomorrow and since all the trailers have been needlessly violent, it made us wonder: how many people has Rambo killed? Someone came to our rescue and documented how many people have died by Rambo's hands. With and without his shirt on, too!

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Terry Gilliam really has the worst luck, no? Production on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus may be stopped because of the untimely and shocking death of Heath Ledger. Gilliam's projects have seemingly been cursed since the beginning of time. (Lost In La Mancha, anyone?)

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If you were a fan of Grindhouse, last year's exploitation double feature, fear not: Preliminary reviews of Quentin Tarantino's and Larry Bishop's Hell Ride are overwhelmingly positive. The biker gang war movie is apparently a complete blast of non-stop action!

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After the success of his widely-celebrated There Will Be Blood, everyone is wondering what director Paul Thomas Anderson will tackle next. Rumor is that he'll branch out to the horror genre for his next feature. Do you think the director of Magnolia and Punch Drunk Love can make a solid horror flick?

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To be honest, I'm still pretty shocked and bummed about this and I think I can say that, universally, this is really hitting people quite hard. My band played a show last night in Hollywood and it was the one topic everyone seemed to have on the tip of their tongues. It's so unbelievably sad and tragic.

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In perhaps the most shocking news of 2008, Heath Ledger has been found dead in his Manhattan apartment. There's no news as to why or how he died, as news is still developing. Ledger was only 28 years old and leaves behind a daughter with his former fiance, Michelle Williams.

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Just a few short hours after their Mexico City announcement, Coachella has released the full line-up for their massive three day music festival. Headliners include Jack Johnson, The Verve, Portishead, Kraftwork, and Roger Waters. No Radiohead? No My Bloody Valentine? Sigh.

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Despite the fact that it's splitting screening audiences at Sundance, Mario Bello could be eligible for her first Oscar come 2009 for her role in the disturbingly violent Downloading Nancy. She plays a woman so traumatized by physical and sexual abuse that she hires someone to kill her...for pleasure.

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Otto; or Up With Dead People boasted the only plot focusing on a gay zombie looking for love. After premiering at Sundance, however, it appears the unique film may be short-lived. Critics are panning the film, calling it one of the most distasteful and offensive movies to hit the screen. Find out why.

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If you couldn't get enough of the relentless beast of Cloverfield, fear not! Hasbro has plans to release a fully operation figurine, complete with sound, a decapitated Statue of Liberty head, and hours of destructive fun! Oh yeah. It's going to cost you $100. Huh???

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Chuck Palahniuk fans, you're in for a treat: Preliminary reports of the upcoming adaptation of his novel Choke are positive. Clark Gregg's screen version of the novel is receiving positive reviews across the board; could we have another Fight Club on our hands?

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After much anticipation, we've finally got the nominees for this year's Oscars; looks like and No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood completely dominated in nearly every category. Now, whether or not there will be an awards ceremony at all is a separate issue we'll have to deal with.

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In a stunning, anticlimactic announcement, Coachella has revealed a partial line-up for this years' massive festival. Roger Waters will be playing The Dark Side of The Moon; MIA, The Verve, and Death Cab For Cutie will be rocking main stages. Portishead has reunited! The partial list is right here.

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Oliver Stone has cast Josh Brolin in his upcoming biopic of our current president, George W. Bush. Stone has already directed films about Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy; do you think he'll be fair to Bush? And, more importantly, will Brolin be a good Bush?

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By the end of January 21, Cloverfield, J.J. Abrams' and Matt Reeves highly successful monster flick, will have made about $50 million, smashing all previous records for a January release. Have you seen the film? Are you aching to discuss it? Then come on in! Warning: Massive spoiler fun ahead.


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J.J. Abrams' next project, Star Trek, has a trailer right before Cloverfield. But if you can't wait, here's your first glimpse of the movie: The Starship USS Enterprise being built. Trekkies, time for you to nerd out, as this looks pretty spiffy. Hopefully, there'll be more released in the coming months.

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The Directors Guild of America has just reached a groundbreaking deal with the AMPTP (who the Writer's Guild are currently striking against). Directors and their team will all get more money for content distributed on the internet. We can only hope the writers make a similar deal to get what they deserve!

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You'll have to excuse the freakout; pictures of Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) together, for the first time in 6 years, have just been released. Director/writer Chris Carter also elaborates (barely) on the plot of the movie, but who cares? Mulder and Scully are back together!!!!

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After years of their absence, the four girls of Sex and The City are back for a full length movie. Expect sexual promiscuity and social commentary to bounce of the screen. Or something like that. If you're at all interested in the return of these characters, check out the first promo poster under the cut.

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It's been sitting in development hell for 8 years, but Sarah Michelle Gellar has posted an update about her involvement in the adaptation of American McGee's Alice. The video game took a classic story and added an even darker, sinister twist; the movie hopes to do the same. If it ever gets made, that is.

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We're rolling up all your Will Smith news into one post: Smith is saying he's in talks with Steven Spielberg to appear in Chicago 7, Spielberg's account of the protests at the 1968 Democratic Convention. In the same interview, he also states that the DVD for I Am Legend will contain a "less commercial" ending.

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One of the great cult explotation films (featuring women, too!) is set to be remade in the future by Quentin Tarantino. Though it's just a desire on his part, Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is one of Tarantino's favorite films and he wants Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian, and Eva Mendes to star in it. Will it happen?

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One of the strangest family shows to ever air, Land of The Lost, is getting a remake--sort of. Will Ferrell and Danny McBride will star in a spoof remake of the TV series. Can you imagine the comedic possibilities? Making fun of Land of The Lost is a dream and this cast might just knock it out of the park.

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After wiping the tears from your eyes, you can continue reading the funniest story (so far) in 2008. Dane Cook, unsatisfied with just being a frat boy comedian, wants to branch out into being a frat boy action star. And his first film as one, Dead Already, will hit screens in the near future.

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Should nerds and Apple fanatics rejoice at Apple's new movie rental service? Not just yet. It appears the system, while cutting-edge, is still flawed. Movies will run from $2.99 to $4.99 a piece and will last for 24 hours once rented. But will the quality be good? Download speeds? What about transfering to an iPod?

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After the success of the recent adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's moralistic western, No Country For Old Men, another celebrated novel of his is set to hit the big screen: The Road. Starring Charlize Theron and Viggo Mortensen, the movie will chronicle a man and his son trying to survive in a world full of cannibals.

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A strange announcement today from the South By Southwest camp: Their film fest will premiere Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay. Normally known for showing small indie flicks, it's one of the first times a big budget comedy will be shown at the festival.

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When I walked into the main courtyard of the Bronson Gate of Paramount Studios, I saw a replica of the Statue of Liberty--headless of course--installed over the fountain. I knew this meant that the marketing for Cloverfield, the J.J. Abrams-produced monster extravaganza, had reached it's pivotal extreme. They were taking this seriously.

As much as I'd been hyping this movie, the past week had filled me with doubt. I mean, the movie couldn't be as good as everyone was saying it was, right? Was it really a reinvention of the monster/horror genre? Or was I to be sorely disappointed?


Cloverfield opens without a typical title sequence. (Of course, the film soon proved to be unlike typical movies anyway.) We're greeted to a watermarked image and title, courtesy of the Department of Defense, and the set up begins: This is found footage in the case designated "Cloverfield." The tape was recovered in the area "formerly known as Central Park."

The film operates in two distinct manners: We learn that the tape made to document Rob (Michael Stahl-David) was actually recorded over old footage Rob had made of a day he had spent with longtime friend Beth McIntyre (Odette Yustman) after a night sleeping together. Occasionally, the film cuts back to the original footage, which proves necessary when the "event" strikes New York.

At this point, I think most of you know the basic plot: A strange "creature" attacks New York City, decapitates the Statue of Liberty, and creates utter chaos. So let's skip past any sort of plot summary (which you won't be getting) and address the main concerns I had going into the movie and whether they were met or not.


First off, don't read a single spoiler. Some of them explain what happens and I assure you, this movie will be so much more enjoyable (and impressive) if you know nothing more than what is in the trailer. To put this in plain words: AIN'T NO SPOILERS IN HERE.

The acting in Cloverfield is competent and suitable; occasionally a bit over the top, occasionally a bit melodramatic, but never flat-out terrible. I'm willing to admit that in a situation as stressful and traumatic as the one we see on screen, there's bound to be a ton of melodrama and over-the-top bravado, so it's not unbearable or distracting. The real gem, though, is Hud (T.J. Miller), who operates the camera for the large bulk of the film.

At face value, he does seem to be the character who archetypically provides the comic relief during an intense horror flick. But it isn't forced and Drew Goddard (writer) was smart enough to use Hud to acknowledge a large number of concerns that the audience might have with the story and the way it's framed.

There's a scene in the subway in which Hud awkwardly chooses to discuss a past incident in the New York subway system that would scare him at that very moment. It's an incident of comic genius, but also a realistic way for a person like Hud to deal with a horrific trauma: using humor to defuse a situation. Marlena Diamond (Lizzy Caplan), Rob, and Lily (Jessica Lucas) all react in a similar way: utter contempt that Hud would even try to be humorous in such a situation

To me, it was moments like these (there are quite a few) that make this movie so realistic. (Even if, at times, the movie does dip into the fantastical.) I'd like to think it's due to the fact that Matt Reeves had the actors improv a great deal of the lines. Not to say the dialog is perfect; there are a handful of incredibly cheesy lines, especially prior to the film's climax, and the now infamously dumb line that's found on posters across the nation: "Whatever it is, it's winning." Seriously, who the fuck would say that?

The cinematography is stunning, for the most part, though my motion sickness kicked in about 30 minutes in. I was shocked at how many times I was impressed by the camera work on an HD handheld. Much like last year's I Am Legend, there's something to be said for directors who can properly frame a fractured and abandoned city. Whereas Legend focused on an empty city, Reeves and company absolutely succeed at showing us a New York that has begun to decimate.

There's a surreal shot on the Brooklyn Bridge early on, as we see the first attack up close. We're haunted by the view of the skyline, set askew, from inside a building that is literally resting upon another. The overhead shots from the helicopter are mesmerizing. The night vision scene in the subway is dynamic.

But enough with adjectives and superlatives. At this point, you're probably screaming, "WELL? WHAT ABOUT THE GODDAMN MONSTER?"

I'm not going to tell you what it is. What it looks like. Where it came from. What it does. I will say this: I was completely satisfied.

The first glimpses we get are the same ones we've seen in trailers and extended scenes. However, the film wastes no time to show us what we've been waiting for. And it does it a lot. In every angle: below, above, beside, underneath, and so on. And, in the final moments, Reeve's promise that we'll get an "intimate" view of the monster is satisfied in a way I could never expect.

It's frightening. It's overwhelming. It's goddamned relentless. Harry Knowles spoke of a specific scene that knocked him back 3 feet. It takes place in the subway and as it came upon the audience, I found myself yelling in my head, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK, FUCK!" It was seconds later, as the events on the screen reached a frenetic fever pitch, that I realized I was saying them outloud. I realized I had also pulled up my legs into my chest and when the relief came, the audience clapped. We'd just been completely controlled by the film on the screen.

I haven't been to a ton of screeners, but this was the most vocal of the critic audiences I'd ever seen. People cussing, swearing, groaning, and begging. In other words: A complete blast.

Abrams said he was inspired by Godzilla and the obsessive culture that surrounds the genre in Japan; in many ways, this film is an homage not only to that, but the idea that so many Japanese horror films embrace: There is no need to over-explain  a horrible situation. Japanese films drop you into their world and you're there to believe.


Is this a genre reinvention? I'd have to agree that it is, because this film harkened back to days when I was younger and I'd become obsessed with a film months before it came out. (I could list any number of them; there are a ton of animated Disney movies in there.) I'd wait anxiously for the day it would arrive, begging my mom to take me to opening night. And I'd sit there, enraptured with the events and the images on the screen. I'd leave the theater, elated and excited. And when it came out on DVD, I'd watch it a couple trillion times.

I want to do this with Cloverfield. It's intense, relentless, and surprisingly bleak. (Who would expect a blockbuster to be so dark?) The filming technique, which could have easily been increasingly annoying, is an aid to the story. It could have hindered the movie, but it adds that much more realism to the film. People die. (And in horrible, horrible ways.) There's enough violence and blood to satisfy those looking for more grisly fare, but there's also enough off-screen hints and subtle plot drives to make this film more intelligent than I expected.

And I'm glad I can say this definitely: The monster FUCKING RULES.

Cloverfield is released on January 18, 2008. Take your friends and experience a movie the way it should be experienced: on the big screen.

Even though some of us are groaning at the thought that we'll have to suffer through yet another High School Musical marketing blitz, fans rejoice! The cast you've come to love has all agreed to return for a third installment of the musical series. Yes, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale will all be there. Oh. Joy.

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Following the success of Paris, je t'aime, New York will get their own movie about love in the Big Apple. This time around, Scarlett Johansson will step behind the camera to direct one of the twelve short films appearing in the collection. Who else is set to contribute to New York, I Love You?

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Ah, such a dignified word, no? While many people shy away from it, we've got the list of movies that embraced it. And by "embraced it," we mean "totally slaughtered it." Which movie used the word f#@K 824 times? (Did you read that? 824!!!) Which of these movies is actually good? Only one way to find out!

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David J, bassist of Bauhaus, has written and will be directing an upcoming stage biopic on 60s Warhol muse, Edie Sedgwick. It's playing here in Hollywood in March and the show promises to be different from everything we've seen about Sedgwick since her death. Plus, some dude from Bahaus wrote it!

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Ellen Page shall return to our screens soon, though this time she'll be under the direction of Drew Barrymore. The film is Whip It, an adaptation of the Shauna Cross novel about a young girl coming of age through her success at roller derby. Frankly, Page sounds perfect for the role.

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The crew working on the sixth Potter film have been told the final movie will be released in two parts. J.K. Rowling wanted a long adaptation on her last novel; fans will get to see more of the work adapted onto the screen; the studio makes a ton of money. But is splitting Potter into two long films a good idea?

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Well-respected actor Liev Schreiber has been cast as Sabretooth in the upcoming X Men: Origins film. The film also stars Hugh Jackman reprising his role of Wolverine. Oh yeah, and Michael C. Hall might play Stryker, too. This truly sounds too good to be true.

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 Elijah Wood has said that his character from the Lord of The Rings triology, Frodo, may make an appearance in the upcoming 'Hobbit' films. He also elaborates on Peter Jackson's plans for the two films: The first follows the book and the second will act as a bridge to the Lord of the Rings book.

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