Hellmouth Podcast

Archive for the ‘Movies’ Category

I wrote about this last week but there have been new developments that I though appropriate to share with all of you. Variety is now reporting the Joss Whedon is in final negotiations to direct The Avengers. Not only will Whedon direct the film is going to re-write the script as well. It is not official, and by I mean “not official” I mean that IMDB is not listing Joss Whedon as the Director, yet. For me IMDB is the Oracle of the TV and Film industry when it comes to that type of information. However, while Variety may run the ‘final negotiations’ story because they know it will sell papers, they typically don’t run rampant with unsubstantiated gossip.

Some other names that are reportedly a part of the project are Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Edward Norton (Bruce Banner), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and  (Captain America). As you can see, there is not a long list of names attached to this project but let’s take a moment to look at who is involved.

Robert Downey Jr. – I love, love, love Robert Downey Jr., there is no better Tony Stark/Iron Man than him in my book. I have been a RDJ fan for a long time. If you haven’t seen Chaplin or Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang then you should definitely check those films out. He is a very versatile actor and a cool cat. Most recently, I saw RDJ in Sherlock Holmes, while I didn’t particularly enjoy the film overall, I did enjoy Downey’s performance.

Edward Norton – I much preferred Edward Norton’s take on Bruce Banner as opposed to Eric Bana. Compound that with the fact that Norton is a huge comic fan and has a passion for the stories, I look forward to seeing him reprise his role. Don’t forget at the end of the Incredible Hulk movie starring Norton, Tony Stark shows up to talk to him about joining The Avenger project.

Samuel L. Jackson – ‘Nuff Said

Chris Evans – This is the only casting so far that I have an issue with. If you didn’t already know, Chris Evans has already been featured in a Marvel film playing Johnny Storm a.k.a. The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four series. I liked Evans in the Fantastic Four films but I am a little concerned about the ability to really accept him on-screen as Captain America when we have already associated him with the Fantastic Four. Captain America is the keystone of The Avengers and this role is going to make or break the film overall, I worry that this is a big gamble. Evans is a fine actor and he may be able to pull it off so I am reserving final judgment for the time being.

The Avengers is scheduled for release in May of 2012 and I have already made my opinions known about how this impacts Joss Whedon’s schedule between now and then. With a release date of May 2012 I would imagine the target would be to have principal photography done near the end of 2011 so that they have some preliminary footage to start promoting the film during the Christmas 2011 film season. That means that shooting begins early 2011. Now factor in the fact the Joss is going to re-write the script and we may see that this project starts in the next couple of months and continues until the film is released.

Again, I am not upset that Joss has landed this gig, I think it will be a fantastic film and I am really excited to see Joss’ take on The Avengers. Selfishly, it would not have been my first choice for his next project after Dollhouse for reasons I have expressed in my first post regarding Whedon directing The Avengers.

Does the fact that Joss Whedon is going to direct the film change your opinion on whether or not you are making plans to see The Avengers?

It has been confirmed that Joss Whedon is on the short list to direct the Avengers movie that Marvel Entertainment has been positioning themselves for, for the last 4 years. Joss has been working with Marvel recently writing for the X-Men series and having great success, in some way revitalizing that title for a large number of fans.

It makes sense that Joss would be considered. He brings a built in fanbase/audience to the film from both the Whedonverse and comic world, even though Marvel Entertainment doesn’t seem to have a problem filling theater seats. However, there is a large part of the Whedonverse that might go see the Avengers movie directed by Joss that might have otherwise skipped it.

Joss would be a great addition to the film, he has proven time and again that he is the cream of the crop when it comes to directing hero-based action stories. I would love to see him working with actors like Robert Downey Jr., Ed Norton, Don Cheadle and some of the others who are rumored to be on board for the film. I think that would make for some really fantastic interactions. Joss would also be able to add a point of view or a vision for the film that is unique and I believe will flourish in the comic movie genre. He has an eye for putting the audience in the story as opposed to simply observing the story. This has box office gold written all over it.

So here is the downside, I wrote previously about why I wanted Joss to steer away from the feature film market but I will recap quickly why I don’t like that idea. If Joss signs on for the Avengers then we lose Joss for approximately 12-18 months. At the end of that 18 months we lose him for 2 more months for promoting the film. We get a 150 minute film that completely rocks but that is really the equivalent of 4 television episodes. So what would you prefer, the equivalent of 4 tv episodes in almost 2 years? Or Joss holds out signs a new TV series deal and we perhaps get 30+ hours of Whedony goodness delivered on a weekly basis? I also think that Joss’ style of storytelling lends it self better to a weekly series than a one shot film. Top that off with the fact that Joss will probably not write the Avengers script he will only direct so we won’t get the dialogue, humor, etc that we expect from a Joss Whedon project. Marvel Entertainment has a lot of respect for Joss handing over the reigns of arguable their two largest titles, The Avengers and the X-Men, but I guarantee the suits will be all over the set making suggestions and putting their fingerprint on the project. Especially now that Disney has bought Marvel Entertainment.

I have two boys, so the Disney company and I have a close relationship and while I think they do a good job with their films, Disney is a movie manufacturer. They have a formula that they think works and they stick to it. I worry that Disney will not appreciate, understand or tolerate Joss deviating from the formula too much and this has the potential to be a huge source of frustration for Joss.

On the plus side, how fantastic would it be to see some of the Whedon Alumni popping up in The Avengers movie? Nathan Fillion as Captain America, I’d pay to see that. Eliza Dushky as the Black Widow, Amy Acker as the Scarlet Witch, James Marsters as Hawkeye the possibilities are endless. As a comic fan I am geeking out just thinking about it.

So if you had to choose between Dr. Horrible 2 – Feature Film, New Joss Whedon TV Series, or Joss Whedon’s The Avengers what do you choose? What Whedon Alumni would you want to see cast in the film?

It has been confirmed by both the SyFy channel and Felicia Day herself that she is set to star in a new SyFy movie to be released in 2011. The movie, titled “Red”, is a re-telling of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale with quite a twist.

In the action-packed Red, Red (Day) brings her fiancé home, where he meets the family and learns about their business – hunting werewolves. He’s skeptical until bitten by a werewolf. When her family insists he must be killed, Red tries saving him. Red also stars Kavan Smith (Stargate Atlantis) and Stephen McHattie (Watchmen). Red is produced by Angela Mancuso and Vesuvius Productions in association with Chesler Perlmutter Productions.

I have a love/hate relationship with the SyFy channel. I love them because they are always coming out with great new content for those who are huge Sci-Fi fans like myself. I thought “Tin Man”, the Wizard of Oz remake starring Zoey Deschanel, was phenomenal. I also am a huge fan of “The Dresden Files”. The hate part of our relationship has to do with the short lived run of Dresden Files which I felt could have gone on for at least 2 more seasons.

I am really excited about this new take on the Little Red Riding Hood story. Being a huge fan of Felicia Day’s, who most of you will remember as Vi the potential on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Penny from Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, and a fan of the SyFy channel in general this has the makings of a great project.

The only question in my mind is in taking such a classic fairytale and completely re-writing the concept. I am reserving judgement until I see the finished product. SyFy channel has done right by me for so long that I think I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Check back here for news on this project as it unfolds.

Let me preface this post by saying that I think this news is being severely over-hyped. Obviously, this could come back to bite me, no pun intended should this story play out to be true.

I am informing all of you about the latest rumors buzzing about the internet because I know many of you, like me, are clamoring to find out the who, what, when and where of Joss Whedon‘s next project.

Read the rest of this entry »

In case you haven’t heard, news has surfaced about Joss Whedon‘s current project. Joss will be working with Morgan Spurlock who is most notably remembered for his documentary titled Supersize Me.

The two of them will be working together to create a documentary about comic-con. They will be selecting a small group of uber-fans and chronicling their preparation and attendance of comic-con the largest conference centered around comics and comic oriented film and television.

Whedon is no stranger to comic-con, he and his projects are often focal points of comic-con each year. His TV series have lead him to be a featured guest along with cast members holding audience panels, meet and greets and Q&As.

I myself have never had the opportunity to attend comic-con but all accounts are that it is a fantastic fan experience. I don’t doubt that Joss’ film will capture all of the enthusiasm, fanaticism and excitement that go into this conference. I for one can’t wait.

I have to admit that when this article came across my Google Alerts this morning, I clicked on it thinking to myself, “this will probably be some radical Christian group damning anyone to hell if they watch any of the current, popular shows revolving around vampirism.” — It wasn’t.

The article on the ChristianCentury.org website, written by Rodney Clapp has some interesting points to make. I found parts of the article interesting and other parts of the article somewhat reaching. I think that his point about Vampires and Werewolves being character types that many adolescent teens can relate to in that both groups are experiencing drastic changes to their bodies and personalities. He also makes an interesting point about the feelings of alienation felt by teens. That is pretty much where my agreement with his article ends. Rodney goes on to discuss how vampires and werewolves in popular culture are an analogy of American views of post 9/11 terrorism, etc. I personally feel that is a bit of a stretch.

There is a link to the article here, you decide.

Michelle Trachtenberg is making a little noise in internet news today. In a recent interview Trachtenberg was asked about whether or not she would sign on for a new Buffy movie. Trachtenberg said,”there was a Buffy movie, that’s what started it all. We had an amazing seven-year run, and at the end Buffy, the universe ended. There’s not really anywhere to go.”

While many fans are clamoring for some form of on-screen revival of the Buffy series and cast, there are a lot of obstacles and questions that would have to be answered before a project like that would have any viability.

Here are a few things to think about…

Would you want a Buffy movie if the TV cast was not involved?

Should the movie be a continuation of the series or independent?

Would you see a Buffy movie if Joss Whedon was not involved in the project?

Let me know what you think hellmouthpodcast@gmail.com

What does esteemed actor/writer/director Gary Oldman, cell phones, a Jewish Hip Hop group named Chutzpah, bikini clad women and a music video all have in common?

They are the focus of accomplished actress/writer and debut director Juliet Landau‘s funny, cutting-edge short subject documentary, “TAKE FLIGHT”.

Technology icon Nokia, in the hands of talent icon, Gary Oldman (shamelessly drafted by aspiring icons Chutzpah to direct their music video) have collectively raised cell-cam art to soaring heights and given birth to a new trend in the process!

Gary directed the video shot entirely on cell phones and operated one of them as well. He asked Juliet to direct a behind the scenes “making-of” and her take on the ensuing madness bloomed into a documentary that is intoxicating! The cell phone footage affords a truly rare POV. “It’s like being inside his brain…seeing through his eyes,” says Landau, who reveals Oldman in a fascinating light: playful, funny, joyous, fluid, capturing his childlike exploration and an uncharted perspective on the world-renowned artist.

*JULIET LANDAU (TIM BURTON’S ED WOOD, JOSS WHEDON’S BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and ANGEL) is a highly respected actress, writer, producer and burgeoning director.  She is also a former professional ballerina.

*GARY OLDMAN (BOOK OF ELI, DARK KNIGHT, HARRY POTTER) has distinguished himself as an actor, writer, producer and director.  His feature directorial and writing debut, Nil by Mouth won an Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film and a BAFTA (a British Academy Award) for Best Original Screenplay.

*Because the film centers around cutting-edge technology, highlights that filmmaking is accessible in a way it has never been before and is perfect for the new frontier of Internet content, Juliet has chosen to make the film available for streaming directly on the films’ website. The website: julietlandaustakeflight.com, which houses the trailer and interviews, has had over 600 thousand hits with nearly no promotion.

*CASSIE CARPENTER, BACKSTAGE WEST:  Juliet Landau’s first directing project is innovative and feels surprisingly un-Hollywood.  TAKE FLIGHT  is a technologically groundbreaking yet intimate glimpse into Oldman’s creative process. Not only does the audience get to see a goofier, looser, and even wistful side to the actor whose characters are usually borderline psychotic, but because Oldman shot his music video solely on cell phones, much of TAKE FLIGHT is from his own point of view.

*GARY OLDMAN: Juliet Landau is an exceptional talent! I entrusted Juliet to make a documentary film about me and I am thrilled with the results! TAKE FLIGHT is a special film that shows me in a very different light. I will work with Juliet again without hesitation.

WHO: GARY OLDMAN, JULIET LANDAU
WHAT: TAKE FLIGHT  (A short funny doc about Gary and cutting-edge technology.)
WHERE: julietlandaustakeflight.com
WHEN: Launch date: 2/25/2010

Amber Benson has teamed up with Adam Busch to direct a new independent film called Drones. Many of you will remember Amber and Adam from their roles on Buffy The Vampire Slayer where they played Tara and Warren respectively.

This new independent film Drones, recently played at the Sundance Film Festival and each of you should be hoping that it garners enough praise to warrant a nationwide release. The premise is simple, take your typical cube-farm where employees spend at least 8 hours a day earning a paycheck, punching a clock, etc. But what if some of the people in your office were not just cube fodder earning a check. What if they were in fact aliens from another planet monitoring Earth and preparing for its inevitable destruction? What if you had struck up an office romance with one of said aliens? What if you were only slightly put out that she was an alien?

Drones is one part Office Space one part V with just a dash of wit and irreverence. If the trailers I have seen are any indication of the film as a whole then we are in for a real gem which at the very least will be a cult classic. My only hope is that the big studios don’t try and pick the film up from Sundance, re-make it, run it through the mass market machine of doom and spit out a pale version of the original vision of the movie.

If you haven’t seen it yet, there are a couple of trailers available on YouTube, one of them is here. You should definitely check it out!