MAY, 30

ON THEATRES NEXT WEEK

1-3’S AND 7’S

Action / Gangster

The Cast: Orlando Bloom, Russell Crowe, Ken Watanabe, Rene Russo. Cameo by Robert De Niro

The Director: Quentin Tarantino
The Screenwriter: David Makalaster

The Plot: Poker ace Michael San Quentin (Bloom) makes his living hustling tourists and scamming casino's in the city of chances, Las Vegas. But when he is invited to the private table of gangster courier Lazarro (Crowe), things take a turn for the worse. In desperation, Lazarro bets the merchandise he is supposed to deliver, an invaluable golden dragon belonging to the chinese triad, and loses.

Unknowingly, Michael pawns it off to pay for a weekend of booze and hookers and, upon returning to the land of the living, has to face up against both sides. Lazarro, fearing his superiors reaction to him failing to deliver the goods, is hell-bent on recovering the dragon and killing Michael.

On the other side, the triad sees an opportunity to claim the dragon without having to hold their end of the bargain and sends feared assassin An Mu Rong (Watanabe) to retrieve it and/or kill Michael.

Michael desperately tries to track down the dragon but finds that it has been sold on to casino mogul Anna Sands (Russo), a woman with suspected mafia-ties and an equally ruthless style of business. After Michael tries to barter with her,she decides to have him killed so as to prevent him letting anyone know she has the statue.

Michael manages to flee but he is pinned down in the casino lobby by both Lazarro and his thugs, Rong and his henchmen and Sands and her security officers. All are out to get him. In the ensuing firefight, Lazarro and Rong are shot and Sands fall to her death from a balcony. Michael survives(barely) and reclaims the dragon in order to get the mafia off his back.

In the very last scene, mafia bigwig Mr. Jackson (De Niro), gladly accepts the dragon but upon examining it closer, angrily determines it to be a fake.


Stark’s Comment: After four movies for CMP, the more tarantinesque movie from Tarantino. Here he is at his best. Pure action in the purest Tarantino’s style. Will this fourth attempt finally become a Quentin’s blockbuster for the Studio? Hope so…

2-LOBO

Action / Sci-fi / Comedy

The Cast: Vin Diesel, Patrick Stewart, Ed Harris, Jenna Fisher, Michael Ironside, Jack Black, Ryan Reynolds

The Director: Robert Rodriguez
The Screenwriters: Ben Tyler & Matt Kubrick
The Producer: Matt Kubrick / Midnight Movies

The Plot: Czarnia was a planet of peace and tranquility...until the day Lobo (Vin Diesel) was born. Upon his birth, he bit off four of the midwife's fingers. Throughout his childhood, he causes mischief, destroyed property, and kills at least three of his school principals, until one day he decides he's sick of his home planet and destroys it ("as a high school science project"). The only remaining buildings are Lobo's home, the adjacent space dolphin pen, and Al's Diner, where he frequently harasses the owner, Al (Ed Harris), and flirts with its only waitress, Darlene (Jenna Fischer).

His "kick-ass musical motivation" comes from a radio receiver implanted into his brain, which receives Cosmic Rock Zombie Radio, a station where Lobo threatened the DJ Wolfman Wilf (Jack Black) to play "I Killed My Folks (No Accident)" by Oedipus Wrecks 365 days a year, 24 hours a day under penalty of mangling.

After leaving Czarnia, Lobo becomes one of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy, usually eviscerating his target with his trademark hook and chain. One day, while feeding his pet space dolphins (one of the few things or people in the universe he actually likes), a space car piloted by Garryn Bek (Ryan Reynolds), a member of an intergalactic crimefighting organization called L.E.G.I.O.N. (Licensed Extra-Governmental Interstellar Operatives Network) swerves out of control and runs over one of the space dolphins. Furious, he goes on a personal mission to eviscerate Garryn Bek.

Along the way, Lobo meets Vril Dox (Patrick Stewart), the leader of L.E.G.I.O.N. While the two initally get along, both individuals' confrontational natures take over, and the two challenge each other to a fistfight. During the fight, Vril Dox uses his powers to turn Cosmic Rock Zombie Radio off-the-air, and Lobo, without his usual musical motivation, loses the fight. As a result of the terms of the fight, Lobo is forced to join L.E.G.I.O.N. Additionally, since L.E.G.I.O.N. headquarters was destroyed over the course of the fight, L.E.G.I.O.N. must meet at Al's diner and bunk in Lobo's house. Although he hates sharing his house and having to be a "fraggin' goody-two-shoes lawman," he keeps his word. As a law enforcement agent, he follows the LETTER of the law exactly (although he will cheerfully violate the SPIRIT of the law when the opportunity presents itself).

The plot thickens when L.E.G.I.O.N. is taken over by Vril Dox's son Lyrl (Michael Ironside) and renamed R.E.B.E.L.S. (Revolutionary Elite Brigade to Eradicate L.E.G.I.O.N.'s Supremacy). Vril Dox, however, escapes the compound, and Lyrl orders Lobo to track him down. Using his tracking sense, he manages to find and subdue Vril Dox. However, when he gets back, he finds that Lyrl had kidnapped Darlene the waitress as collateral (as he did not think Lobo could keep his word). Angered, Lobo faces off against Lyrl Dox, killing him by trapping his head in a deep fryer.

As an act of gratitude, Vril Dox releases Lobo from his obligations as a member of L.E.G.I.O.N., and he is allowed to go back to his job as a freelance bounty hunter.


Stark’s Comment: A comic based movie different from all comic based movies. Nothing to do with ‘The Avengers’ or ‘Captain America’. Weird, wild and freak. An extremely violent movie (with the over-the-top nature of the violence being one of the sources of humor). It will become a cult movie for sure. Let’s hope it also makes money.

3-ONLY IN AMERICA

Comedy / Musical

The Cast: Will Smith, Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jim Carrey, Matt Damon, Jon Favreau, John C. Reilly, Robert Duvall. Cameos by Richard Gere, Aaron Eckhart

The Director: Cameron Crowe
The Screenwriter: Ted Froats

The Plot: The next presidential election is approaching, and with the current President (Eckhart) having a zero percent approval rating, it seems like anyone could do a better job (Cast: An Easy Job, But Someone Has To Do It). In fact, many unlikely people decide to run: A black junior senator (Smith), a former First Lady (Pfeiffer), a populist trial lawyer (Damon), an ancient war hero (Nicholson), a multi-billionaire (Carrey), a Baptist Minister (Favreau), a scandalous former prosecutor and mayor (Reilley), and a B-Level TV Actor (Duvall).

Each candidate begins their campaign, and hones their rhetoric. (Smith: When Kenya Met Kansas), (Nicholson: Another Lesson I Learned In Hannoi), (Carrey: A Good Deal For America), (Favreau: PS, God Says Hello), (Reilley: Save the City, Save the World), (Duvall: As Seen On TV), (Pfeiffer: I Married Well), and (Damon: Look At My Hair).

Amazingly, it begins to look like the Democratic party will either nominate it's first female or black candidate (Smith & Pfeiffer: Only In America). The Republican side is less clear, but if the war hero doesn't get his campaign together, he doesn't have a chance (Nicholson: Take No Prisoners).

As the primaries begin, candidates begin to bow out (Damon: My Closing Arguments) (Favreau: A Reading From The Book Of Revelations). On the Republican side, the war hero gets the nomination, and offers the VP slot to the multi-billionaire (Nicholson & Carrey: A Good Deal For America, Reprise). But the former first lady's campaign is accidently sabotaged by her husband, the former President, leading to a major fight between the married couple (Pfeiffer & Gere: I Married Well, Reprise). The black junior senator ends up with the nomination, and accepts the former first lady as his running mate.

But both VPs have ulterior plans. The millionaire is better that the old war hero will die of old age early in his term (Carrey: A Beautiful Tragedy)...while the former first lady is taking things into her own hands. She gives Secret Service details to a member of the KKK (Pfeiffer: A Shot In The Dark).

But the assassination is botched, and the bullet misses...accidentally striking the former President instead. The former First Couple realize in their final moments together that they really did love each other (Pfeiffer & Gere: I Married Well, Reprise).

Finally, it's time for the election. A huge song and dance number involves the entire cast and thousands of extras (Cast: Election Night).

Meanwhile though, the current President is alone on his final night in the White House, secretly wishing there were some way to stay past eight years (Eckhart: An Easy Job, But Someone Has To Do It, Reprise).

But when the votes are counted, there is a shocking surprise. There ARE no votes to count. Everyone was so excited and wrapped up in the singing and dancing, everyone forgot to vote.

The unprecedented case goes before the supreme court...with the populist trial lawyer defending the Democrats and the scandalous former prosecutor and mayor defending the Republicans (Damon & Reilley: I Object!) But the Supreme Court rules that, since nobody bothered to vote, they must be okay with how things are going after all.

So the Court decides that, in spite of the Constitutional Amendment forbidding it, the current President gets to serve an additional four years after all.

(Cast: Only In America, Reprise)


Stark’s Comment: Froats returns to musical after ‘Carousel’. This time looking for comedy. Probably, the most starry CMP’s cast ever. And a wonderfully funny screenplay. Personally, I am convinced this is going to work. In fact, CMP has approved a really high marketing budget for a musical. What a week… three BIG releases this time. My fingers are so crossed that hurt.

MOVIES IN DEVELOPMENT

VELCRO: Frances McDormand (‘Cursed Neverland’, ‘Man In The Mirror’) is playing Kate Hudson’s mother, an ex hippy now fighting for her daughter and granddaughter, played by Chloe Moretz. Josh Collins has finally decided not directing his pitch. He has preferred to hire Allison Anders to do it. Probably, a woman directing will be a good choice for this very feminine story.

THE DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER: Decision taken. Russell Crowe abandons his latest villain roles to play the main character of this mixture between fantasy and western. Another GMA Winner, Sharon Stone, returns to CMP after ‘The Towering Inferno’ to play his love interest.

THE MISADVENTURES OF HARRY FLASHMAN: Sean Connery is returning to CMP after quite some time (his last work for CMP was ‘Dungeons & Dragons: The Shattered Orb’) to play Flashman’s father. Other names attached to this production are Arnold Vosloo (‘Hitman: Pain of Destiny’) and the CMP’s debutante Kerry Condon, who’ll be Flashman’s young wife.

CAPTAIN PLANET: At last, green light for this Ben Tyler’s satiric vision of the ecological superhero Captain Planet. After becoming a rock star past Season in ‘The Metal’, now Owen Wilson becomes the hero with the green face as Will Farrell finally decided not playing the character (‘I just realized that Owen was much better than me for the character’, has said Ferrell). The movie will be the first directional experience for Ben Tyler.

DARKMAN: RESURRECTION: Mark Whalberg has never worked for CMP. But this absence will be fixed soon. Whalberg debuts in CMP playing a private detective that helps Michelle Trachtenberg to fight against both Darkman and his best pupil, Heather Graham. Taylor Dooley (‘Welcome to Summer Camp’) will also be seen in this awaited release.

ATLANTIS: Another big production coming up, this one from Matt Kubrick. Steven Spielberg returns behind the cameras in CMP. He had produced but not directed any movie for the Studio since ‘Star Wars: New Order’. Finally, George Lucas won’t be producing this one, as he is not available: he is going to produce another pitch coming up soon. Spielberg, who will also produce the movie, has chosen his main star for this fantasy adventure about the destruction of the legendary Atlantis: Hayden Christensen, who already starred this Season the love story ‘Together Apart’.

THE SEX MONSTER: This is getting even worse… Imagine: a dark wild comedy about a mature woman hooked on sex… and directed by John Waters. Anything can be expected. The brave actress who has accepted such a challenge? Kim Basinger, not seen in CMP since Season 1, when she starred the film noir ‘Dead Man’s Song’.

LYRA: More names for this comedy with a light drama touch from Collins: Woody Harrelson, seen in the two Cell Mates’ episodes, and Alexander Gould, seen past Season in ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’.

DAISY LANE: More returns to CMP of talents not seen around for a long time. Pierce Brosnan, absent since the end of the Uncommon Valour saga, returns to work for the Studio. Also, making her debut in CMP, Emma Thompson will finally appear in a Studio’s release.

BLACK GUYS: ‘Mr. Sci-fi’ Steve Connors presents his first pitch in Season 8. A fantasy comedy about two white guys that suddenly turn black and have to learn how is like to live with a different skin colour. Chris Rock (‘An American Stroll’) has accepted to be one of the ex-white black guys.


BLU-RAY RELEASE… ‘HOME: THE HI DEF EXPERIENCE’

‘Home’, a war drama, was written and directed by Matt Kubrick and produced by Oliver Stone in CMP’s Season 3. It can be considered as a rarity from Kubrick, an author mainly focused on horror flicks and comic based stories. For once, Kubrick bet for a classic concept with this drama about a marine unit trapped in an ambush near Bagdad. The movie made a box office of 67 millions and got 5 GMA Nominations. Robert Downey Jr. won the GMA for Best Supporting Actor. The allstars cast included Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Hillary Swank, Forest Whitaker, Ed Harris, James Gandolfini, Julianne Moore and Matthew McGouneghy.

Here is a special edition of the movie under the supervision of Matt Kubrick with the following contents:

- A brand new hi definition transfer with 20 minutes added back into the film.

- Audio commentary with Matt Kubrick, Oliver Stone, Matt Damon, Hillary Swank and Robert Downey Jr.

- ‘2 WEEKS AT BOOT CAMP’: documentary with the cast. Watch everything they went through to get into their roles.

- ‘Making Of’ including interviews with the director, producer and cast and blooper reel.


BEN TYLER AND ‘MONOLITH’

After the recent release of ‘Monolith’, we have found in ‘Time’ magazine an interesting interview where Ben Tyler offers some interesting thoughts about Sci-fi. Due to its interest, we have decided to reproduce them here… with the permission of ‘Time’:

“I actually think that, at its best, science fiction can be just as intellectually stimulating - and often more so - than works of a more "traditional" genre. In fact, a lot of my artistic inspiration comes from the realm of science fiction - Harlan Ellison, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, and the like all helped to shape my view of storytelling.

The key is verisimilitude - making your audience BELIEVE what they're seeing (or reading). When I first read Dune as a wide-eyed, twelve-year-old bookworm, I remember being totally enthralled at the way Frank Herbert was able to portray a feudal interstellar society more than 10,000 years distant from the present, shaped by events that no one could have predicted, in a way that felt logical and real in spite of how fantastic and alien it was. And the notion of verisimilitude has stuck with me ever since. It doesn't matter if your story is about an overweight businessman in 1980's Manhattan or an eight-foot tall genetically-engineered ninja pirate space lawyer with the power to turn his own snot into gold, as long as the audience buys it and finds it engaging (and/or funny). Verisimilitude is the bridge between the narrative as it is presented by the artist and the story as it is experienced by the audience.

The best science fiction has this quality in bucketloads. It doesn't matter if it's hard sci-fi (like 2001) or soft sci-fi (like Star Wars), if it's good, you believe it. It sucks you into its little world full of characters, gadgets, robots, aliens, or whatever - so that you can visualize it in your mind in a way that makes sense and feels like it could be real.

My point is that for any work of fiction to have verisimilitude, it needs to be intelligently written (yes, even those popcorn action flicks). Some movies require different kinds of intelligence and cleverness to pull off successfully, but the basic principle remains the same. In short, what I'm trying to say is that ALL good sci-fi films are intelligent.”

A LOOK AT… PATRICK STEWART

Who is the most active talent in CMP? Johnny Depp? Keira Knightley? Scarlet Johansson? Bruce Willis? No! No other than Patrick Stewart. Joey Stark, Marcus Trax, John Daws, David Makalaster, Ben Tyler, Matt Kubrick… all of them have wanted him in their pitches one time or another. With this week’s release of ‘Lobo’, Stewart becomes the first talent to reach his tenth work for the Studio. And not only that: he is also one of the most profitable stars. He has worked in one ‘200’, three ‘100’, and three ‘90’ and none of his ten movies have had net losses. He more than deserves this week’s tribute. Let’s take a look at his CMP’s filmography:

CORSAIRS (Martin Campbell, B.O.: 169 mill.): First villain for Stewart. He was perfect to play an ambitious british Governor obsessed with capturing Antonio Banderas.

HITMAN: THE MYTH OF JOHN JACKSON (Tony Scott, B.O.: 99 mill.): Stewart plays one of the main characters of John Daws’ saga: Father Michaels. The mentor and the father he never had for Colin Farrel. It was the beginning of a legend.


STAR WARS: NEW ORDER (Steven Spielberg, B.O.: 229 mill.): Trax begun the new trilogy of the most popular franchise ever and Stewart joined the project playing one of its main characters: the Jedi Master Borel Vass. A megahit and Best Picture GMA.

HITMAN: TWO WAYS TO DIE (Tony Scott, B.O.: 125 mill.): Jumping from one saga to another. Again, Stewart / Father Michaels is there to take back Farrel / Hitman to work (including shooting his love, Keira, in a compassionate action).

HITMAN: THICKER BLOOD (Tony Scott, B.O.: 93 mill.): Too much action to resist. Father Michaels’s heart finally failed. Only Farrel and Kate Beckinsale were at his burial. A heart breaking moment.

STAR WARS: MYSTERIES OF THE SITH (Lawrence Kasdan, B.O.: 173 mill.): Back to success. Things were looking bad while Catherine Z. Jones started to flirt with the dark side. Stewart / Borel Vass had to call his forces for retreat as the evil Darth Valis (Daniel Craig) was decided to extinguish all the Jedi.

STAR WARS: BALANCE OF THE FORCE (Lawrence Kasdan, B.O.: 91 mill.): While box office started to turn his back to the franchise, Stewart / Borel Vass passed away to join the traditional reunion of ghostly images that ends up each Star Wars’ trilogy.

THE HOLDERS (Ridley Scott, B.O.: 23 mill.): This time, we only heard Stewart’s voice as the Holder of Knowledge. His lower box office ever, but still avoiding net losses.

HITMAN: PAIN OF DESTINY (Tony Scott, B.O.: 64 mill.): Signs of exhaustion for this franchise too. Anyway, Stewart / Father Michaels resurrects in this prequel where he looked as always although he was seven years younger. And he got his first GMA nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

LOBO (Robert Rodriguez, awaiting release): Stewart returns to the villains’ side. And playing a freaky one: the leader of the evil organization L.E.G.I.O.N. Is Stewart joining here another saga after Star Wars and Hitman? Only time (and box office) will tell.


TALK OF THE TOWN

Now that 'Indy IV' has hit the screens, Joey Stark is considering again resurrecting the idea of making a sequel of 'Dr. Jones and the Sword of Faith', the CMP's movie based on the adventures of Henry Jones I, Indy's father, played by Sean Connery in 'The Last Crusade' and by Ewan McGregor in the CMP's production. Joey Stark has publicly admitted that he already has the premise he would work on. 'After watching the new Indy I just thought: why not?', he has said. Ewan McGregor has also admitted that he would be more than happy playing again Indy's father in his younger years. The only problem is that Steven Spielberg, director and producer of the first movie, has stated more than once that he's not interested in a sequel. 'I cannot imagine making this movie without him', has said Joey Stark.

After the success of 'Faction 12', it seems like Nicholas Cage has found a new project to get involved in. This time, he might work with screenwriter Steve Connors in an action feature about a Special Unit fighting against hackers and cyberterrorists. 'Netchasers' is the title of the project and Cage would play a computing engineer leading that specialized group. This new production will be probably released during Season 8.

Tired of waiting. Peter Jackson, director and producer of the two 'Dungeons and Dragons' episodes, is looking for a new project to develop for CMP. He's been waiting for the third episode of the fantastic saga to be greenlighted before getting involved in any other pitch. But, as Marcus Trax has not sent to CMP the screenplay for that third episode yet, Jackson has decided to look for something else. Right now, it is not sure if DnD3 will be finally released next Season as it was announced. Jackson is still interested in that sequel, but he has said he won't keep waiting without considering other options first.

Spin offs for 'The Avengers'? This one comes from internal and anonymous CMP's sources and the Studio's Press Office has refused to confirm it. But it is said that Harry Stark has big plans for this new franchise. Next Season, a sequel will be developed. And, after that, Stark could be planning the development of different pitches based on the characters of the saga. If this is true, we could be watching movies exclusively based on Hawkeye, Valkyrie, Thor... or even maybe Iron Man.

The search for He-Man has begun. After we published last week that Viggo Mortensen was not interested anymore in playing the character, CMP and John Daws have started looking for somebody else to do it. The first name that sounded in CMP's offices was Orlando Bloom. But Harry Stark has rejected him. First, because he is committed to another CMP's franchise, 'The Avengers'. And second, cause it is hard to imagine Bloom as fit and muscled as the character demands.

Change of plans. Harry Stark had planned to release the new Wild Cards' spin off, 'Chrysalis', during Season 8. But next Season might be 'too full' of Wild Cards' movies, as it is also planned to release a sequel of 'Yeoman' and the fourth episode of the mainstream story, so Stark has decided to already begin the preproduction of 'Chrysalis' in order to release it this current Season. It will be the first Wild Cards' movie not written by Matt Kubrick but by Joey Stark. CMP has announced that a new bunch of characters will be introduced in this episode looking to spread the franchise universe together with the return of some already known ones.

Director Sidney Pollack passed away this week. Pollack, one of the last 'classics', had worked twice for CMP. He produced and directed the awarded and critically acclaimed 'Deadly Sins' in CMP's first Season. His second work was also applauded by critics and got a nice box office's result. It was 'Warland', starred by Julia Roberts, Mel Gibson and Edward Burns.

SALT & PEPPER

SALT

BEN TYLER: With only three screenplays developed, Tyler has already built up a reputation as a creative and innovative author in CMP’s world. ‘Schroedinger’s Litterbox’ (past Season’s GMA Best Screenplay winner), ‘Quadrophenia’ and ‘Monolith’ have surprised critics and audiences. Now, Tyler takes another risk with a comic based movie with a difference, the ultra violent ‘Lobo’, the first screenplay ever co-written by two CMP’s authors, Tyler and Kubrick. Daring and unpredictable, each Tyler’s new release is becoming a CMP’s event beyond box office’s results.

PEPPER

SHIA LABEOUF: Sorry, Shia, but some more pepper for you… After winning the Best Supporting Actor GMA for his brilliant work in ‘American Heartland’, Labeouf (according to IMDB, this is the right spelling of his surname) became a hard to cast star. He seemed to have become very selective. Shia rejected the offer to return to the sequel of ‘Syndrome’ together with some other offers. But what for? Just to accept a role that wasn’t even the lead character in a comedy like ‘Super Bowl’? Strange choice after too many rejections. Future will tell where his decisions will take him in CMP…

MAY, 27

MOVIES RELEASED

1-MONOLITH

Sci-Fi / Apocalyptic
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Christian Bale, Kevin Spacey, Michael Caine, Thomas Jane, Willem Dafoe, William Fitchner, Javier Bardem
Director: Christopher Nolan
Screenwriter: Ben Tyler

Box Office: 55 mill.
Net Gains: 18 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: Oh… I admit I expected much more. Some times moviegoers are too blind to quality. Anyway, I think this one will probably be another one of those movies that are appreciated as time passes by.

2-SUPER BOWL

Comedy
Cast: Justin Long, Shia Leabouf, Isla Fisher, Katherine Heigl, Anthony Anderson
Director: Paul Weitz
Screenwriter: Josh Collins


Box Office: 37 mill.
Net Gains: 0.9 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: Production costs recovered. And that’s all, folks.

3-A STANDING EIGHT

Drama
Cast: Jim Carrey, Maria Bello, Gary Cole, R. Lee Ermey, Diane Keaton
Director: Robert Redford
Screenwriter: Richard Franzwa


Box Office: 64 mill.
Net Gains: 37 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: Surprisingly, the best box office of the week. A nice ‘sleeper’. It has known to find its audience. I love these surprises.

THE CRITICS CORNER

1-MONOLITH

"Here is an intelligent, deep, brilliantly shot and thought-provoking sci-fi movie... that has not worked in box office. What was the problem? The reason may be that 'Monolith' is more interesting than entertaining. At some moments 'Monolith' is closer to a political drama in the line of 'Omega' - with stronger religious elements added- than to a dark futuristic adventure like lets say 'The Caves Of Steel'. Maybe there's no reason to feel disappointed due to the low box office, as this production wasn't in fact conceived to become a blockbuster. Tyler and Nolan have made a movie oriented to adult audiences, not to the teen audiences that are the needed target to fill movie theatres. So big box office does not have to be always the main and only target of sci-fi movies. Tyler and Nolan have hit another kind of difficult target which is creating a unique and different universe and making it believable. If we presume box office was not the objective, they can feel more than satisfied. If it was, obviously, their plans have completely failed."
-Roy Wisnlow

"The best?
Visually outstanding. Nolan has created the perfect claustrophobic atmosphere the movie needed, with that distressing and labyrinth building / monolith and a cinematography based on shades of grey darkening all the colours that reinforce the sickness of the community. Also, Tyler confirms himself as one of the most creative and innovative writers in CMP. He has developed a complex - although some times a bit confusing - story that takes quite a few sci-fi's clichés but transforms them brilliantly to make them look as something new.
The worst?
Excess of message, excess of pey. It is too obvious that Tyler is looking to send a predefined message and summits the whole story to it. The whole story is based on metaphors - some times too evident, some times more subtle - and dialogues - brilliant but a bit dense at some moments - and everything is conditioned and oriented to show a determined vision about religion and power. In some way, Tyler is here looking at the future to talk us about the present and the past. But the risk of it all is that, at the end, the message may eat all the rest."
-Anne Roman

"I feel doubtful about this movie. While I was watching it, some times I thought it was a masterpiece; some others I just felt I was watching a too tricky story where the package was better than the content. And I'm not sure yet of what to think. The movie is structured in three different acts. The first one, when all the monolith's universe is introduced, the story flows too slow, the lack of pace becomes a bit annoying. The best moments of the movie come with all the Jackman and Weisz's run, the second act. I mean, paradoxically, although the movie pretends to be much more than an action show, it is when it gets into action when it reaches its best. And the third act, when Jackman and Weisz are killed, it is so shocking - not very often, the two most appealing stars of a movie are killed - that from there to the end the story begins to lose its interest.
-Vic Carter

2-SUPER BOWL

"I have had a funny weekend at the movies. While I didn't like 'Monolith' cause it pretended to be 'too deep', then I had an awful time watching 'Super Bowl' because it pretended to be 'too superficial'. I mean, Josh Collins - the man of the deep drama in CMP - has decided to take a rest and write (probably deliberately) a superficial and light comedy. And that's what this movie is. There's no intend of surprise, intrigue or innovation in the story. Paul Weitz makes a flat directional job. And the cast just adapts to their stereotyped characters with comfort. The result is the most predictable movie I've seen in ages. After five minutes watching it, you perfectly know what's going to happen, how the characters are, what will be the outcome of their conflicts... If you saw the trailer, you saw the movie. It is up to you to pay a ticket for it"
-Jackie O'Callaghan

“Nice looking talents in a nice movie. That’s all. You won’t feel disturbed watching this movie. You won’t need to think. There is no especially funny joke. But there’s nothing offensive neither. As I say, nice is the word. Take it for good or for bad, but I just cannot think on anything else to say about this one.”
-Anne Ratched

“Weitz had a bunch of talented young stars here to make an iconic comedy for a new generation of moviegoers. Lost chance. ‘Super Bowl’ is one of those movies you forget right after you leave your seat. Not every movie has to change the History of cinema, of course. So if you just want to disconnect for 100 minutes just to watch a light comedy, this is your movie. That does not have to be something necessarily bad.”
-Tim Reeve

3-A STANDING EIGHT

“Robert Redford returns to his origins. In 1980, he made his first movie as director, ‘Ordinary People’, a look at a disfunctional family where the mature parents and their teen son had to deal with the death of another son. There was also a therapist around. He won the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture. Now, 28 years later, he turns his eyes to another family in crisis, this time a younger couple dealing with routine and the death of love. And, once again, Redford proves his skill dealing with this kind of intimate drama making it grow to a deep reflection about marriage, growing up and family ties.”
-Chris Burguess

“I must set a starting point: I don’t like Jim Carrey. I have to admit I have prejudices about him. The only way he can make a good work is if he is extremely controlled by the director. I don’t remember any good acting work from Carrey. Maybe ‘The Truman Show’, where Peter Weir could hardly control his usual excesses. It is funny that the best of Carrey has come from CMP: ‘Carousel’, where I admit he made a good job, and now this one, where Redford has known to show us his dramatic side without letting him go to his territory. Anyway, the cast is the weakest point of this movie. I can’t help thinking how much this movie would have been improved with other talents playing the leading role instead of Carrey and Bello.”
-Lily Stevens

“One of those movies that could have easily dropped into the classic tv movie about a troubled family. Luckily, Redford has saved it from mediocrity with the help of a correct – although it has certain lacks - Franzwa’s screenplay. The movie does not reach the moving range it pretends but at least the story is told with intelligence and finally becomes a solid and correct drama that satisfies expectations.”
-Charlie Kiggs



MONOLITH

Looks like Ben Tyler took most of the cast(and director) of 'The Prestige' and threw them into the future a couple centuries ahead of us. Not that that's a bad thing, this film was very intriguing. Tyler puts together a perfect mix of cast, writing, directing and offers thought provoking issues we don't normally get to see in science fiction films anymore. I feel like the script is too intelligent for most movie-going audiences. Maybe it can be the next 'Matrix' without Keanu Reeves choking the life out of it with his robotic acting. Excellent film!

SUPER BOWL

Josh Collins has made better. It really seems like he phoned this one in and rushed through it, sticking in the usual cliches found in road trip movies, along with the 'cheating girlfriend-boyfriend finds out by seeing the jumbo tron at the wrong time' cliche Some of the jokes were funny, unfortunately, most of them were in the trailers. The cast was good, but seemed thrown into this. You could take any event like a sport or a concert and put the exact same situations in it. It's entertaining for the teen crowd, but adults you'll find yourself wanting to skip to the Super Bowl commercials..unfortunately, there are non in this film.

A STANDING EIGHT

A great title that puts the entire film in perspective, along with many real marriages that are just like the one Jim and Maria are in. It's the kind of film not many will see in theaters, but if you do, you'll enjoy all the aspects put into the film. It's just so true to life and real that you see yourself in the roles.

MAY, 23

ON THEATRES NEXT WEEK

1-MONOLITH

Sci-Fi / Apocalyptic

The Cast: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Christian Bale, Kevin Spacey, Michael Caine, Thomas Jane, Willem Dafoe, William Fitchner, Javier Bardem

The Director: Christopher Nolan
The Screenwriter: Ben Tyler

The Plot: The story is set somewhere in mid-22nd - early-23rd Century, about a hundred years after a nuclear holocaust triggered by an Iranian strike on Israel. Most of the survivors consist of the descendents of the government-selected "shafters" (they live in a mineshaft deep underground due to the lingering fallout and the cold, harsh weather caused by nuclear winter). At this point, a few areas of the world have been deemed safe for above-ground human habitation. Most people, however, still live in or near the mine shafts. At the onset of the story, most of the mine shaft's population has moved into a mostly-finished, underground 130-story building whose ceilings extend beyond the horizon (an impressive feet of engineering intended to house not only the population of the mineshaft but of all the above-ground refugees within 200 miles).

The world as we know it (i.e. the mine shafts) is run by a 13-man "Advisory Board,” the members of which are not seen much by the public at large. The Board appears emphasize scientific progress, but most of all they desire order and control (to ensure peace). The Board harbors an intense fear of the people above ground; they consider them to be rogues and a threat to stability.

The people outside the mine shafts are relatively few, but their backgrounds vary widely. Some of the groups found outside the mine shafts include descendents of people who survived the nuclear winter outside the mine shafts, "claustrophobics" who don’t like living underground, outlaws, and – most notably – religious groups (both peaceful and violent) who fear the end times.

Various members of the Board wish to either gather up, arrest, or (in the case of a few extremists) exterminate these people for various reasons. Some feel a genuine humanitarian desire to help, while others harbor a lingering fear of religious groups stemming from the onset of World War III.

Indeed, their concerns are somewhat justified - a group of "end-times" religious fundamentalists known as the Tribulation Army has been showing increasingly violent resistance toward the general establishment, which they believe to be led by Satan. Obviously, not all of the "end-times" folk are members of this particular radical group. Although not OFFICIALLY lumped in with the terrorists, the government is privately suspicious of them.

The Tribulation Army executes an attempt on the Chairman's life. His heart stops, but he is resuscitated. The "Tribs" see this as evidence that the Chairman is "the Beast" (who, according to the Bible, is slain but survives). The board votes unanimously (with the exception of one abstention) in favor of retaliation, and a campaign is launched to uproot and destroy the Tribulation Army.

While the Board (notable members of which include Preston Caldwell [Michael Caine], Gillian Lewis [Rachel Weisz], and Todd Haynes [Kevin Spacey]) debates the necessity for ID Chips embedded in all denizens’ shoulders (and not, it should be noted, the hand or the forehead), a law enforcement agent named Paul Cutter (Hugh Jackman) is assigned to investigate a large above-ground biker gang, which is rumored to provide supplies and munitions for the Trib Army by pilfering from mine shaft stores. Although greeted with suspicion and hostility at first, he is eventually accepted by their leader (Thomas Jane) as an honorary member of the gang (or “tribe” as the bikers call it), and is given a mark on his forehead as a sign of that membership.

Though he is able to find out some facts about the Trib Army and their leader (Christian Bale, who claims to be a “prophet”), and is even able to link certain members of the organization to the Catholic Church, Paul finds no connection between the “Tribals” and the “Tribbles.”

They regularly report back to the Board, certain members of which (including the chairman, Willem Dafoe) only become more suspicious of the Tribe. However, Member Lewis sides with Cutter in defending them (and Spacey’s and Caine’s characters show thinly-veiled sympathy). However, the Board votes 7-6 in favor of placing them on the “enemy combatants” list. Following a devastating attack on a utility and transit elevator, they approve a comprehensive “security overhaul” (which states, among other things, that no Monolith resident may move up or down floors without the approval of the Security Authority) by the same margin.

Things take a turn for the worse when the “prophet” changes his tune. He tells his followers that the Holy Spirit has told him that the real enemy is not the Board and the underground dwellers, who mark people on their shoulders, but the bikers, who mark on the forehead and the hand. He further persuades many of them that the security mark is in fact the mark of salvation, which, though it doesn’t “save” everyone who gets it, is still necessary for those who wish to be “saved.” (In truth, the “prophet” is a paranoid schizophrenic who was “convinced” by the Chairman to act as a scapegoat “for the good of the people”).

Gillian resigns from her position, as does Paul from his. Over the next three years, they campaign together against the Board’s policies (and slowly grow attracted to each other, eventually falling in love). While their campaign is successful among certain segments of the population, most people revile them as gloombringers and sowers of discord. Nonetheless, a radical minority political movement slowly gathers steam, and, as an unintended consequence of Lewis and Cutter’s actions, assassinates Member Caldwell.

Fearing a general panic and loss of control, the Board decides that Cutter and Lewis need to be made examples of and plots to have them both assassinated. However, just as the assassin (after successfully infiltrating his apartment) is about to move into position for the kill, a sudden sharp noise alerts Cutter to his presence, and in a brutal hand-to-hand fight, Cutter subdues the assassin by breaking his neck. He runs as fast as he can to Gillian’s apartment, and gets there just in time to shoot the assassin assigned to kill her.

Together, they flee to a little-used emergency stairwell, dodging gunfire from law enforcement agents as they go. They barricade the door behind them to prevent the cops from entering. Gillian starts heading upstairs toward the surface, but Paul stops her. He explains that tactically, the best move is to head downward and escape through the drainage tunnels – there are fewer floors (and fewer police) below them and it’s a shorter route.

Suddenly, they hear the footsteps of about a dozen fully-armed police in riot gear approaching from below them. Cutter swings down from the railing above, and, with the element of surprise on his side, takes out three of them, kicking them off the wall and knocking them out. Using his fists, his gun, and creative use of human shields, he subdues all of them except for one. Just as the last remaining cop is about to shoot Cutter in the head, Gillian sneaks up behind him and delivers a crushing kick to the head, stunning him long enough for Cutter to reload his gun and shoot him.

In need of a way to get downstairs without being identified, they steal the uniforms of two of the incapacitated guards. When they run into a squad that was sent from upstairs to clear the stairwell, they convince them that they were incapacitated in the attack (although the lieutenant in charge [William Fichtner] is a bit suspicious). The lieutenant concludes that the suspects must have been heading downstairs, and orders Paul and Gillian to follow them. When they finally reach the drainage tunnels, the lieutenant’s suspicions become too much for him to keep silent about it. He demands that they remove their riot helmets and give their name, rank, and badge number. The two fugitives, knowing that they have been caught, make a break for one of the tunnel entrances. They fail to make it, and are mowed down by a hail of bullets.

Their bodies are publicly displayed in the middle of a crowded square for several days. When their bodies are taken above ground to be disposed of, however, the disposal crew is ambushed by a mysterious man (Javier Bardem) dressed in biker gear and flying a weathered-looking helicopter. He easily overcomes the disposal crew, carries away the bodies (in an odd fashion that makes it look like the bodies are walking on their own accord), and flies away.

The next day, the Board holds a meeting. The final order of business is to announce the deaths of Paul Cutter and Gillian Lewis. The Chairman notes that it is a good thing that two such enemies of the people can no longer do any harm. Member Haynes, however, finds something unsettling about it. He quotes a passage from the Book of Revelation, which speaks of two witnesses who are hated and eventually killed for their actions, their lifeless bodies displayed in public only to rise into the heavens three and a half days later. The Chairman asks Haynes if he is trying to imply something. He says no – it is merely a coincidence (albeit an interesting one).

The chairman pauses and continues his speech. “As I said, it is good that this threat has been eliminated. I’ll be damned if the walls of this building will crumble under the weight of treason and discord.”

Haynes interrupts him, making a passionate speech about the tyranny of forcing people to live within “acceptable” limits of thought, making them prisoners of other peoples’ fear. He has had enough. He gets out of his chair and heads for the door.

“Mr. Haynes! Where are you going?” the Chairman demands.

“To get some fresh air,” he replies.

The meeting adjourns, and the other members leave the chamber one by one, except for the Chairman. He remains long after the others have left. The last shot of the film shows him sitting, brooding in his chair, smoking a cigar as the lights go out.


Stark’s Comment: A more than ambitious production. This is not the ordinary flashy sci-fi adventure but an attempt of mixing the elements of a regular sci-fi movie with some deep reflections about essential issues like mankind, power, religion and so. It could be defined as ‘adult sci-fi’ instead of just a big production oriented to teen audiences.

2-SUPER BOWL

Comedy

The Cast: Justin Long, Shia Leabouf, Isla Fisher, Katherine Heigl, Anthony Anderson

The Director: Paul Weitz
The Screenwriter: Josh Collins

The Plot: A road trip movie centering around a group of football fanatic friends on a cross country trip to see their favorite football team's very first shot at "The Big Game" the Super Bowl. Sure they could be sitting at home watching it, but what fun would that be?

It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for their favorite team, the Arizona Cardinals, to make it to the big championship. There are 5 other teams who have never been to the big game in NFL history.

Getting to the big game isn't HALF the battle, it IS the battle. Similar things that happen in other road trip films happen like being held up at gunpoint in a hilarious manner(a man and his son are hitchhiking highway burglars the group encounters, etc)

Not only do the events add life to the film, but the characters do as well. Chris (J-Long) is having relationship issues. He loves his football so much that he went against his girlfriend's (K. Heigl) demands to not go on the trip. Later on in the film when they finally get to the game, he discovers that she had been playing him for a fool when the jumbo-tron has her name on it and a marriage proposal by the man she has been secretly cheating on Chris with.

Jake (Shia Leabouf) is Chris' brother who is also experiencing love troubles. He's a more introverted person who really doesn't care too much about football and has always been considered a geek among the rest of the group because of it. He feels he's met his soul mate on the internet and being that the Super Bowl is taking place in his internet girlfriend's hometown, he decides to go with them. By the end of the film he meets his internet girlfriend whom you'd expect to be a big fat harry guy (the other's tease him about it throughout the film and sometimes call it his internet boyfriend, they also crack jokes about it possibly being a 12 year old girl posing as a 20 year old and that 'Dateline' will be there when he meets "her"), but it turns out she is a smoking hot woman.

Jess (I.Fisher) is the big female lead in the movie who loves her football as much as her guy friends do. Even though she can be a tomboy, she offers the sentimental side to her best male friend, Chris whom speaks to her about his relationship issues.

Brian (A.Anderson) is that fat rude obnoxious loudmouth football fan you find yourself trying not to kill at sports bars or at super bowl parties. He loves taunting Jake and Jess(even though Jess beats him up) He's also the one who claims he knows a guy who will give them tickets when they get to the arena(which proves at that point of the film a little more challenging than they expect) He's that guy who you probably wouldn't take on a trip like this if he didn't have his connections to get them into the game.


Stark’s Comment: A nice and easy comedy with some ‘very american’ ingredients that can keep away other markets from it. You know, who cares – or even understand – what is the Super Bowl or what’s American football about outside the US? Anyway, the appeal and freshness of the cast and the story’s tone can take people enough to the theatres to make it work.

3-A STANDING EIGHT

Drama

The Cast: Jim Carrey, Maria Bello, Gary Cole, R. Lee Ermey, Diane Keaton

The Director: Robert Redford
The Screenwriter: Richard Franzwa

The Plot: Jim Carrey and Maria Bello play a couple whose marriage is falling apart. Jim is a workaholic who never seemed to have time to start a family, and Maria is longing to have children of her own. She has a loving and supporting parents (Ermey and Keaton).

When Maria files for a legal separation, Jim realises the desperate straights his marriage is in and agrees to see a marriage counciller (Gary Cole).

During the sessions that last a year, Jim and Maria really fight to repair their broken marriage by no longer hiding resentments and old wounds and having long, sometimes angry, talks.

In the end they decide to stick together and adopt a child.


Stark’s Comment: This kind of family dramas has a very specific target: female audiences between 30 and 45 years, I would say. If they respond, the production will work. If not, I will have to remember that after all production costs were not very high. By the way, the title is a term used in boxing when a fighter is knocked and , regardless of how quickly he gets up, the ref will count to eight to give him some time to recover.

MOVIES IN DEVELOPMENT

LOBO: Two debutantes in CMP join this shootage: Ryan Reynolds, playing a member of the evil organization L.E.G.I.O.N., and Jenna Fisher, who works as a waitress in Ed Harris’ restaurant. Robert Rodriguez has admitted he is having so much fun creating the freak universe of this picture.


THE MISADVENTURES OF HARRY FLASHMAN: Two GMA Winners working in this comedy adventure. Ian Holm plays a funny senile British general while twice GMA winner Catherine Z. Jones, not seen in CMP since ‘Star Wars: Balance of the Force’, returns playing Flashman / Everett’s stepmother… and lover.

LYRA: Jodie Foster (‘Turning Point’, ‘The Cure’, ‘American Heartland’) and David Duchovny (‘Westworld’) will be the mother and the stepfather of Jena Malone. Two other stars have decided not returning so soon to CMP after their recent works in ‘When Dreams Die’ and ‘Together Apart’: Haley Joel Osment and Evan Rachel Wood have rejected the offer to be in this movie and will be replaced by Kristen Stewart and Jesse James (‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’).

DAISY LANE: GMA Winner Daniel Radcliff has built up his career in CMP through his works with John Daws: ‘South East’ and the Game Boy’s movies. Now they will meet again in this thriller based on a true story that will be directed by Danny Boyle (‘The Caves Of Steel’).

VELCRO: And here comes another Collins’ drama. A tough story of a woman victim of child abuse during her early years that gets involved in drugs and drinking with terrible consequences. Kate Hudson (‘LOL’) has accepted the challenge of playing such an intense character. Josh Collins has not decided yet if he will direct the movie himself or not.

THE SEX MONSTER: A more than naughty pitch from Matt Kubrick. Probably, the most sexually daring project from CMP ever. The story of a mature woman hooked on sex. This is going to be a wild heck of a comedy…

DARKMAN: RESURRECTION (FEAR THE DARKNESS 4): New title for the return of Darkman. And some cast members finally confirmed: Michelle Trachtenberg has finally accepted to play the lead role of the story, facing a murderess possessed by Darkman played by Heather Graham (‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’, ‘Eureka!’).

THE DARK TOWER: GMA Best Villain winner, Christopher Lee (‘Return of the Last Lawman’ and the DnD’s movies) will play the mysterious ‘man in black’. And the talent to play the man chasing him will be decided soon. Sam Raimi is considering two options: Russell Crowe or Daniel Craig.

3’s AND 7’s: Jet Li has refused to be in this Tarantino’s movie. The reason? He did not want to play again a Chinese triad mobster right after ‘Five Thunderbolts’. So Tarantino has decided to replace him with Ken Watanabe (‘Nagasaki Daydreams’). Robert De Niro – who already worked for Tarantino in another CMP’s pitch, ’22:01’ - keeps accepting minor but appealing roles. This time, he will just make a cameo, almost a self tribute, as a mafia bigwig.

ONLY IN AMERICA: Jim Carrey is releasing this week his own approach to drama, ‘A Standing Eight’. But he is quickly returning to comedy… and to musicals, after the remembered success of ‘Carrousel’ that took him to win a GMA for Best Starring Couple with Claire Danes. This time, Carrey is playing a multi-billionaire decided to become the new US President.

MAKING OF… ‘MONOLITH’

The Story

Ben Tyler:
I first came up with the general idea behind Monolith when I was a freshman in high school. I was still unfamiliar with the building, and I was...actually, I was trying to find the bathroom. (laughs) And the building just seemed to go on and on, mazes of twists and turns everywhere - it was like the building never ended.

Well, long story short, I found it, and as I was busy, um...contemplating...to myself...on the toilet...it occurred to me - what if a hallway really did go on for miles and miles? What if you could really, REALLY get lost inside a building? And then I got into some of the deeper questions, like "How would such a building be run?" and "Why would such a building be constructed?" And just thinking about it gave me a sense of stifling confinement, and I realized that I had stumbled upon something quite profound - the possibility of man being denied freedom from being bound by four walls.

Hugh Jackman:
The thing that attracted me to this project from the beginning were the religious and sociopolitical elements. I mean, here we have a movie that actually delves into the plausible reactions of religious people - both sensible and insensible - to an apocalyptic scenario, whereas in other movies, you see them mostly in the background. I think this movie has a lot to say about religion and the role it plays in modern society, and how it relates to freedom of thought. It's quite thought-provoking.

Christian Bale:
Personally, I've always been fascinated by the Brave New World, 1984 type of political dystopian science fiction. It's the same sort of thematic elements that were in Equilibrium, actually, only with a new angle on it that isn't present in other stories with the same basic premise.

The Production Design

Ben Tyler:
Chris [Nolan] and I spent a lot of time with the production crew going over how we wanted the interior of the Monolith to look.

Christopher Nolan:
Our basic goal was to create a sterile industrial environment, but realistically so.

Ben Tyler:
It had to look as though actual human beings had designed it to be used.

Christopher Nolan:
Right. It was a lot like designing Gotham City, in that respect. We drew our inspiration from a number of different sources - office buildings, megamalls, military complexes, the Walled City of Kowloon.

Ben Tyler:
We also "borrowed" a bit from other works of science fiction.

Christopher Nolan:
Well, if it ain't broke...(laughs)

The Cast

Ben Tyler:
This movie has an outstanding cast, no question about it. Lots of well-known, well-respected actors get a chance to showcase their talent in this picture. I can say without hesitation that this is the best cast I've ever had the pleasure of working with - this was a real honor for me.

Thomas Jane:
This is one of the biggest casts - if not THE biggest - I've ever been a part of. And what's different about it is that I have a bigger part than I'm used to having in "big-name" movies like this. In Magnolia and The Thin Red Line I had relatively minor roles. But now I'm sharing billing with guys like Kevin Spacey, Christian Bale, and Michael Caine. I'm not gonna lie - it can get pretty intimidating at times. But you do the best that you can, and I think I held my own.

Christopher Nolan:
I'm sure many people are aware of the fact that I've worked with several of these actors before. Hugh [Jackman] was in The Prestige, and I've worked with Christian and Michael three times now. It's kind of strange how the same people keep popping up in so many of my films! Anyway, these are all very gifted actors and it's a real pleasure to work with them.

SPECIAL INTERVIEW… JOSH COLLINS

This week, a comedy written by GMA Nominee Josh Collins will hit the screen: ‘Super Bowl’. And that’s a good reason enough to have a talk with him.

Good afternoon, Josh. How's the family?

Hello there! The family is great. Wife and I are actually in the small percentage of marriages that last longer than the average marriage lasts these days. As always the kids are my loves, my little girl thought I should look pretty for my interview and painted my nails. I promised her I'd wear them for the interview, so if you're filming this, don't show my fingers!

Josh, your films are usually well received and admired by other CMP screenwriters which writers do you most admire, and don't say yourself

Myself. Just kidding. I appreciate your comments and I feel it's pretty tough to choose a particular writer because they're all unique and talented and all have something that works best for them. The new writers are also just as great. Richard Franzwa may just give me a run for my money though since we seem to be big on the dramas. But there's plenty of room for more drama writers.

Speaking of drama, that does seem to be your strong point. Dream of a King, Blink and Hollyweird were very critically acclaimed, but you seem to have taken a major turn lately and pitched different types of genres. Have you abandoned the genre that's made you a big hitter in CMP?

Of course not. I consider Drama as my delicate baby and it's sometimes harder for me to think of a well developed dramatic story with character depth on the spot. I like to take my time with it. You haven't quite seen all of my dramatic pitches to Mr. Stark. I haven't lost my edge just yet.

Not only do you like to write, you also make yourself the director in your films. How do you know which film to direct and which one to pass on to someone else? What do you like best about directing?

Like Ben Tyler said in his recent interview, I too think of the directorial vision and pick who I feel would bring forth the right one. Sometimes I may be a little wrong like Gondry directing Babes in Toyland, but we all make mistakes. Usually you'll see me take over as director in my choral drama films like Blink or Hollyweird as I've been quite partial to the pseudo-genre. As a director I enjoy using my creativity to its fullest and if the film isn't good, it will all be my fault.

You seem to always give children/teen actors a chance to shine bright in outstanding roles. Do you enjoy working with them?

Of course! Those directors from the golden age of cinema who said 'never work with kids' never worked with Dakota Fanning, Abigail Breslin, Ivana Baquero or Saoirse Ronan. I know many kids get stuck in the background and not being used to showcase their talent in films not CMP produced, but when I need a kid for any of the films, I try to make them just as important as a lead or supporting adult actor role. I think CMP movies have been opening a lot of doors for the kids. Those times are changing and children are understanding and taking direction better at younger ages than the kids of the golden age. You always want to treat your child actor in the film as the equal to Meryl or Johnny.

How are you recovering after being nominated twice for best screenplay and not winning either?

Not good now that you asked. Nah, I'm actually fine and just honored to be nominated. It shows I made an interesting story and have potential talent growing in me somewhere. You just do it for the craft and fun of it. Winning is like being the employee of the month. You work hard and you might get it, then again, you work hard and you wont. Just don't let it consume you and your hard work will be recognized in some way shape or form.

Controversy seems to always come about in your films!

That's not a question. Are you asking me or badgering me? But yeah, I don't go out of my way to create controversy and riots outside of movie theaters, but the films can be interpreted however people want. Like Dakota said in an interview about the controversy over Blink, that I am a realist and force people to look when they want to turn their heads. They also say they know it exists, but don't want to be reminded of it. Well, we gotta make a story out of something don't we? And if we're going to pretend things aren't happening in the real world all the time, we won't be doing anything to prepare ourselves.

Thanks Josh Collins! Keep an eye out for more of Collins' work in the coming seasons!



PIC OF THE WEEK

…and a sexy one this week! This week, CMP is releasing ‘Super Bowl’, a road movie about a group of friends travelling America to see the Super Bowl. For this reason, GQ magazine decided to make a daring and sexy illustrated report with the two female stars from the movie, Isla Fisher and Katherine Heigl, posing in some of the most beautiful America’s landscapes. Here they are at the Niagara Falls. Refreshing!


A LOOK AT… WHEN WORLDS (OR RACES OR CIVILIZATIONS…) CRASH

It’s a pattern by now. Not only in CMP but in the sci-fi genre in general. The stories of races, worlds, civilizations or whatever battling each other after a global disaster are as old as cinema (or fantastic literature) itself. Only in CMP, not only this week’s release, ‘Monolith’, returns to that tradition but quite a few other productions from the Studio have faced before different worlds at war. Let’s take a look at some of them.

CMP’S STAR WARS TRILOGY
Who fought with who?: Needless to say. Empire and Republic, Jedi and Sith, the Force and its Dark Side… you know.
The hand that rocked the cradle?: Marcus Trax, who took the most popular franchise ever and developed it following its guidelines… and also crashing with George Lucas himself at some moments.
The booty? Great box offices and a Best Picture GMA for the first new episode, ‘Star Wars: New Order’, CMP’s alltimes box office top 3.

SPACE QUEST TRILOGY
Who fought with who? After Earth being destroyed by a nuclear war, the Survivors fight against the Major – leader of the spaceship where they all live – and an aggressive alien race, the Zorbgs. Guess who wins…
The hand that rocked the cradle? Steve Connors, a sci-fi fan looking to create his own Star Wars.
The booty? The saga never got to work in box office. Roland Emmerich, director of the movies, always stayed one step before reaching the epic levels of Star Wars and finally it all looked a bit as a cheaper imitation.

WILD CARDS
Who fought with who? Aces, jokers, deuces… mutations of humans after a virus affected their ADN. A freak world where you better don’t trust your neighbor.
The hand that rocked the cradle? Matt Kubrick, developing a books saga, is the creator of this peculiar freak universe with the help of friends like Michael Bay or Quentin Tarantino.
The booty? The franchise has grown up from one episode to another. A cult saga with its own spin off and new episodes already announced.

VISIONARIES
Who fought with who? Two factions try to control the world after all the technology ceases on the planet Prysmos.
The hand that rocked the cradle? Marcus Trax wrote a movie based on an 80’s cartoon full of sorcerers, witches and other species.
The booty? A great box office that made it look as the beginning of a new franchise. But sequels never came.

GAME BOY
Who fought with who? The most popular pc and console characters all together in the magical world of Arcadia some of them on the good side, others in the bad side.
The hand that rocked the cradle? John Daws is the creator of this popular (and mega-profitable) franchise, with the help of no others than George Lucas and Robert Zemeckis.
The booty? Two episodes until now: top 1 and 2 of CMP’s alltimes box office. Wow.

THE CAVES OF STEEL
Who fought with who? Citizens of the Earth and the Space Worlds, humans and robots… People living in underground cities (someone said ‘Monolith?’) after the colonization of the galaxy… (by the way, lets honor at this point other ‘colonizations’ seen from CMP, like ‘Taurus 3’ or ‘Faction 12’).
The hand that rocked the cradle? Steve Connors again, this time basing his job in Isaac Asimov’s book.
The booty? Not as much as might be deserved. Anyway, this dark and serious approach to sci-fi will probably continue in expected sequels.

THE LAST LAWMAN TRILOGY
Who fought with who? People trying to survive after… guess what? Yes, a nuclear holocaust… This time, there is no sophisticated technology but a post apocalyptic world that looks very much like the Far West.
The hand that rocked the cradle? Jack Hammer, who wrote the three entertaining episodes of the saga and let Robert Rodriguez and Will Smith do the rest.
The booty? Critical applause and very nice box office. The trilogy has become a CMP’s classic.

…AND ‘MONOLITH’
Who is fighting now? Once again, tribes, rebels, illuminated leaders, underground cities, religion controversy in a world risen after… guess what again? Yes, another nuclear holocaust. And another jump into the best tradition of the genre.
The hand that rocks the cradle? Ben Tyler, always looking for something new, will revisit all these classic sci-fi elements in a dark and claustrophobic production oriented to fans of post apocalyptic scenarios.
The booty? Expected to be big.

TALK OF THE TOWN

Will Spielberg and Lucas work together again? They have only worked together for CMP in the first Star Wars’ movie. That time, Lucas, as producer, asked Spielberg to join the project as director. After that, Lucas continued producing the Star Wars and the Game Boy episodes with Lawrence Kasdan and Robert Zemeckis directing. Meanwhile, Spielberg has produced the two latest Ridley Scott’s movies, ‘The Guardians’ and ‘The Holders’. Now, Spielberg, as director, has asked his friend Lucas to become the producer of his upcoming CMP’s pitch, the fantasy adventure ‘Atlantis’. It is not confirmed if Lucas will accept or not the offer.

As we wrote last week, CMP will finally develop John Daws’ ‘He-Man’ after so many months of rumors around it. And everyone expected Viggo Mortensen to finally play the cartoon hero, as it was always planned. But the big surprise is that Mortensen has rejected the offer: ‘I got bored of waiting for this production to be greenlighted and now I feel too old to play He-Man and too lazy to return to the gym’. After this, CMP and John Daws will have to look urgently for someone to replace Mortensen.

There had to be an answer. Last week, we talked about Tim Burton’s reaction to ‘The Avengers’. He didn’t like that Captain America returned to life in the movie after his ‘apparent’ death in ‘Captain America: Destiny’. Matt Kubrick, writer and producer of ‘The Avengers’, has rapidly answered Burton: “You know what somtimes I don't think Tim Burton understands comic book heroes very well infact after comparing his Batman to Batman Begins he doesn't understand comic book heroes at all. Comic book heroes die all the time and then come back later on. Remember the death of superman? how long did that last? and Captain America has died before, then many years later he was found frozen in a block of ice by the avengers and ended up joining them later on. I just changed it for the movie a little. Do you really think that Captain America will stay dead in the comics? they will let the character rest a little bit before they find a new way to tell his story. That is the way comics work. I just brought him back before Marvel does.”

Some CMP’s internal sources have told us the difficulties behind the preproduction of this week’s release, ‘Monolith’. Ben Tyler has worked so hard looking for the perfect screenplay… so hard that our sources tell us that there have been no less than six different versions of the screenplay. It is even said that some scenes were written and rewritten once and again just the night before they were going to be shot. The continuous changes drove a bit crazy both the crew and the cast… and Harry Stark.

Will Farrell has received an offer from Ben Tyler to play the ecological superhero ‘Captain Planet’. The pitch is not exactly a story to praise the character but to make some laughs about him. Farrell, who is getting more and more demanded in CMP lately, has not taken a decision yet about the offer. It is said that Owen Wilson could be considered as a second option in case it’s needed.

SALT & PEPPER

SALT

UMA THURMAN: Her wonderful recent work in ‘Life and Facts of a Dirty Mind’ has proved two things. First, her continuously increasing talent as an actress. Uma has made a brilliant work playing the muse and more stable lover of the nasty genius played by Jack Black, perfectly showing both the glory days and the sad decadence of her character (by the way, she has also proved how sexy she still is, daring to show her body more than many stars younger than her would). The second thing, her bad luck in CMP. Once again, Uma has bet for a risky project and, sadly, once again she has been involved in a flop. Except for ‘Legend of the Last Lawman’, all her other CMP’s movies haven’t worked in box office. ‘Hot Iron’ and ‘Outer Eye’ were her two previous box office’s disasters.

PEPPER

EDWARD NORTON: Like Uma, Norton always bets for quality projects. But, looking at his career in CMP, he should start worrying about proving he can be worth it not only for critics’ praises but also for the piggy box. After six works for CMP, his only blockbuster has been ‘Deadly Sins’, where he played a minor role. The other five have not reached significant results in box office. And that can be dangerous. Prestige is as necessary as being profitable for a star. And Norton should start considering he needs a box office hit if he wants to be something more than just ‘the good actor that never makes money’.