SEPTEMBER, 29


WONDER WOMAN

Action / Superhero / Epic
Cast: Colbie Smulders, Josh Lucas, Catherine Z. Jones, Josh Brolin, Carrie-Ann Moss, Michelle Williams
Director: Jon Favreau
Screenwriter: Dawson Edwards

Box Office: 146 mill.
Net Gains: 130 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: There was a time in CMP when making a box office of 146 millions was considered a major success. It is true that now we are getting used to box offices’ numbers above the 200 millions barrier. But still a box office of 146 millions is an outstanding result. So yes, Wonder Woman didn’t reach the amazing numbers of Silver Sable, but it is a wonderful box office I feel more than satisfied with.

THE DARK TOWER: WASTE LANDS

Action / Mystery
Cast: Russell Crowe, Jake Gyllenhaal, Angela Bassett, William Mosely, Ian Holm, Arnold Vosloo
Director and Producer: Sam Raimi
Screenwriter: Matt Kubrick

Box Office: 212 mill.
Net Gains: 228 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: This third episode of the saga hasn’t been able to equal the spectacular numbers of ‘The Drawing Of The Three’ (B.O: 285 / Net Gains: 349). But, anyway, the movie has been a mega-success. I love it when quality and box office’s success come together. This franchise is becoming movie after movie one of the most important products coming from the Studio. I look forward for the next episode!

FIREFLIES IN THE JELLY-JARS

Drama
Cast: Abigail Breslin, Daniel Day Lewis, Robin Wright-Penn, Logan Lerman, Jeffrey Wright
Director: James Mangold
Producer: Grand Island Movies


Box Office: 30 mill.
Net Gains: 8 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: Dramas rarely become a box office hit. They are not expected to be so neither. I like to produce quality movies not worrying for the money. And that’s the case with Collins’ dramas. I feel proud of these kind of movies. CMP has profitable movies enough. It is quality what I look for in these dramas. And you bet this is a quality movie. Great job, Collins.


WONDER WOMAN

‘Dawson Edwards always chooses characters with a kitsch touch for his superheroes movies. Now he has chosen the most kitsch one of them all: Wonder Woman and her impossible costume… There’s a nice campy spirit in the whole production: the Russian are again the bad guys, the superheroine’s outfit has tried to be actualized but still has a nice old fashion look and there’s an innocent approach to politics and international conflicts in the storyline… The result of that all is a movie that wakes up my sympathy due to all the naivety that surrounds it. At the end, ‘Wonder Woman’ is less pretentious than expected but a nice return to entertainment without complexes.’
-Anne Roman

‘Colbie Smulders accepted a challenge that could have taken to the stars or ruin her prestige for years. And I must say she has survived to the challenge. She has built up a correct Wonder Woman, less sophisticated than Heigl’s Silver Sable but more consistent than the old Lynda Carter’s recreation of the character. Anyway, my favourite character of the show was Catherine Z. Jones playing a tough mother, a sexy version of a mix between the evil of White Snow’s mean stepmother and the greatness of Queen Victoria. The only problem for Colbie was that Catherine’s screen presence ate her alive when both women were sharing the screen.’
-Vic Carter

‘Favreau has made what could be described as a vintage superheroe movie. He has taken all he learnt making ‘Iron Man’ and has upgraded that experience making an entertaining show more oriented to young audiences than to adult comic’s fans. The movie is a bit childish – as it happened with ‘Aquaman’, another Edwards’ superhero pitch – and less epic than other similar products like the Avengers’ movies. But probably that’s part of its charm. Favreau has avoided the fight against the Avengers, The Flash, Silver Sable, Hawkeye and the rest of CMP’s superheroes. He has deliberately chosen to make a light production, leaving aside big peys and betting for a pleasant and simple adventure.’
-Andrew Stampton

THE DARK TOWER: WASTE LANDS

‘This third episode of the adaptation of Stephen King’s books saga is without doubt the best of the three. It has taken three movies for Raimi and Kubrick to find the perfect tone to tell this story. This new episode has gained in suspense, mystery, action sequences and soundness of the storyline in relation with the two previous installments. The peculiar minor characters – wonderful, as always, Ian Holm -, the strange creatures, that intriguing train and the whole production design finally recreates with the needed epic and ‘grandeur’ the strange world imagined by King. And, at the same time, the plot is much more absorbing and entertaining and less confusing than it was in the two first movies. So Raimi and Kubrick have finally made the great movie this great story deserved’.
-Charlie Kiggs

‘The Dark Tower is probably the most peculiar CMP’s franchise. It is not the classic action or sci-fi saga. In fact, it is a hard to define story. It mixes touches of sci-fi, horror and mystery in a dense and often confusing plot that hypnotizes even if you don’t get to completely understand it. And that’s probably its main default and its main appeal. The problem with these movies is that you know they won’t give you answers to the intrigue unless you keep watching the whole saga and that can be frustrating at some moments. But, on the other side, you know you are going to watch a movie different from all others, visually absorbing and perfectly paced to keep you wanting more. ‘Waste Lands’ has put the quality level of these movies to a point that will be hard for next instalments to equal. But it has also guaranteed that the fans of the saga will keep watching them’.
-Roy Winslow

‘Matt Kubrick keeps growing as screenwriter lately. His latest stories – the disturbing thriller ‘Foul Karma’, the brilliant and sadly undervalued ‘Kingdom’ or this ‘Waste Lands’ – show a mature author that perfectly knows how to build great stories of any genre. In ‘The Dark Tower’, Kubrick has known how to overcome the difficulties of adapting the complex original material. The faults in ‘The Gunslinger’ and ‘The Drawing Of The Three’ – too confusing storyline, undefined characters, irregular pace – are left aside in ‘Waste Lands’. Raimi has introduced here some action sequences that cheer up the dark plot and has reinforced the fantasy elements of the story with peculiar characters and creatures that makes it a more enchanting show than the two previous episodes.’
-Jackie O’Callaghan

FIREFLIES IN THE JELLY-JARS

‘Something has changed from past Collins’ dramas to this one: self control. Since the hyper-dramatic situations of movies like ‘Blink’ or ‘After The Storm’, Collins has now learnt to content drama. And the good thing is that doing it the dramatic intensity does not reduces but grows. In this movie, the drama is more implied than graphically expressed and that provides the story with a deepness and an emotional power superior to those other stories where the tears or the repulse was so directly chased. ‘Fireflies…’ is the work of an author that has learnt to move the threads of his stories to take the audience exactly where he wants to take it.’
-Anne Ratched

‘Is there any doubt that Abigail Breslin and Daniel Day Lewis will fight (and probably win) for the next acting GMAs? Abigail keeps growing up in front of our eyes both as a girl and as an actress. She is quickly beginning to be far away from the girl that starred ‘Babes In Toyland’. Here, Abigail offers us a wonderful performance. It is great when a talent is able to express the most intimate emotions just with a look or a half-smile. Day Lewis is a guarantee. He builds up his character with his usual intensity and you just get to hate that mean father unable to give any kind of affection to his daughter and wife. And Robin Wright-Penn also deserves a special mention here. I have always thought that Hollywood has never taken the best of her. She proves again here her strong screen presence and her dramatic skills.’
-Lilly Stevens

‘Thanks God we have Josh Collins. Without him we would be condemned to watch a superhero movie or an epic fantasy story coming from CMP one week after another… Collins keeps adult audiences interested in CMP’s films daring to bet for a most difficult genre as drama is. Here, he returns to his natural element: dysfunctional families, abused children, the difficulties of growing up… The same way that happens with people like Woody Allen – who has made dozens of movies talking about the same issues -, Collins knows how to go back to the same references making each movie look as something different and new. ‘Fireflies In The Jelly-Jars’ is one of those movies with young girl included – in the line of ‘The Secret ife Of Bees - that makes you think without taking you to emotional extremes. There’s hope in this story and, at the end, you know that Abigail’s character will find her way no matter the losses and absences in her life. A brilliant movie.’
-Tim Reeve


WONDER WOMAN

CRITIQUE: Dawson redeemed himself tremendously after his last superhero fiasco, Aquaman. Wonder Woman succeeds in doing the legendary heroine justice. I admired how it followed the comics more closely than the Carter era. Colbie did a fantastic job and I wouldn't mind seeing her again. The only stupid thing in the film is something Edwards couldn't really control it himself is the ridiculous truth telling lasso. OMG I GOTS TA TELL DA TOOTH I BE LASSOED. It was smart to get Iron Man's Jon Favreau behind the cameras also.
ACTING/CAST: B+
DIRECTION: A-
WRITING: B+
PLOT/CONCEPT: A-
PRODUCTION VALUES: A
REWATCH VALUES: A+
OVERALL: A

THE DARK TOWER: WASTE LANDS

CRITIQUE: These are always good to watch. They have a big fan following, they make lots of money, I liked this one a lot better than the second installment, and just as much as the first. I won't say 'stop Matt' cuz this, like the Harry Potter series, just needs to have film adaptations of all the stories. Some will be great, others will be bad, but this one I found impressive! I also feel that Kubrick has been growing a lot with his releases. He's becoming his own and not just the slasher/superhero guy.
ACTING/CAST: B+
DIRECTION: B+
WRITING: A
PLOT/CONCEPT: A
PRODUCTION VALUES: A
REWATCH VALUES: A+
OVERALL: A

FIREFLIES IN THE JELLY-JARS

CRITIQUE: So many scenes in this film left me with a haunted feeling. Collins hasn't been doing too many uber depressing dramas in a while, but he still does them. I know we've seen these sorts of dramas before, but hey, don't we see like every story a million times. I am impressed, hypnotized by Breslin and am excited to see what she can do next. Her and Day-Lewis carried the film and I would be heartbroken to see them left out of awards. Acting was good, the direction of Mangold was impressive, but the film still kept itself safe with other films like it.
ACTING/CAST: A+
DIRECTION: A
WRITING: B-
PLOT/CONCEPT: C+
PRODUCTION VALUES: B
REWATCH VALUES: D- too haunting and depressing to see more than once, but good enough to see at least once.
OVERALL: B+

Mr. Thumbs' Certified Must See of the Week:

Once again, I can say this week

drumroll....

SEE ALL THREE!


HARRY STARK
CMP’S 300 RELEASES

CMP reaches its 300 releases this week.

3 years releasing movies every week.
128 movie directors.
19 screenwriters.
363 actors.
221 actresses.
352 posters and adds.

It’s been quite an adventure… And to celebrate this first 300 releases, CMP’s President Harry Stark speaks for the first time about the insides of the Studio and reveals quite a few interesting secrets…

1.Where did the idea of creating CMP came from?

For a few months I had been part of an online game with some similarities with Crazy Moon Pictures. It was about putting up tv shows instead of movies. And it was so much fun. It was my first experience with an online game and I got really hooked to it. But, suddenly, one day the Game Admin disappeared without even saying goodbye and that was it. It was very frustrating.

I looked for similar games on the net and I found a few. But they were all too complex. And that’s a mistake. A Game Admin may end up hating the game if he has to take too many rules into consideration. Some times simple things are the funniest ones.

So I decided to try creating my own game. I had the perfect tool for it: the wonderful pc game Hollywood Mogul. As the movies junkie I am, I had been playing with HM since its very first version back in the 90s. Why not turning it into an online experience?

I had only one premise: KEEP IT SIMPLE. I didn’t want to create a complex game full of rules. It had to be easy both for me as Game Admin and for the players. I have always had that in mind with CMP and I have kept that premise as the essence of CMP. No complexity and not drowning into a deep ocean of rules. The game had to be based in two main pillars: creativity and imagination. That’s all.

I don’t know much about computer programming or anything. So I needed a very easy way of managing the game. A blog. I had no experience in blogs when I started but it looked as something easy enough to manage even for a computing programming ignorant like me.

Ok, that was it. It was October 2006 and Crazy Moon Pictures was born and not even I knew if it would last a few weeks or a few years…

2.Tell us something about you…

Who is that guy? I won’t break the magic of the mysterious President of CMP… hahaha.

Stark comes from Spain. And that means one thing: his first language is Spanish. And that means another thing: language is a strong limitation some times. It is frustrating not being able to express what you want in English. Sorry for the mistakes! I just do my best (with the help of my dictionary).

Stark has made his living out of writing. He works as a journalist and communication expert for a company and he has also published a few novels.

His only knowledge of the movie business before CMP has been meeting Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith (an extremely nice couple). He also has shaken hands with Daniel Craig during the Spanish premiere of Quantum Of Solace (…and I almost congratulated him for his work in CMP’s ‘1066’). Oh, yes, and once Harry was standing in a red light in the streets of Madrid and he realized the girl besides him was no other than Penelope Cruz. Not much background for a Movie Studio’s President…

But that was all before he became the powerful President of CMP…

3.Is it too hard making the weekly posts?

You bet it is a hard work… But not as hard as it may seem. I use to work on CMP mainly twice per week, usually on Monday and Thursday’s evenings. Most of the posts’ contents are just copy and paste – plots, some reviews, interviews… - from what the screenwriters and journalists send me, so having the posts ready is much faster than it may seem. But still takes some hard working.

Anyway, it is pretty relaxing for me to abandon reality for a few hours every week to enter into the imaginary world of CMP. Some weeks, it is not so easy to find the time, but I try my best to keep posting two issues per week, Tuesday and Friday. Planning, anticipation and regularity are essential. And I know the game would just not work if you didn’t know when the next issue will be posted.

Sections of the posts change from time to time. Mainly, the game has grown a lot from the first posts back in 2006. Movies’ plots are much more elaborated now and that’s great. And also movies reviews are more developed now. Some sections have come and go depending on how much I liked them.

I always try to make CMP as much interactive as possible. That’s why I like so much the ‘Making Of’ section and that’s also the reason why I have created lately the 5 questions section so you all can have a stronger presence in the game.

4.What is the best of CMP for you?

As I always say, CMP is 99% based on imagination. You have to imagine the movies, how they would be like, everything… CMP is an experience for highly imaginative people.

I have always liked pc games. But I have never been interested in those games where there’s no room for adding things by yourself using your imagination. That’s why I particularly like simulations and strategy games. That’s the basis for CMP. 99% of it is in our imagination.

Another thing I like about CMP after all this time is that, in so many ways, it has its own life… I mean, some talents are bigger (or smaller) in CMP than in real life but, at the same time, what they do in CMP fits with what they do in real life. Talents have their own career in CMP but also those careers can perfectly match with their real life careers. So there is a nice kind of ‘internal coherence’ in CMP’s world.

Another thing I like is that, although I am the game admin, I don’t control what goes on in CMP. I mean, what happens on CMP does not depend exclusively on me at all but on what all the players do and what happens with Hollywood Mogul.

That way I am as intrigued about what will happen as you are.

In that sense, I cannot even control what will work and what won’t in box office. Not even I know if the new releases will be a hit or a miss until I develop them in my Hollywood Mogul’s game on Monday’s evenings. So I know that almost at the same time than you all. I can only guarantee that I always do my best to make every movie work in box office, no matter if I like it or not.

5.And what is the worst of CMP for you?

The hardest part is making the movies’ posters. After more than 350 posters designed – including the old ‘coming up’ posters I abandoned due to lack of time – it is so hard and challenging finding the right concept to create the image of the movie. It is as difficult as challenging and fun.

But, most of all, it is very frustrating. I create the posters in a bigger size than what you see at the blog and some of them just look spectacular. But then, they look so small at the blog… It’s a shame because they lose a lot of their strength when posted.

6.What can you tell us about CMP’s screenwriters?

That’s the most important element of the CMP’s experience: The screenwriters.

When I started CMP back in October, 2006, I had no idea if anybody would be interested in it. I had Joey Stark and that was it. But Matt Kubrick quickly showed up. And he is still here! It was great to have him on board since the very beginning. After 11 Seasons together, I just cannot imagine CMP without Matt.

Most of the authors of those first times are not in the game anymore. Daggle only sent one pitch and disappeared. Brian Kelley, Tom Figgs and later Bill Cougan also released a few stories before they went without a goodbye…

But other people joined. I contacted Marcus Trax, a creative mate from my previous experience in an online game, and he joined CMP. He stayed for a few Seasons and left some CMP’s classics like his Star Wars trilogy or his movies with David Mamet and Johnny Depp. But I haven’t heard from him for long – his last release was ‘The Land Of Nod’ back in Season 9 - so I’m afraid he has definitely left us. A shame, cause I think he was a very interesting author.

John Daws was another pioneer. Although not very active, he stays around. I am happy that, after all this time, a movie from him, ‘The Gunpowder Plot’, has finally won the Best Picture award.

I invited two personal friends to join the game from the very beginning. James Bradley and Steve Connors. Two great guys. My colleague Bradley is a mostly creative man and you can notice that in his stories. And Connors is just the perfect friend for any adventure. The problem is they hardly speak or write English so I have to make extra job translating their plots. But it’s worthy.

Jack Hammer also joined the game soon with his iconic trilogies – Uncommon Valour, Last Lawman, Great War Series… - but then he left. I am so happy to have him back cause he is another highly creative brain.

Seasons later, new and splendid writers have joined us. Josh Collins – unfairly known as Mr. Drama, cause he has proved to be a most versatile author – has become one of the most active (and successful) writers of the Studio. And guys like David Makalaster, Dawson Edwards, Ben Tyler and Richard Franzwa keep growing as authors movie by movie. New promising talents like Chad Taylor and Max Arilius are the latest additions to the game and great things can be expected from them. And a newbie, Trent Nielsen, will make his debut next Season.

I just hope that although CMP has abandoned the Hollywood Mogul’s forum, we will still have the chance of recruiting new screenwriters from time to time. I just don’t know how.

Twelve screenwriters, like CMP has now, is almost the perfect number of players. It provides variety and diversity. I know some times it takes too long from the moment your stories are sent to the day they are finally developed and released. But I always try to keep all screenwriters active with some story in development and I think it is much fun and challenging having a wide number of writers than just three or four. But I would’t want more than a dozen authors or so around.

7.Most of CMP’s movies seem to become blockbusters lately and the number of flops has decreased so much. Why? Have you introduced any change in the way you manage ‘Hollywood Mogul’?

I have no idea why! That’s the truth. No, I haven’t changed anything since Season 2!

CMP started using the pc game Hollywood Mogul at its second level of difficulty. But that was too easy. So, after Season 1, I moved to level 3 (‘Up and Comer’). That’s why Season 1 movies are never included into the alltimes top lists.

I don’t like the numbers of Hollywood Mogul. I mean, it is not realistic making thousands of millions in box office. So I just use a simple division with the numbers when translating them to CMP. That way, in CMP a blockbuster makes something around one or two hundred millions in box office. That scale does not fit real life movies numbers neither but I think it is a bit more realistic.

And yes, it seems like I am doing too well lately managing the game. Flops have become a rarity. Only one movie flopped past CMP’s Season.

But, to be honest, I don’t like that.

I like having flops from time to time. It would be boring succeeding with each and every release. I will wait and see how that goes in the future before considering upgrading the level of difficulty, a possibility that I personally do not like much.

Besides that, I still consider Hollywood Mogul one of the best pc games I have ever played. As I said, I like simulations games and I like to use my imagination when playing. The good thing about Hollywood Mogul is that it is very well done but also it leaves a lot to your imagination. You know: how the movie would be like, what would critics say about it… That’s the essence of CMP too. You can create a whole movie world using mainly your imagination.

I have been using lately the actors, actresses and directors databases created by Smirkworthy and downloadable from the Hollywood Mogul’s site. But, using the ‘Discover New Talent’ tool, any new talent can be added to the game.

Anyway, as some stars’ career – both in and out of CMP – have gone up and down since 2008 I am considering adapting those databases to 2010 if I find the time…

8.Will there be more hiatus soon?

One thing I promised to myself when I started CMP was that, as the game admin, I would never disappear without saying anything. I suffered that in my previous experience in an online game and it was so frustrating.

So, guys, if some day CMP ends, I will let you know. If I don’t… well, it would only be due to a sudden death… agggg!

The game has suffered two hiatus in these three years. As Makalaster said one, I prefer not doing things that doing them badly. CMP stopped for a few months back in the Summer of 2007 until January 2008 and then a second and shorter hiatus took place this year between April and July.

In both cases, I had to attend to changes in my life or to a special amount of work. I hope it won’t happen for a while in the near future!

Well, yes, I always take some summer and eastern holidays too… I love travelling on holidays all over the planet, so I always give CMP a short break in those dates.

9.Wanna add anything?

Yes, I specially want to thank the wonderful job David Makalaster does with CMMDB. It is a great site. And it particularly helps me a lot when working on the posts!

Also, thank you David for setting up a new Forum for CMP. You saved the Studio!

I also want to express how much I like having Mr. Thumb around.

And the new blogs from Josh Collins and Chad Taylor are also two new interesting additions to CMP’s world!

10.So what’s the future of CMP?

I will go on with CMP as long as I keep having so much fun with it… I think I wrote that in the first post of the game and I still think exactly the same three years later.

Creativity and imagination. CMP offers both things. And I hope you keep enjoying the challenge of being creative and imaginative as much as I do!

So let’s go for the next 300 movies…

SEPTEMBER, 25


WONDER WOMAN

Action / Superhero / Epic

The Cast: Colbie Smulders, Josh Lucas, Catherine Z. Jones, Josh Brolin, Carrie-Ann Moss, Michelle Williams

The Director: Jon Favreau
The Screenwriter: Dawson Edwards

The Plot: Diana (C.Smulders), the daughter of Hippolyta (C.Z.Jones) and the princess of the Amazons of Themyscira. They were created to guard against the evils of the world. Strong, wise, and compassionate, Hera gave breath to the AMAZON. In the ancient days, they lived among Mankind…but Man fears what it cannot control. Man sought to take the power of the Amazon but doing so would have destroyed Man’s World. Diana is the reincarnated spirit of a human child who died in her mother's womb almost 30,000 years ago, brought back to take her mothers place when that time comes.

The Russians are the world’s biggest threat, and they now want the secrets of the Amazon women, which is located in Pandora's Box. Hippolyta sent Galina (M.Williams) to retrieve the secret box of Pandora from the Russians but never returned. So a tournament is held on Themyscira. Diana secretly entered the tournament designed to find the worthiest Amazon, who would go forth and confront the Russians and save Galina. She won defeating the favored Phillipus (C-A.Moss), but was told by her mother that she could not go.

Meanwhile, American soldier, Steve Trevor's (J.Lucas) plane crashes down on the island where Diana finds him after the tourney. She saves him then takes him to her mother who uses the golden lasso to make him tell the truth. He tells her that he landed here after his plane, from which he stole from them, was shot down by the Russians. Hippolyta sentences him to death anyway, and Diana is forced to save his life. She takes him from his cell along with her people's sacred armor including a golden belt, the belt of Aphrodite, which allows an Amazon to walk in disguise among men. Diana also steals a golden rope, Hestia's Golden Lasso, which is unbreakable and any whom it binds, must speak the truth. The two leave the island on an invisible jet (controls the jet with the gold tiara with ruby star on it) headed for America.

In D.C., Steve helps Diana make adjustments to her wardrobe and they eventually leave for Russia after debriefing with the powers that be, where they battle millions of troops and save Galina. When Diana and Steve bring Galina home, they are followed by Russian bombers and ships of troops lead by Vandall Savage (J.Brolin) who has been orchestrating Russia's plans for war. The Amazons have an epic battle with the Russians and Diana ends up destroying Savage's plane which sends him falling to his death into the ocean below.

Dubbed "Wonder Woman" by the American press, Diana became Themyscira's ambassador to the outside world.


Stark’s Comment: Here is the awaited movie version of one of the most popular characters from the superheroes universe. This version is closer to the original comic books than to Lynda Carter’s legendary tv series. The movie is signed by Dawson Edwards, a guarantee in superheroes movies after his successful movies ‘The Flash’ and ‘Aquaman’. After what has happened with ‘Silver Sable’ anything is possible here.

Behind The Scenes: Selecting the actress to play Wonder Woman has been a long process. Lots of names were considered before choosing Colbie Smulders: Evangeline Lilly, Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel, Megan Fox… among many others. Finally, Colbie was Dawson Edwards’ choice. Josh Lucas was offered to star ‘Married To The Supervillain’ the same days he got the offer for this movie. Finally, Lucas chose this one.

THE DARK TOWER: WASTE LANDS

Action / Mystery

The Cast: Russell Crowe, Jake Gyllenhaal, Angela Bassett, William Mosely, Ian Holms, Arnold Vosloo

The Director and Producer: Sam Raimi
The Screenwriter: Matt Kubrick

The Plot: Jake Chambers (W.Mosely) has been plagued by nightmares of death and a dark tower. He keeps dying in these dreams, he knows he has died before so why is he here? His parents think he has mental problems and he has been to several psychologists to try and figure out the cause but none of them have been able to figure out the source no one will. None of them will know that it is because of the actions of Roland (R.Crowe) the gunslinger. When he visited new york city through a portal and took over the body of a killer he unwittingly created a time paradox linking Roland and Jake over time and space.

Jake has been seeing signs of the Dark Tower and the world of midworld everywhere. A book store called tower books, it is here he buys a children book about a train with a twisted smile that haunts him the name of the train, Blaine. He skips school and goes on a journey through New York City which will eventually lead him to a strange old house.....

It's been five long weeks for Roland and his small band of travellers. Roland has been training his small group with guns, they will have to learn to survive the dangers ahead which will be many. Susannah (A.Bassett) and Eddie (J.Gyllenhaal) notice that Roland has been acting strangely of the past couple of weeks, but he won't say why.

Roland has been plagued by horrible dreams of Jake of him falling over and over again and when he was able to save him when he was in control of a killers body. He can feel his mind slowly going somehow he has to find a way to make things right. While travelling through the woods the small group are attacked by a pair of bears and they must fight for their lives. Soon after Roland feels a strange pull to an unknown destination which eventually leads him to a speaking ring which is a ring of stone. Roland tells his group that this is a portal and they will soon have another person to join their group on their long trek.

In Newyork city, Jake to feels the strange pull and it eventually leads him to a house, he can feel he will soon be in Midworld, the place of his dreams, the very place he knows he belongs. But as he steps into the house, Jake senses danger, the house itself is alive, it is a demon that exists in two worlds. A portal opens up and Jake is now in a fight for his life to make it through the portal.

Meanwhile the demon also threatens the grop in midworld and Susannah has to have sex with the demon while Roland and Eddie pull Jake through the portal. When he is through it closes behind them.

Days later they all find themselves trekking through the deep woods, Roland tells them that they must make their way to the city of lud, it's one of the most ancient cities of mid world and it is there that they must find a way to make a safe journey through an area commonly known as the Waste lands. A dangerous expanse full of dangerous creatures. Jake bonds with an animal known as a billy bumbler, it's a cross between a dog and a badger that can mimick human speech and also has a keen sense of smell. Jake names his new friend OY. After entering into a small village they spend the night with a family where they get food and a good night’s rest before continuing on their way. Finally they come across a large bridge on earth some would call it the george washington bridge.

But as they cross they are confronted by a band of well armed people led by a man named Gasher (A.Vosloo). He kidnaps Jake and holds everyone off by threatning to kill the boy with a grenade. Roland sends Eddie and Susannah into Lud while he takes the billy bumbler and they follow the kidnappers into a different section of lud.

Meanwhile Jake has been taken to a man known as the tick tock man (I.Holms) who has a large collection of clocks that he keeps time with. Roland and the small animal make their way through a series of tunnels underneath the city and soon enter into tick tock's lair. Meanwhile Jake manages to shoot the Tick Tock man and leaves him for dead with Gasher following him. Roland kills Gasher and reunites with the boy and they leave.

Eventually the group reunites, where they make their way to a large train platform which Jake realizes it's the train from his book and shows it to everyone and they decide the only way to make it out of lud is to get on it. The train is run by a malfunctioning AI named Blaine and as the train makes it's way across the tracks, they can see the desolate waste lands below them and sometimes spot ferocious animals that roams the dark area. Blaine informs them all that it will jump the trucks but it wants to play a riddle game with them. Roland asks Blaine every riddle he can think of and nothing works, Eddie finally decides to try and confuse the AI by asking it a series of jokes which the train can't answer. Finally the AI malfunctions and the train comes to a dead stop at the trainstation before jumping it's tracks.

The group gets out of the train and they find themselves in the ruined town of Topeka, the place is totally desolate. Soon they find themselves walking along a desolate highway littered with ruined cars with skeletons inside them.....and the tower is one step closer.


Stark’s Comment: Third installment of this saga based on Stephen King’s books. The numbers of the previous one, ‘The Drawing Of The Three’, were surprisingly good, becoming the most profitable CMP’s release ever until Silver Sable came past week. Honestly, I don’t expect this one to repeat such wonderful numbers but still think the fans of the saga will support it nicely.

Behind The Scenes: Sam Raimi has said that this could be his last ‘Dark Tower’ movie behind the cameras. Raimi is considering staying attached to the franchise as producer but being replaced as director. Ray Winstone was announced to be in this movie but that was a mistake from CMP’s Press Office.

FIREFLIES IN THE JELLY-JARS

Drama

The Cast: Abigail Breslin, Daniel Day Lewis, Robin Wright-Penn, Logan Lerman, Jeffrey Wright

The Director: James Mangold
The Screenwriter: Josh Collins
The Producer: Grand Island Movies

The Plot: A young girl, Emily (A.Breslin) and her mother Margaret (R.Wright-Penn) suffering from the weight of the paternal hierarchy of the story. He (D. Day Lewis) rules the family with an iron fist and controls his wife and child as if they were possessions instead of humans. He's just an angry abusive alcoholic, a strictly conservative republican and is also chauvinistic and racist. His only pride and joy of the family is the 'never seen but heard from' son who went off to fight in the Iraq War. Mother and daughter are represented as the fireflies in the story. Bright creatures trapped in an encased world yearning to be free.

Margaret forms a peculiar bond with an interesting black man, Arliss (J.Wright), who charms her with his extremely fun personality. They plan to run away together, get married in an exotic country and never look back at where they came from. Their friendship turns into romance and an inevitable sex scene occurs. The result, now she's going to be having Arliss' child. As her bond with Arliss grows, her attention toward Emily fades. Soon she would forget about her old life completely and everyone in it just to start a new and she and Arliss would do the things they planned on doing. Letters to Emily arrive fewer and further apart.

Emily is the other firefly. Smart, strong willed, talented. Plays piano as a form of escaping her life. She also loves to write and draw, usually in peculiar places like under a tree, on the roof of the house. One scene shows her on the roof and she thinks about jumping from her home to the next and to the next just to escape her predicament, but just as she's about to jump she stops herself and fixes her balance, realizing the only thing she was going to do was plummet to her death and being alive is more painful to her father than being dead. He's done so many bad things to her and her mother that she's become immune to anything he does, but she still hates his guts. She enjoys catching the fireflies at night and playing with the sick little abandoned dog she once nursed back to health.

Other terrible things her father's done to her was kill her dog which sets her off in a huge rage he also discovers her biography she's been writing the whole time and sees all the bad things she wrote about him and tears up the pages.

One particular form of Emily escaping is a very young man, Evan (L. Lerman), late teens, who does odd-jobs around the neighbourhood. Her father allows him to do the odd-jobs but doesn't promise good payment. Emily discovers him when she's writing under her tree. His behavior and vibes interest her, including one instance where she sees him peeing on one of the bushes outside. When he notices her, he apologizes and she says, "Oh that's ok, it's my father's bush anyway" throughout the film she develops a small subtle crush on Evan, but he considers his friendship with her strictly on a 'big bro/little sis' basis.

She gets comfortable with Evan, opening up to him with things that would make others cringe. He wants to take her away from the home, but he's afraid she's too young and all her father would do is try to steal her back. Evan wants to be that important male role model that she isn't getting at home, knowing that the things her father is doing is just going to screw her up in the future. Some point, Emily tries to kiss Evan to live out her prince charming fantasy and he pushes her away, saying they can't do those things. Embarrassed and feeling stupid, she gets angry and refuses to see him. She realizes she's been wanting to act older and seem older but Evan showed her she has a little more growing up to do.

By the end of the film, Emily's older brother dies in the war, father is also angry that his wife left and he takes it out harsher on Emily who is also angry that the boy she likes doesn't like her back and how he's treated her up to the point of the film she pulls a knife on her father and threatens to kill him. He settles down then. Evan also returns with the intent to make amends with Emily, they do make up and he gives her a big hug and kisses her forehead, but is caught by her father, who beats the crap out of Evan outside the house under the tree saying how sick he is. Evan, a bloody drooling beaten to a pulp self says, "Is it any worse than what you've done?!" This stops Emily's father, looking shocked in a 'how did you know.." sort of way. He storms back into the house. Emily, also an emotional wreck holds Evan in her arms and cries for him.

The opened ending only leaves audience to see the fireflies are finally free.


Stark’s Comment: A very ‘Collins drama’. An interesting low budget production that takes us back to Collins’ usual issues. The solid screenplay and the acting works are its main appeals. And, of course, the always interesting presence of Abigail Breslin, an icon in Collins’ movies. Maybe it won’t make a big box office but it is the perfect movie to win awards.

Behind The Scenes: This story has suffered so many changes since it was originally pitched by Josh Collins. In one of its many versions, it was going to be a historical movie taking place in the times of slavery. Before the final screenplay and the definitive cast was settled, a lot of names sounded as attached to the project during its long preproduction phase: Vincent D’Onofrio, Michael Madsen, Julianne Moore, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Don Cheadle, Regina King, Regina Hall, Dakota Fanning… and a neverending etcetera.


ZOIDS: The young cast of this adventure move keeps growing. Jamie Bell, seen before in CMP’s movies like ‘Quadrophenia’ and ‘Together Apart’, will be one of the villains of the story. Cole Hauser, who has worked before with Dawson Edwards in ‘Metal Gear Solid’, is also back. And Jacob Kogan makes his debut in CMP.

SUSPICIONS AND DISHONORS: Zach Braff will try to forget the flop of his latest work, ‘Crime Stoppers’, playing here Woody Allen’s son and Scarlett Johansson’s brother. The peculiar curiosity here is that Braff already played Allen’s son sixteen years ago in ‘Manhattan Murder Mystery’.

MAGIC – THE GATHERING: INNOCENT WHITE: Green light for the second episode of this David Makalaster’s fantasy saga based on the popular cards game. The director of the first movie, Martin Campbell, returns behind the cameras and the starring couple of it, Jude Law and Claire Danes, also returns in front of them.

COMMAND & CONQUER: Hugh Jackman and Robert Downey Jr. have met before in Richard Franzwa’s ‘Fallout’ movies. And now they are back together in this Ben Tyler’s production also based in a video game. Both are part of a choral cast full of testosterone. This is the second work from Downey Jr. this Season after the successful ‘Silent Hill’.

EARTH 3K: Josh Collins likes to visit the sci-fi genre from time to time. He had a great experience with ‘Civilization M’. Now he is back with this story about aliens and humans living together. The movie has been announced as the beginning of a new CMP’s saga. This production has a most appealing starring couple: Ewan McGregor, who is getting more and more demanded in CMP, and Jennifer Garner, taking a rest from her work in the ‘Preacher’ movies.

ROBOTS OF DAWN: Two interesting returns playing supporting roles in this third movie adapting Isaac Asimov’s robots novels. Dustin Hoffman, who got two GMA’s nominations past Season for his starring work in ‘Borgel’, will be a scientist accused of murder. And another suspect will be the GMA winner Kevin Spacey, not seen in CMP since his work in another sci-fi pitch, ‘Monolith’.

ZANN: Luke Wilson (‘Dark Omens’, ‘Eureka!’) has been away from CMP for a very long time. Now he finally returns as the victim of the enigmatic Zann, played by Jack Nicholson, in this mystery movie based on a H.P. Lovecraft’s story. Also in the cast, James Cromwell, seen past Season in ‘The Awful Truth’.

THE MIRACLE MEN: James Bradley and Paul Giamatti have worked before in the famous Bradley’s fables (‘Bill and the Rocket Man’, ‘Fools Game’ and ‘Man In The Mirror’) and also in the soft drama ‘An American Stroll’. Now, they take a step forward in their collaboration. This time, Giamatti is not only going to star but will also direct this peculiar comedy adventure that takes place in the 1950s. Giamatti will play a swindler preacher man.

GOLDMINE KILLERS: Angelina Jolie has decided to surround herself with a bunch of tough guys in this thriller that she is starring and producing: Joaquin Phoenix, who worked recently with Angie’s husband Brad in ‘Ugly’; Mark Ruffalo, who worked with Josh Collins before in ‘Change Of Heart’; Djimon Honsou, seen in ‘The Secret People’; and Val Kilmer, who has been away from CMP since ‘Legend Of The Last Lawman’.

MARRIED TO THE SUPERVILLAIN: The peculiar family of this movie completes with Ashley Judd’s father, a veteran supervillain played by no other than Jeff Bridges. Bridges has not been very lucky in CMP until now. His three previous works for the Studio – ‘Don’t Stan So Close To Me’, ‘Outer Eye’ and ‘Hollyweird’ – didn’t make good box offices. By the way, Bridges and Ashley already worked together before in ‘Outer Eye’.


DAWSON EDWARDS – ‘WONDER WOMAN’

1.We all have read a lot about the casting process of this movie. What made you choose Colbie Smulders to play Wonder Woman?

I don't think there's a person in the world who hasn't enjoyed Colbie's work on television, and her charm there made it easier to view her as the kind hearted woman that Diana is. I realize that she has been primarily a comedic actress, but I sincerely believe that Colbie will stun you with her performance similar to Robin Williams in "Good Will Hunting." Every week on tv, you can see the fierce presence oozing out of her! I honestly couldn't be happier with the studios decision to select Colbie.

2.What were you looking for with 'Wonder Woman'? A campy revisitation of the old tv series or a complete redefinition of the character?

Actually, I didn't want to touch the tv series. I want the film to be accessible to all ages and minds, but I wanted this to be completely separate from that show. I want Linda's show to remain on that "campy" pedestal of that era, and I want this film to become "THE" definition of the character for this era, and be remembered fondly when the next generation looks back. It’s not a revamp or redefinition, to me it’s just Princess Diana: Wonder Woman.

3.You are a specialist in superheroes movies. You were behind hits like 'The Flash' or 'Aquaman'. But they never had a sequel. Will there be a sequel of Wonder Woman if the movie works in box office?

Honestly, The Flash has a sequel. It’s somewhere around here but I wouldn't dare send it to CMP in the condition it’s in. That movie is near and dear to my heart, and I want to be 100x better than its original. As for Wonder Woman, one can only hope. I will never force a sequel unless I got another shot at Metal Gear, ha.

4.With so much hype around this production, do you feel pressured?

Are you kidding?! Hell yeah! There's ton of pressure. Such a huge character, an ICON! Not to mention the fantastic job Kubrick's doing with Avengers and the Marvel properties. I can only hope that the potential Justice League movie does the character as good as I believe I've done. Pressure comes with the job description though, and after MGS I've worked on my craft. Hopefully people will see that in this movie.

5.Can we expect any other superhero movie coming from you in the future?

Action, definitely. Guy or girl in tights? Maybe. Like I said, I won't force it but if I believe CMP can produce a character or group of characters then I will let the pen speak for me.


JOSH COLLINS
‘FIREFLIES IN THE JELLY-JARS’

At Grand Island Movies, we are so close to the release of our newest production, "Fireflies in the Jelly-Jars" about a precocious girl pinned by the weight of her iron fisted father and coping with the abandonment of her mother and crushing on an older teen boy. She is not a "well" girl, has a few loose screws. She's extremely talented, imaginative and somewhat eccentric. Josh Collins' most frequently used actress is the 13 year old Oscar and GMA nominee, Abigail Breslin. She will be conveying such a character. We caught up with the head of our studio for a brief chat about the film and his cast.

US: We want to thank you for stopping by, Mr. Collins. We know you're a busy fellow.

J: Yah...that's right. I'm uhm..busy....(hides golf clubs behind back)

US: Can we get a few words about your latest drama production titled 'Fireflies in the Jelly-Jars' First off. What the heck is up with that title?

J: I like thinking of titles that have more than one meaning behind them. It doesn't mean I always use them of course, but when you get a title that could have multiple meanings, you just gotta grab it. Of course when you first see the title you're going to imagine the lightning bugs trapped in jelly-jars. You're gonna imagine kids running around the back yard trying to catch them. It was one of the things I enjoyed doing when I was younger. We would catch a lot of those little bugs. Then for a meaning that's more on the surface and in your face, Abigail's character enjoys collecting those fireflies. But if you're looking for something deeper, than look for how the characters, particularly Abigail, her mother, and the boy she befriends. They're all encased in these jars with no holes to let them breath. So they yearn for an escape.

US: This will be your fifth film with Abigail. Some may argue that you should step back and give other young actresses a chance. What do you have to say to them?

J: I do give others a chance. I've worked with Ivana Baquero, Dakota and Elle Fanning, Ariel Gade, Sammi Hanratty, AnnaSophia Robb, Chloe Moretz, Makenzie Vega, Skye McCole Bartusiak, and even my own daughter Allie had a role in something. I think people just see my name associated with her and assume I work only with her. Granted she has been in more films of mine. But all of the writers have particular actors and directors they work with. I wanted to give Abigail a chance to have her film this time. Hollyweird, Dare to be Perfect she took complex supporting roles that went overlooked by the rest of the cast. Fantastic Mansion and Babes in Toyland, she shared the spotlight with others. Fireflies will be her big one that I really hope says "I'm here, damn it" for her. I trust her capability to pull off this role as she ages, matures and steps away from the kid-friendly roles.

US: We hear you had to make certain edits to get the film greenlit.

J: Yeah. But like most films, you aren't going to see everything make it from script to screen. I had to downplay the romance Abigail's character feels for the older teen boy (he's not that much older, but still). You may have heard controversies over Dakota Fanning's Hounddog, similarly, the romance got a little too adult for a character of her age. An older idea for the film suggested her father did unspeakable things to her but I voluntarily dumped that idea before pitching it. I figured her character was already going through way too much. Plus I've had too many characters already with similar traumatic experiences. Though that aspect may still be implied. She has it in her thought process that the way she deals with her crush is ok like trying to kiss him out of the blue and stuff, but that could just be a normal kid who thinks she's older than she is.

US: This falls in the line of your deeply depressing films that you are reknowned for. How do you think it will resonate with the audience?

J: I don't see it being a huge blockbuster. It's a film of personal discovery while overcoming a dysfunctional life. There may be audiences who go to it and relate to the character. Know what it's like to be in those kinds of circumstances at the character's particular age and how tough it is to deal with it when you have some abusive parent on your back. I hope that if anyone gets anything out of it, that they see the strong performances of the cast and the layers of the characters.

US: We're looking forward to Fireflies' release. Be sure to check it out! Trailers are surfacing at theaters with a few heads whispering. We here at Grand Island hope those heads are saying good things!


SILVER SABLE AND THE WILD PACK

Last week, the mega-success of ‘Silver Sable And The Wild Pack’ took the industry by surprise. Nobody could imagine that this superhero production would pulverize all CMP’s records the way it did. Every time a CMP’s movie breaks records we dedicate it here an in-depth article. We did it with ‘The Ice Princess’ when it became the most successful CMP’s movie ever. We did it again when ‘The Dark Tower: The Drawing Of The Three’ became the most profitable release in CMP’s History. And we are happy to do it again with a movie that has broken by far all CMP’s records. Here are some interesting insides from a movie that has surprisingly turned into a historical event for CMP.

The Precedent

‘Silver Sable’, released in Season 9, was a nice action movie that made 130 millions in box office. It meant 113 millions of net gains for the Studio. The movie told the origins of Silver Sable and her first mission facing an international terrorist played by Tim Robbins. Silver was presented as a sexy and brave action woman in the line of Lara Croft. She had no superpowers but a lot of hard training. Robert Downey Jr. made a cameo playing Ironman. It was a correct and entertaining movie, maybe less spectacular than The Avengers’ movies but much better than other CMP’s superheroes productions.

The Story

‘Silver Sable And The Wild Pack’ has an original storyline. But some of the events of the movie follow different plot lines included in the original Marvel’s comic. Sequences like the attack to Anna’s (Silver’s cousin) school and characters like Reverend Rightsfield or Gattlin are directly taken from the comic books.

Silver looks more sophisticated here than she did in the first movie. Her look is closer now to the comic books. Also, her love relationships are now introduced in the storyline, as they are in the books, where she was in fact married with Foreigner – and divorced later - and also had a love affaire with her good friend Spiderman, among others.

As some critics have said, this second movie is less realistic than the first one and closer to the usual unrealistic excesses of any superhero story. To increase that difference, now Silver’s team members, the Wild Pack, are not just tough soldiers like they were in ‘Silver Sable’ but superheroes themselves.

The Cast

Katherine Heigl is the star of the show any way you look at it. Her wardrobe, hairstyle and manners in this second movie put the accent in her sex appeal much more than they did in the first movie.

Although it is not a spin off from The Avengers, Joey Stark has always wanted to establish a kind of connection between both franchises. Ironman was the connection of the first movie. Spiderman, who joined The Avengers in the latest movie of the saga, is the connection this time.

Bob Hoskins has replaced Anthony Hopkins as Silver’s uncle giving the character a comedy touch. AnnaSophia Robb plays again Anna. And it seems like the members of the Wild Pack would return in a possible third episode. The short sequence after the credits promises that at least Foreigner will return in some way in future adventures.

The Authors

Joey Stark and Bryan Singer already had experience in superheroes movies before they begun to work together in ‘Silver Sable’. They previously teamed up putting up CMP’s Captain America movies. That time, the relationship didn’t have a happy ending, as Singer abandoned the franchise after the first movie of the saga. The Captain America’s trilogy ended with the death of the superhero. But Matt Kubrick followed up the story resurrecting him later in the first Avengers’ movie.

Joey Stark has never had before a success like this. It is the first time that his name enters into the top lists. Besides Captain America and Silver Sable, we have seen Bryan Singer’s name in other CMP’s hits like ‘T.Y.M.’ and ‘Visionaries’.

And The Numbers…

‘Silver Sable And The Wild Pack’ has not only become the alltimes top 1 CMP’s movie both in terms of box office and net gains. It is also the first and only movie to overcome the 400 millions in net gains. The only other movie that has made more than 300 millions in box office is ‘The Ice Princess’.

That means that ‘Silver Sable And The Wild Pack’ not only has broken all records in CMP. It also means that it has made it by a huge difference. So it looks like these numbers may remain as a unique and amazing milestone for a long time.


Without doubt, she is the star of the moment (with the permission of Katherine Heigl…). There’s a lot of hype around the release of ‘Wonder Woman’ and the choice of Colbie Smulders to play such iconic character. Colbie may jump directly from her successful tv show, ‘How I Met Your Mother’, to stardom in the big screen with this production. This week, probably every magazine in the world will include a picture of her. And so we do.



Everybody around CMP mourns for the painful flop of ‘Crime Stoppers’. And I have the feeling that CMP’s people have turned too weak. The recent strike of 31 releases without net losses has made them forget the good old days when CMP had 7 or 8 flops per Season. Almost one of each three releases flopped! Lately, CMP has been having one flop per Season. So yes, authors have forgotten how tough this industry is and what means the word ‘suffering’. ‘Crime Stoppers’ was a correct comedy the same way another comedy like ‘Night Cab’ was or movies like ‘Gears Of War’ or ‘Metal Gear Solid’ were correct action flicks. But audiences are cruel and moviegoers decided to ignore those movies. That’s how this business is. Not a business for weak spirits. So stop moaning and keep working hard!

Dr. Jones walks again. Ewan McGregor, now shooting ‘Earth 3K’, has confirmed that he will play again Indiana Jones’ father in a third installment of this popular franchise after ‘Dr. Jones and the Sword of Faith’ and ‘Dr. Jones and the Cursed Treasure’. According to McGregor, the screenplay is already being written and Steven Spielberg would like to have everything ready to release the movie in Season 12. It is expected that Joey Stark will continue working on the screenplay once he recovers from the hangover after the success of ‘Silver Sable and the Wild Pack’.

And another one of the most popular franchises ever may return to CMP. Yes, no other than Star Wars! Steve Connors is considering adapting some of the official Star Wars’ novels to the big screen. CMP’s sources tell me that Connors has not decided yet if he wants to place the story in the years before Episode I – like CMP’s ‘Tales Of The Jedi’ did - or some time between Episode VI and Marcus Trax’s Star Wars Trilogy for CMP. So it seems like still may take some time before the screenplay is ready to start filming. But CMP and George Lucas are said to have an initial agreement to bring the Star Wars’ universe back to CMP.

I have written before about Chad Taylor’s will of making a biopic of The Beatles. But the task is becoming even more difficult than it might seem. The first problem is choosing the perspective from where the story can be told. The second one, depending on the first, would be choosing the right cast. For what I know, a possible cast of talents to play the Fab Four had already been chosen. But now that decision has been put on stand-by as the screenplay may suffer some changes. Well, to make a long story short… I have been told that Taylor is working really hard on his most beloved project. Maybe that will help him to forget the flop of ‘Crime Stoppers’…

And that’s not the only musical biopic coming up. As you all know by now, Josh Collins is also working on a movie based on Elvis Presley. For the first time in CMP’s history, the actor to lead the cast is being chosen by a poll at Grand Island Movies’ blog. Ben Affleck is the main candidate to star the film by now. Other option being considered is changing the actor during the different moments in Elvis’ life. Anyway, with The Beatles and Elvis on their way, it seems like we are going to live a revival time in CMP.

Poor Colbie. Yes, you have read it right. Poor Colbie. Maybe not everything is so happy around the release of the awaited ‘Wonder Woman’ at this moment. The reason? The amazing success of Silver Sable, of course. What everyone is wondering now is: will moviegoers keep their interest in another superheroine’s movie one week after the world fell at the feet of Silver Sable? Does ‘Wonder Woman’ have any chance against Silver now or will the Jon Favreau’s movie look as the poor relative of the mega-successful Silver? They will never publicly admit it, but I know for sure that everybody involved in ‘Wonder Woman’ are so worried of the future of the movie after Silver’s success. Will there be room for both in moviegoers’ hearts?

SEPTEMBER, 22


SILVER SABLE AND THE WILD PACK

Action / Superhero
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Tobey Maguire, Gerard Butler, Edgar Ramirez, Eric Balfour, Dominic Monaghan, AnnaSophia Robb, Bo Hoskins
Director and Producer: Bryan Singer
Screenwriter: Joey Stark

Box Office: 352 mill.
Net Gains: 420 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: Ladies and Gentlemen, please stand up. Here we have both the best box office ever and the highest net gains ever for a CMP’s movie. Simply amazing. Remember that the previous box office top 1 was ‘The Ice Princess’ with 316 millions and the most profitable release was ‘The Dark Tower: The Drawing Of The Three’ with net gains of 382 millions. So this means that the movie hasn’t broken but literally pulverized all records! And it was only an ordinary superhero movie with the usual budget and marketing campaign we approve for this kind of movies… Katherine has simply seduced the whole world playing this sexy heroine. My brother Joey is just in ecstasy.

MORE TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED

Suspense / Drama
Cast: Daniel Radcliff, Tilda Swinton, Emma Thompson, John Cleese, Gerard Depardieu, Eva Green, Gaspard Ulliel, Cyril Descours, Jean-Pierre Léaud
Directors: David Fincher, Matt Kubrick, Gus Van Sant
Screenwriter: Ben Tyler

Box Office: 116 mill.
Net Gains: 94 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: The first ‘Tales’ movie made 108 in box office, so this new instalment has done even better, although net gains have been lower. It is obvious that the first movie created a fan base for these suspense short stories that has loyally gone back to movie theatres for another portion of quality suspense. More than satisfactory box office’s turnout.

CRIME STOPPERS

Comedy
Cast: Steve Carrell, Owen Wilson, Mike Meyers, Jason Mewes, Zach Braff, Leslie Mann, Jeremy Sumpter, Kevin Smith
Director: Kevin Smith
Screenwriter and Producer: Chad Taylor

Box Office: 4 mill.
Net Losses: 32 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: It has been a long time since CMP suffered a tremendous disaster like this. 32 millions of net losses! The movie joins the list of the ten worst CMP’s releases ever. These kind of big disasters always surprise me. The comedy had enough elements to work. But it seems like this week everyone preferred to watch Silver Sable… Oh, boy, this week’s releases have been like riding in a rollercoaster!


SILVER SABLE AND THE WILD PACK

‘Every time a movie breaks all kind of records, the first question I make is why. And, usually, I cannot find an specific answer for neither big hits nor big flops. I never understood why ‘The Ice Princess’ – nothing more than a correct animated feature – or the esoteric ‘TDT: The Drawing Of The Three’ were such smash hits. And I don’t understand it this time neither. This second Silver Sable’s movie is a correct and entertaining action movie. Less epic – in terms of superheroes’ universe – than The Avengers’ movies but maybe more fresh – in terms of entertainment – than other more pretentious CMP’s superheroes movies. I think that the only reason for this huge success is the appeal of Katherine Heigl, who has created a sexy heroine and a strong female character both interesting for male – from all ranks of ages – and female audiences. Maybe it is just as simple as that.’
-Charlie Kiggs

‘Bryan Singer has completely redefined this franchise with this second instalment. ‘Silver Sable’ was more an action movie than a superhero movie. Silver’s character was there a brave and courageous woman and action set pieces were shot in a very realistic way. Now, in this second movie, Silver has turned into a sophisticated woman that always keeps her exotic wardrobe shining and her perfect hair no matter what she does. And action set pieces have become more spectacular but less believable, from the brilliant opening sequence with Silver and her guys jumping from a dam to get into a subaquatic airplane to Silver jumping from one plane to another in the final sequence. I preferred the style of the first movie but audiences worldwide have decided that they love this new Silver closer to Ironman or Captain America than to Lara Croft.’
-Vic Carter

‘We are not talking about a movie here but about a marketing operation perfectly designed to turn Silver Sable into a money-making machine. Yes, it’s a good movie. Singer has put a perfect pace in it to make it a great popcorn show. The introduction of sentimental issues in the plot has been a clever move. The opening sequence is probably one of the best action set pieces we’ve seen lately. The presence of the always appealing Spiderman has been another astute decision by the Studio. And Katherine Heigl looks so gorgeous. But does all that justify the amazing success of this movie? From time to time, audiences decide to get crazy with a movie, no matter if it deserves it or not, and ‘Silver Sable and The Wild Pack’ has been so lucky to be the chosen one this time.’
-Jackie O’Callaghan

MORE TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED

‘The first ‘Tales’ movie was a delicious breeze of fresh air in the middle of the usual superheroes movies or horror flicks CMP usually releases. It didn’t matter that many people have seen those same stories before on tv. It was a quality product, wonderfully manufactured and such a daring initiative in the middle of too many predictable releases. Now, Tyler has returned with a second instalment of the concept. And again, we have three intriguing short stories perfectly written, brilliantly directed and so well performed by the whole cast. But, inevitably, the freshness of the first movie is lost. Now, we go to the movie theatre knowing what we are going to watch. It’s not a fault of any of the talents involved. It is just that the movie cannot help losing the power to surprise us that the first movie had.’
-Anne Roman

‘This second instalment of the Ben Tyler’s adaptations for the big screen of the old Roald Dahl’s suspense stories is another proof that quality adult audiences oriented productions can work. I am afraid that if we don’t support these kind of daring productions, we will have to keep watching superheroes movies each and every week. So I feel obliged to applaud Ben Tyler and CMP for betting for this concept. Once said so, it is also true that the three stories chosen for this second movie do not reach the dramatic strength of the three ones included in the first ‘Tales Of The Unexpected’. Maybe only the first one – wonderful work by Depardieu! – equals the surprising power of those. The premises of the stories included in ‘Tales..’ were so ingenious and surprising – that unforgettable Adolf Hitler’s mother... – and the ones chosen this time are not as shocking and disturbing as those were. Anyway, if you want to have a nice time feeling suspense on your skin, watch this movie.’
-Roy Winslow

‘Ben Tyler has the intelligence of making us watch as something new what in fact are only adaptations of an old tv series that also adapted classic Roald Dahl’s tales. The talent of the three directors involved, the brilliant work of the three casts and the perfectly paced Tyler’s screenplay upgrade the original material turning this movie into a recommended experience for fans of quality suspense. The formula may get exhausted soon but, until that happens, I can go for a third ride.’
-Andrew Stampton

CRIME STOPPERS

‘A wasted chance. The funny premise of this movie – those aged action movies stars trying to recover their glory days – has not been developed in the screenplay at the level the concept deserved. The problem with this movie is simply the worst problem a comedy may have: it is not funny. The jokes and the comedic situations just don’t work. ‘Crime Stoppers’ is one of those movies that could have been such an original and hilarious production. But it stays a few steps before being as funny as you expect it to be when you walk into the theatre. A shame.’
-Tim Reeve

‘Kevin Smith has tried to make a more ‘mainstream’ comedy than what he usually does. And he has proved to be incapable of doing it. At some moments, you just have the feeling he doesn’t know what to do with the material he is dealing with, jumping from subtle to gross sense of humour and not reaching at any moment the right comedy pace. I just think this wasn’t the right material for him as the story and his directing style just don’t fit. A special mention is also deserved about the cast: Mike Meyers is as annoying as he always is, Carrell and Wilson look desperate and frustrated in their attempt to be funny and Zach Braff looks as if he has no idea of what is he doing in this movie...’
-Lilly Stevens

‘Making good comedies is such a difficult task. CMP has produced some great samples of the genre – let’s remember ‘Woodland Creatures’, ‘Mary’s Dark Side’ or ‘Fools Game’, among others – and some horrible ones, like ‘Poor Little Rich Boy’, ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’ or ‘Lying Wish’. ‘Crime Stoppers’ can be placed in a middle land. It is ok, but it is not great. And ‘ok’ is never enough to make a comedy work. Audiences want to laugh when watching a comedy. And the problem with ‘Crime Stoppers’ is that you never get to laugh during its whole 95 minutes.’
-Ryan Caulbert


SILVER SABLE AND THE WILD PACK

CRITIQUE: I liked the first film. Most of the time I'm quite sketchy about film sequels, but this one manages to sit on the same level as the predecessor. It has earned the chance to be called a new installment, not just a sequel. I was on the edge of the seat with the action. It delivered the entertaining goods: keeping up with the action while giving audiences a story to follow.
ACTING/CAST: B-
DIRECTION: B
WRITING: B+
CONCEPT/PLOT: B+
PRODUCTION VALUES: A
REWATCH VALUES: A+
OVERALL: A-

MORE TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED

CRITIQUE: With so much expectation and success of the first film, it's hard to match or excell above its older popular sibling. Tales isn't a sequel in the sense of using the same characters, atmosphere, etc. It merely brings to life a film adaptation of the published stories. You can't just make one film out of a series and leave it. Well you can, but only if the first film was a success. In Tales' case, the second film adaptation needed to be made and needed to prove itself. I feel like it did. I think it has promise to make a grand box office and might be another film to sweep awards. I think there would be some sort of record for that.
ACTING/CAST: A
DIRECTION: A+
WRITING: A +
CONCEPT/PLOT: A
PRODUCTION VALUES: B
REWATCH VALUE: A
OVERALL: A

CRIME STOPPERS

CRITIQUE: Speaking of films needing to be made, Chad Taylor continues to impress me with his choice of films. Crime Stoppers needs to be seen by all of these senile action stars who try too hard to show they still "have it." A hilarious ride from beginning to end. Loved the Apocalypse Never bit: For those who don't know, that's what media joked about as the title of Apocalypse Now as it took forever to make.
ACTING/CAST: B-
DIRECTION: B+
WRITING: A
CONCEPT/PLOT: A+
PRODUCTION VALUES: B
REWATCH VALUE: A+
OVERALL: A-

Mr. Thumbs' Certified Must See of the Week....

With such a great week of releases, it's that time again to pull out the rarest weekly pick:

drumroll...

See Them All!