OCTOBER, 15


COMMAND & CONQUER

Action / Sci-Fi / War

The Cast: Hugh Jackman, Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Joseph D. Kucan, Michael Pena, Thomas Jane, Timothy Olyphant, Robert Patrick, Bill Murray

The Director and Producer: Michael Bay
The Screenwriter: Ben Tyler

The Plot:

The film is set sometime in the early 21st Century. The film begins with a montage summarizing the history of the 20th Century up to this point. All the images are war-related, and set to "Hell March" by Frank Klepacki. Soldiers marching, tanks rolling, and military vehicles coming off the assembly line, going from World War II, all the way through the Cold War, and into the events that set up the film itself.

We learn that a mysterious meteor crashed near the Tiber River in Italy, releasing a strange crystalline substance known as Tiberium. It is a useful and highly esoteric substance in that it seems to gather several useful elements and materials into an easily harvested form. It is also highly deadly to nearby lifeforms, and has a tendency to spread to other areas, converting nearby matter into more tiberium. In the decade since tiberium first made landfall, it has led to some major advances in science and energy production, with more advances expected. In just ten short years, tiberium has begun to supplant petroleum as the most valuable substance on Earth.

The arrival of tiberium has also brought with it the rise a new powerful organization - a supposedly ancient religious and military order (and arguably a terrorist organization) known as the Brotherhood of Nod. Under the leadership of a charismatic, mysterious, self-proclaimed prophet known only as Kane (Joseph D. Kucan), the Brotherhood has largely cornered the world market on tiberium, and is believed to dedicate more money to tiberium research than any other organization. This, they claim, is due to their great Prophet's prescience in forseeing the arrival of tiberium on the planet. Their ultimate goal is the "ascension" of mankind into the next stage of human evolution, which they believe will be brought about through tiberium. They view the West as decadent infidels, who stand in the way of ascension and the destiny of mankind.

As their military strength has increased, their attitude toward the West has grown increasingly hostile, with Nod engaging in aggressive expansionist behavior into disaffected nations (including an attack on the Wheat Trade Center in Vienna), as well as the manipulation of mass media in its favor. (This information is provided through a montage of news reports, all delivered by famed reporter Greg Burdette: Bill Murray).

We then see a special forces team preparing for combat. As they do so, the voice of Kane's right-hand man Seth (Robert Downey, Jr.) can be heard talking over it. He is talking to an insurgent leader chosen to lead this mission - General Esteban Aguinaldo (Michael Pena), a seasoned veteran of guerilla warfare in South America. He says that the rise of Nod begins today, with an assault on the U.N. consulate in Cairo. Starting with the consulate, he is to drive all foreign presence out of the city, and claim it for the Brotherhood.

Meanwhile, in an officers' lounge somewhere outside Cairo, Captain Nick "Havoc" Parker (Hugh Jackman) is playing a game of pool with his close friend, 2nd Lieutenant James Doyle (Thomas Jane). They are interrupted, however, by their commanding officer, Colonel J.C. Carter (Timothy Olyphant). He chews Havoc out for his behavior on previous missions, specifically his recklessness in endangering the people under his command. Nonetheless, given a lack of alternatives, he needs them in order to rescue a recon team that was sent to investigate a possible Nod encampment in rough terrain that the satellites couldn't pick up. They haven't reported back yet, and the Colonel wants him to find out what happened to them and assist them in finishing the job.

Havoc, Doyle, and a small squad swing into action, rescuing the ambushed reconnaissance team. They subsequently push onward, then locate and clear out the encampment of all Nod soldiers. In the remains of the base, they find plans for an assault on Cairo…

…an assault that is currently taking place. Elite Nod soldiers storm the UN Consulate and raise the Nod banner overhead as the understrength forces there are all but overwhelmed. Havoc and Doyle return to find their base destroyed and the colonel missing in action. They fight their way out of the carnage and hide out somewhere in the outskirts of the city.

In response to the attack, the UN gives its military organization, the United Nations Global Defense Initiative (GDI), the right to wage open war on Nod. They place General Mark Jamison Sheppard (Robert Patrick) in command, who subsequently assigns Major General James Solomon (Jamie Foxx) to command a division at the central front in the Baltic.

Meanwhile, Seth congratulates General Aguinaldo on a job well done (though he seems slightly uneasy in the General's presence). He then says he has a new mission for him - this one in Germany.

The GDI offensive begins well, with a resounding victory in Estonia. However, the victory is overshadowed by reports from Greg Burdette that GDI massacred civilians in a major city there. General Sheppard denies these charges. Meanwhile, he orders General Solomon to organize the defense of Poland from a massive Nod assault.

However, Nod soldiers under General Aguinaldo infiltrate and take temporary control of a satellite uplink to one of GDI's orbital Ion Cannons, which they direct against civilians to create the appearance of a GDI massacre. By the time GDI reinforcements arrive, it is already too late - the damage has been done. As a result, the UN orders an investigation of GDI, and severely limits funding and support. This makes it all the more difficult for General Solomon's undersized force to hold the line in Poland.

In the interest of intelligence-gathering, they send Captain Parker and his team in order to extract a Nod defector in Greece. He succeeds in rescuing the informant, who tells GDI that Nod's base of operations is located at Temple Prime in Sarajevo, and gives them the location, defenses, and schematics.

Thanks to General Sheppard's powers of persuasion, the GDI now has all the manpower it needs to mount a final offensive on the Brotherhood, ending the war once and for all.

Meanwhile, Seth is giving Aguinaldo new orders - INSANE new orders. Namely, he is ordering his troops to attack the United States. But as he does so, Kane himself emerges from behind him and shoots him in the head. It is quite clear now that Seth feared that the fast-rising Aguinaldo would supplant him as second-in-command, ordering him into what he thought to be suicidal missions in order to get rid of him - often to the detriment of the campaign. Kane, however, takes care of him, bitterly noting that power changes hands quickly.

Kane tells Aguinaldo that he has one final mission for him - this one in Bolivia. It is incredibly important for this mission to succeed in order for Nod to properly achieve its objectives. He says that the impending assault on Temple Prime is of little consequence - the Brotherhood has survived for thousands of years, and will surely endure even in the unlikely event of GDI success. Victory in Mexico, however, is not guaranteed, and thus requires the presence of his greatest general.

General Solomon's troops secure the area around Temple Prime, while Captain Parker himself infiltrates the walls of the complex to destroy the ion cannon deflectors. His best friend Doyle, however, is killed in action.

Meanwhile, Nod forces successfully capture a hidden laboratory, located near an ancient Temple in a secluded area near La Paz. They capture new information on Tiberium and its effect on life - effects that could very well bring about Ascension. They also find a piece of what appears to be a mysterious alien artifact.

Then, in Egypt, we see the orbital Ion Cannon being brought to bear against Temple Prime. As the scorching blue light begins to consume him, Kane rises his hands into the air and embraces the ion beam - an act which is caught on camera and thus witnessed by GDI forces.

Three months later, General Solomon has been promoted to Lieutenant General. He is currently in an unknown room with Colonel Carter, watching slow-motion news footage of Kane embracing certain death with open arms. Solomon says that there's something haunting about the way he did it - something unsettling.

"Well, it's a good thing it's over now," Carter says. "He's dead. No human could possibly survive that."
"Yeah…" Solomon says, with just a hint of doubt. "Let's hope so."

General Solomon lights a cigarette and turns off the TV.


Stark’s Comment: Epic at its most. Michael Bay returns to CMP with a war show full of testosterone. An spectacular production expected to be one of the big blockbusters of the Season. The Studio has expended a huge amount of money in it, shooting in locations all over the world and approving an astronomical budget for digital effects. We’ll see… I am used to be surprised by moviegoers.

Behind The Scenes: Hugh Jackman and Robert Downey Jr. have worked together before in the Richard Franzwa’s ‘Fallout’ movies. Last Thomas Jane’s work for CMP was in another Tyler’s pitch, ‘Monolith’. This is the most expensive production of this CMP’s Season so far. Michael Bay needs an urgent success after the disaster of ‘Gears Of War’ to stay as a trustable director and producer for CMP.

RAISE OF THE DARKMAN

Horror / Evil

The Cast: Matt Kubrick, Benicio Del Toro, Dakota Fanning, Harry Stark, Wes Craven, Dennis Quaid, Laura Linney, Danielle Harris

The Director: Wes Craven
The Screenwriter: Matt Kubrick

The Plot:

Matt Kubrick is a would be screen writer and hopeful movie director. He used to direct television commercials but he has always strived for something bigger and better. Eventually he begins writing a screenplay for a new horror flick. He is at odds with his girlfriend Stephanie (D.Harris). She wants him to get a better job so they can make a life for themselves. Matt used to have problems from his childhood growing up and when he used to drink. Work was the only thing that kept him from going insane. He finishes his screenplay entitled ‘Fear the Darkness’. But the problem starts when no one wants to buy it.

Eventually he winds up in the offices of Crazy Moon Pictures, a small movie studio looking for success. It seems they already have a number of projects in the works and they are looking for something new. Matt meets with the head of the studio named Harry Stark and after weeks of negotiations and lawyers he agrees to have his studio produce the movie.

As the weeks go by the studio hires Wes Craven to direct. Dennis Quaid, Laura Linney, Dakota Fanning and Benincio Del Toro also join the production.

For a while things go smoothly on the set but weird things begin to happen on the set, small fires, electrical problems. Soon people begin seeing strange things and the actors and actresses begin suffering from terrible nightmares. People also report seeing disturbing hallucinations on the house set and see strange moving shadows. The problems are just starting though and one day a crew member is found hanging from a catwalk and Harry begins to wonder whether this is a cursed production and thinks about shutting it down fearing cost over runs.

In the dark of night, the dark man comes out of the shadows and kills Stephanie. The cops are brought into the house for an investigation but no evidence and no body can be found when she comes up missing.

Other people on set are attacked Benicio is gutted. Matt begins to worry that the dark man from his script is behind all the problems. The horrible hallucinations and nightmares continue to plague him, it's as if all the problems in his life have created something horrible.

He soon learns that Dakota Fanning is a target and he plans to do everything he can to protect the girl. He drives to the set and learns that Harry Stark has shut production down. It's just Matt, Harry and Dakota now all alone on the set.

Harry eventually splits away from Matt and Dakota and he goes to his office unaware of what is to come. As he is walking through a hallway of the studio the lights in the ceiling begin blowing out one by one covering the hallway in total darkness. Harry looks around wildly getting scared. He can hear whispers in the darkness. All of a sudden a dark figure emerges from the blackness and lifts Harry up off his feet. He screams in terror. ‘You're not real’, he yells. Harry can feel his life being literally sucked from his body. Harry kicks but finally stops moving and the figure resides back into the dark.

Meanwhile, Matt and Dakota soon come face to face with the Dark Man himself in the basement of the studio. His past gave the Dark Man life and now it's time Matt stops it. Just like in the script the Dark Man wants Dakota Fanning and has a battle of minds with Matt's mind and body. He yells for Dakota to run which she does and heads down a corridor. Matt falls to his knees with blood and gore leaking from his skin. He is desperatly losing the battle. He grabs a large wrench laying left on the floor and bangs on a gas pipe splitting it open filling the room with gas. He looks up at the man in the shadows and yells ‘It's over this stops here’.

Matt pulls out a lighter, flicks a spark sending a huge fire ball racing throughout the basement ripping through floors. Eventually the fire department arrives and Dakota is found safe and sound Matt is found burnt up but he gave himself to destroy the Dark Man.


Stark’s Comment: Fifth and last installment of the legendary ‘Fear The Darkness’ franchise. I don’t care about box office here. This is just a sentimental tribute to the first CMP’s franchise ever. We were young and innocent when all started… Anyway, a daring, experimental and innovative movie. It is something more than just a horror movie: it is also an interesting look at the guts of the industry. Oh, and I know I’m a terrible actor. But I had a lot of fun acting here with Matt.

Behind The Scenes: Most of the cast play themselves in this movie. And it is the first time in CMP’s History that one of the writers of the Studio stars his own story. Wes Craven smokes the pipe of peace with Kubrick with this movie, after their fight after the second installment of the saga.

THE MIRACLE MEN

Comedy / Adventure

The Cast: Will Ferrell, Paul Giamatti, Holly Hunter, Emma Stone

The Director: Paul Giamatti
The Screenwriter: James Bradley

The Plot:

The movie covers the story of the peculiar friendship and adventures of two men across a decade.

It’s 1950. Jack (W.Ferrell) is a kind and lonely man with a boring life. He is a salesman and spends his life travelling from one middle-America village to the next with his suitcase full of toothbrushes. One night in a small town in Texas, it is too hot to sleep in his motel room so Jack goes for a walk and decides to enter in a big tent where a peculiar religious show is going on.

Jeremiah (P.Giamatti) is a preacher man. He preaches the word of God and assures that his hands have healing powers. It’s a bizarre show. Just when he is going to leave, Jack suffers a collapse and falls down. It’s only a faint. But Jeremiah steps down of the stage and assists him and when Jack recovers everyone thinks Jeremiah has made a miracle. Even Jack thinks so.

From that moment, Jack considers that he owes his life to Jeremiah. He says Jeremiah he wants to work for him as a kind of disciple. First, Jeremiah tells Jack to leave him alone. But then the crafty Jeremiah has an idea… Jack can join his religious show.

So, for a few years, Jeremiah, his loving and patient wife Emma (H.Hunter) and Jack will work together in the religious show. Jeremiah preaches, Emma plays religious hymns at a piano and, in the middle of the show, Jacks fakes a collapse and Jeremiah heals him by posing his hands on Jack’s heart. And people support them with juicy alms.

Jack finds everything a bit immoral but Jeremiah convinces him that they provide good people with Hope and Faith and that he must go on faking his collapses.

Business goes pretty well for a couple of years. Jeremiah even hires a naïve and sexy girl, Carolyn (E.Stone), who acts as his personal assistant in the shows. But money comes and money goes. Usually, Jeremiah loses everything they earn at the shows in poker games.

While Jack and Emma take care of the business, Jeremiah spends his free time drinking, losing money at his poker games and having an affaire with the simple and innocent Carolyn. When Jack discovers about Jeremiah and Carolyn, Jeremiah also convinces him not to tell Emma about it.

Debts are growing. So Jeremiah has an idea: they will become bank robbers ala Bonnie and Clyde. That way, they begin assaulting the small bank offices of the same villages where they put up the religious show.

Jack and Jeremiah are the clumsiest bank robbers imaginable. They act with fake guns and always get too nervous. But they succeed for a while. Jack hates to do that but Jeremiah convinces him that it is the only way to keep what he calls their ‘religious mission’ going on.

Finally, police captures them. They are convicted and sent to an Alabama’s prison for three years.

The prison is so tough. They have to work from morning ‘til dawn covering country roads with tar under the sun. During the first year, Jeremiah gets so depressed. He spends the nights crying. Jack tries to help him. Jack takes care of him, even making his work when he is too depressed. In fact, Jeremiah some times fakes depression to make Jack work for him.

But after one year in prison things begin to change. Jeremiah becomes the organizer of secret poker games for the convicts. He becomes a respected and influential leader of the convicts. And he mistreats Jack, who becomes a kind of servant for him.

Finally, they are released. The day both leave the prison, Emma is waiting for them in front of the prison buildings. And she is not alone. She is holding the hand of a three years old little boy.

Emma tells Jeremiah that the boy is the son of Carolyn. And he is the father. Yes, Carolyn was pregnant when they were arrested. Carolyn stayed with Emma for a while but then the girl said that being a mother was too tough. One day, she ran away with a guy that promised her to take her to Hollywood to become an actress. Emma has been working as a waiter and taking care of the kid since then.

Jeremiah ignores the whole story and tells Emma and Jack that he has made a lot of money managing his poker business in prison. He proposes them to go to Las Vegas so he can become a professional poker player.

Emma tells him that she is not forgiving him for his affaire with Carolyn. She gives him a divorce note. She won’t go to Vegas with him.

Jeremiah asks then Jack if he is going with him. And, to his surprises, the always submissive Jack tells him that he is tired of his manipulations and that he doesn’t owe him anything anymore. Then Jack asks Emma if she would let him help her with the boy.

Jeremiah gets so mad and accuses Emma and Jack of betrayers. So they go their own separate ways.

Jack and Emma begin a new and modest life with the little boy. She works as a waiter and he works as a little store’s assistant.

The last thing we know about Jeremiah is that he lost all his money in Las Vegas but opened an instant wedding chapel to pay his debts with local moneylenders.


Stark’s Comment: An original story here. Set in the 1950s, and with a deliberate campy production design, it is a bittersweet story about losers. A comedy for adult audiences. I like the concept very much. Not so sure about box office’s results.

Behind The Scenes: Paul Giamatti makes his debut as movie director with this Bradley’s screenplay. Before, Giamatti has worked with Bradley only as an actor in movies like ‘Bill and the Rocket Man’, ‘Fools Game’, ‘Man In The Mirror’ and ‘An American Stroll’. Giamatti and Hunter already played husband and wife in ‘Bill and the Rocket Man’.


THE REVENGERS: As it always happens in all Ultraman’s movies, this one will also have an exotic villain. The chosen one this time is the veteran star Burt Reynolds, in his first work for CMP, playing an eccentric art collector. Also making her debut in CMP, the cast includes Deborah Messing. And two peculiar and surprising crossovers from other superheroes’ franchises: Tyler Mane, playing Thor, and Bob Hoskins, playing Silver Sable’s uncle. Expect anything…

MAGIC – THE GATHERING: INNOCENT WHITE: Ron Pearlman’s voice will be heard again in this second installment of the Makalaster’s epic fantasy saga. Pearlman will lend his voice again to one of the most peculiar characters of the story, the CGI generated Mojo Face The Troll.

THE ROCK STAR: The friend – and unmentionable love interest – of the aged rock star played by Jeff Bridges in this sentimental dramedy directed by Sam Mendes will be no other than Kate Beckinsale. This will be the eighth Beckinsale’s work for CMP. But she has been quite some time away from CMP, as her last movie for the Studio was ‘Hitman: Shadow Of A Legend’ back in Season 8.

THE HEIGHTS: New pitch from Matt Kubrick after his latest experiments. This is a more standard action thriller. The movie tells the story of a family facing the anger of a fierce crowd right after September 11th’s attacks. James Wan will make his debut in CMP directing this production.

ALTERED STATES: Another debutante in CMP with this Richard Franzwa’s movie. Bob Balaban joins George Clooney and Julianne Moore in this remake of the Ken Russell’s classic being directed by Marc Forster. Balaban plays the chemist that helps to analyze the strange drugs that Clooney is experimenting on himself.

YOGI BEAR: Green light for a live action / animated movie written by Chad Taylor. Yes, Taylor has decided to take to the big screen an icon in classic animation: no other than Yogi Bear. Yogi will be digitally generated with the same techniques used in the Scooby-Doo’s movies. Harold Ramis will direct this children oriented production. Ramis has directed two movies before for CMP: ‘Ultraman’s Revenge’ and the blockbuster ‘The Shrinking Man’.

GASPIPE: Ridley Scott is already directing this mobsters movie written by Dawson Edwards and starred by Andy Garcia. Together with Garcia in the cast are talents like Michael Madsen, whose only previous work in CMP was another mobster movie, Tarantino’s ’22:01’; James Gandolfini, whose latest work for the Studio was ‘The Avengers 3’; and Carla Gugino, who will make her debut in CMP playing Andy Garcia’s wife.

THE HOUSE OF SPIRITS: Helena Bonham-Carter, who succeeded past Season with the adventure movie ‘The Secret People’, returns to CMP and to this saga playing again the same disturbing character she already played in the first Sonja Blue’s movie.

EARTH 3K: Spanish actor Javier Bardem, seen past Season in the drama ‘United I Stand’, returns to CMP with this mega-production being directed by J.J. Abrams. Bardem will play one of the villains of the story that fights against the love story starred by Ewan McGregor and Jennifer Garner.

THE BLACKSMITH'S SWORD: And we end up this week with the green light for the first Trent Nielsen’s story. He has chosen for his debut a classic pirates adventure. This will be one of the first releases of Season 12. The director of the movie will be no other than one of the most demanded directors lately in CMP: Alfonso Cuaron, who succeeded just past week with ‘Zoids’.


BEN TYLER - 'COMMAND & CONQUER'

After the nice box office of ‘More Tales Of The Unexpected’, Ben Tyler returns this week with the adaptation of the popular saga of games ‘Command & Conquer’. Tyler proves again to be both a versatile and a perfectionist screenwriter, always trying new things in each of his stories.

1.Why were you interested in adapting this popular game?

Well, the Command & Conquer series has always been known for featuring cinematic cutscenes and over-the-top storylines. I've always wanted to do a movie that's just... fun. Simple, visceral, explodey fun. And I think that C&C is a good vehicle for that sort of film.

2.Making a top budget action production with Michael Bay can be more risky than making experimental movies like 'More Tales Of Unexpected'... Do you care about box office when making a movie?

Well, I certainly don't want my movies to fail. I work really hard on them to try and make them the best they can be, and it's nice to see that work recognized. I remember how surprised and happy I was when Tales of the Unexpected made so much money, and how shocked I was when Lobo's Back flopped.. So yeah, box office is nice, but only as a form of recognition. My first, second, and third goal is making a good movie. If I do that, hopefully box office will follow.

3.You have never been into the trend of superheroes movies, besides the peculiar experience of 'Lobo'. Have you ever considered writing one of these superheroes action flicks?

No. The market is simply too saturated with superhero after superhero. How could I write anything distinguishable? What could my superhero movie offer that every other one doesn't do already? Nothing I did would stand out. It'd just be another drop in the world's largest bucket.

If I ever did a superhero movie, it'd either be a third Lobo film, or something else that's similarly off-beat, like Squirrel Girl.

4.You got great critical acclaim (and a GMA) for 'Schroedinger's Litterbox' and an outstanding box office success with 'Captain Planet'. But which one of your CMP's movies so far do you feel more proud of?

I'm proud of all of them, in different ways.

Litterbox was my first, Monolith was the one I put the most work into, Captain Planet was my biggest success, and I had a lot of fun working with Matt Kubrick in the Lobo movies. I also think The Running Man is pretty underrated. Probably the one that was the most fully-realized and successful in pure filmmaking terms was Tales of the Unexpected. But again, I haven't made a film that I didn't love.

5.What new pitches can we expect from you in the near future?

Ah, always in motion, the future. Hard to predict, even for me. You'll see at least one more Tales of the Unexpected film, that's for certain. Apart from that, well...

There is one film I'm working on right now that I think is my most ambitious project yet. It's complex, philosophical, and deeply unconventional. Kind of a science fiction version of Wings of Desire. In terms of spirit, themes, and tone, I consider it to be the final part of a sort of trilogy, along with Schroedinger's Litterbox and Monolith. I hope to have it finished within the next week or two. So stay tuned for that one.

Beyond that, I can't say. I don't really plan these things in advance - I just write screenplays as they come to me. I suppose that's one reason why I'll never be as prolific as Matt Kubrick. That guy is a machine.


RAISE OF THE DARKMAN
By Matt Kubrick

Wow, it's Fear the Darkness number 5! It's been a crazy road for the Darkman. It was the very first screenplay I turned in when Crazy Moon Pictures was first starting out. It's based on a 20 some page story I wrote when I was 16. I'm 29 now. The franchise has been pretty popular ever since. But it seems like the franchise has been kinda going downhill with the critics and maybe the audience. 3 didn't do all that great and number 4 did better than the third one but critics were lukewarm to it. For number five I really had to do something to blow the door wide for the character and do something surprising.

The original idea I had for number 5 was having it set in an apartment building that would be on the site of the Darkman's old house giving him a whole slew of characters to haunt and characters to kill but I quickly abandoned this idea.

At one point Joey Stark was going to write an origins story and I told him go for it but it never materialized. I had to do something new so I decided it's time to go back to the very beginning when I was just a lowly screenwriter and CMP was at it's humble beginnings.

I decided that I would be the main character in the story and tell the story as a screenwriter just starting out in hollywood. Not only is this a sequel. It's also in some ways a making of the original movie. I brought back the entire original cast. Not only are they playing themselves. There are a few scenes where they play the original characters from the very first movie while they film it. It's an exciting idea and it has never been done before!. Just like in the original movie the Darkman is trying to kill Dakota Fanning.

The movie is also about the problems that screenwriters and directors can face while trying to get a movie made. It's a wonderful concept and it brings everything full circle. Another goal I wanted to do with this movie is kill the Darkman for good once and for all and who better to do that then the person that created him in the first place? This movie goes out with a bang quite literally when I blow myself up in the movie to end the terror and save Dakota Fanning’s life. So that is it really. The door is closed on a franchise and after five movies the darkman comes to an end. See you at the movies!


THE LAST LAWMAN

Third DVD Box released to celebrate CMP’s 300 releases. And another Jack Hammer’s trilogy. This franchise told the adventures of a lonely hero in a post-apocalyptic world played by Will Smith. With reminiscences of Mad Max and the western genre, the movies became instant hits and put the character created by Smith in one of the honorary seats of CMP’s Hall Of Fame. Robert Rodriguez was the director of the movies.


THE 4 DVDs BOX SET

-The three movies

-Out takes of the three movies specially chosen by Robert Rodriguez

-Making Of…: Interviews with Will Smith, Jack Hammer, Robert Rodriguez, Gene Hackman, Christopher Lee, Nicholas Cage and Uma Thurman

-Original posters for both the US and the Foreign market and gallery of pictures.

THE MOVIES

THE LAST LAWMAN
Season 3
Will Smith, Halle Berry, Nicholas Cage, Gene Hackman
B.O.: 68 mill. Net Gains: 35 mill.
The first Lawman’s movie wasn’t the big hit expected. It only made a correct box office. But, as it happens with some movies, its prestige and followers have kept growing with time. The story introduced Brannock, the US Marshall played by Smith in the devastated world of 2037. He faces a local powerful man played by Hackman. The movie ends with a classic western duel scene between Smith and Cage.

RETURN OF THE LAST LAWMAN
Season 4
Will Smith, Christopher Lee, Salma Hayek
B.O.: 111 mill. Net Gains: 96 mill.
Brannock kept wandering and ended up in Arizona, facing a Reverend played by Lee that controls the use of scarce water. Helped by Apache Indians and Salma Hayek, he will finally survive to this new adventure. The movie, again strongly influenced by the style of westerns, was a bigger hit than the first one and the Lawman already became a CMP’s icon.

LEGEND OF THE LAST LAWMAN
Season 5
Will Smith, Uma Thurman, Gene Hackman, Kevin Costner, Val Kilmer
B.O.: 139 mill. Net Gains: 157 mill.
The followers of the saga kept growing with this successful installment. Brannock returns to his home in the city of San Angeles, where he has to face both a new enemy, a Senator played by Costner, and an old one, the return of Gene Hackman to the franchise, this time with the help of Uma Thurman. This was the most epic movie of the saga and also the most successful one, leaving the crowd of fans of the character willing for more forever.


DARKMAN

Yes, we know, we have looked at him before. But, after all, CMP releases this week the closing episode of the legendary ‘Fear The Darkness’ saga, the first franchise that the Studio created. Although not all the Darkman’s movies became major blockbusters, they have been part of CMP’s history since its very beginning. So consider this a sentimental tribute to a good old friend, Mr. Darkman.

FEAR THE DARKNESS
Season 1
Wes Craven / Matt Kubrick
Dakota Fanning, Dennis Quaid, Laura Linney, Benicio Del Toro
B.O.: 117 mill. Net Gains: 80 mill.
The first horror movie ever released by CMP told the story of a young girl meeting a ghost at her new home. The leader of a strange cult, known as Darkman, was born. This first movie instantly made of Darkman a new iconic character of the genre. The tagline ‘He is not your friend’ became the trademark of the saga.

THE LONG DARK NIGHT
Season 1
Wes Craven / Matt Kubrick
Michael Keaton, Michelle Monaghan, Benicio Del Toro, Rosario Dawson, Bill Pullman
B.O.: 122 mill. Net Gains: 81 mill.
CMP quickly green lighted the first sequel. The very same first CMP’s Season, the new Darkman’s adventure was released. A tv crew is sent to Darkman’s house and people at their home watch on line their terrible destiny thinking that it is just a fake reality. A wonderful concept. This movie was voted as one of the best 10 movies ever produced by CMP. It is unanimously considered the best film of the franchise.

DARK OMENS
Season 2
Robert Rodriguez / Matt Kubrick
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Benicio Del Toro, Geoffrey Rush, Luke Wilson
B.O.: 16 mill. Net Losses: 14 mill.
Another sequel was quickly developed. And problems came in the way. Matt Kubrick decided to dispense with Wes Craven when he was already hired to direct again the new movie. Robert Rodriguez, a declared fan of the saga, took his place. Sarah Michelle Gellar starred as the tormented daughter of two members of Darkman’s cult. The movie was a surprising flop. Considered the worst movie of the franchise, it almost killed it.

DARKMAN: RESURRECTION
Season 7
Tobe Hooper / Matt Kubrick
Michelle Trachtenberg, Benicio Del Toro, Heather Graham, Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Dooley
B.O.: 53 mill. Net Gains: 58 mill.
After 5 Seasons without him, Darkman finally returned to CMP. The Studio tried to re-launch the franchise after the disappointment of the third movie. A more elaborated plot was written by Kubrick for this resurrection and a new director was chosen. Heather Graham was a murderer possessed by Darkman while Trachtenberg, a writer, and Wahlberg, a cop, investigated the legendary haunted house. Much better movie than ‘Dark Omens’, it made a decent box office.

RAISE OF THE DARKMAN
Season 11
Wes Craven / Matt Kubrick
Matt Kubrick, Benicio Del Toro, Dakota Fanning, Harry Stark, Wes Craven, Dennis Quaid, Laura Linney, Danielle Harris
Four Seasons after the last Darkman’s movie, here is the final chapter of the saga. Kubrick always dreamt on finishing the Darkman’s story on style. So he has bet for a daring and highly innovative concept. Darkman appears on the setting where ‘Fear The Darkness’ is being shot. And it will be Kubrick himself who will have to face him. The myth of the complex relationship between creator and creature ala ‘Frankenstein’ is behind this new and probably last movie of a saga that we all feel sympathy for.


CMP has designed an intense promotional campaign for ‘Command & Conquer’. Here we see some of the stars in the movie – Hugh Jackman, Jamie Foxx, Bill Murray – visiting the main late shows of US tv: Letterman, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien.



CMP has always been a dreamworld for sequels and franchises. Harry Stark, a man that loves money even more than himself, is always available for developing a sequel of any movie if he smells that there can be nice profits in it. But that does not seem to work for Dawson Edwards. During the last Seasons, Edwards has written movies that have succeeded in box office (‘The Flash’, ‘Aquaman’, ‘Wonder Woman’, ‘Zoids’) and looked perfect as the beginning of another profitable franchise. But it seems like the expected sequels never come. This comment does not mean that I am looking forward for them (in fact, I didn’t find any interest in the movies I’ve mentioned), but it is surprising that Harry Stark hasn’t put yet a gun on Edwards’ chest to oblige him to write the sequels. Or maybe he has. Anything can be expected from the greedy CMP’s President.

And talking about franchises and sequels, here are some interesting words from Russell Crowe, main star of the neverending saga ‘The Dark Tower’, about this issue: ‘Being hired for a series of movies is great. You know you will make money to pay the bills for a while. But, on the other side, writers and directors seem to forget about you when you are attached to a franchise. I have never got any other work offer from CMP since I started making the Dark Tower's movies. You just get automatically type-cast. Look at Robert Downey Jr. He is accepting any role he is offered from CMP lately to remember moviemakers that he can play something more than Ironman.’ Interesting words, aren’t they? Well, maybe not. But I have to write something to get paid, you know.

Another talent that does not want to be type-cast is Steven Spielberg. Spielberg has not directed a movie for CMP for a while. His last directional job was back in Season 8 with ‘Dr. Jones and the Cursed Treasure’. His name sounded related to recent productions like ‘Earth 3K’. But I have been told that he is looking for something different. Spielberg insists in leaving aside big productions for a while and try with a more modest project, something closer to drama than to adventure or sci-fi. I have been told that Harry Stark has been looking in his famous waiting list to offer Spielberg some story that could satisfy that will.

I have written so many times about the coincidences between CMP’s movies and other Hollywood majors’ projects. The more famous ones are the movie version of the musical ‘Nine’ – first developed by CMP, and then by other Studio, choosing both Rob Marshall as director! -; ‘The Avengers’, of course; ‘Sherlock Holmes’, taken back soon to screens by Guy Ritchie, and a few others. Watching at recent Hollywood’s releases, two other coincidences could be included in the list: ‘Surrogates’, where Bruce Willis visits a world pretty similar in some elements to his CMP’s Robots Trilogy, and ‘G-Force’… cause CMP already used hamsters as starring characters long time ago in ‘Happy Hamsters’. Is somebody spying CMP out there?

And I end up this week highlighting something you may already know… Jack Hammer might write new movies of his famous ‘Uncommon Valour’ saga! The recent release of a DVDs Box Set with the original trilogy seems to have cheered him up to continue the story. Great news! I really need some quality adventure movies after the overdose of repetitive superheroes…