MARCH, 19
THE DARK TOWER: WOLVES OF THE CALLA
Action / Mystery
The Cast: Russell Crowe, Jake Gyllenhaal, Angela Bassett, William Mosley, Brian Cox, Chase Ellison, John Turturro
The Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
The Screenwriter: Matt Kubrick
The Producer: Sam Raimi
The Plot:
Picking up exactly where the last movie left of we find our katet as Roland (R.Crowe) calls them wandering across the ruined highway, following the patch which they hope will one day lead them to the tower. As night approaches, they hunker down for the night off the highway and they build a small campfire, it is here Roland decides to tell them a story, he is going to reveal to Jake (W. Moseley), Susannah (A.Bassett) and Eddie (J.Gyllenhaal) how the story started, it's a sad tale full of pain and sadness. After this beginning the movies leads into an animated segment narrated in Rolands voice.
*animation*
When Roland was just 16 he discovered that his fathers trusted counsellor the sorcerer martien Broadcloak was having an affair with his mother Gabrielle Deschain Rolands father steven forbids Roland from taking action. Roland challenges his mentor Cort to a duel to earns his guns so he can become a gunslinger. Roland bests his teacher and is sent away to Gillead for his own protection, he ends up leaving with his two closest friends. When arriving in the small town Roland quickly falls in love with Susan Degaldo who was promised to the mayor of the town because she is a virgin and the mayor wants a son. They discover a plot with the mayor and his some band of mercenaries called the coffin hunters they are secretly using money to fund a civil war in this part of the world. Meanwhile a witch in the town is jealous of Susans beauty and begins casting a spell on the town that drives peoples anger to the breaking point. She is also in possession of a special orb called the wizards glass. Rolands love for Susan blinds him to the dangers going on around him but after awhile a plan is put into place to stop the civil war from taking place and eventually taking on the coffin hunters themself. By this time the witches spell has taken full effect over the town and is captured and labelled as an enemy. Roland and his friends manage to steal the witches orb and as Roland peers inside it shows him the tower and it's in trouble. It also shows him the fate of Susan she is going to be burned at the stake and there is nothing that Roland can do. She is burned at the stake and the witches spell is broken with the townspeople watching in horror at the terrible thing they have done. Roland and his group leave the town in sadness but when he Roland returns home he is given his guns and becomes a full fledged gunslinger. He then makes it his mission to find the dark tower.
*end of animation segment*
As Roland finishes his story he warns his katet that he believes he is bad news for all of his friends and that he will give them all a choice to stay and continue with their adventure or leave. They all make the decision to see it to the end. Susannah tries to make Roland feel better by trying to tell him his girlfriend death wasn't her fault. In the morning the katet continue their adventure leading them through the desolate town of Topeka. As they days past their progress is haulte by terrible rainstorms and heavy winds the effects of whatever happened her are felt all over. They find evidence that possible a disease at one point swept through.
Eventually the katet arrive at a small farming village called Calla Bryn Sturgis, they meet the towns mayor named Father Callahan (B.Cox) a former priest. He tells them that they can stay in town and are given the opportunity to stay and that night there is a festival for dancing and lots of music. Jake finds a friend in a kid named Benny Slightman (C.Ellison). They find that the children are all twins and no one has ever been able to figure out why. But there are also problems.
Father Callahan tells them that once every generation a group calling themselves the wolves take children away to a place called thunderclap a mountainous area at the edge of the area. The villagers aren't able to defend themselves. When the Wolves bring the children back they are called roont (ruined). Roland decides that they must help defend the village and help protect the young. Jake and Benny soon discover that Benny's father might be a traitor to the village and warn Roland. He decicdes to follow Alfred Slightman (J.Turturro) back to an outpost that lays between the Calla and thunderclap. Roland shows mercy to Alfred by not killing him only for his sons sake.
Roland returns to the Calla and his katet begin to fortify the small village and hide the children in a rice paddy. When the wolves finally attack they come in riding on horses and carrying magic sticks that emit lightning. Some of them carry guns and they have small robots that hover around them. But the battle is ferocious with the katet hidden at defensive points hidden around the village and eventually lead them into a killing box and pick them off one at a time. With the riders dead the village is safe.
Roland spends some time teaching the villagers how to better defend themselves before his group moves on.
Stark’s Comment:
Let’s remember the numbers of this franchise: The Gunslinger (Season 7, B.O: 79 mill.); The Drawing Of The Three (Season 9, B.O.: 285 mill. / Net Gains: 349 mill., alltimes top 3 box office and net gains CMP’s movie); Waste Lands (Season 11, B.O.: 212 mill. / Net Gains: 228 mill.). Do I need to say more? ‘The Dark Tower’ is probably the most prestigious, successful and profitable franchise in CMP’s History. This release is much more than an ordinary release. It’s a major event for the Studio.
Behind The Scenes:
-Sam Raimi, director of the three previous movies of the saga, chose personally Jeunet to direct this one. Raimi decided not directing this new installment considering that ‘a new director would bring new ideas and a fresh approach to the story’.
-The animated segment has been done using the same animation technique seen in movies like ‘A Scanner Darkly’.
-Matt Kubrick plans to develop this saga in six or seven movies.
-The only GMA won by this saga was Best Adaptation (‘Waste Lands’). ‘The Gunslinger’ and ‘The Drawing Of The Three’ were both nominated for Best Production Design.
L.A. WOLF 2
Action / Cops
The Cast: Gabriel Macht, Natalie Portman, Andy Garcia, Malcolm McDowell
The Director: David Ayer
The Screenwriter: Josh Collins
The Plot:
David (G. Macht) returns to action in the next installment of the L.A. Wolf series. David's history unfolds more in this series as we find out a little more about him, his techniques and why he prefers to be a distant loner. Brody (A. Garcia) has assigned him a newcomer partner, Jodi (N. Portman) David naturally takes the offended approach to having not only a partner but a female, but he still deals with it.
Jodi looks up to David as a mentor, honored that she is working with the famous David Wolfe, who put that crazy religious zealot away in the first film, even though David makes it clear to her by implying she's too pretty and young to be doing this job, that she can get out while she still can. Like David she has her own motives and wounds that she prefers not to open but she knows it's the job she wants. Instead of the romantic interest, she embodies the student kind of role, learning the ropes.
We also discover that David has a distant relationship with his in-laws who find him responsible for the death of his wife(a major part of his back-story and why he doesn't like getting close to women) The in-laws keep custody of his children but he keeps active in their lives at least.
Much to the reluctance of David, Jodi helps uncover a terror plot in the city. A criminal group targeting Los Angeles' tourism industry led by Malcolm McDowell with a European accent. It is also known that this particular terror group were the ones responsible for the death of David's wife and countless others lost in a bombing attack.
In the final showdown that ends up on the 6th Street Bridge in L.A, McDowell has David pinned with his foot on his chest. Jodi is thought to be dead in the middle of the road, and just as McDowell is about to pull the trigger, a gunshot is heard, a closeup of McDowell's neck as the bullet goes through it and comes out through his throat, blood splatters and McDowell falls. Jodi saved her partner, but still very weak.
A very short period of time has passed, probably a few hours. David visits his partner in the hospital and he says she really was cut out for this kind of work. She asks if they got McDowell and he says 'she did' and she says 'but it's not going to stop them all. They've got to be out there plotting their next move like this city is their chess board.' David grins and says, "I got a feeling they'll think twice about that.' 'how so?' she asks and the film cuts to McDowell hanging by the neck from a rope over the bridge. 'I have a hunch' he says over the final image.
Stark’s Comment:
Back in Season 10, ‘L.A. Wolf’ made 54 millions in box office and won the Most Wanted Sequel GMA. It was a typical ‘tough cop’ movie shot with nerve by David Fincher. I think this traditional concept still has a crowd of fans so I expect that this sequel might do it even better in box office.
Behind The Scenes:
-This movie had a complex pre-production process. Josh Collins offered J.J. Abrams to direct it but Abrams refused the offer. Then, Collins asked Fincher to do it but Fincher, director of the first movie, was upset because it was offered first to Abrams and rejected to direct it. Collins had to turn then to David Ayer, with whom he had already worked with in ‘Killer On The Road’. Ayer finally accepted to take care of this movie.
-Finding the talent to play the villain wasn’t either an easy task. Collins’ first choice was Dennis Hopper. But due to his weak health, Hopper could not accept the offer. Then, Collins offered the work to Gene Hackman but Hackman was already committed to work in this week’s release ‘Nude!’. Finally, Malcolm McDowell took the job.
-Due to all these problems, Josh Collins recently announced at Grand Island Movies’ blog that this would probably be the last movie of this franchise.
NUDE!
Comedy
The Cast: Ellen Page, Jena Malone, Hayden Christensen, David Strathairn, Gene Hackman, James Franco
The Director and Screenwriter: James Bradley
The Plot:
Kathy (E.Page) is a nice shy working girl living in the comfortable suburbs of a very conservative small town in middle America. She lives with her widower father, Sam (D. Strathairn). She works as a waiter in the most popular restaurant in town where all the cool crowd of town uses to go every weekend. Also, although she could not afford going to University, she is trying to make her childhood days’ dream come true studying nursery at nights.
Kathy is secretly in love with Chad (H.Christensen), the most popular guy that visits her restaurant. Chad is the son of the richest man in town, the respected and ultra-conservative John Carrington (G. Hackman). Of course, Chad has never looked at her more than just as his waiter when he goes to the restaurant with the most beautiful girls. Nobody would look at an unattractive young woman who wears glasses, dresses with a bored style out of trend and seems always lost in her own thoughts. Only Kathy’s best friend, the eccentric Joyce (J. Malone) knows about Kathy’s love for the pretentious and paid off Chad. Joyce is a bit freaky, always dressing with a punk style, a bit insolent, and her biggest dream is leaving a town she hates and move to New York to become an alternative rock band guitarist.
On their free time, Kathy and Joyce have some beers at the darkest club in town and share their dreams about how life could be if they could leave the town and go out to the big world. One night, Joyce convinces Kathy to smoke some grass for a change. Going back home, they see at a gas station a Playboy magazine in which a peculiar contest is announced: they are looking for an ordinary american girl to become a different kind of Girl Of The Month. ‘We want to prove that ordinary girls can be sexier than any typical playmate. So if you are bored of your ordinary life, have economic problems and dare to try something different, send us your picture’.
Joyce tells Kathy she is exactly what they are looking for. Kathy laughs at that crazy idea but, as she has drunk and smoked too much, she accepts to pose nude for Joyce. In a funny sequence, we see the total incapacity of Kathy to make a sexy pose. She is just too dull… So Joyce takes a horrible picture. She promises Kathy it’s just a joke and she will never send it to Playboy. But she does…
And one day, when she has forgotten the whole thing, Kathy gets a call from Playboy Magazine. She is the winner of the contest.
Of course, she rejects to make a photo session for Playboy. But when she tells Joyce that Playboy offers her two first class airplane tickets to Los Angeles, accommodation in the fanciest hotel and a limousine and driver to her permanent disposal, Joyce just tells her that she will simply kill her if she does not accept.
So Kathy and Joyce fly to LA. Kathy makes the photo session, where she looks absolutely sexy and glamorous. There, they meet Tom (J.Franco), the driver of the limousine, a nice guy that works as driver while trying to become a professional actor. He becomes their ‘cicerone’ while they stay in LA and their friend too. The girls have the time of their life for a week there.
Two months later, Playboy magazine has Kathy on its cover. And a sexy illustrated report with Kathy naked in the inside…
And in no more than 48 hours, when local newspapers announce in first page about the hometown girl in the cover of Playboy, it becomes the biggest scandal that very conservative town has known in all its history.
That Sunday, the local preacher talks in his sermon about the shame that has fallen onto the town. Kathy’s home appears one morning full of graffiti insulting her. The most prominent ladies in town release a public statement demanding from the Major that some laws against immorality should be urgently enacted to prevent the town’s kids from becoming as bad citizens as Kathy. A kind of morality hysteria spreads all over the town.
While Joyce loves all the scandal, Kathy is extremely embarrassed. To her surprise, his father – who never knew about Kathy posing for Playboy – fully supports her, although even Mr. Carrington, Chad’s father and owner of the factory where he works, tells him he should be ashamed of the kind of daughter he has grown up.
As expected, Kathy is fired from the restaurant because her boss tells her that her terrible reputation may damage the business.
One day, as Kathy is walking back home, a car stops besides her. It’s Chad. He offers to drive her home. Kathy is thrilled.
Chad invites her for a drive walk. They talk and laugh and he behaves so charming. He tells Kathy that he had always wanted to meet her when he saw her at the restaurant but never found the right moment. He also tells her that it is stupid how everybody is reacting to what she has done and that he considers her a brave and admirable woman. Before leaving her home, he asks her for a date. Kathy is in ecstasy.
So Chad and Ellen begin seeing each other. He always acts so gently. And finally they kiss.
But things change the next time they have a date. Chad takes Kathy to his beautiful family mansion. His parents are away. And, after a delicious dinner, Chad asks Kathy if she would pose for him to take her sexy pictures. When Kathy rejects it, he gets mad. He shows his real face: he only wanted to have fun with the girl from the cover of Playboy, he is not interested in her more than just for sex, he tells her she should be glad somebody like him has invited to his elegant home to a girl like her… And just when Kathy is about to leave the house so hurt, Mr. Carrington and his wife unexpectedly arrive.
As they look so surprised and upset for watching the Playboy girl at their home, Chad tells his parents that he only invited her home because he felt sorry for her, he just wanted to offer her some friendly and almost charitable understanding, but she has been trying to seduce him since the very first moment she arrived… Kathy runs away crying.
The next day, Mr. Carrington calls Sam to his office. He tells Sam that her daughter might be not only a playmate but a prostitute. Sam simply punches Mr. Carrington throwing him over his desk.
Kathy, absolutely heart-broken, is sitting on an old swing in her home’s backyard. Somebody appears. It’s Mr. Carrington. He tells her he wants to talk with her. Carrington tells Kathy that her father just punched him that morning. Of course, he is not only firing Sam but also taking him to court for the aggression… unless the two of them can make a deal.
Carrington tells her how impressed he was with the beautiful pictures of Kathy in Playboy. So he might consider being generous with her dad and not firing him or taking him to court if… well, if she would accept to see him privately…
Kathy just can’t believe what she’s heard. But even before she gets to answer, somebody comes out from the house. It’s Joyce. ‘Funny’, she says, ‘I had gone for a soda. But when I saw you there from the kitchen’s window, Mr. Carrington, I had the strange impulse to record your conversation with Kathy with my mobile telephone... Some local papers will love to see the recording.’
Next thing we see is Sam and Kathy having dinner at home. The phone rings and Sam answers. When he’s back, he tells it was Mr. Carrington. ‘Anything new, dad?’, asks Kathy. ‘Mr. Carrington just wanted to apologize for some misunderstandings that have taken place between him and me lately. He has just told me that he hopes to see me tomorrow at work as usual’, says Sam not hiding his surprise. Kathy smiles but says nothing to his father about Carrington’s visit.
A bus arrives to Los Angeles. People get down of it. Among the passengers, we see Kathy and Joyce, both carrying heavy backpacks. And we see Tom waiting for them. ‘Ready to begin your new life in the city, girls?’, he asks them. He specially smiles at Kathy. And Kathy gives him back a shy smile.
Stark’s Comment:
Bradley’s comedies have always worked nicely in box office and I hope this one will too. This time, Bradley makes a denounce of the hypocrisy of conservative people and again he uses an intelligent sense of humor to tell his story. We all know by now what to expect from a Bradley’s comedy: top acting works, a classy ‘mise en scène’, brilliant dialogues, peculiar situations and a correct box office (hope so!).
Behind The Scenes:
-This is the fourth directional job by Bradley. The previous ones were ‘Celebutantes’, ‘The 6th Avenue Castaways’ and ‘Crossovers’.
-The shooting dates of this movie had to be cut down by the Studio cause some of the cast members were attached to other CMP’s movies: Jena Malone (‘The Lovers Stages’), Hayden Christensen (‘Uncommon Valour: Only The Valiant’) and James Franco (‘The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier and Clay’). Bradley preferred to reduce the shooting period than replacing them.
-James Bradley has stated that the story was written already having Ellen Page in mind. ‘I wouldn’t have done it with any other actress’, he’s said.
-Oh! And a very important notice to avoid any mislead: despite of the title, the movie poster and the story, Ellen Page does not appear nude on screen at any moment!
DRAGONLANCE: DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT: This is probably the most ambitious Richard Franzwa’s project ever. A top budget production based on the fantasy books saga written
by Margaret Wise and Tracy Hickman. Again, CMP bets for the recreation of a fantasy universe inhabited by all kind of fantastic creatures. This time, Guillermo Del Toro (‘Wild Cards: Double Solitaire’, ‘Preacher: All American Family’) has been the director chosen to put up such fantasy universe. Del Toro was offered to direct the movie after Bryan Singer had to reject directing and producing it due to his commitment with the upcoming third Silver Sable’s movie. Beside the tons of CGI expected, the movie will also have a top notch cast. Names already known in it are Ewan McGregor, returning to heroic characters after past Season’s ‘The Princess And The Captain’; GMA Winner Uma Thurman, returning to CMP after the success of ‘Robots Of Dawn’; and two big guys: Jason Statham (‘Tracks Of Blood’) and Vin Diesel, back to CMP after the still remembered disaster of ‘Gears Of War’.
GAME BOY 3: GAME OVER: As it has been said, the digitally generated characters of the two previous movies of this saga now turn into live action ones. And most of them will be played by the same stars that put their voices to them in the previous movies. That means that the latest Best Actress GMA Winner Keira Knightley will play Princess Zelda (yes, the same character played by Kate Bosworth in another George Lucas’ franchise, ‘The Legend Of Zelda’), her old friend from ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ Orlando Bloom will play Link (yes again, the same character played by James McAvoy in the other franchise); and the inevitable Ron Perlman, seen past week in ‘Justice League’, will play here the mean Master Chief.
THE ORPHAN TRAIN: Green light for a very interesting Josh Collins’ drama based on real
history. This movie will tell the real story of how thousands of children were moved during 19th Century from the crowded orphanages of U.S.’s East Coast to live with adoptive families throughout the West. This emotional and epic historical drama is going to be directed by Danny Boyle, who already worked with Collins past Season in the brilliant and unfairly undervalued ‘The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time’. The sweet Ellen Fanning, who already worked for Collins in the acclaimed drama ‘Velcro’, will be one of the orphan kids. And two stars to be seen in this week’s release ‘The Dark Tower: Wolves Of The Calla’ have urgently joined the shooting of this movie: Russell Crowe and Chase Ellison.
THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND CLAY: Anthony Hopkins, not seen in CMP since he worked in Season 9’s Best Picture GMA Winner ‘Sherlock Holmes’, will play here a minor role as the old Jewish magician that teaches escapism to Emile Hirsh. Also, a couple of peculiar cameos playing real life characters will be seen in the movie: a characterized Antonio Banderas will be the famous Spaniard painter Salvador Dalí and Oliver Platt will play no other than a young Orson Welles.
TO CATCH A THIEF: This remake of Hitchcock’s classic written and directed by Jack Hammer
confirms itself not only as a family reunion, with Brad and Angelina starring it, but also as an old friends reunion. Jean Reno, who already worked with Brad Pitt and George Clooney in the CMP’s remake of ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’, will meet them both again in this one. Reno will be here a con and an old friend of the famous jewel thief The Cat (Pitt’s character) during their days in the French Resistance, who offers him refuge when Police begins to chase him.
ASSASSIN’S CREED: Two villains for this action and sci-fi adventure written by Steve Connors and directed and produced by Peter Jackson. Best Villain GMA Nominee Morgan Freeman, whose last work for CMP was back in Season 8 with ‘The Critic’, plays here the scientist that manages a strange device that connected to somebody’s brain allows him to recreate the memories of his ancestors transmitted by AND . Javier Bardem, whose last work for CMP was also playing a villain in ‘Earth 3K’, will play here the ancient leader of the Brotherhood of the Assassins during the times of the Holy Crusades.
CONSPIRACY OF LIFE: James Bradley, who is releasing this week the comedy ‘Nude!’, likes to
try luck with thriller and action from time to time (remember ‘The Chinese Bride’ or ‘The Funeral Drum’). This new story focuses on a young doctor, played by Michelle Monaghan (seen in the previous movie of this week’s release ‘L.A. Wolf’), who suspects that there’s something dark and strange going on in her hospital. And the only one who will believe her suspects will be a cop played by no other than GMA Winner Leonardo DiCaprio, who had not been seen in a CMP’s movie since his work in another Bradley’s story, the Season 6’s Best Picture Winner ‘Pompeii’ (yes, seven Seasons ago!). D.J. Caruso is going to make his debut in CMP directing this action thriller.
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS: As you know, the Stop-Motion animation technique requires not only a voice only work but a full acting work from the talents involved, although they are later transformed into the animated characters. And some of the talents who have worked in this peculiar way for this Henry Selick’s movie are two GMA Winners: Daniel Craig and Paul Bettany. It is remarkable that their commitment with this project has impeded them both to play minor characters in Spielberg’s ‘The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier and Clay’. Craig has been replaced by Matt Dillon and Stephen Dorff replaced Bettany in that movie.
BEDTIME STORIES 2: Wes Craven is directing two stars that make their debut in CMP with this movie: Scott Speedman and the veteran Sissy Spacek. John Carpenter is also directing a CMP’s debutante, Amy Ryan, and a very experienced star in the Studio: Judi Dench, who has already been seen this Season in ‘Uncommon Valour: Only The Valiant’.
YOU CAN’T DO THAT IN THE MOVIES: You know that CMP’s authors like to show up on screen from time to time. Some of them will be seen in this slapstick comedy directed by the Farrelly Brothers… mainly just to receive a pie in their faces or a green revolting substance on their heads. Those lucky CMP’s authors playing themselves are: Matt Kubrick (writer of the movie and the more experienced one acting, as he even starred a CMP’s movie: ‘Raise Of The Darkman’), Harry Stark (seen together with Kubrick in movies like ‘Celebutantes’ and ‘Raise Of The Darkman), and two screenwriters that make their debut in front of the cameras: Dawson Edwards and Josh Collins.
JAMES BRADLEY – ‘NUDE!’
James Bradley returns this week to a territory he knows so well: adult comedy. The 4 times GMA winner screenwriter has always liked the genre. In fact, his consolidated prestige as CMP’s author begun to rise what his famous ‘fables’, three comedies written by him and directed by Wes Anderson that became three acclaimed CMP’s classics: ‘Bill and the Rocket Man’, ‘Fools Game’ and ‘Man In The Mirror’. Since then, he has returned to comedy periodically with movies like ‘Paperback Story’, ‘Celebutantes’ or ‘Crossovers’. ‘Nude!’ is his latest comedy and also his fourth work behind the cameras.
1.’Nude!’ is another one of your comedies based on a peculiar premise. Where did you get the idea from?
I was watching this porn magazine and… *laughs* Just kidding. I simply don’t know. The idea just came to me: what would happen if a non-particularly attractive ordinary girl gets to the cover of ‘Playboy’? How would that affect her life? You all know I like comedy and I like comedies about ordinary people getting involved in unexpected situations. I thought that premise was a pretty unexpected situation.
2.You are directing this movie. What makes you decide to direct or not your stories?
There is no pattern about it. I thought of Jason Reitman directing it but,
with Ellen Page starring, it could all look too much as ‘Juno 2’. Then I thought of Noah Baumbach because he directed ‘Lyra’ for CMP and that was a wonderful movie. But I am not really familiar with Baumbach’s work so I finally forgot about it. I was my own third option.
3.This is your second movie directing Ellen Page. Has she become your new muse after not working with Kate Winslet and Scarlett Johansson as often as you used to?
What can I say? I love them all! *laughs* Ellen played such a freak character in ‘Crossovers’ and now she is playing a completely different one. I think she is a very versatile actress and she was perfect to play this ordinary girl. Anyone can imagine Scarlett Johansson in the cover of ‘Playboy’ but it is harder to imagine Ellen. That was the idea.
4.What CMP’s comedies not written by you have you enjoyed lately?
I liked very much ‘Running On Empty’. That was a cool movie. It wasn’t a comedy but I think it was a deserved winner of the GMA, no matter what people say. I liked the kind of movies that CMP released past Season because my own kind of movies matched very well with them. I feel more comfortable with low budget movies than when working in big productions.
5.I have to ask you this… How do you feel after picking up 9 nominations for ‘American Tabloid’ and then winning only 4 awards?
Why do you say ‘only’? Winning 4 awards was great! It was chosen as the Best Picture of a Season with the highest number of great movies ever. I feel very proud of that. I always have a great time at the Golden Moon Awards. I think I am like Merryl Streep… *laughs* I have won four awards and I have been nominated so many times that now I just relax and enjoy the show. Seriously, I felt grateful and honored for all the support I got from voters.
ELLEN PAGE
She may not be one of the top female stars of CMP. But still she is building step by step a solid career in the Studio and has become a regular presence in CMP’s movies. ‘Nude!’ is her most exposed work for CMP so far – and I am not talking about posing nude for ‘Playboy’ -, as she leads by herself the cast of a movie that stands mainly on her charm and talent for comedy. This week, we take a look at CMP’s career of this rising star.
BLOOD BEACH
Season 6
Eli Roth / Matt Kubrick
B.O.: 12 mill. / N. Losses: 11 mill.
Ellen made her debut in CMP with this horror flick still remembered as one of the worst movies ever in CMP’s History. Together with her, the now acclaimed Emile Hirsh also showed up in it. ‘Blood Beach’ didn’t help much her career in CMP but she got to survive to it.
WHEN DREAMS DIE
Season 7
Sam Mendes / Richard Franzwa
B.O.: 35 mill. / N. Gains: 17 mill.
Ellen’s second movie in CMP was a teen drama about the rise and fall of a young sport star played by Haley Joel Osment. At that moment, Osment was a popular star in CMP while Ellen was only the cute girl from ‘Blood Beach’. The movie worked decently in box office and while Osment’s career in the Studio begun its decadence, Ellen’s begun to lift off.
JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS
Season 8
Matt Kubrick / Matt Kubrick
B.O.: 45 mill. / N.G.: 16 mill.
Her second work with Matt Kubrick was an acting duel with Ray Liotta in this claustrophobic thriller focused on the relationship between a psycho and his victim. Sadly, this movie has been undervalued and should be rediscovered by movie fans cause it is an efficient and disturbing story brilliantly directed and performed. Ellen probably deserved a GMA nomination for her work in this movie that never came. But at least she had already become a regular presence in CMP.
HAIGHT-ASHBURY
Season 9
Oliver Stone / Richard Franzwa
B.O.: 30 mill. / N.G.: 16 mill.
Franzwa also called her back to play a minor role in this sentimental recreation of the 1960’s. Elle was Grace Slick, one of the iconic characters of the golden decade that Jeremy Stumpter and Emma Roberts met in their peculiar trip of initiation in life.
WOODLAND CREATURES
Season 10
Adam McKay / Josh Collins
B.O.: 262 / N.G.: 219
All Page’s movies – except for the first one – have made net gains. But this is the only megahit she has been in. This comedy where the cast dressed animal costumes – Ellen was an obsessive compulsive anal-retentive skunk – laughing at the typical funny animals comedies still is the alltimes top 5 box office CMP’s movie.
CROSSOVERS
Season 11
James Bradley / James Bradley
B.O.: 64 mill. / N.G.: 54 mill.
Ellen played a punk that hardly ever speaks with more than a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ in this Bradley’s comedy about crossed relationships. She showed again here her talent for comedy and the movie won the Best Cast GMA. Ellen had been in a CMP’s movie during six consecutive Seasons so far.
NUDE!
Season 13
James Bradley / James Bradley
Awaiting release
After resting for one Season and playing minor roles in her last works for the Studio, Ellen is back with a leading role in her second consecutive work for Bradley. A big opportunity here to shine in this comedy specifically written by Bradley for her.
‘The Dark Tower’ has become one of the most famous and successful CMP’s sagas. Written by Matt Kubrick and based on Stephen Kings’ books, this franchise’s movies are starred by GMA Winner Russell Crowe, GMA Winner Jake Gyllenhaal and GMA Nominee Angela Bassett. The three of them posed together during the premiere of the movie at New York.
Now it’s official. The Star Wars’ universe will return to CMP. Dawson Edwards is working on a new series of movies that will mean the return of CMP to the galaxy far away. As I wrote here, Steve Connors considered for some time writing a new series of Star Wars' movies
based on the official books of the saga. But he finally abandoned the idea. Now, it will be Dawson Edwards who will put up this new series of movies based on original material written by him. Not much is known yet about the storyline of these movies. CMP has only confirmed that Edwards’ story will take place a few decades after ‘Balance Of The Force’, the last episode of Marcus Trax’s Star Wars Trilogy produced by CMP. But nobody knows yet if George Lucas will be involved in this new saga again or who might be directing or starring the movies. Sources from CMP have only told me that, if everything goes right, the Studio is planning to release the first movie of the new franchise in Season 14.
Why ‘Coen & Warshinski’ has not worked in box office as Ben Stiller’s movies usually do in CMP? That’s the big question running through CMP’s corridors lately. Ben Stiller has always been a sure bet for the Studio and pairing him up with another successful comedian like Ferrell looked like a wise move. Then, what went wrong? According to an anonymous CMP’s source, this could be the reason: ‘Ben Stiller’s comedies in CMP have always been oriented to family and children. That’s a good target audience and movies like ‘The Lollipop Man’, ‘Woodland Creatures’ or ‘Being Ben Stiller’ were perfect for that kind of audience. ‘Coen & Warshinski’ was looking for a more adult segment and that’s where difficulties begun. Adult audiences are not as interested in watching a Stiller’s comedy as the youngest ones. Let’s admit it: Stiller is an efficient comedian for children, not for adults.’ Besides that, my confidants have told me about the astronomical salaries paid to
Stiller and Ferrell for their disco music dancing. If I am being told the truth, both stars could have got a paycheck of more than 30 millions dollars each.
More comments about past week’s releases. Rumours say that the steamy sex scenes between Norton and Diaz in ‘Ms. Jordon’ might have gone on beyond the screen. People from the movie crew tell me that the chemistry between them was so strong – as it can be seen on screen – that director Tom Hanks didn’t need to be too specific in his instructions to make the scenes as hot as they were expected to be. Norton and Diaz knew very well what they had to do without needing instructions…
Contradictory reactions in CMP’s offices about ‘Justice League’. Is 130 millions a box office satisfactory enough for a hyper-hyped and top budget production like this? ‘These days, we are not making 200 millions in box office as easily as we used to back in Seasons 9 or 10. Making 130 millions is a nice turnout for the movie. It has made it better than the first Avengers. And box office’s numbers like the ones made by ‘Silver Sable 2’ are an unpredictable miracle that will hardly happen again. So the future of the Justice League is guaranteed and we cannot feel anything but happy with how it did’, says one of my sources. But another one of my deep throats told me: ‘Let’s face it. The Studio was expecting numbers close to 200 millions or even more. Even ‘Zoids: Eve’ made it better than ‘Justice League’. It has been months working on this movie and we feel disappointed with how it finally did. At the end, it ends up being more profitable making just ‘Wonder Woman’ than putting up all this complex production wit too many big stars and too high expectations. Of course, sequels will be green lighted but we have lost the faith on this saga becoming the record-breaker we thought it would be’.
CMP’s executives’ big hopes of breaking some record or at least returning after some months to the ‘200 millions’ have moved now to another upcoming top budget production: Richard Franzwa’s
‘Dragonlance’. Movies about fantasy worlds have always worked nicely in CMP – and there are quite a lot of proofs of this, from ‘Magic-The Gathering’ to ‘The Land Of Nod’ or even ‘The Ice Princess’ – so everyone at the Studio expects ‘Dragonlance’ to become the megahit of this Season. The movie has had a complex pre-production phase, with both cast and director changes, but now everything is ready at last to shoot this sophisticated production full of CGI, spectacular sequences and all kind of peculiar creatures.
And you might say: CMP’s executives do not trust in this week’s release of the new Dark Tower’s instalment to break records? Previous movies of the saga became huge hits after all. Well, I will quote here the words from my secret friends at CMP: ‘We are talking here of the fourth instalment of a complex saga. We fear that moviegoers might begin to feel a bit tired of these movies. You cannot keep the same level of interest in audiences after four movies. We’ll see. Although the Studio officially says to feel so sure about the big success of ‘Wolves Of The Calla’, the truth is that we don’t feel completely confident about it.’
And now you might say: and what about ‘Silver Sable 3’? The sequel of the biggest
hit in CMP ever is not expected to break records neither? And to answer that, I will directly quote here director and producer of the movie, Bryan Singer: ‘No, we don’t expect to make again a box office superior to 300 millions with Silver. That was something that only happens once in a lifetime. We know we have a solid fanbase waiting for the movie, but ‘Silver 2’ was a massive phenomenon impossible to repeat. I would predict a box office between 150 and 200 millions for ‘Silver 3’ and that would be fantastic enough.’
THE DARK TOWER: WOLVES OF THE CALLA
Action / Mystery
The Cast: Russell Crowe, Jake Gyllenhaal, Angela Bassett, William Mosley, Brian Cox, Chase Ellison, John Turturro
The Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
The Screenwriter: Matt Kubrick
The Producer: Sam Raimi
The Plot:
Picking up exactly where the last movie left of we find our katet as Roland (R.Crowe) calls them wandering across the ruined highway, following the patch which they hope will one day lead them to the tower. As night approaches, they hunker down for the night off the highway and they build a small campfire, it is here Roland decides to tell them a story, he is going to reveal to Jake (W. Moseley), Susannah (A.Bassett) and Eddie (J.Gyllenhaal) how the story started, it's a sad tale full of pain and sadness. After this beginning the movies leads into an animated segment narrated in Rolands voice.
*animation*
When Roland was just 16 he discovered that his fathers trusted counsellor the sorcerer martien Broadcloak was having an affair with his mother Gabrielle Deschain Rolands father steven forbids Roland from taking action. Roland challenges his mentor Cort to a duel to earns his guns so he can become a gunslinger. Roland bests his teacher and is sent away to Gillead for his own protection, he ends up leaving with his two closest friends. When arriving in the small town Roland quickly falls in love with Susan Degaldo who was promised to the mayor of the town because she is a virgin and the mayor wants a son. They discover a plot with the mayor and his some band of mercenaries called the coffin hunters they are secretly using money to fund a civil war in this part of the world. Meanwhile a witch in the town is jealous of Susans beauty and begins casting a spell on the town that drives peoples anger to the breaking point. She is also in possession of a special orb called the wizards glass. Rolands love for Susan blinds him to the dangers going on around him but after awhile a plan is put into place to stop the civil war from taking place and eventually taking on the coffin hunters themself. By this time the witches spell has taken full effect over the town and is captured and labelled as an enemy. Roland and his friends manage to steal the witches orb and as Roland peers inside it shows him the tower and it's in trouble. It also shows him the fate of Susan she is going to be burned at the stake and there is nothing that Roland can do. She is burned at the stake and the witches spell is broken with the townspeople watching in horror at the terrible thing they have done. Roland and his group leave the town in sadness but when he Roland returns home he is given his guns and becomes a full fledged gunslinger. He then makes it his mission to find the dark tower.
*end of animation segment*
As Roland finishes his story he warns his katet that he believes he is bad news for all of his friends and that he will give them all a choice to stay and continue with their adventure or leave. They all make the decision to see it to the end. Susannah tries to make Roland feel better by trying to tell him his girlfriend death wasn't her fault. In the morning the katet continue their adventure leading them through the desolate town of Topeka. As they days past their progress is haulte by terrible rainstorms and heavy winds the effects of whatever happened her are felt all over. They find evidence that possible a disease at one point swept through.
Eventually the katet arrive at a small farming village called Calla Bryn Sturgis, they meet the towns mayor named Father Callahan (B.Cox) a former priest. He tells them that they can stay in town and are given the opportunity to stay and that night there is a festival for dancing and lots of music. Jake finds a friend in a kid named Benny Slightman (C.Ellison). They find that the children are all twins and no one has ever been able to figure out why. But there are also problems.
Father Callahan tells them that once every generation a group calling themselves the wolves take children away to a place called thunderclap a mountainous area at the edge of the area. The villagers aren't able to defend themselves. When the Wolves bring the children back they are called roont (ruined). Roland decides that they must help defend the village and help protect the young. Jake and Benny soon discover that Benny's father might be a traitor to the village and warn Roland. He decicdes to follow Alfred Slightman (J.Turturro) back to an outpost that lays between the Calla and thunderclap. Roland shows mercy to Alfred by not killing him only for his sons sake.
Roland returns to the Calla and his katet begin to fortify the small village and hide the children in a rice paddy. When the wolves finally attack they come in riding on horses and carrying magic sticks that emit lightning. Some of them carry guns and they have small robots that hover around them. But the battle is ferocious with the katet hidden at defensive points hidden around the village and eventually lead them into a killing box and pick them off one at a time. With the riders dead the village is safe.
Roland spends some time teaching the villagers how to better defend themselves before his group moves on.
Stark’s Comment:
Let’s remember the numbers of this franchise: The Gunslinger (Season 7, B.O: 79 mill.); The Drawing Of The Three (Season 9, B.O.: 285 mill. / Net Gains: 349 mill., alltimes top 3 box office and net gains CMP’s movie); Waste Lands (Season 11, B.O.: 212 mill. / Net Gains: 228 mill.). Do I need to say more? ‘The Dark Tower’ is probably the most prestigious, successful and profitable franchise in CMP’s History. This release is much more than an ordinary release. It’s a major event for the Studio.
Behind The Scenes:
-Sam Raimi, director of the three previous movies of the saga, chose personally Jeunet to direct this one. Raimi decided not directing this new installment considering that ‘a new director would bring new ideas and a fresh approach to the story’.
-The animated segment has been done using the same animation technique seen in movies like ‘A Scanner Darkly’.
-Matt Kubrick plans to develop this saga in six or seven movies.
-The only GMA won by this saga was Best Adaptation (‘Waste Lands’). ‘The Gunslinger’ and ‘The Drawing Of The Three’ were both nominated for Best Production Design.
L.A. WOLF 2
Action / Cops
The Cast: Gabriel Macht, Natalie Portman, Andy Garcia, Malcolm McDowell
The Director: David Ayer
The Screenwriter: Josh Collins
The Plot:
David (G. Macht) returns to action in the next installment of the L.A. Wolf series. David's history unfolds more in this series as we find out a little more about him, his techniques and why he prefers to be a distant loner. Brody (A. Garcia) has assigned him a newcomer partner, Jodi (N. Portman) David naturally takes the offended approach to having not only a partner but a female, but he still deals with it.
Jodi looks up to David as a mentor, honored that she is working with the famous David Wolfe, who put that crazy religious zealot away in the first film, even though David makes it clear to her by implying she's too pretty and young to be doing this job, that she can get out while she still can. Like David she has her own motives and wounds that she prefers not to open but she knows it's the job she wants. Instead of the romantic interest, she embodies the student kind of role, learning the ropes.
We also discover that David has a distant relationship with his in-laws who find him responsible for the death of his wife(a major part of his back-story and why he doesn't like getting close to women) The in-laws keep custody of his children but he keeps active in their lives at least.
Much to the reluctance of David, Jodi helps uncover a terror plot in the city. A criminal group targeting Los Angeles' tourism industry led by Malcolm McDowell with a European accent. It is also known that this particular terror group were the ones responsible for the death of David's wife and countless others lost in a bombing attack.
In the final showdown that ends up on the 6th Street Bridge in L.A, McDowell has David pinned with his foot on his chest. Jodi is thought to be dead in the middle of the road, and just as McDowell is about to pull the trigger, a gunshot is heard, a closeup of McDowell's neck as the bullet goes through it and comes out through his throat, blood splatters and McDowell falls. Jodi saved her partner, but still very weak.
A very short period of time has passed, probably a few hours. David visits his partner in the hospital and he says she really was cut out for this kind of work. She asks if they got McDowell and he says 'she did' and she says 'but it's not going to stop them all. They've got to be out there plotting their next move like this city is their chess board.' David grins and says, "I got a feeling they'll think twice about that.' 'how so?' she asks and the film cuts to McDowell hanging by the neck from a rope over the bridge. 'I have a hunch' he says over the final image.
Stark’s Comment:
Back in Season 10, ‘L.A. Wolf’ made 54 millions in box office and won the Most Wanted Sequel GMA. It was a typical ‘tough cop’ movie shot with nerve by David Fincher. I think this traditional concept still has a crowd of fans so I expect that this sequel might do it even better in box office.
Behind The Scenes:
-This movie had a complex pre-production process. Josh Collins offered J.J. Abrams to direct it but Abrams refused the offer. Then, Collins asked Fincher to do it but Fincher, director of the first movie, was upset because it was offered first to Abrams and rejected to direct it. Collins had to turn then to David Ayer, with whom he had already worked with in ‘Killer On The Road’. Ayer finally accepted to take care of this movie.
-Finding the talent to play the villain wasn’t either an easy task. Collins’ first choice was Dennis Hopper. But due to his weak health, Hopper could not accept the offer. Then, Collins offered the work to Gene Hackman but Hackman was already committed to work in this week’s release ‘Nude!’. Finally, Malcolm McDowell took the job.
-Due to all these problems, Josh Collins recently announced at Grand Island Movies’ blog that this would probably be the last movie of this franchise.
NUDE!
Comedy
The Cast: Ellen Page, Jena Malone, Hayden Christensen, David Strathairn, Gene Hackman, James Franco
The Director and Screenwriter: James Bradley
The Plot:
Kathy (E.Page) is a nice shy working girl living in the comfortable suburbs of a very conservative small town in middle America. She lives with her widower father, Sam (D. Strathairn). She works as a waiter in the most popular restaurant in town where all the cool crowd of town uses to go every weekend. Also, although she could not afford going to University, she is trying to make her childhood days’ dream come true studying nursery at nights.
Kathy is secretly in love with Chad (H.Christensen), the most popular guy that visits her restaurant. Chad is the son of the richest man in town, the respected and ultra-conservative John Carrington (G. Hackman). Of course, Chad has never looked at her more than just as his waiter when he goes to the restaurant with the most beautiful girls. Nobody would look at an unattractive young woman who wears glasses, dresses with a bored style out of trend and seems always lost in her own thoughts. Only Kathy’s best friend, the eccentric Joyce (J. Malone) knows about Kathy’s love for the pretentious and paid off Chad. Joyce is a bit freaky, always dressing with a punk style, a bit insolent, and her biggest dream is leaving a town she hates and move to New York to become an alternative rock band guitarist.
On their free time, Kathy and Joyce have some beers at the darkest club in town and share their dreams about how life could be if they could leave the town and go out to the big world. One night, Joyce convinces Kathy to smoke some grass for a change. Going back home, they see at a gas station a Playboy magazine in which a peculiar contest is announced: they are looking for an ordinary american girl to become a different kind of Girl Of The Month. ‘We want to prove that ordinary girls can be sexier than any typical playmate. So if you are bored of your ordinary life, have economic problems and dare to try something different, send us your picture’.
Joyce tells Kathy she is exactly what they are looking for. Kathy laughs at that crazy idea but, as she has drunk and smoked too much, she accepts to pose nude for Joyce. In a funny sequence, we see the total incapacity of Kathy to make a sexy pose. She is just too dull… So Joyce takes a horrible picture. She promises Kathy it’s just a joke and she will never send it to Playboy. But she does…
And one day, when she has forgotten the whole thing, Kathy gets a call from Playboy Magazine. She is the winner of the contest.
Of course, she rejects to make a photo session for Playboy. But when she tells Joyce that Playboy offers her two first class airplane tickets to Los Angeles, accommodation in the fanciest hotel and a limousine and driver to her permanent disposal, Joyce just tells her that she will simply kill her if she does not accept.
So Kathy and Joyce fly to LA. Kathy makes the photo session, where she looks absolutely sexy and glamorous. There, they meet Tom (J.Franco), the driver of the limousine, a nice guy that works as driver while trying to become a professional actor. He becomes their ‘cicerone’ while they stay in LA and their friend too. The girls have the time of their life for a week there.
Two months later, Playboy magazine has Kathy on its cover. And a sexy illustrated report with Kathy naked in the inside…
And in no more than 48 hours, when local newspapers announce in first page about the hometown girl in the cover of Playboy, it becomes the biggest scandal that very conservative town has known in all its history.
That Sunday, the local preacher talks in his sermon about the shame that has fallen onto the town. Kathy’s home appears one morning full of graffiti insulting her. The most prominent ladies in town release a public statement demanding from the Major that some laws against immorality should be urgently enacted to prevent the town’s kids from becoming as bad citizens as Kathy. A kind of morality hysteria spreads all over the town.
While Joyce loves all the scandal, Kathy is extremely embarrassed. To her surprise, his father – who never knew about Kathy posing for Playboy – fully supports her, although even Mr. Carrington, Chad’s father and owner of the factory where he works, tells him he should be ashamed of the kind of daughter he has grown up.
As expected, Kathy is fired from the restaurant because her boss tells her that her terrible reputation may damage the business.
One day, as Kathy is walking back home, a car stops besides her. It’s Chad. He offers to drive her home. Kathy is thrilled.
Chad invites her for a drive walk. They talk and laugh and he behaves so charming. He tells Kathy that he had always wanted to meet her when he saw her at the restaurant but never found the right moment. He also tells her that it is stupid how everybody is reacting to what she has done and that he considers her a brave and admirable woman. Before leaving her home, he asks her for a date. Kathy is in ecstasy.
So Chad and Ellen begin seeing each other. He always acts so gently. And finally they kiss.
But things change the next time they have a date. Chad takes Kathy to his beautiful family mansion. His parents are away. And, after a delicious dinner, Chad asks Kathy if she would pose for him to take her sexy pictures. When Kathy rejects it, he gets mad. He shows his real face: he only wanted to have fun with the girl from the cover of Playboy, he is not interested in her more than just for sex, he tells her she should be glad somebody like him has invited to his elegant home to a girl like her… And just when Kathy is about to leave the house so hurt, Mr. Carrington and his wife unexpectedly arrive.
As they look so surprised and upset for watching the Playboy girl at their home, Chad tells his parents that he only invited her home because he felt sorry for her, he just wanted to offer her some friendly and almost charitable understanding, but she has been trying to seduce him since the very first moment she arrived… Kathy runs away crying.
The next day, Mr. Carrington calls Sam to his office. He tells Sam that her daughter might be not only a playmate but a prostitute. Sam simply punches Mr. Carrington throwing him over his desk.
Kathy, absolutely heart-broken, is sitting on an old swing in her home’s backyard. Somebody appears. It’s Mr. Carrington. He tells her he wants to talk with her. Carrington tells Kathy that her father just punched him that morning. Of course, he is not only firing Sam but also taking him to court for the aggression… unless the two of them can make a deal.
Carrington tells her how impressed he was with the beautiful pictures of Kathy in Playboy. So he might consider being generous with her dad and not firing him or taking him to court if… well, if she would accept to see him privately…
Kathy just can’t believe what she’s heard. But even before she gets to answer, somebody comes out from the house. It’s Joyce. ‘Funny’, she says, ‘I had gone for a soda. But when I saw you there from the kitchen’s window, Mr. Carrington, I had the strange impulse to record your conversation with Kathy with my mobile telephone... Some local papers will love to see the recording.’
Next thing we see is Sam and Kathy having dinner at home. The phone rings and Sam answers. When he’s back, he tells it was Mr. Carrington. ‘Anything new, dad?’, asks Kathy. ‘Mr. Carrington just wanted to apologize for some misunderstandings that have taken place between him and me lately. He has just told me that he hopes to see me tomorrow at work as usual’, says Sam not hiding his surprise. Kathy smiles but says nothing to his father about Carrington’s visit.
A bus arrives to Los Angeles. People get down of it. Among the passengers, we see Kathy and Joyce, both carrying heavy backpacks. And we see Tom waiting for them. ‘Ready to begin your new life in the city, girls?’, he asks them. He specially smiles at Kathy. And Kathy gives him back a shy smile.
Stark’s Comment:
Bradley’s comedies have always worked nicely in box office and I hope this one will too. This time, Bradley makes a denounce of the hypocrisy of conservative people and again he uses an intelligent sense of humor to tell his story. We all know by now what to expect from a Bradley’s comedy: top acting works, a classy ‘mise en scène’, brilliant dialogues, peculiar situations and a correct box office (hope so!).
Behind The Scenes:
-This is the fourth directional job by Bradley. The previous ones were ‘Celebutantes’, ‘The 6th Avenue Castaways’ and ‘Crossovers’.
-The shooting dates of this movie had to be cut down by the Studio cause some of the cast members were attached to other CMP’s movies: Jena Malone (‘The Lovers Stages’), Hayden Christensen (‘Uncommon Valour: Only The Valiant’) and James Franco (‘The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier and Clay’). Bradley preferred to reduce the shooting period than replacing them.
-James Bradley has stated that the story was written already having Ellen Page in mind. ‘I wouldn’t have done it with any other actress’, he’s said.
-Oh! And a very important notice to avoid any mislead: despite of the title, the movie poster and the story, Ellen Page does not appear nude on screen at any moment!
DRAGONLANCE: DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT: This is probably the most ambitious Richard Franzwa’s project ever. A top budget production based on the fantasy books saga written
by Margaret Wise and Tracy Hickman. Again, CMP bets for the recreation of a fantasy universe inhabited by all kind of fantastic creatures. This time, Guillermo Del Toro (‘Wild Cards: Double Solitaire’, ‘Preacher: All American Family’) has been the director chosen to put up such fantasy universe. Del Toro was offered to direct the movie after Bryan Singer had to reject directing and producing it due to his commitment with the upcoming third Silver Sable’s movie. Beside the tons of CGI expected, the movie will also have a top notch cast. Names already known in it are Ewan McGregor, returning to heroic characters after past Season’s ‘The Princess And The Captain’; GMA Winner Uma Thurman, returning to CMP after the success of ‘Robots Of Dawn’; and two big guys: Jason Statham (‘Tracks Of Blood’) and Vin Diesel, back to CMP after the still remembered disaster of ‘Gears Of War’.GAME BOY 3: GAME OVER: As it has been said, the digitally generated characters of the two previous movies of this saga now turn into live action ones. And most of them will be played by the same stars that put their voices to them in the previous movies. That means that the latest Best Actress GMA Winner Keira Knightley will play Princess Zelda (yes, the same character played by Kate Bosworth in another George Lucas’ franchise, ‘The Legend Of Zelda’), her old friend from ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ Orlando Bloom will play Link (yes again, the same character played by James McAvoy in the other franchise); and the inevitable Ron Perlman, seen past week in ‘Justice League’, will play here the mean Master Chief.
THE ORPHAN TRAIN: Green light for a very interesting Josh Collins’ drama based on real
history. This movie will tell the real story of how thousands of children were moved during 19th Century from the crowded orphanages of U.S.’s East Coast to live with adoptive families throughout the West. This emotional and epic historical drama is going to be directed by Danny Boyle, who already worked with Collins past Season in the brilliant and unfairly undervalued ‘The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time’. The sweet Ellen Fanning, who already worked for Collins in the acclaimed drama ‘Velcro’, will be one of the orphan kids. And two stars to be seen in this week’s release ‘The Dark Tower: Wolves Of The Calla’ have urgently joined the shooting of this movie: Russell Crowe and Chase Ellison.THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND CLAY: Anthony Hopkins, not seen in CMP since he worked in Season 9’s Best Picture GMA Winner ‘Sherlock Holmes’, will play here a minor role as the old Jewish magician that teaches escapism to Emile Hirsh. Also, a couple of peculiar cameos playing real life characters will be seen in the movie: a characterized Antonio Banderas will be the famous Spaniard painter Salvador Dalí and Oliver Platt will play no other than a young Orson Welles.
TO CATCH A THIEF: This remake of Hitchcock’s classic written and directed by Jack Hammer
confirms itself not only as a family reunion, with Brad and Angelina starring it, but also as an old friends reunion. Jean Reno, who already worked with Brad Pitt and George Clooney in the CMP’s remake of ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’, will meet them both again in this one. Reno will be here a con and an old friend of the famous jewel thief The Cat (Pitt’s character) during their days in the French Resistance, who offers him refuge when Police begins to chase him.ASSASSIN’S CREED: Two villains for this action and sci-fi adventure written by Steve Connors and directed and produced by Peter Jackson. Best Villain GMA Nominee Morgan Freeman, whose last work for CMP was back in Season 8 with ‘The Critic’, plays here the scientist that manages a strange device that connected to somebody’s brain allows him to recreate the memories of his ancestors transmitted by AND . Javier Bardem, whose last work for CMP was also playing a villain in ‘Earth 3K’, will play here the ancient leader of the Brotherhood of the Assassins during the times of the Holy Crusades.
CONSPIRACY OF LIFE: James Bradley, who is releasing this week the comedy ‘Nude!’, likes to
try luck with thriller and action from time to time (remember ‘The Chinese Bride’ or ‘The Funeral Drum’). This new story focuses on a young doctor, played by Michelle Monaghan (seen in the previous movie of this week’s release ‘L.A. Wolf’), who suspects that there’s something dark and strange going on in her hospital. And the only one who will believe her suspects will be a cop played by no other than GMA Winner Leonardo DiCaprio, who had not been seen in a CMP’s movie since his work in another Bradley’s story, the Season 6’s Best Picture Winner ‘Pompeii’ (yes, seven Seasons ago!). D.J. Caruso is going to make his debut in CMP directing this action thriller.THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS: As you know, the Stop-Motion animation technique requires not only a voice only work but a full acting work from the talents involved, although they are later transformed into the animated characters. And some of the talents who have worked in this peculiar way for this Henry Selick’s movie are two GMA Winners: Daniel Craig and Paul Bettany. It is remarkable that their commitment with this project has impeded them both to play minor characters in Spielberg’s ‘The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier and Clay’. Craig has been replaced by Matt Dillon and Stephen Dorff replaced Bettany in that movie.
BEDTIME STORIES 2: Wes Craven is directing two stars that make their debut in CMP with this movie: Scott Speedman and the veteran Sissy Spacek. John Carpenter is also directing a CMP’s debutante, Amy Ryan, and a very experienced star in the Studio: Judi Dench, who has already been seen this Season in ‘Uncommon Valour: Only The Valiant’.YOU CAN’T DO THAT IN THE MOVIES: You know that CMP’s authors like to show up on screen from time to time. Some of them will be seen in this slapstick comedy directed by the Farrelly Brothers… mainly just to receive a pie in their faces or a green revolting substance on their heads. Those lucky CMP’s authors playing themselves are: Matt Kubrick (writer of the movie and the more experienced one acting, as he even starred a CMP’s movie: ‘Raise Of The Darkman’), Harry Stark (seen together with Kubrick in movies like ‘Celebutantes’ and ‘Raise Of The Darkman), and two screenwriters that make their debut in front of the cameras: Dawson Edwards and Josh Collins.
JAMES BRADLEY – ‘NUDE!’
James Bradley returns this week to a territory he knows so well: adult comedy. The 4 times GMA winner screenwriter has always liked the genre. In fact, his consolidated prestige as CMP’s author begun to rise what his famous ‘fables’, three comedies written by him and directed by Wes Anderson that became three acclaimed CMP’s classics: ‘Bill and the Rocket Man’, ‘Fools Game’ and ‘Man In The Mirror’. Since then, he has returned to comedy periodically with movies like ‘Paperback Story’, ‘Celebutantes’ or ‘Crossovers’. ‘Nude!’ is his latest comedy and also his fourth work behind the cameras.
1.’Nude!’ is another one of your comedies based on a peculiar premise. Where did you get the idea from?
I was watching this porn magazine and… *laughs* Just kidding. I simply don’t know. The idea just came to me: what would happen if a non-particularly attractive ordinary girl gets to the cover of ‘Playboy’? How would that affect her life? You all know I like comedy and I like comedies about ordinary people getting involved in unexpected situations. I thought that premise was a pretty unexpected situation.
2.You are directing this movie. What makes you decide to direct or not your stories?
There is no pattern about it. I thought of Jason Reitman directing it but,
with Ellen Page starring, it could all look too much as ‘Juno 2’. Then I thought of Noah Baumbach because he directed ‘Lyra’ for CMP and that was a wonderful movie. But I am not really familiar with Baumbach’s work so I finally forgot about it. I was my own third option.3.This is your second movie directing Ellen Page. Has she become your new muse after not working with Kate Winslet and Scarlett Johansson as often as you used to?
What can I say? I love them all! *laughs* Ellen played such a freak character in ‘Crossovers’ and now she is playing a completely different one. I think she is a very versatile actress and she was perfect to play this ordinary girl. Anyone can imagine Scarlett Johansson in the cover of ‘Playboy’ but it is harder to imagine Ellen. That was the idea.
4.What CMP’s comedies not written by you have you enjoyed lately?
I liked very much ‘Running On Empty’. That was a cool movie. It wasn’t a comedy but I think it was a deserved winner of the GMA, no matter what people say. I liked the kind of movies that CMP released past Season because my own kind of movies matched very well with them. I feel more comfortable with low budget movies than when working in big productions.
5.I have to ask you this… How do you feel after picking up 9 nominations for ‘American Tabloid’ and then winning only 4 awards?
Why do you say ‘only’? Winning 4 awards was great! It was chosen as the Best Picture of a Season with the highest number of great movies ever. I feel very proud of that. I always have a great time at the Golden Moon Awards. I think I am like Merryl Streep… *laughs* I have won four awards and I have been nominated so many times that now I just relax and enjoy the show. Seriously, I felt grateful and honored for all the support I got from voters.
ELLEN PAGE
She may not be one of the top female stars of CMP. But still she is building step by step a solid career in the Studio and has become a regular presence in CMP’s movies. ‘Nude!’ is her most exposed work for CMP so far – and I am not talking about posing nude for ‘Playboy’ -, as she leads by herself the cast of a movie that stands mainly on her charm and talent for comedy. This week, we take a look at CMP’s career of this rising star.
BLOOD BEACH
Season 6
Eli Roth / Matt Kubrick
B.O.: 12 mill. / N. Losses: 11 mill.
Ellen made her debut in CMP with this horror flick still remembered as one of the worst movies ever in CMP’s History. Together with her, the now acclaimed Emile Hirsh also showed up in it. ‘Blood Beach’ didn’t help much her career in CMP but she got to survive to it.
WHEN DREAMS DIE
Season 7
Sam Mendes / Richard Franzwa
B.O.: 35 mill. / N. Gains: 17 mill.
Ellen’s second movie in CMP was a teen drama about the rise and fall of a young sport star played by Haley Joel Osment. At that moment, Osment was a popular star in CMP while Ellen was only the cute girl from ‘Blood Beach’. The movie worked decently in box office and while Osment’s career in the Studio begun its decadence, Ellen’s begun to lift off.
JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS
Season 8
Matt Kubrick / Matt Kubrick
B.O.: 45 mill. / N.G.: 16 mill.
Her second work with Matt Kubrick was an acting duel with Ray Liotta in this claustrophobic thriller focused on the relationship between a psycho and his victim. Sadly, this movie has been undervalued and should be rediscovered by movie fans cause it is an efficient and disturbing story brilliantly directed and performed. Ellen probably deserved a GMA nomination for her work in this movie that never came. But at least she had already become a regular presence in CMP.
HAIGHT-ASHBURY
Season 9
Oliver Stone / Richard Franzwa
B.O.: 30 mill. / N.G.: 16 mill.
Franzwa also called her back to play a minor role in this sentimental recreation of the 1960’s. Elle was Grace Slick, one of the iconic characters of the golden decade that Jeremy Stumpter and Emma Roberts met in their peculiar trip of initiation in life.
WOODLAND CREATURES
Season 10
Adam McKay / Josh Collins
B.O.: 262 / N.G.: 219
All Page’s movies – except for the first one – have made net gains. But this is the only megahit she has been in. This comedy where the cast dressed animal costumes – Ellen was an obsessive compulsive anal-retentive skunk – laughing at the typical funny animals comedies still is the alltimes top 5 box office CMP’s movie.
CROSSOVERS
Season 11
James Bradley / James Bradley
B.O.: 64 mill. / N.G.: 54 mill.
Ellen played a punk that hardly ever speaks with more than a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ in this Bradley’s comedy about crossed relationships. She showed again here her talent for comedy and the movie won the Best Cast GMA. Ellen had been in a CMP’s movie during six consecutive Seasons so far.
NUDE!
Season 13
James Bradley / James Bradley
Awaiting release
After resting for one Season and playing minor roles in her last works for the Studio, Ellen is back with a leading role in her second consecutive work for Bradley. A big opportunity here to shine in this comedy specifically written by Bradley for her.
‘The Dark Tower’ has become one of the most famous and successful CMP’s sagas. Written by Matt Kubrick and based on Stephen Kings’ books, this franchise’s movies are starred by GMA Winner Russell Crowe, GMA Winner Jake Gyllenhaal and GMA Nominee Angela Bassett. The three of them posed together during the premiere of the movie at New York.
Now it’s official. The Star Wars’ universe will return to CMP. Dawson Edwards is working on a new series of movies that will mean the return of CMP to the galaxy far away. As I wrote here, Steve Connors considered for some time writing a new series of Star Wars' movies
based on the official books of the saga. But he finally abandoned the idea. Now, it will be Dawson Edwards who will put up this new series of movies based on original material written by him. Not much is known yet about the storyline of these movies. CMP has only confirmed that Edwards’ story will take place a few decades after ‘Balance Of The Force’, the last episode of Marcus Trax’s Star Wars Trilogy produced by CMP. But nobody knows yet if George Lucas will be involved in this new saga again or who might be directing or starring the movies. Sources from CMP have only told me that, if everything goes right, the Studio is planning to release the first movie of the new franchise in Season 14.Why ‘Coen & Warshinski’ has not worked in box office as Ben Stiller’s movies usually do in CMP? That’s the big question running through CMP’s corridors lately. Ben Stiller has always been a sure bet for the Studio and pairing him up with another successful comedian like Ferrell looked like a wise move. Then, what went wrong? According to an anonymous CMP’s source, this could be the reason: ‘Ben Stiller’s comedies in CMP have always been oriented to family and children. That’s a good target audience and movies like ‘The Lollipop Man’, ‘Woodland Creatures’ or ‘Being Ben Stiller’ were perfect for that kind of audience. ‘Coen & Warshinski’ was looking for a more adult segment and that’s where difficulties begun. Adult audiences are not as interested in watching a Stiller’s comedy as the youngest ones. Let’s admit it: Stiller is an efficient comedian for children, not for adults.’ Besides that, my confidants have told me about the astronomical salaries paid to
Stiller and Ferrell for their disco music dancing. If I am being told the truth, both stars could have got a paycheck of more than 30 millions dollars each.More comments about past week’s releases. Rumours say that the steamy sex scenes between Norton and Diaz in ‘Ms. Jordon’ might have gone on beyond the screen. People from the movie crew tell me that the chemistry between them was so strong – as it can be seen on screen – that director Tom Hanks didn’t need to be too specific in his instructions to make the scenes as hot as they were expected to be. Norton and Diaz knew very well what they had to do without needing instructions…
Contradictory reactions in CMP’s offices about ‘Justice League’. Is 130 millions a box office satisfactory enough for a hyper-hyped and top budget production like this? ‘These days, we are not making 200 millions in box office as easily as we used to back in Seasons 9 or 10. Making 130 millions is a nice turnout for the movie. It has made it better than the first Avengers. And box office’s numbers like the ones made by ‘Silver Sable 2’ are an unpredictable miracle that will hardly happen again. So the future of the Justice League is guaranteed and we cannot feel anything but happy with how it did’, says one of my sources. But another one of my deep throats told me: ‘Let’s face it. The Studio was expecting numbers close to 200 millions or even more. Even ‘Zoids: Eve’ made it better than ‘Justice League’. It has been months working on this movie and we feel disappointed with how it finally did. At the end, it ends up being more profitable making just ‘Wonder Woman’ than putting up all this complex production wit too many big stars and too high expectations. Of course, sequels will be green lighted but we have lost the faith on this saga becoming the record-breaker we thought it would be’.
CMP’s executives’ big hopes of breaking some record or at least returning after some months to the ‘200 millions’ have moved now to another upcoming top budget production: Richard Franzwa’s
‘Dragonlance’. Movies about fantasy worlds have always worked nicely in CMP – and there are quite a lot of proofs of this, from ‘Magic-The Gathering’ to ‘The Land Of Nod’ or even ‘The Ice Princess’ – so everyone at the Studio expects ‘Dragonlance’ to become the megahit of this Season. The movie has had a complex pre-production phase, with both cast and director changes, but now everything is ready at last to shoot this sophisticated production full of CGI, spectacular sequences and all kind of peculiar creatures.And you might say: CMP’s executives do not trust in this week’s release of the new Dark Tower’s instalment to break records? Previous movies of the saga became huge hits after all. Well, I will quote here the words from my secret friends at CMP: ‘We are talking here of the fourth instalment of a complex saga. We fear that moviegoers might begin to feel a bit tired of these movies. You cannot keep the same level of interest in audiences after four movies. We’ll see. Although the Studio officially says to feel so sure about the big success of ‘Wolves Of The Calla’, the truth is that we don’t feel completely confident about it.’
And now you might say: and what about ‘Silver Sable 3’? The sequel of the biggest
hit in CMP ever is not expected to break records neither? And to answer that, I will directly quote here director and producer of the movie, Bryan Singer: ‘No, we don’t expect to make again a box office superior to 300 millions with Silver. That was something that only happens once in a lifetime. We know we have a solid fanbase waiting for the movie, but ‘Silver 2’ was a massive phenomenon impossible to repeat. I would predict a box office between 150 and 200 millions for ‘Silver 3’ and that would be fantastic enough.’
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