DECEMBER, 21


REPLICANT REBEL

Sci-Fi / Action
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Evan Rachel Wood, Ralph Fiennes, William H. Macy, Saoirse Ronan
Director: Luc Besson
Producer: Ridley Scott
Screenwriter: Steve Connors

Box Office: 84 mill.
Net Gains: 96 mill.

Stark’s Reaction:
Definitely, Blade Runner’s movies are not meant to become big blockbusters. But, still, this one has made nice numbers and more than decent net gains. And I think that fans of adult sci-fi will appreciate this solid production.

THRUST FROM SKYLINE

Sci-Fi / Adventure
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Ving Rhames, Keir Gilchrist, Emma Roberts, Ben Foster
Director: Duncan Jones
Screenwriter: Lawrence Abernathy

Box Office: 89 mill.
Net Gains: 73 mill.

Stark’s Reaction:
I admit I thought this movie was going to make much better numbers. Same as ‘Replicant Rebel’, these are numbers satisfactory enough. But I have got used lately to so many ‘100’ and even ‘200’ releases that 89 now tastes like a slight disappointment.

20 FEET UNDER THE TUB

Adventure / Animation / Comedy
Cast: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Robert Downey Jr.
Director: Brad Bird
Screenwriter: Chad Taylor



Box Office: 76 mill.
Net Gains: 37 mill.

Stark’s Reaction:
Also below expectations… It’s funny: I was convinced that this one was going to be an outstanding week with the three movies making excellent box offices and it has become the weakest week in terms of box office in a long time… Audiences keep being extremely unpredictable…


REPLICANT REBEL

‘Steve Connors returns to the Blade Runner’s universe after ‘Edge Of Human’ with another sophisticated sci-fi production. ‘Replicant Rebel’ is a complex story that needs a deep previous knowledge of the rules of that universe and more specifically of the events that took place in ‘Edge Of Human’ to be fully understood. The plot is based almost 99% in one only question that was part of the plot of both ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Edge Of Human’ and becomes here the main element of the intrigue: are the main characters – Hawke’s and Woods’ – replicants or human? Everything that happens in the movie is based on that question and as the main suspense element of the story that can be very interesting for Blade Runner’s freaks but it ends up becoming a bit too irrelevant for the general audience. That makes the movie not being as intriguing and interesting as it pretends to be becoming more a product oriented only for the most loyal fans of the saga.’
-Charlie Kiggs

‘Luc Besson is a pretty interesting director but he has never fully adapted to the rules of Hollywood’s mainstream productions. He always tries to save his label of ‘auteur’ and that means to sacrifice a bit the spirit of entertainment needed to reach wide audiences. ‘Replicant Rebel’ wants to be a quality adult-oriented sci-fi production. And maybe it is. The problem is that it is not entertaining. Action sequences are missing. There is an excess of dialogue sequences. Besson’s search of a ‘quality touch’ has made him forget that movies like this not only need a brilliant production design, interesting characters and a solid plot but also they have to be entertaining and include some more action.’
-Mark Anderson

‘Although the potential of the Blade Runner’s universe is almost infinite, it also shows some signs of exhaustion with ‘Replicant Rebel’. The twisted plot of this movie brings back all the elements from ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Edge Of Human’ – the secrets of Tyrrell Corporation, the peculiarities of replicants’ nature, the permanent doubt about the own identity of the lead character… - and walks in circles around all those familiar elements without really going anywhere new. Again, Woods’ character is the most appealing creation of these new movies, as it happened in ‘Edge Of Human’. Nothing new under the dark sun of Blade Runner’s universe. Connors and Scott could go on making one movie after another based on this universe and probably they would all be interesting but I have the feeling that there’s nothing more to learn about this world shared by humans and replicants that look very much alike ones to the others.’
-Tim Reeve

THRUST FROM SKYLINE

‘It is always difficult to judge the first movie of a new CMP’s author. You don’t have any reference about the writing style to compare. This first Lawrence Abernathy’s screenplay shows a lot of potential but, at the same time, it also shows some limitations and it is not easy to know if it is the screenplay the one to blame or the directional job of another debutante in CMP like Duncan Jones. The main problem here is that Abernathy and Jones have put a lot of interest and dedicated a lot of time to set the preliminaries of the story: that new world that has risen after the so called Gray Day with all its rules and characteristics. But then, once established the universe where the story is going to take place, when it comes to develop the plot, it seems like there was not much of a plot to develop. The wrapping is much better than the content. And that’s always bad in a movie. While it creates a lot of expectations during its first half, then the movie does not turn as spectacular or entertaining or breathtaking as it seemed it was going to be. And that leaves you with the uncomfortable feeling of having watched a movie that does not accomplish the full potential it seemed to have.’
-Roy Winslow

‘The post-apocalyptic worlds are something pretty familiar in CMP. From the old days of ‘The Last Lawman’ to more recent productions like ‘Invasion’ or ‘New World’, among some others CMP’s productions, the Studio has developed quite a bunch of movies based on a futuristic world risen after some kind of cataclysm. I could not help having a feeling of déjà vu when this movie begun. After that, I admit that ‘Thrust From Skyline’ is a nice piece of easy entertainment. The main virtue of this movie is its lack of epic pretentions. Duncan Jones does not pretend to change the History of Moviemaking with it but simply to entertain audiences for 90 minutes. And he does. If you don’t look for anything more than that, you will be satisfied with the movie. If you are looking for a unique sci-fi movie that opens your eyes and mind to a new fantastic universe, this is not the right movie for you.’
-Jackie O’Callaghan

‘’Thrust From Skyline’ is obviously conceived to be the beginning of a new CMP’s franchise. It has it all to be the first installment of a blockbuster series: an interesting and exotic setting, a big name leading the cast like Ryan Reynolds and a fresh adventurous spirit. Maybe, only the usual sexy girl co-leading the cast or the ‘wanna-rule-the-world’ villain are missing as indispensable elements of any big franchise. The problem is that it seems like the authors of it might be thinking so much in the possible sequels that they have left too many things for them. The movie seems to be only the introduction of things to come in future installments. And that weakens too much the impact of the movie, as it ends up exactly when you have the feeling that the big action is about to begin.’
-Andrew Stampton

20 FEET UNDER THE TUB

‘Brad Bird has made his debut in CMP recovering the style and the spirit of his most famous works out of the Studio, Pixar’s ‘Ratatouille’ and ‘The Incredibles’. Obviously, when you are responsible of two of the best animated productions of the last decades, like those two movies are, it is very difficult to beat yourself. ’20 feet…’ shares with those movies the visual style and the intelligent sense of humor. Probably, if those movies did not exist, we would be talking here of a revolutionary master piece of the animation genre. But we are in 2010 and we have enjoyed before animated features full of visual findings and / or great comedy like those Bird’s previous works, the first ‘Shrek’, ‘Up’ or ‘Wall-E’. After so many master pieces in a reasonably short period of time, we have become too demanding when talking about animation. And that’s what makes this ’20 feet…’ to be judged only as a good movie but not as an extraordinary one.’
-Anne Roman

‘Of all the animals that have starred an animated movie, I must say that a lizard was the less appealing possible one for me. But a lizard with the voice of Adam Sandler, a comedian I particularly dislike, was just too much. So I went to watch this movie with an almost insurmountable prejudice. Thank God, Rubber Ducky Jr. and Robert Downey Jr. were there to save the function for me. It is that character the best finding of this correct, entertaining but not particularly impressive production. It was him the only thing that made me laughed when watching it. After being exhausted of watching Iron Man once and again in and out of CMP – ‘Iron Man 1 & 2’, the four Avengers movies, the cameo at the first Silver Sable’s movie… it’s more than enough for one character -, his parodic recreation in this movie not only helped me to reconcile with the original Iron Man but also to have a better time than expected watching the movie.’
-Amy Ratched

‘In the area of animated movies, CMP has always moved between trying to create an own and unique style – ‘The Ice Princess’, ‘Mouse Guard’, ‘F-Zero’ would be some worthy examples of that – and competing directly with the already established visual style of Pixar and Dreamworks. And it has always been when CMP has been more daring and innovative when the Studio has released its best animation movies. ’20 Feet Under The Tub’ is a failed attempt to beat Pixar and Dreamworks in a territory in which these Studios are simply unbeatable. That does not mean that we are talking of a bad movie here. But in terms of creativity and innovation, the movie is very little more than a routine work that will please audiences without leaving any special mark in the evolution of contemporary animation.’
-Jake Cobb


REPLICANT REBEL

OPENING STATEMENT: Once again, I don't think anyone could have done a better job keeping the spirit of Blade Runner alive better than Steve Connors. To call Replicant Rebel a sequel to Edge of Human doesn't quite give it the respect it deserves. Particularly since most sequels are terrible. This is more like a continuation of the first film, starting where it left off because nobodies going to want to sit through 4+ hours of a movie. We know there may not be more says Connors, and I'm glad he can stick to his word and not expect a crappy film to close it all off. If there's nothing more to say, then there isn't.

BEST OF IT: Replicant Rebel delivers what a science fiction film should deliver. A fantasy 'what-if' universe mixing in a taste of reality.

WORST OF IT: It ended

SHINING STAR/DEAD WEIGHT: The cast returned from Edge of Human, so no original standouts here. They still did a great job in their roles. Oscar nominee Saiorse Ronan has been given a few minor roles in CMP, but she is a standout for future roles to say she is much more than a filler.

THE BRAINS BEHIND: A wonderful writer, awesome producer, visionary director. The combination of these elements were truly what kept this movie floating in mid-air. Connors took his time, energy and patience to flesh out the story and keep it every bit as good as the first installment. I love it when Ridley Scott goes back to his sci-fi action roots, even if he was just producer, you can see he had a big hand in making the production work.

OVERALL: A+ Definitely a blockbuster!

THRUST FROM SKYLINE

OPENING STATEMENT: Some may say that it's a mistake to put two huge sci-fi action films together in the same week. I myself appreciate the competition seeing as how there seems to never be any in Hollywood anymore. Don't you remember? When movies actually went head to head the same weekend and it was may the best one win? Now when it comes to summer movies, everyone is all nice to each other, "oh you want the weekend of May 3rd? ok, we'll take May 10th!" WHERE'S THE BLOOD?! Sorry, Thrust From Skyline has a lot to live up to for a debuting author, but I am proud to see that it's actually worth watching with the innovative plot and characters.

BEST OF IT: The plot, characters, direction, effects, all those cool things that go into making a great sci-fi classic.

WORST OF IT: Predicting that 3150 is going to look like it did in the film. Back to the Future thought that 2015 was going to already have flying cars. 5 years from now, I don't see that happening.

SHINING STAR/DEAD WEIGHT: Keir Gilchrist is a name not many are familiar with, but after seeing this film his name should be remembered. He holds his own very well against the established actors in the film.

THE BRAINS BEHIND: Excellent work from the debuting Lawrence Abernathy and a fantastic show from director Duncan Jones. They mixed well an idea we've seen before and added in their own brand of originality. It's too bad we haven't been hearing from Lawrence since. Why pitch a film then disappear before the movie even gets released? Especially when we are left with the possibility of a sequel.

OVERALL: A+ good show, old man!

20 FEET UNDER THE TUB

OPENING STATEMENT: Parents rejoice! You have somewhere to go with the kiddies this weekend. Chad Taylor tried his hand at making a film for families to enjoy together and he does yet again a fine job of creating an interesting original story. Who would have thunk a story about a lizard and a bathtub would actually be so good? CMP has attempted to get to Pixar quality but usually has fallen short. 20 Feet Under the Tub is one of the very few CMP animated films to reach that status. Nice parody of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea title, by the way.

BEST OF IT: Wrapped up in jokes that both adults and kids can laugh at without trying to make the jokes purposely fly over their heads; making sure it doesn't insult the intelligence of the little ones. It acts as an animated parody film from the title to Rubber Ducky Jr and more. I haven't laughed this much at a family-friendly film in CMP since Woodland Creatures.

WORST OF IT: Nothing!

SHINING STAR/DEAD WEIGHT: The voice cast did particularly well. One thing that's annoyed me in animated films is they worry so much about 'whose in it' and never give them the chance to actually create a voice for the character. There are so many talented voice actors out there who never get voice-over work in major films and they can actually change their voices. Robert Downey Jr on the other hand definitely stood out to create a new voice for Rubber Ducky Jr.

THE BRAINS BEHIND: Brad Bird has been the man to go to for animation and this film shows why. He can make a great story and focus on it and the characters more than trying to wow the audience with CGI. The animation seems to be a bonus in the storyline. Once again, I applaud Chad Taylor's work in always seeking to do something new and original. I don't think I've hated one of his movies yet.

OVERALL: A+ see it whether you are 6 months old or 101 years old.

MR. THUMBS' CERTIFIED MUST SEE OF THE WEEK:

SEE ALL NEW RELEASES

IMPORTANT:
CMP GOES ON CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS
BACK IN JANUARY, THE 7th!

DECEMBER, 17


REPLICANT REBEL

Sci-Fi / Action

The Cast: Ethan Hawke, Evan Rachel Wood, Ralph Fiennes, William H. Macy, Saoirse Ronan

The Director: Luc Besson
The Producer: Ridley Scott
The Screenwriter: Steve Connors

The Plot:

After the events of ‘Edge Of Human’, John Dryer and Ryan (or maybe Sarah Tyrell, as Dryer is not sure yet of who of both she is… see ‘Edge Of Human’) have left Earth to travel to the distant off-world colonies to begin a new life. For some time, Dryer and Ryan (E.R.Wood) live a peaceful life, although their relationship is permanently conditioned by Dryer’s uncertainty of who she really is. In fact, after a failed night of sex, Ryan has decided to travel to another colony for a few days so things may calm down between them.

While Ryan is away, Dryer has an unexpected visit. It’s Dave Holden (R.Fiennes), the old boss of Dryer at the Blade Runner unit. He tells Dryer that he needs his help.

Holden tells Dryer the last news about the replicants rebellion taking place in some of the off-world colonies. For some reason that the UN Government didn’t know, the replicants in the far colonies are now able to live more than four years. Not only that, but they are also able to ‘breed’. Humans, on the other hand, age and deteriorate more quickly and universally become sterile. In other words, on the far colonies, humans become replicants and replicants become humans.

Now, the UN Government has discovered why replicants can live beyond the programmed four years. The now dead Tyrrell Corporation’s main engineer JR. Isidore, well known by Dryer (see ‘Edge Of Human’), made some modifications in the so called Replicants V2 that had not been discovered until recent studies. As part of those secret modifications, Replicants V2 would be able to pass a VK test (the eye test that tells if somebody is a replicant or not). Also, the replicants’ brain was programmed so they would even forget that they even were replicants. And third, they were given the capacity to ‘breed’ and to live more than four years.

Holden has brought a suitcase with him. According to Holden’s words, when Eldon Tyrell designed the original replicants, he included a failsafe mechanism to prevent replicants from breeding: male replicants suffer from an amplified, modified version of "stepfather syndrome", the animal instinct to kill the children of other males. Male replicants, however, have an instinct to kill their own children. In the new Replicants V2, this instinct is suppressed unless activated; the information in the briefcase is the trigger signal that will activate this, wiping out the replicant families forming on the far colonies.

‘And what do I have to do with all that?’, asks Dryer, ‘I am retired as blade runner now.’

‘A blade runner never retires, Dryer’, says Holden, ‘You are a blade runner. But you know that there’s something more about you… You may be a Replicant V2 too and you know it. JR. Isidore said you were one of them. We know it.’

Dryer is shocked as he didn’t know that Holden knew about that. He himself is not sure yet if he is a replicant or not.

Holden keeps talking: ‘Each Replicant V2 was programmed with a secret code that would re-enable their full knowledge and once activated would reactivate the instinct known as the ‘stepfather syndrome’. If you let UN’s experts to examine you and find the code, we will be able to do the same with all the manipulated Replicants V2 and stop the rebellion. We only need the code of one single manipulated Replicant V2 to decode the encrypted form of JR. Isidore’s list of modified replicants. And that could be you, Dryer.’

‘I am not a replicant, Holden’, says Dryer.
‘Are you sure of that, Dryer?’, asks him Holden looking him at the eyes.
‘And what if I just simply don’t want to know?’
‘You are also a blade runner, Dryer. You are programmed to not let a replicant rebellion go on.’
‘What if I don’t let your people to look inside of me?’
‘You will. You’re a blade runner. You have the instinct of fighting against replicants. I will just let you some time to take the decision.’

Holden gives Dryer the suitcase and then leaves him alone. The old suspect that he himself may be a replicant has returned and Dryer feels so tortured about it.

The story moves to Ryan. She is spending some days in a resort in another off-world colony. She also has a visit: two men that identify themselves as agents of the Tyrrell Corporation. They ask her if she is Sarah Tyrrell. And she says yes. So she is not Ryan, the replicant Dryer loved, but the heir of Tyrrell Corporation, the woman that killed Ryan (see ‘Edge Of Human’).

Sarah is surprised, since she believed that she destroyed the Tyrell Corporation, but the agents explain that they work for the "shadow corporation", and they need Sarah to return with them to help discover an artifact from the Tyrell Corporation's past - the "Salander 3". The Salander 3 was the last ship to travel from Earth to the far worlds. Two people travelled on it: Ruth and Anson Tyrell. Sarah is their daughter, born on board the Salander 3. What exactly happened on board the Salander 3 has never been known, other than that the ship did not complete its voyage and ended up returning to Earth, and the only living person on it after it arrived was Sarah; Anson and Ruth were both dead. Nobody knows why this happened, or what occurred on board.

The Salander 3 has been buried in a secret dump site on Earth; it is in a state of suspended animation as a result of leakage from the ship's warp engines, which can damage time in the local area, creating fields of statis and inducing hallucinations of past events. Reluctantly, Sarah goes with the two men, and descends into the wreckage of the Salander 3. There, she sees her own name written on a wall in blood, and meets a young girl, identical to herself, who claims that her name is Rachel (S.Ronan). Sarah believes that the girl is a hallucination, an image of her own younger self. Exploring further, she finds whole areas of the ship are covered in blood and the remains of humans and animals, and is nearly herself attacked by a stumbling, severely wounded image of her father. Sarah flees the Salander 3 and is rescued by the two Tyrell agents, but is shocked when they claim that they can also see the girl; they rescue her too.

Sarah remains convinced that they cannot really see Rachel and are pretending to be able to in order to drive her mad, or to force her to remain bound to the Tyrell Corporation. Sarah, "Rachel" and the two agents talk about what they saw. It appears that what truly happened on the Salander 3 was that Anson Tyrell went psychopathically insane and attempted to murder Sarah, but murdered Ruth instead and then killed himself upon realising what he had done. However, there is still no clue as to why Anson Tyrell would go insane.

The two Tyrell agents ask Sarah to return to the Salander 3 to find out more information, and she agrees as long as she is given a gun to defend herself with; after receiving the gun, Sarah shoots both the agents and leaves with Rachel.

Back to Dryer, he is examining the suitcase. Inside, he finds a packet of powder, marked "Isidore". The UN’s scientists have transformed JR.Isidore into a "dehydrated deity" - actually, his personality has been embedded in an array of microscopic sensory override capsules. By ingesting the capsules with proper preparation, Dryer can meet with Isidore's personality in an artificial world. Dryer takes the powder and appears in the offices of Tyrrell Corporation with Isidore (W.H.Macy) in front of him.

Isidore tells Dryer that the U.N. will completely wipe out the replicants on the colonies unless the rebels can stop them. Isidore also tells Dryer that he is a replicant and consequently he should help the other replicants in their rebellion and not the UN.

‘I am not a replicant’, tells Dryer, in desperation, ‘I am a blade runner.’
Isidore smiles in a mysterious way: ‘Then, you should collaborate with the UN as Holden has asked you. Let them examine you to see if there’s a code in your brain circuits or not.’

Before the imaginary Isidore disappears, he gives Dryer a box, and then Dryer awakens from the artificial world. Examining the box, it appears to be an ordinary, ancient first-aid kit.

Dryer realizes that, with that hallucination, Holden is trying to convince him to collaborate.

Next morning, after a sleepless night for Dryer full of doubts about what to do, Sarah returns home. The girl, Rachel, is with her. When Sarah tells Dryer what happened to her, telling him that the two agents thought she was Sarah Tyrrell and not Ryan, she notices that Dryer is again suspecting strongly she may be in fact Sarah Tyrrell.

Sarah still insists that Rachel is a hallucination, and when Dryer is able to converse with the girl, Sarah goes out of control and tells Dryer that he is in league with the Tyrell agents and is conspiring to drive her insane. She takes out her gun. Sarah is about to shoot Dryer, but he manages to trick her and escape, taking Rachel with him. Now, Dryer realizes that the woman he’s been living with is Sarah Tyrrell and not his beloved Ryan and that causes him deep pain.

Dryer leaves Rachel in a safe place and goes to see Holden at UN’s offices in the colony. He tells Holden that he won’t let the UN’s scientist to examine him. He does not want to know if he is a replicant or not. Ryan is dead. He has been living with the woman that killed her. He feels confused and all he wants to do is to take some time by himself to think.

‘I am so sorry to hear that, Dryer’, answers Holden, ‘And I hate to do this…’

Holden pushes a botton in a table and UN troopers burst in with guns to capture Dryer. Dryer jumps through a window and into a lower roof. Troopers chase him but he gets to escape.

He goes with Rachel. The girl is keeping the first-aids kit Dryer took from the suitcase. Dryer opens it and finds a photograph inside. He asks the girl to stay. He needs to see Sarah.

Dryer returns to his home and faces Sarah. Before she can react, he shows her the photograph. It shows Anson and Ruth Tyrell, in uniforms from the Salander 3 - cradling two infants. Rachel is Sarah's twin sister. Sarah protests that if they were sisters, they would be the same age now. But Dryer replies that they are not, because Rachel was held in a sleep capsule, hidden there by Ruth to save her from Anson's rampage. The purpose of the Salander 3 mission was not to visit the far colonies at all. The purpose of the Salander 3 was to fly towards the far colonies and then return, to see what effects occurred in their vicinity.

Anson and Ruth Tyrell were replicants, specially engineered to be unaware of that fact; and when the ship got far enough away from Earth, they became able to breed, and gave birth to Rachel and Sarah. But then, as a male experimental replicant, the modified stepfather syndrome programmed into Anson activated: he was able to murder Ruth before his new-found empathy overrode his programming and he killed himself, and the two children returned to Earth.

Rachel was hidden in a sleep capsule, but Sarah remained exposed. When the ship returned to Earth, Sarah stepped off it. She is the first replicant child. Even Eldon Tyrell could not simply order the destruction of a child, especially given that she was unaware that she was a replicant, so he did the best he could to cover up the entire incident.

Sarah is deeply shocked, and finally admits that she could only deny that Rachel truly existed because she had known, even since she first saw her, that Rachel was truly her sister.

‘So I am a replicant…’ cries Sarah, ‘A replicant…’

Distraught, she asks Dryer to kiss her the way he used to kiss her when he thought she was Ryan. But before Dryer even moves, she takes out her gun and shoots herself.

Dryer leaves his home. He sees UN troopers jus arriving to the building when he leaves. He understands that now he is a fugitive.

He meets with Rachel and tells her that they have to leave the colony, unsure of where they are going. Dryer and the young Rachel fly away to a destiny not even they know.


Stark’s Comment:
This is the sequel of ‘Edge Of Human’, the return to the universe of ‘Blade Runner’ released by CMP back in Season 12. ‘Edge Of Human’ made discrete numbers: 55 millions at box office and net gains of 22 millions. As all CMP’s releases are working much better lately, I expect that this sequel will make it much better too.

Behind The Scenes:
-‘Edge Of Human’ won the Most Wanted Sequel GMA in Season 12. It also won the Best Production Design award and was nominated for Best Adaptation and Best Villain (Evan Rachel Wood).
-Ridley Scott, director of ‘Blade Runner’, was also the producer of ‘Edge Of Human’. Jonathan Kasdan directed that movie.
-‘Edge Of Human’ and ‘Replicant Rebel’ are based on books written by K.W. Jeter. But Steve Connors has introduced many changes in the story. The main difference is that the lead character in the books is no other than Deckard, the blade runner played by Harrison Ford in ‘Blade Runner’. Connors decided to change that and to create a brand new character.
-Saoirse Ronan is the only cast member that did not work in ‘Edge Of Human’.
-Steve Connors has stated that there won’t be any more installments of this saga (see ‘The 5 Questions’ below).

THRUST FROM SKYLINE

Sci-Fi / Adventure

The Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Ving Rhames, Keir Gilchrist, Emma Roberts, Ben Foster

The Director: Duncan Jones
The Screenwriter: Lawrence Abernathy

The Plot:

3150, exactly a millennium after a Cataclysmic Event overtook 75% of the Earth's population, only known as Gray Day. Now the world is high-tech masterpiece where wars are fought over stainless steel tables and with the help of medical science 50 is the new 20 since life expectancy is raised t0 about 200(the last 50 years are spent hooked up to several machines). Since Gray Day, the world is almost up to its old population. This world (Wake) is built on top of the ruins of the old one.

Jobs are given out by overall IQ and intelligence guided in areas. Scoring highly before leaving high-school in Mechanics, 18 year old Edward Nash (Keir Gilchrist) interns at a Scavenger Company (Barnaby's Scavs) when they and several other companies are given a huge job proposal worth millions of dollars.

The job is to scavenge a recently found site on the Old World(Earth). They find that the site is in fact an old Nuclear Testing site. Upon getting separated from his two mentors, Moondoggie (Ving Rhames), a knowledgeable veteran of a war long-since past who now harbors a robotic arm and Froggy (Ryan Reynnolds), a sarcastic slacker who can be very efficient when he wants to be. Edward finds a sleeping chamber holding a girl with a name plate on the top of the chamber, reading Alice. After prying the Chamber open he finds that Alice (Emma Roberts) was on a mission and comes from a time before Gray Day.

Meanwhile over an Artificial Ocean(Deca-None) a strange man (Ben Foster) appears. He manages to completely decimate a city with the help of a strange artifact. Asia, being the continent in which the city is located, and its central government begin to take emergency procedures to defeat the strange man.

Back on Earth, Alice feels the man's presence and faints. Edward is forced to carry her out of the ruins of the Plant as strange marks begin to glow on the walls of the plant. The Scavenger crews begin to evacuate the Plant before it's submerged deep underground, leaving a large sink-hole. The Hierarchy(Wake's equivalent of the American Government) apprehend the full crew of Barnaby's Scavs. Alice is taken to a different area once it's found that she comes from Earth. Froggy & MoonDoggie are angered by the fact that they've been imprisoned for doing their job as is the rest of Barnaby's Scavs. This showcases the corruption of Wake's Political System.

Alice awakens as she is interrogated by "Talkers", the charismatic and insane members of The Hierarchy. When she doesn't budge on details about her mission, or her purpose(nor any facts about Earth before she is repeatedly tased and beaten.

Back in the cells, the crew manage to breach the shield by sacrificing MoonDoggie's robotic arm. They rush the Hierarchy's Security Force and stall them long enough for MoonDoggie, Edward and Froggy to board an elevator to The Hierarchy's Main Office. They find two high-ranking Hierarchy Members and Alice being interrogated by the two. Froggy, to his anger, is sent off by MoonDoggie to find a ship for the four as he and Edward begin to attack the two Hierarchy Officers. Edward manages to push his opponent out of a window as MoonDoggie pulls his own out of a window, but is pulled down himself in the struggle. Edward grabs Alice and carries her to a window where Froggy is hovering with a hi-jacked Hierarchy Attack Drone. He climbs in, placing Alice on his lap as he takes the gunner seat.

Edward's novice gunning ability is shown as he barely takes down on attacking drone but their own drone takes too much damage and falls to Earth, leaving a trail of smoke behind it.

FADE OUT.....

Stinger: "Can I get a little help?" Edward says as an arm comes from the wreckage gripping the side of the drone, PAN UP to a view of WAKE in the distance. Other ships begin falling to EARTH as lights on WAKE's


Stark’s Comment:
This is a pretty mainstream sci-fi production that has it all to work more than nicely in box office. I would be very much surprised if this movie does not reach easily the 100 millions at box office or even more.

Behind The Scenes:
-This is the first screenplay ever written by Lawrence Abernathy for CMP.
-The original title of this movie was ‘Brand New World’. Harry Stark asked Abernathy to change it as it could generate confusion with the classic Aldoux Huxley’s novel.
-Duncan Jones, who makes his debut in CMP, is the son of legendary rock star David Bowie.

20 FEET UNDER THE TUB

Adventure / Comedy / Animation

The Cast Of Voices: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Robert Downey Jr.

The Director: Brad Bird
The Screenwriter: Chad Taylor

The Plot:

Ricky Roberts loves his pet lizard,Zorro (Adam Sandler).He takes good care of Zorro.Ricky often talks to Zorro,who talks back,but Ricky can‘t hear him.For his whole life, Zorro has been in a cage in Ricky's room. But one night, the cat accidentally tips over the cage, making it tumble to the ground. Alone and wonderous,Zorro explores, finding the bathroom. He climbs into the shower, but when he does, Ricky's mom walks in. As she prepares for her bath, she turns on the water, not looking inside the tub. This scares Zorro, who cannot escape and is sent down the drain.

When he wakes up, he finds a himself in the middle of a big sea of water. He swims around frantically until he finds an island nearby. He swims to it, and washes ashore. He crawls through the island, seeing beautiful visuals offshore. The island features many buildings and streets,made out of items that have fallen from the drain, but is abandoned. Nobody is in sight. Zorro is in awe. Then, the clock in downtown hits 6, and sounds begin to go off. This startles Zorro, as purple creatures travel from outside of the buildings. Zorro becomes scared, and hides in the distance and out of sight.

A little, smaller creature is playing with a bouncy ball,but loses control and rolls down a hill. It stops right next to Zorro,and the creature discovers him. He starts to yell and scream,but Zorro tells him to quiet down.Another creature follows, one older than the first, but not as mature as others. Zorro asks him who they are, and he tells him that his name is Mick (Seth Rogen), and that his little brother was just playing with the ball. They are “Jenks”, small purple creatures who live beneath Earth’s surface, unknown to man. They feed off of all of the drains in Ricky’s neighborhood, and use the water as their main resource. Mick is shocked when Zorro tells him that he is from above the drain.

We learn that as a kid, Mick was told that nothing was above the drain. Only the God, that feeds water and resources to them.He is shocked by this revelation. He grabs his little brother, and Zorro, and runs to their home.He asks his dad if there really is something above the drain, and they deny it. Then he says “Well…how do you explain,him?” Zorro walks out, shocking his father. He begins to panic, and pull an alarm, one that echoes throughout the whole town. Other Jenks begin to run out of their homes, and scream. They all run to Mick’s house, and find Zorro.He is scared and tries to hold on to Mick, but cannot get a grip, and is yanked away into the crowd of people.

He gets thrown in their jail, and sits and waits. Mick then comes and visits. “I’m sorry my parents did that to you, it’s just people around here aren’t sure what to do with new people.Not much living things come from the drain.” he says. Zorro asks Mick if there is any way to get back up, but he is unsure. Later on in the day, and Mick is enjoying a movie. It is Iron Duck 2, starring Rubber Ducky Jr. This sparks an idea in Mick’s mind. He tells his parents that he is going to leave home and he might not come back. This is not a big deal to him, but they are heartbroken. He then travels to the top of the mountain within the town, and finds the house on top.It is huge compared the other houses. After Mick knocks, Rubber Ducky Jr. (Robert Downey Jr.) answers the door. He is a talking rubber ducky. Mick asks if he can help out Zorro, which he says no. But when he tells him that he is from above the tub, it prompts a smile on his face.

Rubber Ducky Jr. was once associated with Ricky, while he was still an infant. But one night, when Ricky carried him from the bath to the kitchen, Ducky accidently slipped down the drain. While he was first with the Jenks, he lived in exile. But a comedian Jenk, who needed a lead actor for his action movie(to entertain the Jenks), found Ducky alone and offered him the job. From that point on, he appeared in every movie, and became a hit sensation. So why feel bad for Zorro? Because Ducky knows how he feels and feels that he can help.

And so Mick and Ducky rescue Zorro from jail, and go off on their own. They search for an escape route, with Ducky always quipping one-liners along the way. They get a boat and sail it across the high seas. They find the drain, but it’s so high that they cannot reach it. Mick and Zorro head back towards land, to see if they can use something to get up there, while Ducky keeps camp underneath the drain. We then see some angry Jenks capture Ducky, and take him with them. Mick and Zorro search hopelessly but can’t find anything. So they head back to the drain, only to learn that Ducky is gone.

They both sit on the boat, saddened. Zorro wants to get back to the top, where he calls home. Mick is fascinated by the mystery that lies above the drain.He feels ashamed that his parents lied to him and told him nothing was up there. Little does he know that their parents told them the same thing, and their parents, and so on.But most of all, he wanted to help out Zorro find a way home. Then in the distance, we see fleets of the citizens on their way.

Zorro and Mick don’t know what to do, as they know they are both in trouble. Mick could be grounded for a long time and Zorro could be thrown back in jail. The citizens, including Mick’s parents, approach their boat and start boarding it. Mick and Zorro are cornered, with no escape. But then a toy plane comes flying through the air, piloted by Ducky. He picks them up, and they fly away from the boat. He does a complete turnaround and heads towards the drain. “Okay boys, this is the only shot we’ve got!” Ducky yells. They fly to the drain, and then fly straight up. They all start celebrating as they head up the drain, and Ducky and Zorro may finally go home.But we hear some rumblings, and as we near the top, we cut to Ricky turning on the water.

One Month Later

It is obvious now that Zorro and Ducky have established themselves as a part of the community. We see Mick, back with fellow Jenks, going to the movies. They all sit down, excited for the upcoming feature. Ducky appears on the movie screen. He is dressed up in a suit, and talks a little bit and then we hear the door open. “Dr. Watson” he says. Zorro appears on the movie screen, with a smile on his face and the title comes across the screen “Sherduck Holmes”


Stark’s Comment:
This one is a more mainstream animation production than the more artsy ‘Mouse Guard’. With Brad Bird around, I am absolutely sure young audiences are going to love it. I feel more than confident about this release. It will work well at box office without major difficulties.

Behind The Scenes:
-Chad Taylor had a previous experience with animation before with ‘Yogi Bear’, a movie that mixed live action and animation (and released by CMP before the exactly same concept was developed by another Hollywood’s Studio!).
-Robert Downey Jr. becomes the star to have been paid the highest salary ever by CMP to make a voice only work.


GAGA: Here it is at last. Yes, this is the music idol Chad Taylor has written a movie about: Lady Gaga. Chad Taylor himself is going to direct this very peculiar movie. It won’t be exactly a biopic but a fictional recreation of Lady Gaga’s life. And yes, Lady Gaga herself is going to star it. If that does not make this project freaky enough, it is already known that Russell Brand will be in the movie playing again the wild rock star he already played in movies like ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ or ‘Get Him To The Greek’. The movie will be shot in 3D and the soundtrack will include almost all Lady Gaga’s hits. Sounds hair-raising, I know.

DARK SHADOWS: Before Tim Burton does it out of CMP, as it has been announced, Matt Kubrick has decided to develop his own version of this very peculiar tv show. ‘Dark Shadows’ was a gothic soap opera aired on American tv from 1966 to 1971 and it has become a cult show since then. Joel Schumacher got involved in the pre-production phase of this movie. But, finally, he has abandoned the project due to the usual ‘creative differences’ with Matt Kubrick. The man chosen to replace him behind the cameras has been Nick Cassavetes, whose only previous directional work for the Studio was the box office’s disaster comedy ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’.

NOON: It is surprising to find yet some stars that have never worked in a CMP’s movie before. That’s the case of Sam Rockwell, who will make his debut for the Studio in this new Martin Scorsese’s movie. Also in the cast will be GMA Nominee Marisa Tomei, not seen in CMP since ‘Ugly’, the drama she co-starred with the lead star of this one too, Brad Pitt.

A TANGLED WEB: And talking about Brad Pitt, as soon as he has finished his work in ‘Noon’ he has joined the shooting of this comedy being directed by the Coen Brothers with a screenplay written by Richard Franzwa. Pitt plays a banker, husband of Gwyneth Paltrow, a bank robber. Both lead a cast full of big names in the industry, including among others Jessica Biel, seen in CMP’s movies like ‘Uncharted’ or ‘Earth 3k2’, and also Merryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman, playing a pretty odd married couple. Pitt and Clooney’s company, Scoundrels Productions, is producing the movie.

VIRAL: The star from the tv comedy ‘Scrubs’ Sarah Chalke makes her debut in CMP with this zombies movie written by Michael Banno. Also making her debut in CMP, we will see in it the young star from ‘Mind Machine’, Emma Prescott. Emma plays here the daughter of the lead star of the movie, Topher Grace. Christine Jeffs directs and produces the film.

FORECLOSED: Particularly after ‘The Wrestler’, Darren Aronofsky seems to be specializing in making movies about ordinary people dealing with intimate conflicts. That was the case of his previous movie for CMP, ‘Raiders On The Storm’, and that’s the case too of this new project. Josh Collins has written the screenplay of this drama about a man that loses it all due to the economic crisis. Denzel Washington, already seen this Season in ‘The Cool’, is going to star the movie.

FREEDOM CITY: Viggo Mortensen stars again this sequel of ‘Invasion’ being directed by Brett Ratner and produced by James Cameron. Topher Grace, finished his work in ‘Viral’, will also be another talent returning from ‘Invasion’. And a new face in the cast will be GMA Winner Jennifer Connelly, not seen in a CMP’s movie since the successful Christopher Nolan’s film ‘Human Axis’.

QUEENS: Kevin James, whose only previous work for CMP was in ‘Game Boy’, and Stanley Tucci, seen before in CMP in ‘The Perfect Candidate’ and ‘One Man’s Hell’, play the personal assistants of Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Aniston respectively, the two queens of romantic comedy fighting in an ego battle in this comedy. James Bradley has written and is also directing the movie.

SILVER SABLE AND THE ULTIMATE ALLIANCE: Clive Owen definitely becomes the main villain of this franchise playing again Dr. Doom, as he already did in the previous installment of it. And making a cameo in the movie, we will see the return of two stars playing their most famous characters in CMP: Kurt Russell being again Nick Fury and Tobey Maguire playing once more Spiderman. Maguire already showed up as Spiderman in the two previous installments of this franchise.

SNOW: Alan Rickman, not seen in CMP since ‘The Gunpowder Plot’, returns to the Studio to play here Jim Sturgess’ father. Sturgess stars together with Emma Watson this love story written and directed by GMA Winner Trent Nielsen.


STEVE CONNORS – ‘REPLICANT REBEL’

Steve Connors releases this week ‘Replicant Rebel’, another return to the Blade Runner’s universe after his successful visit to it back in Season 12 with ‘Edge Of Human’. We have talked with him about this interesting release and also about the upcoming awaited sequel of ‘Invasion’, ‘Freedom City’.

1.Why did you decided to make a sequel of ‘Edge Of Human’? I think you stated once that there would be no sequel...

You are right. I did. And again, I have to eat my words… I thought that I should give an answer to the questions that were left open in the first movie. I have adapted again a novel written by K.W. Jeter, ‘Replicant Night’. ‘Edge Of Human’ was also based on a Jeter’s novel, but I changed so many things from the book’s storyline. So now, I also had to change a lot the story in the book to adapt it to my needs. Basically, I have got rid of things in the book I wasn’t interested in at all and also I have adapted the story to the new elements I introduced in ‘Edge Of Human’, the movie. ‘Replicant Rebel’ tells a pretty complex story but I think it gives interesting answers to the questions set at the end of the first movie, mainly which of the two characters played by Evan Rachel Wood was the real survivor at the end of that movie.

2.Will there be a third movie?

No. And that really means no this time. I like the ending of this one. It is a bit tricky because the girl that stays with Dryer is named Rachel. And Rachel was the name of the character played by Sean Young in ‘Blade Runner’. It’s a little game: maybe, ‘Edge of Human’ and ‘Replicant Rebel’ are not sequels of ‘Blade Runner’ after all… Maybe that girl Rachel is Blade Runner’s Rachel and my story is a prequel and not a sequel of the original movie… Or maybe not. You never have certainties in these stories… Well, yes, I know, this is only an own personal key that many viewers of the movie won’t even notice but it kinds of closes the circle for me and I find the ending of this new movie appealing enough to put an end to the story at this point.

3.The Studio has already greenlighted ‘Freedom City’, the sequel of ‘Invasion’. It has been written at this blog that you had a lot of difficulties writing this screenplay. Why?

There were so many things I wanted to put in the story. And I wanted to tell it in the most specific way possible. So I wrote this extremely long screenplay… It would take to a 10 hours length movie or something like that… Then, I had to clean and delete things once and again trying to keep the essence of the story at the same time. Also, remember that I do not write my screenplays in English so I have to use a pretty easy language to make Stark’s translating work easier. That’s very difficult when you are writing such a complex story. So yes, I have been cleaning, deleting and simplifying for weeks… But I think that the final result is good enough. Like ‘Invasion’ it is going to be a big epic sci-fi adventure movie.

These are very important movies for me. Since I joined CMP, I wanted to create my own original sci-fi saga, something like my own ‘Star Wars’ or so. I tried with the ‘Space Quest’ movies but those movies didn’t work too well at box office and now they are pretty forgotten. Then, I succeeded with the robots’ movies, but those were not original stories but adaptations from Isaac Asimov’s books. Finally ‘Invasion’ became the big sci-fi movie I always dreamt to make. It’s my own sci-fi universe and that makes it a very personal project for me.

4.’Invasion’ and ‘Freedom City’ will become a trilogy?

My first impulse is to answer this with a quick ‘no’. But I won’t do it again… Writing ‘Freedom City’ has been a nightmare so right now I don’t feel in the mood for another movie. But, to be honest, I already have in mind the premise for a third movie. So maybe, after a few months pass, I will reconsider what to do.

I have been getting involved lately in too complex stories, like the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ movies, ‘Replicant Rebel’, ‘Freedom City’ or the adaptation of the console game ‘Heavy Rain’, which has also been an extremely difficult job. So right now I want to take a little rest and go back to more simple stories. I miss my little silly comedies. I will probably try to write some comedies next in the line of ‘The Revengers’ or ‘Fantasy World’.

5. What new games adaptations can we expect from you in the future?

I won’t ruin the surprise… *laughs* Well, as I said, I have adapted ‘Heavy Rain’. It is mainly a thriller, a classic ‘serial killer’ story. As usual, I have made changes in the plot of the game, like I always do. And I would like to go on with the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ saga some time. I am considering writing my own original plot for a third movie. But, as I always say, I don’t want to be considered only a kind of ‘official games adaptator’ in CMP. Now, I am very much focused on waiting for the release of ‘Replicant Rebel’ and ‘Freedom City’ to see how they do at box office. Both are very thrilling releases for me. After that, we’ll see what future brings…


RYAN REYNOLDS

Ryan Reynolds, star of this week’s release ‘Thrust From Skyline’, has become step by step one of the most popular and demanded talents in CMP lately. Although it can be said that he is still waiting for that Big Role that definitely places him in the CMP’s A-list of megastars, his career in the Studio has become solid enough to deserve a look at it this week.

LOBO
Season 7
Robert Rodriguez / Matt Kubrick
B.O.: 93 mill. / N.G.: 6 mill.
Reynolds made his debut in CMP playing a minor role in this very peculiar comic adaptation as a member of LEGION, the intergalactic criminal organization. He died in the movie and that saved Reynolds from returning with ‘Lobo’s Back’, the sequel that became an unexpected box office’s flop putting an end to this franchise.

THE KILLING RUN
Season 8
Peter Berg / Dawson Edwards
B.O.: 34 mill. / N.L.: 2 mill.
Dawson Edwards’ debut in CMP was a lousy thriller where the US President, played by Hugh Laurie, became a serial killer. Reynolds was playing again a supporting role and he added with this work his first flop to his CMP’s filmography.

KILLER ON THE ROAD
Season 9
David Ayer / Josh Collins
B.O.: 26 mill. / N.L.: 3 mill.
Again, box office turned his back to the next Reynolds’ movie for the Studio. But this one wasn’t a bad one. Collins adapted James Ellroy’s novel and critics acclaimed the movie but audiences did not respond as expected. Second flop in a row for Reynolds, again playing only a minor role, but also last flop for him so far.

DEEP SILENCE 2: RED CODE HIGH
Season 10
Renny Harlin / Joey Stark
B.O.: 107 mill. / N.G.: 168 mill.
Reynolds needed an urgent box office’s hit in his CMP’s filmography. That was probably the reason why he accepted to co-star with Jessica Alba this sequel. Critics considered this as one of the worst movies ever developed by CMP but the important thing was that audiences very much supported it and Reynolds could add his first ‘100’ to his sheet of services for the Studio.

CROSSOVERS
Season 11
James Bradley / James Bradley
B.O.: 64 mill. / N.G.: 54 mill.
This new work proved that Reynolds had finally jumped from supporting roles to lead ones. This funny adult comedy about infidelity and crossed relationships worked nicely in box office and raised Reynolds’ prestige in CMP’s world.

KARATE KAT
Season 12
Andrew Stanton / Josh Collins
B.O.: 87 / N.G.: 37
The second work of Reynolds with Josh Collins was leading the cast of voices of this funny animated feature. Reynolds was the voice of the heroic cat himself.

JUSTICE LEAGUE
Season 13
Christopher Nolan / Chad Taylor
B.O.: 130 mill. / N.G.: 123 mill.
...and then came the Justice League. Reynolds joined the group as Green Lantern, the only superhero of the League not seen before by himself in any previous movie. During seven consecutive CMP’s Seasons, Reynolds had been seen in a CMP’s movie, an achievement not many stars reach. Now, he was not only a regular in CMP but also part of one of the biggest franchises of the Studio.

JUSTICE LEAGUE 2
Season 15
Christopher Nolan / Chad Taylor
B.O.: 298 mill. / N.G.: 588
Everything has repeatedly said about the amazing numbers made by this movie, the most profitable release ever for the Studio. JL instantly became with this sequel the most important and promising CMP’s franchise and now everyone’s expecting the third installment of it.

THRUST FROM SKYLINE
Season 16
Duncan Jones / Laurence Abernathy
Awaiting release
Reynolds likes to almost all CMP’s writers. After working with six different screenwriters, he has also been chosen to star the first movie written by the debutante Lawrence Abernathy. This sci-fi adventure has it all to become a box office’s hit and keeps Ryan Reynolds working regularly for the Studio. By the way, rumors say that this won’t be the only CMP’s movie starred by him this current Season…


Magazine ‘Premiere’ has interviewed Evan Rachel Wood, star of this week’s release ‘Replicant Rebel’. She has also posed for the magazine in a very peculiar photo session. Here is the cover of the magazine showing Wood in a most sexy and dangerous way…



Many familiar names in CMP’s world will return soon with new projects after some time not seen in the Studio. That’s why I have decided to turn this week’s article in a ‘Return Of… Special’ (isn’t it exciting…?)

So, this week, I proudly announce the return of…

Joey Stark & James Bradley. Yes, I know, I know, they were not gone. But they are returning as a team after so long. The only screenplay co-written by Bradley and Stark was released back in Season 8. It was the cops drama ‘The Funeral Drum’ and it won 3 GMA, including Best Screenplay. Since then, Bradley and Stark have been looking for another story to work together again. And it has taken them 8 Seasons to find it. Now, Bradley and Stark will sign the screenplay of an epic historical adventure based on the religious myths of ancient Greek (yes, I know, it sounds pretty pretentious…). They have even chosen the man to direct this big production: no other than Zack Snyder, after all familiar with the times after making ‘300’.

Wes Anderson. Anderson had an enormous success during the first CMP’s Seasons directing the so called ‘fables’, those three comedies written by James Bradley that became critically acclaimed and award winners: ‘Bill and the Rocket Man’, ‘Fools Game’ and ‘Man In The Mirror’. Since Bradley and he stopped working together, Anderson never showed up in CMP again. But it seems like he will finally return to the Studio directing a screenplay written by Josh Collins, ‘Whatever happened to Holden Caulfield’. Although there are a few candidates to direct this movie, it seems like Anderson could finally be the chosen one.

Tim Burton. Not seen in CMP since Season 9, when he succeeded with his own version of ‘Sherlock Holmes’. The movie won 4 GMA, including Best Picture, and Burton got a GMA nod for Best Director. Before, he had directed for CMP ‘Captain America vs. Superman’, ‘Captain America: Destiny’ and ‘One Man’s Hell’. Now, Burton will return to the Studio at last after so long directing the James Bradley’s adaptation of the very peculiar novel ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’.

Sean Penn. His last work for the Studio was playing a corrupted policeman in Clint Eastwood’s ‘A Jazz Tale’. His return will take place in an action thriller expected to mean Richard Franzwa’s debut as movie director, playing again a supporting role. The peculiarity of this return is that Penn won’t only show up in the movie but will also be the producer of it. Penn also has experience as director in CMP as he was the director of the acclaimed CMP's movie ‘American Heartland’, produced by Martin Scorsese.

James Franco. Yes, I know, we are not talking here about a return after so many time away in this case. Only a couple of weeks ago, Franco won the Best Starring Couple GMA with ‘A Farewell To Arms’. But I am including him here to prove that Franco can be considered ‘the star of the moment’ in CMP’s world. This current Season, the two GMA Winner is expected to be seen not only in one but in two productions of the Studio to confirm this way that he is the most demanded talent in CMP’s world right now.

DECEMBER, 14


THE DARK TOWER

Action / Mystery
Cast: Russell Crowe, Jake Gyllenhaal, Angela Bassett, William Moseley, Diego Luna, Lukas Haas
Director and Producer: Sam Raimi
Screenwriter: Matt Kubrick

Box Office: 227 mill.
Net Gains: 414 mill.

Stark’s Reaction:
Yeah! The saga could not end up in a better way! The movie becomes the top 3 highest net gains ever! Only ‘Justice League 2’ and ‘Silver Sable And The Wild Pack’ stays ahead of it in terms of net gains. A wonderful ending for a wonderful saga.

THE COOL

Action / Drama
Cast: Derek Luke, Denzel Washington, Marion Cotillard, Sanaa Lathan, Mos Def, Taraji P. Henson, Tyler James Williams, Kyla Pratt
Director: Spike Lee
Screenwriter: Dawson Edwards

Box Office: 53 mill.
Net Gains: 9 mill.

Stark’s Reaction:
Sadly, this great movie has not made too impressive numbers. I guess there are certain segments of the audience that would not go to a theatre to watch a movie with rap music and so. Anyway, considering it is a ‘R’ rated movie, numbers are pretty satisfactory after all.

MALCOLM MANBOOBS

Comedy
Cast: Spencer Breslin, Emily Osment, Toni Collette, Tyler James Williams, Miranda Cosgrove, Owen Wilson
Director: Jared Hess
Screenwriter: Josh Collins

Box Office: 68 mill.
Net Gains: 24 mill.

Stark’s Reaction:
Same way it happened with ‘The Cool’, it was needed to overcome certain prejudices for certain types of moviegoers to go and watch this peculiar comedy. All in all, nice numbers and, most of all, a very interesting trio of releases this week!


THE DARK TOWER

‘In years to come, when analysts of Movie History look back, they will remark a few things about Crazy Moon Pictures. And one of them will be, without doubt, ‘The Dark Tower’ series. This saga has taken a place in Movie History close to the greatest sagas ever, from ‘Star Wars’ to ‘Lord Of The Rings’. Sam Raimi and Matt Kubrick have succeeded in an amazingly complex creative challenge. Along the six movies of the series, they have found a way to put together sci-fi, action, drama, fantasy, mystery and western elements without losing control of the story and providing it all with an internal coherence, something that looked as an almost impossible task. There are not many books as difficult to adapt to the big screen as these Stephen King’s books. But Raimi and Kubrick have got to create an own movie language, visuals and narrative tone that perfectly translated the books to the big screen without losing all its epic and adventurous spirit. Now that this huge effort is over, they simply deserve the biggest applause.’
-Vic Carter

‘This sixth and last movie of the ‘The Dark Tower’ series has arrived in the perfect moment. The previous installment of the series, ‘Song Of Susannah’, showed the first signs of exhaustion in the fans of the saga. As it has happened with the Harry Potter’s movies, there was the danger of becoming too repetitive and predictable. But - same way it has happened with the release of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1’) - the franchise has recovered all its past followers, even the ones that were losing interest in the story, curious to see the ending of it. And usually the ending of big sagas is always a bit disappointing. But not this time. Besides that needless and a bit childish trick of breaking the ending in two - before the credits (happy ending) and after them (not that happy) - as if Raimi and Kubrick thought somebody would not stay after the credits, ‘The Dark Tower’ offers a solid conclusion as intriguing and disturbing as the whole story. A great movie that does not downgrade the quality level of the saga – as final episodes usually do – but upgrades it to confirm it as a cinematic legend.’
-Roy Winslow

‘Last and most profitable installment of one of the most iconic CMP’s sagas. This is one of those movies that transcend themselves as it cannot be judged by itself but as the zenith of a creative project developed along the six movies of the series. This last installment has the same defects and the same virtues than the rest of the franchise. The plot is as confusing as usual but, again, the visual power of the movie allows enjoying it without needing to fully understand everything that’s happening on screen. The cast makes their job as efficiently as always and Raimi takes again control of direction recovering a more adult tone than Miyazaki’s cartoonish spirit in the previous installment. Worth to watch for all the fans of the saga, no matter the inevitable controversy and discussions that the conclusion of the story will provoke.’
-Mark Anderson

THE COOL

‘Best Dawson Edwards film to date. At times, Dawson and Derek's relationship doesn't do too much for me, but for this one it takes full effect. The creativity exerted onto this project by Edwards, is one that will surely make it a cult favorite. Whether it's the flashy effects, or the delicious rhyming dialogue, this movie is pieced together perfectly in every spot. Spike Lee made the transition from script to film easy, and beautiful. Lupe Fiasco's album The Cool sets a perfect tone for this film, which I would describe as trippy. The sunshine effect is one of the best things I've seen on film in a while. Derek Luke, Denzel Washington, and Mos Def all deliver stunning performances in this movie. This film will definetly standout on Edwards' resumé.’
-Frank Crisp

‘There’s only one possible word to describe this movie. And that word is ‘cool’. And no, I am not making an easy joke. Everything is so cool around this cool movie: the characters, the situations, the dialogue, the music... Dawson Edwards has written an extraordinary screenplay. It is so brilliant how he uses the rap music language and perfectly adapts it in a most believable way to the characters. Shakespeare made believable characters that spoke in classic rhyme. Edwards has made believable characters that speak as if they were reciting rap lyrics. And, in fact, that upgrades a story that, without that, would have only been a plot full of stereotypes. In some way, Edwards’ screenplay is a fascinating poetry that turns ‘The Cool’ into the coolest movie I’ve watched in a very long time.’
-Charlie Kiggs

‘Spike Lee has become Martin Scorsese. He has replaced Italians with blacks, ‘maffiossi’ with ‘gangstas’, tarantella’s music with rap songs... and the final product is a kind of mixture between ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘Mean Streets’. Maybe, it would be excessive if I write here that ‘The Cool’ is also something like ‘The Godfather’ of the black community. But, no doubt, it is a wonderful movie that will remain as one of the best references of movies based on the underworld of the black community. Lee must be grateful to CMP because working for the Studio is when he has made the best movies of his whole filmography: ‘Dream Of A King’, ‘Fallen Kings’ and this indispensable ‘The Cool’, a movie worth to watch forgetting any prejudice you may have against rap music.’
-Anne Roman

MALCOLM MANBOOBS

‘You would be making a big mistake if you think ‘Malcolm Manboobs’ is just another typical teen comedy. Hess’ movie is much more than that. Josh Collins has taken all the clichés of teen comedies – high school life, the loser, the nerd, the popular sister, the prom night... – to put them upside down in order to tell an intelligent, acid and sharp comedy suitable not just for teen but for all audiences interested in comedies. That’s the best thing of the movie: during its first minutes, you just think ‘oh, yeah, here we go... I can predict everything that will be happening next...’ But, suddenly, everything goes the opposite direction of what could be expected. The loser is not that loser. The sister is not that cute. The dialogues and situations are always surprising. And, almost without noticing, you end up realizing that you are watching a movie completely different of what you thought you were going to watch. And the final feeling is that ‘Malcolm Manboobs’ is a much more satisfactory cinematic experience than you would have ever imagined.’
-Jackie O’Callaghan

‘Same thing that happens with ‘The Cool’, it is a shame that prejudices can make some moviegoers to stay away from this movie. ‘The Cool’ can be mistakenly labeled as ‘a movie of black thugs with rap music’. And ‘Malcolm Manboobs’ may be labeled just as ‘another story of an underdog loser in high school’. And both reductions would be huge mistakes. Malcolm Manboobs is one of the greatest characters I’ve seen lately. He has a strong personality, he faces bullies with determination, he has an acid behavior and language, he does not need to overcome his physical defects because he just simply does not care about them, he is not a loser or a nerd or anything but a great guy determined to survive to the hell of high school life. This movie is not the story of a redemption or a triumph or a struggle to fit or to be accepted. Simply, because the great thing about Malcolm is that he does not need to fit or to be accepted. He simply does not give a damn about what other people think of him. And that’s what makes him such an appealing, funny and different character. It is very hard not to be seduced by his peculiar charm. In a strange way, Malcolm is a highly appealing guy. And Spencer Breslin has perfectly understood that making a wonderful creation of what probably will be one of the best characters he’ll ever have the chance to play in his whole acting career.’
-Andrew Stampton

‘Josh Collins has brought dignity to such a discredited movie genre as teen comedies are. To put up this hilarious movie, he has leaned on a risky cast. No surprises about Spencer Breslin. He has proven before how well he plays the most peculiar characters (let’s remember here his splendid work in CMP’s ‘Borgel’). But the other main characters of the story were played by young talents – Miranda Cosgrove, Emily Osment, Tyler James Williams – that we all identify with tv products that are the opposite to this movie: very cliché series oriented to teen audiences. But Hess’ directional talent has taken the best of all of them letting them show that they can do more than just being tv series stars. Showing another side of these young talents is another one of the many findings of this movie. ‘Malcolm Manboobs’ is a nice surprise for all of us who promised we would never watch again a movie taking place in another high school.’
-Les Shields


THE DARK TOWER

OPENING STATEMENT: Here it is, the end of an era. It's safe to say we are all going to miss the Dark Tower series. It was one of, if not the only, most successful franchise for box office.

BEST OF: Usually with final films in a series, the last one tends to be the worst and it feels like the crew phoned it all in. Everyone worked as if it was their first film. The story was well fleshed out for a finale also.

WORST OF: It's the end

SHINING STAR/DEAD WEIGHT: Everyone was still very well fitted into their characters by this point, nothing really standoutish but nobody dragged the weight of the film down either.

THE BRAINS BEHIND: Matt Kubrick. He is the one writer with the most long running franchises. They all keep ending too. He did a great job bringing this entire film series to life and he should be given the standing ovation. Hopefully GMAs will recognize the series as a whole, like when the Oscars recognized 'Return of the King' as the representative film for the entire 'Lord of the Ring' series.

OVERALL: A+ for the entire series as a whole. Nice work to all who worked on it.

THE COOL

OPENING STATEMENT: My question is why a movie like this has been put at the beginning of the season when it could be a better GMA contender toward the end of the season. Dawson's been around for quite a few seasons and you can tell just how far he's come from his first releases. The stories are well thought out and always have something to say that's worth saying.

BEST OF IT: The writing, cast, direction; just one of those films that have it all in terms of cinematographic perfection. As Stark said when the release was listed: daring, innovative, creative. I love the creative projects! I also like how he used music to be part of the plot. It's happened in CMP films before, but very rare.

WORST OF IT: I just know the audience will find it intimidating and odd to really appreciate it.

SHINING STAR/DEAD WEIGHT: Dawson's given Derek Luke multiple tries to let writers see he is worthy of being in their films and given GMA chances. This might just be it. No dead weight in this film either. The cast is one of the strong points!

THE BRAINS BEHIND: The Edwards/Lee duo has really done it again. It's impressive to think that Dawson makes Spike a better director. I also like the innovation and creativity behind it. See, there's still those kinds of movies out there. You just gotta look for them.

OVERALL: A+ excellent, excellent stuff.

MALCOLM MANBOOBS

OPENING STATEMENT: We've seen a few films that have tackled physical attributes before and it seems like this film is a parody of those kinds of films. You have the outcast teen who stands up for himself instead of taking the bullying. The good looking popular sister from those films has been turned into an ugly whore. They even have the loyal best friend making appearances throughout.

BEST OF IT: The humor you'd typically get from films like this isn't geared toward a specific age group(though not really for the much older crowd). I also liked Malcolm as a character. He makes men in his same predicament proud to be 'well-endowed' in a world where everyone is so focused on making sure they look perfect.

WORST OF IT: Well, it's not nearly as original as 'The Cool'

SHINING STAR/DEAD WEIGHT: The three main stars of the film did well in their roles. Spencer, Miranda, Emily were at their funniest. The supporting cast were ok in the roles they were given; just didn't stand out as much as the younger stars.

THE BRAINS BEHIND: Director Jared Hess seems comfortable in these oddball comedies and it shows in this film. Josh Collins seems to be on a comedy kick lately, but when you put the other recent comedies he's done up against Malcolm, we know we've seen better comedies. It was still nice to see a movie poke fun at the teen movies that tackle these kinds of characters.

OVERALL: C+/B- teetering close to each other on that score, Malcolm serves up at least enough laughs to keep 'em entertained.

MR. THUMBS' CERTIFIED MUST SEE OF THE WEEK:

THE COOL