Tim Burton, fresh off of his update to Alice in Wonderland, is now reportedly setting his sights on an revamp of The Addams Family. I tried to find solid information on Burton’s webpage ( http://www.timburton.com/ ) , but it seems to only contain information about his upcoming book of illustrations and art for his past projects. Looks like a solid edition to the coffee table of any home, yet not what I was looking for. So this report comes from a lot of internet speculation.
The buzz is that the new film will be a stop motion production and in 3D. The main source material is expected to be the original New Yorker one panel cartoons produced by Charles Addams. Although, I suspect that it will still draw heavily from the original television series from the 1960s and the films released in the 1990s, as the original cartoons provided very little context or characterization. There were also several animated series, and a second live action series dubbed “The New Addams Family.” I somehow doubt that these adaptations will have anything to do with the proposed new film.
The Addams Family has also been adapted as a Broadway musical which opened this year ( http://www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com ), currently staring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth (I love Bebe Neuwirth, just wanted to say). There is no indication that I could find as of now if this adaptation will have anything to do with the film. I think probably not.
Stop motion animation is seen fairly infrequently now a days. Burton has had his hand in two creepy stop motion films before, holiday classic The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the less acclaimed but still well reviewed Corpse Bride.
I’m honestly not a huge fan of Tim Burton’s lately. The last film of his that I really enjoyed was Big Fish. I liked 9 and Sweeny Todd well enough but they did not stick with me like Nightmare Before Christmas or Beetlejuice. But, if someone is going to update the Addams Family I think he is the right person for it. He has the right sense of creepiness and silliness that I think the film will need. Also, the overall style and tone of the series lends it self to his aesthetic choices.
I think he would do well to choose a leading man that is not Johnny Depp and leading woman that is not Helena Bonham Carter, otherwise the film could just be a reprise of Corpse Bride.
With all adaptations I am apprehensive, but I think this has potential. And clearly, The Addams Family has been adapted for film successfully in the past, so I can not say that it won’t work. I am interested to see where this project goes.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Predators
Producer Robert Rodriguez has released footage of his up coming film Predators on the films web page:
http://www.predators-movie.com
A trailer is also supposed to be released today, but so far not so much.
This will be the first strictly Predator film in the franchise since Predator 2 was released in 1990, although they have appeared most recently in 2007's Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem.
This installment casts Adrien Brody in the staring role, along side Topher Grace and Laurence Fishburne. If you will let me fan-boy out for a moment let me just say that I am very pumped to see Laurence Fishburne go up against a Predator.
The film is directed by Nimrod Antal, who directed Vacancy released in 2007. Less well know in the States is his Hungarian released film Kontroll, which I absolutely love.
This installment mirrors the original in that it is about a group of people fighting for their lives in a jungle setting, although this jungle is on a different planet.
For the most part I like what I see, but what I don't like is that this film is introducing a "new, updated, nastier, meaner breed" of Predator. To this I say "why?" The Predator is already a freaking Predator!
They way I see it is that this is the fifth film to feature these monsters, wouldn't we have seen the other breed before now?
This is just a way to repackage what the audience already knows so that they think it is new. As if everyone will think "Hey, I like Predator, and if the Predator is bigger then that means I'll like it even more!" It is a lazy gimmick to sell people what they already know back to them without having to really try something new.
Will I still see it? Yeah, probably. I'm a fan of the series and the people involved. But if I was going to do it, I would leave the classic Predator as is and focus on telling a good original story using them.
http://www.predators-movie.com
A trailer is also supposed to be released today, but so far not so much.
This will be the first strictly Predator film in the franchise since Predator 2 was released in 1990, although they have appeared most recently in 2007's Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem.
This installment casts Adrien Brody in the staring role, along side Topher Grace and Laurence Fishburne. If you will let me fan-boy out for a moment let me just say that I am very pumped to see Laurence Fishburne go up against a Predator.
The film is directed by Nimrod Antal, who directed Vacancy released in 2007. Less well know in the States is his Hungarian released film Kontroll, which I absolutely love.
This installment mirrors the original in that it is about a group of people fighting for their lives in a jungle setting, although this jungle is on a different planet.
For the most part I like what I see, but what I don't like is that this film is introducing a "new, updated, nastier, meaner breed" of Predator. To this I say "why?" The Predator is already a freaking Predator!
They way I see it is that this is the fifth film to feature these monsters, wouldn't we have seen the other breed before now?
This is just a way to repackage what the audience already knows so that they think it is new. As if everyone will think "Hey, I like Predator, and if the Predator is bigger then that means I'll like it even more!" It is a lazy gimmick to sell people what they already know back to them without having to really try something new.
Will I still see it? Yeah, probably. I'm a fan of the series and the people involved. But if I was going to do it, I would leave the classic Predator as is and focus on telling a good original story using them.
Women in my Version of Bill and Ted 3
Ok, so I left out the roll of the princesses and other female characters in my version of Bill and Ted 3 from my original post because I didn't want to make the post run too long. I flushed them out in my head, but as I considered them to be parts of secondary plot lines left them out to focus on Bill, Ted and the juniors.
In a nut shell, the princesses are still on Earth. They spend the film using their political sway to convince General Oats, leader of Earth's armed forces and who you will remember as the head of the Military Academy that Ted's dad wanted to send him to in the original film and secondary character from the second film, from attacking the alien threat head on. They instead implore him to exercise peace and awesomeness.
How did they capture the Reaper? Yes, I should have explained that, but was in a hurry to post. And this also has to do with a female character, so it can go here. At the end of the film the Over Lord is revealed to be the Reaper's ex-girlfriend. She knows his weaknesses and how to exploit them, which was how she was able to capture him in the first place. They get back together at the end of the film. I also left this part out of the original post because I felt it may have been too silly.
There would be love interests for the Junior's; one a colonist from Mars; the other a resistance fighter. They would help form the new band at the end of the film. I left that part out, as I had not fully thought all of that out yet.
In a nut shell, the princesses are still on Earth. They spend the film using their political sway to convince General Oats, leader of Earth's armed forces and who you will remember as the head of the Military Academy that Ted's dad wanted to send him to in the original film and secondary character from the second film, from attacking the alien threat head on. They instead implore him to exercise peace and awesomeness.
How did they capture the Reaper? Yes, I should have explained that, but was in a hurry to post. And this also has to do with a female character, so it can go here. At the end of the film the Over Lord is revealed to be the Reaper's ex-girlfriend. She knows his weaknesses and how to exploit them, which was how she was able to capture him in the first place. They get back together at the end of the film. I also left this part out of the original post because I felt it may have been too silly.
There would be love interests for the Junior's; one a colonist from Mars; the other a resistance fighter. They would help form the new band at the end of the film. I left that part out, as I had not fully thought all of that out yet.
My Plot Out Line for a Bill and Ted 3
Didn't get a chance to post last night! Was a big day at work, followed by celebrating St. Patty's day, and falling pretty soundly asleep.
Here is my take on how to do a Bill and Ted 3:
Early on the film would explain that Rufus has gone back to his own time and will not return, so that the events of history can unfold as they should from there forward.
Wyld Stallions music has become the basis of all international peace talks, with a message of being awesome to one another as the main focus. Over the years this has also become the standard in private business and government policies.
The greatest intellectual and artistic minds of the day are headed off to a Colony on Mars where their knowledge is going to be collected and beamed out into the universe, for the benefit of any extraterrestrial life forms that may be out there. (Note- In the world of Bill and Ted the notion of cooperation through mutual respect and awesomeness has lead to great break troughs in science. Thus allowing for Martian Colonization.). The event will be capped off by a Wyld Stallions concert. Wyld Stallions would consist of Bill and Ted as the front men, The Reaper on Bass, the Jr Bill and Ted having taken Over for their mothers, on piano and key board. This will be the young duo’s first show since they have taken on those rolls. The princesses, now high powered political types, remain on Earth.
The relationship between Bill and Ted and their sons has become strained. The Juniors feel that they missed out a lot growing up because their parents were always busy with the band, trying to save the world. They also don’t know how to tell their dads that they want to start their own band in order to break out of the shadows of their fathers.
Unknown to the intrepid earthlings, they are under the eye of an power hungry alien Over Lord, hell bent on making Earth the next planet he takes Over, and making sure that he kills off Wyld Stallions, seeing them as the only conceivable threat to its own power.
The aliens attack the Colony and imprison the intellectuals and artists just before the broadcast of the concert, destroying the communications equipment that would allow for the broadcast. Upon discovering that Wyld Stallions has a new line up they become enraged. With the princesses unaccounted for the Over Lord has much to fear, knowing that he must take out the band’s full original line up to truly be secure in his victory.
A group of alien resistance fighters from many different species are able to break into the Colony under the noses of the Over Lord’s troops. They save Bill and Ted, the Juniors and a colonist that is previously established as the love interest for one of the Juniors. The Reaper is unfortunately left behind with the imprisoned Colonists, as security around him is far too high for the resistance fighters to penetrate. He is Death after all…
Once they have escaped to the safety of the resistance fighters’ ship it is revealed that the resistance against the Over Lord began when their people were visited by a bearded man in a telephone booth who gave them a copy of a Wyld Stallions CD. The music inspired them to fight for their freedom and bring about peace, and this is why the Over Lord fears Wyld Stallions so much. That is also why he stopped the concert, fearing that the music will inspire the rest of his enslaved people to over throw him.
The escapees and the resistance fighters split into two teams: one to stay behind and save the Reaper, the intellectuals and the colonists, as well as fix the broadcast equipment so they can put on the concert; the other to stow away on the Over Lord ship headed to Earth in search of the princesses so they can stop it before it reaches them.
One team will have Bill and his son; the other will have Ted and his son. This will give the fathers a chance to get to know their sons a little better, and come to realize that they have felt like their lives have always taken a back seat to the band.
The film will climax with the Over Lord being defeated in battle by the Reaper. The broadcast equipment is restored and the concert goes on as planed. With a message of peace and awesomeness being beamed throughout the universe, and the knowledge that the Over Lord has been over thrown, it inspires all of the enslaved alien races and their masters to reach an understanding, effectively ending tyranny across the galaxy.
Bill and Ted, now having gotten to know their sons better decided to kick them out of Wyld Stallions, and tell them to start their own band.
Here is my take on how to do a Bill and Ted 3:
Early on the film would explain that Rufus has gone back to his own time and will not return, so that the events of history can unfold as they should from there forward.
Wyld Stallions music has become the basis of all international peace talks, with a message of being awesome to one another as the main focus. Over the years this has also become the standard in private business and government policies.
The greatest intellectual and artistic minds of the day are headed off to a Colony on Mars where their knowledge is going to be collected and beamed out into the universe, for the benefit of any extraterrestrial life forms that may be out there. (Note- In the world of Bill and Ted the notion of cooperation through mutual respect and awesomeness has lead to great break troughs in science. Thus allowing for Martian Colonization.). The event will be capped off by a Wyld Stallions concert. Wyld Stallions would consist of Bill and Ted as the front men, The Reaper on Bass, the Jr Bill and Ted having taken Over for their mothers, on piano and key board. This will be the young duo’s first show since they have taken on those rolls. The princesses, now high powered political types, remain on Earth.
The relationship between Bill and Ted and their sons has become strained. The Juniors feel that they missed out a lot growing up because their parents were always busy with the band, trying to save the world. They also don’t know how to tell their dads that they want to start their own band in order to break out of the shadows of their fathers.
Unknown to the intrepid earthlings, they are under the eye of an power hungry alien Over Lord, hell bent on making Earth the next planet he takes Over, and making sure that he kills off Wyld Stallions, seeing them as the only conceivable threat to its own power.
The aliens attack the Colony and imprison the intellectuals and artists just before the broadcast of the concert, destroying the communications equipment that would allow for the broadcast. Upon discovering that Wyld Stallions has a new line up they become enraged. With the princesses unaccounted for the Over Lord has much to fear, knowing that he must take out the band’s full original line up to truly be secure in his victory.
A group of alien resistance fighters from many different species are able to break into the Colony under the noses of the Over Lord’s troops. They save Bill and Ted, the Juniors and a colonist that is previously established as the love interest for one of the Juniors. The Reaper is unfortunately left behind with the imprisoned Colonists, as security around him is far too high for the resistance fighters to penetrate. He is Death after all…
Once they have escaped to the safety of the resistance fighters’ ship it is revealed that the resistance against the Over Lord began when their people were visited by a bearded man in a telephone booth who gave them a copy of a Wyld Stallions CD. The music inspired them to fight for their freedom and bring about peace, and this is why the Over Lord fears Wyld Stallions so much. That is also why he stopped the concert, fearing that the music will inspire the rest of his enslaved people to over throw him.
The escapees and the resistance fighters split into two teams: one to stay behind and save the Reaper, the intellectuals and the colonists, as well as fix the broadcast equipment so they can put on the concert; the other to stow away on the Over Lord ship headed to Earth in search of the princesses so they can stop it before it reaches them.
One team will have Bill and his son; the other will have Ted and his son. This will give the fathers a chance to get to know their sons a little better, and come to realize that they have felt like their lives have always taken a back seat to the band.
The film will climax with the Over Lord being defeated in battle by the Reaper. The broadcast equipment is restored and the concert goes on as planed. With a message of peace and awesomeness being beamed throughout the universe, and the knowledge that the Over Lord has been over thrown, it inspires all of the enslaved alien races and their masters to reach an understanding, effectively ending tyranny across the galaxy.
Bill and Ted, now having gotten to know their sons better decided to kick them out of Wyld Stallions, and tell them to start their own band.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Bill and Ted 3!!
Hi Kids!
First Post!
First Post!
I’ll start us off with the event that prompted me to start this blog in the first place. Last weekend Keanu Reeves was stopped by MTV’s Josh Horowitz at the Oscars, and he asked if we would be seeing Bill and Ted 3 any time soon. Keanu answered as such:
So what do we take form this? I take… well nothing. This clip caused a bit of buzz about the possibility of Bill and Ted coming back, but if you ask me it doesn’t look like Reeves wants us to hold our breath.
Bill and Ted have popped up in a few forms since 1992’s Bogus Journey. They had two short lived TV series, one live action (with new actors replacing the titular characters) and the other a cartoon. A proposed third film was scraped, and according to Wikipedia this became the basis of perhaps
Reeves went on to commercial success, most notable as Neo in The Matrix; and least notable in The Matrix 2 and 3. He is set to be apart of the big screen adaptation of popular anime series Cowboy Bebop, as well as a Jekyll and Hyde remake.
Alex Winter is still best known as Bill, never achieving success as a name actor. He did, however, go on to direct music videos in his native
The Bill and Ted films also stared the late George Carlin, as Rufus, the time-traveler sent back to ensure the heroes pass their history exam. If a third installment in the series is to happen his presence will be missed.
So How would I do Bill and Ted 3?
The films leave off with Bill and Ted’s band, Wyld Stallions, winning a battle of the bands followed by a photo montage of how their music brought about world peace. They were married to the princesses from the first film ; each had a kid, and they were friends with the Grim Reaper. They had extensive experience traveling through time and the after life.
We also have to write out Rufus early on in the film, on account of George Carlin’s inability to act now that he is dead. But, if like me, you happened to catch Keanu Reeves in the movie adaptation of
Another plot line to consider, Bill and Ted’s sons from the second film would be about the same age now as their fathers were when the first film was released. The third film could focus on them.
I don't think Bill and Ted 3 is going to happen. But I wrote a plot out line for how I would do it. And I'll post it on Wednesday!Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Now this is How I Would Do It!
Hello Friends!
We have seen then end of new ideas.
No. That is not true. Or at least that statement is a bit over blown.
New ideas are happening all the time! All around us! They are exciting, and bright, and wonderful! What they aren't is profitable.
Yeah, new ideas scare people, and what that means is that Hollywood is going to take old ideas that people already like, add a bunch of modern bells and whistles and sell it to the movie going public over and over again. Well, it means a lot of things, most considerably more important than the goings on of the film industry, but movies are sort of my thing, so that's what I'm choosing to focus on.
Everyday Hollywood pukes out another remake, or re-imagining, or sequel to something that came out 20 years ago. Why?! Because no matter how bad the A-Team movie is there are going to be 100 Million people who are going to go see it anyway because they already know the theme song!
Everyday when faced with another crappy remake I say to myself "Now this is How I Would Do It!"
And what makes me so qualified to say what I would do is any better then big name Hollywood types? How about a four years film school followed by a year of freelance camera work! Ok fine... I'm just some jerk with a lot of opinions. But isn't that what makes the world go around?
So, come on, let me tell you how I would do it...
We have seen then end of new ideas.
No. That is not true. Or at least that statement is a bit over blown.
New ideas are happening all the time! All around us! They are exciting, and bright, and wonderful! What they aren't is profitable.
Yeah, new ideas scare people, and what that means is that Hollywood is going to take old ideas that people already like, add a bunch of modern bells and whistles and sell it to the movie going public over and over again. Well, it means a lot of things, most considerably more important than the goings on of the film industry, but movies are sort of my thing, so that's what I'm choosing to focus on.
Everyday Hollywood pukes out another remake, or re-imagining, or sequel to something that came out 20 years ago. Why?! Because no matter how bad the A-Team movie is there are going to be 100 Million people who are going to go see it anyway because they already know the theme song!
Everyday when faced with another crappy remake I say to myself "Now this is How I Would Do It!"
And what makes me so qualified to say what I would do is any better then big name Hollywood types? How about a four years film school followed by a year of freelance camera work! Ok fine... I'm just some jerk with a lot of opinions. But isn't that what makes the world go around?
So, come on, let me tell you how I would do it...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)