Hey, what timing. Just hours after psychopath Charles Manson finally jumped into the rocket sled to Hell, we’re getting further details on Quentin Tarantino’s new movie which has the Manson murders as a backdrop. Just a few days ago Tarantino jumped ship from Weinstein over to Sony Pictures after a fierce bidding war for his ninth movie, and now we’re getting a little bit of insight into what they paid a truckload of money to get.
Vanity Fair has the details, coming from a source who has supposedly read Tarantino’s screenplay:
“Set in Los Angeles in the summer of 1969, Tarantino’s upcoming movie focuses on a male TV actor who’s had one hit series and his looking for a way to get into the film business. His sidekick—who’s also his stunt double—is looking for the same thing. The horrific murder of Sharon Tate and four of her friends by Charles Manson’s cult of followers serves as a backdrop to the main story.”
So like Tarantino has been saying, the movie isn’t about Charles Manson, just set in 1969 as the Manson family were taking taking a knife to the peaceful “flower power” era. That could be interesting, especially if Tarantino keeps both feet rooted in reality, something he hasn’t done in a very long time. But something tells me an exaggerated narrative will emerge at some point because that’s just how Tarantino likes to tackle issues now.
Reportedly budgeted at $100M, the film has Margot Robbie being sought to play Sharon Tate, while Jennifer Lawrence, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio are up for other roles.
We haven’t heard anything from Phil Lord and Chris Miller since they were unceremoniously dumped from directing Solo: A Star Wars Story. It was reported the directors’ style, which heavily emphasized comedy the way their 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie did, simply didn’t mesh with what Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm were looking for. That coupled with mounting frustration on all sides led to their dismissal, with Ron Howard stepping in to basically start over and make the movie Lucasfilm wants.
That must’ve sucked, right? Lord and Miller have finally opened up, just a little, about what happened and they admit a disconnect between their vision and Kennedy’s expectations.
“The experience of shooting the movie was wonderful,” Lord said. “We had the most incredible cast and crew and collaborators. I think in terms of us leaving the project, I think everybody went in with really good intentions and our approach to making the movie was different than theirs. That was a really big gap to bridge, and it proved to be too big.”
“Sometimes people break up, and it’s really sad, and it’s really disappointing, but it happens and we learned a lot from our collaborators and we’re better filmmakers for it. We’re really proud of the work we did on the movie and we wish everybody the best.”
The duo have plenty on their plate, anyway. They spoke at a Vulture festival to promote their upcoming MTV animated series, Clone High, plus they have the animated Spider-Man movie coming next year. A sequel to The Lego Movie is also on the block for 2019.
I love Stephen Amell. I don’t always love Arrow, but Amell is the friggin’ man.You might remember a couple of years ago when he was involved in a comic book-style feud with Cody Rhodes aka the maniacal Stardust, which culminated in a big PPV match at SummerSlam. Amell showed he has incredible athleticism and, I think, a natural head for the wrestling business. From that, he and Rhodes became buds. Rhodes appeared in a couple of Arrow episodes, and now Amell has followed him to Ring of Honor wrestling, and into the most famous stable in the world: the Bullet Club.
Amell joined up with Rhodes and Bullet Club (including Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks) in a tag match and took a table bump a lot of superstars wouldn’t take today. It’s pretty boss of him to do, and shows he is willing to put his body on the line for something he loves.
If you want to see a celebrity who isn’t willing to do that, go check out old footage of Adam “Pac-Man” Jones when he was in TNA Impact Wrestling. He wasn’t allowed to be touched, which begs the question why he was ever there. But Amell, if he ever decided to drop acting and become a wrestler he’d be one of the best. And he’s doing it in Ring of Honor with his pal Rhodes, a smaller promotion that doesn’t compare to the WWE. So it isn’t all about getting more headlines.
Oh yeah, Star Wars: The Last Jedi…it’s right around the corner, isn’t it? With so much talk about Rian Johnson’s upcoming trilogy, that will take us away from the Skywalker saga (thank God), and the news of J.J. Abrams coming back for Episode IX, it would’ve been easy to forget. As we’re inching closer to the movie’s release, details are starting to emerge that hopefully aren’t spoiling anything crucial.
EW has dropped a batch of new photos and cover images, but more importantly they chatted with director Rian Johnson. He’s got the unenviable task of living up to The Empire Strikes Back (not so much Attack of the Clones) in spear-heading the crucial middle chapter of the saga, the one where everything goes to shit and heroes are left on the brink. The Dark Side’s pull seems stronger than ever based on everything we’ve seen, and while it doesn’t look like Luke Skywalker will succumb to temptation, Johnson is going to make you think about the possibility…
“There’s a history in Star Wars of the attraction between the light and the dark, whether it’s the story of Anakin basically turning from this sweet kid and seeing his seduction to the dark side, or even with Luke,” Johnson says.
“Even though you never really believe he’s going to go over to the dark side, the whole revelation of ‘I am your father’ has to do with Vader and this darkness that [Luke] thought he could just dismiss as ‘That’s the bad guy. I don’t have any of him in me. Suddenly he realizes ‘No, I come from him. I have quite a bit of him inside me.’”
Even if Luke doesn’t go dark, he’s still not going to be the calm and serene Jedi master that Obi-Wan Kenobi was. According to Mark Hamill, he may have more in common with Master Yoda’s teachings…
“[Director] Rian Johnson could have just made me another benevolent Jedi teacher but, you know, we’ve seen that before,” Hamill says. “And no one can do it better than Sir Alec Guinness. Instead, this Luke is a broken warrior. And he sees dread in this young pupil, rather than new hope.”
Meanwhile, current baddie Kylo Ren is coping with a new sensation, a sort of begrudging respect for Rey that they share power of equal might…
“He has been aware of this ability in himself from such a young age, and I don’t think there’s a lot of people around him who are on the same level,” Adam Driver said.“I think that there is something familiar there, as well as something to be feared, or something … that he can’t quite place.”
The story delves into some of the other parings in the film, including Finn (John Boyega) as he recovers from a near-fatal injury and finds a new fan in Resistance mechanic Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran). Also, we get more info on Laura Dern’s character, Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, and the tension between her and ace pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) over loyalties to General Leia (Carrie Fisher).
Ava DuVernay is making history wherever she goes. With A Wrinkle in Time, a film that Hollywood has been wanting to make for years, she becomes the first black female director with a budget of such magnitude, reportedly over $100M. It’s a sad commentary on how things have been, but also hopeful that things have begun to change. But besides all of that historical and social stuff that is attached to this film, it just looks flat out amazing, fantastical, cosmic, outrageous, and most of all fun.
Starring newcomer Storm Reid, a bold move casting a black girl in the lead role, along with Chris Pine, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Pena, and Zack Galifianakis, the story takes us on an intergalactic journey through time and space. The beloved story follows young Meg Murry (Reid) as she travels the galaxy in search of her missing scientist father. She’s accompanied by her best friend Calvin O’Keefe (Levi Miller) and her brilliant younger brother Charles (Deric McCabe).
The new trailer gives us a deeper look at the celestial beings Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, and a bit more of their background along with Meg’s.
A Wrinkle in Time opens March 9th 2018, and it’s going to be huge.
This week’s episode is filled with wacky musicals, pie, and
relationships being tested. The oven timer just went off, let’s get this dinner
party started:
Professor Pyg story
arc – “Despite Appearances, I’m Not An Animal”:
This week’s episode begins with Professor Pyg handing out
food to the homeless. He has poisoned all of the food, collects the deceased
bodies, and is clearly about to do something horrific with them. Pyg calls Jim
and lets him know that phase two of his plan is starting, and it will be
focused on Gotham’s elite. Jim runs outside to see two dead people dressed in
fancy clothes being eaten by pigs, Pyg has removed the organs from them. Jim and Detective Harper get a tip from Luscious Fox that the two
bodies had chemicals common in paper creation on them so they head to an
abandoned paper plant. Jim finds a recently used smoker and realizes that Pyg
has been cooking the organs. Pyg sneaks up behind Harper and kidnaps her.
Pyg goes to Sophia’s fundraiser dressed as the head chef. He
changes the menu to feature ‘Gotham Meat Pies’ as the main course. Trust me,
they are not as delicious as they sound. Jim puts all the clues together and
realizes that Pyg will be crashing Sophia’s party and heads there to try and
stop him. Unfortunately Pyg one ups Jim and knocks him out, locking him in a
back room with Harper. Harper has a knife hidden on her that Jim uses to try
and get out of the room.
Pyg has arranged all the guests of the party around the
dinner table and invites them to witness a performance of the ‘Meat Pie Tango.’
Sophia interrupts demanding to know where the orphans are, this rude
behavior earns her a sharp cooking tool through her hand. Pyg tells the rich
guests surrounding the table that they have been feeding on the poor of Gotham
for years, so he is going to make sure they know what these people actually
taste like. Pyg threatens to kill Martin which leads to Penguin eating the pie
and forcing the rest of the guests to do so as well.
Jim escapes the room and quickly disposes of Pyg’s henchmen.
Pyg starts throwing cleavers and knives at Jim, which he expertly dodges. This
leads to a super badass cleaver fight between Jim and Pyg, which our fateful
hero ends up prevailing in. Jim tells the media that Pyg has been apprehended
and that the GCPD kept their promise.
My thoughts: Pyg is as eccentric as ever and he is just
an amazing character. He has been a fantastic villain and I am excited that he
was apprehended alive so we get more of his antics. The culminating fight
between Jim and Pyg delivered a more than satisfying conclusion for the two of
them finally facing off.
Jim story arc “If you
show them the way, the people will follow”:
Harvey cleans out his desk and gives Jim a piece of parting
advice telling him that Jim still doesn’t understand how Gotham works – that the
city needs people who will do what is necessary and not those who just want to
be a hero. Jim lets Harvey know that he will be welcome back at the GCPD once
his leave is up and Harvey scoffs at the idea of being back on the force,
watching Jim serve as captain.
My thoughts: I toiled with the thought of leaving this out of this week’s recap, but the evolution of Jim and Harvey’s relationship has been such an interesting follow. Harvey claims to be done with the GCPD, but will he come to his sense? Is there a chance that Harvey returns as a villain? I sure hope not, but in the crazy world of Gotham, anything can happen.
Bruce story arc – “Stop
Trying To Be My Father And Be My Butler“:
Bruce is acting like a little shithead to Alfred. He is
hungover, and rudely demanding things from Alfred – treating him as hired help
and not his father figure. Alfred is trying to snap Bruce out of his rut and
takes him out to the woods for some bonding time. Alfred tells Bruce about how
he met Thomas, Bruce’s father. Alfred lets Bruce know that he can help, but
Bruce shrugs this off. He lies to Alfred and ends up taking the car and driving
away, leaving Alfred in the woods. Alfred makes it back to the house to see
Bruce having a party with his friends. Alfred kicks them out of the house and
tries to reach Bruce again. Bruce is once again cold as ice to Alfred, treating
him like dirt.
My thoughts: Bruce’s downfall has been shockingly quick. I know that he will bounce back eventually, but I cannot help and have some disdain towards him and the way he is treating Alfred. Some large event may be coming to get Bruce back on his Dark Knight path, but what could it be?
Penguin story arc – “I
will find him, I will learn the name of my enemy, and there will be a reckoning“:
Sophia is throwing a fundraiser for the orphanage and Penguin
lets her know that he will not be attending. Penguin is focusing his efforts
on finding the mayor, who has apparently disappeared, and finding out who paid
the mayor off to promote Gordon to captain. Penguin promises that there will be
a reckoning once he finds out the name of the person who bribed the mayor. Penguin
decides to use Martin, the orphan boy he has befriended, to spy on Sophia. Sophia realizes that Penguin is suspicious of
her and let’s Jim know.
Penguin decides to come to the fundraiser and sends Martin
to begin his spying. Sophia tells Penguin that she thinks whoever had Gordon
appointed Captain may have actually saved Penguin due to how bold his licensing
crime initiative was. Penguin tells Sophia that if she wants to confess to it,
she should go ahead and do that and just face the music. Fortunately for
Sophia, Pyg makes his entrance at that moment, pausing that conversation.
After Jim saves the day, Penguin approaches Sophia and
confronts her about paying the mayor off to make Jim captain. She admits to it
and says she only did it because Penguin wouldn’t listen to her about not going
through with the licensing program. Penguin warns Sophia to never betray him
again. Penguin agrees to end the licensing program, but demands that Jim be
replaced as captain of the GCPD. Sophia agrees and tells Penguin to choose Jim’s
replacement. Jim visits Sophia that night and she kisses him. Luckily for
Penguin, Martin happens to see this kiss and reports back to Penguin. Penguin
vows to make Sophia pay for what she’s done.
My thoughts: Sophia has managed to delay the inevitable and talk her way out of every issue that has arisen with Penguin. I do not see how she will be able to talk her way out of this one. She has definitely been reckless with fraternizing with Jim and it was only a matter of time until Penguin found out. Penguin does not let betrayal go easily and this will be the last straw for Sophia. We will hopefully see what he has in store for her sooner rather than later.
In two weeks on Gotham:
Unfortunately Gotham
will be taking one Thanksgiving break next week so we have to wait two weeks to
continue the fun. It is looking like Penguin has snapped and is trying to start
a war. Jim is trying to interrogate Pyg, who seems to be enjoying the
interactions, and Zsasz is back! Comment below and let me know what you thought
about this week’s Gotham!
Why do they keep trying to make Fantastic Four happen when Pixar made the best one back in 2004? The Incredibles isn’t just one of Pixar’s most beloved movies, it’s one of the best superhero movies ever, and fans have been eager for a sequel that would reunite the heroic Parr family. Well, it took a long time but the wait is finally over because the first teaser for The Incredibles 2 is here.
And what does it show us? Babies with superpowers can be lethal. The youngest member of the family, baby Jack-Jack, has a combination of abilities that prove pretty deadly, most of all to daddy Mr. Incredible’s hair. Returning to voice the team are Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, and Sarah Vowell, with Huck Milner taking over as the voice of older son, Dash. And of course you can count on Samuel L. Jackson to return as best friend, Frozone, who should’ve had a solo movie years ago, I’m just sayin’.
Is there reason to be skeptical? Especially after this none-too-revealing teaser? Maybe, but with Brad Bird back behind the camera (and as the voice of Edna Mode), there’s reason for optimism, too. The Incredibles 2 opens June 15th 2018.
Noah Baumbach made his first streaming foray by hooking up with Netflix on the release of The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), and it must have been a fruitful partnership. Certainly, it was a film that would have had trouble finding a market in the over-crowded superhero/tentpole field, and if there’s something good to say about Netflix, Amazon, and other such services, it’s that they’ve become a home for filmmakers who don’t often appeal to multiplexes. And so Baumbach is coming back to Netflix on his next movie, and already the cast is shaping up nicely.
Baumbach has set Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, one of my personal favorites in Emmy winner Merritt Wever, Laura Dern, and child actor Azhy Robinson. There aren’t any details on the untitled film yet, but we can probably make a judgement based on Baumbach’s prior credits. He and Driver seem to have hit it off, as this will be their fourth time working together, while it’s his first time directing Johansson and Dern. Wever won an Emmy for her amazing run on Showtime’s Nurse Betty, and had a brief yet controversial stint on The Walking Dead. She’ll be seen next in Netflix’s Western series, Godless, which already has some terrific buzz. And she actually worked with Baumbach before, having made a small appearance in Greenberg.
Expect production to begin soon, once Johansson and Driver’s schedules clear up. They have some small projects coming up you may have heard about. [TheTrackingBoard]
Revolt is a
sci-fi action flick that is set entirely in Africa. The world is under attack
and has been ravaged by Aliens. These Aliens are robotic in nature walking on
two legs, while scanning the area for survivors to quickly eradicate. We
immediately get dropped into an action sequence where soldiers are seen
fighting a powerful enemy while the local villagers flee for safety. An
explosion near a solider knocks him out – when he comes to, he is locked in a
cell. This man, soon to be known as Bo (Lee Pace), has no recollection of his
past, what has happened to the world, or even who he is.
Luckily for Bo, in the cell next to him is Nadia (Bérénice
Marlohe). Nadia is a French doctor who is in Africa administering foreign aid.
Nadia fills Bo in on the devastation that is happening across the world. The
initial conversation between Bo and Nadia was a clever tactic utilized by
Director Joe Miale to quickly fill the audience in on the state of the world
without having to waste screen time or his budget. Bo and Nadia end up
overtaking some guards and escaping from their cells. They embark on a journey
across the country to try and find Bo’s military base. During the trip, Bo
begins getting flashbacks of his past, and tries to put together the pieces. Along
with these flashbacks, Bo realizes that he has some unique abilities that
include not feeling the ill effects of electricity from a Taser, advanced
combat training, and being fluent in the native language. As his flashbacks
start to become more frequent, his desire to find out what happened to him in
the past only grows.
Revolt has some
decent action sequences throughout, but in the end the acting and story leave a
lot to be desired. There were some interesting touches that Miale features in Revolt. One of these is a photographer
that Bo and Nadia meet when they are lost. This photographer provides a camera
for the two of them, and by looking at the pictures in reverse order, they use
it as a digital roadmap to continue on their quest to get to the base. I found
this to be a very clever tool used to continue their journey. A glaring problem
with Revolt is that it is
repetitive. Bo and Nadia go from fighting humans to running from the aliens to
fighting humans – rinse and repeat. Along with this, the robot aliens
themselves are not unique enough. We do see various versions of the aliens as
the film progresses, but none of them really impress. Revolt is a decent film, but in no way is it truly memorable or
stand out amongst all of the other typical action flicks we’ve seen. If you are
going to see it, wait for Redbox or Netflix.
Quentin Tarantino’s movies aren’t what you’d call blockbusters, so it’s been interesting to watch studios fall over themselves to try and nab his next one. There’s a certain amount of cache that being in business with Tarantino brings, and for years that was afforded to Harvey Weinstein before that became impossible for obvious reasons. Tarantino left streaming networks out in the Hateful Eight-esque cold, but opened the bidding war up to majors like Warner Bros., Paramount, and Sony, who all took their best shots at convincing the director to join them. THR reports that Sony has emerged victorious, landing Tarantino’s untitled ninth movie.
Each studio took their best shot at winning him over. Warner Bros. did an entire presentation in the style and mood of the 1960s, which is when the film is set. They had 1960s cars in the lot, old school logos, and more, while Sony gave a more business-like multimedia presentation. Paramount? Who knows, I doubt they were ever truly a factor, anyway.
Details on the film are still pretty vague, but the roster of potential talent definitely isn’t. Margot Robbie has been eyed to play Sharon Tate, the most famous of the Manson Family’s victims. But this isn’t a Charles Manson movie, and the convicted murderer is barely a presence. It’s more about the year 1969, and has drawn an early comparison to Pulp Fiction. I guess we can expect multiple characters and arcs that intersect? And if Tate is a character in the film does that mean there’s also a Roman Polanski? Anyway, others in Tarantino’s sights include Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Shooting is expected to begin next year in time to open in 2019. It’ll reportedly cost somewhere near $100M and, of course, it’ll be R-rated. Would we expect anything less?
