Written By: Ken Hulsey Source: Variety Artwork By: Lauras Muse
Variety is reporting that the Ryan Gosling (The Notebook, Fracture) is in negotiations to step into the shoes of fellow British thespian Michael York to play Logan 5 in the upcoming "Logan's Run" remake.
Reportedly Warner Bros is also in negotiations with Nicolas Winding Refn to direct the film which has been various stages of development for over a decade. Refn would join a long list of film makers that have been attached to "Logan's Run" throughout the years, a list that also includes Carl Erik Rinsch and Bryan Singer.
Producers Joel Silver, Andrew Rona, AkivaGoldsman and Kerry Foster have already been in place for some time.
Last year Silver revealed that "Logan's Run" was going to be produced in 3D, which should come as no surprise to anyone due to the fact that just about all upcoming fantasy film projects are slated to be produced in that format.
Logan's Run Plot:
In the distant future the survivors of the apocalypse live in a giant domed city where their every need is taken care of by overlord computer. People live in world of pleasure, but there is one catch. At the age of 30 (21 in Johnson and Nolan's novel) all citizens are required to report for a ritualistic murder ceremony known as "Carousel". The populace has been fooled into believing that this ceremony leads to reincarnation and a new life though its real purpose is population control. To insure that citizens don't "chicken out" on their way to Carousel there is a police force in place known as "Sandman" who terminate those who attempt to run.
Logan 5 is one of the elite Sandmen. During one of his routine terminations he retrieves an anch, a symbol for a mythical place called Sanctuary where runners can find refuge, off the body of a would be runner. Upon placing the item into the computers scanner he is instructed to undergo a process to alter his "Life Clock", a symbol of a persons age embedded in the palm, to the blinking red of a person on last day so that he may pose as a runner to infiltrate Sanctuary. During the process he learns that 1036 runners had managed to escape the city and that Carousel is a ruse.
Along with his companion, Jessica 6, Logan attempts to flee the domed city in search of Sanctuary.
After the long plotting and preparing from the creators of Plan 9 (The Plan 9 From Outer Space Remake) it is now full steam ahead! Production is slotted to begin March 20th! And as for recent updates to the production… John Johnson (The Director) searched Youtube as a talent base and kidnapped a few of its finest! Ryan Higa (Best Known as Nigahiga), James Rolfe (Best Known as the Angry Video Game Nerd), and Matt Sloan and Aaron Yonda (Best known for the Chad Vader videos) to name a few! Also, with the production gearing up, a film competition is being unleashed!
The Plan 9 Film Competition
Starting Friday, January 7th through Sunday March 20th is the Plan 9 film competition. This is a challenge for filmmakers to join in the Plan 9 explosion and create films to coincide with the motion picture itself!
THERE IS NO ENTRY FEE!
Here is how it works…
Filmmakers have from the 7th till the 20th to make a 60 second to 3 minute short on their take of the original Plan 9 From Outer Space. It can be done in any genre or style. From dark horror to campy comedy, all is welcomed. What we really want to see is the filmmakers show off their talents and love of the original film.
On March 20th all entries will be tallied and ten filmmakers will be chosen to go to the next step in the competition. At this point the ten finalists will be given some of the Plan 9 script and storyline. Then they will have 30 days to shoot a 5 minute movie that would take place at the same time and within the universe of the Plan 9 storyline. Their productions will occur at the same time as the production of the motion picture and their projects will be looked at as sister films to Plan 9!
On May 1st all ten films will be placed on the Plan 9 web site and be voted on by the fans to choose the top five. Those chosen five will be in the extra features on the DVD release! And four awards will be given out…
Best Picture
Best Screenplay
Best Director
And the Chupacabra Surprise! (Award given to the worst film in the competition.)
Once again there is no entry fee and the submissions need to be in by 11:59pm March 20th, 2011.
Another BIG announcement that John wants to make is that after the investors and Distributors make their money from the film, John is going to turn Plan 9 into the public domain. The web site will become an archive that filmmakers and fans can raid for all that they can carry! He feels that the material doesn’t belong to him, but to all. “This is the best way to see Ed’s vision live on.” – John Johnson
We have also started a Plan 9 Web Series Entitled "Criswell Predicts" based on the old Criswell Predictions from the 50's! It also ties directly into the film in ways that can can't explain now... But... Soon will be revealed... To see the Criswell Predicts playlist on youtube click here!
Written By: Ken Hulsey Sources: Screen Daily / Avery Guerra
Remakes and 3D films are all the rage these days, so is it any surprise that Stealth Media Group has hired Nuala Barton and Rene Sheridan to produce a modern, 3D, version of the 1977 cult film "Kingdom of the Spiders", which originally starred "Star Trek" alumni William Shatner?
Of course not.
If you recall, the original "Kingdom of the Spiders" was about a small Arizona town (Sedona) that was overrun by thousands of hungry tarantulas.
This time around, however, and if the promo poster to the right is any indication, it looks like a major city is set to face an epic infestation of arachnids this time, and not by only tarantulas, but all kinds of creepy crawlers.
The two producers made this rather benign comment about their upcoming film, “We are delighted to be working with Stealth Media’s Jason Piette, Sean O’Kelly and Michael Cowan to bring this cult classic back to larger than life, in 3D.”
Not much to go on there.
Look for more information on "Kingdom of the Spiders 3D" to crawl out from under the furniture soon.
George Lucas just can't leave his six "Star Wars" movies alone. Back in mid 1990s he got the bright idea of revamping his original trilogy with new state-of-the-art computer-generated effects to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "A New Hope" (Star Wars). As if the effects in any of those films needed to be replaced? And, of course, he made Greedo shoot first, which still keeps me up at night.
Now, Lucas wants to fiddle with his beloved films once again, turning them all into 3D movies.
This new conversion of these beloved films into the medium of the moment, 3D, has been rumored for some time, but now Lucas and his buddies at Lucasfilm are moving forward.
The first film to get the 3D treatment, "The Phantom Menace", which may actually be improved by a revamp. Maybe the film maker will remove some of Jar Jar's scenes, and replace all of Jake Lloyd's lines? ...... but ......... that's probably just wishful thinking.
If everything goes as planned, "Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace 3D" will be ready to join the log-jam of sci fi and fantasy films slated for release in 2012.
Effects supervisor John Knoll, who is in charge of the 3D revamp, says, "Getting good results on a stereo conversion is a matter of taking the time and getting it right. It takes a critical and artistic eye along with an incredible attention to detail to be successful. It is not something that you can rush if you want to expect good results.
"For Star Wars we will take our time, applying everything we know both aesthetically and technically to bring audiences a fantastic new Star Wars experience."
What everyone at Lucasfilm, and Lucas himself, fail to realize, is that "Star Wars" fans really like the 'old' experience, before he started messing with the films over a decade ago.
I do have to admit, however, that I have always felt that "Return of the Jedi" would have made a great 3D film, with the speeder bikes racing through the woods of Endor and the mass of Tie Fighters coming out of the screen at ya.
I'll just have to reserve some of my comments til after these are finished. This could still be a good thing.
"Star Wars" fans should note that this probably won't be the last time the these films get reworked in some form or another. Lucas has often said that "movies are never finished, just often abandoned."
Don Murphy (Transformers) is set to team up with fellow film maker Michael Preger (Village of the Damned) to produce a 3D remake of the 1962 sci fi/horror "The Day of the Triffids" (Invasion of the Triffids).
Preger first acquired the rights to do another film, based on the 1951 John Wyndham novel, way back in 1991, and along with Murphy, the duo have been working on developing it for more than a decade.
Recent advances in 3D movie making convinced them that the time is now to move forward with their plans.
Preger explains, "We are confident that with the new technological advances in 3D production, we have the tools with which to create Wyndham's iconic vision of Armageddon,"
Unlike the 1962 film, Preger and Murphy plan to follow the story from the original novel more closely, "This original classic has still to be successfully envisioned on the screen," adds Murphy. "It is a story that strikes at the heart of what it means to be human and does so in an intensely cinematic way."
Though a true version of "Triffids" that follows Wyndham's 'vision' hasn't been produced for the big screen, there have been two very good series produced for television by the BBC, in 1981 and again in 2009.
As it is, "Creature From The Black Lagoon" is on "pause" and the remake of "The Wolfman" didn't wow the fans, yet Universal and film maker Guillermo Del Toro are set to give another classic monster a go, this time "Frankenstein".
Indeed Del Toro is gearing up for the film as we speak, and is set to do some makeup tests on actor Doug Jones.
The film maker tells MTV, "We have been designing the creature, sculpting it. Bernie Wrightson designed the creature. That's the man, the go-to guy for 'Frankenstein.' My idea is to try to shoot that movie exactly as--" he paused, "Almost like an illustration [in] black & white. It would be done very differently than the other 'Frankenstein' movies. But it's in the future; we're doing tests in a couple weeks."
Does that mean that the film will be in black and white, like the original and Mel Brooks homage, "Young Frankenstein"?
Not exactly, Del Toro explains, "I would hope that it would resemble it."
"Resemble it?" Okay, I have no idea what the director means by that.
Anyway the film maker made a big splash at Comic Con, when he announced that he was getting a 'do over' in the form of a new "Haunted Mansion" movie.
That's another new Hollywood trend that really irks me, after a film gets botched, the studio waits a few years and tries it again, like those two "Hulk" movies made a few years apart.
Del Toro also took time at the convention to squash the rumors that he was going to remake "Van Helsing" which reportedly was just an Internet rumor with no basis in fact.
With production set to begin any day now in Vancouver, the cast of the "Planet of the Apes" prequel, "Rise of the Apes", is starting to take shape.
On Wednesday veteran character actor Brian Cox joined the production and now Fox has announced that Tom Felton has been cast .
According to sources, Felton, who is best known for his role as Draco Malfoy in the "Harry Potter" film series, will play the son of Cox's evil primate sanctuary owner.
As reported in earlier articles, "Rise of the Apes" boasts a rather interesting cast including Freida Pinto, James Franco, John Lithgow and Andy Serkis, who will once again be used as a model for a CGI rendered character, Caesar, the leader of the apes uprising against humanity.
Based loosely on the 1972 movie "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes", "Rise" is a "prequel to the 'Planet of the Apes' movies, set in the present day, which tells the story of the genetic experiments that led to apes developing human-like intelligence, and the beginning of the end of the era of man."
“Rise of the Apes” is slated to be released in theaters on June 24, 2011.
The cast for the upcoming "Planet of the Apes" reboot, "Rise of the Apes" is becoming wider in scope, and in depth, with the addition of veteran character actor Brian Cox (X2, The Bourne Identity) as the film's prime antagonist.
According to sources, Cox's character is, "the villainous owner of a primate sanctuary who runs the facility without compassion for the animals that live there."
You can bet dollars to donuts that it will this meanie who will play a major role in persuading Caesar to unite his brothers in a revolt to destroy mankind.
Filming on "Rise of the Apes" is set to begin filming any day now under the direction of Rupert Wyatt.
Cox joins an already talented cast that includes Freida Pinto, James Franco and John Lithgow.
Interestingly enough, "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes", which will serve as the inspiration for "Rise of the Apes", was filmed just down the street from my home at UC Irvine. The university stood in for the futuristic city where the apes were forced into slavery.
Actor Andy Serkis, who has the pleasure of playing both King Kong and Gollum, will now have the chance to play another of cinema's greatest simians, Caesar, from the "Planet of the Apes."
Indeed, the performer who has the uncanny ability to mimic animal movements, has been cast as the leader of an ape rebellion over mankind in 20th Century Fox's reboot of the popular "Apes" franchise entitled, "Rise of the Apes."
Though many news outlets are reporting that Serkis will be donning an ape costume and makeup similar to the kind made famous by John Chambers in the 1960s and 70s, it is safe to assume from the reports that have surfaced that the actor will once again be used as a model for a CGI character.
Of course, the fact that Peter Jackson's effects house, WETA Digital, has been hired to work on the film's effects probably is a dead giveaway here.
Not much is known about the film as of yet, but early reports stated that the film would center around the genetic engineering of apes to be used as slaves for mankind, similar to the plot of "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes". As can be expected, these intelligent primates soon get sick of being treated like animals and join forces to turn the tables on us human types.
"Rise of the Apes" is set to begin filming next month in San Francisco under the direction of Rupert Wyatt. Other cast members include Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto, James Franco and John Lithgow.
Over the past decade the planned remake of the Universal horror classic, "Creature From the Black Lagoon" has been an on-again-off-again affair.
Now, according to departed director Breck Eisner, the film is back off again, in the short term at least.
In a recent interview the film maker spoke openly about why he walked away from the "Creature" remake, how bad he felt about doing so, and why he believes that the film may be a long time coming.
Eisner explains, “It suffered from the realities of development hell and writers’ strikes. I don’t think it will see the light of day for a while.”
The film maker believes that the poor box office showing for "The Wolfman", the high cost of the production, and new director Carl Rinsch's busy schedule as of late spells nothing but a long wait for the film he really, really wanted to make, “Oh yeah. Between that and spending a lot of money in development, it’s money against the movie. When a movie is that close to happening, it takes a long time for people to forget about spending that money and to be re-engaged in it. I’d love for somebody to make that movie. It won’t be me."
Eisner also explained that his "Creature From the Black Lagoon" movie was further along in production than many people realised. “It would have been risky and amazing. The design of the Creature by Mark ‘Crash’ McCreery was awesome. True to the original, yet obviously updated for today’s technology. The journey on the Rita, the boat design, it was ready to go. Scouting Peru, Brazil, Columbia. We went into the jungle of mirrors. It was an amazing experience. I didn’t come out of it empty-handed but I didn’t come out with a movie, which is what I would have wanted.”
As a huge fan of the "Creature", this comes as bad news, because, one, the film may take years to surface again, and two, it looks like the guy that really could have done the film properly may have gotten away.
At present, the films new director, Carl Rinsch, has two films lined up, "47 Ronin" for Universal, and the remake of "Logan's Run" for Warner Bros. "Creature" was scheduled to be the film maker's second film, but now "Logan's Run" has been put on the fast track by Warner, so it looks like the Gill Man will have to take a back seat to Logan 5 and a bunch of samurai for now.
It looks like the monsters from Universal Studios library of classic horror films have become a red hot commodity these days. Not only is Universal working on rebooting "Dracula", "Frankenstein", and the "Creature From the Black Lagoon", to go along with their recent, "Mummy" and "Wolfman" films, other studios have also decided to 're imagine' these monsters as well.
Last month Halcyon International Pictures announced that they had teamed up with Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine to produce, "Dracula: Reborn", "Mummy: Resurrected", "Frankenstein: Regenerated", "Werewolf: Reloaded and Creature: Returns". Now, Paramount is getting into the act with a remake of the 1987 Fred Dekker horror/comedy, "The Monster Squad".
The studio announced today that they have hired director/producer, Rob Cohen, who served as a producer on the original film, plus Mark and Brian Gunn to write the screenplay. Also serving as producers on "The Monster Squad" will be Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, and David Ladd.
Recently, Mark and Brian Gunn had penned the script for the "Mysterious Island" remake ("Journey to the Mysterious Island") for New Line Pictures, while Cohen, as you probably know, last directed, "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor", for Universal.
As you may remember, the original film centered around a group of horror movie loving kids who accidentally discover a plot by Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Gill Man and The Mummy to try and take over the world.
Paramount plans to make "The Monster Squad" into a family-friendly film series, though they certainly will run into some competition from Warner Bros, who are presently developing their own "Monster Squad" film, that involves these same monsters as high school students.
There are two words that seem to resonate a lot of buzz in Hollywood these days, '3D' and 'remake'.
Ever since "Avatar" broke every box office record earlier this year, just about every fantasy film maker is more than eager to give the medium a try in hopes of capturing some of the magic, and money for themselves.
Likewise, fantasy film makers are also more than eager to put their own spin on classic sci fi films from days gone by.
As a matter of choice, film maker David Rosler has chosen to take from both column 'A' and column 'B' for his upcoming remake ......oh, excuse me, a more faithful adaption, of "The First Men In The Moon", a 1964 film by Nathan Juran that featured superb stop-motion effects by the legendary Ray Harryhausen.
As most of you already know, that film was an adaptation of the 1901 H.G. Wells novel by the same name.
According to the film maker, this version will follow the Wells' novel more closely than the original film version did.
Avery Guerra was able to land this exclusive interview with Davis Rosler:
Avery Guerra: To start with, please refresh our reader’s memories about the story, The First Men In The Moon by H.G. Wells.
David Rosler: The novel was published in 1901, and concerns two late Victorian English gentlemen, Mr Cavor and Mr Bedford, who, thanks to inventor Cavor’s anti-gravity paste, travel to the moon in a metal and glass polyhedron. Once there, they encounter all sorts of situations and creatures, including the dangers of low gravity, giant, slug-like creatures called Mooncalves and a mostly subterranean race of surreal ant-like semi-humanoid insects called Selenites. Wells was also a lion of a social commentator, so if you never read the book, you can imagine what kind of implications about humanity get made in a story like this.
AG: Can you tell me more about yourself and the crew?
DR: Well, I started out in stop-motion animation and effects, then additionally storyboards for commercials for some very large agencies and TV shows, and eventually got into producing and directing commercials, as well as some feature ghost-producing behind-the-scenes. I am, however, a big believer these days in the director getting off the stage right away and not talking about himself, and I do think The First Men In The Moon in 3-D speaks very well for itself, so I’m taking my own advice on that.
The crew was terrific. I should note that Emmy-winning cinematographer Sonjia Stark is a real artist and is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Our composer Daniel Godsil is a real star in this film. As a creative and experienced orchestral composer, trained in part in Vienna with his own orchestral works performed with himself conducting, he created a fantastically sensitive and imaginative score on First Men – on my request to be evocative of the Golden Age of movies without any style imitations per se – that’s hugely accomplished and exciting. People should go to the website and listen to the background music they put up there – separate from the film clips — on the pages detailing the history of the film, book and author, and compare that music to today’s even very big-budget scoring. I’m sure they’ll appreciate in an instant how genuinely masterful and beautiful Daniel’s orchestral work really is. I’m really devoted to him, now.
AG: So, how did the film come about?
DR: The film came about when I got a call out of the blue from a Producer who knew me from another film, seemed to like what he saw and said “I want to make a movie with you.” The only limitations were the budget and the requirement that it would be derived from pre-sold, family-friendly material, like a novel. We eventually agreed on The First Men in the Moon, which I had always wanted to do anyway, and that the film should have a comfy, retro feel to it without being slow or dull — and that was that! Very simple and painless, and an interesting challenge artistically. Thus far everyone feels it works.
AG: Who has inspired you as a filmmaker? Who would you say are some of your influences?
DR: For vision and initial childhood inspiration, Ray Harryhausen and illustrator Frank Frazetta without any doubt. While directors like Wells, Hitchcock, Whale and Mamoullian are favorites, everyone has their high and low points, so a person could also point to any number of films as particular influences.
AG: Are you a fan of the previous film version? Of H.G. Wells’ original story? Are there any other stories by the famous author that are of interest to you?
I am, however, a fan of the original Wells’ novel The First Men In The Moon and feel it’s the best narrative of Wells’ works. And in any film, it all starts with the story. When you think about it, it’s amazing and dumbfounding that so many Hollywood films in recent years pay the screenwriters next to nothing, or plagiarize something badly and then spend unbelievable amounts of money hiring armies of people to realize in glowing and elaborate detail a very poor screenplay. It really is as close to practically senseless in moviemaking as a person can imagine.
AG: How does your film adaptation differ from the previous version?
DR: The 1964 version was apparently hamstrung by demands by the studio/distributor to widen the audience market by including story elements that led the screenplay far astray from the original novel. The original story has a unique sense about it we very much wanted to put on the screen, though it was a daunting task on a TV movie budget, particularly in 3-D.
AG: Why a remake of this film now?
DR: This is not actually a remake in any way. A remake to me is taking material which began from conception to be a film, made into a film and remaking that. When a film is derived from a novel, however, the source material was created with an entirely different intention in an entirely different medium. So we really aren’t remaking any other films at all. We’re simply doing a film version of the book that we feel is particularly close to the original novel. For perspective, think of how many versions of A Christmas Carol or Alice In Wonderland have been made. A dozen or more, probably, when you consider animated versions. Wuthering Heights , Jane Ayre, Beauty and the Beast, the list goes on forever. Even plays, which are closer in form to movies than novels, like Romeo and Juliette, have been done endlessly on film. The 1964 version of First Men is wonderful, but in many ways extremely different from the novel, and so we felt very strongly that there was easily still room for another version without stepping on anyone’s toes.
AG: Why the use of 3D? How do you feel about the current surge of popularity in the technique?
DR: For us, it was originally a business decision because even a couple of years ago it was obvious that the market was going very strongly in this direction – you couldn’t miss it. I don’t think there’s any escaping it. Just as widescreen televisions have become the standard, even though for 60 years motion pictures and the majority of the television were mastered exclusively in non-widescreen 4:3 ratio, so, too, I think 3-D is here to stay – if nothing else, the box-office success of most things 3D ensures that it will.
There are technologies like lenticular screens which make 3D without the need for any kind of glasses a very real possibility. At such point that that happens, particularly, it’s only a matter of time before most everyone has a 3D TV. That’s just the way of things. Besides, most 3D TVs are certain to have the option to turn off the 3D, just as you can mute the TV or de-saturate the color or crop the aspect ratio on a widescreen TV now. Colorizing black-and-white films, though, causes real damage because it fundamentally changes the B&W values and contrast of the image, and that can ruin a delicate film.
Artistically, on the other hand, 3D really has the potential to be the first major new step in cinematic storytelling form since Griffith invented the basic narrative structure in the silent days, and I really mean that. Will people just fall into an endless array of novelty 3D shots of things flying at the camera or will the new Z-axis medium offer stunning new dramatic moments in the hands of the right directors? It seems inevitable that if 3D is here to stay, the latter must come true. And that’s exciting.
AG: How long do you think interest in this technique will last? What do you predict will be the next big craze in the film industry?
DR: I think the market forces are so strong that 3D is here whether anyone likes it or not. But necessity is the mother of invention, and as people find ways to justify the 3D ball-and-chain they’ve been stuck with, great things artistically will come from it. At that point, it becomes a legit form of the cinematic medium, and debating the validity of its existence is moot.
Rather than make a predication, I hope that the next big thing is to make solid fantasy films with great storylines. The predominant industry perception has always been that fantasy films can function entirely on eye candy and it’s the dramas that pay attention to strong dramatic values and more nuanced theatrics. I’d like to see great fantasy films be the next big thing, because the majority of the films coming out of Hollywood right now just aren’t very good films, generally. When you compare them to the expensive films from Hollywood in the 1930s through the early 50s, the comparison is really just dispiriting. Giant union pressures have turned Hollywood cinema into really just very expensive versions of TV show episodes because they’re made the same way – big crews producing limited coverage of the scenes of thin scripts because the running clock is very expensive that way. If the 1940s were the Golden Age of Hollywood, then right now we’re in the Thin, Rusty Aluminum Period, though lavishly produced.
AG: What are the film’s release plans at this point? What sort of release will you be seeking: DVD, television, or theatrical/festival route?
DR: No festivals are planned. At this point a TV/DVD release is coming fast, but the who and when of it I’m not at liberty to say right now. Look for it soon is the best I can offer. It is a family film in many ways, so look for it particularly in those outlets.
AG: So, what’s next for you? Any other projects you care to mention at this time?
DR: There are several, actually. Though the story is still in development, one of the best bets is sort-of an homage to the monster-on-the-loose films of the 50s, but played straight and in no way campy or a send-up. That sounds impossible to do today, I know, but I’m working though the outline with a prolific, well-respected NY Times-bestselling thriller novelist, and we think there’s very solid potential in the concept and structure that’s being developed. I also want to tackle a couple more classic novels in time, because so few have been done faithfully, regardless of budget.
AG: Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. In closing, is there anything you’d like to add?
DR: Well, for a slightly more elaborate description of the actual making of the film itself, people can go to Films In Review, the online arm of the oldest film journal in the US, and look up “H.G. Wells Gets the 3-D Treatment” [link]. And thank you for your interest.
Here is the trailer and a couple of clips from "The First Men In The Moon" both in 2D and 3D:
Written By: Ken Hulsey Sources: Robert Hood / Avery Guerra
Over the decades there have been some truly awful movies made about "King Kong". Many of these include, "King of Kong Island", "King Kong's Fist", "King Kong Lives", the UK made "Konga" and the American/Korean co-production, "A*P*E", which in the eyes of most monster movie fans, is the worst ever produced.
Well, that is until now. I believe we have a new champion.
Granted, "A*P*E* is a mess of a monster movie, but compared to the new "King Kong" made in Bangladesh, the film actually looks palatable.
Really, this new "Kong" film has to be seen to be believed. Think of it as a typical "Bollywood" musical with a giant gorilla in it.
In other words, a remake of the 1976 Dino De Laurentiis film, with musical numbers.
No, really ........ I'm serious.
Along with all the singing and dancing, there are some of the worst special effects ever featured on celluloid. So bad that Ed Wood would be jealous. Oh, and where they ran out of money for effects, they just inserted footage from the 1976 "Kong".
Now, I don't know anything about copyright laws in Bangladesh, but I can only assume that there will be some phone calls placed to lawyers after this gets out.
True, film makers in Bangladesh don't have the money or resources that their counterparts in Hollywood do, so after the money gets shelled out for actors, dancers, choreographers, song writers and the like, there just isn't any left for a decent monkey suit or cardboard for buildings.
That is a given.
A loosely translated press release for the film stated that "Banglar King Kong" is the product of the combined efforts of director Iftekar Jahan and producer Sharmin Osman for the government backed FDC (the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation).
Apparently in the document Jahan rambles on and on about how wonderful the advanced computer generated effects are in his movie.
Which says one thing to me. Jahan has never seen his own movie.
Jahan also mentions in the release that the "Kong" costume and the CGI software used in his movie were purchased in the US, that the film was filmed in remote areas of Bangladesh, and that the film stars Munmun, Danny Sedak, Shamim Osman, Afzal Sharif and Kazi Hayat.
Here is the rather brief synopsis for "Banglar King Kong":
King Kong comes to Bangladesh in search of love, and finds it.
Well ........ that pretty much sums it up doesn't it?
From the trailer, which is quite lengthy, it is more than obvious that this is nothing more than a direct rip-off of the 1976 remake of "King Kong" with some singing and dancing thrown in to appeal to cinema goers in Bangladesh.
Hey, if ya thought that the 'ice skating scene' in Peter Jackson's "King Kong" was bad, imagine having to sit through two hours of that kind of stuff?
Why can't people just leave "King Kong" alone?
Geez.....
Here, if you think that you can stomach it, are some photos, and the trailer that keeps on going for "Banglar King Kong":
The live-action movie based on the "Wonder Woman" television series from the 1970s that starred Lynda Carter has been in some form of development for what seems like a zillion years now, and just about every actress in Hollywood has been swooning over the title role.
Well, not every actress in Hollywood, but like the ever growing list of young ladies who want to play "Catwoman" in the next "Batman" movie, the list of potential Amazon princesses is as long as Route 66.
The latest Hollywood hottie that wants the role, Jennifer Love Hewitt, who is doing all she can to get the execs at Warner Bros to put her name on the top of that much coveted list.
As a youth the now former Ghost Whisperer actress was a bit obsessed with the super hero.
"I'm fighting so hard." Explains Hewitt. "I think Warner Bros. is getting ready to make Wonder Woman and I really want to play Wonder Woman. I am obsessed with Wonder Woman."
A hard core Wonder Woman fan or not, the curvy Hewitt is up against some pretty tough (rumored) competition. Others who have expressed interest in the part are Anna Friel, Megan Fox, Eliza Dushku and singer Beyonce Knowles.
Back when the film was first announced in 2007 Jessica Biel and Katie Holmes were considered the favorites for the part. Holmes even went as far as to have a private audition for the coveted role, but nothing ever came from it.
Who is the former Wonder Woman's first choice to replace her? Lynda Carter personally spoke out publicly to endorse Eliza Dushku to take over the part last year.
Hold on to your lunch classic sci fi movie fans, it looks as if the 3D movie craze has claimed another, unlikely, victim.
"Logan's Run"
Last night at the premiere of "Splice", producer Joel Silver dropped the bombshell, "Logan's Run" will be made in 3D. In fact, the film maker had always envisioned the film in the 3D format (?).
This is what Silver told MTV, "I'd like to make Logan's Run [in 3-D]. It's a movie I've always been intrigued with, excited by. We're writing a script now and that should be a big 3-D movie and it should be devised and shot in 3-D. I think if we can pull it together, then it would be."
Wait a minute here, we are talking about "Logan's Run", right? Makes me more than a little nervous thinking about what kind of plans Silver has for film.
Let's just hope that he doesn't add 20-ft-tall robots or over-the-top, Matrix-like, action scenes to the script.
Well, one 20-ft-tall robot, Box, is supposed to be in the film, but not an army of them, or God forbid, Cyber-Sandmen.
In fact, I must have seen the original "Logan's Run" over a zillion times, and I never thought to myself, "God, that scene would be so cool if it were in 3D!"
Then again, seeing Jessica 6, played by British actress Jenny Agutter, would have been exciting. She was running around in nothing but a see-through green dress (with no undies) the entire movie. In fact, all the women in the movie were dressed like that.
Come to think of it, 3D may have spiced up the "Love Shop" sequence as well.
Hmmm, maybe Silver is on to something here?
Okay, probably not.
During his MTV interview, the producer also confirmed that a deal was on the table for Carl Rinsche to direct.
It had been reported earlier this year that Rinsche had already signed on to direct the remake of "Creature From The Black Lagoon" and “47 Ronin” for Universal, but now it seems that both of those projects may have to wait for "Logan's Run" to wrap before they can move forward. Silver and Warner Bros, seem gung-ho to get the film moving as soon as possible. Hopefully soon enough to make "Logan's Run" Rinsche's first big studio film.
"That's right. This may be his first one," added Silver. "He's got something else at Universal which is close, but we'll see what happens."
"He really is excited about it and so are we, so we'll see what happens."
All this rush to put Rinsche behind the divers seat of a major fantasy film seems more than a little puzzling. Prior to these new projects, the film maker had made only a handful of small films in the 90's, "The Quiz" (1994) and "Lovely Weather for Rain" (1996) are two examples, and mainly worked on commercials for the past decade.
Rinsche's Hollywood stock seemed to rise up out of nowhere when Ridley and Tony Scott considered him as the director of their upcoming "Alien" prequel film. Since then, people have seemed to be climbing over themselves to sign him up to everything and anything.
As far as "Logan's Run" being a 3D film ........ I don't see it. It just seems has Silver and the suits over at Warner Bros are following whats trendy and are banking on the film being the next "Avatar."
You have to admit though, Jenny Agutter, would have been amazing to see in 3D!
Just when you thought that the "Logan's Run" remakes Life Clock had turned black, it has reverted to clear.
It looks like I need to become best friends with director Carl Erik Rinsch because he is about to remake two of my all-time favorite films, "Creature From The Black Lagoon", and now, "Logan's Run."
The remake of the 1976 sci fi epic, which starred Michael York, Richard Jordan and Jenny Agutter, has been in the planning stages at Warner Bros since way back in the mid 90s.
As a matter of fact, I was contacted by an potential director (who's name I can't divulge) in 2003 about his plans for the remake. That film maker was soon ousted, and Bryan Singer (X-Men) was then signed to the project, who in turn, himself, left to direct "Superman Returns".
Since that time, the film has been in a virtual holding pattern, with directors Robert Schwenke, Joseph Kosinski and James McTeigue all taking very brief rides on the "Carousel".
None of those film makers seemed to fit into Warner's plans for the film, so the long quest continued.
Now, the virtually unknown, Carl Erik Rinsch, has stepped in to take over. As I had mentioned in a prior article about his taking on "Creature From The Black Lagoon", Rinsch has made a name for himself as of late, directing commercials for RSA owners Ridley and Tony Scott, who strongly considered him for their "Alien" prequel film.
Rinsch cut his director's teeth in independent films such as, "The Quiz" (1994) and "Lovely Weather for Rain" (1996). "Creature" is scheduled to be his second project, the director will helm the Keanu Reeves samurai epic “47 Ronin” for Universal later this year, and now "Logan's Run" can be added to the list, once those are finished.
Earlier drafts of the "Logan's Run" script more resembled the George Johnson and William Nolan novels than the Michael Anderson film version. It is unknown at this time if Rinsch will continue along those lines or make a direct remake.
Logan's Run Plot:
In the distant future the survivors of the apocalypse live in a giant domed city where their every need is taken care of by overlord computer. People live in world of pleasure, but there is one catch. At the age of 30 (21 in Johnson and Nolan's novel) all citizens are required to report for a ritualistic murder ceremony known as "Carousel". The populace has been fooled into believing that this ceremony leads to reincarnation and a new life though its real purpose is population control. To insure that citizens don't "chicken out" on their way to Carousel there is a police force in place known as "Sandman" who terminate those who attempt to run.
Logan 5 is one of the elite Sandmen. During one of his routine terminations he retrieves an anch, a symbol for a mythical place called Sanctuary where runners can find refuge, off the body of a would be runner. Upon placing the item into the computers scanner he is instructed to undergo a process to alter his "Life Clock", a symbol of a persons age embedded in the palm, to the blinking red of a person on last day so that he may pose as a runner to infiltrate Sanctuary. During the process he learns that 1036 runners had managed to escape the city and that Carousel is a ruse.
Along with his companion, Jessica 6, Logan attempts to flee the domed city in search of Sanctuary.
With a new "Logans Run", "Planet of the Apes" and "Godzilla" films in the works, you would think that it is the early to mid 1970s all over again.
Written By: Ken Hulsey
