City of Films

Today’s Links

The Mayor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:00:06 +0000

Today’s Links are brought to you by: TWIN PEAKS. Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost the series was set in the fictional town of Twin Peaks in northeast Washington state and tells the story of FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper and his investigation of the murder of a popular local teenage schoolgirl, Laura Palmer.

Twin Peaks became one of 1990s’ top-rated shows, a critical success both nationally and internationally. Reflecting its devoted cult fan base, the series became a part of popular culture, referenced in other television shows, commercials, comic books, video games, films and song lyrics. In 2007 Twin Peaks was listed as one of Time magazine’s “100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME.”

Pictured to the left is the Twin Peaks: The Definitive Gold Box Edition DVD which I picked up last year after a small price drop. Worth every penny just to see David Duchovny in drag.

Designer Chris Dimino created a cuckoo clock themed after The Shining. [/Film]

Clint Eastwood eyes J. Edgar Hoover project. [THR]

A new Trailer for Ridley Scott’s ROBIN HOOD has me sold. [geektyrant]

Fox Moves ‘Money Never Sleeps’ to September, will anyone notice? [getthebigpicture]

Robert De Niro Doing Lombardi, Midnight Run 2. Poor bastard. [newsinfilm]

Men in Black 3 casting Sacha Baron Cohen? It’s nice! [bloody-disgusting]

Inception Plot And Run Time Confirmed

The Mayor — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:45:35 +0000

Is it Nolan day or something? Anything that Christopher Nolan touches seems to turn to gold. The CoF staff is pretty excited and curious what the man has up his sleeve for INCEPTION. And I haven’t asked them, but I am pretty sure we would all leave our significant others for Leonardo Dicaprio. Here’s some news about Inception, NO spoilers.

The February issue of Empire Magazine mentions in the “On-Set Preview” section, that Christopher Nolan has had the the idea for the movie brewing in his head for quite a while, conceptualizing the idea when he was only 16 years old.Secondly, Nolan further confirmed the leaked plot line from last year, with The Playlist reprinting a quote Nolan gave the magazine: Basically the film deals with levels of reality, and perceptions of reality which is something I’m very interested in. Its an action film set in a contemporary world, but with a slight science-fiction bent to it. Cobb [Leonardo DiCaprio's character], who is the center of things and expert in a particular technology that the film revolves around, has put this team around him [Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon Levitt]. It’s very much an ensemble film structured somewhat as a heist movie. It’s an action adventure that spans the globe.

Lastly, when being interviewed by Movies.ie, lead actor Leonardo Dicaprio stayed tight-lipped about anything related to the story of Inception, but revealed the running time, saying: I can tell you it’s about two hours long, give or take,” DiCaprio smiles. “Anything more than that, and Chris has vowed to have me strung up by my tongue…

Nolan Talks Superman and Batman; Less Talky More Directy

The Mayor — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:38:25 +0000

You know it's true.

Last time we spoke, DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson denied that Christopher Nolan was overseeing the new Superman film. A house of lies.

Nolan is overseeing Superman for WB as David Goyer writes the script based on a story by Nolan and Goyer. We know this because Nolan is talking about it. The director promises good things for the next Superman, and his wife, producer Emma Thomas, denies a few other recent rumors. Meanwhile, Jonathan Nolan is ‘now doing the hard work’ on a script for Batman 3, based on a story by Christopher Nolan and Goyer. I just got chills.

The LA Times has quotes from Nolan and Thomas about Superman:

It’s very exciting, we have a fantastic story. And we feel we can do it right. We know the milieu, if you will, we know the genre and how to get it done right…[it] is a way of approaching the story I’ve never seen before that makes it incredibly exciting. I wanted to get Emma and I involved in shepherding the project right away and getting it to the studio and getting it going in an exciting way.

He won’t talk villains or any real specifics:

“We’re approaching it in a not dissimilar way [to the Batman films] in terms of trying to find an incredible story in a way that audiences can engage with it the way they engage with contemporary action films,”

Will it be called Man of Steel, as previously reported?:

“I don’t know where this stuff comes from.” says Emma Thomas.

With respect to Batman 3, Christopher’s brother Jonathan Nolan is currently writing the script, and few other details are being allowed out. Christopher Nolan says the villain won’t be Mr. Freeze, insists that the primary character ensemble from the previous two films will return, and that it will end their story. He explains:

“The key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story. And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story…I’m very excited about the end of the film, the conclusion, and what we’ve done with the characters. My brother has come up with some pretty exciting stuff. Unlike the comics, these things don’t go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful. Viewing it as an ending that sets you very much on the right track about the appropriate conclusion and the essence of what tale we’re telling.”

So who will direct both Superman and Batman 3?

Nolan says he won’t direct Superman, and no other director has yet been named. As for Batman 3, Nolan is keeping quiet while he finishes Inception.

Moviegoer Stabbed For Doing The Right Thing

The Mayor — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:20:25 +0000

"You're ruining this for me."

It could have been me, it could have been you. Just last week I was talking with the DA about movie going manners. We pointed out those idiots who open up a lighthouse in the theater with their cell phone and then proceed to click away. Assholes. No talking, no cell phone usage whatsoever, no doing anything else obnoxious; simple rules for a good time. I am seriously considering starting a movement to get theaters to install signal killers so no one can do anything on their phone. Slap an emergency phone at the front of the room for when that stupid defense comes up.

Get off your phone! You are not Gordon Gekko; you just got your first phone and think everyone loves you for it.

According to the LA Times, a man was recently watching Shutter Island at the Cinemark 22 in Lancaster, when he complained about a woman talking on a cell phone during the film. The woman left with two men. The two men returned and one of them stabbed the complainer in the throat with a meat thermometer. “It was a vicious and cowardly attack,” said the LA County Sheriff. And another thing..wait, a meat thermometer?

Nobody Remakes The Wizard! Not Nobody, Not No How!

The Mayor — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:16:47 +0000

It was inevitable. Another remake and another 3D experience. Talk of a new Wizard of Oz film has been going on for years now. There are even three films currently in development including a CGI animated version [cool pic here].

The first Oz film project takes on the darker side. It’s written by Josh Olson the writer of A History of Violence, and it focuses on Dorothy’s granddaughter who returns to Oz to fight evil. This is also the Wizard of Oz project that Spawn creator Todd MacFarlane is helping with. The second film project is simply called Oz, this version is being produced by Twilight producer Temple Hill, and has a script written by Darren Lemke who wrote Shrek Forever After.

Well if they must, my vote goes for a dark version. I’m talking nudity and violence. I’ve seen the family version maybe fifty times and as much as I love it, I always felt it was missing something, maybe an axe kill via the Tin Man? Dorothy’s dress becomes a little too short after falling off a fence? Pay me.

Warner’s saw the success of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland [$210 million opening worldwide] and with its Harry Potter series drawing to an end…they need to come up with an original idea. Fact of the matter is we are going to see a new Wizard of Oz film probably within the next couple years. What are your thoughts?

3 stooges return

The Plug: Up In The Air on DVD Tomorrow

The Mayor — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:33:19 +0000

One of last year’s best movies and the only George Clooney film I can watch without wanting to punch his smug face arrives on DVD/Blu-ray tomorrow; UP IN THE AIR. Why is this important? Well as I said, it’s one of the best. Jason Reitman’s previous works that also fall under “best of that said year” include: Thank You For Smoking and Juno.

Up in the Air was a movie I didn’t see until late in the year, so when I feel bad about situations like that I tend to come back and do cheap plugs such as this to help Citizens like yourself find it if by chance you passed it up. With great writing and strong performances (and several Oscar noms) to look forward to you will not soon regret checking this one out. Here is a scene:

observe and report dvd plug

New Iron Man 2 Trailer, Iron Helps Us Play!

The Mayor — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:30:25 +0000

Oh hi there.

The new full trailer for Iron Man 2 premiered on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight. The trailer is pretty good, Pepper and Black Widow didn’t kiss or anything, so whatever. That should do it for watching Iron Man trailers; too much is revealed for my liking.

The trailer offers a bit more information on the plot, with a closer look at Black Widow, and Justin Hammer and Whiplash meeting for the first time.

Check out the second new Iron Man 2 trailer below, and tell us what you think in our new comments section. Iron Man hits May 7th.

2010 Academy Awards Winners

The Mayor — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:39:51 +0000

Here’s the complete list of this year’s winners. The Hurt Locker took the biggest prizes, winning Best Director and Best Picture, I really thought it should have been QT’s year as The Hurt Locker in my opinion was highly overrated as good as it was. Winners in RED.

BEST PICTURE
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo’nique, Precious

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Quentino Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman, The Messenger
Joel & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Peter Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy, Up

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell, District 9
Nick Hornby, An Education
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche, In The Loop
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Ajami, Israel
El Secretro de sus Ojo, Argentina
The Milk of Sorrow, Peru
Un Prophete, France
The White Ribbon, Germany

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Princess and the Frog
The Secrets of Kells
Up

ART DIRECTION
Avatar: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
Nine: Gordon Sim
Sherlock Holmes: Katie Spencer
The Young Victoria: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar Mauro Fiore
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Bruno Delbonnel
The Hurt Locker Barry Ackroyd
Inglourious Basterds Robert Richardson
The White Ribbon Christian Berger

COSTUME DESIGN
Bright Star Janet Patterson
Coco before Chanel Catherine Leterrier
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Monique Prudhomme
Nine Colleen Atwood
The Young Victoria Sandy Powell

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Burma VJ Anders Ostergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
The Cove Nominees to be determined
Food, Inc. Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
Which Way Home Rebecca Cammisa

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
Music by Prudence Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
Rabbit à la Berlin Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

FILM EDITING
Avatar Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
District 9 Julian Clarke
The Hurt Locker Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
Inglourious Basterds Sally Menke
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire Joe Klotz

MAKEUP
Il Divo Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
Star Trek Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
The Young Victoria Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

ORIGINAL SCORE
Avatar James Horner
Fantastic Mr. Fox Alexandre Desplat
The Hurt Locker Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
Sherlock Holmes Hans Zimmer
Up Michael Giacchino

ORIGINAL SONG
Almost There from The Princess and the Frog Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
Down in New Orleans from The Princess and the Frog Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
Loin de Paname from Paris 36 Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
Take It All from Nine Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart) from Crazy Heart Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

ANIMATED SHORT
French Roast Fabrice O. Joubert
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte) Javier Recio Gracia
Logorama Nicolas Schmerkin
A Matter of Loaf and Death Nick Park

LIVE ACTION SHORT
The Door Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
Instead of Abracadabra Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
Kavi Gregg Helvey
Miracle Fish Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
The New Tenants Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

SOUND EDITING
Avatar Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
The Hurt Locker Paul N.J. Ottosson
Inglourious Basterds Wylie Stateman
Star Trek Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
Up Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

SOUND MIXING
Avatar Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
The Hurt Locker Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
Inglourious Basterds Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
Star Trek Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
District 9 Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
Star Trek Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Download the 2010 Academy Awards Ballot

The Mayor — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:42:40 +0000

You can play along at home this Sunday and download the official ballot for The Oscars. I do watch the show each year, often bored. I am not looking forward to the dual hosting job of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Martin seems like he’s been pissed off for the last ten years, while Baldwin, well he’s just great actually. [Download]

Here is hoping that Inglourious Basterds wins everything and shuts up Avatar and the Hurt Locker. Ooh that’s a bingo!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Brendan Fraser Derp Da Derp

The Mayor — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:14:28 +0000

This trailer for Furry Vengeance (genius) has been pissing me off for a few days now, so I decided the best way to overcome my feelings of rage is to share this foul mess with other people. At first I thought this was a joke, a Funny or Die or College Humor video made up to mock family movies. Then it got real, this movie is actually happening. This movie was actually made. The last good movie Fraser made was Encino Man in 1992. Fact.

PLOT: Brendan Fraser derp da derp.Until ONE day…Derpa deedle de derp! Now he’s gonna learn…Deepa deedle de dum de derpa deepa derp! Furry Vengeance! Deep de derp de derp!

Take me now God.

vengeance for van dyke