Father Geek here, Wishing you all a very merry holiday season on a very chilly Christmas Eve here at Austin's Geek Headquarters nessled in the heart of the Central Texas Hill Country. I've got Robert Bernocchi's latest Euro column for you, and we'll get right into it for you, ol' Father Geek still has to take off to do some last minute shopping before everything closes down. Harry, Sister Satan, Lobo, lil Kubla Khan and I are headed down to San Antonio tomorrow morning to spend Christmas day with my Father and Mother and siblings, and their offspring. Soooooooo, direct from Rome, Italy here's our man on the continent, Robert Bernocchi...
Hi people. Robert reporting in... First, it's time to wish Merry Christmas to all of you. In particular, I'd like to send best wishes to everyone (Grozilla, Ethan, Ratbert, Darren, Luke Nicholas, CustomVanClan, Greig, Mathew, Tim, Ray Senior and Catherine Hanly and all the staff working on ShowBiz Ireland and Empire Online and forgive me if I'm forgetting someone) who helped me on this column and to all the readers of AICN. Of course, best wishes also to Father Geek (who corrects my mistakes every week), and to Harry and the entire crew of AICN for their fantastic work. Thus, let's start with this week's stuff...
A few news bits by Ratbert...
Hi people. Robert reporting in... First, it's time to wish Merry Christmas to all of you. In particular, I'd like to send best wishes to everyone (Grozilla, Ethan, Ratbert, Darren, Luke Nicholas, CustomVanClan, Greig, Mathew, Tim, Ray Senior and Catherine Hanly and all the staff working on ShowBiz Ireland and Empire Online and forgive me if I'm forgetting someone) who helped me on this column and to all the readers of AICN. Of course, best wishes also to Father Geek (who corrects my mistakes every week), and to Harry and the entire crew of AICN for their fantastic work. Thus, let's start with this week's stuff...
A few news bits by Ratbert...
Thus, let's start with this week's stuff...
A few news bits by Ratbert...
Dom Joly has revealed he is planning to make a film in the New Year. The Trigger Happy TV (Candid Camera style show, on Channel 4 in the UK, hilarious) star says the movie will be a cross between Airplane and Something About Mary.
Dom said: "I think it's a bit naff for people in telly to think they can go straight into movies because I think it's a very different thing.
"And we thought about it and thought about the kind of film that doesn't get made in England. It's more along the lines of Airplane and Something About Mary, so we're going to try and make something like that."
Veronica Guerin's latest news...
Cate Blanchett is being tipped to star with Billy Bob Thornton in a film about murdered Irish journalist Veronica Guerin.
Joel Schumacher (oh dear) will direct the film, called Chasing The Dragon. The film is due to be made next autumn with producer Jerry Bruckheimer (oh dear again) masterminding the project on location in Ireland. Thornton is the favourite to play the mobster who puts a contract out on Guerin's life. Jim Broadbent is pencilled in to play the senior policeman on his trail.
A very difficult movie to make for Mr. Ciccone...
Guy Ritchie and producing partner Matthew Vaughan are pressing ahead with their film about a religious battle between Christian and Muslim soldiers. They had considered shelving the project in the wake of September 11. Originally titled Jihad, the movie will tell the tale of the 16th-century siege of Malta, in which 7,000 Christian knights beat back 40,000 Muslim soldiers.
But the Lock-Stock director is keen that the film not be seen as pro-western propaganda. "I'm very anti-Christian," he says in today's Independent. "I'm very anti-Muslim. Organised religion - and I'm not saying anything new here - is contaminated and appalling."
Given the current geopolitical climate, Vaughan and Ritchie say they are currently "scratching our arses" in an attempt to come up with a new title. Early word suggests that the film will be a period action romp in the same vein as Gladiator. Ritchie is known to be a major fan of the Ridley Scott blockbuster and has long nursed an ambition to work in a genre away from the mockney stylistics that made his name.
Whatever it's eventually called, the film is to go before the cameras next summer.
Catherine Hanly, editor at Empire Online, passed me the same story (with a few interesting tidbits more). You can find it by clicking here: Do It Now!
Moreover, Catherine pointed me out an interview with John Cusack, where he talk about three interesting projects he's got coming up: Hoffman, Adaptation and White Jazz: Just Click to See More...
Then I received this press release:
Two More British Family Movies Hit UK Cinemas This Christmas
Two brand-new British family movies, 'DAZZLE' and 'THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE' open at Showcase Cinemas nationwide on 28 December . . . great for when the batteries run out in the kids' Christmas pressies!
If you feel your kids are too young for 'Lord of the Rings' or if they've already seen 'Harry Potter', these films, certified as 'U' (suitable for all), are being released by British film company, Peakviewing Transatlantic, under its new Family Entertainment label.
"Still a family owned concern, Peakviewing produces its movies around timeless values, such as truth, morality decency and humour", comments Janet Blandford, President - Distribution, "From customer feedback, we find that families still appreciate such qualities in this fast moving world in which we live".
'Dazzle'...
is a fairy, gnome and wizard fantasy in which a fairy, being chased by a dog, bangs into a tree and changes to human size suffering from amnesia and not knowing who she is. Two gnomes battle comically to keep her in the real world and to stop a mysterious dark wizard who wants to imprison her for his collection. The movie stars Maxwell Caulfield ('Miles Colby' from 'The Colbys'), Mia Sara ('Timecop' and 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'), Jeff Fahey ('The Lawnmower Man') and Chantell Stander ('Hooded Angels').
'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'...
very topical in these 'wizard' times, stars Robert Davi ('The Goonies') and Kelly LeBrock ('Weird Science'). Young Ben is unwittingly thrown into a battle between sorceress Morgana and Merlin when he moves to a new town and befriends his elderly magician neighbour, Milner (Merlin). Ben loves magic and wants to learn all he can from this old man. As he quickly learns, Ben must make his own choice between good and evil as he is drawn into the battle to decide the fate of the world as we know it . . .
And, of course, our Euro-AICN Column couldn’t lack a LOTR review. Should I be able to survive till January 18th 2002 to see this movie here in Italy?
Flux here with my review of FOTR from Wed 19th Dec - First public showing in the UK which was absolutely packed...
(some Spoilers)
Wow!
Not for a long time have I been to a Cinema that was totally silent throughout the film, apart from obligatory laughs at various Hobbit quotes! Even as the credits rolled there was no sound - I think it had such an effect people were off in their own place comparing their Middle Earth with Jackson's vision.
I am a rabid Tolkien Fan and have devoured nearly every book many times. I was expecting to like the film but to have a few niggles, such has been Hollywood's treatment of great literature before. Even as a Peter Jackson Fan I was surprised when he got the nod for this project - too much imagining Braindead! He has surpassed himself with this - Direction and Screenplay are both awesome. He has taken something Tolkien and Hollywood agreed on - that the book was unfilmable, and made a masterpiece. Even purists will have to admit that what is left out is more than compensated for by in depth scenes that satisfy neophytes and geeks alike. I would like to have seen the Barrow Wight and Tom Bombadil but their absence was more than made up by the Saruman/Lurtz scenes.
Whilst not in the book the extra scenes picturing the creation of the Uruk Hai and the industrialisation of Isengard will explain a lot about the origin of Orks and Sarumans fall which non-fans will be able to understand. Even Liv Tyler's extended role does not seem wrong, although perhaps if Glorfindel had accompanied her at the Fords of Isen everyone would be happy.
I thought the film flowed wonderfully, from the opening jaw dropping battle scene right through to the fall of Boromir. Sean Bean has finally landed a role which will stay with him forever - I've always been a fan but his final fight is iconic. The effects are awesome and are difficult to fault. I imagine that there are many "tweaks" which will only become evident after many viewings such as Legolas standing ON the snow on Caradrhas. I remember it from the book but because of the storm and the drama you only really notice it after the event.
When the Balrog appeared in Moria my jaw hit the floor with such force I thought everyone would hear - not since the opening scene of Star Wars has that happened. Moria is amazingly portrayed. When Gandalf cranks up the light and you see the halls in all of their glory you can feel the majesty of Khazad Dhum! The scrambling orc horde is also amazing - nice to see them move in all directions. The fight scene is so intense it beggars belief! The Cave Troll looks ungainly in the trailer but the footage in the film is immense. You are there fighting alongside the nine.
When it comes to the Cast Jackson has also delivered the goods. There is not one actor who does not fit their role like a glove. Even bit parts are fleshed out well - Barliman being a good example. Dominic Monahan and Billy Boys ARE Merry and Pippin. From there opening Mischievousness, through their defence of Frodo in Moria and their sacrifice to the Uruk Hai they work. Many directors would have kept the comic parts but not fleshed out the rest, Jackson makes them believable.
I challenge anyone to think that Ian Mckellern is NOT Gandalf the Grey. He was immense and must be a certainty for Best Actor at the Oscars. I cannot wait to see him return as Gandalf the White!
Sadly that is the only problem with this film - waiting for the next to come! Luckily the images of the cast are fixed in my mind and I can play out the next two books in my head and wait and see if Peter Jackson's vision equals mine. In this instance I have no doubt that he will.
Flux
