Father Geek reporting in with Latauro's "Mini" report from downunder this week... doesn't look like alot is happening down there right now... Snowed in, maybe? At any rate our man on the scene seems to be fighting off a bout of "olde cabin fever" for some reason, or another...
It looks like we're up chocolate creek without a Popsicle stick!
AICN-DOWNUNDER
AICN-DOWNUNDER
I swear to God, I'm not reporting any SUPERMAN stuff until we get it in stone. Until it's greenlit. Until it's shooting. Until it's cut. Until I'm sitting in the cinema watching. Until the sequel's on its way. Because I'm getting sick of reading local reporters get really excited about McG shooting here in five months or whatever it is, and then having to report that the film isn't greenlit and McG isn't technically signed.
When I'm sitting in the cinema, THEN I'll believe a man can fly. In the meantime, here's what's really going on down here...
NEWS
* Interesting piece of news for those of you looking forward to SHARKSLAYER, or whatever it's called now. Katie Couric of "NBC Today" will play the voice of an interviewing fish thing who interviews Will Smith's character for a morning show. Buuuut, the Australian release will have the same character voiced by Tracey Grimshaw. Grimshaw is the co-host of Channel Nine's "Today" show... an interesting choice, given that Nine's rival Channel Seven has a morning show "Sunrise", co-hosted by a very Katie Couric-like Mel Doyle, who is a lot more popular. Must be a conspiracy.
* Supertoyslast sent me an email about the RED DWARF movie (which, amusingly, ended in "NEVER...GOING...TO...HAPPEN". Why the pessimism? www.reddwarf.co.uk has posted an explanation of sorts from co-creator Doug Naylor as to why he couldn't attend a big "Red Dwarf" convention. Apparently, he's knee-deep in investor meetings, and strongly believes the movie will be off the ground in a few weeks. Not that we've heard that before or anything. As to shooting down under, Grant said: "We can't afford to shoot the movie in the UK and get the same production values that we will be able to get in Oz. Remember both The Matrix and the last Star Wars were made in Oz. Most Brit movies are shot on location in the UK and can't afford the expense of months of studio hire. Movies like Harry Potter aren't British movies, they're American movies, funded by American studios, with Brit actors in them, so they can afford to shoot in the UK studios because they're funded by the US. Red Dwarf is science fiction, so we need to build many of the sets, and therefore need several studios. That is much more affordable in Australia, plus they have locations out there which are very spectacular." For a frighteningly funny description of the project's funding woes, head to the RD website for the full story.
* The webmasters at The Christopher Lloyd News Site (www.christopherlloyd-news.com) dropped a line to tell us about WALLFLOWERING, a film he'll be shooting in Australia with Christine Lahti. The film is about a married couple living in the 70s who are completely out-of-touch with the rest of the world. Directed and Adapted by Sara Knight (SURVIVOR IN 'DA HOOD), it's based on the play by local award-winning writer Peta Murray. The film will also star local actors Wendy Hughes and Sigrid Thornton.
* Cosmic Stallion let us know that www.easterneye.com.au is making available copies of VOLCANO HIGH (which I loved), THE GRUDGE (which I didn't), and AVALON (which I thought was weird as hell). Cosmic ordered them in, and has put up his reviews on his blog at www.livejournal.com/users/cosmicstallion/
* Also, cruising around looking for ways to blow my cash, I came across the link if you want to order Aussie zombie flick UNDEAD on DVD. Head to http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/227264 to pick it up. Oh, and I'm not getting any kickbacks from ezyDVD or the Spierig Brothers... although if they would like to give me free shit, they need only to write. (Apology to the people who also emailed me the info about the UNDEAD link, but I accidentally deleted two days worth of emails in one fell swoop... credit denied!)
BOX OFFICE
Just Harry P.
RELEASED THIS WEEK
Just SHREK.
REVIEWS
I've been catching up on a lot of films lately, and I am benevolent enough
to share my expert opinions with you plebeians. You'll get my SHREK 2 review
next week, so in the meantime...
THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
Big dumb fun.
VAN HELSING
Big and dumb.
THE PUNISHER
Dumb.
NEXT WEEK
- Andrew Kevin Walker sells his script to EI8HT, with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman returning as Detectives Mills and Somerset, respectively, and Vincent Cassell as the eighth deadly sin
- marykateandashleyolsen signs on to star in a sequel to DOUBLE TEAM, in which Jean Claude Van Damme will- oops, FBI at the door
- Ray Bradbury sues the makers of SPIDER-MAN for partially infringing on the title of his book, "The Illustrated Man"
