Harry here with Quint's report about APT PUPIL and X-MEN. I can tell you this, Monday will be the determining day for X-MEN. Singer and McQuarrie turned in their draft this past week and they have a meeting to determine where to go with the project. Singer also said that the draft I read he wasn't too happy with, but he's very pleased with the newest draft. (go get it you spies you) Here's Quint's report...
Quint here. I'm sure you, the Constant Reader, will be overwhelmed by Apt Pupil reviews here shortly, so I'll make mine as short and to the point as I possibly can, I might even have an X-Men tidbit or two from the lips of Mr. Singer himself.
Well, hot holy shark shit. This has to be one of my all time favorites of the year. Apt Pupil, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Mighty, and on and on.. I'd honestly rank it that way. Apt Pupil has my vote for best film and I'll tell you why. One: Saving Private Ryan. I love that movie. I think it's a terrific film... But it seems almost too perfectly Oscar to me for it to win best picture. It almost looks like it was made to win best picture and probably will. Now Apt Pupil is the one that has the makings of a Best Picture, but isn't Academy material.... just like a little film about a guy that likes to eat people and a girl that is traumatized by her father's death that seeks the cannible's advice. Oh yeah, Silence of the Lambs. I believe Apt Pupil could be this year's Silence of the Lambs. If not, then at least give Ian McKellen the best actor Oscar. He is what drives this movie. The chemistry that he and Brad Renfro create, the paranoid, freaky feeling that makes this film full of atmosphere, is what ultimately drives the film.
This is probably my favorite Stephen King adaptation. I know a couple of actors, you know who you are, that really didn't like Renfro in this film because he played the part with dead eyes, but I thought that was what was needed and what they were going for. Schwimmer got a laugh from the audience when his guidance counsellor character appeared. "What's a guidance counsellor?" "A guidance counselor, he guides and he counsels Anyway, Mr. Basset Hound didn't hinder the movie at all. It just makes me so happy when one movie gets made the right way. Bryan Singer found the perfect cast, in my opinion.
Also, Singer is huge Jaws freak, so you know he has to be a cool guy. I mean he named the production company Bad Hat Harry productions. I laughed outloud when those words flashed across the Paramount Theater's gigantic movie screen on the closing night of The Austin Film Festival. I had to confront Singer with this, which I did after the film. I introduced myself then told him that "I'm Quint on the site." and his face lit up and he started shaking my hand really fast. He told me that I wouldn't believe how influential "you guys" are.
Ok, now. I know most of you guys are thinking, what about X-Men? Well, he did say a few things to me that might be considered newsworthy, but I don't know if Harry has posted anything like this in the last few days being that his site hasn't been functioning at 100%. He confirmed Wolvie saying, "Bub" chomping on Cigars and drinking beer. That's not too new. I asked him, "And what about Beast? He now hangs upsidedown reading with his reading glasses on and saying $10 words, right?" He said, "Well, I don't think Beast will be in the movie." Yes. He said that Hank McCoy, everyone's favorite blue hairball, isn't in the new draft of the script which he says is much better than "the one reviewed on the web page." He also kinda dispelled the rumor that Gary Sinese would play Wolverine.
Well, that's it from me this time around. I'll catch you all later.
-Quint
