Yippee!!! Looks like X-MEN has finally gotten the greenlight! Well, according to Bryan Singer anyway... It's after the Close Encounters piece... Read for yourself!!!
Tonight, I saw "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". And I waited in line for five hours to see it.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held a screening of a
new definitive version of Spielberg's masterpiece. As soon as I heard
about it, I started frothing at the mouth. "Close Encounters..." on the
big screen. New director's cut. With cast and crew. Of course, I didn't have a ticket to this sold out show, so I had to
arrive at 3 P.M. The movie started at 8. When I showed up, there was
already a line of five people. My people.
Five hours later, with standby ticket in hand, I entered the theatre.
Small introduction from the senile critic from the L.A. Times, and the
movie started (after about four minutes of technical difficulties- the
lights kept going on and off).
All in all, it was the same great film, no noticeable changes, just a
hybrid of the original version and the special edition. But it was great
to see it on the big screen, my first time. After the movie, the L.A.
Times guy held a question and answer session with cast and crew (no,
Spielberg wasn't there, although he was on the guest list- apparently,
he's in new York). The guests were Joe Alves (production designer), Bob
Balaban (David Laughlin), Cary Guffey (Barry Guiler), Melinda Dillon
(Jillian Guiler), Julia and Michael Phillips (producers), and Vilmos
Zsigmond (D.O.P.). Lots of lame, "Entertainment Tonight"-style questions
were asked ("It must have been strange to work in a special effects
film. Was it hard pretending things were there when they really
weren't?"), but there were a few great anecdotes, including a story from
Bob Balaban, where he explained about his audition. He was told he'd
have to speak French in the movie, and since he took two years of high
school French, he thought he was qualified. So, when he auditioned, they
told him to speak some French, and he gave them a long speech, which
translated into "My French is horrible, you'd be idiots to hire me, I'm
never going to get this job...". Needless to say, he got it.
Okay, you wanted movie news, so here it is. Oddly enough, it's about the
X-Men movie. You see, the fellow sitting in front of me was none other
than Bryan Singer. After the film, I followed him up the aisle, and when
we reached the theater exit, I said, meekly, "Uh, Mr. Singer...I just
want to say that I'm a big fan of your work... and, uh, I just wanted to
say hello." Then, surprisingly, he stopped, shook my hand, and asked me
my name. Then we had a conversation. I told him I was anticipating the
X-Men film, and he said, "Yeah, me too." I asked if everything was going
well, and he said, yeah, now, it is. In fact, the script is done and the
film was greenlighted three days ago. They're looking to go in front of
the cameras in May (I think) and they're planning on a Summer 2000
release. Then, we parted ways, and my whole body shook from the coolness
of what just happened.
The X-MEN NEWS
Harry here... P.S. Bryan, Vilmos is an excellent DP!!!