Author: Travis Keune

Hopeless film enthusiast; reborn comic book geek; artist; collector; cookie connoisseur; curious to no end

Whoa! Raimi remaking ‘Flying Daggers’? Huh-uh!

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You see, these are the kind of rumors that I not only hate, but have a really hard time coping with. Apparently, MoviesOnline.ca got wind of a rumor (no source was given) that Sam Raimi could be preparing to remake ‘House of Flying Daggers’. What?!?

The reason this is a troublesome rumor for me is that [a] I really like Sam Raimi and don’t want to see him do “bad” projects… and [b] I love ‘House of Flying Daggers’ and more importantly, I LOVE director Zhang Yimou’s work. He is one of my top five favorite filmmakers currently working and I don’t want to see any of his work remade. For me, it’s like someone trying to remake a Stanley Kubrick and terry Gilliam movie. You just don’t do it!

What do you think? Is this a REAL possibility, or is the rumor simply bogus? Personally, I wouldn’t want to see this project happen, regardless of which director takes it on. If it were to happen, is Raimi the right guy, or is someone else better suited?

[source: Movies Online]

Trailer for ‘The Descent: Part 2’

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Here’s the first trailer for ‘The Descent: Part 2’ from first-time helmer Jon Harris. Not everyone was a fan of the first movie by Neil Marshall, but the sequel surprisingly looks like it just may be more of the same, only done a bit better? As always, it’s tough to tell for sure by the trailer, but I didn’t see anything in it that made me think “blah”. What are your first impressions?

Is Scarlett Johansson the new ‘Black Widow’ in IM2?

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Nothing’s official yet, but apparently Entertainment Weekly has “exclusively learned” that Scarlett Johansson is in talks to possibly take on the role of Black Widow in ‘Iron Man 2’ if Emily Blunt does indeed officially pull out of the role. Blunt has stumbled upon scheduling conflicts between ‘IM2’ and ‘Gullivers Travels’.

Marvel will not confirm, but sources around Hollywood say Johansson has indeed met with the filmmakers and is interested in taking the role of Russian superspy Natasha Romanoff, who doubles as Black Widow. — EW

Johansson is great and, while I HATED ‘The Spirit’ as a movie, she actually was kind of cool in her role of Silken Floss. With a few make-up/character tweaks, I think she could pull the role off and certainly attract a larger box office appeal than Emily Blunt… as if the sequel to ‘Iron Man’ REALLY needed any help. So, assuming this all goes through, what do you think? Is Scarlett right for the role? Will she do it justice, or just bring the character down?

[source: EW.com]

Trailer for ‘Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter’

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So, being SUPER excited about the ‘Watchmen’ movie, while (shamefully) having never read the graphic novel, I know not the story behind this animated companion piece to Zack Snyder’s much-anticipated adaptation. However, ‘Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter’ looks pretty awesome in the trailer and even better after reading this Official Synopsis:

They’re in the book. And on this disc. From the director of Watchmen and 300 come two tales from the celebrated graphic novel that do not appear in the extraordinary Watchmen Theatrical Feature. Tales of the Black Freighter (featuring the voice of 300s Gerard Butler) brings to strikingly animated life the novels richly layered story-within-a-story, a daring pirate saga whose turbulent events may mirror those in the Watchmen’s world. Stars from the Watchmen movie team in the amazing live-action/CGI Under the Hood, based on Nite Owls powerful first-hand account of how the hooded adventurers came into existence. Two fan-essential stories. One place to watch the excitement. Watching the Watchmen begins here. — [source: FilmSchoolRejects.com]

DVD Release Date: March 24, 2009

[source: MTV.com]

New SKYNET Viral Site for ‘Terminator Salvation’

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‘Terminator Salvation’ now has a new viral marketing website which recently launched, taking us into the world of SkyNet Research. Check it out, get into the hype, and even sign up for their email newsletter… so long as your name isn’t John Connor!

[source: SkyNetResearch.com]

‘Echelon Conspiracy’ based on Reality?

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Greg Marcks (11:14) has constructed a new conspiracy suspense thriller to join the genre called ‘Echelon Conspiracy’. The film is written by Kevin Elders (Iron Eagle I-III) and Michael Nitsberg. As you’ll see from the trailer below, the movie looks action packed and exciting (but, you know how that can be misleading)… on the other hand, the element of curiosity lies not in the trailer but in the website, which suggests that “Echelon” is for real!? Is it really, or is it just a snazzy new form of viral marketing? You be the judge. At the very least, I found it entertaining and intriguing… if not a little scary!

Check out all the “goodies” at the Official Website for ‘Echelon Conspiracy’.

WAMG First Look at ‘Just Buried’

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So, this little dark comedy slipped through under the radar and, while the DVD officially released in the US on January 27, 2009, this is the first bit of info I have for you on the film. I plan on seeing this as soon as possible. Here’s a write-up from Liberation Entertainment:

Oliver (Jay Baruchel – Tropic Thunder, Knocked Up) is destined for an uneventful life until the day he and his brother Jackie breeze into town to attend the funeral of their estranged father. To everyone’s bewilderment, Oliver inherits his father’s estate—a funeral home.

Soon after his arrival, Oliver learns from the handyman Henry (Graham Greene) that the business is on the verge of bankruptcy. His life gets increasingly more complicated when he takes a drunken drive with the bewitching embalmer Roberta (Rose Byrne – TNT’s “Damages,” 28 Days Later) and collides with a hiker. Roberta cleverly disguises the fatality as an accident, providing Oliver with his ï ¬ rst-paying customer. This event launches a merciless killing spree as the duo tries to keep the funeral home alive.

With his business and love life blossoming, Oliver gains conï ¬ dence — until he realizes that he has dug a grave for himself too deep to escape.

Just Buried won “Best of the Fest” at the Santa Cruz Film Festival, “Best Director” at the Atlantic Film Festival, and was an “Official Selection” at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Trailers, wallpapers, and behind the scenes photos are available at www.justburiedthemovie.com.

Justin Marks rewriting ‘20,000 Leagues’

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You may have already heard about Disney’s remake of the classic Kirk Douglas action/adventure ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’ but, apparently things haven’t gone quite as planned. Justin Marks has been brought on by Disney to rewrite the script for the remake. Actually, the film will be more of a sequel than a remake. The official title will be ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo’.

Remake will serve as an origin story of Nemo as he creates his warship, the Nautilus. Characters come from the Jules Verne novel and the 1954 actioner, that was the first live action film made by Walt Disney. — Variety

Justin Marks is something of a hot commodity in Hollywood right now. He’s written the scripts for in development projects including ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’, ‘Voltron: Defender of the Universe’, ‘Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li’ and for the untitled Green Arrow project. However, it’s yet to be determined if all this hype is due, as none of his films have met the eyes of the audience yet.

[source: Variety]

Funny or Die presents at LA Comedy Shorts Fest

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The first L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival will be held from March 5-8, along side the L.A. Comedy Scripts Screenplay Competition. The event will be hosted by Aisha Taylor.

Web site Funny or Die will present world premieres and exclusive vintage shorts, including its first-ever Web movie, “Don Dolmes, The Smallest C*ck in Porn,” a mockumentary that spoofs the legend of John Holmes, and “Craigslist Penis Photographer,” starring Bob Odenkirk. — HR

[source: Hollywood Reporter]

‘The Ghouly Boys’ gets a Writer

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Writer Sam Esmail has been selected to write the screenplay for Mandate Pictures’ feature film adaptation of the comic book ‘The Ghouly Boys’. The project is being produced by Lindsay Doran (Nanny McPhee) and Benderspink, in partnership with Mandate.

In 2006, Mandate picked up film rights to the spooky and comical graphic-novel series about a quartet of young monster outcasts and their efforts to fit in. Written and drawn by the single-named artist Christopher (Higginson), “Ghouly” was published in 2004 by Slave Labor Graphics.

Esmail’s script will follow two friends — a young boy looking to contact his dead father and a young zombie seeking a way to come back to life — who set off on an adventure. — HR

[source: Hollywood Reporter]