Review: THE WOLFMAN

Folks leaving theaters may be compelled to howling into the night, induced by seeing Joe Johnston’s remake of Universal’s classic THE WOLFMAN, but don’t assume these are howls of appreciation. While Joe Johnston (JUMANJI, HIDALGO) starts the film out right… dark, moody and Gothic, playing somewhat on the old school vibe that allows the original to remain enjoyable, however the consistency begins to fall apart soon after.

The story is fairly straight-forward… silly man goes out into the dark woods against the town’s warnings, silly man gets attacked and bitten by a powerful creature of the night, silly man becomes a werewolf. We all know the basic premise. However, it’s the underlying story of Lawrence Talbot, played by Benicio Del Toro (TRAFFIC, CHE), and his relationship to Sir John Talbot and his brother’s wife Gwen, played by Emily Blunt (THE YOUNG VICTORIA).

Lawrence is an American actor in London, called away to Blackmoore by his brother Ben’s wife Gwen, pleading for his help locating her husband who recently went missing. Upon Lawrence’s arrival, Ben’s body (or, what was left of it) had already been discovered. This prompts Lawrence to seek out who, or what, killed his brother.

The pace of THE WOLFMAN varies slightly, with a comfortably slow beginning, with the audience being tossed headlong into Lawrence’s first transformation soon after. If there’s one thing done reasonably well in the film, I’d say the transformation effects were effective, believable and better than expected… for the most part. Expect AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON with added CGI tweaking from the transformation scenes.

THE WOLFMAN isn’t a complete flop. The movie has its moments, especially concerning scenes featuring Hugo Weaving (THE MATRIX, LORD OF THE RINGS) as Abberline from Scotland Yard, and Sir Anthony Hopkins (HANNIBAL, FRACTURE) as Sir John Talbot. This plot becomes something of a strange love triangle, of which I found no reasonable use except to quantify Gwen’s involvement in the film’s ending.

The most disappointing element of THE WOLFMAN was the complete failure of the film to be scary. The movie ultimately plays out like a suspense-action flick with werewolves, and when it does attempt to be “scary” it relies solely on stock made-you-jump tactics. For a Gothic monster movie, it’s neither frightening nor is it consistently very Gothic, often removing itself completely from time and place by scenes of over-indulgent CGI-enhanced action sequences.

Another element of THE WOLFMAN I found questionably intriguing was its uneven attempt to be a little funny, relying a great deal on violent humor during the extremely bloody and graphic scenes of an attacking werewolf. Coincidentally, these were the scenes that had the most creative impulse and garnered the most favorable audience reactions.

Other notable elements of THE WOLFMAN that standout include the over-use of “head-on” shots of Lawrence as a charging werewolf, which are absurdly bad, inconsistency in the werewolf’s design as portrayed on screen, especially with its legs, and… on a slightly more positive not, an effective albeit very familiar score from composer Danny Elfman. Overall, THE WOLFMAN isn’t a terribly bad movie, but will likely disappoint fans of the 1941 original.

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Taylor Lautner is STRETCH ARMSTRONG

Ever since it was announced nearly a year ago that STRETCH ARMSTRONG would be making the leap to the big screen, dozens of people (okay, maybe not even that many) were clamoring for information as to what thespian would be stepping into the role of the stretchy one.  Well, that wait is over, and those dozens of fans may soon be growing to millions.

Universal has announced none other than TWILIGHT star Taylor Lautner will be taking on the role.  What’s more, we will be getting he, his abs, and his stretchy appendages (still no word on how much that, little tidbit about the character will factor into the film) in glorious 3-D.  Oh, joy!

Universal also announced with this news that the film will be releasing in 2012 along with BATTLESHIP, another Hasbro property the studio owns.  This comes as news of a push-back for BATTLESHIP, which was to have bowed on July 29, 2011.  The Peter Berg directed film will now come out on Memorial Day, 2012.

Says Brian Goldner, President and CEO of Hasbro, Inc.:

Universal has put all the elements in place to successfully launch two of our classic Hasbro brands on the big screen.  The addition of Taylor Lautner and the 3-D twist to Stretch Armstrong, in addition to giving Pete Berg and the filmmakers the extra time and resources to make Battleship an even bigger summer blockbuster, is sure to pay dividends when the film is released in 2012.

Says Universal co-chairman, Donna Langley, about Lautner coming on board STRETCH ARMSTRONG:

In the past two years, Taylor has emerged as a real star at the global box office. He brings the perfect balance of energy and athleticism to the role of an unlikely super hero with a fantastic super power.  We couldn’t be more pleased that he has agreed to be our Stretch.

There is still no word on who will be stepping in as director of STRETCH ARMSTRONG, though Brian Grazer is producing and the film will be based on a screenplay by Steve Oedekerk.

Who Wants to See THE WOLFMAN With the Movie Geeks?

It’s been years building anticipation, and, now, we are merely a week away from seeing Joe Johnston’s remake of THE WOLFMAN.  But a few of you lucky readers will be seeing this movie a full, three days early.  We have passes to give away for the screening which will take place next Tuesday, February 9th at 7:00 PM.

First and foremost,  this is a St. Louis screening.  If you will not be in St. Louis on February 9th, please do not enter this contest.

All you have to do is leave us a comment below telling us who your favorite, cinematic werewolf is.  Is it Jack Nicholson in WOLF?  Is it Lon Chaney, Jr. in the original THE WOLFMAN?  Is it Jon Gries in THE MONSTER SQUAD?  Sorry, I just threw that one in there as a personal favorite.  Tell us who your favorite werewolf in movie history is, and we’ll be picking the winners at random over the weekend.

And, if you’re not one of the lucky winners, be sure to check out Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving in THE WOLFMAN on February 12th in theaters everywhere.

THE THING Prequel Begins Filming in March

It has been almost a year since it was announced Universal was moving forward with their proposed sequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 version of THE THING.  At that time, Variety was reporting BATTLESTAR GALACTICA executive producer Ronald Moore was working on the screenplay with commercial director and producer Matthijs Van Heijningen taking a seat in the director’s chair.

Now, it seems, pre-production is finally coming to an close, as Production Weekly announced, via their Twitter feed, that the prequel is set to begin shooting in Toronto this coming March.  Production is expected to run until June.

In March, Moore said his film would be a “companion piece” to Carpenter’s film, and not a full-fledged remake as was previously rumored.

We’re telling the story of the Norwegian camp that found the Thing before the Kurt Russell group did.

While the thought of a sequel, prequel, or remake to Carpenter’s THE THING gives me CG nightmares, I do have some faith in Moore’s talent at expanding on established properties.

Unfortunately, much of what is going to make a THING prequel work is in the execution, particularly the Thing itself.  Much of Van Heijningen’s commercials have been character-driven, but there is one commercial he did for Pepsi Max that features some nice, practical effects featuring an octopus.  Still, time will tell how his talents will transfer over to the feature film world.

Flipper Disc to Hit (and Probably Miss) in January

bourne

Anyone remember DivX?  No? Anyone recall the HD/DVD combo format?  Not really?  In about two or three years, I have a feeling people are going to be saying, “Hey, remember that flipper disc idea that fizzed out back in 2010?”  Universal has announced the first Blu-Ray/DVD ‘flipper disc’ will be rolling out on January 19th, 2010.  The film?  I should say “films,” because all three entries in the BOURNE trilogy are going to come out in this format on that date.  This comes according to Universal Home Entertainment.

The technology, much like the HD/DVD combo format, will feature a film in both formats (Blu-Ray and standard definition) on a single disc.  The catch?  Much like a laserdisc, you must flip the disc to watch the other format.  See?  That’s why it’s called a “flipper disc.”

Other than having a rather uncool sounding name, this new technology is sure to fall apart long before it takes hold of the marketplace.  Who is really going to buy one of these discs?  They are surely going to be more expensive than the basic, Blu-Ray version of the film, and those who own a Blu-Ray aren’t chomping at the bit to buy any more DVDs.  The only market I can see who would jump all over this is people who are planning to move up to the world of Blu-Ray but haven’t yet.  With the price of Blu-Ray players falling like a weighted feather, people who are considering purchasing a Blu-Ray player are sure to do just that sooner rather than later.

According to Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment, this new technology is a sure-fire way to “future proof” one’s collection.  However, with more and more stores like Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy offering combo packs that give you both versions of a film separately, the idea of “future proofing” your collection doesn’t seem so imperative as it once did.

What do you think?  Would you be interested in purchasing a flipper disc of a movie so you can play it in all the players in your home theater?  Who do you believe would benefit most from having this technology around?  Is it just late and I’m cranky?  If so, tell me to shut up.  Either way, let us know what you think in the comments section below.  Regardless of what you think of the technology, you have to admit.  There are much better and cooler names that could have been used than the “flipper disc.”

No BOURNE 4 for Greengrass

greengrass bourne

Paul Greengrass has left the building.   The BOURNE building, that is, and, hopefully, it’s only temporary.   According to The Playlist, who cites sources and friends close to the project, Greengrass walked away from the project more than a week ago, and there has been trouble surrounding the fourth film in the BOURNE franchise since its inception.

Evidently, Universal opted to bring in a screenwriter to pen a “parallel” script to the one already written by BOURNE 3 and THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU scribe George Nolfi.   THE INFILTRATOR writer Josh Zetumer was brought in without any consultation with Greengrass on the matter.   According to The Playlist, though Greengrass was furious that Universal brought in a second writer without discussing with him, no one is very pleased with what Nolfi has crafted.

Meanwhile, Greengrass has, evidently, been spending Universal’s money like it is going out of fashion on the Matt Damon-starring Iraqi actioner, GREEN ZONE.   The budget for that film has swelled to $150 million while reshoots and time spent in the editing room abound.   Universal isn’t happy this much time and money is going into a film that was supposed to be a “smaller” film between BOURNE projects, and Greengrass feels he has made the company enough scratch from the BOURNE films to give him a little leeway.   Regardless, “creative differences” are what are being touted as the reasoning for Greengrass stepping away from the film.

BOURNE 4 was prepping to shoot in the fall of 2010.   With no set script in hand and director whose attachment is flimsy at best (there are rumors that this “stepping away” is so “Paul”), this start date seems less and less likely.   Damon, who is very loyal to Greengrass, probably wouldn’t be returning to the franchise without the director, anyway.   If Universal wants to get this film made and with Damon in the spotlight seat, they had better works towards getting Greengrass in a happier mood.

47 RONIN May Have Found Their Director

47 ronin

Carl Erik Rinsch better start honing his samurai sword, as, according to Variety, the commercial director is nearing a deal with Universal to helm the Keanu Reeves-starring 47 RONIN.   This film will be the feature film debut for Rinsch who was previously rumored to be on the shortlist for the upcoming ALIEN prequel.   That was, until Ridley Scott decided it was time to step back into the world of sci-fi.   Needless to say, Fox welcomed Scott back into the ALIEN world with open arms, and Rinsch was forced to look elsewhere for his first film.

47 RONIN, written by Chris Morgan (CELLULAR, WANTED, and FAST & FURIOUS), tells the true tale of Japanese samurai swordsmen who, in the early 18th century, took revenge on those responsible for the death of their master.   The classic tale has been altered slightly for Morgan’s screenplay to include the half-Asian Reeves as one of the swordsmen.   The story is said to include fantastical elements a la LORD OF THE RINGS with battle scenes on par with 300 and GLADIATOR.

It is odd for a studio to have a first-time filmmaker stepping into a project they consider a tent pole, as 47 RONIN is.   Perhaps the success of Neill Blomkamp and DISTRICT 9 has causes studios to turn their attention towards lesser known directors with a visual eye.   Rinsch has made a name for himself directing ads for brands like Mercedes, Sprite, BMW, and Heineken.

With Universal looking to get a director on board this project, expect filming to begin sometime in the second quarter 2010 with a potential release date sometime in Summer of 2011.

UPDATED: Green Light Means Go for DEATH RACE: FRANKENSTEIN LIVES

death race

There were reports back in August that a prequel to Paul W. S. Anderson’s 2008 action remake DEATH RACE was in the works.  At that time, all that was known was that a screenwriter, Tony Giglio, had been set to the task, and the film would follow the origins of Frankenstein and those of the Death Race itself.  Now, thanks to Shock Till You Drop, comes word that not only has Universal given the film the green light, it plans to shoot it next year with a possible DVD release to follow.

Of course, with the film getting the DVD treatment instead of a full-fledged, theatrical push, this means Anderson is probably not going to be returning other than as a producer (probably executive, at that).  The chances of seeing Jason Statham return were slim, anyway, seeing as how this story has nothing to do with his character.  I’m guessing Warden Hennessey and Coach will be in the new film, though neither Joan Allen nor Ian McShane are likely to appear.  Shame, since Allen delivered the best line of the film with perfect, straight-face accuracy.  I won’t repeat it, since this is a family site.

Producer Jeremy Bolt, who works with Anderson on most of his projects, says they are considering actors to step into the Frankestein role and that the new film will have a considerably smaller budget than the original.  Expect less explosions this time around.

UPDATE:

No more did I hit the publish button than I went over to AICN and noticed a link to Spoiler TV.  There, we find a casting call for various characters in the film, which, according to this, is called DEATH RACE: FRANKENSTEIN LIVES.

Here is that casting call which gives us a handful of the new characters we are going to see:

DEATH RACE: FRANKENSTEIN LIVES

Exec. Producers: Paul W.S. Anderson, Jeremy Bolt
Producer: Mike Elliott
Writer: Tony Giglio
Start Date: Feb. 22, 2010

STORY LINE:
Newly arrived at Terminal Island, a prison for the most nonredeemable of convicts, CARL “LUKE” LUCAS must prove his mettle in a race to the death…

[CARL “LUKE” LUCAS]
In his 20s-30, American, European, British, Australian, Latino, etc., handsome and confident, with a hint of danger, Lucas has been in trouble since the age of 12. Right-hand man to a notorious mobster for twelve years, he is sent away for life
after killing a cop in the course of robbing a bank. Offered a deal by the DA if he turns state’s evidence, Lucas opts to take his chances behind bars, where he soon captures the attention of a violence-peddling television producer. Possessed of some serious driving skills, assertive, strong, and charismatic, Lucas is a natural fit for the ultimate test, aka, the “Death Race.”…LEAD (2) STAR NAMES PREFERRED – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY

[SEPTEMBER JONES]
In her 20s – early 30s, a model turned journalist, September is is “insatiably ambitious and eye-poppingly gorgeous,” a woman who knows how to use what she’s got to get what she wants. She’s callous and self-serving, dressed provocatively, with the soul of an ice-pick, but the brains to know how to market violence to the masses. When ratings for her gladiator-style television show begin plummeting, September is quick to come up with the “Death Race” concept, thrilled by its stunning success sptv050769…LEAD (2) STAR NAMES PREFERRED – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY

[ELIZABETH JAYNE CASE]
In her 20s – early 30s, and sexy, she is a card girl for the fight matches, later a navigator when the prisoners are forced to test their driving skills. Intelligent (valedictorian of her high school class), decent, with a good heart, Case landed in prison after killing her abusive cop husband. Quick to come to the aide of girl in peril or help Lucas outwit an adversary, she’s a courageous, admirable young woman. Teamed with Lucas for a death race, the chemistry soon heats up between the two…LEAD (16) STAR NAMES PREFERRED – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY

[DOUGLAS WEYLAND]
In his 30s – 60, American or foreign, bold, opulent and self-indulgent, the CEO and Founder of the Weyland Corporation, he is a opportunist at best, a man who makes millions on the backs of others. Clearly not immune to September’s come-hither charm, he agrees to produce a televised gladiator-style series of fighting matches, later disappointed by the ratings. However, he’s quite impressed when September’s idea for a race to the death has the viewers tuning in again…LEAD (11) STAR NAMES ONLY – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY

[WARDEN MEDFORD PARKS]
In his 40s – 60s, Caucasian, African American, Latino, European, etc., he is the old school style warden at Terminal Island, the last stop for the country’s most unredeemable criminals. More comfortable around hoods and rapists than self-serving
broadcasting types, he butts heads with September, outraged by her willingness to glamorize society’s worst, disgusted by her insensitivity when lives are on the line. Eventually forced out of job by the Machiavellian September, he can’t help but feel vindicated when she gets her comeuppance…LEAD (2) STAR NAMES ONLY – ANY NATIONALITY,ANY ETHNICITY

[BIG BILL]
In his 30s, African American, a steroid-enhanced mountain man, head of the United Blood Nation, the African American gang in Terminal Island…1 speech & 5 lines, 9 scenes (2) POSSIBLE CAMEO – FIGHTER, WRESTLER, BOXER OR WARLORD – MARTIAL ARTS A PLUS

[GUNNER]
In his 20s, Hispanic, he is an old friend of Lucas, happy to see him on the same work detail when the two land in Terminal Island Prison. An enthusiastic car mechanic, he refurbishes Lucas’ old Mustang, getting it into fighting form. Later, he’s saddened and angry when led to believe that one of his buddies has been responsible for Lucas’ death.sptv050769..LEAD (26)

[TONY VALENTI]
In his 40s – 60s, American, Italian or European, he is head of the city’s most vicious organized crime syndicate, a “schizophrenic prone to wild mood swings.” He is a man you never want to cross…3 speeches & 1 line, 2 scenes (2) CAMEO – STAR NAMES ONLY

[ROCCO]
In his 40s, a wiry big city type, he’s working the auto shop on Terminal Island. Later part of Lucas’ pit team, he seems like a solid guy, loyal and hard-working. Later, we learn about how he had sabotaged Lucas’ car…2 speeches & 11 lines, 5 scenes (26) ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY

[DR. KLEIN]
This prison infirmary doctor tends to a mortally wounded Lucas. Later, however, he explains how Lucas managed to survive the fiery crash…4 speeches & 5 lines, 2 scenes (83) POSSIBLE CAMEO – ANY NATIONALITY, ANY ETHNICITY

[LISTS]
In his 20s, nicknamed “Lists” because he’s a font of information about almost any subject, quickly spewing lists of details. Convicted of matricide, he’s a newbie at the prison and obviously scared. He later teams up with Gunner, becoming part of Lucas’ pit crew…4 speeches, 6 scenes (12)

[XANDER GRADY]
In his 30s, a mean and nasty Aussie, he is the leader of The Brotherhood, a collection of white supremacists in the prison…2 lines, 6 scenes (1) MARTIAL ARTS A PLUS

[JESUS LUNA]
In his 30s, Latino, tatted, scarred and scary, he is the head of The Netas, an Hispanic prison gang…4 lines, 6 scenes (2) MARTIAL ARTS A PLUS

[14K]
Named for his fourteen “kills,” Asian, in his 30s – 40s, a “combination of Bruce Lee and Genghis Khan,” he is the leader of The Triads, the most powerful Chinese gang on the planet (or at least in the prison).sptv050769..1 speech & 1 line, 6 scenes (2) MARTIAL ARTS REQUIRED

It appears filming is to commence in late February.

Second WOLFMAN Trailer Warrants a Lesson in Overkill

wolfman trailer header

Sometimes a studio just needs to know when to say “when” on their marketing strategy.   Granted, Universal pushed WOLFMAN back to February 2010 so they could spend some quality time running ad campaigns.   They started off strong with the film’s first trailer back at the end of August.   Then, all was relatively quiet.   This time could have been spent putting together early TV spots, incorporating the same footage we’ve already seen in new and inventive ways.

Today, we learn, Universal isn’t interested in any of that.   They want to give as much of the film away as possible in the hopes that you’ll all go to see the film hoping to see something you haven’t already seen a hundred times.   Honestly, it’s the same criticism I have for the way Fox is promoting AVATAR.   Why give so much of the film away when you could do just as much with half the early reveal?

Anyway, that’s my two cents on the matter in regards to strategy.   On the film front, this one looks epic.   Here’s the new trailer for WOLFMAN, courtesy of Apple, which gives quite a lot of Benicio wolfing out away.   This new trailer also reiterates beliefs I have about Anthony Hopkins’ character, but that’s better left unsaid.   Don’t blink or you’ll also miss a nicely placed cameo by horror effects master Rick Baker.

You can also check out the trailer in HD over on Apple’s site, and, with the film’s visual style, that’s really the way you should go.

WOLFMAN is set for release on February 20th, 2010.

And, in case you blinked:

wolfman trailer rick baker

Photoshopped Aliens! The Final FOURTH KIND Poster Revealed

fourth kind poster

We haven’t really talked much about THE FOURTH KIND.  While I feel it has the potential of being quite scary, I’m not totally sold on the whole “based on true cases” motif they are going with.  For one, I don’t buy it for a second, but that’s coming from someone who stayed up until 3AM more than once back in 1998 looking for information, any information, on BLAIR WITCH.  Milla Jovovich presenting herself and claiming she is “playing the role” of Dr. Abigail Tyler in the trailer’s opening seconds doesn’t help the film’s case any, either.

Having said that, Universal, via the film’s official site, has released this new poster.  It melds a few, different images we have already seen from the film, including the first poster, which, in my opinion, had much more to offer than this.

fourth kind poster1

Much simpler.  Much more effective.  It doesn’t flash a Photoshopped shot of its star, and it certainly doesn’t include any grainy, home video shots.  Hmm.  Wonder why they would include one of those shots?

THE FOURTH KIND is set for release on November 6th.