Hotmail
By Gregory Ellwood
Special to MSN Entertainment
Oct. 7, 2004
October is turning out to be a pretty good month for the movies. "Friday Night Lights,"
"Team America," "The Grudge" and "Sideways" are all looking like they are worth your $10 (or
more). But while I'm sure those flicks will rock, the movie I am most
excited about is "The Incredibles," which
is now less than a month away from its Nov. 5 release date. If you've
been living under a rock and are unaware of the latest Pixar/Disney creation,
check out the new trailer here: 
Watch the trailer
Having collected comics as a
kid, I have a strong interest in the current wave of superhero movies.
Needless to say, I was a bit skeptical after seeing the teaser trailer for the
latest computer-animated film from the folks who made "Finding Nemo." The teaser trailer showcases
Mr. Incredible, a retired superhero, as he strains to fasten his belt
buckle, having obviously not worn his costume in some time. The
obvious joke is that, just like us regular folks, a superhero's midsection also
expands with age. Unfortunately, in the context of the teaser trailer, it
felt a little forced and sitcom-like to me.
My tune completely changed,
though, after seeing a panel featuring director Brad Bird at last summer's Comicon International
convention in San Diego. Having directed the critically acclaimed and
traditionally animated "Iron Giant" at Warner Bros. (whose failed marketing campaign
has unduly become legend for a movie that may have just failed to find its
audience), Bird moved over to Pixar, where he says working in CGI animation was
much easier than he anticipated. And to that point, in a scene shown to
the Comicon audience, Bird's storytelling skills seemed wonderfully meshed with
Pixar's style of humor. In the clip, Mr. Incredible visits superhero
costume designer Edna Mode (hilariously voiced by Bird), from whom he requests a
cape be added to his new costume. Edna goes off on why heroes shouldn't
wear capes, complete with examples of others who paid the horrific
price for doing so. I don't want to spoil any more of it, but the clip won
me over much more than the teaser did.
Meanwhile, the chances of Disney
and Pixar settling their differences and agreeing to a new partnership look
dimmer by the month. Over the summer, Disney's chief executive Michael Eisner provided hope that there might be a
resolution; however Disney President Robert Iger reported this past week that a
new deal was "unlikely." If this is true, watching which studio Pixar
turns to for a new distribution deal will be the next big business story in
Hollywood. Sony Pictures? 20th Century Fox? Warner Bros.?
Universal? Paramount? Go get 'em.
Hoping For 'Sunshine'
During Awards Season
I'm not sure what was more memorable at the DVD release party for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" a few weeks ago:
director Michel Gondry sitting in on drums during Beck's surprise live performance, or their impromptu cover of
the Daft Punk dance classic "Around The World" (a music video Gondry helmed).
For me, it was the latter, but for Focus Features it was all part of a very
high-profile and star-studded evening that served an important
purpose.
When Focus Features decided to release "Eternal Sunshine" last
March instead the previous fall or winter -- a time when it would have been
eligible for 2003 awards qualification -- it was met by many as a sign that the
movie didn't work. Gondry and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman had teamed up previously on "Human Nature," the least successful of Kaufman's quirky
films. Much to everyone's surprise, however, "Eternal Sunshine" received
widespread critical acclaim. Months later, many people tell me it's still
their favorite movie of the year.
Fast-forward to the end of
September and a Vanity Fair co-sponsored DVD party with Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet (absolutely stunning, by the way), Mark Ruffalo, the aforementioned Gondry and Focus
Features' President James Schamus in attendance. All for a DVD
party. Right. Now, I would never discount how important the
DVD industry has become to the studios, and even movie stars in terms of the
bottom line, but this event was also staged as a reminder: a star-studded photo
op designed to make sure the press and the awards voting community remember this
movie at the end of the year. Is it a coincidence that Focus and Universal
Home Video waited until the end of September to release the DVD? Wouldn't
they have made more money with a Jim Carrey DVD release in the summer?
Granted, this may all lead to big DVD sales, but in what is currently wrapping
up to be a weak or open year (take your pick) for award nominations, this delay
was a very smart move. Selling some DVDs always helps, but bringing back
the buzz is even better ... Now if only they could get the Academy to warm up to
Mr. Carrey.
Not Shaken, Not Stirred, Hold
Please
James Bond fans are going to have to wait until 2006 before they see
007 on the big screen again. According to an MGM spokesperson, the next
installment will not be ready for the previously announced November 2005 release
date. MGM and EON Productions, who jointly hold the rights to the
franchise, have not been able to lock down a director for the 21st picture in
the series. Both Paul McGuigan, who recently directed Josh Hartnett in the forgettable "Wicker Park," and Matthew Vaughn, a producing partner of Guy Ritchie's, were mentioned as
candidates. With such a short list of uninspiring choices, the delay sounds
like a fantastic idea to me. But there is more to the
story.
MGM states that part of the delay has been due to upper
management's involvement in the recently announced takeover of the studio by
Sony Pictures. While it makes complete sense that the merger would
influence the postponement, you'd think Sony would be putting on the brakes, not
MGM. According to a story published in Monday's Los Angeles Times, Sony
executives are eager to add some depth to Bond's character beyond his
trademarked machismo. The studio hopes to create a franchise with a broader
appeal, similar to the success they had with "Spider-Man" (translation: get the young kiddies interested).
However, it appears Sony will face fierce opposition over creative control from
EON Productions, who already have plans of their own. These plans include
selecting a new Bond under the age of 32 and basing the next flick on creator Ian Fleming's "Casino Royale."
Before the takeover was announced,
current Bond Pierce Brosnan surprised many by telling
Entertainment Weekly he would no longer be portraying the world-famous secret
agent. With the coveted role up in the air, replacement rumors of everyone
from Eric Bana to Clive Owen have been floating around town. But
after investing billions of dollars to acquire MGM, the amount of influence
EON's new "partners" will have in the process remains to be seen. With all
the work that still needs to be done (finding a director, picking a new Bond,
fostering a "cordial" relationship between EON and Sony), it sounds like a delay
is truly in order. In that case, 007 could always return in ...
2007.
Streep, Penn, Law and Winslet Make Up 'All The Kings
Men'
In what looks to be another great project in her amazing list of
credits, Meryl Streep has joined the cast of Oscar winner Steve Zaillian's "All The King's Men." Zaillian
is best known for writing the screenplays for "Schindler's List" and "Gangs of New York." He is also well respected for writing
and directing "Searching For Bobby Fischer" and "A Civil Action." With such a stellar resume, it's not
surprising that the notoriously smart Streep has decided to join Jude Law (does this man take a vacation?) and Sean Penn on Zaillian's new project. The
Hollywood Reporter also notes that Mark Ruffalo and Kate Winslet are in talks to
join the cast. I'll let you figure out the exact number of Academy Award
nominations the pair have between them, but it's an impressive total to say the
least.
Zaillian will be adapting the film's screenplay from Robert Penn Warren's novel about the life of 1930s
Louisiana Gov. Huey Long. The novel was previously adapted into a movie in 1949 which won the Best Picture Oscar.
Streep will play Sadie, an aide to Southern politician Willie Stark, portrayed
in this version by Penn. With Streep's track record of recent films
including "The Manchurian Candidate," "Angels In America," "Adaptation" and "The Hours," chances are this will also be a movie worth keeping
an eye on.
Really, We'll Have A Weekly Poll Soon, We
Swear
Did you enjoy the first installment of the column?
Want more? Make sure you check back every Thursday as I'll be bringing you an
insider's view on the movie biz, complete with interviews, set visits and
commentary on all the latest movie news. With a crowded October release
slate and the Awards season upon us, there will definitely be plenty to talk
about.
What movies are you most looking forward to for the rest of the
year? Have you been over- or under-whelmed by the movie season so
far? E-mail me your thoughts: buzz@microsoft.com. See you in
seven.
