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Rumor Patrol: Sam Worthington is Dan Dare?

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 15th 2010 5:17PM
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Warner Brothers, RumorMonger, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Cinematical
The jury may still be out on whether or not the world has gone ga-ga for Aussie actor Sam Worthington, but that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from attaching his name to every action/fantasy/sci-fi franchise around. The latest property to bear the Worthington connection -- according to Pajiba -- will be the big-screen adaptation of the UK comic book hero Dan Dare, with Worthington in the lead, of course. Dare was created by Frank Hampson, and was known for complex stories and stunning artwork. It had popped in and out of English pop culture over the years as a radio show, and also as a television series (that, for the most part, didn't go beyond the planning stages).

In 2008, interest in Dare resurfaced thanks to a Nickelodeon UK animated series, and a limited comic book run by Garth Ennis and Gary Erskine for Virgin Comics (who also owned the rights at the time for Dare). When Virgin Comics dissolved, Dynamite Entertainment picked up the rights, and sources are claiming that Warner Brothers is fast-tracking the project to find a writer and director for the sci-fi story.

The latest attempt to bring Dare to the big screen started in 2007, but the wait could be over. According to Pajiba, it's full-steam ahead for the tale of England's answer to Buck Rogers. The name Dan Dare is relatively unknown on this side of the pond, but even if you aren't familiar with the original comics, you'll have to agree that just going on looks, Worthington isn't a bad choice for the dashing Colonel. Worthington has already signed to star and produce another comic book adaptation, Last Days of American Crime, and judging by the rumors alone, he's going to be pretty busy for the foreseeable future. So I guess whether you like him or not, we all better get used to having him around. Read

David Fincher In Talks For 'Pawn Sacrifice'

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 15th 2010 2:17PM
Filed under: Drama, Deals, Sony, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, Movie News, Cinematical
I used to have a long-running complaint that there were certain directors who just didn't work as often as they should. In the case of David Fincher, I grudgingly accepted it because his uncompromising nature as a director resulted in some of my all-time favorite films. But, judging by the news-wire these days, I may have to take Fincher off my list of "cinematic teases." Variety is now reporting that Fincher is in talks with Colombia Pictures to direct Pawn Sacrifice, a chess drama about the great Bobby Fischer and his life leading up to the legendary match against Boris Spassky. According to sources, Steve Knight's script has garnered plenty of attention in Hollywood from other A-list directors, and was quickly snapped up by Tobey Maguire to produce, and possibly star.

The news of Fincher's potential involvement with the chess flick came days after word had surfaced that he was still looking for a studio for his Heavy Metal re-imagining and was also in talks to direct The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo. It's certainly a change for the usually slow-paced director, who has proven that he isn't afraid to walk away from a project rather than abandon his principles, and it was probably that same attitude that led to Fincher's previous battles with Paramount. Variety even speculates that perhaps Fincher has found a new home at Colombia, having already started work on the Facebook drama Social Network for the studio.

I've been a fan of Fincher long enough to know that he isn't afraid to pull the plug, so until these movies are in production, I won't hold my breath. Then again, maybe I should try and be a bit more optimistic, and I can only hope that Fincher has finally caught the productivity bug. Read

Is Joaquin Phoenix Really Returning to Acting?

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 14th 2010 6:15PM
Filed under: Thrillers, Casting, Mystery & Suspense, Celebrities and Controversy, Cinematical
I think most of us saw this coming: There is a chance that Joaquin Phoenix might be ready to end his self-imposed retirement and return to the big-screen (just in time to save his career). To put it bluntly, Phoenix darn near torpedoed his reputation back in 2008 when he announced his leap into the world of hip-hop. But, there was hope that he had seen the light (or perhaps had finally gotten enough footage for his celebrity melt-down satire) when Shock Till You Drop reported that Phoenix would be playing the master of macabre, Edgar Allan Poe, in the literary thriller The Beautiful Cigar Girl, about the grisly inspiration for Poe's The Mystery of Marie Rogêt. (You can read more about the film over at Horror Squad.)

Of course, nothing is ever that easy when it comes to the actor-turned-hip-hop artist, and there are now reports that the former-actor's rep has denied that Phoenix had signed on for the role. So, we are left wondering, is Phoenix just yanking our chain yet again? The much more likely explanation is that maybe someone let their imagination run away with them in an attempt to get a little attention.

It wasn't all that long ago that Phoenix had become a bit of a handy celebrity punchline, and he did his fair share to give comedians and late-night hosts plenty to work with. But even those who weren't mocking the buffoonery of the formerly celebrated actor were shaking their heads in pity, discussing lost potential along with the usual Hollywood hand-wringing about the price of young fame. But I think there were plenty of us hoping that Phoenix would someday return to what he did best -- and that wasn't bumbling around on-stage to a generic hip-hop beat.

After the jump: Whatever happened to that documentary?
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Can One Bad Scene Ruin a Whole Movie?

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 13th 2010 4:02PM
Filed under: Fandom, Fan Rant, Trailers and Clips, Trailers and Clips, Cinematical


If you are a regular reader around these parts, then you are probably well acquainted with our Scenes We Love and Scenes We Hate. So, I recently went to see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderlandand was struck with a moment on-screen that wasn't necessarily a scene that I hated (in the traditional sense of the word), and it definitely wasn't a scene I loved -- but it stood out, because it did almost manage to ruin the entire movie.

Now for the curious out there (and this might count as a spoiler, so be warned), the moment in question was when the Mad Hatter (played by Johnny Depp but looking like Gene Wilder) celebrates the victory over the Red Queen and engages in a dance vignette that would make the kids in High School Musical run in terror. It was in a word: horrifying. After discussing the movie with friends, I just couldn't get that scene out of my head, and trust me; I don't mean that in a good way.

But this isn't the first time this has happened to me, and sometimes when I'm watching a movie, there is a scene that is so out of place, or just so badly executed that it has you desperately wishing that everyone involved had spent just a few more minutes in the editing suite.

After the jump; 3 other scenes that I think managed to stop the movie dead in its tracks...
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Do You Want a Happy Ending in a Romantic Movie?

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 12th 2010 12:02PM
Filed under: Romance, New Releases, Fandom, Movie News, New Releases, Cinematical


I may not be a romantic by nature but if the mood should strike, I can get as swoony as the next gal. Romantic dramas usually aren't my go-to genre, which unfortunately puts Remember Me (opening today), starring Emilie de Ravin (LOST) and Robert Pattinson (who I'm sure needs no introduction) relatively low on my must-view list. But despite my indifference to the tale of an angry rich boy and the girl who loves him, I did notice that the trailer showed hints of things not going well for our young lovers (if nothing else, that Sia song usually triggers some tears, so you know it's not going to be good) and it got me thinking about the tragic vs. the happy ending in the world of romance.

Now this may sound weird but because everlasting love seems pretty fantastical in the first place, maybe a happy ending doesn't seem all that ridiculous. Some films demand a tragedy in the service of a larger story, and I get that. It's not like The English Patient or Titanic is going to work as effectively if Katharine were to jump up in the cave yelling 'All better!' or Jack suddenly finds a spare lifeboat. But sometimes I wonder if films purposely try to shoehorn a 'downer' ending to give the film a little more gravitas -- because god forbid we all take a 'chick flick' seriously.

After the jump: so when did it become a crime to be happy?
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What Were Your Favorite Title Sequences of 2009?

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 10th 2010 6:41PM
Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Awards, SXSW, DIY/Filmmaking, George Clooney, Movie News, Awards, SXSW Film Festival, Cinematical


Technically this is the kind of headline you might have expected to see in the midst of our best of the year/decade lists. But let's not get too hung up on the timing, because it's going to make perfect sense in a minute. This year at SXSW, the festival has launched the first Excellence in Title Design award, honoring the best opening title sequences in film and television over the past year (judges include Susan Bradley from Pixar and Ian Albinson and Alexander Ulloa from Art of the Title Sequence.) For those in the know, there's a grand tradition in the art of a credit sequence, but sometimes in the rush of blockbusters and big names we forget about all the work and talent that goes into even the most functional of movie arts: the opening credits.

Of course, one of the most talked about title sequences in recent memory was yU+Co's contribution to Zack Snyder's Watchmen (which will go down in history as one of my all time favorites) and it was also one that was notably absent from the list of nominees. Unfortunately, the nominees weren't selected by the good folks at SXSW, and instead, they were chosen from submissions from designers, so I guess yU+Co figured they had gotten enough press for their work on the Watchmen, and went with their contribution to the fantasy adaptation, Cirque du Freak, instead. But it looks like their work on the superhero flick had a lasting effect on other designers, because one of the other nominees, Zombieland, was subtly influenced by yU+Co's creation. Some of the other notable nominees for the grand prize include Gaspar Noe for Enter the Void and Geoff McFetridge's titles for Where the Wild Things Are -- you can see the full list of nominees on the SXSW website.

After the jump: a prediction for the winner's circle and my nominee for best title sequence of 2009... Read
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Cinematical Seven: Job Hunting for Evil Movie Corporations

By Jessica Barnes (Subscribe to Jessica Barnes's posts), Posted Mar 9th 2010 10:32PM
Filed under: Action, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Cinematical Seven, Michael Moore, George Clooney, Cinematical


This week, you're going to have your choice of brand spanking new DVDs about the corporate world. In one corner, you have Up in The Air, an introspective story about a man evaluating his life and his work, and in the other corner, Capitalism: A Love Story, Michael Moore's latest documentary about how corporate America is screwing you. Now while Jason Reitman centered his story on the personal side of downsizing and financial ruin, Moore, as a documentary filmmaker and social activist, is all about the facts (or as much about the facts as Moore can ever be) and his film is about grand scale financial collapse, bank bailouts and a general indictment of capitalism in the Western world. In fact, the two flicks could even make for a fun (and I use the term loosely) double bill for a cause and effect movie night.

Now, if that sounds a little heavy for a night on the couch, that's alright, because for today's Cinematical Seven, I thought we might want to take a step back from reality and into the world of fantasy. Besides, some of you might be reading this from a beige and gray locale as I speak, and it might do us all some good to engage in a little daydreaming. Now, in most movies, big corporations are usually pretty evil, and I'm not talking bad corporate citizen evil, I'm talking big time, capitalistic future run amok evil (see what happens when you don't listen to Michael Moore?). So today, let's play a game and see if you have what it takes to work for an evil movie corporation.

After the jump: 7 recruiting tips to help you land your dream job at an evil corporation from the movies...
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