Hello there. Welcome to the end of week three here at Movies Pulse, which means the third installment of your favorite non-column, Weekly Pulse. For those of you who actually follow this (I know you’re out there, even if you don’t come up and admit it) you’ll notice a slight delay in the posting of this column this week. My sincerest apologies, as I have been battling some weird form of illness that has literally sucked the energy out of me this week. The girl I’m with got her blood tested for mono, and the reults of that are ‘borderline, we don’t know if you have it’. How the hell do you get borderline mono?! All the cases I’ve ever heard have sacked the people and left them in bed, but apparently there are different/weak strains or whatever. So yeah, combine that with work, school, and a tiny personal life on the side, and it becomes a lot to handle and results in a late column. BUT! Never fear, for I am here, pounding this out WHILE I work and feel exhausted, so you can have the ultimate guide to all things movie pulse. I’ll tell you, the lengths some of us go for you people….
Anyway, we’ve had another rock solid week here at Movies, as everyone has settled into their own groove and things are progressing very smoothly. We still have some surprises up our collective sleeves for the future, but for the most part, the schedule is set, and what you see now is mostly what you’ll get.
News You Can Use, and I Abuse
Tom Hanks Will Crack The DaVinci Code
It was reported earlier this week that Tom Hanks will star in Ron Howard’s upcoming novel-to-film adaptation, The DaVinci Code. This reunites the two after work on previous films Splash and Apollo 13. Hanks will play Robert Langdon, a scholar who unravels clues that could ruin the Catholic church.
What great, great news for fans of the book. Those who have read it know it is a powerful novel, and is a very special read. I’m wary of any kind of adaptation to the screen, as there is a LOT to cover in this book. But if anyone is the right choice for the lead, it is Tom Hanks. He’s an incredible actor, and he brings the best to almost every role he plays in. This movie is also sure to turn heads, if done well, just like the novel did, so casting family friendly Tom Hanks is a good move on various fronts. The pairing of Hanks and Howard, combined with the news that they want to take their time and cast the right actors for the right roles (foreign actors for foreign characters) has boosted my interest and anticipation in this project a lot.
Disney Isn’t Waiting to Move Forward with Toy Story 3; Hanks Unsure About Returning
Big news on the Disney front this week, as they announced plans to actively move ahead with Toy Story 3. They are in the process of setting up a digital animation facility used for production. Tom Hanks went on record as expressing doubts about returning for part three, saying it would, “…be a bridge to cross when I come to it.”
I could have sworn this popped up on the site weeks ago, and I commented on it then,but a brief check back by me found nothing, so I’ll say it again. Right now, Disney animated, specifically Disney CG animation, is nothing without Pixar. They have been responsible for all of the monster hits, especially Toy Story. The fact that Disney wants to go ahead with a third Toy on its own is questionable given their recent track record. Look at Tom Hanks, THE voice of the movies (With Tim Allen, naturally). When Tom Hanks hesitates on Toy Story, you have a problem. He is a gentleman in the way he words it, but if you read between the lines, you can get more of what he is really saying. The creative team that put together the original ‘Toy Story’ movies was very specific and quite organic … to the success of the process — not that there aren’t other talented people that would be involved.”. Translation? “Pixar is a company with brilliance flowing out their ears, and without them you can kiss me goodbye. Disney? What was the last great thing THEY did?” Roughly translated anyway. Then, to top off the smart move by Disney, by doing this they are pissing off Pixar. While they are still in ‘negotiations’! And who can blame them? They want to protect the integrity of their characters and franchise, and know a sequel highly risks changing said integrity. Disney, if you think you can survive, or you’re better off, fine, but why slap Pixar in the face. The house of mouse knows Pixar isn’t happy, and they don’t care. They see the dollar signs and potential cash cow TS3 is, and have their minds made up. All I see is even less originality and inspiration from Disney. And, as I raised the question last time, what happens if more cast doesn’t come back? Hanks is all but gone, and will Tim Allen return without him? Rumors are already flying that they will recast the voice of Woody, so obviously they aren’t concerned with it much. But Disney needs to be very careful here. Their reputation is far from infallible, and if they produce a lackluster film with a monster franchise, they’ll have more than just some Pixar writers upset with them.
V for Vendetta Coming to the Big Screen
The Wachowski Brothers will work with their first assistant director James McTeigue on an adaptation of Alan Moore’s comic novel V for Vendetta. The film will be set in “an alternate future in which Germany wins WWII and Great Britain becomes a fascist state. A terrorist freedom fighter known only as “V” begins a violent guerilla campaign to destroy those who’ve succumbed to totalitarianism, and recruits a young woman he’s rescued from the secret police to join him.”
Well, this sounds interesting. Personally I’ve never heard of the comic novel, but it sounds like a very cool concept. Being a closet history buff, I’ve always been very interested in alternate past/future stories, so this immediately jumps out at me. Unfortunately, the Wachowskis (I refuse to call them brothers at this point, all things considered) blew any trust I had in their work by jerking me around with The Matrix trilogy. Granted, their producers for this flick, but I don’t believe for a second they won’t keep their hands off of this project. Joel Silver, also from the Matrix, is going to produce as well. It’s like a friggin reunion. I’ll keep a careful watch on it, but I’m not holding my breath on this one.
Evil Dead 4….No, Wait, Sorry…..Remake In The Works
Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are teaming together to produce a remake of the 1981 horror classic. They will work on it through Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures, and Raimi will not direct the film. No word on any cast or other details.
To be honest, I want to comment on this, but I have yet to see the original trilogy. I’ve been trying to Netflix it, but there’s always something that comes up where I have to delay watching them. So, I’m going to hold off any commentary I do on this matter until then. You can look around though, and I’m not sure how happy fans are about this decision.
News Bytes in 60 Seconds
A new idea this week, I’ll take the news stories that aren’t big enough for/don’t deserve a spot in the headlines and post one liners here, followed by one line of commentary. This way, all the news gets covered and it isn’t quite the long winded filler it could be.
— Michael Moore and Farenheit 9/11 1/2 in 2 years – Bush will then label him a terrorist under the Patriot Act, somehow, and imprison him for the duration of his term.
— Glover and Killborn join Tim Allen and Kristin Davis in Shaggy Dog Remake – Allen turns into a sheepdog, with that Sex girl, lethal weapon, and a talk show host. What do I have to say?
— Riddick director would like to see sequels – But if the DVDs tank like the film did, forget about it.
— Underworld Sequel in the Works – First was good, if they keep the originality this won’t suck either.
— Tim Allen Wants to do a dark, sci-fi drama – Wants to star as a man with powers like God. He’d be the anti-Bruce. Get it? Anti-Christ, Anti-Bruce Almighty…..ah forget it.
— Miss Congeniality 2 poster appears online – And boy is it cheesy…..
— Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Elektra trailers online – Don’t panic, because they’re both very good in their own way.
— Keanu teams with Spike for The Night Watchman – A cop movie kinda like Serpico, only with the Spike Lee flavor. Whoa.
— No Incredibles sequel any time soon, and Hellboy 2 in 2006 – Pixar cares about the fans, go figure! And Hellboy 2 should be pretty cool.
— Batman trailer possibly in front of Oceans 12 – I got screwed for the Star Wars trailer, but I’ll buy my ticket for this one. Seems win win, all things considered.
— Jessica Simpson in Room Service – Okay, seriously, how many of these movies have to be made? Its like every time you turn around, some rich girl is acting like she is learning the value of working hard for the money…..
— Pictures of Bill Goldberg in Santa’s Slay are online – Hahahahahahhahah. Ahem. Wait, this is a real movie?
Reviews We Sit Through – For You!
(What? No one helped with the title, so I was forced to use my imagination. See what happens?)
A slow week for us on the review front, but that’s okay. Right now is like the calm before the storm that is holiday movie time, so take it in stride and expect more reviews in upcoming weeks. Downtime never hurt anyone (except maybe Brendan).
First up, Travis Leamons has a review of Ray, that Ray Charles biopic you may have heard of. Overall reaction is strong, but you know you gotta know The Pulse before you spend your hard earned cash, right? Check out his review to see just how great it turned out to be.
Seed of Chucky surprised me when I first heard about it, actually. Did you know it’s been 16 years since Chucky first showed up on the scene? Mind blowing. And so is the mediocrity of this film. Arturo R. Garcia has a full review here.
On DVD
Travis Leamons comes through this week with a review of True Romance: Unrated Directors Cut. This is actually a script by Quentin Tarantino, directed by Tony Scott. Travis has convinced me to put this near the top of my Netflix Que (See what I never get to Evil Dead?) Just how good is this 1993 film? Read all about it here.
Yours truly had the recent opportunity to review Shrek 2. Unfortunately, it is a review both late in coming and quickly rushed out the door. Apologies on my part, and I blame it on various things. Anyway, check out the phoned in Shrek 2 review here.
I had only seen bits and pieces of Pitch Black, so I skipped Chronicles of Riddick when it came out in theaters. Mistake on my part? Maybe, you decide. Brendan Campbell has a full review up right here.
We’ve Got Some Columns For You, Too
Are you a horror fan? Do you like zombies? Are you looking for some of the best zombie films ever made? Well, you should check out Brad Torreano and his column, Mondo Culto III: The Dead Shall Rise!. He’s got some of the best undead movies ever made in there, including some you probably never heard of. Check him out.
Does the Power of Christ compel you??? No? Well, anyway, something compelled J. Kern to pick Exorcist: The Beginning for his Dollar Movie Review this week. How does it stack up? Is it worth YOUR hard earned dollar? Well, you’ll have to read it to find out. Hilarity, as usual, ensues as J. viciously pokes fun at this film.
Michaelangelo McCullar is back again with another perfect flick to check out. (And the perfect pimp section: I like fast learners Michael. Kudos. Oh, and he’s a libra who loves fireside poetry. What are you waiting for? Get on that!) Ahem. This week, he covers The Five Deadly Venoms, one of the definitive martial arts movies. A bit more story than action, this one is yet another too good to pass up. Check it out here.
Normally, I’d have a bone to pick with Jon Bieda. You see, I had seen and reviewed Saw and I had been trying to get my hands on Se7en, the film it was constantly compared to. I finally got it this past week, watched it, and had my rant all set up. Then Jon goes and writes his entire Movie vs. Film column on the two, leaving me with no rant this week. But you know what? I can’t complain, because he does an absolutely brilliant job. His comparison is top notch, and will really enlighten you on which is the film, and which is the movie. It’s almost a no-brainer. Check out his awesome-ness, here.
Robert Sutton returns for week three of R0BTRAIN’S Badass Cinema. This week, he goes in depth on John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China. His analysis of the film brought back all the good feelings I had from the days I watched it. It really is a badass flick, and a homage to the good old days of Carpenter (Before Ghosts of Mars…ugh). Read all about it here.
And of course, then there is Brendan Campbell. By now you might be wondering why his name is in the teaser. Well, it turns out Brendan has plans of world domination. He plans to start by working his tail off and taking over the movie pulse, while an unsuspecting Steve Coogan sits idly by. From there, the world. But until then, he brings you the goods in his various offerings this week. From old to new: Box office Review, where he brings you analysis of the top 10 (12?) films last weekend; Brendan’s Ridiculously Good Looking Movie Column – Part 1 analyzes the golden boys of Hollywood, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, while Part 2 raises questions like Who’s More Versatile? and Who Has the Brightest Future? and is a six round contest. Only round one is answered, with the final part coming this weekend; Weekend Box Office Preview takes an in-depth look at this weekend’s big releases.
Norty’s Brief Rant: MIA
Sorry folks. Between all the crap I’ve been dealing with this week, the fact that Jon totally summed up what I would have ranted about (And probably better than I ever could) and…whatever else, I’m burnt. No rant on the state of the ‘Wood or anything else this week, but it should return next week. Don’t you fret.
‘Til next time, enjoy Sponge Bob.
