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Psychotic Reactions
-- John Shea
11 July, 2003
I'm stuck. I haven't been able to think of a decent topic for this column for days now. So I think I'm just going to ramble. If it turns out badly, let me apologize in advance.
The problem is that we sit smack dab in the middle of Hollywood's busiest season. This is when the marketing departments of the studios rule the land. I don't want to sound like I'm disparaging PR folks because they work their tails off. But when they do, there isn't much else to look at out there. I'd love something to sink my teeth in and get really pissed off or excited about but what I find in my mailbox is endless publicity material. I always enjoy that stuff because let's face it, it's cool to see stuff early. But it's just a bit of light fun and I want something headier. I want a thick steak and I'm being served cotton candy. Ah well, it won't last forever. Talk of box office will soon fade and turn into talk of next year's crop of films in production. From there we slide into the Oscar debates which are always good for ranting about.
There is one thing worth getting a bit mad about. The Spike debate is over. The details aren't being released but you can pretty much bet that Viacom paid Spike Lee to go the hell away. Plus they probably promised to buy some of his stuff. Somebody had to, right? It's just sad to see a once promising director reduced to hijacking cheesy cable TV channels for a fast buck. Worse, we have to have his massive ego inflicted on us. Does anybody really believe that he has the exclusive right to the use of Spike? Hell, it's not even his real name. My faith in humanity gets a bit shaken when judges don't instantly toss this sort of nuisance lawsuit out the window. But at least we can now rest comfortable knowing that Stripperella can get the spike exposure she so desperately wanted.
I see that Ben Affleck is seriously chasing the rights to Richard Greenberg's play Take Me Out, about a gay baseball player who comes out of the closet. Clearly he'll be playing some other role. It's not often a major Hollywood star wants to play the gay man. It's one thing to star in movies littered with gay jokes, it's another entirely to face the threat of kissing another man on screen. Give Affleck credit though. He's already made two (yes two) films where he is attracted to an apparently lesbian character. Now he's tackling the other side of the closet. With the conservative half of the country still steaming over the recent Supreme Court rulings and the gay community spoiling for a fight over it, it's encouraging to see something like this project being considered. Affleck could use his clout to get something meaningful made rather than just churning out another Hollywood product. There's plenty of time for him to strap on the red leather of Daredevil again but he could stir things up a lot more daring.
Have you seen that the Academy has decided to get tough on studios' overly aggressive Oscar campaigning? While they haven't come right out and set down the sort of laws you can etch in stone, they have toughened up the language so that guidelines have now become regulations. Plus they now state that membership in the Academy can be terminated for failing to follow the regulations. The biggest threat in the past was cutting the number of seats the studios got at the awards ceremony. Add this to the shortened schedule as the Oscars have moved up to February and you have impending chaos. Promoters are going to have to be more clever in their campaigning to get around the rules. It's hard to imagine them simply backing off the promoting. That's anathema to them. Whatever the case, I'm pleased to see them getting tough. The nastiness of last couple years' Oscar campaigns was leaving a sour taste behind that if left unchecked could eventually dramatically undercut the value of the award.
Finally, according to ScreenDaily, Blockbuster is considering an in-store service that would resemble Netflix's rental model. For a monthly fee, customers could rent as many movies a month as they wanted, with the caveat that only three can be out at any one time. There would be no late fees under this plan. While Netflix has had great success with their program, stores have been reluctant to follow suit as they depend on the income from late fees. Blockbuster has been listing of late though and is undoubtedly taking the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach here. They are years behind Netflix in developing a mail order rental system but they have a huge system of stores they can lean on to come up with competitive alternatives. Now if they can actually start to give a damn about what they rent, they might be worth a look.
TV
The Twelve: SCI FI has announced that Martin Scorsese will produce their new miniseries The Twelve. Set against the twelve days of Christmas, a rash of mysterious and unexplainable events are reported around the world. As fear and confusion spread, FBI Special Agent John Ferguson discovers that these catastrophes perfectly mirror biblical predictions that suggest the world is coming to an end. And if the prophecies are true, Armageddon is set for the twelfth day of Christmas. "We're thrilled to be working with Martin Scorsese. He's an icon," stated SCI FI Channel President Bonnie Hammer. "The dark and thrilling suspense of The Twelve is a perfect match for Scorsese's signature brand of gritty realism." Expect the mini to air in 2005.
Casting Couch
The Woods: William Hurt has joined the cast of M. Night Shyamalan's latest project. The writer/director is an irritatingly secretive sort though so that's all the details I've got for you on it. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Alexander: Mel Gibson is rumored to be playing the role of Philip, father to Alexander in Baz Luhrman's take on the Macedonian conqueror.
Around the World in 80 Days: Owen and Luke Wilson have signed on for a cameo appearance in Jackie Chan's latest project. The real life brothers will play brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Interviews
Bad Boys II: Want to hear from the big names on this film? Click below.
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Reviews
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (positive/minor spoilers)
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