Variety have announced that Steven Spielberg and Will Smith are in talks to join forces for a remake of Oldboy (2003).
Dreamworks are currently attempting to secure the film rights and if they succeed, Universal will be named as distributor.
I am not entirely sure that a Spielberg and Smith adaptation of a film like Oldboy will really work but, I guess we will have to wait and see.
Friday, 7 November 2008
BBC apology
On 30 October 2008, the BBC Trust announced a range of actions it required of BBC management in relation to a serious editorial breach on the Russell Brand Show on BBC Radio 2 broadcast on 18 October.
The BBC Trust instructed that a broadcast apology be made to licence fee payers on BBC Radio 2 for the serious breaches, the terms of which it was to approve, and at a time of its direction.
The Trust's Editorial Standards Committee yesterday approved the following apology to be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday 8 November 2008 at 10.03am and 9.03pm:
"On 18 October, the BBC broadcast an exchange between Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on the Russell Brand show on Radio 2. This concerned the actor Andrew Sachs and his granddaughter, Georgina Baillie. Some of this exchange was left on the voicemail of Mr Sachs. The conversation was grossly offensive and an unacceptable intrusion into the private lives of both Mr Sachs and Ms Baillie. It was a serious breach of editorial standards, and should never have been recorded or broadcast. The BBC would like to apologise unreservedly to Mr Sachs, Ms Baillie and to our audiences as licence fee payers."
The timing of the apology relates to the times when the Russell Brand show (9.03pm) and the Jonathan Ross Radio 2 show (10.03am) would normally be broadcast on Radio 2.
(courtesy of the BBC Press Office)
The BBC Trust instructed that a broadcast apology be made to licence fee payers on BBC Radio 2 for the serious breaches, the terms of which it was to approve, and at a time of its direction.
The Trust's Editorial Standards Committee yesterday approved the following apology to be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday 8 November 2008 at 10.03am and 9.03pm:
"On 18 October, the BBC broadcast an exchange between Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on the Russell Brand show on Radio 2. This concerned the actor Andrew Sachs and his granddaughter, Georgina Baillie. Some of this exchange was left on the voicemail of Mr Sachs. The conversation was grossly offensive and an unacceptable intrusion into the private lives of both Mr Sachs and Ms Baillie. It was a serious breach of editorial standards, and should never have been recorded or broadcast. The BBC would like to apologise unreservedly to Mr Sachs, Ms Baillie and to our audiences as licence fee payers."
The timing of the apology relates to the times when the Russell Brand show (9.03pm) and the Jonathan Ross Radio 2 show (10.03am) would normally be broadcast on Radio 2.
(courtesy of the BBC Press Office)
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Ghost Town Cinema Review
Ricky Gervais is Bertram Pincus, a dentist who is not much of a people-person, in this romantic comedy Ghost Town.Pincus dies briefly in hospital during a standard procedure but, is brought back to life after just a few minutes. This experience leaves him with the ability to see and communicate with ghosts, much to his dismay, and they all want some sort of favour from him.
Recently deceased Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear) is particularly hard to shake off as he pesters Pincus around the clock, until he agrees to help split up Frank’s widow from her new man.
Bertram Pincus finds his life changing as he falls in love and realises that he needs to change his attitude towards others if he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life alone.
I’m not much of a Ricky Gervais fan but, he is great in this film. He is very funny as the anti-social dentist and Ghost Town is hardly the conventional rom-com, which makes it all the more entertaining. It definitely stands out against many of the run-of-the-mill rom-coms that hit the big screen.
The plot is fun and engaging and there is plenty of humour to keep the audience amused throughout. I would definitely recommend this film to all comedy fans.
Jack Black set for Travels
Variety have revealed that Jack Black is set to star as Gulliver in a screen adaption of Jonathan Swift's tale 'Gulliver's Travels.'
Twentieth Century Fox are taking on the project with Rob Letterman ('Shark Tale') directing.
Variety write: "'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' helmer Nicholas Stoller and Joe Stillman ('Shrek') penned the screenplay."
They add: "Fox has kept development of the project under wraps -- a common practice with public domain-based material -- even though Letterman has been attached to helm for some time. But the studio quickly greenlit the film once Black committed."
It is thought that shooting will begin in March.
Twentieth Century Fox are taking on the project with Rob Letterman ('Shark Tale') directing.
Variety write: "'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' helmer Nicholas Stoller and Joe Stillman ('Shrek') penned the screenplay."
They add: "Fox has kept development of the project under wraps -- a common practice with public domain-based material -- even though Letterman has been attached to helm for some time. But the studio quickly greenlit the film once Black committed."
It is thought that shooting will begin in March.
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Saw V Cinema Review
It seems the gore will never end as the fifth instalment of the brutal Saw series hits our screens.
Jigsaw died in the last film, so that should really have been a perfect reason to conclude the series at Saw IV but, that hasn’t turned out to be the case. Even without the main instigator, the show must go on and the blood must flow.
Saw V interchanges between the past and the present, it backtracks through the previous plot lines to reveal hidden aspects that we’ve never been shown before, whilst also giving us a taste of how Jigsaw’s work is being carried on in his memory by an accomplice in the present day.
The film gives us a bit more background as to Jigsaw’s reasoning behind the things he does and although this does feel a bit like one Saw film too many, it is still entertaining and of course incredibly gruesome.
Saw has definitely not lost its ability to make audiences squirm and cringe and it will have many people sat on the edge of their seats awaiting the next bloody task for the victims to endure.
One piece of advice though…don’t go to see this film with a full stomach!
Jigsaw died in the last film, so that should really have been a perfect reason to conclude the series at Saw IV but, that hasn’t turned out to be the case. Even without the main instigator, the show must go on and the blood must flow.
Saw V interchanges between the past and the present, it backtracks through the previous plot lines to reveal hidden aspects that we’ve never been shown before, whilst also giving us a taste of how Jigsaw’s work is being carried on in his memory by an accomplice in the present day.
The film gives us a bit more background as to Jigsaw’s reasoning behind the things he does and although this does feel a bit like one Saw film too many, it is still entertaining and of course incredibly gruesome.
Saw has definitely not lost its ability to make audiences squirm and cringe and it will have many people sat on the edge of their seats awaiting the next bloody task for the victims to endure.
One piece of advice though…don’t go to see this film with a full stomach!
Zombies of the future
It appears that evolution has not escaped our zombie friends; recently they seem to have been blessed with the ability to run which, of course, makes life a hell of a lot easier for them but, it's a bit of a frightening concept for the rest of us.
Ok, so zombies aren't real but, they are so set into our consumption of modern horror that I can't help but pick up on how much they have changed.
The traditional notion of the zombie (as seen in the likes of Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’) is of an un-dead moaning corpse with a bit of a fetish for flesh and/or brains. They drag themselves along looking for their next victim and fleshy feast but, they never pick up great speed in their quest which has always made them pretty easy to get away from.
Now they have this new tendency to break into a swift run in pursuit of their victims which turns them into a whole new and more foreboding enemy. Admittedly they are still a bit stupid (I’m sure we would all be if we found ourselves in their predicament) but, they’re altogether not so comical now that they can give chase.
This idea has got me musing about what else they might have hidden up their blood-stained sleeves for their race to evolve…perhaps they will start climbing, swimming or driving zombie vehicles. Maybe they could even learn to fly, use a gun or invent some new piece of technology especially for them to eliminate the living (but, I suppose that would spoil their flesh-eating fun).
It seems that I’m not the only one who has noticed this sudden change in the speed and dexterity of the un-dead, actor Simon Pegg has today written an article for the Guardian after seeing Channel 4’s Dead Set with its sprinting corpses. Take a look at his article here.
Although zombies running in Dead Set and in films like 28 Weeks Later (they aren’t technically traditional zombies as they are infected but, they are very zombie-like nonetheless) moves us away from the conventions of the horror genre and causes avid fans to moan, I must admit that this new breed of flesh-eating threat does add a lot of excitement and edge for the viewer. It could entice a whole new audience into watching zombie flicks because they know it's going to be more frightening for them.
It seems to me that the zombies of the future will most certainly be a force to be reckoned with.
Ok, so zombies aren't real but, they are so set into our consumption of modern horror that I can't help but pick up on how much they have changed.
The traditional notion of the zombie (as seen in the likes of Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’) is of an un-dead moaning corpse with a bit of a fetish for flesh and/or brains. They drag themselves along looking for their next victim and fleshy feast but, they never pick up great speed in their quest which has always made them pretty easy to get away from.
Now they have this new tendency to break into a swift run in pursuit of their victims which turns them into a whole new and more foreboding enemy. Admittedly they are still a bit stupid (I’m sure we would all be if we found ourselves in their predicament) but, they’re altogether not so comical now that they can give chase.
This idea has got me musing about what else they might have hidden up their blood-stained sleeves for their race to evolve…perhaps they will start climbing, swimming or driving zombie vehicles. Maybe they could even learn to fly, use a gun or invent some new piece of technology especially for them to eliminate the living (but, I suppose that would spoil their flesh-eating fun).
It seems that I’m not the only one who has noticed this sudden change in the speed and dexterity of the un-dead, actor Simon Pegg has today written an article for the Guardian after seeing Channel 4’s Dead Set with its sprinting corpses. Take a look at his article here.
Although zombies running in Dead Set and in films like 28 Weeks Later (they aren’t technically traditional zombies as they are infected but, they are very zombie-like nonetheless) moves us away from the conventions of the horror genre and causes avid fans to moan, I must admit that this new breed of flesh-eating threat does add a lot of excitement and edge for the viewer. It could entice a whole new audience into watching zombie flicks because they know it's going to be more frightening for them.
It seems to me that the zombies of the future will most certainly be a force to be reckoned with.
Monday, 3 November 2008
Wallace and Gromit this Christmas
This Christmas Wallace And Gromit fans will be treated to the duo's latest adventure in the BBC One premiere of A Matter Of Loaf And Death.
After the incredible success of Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, Nick Park is pleased to be returning to the 30-minute format.
"I love making films for the cinema but the production of Chicken Run and Curse Of The Were-Rabbit were virtually back to back and each film took five years to complete," he says.
"A Matter Of Loaf And Death will be so much quicker to make. I'm delighted to be back into production and back with BBC One with Wallace and Gromit.
"Over the years the BBC has been incredibly supportive of Wallace and Gromit, this film feels like their homecoming."
The new film reunites Nick Park with writer Bob Baker who co-wrote both The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave.
Sally Lindsay (Coronation Street) will be the voice of Piella Bakewell, alongside Peter Sallis who voices Wallace.
In this new masterpiece, viewers will catch up with Wallace and Gromit, who have opened a new bakery – Top Bun.
Business is booming, not least because a deadly Cereal Killer is targeting all the bakers in town and so competition is drying up.
Gromit is worried that they may be the next victims but Wallace couldn't care – he's fallen head over heels in love with Piella Bakewell, former star of the Bake-O-Lite bread commercials.
So Gromit is left to run things on his own when he'd much rather be getting better acquainted with Piella's lovely pet poodle Fluffles.
Before long Gromit makes a shocking discovery which points to the killer's true identity. Can he save his master from becoming the next baker to be butchered? And does Fluffles know more than she is saying?
It's a classic "who-doughnut" mystery, as four-time Academy Award-winning director Nick Park creates a hilarious new masterpiece in the tradition of the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock.
Commenting on the new film, Controller, BBC One, Jay Hunt said: "I am delighted Wallace and Gromit will be part of our Christmas schedule on BBC One. A Matter Of Loaf And Death is just the sort of unmissable family entertainment that epitomises the channel at its very best."
A Matter Of Loaf And Death is an Aardman Animations production for BBC One, and was commissioned by Jane Tranter, Controller, BBC Fiction.
Aardman is a world leader in model animation, and the production company behind such favourites as Shaun The Sheep, Creature Comforts and the feature Curse Of The Were-Rabbit which topped box office charts in the UK and the US and won many awards including a BAFTA for Best British Film and an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film.
(Courtesy of BBC Press Releases)
After the incredible success of Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, Nick Park is pleased to be returning to the 30-minute format.
"I love making films for the cinema but the production of Chicken Run and Curse Of The Were-Rabbit were virtually back to back and each film took five years to complete," he says.
"A Matter Of Loaf And Death will be so much quicker to make. I'm delighted to be back into production and back with BBC One with Wallace and Gromit.
"Over the years the BBC has been incredibly supportive of Wallace and Gromit, this film feels like their homecoming."
The new film reunites Nick Park with writer Bob Baker who co-wrote both The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave.
Sally Lindsay (Coronation Street) will be the voice of Piella Bakewell, alongside Peter Sallis who voices Wallace.
In this new masterpiece, viewers will catch up with Wallace and Gromit, who have opened a new bakery – Top Bun.
Business is booming, not least because a deadly Cereal Killer is targeting all the bakers in town and so competition is drying up.
Gromit is worried that they may be the next victims but Wallace couldn't care – he's fallen head over heels in love with Piella Bakewell, former star of the Bake-O-Lite bread commercials.
So Gromit is left to run things on his own when he'd much rather be getting better acquainted with Piella's lovely pet poodle Fluffles.
Before long Gromit makes a shocking discovery which points to the killer's true identity. Can he save his master from becoming the next baker to be butchered? And does Fluffles know more than she is saying?
It's a classic "who-doughnut" mystery, as four-time Academy Award-winning director Nick Park creates a hilarious new masterpiece in the tradition of the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock.
Commenting on the new film, Controller, BBC One, Jay Hunt said: "I am delighted Wallace and Gromit will be part of our Christmas schedule on BBC One. A Matter Of Loaf And Death is just the sort of unmissable family entertainment that epitomises the channel at its very best."
A Matter Of Loaf And Death is an Aardman Animations production for BBC One, and was commissioned by Jane Tranter, Controller, BBC Fiction.
Aardman is a world leader in model animation, and the production company behind such favourites as Shaun The Sheep, Creature Comforts and the feature Curse Of The Were-Rabbit which topped box office charts in the UK and the US and won many awards including a BAFTA for Best British Film and an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film.
(Courtesy of BBC Press Releases)
More zombies from Romero
I am disheartened to hear that George. A. Romero will be bringing yet another zombie horror to our screens.
After the disaster of Diary of the Dead, I had hoped that Romero might lay his zombies to rest but, that is not the case.
Island of the Dead (this is thought to be the title) will tell the story of a group of Islanders off the coast of North America, who have to fight a zombie epidemic and look for a cure to save their un-dead relatives.
Images from the new film have been released to USA Today and BloodyDisgusting.com as a 'Halloween treat.'
The film is thought to be due for release in 2009 and we can only hope that it's better than Diary of the Dead.
After the disaster of Diary of the Dead, I had hoped that Romero might lay his zombies to rest but, that is not the case.
Island of the Dead (this is thought to be the title) will tell the story of a group of Islanders off the coast of North America, who have to fight a zombie epidemic and look for a cure to save their un-dead relatives.
Images from the new film have been released to USA Today and BloodyDisgusting.com as a 'Halloween treat.'
The film is thought to be due for release in 2009 and we can only hope that it's better than Diary of the Dead.
Transformers sequel - it's a wrap
Michael Bay has finished filming for his upcoming Transformers sequel, 'Revenge of the Fallen.'
Writing from Michael Bay's personal blog, team member Nelson said: "Nelson here. As of this week, principal photography for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has ended. Congrats to Michael and his team."
The film is now heading into the editing suite and will be ready for release on June 26th 2009.
Writing from Michael Bay's personal blog, team member Nelson said: "Nelson here. As of this week, principal photography for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has ended. Congrats to Michael and his team."
The film is now heading into the editing suite and will be ready for release on June 26th 2009.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)