Sci-Fi Saturday: Forbidden Planet, Buck Rogers, Terminator, Watchmen, Battlestar, Stargates, Dr. Who + more December 20, 2008
by Rosario T. Calabria , Filed under: Sci-Fi , trackback
It is usually slow towards the end of the year, but there is a ton of genre news this week. We got James Cameron tied to Forbidden Planet, Frank Miller tied to Buck Rogers, Kenneth Branaugh tied to Thor and so much more, including trailers and images. In TV there are updates including previews on Stargate(s), Battlestars plus more previews, including the Doctor Who X-Mas special.
MOVIE NEWS
James Cameron to Direct Forbidden Planet?
"Avatar" director James Cameron is reportedly interested in helming Warner Bros’ remake of the classic 1956 sci-fi film "Forbidden Planet". Cameron has actually been eying the property for some time, in fact this 1998 post at AICN talked about Cameron directing the film (very interesting to note another film–"Avatar"–mentioned in that article from way back when huh?). Cameron’s 3-D sci-fi epic "Avatar" hits theaters on December 25, 2009. Will he make "Forbidden Planet" his next project? IESB has contacted the production company Silver Pictures for a comment, but are still waiting on a response. Warner Bros. recently hired J. Michael Straczynski to write the screenplay for the film.
Frank Miller to Direct Buck Rogers + Bad Buzz for The Spirit
Speaking of classic Sci-Fi, turns out the rumor that surfaced in May, which was quickly debunked by Nu Image/Millennium, that Frank Miller would be directing "Buck Rogers" was right after all. THR is reporting that Odd Lot Entertainment (the production company behind Miller’s "The Spirit") is in talks with Nu Image/Millennium for the rights to the property and that they want Miller to direct. The report goes on to say that Miller’s take on the property will be "darker" and include his "signature visual elements and themes, such as corruption and redemption". If you ask me, Odd Lot may want to wait a bit to see how "The Spirit" (December 25th) fares at the box office, and if early reviews are any indication, it’s going to turn out very, very badly. Get a load of this:
AICN: “I’ve seen something that has taken the top prize from “Battlefield Earth.” … “Okay, Mr. Miller. Let’s get it on.” … “Seriously, it’s not. You clearly don’t have any idea what you’re doing. Someone, ANYONE, over at Lionsgate should have known this. Fuck, it’s their JOB to know this. But they didn’t.” … “Folks, this movie is that bad. I heartily recommend it if you have a strong stomach and an even stronger sense of Bad-Movie-Love. Otherwise, steer clear.”
Ouch. Head on over to /Film for more of a look at the worse-than-expected early buzz on the film. And if you’re still interested, check out this Q&A with three of the film’s babes; Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes and Sarah Paulson and another with star Samuel L. Jackson here.
Frank Miller Updates 300 Spin-off and Sin City 2
In yet more
Frank Miller news, the director recently sat down with Superhero Hype! and talked about two other high-profile projects; sequels to "Sin City" and "300". First up, Miller confirmed to the site that he has “written a story that’s not a prequel” to "300":
“It’s definitely a further story in the Greco-Persian Wars, and it involves some of the same characters but I’m not sure exactly how far along it’ll get and again, until it’s on a marquee, I don’t believe in it.”
Miller also spoke about plans for a second "Sin City" and responded to last week’s news that Mickey Rourke wasn’t sure he’d want to return for the sequel: “He has a pretty big role. I hope Mickey plays it.” Miller also confirmed that he’d like to team-up again with Robert Rodriquez to direct "Sin City 2":
“I hope to work with Robert. We’re talking it over and trying to work out the mechanics of actually getting it made. It’s always tricky with movies. I believe that a movie’s going to come out as soon as I see its name on a marquee.”
And finally, Miller hinted that he may publish a comic or graphic novel ahead of the release of either film. Read the rest of the interview here.
Kenneth Branagh Talks Thor
While doing press for his upcoming film "Valkryie", actor/director Kenneth Branagh spoke to MTV about his upcoming film "Thor", which is scheduled to hit theaters on July 16, 2010:
“I am directing “Thor” or “The Mighty Thor’ as you might like to call it,” he said with a smile before clarifying what the title of the film will be. “I think it will be ‘Thor.’” He continued excitedly, “There’s science fiction and science fact and fantasy all woven into one. It’s based on Norse legends which Marvel sort of raided in a brilliant way.
Branagh also spoke about the rumors that Kevin McKidd would be starring as Thor:
“There’s been lots of talk [about casting] — I sound like a politician — but we are too early at this stage. We’re getting the story and the visual effects together and all of that is very exciting. Someone sensational is going to play the part but it is early days.”
First 22 Minutes of Watchmen + Trial Date Pushed Back
Devin Faraci of CHUD attended Butt-Numb-A-Thon last weekend in Autsin, and had the opportunity to watch the first 22 minutes of Warner Bros.’ "Watchmen". Here’s what he had to say about the clip:
It will look and feel like a real movie.
That’s a weird thing to say, but there are lots of people out there who, having only seen the trailers released to the public, are jumping to the conclusion that Zack Snyder has made a Watchmen filled with speed ramping and flashy money shots. From what I’ve seen this isn’t even remotely true at all. The footage is stylish – well shot, with rich visuals and dynamic compositions – but it looked more like a modern take on a noir film than anything else. What I saw was moody, sometimes muted. Snyder allows his takes to be long, eschewing a quick cut style that many seem to think would rule the day in this film. The 22 minutes I saw didn’t feel like an action film at all.
Sounds awesome, can’t wait. Read the complete report here. Meanwhile, in other "Watchmen" news, the court trial between Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox has been pushed back by two weeks to January 20, 2009. And finally, this is sorta nifty, according to the Times Herald-Record, patrons of the Palisades Center IMAX Theater in West Nyack, NY can use their Bluetooth enabled cell phones to download an exclusive 30-second clip from the film. But here’s the interesting part. After the clip ends, users are then given a "VIP opportunity" to buy tickets to the 12:01 a.m. showing on March 6, 2009 (the film’s release date). All that’s missing is an early bird special because $18 a ticket isn’t much a bargain. via /Film
Terminator 5 Moving Forward + Arnie Talks Salvation
Halcyon Co. execs Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek have begun work with director McG on a sequel to next summer’s "Terminator Salvation". Halcyon always planned for "Terminator Salvation" to be the first part of a new three-film trilogy, but the announcement to move forward with the second film wasn’t expected to be announced so soon. Positive studio, fan and media reaction to recently released footage of the film has encouraged Halcyon to move ahead of schedule: “We feel the time is now to start shaping the next part of this,” Kubicek said. The announcement was made at the Dubai International Film Festival where McG was in attendance. Christian Bale is already signed on for the role of John Connor in all three films.
Plus Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggar was asked again about a possible cameo appearance in "Terminator Salvation", telling fansite The Arnold Fans “You never know.” Should we take that as a yes? The tease was promising but it’s too soon to get an official answer.
Green Lantern Could Be WB’s Next Superhero Movie
Warner Bros’ president Alan Horn talked about several of the studio’s upcoming projects, including the status of "The Dark Knight" sequel, "Superman" and "Green Lantern". When he was asked about what film is closest to production, he said: “I think Green Lantern is probably the best guess but I can’t promise it at this moment.” Horn also noted that they continue to talk with "The Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan about an expected sequel, but that getting a good story is the most important aspect and they have no problems waiting Nolan out on that aspect of the process:
“We’ve been talking to Chris Nolan and what we have to do is get him in the right place and have him tell us what he thinks the notion might be for a great story, but Chris did a great job and we’d love to have him come back and do another one.”
“Yes. The story is everything and we are very respectful of Chris. We have a wonderful relationship with him and we are going to be respectful of his timing and we want to get it right. Also, I think the fans expect that – they want us to make a terrific movie – we have to give them another great movie.”
And finally, Horn said that we’ll "probably" see another "Superman" film "in the next couple years", adding "We’re very anxious to bring Superman back also." You can watch the interview embedded below.
The Dark Knight Is Best-Selling DVD/Blu-ray of The Year…In One Week
Christopher Nolan’s "The Dark Knight", already 2008’s top grossing film, sold more than 13.5 million discs worldwide, including a record 1.7 million on Blu-ray Disc in its first week of release. According to Warner Bros. that’s enough to make the film the year’s bestselling title on DVD and Blu-ray. Consumers purchased more than 10 million copies with the remainder of purchases made by rental outlets. "The Dark Knight" returns to theaters on January 23, 2009, seeking another landmark, $1 billion in box office receipts. The film needs just a little more than $3 million to reach that mark (it has currently grossed $996.75 million worldwide). By way of comparison, the year’s second highest grossing film worldwide is "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" at $786.6 million and only three films have grossed more than $1 billion worldwide (unadjusted for inflation, of course):
- "Titanic" (1997) – $1.84 billion
- "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003) – $1.12 billion
- "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest" (2006) – $1.07 billion
Dragonball Evolution (another here)
Final Destination: Death Trip 3D
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (more here)
Race to Witch Mountain (another here)
The Unborn
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Where the Wild Things Are (another here)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (another here)
Eden Log
Knowing
Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian
The Spirit (more here)
The Unborn (more here and here)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine [HD Version]
- Don Cheadle spoke with IGN about taking over the role of Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes from actor Terrance Howard in "Iron Man 2".
- Although "Spider-Man: The Musical" star Evan Rachel Wood says it will "pull some things from the films," the actress said that the musical will be "based more on the comic book and the origin of Spider-Man". [SCI FI Wire]
- Rumor has it that "Tron 2"–or "TR2N" or "TRZ", or "Tron 2.0", however you wish to call it until we get an actual confirmation on its official name–is going to be shot entirely in 3D. [AICN]
- Terry Gilliam, director of "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus", the last movie featuring the late Heath Ledger and co-starring Colin Farrell, Jude Law and Johnny Depp, told City Times that the film is basically complete: "Basically the movie is finished apart from about 600 special effects shots which are not quite finished". Gilliam talks more about the film, including how some of the script had to be changed due to Ledger’s death at the link. [via io9]
- Check out a set report from the nearly complete sixth installment of the popular Harry Potter franchise, "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" at SCI FI Wire. The film hits theaters on July 17, 2009.
- Academy Award-winning makeup artist Rick Baker isn’t sure why Universal pushed back "The Wolfman" from April to November, 2009, but he talked about the makeup process of the film, and how it’ll pay homage to to the original "Wolf Man" in a new interview. [SCI FI Wire].
- Rebellion and 2000 AD have announced that a new Judge Dredd is in development. Working with DNA Films ("Sunshine" and "28 Weeks Later"), the film will go into production in 2009: "We can’t give away too many details at this point, but we’re looking forward to working with DNA Films to bring Judge Dredd back to the big screen, " said Jason Kingsley, CEO and Creative Director. [2000ADOnline.com via ComingSoon.net]
- Tom Cruise and "Valkyrie" co-writer and producer Christopher McQuarrie are developing "The Champions", a sci-fi movie based on a British TV series about a team of government agents rescued from a plane crash in the Himalayas by an advanced civilization and given superhuman abilities. [Variety]
- The $40 million independent animated adventure film "Delgo" had the worst wide release opening ever last weekend, earning just $511,920 on 2,160 screens. [Yahoo! Movies]
- Barry Sonnenfeld ("Men in Black", "Pushing Daisies") has been hired by MGM to direct the action comedy "The How-To-Guide for Saving the World". “I loved the writing and the concept: What would happen if, one afternoon, the secret group that protects Earth from alien invaders was wiped out? Fortunately, they left behind an instruction manual for saving Earth. Unfortunately, a non-action-hero guy…and a woman who hates him find the book and have to save the planet from an impending attack.” [THR]
- Rob Zombie is now confirmed to be the director of a direct sequel to his 2007 horror film "Halloween". Dimension hopes to begin production on the film next March. [Variety]
- Summit Entertainment has announced that "New Moon" will be released on November 20, 2009. Meanwhile, German release schedules are showing a July 29, 2011 release date for "Transformers 3". [Dark Horizons]
- And speaking of "New Moon", author Stephanie Meyer has posted a message on her official website addressing the departure of "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke and the hire of "New Moon" director Chris Weitz. [Stephanie Meyer]
- "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li" stars Kristin Kreuk and Chris Klein talk about how the film will remain true to the video game that its based on in a new interview. [SCI FI Wire]
- Composer James Newton Howard ("The Dark Knight") has signed on to compose the score to M. Night Shyamalan’s "The Last Airbender". [/Film]
- Alan Rickman, who plays the Caterpillar in Tim Burton’s adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland", revealed that the film will incorporate stop-motion in addition to live action and animation: "The movie is a mixture of live action, animation, and stop motion, so it’s very complicated and I don’t think all three have been put together ever before,” reveals Rickman. “So I’ll be with a live action Alice. I will be a construct." [MoviesOnline]
- 20th Century Fox has set a September 18, 2009 release date of "Jennifer’s Body". The film stars Megan Fox as a gorgeous cheerleader who is possessed by a demon and starts feeding off the boys in a small Minnesota farming town. [via BoxOfficeMojo]
- Gerald Sanders, who played Tony stark’s father Howard in a montage in "Iron Man" may not be returning for the sequel. Instead, rumor has it that Tim Robbins will be cast in the role. The sequel is said to have an important flashback sequence that helps set up "The Avengers" and "Captain America" films and director Jon Favreau reportedly felt he needed an actor who could better handle the scene. [Latino Review]
- Bruce Campbell says that he now regrets using his real name in "My Name is Bruce", which he directed and starred in: "We probably should not have called him ‘Bruce Campbell,’" Campbell said, adding "It created an extra layer of distress in people’s minds where they were tormented with why we went so far, if he was Bruce Campbell." [SCI FI Wire]
- Stephen Chow is no longer attached to direct "The Green Hornet". The actor, who will still play the Lantern’s sidekick Kato, backed out of the job due to "creative differences". It’s unclear if the problems were with the studio or with producers/screenwriters Seth Rogen (who is also playing the lead) and Evan Goldberg. A new director could be announced by the end of the year and Columbia is still targeting a June 25, 2010 release for the film. [Variety]
- Darren Aronofsky doesn’t seem so sure he’ll be directing the upcoming "Robocop" movie: "Oh, I don’t know. We’ll See. We’re working on a screenplay. So we’re developing it but we don’t have a screenplay yet. We’re working hard on it." [The Howard Stern Show via /Film]
- Adam Shankman ("Hairspray") is in talks to direct "The 8th Voyage of Sinbad" for Columbia Pictures. The film is a big-budget retelling of the classic myth, centering on sailor Sinbad and his crew, who are marooned off the coast of China and embark on a quest to find the Aladdin’s lamp. [THR]
- Summit Entertainment is reportedly considering recasting the role of Native American werewolf Jacob Black for "New Moon". [MSNBC via SCI FI Wire]
- Two new additions have been added to the cast of the Showtime TV series "True Blood". Anna Camp has been tapped to play Sarah, wife of Steven Newlin, while Ashley Jones has been cast as Daphne, a new Merlotte’s waitress. Camp will be a series regular, while Jones is signed for a six-episode arc. [EW]
- Olivia Wilde and Beau Garrett are the first to sign on for "Tron 2". Wilde will play a worker in the virtual world who tries to help fight Master Control Program, while Garrett will play a siren in the virtual world. "Tron 2" will be directed by Joseph Kosinski and is being targeted for a 2011 release. [THR]
TV NEWS
Robert Carlye Cast in Stargate Universe + SGA Series Finale Description
Robert Carlye ("24: Redemption") has been cast as Dr. David Rush in the upcoming Stargate spinoff "Stargate Universe".
"We couldn’t be more excited to set Robert Carlyle for Stargate Universe. He brings a depth, intelligence, and complexity to his roles, which will fit perfectly with the fresh, new reinvention of this franchise, " said Mark Stern, Executive Vice President, Original Programming for SCI FI & Co-Head Original Content, Universal Cable Productions.
"Stargate Universe" premieres on SCI FI next summer. SCI FI has also released the official description for the show’s series finale, "Enemy At the Gate", and the penultimate episode of the series "Vegas". The description for the series finale follows below–Click here to read the description for "Vegas":
Todd contacts Atlantis and reveals that a Wraith subordinate has managed to acquire several Zero Point Modules that he has used to power a formidable new hive ship. He urges Woolsey to attack and destroy before it becomes a threat to Atlantis.
On board the Daedalus, Colonel Caldwell, Colonel Sheppard and the rest of the team, rush to engage the new hive ship. But the Z.P.M. powered vessel proves itself an impressive opponent, crippling the Daedalus before making a sudden and inexplicable jump into hyperspace.
Puzzled over the Wraith’s sudden departure, the team picks up a weak subspace signal in Wraith code. McKay is quick to recognize that the communique was sent, through subspace, from another reality. Once deciphered, their worst fears are realized. The Wraith message contains a familiar set of coordinates. The hive ship is on its way to Earth!
Espensen Talks About BSG Series, TV Movie, and Web-Series + Dollhouse and Buffy Comic
"Battlestar Galactica" writer Jane Espenson revealed that the 10-part web-series ‘Face of the Enemy’ takes place during the next episode of the TV show and that it will help explain some of the decisions that Gaeta makes in the second half of the upcoming fourth season. Espensen also spoke with SCI FI Wire about the upcoming TV movie "Battlestar Galactica: The Plan", which she says will incorporate events from past episodes of the show:
The events of The Plan are the events that you’ve seen … in the show, from the miniseries to almost the end of season two, [so] it’s that chunk of time, but sort of seen with the Cylon perspective. So you’re going to see a lot of stuff that was going on that you weren’t aware of at the time: on Caprica, in the fleet… A lot of loose ends are tied up, a lot of questions are asked that you don’t even know you have.
‘The Plan’ will air in 2009 after the conclusion of Battlestar Galactica". Sticking with Espensen, in a separate interview with SCI FI Wire, she defended Joss Whedon’s upcoming Fox Sci-Fi series "Dollhouse" and announced that she is currently writing the 11th episode of the first 13 ordered by Fox. Espensen is also returning to the ‘Buffy’ verse, telling SCI FI Wire that she’s "doing a five-issue Oz arc." Oz was played by Seth Green in the original "Buffy the Vampire" series and the comics are part of Dark Horse’s continued effort to publish a series of ‘Buffy’ "season eight" comics, overseen by series creator Joss Whedon.
New BSG Clues + Watch Webisode 3 of Face of the Enemy
Two new clues about BSG’s final half of season four have been unveiled at the You Will Know the Truth website. Both are video clips. Watch them here and here. And rounding out this week’s BSG news, you can watch the third episode of the ‘Face of the Enemy’ web-series below, a few days earlier than SciFi.com’s debut on Monday.
Sci-fi Shows Dominate Top 10 Time-Shifted Programs for 2008
Science Fiction programming continues to be heavily favored by DVR time-shifters. Five of the top 10 time-shifted prime time programs in 2008, ranked by percent difference, were sci-fi programs (with three on SCI FI alone). They were led by the SCI FI channel’s "Battlestar Galactica", which registered a whopping 53% increase in rating. Rounding out the list was NBC’s "Heroes" and SCI FI’s "Sanctuary" sharing third with another show (35%), SCI Fi’s "Eureka" at sixth (34%) and FOX’s "Fringe" tied at tenth with three other shows (27%). Sci-fi programming also did well when ranked in terms of net gain in households, with "Heroes" coming in third place (+1.832 million households), ABC’s "Lost" in fourth (+1.793 million), Fox’s "Fringe" in fifth (+1.602 million households) and CBS’s "The Mentalist" in seventh (+1.445 million).
Battlestar Galactica (more here)
Doctor Who (more here, here and here)
Sanctuary (more here)
Stargate Atlantis (more here)
Battlestar Galactica (more here, here and here)
Doctor Who
Fringe (another here)
Heroes
Heroes: The Recruit (Chapter One "Private Mills")
Kyle XY
Lost (another here)
Smallville (another here)
- "Dollhouse" star Eliza Dushku revealed more roles she’ll be playing in the series. They include a backup singer (she sings a cappella in one episode), an assassin and a serious, professional woman. "Dollhouse" premieres Friday, February 13th. [SCI FI Wire]
- Summer Glau talked about how her character on Fox’s "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles", the Terminator Cameron, is getting more human this season in a new interview with IGN.
- We’ll be seeing Jack’s grandfather (played by Raymond Barry) in the seventh episode of the new season of "Lost". [EW]
- "Invasion" and "Moonlight" premiere on the SCI FI Channel Friday, January 23, 2009. "Invasion" will air at 8pm, followed by "Moonlight" at 9pm. [SCI FI]
- SCI FI scored its best season ever in key demographics, ranking #5 in adults 25-54 and #9 among adults 18-49 in 2008, the networks best finish since 2005. Overall, SCI FI averaged a 1.0 Household rating, 242,000 Adults 18-34 (+4%), 616,000 Adults 18-49 (+5%), 695,000 adults 25-54 (+6%) and 1.278 million total viewers (+7%) in 2008. SCI FI also saw good growth among female viewers. For an extensive overview of the networks individual program ratings, click here.
- Here’s how "Torchwood" producer Peter Bennett explains the new miniseries: "It’s different to every other year. It’s not a story about spaceships, but it’s about a government that did a deal with aliens back in the ’60s, and they’re now dealing with the consequences of that deal when the sins of their past come back to haunt them." [Digital Spy]
- Good news "Pushing Daisies" fans, creator Bryan Fuller will be reworking the last episode to give fans of the show more closure. [EW]
- SCI FI has announced that it has ordered a sixth season of "Ghost Hunters", a second season of spinoff "Ghost Hunters International" and a six-episode first season of the recently unveiled new series "Ghost Hunters: New Generation" (working title). The announcements are part of a new deal with Pilgrim Films and Television, which produces the show. In addition, Pilgrim will develop an entirely new series for SCI FI that it hopes to premiere in 2010. New episodes of ‘International’ debut on January 7, 2009, and season five of "Ghost Hunters" will premiere in March 2009. [SCI FI]
- Russell T. Davies, who is departing "Doctor Who" as show runner, but staying put on spinoff "The Sarah Jane Adventures", is thankful to BBC for renewing the spinoff: "In an age of shrinking budgets and an ever-changing television landscape, children’s TV is right at the front line, and personally I think it’s one of the most vital areas to protect and nourish. So this commission is wonderful… We’re all determined to repay Children’s BBC by delivering an amazing show." [Digital Spy]
- Mark Sheppard will be returning to reprise his role as Attorney Romo Lampkin on "Battlestar Galactica". The actor will also be appearing in at least two episodes of Fox’s "Dollhouse" and has a recurring role on NBC’s "Medium" (which kicks off its fifth season February 2, 2009). [iF Magazine]
- Michele Buck, executive producer of AMC’s miniseries remake of the classic TV show "The Prisoner", says she’s unfazed by Christopher Nolan’s film version being set up at Universal: "We knew of it, and what it was rumoured to be like was totally nothing like ours at all. We’ll be finished, edited, transmitted, out before they even shoot – if they shoot." The six-part "Prisoner" series will air next year on AMC in the US and on ITV in the UK. [Digital Spy via io9]
- Whoopi Goldberg is set to star in and executive produce a new online sci-fi miniseries for Fearnet.com titled "Stream". The series will debut online and on video-on-demand beginning January 15, 2009 and air in six five-minute weekly segments. Goldberg will play the lead character, Jodi, who is trying to come to terms with her lifelong fears. [Variety]
- NBC plans to capitalize on the large audience they’ll hold with their broadcasting of the Super Bowl this season to reintroduce its programming to America. Sci-fi series "Chuck", "Heroes" and "Medium" will all be part of the reintroduction. [Advertising Age]
- BBC has renewed its original series "Merlin" for a second season. The 13-episode first season premiered in September and received an impressive 28% audience share, or 6.2 million viewers. [Variety]
MISC NEWS
Hamill to Voice The Joker in ‘Arkham Asylum’ Video Game
Eidos and Warner Bros. have confirmed that Mark Hamill ("Batman: The Animated Series") will reprise his role as the voice of the Joker in Warner Bros’ upcoming video game "Batman: Arkham Asylum". Kevin Conroy is also returning to voice the caped crusader, Batman. "Batman: Arkham Asylum" will be released on the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2009. Watch a new trailer below.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Dante’s Inferno
Terminator Salvation
Watchmen: The End is Nigh
MISC VIDEO
President Bush Attacked by Tie Fighters
What Really Happened? Iraqi Bush Shoe Throw – Watch more Free Videos
- The Curious Case of Benjamin", "The Dark Knight", "Iron Man", and "Wall-E" all made the American Film Institute’s list of top 10 outstanding movies of 2008. Meanwhile, the top 10 shows of the year included ABC’s "Lost". The AFI will honor the films and series at an awards luncheon on January 9, 2009. [via SCI FI Wire]
- Marvel is offering a Christmas-themed comic series titled "The Marvel Digital Holiday Special" at their online site for free. [Marvel Comics via io9]
MARVEL DIGITAL COMICS EXCLUSIVE Ho Ho Ho! It’s Holiday fun in the Merry Marvel Manner, as the house of ideas hangs the stockings by the Chimney with care in hopes that Galactus won’t soon be there. The X-Men celebrate their first holiday in their new home of San Francisco – and their first without Kitty Pryde among them in X-MEN: Blue Christmas by Jim McCann and Todd Nauck. Meanwhile, in the days before Secret Invasion, one family finds even the most humble of Holiday celebrations can be infiltrated by the Skrulls in a tale of Holiday Horror by Ryan Penagos and Juan Doe. And hey, what’re the holidays like for Jack Russell – Werewolf by Night? Find out in “WEREWOLF BY EVE!” by Marvel.com’s own Ben Morse and Stephanie Buscema. All of this, and…Santa Claus vs. The Illuminati?! Tis the season, and Brian Reed& Val Semeiks will bring it to ya! So stop on by for some Egg Nogg, Driedel spinning and probably a fist fight or two with your favorite Marvel heroes and villains in the Marvel Digital Comics Holiday Spectacular!
FINALLY HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM SCI-FI SATURDAY!
11/24/2008 to 11/30/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire
11/24/2008 to 11/30/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire
11/24/2008 to 11/30/2008 – Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report via SCI FI Wire
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Comments»
Anyone else concerned about Cameron going anywhere near Forbidden Planet?
Cool Stuff.
hmmm,,the return of “Buck Rogers”,,,
that would be interesting
:o)
Seeing as how Day bombed, will anyone even care if Forbidden Planet is remade?
WOW! Cameron doing Forbidden Planet! Can you imagine the Krell City under his “Larger then life” eye. I hope it’s true.
Forbidden Planet is one of my favourite movies. Lets hope Cameron does a Prequel. The rise and fall of the Krell, the visit from the ill fated Bellerophon and the rise of Dr. Morpheus and building Robby the Robot.
Far better then just a remake.
Frank Miller doing Buck Rogers? Whoa.
Yeah for Cameron I’m sure I’ll enjoy seeing Forbidden Planet in about 10 years when it finally gets released.
#1
Actually, I’m concerned about *anyone* going anywhere near classic, timeless stuff like Forbidden Planet! ;)
Thanks for that weekly summary! it’s priceless!
man…noooooooo….get jj to remake Forbidden Planet… and make it a Star Trek crossover film involving another alternate reality :)
How does that horrific show known as Fringe keep beating out the sarah connor chronicles?
@1: yes, very much
@8: agreed (apart from 60’s TV shows with Leonard Nimoy in them, they are fair game) :-)
Great roundup as always. A couple of comments:
A nice big w00t for Romo Lampkin…
They can do Judge Dredd but PLEASE don’t let him take off the helmet and be all pretty (OK, so Stallone wasn’t “pretty” but it’s relative).
Can’t wait to see Watchmen… loved the comic book (sorry, Graphic Novel) when I was at Uni, and 300 was great fun so what could *possibly* go wrong?
Curious about the Judge Dredd film, hope it’s better then the Sly Stallone effort,,,,,,,,,,,
I’ve still got issue 2 of the comic 2000ad from 1977 in my Mum’s loft which was JD’s first ever appearance… :-)
Leslie Nielson is still around. I wonder if they will let him do a cameo on the Forbidden Planet project. As for James Cameron, I have no problems with him doing the film.
As a HUGE fan of “The Spirit”, and a fan of much of Miller’s work, …
Frank got it WRONG.
He misses the tone and style of the world of “The Spirit”.
He’s made SIN CITY 2…
He gave Daredevil a fedora…
Will Eisner is puking in heaven….
Re: 8
Iowagirl totally beat me to the punch on that comment.
I’ll say it again. For frak’s sake, *why* is there this need to re-make classics like The Day The Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, Planet Of The Apes, etc, etc, etc…
OK, so that’s a rhetorical question. It’s all about laziness and hopes for quick revenue. It’s not just George W Bush who is guilty of failing to crack a book now and again. Jeeze Louise!
The Bush video is a great idea :D
hmm what are the fan concerns regarding cameron doing forbidden planet?
Loved Frank Miller’s Daredevil work back in the day (the 1980s), but his schtick is getting old. It was great in a movie or two, but it was gimmickry to begin with and it doesn’t wear well, especially when you drag it into properties that aren’t your own. Buck Roger should be done with a dash of golly gee whiz, shazaam not Blade Runner meets Reservoir Dogs.
Two Prisoners? I guess I don’t understand why EVERYTHING needs to be remade these days when the original was just fine. Aren’t there any NEW books and short stories and plays ready for a cinematic treatment. I like my recycling for the environment not in my films. Sadly, it was probably Trek that got this whole ball rolling in a big way, but at least Trek expanded the universe with new stories instead of rehashing what went before. That said, if either Prisoner sounds good I will probably give them a go.
Agree with 16. that it is laziness and a quick buck that drives the drivel drizzling out of tinseltown. Just wish originality would come back.
I’m hoping everytime there’s a Sci-Fi Saturday that I’ll read a message that the cancelled show ‘Jericho’ has been picked up again in some form but that still hasn’t happened :(
I gotta be honest, I’m rather miffed at Bryan. Did he even care about ‘Pushing Daisies’? Seems like all the snippets I ever read were “oh well, guess I’ll go help out at Heroes now.” Really? Did you try shopping it over at Sci-Fi? Would fit nicely along side Eureka.
Weak sauce :(
#19, that was another good one.
But they’re happy to feed us crap like “My Mom Hates My New Million Dollar Girlfriend And Dances With Idols”. There’s some masterpieces. I wouldn’t care so much of the networks bit the dust if the other cable channels would start picking up some of these good ones and run with them.
It sucks that the benchmark is a guy that married his sister and has a ‘72 Chevy pickup truck hood propped up in his front yard.
Very disappointing.
Can’t wait to see Kenneth Branaghs Thor!
I’ve also heard through the rumor mill on other websites that there are preliminary plans for remaking “The Creature from the Black Lagoon.”
Yeesh. : P
Hollywood is just bone-dry of anything approaching original ideas.
#8, I agree. Forbidden Planet was perfect. Some things don’t need to be re-invented. I haven’t seen the new ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ (Klaatu: What we ‘need’ is Eddie Van Halen!), but am a big fan of the original and can’t imagine why they’d go near that one as well.
1 Harry Ballz: Yep, me.
But, as usual, another extremely impressive round-up of information, Rosario.
I don’t know how you dig up all of this, but keep up the great work! It’s become my favorite weekly fix.
The Spirit is all about HUMOR not violence.
Frank Miller is still upset that Tim Burton didn’t make The Dark Knight Returns in 1988.
This is not The Spirit, this is The Dark Knight Returns. Worse than that, it’s SW:E1. Everything made on a blue screen, everything CGI. Actors need something to react to.
Read Miller’s comics, they’re all violent and gory. Read Eisner’s Spirit and they’re all light-hearted, cerebral, humorous and sexy. The funniest bits were The Spirit trying NOT to get kissed by the many femmes fatale. The violence is minimal and in the Batman TV show POW! SAP! OUCH! variety.
go to willeisner.com
Most libraries have Spirit collections in the kid’s section.
go to a comic book store and pick up an issue or two and thumb through it.
Oy Vey
Merry Christmas Happy New Year
Commodore Redshirt,
Miller and Eisner were good friends up to Eisner’s death a few years back.
I have some of their books wherein Miller interviews Eisner.
More remakes? Proof that Hollywood is creatively bankrupt.
Cameron was the most creative guy in the 1980’s & 90’s now he’s reduced to remakes. Cameron invented CGI for Abyss! Now he’s as lame as ZAZ, the Airplane! team.
BOBO, if you ever meet Cameron, slap him for me? Warn him against becoming Mel Brooks?
Cheers,
Thanks
Spirit: One of the things Frank Miller and Eisner have in common is vaguely creepy, stunted attitudes toward women. The thought of those things being combined in any way magnifies the potential creepiness of each :/
Two Prisoners? Yikes, I don’t know whether to be double-elated or double-concerned :)
Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who. YAY-uh!
YAY! Robert Carlyle is NOT The Doctor!
We were a hair’s breadth from re-making Forbidden Planet circa 1993-4. At the time I got involved, Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back) was set to direct. Stirling Silliphant was kneading the screenplay and as I remember, Kersh intended Lawrence Kasdan to have a go at it. Regrettably this never came to pass. Myself and Ralph McQuarrie were hired at various stages as conceptual designers — I’d been aware of Ralph, at Art Center, but we’d never met. We generated piles of concept art. As did Stan Winston’s creature shop — there were many intensely nuanced “id monster” and Krell renderings by Crash McCreery, a man who’s name I’ll never forget. It was not entertained in Silliphant’s treatments, however my personal attitude on revivifying the Forbidden Planet story comes down to a rather simple trick: reveal, at the end, that the Krell were us, in a previous technological cycle.
RE: Dredd.
2000AD is 31 years old and as such there’s thousands of issues of source material to work from,as a fan of the Lawman of the Future i hope they do him justice this time and use the history.
Personally,if they’re not busy i’d get the original creators of the character involved somehow (Grant/Wagner) as they know who Dredd is and what he’s all about.
I’ll be keeping an eye out on this project :)
@12 agree, helmet removal is a NO NO lol
Of all the people that might go near FP, Cameron concerns me the least. He’s always seemed like a real science-fiction fan, and someone that treats the material with respect. If done well, a remake can surpass the original in many ways.
Clonk:
The CW will be running “Jericho” on Sunday nights. So far, I haven’t heard anything about a pick-up, but it’s at least a run of the existing episodes.
And I’m ready to write and/or direct the next ORIGINAL anything…
Sin City (and to a lesser extent Sky Capt. World of Tomorrow) were a cool expirement. I knew looking at them that they’d spawn dozens of craptastic movies. The Spirit looks like just one of many forgettable ones. Oh, and small point… I’m not a prude, but it’s much more pleasant to read reviews in TrekMovie without the anglo-saxonisms replacing cogent thought. I too can say “F***” but that doesn’t make me smart. I have to work at smart.
2 “The Prisoner” remakes? Do they both end up on a double decker bus in London? Oops… SPOILER ALERT.
BSG BSG BSG!!!! I’m almost as excited about that as I am about Christmas. With an honorable mention for Blood & Fire — I’ll check that out this afternoon or tomorrow.
Thanks, Rosario!!
Two Prisoner remakes? Seriously doubt either will live up to the cultness of the original. I also had no idea there was a new Underworld movie….without Kate Beckinsale???? No thank you! Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen are great actors, and its a pity to find them in these movies again.
TR2N and Final Destination in 3D? Hmm, two movies I’d wait for cable on, but I am a 3D maven and will definitely see at least TR2N in 3D.
34 – “Of all the people that might go near FP, Cameron concerns me the least. He’s always seemed like a real science-fiction fan, and someone that treats the material with respect. If done well, a remake can surpass the original in many ways.”
Lest we forget, Cameron was once rumored as standing poised to direct “Ah-nold” in a remake of “Planet of the Apes” before Tim Burton buried it deeper than the Statue of Liberty.
I suspect with the choice of star to assume the new Heston role, Cameron might have buried it deeper still. The man’s taste and work are far from flawless. “The Abyss” is ample proof of that.
#38
The Abyss being one of my favorite films, I guess I’m not sure where you’re coming from. I agree his work is not flawless, but whose is, really? Even Kubrick & Hitchcock made missteps.
As far as his science-fiction work has gone – Terminator, T2, Aliens, The Abyss – I think he has a solid track record.
Batman Arkahm the best bat and joker voices are BACK!!!!
Let’s get rid of remakes unless they are done well. AS for new Buck Rodgers, anything would be better than the second season with Hawk and the reverse of the Battlestar Galactica story. Going out to find the “lost tribes” of Earth? Give me a break
Cammeron direction SF classic? He did forbidden planet IMO with the Abyss (the full cut, not the theatrical.)
TRON 2 Finally on it’s way!!!! Yeah, I want to be a kid again, reached 40 this past year and going into mid life crisis!!!!
28. McCoy’s Gall Bladder –
“The Spirit is all about HUMOR not violence. ”
This has been my main worry since the film was announced. Miller and Eisner’s styles and tones are incompatible. And updating it and placing The Spirit in the present is just a dumb idea.
I’d rather Cameron — not Miller — tackle a revisitation of Buck Rogers, and everyone keep their hands off Forbidden Planet … though I did like both the prequel idea of kevinA up there at # 5, and the aborted version talked about at #32.
The Spirit movie has looked bad since the teaser trailer first appeared. A shame, really. Poor Will Eisner.
Watchmen — as much as I hate what that GN did to superhero comic books — looks like it could be astoundingly good in movie form. I await it eagerly.
Hollywood needs to get out of the remake rut and turn right. So many good SF books that have never been touched by H’wood. I’d love to see “The Humanoids” by Jack Williamson on the silver screen. What a great, challenging book.
Scott B. out.
Forbidden Planets does not need remaking! Some films of the era do because there were poorly done but Forbidden Planet certainly is not one.
On the remake note, whatever happened to Speilberg’s option to remake When Worlds Collide? That one can use a redo.
Actually, Robert Carlyle will play Dr. David RUSH, on Stargate Universe, not Frost.
Nicely done other wise; I always love these SciFi Saturday updates; beats scouring around the web!
I think the fascination with remakes may be indicative of the studio’s fear of doing anything original, in order to avoid failure at the box office. They’re thinking seems to be that classic films have a built-in recognition factor that will translate into ticket sales. “Let’s make a new version with all the pop-wow special FX!” seems to be the thought of the moment.
Take the remastered TOS, for example. The only reason the FX shots were re-done was to appeal to a new audience, a younger audience, based on the assumption that without the CGI, the show’s not relevant. I think that’s an example of severely flawed thinking.
I think any audience – no matter what the age group – will respond first and foremost to a good story. BSG is a good example. The story started off strong, worthy of the Peabody, but in the last season or so, it’s just devolved into the latest depression-motif mixed with Irwin Allen Towering Inferno disaster-movie sensibilities. The Galactica has become the Poseidon. And I don’t respond to it near as much as I did for the first season.
Hollywood needs a refresher on Story – and they should all read Robert McKee’s book on the subject.
And then they need to make movies because they’re fun, not because they have merchandise tie-ins.
It’s bad enough to see The Spirit reduced to that pile of crap, but please don’t do it to Buck Rogers. Keep Miller away. He needs to go back to whatever nihilistic planet he came from and stay there. Perhaps a forbidden planet…
As for Cameron, who knows. At least he seems familiar with the concept of storytelling instead of filling a movie with two hours of neato visuals to bring in the teenybopper crowd.
Okay, rant over.
39 – I wanted to like “The Abyss.” I have a part-time side vocation of instructing scuba, but I just remember thinking it a rather boring two hours plus of an attempt at an undersea epic. At least IMHO. I just didn’t find it very exciting. Other people love it. I don’t think it’s a bad film, just not a particularly great one either. Films are just such a matter of personal taste. I only remember seeing this one in the theater when it first came out and thinking it was so-so: not too good, not too bad. There aren’t many scenes from it I remember today. But again, it’s personal taste. You and many others like it. I don’t hate it; I just don’t love it either.
I did like T2, very much. I’ve never seen T1.
“Aliens” was okay, but I was disappointed with how he turned it away from the horror genre into mostly action-adventure. I found there was only one genuinely frightening sequence in that film, whereas the original was a true horror (and sci-fi) masterpiece.
And you’re right, no director is flawless. I fully agree with you on that. I was just glad Cameron and Schwarzenegger didn’t re-do “Planet of the Apes,” as it was my favorite movie from my childhood and it is still today. I’ll never forgive Burton and Wahlberg for the complete travesty they made of it.
You are perhaps right that Cameron would do a better job of remaking “Forbidden Planet” than many other filmmakers would. I just get overly cautious when any filmmaker sets out to redo a classic. Even if it is a camp classic — thus my comment #24, above.
45 – Mr. Hunt, do recall the title of this book by Robert McKee? I wouldn’t mind seeking it out.
30. S. John Ross – ‘One of the things Frank Miller and Eisner have in common is vaguely creepy, stunted attitudes toward women. The thought of those things being combined in any way magnifies the potential creepiness of each :/’
I dunno! I think Frank just loves pulp novels and the trashier end of the film noir genre. He’s riffing on that. It’s fun, not to be taken too seriously.
That said, I wasn’t a fan of the Sin City movie: Bruce Willis was wrong as Hartigan and how can you have a fully-clothed Nancy Callahan?!! The Spirit: I’ll wait and see.
48. Brett Campbell/45. Jason P Hunt
I thought Robert McKee’s book ‘Story’ was interesting but a bit ‘dense,’ reading more like a maths textbook at times. Useful though. I also like Joe Michael Straczynski’s screenwriting book. I thought Joe Eszterhas’s remarks about McKee were hilarious, even though I always enjoyed watching McKee on TV. Hollywood Animal remains one of my Hollywood autobiographies!
#45 Mr. Hunt
I couldn’t agree more. In fact, it boggles my mind that these short-sighted movie moguls wouldn’t learn something after making such less-than-classic remakes as “Lost In Space,” “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Starsky and Hutch,” “Get Smart,” and I don’t think I need to go on… I’m not looking forward to seeing a remake of “Gilligan’s Island,” or “Green Acres,” but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.
Movies like “Forbidden Planet,” “The Day The Earth Stood Still,” “War Of The Worlds,” and similar classics, do not need to be remade. Those films are of a moment in time, and cannot be duplicated today. Tossing in lots of action and CGI does nothing to improve a story. I’m still shaking my head that these people don’t get this… I guess they really don’t mind pissing away millions, and then watching their shiny new remake of “My Mother The Car” play to empty seats… when only a year earlier, they were patting each other on the back about what a great idea this was.
50 – So, Dom, I take it then that the name of McKee’s book is simply “Story”? Is that correct?
I’ll look for the others. I have of course heard of Messrs. Straczynski and Eszteraz, but I had never heard of Mr. McKee.
#47
But see, that’s the brilliance of Aliens and why it worked – once the alien is out of the bag in Alien, you can’t go the slow reveal route again without it feeling like something of a retread. The natural next step (for which the foundation is clearly laid down in Alien) is to go for numbers. I’m not sure you could have gone any other way successfully.
And something I give Cameron great credit for as well is the attention he gave to the characters. I love the original, but Scott didn’t spend a great deal of time fleshing out his characters (aside from Ripley and Ash) as anything other than alien food. Aliens really allows you to become attached before killing someone off.
As for The Abyss, I agree we’ll just have to disagree on that one. The Director’s Cut is outstanding, but even the Theatrical Cut was far from anything I’d call ‘boring’. I guess it’s difficult for me to identify with you there, because it’s one of my absolute favorites as well as being – IMO – a definitive piece of modern science-fiction.
Never heard anything about him being involved with Planet of the Apes, but maybe he realized it wasn’t going to work and that’s why he bailed. Who knows. I forgive Burton that one simply because he’s more than made up for it with his other films. Wahlberg I don’t mind blaming, mostly because I think he’s only good in every other movie he makes! :)
53 — I guess I’ll have to give “The Abyss” another viewing some time. Perhaps I just wasn’t in a good mood when I first saw it. That can color how I react to a film, and I can’t even recall what year it came out or where I was in my life at that time. I’ll look for the director’s cut as well.
C.S. Lewis makes some interesting points in his essay “On Stories” that character development isn’t really the main point in science fiction. I’m not sure that I totally agree with him there, but he makes a lot of valid points about the need for atmosphere having to be successful. It’s worth reading if you ever have the time. On the other hand, Ray Bradbury always wrote about how the stories of science fiction need to be more about people rather than gadgetry. I agree with him on that. So did TOS “Star Trek.”
As for aliens and numbers, I think that was one of the difficulties I had with the film as the first sequel in the franchise. The aliens didn’t seem as formidable or indestructible as the one in the first film, so I had some difficulty with continuity there. I still enjoyed the film, and thought it was very successful as an action adventure piece. It just didn’t frighten me as much as the original. Apparently, that wasn’t Cameron’s intent for most of it. It certainly was a well-crafted and entertaining film, if not quite as much of a classic as the original. The original had some rather Lovecraftian themes that never quite resurfaced in any of the sequels, but which led to the successful atmosphere of the first.
As for “Apes,” I also ordinarily admire Burton as a director, and I think that Cameron may have been smart and dodged a bullet in deciding not to take it on as a project after all. I can’t think of anyone who could improve upon what Schaeffer and Serling and Wilson did with the original in terms of cinematic storytelling. I guess that brings us back full circle to the discussion of the difficulty — and perhaps futility — in trying to remake and improve upon already established classics.
I’d like t see a remake of Disney’s Black Hole complete with Robert Forrester and Ernest Borgnine in their original roles
Was Seven of Nine named for Ernest Borg of nine?
Why havent they made Magnum P.I. the movie? or Airwolf the movie?
I’d rather see Cheers the movie than some of the things coming out soon
55/56 – “Was Seven of Nine named for Ernest Borg of nine?” Funny! Good one!
I have been hard at work for some time now on the screenplay of “Doogie Howser: The Motion Picture.”
As for “Airwolf,” well, they just can’t make enough Oscar statuettes — especially for Jan Michael Vincent as Best Supporting Piece of Lumber in the Role of an Actor.
Remakes & sequels & licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s and remakes and sequels and licensed IP’s..
When is it going to be fashionable to make NEW stuff again?
I really don’t get the remakes. not from a film purists point of view. but just because I don’t get why the studio execs think they will work. most people today that actually go to movies are all young kids, and they probably have no idea about the day the earth stood still or forbidden planet, and if they did, they’d probably just laugh at the costumes, etc. I remember going to a movie theatre in seattle back in like 1981, when they put forbidden planet back on the big screen. I was all excited to see it actually on a big screen at the theatre instead of a 25 inch square tv. but when we got there, people were laughing outloud in the audience at the dialog. I think they were mostly stoned college kids who just thought the whole thing was absurd. so why redo the movie like one poster said, just to add special effects that look really great, and put some young actor in it that is recognized by the kids. so this movie is not going to be recognized by the vast majority of paying movie goers as a remake. and for the people who do remember the original, they probably won’t like it compared to the original. so, why not just do something original in the first damm place? a movie that won’[t offend the classic movie buffs, and yet will still be great enough for the younger guys. they can’t be thinking that by doing a remake, they are guaranteed a certain box office. plenty of these remakes bomb. maybe we should boycot any remake, so hollyweird gets the message, and starts coming up with original stuff, like firefly. what a great show that was, and totally original. and young people loved it, as well as old farts like me. hollyweird, pull your proverbial heads out your “bleep”!
Brett:
Yes, it’s Story by Robert McKee, and it is a pretty dense book. But it covers everything that you’d ever want or need to know.
I also like JMS’s book on screenwriting. There are several out there that cover the subject well – and some even address the business side of things. But when you distill it all down, it comes down to the story as the key element in any successful venture.
I liked The Abyss, even though it wasn’t the prototypical sci-fi action flick. I actually liked it because it was different. In some ways, it felt like what “Star Trek” could have been – encounters with the unknown. But I think Cameron oversold the whole “nuclear bombs are bad” elements.
I think Hollywood runners are at the age where they don’t want to acknowledge their age. They want to hold on to their youth, and that means revisiting the shows they grew up watching. I Dream of Jeannie is in the works, and I’m sure there will be movies made of “Gilligan’s Island”, “F Troop”, and “MacGruder & Loud”. We already have “The A-Team” on its way, along with “The Greatest American Hero” and a new version of V. Why not a new everything else?
Would this be a good time to mention my own Comet Tales? What would Trek or SW look like if it had been conceived by a five-year-old?
#44
I just saw Frost/Nixon the other day. I guess it stayed with me as I wrote this. :) We’ll get it taken care of. Thanks for spotting it.
60 – Jason, thank you for confirming the book title. I’ll look for it.
I heard there was a Gilligan’s Island movie in the works several years ago, possibly casting Martin Short in the Bob Denver role.
The world is becoming a sad and scary place.
Perhaps someone should write a black comedy about Hollywood’s obsession with remakes of old movies and TV shows…
61 – I haven’t seen the new movie, but I remember back around ‘77, the time of the actual Frost-Nixon interview, that there was a pretty funny parody of it on “Saturday Night Live” with Dan Ackroyd as Nixon and guest host Eric Idle as Frost. Back when SNL was funny …
I liked Doogie in Harold & Kumar.
I liked Doogie in that very short lived show about the misunderstood writer who just couldnt write. I identified with the writer. Poor chap had writers block and Doogie was an agent trying to wring a book out of him.
BobO : are you listening?
All remakes and no originals makes Hollywood a dull boy.
pretty soon I’ll be watching French films. Sacre Merde!
64 – “pretty soon I’ll be watching French films. Sacre Merde!”
Hilarious! Thanks for a good pre-bedtime laugh!
62. Brett Campbell
Sorry not to get back to you: was past my bedtime! McKee also does ‘Story’ seminar tours, if you have some spare cash kicking about. I believe Joe Eszterhas got himself kicked out of one!!!
66- Dom, no problem. I’m a night owl and on vacation. Thanks for confirming the book title.
“I believe Joe Eszterhas got himself kicked out of one!!!” — Writers can get into it with each other, can’t they?
I’ve got mixed feelings about Miller’s work in gereral, but it’s about time someone took another crack at the Buck Rogers story.
#60
I suppose it depends on one’s perspective, but when the world is still full of nuclear arsenals, I don’t think the idea of ‘nuclear weapons=bad’ could ever be oversold.
#54
I definitely side with Bradbury in that argument. I understand the desire for ‘pure’ science-fiction that deals with ideas and concepts, but ultimately if there is no character one can identify with in such stories, it is incredibly difficult to feel engaged by them. I think that’s why The Motion Picture is so consistently ranked in the bottom half of ‘good’ Star Trek movies – even though it has a strong concept, a lot of the characterizations leave you feeling cold. The picture lacks heart for long stretches of time.
70 – Very valid points. And as I said — or at least tried to say — in my earlier post, I also tend to side more with Bradbury than Lewis on this issue. But I do see Lewis’s points also, to some extent, that especially in the confines of the short story in speculative fiction there must be a level of atmosphere attained that sometimes must supersede character development. Poe and Lovecraft certainly worked on this principle.
It is interesting that one of Bradbury’s most powerful comments on technology and the human condition occurs in his story “There Will Come Soft Rains,” where the sole “character” is an automated house still in operation after the human race has annihilated itself by nuclear war.
70 – And definitely valid points about ST:TMP. I think that is one of the main reasons why TWOK made such a powerful comeback for the franchise. It was full of heart and depth of emotion and perhaps more fully fleshed out Kirk’s character than any thing else in “Star Trek” before or since. At least in terms of the shows and the films. I haven’t read any of the novels.
#71
And I should probably place a footnote in there that I think ‘pure’ science fiction works better in literature than it does on the silver screen. Not that it can’t, just that literature lends itself to that type of indulgence to a much greater extent.
For instance, while 2001 is an absolutely brilliant and admirable film, and will always be seen as a landmark picture in many ways, I think 2010 works better as a movie. In 2001, the Monolith is really the central character. And while I recognize the genius in that, you can’t find much common ground with a black slab. The only character that manages to rise about the sterility is Dave Bowman, and that’s only in the last 30 minutes or so of the film. Whereas in 2010, you can identify and sympathize with the characters, including HAL.
I think if you were to ask an audience which is the more ingenious, they’d likely go with 2001. But if you were to ask them which they enjoyed more as a movie, I think many would pick 2010.
#72
Agreed. I think another problem I always had with TMP (I’m actually one that really likes it, despite the flaws) was Kirk seemed incredibly petty, as a character. I got the whole ‘first, best destiny’ thing, but it seemed like he was willing to completely disregard everyone else in order to attain it again. Not that I mind flaws in my heroes, but that one always bugged me and seemed slightly out of character.
74 – Yes, I understand what you mean. And I haven’t watched TMP as many times as I have some of the other films.
But I guess the overall impression I got from that aspect of Kirk that at times seems petty is that it was a continuation of his passion and complete commitment to commanding that ship — especially in times of severe danger to the crew and the vessel.
He may not have been at his finest moments there in some ways, but it was also consistent with his character in terms of both his strengths and his weaknesses.
I don’t know as he would have disregarded others completely without limits, but he was portrayed in the series and subsequent films as definitely single-minded in purpose when it came to the safety and well-being of the crew and his friends.
I think perhaps a further character foible he develops as he approaches middle-age in the later films is that he seems to appreciate the fact that very likely fewer years ahead than behind, and he felt as if he still had so much to do and not much time to do it in.
But additional strengths and wisdom come with that, should we call it “desperation” of the advancing years (an’ I knows what’s I’m talkin’ ’bout, coz I’m gettin’ theres, myself). It taught him to evaluate things he found truly important, such as fealty to one’s friends and forgiving enemies. These, good and bad, are more aspects of his character that make him believable as a fleshed-out human character.
So, we see a genuine, life-long story arc to his character. From the “Nothing is more important than my ship” Kirk, to the “You could feel the wind at your back” Kirk, to the “I’m in command, Bones. That makes it my responsibility” one, to the “Risk is our business” one to the … oh, I’m sure you get my drift. And the man had no beach to walk upon, damn it!
And, in the films, that enormous sense of responsibility weighs still on his shoulders as well as true moral quandaries over where his allegiances and loyalties should lie. Thus, by ST: III he is willing to break some laws and commandments (”Thou shalt not steal”) to attain what he views as a greater good, and illegally to take the ship he loves to do so, that is, to attain what he feels is a greater good — rescuing a lost friend. There are perhaps still selfish ends in that as well, but we applaud his decision and his action all the same. (There should probably also be a commandment not to blow up stuff that you steal; that was probably on the stone tablet with five of the original Fifteen Commandments on the tablet that Moses dropped and shattered in “History of the World, Part 1.”)
Perhaps he is revealing selfishness also when the greater good is attained on Vulcan at the end of the film. If memory serves:
Spock: “My father says that you have been my friend. That you came back for me.”
Kirk: “You would have done the same for me.”
Spock: “Why would you do this?”
(And Kirk’s key line)
Kirk: “Because the needs of the one outweighed the needs of the many.
A flawed man, yes. A mere human, after all. No matter how heroic he is in a Greek tragic sense. But he is also an honorable man in so many ways, throughout all his years.
Along with the character himself, the bonds he has with others, also grow and deepen despite quarrels and wounded pride and other bumps along the way. He matures over both the course of the TOS episodes and then the later films. It’s what make him believable as a character. He has “warts and all.”
24
“Hollywood is just bone-dry of anything approaching original ideas.”
I hear Gene Rodenberry has a property he never developed called Assignment: Earth. Hmmm. (Yes the needle on my broken record is ground to a nub. We’ve had several stylus replacements but the record’s still good.)
and I’m still enthused with what I’m hearing about the Thor movie.
#75
Yeah, I can see that angle. It was just something about his behavior in that movie (heck, everyone’s behavior in that movie) that never sat well with me. Still enjoy it though.
#74-77, that’s one point that’s always nagged at me, too. I guess it was probably because there was no buildup – you couldn’t see any internal struggle – or even forethought – going on before he decided to get all high-handed. And even by the end of the movie, I still wasn’t convinced he had been justified in any of it.
When you look at it in terms of the 40-year character arc, sure, it’s just one more thread in the tapestry of personality. But, when I’m sitting there watching the movie, all I can think is, “Jeez, what gratuitous assholery!”
78 – Perhaps the fact that the character had not been explored on screen in over a decade might have had something to do with it not seeming that smooth or characteristic a course of action or transition for Kirk.
TMP is flawed in a number of ways, but not nearly as bad as many complain. I would agree that the writers did not seem to give enough serious thought about what had actually transpired in Kirk’s life (or any of the character’s lives) in those intervening ten years — apart from his having acquired a promotion and an unfulfilling desk job.
It seems by comparison they had thought out character development much more fully by the time of TWOK. It certainly shows in that film. By then perhaps the writers took a closer look at episodes of TOS and considered what a character-driven show it was, in addition to some amazing science-fictional concepts. They had all (writers and actors) shaken the rust off by ST II.
TMP was directed by Robert Wise who also directed the original Day the Earth Stood Still.
Wise is better known for his detective & drama movies. He wasn’t really a sci-fi man.
Wise didn’t know what was going on, who the characters were or were supposed to be, or what the special effects were or were about.
AND everyone knows Shatner NEEDS a strong director or he just hams it up.
Remember that Ricardo Montalban often did his scenes in one take, but Shatner kept fouling things up until the lines were so tired, they barely had any impact.
Gotta keep Shat on a short leash.
#80
Actually, it was Nick Meyer who insisted on the multiple takes for Shatner, because he felt he was too stiff and only after repeated takes did he feel as though he had achieved a more natural performance.
80-81
Meyer comments on this in the TWOK commentary (during the Reliant prefix number scene). He says that Shatner had a tendency to put too much into his performance, so he would have to do it over and over again until Shatner got bored. It was at that point that it started to feel natural.
Some actors you just have to nudge into the right performance. Some get it just spot-on the first time. Takes all kinds.
You guys are forgetting the famous outtakes and blooper reels that The Roddenberrys used to show at conventions lampooning Shatner’s style.
Eventually The Shat confesses to being a ham on Conan O’Brien. He said he was in a play in Canada and the audience got bored, so he hammed it up, and the Shat as we know him was born.
And then there’s the fact that most director’s shoot multiple takes just so they have a lot of footage to choose from, in case there’s any problems in other areas, such as light and sound, as well as different takes from the actor’s performance to choose from.
And then there’s the fact that directors do this with just about any actor so that they can lower the need to call the actor back in when he or she is on another assignment. It’s a standard practice.
And then there’s the fact that the entertainment news media like to hype up such stories so that they can fill space in print and time in electronic media when it’s a slow news day and they have to meet their obligations somehow.
You can’t believe everything you see and read about actors. And what you do see and read, it’s a good idea to divide by five.
Brett:
That only applies to a certain extent. Directors have to stay on a schedule. You can only shoot so many times before you have to move on to the next setup. Otherwise, you blow your budget.
In Shatner’s case: if you haven’t already, listen to Meyer’s commentary on TWOK. He addresses this very issue, during the scene when Kirk and Khan first communicate after the initial attack.
I agree that TMP was flawed from a character perspective. There was so much more potential there. Especially between Decker and Kirk. Here you have the son of Kirk’s close friend, and Kirk has to throw him out of the job. There could have been much more there. Did Decker blame Kirk for the commodore’s death? Did Kirk feel guilty and take young Matt under his wing? So much unexplored territory there.
And some may know, but most may not: the other victim of the transporter accident (according to the novel) was Vice-Admiral Lori Ciana, Kirk’s wife. That could have been a character arc gold mine! Losing his wife, unfamiliar with the ship, an XO that resents him, Spock off his game, McCoy taking shots at him, and he has to deal with an alien that’s about to destroy Earth? Untapped potential there.
WOW I need to watch that movie again
I had the novelization back in the 80s
I wish I had it now
Hunt, you rock.
McCoy’s
Thank ye, sir!
Kirk and Ciana’s relationship is explored in the novels that take place between TOS and TMP – starting with The Lost Years and including Traitor Winds and A Flag Full of Stars. Not sure which order, on the last two, but I think it goes that way. Those stories even bring back the cabin on Centaurus from Crisis on Centaurus, which I thought was a nice touch.
That was back in the day when regular schmoes like me could submit stories…
Looks like I’m raiding the library this weekend!
Happy Trekmas!
85 – Guess I never made the connection that Decker from TMP is “Doomsday Machine” Decker’s son.
Where can I listen to Nicholas Meyer’s commentary, please?
I’ll fax you my copy of Wrath
I think it fits in the cup holder on my laptop…
Brett:
Meyer’s commentary is on the Director’s Edition DVD of TWOK. I’m assuming it’s on the regular DVD, but I could be wrong about that.
He also has a commentary track on ST VI.
It’s these references that make me wish the novels had been held into the continuity. It would have made the Trekverse so much richer!
JPH