MGM’S ‘RED DAWN’ REMAKE LIKELY TO HIT THEATRES BY FALL OF 2012
Another year?
My heart goes out to the remake producers and filmmakers in a big way. I’ve spoken to them, they’ve written for us and while they’ve handled this tortured situation with class and without complaining, what started out as a well-intentioned project to update a beloved film for an under-served audience became a mess when the butt of some of the worst human rights violators on the planet was kissed by those who want to do business with them.
The Left ruins everything.
NETFLIX STOCKS PLUMMET — RIPE FOR TAKEOVER?
Securing the rights to Dreamworks films should help some, but unless Netflix makes a serious move quickly, the hemorrhaging from these self-inflicted wounds is likely to continue. And what I mean by a serious move is a new CEO, reversing the decision to split by-mail and streaming, or both.
In a way, the Dreamworks deal adds to Netflix’s problems. It’s a STREAMING deal; a deal that says STREAMING is the future. Translation: Yet another reason to drop the by-mail service.
STEPHEN KING WORKING ON ‘SHINING’ SEQUEL
King promised us he would retire. And now he’s so not-retired the Stephen King who lost his mojo a decade ago is now going to bastardize the classics his better self wrote.
“The Shining” is a lean, mean, near-masterpiece — words I haven’t used to describe King’s work since the first Bush was in office.
—–
—–
SCOTTDS’ EPIC LINK-TACULAR
ZO TAKES ON BILL MAHER’S TIRED RACIST NARRATIVE
‘FIREFLY’-QUOTING COLLEGE PROFESSOR CENSORED! *link fixed*
IS A ‘VALLEY OF THE DOLLS’ SERIES COMING TO TV?
TEASER TRAILER FOR HBO’S NEW HORSE RACING SERIES LUCK, FROM DAVID MILCH AND MICHAEL MANN
ISRAELI ACTRESS AYELET ZURER TO PLAY SUPERMAN’S KRYPTONIAN MOM IN ‘MAN OF STEEL‘
‘E.T.’SCREENWRITER MELISSA MATHISON TO ADAPT ROALD DAHL’S ‘THE BFG’ FOR THE BIG SCREEN
‘IRON MAN 3’ TO COMMENCE SHOOTING THIS SUMMER
IN HONOR OF ‘TERRA NOVA’: THE MOST LUDICROUS DINOSAUR TV SHOWS OF ALL TIME
6 MOVIE PLOTS MADE POSSIBLE BY BAD DECISIONS
FOR YOU SCREENWRITERS: HOW TO CREATE AN INTERESTING CHARACTER
10 ‘STAR TREK’ EPISODES WE’RE GLAD THEY NEVER FILMED
—–
—–
LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING
Midnight Cowboy (1969): This Academy Award winner for Best Picture was rated X when released, which seems absurd today. But what a fascinating character study. Both Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman are outstanding as they lose themselves in the roles of two desperate hustlers — complete opposites in almost every respect — who form a touching friendship.
I don’t know anything about the making of the film or even the novel upon which it’s based, but if the idea was to show us the humanity behind the dregs of our society, it sure succeeds. Hoffman’s Enrico ‘Ratso’ Rizzo is a case study in degeneracy and yet by the film’s conclusion, you feel for the guy — and you’re sure glad to see Voight’s Joe Buck out of those cowboy clothes and standing in the clean Florida sun.
Screening this classic again made me interested in reading the book in order to better decode Joe Buck’s flashbacks to his obviously awful childhood. Or maybe, I’ll use that desire as an excuse to buy the Blu-ray. The wife will buy that. Sure she will. She loves me.
—–
—–
CLASSIC PICK FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
8:15 AM EST: Cast A Giant Shadow (1966) – True story of U.S. officer Mickey Marcus, who joined the Israeli fight against the Arabs.Dir: Melville Shavelson Cast: Kirk Douglas, Senta Berger, Angie Dickinson.
An imperfect but still moving film and a passion project for star Kirk Douglas. John Wayne has a small but memorable role as an American general. The look on his face upon seeing the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp is not only the best moment in the film but one of the best in all of Wayne’s career. We don’t need to see the ovens or mass graves. Wayne’s face says it all.
Oh and Angie Dickinson is impossibly hot.