Kat’s Film and Book Reviews

Image courtesy of FusedFilm.com

Some creative differences between Sam Raimi, who was in the early stages of directing Spider-Man 4 with the original cast, and Sony Pictures effectively mean that the long awaited 4th installment in the Spider-Man franchise will not see the light of day.

Sony set a release date of May 2011, but Raimi said that was too soon, he couldn’t do it the way he wanted to do it in that time frame.  On top of that, troubles with the script kept the studio pushing back the start date time after time.  In the end, Sony opted not to change the date, and Raimi and the whole original cast bowed out.  Word is that Tobey Maguire was not all that  upset, and the parting between Raimi and Sony seems to be fairly amicable.  Sony certainly had some nice things to say about Raimi in their official press release (more on that in a sec).

Sam Raimi

But even if Sony’s done with the Raimi-helmed franchise, it’s not done with Spidey.  They are going to entirely reboot the series in 2012.  So, 2011 is out the window altogether, but Spider-Man will start over 2 years from now.  I’m not as thrilled about that, but they are already looking at James Cameron to helm the reboot.  They seem to be committed.

So what will Sam Raimi do next?  He’s considering a new franchise, World of Warcraft.  Isn’t that a video game?  I’m sure Raimi can do well with it, if anyone can.  And Sony, working through Columbia Studios, will stick with the all new Spidey 4.0.

Tobey Maguire

Here’s Sony’s official press release, if you’re interested:

Culver City, CA (January 11, 2010) — Peter Parker is going back to high school when the next Spider-Man hits theaters in the summer of 2012. Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today they are moving forward with a film based on a script by James Vanderbilt that focuses on a teenager grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super-human crises.

The new chapter in the Spider-Man franchise produced by Columbia, Marvel Studios and Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin, will have a new cast and filmmaking team. Spider-Man 4 was to have been released in 2011, but had not yet gone into production.

“A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre. When we began, no one ever imagined that we would make history at the box-office and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise. Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans. We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter’s roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,” said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me. While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job,” said Sam Raimi.

“We have had a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration and friendship with Sam and Tobey and they have given us their best for the better part of the last decade.This is a bittersweet moment for us because while it is hard to imagine Spider-Man in anyone else’s hands, I know that this was a day that was inevitable,” said Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, who has served as the studio’s chief production executive since the beginning of the franchise. “Now everything begins anew, and that’s got us all tremendously excited about what comes next. Under the continuing supervision of Avi and Laura, we have a clear vision for the future of Spider-Man and can’t wait to share this exciting new direction with audiences in 2012.”

“Spider-Man will always be an important franchise for Sony Pictures and a fresh start like this is a responsibility that we all take very seriously,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. “We have always believed that story comes first and story guides the direction of these films and as we move onto the next chapter, we will stay true to that principle and will do so with the highest respect for the source material and the fans and moviegoers who deserve nothing but the best when it comes to bringing these stories and characters to life on the big screen.”

The studio will have more news about Spider-Man in 2012 in the coming weeks as it prepares for production of the film.

Why do we Americans take such delight in British titles and honors (sorry, titles and honours)? I don’t know, maybe because we don’t have any of our own. Maybe because the titles we do have are boring. Who would rather have a Secretary of the Treasury when you could have a Chancellor of the Exchequer?

Sir Patrick Stewart

Two of my favorite British Hollywood-types—Patrick Stewart and Peter Jackson—have been knighted by Queen Elizabeth. Both have made incredible contributions to film. Sir Patrick is best known for his role in Star Trek: The Next Generation, of course, but his list of theatrical accomplishments include stints with the Royal Shakespeare Company and shows playing in London’s West End. One of my favorites of his roles is his Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1999 made-for-TV version of A Christmas Carol.

Sir Peter Jackson

Sir Peter did The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which is a personal favorite of mine, but he’s done a lot more than that. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing The Lovely Bones, though it’s gotten pretty mixed reviews, and I can’t wait to see The Hobbit.

Congratulations, milords!

This is a really good article by Josh Hurst about the Coen Brothers and the morality of their films.  Though the article appears in a Christian publication, it’s not a Christian article per se, and it doesn’t in any way purport that the Coens uphold a Christian worldview.  Rather, it says that the Coens have a clear sense of morality in their universe, though things are always complex and never ideal.

It’s a good read; you should check it out.

The Coens, courtesy of Jewlicious

This is creating a lot of buzz…and a lot of it isn’t supportive.  Steven Spielberg plans to remake the classic 1950 movie, Harvey, which starred Jimmy Stewart and Josephine Hull.

The questions buzzing out there are, “Who could possibly hope to replace Jimmy Stewart in this role”  and “Who would even dare to try?”

Film lovers are understandably nervous.  It IS somewhat reassuring that the project’s going to be in the hands of Spielberg, who is one of the best filmmakers of this generation, and has a proven track record.  I’d feel even better if it were in Peter Jackson’s or Tim Burton’s hands, but I would settle for Spielberg without too many reservations. 

Besides the obvious casting questions (and Hull’s not going to be easy to recast, either–her role is almost as iconic as Stewart’s), the anxiety also seems to center around questions of updating.  Can you update Harvey and still have it be Harvey?  Will there be sex, CGI, or action sequences?  (I am squeezing my eyes shut, crossing my fingers, and whispering, “please, please please, don’t let Spielberg put those things in.”)

For those of you who don’t know the story (because you apparently grew up at sea with no satellite), it centers on a middle-aged man named Elwood P. Dowd (“here’s my card…”).  Elwood is charming and social, drinks constantly, and has a true love of his fellow human beings.  He’s liked wherever he goes.  His sister, Vera, however, is embarassed by him, because Elwood’s constant companion is a 6 foot tall invisible white rabbit named Harvey.  The play centers around the “sane” people’s dilemma of what to do about Elwood and his “delusions.”  Elwood’s character is innocent and open, and the whole film rests on the fact that he sure doesn’t seem delusional. 

In the film community, the consensus seems to be, “Just leave it the heck alone, but if you can’t, you’d better do it right!”

I completely agree with that, leaning more toward “leave it the heck alone.”  Can’t some things just stand as they are?  Does everything have to be “fixed,” “improved,” “remade?”  Do we even have the capability of doing justice to Elwood P. Dowd anymore?

Image Courtesy of 353 Reviews

But, okay, say that Spielberg loves this story and these characters as much as the rest of us do.  It’s possible.  So, he has to start casting it.

The pivotal question is, who could play Elwood P. Dowd?  Other roles matter, too, such as his sister, Vera and his niece, Myrtle Mae.  But I want to know what you think about Elwood most of all.

I can only think of one actor at the moment who could oull it off. Well, actually, two.. but hear me out before you freak out, okay? 

One is Steve Carell.  He’s funny, but he’s a GREAT actor when he’s allowed to play it straight.  Think of Dan in Real Life.  He was funny but not slapstick, poignant, desperate, deep, hopeful, and slightly pathetic.  He even brings a lot of that pathos to his role as Michael Scott in The Office, who anyone else would make us hate, but in Carell’s hands, we actually kind of like him even as we pity him.  Carrell could do it. 

The other one (we’re not freaking out, remember?) that I think could do it is Jim Carrey.  Again, when he’s not constrained by this stupid box Hollywood has put him in, he’s a very good actor.  Think of The Man in the Moon. Let him play it straight, and he’s got depth and charm there.

I can’t think of any other possibilities that are the right age.  It has to be someone who can do both comedy and depth–those actors are a rare breed.  I can think of a few older men who can do it–like Anthony Hopkins or Chris Cooper–but they’re too old.  John Travolta was in talks for it a while back, but that expired, and he’s not going to get it…thank GOD!  WIlliam H. Macy would be okay, but he’s too old.  Not that that will stop Hollywood.

So, who do you think?  Give me some ideas!

The last film that was made of the classic 60’s TV show, The Twilight Zone, was made by Warner Brothers in 1983.  That one was a series of short, self-contained film written, directed, and produced by Steven Spielberg and John Landis, along with a few other directors.  At least one of those was a revision of an old Twilight Zone episode, but others were new, more “in the spirit” of the Twilight Zone.

Now WB is planning to do it again, but instead of Landis and Spielberg, it’s Ravich and DiCaprio.  Rand Ravich is a multitalented director and producer who has been hired by Leonardo Di Caprio’s Appian Way production corporation to screen-write the new film.

Sources say that this film will be different from the 1983 version of the Twilight Zone.  Instead of a collection of episodes, like the old TV show, DiCaprio and Ravich plan for this movie to be a single, long-playing narrative. DiCaprio is a life-long Twilight Zone fan and has apparently been looking to start this project for a long time.