The Drafthouse files for bankruptcy

My heart sank when I heard this on the radio tonight: the Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. I know it doesn't mean an imminent closure of the popular movie venue, but given the debt numbers cited by the article, it's gonna be a rough road ahead for the Drafthouse.

I've been frequenting the movie establishment since spring 2002, when I watched Ocean's Eleven there with Will and Erica. I was hooked on the place right from the get-go, and I can honestly say that no other movie theater is like the Drafthouse. I mean, where else can you sit at a table and eat a full meal while watching your favorite movie on the big screen?

I genuinely hope that the Drafthouse is able to regain its financial footing, because if it ever goes out of business, Arlington will lose one of its most remarkable movie theaters.

10 Best Picture nominees next year

I got word on IMDb today that, for next year's Oscar ceremony, the Academy has decided to increase the number of Best Picture nominees from five to ten! The rationale given by the Academy president is thus:

"Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize."

If I'm not mistaken, the last time the Best Picture category had more than five nominees was in the '40s. That was the era when landmark films such as Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, and Rebecca beat out numerous other competitors—some of which were landmark films themselves! Think of The Philadelphia Story, Citizen Kane, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, even The Wizard of Oz!

I can see this adding great excitement to the race for Best Picture, because it raises the bar for films with that much more competition. The one question that comes to mind, however, is whether this will ever extend into the other Oscar categories—Best Actor, Best Director, etc.

A brief Twin Peaks reboot?

If IMDb tells me true, actor Kyle MacLachlan is trying to put together an effort to get the TV show Twin Peaks rebooted in a series of five-minutes episodes for internet-only viewing.

Twin Peaks is the brainchild of film director David Lynch, and ran for only two seasons in 1990 and 1991. The show was originally supposed to be a character-driven whodunit revolving around the murder of teen prom queen Laura Palmer, with FBI agent Dale Cooper (played by Kyle MacLachlan, at the time one of Lynch's leading men) heading up the investigation. I say "originally" because about halfway through the series, the murder mystery was solved at the demands of the studio, and the show had to quickly redirect itself and find a new premise upon which to continue. Luckily it found one—the Black Lodge, a spiritual realm that can only be likened to Hell, which was accessible in the woods surrounding the town of Twin Peaks.

Rumors about resurrecting the show have been ongoing since the show's cancellation in 1991, and it doesn't help that the series finale had way too many cliffhangers for the average Twin Peaks fan to sleep well at night. It's already been argued that the movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me was David Lynch's attempt to bring the show to a semi-conclusion, but the storylines were still open-ended enough that the idea of bringing the show back to life was plausible. I'm pretty sure that Lynch has stated already that he has little interest in bringing the show back (most likely because too much time has passed), but apparently audience demand was enough to convince Kyle MacLachlan.

If he ends up pulling the production off, I wouldn't mind seeing it, if only to see where he takes the series. If it's only five-minute episodes, I can't imagine it would be more than quick vignettes that suggest what's happening on the show.

A Japanese Sideways

This morning, Will forwarded me an article stating that a Japanese version of the movie Sideways was going to be filmed. My first reaction was, "Please don't mess with a good thing!", because Sideways, both book and movie, is a fabulous story that succeeded quite well in both media. But then I remembered that various American films are actually remakes of certain foreign films—the jewel example being Martin Scorsese's The Departed, which was remade from Hong Kong's Infernal Affairs.

Though I can't think of anyone better suited to play Miles than Paul Giamatti, who was sorely robbed of an Oscar nomination for the role. And I highly recommend watching the film with a bottle of merlot at hand, despite what Miles's character says. ;) And if you ever have the chance, give the book a read, too. It's quite a good ride, with unique prose!

Are Sly and the Governator finally teaming up?

Back in the '80s, when both Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were major action-movie superstars, I often felt that the two should team up for a film. That dream appears to be coming true . . . though 25 years too late, and not in the most credible format.

Because right now, Stallone is making a movie called The Expendables, which has an all too familiar premise:

Stallone writes, directs and stars in the movie, a film about a group of mercenaries trying to overthrow a South American dictator. It also stars Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Mickey Rourke and Forest Whitaker.

Hmm, Rambo V, anyone?

Anyway, the Governator is apparently not playing an action hero, but instead will simply portray himself, the current California governor, in his cameo. Which sorta says to me that Schwarzenegger isn't even trying, isn't putting forth any effort. Add to that the motif of the film, which Stallone has done to death, and it's hard to take this seriously.

Now if this had all occurred in, say, 1986, on the heels of Rambo II or The Terminator, this could have been the movie event of the century! But in 2009, it's too little too late.

Happy birthday to the Mann!

Today my favorite movie director, Michael Mann, celebrates his 66th birthday. I'd normally celebrate his birthday with a YouTube clip of one of his best film scenes (e.g., the coffee shop or gunfight scenes in Heat), but instead, I'm eagerly anticipating the summer release of his newest film: Public Enemies, a period piece starring Johnny Depp as famed outlaw John Dillinger. With a trio like that (Michael Mann, Johnny Depp, and John Dillinger), this ought to be fabulous!!!

Is Johnny Cash rolling in his grave?

After retiring from acting, Joaquin Phoenix seems to be making a rather unexpected career change: he wants to try his hand at rapping. Call me cynical, but I can't see him doing a transition from Johnny Cash (whom he was fabulous as in Walk the Line) to the likes of Eminem. And if his career as a rapper falls through, I'd hate to have to see him crawl back to acting with his tail between his legs (is that the crawl of shame, maybe?).

Personally, I think he should have remained in acting, because he had proven himself quite worthy, and was capable of great accomplishments.

Joaquin Phoenix is retiring!

News broke this morning that actor Joaquin Phoenix is retiring from acting! I have to say, I'm surprised and a little saddened by this, because I think the guy's a fabulous actor.

His career began in the shadow of his older brother, the late River Phoenix, but younger brother Joaquin (who I believe had some acting credits under the name Leaf when he was much younger) evolved into a talented performer in his own right. I think his biggest breakout role was in Gladiator, but I think of him more often as the late great Johnny Cash in Walk the Line—a movie he did his own singing in, too! This might be why he's choosing to pursue a singing career instead of acting.

I guess I can only wish him good luck, but I hope one day Joaquin will reconsider this retirement and return to the silver screen.

Miss Brahms has more than measles!

I was shocked and saddened recently to learn that actress Wendy Richard has once again been diagnosed with cancer. Like many others, I remember Richard as Miss Brahms from the long-running British comedy show Are You Being Served?, and I'd likewise been aware of her being a breast cancer survivor. But apparently the cancer has spread throughout her body, to her kidneys and bones—very bad!

What makes this particularly sad is that it wasn't too long ago that another Are You Being Served? alum, John Inman, left us. I'll keep my fingers crossed for Wendy Richard, though if the worst happens and she must leave us, I hope her final hours are joyful and free of pain.

Two of the three reunite!

For some time now, many of us have been hoping (and probably praying!) for the Scorsese-Pesci-De Niro trifecta to reunite. And it would seem that our prayers have been partially answered.

Goodfellas director Martin Scorsese and the movie's star Robert De Niro are returning to the murky underworld of the New York mob for a new gangster film.

De Niro has signed to play Frank 'the Irishman' Sheeran in the Scorsese-directed project - based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses.

Now all they need is Joe Pesci to come back to the table, and we'd be in business! I think the last film all three did together was Goodfellas 2 Casino, and while I honestly wasn't partial to that film, the chemistry between all three men was a match made in heaven. I think their best film together was probably Raging Bull.

They're ready to believe you . . . again?

Oh, boy. Apparently Hollywood is continuing to contemplate making sequels to franchises that haven't been heard of since the '80s or '90s. This summer met with Indy 4, which admittedly wasn't as bad as I feared, followed by the second X-Files installment, suitably entitled I Want to Believe (which I haven't seen yet).

Rumored to be next in line for reinvention? Ghostbusters. And if IMDb tells me true, then a script could be in draft as we speak.

Recent reports suggested bosses at Columbia - the studio behind the first two movies in 1984 and 1989 - were lining up Seth Rogen, Steve Carell and Paul Rudd to join original stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson in a new movie.

I hate to constantly be the naysayer in situations like these, but please . . . let it be!!! The original Ghostbusters was a genuine classic, but the 1989 sequel was just wrong, and I don't even know if Harold Ramis or Ernie Hudson have been on the receiving end of a camera in the last 15 years. But if a Ghostbusters 3 indeed came to fruition, I can't help but think it'd quickly turn the franchise into a modern-day vehicle for Seth Rogen and Steve Carell.

So please, let the rumors remain as rumors, and let the Stay-Puft Marshmellow Man rest in peace.

George Lucas strikes again, not strikes back

It's times like this I'm glad I'm a Star Trek fan, because if Gene Roddenberry had fudged with his franchise the way George Lucas continues to do so with Star Wars, I would have jumped ship years ago. Because now, according to IMDb, George Lucas has another card up his sleeve for Darth Vader and company:

Jeffrey Katzenberg, who is a major advocate of theatrical 3-D films, has disclosed that George Lucas is investing in a technology that could turn all of his Star Wars movies into 3-D features that could be given new releases.

I can hear the collective groaning of Star Wars fans everywhere. Because you just know this opens the door to the possibility of more special editions! And for the record, when was the last time any movie was presented in 3-D? Didn't they try that with Jaws 3 way back in the mid-80s with disastrous results? Or does George Lucas just have too much time on his hands and no creativity left that he has to keep fudging with Star Wars?

A momentary brush with Hollywood?

On Saturday, my father was in town to visit, and we paid our first visit to the Udvar-Hazy Museum (i.e., the Dulles wing of the Air and Space Museum) in close to five years. I'd been eager to visit that museum again because, with exhibits like the Enola Gay and the space shuttle Enterprise, I find the Udvar-Hazy wing to be far superior to the main Air and Space Museum on the National Mall.

When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was a long line of people gathered by the main stairwell leading down to the main floor. Then I noticed that it wasn't a line per se, but merely onlookers, because there was a film crew gathered by the SR-71 spy plane. The security guards nearby were enforcing photography restrictions and had roped off a good portion of the main floor, and I overheard someone saying something about a documentary being filmed. So I proceeded to push thoughts of the film crew from my mind and went about gazing at the other planes and exhibits elsewhere in the museum.

I was disappointed, though, because I had really wanted to get some pictures of the space shuttle Enterprise, and the film crew had blocked off access to that hangar.

A few hours later, when my father and I went back to the main floor where the film crew had originally been stationed, I was disappointed to find them still there filming (I had been hoping they had finished for the day so we could go into the shuttle hangar). Someone nearby then asked the security guard what was being filmed, and his answer caught me off-guard: Transformers 2. When I heard this, I wasn't sure if he was being honest or just egging us on (because I know that sometimes directors keep a very strict hush-hush about films being made), so I checked IMDb when I got home, and sure enough, Michael Bay is in fact directing a sequel to his live-action Transformers movie, with the working title Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen.

Which leads me to wonder, is the SR-71 spy plane at Udvar-Hazy really a Decepticon?

I want to believe, too!

The title for the second installment in the X-Files film franchise has been released: I Want to Believe. Further details show that the film will not be about alien encounters but rather a "stand-alone, earth-bound story".

I can appreciate this approach, but at the same time, something just seems missing without Mulder and Scully trying to battle aliens. This was really the crux of the show, and the first film dealt with that story angle beautifully (and was smart enough to let the TV series reach its own natural conclusion five seasons later). With the show's dark yet slightly hopeful finale, the next logical step would be for Mulder and Scully to continue as the outlaws they've become, searching for ways to stop the upcoming invasion of earth. Because with the Syndicate destroyed and Cancer Man turned into charcoal, all earthly ambassadors who even know about the invasion have been wiped from the scene, so Mulder and Scully are truly humanity's last hope.

This strikes me as the perfect groundwork for an X-Files sequel, and I find myself wondering why Chris Carter isn't pursuing this path.

Though upon reflection, I have to wonder if a third film is planned, one that does explore Mulder and Scully trying to prevent the invasion. If so, the perfect release date would be December 22, 2012.

From acting to politics to acting

So it appears that Fred Thompson is now moving back into the acting arena. Personally, I see no harm in this, though the article cited above had a rather bone-cutting intro to the subject:

After a failed run for president, Fred Thompson is getting back to pretending to be commander in chief.

Ouch!

Is Quentin Tarantino crying foul yet?

It was reported today that the final Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be split into two movies. Not being a Harry Potter fan, I'm not that excited by this news. But being a movie lover, I'm reminded of Quentin Tarantino's kung-fu epic Kill Bill, and how it was split into two films—which in turn makes me wonder if Tarantino will pitch a fit that Harry Potter is ripping off his idea (remember, if you will, Tarantino's less-than-enthusiastic thoughts on The Matrix and its computer-generated effects). Though wouldn't such a claim be hypocritical, since much of Tarantino's work walks an extremely thin line between paying homage and flagrantly ripping off?

The Indy 4 trailer

The trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has been released. I think the news first broke on Yahoo yesterday, then quickly made it's way onto IMDb and YouTube. And now here it is, for all to see.



I have to confess, even after watching this trailer, I'm still not entirely convinced. Harrison Ford's age is clearly showing, and some of the special effects look a little too modern and go against the serialized look we fondly remember from Raiders of the Lost Ark. I want in the worst way to think this'll be a good movie, but given that it's almost 20 years since the last installment . . . I just don't want this to turn into another Godfather III experience.

Star Trek teaser trailer

IMDb is now advertising the teaser trailer for the upcoming Star Trek prequel. I've never been a fan of teaser trailers myself, but at this early stage, any advertising of the film's release is probably good marketing.

And objectivity goes right out the window

Oliver Stone, the producer-director known for such movies as Platoon, JFK, and Born on the Fourth of July, is planning to do another political biography in the same vein as his 1995 movie Nixon . . . only this time, his subject will be our current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And given Stone's oft-dubbed "conspiratorial" politics, I naturally wondered if this new film would have a particular political bent—which Stone himself addressed right away:

Stone, an outspoken critic of the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq, told the trade publication he's not looking to make an anti-Bush polemic. He said he wants "a fair, true portrait of the man."

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight! And Michael Moore really intended Fahrenheit 9/11 to be a romantic comedy.

Casting begins on Terminator 4

I'd almost forgotten that this was being made, but casting has reportedly begun on the fourth installment in the Terminator series (which is entitled Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins). Reports have it that Christian Bale will be starring as world savior John Connor . . . who will be the third actor to play the character now. Don't get me wrong—Bale is a great actor! But having Edward Furlong or Nick Stahl reprise the role would at least give continuity to the character (not to mention credibility to this installment)! And as reported before, no Arnold for Terminator 4.

I still say they should have left it be after Terminator 2, which was the perfect sequel!