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From: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com (movies-digest)
To: movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Subject: movies-digest V2 #262
Reply-To: movies-digest
Sender: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Errors-To: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Precedence: bulk
movies-digest Tuesday, March 21 2000 Volume 02 : Number 262
[MV] les Visiteurs
Re: [MV] re: movie question
[none]
[MV] Re: Hanging Up
[MV] re: les Visiteurs
[MV] Hanging Up
[MV] RE: Les Visiteurs
Re: [MV] movie question
RE: [MV] movie question
[MV] MovieJuice! - THE NEXT BEST THING - Desperately Reeking Susan
[MV] MovieJuice! - MISSION TO MARS - The Rad Planet
[MV] MovieJuice! - FINAL DESTINATION - Spine Tinkler
[MV] Sci-Fi Movie News - 03/17/00
[MV] ERIN BROCKOVICH
[MV] MovieJuice! - ADVANCE - HIGH FIDELITY - Sonic Truth
[MV] Sci-Fi Movie News - 03/21/00
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2000 04:14:21 -0800 (PST)
From: Patrick KRAUS <magicpatrick@yahoo.com>
Subject: [MV] les Visiteurs
Have you heard about a remake of the French movie
called "Les visiteurs" of Jean Poire with Jean Reno
and Christian Clavier still played by these actors
and directed by Jean Poire. The movie takes place in
Chicago, I think, and Reese Witherspoon play in it. I
know it has been shot in October or something like
that last year but until that date, no news back. Any
infos ?
Thanks
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 03 Mar 2000 08:13:48 CST
From: "Wade S" <wds9974@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [MV] re: movie question
Hey, Paul, I'm not questioning you. I am saying why not Men In Black also.
The immigrant issue in Bowfinger is a real tiny part of the movie and then a
real slight gag in the movie. So, if that is okay, then Men In Black ought
to be okay too for its introductory sequence.
The Border I don't remember as being any good. I know it had Harvey Keitel
in it, but it has sort of a early 70s indie low budget feel to it. Real
grainy and dirty, almost along the lines of a bad Peckinpah movie. And,
Nicholon hasn't been bad himself in over 30 years so he is probably okay in
it.
wade
>From: ("Paul D Richardson") <Richardson.Paul@amstr.com>
>Reply-To: movies@lists.xmission.com
>To: movies@lists.xmission.com
>Subject: Re: [MV] re: movie question
>Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2000 15:02:00 -0700
>
> > If Bowfinger is okay, then why not Men In Black.
>
>Because BOWFINGER deals specifically with Mexican immigrants, which is what
>the original poster asked for.
>
>Two movies I can think of:
>
> > The Border - 1980-83 flick with Jack Nicholson as a corrupt border
>patrolman
> > with a conscience, or something like that...
>
>I've never heard of this, but it sounds good. IMDB voters only give it a
>5.9.
> Any good?
>
>While I was on the IMDB I did a search on keywords "illegal immigrants" and
>"mexico." It turned up LONE STAR. That's a great, great movie. Highly
>recommended, although I forget how it dealt with illegal immigrants.
>Probably
>as a subplot...
>
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2000 09:29:35 -0600 (CST)
From: "Amanda K. Schnarr " <cuaks3@mail.pen.eiu.edu>
Subject: [none]
I was just wondering if anyone had seen Hanging Up and what people thought
of it. I really liked it, but it's been getting slammed by a lot of
reviewers. Any comments?
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2000 08:26:14 -0800 (PST)
From: "Keith H. Poole" <keith_poole@yahoo.com>
Subject: [MV] Re: Hanging Up
Hanging Up attempted to be an endearing chick flic about
sisters and dealing with aging parents. It was also supposed to
be a coy play on everyone "hanging up" the phone on each other.
It didn't really succeed on either count. It's just kind of boring.
Not bad, just not interesting - watching poor little rich people just
isn't that interesting.
My female movie companion was really looking forward to seeing
Hanging Up, but was disappointed as well.
Keith
- --- "Amanda K. Schnarr " <cuaks3@mail.pen.eiu.edu> wrote:
> I was just wondering if anyone had seen Hanging Up and what people
> thought
=====
keith@moviekites.com
Please visit http://www.moviekites.com
Stage 1 of the movie review database is compete!
To recommend MovieKites, click here:
http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=576234
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2000 11:36:00 -0700
From: ("Paul D Richardson") <Richardson.Paul@amstr.com>
Subject: [MV] re: les Visiteurs
> Have you heard about a remake of the French movie
> called "Les visiteurs" of Jean Poire with Jean Reno
> and Christian Clavier still played by these actors
> and directed by Jean Poire.
I found information at the Internet Movie Database. It's called (surprisingly
enough) THE VISITORS.
> The movie takes place in
> Chicago, I think, and Reese Witherspoon play in it.
Witherspoon is not listed in the cast list for the film.
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2000 11:43:00 -0700
From: ("Paul D Richardson") <Richardson.Paul@amstr.com>
Subject: [MV] Hanging Up
> I was just wondering if anyone had seen Hanging Up and what people thought
> of it. I really liked it, but it's been getting slammed by a lot of
> reviewers. Any comments?
I thought it was simply awful. Some problems:
1. This is not a problem with the film itself, but with the advertising. It
was advertised as a ensemble comedy, but it's actually a drama that focuses on
one character (Meg Ryan). Diane Keaton and Lisa Kudrow have relatively minor
roles.
2. Do we really need another movie about a dying father? Hell, MAGNOLIA had
TWO dying fathers in it!
3. Walter Matthau gives a good performance, but is underused.
4. There is nothing in this film that is original. Nothing that we haven't
seen a zillion times before. One exception is the sub-plot with the doctor
and his mother. If that were the focus of the film, it would have been much
much better.
5. Meg Ryan plays the same perky-but-sensitive character she plays in every
other movie.
*shrug*
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2000 11:20:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Patrick KRAUS <magicpatrick@yahoo.com>
Subject: [MV] RE: Les Visiteurs
Thanks for your answer. I make a mistake when I say
Witherspoon was in it, I meant Applegate.
Do you know when that movie will be on theaters ?
The original movie (in France) made one of the highest
total of entries ever. I am curious to see the
adaptation in English.
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2000 09:31:18 -0000
From: "Gerry T." <geeg23@lineone.net>
Subject: Re: [MV] movie question
How about "Borderline" with Charles Bronson? Have not seen it but it was
released around the same time as "The Border", is set in Mexico about a
Border cop, so what else could it be about?
Gerry T.
- ----- Original Message -----
From: <julie_klenko@pleasantco.com>
To: <movies@lists.xmission.com>; <film@egroups.com>; <movies@leben.com>
Sent: 02 March 2000 19:52
Subject: [MV] movie question
> Does anyone know of movies that deal with Mexican immigrant border
> crossings?
> The only one I know of is El Norte.
> Thanks
> -
> Turn off HTML mail features. Keep quoted material short. Use accurate
> subject lines. http://www.leben.com/lists for list instructions.
>
> [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
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>
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 10:43:14 -0000
From: MARK <MARK@zippack.co.uk>
Subject: RE: [MV] movie question
Isn't there one with Nick Nolte - "Extreme Prejudice" - 1987 directed by
Walter Hill??
MARK
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gerry T. [SMTP:geeg23@lineone.net]
> Sent: 04 March 2000 09:31
> To: movies@lists.xmission.com
> Subject: Re: [MV] movie question
>
> How about "Borderline" with Charles Bronson? Have not seen it but it
> was
> released around the same time as "The Border", is set in Mexico about
> a
> Border cop, so what else could it be about?
> Gerry T.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <julie_klenko@pleasantco.com>
> To: <movies@lists.xmission.com>; <film@egroups.com>;
> <movies@leben.com>
> Sent: 02 March 2000 19:52
> Subject: [MV] movie question
>
>
> > Does anyone know of movies that deal with Mexican immigrant border
> > crossings?
> > The only one I know of is El Norte.
> > Thanks
> > -
> > Turn off HTML mail features. Keep quoted material short. Use
> accurate
> > subject lines. http://www.leben.com/lists for list instructions.
> >
> > [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
> > [ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
> >
>
>
> [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 11:27:56 -0500 (EST)
From: maillist@moviejuice.com
Subject: [MV] MovieJuice! - THE NEXT BEST THING - Desperately Reeking Susan
THE NEXT BEST THING - Desperately Reeking Susan
by Mark Ramsey
March 5, 2000
<a href="http://www.moviejuice.com/2000/nextbestthing.htm">Click here
for the full review!</a>
http://www.moviejuice.com/2000/nextbestthing.htm
Talk about a lucky star.
This is The Next Best Thing all right, the next best thing to a movie
worth seeing. As Bart Simpson would say, I didn't think it was
possible, but this both sucks and blows!
Madonna, of course, is famous for shedding images the way small
screen lesbians Michelle Williams and Cloδ Sevigny shed tube tops.
Man oh man, girls, if these walls could talk they'd shout: "More
windows!"
Isn't Madonna a little old for the Sandra Bullock roles? Here, she's
the apple of Benjamin Bratt's eye - an eye which is in dire need of a
corrective lens.
Ben, of course, is Julia Roberts' main squeeze, and word has it that
this is one project Julia turned down. It's hard to get excited
about a project that has bounced in and out of more actresses laps
than Leo DiCaprio on the Riviera.
Ben is pretty much the perfect male, and thus an extremely unlikely
paramour for Madonna. So perfect is he, a close inspection of his
bare chest reveals the towing hooks used to suspend him in the
factory assembly line as a team of engineers riveted components to
his frame. Ben, are you nuts? This material girl's fabric hasn't
been tightly wound since 1985!
In The Next Best Thing, Madonna plays a yoga teacher and possible
body double to Sarah Jessica Parker. Why yoga? Because she's in
touch with her inner pop legend, of course. Besides, her computer
skills are weak and the only dot-com she knows is the faux Indian one
on her forehead. Damn, girl, you know more twisty moves than the
clay animations in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
Yoga, of course, brings harmony to life, even as it stubbornly
refuses to explain "Get Into the Groove." Hey, no system of posture
and awareness can do everything.
"Open your chest," she advises her yoga class, which must be
comprised of chakra cardiologists. It's nice that Madonna's in tune
with universal vibrations - now if she can just vibrate her ass over
to some acting lessons. My God, she's William Shatner with a Grammy!
Mysteriously missing in action is that frontal gap in Madonna's teeth
- - the one gracing a generation of video music history and various
track marks on Dennis Rodman's ass.
Here's the deal: Madonna has a baby by gay buddy Rupert Everett and
they live in one big non-traditional family unhappily ever after.
Having copped Rupert's Brit accent, Madonna doesn't even bother to
soak up his talent. I'm telling you, Madonna is unspeakably bad in
this movie. No natural fibers in this material girl, just the
affected ones. Papa don't preach, and mama can't act. No wonder the
audience opened its chest and stretched into the Howling Dog
position.
Did Rupert even read this script first? He has turned into the
official Gay Gal Pal. With "out" roles like this to look forward to,
it's no wonder most gay actors stay safely stowed in the closet. Who
wouldn't want to nuzzle a tie-rack before striking poses with
Madonna? Trading dialogue with this babe is like running lines with
post-it notes on a wall, except post-it notes come in more shades.
What most folks know about this movie is that it features Madonna's
remake of the Don McLean classic "American Pie." And like any good
theme song, this tune is reprised frequently and at the most peculiar
moments. Yes, Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper are even eulogized as
Madonna and her non-traditional family playfully frolic on the beach.
The good ole boys spread tanning lotion and rye, singing this'll be
the day that I fry!
Hey, it's the day the music died, gang - toss me a Frisbee and pass
the brewski!
My favorite moment comes when Rupert's parents fly in to greet him on
Endeavor Air. Endeavor Air? Would you fly something called Endeavor
Air? What's their slogan, "We Try to Fly and it Shows"?
This piece of crap is Will and Disgrace - that's like Will and Grace,
but with more Lotus poses and no bathroom breaks.
Time for me to stretch into the Retching Camel pose. Sorry, there's
no ray of light here. It's worse than borderline.
Copyright 2000 Mark Ramsey. All rights reserved. NO PORTION MAY BE
REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.
********************
MOVIEJUICE.COM WEB POLL RESULTS
Here are the results from last week's poll question:
"Miramax just announced it's going to finance a Broadway play. Next,
can we expect: "
Life is Beautiful - the Synchronized Swimming routine - 15%
The Cider House Theme Restaurant - 13%
Clerks on Ice - 62%
Holy Smoke Cigarettes - 11%
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2000 14:32:19 -0500 (EST)
From: maillist@moviejuice.com
Subject: [MV] MovieJuice! - MISSION TO MARS - The Rad Planet
MISSION TO MARS - Angry Rad Planet
by Mark Ramsey
March 11, 2000
<a href="http://www.moviejuice.com/2000/missiontomars.htm">Click here
for the full review!</a>
http://www.moviejuice.com/2000/missiontomars.htm
They used to think the moon was made of Swiss, but believe me, the
solar system's cheesiest planet nowadays is definitely Mars.
Mission to Mars is the first gasp of Spring and the last sigh of
Winter. It's 2020: Gary Sinise drives a futuristic car and wears
the same aviator shades Tom Cruise popularized back in 1985. Gary's
a "stick jockey," meaning he pilots spacecraft and occasionally
answers to the name "she."
Mysteriously, a sudden Martian dust-storm reveals a face on the
planet strongly resembling the visage of Lucy Liu from Ally McBeal!
"What does it mean?" asks Don Cheadle. "It means Charlie's Angels is
coming to a theater near you," replies Gary Sinise. "Roger that,"
says Cheadle.
See, Don gets stranded on Mars, so Tim Robbins and company must get
new motherboards, software, and drives to Mars as quickly as
possible. Is this a rescue mission or a tech support housecall?
Does Don have life insurance or a service contract?
This is one happy family of astronauts, brother! I haven't seen such
warm and fuzzy beings venture into space since the muppets. You know
what Jim Henson always used to say, the next best thing to a hand up
your back is a check in the bank.
Time to launch! Engage EVA station and HPU. Engage creepy organ
music. Copy! Engage techno-jargon! We're go/no go for M.O.I.
Engage overzealous CGI from ILM to fill in where lame script is DOA.
Roger, that, baby!
When our heroes finally arrive on the red planet, they are greeted by
the Martian natives: Actors William Hurt and Margot Kidder, who live
in a 4,000 square foot colonial with huge walk-in closets to hang
their straight-jackets. It's nestled in what the subtitle tells us
is "Cydonia, Mars" even though it looks more like "Sedona, Arizona"
through an orange filter.
It's refreshing to learn that - even in 2020 - you can still ballet
to Van Halen. Indeed, Tim's wife is on the trip with him, and her
mission specialty seems to be ballroom dancing. "Honey," says Tim,
"the precise choreography of this mission requires a classically
trained dancer, plus somebody's got to fetch the beer. Now, engage
waltz maneuver!" "Copy that!"
Jerry O'Connell builds a DNA string out of M&Ms in Zero G. Who knew
that M&Ms come in plain, peanut, and amino acid base-pair?
Genetically speaking, the difference between a candy dish and a
monkey is only 3 percent!
It's Oktoberfest at NASA, and Armin Mueller-Stahl is the mission
director: "Za ztresses haf nevah been tezted in Zpace," says Armin.
"Hey Sinise," says Robbins, "get the Enigma decoding device. I can't
understand a word Armin's saying." "Roger that, Mr. Sarandon" says
Gary.
Now I'm just crazy about Tim Robbins, but something tells me this
flick was the price Tim paid Touchstone for his chance to make Cradle
Will Rock last year.
Back on Mars, astronauts Gary, Don and the gang cruise out and try to
communicate with the giant face in the sand by bombarding it with
electronic signals. Unfortunately, the face's only response is a
marked decrease in the appearance of tiny lines and a faint message
later decoded to read: "What do I look like, Frances Farmer?"
Mission to Mars allegedly cost 90 million dollars. That includes
about 15 million for production and 75 million for Mike Eisner's
year-end bonus. God only knows where they put all the money, because
I can't seem to find it on the screen. Did they tape bills
underneath theater seats? Are they hosting a raffle?
What's with these aliens? They look like "Antz" clothed in Anna Sui.
You can hold my DNA in your hand if you like, Mr. Alien, just don't
use it to probe my ass.
Mission to Mars is from director Brian De Palma, and it has its share
of foolhardy heroics of the "you'd do the same for me" variety.
Especially in the exciting climax, when Sissy Spacek reaches from
beneath the Martian sand to snatch away any forthcoming De Palma
projects and drag Brian down into the Hellish depths whence comest
this script. In my theater, some toddler kept talking to the screen.
And his dialogue was better!
The red planet is orange and opening weekend will no doubt be green
galore, but beware: Word of mouth will turn red to dread faster than
you can say "Roger that," baby.
Copyright 2000 Mark Ramsey. All rights reserved. NO PORTION MAY BE
REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.
********************
MOVIEJUICE.COM HATE MAIL OF THE WEEK
- -----Original Message-----
From: [NAME HIDDEN TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT]
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2000 9:32 AM
To: mramsey@moviejuice.com
Subject: Next
I just read your review of The Next Best Thing. I have to ask, did
you even see the movie? Because it seems to me that considering the
shallow overviews and
blatent miss-quotation that you just heard about it and thus made up
a scathing review. Julia Roberts was NEVER even considered for this
film. Where did you
hear that? Its been well published that Rupert Everet had a friend
rewrite the script for him and Madonna exclusively. It seems to me
that you did not do a professional job in reviewing this film. Make
sure you know what you are talking about next time. Yours was the
Next best thing to an intelligent review. Pathetic!
MY REPLY:
Damn you Pat Kingsley and your pseudonymous mail bombs! You're
taking the time to write me about that stinker and you have the nerve
to call ME pathetic? When I look up that word, the dictionary tells
me it means "someone who goes to the proverbial wall for a movie
starring Madonna."
Cheers!
MRR
********************
MOVIEJUICE.COM WEB POLL RESULTS
Here are the results from last week's poll question:
"If Walter Matthau had a band, what would it be called?"
Sixpence None the Incontinent - 5%
Limp Everything - 45%
Kid-ney Stone Rock - 7%
Urination Against the Machine - 43%
Go visit http://www.moviejuice.com today and vote in the new poll:
"What's the Best Use for those 4,000 Missing Oscar Ballots?"
VOTE TODAY at http://www.moviejuice.com!
********************
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2000 13:04:21 -0500 (EST)
From: maillist@moviejuice.com
Subject: [MV] MovieJuice! - FINAL DESTINATION - Spine Tinkler
HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!
"MovieJuice.com: Proudly Read and Ignored by Entertainment Weekly
since 1997!"
********************
MOVIEJUICE.COM NEWS
I'm very close to a link promotion deal for MovieJuice.com that would
exponentially increase the exposure of the site. Be afraid. Be
very, very afraid. And stay tuned.
********************
HAVE YOU READ THE ERIN BROCKOVICH PIECE YET?
Catch up with this weekend's big flick ERIN BROCKOVICH at:
<a href="http://www.moviejuice.com/2000/erinbrockovich.htm">Click
here for the full review!</a>
http://www.moviejuice.com/2000/erinbrockovich.htm
********************
FINAL DESTINATION - Spine Tinkler
by Mark Ramsey
March 16, 2000
<a href="http://www.moviejuice.com/2000/finaldestination.htm">Click
here for the full review!</a>
http://www.moviejuice.com/2000/finaldestination.htm
Having lost a slew of Oscar ballots and a couple crates of award
statues, frustrated Motion Picture Academy officials were further
embarrassed today when they declared: "We can't find our keys."
Final Destination is what happens when an ambitious gopher and
Starbucks Fulfillment Engineer at New Line Cinema figures: "If Paul
Thomas Anderson can write a screenplay, then I can too!" So
"monkey-see, monkey-do" ferments into monkey doo-doo. Hey, just
repeat this magic spell hundreds of times a day and you too can
develop a knack for dialogue: "Can I tell him who's calling?"
Don't look for stars in this movie, pal, unless you count the ones
sailing around your dizzy head. You'll recognize America's Most
Wanted before one of these kids, believe me.
Here's the deal: Our hero Alex and his buds board a plane to France.
He freaks out when he discovers it's a Robin Williams film festival
all the way to Paris! Suddenly, he has a vision of the plane going
down in a ball of doubtfire.
Naturally, his hunch is right. Fortunately, Alex and his pals escape
with their lives - and the queer tendency to call all drinks
"beverages."
But death does not surrender so easily; it must take life or legroom!
So everyday housewares conspire in ever more creative ways to kill,
kill, kill. Like a daisy-chain of tumbling dominos, kitchenware goes
homicidal with such fine-tuned choreography, the teapot might as well
sing tunes from The Little Mermaid.
In one scene water leaks from the toilet to chase a guy around the
house. Who wouldn't run from that? Who taught the plumbing to heel,
anyway? Can it fetch my paper and slippers?
Alex gets a crush on a survivor-girl named "Clear," whose name speaks
volumes about her complexion and her driving record, not to mention
her calendar once the grosses for this turkey are tallied. I get the
attraction; Clear's hip-hugging jeans and navel are enforcing a legal
separation agreement of epic proportions!
Pity the sensitive moment when Clear begins that tell-tale dialogue
which is the universal signal for a concession stand break: "When I
was a kid...."
Skating a thin line between tribute and insult, Alex and the gang are
named after legendary horror movie directors. There's "Browning" who
brought us the horrifying Dracula, "Lewton" who brought us the
horrifying Cat People, and "Hitchcock" who brought us Tallulah
Bankhead horrifyingly overacting in Lifeboat.
Eerily, Alex knows which famed horror director's going to die next.
How? Because he traces a diagram of the plane on an isosceles
triangle and uses the quadratic formula to calculate the optimal
distance between Clear's bare belly and membership in the mile-high
club. Or something like that.
My favorite part comes when the gang inexplicably busts into the
morgue to view the cadaverous remains of a dead pal. Who should be
mysteriously lurking over his body but the Candyman himself, Tony
Todd. After making everything he bakes satisfying and delicious and
killing off Virginia Madsen's career, Tony is now the resident morgue
philosopher. "In death there are no accidents," he whispers,
ominously.
Easy, Tony. This ain't Othello. You've been doing too much
Shakespeare in the Park - or is it the Parking Lot? Tony even cribs
Brian Dennehy's best line from the Arthur Miller classic, Death of a
Salesman: "You don't want to F--- with that mack-daddy!"
It's not long before Alex is convinced that death has a design for
him and all his friends.
Unfortunately for the audience, death's architect is Frank Lloyd
Wrong.
Copyright 2000 Mark Ramsey. All rights reserved. NO PORTION MAY BE
REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.
********************
MOVIEJUICE.COM HATE MAIL OF THE WEEK
- -----Original Message-----
From: [Name Hidden to Protect the Innocent]
Sent: Monday, March 06, 2000 7:01 PM
To: mramsey@moviejuice.com
Subject: The Insider
I just wanted to express my displeasure with your review of Michael
Mann's "The Insider." Who cares about length? Some of the greatest
films have been 3 hours long. Look at "JFK," "Schindler's List" and
"Gandhi." "The Insider" is an extremely important drama, a film
that's full of information and Mann's script is riveting. It's a
thrilling movie that just received the Oscar nomination for Best
Picture. It's also an exquisite work in style and detail (as evident
of Mann's work like "Heat"). What you must have an attention span
disorder, which is typical of today's fucked culture. I loved "The
Insider" because it was intelligent, complex and thrilling. It's also
an important story people need to know about. That is, the smart,
thoughtful people who have the attention span to appreciate work like
this.
MY REPLY:
I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to your note. It was too long.
What do you want again?
MRR
********************
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2000 13:20:39 -0700
From: "The Reporter" <gregorys@xmission.com>
Subject: [MV] Sci-Fi Movie News - 03/17/00
New Line has set tentative release dates for Peter
Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy: Christmas
2001, Christmas 2002 and Christmas 2003, according
to Variety. The dates were announced in a "show reel"
featuring new footage from the films that was screened
for attendees at the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas.
The three films, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's three novels of
the same name, are being shot back to back in New
Zealand. The reel mixed behind-the-scenes footage, cast
interviews and scenes from the films, the trade paper
reported.
Trailers for upcoming SF&F films The Cell, Little Nicky, Lost
Souls and Highlander End Game also drew applause at the
convention.
-=> * <=-
Toby Emmerich didn't have a time-travel story in mind
when he wrote the script for New Line's upcoming SF
thriller film Frequency. "I like movies that ask a simple
'What if?' ... and then try to explore that premise in the
real world," Emmerich told The Hollywood Reporter
columnist Martin A. Grove.
In this case, the "What if?" question is "What if you could
reach back in time to speak to your dead father by ham
radio? What if you were able to warn him about his
impending death?" That's the premise of Frequency, in
which a young New York cop (Jim Caviezel) in 1999 talks
to his firefighter father (Dennis Quaid) in 1969 and warns
him about being killed the next day. The result is that the
future is changed in unexpected ways.
Emmerich told Grove that the idea is a twist on one he'd
been working on for a while. "It was about two kids who
find their grandfather's ham radio in the attic. He's a
World War I veteran. The grandfather starts telling them
[over the radio] about some buried treasure he brought
home from France. Then I became interested in writing a
movie about the relationship between policemen and
firemen. And I thought, 'What if the two guys talking over
the radio were a cop and a fireman?' Then I [thought of]
this father-son thing." Frequency, which is directed by
Gregory Hoblit, opens April 28.
-=> * <=-
Columbia Pictures is developing a feature film based on
the Top Cow comic book series The Darkness, about
a young mafioso who discovers he is in line to inherit
a mysterious ancient power, according to The Hollywood
Reporter. Chris Lee (Final Fantasy: The Movie) will
produce, and Chris Morgan is adapting the comic into a
screenplay.
The Darkness tells the story of a mafia scion who is the
next to inherit a power, called "The Darkness," on his 21st
birthday. The catch: he can't have sex, or he will die
instantly.
The Darkness is only the latest Top Cow title being
developed for the screen. They include Witchblade, which
is in production at TNT as a possible television series for
the fall.
-=> * <=-
Final Fantasy: The Movie, based on the SquareSoft
video game series Final Fantasy, wowed theater
owners with its computer-generated actors and
effects, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A sneak
preview of the movie, which is slated for a summer 2001
release, was shown to exhibitors at the ShoWest
convention in Las Vegas.
The movie is directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi and features
the voices of Alec Baldwin, James Woods, Donald
Sutherland and Steve Buscemi.
Daily Radar.com, meanwhile, reported that the film is
nearly 90 percent complete, and speculated that Sony
may move up release of the film to Christmas this year.
The film already has an official Web site.
-=> * <=-
Eddie Murphy has signed on to star in a feature film
remake of the 1957 SF classic The Incredible
Shrinking Man, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The film is to be directed by Peter Segal (Tommy Boy) for
Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment, the trade
paper reported.
The original film, which was written by Richard Matheson
based on his novel The Shrinking Man, told the story of a
man who finds himself shrinking after being exposed to a
mist. Fred Wolf, former head writer on TV's Saturday Night
Live, has written a draft for the remake, the trade paper
reported.
Murphy was expected to begin filming Shrinking Man after
he wraps filming on Pluto Nash, which starts shooting next
month.
-=> * <=-
A new feature film based on Oscar Wilde's novel The
Picture of Dorian Gray will update the story's setting
and time to contemporary Hollywood, according to
Variety columnist Michael Fleming. Alexander Payne (who
co-wrote Election) will co-write and direct the
as-yet-untitled movie for Independent Pictures.
The novel, which was first turned into a film in 1945, tells
the Faustian story of a man who seems not to age while a
painting in his house ages instead. Payne will co-write the
script with former UCLA classmate Nate Goodman.
-=> * <=-
Wolfgang Petersen has passed on directing the feature
film version of J.K. Rowling's popular children's novel
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, according to
Variety columnist Michael Fleming. Rob Reiner is also
reportedly passing due to political problems with Castle
Rock partner Alan Horn, who would be making decisions
about the film, Variety said.
Warner Bros. will meet with other directors this week
about taking on the high-profile project, already rejected
by Steven Spielberg, Fleming added.
-=> * <=-
The Tripods Trilogy, a series of SF children's books by
John Christopher, will be developed as feature films by
Walt Disney Co.'s Touchstone Pictures. Newcomer
screenwriter Darren Lemke will adapt the books, which
include The White Mountains, The City of Gold and Lead
and The Pool of Fire, according to Variety.
The three books, set in the 21st century, tell the story of
an Earth conquered by Tripods, aliens who have implanted
mind-control devices in anyone older than 15. A young
boy and his friends strive to overthrow the Tripods. The
books were previously adapted as a BBC television series
in 1984, according to the trade paper.
-=> * <=-
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, one of Bruce
Coville's popular Magic Shop series of children's books,
is being adapted for the movies by screenwriter Tim
McCanlies (The Iron Giant). Dragon Hatcher is being
developed for the screen by Itsy Bitsy Entertainment Co.
(TV's Teletubbies), according to Variety.
Dragon Hatcher is envisioned as a live-action feature film
with computer-generated special effects. The book tells
the story of a boy who buys a dragon's egg and attempts
to raise the creature that hatches from it.
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 10:45:00 -0700
From: ("Paul D Richardson") <Richardson.Paul@amstr.com>
Subject: [MV] ERIN BROCKOVICH
Film can do some amazing things. It can make us believe in worlds that don't
exist, and watch superhuman feats performed right in front of our eyes.
However, I've never seen anything as incredible as the effect in ERIN
BROCKOVICH, which creates the illusion that Julia Roberts can act!
Just kidding. However, Julia Roberts is quite good in this film, better than
she's ever been before. Aaron Eckhart, as always, is also very good (why
isn't this guy a star?). Albert Finney is terrific! These three actors play
three interesting characters, and that alone makes the film worth seeing.
Steven Soderbergh really has a knack for getting the best out of actors, and
this film is no exception to that rule.
Too bad the story is so familiar. In fact, it's practically identical to A
CIVIL ACTION. Yes, I know that they were both based on true stories, but when
the stories are so similar, something's got to give. I got restless in ERIN
BROCKOVICH as I watched the obligatory "parade of victims." However, I guess
I'd rather watch familiar material (which was really necessary in order to
tell the story) than not get to meet these characters at all.
All in all, I recommend ERIN BROCKOVICH. It's entertaining, engaging, and
well-written. It's even managed to change my opinion of Julia Roberts (much
in the way TRUMAN SHOW changed my opinion of Jim Carrey). Let's hope she
continues to pick scripts like this in the future.
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[ movies" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2000 09:45:25 -0500 (EST)
From: maillist@moviejuice.com
Subject: [MV] MovieJuice! - ADVANCE - HIGH FIDELITY - Sonic Truth
HIGH FIDELITY - Sonic Truth
by Mark Ramsey
March 21, 2000
<a href="http://www.moviejuice.com/2000/highfidelity.htm">Click here
for the full review!</a>
http://www.moviejuice.com/2000/highfidelity.htm
I love High Fidelity!
Once the Oscar hangover has passed and we're reminded that
small-screen Billy Crystal once-a-year beats big-screen Billy Crystal
any day, what better time to wrap yourself in an exceptionally clever
comedy that's so well crafted it's downright scary.
Check out this cast:
There's mighty John Cusack who made the 80's safe for teenhood - no
matter he was 40 at the time. Hey, any guy who chooses Daphne Zuniga
over Nicollette Sheridan in The Sure Thing:
A) is one hell of an actor
B) proves the maxim: "It's only a movie"
Damons come and Leos go, but Cusack's here forever, baby!
There's John's super-funny and always underrated sister Joan who,
with John and Lili Taylor, complete the Say Anything reunion which is
almost pleasure enough.
There's the sensational Jack Black. You don't know Jack Black? You
will. Think John Belushi with Courtney Love's facial hair. He's got
the girth of birth and he knows how to use it.
Jack and Billy Corgan's twin brother work with Cusack at his record
store. It's ground zero for intellectual, opinionated, music
minutiae maniacal underachievers, and it's called Championship Vinyl
- - that's right, VINYL, for Chrissake. Need an LP? Just turn left at
the 78's and pass the wax cylinders. You'll find 'em right between
the auto hand-cranks and the bake-bread-from-scratch supplies.
Come on, vinyl has as much chance of a comeback as Santana!
These guys know everything there is to know about music, except why
Kevin Bacon spends so much career-time hosting game shows on VH-1.
Does he get free Jessica Simpson and Hoku CDs or something?
Ironically, these record rats are oblivious to the term "mp3."
Fortunately, plans are on to build a website by the time Detroit
manufactures aero-cars to park at the store's hyperport - or when
M*A*S*H reruns stop airing, whichever comes first.
What's more, John and his crew are top-five-list-crazy. Everything
has a list. One by one, John ticks 'em off:
- - Top 5 all-time breakup list
- - Top 5 songs for every occasion
- - Top 5 glowing adjectives used by Larry King to describe every
movie ever made, except Natural Born Killers
- - Top 5 redundant teen movies starring Julia Stiles
You get the idea.
High Fidelity is all about John Cusack's relationship crisis. In the
forest of romantic confusion where most guys find ourselves most of
the time, John's girlfriend splits.
John's girl, played by Iben Hjejle, is best known in America as a
random combination of letters. Her mission is to encourage Scrabble
players everywhere to throw their arms up to the heavens and shout
"Oh, what's the use!"
Who can't love a movie where Cusack shouts at the window of
ex-girlfriend number one: "Charley, you f--kin' bitch, let's work it
out!" Who can't empathize when he asks ex-girlfriend number two what
the chance is they'll reunite, and she answers "9 percent; we have a
9 percent chance of getting back together." Who can't groove on one
character's description of his babe as "a post-Partridge Family,
pre-L.A. Law Susan Dey kind of thing. You know, Black." This movie
is rich, rich, rich with that kind of sharp humor.
Every rose has a thorn, the song goes, and the pricks in this movie
come courtesy of pretentiously cool, one-time funky 80's clotheshorse
Lisa Bonet. Lethargic Lisa is a somber, seriouso songstress who
covers Frampton tunes the way a casket covers a corpse. "Oh, Baby I
Love Your Wake, Every Day." Either Lisa's suffering rigor mortis or
she's the new Local News Anchor - now I know why they're called
"anchors."
Is Lisa sleepy or just hypnotized by that trance-inducing maze of
fractals on Papa Cosby's sweater?
Meet Lisa's band: The Droopy Narcoleptics, and hear their Top 5
hits: "I'm not Michael Stipe, but I am in R.E.M." and "Brains! Give
us Brains!"
Catherine Zeta Jones is another of John's exes - the one carrying
Michael Douglas's baby. And for perhaps the first time, Catherine's
ass is not the name above the title! She actually has a character to
play this time, and she's rather good, too!
High Fidelity is a brilliantly written, clever satire, piled high
with lush characters, scads of funny stuff, and the coolest
performances this side of an Oscar.
You don't need to be an audiophile to fall in love with High
Fidelity. You just need an ear for what will certainly be one of my
top 5 comedies of the year.
High Fidelity opens at the end of the month. Get into the groove and
see this movie!
Copyright 2000 Mark Ramsey. All rights reserved. NO PORTION MAY BE
REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.
********************
MOVIEJUICE.COM STALKER MAIL OF THE WEEK
- -----Original Message-----
From: [Name Hidden to Protect the Innocent]
Sent: Friday, March 17, 2000 1:14 PM
To: mramsey@moviejuice.com
Subject: Not something mean spirited!
My mom and I are both subscribed to your Movie Juice mail list, and
we were both guessing what you looked like. We had it narrowed down
to the comic book store owner from The Simpsons, you know, the one
who's always full of sarcastic comments. It was quite a surprise
when we saw your picture on the web site. Maybe you should match
your picture up with his, just for kicks! Keep up the good wit!
MY REPLY
I pride myself on bringing together moms and daughters - much like
Oprah or, say, Warren Beatty.
I appreciate your interest in my appearance, and I'm sorry to say I'm
not on the Bruce Villanch/Harry Knowles axis at all - I'm more on the
Dave Foley/Bob Saget axis.
As for my picture, it has often surprised people, starting with my
parents.
Thanks for the note.
MRR
********************
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2000 13:35:00 -0700
From: "The Reporter" <gregorys@xmission.com>
Subject: [MV] Sci-Fi Movie News - 03/21/00
Filmmakers have quietly returned to the Maryland
woods to begin production on The Blair Witch Project
2, the much-anticipated sequel to 1999's surprise hit
The Blair Witch Project, according to a Maryland
newspaper. A crew of nearly 300 actors, photographers,
directors, cameramen and lighting technicians shot in
Seneca Creek State Park last week, according to The
Gazette newspaper in Damascus, Md.
Blair Redux Productions also set up a base camp in nearby
Germantown and were filming scenes around Montgomery
County, close to the location of the original film. After
encountering hostile reactions recently from the residents
of Burkittsville--the "Blair" of the original
movie--filmmakers have been keeping a low profile about
the production and a tight lid on details of the plot. Blair 2
is slated for a fall release.
-=> * <=-
New Line Cinema has secured the rights to the classic
1956 SF movie Forbidden Planet and will fast-track a
big-budget remake, according to Variety. Forbidden
Planet, loosely based on Shakespeare's play The Tempest,
starred Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon and Anne Francis,
and it introduced Robbie the Robot.
New Line bought the rights from Lindsay Dunlap and Ember
Entertainment Group, the trade paper reported. Michael
De Luca, the studio's president of production; Richard
Saperstein, senior executive vice president; and Bryan
Hickel, creative executive, will shepherd the movie's
development. Plans are to update the story with
state-of-the-art special effects.
-=> * <=-
Director Wolfgang Petersen (Air Force One) told
Cinescape magazine that he bowed out of helming
Warner Bros.' upcoming film Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone because there wasn't enough time to
make the effects-laden movie. "If [they] really want to do
Harry Potter for next summer, [they] should start
yesterday," Petersen told the magazine.
Petersen said the movie had "an enormous amount of
visual effects" and that the studio was aiming at a July 4,
2001, release date. Petersen, Rob Reiner and Steven
Spielberg, among others, have passed on the movie,
which is based on J.K. Rowling's popular children's novel of
the same name.
Warner Bros, meanwhile, has reserved a piece of
cyberspace for an official Harry Potter Web site. There's
nothing there now, but stay tuned.
-=> * <=-
It's official: Steven Spielberg's next job will be writing
and directing A.I., the SF film based on an idea by
Stanley Kubrick. The announcement was made
Tuesday, March 14, by Warner Bros. and DreamWorks
Pictures, which will share production of the film.
"Stanley had a vision for this project that was evolving
over 18 years," Spielberg said in a statement. "I am intent
on bringing to the screen as much of that vision as
possible, along with elements of my own." Spielberg, who
recently underwent surgery to remove a kidney, will begin
work on the movie July 10, with an eye to a summer 2001
release date, the statement said.
Spielberg, who this week won the Lifetime Achievement
Award of the Directors Guild of America, has been mulling
which project to take on next. Until recently, bets were
on his directing Tom Cruise in Minority Report. But Cruise
told Entertainment Tonight earlier this week that he and
Spielberg wouldn't begin work on Minority Report until April
or May of 2001.
Minority Report, based on a short story of the same name
by legendary SF author Philip K. Dick, deals with cops who
travel back in time to apprehend criminals before they can
perpetrate their crimes. Spielberg had earlier turned down
the chance to direct a film based on J.K. Rowling's popular
Harry Potter series of children's books.
A.I., loosely based on Brian Aldiss' 1969 short story
"Super-Toys Last All Summer Long," is set in a future
where the polar icecaps have melted and robots possess
artificial intelligence, or A.I. Spielberg has been reportedly
completing a script based on Kubrick's treatment. Kubrick
spent years developing the material and intended to direct
himself, before his death last year.
-=> * <=-
Oscar nominees Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense)
and Jude Law (The Talented Mr. Ripley) are in talks to
star in A.I., the SF thriller to be directed by Steven
Spielberg based on a treatment by the late Stanley
Kubrick, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Law
reportedly turned down a Paramount film, Four Feathers,
which was scheduled to go into production around the
time A.I. is set to begin.
Osment is nominated for a best-supporting-actor Oscar
for his performance in Sense. Law is also nominated for
best supporting actor for his role in Ripley.
Spielberg said earlier this week that A.I., whose title
stands for "artificial intelligence," would be his next
project. Spielberg is writing and directing the film based
on a treatment by Kubrick, which in turn is loosely based
on the Brian Aldiss short story "Super-Toys Last All
Summer Long." A.I. is scheduled to begin shooting July 10,
aiming at a summer 2001 release.
-=> * <=-
Rob Bowman (The X-Files feature film) is in final talks
to direct Generation Ship, an SF film based on Harlan
Ellison and Edward Bryant's novel Phoenix Without
Ashes, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The movie is
slated to go into production at the end of the year, the
trade paper reported.
The film tells the story of an ark-like starship carrying the
remnants of several Earth biospheres through the cosmos.
The inhabitants, who have descended from the original
crew over 5,000 years, are unaware they are aboard a
ship until one of them discovers they are about to crash
into a star.
The novel was based on Ellison's 1970s Canadian
television series The Starlost. David Goyer (Blade) wrote
the script for Generation Ship; he and Bowman will
collaborate on a rewrite.
-=> * <=-
Matt Wagner, creator of the Mage series of comic
books, told the Comics2Film Web site that he is very
pleased with John Rogers' initial screenplay for the
upcoming Mage feature film. "One of the things I love
about it is, it's not crazy faithful," Wagner said. "It knows
it has to adapt and so it changes things. For instance,
there's a whole other character in this that isn't in [the]
'Hero Discovered' [story arc] at all."
Wagner added that Rogers "explains the magic real well.
He takes stuff that I had written when I was 20 years old
and writes from a 30-year-old standpoint, so it's a little
more eloquent. It's great." And the script remains faithful
to the comics, Wagner added. "[Rogers] manages to lift
huge sections straight from the book that will ring very
familiar and true to almost everybody. And yet he still
brings his own sense of humor to it. [Rogers provides]
each of the main four characters with a real distinct voice
and a real distinct relationship with each of the other
characters in the group."
Rogers is at work on a second draft of the screenplay for
Spyglass Entertainment and Critical Mass Entertainment,
which are developing the film.
-=> * <=-
Mimic director Guillermo del Toro will helm Blade 2:
Blood Hunt, the sequel to the hit 1998 vampire movie
Blade, based on the Marvel Comics series Blade:
Vampire Hunter, according to Variety. Wesley Snipes will
reprise his starring role as the half-human, half-vampire
hero, and Kris Kristofferson will make an appearance,
though his character died in the first movie.
David Goyer, who wrote the script for the first film, will
write the sequel. Stephen Norrington directed the original
film for New Line Cinema. Blade 2 is set to start
production in the fall, with an eye to a summer 2001
release, the trade paper reported.
-=> * <=-
The fantasy children's book The Polar Express will
become a movie with Tom Hanks producing and
starring, according to Variety. Hanks will play the
conductor of a train called the Polar Express, which takes
a boy to visit Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. The film is
slated for a Christmas 2001 release.
The book was written by Chris Van Allsburg, who also
wrote the book on which the film Jumanji was based.
Another Van Allsburg book, the witch tale The Widow's
Broom, is in development at Paramount and Nickelodeon
Pictures with a script by Van Allsburg himself.
-=> * <=-
Rock-star-turned-actress Courtney Love is reportedly
under consideration as the leader of an interplanetary
expedition in John Carpenter's Ghost of Mars, an SF
film in development at Screen Gems. Variety columnist
Michael Fleming reports that Love would play the
"butt-kicking leader of an expedition to Mars," with
Whoopi Goldberg possibly playing her science officer.
The story concerns a mission to Mars to hunt down a
colonist accused of several murders. But the astronauts
discover that the colonist has been framed by the ghosts
of long-dead Martians.
Fleming also reported that Carpenter wants Jason
Statham (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) for the
male lead.
-=> * <=-
Andy Tennant will direct Afterlife, an SF thriller based
on a script by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire
Slayer), according to Variety. Tennant (Anna and the
King) will also rewrite the screenplay that Whedon sold to
Sony Pictures Entertainment in 1994, before his Toy Story
became a huge hit.
Afterlife tells the story of a terminally ill scientist who
seeks to avoid death by transplanting his brain into
another body--that of an escaped serial killer. He later
seeks to reunite with his wife while avoiding temptations
to murder.
-=> * <=-
Will Smith was overheard saying that he'll be reading a
script for Men in Black 2, a proposed sequel to his
1997 hit film Men in Black, according to the Dark
Horizons Web site. Smith made his comments to a British
radio interviewer last week during the ShoWest
convention in Las Vegas.
As to whether Smith will reprise his leading role in the film,
he reportedly said, "If it is hot I will do it; if it's not, then I
won't."
-=> * <=-
Mission to Mars landed in the No. 1 spot in the North
American box office rankings during its debut, earning
$23.1 million during the weekend of March 11 despite
being blasted by critics. Mars' revenues were more than
the total of the next four films combined, according to the
Hollywood trade papers.
The Ninth Gate, Roman Polanski's supernatural thriller
starring Johnny Depp, debuted in the No. 2 slot with $6.7
million. That film also garnered lukewarm reviews. Pitch
Black remained strong, coming in ninth with $3.1 million for
the weekend and a total of $34.2 million after 24 days in
release.
-=> * <=-
Director David Fincher (Fight Club) may be
considering helming a feature film version of Arthur
C. Clarke's classic SF novel Rendezvous with Rama,
according to the Dark Horizons Web site.
-=> * <=-
Brad Silberling (City of Angels), Chris Columbus
(Bicentennial Man), Alan Parker (Angela's Ashes) and
Terry Gilliam (12 Monkeys) are on the short list to
direct the film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's hit
children's novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone, according to Variety. Steven Spielberg
turned the project down in favor of A.I.
-=> * <=-
New Zealand actor Marton Csokas will play
Celeborn, Galadriel's husband, in the feature film
trilogy The Lord of the Rings, according to
TheOneRing.net Web site. Csokas has appeared in
episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and
Xena: Warrior Princess.
-=> * <=-
Samuel L. Jackson will reprise his role of Jedi
knight Mace Windu in Star Wars: Episode II, the
actor told the Calgary Sun newspaper. "I haven't
seen a script yet, so I don't know if I'll be going to
Tunisia, Italy or Australia, but George [Lucas] has
assured me I'm going," Jackson told the paper.
-=> * <=-
Ethan Hawke, who was to play Faramir in New
Line's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, is no longer
part of the production, according to a report on
TheOneRing.net Web site. The site offers no
explanation for the change.
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