Comic-Con wrapped yesterday. The world's biggest convention of its kind, it's held in San Diego each year, and it's an opportunity for studios to showcase upcoming sci-fi/fantasy/comic book based products to a friendly audience. Here are the highlights from the weekend:
- Clips from ALICE IN WONDERLAND 3D and panel with Burton and Depp. If there is a director that can take 3D to a more creative place, I'd put my money on Burton rather than Cameron.
- Finally people have seen extended footage of AVATAR. The reactions are mixed, with everyone agreeing it looks impressive, but less agreement on whether it makes sense. A high-ranking exhibition executive in London said it gave him a headache. Not good.
- Mike Judge's EXTRACT screening plus a Q&A with Judge. I'm a big fan of OFFICE SPACE and this sounds great, with Jason Bateman, and Ben Affleck apparently playing 'The Dude' from Lebowski.
-Robert Zemeckis has abandoned live action filmmaking and decided to dedicate his work to 3D & motion capture and he's previewed some of A CHRISTMAS CAROL here, with Jim Carrey. Apart from BACK TO THE FUTURE & ROGER RABBIT, I find Zemeckis' work boring.
Random mentions:
- Richard Kelly (DONNIE DARKO) has made THE BOX, a creepy parable with Cameron Diaz.
- NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET remake (more of a prequel, reboot, etc) unveiled with the guy who played Rorschach in WATCHMEN.
- WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE got a good reception and an endorsement from Maurice Sendak.
- SHERLOCK HOLMES panel with Robert Downey Jr. This looks better every day. Amazing trailer, great cast. Can Ritchie avoid screwing it up?
-Three films with the number 9 in the title: DISTRICT 9, 9 & NINE. Confused anyone?
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I agree about most of zemeckis'work,but his early'Used cars' with Kurt Russell is one of my guilty secret favorite trashy films:'Used to be when a politician was bought he stayed bought'.
ReplyDeleteRe your previous comments-what the blazes is an art-house film anyway?Answer-something that is someone's vision,not written by committee,and is not aimed at a narrow segment of the population the studio moguls have decided have all the cash.Dosesn't matter whether it's in English or any other language-some French films have 'committee'written all over them-whereas 'Moon',which I saw this afternoon simply relies on one very good actinf performance
Let's hope The Box is more Donnie Darko than Southland Tales... And I can only repeat my earlier comment about Where The Wild Things Are: the Trailer made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end - please tell me it'll be coming to The Duke's!?! Fantastic Double Bill on Monday afternoon, by the way... Moon AND Antichrist for Six Quid! You are the saviour of the Shift-Worker who gets rubbish days off!
ReplyDeleteCommenter Number 1: arthouse is an ambiguous term that really covers a lot of ground, and doesn't really serve any creative or artistic form of description, but rather fits nicely into the 'non-multiplex' business model we run.
ReplyDeleteCommenter Number 2: Where The Wild Things Are is most likely coming to the Dukes, bar the film being just awful. And you are welcome!