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Dan Owen reviews

DAN'S   MOVIE   DIGEST

I s s u e   # 5 3

2 5   J u l y   2 0 0 3

Movie News
US & UK Top cinema listings
In the Pipeline
Trailers

** MOVIE NEWS **

SPIDER-MAN 2

The first pics of Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus have been released (see right and below-right). Looks very promising!

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA 2

It is rumoured that screenwriter Corey Mitchel recently spoke with producer Debra Hill and director John Carpenter, and later indicated that Carpenter is "totally on board" for a Big Trouble In Little China sequel.

Kurt Russell is rumoured to be interested, and work is quietly underway to tempt Jackie Chan onto the project.

BLADE III

'Comics Continuum' talked with Marvel CEO Avi Arad over the weekend and updated the status of practically all Marvel movie projects.

Cover Blade III? "We have a great script, Wesley [Snipes] is back and we are doing our thing".

Hulk 2? "We are just waiting for a script. We are going to make another Hulk, absolutely."

Fantastic Four? "We have a release date and we are all working hard to get there"

Iron Man? "We are very advanced into Iron Man and Elektra. These two are something. Then we'll have news in a couple of weeks on Deathlok. It's a great script, and this movie is going to get made. And we just got a phenomenal director."

DEATHLOK

Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day) will direct Deathlok for 'Paramount Pictures' and 'Marvel Studios'. Written by Stu Zicherman and Raven Metzner, the film concerns a suburban family man who is unwittingly made a test subject for technology research that slowly turns him into a living computer.

Marvel Studios' Avi Arad is producing the project with Steven Paul and his 'Crystal Sky Productions', the latter of which has a co-production and co-financing deal with 'Paramount'.

Cover

THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS

'Sci Fi Wire' reported that actress Nona Gaye, who reprises her role of Zee in The Matrix Revolutions, has confirmed that the final Matrix instalment with answer everyone's questions: "People will be relieved when they see Revolutions. I know a lot of people are like, 'What's going on?'"

The actress also added that Revolutions will continue to be philosophically complex: "I think it depends on your perception. When I read the script, it made sense to me. Number three is where I get down. I'm doing a lot of diving and running and jumping and stuff."

IRON MAN

Smallville co-creator Miles Millar spoke to 'Sci-Fi Wire' about how his and co-writer Alfred Gough's screenplay for a film-version of Iron Man is going: "We're about halfway through the script. We spent, I guess, seven months developing the story. So we're happy... It's faithful [to the comics], but it's also very different from the original."

"And it's updated... I think we found a really cool way, actually, to reinvent the suit, make it very high-tech, make it very cool visually... It's going to be a very different suit. But, yeah, it will be a gold suit".

JURASSIC PARK 4

'Box-Office Magazine' spoke with Keira Knightley about the rumour that she is set to star in Jurassic Park 4.

Knightley: "It's true! I didn't think anybody knew about that! It was so amazing because I've been a big fan of the original film for years. Steven [Spielberg] said he liked my work in Bend It Like Beckham and wanted to meet me."

"I think Sam Neill really pushed for me as well, 'cause we had worked together before on [the TV series] Doctor Zhivago. There were actually two roles in Jurassic Park 4 Steven thought I might fit. First there was the granddaughter part, which wasn't all that big a role; she was only in it at the beginning. The other part he was considering for me was substantially larger, but I won't go into any details in case I make Steven angry [laughs]."

"I truly don't know if I'll end up getting either part or not. The script is pretty much locked down, but I think they're still working on final drafts at the moment. But just to be even considered by Steven Spielberg was a humbling honour".

Cover

CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

It's increasingly likely that director Tim Burton (Beetlejuice) will remake the classic 1971 movie Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, itself based on the celebrated children's book by Roald Dahl.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Director Joel Schumacher spoke up about his upcoming adaptation of the musical classic to 'IGN Filmforce': "I don't really have all my ducks in order yet. We don't start shooting until October... The music will be re-invented for this film."

"Remember, these orchestrations were done sixteen years ago... [In regards to changing the story, Andrew Lloyd Webber has] left that up to me. He's not really a film person. He's really a theatre person. He doesn't claim to be a film guy."

Will there be spoofing of more movies?
Will there be a Shrek 3?

SK8ER BOI

Yes, Avril Lavigne's hit song Sk8er Boi is to be adapted into a film. Enough said. Avril herself will not star. Shame. No, really...

(DVDfever Ed: Is it just me, or when Avril Lavigne's appears on TV I think of the advert, "My sister's a greaser!"

SUPERMAN

Orlando Bloom has apparently turned down an offer to star as Superman.

WATCHMEN

Producer Lloyd Levin confirmed to 'IGN Filmforce' that the script has been completed by David Hayter and he may possibly direct the movie himself.

US TOP 10 (CINEMA)

All figures are weekend box-office gross.

1. Bad Boys II ($46.5m)
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ($34.0m)
3. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ($10.1m)
4. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines ($9.3m)
5. Johnny English ($9.1m)
6. Finding Nemo ($7.2m)
7. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde ($6.1m)
8. How To Deal ($5.8m)
9. Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle ($3.8m)

10. 28 Days Later ($2.5m)

UK TOP 10 (CINEMA)

1. The Hulk (�3.52m)
2. Bruce Almighty (�1.26m)
3. Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle (�1.18m)
4. Daddy Day Care (�0.76m)
5. Piglet's Big Movie (�0.30m)
6. Veronica Guerin (�0.25m)
7. 2 Fast 2 Furious (�0.16m)
8. Whale Rider (�0.15m)
9. Buffalo Soldiers (�0.11m)

10. The Matrix Reloaded (�0.10m)

Cover ** TRAILERS **

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Seen it!
No, this is a remake...

Why remake Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Why not do a sequel?
They have - numerous sequels, each one less frightening than Tobe Hooper's original slice of cannibalistic terror.

Is Hollywood so starved of ideas?
Debatable. But, somebody decided that Chainsaw should be brought bang up-to-date with a sequel, although the remake retains a 70's setting.

Ok, just tell me this isn't a shot-for-shot remake like Gus Van Sant's Psycho?
It's not a shot-for-shot remake.

Phew!
Instead, the movie generally just tells the same story but with all the technical polish and plot improvements the 21st-Century can muster.

Does the trailer look good?
In fact, it really does! The tone and style of Hooper's original looks intact (with the same lack of gore), and the trailer is effectively chilling despite revealing very little.

Does Leatherface make an appearance?
Briefly.

And his chainsaw? Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Of course.

Excellent. Final thoughts?
Despite being produced by Michael "more is more" Bay (Armageddon) this looks like a restrained and effective update of the 70's classic. From the trailer there doesn't seem to be anything for fans to complain about, so yes, this looks like a satisfying remake waiting to be released. Breathe a sigh of relief.

CLICK HERE FOR TRAILER

One Upon A Time In Mexico

Is this a children's film?
No, this is a sequel to Desperado - itself a remake of El Mariachi. All three films coming from legendary low-budget filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.

What?! The guy who does those shitty Spy Kids films?
Well, yes. But he's also the guy who did From Dusk Till Dawn and The Faculty before he got pulled into releasing kiddie Bond movies every 12 months since 2001.

Alright, so what is this exactly?
Once Upon A Time In Mexico is another high-octane Mexico-set adventure starring Latino hunk Antonio Banderas and saucy sex-pot Salma Hayek. It also stars Johnny Depp and Enrique Iglesias.

Enrique Iglesias!
Yes. "I will be your he-e-e-e-ro, bay-beh..."

Enough!
Oh, and almost everyone Rodriguez has ever worked with - such as Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, etc, etc. You'll recognize them, trust me.

Okay, so does the trailer look good?
It looks okay, but nothing special. Certainly nothing that really grabs your attention, beyond the fact Depp is starring in a Robert Rodriguez shoot-'em-up. Could be fun, but at the moment it looks decidedly old-hat.

Spy Kids 4 beckons...
Hmmm, perhaps.

CLICK HERE FOR TRAILER

** IN THE PIPELINE **

Note that these are US release dates.

July 2003: "Spy Kids 3" (25), "Tomb Raider II" (25)

August 2003: "American Wedding" (1), "Cursed" (8), "Jeepers Creepers 2" (29) October: "Kill Bill" (10), "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (17), "Underworld" (TBC)

September 2003: TBA

October 2003: TBA

November 2003: "Matrix Revolutions" (7), "Looney Tunes - Back In Action" (14), Around The World In 80 Days" (21), "The Cat In The Hat" (21), "Dirty Dancing 2" (21)

December 2003: "The Last Samurai" (5), "The Alamo" (12), "Lord Of The Rings - Return Of The King" (17), "Garfield" (19), "Lemony Snicket" (19), "Peter Pan" (25)