Film School Rejects » Chris Beaumont

Children of Men: The TV Series?

Chris Beaumont — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:44:08 +0000

2006 brought with it a film that is rapidly climbing towards the top of my all time list. Words cannot begin to describe how much I love this film. Of course, the film in question is Children of Men, loosely adapted from the novel of the same name and shepherded to the big screen by Alfonso Cuaron. It now appears that the story could be in the process of being adapted again, this time for a television series, as being reported by /film.

At the recent up-fronts for the Sci Fi Channel, producer David Eick, who was integral to bringing the brilliant re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica and the canceled too soon Bionic Woman to the small screen, announced that this project is in the works. Frankly, I am excited about the possibility.

As presented by Cuaron, this is a richly textured universe that offers much in the way of story possibilities. In a statement by Eick it appears that instead of a war film, the series would focus more on issues of personal responsibility and a complete focus on youth. With youth fast becoming a thing of the past in this universe it is natural that a high level of attention would be paid, much more so than that of our current society and its focus on young stars who are famous for being famous.

It also appears that this is not going to be a take off of the film, so much as it will be taking the ideas and concepts and starting it as its own separate project. This is a good idea, and one that excites me to no end. This could be a very interesting project. Whether or not it actually makes it to the screen is another issue. Here’s hoping.

DVD Review: Walk the Line – Extended Cut

Chris Beaumont — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:21:28 +0000

A few years back we got a film about a musician who over came great odds and family tragedy to become world renowned, well respected, a legend in his own lifetime. His life was not an easy one, it was fraught with drug abuse, infidelity, and just overall troubles, all despite his considerable music talent that connected with a legion of fans, and whose influence is felt to this day. That film went on to win the Best Picture Oscar, as well as nabbing the top prize for the lead acting performance. What? This didn’t win Best Picture? Oh yeah, that’s right, Ray won the top prize in 2004, Walk the Line wasn’t even nominated in 2005. Sometimes it’s hard to keep all of these biopics from blending into one another. Funny thing, although I saw both films during their theatrical runs, I never did review them, making this the first time I have committed thought to page.

The way to make a successful biopic is to select an artist that is well loved across the board, Johnny Cash is one of those artists that has crossover appeal through a large number of demographics (same thing for Ray Charles). The next element is to take a good look at the big picture of the subject’s life and begin condensing it down. No matter how interesting or fascinating the person’s life is, something needs to get cut. The man’s life is cut down to the bare essentials that will fit within the confines of your standard feature film running time. The biggest problem is that when these tales are condensed they bear an awful similarity to one another.

Now, read the opening paragraph again, excusing the Oscar talk, could you tell if I was talking about Ray or Walk the Line. I know that when I back up and take a look at them, while the subject is clearly different, their lives are very similar in this boiled down fashion, which lessens the impact of their story. What it comes down to is execution. Of the two, Ray was the better executed, while I enjoyed the music of Walk the Line more.

All of this makes the genre ripe for the spoofing, which happened this past December with the release of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. I only mention this because as I watched this extended cut of Walk the Line, the early scenes brought me right back the spoof and some unintentional humor.

On the basis of its own merits, Walk the Line is a good film. It successfully gives us an overview of the story behind the Man in Black. However, what really sells it is not so much the content (although that is very important), it is the performance of the lead performers and their ability to mimic the people they are portraying. In this case, Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon did an excellent job bringing Johnny Cash and June Carter to vivid life.

The film is slickly made, it has first rate production values and cannot be faulted on a technical level, even if it isn’t quite as audacious as it possibly could be. However, it is in those performances that the film really flies, performances that garnered the duo Oscar nods, and Reese a win. Phoenix gives a performance that grows on you, at first he does not seem up to the task, until you realize that he is growing into the character as Cash is growing into himself, and it really is quite amazing to watch. Witherspoon, on the other hand, nails it from the get go. I have never been a big fan of hers, but there is no denying that she is great here. The quality acting continues on past them and includes the supporting cast as well. I guess it should also be noted that it is a easier to judge these performances as we have the shortcut of comparing them to their real life counterparts, which should remind us to be diligent when judging truly original performances (not to belittle the excellent work here).

Walk the Line chronicles the life and times of Johnny Cash from his days as a young boy who loses his brother in a tragic accident, through his strained relationship with his father, through the Air Force, and into early marriage and family life. It moves on to show how he got his start in music and how his success and fame eroded his relationship with his wife, drove him to drugs, and ultimately into the saving arms of June Carter, whom he would go on to marry. In between all of these stops along life’s journey we get some truly excellent music, ably performed by our two stars.

While the film does hit the major highs and lows of Johnny’s life, the film is ultimately a love story between Johnny and June. The two seem almost destined for each other, from the moment we first see young Johnny listening to the equally young June on the radio, right through to their initial meeting that leads to infatuation, which in turn leads to a troubled yet love filled romance. It is a that romantic tale of salvation that lies at the heart of Walk the Line, holding it all together.

This new two disk DVD edition features an extended cut of the feature, adding 18 minutes to the running time. It is important to note that this is an “extended cut” and not a “director’s cut,” indicating that director James Mangold was not involved in the re-edit of the film. This little fact tells me that this is more for marketing another DVD to the market than it is for any artistic reasons. Now, while this is likely the case, it does not and should not invalidate the validity of the cut. With any new cut, the quality can go either way. In the case of Walk the Line, I was hard pressed to immediately notice any differences. There were a couple of moments that I do not recall from the theatrical version, but I suspect that much of that time is in extensions of existing scenes, as opposed to entirely new scenes added back in. After doing abit of searching, it appears that most of the reinserted footage appeared on the prior release in the deleted scenes section.

Audio/Video. The tech specs for this set are very good. The 2.35:1 anamorphic video looks fantastic with plenty of detail and fine colors. Absolutely nothing to complain about. As for the audio? With DTS 5.1, Dolby 5.1, and Dolby 2.0, how can you go wrong? You can’t. The audio sounds great. Again, nothing to complain about.

Extras. This two disk set comes with plenty of extras, many carried over from the prior release.

Carried Over Extras:

Commentary. The track features director James Mangold, and is, by and large, a fine track that gives insight into the film and its subject, with some slight excursions into odd comments.
Celebrating the Man in Black: The Making of Walk the Line. A look inside the creation of the film and a look behind the curtain into what it took to get Johnny onto the big screen. (21.5 minutes)
Ring of Fire: The Passion of Johnny & June. This highlights the romance, relationship, and music that the duo made. Plus, the troubles that Johnny had with drugs.(11.5 minutes)
Johnny Cash Jukebox: Walk the Line Extended Musical Sequences with New Introductions. This is pretty cool, comprised mostly of extended sequences from the film. They all sound quite good, and the introductions aren’t too bad either! (~27 minutes combined) Included songs:
“Lewis Boogie” – Waylon Payne as Jerry Lee Lewis (commentators include Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone contributing editor; Jack “Cowboy” Clement, Johnny Cash record producer; actor Waylon Payne, Jason Fine, Managing Editor Rolling Stone; actor Johnny Holiday, and John Carter Cash).
“Get Rhythm” – Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash (commentators include John Doyle, Curator, Rock ‘N’ Soul Museum; Steve Pond, contributing editor, Rolling Stone; Jason Fine).
“You’re My Baby” – Johnathan Rice as Roy Orbison (commentators include Mikal Gilmore, John Doyle, Johnathan Rice).
“Jukebox Blues” – Reese Witherspoon as June Carter (commentators include James Keach, Producer; Arianne Phillips, costume designer; Mikal Gilmore, John Carter Cash, Reese Witherspoon).
“Rock and Roll Ruby” – Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash (commentators include James Mangold, Director; Jay Orr, Historian, Country Music Hall of Fame; Jack “Cowboy” Clement).
“That’s Alright Mama” – Tyler Hilton as Elvis Presley (commentators include John Doyle; Scotty Moore, Elvis’ guitarist; Mikal Gilmore; Jack “Cowboy” Clement).
“Jackson” – Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash, Reese Witherspoon as June Carter (commentators include Steve Pond, Jay Orr, Patrick Carr, Cash biographer).
“Cocaine Blues” – Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash (commentators include Jack “Cowboy” Clement, John Doyle, Steve Pond).
Theatrical Trailer. The original promo trailer that drew me in to want to see the film.

New Features:

Becoming Cash/Becoming Carter. Interviews with cast and crew about how the casting went down and what they were looking for in the leads. (11 minutes)
Sun Records & the Johnny Cash Sound. This takes a look at the dawn of the record label and the important role that Johnny Cash played in its succes. (12 minutes)
The Cash Legacy. Cash’s influence still reverberates through the music world, and this takes a look at Cash’s development and the place he will always hold. (15 minutes)
Folsom: Cash and the Comeback. The classic concert and how it was the moment that got his life and his career back on track following his downward spiral into drugs. (12 minutes)
Cash and Faith. A look inside Cash’s relationship with God and the meaning that it had for him. (11 minutes)
More Man in Black: Deleted Scenes. A pair of scenes that did not make it back to the extended cut. Interesting to watch, but are best left out. The two scenes are “Memphis Streets” and “The Bank.” (6.5 minutes)

Bottomline. This is a very good film. However, if you already own the theatrical release, I cannot say that you need to upgrade, as that release is quite good and the added time does not really add much to the content of the film. If you are a Cash fanatic and need it all, go right ahead and enjoy this release. Also, if you do not have the prior release, this is definitely worth taking a peak at, ther film is very good and the extras are plentiful and informative.

Confirmed: Peter Berg to Helm Dune Remake

Chris Beaumont — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:59:45 +0000

In 1984 David Lynch, with only two features under his belt (Eraserhead and the Oscar nominated The Elephant Man), made his next project the novel that was said to be unfilmable, Frank Herbert’s Dune. The result has been called a travesty by some, cult classic by others, and just unliked by even more. It stood as the lone filmed attempt until the 2000 mini-series on the Sci Fi Channel, which was more successful, but still did not completely capture the epic expanse of the novel’s universe. It is time once again to make an attempt to bring the page to the screen. Will the third time be the charm?

It is being reported at Moviehole.net that Peter Berg will be producing and directing the new adaptation following his campaign for the Herbert estate to allow him to make the film under the Paramount banner. Apparently he was successful. There is no production schedule, nor a release date, but it does appear that the project is a go.

Peter Berg has had success as a director, displaying the ability to cross genres successfully. However, there is nothing in his filmography that would indicate he is able to bring a story such as this to the screen, but I like what I have seen from him and feel that he has earned the right to make the attempt. From his debut in 1998 with the black comedy Very Bad Things to the action flick The Rundown, Friday Night Lights to The Kingdom, Peter Berg has demonstrated good instincts and a keen eye. While none of these films could be called great, they are very good.

It will be interesting to see how well he will manage with this project, which is sure to raise hackles among the Herbert faithful.

Is a 5th Rambo on the Horizon?

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:14:37 +0000

Back before Rambo hit the big screen there was news over a title change. You see, it was originally slated to be called John Rambo. It was changed because Sly Stallone did not want it to be too closely associated with Rocky Balboa, meaning that he did not want people to believe it would be the last one as the Rocky film was the last go around for the boxing champ. However, when Rambo opened, word spread that this would indeed by the final battle for the Vietnam vet. If that did turn out to be the case, it did end on a high note. There is new word circulating, reported by Moviehole.net, that there may be another Rambo on the horizon.

Sylvestor Stallone said in an interview with Metro Magazine: “I would like to take Rambo to another genre, experiment a little with the character. It would definitely not be another warmovie, cuz I can’t go any further with that than what I’ve already done. What it’s going to be like I’m not going to reveal at this point. But I’m already halfway though writing the manuscript”

Could this be the long rumored “Rambo in the city” story? Perhaps. More likely, Sly is going to make a more personal story that shows another facet of the character and bring the journey to a classy close, much like was done with Rocky Balboa. Still, anything we say at this point is pure speculation. It will definitely be interesting to see if this project pans out.

Source: Moviehole.net, Metro Magazine

Terry Gilliam’s Parnassus Resumes Production

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:38:58 +0000

When Heath Ledger passed away it left many question marks concerning the projects he was working on. Of course, they were secondary to tragedy, as they should, but they still remained. The first on everyone’s lips was the status of The Dark Knight, set to open this June. The worries were unfounded, as the film had wrapped shooting and Ledger’s part was completed. Next to that there was the much more in question shooting of Terry Gilliam’s latest project, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. The questions can now be lifted as Variety is reporting that the film has resumed shooting.

The film is a fantasy, and it is that fantasy which has allowed the project to continue. Now, this has already been widely reported, but for those of you who have missed it, allow me to recap. In the film, Ledger’s character passes through magical mirrors into a fantasy world at three poitns through the film. All of the “real” world footage has been shot and will be used, they will not be altered. However, to do the fantasy segments, some clever re-writing was done to have the character’s physical appearance change, allowing other actors to perform those parts. The three actors that have signed on to play the parts are none other than Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. Not a bad trio to have fill in, if you ask me. Yes, I know you didn’t.

Regarding the trio’s involvement, Terry Gilliam is quoted as saying: “I am grateful to Johnny, Colin and Jude for coming onboard, and to everyone else who has made it possible for us to finish the film.”

I am very happy for this news, as while I do not know much of the story, a Terry Gilliam film is always welcome, even the bad ones are worthwhile. This was the second time Gilliam has collaborated with Ledge, they previously worked on The Brothers Grimm, which say Ledger co-star with Matt Damon.

There is no word on the complete schedule or when we can expect The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus to appear on the big screen, but it is coming!

Brett Ratner to Direct Harbinger

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:55:23 +0000

Here I was thinking that Valiant comics was dead. It is proving to still be showing life more than fifteen years from its origins. First there was the recent Turok animated movie that arrived on DVD, as well as the video game inspired by the dinosaur hunter. Now there is the possibility of a film project that is being eyed by director Brett Ratner and Paramount Pictures, and could fall under the MTV Films banner, as reported by Variety.

I remember, back in my comic collecting years of the early-mid 1990’s, Valiant comics were highly regarded, even if they possessed smaller print runs. Of course, they also helped kick off the whole chromium cover phase with the debuts of Bloodshot and Turok. Now Bloodshot, there is a cool character that would be well served by a feature project.

Anyway, Harbinger is a book that I have vague memories of. I remember liking it, but cannot recall much in the way of details. Checking over the books Wikipedia page, some memories are returning. Harbinger was similar to the X-Men of the Valiant universe, although not quite as colorful. I’d recommend giving that page a once over, it offers a lot that could be film worthy.

Ratner seems to be interested in starting up his own comic franchise, after directing the disappointing X-Men: The Last Stand. This could be the project for him, although I am not nearly the biggest fan of his work, he is able enough, but not quite original enough. Of course, there is always time to develop vision.

Of course, this project will have to wait until he at least finishes Playboy, his biopic of Hugh Hefner. Hmm, I wonder how he will manage with that? I picture him as more of an action film kind of guy….

Shell Game Finds a Director in Len Wiseman

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:29:37 +0000

The man who brought us Underworld, Underworld: Evolution, and most recently Live Free or Die Hard has been tapped by Lakeshore Entertainment and Columbia Pictures to direct the science fiction thriller Shell Game, based on an original script by newcomers Justin Bondi and Andrew Ludington. This is being reported by Variety.

The film centers on a detective who is investigating the black market of immortality. Hmmm. Sounds like it could be interesting, or very, very bad. Of course, that is based off of this admittedly brief plot description.

Anyway, Len Wiseman is not a director I would call visionary or great, but good and solid would perfectly acceptable adjectives. Based on the three film sample from his filmography, he is a solid filmmaker who knows how to give his films a slick finish and is not averse to using some fancy photography to inject energy into the picture. It will be interesting to see if he can step up to the plate for this project, if it is indeed as big as he implies.

Wiseman is quoted as saying: “I’ve been wanting to make this film for the past five years, but it’s a huge film and has always been too expensive to make at the level I’ve wanted to make it at. Now I’m finally getting a chance to do it at that level.”

We shall see.

Heath Ledger’s Will Revealed

Chris Beaumont — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:51:58 +0000

Heath Ledger’s tragic death has brought up an important point, update your will and insurance and what have you whenever you have a life changing event. It is impossible to foretell what will happen in the future, near or far, but the knowledge that anything could happen is of utmost importance. This point is made by the revelation of Ledger’s will.

As reported at TVGuide.com, his will states that everything be left to his parents and three sisters. The will was last updated in 2003, two years prior to meeting Michelle Williams and, obviously, before the love of his life, his daughter Matilda, entered his life. The lack of Matilda in the will begged the question of whether or not any provisions would be made for her.

To answer the question of Matilda’s care, Ledger’s father, Kim, released a statement saying: “Matilda is an absolute priority and Michelle is an integral part of our family. They will be taken care of and that’s how Heath would want it to be.”

This paints the Ledger family as a class act. It is also indicative how I would expect any family to act when their blood is at stake. However, in the current state of Hollywood and the extended families of those related to Tinseltown, I would not be surprised to find someone with greed in their eyes want to strictly abide by the will and take everything. This is not what I want to see happen, or really expect to happen, but it would not surprise me.

Among the documents revealed, it was shown that Ledger had approximately $145,000 in New York based assets, including his car and the furniture in his apartment. It does not include anything that he may have in Australia, nor the townhouse he shared with Michelle Williams.

My thoughts still go out to the Ledger family in the aftermath of their loss.

Warner Brothers has a ‘Bone’ for You

Chris Beaumont — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:41:11 +0000

I am sure you all remember Bone, right? Come on, there have to be a few comic fans out there that know about the Bone family and the long running independent comic? I admit that my experience the book is rather limited, but I have to say that whenever I saw any of them, I was always entertained. Now it looks like Bone is going to reach a much wider audience. Warner Brothers has picked it up to develop an animated feature/series (no decision has yet been made past the option), reported by CHUD. This could prove to be a classic in the making. Well, maybe, so long as they don’t screw it up.

Jeff Smith’s creation has been on the animated track before. It was once picked up by Nickelodeon, but they wanted to take it in an overly child-targeted direction, which Smith did not approve of. Rest assured, he still retains creative control in this new deal with Warner and will be serving as executive producer.

Whatever happens, there is nothing but potential with either direction they move in. Let’s just hope they don’t screw it up.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs — Really?

Chris Beaumont — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:32:32 +0000

Well, it appears to be a done deal. /film is reporting that a third Ice Age film will be heading to the big screen in 2009, July to be exact, complete with a picture of the official standee. It is carrying th subtitle of Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Makes one wonder just how they are going to manage this one, considering the dinosaurs were a already history by the time the Ice Age occurred. I guess it is time to start coming up with theories as to how Scrat and the rest of the Ice Age gang end up meeting the dinos. First, the poster:

Now, let’s get some ideas snowballing (hehe, get it? do ya? ahh forget it):

- Doc Brown shows up with his time traveling train from the third Back to the Future film and takes them on a trip through time.

- Somehow, the end of the Age in the second film washes them to the Lost island, where the time distortion sends them back to the dinosaurs time.

- The guys from A Sound of Thunder try their experiment again, this time the butterfly sends a ripple into the Ice Age, allowing dinosaurs to survive.

- The Enterprise slingshots around the sun, builds a container in the shuttle bay and brings our Mammoth, Sabretooth tiger, and the rest even further back in time.

Hmmm, any other ideas?

My other question would be: do we really need another Ice Age? I liked the first one, the second one wore thin, and I suspect a third will continue the trend of diminishing returns. Of course, both of the films made buckets of cash and Shrek the Third proved you don’t need to make a good movie to earn enough cash to build a house with (actually build the house out of cash).

I am sure I’ll end up seeing it, but at this point, more than a year from release, I am going to say it will kinda suck.

Sound Off: What do you think of a third Ice Age movie?

Michelle Rodriguez Joins Walker and Diesel for The Fast and the Furious 4

Chris Beaumont — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:47:36 +0000

In the first The Fast and the Furious, Paul Walker teamed with Vin Diesel to put some bad guys out of business. Helping fight the good fight were Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez.

The second film saw only Walker return to continue fighting the forces of car-modders everywhere. Then there was the third which took the story across the globe to Japan, and only featured a film-ending cameo by the Vin-man himself. Now, a fourth film is in the works and it will reunite Walker and Diesel for the first time since that initial outing.

Now, there’s word from CHUD that Michelle Rodriguez will be getting back in the saddle.

Not only will the troubled former Lost star be appearing in the film, but she will be dying in the first act! How much fun is that? Well, perhaps not much. This seeming spoiler will prove to be the incident that brings our two wayward heroes back together to resume their crime-fighting ways. Actually, I am not sure what crime they will be fighting, I figure it will be more of a revenge type tale if the Rodriguez death pans out.

I also have to wonder if anyone is truly excited about this. Do people still care about modified imports racing through the streets? Beyond that, does anyone care about this franchise? I will freely admit to enjoying all three films to one extent or another, but I am feeling that this series has run its course. Are Walker and Diesel so desperate for a potential hit to get their careers back on track that they feel the need to return to this well? With the third outing it appeared this was heading in the direction of an anthology type series, where it probably should be heading.

The as-yet untitled sequel does have a writing/directing team in place. Justin Lin, who showed so much promise with Better Luck Tomorrow only to go on to Annapolis will be in the director’s chair, while Chris Morgan (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Wanted) will be penning the script.

Whatever the eventual case may be, make of this news what you will. All we need now is for Jordana Brewster to come back to complete the reunion of principals.

David Gordon Green to Remake Argento’s Suspiria?

Chris Beaumont — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 07:36:11 +0000

Make of this news what you will, but it does not appear that the remake mania that has swept through Hollywood will be going away anytime soon. I am not one to automatically dismiss a remake, but I have to wonder what will come of this proposed Suspiria remake. I admit, it is an intriguing idea, and the original could possibly be improved upon, assuming the team brought in has genuine vision. Could David Gordon Green be that man to inject new life into the Dario Argento classic?

Green has been branching out as of late, so it would seem likely that a horror film could be a natural fit for someone looking to try other genres. The writer/director is known for his character driven films such as All the Real Girls and Undertow. He recently wrapped work on his first genre film, the comedy Pineapple Express, produced by Judd Apatow and starring Seth Rogen and James Franco. Time will tell if he can handle comedy as deftly as drama, but I am leaning towards giving him the benefit of the doubt. Having Apatow helping out cannot hurt matters in my mind.

As for Suspiria? The film is a fantastic film with some gruesome intensity and beautiful use of color (I believe it was the last film ever shot in Technicolor). I suspect that should David Gordon Green actually sign on, he will be able to improve the character driven elements, I just hope that he can deliver on the visual side of the coin as well.

This project could go wither way, but signing a talented director is the first step in making the project a worthy undertaking.

British Government Says “No!” To Murder Set Pieces

Chris Beaumont — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:00:20 +0000

It has been a long time since I have read about a film being banned. Generally, films are just cut until they are “acceptable” to the mass audience (rather, what some arbitrary group deems to be suitable for the public at large). I am just as shocked as you are to discover the British Government has outright banned writer/director Nick Palumbo’s Murder Set Pieces in a column over at CHUD. Could this be the start of a new era of “video nasties”? Don’t get too excited.

Like CHUD’s Devin Faraci states, this only helps the film. If someone wants to get their hands on a film, they will find a way be it through eBay or other import site, or the less savory pirate option. The only thing the ban does is draw attention to the title and make it more desirable in the eyes of the potential fan.

Okay, before this gets too far, let me nip this in the bud right now. Banning does not translate to good. Some group of anonymous folks deciding that this is not suitable for mainstream viewing does not necessarily make it more desirable. If it had been just about any other film an argument could probably be made in support of the film, like the famous flap over Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead back in the day. Believe me when I tell you, Murder Set Pieces is no Evil Dead.

If you have followed my writing for any amount of time, you may be aware of my little “altercation” with Palumbo regarding his crappy little movie. Frankly, he should be thanking the British for bringing some attention to his “film.” Without this fabricated “controversy” it is likely that no one would have paid it any mind.

To refresh your memories first be aware that Palumbo and some cronies spammed message boards around the net promoting the movie. Just explore the thread about it at DVD Maniacs. Now, step beyond this and take a look at my review of the movie itself.

From the review:

Murder-Set-Pieces is a movie that only real hardcore horror fans who eagerly await anything to get their hands on. As for the more discerning horror buff, this is one that you could safely skip without really missing much. Far be it from me to tell you what to and what not to see, please, see it for yourself, make up your own mind. Frankly, I was bored and on the verge of sleep a couple of times. I finally started it over and made it through to the bitter end. It is a movie that really doesn’t offer much to the genre, it strikes me as something of a demo reel of an amateur filmmaker desperately trying to get ahead by going over the top.

And a note on the commentary track:

This track features the director, Nick Palumbo, the star, Sven Garett, and couple of others whose names escape me. The track is rather humorous, it exposes Palumbo as being an amateur who prides himself on his knowledge of horror films and overestimates his own abilities. He attempts to rationalize the inclusion of the 9/11 footage by saying it is to show how the world is falling apart. I don’t know, I am just not terribly impressed with the man behind the madness, and this track pretty much solidifies my opinion. It was also revealed that many of the strippers and prostitutes were not actresses, they actually were strippers and prostitutes.

Finally, let me bring your attention to his response to my review and my open letter back to him, which can be read at Draven99’s Musings.

Now I must bid adieu. I fear I have already given this terrible film more press than it deserves. While it may be banned, not something I agree with at all, it is not a movie worth getting all excited about.

Victor Salva to Deliver Third Jeepers Creepers Outing

Chris Beaumont — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:50:53 +0000

Victor Salva stirred up some controversy when Disney hired him to direct Powder, which was his sophomore outing, following 1989’s Clownhouse. Why the controversy? Well, it was Disney hiring a confessed pedophile. Yes, you read that right. In 1988 he pled guilty to molesting a twelve year old boy (who was one of the stars of Clownhouse). Needless to say, Powder did not fare that well at the box office. With Powder it became clear that his directing career was going to survive his conviction. Not only has it continued, but he has acheived a mild level of success. The success has come primarily through a pair of Jeepers Creepers films, and now he is ramping up a third go around with the Creeper creature, as reported by Fangoria.

The first Jeepers Creepers arrived in 2001 and starred the then up and coming Justin Long and Gina Phillips. It proved to be a good genre outing, with a strong and very creepy first half followed by a more over the top finale. It was followed by a sequel in 2003. Sadly, the sequel did not live up to the original, proving to be considerably goofier and seemed to expose Salva’s past, if only a little. Still, it was fun enough for an MST3K style romp.

Now, five years later, Victor Salva is back and ready to bring the Creeper back to the screen. Hey, I cannot believe that it will be any good, but I will be there to see it. I think the Creeper character has continued potential to be a very menacing screen presence. I can only hope that it will be more along the lines of the original with a lower camp value than the second contained.

There have been no tips on what the story may be, but there is one bit of casting news. Ray Wise, who featured prominently in the second film will be back for this go around. Frankly, this news makes me smile, as he has been having a pretty good run lately, particularly on the television show Reaper. Plus, now that the strike is over, the CW series will be going back into production for five more episodes to close out the season.

Night of the Demons Set to be Remade

Chris Beaumont — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:50:07 +0000

Way back in 1988 a film came out that had a campy desire to take the horror crown from heavweights A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. The movie was called Night of the Demons and it carried the tag line: ” Angela is having a party, Jason and Freddy are too scared to come. But You’ll have a hell of a time.” It was not entirely successful, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it delivered entertaining goods.

It used the tried and true formula of high school kids out for a night of sex and drinking, only to end up in a house where all is not as it seems. The kids find themselves face to face with a house of spooks, led by Angela who is intent on not letting anyone escape. In addition to the sex and the booze, it also contained the requisite blood and boobs. We all know how those elements tend to spice up a movie!

The film featured Amelia Kinkade as Angela, she would return in 1994 and 1997 for a pair of sequels. It also starred Linea Quigley, who had already been immortalized for a certain scene in The Return of the Living Dead (I am sure you remember the scene of which I speak).

Anyway, the film has been slated to be remade with a shooting schedule that begins in April. According to Bloody Disgusting the remake now has a writer and a director. Adam Gierasch will be taking the director’s chair, his last project is the nearly completed film Autopsy as well as writer of Tobe Hooper’s Toolbox Murders and Dario Argento’s Mother of Tears. Gierasch will also co-write the script with Jace Anderson, who has worked on many of the same projects.

The original is no classic, but it is definitely enjoyable (particularly the interpretive dance and the scene where a tube of lipstick is introduced to a jello mold). Hopefully, the remake will be able to capture the entertaining camp of the original while improving other areas which fall a bit short.

Film School Rejects » Chris Beaumont

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