Who has time to trim whiskers when you fighting international terrorists with only bullets and charm? Exactly. No one. Not even James Bond. The proof comes in the first image from Skyfall where Daniel Craig reprises the character with Sam Mendes in the director’s chair. The production also boasts a hell of a cast, including the return of Judy Dench and the inclusion of newcomers like Albert Finney, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw and Javier Bardem. With Helen McRory cast and Maggie Smith rumored, it’s half of a Harry Potter reunion. The steel eyes are definitely there, but Bond looks downright haggard here. Old. Weathered. Hopefully it’s from heavy amounts of ass kicking that we’ll get to see on-screen. [007.com]

Internationally loved cologne salesman, Charles Bronson, was already a massive star by the time he made Death Wish, but it’s his role as Paul Kersey that might be his most famous simply because he owns it completely. Sure he’s rugged and charismatic in The Dirty Dozen, he’s surprisingly vulnerable in The Great Escape, but in the Death Wish movies he’s in command and the streets bow down to him. So maybe a remake is in order? According to the LA Times, that’s the thinking of MGM and Paramount, and the partnership wants Joe Carnahan to clean up from fighting wolves for The Grey and come help them out with it. It must be tough coming out of bankruptcy, but MGM really has nothing except remake concepts going for them. That’s pretty damned sad. Of course, the big question with a remake like this (beyond the fact that remakes aren’t doing good business currently) is how to re-create something that tapped into a social feeling in the 1970s. The same heat just isn’t there, there is no grand panic in society of rising crime rates and a feeling of helplessness in the face of a bewildered law enforcement culture. In fact, police are so good at doing their jobs now, they even find time to pepper spray people in the face at random. So who becomes the villain here? And even better, who could possibly replace Charles Bronson as Paul Kersey? Jason Statham did the job recently for The Mechanic, but [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

There’s good news in the film world. Sanity seems to have prevailed over madness at Universal and a proposed movie about a formerly popular children’s activity book called “Where’s Waldo?” is no longer on their schedule. It seems they just couldn’t find the right approach to getting it together. But don’t start celebrating yet, there’s also bad news. The only reason that proposed adaptation of “Where’s Waldo?” isn’t going to happen is because MGM has now acquired the rights to make the movie instead. Yes, there are multiple studio heads out there that think making Where’s Waldo? is a good idea.

Film studios have recently discovered a way to inject new life into their back catalogs without the need to spend money on marketing, retail shelf space, or overstock storage. MOD, or manufacturing on demand, means they don’t press the DVD until you order it. MGM’s Limited Edition Collection and the Warner Archive Collection are the two big names in the MOD game right now, and each month they make dozens of titles available on DVD for the very first time. And The MOD Quad will take a look at as many of them as we can handle on a semi-irregular basis. Which will probably average out to some number divisible by four. Highlights this installment include The File Of the Golden Goose, The Fourth War, Hennessy, and the movie where Thurston Howell III gets a cap in his ass, Johnny Cool.

Ever since Brazilian director Jose Padilha was confirmed to direct MGM’s long-gestating Robocop reboot, there has been the lingering question as to what would happen to all of the work the original director, Darren Aronofsky, put into the project. Aronofsky was all set to take on Robocop, and had even written a script, but some looming bankruptcy problems with MGM and an otherwise full schedule for Aronofsky put the kibosh on all of that. Well, Crave recently sat down with Padilha to talk about his upcoming Elite Squad 2, and eventually steered the conversation toward the subject of Robocop. When asked about the Aronofsky script, Padilha said, “I haven’t read Aronofsky’s script. Aronofsky is a great director. I love his films. I am very proud because I saw Pi in the opening Sundance screening and I loved it. So Aronofsky’s great. I have my own take on Robocop. I know what his take was and it’s totally different. It’s a different thing, different kind of film, even different period in time so I haven’t read his previous work.” On one hand, that’s kind of disappointing, I would have loved to have seen what a major director like Aronofsky envisioned for this project. On the other hand, I’m much happier about a filmmaker who is enthusiastic about his own vision taking over Robocop rather than having a utility player come in, just pick up the pieces, and do whatever the studio wants.

MGM is mining the 80s for remake gold, and the latest nugget is a remake of WarGames that people will be all a titter about when they see Matthew Broderick’s inevitable cameo role as a janitor at the War Room or something. The good news is that it will incorporate modernized video games (as opposed to Pong Extreme), and that Seth Gordon will be directing it. Even though it only makes sense in Hollywood logic, as the director of King of Kong, he’s at least got some video game street cred. Who doesn’t have that street cred is Noah Oppenheimer, the man recently hired to write the script. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oppenheimer is a senior producer for The Today Show, but has recently branched out into feature film writing with a script called Jackie O that’s perked up a few ears. Plus, he was attached to that Snabba Cash remake that, so far, hasn’t been made yet. So it goes. Oppenheimer is an untested element here, and his last name makes it sounds like he invented the nuclear bomb, but he’s certainly not lacking for experience. At least, he’s got nearly 650 episodes of a morning news/entertainment show under his belt, and that can’t be the easiest program to pull off. Still, it will be interesting to see how far this project goes down the field. Or if MGM thinks it’s making a movie, but is really starting World War III.

MOD, or manufacturing on demand, means a DVD isn’t pressed until you order it. MGM’s Limited Edition Collection is a relative newcomer to the game, but their enthusiasm has already put them at the forefront of this new distribution effort to make currently unreleased titles available for your viewing pleasure. Every month The MOD Quad will list a recent batch of releases and highlight four of them in detail. (Eric “Quint” Vespe is doing a more thorough job over at Ain’t It Cool News so be sure to check out his Vault Dweller column as well.) May’s highlights include the excellent Burn Witch Burn, the far less so Blood Bath, the fantastic character piece Harry In Your Pocket, and the implausibly cast Keaton’s Cop. (Yes, May. I’m clearly still playing catch up…) Click on the DVD cover to purchase from Amazon.

Now that MGM has enough money to keep the coffeemaker on, they’re investing in some interesting properties. The latest on that list is an adaptation of “The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists” which will, sadly, not be a sequel to David Fincher’s The Game. The falsely controversial book by Neil Strauss infiltrated a collective of bros who work constantly to perfect the art of treating women badly in bars so they’ll go home and get naked with them in a hot tub. The book garnered critical acclaim and spun Strauss’s teacher Mystery into a reality television star as the host and guru of his own show. No word yet on how much product placement Axe body spay will buy, but The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that MGM has already tapped Brian Koppelman and David Levien to rewrite the current script and direct. The team who wrote Rounders, Ocean’s Thirteen, and The Girlfriend Experience directed their first second feature in 2009 with Solitary Man starring Michael Douglas. Who also starred in The Game. Are we sure this isn’t a sequel?

Film studios have recently discovered a way to inject new life into their back catalogs without the need to spend money on marketing, retail shelf space, or overstock storage. MOD, or manufacturing on demand, means they don’t press the DVD until you order it. MGM’s Limited Edition Collection is a relative newcomer to the game, but their enthusiasm has already put them at the forefront of this new distribution effort to make currently unreleased titles available for your viewing pleasure. Every month The MOD Quad will list a recent batch of releases and highlight four of them in detail. (Eric “Quint” Vespe is doing a more thorough job over at Ain’t It Cool News (where does he find the time?! does he not need to sleep?!) so be sure to check out his Vault Dweller column as well.) April’s highlights include The Happy Thieves, The Destructors, Old Dracula, and one of my dad’s favorites, Defiance. (The first couple installments of The Mod Quad will be playing catch-up as the DVDs arrived late, but we’ll settle into a monthly routine soon enough.)

If there was an official casting announcement naming Megan Fox as MGM’s pick to play the blood-covered lead in Carrie, there might be something to get upset about. After all, it’s difficult to imagine the kind of top-rate work that would have to be done just to make her look like a homely outcast (Sissy Spacek didn’t look like a porn star for the role), not to mention the vapid air that counts for Fox’s delivery. However, since an inside source is claiming she wants to get more serious as an actor and make Carrie part of that plan, it’s fun to brainstorm how that might be possible. What would it take to make Megan Fox rock that role? It’s not worth getting worked up over though as some are prone to do. The official rumor, according to Bloody Disgusting, is that Fox is aiming for the role as a big fan of the original film and as a big fan of being paid money for talking and walking while being filmed. No word yet on what sticky, pig-based substances she likes to be covered in while earning that check. This is just a public service announcement for anyone who just turned as red as a bucket to remember that actors talk about wanting roles all the time. Usually when they have to talk this publicly about that desire, they’re looking at long odds. On the other hand, it’s harmless fun to imagine her in the role. Just make sure [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

Good news for a once bankrupt and destitute MGM, their first new production since hitting skid row is on the way. And, perhaps poetically, their new production teams them up with a man who is also on his way back up in the business. The Machine has signed Vin Diesel to star and produce. At the beginning of the 2000s many people saw Diesel as the next king of the action movie genre, but his career never really worked out that way, and Diesel saw his star power fade a bit over the past ten years. With the release and huge success of this year’s Fast Five, Diesel has another chance to make it to the top of the mountain. Could this be the smash hit that will finally anoint him as Hollywood royalty? The Machine sounds like kind of a cross between The Terminator and The Iron Giant. Those are two things that I love, so if they can find a balance in tone, I would say that this project has some real potential. Diesel will play a government weapon that was built to look like a human being, and who has been deactivated for many years. As this film opens, the killer robot is found, reactivated, and befriended by a small child. Presumably a lot of bonding happens after that, then followed up by a big action sequence where the government comes to try and reacquire the machine. Kind of like E.T., only Diesel’s character will love steroids [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

Last summer, word was that Brett Ratner was going to tackle the likes of Hercules by way of the Radical Comics title “Hercules: The Thracian Wars.” Instead, he signed on to direct Tower Heist, and Hercules was put on ice. Until now. It looks like Ratner is circling around a new attack at the property being launched by MGM instead of Universal. The sword and sandals phase we’re in has had mixed results both in quality and box office, but it definitely seems like a genre poised for a comeback. According to Vulture, Ryan Condal is working on the script, but the issue, as anyone who’s read the comic knows, is that Hercules here isn’t really Hercules at all. He’s a mercenary that barely resembles the mythological man-god. Thus, it will also most likely fit in with the trend of seeing characters given darker traits and storylines. Still, it’s unclear why Ratner isn’t remaking Hercules in New York with Arnold Schwarzenegger. I hear he’s available.

News came last week that the troubled MGM remake of the classic, chest poundingly patriotic Red Dawn was getting a political face lift with the invading force being digitally swapped from Chinese to North Korean. But what’s the big deal, as Jack Giroux always drunkenly says: all Asians are the same. Kidding. He’s generally sober. But really, MGM is indeed going through about a million dollars worth of post production changes to get rid off as many China references as they can and replace them with North Korean ones. Why? Well China has the second largest economy in the world these days (second to the good ol’ US of A) and a lot of American companies do a lot of work in China. China also is notorious for throwing fits when anyone mentions things like death buses, oppression of freedom and religion, guacamole, spies, and basically anything that points a spotlight on how big a dick their government can be. So, obviously, big companies don’t want to piss off China and risk losing that sweet, sweet source of income. With MGM’s decision to make the change, plenty of outlets and writers like Vince over at FilmDrunk have taken aim at MGM and more or less called them pussies for bowing down to as of now imaginary Chinese anger over the film. But you know what? I support the switch to North Korea, and here’s why.

In what seems clearly like a move to appease a massive movie market overseas, MGM will be changing their invading army in the Red Dawn remake to North Korea instead of China. In perhaps the first time, art and commerce are in agreement. Think about it. Did China ever make sense anyway? The reason the USSR was so effective in the 80s original was because of decades of Cold War hostility that seeped into the popular response. Do you really care about China? Are you honestly afraid of them? Of course not. Now how about North Korea? Exactly. The United States isn’t engaged in a Cold War right now, and using an enemy from a Hot War is far, far too realistically horrifying for a mainstream action film featuring teens. For example, Al Qaeda invading would be a different movie entirely. The LA Times gets into the nitty gritty on why the decision was made, but as far as the artistic side of the movie, this seems like a smart move that should have been made a long time ago. Sure, China is communistic just like the Soviets, but popular culture doesn’t particular care anymore. Kim Jong-il makes for a much better boogeyman, even if he did invent the apple and write every major work of fiction ever.

When do they get started? When some poor schmuck volunteers. Fortunately, that schmuck – in the form of Elite Squad director Jose Padilha – has signed up for the job to direct the reboot of Robocop. Is there a better choice out there? Probably not. For one, Padilha is almost completely unknown to US audiences, and if the studios are going to keep forcing us to revisit the icons of our past, they might as well introduce us to the talent of the future while they’re at it. The project could give some great exposure to a worthy director. For two, Elite Squad and its follow-up are incredible movies that use violent action as less of a plot device and more of a calling card. Essentially, the logic of why MGM chose Padilha (even with names like Robert Rodriguez floating around) is a hell of a lot clearer than why, say, the guy who directed that Justin Bieber concert is now directing G.I. Joe 2. This is optimistic news. Although it will be light years different than Darren Aronofsky’s vision, Padilha is a talent that demands to be seen, and this project is a great way to showcase his particular set of directing skills. Let’s see if they can get this monster to work. [Heat Vision]

New updates abound for the troubled pre-production of the 23rd film in the James Bond franchise. For a while work on the film had come to a standstill when its studio, MGM, was forced into bankruptcy. But recently, MGM got a bunch of their financial woes sorted out, acquired some new leadership, and the green light on more Bond seemed to be glowing. The only problem was that MGM didn’t have the resources to distribute the film themselves, so they had to find another studio to sign on to handle the distribution duties. Enter Sony. Sony was the studio with the rights to Bond 21 and 22, which ended up being Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Before these productions we were still in the Pierce Brosnan era of Bond, and while that started pretty strong the petals had come off the rose a bit. After decades of James Bond being a dark haired gent that had over the top, cartoony adventures, Sony took a big risk by pushing fair-haired Daniel Craig into the Bond role and changing the look and feel of the series to something more grounded and real. And they spent a lot of money promoting the changeover. That’s a lot of time, effort, and money put into a franchise that got handed over to MGM. Sony didn’t like this, Sony wanted back in. And getting the distribution rights to Bond 23 was their ticket to doing so. But there were several other studios vying for that [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

Javier Bardem is now an Oscar-nominated actor who is every bit as in-demand as after his career was launched in earnest by a cattle gun in No Country. However, instead of stories about him being cast, it’s all stories about the roles he’s being offered. Last week it was the massive commitment to playing the lead for The Dark Tower franchise – which comes with something like three movies, a television movie, a radio play and several mall appearances. Today, Deadline Bluthton is announcing that Bardem has been offered a leading role for Bond 23. The phrase “leading” may mean he won’t be playing a Bond girl (in a seriously progressive chapter in the character’s life), so it’s far more likely that MGM wants him as a villain. Perhaps with a cattle gun. There’s no denying he’s a great choice (unless they shave his head and give him a cat to stroke), so now it’s a question of whether he’ll take the gig or not. Fingers crossed that he does, because the prospect of Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem staring eye to eye before beating the living daylights out of each other has me waiting in a theater seat in anticipation already.

MGM’s financial woes did a number on a handful of films that audiences were truly looking forward to, and with The Hobbit coming together so nicely (and yet, mostly without MGM), it seems as if the time is right for the next Bond installment to start heading down the pre-production path again. The Hollywood Reporter has reported in the barest sense possible that Daniel Craig will return as James Bond for the 23rd film, directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, and written by Bond veterans Neal Purvis and Robert Wade alongside Academy Award nominee John Logan. The movie will shoot later this year, and attempt to toast martini glasses on November 9, 2012 for a release in everyone’s neck of the woods. All I can say is, it’s about time. Sam Mendes is an amazing talent, and his version of the spy is sure to be something intimate and heartbreaking. Of course, we’ll be planning a list of our favorite twenty-thirdquels in anticipation.

Like a wet dog clamoring out of a bath it didn’t want, MGM is still shaking off the slightly soapy remnants of its bankruptcy. The collaboration born of necessity between MGM and Warners seems like a far cry from 2007 when New Line and MGM were co-financing with Fox handling distribution to the world outside of North America. But here we are. Warners is officially handling world-wide distribution for The Hobbit films. The good news is that the bumpy road to get to the bumpy road of filmmaking is over, and the cameras can roll. The video game arm of Warners, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, also has the rights to develop a video game based on the property.

Last November seems like decades ago at this point, especially in the business life of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A little over a year ago, they were trying to sell themselves on the street to the highest bidder. Now, they’ve entered into bankruptcy with a court-approved plan in place, and they’ve raised $500 million to finance their return to greatness. The press release doesn’t mention specific films, but the abandoned slate (of in-development and ready-for-release films) includes the next Bond entry, Red Dawn, Jeepers Creepers 3, the animated Bunyan and Babe, Biblical biopic Mary Mother of Christ, and continued partnerships for the Hobbit films, The Matarese Circle, and The Cabin in the Woods. The big question is how MGM plans to spend that cash. It seems like a huge amount, but The Hobbit will eat up a decent chunk of it for second breakfast, and Bond 23 will most likely make a decent divot, too. MGM might essentially be gambling a fragile fresh start on two films.