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September 29, 2001

Just received a press release from MGM Studios indicating yet another fall movie being pushed to next year. Here's some of what was contained in the release: "WINDTALKERS starring Nick Cage and directed by John Woo is a film that both the filmmakers and the studio are extremely proud of.  It is a vivid and realistic story inspired by true events that took place during World War II.  The story is one of sacrifice, heroism and courage.  We feel certain that this great film will be enjoyed by the broadest possible audience during the strong summer play period," says Robert Levin, president of worldwide theatrical marketing and distribution for MGM Studios, Inc." It is now scheduled to open on June 14, 2002.
   

September 28, 2001

If you've seen SWORDFISH, you know that the opening sequence is by far the most electrifying in the film and sets the tone for the rest of the movie with its 360 degree view from the middle of a terrorist attack.  It's that very scene and its content that's now getting the film in trouble as it prepares to open up to the home video market in the wake of terrorist attacks on two US cities.  The largest video rental retail chain, Blockbuster, has decided to severely cut its orders for DVD and VHS copies of the film and will post signs around where copies are located warning viewers of its potentially offensive content.  It appears that Blockbuster is on its own with this move as none of the other major rental chains have followed in their steps.  In any event, SWORDFISH (and the ability to freeze-frame Halle Berry's cones) comes to DVD and VHS on October 30th.

Pre-order your copy of SWORDFISH on DVD here
  

September 28, 2001

Almost immediately after the untimely death of young singer/actress Aaliyah, the public and press began to speculate on what would happen to her starring role in THE MATRIX RELOADED. Would her scenes be reshot with a new actress?  Had she finished all her scenes?  According to an article in the New York Post, Aaliyah had filmed most of her scenes and a voice-over actress would be brought in to dub a new dialogue where needed.   Unfortunately, the Wachowskis had already planned ahead and written Aaliyah's character into the third MATRIX film and decided that a new actress but be brought on to reshoot the scenes Aaliyah had already filmed to protect continuity.  Eva Mendes was originally the frontrunner for the role but model James King (PEARL HARBOR) and another singer/actress, Brandy (OSMOSIS JONES), are "lobbying very very hard" according to the Post's source.  it should be noted that Warner Bros was asked to comment on the casting and they declined.
 

September 28, 2001

A report on Jeffrey Wells' Hollywood Confidential says that the Tom Hanks/Sam Mendes film THE ROAD TO PERDITION recently screened for DreamWorks execs and reaction was less than enthusiastic. Seems the studio had high hopes for this film come Academy Award time but one viewer was quoted as saying, "It's not AMERICAN BEAUTY."  The luke-warm reaction to the film may prompt DreamWorks to push back PERDITION from a December release which had originally been scheduled to qualify for Oscars.  Even Tom Hanks, who plays a hitman, has willingly decided to take himself out of the Best Actor race by telling publicists he doesn't want to be considered.  This is the first I've heard of the film but expect more when PERDITION heads out on the test screening circuit in a few weeks.
 

September 28, 2001

Alan Cumming (that's the perfect porno name) has signed a deal with production house Film Four to write, direct and star in two films on the heels of his directorial debut THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY.  The British star has had success with commercial Hollywood fare like SPY KIDS and JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS (OK, no real success there...) and more independent films like his own PARTY.  Cumming will keep his indie spirit alive with his next two films GARDENER'S QUESTION TIME and DIVA. GARDENER'S is a BIG CHILL-ish type yarn about how a group of friends stick together over the course of a decade despite the obvious personal changes in their lives.  DIVA will star Cumming as a young man who slowly becomes obsessed with the women who live in the apartment across from his. The actor first achieved fame with his Tony award winning performance in the Broadway revival of CABARET, where he starred alongside Jennifer Jason Leigh.
 

September 28, 2001

Malaysia has banned Ben Stiller's ZOOLANDER from every playing on their country's screens because the story revolves around a plot to brainwash male models to assassinate their Prime Minister.  This isn't the first time Malaysia has banned a film from showing in its country.  Their censors routinely cut scenes of sex and violence from US films and even refused to show Spielberg's SCHINDLER'S LIST - a move that angered many Jewish groups throughout the world.

In somewhat related news, Stiller was scheduled to host SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE to promote ZOOLANDER but dropped out recently, presumably because of the terrorist attacks. Seann William Scott (AMERICAN PIE, DUDE WHERE'S MY CAR) stepped in to fill his place last-minute. Reese Witherspoon has the daunting task of hosting the show's season opener this Saturday in New York. Producer Lorne Michaels did not give any hints on what to expect but he did mention that you probably won't see Will Ferrell doing his beady-eyed impression of George W. Bush.  After Witherspoon and Scott, Drew Barrymore (star of the upcoming RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS) will host the third show. 
 

May 4, 2001

Source: Joey Baloney

• A pretty cool looking teaser site for the Cameron Crowe/Tom Cruise film VANILLA SKY has gone live and you can check it out at www.vanillasky.com
• The official one-sheet for the R-rated spoof NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE is online here
• A report on Ain't It Cool News says that the David Arquette film ARAC ATTACK may be renamed EIGHT-LEGGED FREAKS to avoid a possible "IRAQ" ATTACK confusion
• Speaking of official one-sheets the poster for MULHOLLAND DRIVE is online here

September 27, 2001

Vin Diesel has officially signed on to the long rumored PITCH BLACK sequel, titled THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, for a whopping $11 million paycheck.  $11 million tops the $10 million Diesel was paid to star in next summer's XXX (see below for more on that film). Apparently, Universal wasn't too keen on producing a sequel to the moderately successful (only about $40 million total) BLACK until they saw the money that Diesel starrer THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS brought in (upwards of $140 million).  Once they realized that Vin was indeed a bankable Hollywood star, they brought about writer David Hayter (X-MEN) to finalize the script and worked on getting their star to return. 

Getting Diesel to reprise his role as Riddick wasn't as easy as you may think because of a host of other projects looking for him to star, most notably DAREDEVIL and HELLBOY. Eventually it came down to about eleven million reasons to sign on plus a generous backend deal (where the star would get a percentage of the total box-office reciepts).  Diesel has officially given DAREDEVIL a pass (whew!) and it appears that HELLBOY won't be in his hectic schedule.  As of now, it is unknown whether BLACK director and writer David Twohy will return, but I'm guessing that he won't as the studio has already pitched the film to other directors.  Expect that announcement soon.  Universal is prepping the film as we speak, gearing up for a big Summer 2003 release date.

September 27, 2001

Speaking of Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson has just signed to star alongside the now very wealthy actor in next summer's spy flick XXX.  Jackson was originally slated to begin production with Jennifer Lopez on TICK-TOCK, but that film is seeing delays and script re-writes in the wake of the terrorist attacks. He will fill that void with this role - a government agent responsible for training and recruiting Diesel's super-cool spy. Any doubts about Diesel's name recognition factor should be calmed with the addition of a high-caliber dude like Sam the Man to help carry the flick.

Now, I've said this before and I'll say it again. This film's concept just irritates me.  It was originally pitched as a "Fred Durst meets James Bond" action/spy film and that's when the crap-detector went off.  Now Variety describes the film as "an extreme sports version of James Bond, in that Diesel's character is adept at stunts such as running a motorcycle up a building."  Wait...what?  Even the most talented extreme sports athlete isn't coming close to driving a motorcycle up a building.  That just isn't physically possible.  I understand that when you go to watch movies like this, you're supposed to suspend belief for a few hours.  That's all fine and good but I'd at least like to think that what I'm watching could possibly happen.  This just defies the law of gravity.  That being said, I still hope that this turns out to be an enjoyable movie despite how I may feel about it now.  I'm still waiting for Diesel to impress me and turn me into a believer...
 

September 27, 2001

"Messy" Mehki Phifer (O) and Brittany Murphy (currently annoying the crap out of me in those DON'T SAY A WORD ads.  If I hear "I'll never tell..." one more time, I'm going to snap!) have signed on to co-star in the UNTITLED DETROIT PROJECT, which rapper Eminem will be toplining.  It was originally reported some time back that the film would be an Eminem biopic, but that's not entirely the case. Think of DETROIT as a male rap version of GLITTER. It's not exactly the life story of Mariah Carey but it's pretty damn close.  This film will follow a young rapper named Jimmy (Eminem), who tries to find himself amongst the hardships of the Detroit ghetto. Phifer will play his best friend Future (nice name...) and Murphy will play girlfriend Alex.  Also in the cast is Giovanni Ribisi (THE MOD SQUAD, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN), who will star as rival white rapper, Wink.  Curtis Hanson (how do you go from L.A. CONFIDENTIAL to this?...) will direct this film which is produced by Brian Grazer (THE GRINCH, THE NUTTY PROFESSOR).  If you happen to be in the Detroit area in late October, keep your eye out for the cast and crew who will be busy filming.
 

September 27, 2001

Rapper turned actor, LL Cool J and Gabrielle Union will team up for the "urban" romantic comedy DELIVER US FROM EVA.  The film revolves around a player (LL) who gets $5,000 from three men to date their annoying sister-in-law (Union). The two initially clash but eventually hit it off and the men now find themselves struggling to break the pair up.  Gary Hardwick (THE BROTHERS) will direct from a script that he rewrote.
 

September 27, 2001

OK, now this is the story where we announce the DVD release of JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK. In addition to the DVD compilation of Kevin Smith's speaking engagements reported here yesterday, another View Askew DVD will hit streets on February 12th. J&SBSB will be released on DVD and VHS on the 12th of next year as Kevin says, "Just in time for Valentine's Day."  The DVD will, of course, feature an audio commentary but this time around it may not be stacked with all the usual names you'd expect on a View Askew disc.  Smith said he'd like to keep it simple and have, appropriately, just he and Jason Mewes on the audio track.  No word yet on what extras will be included but Kevin says he's working on getting the Jay and Silent Bob MTV commercials on there.  Finally, in other View Askew news, it was announced that filming for Kevin's first non-Askewniverse film will begin in March.
  

September 27, 2001

Source: Joey Baloney

• Two early reviews for SHALLOW HAL and SPY GAME are online here and here, respectively
• In addition to those reviews, there are two early reviews of David Fincher's THE PANIC ROOM online here
• Check out some shots from BLADE 2 from French Premiere magazine here

• Darren Aronofsky talks about possibly adapting the graphic novel THE WATCHMEN here
• 3 new pics from THE LAST CASTLE can be found right here

September 26, 2001

Certainly sounds like a good night to me.  In fact it seemed like a good idea to a bunch of Yale University students who started a club, the Porn N' Chicken Club, where they would film fellow students having sex.  The phenomenon was picked up by the New York Times who wrote an article about the four students involved and that article is the basis for the PORN N' CHICKEN movie.  Robert De Niro's Tribeca Productions will co-produce with Comedy Central films and interestingly enough, the four "ringleaders" (Jamie Ponsoldt, Colin Spoelman, Josh Newman and Bill Marino) will serve as executive producers on the film.  Hired to write the script is actor Ad Miles (WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER) who has filmed comedic shorts for the Comedy Central show TV FUNHOUSE as well as other independent shorts.

Read the article from The Yale Herald here
  

September 26, 2001

Can Miramax repeat its Academy Award streak when the winners are announced in 2002?  Most would say yes and have their eyes set on the Kevin Spacey film, THE SHIPPING NEWS. But what about another Miramax release that's currently ripping up the box-office on super word of mouth - THE OTHERS?  Head honcho Bob Weinstein certainly seems to think it's got a shot.  He said he thinks Nicole Kidman and the script by Alejandro Amenabar have great shots at Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay respectively. Weinstein said of the film's success, "there are many twists and turns, like there are in THE SIXTH SENSE, and it appeals to a wide audience."  Yeah, like THE SIXTH SENSE. Very much like THE SIXTH SENSE...
 

September 26, 2001

While killer films like GEMINI MAN and GHOST RIDER languish in development hell, crap like THE BRADY BUNCH IN THE WHITE HOUSE still manages to get made.  There just ain't any justice in the world.  Shelley Long and Gary Cole will return to the roles of Carol and Mike Brady in the film which has the Bradys take over the White House as President and Vice President.  The film may go direct to TV and air on the Fox network.  No word on whether other cast members will return to their roles.  It's official - I want off of this planet. 
 

September 26, 2001

No, I'm not talking about JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK (at least, not yet anyway).  Turns out that Columbia/Tri-Star Home Entertainment so enjoyed the success of both DVD versions of DOGMA, they've asked to film Kevin Smith's legendary college speaking engagements and collect them for a disc due out next year.  The lectures used for the disc are going to take place between October and December of this year, so if you see Kevin Smith coming to your school, run a comb through your hair, tuck your shirt in and get ready to be filmed and packaged out to a major audience.  In case you haven't seen the man speak yet, I highly suggest you find a way to get yourself to one live.  I had a chance to see him speak at Rutgers University while I was student there (ahhh...college......) and he was absolutely hilarious.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the DVD turns out.
 

September 26, 2001

Things like this are always nice to hear. Here it is, direct from the IMDB's news page:

"Friday night's America: A Tribute to Heroes telethon, featuring an unprecedented assemblage of celebrities, brought in about $150 million in pledges for victims of the Sept. 11 air attacks and their families, according to organizers of the event. Nielsen Research said on Monday that the telecast, which was carried by 35 broadcast and cable outlets and by 8,000 radio stations, drew an average TV audience of 59 million viewers -- with about 90 million tuning in for at least part of the program. It was exceeded only by the audience for this year's Super Bowl, which drew an average of 84.2 million viewers. Three weeks earlier, the 21-hour Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy telethon, which was carried by a fraction of the number of stations that carried the Heroes telecast, raised $57 million."
  

September 26, 2001

Director Jim Herzfeld (15 MINUTES) is in negotiations to direct and produce the romantic thriller JAKE AND MIMI from the novel by Frank Baldwin.  The film follows Jake, a womanizing sex-a-holic who's cadish ways have been tamed by his latest conquest, the beautiful Mimi. All's well until ex-lovers of Jake's begin to turn up dead one at a time and all the evidence seems to point to him.  The project is currently out to writers and if Herzfeld should sign on the project should take shape very quickly.

Pre-order your own copy of JAKE & MIMI here
  

September 26, 2001

Source: Joey Baloney

• 3 more actors have joined the cast of M. Night Shyamalan's SIGNS.  Patricia Kalember, Cherry Jones and Abigal Breslin will co-star with Mel Gibson in the mysterious tale of crop circles on a Bucks County farm
• Read about the plans for more "Creepers" in the JEEPERS CREEPERS sequel here
• Check out the official one-sheet for the Russell Crowe film A BEAUTIFUL MIND here
• Trouble on the I SPY set?  Read about an argument star Eddie Murphy had with director Betty Thomas here
• Smilin' Jack Ruby snagged the one-sheet for the Al Pacino flick PEOPLE I KNOW here

September 25, 2001

Being a reporter is tough these days (this is, of course, assuming that one would have the moxie to actually call me a "reporter").  Being an entertainment reporter is even tougher.  How can someone like me return to work and do what I do after one of the most horrific events in world history.  After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, US citizens ran to their local Army recruiting station and here I am some fifty years later far from joining the armed forces and instead trying to spin gossip about who may or may not be starring in a film adaptation of a comic book.  I find myself asking, who cares?  At a time like this, is that what really matters?  Sure there are people who say we must move on with our lives and to an extent I agree with them.  I watched football this weekend and enjoyed the chance to forget about the attacks and all the lives lost.  I went to the movies last weekend and watched THE OTHERS.  But I respect those who are not ready to move on.  There are people whose lives are much more affected by this disaster than mine.  These people may not be ready to go to a movie or watch a football game. They'd feel more comfortable watching the television coverage or attending a religious service.  And when they begin their journey towards regaining some normalcy in their lives I'm sure they won't want to watch ARMAGEDDON or DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE.  Hollywood has reacted to the pain of the world public and as a result the business is slowing to a crawl.

An article in yesterday's Variety detailed this "production coma" as they called it, saying it may be as bad now as it has ever been.  Movies getting ready to go into production have been stalled (TICK-TOCK, TRUCK 44).  Movies in the middle of production are frantically being reworked (MEN IN BLACK 2, SPIDER-MAN, OCEAN'S ELEVEN).  Movies already finished are being delayed (COLLATERAL DAMAGE, BIG TROUBLE).  Movies that have already been released on video are being pulled from shelves (ARMAGEDDON, TRUE LIES).  Most studios have little, if any, films scheduled to begin production before the end of the year.  Everything requires a second look to see if a film can be reworked or whether or should be shelved altogether. So when can we expect things to get back to the way they were? Short answer - probably by January.  Long answer - things will never get back to the way they were on September 10th.  While a new year and (hopefully) successful Holiday season will help heal wounds don't expect things to be "normal" again. We should soon see a new normalcy - one where a more compassionate a cautious Hollywood takes things a little slower.  In the meantime, I apologize if the news portion of this site seems a bit scant.  As I said before, it ain't easy trying to report on entertainment news these days.  There's just not much to report on and not much will to report it.  Now is a perfect time to check out other portions of the site like screensavers, trailers, scripts and quizzes.
  

September 25, 2001

We at JoBlo brought you the first look at what SCOOBY-DOO would look like in the live-action movie coming out in 2002 in the version of an early teaser one-sheet prototype.  Unfortunately, Warner Bros. decided not to go with that image for their poster and the shot of Scooby himself was rather small.  Now courtesy of AICN, we have a large detailed look at what Scoob and the rest of the gang will look like.  I don't particularly care for Scooby, Fred or Daphne (what's that look on Freddie Prinze Jr.'s face??) but Matthew Lillard's Shaggy ain't half bad and Velma is dead on.  I'm trying to be a bit more impartial when it comes to SCOOBY these days.  I've bashed it awfully hard in the past but I've decided to not beat a dead horse on this one. Here's the shots and you can make up your own mind:

<click on the above images to see the original, larger ones>
 

September 25, 2001

One film that hasn't been stymied in the wake of the terrorist attacks is the tenth film in the STAR TREK series, subtitled NEMESIS.  Director Stuart Baird (US MARSHALS) is set to begin filming with Patrick Stewart late November of this year. The script was written by GLADIATOR co-writer John Logan and you can expect a review of that script by Julius Funkenstein in the coming weeks. Digital Domain (THE TIME MACHINE, WE WERE SOLDIERS) has been brought on to do the film's special effects work.  It was reported that Stewart would segue directly from this film to X-MEN 2, which would mean that film would have an estimated January start date.
 

September 25, 2001

Screenwriter John August (GO, CHARLIE'S ANGELS) spoke about his involvement with Wes Craven's upcoming film adaptation of the video game AMERICAN MCGEE'S ALICE, which is a darker version of the ALICE IN WONDERLAND tale.  It was originally reported that August would be writing the script for the film but now he says that due to time constraints he won't be writing the script but has simply written a treatment that the film will be based upon.  He went on to say that the reported title of DARK WONDERLAND is just a rumor and that the official title is simply ALICE.  When asked whether rumored stars Natalie Portman or Eliza Dushku are close to signing, he said neither of these actresses is currently attached and that the casting process is very far off.  This version of ALICE, has the title character spending the ten years following her Wonderland adventures in an asylum.  Upon her release, she sets out to prove to everyone her tales were not hallucinations and returns to Wonderland only to find it has changed - for the worse.
 

September 25, 2001

Pierce Brosnan will fit in one last movie before stepping into the shoes of James Bond for the last time.  The actor will team with director Bruce Beresford (DOUBLE JEOPARDY) for EVELYN, a film based on the real life tale of Desmond Doyle who fought to overturn an Irish custody law and win back his kids (his daughter is the title character) after his wife left him.  The film will begin production in Ireland in mid-October. Brosnan was originally to film A SOUND OF THUNDER, but script problems plagued that film and it eventually crumbled leaving the star open for this production.  The actor will go directly from this film to BOND 20, to be directed by Lee Tamahori (ALONG CAME A SPIDER).
  

September 25, 2001

Source: Joey Baloney

• The Japanese thriller THE RING is currently being remade by Gore Verbinski (THE MEXICAN) for DreamWorks, and has been retitled STATIC for the US crowd
• What November release will reportedly carry the trailer for ATTACK OF THE CLONES?  Find out here
• Check out the official site for the Jack the Ripper film, FROM HELL, here

September 24, 2001

Script reviewer Julius Funkenstein was schedule to send along his review of the 4-29-92 (formerly THE PLAGUE SEASON script this weekend but was wrapped up with other reviews so he passed it along to his pals.  Below we have two (yes, TWO) script reviews for the Kurt Russell/Ving Rhames flick about the LA riots that followed the Rodney King verdict. Here's 'D-mann', let's take a listen:

THE PLAGUE SEASON (as I said before, re-titled 4-29-92)
by James Ellroy and David Ayer
Review by Dmann

There is just one word to describe the Plague Season, and that is WOW! James Ellroy, as anyone who has read his books, such as WHITE JAZZ, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, or BLACK DHALIA knows, writes complex Noir tales of dirty cops, and dirtier crooks, set in the dirty city of Los Angeles. Normally he chooses the post war past as the time to set these stories. In The Plague Season, an original screenplay, Ellroy has traded in segregated water fountains and cops in fedoras for gang bangers and the siege mentality of the LAPD during the time of the Rodney King trial.

What follows is a classic James Ellroy story. I do not know how much of the actual script work Ellroy did, and what David Ayer did, but the result is a wonderful collaboration, fun to read.

None of the characters here is pure, no one is a saint. Sergeant Bobby Tedrow has been with the LAPDís Special Investigations Section (SIS) for 3 weeks, and is already facing a board of inquiry over the fatal shooting of a suspect. We come to learn that facing a hearing over a shooting is nothing out of the ordinary for officers in the SIS. Eldon Perry, Jr. is Tedrowís aging partner, a veteran, third generation gunslinger with the LAPD. Perry has half a dozen special pins on his lapel, each made from the shell casing used to kill a criminal.

The action follows the investigation of a liquor store robbery in Koreatown, where the victim have been stacked up like cordwood. It appears to be a simple robbery, but there's a whole lot of things that donít fit. Eventually a suspect is found, albeit one that they know didnít do THIS robbery, but hell, the guy has done enough, and it's not like heís gonna actually make it to trial. The SIS doesn't clear cases by gaining convictions, the warrants they get are de facto death warrants.

The intrigue, as is traditional with Ellroy stories, leads higher and higher in the LAPD, involving the boss of the SIS, Jack Van Meter. Compounding the trouble for Bobby Tedrow is his love interest, Beth , the beautiful (and black) assistant to Deputy Chief of Police Arthur Holland. Holland is also black, and has his eyes very publicly set on the job of Chief.

The race of the different characters is something that wouldn't normally warrant mention in a review, you never know what actor will end up in what role. This is Los Angeles, 1992, and race is an ever present issue. It's not really a spoiler to say that the LA riots loom large in the distance, as the trial continues in the background. Color is everywhere, black, white, Korean, and more importantly, the color blue, which binds these people together in a way that few people that havenít served in war can understand.

War is the correct word here, the LAPD that Ellroy and Ayer show us is different from the way we think of police, they aren't here to serve and protect, they are at war, at war with the criminals, a war where everyone not wearing blue is a suspect to the cops, and an adversary to everyone else.

Eventually this leads to the biggest problem of the script, and the place where it might need some work, the conclusion. After the big shootout, there is a long, drawn out confession scene, that serves the purpose of tying up loose ends. The problem with tying up these loose ends is the certainty. All of us watched this period of time unravel in front of us on the news, and anyone who has been reading about the problems with the rampart division knows that the LAPDs corruption problems didnt end in a big public confession, but in the indictment of a good number of cops, some 9 years later. If you the script is going to be so rooted in the cop culture of modern day LA, there has to be a sense that while this particular story ended, the problem continued.

I cannot end this review without mentioning something that may never show through to the screen, the prose. Ayer and Ellroy walk the fine line, keeping the tone of every description vivid, yet never over describing. It's little touches, calling a cigarette a cowboy killer, or making a u turn becomes pulling a u-ey. Little grace notes give the script an amazing feel, a consistency, and a life. The information I've found at the usual internet outlets has Ron Shelton attached as director, and hopefully he will be able to keep this tone, because if he does, it will really be something else.

The project is, at present, listed with Kurt Russell in the role of Eldon Perry, Jr. Ving Rhames as Arthur Holland, Scott Speedman as Bobby Tedrow, Brendan Gleeson as Jack Van Meter and Michael Michelle as Beth. 119 pages

Here's another less enthusiastic review from 'DW':

The Plague Season or 4-29-92, as it has been supposedly re-titled, is the latest offering from L.A. Confidential novelist James Ellroy.

The script, re-written by Training Day's David Ayer, deals with the familiar ground of LAPD corruption set against the somewhat modern backdrop of the Rodney King trial. The story follows Eldon Perry Jr. (played by Kurt Russell), a 43-year-old 3rd generation cop who calms his demons with a bulletproof swagger and a truckload of alcohol. His young sidekick, Bobby Tedrow (played by Scott Speedman), is a decorated war hero and a connected man who's uncle runs the all exclusive task force known as SIS (Special Investigations...something or other). Others involved are Arthur Holland (Ving Rhames), an African American assistant chief looking to move up in the ranks of the LAPD, Tom Van Meter (Brendon Gleeson) the head of the SIS and former partner of Perry's father, and finally Beth Williamson (played by ER's Michael Michele), who's Tedrow's love interest, all in one support group and Holland's fellow African American assistant.

Now I haven't seen Training Day, I've only seen the steady flow of TV spots (the only thing that creeps me about that hopefully promising movie is the reverberation of a bloody Denzel Washington screaming, "I'm the police! King Kong ain't got nothing on me!!,") [my favorite line of the year, by the way - joeyB] aside from that unfortunate spot of word work I grasp that Training Day deals with a crooked veteran abusing his duties and forcing his way of life onto a squeaky clean rookie. Will the novice cop fall victim to the preaching of the jagged veteran? This outline is the very similar heart of The Plague Season. Will Perry's past bleed into the ideals of the younger Tedrow? Who will suffer? Who will rise above? Of course before we answer those questions we follow the convoluted plot that begins with a very arresting, somewhat jaw droppingly horrifying opening scene of s liquor store hold-up. A crime that seems random at the time but is the jumping point to the slow unraveling of how all our central characters are involved. (Does anybody hear LA Confidential redux?) I really wanted to love this script, the characters are vivid and over the top, (Rhames has a speech that will make you long for him to one day run for political office), and I wanted the script to stand on its own merits but a very soft and forceful love story with some incredibly Titanic-bad dialogue really gives this film no moral compass. And I wouldn't say that unless the script begs for you to care for Bobby and Beth, which it does, painfully, through many plot procedures. It even borders several times on just outright manipulation, a screenwriting crime in itself. Race (as it seems with Training Day) plays an enormous portion of the script. The backdrop of the King Trial culminates with our climax running head first into ground zero. But it's nothing more than a plot apparatus as we see evil white cops infringe on the advancement of African Americans in the LAPD, set with a subplot involving a young white cop devoting his emotion to a young black assistant. Nothing in this says anything about race that hasn't been covered a thousand times over in the aftermath of the LA Riots or the trial of OJ Simpson.

This script has had a very long and arduous road to production with the script almost getting off the ground several times, I have a feeling that the been there done that sense of atmosphere one gets had a thing or two to do with the stops and starts. In the end I admired some of the lean meat given to the characters as we watch as they are stripped and laid bare, showing that these are people living with open wounds, ragged pasts, fueled by alcohol and extreme guilt. These are simply put, very unsympathetic characters. And that doesn't bother me in the least, it's the brief and unproductive love story coupled with some standard cop movie conventions and an ending so unsatisfying, I have no doubt that Ron Shelton (director of The Plague Season and most of the times writer of his own movies) will fashion a simpler ending where emotion and gestures convey the truth rather than rambling "connect all the dots" speech we are served. I don't have much hope for this one regardless of the tinkering possibly done. Count this one as another instance of quality talent led by a clunker of a script.
  

September 24, 2001

Jennifer Lopez's film TICK-TOCK looks to be the latest film to be delayed as the result of the terrorist attacks on the US.  The film's script revolved around a female FBI agent (Lopez) who must help an amnesiac (rumored to be Sam Jackson) remember where he (or if he) set bombs all around the city of Los Angeles.  Production was scheduled to begin this December but now will be pushed pack until June of 2002.  But what does the delay of TICK-TOCK have in store for the status of GHOST RIDER who share a director in Stephen Norrington.  Originally, Nicolas Cage was going to walk on GHOST because Norrington couldn't begin filming until after his commitments to TICK had been completed.  Now that that film is out of the way, does this mean Cage is still in for GHOST RIDER and that film could be bumped up to save the film from development hell?  We'll see...

Another movie that could possibly see changes as a result of the attacks is the Steven Soderbergh film OCEAN'S ELEVEN.  Apparently producers and star George Clooney are upset over a scene that shows the deliberate demolition of a casino that resembles the New York skyline.  Reportedly, reshoots took place last week and the scene will simply be replaced with one that doesn't feature the demolition. There has been no official word from Warner Bros. on the issue and over the rumor that the film's release date may have to be pushed back.
 

September 24, 2001

Source: Joey Baloney

• A MEN IN BLACK 2 set report with minor spoilers can be read here
• Check out the logo for next summer's Vin Diesel starring action/spy flick XXX here
• A behind the scenes picture of an odd looking Robin Williams from ONE HOUR PHOTO is online here
• A review of the latest effort from the Coen Bros, THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE, is ready for your perusal here

The 2002 Movie Preview !

Below is a list of movies that are coming out next year. Want more info? Click on the links...