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MOV067: “Scheiße”

In this 67th Reel of COL Movies, the boys head back in time for a little exercise – well, they watch someone else get exercise – in 1998’s German crime thriller, “Run Lola Run”. After working up a sweat, they head to the theater to see if Marcus Nispel’s reboot of “Conan The Barbarian” is it really as bad as all the critics say it is? In the future, they screen the trailer for the 4th installment of the Tom Cruise franchise, “Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol”. Is this a mission they’ll choose to accept? Or will the secretary disavow all knowledge of the review. Guess you’ll have to wait until December when the movie comes out to find out! All of this and movie news about how the earthquakes in Japan are making it tough for “The Wolverine”, and the titles “Toy Story” might have had. It’s an episode you won’t soon forget…or may find yourself reliving over and over…aww…Scheiße!

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News:

The Past: Lola Rennt (Run Lola Run)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% Fresh, 88% Audience

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Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu and Herbert Knaup

Trivia:

  • Tom Tykwer hated the empty space on the wall and asked production designer Alexander Manasse to paint a picture of Kim Novak as she was in Vertigo. But Alexander didn’t remember what she looked like, so Tom suggested he painted her from behind. Alexander completed the picture within fifteen minutes.
  • During shooting, Franka Potente could not wash her hair for seven weeks because the red hair color was very sensitive to water and would have got lighter with every washing.
  • The two sentences at the opening (“The ball is round” and “The game lasts 90 minutes”) are famous quotes by German soccer coaching legend Sepp Herberger.
  • When Manni says Shrimp in Florida he is actually giving credit to the person who wrote the movie. It is a family nickname of this uncredited person.
  • The blind woman that Manni borrows the phone card from is Moritz Bleibtreu’s mother, Monica Bleibtreu.
  • The shot where the roulette ball lands on 20 was not a trick shot – the crew simply filmed the ball dropping into the wheel, and it hit 20 on one of their first takes.
  • Hans Paetsch, who speaks the narration at the beginning, is Germany’s most popular fairy tale narrator. His characteristic voice is easily recognized by anyone who grew up with fairy tale records in Germany.
  • The glass clock in the bank is broken using a small air rifle firing a small stone.
  • It took nearly five weeks to persuade a supermarket in Berlin to allow them to shoot the robbery sequence.
  • This film contains about 1581 transitions (edits, dissolves, fades, wipes, etc) in 71 minutes of action (i.e. excluding the credits, and pre-credits sequence). This equates to an Average Shot Length of about 2.7 seconds. Interestingly, the editing is relatively slower towards the end of the film. For most contemporary films, the opposite is the norm.
  • Lola screams for twenty seconds in the Roulette scene, she also bets to the number twenty, the only bills she had were twenties, the first story lasts twenty minutes and twenty minutes was also the time she had to get the money.
  • The money bag, stolen by a homeless man, has Russian lettering on it – “Malossol Original”. It’s actually a bag for Russian Caspian caviar under the brand “Malossol Original”.
  • In the film, Manni needs 100,000 marks. In 1998, the exchange rate for marks was 1.789 making this sum equivalent to $55,897.15 in the US. At the end, Lola winnings amount to 126,000 marks ($70,430.41).
  • The decoration on the wall of the teller is a bill from Mozambique issued by Banco Nacional Utramarino in the value of 100 Escudos.
  • During the third sequence after the head on car collision a moped rider rear ends the white car and lands on the windshields. Most viewers do not realize that this is the man who stole Lola’s moped, so he gets his comeuppance in the end.

Talking Points:

  • Different types of film used, color, animation, black and white, video.
  • English or German?
  • Flash forwards.
  • The effects of one even can affect lot of other things.
  • What does the blind lady know?
  • Did Lola Remember the previous iterations?
  • Did you have a “favorite” version?

What We’ve Learned:

  • Keep an eye on your Moped
  • Don’t run that much in flat boots. Get some sneaks! (Shin splints!!)
  • Avoid the guy standing in the stairwell with the dog – he’s a jerk.
  • Screaming at the top of your lungs makes everything better.
  • Don’t leave the bag of cash you’re supposed to deliver to criminals on the subway. Nothing good can come of it.
  • German is NOT a sexy language. (Fuzz Disagrees!)
  • Schtop

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: One of the most brilliant films of all time. I have a hard time understanding how anyone could not want this in their movie collection.
Ray: An enjoyable film… but I will say films with a breakneck non-stop pace are not for everyone.
Steve: Super cool movie…hard to decide which version of the story I like the best. Super creative…and Manni’s not hard to look at.

The Present: Conan The Barbarian
Rotten Tomatoes: 24% Rotten 46% Audience

Director: Marcus Nispel

Starring: Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman and Rose McGowan

Trivia:

  • Kellan Lutz and Jared Padalecki were considered for the lead, but the role went to Jason Momoa.
  • Dolph Lundgren, then Mickey Rourke were in talks to play Corin, Conan’s father, but Rourke turned it down to do Immortals before Ron Perlman was cast.
  • Ron Perlman, who plays Conan’s father Corin, previously voiced Conan himself in the video game Conan and the unreleased animated film Conan: Red Nails.
  • The film had spent seven years in development at Warner Bros. before the rights were shifted to Nu Image/Millennium Films in 2007, with a clause wishing for immediate start on production.
  • Lionsgate and Sony Pictures entered negotiations for distribution, with the film seeing many directors, prominently Brett Ratner, before settling on Nispel in 2009 and subsequently bringing together a cast and crew.
  • Filming began on March 15, 2010 and concluded on June 5, 2010. Filming was first hoped to be started in Spring 2008. Nothing was set until Ratner came on board. Filming had a set date for August 24, 2008, in Bulgaria. Ratner however departed in May that year, and the start-date for filming was pushed back, with South Africa being revealed as another filming destination.. Filming finally began, in Bulgaria, on March 15, 2010
  • The film was first released on August 17, 2011 in four countries: France, Belgium, Iceland and the Philippines
  • The film had a 3-D conversion in post production.
  • Early in the pre-production process Conan was a temporary title for the film, until it was changed to Conan 3D. Finally, early on December 2010, the title was definitely changed to Conan the Barbarian, as was titled the John Millius 1982 film

Talking Points:

  • Did it come off very spoofish at times? (baby, eggs, catapulting a prisoner)
  • Only performance worth noting – Rose McGowan (Steve)
  • The sand fighter guys were the coolest part.
  • The most generic bad guy ever… his daughter should have been the main antagonist

What We Learned:

  • If your wife is stabbed in battle, it just takes one quick cut to remove the baby and he comes out clean-ish.
  • Cesarean Sections were BRUTAL back in the day.
  • Before you Wield it, you must learn it.
  • If your mother names you Co-NAN, it’s annoying when everyone else calls you Co-nun.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: It was alright. I really enjoyed myself. Okay to see in a theater, but okay to wait for DVD.
Ray: It’s Conan.. did it need to be remade? no, but I was hoping that maybe it would help get this kinda movie back into theaters
Steve: Boo…hiss. Should have gone straight to DVD. Why didn’t we see “Fright Night” this week?

The Future: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Director: Brad Bird

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton

Summary:

When a terrorist bombing destroys the Kremlin, the United States government initiates a black ops “ghost protocol” and disavows the entire Impossible Mission Force. Ethan Hunt and his team are to be blamed for the attack, but are allowed to escape as part of a plan to enable them to operate in the dark, outside of their agency. However, Hunt is warned that if any member of his team is captured during their mission, they will be charged as terrorists planning to incite global nuclear war. Ethan is then forced to work with ex-IMF agent Brandt, who knows more about Hunt and his past than even Hunt himself.

Trivia:

  • Brad Bird’s live-action directorial debut.
  • Anthony Mackie, Christopher Egan and Kevin Zegers were considered to play Brandt.
  • Kristin Kreuk and Lauren German were considered to play Jane Carter.
  • Jacinda Barrett auditioned for a role and even revealed some information about the project’s reboot direction.
  • Jeremy Renner’s character Brandt, was specifically created as the eventual replacement for Tom Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt for when Cruise decides to step away from the franchise.
  • The film was originally announced with a working name of Mission: Impossible 4, and codenamed “Aries” during early production.
  • Rumors initially mentioned that the film might not even carry the Mission: Impossible name, though this was later discounted.
  • Principal photography began by September 30, 2010. Pictures of the set were leaked to the internet showing Cruise in a Russian officer disguise..
  • Filming took place in Dubai, Prague, Moscow, Mumbai, and Vancouver.
  • The film was partially shot with IMAX cameras.
  • The first full, official trailer was released on June 29, 2011, and attached to Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: *giggles*
Ray: I was never impressed with the MI franchise, but this trailer has me wanting to see this. Hooray for Brad Bird!
Steve: Another “boys and their toys” movie. Slick and high tech looking, but I still haven’t seen 2 & 3.

Coming Attractions:

The Past
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The Present

The Future

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MOV035: “We’re going to need more holy water!”

Should “The Neverending Story” be put to bed?  Should we collectively dance in hopes of quickly ending “The Season of the Witch”?  Should we just let the aliens blow up LA in “Battle: Los Angeles”?  Are our childhood Atari wet dreams coming to life in a live-action Missile Command movie?  Also, Bond, Trent Reznor, and the Bible are all in movie news!  This and much, much more in this episode of COL Movies!!

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News:

  • Missile Command Movie?
  • Bond 23 on again! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/11/james-bond-23-new-007-film-announced_n_807556.html
  • Trent scores another movie http://www.slashfilm.com/trent-reznor-scoring-david-finchers-version-the-girl-dragon-tattoo/
  • Turning the Bible into soft core gay porn? http://www.cinemablend.com/new/New-David-And-Goliath-Movie-Will-Basically-Turn-The-Bible-Into-300-22506.html

The Past: The Neverending Story (1984)

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Director: Wolfgang Peterson

Starring: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver and Tami Stronach

Trivia:

  • Author Michael Ende decided that he was unhappy with the film’s version of his story, and refused to have his name placed in the opening credits. A small credit appears at the end with his name.
  • The nighthob says a profanity in the opening scene where the rockbiter appears running down all in its path. This profanity is often dubbed over by the grumble of the rockbiter’s scooter, so that it can be shown as a children’s film.
  • Most of the film was shot in Germany in the summer of 1983. It was Germany’s hottest summer in 25 years.
  • The original Auryn for this film now hangs in an enclosed glass display in Steven Spielberg’s office.
  • Was the most expensive film ever produced in Germany at the time it was made.
  • Noah Hathaway was hurt twice during the making of the movie. During his horse riding training he was thrown off a horse which then stepped on him. Then during the shooting of the drowning sequence in the “swamp of sadness” his leg got caught on the elevator and he was pulled under water. He was unconscious by the time he was brought to the surface.
  • “The Childlike Empress” wasn’t just child-“like”. She was portrayed by Iranian born dancer Tami Stronach who was only 11 years old when the production started.
  • The film itself actually “ends” about halfway through the book.
  • The name of the mystical land in (the English translation of) the original novel was Fantastica, not Fantasia, but the original German name Phantásien translates more accurately into English as Fantasia.
  • The theme song was sang by Limahl, who was the lead singer of the pop band Kajagoogoo.
  • The makeup team on the movie tried to paint Noah Hathaway green, just as Atreyu is in the book. “It wasn’t believable. I looked like fungi!” Hathaway said.
  • Noah Hathaway almost lost an eye during the fight-scene versus Gmork. One of the claws on his giant paws poked him in the face. The robot was also so heavy that he lost his breath as well when he was hit to the ground by it. They only made one shot due to the risk that he would get seriously wounded.
  • You can “ride” on Falcor’s back on location at the Bavaria Filmplatz Munich, Germany.
  • The name that Bastian screams almost indecipherable into the night is “Moonchild”.
  • During filming in Germany, because it was an unusually hot summer one of the statues of the Ivory Tower actually melted. On other days, the crew were forced to shut down production because the blue backgrounds for the matte work refused to operate properly.
  • Falkor is actually a 43-foot long motorized creature with 6,000 plastic scales and pink feather-fur. His head his three feet tall and long, and has a long tongue in the mouth.
  • Tami Stronach was attending theatre classes in San Francisco when she got the audition to be The Childlike Empress. Her acting teacher was friends with the production executive and talent scout Anna Gross. Tami initially believed she was auditioning for a little play and had no idea it was to be for a major motion picture.
  • Noah Hathaway was due to appear in the Broadway show “Chaplin” alongside Gene Kelly and Ann Margaret, but opted to do “The Neverending Story” instead. He had been cast in the film, then the original director was fired, and when Wolfgang Petersen was hired, Noah was immediately re-hired.
  • Only the scenes in the city and at Bastian’s home were not shot in the Bavaria Studios in Munich, Germany, but in Vancouver, Canada.
  • Noah Hathaway (Atreyu) now owns and operates a tattoo parlor in Los Angeles, California with his wife.
  • Tami lost both front teeth shortly before filming and they made her fake teeth which caused her to lisp until she learned to compensate for them.

Talking Points:

  • Could you consider this the “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” of the 1980s?
  • Is this a depressing movie for kids or what?
  • Which character left you with the biggest impression – and why?

What We’ve Learned:

  • It’s ok to steal books! (as long as you leave a note that you’ll return it)
  • Schools in the 80s didn’t take attendance
  • Oompa Loompa’s ride racing snails
  • Limestone Rocks have a delicious bouquet
  • Ancient Turtles are pretty Emo.. and allergic to youth
  • People who have no hope are easy to control.
  • Who wouldn’t want a luck dragon?

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Always a classic. Childhood flashback movie that is good for anyone of any age.
Ray: Its a favorite movie of mine, but can be a bit dark.. use your discretion before showing it to your kids
Steve: Definitely one of the most memorable movies from my childhood. It’s great to revisit as an adult, but you get a whole new perspective with adult eyes.

Intermission: Jeff’s Brief BearCity Review

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The Present: Season of The Witch

Director: Dominic Sena

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman and Claire Foy

Trivia:

  • Development on the film began in 2000 when the spec script by screenwriter Bragi F. Schut was purchased by MGM.
  • The film had a budget of approximately US$40 million, and much of the budget was covered by Relativity with pre-sales to distributors outside the United States.
  • Filming took place in Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. Most of the principal photography took place in practical locations, with several days committed to filming on greenscreen.
  • Principal photography was completed by April 2009, but the cast and crew re-gathered a few months later to film additional battle sequences, filming on greenscreen to save on travel.
  • The art directors researched woodcuts and other artwork for classic demonic appearances. The filmmakers requested an entity “lithe and feminine”, and the visual effects crew designed a demon that had “cloven feet, a dog ankle and a fawn leg”. Designing visual effects for the demon’s wings was the biggest challenge since wings tend to get in the way or do not move convincingly. The filmmakers also requested holes in the demon’s wings, so the crew designed holes that appeared worn instead of ripped since ripped holes would require an added billowing effect.
  • The crew’s final visual effects shot was the death of the demon, and they researched previous films and terminology for how demons’ deaths have been designed.
  • Lionsgate scheduled Season of the Witch to be released on March 19, 2010, but five weeks before the date, the studio decided to pull the film from release. Lionsgate originally had an output deal with Relativity Media, but Relativity formed its own marketing and distribution arm in 2010. Relativity chose to release the film itself and in October 2010 set the film’s new release date for January 7, 2011. Season of the Witch will be Relativity’s first in-house production.

Talking Points:

  • Did it deserve the 5% on Rotten Tomatoes?
  • Odd acting – did it seem like the leads were present day Americans in period clothes, while the supporting cast was in actually performing in period?
  • Was this movie intended to be a farce or serious?

What We Learned:

  • Ron Perlman sports a pretty epic moustache
  • It doesn’t matter if your movie is set in the 14th century, and one of your actors speaks with a new york accent
  • If you’re going to be holding a giant rope to support the weight of anything, wear gloves!

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Not a bad movie, not great either, but not half bad.
Ray: Not Shakespeare but not as bad as airbender!
Steve: Enjoyed the visuals of the movie, but the writing and acting was “off”. Liked the concept, just didn’t come together well.

The Future: Battle : Los Angeles

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and Bridget Moynahan

Trivia:

  • The film is inspired by the real life incident known as the Battle of Los Angeles, during World War II. On the night of 24-25 February 1942, unidentified aircraft were allegedly spotted in the airspace above Los Angeles. Suspecting it to be the Japanese, a blackout of the city was ordered and over 1,440 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition was fired. Upon finding no evidence of the existence of any enemy aircraft, the incident was declared to be a “false alarm”. The event has since been chalked up to as being a result of “war nerves”, likely triggered by a lost weather balloon and exacerbated by stray flares and shell bursts from adjoining anti-aircraft batteries.
  • Very little of the film was actually shot in Los Angeles. Tax incentives brought the production to Louisiana where sets of Los Angeles streets were constructed.
  • The movie will be released on 03/11/11. 0311 is the Marine Corps Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) for Infantry Riflemen.
  • Don’t be fooled by the direct to DVD release “mockbuster”: Battle of Los Angeles – it’s not the same movie!

Talking Points:

  • Better than Skyline?
  • Is this just “V” in the movie theater? Original concept?
  • Use of Music in trailer

Summary:
A Marine platoon faces off against an alien invasion in Los Angeles.

Trailer 1:

Trailer 2:

Trailer 3:

Excitement:
Jeff: Yawn
Ray: Excited! Excited! Excited! Especially after seeing the newest trailer.
Steve: I really like how the trailer feeds on our fears. The music is great. I just really hope it holds up. I will see it, but don’t have any expectations.

Coming Attractions
The Past

The Present

The Future

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