This week we invoke the spirit, yawn at the mayham, and wonder at the fantasy.

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News:

• Early Buzz for HP & the Deathly Hallows
• New poster for “Buried”
• The bad-side of ensemble movies
• More female characters for the Fan Boys to gawk at
• In the “is this necessary” category
• In the WTF category
• In the LOL Category

Feedback:
5 Star Review from Dave in AZ: Awesome show, the group is well balanced to ensure that every aspect of the film gets a fair treatment by the crew. This podcast has helped me discover some great movies I never would have watched and helped rekindle my love of a few classics. Keep it up you will always have an avid listener in me.

The Past: The Craft (1996)

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Director: Andrew Fleming

Staring: Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell & Rachel True

Trivia:

• Features over 3,000 snakes including pythons, boas, water snakes, garter snakes, rat snakes, and a 10 foot Amazon constrictor – even rare albino snakes.
• Robin Tunney wore a wig in this because she had shaved her head for Empire Records (1995).
• The Connie Francis song playing on the jukebox when the girls visit their newly rich friend Nancy is “Fallin'”.
• Though all of the actresses playing teenagers were far past teenage years, at the time of filming Rachel True was almost 30 years old.
• The shots of Nancy being covered in bugs were created by wrapping a life-cast of Fairuza Balk’s head and torso in green screen material. The bugs were filmed crawling all over the casting and then digitally composited on top of a live action plate of Balk.
• On the special edition DVD of this film, Andrew Fleming states in the commentary that the production was geared toward earning a PG-13 rating from the MPAA. They followed all of the guidelines to earn that rating, but in the final outcome the film was rated R because the film dealt with teenage girls using witchcraft.
• Although the name of the Catholic high school is never mentioned in the film, it was referred to as St. Bernard’s Academy in the film’s trailer. This is a nod by writer Peter Filardi to the real Saint Bernard High School in southeastern Connecticut, where Filardi grew up.
• After Sarah returns to her house near the end, the house is full of snakes, rats, maggots, etc. As she retreats to the upstairs bathroom, we see her pass a whiteboard with the name Gustav Klimt. Gustav Klimt was an artist whose works were denounced for their eroticism. He was also known to have a common theme of the “Femme Fatale” or women who were empowered and strong.
• In the shooting script, as well as early edits of the film, it is implied that only Sarah has actual magic powers, and that the other girls’ abilities are merely a result of their leaching off of Sarah’s magic.
• According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, The Craft is the 7th highest grossing movie since 1980 dealing with the genre of witches
• A straight-to-DVD sequel was in the works, but was terminated

Talking Points:

• Heathers with witchcraft?
• What would you do if you had powers?
• Interesting that the trailer theme is the same as the theme for “Charmed” – is there a connection to interest?
• Is the movie too “preachy” about “using your powers for good”?

What We’ve Learned:

• All you need to become a witch is buy “Wiccan For Dummies”
• Hormonal teenage girls should not have magical powers
• Remember whatever you put out you get back times three!

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Love it, definitely worth the buy.
Ray: Heathers – Clever Writing + Witchcraft = The Craft.
Steve: Loved this movie when it came out…effects haven’t stood the test of time very well, but still a solid movie.

The Present: The Expendables

Director: Sylvester Stallone

Staring: Slyvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, David Zayas

Trivia:

• According to Sylvester Stallone, the villain and plot of the film is based on Manuel Noriega, the former military dictator of Panama who had a corrupt relationship with the CIA and drugs.
• Director and star Sylvester Stallone sustained 14 injuries making this movie including breaking a tooth, rupturing his ankle and getting a hairline fracture in his neck that required the surgical insertion of a metal plate. He also had bronchitis and shingles during the shoot.
• The silver badge on General Garza’s right breast is actually a United States Army Combat Action Badge. It is awarded to non-infantry soldiers who have actually engaged an enemy force in combat, and worn on the left breast. Since it would be nearly impossible for a foreign general to earn a CAB legitimately, the costume department most likely simply picked out a random military badge.
• According to Sylvester Stallone, the Red Beret soldiers are actual Brazilian MMA fighters who volunteered to play the role.
• This is the first film that Sylvester Stallone has directed since Staying Alive (1983) that doesn’t involve his characters John Rambo or Rocky Balboa.
• In summer 2010, Brazilian company O2 Filmes released a statement saying it was still owed more than $2 million US for its work on the film

Talking Points:

• Age Demographic.. more popular with 40+?
• Was it necessary to explode bodies throughout the movie?

What We’ve Learned:

• A ton of action movie stars in a movie does not mean it will be any good

Trailer:

Recommendations:

Jeff: Skip it
Ray: Found it fairly boring..and overly gory
Steve: Was extremely let down by this movie…can’t believe it’s doing so well in the box office.

The Future: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Starring: Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Will Poulter, Laura Bent, Gary Sweet

Trivia:

• After The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) didn’t fare too well at the box office, the Walt Disney Company decided for budgetary and logistical reasons not to co-produce and co-finance this or any of the following chapters of the Narnia series.
• When Michael Apted signed on to direct in June 2007, filming was set to begin in January 2008 for a release date of May 1, 2009. Shooting would have begun in Malta and then moved to Prague and Iceland. A few months later, the Walt Disney Company announced, “In consideration of the challenging schedules for (its) young actors,” it was delaying the release date to May 7, 2010, and filming was moved to October 2008. The shoot got rescheduled to Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico, where two-thirds of the film would be shot at the water tank that was used for Titanic (1997) and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003). Filming was also scheduled for Australia. Disney and Walden eventually grew concerned over Mexico’s safety, and Australian officials at Warner Roadshow Studios in Queensland offered to become the project’s base for the whole shoot.
• The first trailer was released online at midnight EST on June 16, 2010, and theatrically on June 18, 2010, attached to Toy Story 3 (2010). On screens where Toy Story was shown in 3D, the Dawn Treader trailer was also 3D.
• Producer Mark Johnson admitted that “We made some mistakes with Prince Caspian and I don’t want to make them again.” He said it’s “very important” that filmmakers regain that magic for Dawn Treader, now in the editing stages—and he’s convinced they’ve found it: “I want to climb on the rooftops and say we have a wonderful Narnia movie.”

Talking Points:

• Does the loss of Disney backing impact this movie?

Summary:
The Dawn Treader is the first ship Narnia has seen in centuries. King Caspian has built it for his voyage to find the seven lords, good men whom his evil uncle Miraz banished when he usurped the throne. The journey takes Edmund Pevensie, Lucy Pevensie, their cousin Eustace Scrubb and King Caspian to the Eastern Islands, beyond the Silver Sea. Their Mission-on which rests the fate of Narnia itself-takes the courageous voyagers to mysterious islands and a river that turns to gold, to fateful confrontations with magical creatures and sinister enemies, with meeting of Lilliandil the half star to a reunion with their friend and protector “the Great lion” Aslan.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: No excitement here nor there.
Ray: I’m holding my breath.. the Trailer doesn’t hint at plot at all.. effects look good even without Disney.
Steve: I miss the old animated versions of these books…the trailer looks neat, but don’t know that it’s drawing me in.

Coming Attractions

The Past: Hudson Hawk
The Present: Takers
The Future: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I

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