Tag Archives: David Fincher

Podcast

MOV065: “I Am Jill’s Nipples”

Take a trip with the boys back to 1999 as they break the first two rules of “Fight Club” and talk about the dark polarizing comedy? Does the David Fincher film knock us on our ass? Or limp away with its teeth knocked out? Next the boys swing into the present for the reboot prequel (is that a requel?) Rise of The planet of the Apes Is this monkey business better than the 2001 reboot or do those damn dirty apes do it again? Next the boys get caught in the Web of yet another studio reboot of a successful franchise… Does “The Amazing Spiderman” really look all that amazing? All that plus news about Queer Action Stars, Dragons and Zombies.. Oh My! on this new reel of COL Movies #65 – “I am Jill’s Nipples”

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News:

The Past: Fight Club
Rotten Tomatoes: 81% Fresh Critics, 95% Audience

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Directors: David Fincher

Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bohnam Carter

Trivia:

  • Director David Fincher shot over 1,500 reels of film, more than three times the usual amount for a 120 minute film.
  • Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) was originally going to recite a workable recipe for home-made explosives (as he does in the novel). But in the interest of public safety, the filmmakers decided to substitute fictional recipes for the real ones.
  • Author Chuck Palahniuk has stated that he found the film to be an improvement on his novel.
  • Although he refused to smoke in Rounders (his character played poker for cigarettes, but did not smoke), Edward Norton agreed to smoke for this film.
  • During an exterior shoot in an urban residential area, a man in one of the apartments above the working film crew got so annoyed with the noise that he threw a 40 oz. beer bottle at them. The bottle hit director of photography Jeff Cronenweth, who, although he was cut open, was not seriously injured; the man was arrested shortly afterward.
  • The reverse-tracking shot out of the trash can, an elaborate digitally animated sequence, was the very last shot to be added to the film. It required so much processing time that it almost had to be spliced in “wet” – i.e., fresh from the lab – so that the film could be duplicated on schedule. Due to the amount of reflective surfaces in the shot, it took almost 8 hours to render a single frame. The entire shot took 3 weeks to render.
  • In the short scene when Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are drunk and hitting golf balls, they really are drunk, and the golf balls are sailing directly into the side of the catering truck
  • During rehearsals, Brad Pitt and Edward Norton found out that they both hated the new Volkswagen Beetle with a passion, and for the scene where Tyler and The Narrator are hitting cars with baseball bats, Pitt and Norton insisted that one of the cars be a Beetle. However, Pitt is quoted on the DVD commentary as saying he has since had a change of heart about the new Beetle.
  • Three detectives in the film are named Detective Andrew, Detective Kevin, and Detective Walker. Andrew Kevin Walker was the writer of the David Fincher film Se7en (also starring Brad Pitt), and did some uncredited work on this movie’s script.
  • In Tyler Durden’s house there is a Movieline magazine cover featuring Drew Barrymore, a close friend of Edward Norton. The Blu-Ray edition of the film (released in November 2009) contains another “in-joke” reference to Barrymore; a fake menu for the film Never Been Kissed, which was released the same year as this film.
  • The typeface used for the titles and logo is named “Fight This”.
  • Some of fake names used by the narrator in the self-help groups are taken from Planet of the Apes (Cornelius), as well as classic roles played by Robert De Niro (such as Rupert from The King of Comedy and Travis from Taxi Driver).
  • Much confusion exists amongst fans about the Narrator’s name. Many believe it is Jack due to his use of the phrase “I am Jack’s…”, but others argue that he only uses the moniker Jack because that was the one he saw in “Annotated Reader”. Interestingly, in the press packages released for the movie, which came in the form of an Ikea-esque catalog, the character is referred to as Jack, as he is on the back of the DVD, and in the booklet accompanying the DVD, where the Chapter list is referred to as “Jack’s Chapters”. Also, the original screenplay by Jim Uhls refers to him as Jack. On the other hand, in the closed captions for the film, he is referred to as Rupert. Edward Norton reveals that he refers to the character as Jack on the audio commentary on the DVD and Blu-ray.
  • The original “pillow talk”-scene had Marla saying “I want to have your abortion”. When this was objected to by Fox 2000 Pictures President of Production Laura Ziskin, David Fincher said he would change it on the proviso that the new line couldn’t be cut. Ziskin agreed and Fincher wrote the replacement line, “I haven’t been fucked like that since grade school”. When Ziskin saw the new line, she was even more outraged and asked for the original line to be put back, but, as per their deal, Fincher refused.
  • The movie’s line “The first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club” was #27 of “The 100 Greatest Movie Lines” by Premiere in 2007.
  • The ‘soap slam on dish’ shot used in the trailer took 41 takes to get right. After the 40th take, director David Fincher realized that the soap was sliding out of frame and so he settled for a fake soap prop.
  • Starbucks pulled their name from the coffee shop destruction scene. They didn’t mind the director placing their product throughout the film, but did not want their name to be destroyed in that scene. Therefore, the gold globe crashes into a shop named Gratifico Coffee.
  • Edward Norton lost 17-20 pounds for this role after having to beef up tremendously for his role as a Neo-Nazi skinhead in American History X. Norton achieved this form by running, taking vitamins and just ignoring the on-set catering.
  • Courtney Love and Winona Ryder were both initially considered for the role of Marla Singer, but in the end, it came down to Helena Bonham Carter and Reese Witherspoon. Director David Fincher wanted Bonham-Carter, but the studio wanted a bigger name and chose to go with Witherspoon. In the end however, the decision was taken out of their hands when Witherspoon turned down the role as being “too dark”, and Bonham-Carter was cast.
  • David Fincher took 12 takes of the stuntman rolling down the stairs for the fight between The Narrator and Tyler at the end of the film. The take used in the movie is the very first one.
  • Author Chuck Palahniuk first came up with the idea for the novel after being beaten up on a camping trip when he complained to some nearby campers about the noise of their radio. When he returned to work, he was fascinated to find that nobody would mention or acknowledge his injuries, instead saying such commonplace things as “How was your weekend?” Palahniuk concluded that the reason people reacted this way was because if they asked him what had happened, a degree of personal interaction would be necessary, and his workmates simply didn’t care enough to connect with him on a personal level. It was his fascination with this societal ‘blocking’ which became the foundation for the novel.
  • After the copyright warning, there is another warning on the DVD. This warning is from Tyler Durden, and is only there for a second. “If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this is useless fine print is another second off your life. Don’t you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can’t think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all who claim it? Do you read everything you’re supposed to read? Do you think everything you’re supposed to think? Buy what you’re told you should want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you’re alive. If you don’t claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned… Tyler”
  • David Fincher claimed in an interview in UK film magazine Empire, that there is a Starbucks coffee cup visible in every shot in the movie (see also The Game) .
  • When a Fight Club member sprays the priest with a hose, the camera briefly shakes. This happens because the cameraman couldn’t keep himself from laughing.
  • Helena Bonham Carter wore platform shoes to help close up the disparity in height between her and Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.
  • The sex scene between Tyler (Brad Pitt) and Marla (Helena Bonham Carter) was shot using the same ‘bullet-time’ technique used in The Matrix; stills cameras were set up in a circle around the bed, and each one would take a single shot in sequence. These single frames were then edited together and enhanced with CG, as both Pitt and Bonham Carter were fully clothed in motion capture suits during the shoot.
  • To prepare for their roles, Edward Norton and Brad Pitt took basic lessons in boxing, taekwondo and grappling, and also studied hours of UFC programming. Additionally, they both took soapmaking classes from boutique company Auntie Godmother. Prior to principal photography, Pitt also visited a dentist to have his front tooth chipped.
  • Voted #4 in Total Film’s 100 Greatest Movies Of All Time list (November 2005).
  • The front of the product packaging for “Avery 8293 Matte White High-Visibility Labels for Inkjet Printers” shows a sample usage of the label on a shipping package. The address on this label is, “Tyler Durden 420 Paper St. Wilmington, DE”
  • Voted #10 on Empire magazine’s 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time (September 2008).
  • When the Narrator hits Tyler Durden in the ear, Edward Norton actually did hit Brad Pitt in the ear. He was originally going to fake hit him, but before the scene, David Fincher pulled Norton aside and told him to hit him in the ear. After Norton hit him in the scene, you can see him smiling and laughing while Pitt is in pain.
  • According to author Chuck Palahniuk, much of the specific content of the novel (such as splicing single frames of pornography into family films, attending support groups for the terminally ill, erasing video tapes etc) came from stories told him by friends, and from things his friends actually did. Whilst writing the novel, Palahniuk also interviewed numerous young white males in white-collar jobs, discovering that “the longing for fathers was a theme I heard a lot about. The resentment of lifestyle standards imposed by advertising was another.”
  • Fox 2000 Pictures executive Raymond Bongiovanni, who died shortly before the project was green-lit, first discovered the book whilst still in galleys. Prior to his death, Bongiovanni worked tirelessly to get the project off the ground, and in his obituary, it said that his last wish was that the novel be made into a film.
  • Director David Fincher shot 38 takes of the scene between Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and The Narrator (Edward Norton) in Lou’s Bar after The Narrator’s apartment has blown up. Each take was filmed with two cameras, and for every individual take, Fincher would give the actors a rough idea of what to do, and they would improvise most of the dialogue. The scene as it exists in the finished film is made up of segments from numerous different takes and much of the dialogue, especially Tyler’s dialogue, was completely ad-libbed on set.
  • Author Chuck Palahniuk told the producers from the very start that, although he fully supported the adaptation, he wasn’t interested in writing the screenplay. Jim Uhls was ultimately chosen as the writer. Cameron Crowe, Andrew Kevin Walker, director David Fincher and actors Brad Pitt and Edward Norton also did uncredited work on the screenplay.
  • Producer Ross Grayson Bell initially wanted Russell Crowe to play Tyler Durden, but he was overruled by fellow producer Art Linson, who felt Brad Pitt was the better choice. Bell has since said that he is glad Linson stepped in, as he can’t imagine anyone being as good in the role as Pitt proved to be.
  • The producers considered both Matt Damon and Sean Penn for the role of The Narrator, but director David Fincher wanted Edward Norton,
  • During the shooting of the sex scene, actors Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter posed in 10 different positions from the Kama Sutra.
  • Prior to filming, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter considered visiting real support groups for the terminally ill, but they decided against it, as due to the satiric nature of the film, they didn’t feel it was appropriate.
  • Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter spent three days recording orgasmic sounds for their unseen sex scenes.
  • When Tyler (Brad Pitt) catches The Narrator (Edward Norton) listening at the door as he has sex with Marla (Helena Bonham Carter), he is wearing a rubber glove. This was Brad Pitt’s idea, and caused a great deal of controversy with President of Production at Fox 2000 Pictures, Laura Ziskin. She was horrified when she saw the scene and demanded that it be removed. However at a subsequent test screening, the appearance of the glove got the biggest laugh of the whole movie, prompting Ziskin to change her mind.
  • To ensure that Bob’s (Meat Loaf) breasts and love handles hung correctly, his fat suit was filled with birdseed, so that it would ‘spill’ over his pants and give the impression of sagging flesh. Altogether, the suit plus the seed weighed over one hundred pounds.
  • Make up artist Rob Bottin had to build two different fat suits for Meat Loaf – one with nipples, one without – because the filmmakers weren’t sure if 20th Century Fox would approve the suit with the prominent nipples.
  • The cave scene early in the film where The Narrator (Edward Norton) meets a penguin was inspired by the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and was intended by director David Fincher as a ‘warning’ to the audience as to how surreal the film was going to become.
  • The breath in the cave scene is recycled Leonardo DiCaprio breath from Titanic, which was composited into the shot.
  • During the shooting of the film, Helena Bonham Carter insisted that her makeup artist (Julie Pearce) apply all of her eye makeup with her left hand, because Bonham-Carter felt that Marla was not a person who would be particularly skilled at (or concerned with) correctly applying makeup.
  • According to Helena Bonham Carter, she based her performance of Marla Singer on Judy Garland in the later stages of her life. To help her get into the mindset, director David Fincher would often call her Judy on-set.
  • The scene where The Narrator’s boss (Zach Grenier) finds the rules of Fight Club in the photocopier and The Narrator points out that whoever wrote it is obviously dangerous and might one day storm through the building shooting everyone, proved to be a highly controversial scene for the filmmakers. In early test screenings, the scene got huge laughs and scored extremely highly with audiences. However, these screenings happened before the Columbine massacre. In all screenings after Columbine, the scene evoked no laughter whatsoever and scored extremely poorly, with audiences commenting that they felt it was in bad taste. This prompted the studio to ask director David Fincher to cut the scene altogether. Fincher considered doing so, but because the scene leads into the pivotal Marla breast-cancer scene, he decided that it couldn’t be cut.
  • Filming lasted 138 days, with over 300 scenes shot on 200 locations and 72 sets constructed by production designer Alex McDowell.
  • After director David Fincher was finished editing the film, the studio executives were baffled by the piece, and unsure how to market it. Fincher had wanted a highly unique marketing campaign which would mirror the film’s theme of anti-commercialism, but already worried about the possible backlash against the film, the Fox executives refused to go ahead with Fincher’s idea (two of Fincher’s trailers can be found on the DVD in the ‘Internet Spots’ section). Instead, a campaign was launched which was built largely upon the presence of Brad Pitt in the film, as well as concentrating on the fighting (which plays a minor role in the actual film itself). The campaign was highly criticized as giving the impression that the film was basically just about men beating each other up, completely ignoring the comic and satiric elements of the narrative, and for marketing the film to the wrong audience. David Fincher was particularly incensed when he saw ads for the film during WWE and UFC programming.
  • In an infamous incident, the Friday that the film was released theatrically in the United States, Rosie O’Donnell appeared on her TV show and revealed that she had seen the film earlier in the week, and had been unable to sleep ever since. She then proceeded to give away the twist ending of the film and urged all of her viewers to avoid the movie at all costs. Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and David Fincher discuss this incident on their DVD commentary track, with Pitt calling ‘O’Donnell’s actions “unforgivable”.
  • Rupert Murdoch despised the project and clashed with then-studio head Bill Mechanic over putting it into production.
  • As noted during Author Chuck Palahniuk and Screenwriter Jim Uhls’ commentary, the seminary student/priest hosed by the mechanic is ultimately the winning combatant in the fight sequence immediately following the scene in which narrator beats himself up in front of his boss.
  • In the scene where The Narrator is sitting on a toilet, with his pants down while reading an Ikea catalog, Edward Norton is actually completely nude from the waist down. Norton talks about it on the DVD commentary to which David Fincher says “really?” Norton then says “Did you notice I never had to go to the bathroom that day?”
  • Brad Pitt says he didn’t want his parents to see the movie, but he couldn’t convince them not to watch. They changed their minds after watching the chemical burn scene.
  • The Narrator and Marla are both in attendance at a Sickle-Cell Disease support group. Every other member is of an African or Latin racial background. This disease primarily infects people of African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern or South Asian background, hence a further statement on their need to “crash” these meetings.
  • Edward Kowalczyk: Member of the band Live plays the waiter who serves the Narrator and Marla with the line, “Sir, anything you want is free of charge, sir.”

Talking Points:

  • Called a Dramatic Comedy? would you agree with that?
  • Anyone Read The Book?
  • Why do some movies only find their audience after they have run in the theaters?
  • Worth watching over and over?
  • The old adage is that the Book is always better.. The Author of Fight Club says the film was an improvement on his Novel.
  • What Celebrity would you fight and what historical figure would you fight?

What We’ve Learned:

  • With a gun barrel between your teeth, you speak only in vowels.
  • Bob… Bob had bitch tits.
  • You can’t die from insomnia
  • support groups..cheaper than a movie and there’s free coffee
  • On a long enough time-line the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
  • one can make all kinds of explosives out of simple household items
  • You can swallow a pint of blood before you get sick.
  • Self improvement is masturbation, and self destruction
  • Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: I want to ask the question, “How can you NOT have this movie in your DVD collection?” I still think it should be there because of the ultimate awesomeness of this movie, but I can understand why you wouldn’t. You should see it at least once.
Ray: I’m one of the people that fell victim to the poor marketing of this film and didn’t see it until it was released on DVD, It quickly became one of my favorite, and most watched DVD’s in my collection.
Steve: Never saw this in the theater, but once I saw it on DVD I really enjoyed it. However, unlike Se7en, watching it again has never had the same impact as seeing it the first time.

The Present: Rise Of The Planet of The Apes
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% Fresh Critics , 90% Audience

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Starring: James Franco, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Fenton, Andy Serkis

Trivia:

  • This is the second film in which Andy Serkis plays an ape, having previously portrayed 2005’s version of King Kong. He was also the motion capture actor for Gollum in Lord of the Rings, where he bites off Frodo’s finger. His ape character Caesar bites off the neighbor’s finger in this role, too.
  • Caesar uses a bundle of sticks to explain to Maurice how an ape alone is weak but apes together are strong. The bundle of sticks, or fasces, was a symbol of authority in ancient Rome, the origin of Caesar’s name. Caesar’s charisma is also reminiscent of Benito Mussolini, who adopted the fasces as the symbol of his Italian Fascist party.
  • The head of the research department Steven Jacobs (David Oyelowo) is named after Arthur P. Jacobs, producer of the original “Apes” franchise. His production company, APJAC, was often referred to as “ApeJAC”.
  • This is the first “Planet of the Apes” film in which neither Charlton Heston nor Roddy McDowall, the stars of the original Planet of the Apes, appear. Heston died on April 5, 2008 at the age of 84 whereas McDowall died on October 3, 1998 at the age of 70.
  • Shipped to theaters under the code name “Salad”.
  • Kathryn Bigelow, Robert Rodriguez, Tomas Alfredson, Allen Hughes and Albert Hughes, Pierre Morel, James McTeigue, Dennis Iliadis and Scott Charles Stewart all were considered by the studio, or passed on the project before director Rupert Wyatt signed on.

Talking Points:

  • Was this what you expected it to be?
  • Yummy, yummy – Tyler Labine
  • Did the monkey suffer the “Uncanny Valley” for anyone? !
  • Did you catch all the little homage’s to the original ?
  • Bright Eyes was the name given to Heston’s character in the original
  • Tom Fenton’s Character Dodge Landon is named after Heston’s two fellow astronauts
  • The Orangutan “Maurice” is named after actor Maurice Evans who played the Orangutan Dr Zaius
  • Charlton Heston appears on screen on the TV’s in the ape sanctuary
  • There is a news item on TV about the “Icarus” mission to mars.. supposedly referring to the crashed spacecraft piloted by Heston in the first film.
  • Tom Fenton says two of Heston’s most memorable lines from the first film “It’s a madhouse! A madhouse!” and “Take your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!”
  • Jamie Harris plays Rodney, the sympathetic keeper in the ape sanctuary. This is a nod to legendary ape actor ‘Roddy McDowell’.
  • In one scene, Caesar is shown handling a 3D puzzle of the Statue of Liberty, in reference to the the ending of the original Planet of the Apes.
  • Was the ending clear or too vague? Do you think many audiences understood it?

What We Learned:

  • Shooting your test subject is probably not the best way to impress your board of directors.
  • Never leave your keys in the mustang
  • Draco is still an asshole.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: I thoroughly enjoyed this movie but I didn’t really think it was that great.
Ray: Wow.. this movie i think was the most surprising for me this summer.. i expected to hate it and walked away loving it.. even with Franco’s wooden acting and creepyish CGI
Steve: I didn’t realize Franco or Labine were in this! I liked the premise and knowing the origin, but didn’t find the acting particularly inspiring. It was all about the monkeys and the CG from afar stunk.

The Future: The Amazing Spiderman

Director: Marc Web

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Irrfan Khan, Denis Leary

Trivia:

  • In early January 2010, Sony announced that they canceled their idea of making “Spider-Man 4” with director Sam Raimi and actor Tobey Maguire, who started their work together on Spider-Man, and instead decided to re-boot the Spider-Man franchise with a new crew.
  • Before Andrew Garfield was announced for the lead part, Josh Hutcherson, Logan Lerman, Jamie Bell, Michael Angarano, Alden Ehrenreich, Aaron Johnson, and Anton Yelchin were also considered to play the lead role.
  • Michael Fassbender was approached by the studio to play the lead villain in this reboot. His Inglourious Basterds co-star Christoph Waltz was later rumored to be attached to the part.
  • Andrew Garfield was announced for the lead role in early July 2010.
  • Like Tobey Maguire (the original Spider-Man), Andrew Garfield had starred in a Terry Gilliam film before nabbing the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Maguire appeared in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Garfield appeared in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, both films also featuring Johnny Depp.
  • On selecting Andrew Garfield to play Peter Parker/Spider-Man, director Marc Webb said, “Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor’s work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.”
  • Although numerous characters have been named for Spider-Man 4, Wizard has reported that it may come down to less-of-a-reboot for Sony and more along the lines of a “re-do” of the series by placing it firmly in the “Modern Age” (~1980-current) setting up Venom as the main villain. This was listed in two separate issues in 2009 and 2010.
  • Mia Wasikowska, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Imogen Poots, Emma Roberts, Lily Collins, Ophelia Lovibond, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Georgina Haig, Hilary Duff and Dominique McElligott were considered for the role of Gwen Stacy, but were beaten out by Emma Stone.
  • This film marks the first time Dr. Curt Connors becomes The Lizard on film, played by Rhys Ifans. Although the character of Dr. Curt Connors appeared in the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man films, played by Dylan Baker, the character never became The Lizard in the films despite some strong hints.
  • This marks the second time that Martin Sheen and Cliff Robertson have shared a part. They previously played John F. Kennedy in Kennedy and PT 109, respectively.
  • Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) and Sally Field (Aunt May) share the same birthday.
  • The first “Spider-Man” film to not feature Mary Jane Watson. Mary Jane was in the original three films played by Kirsten Dunst.
  • All four Spider-Man films have filmed on the Universal Studios Hollywood back lot. Ironically symbolic of the series itself, portions of the back lot burned down on June 1, 2008, meaning that first three used the old back lot while this reboot uses the new back lot.
  • John Slattery, Sam Elliott and R. Lee Ermey were considered for the role of J. Jonah Jameson before the character was cut from the movie. J.K. Simmons even expressed interest in reprising the role.

Talking Points:

  • Supposedly this is a “Darker” reboot, compared to the Nolan reboot of the Batman Franchise, are you getting that impression from the trailers?
  • Do superhero reboots really need to spend time on Origin Stories?
  • Anyone else find the FPS perspective in the trailer hokey?

Summary:

The film will portray Peter Parker as he is developing his super powers in high school.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: I’m totally ready for another Spidey movie. Not sure if they really had to reboot it, but interested in this take.
Ray: Much like Rise of the Planet of the Apes.. I’m not very excited by the trailer for this reboot… hopefully it will surprise me as much as Apes did.
Steve: Why do we need another Spiderman movie?

Coming Attractions:

The Past
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The Present

The Future

Podcast

MOV061: “Mellow Greetings – What’s Your Boggle?”

In a COL Movies first…Jeff and Ray run the show alone while Steve sends in his thoughts. The boys give their thoughts on the Sylvester Stallone classic, “Demolition Man”…then head to the theater to check out the Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts flick, “Larry Crowne”. They wrap the show up with a review of the trippy trailer for the Americanized, David Fincher version of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”. All this and news about changes to Netflix, how Harry Potter may be linked to a remake of Stephen King’s “The Stand”, as well as new images from Captain America. It’s the 61st reel of COL Movies…Mellow greetings – what seems to be your boggle?

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News:

The Past: Demolition Man (1993)
Rotten Tomatoes: 63% Fresh; 60% Audience

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Director: Marco Brambilla
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock

Trivia:

  • For some non-American releases, references to Taco Bell were changed to Pizza Hut. This includes dubbing, plus changing the logos during post-production. Taco Bell remains in the closing credits. In the Swedish release the subtitles still use Taco Bell while the sound and picture has been altered as above.
  • In the strange attempt to entirely replace the Taco Bell name with Pizza Hut (the name was dubbed over and computer generated images of the logo were pasted over), the editors missed a spot. At the start of the battle outside the restaurant, when everyone is flocking to the window, one pane still holds the logo for Taco Bell and the Taco Bell sign is visible in the first shot of the van (in the background when people are running) on the door.
  • Many of the cars in the movie were prototypes of future models, supplied by General Motors.
  • Sandra Bullock replaced Lori Petty after a few days filming.
  • Sylvester Stallone wanted the Simon Phoenix character to be played by Jackie Chan. Chan refused, since Asian audiences don’t like the idea of actors who have always played heroes suddenly playing evil characters.
  • The “ray gun” used by Wesley Snipes in the Museum Armory sequence is based on the Heckler and Koch G11, a prototype weapon for the German army that would have been the most advanced rifle in the world, firing caseless ammunition (bullets, not death rays).
  • The building used for exterior shots of the SAPD building was the California Headquarters of GTE in Thousand Oaks.
  • The title was taken from The Police’s song of the same name. Hence, the use of Sting to remake the song for the film.
  • In Kuwait the Arabic title of the movie in the cinemas was “Rambo The Destroyer”. The idea is that, seeing the Rambo movies were very popular, associating Sylvester Stallone to Rambo in the title would perhaps sell more tickets.

Talking Points:

  • Would taco bell have won the franchise wars? what FF restaurant would have been featured if this was made today

What We’ve Learned:

  • Don’t trust the thermal scans
  • All restaurants in the future will be Taco Bells
  • Be prepared for the 3 sea shells
  • It takes a maniac to catch a maniac!

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Classic action movie. Some might say it’s a bad movie, they may be right but I can’t help myself but like it.
Ray: This was 90’s action film at its peak, When Joel Silver still produced movies that were entertaining.
Steve: I remember that when I first saw this movie, I thought Wesley Snipes was just a major badass – but today he just looks like a cartoon character. I do like the whole evolution of Huxley (Bullock), where she becomes much more confident in her abilities and training. I still haven’t figured out the whole shell thing…LOL! Definitely a good romp in the genre of the other 80s & 90s action movies like The Running Man, Total Recall, and Judge Dredd.

The Present: Larry Crowne (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes: 36% Rotten; 51% Audience

Director: Tom Hanks
Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sarah Mahoney

Trivia:

  • Tom Hanks wrote the film with Nia Vardalos

Talking Points:

  • George Takai – awesome
  • Use of text messages
  • Scooter Gangs

What We Learned:

  • A College Education will help you not only get a better job, but keep your current one.
  • Getting kicked in the butt hurts no matter the language
  • Tai Chi cures Diabetes
  • A deed in Lieu never goes that fast
  • Tucking in your polo shirt makes you look like a cop
  • There are only two things you cant do in college.. smoke in the building, and use YOUR PHONE IN MY CLASS!

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: The first half of the movie was hard for me to get through. The second half well made up for it. Wonderful date movie.
Ray: they lost me at the kiss… movie is cute, somewhat schitzo
Steve: This felt like my every day at work…lol! It felt a little like Tom Hanks was playing Forrest Gump going to College, but I liked the cast of characters around him. Pam Grier was fun in the movie and George Takei was the perfect Economics professor who thinks he’s funny!!

The Future: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Director: David Fincher
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara and Stellan Skarsgård

Trivia:

  • Remake of swedish film based on the novel.

Talking Points:

  • Remake of swedish film, again.

Summary:

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist and rebellious computer hacker Lisbeth Salander team up to investigate the unsolved disappearance of wealthy Henrik Vanger’s teen niece, only to uncover dark secrets about Vanger’s powerful family. Niels Arden Oplev directs this Swedish thriller based on the first novel from Stieg Larsson’s best-selling trilogy.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: The trailer was thrilling and hooked me with the shiny but didn’t really tell me anything about the movie.  Excited to see it though.
Ray: Excited because its a david fincher movie.. but think I should check out the original first
Steve: Holy crap…my eyes hurt after watching that trailer. Felt like I was watching images from a subliminal movie clip or something. Don’t feel that I really learned anything about the movie, but the music did make it seem like something exciting was going on. Clearly, I need to either read the book or watch the Swedish version before deciding if I’m going to see this.

Coming Attractions

The Past
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The Present

The Future

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MOV060: “What’s in the box???”

In this 60th reel of COL Movies, the boys head back in time to revive the thriller “Se7en”, starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and perhaps the creepiest performance ever by Kevin Spacey. They head to the theater to check out “Transformers: Dark of The Moon” – if nothing else, just to see if Jeff will orgasm in the theater. Finally, the check out the trailer for the upcoming thriller “Straw Dogs”, starring the dreamy Alexander Saarsgard (otherwise known as Eric from True Blood). They hit up the movie news to talk about new stuff from Paramount, the Man of Steel, Transformer’s record breaking IMAX performance, as well as Ridley Scott’s upcoming “Prometheus”. This is definitely an episode you don’t want to miss..and oh, by the way…What’s in the Box???

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News:

  • Paramount Pictures announces Paramount Animation
  • Budgets up to $100 million per film
  • First Release targeted for 2014
  • “Paramount Animation’s mandate will be the development of the broadest range of family CGI animated films, with a key piece being titles under the label of Viacom’s Nickelodeon, the number one entertainment brand for kids worldwide. Paramount will also look to build on Viacom’s already thriving global consumer products business by seeking to capitalize on merchandising opportunities tied to all Paramount Animation releases.
  • Pictures from Man of Steel set released
  • Transformers Dark of the Moon Posts record IMAX opening
  • IMAX Corporation and Paramount Pictures announced today that Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3D, the third film in the blockbuster Transformers franchise, posted a record opening in IMAX(R) theatres, generating $23.1 million globally since launch. The total IMAX domestic take was $14 million, while the 146 domestic theatres that played Transformers: Dark of the Moon exclusively generated $88,500 per screen. The overall box office gross for the movie in the U.S. stands at $180,650,000 million through Monday
  • Lidelof, and Scott release synopsis for Prometheus
  • Visionary filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the genre he helped define, creating an original science fiction epic set in the most dangerous corners of the universe. The film takes a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey that will test their physical and mental limits and strand them on a distant world, where they will discover the answers to our most profound questions and to life’s ultimate mystery.

The Past: Se7en (1995)

Rotten Tomatoes: 85% Fresh; 94% Audience

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Director: David Fincher
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey

Trivia:

  • While filming the scene where Mills chases John Doe in the rain, Brad Pitt fell and his arm went through a car windscreen, requiring surgery. This accident was worked into the script of the film. Ironically, the original script did call for Pitt’s Det. Mills character to be injured during this sequence–but to something other than his hand.
  • The autopsy of the first killing, as originally scripted, was incorrect according to the research of makeup man Rob Bottin (who viewed a real human autopsy as part of his prep work). The scene was truncated from the original script and shows only the sewn-up corpse of Gluttony, not the actual autopsy.
  • Originally, Morgan Freeman drew his pistol with his finger on the trigger. Police officers that were on the set as technical advisors quickly corrected him, as that is not correct police procedure.
  • The original script had a strange, dwarf-like woman as part of the forensics team, appearing in every one of the “cleanups” after a murder and hurling foul language and epithets at Somerset and Mills.
  • An edited-out sequence near the beginning had Somerset looking over the country home he’s planning on moving into. He uses his switchblade to cut loose a rose on a fragment of silk wallpaper and carries it with him throughout the movie. The rose falls out of his jacket as he is taking off his gun before eating with the Mills family. (This touch was edited out, too. Both sequences are in the supplementary section of the Criterion laserdisc.) The rose is briefly visible in the opening scene, sitting atop a handkerchief on Somerset’s dresser.
  • The screenplay had references to a partner Mills had when he still lived in the country, named Parsons. Parsons was shot and killed while on a bust with Mills, and consequently Mills is overprotective of Somerset in some scenes. All references to Parsons were deleted before shooting began.
  • All the building numbers in the opening scene start with 7. The climactic delivery was scheduled for 7pm.
  • New Line executives originally balked at the film’s ending, but Brad Pitt refused to make the film if the ending were changed.
  • Charles S. Dutton has a cameo as the cop who keeps the press out of the Greed crime scene.
  • The producers intended that Kevin Spacey should receive top billing at the start of the movie but he insisted that his name not appear in the opening credits, so as to surprise the audience with the identity of the killer. To compensate, he is listed twice in the closing credits: once before the credits start rolling, and once in the rolling credits in order of appearance. Another advantage from Spacey’s point of view, as he saw it, was that he was excluded from the film’s marketing during its release, meaning he didn’t have to make any public appearances or do any interviews.
  • When Somerset is in his apartment, he can be heard listening to a radio broadcast of John F. McClellan. McLellan was a Boston disc jockey (among other things) who did live Tuesday night broadcasts from the Boston club Storyville, on WHDH radio in the early 1950s. In the clip in the movie, you can hear McLellan’s voice announcing some of the members of the band at Storyville that night, including Charlie Parker with Herb Pomeroy on trumpet.
  • All of John Doe’s books were real books, written for the film. They took two months to complete and cost $15,000. According to Somerset, two months is also the time it would take the police to read all the books.
  • R.E.M’s Michael Stipe was once considered for the role of John Doe.
  • As preparation for his traumatic scene in the interrogation room, Leland Orser would breathe in and out very rapidly so that his body would be overly saturated with oxygen, giving him the ability to hyperventilate. He also did not sleep for a few days to achieve his character’s disoriented look.
  • The film was the subject of a lawsuit brought by a photographer whose work was used in the background of John Doe’s apartment. The case was decided in the filmmakers’ favor. Sandoval v. New Line Cinema Corp., 973 F.Supp. 409, 412-414 (S.D.N.Y 1997).
  • Morgan Freeman’s son, Alfonso Freeman, played the part of a fingerprint technician.
  • Denzel Washington turned down the part that went to Brad Pitt, telling Entertainment Weekly that the film was too “dark and evil.”
  • When looking for the part of Victor, David Fincher stated that he wanted to find someone who was incredibly skinny, around 90 lbs. Michael Reid MacKay auditioned, and at the time weighed 96 lbs. Fincher gave him the part and jokingly told him to lose some more weight. Much to his surprise, MacKay turned up to filming having lost another 6 lbs.
  • The song “6ix” from the Evan Dando album “Car, Button, Cloth” gives away the ending of the film.
  • This was voted the eighth scariest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
  • The word “fuck” and its derivatives are said a discernible 74 times throughout the movie, mostly by Brad Pitt.
  • According to earlier versions of the script, the unspoken name of the police captain is Captain Lucas.
  • David Cronenberg was offered a chance to direct this but he turned it down.
  • The box full of photographs at the “Sloth” scene has written on the side “To the World, from Me.”
  • Before Kevin Spacey was set to shoot his first scene, he asked director David Fincher if he should shave his head for the role. David Fincher replied “If you do it, I’ll do it.” Both Fincher and Spacey were bald for the remainder of the movie production.
  • This was regarded as the first “A” production for New Line Cinema, proving that they could attract “A-list” directors and cast.
  • Brad Pitt earned $7 million for this film.
  • Andrew Kevin Walker had enormous difficulty getting a studio to buy the rights to his script because he was a complete unknown in Hollywood. Allegedly he put together a list of agents that represented writers that work in the crime and thriller genres, and just called each one up until he got a positive response.
  • The closing credits for this movie scroll from the top of the screen to the bottom, instead of from the bottom to the top like in most other movies.
  • Gwyneth Paltrow was David Fincher’s first choice for the part of Brad Pitt’s wife, having impressed him with her work in Flesh and Bone (1993). Paltrow was initially not interested so Fincher had to ask her then boyfriend – Brad Pitt – to get her to come in and meet with him.
  • Kevin Spacey was cast two days before filming began.
  • At exactly 7 minutes into the film Mills picks up the phone to be called over to the Gluttony scene.
  • An interesting coincidence is that Se7en portrays religion in a pejorative light, and in private life, Brad Pitt openly admits his disdain for religion of any kind.
  • Andrew Kevin Walker The writer of the film appears as the first corpse.
  • The victim tied to the bed for a year was not an animatronic model, but a very skinny actor made up to look even more corpse-like. Rob Bottin used a set of exaggerated teeth to make the head look smaller and more shrunken from malnutrition.
  • R. Lee Ermey originally auditioned for the part of John Doe. After the part was given to Kevin Spacey, Ermey was offered, and took, the part of the police captain.
  • The prison jumpsuit John Doe wears at the end of the film has the words “Bardach County Jail” written on it. Elinor Bardach was the costume supervisor for this movie.
  • One version of the script contained a few scenes following the final confrontation between the detectives and John Doe. In one, Somerset is recovering in the hospital after being shot by Mills, and the captain delivers a letter to him from Mills which reads, “You were right. You were right about everything.”
  • In one scene, Mills belittles Doe as a “Movie of the Week”. When this film was shown on network television, the line was changed to “Book of the Month”. (The line has since been restored in subsequent showings on Cable television.)
  • Even though he’s probably one of the most horrifying and sadistic killers in cinematic history, John Doe isn’t seen killing anyone on screen.
  • To appease the producers, who wanted to soften the dramatic ending a bit, an alternate version of the ending was storyboarded, with Somerset saying that he “wants out”, and killing John Doe, thereby preventing Doe from winning, and Mills from ending up in jail. In the mean time, the crew shot a test ending, which is basically the theatrical ending without some of the dramatic shots. This finale was so well received in screenings that it convinced the producers to go along with it, and not even film the alternate ending.
  • The ending in the movie is the ending in the original draft of the screenplay. Producer Arnold Kopelson had it rewritten and the ending became a race to save Tracey’s life. When David Fincher, Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman read the new ending, they all demanded the that original ending be put back in or they wouldn’t do the movie. (From the Platinum Series DVD).
  • One of the re-written endings of the film involved Somerset discovering that John Doe was raised by an abusive priest in a church orphanage. Doe kidnaps Mills and lures Somerset to a decrepit church decorated with artwork depicting the Seven Deadly Sins, intent on making Somerset murder him out of vengeance. Instead, Doe and Somerset engage in a shootout, and Somerset lawfully kills Doe to protect Mills’ life.
  • It is raining every day in the movie except for the last day. The reason is less about thematic issues and more about continuity. It rained on the first day that Brad Pitt filmed so they kept it going as they were rushing to do all of Pitt’s scenes before he left to go make Twelve Monkeys (1995).
  • Kevin Spacey as the antagonist, John Doe, made his first appearance in the film, as the photographer taking pictures of Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman at the sloth crime scene. If you pause the film at 54:45, when Pitt’s character was slapping the camera out of the photographer’s hand, you can clearly see that, it is Kevin Spacey.
  • John Doe only kills one of the “sinners” himself, and even that one is by accident (kicking Gluttony to wake him up, which makes his stomach burst). All of his other victims either kill themselves (Greed & Pride) or are killed by other people (Lust & Envy) or survive (Sloth & Wrath). The only murder John Doe actually commits intentionally by his own hand is Tracy Mills.
  • The ending narration of Somerset quoting Hemingway was an added compromise that neither David Fincher or Morgan Freeman particularly cared for. The decision came from New Line after poor test screenings regarding the dark ending.

Talking Points:

  • If you saw this movie in the theater, what made you go? Trailer? or word of mouth?
  • The end!

What We’ve Learned:

  • When you want somebody dead, you drive by and shoot them.
  • No matter how emotional you get, you need to keep focused on the details.
  • Just because you have a library card, doesn’t make you yoda
  • Apathy is not a virtue only a solution
  • Love cost’s, takes work and effort.
  • ‘The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Classic thriller, I’m glad I have this in my DVD collection.
Ray: Awesome film, awesome ending.. if you haven’t seen this you should be ashamed of yourself
Steve: Amazing film…I’m glad I took the time to watch it again. Was just as into it as I was the first time.

The Present: Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes: 37% Rotten; 90% Audience

Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson, Buzz Aldrin, Frances McDormand, Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving, Leonard Nimoy

Trivia:

  • Tony Todd, who voiced the title character of The Fallen in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), was going to play a human character in this film, but his role got written out of the script.
  • Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who worked on the screenplay for the previous two films, declined to work on this film due to schedules with other films and because they “risked getting stale.”
  • When Megan Fox dropped out shortly before filming began, Gemma Arterton, Ashley Greene, Brooklyn Decker, Miranda Kerr, Bar Refaeli, Amber Heard, Camilla Belle, Katie Cassidy, Heidi Montag and Anna Kendrick were all rumored to replace her before Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was cast.
  • This is director Michael Bay’s first threequel (third instalment in a series/trilogy).
  • The Autobots have upgraded their alternate modes: – Bumblebee has received an upgrade and is now a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro – Ratchet’s color scheme now includes white and his green is more grass-green than his previous neon/yellow green – Sideswipe is now a Chevrolet Centennial Corvette convertible
  • In view of the technology’s rising popularity, Paramount/Dreamworks were adamant to have this film either shot for 3-D or converted in post-production. Director Michael Bay was initially wary of the technology, calling it a “gimmick” in various interviews and noting the poor quality of post-production conversion. Vince Pace, the co-found of PACE 3D who developed 2D and 3D cameras with James Cameron reported in July 2010 that he was working on Transformers 3 and that it will be shot in on PACE 3D cameras. However, for scenes that required higher image quality or were in slow motion, traditional anamorphic 35mm film was used and converted into 3D in post production.
  • Optimus Prime’s trailer bears a resemblance to the original one from “Transformers” (1984) with the decorative stripe running along its side.
  • Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is playing Carly, a primary character that was introduced in the second season of “Transformers” (1984).
  • During filming in Washington, DC, the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro that plays Bumblebee was struck by an metro police K-9 SUV responding to a bomb alert. The police officer involved sustained minor injuries, and Bumblebee sustained considerable damage. Filming was able to continue, as there were copies of each automobile for shooting purposes.
  • A tilting office set was constructed to simulate a Decepticon attack.
  • The Wreckers take the alternate modes of NASCAR Chevrolet Impala automobiles, resembling those of Juan Pablo Montoya (#42 Target), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (#88 AMP Energy/National Guard) and Jimmie Johnson (#48 Lowe’s/Kobalt)
  • The “dark of the moon” is defined as a phase (approximately three days) when the light of the moon is obscured, and thus absent (i.e. a no-moon time), and precedes the new moon and the beginning of a new lunar cycle. Symbolically, it represents a time of inner stillness and contemplation, and preparedness for a new beginning.
  • The Autobot Wheeljack’s alternate mode in “Transformers” (1984) was a Lancia Stratos sportscar, but this was revised to a Mercedes-Benz E550 automobile. His head is also luminescent, in homage to his appearance in the series where two bulb-like appendages on his face regularly lit up.
  • The idea of Apollo 11 being connected to the discovery of the Transformers had been previously put forth in the Transformers (2007) tie-in prequel novel ‘Ghosts of Yesterday’.
  • Production stalled in Chicago as Gabriella Cedillo, an extra was seriously injured driving her own car as background for a stunt shot. The stunt was taking place in the opposite lane and a metal object – rigging from a snapped cable – went flying through her windshield and struck her in the skull. Cedillo suffered permanent brain damage, included left side paralysis and limited vision in her left eye. Paramount Studios provided an undisclosed amount of money to cover the cost of her medical care.
  • US$1 million was spent during the two days of filming at the Milwaukee Art Museum.
  • Corey Burton, who voiced Shockwave in “Transformers” (1984) and “Transformers: Animated” (2007), was approached to reprise Shockwave for the film, but turned it down as he’d done that role too many times. He had earlier been approached to voice Jazz and Brawl for the first film.
  • Megatron’s alternate mode in this film is a Mack Titan tanker truck, his first Earth disguise. This was chosen to put him on parallel with Optimus Prime (the filmmakers described him as “a demented version of Prime”). This mode also pays homage to the “Transformers: Robots in Disguise” (2001) Decepticon Scourge (also known in Japan as “Black Convoy”), who is an evil clone of Optimus Prime.
  • Michael Bay described the tone of the film as “a homeland version of Black Hawk Down (2001) with giant alien robots.”
  • Sentinel Prime is primarily based on his role in the “Transformers” comics (Optimus Prime’s yellow-colored predecessor) and his lance and shield were taken from his “Transformers: Animated” (2007) incarnation, but his later form on Earth – a red Rosenbauer Panther fire truck – is a homage to “Transformers: Robots in Disguise” (2001)’s Optimus Prime, whose alternate mode was a fire truck.
  • Laserbeak’s alternate mode in “Transformers” (1984) was a tape cassette, but that was considered old-fashioned. He retains his robotic condor form throughout the film.
  • This is the first movie that starts with Megatron being conscious. In previous installments Megatron was awakened or resurrected.
  • The Autobot Steeljaw was originally a robotic lion and a minion of Blaster in “Transformers” (1984), but this was revised to a robotic hound and minion of Leadfoot.
  • To film the skydiving sequence, Michael Bay attached cameras to the divers’ helmets to capture their descent into Chicago.
  • The Autobot Mirage was originally a Formula-1 race car but this was altered to a Ferrari 458 italia
  • Scenes from Michael Bay’s The Island (2005) freeway way chase were recycled for the chase on the freeway between The Autobots and the Decepticon Dreads.
  • This is not Leonard Nimoy’s first appearance in a Transformers movie. He provided the voice of Galvatron (the upgraded Megatron) in the 1985 animated Transformers movie, which also had Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime; the two had no lines together in that movie, however, as Optimus was killed before Galvatron was created.
  • There are several homages to storylines from the original Transformers (1984) cartoon. Megatron removing Abraham Lincoln from the Lincoln Memorial and using the chair as a throne, the Decepticons creating a Space Bridge to pull Cybertron into orbit around Earth, as well as the Autobots being exiled and forced to leave Earth to the mercy of the Decepticons all happened in the cartoon series.
  • The character, Sentinel Prime, as voiced by Leonard Nimoy, uttered a familiar and famous phrase in the later half of the film … “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,” which is a direct quote from his most memorable character, Spock, from the film ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”
  • Megatron’s characterization in this film heavily reflects that of Galvatron, Megatron’s upgraded form, from the original series (“Transformers” (1984)). This being, after the destruction of Galvatron’s Master, Unicron, he becomes a little more than insane in the series, in the same way, the destruction of The Fallen from the previous film (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)) has caused Megatron to go slightly insane.
  • The Gulfstream III private jet in which Sam and Mearing travel to Florida is owned by Michael Bay. Its tail number – 4500X – is the same as the helicopter Blackout used as a disguise in the first movie.
  • Early in the film a scene from the original Star Trek is shown along with the comment that “this is the episode where Spock goes insane”. This foreshadows Sentinal Prime’s insane plan later in the film as Leonard Nimoy played both Spock in Star Trek and the voice of Sentinal Prime.
  • A Decepticon attack leaves Simmons in a wheelchair. This is a homage to Chip Chase, a wheelchair-bound human from “Transformers” (1984) who was an ally of the Autobots.
  • Michael Bay compared Megatron to Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now (1979): “He’s hiding in the jungles of Africa, nursing his wounds and vainly hiding his pulverized visage while plotting – what else? – revenge!”
  • Peter Cullen’s favorite moment in the film is when Optimus Prime meets with astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
  • Michael Bay conceived the Driller’s destruction of the skyscraper while doing stomach-crunch exercises.
  • When the employee is pushing the buttons on the photo copier that later transforms into Laserbeak, the distinct tones of the copier form the title theme song of the animated Transformers TV series.
  • The _Star Trek (TV Series 1966-1969)_ episode watched by Brains and Wheelie, where Spock “turns evil”, foreshadows the later betrayal by Sentinel Prime, who was voiced by Leonard Nimoy.

Talking Points:

  • How was the 3D
  • Anyone catch the nod to Star Trek 2?
  • Rosie’s performance
  • Shockwave – worth the wait?
  • The two annoying bots…again.

What We Learned:

  • Mark Ryan is hot. Oh wait, that’s a reference to the previous two movies.
  • Michael Bay lied about not having annoying bots in this movie.
  • See, 3D can be good if you try.
  • Peter Cullen’s Voice is orgasmic.
  • The Warriors path is a solitary one
  • Russian is like all the buttons on a calculator you never push
  • The Needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few……or the one

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Eye and ear candy extravaganza! See it in 3D! Although 2D would be fine if you can’t see 3D anyway
Ray: This movie might be good if there were no people in it. I enjoyed watching Chicago burn.
Steve: I enjoyed it. The actors weren’t exactly great…but the action was! See it in 3D!

The Future: Straw Dogs

Director: Rod Lurie
Starring: James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgård

Trivia:

  • It is a remake of Sam Peckinpah’s 1971 film of the same name, in turn based on the Gordon Williams novel The Siege of Trencher’s Farm.

Talking Points:

  • Anyone see the original? 1971 Dustin Hoffman
  • Falling down? History of Violence?

Summary:

L.A. screenwriter David Sumner relocates with his wife to her hometown in the deep South. There, while tensions build between them, a brewing conflict with locals becomes a threat to them both.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Meh, looks alright. Could be interest . . .zzzzzzzzz
Ray: I never saw the Original..although I may see it now… not sure why this film had to be remade
Steve: I think this looks like it’s going to be a good one! Seems a little like “The Strangers”, but with more to it. I think I’m going to like it!

Coming Attractions

The Past
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The Present

The Future

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MOV022: “Well, Ray, you appear to be dead.”

Adam Sandler in Drag! A Yellow Submarine remake? You won’t have to kneel before Zod. The Frighteners, The Social Network, and Jeff wants to kill himself (figuratively, not literally) for 127 Hours.

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News:

The Past: The Frighteners

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Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Jake Busey, Jeffery Combs, Dee Wallace, Trini Alvarado

Trivia:

  • R. Lee Ermey (Sgt. Hiles) spoofs his own role as drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket (1987).
  • Was originally planned as a “Tales from the Crypt” (1989) feature, but producer Robert Zemeckis liked the script so much, he decided it should stand on its own and not be part of a series.
  • Michael J. Fox repeatedly blew his lines by calling John Astin’s character “Doc”

Talking Points:

  • This Movie didn’t do so hot at the Box Office
  • M.J.F’s last feature film
  • Has the CG Held up?
  • Full length behind the scenes film shot along-side the movie

What We’ve Learned:

  • Ghost’s shouldn’t have sex…ever…its creepy
  • Sometimes, people are scarier even than ghosts
  • When you die, make sure you’re not wearing something trendy, otherwise you’ll be in it forever.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Excellent movie, Worth a rent to determine if you want to buy it. I recommend the director’s cut Although not sure what was added.
Ray: Its an interesting movie, definitely worth a rent.
Steve: Enjoyable! I’d forgotten about this movie.

The Present: The Social Network

Director: David Fincher

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Rooney Mara, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Andrew Garfield

Trivia:

  • Jesse Eisenberg’s cousin actually works for Facebook, apparently near the real Mark Zuckerberg.
  • The opening breakup scene with Jesse Eisenberg and Rooney Mara ran eight script pages and took 99 takes.
  • The Winklevoss twins were both played by actor Armie Hammer. However, Ralph Lauren model Josh Pence played one of them strictly from the neck down. His face was digitally replaced with Hammer’s to make them appear identical, as the two men are unrelated and look nothing alike. The two spent 10 months in twin boot camp to match one another’s subtle movements and rapport
  • Justin Timberlake was the only actor who met his real-life character (Sean Parker) before the founding of Facebook and this film. Armie Hammer and Josh Pence met their real-life characters, the Winklevoss twins after filming. The twins enjoyed Hammer and Pence’s performance so much they attended to a couple screenings of the film.

Talking Points:

  • Trent Reznor Soundtrack
  • Do you think Zuckerberg did it for the girl?
  • Do you think he was purposely portrayed as a douche?
  • Gag order? What gag order?

What We Learned:

  • Don’t Drink and Blog
  • Sometimes you just have to take the bitter with the better
  • Girls dig cats that look like Hitler
  • As the Countess says, “Money can’t buy you class!”

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Great movie! Just don’t think it’s a documentary. This is fictionalized.
Ray:. Who knew a movie about Facebook would be so Interesting!? go see it.
Steve: I was surprisingly interested in this movie once it got going. I went in assuming I’d hate it, but walked away liking it.

The Future: 127 Hours

Starring: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Sean Bott

Trivia:

  • Aron Ralston filmed a daily video diary whilst he was stuck in the canyon; the footage has only been shown to close friends and family and is kept in a bank vault for safety. Before shooting began both Boyle and Franco were allowed to view the footage in order to accurately portray the events in the movie.

Talking Points:

  • What is this movie trying to be? documentary/scripted/docu-drama?

Summary:

  • A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: Kill me now.
Ray: Yikes! Dont know if im scared or intrigued by this film…
Steve: Hmm…is it a docu-drama or a high budget feature? Nothing’s drawing me to it.

Coming Attractions

The Past: Halloween
The Present: RED
The Future: Unstoppable

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