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Director:
Stephen Sommers

Writers (WGA):
Stuart Beattie (screenplay) and
David Elliot (screenplay)

Release Date:
7 August 2009 (USA)

Genre:
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, whose previous collaboration was the worldwide blockbuster “TRANSFORMERS,” join forces with Spyglass Entertainment for another extraordinary action-adventure “G.I…. Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, whose previous collaboration was the worldwide blockbuster “TRANSFORMERS,” join forces with Spyglass Entertainment for another extraordinary action-adventure “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos. “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” is directed by Stephen Sommers (“The Mummy,” “The Mummy Returns”). –© Paramount

G.I. Joe comes to the big screen as the team must take down an arms dealer who has created a bomb made of nanites that will literally eat cities until the kill switch is hit.

Directed by – Stephen Sommers

Written by – Stuart Beattie, David Elliot, Paul Lovett, Michael Gordon, Stephen Sommers

Starring – Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Gregory Fitoussi, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Karolina Kurkova, Byung-hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Kevin J. O’Connor, Gerald Okamura, Ray Park, Dennis Quaid, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Arnold Vosloo, Marlon Wayans

I’m sure there’s two running opinions on this flick. I liked it for the sheer action of it. It’s packed full of explosions, car chases, shooting, fighting and over the top bases that nobody could ever build in the first place. The other camp might not like it because it probably screws with G.I. Joe history and doesn’t follow the mythology of the original series. That’s why I liked it so much, I don’t know anything about the history of G.I. Joe beyond the fact that I watched the cartoon as a kid.

The plot does get pretty convoluted at times. This person has a history with this person who’s related to this other person who’s supposed to be dead but still has a job at the local Wal-Mart and sells guns out of his shed. Or something like that. While all the connect the dots history of the characters can get annoying, I was only in this one for the action and that’s exactly what I got.

The Baroness. The hottest girl to knock you out in years!

I don’t think I would even bother trying to go into the plot at this point. While it’s pretty obvious what’s going on, there’s so much of it that you can get lost. Better to just stick to watching things go boom, and man, do things go boom alot. The action is well done and fits the G.I. Joe theme with giant bases and huge battles. I mean, who really has the money to build a giant underwater city! Of course it’s in there anyway, just like I would expect from a G.I. Joe movie.

While I did really enjoy it, there were some things that bothered me. I didn’t like the way Cobra Commander looked. I love the classic Cobra Commander and his look in the movie wasn’t even close to this. I was assured by a friend that he actually did look this way at one point in the history of G.I. Joe but I can’t remember it and I wish they had chosen a look that the general public would recognize more. Either that or everyone else knows it and I didn’t, that could be the case! I was also bothered by the fact that Snake Eyes suit had a mouth on it. The guy doesn’t talk, why does his suit have a mouth on it. And it looked really odd. Here’s this tight fitting mask that is so tight it’s hugging his lips and saying hello to them. I know, it’s a small thing but it was distracting every time I saw it. I’m weird like that.

The Joe team gets ready for action, in black leather of course.

Overall this movie delivers on the promise of over the top action and that’s all that I wanted from it. I certainly enjoyed it more than I thought I would and I can see how it fits into the popcorn action blockbuster section. I mean, it’s G.I. Joe right, did we really think it would be anything else?

Under the marquee – Will

Rachel Hurd-Wood (“Dorian Gray,” “Peter Pan,” “Perfume”) is set to play Corrie McKenzie in the film adaptation of the teen sci-fi novel series “Tomorrow: When the War Began” for Ambience Entertainment.

Hurd-Wood joins a whole heap of Australian actors including Chris Pang (Lee), Deniz Akeniz (Homer), Andy Ryan (Chris), Lincoln Lewis (Kevin), Phoebe Tonkin (Fiona), Ashleigh Cummings (Robyn) and Caitlin Stasey as the film’s pivotal character, Ellie Linton.

Based on the first of seven novels in the series by John Marsden, the story is set in a time when Australia has been invaded and is now occupied by an unspecified foreign power.

This is the first I have heard of the film and the books, but the concept sounds cool in a Red Dawn, Mad Max kind of way.

The action follows Ellie who is part of a small band of teenagers waging a guerrilla war on the enemy garrison in their fictional home town of Wirrawee.

Screen Writer Stuart Beattie (“Collateral,” “Derailed,” “30 Days of Night”) makes his directorial debut on the project. Shooting kicks off in Sydney’s Hunter Valley at the end of September.

Source: Dark Horizons

Before boy wizards and sparkly vampires dominated the best-seller list, in Australia there was a little series about a group of teenagers waging a guerilla war from ‘Hell’ that captivated  teens everywhere. Considering the unprecedented success of the film adaptations of the Potter series and the first Twlight film,  it seems fair to wonder; will Tomorrow: When the War Began be Australia’s first book-to-screen-series success story?

If you were an Aussie teen growing up in the 90s, you had to have encountered John Marsden’s iconic Tomorrow: When the War Began series. An engrossing story that spanned seven main novels (and a sequel series some years later), the Tomorrow books followed the exploits of a small group of rural-based teenagers, who attempt to fight back after an unspecified nation invades Australia.

These books were essential reading to teens everywhere, whether you waited until it finally became available at your school library, or hit up your nearest and dearest come birthday or Christmas time. And now, for better or worse – though, this cynic can’t help but feel it will be worse – the first Tomorrow book is set to become a feature picture. Beginning filming in late 2009, Ambience Entertainment and Screen Australia have pumped 20 million dollars into this ambitious venture, handing over both directional and screenwriting duties to Stuart Beattie.

The ‘creative mind’ (and I use that term exceedingly loosely) behind the cringe-inducing script for recent ham-fest G.I. Joe, it seems a shame that the screen adaptation of such a definitive novel is being left in the hands of Beattie. Also responsible for the ’story’ (again, IMDB’s words, not mine) behind Pirates of the Caribbean and the screenplay for Baz Luhrmann’s Australia, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the creative vision that Beattie will bring to the film. Heading up a a cast that will most likely be populated by unknowns is former Neighbours star Caitlin Stasey (as heroine Ellie).

Whether Beattie’s Tomorrow is a horribly misguided mess of a book-to-screen adaptation or a surprising triumph,  perhaps some of the real and unavoidable disappointment arises from the very notion of an adaptation.

While film is a wonderful medium, and easily my favorite means of creative production (stay with me on this one) there is something to be said about reading a text that is so fantastically vivid you’re able to paint your own imagery in your mind. When the words make you imagine something so engaging that it will always outshine whatever you’re physically shown on screen.

Perhaps then, the better the book, the harder it is for the filmmaker? This would certainly seem the case on some of the worse ‘re-imaginings’ of past novels, for example, Nick Earls excellent novel ‘48 Shades of Brown should have produced a film far better than the exceedingly shallow 48 Shades.

If this is indeed the case, come next year, it will be with fear and trepidation that I will edge into Beattie’s Tomorrow. And if it is as I expect (read: bad), I will perhaps have to make a note to only watch film adaptations of terrible books.

For those who haven’t heard yet, one of the most popular Australian young adult fiction series, ‘Tomorrow When the War Began’ by John Marsden, is being made in to a movie. It’s very exciting for all the Tomorrow fans, and probably to all who have read it. It’s a popular book amongst teenagers and is studied in many Australian high schools. I remember thinking these books would be perfect for a movie when I first began reading the series about 12 years ago… I’ve been waiting for TWELVE YEARS for these movies to be made. FINALLY!

I can’t be bothered explaining to you exactly what these books are about, most of you would know already. If you don’t, then read them. Australia, small town, teens, invasion, war, hell, survival, love, hate, etc. You get the picture. Filming begins this month in the Hunter Valley, Newcastle and Sydney, New South Wales (bit disappointed it’s not in Victoria, but I won’t go into that). It will be directed by Stuart Beattie. The movie is due to be released in cinemas in late 2010 and will be the first of five feature films.

So far, three female leads have been announced:

Ellie: Caitlin Stasey

Robyn: Ashleigh Cummings

Fi: Phoebe Tonkin

Update 21/9:

Corrie: Rachel Hurd-Wood

Homer: Deniz Akeniz

Lee: Chris Pang

Kevin: Lincoln Lewis

Chris: Andy Ryan

 Keep up to date with Tomorrow news at http://www.tomorrow-movies.com/

BEST SERIES EVER. My fingers are crossed for an amazing film.

Cada vez son más confusas las declaraciones de Microsoft y la gente relacionada con respecto al proyecto de la película basada en Halo. Para Peter Jackson y Neill Blomkamp el asunto parece estar concluido, mientras que para la empresa de Redmond todavía hay posibilidades de que dicho film vea alguna vez la luz del día (solo esta en suspenso de momento). Y un nuevo rumor que involucra a Steven Spielberg ha aparecido al respecto.

Según un reporte del sitio de noticias IESB, el Rey Midas del Cine esta en pláticas para llevar a cabo de una vez por todas la película basada en la historia de los Spartans. Se maneja que el interés de Spielberg se despertó al leer el guión creado por Stuart Beattie, que esta basado en The Fall of Reach. De esta forma, desea narrar los hechos antes del primer juego de la saga.

Habría que ver como quedaría la película a cargo de este afamado director, pero no hay plena seguridad de que él la dirija si se confirma la información. Podría solamente tener el papel de productor, como lo ha hecho en los últimos años. Pero suena como un proyecto interesante. Si en verdad la dirigiera, ¿estarías interesado en verla, aunque no seas fan de Halo y el universo detrás de éste?

Via:Atomix

Sienna Miller in GI Joe

By Larry Carroll – MTV News

The “G.I. Joe” name has existed for five decades, in numerous incarnations of television shows, movies and action figures. And if you thought this past weekend’s “Rise of Cobra” was the final chapter, well, you know less than Shipwreck when his mind was wiped in the “There’s No Place Like Springfield” episode of the ’80s TV show. Recently, we caught up with the creative forces behind the summer blockbuster — and to a person, they were eager to wrap their kung-fu grip around a sequel.

“I would say that this movie is its own story, but the movie doesn’t start with Destro in his mask; it doesn’t start with Cobra Commander ruling everything, and it doesn’t start where the established G.I. Joe lore starts,” explained Stuart Beattie, the screenwriter of the first film. “It does set up all those things; it’s the rise of cobra, so in that way, it could be thought of as a prequel. It’s not the traditional Cobra vs. G.I. Joe that will certainly be in the second one.”

“All of us have signed on to do future films,” said Rachel Nichols, who brings the action figure Scarlett to full-size, bad-ass life in the movie. “And now we have to wait and see how this one performs. And if it performs to the level where we get to make another one, that’s the best gift. Because that means a lot of people enjoyed it, and that’s really what we made the film for.”

The next question on every fanboy’s lips is a simple one: Which characters in the enormous “Joe” universe will feature prominently in the sequel? First up are two beloved baddies that Beattie tried and failed to squeeze into “Rise of Cobra,” but is determined to see on the screen: evil entrepreneurs Tomax and Xamot.

“I couldn’t get them in there, and I really tried,” Beattie revealed, saying he’s a fan of the twin brothers who love fighting Joes as much as they do finishing each other’s sentences. “Oh, God, I tried to get them.”

In addition to the Crimson Guard leaders, Beattie told us that he also hopes to supplement Cobra Commander’s forces with Zartan’s evil biker gang. “I tried to get the Dreadnoks in there too,” he said. “I also [wanted] Wild Bill and Shipwreck, but there were so many [people in my early drafts] that at a certain point, you don’t want the movie to be three hours, and you can’t service that many. As it is, I think [in 'Rise of Cobra'] I’m servicing about 14 or 15 characters.

“If we get to do two or three [movies],” Beattie said of his master plan, “we’ll bring them in then.”

Sienna Miller, who plays the evil Baroness in the film, has her sequel dreams set on a more selfish idea. “We’re trying to push for Cobra Island, because we want to shoot the sequel on a beach,” Miller said of herself and Nichols. “I could be the surfing Baroness. Actually, no. I should never have said that. Some people would love that.”

Now available in toys stores everywhere, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra© action figures! Reenact your favorite scenes from G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra© with this great selection of figures and vehicles, only from Hasbro!

It turns out the only reason the Joes pulled half of the crazy crap they did in this movie was so Hasbro would have enough toys to last them until the next one comes out. It has to be, because this movie was so over the top insane that that could be the only reason. It might even be the only reason they made the movie in the first place. I remember watching Kill Bill, where Uma Thurman slices up the Crazy 88s and thinking to myself, “Wow. This is so over the top insane!” For some reason, saying it then was different from saying it now.

G.I. Joe is an elite group of soldiers – the best of the best, if you will – taken from military groups all over the world, who for some reason still report to the U.S. government. As team leader Dennis Quaid says, “When all else fails, we don’t.” When it’s discovered that weapons magnate James McCullen is using nanotechnology to build an army of super soldiers, the Joes spring into action, and even manage to have a few laughs along the way.

Caught in the middle of all this international intrigue is Duke Dukington, played by Channing Tatum. Tatum’s casting was a stroke of genius, as it’s almost impossible to tell him apart from a plastic action figure. Duke has a personal stake in all of this, when he realizes that his former fiance Anna is helping McCullen carry out his nefarious plans. This leads to some great flashbacks sequences and shots of Tatum staring off into space and looking conflicted. Rounding out the cast are Marlon Wayans, Rachel Nichols, Said Taghmaoui, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who all manage to play their parts with a straight face.

We’ll return to our review of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra© right after this message from Hasbro Toys, makers of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra© action figures!

G.I. Joe is so full of trite action movie conventions that after about 45 minutes, you stop trying to count them and just go with it. I’m still trying to figure out if that makes the movie better or worse. But it’s not all bad. Hmm. Good stuff, good stuff… oh yeah! The movie does have a few impressive visual FX sequences that are a lot of fun to watch. And some of the comedy doesn’t feel as forced or as cheesy as other movies like this. But seriously, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander? Why not cast Topher Grace as He-Man? Or Haley Joel Osment as Lion-O. And is it just me, or is it getting to the point where if a movie has Marines or the President of the United States in it, you know it’s not going to be good?

I gave this movie a chance. I mean, c’mon, I went and saw it even after I had seen the trailer. And it’s important to remember that I don’t hate G.I. Joe. Without it, I wouldn’t fully understand what makes movies like No Country For Old Men so special. I think movies like G.I. Joe serve an important purpose, because without the bad we wouldn’t recognize the good, or how hot Rachel Nichols is.

In the end, I give No Country For Old Men an A G.I. Joe a D. For me, it’s like one of those crazy 10-layer candy bars. By themselves, chocolate or peanuts or caramel or pretzels or marshmallows are all good things. Mixing a few of them up is also good. But when you eat them all together, you crash and end up in a diabetic coma. That’s what G.I. Joe is like. The over the top action, bad acting, bad jokes, miscast characters, two-hour runtime and marshmallow filling all sent me into a diabetic coma. I would approach this only as a TBS Saturday afternoon movie, and maybe not even then. So now you know. And knowing is half the battle! G.I. Joooooooooe!

From TheHDRoom.com

Halo news has been percolating since Comic-Con where District 9 director Neill Blomkamp and producer Peter Jackson opened up about their ill-fated attempt to bring Master Chief to the big screen in 2007.

In the other corner stands Stuart Beattie, a big Halo fan who penned a Halo script during the writers strike. With G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra behind the scribe, he’s begun shopping the script and already has a big catch eying the lure.

Check out Amazon Best Selling DVD's

IESB.net is reporting multiple industry sources have confirmed that Steven Spielberg is actively negotiating to develop Beattie’s script into a big tentpole film with a $100+ million budget.

Spielberg’s ties to Microsoft and Bill Gates were evidenced back in June when he appeared on stage at E3 to help introduce the world to full body motion gaming in Project Natal. His success with Transformers and legend status would be, you would think, what Halo rights owner Microsoft would be looking for in a film partner.

Beattie’s script, based on Eric Nyland’s prequel novel Fall of Reach, serves as an introduction for the Master Chief character who does not become the lone Spartan warrior until the film’s closing scenes. It sets up two additional Halo films which would conclude roughly based on the events in Halo 3.

Before you discount Beattie’s qualification for the job, keep in mind he has read every Halo comic and played through all the games. He knows the lore forward and backward.

If Spielberg lands a deal with Microsoft then a different fear arises. Will we get the Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark Steven, or the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Transformers Steven? Big budget effects with Spielberg on board are a given, but in the case of Halo, millions of Xbox 360 Halo game owners are looking for something deeper than what Michael Bay brought to Transformers.

This story is obviously still developing but clearly the gears are in motion on a Halo movie again. Are you sad that Blomkamp and Jackson’s version isn’t being resurrected by someone else, or jazzed that Spielberg is now trying to get Beattie’s Halo off the ground?

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA (Estados Unidos 2.009, 118 Minutos, Acción)
Dirección: Stephen Sommers.
Guión: Stuart Beattie, David Elliot y Paul Lovett; basado en un argumento de Stephen Sommers, Michael B. Gordon y Stuart Beattie; sobre los personajes de “G.I. Joe” de Hasbro.
Reparto: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid, Jonathan Pryce, Karolina Kurkova.
Fotografía: Mitchell Amundsen.
Música: Alan Silvestri.

Valoración: 4/10

Sinopsis: Una malvada corporación armamentística ha urdido un plan para hacerse con el control total del planeta sembrando el caos mediante unos sofisticados misiles. Los únicos que puede plantarle cara a los villanos y frenar la amenaza son los G.I. Joe, un supersecreto grupo de agentes especiales que preparados con la más alta tecnología, intervienen en las misiones más complicadas.

Crítica: Es duro admitirlo, pero a uno ya se le acaban las ideas. Se planta aquí, delante del teclado con la firme voluntad de hablaros de tal o cual película sin repetirse demasiado y no sabe cómo empezar. Siendo sinceros, ¿cuántas películas recordáis en los últimos cinco años con sinopsis prácticamente iguales a la que preside estas líneas? ¿Cómo poder aportar algo diferente en estas críticas cuando lo que se critica es invariablemente igual? Lo cierto es que parece ser que se nos intenta encandilar, y tal vez se consiga, con la misma fórmula una y otra vez. Tipos duros, chicas sexys, actitudes arrogantes, gente guapa, gente guay, gente vacua y malos malísimos. Los guiones se han puesto al servicio de la espectacularidad y la máxima no parece ser otra que hacer las cosas argumentalmente lo más sencillas posibles y visualmente lo más barrocas que permita la tecnología y el prespuesto del momento. Es decir, que no se valora el ingenio en un diálogo de más de dos frases lapidarias, pero se admiran e idolatran los lujos de la era digital. A pesar de que la reciente El Caballero Oscuro demostró que las tramas complejas y los personajes trabajados sí funcionan entre el gran público, Hollywood se ha tapado los oídos y ha preferido clasificarlo como la excepción a la regla. Por eso esta crítica de G.I. Joe es muy similar a la de otras que analizan anteriores superproducciones veraniegas. Porque G.I. Joe está concebida para ser otra superproducción veraniega cualquiera, con un guión y unos personajes enclenques y tópicos, mucha acción y adrenalina, y un reparto lleno de músculos y curvas. Lo que debemos agradecerle a Sommers es tal vez la honestidad de dejar las cartas boca arriba desde el primer minuto, rodar una presentación que muestra con claridad las intenciones de la futurible saga y reducir al máximo el metraje. G.I. Joe puede despetar un serio dolor de cabeza debido a su incansable montaña rusa de tiros y golpes, pero al menos no agota empeñándose en mantener al público otra hora más en el asiento sin ningún motivo argumental. A pesar de este panorama, en el que la brevedad de una jaqueca es marcado como el factor más favorable de una cinta, aquí seguiré. Esperando a que llegue alguna superproducción que realmente merezca llamarse así no sólo por el número de ceros invertidos y recogidos. Que sea como aquellas de la vieja escuela, que te escupían del cine embadurnado de la sensación de haber contemplado un espectáculo único y original, y no una excusa más para poner a prueba el límite del copyandpaste.

Este es uno de los “unicornios” de Hollywood, sueños imposibles de realizar y que con el tiempo se transforman en leyenda. Llevamos años oyendo hablar de la película de Halo sin que durante todo este tiempo haya habido nada concreto. Lo más cerca que se ha estado de llevar adelante este proyecto fue con Peter Jackson y Neill Blomkamp, pero estos decidieron tomarse un respiro y filmar antes la prometedora District 9. Por eso ahora recogemos con ciertos escepticismo el interés del mismísimo Steven Spielberg por producir Halo: The Fall of Reach, guión de Stuart Beattie basado en la legendaria trilogía de juegos y su respectivo merchandising acoplado. Halo sería el gran proyecto comercial que Spielberg está buscando para lanzar su nueva aventura empresarial bajo el paraguas de Dreamworks. ¿Será esta la definitiva? El tiempo lo dirá.

It doesn’t surprise me there are people out there who like G.I. Joe. Not to be negative, but people are, by and large, not very intelligent. What surprises me is anyone who thought they were making a competent action picture. You’d think the success of Van Helsing would keep Sommers away from franchises or potential franchises, but Paramount’s apparently desperate.

I’m trying to think if there’s anything good about G.I. Joe. It does use a T.Rex song to some good effect, but it’s apparently a remix. The original portions of the song are good. Marlon Wayans, though he’s vomiting out some horrendous dialogue, is all right. Christopher Eccleston gives the least bad bad performance.

As for the bad performances–Channing Tatum is awful. I hope he’s never in anything I see again. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s presence is inexplicable and, as much as I love him, certainly doesn’t suggest he’s going to be making very many good movies in the future. Sienna Miller is bad but not awful–Rachel Nichols is much, much worse, for example.

The foreign actors–Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and poor Saïd Taghmaoui–are terrible.

For a supposedly apolitical film, the French take a lot of hits. Mostly, it’s just Sommers regurgitating other films–Iron Man, Blackhawk Down, Star Wars–only with crappy CG again and poorly done action sequences.

The toy commercials had better action and better writing. Probably better acting too.

Wait, Arnold Vosloo is all right.

I didn’t even mention the music.

CREDITS

Directed by Stephen Sommers; screenplay by Stuart Beattie, David Elliot and Paul Lovett, based on a story by Michael Gordon, Beattie and Somers; director of photography, Mitchell Amundsen; edited by Bob Ducsay and Jim May; music by Alan Silvestri; production designer, Ed Verreaux; produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Ducsay and Sommers; released by Paramount Pictures.

Starring Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Heavy Duty), Christopher Eccleston (McCullen), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Rex), Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow), Sienna Miller (Ana), Rachel Nichols (Scarlett), Kevin J. O’Connor (Dr. Mindbender), Ray Park (Snake Eyes), Dennis Quaid (General Hawk), Saïd Taghmaoui (Breaker), Channing Tatum (Duke), Arnold Vosloo (Zartan), Marlon Wayans (Ripcord) and Jonathan Pryce as the President of the United States.

Note: some spoilers abound

The script for Collateral and the realization of it seem out of sync at best, and at odds with each other at worst. The script was written by Stuart Beattie, co-writer of the Pirates of the Caribbean films and the upcoming G.I. Joe feature, and it is one that favors blunt exposition over subtlety, and that is too reliant on coincidence and digestible convention to move itself forward. This all, unfortunately, runs up against director Michael Mann’s newfangled penchant for what I can only clumsily call “the unspoken.” Collateral is the first film that Mann opted to shoot digitally in an effort to cultivate an organic sense of immediacy and intimacy. And so, we’ve got clumsy clichés clashing with a moody, elemental verisimilitude. For every shot of Vincent and Max quietly sitting and emoting (and perhaps marveling at some coyotes crossing the street), there is a line conveniently telling us what they are feeling, thinking, even doing. There is a very palpable sense of Mann fighting against the screenplay. Mann tries his best to establish a frenzied, almost random sense of suspense, but Beattie’s writing ensures that the viewer is never left in the dark for more than a few minutes. The same is true of the characters. We aren’t shown what they are like and who they are, we are told with awkward monologues masquerading as conversations. Towards the end of the film, for example, after Vincent’s been shot, he recalls the anecdote that he had told to Max earlier in the film, about a man dying on the MTA and going unnoticed for nearly an entire night. Beattie can’t help but connect the dot for us, and the blatancy saps it of a lot of its resonance. Scenes involving Det. Fanning (played by a greased-up Mark Ruffalo) also seem like spoon-feeding; he’s got a hunch that, while unfounded, is convenient to the narrative, and that eventually pays off with that awesome club shoot-out that has become the staple of the film.

All of that said, though, I feel like Mann won in his struggle against the script. Mann makes his glossy visuals the star, and Cruise and Foxx succeed in liberating their characters from their clichéd trappings. Vincent might have been designed as the steely-eyed philosopher/assassin who can reference jazz history and the I Ching as easily as he can plant a failure drill, but, in the end, he doesn’t feel like the movie monster he was intended to be. He feels like a real person, albeit a very scary one. And while Max might have been contrived as the lackadaisical come self-empowered Everyman, his arc feels genuine, not conspicuously scripted, as it might have under another, less astute director. The dichotomous tension between Vince and Max might smack of convention on paper, but it doesn’t feel like it in the film. (If there’s one thing that Mann can handle, it’s thematic and emotional tension between leads.) Mann also takes many of the script’s stupefying coincidences and rolls them into his naturalistic vibe, making them seem more happenstance and less deus ex machina. Mann does all of this with his customarily meticulous visuals, emphasizing the mood of the characters and the vibe of the settings as a way of counterbalancing the graceless script. The film is also supremely successful in the visceral thrills department, and its momentum is so engrossing that it made it easy for me to forgive the flaws and just enjoy the ride. To keep shit pithy, Collateral just feels like a compromised work, not a completely sabotaged one.

by The Great White Gypsy

A Perfect Getaway – Written and Directed by David Twohy
Zahn and Jovovich are honeymooning in Hawaii, backpacking to a secluded beach. They come across several other couples talking about a murder, and things get crazy. Twohy directed The Arrival, Pitch Black, and The Chronicles of Riddick, so you can bet it will be entertaining if nothing else. And I’ve heard the plot twist is pretty tight.
Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Chris Hemsworth, Timothy Olyphant, Marley Shelton
August 7

Cold Souls – Written and Directed by Sophie Barthes
Paul Giamatti actually plays himself in this metaphysical, cultural commentary where people’s souls are commodities that can be bought and sold. Looks deep, could be my favorite one since Eternal Sunshine, but that’s a huge expectation for a rookie director.
Paul Giamatti, Emily Watson, David Strathairn, Lauren Ambrose
August 7

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – Directed by Stephen Sommers, Written by Stuart Beattie and David Elliot
Van Helsing was so bad, the only thing Sommers has directed since is the Mummy amusement park ride. Big names and bigger budgets have failed in the past to adapt videogames and old TV shows very well, but Stuart Beattie (Collateral, 30 Days of Night, Australia) and David Elliot (The Watcher, Four Brothers) are pretty good writers, and the cast does look interesting. This summer has sucked for movies so far, but I still have hope for Joe.
Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Christopher Eccleston, Jonathan Pryce, Sienna Miller, Arnold Vosloo
August 7

I Sell the Dead – Written and Directed by Glenn McQuaid
A Grave robber confesses his sins to a priest…and for some reason there are zombies. IFC does weird stuff sometimes (almost always involving Ron Perlman), but for the most part I’m a fan. McQuaid’s first feature.
Ron Perlman, Dominic Monaghan
August 7

Paper Heart – Directed by Nicholas Jasenovec, Written by Charlyne Yi and Nicholas Jasenovec
A movie about the filming of a documentary? I’ve never seen that. Ok, I have, but never with Seth Rogen and Michael Cera. It looks simple, funny, heartfelt, low budget; what else could you ask for?
Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Seth Rogen, Demetri Martin, Paul Rust
August 7

District 9 – Directed by Neill Blomkamp, Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
You’ve seen those random posters at bus stops all over? “No Humans Allowed”. Well, those are the obscure posters for this “documentary” about an alien race that stumbles upon Earth, and is put into camps and ghettos. It’s like Michael Moore’s very own Cloverfield, but even I have to admit the story sounds intriguing. And, though the writer and director are new, Peter Jackson’s presenting, so I’m assuming he at least watched it.
Nathalie Boltt, William Allen Young
August 14

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard – Directed by Neal Brennan, Written by Andy Stock and Rick Stempson
If Ari from Entourage got fired, divorced, and became a used car dealer, this would be his spin-off movie. However, Jeremy Piven is undeniably awesome, and recognizable faces like Ving Rhames and Ken Jeong will probably outweigh virgin writers and a director from Chappelle’s Show.
Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, Ken Jeong, James Brolin
August 14

Spread – Directed by David Mackenzie, Written by Jason Dean Hall
Could it be? Has Ashton Kutcher actually grown up? Granted, The Butterfly Effect was damn cool, but this looks like a positive departure for him. The story of a guy who makes it big in L.A., then falls for a girl who pulls all his own game on him has been done before, but I like the style of this one. Mackenzie’s done some weird stuff, but I’ll give it a chance.
Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche, Margarita Levieva
August 14

The Time Traveler’s Wife – Directed by Robert Schwentke, Written by Bruce Joel Rubin
Somewhere between The Fountain (minus the great director) and The Lake House (minus the bad actors) lies this adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger’s popular novel. Bana’s no Ryan Gosling, but he and McAdams look like they have some good chemistry. I’m not saying it’ll be great, but as far as chick flicks, this might be one of the less painful ones this year.
Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana, Ron Livingston
August 14

Five Minutes of Heaven – Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, Written by Guy Hibbert
An IRA gunman murders a UVF member in front of his little brother. After serving his sentence, the media arranges for the grown brother and murderer to meet on screen. Liam Neeson is always good, but this has the potential to beat a dead cultural horse with a hazy morality stick. Never seen anything by either director or writer.
Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt
August 21

Inglourious Basterds – Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Besides the Grindhouse segment “Death Proof”, it’s been 5 long years since Tarantino did something that was completely his own (Kill Bill Vol. 2). He returns now with his own style of war film. The Basterds are Jewish soldiers recruited by the U.S. Army in WWII France to basically beat the living hell out of the Nazis. We all know it’s going to be violent as hell, witty, and off-puttingly enjoyable. I am a little skeptical about Tarantino and Pitt, but not enough to save my money.
Brad Pitt, B.J. Novak, Melanie Laurent, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Til Schweiger
August 21

Halloween II – Written and Directed by Rob Zombie
House of 1000 Corpses was ok. The Devil’s Rejects was freaking amazing. Halloween was badass. So it stands to reason that H2 could very well be Rob Zombie’s best film yet. Apparently, he’s not going down the road of cheesy franchises with 14 sequels. He’s finishing up the story in the second one. He may be messing with the mythology, John Carpenter may be completely absent, but Tyler Bates is still on board, and I have goosebumps.
Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, Brad Dourif, Sheri Moon Zombie, Scout Taylor-Compton, Margot Kidder
August 28

Taking Woodstock – Directed by Ang Lee, Written by James Schamus and Elliot Tiber
This may be the “summer vacation’s over” film this year, but I gotta say I’m opposed to it. Demetri Martin’s show sucked, and they gave him the lead? Not only that, but Ang Lee, who, together with James Schamus, brought us crap like Ride with the Devil, Eat Drink Man Woman, and Hulk (the dumb one), was 15 living in Taiwan when Woodstock went down. I don’t like it one bit, and so many people are going to yell at me for that.
Demetri Martin, Eugene Levy, Emile Hirsch, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Liev Schreiber, Paul Dano, Kelli Garner
August 28

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

The Collector – Directed by Marcus Dunstan, Written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton
The guys who wrote and directed multiple Saw films, and all of the Feast flicks are back with an original horror movie about an ill-timed burglary that traps a man in a house with a family that is already at the mercy of “the collector”. Looks creepy and cool as hell, but the fact that I didn’t see anything about this until yesterday, and they’re already calling the main guy a “horror icon” makes me skeptical.
Madeline Zima, Andrea Roth, Josh Stewart
July 31

Balibo – Directed by Robert Connelly, Written by Robert Connolly and David Williamson
Based on the true story of the Balibo 5, a group of five Australian journalists that disappeared during the invasion of East Timor in 1975. Looks good, the writer and director are experienced in Australia. Just can’t find a solid release date.
Anthony LaPaglia
August 13 (limited)

Taxidermia – Directed by Gyorgy Palfi, Written by Gyorgy Palfi and Lajos Parti Nagy
Watching the preview for this made my head hurt. Visually beautiful, sweeping, and surreal, it’s about three generations of the same family, and their crazy fantasies. It was released in Hungary in 2006, but didn’t get a very limited US release date until last month. You can probably find it online or on DVD, but it looks interesting.
Csaba Czene, Gergely Trocsanyi, Piroska Molnar
August 14 (rumored)

The Marc Pease Experience – Directed by Todd Louiso, Written by Jacob Koskoff and Todd Louiso
About a high school musical star stuck in a high school mind set eight years later. I have serious doubts that a movie with Ben Stiller and Jason Schwartzman wouldn’t be advertised, but all I’ve found so far is a sketchy release date, so look for it. Directed by the skinny Moby look-alike from High Fidelity.
Ben Stiller, Jason Schwartzman, Anna Kendrick
August 21 (rumored)

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (August 2009)

The story revolves around a European-based military unit known as Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity (G.I.J.O.E.), which is a hi-tech, international force of special operatives that takes on an evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer.

Opening August 7, the Stephen Sommers-directed adaptation stars Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans and Dennis Quaid.
In the Stephen Sommers-directed film, an elite military unit comprised of special operatives known as G.I. Joe, operating out of The Pit, takes on an evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer. It opens August 7, 2009.
Though “G.I. Joe” is a generic term for soldiers going back to World War II, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura swears his summer blockbuster G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra has nothing to do with the modern American military. Di Bonaventura told Entertainment Weekly:

This G.I. Joe has nothing to do with American foreign policy. It’s about a team of skilled operatives fighting an evil organization that’s trying to take over the world. There are no politics in it at all.

Hasbro, whose previous collaboration was the worldwide blockbuster “Transformers,” join forces with Spyglass Entertainment for another extraordinary action-adventure “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. Joe team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos. “G.I. Joe: The

Paramount has just let out a new trailer for their actioner “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” starring Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rachel Nichols, Sienna Miller, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Said Taghmaoui.   Stephen Sommers (“The Mummy,” “The Scorpion King”) helms the film from the screenplay by Stuart Beattie, David Elliot and Paul Lovett.   Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Stephen Sommers and Bob Ducsay produce the film.   This sees release on August 7th.   Check out the official site here – http://www.gijoemovie.com/

The film’s plot follows G.I. JOE (Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity) agents as they battle Cobra – which is led by a Scottish arms dealer.



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"Seven teenagers take a trip to Hell. And seven come back. To Hell."

So, I few weeks ago I complained about how filmmakers were remaking ‘Red Dawn’ when there still wasn’t a Tomorrow film. I asked how long I was going to have to wait for this film, and it turns out–not long at all.

Sources: Slashfilm, Reuters

Stuart Beattie (writer of Collateral, 30 Days of Night, co-writer of Australia) is going to write and direct an adaptation of John Marsden’s ‘Tomorrow, When the War Began’. Not only that, but he has plans to turn the next two books into films as well, and if they are successful, spin off the franchise into a tv series. Apparently, production begins in September (so soon!). Though this film will be Beattie’s first time directing, his writing credits are extremely varied and fill me with hope that this could be the adaptation I’ve been waiting for.

Beattie says the film will be the first Australian action film since ‘Mad Max’ and addresses the film’s similarities with ‘Red Dawn’ by using a very comforting comparison:

“Do you remember when The Full Monty and Striptease were coming out together? They came out within months as the exact same premise — the parent strips for money so they can see their kid. But completely different. One was all flash and rockin’ body, and the other was completely the opposite, of total insecurity about getting up onstage. We’re more like the Full Monty version.”

This journo makes a far less comforting comparison, but thankfully, she has no connection to the film at all.

So, I am very excited about this film. I also love Beattie’s idea for a trilogy, then a tv show. I never thought all seven books would be made into films, I will be happy with just the first one being made, but a trilogy would be great! I think John Marsden himself had planned to end the series with the third book, but popular demand led the series to continue. Anyway, ’The Third Day, The Frost’ (I wonder if they’ll keep the name) has the perfect ending for a film series. 

Now, I’m hanging out for a cast list. I assume most will be complete unknowns, but I’m sure a few familiar names will crop up. I wonder how Chris Hemsworth feels about this film.

Also, where are they filming? In the locations John Marsden has stated inspired him? I hope Hell isn’t just a soundstage.

If you’re Australian, under the age of 30 and read any books at school, you’re probably aware of John Marsden’s epic series Tomorrow When The War Began. Focusing mainly on Ellie it follows the actions of a small group of teenage survivors when Australia is successfully invaded. I grew out of the series before all seven books were complete so I’m not sure exactly how the saga ends; however, I will never forget how to easily make homemade explosives using cow manure, petrol and a single match thanks to the graphic, step-by-step instructions hardwired into my eleven year old mind thanks to gripping writing.

According to Slashfilm, screenwriter Stuart Beattie will write the screenplay and make his directorial debut with the first film, hoping to create a trilogy that allows the series to be completed with an accompanying tv show. Wow. Dude has high hopes / creative vision! Beattie was responsible for the story for the first Pirates movie as well as the screenplays for Collateral, Australia and 30 Days of Night.

What are your thoughts on this? Did you read the series? Does the idea of an Australian war/action movie starring emotionally shattered teens sound appealing? (answer: yes)

Source: THR

Screenwriter Stuart Beattie (Collateral, GI Joe: Rise Of Cobra) is gearing up for his first directorial effort, an adaptation of the young-adult novel Tomorrow, When the War Began. Beattie also wrote the screenplay. The first novel in a popular series of seven written by Australian John Marsden and published from 1994-99, “The Tomorrow Series” details the insurgency efforts of a band of Aussie teenagers fighting off an enemy invasion and occupation of their homeland. “It’s coming of age in a war zone,” said Beattie, who said he has read and loved all the books. The main character is a teen named Ellie Linton, who struggles to become a fierce leader even while navigating relationships with the seven other teenagers in her group. “Australia hasn’t made an action movie, I think, since ‘Mad Max,’” said Beattie. “It’s the opportunity to do something in the biggest sense. And it’s only doable because there is this great property out there that everyone in Australia knows.”

In an interesting move, the filmmakers plan to make a trilogy of features from the first three books and then, if successful, spin the next four off into a TV series. The production is taking advantage of Aussie government money as well as a 40% tax break for shooting locally, though Paramount Vantage will co-finance and handle worldwide distribution. Beattie is casting and crewing up for a September shoot Down Under. Sydney-based Omnilab Media (Dead of Night) is financing and will handle the sizable visual effects through its company Iloura, which worked on Australia.

“The Tomorrow Series” is one of the most popular Australian series ever published; the books are taught in schools there. Most of them were not available stateside until recently, but the filmmakers hope to persuade Scholastic to reprint them in tandem with the movie’s launch. Beattie is aware of the inevitable comparisons to the American version, Red Dawn, which played out the Cold War scenario of Midwestern American high school kids fighting off Soviet and Cuban invaders. A remake is currently in pre-production, but Beattie isn’t concerned. “Do you remember when ‘The Full Monty’ and ‘Striptease’ were coming out together? They came out within months as the exact same premise — the parent strips for money so they can see their kid. But completely different. One was all flash and rockin’ body, and the other was completely the opposite, of total insecurity about getting up onstage. We’re more like the ‘Full Monty’ version.”

The summer movie craziness is upon us. Here’s a little taste.

First up this week, the full trailer for Transformers 2, now with 67% more Transformers. And now that Megan Fox is more plastic than person, she’ll be bowing as one of the newly-introduced Disgusticons.

Also released recently was the full trailer for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. This looks like some sort of weird mix between Bioshock and Iron Man, and by that I mean that the movie is going to make no f**king sense whatsoever. I can’t wait.

The super secret and super cool District 9 is about aliens who land in South Africa and are forced to work as manual labor. It takes place in a crazy world where aliens exist, and where South Africa can tell people to do things.