Darren Aronofsky: To "SNIKT!" Or Not To "SNIKT!"

Y'all. I am so worried about the continued reports / rumors that Darren Aronofsky is making a superhero picture next. First they said he wanted the Superman reboot that now belongs to Zach Snyder. (Great, just what traditional placid loveably corny Superman needed... a tricked up slo-mo enthused "hip" director. Yikes!) Now, Vulture reports that Aronofsky is close to signing for Wolverine 2: No Longer Forced Into Awkwardly Origin Titling (2012).

Drawing by John Romita Jr. | Darren Insert by Moi

I realize that the Aronofksy/Weisz NYC lovenest probably doesn't come cheap. And I realize that after 5 straight winners showcasing your visual originality, gift with actors, and massive cojones, anyone would be tempted to cash in. But how exactly is that going to look on the filmography? Is he just hoping to get the acclaim that Chris Nolan has from the public by going more mainstream? (If you ask me he's a better director than Nolan but Nolan makes high tech sci-fi/superhero movies so naturally he's a million times more beloved.) Will this sequel be an unsightly blemish or am I just worried because of the permanent scarring from the 100% joy-free X-Men Origins: Wolverine?

Best Case Scenario: On the plus side the only way is up. Wolverine's Japanese detours in the comics are among the hero's most intriguing and could offer enormous possibilities for visual triumphs. Plus, if Aronofsky's filmography to date is any indication he is incapable of making a movie as dull as the first Wolverine, in which no action sequence could raise a pulse because nothing was ever at stake with invincible / indestructable people in every corner. In fact the only sequence that had any electric snap was the watery escape but that was entirely the fault of the mighty power of Naked Hugh Jackman and consider: Aronofsky got more indelible star mojo from that man when forcing him into pajamas and a bald cap.

So maybe it'll be great to see Jackman reinvigorated as an actor within his signature character? It is hard to give a bad or lazy performance in a Darren Aronofsky movie... and they're obviously comfortable with each other via The Fountain. Presumably a director is choosy about which actor he'll direct making love to his longtime girlfriend onscreen.

To make a long story short, this movie is bound to look rosy in comparison to the first Wolverine. And if anybody deserves some safety cushion funding for their next few weirdo projects, it's Aronofsky. So why not cash in?

 Two Face: The Fountain and Wolverine

Worst Case Scenario: The homogeny-loving power of both suits and fanboys sap most comic book projects of any chance at originality and specificity, so what if Aronofsky's artistry is violently sucked from him, the tragic victim of status quo vampirism? What if he makes his first dud? That'd be so sad.

It's true that I haven't seen Black Swan yet and it's true that many people hate The Fountain (but you can't exactly knock it for being generic, can you?) so perhaps I protest too much. But from The Wrestler to Black Swan to... a sequel to someone else's vision?

I worry.

Maybe you don't. Are you already salivating to see the claws come out again or just to see this director/star pair reunited?

I link through all this... before you wake up... so I can be happier

to be linked again with you... ♫

Kenneth in the (212) Fun couples at the Emmys. I hadn't seen some of these photos. Cute!
Just Jared The new cast of Dancing with the Stars. I don't watch it but I do find it amusing in a meta way that Jennifer Grey of Dirty Dancing fame will compete.
/Film Dozens of new photos from The Social Network


popbytes I so wish I was in Venice right now for Black Swan.* (yes more on this later today) In a perverse way I hope that Darren Aronofsky does take that X-Men Origins: Wolverine sequel.
The Playlist I forgot to mention that someone finally gave primo scene-stealer Ari Graynor a lead role. That someone was David Gordon Green. I guess he's just smarter than other directors.
USA Today Lindsay Lohan talking to Vanity Fair. She claims she's still a "damn good actress." You always were Linds so prove it again. You can't keep resting on 1998-2004.
Pop Eater Sofía Vergara's boyfriend is in politics? Huh, who knew.
Movie|Line ewwww. the bedbug epidemic has reached Toronto. Will it hurt the Film Festival?

Late tonight... the next episode of Hit Me With Your Best Shot features A Face in the Crowd. Are you joining in?

Robyn doing Björk whilst Björk watches. No pressure or anything.



"Hyperballad" is such a goodie.

Link & Order: Special Random Unit

The Awl "10 Reasons Why You Should Give Me One More Chance This Weekend" by that bucket of charm "Russell Crowe". (teehee)
Go Fug Yourself theorizes that Cate Blanchett stole a White House carpet
Go Fug Yourself... and welcomes Cannes crazy with open arms
Catalogue of Curiousities "floating heads of doom!"
Buzz Sugar the trailer for True Blood Season 3
Mister Hipp "He can take it." I love this illustration of Wolverine. So fun


Towleroad Elton John covering Madonna hits with scandily clad go go boys. What the hell?
Towleroad my weekly column
The Portland Mercury hilarious movie marquee. Poor Terrence Howard
A Socialite's Life Christina Ricci to join Laura Linney on Broadway in September. Interesting
Playbill Antonio Banderas returning to Broadway for Kander & Ebb's Zorba
Empire strangest bedfellows ever: Charlie Kaufman + Kung Fu Panda
/Film yes I've heard about the duleing Monroe biopics: Naomi Watts vs. Michelle Williams. Just haven't mentioned them yet since they kinda deserve a whole big post. Later. Have patience.

Finally, PopEater says goodbye to Law & Order (just cancelled) with a opening credits mashup of all casts from the franchise. I know people are sad that the original flagship series is going bye-bye. But puhleze. It lives on in 3 spinoffs and endless syndication like some unholy hydra beast. I will never be able to escape it. You've won, television my nemesis, you've won! I thank the original L&O for keeping my Broadway babies fed and in rent payments... but otherwise I kick it to the curb. See, I don't think I can take one more Linus Roache or Dianne Wiest situation wherein some gargantuan talent hides their magnificence under that particular bushel. The next great that the series plans to taint is... Isabelle Huppert. Je pleure.

Year in Review Part 2: Burn the Negatives!

The title of this post is indefensible, exclamatory (!) and puerile. But these movies piss me off and if they can be super obnoxious, so can I. Now, in truth, I probably never see the absolute "worst" of the movies that play in theaters since I can pick and choose my own film menu. My New Year's Resolution is to be more constructive when I criticize (I'm not giving up criticism. That's mother's milk). I'd also like to be more positive in 2010.

Thus, I retract the titular command: No negatives of the following movies and performances should be incinerated ... instead let them live on as cautionary tales to actors and filmmakers. People are watching. Try harder.

Worst Supporting Actor
I've already expressed my concerned about the "too much!" of Stanley Tucci's continually nominated performance in The Lovely Bones. I don't know what the hell Richard Gere was doing in Amelia, do you? And I don't want Alan Arkin to do what he was doing in Sunshine Cleaning one more time. You won an Oscar for that performance already. Move on! Other than his suddenly legal elfin beauty, I can't see what Colin Firth could have possibly seen in Nicholas Hoult in A Single Man. In the end though it was clear that this would have to be a group "honor". I considered giving it to Everyone in G.I. Joe, none of whom seem to nail the cartoonishly one-note style that the movie desperately needs (not that they're playing whole octaves either, mind). I wasn't entirely crazy about what Stephen Lang was doing in Avatar but it's exactly what everyone in G.I. Joe needed to be doing. But in the end I have no choice but to hand this to the Muggy McMuggerson twins Jae Head and Ray McKinnon in The Blind Side. I partially blame them for Sandra Bullock's sudden Oscar contention. Standing next to them (and the unfortunately blank Quinton Aaron as "Michael Oher") she looks like some kind of genius dramatist. I guess that's a new way to be a "supporting" actor.

Worst Supporting Actress
Rachel McAdams seems completely lost in Sherlock Holmes, doesn't she? I love Jenny Beavan's costumes in the movie but Rachel seems lost inside of them. I got nothing from that performance. Nothing! I can barely remember her in the movie and I saw it one week ago. It breaks my hard to express my dismay about Betty White in The Proposal ("too much!") because she's practically our collective grandmother and she's absolutely my favorite Golden Girl. But this dishonor goes no contest to Rose Byrne an actress I have never warmed too. That said, she's not usually flat out awful the way she is in her shrill performance in Knowing. [spoiler] I wasn't so sad when the world ended because at least that meant I was rid of Rose Byrne and Nicolas Cage.

Worst Actor
I dedicate this award to Nicolas Cage but I'm not actually giving him the prize for Knowing (in which he is typically terrible) because, he's won too many of these already. Plus I hear he's lunatic inspired in Bad Lieutenant Port of Call New Orleans and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt since Werner Herzog is directing him. Herzog is, as you know, quite good with certifiable movie stars (See also: Klaus Kinski). Larry David made me bonkers in Whatever Works because he doesn't modify his schtick at all to suit a different writer's voice and he's even less believeable as a romantic lead to young beautiful women than Woody Allen ever was. I wish Hugh Jackman had remembered to have fun as Wolverine in that X-Men Origins dirge. He was better the other three times he played the role. But the loser here is Channing Tatum as "Duke" in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra because I think he thinks that the movie was a drama. Oops. He is stupid hot. And I mean both adjectives emphatically.

Worst Actress
I seem to be in the distinct minority that would rather watch almost anything other than Kristen Stewart's mopey twitching ... even in Adventureland but I've already talked about that. It's too obvious to tell you that I thought Hilary Swank was embarrassing in Amelia but, so what, I did. She was stiff, stilted and sexless in a movie that needed an actress with spontaneity and fire. But this one is no contest: Hayden Panetierre plays the title role in I Love You Beth Cooper. Beth is a standard spoiled beauty who discovers that a less attractive 'loser' has real soul (funny how that's always happening in movies. I wonder who the movies are made for?) Panetierre can't even manage this stock character that thousands of actresses have explained how to play for the past century of film.

Hell's Multiplex

The Worst Pictures of the Year

10 Fighting
I still giggle when I think of Joe Reid's brilliant take on this Channing Tatum is a streetfighter drama. Is it really a comedy about retarded men having hardcore gay sex? If that's what the filmmakers intended maybe it's a masterpiece and it belongs on next week's Top Ten list?

Hugh gives Channing the beat down

09 X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Greedily hordes all the well known pitfalls of inferior superhero movies like they're actually merit badges: operatically self important, humorless, needlessly complicated backstories, the introduction of so many characters that none resonate, battles for battles sake, invulnerable characters that rob fight scenes of any actual drama... Note to filmmakers: if people cannot be killed or even injured it is SUPER boring to watch them fight. Unless the set pieces are insanely creative or well choreographed and these aren't. I will always love the X-Men. I grew up reading them. But the past two pictures have unfortunately cured me of all desire to see them on the silver screen.

08 The Lovely Bones

Peter Jackson's nadir. Garishly colorful when it needs the beauty of a simpler palette, entirely negligent about tracking the true heart of its drama (a family torn asunder), weirdly repetitive about its most obvious plot points, lazy with emotional shortcuts and telegraphed character details. In short, a disaster. Most hated moment: [Spoiler] Did we really have to equate Susie Salmon's cathartic posthumous first kiss (which she's happy about by the way) with the extended coundtown scene of her mutilated dead body being rolled towards a garbage dump? It's the worst and ickiest cross cutting I've seen in a movie since Eric Bana's orgasm in Munich but at least the latter made a solid narrative point.

07 My Sister's Keeper review
06 Knowing review
05 Amelia review

04 Push (Not Based on the Novel by Sapphire)
I don't often watch movies and think 'this would be way better as a TV series' but...yeah. Push spends a lot of time (a lot) setting up the mythology of an evil corporation that experiments and tries to control people with psychic powers. The prologue itself felt like it should have been extended by a half hour and function as a "pilot". But even accepting that they decided to make this convoluted premise into a stand alone movie, it's a huge inept mess. It rarely goes for laughs but I couldn't help laughing at one recurring gaffe. Every single time someone used one of their powers in a crowded room the extras mysteriously disappeared. I suspect they couldn't afford the extras for more complex special effects shots but you can't really show them in a scene and then make a quick edit to the same set with special effects occuring and remove the extras and not have the audience noticing the mass vanishing, you know? Worse yet this occurs in the climactic battle. A "pusher" is controlling a small group of armed men. It's actually a cool effect as she turns them like synchronized soldiers to attack any opponent. Then the emotional climax occurs. They're surrounding her like bodyguards in the medium shot, there's some close up drama and suddenly they're not in the scene any more. What... the... hell?

The third stupidest thing I saw in a movie this year: The recurring visual of a "bleeder", whose power is screaming really loud until people die from internal bleeding, removing his sunglasses so that he can scream (f/x magic makes his eyes crazy). Apparently you can't scream while you're wearing glasses. Who knew?

03 G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra
The stupidest thing I saw in any movie this year: constant fiery explosions UNDER WATER.
The second stupidest thing I saw this year (regarding movies): abundant people trying to make thumbs up excuses for this movie. Thank god that James Cameron finally came back to the cinema to remind people that action films can be thrilling and fun ... especially when you can actually follow what's happening and there's some beauty and style to the big booms.

02 The Ugly Truth
Over the past few weeks I've been trying to catch up with films I'd missed during the year. I've rediscovered something I knew already: it can be easier to watch mediocre or outright bad movies than quality films. I suspect this is why the box office charts are so often littered with disposable junk. Bad and/or unambitious movies require almost nothing from their audience. But if you're not in the right frame of mind, a quality movie's best attributes may slip right by you. I suspect this is why more complicated movies often get the dread "boring" tag from the general public. Junk is easy to engage with on superficial levels if you're feeling tired, stressed, distracted or not completely on top of your game... and who doesn't feel those things regularly? But when a movie is reallllllllly bad and offensive, none of this applies. It can prove very difficult to watch. I actually briefly hated the cinema (my great love!) when the credits rolled on this one.

Who knew that Tom Cruise's 'sperm receptacle' nastiness in Magnolia could actually be played straight for romantic comedy. And that audiences were expected to sign on and swoon? I'd name this the worst movie of the year but for the saving grace/problem of Katherine Heigl. She is actually a natural at romantic comedy but she's totally using her powers for evil. She called Knocked Up out on its sexism and then made this...?

01 I Love You I Hate You Beth Cooper.
I've already said my piece on Hayden earlier. But I would like to add that after the Home Alone franchise's elaborate pain-making slapstick and this movie's insanely violent "funny" moments (people wouldn't live through these things in real life) I do worry about writer/director Chris Columbus's sadistic streak. Maybe he should make a horror movie instead of all these sentimental pictures. He definitely likes to inflict pain.

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Whew. Got that out of my system. I'm nice from here on out as I pass out the FB Awards starting next week.

But before we get to the top ten movies of 2009 which movies made you crazy hateful this past year... which prompted your own berzerker rage? And if you love any of the movies I just barked at ... what's wrong with you? (Joking! Don't freak out) If you love any of these movies... teach us how to love them more.

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DVDs: Cry Wolf Awooo

A tepid DVD release day unless you like 'em hairy. Links go to Netflix.

White Night Wedding was Iceland's Oscar entry last year. The comedy, which is supposedly a riff on Chekhov's Ivanov, is from the director of 101 Reykjavik and stars his frequent collaborator, Icelandic star Hilmir Snær Guðnason (pictured left in various films) who inspires indecent thoughts and creative pronunciations in his fans.

Grace has the ickiest horror premise I've heard of in a long long time. An unborn child with a bloody appetite. Ewww. In other words, I'll only see it if I hear that it's totally brilliant. It also has one of the fastest windows to DVD ever, having opened in theaters last month.

An American Werewolf in London (1981) and The Wolf Man (1941) both get special editions today although we're currently between full moons and we're still more than a month away from Halloween. Not sure what that's about. I'm planning to watch The Wolf Man soon -- maybe you'll join me? -- since I'm on a Claude Rains kick and I don't remember a lick of it and I want to be familiar before the remake arrives in February.


If you like your hairy beasts to remain bipedal once activated, there's also Hugh Jackman and his mutton chops in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I imagine the box office hit will be big on DVD because there's no accounting for taste and old habits die hard. I'll love the X-Men forever -- I almost can't imagine my childhood and adolescence without them -- but I love the cinema more and damn that movie reeked. It's not the worst superhero movie ever made but I firmly believe that it's the most joyless, give or take the craptacular Elektra. How do you make a superhero movie and forget to have fun? Even the heavy ones with the bat cowls feel somewhat buoyed by the joy of shooting and acting in them. Will anyone ever understand the leaden ugly weight of this thing now that they can skip chapters, freeze frame on Jackman's ass and watch it while they're playing video games? Probably not. I should stop. Yeah, I hated it, OK? You got a problem with that, bub?


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Linkt!

Risky Business on the piracy pendulum for Wolverine
Attackerman on Wolverine, the character. Good piece that shares my concerns about origin stories in general
Slate another piece on Wolverine, the character. This one's on how he came to dominate comics
MTV Vulcan salute. Christian Slater has some difficulty


Justin Plus One on those wackadoo MTV Movie nominations. I stopped caring about these forever ago because they always feel to me like a parody of what an aggressive corporate team thinks that teenagers love.
Silly Hats Only Criterion releases for July. Be still my heart
Us Maggie Gyllenhaal & Peter Sarsgaard finally tie the knot.
Fraktastic On Star Trek. "this isn't your..." HA!
i09 have you seen this working Star Trek clock? Pretty amazing. If I were a Trekkie, I would n-e-e-d this

And here's Moby's "Shot in the Back of the Head" as interpreted by David Lynch

Shot In The Back Of The Head from Moby on Vimeo.

I love how David Lynch seems to live 24/7 in REM state. It's always both dream and nightmare. The still inky black and whites reminded me of his comic strip "The Angriest Dog in the World" for a minute. I miss that!
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Oh, Hugh

May Flowers

<-- Oscar Maximilian has a flower for his dad Hugh Jackman to smell. I can't tell what kind of flower that is but I don't think it's calendula or cosmos which are technically Hugh's flowers since he's an October baby. I was about to type a excruciatingly lame joke about everything coming up _____ for Wolverine at the box office ($35 million, first day) but I can't do it. The "May Flowers" series this month will not be this lame. I completely promise -- this is just a reminder that it's coming. I'm out of town is all. I don't even have access to Photoshop so I can't even doctor a photo and put calendula's in Wolverine's hair -- You could shove a lot of things into that big mane and those mutton chops. (It's true. No access to photoshop. I can feel the shakes coming on).

I wrote a smidge about Wolverine / Hugh fanaticism among other things for my weekly column at Towleroad. Regular ol' blogging resumes tomorrow but for now it's back to the airport and back to NYC.


If you saw X-Men Origins: Wolverine please complete this sentence in the comments:

"Wolverine is _______ and Hugh Jackman should _______ "
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Wolverine... starkers

I normally don't link to ohmygodhesnaked type posts but I'll make an exception this time because i'm exhausted, it was a long day, i love Hugh Jackman and... ohmygodhesnaked! At the very least this is a much needed encouragement to go see Wolverine because I am so worried about the quality of this movie. (I can't even get a bead on what they're trying to do with it in the various marketing spots... why are there so many characters? I thought this was Wolverine's show).

If you can't offer quality, at least provide eye candy.
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Damn Linkees!

OhLaLa ~Jake Gyllenhaal drinks to Jamie Foxx's new music video Blame It (on the alcohol)... always a good thing to blame it on. Foxx seems to have instructed his celebri-guests (there are a few others, too) to play "attitude" because they don't seem to be having a good time.
Just Jared ~more Wolverine promo pics.
/Film Eddie Murphy as Richard Pryor? Bill Condon sure does love making biopics. Fully half of his feature filmography is biopics.


Yahoo by way of Awards Daily ~Clint Eastwood receives a prize from Cannes, 3 months before the festival begins. I promised to ease up on the Eastwood thing this year (my frustration with the collective need to bury him in trophies has not won me fans) but please allow me to express genuine non-snarky confusion here. I had no idea that film festivals gave prizes when they were not in session. Who juries that? Is this the same prize he received last May when he was there to promote Changeling (only delayed for its own ceremony?) or is this actually an additional career prize nine months later? I'm not trying to piss people off. I'm just confused that off season honors exist and that they honor the same people honored the previous summer.
Kenneth in the (212) and Crazy Days have wise things to say about this Rihanna / Chris Brown situation. Why is she back with him and why are other celebrities, blogs and infotainment shows so willing to promote misogyny and domestic abuse with these "misunderstanding" semantics? Domestic abuse is not excusable. Period.
The Big Picture ~ Will Watchmen flop outside of the community prepared to love it?
Glark ~"my hair is a bird" Ha!

And about that new Damn Yankees movie you may have been reading about elsewhere. The film will supposedly star Jake Gyllenhaal as 'Shoeless Joe Hardy' (an old man who, after making a pact with the devil, becomes a young superstar baseball player) and Jim Carrey as Mr. Applegate (i.e. The Devil). Don't get too excited about it. According to Everything I Know... there's not even a screenplay, a director or a "Lola" yet. Lola, Mr. Applegate's temptress assistant who develops genuine feelings for Joe, is the best role in the show and was immortalized by Bob Fosse's girl Gwen Verdon in the 1958 movie. She's got one of the musicals two real showstoppers which is called "Whatever Lola Wants" (see previous post). Mr. Applegate gets the other one (his only musical number) "Those Were the Good Old Days". Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson recently did the 'Shoeless Joe' thing here in NYC and, come to think of it, Jake Gyllenhaal is almost his perfect movie star counterpart. Both are a) tall dark and preternaturally handsome b) underappreciated due to their total gorgeousity c) almost too perfect for the Joe Hardy role in that Joe is kind of a dull character, a blank slate object of adoration for the media and the other characters. So if you're already a slightly generic fantasy object when you're coasting, you have to add a lot of notes to that role or it can fall flat. Shoeless Joe is very Benjamin Button actually. It's an old man gets young lead role but it's a very passive one and the least interesting character in the piece. Good luck Jakey!

Now can someone in Hollywood please cast Cheyenne Jackson in a major motion picture? He's, in a word, awesome. Plus he already proved with United 93 that his acting skills and charisma transfer just fine to celluloid.
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Links

House Next Door on five Glenda Jackson performances
Being Boring another top 10 list for '08 (not only film) but I do like these write ups
The Big Picture on what film directors could learn from Obama's speeches
popbytes Penélope Cruz' new ad campaign
Defamer 20th anniversary of Steven Soderbergh's sex, lies and videotape celebrated at Sundance
MNPP didn't forget David Lynch's birthday like I did. Which Lynch image scares you the most? There's so much to choose from.

Details interviews Liev Schreiber about Defiance and Wolverine. On his workout and diet to play Sabretooth:

I felt like I owed it to the genre to be big

I guess doing battle with Hugh Jackman's impossibly huge guns --> would motivate. Sabretooth wears long sleeves in the trailer. Denied.

You Can't Hurry Link (No, You Just Had to Wait)

And Your Little Blog, Too attends a Wrestler event with Rourke & Aronofsky taking questions
Burbanked's insightful nervous look at the Terminator: Salvation trailer
Public School Intelligentsia the most vicious review of Changeling since at least the NYFF
IFC top ten lists spreadsheet
Sunset Gun great influential fashions onscreen
AV Club 17 worst films of 2008


The House Next Door a positive review of Revolutionary Road that doubles as a book review
The Big Picture translates the letter to Twilight fans from the franchises' new director Chris Weitz (American Pie, The Golden Compass)
Art of the Title on Raging Bull (1980)
The Hot Blog Steven Soderbergh talks to a semi-hostile crowd at Che
Guardian is Guy Ritchie sexing up Sherlock Holmes?
Ephemerist "first" diagrammed

and the Wolverine trailer because you should all love Mr. Jackman, with or without the pointy claws...
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD

"All In" for Wolverine?

Lookie here, it's Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) as Gambit in the upcoming Wolverine movie (May 2009)

[img src]

Off topic: I miss Friday Night Lights.

On topic: I know that Gambit isn't opposed to wearing purple or vests in the comics but I worry that following 2008's mania for The Joker, everybody is going to be wearing vests and greens and/or purples in blockbusters for years to come. "Super" films are really unimaginative this way. After Terminator 2 everybody used cold blue filters for action. Following The Matrix all super-powered folks were suddenly opposed to primary colors and costumed in black. Following The Phantom Menace Samuel L Jackson was cast in seven more (intended) super franchises. Etcetera.

Anyway... doesn't it seem like X-Men Origins: Wolverine should already be on DVD -- like we've been hearing about it for years? I'm curious to see how well it fares given the overall crappiness of the X-Men finale (Last Stand), the popularity of the character, Hugh Jackman's ever rising fame but questionable bankability, and the upcoming glut of comic book movies (the genre seems unstoppable now but oversaturation will eventually kill it).

Wolverine sans Wolverine

I rarely post exclusive "on set pics" because I am not aint-it-cool-news and I don't have millions of Hollywood insiders sending me sticky-fingered images from sets, damnit. So if you work in Hollywood and you read this site (I know you're out there. I get e-mails) throw me a bone once in a while.

Reader crazycris sent me these pics from location filming on Wolverine. She fumbled when Hugh Jackman arrived so he does not appear. But my hands don't do as they're told either when he's around so I get that and forgive.


Here we have a chopper and a crane that will be blowed up real good during the action sequence. Where Wolverine goes, destruction follows. You know how he do, bub. One assumes the chopper will be chasing him.



Then we have a barn that was supposedly built just for the film. Think it survives the chase? And here is a prep tent for cast and crew --lunchtime! Hugh Jackman, the man himself, is deep in the shadows here. Don't get too excited. Really hard to see him.


Road block to hold up curious civilians with cameras as they filmed a motorcycle chase with explosions. I think Cris included this second picture just to make you jealous that you've never been to New Zealand before. That's what it says to me at least. Sure is purty.




And finally what we have here is (Cris believes) Logan's bike for the action sequence. It's rather plain... but I bet it looks hotter with Hugh Jackman topping it. Maybe it gets blowed up, too?

[SNIKT]

semi related post: (okay not really) Famke Jannsen interviewed --yes, we talk about being an X-Man
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Hugh Jackman Pinches Himself. In a Manly Way!

Hugh Jackman's adamantium claws won't be onscreen again till 2009, but watch more and more Wolverine news litter the internet while we wait and wait... and wait. Here's a good snippet from Moviehole. Hugh doesn't want the kid who plays Wolverine as a youngster (Kodi Smit-McPhee) on the web because it's too full of pre-release speculation and movie expectations. Um, Hugh... he's 12. He's already running rampant online.

Wolverine, pinstriped @ 12 (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and @ 39 (Hugh Jackman)

The quote on Australia is also of note and goes like this

Recently I saw another five minutes, and I just pinch myself I'm a part of it. It's an amazing moment for Australian film. Fingers crossed we can pull off the ambitions being set

Aside from the visual of Jackman touching himself (OK, pinching isn't that sexy but it's Jackman -- shut up!) it's nice to see some honesty in sound bite interviews. There's both excitement, pride and a little worrying in there. As well there should be.

Yes, I'm too obsessed with Australia. Help me!

Incidentally, the apparently pin-stripe loving Kodi Smit-McPhee already played son to Eric Bana in Romulus My Father (for which the young actor won big raves) and before Wolverine (or after depending on release strategies) you'll see him as Viggo Mortensen's son in the upcoming adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Quite a collection of father figures this kid is amassing with just three years in the biz.

Blogosphere Multiplex: postmodern barney

I have a soft spot for superheroes. I grew up collecting comics, obsessing on the X-Men long before they were a blockbuster film franchise and eagerly awaiting the next issue of whatever I was into at the moment. I still peek over into the comic soaked portion of the blogosphere from time to time. One of my favorites is definitely Postmodern Barney. Dorian Wright, the mastermind behind "the world's smuggest comics blog!", agreed to be interviewed for this the 12th edition of the Blogosphere Multiplex Series.

10 questions with Dorian Wright of Postmodern Barney

Nathaniel:Dorian, how often do you go to the movies?

Dorian: My average these days is about two to three times a month, with frequent rental viewings at home inbetween those trips out. I would like to go more often, but all the theaters in my area are owned by the same company, so high ticket prices and a relative lack of diversity in films shown keep me home more often than I'd like.

Nathaniel: What is the biggest draw for you in making your filmgoing or rental decisions?

Dorian: There's a sort of hierarchy to films that gets my interest. First is the premise. If the idea of the film sounds cool or interesting to me it will usually get me to check it out, or at least want to know more about it. Second is the cast, if the people in the film are people who I've enjoyed in other films. And then I suppose it would be genre. I'm more inclined to go see a comedy than a drama, or a horror film than an action film, for example. And then it would be writers and directors and various other "behind the camera" people like that. But to get me to a point where I really consider seeing the film, you've got to promise me a story that's new or at least told in an interesting and entertaining way. If the story looks good, I'm often willing to overlook actors and directors whose work annoys me. Within limits, of course. I don't think I'm ever going to be willing to pay money to see Tom Hanks or Mel Gibson in something, for example.

Nathaniel: I think those two should pay us personally, given what they've put us through.

What are your favorite and least favorite superhero films and why?

Dorian: I think "favorite superhero film" is a toss up between Batman Begins and the first X-Men movie. Both "get" the genre and do it right in different ways. Though it takes a fair number of liberties with the comic book origin, Batman Begins is as faithful to the look and mood of the comic of any of the films I've seen. It hits all the right emotional notes and balances them with a good deal of action. It has its flaws, notably Katie Holmes, but the cast as a whole is superb and the end result is very satisfying.

The first X-Men, by contrast, is a bit of a mess. The plot, such as it is, really doesn't make any sense, and most of the actors are just sort of...there. But it captures the big, poppy dumb melodramatic fun of most super-hero comics. Most super-heroes are really just soap operas for teenage boys, and X-Men captures that vibe.

Worst film is, without a doubt, Daredevil. Everyone in it just seems sort of embarassed, except for Jennifer Garner, who went with the "Tee-hee! I'm an assassin! Giggle!" characterization for Elektra that was really jarring. It was just a disaster. I even like the Ang Lee Hulk movie more. That being said, I haven't seen Ghost Rider yet, and something tells me it's going to give Daredevil some competition for the title of "worst superhero film."

Nathaniel: I share the suspicion. And I also share the hatred of Daredevil. Any thought on other upcoming titles --like Joss Whedon's Wonder Woman?

Dorian: Whedon's Wonder Woman is not a film I'm especially looking forward to. I've not been impressed with his work in the past. He tries too hard to hit all the right "nerd buttons" which results in a lot of his work coming off as fan fiction, even when he's writing his own creations. Based on his past works, I have this vision of him casting Wonder Woman as this naive, perky, petitie little brunette, and that just doesn't seem right to me.

I'm also just enough of a Wonder Woman fan to be slightly put out that Whedon doesn't think any of her villains are good enough to be in the film. Granted, Wonder Woman has some cheesy villains, but if you can't think of a way to make characters like Cheetah, Circe, Paula Von Gunther or Ares work on film, maybe you shouldn't be in charge of a Wonder Woman movie.

Nathaniel: I'm afraid Marvel is going to ruin it all by their quantity versus quality approach. What's your verdict?

Dorian: I do think that Marvel is going for a little bit of a quantity over quality with their films, but that doesn't surprise me, as that's how Marvel has historically run their comics publishing division. There's never been a bandwagon or trend that they haven't jumped on and run into the ground, and the same is true of super-hero movies. They're going to ride the gravy train for as long as they can, and flood the market with as many things branded with their logo as they can manage. Part of the problem with their films, I think, is that for the most part, Marvel doesn't really have a lot of big name, headlining "star" type characters. You've got Spider-Man and the Hulk, maybe characters like Wolverine, Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider, Captain America, and then a bunch of also rans that people kinda-sorta have heard of. So it often feels like Marvel is in a rush to get these films with their character's names on them out in the market and it ends up having a "throw everything at the wall and let's see what sticks" feel to it.

In contrast, DC has more "big name" characters, but they've been a lot more careful about licensing them out for movies and tv shows and cartoons. They also seem to take a more active role in their properties, for good or bad, than Marvel does. I think this is why, overall, DC's super-hero movies have been a bit better than Marvel's. If the Ghost Rider movie bombs, it doesn't have as big an impact on the popular conception of the character, so it doesn't matter to Marvel if the film is good or not. If the Wonder Woman movie bombs, that could potentially damage a very well known and marketable character, and so DC is going to be very careful about what goes on in the Wonder Woman movie. And that's not a worry without precedent: Doc Savage, Dick Tracy and the Shadow used to have followings, but bad movies featuring those characters pretty much killed them as licensable properties.

Nathaniel: I recently sent a movie meme out into the blogsophere and I've been loving the intriguing responses to this one particular question so I thought I'd throw it your way.

Choose a female bodyguard: Ripley from Aliens. Mystique from X-Men. Sarah Connor from Terminator 2. The Bride from Kill Bill. Mace from Strange Days.

Dorian: I'm going to have to go with Ripley. She can take out legions of nasty, acid-blooded aliens. Mystique is great for sneaking into places and not much else, Sarah needed men to come to her rescue, the Bride can beat up David Carradine and other B-Movie actors, and I never saw Strange Days. Yeah, I'm going to want the woman who committed genocide to save a little girl watching my back.

Nathaniel: Let's play a little game. Like an inkblot thing. I say the names of five actors, you say the first super power that comes to mind when I mention them: Robert Downey Jr. Scarlett Johansson. Meryl Streep. Brad Pitt. Michelle Pfeiffer.

Dorian:

• Robert Downey Jr. -Drinking. Actually, that's terribly unfair, but that's what I think of when I think of Iron Man, too.
• Scarlett Johansson -Complete invisibilty thanks to her amazing blandness.
• Meryl Streep -Some sort of sonic death-cry.
• Brad Pitt -He has the magical ability to make me hetero. I've just never grasped his appeal.
• Michelle Pfeiffer -The ability to make people forget about her earlier, slightly embarrassing films.
  

Nathaniel: Yay, that was fun!


What (quality) comic book do you think should never be made into a movie and why?

Dorian: The one that continually gets rumored is Watchmen. It probably shouldn't ever be made into a film. It's a long story, with a lot of side-plots and rich characterization, and there's simply no way to condense the story down to a two hour runtime and have it bear any relation to the source material at all. The other serious problem is that, for the most part, it's a super-hero comic, and the general public probably isn't really ready for something that challenges their assumptions about what a super-hero film should be like.

Nathaniel: What's the weirdest thing that ever happened to you at the movies?

Dorian: I once went to a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show where one guy in the audience apparently had never been clued in to what to expect, and got quite angry about people talking during the movie and standing in front of the screen. I know it sounds like some complicated prank, but no, he was genuinely upset that people were not sitting quietly in their seats and watching the movie.

But other than that, my film-going experiences have been rather prosaic. Apart from the usual hassles of cell phones and people taking little kids to R rated movies, I think the worst I've had to deal with in a theater is a broken reel.

Nathaniel: OK, final question. They make a movie of your life. What's the title? Rating? Who directs? Who plays you?

Dorian: I think I'd want to go with something both pretentious and ridiculous, just to make people feel silly when they go to buy tickets. Hark the Bird Crows at Midnight has a nice ring to it. It would have to be R, because of all the gratuitous male nudity. I think Alan Smithee is probably the only director who'd be willing to do it.

When I was a kid, I used to get the "you look just like Kiefer Sutherland" thing a lot. These days, even though I suspect I probably look more like Donald now, I'm just vain enough to think that Kiefer would still be a good choice.

Nathaniel: Thanks so much, Dorian.

Readers if you enjoyed this interview, please do go and check out postmodern barney! If you're visiting the film experience for the first time just for this, here are some earlier comic related posts if you want to stick around: Lois Lane: Lost in Translation * How Comic Book Films Will Die * A History of... Blue Freaks * Fantastic 1.5 * Catwoman * Spider-Man 2 nominations

Or check out some of the most popular posts from the past: Far From Heaven vs. Brokeback -Whose side are you on? * She's a Bitch (@ the Movies) * Vampires a blog-a-thon * Find Your Inner Kidman * Oscar Predictions -for awards enthusiasts *

Previous Interviews: The Gilded Moose * Jay Lassiter * Dylan Meconis * Martha of Cinematical * ultranow * fourfour * six things * Gallery of the Absurd * How to Learn Swedish in 1000 Difficult Lessons * Ron L'Infirmier * Thomas & Co.

Tags: movies, Marvel, Batman Begins, Ghost Rider, cinema, Daredevil, Wonder Woman, DC,film, Comic Books

Hump Day Hottie: Hugh Jackman

I am totally sick right now so I need something yummy to look at. Sitting at the computer is a chore when you have a fever but I'm distracting myself with pics of Hugh Jackman. Rowrrr. I'm imagining him dabbing my forehead with wet cloth to comfort me, singing to me with that sensational voice to entertain me, doing a Wolverine berzerker imitation (naked of course) just to amuse me. He's a mighty, manly, and sensitive man this Aussie star.

There was a period of time there when he was delighting Broadway audiences for a whole year instead of making movies (something stars almost never do) and scaring his agent in the process. But he's back to the screen with a vengeance. Scarlett Johansson is not the only 2006 overachiever. You can see Hugh Jackman romancing her in theaters right now in Scoop (which I still haven't seen. Bad me). You probably already saw his third pass at Wolverine in X-Men: The Last Stand. This fall he's starring in what are arguably two of the very coolest of all 2006 releases. He headlines The Fountain (trailer) with Rachel Weisz and gets combative with Christian Bale in The Prestige (trailer). This should be the year wherein he leaves superhero movies behind.

Aside from his quadruple movie attack, he's also making news this week with the announcement that he'll be starring in a new film version of the classic musical Carousel. This is covered at Cinematical (in a sweet way) and Defamer (in a funny but kinda fagbashing way). But it's cool to read both posts back to back to illustrate the landmines that come with making movie musicals. Some of the greatest movies of all time belong to the genre and exceedingly masculine stars like Gene Kelly (and now Jackman) have set up shop there, too. But there will always be people who make fun of the musical theater and its connotative relationship with homosexuality. People are small-minded like that. There was even a time frame when gossip was circling that Jackman didn't get the James Bond role because he wasn't masculine enough.

This man.



Dumb right? But you can't win them all. I should note though that the Defamer article does relay a complete truth about musical theater devotion --some people just have it in their blood with no interest in dismissing it. Thankfully for those of us who enjoy both the godlike Hugh Jackman and the musical theater itself, it's a beautiful match.

Enjoy every last moment of the International Jackman Film Festival of 2006 at theaters near you all freaking year long.


Previously on "Hump Day Hotties"
Uma Thurman -tall beautiful orgasmic Cheyenne Jackson -extreme stage hottie crossing over to film. HDH Season One - Jake Gyllenhaal, Lady Tottington, and more...

tags:
Hugh Jackman, movies, film, Scarlett Johansson, Broadway, musicals

Weekly (Mutant) Horoscope

Just 2 days until X3 opens... And you know what this means. A themed horoscope to help you evolve over the next seven days. You don't need a cure, you just need to accept your mutation. For those unfamiliar with the vast array of merry mutant cited, I've provided links for your edification.

Weekly Movie Horoscope
May 24th -May 30th The Homosuperior Edition

Aries (3.21-4.19)
Your mood will probably be scattered --everything from frustration to pleasure to daydreaming. I'm seeing Havok for you this week... Venus is making a move on Monday which should bring you success --maybe you'll finally get out from under a sibling's shadow or your significant other's 'issues'. Don't let that hothead temper create a rogue plasma blast.

Taurus (4.20-5.20)
Your chart wants you changeable. That's not your natural thing, oh bullish one. But try it. Though you're normally more of a Colossus you'd be better off aping his love Kitty Pryde this week. You'll want to play it agile and loose this week --walking through walls sure could come in handy. The word "no" will also remove barriers.

Gemini (5.21-6.20)
New Moon this weekend: If you've been feeling stuck, these next three weeks are the big ones.Take a road less travelled. Look at Storm for a second. Nobody expected her to go through that mohawk/punk phase while she worked through those Dark Phoenix issues. It'll do you good to go similarly wild this week (while still keeping your wits about you)

Cancer (6.21-7.22)
I'm not sure where to begin Cancer. So many things this week. You're taking your mutant identity cue from Gemini: think Multiple Man. That's the best way to work out conflicting impulses this week: feeling shy but wanting to be touched. Arguing with parents or bosses but also wanting their approval. Look for deeper meanings and multi-task.

Leo (7.23-8.22)
Enthusiasm can work like adrenaline and you've got plenty pumping. Think of yourself as Wolverine and then imagine his berserker rage minus the violence and with an emphasis on his camaraderie with his favored teammates, bub. You'll be as powerful and quick as a "fastball special" if you do. But please: decide just how serious you are about your own Jean Grey, whoever he/she may be.

Virgo (8.23-9.22)
Like Professor Xavier you are spending too much time worrying about others. Take this week to restore some balance to that equation. Remember when he had that passionate love affair with Lilandra? Make sure you get similar pleasure. Bird? Alien? Human? Whatever. Decide what you want and go for it. Get up from that wheelchair. Walk!

Libra (9.23-10.22)
It's all about the mental stimulus this week, Libra and what better way to portray both that and the scales than by invoking the ultimate in dark/light telepathic hotties Jean Grey and Emma Frost. They've both had considerable trouble with their own duality, not to mention each other. You'll be steadier provided you stay focused, pay attention to details, and avoid simple mistakes this week.

Scorpio (10.23-11.21)
Remy LeBeau, also known as Gambit is the character to identify with this week. Embrace your dynamic personality. Creativity is a hotspot for you when the New Moon hits. With all that kinetic energy you can muster the possibilities are endless. Direct these energies at your lovelife but be careful what you're asking for. You'll probably get it as the cards fall where they may.

Sagittarius (11.22-12.21)
Even if you feel like you're screaming you have to vocalize your desires. Loudly. Banshee is your man. Remember when he left superheroing to be with Moira McTaggart on Muir Island? I'm not suggesting you make a change as drastic but house of partnership is key right now. If you're not already partnered it's coming. Don't take anything for granted. Anyone can lose their voice.

Capricorn (12.22-1.19)
As with the influential Magneto you've never been one to give under the weight of pressure. Think of yourself as metal. Nothing about you needs to break but use the power to bend yourself further than usual. A major cycle in your life is ending. You know how comic book characters have a million alternate realities and forgotten story threads. Tie everything up quickly.

Aquarius (1.20-2.18)
Northstarwas the first out gay superhero. You're a trailblazer too so embrace your originality. He was also rich, famous, and desired as a sports star (though criticized for using his extra powers to win). Abundance is headed your way too provided you do the same. Use your natural gifts without guilt. This weekend's new moon in your House of Romance: keep it playful and quick.

Pisces (2.19-3.20)
Like Rogue there may be obvious obstacles to bliss in your personal and romantic lives. But you can touch people so don't feel too sorry for yourself. Push yourself extra hard this week. You have greater power than you think. A major cycle may be ending but try to rework a current situation with a lighter spirit and rewards are bound to come, sugar.

tags: movies, XMen, Comic Books, X-Men, Marvel, film, celebrities, horoscope, zodiac