¡Qué horror! 2015

Candidate #7

THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN

(October 2014)

The following film includes a partly edited medical documentary, outtakes, and surveillance footage from the scenes of the crime.

Adam Robitel’s feature debut takes the real life horror of Alzheimer’s disease and mashes that up with some supernatural goings on to produce a potent title in The Taking of Deborah Logan.

Here, medical student Mia Hu (Neighbours’ Michelle Ang) sets about centering her PHD Thesis film on the titular Deborah Logan (All My Children’s Jill Larson), hoping to document the effects of the disease, not just on Logan, but on her daughter Sarah (Anne Ramsay, from Mad About You and The Secret Life of the American Teenager), as well.

While there are some heavy hitters in the mix here (the film is produced by Bryan Singer--the closing credits actually declare it a “Bryan Singer Presents” production) and some familiar genre figures are thanked in the end credits roll (Bryan Cranston, Guillermo del Toro, Michael Dougherty, James Wan, to name some) the onscreen MVPs here are definitely Larson and Ramsay, who ground the proceedings in a very real mother-daughter relationship, warts and all.

“I do all my little puzzles. I do crosswords. I’m lifting weights. I am doing everything that I… I have read will help to stave off the progression of this disease. Stave it off! There’s no cure. And so, when I am in the middle of something and suddenly, my mind just… leaves the premises…. There are no words to describe how distressing it is.”

Much of the potency of the film is rooted in the awful deterioration that sets in with Alzheimer’s, and as the narrative unspools, there are shades of The Exorcist, in that we are also witness to the horror when modern medicine finds itself unable to deal with a patient’s condition, when the doctors are just as in the dark as the besieged victim and family.

There is also at least one instance of a quick cut “subliminal,” again, ala The Exorcist.

Admittedly, the title mines all that it can from the horror movie idea of the Creepy Old Lady, which is sadly quite unfair to all the Nice Little Old Ladies out there, but the end result is nonetheless an effective little found footage-y humdinger.

(The Taking of Deborah Logan OS courtesy of cineemcasa.com.)

TRICK ‘R TREAT
(Review)


For the record, I love Superman Returns; along with The Dark Knight, it’s one of the most mature superhero films out there (for very different reasons, of course).
There are a myriad of reasons why I love Superman Returns, but the one that has relevance to this review, is the screenplay, written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris. It’s a screenplay whose deceptively straight-forward narrative belies its emotional and thematic complexity.
Both Dougherty and Harris had previously worked with director Bryan Singer on X2, which also goes a long way in explaining why X2 was a whole lot better than the first X-Men film.
Now, the script that got Dougherty and Harris the X2 gig? Well, that happens to be the script for the film we’re taking a look at now: Trick ‘r Treat.
Finally getting a DVD release after two years of sitting on a shelf, this is one hell of a great horror movie that tips a Halloween hat to the memorable horror anthologies of yesteryear.


It’s Halloween in the little town of Warren Valley, Ohio, the night when the barriers between the living and the dead are at their thinnest, a night when we meet a number of individuals, whose stories weave in and out of (and at certain points, wind back on) each other, individuals who are about to find out that Halloween is more than just about costumes and candy…
Now what sets Trick ‘r Treat apart from those horror anthologies that came before, is the fact that the script is structured in such a way as to combine all four tales into a single narrative.
Whereas in the past, we’d have a framing sequence, and the separate tales of terror (Creepshow, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Asylum, et al), with Trick ‘r Treat, we have a film that has the kind of narrative structure you’d find in a Go, or a Pulp Fiction.
It’s a structure that helps inform the film with an added layer, where what seem to be throw-away lines and incidental little bits, turn out to have weight and bearing on all that we will eventually come to see over the course of the running time.


Another important distinction of Trick ‘r Treat is that this is the sort of horror film that’s fun. And that’s the sort of fun that doesn’t step foot into the horror-comedy arena, but basically still stays on the horror side of the fence, but laces itself with moments of black comedy and a sense that things don’t have to be all serious and sober.
What writer/director Dougherty calls “fun horror movies,” the ones that have a lot of replay value, as opposed to, say, what the French are contributing to the genre. I mean, I love some of those too, but you don’t see me rushing to give Inside a second viewing…
As a first-time director, Dougherty not only captures the essence and spirit of Halloween (spotlighting its dark, pagan origins in the process), he also understands this type of film perfectly.


And he’s got some formidable back-up.
For starters, there’s a rather good cast in this. If I had to cherry pick the best though, that would have to be Dylan Baker (as Principal Steven Wilkins) and Brian Cox (as crotchety Mr. Kreeg), both of whom also shone on the flawed, though certainly ambitious (and sadly truncated) reimagining of the Biblical story of David, Kings.
Here, in Trick ‘r Treat, they happen to be neighbours, and though their tales are ultimately separate from each other, they do occasionally intersect in wryly amusing ways.


Dougherty’s also got Bryan Singer producing, Glen MacPherson behind the camera, and Douglas Pipes on the score (Pipes also composed the score for Gil Kenan’s Monster House, another one of those “fun horror movies”; yes, ostensibly, it’s a CGI kiddie flick, so it skews a bit younger, but it’s a rather dark kiddie flick, if you think about it).
Plus, thanks to his visual background in animation, Dougherty also manages to introduce us to potential horror icon in the making, freaky little Sam (short for Samhain, one would assume, and played by Quinn Lord, who also plays the little peeper who gets to see Anna Paquin in the dressing room, lucky little…).
If it’s one thing that can keep a horror film at the forefront of the genre’s mass consciousness, it’s a visually unique character. Think Pinhead, or Freddy, or Chucky, or the masks of Michael or Jason or Ghostface.
Well, now we’ve got Sam, and hey, we’re all the better for it.


If Christmas can have titles like Doug Liman’s Go and Satoshi Kon’s Tokyo Godfathers, then Halloween should have some go-to films too. And John Carpenter’s Halloween is long overdue some deserving company.
So, if you’re looking for some fun Halloween viewing, Trick ‘r Treat is most definitely the ticket.
Just be sure not to piss off Sam, you hear?


“I’m just trying to create a horror film that I think hearkens back to the horror films that we all know and love and grew up with. I keep pointing to the early to mid-‘80’s when we had [A] Nightmare on Elm Street and Poltergeist and Creepshow and things like that, that to me are terrifying horror films but also fun and funny. I miss those, a lot.”
-- Michael Dougherty

(Trick ‘r Treat OS courtesy of shocktillyoudrop.com; Michael Dougherty image courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com.)

AFTERTHOUGHTS (96)
EMPIRE’S! 50! GREATEST! COMIC! BOOK! CHARACTERS! [2 of 5]
THE X-MEN EDITION

Though I’m pretty much a DC fanboy (and always have been), the one Marvel title that I loved way back when was ­The Uncanny X-Men, back in the classic Chris Claremont era.
And naturally, I was rabid over Grant Morrison’s New X-Men.
Filmwise, I wasn’t bowled over by Bryan Singer’s first pass on the material, though I love X2. Brett Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand was, like Spider-Man 3, a mess that had too much going on in it.
Hopefully, next year’s Wolverine spin-off will have learned from past X-film mistakes…
I also loved Sir Ian McKellen’s Magneto, more so than Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, who is already, let’s face it, a pretty good fit. (Though I do think Magneto’s helmet in the film looks terrible…)


30 Emma Frost (aka: The White Queen)
Bad girls in comics are always so useful that they tend to reform and become at least semi-goodies (cf: Catwoman, Elektra).
Emma Frost was introduced as an exceptionally nasty—and explicitly perverse—villainess, running a school for evil mutants in competition with Professor Xavier and high in the councils of the nefarious Hellfire Club (in homage to the famous ‘Touch of Brimstone’ episode of The Avengers).
Marvel made her a qualified goodie in the X-Men spin-off Generation X, and writer Grant Morrison reinvented the character when he took over New X-Men and wasn’t allowed to use his original choice, Storm.
Now an actual X-Man, Emma remained the manipulative slut fans loved to hate—and caused a minor kerfuffle when she began a ‘telepathic’ affair with Cyclops, long-term partner of Jean Grey.


Despite strong competition, Emma has consistently worn the most striking lingerie (and little else) in comics—the covers for her brief solo series Emma Frost are basically porn star poses.
FIRST APPEARED IN UNCANNY X-MEN #129 (1980)
CREATED BY CHRIS CLAREMONT AND JOHN BYRNE


9 Magneto (aka: Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, The Master of Magnetism)
Magneto is... complicated.
A Jewish survivor of the Holocaust who is determined to save his fellow homo superior from the fate of his fellow Jew, he sometimes seems fated to repeat some of the Nazis' mistakes, pursuing the subjugation of homo sapiens in favour of homo superior.
He is—as producer Tom DeSanto told Bryan Singer when he was trying to persuade him to make the first X-Men movie—Malcolm X to Professor X’s Martin Luther King.
His ‘by any means necessary’ approach has seen him commit hideous atrocities in the past, including the sinking of a submarine full of sailors, and yet he’s not evil—not in the traditional sense of the word, anyway.
Even though he’s traditionally their number one nemesis, he has been known to actively align with the X-Men, even taking over as the team’s leader/teacher in the absence of Charles Xavier, while he’s previously had a relationship with Rogue.


Currently in the films, he’s depowered, and living life as a human—which, for him, is purgatory. But we’re sure his powerless state won’t last for long.
FIRST APPEARED IN X-MEN #1 (1963)
CREATED BY STAN LEE AND JACK KIRBY


4 Wolverine (aka: Logan, James Howlett, Patch, Weapon X)
Originally conceived as a villainous means of giving Hulk a bit of a workout, but swiftly retooled as a conflicted hero, Wolverine’s always been a character comfortable with shades of grey, and it’s his contradictions and complications that enable him to be all things to all geeks.
So he has an unmatched capacity for violence (even berserkery) and finely honed animal instinct, but is capable of tempering his highly emotional reactions with cold-blooded calculation where required.


And he’s no mere thug: his studies in Japan and long history of travel, espionage and trouble-finding have given him a knowledge of differing cultures, he speaks a number of languages, and has a deep appreciation of ice-cold beer (see, for example, Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men, where beer brings Wolverine back from a hypnotised state).
Also, he has the sort of facial hair that generations of young men have grown up aspiring to.
FIRST APPEARED IN HULK #181 (1974)
CREATED BY LEN WEIN, JOHN ROMITA SR


The above write-ups are from Empire’s list.
For more on the above characters (including who Singer saw as his potential White Queen), just click on their names; the entire list will be accessible from there.

In Part 3—Afterthoughts (97)—we note some characters from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.

(Images courtesy of greghornjudge.com [Emma Frost and Wolverine, art by Greg Horn]; artofhagan.com [Magneto, art by Brian Hagan]; about.com [Sir Ian McKellen as Magneto; photo by Nels Israelson]; and marvel.com [Emma Frost, New X-Men cover art by Frank Quitely, Wolverine, and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine].)

AFTERTHOUGHTS (58)

58.1 REVVING THE POST-STRIKE ENGINE (2)
THE MAN OF STEEL
In an interview with Empire, Bryan Singer has confirmed that he’s currently “in the development phase” of the sequel to Superman Returns, which he describes as “an opportunity to up the threat levels.” Action, kiddies! Action!!
Sadly, Superman Returns screenwriters Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty won’t be returning, and though there was a rumour that floated that Transformers’ Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman would be penning the sequel’s script, that bit has since (thankfully) been quashed.

58.2 CRUISING TRIBECA 2008
The line-ups for the World Narrative and World Documentary Feature Film Competitions for this year’s Tribeca Film Festival—taking place April 23 – May 4—have been announced, and the World Narrative entries that quickly snagged my attention…

Låt den rätte komma in (Let The Right One In), directed by Tomas Alfredson, written by John Ajvide Lindqvist. (Sweden)
Based on Lindqvist's best-selling novel, this beautifully touching tale tells of the first romance for bullied 12-year-old Oskar and the girl next door, Eli. . . who also happens to be a vampire.
Swedish with English subtitles. A Magnet Release.

Amor, dolor y viceversa (Love, Pain and Vice Versa), directed by Alfonso Pineda-Ulloa, written by Alex Marino. (Mexico)
This stirring and moody psychological thriller finds two strangers subconsciously linked when their recurring dreams begin to topple their reality. Featuring strong performances by the sizzling Bárbara Mori (La mujer de mi hermano) and Leonardo Sbaraglia (Intacto).
Spanish with English subtitles. A Panamax Films Release.

And in the “Encounters” section of the festival…

Idiots and Angels, directed and written by Bill Plympton. (USA)
Oscar®-nominated animator Bill Plympton sketches a Lynchian dark comedy about a morally bankrupt man scrabbling to hide the good in himself—which manifests itself in a pair of angel wings that just won't go away.

The Objective, directed by Daniel Myrick, written by Mark Patton, Wes Clark Jr., and Myrick. (USA)
The [co-]director of The Blair Witch Project brings his singular brand of suspense to an exhilarating integration of war and mystery, revolving around a precarious CIA mission in Afghanistan.
English, Berber with English subtitles.

Terra, directed by Aristomenis Tsirbas, written by Evan Spiliotopoulos and Tsirbas. (USA)
A dazzling sci-fi animation about an alien girl on the idyllic planet Terra. When the last remaining humans exhaust Earth's resources, she must fight against the Earthlings who want to inhabit her planet!
Featuring an all-star cast of voices, including Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, James Garner, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, David Cross, and Luke Wilson.

Also part of the World Narrative Competition, Shane Meadows’ follow-up to This Is England, Somers Town.
And, returning to The Objective for just a bit, I’ve probably made mention ‘round these parts before that I wasn’t particularly enamoured of The Blair Witch Project. I’ve always wanted to see what Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez could do with an actual script and no vertigo-inducing shaky cam.
Since I haven’t had the opportunity to see any of Myrick’s post-Project work, I figure The Objective is as good an opportunity as any…

For a look at the complete press release, go here.

(Superman Returns IMAX OS courtesy of brandonrouth.com; Let The Right One In OS courtesy of shocktillyoudrop.com; Idiots and Angels image courtesy of animationresourcecentre.blogspot.com.)

AFTERTHOUGHTS (42)

42.1 WHO CRUSHED THE JUSTICE LEAGUE?!
So how all-mighty is the Writers Guild? They’ve already reduced the recently concluded Golden Globes night to a whimpering, awkward mess, and now, they’ve just whupped the collective a$$ of the world’s greatest superheroes.
Is that scarier than Darkseid, or what?

As of January 16, Wednesday, George Miller’s Justice League film adaptation is on “indefinite hold,” this confirmed by Warner Bros., and reported by Variety.
The studio has also allowed the options on the cast chosen by Miller to lapse, leaving them free to take on other projects, though the studio did inform the actors that they are “determined to make the film with them in it.”
To be completely fair though, aside from admitting that the present script could “benefit from a little more work” (impossible at the moment due to the WGA strike), there was also the matter of tax breaks, or some such financial gobbledygook, as the reasons for the project’s failure to be greenlit.

Of course, the Australian government has already made this subsequent statement: “We understand the postponement of filming is absolutely confined to creative issues and especially to delays in refining the script due to the writers’ strike,” this, from a spokeswoman for arts minister Peter Garrett. (Naturally, they’d say that. I mean, who wants to be keeping company with the likes of Lex Luthor and the Joker, right?)
This has shed some light on the whole “let’s film in Australia” deal, at any rate, as it seems like WB was going for some sort of Aussie quota, to get that 40% rebate. (And some people wondered why Australian model Megan Gale was in the mix…)

Whatever the case may be regarding all that money talk though, the production of the Justice League film could begin, at the earliest, in late summer or early fall (provided the WGA strike is resolved soon).
All of which leaves WB, for the time being, without a superhero tentpole for 2009 (one of the main reasons why they were so hot to get Justice League in gear in the first place).
There still hasn’t been any movement or official word regarding Bryan Singer’s next project following the Tom Cruise-starrer Valkyrie. It’s still unclear whether his next film will indeed be the previously reported The Mayor of Castro Street, as Gus Van Sant’s Milk (also about slain San Francisco mayor Harvey Milk) is supposedly still an active proposition. If Castro Street stalls, then Singer could get serious about The Man of Steel again.
But there’s a whole lotta “ifs” in there.

Which leaves me a sad little camper at the moment. If there wasn’t gonna be any Man of Steel in ’09, then I could at least have looked forward to Miller’s take on the League.
Right now though, things are so up in the air, it isn’t even funny.

42.2 BUT THEN AGAIN…
On the other side of the coin though, with NBC searching high and low for fresh programming in this lean, struck TV season, the network has indicated to the SciFi Channel to take the Battlestar Galactica prequel, Caprica, off the limbo shelf for a serious second look, to determine whether it should be greenlit for production.
After all, there is a complete script ready to go.
And we, of the BSG faithful, are keenly aware of the final 20 episodes before we will be forced to bid adieu to the crew of the Galactica, so maybe a little love in this lean, struck TV season could be a good thing, yes?

42.3 AND SPEAKING OF A LITTLE LOVE…
So word has come down the pike that the DGA and the AMPTP have signed on the dotted lines, which, hopefully, will encourage negotiations with the WGA to be rekindled.
Variety’s got extensive coverage of the DGA deal, and you can go here (“DGA makes big gains in new media”) for a lotta numbers and mathematical whatchamahoozies outlining the agreement, here (“Industry reacts to DGA deal”) for, well, industry reactions to the agreement, and here (“Showrunners showing enthusiasm”) for, uhhh, showrunners’ reactions to the deal.
In that article is the following passage:

“Meanwhile, should a deal [with the WGA] be hammered out within the next month, network and studio insiders have said that portions of this TV season—as well as pilot season—could still be salvaged.
“It would be on a case-by-case basis. Some series could power back up relatively quickly and churn out at least a few more episodes this year, if not an entire back nine order.”

So here’s hoping, right?
I mean, come on, the fate of the Justice League depends on it!

(JLA artwork by Ariel Olivetti, courtesy of upperdeck.com; Battlestar Galactica image courtesy of scifi.com.)

AFTERTHOUGHTS (31)
MY BLACK LIST 2007 PICKS

Okay, so if you’ve checked out Afterthoughts (30) already (and if you haven’t, scoot on over to the Archive), below are The Black List 2007 scripts that I’m excited to see hit the big screen.

Passengers by Jon Spaihts (38 mentions)
“A passenger on an intergalactic spaceship is the only one prematurely thawed out from cryogenic slumber… 100 years before anyone else.”

Reportedly being produced by Keanu Reeves, who is also attached to star. I am far from a Keanu fan, but I have managed to enjoy some films despite his presence—Dangerous Liaisons, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and The Matrix—so hopefully, this’ll be added to that list.

The Road by Joe Penhall (24 mentions)
“Based on the book by Cormac McCarthy. After a nuclear explosion, a man goes on a nightmarish road trip in order to transport his son to safety, while fending off starving stragglers and marauding packs of cannibals.”

McCarthy’s novel was once on Oprah’s Book of the Month Club (let’s not hold that against it, shall we?), and the adaptation’s being directed by John Hillcoat (The Proposition).

This Side of the Truth by Matt Robinson (17 mentions)
“Set in a world where the concept of lying doesn't exist, a loser changes his lot when he invents lying and uses it to get ahead.”

It’s a comedy from the man who graced both Seona Dancing and The Office, Ricky Gervais. What’s not to like?

Source Code by Ben Ripley (13 mentions)
“As part of an experimental government program to investigate a terrorist incident, a soldier finds himself living and reliving a series of events that take place on a commuter train just prior to the train exploding.”

Never Let Me Go by Alex Garland (7 mentions)
“Based on the book by Kazuo Ishiguro. Students at an isolated boarding school in the English countryside gradually discover that they are clones who will inevitably be harvested for organs no matter how ‘human’ they are.”

Though not necessarily an original concept, if done right, it’s a powerful one. And considering the script is by Garland (The Beach and the screenplay for 28 Days Later, among others), and the source material is a much-lauded novel from the man who also wrote the Booker Prize-winning The Remains of the Day, this should kick some serious a$$.

The Book of Eli by Gary Whitta (7 mentions)
“A lone hero must fight his way across the wasteland of postapocalyptic America to protect a sacred book that holds the key to saving the future of humanity”

Described by Whitta as “… kind of a post-apocalyptic western,” this is being directed by the Hughes Brothers (Menace II Society and From Hell).

Shelter by Karl Mueller (6 mentions)
“A group of nuclear holocaust survivors caught in a bomb shelter begin to turn on each other as they wait for rescue.”

Slumdog Millionaire by Simon Beaufoy (6 mentions)
“An illiterate kid looks to become a contestant on the Hindi version of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire in order to re-establish contact with the girl he loves, who is an ardent fan of the show.”

This is Danny Boyle’s latest, and since I loved Millions, and since this one sounds like it could be operating in a similar narrative area, I’m looking forward to it.
Plus, Beaufoy also wrote The Full Monty and Blow Dry, so I’m kind of expecting this one to be funny and uplifting too.

Valkyrie by Christopher McQuarrie (5 mentions)
“Severely wounded in combat, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg returns from Africa to join the German Resistance and help create Operation Valkyrie, the complex plan that will allow a shadow government to replace Hitler's once he is dead. Fate and circumstance conspire to thrust Stauffenberg from one of many in the plot to a double-edged central role. Not only must he lead the coup and seize control of his nation’s government—he must kill Hitler himself.”

I am not a big Tom Cruise fan. I am, however, a big Bryan Singer fan. And since this is Singer’s reunion with The Usual Suspects scribe McQuarrie, this one is at least something I’m curious to see.
This is also the project that got in the way of Singer’s Superman sequel, so this better be worth The Man of Steel’s delay.

World War Z by J. Michael Straczynski (5 mentions)
“A sober telling of the aftermath of a war fought against a legion of humans who were inflicted with a virus, died and were re-animated into flesh-eating zombies.”

So, hey, zombies, brought to us by Straczynski, who gave the comic book world Rising Stars (what could be seen as a precursor to TV’s Heroes), based on a novel—World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War—written by a former SNL writer.
Sign me up.

The Wrestler by Robert Siegel (5 mentions)
“Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, a 1980s-era pro wrestler, has become a burnt-out shell of his former self. After he has a heart attack during a small-time match, a doctor tells him he could die if he fights again. In an effort to build a new life, Robinson takes a job at a deli, moves in with an aging stripper and tries to build a relationship with her son. The prospect of a rematch with his old nemesis, the Ayatollah, proves too tempting to resist, even though it means risking his life.”

Not normally something I’d be interested in, but this is Darren Aronofsky’s stab at some mainstream material, so consider my curiosity piqued.
It’s also got Mickey Rourke as “The Ram,” so that’s interesting too.

Zombieland by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick (5 mentions)
“After a zombie plague ravages America, a pair of ‘odd couple’ survivors team up to find purpose and combat the living dead in the post-apocalyptic Southwest.”

Oh ho! More zombies! More post-apocalyptic fun! From two writers on The Joe Schmo Show! Bring it on!

Darkon by John Hodgman (4 mentions)
“Every other Sunday, between 150 and 300 people gather in costume and armor to fight unchoreographed mock battles with padded weaponry. For most, it is much more than a game.”

Orphan by David Leslie Johnson (4 mentions)
“The Bad Seed with an orphan.”

That premise doesn’t really sound promising, but the cast is headlined by The Departed’s Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard (from a boatload of stuff including Boys Don’t Cry, Jarhead and the upcoming The Mysteries of Pittsburgh), so maybe this one will turn out okay.

Blindness by Don McKellar (3 mentions)
“Based on the novel by Jose Saramago. An epidemic of blindness sweeps through an unnamed contemporary city and pushes society to the brink of breakdown.”

An interesting concept vaguely reminiscent of Kazuo Yamazaki’s anime Kaze No Na Wa Amunejia (A Wind Named Amnesia)—where people lose their memories—this one’s got teeth: killer cast which includes Gael Garcia Bernal, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, and Maury Chaykin; written by McKellar, who not only co-wrote and appeared in Francois Girard’s excellent Le Violon Rouge (The Red Violin), he also played Yevgeny Nourish in David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ; based on Nobel-laureate Saramago’s Ensaio Sobre a Cegueira; directed by Fernando Meirelles, who brought us Cidade de Deus (City of God) and The Constant Gardener.
Need I say more?

Clash of the Titans by Travis Beacham (3 mentions)
“Zeus’ son, Perseus, journeys to save Princess Andromeda. During his adventure, he must complete various tasks set out by his father, including capturing Pegasus and slaying Medusa.”

A remake of Ray Harryhausen’s 1981 effects extravaganza—his Medusa rocks!—this one is here largely for nostalgia reasons, and because Harryhausen is a special effects pioneer and the reason why stop-motion has a solid place in my film geek’s heart.
True, this redux is most likely to sport pixels instead of clay, but I owe it to Mr. Harryhausen to see whether this one pays him fitting tribute, or stomps all over his legacy.
Hopefully, Beacham (who also wrote Neil Jordan’s upcoming Killing on Carnival Row, present on The Black List 2005) honours the spirit of the original.
And for more on Killing on Carnival Row, check out Afterthoughts (32) in the Archive.

Jeff the Immortal by Chris Bishop (3 mentions)
“A slacker discovers that he is the latest in a long line of immortal warriors who must fight to achieve his destiny.”

The Ornate Anatomy of Living Things by Matt Spicer & Max Winkler (3 mentions)
“A New York bookstore clerk discovers a museum devoted to his life.”

The title alone demands attention. And with a premise like that, how can I resist?
This one’s being produced by Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking and Juno).

The Wedding Party by Francesca Marciano (3 mentions)
“A wedding party during the war in Afghanistan is told from the perspective of an English officer, a Russian and an American, all of whom are the same man.”

Huh? Okay, colour me curious.

The 37th Dimension by Tom Kuntz & Griffin Creech (2 mentions)
“A classic detective noir...with some big twists.”

Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by John McLaughlin (2 mentions)
“The true-story behind the difficult production of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film.”

Yes, I have a problem with the lengthy and rather obvious title, but this one’s got not just Sir Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock, not just Helen Mirren as Hitchcock’s wife and collaborator, Alma Reville, but also has Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy in the director’s chair.
All that, and it’s about Psycho.
Wow.

Burn After Reading by The Coen Brothers (2 mentions)
“CIA agent Osborne Cox decides to pen his memoirs and is fired from the agency. The disc containing the memoirs inadvertently gets left in a ladies locker room at a gym, where Linda and co-worker Chad, hatch a plan to sell its contents to the highest bidder.”

Like The Wrestler, this one’s got a premise that wouldn’t ordinarily catch my eye, but come on, it’s the Coens. I’ve loved these guys since they first took what they learned on Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead and rather summarily kicked my a$$ with Blood Simple.
And the cast is ridiculous: John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, and Richard Jenkins. I may not be a big fan of either George Clooney or Brad Pitt (who also happen to be in the cast), but hey, did you see those first four names I dropped?

The Fortress of Solitude by Joshua Marston (2 mentions)
“Based on Jonathan Lethem’s novel. A white kid living in a black neighborhood of Brooklyn forms an unlikely friendship with the son of a washed-up musician.”

I loved the novel, so I’m hoping this one is good. And it’s being directed by Marston, whose Maria Full of Grace, though I haven’t seen, made quite an impression on global cinema. (And he’s got the exact same birthday as I do. How cool is that?)

Giant Monsters Attack Japan by J.F. Lawton (2 mentions)
“Prompted by a corporate transfer, a father and son move to Japan and find that all the fantastic elements of the son’s favorite Japanese movies – Godzilla, giant robots, secret ninja cults, etc. – are a real and borderline mundane aspect of everyday Japanese life. Adjusting proves difficult, hijinks ensue.”

Brilliant concept, and brought to us by the South Park boys, I hope this one amuses me the way Team America didn’t.
And yes, I realize Lawton has written everything from Pretty Woman to Under Siege to Chain Reaction to DOA: Dead or Alive to 88 (count ‘em, 88!) episodes of V.I.P. (which he also created), but the premise is really wild, so here’s hoping this one comes out as cool as it sounds.

Justice League of America by The Mulroneys (2 mentions)
“The exploits of the Justice League of America, an organization made up of the world's greatest superheroes: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Green Lantern.”

I’ve talked about this one in Afterthoughts past.
And WB? We’re all still waiting for that official casting announcement…
(That is so racist, the fact that the Martian Manhunter isn’t mentioned in the League line-up.)

No Man’s Land by Jeffrey Nachmanoff (2 mentions)
“Fifty years after an alien race takes over earth, a human detective investigates a rape/murder case and ultimately discovers the aliens’ true intentions.”

Of Every Wickedness by Brian McGreevey & Lee Shipman (2 mentions)
“Based on a true story: Three years before Jack the Ripper shocked London and the world, a murderer terrorized the dusty streets of Austin, TX, in what would become the first recorded serial killings in American history.”

If you’ve been ‘round these parts before, you’ll know I’m into serial killers just as much as zombies, so this one was bound to get me curious.

Unique by Michael Cooney (2 mentions)
“Jon Geoffries discovers the Earth has a twin, a parallel world in another dimension. The worlds are closely linked, explaining such phenomena as deja vu and love at first sight, with people having counterparts on both Earths. However, a few are born "unique," with no doppelgangers, and can travel between worlds. Geoffries is one such person and soon finds himself a target of enemies who want to exploit his connection.”

Yeah, I had big problems with Identity, which Cooney also wrote, and David Goyer, who’s directing, has got a spotty track record, but again, the premise sounds great, so I hope this one doesn’t get botched.
Incidentally, Cooney’s also got another script entitled Shelter, which should not be confused with Karl Mueller’s Shelter, mentioned above. Cooney’s Shelter, like Identity, also has to do with multiple personality disorder.

Will by Demetri Martin (2 mentions)
“A young man discovers love after he develops complete free will when the angel who writes his destiny (not unlike an author) forgets to finish writing after page thirty-five.”

So there you go, some films to look forward to.
If you want to download PDFs of The Black Lists 2005 to 2007, go here, and if you want to check out more Black List 2007 stuff (like the top 5 scripts and other neat-o bits), go to Afterthoughts (32) in the Archive.

(Book cover art courtesy of amazon.com [The Road; Never Let Me Go; and World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War] and barnesandnoble.com [Blindness and The Fortress of Solitude].)

AFTERTHOUGHTS (19)

It appears that the film adaptation of Justice League of America is really moving now. With the confluence of the impending strike and the delay of Bryan Singer’s Superman sequel, Warner Brothers moved faster than a speeding bullet on this one.
Since they needed a tentpole for 2009, and it was quickly becoming apparent that Singer—still busy on Valkyrie and with The Mayor of Castro Street waiting for him—wasn’t going to deliver it, the studio turned to the JLA script written by Kieran and Michele Mulroney.
Even with a script though, a film of the size and scale of Justice League of America (comprised of seven of the DC Universe’s biggest names, including Superman and Batman) is a daunting task, under normal circumstances. Having a pre-strike priority status is far from normal, of course, and could very well be a double-edged sword.
Still, director George Miller (who’s given us everything from Mad Max to Babe to Happy Feet) seems to be right on target.

Miller has reportedly recruited Oscar-winning cinematographer Dean Semler—who kicked a$$ on Russell Mulcahey’s big boar in the Outback thriller Razorback, shot Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto, and collaborated with both Miller and Gibson on the second and third Mad Max films—and is currently in the US for a “marathon casting session” during which time he will see from 35 to 40 actors audition for the seven key roles.
Miller is looking at young actors so they can “grow into their roles over the course of several movies.” If all goes well, this could be a pivotal film that could turn semi-recognizable actors into household names. (Think The Fellowship of the Ring.)
Among those slated for JLA auditions: Michael Angarano (who played Jack’s son, Elliot, on Will & Grace, and already did the superhero thing in Disney’s Sky High); D.J. Cotrona (from the cancelled Windfall); a Friday Night Lights contingent comprised of Adrianne Palicki, Scott Porter, and Minka Kelly; Teresa Palmer from Wolf Creek and The Grudge 2; and Seth Cohen himself, Adam Brody.
The specific role each particular actor is auditioning for is unclear at this point, though I do see possibilities: Porter could be up for Superman, while Cotrona could be auditioning for Batman. And either Angarano or Brody could make for a good Flash (though Angarano seems more physically suited to play the Scarlet Speedster)*. Kelly, Palmer, and Palicki are of course, all tussling it out for the golden lasso and tiara of Wonder Woman.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Miller is supposed to run down his choices for the studio sometime in the middle of this week.

In addition, Peter Jackson’s Weta Workshop is also reportedly on-board for costume design.
Awesome.
Check out the item at hollywoodreporter.com, for some more names mentioned as part of the audition roll call.

* I’m assuming, of course, that the Flash in question is Wally West (just as he is on the Justice League animated series) and not the more straight-laced Barry Allen.

Parting shot: Semler won the Best Cinematography Oscar for Kevin Costner’s Dances With Wolves. He also won a couple of Australian film awards for his work on Razorback, and was likewise recognized for Apocalypto (3 wins and 2 nominations).

(Images courtesy of kidactors.com [Michael Angarano]; allocine.fr [D.J. Cotrona]; yahoo.com, austin360.com, and about.com [Adrianne Palicki, Scott Porter, and Minka Kelly]; yahoo.com [Teresa Palmer]; and webwombat.com.au [Adam Brody].)

AFTERTHOUGHTS (7)

7.1 Okay. Colour me happy.
Superman Returns took home 5 of the 10 nominations it was up for at this year’s Saturn Awards. It won for Best Fantasy Film, Best Actor (Brandon Routh), Best Director (Bryan Singer), Best Writing (Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris), and Best Music (John Ottman).
It’s just too bad Parker Posey and Tristan Lake Leabu didn’t win in their respective categories (Best Supporting Actress and Best Performance by a Younger Actor).

Other wins I’m happy for (and there’re loads of them):

Best Science Fiction Film: Children of Men
Best Horror Film: The Descent
Best International Film: El Laberinto Del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth)
Best Supporting Actress: Famke Janssen (X-Men: The Last Stand)*
Best Performance by a Younger Actor: Ivana Baquero (El Laberinto Del Fauno)
Best Make-Up: Todd Masters, Dan Rebert (Slither)

Best Network Television Series: Heroes
Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series: Battlestar Galactica
Best Actor on Television: Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Best Supporting Actor on Television: Masi Oka (Heroes)
Best Supporting Actress on Television: Hayden Panettiere (Heroes)**

Best DVD Special Edition Release: Superman II (The Richard Donner Cut)
Best DVD Television Series: Masters of Horror
Best Retro Television Series on DVD: Adventures of Superman (Complete 6 Seasons)

The Filmmakers Showcase Award: James Gunn (director of Slither)
The Service Award: Kerry O’Quinn (former publisher of Starlog Magazine)***

Congratulations, one and all.

It should be noted though that Lost got completely walloped, entering the awards with 6 nominations and leaving with no wins.
Their nominations were for Best Network Television Series, Best Actor (Racer X himself, Matthew Fox), Best Actress (Evangeline Lilly), Best Supporting Actor (Michael Emerson and Josh Holloway), and Best Supporting Actress (Elizabeth Mitchell).

7.2 Okay. Now colour me sad.
Battlestar Galactica may have taken home the award for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series, but it’s been officially reported that the next season will be its last.
Yes, we all knew it was coming (they would have to find Earth, eventually), but still.

I can’t say it any better than the astounding Edward James Olmos did: “I think that this is some of the finest usages of television that I have been a part of in my life. Bar none. I’ve been doing this for 42 years. I’ve done some really good work in television and motion pictures but there really is nothing like this show.”****

So say we all.

7.3 And to return to Saturn for just a bit…
Jennifer Love Hewitt took home Best Actress in a Television Program or Series (for Ghost Whisperer), beating Lost’s Lilly and Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff, not to mention Medium’s Patricia Arquette and The Closer’s Kyra Sedgwick, both of whom have received nods from the Emmys, Globes, and the SAGs.
Boy, Love Hewitt must really be a good actress, huh?

* I did not like the film at all, but I love Famke Janssen and she did her best with what could have potentially been a great substantive role if the “Dark Phoenix” saga had not been reduced to a piddling subplot in X-Men: TLS. I mean, there’s a damn good reason why it’s called a “saga.”

** Hayden’s win here is all the more commendable given she was up against some strong competition from Dexter’s Jennifer Carpenter and Lost’s Mitchell.

*** Starlog was one of the magazines that kept this young film freak entertained and informed in the dark ages of Before The Internet.

**** Quote from iF Magazine.

AFTERTHOUGHTS (4)

4.1 Brandon Routh won the Best Male Newcomer in the Empire Readers Awards 2007. Hurrah! Superman Returns and Bryan Singer were also shortlisted in the Best Film and Best Director categories, which were won by Casino Royale and Christopher Nolan (for The Prestige), respectively. Additionally, Superman Returns also wound up on the Best Sci-fi/Fantasy shortlist, which El Laberinto Del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) won, and in Scene Of The Year, for the awesome Space Shuttle rescue. (To Mark Stetson, Visual Effects Supervisor; Joyce Cox, Visual Effects Producer; Sony Pictures Imageworks and Pixel Liberation Front, thanx for the brilliant work on that sequence.)
Additionally, Best Horror was won by Hostel (Hostel: Part II releases June 8!), and Best Thriller, by The Departed.

Also shortlisted in the following categories were:

Best Male Newcomer
Rian Johnson (for directing Brick)
Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine)
Dominic Cooper (The History Boys and Starter For Ten)

Best Female Newcomer
Rebecca Hall (The Prestige and Starter For Ten)
Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine)
Ellen Page (Hard Candy)
Vera Farmiga (The Departed)

Best Film
El Laberinto Del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth)
The Departed

Best Director
Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
Guillermo Del Toro (El Laberinto Del Fauno)

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed)
Christian Bale (The Prestige)

Best Actress
Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Kate Winslet (Little Children)

Best Sci-fi/Fantasy
Children of Men

Best British Film
The Queen

Best Horror
Gwoemul (The Host)
Slither

Scene Of The Year
The foot chase (Brick)
Frank and Mr. French interrogate Costigan (The Departed)
Attack on the car (Children of Men)

Congratulations one and all.
Check out the list to see if your favorite films made the cut.

(Superman image courtesy of brandonrouth.com.)