213 replies to this topic

[Rory Abel]

Did anyone really think we'd ever see Mel Gibson's MACCABEES movie?

Warner Bros. Shelves Mel Gibson Maccabee Movie (Exclusive)

Man, the comments in that article are revolting.

Gibson has responded that the first draft of the script was subpar and that's the reason the project was killed. Seems a little odd that they would do that after only one draft. You can get up to the 100s in rewrites before a film is finished shooting.

[Christian U]

He also said that the project was still going to happen, just with a different script, or at least that's what the quote in that post sounds like.


Having read the letter in full, though, it really only leaves two options: Eszterhas is a complete, incredible, over-the-top liar or Mel Gibson is a stark raving lunatic. This isn't one of those stories where you can see both sides, it has to be one of them.

Edited by Christian U, 13 April 2012 - 06:12 PM.

[David Chapman]

I <3 Maccabees.

[brucegray666]

Django Unchained first teaser poster and first official synopsis:

Written and directed by Academy Award®-winner Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED is produced by Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone. The executive producers are Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Michael Shamberg, Shannon McIntosh, and James Skotchdopole. DJANGO UNCHAINED will be released in the U.S. on December 25, 2012, and internationally by Sony Pictures.
Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways. Instead, Schultz seeks out the South's most wanted criminals with Django by his side. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago.

Django and Schultz's search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Academy Award®-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of "Candyland," an infamous plantation where slaves are groomed by trainer Ace Woody (Kurt Russell) to battle each other for sport. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Academy Award®-nominee Samuel L. Jackson), Candie's trusted house slave. Their moves are marked, and a treacherous organization closes in on them. If Django and Schultz are to escape with Broomhilda, they must choose between independence and solidarity, between sacrifice and survival...
Written and directed by Academy Award®-winner Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED is produced by Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone. The executive producers are Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Michael Shamberg, Shannon McIntosh, and James Skotchdopole. DJANGO UNCHAINED will be released in the U.S. on December 25, 2012, and internationally by Sony Pictures.

http://www.starburstmagazine.com/news/2294-movie-news-first-poster-for-quentin-tarantinos-django-unchained-is-released

UK release: 18th January.

[Christian U]

I <3 Maccabees.

Edited by Christian U, 13 April 2012 - 07:48 PM.

[Rory Abel]

He also said that the project was still going to happen, just with a different script, or at least that's what the quote in that post sounds like.

Warner Brothers comments seem to be suggesting that's not the case. That they claim to be "analyzing" what do with the project certainly makes it seem like its future isn't secure and that it's more than the script that's the problem.

[Rory Abel]

Having read the letter in full, though, it really only leaves two options: Eszterhas is a complete, incredible, over-the-top liar or Mel Gibson is a stark raving lunatic. This isn't one of those stories where you can see both sides, it has to be one of them.

Yeah I just read the letter too. The thing is, that despite Eszterhas's claim to otherwise, it's clearly a letter meant to be read by people other than Mel Gibson. I also can't see or understand Eszterhas continuing to work on this project if half the things he says are true either.

[steveuk]

Putting those two together was a car crash waiting to happen. They've both got loads of talent but they're both screwed up people.

The fact that no-one is in hospital is a win, everyone should move on.

[Christian U]

Yeah I just read the letter too. The thing is, that despite Eszterhas's claim to otherwise, it's clearly a letter meant to be read by people other than Mel Gibson. I also can't see or understand Eszterhas continuing to work on this project if half the things he says are true either.

Oh, absolutely, he obviously meant to leak it.

I also found that weird, that he didn't quite the first time Gibson allegedly started talking about "the Hebes"... he kind of answers that, saying he was hoping the "power of the story" would win Gibson over, and obviously he was very attached to the story. Vanity or the difficulty of getting out of a contract might also be reasons. Still, it seems more than a little weird that he kept working with Gibson if everything he says is true.


...I think this story should be a movie on its own, really. Maybe one done by the Cohens. Starring Mel Gibson.

[stephanie familiar]

[Johnny Henning]

Thanks for that. I've been really curious about it since the very odd teaser that came out last year. Oddly, it reminds me a bit of this odd old English horror movie The Medusa Touch starring Richard Burton. Like an updated version. at least.

[Rory Abel]

Thanks for that. I've been really curious about it since the very odd teaser that came out last year. Oddly, it reminds me a bit of this odd old English horror movie The Medusa Touch starring Richard Burton. Like an updated version. at least.

It's screened at a couple festivals now. The word of mouth is that it's very good but that the ending is a confusing trainwreck.

[Johnny Henning]

Is this the director's second film?

Now, Cillian Murphy just needs to do one more movie with the word Red in it, and it'll be a trend. Was he in any of the Red Riding movies?

[Christian U]

Hah! I thought exactly the same thing!

[Otso]

My thoughts on the movie Haywire:

Director Steven Soderbergh delivers an movie with such stunningly viewed action that hundred million box office monster movies could only dream of achieving, with mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano starring as Mallory Kane, a covert operation agent.

Haywire is a spy thriller that’s story gets across the globe as Mallory Kane is out to clear her name from being framed as a threat to the United States while also getting her revenge on the people responsible for all of this. The story is rather less important and I didn’t even truly feel or have any sort of care who the true villain(s) was behind it all, all I wanted to see was Gina Carano kick some ass and work her way out of this, she is the star child here and Soderbergh does an most excellent job showcasing her martial arts skills, her beauty and her utter dominance towards her enemies.

That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the superb casting this entire film had from Ewan McGregor who plays Kenneth, Mallory’s boss, Michael Fassbender is Paul, another fellow agent in the field. Antonio Banderas is Rodrigo, a contact for the American government agent Coblenz played by none other than Michael Douglas himself. Fans of Fassbender be warned, he isn’t in this movie for more than 15 minutes max.

Added with the beautiful variety of settings, Carano’s performance comes a very smoothing jazz score from David Holmes, which is a pleasure to your ears as mysteries unfold and tensions rise.

There isn’t much more to say, but even though it has the running time of 93 minutes, I still wish it could have lasted longer as Gina Carano is pure eye candy with her self-made stunts. Very enjoyable movie with recent spy thrillers adding a lot of class and style to them, with an all-star cast and great vision from the director, I sure wouldn’t miss this movie out at all.

[Christian U]

The Red Lights trailer looks interesting. We don't get this kind of movie often, do we? It feels like the kind of horror movie that Angel Heart was (which of course also featured DeNiro).

Man, I have to watch Angel Heart again. See if it's as good as I remember it to be. That film scared the crap out of me back then.


Only saw the Looper trailer now. I like that it doesn't give anything away where the actual plot is concerned.

[harrie2008]

Lockout looks like a copy of Escape from New York, with a talker Snake Plissken analogue...I dig it, it looks like a 1980s movie that would have starred Sly or Arnie.

my thoughts exactly.

[stephanie familiar]

[steveuk]

‘Mad Men’s Jared Harris Books Lead In Hammer’s ‘The Quiet Ones’

Jared Harris, who’ll next be seen in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, will star as an unorthodox professor in the latest production from the UK’s Hammer. Supernatural thriller/horror pic The Quiet Ones will be directed by Quarantine 2‘s John Pogue. Harris will play a charismatic but controversial professor whose methods lead his students off the grid for a dangerous experiment to create a poltergeist.

<SNIP>

http://www.deadline.com/2012/04/mad-mens-jared-harris-books-lead-in-hammers-the-quiet-ones/

I have no idea if this will be any good, but what with this and his turn as Prof.Moriarty in 'Sherlock Holmes 2' I now think that Harris should go for a professorial hat trick and play Quatermass for Hammer as well.

Seriously, I think he'd be amazing in the role and the company has said its developing a movie.

[steveuk]

A documentary on the people who made, and make, miniatures for movies and TV.