Scott Pilgrim international trailer

For completists...

Poster: The American

Trailer: Never Let Me Go

I was on set of this a couple of times, and I've read both book and script. Believe me when I say this is going to be something special.

Trailer: Somewhere

Shocker

Saturday's football match between England v USA didn't go quite as planned but in amongst all the subsequent media coverage (mainly centred around the "unfortunate" England goalkeeper Robert Green), I found this to be highly amusing.

Poster: Somewhere

I am very much hoping that Sofia Coppola's Somewhere plays Venice this year, having seen Lost In Translation there a few years back. Here's the first poster I've seen for the movie, although there's some issue over its authenticity. Either way, it's a lovely image.

EXCLUSIVE: Roland Emmerich on Independence Day 2

A month or so ago I visited the Berlin set of Roland Emmerich's Anonymous. My article is in the latest issue of Time Out magazine. For now, the piece isn't online; but when it is, I'll link to it.

At the end of my chat with Emmerich, I asked him about the status of Independence Day 2. Here's what he said:

"I came up, with Dean Devlin, with a story which we really liked. We ran it by Will [Smith], he liked it and we went to Fox and they liked it. And now it’s only like, 'Will there be a deal possible?' That’s all it’s down to now. But I would love to do it."

Ok, it's not much, but at least it indicates things are moving forward with ID4:2 or whatever they end up calling it.

Nolan Fest, Week One: Following

Made for a shoestring on weekends over the best part of a year, Christopher Nolan's stunning debut feature with its fractured narrative, ingenious editing, and dark, twisty core, laid out the narrative and thematic template for everything that was to come from the young filmmaker who is probably closer to Stanley Kubrick in terms of methodology and output than anyone else working today. 

The plot is a simple one. A young man who calls himself "Bill" (although on the DVD commentary track Nolan says he doesn't believe him when he says it), played by Jeremy Theobald, spends his days shadowing — following — random strangers on the streets of London. A wannabe writer, Bill uses these "encounters" as a way to stave off boredom, to satiate his voyeuristic tendencies, and, perhaps even more importantly, in an attempt to connect with those around him. 

One day, while following a man in a suit carrying a sports bag, Bill finds the tables are turned on him when his latest target, Cobb (Alex Haw), calls him on it. Cobb, it transpires, is a burglar and the pair partner up, as the enigmatic thief schools Bill in the finer points of his profession. But after breaking into the flat of a blonde femme fatale (Lucy Russell), Bill decides to go it alone, finding himself increasingly drawn to his victim, following her to a bar, and asking her out. The pair swiftly becoming romantically attached and Bill is only too willing to break into the underground bar of her ex-boyfriend, a psychopathic pornographer and club owner, to retrieve some incriminating photos. Only things and people aren't what they seem and Bill discovers he's been set up, like every other patsy in the history of film noir.

"The script was written along the lines of what I see as the most interesting aspect of film noir and crime fiction; not baroque lighting setups and sinister villains, but simply that character is ultimately defined by action," says Nolan. "In a compelling story of this genre we are continually being asked to rethink our assessment of the relationship between the various characters, and I decided to structure my story in such a way as to emphasize the audience's incomplete understanding of each new scene as it is first presented.

"We rehearsed for a very long time beforehand, about six months, because I could only really afford film stock for one or two takes," continues Nolan who shot the film using a handheld Bolex 16mm camera. "The actors had to know the film like a stage play so that we could find a location at the last minute, go there and just do it." Locations included Nolan's parents' house while Bill's flat was Theobald's. The Batman sticker on the door was his and already there, and not some prescient art direction by Nolan. 

A smart, assured, film noir shot, appropriately, in black and white, Following shares a similarly fractured (if not similar) narrative structure to Memento as past, present and future events are revealed in parallel timelines, although Nolan originally conceived and indeed cut the movie in more a linear fashion (you can see that version as a DVD extra). The structure clearly adds to the film's success, engendering a remarkable and mounting sense of unease. 

In a 2002 interview at the BFI, Nolan talked about his fondness for non-linear narrative structure:

"The thing that fed into that was probably my time at college, I studied English Literature. I wasn't a very good student, but one thing I did get from it, while I was making films at the same time with the college film society, was that I started thinking about the narrative freedoms that authors had enjoyed for centuries and it seemed to me that filmmakers should enjoy those freedoms as well.

"When I look back at film history and wonder why that hasn't happened yet, well, it's a young medium, a hundred years old, and the significant reason is television coming along in the Fifties. As soon as television became the only secondary way in which films were watched, films had to adhere to a pretty linear system, whereby you can drift off for ten minutes and go and answer the phone and not really lose your place.

"I think my generation of filmmakers is the first to have grown up with home video, and as soon as you have VHS — we got our first one when I was eleven — you can stop the film when the phone rings, and suddenly viewing films in the home become more like books. I think with things like DVD this will carry on. So I think there is more freedom and potential for filmmakers working now to create more dense and structurally complex narratives.

Trivia note: Leonardo DiCaprio's character in Inception shares the same last name, Cobb, as the antagonist in Following.

Following is available on DVD. 

The Man Who Heard Voices Or How M. Night Shyamalan Risked His Career On A Fairy Tale

I know I'm late to the party in regard to this particular book but I only just got round to reading it. Alongside The Devil's Candy this is the best "what went wrong" behind-the-scenes books I've read. It's an extraordinary insight into one man's ego, his creative process and the dreams/demons that haunt him, as well as the unorthodox methods of Australian DP Chris Doyle.

I actually watched Lady In The Water for the first time after finishing it. What a strange, strange film it is, more arthouse than studio in spirit and tone and execution despite it's hefty budget, and infinitely more interesting and successful than The Happening which I hated, but, for me, deeply flawed nonetheless. After The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan was being lauded as the "next Spielberg", although that mantle has been tarnished of late.

For the longest time, people have been suggesting that he should direct a script that's not his own and for that reason, plus the trailers, I'm actually looking forward to The Last Airbender (although I fear the effects of the last minute 3D conversion.)

Teaser trailer: Rango

You've got to admire the cojones it takes to put out something that bonkers in today's marketplace.

Dennis Hopper and brown sauce

In May 1995 I interviewed Dennis Hooper at the Cannes Film Festival for Empire magazine's How Much Is A Pint Of Milk? feature. Dennis, as we suspected, played ball and took the odd line of questioning with good humour and grace. Then it came to the query about "ketchup or brown sauce?" "What's brown sauce?" asked Dennis. I told him it was like ketchup but brown and spicy. "Like gravy?" inquired Dennis. Not really, I replied, and again I found myself in the somewhat surreal position of having to explain the taste sensation that is brown sauce, a condiment that clearly hadn't crossed the Atlantic at that time. (I'm not certain it has now, to be honest.) Dennis looked at me and offered an answer which I believe was ketchup (my memory fails me on this part) and we carried on. (I wish the piece was online, I'd link to it if it was.) After the interview I asked Dennis if I could take his photo with my Polaroid camera. He said yes and signed it too. I think he's one of only two interviewees I've ever asked to take a photo of — I don't approve of the practice personally, and I only asked in this case because I'd just got the camera and he was a photographer, so it seemed appropriate somehow.

Sold

Saw this at the cinema the other night and, apart from the bland title that I can never remember (to the point I had to look it up via Emily Blunt's imdb page), it looks kind of fun. Particularly love the Rembrandt gag. It opens in the UK soon and in the US on October 8.

Nolan Fest, a preamble

In view of the fact that we have now just six weeks to wait until the release of Inception, I thought it might be a nice idea to take a look back at Christopher Nolan's past movies which just so happen to number six, making it a nice movie a week. And so, reel world matter's very own Nolan Fest — must think of a better title — will begin later this week with a look at Following. In the meantime, here's a behind-the-scenes peak at Inception.

And if you haven't yet picked up a copy of the latest Empire, now might be a good time.

Short takes: The Losers and [REC]2

The Losers
For the most part a hugely enjoyable adaptation of the Vertigo Comic penned by Andy Diggle and drawn by Jock, with some cool visuals, a terrific ensemble, and the smoking hot Zoe Saldana. It's great, too, to see Jason Patric back on form, and for once, they left the door open for a sequel that I actually want, although, alas, the mediocre box office performance probably makes that unlikely.

[REC]2
Not as good as the first one, which I loved. A case of familiarity breeding boredom, despite several jolts and one wonderfully black moment when a teenager wastes the wrong guy. That said, the film is as aimless as its characters, trapped in a cool conceit and unable to find its way out. The "it's a virus, no it's demonic possession, no it's a slug-like creature..." didn't help either. They're already planning parts 3 and 4. Here's hoping they get things back on track.

Catching up

New Scott Pilgrim trailer. Me like.



More Pixar. Me like lots.

Back back back

Posting will resume from tomorrow, with the usual diet of trailers, news, and cinematic musings. Plus, at some point in the coming week, my recollections of the time I met Dennis Hopper who sadly passed on to the great movie palace in the sky while I was awol...

Just because...

Today's news that Warner Bros. has once again kick-started development on a new version of Logan's Run seemed reason enough to post this particular photo of Jenny Agutter who starred opposite Michael York in the 1976 original.

For men of a certain age, the delectable Ms Agutter, via a variety of roles, made an impact that cannot be overstated.

A few years ago, I went to her London home to interview her for a documentary about working with Nic Roeg on Walkabout. She was, needless to say, extremely delightful and made us all tea.

Coming soon

It wasn't good but boy was it fun. I think I might have to buy this.

Trailer: The Last Exorcism

I have to say, this looks mighty creepy.

Trailer: Morning Glory

Bad Robot's first comedy, I believe. And it feels like it's a good one. Particularly love the way Harrison Ford says "fluffy".

Trailer: Inception (Japanese)

Featuring hitherto unseen footage, including that of Ken Wantanbe (it being Japanese, after all) aka "The Tourist". If anyone knows what the heck the voiceover means towards the end, please do get in touch...

Inception banners

I love this series of Inception character banners that have just been revealed by Empire. To see the rest, click here.

Lost, 2004-2010

Early on, during yesterday's two-and-a-half-hour Lost finale, I realised I didn't want the answers to the show's many mysteries to be revealed because knowing would mean that the show would, after six years, finally be over. And I didn't want it to be over because I loved the intrigue, the mystery, the cast, the game of tease that the show's makers had been so expert at would be at an end.

Yet, by the end of The End, I was so drained, emotionally speaking, having been put through the emotional ringer, that I wasn't sure how I felt come the closing credits. Sad? Elated? Distraught? Relieved? More than that, it took me a while to process what I had just seen meant in relation to the previous six years of Lost watching and theorizing.

Certainly, the series finale was emotionally satisfying — Sawyer and Juliet! Hooray! Daniel and Charlotte! Hooray! Hurley and Libby! Hooray! — and had me gasping with joy and awe and crying more times than I care to recall, mainly due to the wonderful relationship resolutions thrown up by the flash-sideways world and the sheer I-don't-have-any-idea-what-the-hell's-going-to-happen-next nature of the finale.

But how about intellectually satisfying? And narratively satisfying?

[Spoiler alert... read no further if you didn't see the finale.]

Did any one else feel slightly letdown that the flash-sideways world was some kind of limbo/purgatory/way station on the way to heaven for the passengers of flight Oceanic 815? Which presumably meant that everyone died when their plane crashed on the island way back in the pilot. So everything we watched on and off the island over the last six seasons — including the time travel, the polar bear, the smoke monster, Widmore's obsession with the island, the Dharma Initiative — was what, exactly? A dream? Their imaginings? Jacob's Ladder Part 2?

And therefore, by that reckoning, the island was just an island after all. (The writers hadn't been lying when they said it wasn't purgatory.)

I am, I must admit, still wrestling with the enormity of it all as I write this... It may take me a while.

Trust Lost to not be over when it's finally over.

[Deep breath... Long beat.]

Thanks guys, for six wonderful seasons. Can't wait to see what you'll cook up for us next...

World Cup glory

With this summer looking a trifle thin moviewise — Inception, notwithstanding — the forthcoming World Cup Finals have taken on even greater significance in my household. And I say this as someone who normally watches every single match during such tournaments.

If football's not your thing, then maybe this incredible new Nike ad will change your mind. It's directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, incidentally.

Thirty years ago today...

... The Empire Strikes Back received its Royal Premiere in London.

I saw it the first weekend, which must have been a few days after the premiere. I was at school at the time and, being a massive Star Wars fan, I had been anticipating its release for months, reading about the film in the pages of Starburst and Starlog. It was long before the internet and advance information on films was thin on the ground, so I knew very little going in, although I had already found out that Darth Vadar was Luke's dad because the parents of two kids in my class worked on the film and had spilled the beans months before. (I have to admit, I didn't believe them at the time.)

Empire remains my favourite of the series, and despite George Lucas' best efforts the films have never again reached the same heights of creativity, emotion and storytelling. (Having said that, there are some amazing moments in Return Of The Jedi. Just not enough.)

From the Wampa scene to the titanic battle for Hoth, from Luke's trip to Dagobah and the introduction of Yoda to that scene in the cave, from Han and Leia's burgeoning romance to Han's heartfelt utterance of "I know" just before being deep frozen, from Luke's confrontation with Vadar in the cloud city of Bespin to the downbeat ending, Empire doesn't put a foot wrong, mainly due to the terrific script by Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett.



Of all the Star Wars films, this is the one I still watch repeatedly. I have it on VHS, laserdisc and DVD, and will buy the Blu-ray when it's finally released, just as long as Lucas puts out the original cut as well as the tinkered with version.



It was amusing to me to read Lucas' recent comment about the fact that he made Star Wars up as he went along, and didn't actually have it all plotted out in advance (which kind of explains why Luke and Leia snog in Alan Dean Foster's Star Wars novel Splinter Of The Mind's Eye which was published after Star Wars and before Empire). I never thought he did, but when the result was as a great as The Empire Strikes Back, what did it matter.

Last night in LA, Harrison Ford took part in an onstage interview following a screening of Empire. When the first reports of the event come in, I'll be sure to link to them.

UPDATE: Here's the always excellent Hero Complex blog's coverage of the event. Enjoy.

Oh yeah!

Seven is coming to Blu-ray on September 14. And despite already owning the film on laserdisc and DVD, I can't see myself not buying the Blu-ray as well.

He's back

After a break of five years, since 2005's Elizabethtown, Cameron Crowe will soon be back behind the camera, writing and directing an adaptation of Benjamin Mee's memoir We Bought A Zoo.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Crowe will rewrite Aline Brosh McKenna's script, while Fox has the film down to open on December 23, 2011.

Can. Not. Wait.

Battling Nemos

I was, I have to say, psyched at the idea of David Fincher directing a version of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea for Disney.

But today's news that Fox is preparing its own version of Jules Verne's classic tale could conceivably scupper Fincher's film before it even gets going, as his chosen screenwriter, Scott Burns, has yet put finger to keyboard on the script yet. Whereas Fox already has the Scott brothers on board to produce, Timur Bekmambetov in mind to direct, and, perhaps more importantly, a finished script by Clash Of The Titans co-writer Travis Beacham (whose unproduced Killing On Carnival Row screenplay I just love).

There have been a few instances of rival Hollywood studios racing to complete two similar and competing projects in order to be the first to reach the big screen — Armageddon and Deep Impact being one such case — but with Fincher apparently already scouting locations for his English-language remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, his Verne adaptation might, potentially, dead in the water without even leaving port.

Psycho trailer

I've always loved this particular trailer. Can't imagine it happening today...

Monsters clip

The word from Cannes regarding Gareth Edwards' Monsters has been overwhelmingly positive. (The film also played at SXSW to glowing reviews.) And it's encouraging, too, to note that Edwards is a Brit. I couldn't find a trailer for the film online (if you know of one, please let me know) but I did find this clip which is seriously odd and unbelievably creepy.