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Thread: The Best of 2005 - A Future Look

  1. #31
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    King Kong?

    How can a remake of King Kong really be something to look forward to? There have been a number of versions. What could this new version really do to make it anything more than a bigger, badder, updated attempt to get onto the remake bandwagon? The basic story theme now seems pretty quaint and the mystery seems to have been pretty much played out by now. Like Tarzan, can a modernized version really make it in today's world?

  2. #32
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    Yes, dear colleague, King Kong looks promising because Peter Jackson has proven throughout his career that he has the skill and imagination to do something special with it. Mr. Jackson and his spotlight-avoidant wife Fran Walsh's dream of remaking Kong dates back almost a decade. Their first draft of the screenplay was written back in '96 (I can provide a link if there's interest). Jackson and Walsh have a knack for creating spectacle without neglecting characterization. Oscar-winner Adrien Brody has stated Jackson has lived up to promises he made, when Brody accepted the part, regarding the film's attention to creating nuanced drama with well-rounded characters. The cast also includes Naomi Watts, Jack Black, and Jamie Bell (Undertow, Billy Elliot). Maybe their efforts won't amount to much but I won't bet against them.

  3. #33
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    Slim Pickings

    The question one has to has can Peter Jackson do it again? Looking at his film history, he really doesn't have much depth except for his claim to fame - Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Like Ridley Scott, a talented director in his own right, his record hasn't been a 100% and even the actors' listing isn't completely convincing. Adrien Brody hasn't been one of most favorite actors, even his performance in The Pianist, while commendable wasn't my preference for best actor.

    There is something about King Kong that just doesn't capture my imagination, like War of the Worlds. The original King Kong relied heavily on its special effects and novelty. By today's standards it seems quaint. I will be interested to see the trailers and previews of this new King Kong to see what the excitement is all about. Working ten years on a film script can mean one of two things - either it had big problems (and it continues to have them) or as you seem to suspect it will be a quality product based on a labor of love.

    We'll have to wait and see. But a success here would greatly provide Peter Jackson into another level of directorship of respect.

  4. #34
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    The reason behind Kong's long gestation period is the oportunity to make the LOTR trilogy, which, as you know, took several years to complete. To get a sense of Jackson's (and Walsh's) creative range, rent their brilliant Heavenly Creatures, Kate Winslet's amazing feature debut. Brody, Watts, Black and Bell are quite accomplished actors, but that's obviously a matter of opinion. I hope you don't find it in bad taste if I recycle your skeptic comments after the film opens in Mid-December.

  5. #35
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    Gestation Period

    I knew not being a female would lead to some sort of inferior thinking on my part. Of course 10 years for King Kong minus one, two, three, four, five years interruption for one tremendous accomplishment. So much for the 10 years script development concern.

  6. #36
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    Chase (sleeper movie?)

    May 6, 2005: Chase, starring Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, and Matt Dillon may be one of the stronger sleeper movies this year based on the trailer. This ensemble effort presents an intriguing collage of a series of singular events reminiscent of Traffic, Pulp Fiction. This movie appears even more hard edged and directly viseral in its scope. A dramatic entry in this year's list of movies, something that seems to haven't been given much distribution this year.

  7. #37
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    Eight Months Later - 2005 Isn't Setting Fireworks

    So far since my initial comments on the lack of magic for 2005 back in late August 2004, this season has failed to produce much heat, except for perhaps Robots and Hitch. The box office opening this year was Hitch which opened at about 63rd with $43.1 million. Constantine, the Interpreter, and Sin City have opened with respectable if not blockbuster status but not enough to ignite the boxoffice. Hitchhiker Guide was modest in its impact and opening.

    As mentioned earlier, Cinderella Man is facing an uphill battle as the recent lackluster opening for Kingdom of Heaven suggests. It was Crash (not Chase) that seems to really have caught the attention of a number of critics. With perhaps a few exceptions, don't expect this year and likely 2006 to be really exciting - maybe a omen for the rest of our near futures...the economy for example. We're running out of new ideas and refining old ones to really capture the movie-goers imagination.

  8. #38
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    The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

    This movie has the feel of a sleeper movie, especially for young girls. Just as Stand By Me worked for boys, the trailers for this movie make it seem quite sincere, offering a refreshing change up to the usual adolescent movie genre.

  9. #39
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    July 2005

    The outlook for June besides The Brothers Grimm, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, isn't very pretty. Perhaps Must Like Dogs with Diane Lane and John Cusack as veteran actors along with a relatively fresh storyline has a chance to break out of the pack in July. Nightwatch, an independent movie incorporating grief and reality/fantasy and Saraband as a different sort of family drama with Liv Ullman also have a suggestive feels of distinction to be an above average movie experiences. The Fantastic Four, Dark Water, Night Watch, Rebound (especially with Bad News Bears coming out in close quarters), Sky High, Stealth (already had War Games, Forbin Project), Undead (no need to even go there in regards to Zombie movies) as with many sequels and copycats this year will have a difficult challenge of over-saturation to overcome as Kingdom of Heaven found out. Happy Endings overall premise is already too confusing to really believe it can break out. The Island provokes a small bit of interest, but like Brave New World doesn't seem really to stand out strongly on its own. Overall, with the more thanyear half over with these movies, the season hasn't been able to pull itself out of its steadily decline that began at the beginning of this year and will likely extent until 2007.

  10. #40
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    the summer season sucks

    This time of year is routine: blockbusters, star-vehicles and the Cannes Film Festival.

    We have to wait until the kids are back in school before we start seeing the good stuff.

    Revenge of the Sith, Batman, War of the Worlds & The Fantastic Four will be shown to be the dominating films of this time in cinema history.


    Sin City and Hitchhiker's Guide have not lived up to the general audience's expectations.
    But! those films get the respect they deserve in the proper quarters..

    I think it's a bad release time for Ridley Scott's epic.
    It's drowning in "who cares"?
    Which is very unfair, but look at the cinematic climate Ridley!
    You old dog!

    The year is going by at a stately pace...



    Also I just read in some film magazine that Jack Black says King Kong will be the greatest movie ever made. Is he joking?
    Probably, knowing him.
    "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

  11. #41
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    August 2005 - A Pretty Dead Month

    From a brief review of the August films only The Grimm Brothers is something to look forward to. For the industry, The Dukes of Hazzards and The Pink Panther are the only possible breakout movies for the month. With the possibility of The Great Raid (a wartime movie), the rest of movie fare will have to struggle mightily to scrape together to just maintain the momentum from July which appears unlikely.

  12. #42
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    JUNE

    I love Terry Gilliam so I'm also looking forward to The Brothers Grimm. I think it's been moved around a few times already.
    It's good to see that you've kept up with this thread; it's certainly being read. I'll try to mention a few key indie/foreign films since you've covered the bigger releases. June for now.

    June 1

    Or - My Treasure - Keren Yedaya (Israel): Winner of the Camera d'Or (Best first film) at Cannes last year.
    Kino International

    June 3

    Milwaukee Minnesota - Allan Mindel (U.S.): Cast includes - Josh Brolin, Bruce Dern, Debra Monk, Randy Quaid.
    Tartan Films

    Pure - Gillies MacKinnon (U.K.): This one has played on Sundance Channel on a few occasions. Not bad at all.
    Indican Pictures.

    Rock School - Don Argott (U.S.): Documentary.
    Picturehouse Films.

    June 10

    5x2 - François Ozon (France): From the director of the popular Swimming Pool.
    Think Film.

    The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D - Robert Rodriguez (U.S.): From the director of Sin City.
    Dimension.

    Howl's Moving Castle - Hayao Miyazaki (Japan): From the director of Spirited Away.
    Walt Disney.

    June 17

    Heights - Chris Terrio (U.S.): Looks like Crash.
    Sony Pictures Classics.

    Me and You and Everyone We Know - Miranda July (U.S.): Winner of the Camera d'Or (Best first film) at Cannes this year.
    IFC Films.

    My Summer of Love - Pawel Pawlikowski (U.K.): Won the award for Best British film earlier this year.
    Focus Features.

    June 24

    The Bridge of San Luis Rey - Mary McGuckian (U.K./France): Cast includes - Kathy Bates, Gabriel Byrne, Géraldine Chaplin, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel.
    Fine Line/New Line Cinema.

    George A. Romero's Land of the Dead - George Romero (U.S.): Cast includes - Asia Argento, Simon Baker, Dennis Hopper, John Leguizamo.
    Universal.

    Lila Says - Ziad Doueiri (France): From the director of West Beirut.
    Samuel Goldwyn.

    March of the Penguins - Luc Jacquet (France): Documentary.
    Warner Independent Pictures.

    Rize - David LaChapelle (U.S.): Documentary.
    Lion's Gate Films.

    Wild Side - Sébastien Lifshitz (France): An award winner at Berlin last year.
    Wellspring.

    Yes - Sally Potter (U.K./U.S.): From the director of The Tango Lesson.
    Sony Pictures Classics.

  13. #43
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    More Questions for June Indie List

    A listing of indie lists for June makes for an intriquing but not revealing list of movies. It's hard to focus on anyone in particular. It is there anyway to find out more about each film and where and how large a release they will have other than a nice picture?

  14. #44
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    As I stated earlier, I only mentioned a few key films, similar to what you've done. If you want to know more about them, I recommend IMDb. Most indie/foreign films are "limited" releases.

  15. #45
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    arsaib4 your opinion is valued

    Thanks for the reference but what about you? What ones are you going to see and why? Or are you one of those who go to see everyone of them?

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