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Cinema Thought
Apr. 21st, 2006 12:00 pm1. Spent the last days of Passover at my brother's. And as usual, Batya told some Uncle Remus stories to my nieces. Not surprisingly, such tales are unknown to children these days since the stories are considered to be politcally incorrect.
I mentioned to my mother than Disney was reportedly considering finding a way to release "Song of the South," which has a number of the Uncle Remus tales, on DVD, with disclaimers and context. Alas, MArk Evanier reports that Bob Iger, the man running Disney, decided against this. Apparently, it's simply too hot a potato for Disney - ever shy of protest - to risk touching. Which is a shame, since the stories are marvelous. And I can't imagine that isn't some way to release this film, or reprint the stories, in the proper historical context.
Seems, therefore, that my nieces will have rely on Batya's storytelling skills. As will I.
2. Word is out that Paramount is handing the Star Trek franchise over to JJ Abrams, of Lost and Alias fame, and also the director of the upcoming 3rd Mission Impossible film. Word is also out that the film will be a prequel focusing on Kirk and Spock's Academy days.
The prequel idea has been around forever. I hate it. And not just because I am a purist about continuity. (In terms of Trek, I really am not one. I just sound like one.) I think it's just lazy, and misses entirely what we like about Kirk and Spock. Seeing them as 20 year olds sounds rather dull.
Of course, Abrams has earned my trust with his work on Lost during its first season, and he will apparently be brining some of his crew from thta show to help. I will withhold comment about Abrams as a big budget filmmaker until after MI3 opens. If he can take what has been (according to what I've heard) a rather pedestrian pair of remakes of an old TV show starring a talented but difficult actor and make it a dynamic action film, maybe he can handle Trek.
In the meantime, let the jokes about "Lost" in space, teenaged Kirk, and Jennifer Garner of Starfleet commence.
3. Watched "Corpse Bride" and "Wallace and Gromit" back to back last Sunday. It's really interesting to compare these two models of stop-motion animation. Burton's vision is far more imaginative (though following the contours of his earlier gothic horror films), but the Nick Park approach, using rather odinary props from the real world to ground the film, makes his work jsut as engaging. Neither film is as good as the respective creator's earlier works - "Chicken Run" has a beter story than either, Wallace and Gromit are not rich enough to sustain a full movie, and Jack Skellington and Sally are far more distinctive characters - but both are worth seeing. It's amazing that in this age of CGI, there are two such talented filmmakers still devoted to making films in this way.
4. I have now seen all five Hugo best film nominees. "Serenity" still would get my vote, but I cannot say I'd be unhappy if "Batman Begins" or "Wallace and Gromit" win. (OK, I wouldn't be unhappy if Narnia won, either, but I think it's a notch below the others. But Harry Potter 4 is a notch further down, and nota s good as "Corpse Bride".)
I mentioned to my mother than Disney was reportedly considering finding a way to release "Song of the South," which has a number of the Uncle Remus tales, on DVD, with disclaimers and context. Alas, MArk Evanier reports that Bob Iger, the man running Disney, decided against this. Apparently, it's simply too hot a potato for Disney - ever shy of protest - to risk touching. Which is a shame, since the stories are marvelous. And I can't imagine that isn't some way to release this film, or reprint the stories, in the proper historical context.
Seems, therefore, that my nieces will have rely on Batya's storytelling skills. As will I.
2. Word is out that Paramount is handing the Star Trek franchise over to JJ Abrams, of Lost and Alias fame, and also the director of the upcoming 3rd Mission Impossible film. Word is also out that the film will be a prequel focusing on Kirk and Spock's Academy days.
The prequel idea has been around forever. I hate it. And not just because I am a purist about continuity. (In terms of Trek, I really am not one. I just sound like one.) I think it's just lazy, and misses entirely what we like about Kirk and Spock. Seeing them as 20 year olds sounds rather dull.
Of course, Abrams has earned my trust with his work on Lost during its first season, and he will apparently be brining some of his crew from thta show to help. I will withhold comment about Abrams as a big budget filmmaker until after MI3 opens. If he can take what has been (according to what I've heard) a rather pedestrian pair of remakes of an old TV show starring a talented but difficult actor and make it a dynamic action film, maybe he can handle Trek.
In the meantime, let the jokes about "Lost" in space, teenaged Kirk, and Jennifer Garner of Starfleet commence.
3. Watched "Corpse Bride" and "Wallace and Gromit" back to back last Sunday. It's really interesting to compare these two models of stop-motion animation. Burton's vision is far more imaginative (though following the contours of his earlier gothic horror films), but the Nick Park approach, using rather odinary props from the real world to ground the film, makes his work jsut as engaging. Neither film is as good as the respective creator's earlier works - "Chicken Run" has a beter story than either, Wallace and Gromit are not rich enough to sustain a full movie, and Jack Skellington and Sally are far more distinctive characters - but both are worth seeing. It's amazing that in this age of CGI, there are two such talented filmmakers still devoted to making films in this way.
4. I have now seen all five Hugo best film nominees. "Serenity" still would get my vote, but I cannot say I'd be unhappy if "Batman Begins" or "Wallace and Gromit" win. (OK, I wouldn't be unhappy if Narnia won, either, but I think it's a notch below the others. But Harry Potter 4 is a notch further down, and nota s good as "Corpse Bride".)
