Today, VARIETY tells me...
"Peter Berg is attached to direct a bigscreen adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel "Dune" for Paramount Pictures."
Dune was an epic, groundbreaking feature in 1984, then a sweeping mini series in 2000.
By the way, get the soundtrack to the 2000 Dune - Amazing.
Why on earth do we need another interpretation of "Dune"?
I will make a prediction before the film is even written.
People are tired of re-do's and this film, which will be hugely expensive, will bomb.
If Paramount is so hard up for original, ground breaking material, they should get in touch with me. I can connect them with fantastic new material.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Patrick Swayze
None of my triple threat titles are "doctor" or "gossip columnist" so I'll keep this brief.
I'm sending prayers and well wishes to Patrick Swayze.
Not only does he have a challenging medical situation but the nasty gossip press are going nuts over it. I wish they had an ounce of class and the worst are T** and P**** who I will dignify with a searchable reference.
He is fantastic.
I just watched GHOST and TO WONG FOO THANKS FOR EVERYTHING JULIE NEWMAR. I don't know the man. I wish I did but I don't. I've never heard a contrary word about him but his talent is undeniable. Sit down, watch GHOST, watch TO WONG FOO. Fantastic.
And Miss Julie is statuesque.
Love and prayers for you Patrick.
I'm sending prayers and well wishes to Patrick Swayze.
Not only does he have a challenging medical situation but the nasty gossip press are going nuts over it. I wish they had an ounce of class and the worst are T** and P**** who I will dignify with a searchable reference.
He is fantastic.
I just watched GHOST and TO WONG FOO THANKS FOR EVERYTHING JULIE NEWMAR. I don't know the man. I wish I did but I don't. I've never heard a contrary word about him but his talent is undeniable. Sit down, watch GHOST, watch TO WONG FOO. Fantastic.
And Miss Julie is statuesque.
Love and prayers for you Patrick.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Remake, Re-Imagination, Regurgitate
Adaptions, Remakes, Re-Imaginations, Oh My!
I have my writer hat on now.
"No One Knows Anything", screenwriter William Goldman wrote and his words are never truer than now. As six major corporations absorb Hollywood, more and more, business-centric managers (who I loved to hate when I was in Software) are finding themselves in charge of creative decisions. These people have business degrees from places where the ivy grows freely but don't know sub-text from rising action.
When the pressure is on and viewers are running away, these execs and producers fall victim to what I call, "Burning Barn Syndrome". A horse will sometimes run back into a burning barn because it's scared and the barn is "safe" even though the action means certain death. This applies to TV and Film, different delivery methods but the net effect is the same.
In this case, the burning barn and the false safety it offers are previously established projects that supposedly have a built in audience. They are: Books, Comics, Old TV Shows and Older Popular Films. Look at BOURNE, HARRY POTTER, THE HOBBIT, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, but for every GALACTICA, there's a STARSKY AND HUTCH or BIONIC WOMAN or KNIGHT RIDER where fans are left feeling empty, people are irritated and ratings are poor.
It's a vicious cycle. Viewers are bored, they look to new media, ratings go down, execs panic and retreat to their "Safe Place" (Remakes, Adaptions and Re-imaginations[R.A.R.]), viewers resist the same old stuff and run away. You can almost hear the stampede of execs running to their legal departments to find out who owns the rights for CHARLIE'S ANGELS (oh wait, they did that) or MAGNUM PI (oh wait, they're doing that) or B.J. and the BEAR (not done yet) every time a TV or Film project tanks but for every R.A.R that works, many, many more fail and, to be honest, piss off the viewers.
I've seen a growing lack of tolerance for R.A.R projects. Over and over, in blogs and discussion groups and fan sites there's the collective groaning when a R.A.R is announced. This happens for one of two reasons; either there's the impression that there's nothing new coming out or the fear that a beloved film or show from yesteryear will be butchered in the R.A.R process.
Around the Globe, screenwriters gnash their teeth. They have the new ideas but they can't crack the walnut of Hollywood. The business insulates itself and sadly, it should. I have read a lot of scripts this year and 95% of them were DOA. Everyone hates to read, who has the time? Agents have all they can do to keep their clients happy. The internet has allowed anyone and everyone to write a screenplay and sadly,many should not. Just because a person watches a lot of TV or Films does not a writer make. The creative talent pool is dirty and there's not enough chlorine to clear it up.
At the end of the day, it all falls on the execs and they know it, which is why they go the safe route to begin with. When the bottom line drives the industry, creative ambition is squashed. Granted, Indie film, long the bastion of true creativity where R.A.Rs rarely exist, forges ahead but its work pales in comparison to the volume and distribution of the studio / network system. Show Business is a business, there's no denying, but it's also an entertainment venue and an art form. There must be some way for the bottom line to co-exist with the creative without a battle to the death and without having to resort to the desperation of R.A.Rs.
Right?
I have my writer hat on now.
"No One Knows Anything", screenwriter William Goldman wrote and his words are never truer than now. As six major corporations absorb Hollywood, more and more, business-centric managers (who I loved to hate when I was in Software) are finding themselves in charge of creative decisions. These people have business degrees from places where the ivy grows freely but don't know sub-text from rising action.
When the pressure is on and viewers are running away, these execs and producers fall victim to what I call, "Burning Barn Syndrome". A horse will sometimes run back into a burning barn because it's scared and the barn is "safe" even though the action means certain death. This applies to TV and Film, different delivery methods but the net effect is the same.
In this case, the burning barn and the false safety it offers are previously established projects that supposedly have a built in audience. They are: Books, Comics, Old TV Shows and Older Popular Films. Look at BOURNE, HARRY POTTER, THE HOBBIT, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, but for every GALACTICA, there's a STARSKY AND HUTCH or BIONIC WOMAN or KNIGHT RIDER where fans are left feeling empty, people are irritated and ratings are poor.
It's a vicious cycle. Viewers are bored, they look to new media, ratings go down, execs panic and retreat to their "Safe Place" (Remakes, Adaptions and Re-imaginations[R.A.R.]), viewers resist the same old stuff and run away. You can almost hear the stampede of execs running to their legal departments to find out who owns the rights for CHARLIE'S ANGELS (oh wait, they did that) or MAGNUM PI (oh wait, they're doing that) or B.J. and the BEAR (not done yet) every time a TV or Film project tanks but for every R.A.R that works, many, many more fail and, to be honest, piss off the viewers.
I've seen a growing lack of tolerance for R.A.R projects. Over and over, in blogs and discussion groups and fan sites there's the collective groaning when a R.A.R is announced. This happens for one of two reasons; either there's the impression that there's nothing new coming out or the fear that a beloved film or show from yesteryear will be butchered in the R.A.R process.
Around the Globe, screenwriters gnash their teeth. They have the new ideas but they can't crack the walnut of Hollywood. The business insulates itself and sadly, it should. I have read a lot of scripts this year and 95% of them were DOA. Everyone hates to read, who has the time? Agents have all they can do to keep their clients happy. The internet has allowed anyone and everyone to write a screenplay and sadly,many should not. Just because a person watches a lot of TV or Films does not a writer make. The creative talent pool is dirty and there's not enough chlorine to clear it up.
At the end of the day, it all falls on the execs and they know it, which is why they go the safe route to begin with. When the bottom line drives the industry, creative ambition is squashed. Granted, Indie film, long the bastion of true creativity where R.A.Rs rarely exist, forges ahead but its work pales in comparison to the volume and distribution of the studio / network system. Show Business is a business, there's no denying, but it's also an entertainment venue and an art form. There must be some way for the bottom line to co-exist with the creative without a battle to the death and without having to resort to the desperation of R.A.Rs.
Right?
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Where are the tough guys?
I thought it was interesting that "3:10 to Yuma" used Russell Crowe and Christian Bale to play iconic Western Characters. With Crowe from New Zealand / Australia and Bale from Wales, just how far afield do we have to go to find guys tough enough to play in Westerns, a genre which only 50 years ago was brimming with enough tough guy American actors to stretch from Mid-Wilshire to the Sea?
The metrosexualization of the hairier sex has left us in a predicament. Where are the tough guys?
Crowe and Bale - covered them.
Hugh Jackman - iconic US comic book Wolverine character? Doh, he's from Australia.
Sean Bean - If you don't know who he is, find out because he's fantastic - England, btw.
Clive Owen - England
Daniel Craig - England
Ok, in the US corner: Bruce Willis (Born in Germany but really from here), Brad Pitt and for the slick action stuff; Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon. Viggo Mortensen and Nick Cage are pretty good but for "John Wayne sit on a horse and load your six shooter kind of tough", we're not doing too well.
I'm packaging a Western and have been thinking about this a lot lately. So tell me, who am I missing?
Who are the next generation tough guys? I'm fairly sure none of the above are under 30.
Is the 'tough-guy' going extinct?
The metrosexualization of the hairier sex has left us in a predicament. Where are the tough guys?
Crowe and Bale - covered them.
Hugh Jackman - iconic US comic book Wolverine character? Doh, he's from Australia.
Sean Bean - If you don't know who he is, find out because he's fantastic - England, btw.
Clive Owen - England
Daniel Craig - England
Ok, in the US corner: Bruce Willis (Born in Germany but really from here), Brad Pitt and for the slick action stuff; Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon. Viggo Mortensen and Nick Cage are pretty good but for "John Wayne sit on a horse and load your six shooter kind of tough", we're not doing too well.
I'm packaging a Western and have been thinking about this a lot lately. So tell me, who am I missing?
Who are the next generation tough guys? I'm fairly sure none of the above are under 30.
Is the 'tough-guy' going extinct?
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