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CINEMATRIX - by LuckyWill

Cinematrix is movie goer central bringing everything from the Big Screen to your screen.

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Recent Film News!

September 13th 2006 11:47

3 top stories are making the headlines currently…

Artisitic French film writer and director Luc Besson is making his 10th and final film, titled "Arthur et les Minimoys”.

Image from news.yahoo.com

Luc Besson is best known for writer and directing credits for the brilliant cat and mouse game between Jean Reno and his female protégé (of which we see the first glimpses at Natalie Portman) versus the crooked cop Gary Oldman in The Professional and also of course for the colourful sci-fi hit of the nineties, The 5th Element. Most will remember an invigorated Bruce Willis as a futuristic cabbie trying to protect Leeloo, played by Milla Jovovich – the funky saviour to planet Earth. The reason for his departure is attributed to “devote himself instead to civic projects, including starting a foundation to help youths in France's depressed inner cities” (news.yahoo.com) Other credits include penning Nikita] (the movie version before the tv series) and the underrated period drama The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc featuring Milla Jovovich once again, Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich as Charles VII.

Russell Crowe has hinted at a possible Gladiator2 or at the very least, bringing back Maximus at a conference in the Toronto International Film Festival.

Image taken from wikipedia.org

Although realizing the problem of revitalizing the character after he symbolically joined his family in their estate while dying in the arena against Joaquin Phoenix’ character Commodus, he quipped “…stranger things have happened in Hollywood." (smh.com.au) Also of note is the interest of director Ridley Scott who has also spoken to Crowe about bringing the gladiator back from the dead. “We talk about it every now and then”, remarks Crowe who won the Best Actor Academy Award for Gladiator. Unless there’s a prequel to Gladiator I can’t really see where else they can go with this one. Mercifully I hope they leave the only other avenue of twin brothers or faked death/rebirth thing to the daytime soaps and not indulge in a sequel.

And in other relatively current news, Heath Ledger has been picked by Warner Bros Studios to play ‘The Joker’ in the next Batman installment which will be shooting next year.

Image from wikipedia.org

Again, Memento director Christopher Nolan will steer the film and likewise see Christian Bale retain the character of the dark knight. (At least we’ll have some continuity and daresay credibility there). Insisting the character will be embellished in a different approach, Ledger told the Toronto Sun, "it's going to be more nuanced and dark and more along the lines of a Clockwork Orange kind of feel". He further adds, "but it's obviously not going to be what Jack Nicholson did." Apparently he is feeling the similar discrimination that Johnny Depp faced when playing Gene Wilder’s Mr Wonka and see Ledger similarly tread a new path away from the former icon. But on the choice of choosing Heath over.. I don’t know, anyone is a bold move he in turn offers, "I wouldn't have thought of me, either," in concession and nor would most of the sane public. Although, utilising this accidental surprise and spontaneity could prove a uniquely sly villain.

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Posted By: Justin - Category: News

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Comments

32 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by JohnDoe

September 13th 2006 23:06

Film & TV on DVD

Im a big fan of Luc Besons early Films Big Blue, Le Combat, Subway, Nikita and Leon The Profesional.

Since then sadly his name has come to represent crap for me. Joan of Arc wasnt bad, but Fifth element, Transporter etc were abismal excercises in styleover substance.

Comment by Justin

September 13th 2006 23:34

The Transporter definitely. It was like a French take on an English protagonist doing a John Woo inspired American action.. lol Like an international version of xXx.

Fifth Element however I found was sublime. We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

Comment by JohnDoe

September 14th 2006 07:05

Film & TV on DVD

Transporter is actually a low energy, poorly shot version of the BMW films from a few years ago.

If you havent seen em, the BMW films are a series of short features (under 10 mins) each is directed by a superstar director (John Frankenheimer, John Woo, Ang Lee, Guy Ritchie, Wong Kar Wai etc) and star Clive Owen and Mickey amongst others.

Written by the likes of Andrew kevin walker and David Carter.They tell the story of a Transpoter (Clive Owen) who must drive to survive, and it was written by.

Fifth Element is watchable with the mute button on, it is after all Blade Runner in colour. But the acting is shocking, the dialogue is terrible. The concept was good but wasted.

Comment by Ahmed

September 15th 2006 05:08

Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks

I can't wait for 'The Dark Night', it's the only movie to date I am anticipating eagerly.

Batman Begins finally broke the trend and was actually an entertaining movie, so I'm hoping it's sequel will push it further.

I thought Robin williams would be the best candidate, however knowing robin williams I think I'll know the joker. But heath ledger... may we expect the joker to be questioing his sexuality too? Just saying it will be really interesting to see how the Joker turns out...

Comment by JohnDoe

September 15th 2006 06:08

Film & TV on DVD

Im a big Chris Nolan fan and thought Batman Begins was good. Heath Ledger being cast means there isnt much chance of me seeing the sequel.

The only movie he has been in that wasnt dragged down by him was Monsters Ball and thats only because he blew his head off 10 minutes in.

Cant believe they didnt go for Timothy Olypahnt, Aaron Eckhart, Sean Penn, Johnny Depp, Robert Downey Jnr, Benicio Del Toro, etc, etc, etc....

Comment by Ahmed

September 15th 2006 06:11

Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks

Perhaps they were looking for taking the joker in a new direction?

Comment by JohnDoe

September 15th 2006 06:21

Film & TV on DVD

Thats what I mean, the actors I suggested have the ability to bring something new to the role of The Joker, Ledger doesnt.

Comment by Justin

September 16th 2006 14:45

Benicio Del Toro would play an awesome joker. Covering him in that white make-up would also hide his swarthy tanned skin up a bit to make him more caucasian.
To a lesser extent I could also see Robert Downey Jr as the Joker too.
Good suggestions, JohnD.

Comment by postmoderncritic

November 4th 2006 10:38

Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc

> But heath ledger... may we expect the joker to be questioing his sexuality too?

I think you're a little unclear about how this whole acting thing works...

Comment by Ahmed

November 4th 2006 10:44

Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks

wow, can't believe I wrote that...

what makes you think I'm unclear on how it works? But I still don't want to see segments of the dark knight dedicated to the Joker trying to figure out if he's gay or not or stuff like that.

Comment by postmoderncritic

November 4th 2006 10:50

Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc

That's like saying "I hope Joaquin Phoenix doesn't break out into song in his next role" - just because Heath played a gay character in Brokeback Mountain doesn't mean that the role has inhabited him... he's just an actor, and will take on the unique concerns of each role as they come. Your comment shows that you can't get over your discomfort with him playing a gay man, and I think you need to ask yourself why.

Comment by Ahmed

November 4th 2006 10:56

Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks

I already have, and I already have answered. But thats another story all together.

He's quite possibly a one trick poney, he leaped from nothing to great, he may as well slip back down.

I wouldn't be surprised if the joker turns out to be gay, its the current fad in movies, this guys gay, and such and such, it was capitalised most in broke back mountain, now its a fad in movies.

Comment by Justin

November 5th 2006 07:32

Interesting debate PostmodernCritic and Ahmed have got going on!

I think what Ahmed's comments reflect is a quip on Heath Ledgers screen persona. I don't think Ahmed has allowed Hollywood to pull the wool over his eyes, inducing Heaths Brokeback character to be a depiction of himself off-screen as well. Heath has done a few films but nothing that has captured the international spotlight as Brokeback has. Though previously he's been a touring jouster in medieval times, an Australian bushranger, Casanova, one of the brothers Grimm and a couple of roles as a love interest for the opposite sex.

What Postmodern Critic is arguing is that in spite of his recent notoriety for playing one gay man, he shouldn't necessarily be typecast by the audience as all he can do, or all acting choices he chooses to make. Moreover it would be an unecessarily silly decision for Chris Nolan to make. Even if he did want the Joker to be gay, a less subtle choice for directing quality would be to cast someone who hasn't popularly played a gay character to move the script away from being overtly predictable. Otherwise, it may end up being a comedy!

Comment by postmoderncritic

November 5th 2006 07:46

Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc

May 18th 2008 11:47

Dr Spin
Tales From The Other Side
Blip Blog
Gadget Museum

Comparing gay people to sharks is somewhat homophobic, don't you think?

Goddamn Sharkophobic prejudiced bigot...

BTW; all funny in retrospect... Ledger really did bring something to the Joker from what I've seen.

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