Years ago, Tim Burton had been rumored to helm a new Superman movie starring Nicholas Cage. For myriad reasons, it never got off the ground — and perhaps we should all be breathing a sigh of relief. Pictures have recently surfaced on the Facebook profile of Steve Johnson, who was in charge of Special Effects for the nascent project. It appears Burton’s take on Superman would have been unique, to say the least.
Besides the Big S and the muscles, there is nothing recognizably Superman about this costume! Still, it would have been interesting to see what Cage and Burton had up their sleeves. All-powerful, all-perfect Superman can be a terribly bland character in uninspired hands.
[Via CinemaBlend]
Here’s something I didn’t know. Back to the Future started filming with Eric Stoltz in the role of Marty McFly. Michael J. Fox had always been the preferred choice, but was too busy with Family Ties when production started.
Robert Zemeckis eventually decided that Stoltz’s performance was good, but not light-hearted enough for the role. Re-shooting with Fox, whose schedule eventually eased up, added another $3 million to the budget. Here’s recently-released footage as Eric Stoltz in the classic role. Tough luck! I’m sure his career would’ve had a much different trajectory had he kept the part.
[Via Slashfilm]
The second consecutive Italian film in our list of Neglected Gems, after 1963′s L’Innocente, is a much more recent film. The Hundred Steps (I cento passi) tells the true life story of a political activist who dared to stand up to the Sicilian mafia. There were one hundred steps between his childhood house, and the house of Mafia don Tano Badalamenti.
Brave, to say the least! “Peppino” Impastato was an outspoken member of the Communist party in Sicily, who did a lot to bring the abuses of the Mafia into the public eye. His path was cemented when, at just 15 years old, he watched his uncle be blown to bits by a car bomb.
Marco Tullio Giordana’s movie from the turn of the century is an incredible piece of filmmaking, if the few people who’ve ranked it at Criticker are to be believed. It was nominated for a slew of awards, including The Golden Globe’s Best Foreign Picture, and the Golden Lion at Venice, and won the Venetian prize for best screenplay. It’s always a shame when great films like The Hundred Steps go unseen, so do your part and seek this one out! As far as I can tell, it’s not been released on Region 1 DVD, yet. Crazy.
At Amazon: One Hundred Steps
This pictures was taken during a costume test for for Tim Burton Superman movie which (thank the lord) never got made. It would surely have been the most interesting Superman movie of all time, if Nicholas Cage’s seductive bedroom eyes, the shiny Masters of the Universe suit and the strange Frankenstein scar around his neck, are any indication.
On second thought, I really want to see this film. Tim Burton, please, give us Superman.
Here, Kevin Smith talks about the failed 90’s Superman project:
[via: fünf filmfreunde]
I hate it when people knowingly watch films in the wrong format on TV. They’ll happily put up with stretched out or cropped images, justifying that they “don’t like them black bars! Fill up mah screen, durnit!”
And an unrelated thought… Why aren’t more films being shot on IMAX like the Dark Knight?
[via: slashfilm & Kottke] Thank you Classic Fun for the tip.
To publicize the Norwegian DVD release of Dead Snow, the team behind the Nazi zombie flick has released a 3-minute promotional video.
If you hate zombies, can’t stand Nazis, and are sick to death of ironic horror comedies, well… don’t worry. Clicking on “Play” won’t ruin your day. If however, you dislike buxom, bubbly blondes singing about their asses and showing off gratuitous amounts of flesh, then avoid this video at all costs.
Advertising is a magical medium. Somehow after watching a Norwegian semi-celebrity sing about her butt, I desperately need to see Dead Snow.
[via TwitchFilm]
Happy 4th of July!!
We thought we’d use this most American of holidays to highlight one of the most annoyingly American of trends: using the word American as the first word in a movie title. Enough already! Here’s an American Rant for you.
We get it! We’re proud to be Americans! We like American things!
Fine! It’s an easy way to pander to patriotic morons who, perhaps, don’t want to see a movie about a ninja. Too Asian-sounding. But, an American Ninja?! Well, HEE-HAW!!
We totally understand! American Prefix is good marketing, but seriously: enough already. I’ve started to wretch whenever I learn of another such film. Check this out — I just did a query through the films in Criticker’s database:
American Chart!
So to celebrate the 4th, we’ve compiled a full list of films with the word American in their titles. Feel free to scroll through, but we will not be held liable should your head explode:
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American , The |
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American Adobo |
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American Anthem |
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American Astronaut, The |
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American Beauty |
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American Blackout |
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American Blend |
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American Boy: A Profile of: Steven Prince |
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American Buffalo |
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American Cannibal |
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American Chai |
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American Crime, An |
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American Crude |
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American Desi |
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American Dream |
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American Dreamz |
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American Flyers |
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American Fork |
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American Friend, The |
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American Gangster |
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American Gigolo |
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American Graffiti |
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American Gun |
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American Gun |
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American Hardcore |
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American Haunting, An |
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American Heart |
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American History X |
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American in Paris, An |
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American Jedi |
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American Madness |
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American Me |
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American Meth |
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American Movie |
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American Nightmare, The |
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American Ninja |
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American Ninja 2: The Confrontation |
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American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt |
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American Ninja 4: The Annihilation |
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American Ninja V |
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American Outlaws |
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American Pastime |
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American Pie |
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American Pie 2 |
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American Pie 5: The Naked Mile |
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American Pie Presents Band Camp |
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American Pie Presents: Beta House |
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American Pimp |
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American Pop |
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American President, The |
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American Psycho |
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American Psycho II: All American Girl |
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American Rhapsody, An |
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American Ruling Class, The |
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American Soldier, The |
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American Splendor |
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American Strays |
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American Tail, An |
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American Tail: Fievel Goes West, An |
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American Teen |
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American Tragedy, An |
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American Vampire Story, An |
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American Wedding |
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American Werewolf in London, An |
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American Werewolf in Paris, An |
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American Yakuza |
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American Zeitgeist |
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Americanization of Emily, The |
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Americano |
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Betty Boop with Henry the Funniest Living American |
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Confessions of an American Girl |
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Decline of the American Empire, The |
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End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream, The |
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Everybody's All-American |
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Geronimo: An American Legend |
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Great American Chase, The |
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Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters, The |
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Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear & the Selling of American Empire |
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How to Make an American Quilt |
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Italianamerican |
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James Ellroy: American Dog |
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Jim Brown: All American |
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Just an American Boy |
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Kit Kittredge: An American Girl |
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Last American Hero, The |
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Last American Virgin, The |
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Letter: An American Town and the "Somali Invasion," The |
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Life of an American Fireman |
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More American Graffiti |
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My American Uncle |
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My Fellow Americans |
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Pan-American Exposition by Night |
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Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies, A |
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Price of the American Dream, The |
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Quiet American, The |
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Scottsboro: An American Tragedy |
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The Beat Generation: An American Dream |
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Wet Hot American Summer |
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