Future Movies: Vacation

I don't know how I missed this bit of information! Twitch report on Richard Stanley's new directorial duty. It's about time, Mr Stanley. I will reserve judgement on the casting.

http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/richard-stanley-returns-with-vacation/

Revenant Magazine

Tthe zombie-centric website Revenant are to produce their own magazine. I'm excited about this as I am a big Zombie fan. You might have noticed, loyal reader.

The first issue features an interview with Anthony Lane, about his Twitter financed project "Invasion of the Not Quite Dead".

Check out the full details at the website;

http://www.revenantmagazine.com/index.html

Friday Rant: World War Z

Well, not exactly, but I can't help being pessimistic. Last year, J Michael Stracynski's draft screenplay adaption of Max Brook's excellent book World War Z had critics gushing. Now, we read that this screenplay has been handed to Michael Carnahan for a rewrite. Brooks is positive, citing that the money spent so far will mean that the movie will be made. That's a bit naieve. Many movies go through a lengthy, expensive, pre-production before getting the boot.

I hope the movie does get made. The original article: http://www.joblo.com/new-world-war-z-writer

Thursday Rant: More Wolverine Disappointments

I can get incensed by movie news, but I don't tend to blog about it much. When it comes to missed opportunities, I get quite angry. It's a condition known as "Geek-Anger" and can get set off easily when reading movie news articles.

Animated Wolverine

Ok, we've had the Fox Kids X-Men where Wolverine had a gravelly voice and got taken out by an energy rifle every time it looked like he was going to pop those claws and slash bad guys. That's cool, it was for kids.
X-men Evolution had the same gravelly voiced character do pretty much the same stuff but took more of a leadership role.
Wolverine and the X-Men took Logan's leadership qualities even further and has proved to be a fairly kidult series.
A non related Hulk Vs Wolverine animated movie has been the best so far, with Wolverine actually drawing blood! The best aspect of this show was the treatment of the Weapon X saga; it showed X-Men Origins how it should be done!

So on to an article posted by Aint It Cool News;

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/41711

it details a panel where the acclaimed writer Warren Ellis will discuss new anime projects at a Comic-Con, for Japan! Wolverine is one of these projects.

Now, I don't expect an animated feature along the lines of the recent Wolverine Unleashed game. That even surprised me with it's 3-D cut scenes and the level of violence shown. But, I would have liked to have seen Marvel produce a film series equal in quality to Hulk Vs that detailed Logan's solo adventures; Ideally, a feature based on the Madripoor adventures. Surely, there's a market out there for that. Clearly, their eyes are on the Asian market not Domestic.

AVON MAN

Next, this sounds too awful to be true. Another article posted by AICN via Variety;

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/41707

Not content with helping to screw up a perfect opportunity to bring a solo wolverine movie to the screen, Jackman now chooses this lame-ass idea for a movie, from the writer of "hitch" (cos that was a class-A comedy wasn't it folks!)

Either the script is very good or Jackman wouldn't know a good idea if it bit him on the ass. I like the bloke too. It's just disappointing. I'm now warming to the fanboy calls for Jackman to play Dirty Harry. The idea sounds a lot better than the premise of "Avon Man". FFS.

DVD Review: Wrong Turn 2: Dead End

Thanks to Dread Central for the pic

Mike has posted a retro review of a title that I feel Horror fans should check out. It's fun! You could do a lot worse than take a trip to your local DVD store and pick up a copy, or go online.

Wrong Turn 2 Review

The Exorcist: Linda Blair

There's an excellent feature posted on Twitch. It highlights an interview with Linda Blair that will appeal to fans of The Exorcist. Whilst some of the detail won't be new to hardcore Exorcist fans, it's worth reading.

http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/midnight-mass-2009linda-blair-on-the-exorcist#extended

Italian Zombie Movie Reviews

One of the best low budget zombie make-ups I've seen. Pity it ends at the neck. Thanks to the original hoster for this image.

The Zed Word Blog reviews a number of Italian Zombie movies in inimitable style. Great stuff, if you're like me and have a strange fondness for no-budget Spaghetti Horrors!

Check em out here; The Zed Word Blog

There's a special place in my undead heart for Zombi 2, lovingly titled "Zombie Flesh Eaters" in the UK before it was snatched off the shelves by a Draconian government, and banned in it's uncut form for years. Working as a kind of prequel to Night of the Living Dead it had to inspire the end credit scenes of the Dawn of the Dead remake. If Romero's Island of the Dead comes close to evoking a similar atmosphere, I'd be pleased.

2009 Revenant Film Festival - Seattle, WA

We have a saying in the UK; "sod's law". The more polite amoungst you might use the phrase "Murphy's Law". Well, typically this applies to me once again. You might know that I'm a bit of zombie film fan and always open to new movies, even if they're a bit shite.

Normally, when I go to the US, I visit friends in Everett, WA. I love Seattle and always visit. Well, this is the one flamin year that i'm not going to Seattle and I could have gone along to this, dammit!

It looks fun, so I urge anyone in the area to check it out.

http://www.revenantmagazine.com/index.html

New Marillion Merchandise

Marillion have some new merchandise out in advance of the L=M tour (Less = More in case you were wondering). Very smart it is too.

Check it out and details of the tour at Marillion.Com Tickets are going fast, so don't hang about.

DVD Review: Hush (2009)

The "Best British Horror in Years"? Well, maybe, maybe not. it actually doesn't matter. It's still a good movie and worth watching. A full review here;

Hush Review

DVD Review: Gran Torino

This is easily one of my Top films of the year! It might appear lightweight and superficial to the casual viewer, but the more discerning amoungst us saw it for what it was.

check out exactly what I thought of it at the usual place;

Gran Torino Review

DVD Review: S.Darko

It wasn't a stretch to guess that this movie was a pointless exercise in wringing out the very last drop of interest in the first film. Find out a fuller account of my thoughts at the LINK