X-Men 3 Online - Articles on X3

[Retroman]

Film School 101

You've seen the Oscars. Now see the reality.

By Kathleen Harris
Published: March 6, 2006

TheTyee.ca
While gorging to excess, or even just grazing on Hollywood's yearly awards buffet, for a fleeting moment, you pictured yourself up there, didn't you? C'mon, admit it. Just for a second, you knew phrases you'd use in your acceptance speech. Well, I'm here to save you hours Googling film schools and fantasizing about how to attain future stardom. I've been there (to film school, that is) and I can save you the trouble.

I remember the day I got my film school acceptance email. My whole future seemed to fall into place with the click of the mouse, a life with endless opportunity.

I also remember the day, a few years later, when I got my first film job interview. I sat in the production office for X-Men 3, desperately drumming up the requisite film industry phony enthusiasm. By then, my romantic fantasy was fully shattered.

The producer described my potential role "So what you would mainly be doing is going from main unit to second unit, filling out order forms, fetching supplies and doing general PA (production assistant) stuff. It's going to be pretty hectic. Prosthetics like this usually take two months to prepare, but you'll only get a couple of weeks. What do you think - is it something you're interested in?"

Grinning and trying my hardest to look keen, I stammered "Oh yeah. Absolutely."

They called me back several hours later to let me know that the position had gone to someone else. I took the rejection lightly. It's not as if I had ever imagined myself in the glamorous world of prosthetics, anyways. That's not what I went to film school for. No, like most other people with any interest in film, I had one of five fantasy careers in mind. And I wish I knew then what I know now.

Film careers 101:

The director

More than half of the students I went to school with raised their hand for this one. We wanted to be Steven Spielberg and Terry Gilliam. Many of us weren't entirely sure what this would actually entail, and how we'd go about achieving it, but wanted it nonetheless.

Truth be told, unless you're a natural talent with intriguing new ideas (and I'm not saying you're not), the process to becoming a director anywhere is a long and winding road. And you can definitely count on the fact that once you do become a "certified director," (in the eyes of the Directors Guild, at least) you still won't be directing the epic, sweeping blockbusters or critically applauded indie gems. Most likely, you'll be immersed in the world of movies of the week and space television series. Perhaps a DaVinci spin-off (now that it's cancelled).

Do you hear that? It's the sound of your young idealism slipping away. However, once you reach the top of the food chain, you'll be laughing your way to the bank. (When there's work, that is.) If you can acknowledge the fact that unfortunately, you don't possess the same zany, awkward nature as Spike Jonze, but want to be a director regardless, more power to you. Someone has to tell the story of Jessica Lynch and the BTK killer.

The director of photography

This is generally the unsung hero of film production. The director of photography (or DOP) is key in bringing every frame of a film to life. She is responsible for the lighting setups, choosing the film stock and type, and often makes suggestions to the director about angles that might be more appropriate and lenses that would best suit the shot (among other things, of course).

Generally, film students don't walk out the door on their graduation day and proclaim themselves to be DOPs. As with directing, this is a position that requires years of experience and, if you're looking at getting into the union, either IATSE 669 or 891, you're also looking at years of building up your seniority, either via the camera department or through the gaffer/grip department.

The producer

Producers perform a wide variety of tasks, from developing new projects to raising funds via grants or private investments to supervising the set to making sure that none of the hard earned money is going to waste. Producers deal with impossibly large amounts of money (in the case of X-Men 3, nine or ten producers are dealing with over $100 million), extensive paperwork, possible lawsuits and litigation, investors, egos, government policies, funding applications and inclement weather.

It's a big job with a plethora of responsibilities and there is no possible way one year of schooling could possibly prepare you for the workload. Many producers come from business school backgrounds and have often worked somewhere in the finance or accounting realm before crossing over to film.

The editor

This is where film school comes in handy, and where your $25,000 can be seen as a true investment into your future. Although the option is always open to be a self-taught editor, there are too many tips, shortcuts and insider tricks of the trade to pass up professional training.

Editing falls into the post-production department, which includes, among others things, assistant editing, titling, graphics, sound design, scoring and sound editing. Post-production is a fascinating process that can salvage a filmic train wreck with a clever combination of technology and creativity. Anyone can start at the bottom and work their way to the top and enjoy every step of the way. With enough practice, even the most technologically inept can master and, most importantly, understand the post-production process.

The documentary director

Documentary filmmaking was our first major project and while many of our production skills were dubious, a strong and intriguing subject can trump shoddy camerawork and clumsy editing. The standout favorite of my class was an extraordinary story about a kite flyer; he was articulate, well-spoken, well-versed in the triumphs and failures of life and, above all else, a compelling storyteller.

If you're interested in documentary filmmaking and have a subject that would entertain even the most discerning viewer, do some research from home: start with Nanook of the North and follow it through to Mad Hot Ballroom, hook up with a knowledgeable crew and a clever editor and get that story out there. Save your $25,000 for production.

Film school ABCs

The school I attended, contrary to what I had been led to believe, was not an art school. Creativity was not nurtured, nor encouraged to foster. It was an out and out technical school, where you were meant to learn the mechanics of filmmaking and then get out onto set, as an assistant director, a camera trainee, an art assistant, a boom operator or an office production assistant.

The deep, dark secret that no one tells a potential film student is that you don't need to go to film school for any of these positions. The Director's Guild of Canada offers training classes for anyone interested in locations, assistant directing or production office assisting. IATSE (The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) locals 669 and local 891 offer training programs for those interested in the camera department. Some local film schools also offer part-time classes; check out the camera and cinematography classes if you're interested in pursuing a career in those departments. If you're interested in working in the art department as a props master or set decorator, check out the Cineworks Independent Filmmakers' Society classifieds and start volunteering. Call up a local prop house and inquire about interning. Or check out the Union of BC Performers if you're interested in being in front of the camera.

I went to film school with a colossal bank loan and a lot of misinformation. The marketing for many private, post-secondary institutions is clever, well thought out and designed to get you into the classroom. I often wish someone had told me before I signed on the dotted line what I was getting myself into. I wouldn't necessarily have changed my mind, but I would have felt better knowing I had all the facts before I made such a huge leap into my future.

Kathleen Harris graduated from film school in 2003 and has spent most of her time since then in post-production. She is currently trying to "find her voice," which she thinks may be nestled under a couch cushion somewhere. She writes the Modern Day Ophelia blog.
Source: http://thetyee.ca/Life/2006/03/06/FilmSchool101/print.html

[Aiden]

Lightning bolts in the side of the head. Cool

[Slim_X]

somebody needs to translate that article w/ omahyra... sighs!
It just says that she's "continuing her successful career as a model and actress in X-Men 3"

"She plays Arclight in the science fiction movie filmed in the U.S., in which fellow dominican Dania Ramirez also stars as Callisto. The movie began filming last year.

There are two huge mistakes in that article.
1) It says that she plays "Arclight (Júbilo)", they're implying that she plays Jubilee.
2) They say it was filmed in the U.S. when in reality it was shot in Vancouver, Canada.

[Electrix]

The Rocchi Report: Endless? Bummer.

Posted Apr 10th 2006 12:00PM by James Rocchi
Filed under: Action & Adventure, Cannes, Tom Cruise, Brett Ratner, Movie Marketing, Comic/Superhero/Geek, The Rocchi Report, Columns


I look to the coming summer movie season much as ancient cavemen must have looked toward the huge thunderstorms that swept across the blasted plain; with terror, and fear, and a little bit of awe. It was not just the first day of spring that made me think of summer, nor was it the call of the sparrow as she returns from the sunnier climes in the South where she has rested for the past months; it was the frickin' fact that X-Men: The Last Stand is playing at Cannes. There's a New Yorker cartoon by BEK, that master of block-drawn, rushing, stout-legged figures. In it, two people stride out from a movie theater and one asks (and I'm paraphrasing) "When did the movies get stupid year-round?" Well, you can update it: "When did the movies get stupid world-wide?"

There are summer movies I'm looking forward to unabashedly. Part of me wants to see Phillip Seymour Hoffman as nerd Goldfinger, despite all my misgivings about building an action franchise on the gleaming foundation of Tom Cruise's grin. Part of me wants to see a Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, even if subsequent viewings of the first have made it abundantly clear that the movie's third act is as slack and unspooled as a mains'l in the doldrums. (That's a shout-out to all y'all Patrick O'Brien fans! Yeah!)

But I'm not looking forward to X:3, despite liking the first two. Or the other big summer movie debuting at Cannes, The Da Vinci Code. When told that Ron Howard was going to be directing the film of The Da Vinci Code, I was actually glad -- it combined two things I had no interest in (Catholic-cryptography boring best-sellers and Ron Howard's next project) into one package.

And so it is with most summertime movies: Big books (or big franchises) will be splatted up on the silver screen with as much splash as possible, and it seems that a red-carpet roll-out at Cannes is now considered 'splash.' I've been lucky enough to have been to Cannes twice, and I've seen a teeming army of kids walking down the Croisette in green felt Shrek ears; I got up early for the 8:00 a.m. press screening of Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith last year, where the French equivalent of a street urchin pretty much leapt at me asking me if I had " … un additionelle billet pour Les Revanche du la Sith?" I didn't. But I sincerely wished I had, 'cause that kid wanted to see that movie. And there's no way he was getting in with my photo on the press pass.

And that's what summer movie going is about, right? Childlike excitement, childlike enthusiasm … and, often, childlike moviemaking, where the marketing campaign gets more thought than the movie, and where scene transitions happen with all the grace of kids moving action figures from playset to playset by holding them about the ankles. And it's not that I object to big, fun movies; I object to badly-made movies that are supposed to be big and fun but aren't. I mean … never mind Brett Ratner as director on X:3; Kelsey Grammer as a strong, agile freak of nature? Maybe 15, 20 years ago … and maybe not even then.

And the more I think about summertime movie going, the more I think about the original Star Wars. I don't want another Star Wars film … I want another movie like Star Wars: Something unexpected and unprecedented -- not based on a comic or a book or another movie or a TV show -- and new. And right now, it's hard to envision that. The best estimate I can find for the budget of Star Wars IV: A New Hope is $13 million. Adjusting by the consumer price index, that's equivalent to $45 million in 2006. Can you imagine any studio giving $45 million to a third-time filmmaker to shoot their own original script? (Actually, Warner Brothers did with the Wachowski Brothers and The Matrix -- more than that, actually -- so bully for them. And so did Pixar, for Brad Bird and The Incredibles; huzzah. These are interesting exceptions, and I leave the question of if they're original to wiser people than I. …)

But most of the time nowadays, a summer movie comes in a can. The label reads "$100 Million-plus Summer Film; Contains Proven Commodities, International Appeal. WARNING: May Contain Roman Numerals, New Director, Stunt Casting." And while you can get good stuff out of a can now and then, it's not like when it's made from scratch. And we're labeling the can for export, too -- which is why X:3 is playing at Cannes.

And it's an endless summer, now -- or Hollywood would like it to be. And you can understand why, actually: Why make Syriana when you can make another Harry Potter film? In a perfect world, you do both. This is often far from a perfect world. I love summertime movie going -- as much as I like summer, which you learn to do real well growing up in "the warmer part" of Canada -- but it can't be summer all the time, right? And I know that having The Da Vinci Code or X:3 at Cannes doesn't change, say, the films screening in Une Certain Regard or Director's Fortnight, but it's maybe the first time I've ever felt like summer was coming on too soon.

http://www.cinematical.com/2006/04/10/the-rocchi-report-endless-bummer/

[WorthyStevens]

Another dude bashing the movie on his own assumptions. :rolleyes:

[LEX]

Someone should just whack him. :o

[_BB_]

Someone should just whack him. :o

h'okay

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/7370/kicked4uo.gif (http://imageshack.us)

[berzerko89]

ouch that gotta hurT! /\

[LEX]

*grabs his privates and runs away*

[grey_jeanie]

h'okay

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/7370/kicked4uo.gif (http://imageshack.us)

You have so many weird little videos lol

[DarknessOfDeath]

ow... :( Thats gotta hurt. :(

[LEX]

Right in the shizzles.

[_BB_]

You have so many weird little videos lol


you wouldnt believe how many i have :D

i just wait for the right time to use one

[grey_jeanie]

you wouldnt believe how many i have :D

i just wait for the right time to use one

It's like your thing. When your an old woman you won't have loads of cats you'll just have millions of videos.

[_BB_]

It's like your thing. When your an old woman you won't have loads of cats you'll just have millions of videos.


I hate cats anyway :up:

[Electrix]

"X-Men 3" Trailer Released Online

April 11, 2006 11:43 a.m. EST

Ayinde O. Chase - All Headline News Staff Writer

Miami, FL (AHN) – “X-Men 3” is planning on going superhero head to superhero head when it goes up against "Superman Returns."

With the ever-increasing publicity and hype for the movies, “X-Men 3” producers have released the first trailer for their next mutant film in the saga online to generate additional buzz and hype among die-hard fans.

However, some speculate it was to let some of the air out of the Superman teaser previously released.”X-Men 3” hits theaters May 26, 2006. The entire cast minus Alan Cumming returns, and newcomers like Ben Foster and "Fraser's" Kelsey Grammar round out the cast.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7003136642

[LEX]

you wouldnt believe how many i have :D

i just wait for the right time to use one
Where do you get them from? :ghost:

[Electrix]

I'd just like to point out his:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/LiamGoody/shhx3.jpg

X-Men galore!

:D

[Aiden]

X-men is everywhere

[LEX]

I'd just like to point out his:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/LiamGoody/shhx3.jpg

X-Men galore!

:D
Yeah, I just saw that, but am glad that you pointed it out. :p X-Men rules. ;)

[DarknessOfDeath]

When are we getting more scans??? I wanna see more!!!

[LEX]

Patience, young Padawan.

[DarknessOfDeath]

not another lecture master, not again.

[LEX]

Impatience leads to violence, so, yes, lecture is necessary, young Padawan. :) I want May 26 to get here fast, dammit! :mad:

[Aiden]

Violence to the dark side leads...

[DarknessOfDeath]

leads to...erm Dark Phoenix?


What do u think, Dark Phoenix and Darth Vader? ;) probably my two fave darksiders of all time. :D

[Aiden]

I have to agree with you Andrew

[LMason]

Ratner put the TV clips up in Quicktime
http://www.brettratner.com/content/films/X3.html

[LEX]

Awesome. :eek: Thanks, LMason. ;)

[_BB_]

damn, ratners website already has more than the official x3 site :(

[LEX]

And it loads for me. The official website never load..for me, anyway. :o

[berzerko89]

damn, ratners website already has more than the official x3 site :(

i agree... the official website is very slow at updating itself. lol.

[lordofthenerds]

Yeah, its pretty sad. The official site is so far behind.

[LEX]

I wonder who's updating the official website. The studio?

[narrows101]

http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=10988

Superhero spoof flick

The news that David Zucker will next be doing a spoof on superhero flicks has been out for a little while now but in case some of you haven't heard then I guess now you have. Basically, while doing the press rounds for his upcoming horror spoof sequel SCARY MOVIE 4 he mentioned the following: "Craig Mazin [SCARY MOVIE 4 writer] has written a script, and it's a...You know, we've identified about a dozen characteristics that are common to all these superhero movies, like Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, X-Men...and if you can get those common characteristics, there's a pretty good chance that the audience will share those references and you can poke fun at the cliches. So it's going to be pretty interesting." He further added that Batman, Superman, Spider-man and the X-men would definitely be spoofed - no doubt among many others. SCARY MOVIE 4 opens tomorrow.

[TNC9852002]

Ooh...I can't wait until they get a trailer ready!...Sounds like fun..

-TNC

[TNC9852002]

Holy crap!...Has anyone been on IGN.com lately?..

I'm usually on the IGNBoards and this is my first time seeing X3 banner ads posted on the Boards!...They look cool..

-TNC

[xstormfan]

http://planetxmen.gamespy.com/?vo=3


has anyone checked out this site...its pretty cool!!!

[berzerko89]

http://planetxmen.gamespy.com/?vo=3


has anyone checked out this site...its pretty cool!!!

just checkd it out... cool :up:!

[muscaremy]

ign has an article bout the danger room .... and mentions they fight giant robot in it....but u only see from knee down

[Spidey 2007]

ign has an article bout the danger room .... and mentions they fight giant robot in it....but u only see from knee down


damnit, then theres our sentinal....:down :( :o :O :mad: :o :down

[WorthyStevens]

damnit, then theres our sentinal....:down :( :o :O :mad: :o :down

We don't know if they're only in the DR yet...

[lordofthenerds]

We don't know if they're only in the DR yet...
Lets hope they make it out of that damn room. :up:

[Spidey 2007]

but it wouldnt make the BEST of sense if the x-men fought giant robots in teh DR then just HAPPEN TO fight them later on in a mutant war....oaky......a little wierd. If theres giant robots in the DR im will bet anything thats our sentinals.

[lordofthenerds]

but it wouldnt make the BEST of sense if the x-men fought giant robots in teh DR then just HAPPEN TO fight them later on in a mutant war....oaky......a little wierd. If theres giant robots in the DR im will bet anything thats our sentinals.
Well Beast could bring he Sentinel designs to the mansion and Xavier decides that the X-Men should practice fighting them, so he makes a hologram out of one in the DR.

[TNC9852002]

Yeah, and why not hope for character deaths while we're at it? :p

-TNC

[WorthyStevens]

Lets hope they make it out of that damn room. :up:

Here here. ;)

[TNC9852002]

Ahh..I see that the local Sentinel clan is here.. :p

-TNC

[narrows101]

Danger room story:

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/701/701590p1.html

[Hotaru]

The Best comic-book adaptation poll (http://film.wp.pl/p/ankieta.html?id=115)
X-Men movies are winning in a poll held by polish second biggest portal.

[LEX]

Danger room story:

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/701/701590p1.html
A big round room? A giant silver robot? Mmm. Thanks for the article, narrows. That was a nice read. I wonder if that robot is a Sentinel. :o

[*xmenfan*]

:eek: thanks narrows :) sentinel??? hopefully lol

[LEX]

Hopefully, not. :p

[*xmenfan*]

^why?? :( lol

[LEX]

Not in the Danger Room, I meant. I want to see the Sentinel/s at the final battle. (Yes, I know, I'm gonna keep complaining about this.)

[Electrix]

MAY 26

X-Men: The Last Stand: The comic book gang, and the actors who play them, are back to engage in the "war to end all wars." Is it smart to label a chapter in a hit franchise "the last stand?" Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman return. Kelsey Grammer is a new addition.

http://www.rctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060414/ENTERTAINMENT04/604140323/1005/MTCN0303

[Electrix]

Top Ten Films

The top ten most viewed films on CanMag.Com on February 3rd were (stats from same date):

X-Men 3 (330,288 views)
Superman Returns (313,612 views)
Ghost Rider (109,935 views)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (106,143 views)
Spider-Man 3 (80,841 views)
Indiana Jones 4 (27,687 views)
V for Vendetta (23,977 views)
The Da Vinci Code (22,008 views)
Alpha Dog (13,263 views)
Transformers (9,780 views)

X-Men 3 had jumped ahead of Superman Returns that month and the film still hasn't looked back; even with 20th Century Fox making us remove the leaked images. I would have expected Superman Returns to close the gap by now but the lack of updates from Warner Bros has hurt the film quite a bit. The release of the full trailer should give the film a nice boost though.

The top ten most viewed films on CanMag.Com after the recent update this April 13th are:

X-Men 3 (528,651 views)
Superman Returns (358,470 views)
Spider-Man 3 (154,125 views)
Ghost Rider (139,815 views)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (138,981 views)
Indiana Jones 4 (48,882 views)
V for Vendetta (38,012 views)
The Da Vinci Code (34,422 views)
Transformers (32,418 views)
Mission: Impossible III (25,412 views)

http://www.canmag.com/news/4/3/3586

[LEX]

Amazing. ;) X3 kicks SR's ass away.

[WorthyStevens]

X3 will be... huge. Considering all the press it's getting now. It's getting even more than M:i:III, and that comes out sooner!

[narrows101]

X3 will be... huge. Considering all the press it's getting now. It's getting even more than M:i:III, and that comes out sooner!
According to this it's not getting a lot of press:

http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=10996

X3 hits theaters in just over a month and I've gotta say, I expected a little more hoopla at this point. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places but I haven't seen much in the way of promoting the film. I'm assuming that will change in the coming days/weeks but I'm just surprised that, by now, we haven't seen even more than we have. One thing we do have is some behind-the-scenes video from the set of X3 in Vancouver last December. Like JoBlo.com, MSN was invited to visit the set and got some exclusive access with their cameras. They were there on the day they were shooting the aftermath of the Golden Gate Bridge scene, including a close-up of Famke Janssen as Phoenix looking pretty menacing. They talk with Brett Ratner (who reminds you what a HUGE comic fan he is...), Hugh Jackman, Janssen, producer Ralph Winter and more and runs about 9 minutes. Sadly still no one confirming yay or nay on the Sentinels. X3 opens in theaters on May 26th and expect to hear even more from the film as the release approaches.

[muscaremy]

The Best comic-book adaptation poll (http://film.wp.pl/p/ankieta.html?id=115)
X-Men movies are winning in a poll held by polish second biggest portal.

whoever is voting in this thing is on crack...... catwoman is one of the higher ones....

[flavio_lebeau]

At least in Brazil, X3 is not getting much of a scope. I remember that months before X2, we had big pictures of Wolverine and Storm even on commercial planes, every cup, glass or anything inside the plane would have a pic of X2. The movie X1 was on open TV one week beore X2's release. We had trailers on TV, notebooks, action figures, Wolvie's claws in toys, X-men were everywhere.

Yesterday i went to the mall, and well, the only reference to X3 was the teaser poster on the cinema...while Superman had lots of notebooks, pencils, magazines...
X2 wont even be showing on open TV to call more people this year!!!!!

[WorthyStevens]

Well, the public IS very interested in X3. That's for DAMN SURE. :D :up:

[flavio_lebeau]

Well, the public IS very interested in X3. That's for DAMN SURE. :D :up:
yeah, its true. But promotion never hurts (okay, sometimes it does) :O

[WorthyStevens]

yeah, its true. But promotion never hurts (okay, sometimes it does) :O

And we WILL get promotion. In fact, we'll probably get bombarded with countless promotion.

[Halcohol]

I'm sure we'll see a big increase in the amount of marketing in the next couple weeks.

[Electrix]

'X-Men 3' Opens Up The Danger Room
SPOILERS: Upcoming sequel will reveal more of the mutants' training facilities

(April 18 2006) - The following contains MINOR spoilers for "X-Men 3: The Last Stand."

The first two "X-Men" movies have made us familiar with Xavier Mansion, which provides a home and safe haven for mutant superheroes who fight for good. We haven't seen everything, though. The Danger Room, one of the Mansion's most important facilities, has yet to appear on film. But that is going to change in "X-Men 3," according to Now Playing Magazine.

"This time, it's actually going to be in the movie," Ed Verreaux, production designer on the upcoming sequel, said in an interview with IGN. "There's actually going to be a Danger Room sequence. We were able to put it all together, and you get to see it work."

The Danger Room contains training facilities for the X-Men. In "X-Men 3: The Last Stand" that training will pit some our heroes against a giant robot.

"We're going to see a bit of him," said Verreaux. "Not a whole lot. But we will see him in the Danger Room sequence, and the X-Men will be fighting against him."

"X-Men 3" was directed by Brett Ratner, who took the project over from Bryan Singer when the latter chose to direct "Superman Returns" instead. Apparently, though, Singer almost introduced the Danger Room in the last movie, "X2." "I worked with Bryan for about five months on the first one," Verreaux said. "But it wasn't completely built. It kind of came together. We'd built part of the Danger Room inside of the mansion... Bryan really wanted to add it, but we just couldn't. There's only so much money."

For "X-Men 3," Ratner was able to finish what Singer didn't, although his vision required a different design.

"We changed it a little bit because we wanted to open it up. Otherwise you don't see as much of the room as you would have seen," said Verreaux. "The first set, it was really just sort of 'a space.' Not much room. But now the actors are doing a bunch of stuff and they're actually all in the space."

"X-Men 3: The Last Stand" will be released on May 26. - Article by Michael Simpson

http://www.syfyportal.com/news.php?id=2506

[Electrix]

Next Up for Shohreh Aghdashloo - X-Men: The Last Stand: Aghdashloo's character is the catalyst to the events of the third X-Men movie. "I play Kavita Rao. She is a genetic scientist who has created this serum to change mutants into humans. And I was so sad thinking why she’s not creating a serum that would do otherwise – turn humans into mutants."

Aghdashloo wasn't in the first two X-Men movies so she can't compare director Brett Ratner's style to Bryan Singer, the director of the other movies, but she did have a good time working with Ratner on what's considered to be the last film of the X-Men series that will feature all the mutants. "He's fantastic. He is incredible to work with. He is a giant director in a young man body. An old soul in a young director’s body."

http://movies.about.com/od/americandreamz/a/dreamzsa041206.htm

[WorthyStevens]

An old soul in a young director's body? I like that. :up:

[LEX]

Aghdashloo wasn't in the first two X-Men movies so she can't compare director Brett Ratner's style to Bryan Singer, the director of the other movies, but she did have a good time working with Ratner on what's considered to be the last film of the X-Men series that will feature all the mutants. "He's fantastic. He is incredible to work with. He is a giant director in a young man body. An old soul in a young director’s body."
Wiser, she mean? That's a big compliment. Interesting. ;)

[Electrix]

Fox to air seven minute X-Men 3 preview
Posted Thursday, April 20 2006 @ 05:03 AM PDT by Jon Christensen
Filed under: Trailers

Fox has announced that it will air a seven minute preview of X-Men 3: The Last Stand on Thursday, May 11th from 8:30 to 8:37pm. That is right before the series finale of That '70s Show. So basically, FOX is trying to inflate the ratings for the 70's show's last bow with the comic book fanbase.

If the full length trailer is any indication, this movie is not going to be good. But like any other comic book movie geek, I'll be there opening night (May 26th) to see the beloved franchise get destroyed by hack director Bret Ratner. But who knows, may-be the seven minute trailer will sway my expectations?




http://www.slashfilm.com/article.php/20060419210344439

[Aiden]

Douche

[Angamb]

"If the full length trailer is any indication, this movie is not going to be good" ?¿

what a stupid observation!

[Electrix]

The official X-Men: The Last Stand website has now launched. Make sure you check out the new content, including trailers, a movie gallery, production notes and a section on the cast, and perhaps best of all - a rundown of mutant profiles which is packed with a brief history of each character and their powers, direct download links specific to each mutant.

Check out the site.

http://www.gamebiz.com.au/news8711.html

[Anton Oksehud]

At least in Brazil, X3 is not getting much of a scope. I remember that months before X2, we had big pictures of Wolverine and Storm even on commercial planes, every cup, glass or anything inside the plane would have a pic of X2. The movie X1 was on open TV one week beore X2's release. We had trailers on TV, notebooks, action figures, Wolvie's claws in toys, X-men were everywhere.

Yesterday i went to the mall, and well, the only reference to X3 was the teaser poster on the cinema...while Superman had lots of notebooks, pencils, magazines...
X2 wont even be showing on open TV to call more people this year!!!!!

In Denmark, there is like NO promotion of X3 either, besides the teaser poster and a X-standee in 1 cinema :mad:

And what's even worse: There is only one really good cinema theater in Copenhagen, and it has only got one screen! (There are more theaters, but they have inferior sound systems, small screens, etc.)
-And Da Vinci Code opens on that screen on may 19th, and unless it's a real stinker, it will still play on the 26th, so no X3 on the best screen available for me...:(

[_BB_]

Theres no promotion in the Uk either apart from the magazines. Just wait until may, you wont be able to go outside without seeing some kind of promotional material for the movie :up: I wont because I live near a bus station and so every bus that goes past my window will have x3 posters plastered on the side :D

[LittleMissVixen]

A Storm of Halle

Halle Berry once again stars as Storm, in the new film: "X-Men: The Last Stand." As weather-wielding mutant, Storm, Halle Berry brings her formidable talent and magnetism to the thrilling new film as tensions escalate between mutants and mortals, which triggers the war to end all wars.


Q: What is Storm’s role in this film and how much character development is there this time?

A: "I do have a more prominent role, but it would be an exaggeration to say the film centers around Storm, it is still "X-Men" and there is an ensemble cast. I just think that the screen time Storm has this time is really more meaningful, because she has a much more definitive point of view. She has a voice now and you really understand who she is a little bit better. This time, she doesn’t say a lot, but you understand who she is and where she is coming from."

Q: So who is she — what kind of woman is Storm?

A: "I think Storm is a really strong woman who has great moral and ethical fiber. She is a warrior, in the sense that she will fight for what she believes in. She will say exactly what she thinks, even if it does not represent the majority view. I think she is that kind of lady. In this movie, she actually goes toe to toe with Wolverine and I think that is pretty impressive for Storm, because in the past X-Men films, she hasn’t challenged anybody.

Q: Were there any challenges for you in this film?

A: "I never thought that keeping my lunch down would be an issue, or anything I would have to worry about. But I felt very sick some days, because I had to do a lot of spinning and I came to realize that I have a very weak stomach."

Q: What was it like working with Brett Ratner, the director?

A: "It was really good, he is like a five year-old, he is a lot of fun and I welcomed his energy and sense of wonder about X- MEN. He had never done it before, so he wasn’t jaded, it was not ‘old hat’ for him, it was all brand new and you sense that. You will see a lot of his excitement that comes over in the movie that stems from his passion and fresh approach."

Q: Did you have to do anything special to prepare for the film physically; did you do an intense workout regime?

A: "I am usually in pretty good physical health and good shape. I have to be because of my diabetes. So I work out because it is good for optimum health, it is part of my lifestyle and general routine on a daily basis. I did spend a little bit of time with the stunt coordinator doing some wirework because I had to fly and spin in the movie."

Q: What is it like being platinum blonde and wearing the white wig for Storm?

A: "It is not even platinum blonde or white, her hair is gray this time, so it was a little daunting to put on a head full of gray hair. I thought ‘am I really going to make a movie looking like this?’ I thought ‘great!’ But after a couple of weeks, it became normal to me and I actually started to like it."

Q: Why do you think there is such massive excitement about X-MEN across the world?

A: "Everybody can relate to the subject matter. Everybody has felt like an outcast and always will on some level I think. Whether you are black or white or pink, you can relate to what that is and it is seductive. Everybody can relate to being unfairly judged, especially being judged by the things that are totally out of their control. For me as a woman and a woman of color, the whole core of my being can understand what that is like and I can relate to it, so I think it has brought me closer to everyday people and I need that, it has been wonderful for me."

Q: How exciting has it been for you doing the ‘X–Men’ films and this one in particular?

A: "The X–Men" films have been a big part of my career for the past decade. They have been important films to be a part of, because they are so beloved by so many people, young and old. And the comic book has something really profound to say. It is very cerebral for a comic book and I love being a part of something that so many people relate to."

As a little girl growing up in Ohio, Halle Berry dreamed of becoming a princess. She did become a teenage beauty queen and successful model, but Berry turned to acting, quickly proving that she possessed an unusual talent. Her looks are legendary, but the actress never traded on glamour, instead she preferred strong acting roles and never had any problem playing against type. From the start, she refused to be typecast, persuading director Spike Lee to cast her as a crack addict in the 1991 film "Jungle Fever." It was a harrowing performance which won the actress great reviews. Her early film roles included "Strictly Business," "The Flintstones," "Boomerang" and "Losing Isaiah."

She went onto star opposite Warren Beatty in the acclaimed "Bulworth" and then in 1999, realized a life-long dream, por-raying the singer-actress, Dorothy Dandridge, who broke racial barriers when she became the first black woman to be nominated for a best actress Oscar. Berry also produced the HBO film. Then In a career-defining role, she won the best actress Oscar in 2001, for her performance as a struggling waitress with a husband on death row in "Monster’s Ball." She starred as Storm in the popular film, "X-Men," reprising the role in the 2003 film, X2. Her other film credits include "Swordfish," "Die Another Day," opposite Pierce Bros-nan as James Bond, "Catwoman" and the thriller, "Gothika."

Berry, 39, has Type 2 Diabetes and is involved in charity work to increase awareness about the disease and raise funds for research. She is currently single and says she would love a family.

"X-Men: The Last Stand" opens May 24 in the Phils. from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

[SCOTT&JEAN]

^Thanks!

Where is it from???

[Aiden]

distributed by Warner Bros:confused: :confused: :confused:

[WorthyStevens]

Halle has Type 2 Diabetes? :(

[LittleMissVixen]

^Thanks!

Where is it from???


The Manila Bulletin Online

http://www.mb.com.ph/archive_pages.php?url=http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/04/21/ENTR2006042161900.html

[grey_jeanie]

There's the whole 'I'm woman of colour' thing again. She trades off it all the time.

[Electrix]

Ian also uses the 'gay' issue. Its because of the questions asked. She doesnt say 'i'm a woman of colour' in every interview its just because she is asked the question.

[Crimson Warrior]

Halle has Type 2 Diabetes? :(

SHe actually has type 1, and I have it too :(

[Aiden]

There's the whole 'I'm woman of colour' thing again. She trades off it all the time.In the Sun this morning, She said she wished, when she was younger, that there was a pill that could make her white

[WorthyStevens]

SHe actually has type 1, and I have it too :(

Sorry to hear about that. :(

[_BB_]

My grandad has type 1 diabetes too, he used to have type 2 but it eventually got worse

[WorthyStevens]

The X3 website gets some praise...

By C.S. Strowbridge

X-Men: The Last Stand - Official Site
The official site is finally active causing all the Fanboys to squeal in delight. Weeeeee! (Before you send any angry letters, it is important to remember that I'm not mocking you, I am one of you.) So far there's not a whole lot of content with some of the usual features, (synopsis, production notes, image gallery, and trailer), but the heart of the site are the character bios. Each of the 16 character bios has brief bio, list of powers, images, and downloads. Add in an impressive amount of animation, including a lengthy intro, and I have very high hopes for this site even with little in the way of features marked coming soon. I have such high hopes that I'm awarding the site the anticipatory Weekly Website award. I'm confident this premature acclamation won't go to waste.

http://www.the-numbers.com/interactive/newsStory.php?newsID=1868

[SCOTT&JEAN]

They deserve it!

They did a very good work with that website even if they did it a little bit late...

[LEX]

Well-deserved. Congrats to the webmasters. :up:

[xwolverine2]

cool they deserve all the praise!

[Redd_Angel]

In the Sun this morning, She said she wished, when she was younger, that there was a pill that could make her white

whoaa... if that's true, then she's meant to play a mutant :D

[narrows101]

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-21-2006/0004344704&EDATE=

Moviegoers Are Hot to 'Fandango' with Bankables Depp & Knightley, Breakout Stars Ashmore & Rossum

LOS ANGELES, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Fandango, the nation's largest
online, phone and mobile movie ticketing service, is breaking out its first
"Fandango Hot List", the result of a nationwide moviegoer poll which ranks
the established ("The Bankables") and up-and-coming ("The Breakouts") stars most likely to draw fans to movie theaters this summer.

Commandeering the top spot as the #1 Male Summer Bankable is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest's Captain Jack Sparrow himself, Johnny Depp, followed by stalwarts, The Da Vinci Code's Tom Hanks (#2), Pirates' co-star Orlando Bloom (#3), X-Men: The Last Stand's Hugh Jackman (#4), and The Break-Up's Vince Vaughn (#5).

Taking no prisoners, another Pirates cast member grabs the #1 spot for
Top Female Summer Bankable: Oscar-nominated actress Keira Knightley. Rounding out the Top 5 for Female Bankables are hotly-anticipated
performers X-Men: The Last Stand's Storm, Halle Berry (#2), The Break-Up's Jennifer Aniston (#3), the romantic drama The Lake House's Sandra Bullock (#4), and X-Men's Dr. Jean Grey, Famke Janssen (#5).

Among the up-and-coming stars, X-Men's Iceman, Shawn Ashmore, freezes out the competition for the top spot as #1 Male Summer Breakout. Rounding out the Top Five are Superman Returns' Brandon Routh (#2), X-Men's Pyro, Aaron Stanford (#3) and Adrian Grenier, best known as the star of HBO's Entourage, for his performance in The Devil Wears Prada (#4). Tied for the #5 slot are "Da Ali G Show"'s Sacha Baron Cohen, for his role in the Will Ferrell NASCAR comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and hip-hop star Bow Wow for The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

The #1 Female Summer Breakout goes to Emmy Rossum, best-known for her
roles in Mystic River, The Day After Tomorrow and Phantom of the Opera,
sinking the competition with her role in Poseidon. Rounding out the Top 5
Female Breakouts are Michelle Monaghan, who drew raves in last year's Kiss
Kiss Bang Bang, for Mission: Impossible III (#2), ingenue Bryce Dallas
Howard for M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water (#3), TV's Veronica Mars,
Kristen Bell, for the thriller Pulse (#4) and R&B singer Christina Milian,
also for her role in Pulse (#5).

The "Fandango Hot List" respondents were asked the question, "Which
stars are you most looking forward to seeing in a movie this summer?" The
lists were separated by established stars ("The Summer Bankables") and
up-and-coming stars ("The Summer Breakouts") and by gender. The online
survey took place in April, with thousands of Fandango moviegoers
participating.

"The 'Fandango Hot List' shows the pull of star power and a desire for
diversity at the movie theaters this summer, and obviously audiences are
excited about both," says Fandango Film Commentator Kim Morgan. "Seeking big names like Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, five of the stars of X-3, as well as more breakout and eclectic talent like Sacha Baron Cohen, the 'Fandango Hot List' reveals the varied types of movies and actors the ticket-buying audience wants to watch. And I am especially happy to see one of my favorites, Vince Vaughn, crack the top five male bankables."

For a quick list of the top ten winners in each category, please see
below:

THE SUMMER BANKABLES / Established Stars:
Males:
1. Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)
2. Tom Hanks (The Da Vinci Code)
3. Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)
4. Hugh Jackman (X-Men: The Last Stand)
5. Vince Vaughn (The Break-Up)
6. Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible III)
7. Nicolas Cage (World Trade Center)
8. Adam Sandler (Click)
9. Samuel L. Jackson (Snakes on a Plane)
10. Jack Black (Nacho Libre)

Females:
1. Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)
2. Halle Berry (X-Men: The Last Stand)
3. Jennifer Aniston (The Break-Up)
4. Sandra Bullock (The Lake House)
5. Famke Janssen (X-Men: The Last Stand)
6. Kate Hudson (You, Me and Dupree)
7. Audrey Tautou (The Da Vinci Code)
8. Uma Thurman (My Super Ex-Girlfriend)
9. Kate Beckinsale (Click)
10. Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)

THE SUMMER BREAKOUTS / Up-and-Coming Stars:
Males:
1. Shawn Ashmore (X-Men: The Last Stand)
2. Brandon Routh (Superman Returns)
3. Aaron Stanford (X-Men: The Last Stand)
4. Adrian Grenier (The Devil Wears Prada)
5.(TIE) Sacha Baron Cohen (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby)
and Bow Wow (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift)
7. Michael Pena (World Trade Center)
8. Ian Somerhalder (Pulse)
9. Lucas Black (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift)
10. Kenan Thompson (Snakes on a Plane)

Females:
1. Emmy Rossum (Poseidon)
2. Michelle Monaghan (Mission: Impossible III)
3. Bryce Dallas Howard (Lady in the Water)
4. Kristen Bell (Pulse)
5. Christina Milian (Pulse)
6. Ashanti (John Tucker Must Die)
7. Jacinda Barrett (Poseidon)
8. Brittany Snow (John Tucker Must Die)
9. Naomie Harris (Miami Vice)
10. Ana de la Reguera (Nacho Libre)

About Fandango
Fandango, the nation's largest movie ticketing service, sells tickets
to more than 13,600 screens and 1,150 theaters (nearly 70 percent of
theaters in the U.S. enabled for remote ticketing) and to four out of the
five largest U.S. theater circuits (according to National Association of
Theater Owners, June 2005). One of the Web's top movie destinations
(according to Nielsen//NetRatings), Fandango allows moviegoers to read
reviews, view trailers, quickly select a film, plan where and when to see
it, and buy tickets up to 45 days in advance. Fandango is available at
http://www.fandango.com, (http://www.fandango.com/) 1-800-FANDANGO and via your wireless mobile device
at mobile.fandango.com.

Fandango theater partners include the nation's leading exhibitors:
Carmike Cinemas, Century Theatres, Cinemark Theatres, Edwards Theatres,
Loews Cineplex Entertainment, Regal Cinemas and United Artists Theatres, as
well as American Cinematheque, Brenden Theatres, CineArts Theatres,
Cineplex Odeon Cinemas, Cobb Theatres, Colorado Cinemas, Crown Theatres,
Flagship Theatres, Kerasotes Theatres, Magic Johnson, Majestic Crest
Theatre, R/C Theatres, Signature Theatres, Star Theatres, Wallace Theaters
and Wehrenberg Theatres.

[Aiden]

Shawn's #1????!!!!

Go Shawn!!!

[LEX]

Shawn beats Brandon. Take that! :up:

[DarknessOfDeath]

Famke is #5 and Halle is #2!! Rock on! Yay! Good for Famke. :O

[Electrix]

Go X-Cast!

[_BB_]

impressive stuff :D :up:

Suprised kate bosworth didnt get a mention but then again, a lot of people arent happy with that particular casting choice

[Kira]

Shawn's #1????!!!!

Go Shawn!!!

Wow! There went my faith in humanity.

And how come awesomeness like Sacha Baron Cohen is in tide with... Bow Wow?! This poll makes baby Jesus cry. :( :D

[_BB_]

Baron cohen was only good as ali g, Borats crap compared to ali...



....i'll still see the borat movie though lol

[Hotaru]

Keira Knightley?? C'mon! She has no breasts! :(

[Specter313]

Not really an article, but an interesting poll over at imdb:

May release you're most looking forward to seeing?

Votes
X-Men: The Last Stand (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376994/)6254(42.7%)
The Da Vinci Code (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382625/)4745(32.4%)
Mission: Impossible III (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317919/)1225(8.4%)
Poseidon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409182/)554(3.8%)
Other484(3.3%)
Art School Confidential (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364955/)416(2.8%)
An American Haunting (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429573/)207(1.4%)
Over the Hedge (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327084/)175(1.2%)
Down in the Valley (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398027/)165(1.1%)
J (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397078/)ust My Luck107(0.7%)
An Inconvenient Truth (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/)86(0.6%)
Hoot (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453494/)77(0.5%)
See No Evil (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0437179/)74(0.5%)
Goal! (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380389/)57(0.4%)
The Promise (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417976/)36(0.2%)
A total of 14662 votes were collected.



The poll is still open, so if anyone who has an imdb account and hasn't voted yet, go do it now!

[oneteen]

Keira Knightley?? C'mon! She has no breasts! :(
Not neccessary. :eek:

[Retroman]

Halle Berry will do press for X3! Unlike the last movie where she failed to attend a single premiere, television event with cast members or actively participate in the Making-of book and DVD.


Doubts raised about Global Vision awards

The claims of a Bahamian businessman to be bringing world leaders, Hollywood stars and a Nobel Peace Prize winner to Bermuda for a prestigious awards ceremony were thrown into doubt last night.
Dr. Rudolph King, chairman of the non-profit making King Humanitarian and Global Foundation, announced at a Press conference at the Fairmont Southampton Hotel yesterday that Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Halle Berry, Will Smith and Rick Springfield, plus three unnamed world leaders, would be attending the 2006 Global Vision Awards of Excellence on June 30.
He said the ceremony, also to be held at the Fairmont Southampton, would be televised to 185 countries around the world and would herald “the accomplishments of men and women who have significantly contributed to enhancing the quality of life for all”.
But agents for Oscar winner Ms Berry, Oscar nominee Mr. Smith and Mr. Springfield told The Royal Gazette that they knew nothing about the event and that their clients would not be visiting the Island.
Mr. Smith’s publicist Pat Kingsley, from the PMK/HBH agency in West Hollywood, said: “Will Smith is not going to be in Bermuda the end of June as he is scheduled to start a film in Los Angeles in June.”
A spokeswoman for Vincent Cirrincione Associates in Los Angeles, which represents Ms Berry, said: “She is going to be doing international press for her film X-Men 3 in the summer. Bermuda is not on the list at this time. I don’t even have information on this event.”
And Alana Sarratore, from New York’s Doyle-Kos Entertainment agency, which represents singer Mr. Springfield, said: “That is totally untrue. We know nothing about it whatsoever. We completely deny that that’s the case.”
Checks into Dr. King’s background also revealed that he appeared in court in the Bahamas over a $400,000 credit card debt in 2004.
The case came before Justice Hartman Longley in February 2004 and saw American Express attorney Peter Maynard claim that Dr. King owed the company $417,912.
Dr. King – said in court to have changed his name in December, 1991 to Kermit Rudolph Casito Laroda – was alleged to have spent the amount on two credit cards in less than two months and repaid only $3,000.
Last night, Dr. King initially denied any involvement in the 2004 court case but then admitted he was involved. He said: “That was a matter which was dealt with in the court in Bahamas. I was not prosecuted.”
Dr. King said earlier yesterday that he was invited to host the awards ceremony on the Island by the Bermuda Alliance for Tourism (BAT) and the Bermuda Hotel Association (BHA).
But Wayne Smith, executive director of BAT, and John Harvey, CEO for BHA, both denied that was the case.
Mr. Smith said the alliance simply provided information to Dr. King: “I – at no time – invited him. He came to us with a proposal and said he has this event in various different places.
“I’m afraid I do not know much about the King Humanitarian Foundation. He did give us a big file of references. I didn’t take up the references. But we are not in the business of turning tourists away.”
Mr. Harvey said: “There was a chat about what he did and about what we do in Bermuda and that was it.”
Dr. King told the Press conference that Ms Berry “has confirmed that she will be attending”.
He claimed a long list of celebrities from the world of film and television had all agreed to accept awards.
“They are coming in droves,” he said. “Mr. Will Smith. We have confirmation that he will be attending.”
He also named South African Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu. Archbishop Tutu could not be contacted yesterday for comment.
“This is the very first time that these great awards will be happening in Bermuda,” said Dr. King. “It’s an awards dinner where we will be inviting local persons to attend as well. This will be a fabulous time, a night one will always remember.”
He said he could not name the three world leaders attending for security reasons.
Dr. King – whose organisation was launched in 2000 and has offices in Florida and Nassau – says he has a doctorate in economics from Cambridge University and is an ambassador for Dominica, giving him the title His Excellency.
Sean Douglas, press secretary for the Government of Dominica, could not confirm the ambassadorship but said Dr. King was a friend of prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
Last night, Dr. King insisted that the event would go ahead with all the famous guests he had named. “I know for sure. I have confirmation that they are coming. I will stand by what my office has sent out.”
Source: http://www.theroyalgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060317/NEWS/103170111

[Storm22]

Good stuff!!:up:

[oneteen]

Retroman, do you know if James is going to do any promotions?

[sirius14sho]

Wow! There went my faith in humanity.

And how come awesomeness like Sacha Baron Cohen is in tide with... Bow Wow?! This poll makes baby Jesus cry. :( :D
Bow Wow has a very established fan base that woiuld go see a movie just because hes in it.

[LEX]

That's great news. Glad to know she'll be doing promotion stuff. :cool:

[Celestial]

But I've got high hopes for a few upcoming threequels. Though "X-Men: The Last Stand" brings a new director into the mix (Brett Ratner, whose output has been uneven at best), the terrific original cast should be watchable in any case, particularly Hugh Jackman's mutant dreamboat Wolverine, Famke Janssen's whip-smart Dr. Jean Grey (yes, she's apparently back), and Anna Paquin's lonely Rogue.
The Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2002945173_movies23.html)

[Retroman]

Retroman, do you know if James is going to do any promotions?
I have no idea.He's in the middle of filming 'Enchanted' in NY.
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0461770/

[Retroman]

Paulson Body Shields used in the upcoming X-MEN 3 Movie
Paulson Manufacturing provided BS-3 & BS-6 body shields for the production of the new X-MEN 3 movie.

www.x3movie.com

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/601/xmen35sz.jpg

Source: http://www.paulsonmfg.com/news_article.php?NewsID=25

[TNC9852002]

How does he do it? :eek:

-TNC

[LEX]

Body shields? Are they something like body suits where Kelsey had to wear to become Beast?

[Retroman]

I think they were worn by the military and swat/police extras.

[LEX]

Oh, right. I see. :up:

[narrows101]

I put this in the wrong thread (Magazines) so I'm repeating it here (I didn't edit the other one since there were some responses).


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl....entertainment (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/23/PKGU9GIREH1.DTL&feed=rss.entertainment)

INDUSTRY BUZZ
- Hugh Hart
Sunday, April 23, 2006


San Francisco landmarks play a critical supporting role in "X-Men: The Last Stand," even though the filmmakers never actually spent any time shooting live footage in the Bay Area. Instead, one of the major action sequences in the new "X-Men" movie, in which super-villain Magneto lifts up the Golden Gate Bridge and sets it down on Alcatraz, was stitched together out of town, out of state and, in fact, out of the country. "We actually built a part of the bridge against a green screen up in Vancouver, where we filmed the cars sliding and moving as Magneto's troops move across the bridge," says producer Lauren Shuler Donner. "We put that against a matte of San Francisco. We also built the exterior of Alcatraz with the bridge collapsed in the front of it and shot that practically, as we say, in camera."

The collapse of the bridge was orchestrated by visual effects supervisor John Bruno, working with CGI artists in New Zealand and England. "The bridge moving, the cords popping, the bridge buckling and moving and shifting, all that is computer generated," Donner says. "John Bruno shot the (background) plates for the bridge and Alcatraz in San Francisco last year before we even started filming in Vancouver. We think it's all pretty exciting."

Donner also produced the two previous "X-Men" films, which have collectively grossed more than $700 million for Fox. What's it take to keep a franchise from fizzling? "In the X-Men world you have to conceive new looks and creatures, and just keep making sense out of the script and making sure you're visualizing it to its greatest degree, and putting enough heart in it to distinguish it from some of the other action movies, and enough action in it to make it word of mouth exciting. That's basically it."

Donner plans spin-off "origin stories" devoted to Magneto (played by Ian McKellen) and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. In between "X-Men" films, Jackman starred in the Peter Allen story on Broadway. Any thought to making "Wolverine: the Musical"? After all, the $27 million musical version of "The Lord of the Rings" recently opened in Toronto, so why not singing and dancing X-Men?

"Hugh keeps asking if he can do Wolverine the musical, but we haven't quite found the idea yet," Donner says. "I'm kidding!" she quickly adds. "I don't think the fans would let us."

[Retroman]

Thanks narrows.:D

[Celestio]

Halle Berry will do press for X3! Unlike the last movie where she failed to attend a single premiere, television event with cast members or actively participate in the Making-of book and DVD.



Source: http://www.theroyalgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060317/NEWS/103170111

That's good to know. I can understand her not doing it before, I mean on talk shows you always get asked about your character and I don't think she wanted to lie and say how more developed Storm is.

I hope she does some UK interviews. :D

[Retroman]

Cool competitions for german X3 fans!

X-MEN 3
Multimediahits zu gewinnen!

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/5503/20534513ke.jpg
Am 25. Mai ist es soweit: Die X-Men kommen wieder ins Kino - und dieses Mal müssen die Mutanten eine Entscheidung treffen, die ihr Leben für immer verändern könnte...

Passend zum Kinostart von "X-Men: Der letzte Widerstand" verlost KINO.DE gemeinsam mit Twentieth Century Fox die ultimativen Fangewinne: Hauptpreis ist eine Xbox 360, denn nur darauf kann man das offizielle Game zum Film angemessen spielen. Letzteres gibt es fünfmal zu gewinnen.

Wer die X-Men lieber unterwegs dabeihaben will, sollte sich an das superschicke iPod video halten, das wir ebenfalls einmal verlosen. Außerdem winken 5x DVD-Pakete mit den ersten beiden "X-Men"-Filmen.

Und wer die Superhelden am liebsten mit in seine Wohnung nehmen würde, kann das mit einem der zehn offiziellen Kinoposter zum aktuellen Kinoabenteuer tun.

Einfach unsere Gewinnfrage beantworten und Daumen drücken. Viel Glück!

Wer führte Regie beim aktuellen "X-Men"-Film?
Source: http://www.kino.de/gewinnspiele.php4?channel=games&nr=205345


Gewinnspiele: 10x2 Karten für X-Men 3 zu gewinnen!!


Die X-Men unter der bewährten Führung von Charles Xavier bekommen es mit der Evolution selbst zu tun. Ihre verstorbene Kollegin Jean Grey wird als Dark Phoenix wieder geboren und ist nicht nur eine Gefahr für sich selbst, sondern auch für die anderen Mutanten und die menschliche Rasse. Als eine mögliche Heilung gefunden wird, mit der außerdem genetische Mutationen kontrolliert werden könnten, müssen sich die X-Men zur Schlacht rüsten - gegen die Brotherhood von Magneto und das menschliche Militär.

Wir verlosen 10x2 Loge-Karten (+Getränk+Popcorn) für die Premiere am 25.05. im CinemaxX. Einfache eine e-mail mit dem Betreff "Mutanten" an gewinnspiel@cityoffers.de senden und auf sein Glück vertrauen. Einsendeschluß ist der 22.05. um 18.00 Uhr!
Source: http://www.cityoffers.de/rgb/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2297&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

[oneteen]

Can someone translate that?

[Electrix]

We've written so much about X-Men: The Last Stand that, personally, I'm so happy this film is coming out in a couple weeks ... if only so we can finally shut up about it. You know the drill: Mutants fighting mutants. Mutants fighting humans. Humans fighting humans while in line to get a ticket. Now, I'm sure Brett Ratner will make the thing look pretty, but will it rise above the rest of the high-budgeted slop being shoved down our throats this summer? If one thing's for certain, I'm pretty positive it will make the most money.

http://www.cinematical.com/2006/04/23/trailer-park-its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-summer/

[Electrix]

Last night the official selection was announced for the Cannes Film Festival. Characterised by the organisers as a "renewal year", 2006 does welcome a few new filmmakers to its very exclusive members club, while rewarding loyal regulars with coveted competition slots.

Wong Kar-Wai will preside over this year's jury, which features the usual mix of international actors (Monica Bellucci, Zhang Ziyi, Helena Bonham Carter, Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth) and directors (Patrice Leconte, Lucrecia Martel, Elia Suleiman), but this year excludes academics, producers or writers.

The Caméra d'Or jury (Best First Feature) will be presided over by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, double Palme D'Or-winners for Rosetta and The Child.

The official selection is made up of 55 films (including a mind-boggling 48 world premieres) representing 30 countries. However only 20 of these are in competition for the Palme D'Or.

The Festival opens with the dreaded adaptation of the over-rated and over-read The Da Vinci Code, from the Bland-and-Blander team of Tom Hanks and Ron Howard. The out-of-competition Cannes opener is usually a star-filled, paparazzi-baiting affair and is rarely taken seriously.

Not so the Official Competition. Once again, some of the world's most respected auteurs return: 2006 sees eagerly awaited new films from Nanni Moretti (Golden Palm in 2001 with The Son's Room), Aki Kaurismäki (Grand Prix 2002 for The Man Without a Past) and Ken Loach (Prize for Best Script in 2002 with Sweet Sixteen). Riding great advance buzz from its Spanish screenings is Volver, the new film from Cannes-habitué Pedro Almodovar (Best Director Prize in 1999 for All About My Mother) starring Penelope Cruz.

Along with many movie bloggers out there, I'm quite excited about the new crop of American indies making the cut: Sofia Coppola's intriguing period piece Marie Antoinette, Richard Linklater's ensemble drama Fast Food Nation and Richard Kelly's follow-up to Donnie Darko, the sci-fi musical Southland Tales. At 30, Kelly will be the youngest director in the 2006 competition.

Mexican genre-maestro Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy) will climb the stairs of the Palais for the first time with Pan's Labyrinth. Meanwhile, the red carpet may self-combust under the feet of the red-hot cast of Babel — Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu's follow-up to Amores Perros and 21 Grams stars Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Gael Garcia Bernal.

Other confirmed red carpet guests include Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno, Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Cillian Murphy, Kirsten Dunst, Judy Davis, Asia Argento, Marianne Faithfull, Steve Coogan, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, The Rock, Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Gérard Depardieu, Bruce Willis, Nick Nolte, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Ben Gazzara, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gena Rowlands, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, and Kris Kristofferson.

Out-of-competition screenings include the usual summer blockbuster launches (Over the Hedge, X-Men: The Last Stand, United 93) but also some exciting new work such as the Al Gore global warming cautionary tale An Inconvenient Truth and John Cameron Mitchell's pan-sexual NYC ensemble Shortbus.

French actor Vincent Cassell (also partner to jury member Monica Bellucci) will MC the Opening and Closing Night Galas. The Festival starts May 17th.

All in all it's a mouth-watering program, perhaps lacking in controversy and a little heavy on the Hollywood heavyweights, but certainly likely to offer up a few surprises. I'll be blogging from France next month, and keeping you up to date on the buzz.

In the meantime, you can find the official line-up at the Cannes website.

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/04/22/092934.php

[xwolverine2]

Cool competitions for german X3 fans!


Source: http://www.kino.de/gewinnspiele.php4?channel=games&nr=205345



Source: http://www.cityoffers.de/rgb/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2297&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
can someone translate that!!?!!?....that looks interesting!

[Aiden]

Who is directing X3?

Answer this and win an iPod Video and a Xbox 360 so you can play the new game on it.

5 Runners up will win signed copies of X1 and X2.

Can't figure out the second one

[Kira]

Bow Wow has a very established fan base that woiuld go see a movie just because hes in it.

HUSH! Remember... Baby Jesus and crying. :D

It's nice too see Halle promoting the film, but isn't that part of the job description...? :O

[_BB_]

It's nice too see Halle promoting the film, but isn't that part of the job description...? :O

For X2 is wasnt, she didnt do anything...

[Aiden]

HUSH! Remember... Baby Jesus and crying. :D

It's nice too see Halle promoting the film, but isn't that part of the job description...? :OIt is for certain cast members depending on what they are doing. With the exception of Hugh because he's the main star

[Aiden]

For X2 is wasnt, she didnt do anything...Wasn't she filming something, was it Catwoman????

[LMason]

Wasn't she filming something, was it Catwoman????

She was filming Gothika. I believe this was around the time she had broken her arm so they were already behind filming.

Hugh was allowed to go promote because Van Helsing's success was predicated a lot on X2's (aka The Wolverine Story) success.

[Aiden]

Oh yeah

[_BB_]

Well, a lot of actors work on movies when another one of theirs comes out and they still have time to do at least some PR work, one chat show appearance wouldnt have hurt

[LMason]

Well, a lot of actors work on movies when another one of theirs comes out and they still have time to do at least some PR work, one chat show appearance wouldnt have hurt

Halle did morning shows and was on TRL by herself the week before the movie came out. She wasn't completely absent from the promotional tour, she just wasn't on the travelling band that the rest of the cast was on.

[Celestio]

Well, a lot of actors work on movies when another one of theirs comes out and they still have time to do at least some PR work, one chat show appearance wouldnt have hurt

True. But I don't think she liked the outcome, Storm wasn't done justice, and she was being slated yet again for her performance when she followed Singer's direction.

I do agree though. One show wouldn't have killed her. Let's hope she makes up for it with X3 promotion. :up:

[narrows101]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1186570,00.html

Run For Your Lives! The Blockbusters Are Coming!
By RICHARD CORLISS, JEFFREY RESSNER, LEV GROSSMAN, JAMES PONIEWOZIK, BELINDA LUSCOMBE, REBECCA WINTERS KEEGAN

Coming soon to every theater near you: more of the freakin' same! Summer means blockbusters, and that usually means sequels, prequels or remakes. Gone are the days when movies guaranteed the unforeseen: famous actors, yes, but in new roles; familiar genres, sure, but with different stories. Today the demand that Diaghilev made of Jean Cocteau--"Astonish me!"has become "Remind me." Moviemakers and movie watchers, both groups in a historically cautious mind-set, want more of the same: tiny twists on proven franchises, like the pleasures of a living-room drama or sitcom. In this surprise-resistant summer, that's what you're getting: pay TV.

Once in a while, a new member has to join the club; otherwise, there would be no movies to make sequels of. Three years ago, that film was Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. It vaulted from prerelease shrug to summer smash, earning $305 million in North America and $652 million worldwide. So here comes the sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (opening July 7), which was shot at the same time as Pirates III, due out next summer.

For this double voyage, Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer re-enlisted the old crew: director Gore Verbinski, writer Terry Rossio and stars Johnny Depp (as scurvy Captain Jack), Orlando Bloom (the young hero, Will Turner) and Keira Knightley (Will's fiancé, Elizabeth Swann). They all seem pumped. "There's a kid inside most of the people on this crew," Verbinski says, "that gets juiced to get up in the morning and say, 'Hey, we're doing this.' This is the type of movie that says it's fun to go to the theater again."

The very notion of sequels might horrify Depp, Hollywood's best current example of dreamboat movie star and superserious character actor. "It's a dangerous game," he acknowledges. "Rocky went into almost Warholian levels of absurdity. But if your intentions are good and pure, then you can sort of skate through, make an interesting, entertaining film." His Captain Jack, the maniacally mannerist pirate, was plenty entertaining, to audiences and to Depp. "I truly love the character," he says, "and I didn't feel I'd had enough of him in the first one."

Or the second or third? Bruckheimer says he's going to save all the sets "in the hope that we can continue the series. If Disney will write us some checks, we'll do it." And if the star isn't bored by then, he jokes: "I'm teetering on the idea of a [Pirates] TV series."

That's not likely. But this is: out of the summer will emerge a from-nowhere smash on the order of The Blair Witch Project or My Big Fat Greek Wedding or Wedding Crashers. Or the first Pirates. After all, a surprise hit is the least surprising thing about summer. --By Richard Corliss. Reported by Desa Philadelphia/Los Angeles

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III
Starring: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Release date: May 5. What the first two made: $396 million

THE CHALLENGE The audience's mission, should it choose to accept it, is to escape into an action movie when its star's off-screen life requires a greater suspension of disbelief than his onscreen stunts do. Weeks before the U.S. opening of M:i:III, as it's curiously advertised, Cruise is in the headlines because of his ecstasy over his new baby and his devotion to Scientology--neither of which cries out "badass superspy." The spy-movie genre has changed too, taking itself far less seriously these days thanks to movies like Austin Powers and TV shows like Alias, created by new Mission director J.J. Abrams. But perhaps it was time to lighten things up. Says Abrams: "Any time you make a movie with a No. 3 in [its title], you have to have a sense of humor."

WHAT'S NEW Cruise's character Ethan Hunt gets a life beyond dodging explosions--and a girl (Michelle Monaghan). "This guy happens to be really good at what he does, but it's a prison," says Abrams. "This woman is a light and gives him a sense of hope." Providing the darkness is Hoffman, who sheds his Capote lisp for a really scary sneer.

THE BUZZ It's a hard call. Does Cruise the tabloid fixture hurt Cruise the movie star? This is the kind of movie audiences like to see him in, so it's a safer bet than, say, Vanilla Sky II. --By Rebecca Winters Keegan

SUPERMAN RETURNS
Starring: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth. Release date: June 30. What the first four made: $318 million

THE CHALLENGE The problem with Superman is that he doesn't have enough problems. He can pretty much do anything--dude has superbreath--and apart from the kryptonite thing, he's pretty much invulnerable. And oh, my stars, what a do-gooder. Where's the inner conflict? Or the outer conflict, for that matter? He's not dark and troubled like Batman or Wolverine, or cute and clueless like Spider-Man.

WHAT'S NEW You can't openly monkey with the Superman mythology--there are probably federal laws against it--so to reinvent him director Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, the X-Men movies) went subtle, quietly tweaking canonical story lines to roil Supe's placid emotional waters. When the movie opens, Big Blue has been gone for five years, and he gets back to find that Lois Lane has a new guy (!) and a kid (!!). Now, wouldn't that ruffle your spit curl?

THE BUZZ The set radiated bad p.r.: there were rumors of reshoots and wild budget overruns (the reported cost is a mighty $185 million). And do comic-book fans really care if Superman is a lover as well as a fighter? New guy Routh fills out the blue tights, and Spacey looks like a deliciously loony Lex Luthor, but Clark Kent might need to find a new beat. --By Lev Grossman

X-MEN: THE LAST STAND
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kelsey Grammer. Release date: May 26. What the first two made: $372 million

THE CHALLENGE The X-Men have a problem. Not the threat of Magneto or the fact that a pharmaceutical company has come up with a "cure" for mutancy (jeez, can't we all just get along?). The issue is the loss of Singer (to Superman), who directed the first two movies, and his replacement by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Red Dragon), who hasn't yet shown Singer's talent for the shadowy action sequences that are the franchise's specialty. Oh, and Frasier Crane is the Beast?

WHAT'S NEW In addition to a bigger part for the under-utilized weather witch Storm (Halle Berry), X3 also has new or much-expanded roles for several mutants beloved from the comic book. White-winged Archangel appears, as does Kitty Pryde, the girl who walks through walls and who served as the imaginary girlfriend for a generation of fanboys. Watch them closely: This is the last X-Men movie, and Fox is looking for mutants who can be spun off as stand-alone franchises.

THE BUZZ Actually, not bad. A strong trailer suggests that despite what Ratner says--"It's not just a bunch of superheroes saving the world and kicking ass. It deals with a lot of issues, prejudice and alienation and all that stuff"--he has grasped one of the basic truths of the series: the more mutants, the mo'better. --L.G.

POSEIDON
Starring: Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss. Release date: May 12.
What the first one made: $84 million

THE CHALLENGE Making a 34-year-old disaster movie, known principally for its theme song and Shelley Winters' underpants, interesting to young, gotta-see-it-opening-weekend types. And inspiring awe in people who have seen Titanic and The Perfect Storm.

WHAT'S NEW There's still a boat, a wall of water and a group of survivors. But apart from that, the screenplay is brand new. There's no Winters character--all the women are more of the "don't know-their-names-but-they-sure-look-good-wet" variety, like Emmy Rossum (Phantom of the Opera). And the special effects on this one should make the first one look like a kiddie pool.

THE BUZZ The Poseidon Adventure does not generate much Internet alarm over its desecration. The folks at Warner Bros. (like TIME, an arm of Time Warner), seem to be quietly confident. Their ace in the hole is director Wolfgang Petersen, who, having directed The Perfect Storm and Das Boot, knows from terror and tension on top of and beneath the waves. Poseidon could just be the preposterous, grip-the-armrest thriller people love in summer. Or, like the ship, it could be a sinker. --By Belinda Luscombe

THE DA VINCI CODE
Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou. Release date: May 19. How many books sold: 40 million--plus

THE CHALLENGE Adapting the worldwide best-selling novel into a taut, suspenseful thriller. "Because the story is so well known," says director Ron Howard, "the last little bit of mystery I have to offer is how I interpreted it."

WHAT'S NEW Not the story line, which follows the book's uncovering of an alleged Christianity con job almost, um, religiously. But Howard delivers something the novel doesn't: re-creations of supposed historical events central to the ancient conspiracy. "We try to transport the audience back in time so they can understand its context," he says.

THE BUZZ Security was tighter than the Mona Lisa's smile at the Musée du Louvre in Paris, where location filming was allowed only after closing hours. Ongoing complaints by the Vatican and Opus Dei have only stoked the publicity fires, while a (much) smaller group supporting albino rights blanched at the villain's complexion. Sony has held no screenings for movie critics yet, which is not usually a good sign. But controversy sells, so maybe it won't need signs. --By Jeffrey Ressner

MIAMI VICE
Starring: Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx. Release date: July 28. How long the show ran: 1984-89

THE CHALLENGE Updating the ultimate '80s cop show
WHAT'S NEW Miami, for starters. Style-conscious director Michael Mann, who executive-produced Vice for TV, took the original show's atmospherics from a provincial Miami that hid its grit under pink stucco. Now it's a boomtown, flush with international cash and bristling with glassy towers. The crime scene in '80s Miami, Mann says, "was just small-town cocaine cowboys. Now, everything seems to have a couple of zeroes added to the end of it." Gone too are the signature pastels. As for the substance, the director insisted on an R rating, allowing the movie to show the sex and violence the TV show had to imply.

THE BUZZ Production, on location in Florida and the Caribbean, was rougher than Don Johnson's stubble. Hurricanes closed the set three times, as did an incident in the Dominican Republic involving an off-duty cop who wanted to get on-set and a spot of gunfire; in December, Farrell had to be treated for exhaustion and dependency on prescription medication. Mann, a notoriously meticulous director, has pulled off tough, big-star productions before (Heat, Ali). But movie audiences have tended to like their TV remakes campy (Charlie's Angels, Mr. & Mrs. Smith), and Mann takes Vice, the movie, dead seriously. "I hope the movie will surprise people familiar with the show," Mann says. "I was never interested in doing something derivative." --By James Poniewozik

With reporting by Desa Philadelphia/Los Angeles

[Retroman]

Jackman was spotted in Vancouver this month for the reshoots...

5 April 2006 1302 East 1232 Central 1102 West


RDA In Vancouver For The Ep 200 Shoot

Richard Dean Anderson has lobbed in Vancouver Canada for the filming of his part in the 200th episode, aptly named '200' reprising his role as Major General Jack O'Neill, he will also be involved in Atlantis and other SG-1 eps, also returning is Willie Garson reprising his role as alien Martin Lloyd who's two episodes are a pleasure to watch, the first 'Point Of No Return' (season 4, episode 11 or ep 77 in the overall scheme of things) and the second and very funny 'Wormhole Xtreme' (season 5 episode 12 or ep 100 the halfway mark to where we are at now).

Coincidently, in Vancouver this week is popular Australian actor Hugh Jackman (Michael Shanks pondered his chances of getting Hugh to pose for the Men of SciFi calendar recently) as well as some cast members of X-Men 3 for reshoots of the film before it is due to be released. Also in town is big time star Samuel L Jackson for commencement of shooting of the rapper 50 Cent film 'Home of the Brave' a story about Iraqi veterans trying to come to grips with life at home after the rigours of war.
Source: http://www.gasbo.net/stargate/news.htm

[Sunstar]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1186570,00.html

Run For Your Lives! The Blockbusters Are Coming!
By RICHARD CORLISS, JEFFREY RESSNER, LEV GROSSMAN, JAMES PONIEWOZIK, BELINDA LUSCOMBE, REBECCA WINTERS KEEGAN

Coming soon to every theater near you: more of the freakin' same! Summer means blockbusters, and that usually means sequels, prequels or remakes. Gone are the days when movies guaranteed the unforeseen: famous actors, yes, but in new roles; familiar genres, sure, but with different stories. Today the demand that Diaghilev made of Jean Cocteau--"Astonish me!"has become "Remind me." Moviemakers and movie watchers, both groups in a historically cautious mind-set, want more of the same: tiny twists on proven franchises, like the pleasures of a living-room drama or sitcom. In this surprise-resistant summer, that's what you're getting: pay TV.

Once in a while, a new member has to join the club; otherwise, there would be no movies to make sequels of. Three years ago, that film was Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. It vaulted from prerelease shrug to summer smash, earning $305 million in North America and $652 million worldwide. So here comes the sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (opening July 7), which was shot at the same time as Pirates III, due out next summer.

For this double voyage, Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer re-enlisted the old crew: director Gore Verbinski, writer Terry Rossio and stars Johnny Depp (as scurvy Captain Jack), Orlando Bloom (the young hero, Will Turner) and Keira Knightley (Will's fiancé, Elizabeth Swann). They all seem pumped. "There's a kid inside most of the people on this crew," Verbinski says, "that gets juiced to get up in the morning and say, 'Hey, we're doing this.' This is the type of movie that says it's fun to go to the theater again."

The very notion of sequels might horrify Depp, Hollywood's best current example of dreamboat movie star and superserious character actor. "It's a dangerous game," he acknowledges. "Rocky went into almost Warholian levels of absurdity. But if your intentions are good and pure, then you can sort of skate through, make an interesting, entertaining film." His Captain Jack, the maniacally mannerist pirate, was plenty entertaining, to audiences and to Depp. "I truly love the character," he says, "and I didn't feel I'd had enough of him in the first one."

Or the second or third? Bruckheimer says he's going to save all the sets "in the hope that we can continue the series. If Disney will write us some checks, we'll do it." And if the star isn't bored by then, he jokes: "I'm teetering on the idea of a [Pirates] TV series."

That's not likely. But this is: out of the summer will emerge a from-nowhere smash on the order of The Blair Witch Project or My Big Fat Greek Wedding or Wedding Crashers. Or the first Pirates. After all, a surprise hit is the least surprising thing about summer. --By Richard Corliss. Reported by Desa Philadelphia/Los Angeles

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III
Starring: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Release date: May 5. What the first two made: $396 million

THE CHALLENGE The audience's mission, should it choose to accept it, is to escape into an action movie when its star's off-screen life requires a greater suspension of disbelief than his onscreen stunts do. Weeks before the U.S. opening of M:i:III, as it's curiously advertised, Cruise is in the headlines because of his ecstasy over his new baby and his devotion to Scientology--neither of which cries out "badass superspy." The spy-movie genre has changed too, taking itself far less seriously these days thanks to movies like Austin Powers and TV shows like Alias, created by new Mission director J.J. Abrams. But perhaps it was time to lighten things up. Says Abrams: "Any time you make a movie with a No. 3 in [its title], you have to have a sense of humor."

WHAT'S NEW Cruise's character Ethan Hunt gets a life beyond dodging explosions--and a girl (Michelle Monaghan). "This guy happens to be really good at what he does, but it's a prison," says Abrams. "This woman is a light and gives him a sense of hope." Providing the darkness is Hoffman, who sheds his Capote lisp for a really scary sneer.

THE BUZZ It's a hard call. Does Cruise the tabloid fixture hurt Cruise the movie star? This is the kind of movie audiences like to see him in, so it's a safer bet than, say, Vanilla Sky II. --By Rebecca Winters Keegan

SUPERMAN RETURNS
Starring: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth. Release date: June 30. What the first four made: $318 million

THE CHALLENGE The problem with Superman is that he doesn't have enough problems. He can pretty much do anything--dude has superbreath--and apart from the kryptonite thing, he's pretty much invulnerable. And oh, my stars, what a do-gooder. Where's the inner conflict? Or the outer conflict, for that matter? He's not dark and troubled like Batman or Wolverine, or cute and clueless like Spider-Man.

WHAT'S NEW You can't openly monkey with the Superman mythology--there are probably federal laws against it--so to reinvent him director Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, the X-Men movies) went subtle, quietly tweaking canonical story lines to roil Supe's placid emotional waters. When the movie opens, Big Blue has been gone for five years, and he gets back to find that Lois Lane has a new guy (!) and a kid (!!). Now, wouldn't that ruffle your spit curl?

THE BUZZ The set radiated bad p.r.: there were rumors of reshoots and wild budget overruns (the reported cost is a mighty $185 million). And do comic-book fans really care if Superman is a lover as well as a fighter? New guy Routh fills out the blue tights, and Spacey looks like a deliciously loony Lex Luthor, but Clark Kent might need to find a new beat. --By Lev Grossman

X-MEN: THE LAST STAND
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kelsey Grammer. Release date: May 26. What the first two made: $372 million

THE CHALLENGE The X-Men have a problem. Not the threat of Magneto or the fact that a pharmaceutical company has come up with a "cure" for mutancy (jeez, can't we all just get along?). The issue is the loss of Singer (to Superman), who directed the first two movies, and his replacement by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Red Dragon), who hasn't yet shown Singer's talent for the shadowy action sequences that are the franchise's specialty. Oh, and Frasier Crane is the Beast?

WHAT'S NEW In addition to a bigger part for the under-utilized weather witch Storm (Halle Berry), X3 also has new or much-expanded roles for several mutants beloved from the comic book. White-winged Archangel appears, as does Kitty Pryde, the girl who walks through walls and who served as the imaginary girlfriend for a generation of fanboys. Watch them closely: This is the last X-Men movie, and Fox is looking for mutants who can be spun off as stand-alone franchises.

THE BUZZ Actually, not bad. A strong trailer suggests that despite what Ratner says--"It's not just a bunch of superheroes saving the world and kicking ass. It deals with a lot of issues, prejudice and alienation and all that stuff"--he has grasped one of the basic truths of the series: the more mutants, the mo'better. --L.G.

POSEIDON
Starring: Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss. Release date: May 12.
What the first one made: $84 million

THE CHALLENGE Making a 34-year-old disaster movie, known principally for its theme song and Shelley Winters' underpants, interesting to young, gotta-see-it-opening-weekend types. And inspiring awe in people who have seen Titanic and The Perfect Storm.

WHAT'S NEW There's still a boat, a wall of water and a group of survivors. But apart from that, the screenplay is brand new. There's no Winters character--all the women are more of the "don't know-their-names-but-they-sure-look-good-wet" variety, like Emmy Rossum (Phantom of the Opera). And the special effects on this one should make the first one look like a kiddie pool.

THE BUZZ The Poseidon Adventure does not generate much Internet alarm over its desecration. The folks at Warner Bros. (like TIME, an arm of Time Warner), seem to be quietly confident. Their ace in the hole is director Wolfgang Petersen, who, having directed The Perfect Storm and Das Boot, knows from terror and tension on top of and beneath the waves. Poseidon could just be the preposterous, grip-the-armrest thriller people love in summer. Or, like the ship, it could be a sinker. --By Belinda Luscombe

THE DA VINCI CODE
Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou. Release date: May 19. How many books sold: 40 million--plus

THE CHALLENGE Adapting the worldwide best-selling novel into a taut, suspenseful thriller. "Because the story is so well known," says director Ron Howard, "the last little bit of mystery I have to offer is how I interpreted it."

WHAT'S NEW Not the story line, which follows the book's uncovering of an alleged Christianity con job almost, um, religiously. But Howard delivers something the novel doesn't: re-creations of supposed historical events central to the ancient conspiracy. "We try to transport the audience back in time so they can understand its context," he says.

THE BUZZ Security was tighter than the Mona Lisa's smile at the Musée du Louvre in Paris, where location filming was allowed only after closing hours. Ongoing complaints by the Vatican and Opus Dei have only stoked the publicity fires, while a (much) smaller group supporting albino rights blanched at the villain's complexion. Sony has held no screenings for movie critics yet, which is not usually a good sign. But controversy sells, so maybe it won't need signs. --By Jeffrey Ressner

MIAMI VICE
Starring: Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx. Release date: July 28. How long the show ran: 1984-89

THE CHALLENGE Updating the ultimate '80s cop show
WHAT'S NEW Miami, for starters. Style-conscious director Michael Mann, who executive-produced Vice for TV, took the original show's atmospherics from a provincial Miami that hid its grit under pink stucco. Now it's a boomtown, flush with international cash and bristling with glassy towers. The crime scene in '80s Miami, Mann says, "was just small-town cocaine cowboys. Now, everything seems to have a couple of zeroes added to the end of it." Gone too are the signature pastels. As for the substance, the director insisted on an R rating, allowing the movie to show the sex and violence the TV show had to imply.

THE BUZZ Production, on location in Florida and the Caribbean, was rougher than Don Johnson's stubble. Hurricanes closed the set three times, as did an incident in the Dominican Republic involving an off-duty cop who wanted to get on-set and a spot of gunfire; in December, Farrell had to be treated for exhaustion and dependency on prescription medication. Mann, a notoriously meticulous director, has pulled off tough, big-star productions before (Heat, Ali). But movie audiences have tended to like their TV remakes campy (Charlie's Angels, Mr. & Mrs. Smith), and Mann takes Vice, the movie, dead seriously. "I hope the movie will surprise people familiar with the show," Mann says. "I was never interested in doing something derivative." --By James Poniewozik

With reporting by Desa Philadelphia/Los Angeles

:D:up: Great find Narrows!

I know this guy isn't affiliated with AICN!LOL:D

[narrows101]

Fascinating article - especially the Hugh interview process.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002385954

'X-Men' should give summer a hot start

By Martin A. Grove

"X-Men" Xcitement: Although the early weeks of May have evolved into a pre-summer season with good grossing potential, it's Memorial Day weekend when the boxoffice really heats up and establishes the tone for the summer ahead.

Last year, a soft Memorial Day weekend with key films down 6% from 2004 sparked valid concerns about Hollywood's health. The four-day holiday weekend's top grossing film was Fox and Lucasfilm's "Star Wars: Episode III" with $70 million for its second weekend in theaters. It was followed by DreamWorks' opening of its computer-animated "Madagascar" with $61 million and Paramount's launch of its action-comedy remake "The Longest Yard" with $58.6 million. The bad news was that key films grossed $226 million for the four days versus $239.2 million a year earlier.

This summer looks like it should get off to a hot start May 26 thanks to 20th Century Fox and Marvel Enterprises' "X-Men: The Last Stand," the third episode in the blockbuster franchise based on the hit Marvel comic book series created over 40 years ago. It's a tribute to the film's strong boxoffice potential, by the way, that it isn't facing any competition from other wide openings over the four-day Memorial Day weekend (May 26-29).

Directed by Brett Ratner, the new "X-Men" -- let's just call it "X3" for short here even though "3" is not actually part of its title -- is produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter, producers of the first two episodes, and written by Simon Kinberg ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith") and Zak Penn ("X2: X-Men United"). It was executive produced by Marvel Studios chairman and CEO Avi Arad, Marvel Comics chairman emeritus Stan Lee, Marvel Studios production president Kevin Feige and John Palmero, who's partnered with "X-Men" star Hugh Jackman in Seed Productions.

The franchise stems from Fox's mid-summer release of the first "X-Men" on July 14, 2000. Opening to $54.5 million, it went on to gross over $157 million domestically and nearly $139 million internationally or about $296 million worldwide. "X2" arrived in theaters three years later to kick off the pre-summer season May 2, 2003. It opened to $85.6 million and wound up doing nearly $215 million domestically and about $191.5 million abroad or nearly $406.5 million worldwide.

"X3" reunites the stars of the first two episodes -- Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Halle Berry (Storm), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Patrick Stewart (Xavier), Famke Janssen (Jean Grey), Anna Paquin (Rogue), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), James Marsden (Cyclops) and Shawn Ashmore (Iceman). Returning from "X2" are Aaron Stanford (Pyro) and Daniel Cudmore (Colossus). Joining them now for "X3" is Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Henry McCoy, also known as Beast, a mutant geneticist who after conducting experiments on himself sprouts blue, bestial fur.

For some insights into why the "X-Men" franchise has enjoyed such great success, I was happy to catch up recently with Shuler Donner, who explained, "Going way back, I think Marvel created really complex psychologically well drawn characters. I think one part of (the franchise's success) is that we had some wonderful existing heroes and anti-heroes and tragic heroes to deal with. Then I think there's a whole thing about just being a mutant and being an outsider. I think people can identify with that. I think we all feel that way. So right away we're empathetic. And then I think there's also wish fulfillment in having powers. I think that also makes the audience like us and want to be entertained by us."

The pressure, she acknowledged, is intense to deliver to fans of the franchise with this new episode something that's just as good or better than what they've applauded previously. "It was intense (pressure) in the second one, but our goal with the second one was obviously to make it better and more enjoyable and not repeat ourselves," she told me. "That was the thing. We didn't want (to repeat ourselves) because sometimes you see sequels and you feel like you've been there before. So on the third one, yes, the pressure was even more intense. We had to be even bigger, even better, even more exciting and even more original.

"We have the trilogy aspect in our favor in that we had set up in the first two movies a few storylines that were paid off in the third. So that worked in our favor. Plus, there were a couple characters that we always wanted to do that were too expensive to do -- and the storylines were never woven intrinsically into the movie -- that we decided we would do in 'X-Men 3.' For example, the character of Beast that Kelsey Grammer plays."

Shuler Donner is particularly happy about having added new characters like Grammer's Beast to the franchise with "X3." "It infuses new blood into the series when you don't use just your cast, but are bringing in new characters with new storylines," she said. "I think that made it fun for all of us, who had journeyed down this (path) before. To conceive (Grammer's) look was a whole new challenge. We have Vinnie Jones, who plays Juggernaut and his look and his creature and his music was another challenge. So that was a lot of fun. And then we have Ellen Page, who's a fantastic actress (playing Shadowcat), and we have a young actor named Ben Foster, who plays Angel. Angel has wings so we had to figure out how do we build his wings both practically and also digitally. That's sort of the good and the bad news. The good news is that it's fun to create it. The bad news is how the heck are we going to do this?"

It also helps that all the principal stars of the first two "X-Men" films are back for the third episode. "We have the best cast," Shuler Donner observed. "These are not easy movies to make -- and nobody complains. We have a wonderful cast. We love each other. We film together. We work together. And then we play together on the weekends. Outside of the movies, I'm friends with them. I enjoy them. I hope personally to continue to make movies with them because they are a delight, a joy and each one of them's more challenging than the next."

I recalled speaking to Shuler Donner just before the first "X-Men" came out and learning from her how in 1998 she'd discovered Hugh Jackman, who wasn't well known then, and cast him in the original film. "He was in 'Oklahoma' in London playing Curly (on the stage) in Trevor Nunn's production and he couldn't leave," she said. "So he taped an audition and sent it over. And when I saw that audition I flipped. I thought he was so charismatic. Then I rented (a) movie he did in Australia called 'Paperback Hero' (a 1999 romantic comedy directed by Antony Bowman). And, again, he was charismatic, funny, physical, comedic, real, everything. So we brought him in.

"Bryan was already up in Toronto starting to prepare. I met with him with (casting director) Donna Isaacson. We loved him so much we took him right over to (Fox co-chairman) Tom Rothman's office and introduced him to Tom. And Tom also responded and liked him a lot. So I called Bryan and said, 'I'm going to send him up. Audition him. Put him on film and tell me what you think.' So he went up there. We had Anna Paquin there and they had a scene together. Bryan brought the crew together and filmed him and I think both he and the crew by the time the audition was done agreed (that Jackman was perfect to play Wolverine)."

Asked about developing "X3's" story revolving around a "cure" for mutancy that would let mutants give up their powers so as to fit into society, Shuler Donner replied, "There was a comic and a Saturday morning show that both centered on the idea of a cure. We thought that a cure would be very controversial and would affect each character in a different way. Of course, the whole concept of it is the antithesis of what the X-Men are about. So we decided to recast the center of our new story universe. Plus, in the other two 'X-Men' we had set up the idea of Dark Phoenix, which is Jean Grey (Famke Janssen's telekinetic character). She 'died' at the end of 'X2,' but we gave her a sort of golden form over the water to allude to the fans that, hey, we know she's going to come back. She's also our plot in 'X3' (reborn and transformed into the ultimate weapon and a threat not only to the X-Men but to the entire world) along with the cure."

While the first two "X-Men" installments were directed by Bryan Singer, "X3" is directed by Brett Ratner, whose credits include such hits as "Rush Hour," "Rush Hour 2" and "Red Dragon." In the often Byzantine world of A-List directors, Singer was originally going to direct "X3" but dropped out and signed on in July 2004 to direct "Superman Returns" for Warner Bros. (opening June 30), replacing McG ("Charlie's Angels"), who doesn't like to fly and, therefore, wasn't happy about having to go to Australia to shoot that film. At an earlier point, Ratner was going to direct Warner's long in development "Superman" project, but back in March 2003 he pulled out of it. When Ratner came aboard to do "X3" he only had about a month and a half in which to prepare for shooting. On a movie as big as "X3" that's something many directors just wouldn't be able to handle.

"Brian took 'Superman' and Brett had been involved in another movie and left that movie and it was perfect timing," Shuler Donner explained. "We felt that Brett is a terrific director, had the energy and the enthusiasm and the vision and we felt it was a perfect match. I can tell you it was not very easy because he came in about six weeks before we started filming. We did not have enough time for his prep, but you know Brett -- he's so enthusiastic and he's so energetic. He just jumped right into the fray and had a great idea about the script. He changed the third act of the script much to the benefit of the movie. And we just hit the ground running."

How does Shuler Donner, whose films since 1983 have grossed over $2 billion worldwide and who's a real working producer not just a dealmaker, work with directors? "I'm very hands on," she replied. "I feel like I'm a creative producer. I work with them very much in pre-production, particularly in casting. That's my favorite area. You know, the 'X-Men' movies are different than other movies. An 'X-Men' movie is a lot about creature conception and that sort of thing. But I'm very involved in prepping a movie with a director and on-set I'm there. I like to obviously allow a director their vision and try to solve problems if I see another idea. You know, maybe a scene needs more energy or we've got it (shot but now) let's try it with a little bit more humor. I will make a suggestion with great reverence. I like to (have it so) that I'm the director's partner."

Making a movie on the scale of "X3" is clearly akin to marshalling an army of troops. Looking back at the rigors of production -- shooting began Aug. 2, 2005 and ended Dec. 23 -- Shuler Donner told me, "Oh, my God. We had a thousand people (working) at one point. It was very difficult because it seems as though there's never enough prep time for these movies. We built the Golden Gate Bridge, for example. We built the bridge and then had green screen behind it. It was enormous -- like a football field. We built it in Vancouver out in a field, fairly close to where our base was, which was the Vancouver Film Studios. It was huge. You could see it for miles. So we had the Golden Gate Bridge and all the cars on it. And then green screen. And then next to it -- but, of course, you had to get in your car to drive next to it -- we also built the exterior of Alcatraz. You're right, it's like marshalling an army.

"Also, you have to be extremely prepared because that means that half of the shots are visual effects. So you have to know what is going to be done in order to film what's in front of you knowing what it's going to match later on. So you have to have everything (story) boarded out. We have a wonderful First A. D. -- his name is Lee Cleary -- and we have all the boards. Of course, the director, Brett, has worked with storyboard artists and with visual effects and with special effects and has boarded out the sequences. Then Lee brings those boards on to set and everybody can see what we're filming. The way Lee does it is after each shot is done he'll cross it off and we know we're going on to the next one. It's a tool to communicate to this very large group."

On top of the built-in demands of making such a film, it didn't help any that the weatherman wasn't very cooperative. "It rained for the past six weeks," she pointed out. "I mean, we have done six weeks of exterior night freezing cold filming. It was freezing. If you look closely you'll see people's breath during the fight. And they're working hard and their breath is frozen."

As for the greatest challenges she faced in making the picture, Shuler Donner observed, "That was the most challenging -- standing out there in the rain. And figuring out the dynamics of the last 20 minutes of the movie -- without giving anything away. That was the most challenging sequence that any of us have ever been involved with."

Fans of the "X-Men" franchise will certainly be happy to know there's lots more material that can be developed for future episodes: "I hope there's a fourth and an eighth and a tenth. I mean, look, there's 40 years of 'X-Men' comics, so why not? There's a huge world (of back issues and the comic book is still ongoing). There's so smart (at Marvel). Not only do they have comic book artists and writers, but they've now drafted filmmakers. Joss Whedon (who wrote and directed episodes of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and is now writing and will direct the feature film 'Wonder Woman' for Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures) wrote an entire series of 'X-Men' comics as did Bryan Singer. They're very smart (because) they've also involved a lot of filmmakers in their ongoing comic books."

With over 40 years of "X-Men" comics to plow through, how do they decide on what material to bring to the screen next? "You know, we're a good group -- Marvel, Fox, myself and Ralph Winter. We're a team that's done it three times now and we sit down and talk about those stories that we want to pursue. There are separate stories like one called 'Days of Future Past,' which were written many, many years ago, that we all love and one day want to make. So we try as a group to toss out ideas.

"Also, Marvel does a lot of research online with their website and they get a lot of feedback from the fans. And I go online a lot -- sometimes under a fake name -- also to get feedback because they're our fan base and we want to make sure that we are catering to them. We listen to what they want to do and we combine that with what we want to do. Often they're the same (and) that's a great feeling."

On the marketing front, Shuler Donner applauds the team at Fox for its work on "X3" as well as the two previous blockbusters in the franchise. "They're fantastic," she said. "One of the greatest advantages of working with Fox besides their wonderful production team of (co-chairman) Tom Rothman and (president) Hutch Parker is their marketing (team headed by domestic marketing co-presidents) Tony Sella and Pam Levine and (executive vice president) Jeff Godsick. They're amazing. They've always astounded us (with things like) their conception (of campaigns). Their ideas for posters (and) their trailers are, I think, absolutely the best in the business."

And speaking of "the business," I reminded Shuler Donner that last summer many media people were ready to bury Hollywood given the weak grosses we were seeing at the time. Now with ticket sales up nearly 7% and admissions ahead by nearly 3.5% for the year to date versus last year thanks to some strong spring product, things are looking a lot brighter. "I think it's very complicated," she said, emphasizing that Hollywood still faces big problems. "I will tell you I think piracy is seriously affecting the business beyond what people talk about. I mean it's really taking globally a big bite out of profits and I think it has to be curbed. I don't know how, but I know it has to be dealt with.

"I do think, in general, the business is down (because of competition from new entertainment media for people's time and money). I believe gamers want to game and people go online and they buy DVDs and rent DVDs. The business is not as (simple as) it was years ago. But we can only hope that if we keep making exciting movies they will come and see them. I think this is going to be a good summer. I mean, certainly, between (such films as) 'Da Vinci Code' and 'Mission: Impossible III' and us, hopefully, it's going to start off well. I think we'll have a good summer and, hopefully, that'll give the whole business a boost."

[Electrix]

Cool :up:

[Mary]

Yeah, great article.

[LEX]

Awesome article. :up:

[Retroman]

Anyone here speak turkish?:confused:

Cüneyt Arkın, Dünyayı Kurtaran Adamın Oğlu'nu anlatıyor

Kanal D'nin, Ömür Gedik'in hazırlayıp sunduğu "Sinema" programının bu haftaki konuğu, "Dünyanı Kurtaran Adamın Oğlu" filmiyle tekrar beyazperdede izleme olanağı bulacağımız Cüneyt Arkın.
Ünlü oyuncu, çekimlerine geçen hafta başlanan filme nasıl hazırlandığını, filmde hangi dövüş sanatını kullanacağını, ilkine göre espri anlayışında yaptıkları değişiklikleri Sinema izleyicileri için anlattı.
Programda ayrıca Ömür Gedik ve Burak Göral bu hafta vizyona giren Şanslı Slevin, Yaratıklar, Cehenneme Bir Adım ve Kutup Macerası filmlerini ve yakında vizyonda olacak X-Men 3'ü yorumlayacaklar. Gişe hasılatları ve en son sinema haberlerinin yer aldığı Sin-ek, programın diğer bölümleri.
Source: http://www.kanald.com.tr/tv/sinema/

[Retroman]

A group called Cahill are fans of X-Men....

March 26th, 2006 - V for Vendetta
(entry by Scott)

For those that don't know, I am a comic book fanatic. A massive comic book fanatic. In fact, I am such a fanatic that my last trip to Blockbuster Video resulted in a fifteen minute conversation with the cashier about the upcoming third installment of the X-Men film franchise X-Men: The Last Stand (in theaters May 26th, mark the date on your calendars). You may be wondering what any of this has to do with Cahill...

#1 - After much arm-twisting, I convinced Bob to let me name the new Cahill live album "Live @ The Danger Room". For those that didn't get the reference (and I am assuming that is basically everyone), the Danger Room (click for details) is the training facility used by the X-Men - and our album cover just so happens to be the blueprints.

#2 - The second bit of relevance comes from our shows this weekend...see below -

We had a great time playing this weekend...thanks to our MIT, Westfield, and Bentley friends for making it out to the Skybar. Also on the bill was Adam Payne (www.myspace.com/ampayne) and his band who you should definitely check out:
Source: http://www.cahillmusic.com/journal.html

[Retroman]

New admission fees spark controversy

April 6 2006
Volume 58, No. 28

Royal Roads should be able to maintain their grounds without charging the community
By Chris Bennett
At another university, not far from here, a battle is brewing. Without adequate public consultation and giving only six weeks’ advance notice, Royal Roads University has announced plans to fence off and charge the public $12 admission to a portion of the Hatley Park campus in the summer and $6 in the winter.

These historic grounds, including formal Italian and Japanese gardens, will be enclosed by a large wire fence. This has caused a stir amongst both students and members of the public.

In a recent press release, Nancy Arsenault of Royal Roads University’s newly formed Tourism and Outreach division, provided financial justification for the move, saying, “We don’t receive government funding to fulfill our stewardship responsibilities. This means we have to be innovative in generating revenues to protect the site as we continue to share Hatley Park with our community.”

Share Hatley Park with our community? How is charging $12 for something that the community has previously enjoyed for free “sharing”? Does anyone else see the irony in this statement? A further example of this sharing attitude is the increase of 500 per cent in the cost to tour the castle and museum (from $3 to $15, or $70 for a five-member family).

This sprit of generosity puts access out of reach to all but the well-heeled.

What Ms. Arsenault fails to mention is that in return for stewardship responsibilities, the university receives the use of these federally (Department of National Defence) owned lands and buildings for $1 per year. This amounts to a massive subsidy.

Surely this university, like UVic, can be expected to pay for the maintenance of these buildings from their operating budget. They use all the heritage buildings (including the historic castle) for lecture halls, offices, etc.

They also have other sources of maintenance revenue. Between 2001 and 2004, the university received $3.6 million in federal funding specifically for maintenance of the heritage buildings. The filming of movies (including X-Men 3) brings in revenue, as does the beautiful campus, which is a drawing card for students from around the world.

While collecting petitions at Royal Roads this weekend, my wife and I spoke to more than 100 people—students, alumni, tourists and Victoria residents.

Many of these people were there because they had heard of the fees and, in the words of one visitor, “I’m coming to say goodbye!” More than 90 per cent polled said that they would not be back if the admission fee is put into effect. The public has enjoyed access to these lands for more than a decade. Most people we talked to felt it was a
shame that part of the campus would now be effectively off limits.

The high entrance fee and cavalier attitude with which this is being carried forward smack of commercialism and elitism. Support for this is found in the story of The Friends of Hatley Park. These unpaid volunteers worked in the gardens, raised money for maintenance, and established and ran the castle museum. About a year ago, with no opportunity for discussion, they were told they were no longer needed.

Limiting access to publicly owned lands at a public university sets a very dangerous precedent that we must not allow to happen. What will be next—$15 to smell the rhododendrons in UVic’s Finnerty Gardens or perhaps a $3-per-bunny petting fee?
Source: http://www.martlet.ca/view.php?aid=38612

[Retroman]

From The Daily Mirror:

20 April 2006
SUMMER SCORCHERS
A LOOK AT THE HOT ACTION
By DAVID EDWARDS


X-MEN: THE LAST STAND

A war between rival bands of mutants threatens global catastrophe in this third instalment of the superhero movie franchise, out on May 26. This time, the gang of outcasts with special powers are given the choice of giving up their unique abilities to become just like everyone else, prompting an epic battle between Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen.

Joining Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Storm (Halle Berry) will be new recruits Angel and Beast (Ben Foster and Kelsey Grammer). Forget that last bit in the title. Director Brett Ratner is said to be close to signing a deal for a Wolverine spin-off.

Rating: 5/5
Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/tvandfilm/atthemovies/tm_objectid=16970231%26method=full%26siteid=94762-name_page.html

[Retroman]

This April 29-30 check out DALLAS COMIC CON 7 at the Plano Centre...

We will be hosting an X-MEN 3 costume contest for FOX! Come dressed as your favorite X-MEN character, and you could win seats for you and a friend to the very first Dallas screening of X-MEN 3! We'll also have some cool prize goodies for the winners. Come strut your mutant threads, and you could walk away a winner. The contest will be held on Saturday at 6:30, just before the show closes. Keep an eye on the website for more details.

C-ya at the convention!

Details: http://www.scifiexpo.com/dcc/DCC-Schedule.html
Source: http://www.theforce.net/latestnews/story/Dallas_Comic_Con_7_98147.asp

[Retroman]

Here are some movies being released in the coming weeks that you may want to think about before you see. Our reviewers have seen tobacco in the trailers, indicating tobacco use in the film.

The Break Up - Jennifer Aniston is seen smoking a cigar in trailer

Alpha Dog – Stars Justin Timberlake & Emile Hirsch (smokes in trailer)

X-Men 3 – Hugh Jackman is seen with cigar several times in trailer
Source: http://www.scenesmoking.org/enter.cfm

[The Original Bamfer]

Anyone get this one?

He's telling the film's director, Brett Ratner, how the superhero Colossus, a Marvel (Research) comic-book creation whose particular distinction is that he can transform his flesh into an impenetrable cloak of steel-like armor, must transfer that power to fellow mutant Rogue (the one who has a special talent for absorbing other people's psyches). Ratner resists. He thinks Colossus actor Daniel Cudmore's hands will block Rogue actress Anna Paquin's face, ruining the shot. But in the end, Ratner will relent. He, like everybody else in Hollywood, understands that no one on the planet knows more about the peculiar ways of Marvel's gallant mutants and evil freaks than Avi Arad.

More here:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2006/05/01/8375925/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote

I have to give props to sirius14sho! He found the article. :up:

[Retroman]

Small story on the recent reshoots that happened at Pinewood Studios in London.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Hi guys and gals. Just received this email from Rob, so thought I’d pass on the good news!! Dean.

“Robert had been chosen out of many, as a "Stand-In" for Vinnie Jones www.vinniejones.co.uk , "The Juggernaut" in the continuing saga of the X-MEN.... This was the last day (19th March 2006) on the production of "X-MEN III - The Last Stand" www.x-menthelaststand.com (a 20th Century Fox Production) and with low expectations he walked onto "D Stage" at Pinewood Studios (London, England) and beyond his wildest dreams traded "off screen" dialogue with Sir Ian McKellen http://www.mckellen.com (Magneto). Robert who was surrounded by forty plus crew, a huge blue screen, directed by Brett Ratner www.imdb.com/name/nm0711840 , standing toe to toe with "Sir Ian" (a man knighted by her majesty the Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to acting) and knowing this was a blockbuster Hollywood movie production, kept his cool and was never at all phased or intimidated and performed line after line with accuracy as a true professional actor (feel free to ask anyone that was on set this day even "Sir Ian" himself!) . . . . . After a handshake from "Sir Ian" Robert undoubtedly knew that he was meant to do this job, as short as the scene was Robert knew that he had definitely found his true calling.”
Source: http://www.yourefiredthemovie.co.uk/journal.htm

[TNC9852002]

Ahh..Interesting..

-TNC

[narrows101]

http://www.moviehole.net/news/20060427_gossip_monkey_27406.html

Note to Aussie "X-Men" fans!
Only a few weeks until it comes out! I can tell you, it's really good, you're going to happy with what Ratner serves up. He's tweaking it up until the 11th hour, to make sure it's as good as it can be too. He'll surprise quite a few of you. Meantime, check out the new Aussie "X-Men 3" site at xmenthelaststand.com.au (http://www.xmenthelaststand.com.au/).

[eXperiment]

Very good find.

[narrows101]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/04/27/film.summerpreview.ap

*****
Superheroes on parade

Fighters for truth, justice and the rights of Mutant-Americans are back, led by "X-Men: The Last Stand," the third installment in the franchise about the gang of super freaks, and "Superman Returns," with the Man of Steel suiting up for his first big-screen adventure in almost 20 years.

*****
The "X-Men" sequel, directed by Brett Ratner (the "Rush Hour" movies), reunites all key cast members, including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn and Famke Janssen.

Driving the action this time is the discovery of a "cure" for mutancy. Jackman said the movie will wrap up the "X-Men" trilogy, though another film is in the works centered on his Wolverine character -- the bushy-haired mystery man with metal claws and rapid healing powers.

"He's that reluctant hero, and he's a fairly classic version of it," Jackman said. "He reminds me of characters I always liked, Mad Max, Dirty Harry, Han Solo, where there's more going on than what they're letting on."

[Retroman]

Nice:up:

[narrows101]

http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/2006/04/28/1555417-sun.html

Is X-Men 3 really the last stand for Marvel's movie mutants?
X-MEN: THE LAST STAND (May 26): The answer is a resounding 'sort of'.
Even if this second sequel hauls in another $300 million or so for the franchise bringing back the core cast for a fourth time would prove far too expensive even if some of them only work when they get the mutant call. Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is the break-out character of the series so he'll likely get his own movie and, if that works, Famke Janssen's Phoenix might get some future star treatment. But this will probably be Halle Berry's last turn as Storm. With X-Men: The Last Stand, we'll likely see the last of the mutants in their current form. It all depends on just how much excitement new director Brett Ratner is able to create.

[xstormfan]

ratner interview:


http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/703/703723p1.html

[Aiden]

Nice little interview.

I loved what he said about AICN!

[narrows101]

Nice little interview.

I loved what he said about AICN!
Speaking of AICN:

http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=23166

[Avalanche]

Speaking of AICN:

http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=23166
That was a lot more decent than I was expecting.

[LEX]

Harry's followers are complaining. :o The hell with them.

[narrows101]

Check this one out. The clip apparently has changed someone's mind.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/The-Mother-Of-All-X3-Spoiler-Clips-2607.html

[Redd_Angel]

^ lol! "We can hold hands get past [halle] for that."

i still don't get why everyone's so anti-halle.

[freshandclean]

Check this one out. The clip apparently has changed someone's mind.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/The-Mother-Of-All-X3-Spoiler-Clips-2607.html

Hmmm. I don't know. I get the feeling he doesn't know that it's the danger room or that we already know that that is most likely the extent of Sentinel goodness we'll get. If I hadn't known all the behind the scene internet information, I might assume that that clip was indicative of the X-Men fighting the Sentinel threat, instead of a robot made to train the younger mutants.

[Storm22]

I doubt all we're gonna see of the Sentinel is 2 flashlights, smoke and a head fresh! I think they edited that clip to avoid showing the full bodied Sentinel. I really hope so anyway, if that is indeed all we see of the Sentinel there'll be a lot of pissed off fans!!

[narrows101]

Here's another positive comment from joblo.com:

http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=11155

[N_z0]

Well atleast it's creating a positive buzz for the movie.

[Storm22]

I'm REALLY surprised by all this positive feedback!! Joblo and AICN - if this is indeed a work in progress/unfinished FX clip(it HAS to be!) then the feedback should be even better when everyone sees the final print!
Could be dangerous though as people may be expecting to see more of the Sentinels than we're gonna get, I mean hopefully we're gonna see the full Sentinel in motion in the DR but people may now be expecting to see them outside the DR.

[Aiden]

Very nice to see positivity

[WorthyStevens]

Good ol' JoBlo. :D

I love that site.

[JP]

I think that the only reason there is any negative feedback from fans is because, well.. we're fans. We don't watch a clip like other people do. We watch it a billion times, and over analyze every detail.

[Electrix]

The X-factor

He's a national treasure: an acting colossus whose extraordinary repertoire has taken in everything from Alfred the Great to Zebedee. And with the Da Vinci Code and X-Men 3 due for release next month, Sir Ian McKellen is showing no sign of putting up his feet. Here, he talks to Simon Garfield about American homophobics and English eccentrics, and why doing Corrie proves 'he can't be a star'

Sunday April 30, 2006
The Observer

Sir Ian McKellen arrives at the Covent Garden Hotel looking very professorial with lots of papers under one arm and a harried air. It is mid-afternoon, and he wants some food - a bit of soup and plain pasta. 'Anything to drink?' his assistant Clair wonders. He looks at her, and then has a sudden thought. 'I'll drink the soup!'

He settles into a sofa. I tell him I have just been to my first civil partnership, and McKellen says he attended the union of Michael Cashman and Paul Cottingham. 'I was a witness with Michelle Collins. There was a groom's side and a groom's side, and you had to decide where to sit.' He says he got a bit weepy. 'They didn't call it marriage, although you can call it anything you want. The one thing you cannot mention is God, that is absolutely verboten. I suppose I'm a bit mean-spirited, but I really can't see why the government couldn't just say gay people can get married - that would have been true equality and so much simpler. But that hasn't been done because they couldn't face the furore. So they've passed a law that is not available to straight people - straight people cannot have a civil partnership, they have to get married - extraordinary.' McKellen has been in two eight-year relationships that he once referred to as quasi-marriages, but says he is 'very suspicious' of the institution. 'I can just sniff a divorce in the air. So the next thing to happen will be a gay couple getting divorced.'

Article continues
The conversation moves to the great gay progress since McKellen took tea with John Major at Downing Street in the early-Nineties (about the time Stephen Fry affectionately renamed him Serena). Many fine advances in the legal framework, he observes, but social equality will still take time. He says he is in two minds about laws that curtail free speech, but suggests he would draw the line at homophobic religious leaders. 'On the whole I think it would be nice if people were polite to each other, although sometimes these leaders make it very difficult to be polite about Catholicism ...' Then another sudden thought. 'We're talking a lot of gay stuff - people don't want to read this.'

He is hoping they'd rather read about The Da Vinci Code and X-Men 3, both of which feature McKellen in prominent roles and open in a few weeks. But there are problems with this. When we meet there have been no advance screenings of either film, and I haven't read the book or comics on which they are based. 'The Da Vinci Code is the most popular book of our times,' McKellen muses, just in case I hadn't even heard of it. 'You've not read it? Well, you're at a disadvantage.'

'Or possibly an advantage.'

'Could well be,' he reasons. 'It's a very good part in a big movie. Very well paid. Filming in England, which is a curiosity. It's a rattling good yarn, and so is the film, or what I've seen of it. Very excitingly shot.'

McKellen plays Sir Leigh Teabing, the puppet master to Tom Hanks's hero. 'In the focus groups, the most popular scene is the one in which my character reveals to Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou the theory that Christ fathered a child,' McKellen says, nervous he might have already said too much. 'Actually, I don't think anybody will say of the film, as they might with Lord of the Rings, "Oh seeing it will spoil my re-reading of it." I don't think many people will re-read The Da Vinci Code.'

McKellen will be 67 next month. He has never been out of work unless by choice, a feat he attributes to accepting many jobs other actors didn't fancy - 'one of the few advantages of being single and not having family responsibilities'. He has been working solidly for many months - Coronation Street, The Da Vinci Code, X-Men 3, Aladdin. When we meet he is nearing the end of The Cut, Mark Ravenhill's abstract play about imperialism and conscience, and after it he says he plans to take the rest of this year off. He says his priorities in choosing work are: is it something he would want to see? Who's directing it? Is it going to be difficult and therefore attractive? And then there are other things: 'If The Da Vinci Code had been filming in a place where it rains a lot I probably wouldn't have done it. Quite low down in the list is, "How much am I going to be paid?" I'd say I was quite cheap, but my main feeling about money is that I don't want to feel as though I'm being taken advantage of.

'Certainly I'm cheaper than Anthony Hopkins,' he continues. 'The other actors they asked to play Gandalf wouldn't go to New Zealand on that money for that length of time. I thought it would be a bit of an adventure. Tony Hopkins didn't think it would be an adventure. Tony is part of Hollywood. I'm an eccentric English actor, and there's a lot of us around.' He mentions Gambon, Jacobi, Hurt, Finney, Courtenay and Irons. 'People tend to think, "Oh, everything McKellen does is gold, he gets all the best parts now," but it's not the case. I'm one of a quite small pool of British fish swimming around, and we're netted occasionally. I made a film last year with William Hurt and Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange, and we can't get it released, no one wants to see it.'

I ask what it's called.

'Never Was.'

He says he is slightly worried that his face may become over-familiar. 'They've seen what I can do now - there's no more tricks. And I've turned down a very large number of highly paid small parts because I don't want to become a speciality act. I'll do those when I'm decrepit.'

Sheila Hancock has observed how, offstage, McKellen flops about 'like an overgrown puppy', and she probably wasn't just thinking of his large soft hands and foppish hair. Like all actors, he wants to be loved and his self-deprecation would probably extend to extremes ('I'm the worst actor in the world - really!') if it wasn't checked by an occasional 'surely not' and 'come come' from me. He says he has few ambitions to direct or produce, and that his one prolonged experience of making big things happen (the film of Richard III) left him exhausted. Accordingly, he has expressed no desire to run a big theatre company (the National being the most touted possibility) and no ambitions beyond recognition as a thoroughly dependable and engaging actor. Those who have seen him perform know he is something rather more than this. A few days after we meet, I see him in The Cut; goodness knows how the play would stand up without him.

His soup and pasta arrive, spaghetti with mussels, and he studiously begins to clank the shellfish on to another plate. He then has an engaging conversation with himself, about himself.

'Is Ian McKellen a star?' he asks.

'Well now, define your terms,' he answers.

'Is he an actor?'

'Yes, he's an actor.'

'Is he a classical actor?'

'Well, he's been in the classics, yes.'

'Is he a Shakespearean actor?'

'Well he acts in Shakespeare.'

'Is he Chekhovian?'

'He's done Chekhov as well.'

'Is he a stage actor?'

'Yeah, oh yes.'

'So he's not a film actor?'

'Oh, he's done films, too.'

'So what does he do, this guy?'

'He does what he wants to do, basically.'

'Fantastic,' I say, responding to his two-hander.

'Yes it is,' McKellen says, responding to the fact that he can do what he wants. He concludes, 'If I was a star, it would be difficult to go off and do Coronation Street. So I guess I'm not a star.'

I ask him if he is as excited about his work now as he used to be. 'No. I do feel if I had to stop tomorrow for some reason - health, or if I had a relationship which meant I couldn't work, then I think I could do it happily. I think 10 years more is probably all I've got, as someone who can nip on a plane and remember the lines and not fall over, so I'm very picky now. But I tell you, it's very very sweet at 6.30 in the evening when you're not working in the theatre. And not to get up early for a film... every part you play gives you grief. Everything's still a struggle. It's lovely not to have those things in your mind - deep worries, insecurities.'

He says he will devote some of his time off to writing, not least on his website. Here you will find a catalogue of his insecurities and achievements, some snapshots of McKellen on location, and a collection of his articles. There are thoughts on the coming out of Michael Barrymore ('The journey, not always as painful as you fear, will not be complete, however, until there is no one in the world, whom you know or whom you are to meet, to whom you would ever lie') and many notes from New Zealand and The Lord of the Rings ('Peter Jackson's team found the perfect location in the wide gravelly valley that leads down from the alpine range west of Canterbury...'). Particularly interesting is an article he wrote for the Bolton Evening News in September 1958 on the occasion of his departure from his grammar school. 'I long for a community where a faultlessly complete library is at hand, where a cinema declines to show bad films and a theatre presents new, good plays before they are old or have gone bad,' he wrote. 'Utopias must be dull places, full of satisfied people in a lifetime of retirement, content and as active as ruminating cows; perfection, like complete virtue, is fortunately inhuman. But when will a local cinema and a professional theatre give what I and so many others want?' His answer, of course, came from within, and we are the beneficiaries.

'Millions and million of people visit the website,' he tells me with a trace of bafflement. 'There was one day when I was the third most visited website in the world!' The day The Cut opened at the Donmar Warehouse? Or perhaps one of the Lord of the Rings films? 'There are more entertaining websites than mine,' he says. 'Full of jokes. Look at Alan Cumming's - that's beautifully done.'

But what you do get on McKellen's site is a memory of performances of great clarity, daring and humanity, and some foggy video clips of a few classic scenes. I mention his mesmerising performance in Trevor Nunn's RSC production of Macbeth in 1976.

'I'm able to judge if what I did was as good as you remember it to be,' he says.

'And?'

'Oh, I could give McKellen a few notes. I'm a better actor than I was then. And Edward II ... I think, "How did I get away with it?" I can't look at it, and at the time I thought I was the bee's knees. Upward inflections all the time! But I'm amazed at how good-looking I seem to be in some of the old photographs. Nowadays I would like more energy than I've got. Who wouldn't? And I don't like a sagging neckline. But apart from that I think it's all before me.'

I wonder whether the website is a prelude to an autobiography. 'No. Because you can't talk fairly about your relationships with people - it's only one side of the story. So unless you write a book praising every single person you've ever met...'

We meet not long after the Oscars, not long after Brokeback Mountain failed to win the Best Film award. McKellen couldn't have been less surprised. 'It's called homophobia,' he says. 'Nobody has ever looked to Hollywood for social advance. Hollywood is a dream factory. I love the way that conservatives think that Hollywood is a bed of radicalism - it couldn't be more staid and old-ladyship if it tried. The audience don't give a blind whatever about the sexuality of actors. Gay people fancy straight people and vice versa. It's all in the head, so what does it matter? You're not going to meet Heath Ledger. You're not going to find out... It's the image you're looking at and falling in love with. There will be girls who go and see those two unhappy gay cowboys and go home and have fantasy dreams about them. Lovely!'

McKellen was clearly upset when he failed to win an Oscar for Gods and Monsters in 1998; the fact remains that no openly gay actor has ever done so. Does that worry him?

A long think. 'Honestly, no. I'm not sure what to do about Hollywood, or whether I have a responsibility to do anything. I gave a talk to the gay and lesbian society at Disney, and friends of mine who are gay who work there didn't show up because they didn't want their employers to see them.

'And I think some other gay actors are frightened of me, because they think, "Oh if I do come out, I'll have to do what Ian McKellen does, and be a spokesperson." That's what Nigel Hawthorne felt. He said, "I don't want to be a spokesperson - leave me alone."'

After his Hollywood movies we will get a chance to see McKellen in what should be a monumental return to the classical stage, as early next year he reunites with Trevor Nunn at Stratford to play King Lear. He has been in the play before in less central roles, an experience that has made him both excited and cautious. 'When you're close to an actor playing Lear it can be very moving,' he says, 'because they're giving everything they've got. It takes you over. You get to see inside them. It's very exposing. I'm not looking forward to it at all.'

· The Da Vinci Code opens on 19 May; X-Men: The Last Stand opens on 25 May

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1764294,00.html

[phoenix_force]

ooooooooooooooo i like "Famke Janssen's Phoenix might get some future star treatment."

[TNC9852002]

Here's another positive comment from joblo.com:

http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=11155
WOW...I actually was expecting alot more people to rid this clip to shreds...

But, I guess there is a very close split actually...I've been to a few other sites and boards and it seems to be 40-60 positive..

-TNC

[LEX]

Here's another positive comment from joblo.com:

http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=11155
Joblo is my new favourite site. http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/4880/blush9oj.gif (http://imageshack.us)

[narrows101]

http://www.malaya.com.ph/may01/ente1.htm

An interview with Hugh Jackman

AFTER two successful trips to the box office and over $700 million in box office receipts, the “X-Men” are ready for a third outing. This time, new faces including the Beast, Angel, Director Brett Ratner and many others join them.

Question: The thing that was impressive so much about you was your incredible enthusiasm for the film, for the character. How do you maintain it now the 3rd time around and there might be a 4th time around? How do you keep it going?

Hugh Jackman: I’ve been acting for ten years, and you get a sense when you have a role and you’re in a movie and a story which you don’t want to let go of. For me as an actor, it’s an amazing part. Wolverine is not just the comic book genre but any kind of action movie, is one of the great parts, I think. I love playing him, it’s a challenge. With Brett onboard, he pulled all the actors aside and said, "Our job in the third one not only is to round out the series because we’re paying off things that have been sown in ‘X-Men 1’ and ‘X-Men 2’ deliberately and we’re getting to pay them off now. But not only are we rounding it out, we’re gonna take the stakes much higher than they’ve ever been, and emotionally we’re going much further than we’ve ever been." So it was a challenge. For me, if you’re going to play a role and do it again, you want to be able to do it better, to take it further, you want to show more.

Q: Did you feel like you needed to make Brett feel comfortable in being the new director?

Jackman: Brett is the most fearless man you’ve ever going to meet. He came on relatively late and said to me, "I’m thrilled because I’m inheriting a great script. It’s a great jumping off point." And he was like, "Let’s go!" right from the beginning. I think what’s great about Brett is that he’s very much at home in a movie of this size. But I think he enjoys it and has enjoyed being with the cast, and we’ve enjoyed having him.

Q: Hugh, obviously from film to film, your confidence has grown. What type of effect does that have on Wolverine for this film?

Jackman: Well, I hope in anything in life, the more shots you have at it, the more confidence you get, the more you learn, the better you get. I don’t want to set myself up for failure, but hopefully as an actor I can bring a little more to it. An interesting progression for the character in this one is that he’s archetypically the reluctant hero, and much of it has been will he join the "X-Men," will he be a part of it? That’s not so much the case in the third one but more, what role will he play? Will it be an issue of leadership? Will he be a real team player? There is a lot at stake in this movie. I think that there’s going to be a lot of shocks in store for the fans.

Q: Is it easy to slip back into these roles the third time around, or is it always a challenge?

Jackman: Easier than the second, but there’s always a moment. I said to Brett the first week, "Let’s just get through it, I want to watch the monitor with you" and he was great to me from the beginning. After the third day I was like boom, there it is. I don’t think all the stuff we did on the first few days were useless, but I took a few days. It was just putting it back on for me.

Q: You’ve been in this series all along from the beginning, and worked up the chemistry you have with each other and how the ensemble works. What is it like for incorporating new people, like when Kelsey comes along?

Jackman: I think it’s fantastic. I did a little phone interview and someone said, "So all the cast are back, that’s really unusual." I said, "Yeah I suppose it is," especially considering no one had to come back contractually. You guys probably know better than me. It seems it broke new ground and really laid the groundwork for "Spider-Man," "Batman," etc. that has come. And it was done by making a character based movie so it’s an ensemble piece and every character matters and the relationships matter and we’re all actors who love working with actors. When I first auditioned and there was Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, as a student of theater, I said for me, "This is De Niro and Pacino." You’ve got to be kidding me! So with Halle Berry and all these people, I thought this is amazing. There’s certainly no sense of, "We’re the club" and new people come in. I think we’re incredibly lucky to have a series that’s successful and great actors want to come aboard. Great actors auditioning and great actors not even getting parts! We really are very lucky with every actor that comes onboard and I don’t think they feel ostracized. I hope not.

[LEX]

Great interview. :up: This must be the thousandth time that I've read about how Brett was very enthusiastic from the start. :p

I need to meet the guy. :o

[narrows101]

http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/63052.htm

SUPER SHOWDOWN

By HENRY CABOT BECK

April 30, 2006 -- WHO'S tougher, the Man of Steel or the misunderstood mutants? And who has the most devoted fans?

The box-office battle of the summer begins when "X-Men: The Last Stand" opens May 26, followed within days by "Superman Returns."

Superhero supporters are a notoriously loyal bunch, and in a few weeks they'll be lined up at the multiplexes, the X-fans glaring at the Superfans, all wondering the same thing: Who would win in a toe-to-toe tussle?

(Warning to readers who weren't bullied every day in grade school:
Extreme geekiness lies ahead.)

Julian Moraga of Atomic Comics in Mesa, Ariz., has no doubt.

"Superman would whip them all, except maybe Wolverine 'cause Wolverine would just keep healing his hairy ass," says Julian.

"Cyclops couldn't hurt him with his eyebeams," Moraga adds. "And what could Storm do? Rain on him?"

"The real threat would come from the X-Men who possess psychic powers, like Professor Xavier or Jean Grey," says Brooklynite Carl Huebner, an animator and filmmaker. "If they got into Superman's skull, they could force him to eat kryptonite and die."

"The X-Men could do the most damage with a coordinated attack," Huebner adds. "If, for example, Xavier could psychically confuse Superman long enough so that Rogue could drain his powers, he'd be vulnerable to some of the more powerful mutants, like Colossus."

One thing fans agree on is that Superman's greatest threat would be the Dark Phoenix, a cosmic-powered entity who possesses Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) in the new X-Men film.

"No doubt about it," Huebner says, "Dark Phoenix might just be able to take Superman all by herself."

[TNC9852002]

LOL!...That was great.. :p

-TNC

[Aiden]

I agree with that guy

[phoenix_force]

Jean would demolecularize superman in a second

[LEX]

Agreed.

Or just give the X-Men guns loaded with Krytonite bullets and shoot the hell out of Superman. :cool:

[Anton Oksehud]

Jean would demolecularize superman in a second


LOL..... he would be gone "like a fart in the wind" :p

[DarknessOfDeath]

Now that I would pay to see if Jean made a cameo near the end. lol. and also kill everyone except for James. lol She'll bring him back with her :p

[ken smith]

is jean grey that powerful to defeat superman, her powers are only telepathy and telekinesis

[DarknessOfDeath]

is jean grey that powerful to defeat superman, her powers are only telepathy and telekinesis

Those two powers combined = Destruction:ghost: :ghost: :ghost:

[MoiBijou]

is jean grey that powerful to defeat superman, her powers are only telepathy and telekinesis

Jean Grey = Phoenix

Phoenix = (Supes' voice) Ouch!

[Wolverini]

Unless Superman has a brain of steel ( which I doubt ) Jean could easily make something nice of Superman...


Superman vs Dark Phoenix ( Jean ). That would be a sight to behold. Immortal vs Mortal. Well , Mortal :p

[Redd_Angel]

oh yeah, awesome!!! phoenix can take on most every other superhero all by herself. lol

did anyone else notice how gladiator (lilandra's bodyguard) has the same powers as superman? lol!!! and phoenix defeated him (in TAS) with a flick of the finger! haha.. :o

[Wolverini]

As a wise old Jedi said
"There's always a bigger fish"

;)

[MoiBijou]

oh yeah, awesome!!! phoenix can take on most every other superhero all by herself. lol

did anyone else notice how gladiator (lilandra's bodyguard) has the same powers as superman? lol!!! and phoenix defeated him (in TAS) with a flick of the finger! haha.. :o

Gladiator has been defeated by half of the X-Men... I think we shouldn't compare him with Superman. :D

[_BB_]

Its true though, Gladiator is the marvel version of superman and thats why he gets his ass handed to him all the time ;)

[narrows101]

Check out what posters on joblo.com have to say about the clip at the bottom. Apparently it changed some minds, people who unlike most people on this board don't know about Danger Room, Sentinels, Fastball Special, etc. in the movie.

http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=11155

[BMM]

is jean grey that powerful to defeat superman, her powers are only telepathy and telekinesis

Yes, Jean Grey as Phoenix/Dark Phoenix is more powerful than anything, save God pretty much.

[WorthyStevens]

Check out what posters on joblo.com have to say about the clip at the bottom. Apparently it changed some minds, people who unlike most people on this board don't know about Danger Room, Sentinels, Fastball Special, etc. in the movie.

http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=11155

See, they're at least happy to be seeing a Sentinel head.

But us, nooooooooooo.......... we have to ***** and moan about it. :p

[Storm22]

Tbh I'm fine with the Sentinel head now, I'd like to see it attached to the Sentinel body and see what it all looks like in motion though.

[narrows101]

Screen caps from the clip are in here.

http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0604/29/index.htm

[N_z0]

Has anyone gone to the official site lately? They're really disappointing me. :(

http://www.xmenthelaststand.com/

********i know it's not the real one*********

[MoPlaYa]

See, they're at least happy to be seeing a Sentinel head.

But us, nooooooooooo.......... we have to ***** and moan about it. :p

Hey not everyone...I liked the clip...Alot!!:up:

[Electrix]

"X" marks the spot...for the third and final time
By Bob Strauss, Film Writer

He may have grown up a DC comics fan. But when plans to do a film about that company's top character fell through and a Marvel superhero movie opened up, director Brett Ratner happily jumped sides.

"Look, I wanted to do 'Superman,' " admits the "Rush Hour" maven. But that project went through many tortuous years of development, and Ratner had to drop out. Ironically, "X-Men" auteur Bryan Singer wound up with the "Superman Returns" gig, leaving "X-Men: The Last Stand" for an eager Ratner.

"I put out into the universe that I wanted to do a superhero movie, and this became a great opportunity for me," Ratner says. "So I am really, really excited."

In the third installment of the "X" saga, a cure for mutantism is discovered. Each X-Man must decide whether to keep the unique power or become like the regular folks who fear and hate them.

"It could be a cure for homosexuality or a cure for being black or a cure for being Jewish," Ratner says of the series' underlying, anti-prejudice metaphor. "The concept resonates."

That should reassure fans of Singers' two entries, who are skeptical that the guy who makes those Jackie Chan/ Chris Tucker comedies has the right sensibility for their troubled heroes.

"Jackie wanted to play Wolverine, and Chris wanted to play Storm," Ratner cracks. "But that was impossible."

Well, that makes us feel better. As for the reported finality of the third "X" entry, though, the director says to feel bad.

"There's no way they're going to make another 'X-Men,' " according to Ratner (and in contradiction to what some involved with the production have suggested). "This is, like, the end of it; hence the title 'The Last Stand.'

http://www.dailynews.com/filmpreview/ci_3769182

[Aiden]

Didn't he just say a couple of days ago that he'd do X4 :confused:

[Electrix]

They will say its the last one so that everyone goes and sees it but then a month later when X-Men 3 has been a hugh hit they will start talks on X-Men 4.....maybe

[_BB_]

as leno said "X Men the last stand unless it makes a bazillion dollars"

[narrows101]

http://www.comics2film.com/FanFrame.php?f_id=19210
X-MEN: THE LAST STAND UPDATE

The Sentinel head that was shown during Hugh Jackman's appearance on NBC's The Tonight Show on Friday was not a special effect.

"It's practical," X-Men: The Last Stand special effects supervisor John Bruno told The Continuum during a visit to the set in Vancouver, British Columbia.


Later, journalists were shown the head, which is about 8 feet high and 15 feet in circumference.


In other X-Men: The Last Stand News:


* Jackman was spotlighted in the crowd Sunday at the NBA playoff game between Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns on ABC.


* Ian McKellen, who returns as Magneto, will be a guest on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday. Famke Janssen (Jean Grey) will be a guest on the show on Friday.

[N_z0]

Does anyone else find it hilarious how journalists are struggling to find the right word to describe "being a mutant."?

I don't think:

mutantism

sounds right. :p

[Aiden]

haha

[narrows101]

Interesting article about summer movies.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/ae/story/5706563p-5110211c.html

[TNC9852002]

IGN's Top Ten Comic Book Film Villains:

(Batman Begins Spoiler inside!)
http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/703/703005p1.html

-TNC

[narrows101]

I didn't know where else to put it - if anyone has a better place for it feel free to move it.

http://www.quepasa.com/english/news/entertainment/Jackman.Berry.Mexico/459483.html

Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry to visit Mexico to promote film

Mexico, April 25, 2006 (Notimex) - Australian actor Hugh Jackman and American actress Halle Berry will visit Mexico next May 15 to promote their latest movie "X-Men: The Last Stand," to be released on May 26.
Jackman, who has palyed the role of "Wolverine" since the first film of the saga, has been in more than other 20 films, including "Swordfish" (2001) and "Van Helsing" (2004).

In 2002, he had a Golden Globe nomination for his role in "Kate & Leopold." A year later, he participated in the second "X-Men" film.

Halle Berry is considered one of the sexiest women in the world. She began her career on the catwalk, and after appearing in several films, she won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2002 for her role in "Monster's Ball."

This turned her into the first African-American woman to get the Academy Award. She has featured in movies like "The Flintstones" (1994), "Gothika" (2003), and "Catwoman" (2004).

"X-Men: The Last Stand" is directed by Brett Ratner. Besides Jackman and Berry, the cast is formed by Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, and Kelsey Grammer, among others. This is the final chapter for the saga based on the Marvel Comics book about mutant heroes. NTX

[narrows101]

Summer Box Office Preview.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=14345

[narrows101]

What the heck are these people talking about!!!! And I still disagree re DaVinci Code.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,193875,00.html

And, of course, critics can never rule out Marvel Comics' mighty, underdog mutant heroes the X-Men — after the last film's surprise $85 million showing at the box office.


The director of the first two films, Bryan Singer, left the series to direct the new "Superman" movie, and the third film now handed to "Rush Hour" director Brett Ratner has been haunted by bad Internet buzz and the leaking of images of new characters online that were resoundingly criticized by fans.


"The director has left the franchise, but this should be largely irrelevant," Luhr said. "The third time around people will come — if it's a disappointment it will affect the third and fourth weeks. It still wouldn't surprise me if this one turned out to be a turkey, the 'Ishtar' of this year."


However, Ratner told Entertainment Weekly that the images that were leaked on the Web were early, unfinished versions of some of the new characters — and that the latest 'X-Men' installment would thrill fans.


"The runaway success of both of the first films has shocked the critics, and I think this latest 'X-Men' movie is poised to do so again," Dergarabedian said.

[Celestial]

Not a lot of corporate loyalty there. I don't remember anyone being surprised by the size of X2's opening - it was more a question of whether Matrix Reloaded would take more.

You remember how someone at Cinema Blend kept bashing X3? Well he was quite excited about the clip shown on Leno - read here (http://www.filmhobbit.com/new/The-Mother-Of-All-X3-Spoiler-Clips-2607.html).

[BBraddockLover]

what time will ian be on abc?

[TNC9852002]

Jimmy Kimmel comes on at around midnight over here..

-TNC

[LEX]

What time is it over here?

[migs]

This is a random excerpt from an AVClub feature on summer movies from today. It may seem negative, but they give roughly the same treatment to all of the movies in the list. For the full article.....http://www.avclub.com/content/node/48016


Why Bother?: The A.V. Club's 2006 Summer Movie Preview

By Noel Murray, Keith Phipps, Nathan Rabin, Tasha Robinson, Scott Tobias
May 3rd, 2006
Given the skyrocketing costs of movie tickets, the convenience of DVD, the ever-increasing sophistication of video games, the current television renaissance, and the preponderance of other, equally tempting entertainment choices, there's never been a worse time to head down to the multiplex. Besides, do you really want to financially reward a film industry that subjects audiences to a deadening, year-round assault of unnecessary sequels, listless remakes, and pandering TV adaptations?

And yet every summer arrives with at least a few movies that threaten to give popcorn escapism a good name, movies like last year's Batman Begins and War Of The Worlds. With that in mind, The A.V Club humbly presents a list of reasons why you're probably better off skipping the multiplexes altogether this summer. Of course, we could be wrong.




X-Men: The Last Stand



What it's about: Those nutty X-Men are at it again, this time dealing with the ramifications of a supposed cure for mutants.

Why it's probably a waste of time: Four words: "Directed by Brett Ratner." No wait, six more words: "With Kelsey Grammer as The Beast."

Why it might be worth seeing anyway: Ratner's most infuriating trait, his inability to create a distinct directorial style, might serve him well here. The trailer makes this look like one of Bryan Singer's X-Men films. If Ratner apes those well enough, it might be okay.

Suggested alternate activity: Reading the start of the great Chris Claremont/John Byrne/Dave Cockrum X-Men run in Marvel's massive The Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. That just costs money, not wasted time.

[narrows101]

http://weblogs.variety.com/bags_and_boards/2006/05/xmen_vs_superma.html

X-Men vs. Superman

As we approach the debut of both "X-Men: The Last Stand" on May 19 and "Superman Returns" on June 30, the buzz has definitely building in favor of Marvel's mutants. Cast members from the film have been appearing on talk shows with clips — most of which are pretty easy to find online. A clip Hugh Jackman showed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno featured the Danger Room sequence that pits the X-Men against the Sentinels and includes the "fastball special." (For those who don't know, that's a combat move from way way back in the comics, in which Colossus throws Wolverine at a target like a rocket.)


And the buzz seems to be working. In today's L.A. Times, columnist Patrick Goldstein goes right to the teens who are the audience for summer pics to see which ones they're most interested in seeing. "X-Men" ranked well with the group. Two of the teens had high praise for Marvel and it's mutant franchise. "If you like stories with action and imagination, you have to like Marvel movies," says one.


The teens were less enthusiastic about "Superman Returns." The costume was criticized for not being as "cool" as the X-Men or Spider-Man outfits and the Superman story was actually called "lame" and came up short in comparison to Batman and Spidey. Of the 13 trailers evaluated, "X-Men" was ranked fourth, while "Superman" was at No. 11, just ahead of "Miami Vice."


All of which jives with some of the criticisms from some who've read the "Superman Returns" script and say it's long on romance and short on action. It seems unlikely that will be true of the final cut (they're not spending $184 million on smooching shots alone). The new trailer (which can be found online) has its share of implied action (at least as much as the original "X-Men" did back in 2000). What the trailer doesn't do is give us much in the way of anything new: We've seen Superman fly, save planes and repel bullets in previous films. Whether the movie will seem too much a homage to the 1978 version and not original enough or hip enough to draw in the kids of today will be the big question WB and Bryan Singer will be asking come June 30.

[narrows101]

Here's the LA Times article mentioned above - I didn't post it because it's very long.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-goldstein2may02,1,5838859.column?coll=la-headlines-entnews&ctrack=1&cset=true

[Jan Irisi]

http://weblogs.variety.com/bags_and_boards/2006/05/xmen_vs_superma.html

X-Men vs. Superman

As we approach the debut of both "X-Men: The Last Stand" on May 19 and "Superman Returns" on June 30, the buzz has definitely building in favor of Marvel's mutants. Cast members from the film have been appearing on talk shows with clips — most of which are pretty easy to find online. A clip Hugh Jackman showed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno featured the Danger Room sequence that pits the X-Men against the Sentinels and includes the "fastball special." (For those who don't know, that's a combat move from way way back in the comics, in which Colossus throws Wolverine at a target like a rocket.)


And the buzz seems to be working. In today's L.A. Times, columnist Patrick Goldstein goes right to the teens who are the audience for summer pics to see which ones they're most interested in seeing. "X-Men" ranked well with the group. Two of the teens had high praise for Marvel and it's mutant franchise. "If you like stories with action and imagination, you have to like Marvel movies," says one.


The teens were less enthusiastic about "Superman Returns." The costume was criticized for not being as "cool" as the X-Men or Spider-Man outfits and the Superman story was actually called "lame" and came up short in comparison to Batman and Spidey. Of the 13 trailers evaluated, "X-Men" was ranked fourth, while "Superman" was at No. 11, just ahead of "Miami Vice."


All of which jives with some of the criticisms from some who've read the "Superman Returns" script and say it's long on romance and short on action. It seems unlikely that will be true of the final cut (they're not spending $184 million on smooching shots alone). The new trailer (which can be found online) has its share of implied action (at least as much as the original "X-Men" did back in 2000). What the trailer doesn't do is give us much in the way of anything new: We've seen Superman fly, save planes and repel bullets in previous films. Whether the movie will seem too much a homage to the 1978 version and not original enough or hip enough to draw in the kids of today will be the big question WB and Bryan Singer will be asking come June 30.



May 19th?

[narrows101]

May 19th?
Ha - I totally missed that! Of course it's an error! Once again, never believe everything you read in the press!

[Angamb]

what??

"Box Office Potential: $200 to 220 million" ??? while X2 was $214,949,694! We'll see, but I see X3 having a more better box office this time.

[narrows101]

what??

"Box Office Potential: $200 to 220 million" ??? while X2 was $214,949,694! We'll see, but I see X3 having a more better box office this time.
Plus ticket prices are more expensive. I agree it will be more than that.

[berzerko89]

wow... x3 = huge success = millions

[Lightning Strykez!]

Here's the LA Times article mentioned above - I didn't post it because it's very long.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-goldstein2may02,1,5838859.column?coll=la-headlines-entnews&ctrack=1&cset=true


Ouch. :(

[LMason]

Did you know about this? Maybe late questions will be accepted.
http://spaces.msn.com/dishdiva/Blog/cns!5CC5E634036E2F2D!1562.entry

EXCLUSIVE: Ask the stars of "X-Men: The Last Stand" anything

In a few weeks Dish Diva will be getting together again with the cast of "X-Men: The Last Stand" to talk with the actors about their new film. The last time Dish saw the cast it was 3am and zero degrees on the set in Vancouver.

We can't tell you exactly where Dish Diva and the cast will be, but we can tell you that it will be sunny and by the water!

Do you have a question for Hugh Jackman or Famke Janssen? Send an email to Dish Diva at Stars@microsoft.com inlcude in the subject line "Ask X-Men: Hugh Jackman" or whichever cast member your question is for.

Cast members

Hugh Jackman
Famke Janssen
Halle Berry
Patrick Stewart
Rebecca Romijn
Anna Paquin


Dish Diva will read all the fan questions and then choose the best, most interesting, creative questions to ask the stars on camera.

At the end of May, you'll be able to see Dish's exclusive video interview with the stars. Send in your questions now and you just might become famous yourself!

TO BE CONSIDERED, YOUR QUESTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MAY 1!

Visit MSN Movies for more on "X-Men: The Last Stand."

[Retroman]

Cool:up: I wish i'd known earlier though.:(

MEGA-SALE at Corner Comics in Seattle (Kenmore) Yearly Event! -- Fri Apr 28 -- (Kenmore, WA (Seattle))


Come Find WOLVERINE’S CLAWS At Corner Comics in Kenmore! Come to our 2nd Annual comic book MEGA-SALE on Saturday May 6 & Sunday May 7 to celebrate the release of the new X-Men movie “X-MEN:THE LAST STAND” in theaters May 26, 2006. Every back issue comic is only $1.00 each! PLUS you have a chance to find a WOLVERINE CLAW ticket with every purchase! In each box of comics there is 1 Wolverine Claw ticket hidden inside one of the comics. Tickets range from $10.00 in store credit to $100.00! Also tickets for free Books, Toys & Cards! Plus there will be Door Prizes throughout the weekend! You need not be present to win. (May 6 is also worldwide Free Comic Book Day! Double Fun!) Also many other items will be on sale as well: 40% off TradePaperbacks & Hardcover Graphic Novels, and 50% off all Toys & Posters! Hours for the sale are Saturday May 6 10:00am-7:00pm and Sunday May 7 11:00-6:00pm. Our address is: 6575 NE 181st Kenmore, WA 98028 (roughly 20 minutes northeast of downtown Seattle at the northern tip of Lake Washington) 425-486-XMEN (9636) ***All new items for that week (comics, TPB’s & Toys) will NOT be included in the sale. Comics and items that are in subscription boxes are NOT included in the sale. *** Cash or Visa/Mastercard ONLY. NO CHECKS accepted for this sale! There will be no layaway or holding items. Also, NO public restrooms available. **Bagged/Priced comics cannot be opened until purchased. If you are caught opening bagged comics, you will be escorted out of the store. You cannot shake or bend the comics. NO cheating & searching for the Tickets! Tickets need to be redeemed by September 30, 2006.
Source: http://vancouver.craigslist.org/eve/?displayMode=printFriendly

[BMM]

X-Men: The Last Stand


What it's about: Those nutty X-Men are at it again, this time dealing with the ramifications of a supposed cure for mutants.

Why it's probably a waste of time: Four words: "Directed by Brett Ratner." No wait, six more words: "With Kelsey Grammer as The Beast."

Why it might be worth seeing anyway: Ratner's most infuriating trait, his inability to create a distinct directorial style, might serve him well here. The trailer makes this look like one of Bryan Singer's X-Men films. If Ratner apes those well enough, it might be okay.

Suggested alternate activity: Reading the start of the great Chris Claremont/John Byrne/Dave Cockrum X-Men run in Marvel's massive The Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. That just costs money, not wasted time.

Yeah, Rolling Stone Magazine also has a small blurb about X3 (unless this is the same excerpt) . . . it essentially says the same thing about Ratner and co.

[narrows101]

This is from moviehole.net (an Australian movie website) in the "Letters" section (someone last week said they saw a cut of the movie - that's what this question is about).

http://www.moviehole.net/news/20060504_moviehole_mailbag_4506.html

Q. Did Gossip Monkey really see “X-Men 3”, or is this anonymous source a studio person just promoting the movie? - Thade

A. ‘Monkey’ indeed has had a peek at “X-Men 3”, from what I hear, and enjoyed it immensely. Ha. The dude can’t even get a walk-in pass over at FOX at the moment, let alone a job there, so definitely not a studio employee. In short, and for those that regularly ask, ‘Monkey’ is a screenwriter and producer who has worked on films for the likes of Tom Cruise and Steve Buscemi. The reason he doesn’t wish to be disclosed? He just doesn’t fancy sharing a cell with John McTiernan.

This is the original post:

http://www.moviehole.net/news/20060427_gossip_monkey_27406.html

Note to Aussie "X-Men" fans!
Only a few weeks until it comes out! I can tell you, it's really good, you're going to happy with what Ratner serves up. He's tweaking it up until the 11th hour, to make sure it's as good as it can be too. He'll surprise quite a few of you. Meantime, check out the new Aussie "X-Men 3" site at xmenthelaststand.com.au (http://www.xmenthelaststand.com.au/).

[Storm22]

Guys weren't we meant to be seeing something on the Empire website from May 1st?? I remember reading that in the last edition of the magazine. What's going on?

[TNC9852002]

Why are so many of these "writers" ragging on Kelsey Grammer as Beast all the time? What the heck is the problem with that? Do they even know who Beast is?

-TNC

[WorthyStevens]

Why are so many of these "writers" ragging on Kelsey Grammer as Beast all the time? What the heck is the problem with that? Do they even know who Beast is?

-TNC

I don't think so. Alot of them even refer to him as "The Beast".

[TNC9852002]

I'm not 100% (only because it was so long ago), but I think they were treating a 6'2" Hugh Jackman as Wolverine the same way before X-Men 1 came out..

-TNC

[WorthyStevens]

And now X1's made Wolvie even more popular. :rolleyes: :p

I think Kelsey will prove many people wrong.

[Storm22]

I'm sorry but I had to post this latest tidbit from Harry over at AICN!

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23229

Hey folks, Harry here... About 3 weeks ago we got the review of SUPERMAN RETURNS that has begun appearing on a few sites around the web. I felt it was suspicious so we didn't run it. Then Moriarty got his hands on a script, circa about February of 2005, that was a budget draft with a lot of action taken out and a lot of dodgy to terrible scenes left in.

I began contacting some of the people behind SUPERMAN RETURNS to see what they thought. First off - that alleged review? Total bull****. There are several moments mentioned in that review that never even made it to in front of the camera, but happen to be in the draft that Moriarty read... which means... that reviewer is a liar... flat out, that read an early flawed draft of SUPERMAN RETURNS then set out to maliciously slander and cause harm to SUPERMAN RETURNS....

The guy is SUCH A HYPOCRITE!!!! My blood's BOILING!!! I don't understand how he can tear X3 to shreds based on a similar scenario he mentions in this article and use a fake review to fuel his X3 bashing but he goes out of his way to try get to the bottom of this "budget draft" review of SR without doing some similar research on the validity of the X3 "script" he reviewed!!!
Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing SR AT ALL, I'm really looking forward to it but this article highlighted how fickle and BIASED this man really is!!!!

[WorthyStevens]

Top 10 Summer Flicks

10. Poseidon
9. Da Vinci Code
8. Clerks 2
7. Talladega Nights
6. Nacho Libre
5. M:i:III

4. X3
Release Date: May 26th
Current Popcorn Meter Rating: 8.6
What’s the skinny? If you had talked to me two years ago when Bryan Singer was still on-board to direct X3, this film probably wouldn’t been at the very top of this list. But replace Singer with Brett Ratner and include a group of mutants called the “Omega Muties” (UGH) and I’m suddenly cooler than a cucumber on X3. All this said, it IS an X-MEN movie and it does deal with the Dark Phoenix saga (to some degree) and that’s enough to bring out the inner-nerd in me. Besides if I keep my expectations real low, maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. Lord knows I really, really, REALLY want to be proven wrong. Please Ratner.

3. Snakes on a Plane (WTF?)
2. Superman Returns
1. POTC 2

http://joblo.com/

[Jan Irisi]

Top 10 Summer Flicks

10. Poseidon
9. Da Vinci Code
8. Clerks 2
7. Talladega Nights
6. Nacho Libre
5. M:i:III

4. X3
Release Date: May 26th
Current Popcorn Meter Rating: 8.6
What’s the skinny? If you had talked to me two years ago when Bryan Singer was still on-board to direct X3, this film probably wouldn’t been at the very top of this list. But replace Singer with Brett Ratner and include a group of mutants called the “Omega Muties” (UGH) and I’m suddenly cooler than a cucumber on X3. All this said, it IS an X-MEN movie and it does deal with the Dark Phoenix saga (to some degree) and that’s enough to bring out the inner-nerd in me. Besides if I keep my expectations real low, maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. Lord knows I really, really, REALLY want to be proven wrong. Please Ratner.

3. Snakes on a Plane (WTF?)
2. Superman Returns
1. POTC 2

http://joblo.com/



I still can't get over Nacho Libre. Dear God almighty.........

[_BB_]

Storm22- I just read that over on the superman returns forums and i completely agree with you

And as for snakes on a plane being better than X3...that has to be, THE most STUPID thing i have heard in my life :eek:

[Storm22]

Snakes on a Plane won't be able to maintain interst until August imo, especially after all the big Summer releases!

Thanks BB, I'd like to say I was shocked but once I saw the author's infamous name, it made sense!

[DarknessOfDeath]

I didn't know Snakes on a plane was an actual movie.. .

[Jan Irisi]

Talladega Nights??? Will Ferrel????? WILL FERREL????

[WorthyStevens]

Talladega Nights??? Will Ferrel????? WILL FERREL????

Hey! I like Will Ferrell! :mad: :p

[Jan Irisi]

Hey! I like Will Ferrell! :mad: :p



*loud raspberry*

He is probably the most unfunny "comedic" actor out there.

[WorthyStevens]

*loud raspberry*

He is probably the most unfunny "comedic" actor out there.

Have you seen him on SNL?

Granted, he's not as funny as in his previous movies, but he's at his BEST on SNL.

[Jan Irisi]

Have you seen him on SNL?

Granted, he's not as funny as in his previous movies, but he's at his BEST on SNL.


He was one of the most tedious parts of SNL. When he came on, I would switch the channel. Unfunny.

[Storm22]

Did you see him as Mugatu in Zoolander? - HILARIOUS!!

[_BB_]

Will Ferrel, just like ricky gervais is in no way shape or form "funny"

[WorthyStevens]

He was one of the most tedious parts of SNL. When he came on, I would switch the channel. Unfunny.

Well. To each their own I guess.

But I think Ferrell was a genius on that show.

[Jan Irisi]

Did you see him as Mugatu in Zoolander? - HILARIOUS!!

Frankly, I would rather have a splenectomy than to have to sit through anything he's in.

[Storm22]

Will Ferrel, just like ricky gervais is in no way shape or form "funny"


:eek: BLASPHEMY!!! You don't like Gervais??

[danoyse]

Why are so many of these "writers" ragging on Kelsey Grammer as Beast all the time? What the heck is the problem with that? Do they even know who Beast is?

-TNC

I was thinking the same thing. They just see this big hulking character and assume "Frasier" can't be playing him. :rolleyes:

Everyone I know who either watched the cartoon or read the comics (myself included) flipped when they heard he was playing Beast. They thought he was perfect. :up:

[Fifty Euros]

Snakes on a Plane is a real movie! When I saw the title the first time I thought it was a joke.

[_BB_]

:eek: BLASPHEMY!!! You don't like Gervais??

No, hes a pompous prick who's head is shoved so far up his arse that the doctors had to tear him a new one.

He isnt funny, its everyone else around him who's funny. He cant do stand up to save his life and after watching that episode of the simpsons he wrote i felt like getting into a bath of warm water and disemboweling myself.

That is how much i hate ricky gervais :down