Homepage Archive: September-December 2007

by Brian Eggert

December 18th, 2007: The Criterion Collection: three new titles in March

Coming in March, The Criterion Collection adds three new titles to their brilliant catalogue of classic and contemporary films. March is slim, which helps the pocketbook recover from months previous. But as always, Criterion and their Eclipse line make small things feel grand. All specific release dates are TBA.

Mafioso (1962)

This Italian comedy stars Alberto Sordi as Nino, a Sicilian who returns home to from big city Milan to rediscover his pastoral origins. His wife and two spoiled daughters accompany him, finding that Nino has more in his ancestry than picturesque countryside. This essential Mafia circus was directed by Alberto Lattuada in 1962, and might equal The Godfather, had Francis Ford Coppola made his trilogy a farce. Included on the single-disc DVD is an archival interview with the director, as well as more recent interviews with his family. Pick up the disc in March, or order from the Criterion Store for a discounted price of $23.96.




Antonio Gaudí (1984)

In July of this year, Criterion released a boxed set of Hirosho Teshigahara’s narrative films, which, if you’ve seen them, you know their “narrative” aspect is suspect. He works with story, but somewhere between avant-garde and existentialist filmmaking. Such structural ambiguity is mirrored by his subject in Antonio Gaudí, a quasi-documentary about the architect of the same name. In this exploration of the builder’s unique, organic work, we see more of a travelogue, showing Gaudí’s profound structures as if they were landscapes in and of themselves. This 2-disc set includes two shorts by Teshigahara and one by Russell, all on the same subject. The set is available to preorder for $31.96.



The Ice Storm (1997)

Ang Lee’s wonderful 1997 film The Ice Storm examines suburbia in the 1970s, with all the melancholy and confusion that trails behind it. Lee perfectly describes characters from Rick Moody’s book, a stark portrayal of the lost American identity through our social interaction. Adolescent sexual experimentation, teenage love, adultery, and swinging “key” parties, this movie has it all, acted with pitch -perfect characterization by a number of today’s finest performers: Joan Allen, Kevin Kline, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Sigourney Weaver, and Elijah Wood. This is arguably Lee’s best work—and given his filmography (Sense and Sensibility, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Brokeback Mountain), that’s no small statement. Criterion’s 2-disc edition features, among other treats, a new documentary on the film’s production. Order it at the Criterion Store for $31.96, which might be worth it just for the beautiful cover art.


Eclipse series: The Delirious Fictions of William Klein

The little seen work of William Klein reminds me of Woody Allen in his Sleeper days—sardonic and funny, filled with surreal visual gags, and yet imbedded with a more severe social commentary. Klein’s award-winning photography popularized him in the 50s and 60s, but his New York City presence all but disappeared shortly thereafter, when he moved to France to pursue his frequent anti-American themes. This 3-disc Eclipse boxed set, cheaply priced at $35.96 at the Criterion Store, features Klein’s rare fiction films Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? (1966), Mr. Freedom (1969), and The Model Couple (1977).

Click here for more information on these, and other Criterion/Eclipse DVDs

 

December 12th, 2007: The first poster for...

After almost 20 years of thinking the Indiana Jones movies were a concluded trilogy, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have seen fit to tamper with an already perfect thing.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (let me take a breath) opens in May and shows promise of keeping with the basic adventure yarn archetype, established back in 1981 with Raiders of the Lost Ark. I can only hope it lives up to the Indiana Jones name, a prestigious level of cinematic entertainment rarely, if ever, equalled. By the looks of the newly released teaser poster below, this belated sequel continues with the same flawless marketing and art direction that made the previous entries so iconic.

Check it out:

My foremost desire for this production is that Spielberg maintains the franchise’s authentic action, free of heavy CGI. With that concern comes the worry that, of course, Harrison Ford is no longer the young Indy he once was. Ford is 65-years young, and even though he looks to have gotten in shape for the movie (see image below), I imagine Shia LaBeouf, who is playing Indy’s greaser son, will take on the film’s more perilous stunts.

Among others cast are Ray Winstone, playing an immoral, rival archeologist/adventurer; Cate Blanchett is the film’s villain, a Russian agent of some type; Karen Allen, Indy’s love interest from Raiders, will return, and John Hurt was cast as her father. A superb cast, to be sure.

David Koepp, the screenwriter behind Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, and Carlito’s Way, wrote the shooting script (although many drafts by many writers were said to have accumulated over the years). Plot details remain hidden, as do the exact origins of the title’s crystal skull. But producer Frank Marshall recently dropped a hint: “The theory is they are shaped by higher powers or alien powers or came from another world, or an ancient Mayan civilization had the powers.”

We’ll discover the secrets for ourselves come May 22nd.

 

December 4th, 2007: The first official poster for The Dark Knight!

The sequel to Batman Begins, entitled The Dark Knight, has put forth the best possible pre-release buzz machine I’ve ever seen come out of Hollywood. It all started in the summer, with pictures of The Joker, played by Heath Ledger, hitting the internet. Since then, following the filmmakers’ steady “leaks” and viral marketing has been a ride. With ersatz Gotham City websites and Joker’s own site whysoserious.com popping up everywhere online, for the web-bound movie fiend, The Dark Knight has done nothing less than get us restless for the film’s eventual release. Incidentally, the sequel opens July 18th, 2008… much too long a wait.

I must say, this is my most anticipated movie of 2008. With the internet advertising, brilliant casting, and credibility of everyone involved, how could this movie go wrong? I can only hope it lives up to Batman Begins (arguably the best superhero movie ever made). Below is the first official poster for The Dark Knight (great title), an image that proves this production is, above all, about doing it right.

Returning are Christian Bale (Batman), Michael Caine (Alfred), Gary Oldman (Lt. Gordon), Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox), and Cillian Murphy (Scarecrow). New faces include the aforementioned Heath Ledger as The Joker (see photo below), Aaron Eckhart as District Attorney Harvey Dent (aka Two Face), as well as Maggie Gyllenhaal taking over for Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. According to reports, the story involves Batman realizing that he can only do so much to stop the widespread crime of Gotham, represented by the anarchy of The Joker’s murderous and nonsensical rampage. Beyond that, Warner Bros. is keeping plot details under strict secrecy.

There is a minor teaser trailer for The Dark Knight available online; for those of you who haven't seen it, check it out HERE.

And don't forget about this joker, recently revealed on the cover of Empire magazine...

 

November 21st, 2007: Deep Focus Review gives thanks

Families rarely “give thanks” on Thanksgiving anymore. Giving gratitude for one’s own good-fortunes takes second place to family bickering, long drives to Grandma’s, and binge eating until seppuku seems a reasonable way to relieve abdominal pressure. Perhaps the traditionalist in me demands giving thanks over the holiday, and for a movie critic, 2007 thus-far has been a year worth appreciating.

As the autumn-winter months cap 2007 with a gold crown, I am thankful for the fall movie season. Studios want potential Academy Award candidates fresh in the minds of voters, so, as any year winds down, we’re bombarded with an abundance of fine cinema. How rare and welcomed this year’s surplus has been: 3:10 to Yuma, Across the Universe, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, American Gangster, Eastern Promises, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, No Country for Old Men, The Darjeeling Limited, Gone Baby Gone, and others. See them. The last time a movie theater program looked this good was fall of 1999.

Of those titles listed above, two are Westerns, and one plays with Western themes. The all-but-dead Western received a notable revitalization in 2007, and it couldn’t be more welcomed. With 3:10 to Yuma, The Assassination of Jesse James…, and neo-Western No Country for Old Men, a long-vacant staple of American motion pictures returns, and I couldn’t be more grateful. But 2007’s Western run isn’t over; on December 25th, P.T. Anderson’s oil prospecting saga There Will Be Blood hits theaters.

I’m thankful to The Criterion Collection for further defining DVD excellence after inundating their Eclipse line this year. A thus-far wonderful series of smaller-but-important films sold in boxed-sets, Eclipse titles are released without Criterion’s profusion of features but with a lesser price tag. 2007’s best Eclipse sets feature the first films of Samuel Fuller, late works by Yasijiro Ozu, and Louis Malle documentaries.

Ridley Scott deserves thanks for finally convincing The Powers That Be to fund another revamp on Blade Runner (a print of “The Final Cut” is circling theaters around the country; click HERE for a list of dates for your hometown). Available on DVD in time for Christmas—on December 18th—this is an event picture, best-viewed in theaters. If you’ve never seen it, you must. If you’ve loved it like I have, it’s certainly worth another look given the creative servicing. Keep an eye open for my Definitives article on Blade Runner: The Final Cut, to be posted in the first days of December.

I’m thankful for: the Coen Brothers returning in all their glory; David Cronenberg and Wes Anderson remaining dependable voices in artistic cinema; Casey Affleck’s birth into real acting; Grindhouse remaining somewhat unpopularized, if only to sustain its credibility; The Dark Knight’s exciting viral marketing; and for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls making me excited, rather than skeptical, for another entry in that franchise.

On Thanksgiving weekend, how can I ignore the several new releases, all which have potential? Over the holiday break, wide release titles include August Rush, Enchanted, Hitman, The Mist, and This Christmas. In limited release, I’m Not There, Margot at the Wedding, and Redacted. Check back for my reviews of these movies, which will be posted periodically all weekend, in between turkey-drowsy naps and frequent leftover wolfing sessions.

And, finally, I am thankful for you, the readers, who have supported this site since its inception last March. Enjoy your holiday, drive safe, and eat well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review

 

November 19th, 2007: Criterion's February Titles: An assortment of treats

February represents a minor month of releases from The Criterion Collection, with only three titles announced. Every few months Criterion limits its output; given their usually high asking price, I imagine they do so to give their fans time to recoup. Although February’s number of announcements is down, their quality remains towering with definitive releases, as expected. But it’s Criterion’s Eclipse line that burnishes this month’s discs. Previous Eclipse sets include Samuel Fuller’s first three films, Louis Malle documentaries, and late works of Yasujiro Ozu. Eclipse’s February set will feature Ernst Lubitsch comedic musicals, and that’s where we’ll begin…

Eclipse Series: Lubitsch Musicals

4-disc boxed set includes:
--The Love Parade (1929)
--Monte Carlo (1930)
--The Smiling Lieutenant (1931)
--One Hour With You (1932)
Ernst Lubitsch brought his singular comedic musical style (along with the delightful Maurice Chevalier) to the U.S. in the 1930s, after realizing Hitler’s shadow loomed over Europe. He would eternalize himself with legendary pictures like To Be or Not to Be, The Shop Around the Corner, Trouble in Paradise, and Heaven Can Wait (the latter two released by Criterion). Criterion’s Eclipse line will bring fans four Lubitsch classics, each from his Paramount years. The apex of this set is The Smiling Lieutenant, a wonderful comedy with Chevalier and Claudette Colbert, and a singular musical from the early days of cinema. Available February 12th for an SRP of $59.95, this set ranks with Eclipse’s best sets thus far, and represents Lubitsch’s risqué style employed throughout his career. Click HERE for more info.


Pierrot le fou (1965)

After viewing about half of Jean-Luc Godard’s output, I admit, I gave up. That decision is best explained by Roger Ebert’s reviews of Pierrot le fou. Ebert originally gave the movie 3 and 1/2 stars in 1966; upon seeing the polished, cleaned-up 2007 print, he removed a whole star, saying “I now see it more as the story of silly characters who have seen too many Hollywood movies.” And that’s the perfect way to describe many Godard films: silly, and pretentiously so.  As innovative on the fundamentals of cinema as Godard is, French New Wave has never taken itself too seriously, which I see as a problem—too dependent on concept, as opposed to meshing concept with story. This is Criterion’s eighth Godard release, a 2-disc edition loaded with new and vintage interviews and documentaries. Pick it up for $39.95 on February 19th. Click HERE for more disc info.


Walker (1987)

Ed Harris’ fierce performance may be the sole reason to buy director Alex Cox’s Walker. A “true story” of 19th century American rebel William Walker, Cox’s movie is told with a manic sense of storytelling, ultimately presenting an argument against Americanism and all that that concept represents. Cox also made Sid & Nancy, the priceless Sid Vicious biopic, and Repo Man, one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Walker certainly isn’t a pivotal film, but it fits with Criterion’s standard for releasing defiant cinema. This single disc edition features a full-length making-of documentary called Dispatches from Nicaragua, as well as a director-approved transfer. Expect this release on February 19th, with a price tag of $39.95. Click HERE for more disc info.



The Last Emperor (1987)

Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor won Best Picture in 1988, as well as eight other technical category Oscars. With a cast including John Lone, Joan Chen, and the great Peter O’Toole, Bertolucci’s massive meditation on China’s final Emperor Pu Yi resonates with impressive visuals and storytelling of the grandest scale. With a running time of 160 minutes, its patient pace already demands attention; if that’s not long enough, Criterion’s 4-disc set includes an extended version at 218 minutes, which originally appeared on television. Retailing for $59.95, expect this package on February 26th with a boatload of features. Click HERE for more disc info.

Click here for more information on these, and other Criterion/Eclipse DVDs

 

October 17th, 2007: The Criterion Collection's December and January Releases

I failed to write up commentary on The Criterion Collection’s sparse December line when they were announced last month, so this is a belated overview of both December’s Criterion discs, as well as the newly confirmed January discs. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s dive in…


Ingmar Bergman: Four Masterworks
(available 12/4)
This 4-disc set includes previous Criterion releases repackaged in this well-timed boxed-set. Titles include The Seventh Seal (1957), Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), The Virgin Spring (1960), and Wild Strawberries (1957). If you’re a Bergman fan, chances are you’ve purchased these masterpieces already. If not, you should. Bergman’s death in July marked a devastating blow to cinema; one of the true masters is gone. This appreciation boxed-set retails for $79.96 (if ordered through Criterion’s site) and features some of the auteur’s finest work. It’s perfect for virgins of Bergman and art-house cinema.


Two Lane Blacktop (1971)
(available 12/11)
Beachboy Dennis Wilson and folk songwriter James Taylor star in director Monte Hellman’s pivotal 1970s road movie. A gearhead’s piece of heaven, this picture is an ode to the masculine obsession with cars. It’s a surprisingly sophisticated look at cross-country traveling and the joy of a fast automobile, ripe and waiting for beatnik adorations. This 2-disc retails for $31.96 and is a director-approved edition. Among the usual slew of Criterion features, the package includes the full script with new appreciations by Tom Waits and Richard Linklater.



Eclipse Series: Postwar Kurosawa
(available 1/15)
This is the seventh and so far the best-looking release by Criterion’s Eclipse line. Legendary master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa has his postwar pictures given Eclipse’s standard bare-bones releases. The five discs include The Idiot (1951), I Live in Fear (1955), No Regrets for Our Youth (1946), One Wonderful Sunday (1947), and Scandal (1950). Each picture deals with issues relative to the Japanese climate following WWII, offering Kurosawa’s incomparable painterly visual sense and taste for strong writing. These minor masterworks will be available together for $55.96, though one would hope Criterion will give one or two of these films individual, extras-heavy releases sometime in the future.

4 x Agnès Varda
(available 1/15)
French filmmaker Agnès Varda helped reign-in the New Wave movement with a number of innovative pictures. This four-movie set includes two new-to-Criterion releases and two previously released titles, all with refurbished digital transfers and special features. Le bonheur (1965) and La Pointe Courte (1956) are the new ones; Cleo from 5 to 7 (1967) and Vagabond (1985) are the renovations. Varda was a renowned photographer and daring filmmaker; any fan of French New Wave should be in bliss. The set retails for $79.96. 


Miss Julie (1951)
(available 1/22)
If you shelled out the $800 for Criterion’s ‘Essential Art-House: 50 Years of Janus Films’ fifty-disc boxed-set last year, you already own Miss Julie. For the rest of us, we’re pleased to finally see Alf Sjöberg's racy Swedish melodrama on its own. It’s a graphic look at relationships and the sour aspects thereof. Anita Björk stars. Criterion’s single disc release retails for $31.96 and includes a book with essays by Peter Matthews and Birgitta Steene.




This Sporting Life (1963)
(available 1/22)
Earlier this year, Criterion released Lindsay Anderson’s allegorical If….; fans of his rebellious style will appreciate This Sporting Life, a look at British neorealism. A youthful Richard Burton stars as a wayward rugby player involved in self-destruction and sexual frustration. It’s a dark, depressing little film that’s certainly worth checking out. Criterion’s 2-disc release retails for $31.96 and includes several of Anderson’s early documentary shorts as extras.




The Naked Prey (1966)
(available 1/29)
Cornel Wilde directed and stars in this simple tale that recalls The Most Dangerous Game (also a Criterion disc). Wilde plays a nineteenth century sailor whose outfit is captured and killed by a local African tribe, who then release him as the kill in a manhunt. With little by way of story, we follow Wilde’s stripped character over perilous terrain, without food or weapons, desperate for survival. This engaging, violent thriller will be released in a single disc edition, and retails for $31.96.

Click here for more information on these, and other Criterion/Eclipse DVDs

 

September 27th, 2007: The End of Civilization, or: the Chipmunks movie

Recently I witnessed what can only be a sign of the apocalypse: the movie trailer for Alvin and the Chipmunks (which you can see HERE).  Not much is shown of the previously one-dimensional critters in the trailer, but you can be sure it’ll be annoying after about 30 minutes of screen time. As a sort-of live-action film with Jason Lee as Dave, the movie will hit theaters this December, threatening the world with computer-generated and helium-voiced chipmunks bent on world domination.

Intrigued and frightened by the concept of this film, I went online and found the poster, which reads the sad, sad tagline “They’re back and bigger than ever.” I thought lines like this had become an avoidable cliché, only to be used when advertising Sci-Fi Channel Originals or the returning McRib sandwich. Moreover, these aren’t even the chipmunks you remember from your childhood. Modernized into hip-hop versions of Alivin, Simon, and Theodore, the chipmunks now sport hoodies, fitted caps, and gangsta sunglasses, making them appealing to no one. And according to the trailer, they don’t mind putting poop in their mouths, if it means getting them out of trouble with Dave. It’s hard enough to sell people 90 minutes of little-person-voiced singing rodents, but it’s an entirely different matter asking them to buy gangsta chipmunks, decked-out with bling-bling for a little what-what, singing “Funkytown” to our mortification.

Jason Lee seems drawn to live-action versions of classic (or at least popular) cartoons, but only if they feature CGI animals. Earlier this year his voice provided “humanness” to the beagle in Underdog. What’s next Mr. Lee? A supporting role in the live-action Care Bears movie where the bears are played by CGI grizzlies? Or perhaps a cereal-to-film version of Trix where Lee voices the silly rabbit?

1980s nostalgia film productions have hit and likely won’t stop for years to come, as their twenty- to-thirtysomething key audience is in their movie-going prime right now. Having grown up in the ‘80s, I understand the desire for and satisfaction with Transformers or the in-production G.I. Joe movie. Internet rumors confirm a Thundercats production in the works at Warner Bros. too; I can’t imagine a movie about anthropomorphized cats will be good, but who knows. It’s appalling to me that some studio executive justified to himself that millions should be spent on bringing talking chipmunks to the big screen. Within the next few years, Hell and Earth will merge as one while cartoon-to-film adaptations of Silverhawks, M.A.S.K., Gobots, My Little Pony, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Jem (which would be truly outrageous!) run rampant in theaters the world over.

My theory is that 20th Century Fox incorporated some kind of subliminal message into the film’s chipmunk songs, so when the ghetto-furries strike a particular chord, the entire audience will be prone to a number of subsequent suggestions like “Eat Poison” and “Drinking Gasoline is Good”.  That, or everyone’s heads will explode. Part of me suspects an In the Mouth of Madness-type effect, where viewers become twisted and horrible monsters after watching. If my review is written in monster-tongue, chances are I’ve turned and there’s no going back. Save yourself. Any way you look at it, the result isn’t favorable for the human race.

Due on December 14th, Alvin and the Chipmunks threatens to ruin not only Christmas, but humanity. Avoid it like the bubonic plague, which, according to one of my college professors, is actually still carried by some real-life chipmunks.

 

September 14th, 2007: In lieu of Eastern Promises...

Opening today in New York and Los Angeles is David Cronenberg’s new film Eastern Promises. It stars Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, and Vincent Cassell, the former with whom Cronenberg worked on 2005’s exemplary A History of Violence. Unfortunately, I live in Minnesota, so like everyone else living in between NYC and L.A., I have to wait until the 21st, when the film opens wide, to see Cronenberg's new picture. To prevent withdrawals, I’ve decided to induct The Fly into The Definitives, giving readers their much-needed Cronenberg fix.

Of all David Cronenberg movies I could’ve chosen, perhaps it was an unoriginal pick to select his most popular film. The Fly is certainly not my favorite Cronenberg picture, though that’s irrelevant, as I’m a fan of all his work. But more than any other movie of his, it provides a profound allegory for themes present throughout his entire filmography—themes such as flesh vs. consciousness; the relationship among life, death, and sex; and disgust with the body. He does this while graphically mixing the science-fiction and horror genres, making us forget The Fly is a remake of a 1950s horror flick.

My article on The Fly concerns primarily how anatomy and psyche clash in the picture, as opposed to the film’s production history, which is, however, extremely significant. For example, though his name doesn’t appear on the credits, comedian and actor Mel Brooks helped produce the film. Brooks refused recognition on the opening titles, as to avoid any raised eyebrows from moviegoers wondering why the writer of Blazing Saddles would be producing a horror movie. Brooks also produced David Lynch’s The Elephant Man in 1980; his name was also removed to prevent awkward reception.

I’m particularly struck by The Fly’s small scale. There’s really only three characters, played by Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, and John Getz. Most of the “action” takes place in Seth Brundle’s loft. And for a horror movie, the majority of scares are purely visual or psychological, whereas other movies of this type might rely on the monster tearing its victims to shreds. We cringe at moments when Davis’ character watches as her lover’s ear fall off, and then afterwards tenderly embraces him despite the grotesqueness of his appearance and oozing orifices. We recoil at Brundle’s deteriorating body, like when his teeth fall out or fingernails peal off. And the film’s most shocking moment is a dream sequence wherein Davis’ character births an enormous larva.

Cronenberg doesn’t make grandiose pictures; his scope remains personal, and with The Fly, contained within a single body: Brundlefly. His camerawork is efficient, existing without flowery, superficial embellishments. His stories are focused, while his tone is meditative. His subjects are familiar, but given his presentation, which admittedly is disturbing, these directorial characteristics often read as unsettling for the viewer. “Cronenbergian” has been used to describe cinematic or literary moments where fiction gets under the skin of the viewer or reader, often in reference to an image or event concerning the body.

Even in terms of basic entertainment value, The Fly fixates audiences on its strong performances, impressive visuals, and romance storyline, which is disguised as horror movie escapism. My hope for Cronenberg’s upcoming Eastern Promises is that we’re given Cronenberg’s same intellectual approach to traditional entertainment. We’ll find out come September 21st. Until then, enjoy my Definitives entry on Cronenberg’s masterpiece The Fly.

Read The Definitives essay on The Fly

 

September 12th, 2007: Indiana Jones 4 has a name!

Production began some months ago on the mysterious fourth Indiana Jones project, despite the film being in the works for several years. Director Steven Spielberg, producer George Lucas, and star Harrison Ford agreed long ago to do another Indy film providing the story was worthy of the franchise's name. After a series of script drafts by a slew of different writers, finally the trio of talents settled on a script. Set pictures have surfaced here and there on the internet since it began filming. Detailed plot descriptions have yet to be released, though some online movie Web sites have speculated at great length. And until recently, when announced by Shia LaBeouf at the MTV Music Video Awards, the title was unknown. Several titles floated around the internet as possibilities, but now it’s finally confirmed: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will open in theaters in 2008.

My feelings towards this production are mixed. The Indiana Jones Trilogy has always been my favorite trio of films. They’re simple stories with an absolute hero (Indy) and absolute villains (Nazis, usually), sending up B-movie adventurer yarn with class. Filmed without benefit of elaborate, intrusive electronic special effects, there’s a tangibility and humanity to their action. They are the epitome of the word “adventure.” Part of me wishes the original, perfect Indy trilogy would remain its whole self, never tainted by some latent attempt to bank on a sure-fire franchise. Another part of me wants to revel in a new Indy storyline, but one that doesn’t appear like it was made twenty years after The Last Crusade.

Cast announcements were made earlier this year, and up until then I was outright skeptical, if not offended that they were making another sequel. However, some of today’s finest performers were cast in primary roles, making me “giddy as a schoolboy” to see this film: Ray Winstone (The Departed, Sexy Beast) was cast as Indy’s sidekick. Shia LaBeouf (Disturbia, Transformers) will play Indy’s greaser son. Karen Allen, Indy’s love from Raiders of the Lost Ark, will reprise her role as Marion Ravenwood, LaBeof’s character’s mother. And Cate Blanchett has been cast, though the specifics of her role are unclear—she has been seen garbed in a Russian military uniform, so possibly a villain. Other performers include John Hurt and Jim Broadbent.

Unfortunately, Sean Connery declined to return to the franchise as Indy’s father, given his recent retirement from acting; his departure was brought on by Connery’s lasting confusion over why The Avengers and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen both bombed.

Plot details remain sparse, which is a good thing, as I’d like to go into this one with as few preconceived notions as possible (although, check THIS out over at Aintitcool.com for an intriguing possibility). A few details are obvious: It takes place in the 1950s, roughly twenty years after the previous films. Indy is older. Shia LaBeouf will probably take over most of the action, as Ford may be getting too old for treasure hunting. But what is a “Crystal Skull”? Where is this “Kingdom” located? The “McGuffin” isn’t really important, I suppose; Dr. Jones’ chase to recover it is.

Frank Darabont wrote an initial screenplay draft that Spielberg and Ford were pleased with. But despite Darabont’s keen eye for strong storytelling—he adapted and directed Stephen Kings’ The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile—George Lucas (notoriously) rejected Darabont’s version. Various writers were hired over the years and filmmakers finally settled on a script by Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, and Mission: Impossible scribe David Koepp.

I desperately want to like Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, but the bad taste left in my mouth after George Lucas’ “Star Wars Prequel Trilogy” still makes me gag. I don’t want this movie to be about flashy modern filmmaking and CGI. I don’t want the previous three Indy pictures to be tainted in any way. I don't want to be able to see onscreen that this film was made for pure profitability (which, of course, it is). And yet, continuing the Indiana Jones story couldn’t be more exciting for me as a fan, especially if it lives up the admitted cool-as-hell title. Whatever the result, we find out on May 22, 2008.

 

September 6th, 2007: Owen Wilson and The Darjeeling Limited

The Comedian is a sad clown, covering up his or her troubled inner emotions with jokes and rubber chickens—a defense mechanism protecting a fevering, harsh internal reality. Think of Chris Farley, Mitch Hedberg, Sam Kinison, Lennny Bruce, Robin Williams, or the countless other comic figures to die tragic deaths or fight self-afflicting dependencies like alcoholism and drug addiction. Perhaps it is the irony of their duality, the two-sided face that makes them such tragic figures: one face with an ever-ready joke or sarcastic quip, the other crumbling from whatever ails them.

Owen Wilson recently made himself an entry on the sad clown list. On Sunday, August 26th, he attempted to commit suicide. Taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, police reports confirmed days later that Wilson did attempt to slit his wrists and swallow an overdose of pills. He returned home to Santa Monica, California, likely with endless publicity concerns from his “people”.

Why Wilson made such an attempt has been up for speculation. Aside from the whole sad clown curse, Wilson split from Kate Hudson in May after a brief relationship, who has since been attached to another comedian, Dax Shepard. And then there’s Steve Coogan, Wilson’s friend and co-star from Night at the Museum—he’s a known drug user and is blamed by some sources for getting Wilson hooked (the ex-rocker Courtney Love dated Coogan and claims she warned Wilson about hanging around with him). Coogan denies any involvement with Wilson’s decline, despite allegations.

This is old news for the most part, covered heavily in the entertainment media. I normally wouldn’t report on celebrities’ personal lives. In fact, I could care less about what so-and-so does with whomever, who’s dating who, and where Angelina Jolie went to grace poor children with her presence. I write this article because Wilson’s behavior may affect the release of Wes Anderson’s new film, The Darjeeling Limited, due out later this month.  

In the movie, Wilson plays one of three brothers (along with Jason Schwartzman and Adrien Brody) who travel across India in attempt to find themselves. Wilson has either acted in or co-written every Wes Anderson movie since the director started making movies back in 1996 with Bottle Rocket; the two were even nominated for a Best Screenplay Oscar for their work on The Royal Tenenbaums. I would be sorely disappointed should their new movie be delayed to avoid any awkward press in lieu of Wilson’s suicide attempt. Anderson is one of the few consistently great modern directors; moreover, he’s a unique voice in comedy.

Just after Wilson's incident, Anderson spoke about him at the Venice Film Festival, "We all miss having him here very much right now. Obviously he's been through quite a lot this week, but I can tell you that he's doing very well and making us laugh, and when he's ready he's going to speak for himself much better than any of us could. He's got a very good way with words."

To think that one of Anderson's films may not make its deserved business or may be in some way skewed by Wilson’s recent bad press is upsetting. The concern is that Wilson will be unable to attend press functions and give The Darjeeling Limited the publicity it deserves, or worse, the movie might have its release delayed due to such concerns. Even if it’s out of respect for Wilson, or because of insufficient advertising, it’s unfortunate if Anderson’s new movie has its release affected. I really don’t want to be finally seeing The Darjeeling Limited next March because of nervous executives. And how will the media coverage of Wilson’s suicide affect the film’s box office? Either moviegoers will flock to theaters to support their love for Wilson, or the stigma surrounding him will turn people off.  

Until an official statement from Fox, the distributors of The Darjeeling Limited, the film’s release date remains September 28th. I’ll be crossing my fingers that Owen Wilson keeps himself out of the press, or that date may change.