10 February 2000

NO DANCE KEEPS DANCING TOO: A popular refugee from No Dance was Brad Morris' Moses vs. Godzilla. In just 6 short minutes, Morris manages to parody The Ten Commandments, Godzilla movies, Hollywood and special effects flicks in one neat package. Of course, the irony is that unlike other films that end up at Park City, Moses vs. Godzilla can never be sold. Alas, Godzilla is owned by another and that other ain't coughing up rights.

The story of Brad Morris is actually the most interesting part of this story. Brad works as an animator at DreamWorks by day and devilishly created this monster-osity at home by night, with the help of those who love him (or at least put up with him.) When you read about the future of film, this is closer to what people are talking about than most. The effects aren't exactly Michael Bay level, but they are better than what you would have seen in any Godzilla movie or really virtually any movie until the last couple of years. When Moses shoots fire out of his staff (Ouch! It hurt just writing that!), it looks like the real thing. And when Godzilla returns fire…WATCH OUT! Anyway, you can get a glimpse of the past, the current and the future by going to the GVM Website.

THE CASTING COUCH: It was good news and bad news this week. The good news was that Kelly Lynch has taken a role in Charlie's Angels: The Movie. I have to assume that Lynch is playing a foxy bad girl, pushing the Angels to the edge. A perfect role for Lynch, who has that slightly-past-girl-showbiz-anger-thing down to a tee. Less comprehensible is Chris Klein taking the former James Caan role in the Rollerball remake. Don't get me wrong. I'm a big Chris Klein fan. But isn't he a bit young to be the veteran tough guy with something to prove? Maybe the new version is going to make it such a young man's game that the barely-old-enough-to-drink Klein is nearing the end of his career. Logan's Run meet Rollerball. Perhaps Mena Suvari will be his dried up old wife?

GOTTA LOVE THIS GUY: Chuck Lorre, who's become famous on TV for dealing with Cybill Shepherd and for writing bizarre messages at the end of each episode of "Dharma & Greg" that require taping and freeze-framing to read, has found a new way to amuse…well, amuse me, at least. Lorre sent out a news release on Tuesday offering to buy Universal Studios for $1 million. See, "I like the Back to the Future ride, so I'd like to be able to go on it whenever I want." He also made the important point that CityWalk is "a great opportunity even if you level the whole darn thing and build condos." The Hollywood Reporter reports (as I guess it should, given its name) that Lorre last attempted to buy Universal a decade ago for $100,000. Inflation! (And by the way, you can now read all of Lorre's secret messages.)

READER OF THE DAY: Santa writes: "Scream 3 sucked. Fine. But Arlington Road? What was wrong with that picture? The producers screwed that film. I thought it was excellent. A twisty script with great performances and souped up direction. We will see with Reindeer Games if Kruger can do it again. I think he can and I think he will deliver some other great scripts."

Donner writes: "Dave…It's margarita time!!! Go get a tasty one and enjoy yourself silly...then call a cab and go home... Things happen...people die...its sucks...and life goes on...maybe it's time to watch Delicatessen again..."

E ME: Any other Christmas related readers out there?