February 28, 2003

The most boring week in recent film history is over... 

The only real news this week involved rape, murder and a cardigan.  Sure, Fox got an Elektra complex, Josh Hartnett gave up his one shot at ever being remembered past his 40^th birthday and John Calley got another extension.  The only story that was really exciting was Carnahan getting M:I3… but of course, he hasn’t responded to my congratulatory e-mail.  He’s gone Hollywood already!!!  (kidding)

On Thursday, I did catch a TV showing of a wonderful documentary from a few years back, Amargosa.   A really lovely, rich, intimate portrait of a woman who has chosen to live in the desert in order to create a wonderland for her performance art.  The film barely got released.  It made the Oscar shortlist, but did not become a nominee.   But if you see it in your video store or on TV, give it a chance.  It’s almost the antithesis of The Hours.  If this was what the Julianne Moore character had done when she ran away, all would be forgiven.  (For more info, go to the website by clicking on the title above.)

WEEKEND PREVIEW:  This weekend, there is one new wide entry into the market, DMX’s latest, Cradle 2 The Grave.  I had an interesting chat with a friend about DMX.  They are worried about DMX’s personal life and the decisions he makes for himself.  I honestly don’t know much about him, but the person who had something to say is usually right about things.  That’s sad, since it is turning out that DMX is an actual box office draw.

He’s been in all three of Andrzej Bartkowiak’s films as a director.  The two that have been released did $52 million and $56 million.  DMX’s “name” partners in each, Steven Seagal and Jet Li, have not done as well on their own as of late.  Seagal’s last film, Half Past Dead, with Morris Chestnut in the DMX slot, did only $16 million.  Jet Li’s The One, did “only” $44 million and his film before that, Kiss of The Dragon, did “only” $37 million. 

I don’t think you would qualify Blade II in the same category, even though there was a lot of fighting.  And The Tuxedo wasn’t really an action movie… more of a family comedy.  But those were the only two films anywhere close to this genre to break $50 million in 2002.  DMX’s Exit Wounds was the only one to break $50 million in 2001, unless you count the comedic Rush Hour II.  IN 2000, there was the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon phenomenon and DMX’s Romeo Must Die.  Nothing in 1999, unless you count The Matrix.  Rush Hour and Blade in 1998. 

That’s it. 

DMX has been in every urban kick flick to beat $50 million in the last five years.  And so far, he hasn’t missed in a studio release.  He’s not a $100 million man, but he seems to really matter somehow.  I wish him the best.

 

WEEKEND GUESSTIMATES

1. Cradle 2 the Grave - 2625 venues – new - $19 million

2. Old School – 2742 venues – off 47 percent - $9.3 million

3. Daredevil – 3234 venues – off 55 percent - $8.1 million

4. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days – 2923 venues – off 42 percent - $6.7 million

5. Chicago – 2447 venues – off 33 percent - $5.5 million

6. The Jungle Book 2 – 2814 venues – off 53 percent - $4.1 million

7. Shanghai Knights – 2515 venues – off 45 percent - $3.58 million

8. The Life of David Gale – 2003 venues – off 50 percent - $3.56 million

9. Gods and Generals – 1533 venues – off 38 percent - $3 million

10. Dark Blue – 2176 venues – off 43 percent - $2.2 million

READER OF THE DAY:  It’s Guys & Dolls Casting Day!!!

THE CHAPEL HEEL writes:  “It will never happen, but from a producer's standpoint, Tom Cruise would make an ideal Nathan Detroit. He probably can't sing very well, but that didn't stop Richard Gere. Cruise has the acting chops to handle the role, and the latter scenes where Nathan is pleading with Adelaide could convey true emotional honesty. He would be a huge draw and he played the character in a high school production long ago.”

ROGERS WILL WRITE writes:  “I hereby submit a list of names of movie/television actors who have been rumored to or have already proved that they can sing and/or dance: 

Michelle Pfeiffer (s), Hugh Jackman (s&d -and I'm told he's a born musical star from friends that have seen him do it), Charlize Theron (d), Heath Ledger (s&d), Alan Cumming (s), Gina Gershon (s&d), Goldie Hawn (s&d), Eric McCormack (s), Sarah Jessica Parker (s), Taye Diggs (s&d), Toni Collette (s&d -superb when I saw her on Broadway), Molly Ringwald (s), Zooey Deschanel (s), Juliette Lewis (s in 3 films now she's sung and sung well), Megan Mullaly (s -astonishing voice!), Kathy Bates (s), Kirsten Dunst (s -during the credits of The Cat's Meow and beautifully.), and of course

Catherine Zeta-Jones

And then you've got some musical theaters talents who have worked extensively in films and/or TV and in musical theater: Bernadette Peters, Matthew Broderick, Mandy Patinkin, Bette Midler, Ellen Greene, Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth, Jason Alexander

And then you've got a whole pool of terrific stage talents that MIGHT be able to transfer to the movies (it's always tough to call with actors if they have "crossover" -but isn't this what screen tests are for?) the delectable Sherie Rene Scott (soon to be seen in Marci X), the stellar Audra McDonald (currently wasting her time on that awful new West Wing ripoff), Kristin Chenoweth, Craig Bierko, Alice Ripley, Heather Headley, Brian Stokes

Mitchell, Marin Mazzie, Anthony Rapp, Jennifer Laura Thompson, the hilarious and feisty siblings Sutter and Hunter Foster, Norbert Leo Butz, etc...

I'm a big musical fan but if the genre is going to be truly back -It needs fresh blood -not just cute experimentation with movie stars. We'll know the genre is fully alive when it offers up a new movie star principally of the music variety (a la Julie Andrews in the 60s)”

McFAN writes:  “Would Nathan Lane do Nicely-Nicely? He did, after all, star as Nathan

Detroit in the Broadway revival, and chose his stage name because of a desire to be Nathan Detroit. But he would make a great Nicely-Nicely for the screen...hmmm. It does have to be someone heavy, or at least has traditionally been cast that way.

And Jennifer Garner as Sarah Brown? BRILLIANT. Though her SNL stint wasn't the funniest (not necessarily her fault), she showed she has a strong voice by performing "My Funny Valentine" as part of her opening monologue.”

McNOT writes:  “As far as G&D, why not mix it up with the race?  Now THAT would be interesting.  As much as I disliked Chicago, it was nice to see Queen Latifah and Taye Diggs up there.   And speaking of which, how do you leave Taye Diggs off the list?  Granted he's not the draw of Smith, Denzel, etc., but he's originally a theatre guy (had the pleasure of seeing him in the original cast of Rent) and has charm and charisma to spare.  (Not to mention he would bring down the above-the-line.)  I'd like to see him as Detroit, playing off of Hugh Jackman's Masterson.  After hearing Garner sing on SNL, she could definitely play Sarah Brown...and I say find a newcomer for Adelaide...”

THE ROCCCK writes in about Nicely-Nicely:  “Jack Black. The man's funny, sturdy, can Sing, and has potential greatness in him ........”

NOT LENNIE’S WIFE writes:  “On your Adelaide casting:  the character needs to be a bit older, or at least older-seeming, than the people you've suggested, otherwise the whole eternal engagement thing between Nathan and Adelaide doesn't work.  Toni Collette, though, could probably do it.  So could Renee Zellweger.  Forget Tara Reid and others of her ilk.  Reese in 10 more years, maybe? Sky:  Definitely Hugh Jackman.  (Peter Gallagher did a great job in the last Broadway revival . . . )”

DORKY PSUEDONYM GUY is even more succinct:  “Re. your GUYS & DOLLS casting picks--your proposed Nathan Detroits are all very good choices, but, in light of the amount of time that Nathan and Adelaide are supposed to have been together by the time the show begins, don't you think your Adelaides (well, except perhaps for Collette and I guess Detmer, who, per the IMDB, is a few years older than I thought she was) are way too young for the part? I can definitely see people being majorly, majorly creeped out by the notion of Mel Gibson and Reese Witherspoon or Travolta and Tara Reid playing a couple who're supposed to have been engaged for 14 years! I'm just sayin...”

THE CRACKERS write:  “There's one successful actor I think you should have as a possible "Guys & Dolls" cast member: Ewan McGregor.  The guy obviously wants to be in musicals. Aside from "Moulin Rouge," remember his number in "A Life Less Ordinary"?  Personally, I think he'd be great as Nathan Detroit.”

And AA offers a chat that would be great and sell three tickets:  “And who would you cast for Guys & Dolls?

Adelaide - Kristin Chenoweth
Sky Masterson - Anthony La Paglia
Nathan Detroit - Andy Garcia
Sergeant Sarah Brown - Samantha Morton
Nicely Nicely - David Alan Grier

> And what stars would you love to see in musical roles?

Jon Voight, Angelina Jolie, Kate Hudson, Samuel L. Jackson, Anna Paquin,

Philip Seymour Hoffman”

As we head into the weekend, ORBISON’S OBSESSION writes:  “an observation:  theo du la glade makes a valid point about matt stalking electra, then he/she goes on to state 'what if girls are watching this, what will they take away from this'...yada yada yada... 

a better question would be: 'what will all the young MEN watching this behavior take from this?'

theo dlg's well-intentioned letter is an example of a disturbing trend in our patriarchal society to place disproportionate responsibility on the shoulders of women to deal with these matters.  it's as if the perception is that it is somehow inevitable that men will behave like freaks and predators, and the onus is on teaching women how deal with these situations, to their peril.  what crap!  why not concentrate on shifting the focus to boys and young men, on teaching them what is acceptable behavior toward woman (and people in general), and stop accepting bad male behavior as if it's preordained.  in my opinion, this is just selling men short. 

as the mother of a young son, this scene in daredevil is disturbing because it shows the 'hero', a 'nice' young man, disregarding a woman saying 'no' and pursuing her even when she's trying to get away.  this is troubling not for the subconscious message contained therein to the girls in the audience, it's the boys we should be worried about.”

And DK Jazzy Jeff writes:  “As for a director for the Elektra movie my vote will be for Julie Taymor or Guillermo Del Toro.  I have not seen the Daredevil movie yet, so I am not directly the following comments to it.  But instead of the weak and generic comic book hero movie with its one liner’s and senseless action sequences, how about a well rounded movie that really tries to explore the character, who is she and how she came to be.  I think that Julie and Guillermo will have the passion and vision to really put together a great comic book movie. But the real question is will the studio give those directors the opportunity to try with the Elektra Movie or just bow to the formula, money maker format?  We have to remember that the Daredevil and Elektra Movies are studio products to be sold and not art forms to be appreciated.  I guess the real question is can they be both?”

E ME:  What’s next?