June 17, 2003

I love the new S.W.A.T. trailer…

Clark Johnson is best known as an actor, after years on Homicide: Life on the Street. But through all the quick cutting and effects in the trailer for his new film, S.W.A.T., you can feel the low tech, high-character tone that he seems to have set for the film. Of course, you never know until you see the movie. But the feel is right. It looks like a straight forward thriller with a young, hot cast, led by Sam Jackson, Colin Farrell and Michelle Rodriguez, who seems to have gotten all the really good lines. (Don't worry, wee lasses. Farrell still tops everyone with that killer smile.)

But the new trailer is not all that I saw and liked about the marketing for this film on Monday. While driving away from the studio, I saw a billboard for the movie that seemed almost like a response to the Charlie's Angels billboards that have been around for a while. You know the ones, which try to simulate the Angels bursting through the billboard on a motorbike, a surfboard or with a flamethrower? They are cool looking, but the "I've broken through the billboard" schtick doesn't play.

The new S.W.A.T. billboard uses the real billboard backing and just sticks the letters and periods up against it. It looks almost like graffiti from a distance. Really cool. Like the look of the film… low tech and smart.

All things considered, I am already liking this Columbia summer much, much better than last year's record breaker. It is possible that I will change my mind when I see some of the films. But it feels, somehow, more appealing and less assaultive.

JUST A THOUGHT: When I saw that Danny Huston was coming aboard The Aviator cast, the first thing I thought was, "Man, wouldn't this guy make a much better Howard Hughes than Leonardo DiCaprio?" I am not a DiCaprio basher, but there is something… how to say it… movie star-ish about DiCaprio that always strikes me as not Hughes-ish. From what I've read, there was a little more quirk there.

GOODBYE: Some Hollywood couples seem so connected that the loss of one makes you feel like you have lost both. So when Hume Cronyn passed away, it was almost as though he was already gone. His wife, Jessica Tandy, passes away almost nine years ago. Cronyn has done some good work since 1994. But the pairing was magical. She has been missed. He will be missed.

MEA SLEEPA: The second half of today's column will be up sometime this morning… be there or be somewhere else…

MEA WAKEA: Here's some more...

SINGIN' WITH STEVIE: The great mystery of this moment in Hollywood is which musical Steven Spielberg will end up making. For all the jibber jabbering of producers who want to be loved like Marty Richards was for Chicago, the reality is still that the right director, the right stars and the right project is as much the key now as ever. There are a few directors who can power a film into getting made. Spielberg is one of those, obviously. But then the question about him was, what project would be special enough to attract Spielberg.

Well, the holy grail of movie musical opportunities is Stephen Sondheim. Others are tough in holding their rights. Sondheim is brutal.

There was a time when the perfect director for Sweeney Todd, Tim Burton, seemed to be moving towards that goal. But then Burton's personal life took him in another direction. Hopefully, Big Fish will bring him back to the full fledged A-list and off A-list Trouble Island.

And now, Variety reports that Spielberg and Walter Parkes are heading to London to meet with the only Steve more legendary than Mr. Spielberg. And the truth is, I would much rather see Spielberg do a movie of Follies or Pacific Overtures… something that would push Spielberg, who still has room to grow. He can do Sweeney in his sleep. I want to see the gritty Aronofsky version of Sweeney… the psychological floor show of a Soderbergh Sweeney… a truly over-the-top Ridley Scott version of Sweeney.

The other rumor that went with the Sondheim story was that Spielberg is flirting with City of Angels, which could certainly be the on-screen musical that Hugh Jackman is looking to do. (Jackman will play the late, great Peter Allen on Broadway in the fall.) But again, the director I want to see do that one, which will surely feature actors in duel roles on screen, is Robert Zemeckis. He has the sense of humor for it and the visual skills.

I would kill to see an animated version of Into The Woods. Man, that would be a ballsy make and a challenging movie with the potential to go through the roof.

But Spielberg's strong sense of nostalgia and his increasing sense of irony makes Follies, a forever "troubled" show, a perfect match. To make it work as a complete work would be a legendary feat, worthy of both men, Spielberg and Sondheim.

One last note… Sunday in the Park with George should never be attempted as a movie. It is great theater. It is not meant for the screen.

BUSEY: Having hung out with Gary Busey a few drunken times, many years ago, I will be pleased to have a show that I can Tivo and slow down with the hope of understanding him. If his ideas can ever be translated, he may be the man to bring peace to the Middle East.

TOMORROW: Watch out, you puny humans!!! Hulk Review!!!

READER OF THE DAY: COOL FOOL writes: "I completely accept all forms of advertising as an attempt to best position a vehicle to its targeted audience. And I love great logos, trailers and print ads. They can be artistic little things in and of themselves.

I usually approach publicity as a real skeptic. If Harrison Ford is willing to talk about his romance with Calista Flockhart on network morning shows, I can be pretty sure that he, his studio and most of the world knows his movie's about to tank.

When the Charlie's Angels girls are giggling in each others arms for 3 minutes on ET, EXACTLY the way they did the last go around, I smell a rat.

And when The Today show spends 5 days interviewing anyone and everyone connected to a movie, I know that even if it's a failure, it gets Oscar nominations for Art Design and Supporting Actress.

But the biggest problem with publicity is that so many outlets get exactly the same material, that a movie with a big PR machine can smack you senseless with over coverage.

Is there a human being alive who can't quote line and verse Renee Zellweger's transformation into a musical comedy star? That kind of thing ends up damaging the appeal of a movie for me."

E ME:: Damn! I need some reader mail worth printing!!!