News I Stole from Magazines I Read

Sep 072010

This is important: I’m not a reporter. I’ve never spoken to any famous actors. I’ve never gone to a movie screening. I’ve never interviewed an unknown director on his up and coming breakout hit movie. So if I’m breaking news, you know it’s because I stole it straight from the pages of people who actually DO work. Still, I had to sit and read the magazine next to the incredibly obnoxious grad students in the Borders coffee shop AS WELL AS the loud, slap-happy chess club.

BUT, first thing’s first. Luc Besson made his splash in the United States in 1994 with his hit-man with a heart of gold thriller, Leon, a.k.a. The Professional. Since then, he’s directed 3 of my personal favorite movies (The Fifth Element, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc and Angel-A) and one horrible, horrible children’s cartoon (Arthur and the Invisibles), and for awhile, it looked like he was going to do nothing but finish out the mini-world CG Arthur universe trilogy. Which had me stewing in Besson-withdrawl. But, as luck would have it, while engaged in my grueling research, I discovered a movie-poster for The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec. Set in France in 1911, it follows the adventures of the graphic novel character created by Jacques Tardi, Adele Blanc-Sec as she hunts down a pterodactyl. Nice. It’s like if Luc Besson did The Mummy. Only … with a dinosaur… and in France. whatever

Other cool news! I love John Cusack in everything but Serendipity. And his most recent work in War Inc. and 1408 and 2012 is keeping up with his immortal 80s movies. And next up, he stars in James McTeigue’s (V for Vendetta and Ninja Assassin) The Raven as the great American author Edgar Allen Freaking Poe. YES! (<- That’s supposed to be in Marv Albert’s voice) The movie follows the team of Poe and an as yet unnamed detective as they track down a serial killer whose murderous methodology mirrors the events in Poe’s stories in the last several days in the life of the author of the story after which the title of the movie is taken. No trailer yet, but I’ll be on the lookout.

In other film news, the Venice Film Festival (being presided over by Jury President Quentin Tarantino along with other assorted Italian movie people. Also Danny Elfman) opened this week with the premier of Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller Black Swan, which early reviews are calling, “good.” And considering his track record with The Fountain, The Wrestler and Pi, is high on my list of winter movies to see. Other films making their debut this weekend are Julie Taymor’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest (which I honestly thought would never actually be made, but I’m psyched – If you haven’t checked out Across the Universe or her other Shakespearean adaptation Titus, do so), along with the new film from German director Tom Tykwer (director of the totally awesome Lola Rennt and Perfume as well as the totally disappointing The International) Drei. Three in English. Tres in Spanish. Trois in French. Tre in Italian. Drie in Dutch. Tri in Russian. Tria in Greek. Anyway, it should be an awesome festival.