Film Guide

According to a number of sources, a sequel to the US$450 Million grossing movie 300 may be in the works. Surprised? So are we. 300 was a stand-alone story based on a graphic novel, loosely based on the historical Battle of Thermopylae. Also, most everyone dies in the movie.

So a sequel seems rather bizarre, and a prequel seems some what boring.

So where is the movie studio getting it’s ideas from? Well it appears that Frank Miller might be writing a brand new graphic novel just so a movie can be made.

Yawn.

According to the New York Times, George Lucus thinks that Indy 4 was rather pointless, he’s quoted as saying:

“I mean, why do we have to make another Indiana Jones? There was no point to it, other than, gee, this might be fun.”

Way to go, George.

Tintin and Dambusters are in Peter Jackson’s sights – now that he has finished shooting The Lovely Bones.

The first of the three Tintin movies Jackson will make with Steven Spielberg will begin shooting in September, and filming is likely to begin on Dambusters early next year.

Actor Andy Serkis, who will play Captain Haddock in the Tintin films, told BBC radio that filming will begin in September in Los Angeles, with Spielberg as director and Jackson as producer.

Serkis, best known for Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, said Jackson will direct the second Tintin adventure, and Jackson and Spielberg may jointly direct the third.

A spokesman for Jackson told The Dominion Post shooting Dambusters was “likely to commence early next year”.

Jackson’s The Lovely Bones was in post production and would be released some time between September and November next year, he said.

Plans for Jackson’s $US40 million movie about the the famous assault were announced in September 2006. Jackson, who is producing the Christian Rivers-directed film, has said shooting was possible this year.

British actor and writer Stephen Fry had written the script, a remake of the 1955 film The Dam Busters, but the cast still had to be announced.

At least a half-dozen other films made or partly made in New Zealand are due to be released later this year.

Vincent Ward’s Rain of the Children, Simu Urale’s Apron Strings and Gregory King’s A Song of Good premiere in the Wellington and Auckland film festivals.

At least another six, including Titanic director James Cameron’s Avatar, are due to be released next year.

Other films likely to be shot later this year included one on champion weightlifter Precious McKenzie and Wellington film-maker Taika Waititi’s second feature The Volcano.

However, plans to start shooting Under the Mountain have been delayed after British company Capitol Films withdrew substantial funding for the project at the last minute.

The film version of Maurice Gee’s novel, tipped to star Sam Neill and directed by Black Sheep’s Jonathan King, was to have started shooting in Auckland last month and was then delayed till August.

But plans were now on hold while the writers and producers approach the Screen Production Investment Fund for more money.

King said they were waiting on a “key funding decision”.

Films in various stages of development included Land of the Lost, Radio Pirates, Dominion Post cartoonist Tom Scott’s Separation City and a film on race car champion Bruce McLaren.

Producer Tim Sanders (Whale Rider and Perfect Creature) earlier this year said he was working on six potential projects, including a $US100 million sci-fi film and a $20 million feature on the life of Jean Baptiste Pompallier, the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland. [stuff]

To go in the draw to win 4 Tickets to see Prince Caspain, just tell us the name of the following movie:

I am a Horror Movie

One of my stars also appeared in Forrest Gup and The Jeff Foxworthy Show.

I use the colour red to signify ghostly happening.

My director, M. Night Shyamalan, has a cameo as a doctor.

A boy who communicates with spirits seeks help of a disheartened child psychologist, played by Bruce Willis.

I feature the whisper, “I see dead people.”

Thanks to Disney we have two sets (one for Reading Cinemas, one for Hoytts Cinemas) of 4 passes to Prince Caspian to give away. Simply email filmguide with either Reading or Hoytts in the subject line and your answer in the email. Winning entries will be emailed next Sunday (6th July) to ask for a postal address.

Cashback is a quirky little story about what happens when you stop and take notice of what’s going on around you. When Art Student Ben Willis mentions to his long time girl friend that he doesn’t think he’s making her happy, she lets rip in a beautifully filmed stream of verbal abuse and occasional physical abuse – all filmed from the retrospective perspective of Ben as he recounts the event.

Ben becomes quite traumatised by the event that he starts suffering from extreme insomnia, not being able to fall asleep at night, period. Finding that he has an extra eight hours to pass he decides to take a night shift at the local supermarket. It’s here that the movie gets really quirky and interesting, when Ben discovers he hs a secret power; Ben can make time stand still whilst.

Being an art student, Ben makes use of this ability by posing unaware shoppers and drawing them, re-starting time when he’s had enough drawing. He also uses his powers to play a couple of practical jokes on his work mates.

Then there’s Sharon, the check out girl. Everyone is after her, including the Boss, but it’s Ben she’s got her eye on, and though a predictable relationship Ben recovers his ability to sleep, but at the same time discovers that stopping time can’t save him when what really counts is the time that people are looking at you as well as the time they are not.

Cashback is a wonderful cinematic experience, beautifully filmed with some wonderful scene transitions. It’s also a highly original and feel good movie. It does however have some explicit nudity that may offend some viewers.

Food for thought:
“Love is there if you want it to be, you just have to see that it’s wrapped in beauty and hidden away between the seconds of your life. If you don’t stop for a minute you might miss it”. – Ben

Reviewed by: Jonathan Read.
Rating: R16 – Contains Sexual Themes & Nudity.
Duration: 102 mins.
Genre: Indie & Festival.
Director: Sean Ellis.
Actors: Emilia Fox, Shaun Evans , Sean Biggerstaff, Michelle Ryan, Stuart Goodwin.
Distributor: Madman.
Release Date: Available now.