The Prodigal Son Returns

After what was, let's face it, a rather long and unnecessary absence, I've returned to my old film blog. Summer's come and gone, and, when you think about it, it was slightly disappointing for movies. There were some great new franchise starters [Transformers, The Simpsons Movie], some entertaining/exciting sequels [Pirates, Spider-Man, Bourne Ultimatum, Harry Potter], but also some real crap. Fantastic Four, Rush Hour and Shrek all came out with cash in hand, but with significantly dwindling reviews and feedback, and didn't live up to any anticipation/hype set around them. Nowadays, just slapping some people and FX on a screen does not a good movie make. The people behind these movies obviously didn't get the memo. It was a real shame, especially for Shrek The Third, which became the very thing it was trying to be different from, and was the big red cross in the previously enchanting, daring and hilarious record.

But now it's time to look on at the rest of the year. The Golden Compass is released towards the end of the year, and is undoubtedly going to be the christmas movie. But I don't want to have to think forward that far yet. In the next couple of weeks, I'm certainly looking forward to Disturbia and Superbad, both of which did very well at the American box office and have been given surprisingly positive reviews. It appears Judd Apatow is the flavour of the month. Ratatouille, the next Pixar movie, also looks brilliant. After Cars, it looks like a definite return to form, and is a contender for Oscar nominations.

This week I've been keeping my eye on Kevin Smith. Anyone that knows me is likely to have heard me quote his movies at some point, and this week he's finished the script for his forthcoming "horror" movie, Red State. He has two projects planned - a comedy [Zack and Miri Make a Porno] and Red State, which he says is a "horror movie, but not a traditional horror movie". I can't wait for it - Smith claims that it's completely different from anything he's done before. Here are some quotes that I've picked up, of people describing the script:
"It's so bleak"
"it's a helluva provocative script"
Maybe not "snootchie bootchies" then...

But that's definitely one to watch out for. My thoughts about the plotline are thus: maybe about politics, giving power to the wrong people, and the world/economy going down the drain as a result. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. It's no secret that I love Kevin Smith, so you can expect lots of updates from me.

I guess that's all for today.

A Quick [Stop] Update

Kevin Smith fans are currently awaiting horror movie Red State, his next project, but here's a little update about his project for after that. Titled "Zack and Miri Make A Porno", Smith's returning to comedy, and he says it's "dirty, with nudity". He's hoping to cast Rosario Dawson in the lead part, but she hasn't read the script yet...

BBFC Ratings

Only a quick update - some of the year's bigger movies have been rated by the BBFC. Ocean's 13 has been given a PG, and Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer has also been given a PG.
Some Ocean's 13 reviews are out now on Empire Online, Total Film and BBC Movies all have reviews. The overall opinion seems to be that this is definitely better than Ocean's 12, and is a good, entertaining flick. However, there are some negative opinions flying around. Currently, Rotten Tomatoes's average is 69%, and IMDB's user rating is 7.2/10

Also, If you're a Kevin Smith fan, it's worth subscribing to his Podcast, which he runs with his producer Scott Mosier, called Smodcast. It can be found on iTunes and on Quick Stop Entertainment. WARNING - This podcast is not for the faint hearted. There is a LOT of strong language, and lots of talk about sex, drugs and stuff. But it is very funny.