Saturday, August 8th, 2009

With the upcoming release of Neill Blomkamp and producer Peter Jackson's science fiction film District 9 upon us, there has been a lot of talk of the origins of the film, as the movie came to fruition during the development of a big screen adaptation of the XBox game, Halo (More on what happened from Halo to District 9 tomorrow). Of course, I don't think any fan of the genre is terribly upset that the development hell of the immensely popular video game adaptation spawned what looks to be an incredible work; however, it has sparked a good bit of conversation on if we'll ever actually see Master Chief grace the big screen. I have always been a Nintendo enthusiast, using Sony as a dirty, artistically beautiful mistress, leaving no room for the ring of death gamble, so an adaptation of the game isn't moistening my pants exactly. Yet, when it was announced that Jackson would be behind the film, it caught my attention, and now, the new rumor, via IESB, is that Steven Spielberg will be taking the reigns as producer of the film after falling in love with Stuart Beattie's screenplay treatment. Will this spark the interest of the broad cinephile spectrum again? I am also curious to find out if hardcore fans of the game are stoked about this. I mean, really, how could they not at least be slightly excited. Given, I would take Jackson over Spielberg, but we're not exactly talking about a Uwe Boll here. As a note, I realize the picture is of Spielberg holding the Nintendo Wii game, Boom Blox Bash Party, in which he actually developed. It would have been more relevant to show him holding a copy of Halo, or at the very least BioShock, which the aforementioned article brings up as proof that Spielberg is a bit of a gamer. So, in short, Google Image failed me.

Aside from Halo, there is really no other cinema news worth repeating, so I thought I'd take this time of empty space to share a few articles I was reading about John Hughes before I decided to look up the day's happenings. First, ABC News has an article counting down the top five musical moments of the late director's films. Paste Magazine counts down the top ten films written by the very underrated Hughes, the list being topped by The Breakfast Club. The true testament to how influential and awesome Hughes was, is that as much of a staple as The Breakfast Club is, that spot is almost debatable. Finally, here is the ghetto scene from National Lampoon's Vacation, which was written by Hughes. In fact, it was the short story this film was based upon, Vacation '58, that kick started his career at National Lampoon Magazine. Enjoy, and once again, rest in peace.


P.S., ToyRocket has a decent sale. I find it relevant enough to this blog, as plenty of film merchandise and collectables a splayed across the sale.

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

I mentioned yesterday that I may not post due to a new life being brought into the world by a couple of friends of mine, yet I changed my mind after I was completely crushed tonight to read that one of the great film directors, John Hughes, has left the world today, via a heart attack at the age of 59. The former writer for National Lampoon Magazine ruled the 1980's, as the quintessential director and writer of the decade. His genius may be disputed by some, as he never garnered an Academy Award, nor did he keep a fan base comparable to the likes of George Lucas or Peter Jackson. But if your age 20-40, and can honestly say that nothing that came from the creative mind of John Hughes has not affected you, or weaseled its way into your everyday dialogue, then you're a liar or completely out of touch with the technology of film or television.

Hughes directed eight films, among them Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Uncle Buck. The man also penned the aforementioned films, along with a few other films coming from the imagination and pen of Hughes, despite not being in the director's chair, such as the National Lampoon's Vacation films, Pretty in Pink, The Great Outdoors and Home Alone. The thought that somebody could take a road trip without uttering the pure comical genius that came from Hughes' script of the Griswald's many travel misfortunes is heartbreaking. To fathom the thought of future generations not getting their first sexual thrill with the first appearance Kelly LeBrock after mixing a bit of Albert Einstein and David Lee Roth is folly. The thought of a world, in which a child being sent to his first detention didn't try to channel the spirit of Judd Nelson in unbelievable. And to be in a dating world knowing that the girl of your dreams hasn't at one time pictured herself as Molly Ringwald is just plain sad. The world, the future of comedy and cinema, will never be what it once was, and there never will be another John Hughes. Rest in peace.

In other news, Machete confirmed some of the casting rumors, sans Jonah Hill. The rumored Cheech Marin, Michelle Rodriguez, Don Johnson, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Alba and Robert De Niro have all been locked in according to Cinematical. The awkwardness and extreme polar differences between the cast is picture perfect for an exploitation film. Sure, we can gripe and complain, but in the end, this isn't supposed to be an Oscar contender, and with those names, along with the basic premise of Danny Trejo and his deadly machetes, how can we not be entertained?

Also, IWatchStuff has the new trailer for Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, a high fantasy vampire novel adaptation starring John C. Reilly. That brief description is enough to get me in the seats.

Finally, I'm going to end with a video I found on YouTube set to The Who, featuring the films of Hughes. I'm sure there will be better tributes in the coming days, but try not to get emotional watching this. Such a sad day.