More than seven years have passed since Baz Luhrmann directed Moulin Rouge! The pop musical set in turn-of-the-century Paris brought the musical genre back to life. Now can Luhrmann do the same for the romantic epic with Australia?
I’ve tried hard to ignore the picture, expecting the worst if my expectations get too high. I’m generally quite skilled at managing my own expectations ahead of a release. But this one is getting to me. When the trailer came out, I watched it 5 times before I told myself to stop. (You can see it here. Damn it! I watched it again.) Still, 20th Century Fox keeps feeding me little bread crumbs that I can’t help gobbling up.
I mean, check out this poster released today:
Luhrmann’s movies have a startling power. As cynical as I can be, every single film he has produced gets to that hopeless romantic in me. Hell, I saw Moulin Rouge! 10 times in the theater when it was released. Because I’m paying my own bills now, I am praying that Australia doesn’t have the same effect on me.
Luhrmann’s Australia, starring Aussies Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, hits theaters on Nov. 14.
With $459 million dollars in the bank as of yesterday, The Dark Knight is sure to make history today. It will become the second-highest grossing film of all time beating out Star Wars. The Force is strong with this one.
Next up: Becoming only the second film in history to cross the $500 million mark domestically. The way things are going, it should hit that number in a week and a half.
Just when you thought WB was done making loads of cash for the year, here comes Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The teaser trailer hit the Internets today. The film hits theaters on Nov. 21.
I’m in the process of catching up on all the Comic-Con info after a long four days of working with no easy Internet access. I didn’t even have a chance to catch new The X Files movie, which is getting mixed to average reviews.
In my down time yesterday, I did watch the second disk of The X Files: Revelations, which has so many great episodes it will be hard for the movie to compete. I get the feeling from the DVD set that much of the film is going to focus hardcore on Mulder and Scully’s relationship. We’ll see what happens.
Okay, I was a little miffed at the idea of a Scream 4, but I cannot even describe how monumentally screwed up this news is.
That’s right. MTV is remaking Rocky Horror Picture Show.
This has to stop. NOW. There are certain things that are untouchable. There are certain films that stay as they are forever. Rocky Horror Picture Show one of them. Hell, it isn’t even out of theaters. It’s still playing across the country. Here in the Cleve, Rocky Horror night is the first Saturday of ever month at the Cedar Lee.
Not only is the idea of a remake just outrageous, it doesn’t even make sense. This soulless, corporatized tripe from the network that broadcast Legally Blonde: The Musical (which I like, but…) will be Hot Topic of movie musicals. Lonely, branded, posing pop trash. Forget the call backs. Forget the communal spirit of a RHPS crowd. Forget the lingerie. Forget it all.
Part of me wants not to be upset. Like most basic cable programming, this telefilm will likely be lost down the line while RHPS is still playing in theaters. It’s a film I love to think the kids are willing to discover and embrace the way I did.
So, you know what you have to do creatures of the night. Here’s an address to get you started.
MTV Networks
c/o MTV Studios
1515 Broadway
New York, New York 10036
(Ironically, I got that address from a parents’ TV watchdog group.)
If you don’t want to see Janet played by Miley Cyrus, make some goddamn noise. The article suggests a Halloween 2009 TV debut. Not much time, but I’ll be damned if I live to see this bastardization of Rocky Horror Picture Show.
