As far as I’m concerned, everything that McKay and Ferrell say about the story for the upcoming Anchorman 2 is suspect at best, because they’re most definitely of the sort that will screw with us just because they can. They’ve even mentioned the possibility that the film would be a musical at one point. The movie is happening, Rudd and Carrell are back, too. That’s about all we will know for some time. However, this is what McKay said to Salon the other day.
Can you give us a hint about what you’re thinking of having Ron Burgundy do in “Anchorman 2”?
I don’t want to give away too much, but I’ll just give a couple pieces of ideas that we’ve kicked around. Keep in mind we’re still writing the story, but I’ll say one phrase for you: custody battle. I’ll give you that. I’ll give you one other one: bowling for dollars.
Sasquatch is getting closer. It still doesn’t seem real that I actually get to go, but I’m hoping that changes soon. I hope it does work out. I’ve had enough disappointment already this year.
One of the shows bound to make a scheduling conflict for me at the remarkably packed festival is SBTRKT. He’s never in the area, and I want to dance my ass off to a live performance in the hot sun at the Gorge. His most recent video contains a crazy time loop.
In other crazy time loop news. Coming Soon has the poster for an upcoming time travel movie starring JGL and Bruce Willis.
Their synopsis of the plot is: “Time travel will be invented – but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past, where a “looper” – a hired gun, like Joe (Gordon-Levitt) – is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good… until the day the mob decides to “close the loop,” sending back Joe’s future self (Willis) for assassination.”
I really need to get finished with writing a book, because if not my ideas will all be used before I can get anything written. Remember that moment in Mad Men‘s first season, when Pete Campbell mentioned arriving at the idea of Direct Marketing independently before realizing it already existed? Well, I need to get some ideas out in the world in some official capacity before everyone else arrives at them independently.
So far, the book I am working on slowly at the moment has had some troubling similarities to a few movies on the way. One of those movies is called The Seventh Son. They just released the first concept art for the film yesterday.
The synopsis is:
“In a time long past, an evil is about to be unleashed that will reignite the war between the forces of the supernatural and humankind once more. Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) is a knight who had imprisoned the malevolently powerful witch, Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore), centuries ago. But now she has escaped and is seeking vengeance. Summoning her followers of every incarnation, Mother Malkin is preparing to unleash her terrible wrath on an unsuspecting world. Only one thing stands in her way: Master Gregory.
“In a deadly reunion, Gregory comes face to face with the evil he always feared would someday return. Now he has only until the next full moon to do what usually takes years: train his new apprentice, Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) to fight a dark magic unlike any other. Man’s only hope lies in the seventh son of a seventh son.”
Also, my book is called The Last Guardian. Here is a trailer for a Dreamworks film that is on its way, The Rise of the Guardians. It’s based on a series of books, and it seems like it contains a combination of elements from what I am working on now, in some ways, and an idea I had ten years ago about a cool idea to make Mickey Mouse more relevant for Disney again. In a lot of ways, it is a much more detailed, meaty treatment of Fantasmic!, having Mickey team up with a cynical artist on the verge of giving up believing, as they fight to protect childhood hope and imagination from a great evil trying to take over the world.
I have to admit, I actually kind of want to see this.
Over the last few days, I’ve been able to join five of my favorite human beings in watching the following:
1. The Hunger Games
Right up until this film came out, I was worried it wouldn’t be good. I felt like so many of the previews and such I saw for the film was underwhelming. I was actually pleasantly surprised when the critical response to the film was so strong. Either way, no amount of poor marketing was going to keep me from seeing it, because I loved the books. Also, it must have just been me who didn’t like the marketing, because people are going to see it in droves.
Anyway. In my opinion, the movie was absolutely wonderful. It was a much, much higher level of film-making than I was expecting. It was smart, understated, literate, and coherent from beginning to end. I have my gripes, which will be the case any time a beloved book is turned into a film, but all in all I was so happy with the film. I was completely engaged from beginning to end. Great storytelling/filmmaking.
2. Mad Men, Season Five Premiere
I’ve seen conflicting responses to the most watched episode in Mad Men history. My response is that it was a really engaging episode. I thought it was funnier than the show has been in some time, as well as skillful in setting up the coming season without giving us a boring ‘set-up’ episode, as shows are often wont to do, especially after such a long time away.
Things are pretty good in the world of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, which can’t last. We’ve got three seasons to go, so sooner rather than later, shit’s going to get real.
Five things I should have blogged about much, much earlier, but haven’t yet.
1. Assassin’s Creed III
Early reports are that they are finally reinventing the game, instead of just releasing the same game three times with different names. It’s odd that this trailer sort of gives the impression that the Colonies are the good guys and the British are the bad guys, but an interview I saw with a developer said that a big reason they went with a Native American Assassin is because it’s not a game about Brits vs. Americans, it always has to be a game about Assassins vs. Templars.
I really hope this game is good.
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2. Borderlands 2
Secondofly, another game. This one’s for Josué. This game is undoubtedly going to be lots of fun. Undoubtedly.
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3. 21 Jump Street
I wanted one thing, and one thing only, when we went to this movie: to laugh loudly and often. Wish granted.
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4. Being Elmo
As inspiring as it gets. A wonderful film.
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5. Lilith by George MacDonald
One of the best “fairy stories” I’ve ever read. It’s certainly dense at times, but each page crackles with wisdom and insight. The book is a spiritual treasure trove.
This movie is staggeringly beautiful. I literally had no words after it was over. It got inside my skin, it seeped into my soul and helped me to realize that I’ve forgotten myself and the world far too much over the last few years.
Based on a true story, the French film centers on a Trappist monastery, where the monks served a Muslim community in peace in Algeria, until conflict between extremist forces and the Algerian government changes everything. The film won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2010.
It’s a quiet film of tremendous power. A story of courage, faith, charity, friendship, tragedy, and humanity. It humbled me, and made me want to be a better person.
I’ve shared the trailer before, but here it is again.
Just up today. Ho. Ly. Shit. This film is flying up the list of movies I’m most excited about this year.
In other Ridley Scott news that’s getting me excited, I read this on Dark Horizons today: “Then comes word that Brad Pitt is said to be circling the small but crucial role of business associate ‘Westray’ in Ridley Scott’s upcoming feature “The Counselor”. Cormac McCarthy penned the script for the film which stars Michael Fassbender. Jeremy Renner and Javier Bardem remain front runners for the role of the main villain.”
