Just Talking Movies Options

[Ron Fortier]

I see on the news board here that after two years, Guillermo del Toro has left the HOBBIT project he was doing with Peter Jackson due to the fact the studios
can't give them a real release date due to muddle litigation between New Line, Warner Bros. and MGM. So Guillermo simply had to move on to his shopping list of other commitments. Bad news. Indeed. But there might be a really sweet silver lining as one of those other film projects on his list was TARZAN, and I for one would much rather see a new del Toro Tarzan epic instead of more big-footed munchkins.

On the DVD front, my wife and I finally sat down and watched Michael Mann's take on depression era outlaw, John Dillinger, with PUBLIC ENEMY. A really superbly well executed movie (and in all takes place in the pulp heyday of the mid-30s...I loved watching the cars, clothes and airplanes...) with a dynamite cast of Johnny Depp as the midwest outlaw who charmed the public at large and Christian Bale as the educated, upper class lawman who hunted him down. Even with its bits of fiction interwoven with the historical facts, it ends up being a really entertaining film on many levels. Still, one has to wonder how much of the Dillinger hoax Mann is aware off? Years ago, crime writer and historian, Max Allan Collins wrote a detailed expose on the fact that man actually down in front of the Bi-Graf theater in Chicago was not John Dillinger. Actual photos of the body on the sidewalk clearly indicate it is not Dillinger, one of the most photographed faces in America at that time. The autopsy report has the body inches shorter, weighing less, wrong color hair, etc.etc.etc. It was so obviously not Dillinger, yet the Feds loudly proclaimed they got their man...and that was that. Collins assumption is the Feds, embarrassed at not being able to capture the wily crook, killed another felon, set up as a patsy to make them look good. And as for the "real" Dillinger, upon reading of the bogus slaying, he smartly realized his days were numbered and he went into hiding and obviously living to a ripe old age, when he would have died in obscurity. Sure makes for some interesting debates, does it not?

And finally, dashed over to Wal-Mart first thing this morning and bought the extended WOLFMAN. One of my favorite movies of last year, comes with an additional 16 minutes in this Director's Cut. I still consider it a brilliant movie and that it really was underrated by the critics. And that's Ron's Movie Corner for this week, CR amigos.

[Cary]

Ah great! I'm SO happy Wolfman released on DVD! I'll be getting that when I get home for sure! I managed to miss it at the theater much like I did the Losers and I've been anxiously anticipating the DVD release.

And I saw the whole mess with del Torro. Odd, and kinda sad because I felt like he would have brought a wicked cool look to the film, but at the end of the day with Peter Jackson still attached I don't think it will affect the big picture. We'll get a different stylized view with the next guy, whoever that is, but we'll still be getting the bulk of the story. Plus I'm sure theylkk use the 2 years worth of costumes and creatures del Torro helped them design, which will totally rock. I just can't wait to see Smaug! I think it'll be a great set of movies once they get around to making them.