Life on Mars?

Screw links, if you're a nerd and you love movies today is a huge HUGE day.

Edgar Rice Buroughs is a name some of you may know, he created Tarzan after all (and if you're one of my many L.A. readers you know he lived in what is now Tarzana and the area is subsequently named after his creation). But Tarzan isn't his only famous creation. The other is John Carter of Mars who starred in a series of pulp novels (eleven to be exact) about a time and space lost Civil War soldier who became a barbarian hero on the fantastic landscape of Mars. The character and series has had a huge impact on sci-fi, influencing everything from Star Wars to Avatar. This property is one filled with dynamic and original visuals (many characters are at least ten feet tall and have multiple arms and are more multi-colored then a Benneton ad) that have, up until now, been incredibly difficult to capture on screen. Directors and producers have been trying to put these stories on screen for years (Bob Clampett, Ray Harryhausen, Robert Rodriguez and John Favreau are but a few of the names). We're talking about nearly a century of trying to bring these incredible stories to the screen. Now though, today specifically, is the day principal photography begins on the first of what we can only hope will be many Carter films.

Why should you care about a series you've probably never even heard of before? Especially two years before its release? Here's five reasons.

1. An incredibly accomplished director: Andrew Stanton
Can't place the name? You've seen it at the end of two of the best films of the past decade. I'm talking about Finding Nemo and Wall-E. As a high ranking creative at Pixar Stanton knows how to dazzle,thrill, move and most importantly entertain a mass audience. But unlike many of his blockbuster bretren this is a director who refuses to talk down to his audience. Stanton's first forray into live-action guarantees that story and character will be a top priority over effects, explosions and bloodshed (though there should be plenty of those two). Also, no worries about this being a toned down because Stanton's worked on family films. The film is rated a more adult friendly PG-13.

2. It's got an amazing cast.
Representatives from virtually every corner of this golden age of TV show up on this cast list. Dominic West from the Wire, Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad, James Purefoy from Rome and as Carter himself Friday Night Lights' Taylor Kitsch. That's not to say the film has skewed conventional film actors either; Willem Dafoe, Thomas Hayden Church, Ciaran Hands, Mark Strong, Samantha Morton and Lynn Collins (ok I'm a little sketchy on that last one). That's some serious talent behind the arms, tusks and tails that will be on display.

3. It's got a slick crew.
Production design from the man that brought us the rebooted Batman Nathan Crowley, Avatar costume designer Mayes Rubeo, viseual effects from Peter Chiang who did the same for Stardust and the Bourne Ultimatum and Star Trek's DP Daniel Mindel. If you don't know those names, you definitely know their work.

4. The script should be top notch.
In addition to Stanton, who's helped craft a lot of Pixar's content, noted novelist and occasional screenwriter Michael Chabon. Chabon has the remarkable of not only being a master of genre tropes but also is capable of creating multi-dimensional characters. These two working together is a very exciting prospect.

5. It's got a look that you haven't quite seen before.
Crazy no?


You excited yet? You have two years. I can't wait.

New Link: Part of the Twilight Saga

Ugh, craaaazy week you guys.

Reviews are a comin', promise.

Interviews: Michael Chabon talks about genre. Not that first time he's done it, but its good to know that one of the best living writers of fiction loves comics and crap.

Videos: Every death from Total Recall. To which I say "GAR NOT QUAID!"
For those of you who haven't seen it yet Jason Segel performed with the Swell Season. Phenomenal.
This compilation of every time a werewolf or vampire has danced in a film ALMOST makes the release of New Moon worth it. Almost.
The 101 best music videos of the past decade. WARNING: don't click this link unless you have a bunch of time on your hands.

Analysis: Devin at CHUD wrote a wonderful piece on fantasy and realism in films. I whole heartedly agree with him (except for the part about 300 being good).
The lovely Kim Morgan wrote a blisteringly good piece on Fight Club and its lasting impact in honor of the film's recent Blu-Ray release.
FX rant looks at the cinematography of recent masterpiece, Let the Right One In. Seriously WATCH THIS MOVIE!

Random coolness: Some Kirby inspired artist did a variety of Marvel-esque covers for an Inglourious Basterds comic. Gorgeous
Want to know how long the line rides are going to be at Disneyland? There's an ap for that.

The Jew Abides

I've been chatted up by many, MANY people today about the Coen Brothers picking up a brand new project. Now currently they're working post on the dark political comedy Burn After Reading about C.I.A. agents and starring a couple of nobodies by the names of Clooney, Pitt, Swinton, Malkovich and McDormand (awesome). But their next project is an adaptation of critically acclaimed piece of modern fiction, namely Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union.

This is very exciting and intriguing. Reading YPU was one of those strange experiences wherein I felt like the author was writing just for me. The story concerns an alternate universe where world history is distorted when the newly formed country of Israel is decimated by it's enemies shortly after it becomes a state in 1948. Consequently a temporary Jewish settlement is established in Sitka, Alaska and an entirely new Alaskan-Jewish culture is created. Unfortunately in 2008 the temporary allowance for the Jewish settlement is up. It is against this backdrop that Chabon sets YPU's story; a twisty, funny noir mystery about a tortured detective solving the murder of the would-be messiah. Judaism and noir conventions, together again for the first time. I'm shocked that other people enjoyed this odd mash-up but many critics did and so BOOM here we go movie.

No Country For Old Men is a very impressive technical achievement and a fine addition to the Coen's filmmography but my issue (and Frank pointed this out to me) it's a very rote adaptation. I don't really feel I get anything out of the film I didn't get exactly out of the book. The thing about Yiddish Policeman's Union is that the Coen's would HAVE to alter the story in some ways or else the thing would be completely incomprehensible to a mainstream audience. I mean, this thing is Jewish to the core, will it play in the Peoria?

I know they can nail the noir (I mean come on; Big Lebowski, Miller's Crossing, Fargo, The Man Who Wasn't There-beautiful) but how will the Coen's convey the slang, the history, the culture of Sitka? I don't know, but I'm optimistic. Remember the Coen's were the one that made a generation of young men bellow "Shomer FUCKING SHABBOS!" There is a really shaggy dog vibe that protagonist Meyer Landsman gives off that isn't too far from the Dude (though Meyer is actually competent when he's not drunk). Oh man, this could be really, really good.

I hope they load this thing down with a solid mix of Coen regulars and some fun new faces. Might I recommend Dominic West for Meyer (he deserves to be in something good other than the Wire cause man has he got some shitty movies on his resume). For his enormous half-Tlingit, half-Jewish partner might I recommend Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in a fat suit (or Dwayne could bust a DeNiro, either way). The Rock is a talented comedian and deserves to be in an honest to god great film and I think this could FINALLY be it. As Meyer's former wife and new boss Bina you'll need a beautiful, firey, classy lady who can deliver noir pater. Hmmmmm, let's check whose blog this is.. oh wait, it's MINE! AMY ADAMS! Boom, done. Let's get Huddleston, Polito and Goodman in there as some Yids too. And it wouldn't be a Coen movie without the corpse of Steve Buscemi.

Oh well now we play the waiting game. This is how we start the post-strike era off right.