The Exorcist director William Friedkin has arrived in Venice to receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. He’s also there for the world premiere of Warner Bros’ newly restored version of his 1977 film Sorcerer. It’s the one he’d like to be remembered for. It “came the closest to my vision of it; the result is the way I first saw it in my mind’s eye,” he said as part of a wide-ranging and animated chat with journalists ahead of his award ceremony today.
Friedkin was last on the Lido with 2011’s gritty Killer Joe. That movie was penned by Tracy Letts with whom the director also collaborated on 2006′s Bug. He said this afternoon that he hopes to make another movie with Letts and that the two have discussed “doing a contemporary western.” When, he’s not sure, though. Opera afficianado Friedkin is currently planning a new take on Rigoletto with Placido Domingo and noted that Letts is busy penning a new version of The Grapes Of Wrath for Dreamworks.
Speaking of the current state of the studio system, Friedkin lamented the lack of original ideas in Hollywood. He said Killer Joe and Bug couldn’t have been made with a studio. “Hollywood today is like a big casino… where you gamble and put all the chips on one turn of a card.” To get a movie made within the system, Friedkin cracked, “You have to have someone wearing a spandex suit with a letter on his chest flying around the world saving it from evil… Somebody who can kill vampires or zombies. I don’t want to do that. I don’t even want to watch it.” He added that the studios “have a problem” but that they will continue to exist “for a good long time to come.” The real trouble will hit if distribution methods continue to change drastically and find success. With aspiring filmmakers now able to shoot, edit and post their movies online by themselves, “You’re going to see a broadening of the number of people who enter the world of cinema and the way their films will be distributed.”
Of Sorcerer, Friedkin said, “It was a difficult film to make, but I think we were all lucky.” There were a lot of physical problems during production including malaria and gangrene. The movie brings together a group of four outcasts who must transport unstable nitroglycerin through the jungle in two scrap trucks. Friedkin called it a “metaphor for the nations of the world that can’t get along.” Alluding to the current crisis in Syria, the director insisted there is “no doubt that the world right now is on the edge of extinction… Everyone is threatening everyone today in a way I haven’t experienced since the Second World War. Only now, the weapons are nuclear and all it takes is one madman to end the whole thing… The only real solution is if the world again comes up with a Ghandi or an Anwar Sadat or a Martin Luther King Jr.” A major role of cinema, he said, is as “a way for people to come together who don’t necessarily like each other.”
The director’s classics include The Exorcistand The French Connection, which won five Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and a Best Actor statue for Gene Hackman. He was asked today whether he’s eased up on his actors and recalled working with Hackman. “I was difficult with Hackman because his character was difficult. As a director I work very much like a psychiatrist… You have to provoke emotion. (Hackman) was more angry at me than the drug dealer [in the film]. This is what I intended and it’s one of the reasons his performance is so good.”
Finally, he offered a piece of advice to aspiring filmmakers. “If you are in a cinema school, leave immediately! Nobody can teach you how to do cinema. It’s something you learn by doing and seeing. Cinema begets cinema.”
While awaiting the inevitable controversial Friedkin Q&A from the festival, enjoy this excellent wide-reaching interview about Hollywood, his crazy career, and even his politics and spirituality. The Oscar-winner opens up on everything from the ratings board to the death penalty, and shares stories from his new autobiography The Friedkin Connection, about The French Connection, Cruising and much more.
Anyone interested in movies and culture will find Friedkin’s perspective fascinating, and he continues to surprise even the most jaded onlooker.
The second trailer for MGM/Screen Gems’ Carrie remake of the classic book by Stephen King may spoil all the iconic scenes from the 1976 original. But Sissy Spacek’s telekinetic heroine never had to deal with mean girls in the cell phone age. Chloe Moretz stars as the misfit teen opposite Julianne Moore as her Christ-crazy ma (Piper Laurie in the original) in the October 18 pic directed by Kimberly Pierce (Boys Don’t Cry). Check it out:
DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE: Syfy Channel has given a cast-contingent pilot order to 12 Monkeys, a drama series based on the 1995 Universal Pictures/Atlas Entertainment film directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt. The 60-minute pilot, produced by Universal Cable Prods and Atlas Entertainment, was written on spec by Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett (Terra Nova). It follows the journey of a time traveler from the post-apocalyptic future who appears in present day on amission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will eventually decimate the human race. Filming is tentatively slated to begin in November. Atlas’ Charles Roven (The Dark Knight trilogy), who produced the feature, and Richard Suckle will executive produce, with Matalas and Fickett, repped by by ICM Partners and manager Brian Lutz, co-executive producing.
This is Syfy’s second consecutive pilot order to a sci-fi feature adaptation — last month the network greenlit a 90-minute pilot for Dominion, a drama based on characters from the 2010 feature Legion. Dominionis described as an epic supernatural action drama set 25 years in the future after a war between an army of angels and mankind has transformed the world. It follows the perilous journey of a rebellious young soldier who discovers he’s the unlikely savior of humanity. Bold Films, which produced the movie for Screen Gems, is co-producing with Universal Cable Prods. Stewart and Bold’s Michel Litvak and David Lancaster executive produce, with Wilmott, co-executive producing.
12 Monkeys was among several hot projects at Syfy, which may not be done with its orders (pilot or straight to series.) The other top contenders included Clandestine, from actor-writer Todd Stashwick and artist Dennis Calero; Proof, from Marti Noxon and M. Night Shyamalan; and Sojourn, from Phil Levens, Jason Blum and Lionsgate.
DEADLINE BREAKING: Warner Bros has set Scott Cooper to re-write and direct The Stand, based on the seminal post-apocalyptic novel by Stephen King. That means that while the studio has Ben Affleck as its new Caped Crusader for Batman Vs. Superman, Affleck has withdrawn from The Stand. He had been set in late 2011 to write the script and direct. Affleck is busy directing and starring in his scripted adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s Live By Night for Warner Bros.
Warner Bros is teamed on the project with CBS Films, which is co-producing and co-presenting and possibly financing the project together. Dave Kajganich wrote the first draft. Published in 1978, the mammoth novel covered a biological apocalyptic disaster that decimated the population. The survivors then had to try and piece together a new form of humanity and it became a good vs evil struggle, with elements of the supernatural thrown in for good measure. King was at his best, both in creating depictions of the demise of civilization and in the arcs of characters good and bad who became important in a new order. The novel is so sprawling that I always wondered how it could be compressed into a feature, and it was turned into a solid miniseries. Now, Cooper will try to mount what for Warner Bros continues to be a big priority project.
Roy Lee and Mosaic are producing for Warners and Jon Berg is the studio exec. Cooper is currently developing Creek with Leonardo DiCaprio, and his next film, Out Of The Furnace, is released December 6.
In this behemoth of a documentary (3 hours) we get to see everything that went into making Aliens, from the construction of the APC to the Queen her slobbering self. The doc is packed with great information on the scripting, set building, and shooting of the film, so free up a block of your time and check it out.
Legendary American novelist and screenwriter Elmore Leonard passed away late yesterday in Detroit following complications from a stroke. He was 87. A last post on his Facebook page said he was “at home surrounded by his loving family” when he died at 7:15 AM. Some of the author’s works to be transformed into Hollywood movies included Hombre, 52 Pick-Up, Out Of Sight, 3:10 To Yuma, Get Shorty and Jackie Brown (which was based on his Rum Punch). The FX series Justified is based on his novella Fire In The Hole. Life Of Crime, adapted from Leonard’s novel The Switch, is to have a gala presentation in Toronto next month.
Leonard was born in 1925 in New Orleans and settled in Detroit in 1934. In the 1950’s there, he started out writing Westerns while also toiling as an ad man. He went on to specialize in crime thrillers with his trademark brand of simple dialogue and indelible characters who sometimes appeared across several of his works. Among his 10 Rules Of Writing were, “If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it” and “Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.” At the time of his hospitalization in early August, Leonard was “very much” at work on his 46th novel, his researcher Gregg Sutter told The Detroit News.
The new video for Nine Inch Nails – Came Back Haunted, directed by David Lynch. WARNING: This video has been identified by Epilepsy Action to potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
A little glimpse of the mass hysteria that The Exorcist caused during its original theatrical premiere on December 26, 1973, including footage of the audience reactions and the incredibly long lines of people who waited hours upon hours to see the film… Paranormal Activity has nothing on this.
Groan… A 3D ‘re-imagining’ of the classic Night Of The Living Deadis in the works. Simon West Productions, and the Graphic Film Company, in association with 2020 Entertainment and Indus Media and Entertainment, have set Bollywood actor R. Madhavan (his films include 3 IDIOTS, 13B, andTANU WEDS MANU) to star in Night Of The Living Dead: Origins 3D. It’s being directed by Zebediah De Soto and co-written by De Soto, Warren Davis II and David Reuben Schwartz. The film will also star Candyman‘s Tony Todd, Tom Sizemore, Danielle Harris, Sarah Habel, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Bill Mosley, and Joseph Pilato, a cast with plenty of B movie cred.
Apparently this one has a storyline different storyline than the George Romero 1968 B&W masterpiece. Here, a group of survivors fighting barricade themselves in an abandoned New York apartment building when the zombie plague breaks out (Really! That’s the ‘different storyline’, that’s a ‘different location’ is all…). It’s being shot in a CG setting using stereoscopic 3D, which, its makers suggest, becomes a hybrid of graphic novel and traditional animation.
Producer and CEO of 2020 Entertainment, Paresh Ghelani, says, “It’s great to help introduce American audiences to what the many fans of Bollywood films have known for years. Madhavan is a huge dynamic talent.”
Producer Simon West adds, “This movie represents a whole new way of visualizing the classic zombie genre. It has a fresh and exciting style that sets it apart from all other horror films seen up until now.”
Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters tells the story of two girls at a school for vampires. Rose Hathaway (Zoey Deutch) is a half-vamp fighter who’s training to serve as a bodyguard for her best friend, full-blooded Lissa (Lucy Fry). Upon returning to the campus they’d recently escaped, Lissa finds herself the target of mysterious, disturbing threats.
Before you dismiss it as another Twihard, it’s worth noting that Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters comes from Mean Girls helmer Mark Waters and Heathers writer Daniel Waters, who adapted the script from Richelle Mead‘s wildly popular series of books. It may be worth a chance… Olga Kurylenko, Joely Richardson, Sarah Hyland, and Gabriel Byrne also star. The Weinstein Co. has Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters scheduled to open February 14, 2014.
René Goscinny (14 August 1926 – 5 November 1977) was an award-winning French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic-book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo.
Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, to a family of Jewish immigrants from Poland. The Gościnnys moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, two years after René’s birth, as Stanisław had obtained there. He spent a happy childhood in Buenos Aires, and studied in the French schools. He started drawing very early on, inspired by the illustrated stories which he enjoyed reading.
In December 1943, the year after he graduated from school, 17 year old Goscinny’s father died, forcing him to find a job. The next year, he got his first job, as an assistant accountant in a tire recovery factory, and when he was laid off the following year, he became a junior illustrator in an advertising agency.
Goscinny, along with his mother, left Argentina and went to New York in 1945, to join their uncle Boris. To avoid service in the US military, he travelled to France to join the French Army in 1946. He served at Aubagne, in the 141st Alpine Infantry Battalion. Promoted to senior corporal, he became the appointed illustrator of the regiment and drew illustrations and posters for the army.
The following year, he illustrated the book The Girl with The Eyes of Gold and returned to New York. By 1948, he started working in a small studio where he met and became friends with future Mad alumni Will Elder, Jack Davis and Harvey Kurtzman. Goscinny then became art director at Kunen Publishers where he wrote four books for children. Around this time he met Joseph Gillain, better known as Jijé, and Maurice de Bevere aka Morris, the cartoonist and author of the series Lucky Luke (which Goscinny would write from 1955 to his death in 1977).
Also, he met Georges Troisfontaines, chief of the World Press agency, who convinced Goscinny to return to Paris and work for his agency as the head of Paris office in 1951. Here, he met Albert Uderzo, with whom he started a longtime cooperation. They started out with some work for Bonnes Soirées, a female magazine for which Goscinny wrote Sylvie. Goscinny and Uderzo also launched the series Jehan Pistolet and Luc Junior in La Libre Junior.
In 1955, Goscinny, accompanied by Jean-Michel Charlier, Albert Uderzo and Jean Hébrad, founded the syndicate Edipress/Edifrance. The syndicate launched publications like Clairon for the factory union and Pistolin for a chocolate company. Goscinny and Uderzo cooperated on the series Bill Blanchartin Jeannot, Pistolet in Pistolin and Benjamin et Benjamine in the magazine of the same name. Under the pseudonym Agostini, Goscinny wrote Le Petit Nicolas for Jean-Jacques Sempé in Le Moustique and later Sud-Ouest and Pilote.
In 1956, Goscinny began a collaboration with the magazine Tintin. He worked on Signor Spaghetti, Monsieur Tric, Prudence Petitpas, Globul le Martien, Alphonse, Strapontin and Modeste et Pompon. An early creation with Uderzo, Oumpah-pah, was also adapted for serial publication inTintin from 1958-1962. In addition, Goscinny appeared in the magazines Paris-Flirt (Lili Manequin with Will) and Vaillant (Boniface et Anatole with Jordom, Pipsi with Godard).
In 1959, the Édifrance/Édipresse syndicate started the comics magazine Pilote. Goscinny became one of the most productive writers for the magazine. In the magazine’s first issue, he launched his most famous creation Astérix, with Uderzo. This series was an instant hit and is now known worldwide. Goscinny also restarted the series Le Petit Nicolas and Jehan Pistolet, now called Jehan Soupolet. Goscinny also began Jacquot le Mousse and Tromblon et Bottaclou with Godard.
The magazine was bought out in 1960, and Goscinny became editor-in-chief. He also began new series like Les Divagations de Monsieur Sait-Tout, La Potachologie Illustrée, Les Dingodossiers, and La Forêt de Chênebeau. He launched Calife Haroun El Poussah in Record, a series that was later continued in Pilote as Iznogoud.
Goscinny died at 51, in Paris of cardiac arrest on 5 November 1977, during a stress test at his doctor’s office. He was buried in the Jewish Cemetery of Nice. In accordance with his will, most of his money was transferred to the chief rabbinate of France.
DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE: Syfy Channel has given a cast-contingent pilot order to 12 Monkeys, a drama series based on the 1995 Universal Pictures/Atlas Entertainment film directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt. The 60-minute pilot, produced by Universal Cable Prods and Atlas Entertainment, was written on spec by Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett (Terra Nova). It follows the journey of a time traveler from the post-apocalyptic future who appears in present day on amission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will eventually decimate the human race. Filming is tentatively slated to begin in November. Atlas’ Charles Roven (The Dark Knight trilogy), who produced the feature, and Richard Suckle will executive produce, with Matalas and Fickett, repped by by ICM Partners and manager Brian Lutz, co-executive producing.
DEADLINE BREAKING: Warner Bros has set Scott Cooper to re-write and direct The Stand, based on the seminal post-apocalyptic novel by Stephen King. That means that while the studio has Ben Affleck as its new Caped Crusader for Batman Vs. Superman, Affleck has withdrawn from The Stand. He had been set in late 2011 to write the script and direct. Affleck is busy directing and starring in his scripted adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s Live By Night for Warner Bros.
Legendary American novelist and screenwriter Elmore Leonard passed away late yesterday in Detroit following complications from a stroke. He was 87. A last post on his Facebook page said he was “at home surrounded by his loving family” when he died at 7:15 AM. Some of the author’s works to be transformed into Hollywood movies included Hombre, 52 Pick-Up, Out Of Sight, 3:10 To Yuma, Get Shorty and Jackie Brown (which was based on his Rum Punch). The FX series Justified is based on his novella Fire In The Hole. Life Of Crime, adapted from Leonard’s novel The Switch, is to have a gala presentation in Toronto next month.
The new video for Nine Inch Nails – Came Back Haunted, directed by David Lynch. WARNING: This video has been identified by Epilepsy Action to potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
Groan… A 3D ‘re-imagining’ of the classic Night Of The Living Dead is in the works. Simon West Productions, and the Graphic Film Company, in association with 2020 Entertainment and Indus Media and Entertainment, have set Bollywood actor R. Madhavan (his films include 3 IDIOTS, 13B, andTANU WEDS MANU) to star in Night Of The Living Dead: Origins 3D. It’s being directed by Zebediah De Soto and co-written by De Soto, Warren Davis II and David Reuben Schwartz. The film will also star Candyman‘s Tony Todd, Tom Sizemore, Danielle Harris, Sarah Habel, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Bill Mosley, and Joseph Pilato, a cast with plenty of B movie cred.
René Goscinny (14 August 1926 – 5 November 1977) was an award-winning French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic-book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo.
In December 1943, the year after he graduated from school, 17 year old Goscinny’s father died, forcing him to find a job. The next year, he got his first job, as an assistant accountant in a tire recovery factory, and when he was laid off the following year, he became a junior illustrator in an advertising agency.
Also, he met Georges Troisfontaines, chief of the World Press agency, who convinced Goscinny to return to Paris and work for his agency as the head of Paris office in 1951. Here, he met Albert Uderzo, with whom he started a longtime cooperation. They started out with some work for Bonnes Soirées, a female magazine for which Goscinny wrote Sylvie. Goscinny and Uderzo also launched the series Jehan Pistolet and Luc Junior in La Libre Junior.
In 1959, the Édifrance/Édipresse syndicate started the comics magazine Pilote. Goscinny became one of the most productive writers for the magazine. In the magazine’s first issue, he launched his most famous creation Astérix, with Uderzo. This series was an instant hit and is now known worldwide. Goscinny also restarted the series Le Petit Nicolas and Jehan Pistolet, now called Jehan Soupolet. Goscinny also began Jacquot le Mousse and Tromblon et Bottaclou with Godard.
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