News Around the Net

Apparently police officers in Pittsburgh spent eight hours investigating “the most grisly murder scene in 35 years” before discovering it was, in fact, a movie set.  Pretty funny.

The breaking news this week, of course, is that Jon Favreau won’t be returning to direct Iron Man 3.  I’m somewhat disappointed.  I like Mr. Favreau as a director, and I think he was a key component of the first film’s success.  And I like it when the creative teams for these super-hero sagas remain consistent from film to film.  (Look at what happened to the X-Men franchise once Bryan Singer departed after X2.)  On the other hand, as much as I adored the first Iron Man (click here for my original review), I think the second one was pretty mediocre (click here for my review of Iron Man 2).  So maybe some fresh blood is in order.  I’m a little nervous about just what Marvel has planned following their grand Avengers crossover film in 2012.  How does one go back to making Iron Man movies after The Avengers?  I hope they find a talented, steady hand to guide this franchise forward.  (And psst!  The Mandarin would be awesome!!)

Speaking of Marvel, last week they released the first full trailer for Thor, and it’s a much more substantial look at the film than I’d been expecting.  I really want this film to work, but I’m still a little dubious as to whether they’re going to be able to pull off all of the Asgardian stuff convincingly.  Fingers crossed….!

Speaking of trailers, have you seen the preview for the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, On Stranger Tides? Click here to check it out.  Is this going to be any good?  So far it certainly looks of a piece with the previous three films, despite Rob Marshall’s taking over from director Gore Verbinski.  On the other hand, I was never all that wild about any of the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, so it’s difficult to get too excited about the prospect of a fourth (and possibly a fifth and sixth) installment.

Since I’m posting links to trailers, I guess I should also note that, sigh, Paramount has released a trailer for the aren’t-they-missing-a-word-in-that-title third Transformers film, Dark of the Moon.  Click here to check it out.  It’s actually a pretty clever, well put-together trailer.  If I hadn’t seen the first two Transformers films, I’d probably be pretty excited.  But I did, so I’m not.  (Also, many on-line writers have already noted how the trailer is basically just a souped-up version of the original teaser trailer for the first film.)

OK, now let me share with you all a trailer for a film that I am REALLY excited for.  It’s a trailer for Source Code, the next film from Duncan Jones, who directed the phenomenal Moon (read my review here).  Check it out.

John Waters has already posted his top ten films of 2010, and it’s quite a list.  I haven’t seen a single one of those films!!

I am SO GLAD that The Hobbit is really, finally, truly, getting made by Peter Jackson, but each successive casting announcement makes the wait EVEN MORE UNBEARABLE until these films are actually upon us.  I cannot wait.

Just as MGM’s financial problems nearly derailed The Hobbit, they also caused to the cessation of work on the next James Bond film.  Now we’re seeing glimmers of hope that that project is back on track, and that it might still be directed by Sam Mendes, as was the original plan.  I’m excited to see a Sam Mendes-directed Bond film, so I hope this comes to fruition.  I also hope these modern Bond films stop teasing us and finally re-introduce Blofeld!!  We need a bald, white-cat-stroking Bond villain for a new millennium…