The TDK script!
Aug. 19, 2008
Source: JoBlo.com's Movie Scripts
by: Mike Sampson
The security on the set of THE DARK KNIGHT was so tight that it's five weeks into the release of the movie and the script is just starting to make its way online now. That's pretty impressive. What's also pretty damn impressive is the script for THE DARK KNIGHT. Even if you've seen the movie, you could easily sit down, read this script and be just as engrossed.
The Joker. Sweaty clown makeup obscuring the AWFUL SCARS which widen his mouth into a permanent, ghoulish smile.
That's all it took in the script to introduce us to The Joker and make movie history. It's 167 pages but it feels tight and flows swiftly. Surely Heath Ledger and the film itself will be remembered during awards season, but let's not forget this screenplay. If you're into collectibles, you can also purchase a hardcover copy of the script that also includes production art from the film. Now you and your buds can pull your own Nolan and make a fan-version of THE DARK KNIGHT. So head to JoBlo's Movie Scripts page and download the DARK KNIGHT script!
http://joblo.com/the-tdk-script
Saturday, August 23, 2008
'Dark Knight' Cast, Crew Tout Heath Ledger's Performance, Suggest New Villains At NYC Premiere
Jul 15 2008 3:23 PM EDT
'It's almost impossible to think of someone else in that role now,' writer David Goyer says of possibly recasting the Joker.
By Jennifer Vineyard
NEW YORK — Batman's a solitary figure in Gotham, but in NYC, he gets lots of support — from the crowds on the street to the celebrity fans such as Ethan Hawke, Josh Hartnett, Lauren Conrad, Blake Lively and Penn Badgley, who all walked the "Dark Knight" black carpet Monday night.
Only one person was conspicuously absent from the festivities, though very much present in the hearts and minds of the movie's cast and crew, as they all touted Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker as "Oscar-worthy," "iconic" and "groundbreaking."
"He was an incredible talent," said Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman). "He got immersed in the role the way I like to — off-set and on. He was wonderful."
"He was very committed to the role," said Gary Oldman (Jim Gordon). "It's an intense portrayal. When you see him, not only is he remarkable, but you think about what could have been."
"He's the finest villain I've ever seen," said Michael Caine (Alfred).
All this praise is great when it comes to this film, but it becomes a hurdle when it comes to the next one, should there be a next one. The Joker is set up as the great antithesis to Batman — anarchy to his order — and as in the comics, you'd imagine they would cross paths again. After all, Scarecrow reappears in "The Dark Knight," for a quick moment, as if to demonstrate that this round of Batman movies is more about creating a consistent universe. "Chris [Nolan] has shown that you can bring back or have recurring bad guys or antagonists," said Aaron Eckhart (Harvey "Two-Face" Dent).
So can you bring back the Joker?
"There have been other Bonds," pointed out Chin Han (who plays businessman/villain Lau).
"I don't think anybody involved would really want to do that," said David Goyer, who collaborated on the story for "The Dark Knight" with Christopher and Jonathan Nolan. "Once fans see the movie, it's almost impossible to think of someone else in that role now."
That means the filmmakers have to choose a new villain to terrorize Gotham next. Who could it be?
"Let me get a grasp on this one first!" Bale said.
"I'm clueless right now," laughed director Christopher Nolan. "All I can think about is taking a vacation — for a month!"
Luckily for them, Batman has an extensive gallery of rogues and enough hard-core fans in the "Dark Knight" cast, so there's no shortage of suggestions.
"What Heath did with the Joker was amazing," Eckhart said. "To see a guy come in here and have a vision for a character and make him fresh and new and scary and thrilling. If someone could do that with the Riddler or the Penguin, that would be insane."
"I always liked the Riddler," Oldman said. "I liked the whole Riddle aspect. I loved the suit."
"Obviously, as a man, I would love to see Catwoman or Harley Quinn," Han said, "in one of those Jean-Paul Gaultier outfits. That would be awesome."
"Catwoman, you can always bring her back," agreed Nestor Carbonell, who played the mayor of Gotham. "You can never see enough of her."
Considering that this Batman lives in a less comic, more realistic universe than his predecessors, that could determine the portrayal of his villains. "I doubt we'd see a Mr. Freeze or someone like that," Goyer said.
Like his relationship with Two-Face, Batman and his new foe might not always start out on opposite sides. "What I really like is when you turn people into villains, when you see them flip," Carbonell said. "That's a great twist. And there's certain people you see in this one, certain characters who you didn't realize could go the other way, who could show up in the next one in an unexpected way."
So should, say, Selina Kyle become Catwoman, she might start out as a prostitute, as she did in Frank Miller's "Year One." "Whoever the villain is going to be, you have to keep it realistic," Han said. "So it might be the more seedy side. That dark world of prostitution might rear its head."
Even though Catwoman might be an obvious front-runner, Goyer said fans shouldn't expect anything to be a given. He has 70 years' worth of villains to choose from, and he's going to take his time thinking about it.
"Chris [Nolan] didn't even call me for three months after the last one," Goyer said. "I think there's plenty of characters we could use if we were to do another film. We used Ra's al Ghul and the Scarecrow in the first one, 'Batman Begins,' and that worked just fine. We'll be fine."
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1590907/story.jhtml
'It's almost impossible to think of someone else in that role now,' writer David Goyer says of possibly recasting the Joker.
By Jennifer Vineyard
NEW YORK — Batman's a solitary figure in Gotham, but in NYC, he gets lots of support — from the crowds on the street to the celebrity fans such as Ethan Hawke, Josh Hartnett, Lauren Conrad, Blake Lively and Penn Badgley, who all walked the "Dark Knight" black carpet Monday night.
Only one person was conspicuously absent from the festivities, though very much present in the hearts and minds of the movie's cast and crew, as they all touted Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker as "Oscar-worthy," "iconic" and "groundbreaking."
"He was an incredible talent," said Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman). "He got immersed in the role the way I like to — off-set and on. He was wonderful."
"He was very committed to the role," said Gary Oldman (Jim Gordon). "It's an intense portrayal. When you see him, not only is he remarkable, but you think about what could have been."
"He's the finest villain I've ever seen," said Michael Caine (Alfred).
All this praise is great when it comes to this film, but it becomes a hurdle when it comes to the next one, should there be a next one. The Joker is set up as the great antithesis to Batman — anarchy to his order — and as in the comics, you'd imagine they would cross paths again. After all, Scarecrow reappears in "The Dark Knight," for a quick moment, as if to demonstrate that this round of Batman movies is more about creating a consistent universe. "Chris [Nolan] has shown that you can bring back or have recurring bad guys or antagonists," said Aaron Eckhart (Harvey "Two-Face" Dent).
So can you bring back the Joker?
"There have been other Bonds," pointed out Chin Han (who plays businessman/villain Lau).
"I don't think anybody involved would really want to do that," said David Goyer, who collaborated on the story for "The Dark Knight" with Christopher and Jonathan Nolan. "Once fans see the movie, it's almost impossible to think of someone else in that role now."
That means the filmmakers have to choose a new villain to terrorize Gotham next. Who could it be?
"Let me get a grasp on this one first!" Bale said.
"I'm clueless right now," laughed director Christopher Nolan. "All I can think about is taking a vacation — for a month!"
Luckily for them, Batman has an extensive gallery of rogues and enough hard-core fans in the "Dark Knight" cast, so there's no shortage of suggestions.
"What Heath did with the Joker was amazing," Eckhart said. "To see a guy come in here and have a vision for a character and make him fresh and new and scary and thrilling. If someone could do that with the Riddler or the Penguin, that would be insane."
"I always liked the Riddler," Oldman said. "I liked the whole Riddle aspect. I loved the suit."
"Obviously, as a man, I would love to see Catwoman or Harley Quinn," Han said, "in one of those Jean-Paul Gaultier outfits. That would be awesome."
"Catwoman, you can always bring her back," agreed Nestor Carbonell, who played the mayor of Gotham. "You can never see enough of her."
Considering that this Batman lives in a less comic, more realistic universe than his predecessors, that could determine the portrayal of his villains. "I doubt we'd see a Mr. Freeze or someone like that," Goyer said.
Like his relationship with Two-Face, Batman and his new foe might not always start out on opposite sides. "What I really like is when you turn people into villains, when you see them flip," Carbonell said. "That's a great twist. And there's certain people you see in this one, certain characters who you didn't realize could go the other way, who could show up in the next one in an unexpected way."
So should, say, Selina Kyle become Catwoman, she might start out as a prostitute, as she did in Frank Miller's "Year One." "Whoever the villain is going to be, you have to keep it realistic," Han said. "So it might be the more seedy side. That dark world of prostitution might rear its head."
Even though Catwoman might be an obvious front-runner, Goyer said fans shouldn't expect anything to be a given. He has 70 years' worth of villains to choose from, and he's going to take his time thinking about it.
"Chris [Nolan] didn't even call me for three months after the last one," Goyer said. "I think there's plenty of characters we could use if we were to do another film. We used Ra's al Ghul and the Scarecrow in the first one, 'Batman Begins,' and that worked just fine. We'll be fine."
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1590907/story.jhtml
Friday, August 15, 2008
Next 'Harry Potter' film to be delayed eight months
Warner Bros. says the schedule shift from November will take advantage of a summer short of blockbusters.
By Geoff Boucher, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 15, 2008
Talk about a disappearing act: Harry Potter just vanished from the 2008 movie schedule.Warner Bros. shocked fans around the globe Thursday when it announced that "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment in the massively successful film franchise about a young wizard and his friends, would not hit theaters in November as planned. The film will instead be delayed eight months and arrive on July 17, according to Alan Horn, Warner Bros. president and chief operating officer.
The postponement was made to exploit the "relative dearth" of major summer blockbusters next year in the wake of the recent writers strike, Horn said. He also pointed to last year's summer success, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," which grossed $292 million in the U.S. after its July 11 release. That was the second-highest total of any of the Potter films, behind only the first movie in 2001.
"There is no production delay or production consideration. . . . It feels like we have an opportunity in the summer," Horn said.He added that he had seen the film, which is in the final production stages, and that it would "absolutely have been ready" by November. He characterized the shift as a proactive business move, not a retreat. "The question we asked is, what is best for this movie."
But any scheduling change for a blockbuster prompts intense scrutiny in Hollywood. There was speculation Thursday that the delayed release reflects a problem with the London-based production or with another upcoming film in Warner's schedule. The major Warner film already scheduled for next summer is "Terminator Salvation," a darker re-boot of the killer-robot franchise, which stars Christian Bale. That movie is now shooting in New Mexico.
Warner currently is riding high with "The Dark Knight," the Batman film that also stars Bale. The grim super-hero movie has taken in $452 million in the U.S. since its July 18 release, making it the second-highest grossing film ever.
To some degree, that success motivated Warner to shift "Half-Blood Prince," Horn said. The film will now hit theaters the same midsummer weekend that "Dark Knight" was released this year. Horn said the young, core Potter audience would be out of school and give the film a longer theatrical life. It will now open opposite Universal's special-effects comedy "Land of the Lost," which stars Will Ferrell. But Horn said there was nothing next year compared to this summer's especially dense slate of big-budget releases.
The shift in schedule is already roiling Potter fans, who are among the most intense devotees in contemporary pop culture. Petitions were circulating, rumors were flying and angry screeds were being posted on Internet sites within minutes of the Thursday announcement. A July 2009 release means there will be a two-year gap between the film adaptations of books five and six in J.K. Rowling's series. The new opening date, however, would cut the waiting time between "Half-Blood Prince" and the final two movies, which will be shot next year. The final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be split into two films, scheduled for November 2010 and summer 2011.
Horn acknowledged that the studio would have to pacify fans in the months to come."
We would never do anything to hurt one of the movies or the series. We love our fans."
geoff.boucher@latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-potter15-2008aug15,0,7258306.story
By Geoff Boucher, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 15, 2008
Talk about a disappearing act: Harry Potter just vanished from the 2008 movie schedule.Warner Bros. shocked fans around the globe Thursday when it announced that "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment in the massively successful film franchise about a young wizard and his friends, would not hit theaters in November as planned. The film will instead be delayed eight months and arrive on July 17, according to Alan Horn, Warner Bros. president and chief operating officer.
The postponement was made to exploit the "relative dearth" of major summer blockbusters next year in the wake of the recent writers strike, Horn said. He also pointed to last year's summer success, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," which grossed $292 million in the U.S. after its July 11 release. That was the second-highest total of any of the Potter films, behind only the first movie in 2001.
"There is no production delay or production consideration. . . . It feels like we have an opportunity in the summer," Horn said.He added that he had seen the film, which is in the final production stages, and that it would "absolutely have been ready" by November. He characterized the shift as a proactive business move, not a retreat. "The question we asked is, what is best for this movie."
But any scheduling change for a blockbuster prompts intense scrutiny in Hollywood. There was speculation Thursday that the delayed release reflects a problem with the London-based production or with another upcoming film in Warner's schedule. The major Warner film already scheduled for next summer is "Terminator Salvation," a darker re-boot of the killer-robot franchise, which stars Christian Bale. That movie is now shooting in New Mexico.
Warner currently is riding high with "The Dark Knight," the Batman film that also stars Bale. The grim super-hero movie has taken in $452 million in the U.S. since its July 18 release, making it the second-highest grossing film ever.
To some degree, that success motivated Warner to shift "Half-Blood Prince," Horn said. The film will now hit theaters the same midsummer weekend that "Dark Knight" was released this year. Horn said the young, core Potter audience would be out of school and give the film a longer theatrical life. It will now open opposite Universal's special-effects comedy "Land of the Lost," which stars Will Ferrell. But Horn said there was nothing next year compared to this summer's especially dense slate of big-budget releases.
The shift in schedule is already roiling Potter fans, who are among the most intense devotees in contemporary pop culture. Petitions were circulating, rumors were flying and angry screeds were being posted on Internet sites within minutes of the Thursday announcement. A July 2009 release means there will be a two-year gap between the film adaptations of books five and six in J.K. Rowling's series. The new opening date, however, would cut the waiting time between "Half-Blood Prince" and the final two movies, which will be shot next year. The final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be split into two films, scheduled for November 2010 and summer 2011.
Horn acknowledged that the studio would have to pacify fans in the months to come."
We would never do anything to hurt one of the movies or the series. We love our fans."
geoff.boucher@latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-potter15-2008aug15,0,7258306.story
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Force Is With Dark Knight
By Joal Ryan
Mon 11/08/08
Beware, Lord Vader.
The Dark Knight brought its overall domestic gross to $441.5 million today, per Exhibitor Relations estimates, moving the film to third among the all-time box office champs, and leaving it perhaps only a week away from trumping Star Wars for second place.
The Batman movie's Friday-Sunday take of $26 million gave the blockbuster its fourth-straight weekend box office win—a feat not accomplished since Lord of the Rings: Return of the King ruled in 2003-04.
Assuming the studio estimates hold, the weekend gross moved Dark Knight up four spots on the all-time list, as the film bypassed Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($423 million), Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace ($431 million), E.T. ($435 million) and Shrek 2 ($441.2 million).
If The Dark Knight maintains its current pace, the movie should have enough momentum to overtake the original Star Wars ($461 million, including rereleases) by the end of next weekend.
After Star Wars, the next box office challenge for The Dark Knight will be to break $500 million.
After that, the next box office challenge will be to break Titanic ($601 million).
And after that, it can rest.
Drilling down through the box office standings:
Pineapple Express ($22.4 million) bowed in second. After five days, the Seth Rogen-James Franco action-comedy, which opened Wednesday, has taken in $40.5 million against a reported $27 million budget. True, the Rogen-penned Superbad got off to an even faster start ($43.3 million in its first five days last August). But, also true, the Superbad guys didn't have to tangle with the Batman.
In one of the sadder tales of the summer, The X-Files: I Want to Believe ($1.2 million, per Box Office Mojo) disappeared from the Top 10 after just a two-weekend stay. To date, the $35 million movie has failed to gross even $20 million overall, and managed to sell fewer tickets than Space Chimps ($1.7 million; $25.4 million).
Like the new X-Files movie, Space Chimps fell out of the Top 10. Unlike the new X-Files movie, Space Chimps lasted there three weekends.
In its second weekend, business for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (third place, $16.1 million; $70.7 million overall) plunged 60 percent.
Now in its fourth weekend, Mamma Mia! (sixth place, $8.1 million; $104 million overall) hasn't seen weekend-to-weekend business dip even 40 percent.
Will Ferrell's and John C. Reilly's Step Brothers (fifth place, $8.9 million; $80.9 million) is also sticking around.
Let it be noted: The generally liked The Incredible Hulk ($287,000; $133.8 million overall, per Box Office Mojo) has made more money than the widely scorned Hulk ($132.2 million). Until you add in the foreign grosses.
The Philip Roth-spawned drama Elegy, starring Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz, was, screen for screen, the biggest hit of the weekend, taking in $102,441 at six theaters.
Here's a recap of the top-grossing weekend films based on Friday-Sunday estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:
The Dark Knight, $26 million
Pineapple Express, $22.4 million
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, $16.1 million
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, $10.8 million
Step Brothers, $8.9 million
Mamma Mia!, $8.1 million
Journey to the Center of the Earth, $4.9 million
Hancock, $3.3 million
Swing Vote, $3.1 million
WALL-E, $3 million
http://celebrities.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=612132&rss=yes
Mon 11/08/08
Beware, Lord Vader.
The Dark Knight brought its overall domestic gross to $441.5 million today, per Exhibitor Relations estimates, moving the film to third among the all-time box office champs, and leaving it perhaps only a week away from trumping Star Wars for second place.
The Batman movie's Friday-Sunday take of $26 million gave the blockbuster its fourth-straight weekend box office win—a feat not accomplished since Lord of the Rings: Return of the King ruled in 2003-04.
Assuming the studio estimates hold, the weekend gross moved Dark Knight up four spots on the all-time list, as the film bypassed Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($423 million), Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace ($431 million), E.T. ($435 million) and Shrek 2 ($441.2 million).
If The Dark Knight maintains its current pace, the movie should have enough momentum to overtake the original Star Wars ($461 million, including rereleases) by the end of next weekend.
After Star Wars, the next box office challenge for The Dark Knight will be to break $500 million.
After that, the next box office challenge will be to break Titanic ($601 million).
And after that, it can rest.
Drilling down through the box office standings:
Pineapple Express ($22.4 million) bowed in second. After five days, the Seth Rogen-James Franco action-comedy, which opened Wednesday, has taken in $40.5 million against a reported $27 million budget. True, the Rogen-penned Superbad got off to an even faster start ($43.3 million in its first five days last August). But, also true, the Superbad guys didn't have to tangle with the Batman.
In one of the sadder tales of the summer, The X-Files: I Want to Believe ($1.2 million, per Box Office Mojo) disappeared from the Top 10 after just a two-weekend stay. To date, the $35 million movie has failed to gross even $20 million overall, and managed to sell fewer tickets than Space Chimps ($1.7 million; $25.4 million).
Like the new X-Files movie, Space Chimps fell out of the Top 10. Unlike the new X-Files movie, Space Chimps lasted there three weekends.
In its second weekend, business for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (third place, $16.1 million; $70.7 million overall) plunged 60 percent.
Now in its fourth weekend, Mamma Mia! (sixth place, $8.1 million; $104 million overall) hasn't seen weekend-to-weekend business dip even 40 percent.
Will Ferrell's and John C. Reilly's Step Brothers (fifth place, $8.9 million; $80.9 million) is also sticking around.
Let it be noted: The generally liked The Incredible Hulk ($287,000; $133.8 million overall, per Box Office Mojo) has made more money than the widely scorned Hulk ($132.2 million). Until you add in the foreign grosses.
The Philip Roth-spawned drama Elegy, starring Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz, was, screen for screen, the biggest hit of the weekend, taking in $102,441 at six theaters.
Here's a recap of the top-grossing weekend films based on Friday-Sunday estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:
The Dark Knight, $26 million
Pineapple Express, $22.4 million
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, $16.1 million
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, $10.8 million
Step Brothers, $8.9 million
Mamma Mia!, $8.1 million
Journey to the Center of the Earth, $4.9 million
Hancock, $3.3 million
Swing Vote, $3.1 million
WALL-E, $3 million
http://celebrities.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=612132&rss=yes
Saturday, August 9, 2008
DARK KNIGHT SEQUEL - JOHNNY DEPP AS RIDDLER?
Posted By: Vandit
Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker has set the bar high for Gotham City villains, but reports say studio bosses have set their sights on Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.
“Producers are convinced that the role of The Riddler is perfect for Depp. Johnny’s a pro. He’ll be able to take direction and still make the character his own. And what better Penguin is there than Philip Seymour Hoffman?” a source said.
They could be joining Angelina Jolie - the actress is reported to be after the role of Catwoman.
The Riddler was played by Jim Carrey in 1995 film Batman Forever and Frank Gorshin in the Sixties television series. As for The Penguin, he was portrayed on the small screen by Burgess Meredith and in 1992 film Batman returns by Danny DeVito.
Plans for the sequel are yet to be announced but it is likely to star Christian Bale reprising his role as the Cape Crusader.
The Dark Knight has smashed box office records in the U.S., taking $ 314 million in just 10 days.
There is even talk of it challenging Titanic to become the biggest movie of all time. Titanic took $600 million in the US. Titanic took $ 600 million in the U.S.
http://www.flylyf.com/dark-knight-sequel-johnny-depp-as-riddler/
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Burton discovers his Wonderland – in Plymouth
By Amol Rajan
Monday, 4 August 2008
Take the fantastical realm of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, add the eccentric imagination of Hollywood director Tim Burton, and where do you end up? Plymouth.
The Devon port will this week host auditions for 250 extras for Burton's forthcoming blockbuster based on Carroll's 1865 novel, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. Scenes will be filmed in the locale in September.
Burton has chosen the western city because of the ease with which it will accommodate his plans for a Victorian setting. The only confirmed casting is the highly-rated 18-year-old Australian actress, Mia Wasikowska, who recently starred in HBO's acclaimed television psychotherapy drama In Treatment, who is lined up to play Alice.
Casting director Ilenka Jelowicki said filming would take place for a fortnight in September in and around Plymouth.
"It's a period movie, set in Victorian England, so we're very specific about the look we need," she said. "In an ideal world, out of the 125 women we need, they would all have long, naturally coloured hair. We'd love men with beards or facial hair – lamb chops or big sideburns, that sort of thing."
Most of the extras chosen would need to have holiday left or flexible working hours, to be available for the full two weeks.
Unconfirmed rumours suggest that Johnny Depp may take the part – perhaps a voice-only one – of the Mad Hatter. Burton and Depp have teamed up to critical acclaim several times, including on Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, and the recent remake of the Roald Dahl classic Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.
The film, which is likely to go on general release in 2010, is expected to make use of several historic buildings in Plymouth. These include historic properties such as the George II mansion Saltram House, seen in 1995 in Sense And Sensibility, and the Royal William Yard, which in 2003 hosted Churchill, The Hollywood Years.
Malcolm Bell, chief executive of South West Tourism, said there were huge benefits to filming in the West Country. "There are three main benefits with an event of this kind," he said. "Firstly, we can't overestimate the amount of money the cast and crew of the film will spend in Plymouth while they are here. Secondly, the PR that will be brought to the city, and thirdly the number of film lovers who will come here to catch a glimpse of the sites on the film."
He added: "All you have to do is look at what Doc Martin [the ITV comedy starring Martin Clunes] has done for Port Isaac [a resort 30 miles north-west of Plymouth] to see the effect."
David Shepherd, head of locations at South West Screen, confirmed his team had been scouting for possible sets. "The locations chosen in Plymouth had just the right feel for the needs of the film," he said. "Our primary role is to attract productions to come to film in this region and we're absolutely delighted to attract such a big production to the South-west."
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/news/burton-discovers-his-wonderland-ndash-in-plymouth-884232.html
Monday, 4 August 2008
Take the fantastical realm of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, add the eccentric imagination of Hollywood director Tim Burton, and where do you end up? Plymouth.
The Devon port will this week host auditions for 250 extras for Burton's forthcoming blockbuster based on Carroll's 1865 novel, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. Scenes will be filmed in the locale in September.
Burton has chosen the western city because of the ease with which it will accommodate his plans for a Victorian setting. The only confirmed casting is the highly-rated 18-year-old Australian actress, Mia Wasikowska, who recently starred in HBO's acclaimed television psychotherapy drama In Treatment, who is lined up to play Alice.
Casting director Ilenka Jelowicki said filming would take place for a fortnight in September in and around Plymouth.
"It's a period movie, set in Victorian England, so we're very specific about the look we need," she said. "In an ideal world, out of the 125 women we need, they would all have long, naturally coloured hair. We'd love men with beards or facial hair – lamb chops or big sideburns, that sort of thing."
Most of the extras chosen would need to have holiday left or flexible working hours, to be available for the full two weeks.
Unconfirmed rumours suggest that Johnny Depp may take the part – perhaps a voice-only one – of the Mad Hatter. Burton and Depp have teamed up to critical acclaim several times, including on Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, and the recent remake of the Roald Dahl classic Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.
The film, which is likely to go on general release in 2010, is expected to make use of several historic buildings in Plymouth. These include historic properties such as the George II mansion Saltram House, seen in 1995 in Sense And Sensibility, and the Royal William Yard, which in 2003 hosted Churchill, The Hollywood Years.
Malcolm Bell, chief executive of South West Tourism, said there were huge benefits to filming in the West Country. "There are three main benefits with an event of this kind," he said. "Firstly, we can't overestimate the amount of money the cast and crew of the film will spend in Plymouth while they are here. Secondly, the PR that will be brought to the city, and thirdly the number of film lovers who will come here to catch a glimpse of the sites on the film."
He added: "All you have to do is look at what Doc Martin [the ITV comedy starring Martin Clunes] has done for Port Isaac [a resort 30 miles north-west of Plymouth] to see the effect."
David Shepherd, head of locations at South West Screen, confirmed his team had been scouting for possible sets. "The locations chosen in Plymouth had just the right feel for the needs of the film," he said. "Our primary role is to attract productions to come to film in this region and we're absolutely delighted to attract such a big production to the South-west."
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/news/burton-discovers-his-wonderland-ndash-in-plymouth-884232.html
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Meat Loaf album reviews
I listened to the Meat Loaf album discography on my day off. I found these cool reviews on allmusic.....
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
Review
There is no other album like Bat Out Of Hell, unless you want to count the sequel. This is Grand Guignol pop — epic, gothic, operatic, and silly, and it's appealing because of all of this. Jim Steinman was a composer without peer, simply because nobody else wanted to make mini-epics like this. And there never could have been a singer more suited for his compositions than Meat Loaf, a singer partial to bombast, albeit shaded bombast. The compositions are staggeringly ridiculous, yet Meat Loaf finds the emotional core in each song, bringing true heartbreak to "Two out of Three Ain't Bad" and sly humor to "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." There's no discounting the production of Todd Rundgren, either, who gives Steinman's self-styled grandiosity a production that's staggeringly big but never overwhelming and always alluring. While the sentiments are deliberately adolescent and filled with jokes and exaggerated clichés, there's real (albeit silly) wit behind these compositions, not just in the lyrics but in the music, which is a savvy blend of oldies pastiche, show tunes, prog rock, Springsteen-esque narratives, and blistering hard rock (thereby sounding a bit like an extension of Rocky Horror Picture Show, which brought Meat Loaf to the national stage). It may be easy to dismiss this as ridiculous, but there's real style and craft here and its kitsch is intentional. It may elevate adolescent passion to operatic dimensions, and that's certainly silly, but it's hard not to marvel at the skill behind this grandly silly, irresistible album.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4sja7i3jg71r
Dead Ringer
Meat Loaf
Review
Although it took Meat Loaf and composer Jim Steinman another 12 years to come up with the marketing gimmick of positioning an album as a deliberate follow-up to the multi-platinum Bat Out Of Hell, Dead Ringer was the real "Bat Out Of Hell II." Once again, Steinman wrote extended, operatic songs with hyperbolic lyrics ("I'll Kill You If You Don't Come Back" was one title) and organized a backup band anchored by E Street Band member Max Weinberg (drums) and Roy Bittan (keyboards), while Meat Loaf sang with a passion all the more compelling for its hint of the ridiculous. In the U.S., with four years separating Bat and Dead Ringer, nobody cared much. But in the U.K., where Bat was still going strong, Dead Ringer topped the charts, and the title track, featuring a perfectly cast Cher as duet singer, went Top Ten. In retrospect, the missing ingredient in the album is Todd Rundgren's pop sensibility as producer; he was the one who knew how long the compositions could go for maximum dramatic impact without becoming exhausting. It was Rundgren who made Bat Out Of Hell a fiery listening experience — producing himself, Meat Loaf often sounded only warmed over.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:2hxsa9cgb238
Midnight At The Lost And Found
Meat Loaf
Review
Singer Meat Loaf and composer Jim Steinman tried to do without producer Todd Rundgren, who had handled their masterpiece, Bat Out Of Hell, on its follow-up, Dead Ringer, and they managed OK. But then Meat Loaf tried to do without Steinman on the third album, Midnight at the Lost and Found, and didn't even come close. Meat Loaf was in typically impassioned form, but the material just didn't scale the heights of Steinman's incredible hubris. The U.S. had long since lost interest, but even in the U.K., where Meat Loaf was loved, the album was a step down commercially.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gxfyxqe5ldae
Bad Attitude
Meat Loaf
Review
Meat Loaf collects a couple of Jim Steinman songs and he, Paul Jacobs, and Mack work at re-creating the Todd Rundgren production sound for an album of high-voltage rock. (Originally released on Arista Records in the U.K. in October 1984, Bad Attitude was released in the U.S. on RCA Records in April 1985.)
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hxfyxqe5ldae
Blind Before I Stop
Meat Loaf
Review
Rather than aping the grandiose rock & roll style pioneered by Jim Steinman and Todd Rundgren on Meat Loaf's landmark Bat Out Of Hell album, German producer Frank Farian opts for a standard-issue heavy metal approach on Blind Before I Stop, emphasizing a heart-stoppingly loud rhythm section (sometimes playing at Eurodisco tempo), icy keyboards in the mid-range, and endlessly diddling high-pitched guitar solos on a series of forgettable tunes. Somewhere in the back of the mix, Meat Loaf exercises his adenoids, but all of his usual distinctiveness is lost in the sludge.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jxfyxqe5ldae
Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell
Meat Loaf
Review
Although Meat Loaf has made several albums since Bat Out Of Hell, Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell is an explicit sequel to that milestone of '70s pop culture. Reprising the formula of the original nearly to the letter, Back Into Hell is bombastic and has too much detail, thanks to the pseudo-operatic splendor of Jim Steinman's grandly cinematic songs. From the arrangements to the lengths of the tracks, everything on the album is overstated; even the album version of the hit single, "I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)," is 12 minutes long. Yet that's precisely the point of this album, and is also why it works so well. No other rock & roller besides Meat Loaf could pull off the humor and theatricality of Back Into Hell and make it seem real. In that sense, it's a worthy successor to the original.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:if98s36ya3pg
Welcome To The Neighborhood
Meat Loaf
Review
After having scored a surprising commercial comeback with 1993's Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell, his reunion with songwriter Jim Steinman, Meat Loaf tried to make it on his own, just as he had from 1983 to 1993, and with similarly disappointing results. As with albums like Bad Attitude, a couple of Steinman songs were tossed in, in this case the minor "Original Sin" (from 1989) and "Left in the Dark" (from 1980), a song previously cut by Barbra Streisand. But most of the album's songwriting was provided by a team of people, including pop songwriter Diane Warren, Van Halen lead singer Sammy Hagar, and ex-E Streeter Steven Van Zandt, plus producer Ron Nevison, trying to clone the flamboyant Steinman style and failing to do so. The Warren material especially (which sounded more like the kind of thing she tends to write for Michael Bolton) lacked Steinman's gothic excess, sly humor, and lyrical reach. Meat Loaf, as usual, sang like his life depended on it, while a band that was less distinctive than it should have been, given such notable participants as Kenny Aronoff and Kasim Sulton, churned out sub-metal riffs. The resulting sales fall-off was not as great as it had been before, but it remained true that Meat without Steinman was only half a loaf.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dvx1z82aoyv8
The Very Best Of Meat Loaf
Review
Unlike previous collections Epic has assembled, the double-disc The Very Best of Meat Loaf draws not only from his recordings for the label, but it also licenses his '90s comeback recordings for MCA. Which means, of course, that the 20-track collection is, indeed, the "very best" of Meat Loaf. Not all of his charting hits are here — "What You See Is What You Get," his 1971 single with Stoney, is absent, as is "I'm Gonna Love Her for the Both of Us," the only hit he had between the two Bat Out Of Hell albums — but all of the key album tracks from the two blockbusters are here, along with highlights from the sequels to the sequel, which means everything that anyone but a die-hard Meat Loaf fan could want is on this collection: ("Paradise by the Dashboard Light," "Two out of Three Ain't Bad," "You Took the Words Right out of My Mouth," "Bat out of Hell," "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)," "Rock & Roll Dreams Come Through," "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are," and a remix of "Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back"). That said, it is true that either the two Bat Out Of Hell albums are a more cohesive listen than this set, simply because they were designed as complete albums. Consequently, casual fans may be just as happy to purchase those two discs, which will set them back about as much as The Very Best of Meat Loaf, but anyone who wants all the hits on one set should pick this up.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:vgivad5ku8wo
Couldn't Have Said It Better
Meat Loaf
Review
The eight years since Meat Loaf's last studio album didn't include any editions of his Bat Out Of Hell series, but with a live album and a VH1 Storytellers appearance that relied heavily on Bat material, it sure seemed like it. Maybe that's why Couldn't Have Said It Better feels like the more sure and energetic post-Bat albums (Dead Ringer and Welcome to the Neighborhood) with the singer still sounding ecstatic from hitting a home run. Performance wise, Meat Loaf is in fine form, rocking it out bar-band style and able to deliver the grandiose tongue-in-cheek lyrics with just enough smirk. The material gets divided into two "chapters," splitting the songs into Bat-like mini-operas on the first and turning the bombast down to mere Queen level on the second. Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx and his writing partner James Michael contribute the bulk of the first chapter, with songs that betray taste and come right from the hulking Jim Steinman school. Just the right amount of camp keeps the rocking title track in check and Meat's call and response duet with Pearl Aday on "Man of Steel" stands with his finest moments. Chapter two kicks off with the great "Testify," a shimmy of a rave-up worthy of Meat's Eddie character from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was a brilliant move to hire Hedwig and the Angry Inch's composer/lyricist Stephen Trask for the husky "Tear Me Down," and Diane Warren contributes the softer "You're Right, I Was Wrong." The hyper and silly rap on "Do It" is ludicrous even by Meat Loaf's standards, but a chugging version of Dylan's "Forever Young" and the fiery version of "Mercury Blues," hidden as a bonus track, make for a perfect ending. At the time of its release, Steinman was five songs into writing Bat Out Of Hell III. If he feeds off the serious competition on Couldn't Have Said It Better, it'll be fantastic.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:bguf6j8371t0~T00
THE MONSTER IS LOOSE
Meat Loaf
Review
Truth be told, once Meat Loaf had a blockbuster with Bat Out Of Hell in 1977, he never really left the bombastic sound of that Todd Rundgren-produced, Jim Steinman-written classic behind. He went through a long stretch where he didn't have any hits — it's popularly known as the '80s — but he kept reworking the album, never quite getting it right until he reteamed with Steinman for 1993's Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell, which became a surprise international hit, re-establishing Meat Loaf as a major star. After that record, he never went away, continuing to record, tour, and act, but nothing quite matched the success of either Bat Out Of Hell, so it made perfect sense for Meat to go back to the Bat well a third time in the mid-2000s — over 12 years since the second Bat and nearly 30 years on from the first. But there was a hitch in his well-laid plan: Steinman didn't want to participate. This was a problem, because the Bat albums were as much Steinman's as they were Meat Loaf's — and this point was never hidden, either, as Steinman's name was prominent on the cover of both Bats. Undaunted, Meat Loaf went ahead with the project, hiring Desmond Child as producer and picking several older Steinman songs to form the heart of Bat Out Of Hell III, which now bore the subtitle of The Monster Is Loose. As the album's fall 2006 release date approached, Steinman took Meat Loaf to court over the record — after all, not only had he written the Bat Out Of Hell albums, but he owned the copyright to the phrase, so Meat needed permission in order to release the record. Permission was eventually granted in an out-of-court settlement, paving the way for the October 2006 release of Bat Out Of Hell III, a record that had many Steinman songs but in no way features his involvement in the recording or production of the album. And, boy, is his absence ever felt! His presence looms large over the record — quite obviously on the songs he wrote, but the very aesthetic of the album is copied wholesale from his blueprints — yet it's the ways that Bat III is different, both big and small, that points out who is missing at this party.
For one, this Bat is quite obviously a patchwork, pieced together from things borrowed and re-created, never quite gelling the way either of the previous Bats did. And if there's one thing that theatrical rock like this needs, it's a narrative through-line or at least a concrete goal. Child and Meat Loaf do have a goal, but it's merely to re-create the glory days; they're not quite so picky on how they get there. So, Child brings in Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx and Marilyn Manson's guitarist John 5 to pen the opening "The Monster Is Loose," and the results are disarming, a grindingly metallic riff-rocker that sits very uncomfortably next to Steinman's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," written with Meat in mind (at least according to the singer) but originally recorded by Celine Dion. Such jarring shifts in tone are common throughout The Monster Is Loose, not just as it moves from song to song, but within the tunes themselves, as Child's compositions chase after the grandeur of Steinman's work yet bare all the marks of a professional who is playing a game without bothering to learn the rules. The same is true for the very sound of Bat III. Although original Bat producer Todd Rundgren adds some necessary pomp with his vocal arrangements, the album is at once too heavy and too clinical, lacking the gaudy, gonzo soul that made Bat Out Of Hell irresistible camp. It's a brightly lit mess, but there is a redeeming factor here and that's Meat Loaf, who is singing his heart out as he valiantly tries to make this Bat a worthy successor to the originals.
http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3v881vynzzva
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
Review
There is no other album like Bat Out Of Hell, unless you want to count the sequel. This is Grand Guignol pop — epic, gothic, operatic, and silly, and it's appealing because of all of this. Jim Steinman was a composer without peer, simply because nobody else wanted to make mini-epics like this. And there never could have been a singer more suited for his compositions than Meat Loaf, a singer partial to bombast, albeit shaded bombast. The compositions are staggeringly ridiculous, yet Meat Loaf finds the emotional core in each song, bringing true heartbreak to "Two out of Three Ain't Bad" and sly humor to "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." There's no discounting the production of Todd Rundgren, either, who gives Steinman's self-styled grandiosity a production that's staggeringly big but never overwhelming and always alluring. While the sentiments are deliberately adolescent and filled with jokes and exaggerated clichés, there's real (albeit silly) wit behind these compositions, not just in the lyrics but in the music, which is a savvy blend of oldies pastiche, show tunes, prog rock, Springsteen-esque narratives, and blistering hard rock (thereby sounding a bit like an extension of Rocky Horror Picture Show, which brought Meat Loaf to the national stage). It may be easy to dismiss this as ridiculous, but there's real style and craft here and its kitsch is intentional. It may elevate adolescent passion to operatic dimensions, and that's certainly silly, but it's hard not to marvel at the skill behind this grandly silly, irresistible album.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4sja7i3jg71r
Dead Ringer
Meat Loaf
Review
Although it took Meat Loaf and composer Jim Steinman another 12 years to come up with the marketing gimmick of positioning an album as a deliberate follow-up to the multi-platinum Bat Out Of Hell, Dead Ringer was the real "Bat Out Of Hell II." Once again, Steinman wrote extended, operatic songs with hyperbolic lyrics ("I'll Kill You If You Don't Come Back" was one title) and organized a backup band anchored by E Street Band member Max Weinberg (drums) and Roy Bittan (keyboards), while Meat Loaf sang with a passion all the more compelling for its hint of the ridiculous. In the U.S., with four years separating Bat and Dead Ringer, nobody cared much. But in the U.K., where Bat was still going strong, Dead Ringer topped the charts, and the title track, featuring a perfectly cast Cher as duet singer, went Top Ten. In retrospect, the missing ingredient in the album is Todd Rundgren's pop sensibility as producer; he was the one who knew how long the compositions could go for maximum dramatic impact without becoming exhausting. It was Rundgren who made Bat Out Of Hell a fiery listening experience — producing himself, Meat Loaf often sounded only warmed over.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:2hxsa9cgb238
Midnight At The Lost And Found
Meat Loaf
Review
Singer Meat Loaf and composer Jim Steinman tried to do without producer Todd Rundgren, who had handled their masterpiece, Bat Out Of Hell, on its follow-up, Dead Ringer, and they managed OK. But then Meat Loaf tried to do without Steinman on the third album, Midnight at the Lost and Found, and didn't even come close. Meat Loaf was in typically impassioned form, but the material just didn't scale the heights of Steinman's incredible hubris. The U.S. had long since lost interest, but even in the U.K., where Meat Loaf was loved, the album was a step down commercially.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gxfyxqe5ldae
Bad Attitude
Meat Loaf
Review
Meat Loaf collects a couple of Jim Steinman songs and he, Paul Jacobs, and Mack work at re-creating the Todd Rundgren production sound for an album of high-voltage rock. (Originally released on Arista Records in the U.K. in October 1984, Bad Attitude was released in the U.S. on RCA Records in April 1985.)
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hxfyxqe5ldae
Blind Before I Stop
Meat Loaf
Review
Rather than aping the grandiose rock & roll style pioneered by Jim Steinman and Todd Rundgren on Meat Loaf's landmark Bat Out Of Hell album, German producer Frank Farian opts for a standard-issue heavy metal approach on Blind Before I Stop, emphasizing a heart-stoppingly loud rhythm section (sometimes playing at Eurodisco tempo), icy keyboards in the mid-range, and endlessly diddling high-pitched guitar solos on a series of forgettable tunes. Somewhere in the back of the mix, Meat Loaf exercises his adenoids, but all of his usual distinctiveness is lost in the sludge.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jxfyxqe5ldae
Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell
Meat Loaf
Review
Although Meat Loaf has made several albums since Bat Out Of Hell, Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell is an explicit sequel to that milestone of '70s pop culture. Reprising the formula of the original nearly to the letter, Back Into Hell is bombastic and has too much detail, thanks to the pseudo-operatic splendor of Jim Steinman's grandly cinematic songs. From the arrangements to the lengths of the tracks, everything on the album is overstated; even the album version of the hit single, "I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)," is 12 minutes long. Yet that's precisely the point of this album, and is also why it works so well. No other rock & roller besides Meat Loaf could pull off the humor and theatricality of Back Into Hell and make it seem real. In that sense, it's a worthy successor to the original.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:if98s36ya3pg
Welcome To The Neighborhood
Meat Loaf
Review
After having scored a surprising commercial comeback with 1993's Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell, his reunion with songwriter Jim Steinman, Meat Loaf tried to make it on his own, just as he had from 1983 to 1993, and with similarly disappointing results. As with albums like Bad Attitude, a couple of Steinman songs were tossed in, in this case the minor "Original Sin" (from 1989) and "Left in the Dark" (from 1980), a song previously cut by Barbra Streisand. But most of the album's songwriting was provided by a team of people, including pop songwriter Diane Warren, Van Halen lead singer Sammy Hagar, and ex-E Streeter Steven Van Zandt, plus producer Ron Nevison, trying to clone the flamboyant Steinman style and failing to do so. The Warren material especially (which sounded more like the kind of thing she tends to write for Michael Bolton) lacked Steinman's gothic excess, sly humor, and lyrical reach. Meat Loaf, as usual, sang like his life depended on it, while a band that was less distinctive than it should have been, given such notable participants as Kenny Aronoff and Kasim Sulton, churned out sub-metal riffs. The resulting sales fall-off was not as great as it had been before, but it remained true that Meat without Steinman was only half a loaf.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dvx1z82aoyv8
The Very Best Of Meat Loaf
Review
Unlike previous collections Epic has assembled, the double-disc The Very Best of Meat Loaf draws not only from his recordings for the label, but it also licenses his '90s comeback recordings for MCA. Which means, of course, that the 20-track collection is, indeed, the "very best" of Meat Loaf. Not all of his charting hits are here — "What You See Is What You Get," his 1971 single with Stoney, is absent, as is "I'm Gonna Love Her for the Both of Us," the only hit he had between the two Bat Out Of Hell albums — but all of the key album tracks from the two blockbusters are here, along with highlights from the sequels to the sequel, which means everything that anyone but a die-hard Meat Loaf fan could want is on this collection: ("Paradise by the Dashboard Light," "Two out of Three Ain't Bad," "You Took the Words Right out of My Mouth," "Bat out of Hell," "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)," "Rock & Roll Dreams Come Through," "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are," and a remix of "Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back"). That said, it is true that either the two Bat Out Of Hell albums are a more cohesive listen than this set, simply because they were designed as complete albums. Consequently, casual fans may be just as happy to purchase those two discs, which will set them back about as much as The Very Best of Meat Loaf, but anyone who wants all the hits on one set should pick this up.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:vgivad5ku8wo
Couldn't Have Said It Better
Meat Loaf
Review
The eight years since Meat Loaf's last studio album didn't include any editions of his Bat Out Of Hell series, but with a live album and a VH1 Storytellers appearance that relied heavily on Bat material, it sure seemed like it. Maybe that's why Couldn't Have Said It Better feels like the more sure and energetic post-Bat albums (Dead Ringer and Welcome to the Neighborhood) with the singer still sounding ecstatic from hitting a home run. Performance wise, Meat Loaf is in fine form, rocking it out bar-band style and able to deliver the grandiose tongue-in-cheek lyrics with just enough smirk. The material gets divided into two "chapters," splitting the songs into Bat-like mini-operas on the first and turning the bombast down to mere Queen level on the second. Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx and his writing partner James Michael contribute the bulk of the first chapter, with songs that betray taste and come right from the hulking Jim Steinman school. Just the right amount of camp keeps the rocking title track in check and Meat's call and response duet with Pearl Aday on "Man of Steel" stands with his finest moments. Chapter two kicks off with the great "Testify," a shimmy of a rave-up worthy of Meat's Eddie character from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was a brilliant move to hire Hedwig and the Angry Inch's composer/lyricist Stephen Trask for the husky "Tear Me Down," and Diane Warren contributes the softer "You're Right, I Was Wrong." The hyper and silly rap on "Do It" is ludicrous even by Meat Loaf's standards, but a chugging version of Dylan's "Forever Young" and the fiery version of "Mercury Blues," hidden as a bonus track, make for a perfect ending. At the time of its release, Steinman was five songs into writing Bat Out Of Hell III. If he feeds off the serious competition on Couldn't Have Said It Better, it'll be fantastic.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:bguf6j8371t0~T00
THE MONSTER IS LOOSE
Meat Loaf
Review
Truth be told, once Meat Loaf had a blockbuster with Bat Out Of Hell in 1977, he never really left the bombastic sound of that Todd Rundgren-produced, Jim Steinman-written classic behind. He went through a long stretch where he didn't have any hits — it's popularly known as the '80s — but he kept reworking the album, never quite getting it right until he reteamed with Steinman for 1993's Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell, which became a surprise international hit, re-establishing Meat Loaf as a major star. After that record, he never went away, continuing to record, tour, and act, but nothing quite matched the success of either Bat Out Of Hell, so it made perfect sense for Meat to go back to the Bat well a third time in the mid-2000s — over 12 years since the second Bat and nearly 30 years on from the first. But there was a hitch in his well-laid plan: Steinman didn't want to participate. This was a problem, because the Bat albums were as much Steinman's as they were Meat Loaf's — and this point was never hidden, either, as Steinman's name was prominent on the cover of both Bats. Undaunted, Meat Loaf went ahead with the project, hiring Desmond Child as producer and picking several older Steinman songs to form the heart of Bat Out Of Hell III, which now bore the subtitle of The Monster Is Loose. As the album's fall 2006 release date approached, Steinman took Meat Loaf to court over the record — after all, not only had he written the Bat Out Of Hell albums, but he owned the copyright to the phrase, so Meat needed permission in order to release the record. Permission was eventually granted in an out-of-court settlement, paving the way for the October 2006 release of Bat Out Of Hell III, a record that had many Steinman songs but in no way features his involvement in the recording or production of the album. And, boy, is his absence ever felt! His presence looms large over the record — quite obviously on the songs he wrote, but the very aesthetic of the album is copied wholesale from his blueprints — yet it's the ways that Bat III is different, both big and small, that points out who is missing at this party.
For one, this Bat is quite obviously a patchwork, pieced together from things borrowed and re-created, never quite gelling the way either of the previous Bats did. And if there's one thing that theatrical rock like this needs, it's a narrative through-line or at least a concrete goal. Child and Meat Loaf do have a goal, but it's merely to re-create the glory days; they're not quite so picky on how they get there. So, Child brings in Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx and Marilyn Manson's guitarist John 5 to pen the opening "The Monster Is Loose," and the results are disarming, a grindingly metallic riff-rocker that sits very uncomfortably next to Steinman's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," written with Meat in mind (at least according to the singer) but originally recorded by Celine Dion. Such jarring shifts in tone are common throughout The Monster Is Loose, not just as it moves from song to song, but within the tunes themselves, as Child's compositions chase after the grandeur of Steinman's work yet bare all the marks of a professional who is playing a game without bothering to learn the rules. The same is true for the very sound of Bat III. Although original Bat producer Todd Rundgren adds some necessary pomp with his vocal arrangements, the album is at once too heavy and too clinical, lacking the gaudy, gonzo soul that made Bat Out Of Hell irresistible camp. It's a brightly lit mess, but there is a redeeming factor here and that's Meat Loaf, who is singing his heart out as he valiantly tries to make this Bat a worthy successor to the originals.
http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3v881vynzzva
The Dark Knight Speeds to $400 Million
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b22196_dark_knight_speeds_400_million.html
Today 12:35 PM PDT by Joal Ryan
Eighteen days.
That's all it took for The Dark Knight to break $400 million.
The Batman movie grossed another $6.3 million on Monday, per final numbers from Exhibitor Relations, bringing its overall domestic total to $400,038,494 and setting yet another land-speed record.
The fastest film to $100 million, $200 million and $300 million is now the fastest film to $400 million. By a lot.
The "old" record, set back in 2004, was held by Shrek 2, which reached $400 million in a then-swift—and still impressive—43 days.
After just two-and-a-half weeks in release, The Dark Knight sits at eighth place on the list of all-time grossers. But it won't sit there long.
Today, it should pass the original Spider-Man ($403 million) and climb to seventh. By the weekend, it'll make its move on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (sixth place, $423 million), Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace (fifth place, $431 million) and maybe even E.T. (fourth place, $435 million).
At the same point in its release, 18 days in, Titanic, the No. 1 all-time box-office champ, had grossed $160 million.
But as much as director Christopher Nolan's superhero epic now appears to be unstoppable, it is slowing down—something Titanic, which accumulated its record $601 million when ticket prices were about 50 percent cheaper than today, didn't do for months and months after its debut.
Don't expect, though, The Dark Knight to feel bad about (maybe) settling for No. 2. Even before it has opened in countries such as Japan, Germany and South Korea, it has already taken in more than $600 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo.
That kind of money can buy a very nice consolation prize.
Today 12:35 PM PDT by Joal Ryan
Eighteen days.
That's all it took for The Dark Knight to break $400 million.
The Batman movie grossed another $6.3 million on Monday, per final numbers from Exhibitor Relations, bringing its overall domestic total to $400,038,494 and setting yet another land-speed record.
The fastest film to $100 million, $200 million and $300 million is now the fastest film to $400 million. By a lot.
The "old" record, set back in 2004, was held by Shrek 2, which reached $400 million in a then-swift—and still impressive—43 days.
After just two-and-a-half weeks in release, The Dark Knight sits at eighth place on the list of all-time grossers. But it won't sit there long.
Today, it should pass the original Spider-Man ($403 million) and climb to seventh. By the weekend, it'll make its move on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (sixth place, $423 million), Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace (fifth place, $431 million) and maybe even E.T. (fourth place, $435 million).
At the same point in its release, 18 days in, Titanic, the No. 1 all-time box-office champ, had grossed $160 million.
But as much as director Christopher Nolan's superhero epic now appears to be unstoppable, it is slowing down—something Titanic, which accumulated its record $601 million when ticket prices were about 50 percent cheaper than today, didn't do for months and months after its debut.
Don't expect, though, The Dark Knight to feel bad about (maybe) settling for No. 2. Even before it has opened in countries such as Japan, Germany and South Korea, it has already taken in more than $600 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo.
That kind of money can buy a very nice consolation prize.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
'Dark Knight' still soars with $42.7M weekend
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jb68x_tOGx8QHjI0Cr6C-Vy79OGgD92BPEUG0
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bruce Wayne continues to add to his millions. "The Dark Knight," the blockbuster about the rich guy and his crime-fighting alter-ego, led the box office for the third weekend with $42.7 million.
"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" opened at No. 2 with $40.5 million.
The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Media By Numbers LLC are:
1. "The Dark Knight," Warner Bros., $42,664,219, 4,266 locations, $10,001 average, $393,751,065, three weeks.
2. "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," Universal, $40,457,770, 3,760 locations, $10,760 average, $40,457,770, one week.
3. "Step Brothers," Sony, $16,506,526, 3,094 locations, $5,335 average, $63,172,026, two weeks.
4. "Mamma Mia!", Universal, $12,615,515, 3,062 locations, $4,120 average, $87,470,125, three weeks.
5. "Journey to the Center of the Earth," Warner Bros., $6,662,406, 2,285 locations, $2,916 average, $72,927,314, four weeks.
6. "Swing Vote," Disney, $6,230,669, 2,213 locations, $2,815 average, $6,230,669, one week.
7. "Hancock," Sony, $5,087,756, 2,782 locations, $1,829 average, $215,883,222, five weeks.
8. "WALL-E," Disney, $4,603,179, 2,555 locations, $1,802 average, $204,078,076, six weeks.
9. "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," Fox, $3,385,878, 3,185 locations, $1,063 average, $17,021,373, two weeks.
10. "Space Chimps," Fox, $2,720,177, 2,134 locations, $1,275 average, $21,971,016, three weeks.
11. "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," Universal, $2,488,525, 1,959 locations, $1,270 average, $71,234,335, four weeks.
12. "Wanted," Universal, $1,239,980, 895 locations, $1,385 average, $131,320,095, six weeks.
13. "Brideshead Revisited," Miramax, $1,163,544, 189 locations, $6,156 average, $1,698,007, two weeks.
14. "Get Smart," Warner Bros., $994,065, 728 locations, $1,365 average, $126,500,884, seven weeks.
15. "Kung Fu Panda," Paramount, $626,363, 520 locations, $1,205 average, $210,480,901, nine weeks.
16. "Iron Man," Paramount, $580,179, 407 locations, $1,426 average, $315,687,768, 14 weeks.
17. "The Incredible Hulk," Universal, $477,840, 362 locations, $1,320 average, $133,283,170, eight weeks.
18. "Tell No One," Music Box, $460,366, 94 locations, $4,898 average, $2,305,569, five weeks.
19. "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl," Picturehouse, $400,261, 450 locations, $889 average, $16,224,319, seven weeks.
20. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," Paramount, $359,349, 332 locations, $1,082 average, $314,331,661, 11 weeks.
On the Net:
http://www.mediabynumbers.com
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bruce Wayne continues to add to his millions. "The Dark Knight," the blockbuster about the rich guy and his crime-fighting alter-ego, led the box office for the third weekend with $42.7 million.
"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" opened at No. 2 with $40.5 million.
The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Media By Numbers LLC are:
1. "The Dark Knight," Warner Bros., $42,664,219, 4,266 locations, $10,001 average, $393,751,065, three weeks.
2. "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," Universal, $40,457,770, 3,760 locations, $10,760 average, $40,457,770, one week.
3. "Step Brothers," Sony, $16,506,526, 3,094 locations, $5,335 average, $63,172,026, two weeks.
4. "Mamma Mia!", Universal, $12,615,515, 3,062 locations, $4,120 average, $87,470,125, three weeks.
5. "Journey to the Center of the Earth," Warner Bros., $6,662,406, 2,285 locations, $2,916 average, $72,927,314, four weeks.
6. "Swing Vote," Disney, $6,230,669, 2,213 locations, $2,815 average, $6,230,669, one week.
7. "Hancock," Sony, $5,087,756, 2,782 locations, $1,829 average, $215,883,222, five weeks.
8. "WALL-E," Disney, $4,603,179, 2,555 locations, $1,802 average, $204,078,076, six weeks.
9. "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," Fox, $3,385,878, 3,185 locations, $1,063 average, $17,021,373, two weeks.
10. "Space Chimps," Fox, $2,720,177, 2,134 locations, $1,275 average, $21,971,016, three weeks.
11. "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," Universal, $2,488,525, 1,959 locations, $1,270 average, $71,234,335, four weeks.
12. "Wanted," Universal, $1,239,980, 895 locations, $1,385 average, $131,320,095, six weeks.
13. "Brideshead Revisited," Miramax, $1,163,544, 189 locations, $6,156 average, $1,698,007, two weeks.
14. "Get Smart," Warner Bros., $994,065, 728 locations, $1,365 average, $126,500,884, seven weeks.
15. "Kung Fu Panda," Paramount, $626,363, 520 locations, $1,205 average, $210,480,901, nine weeks.
16. "Iron Man," Paramount, $580,179, 407 locations, $1,426 average, $315,687,768, 14 weeks.
17. "The Incredible Hulk," Universal, $477,840, 362 locations, $1,320 average, $133,283,170, eight weeks.
18. "Tell No One," Music Box, $460,366, 94 locations, $4,898 average, $2,305,569, five weeks.
19. "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl," Picturehouse, $400,261, 450 locations, $889 average, $16,224,319, seven weeks.
20. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," Paramount, $359,349, 332 locations, $1,082 average, $314,331,661, 11 weeks.
On the Net:
http://www.mediabynumbers.com
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