Film News (02/01/10)

This time of year is always a bit empty of news items, but I've managed to find one curious baiting interview and a youtube clip from early December that might be of interest.

Xtreme City

Did you think that Slumdog Millionaire portrayed a poverty tourism view of Mumbai, or that it adhered too closely to an idea that background can only be escaped from by outside (Western) aid? Well Paul Schrader does, and he's been trashing last years best Oscar winner as he's scounting for locations for his new Bollywood picture. The aim is to make a Bollywood style pot-boiler, complete with 5 songs, with a Hollywood budget and a major US filmstar - Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are apparently being courted. The screenplay also presents Mumbai as a city of extremes (natch) where poverty rubs shoulders with major wealth as well as a huge varitions within the middle classes. If it's a success look out for a much closer relationship between East and West in the future.



Baryo

Did anyone know that DJ Qualls, Garret Dillahunt and Jordi Molla have been cast in the latest film about the Phillipine-American war. They're all names I recognise, even if they're not big stars, so I'll be interested to see what happens. I am hopelessly ignorant about the conflict - anyone like to fill me in in the comments?

Steps/Zero Point

Tony Kaye, of American History X debacle and dressing as Osama Bin Laden for Marlon Brando fame, has been promoting his next two ventures via a youtube interview (which appears to hqave been shot in the back of a taxi). Judge for yourself whether you think either will get made below - bearing in mind we're still waiting for release dates for his Hurrican Katrina drama starring Stephen Dorff and Laurence Fishburne.