Brake, brake, brake! (Film news - 27/11/10)

It almost goes without saying but the last couple of weeks where I've been unable to access a computer for lond stretches of time there were news stories coming thick and fast, exciting new projects on the go every few minutes. Now that I'm back, gently typing away at my desk with all the time in the world, the presses seem to have stopped. It's been Thanksgiving week, of course, which had led to many news organisations running on lower staff and consequently fewer stories, but ultimately I'm left with just two items which got my attention. Luckily we have some release date changes otherwise I'd be considering if it was worth coming home this weekend at all.

Jayne Mansfield's Car

In a fit of pique at the current state of cinematic releases actor/director Billy Bob Thornton has decided to just write his own. He is quoted as saying: "I think because of the nature of movies they are making these days. They are really not my bag as much. I figured that instead of sitting around complaining that I really don’t want to be in a superhero movie or cartoon or a 3D vampire movie and all that kind of thing, I’ve written movies before, so why not write one."

I personally feel the star of Eagle Eye and Faster may have more of a point if he had touch more integrity in his film choices, but that's by the by.

The title is probably going to be a bit of a red herring. Jayne Mansfield, as you probably know, was tragically killed in a car crash in 1966 with less than 25 films under her belt. This film won't be a biopic of Mansfield (below) or even her car (not pictured). Instead it will focus on the randomness of life and death and the impact of the Vietnam war on a community in Alabama.



Thornton has made a number of films in the late 90s, notably Sling Blade which garnered mass acclaim and an Oscar so it will be good to see him back in the directors chair.

Read on for a surprise return to Anarene and the latest changes to release dates.



Untitled Last Picture Show sequel

Jeff Bridges has been busy doing the publicity for both Tron and True Grit over the last couple of weeks, so inevitably he's going to let a few odd snippets of information about other films he's preparing for. Notably he told journalists that he's been spending time with Peter Bogdanovich with the idea of returning to their 1971 hit The Last Picture Show (below) and continuing the storylines of those characters. This would be the second sequel after the largely unsuccessful Texasville (1990), and something tells me Randy Quaid won't be joining them this time around.



Release Dates

The release schedules have been going crazy over the last few weeks - loads of new stuff as well as some minor changes - hopefully there'll be something for everyone in this list:

Black Swan - Natalie Portman's prima ballerina reaches for perfection whilst performing Swan Lake and may just smash her brain in Aronofsky's latest movie. Become obsessed about your art on 21 January 2011.

The Ward - We may not have a poster, a trailer or even the vaguest nod towards a fully fledged plot synopsis but John Carpenter's return to the big screen does have a release date. Panic to a synth score on 21 January 2011.

The Tempest - Three of this weeks films with new release dates originally had an earlier date but then drifted into limbo for a bit, Julie Taymor's bonkers looking bard adaptation is the first of these. Talk to spirits on 04 March 2011.

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Woody Allen's latest, which looks at fortune telling among other things, has already opened in the US so naturally we have a long wait over here. Not as long as some of his though which might indicate this one's OK. Find your fortune on 18 March 2011.

Red Riding Hood - Stepping away from the back end of the awards season and closer to the onslaught of summer tentpoles seems like an interesting elease strategy for this Twilight-lite looking fairytale adaptation. Be afrad of the Big Bad wolf on 15 April 2011.

Warrior - There's still a 20 week gap in the middle of next year for me with no films I'm interested in coming out, luckily Tom Hardy will be largely naked and fighting for his life when this is released. Get back into blood sports on 07 October 2011.

Footloose - Of all the remakes of 80's standards that we've been seeing over the last few years the least surprising is this story of a young man fighting oppression through dance. Go with the music on 14 October 2011.

Hugo Cabret - It'll definitely be making it to my most anticapted films of 2011, proving I'm an unapologetic Scorsese fan even when he's making a kids film. Find the father of cinema on 09 December 2011.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - It looks like they just ca't make their mind up about the release date for this US remake, it's danced about at the end of December next year yet again. Frown and find a serial killer on 30 December 2011.

Bad News for The Debt and War Horse though; both of which have had their UK release dates pulled and with no sign of a new one at this point. I fully expect both of them to return to the schedules and will update when I know more.