Countdown Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Sitting next to my father in a crowded station wagon on the evening of July 20, 1969, I listened to the radio as we drove and stared up into the heavens. Man had landed on the moon, and soon we would all be exploring the universe, just like they did on Forbidden Planet and Star Trek. Things haven't quite worked out that way, so, instead, I've turned to the movies to fulfill my deep space fantasies.

George Melies made the very first sci-fi flick in 1902, A Trip to the Moon, which lasted all of 14 minutes. Interest picked up in the post WWII-era with George Pal's production of Destination Moon; the 1950s were a golden age for science fiction films. Stanley Kubrick's classic 2001: A Space Odyssey put the moon in a whole new light. After Neil Armstrong set his foot down 40 years ago, real life footage replaced all the fictional creations. (Of course, some folks believe the Moon landing itself was faked, leading to a fake Mars mission in Peter Hyams' Capricorn One.) Things were quiet until Ron Howard's Apollo 13, in which the astronauts never even got to touch down. Bringing us up to date, Duncan Jones' highly-acclaimed Moon is now playing in selected engagements.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, please take our poll and tell us: What are your favorite movies about the moon? We've listed ten, but you're free to vote for "Other" and state your case in the comments section.

3 - 2 - 1 ... There's nothing like a ticking time bomb to give any movie a sense of urgency. Whether it's a literal set of explosives (as in Speed), a new ice age (The Day After Tomorrow), alien attack (Independence Day), hostage execution (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three), fatal poison (Crank), or the threat of loved ones being killed (Nick of Time), it's an honorable tradition to ratchet up the tension by pitting heroic characters in a relentless race against the clock.

This week marks the home video release of Alex Proyas' Knowing, a somewhat insane thriller in which astrophysicist Nicolas Cage comes to believe that future disasters can be predicted -- and races against time to stop the next one. You have to see it to believe (or mock) it. If you're in a countdown frame of mind, here are seven more entertaining thrillers that feature seriously motivated heroes trying to avert disaster. Consider this a starter list; see if you can be the first one to list your favorite(s) in the comments section. Go!

7. Back to the Future (1985)

Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is just an ordinary high school student, doing a favor for good old Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) when he finds himself transported back in time 30 years. Before he knows what's happening, he's dodging Oedipal issues and trying to make sure his parents fall in love before he is gone, baby, gone. He is highly-motivated, to say the least, resulting in a pulse-quickening race in which a literal clock plays a major role.

Just so we are clear, the new script by Wanted writers, Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, will have nothing to do with James Harriot's novel, All Creatures Great and Small -- although it does make a little confusing since they have the same title. The Hollywood Reporter announced that the duo have signed to complete a script for Sony and Original Films producer, Neil Moritz. According to Brandt, he and Haas came up with the idea after securing a blind deal with Sony, and Creatures was the first project they wanted to pitch to the studio.

Creatures centers on a future where humans are vastly outnumbered by animals. Brandt describes a pretty bleak future for us bipeds in the script: "... where people are literally living in forts, and the animals are running free."

Picture a studio, desperate for new script idea. (What? This is news about The Twilight Zone; I couldn't help myself.) The Hollywood Reporter announced that Summit Entertainment (Resident Evil) has put the sci-fi thriller Countdown on the fast track to production. The movie is based on a classic episode of The Twilight Zone titled Death Ship, by Richard Matheson (I Am Legend). Michael Brandt (Wanted) will adapt the script along with Derek Haas, and also take over directing duties. Some of Brandt and Haas' other projects include 3:10 to Yuma and 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Death Ship centered on three astronauts who discover a mysterious spacecraft while exploring the galaxy for hospitable planets. When they stumble upon a wreckage of a ship identical to their own, they are left to try and discover what exactly has happened. If you ever spent a lot of time watching TV late at night, or you are a Zone aficionado, then you can probably guess what happens next. If not, I won't spoil it -- especially since, at this point, we have no idea how much Brandt and Haas are planning on changing in the original story.

The film had originally been slated for production in 2005; Summit was planning on producing the film along with Mandalay Entertainment. Now that Summit has become a fully functioning and independent studio, they will be producing Countdown on their own and the deal with Mandalay has gone out the window. Countdown is tentatively scheduled to go into production later this summer. They have already projected a budget of around $30 million, but so far no names have been attached to star. Stay tuned to Cinematical for any updates that come our way.