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Whether it's grown men in bunny suits or the addictive giggle of Melissa McCarthy, this week's double feature is all about alternate realities. While I'm not the biggest fan of many science fiction elements, I'm a sucker for a good story about worlds that are just a little bit off. When an eerie twist is mixed into scenes showcasing the life and environment we're all familiar with, a film changes from something we can guess into an intriguing puzzle to figure out, or endlessly argue about. (And it does so without traveling to unrecognizable, fantastical new turf.)

Tonight, we've got a film that really should get more play, plus one beloved cult classic. I give you: The Nines and Donnie Darko.

*Included at the request of a nerd friend of mine.

Each week, The Exhibitionist comments on the latest news, trends and innovations related to the theater industry, or it discusses long-continuing problems with and complaints against cinemas in general, or it simply relates a specific moviegoing experience of yours truly. But rarely does this column get into the subject of actual movies. Well, seeing as there's not much new in the industry this week, and seeing as I'm fortunately not being dragged to see Sex and the City and therefore have no experience to relate about being a sole male in an auditorium packed with women, I figure this is a perfect time to bring up actual movies. Not just any movies, though: I'm presently only interested in discussing movies about, set in or prominently featuring movie theaters.

The earliest movie that I'm familiar with that significantly involves a theater is Buster Keaton's Sherlock Jr. The silent comedian plays a projectionist who falls asleep on the job then has a dream in which he literally climbs through the movie screen and into a detective film. A similar idea of breaking the boundary between auditorium and screen is used in Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo and in John McTiernan's The Last Action Hero, both of which involve a movie character who manages to leave his respective film within the film. But nothing tops Keaton's screen-entering stunt, which utilizes special effects that still astonish more than 80 years later.

So it looks like I have to disabuse myself of the notion that this story was some sort of fever dream or hallucination on my part. A Donnie Darko sequel, titled S. Darko, is happening, and Elizabeth Berkeley, that fearless queen of the C-list, has joined the cast. She will play "a speed freak-turned-Jesus freak whose sentiments about ridding the world of its exponential sin are rivaled only by her infatuation with her dreamy pastor." No word on who plays the dreamy pastor, but Berkeley joins Justin Chatwin, Ed Westwick and the original film's Daveigh Chase. Chase reprises her role as Donnie's sister Samantha, who leaves Sparkle Motion to go on a road trip with her best friend (Brianna Evigan) only to be plagued by nightmarish visions.

What's most curious about S. Darko is that while it has begun production, with television veteran Chris Fisher at the helm, I can't find word anywhere about who the screenwriter is. What gives? The stories about the film have given the impression that Fisher was hired by the producers to direct; if so, where did the project originate? It seemed to come out of nowhere earlier in the month.

I'm not sure any admirer of Donnie Darko can reasonably be optimistic about this sequel. The first film is so wonderfully self-contained that the very notion of a sequel is kind of heartbreaking. And it seemed so personal to maestro Richard Kelly that doing it without him (he's not involved in any way) seems offensive.

It sounds like a prank. We would all like it to be one. But it seems to be legit.

The story comes from Screen Daily, who reports that S. Darko is being shopped around, with Fox already picking up the North American distribution rights. Touted as the sequel to the 2001 cult hit, the story picks up seven years after Donnie Darko left off. The youngest Darko, Samantha, is now 18 and abandoning her commitment to Sparkle Motion. She heads to Las Vegas with her best friend Corey, but the two are plagued with bizarre visions. I imagine they will involve a rabbit.

Richard Kelly, the original director, is in no way involved. Chris Fincher Fisher* will direct instead. Daveigh Chase, who played Samantha in the original, will reprise her role. It looks like she is the only one. The movie also stars Ed Westwick, Briana Evigan, and Justin Chatwin.

As to the big looming question of why, oh God, why, Simon Crowe of UK sales company Velvet Octopus says they're thinking of the children. "I think there is a new generation of cinema-goers who will be very excited to see this film."
Which generation came of age between 2001 and 2008? Why haven't they rented Donnie Darko? I am afraid these are questions to which Crowe has no answers. But he did quip, "Donnie's not in [the new film] but there are meteorites and rabbits."

Nothing is safe from the all mighty dollar, my friends. Nothing. Even when there is a pretty conclusive ending, there can always be a sequel. I'll leave you to think about that as I go pen my script for No Country for Old Men 2.

[via Empire]

*Very kind thanks to astute reader toad_stone for pointing out our egregious misspelling of director Chris Fisher's last name. Correction made, with our apologies. - Ed.

Well, it's official. The Writers Guild of America is going on strike tomorrow. Here's hoping the strike ends quickly and that all parties come away happy. And writers? Use this time off to study my choices for the seven best screenplays of the 2000's:

The 40 Year Old Virgin by Judd Apatow & Steve Carell

The blending of improvisation and the written word gives Apatow's two classic comedies -- Knocked Up would be the other -- a feeling of authenticity that is all too rare in today's film world. Apatow takes the strategy of writing for specific performers and their strengths, and it really pays off. Scoff if you want at a sex comedy making the list, but for a movie to be this incredibly funny -- while keeping an oddly touching romance and a spot-on character study afloat -- the screenwriters deserve high praise.

About Schmidt by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor

One of the saddest comedies ever made, and one of the most truthful and painful portraits of old age. Payne and Taylor specialize in scripts about people on the verge of cracking, depressed souls who tend to find the smallest redemption possible. Payne/Taylor characters never go from Point A to Point B over the course of the screenplay, they go from Point A to Point A.1. The small, gradual changes in their characters are reflective of the way actual humans (as opposed to movie humans) work. Warren Schmidt's personal growth is so minor that it is confined to the last thirty seconds of the film, but when it comes it's an emotional punch in the gut.

A few months back we all found it pretty juicy (if perhaps a little unfair) when Richard Kelly's Southland Tales was met by cascades of displeasure after it unspooled at the Cannes film festival -- but according to the filmmaker's MySpace blog, the final product has been locked, only he chose to lop 27 minutes off of the flick for Sony's theatrical release. (The new version will run 157 minutes.) Aside from some final voice-over and special effects work, the movie is entirely ready for mass consumption, and Kelly promises a trailer / release date announcement sometime soon.

For those with short memory spans, Southland Tales is the sophomore effort from the director of Donnie Darko -- and from what I've read the movie is sort of beyond description. One thing we know for sure is that the ensemble case (which includes names like Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mandy Moore, Cheri Oteri, Miranda Richardson, Jon Lovitz, John Larqouette, Kevin Smith and The Rock) could make for a fairly ... unique evening. (Check out the Rocchi Review of Southland right here!)

So what's next for Mr. Kelly once his Southland Tales has been unleashed upon the world? Looks like he's busy on pre-production with The Box, which will be a spooky movie based on a great story by Richard Matheson. Those who are anticipating another five-year waiting period from the filmmaker can rest easy: production on The Box is scheduled to begin in March.

[Thanks to BD.com for the tip!]

Actor Noah Wyle, alumni of television's hit hospital drama ER, and more recently star of TNT's rip-offs of homages to Raiders of the Lost Ark known as The Librarian: Quest for the Spear and Return to King Solomon's Mines, is set to make his feature directorial debut with the romantic comedy Prince Test for Dolphin Entertainment and producers Peter Sussman, Arthur Sarkissian and Morris Levy. The film, written by first-timer and recent USC film grad Rachel Weinhaus (with a rewrite by J.P. Manoux), centers on a female private investigator who uses somewhat unorthodox and deceptive techniques to gauge the fidelity of the married men she investigates.

Wyle, who's other acting credits include some pretty good work as Steve Jobs in Pirates of Silicon Valley, Enough and one of my favorite films, Donnie Darko, is, of course, an unproven director. Add to that a script that, while it has a somewhat interesting premise, was nevertheless written by someone with no prior feature credits or experience. Even the person they tapped to do the rewrite doesn't have any feature credits. I don't know about you, but to me this project is really starting to sound like a bad idea with a pretty good chance of failure. I realize that people have to start somewhere and everyone is a first-timer at one point, but usually when the director has never directed before, producers will often have a writer on-board with a little experience under his or her belt -- just to give the project a fighting chance of success.

As the film is being financed by freshman feature backers Dolphin Entertainment (who are primarily known for their TV movies) and, as an indie production, most-likely has a relatively small budget, I guess Dolphin feels an unproven director and writers are worth the financial risk. But really, who knows what their reasons are? Whatever they might be, I really hope they know something I don't know -- for their sake. No word on casting for Prince Test (which, if they get the right actors, would help) but production is set to begin this April in Chicago.

Let me first start this Cinematical Seven list with a disclaimer -- I love genre movies and sci-fi movies in particular. It's probably because, like many of you, I watched the original Star Wars as a kid and fell in love with the idea of speeding through space, fighting the evil galactic empire, saving the day in the nick of time and getting to kiss the Princess. Of course, in my version of the story, the Princess was not my sister. ...

Sci-fi films are great because they serve to entertain us, thrill us and help us see what the future could be like if we live that long. Plus, you get the fun of all that wrapped up in an attractive and exciting package filled with great special effects, memorable performances and stories that while they entertain us, also manage to teach us a little something about life, ourselves and what it means to be human.

When making my list I tried to think of films that inspired me and helped fuel my love for this genre. Some of these films may be obvious to you and some may be new but I feel they all represent what is best about sci-fi films. I also realize that two of these films feature Charlton Heston. What can I tell you -- the man knows good sci-fi material when he reads it. Plus, I also included two films starring the lovely Catherine Mary Stewart, who I had a serious crush on during my formative years. She sure was cute. And spunky. Much like a certain Princess we all know and love.

Here, then, is my list of the seven sci-fi films you should be watching.

Gattaca (1997) -- Writer/Director Andrew Niccol's dystopian vision of a future where you're bred and selected for your genetic superiority is a compelling indictment of the dangers of technology and social responsibility. Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law star along with the great Alan Arkin as a detective assigned to investigate a murder at the giant corp where Hawke works. In the film, Hawke's character, a supposedly inferior and non-genetically enhanced "in-valid" takes the place of Jude Law's character, an enhanced "valid", in order to pursue his dreams of space travel.

This film is a compelling mix of sci-fi film, detective thriller, murder mystery and romance with many twists and turns. Plus, the Production Design, Cinematography and even Ethan Hawke's performance are first-rate and help you imagine a future where all of these things could exist. Gattaca entertains and makes you think at the same time. Not a bad mix.

Since Donnie Darko insinuated itself into the canon of cult cinema with its much-buzzed Sundance premiere, a failed theatrical release and finally a strong following on DVD, the question has been what writer-director Richard Kelly would do next. Rumors swirled around Kelly's follow-up; it was over two-and-a-half hours long; it was a futuristic tale set in a fascist United States; actors like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Kevin Smith were all signed on to play various roles. It was being backed by Universal, a big change from Darko's indie origins. Now, after a Cannes premiere, Southland Tales has gone from rumor to reality. And the rumors were far more exciting than the reality of the film.

Southland Tales does take place in the near-future -- 2008, to be precise. After a series of nuclear attacks on Texas, the United States is a quasi-police state. The Internet is under federal jurisdiction. All law enforcement has been consolidated into the National Security Agency -- federal, state, even street cops. A new energy source has been discovered, generated by a huge apparatus off the coast of L.A. and beamed wirelessly to homes, vehicles and more. And a 20-million-dollar-a-film action star (Johnson) has emerged from the desert with amnesia and is working on his next film about the end of the world, even as 'Neo-Marxist' agents work to destabilize the upcoming election.

JoBlo.com has pictures of Sarah Michelle Gellar on the set of Donnie Darko writer-director Richard Kelly's latest, Southland Tales. In the film, which is due to be released next year, the longtime Buffy The Vampire Slayer plays an adult film star who is developing her own reality TV series when an unprecedented heat wave hits Los Angeles. [Insert your own gag featuring an alternate porn title that rhymes with "Slayer" here.]