Earlier today, Peter wrote up a piece on movie mogul Harvey Weinstein explaining how The Weinstein Company created their division Third Rail as a dumping ground for movies they feel have only "ancillary value." Harvey and his younger brother and business partner, Bob, have been under a bit of an attack since ditching Disney/Miramax for their own shingle back in 2005, with a lot of sharks swimming the waters surrounding them, just waiting for enough money to bleed through the Weinstein's fingers.

An article over at the Sunday Telegraph by Tom Teodorczuk goes into some fairly good detail about the troubles facing the beleagured brothers. You can read the full piece yourself to see his analysis; suffice it to say that the Weinsteins have yet to bring that old Miramax magic to their independent shingle, probably for a variety of reasons, not the least of which include the troubles facing the indie film world generally. As Hollywood Elsewhere's Jeff Wells, quoted in the piece, notes, "The Weinsteins have suffered from the same pressures affecting the indie film sector that everyone else faces. There is a glut of product owing to hedge fund firms now investing in films."

For everyone who's ever watched a bad movie and thought, "If this is what they produced, I wonder what they threw away?," the Village Voice has found an answer. In an amusing and fascinating article posted today, reporter Tony Ortega says he and a buddy accidentally stumbled across a recycling bin full of paper from Harvey Weinstein's office -- and not just from the office, but from Weinstein's own desk. Ortega proceeds to tell us all the juicy details he learned about the daily work of a movie mogul.

So what is Harvey Weinstein throwing away? Lots of copies of screenplays, naturally, as well as daily sheets (prepared by an assistant, no doubt) listing phone calls he needs to make or return. As you might imagine, the roster of people seeking Weinstein's attention is staggering, with actors, agents, lawyers, producers, and reporters all vying for his time. Michael Moore called him on April 25 and Weinstein didn't return the call for over a month. I'd say being able to ignore Michael Moore for a full month is the very definition of power.

Strangely, Weinstein's e-mails are printed out for him to peruse. (Maybe he gets eye strain from looking at a computer monitor? Maybe he just likes wasting paper?) There were some pretty interesting tidbits in the copies he tossed, including lots of stuff about the Weinstein-produced Project Runway, if you're into that.

OK, so maybe they aren't turning all their movies into Broadway musicals, but it sure seems like it. According to Variety, The Weinstein Co. is out to produce a number of adaptations for the stage, beginning with Finding Neverland, which is expected to hit the stage in 2010 (or re-hit the stage, since the movie was based on a play by Allan Knee). After that, it's a stage version of Pink Floyd's The Wall (apparently adapted from the album, not Alan Parker's 1982 film). Then, other titles in the pipeline include the Miramax hits Shakespeare in Love, Chocolat, Save the Last Dance and Cinema Paradiso. Wait, a stage musical based on a movie that celebrates moviegoing? That's gotta be one of the dumbest things I've heard.

These certainly aren't the first movies to be exploited adapted for the stage, and they won't even be the first stage productions from the Weinsteins, who also had a hand in Tony-winner "August: Osage County," as well as the hit stage adaptation of The Producers and the soon-to-be-a-film "Frost/Nixon." The Finding Neverland musical is already being written, with book by original playwright Knee and music by "Grey Gardens" composer Scott Frankel and lyricist Michael Korie. The Wall also is in the works under the care of playwright/screenwriter Lee Hall (Billy Elliot).

So far, it appears TWC is only adapting Miramax films, from back when the Weinsteins were in charge there, but maybe one day we'll get to see "Grindhouse: The Musical" or a stage adaptation of Fanboys (maybe it can even hit the stage before theaters, at the rate it's going).

When two movies with similar plots hit theaters around the same time, it usually just reveals the vapidity of Hollywood formula (as was the case when Deep Impact and Armageddon came out a few months apart). The situation changes, however, when the subject matter has far more thematic weight. Defamer's S.T. VanAirsdale points out the potential conflict brewing now that The Weinstein Company has picked up U.S. theatrical, DVD and television rights to the 2004 German film Operation Valykrie, a dramatization of the failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hilter during World War II. Sound familiar? That's because Bryan Singer's upcoming 2009 release, Valkyrie, tells precisely the same story, with Tom Cruise in the role of would-be assassin Col. Claus Von Stauffenberg. In the German movie, the character is played by Sebastian Koch, the debonair star of The Lives of Others and Paul Verhoeven's Black Book.

In addition to the overlapping content, VanAirsdale points out another potential conflict: Koch's female co-star in Black Book, the alluring Carice van Houten, stars opposite Cruise in Valkyrie, creating the sort of meaty overlap that money can buy. Harvey Weinstein's no slouch when it comes to instigating controversy, but his company hasn't exactly had the best of luck with its recent daring titles (few turned out for Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?). Personal drama has impacted Cruise's films before, but this might be the rare case where he would have nothing to do with it.

It seems like a lifetime or two has passed since Billy Bob Thornton wrote, directed, and starred in Sling Blade. There's been a marriage to Angelina Jolie, teamed with super-romantic blood vials, and a whole slew of acting gigs from A Simple Plan to The Astronaut Farmer. He also had two other directing stints -- All the Pretty Horses in 2000 and Daddy and Them in 2001.

Now Cinema Blend reports that he's getting back to the director's chair with two new projects, and explained why it has taken him so long to do so. It seems that Billy Bob did not enjoy working with ol' Harvey Weinstein on Horses, and that experience has kept him from getting back behind the camera. But now, with deals contingent upon him retaining total control of both projects, he's trying again. He says one is locked, and the other is close to a deal.

The first is some book adaptation that he didn't say much about, but the second idea focuses on Floyd Collins. It's a pretty wild story about a caver in the '20s who was trapped in some underground caves and became the first world-wide media sensation, well before the days of Jessica McClure, or reality TV. Thornton says: "the reason I want to make the movie is I want to make the movie about human nature. It's human nature to want to see other people suffer for entertainment. That's why we have reality television. That's why every time there's somebody trapped in a hole, everybody's interested." I just wonder if it will detail the creepy stuff later -- like displaying the poor dude's body at the cave.

I know that there is probably no one who is as sick of the term 'Brat Pack' as Emilio Estevez. Luckily, he has managed to make his mark as a director and not just be the answer to a trivia question, or even worse, a pop culture punch line. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Estevez has chosen the socially conscious drama Public as his directorial follow-up to 2006's Bobby. The story is based on a Los Angeles Times op-ed piece about how libraries were becoming the new shelters for the homeless and the mentally ill now that social programs have been cut to the bone.

Estevez also wrote the script that is, "set in Los Angeles, takes place during a 48-hour period on the two coldest days in the city, with the library overwhelmed by people seeking shelter. After getting rebuffed by the administration to keep the doors open, one librarian stages an act of civil disobedience. He ends up dealing with the library's new inhabitants, many of them mentally ill."

Estevez's inspiration for Public came from an unlikely source; mainly the movie-mogul Harvey Weinstein. A conversation that took place between the two during press for Bobby convinced Estevez to choose something really meaningful for his next project. Well, I guess you can't get heavier subject matter than the abandonment of the homeless and the mentally ill. Estevez has not begun any casting, but he is currently meeting with actors to fill the 15 plus roles in the film. Public is set to begin production on March 26th.

Responding to Harvey Weinstein's comments last week that he would like to see more Rambo movies, since all that killing and grunting plays well internationally, Sylvester Stallone has come out and put the kibosh on that talk. The Guardian reports that Stallone has told reporters that there will be no more Rambo films after this one. "This is the last Rambo just as Rocky Balboa is the last Rocky," Sly said. "I can't go any further. It was a miracle that it even got done." Considering the dozen or so producers listed on the film's credits, that's probably true. Who knows how many people will have to get paid before this movie turns a profit. And without giving too much away, Stallone clearly went further than was necessary to put a stamp of finality onto this film, and there's really no reason other than raw greed to go any further with the adventures of John Rambo.

I'm glad of this decision, since this most recent Rambo film sucked. I wasn't quite as bamboozled as some others into passive appreciation of the severed limbs, exploding heads and dismembered torsos dished out in the film. (The squibbing alone must have eaten up most of the budget, and I'm not even kidding.) While I do respect that Stallone was making an honest attempt to reach what he perceives as a core audience who just wants to see Rambo knife people in the belly and call it a day, I'm more or less a lone supporter of the artistic integrity of Rambo: First Blood, Part II, a film that I believe surpasses even Die Hard as the exemplary action film of the 80s, and that's the bar I measure all subsequent Rambo films by. Seriously, when will George P. Cosmatos be recognized for his amazing skill as an action director? Anyway, so long Rambo.

Ah, now that Sundance is over (though our coverage will continue through the next day or so), I can finally get back to writing about things that mean something. Case in point: Harvey Weinstein is apparently so happy with the opening for Sly Stallone's latest Rambo installment that he's considering doing another one. Even though Rambo failed to take the number one spot at the box office this weekend (Meet the Spartans? Really America?), that won't stop Weinstein from gushing over the future prospects of our old man in the jungle. Deadline Hollywood tells us Harv feels Rambo will easily do $50 million domestic and about $100 to $150 million overseas. I don't know about you, but those made-up numbers certainly indicate a sequel is warranted.

Says Weinstein, "I like the idea of an older guy kicking ass. Maybe it's because I'm older, too." The big man also dished out a possible plot scenario should Rambo return once again to brutally mutilate tons of bad guys, noting that he'd be down with "bringing the character back to the United States." Yes, please -- and maybe this time it could be set in Central Park where Sly would face off against the Cloverfield monster. Now that's something I'd pay double to see. But what about you? Are you interested in seeing older guys kick ass on screen, or are you automatically attracted to much younger action heroes? And would you be interested in yet another installment in the Rambo franchise?

Well, well ... seems the scales may finally be tipping in the WGA's favor here. First the fall of the Golden Globes, and then the news that Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner's United Artists were making a side deal with the WGA similar to the deal struck earlier with David Letterman's Worldwide Pants. Now the Weinsteins, according to this story in the New York Post, are also close to making a "me too" deal, and Deadline Hollywood Daily is also tossing out rumors of Lionsgate and Lucasfilm coming around.

Neither Cruise nor the Weinsteins are stupid; making independent deals with the WGA can only give them a huge advantage over the major studios, and the more the independents strike deals, the more like arrogant assholes rich guys the moguls look. And you've gotta love any deal that makes Tom Cruise and the Weinsteins look like the nicest guys in the room, right?

It seems as though the WGAs strategy of making deals with the independent studios might not have been such a bad idea after all ... could this signal the beginning of the end of the writer's strike? Stay tuned ...

Get your ass to Mars ... again. According to Moviehole, there's a new Total Recall movie in the works, but it is hard to really tell if it's to be a sequel or a remake. Apparently The Weinsteins have owned the rights to the original TR for years and they had plans to do a follow up. Then Spielberg's Minority Report happened. Huh? Aside from also being adapted from a Philip K. Dick story, MR has nothing to do with TR. Except that it was originally scripted by Ronald Schusett and Gary Goldman as Total Recall 2. Of course, the end result bears no resemblance to that draft, in which Tom Cruise's character was actually Arnold Schwarzenegger's Doug Quaid, the Precogs were mutated humans (from the Martian atmosphere) and all the action took place on Mars. Still, Moviehole claims Minority Report beat The Weinsteins to the punch and so this new Total Recall project will in fact be a remake.

Personally, I don't see how Minority Report keeps The Weinsteins from doing a sequel. Dick's story had no relation to his "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale", which was the inspiration for Total Recall, and really the movie makes no reference. Sure, Schusett and Goldman's idea for a sequel is no longer possible, but there is certainly other ways to do one. However, the fact that Schwarzenegger isn't exactly an actor these days also contributes to the problems with producing a sequel. Doing a follow up without him, though, would not be that surprising. In fact, it is particularly common with Paul Verhoeven movies to do a sequel without the stars of the first film (Hollow Man II; Robocop 3; Starship Troopers 2). At least Sharon Stone is interested in a Total Recall sequel. Certainly it would be more ridiculous to go the remake route, considering how popular Verhoeven's original was -- and still is.