The Pink Panther Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Aspen Comedy Fest Honors Colbert and Blake Edwards
Filed under: Comedy », Awards », DIY/Filmmaking »
It's an inspiring year at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. They are honoring legendary filmmaker Blake Edwards, who is single handedly responsible for some of the greatest comedic films of all time. He is the director of all The Pink Panther films and one of my personal favorites, Breakfast at Tiffany's. Aspen will also be awarding Comedy Central darling Stephen Colbert with the Person of the Year award. According to the Hollywood Reporter, festival organizers described the award recipient as being "the most important contributor to life in America in the past year, having exhibited such great accomplishment that they have affected or made history." Really? Colbert?
In the vain of inspiring filmmaking -- if Edwards doesn't inspire you enough -- USCAF is encouraging filmmakers to post their work online. In recognition of the rapid growth of YouTube and other digital media posting sites, Aspen has included The Funny Picture Show on their schedule. It not only allows filmmakers to create their work and have it screened, but also enables audiences to participate in the festival experience even when they're not making it to Aspen. Those who screen the films online are included in the voting process and winners get the opportunity to meet with HBO Films and USCAF executives.
Are you inspired to make something funny yet? If not, then throw in The Pink Panther (the original, not the Steve Martin version) and start writing. Then, when you're finished, submit it on www.funnypictureshows.com for an opportunity to screen in Aspen ... and just mayyybe you'll get to meet with some of those big Hollywood types. Good luck!
Picking Up the Re-Write Pen for Pink Panther 2
Filed under: Comedy », Scripts », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
In the immortal words of a certain fictional, pirate radio DJ, "All the great themes have been used up and turned into theme parks." While that isn't exactly the case, the woes of over-used ideas and superfluous sequels are as common as salty fries and tube socks. However, as much as we bitch and bemoan the state of originality in Hollywood, there are masses who don't care and are more than happy to patronize shlock. I don't know one person who actually liked the Pink Panther remake, and Rotten Tomatoes has it at a paltry 24% -- and even many of the positive ones recognize the film's lack. However, according to Box Office Guru, the flick slipped its way into the top half of 2006's Top 50 at 24.Reviews mean nothing when there is money to be made, and obviously they will try for another Top 25 spot with a Pink Panther sequel. Newcomers Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber had penned the return of Inspector Clouseau, but now Columbia pictures is looking for a re-write and has grabbed Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. The pair is responsible for the likes of classics such as Splash and Spies Like Us, as well as more current fare like Robots and Fever Pitch. They've also dipped their hands into the re-writing pool a number of times, sprucing up the likes of 50 First Dates and The Notebook. That bodes well for the film, but is it enough to keep you from asking: "Why?"
Beyonce Dissed ... Again
Filed under: Drama », Music & Musicals », Awards », New Releases », Paramount », Celebrities and Controversy », Dreamworks », Oscar Watch »
Another year, another Oscar disqualification controversy. It would probably help the Academy to sit down and really go through its eligibility rules, compare their fairness between categories and come up with something reasonably concrete and consistent. Still, in fairness to the Academy, this latest controversy may not be that big a deal. So Beyoncé Knowles is not being listed as one of the writers of the Dreamgirls song "Listen," which she allegedly co-wrote with potential nominees Henry Krieger, Anne Preven and Scott Cutler. Some people don't think she really contributed an equal share of the work anyway. And she agrees with those people.The singer-actress should just ignore the Oscars and consider the recognition she has received. I mean, the woman has been nominated for more important things, such as "Favorite Female Butt Kicker" (Kid's Choice Awards, for Austin Powers in Goldmember) and "Sexiest Performance" (MTV Movie Awards, for The Pink Panther). Plus she got the songwriting credit and nomination, as well as an acting nomination, from both the Golden Globes and the Satellites. Can she really take the Academy seriously after they already failed to nominate her for "Independent Women", part I (too bad 2000 was one of those rare good years for the original song category)? Perhaps being upstaged by and underappreciated because of a certain former American Idol contestant puts one's self-worth into question?
Regardless of Beyoncé's problems, though, the Academy's rule of recognizing only three contributors is ridiculous. What happens if a four-piece band -- one that shares writing credits -- writes a song for a movie? I'm not sure why the rule was added, and I agree that seven songwriters was a lot to include for Shrek 2's "Accidentally in Love," but it may need another rewrite.
More from MGM On Those Two Hobbit Films
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », MGM », New Line », Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Peter Jackson », Remakes and Sequels »
While attending the London world premiere of Casino Royale, MGM chief Harry Sloan talked a little bit about the studio's upcoming film slate, which (for the time being) includes those highly anticipated Hobbit films. Last we heard, MGM was in discussions with New Line for the rights to produce two Hobbit pics, though we weren't sure whether Peter Jackson would be involved or not. Most of you felt the same way I did -- no Jackson, no way. Well, the good news is Sloan admitted that MGM was in talks with Jackson to "make" (once again, we're not sure if that means as a director, a producer or both) two films based around the Lord of the Rings prequel.
And the bad news? Those discussions with New Line won't go anywhere until Jackson settles up a lawsuit he has with the studio over a ton of dough from the franchise that he feels he's entitled to. Drats. We hate lawsuits. However, Sloan felt confident the films would get made, and said that the first would be a direct adaptation of The Hobbit, while the second "would be drawn from footnotes and source material connecting The Hobbit with The Lord of the Rings." I'm not so sure about that second film, but the first one definitely needs to get made.
In case you're interested, Sloan talked more about The Pink Panther sequel, The Thomas Crown Affair follow-up and whether or not Rocky Balboa would continue to fight well into his 80s. Personally, I'd like to see a Rocky film that features him fighting over a game of Bingo in a retirement home. " Yo Adrian, I did it -- BINGO!"
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