TheIsland Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Us critics, we don't hate Michael Bay. Well, not all of us, and not all the time. I wasn't a fan of his Transformers, nor Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and I haven't watched The Rock or Armageddon in their entirety in years, but I distinctly enjoyed 2005's The Island during its ill-fated theatrical run (gross: $35 million, cost: between three and four times that), and I still do as a decent sci-fi/action matinee outing.

But how?, I've been asked. It does after all bear every other trademark of a Michael Bay outing: explosions, rampant product placement, blatant racial stereotypes, explosions, perpetual dusk lighting, explosions, and a female lead constantly flattered by her wardrobe (yeah, a real woe-is-us scenario).

The cacophonous Super Bowl spot for Transformers 2 made me think -- not for the first time -- that Michael Bay is full of crap. There are plenty of directors who make stupid and expensive action blockbusters, but few who are so damned self-righteous about it. It seems that every interview with the man contains a response to his naysayers to the tune of: "I don't see anything wrong with spending a lot of money to make big action movies to entertain people. Yet somehow, I come under special scrutiny. I mean, why don't people get upset if Dow spends $300 million to invent some new chemical? Audiences like popcorn movies. What's wrong with that?" and "What we do is not brain surgery. We are entertainers, plain and simple, and we're responsible to bring that money back, to make a profit."

As a response to the criticism that his movies aren't very good, this is, of course, complete nonsense. There are people who make very commercial, very popular Hollywood films who don't have to resort to the "I'm just making popcorn movies" defense -- which, as Eric D. Snider pointed out to me, is another way of saying "I'm not making very good movies." Google Sam Raimi, and you'll get quotes about the power of great stories, and his love for his source material. Even Stephen Sommers, who has certainly made some reviled films, talks about his enthusiasm and inspiration; you can sense he's trying. From Bay, you get: "I'm an entertainer -- don't hold me to any standard."

An article in the New York Times from this past weekend spotlights Transformers screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who confess that they originally wanted to make films like Godard's. Well, some of the movies they have worked on may feature ridiculous editing patterns, but having written films like The Island and Mission: Impossible III, they didn't quite go in the direction they'd planned. Still, one thing they keep in mind on every script they write together is that they need to have a good story first and foremost, and that story has to be accessible to audiences who may not be familiar with the particular franchise or brand they're working on. This was an important thing to keep in mind with Transformers and it will be an important thing to keep in mind with Star Trek XI, which comes out Christmas 2008. We've already heard that the movie will be a prequel, detailing Kirk and Spock's early days at the Academy, and that it will be geared toward non-Trekkies, but the Times article makes me believe that Orci, a long-time Trek fan, and Kurtzman will be able to please the die-hards while also welcoming in the newbies.

I've never been a big Star Trek fan, but I have greatly enjoyed some of the television episodes and films that didn't make me feel like a totally lost beginner. The first Trek film I ever saw was Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, which I loved, mostly because I was a sea-life-obsessed kid. It really helped me out that it was a present-day, Earth-based story, which could have been the plot of a non-Trek movie. And for a short time, I thought I could maybe get into the whole Trek universe. I didn't, though, and I've still never seen all the movies, but I recently watched Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan for the first time in twenty years, and as much as I appreciate why it is so revered, I still felt like I was on the outside looking in. So, I'm really looking forward to what Orci and Kurtzman and director J.J. Abrams come up with for the new Star Trek movie. It may not be for Trekkies, but it probably won't turn off any of the fans, and it may just make new ones out of some of us.

We should have more on the next Star Trek movie once ComicCon begins next month. Stay tuned.

In this modern society dependent on sound bites and single-sentence synopses, it was only a matter of time before someone thought to apply (albeit very loosely) the ancient Japanese poetic 5/7/5 syllable form of haiku to film criticism. Here are a few recent movies, reduced to their essence through super-economic choice of words. Feel free to submit your own haiku reviews of movies you saw this summer (one per post please).

WAR OF THE WORLDS [PG-13]
Advanced aliens?
Traversing the galaxy
No penicillin?

THE ISLAND [PG-13]
Michael Bay, learning,
By Serlingesque irony,
Leaden turds don't float.

FANTASTIC FOUR [PG-13]
Stan Lee, comic god
Fallen, but not as far as
Affleck's DareDevil.

• What a nightmare The Island is turning out to be: the producers of 70s b-movie Parts: The Clonus Horror are suing Dreamworks on allegations that Michael Bay's picture is unlawfully sourced from their own. We first reported the similarites between the two films two weeks ago.
• A judge has ruled that Michael Eisner and other Disney executives are not responsible for contributing to the $140 million severance package awarded former president Michael Ovitz. The ruling "concludes that Ovitz, Eisner and Disney directors all acted in good faith in his hiring and firing, and that the plaintiffs failed by every measure to show otherwise."
• Liev Schrieber and Julia Stiles are in talks to star in John Moore's remake of The Omen. And, because there's nothing like cutesy horror film marketing, Fox plans to release the film on June 6, 2006 - get it? 666?
• Mark Cuban's HDNet Films has greenlit Diggers, starring Paul Rudd, Lauren Ambrose, and Sarah Paulson. The script is by The State's Ken Marino, who will also co-star. Cuban and friends play to distribute the film in theaters, on cable and on DVD simultaneously.

• The Island: San Francisco, CA - WB20 is giving you the chance to win passes to an advanced screening.
• Dukes of Hazzard: Boston, MA - EDGE is giving away passes to a special advance screening on August 1st. Winners MUST be available to claim their prizes at the EDGE "Dukes of Hazzard" Party at Club Cafe on Friday, July 22nd. Winners must be able to present themselves to the EDGE staff between 9PM-11PM. No prizes will be mailed to winners. Check your email on July 20th, as all event prizes will be awarded then. Note: Club Cafe is a gay bar/restaurant.
• Rhythms of the World: San Diego, CA - To get advanced ticjers to the new IMAX movie at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center all you need to do is go to Goodwill Industries Retail Store in the Mission Square Shopping Center - 1006 Mission Avenue - Oceanside - 760-439-3301 and pick them up. Limit 2 passes per person. (Each pass is good for one person) Passes are FREE while supplies last. No purchase necessary.
  

NOTE: We are not the ones holding the contests or giving away the tickets, we're just providing you with the information. Have fun and good luck. Thanks to
kimplovely, YoungAmerican, ixtennyoxi, BSC and Fatwallet for contributions.