calvin and hobbes Tagged Articles at Cinematical

I haven't looked at the "funny pages" in years, so I'm not familiar with Mark Tatulli's comic strip Li?. From what I can tell, though, it's a bit like Calvin and Hobbes but instead of a tiger, the kid is friends with macabre figures like the Grim Reaper. And they're not as much part of the boy's imagination. Now that I've looked at a bunch, I'm pretty much hooked. It's definitely not the best strip I've ever read, but considering my old favorites are no longer being produced, Li? is a fair alternative to much of the junk filling the comics section these days. Anyway, because I'm hooked on the strip, which has apparently been around for a year and a half now, I'm also excited about the news that it's being turned into a live-action movie. According to Variety, producer David Kirschner is working with Universal Press Syndicate to bring the boy and his creepy companions to the big screen. It's certainly fitting since Kirschner is the guy who gave us both Fievel Mousekewitz and the Chucky doll. He will be working with Corey Sienega, who he partnered with on Seed of Chucky and the upcoming Martian Child.

The only thing I'm concerned about is the story, and whether or not it could maybe be told without dialogue. See, Li? is a primarily pantomimed strip and it would be most appropriate if the movie were the same. Of course, Hollywood would never go for a silent adaptation. Besides, it's a lot easier for each strip to be dialogue-free, since there's no on-going plot. Not that the movie would necessarily require dialogue, but it could definitely use some. The important thing, however, and this is only if I'm getting the strip correctly based on about 10 examples, is to keep the supernatural friends rather mysterious and/or ambiguous. As far as I can tell, we shouldn't know how or why Li? is pals with them. Also, the dialogue would have to be easily translated into foreign languages, since the strip's speechlessness has allowed it to become a hit overseas. In talking about adapting Li?, Kirschner has mentioned models in The Addams Family and Edward Scissorhands. So, can we assume he's already tried to contact Tim Burton's people (with Sonnenfeld's number on the back-burner)? Also, can we get this in time for a double-feature with the Edward Gorey movie?

As we head towards the weekend...

• Walt Disney Company has jumped into its first co-production with China for an animated Chinese film called The Magic Gourd. Based on children's novel, the movie is about a boy who finds a wish-granting gourd. It was whipped up by Centro Digital Pictures (which did Kill Bill), and marks the company's move away from the classic icons like Mickey Mouse, that made them famous. It looks funky, so maybe we'll be lucky enough to see a dubbed/subtitled version here, because really, who wouldn't want to see a magic gourd?
• Before you get all excited, I'm sad to say that this isn't a feature film. However, it's a really great little fan short done by Donato Di Carlo at the CFP Milano film school. Although it's in Italian, there are subtitles to read -- but really, you don't need them because the animation is what counts. The short is a great embodiment of the popular aspects of the strip -- school, Susie, Hobbes and his hatred of certain foods, although I wish they'd included the Transmogrifier. I can only hope that Bill Watterson will see this and we'll finally get an animated version -- one that can embody the comic like this short has.
• Lastly, there is another Clive Owen movie in the works, which he can add to the docket that already has Sin City 2 and The International. Capitol Films is currently in Cannes, shopping worldwide rights to an Australian movie to be directed by Scott Hicks called The Boys are Back in Town. An adaptation by Allan Cubitt of Simon Carr's comically dark memoir, it details a man who loses his wife to cancer, and then dives into "least resistance parenting" to raise his two sons. Sounds like great Clive material to me, but we'll have a while to wait as Variety says it will start shooting in January.